Chapter 105: Battles of Sheer Will
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The Fire Spring flowed gently through the pine forest, its fiery glow mingling with the vibrant green of the pines. The serene landscape belied the tension simmering within the group.
Qin Ming’s quiet muttering was easily overheard by those nearby. The Golden Armor Protectors opposing him instinctively stepped back, their eyes betraying their unease.
“How absurd,” one of them thought. “This fierce young man still looks confused after all that?”
Moments earlier, when the Golden Armor Protector had unleashed what seemed to be his strongest Celestial Light Force, Qin Ming had stood firm. His hands, like tiger claws, had struck with uncanny precision. “So that was his specialty,” Qin Ming mused, “but it didn’t seem connected to the supposed Overlord’s Legacy he claimed to carry.”
Qin Ming felt a wave of relief. “He was just posturing—an Outer Saint in name only.”
Even Li Qing Yue’s three followers, who had fought by her side for over a year, exchanged looks of astonishment. Was Qin Ming seriously analyzing his battle in the middle of it?
The truth was that Qin Ming had initially been deceived by the Golden Armor Protector’s weapon—a massive halberd. When he saw the celestial energy extending two meters beyond it, his body tensed in alarm. Memories of his desert battle, where he had barely survived against an Outer Saint whose celestial energy extended only half a meter, flooded his mind. How could he not be shaken?
But as he picked up the halberd and felt his own Unified Celestial Light Force pulse through it, realization struck him. The weapon’s unique construction allowed the energy to extend unnaturally far. “It’s infused with Jade Iron,” he muttered. The panic that had gripped him evaporated.
“That explains everything. They’re not as terrifying as they seem,” he said, his confidence returning. His gaze grew sharper as he assessed the Golden Armor Protectors facing him. “I really am stronger than I thought.”
The Outer Saints couldn’t understand the shift in his demeanor. To them, his calm, almost casual manner was an insult. They gritted their teeth, their fury barely contained.
The truth, however, was undeniable. Qin Ming had just obliterated one of their comrades with brutal efficiency, even bypassing the defensive runes of the Golden Armor.
Li Qing Yue’s face softened into a smile. Her tension eased. She recalled how Meng Xing Hai had once described Qin Ming’s extraordinary potential, saying he could surpass most of his peers in the path of Body Mutation. Even so, she hadn’t realized just how formidable his Unified Celestial Light Force had become—it was capable of challenging, and defeating, an Outer Saint.
Li Qing Xu, however, looked grim. One of his protectors, wielding a weapon imbued with the Overlord’s Legacy, had been taken down in a single exchange. The sheer violence and precision of Qin Ming’s attack left no doubt—it was both brutal and awe-inspiring.
Even Zheng Mao Ze felt uneasy. “He didn’t even unleash his Celestial Light Force fully,” he whispered to He Tai.
“You still want me to hold back?” He Tai responded, his face serious. He studied Qin Ming and added, “That boy might be one of the Tathagata’s Abandoned Disciples. If he unleashes his true power, I could be the one left dead.”
“What did you say? Tathagata Force?” Zheng Mao Ze was stunned.
Unaware of their whispered concerns, Qin Ming studied the Golden Armor, his sharp eyes catching its flaws. “So, the weak points are at the joints. If I channel my force through the hands or feet, I can bypass the protective runes.”
His musings sent a ripple of fear through the remaining Outer Saints, who instinctively backed away. They could tell Qin Ming wasn’t just assessing the armor—he was plotting their defeat.
Farther away, Wang Cai Wei, resplendent in her black and gold armor, watched Qin Ming with growing interest. “Who is this boy? Is his Celestial Light Force truly that formidable?” she asked.
Beside her, Jiang Cong Yun, a disciple of Pure Yang Palace, observed thoughtfully. “I suspect he’s mastered Jade Purity Force. If his celestial energy can extend outward, he’ll be a nightmare to deal with.”
The battle continued. Li Qing Xu and Li Qing Yue clashed fiercely, their radiant Celestial Light Forces twisting the landscape around them. Trees splintered, rocks shattered, and the very air seemed to hum with energy.
Meanwhile, Zheng Mao Ze hesitated. “If that boy really has mastered Jade Purity Force, killing him could invite disaster. We shouldn’t provoke Li Qing Yue further,” he transmitted to Li Qing Xu.
Qin Ming wasted no time pondering their words. Gripping the halberd tightly, he charged forward, his eyes blazing with determination. The weapon felt natural in his hands, its hybrid design allowing for slashes, thrusts, and sweeps. Its Jade Iron composition enhanced his celestial energy, amplifying his strikes.
With astonishing speed, Qin Ming closed the distance between him and an Outer Saint, his halberd a blur of motion. The blade, gleaming like lightning, aimed directly for the man’s throat.
Caught off guard, the Outer Saint, who had confidently fought barehanded, scrambled to dodge. His confidence in his own strength wavered as he realized the halberd’s devastating power.
Without a word, Qin Ming pressed his advantage, forcing the man to retreat step by step. His attack was relentless, each strike imbued with the full weight of his Unified Celestial Light Force.
Behind him, Li Qing Yue’s three protectors rushed to support him. They could hardly believe what they were seeing—Qin Ming, once seemingly hesitant, now fought with unmatched ferocity.
The battle reached a fever pitch, the forest echoing with the sounds of clashing weapons and roaring energy. Qin Ming’s halberd, guided by his newfound confidence and skill, became an unstoppable force, carving through the opposition with precision and power.
The Fire Spring continued to meander through the pine forest, its fiery glow interwoven with the emerald hues of the towering pines. The tranquil scenery did little to mask the mounting tension as events rapidly unfolded.
Among the observers, many felt a growing unease. The opposing Golden Armor Protectors visibly hesitated as they witnessed Qin Ming’s prowess. His whispered words of self-assurance only added to their anxiety. How could someone so lethal still appear contemplative?
One of the Outer Saints, realizing the danger, broke into a cold sweat. He couldn’t help but wonder if Qin Ming was one of the rumored Tathagata’s Abandoned Disciples or a practitioner of the legendary Jade Purity Force. Either possibility was daunting—those legendary techniques were said to pierce through any celestial energy and counter all manner of masters. Facing such an opponent could only end in disaster.
This realization dawned painfully when Qin Ming’s halberd, glinting like a silver flash, swept forward with the force of a coiled dragon. The Golden Armor Protector barely evaded the strike, but his luck didn’t hold—two fingers were sliced clean off by the razor-sharp blade.
Without a second thought, the injured man retreated. He didn’t dare retrieve his severed fingers or risk another encounter. Turning swiftly, he disappeared into the distance. They were still near the entrance of the Spiritual Cave, and he preferred humiliation to death. Ignoring Li Qing Xu’s furious glare, he abandoned the battlefield entirely.
Qin Ming’s halberd clashed against another Outer Saint’s wolf-tooth club with a sharp metallic cry. The club buckled under the force, several of its barbs snapped clean off.
This time, Qin Ming fully embraced the essence of the Overlord’s Halberd. His strikes carried an unstoppable momentum, as if threatening to pierce the heavens. The two-meter-long halberd radiated his Unified Celestial Light Force, creating terrifying waves of energy that resonated through the forest.
The opposing Outer Saint felt panic rising. His heavy weapon was rendered useless, bound by Qin Ming’s overwhelming celestial energy and flung aside. A subsequent strike from the halberd crashed into his chest, activating the runes of his protective Golden Armor. The man spat blood, his body reeling from the sheer impact. Without the armor’s protection, he knew he would have been crushed entirely.
Before he could recover, Qin Ming’s next attack sent him hurtling tens of meters away. Gasping for air, the Outer Saint didn’t hesitate. Realizing further resistance was futile, he fled the battlefield.
“Cousin, I’m leaving first!” shouted the fourth Golden Armor Protector, a relative of Li Qing Xu. Showing no desire to fight, he retreated without so much as lifting his weapon.
At a distance, He Tai watched with growing anticipation. He was eager to test his Great Ape King Force against Qin Ming. His lineage’s ancestor had once fought a master of the Tathagata Force—though defeated, the encounter had been immensely rewarding.
“Stay back!” Zheng Mao Ze intervened. He suspected Qin Ming’s celestial energy could already extend outward and feared for He Tai’s safety.
Historically, the Great Ape King Force, though formidable, had always been overshadowed by the unmatched power of the Tathagata Force. Adding to his hesitation, Zheng Mao Ze’s heightened awareness, sharpened by his cultivation, detected another formidable presence approaching.
“Li Qing Yue, so this is where you are,” said Tang Xu Mi, stepping into view with a cheerful expression.
He turned to Li Qing Xu, smirking. “Looks like you’ll be the first to leave.”
Qin Ming and his companions had barely entered the cave when the sparrow carrying a fragment of Tang Xu Mi’s consciousness lured him here. The situation had quickly escalated.
“Let’s send him out,” Li Qing Yue agreed. A swift resolution, she reasoned, was preferable to a prolonged duel with Li Qing Xu.
Li Qing Xu’s face darkened. Targeted by two core disciples, his chances of acquiring the Near-Immortal Artifact seemed bleak.
“The fat one hasn’t joined in yet?” Tang Xu Mi asked, glancing at Zheng Mao Ze.
The latter’s energy surged in frustration. Though naturally broad-shouldered and muscular, he despised the nickname Zheng Da Zhuang, often hurled behind his back. For Tang Xu Mi to call him a “fat one” to his face was infuriating.
Suddenly, Li Qing Xu leapt into the distance. He wasn’t ready to leave the cave just yet. Though his odds were slim, he hoped to hold out until the end.
Ancient pines exploded in his wake as Li Qing Yue and Tang Xu Mi pursued him, their battle turning the forest into a chaotic battlefield. Li Qing Xu’s glowing purple bamboo staff clashed against the combined forces of his adversaries, leaving him battered but determined to escape.
Meanwhile, Wang Cai Wei, accompanied by her allies, withdrew without a word.
“Let’s go,” said Zheng Mao Ze, his earlier anger subdued. Though still fuming over Tang Xu Mi’s insult, he knew better than to confront him now. Grabbing a reluctant He Tai, he retreated as well.
Outside the ruins of Luo Fu Mountain, onlookers eagerly awaited news. Their curiosity was soon piqued when a bloodied figure emerged from the cave.
“He’s one of Li Qing Xu’s Golden Armor Protectors,” someone noted.
The crowd exchanged knowing looks. They were well aware of Li Qing Xu’s overbearing master, who had a reputation for ruthlessness. The core disciples targeting Li Qing Xu was no coincidence—it was the natural result of longstanding grievances.
“It seems Li Qing Xu will be the first to fall,” someone chuckled.
The injured protector, unwilling to lose face, countered, “I was wounded by a Tathagata’s Abandoned Disciple! He shattered an Outer Saint through the armor.”
“How can you be sure he’s a Tathagata’s Abandoned Disciple?” someone asked skeptically.
Another protector, limping out moments later, offered an alternative. “He might be a descendant of the Jade Purity Lineage.”
The mention of these two legendary techniques left the crowd astonished. The youth accompanying Li Qing Yue was far more formidable than anyone had anticipated.
Though battered, Li Qing Xu refused to concede. His body shook with suppressed fury as he fled deeper into the cave. Despite the odds stacked against him, he clung to hope, aware that his strongest ally remained hidden, awaiting the perfect moment to strike.
After Tang Xu Mi departed, Qin Ming and Li Qing Yue released the sparrow carrying Tang Xu Mi’s consciousness. They were determined to avoid further ambushes.
The group soon approached a vast Fire Spring Lake, its surface glowing brilliantly. Nearby lay ancient, abandoned medicinal fields. Though scorched by celestial energy millennia ago, the fields had begun to recover, with the occasional herb sprouting amidst the ruins.
“Zhou Cheng Ru,” Li Qing Yue said, her gaze fixed on a figure ahead. It was the youth supported by Cui Chong He.
“Your luck is extraordinary,” Qin Ming remarked. “You keep running into core disciples.”
Unfazed, Li Qing Yue smiled. “If I can defeat them one by one, my victory will be all the more meaningful when I claim the Near-Immortal Artifact.”
She glanced at Cui Chong Xuan, standing nearby. In the years since their last encounter, his demeanor had grown sharper, his presence commanding.
“Be cautious of Cui Chong Xuan,” she warned Qin Ming. “He’s gained quite a reputation among the millennial aristocratic families. Though unsuited for the Path of the Beyond, he’s mastered the Six Imperial Heart Sutra, and the Six Imperial Force is said to rival the Tathagata Force and Jade Purity Force.”
Qin Ming nodded, gripping the halberd tightly. “It’s time to test the Silk Script Method.”