Chapter 552: The Prevalence of Supernatural Powers

"Ah——!" wailed the Azure Vine Physician, his corporeal form assailed by a blend of golden needles and cerulean-white flames. First, countless needle holes perforated him, then the flames, finding their way into every crevice, attacked both within and without, swiftly reducing him to ash.

The Azure Vine Physician's Nascent Soul, however, fled far, and in the very next instant, pierced the void, utterly vanishing from the battlefield.

Shuang Ling's eyes shone with divine radiance, yet she did not pursue, instead continuing to control the Mechanical Lotus of World Purification.

The Lotus transformed, its leaves retracting to encircle the base, and began to spin ceaselessly. The Lotus changed from a floating state to a suspended one, like a series of circular mirrors, their edges slowly rotating leaves.

The Kunlun Cold Jade Pearl at the center of the mirror shimmered with an unprecedented frigid light. Where the cold light shone, countless cerulean-white flames appeared out of thin air.

From the apertures of the circular mirrors, a vast quantity of golden needles continued to be ejected.

The golden needles breached defenses, the flames incinerated, their combined assault sweeping towards the second Nascent Soul cultivator.

Those Nascent Souls capable of participating in battle were naturally masters of their craft.

The fate of the Azure Vine Physician in combat with Shuang Ling was a stark warning, proving the might of Shuang Ling's divine ability. The Nascent Soul cultivators naturally defended with all their might.

He struggled bitterly amidst the golden needles and flames.

"Support him!" Seeing this, the remaining cultivators surrounding Shuang Ling acted in concert, either attacking Shuang Ling or assisting with defense.

Shuang Ling snorted coldly, the self-rotating mechanical mirrors once again changing form. The shrunken leaves detached from the cylindrical mirror body, continuously revolving around it.

As the leaves spun, they scattered golden light. As they spun faster and faster, the leaves became blurred, transforming into a golden rim, spinning rapidly and emitting a rushing wind sound.

The golden light spread from the golden rim to the cylindrical mirror body, quickly suffusing it and transforming it into a mirror surface of pure gold.

The cerulean-white flames also changed accordingly, becoming a golden-yellow hue.

The golden needles, enveloped by the golden flames, turned completely red after being scorched.

Golden Flame and Crimson Needles, their power increased severalfold!

In an instant, the Nascent Soul cultivator cried out in agony, his defense crumbling, his corporeal form swiftly consumed by flames, leaving only his Nascent Soul to pierce the void and flee.

The Golden Flame and Crimson Needles spread everywhere. Wherever they went, no one dared to resist directly, all retreating in disarray and embarrassment.

Ning Zhuo's eyes shone brightly as he watched, clutching his fists in excitement: "I've learned!"

"Shuang Ling has expressed her divine ability, the Golden Flame World Purification Wheel, through mechanical creations, in segmented form."

"Each segment is a part of the divine ability, with power ranging from small to large."

"On one hand, having a physical mechanical entity to carry it makes this divine ability convenient and controllable. On the other hand, the power of the divine ability is also controlled, from small to large, not only saving the consumption of her own magical energy, allowing it to be maintained for a longer time, but also allowing her to switch between levels of power according to the specific enemy situation."

This was a clever application of the art of mechanics and divine abilities, filled with Shuang Ling's ingenuity.

It was like poking through a layer of window paper. Seemingly simple, it was actually a profound inspiration for Ning Zhuo!

Shuang Ling's might was illustrious, her divine ability sweeping across the battlefield.

Seeing that this battle situation was about to collapse, Elder Long immediately issued an order for more Nascent Soul cultivators to reinforce the position and confront Shuang Ling.

For a time, the battle entered a white-hot state.

A vast number of spells and magic treasures were unleashed. Mechanical creations formed several defensive lines high in the sky, guarding Shuang Ling so tightly that not even water could pass through, making her position utterly stable.

The divine ability Golden Flame World Purification Wheel clearly consumed a great deal of Shuang Ling's mental energy; she launched no other offensives. The various mechanical creations that had previously displayed agility now solidified their defense, appearing rigid.

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo's heart stirred slightly: "This means that spiritual essence is a qualitative change for mechanical creations!"

"Even Shuang Ling does not possess such means."

"The Sutra of Funeral Pyre Prajna Dispelling Spirit... the value of this scripture is far higher than I previously estimated."

Further changes occurred around the mechanical circular mirrors. A second layer of golden rim appeared, increasing the power of the entire divine ability by another four times.

Although the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Army had added several Nascent Soul combatants, they still could not withstand Shuang Ling's offensive, and the situation was quite grim.

Elder Long's brow furrowed deeply, and Lu Hongtu's eyes gleamed with cold light as he advised, "The mechanical creations themselves have military force amplification, and the divine ability's power is also magnified."

"To contend with a divine ability, ordinary spells and magic treasures are insufficient. Only True Monarchs taking action can turn the tide of defeat!"

It was absolutely crucial to contain Shuang Ling.

Once she achieved a great victory, all the accumulated results of the Thousand Peaks Forest side's challenge would be rendered futile. Not only that, the morale of the entire Thousand Peaks Forest army would suffer a severe blow.

Lu Hongtu's analysis was incisive!

Divine abilities could often only be contested by other divine abilities.

Moreover, the divine ability Shuang Ling was currently employing was not of ordinary divine ability power. It had been leveraged too much through the art of mechanics, military force, and other means.

True Monarchs!

Only Nascent Soul cultivators who possessed divine abilities were worthy of this title.

Elder Long surveyed the scene. Although there were quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators in the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Army, those who could be called True Monarchs were few and far between.

"Tu Ming." Elder Long called out.

The Great Sacrifice of the Hundred Poisons Tribe immediately rose, indicating his willingness to fight.

"Bai Ling."

The demon cultivator Bai Ling slowly bowed, her demeanor composed.

"Xiang Yue."

Xiang Yue, however, snorted coldly, leaning against the back of his chair, slightly opening a sliver of his eyes: "Temple Steward of the Dragon King, you should address me as Elephant King."

Xiang Yue was precisely the contemporary Elephant King of the Pale Mammoth Tribe.

"You!" Many people glared at the contemporary Elephant King, Xiang Yue.

Elder Long extended his palm, stopping his subordinates. He narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly: "Elephant King, if the second major battle is lost again, the prospects of the Thousand Peaks Forest will truly be dire."

"Under a collapsed nest, there are no unbroken eggs. At that time, when your tribe is forced to migrate, where will you find a foothold?"

Xiang Yue snorted: "It is acceptable for me to take action, but in exchange for the Elephant Vein Proliferation Pills."

Elder Long nodded: "Since the Elephant King has spoken, this should be satisfied. The Elephant King is indeed a leader of his tribe in this era, dedicating much effort to the reproduction and prosperity of his people."

"Too much nonsense." Only then did Xiang Yue slowly rise.

As he stood up, he immediately cast a vast shadow on the ground. His burly and strong body stood like a section of a city wall, and simply standing there brought a visual oppression to others.

At this moment, on the battlefield.

"Damn it!" The Master of Demon Heart Cave's heart pounded like a drum. Demonic energy surged throughout his body, transforming into a rainbow bridge.

The rainbow bridge carried the Master of Demon Heart Cave, allowing him to narrowly escape the strangulation of the golden flames.

But hundreds of crimson needles followed closely, about to pierce the Master of Demon Heart Cave.

"Father!"

In his hour of peril, Lin You disregarded the rules and directly released a mechanical carriage.

The crimson flying needles struck the carriage, sparking and emitting crisp metallic sounds. They were all intercepted.

Even Shuang Ling, amidst her busyness, glanced sideways, catching a glimpse of this mechanical carriage.

Then, she shifted her gaze to another location.

Crimson needles penetrated the body of a Nascent Soul cultivator, and golden flames raged, burning yet another expert from the Thousand Peaks Forest to death.

The morale of the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Army was low, and many people's eyes twitched.

The Two Streams Nation, on the other hand, erupted in cheers, their morale visibly and rapidly rising.

Sun and Ning both fell silent upon witnessing this scene.

Up to this point, Shuang Ling had already slain four Nascent Soul level cultivators, her offensive determined and utterly ruthless.

"If Princess Ingenuity is not contained soon, the Thousand Peaks Forest side is likely to collapse because of this battlefield," Sun Lingtong said.

Ning Zhuo, however, realized something: "It seems that among Nascent Soul level experts, only divine abilities can hold the ground."

He couldn't help but think of Zhu Xuanji.

Even having participated in the great battle of the Two Streams Nation and personally witnessing the conflicts between various Nascent Soul level cultivators, Ning Zhuo's horizons were greatly expanded, but looking back, he still felt Zhu Xuanji's excellence.

The latter was only at the Core Formation stage, yet possessed several divine abilities, which was simply unreasonable.

If he reached the Nascent Soul stage, how formidable would he be!

"It is clear that once Zhu Xuanji's cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage, he will inevitably become the face of the Nascent Soul experts of the Southern Bean Nation, similar to Shuang Ling before my eyes."

And at this very moment, three Nascent Soul cultivators simultaneously stepped onto the battlefield, facing Shuang Ling!

"Shuang Ling, cease your arrogance," Tu Ming roared in a low voice, unleashing his divine ability from the outset.

Divine Ability - Myriad Serpent Poison Stream.

A foul wind suddenly rose, and dark clouds layered.

Poisonous rain fell, the intensity of the rain changing from light to heavy.

The rainwater was highly toxic, condensing together and transforming into streams of black long snakes.

Tens of thousands of poisonous snakes gathered into an army, taking shape in mid-air, then falling onto various mechanical creations, relentlessly缠绕 and corroding and gnawing.

Divine Ability - Crane's Cry from Nine Heavens!

The demon cultivator Bai Ling raised her head and let out a furious roar, emitting a violent sound wave that caused any cultivator who heard it to have their magical energy flow backward, their blood surge, and their divine consciousness become agitated!

Divine Ability - Snow Tooth Shattering Heaven Slash!

The contemporary Elephant King Xiang Yue leisurely waved his palm. His palm acted as a blade, seemingly slow but actually fast, unleashing a saber aura.

Shuang Ling's mechanical defense line immediately suffered severe damage!

Poisonous snakes corroded large areas of the mechanical creations, causing them to corrode and disintegrate.

Beneath the crane's cry, countless runes on the mechanical creations exploded, their array patterns becoming chaotic, and sparks flew from various parts.

As for Xiang Yue's saber aura, within a few breaths of its release, it expanded to an exaggerated degree.

The massive saber aura descended from above, utterly overbearing, destroying everything in its path, splitting apart countless mechanical creations, and directly dividing the defense line from front to back into two halves.

Shuang Ling's defense line was unstable, and she had no choice but to retract her divine ability, the Golden Flame World Purification Wheel, and control various mechanical creations to engage with the multitude of enemies.

This time, facing three True Monarch level opponents, she appeared extremely strained, no longer possessing her previous composure and formidable demeanor.

"The contemporary Elephant King Xiang Yue, is he the one who annihilated the Golden Halberd Army?" Both Sun and Ning wore solemn expressions.

The two of them had participated in the invasion battle, so when they later learned of the news of the complete annihilation of the Golden Halberd Army, both Sun and Ning were greatly surprised.

Therefore, the impression of the name "Contemporary Elephant King Xiang Yue" was quite profound.

At this moment, witnessing Xiang Yue's actions firsthand, they immediately judged that this demon cultivator was extremely fierce and should be avoided in combat as much as possible.

"Tu Ming, Bai Ling, and Xiang Yue are attacking Shuang Ling together. No matter how strong she is, it will be difficult for her to hold on, right?" Sun Lingtong said in a deep voice.

It was not difficult to discern this point.

Tu Ming and Bai Ling's two great divine abilities were already enough to make Shuang Ling struggle to cope.

Not to mention the addition of a Xiang Yue.

Fortunately, after his first strike, Xiang Yue stood proudly in his original position, his arms crossed, and did not move again.

This scene caused Elder Long to frown, and Lu Hongtu couldn't help but transmit his divine consciousness, urging: "Elephant King, if you engage in passive combat, I'm afraid the Elephant Vein Proliferation Pills after the war..."

Xiang Yue snorted coldly: "I disdain to attack a weak female cultivator in concert with others. It is already good that I have taken action."

"As for the Elephant Vein Proliferation Pills, I dare say Elder Long will not dare to renege on my debt!"

Xiang Yue possessed the arrogance of a strong cultivator. After his first strike, he watched the battle with his arms crossed.

However, his single strike directly destroyed the mechanical defense line, causing the most significant losses to the mechanical creations.

Although Shuang Ling promptly supplemented with new mechanical creations, there was a noticeable difference in quality, causing her combat power to decline somewhat, and she was forced into a stalemate against multiple enemies.

"I never expected the art of mechanics, when cultivated to perfection, to possess such terrifying combat power. As expected, every branch of cultivation is profound and extensive."

"Hmph, you don't even consider how much resources she has consumed. Without the support of a nation, how could she possibly reach this level on her own?"

"Finally contained her."

The soldiers of the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Army breathed a sigh of relief upon witnessing such a battle situation.

Previously, the formidable display by Shuang Ling had put them under heavy pressure.

In the Two Streams Nation encampment, Zhao Xi's expression was serious, his heart filled with worry and regret: "If I hadn't pursued the Heavenly and Earthly Twin Ghosts earlier, the current situation wouldn't be so passive!"

He subconsciously glanced back towards the depths of the encampment, where Du Tiechuan was in secluded cultivation.

Zhao Xi quickly turned his head back, observing the battlefield and praying silently.

"Princess, you must hold on."

For now, the only person he could rely on was the powerful Shuang Ling.

Just as the high-level cultivators of the two armies were locked in a bloody battle to the death, a change was occurring at Winding Vine Peak.

Gao Cuo, disguised, gazed at this mountain peak from afar.

He saw this colossal pillar-like tree mountain, its body spiraling upwards, with twelve streams of azure vine waterfalls cascading down, giving it a peculiar appearance.

There were many trees on the mountain, but more prevalent were the ubiquitous vines.

The twelve azure vine waterfalls distributed on the mountain were the most concentrated areas of vines. Following the drop of the cliff, these vines extended from their roots, all verdant and full of vitality.

In the middle section of the "waterfalls," the color changed from green to yellow, and most of the vitality dissipated.

Finally, at the landing point, every vine was withered and dry, and countless rotten vine branches and leaves piled together, forming a swamp.

The surface of the swamp floated with patches of fluorescent fungal mats. Inside the swamp lived a vast number of fireflies.

From time to time, a ghastly green phosphorescent fire rose from the swamp, filled with the essence of death.

"Vines entwine heroic bones, phosphorescent fire illuminates the dream of eternal life. This is the cultivation place of the Azure Vine Physician."

"According to legend, the Myriad Withered Azure Phosphorescent Curse she cultivated was comprehended from these azure vine waterfalls."

Gao Cuo sighed inwardly.

Sword Elder's voice transmitted to his heart: "These waterfalls composed of azure vines do indeed have a knack to them. From life to death, they contain natural profound mysteries."

"However, now is not the time to study this."

"The Azure Vine Physician has already perished, leaving only her Nascent Soul."

"This is her main base. After her Nascent Soul pierced the void, it is highly likely she returned here to rebuild a body using the arrangements within."

"This is our good opportunity to strike!"

Gao Cuo nodded slightly: "Exactly."

He was blessed with fortuitous encounters and accompanied by Sword Elder. His cultivation journey was never lonely, and his plans were far-reaching.

A long time ago, he had already heard that there were two treasures on Winding Vine Peak, one representing life and one representing death: the Azure Seed Vine, representing vitality, and the Firefly Burial Gauze, representing death.