Chapter 38: Chapter 36: Earth Control Power

Soul Destruction Finger!

A single point of the finger would make the Ten Thousand Spirits recoil and open a direct path to the Great Dao, shattering anything that dared to stand in its way.

This was an exceedingly terrifying Ancient Spirit Cultivation Technique. The Spiritual Power it consumed was so immense that, generally speaking, only those in the Innate Realm could cultivate it.

But Jiang Jichen’s Qi Sea was different from an ordinary person’s; he had no lack of Spiritual Power. What’s more, his was golden spiritual power. When he executed the Soul Destruction Finger, even a tiny fraction of its true might was terrifyingly powerful and nearly impossible to block.

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother stared at the finger-sized hole in his chest, his face a mask of disbelief.

The others who witnessed this scene were also stunned. They were so utterly shocked that, for a moment, they completely forgot to attack.

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother, an expert at the Innate First Realm, couldn’t even withstand a single move from that young man!

Was golden spiritual power really that terrifying? Could a mere Fourth Layer Mortal Warrior possess the fearsome strength to shatter a Spirit Pattern Palm Seal?

All of this defied common sense.

Moreover, that Finger Technique was definitely an Ancient Spirit Cultivation Technique. How could a Fourth Layer Mortal possibly use it?

At this moment, everyone felt that Jiang Jichen was shrouded in mystery. They couldn’t see through him at all, and he was completely different from the rumors about him.

The one most devastated by this, of course, was the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother. He was also filled with boundless rage. Ignoring the wound on his body, he sent the Spiritual Patterns all over him surging as he roared, "Mountain River Palm Seal, suppress the Ten Thousand Spirits! Jiang Jichen, die!"

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother condensed all his Innate Spiritual Power into a single palm and struck out at Jiang Jichen.

The phantoms of towering mountains and raging rivers, formed from the Power of Spiritual Patterns, bore down on Jiang Jichen, seeking to crush him.

A grave expression appeared on Jiang Jichen’s face. The Mountain River Palm Seal was indeed terrifying, filled with a power that could suppress mountains and rivers.

Furthermore, the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother was at the Innate First Realm, a realm that completely crushed Jiang Jichen’s.

But at this moment, Jiang Jichen could not retreat. He could only press forward.

’If the enemy is strong, then I must be stronger!’

Jiang Jichen didn’t overthink it. His heart was filled with only one thing: the conviction that he would win. With an invincible aura, he took a step forward and sent his condensed fist smashing toward the Mountain River Palm Seal.

"Seven Stars Gathering, Heaven-Breaking Fist!"

This punch contained the full essence of the Seven Stars Sky-Breaking Fist, unleashing an unimaginable amount of power.

BOOM!

The heavens and the earth trembled as a violent wave of energy surged outward. The massive ancient trees in the vicinity exploded into splinters. Nearly ten of the Noble Family Descendants standing nearby were sent flying before they could even react, spitting up blood as they were instantly and severely injured.

At that moment, starlight seemed to flow across Jiang Jichen’s fist. Seven points of brilliance flared to life, illuminating the dim world around them.

PUH!

At that moment, the mountain phantoms and raging rivers condensed by the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother couldn’t suppress Jiang Jichen in the slightest. In fact, they were wavering on the verge of collapse, about to be destroyed.

"How is this possible? Jiang Jichen’s punch actually blocked the suppressive power of a Mountain River Palm Seal from an Innate First Realm expert! This is..."

"This Jiang Jichen... I heard his Qi Sea was shattered and his Spirit Veins were severed. He was supposed to be a spiritual cripple! So why has his combat power not only returned, but actually advanced? He even formed a Golden Qi Sea! Could all those rumors have been fake?"

"The rumors weren’t false. He switched to Body Refining. That punch just now was a Body Cultivation Combat Technique, but who would have thought it would be so powerful?"

...

The crowd no longer dared to get anywhere near Jiang Jichen and the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother. They could only watch the battle from a safe distance.

In the center of the clearing, Jiang Jichen felt as though a great mountain was pressing down on him, with a mighty river crashing over him. Any other person’s physical body would have long since been crushed to dust.

But Jiang Jichen cultivated the *Undying Scripture*. His physical body was incomparably tough, and his strength was immense. He stood his ground, as unmovable as an ancient peak.

Moreover, four golden Spiritual Power Lines coiled around his body, causing Jiang Jichen to radiate a sacred glow.

"Jiang Jichen, you might be able to block me for a moment, but you can’t hold out forever! You’re just a Fourth Layer Mortal, a Low-level Refiner! How can your Spiritual Power reserves compare to mine? You’re courting death!"

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother shouted, his face twisted in a sneer and his voice filled with confidence.

The onlookers also naturally assumed that in a battle of endurance, Jiang Jichen was bound to lose.

In their eyes, the only reason Jiang Jichen could fight an Innate First Realm expert like the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother to a standstill was that he must have used some Secret Technique to unlock his potential. But such techniques always had side effects and could never be sustained for long.

"Jiang Jichen, you can hold on for ten breaths at most! After that, my Mountain River Palm Seal will crush you to dust!"

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother said smugly.

’If I can kill Jiang Jichen this time, I’ll have rendered a great service. My status in the Mountain Sect will skyrocket, and I’ll receive enormous rewards. I might even become qualified to compete for the position of Sect Leader in the future!’

The thought of these benefits made the Mountain Sect’s Eldest Brother incredibly excited.

As he lost himself in these fantasies, time quietly slipped by.

One breath... Two breaths...

However, after ten breaths had passed, Jiang Jichen’s expression was still calm. The four golden Spiritual Power Lines coiling around him shone even brighter, and his aura grew even more powerful.

He wasn’t weakening—he was getting stronger!

At this, the expressions of everyone watching finally changed dramatically.

"Fine! Let’s see how long you can last!"

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother grew even angrier, continuously pouring his Spiritual Power into the Mountain River Palm Seal.

Jiang Jichen’s expression was placid. He glanced at the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother and said, "Why don’t you find out?"

Seeing that Jiang Jichen still looked down on him so, the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother was so angry he nearly spat blood.

Twenty breaths...

Jiang Jichen remained as steady as a mountain, his expression unchanging. The golden light radiating from him grew even more brilliant, to the point of being blinding. Veins bulged on the neck of the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother, and his face was incredibly ugly.

Thirty breaths...

Sweat soaked the clothes of the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother. His legs were trembling, and his face was as pale as paper. And yet, Jiang Jichen’s fist remained completely motionless.

In reality, at that moment, Jiang Jichen was circulating the *Source Character Qi Condensation Technique*. He could feel the Spiritual Power in his Golden Qi Sea growing more condensed, and his four Golden Spirit Veins becoming thicker and more resilient.

Forty breaths...

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother finally couldn’t take it anymore. His body shuddered, and he was sent flying.

PUH!

As the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother was sent flying, a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of Jiang Jichen’s mouth. His fist was a bloody, mangled mess, but his aura hadn’t diminished in the slightest. In fact, it had grown even stronger.

In a few short steps, he caught up to the flying form of the Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother, changed his fist into a palm, and slammed it into his opponent’s chest.

"How... possible?"

The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother’s eyes were wide open in death, a look of eternal disbelief etched upon his face.

In the distance, the onlookers finally snapped out of their stupor and cried out, "Oh no! Jiang Jichen won! The Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Eldest Brother is dead! Run!"

Seeing this, the dozen or so remaining people were terrified and turned to flee.

But suddenly, earthen walls erupted from the ground at their feet, blocking their escape.

The Earth Control Power!

The faces of the dozen or so Noble Family Descendants changed drastically. They never would have imagined that Han Qing, the very person they had been looking down on and mocking just moments before, actually possessed the Earth Control Power. By blocking their retreat, he had driven them into a corner.

"Han Qing, are you trying to get us killed?"

Blocked by the earthen walls with Jiang Jichen closing in from behind, they were filled with panic and could only shout questions at Han Qing.

"Hee hee... You’ve all misunderstood. I risked my life to help you lure Jiang Jichen out. You can’t let me down now! You have to take him down. Besides, you still owe me one thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills!"