Nine Star Hegemon Body Art c1-2048
Page 463
“This place is your current limit. Cultivate here. Brothers, let’s keep going.” Long Chen waved his hand to the Dragonblood warriors and rushed forward.
Chapter 711 Red Zone
Tang Wan-er closely followed Long Chen while holding Meng Qi’s hand.
As a soul cultivator, Meng Qi’s constitution was extremely weak. But Tang Wan-er was like a fish in water here, and she helped Meng Qi block most of the pressure.
Seeing Long Chen rush forward, the Dragonblood warriors also quickened their steps. With Long Chen as the tip, they were like a huge arrow shooting through the sea.
The thirty-sixth supermonastery’s disciples all jumped in shock upon seeing this speed. To them, this powerful current might blow them away as soon as they were the slightest bit careless.
But Long Chen and the others went against the tide as quickly as lightning, as if they didn’t feel any pressure at all.
Even the distant experts were shocked. The fact that Long Chen could go against the tide like this wasn’t surprising. After all, they knew he was powerful enough to fight against Zhao Wuji.
But other than Meng Qi and Tang Wan-er, the others were just ordinary Xiantian disciples. How could they also be strong enough to resist such a powerful pressure?
This pressure was not just physical pressure. It was a comprehensive pressure composed of multiple facets. It included a pressure to their wills and also a kind of law. That was why they were so shocked.
“It seems monastery head Shui truly spared no effort to nurture her disciples. You’ve created such a powerful group,” said Zhou Tianyi.
He was irritated. His Zhou family had paid such a huge amount of resources to her. Now seeing the Dragonblood warriors’ display, he immediately connected it to that compensation he had paid.
Shui Wuhen smiled indifferently. “It’s all thanks to family head Zhou. If it weren’t for your selfless support, they probably wouldn’t be able to advance so quickly.”
She sneered inside. How did this old fox become so stupid now? Hadn’t he just stuck out his face to be slapped?
“Haha, that’s fine. Any supermonastery’s disciple should get resources. It’s just that I’ve heard that these people have called themselves the Dragonblood Legion and only listen to Long Chen. After enjoying everything the Xuantian Dao Sect has given them, they actually want to form a private group and separate from the sect? Don't you think that’s going a bit too far?” Zhou Tianyi laughed, extremely pleased.
Shui Wuhen’s expression changed. Old foxes truly were wily; all of their words contained traps. He had intentionally brought up this matter in front of the vice sect master.
According to reason, the Xuantian Dao Sect’s disciples all had to listen to the sect’s orders. It was not permitted to create private powers. Now Shui Wuhen had no reply.
But it was vice sect master who suddenly said, “I’ve previously said that the matters of the junior generation are things us old fellows shouldn’t interfere in. Zhou Tianyi, has your memory degenerated from old age?”
His expression was somewhat dark, and his tone was extremely discourteous. Zhou Tianyi was immediately stuck in a hard position, unable to reply.
“Private groups? Your Shui, Zhou, Qu, and Wang families all control nine supermonasteries. Don’t those count as private groups? Should I tell the sect master that you want me to disband your four families?” The vice sect master’s voice was icy.
“I…” Zhou Tianyi was dumbfounded. How was the vice sect master so rude to him today? This was clearly a slap in the face.
“I’ve never said anything about your four families’ open and hidden fights. Because of that, did you really think I’m an idiot and didn’t see any of it?
“Struggle is an important aspect of a sect’s development. Of course, it’s impossible to guarantee that all struggles will have a positive effect. So as long as your little fights didn’t affect the Xuantian Dao Sect’s development, no one was bored enough to say anything to you.
“But Zhou Tianyi, I’m sure you’re the most aware of what you’ve done. Although that matter has passed, it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. If you dare to try something like that again, I guarantee I will be the first to bring my blade down on your Zhou family, understood?” The vice sect master’s final words caused Zhou Tianyi to tremble.
He and the other family heads were shocked. They had always thought that their fights had remained hidden from the higher-ups.
However, it wasn’t that they didn’t know. In fact, they were probably even clearer about what was going on than them. The truth was that they simply couldn’t be bothered with them. But if they really ended up causing damage to the Xuantian Dao Sect, then the merciless butcher’s knife would immediately fall.
Shui Wuhen hadn’t expected that the vice sect master would defend her so much today. She couldn’t help sighing inside. If people wanted the authority to speak, then they truly did need power.
She knew that the vice sect master was looking after her because he had sensed the change in her. After all, he was a Foundation Forging expert.
This was the importance of power. Compared to someone in charge of nine supermonasteries, a Foundation Forging expert was even more important.
An administrator could be replaced with any somewhat powerful family. But a Foundation Forging expert was too hard to come by.
It was laughable how these people spent all day scheming against each other. Even when they were sleeping, they were pondering the best way to suppress their opponents.
They had forgotten their status. A martial cultivator had to focus on getting stronger. In front of absolute strength, any schemes were useless.
“How fast! Long Chen’s about to reach the red zone!” said one of the Shui family’s monastery heads.
Everyone looked over. While they had been talking, Long Chen had already led his people to the border of the red zone.
By now, there were quite a few outstanding disciples who had managed to enter the blue zone. But currently, only Celestials had managed to enter the red zone.
No matter how outstanding the disciple, no matter how great their talent, no matter how high their cultivation base, all the non-Celestials were stuck outside the red zone.
Some unconvinced people had tried charging in, but as a result, they had been sent flying by the terrifying tide. They had been like shooting stars and directly blown to the furthest edge of the sea. They hadn’t even been able to stop midway, and had been injured.
Even in the blue zone, the tide grew stronger as you advanced. At the border of the red zone, the pressure of the tide was tens of times greater than where they had entered the blue zone.
Even the powerful Dragonblood warriors were somewhat unable to endure it. They felt like their bones were about to be crushed.
“Stay here. I’ll test it.” Long Chen took the final step into the red zone.
As soon as he did, a terrifying pressure caused his foot to sink. He felt like he was pressing into a spring, and that spring was about to shoot him back.
Furthermore, a powerful force descended from above. It was like a mountain had smashed into him.
“Hmph.” Long Chen snorted and his spiritual yuan circulated, resisting these two different forces. He immediately felt much more relaxed.
These forces were too strange. Most likely, the people who had tried barging in hadn’t even understood what was happening before being blown back. Only Celestials could rely on the energy of their Heavenly Dao runes to resist the first impact.
Long Chen looked forward and saw twenty-seven Celestials. They were only a few miles ahead.
They had long since entered the deeper part of the red zone where the pressure had grown to a terrifying point. However, they found out that the greater the pressure, the greater the benefits would be. Whether it was the tempering of their physical bodies, the comprehension of their elemental attributes, or the increase in their realms, the effect would multiply.
So
everyone was doing their best to charge as deep into the sea as possible. At the front of these Celestials, Long Chen saw four figures.
Those were the so-called Four Heavenly Geniuses. Currently, they had already reached the border of the core violet zone where a huge whirlpool could be seen. The four of them had all paused at the border. Most likely, they felt the pressure was too great, and it would be too difficult to enter without adjusting themselves first.
Long Chen returned to the blue zone. He said, “When you enter the red zone, you will encounter two different kinds of forces. The pressure will multiply by around fifteen to seventeen times.”
The Dragonblood warriors’ expressions all changed. They already felt that the pressure here was their limit. If it immediately increased by over ten times, wouldn’t they be crushed flat?
“Don’t worry, you won’t die. But once you enter, you’ll probably be sent into a half-dead state.
“However, it’ll all be worth it. The bitterness you suffer now is so you can survive on the battlefields in the future. It’s so you can protect the things in your heart.
“I could directly pull you in with my power, but I won’t do that. You’ll have to enter on your own. This isn’t just a competition of force, but a competition against your own will.
“I could help you once, but I won’t be able to help you for a lifetime. You’ll have to rely on yourselves. So brothers, think about your motivation. On the battlefield, if you see your brothers die to the enemies’ merciless blades, will you feel regret? Regret that you weren’t strong enough?
“If you would, then don’t hesitate now. Grab hold of this chance to carve out all your potential and advance into the red zone!” said Long Chen.
The Dragonblood warriors looked at each other. A heaven-shaking battle intent soared out of them.
They were people who had slaughtered out a path of blood with Long Chen. In the first Righteous and Corrupt battle they had experienced, many of those brothers that had eaten, drunk, and laughed with them had fallen one by one. Some had died right beside them while they had been powerless to save them. When they thought back about it now, it felt like it had only happened yesterday.
So just a few words from Long Chen immediately brought out all their thirst. They thirsted for power! Only with power could they protect the things most important to them!
Gu Yang was the first to charge into the red zone. He had only just entered when he let out a furious roar and his ancestral mark lit upon his forehead. His fierce aura erupted.
“He wasn’t blown back!”
The distant spectators all let out a startled cry.
Chapter 712 The Core Storm Zone
When Gu Yang entered the red zone, his entire body shuddered as if he were on the verge of collapse. But he still managed to bear it in the end.
This startled the spectators. Previously, quite a few experts had tried charging into the red zone. But anyone who was not a Celestial had been blown back, and many had even suffered heavy injuries.
It had to be known that those who had dared to attempt entering the red zone were amongst the strongest Xiantian disciples here. Although they might not compare to Celestials, they were outstanding elites.
Even they had failed, which had caused many people to give up. They all formed an assumption that only Celestials could enter the red zone.
But Gu Yang had used his actions to prove them wrong.
Following Gu Yang, Yue Zifeng also entered. His aura seemed like an unsheathed sword that stabbed into the tide. He actually seemed even more relaxed than Gu Yang.
“A sword cultivator? Not bad.” The vice sect master nodded with praise. He saw that Yue Zifeng had reached a profound comprehension of the Sword Dao.
Following the two of them, Li Qi also entered. But he had only just entered when he coughed up blood.
The two different forces were extremely difficult to deal with. One pushed you back, while the other pushed you down. He felt like his body was being twisted, and he suffered an injury.
But although he appeared extremely miserable, after tottering several times, he still managed to endure it. He wasn’t forced out.
The last one was Song Mingyuan. Song Mingyuan’s cultivation base was around the same as Li Qi's. He also coughed up blood and just narrowly managed to endure it.
Once the four of them entered, everyone’s gazes fell on Guo Ran. Guo Ran immediately felt a chill. His physical body wasn’t strong. It wasn’t even on the same level as an ordinary Dragonblood warrior. This could be fatal to him.
“Boss…”
“Don’t spout nonsense. Hurry up. The worst case is you’ll fly out and come back,” said Long Chen impatiently. This little fellow always liked to act slippery. But now wasn’t the time.
“Fine. I’m going, boss.” Guo Ran looked at Long Chen tender-heartedly. That scene gave Meng Qi and Tang Wan-er goosebumps.
“Go in peace!” sighed Long Chen with a mournful expression.
“I’m not dying! Why are you jinxing me!”
“If you stall any longer, I’ll kick you inside. Hurry up!”
Guo Ran took a deep breath. Clenching his teeth, he took a few steps and then fiercely jumped into the red zone.
The spectators let out startled cries. Was he an idiot? If a person’s feet left the ground, how would they be able to stabilize themselves? Wouldn’t he be immediately blown out?
Guo Ran immediately vomited three mouthfuls of blood. But he actually managed to stay in the red zone. He wasn’t blown back.
Everyone was dumbfounded. This didn’t make any sense. Even the four families’ experts were stunned.
But when they looked at Guo Ran’s feet, they came to a sudden comprehension. At some point, Guo Ran had put on large metallic boots.
He had relied on the weight of the boots to keep himself steady. Of course, these people were unaware that these were part of his armor. Furthermore, it wasn’t just their weight that was shocking. There were hidden mechanisms at the bottom of the boots to keep him stuck to the ground. Otherwise, just the weight of the boots wouldn’t be able to keep him standing here.
“Alright, we’ll line up to block the pressure a bit.” Gu Yang and the other four lined up so that it would be a bit easier for the others.
This red zone was too terrifying. Even Gu Yang and the others were at their limit. Perhaps only a few others would be able to endure it if no one helped them. Now, the five of them were not only helping the Dragonblood warriors share their burden, they were also encouraging them, as well as telling them that they weren’t fighting alone. They had everyone to help them.
One Dragonblood warrior tried to enter the red zone. He immediately vomited blood, but with a furious roar, he erupted with his full strength, fighting against the pressure. He tottered back and forth, but in the end, with a supreme effort, he managed to endure it.
The strongest impact was when you entered a new zone. Once you managed to endure it, you would rapidly adapt.
Seeing him succeed, the others were filled with confidence, and they tried it.
But not every person succeeded; some were blown back. Long Chen had long since been prepared and he immediately caught them. He had them rest before trying again.
With Long Chen present, they didn’t need to worry about being blown back to the outer zone. Without that worry, they could go all-out in their attempt to enter the red zone.
This was a very miserable trial. Each person who tried to enter the red zone paid a heavy price. They would definitely vomit blood, and in the struggle, some people’s legs even broke directly. Later, they relied on crawling with their arms to advance.
The tenacious will they displayed shook all the experts watching. They were absolutely ruthless to themselves.
“Without going through pain and suffering, one cannot achieve success. This doesn’t just apply to ordinary mortals, but also cultivators. Although the effort you put in isn’t always directly proportional to your gains, if two people
were of the same talent and luck, the one who puts in the most effort will obtain the most.
“In order to increase your odds by just a bit, you have to put in ten times the effort of others. This is what it means to have resolve,” said the vice sect master.
The four families’ experts all nodded. The majority of them were on the level of monastery heads and had high statuses. But they had rarely seen disciples as determined as the Dragonblood warriors. Each one of these three hundred people had such perseverance and refused to accept defeat.
One of the Dragonblood warriors had even failed seventeen times. It was unknown how many times his bones broke. Blood had dyed his body, but he refused to accept help. On his eighteenth try, relying on his own strength, he managed to succeed.
As a result, after six hours, all the Dragonblood warriors managed to enter the red zone. Although it was just the edge, the other disciples all felt a profound veneration for them.
If their positions were switched, they wouldn’t have had that kind of perseverance. And even if they did, they wouldn’t have this kind of resolve. This was a conviction, conviction that they would definitely succeed. This conviction was in themselves.
Although they suffered failure after failure, they still believed in themselves. They believed that they could definitely charge through. This kind of belief was especially important to a martial cultivator.
“What a lesson!” sighed one of the monastery heads.
Compared to the Dragonblood warriors, they found that their own disciples were lacking that kind of will and resolve. In comparison, their disciples were like greenhouse flowers.
Shui Wuhen said, “From the 108th monastery, starting with the Righteous and Corrupt battle, they slaughtered out their own path with Long Chen. They have crawled out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Each one of them is hot-blooded. When they were framed and their sect leader was captured, Long Chen charged into the first monastery on his own.
“At that time, these people were nothing more than rookies. Despite knowing their enemies were strong, so strong that even their sect leader couldn’t resist, they were still willing to follow Long Chen into death.