CHAPTER 85: CHAPTER 84 YOUNG MASTER’S ART

Recording Image Projections really is a technical craft.

Even though Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan coordinated perfectly, they still wasted several Image Projection Balls; when Wu Wang said, "This one is good; let’s get another take just in case," Ling Xiaolan almost drew her sword.

After all their toiling, night had imperceptibly enveloped them.

Having agreed on their next steps, they timed the arrival of the Beast Horde and immediately took action separately.

Fairy Ling hurried to the outskirts of the protective formation where the Cultivators were stationed, quietly waiting for the right moment to strike.

If Wu Wang’s progress went smoothly, she would enter the protective formation to request aid.

If one hour passed since their separation and the woods were still quiet, she would blend into the night and head to the rendezvous point they had agreed upon.

At this moment, Wu Wang was sprawled on a treetop, his form merging with Heaven and Earth, his breath in harmony with nature, taking his concealment skills to the extreme.

According to the information extracted by Fairy Ling Xiaolan through her ’underdeveloped’ methods, the ones responsible for this operation from the Ten Evils Hall were the Third, Sixth, and Seventh Elders, leading a group of ’elite forces,’ each equipped with three drops of Evil God’s blood.

There are grades to Evil God’s blood as well. Most of the Evil God’s blood used by the Ten Evils Hall’s vile individuals is a diluted, inferior version of the real thing.

But Wu Wang didn’t dare to take anything for granted, carefully choosing his next targets for stealth attacks.

This group has old monsters at the Heavenly Immortal Realm; they can’t be beaten and are not to be touched.

Three at the True Immortal Realm? Wait a bit longer. The outer Beast Horde moves slower, and there’s still time.

A True Immortal dares to lead three Immortals on patrol? Do they not know how their brothers disappeared?

Wu Wang’s figure silently slipped from the treetop, his eyes leaving faint trails in the night. Before even touching the ground, he had already dashed out swiftly.

He didn’t strike immediately but instead followed these few prey quietly.

「At the same time」

In front of the grand defensive array formed by the remnant forces of the Human Domain.

A white figure dashed past, drawing the gaze of many and attracting the targeting of hundreds of magic treasures and artifacts.

"Fairy Ling!"

Ji Mo shouted loudly and was joined by more than ten Immortals rushing to meet her.

Ling Xiaolan came with her sword drawn and, without any nonsense, said directly upon seeing everyone, "Fellow Daoists, would you be willing to go out and fight the enemy later?"

The Human Domain’s Cultivators nodded unanimously.

One happily asked, "Have reinforcements arrived?"

Ling Xiaolan said, "There is indeed an expert assisting us."

Ling Xiaolan continued, "If you all trust me, get ready for battle immediately. Those Cultivators above the Ascending Immortal Realm should join forces. As soon as there’s a disturbance on the perimeter, launch a surprise attack immediately."

Ji Mo looked over at Xu Mu beside him.

Xu Mu said, "I trust Fairy Ling."

But the other Immortals inevitably had some hesitations.

"Who is this expert? We only have a small portion of our forces remaining; how can we lightly venture into danger?"

"We have expended much effort on this formation; are we to abandon it just like that?"

"Let’s fight them! Cowering here waiting for death—when the Beast Tide hits, will our small number be enough? It’s better to kill a few more of them!"

"Commander Zhong Lin, we need to deliberate carefully. The situation outside is unclear; it’d be better to strengthen the formation and defend until our Transcendent allies arrive."

"This..."

Commander Zhong Lin stroked his beard in contemplation, his gray hair showing signs of withering, his face lined with more wrinkles.

"Everyone!"

Ji Mo suddenly stood out, extended his left hand, took a wooden Token from Lin Qi’s hands, and spoke firmly, "The Yan Emperor’s Token is here! All forces heed the command! Adopt Fairy Ling’s strategy. The Ji Family’s reputation guarantees that this expert can absolutely be trusted!"

The Cultivators fell silent, their gazes converging on the weathered face of the old general, Zhong Lin.

Zhong Lin took a deep breath and declared, "Cultivators at the Ascending Immortal Realm, prepare for battle! The rest, reorganize the battle array and support from the rear!"

"Yes!"

The Cultivators responded in unison, their eyes turning towards the dark and dreary woods where clouds hung heavy.

The direction of the night wind had changed, unnoticed until now.

Ling Xiaolan held the Image Projection Bead in her left hand, looking up at the dark and foreboding woods, a mix of coldness and slight worry in her expression.

...

She should be ready on her side.

Wu Wang calculated Ling Xiaolan’s speed, ensuring he had left her enough time to come up with an explanation.

The opportunity was not to be missed. The vile individuals he had been trailing were now right in the middle of the Ten Evils Hall’s encirclement, a perfect time to make a move.

He could only gamble on his unspoken understanding with Fairy Ling.

Wu Wang took a deep breath, quickly moving through the woods, deliberately letting his footsteps be heard.

The several members of the Ten Evils Hall turned abruptly, their spiritual energy fluctuations indicating they were readying Spells and grasping magic treasures.

"Who goes there?"

Wu Wang immediately called out in a hoarse voice, "One of us! Da Gu, a Tier Three Envoy of the Thunder Shock Division!"

"Your Token! Show us your Token!"

"Here’s my division’s Token. The Third Elder sent me to remind everyone that there has been a change in plans..."

As he spoke and approached, Wu Wang slightly lifted his chin, intentionally revealing the black scales on his neck, which eased the fierceness of the Ten Evils Hall members.

Before this day, those scales were their unique markings.

Wu Wang grasped an ancient bronze Token in his left ’claw,’ holding it up high—it was indeed a Token of the Thunder Shock Division.

These several vile individuals relaxed their grip on their magic treasures, subconsciously trying to get a good look at Wu Wang’s face, completely unaware that he was fast approaching, merely half a Zhang away.

Wu Wang said, feigning puzzlement, "How is it that you all seem unfamiliar to me?"

Strike first to gain the advantage, subtly disturbing the enemy’s Spiritual mind.

"Unfamiliar? I am..."

From beneath the cloak, a point of bright light shone forth, and the dazzling, brilliant Star Sword suddenly swept across!

Several Crystal Balls shattered, followed by a powerful surge of Divine Thought!

Starlight flickered gently through the woods, and a scream tore through the night.

That scream was deliberately delayed by half an instant by Wu Wang’s Treasure Sword, specifically to allow the enemy to make the sound to lure in more foes.

Otherwise, he would have had to strain his own voice shouting.

Wu Wang dropped a Crystal Ball, and in an instant, a black flame rose into the sky.

The complexion of the Ten Evils Hall members searching around changed drastically. With several commands from an Elder, they immediately rushed to the spot.

In the defensive formation maintained by the remnants of the Human Domain, the watchful Immortals held their breath, fearing they would miss Fairy Ling’s voice.

In the area engulfed by the black flames—

Wu Wang dashed through the woods, each Crystal Ball wrapped in his Mana, precisely delivered to nearby tree branches and grass nests.

Each Crystal Ball bore a golden Talisman.

These were Talismans he had inscribed using blood mixed with Divine Thought, a little knowledge of Cultivation he had learned in the Human Domain—a product of combining Cultivation and the Praying Star Technique.

Dark figures landed near the black flames, staring at the burning corpses inside, their eyes wide with shock and raging madness.

Angry roars, unmasked by any attempt at stealth, came from the woods:

"What happened? Where are they?"

"Who did this?!"

"There are experts hidden here! Be cautious, don’t get isolated again!"

"This is absurd! Since when could someone ambush the Ten Evils Hall!"

Wu Wang’s lips curled into a simple arc as he halted his swift movement to lean against a large tree, his right hand on his chest, his expression solemn, his eyes sincere, murmuring:

"Praise the Star God."

DING—

Near the burning black flames, the gold Talismans on each Crystal Ball lit up at the same time!

The next moment, dozens of spots of light of various colors lit up the night sky!

It was as if dozens of Moon Ritual practitioners had acted simultaneously. Arrow-like icy spikes rained down. A storm of Divine Thought swept through Heaven and Earth. Pale flames scorched Primordial Spirits, and golden blades, sharp enough to cut through an Immortal’s body, materialized.

The Star Thunder Technique within these Crystal Balls was not all activated at once, but in batches, in tiers, maximizing every bit of Divine Thought from the priestess grandmothers of the Bear-Hug Clan of the Northern Wilderness!

Artistry was not just about explosions.

The rumbling sounds were unrelenting, with the last dozen beams of light continuing for a good while, piercing the space between Heaven and Earth.

Spiritual Energy swirled, and the colors of the sky and earth shifted.

The dark figures rushing towards the place hurriedly retreated, a touch of panic in their eyes.

In the bastion of the Human Domain’s remnants, Ling Xiaolan shouted softly, and dozens of streams of light shot up, followed closely by hundreds of shadows rushing towards the confused enemies of the Ten Evils Hall in the air.

Out of the dozens of vile individuals who had lunged toward the rise of the black flames, only five or six managed to escape with grave injuries, each letting out a roar of frustration.

The Human race’s Cultivators flew swiftly toward the battle, their hundred-zhang sword light shining like a ribbon, and a huge python made of condensed Mana roared furiously.

The vile individuals from the Ten Evils Hall quickly assembled their troops under the shouts of a few Elders, but just as their figures had gathered, several bright lights suddenly flashed in the woods!

Crystal Balls were tossed up and exploded mid-air, transforming into various Praying Star Techniques such as ice, fire, wind, earth, Divine Thought, and Spirit-Scorching!

It was as though there were dozens of Northern Wilderness Moon Ritual practitioners disrupting the enemy nearby, throwing the ranks of these vile individuals into utter chaos in an instant.

Wu Wang donned a mask of ’little consolation’ for himself, grasped the Star Sword, and dissipated the black scales around him. The ink that had stained the scales was dissolved by a thin Crystal film that surrounded him, which Wu Wang then circulated throughout his body.

From the outside, he suddenly appeared several shades darker.

He raised his sword, leaped into the air, and let out a long howl, "The great general of the Rain Mistress Nation is here! Demons, retreat swiftly!"

He nearly made True Immortal Xu Mu stumble.

In a fierce battle, the Immortals from the Human Domain won a complete victory. Attacked from two sides, even after ingesting the blood of an Evil God, only a few dozen members of the Ten Evils Hall managed to escape.

The Cultivators wanted to pursue and attack with all their might, but they were stopped by Commander Zhong Lin.

Ling Xiaolan said, "Immediately return to the formation and hold our ground. Beast Hordes surround us on all sides. What we must do next is to delay and wait for rescue."

All the Cultivators answered in unison.

Someone asked aloud, "Where did the expert from the Rain Mistress Nation who assisted us just now go?"

Several Heavenly Immortals immediately looked toward a certain part of the woods.

They had all seen Wu Wang sneak away in the chaos of the battle, but at the moment, they were unsure whether to speak of it.

"Everyone," Ling Xiaolan said, "this expert has other arrangements. The words I have spoken here are also his previous instructions."

"If we are saved today, please remember to owe this expert a favor."

Commander Zhong Lin bowed to the forest, and all the Cultivators bowed in the same direction.

In the forest, in the opposite direction, Wu Wang, who was digging a hole to bury Crystal Balls, twitched at the corners of his mouth a few times. He then continued to work hard, muttering in his heart:

Eighty for small Crystal Balls, eight hundred for large ones!

Betrothal gifts, add one, add one, add one!

Little Jingwei’s estimated birth year, subtract one, subtract one, subtract one...

「Meanwhile」

The Cultivators returned to their grand formation, continued to reinforce it, conserved their strength, and awaited the brutal battle to come.

Ling Xiaolan, along with Ji Mo and Lin Qi, gave brief instructions and then went to a corner to sit cross-legged in mid-air to recuperate and restore their spirits.

She couldn’t help but glance again at the Image Projection Bead in her hand.

Even though the scenes inside the Treasure Bead were recorded by her, she still wanted to look at it a few more times.

Wu Wang’s instructions still echoed in her ears:

"’Xiaolan, if I am later mistaken for an evil demon from the Ten Evils Hall, take out this Treasure Bead and show it to them to prove my innocence."

"’This needs to be guarded against, as I do not wish to be the target of their ingratitude for my help."

"’If everything goes smoothly, you should destroy this Treasure Bead.’"

Ling Xiaolan pressed her lips together, feeling it would be somewhat wasteful to destroy the Treasure Bead after all.

A strand of Spiritual Sense entered the bead, and the images and sounds within unfolded in her mind like flowing water.

It was a clearing in the woods. Wu Wang was slowly taking off his upper garment. A ’wound’ on his forehead showed some blood, while his gaze retained a bit of ferocity.

"I actually don’t know why I came to this world."

Wu Wang spoke softly, tossing his upper garment behind him.

"In the Northern Wilderness, I lived a peaceful life, free from worry save for that annoying strange disease. Even though I knew the Divine Spirits were overhead, they always seemed too far away, and I thought it sufficient to just maintain that peace."

"Later on, I read about the Human Domain in books and heard its legends. Suddenly, a longing arose in my heart."

"To see the Human Domain, to go to the Human Domain."

He took steps forward as an ice wall appeared behind him, subtly shielding several ’shadows’ in the background.

Wu Wang continued to narrate gravely, "And then I came. Standing here today, I suddenly found the purpose of my journey."

"Don’t get me wrong. I’m not claiming greatness or carrying any hopes. I am myself; I live for myself. I just want to be the protagonist of my own life, decide my actions at any time, and bear any consequences of those actions."

"Now, I make a choice for my life; I have decided on the path forward."

"Cultivation."

"Prove my true self."

"Support the Human Dao."

"Slash... all... evil... demons!"

His long hair rose behind him as he was lifted into the air by the surging ice and then stood upon its tip with a thunderous roar:

"Golden Dragon Body!"

A beam of light broke through the clouds and shone onto Wu Wang.

The scenes in Ling Xiaolan’s heart came to an abrupt halt.

This Image Projection Bead contained just this information.

Ling Xiaolan couldn’t help but think back to the time of the recording. She was standing by his side, fanning him, casting thunder Spells, and even having to use Mana to simulate a few ’corpses’. She couldn’t help but raise her hand to her forehead.

Brother Wuwang truly... knows how to play.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE—

The earth suddenly trembled lightly. The Cultivators within the defensive formation opened their eyes, gazing into the profound night.

The Beast Tide has arrived!

Not far from the great formation, Wu Wang crouched in the hollow of a Great Tree, lamenting over the Crystal Balls he had buried, his heart aching at the thought.

Those Treasure Sacks that had once been stuffed to the brim were now empty.

The Ming Snake, a notorious Evil God from the Great Wilderness, surely wouldn’t bother directly dealing with us small fries, right?

Wu Wang pondered for a moment, then reached for the necklace stored at his chest and slowly closed his eyes.

"Mother, help me out in a bit."

He then expanded his Spiritual Sense, surveying the forests below.

Beast Hordes galloped across the earth and soared through the sky, sweeping in from the night, endless at first glance.

The Human Domain has been battling the Beast Tide for years and has devised many ways to counter the horde.

But tonight’s protagonist was not those remnants of the Human Domain, but him, the Young Master of the Northern Wilderness.

Each Crystal Ball buried in the earth was etched with golden Talismans; Wu Wang named his technique ’Star Thunder Technique’ because of its swift nature.

This was a battle destined to be unknown by many.

The horde was drawing closer; the throngs of beasts inched nearer...

With these Star Thunder Technique Crystal Balls, it was difficult to obliterate all the beasts, as they were too spread out across the land, and the Crystal Balls had limited coverage at this moment.

But what Wu Wang aimed to do was not just to kill the beasts.

Inside the great formation, the Cultivators gripped their magic treasures tightly. The expressions of the Immortals were extremely grave; countless men and women had cold sweat on their foreheads.

The earth trembled, and their Dao hearts quivered ever so slightly.

Xu Mu drew his sword and roared, "Ready for impact!"

"HA!"

More than two thousand Cultivators responded in unison. A wall of shields rose at the forefront, while the Cultivators behind had already begun chanting Spells!

Just then, Wu Wang opened his eyes within the tree hollow, the purple moon mark on his forehead shining. He snapped his fingers forcefully with his left hand.

A beam of light burst from behind the Beast Horde, soaring towards the sky!

In the next instant, beams of light tore through the cover of the earth, scattering the beasts above, bringing with them vast waves of Spiritual Energy, spreading across Heaven and Earth!

Ling Xiaolan, Ji Mo, and Lin Qi stood within the formation, their gazes following each beam of light, their bodies shifting continuously.

The world was illuminated as if it were daylight. The Beast Horde was almost bisected by dozens of pillars of light!

And this was just the beginning!

Cold, biting winds suddenly swept across the land, and wide swathes of solid ice formed on the ground.

Fiery rain fell from the sky. Meteors descended. Endless whirlwinds carrying fire snakes coiled towards the Beast Horde below.

Deep within the earth, a series of muffled booms echoed unceasingly. Mountain ridges shattered, and ley lines fractured. In the places where those dozens of beams of light shone, the earth itself collapsed in succession. Great Rift Valleys, torn open by the wild Spiritual Energy, swallowed droves of beasts who couldn’t stop their charge!

The Cultivators in the formation fell into stunned silence, dumbfounded as they watched the scene unfold.

Had they secretly hidden hundreds of Immortals here... or what?

"Heaven and Earth is in turmoil..."

Commander Zhong Lin murmured, his eyes revealing a wild joy, as he shouted to everyone around, "The Heaven and Earth here is showing signs of turmoil! It will surely attract our seniors! Hold on! We are saved!"

The Cultivators’ morale soared.

Wu Wang, hidden within the tree hollow, revealed a slight smile. This was the true value of the hundreds of Star Thunder Technique Crystal Balls.