After recording everything that Fan Jiu had revealed onto a jade slip, Liu Bai did not hesitate in the slightest and struck him down directly.
"Ding, congratulations to the player for killing across realms, three times experience reward granted. You have obtained 30000 experience points and 10 Spiritual Pulse points."
"Hm, this fellow was actually a Grade 2 Human Pulse possessor…" Liu Bai was mildly surprised, though nothing more.
At present he possessed Grade 3 Earth Pulse. To advance to Grade 4 Earth Pulse required 1000 Spiritual Pulse Evolution Points. Now… Liu Bai glanced at his attribute panel.
"361 points, still far from enough."
Of these, three hundred came from when he acquired the Ice Muscle Jade Bone Physique. This matched the description given when he had received the Ice Muscle Jade Bone Art, which could promote Spiritual Pulse awakening.
Unfortunately, it had come a little late. As mere Earth Pulse now, the help it provided Liu Bai was not as great, even inferior to obtaining a Spiritual Beast Essence.
Perhaps once he advanced to Heavenly Pulse, then it would grant him far greater assistance within the Three Disaster Realm.
As for his experience points, just short of one hundred forty thousand, Liu Bai immediately upgraded his Wood Art to the seventh level. This was the final elemental Spiritual Energy of his that had yet to reach the Heaven Fusion Realm.
The instant his Wood Element Spiritual Energy also reached the Heaven Fusion Realm, Liu Bai sensed that within his Qi Sea, the Spiritual Energy Light Wheel underwent a sudden transformation.
The radiant Spiritual Energy gradually dimmed and transformed into a plain, ordinary shade of chaotic gray.
This change startled the spirit seated upon the Light Wheel, yet soon its face revealed irrepressible joy.
"The Five Elements Fusion. At last I can perform Five Elements Fusion autonomously!"
Back during the trial against the light figure, although he had been at early-phase Heaven Fusion Realm, because his Five Elemental Spiritual Energy was imbalanced, he had been forced to manually guide their fusion.
Under such circumstances, the fusion could only be done according to his weakest element, causing his fusion Spiritual Energy to essentially fall short of true power. That had been the main reason why he was so gravely injured then.
He had originally thought his fusion would always remain so limited, never expecting that once achieving balance, it would transform on its own.
Did this mean he could no longer selectively improve one single cultivation method to raise his realm?
Liu Bai scratched his head, yet it did not seem impossible…
Just as he was pondering, from Fan Jiu's corpse on the ground, a sudden burst of Spiritual Light shot out, instantly enveloping Liu Bai.
"Not good!"
This change startled him, though he soon realized the light caused no harm, and vanished after only a single breath.
Yet his face did not ease, but grew darker.
"Careless. I had intended to kill him and leave immediately, but got distracted by the fusion breakthrough and overlooked this."
That light, without doubt, was a hidden backhand left by the Mu City Lord upon his son. It bore no attack power but recorded the true culprit who killed him.
Such a method, while rare, was not uncommon within the Great Thousand World. So long as one paid the price, anyone could obtain it.
It was directly imprinted into the body itself, requiring no external Spiritual Items, so even a thorough search would never uncover it. Extremely secure.
Fortunately, he was not far from the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy, while Mu City was four or five days away. More than enough time for him to leave safely.
Besides, the Mu City Lord was merely at late-phase Heaven Transformation Realm. Even if he appeared directly, Liu Bai would not necessarily fear him.
After quickly erasing all traces in the cave, Liu Bai summoned a strand of Spiritual Flame and burned the corpse to ashes, then shot out from the cave, transforming into a stream of light heading toward the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy.
Meanwhile, in the eastern region of the Northern Heaven Continent, within a grand city, a vast blood-colored hall stood, exuding boundless baleful aura.
Inside the hall, in a towering cultivation chamber, a middle-aged man in a blood robe sat cross-legged. Around him were nine massive blood pools, boiling with Spiritual Blood, streams of blood energy rising and pouring into his body.
Suddenly, the figure immersed in cultivation snapped open his eyes. Scarlet pupils, sharp as if piercing through space, revealed furious shock.
He extended his palm, within which was an ancient jade pendant. At this moment, its glow was fading, until finally extinguished.
This scene sent the middle-aged man into a rage.
"Who dares to harm my son?!"
Immediately, he formed a seal with his hand, sending a strand of Spiritual Light into the jade pendant. A dim image of a cave then appeared before him.
Within the cave, a tall youth stood, seen through the perspective of his dying son.
"This boy dares kill my son? Regardless of who you are, I will see you dead!"
With an enraged roar, the middle-aged figure vanished from the hall.
This man was none other than Fan Tong, City Lord of Mu City.
The youth in the image, of course, was Liu Bai.
Yet Fan Tong did not believe that this seemingly still immature youth was truly the one who slew his son. Given his age, it was unlikely he had slain Fan Jiu who was under the protection of a Heaven Transformation Realm expert. The more probable explanation was that others had acted, but his son's dying vision only captured this youth.
No matter. As long as one could be found, the rest would not escape.
Daring to kill Fan Tong's only son meant that these fools would repay the debt in blood, regardless of who they were.
Mu City was five days from Qingyun City, yet only a single day had passed before Fan Tong and several of Mu City's experts arrived outside Qingyun.
Their speed came from a massive azure flying vessel they rode.
This vessel was twenty meters long and three meters wide, shrouded in swirling azure gales. It was a high grade Spiritual Artifact, the Wind God Boat, faster by several times than a Heaven Transformation Realm expert in flight.
When the Mu City group reached the cave, all that remained was a pile of human-shaped ashes.
Seeing this, Fan Tong's scarlet eyes bulged, his fists clenched so tightly that his bones creaked.
"Search. In one day they cannot have gone far. Split into three teams and search outward from here toward the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy. If you find anything, report immediately with jade slip. Do not alert them."
"Yes!" Six of Mu City's late-phase Heaven Fusion Realm experts responded in unison, then split into three groups, each transforming into streaks of light.
Fan Tong did not idle either. Alone, he controlled the Wind God Boat, taking the shortest route toward the Academy.
Meanwhile, Liu Bai had already traveled half the journey. After resting overnight, he resumed at dawn, expecting to reach the Academy before nightfall.
Though he was certain that Fan Jiu's death was known to Mu City and even his appearance may have been exposed, Liu Bai was not particularly concerned.
Once back at the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy, he doubted anyone would dare storm the Academy to seek vengeance.
As for the future…
The Northern Heaven Continent was vast. By the time he next encountered Mu City's people, it might not be him fearing their vengeance, but they fearing his eradication.
Carrying such thoughts, Liu Bai sped onward.
Yet soon, he noticed an azure streak of light flash across his vision, its speed far greater than his own.
"A flying vessel? Judging by that speed it should be a high grade Spiritual Artifact… In the Academy this would cost at least two hundred thousand Spiritual Value. With such a vessel traversing the continent would be effortless."
A glint of envy crossed Liu Bai's eyes. This was essentially the Great Thousand World's version of a private aircraft.
Unfortunately, he was far from the luxury of exchanging for such a vessel. For now, his priority remained techniques and Spiritual Beast Essences.
Just as Liu Bai admired it, the vessel that had vanished suddenly circled back and halted one hundred meters before him.
At once, Liu Bai grew vigilant. His Five Elemental Spiritual Energy stirred, ready to explode, his eyes locked firmly on the azure vessel.
"Who are you?!"
A cold questioning voice rang from the vessel. A middle-aged man in a blood robe appeared on its deck.
Liu Bai's heart trembled. He immediately realized that this man had come with hostile intent.
"Senior, I am Lin Hei of the Lin Clan of Linyan City. By order of my clan head, I am traveling to Netherfire City to pay respects to Patriarch Netherfire of the Netherfire Sect."
This was no fabrication, for within this region indeed lay these two cities, separated by more than three thousand li, their respective overlords being the Lin Clan and the Netherfire Sect.
"Hehe, is that so. So you are of the Lin Clan of Linyan City?"
"Yes, Senior," Liu Bai answered respectfully with an obedient expression.
"Then does that mean it was your Lin Clan who killed my son?!"
Before the last word left his lips, the blood robed middle-aged man raised his palm and struck down fiercely.
A streak of blood light howled from his palm, transforming into a blood colored sky that fell to envelop Liu Bai.
"Damn, so it really is Fan Jiu's father. But how did they arrive so quickly?" Liu Bai's heart shook and he cursed inwardly.
Yet recalling the speed of that flying vessel earlier, perhaps it was not impossible for them to have arrived so swiftly.
Facing the overwhelming blood colored canopy overhead, Liu Bai's expression grew incomparably grave. Fan Jiu's father was a late-Phase Heaven Transformation Realm, and his strike carried immense pressure.
"Yi Wood Divine Thunder, cleanse all impurity. Appear!"
The Blood Spiritual Energy that Fan Tong cultivated fed on Holy Spirit Blood, condensed into form, an evil yin force. The Yi Wood Divine Thunder that restrained demonic yin energies was its natural nemesis, doubling its effect.
Crackle!
A sound like cloth being torn by electricity rang out. In Liu Bai's right palm a green lightning sword condensed. With a single swing, he ripped open a gap in the overwhelming blood canopy and shot through it.
"Hm?" Fan Tong's face shifted, a sound of surprise escaping his lips.
Evidently, he had not expected this youth, who appeared only at Early-phase Heaven Fusion Realm to actually possess such ability, tearing apart the Blood Demon Sky Curtain unleashed by his Blood Demon Hand.
"So he does have some skill. But to think you can escape my grasp with this alone, you are still far too naive!"
"Blood Demon Hand, seize!"
From the sky descended a colossal bloody demonic hand, once again blocking Liu Bai's path.
With its appearance, waves of foul blood stench spread outward, corrupting the surrounding Spiritual Energy. The moment Liu Bai tried to draw upon the nearby Spiritual Energy, it was tainted. Even his internal circulation of Spiritual Energy slowed noticeably.
This sudden change startled him. He immediately prepared to mobilize his Spiritual Energy to purge the filth.
Yet before he could act, Liu Bai discovered that within his body, a crystalline radiance automatically expelled the corruption swiftly through his pores.
It was the ability of the Ice Muscle Jade Bone Physique.
As the purest and most cleansing constitution, all impurities were expelled automatically. Thus Fan Tong's most dangerous Blood Demon Hand posed no threat to Liu Bai at all.
Realizing this, Liu Bai revealed a faint hidden smile. His hands swiftly formed a seal, summoning the boundless force of Geng Metal from the heavens. In the next instant…
Boom!
A golden bolt of thunder descended, blasting apart the blood demon hand in an explosion.
The golden lightning even spread onto Fan Tong himself, making his chest tighten as though suffocated. He nearly coughed up blood on the spot.
The Geng Metal Divine Thunder was unmatched in ferocity. Even a late-Phase Heaven Transformation Realm like Fan Tong found it difficult to endure.
"This little brat actually possesses such methods!"
"It seems my earlier judgment was wrong. This boy likely had no external help. By his own strength he slew Jiu'er and Elder Lin!"
"In that case, leaving him alive is absolutely unacceptable!"
For one so young, to already wield power capable of slaying an Early-phase Heaven Transformation Realm, this was surely a monstrous genius nurtured by the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy.
Such a person must never be allowed to return to the Academy, or revenge would become impossible.
With this thought, Fan Tong grew truly serious, no longer holding back. He resolved to unleash his full strength to capture the youth. Perhaps handing him to the Demonic Dragon Palace would even earn him a reward, compensating for Mu City's loss of a Heaven Transformation Realm elder and its young city lord.
....
For Advance Chapters
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