Inside 【Heaven in a Pot】.
“Receive!”
You Xuexin didn’t stop moving. Her sleeves rolled up a gloomy wind, gathering the scattered corpses around her and sending them all into the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】.
Regarding this lavish feast, Wang Ping naturally accepted it all. He fully activated the 【Thief of Life】, frantically devouring the residual life force and primal qi within the corpses. Although each corpse didn’t contain much, their cultivation in life was higher than Wang Ping’s. The quality was high, and adding them all up made the total amount quite considerable.
Thus, he ate very happily.
On the other side, You Xuexin was equally happy. She discovered that the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 had consumed so many corpses yet hadn’t reached saturation.
This is a manifestation of high potential!
At this thought, You Xuexin applied herself even more diligently. She even went as far as allocating a bit of extra spiritual power, continuing to round up corpses at the cost of lowering her own combat readiness.
However, she soon discovered a problem.
Why isn’t the aura of this spiritual artifact growing?
Having consumed so many resources, logically there should be some sort of reaction. Yet, the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】’s aura remained perfectly stable without a single ripple.
Could it be… the divine object is obscuring itself?
You Xuexin guessed inwardly, It’s said that sentient spiritual artifacts behave this way. They know how to conceal themselves. As long as they aren’t activated, they look no different from mundane objects.
This was a good thing!
If the spiritual artifact knew how to hide its aura, she could use it as a hidden weapon when she brought it out, catching enemies off guard.
You Xuexin thought it over again and again, concluding that there was likely no other possibility. After all, she had just fed it so many resources.
Even a pig would squeal after eating that much. If it wasn’t the divine object obscuring itself, then the only other explanation was that someone else had secretly eaten all the resources…
Impossible, absolutely impossible.
You Xuexin instantly discarded this baseless, absurd thought and shifted her focus to researching her future opponents in the Immortal Brahma Sword Duel.
She was truly looking forward to it!
Meanwhile, inside the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】.
Wang Ping drained the life force and primal qi of yet another corpse, then released the remaining scraps of its soul to the demons within the banner, equally filled with anticipation.
Seems about right.
As the main soul of the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】, he could already sense that, although it had only been eating scraps until now, the spiritual artifact was seemingly full.
The next second, an unexpected change occurred!
As the demons devoured the final soul, a dark-gold radiance erupted within the banner. Secret talismanic scripts, lively and vigorous, surfaced on their own.
Countless talismanic scripts combined together, shining in harmony with Wang Ping, the main soul. They transformed into inexplicable knowledge that flooded his sea of consciousness, bringing a look of pleasant surprise to his face:
“Is this… a spiritual art?”
Theoretically speaking, only a supreme-grade spiritual artifact could resonate with heaven and earth and independently engrave a spiritual art. Right now, the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 had reached this level.
If I wasn’t inside the banner lining my own pockets and frantically embezzling the resources that poisonous woman threw in, the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 probably would have broken through ages ago. Fortunately, that poisonous woman is capable and fought hard to kill quite a few rogue cultivators outside. This helped secure this fortune for me. Looking at it this way, she’s actually pretty nice…
Wang Ping didn’t dare dawdle. He immediately calmed his mind.
As the main soul, this spiritual art engraved within the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 was naturally under his control. A vast ocean of knowledge regarding the spiritual art immediately swarmed in.
This feeling was exactly the same as when he received 【Qi Ward】!
Once I digest this knowledge, I can use it even when I return to Great Shun. At most, I won’t be able to cultivate it to its highest realm because I lack spiritual power.
He quickly learned the name of the spiritual art.
【Spirit Snatching】!
As the name implies, this method can snatch a cultivator’s seven Po-spirits. There’s also a corresponding spiritual art called 【Soul Chasing】, which can chase down and capture a cultivator’s three Hun-souls.
Strictly speaking, if it wasn’t because of all the corpse resources and the spiritual artifact only receiving scraps, it likely would have engraved both spiritual arts this time. But Wang Ping didn’t mind. After all, once he turned against You Xuexin and refined her into a Banner Slave, the outcome would be the same.
The next second, Wang Ping laughed coldly.
Then, he locked his hand seals, activated the 【Spirit Snatching】 art, and gathered all the surrounding demons, inhaling them through his nose and mouth.
He was doing everything in his power to consolidate the might of the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】.
Everything is ready.
Wang Ping maintained a calm composure, calculating inwardly, I’ll wait for that poisonous woman to use the spiritual artifact. As soon as she lets me out, I’ll deal her a brutal blow!
At the same time, outside.
Why did it stop reacting again?
Looking at the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 in her sleeve, You Xuexin frowned slightly. There were clear signs of a breakthrough just a moment ago. It’s obviously a supreme-grade spiritual artifact now.
Why did it suddenly go dim again?
Could it be…
She had some doubts, but she didn’t consider the possibility that something was wrong with the spiritual artifact. After all, she had invested so much into it; how could there be a problem?
Finally, her eyes moved as she arrived at an answer: I understand. It must be a supreme-grade spiritual artifact returning to its original, unadorned state, concealing its profound mysteries. That has to be it!
This was the potential of a Dharma Treasure!
Thinking of this, the corners of You Xuexin’s mouth immediately curled up, and she couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter:
“Excellent, excellent, excellent. The time has come!”
Her sudden, roaring laughter instantly put the man surnamed Lin, standing far away, on high alert. “What? Junior Sister You, now that death is at hand, have you finally lost your mind?”
“Hmph. A frog in a well.”
You Xuexin shook her head, an expression suggesting everything was under her control appearing on her face. “How much spiritual power do you have left? I imagine you’ve almost scraped the bottom of the barrel by now?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the man surnamed Lin’s guard deepened.
He was indeed low on spiritual power. In the time it takes an incense stick to burn, even if You Xuexin did nothing, he wouldn’t have the strength to maintain 【Heaven in a Pot】.
The problem was, You Xuexin’s condition was worse than his!
After all, his realm was higher, so there was no suspense in a contest of spiritual power. Furthermore, who knows what madness possessed You Xuexin to waste her spiritual power gathering corpses.
Under these circumstances, he was certain You Xuexin couldn’t even hold on for an incense stick’s worth of time… If that was the case, where did she get the confidence to spout such nonsense at him?
“No need to overthink it.”
Seeing the man surnamed Lin’s expression shift, You Xuexin directly pulled the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 from her sleeve. “After today, you will be a Banner Slave inside my banner.”
“Before you die, I’ll broaden your horizons!”
Before her voice had completely faded, You Xuexin poured her remaining spiritual power into the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 and forcefully tossed it into the air.
“Look at my spiritual artifact! It will turn danger into safety!”
In an instant, the dark-gold radiance unfurled in the wind, the banner snapped open, and the ferocious ghost face flickered. A burly figure stepped out, flanked by monstrous resentment.
Like a silver vase suddenly shattering and water bursting forth, or armored cavalry charging out amidst the clash of swords and spears!
In that moment, You Xuexin was still in a daze: I haven’t even issued a command yet, and you’re already eager to slay the enemy for me? Is the sentience of this spiritual artifact that strong?
Then she saw the ‘Six Desires Heavenly Demon King,’ who had just stepped out of the banner, neither hesitate for a second nor look at the man surnamed Lin in the distance. Instead, it fixed its gaze directly on her. It opened its mouth and blasted a soul-shaking thunderous roar right at her.
“Ha!”
As the thunderous roar swept over her, You Xuexin’s seven Po-spirits vibrated almost simultaneously. This impacted her spiritual body, stiffening her entire frame. She stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.
Even then, she hadn’t yet realized what was happening.
The strike to her soul slowed her thinking. The first thought that surfaced when she regained her senses was actually: spiritual artifact, you made a mistake. The enemy is over there…
But in the next second, she snapped completely awake. Because that ‘Six Desires Heavenly Demon King’ had already raised its arm. A Wyrm coiled between its fingers, using its dragon body as the blade, curling head to tail to form a battle-ax gleaming with chilling light. Then, with all its might, it fiercely hacked down toward her neck!
Ah? Oh no!
Watching the ax blade draw closer, You Xuexin finally understood that the spiritual artifact was rebelling against its master. Greatly alarmed, she tried to cast a spiritual art to dodge the blow.
However, she no longer had the strength to do so. Let alone casting a spiritual art, she didn’t even have the power to break free from the influence of the 【Spirit Snatching】 art that had landed on her!
In the blink of an eye, You Xuexin could only desperately lean backward.
Squish!
Blood sprayed. Feeling the resistance transmitted through the battle-ax, Wang Ping was shocked. He had struck with all his might, yet it felt as if he had hit a wall of iron!
You Xuexin’s neck looked slender and fragile, but when the ax actually struck, it felt as if every inch of her flesh and blood had been cast from metal. It was incredibly difficult to cut through.
This allowed You Xuexin to seize a sliver of life; she thrillingly pulled away just before Wang Ping could completely sever her head.
“How is this possible…?”
Blood flowed like a river. You Xuexin stumbled three steps backward. Two-thirds of her neck had been cleaved open by Wang Ping, leaving only a small segment of bone and skin still connected.
The rapid loss of blood caused her body to sway continuously.
But soon, You Xuexin demonstrated the terrifying vitality of a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcendence realm—especially one who had survived the Human Tribulation and gathered all four cultivation traits.
One of her hands formed a hand seal to guard against external threats, while her other hand fiercely pressed against her own head, forcefully holding it in place on her neck. At the same time, her skin, flesh, sinews, and bones erupted with brilliant light, attempting to splice back together and automatically mend the wound!
Is this even human?
Seeing this, Wang Ping cursed inwardly while unhesitatingly pressing the attack. He raised the battle-ax high and brought it down with an angry roar that sounded like a dragon’s cry.
Meanwhile, the man surnamed Lin also reacted.
To be honest, he originally thought that, as an immortal sect disciple, even if he wasn’t a true legacy disciple, he was still knowledgeable and experienced enough that nothing could shock him.
After all, what kind of situation hadn’t he seen?
But right now, he was genuinely shocked—he truly had never seen a situation like this. So, your ultimate trump card turns on its master the moment it’s brought out?
And you even said to watch your spiritual artifact turn danger into safety.
I must admit, I was a bit worried earlier that this ambush might fail. But after seeing your spiritual artifact, it indeed turned my danger into safety!
Despite his shock, however, the man surnamed Lin wasn’t slow to act.
A perfect opportunity!
In a split second, he made his judgment. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. He gathered all his spiritual power, opened his mouth, and spat out an incantation:
“Heaven crumbles and earth splits, the divine land sinks!”
Explosive, shattering sounds immediately followed his chant, echoing outwards with You Xuexin at the center. Each shattering sound corresponded to a rift tearing through the void.
At this same time, You Xuexin was still trying to retreat.
With this movement, she immediately crashed into the countless rifts surrounding her.
Squish!
In an instant, rivers of blood flowed, and severed limbs flew across the sky. Even though You Xuexin had reacted, the shattered space completely bypassed all her defenses!
These rifts were created by the man surnamed Lin actively destroying the space of 【Heaven in a Pot】, at the cost of damaging his own divine ability. Because the blades were formed from space itself, they bypassed defenses.
You Xuexin’s delicate body was dismembered on the spot—arms and legs scattered, internal organs expelled, bursting forth in a towering spray of blood!
“Ah—!!!”
This precise follow-up attack instantly extinguished all of You Xuexin’s hopes. Wang Ping didn’t hesitate in the slightest, immediately charging forward to beat a drowning dog.
In the next fraction of a second, the figure of the Six Desires Heavenly Demon King seemingly skipped a frame, vanishing instantly and reappearing right in front of You Xuexin.
All innate abilities, fully activated.
【Divine Footwork】!
【Myriad Weight】!
【Wyrm Ax】!
The battle-ax, imbued with unparalleled divine strength, smashed down heavily, tearing You Xuexin’s body a second time and chopping her in half at the waist. She plummeted down like a broken sack.
Her spiritual power exhausted and her body dismembered, the final breath You Xuexin had fought so desperately to maintain finally gave out. The hand pressing her head in place dropped limply toward the ground.
Thud!
Losing the support of her hand, her beautiful head fell to the ground and rolled twice. Blood continuously spurted from her seven orifices, and her beautiful eyes were filled with despair.
At the very moment of her death, You Xuexin finally seemed to realize that the “Six Desires Heavenly Demon King” she had painstakingly refined still retained a portion of its consciousness from when it was alive. But with only her head remaining, she couldn’t make a sound anymore; all she could manage was a gurgling noise mixed with spurting blood from her teeth.
She was full of hate!
She had refined a supreme-grade spiritual artifact, and victory in her mission had been right before her eyes. Two joyous events overlapping should have brought her even greater joy.
Why did it turn out like this?
At this thought, the look she gave Wang Ping was brimming with absolute resentment. In her increasingly clouded consciousness, only one thought remained—I want mutually assured destruction!
If she died, she was taking him down with her!
Driven by this single thought, she began to frantically squeeze her sea of consciousness, trying to force out one last spiritual art. Just one art, and she could take his life…
Her thoughts came to a screeching halt.
“If you must blame someone, blame yourself,” Wang Ping reached out his hand, repeating the exact same words You Xuexin had said to him. “After all, it wasn’t me who forced you to refine me into a spiritual artifact.”
It had to be said, although these shameless words were infuriating to hear, saying them himself felt incredibly satisfying!
The next second, he placed his hand on You Xuexin.
【Thief of Life】!
In the blink of an eye, Wang Ping swept You Xuexin’s remaining life force and primal qi clean. The spiritual art she was preparing instantly dissipated, leaving no trace behind.
This was the greatest harvest of this battle!
Having finished all this, Wang Ping looked at You Xuexin’s rising soul, intending to snatch it into the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】 and refine it into a Banner Slave as well.
However, right at that moment.
Out of the corner of his eye, Wang Ping caught sight of the man surnamed Lin standing not far away. The expression on his face presented a stark contrast to the scene unfolding before him.
Originally, with You Xuexin dead, the man surnamed Lin should have been extremely thrilled. The surrounding surviving rogue cultivators all wore expressions of fanaticism, preparing to claim the 【Five Thieves’ Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformation Divine Talisman】 inside the flying ship. Yet, in that exact moment, the man surnamed Lin seemed to have suddenly noticed something amiss.
And his expression changed.
The excitement and fanaticism froze on his face, gradually shifting into terror. His Desire Realm Deva physique allowed Wang Ping to clearly sense the violent emotional fluctuations of the other party.
His originally handsome face even twisted as a result.
Why was he panicking? What happened?
Wang Ping didn’t know, but he knew exactly what he should do.
【The Taiping Classic】!
In the next instant, without a shred of hesitation, Wang Ping acted purely on instinct— he extracted his consciousness and returned to 【The Taiping Classic】 space.
Then—a tribulation fire plummeted from the firmament.
(End of Chapter)