Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 441: The Tide Turns

“Immortal Fairy, are you saying this person’s cultivation rose from the Basic Fusion Stage all the way to the Half-Step Transcendent Tribulation Stage?” Lu Yang asked in astonishment, struggling to understand what had happened.

The Half-Step Transcendent Tribulation Stage wasn’t an actual cultivation stage but rather a symbol of one’s combat prowess. Those whose combat power surpassed ordinary Fusion cultivators but had yet to reach the Transcendent Tribulation Stage could be referred to as Half-Step Transcendent Tribulation cultivators.

“Haven’t I told you before? This is a cultivation method to train one’s soul. By splitting into countless incarnations to experience mortal lives and comprehend the mundane world before finally fusing back together, one can return to their peak or even attain higher heights.

”This person’s cultivation technique is similar to that Shop Manager Shi’s.”

After a pause, Lu Yang realized she was talking about Vice Creed Leader Shi of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed. “He’s from the Nine-Netherworlds Creed?”

“More than that. Based on the correlation between cultivation and status, he’s probably at the level of creed leader.”

Lu Yang was nonplussed, though he was more confused than shocked. “Is the Nine-Netherworlds Creed so poor that its creed leader must personally take on menial jobs?”

~~~

The white paper-hatted man sighed. “All my clones have returned, and I can’t use these identities anymore. How many spirit stones will it cost me this time?

“What other choice do I have? There’s a grudge between us and archaic cultivators like you.” He worked industriously to earn money, worried that his creed followers would find out about their massive debts, which were even used for construction and salaries in the Nine-Netherworlds Creed.

Even if I advance to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage in the future, I may not live if this matter gets exposed. I must toil away and work extra jobs while I’m still alive to fill the deficit—the more I earn, the higher my chance of survival.

Just like Vice Creed Leader Shi viewed the barbeque shop as their last life-saving straw to clutch at, so did the white paper-hatted man.

Wu Youdao demanded, “Who are you?!”

In the presence of the righteous path, the white paper-hatted man naturally couldn’t reveal that he was from the Nine-Netherworlds Creed.

So, he could only smirk.

In everyone’s eyes, it portrayed him in a mysterious light, though to be fair, his identity as creed leader of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed was already mysterious enough.

“Talk is useless. Great Yu cultivator, it’s time to settle both our old and new scores together!” The white paper-hatted man understood that loose lips sank ships, so he attacked Wu Youdao without another word.

“Impudent cur, how dare you strike me first?! Avici Hell—Grand Millstone!”

A gigantic iceberg half the size of Hanshui City formed above Wu Youdao. It resembled mystic black ice that never melted and was on the verge of absolute cold.

Infernal flames erupted beneath Wu Youdao’s feet without boundary, burning more wildly than a prairie fire.

Trapped between the iceberg and flames like millstones, Wu Youdao couldn’t budge. “Heh, you dare challenge me with such petty tricks?”

“Count me in!” Qiu Jin’an joined, his hands nimbly forming seals to cast elemental spells.

The ancient mystic black ice grew even colder, such that even space and time had signs of stasis. The infernal flames were shrouded in a layer of black—Nether World Ghost Fire, which specialized in scorching souls.

Wu Youdao’s expression shifted. Their combined attack can threaten my life!

Crack. Crack. The sound of grinding bones could be heard as the blood of a Transcendent Tribulation Stage—immune to freezing or searing—oozed out from the edge of the millstone.

“Cosmos in Palm!” Wu Youdao roared and unleashed a strike in fury. Numerous tiny worlds overlapped and shattered the Avici Hell Grand Millstone!

“Form a Three Talents Array!”[1] Qiu Jin’an commanded, emboldened by the appearance of the white paper-hatted man.

“I command the power of the Five Elements—I’ll take the Heaven position!

“You’ve cast Avici Hell—take the Earth position!

“Lord Lü, you’re the provincial governor and a parent to the people—take the Mortal position!”

The renowned Three Talents Array was born in the ancient era, but there was rarely a chance to set it up successfully, for it imposed strict requirements on fate profile and cultivation.

Without hesitation, the three assumed their respective positions according to their fate profile. Once the Three Talents Array formed, the three instantly sensed they had become one unified whole, their powers elevating and their souls becoming firmer.

“Supreme Threefold Force!” Wu Youdao swung his fist, his fist seal flashing, and wherever the fist light cut through, space fractured, sealing off all possibilities of escape.

The fist closed in, landing squarely in the white paper-hatted man’s abdomen. The threefold force rippled through the trio—he bore the first wave, Qiu Jin’an the second, and Provincial Governor Lü the strongest third. In this way, the full force of the blow was greatly diminished.

Bolstered by the Three Talents Array, the national fortune’s power circulated between them more rapidly. The three were immediately healed, as if they had never suffered the blow.

“Attack!” The three operated the Three Talents Array to unleash their strongest move, engaging with Wu Youdao again.

The four of them had their bodies battered and healed over and over again. Injuries considered fatal for low-level cultivators didn’t even tickle them, simply draining a bit of their spirit energy.

“Huff...huff...” Wu Youdao’s chest heaved. He had been beaten more times than his opponents had, depleting significant spirit energy that couldn’t be recovered even by consuming pills. Every attempt to leave the battlefield was thwarted by the siege from the three.

“Damn it!”

“Five-Colored Divine Light!”

“Mortar-and-Pestle Hell!”[2]

“Mountain-Stabilizing Guardian!”

The three dished out their ultimate moves, dispersing the Five-Colored Tiger-Dragon Qi. Wu Youdao took the brunt of all three-strikes head-on, leaving his body a mangled wreck that could only recover sluggishly.

Hanshui City’s civilians cheered at this scene, and the dread Wu Youdao had cast over their hearts gradually dissipated.

“Enough spectacting! Come out and help!” Wu Youdao roared.

A gloomy old voice answered as an old man with a crutch appeared. “Your Majesty, this doesn’t seem like you. I didn’t know you could beg for help.”

“Azure Lightning, this isn’t begging for help—it’s this sovereign’s order!” Wu Youdao glowered at the old man.

“There’s not much difference.” The old man called Azure Lightning cackled, revealing his nearly toothless mouth.

“Azure Lightning...Could it be the Azure Lightning Venerable Lord?!” Provincial Governor Lü murmured, his dumbstruck gaze darting between Qiu Jin’an and the white paper-hatted man for confirmation, only to find matching astonishment in their eyes.

Having heard of Azure Lightning Venerable Lord’s reputation, the trio could feel their hearts sink. This is a Basic Transcendent Tribulation expert well-versed in lightning spells.

Yet another Transcendent Tribulation cultivator.

Fighting one Transcendent Tribulation cultivator is already so tough, let alone two?!

“Hehe, I advise the three of you to surrender now. Our goal is only the national fortune’s power.” The Azure Lightning Venerable Lord chuckled in his rasping voice. His crutch flickered with lightning, as if thunder strikes would descend as soon as Provincial Governor Lü dared to reject them.

The trio gave no reply, and an uncanny silence draped over them.

Suddenly, a thunderclap boomed, breaking the silence.

The Azure Lightning Venerable Lord froze for a second. I haven’t made a move yet.

Provincial Governor Lü’s eyes lit up as he turned toward the sound. “It’s Sect Leader Lu! He’s about to break through to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage!”

~~~

At the Corpse-Driving Sect, Elder Gai spat on the corpse of the Witchcraft Corpse Sect’s members strewn across the ground. “Pah! What kind of pathetic joke is this? They wanted to test us with this level of skills? Don’t they know how to keep up with the times?”

“You...you...these aren’t Corpse-Driving Techniques...” The last surviving member of the Witchcraft Corpse Sect raised his trembling hand and pointed at Elder Gai as the light in him dimmed.

He couldn’t believe what he had witnessed earlier. Despite being alive, his body was refined by Elder Gai, becoming a true living walking corpse[3] and losing control of his own body. And all those other strange and eerie spells. Before Elder Gai and the other three, the Witchcraft Corpse Sect’s proud archaic Corpse-Driving Techniques didn’t provide them any advantage.

“How are they not Corpse-Driving Techniques? The Dao-Seeking Sect had enhanced them for us!” Elder Gai puffed out his chest proudly.

“All of you should meditate and recover now. We’ll need to head to the city to help in a bit,” Elder Gai beckoned the others. The battle just now had drained them significantly.

Heavenly thunder reverberated overhead, causing the four startled elders to look up.

Elder Gai was the first to react, joy flooding his heart. “The sect leader is about to break through!”

1. The “Three Talents” refer to heaven, earth, and mortal. ☜

2. One of the eighteen levels of hell. ☜

3. The original Chinese term is actually made up of “alive” and “corpse,” and the first character is the same character used in the term for a “living person.” ☜