Chapter Seventy-Five: Integrating the Dharma Body (Second Update)

If one were to look closely into his eyes, they would see them completely covered by golden streams of information. In that instant, it seemed as if Xu Cheng was operating the machinery of fate itself, able to perceive the genesis of all things under heaven and earth.

The six-headed, twelve-armed creature, witnessing this, had one of its heads speak, “Brothers, if we keep playing around, we’ll run out of time!”

“Indeed, let’s finish them off quickly!” another head replied.

“Divine Fist of the Eight Divisions!”

“Divine Fist of Creation!”

“Limitless Divine Fist!”

“Divine Fist that Sunders Rivers!”

“Divine Fist that Shatters Mountains!”

“Divine Fist of Samsara!”

The six heads shouted in unison.

“The Six Great Divine Fists, pressing down upon all eternity!”

The six divine fists actually fused together, and endless cracks appeared in the surrounding space. If it weren’t for Xu Cheng’s Great Radiance Immeasurable Wisdom Immortal Art shielding them from the pressure, the three of them would likely have been crushed to dust by the sheer force of that punch. Yet, even the defensive barrier formed by the Great Radiance Immeasurable Wisdom Immortal Art began to crack like glass the moment it met this strike, as if it would shatter completely in the next second.

At this moment of peril, Xu Cheng suddenly snapped back to clarity. The situation allowed him no time for hesitation. Using a secret voice transmission, he quickly informed Yan Mengdie and Ju Hua of the countermeasure: fusion of their manifestations.

Since their enemies could fuse their bodies, why couldn’t they fuse their manifestations themselves?

“Celestial Spiral Butterfly Manifestation!”

For the first time, Yan Mengdie summoned her natal manifestation—a massive, pale blue butterfly silhouette appeared.

Xu Cheng swallowed dozens of Divine Restoration Pills, replenishing his near-depleted spiritual power. Moments before, he had comprehended the Yellow Springs with supreme wisdom; now, understanding the fusion of manifestations, he began by merging his own.

He shouted, “Nether River Samsara Manifestation!”

This manifestation combined two immortal arts, both of the Yellow Springs. If he were to fuse it with the manifestations of Origin Transcendence Immortal Art and the Great Radiance Immeasurable Wisdom Immortal Art, whose auras were different, it might well cause his own manifestation to collapse.

The Nether River Samsara Manifestation took the form of a man in black robes; Xu Cheng did not know who he was—perhaps the Lord of the Yellow Springs himself.

Next, Ju Hua called out, “Scroll of Mountains and Rivers Manifestation!”

His manifestation was an ink painting, depicting a horned, scarlet, monstrous demon.

“Fusion!”

Xu Cheng growled. The three manifestations began to merge, and in the blink of an eye, they became one. The new manifestation had pale blue butterfly wings upon its back, wore a black robe, and held a scroll painted with a demon.

The moment the fusion succeeded, the shield of the Great Radiance Imprint spell surrounding Xu Cheng, Yan Mengdie, and Ju Hua shattered instantly, like a falling meteor.

Breaking through the Great Radiance Imprint shield had cost the six-headed, twelve-armed being considerable strength as well.

Xu Cheng and his companions’ fused manifestation raised both hands to block the incoming punch, appearing almost at ease.

“Manifestations can fuse?” The overwhelming attack had been blocked, and the six heads stared in disbelief at the fused apparition standing before them.

The manifestation’s eyes were entirely black, with a hint of red at their center. The butterfly wings fluttered lightly, and with that motion, chains of netherfire laced with deadly poison tightly bound the six-headed, twelve-armed foe.

Unaware, the six heads allowed the poison to seep into their bodies.

But they seemed to feel nothing.

“You think you can bind me?” came the voices of five people from within the “bundle.” With a loud crash, they broke free of the chains’ restraint and revealed themselves.

“This is troublesome!” said one head.

“Use that move!” said another.

“Alright!” the others replied in unison.

Their energy surged, dragon scales formed across their bodies, and their forms began to take on draconic aspects, barely resisting the deadly poison of the fused manifestation.

Yet they still didn’t realize they had been poisoned.

Seizing the opportunity, the fused manifestation unleashed its power. The Netherfire Thorn spell burst forth—tens of thousands of black thorns, like a rain of arrows, shot toward the enemy.

Each black thorn was now laced with deadly poison, and denser than before.

“Dragons Battle in the Wilds!”

They knew that if their foe lived, they themselves would perish. The Dragons Battle in the Wilds was a single punch, but from it hundreds of giant dragons appeared, as if ready to devour the world.

The hundreds of dragons shattered all the netherfire thorns, but in doing so, all the dragons also vanished.

From the mouth of the fused manifestation came a voice that was a blend of Xu Cheng, Yan Mengdie, and Ju Hua: “Divine Spear of the Underworld!”

A long spear formed in the manifestation’s hands, its shaft covered in patterns—scenes from the eighteen levels of hell faintly visible upon it.

Finding its moment, the fused manifestation hurled the spear with terrifying force and venom. Like a meteor, the hellish spear pierced through the chest of the six-headed, twelve-armed enemy, driving him through and slamming him into the Guiyu Tower, destroying half of that splendidly ornate tavern.

The surrounding buildings collapsed as well—no telling how many lives were lost.

But Xu Cheng cared nothing for that.

With his chest pierced through, even the robust vitality of a Primordial Spirit martial artist could not stem the loss of life force.

Yet the creature, gritting his teeth against the agony, floated upward, forcing himself through the underworld spear.

Seeing this, the fused manifestation formed another underworld spear in its hands—infused with the power of all three souls—and drove it once more into the Guiyu Tower, pinning the enemy down.

“One spear not enough? Then take two!”

At that moment, the accumulated poison of the Spiral Butterfly Clan erupted within the foe, and his body began to melt.

“No, how can there be such poison!” one of the heads howled in despair.

Yet their vast vitality dulled the melting effects of the poison.

“They still aren’t dead?” The voice of the fused manifestation now sounded slightly shaken. “Netherfire Chains, Draw them into Samsara!”

Once more, black chains materialized from thin air, dragging the six-headed, twelve-armed adversary into the Yellow Springs and sacrificing him.

With a resonant hum, golden light fell from the sky—rewards from the Yellow Springs.

Though the merit was divided among the three, Xu Cheng received the largest share.

The golden light of merit replenished Xu Cheng’s depleted spiritual power and even elevated his slightly diminished cultivation, though he was still some distance from the next stage, the Manipulation of Objects.

The fused manifestation dispersed, leaving the three of them to breathe long sighs of relief.

This life-for-life struggle had left them utterly drained.

Such a fight was far beyond anything Cen Ningyue, Niu Dazhuang, and the three fragile ghost souls could hope to participate in—they had kept well away, for even slight exposure would have annihilated them.

Even after the battle quieted, they dared not approach.

Only when the three cultivators had recovered did Xu Cheng use his soul force to contact the others.

A moment later, Cen Ningyue and Niu Dazhuang carefully approached, bringing the three ghosts along.

Xu Cheng looked at them and asked, “The six Primordial Spirit realm cultivators are dead. Do you still harbor resentment?”

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord!” The three spirits bowed repeatedly, the accumulated grievances on their bodies vanishing in an instant.

They could now proceed to the Yellow Springs unaided, without Xu Cheng opening the Gate of the Yellow Springs for them.

But, eager for the reward of the Yellow Springs, Xu Cheng quickly said, “Be on your way, all of you!”

He then opened the Gate of the Yellow Springs, and amid swirling winds, sent the three spirits together into the cycle of rebirth.