Chapter 100: Chapter 98: Defeat, the Gap in Soul Talent

Jin Zhentu wasn’t bothered by the scolding; in fact, he was quite pleased.

"Hahaha, I’m definitely going to win this time."

Ouyang Mingming, on the other hand, sat to the side with a taut face, remaining perfectly still.

In Soul Cultivation, each layer presented its own set of difficulties.

Moreover, the suppression between levels was especially potent.

If it were just an ordinary Ninth-Layer Candle Flame with no special offensive techniques, it might have been understandable.

But his opponent was a Fantasist, and had even visualized Donghuang Taiyi.

Such terrifying Talent was difficult to describe.

Ouyang Mingming was already certain that Su Qing was going to lose. A Ninth-Layer Candle Flame Fantasist could exert two hundred percent of their Realm’s power.

Moreover, when it came to the soul, Su Qing’s Sword Intent lacked any personal will.

It was a half-baked Sword Intent. It had the power, but it lacked its own artistic conception. It couldn’t win.

People with powerful souls were truly difficult to deal with.

***

***

"Su Qing." Su Qing cupped his hands.

"Long time no see, Song Zhining." Song Zhining stated his own name, a smug look on his face.

"True Inheritor Su, I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Your Alchemy..."

Unexpectedly, before Song Zhining could even finish his sentence, Su Qing had already charged forward.

His five-colored, divine eyes were exceptionally striking.

At that moment, everyone could see them with perfect clarity.

Seeing this strange sight, the Elders on the platform couldn’t help but stand up.

’What is that? Could it be a special Physique?’

Ouyang Mingming also saw it clearly.

’Well now, my dear disciple, I didn’t think you were hiding something this deep!’

Just as Su Qing’s fist was about to strike Song Zhining in the face...

...there was surprisingly no resistance at all.

The punch landed.

Blood splattered everywhere!

’Something’s not right!’

Su Qing hastily leaped back.

[Illusory Arena: Illusory Object]

...

With a sickening squelch, Su Qing felt a sharp pain in his chest.

A hand from behind had pierced straight through him.

The intense pain made Su Qing suck in a sharp breath.

He then struck out behind him.

To his surprise, there was no one there.

***

In the real world.

Song Zhining looked smugly at the motionless Su Qing before him.

He then used his Fantasist ability to conjure a shroud of Demonic Qi, augmenting his own power.

He also took out a Tier One Middle Grade Magical Artifact.

Shrouded in sinister Demonic Qi, he slashed toward Su Qing.

Unexpectedly, the attack was actually repelled.

It tore through Su Qing’s clothes but only managed to scrape his skin. Not a single drop of blood was drawn.

’What the hell!’ Song Zhining was stunned. ’Are my attack power and this Magical Artifact really this weak?’

"What’s going on with Su Qing on stage? He’s not moving at all."

"Yeah, is this match fixed?"

"A fixed match? That’s rare."

"But what’s with Song Zhining? His Magical Artifact is so weak. The Demonic Qi looks sinister, but when it hit Su Qing, it didn’t even break the skin. Is this a joke?"

...

The comments affected Song Zhining, but he took a deep breath and put away his Magical Artifact.

’This Su Qing is incredible. His physical body is terrifying. My Qi Cultivation Fourth Level power, plus the Demonic Qi conjured from my Ninth-Layer Candle Flame Visualization, can’t even break his defense.’

He wasn’t going to attack the body anymore. He would attack the soul.

***

’It hurts so much!’

’How can it hurt this much inside an Illusion Realm!’

Su Qing felt a prying gaze on him, but the pain in his chest was completely unmanageable.

Even his Chaotic Life Body was useless.

Trying to take out a Magical Treasure also failed.

Gritting his teeth, Su Qing tried to synthesize everything the Illusion Realm had put in his hands.

[Synthesis Failed]

[Synthesis Successful: Strengthened Illusion Realm Stone (Illusion Realm Brick)]

[Synthesis Failed]

The Illusion Realm showed no signs of being destroyed.

...

Immediately after, Su Qing’s head felt heavy, as if something was pressing down on his mind.

Su Qing knew there was nothing physically there, but it inexplicably grew heavier.

Outside his mind, a needle shot toward the center of his forehead.

"Stop!"

Ouyang Mingming suddenly appeared in the Illusion Realm and stopped Song Zhining.

Song Zhining also appeared beside Su Qing.

His mocking smile gave Su Qing a taste of defeat.

"I was fortunate to win, Pill Master Su."

Ouyang Mingming’s eyes were profound. She glanced at Song Zhining, then at Jin Zhentu in the Elders’ seating area.

She led the bare-chested Su Qing off the arena.

After leaving the Illusion Realm, Su Qing remained stunned for a long time.

This battle...

Su Qing had been completely defeated. Ouyang Mingming’s appearance told him that the situation in the Illusion Realm must have been extremely dangerous; otherwise, his master would not have appeared.

Ouyang Mingming first went to the Holy Pill Hall.

She picked up Liu Linlin.

Liu Linlin’s face was pale, her lips colorless.

She looked sickly and listless.

"The two of you were truly unlucky today. Linlin had several ribs broken by that Bai Ranmo, and you ran into a Fantasist."

Ouyang Mingming didn’t say another word on the way. After dropping Liu Linlin back at her residence...

...Ouyang Mingming took Su Qing to his own residence.

"Your performance today was quite good."

"Those five-colored eyes... do you have some sort of special Physique?"

Su Qing shook his head. "Master, I don’t know either. Back when I was practicing Body Refinement, my eyes just... changed as I cultivated."

"Whenever I use a lot of power, my eyes shine brightly with a colorful light."

"I see. In that case, you should have been even more inclined to choose the Ten Thousand Tribulations Divine Body."

"You learned your lesson today. Even though your Physique is strong enough that a Tier One Middle Grade Magical Artifact can’t break its defense..."

"...your Soul Cultivation is far too weak."

"Song Zhining is already at the Ninth-Layer Candle Flame, and he’s a Fantasist on top of that. In terms of the soul, defeating you was a simple matter for him."

Finally, Ouyang Mingming said, "Kid, you’d better be careful. That boy, Song Zhining, was far too ruthless with you. Did you two know each other before and become enemies?"

Ouyang Mingming added with a headache, "The other Golden Core Master and I will not interfere in the conflicts between you juniors."

"But if Song Zhining dares to make a move against you within the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect, neither he nor his master, Jin Zhentu, will leave here alive."

Su Qing paused for a moment, then cupped his hands in a salute. "Thank you for saving my life, Master."

"It wasn’t exactly saving your life. That boy was trying to cripple your spirit soul, making it impossible for you to make any progress in Visualization."

"Unless you found a treasure that could repair the soul, your path in Soul Cultivation would have been truly finished."

"Alright, go get some rest. You also need to do your best to cultivate the Candle Dragon Visualization Map."

Ouyang Mingming gave her instructions, feeling mentally exhausted. Losing the Magical Artifact was one thing, but now she had to lecture her disciple. For the first time, she felt truly annoyed.

Her own disciple had just nearly had his Soul Cultivation crippled.

...

「After Ouyang Mingming left.」

Su Qing could still feel a dull ache in his chest. The injury came from his soul.

The Sea Blue Spirit Pearl and the other unknown Spirit Pearl were both flickering, seemingly helping Su Qing recover from his injuries.

’Damn it! I thought I was already super strong with my cheats, so what the hell is with that Song Zhining!’

Su Qing’s usually calm mindset had completely shattered.

For the first time, he felt weak and powerless.

For the first time, he felt completely crushed. If it weren’t for his master, his Candle Dragon Visualization Map cultivation might have been crippled.

’Sigh...’

’This feeling of having to helplessly accept defeat... it really sucks.’

Su Qing knew he had become arrogant again.

He had thought the Candle Dragon Visualization Map was good enough.

But unexpectedly, in the end, his Candle Dragon Visualization had been useless.

’I still have to rely on synthesis.’

’And besides, if I can visualize the Candle Dragon, why can’t I visualize myself grasping the river of Time and standing astride the Cosmos?’

’It’s all Visualization anyway. There’s nothing wrong with visualizing myself, right?’

Once this idea took root in Su Qing’s mind, it became uncontrollable.

He wanted to create his own Visualization Technique, one that could preferably also be synthesized.

He would synthesize everything into his own Visualization Technique.

’There’s only one copy of the Candle Dragon Visualization Map. It’s impossible to replicate.’

’I’ll have to ask Master later if there’s a way to exchange for other Visualization Maps.’

First, he would create his own Visualization.

’The river of Time is a bit hard to imagine. Something more concrete... the Galaxy!’

’I’ve seen the Galaxy, more or less. Let’s go with that.’

’Visualize myself as the master of the Galaxy, spiraling in the center, absorbing all matter in the universe?’

’That could work!’

Su Qing slipped into his room and began to visualize his desired object from a completely new perspective.

...