Chapter 229 - 176: The Might of the Array, Breaking Through Hao Zhix, Astonishing All Sects

"Isn’t it too late to improve your cultivation now?"

As soon as the words fell, Celestial Concealment unleashed a palm strike at Lin Chang’sheng, intending to kill him on the spot.

At this moment, Celestial Concealment couldn’t care about anything else.

Lin Chang’sheng had completely enraged him.

But as the palm seal landed, Lin Chang’sheng remained unmoved.

BOOM—

The overbearing palm imprint crashed onto Lin Chang’sheng, but it had no effect at all, only stirring a ripple before fading out of existence.

This scene left Celestial Concealment dumbfounded—his attack had actually been absorbed?

Seeing that he had no way to deal with Lin Chang’sheng right now, Celestial Concealment didn’t bother wasting any more magical power. Instead, he sat down cross-legged, tilted his head back to swallow an elixir, and began to restore his magical energy.

Just now, within the grand array, he’d already expended seventy percent of his power, and the fight with Lin Chang’sheng had drained another twenty percent.

Now, he was down to just ten percent of his magical power.

If he didn’t recover some now...

Once Lin Chang’sheng finished absorbing all the souls, he’d be the one forced into a passive crisis.

.....

"Golden Core Late Stage cultivation!"

In the span of just one incense stick’s time, Lin Chang’sheng had absorbed over ten thousand souls, and his strength had suddenly broken through to Golden Core Late Stage.

If he swallowed all the souls present, breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage wouldn’t be a problem at all.

And during this stick of incense, Celestial Concealment had managed to recover twenty percent of his magical energy as well.

Seeing Lin Chang’sheng wasn’t making a move, after popping another elixir, he kept on restoring his strength.

The two of them maintained this standoff within the array for a full hour.

Celestial Concealment had now restored up to forty percent of his magical energy.

"Hm? He’s actually about to break into Nascent Soul?"

Celestial Concealment immediately felt a strong sense of unease, because he could already sense Lin Chang’sheng was on the verge of a breakthrough.

With just Golden Core cultivation, Lin Chang’sheng was already hard enough to handle.

If he now stepped into the Nascent Soul stage, wouldn’t that make him even more troublesome?

Celestial Concealment stopped trying to restore his strength and stood up instantly.

If he waited any longer and let Lin Chang’sheng keep absorbing, he would be the one in a desperate situation soon.

He had to destroy this formation and interrupt Lin Chang’sheng’s absorption.

However, after searching for a long while, Celestial Concealment couldn’t spot any weaknesses in the array.

It was because the only flaw was on Lin Chang’sheng’s spirit treasure—the spirit treasure acted as the array plate, and Lin Chang’sheng himself was the array hub, absorbing all the power of the souls to empower himself.

The spirit treasure was within Lin Chang’sheng’s dantian.

Attacking Lin Chang’sheng would only help him keep absorbing power.

This array was truly unsolvable—once Lin Chang’sheng finished absorbing all the souls, it would end on its own.

Back when Wu Tianhua used this formation, it was simply because he let his guard down—he didn’t expect Lin Chang’sheng would find the weak point and swallow his magical treasure.

Ruining all his plans in an instant.

"If he can absorb magical attacks, can he block attacks from a spirit treasure?"

With that thought, Divine Master Celestial Concealment didn’t care how others might judge him in the future. With a wave, he summoned his spirit treasure—the Heaven-Breaking Serpent Spear—from his dantian.

This spirit treasure was six feet long, radiating a white brilliance, and its head was especially sharp—full of power to break the heavens.

"Die!"

Staring at Lin Chang’sheng, who was still madly absorbing the souls, Celestial Concealment gripped his spear and stabbed straight at him.

Celestial Concealment, at this moment, unleashed all his Middle Stage Nascent Soul power, coupled with the might of his spirit treasure. Even within the array, if Lin Chang’sheng got hit directly, he would be in no good shape.

Lin Chang’sheng sensed Celestial Concealment deploying his spirit treasure.

He didn’t dare be careless.

He was all too familiar with the might of a spirit treasure.

Even when he was just Golden Core Middle Stage, by relying on a spirit treasure, he had wounded Celestial Concealment.

Because Lin Chang’sheng had already noticed the injury on Celestial Concealment’s right hand.

Earlier, he thought Celestial Concealment was just pretending to be aloof by keeping his arms behind his back.

He hadn’t expected that it was because he was hurt and didn’t want Lin Chang’sheng to see.

So Lin Chang’sheng didn’t dare be a sitting duck, recklessly tanking the attack from Celestial Concealment.

He leaped aside, dodging the attack, and frantically absorbed the last bit of souls.

One by one, the souls swarmed into Lin Chang’sheng, merging into his body.

As they entered, Lin Chang’sheng’s bones started to crackle and pop audibly.

His divine sense suddenly erupted, raging like rivers all converging into a mighty sea—endless and vast.

As his divine sense gathered, an astonishing little figure, the size of a finger, materialized between Lin Chang’sheng’s brows.

And inside his dantian, the misty state condensed into a gushing springhead.

Wave after wave of magical power surged from this spring.

With this breakthrough, Lin Chang’sheng returned to his original appearance.

"He actually broke into Nascent Soul?"

Seeing this, Celestial Concealment was so shocked he couldn’t close his jaw.

What kind of secret technique was this? Someone actually broke through two cultivation levels in such a short time!

And one of them was a great realm at that!

"You old bastard, let’s fight again!"

Feeling the changes within his body, Lin Chang’sheng was burning with desire to battle.

He wanted to truly test just how terrifying his new Nascent Soul cultivation was.

"Forcefully breaking through like this, you’ll definitely suffer backlash! Your immortal path is ruined, and you’re still clueless?"

Celestial Concealment glared furiously at Lin Chang’sheng.

In his opinion, Lin Chang’sheng had used some secret technique to force a breakthrough—there must be side effects.

If not crippled, at least his cultivation level would fall.

Lin Chang’sheng had barreled through two bottlenecks; surely the consequences would be severe.

Yet even as he spoke, Celestial Concealment’s grip tightened anxiously around his Heaven-Breaking Serpent Spear.

Because right now, against this Lin Chang’sheng, he really wasn’t confident of victory.

"Better worry about yourself first!"

Lin Chang’sheng had no intention of wasting words with Celestial Concealment.

After all, by relying on the Array of Myriad Spirits Devouring Souls, the time limit for his boosted cultivation was short.

If he couldn’t kill or seriously injure Celestial Concealment before time ran out...

He would be defenseless and end up a fish on the chopping block, ready to be slaughtered.

So the moment he finished speaking, Lin Chang’sheng summoned the Godslaying Blade, channeled magical power into it, and its blade shone with blinding light—transforming in an instant into a Celestial Vault Giant Blade that hacked furiously toward Celestial Concealment.

Celestial Concealment dared not be careless at all.

He channeled his freshly recovered forty percent magical power to the limit, sending it all into the Heaven-Breaking Serpent Spear and making the spear’s light flare brightly as it stabbed toward the descending Blade Aura.

The razor-sharp Spear Aura was full of overbearing might, as if it would pierce the heavens themselves.

BOOM—

The Blade Aura and Serpent Spear collided head-on.

The huge shockwave sent both their robes fluttering wildly.

This time, the two of them fought to a deadlock—neither gaining the upper hand.

"This..."

Far away, Yu Wenjing was knocked to the ground by the shockwave, her pupils wide with utter shock.

Lin Chang’sheng had actually ascended to Nascent Soul?

How was this possible?

A Nascent Soul expert just barely past twenty? That must be the talk of the entire Cultivation Realm!

...

A thousand miles from here—

A crimson lotus streaked across the sky, carrying two stunning women atop it.

"Hmm? Two Nascent Soul experts fighting in the Great Yu Imperial City?"

Jiaoyue Fairy was astonished; this place was certainly lively!

"Doesn’t that mean Lin Chang’sheng is in danger?"

The elder standing beside Jiaoyue, who had come along, asked curiously after hearing her words.

With only Golden Core cultivation, her divine sense couldn’t reach as far as Ling Yue’s.

So she hadn’t sensed what was happening within the Great Yu Imperial City.

"Who knows, maybe that Nascent Soul cultivator in his early twenties is Lin Chang’sheng himself!"

Ling Yue’s eyes twinkled with astonished light—it seemed that this trip wasn’t wasted after all.

She had never met Lin Chang’sheng in person, but she’d at least seen his portrait.

After all, when Lin Chang’sheng snatched those eight heaven and earth spiritual veins, the entire Southern Domain Cultivation Realm was searching for him.

His portrait was everywhere back then.

At these words, the elder’s eyes widened in disbelief.

If that was true, wasn’t Lin Chang’sheng completely defying the heavens?

In his twenties and already at the Nascent Soul Realm?

...

Meanwhile, a thousand miles to the south of the Imperial City—

A flying shuttle carried several people, all standing with upright bearing.

Their clothing was all marked with a cloud, signifying they were members of the Liuyun Immortal Sect.

Sect Leader Su Changkong was among them.

Also accompanying them were Golden Core Elders Ji Ruyan, Li Jiantang, and disciples Gao Ziyue and Zhao Fuhu.

Ji Ruyan brought along Gao Ziyue because she had some history with Lin Chang’sheng.

He hoped Gao Ziyue could persuade Lin Chang’sheng to return to Liuyun Sect.

"He actually ascended to Nascent Soul?"

Su Changkong’s divine sense swept out, and he sensed the two Nascent Soul powerhouses clashing fiercely in the Great Yu Imperial City, one of whom was precisely the Lin Chang’sheng they’d been searching for.

A Nascent Soul expert in his twenties—how many fortunes would it take to advance this quickly!

"What? Lin Chang’sheng broke through to Nascent Soul?"

Ji Ruyan was so shocked by this news he couldn’t close his mouth for a long time.

He always knew Lin Chang’sheng was a heaven-gifted genius and had gotten countless opportunities, but entering Nascent Soul at twenty-some years old was simply unimaginable!

"He... really reached Nascent Soul?"

Hearing this, Gao Ziyue couldn’t help but feel an ache in her heart.

She had always enjoyed countless privileges in the sect, never lacking pills, yet she’d still advanced slower than Lin Chang’sheng did by wandering the outside world alone.

She thought Lin Chang’sheng would admire her.

But she never expected that all she would ever see was his back, receding into the distance as he led ahead.

...

To the north, a thousand miles from the Great Yu Imperial City—

Two figures sped through the sky astride flying swords, making their way toward the Imperial City.

One was none other than Sect Leader Wang Chonglou of the Celestial Sword Sect, with the other being First Elder, the Wine Sword Immortal.

Both of them were Nascent Soul experts.

They too had sensed the upheaval taking place in the Imperial City.

"What a domineering Blade Aura. It’s on par with my Cyan Peak Sword Technique!"

Wine Sword Immortal exclaimed in awe.

What do swordsmen fear most?

Loneliness!

No one to spar and discuss the Dao with.

Yet Lin Chang’sheng’s saber technique here left Wine Sword Immortal in awe.

Such peerless saber mastery—without decades of foundation, how could it look so effortless?

If given the chance, he’d love to cross blades with this young one.

"You’re getting eager to spar again?"

Wang Chonglou saw through Wine Sword Immortal’s thoughts in an instant.

He was a true Sword Fool, absolutely obsessed with the Sword Dao.

If someone’s understanding of swordsmanship surpassed his, he’d even consider making them his master.

"His blade skills are amazing. I would truly relish a duel!"

Wine Sword Immortal laughed.

"He’d better hold on until we arrive. If he dies here, that’d be a massive loss!"

Wang Chonglou sounded worried. If this young man survived...

He would invite him into the sect at any cost.

"Of course!"

Wine Sword Immortal sped up, the two of them flying off like streaks of light into the sky.

Meanwhile, from two other directions, groups of figures streaked through the air toward the Great Yu Imperial City as well.

Among them were the Sect Leader of Golden Talisman Sect, Zhao Cheng—

And the Fierce Sun Dao Venerable of the Yin Yang Dao Sect was also among them.

This time, the Great Yu Imperial City was sure to be the center of attention.