Chapter 157: Chapter 154: A Battle Destined to Be Recorded in the Annals of Cangling

No one knew just how strong the current Princess Chunshui was. People could only guess that she must be terrifyingly powerful.

The Innate Experts of the City Patrol Department even revealed a piece of news: an expert of the Innate Third Transformation Bright Platform Realm had gone deep into Bright Moon Square, leading the search for Princess Chunshui’s true self.

Those in the Innate Second Transformation Enlightenment Realm typically had fewer than one hundred and eight opened acupoints. Their combat prowess was roughly equivalent to that of a Cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Stage—the qualifier "roughly" was necessary because the combat styles of Cultivators and Martial Artists were often polar opposites, making a clear comparison difficult.

Some Martial Artists pursued the extreme, specializing in combat—especially close-quarters combat.

Their Blood Evil Qi could form a pillar of smoke and even manifest as True Intent. After opening one hundred acupoints, it wasn’t impossible for a Second Transformation Martial Artist to overcome and defeat a Divinity Transformation Cultivator.

Of course, this didn’t mean that Cultivators were definitively weaker than Martial Artists in combat.

Many Cultivators also possessed all sorts of abilities unimaginable to the common person, allowing them to easily run circles around a Martial Artist without ever engaging in close combat.

Ultimately, combat power varied from person to person.

But back to the topic at hand: the Innate Third Transformation.

The Innate Third Transformation required at least one hundred and eight opened acupoints and the cultivation of a Bright Platform within one’s Danzhong Acupoint.

Conventionally speaking, Innate Third Transformation was equivalent to Divinity Transformation!

To date, Song Ciwan had never gone head-to-head with a Divinity Transformation Level expert.

Before, she had used the Heaven and Earth Scale to intercept the scrying of the Second Prince of Giant Deer Country, but she had actually suffered a major setback in that exchange.

Back then, a Divinity Transformation expert had seemed to Song Ciwan like a distant, unreachable mountain, a deep and unfathomable abyss. Forget about fighting back—just trying to get a clear look at her opponent had been next to impossible.

But now that Song Ciwan had forged a divinity within her Sea of Consciousness and experienced for herself what it felt like to open a Divine Eye and scry from afar, the mystique surrounding Divinity Transformation Experts had greatly diminished in her eyes.

For this very reason, when she heard there was a Third Transformation Bright Platform Realm Martial Artist in Bright Moon Square, Song Ciwan’s first reaction was excitement: ’An Innate Third Transformation expert versus the unfathomable Princess Chunshui... This will surely be a spectacular battle worthy of the annals of Cangling history!’

’I have to stay and see what level of power experts at the Divinity Transformation Level and above truly possess.’

’This is precious intel on their combat strength. I’m currently in the Otherworld, so it’s hard for people in this world to see my true form. With such a great opportunity and this advantage, how could I possibly miss such an eye-opening experience?’

The decision made, Song Ciwan gave a light tap of her toes and, in an instant, vaulted over the walls of Bright Moon Square.

Then, she swept her hands out, making quick grabbing motions above the heads of the chaotic crowd below.

These people were panicked, agitated, terrified, furious, resentful... All sorts of emotions tangled and intertwined, their formless qi dense and frantic.

For Illusory Nether City, this would likely be a considerable source of sustenance.

And for Song Ciwan, even more so.

’It’s right there for the taking.’

’How could this be considered poaching from Illusory Nether City?’

’This is clearly a strategic acquisition!’

The great battle had yet to begin. While she waited, Song Ciwan wasted no time in choosing to bolster her own power.

Of course, throughout this process, she constantly maintained the Qimen Taoist Skill, A Grain of Sand in the Sea, upon herself.

The formless qi had to be captured, but her own presence also had to be suppressed.

At the same time, the divinity in Song Ciwan’s Sea of Consciousness trembled slightly once more.

She was trying to sense it. ’Is the light screen over at Wangjiang Mountain showing only the scene within Yao Fang Courtyard, or is it displaying all of Bright Moon Square?’

’Have I... once again stepped into the scrying gaze of the Cultivators on Wangjiang Mountain Peak?’ 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

And so, invisible ripples slowly emanated from Song Ciwan’s Sea of Consciousness. Then, at a certain moment, she saw—

It wasn’t Wangjiang Mountain she saw, but a pale-faced youth, slowly striding from the other end of the long street.

Like Song Ciwan, he was in the Otherworld; therefore, as he slowly walked over, his figure possessed a unique, hazy quality.

No one around could see him. As he walked, he would casually raise a hand, and the wisps of formless qi near him would flock into his palm like swallows returning to the nest. He would then channel them into a Jade Token hanging at his waist.

’This person... he can casually capture formless qi, just like I can!’

’No, perhaps it’s better to say that this entire group of Cultivators who emerged from Illusory Nether City should all possess this ability while in the Otherworld.’

’It’s just that, while most of them can catch this formless qi, they can’t store or make practical use of it.’

’This was the very reason why the Blade Master and Swordsman Song Ciwan had first encountered—though friends—were fighting to the death over ownership of a certain Divine Dao Magical Artifact.’

But this youth, whom Song Ciwan was now observing up close with her divine senses, clearly possessed a superior Divine Dao Magical Artifact.

Song Ciwan also recognized him. This person was precisely Ye Lingguan’s prized disciple: Ye Sheng!

Ye Sheng’s face was abnormally pale, a stark contrast to the high-spirited vigor he had displayed back in Illusory Nether City when he’d flown down to the Floating Platform.

Song Ciwan observed him for just a few extra moments through her divine sense, when he suddenly snapped his head up.

Ye Sheng’s senses were clearly exceptionally sharp. Observation with her divine sense was traceless and formless, yet at this moment, he clearly sensed Song Ciwan’s presence. He abruptly stopped capturing the formless qi and whipped his head around to look in her direction!

Song Ciwan was still in her guise as the Black-clothed Blade Master. She didn’t flinch or hide. As she retracted the fluctuations of her divine sense, she shot a glance right back at Ye Sheng.

Ye Sheng’s eyes suddenly widened, a look of delight in his gaze.

As if riding the wind, he flickered and crossed several dozen yards in an instant, arriving before Song Ciwan.

Ye Sheng clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and said cheerfully to Song Ciwan’s Black-clothed Blade Master persona, "Brother, you came as well!"

Song Ciwan didn’t know him in the slightest. She asked bluntly, "Do you know me?"

Ye Sheng smiled. "We don’t need to have met before. Now that you’re here, Brother, all we need to do is exchange names. And then we’ll know each other, won’t we?"

’Well now,’ Song Ciwan thought, ’Ye Sheng is quite the social butterfly.’

Song Ciwan hadn’t expected this side of Ye Sheng. While continuing to capture the formless qi around her, she said, "I am just a nobody. My surname is Lu, my given name, Zhong. There’s no need for you to introduce yourself, Brother Ye. There isn’t a person in all of Cangling County who doesn’t know of Young Master Ye."

Hearing this, Ye Sheng offered a pale smile. "So it is Brother Lu."

He gave Song Ciwan another salute. "You flatter me, Brother Lu. What good is it if everyone in Cangling County knows me? In this strange state, an aberration in the mortal world, even if I were to see Princess Chunshui with my own eyes, I would be powerless to bring her to justice."

"It just goes to show you, no matter how great your name is, sometimes it’s all for nothing."