[Ding!]
[-200,000 Farm Points.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have gained Mastery over the Second Tier of the Nine Stars Heavenly Body Formula.]
Though it appeared to have been a long process, all it actually took was a split second.
Jiang He had already opted to cultivate the Nine Stars Heavenly Body Formula in the instant he strode out, assuming the form of a thunderbolt as he flew atop Mount Golden Roc.
In a mere instant, Jiang He felt his body becoming utterly different.
Starlight glowed faintly over his muscles and bones, and his entire figure seemed to exude a scent of being unbreakable.
He could feel his strength growing exponentially to the point that he could slay a peak Feral King with his bare hands. If he was up against Three Blades Lin… he would be making him scream gramps with two punches!
Second tier mastery of the Nine Stars Heavenly Body Formula was equivalent to having one’s body fully becoming Golden Pellet, and in a very complete sense of the term. Physique of such level would definitely repel nuclear missiles, and Jiang He would not get so much as a scratch even if he just stood still, allowing Three Blades Lin to cut away at him as he like.
Such physique was truly impervious to all attacks!
And in the instant that Jiang He mastered the second tier of the Nine Stars Heavenly Body Formula, dark clouds began to churn up in the skies, with lightning flashing within.
Jiang He’s visage darkened as he looked up at the horizon, cursing, “What the hell… I’m just ascending physically, but that invokes heavenly retribution too?”
A similar sight of dark clouds and thunderbolts had occurred when Jiang He reached divine-tier, but it was no phenomenon.
It was a heavenly retribution in the most genuine sense.
Jiang He could even feel a horrific presence of destruction within those sparkling bolts.
Even so…
Intimidation was all there is to it.
Jiang He could not help blinking even as he stared at the thunderbolts, mumbling, “Why do I have the feeling that the thunderbolts wouldn’t threaten me even if it lands on me…”
Whoosh!
That was when the Golden-Winged Roc streaked towards him in a blur of golden radiance.
Like a golden blade, its wings slashed towards Jiang He, slicing ruthlessly onto Jiang He’s body while he was staring distractedly up at the skies.
Bang!
Sparks flied and Jiang He was sent flying backwards, slamming into a mountain ridge over a dozen miles away.
Boom!
The mountain shook violently, almost crumbling because of Jiang He.
The Golden-Winged Roc was about to press its advantage for victory when it abruptly looked up at the clouds of retribution above, its golden gaze appearing taken aback.
Those clouds did not appear because of it. Even so, its head was pounding in the detection of a threat.
What… on earth was that?
It was sharing the same thoughts as Wang Hou and the others—after all, the Golden-Winged Roc had not encountered such lightning retribution, although it caused memories ingrained deep within its bloodline to surface.
“Lightning retribution?”
Two words appeared in its mind then.
Boom!
A dull crack.
In the distance, the mountain ridge that Jiang He crashed into abruptly collapsed, although he managed to stepped out, ashen-faced as he looked down at his hip.
Gasp!
He could not help inhaling sharply.
“Impressive, Golden-Winged Roc. I may have mastered the second tier of the Nine Stars Heavenly Body Formula and my body could match cultivators who accomplished Golden Pellet cultivation, and yet I could not withstand that bird’s rage-fueled blow!”
Jiang He stared at the half-feet long skin-deep gash, and was about to further exclaim in awe when he saw his wound rapidly closing itself. As such, he gave up with a sigh.
Boom-crack!
That was when the clouds of retribution dozens of miles away up in the sky was fully charged. With a dull eruption, a thick violet thunderbolt descended from the skies, smashing straight on Jiang He’s head.
And since he was up in the air, the bolt staggered him…
“Lightning retribution! It really was lightning retribution!”
The Golden-Winged Roc was utterly astonished.
Yang Luchan’s expression changed beneath the mountain as well. “Lightning retribution…” He muttered solemnly. “A heavenly retribution that could trigger whenever qi-refinists or cultivators ascended past certain thresholds… Did Jiang He cultivate immortal arts too?”
Those words left both Wang Hou and Dong Haichuan in astonishment.
“Damn it!”
Wang Hou growled, “Master Dong, Elder Luchan—we need to fight and hold back the Golden-Winged Roc. Jiang He is weathering retribution now, and must not be allowed to be affected by outside factors!”
Whoosh!
With that, Wang Hou took to the air.
In that very moment, he was beside himself in shock.
Jiang He…
He actually assumed the path of qi-refinists and cultivators?
Though the Era of Qi Refinists had been proven, there was not much study on that front because no records of that age had been kept, let alone individuals who actually cultivated immortal arts!
Over the last year, Wang Hou himself had been searching everywhere too, seeking any signs from that era.
And yet, he never imagined that Jiang He cultivated immortal arts anyway, and to a remarkably profound level.
Could he possess an inheritance of a certain immortal art?
In that very moment, Wang Hou was attacking without holding back, his Void-tier strength released in full to restrain the Golden-Winged Roc.
After all, he knew that there was a chance of failure even if one was fully prepared to ‘weather retribution’, and be blown into ashes by the retribution thunder—let alone with a powerful Feral Emperor watching as if the kid was a prey?
If Jiang He really was distracted… his death was certain!
“Die!”
Wang Hou bellowed in fury even as he rose to the skies, but his eyes widened just as he was about to unleash his killing stroke, staring in disbelief at Jiang He…
After all, Jiang He was laughing despite the retribution clouds overhead, before he flew towards the Golden-Winged Roc on his own.
Meanwhile, golden radiance shone all over the Golden-Winged Roc’s body, and with a flap of wings, golden blade slashes erupted away, slicing towards Jiang He once again.
Jiang He was sent flying once more, before another thick, massive thunderbolt struck his body again with a loud booming crack!
Though he was sent flying backwards at first, the thunder sent him crashing down, slamming into the ground at supersonic speed from a thousand meters up in the air.
Boom!
A glacier directly shattered under his weight, and the earth as well as the mountains nearby shook ceaselessly.
“Jiang He!”
Wang Hou’s face dropped and was about to fly over and help, but stopped again before he covered a thousand meters.
The glacier erupted and Jiang He flew out once more.
The thunderbolt had left him cutting a sorry figure, but he still remained unharmed… the Golden-Winged Roc’s wing blades might be capable of cutting mountains and seas, but it was no big deal for Jiang He’s body!
“What the hell!”
Even Wang Hou could not hold back an expletive right then. He rubbed his eyes, not quite believing what he was seeing…
“How… how is that possible?”
He was rather dumbfounded.
Was that an immortal cultivator’s move?
“F*ck!”
On the other hand, Jiang He was furious even as he took to the air once more.
‘Sure, the Golden-Winged Roc could not hurt me…
‘But am I, Jiang He, that shameless?
‘Where would I hide my face in the future after you’ve sent me flying again and again?
‘And then there’s that crappy thunderbolt retribution that was no different from itch-scratching, but never stopping even after so many bolts?
‘Am I supposed to give face?
Be that as it may, even as Jiang He reached out for his Dragon-Slaying Saber, the third thunderbolt retribution descended from above!
“Break!”
Jiang He growled, holding the Dragon-Slaying Saber and swung it down at the skies.
Ninefold Thunderblade, Eighth Fold!
The eighty-meter thunder slash sliced through the air to meet the third sky thunderbolt, both crumbling as thunder blade radiance and the bolt of heavenly retribution collided.
Jiang He strode out, and sneered as he arrived beside the Golden-Winged Roc, “Time for my counterattack, big birdie!”
