Chapter 186: Limit Break [PART 1]
The empressâs voice resonated in Li Yaoâs mind.
[Get ready.]
Li Yao raised her hands skyward, and the weather transformed instantly. Dark clouds materialized across the once-clear sky, spreading across the battlefield. Lightning began crackling through the clouds.
The sect masters paused their assault, eyes drawn upward. They exchanged glances, wondering what Li Yao was planning. Even the cult leader stopped to observe what was happening.
A smirk crossed the cult leaderâs face. Was she intending to join the fight now that he had sustained some injuries? Despite the wounds inflicted by the combined might of the sect masters, he knew he still had plenty of power in reserve.
Above him, the clouds condensed into a particularly dense formation. A massive lightning bolt, thick as a tree trunk and blindingly bright, formed and hurtled downward, aimed directly at the cult leader.
âIs this your move?â he mocked, raising his hand confidently to catch the attack.
But before the lightning could reach him, something unexpected happened. The cult leaderâs body suddenly stiffened. His expression froze mid-sneer, then twisted into one of pure agony. A gut-wrenching scream tore from his throat as he clutched his head with both hands, howling in pain.
The sound was so terrible, so primal, that even the subordinates fighting below ceased their battles, all eyes drawn to the spectacle unfolding in the sky.
[NOW!] the Empress commanded.
In an instant, the lightning bolt that had been descending toward the screaming cult leader vanishedâand in its place appeared Li Yao, materializing directly before her enemy. Without hesitation, she slapped a talisman against his forehead.
Their eyes met. Li Yaoâs gaze was cold and determined; the cult leaderâs was filled with dawning horror. Despite his agony, he desperately reached for the talisman, fingers clawing to remove it before activation.
But it was too late.
The talisman ignited with power. Inside his spiritual sea, a blinding white light erupted, spreading outward in consuming waves that erased everything in its path. It is said that having oneâs soul destroyed was the most excruciating experience possibleâand now the cult leader was experiencing this torment for the second time. Still weakened from the first soul shock that had struck his clone, he couldnât react quickly enough to protect his soul from this critical blow.
Rage filled him. No! He refused to let it end like this!
Li Yao and the others had already retreated to a safe distance, watching the cult leaderâs torment with wary eyes. The sect masters trembled at the sight, making mental notes never to provoke Li Yao in the future. What power could reduce the mighty cult leader to this state?
Eventually, the cult leaderâs screams subsided. He hung suspended in the air, motionless, silent. Then, fine cracks began appearing across his skin, spreading like a spiderweb across his face and exposed arms.
[Thatâs not good,] the Empress observed, her tone concerned.
âWhy? Whatâs happening? Didnât the talisman work?â Li Yao asked, confusion evident in her voice.
[It worked, butâŠ] the Empress began.
âBut what?â Li Yao pressed impatiently.
[Although it worked, it wasnât as effective as we had expected,] the Empress explained. [It seems that the cult leader isnât so simple. He actually has a mutated soul.]
âWhatâs that?â Li Yao asked.
[Itâs a special kind of soulâŠ] the Empress started to elaborate, but seeing Li Yaoâs expression, she abbreviated her explanation. [Just know that itâs stronger than a normal soul, so the talisman didnât deal as much damage as we wouldâve liked.]
The Empress thought to herself that normally, such a powerful soul shock would have completely obliterated the soul, either killing the target outright or reducing them to a mindless husk. She hadnât anticipated this outcome. No wonder this cultivator had so easily dominated others in the same realm.
[But itâs not all bad,] she continued, and Li Yao paid close attention. [With this amount of damage to his soul, he canât mobilize true qi.]
[This wouldâve been easy to deal with, but it seems that the other sect masters arenât faring all that better,] the Empress observed.
Li Yao glanced at their allies. The prolonged battle had clearly taken its toll. Despite their impressive showing, the sect masters were visibly exhausted, their combat power significantly diminished. Although they had been receiving a steady supply of recovery pills, such common pills were insufficient for experts of their caliber. They would need at least fifth-grade pills to properly restore their strength.
âSince he canât use true qi, it should be all about body refining then, right? Iâll take him on,â Li Yao declared confidently.
[Well, itâs not that simple,] the Empress cautioned.
Suddenly, the aura surrounding the cult leader intensified. The cracks on his skin spread further, covering more of his visible body. Li Yao watched with growing unease. Although she could no longer sense any spiritual pressure from him, she could feel his power increasing steadily.
âŠ
âWhat is happening?â Li Yao asked, her eyes fixed on the cult leader.
[Heâs attempting a Limit Break,] the Empress replied.
[The body always has a limit on how much power it can exert at a certain realm,] the Empress explained. [This is known as the Limit.] She paused. [But when someone forces a limit break, they can exert even more power.]
âHow much more are we talking?â Li Yaoâs eyes narrowed.
[It depends on the base stats. Some can go one realm above, while others can go up to three realms,] she elaborated. [The highest realm one can reach is called the Absolute Limit. If you go past it, you literally turn into dust.] The Empressâs tone grew more somber. [This is because limit breaking consumes lifespan, as you can see from the state of his body.]
Li Yao studied the cult leader more intently, noting how he indeed appeared to be aging rapidly before her eyes. Deep wrinkles formed across his skin, and his hair was visibly graying at the edges. Yet despite these alarming physical deteriorations, his power continued to surge relentlessly upward.
âWhat is his body cultivation?â she asked.
[Luckily, you both have the same body cultivation realm, which is the seventeenth layer,] the Empress replied.
âAnd his absolute limit?â Li Yao asked.
[You share that too at three layers. In your absolute limit, youâll both be at the twentieth layer,] the Empress explained.
Li Yaoâs expression shifted. âWhat do you mean we share the same absolute limit? You want me to limit break too? No way! What if I grow into an old hag and senior brother doesnât like me anymore?â
âYou wonât have a senior brother anymore if you donât do it,â the Empress thought, though she didnât say it aloud.
Instead, [Donât worry about it. Iâll use my lifespan instead.] The Empress thought to herself that it didnât matter as she could recover the lost years after just a few proper spirit meals.
âSo, how do I do it?â Li Yao asked.
[The limit break isnât something you can just be taught how to do,] the Empress replied. [Everyone has their own way of breaking through the limit. The most common way is through anger.]
âIdk if you know ts, but Iâm quite angry rn, so why isnât anything happening?â Li Yao retorted.
[Itâs not that kind ofâŠ] The Empress sighed internally. Fortunately, she had anticipated this. Well, actually, she hadnât but oh wellâŠ
[Actually, when I noticed him get hurt just now, I spread my divine sense and sensed something,] she began. [His soul clone was actuallyâŠ]
As the Empress revealed what had truly transpired, Li Yaoâs expression transformed completely. The frustration drained from her face, replaced by something far more terrifying: cold, pure rage.
The lightning clouds that had been gathering across the sky suddenly froze. The sect masters nearby felt an inexplicable chill crawl down their spines, causing them to shift their attention from the transforming cult leader to Li Yao.
The same spider-web cracks that marred the cult leaderâs skin began appearing on Li Yaoâs body as well. The Empress immediately channeled her own life force into Li Yao, preventing the cracks from spreading further while simultaneously healing those that had already formed.
Li Yaoâs normally expressive eyes turned emotionless and cold. The blue eyes from her spirit form gradually shifted to a brilliant silver. Her hair also began transforming from the roots downward, the blue spirit hair bleaching to pure white as the power surge coursed through her body.
Across the battlefield, the cult leader had completed his own transformation. His body was now covered entirely with cracks. Despite his deteriorated physical state, the power emanating from him was undeniable.
When Li Yao and the cult leaderâs eyes met across the distance, it was on sightâŠ
âŠ
Authorâs Corner
I introduce this mostly because the the next arc will start immediately and the mcâs donât have time to grow. I thought that Li Yao as a main character profile, itâs within her character to gain a new âformâ every now and then.
What do you guyâs think?
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