196: Life and death duel

[The thirty-sixth year.]

[For the past year, Venerable Yuqing has personally been teaching you the Dao in Yun Yao's temporary palace.]

[According to him—]

[From Qi Refining to Nascent Soul, Cultivators merely use Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to temper their bodies, essentially lingering at the mortal level.]

[The Nascent Soul seems powerful, but in reality, it is merely standing at the true starting point of the Cultivation path.]

[The Spirit Transformation Realm is the beginning of transcending the mundane and entering sainthood.]

[After reaching this Realm, the essence of life undergoes a transformation, allowing one to touch and comprehend the fundamental core that constitutes this world—the Law.]

[How much one can comprehend depends on one's Comprehension Ability, bone structure, Physique, and, most critically, whether the Dao Heart is firm.]

[Since you already possess Nascent Soul cultivation, Venerable Yuqing's teachings no longer involve simple Spiritual Qi application, but rather directly point to the operational essence of the world's rules, involving the composition of Laws and the trajectory of the Dao.]

[This content was profound and obscure, and you listened, half-understanding, half-confused.]

[But Venerable Yuqing clearly stated that once you truly understand it in the future, you will be able to make words follow the Law, where a thought is the Law.]

[By then, the world before you will be like a blank sheet of paper, yours to control—]

[For example, you can cause the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in one area to dry up, or cause all things to revive; you can turn stone into gold, transform mountains into seas, and even grant life to stubborn stones, enlightening the intelligence of all beings.]

[However, the Great Dao has ten thousand paths, and ultimately, one must choose one to follow.]

[Venerable Yuqing perceived your Foundation and pointed out that you currently have two paths: the Sword Dao and the Poison Dao.]

[He preferred that you choose the grand and righteous Sword Dao.]

[But in your heart, you developed a stronger interest in the mysterious and unpredictable Poison Dao.]

[Seeing that your mind was made up, Venerable Yuqing stopped persuading you and handed you a Jade Slip imprinted with a faint light:]

["This is the supreme Cultivation Technique of the Poison Dao—the Profound Calamity Poison Scripture. Cultivating it to Major Achievement can cause Laws to decay, the Great Dao to fall silent, and all things to return to the Void Realm."]

[Venerable Yuqing departed after handing the Profound Calamity Poison Scripture to you.]

[And you had no time to Cultivate this Divine Ability—because Liu Jinfeng's challenge letter had already been delivered.]

[You immediately set off for the Douling Platform.]

[The Douling Platform was a massive plaza refined from a whole piece of "Profound Gold Stone," emitting an indestructible and weighty aura.]

[Surrounding it were rising tiers of stepped stands, which were now packed with people. The dense figures stretched as far as the eye could see, roughly estimating that no fewer than hundreds of thousands of Cultivators had gathered.]

[Countless gazes and Divine Sense were focused on the center of the plaza.]

[When you descended from the sky and landed on the cold Profound Gold Stone ground, your eyes immediately locked onto the woman opposite you, causing you to pause slightly.]

[Because the one facing you in the showdown was none other than Liu Jinfeng!]

[According to the rules of the Douling Platform, the Academy's Elder Council should have verified her strength.]

[Your Divine Sense swept over her repeatedly, causing your heart to tremble—]

[The aura emanating from her body was genuinely Nascent Soul Perfection, without the slightest trace of a Spirit Transformation Cultivator.]

["Liu Jinfeng!" Your voice spread across the plaza, "You, a dignified Spirit Transformation Cultivator, are you trying to break the rules and pretend to be a Nascent Soul to fight me?"]

[Liu Jinfeng's expression was indifferent, as if stating something unrelated to herself: "Rules? How could I not know them?"]

[She raised her hand, displaying her current body: "I have already severed my Dao Foundation and disintegrated my original body."]

["This Physical Body was re-refined using the Nine Revolutions Resurrection Technique; now I am only at Nascent Soul Perfection."]

["The Nine Revolutions Resurrection Technique is a Cultivation Technique from the Heretic Dao Academy. As a Disciple of Venerable Yuqing, do you not even know this?"]

["Today," her gaze locked onto you like ten thousand years of cold ice, "I shall use the Nascent Soul Realm here on the Douling Platform to slay you and achieve my Dao!"]

[Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly spread throughout the entire Douling Platform.]

[Upon hearing this, many spectators showed looks of astonishment.]

["What? Venerable Yuqing took a Disciple?"]

["I heard about it too, which is why I specifically came to watch the fight, wanting to see what was so special about this person."]

["I heard this person withstood an attack from a Spirit Transformation Cultivator. This showdown is definitely going to be thrilling."]

["This Liu Jinfeng is clearly cheating. Even if she severed her Dao Foundation using the Nine Revolutions Resurrection Technique, her past experience and methods are incomparable to what a standard Nascent Soul Cultivator possesses."]

["If you have the guts, why don't you try abandoning all your cultivation too? Not everyone has that kind of courage."]

[It turns out this "Nine Revolutions Resurrection Technique" is extremely unique—each time one severs their Dao Foundation, their cultivation regresses, but there is an advantage: when one Cultivates back to the original Realm, the Foundation becomes even more solid.]

[This is like learning everything again, allowing one to solidify the basis. Her situation makes her virtually invincible among Nascent Soul Cultivators.]

[Of course, compared to her original Soul Transformation cultivation, the gap is huge.]

[This put you in a difficult spot—you originally thought that with your trump cards, you wouldn't fear any Nascent Soul Cultivator.]

[You didn't expect Liu Jinfeng to be so unscrupulous.]

[Since her last encounter with you, Liu Jinfeng had gained a clear assessment of your strength.]

[Moreover, she knew that you had once used the immortal slaying sword to kill the Grand Elder's primordial spirit clone, so she understood that ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivators couldn't possibly deal with you.]

[For this reason, she resolutely utilized the "Nine Revolutions Resurrection Technique" to sever her Dao Foundation, regressing her cultivation to Nascent Soul Perfection.]

[No wonder she didn't send a challenge letter immediately this past year; she was preparing this secret technique.]

[Upon learning the truth, your expression immediately became solemn.]

[Fortunately, she is ultimately still in the Nascent Soul Realm, and the power she can mobilize is limited.]

[When the Douling Platform's sealing great array was activated—]

[Her cold gaze locked onto you, and she shouted sternly, "Die!"]

[Before her voice faded, she raised her hand and executed the "Soul Destruction Palm." The Divine Soul Power, condensed into a tangible form, turned into an invisible giant palm, pressing down on you with the momentum of tearing soul and splitting spirit.]

["Body Manifests Myriad Forms!" You shouted softly, and tens of thousands of afterimages instantly appeared on the Douling Platform.]

[However, her "Soul Destruction Palm" turned out to be a feint, and she immediately changed her move—]

[From her sleeve flew countless strands of azure silk. Every strand accurately pierced a Clone, and your true body was also struck by one strand, shaking you until your Qi and blood surged.]

[You quickly retreated, looking at the sky full of azure silk, secretly shocked: "What powerful Divine Sense control!"]

[This azure silk seemed capable of breaking all techniques; your body was nearly split in two just now.]

[With your Nascent Soul Realm Physical Body, it would be impossible to withstand such sharpness.]

[Fortunately, you had the top-grade defensive Magic Treasure, the profound armor, protecting you, otherwise you would have been severely wounded by the azure silk.]

[Your guess was correct; this was exactly her Lifebound Treasure, the "Thousand Silk Guide."]

[This treasure was refined using "Nether Heavenly Silk" as the main material, supplemented by Void Crystal Dust and Law-Breaking Gold Essence, tempered by Soul Transformation vital blood—]

[The Heavenly Silk is supremely soft, the Crystal Dust breaks the Void Realm, and the Gold Essence severs the Law. The threads created by the combination of these three are incomparably resilient and can penetrate most defenses.]

[If she were still at Soul Transformation cultivation, when fully activating this treasure, any Nascent Soul Cultivator would be entangled and restrained by the azure silk, and even their Nascent Soul would be torn into shreds.]

[Even an ordinary Soul Transformation Cultivator would not dare to take this move head-on.]

[You mused inwardly: Wouldn't your close-combat methods, especially the Spirit Erosion Palm, be perfectly countered by her azure silk?]

[Realizing the formidable nature of the azure silk, you dared not be careless any longer.]

[You activated your movement technique, using the top-grade Magic Treasure, the light evasion boots, on your feet to create distance. Simultaneously, you condensed Nascent Soul Power on your fingertip and shouted in a deep voice:]

["Void Breaking Finger!"]

[A brilliant aurora shot out instantly in response, carrying a sharp whistle that pierced the air, and sped toward her.]