Chapter 222: One Golden Pellet Down The Stomach!
Ooom!
The air shuddered lightly.
Nonetheless, in the split second that Jiang He slashed out, golden light shone magnificently over the Golden-Winged Roc’s body, with veins of golden radiance cascading like waves around it and forming a golden domain.
While the golden domain did not extend far and only radiated so far as 300 meters around the Golden-Winged Roc, the strength of the eight-meter thunder slash waned when it reached it, and it felt like a cow descending into a swamp.
Then, even before it could cut apart the golden domain, the thunder slash faded into tiny thunder bolts.
Jiang He’s visage hence stiffened!
The Golden-Winged Roc was quite something, and certainly a Feral Emperor in its own right... This was only fitting for its status after all, since it would be selling itself short if it fought physically with superior strength and speed like what most average Ferals did.
“Brat!”
“Your death is certain on this day!”
The Golden-Winged Roc spoke in human tongue then, its wings flapping viciously... and whoosh, nine streaks of golden radiance burst out of its wings.
Jiang He’s face twitched as he quickly pulled back, but he was already too late—six of the razor-sharp golden radiances missed, but three stabbed on to Jiang He’s body.
He removed all three golden feathers at once, but those projectiles had left three bloody holes on his body.
Fresh blood flowed out freely.
Moreover, a sharp Gold Qi lingered over the gaping wounds, stopping Jiang He’s physical regeneration from instantly healing them.
But that was no big deal.
All three holes were no deeper than three inches.
In other words, they were skin-deep wounds as well.
“No!”
“That’s impossible!”
The Golden-Winged Roc was left dumbfounded. That single strike could be considered one of his lesser trump cards, but it proved incapable of even hurting Jiang He...
Not even the physiques of Feral Emperors were that powerful.
How did a mere human cultivate that?
Regardless, with a shrill cry, the Golden-Winged Roc spread its wings as it charged towards Jiang He once more, the golden domain around its body shrinking into a half-solid golden armor that shielded its body.
Blade in hand, Jiang He went out to meet him.
He slashed out a dozen times, releasing a flurry of strikes that finally tore through the golden armor with a crack.
And yet, golden light squirmed in the next instant, forming the golden armor once more.
How was he supposed to fight?
Jiang He was actually a little speechless at that...
He had always assumed that his best ability was farming and second-best ability was physical defense, and that his opponent could hardly pierce their defenses when he found under most normal circumstances. He could not have expected that something like this would actually happen to him.
Meanwhile, the Golden-Winged Roc flapped its wings once again, materializing more golden blades.
For a third time, Jiang He was struck and sent slamming into Mount Golden Roc.
Furious, he seethed through clenched teeth, “Screw that! I won’t believe I’m that unlucky!”
But as he flew out of the mountain, the fourth lightning retribution burst out.
Of the Four Retributions of the Nine Lesser Heavens, the fourth lightning retribution was the strongest bolt, and Jiang He had to slash tree times to cut it down.
And with that heavenly retribution passing, the thunderclouds slowly dispersed.
Jiang He promptly waved...
And put away his Dragon-Slaying Saber.
On the other hand, the Golden-Winged Roc was charging towards him, laughing as it did, “Just surrender, human! I’m an emperor who cultivated the domain of golden light. You are no match for me!”
And yet, Jiang He was smiling calmly even as it approached without trying to dodge.
“System,” he then said. “Level up Three Thousand Calamities and improve my cultivation up to Golden Pellet!”
“Second Style of the Three Thousand Calamities!”
“System, cultivate that!”
[Ding!]
[-500000 Farm Points.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have gained Mastery over the Second Style of the Three Thousand Calamities.]
A System Notification jingled in his head.
Though it seemed to be an eternity, all that took was a single instant.
Even if the Golden-Winged Roc had reached him, Jiang He’s cultivation improved at the speed of thought.
In a split second, a horrific and mysterious aura burst out of Jiang He’s body.
Boom!
Up in the skies, the clouds of retribution which had yet to fade entirely converged once more. While it gathered over Jiang He’s physical ascension before and stretched over a dozen miles, it now covered a range of over a hundred miles, with thunderbolts churning like serpents amidst the clouds, exuding a horrific air of devastation.
And in that very moment, the world darkened.
The charging Golden-Winged Roc promptly paused, surprise showed in its eyes at first, which was soon followed by fear.
In the distance, Wang Hou and Dong Haichuan turned to glance at Yang Luchan, who looked utterly blank as he muttered, “What... why is the heavenly retribution returning?”
“Does the kid’s very physical being invoke heavenly retributions?”
“The retribution clouds that covered over a dozen miles unleashed four thunderbolts before, each of them stronger than the next... It was definitely the Four Retributions of the Nine Lesser Heavens, but why would it form again after Jiang He survived it?”
He certainly was not aware that Jiang He had only weathered through the heavenly retribution his physical being invoked... and was in the category of appetizers.
Now, the true show begins.
***
Overhead, the retribution clouds continued to churn.
At the same time, Jiang He’s entire being was being elevated from strength to strength.
The mana within his body was surging wildly, and his body was morphing fundamentally within one single second—a Golden Pellet slowly materialized before flying out between Jiang He’s brows with a whoosh, hovering above his head.
In that very moment, all the Yuan Qi in the world across hundreds of miles all surged towards Jiang He.
The tiny Golden Pellet rapidly enlarged under the nourishment of endless Yuan Qi, just as Jiang He’s cultivation improved with haste!
Golden Pellet Novice!
Golden Pellet Intermediate!
Golden Pellet Advanced!
Golden Pellet Completion...
Suddenly, Jiang He opened his mouth and inhaled—
Swish!
Like a whale gulping water, his inhale drawn in the endless Yuan Qi, with the Golden Pellet landing upon Jiang He’s cinnabar fields as well.
A sharp aura erupted over Jiang He’s body, and for a single instant, it felt like he was a keen sword that could slice through the heavens.
“One Golden Pellet down the stomach, and not even the heavens shall dictate my destiny henceforth!”
An epiphany arose in Jiang He’s mind just then.
Using inner vision to ‘see’ the abundant mana morphing within his body, he muttered, “My mana wouldn’t be mana after it morphed... instead, it is now Sword Yuan!”
“Even my Golden Pellet is different from the average cultivator.”
After all, the Sword Sage was fundamentally different from normal cultivators.
Boom!
Meanwhile, the clouds of retribution were churning even more violently, and with an abrupt cracking boom, a thunderbolt shot down at Jiang He’s head!
“So noisy!”
Jiang He quickly looked up, growling at the bolt that resembled a thunder serpent, but was equal in power to the fourth bolt before...
And in the next instant...
Snikt!
A scarlet sword light shot between his brow.
Slicing through the storm, it streaked through the thunderbolt without losing speed, and then unleashed a Sword Qi and radiance even more horrific than the thunderbolt itself!
Swish!
That single slice of the sword light tore apart the clouds of retribution that churned over a hundred miles.
With that, all the Four Retributions of the Nine Lesser Heavens managed this time was unleash a single lightning retribution before it was cut down by Jiang He.
Jiang He laughed out loud, summoning with a wave of his hand to have the Scarlet Flame Sword hover over his head.
Striding over the air as he approached the Golden-Winged Roc, chuckling, “I’ve said I will kill you today, Golden-Winged Roc, so I will do just that... or what, does what I say not count?”
The Golden-Winged Roc stared at Jiang He silently for three seconds, and then...
Turned and fled!
Whoosh!
Its body turned instantly into a vein of golden light, outside of which were layers of bloody flames—a sign that the Golden-Winged Roc was burning its own life essence to escape.
“Trying to run?”
Laughing, Jiang He abruptly waved his hand.
Whoosh!
The Scarlet Flame Sword disappeared from over his head.
In the next second, a single bloody line was cut out across the Golden-Winged Roc’s body, causing it to shriek in panic. Its golden form flared even harder, and it actually flew even quicker.
Jiang He frowned.
Truly, Feral Emperors were extraordinary.
He was now a full-fledged Golden Pellet, a sword cultivator wielding a premium soul weapon who also wields a Heavenly Immortal-level art in the Three Thousand Calamities.
A single White Foal Crosses the Rift did not finish the job?
It did not matter.
With one slash doesn’t end it, he would slash out a second time, and a third if that was not enough too!
Whoosh!
Thunderflame abruptly materialized over the horizon.
Dragging out a long trail of thunderflame and Sword Qi behind itself, the Scarlet Flame Sword sliced towards the Golden-Winged Roc once more.
The second style of the Three Thousand Calamities: Thunderflame Calamity!
Snikt!
The Golden-Winged Roc cried out as its body quivered in the air, its flight speed slowing as the sword definitely injured it.
Stepping upon thin air, Jiang He controlled the sword with his gestures, pointing out once again from five miles away!
The sword style changed once again.
The Three Thousand Calamities erupted.
***
After the deed was done, Jiang He put withdrew the Scarlet Flame Sword with a wave of his hand.
The Golden-Winged Roc was on the verge of dying but not actually dead. It was stubbornly struggling, its wings flapping as it revealed its incredible survival instincts, shrieking on top of its lungs, “Human, you can’t kill me, you can’t... there are many eminences of the daemons who had been slumbering for years, and they are not lacking in power though they do not walk amongst us—they simply could not be bothered! But if you kill me, they will leave their seclusion and Hua Nation would fall!”
“Dragoncroc Emperor Senpai, save me...”
The Golden-Winged Roc continued to cry.
Jiang He smiled calmly and said, “I will kill whoever dares to save you and their entire family!”
In the distant horizon, the Dragoncroc Emperor’s entire body shuddered even as it lurked behind a cloud... and it refrained from stepping out.
Meanwhile, Jiang He pointed with his fingers again.
Ooom!
The sea of swords in his mind began to tremble.
An illusory radiant sword materialized out of the blue, and Jiang He’s spirit was imbued into it within the next instant, wielding it as it cut towards the Golden-Winged Roc.
Shiiing!
The resounding hum of the sword rang over the skies.
Oooooooom...
Even the longsword Yang Luchan carried over his back was humming in resonance.
Hence, Sword Qi thundered over a hundred miles, the veins of blinding sword light it embodied bursting and drowning the Golden-Winged Roc.
Soon, the light faded, and the Golden-Winged Roc’s corpse fell from the skies.
The sword did not actually leave any injury upon the bird’s body, but its spirit and mind had already been vanquished.
After all the Twenty-Three Swords cuts essences!
On the other hand, Jiang He staggered up in the air and almost fell out of the skies, inwardly startled. “The Twenty-Three Swords is truly a self-destructive sword technique. Even after revamping, having just a portion of my mind detached left me so fatigued!”
Indeed, Jiang He’s face was pale-white.
He sensed his body, and a bitter smile flashed on his face for a moment.
With this toll on his mind...
He could only recover it after returning home and having a good sleep!