166: Chapter 165 Backlash

In the days that followed, Jiang Hanzhou's life became even more structured.

From the third quarter of the Mao hour until the Wu hour, he would meditate on the seventeenth sword mark under the Lijian Cliff to temper his Golden Sharpness True Intent.

After the Wu hour, he would have a simple meal and then head straight to the Earth Fire Cave to endure the tempering of the earth vein baleful fire upon the fire-eye stone platform.

He did this every day, rain or shine.

The Sword Intent from the seventeenth sword mark had already been drawn into his body, and while that golden light had stabilized at one and a half tenths, advancing further required the slow, grinding work of patience; it could not be rushed.

Yet, the Cultivate in the Earth Fire Cave became more difficult with each passing day.

The earth vein baleful fire seemed to possess a sentience of its own; every time he stepped onto the stone platform, it would surge toward him like a tide, frantically scorching his Physical Body, Meridians, and Qi and blood.

On the first day, he held out for half an hour.

On the second day, one hour.

On the third day, one and a half hours.

On the fourth day—two hours.

He sat cross-legged on the fire-eye stone platform, his body wreathed in the blazing crimson-gold Lihuo True Flame as he contended against the earth vein baleful fire surging from all directions.

Within his body, his Qi and blood churned, and the newly born True Flame deep within his Dantian pulsed frantically, greedily devouring every wisp of baleful fire that surged into him, refining, absorbing, and converting it into his own strength.

He could clearly perceive that his Physical Body was growing stronger.

Every inch of skin, every muscle, and every bone was slowly undergoing transformation under the scorching of the baleful fire.

This transformation brought an increase in power, a strengthening of his Qi and blood, and a keener perception of the fire-aspected Spiritual Qi.

But he was not satisfied.

This alone was not enough.

He needed to be stronger.

On the fifth day.

Jiang Hanzhou sat cross-legged on the fire-eye stone platform, not immediately beginning to draw the baleful fire into his body.

He closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense sank into his Sea of Consciousness.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, three rays of light flowed silently.

Azure as the sea—Tidal True Intent, at two tenths.

Crimson-gold as the sun—Pure Yang True Intent, at two tenths.

Brilliant as gold—Golden Sharpness True Intent, at one and a half tenths.

The three rays of light intertwined and coiled, yet they remained distinct.

Between Tide and Pure Yang, a certain tacit understanding had already formed.

That was the instinctual coordination formed during the days and nights in the Shattered Star Archipelago, during countless life-and-death battles.

But Metal Sharpness was different.

It was newly born, just fused into his body, a "lone wolf" that had yet to establish a connection with the other True Intents.

Jiang Hanzhou looked at that golden light, and a thought suddenly welled up in his heart.

If he could fuse it into his Lihuo system...

If he could use the Golden Sharpness True Intent as the point and the Lihuo True Flame as the blade...

His strength would surely surge once more.

Once this thought emerged, it spread like a wildfire, impossible to contain.

He opened his eyes.

His gaze fell upon the pitch-black stone platform beneath him.

Beneath the stone platform, the earth vein baleful fire was slowly circulating, its dark red light wandering deep within the crystallized rock like the pulse of a slumbering behemoth.

He took a deep breath.

And then closed his eyes.

He extended his Divine Sense with all his might!

It was no longer a simple matter of drawing the baleful fire into his body, but actively guiding that violent earth vein baleful fire into his Dantian, into the ball of burning Lihuo True Flame!

At the same time, the golden light deep within his Sea of Consciousness pulsed slightly, and a wisp of Golden Sharpness True Intent flowed slowly down along his Meridians, approaching the Lihuo True Flame in his Dantian!

What he intended to do was to use the earth vein baleful fire as a furnace and the Lihuo True Flame as an anvil to thoroughly forge the Golden Sharpness True Intent—this newly formed sword embryo—into his own fire-aspected system!

The idea was beautiful.

But the reality—

Boom!!!

The moment the Golden Sharpness True Intent touched the Lihuo True Flame, an indescribable, agonizing pain exploded from his Dantian!

It felt as if a cold iron sword had been violently thrust into a raging furnace!

Metal and fire are inherently opposing elements.

Golden Sharpness True Intent emphasizes sharpness, fierceness, and pressing forward; its essence is "break," "slash," and "sever."

While the essence of Lihuo True Flame is "burn," "melt," and "refine."

Two powers with completely different essences were forcibly merged at this moment, producing not a Fusion, but—an explosion!

Jiang Hanzhou groaned, his face instantly turning as pale as paper!

Deep within his Dantian, the ball of Lihuo True Flame pulsed frantically, the crimson-gold light on its surface flickering violently, as if it could lose control at any moment!

And that wisp of Golden Sharpness True Intent that was attempting to fuse was like a trapped beast in a furnace, struggling and resisting frantically!

The agonizing pain surged in like a tide!

It was not ordinary pain, but a tearing agony that erupted simultaneously from the depths of his Dantian, from the very ends of his Meridians, and from every single cell!

It felt as if countless invisible sharp blades were slicing him open from the inside out, inch by inch!

Jiang Hanzhou gritted his teeth, desperately circulating his Cultivation Technique, attempting to stabilize the rampaging True Flame and True Intent within his body—

But it was too late.

On the surface of his body, a faint crack suddenly appeared.

The crack started from between his eyebrows, traced down along the bridge of his nose, passed his lips, chin, and neck, and finally disappeared into his collar.

Pale gold.

It was the color of the Golden Sharpness True Intent.

The moment the crack appeared, a second crack followed closely behind!

It spread outward from the corner of his right eye, winding and twisting like a slithering golden snake, crawling across his cheek, behind his ear, and disappearing into his hairline.

The third one.

The fourth one.

The fifth one—

Countless pale gold cracks spread across the surface of his body like a spiderweb!

Every time a crack appeared, an extremely faint golden light seeped out from it; that was the Golden Sharpness True Intent within him losing control and tearing apart his Physical Body!

Jiang Hanzhou trembled all over, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, but the moment the sweat seeped out, it was evaporated by the surrounding high temperature.

He could clearly perceive that his Physical Body was collapsing.

Although those cracks were shallow, they contained the "sharp" essence of the Golden Sharpness True Intent; if not stopped in time, they would only grow deeper, eventually tearing him to pieces!

"Damn it—"

He let out a low growl and put all his strength into driving his Tidal True Intent!

The azure light surged out from within his body, sweeping across his entire body like a tide!

Tidal True Intent is continuous and unending, encompassing all things.

It could not suppress Metal Sharpness like Pure Yang True Intent, nor could it contend with it like Lihuo True Flame, but it possessed a characteristic that no other True Intent had—

Harmonization.

Using water as a medium to balance the violence of fire and guide the sharpness of metal.

Where the azure light passed, those frantically spreading pale gold cracks indeed slowed down.

They did not stop, but they slowed down.

Yet those cracks still existed, still slowly deepening, still tearing apart his Physical Body.

Jiang Hanzhou breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart.

Although it was only a temporary reprieve, at least it gave him a chance to catch his breath.

As long as he was given a little more time, he would surely find a way—

Just at this moment.

A streak of Sword Qi shot over from the direction of the karst cave!

That Sword Qi was extremely thin, extremely sharp, fast as lightning, and completely silent.

It passed through the narrow fissure, through the scorching crystallized rock wall, and stabbed straight toward Jiang Hanzhou, who was sitting cross-legged on the fire-eye stone platform!

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils constricted sharply!

He wanted to dodge, but at this moment, his True Intent was rampaging and his Physical Body was on the verge of collapse; he had no strength to dodge at all!

He could only—

Take it head-on!