Chapter Fifty: Breaking Through to the Nascent Soul Stage

Seeing the giant hammer in the sky pierce through the clouds and illuminate the pitch-black night as if it were broad daylight, Zhang Xiao hurriedly transmitted a message to Ziyan: "Quick, use the Grand Teleportation Array and get out of here!" However, the reply Ziyan sent back chilled Zhang Xiao to the bone. It turned out that the Judgment Hammer unleashed by Clos had reached the point of locking down the surrounding space. Even though the Grand Teleportation Array was ready and buffered, it was now impossible to transport them back to the Xuantian Cave Abode under the interference of the Judgment Hammer.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiao acted decisively. He retracted his clone and activated the Black Tortoise Transformation, his figure immediately swelling in size. In an instant, Zhang Xiao had transformed into a colossal beast. However, unlike before, the Black Tortoise Zhang Xiao turned into this time had shifted from crimson to a deep reddish-gold. Ever since he had forcibly broken through to the sixth level of the Prajna Zen Sutra with the power of his clone, his body had undergone massive changes, which in turn had profoundly affected his Black Tortoise Transformation, not only elevating his defense to a new level but also granting him new supernatural abilities.

After transforming into the Black Tortoise, Zhang Xiao stomped on the ground, and the surrounding Earth Qi instantly gathered toward him. With Zhang Xiao as the center, countless layers of earth surged up from the ground, shielding him within. As Zhang Xiao continuously drained the earth's energy, drawing in the surrounding ley lines to bolster his defense, the buildings of the main city of Rocadolai collapsed one after another, and the ground began to sink.

The other guild leaders watched this with mounting anxiety. They had never expected things to escalate to this point. Yet, seeing that the Judgment Hammer was about to descend, they dared not linger. Although their strength could be considered formidable, they were still a far cry from Chloe, an ascetic of the Light Church. For a Paladin or a Divine Official, the Judgment Hammer might be a low-level technique, but in the hands of these ascetics, it was a world-destroying forbidden spell. Of course, as ascetics, it was the only offensive spell they could use, and the price of usage was burning their own life force as a catalyst. As for its power, one only needed to look at these fleeing branch guild leaders to understand.

After gathering all the Earth Qi in the vicinity of Rocadolai, Zhang Xiao opened his mouth wide and spat out the Five-Colored Cloud Banner. The banner expanded in the wind, transforming into clusters of clouds that guarded his side. Just as he finished, the Judgment Hammer in the sky landed on Zhang Xiao’s position.

"BOOM!!"

A thunderous explosion rang out. One-third of the entire Rocadolai main city was engulfed by the holy light erupting from the Judgment Hammer. The terrifying holy might, akin to a doomsday catastrophe, raged like a surging sea, infiltrating everything. Those who could not dodge in time were swallowed by the holy light and reduced to wisps of smoke. Facing such an attack, even if they were to resurrect after death, they were destined to lose more than half of their attributes, and those with poor luck were completely erased and vanished from the world.

At this moment, Zhang Xiao, hidden within layers of earthen walls, was fully circulating the Seven Transformations Xuantian Technique, pushing the power of the Black Tortoise Transformation to its absolute limit, continuously drawing Earth Qi from the surrounding ley lines to enhance his defense. Yet, the Judgment Hammer outside continued to shatter layer after layer of earth, closing in on him. Finally, facing Chloe’s all-out strike, Zhang Xiao truly understood the vast gap between them.

The Judgment Hammer broke through the layers of earth and slammed into Zhang Xiao’s shell. Even with his Black Tortoise body, Zhang Xiao was struck so hard that his internal organs were displaced, and his scales and shell were shattered beyond repair. The clouds formed by the Five-Colored Cloud Banner had long since been dispersed. However, if not for the banner, he would surely have been reduced to ashes already. The ravaging of the holy light did not last long, merely a few breaths, but the hearts of the various guilds sank to the bottom. Rocadolai, once the largest and most prosperous main city in the Americas Region 7, now looked like a ruin at a single glance.

Beyond the one-third destroyed by Chloe’s Judgment Hammer, the remaining two-thirds of the city had also been shaken into ruins because Zhang Xiao had drained the Earth Qi, leaving the foundations unstable. As for the casualties, there was no need to ask; at least hundreds of thousands were affected. Though the death toll had not been fully tallied, the mere thought of Chloe’s Judgment Hammer made the hearts of the branch leaders plummet into hell. Regardless of whether they were at fault, for failing to stop Chloe, the headquarters of the various professional guilds would surely impose severe punishments. While they might not be executed or imprisoned, their positions were certainly lost. Thinking of this, the leaders' faces turned grim as they gathered to discuss how to shift all responsibility onto the primary culprit, Chloe.

On the other side, Chloe sat on the stone steps, looking somewhat disheveled. Aside from missing an arm, a gruesome wound had been slashed across his face. For an ascetic like Chloe, these injuries could be healed with a single healing spell, but having sobered up from his rage, he had no such inclination. Staring at the scorched ruins before him, if one were to ask about Chloe’s state of mind, it was nothing but despair and resentment toward Zhang Xiao. If it were possible, he would have wanted to strike Zhang Xiao with the Judgment Hammer a hundred more times. However, Chloe could only think this; he did not believe Zhang Xiao could have survived his full-strength strike.

Unfortunately, Chloe would never have imagined that the Zhang Xiao he hated had, immediately after the Judgment Hammer subsided, used the Xuantian Talisman to return to the Xuantian Cave Abode, where he was enjoying a treatment that was both tender and agonizing.

Zhang Xiao lay naked on a jade bed, his body covered in gruesome wounds, making him look like a blood-drenched man who had been subjected to the slow-slicing torture. Beside him, Ziyan was gently and evenly applying a black, paste-like ointment to his wounds. The process was quite intimate, but the actual pain was so intense that Zhang Xiao nearly fainted. This ointment was a special healing concoction refined by the True Immortal Xuan Cang, and its effects were beyond reproach. Zhang Xiao’s injuries were simply too severe; not only were his internal organs displaced, but his skin had been charred by the holy light, and several of his bones were fractured. The sensation of the ointment being applied was scorching, as if someone had sprinkled salt on his wounds—no, not salt, but chili oil!

If Ziyan, as an artifact spirit, had been capable of tears, she would have been weeping by now. Though she had no tears, her eyes were fixed on Zhang Xiao with a look of deep resentment that Zhang Xiao found unbearable. If he hadn't been unable to speak, he would have shouted, "Can you at least give me a pair of underwear first?"

At this moment, the death toll being tallied in the ruins of Rocadolai had plunged the entire Americas into a period of mourning. The major professional guilds pointed their fingers at the primary culprit, the ascetic Chloe. Facing the accusations, the Pope of the Light Church sentenced Chloe to be executed by Holy Fire at the ruins of Rocadolai in three months as punishment.

Then, an even more shocking piece of news arrived, causing panic across the Americas: Zhang Xiao might not be dead. When people were clearing the ruins, they discovered a huge cavern, the same size as Zhang Xiao’s transformed body, and found no trace of his death inside. Although the aura of holy light was strong, it was not intense enough to incinerate a body so thoroughly. In other words, it was possible that Zhang Xiao was still alive—alive without having died even once. This news reached the headquarters of the major professional guilds and caused a massive uproar.

Upon learning that Zhang Xiao was Chinese, the Light Church made an even more radical decision: to hunt down all Chinese people in the Americas as retaliation. Although some opposed this, the Pope of the Light Church sanctioned the decision. This caused the Chinese people living in the Americas to flee their towns and go into hiding, yet large numbers of them were still captured every day. These people were to be gathered and sent to the ruins of Rocadolai to be purified by Holy Fire alongside Chloe in three months.

Of course, Zhang Xiao knew nothing of what was happening outside. After his injuries recovered, he immediately went into seclusion. Now that he had the Exotic Fire in his possession, as long as he used it to冲击 to the Nascent Soul stage, his strength would double. When that time came, he would only need to use the Earth Pearl to refine a Star-Extinguishing Divine Array, and he could return to his country with his head held high, no longer needing to fear the old monsters of the various sects.

In the blink of an eye, over two months passed. At the location of the Xuantian Cave Abode, the sky grew dark at some unknown time, and thick, heavy clouds obscured the sun. As for the monsters in this area, they had long since fled without a trace. In the silent forest, not even an ant could be found; the dead, still woods were filled with an extremely oppressive atmosphere! There was no other word to describe it.

"BOOM!!!"

A bolt of lightning shattered the silence. Countless bolts of lightning intertwined, the heavens seemingly roaring in dissatisfaction. A streak of rainbow light instantly shot out from the forest toward the thunder in the sky. "BOOM!" Bolt after bolt of lightning crashed down, striking the rainbow light, as if punishing this ant who dared to offend the heavenly might.

Countless streaks of lightning and thunder fell, but the rainbow light remained standing in the void. Sounds of Buddhist chanting emanated from the light. Looking closely, one could see a figure sitting cross-legged; countless bolts of lightning struck him, yet they could not shake his body in the slightest.

No wonder the Seven Transformations Xuantian Technique was so difficult to cultivate. Without the aid of the Exotic Fire, even with ten years of hard work, he might not have broken through to the Nascent Soul stage. Zhang Xiao sat in the void as the lightning struck him, but the lightning rapidly drilled into his dantian. The Golden Core that had originally been in his dantian was gone, replaced by... an egg!!

Zhang Xiao didn't know how to describe this situation, but according to the manual of the Seven Transformations Xuantian Technique, he had to use the power of the tribulation lightning to hatch this egg. Threads of lightning moved like silk through his meridians, finally drilling into the egg in his dantian. As time ticked by and his tribulation was drawing to an end, Zhang Xiao felt anxious, fearing that the tribulation would finish before the egg hatched.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!" Just as Zhang Xiao was feeling anxious, sounds of cracking echoed from his dantian. Zhang Xiao was overjoyed and hurriedly looked inward. But upon seeing the scene in his dantian, Zhang Xiao was instantly stunned.

Standing there in astonishment, Zhang Xiao shouted to the readers: "Give me some favorites and red votes! Even a single comment would do! Otherwise, that bastard of an author, Guoshui, is going to treat me harshly!!!"