Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy

  The ancient stele at the royal tomb was recovering at an alarming rate. And along with the restoration of the stele, Yunkongjun's own suppression array resumed its operation.

  A very gigantic traction field that went along the space and time converged on the stele. This moment, all the living things below and above the ground on the vast Cloud Country were summoned by the stele, releasing somewhere between dark and elusive mysterious power against the source of threat of all this.

  "Yunkongjun, the reason why you came back from the dead lies in the misconduct of King Yunyang. If not, this stele that holds the fate of the country wouldn't have been easily damaged, and thus wouldn't have let you come back to life. A king losing his virtue is indeed the most serious evil conduct that harms the country. By ordering the slaughter of his own citizens, the sin King Yunyang is unforgivable even if he had to die a hundred times. Regardless of how he tried to compensate for it, it would not reverse the scar on the stele."

  "However, conversely, a king's holiness and virtue can lead the country to an unprecedented prosperity, and make up for any cracks… To be sure, King Yunyang, though wise but without holiness and virtue, his daughter, Princess Yunyue, do have moral excellence that is very hard to see in the royal family: sacrifice and devotion. She is willing to die to make up for the sin of her father, wishing to help all living things in Cloud Country with her own sacrifice. Although this wish is immature, but it's also sincere. Her moral character is worthy of a monarch. So, when I found out that she possessed this rarest qualification, I came up with a simple method. As long as the virtueless King Yunyang abdicate his throne, won't every difficulty be easily solved?"

  "Of course, it is impossible to perform the normal abdication ritual in such a short period of time. However, there's also a tricky way to do this: when it comes to the survival of the country, with just the king, the successor, as well as a highly respected witness, the simplest abdication ritual can be done, as what you have just seen. That sachet is a modified mustard seed bag, and in it the imperial seal of the Cloud Country. When the imperial seal fell into the hands of Yunyue, it is tantamount to the common people in Cloud Country having a virtuous and holy king, and the stele restores to its original condition. Even the only hidden danger—the violent poison in Yunyue's body, has been personally removed by you, so that there is no oversight on the whole thing. Isn't that interesting?"

  Wang Lu revealed a meaningful smile, which completely angered Yunkongjun.

  "Kid, you actually dare to play such tricks in front of me!"

  The voice in the royal tomb sounded like the simultaneous booming of a million thunder. It was soul-stirring. Sometimes, it resembled a billowing tide, there was soft within the hard. And amidst that hard and soft, fast and slow fiercely fluctuated that inevitably it became fantastically distorted.

  Wang Lu firmly held up his Non-Phase Sword Defense. Regardless of the thousands of change on the outside, he firmly defended the three feet area around him. If someone has good eyesight, it was easy to see that he had used his innate vitality.

  However, the biggest reason why Wang Lu was able to sustain his three feet sword defense was the sharp decline of Yunkongjun. As the stele continued to repair itself, his power continued to drop as well. Although his roaring sound did not diminish, it absolutely did not have the might to kill or dominate over somebody. If not, even if Wang Lu could save his own life, how could he protect the two mortals behind him?

  After a moment of stalemate, the situation was finally slipping to one side. As Wang Lu's sword defense became more and more stable, Yunkongjun's roaring voice became angrier.

  "Kid, I will make you miserable beyond recognition in your death! Under the torture of ten thousand species of strange ancient insects, you will be forever crying for your stupidity!

  "You will receive new punishment every day, there will be endless cycles of death and rebirth! I will hack every person that you cherish before you into pieces!

  "I curse you! Your clothes will become ragged, your hair drop, your sweat starched like pus, your smell stank and can't be rid off, and you will always be in a trance!"

  Every roar and every curse of Yunkongjun not only has amazing sweeping power, it also came with brilliant and mysterious spells, all of which were directed at Wang Lu. Once Wang Lu slipped, his Non-Phase Sword Defense would collapse and he would be consumed by the crazy attack of Yunkongjun.

  With the means of Peak Yuanying Stage cultivator, not only was the intensity of this attack astonishing, it was also strangely pervasive that it was difficult to guard. The power that could be wielded by a Yuanying Stage cultivator was far more brilliant than that of Xudan Stage. Properly speaking, no Xudan Stage cultivator could preserve its life under the all out attack of Yunkongjun.

  However, the one that Yunkongjun met was Wang Lu, whose defensive prowess outclassed all the other Xudan Stage cultivators. Although Wang Lu only cultivated the Non-Phase Sword Art to the forty-fifth layer, far away from the one hundredth plus layer of his Master, he was actually able to resist the entire variation of attacks from Yunkongjun.

  As far as Wang Lu was concerned, this was a valuable rare opportunity. Through Yunkongjun's various means of penetration and attack, his Non-Phase Sword Qi, Non-Phase Sword Bone… all parts of the system of Non-Phase Method was put in an unprecedented test. Was a Peak Yuanying Stage Cultivator a person that could be trifled with? Even with greatly weakened and suppressed power, the means that could be used by the other party were still far superior to his.

  Every roar and every curse contained the magical dao of Yuanying Stage Cultivator and even the perception of the whole nature. The utilization of power was exquisite, and its efficiency much higher than a mere Xudan. The more frightening thing was that, it was as if he could not anticipate each attack from the opposite party, and could not imagine the target of the attack. Sometimes, even when he was nearly vanquished, he was still in a daze!

  However, it was precisely at this time that the result of his one year of hard training showed its brilliance. Sometimes, by virtue of his powerful deductive ability to speculate, sometimes by relying on Non-Phase Immortal Heart to provide sharp intuition, and from time to time by relying on the engraved mark on his Jade Mansion and sword bone within the standard of Non-Phase… Wang Lu, at an astonishing speed, cracked the difficult problems flooded by Yunkongjun. Many of the know-hows that were really difficult for him to understand during his bitter training, at this time, came to him one by one, which opened a new shining door in front of Wang Lu.

  Along with the rapid consumption of magical power, as well as innate vitality burning, Wang Lu felt his strength unexpectedly steadily rose, because with similar power output, he was able to display a higher efficiency. Although his confrontation with Yunkongjun only happened in a short period of time, it was as if he had experienced a long period of seclusion training, his profit was really abundant!

  On the other side, Yunkongjun felt that it was difficult for him to sustain his attacks. Although he has used thousands of means, he was unable to break Wang Lu's Non-Phase Sword Defense, unable to kill Princess Yunyue who was sitting on the soft bed, and thus unable to lift the suppression on him from the stele! In time, he gradually realized that he had lost his chance to make a comeback.

  However, he was still unwilling to give up. Since his strength was almost spent, why wouldn't the opponent not lose his strength too? Although Wang Lu's succinct advancement was clearly visible, his magical power consumption was also clearly visible. He was just a Xudan and not Jindan, so the magical power self-generation speed was not fast. Even if he was a Jindan Cultivator, it was impossible for him to sustain the magical power consumption of his Non-Phase Sword Defense. Thus, as long as he, Yunkongjun, could hold on for a moment, the opponent's magical power would be exhausted.

  Even without waiting for Wang Lu's magical power to dry up, because Wang Lu's pool of magical power was not much, it was difficult for him to support his Non-Phase Sword Defense, and thus easier to make a mistake. Wang Lu relied on his perfect defense to be able to stand in front of the onslaught from a Peak Yuanying Stage, but as long as he exposed a bit of flaw, his seemingly perfect Non-Phase Sword Defense would immediately collapse.

  However, just as Yunkongjun clearly felt that Wang Lu's magical power would deplete before him, suddenly, he saw Wang Lu let out a sigh, probed his waist with his left hand, took out a crystal blue small porcelain bottle, flicked open the cork with his thumb, and then put the bottle's lid on his mouth.

  The next moment, Wang Lu's magical power awesomely restored to its peak level. And the originally indistinct flaw that appeared on his Non-Phase Sword Defense vanished without a trace!

  "You!"

  At this time, Yunkongjun even briefly stopped his attack and just looked at Wang Lu in disbelief, only to hear the latter say, "Haven't you seen any drug?"

  Drug… Correct. For such an elite disciple from an upright sect like him, how could there be no elixir? Elixir that could instantly recover magical power was indeed precious, but he definitely has it!

  After figuring this out, Yunkongjun almost instantly lost his desire to continue to persist. Why would he compete for endurance with a cultivator who relied on elixirs? How foolish would he be if he thought he could do that?

  After a long time of silence, Yunkongjun once again sent out his voice, which now sounded a lot softer.

  "Very good, this is really an eye opener."

  In the royal tomb, the voice of Yunkongjun floated around like ghost.

  "With your little trick, you have indeed managed to successfully deceive me. This experience, even in my entire life, is unprecedented, and it's indeed an eye opener."

  Wang Lu, still maintaining his Non-Phase Sword Defense, nodded. "Thank you for your praise. Were it not for my ability to plan for the unexpected, when Senior first met me, you would've been able to get rid of me."

  "Humph, you don't have to use this seemingly modest but in fact an arrogant posture to show off your victory." Yunkongjun coldly laughed. "Do you think this is the end?"

  Wang Lu said, "Of course not. Now there are still two things that are still left unattended. One is the dwarf named Yunchang, and the other one is the poisonous liquid that you put into my chest?"

  Yunkongjun's laughter became complacent. "I know Yunchang is not your opponent. In the last few days, in order to recover as quickly as possible, I have completely sucked his vitality. And after seeing your Non-Phase Sword Defense, I don't think the million poison water that I put into you would do anything on you. But, do you really think only you in this world that can hold something back?"

  An ominous foreboding gradually welled up in Wang Lu's heart. Yunkongjun was right, he was not the only smart person in the world. This weak overcoming the strong method, for the most part relied on the planning for the unexpected. However, was Yunkongjun really defenseless from the beginning?

  For a thousand years old demon, this conjecture was too naive.

  While thinking about this, suddenly a cough came from behind him. A bit of blood went over Wang Lu's shoulder and arrived in front of his feet.

  Without turning back, Wang Lu has already correctly guessed that it was in Princess Yunyue that Yunkongjun left his trick.

  And listening to the more rapid coughing voice, Wang Lu closed his eyes and sighed.

  Some things perhaps ultimately could not be satisfactorily resolved.

  But!

  Wang Lu opened his eyes. His right hand has already stretched into his bosom where there was a bottle of boiling blood.