This time, it’d taken nearly a month and a half for Tianming to progress, which he had expected. Growth was a process of continuous enrichment, rather than simple superposition. Much like the Invincible Sword Ki, the more he accumulated, the harder it was to break through his limits.
Sixth-level Earth Saint was rather advanced. Even a top genius of the Divine Capital would take years to make such a breakthrough; Tianming’s speed was amazing. It was also impossible for others to advance in the Tomb of the Ancients. Moreover, he had devoted a large part of his energy to cultivating his Invincible Sword Body.
There were no secrets or epiphanies to the Invincible Sword Body. Hardship and persistence were all that was required. Tianming relied on the Prime Tower and the physique of the Primordial Chaos Beasts to relieve the pain. Having condensed a thousand sword ki in his flesh and achieving the Thousand-Demise Sword level, the pain he’d had to endure was far beyond what ordinary people would experience.
"In such a short time, I’ve surpassed the first ancestor and accomplished the most in terms of the Invincible Sword Body!" And this wasn’t the end. Tianming had put up with so much because, within the tomb, it was likely they would have many narrow escapes.
At present, the real crisis had yet to appear. Although he didn’t explain himself, Tianming’s plan was to be strong enough to confront the dangers when they come. Perhaps just a tiny, incremental increase in strength would make a world of difference.
Despite Ying Huo’s laughter and jokes, Tianming didn’t want to show his fighting spirit and ferocity because he hoped Feiling could relax.
If the Tomb of the Ancients was an inevitable trial for Feiling, then Tianming hoped to change her destiny.
……
After consolidating his cultivation...
"Let’s head out and see if Little Feng is back." Tianming quietly emerged from the Divine Tomb Formation
The entire tomb was still very quiet. Over the past ten days, he often visited the underground palace to have a look. He left several marks next to Little Feng’s words. If Ye Lingfeng returned, he should be able to understand what he meant. As long as he waited there, Ye Lingfeng would meet Tianming, who often passed by. However, Tianming had yet to find new marks on the wall.
"It’s been more than two months since we entered the tomb. I wonder where the others have gone, and if they’re still alive."
The tomb was so empty and depressing. If it weren't for Feiling and his lifebound beasts, he would have found it stifling. Before Litttle Feng returned, Tianming would remain in the sealed palace.
"Tianming." Just then, Tianming heard someone call him from behind.
"Brother Chen?"
Chen Jinghong entered the underground palace from one of the passages and waved. "Come here."
"Brother Chen, you’re not injured?" Tianming headed for the underground palace.
Despite his pale complexion, Chen Jinghong’s aura was strong, so he was presumably still at his peak. Having finally met another living person, Tianming had so many questions he wanted to ask. For example, did he encounter anything mysterious?
"Tianming, you shouldn't have stolen my Crimsonblood Galaxy." Chen Jinghong pulled out a black spear and pointed it at Tianming.
Behind him, a jet-black eagle with huge wings swooped into the underground palace, and it was as if night had descended. Surging with devilish ki, the eagle’s bloody eyes were cold and ferocious.
"Brother Chen, you’ve misunderstood. When Dongyang Fengchen was close to seizing the treasure, I competed for it. That doesn’t count as stealing from you, does it?" Tianming sounded gloomy.
In his impression, Chen Jinghong wasn’t such a man.
"Then will you give it back to me?" asked Chen Jinghong.
"No, I'm going to give it to Little Feng. Why don’t I give you something else?" Tianming replied.
"No, I want the Crimsonblood Galaxy. Or else you have to die."
Chen Jinghong flew into the air with the power of a second-level Sky Saint. Screeching, the Blood-Eyed Nightfiend Eagle sped to the top of Tianming's head, fierce and domineering.
"You’re not Chen Jinghong, are you? If I kill you, you’ll turn into those blood droplets." Tianming narrowed his eyes.
"Cut the crap. Since you’ve made your choice, I’ll kill you." As soon as the words left his lips, Chen Jinghong attacked.
‘I’ll kill you.’ Those words convinced Tianming that this Chen Jinghong was the same as Dongyang Fengxiao, an unfathomable existence within the tomb.
"Get him!"
They had no choice but to act. The first strike was equivalent to Chen Jinghong's strength. As the first on the Sky Ranking, Chen Jinghong’s abilities were known throughout the Dao Palace. Before Tianming had entered the tomb, he was merely ranked first on the Earth Ranking. There was a difference of ten years’ cultivation between him and Chen Jinghong.
But now, Tianming wanted to give it a go. What was the result of all the suffering he had endured? One man and three beasts faced off with Chen Jinghong and the Blood-Eyed Nightfiend Eagle. Against ordinary beastmasters, Tianming usually went with the same routine; that is, Lan Huang and Ying Huo in a team, while he and Meow Meow worked together. That way, they were stronger and able to get ahead.
Ying Huo and Lan Huang coordinated perfectly, one in the front and the other in the back. Ying Huo had assimilated five hundred strands of Invincible Sword Ki and possessed tactics that were better than many beastmasters.
"The first on the Sky Ranking?"
In truth, no other genius in the Divine Capital could leap from first place on the Earth Ranking to first place on the Sky Ranking in such a short time.
They battled two-on-one. Tianming had the advantage in numbers, especially with Feiling on his side. Whether or not this was the real Chen Jinghong, there would be no difference in strength, judging from Tianming’s encounter with Dongyang Fengxiao.
Chen Jinghong moved like a black phantom. As a sky saint, he could fly in the air; if Tianming didn’t have the Celestial Wings, he would be at a disadvantage.
Their weapons collided and immediately, the immense power from the black spear enlightened Tianming to just how difficult it was to overcome five levels and defeat a second-level sky saint. Chen Jinghong unleashed a sky saint battle art, the Starry Night Phantom Spear. The spear in his hand resembled a phantom that could kill amid the shadows.
Fortunately, Tianming was accompanied by Meow Meow. With its small body, the black cat looked for opportunities to attack, all the while raining down Chaos Disaster on its opponent. Unfortunately, Chen Jinghong was quick to dodge.
Soulchasing Hellthunder!
Just then, crimson lightning shot from between Meow Meow’s eyes. Chen Jinghong flashed left and right, but couldn't stop this ability that could track his vital ki. As long as it was a living creature, Meow Meow’s Soulchasing Hellthunder couldn’t be stopped. The bloody lightning entered its opponents body, wreaking havoc in his veins.
"Go!"
As Meow Meow sped along, black thunder erupted from its body, forming Misty Hellthunder that fell and suppressed Chang Jinghong. Under the pressure, Chen Jinghong had to focus his attacks on Tianming, since his own lifebound beast was preoccupied.
Starry Night Phantom Spear—Starfall! His moves were ever-changing, like tens of thousands of stars descending from the sky upon Tianming.
This was a powerful move that demonstrated the strength of the first place on the Sky Ranking. However, as a patternscribe, Tianming had plenty of means. As soon as Chen Jinghong fell into Feiling's Temporal Field and was blocked by the Spatial Wall, Tianming threw out a Mountshield Tome, which transformed into a mountain and shielded him from his opponent's attack.
The Mountshield Tome exploded, the mountain crumbling apart. At that moment, Tianming suddenly charged forth with the Grand-Orient Sword in both hands. Shenxiao Sword Art’s fourth strike combined with at least seven hundred strands of Invincible Sword Ki and countered Chen Jinghong’s spear.
Like a river overflowing its banks, the mighty sword ki came crashing, washing up the black spear and into Chen Jinghong as Misty Hellthunder enveloped Chen Jinghong's head. Invincible Sword Ki and black thunder tore through the shield formed by his saint ki.
Roaring, Chen Jinghong resisted, storming out from Meow Meow’s Misty Hellthunder with a sudden counteroffensive.
Starry Night Phantom Spear—Blackriver Brightumbra! A river of stars came crashing down.
"Meow!”
Just as Chen Jinghong's attention was focused on Tianming, a small figure darted out, chomping down on his arm! Meow Meow’s Myriadfiend Venomfang sank into his flesh.
With the successful attack, Meow Meow turned and left as a toxin far more terrifying than the Nineshades Poison poured into Chen Jinghong's body. At the same time, Tianming merged all the Invincible Sword Ki into the Grand-Orient Sword and swooped in with the fourth strike of the Shenxiao Sword Art once more.
Thousand-Demise Sword!
The Grand-Orient Sword swept across with an explosion of violent sword ki. A thousand sword ki fused with the power of the Shenxiao Sword Art, and Chen Jinghong's Blackriver Brightumbra shattered. After all, he was poisoned and in poor condition. The black spear fell from his hand. Even if Chen Jinghong dodged, dozens of strands of sword ki still shot toward him.
Because he was uncertain about the man’s identity, Tianming didn’t dare kill him and inflicted no critical injuries. But this was still enough to leave Chen Jinghong bloodied and covered in sword wounds. Chen Jinghong was defeated!
Being able to defeat a sky saint means that my strength is almost equal to Godfather’s when he first overcame his tribulation. But now that it's been almost a year, how far has Godfather progressed? Tianming wondered.
“Hehe, I’m going to kill you."
As expected, the Blood-Eyed Nightfiend Eagle whizzed toward Chen Jinghong and merged with him. Having combined into a huge lump, the flesh and blood underwent restructuring—a frightening sight to behold. In an instant, a bloody monster was formed.
Tianming joined hands with his three lifebound beasts for another battle. This time, it took them half an hour before Tianming managed to smash his opponent into smithereens and burn the fragments with Ying Huo’s Sixpath Infernal Lotus.
The battle left Tianming and the three beasts injured. In the second half of the battle, the monster couldn't be killed at all. It was a difficult task even with their joint effort.
Unsurprisingly, the blood transformed into the number “five” and turned into a blood sphere.