56: Soul and Spirit

About thirty miles from Wu Mao Mountain, on a peak.

Several figures stood on the crown of a large tree on the mountaintop.

Their gaze swept towards Wu Mao Mountain.

Among them, a short but sturdy old man, wearing a black iron vest, held a three-hundred-jin heavy black iron pipe. He took a deep puff, exhaling a faint smoke ring.

"Sect Master, a fight has broken out in Wu Mao Mountain."

"Oh? It's fine, let them fight... It'll save us trouble, so we don't have to silence them one by one later."

"Understood."

The old man in the black iron vest, while smoking, also pulled out a yellowed sheepskin map from his in arms.

"Yu Zhenqian, a Body Refining expert in the Spirit Martial Realm who achieved a breakthrough limit, is said to have swept through the entire Dynasty's Southern Region with just his Ming Long Fist."

"Although I, Yan Yue, haven't broken through the limit, I am now only one step away from Body Refining Spirit Martial. After Cultivating this Ming Long Fist, and with the Body Tempering Qi from that Immortal Cave, I will be the one to sweep through the entire Southern Region in the future."

This person was none other than the Ba Shan Sect's Sect Master, Yan Yue!

The Ba Shan Sect was located within Cangzhou, but its main gate was not in Cangzhou City, and it was still quite a distance from Dongfeng Town.

And Yan Yue was one of the top experts within Cangzhou.

Previously, when Jiang Chen heard Wu Dingxiong introduce himself, he didn't know how powerful the Ba Shan Sect was because he didn't understand Yan Yue at all.

Of course, someone with Wu Dingxiong's Aptitude could never be Yan Yue's Disciple; at most, he was just a Named Disciple who paid money. There were tens of thousands of such Named Disciples throughout Cangzhou.

After all, who would refuse to simply register a name and receive a construction assistance fund?

"A breakthrough limit, ah. I wonder what kind of astonishing talent from ancient times created this Cultivation method. For ordinary Body Refining, simply entering the Innate Realm is already one in ten thousand."

"Even in the Xiantian Realm, one can Cultivate by drawing upon the essence between heaven and earth, transforming it into Body Tempering Qi to temper the Physical Body. But merely reaching the ninth layer of the Xiantian Realm took me forty-five years!"

"To reach the Earth Martial Realm is even more distant."

"Who would still go for a Physical Body breakthrough limit then?"

Yan Yue shook his head, sighing with emotion.

Despite this, that Immortal Cave not only contained an Earth Rank Martial Skill fist technique left by Yu Zhenqian, but also a large amount of Innate Body Tempering Qi, enough to help Yan Yue enter the Spirit Martial Realm!

He wanted that Cultivation Technique, and he also wanted the Body Tempering Qi.

However, Yu Zhenqian's Immortal Cave was hidden within Wu Mao Mountain, or more accurately, it was hidden within that Demonic Den!

Therefore, Yan Yue tirelessly gathered these demons here, creating conditions for them. These demons, from a sect called Tian Po Sect, opened this rift, releasing Demonic Qi and forming this massive Demonic Den.

But anything done leaves traces.

Thus, whether it was the demons of the Tian Po Sect or the government of Dongfeng Town.

Yan Yue had to keep them all in Wu Mao Mountain!

This Demonic Den operation did not have any Centurion-level experts from the Black Yamen Demon Slaying Guard coming, which Yan Yue saw as heaven's help.

This was an opportunity not to be missed. For the glorious future of the Ba Shan Sect, sacrificing a few people was nothing.

Furthermore, this esteemed one will personally take action and slay these demons.

Yan Yue thought to himself, continuing to smoke his iron pipe, waiting for signs of the Immortal Cave's appearance.

Inside Wu Mao Mountain.

Pan Zhengyang looked at Ding Xie, who had been reduced to countless fountains of shredded flesh.

His gaze was slightly dazed.

He knew Jiang Chen had Innate Divine Power. He had inquired about it from Wang Fusheng earlier, and Wang Fusheng said Jiang Chen's strength should be around the third layer of the Acquired Realm.

But he never expected that he could punch the Xiantian Realm Ding Xie into such a state.

"It seems Xu Tiedao was indeed killed by you."

"I thought it was Ding Family's third son, trying to weaken my strength."

Although Pan Zhengyang was surprised by Jiang Chen's strength, there was not much fear on his face. His expression seemed to be one of relief, as if he had found the truth.

"Alright, I'll play with you then."

Pan Zhengyang said, then rolled up his sleeves.

The Spiritual Qi within his body circulated with the Mind-Cultivation Technique.

The surrounding Demonic Qi rapidly surged into Pan Zhengyang's body.

Boom!

Strange demonic runes, like tadpoles, appeared on Pan Zhengyang's face, and his entire body continuously emitted strange steam.

Seeing that Pan Zhengyang was in the stage of accumulating power, Jiang Chen would not foolishly wait for him to finish. He tapped his foot, and his figure moved like a nimble snake emerging from its hole.

"Whoosh!"

When Jiang Chen moved.

The ten garrison soldiers also didn't hesitate, simultaneously attacking and rushing towards Jiang Chen.

And the aura of these ten people was very strange.

They chanted incantations.

They also released a lot of Demonic Qi, flying directly towards Jiang Chen.

Facing the encirclement of ten people.

Jiang Chen punched the ground.

Boom!

A hard stone on the ground instantly turned into countless flying stones and shot out.

Puff, puff, puff!

The flying shattered stones instantly blasted the ten people in front of him into a pile of fragments.

"Ding... Kill Value +1"

"Ding... Cultivation Value +10"

"Ding... Kill Value +1..."

The constantly appearing prompts surprised Jiang Chen a bit. These garrison soldiers, who were only in the Body Tempering Realm, were able to increase their strength to the Acquired Realm after chanting this incantation.

Although these garrison soldiers were not demons.

But as long as there was Demonic Power within your body, it could generate Cultivation Value.

Clearly, these Cultivation Values came from Demonic Power.

So, if a Demonic Den were destroyed, and a large amount of Demonic Power eliminated, would there also be Cultivation Value?

This thought merely flashed by.

The real target to deal with was still Pan Zhengyang.

"To be able to instantly kill ten people, your reaction is quite good, but unfortunately, you were a step too late."

Pan Zhengyang laughed loudly.

At this moment, he had already completed the Demonic Heart Incantation.

His Cultivation had greatly increased.

It must be said that these scoundrels of the Tian Po Sect, although they brought disaster to the country and people, did indeed possess true abilities.

With just this Demonic Heart Incantation, he could elevate himself from the sixth layer of the Acquired Realm directly to the Xiantian Realm.

Moreover, he could also control the surrounding Demonic Qi.

"Ant!"

Pan Zhengyang, whose confidence had greatly increased due to his sudden surge in strength, looked at Jiang Chen as if he were looking at a tiny ant.

With a low shout, Pan Zhengyang activated the surrounding Demonic Qi.

It transformed into a huge palm print, striking towards Jiang Chen.

Boom!

As the palm descended, it left a palm print nearly ten zhang wide and half a chi deep on the ground.

Even the nearby mountain wall showed a crack.

Pan Zhengyang's eyes gleamed with insane confidence.

He was about to search for Jiang Chen's body when he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind coming from behind his head.

"What!"

Pan Zhengyang turned his head, only to find Jiang Chen already right in front of him.

Jiang Chen chopped down with his palm.

Pan Zhengyang's body, like a sand sculpture smashed, instantly shattered into dust.

"Ding... Kill Value +1"

"Ding... Cultivation Value +100"

Amidst the shattered flesh and blood, Jiang Chen accurately grabbed Pan Zhengyang's Storage Ring.

Although Jiang Chen's Physical Body could easily withstand Pan Zhengyang's attacks, his clothes couldn't!

He scanned the surroundings, confirming there were no other people.

Then he moved swiftly, heading towards Chu Yun's direction.

Pan Zhengyang mentioned earlier that there seemed to be other experts, like Protectors, around.

Those were valuable Kill Values!

While flying through the jungle, Jiang Chen also glanced at his panel.

「Kill Value: 61 points」

「Cultivation Value: 570 points」

"There's actually five hundred seventy Cultivation points."

"What's the point of holding onto them? All in!"

With a thought from Jiang Chen.

The Spiritual Qi within his body instantly surged like floodgates opening.

「Physical Body Cultivation: Xiantian Realm Third Layer (Immaculate)」

「Spiritual Qi Cultivation: Houtian Realm Fourth Layer (273/400)」

Not only that, Jiang Chen also felt that the Soul Devouring Ring in his hand was already heavy.

He immediately focused on two things at once, traveling while also circulating the Great Wilderness Emperor Yang Art to quickly refine the pure power from within the Soul Devouring Ring.

As his Mental Energy increased, Jiang Chen's perception of his surroundings became even clearer.

「Divine Soul Cultivation: One Cauldron」!