Chapter 986
Que Zhenjun One Step Away!
Song Changsheng never expected that Yi Tianzheng would be able to guess most of the truth based on just a few words he revealed, and even challenge him to a duel.
The person in front of him was a genuine True Monarch, not someone like him who was a "fake." Even though it was just a friendly spar, the pressure was immense.
However, he was secretly eager to try it out.
After all, he himself was also very curious to know how much improvement the condensation of the fake infant had brought him.
It's unrealistic to compare himself to a True Monarch level expert; he'd be satisfied if he could withstand a few moves.
Thinking of this, he solemnly bowed and said in a deep voice, "Please enlighten me, Palace Master!"
Yi Tianzheng smiled slightly, and without making any move, a powerful airflow enveloped the two of them. Song Changsheng felt a blur before his eyes and found himself in a spherical arena in the air, firmly shrouded by a barrier of laws.
"This is the arena in the clouds."
“Indeed, this is an arena modeled after the Cloud Arena of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty. It is generally used for daily sparring among the elders of the palace. You may make the first move.” Yi Tianzheng stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.
"I have offended you, junior."
Song Changsheng's expression was solemn. He slowly clenched his fists, and the power of the laws within his body resonated with the power of the laws outside. The surrounding spatial barrier began to tremble violently, and an invisible aura swept across the trial ground. Yin and Yang energies alternately appeared on his side, and seemingly nonexistent lightning power surged and roared behind him.
This power was unprecedentedly strong, far exceeding Song Changsheng's expectations, and was almost a completely different realm from the Golden Core stage.
He could clearly perceive the existence of the laws of Heaven, and the trajectory of power was so clear that he could mobilize it at will.
"boom"
With a punch, a lifelike phantom of a Suanni leaped from Song Changsheng's arm, roaring as it charged toward Yi Tianzheng not far away. The Suanni was wrapped in azure lightning, its size growing from small to large, from phantom to solid. Wherever it passed, the sky changed color, and wind and rain followed, leaving a clear trail of footprints on the spatial barrier.
“【Thunder Path】.” A glint of light flashed in Yi Tianzheng’s eyes. He knew about Song Changsheng’s mastery of the 【Yin-Yang Path】, but he never expected that he had also reached such a height in the Thunder Path.
"wind."
Yi Tianzheng uttered a single word, then flicked his sword, causing the winds and clouds to gather and a hurricane to instantly form in front of him, causing the surrounding spatial barriers to distort slightly.
The Suanni (狻猊) collided violently with the hurricane, and for a moment they were evenly matched.
Song Changsheng naturally wouldn't naively believe that this was all of Yi Tianzheng's strength. With a single step, he appeared a hundred miles away in a flash. Amidst the surging of laws, a massive hand of laws, seemingly capable of encompassing heaven and earth, appeared in the air, causing the entire aerial arena to tremble slightly.
"Holding the stars in your hand, controlling mountains and rivers in your palm. This is the great spatial divine power, [World in the Palm]. You are indeed a person of great fortune. I will now use all my strength."
Having confirmed Song Changsheng's strength, Yi Tianzheng felt relieved. With a soft whistle, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and snow began to fall from the sky. The heavy snowfall obscured the view, but these snowflakes were not the snowflakes of traditional understanding; they were all condensed from pure law power.
Seemingly light and soft, each piece was actually as heavy as a mountain and carried a terrifying extreme cold, leaving a clear trail on the spatial barrier.
With a wave of his hand, Song Changsheng used the power of space to encompass half of the "snowflakes." The surrounding spatial barrier collapsed under the force, and with a sudden clench, all the snowflakes melted away.
The melted snowflakes froze the clenched, illusory hand, which then exploded with a deafening roar.
"call"
With a flick of his sleeves, a gust of wind howled, ruffling the space.
The remaining snowflakes, propelled by the wind, transformed into a dense, icy mass of frost and snow blades, each carrying an extremely dangerous aura, enough to cleave space and instantly block Song Changsheng's escape route.
He was on high alert, his hands quickly forming hand seals, and the power of the laws gathered beneath his feet, condensing into a brilliant golden lotus.
The lotus flower split into two, then into four, and in the blink of an eye, it filled the space around him, numbering over a thousand, several times more than before.
These golden lotuses formed an impenetrable wall around him, blocking all the frost and snow blades. The golden lotuses shattered and reformed repeatedly, narrowly managing to withstand the attack.
Yi Tianzheng calmly raised his right hand and said indifferently, "Summon the lightning!"
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of purple-gold lightning bolts struck down, the terrifying arcs of electricity filling the air with a burnt smell. Song Changsheng's supernatural power was instantly shattered, his face turned pale, and his breathing became somewhat slow.
Fortunately, his combat instincts, honed over two hundred years, allowed him to subconsciously devise the best course of action. While using spatial power to dodge, the space in front of him, spanning over a hundred feet in both length and width, was folded dozens of times in an instant.
The purple-gold lightning darted back and forth inside, like headless flies.
However, this phenomenon did not last long. With a thought, all the crimson-gold lightning converged into one place and then erupted with a roar. The folded space collapsed instantly, forming a huge void that shimmered with seven-colored light and frantically devoured everything around it.
The powerful impact of the spatial collapse caused Song Changsheng's blood to surge, but he quickly calmed down.
In the past, it would never have been this easy. The enhancement brought to him by condensing the fake infant was undoubtedly comprehensive, and it was already beyond expectations that he could hold on until now.
It should be noted that his current opponent is the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in the five thousand years of the Myriad Manifestations Palace. Except for the first move where he held back as a test, he went all out in the rest of the time.
His fighting spirit had been fully ignited, and now he desperately wanted to know where his limits lay.
Yi Tianzheng saw through his thoughts and smiled slightly, saying, "Do you know the fundamental difference between a false infant and a nascent soul?"
After a moment's thought, Song Changsheng said, "It should be a supernatural power or Dharma form."
"Therefore, the best way to deal with a fake infant cultivator is to crush them directly with your supernatural powers and dharma forms. Be careful!" Yi Tianzheng's expression turned solemn as he formed hand seals, his black hair under his crown dancing in the wind.
A frost giant, over three hundred feet tall, stood upright behind him. The moment it appeared, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and ice clusters sprouted out of thin air. Centered on these ice clusters, ice crystals rapidly spread outwards.
The chilling aura and oppressive force that hit him made Song Changsheng gasp for breath.
This was the first time he had witnessed the divine manifestation of a Nascent Soul True Monarch. The surging power, like a tidal wave, perfectly matched his understanding; it was the ultimate weapon of a Nascent Soul True Monarch. Even if the physical body perished, as long as the Nascent Soul remained, there was still a chance to rise again. And these were the things he would have to face next.
Song Changsheng took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and a bright light shone brightly in his Niwan Palace. It was the radiance emitted by three blooming Dao flowers. Beneath the Dao flowers, the branches and veins of the Tongtian Dao Tree gradually became clear, radiating golden light, which appeared behind him through his body.
A Law Tree, hundreds of feet tall, was rooted in the boundless void, reaching to the heavens and the earth, its golden light dazzling. It stood in confrontation with the Frost Giant across the void, and in the end, it did not lose out in terms of momentum.
Song Changsheng is not yet able to condense a divine form, but unlike others, his "Dao" is powerful enough that it can be revealed under the rules of the Heavenly Dao after communicating with the world through the false infant.
It may not be as powerful as the divine manifestation of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but it is certainly capable of fighting!
"As expected of the Boundless Great Dao, let this old man test the limits of your illusory infant form!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the frost giant behind Yi Tianzheng clasped his arms and slammed them down towards Song Changsheng's location.
"boom……"
The universe trembled, and centered on the point of impact, the spatial barrier surged like ocean waves, ice crystals spread rapidly, and the surging space in their path was instantly frozen, creating a visually stunning impact.
What appears to be a simple strike is actually the combined application of multiple laws and powers, which is also the fundamental difference between a Nascent Soul True Monarch and a Golden Core cultivator.
Golden Core cultivators are merely appendages of the laws; they embrace them, comprehend them, and dedicate their entire lives to them, but their utilization of this power remains superficial.
Nascent Soul True Monarchs, on the other hand, are the controllers of the power of laws. They can use it at will and even easily mix it together to achieve a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.
Behind Song Changsheng, the Heavenly Dao Tree shone brightly, with three Dao flowers blooming on its branches, resonating with the Great Dao.
Life...destruction...yin and yang...
The three forces mingled together and converged in the air. As the vortex swirled, two bolts of lightning, one black and one white, carrying a terrifying aura, struck down, leaving clear traces in the void.
Two bolts of lightning, one yin and one yang, intertwined and merged in the air, transforming into the [Yin-Yang Divine Lightning]. They collided violently with the rapidly spreading ice crystals in the air. In an instant, the sky and earth became one color, the spatial barrier shattered on a large scale, and the law chains that covered the aerial arena flickered wildly, on the verge of collapse.
"puff"
The violent impact of the explosion sent Song Changsheng flying, crashing heavily into the arena's barrier. His blood surged, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. However, the Heavenly Dao Tree that had manifested outside had not yet dissipated. If it were a life-or-death battle, he would still have the strength to fight.
On the other side, Yi Tianzheng also took a small step back to completely dissipate the impact that had crashed into his body. His expression remained calm, but his heart was filled with amazement and admiration.
He is now only half a step away from the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Song Changsheng's ability to persist until now, even with him using his divine power and Dharma form and going all out, without completely losing his fighting ability, is truly amazing. He is even stronger than those fake Nascent Soul cultivators he learned about from ancient books.
If it were a cultivator who had just entered the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, Song Changsheng could have lasted at least ten rounds without being defeated. If he had a powerful magic weapon by his side, he could have lasted even longer.
It should be noted that even a cultivator who has just entered the Nascent Soul stage can kill a Golden Core cultivator in a single move.
The gap between the Golden Core stage and the Nascent Soul stage is greater than the gap between any two previous stages. It cannot be bridged by ordinary treasures. Even Dao artifacts can only provide temporary protection. Perhaps only legendary immortal artifacts can defy this gap.
In his view, Song Changsheng was now invincible below the Nascent Soul stage, and even the direct disciples of those ancient sects and holy lands would find it difficult to compete with him.
Even though they are both Nascent Soul cultivators, Song Changsheng still has the advantage of cultivating the Boundless Great Dao.
"I never expected that such a brilliant talent would emerge from this remote place that has always been looked down upon by the world. Perhaps one day he will be able to reach that realm and end all of this..." Yi Tianzheng's eyes were deep, as if he saw a light called "hope" in Song Changsheng.
After comprehending the Great Dao of Life, Song Changsheng's recovery ability became extremely abnormal. His Star Bloodline was also purified and strengthened due to the infusion of innate Qi, and his injuries were completely healed in just a few breaths.
This discovery surprised him, but it also prompted some deep thought.
With a look of satisfaction, Yi Tianzheng said, "With your current strength, you are already able to crush cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage. The Fake Nascent Soul technique is well-deserved of its name. Except for the fact that the Nascent Soul is too weak, it can almost be mistaken for the real thing."
With the restrictions of the ancient covenant, those old guys from the demon race can't cross the Canglan River. Ordinary demon kings can't pose any threat to you at all. With you guarding the southwest, I feel very at ease.
"When you break through to the Nascent Soul stage, the Myriad Manifestations Palace will be in the east, and the Song Clan in the west. Resisting the sea tribes in the east and resisting the demons in the west, the borderlands will be as impregnable as a fortress."
"It is an honor for this junior to receive the Palace Master's approval." Song Changsheng was quite flattered by Yi Tianzheng's evaluation.
"Since you have chosen to follow the method of the false infant, it must be because your [Five Elements Alchemy] is not yet perfect. This requires the accumulation of time and cannot be rushed."
However, if you wish to further enhance your strength, I do have some insights to share.
Song Changsheng was overjoyed and bowed deeply, saying, "Please enlighten me, Palace Master!"
"Based on my observation, your recovery ability and short-term burst of power have reached their limits, leaving only one weakness: speed."
Your speed used to be your greatest advantage, but now it's somewhat lagging behind. While your strength prevents you from being crushed by Nascent Soul cultivators, it just means you have to put in more effort.
If you want to contend with a Nascent Soul True Monarch or even survive, speed is the most crucial trump card. Your recovery ability is very strong. In actual combat, as long as you can buy a moment of breathing time, you can recover completely.
Even if you're used as a punching bag, you'll be a punching bag that's not easy to break. Combined with your powerful explosive force, it won't be a problem to restrain a Nascent Soul cultivator for a short time. In a battle where the strength of the two sides is not too different, it's enough to turn the tide of the battle.
Besides being a hindrance on the battlefield, speed is also your only means of survival if you are attacked in peacetime.
Therefore, you need to focus your energy and attention on comprehending the [Great Dao of Space], which is not difficult for you.
"Once you open this door to the Great Dao, I will teach you the art of spatial teleportation!"
……
P.S.: I'm finally home today. I was quite busy during the Spring Festival. I barely had time to sit down before I had to start preparing the New Year's Eve dinner. After that, there were blind dates, visiting relatives, and so on. I hardly had any free time, so the update schedule might be a bit chaotic. Extra chapters might have to be delayed until the end of the month. I hope my fellow cultivators can understand~ (End of this chapter)