Chapter 102: Battle with the Golden Core!

Furthermore, the Five Elements Sect and the numerous Golden Core cultivators coveting the prize all understood that once the plan commenced, Chi Jiuxiao would have no path of return.

Those cultivators hungry for the Nine-Turn Reincarnation Pill would not allow him to stop, nor could he stop himself. By executing it personally, there remained a glimmer of hope for a turnaround; if the Golden Core cultivators of the Five Elements Sect were to take over, then there would truly be no hope at all.

The existence of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Centipede was, at most, the spark. The Yin-realm techniques it brought provided the boundless and sufficient materials for the Yin-Yang Reversal Array.

The Great Yue had once again created the Yin-Yang Reversal Array...

"Sigh..."

It was a matter of timing, a matter of fate...

Receiving such news, Cao Chengyu was at a loss for what to do.

Xiao Yan’s face grew paler as he spoke, clearly realizing the gravity of the situation. He was still young and could not fathom how a plan that used millions, or even hundreds of millions of lives as sacrifices, could be met with universal approval.

"Righteous path... Heh..."

The two exchanged glances, both feeling a profound sense of powerlessness.

Master Miaodan’s constant shifting of allegiances was easy to understand. As the strongest peak Golden Core cultivator in the surrounding kingdoms, his mastery of alchemy was unrivaled. If the plan succeeded, he would be required to preside over the refining of the Nine-Turn Reincarnation Pill. Before a replacement could be found, his position was unshakeable; no matter how he wavered, his life was not in danger.

"Wait!"

Cao Chengyu suddenly realized the problem. Calculating the timeline, by the time Luo Yuzhu sent the message to Master Miaodan, he should have realized that he, Cao, was also involved behind the scenes.

No matter how much he coveted Xiao Yan’s treasures, he dared not defy the crushing momentum of the numerous Golden Core cultivators. Cao Chengyu knew too much, and Xiao Yan held the Profound Yin Dragon Chart, the key to the entire plan.

He was a dyed-in-the-wool reactionary. A pebble standing against the tide.

If he were the only one who knew, he might have been able to delay things and find a way to obtain Xiao Yan’s treasures. But now that Luo Yuzhu also knew of his dealings with Xiao Yan, no matter how much she trusted her disciple, she would immediately initiate an arrest for the sake of her own safety.

"Xiao Yan, run!"

There was no time for further explanation. Cao Chengyu mounted his white cloud and bolted away in a flash.

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, but immediately reacted, controlling several zombies to hoist Xiao Xue’er up as they fled.

Yet, they had barely emerged from the Black Mountain cavern when a hoarse, aged voice echoed in their ears.

"Oh, if it isn't my registered disciple, actually colluding with the 'Bloody-Handed Butcher' Xiao Yan. Don't blame your master for cleaning house today."

Before the words had faded, a massive, pale hand descended from the sky, attempting to wipe out Cao Chengyu in a single strike.

Cao Chengyu gritted his teeth. He had been too arrogant, carried away by the wind and clouds, and had neglected the danger—a lapse that went against his usual cautious nature.

He wondered if he had been clouded by inner demons. But it was not too late to wake up.

He executed the Yin Seal Sword Formation, his figure transforming into a beam of sword light. He shot toward the clouds, narrowly dodging the crushing blow of the pale hand at the very last second. He had modified this sword talisman into a sword-escape technique. Originally intended to experience the thrill of a sword immortal riding the wind, it was now perfectly suited for escape.

Cao Chengyu had dodged a Golden Core strike, but before he could relax, a hunched old woman appeared before him. The wrinkles on her face were so deep they could crush a fly, and a scent of decay assaulted him.

It was Master Wanxiang!

"Boy, you learn my Lesser Six Ren and then try to run? You've got some nerve."

Beneath her feet, a golden Eight Trigrams array suddenly expanded, enveloping Cao Chengyu. He had been flying smoothly, but suddenly found himself moving backward. This was the Heavenly Mystery Treasure Technique from the Mysterious Eight Trigrams, capable of confounding the five senses! The victim would find their right hand suddenly moving when they intended to move their right foot; their sensations would be scrambled, making it impossible to control their body, and this chaos was entirely random.

The situation was dire.

On the other side, Xiao Yan was even unluckier, having encountered the strongest fighter among them: the head of the Heaven-Monitoring Tower, a peak Golden Core cultivator who practiced both physical and internal arts. With Xiao Xue’er to protect, he was struck in the chest during the first exchange, blood erupting from his mouth and nose.

"Damn it!"

With a furious curse, Cao Chengyu opened his own Mysterious Eight Trigrams array beneath his feet. After his refinements, this technique had reached a super-grade level, fully capable of rivaling all of Master Wanxiang’s disjointed mystical arts. The array opened with the Taiji diagram at its center, where he stood.

"Qian Trigram, Heaven!"

"Kun Trigram, Earth! Qian and Kun invert, reversing Yin and Yang!"

Mysterious Eight Trigrams against Mysterious Eight Trigrams—a unified, integrated technique was far stronger and faster than one merely cobbled together! Master Wanxiang’s Heavenly Mystery Treasure Technique was shattered instantly. In terms of sheer comprehension, Cao Chengyu did not fear her at all. He only lacked the depth of magical power.

Seeing her technique broken, Master Wanxiang’s face revealed shock, followed immediately by greed.

"A Mysterious technique that can break the Heavenly Mystery? With your cultivation level, could this be a divine-grade technique?!"

Cao Chengyu didn't bother to answer her; how could a mortal understand the insight of a genius? He stepped firmly, the Taiji Eight Trigrams rotating and enveloping both Wanxiang and Miaodan.

"Li Three, Xun Five!"

"Heart fire rises, Xun wind drills; the power of wind and fire, scorching mountains and splitting stones!"

Flames ignited from within their hearts, and the Xun wind blew through their internal organs, originating from deep within their own bodies.

Master Miaodan’s expression grew grave. A precious pill appeared above his head, and under the protection of its glowing aura, the internal anomaly was suppressed. But Master Wanxiang, who specialized in mystical arts, found her own path suppressed by Cao Chengyu and was immediately thrown into a miserable state. Fire spewed from her seven orifices, and she vomited blood mixed with green and red.

"You brat! I will kill you!"

Having been outclassed by a junior in mystical arts, Master Wanxiang could not hide her fury. A torrent of magical power surged forth as a fourth-grade low-tier artifact, an Eight Trigrams Mirror, appeared in her palm. She recited a true incantation and struck it hard.

The mirror expanded to an immense size, covering the sky above Cao Chengyu. Its surface reflected his image, and he found himself frozen, unable to move. The Li and Xun positions on the mirror began to flash, as she attempted to return the favor with his own technique.

Cao Chengyu let out a cold snort. Blood trickled from his mouth as the Five-Organ Spirits manifested behind him.

While protecting himself from harm, he integrated them into the Taiji Eight Trigrams. A new five-pointed star pattern, representing the Five Elements, appeared in his array.

Seeing that things were going poorly, Master Miaodan used the power of his treasure pill to tear through space and teleport away, shouting as he went, "Wanxiang, I’ll go deal with Xiao Yan; this brat is yours!"

Cao Chengyu remained expressionless, making no move to stop him. Fighting a Golden Core cultivator was already exhausting; one-versus-two was a fantasy. He continued his movements, the Jade Pure White Lotus Platform appearing behind him, rotating to replenish his depleted magical power.

He continued to twist the array beneath his feet.

"Zhen Four, Kun Eight!"

"Rolling thunder, Earth Mother’s binding!"

Zhen represented thunder, and Kun represented earth. Thunder clouds gathered, and the ground bulged as massive rock hands, empowered by the Earth-element organ spirit, tore through everything in their path.

They clamped down on the lower half of Master Wanxiang’s body, solidifying it into stone. The thunder followed, crashing down upon her!

"Ah!!!"

This was the nature of combat using mystical arts—bizarre, unpredictable, and full of elemental variety, capable of suppressing anyone.