Chapter 117: Conspiracy (Part II)

Snap!

Jiang Feng’s entire body shuddered as the flames and medicinal vapors were all drawn back into his form. He threw a punch, and the air whistled with a sound like weeping ghosts and howling wolves. As his fist rubbed against the airflow, it actually generated a white shockwave followed by a thunderous boom!

"Is my physical body truly this formidable even without using Nether Power? My raw strength is now so ferocious! My fist is practically a flying sword, save for its inability to soar."

Jiang Feng gazed at his own body in pleasant surprise. His current physique possessed, at the very least, the power to shatter mountains and split stones—nearly twenty times that of an average martial arts expert. He even sensed that if someone were to strike at him with a flying sword, he could shatter the weapon with a single punch, relying on nothing but his physical strength.

The mortal body is inherently fragile. Even for an expert at the True Nether Realm, the flesh is delicate; if their Nether Power is scattered during combat, leaving them unprotected, almost any minor injury could prove fatal, and they could even plummet from the sky to their deaths. However, those who have cultivated beyond the sixth stage of the True Nether Realm—experts like his grandfather, Jiang Yuehai—can weave various arrays into their flesh, rendering it incredibly resilient.

For practitioners below the sixth stage of the True Nether Realm, protecting the physical body is paramount. Once the body is damaged, one’s path of cultivation is effectively at an end. It can even cause their Nether Power to gradually weaken and decay until both their physical form and vital energy are exhausted, leading to death.

Naturally, there are secret techniques that can strengthen the body, working in harmony with Nether Power to accelerate cultivation speed and increase the chances of reaching the True Nether Realm, thereby granting an additional eight hundred years of life. Such disciples are invariably the elite, secret heirs of their sects.

Jiang Feng now understood the state of his physical strength. If someone were to strike him with a flying sword of the finest Nether-grade, even if his Nether Power were dispersed, the blade would not be able to pierce his skin. Even if he fell from the sky, his robust physique would prevent him from being killed. He could now shatter a flying sword with his bare hands; even a formidable, top-tier Nether-grade weapon like the "Nine-Curved Chain Blade" would be unable to slay him.

Of course, if a dark, top-tier Nether-grade weapon were used, it could still potentially breach his body and inflict a fatal wound.

Naturally, in a duel, one still relies on the depth and application of Nether Power. The physical body has limited utility, as no matter how strong one’s physique is, one cannot lift oneself up, nor can one fly, and the lack of agility is a major drawback.

The greatest benefit now was his strengthened body and the significant increase in his cultivation speed. His Nether Power accumulated rapidly and recovered just as quickly. His "Wood Sovereign Nether Power" had begun to crystallize, showing signs of condensing into a more potent form, which was a welcome development. In terms of combat prowess and the endurance of his Nether Power, Jiang Feng had improved immensely compared to before.

He examined his entire state of vitality, imprinting it upon his mind with keen, microscopic insight.

"To truly condense a more formidable Nether Power, I must elevate my spirit to another level and grasp the true meaning of the 'True Nether Realm.' I am still lacking something." Jiang Feng felt that his crystallizing "Wood Sovereign Nether Power" was missing an essential component, preventing it from refining into the level of True Nether Power.

The Void Nether Realm. The True Nether Realm. Though separated by only a single word, the difference in quality is as vast as the heavens and the earth. The lethality of True Nether Power far exceeds that of Void Nether Power. A mere sliver of True Nether Power can shatter a vast expanse of Void Nether Power. Moreover, once one achieves True Nether Power, their overall power surges explosively.

An average practitioner of the Void Nether Realm possesses power comparable to a small pool of water, whereas a practitioner of the True Nether Realm commands the strength of a great river!

Although Jiang Feng’s Nether Power was equivalent to the ninth stage of the Void Nether Realm, if he were to face a True Nether Realm expert without the use of artifacts, he would still be at a disadvantage, for the disparity in quality between the two realms is too great. He desperately desired to elevate his Nether Power to the True Nether Realm level; even if his cultivation level remained at the third stage of the Void Nether Realm, his strength would increase dramatically!

It was precisely for this reason that Jiang Feng, combined with Duan Xingyun, the "Jue," the power of the White Emperor Glazed Cauldron—a top-tier precious artifact—and the unique divine power of the Nether Soul, still could not defeat "Lei Peng" of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town, and could only flee. The only reason they had managed to kill the Master of Wuming Island was because the opponent had been caught in an ambush and was already severely wounded.

"Star Sand Nether Power!" Just as Jiang Feng was deep in thought, he suddenly sensed another area of the cauldron shimmering with light. A mercury-like, crystalline Nether Power diffused, heavy and languid, with the faint, booming sound of crashing waves emanating from within. Its power was immense, exerting an suffocating pressure.

Jiang Feng knew immediately that Duan Xingyun had made a breakthrough in his stages.

"The effect of the Yin-Yang Longevity Pill is truly extraordinary; to break through stages so quickly." Jiang Feng understood that Duan Xingyun’s swift progress was partly due to the seven great jellyfish, but the greater part was the lingering medicinal power of the Yin-Yang Longevity Pill within his body. This pill did not lose its effect upon reaching the Nether Secret Realm; it held vast, residual medicinal energy that would manifest throughout his future cultivation.

It was much like his own life-extending Golden Pill, yet a single Yin-Yang Longevity Pill was comparable to a thousand such pills!

"Excellent, I have finally refined my Nether Power. I originally thought I only had a sixty percent chance, but I never expected it to trigger the residual medicinal power of the Yin-Yang Longevity Pill, breaking through the bottleneck and turning the false into the real." A screen moved, and Duan Xingyun stepped out from behind it. "My body has also been greatly tempered! Jiang Feng, your current physique is perhaps no less formidable than mine... Ah! Jiang Feng, why is the aura of your body so overwhelming?"

Duan Xingyun was startled as he emerged. The aura radiating from Jiang Feng’s body was astonishing; standing before him, hearing his breathing, Duan Xingyun felt as if a slightly heavier breath from the other could blow him away.

Jiang Feng had already dressed.

"I also practiced for a while and managed a breakthrough. Though I haven't reached the True Nether Realm, my body has been tempered," Jiang Feng said with a faint smile. "Out of the cauldron! I shall retract the Mirage Array. This time, we shall have a proper bout with the disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town!"

"There is murderous intent in your words!"

Duan Xingyun saw that although Jiang Feng was smiling, there was an undisguised cruelty in his demeanor. He knew that Jiang Feng’s arrogance had incited a desire to kill the disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town. In truth, Duan Xingyun felt the same, but he dared not act on it. After all, which expert at the seventh stage of the Void Nether Realm is one to suffer in silence?

"The disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town must never be killed, or it will invite a catastrophic disaster! Furthermore, even if we join forces, we can at most fight Lei Peng to a draw; killing him is incredibly difficult! If their three direct disciples join forces, we will be forced to flee regardless."

Lei Peng had already reached the Yin-Yang Realm. Jiang Feng and Duan Xingyun were two realms behind him. Their first encounter was only a draw because the opponent was arrogant, withholding his true treasures and relying solely on the Red Tiger Heavenly Might. Now that the opponent was prepared, defeating him would be arduous, let alone killing him. If the opponent possessed any other formidable artifacts, they would likely be the ones to lose.

"I merely intend to borrow a knife to kill..." Jiang Feng clenched his fists.

"You mean... the Demon Commander!" Duan Xingyun exclaimed.

"A man does not become rich without a windfall, and a horse does not grow fat without night grass. Since Hua Tianjin fawns over the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town, I shall do the exact opposite!" Jiang Feng leaped out of the White Emperor Glazed Cauldron, though as he did so, he cast a lingering look at the fragment of the "Holy Tree of the Immortal World."

He was currently unable to refine this fragment and could only leave it within the Royal Cauldron, letting the pulverizing demonic light shine upon it. He hoped that one day he could loosen its essence and release the Wood Spirit energy contained within; once absorbed, his Nether Power would undoubtedly rise once more.

Duan Xingyun followed him out of the Royal Cauldron. Jiang Feng slowly retracted the Mirage Array, and in the process, the White Emperor Glazed Cauldron was also drawn into the Jiangshan Bottle, leaving no trace behind.

"The Langya Chamber of Commerce in Nine-Rock Town is truly worthy of its reputation. Even with the mirage they deployed, I could not discern what they were cultivating. I wonder if that strange piece of wood is a valuable material?"

At that very moment, in a secret location within the Tongtian Pavilion, Hai Yue watched a mirror. The mirror displayed the scene of the bronze hall, where a cloud of mirage mist slowly receded, revealing Jiang Feng and his two companions.

In truth, everything within the bronze hall had been under his observation, but from start to finish, he had only seen the mirage appear and, after several hours, fade away. He had seen nothing else. The medicinal herbs were gone, clearly consumed through cultivation.

"Senior Brother, what now? We have waited for several hours in vain, seeing nothing at all." Beside Hai Yue stood an inner-sect disciple of the Central Immortal Island.