BOOM!

The earth shook and the mountains swayed.

Thick smoke billowed over the center of Yidu City as fierce winds howled, and building after building collapsed in succession.

The combat between Great Mages was a contest of Cultivation and methods.

Unless the gap in their power was immense, it was difficult to determine a winner in a short amount of time.

Martial Artists were different.

Even if experts of Martial Arts were evenly matched, a single careless move could result in being killed on the spot.

The scenes of their fights were also different.

A battle between Martial Artists was a close-quarters affair fraught with peril, a clash to decide victory and defeat, life and death. Magicians, on the other hand, concealed their bodies and used their Divine Souls to manipulate the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, unleashing various kinds of Magic to battle one another. Their fights were more of a spectacle.

Just like now.

The commotion on the battlefield seemed enormous, but the casualties were few.

At that moment, several hundred Celestial Soldiers surged forward, their sabers, spears, swords, and halberds flashing as one. The towering tree was rapidly cut down to size.

The great tree was a Divine Soul Manifestation of a Great Mage. Its branches being lopped off meant a weakening of his Divine Soul Power.

"Attack!"

A voice roared amidst the chaos.

"Kill!"

As the voice faded, several walls were shattered, and from behind them, hundreds of men wearing white headscarves charged toward the Celestial Soldiers.

Their weapons glowed with a faint, sinister light. Wherever they struck, thick white smoke billowed from the Celestial Soldiers’ bodies.

In the blink of an eye,

the Celestial Soldiers reverted to tiny Copper Balls.

Furthermore, several Divine Arrow Hands drew their bows from a distance, their arrows piercing the Celestial Soldiers and instantly dispelling the Magic.

"This is..." Zhu Ju’s eyes flickered.

’Weapons forged with Iron Evil Stone.’

His perception of Evil Qi was exceptionally sharp; he could still identify it from a great distance.

Evil Soldiers with sharp weapons were practically the bane of Magicians and their Magic.

With the charge of several hundred Evil Soldiers, the General’s Mansion’s side immediately began to crumble, while the Situ Clan gained a major advantage.

"You’re courting death!"

Seeing the tide of battle turn, two powerful auras emerged one after another.

One transformed into a Six-Tailed White Fox several zhang tall, while the other became a ferocious tiger the size of a giant elephant.

Dharma Manifestation!

Great Mages!

ROAR!

The white fox swung its tails, and rolling white smoke rushed toward the battlefield. Countless illusions flickered rapidly within the smoke.

Illusion Technique!

Every Visualization Technique had its own unique effects.

For instance, the Celestial Capital Sect’s Night Parade of Hundred Ghosts far surpassed other Visualization Techniques in controlling ghostly beings and using Divine Splitting and Thought Transformation.

The Spiritual Fox Visualization Image excelled at creating illusions, trapping opponents in an Illusion Realm until they couldn’t break free.

As for the tiger, it controlled no fewer than a hundred ferocious ghostly beings, which it unleashed to wreak havoc on the crowd.

Tiger Minions!

Tigers that become demons have a natural talent for controlling ghostly beings, and this Great Mage’s Visualization Technique was clearly the same.

ROAR!

The hundred-plus ghostly beings shrieked in unison.

The sound of their wails and howls materialized into visible sound waves that swept forward, instantly causing the heads of more than a dozen people to explode.

"A Spiritual Soul Attack!"

Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes.

’Although a Great Mage’s physical body is frail, a Dharma Manifestation can vastly increase the power of their Divine Soul Secret Techniques.’

’Even a Middle-Stage Innate Qi Refiner, when facing a Divine Soul Secret Technique from a Great Mage, would likely become a lamb to the slaughter if they had no Secret Technique to protect their Primordial Spirit.’

Most methods from the Magic World were ineffective against Innate Qi Refiners, but Divine Soul Secret Techniques were the exception.

Being an Innate Qi Refiner didn’t mean one’s Divine Soul was weak.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

Based on Zhu Ju’s experience, every time an Innate Qi Refiner opened an Acupoint, their Divine Soul would grow stronger.

If all Nine Acupoints were opened, even without ever having cultivated a Divine Soul Secret Technique, their Divine Soul Power would probably be no less than that of a True Man in this world.

Perhaps even stronger!

However, the Divine Soul Secret Techniques of this world did have their own unique strengths. Used well, they could allow the weak to defeat the strong.

’Maybe...’

’I should also find a powerful Divine Soul Secret Technique for myself.’

Although he had the Five-Pointed Flying Sword, Zhu Ju never minded adding another ace up his sleeve.

’The two Peak Mage experts, Yanshi and Wan Zhengyang, haven’t even shown themselves yet, and the General’s Mansion is already on top.’

’Situ Kongli...’

’What does your Situ Family have that can turn the tables?’

As a bystander, Zhu Ju remained calm no matter how the situation on the field changed.

If the General’s Mansion won, so be it.

He could just leave and go far away.

If the Situ Family was victorious, great.

He would become an honored guest.

In short, no matter the outcome, he wouldn’t suffer any loss.

"As the General of a city, you don’t think about defending it and protecting its people. Instead, you gather a mob to sow chaos. This is the path to your own destruction!"

"Execute!"

The shout was like thunder.

Appearing along with the sound was an unheld bone whip that continuously stretched and lengthened in the air.

The White Bone Whip!

CRACK!

In an instant, the whip extended to over a hundred meters long and danced through the air, lashing down at the General’s Mansion’s soldiers.

With a single strike, the earth split open with a hundred-meter-long fissure, and twenty to thirty heavily armored soldiers were killed on the spot.

The White Bone Whip moved like a nimble, slithering snake, yet it contained immense power. Wherever it passed, soldiers were either killed or grievously wounded.

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow at the sight.

The power of this White Bone Whip was even greater than his Five-Pointed Flying Sword, roughly equivalent to a High Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Appearing with the White Bone Whip were two more Great Mages: one transformed into a giant python, the other into the form of a Giant Spirit.

Together with the astonishingly powerful White Bone Whip, they forcefully turned the tables.

"Situ Sheng, don’t try to lecture me about righteousness."

Wan Zhengyang’s voice rang out.

"If you had this opportunity, I’m afraid you would have moved against the General’s Mansion long ago. Why be so hypocritical?"

"Unfortunately for you..."

"You’re just a waste of space coasting on the coattails of your ancestors. You’ll never have the chance to reach this step in your entire life!"

BOOM!

A blood-red phantom appeared in the sky.

The phantom resembled a great ape, with a crimson body, eyes like bright pearls, and a height of just over six zhang.

A Blood Demon!

"Today, I will surely enter the Dao! No one can stop me!"

Having transformed into the Blood Demon, Wan Zhengyang roared at the sky and clapped his hands toward the void, causing countless blood-red threads to appear.

The threads spread throughout the area, connecting to the figures of numerous people below. Immense Qi Blood flowed along the threads and surged toward the Blood Demon.

As the Qi Blood poured in, the Blood Demon’s form grew more and more solid.

"This is..."

Zhu Ju’s eyes twitched.

’A blood sacrifice!’

’So that’s how it is!’

He had never understood what a True Man of the Magic World really was, but now he had a sudden, horrifying realization.

A blood sacrifice!

Reconstructing a physical body!

The so-called True Man was actually achieved when a Cultivator manifested their Divine Soul Dharma Form, then devoured a massive amount of flesh and blood to remold an inhuman body and break through.

A True Man...

They weren’t human at all!

They were the very things a Cultivator envisioned in their Visualization Technique.

No wonder the Cultivators of the Magic World paid little attention to tempering their physical bodies. It turned out the final step was to abandon them entirely.

They cast off their mortal coil to reshape themselves into the body of a ’Demon’.

It might not compare to a true Dao Foundation Great Demon, but it was definitely far beyond a Great Mage.

’Hm?’

Zhu Ju’s expression turned strange.

He suddenly wondered if the Inner Core that Situ Kongli had given him had been obtained in this very manner.

’It couldn’t be the Inner Core of a Situ Clan ancestor, could it?’

’It seems Situ Kongli had long since calculated that Wan Zhengyang would attempt his breakthrough today, which is why she arranged for me to come and watch.’

Coming back to his senses, Zhu Ju mused:

’But how could Wan Zhengyang not know this?’

Sure enough.

Just as the City Lord’s Mansion’s forces launched a fierce assault, trying to stop Wan Zhengyang’s breakthrough, a calm voice spoke up.

"Fellow Daoist Wan, rest assured. With this humble Daoist here today, I will certainly not allow anyone to disturb you."

Yanshi!

Yanshi, who had yet to make a real move, finally stepped onto the stage.

He trod upon the void as if supported by something unseen, walking step by step until he was in front of the White Bone Whip.

Gazing at the White Bone Whip, he chanted:

"This body, a false union of Yin and Yang, its form moved by Qi and spirit. The actor’s illusion is yet firm, a wooden man when the strings are cut."

"I am..."

"A puppet’s body!"

CRACK!

CLATTER CLATTER...

His body trembled slightly, then came apart section by section like a marionette before reassembling itself.

However, the reassembled body stood two zhang tall, its hands outstretched. Below it were more than a dozen human-sized puppets.

His ten fingers twitched, and the dozen or so puppets below leaped nimbly into the crowd, their strength comparable to that of Peak Mages.

As for Yanshi himself, he moved to face the White Bone Whip.

"The famous Yanshi was actually refined into a wooden puppet? Has the Celestial Capital Sect truly fallen so low?"

Another familiar aura appeared.

The Ghost Market!

The Corpse Daoist!

Appearing with him were his famous Heterodox Spiritual Artifacts: two red Bone-Illuminating Lamps.

As the halo of light descended, Yanshi’s figure couldn’t help but falter.

In the end, the Corpse Daoist from the Ghost Market had sided with the Situ Clan.

"Kill!"

Cries of battle rose from all directions.

To stop Wan Zhengyang’s breakthrough, the Situ Clan was already giving its all.

Trump cards from all sides were revealed one after another. The number of Great Mages who had appeared was now almost equal, and destruction was always much easier than construction.

In just a few breaths, a group of experts had already charged forward.

Success seemed to be within reach.

THUMP!

An invisible shield blocked everyone’s path. Flower petals drifted down from the sky, and a female immortal descended with them.

"The Celestial Capital Sect Leader has already enfeoffed Wan Zhengyang as the Destiny Star Monarch of the Five Stars Monarchs. This is the will of heaven."

"None of you may defy it!"

A True Man!

Zhu Ju’s expression became grave.

Although she was clearly a charming and beautiful woman, he could sense an inhuman aura from her.

Powerful!

Terrifying!

And...

Bizarre!

’Wan Zhengyang actually found a True Man to act as his Guardian?’

’No!’

’It’s more likely that the Celestial Capital Sect dispatched a True Man here to recruit Wan Zhengyang, who is on the verge of becoming a True Man himself.’

A True Man’s physical body should be even stronger than his, and their Divine Soul Power was even more terrifying.

With her here, Wan Zhengyang should be safe and sound today.

Just as Zhu Ju shook his head and turned to leave, the situation changed again. Several powerful auras emerged.

One of them was also, astonishingly, a True Man!

"Baihua Fairy, does the Celestial Capital Sect Leader truly believe he is the Lord of the Celestial Court, that he dares to enfeoff gods?"

A man came striding through the void, his eyes shining with a faint yellow light.

"Today!"

"There will not be a third True Man in this place!"

"Meng Di!" Baihua Fairy’s face darkened.

"Does Celestial Star City intend to make an enemy of the Celestial Capital Sect?"

"You were the ones who broke the rules first," Meng Di snorted coldly.

"The Court presides over the center, and True Men guard the four directions. This is a rule that has not changed for thousands of years."

"If you hadn’t made a move today, this old man would not have shown his face either."

"Enough!"

He glanced at the solidifying Wan Zhengyang, knew that time was of the essence, and waved his hand sharply behind him.

"Attack!"

BOOM!

Several Great Mages from Celestial Star City surged forward, joining forces with the Situ Clan to charge the General’s Mansion’s side with overwhelming momentum.

Meanwhile, the two True Men had already clashed.

Meng Di’s figure flickered, covering a hundred meters in a single step. He clenched one hand into a fist and punched forward, and the air exploded as if from a bomb.

The ground dozens of meters ahead trembled violently.

Baihua Fairy let out an angry cry, and countless seven-colored petals rained down. Though they appeared light and weightless, the petals easily sliced through rock.

Strong!

Very strong!

Zhu Ju watched the two True Men fight, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

The power of a True Man already surpassed that of a Middle-Stage Innate Qi Refiner, but it was still a far cry from an existence like Pei Jingque.

They were about on par with an ordinary Late-Stage Innate.

Of course, that was without factoring in Divine Soul Secret Techniques.

If someone had a Secret Technique that specifically countered the Primordial Spirit, even Pei Jingque might not be able to avoid falling into a trap.

’My thinking is flawed!’

Zhu Ju shook his head.

’As a Core True Inheritance, Senior Sister Pei holds the legacy of the Dragon Head Lineage. How could she not have a Secret Technique to protect her Primordial Spirit?’

’If she didn’t, the Celestial Spirit Technique would have been stolen long ago.’

’Besides...’

’Senior Sister Pei also has a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact. The True Men of this world probably couldn’t even withstand a few of her sword strikes.’

CLANG!

Just then,

the ringing of a sword echoed.

A sharp sword light streaked across the void and, while everyone else was powerless to intervene, pierced Wan Zhengyang’s heart.

A Flying Sword!

A High Grade Spiritual Artifact!

"It’s him!"

Feeling the familiar aura on the Flying Sword, Zhu Ju’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Xie Changge!"

He had forgotten about this Great Mage from the Demon Catcher organization. The man had hidden his aura and stayed out of sight, all for the sake of this single strike.

With the appearance of the Flying Sword, all of Wan Zhengyang’s aspirations turned to dust.