Chapter 146: The Cycle World, Instant Annihilation of the Eighth Realm

One month later.

Zhou Tian's face revealed a look of profound excitement; he had finally crossed the threshold into the World Artistic Conception.

Having genuinely stepped through the gates, a genius like him did not fear difficulty; what he feared was failing to find the entrance altogether. Once a foot was inside, everything else could be accomplished through patient, persistent effort.

"Brother Jiang, I will dispense with the polite pleasantries. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word!" Zhou Tian was truly grateful.

The Dao of the World, when combined with the Stellar Techniques, would trigger a chain reaction, potentially elevating the overall strength of his entire family by a tier. Because he had gained entry, he could now guide the talents of his clan. If another person successfully comprehended it, it would truly be defying the heavens.

In truth, he was even more astonished.

For a full month, Jiang Ming had continuously sustained the World Artistic Conception to allow him to comprehend it.

To maintain it every single moment—how terrifying was the consumption of spiritual willpower?

Yet, Jiang Ming appeared completely unaffected now.

"I told you, it's just a minor matter!" Jiang Ming laughed. "Next, I will head toward the Great Desolate Territory. If things go smoothly, I'll be quick; if not, I might stay for a while. The Mud Bodhisattva prophesied a millennium catastrophe. If it occurs, the nine territories will likely plunge into disaster. By comparison, Chang'an in the Great Tang, the land of the academy, will be quite safe. I suggest you head there. If you do go, don't forget to take the Mud Bodhisattva with you."

"Understood!" Zhou Tian nodded solemnly.

"Miss Ye!" Jiang Ming looked toward Ye Hongyu. "We shall meet again in the Great Tang Territory!"

"Brother Jiang, take care on your journey!" Ye Hongyu wanted to follow, but she held back the words.

Jiang Ming cupped his fists, and just as he was about to leave, he added, "Brother Zhou, spread the word that you and I will be heading to Chang'an of the Great Tang in the future."

"I understand!" Naturally, Zhou Tian knew Jiang Ming's intent—he wanted others to make their way there as well.

Jiang Ming said no more. With a single step, he vanished into the edge of the sky, leaving behind nothing more than a tiny black dot in the eyes of Zhou Tian and Ye Hongyu.

His speed was simply too fast.

Moreover, it did not cause the slightest commotion.

"As vast as the world is, Brother Jiang can already roam anywhere freely. I'm envious, truly envious!" Zhou Tian was genuinely jealous.

He, too, longed to wander the world freely, but the moment he thought of Emperor Shitian, the Sword Saint, Nameless, and the rest, he couldn't help but shrink back. There were too many powerhouses and he was too weak—what could he do?

He had no choice but to lay low!

Crossing across mountains and rivers, drifting among white clouds, taking in the magnificent landscapes—within a mere two days' time, Jiang Ming arrived at the Great Desolate Territory.

Here, martial arts flourished, ruled by imperial dynasties, suppressed by Mount Shu, alongside several minor nations such as the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Although demons wreaked havoc from time to time, it was generally considered peaceful, far superior to the Great Wu Territory.

Suspended high in the open sky, Jiang Ming hovered.

White clouds drifted around him.

For someone of his current stature, traveling through the air was effortless. Whether using the Wind Artistic Conception to ride the gales, his martial arts domain, or divine Dao techniques, he could execute them with absolute ease.

"Li Xiaoyao, Zhao Ling'er, Lin Yuruo!"

With a sweep of his divine sense, Jiang Ming instantly grasped the situation in this region, catching sight of three youthful, vibrant, and handsome figures. He also understood that this marked the beginning of the perilous and arduous journey for Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er.

He paid them no further heed, turning his focus instead to tracking down the Red Fiend King.

He recalled that the Earth Spiritual Bead was in the possession of the Red Fiend King.

Using the three youths as coordinates, it was remarkably easy to locate him.

With a direct strike, he obliterated the Red Fiend King, and the earthy-yellow orb fell into his hands.

"Rumor has it that the Five Spiritual Beads were formed by Goddess Nuxia after defeating and sealing the ancient Five Elements Demonic Beasts." Jiang Ming examined the Earth Spiritual Bead, probing its interior, and was deeply shocked.

The Earth Spiritual Bead contained a vast amount of earth-attribute vital energy, alongside an extremely dense concentration of the Dao of Earth. Furthermore, there was a formidable surge of vital blood energy and soul power.

All of these elements were fused together perfectly.

"Perhaps it really was forged by sealing a demonic beast. Regardless, for me, it is a supreme nourishing treasure." Jiang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. "Once I find the remaining spiritual beads and gain a slight comprehension, I can attempt to cultivate the Cosmic Gene Technique."

Indeed, his purpose in seeking out the Five Spiritual Beads was precisely for this consideration.

Cultivating the first layer of the Cosmic Gene Technique had consumed a massive amount of resources.

What about the second layer?

It would undoubtedly be even more terrifying.

This was the reason he had not rushed to attempt it blindly.

Only with proper preparation could he ensure absolute success.

Following that, he slew a spider spirit to obtain the Thunder Spiritual Bead.

He tracked down the Golden-Winged Phoenix and acquired the Wind Spiritual Bead.

"Is this truly a phoenix?" Looking at the corpse before him, Jiang Ming shook his head. The so-called phoenix likely possessed merely a trace of phoenix bloodline, as its actual combat strength had only just barely crossed into the seventh realm.

It fell far short of even the Fire Qilin.

Shortly after, he secured the Fire Spiritual Bead from the Qilin Elder.

"The Water Spiritual Bead..."

Jiang Ming scratched his head slightly.

As far as he knew, the Water Spiritual Bead was originally in the hands of a young Li Xiaoyao, only for an adult Li Xiaoyao to traverse time and space and retrieve it from his younger self.

If so, where had the Water Spiritual Bead gone during the intervening period?

"Can this world truly allow time travel?"

Jiang Ming raised his head to look at the sky.

He found it hard to believe.

If one could truly traverse through time and space, that would be heaven-defying, and the nine territories would truly transform into a world of gods and demons.

Even as he pondered, Jiang Ming sensed a powerful fluctuation. Though faint, his senses caught it with absolute clarity.

"A terrestrial immortal is fighting!"

Instantly intrigued, he dashed through the sky at top speed.

Before long, he spotted two figures locked in fierce combat. Divine lights erupted, overwhelming power surged, and an entire mountain peak had been blown to rubble.

Flying rocks and shattered swords filled the air, causing the nearby lake to violently churn.

"Chen Bei!"

Jiang Ming recognized one of them at a glance—it was Chen Bei, who possessed the Reincarnation Body. This fellow possessed unfathomable and formidable strength.

Battling him was a middle-aged man with long hair, clearly a terrestrial immortal. His aura was towering and his might boundless, suppressing Chen Bei so fiercely that he was driven into a tight corner.

Yet, he could not be defeated instantly.

"This guy has actually reached the seventh martial arts realm!"

Jiang Ming was greatly surprised.

Shifting his gaze, he spotted another familiar figure—Ran Xin, who possessed the Power of the Mind, hurrying over from the distance.

Boom...

A blinding explosion erupted in the distance. Overwhelmed by the crushing power, Chen Bei was sent flying backward, crashing down onto a ridge. His landing blasted a deep crater into the earth before he leaped back out.

After catching his breath for a brief moment, he steadied himself.

His true Qi surged, his clothes flapped violently in the wind, and his long hair danced wildly.

"Brother Chen, you can actually trade blows with a terrestrial immortal now. Impressive!" Jiang Ming descended, calling out with a smile.

"Truly formidable!" Ran Xin arrived as well. "In just about a year's time, you've stepped into the seventh realm and are fighting a terrestrial immortal toe-to-toe. Your progress is terrifyingly fast!"

"Brother Jiang, classmate Ran!" Chen Bei tensed slightly before breaking into a smile, finally relaxing entirely.

Despite his current high cultivation level and formidable strength, he believed that Jiang Ming was even more terrifying.

With Jiang Ming here, he had nothing to fear.

"My cultivation has been relatively smooth, but I certainly can't compare to Brother Jiang, let alone that monster Fang Qinghan," Chen Bei laughed. "How did the two of you end up coming here?"

"I've been cultivating in seclusion around here, occasionally walking about to take in the local customs. Hearing that a descendant of the legendary Goddess Nuxia had suppressed the Water Demon Beast here, I came to take a look, never expecting it to be such a coincidence that I'd run into the two of you," Ran Xin smiled. "I was just feeling somewhat isolated, so I suppose I'll tag along with the two of you from now on."

"I came over from the Great Wu Territory," Jiang Ming briefly explained. "What's your situation here, Chen Bei? How did you manage to provoke a terrestrial immortal?"

"Ah, I couldn't help it!" Chen Bei recounted the preceding events.

Upon descending into this world, he had maintained a low profile at first, cultivating while occasionally slaying demons to build up his foundation and accumulate experience.

In doing so, he had also learned of the various affairs in this realm.

When his cultivation broke through to the Heavenly Human realm, he came here intending to hunt down the Water Demon Beast—which had been suppressed by the descendant of Nuxia, Lin Qing'er—only to draw out the Lord of Moon Worship.

"He is the Lord of Moon Worship, wielding absolute authority in the Nanzhao Kingdom. I heard that back then, in order to force the descendant of Nuxia to reveal her true form so he could frame her as a snake demon, he had the Water Demon Beast unleash a monstrous flood that submerged Nanzhao. He's a ruthless figure who stops at nothing to achieve his goals." Having said that, Chen Bei gestured toward the Lord of Moon Worship standing opposite them with a strange expression. "This guy is quite interesting. He loves science and is obsessed with research."

"What are your plans?" Jiang Ming asked with a smile.

Secretly, however, he largely agreed with Chen Bei's assessment.

The Lord of Moon Worship could hardly be considered a good person, but his relentless drive for research was worthy of respect.

In the original television series, this ultimate boss had actually been defeated and killed by a single move called 'Infinite Love'.

"Since we're enemies, we kill him!" Chen Bei said coldly. "Brother Jiang, care to lend a hand? If I kill him, my combat prowess will experience an explosive surge."

"Very well!" Jiang Ming nodded.

The aura of the Lord of Moon Worship was not much stronger than that of the martial arts myth Nameless; he could be considered someone who had only recently stepped into the terrestrial immortal realm.

"Hehe..." The Lord of Moon Worship opposite them chuckled. "You want to kill me? The youngsters of today are truly arrogant."

He clasped his hands together, his long hair draped over his shoulders, clad in a black robe. His majestic and imposing face unexpectedly gave off a gentle vibe.

Above his head, a patch of black clouds coalesced, churning incessantly as though concealing a terrifying giant beast within.

"This isn't arrogance," Chen Bei shook his head. "If I were alone, I would undoubtedly be suppressed by you, and after trading blows, I'd have to flee. But now, you are unquestionably dead."

"Unquestionably dead!" Ran Xin echoed heartily.

She was well aware of how freakishly powerful Jiang Ming was.

"Haha..." The Lord of Moon Worship laughed up to the sky, shaking the firmament. The sound waves transformed into a violent tide that swept in all directions, triggering a raging tempest.

His divine might was truly boundless.

"Even the Sword Saint of Mount Shu and the Wine Sword Immortal of Mount Shu wouldn't dare claim I'm unquestionably dead!" He waved his hands, manipulating the cosmos. "In the Great Desolate Territory, I wouldn't dare call myself invincible, but who can defeat me? The three of you youngsters actually claim you'll kill me for sure. Hehe, you've stirred the lingering hostility in my heart; you are forcing me to embark on a massive slaughter!"

"Moon Worship, are you planning to bully the younger generation?" A long whistle echoed from afar, and a wine gourd sailed across the void, carrying a figure seated atop it—none other than the Wine Sword Immortal.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived close by.

He immediately looked at Jiang Ming. "You brat actually made it over here. Good grief, the moment you arrive, you dare provoke Moon Worship? Even I don't have the confidence to face this fellow."

"He provoked my brother, so he is dead for sure!" Jiang Ming cupped his fists. "Wine Sword Immortal, have you found your daughter?"

"Found her!" The Wine Sword Immortal danced about with joy, the depression of his past completely gone, replaced by surging high spirits. "Brother Jiang, many thanks! Regardless of how you managed to provoke Moon Worship, today this old brother of yours will protect you!"

"Protect me?" Jiang Ming laughed, then shouted sternly, "Classmate Ran, attack!"

"Soul sword, execute!"

Jiang Ming's gaze sharpened, his Yin Spirit vibrated, and his magical power surged into a violent tide, transforming into an invisible sword that pierced through time and space straight toward the center of Moon Worship's brow. It tore through a layer of defensive barriers and penetrated deep into his sea of consciousness.

"Sea of the mind, shatter!"

Ran Xin struck as well.

Her attack was even more formless and intangible.

The Lord of Moon Worship had just begun to look alert when his expression suddenly twisted, blood streamed from his seven orifices, and he involuntarily let out a miserable shriek.

Immediately afterward, his eyes glazed over, his true Qi scattered, and even the power of heaven and earth gathered above his head dissolved instantly.

Chen Bei's eyes narrowed. His figure vanished abruptly, reappearing instantly before the Lord of Moon Worship, where he slammed a palm onto the man's head.

With this single palm strike, all the true Qi within the Lord of Moon Worship's body was shattered, stripping him of any capacity to resist.

A brilliant light bloomed from Chen Bei's chest, opening a vortex that easily dragged the Lord of Moon Worship inside.

"It's done!" Chen Bei revealed a joyful expression.

The spectator, the Wine Sword Immortal, stood dumbfounded, breaking out in cold sweat.

That was the Lord of Moon Worship! A terrestrial immortal whom even he dared not guarantee he could defeat, yet he was suppressed in the snap of a finger?

Even more terrifyingly, he had been swallowed whole into that fellow's body?

What kind of ability was this?

"Classmate Ran, Brother Jiang, many thanks!" Chen Bei flew back, radiant with joy. "I never expected the two of you to be so terrifying when teaming up, forcefully stripping the Lord of Moon Worship of all resistance. Impressive, simply too impressive!"

"Naturally!" Ran Xin said smugly. "My soul power combined with your mind power, stacked together, absolutely erupts with a one-plus-one-greater-than-two effect!"

"Let's cooperate more often in the future!" Jiang Ming smiled.

Though he was quite curious as to how Chen Bei had managed to swallow the Lord of Moon Worship, he did not press for details.

Inwardly, however, he grew even more certain.

Within Chen Bei's body, there truly was a high probability that a reincarnation world was harbored.

"We'll cooperate again!" Chen Bei was overjoyed, though he sighed a moment later. "What a pity, it wasn't a solo kill!"

Jiang Ming and Ran Xin understood what he meant.

Only by independently slaying an eighth-realm powerhouse could one complete the descent's achievement mission, allowing the cultivation gained here to truly become one's own.

"I don't know if I'll ever have the chance!" Ran Xin sighed. "To kill a terrestrial immortal, I have only hope once I step into the eighth realm. Within the seventh realm, trying to kill across realms is simply too difficult. After all, the higher you go, the wider the gap between realms becomes. A single realm's difference is like a heavenly abyss. How depressing!"

"Then just work hard!" Jiang Ming said. "With your unique ability, among peers, you are practically invincible. Take the Lord of Moon Worship, for instance—once you reach the terrestrial immortal realm, a single glance from you would finish him off."

"Indeed!" Ran Xin's eyes curved into crescent moons.

The Wine Sword Immortal, listening on the side, felt his hair stand on end.

Were these youngsters planning to kill terrestrial immortal realm powerhouses?

And they wanted solo kills?

He couldn't help shuddering, feeling an urge to flee the scene immediately.

"Wine Sword Immortal, do you know the whereabouts of the Water Spiritual Bead?" Jiang Ming looked over and inquired.

"The Water Spiritual Bead?" The Wine Sword Immortal shook his head.

"Keep an eye out for it for me in the future!" Jiang Ming requested.

"Easily done!"

The Wine Sword Immortal agreed.

After exchanging a few casual remarks, they arrived at the place where the Water Demon Beast was suppressed. Looking at the stone statue in the middle of the lake, the Wine Sword Immortal's expression turned exceptionally complex.

"Wait!" Seeing Chen Bei about to make a move, he hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.

(End of this chapter)