The Decaying World

In the temple’s Grand Hall, everyone was trapped by the intense spiritual pressure, unable to escape.

They could only watch helplessly as Lin Hui completed his first transformation into the Righteous Heart Form.

Staring at the ever-growing, twisted figure, the Chief Monks and Abbot Juehui were filled with terror. They wanted to run, but their Hearts and Spirits were so utterly crushed that they had lost all control of their bodies. They could only sprawl limply on the ground, paralyzed.

The only one unaffected was Fa Ming.

His expression was grave as he watched the tall figure become more and more inhuman.

He had been able to hold his own against his opponent using his Vajra Body and conventional mortal Martial Arts. But now, just by sensing the being’s aura, he knew his current methods would no longer be enough. ’I’m afraid I won’t be able to subdue this demon...’

Yes, he now saw Lin Hui as nothing less than the greatest demonic invasion Red Sand Temple had ever faced.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand palm-up. A crimson, flesh-and-blood orb with nine apertures materialized in his grasp.

"Nine-Aperture Asura Heart, Ten-Source Five-Direction Formation."

VMM!

In the next instant, the fleshy orb erupted with a blinding red light. It shot up to hover motionlessly beside him in mid-air.

A ceaseless torrent of red light poured out, enveloping both the old monk and the orb in a crimson cocoon.

"Patron, it is not too late to repent!"

Fa Ming sighed deeply. Wreathed in red light, he shot forward like a rocket toward Lin Hui, striking down with his palm.

This palm strike was augmented with a thick layer of red light, unlike his previous bare-handed attacks. Countless tiny particles drifted within the light—they looked like insects, or perhaps eyeballs. It was an unsettling sight.

All the red light channeled through the old monk’s right palm, coalescing into a torrent that surged toward Lin Hui.

The immense spiritual pressure in the area was rendered useless against this red light. It was either resistant or completely immune to such attacks, or its own spiritual intensity far surpassed Lin Hui’s.

Faced with this palm strike,

Lin Hui gripped his sword in one hand and instantly slashed upward.

SWOOSH!!

The pure, terrifying force of the blow created a shriek so piercing it made one’s eardrums ache.

The friction with the air caused the blade of the Ruyi Sword to ignite in a line of crimson fire.

The red light and the flaming sword clashed.

BOOM!!!

In an instant, Lin Hui was thrown back several steps. He slammed into a large golden Buddha statue, leaving a human-shaped crater in it.

The old monk, Fa Ming, was sent flying backward, tumbling a dozen times in mid-air. He nearly crashed into the rafters before he managed to regain his footing.

The two returned to a standoff, each with a newfound respect for the other’s increased power.

"Impressive strength, Patron." Fa Ming narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lin Hui’s body, trying to see if the red light was corroding him for any additional effect.

But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t see any trace of the red light. It was as if the Asura Red Light he’d just struck with had vanished completely.

That was the special ability of his life-bound Magical Treasure, the Asura Sarira. Upon contact, it should have injected a deadly poison into his opponent’s flesh, melting them into a pool of pus and blood within moments.

And yet...

Across from him, Lin Hui pulled himself out of the Buddha statue and shook his head, briefly inspecting his body.

His arms were slightly injured; the force of the impact had been so great it had torn some of his muscles.

Otherwise, he was fine.

As for the red light, his body had long been tempered by Star Power, making it as tough as steel, impervious to blades, and immune to all poisons. He had sensed it was a virulent toxin, but upon contact, his skin proved completely immune, so he had simply ignored it.

"Not bad. Again!" Lin Hui reactivated the Zhengde Seal. He didn’t use his Qingyuan Body, as that required him to draw upon Wind Disaster Energy. Since there was no Wind Calamity nearby, he couldn’t activate it.

Therefore, this physical state was Lin Hui’s strongest form, second only to his true body.

Of course, this was only his physical form. As for his Swordsmanship... he had yet to truly unleash it.

"Wind!"

He let out a low growl.

Lin Hui raised his longsword horizontally.

Invisible currents of air began to swirl around him, accelerating into a gale.

A furious wind erupted. It swept up all the lighter debris in the hall, transforming it into a gray, dust-like torrent that rushed toward the old monk.

The wind-powered attack inherent to his Gale Swordsmanship had appeared once more.

Not to be outdone, Fa Ming raised his palm again. He kicked off the empty air, using the force to launch himself forward at incredible speed.

WHOOSH!

The next moment, they shot past one another.

Fa Ming’s face was a mask of astonishment. He felt his palm strike nothing but air, completely unable to comprehend what had happened.

’Just now... I could have sworn my palm connected. But why... at the last second...?!’

The thought had barely formed when he heard the sound of air being violently torn asunder behind him.

CRACK!

He spun around just in time to see a silver flash of sword light descending upon his head.

The blade’s edge was slender, but it was wreathed in a violent gray gale, transforming it into a colossal sword of churning air more than a meter wide.

CLANG!!

Fa Ming hadn’t expected his opponent to be so fast—much faster than before. He hastily threw up both arms to block.

With a thunderous crash, the very ground of Red Sand Temple sank once more.

The successive, violent tremors sent the temple’s monks fleeing in panic, thinking an earthquake had struck.

Only the Chief Monks and Abbot Juehui, still trapped in the Grand Hall, kept their eyes glued to the clash between the two figures in mid-air.

A series of terrifying clashes echoed through the hall, the combatants moving so fast they were little more than blurs and afterimages.

After a few seconds, Fa Ming could no longer hold his ground. He was sent flying sideways, staggering as he struggled to regain his balance.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his monastic robes were in tatters. The red light enveloping him had grown much fainter.

Clearly, a massive amount of his power had been consumed in the recent exchange.

The exchange had seemed intense, but in reality, he had been on the receiving end of a one-sided beating.

None of his attacks could find their mark.

His opponent was like a phantom, a tangible illusion. He would only become solid for the brief instant he struck, landing blow after blow.

At all other times, he was completely intangible.

The frustrating helplessness of it all was enough to make the old monk want to vomit blood.

And in truth, although his Golden Body was still one with the earth, his physical form was beginning to show signs of injury.

This wasn’t because his Golden Body had been broken or that its fusion with the land was failing. It was simply because... the very foundations of Red Sand Temple could no longer withstand the immense destructive force of their battle.

’Go!’ At this thought, the hesitation in the old monk’s eyes vanished.

He knew this opponent was different from the foreign Mages of the Holy Spirit Mage Association. This man was unpredictable, his methods subtle and ruthless. If he couldn’t overcome this trial today, the centuries-old foundation of Red Sand Temple would be destroyed.

After all, the Holy Spirit Mage Association’s goal had merely been to force Red Sand Temple into submission. But this man... he truly intended to annihilate the entire temple!

Fa Ming directed his Magical Treasure, the Asura Sarira. It left his side, transforming into a streak of red light that shot across the space between them, moving far faster than either of them could react. It smashed toward Lin Hui, who was in mid-air after a sword strike.

VMM!

In that instant, Lin Hui prepared to enter his Micro-flash state again.

But strangely, after throwing his Magical Treasure, the old monk produced a delicate, jade-white talisman.

He ignited the talisman and flicked it in Lin Hui’s direction.

Suddenly, in a ten-meter radius around Lin Hui, all of space froze solid, becoming completely still and immobile.

Taking advantage of this momentary paralysis, the Asura Sarira finally struck Lin Hui.

THUMP!

The blow struck as if Lin Hui’s body were made of clay. It punched a bloody hole straight through the center of his chest, bursting out his back.

’No! Something’s wrong!’ Fa Ming was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the body of his opponent slowly fade and disappear.

It had missed again!?

He had even used the Heavenly Immortal Golden Talisman, a relic left behind by the temple’s last ascendant!

And yet...

But there were no second chances.

Lin Hui’s figure appeared diagonally behind him. The light of his sword flashed silently across the monk’s four limbs.

SPURT!

Blood flew. As the ground continued to give way, the halls and buildings of Red Sand Temple began to collapse one by one.

Fa Ming’s limbs were severed from his body. A translucent, shimmering white crystal rapidly spread over him, freezing him solid.

WHOOSH!

The next moment, the Asura Sarira flew back to his side, only to be swiftly covered and sealed by the same crystal.

"I... I hid for a hundred years... to think, it still came to this..." Knowing there was no escape, Fa Ming’s expression shifted from helplessness to calm resignation.

"You have real skill, to be able to fight me to this degree," Lin Hui said, floating before him with an appreciative look.

He wasn’t exaggerating. The old monk’s strength was actually far greater than that of an ordinary Fog Person.

His destructive power and range just weren’t as vast. In reality, the old monk’s Golden Body was impervious to weapons and spells, and when augmented by his Magical Treasure, its durability was absurd.

Just now, the Ruyi Sword had lashed out several times with the power of an Emperor Blood Fog Person, yet it still couldn’t cleave through the monk’s Golden Body. It was only when the battle started to break apart the very land of Red Sand Temple that his Golden Body’s defenses began to weaken.

From a purely defensive standpoint, his power was already outrageous.

And considering his Magical Treasure, it was very likely an immortal and indestructible artifact, much like the Insect Scripture.

He probably couldn’t have killed the old monk directly anyway. Even Human Immortals could achieve immortality; an Earth Immortal would be even harder to kill. That was why Lin Hui had decisively moved to seal him instead.

The old monk, for his part, seemed not to have expected Lin Hui to find a countermeasure so quickly, which explained his look of resignation.

’A single Earth Immortal is this powerful... then what about a Heavenly Immortal...?’ Lin Hui now felt his previous decisions had been incredibly astute. This Earth Immortal was comparable to an Emperor Blood Fog Person, and even harder to kill. The only way would be to use his main body’s Star Power and Disaster Energy to grind him down.

As for a Heavenly Immortal... their abilities were a complete unknown.

"I have lost... but there is no killing intent in your eyes, Patron. It seems you do not truly intend to destroy my Red Sand Temple," Fa Ming said, discerning Lin Hui’s thoughts.

"Correct." Lin Hui smiled and nodded as his body quickly reverted to its normal form.

’As expected of a peak physical form honed since childhood. To come away from a battle of this intensity without any injuries...’

’After all, this body, unlike his, has never practiced any...?’

Huh!?

Suddenly, a flicker in Lin Hui’s eyes betrayed a new thought.

’Wait! Since this new body has never practiced a Cultivation Technique... is it possible that this body could also reach the so-called state of a Heavenly Immortal?’

At this thought, Lin Hui’s mind suddenly lit up with possibilities.

’Training others to reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm is one thing, but it would be far better to try it myself.’

But if he did, his initial worries and concerns resurfaced.

’If there’s a problem with this Cultivation Technique... what would I do?’

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