Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Chapter 400: Which One Will You Choose?

As the small mountain fell, Mei Huaping painted several ropes that wound around Tang Jie like serpents and tied him to the ground. He then grabbed Mad Sword Meng and retreated. He hoped that the ropes could hold Tang Jie, or even just delay him for a few moments.

But to his surprise, Tang Jie didn’t struggle at all.

Tang Jie raised his head and angrily glared at the descending mountain, a blazing will to fight in his eyes.

Tang Jie wasn’t actually someone who could toss everything aside for the sake of battle, but he now understood that becoming an expert like the Martial Lord would sometimes require thinking less and being a little more simpleminded!

Since that mountain was coming down, he would push it back up!

This was how a simpleminded person thought!

This crazy idea took root in Tang Jie’s mind, and an intense will to fight suffused his entire body.

This wasn’t the first time he had gone crazy. Against the Seven Absolutions Sect and the firebird, he had also gone crazy and taken a risk. When taking risks became a habit and craziness became the norm, one would gradually discover the pleasures of this state.

And now, as this mountain was coming, Tang Jie immersed himself in this pleasure.

A blazing will to fight erupted from the depths of his heart, and all of his rationality and control returned to the avatar. The original body’s thought process became nothing more than the violent impulses of a primordial beast.

Throwing aside the warhammer, he clenched his fists and shook his arms.

“Awooo!” He threw his head back and howled.

This was different from his previous howls. Those times, Tang Jie had still been rational, using his howls to intimidate his foes.

But this howl was brimming with primal bestiality and fearless courage.

He spread out his arms and raised them toward that descending mountain.

A powerful shockwave erupted from him like a small sun exploding, sending powerful waves of energy sweeping through his surroundings.

Even Mei Huaping, avatar Tang Jie, Mad Sword Meng, Yiyi, and Shi Jingzhai were pushed back by the shockwave. After a while, after the dust had dispersed, everyone was able to see Tang Jie standing tall like a golden giant, holding aloft that small mountain with his two arms.

His body had grown from four meters to several dozen meters, becoming a true giant, and all of his muscles bulged. His head was lowered, and the weight of the mountain was actually on his shoulders as Tang Jie desperately tried to push the mountain upward.

But this mountain was so heavy that even someone of Tang Jie’s strength couldn’t contend against it. Half of his body was pushed into the soil, and around him was an enormous crater that had been created by the shockwave.

Mei Huaping was dumbfounded. He shrieked, “There’s no way you can hold it up!”

The original Tang Jie chuckled, “We’ll see once I try!”

His eyes erupted with a fiery light while a crimson light radiated from his body!

The Blood Refining Spirit spell!

But Tang Jie did not consciously activate it this time. His body had automatically activated it under intense stimulation.

“Out of my way!”

As he shouted, his body unleashed a burst of crimson light, and, imbued with a titanic strength, he managed to lift that mountain.

The mountain radiated spiritual light, and as Tang Jie held it aloft, it began to quickly disperse into the wind.

“No!” Mei Huaping cried out.

He rapidly flew into the air, his hands drawing out spiritual lines to bind the small mountain. No matter what, he could not let Tang Jie’s original body escape. Mei Huaping’s face contorted as he roared, “Just stay down!”

The spiritual light became chains that descended from the sky and held down the dissipating spirit mountain, causing Tang Jie’s body to suddenly sink.

“Let’s see how you get out!” Mei Huaping savagely laughed.

At this moment, he suddenly sensed something and created a barrier without turning his head.

In a crisp clattering of metal, twelve crescent blades dropped from the heavens, crashing into the barrier in a burst of rainbow light.

After comprehending the Violet Jade Mantra and cultivating for half a year, Tang Jie had been able to increase the number of Heavenly Cloud Blades he could create from one to twelve.

The powerful impact instantly shattered Mei Huaping’s barrier, and two of the crescent blades sliced toward Mei Huaping’s neck. In this dangerous moment, Mei Huaping suddenly brought up his hands and grabbed the blades.

Mei Huaping angrily glared at the distant avatar Tang Jie. “Junior!”

This bastard had wounded him!

This bastard had only just entered Nine Revolutions, was a junior who was separated from him by a massive gap, but his mysterious spell art had wounded him! Even though this was partially because he only had time to cast the simplest of barriers in his haste, he still felt humiliated that a Nine Revolutions junior had managed to break it.

But more crucially, this distraction had stopped him from interfering with the original body. Tang Jie threw his head back and roared, and his muscles bulged again. His arms disappeared into the body of the mountain, immense power erupting through the mountain.

With a great rumble, the small mountain exploded into pieces and disappeared.

Tang Jie jumped out of the crater, grabbed his warhammer, and swung it at Mei Huaping again. Mei Huaping thrust out his hands, and his body moved like a willow catkin on the wind, dodging the warhammer. He thrust out his hands again, and a powerful shockwave burst out and stopped Tang Jie in his tracks.

This Mei Huaping truly had a lot of tricks up his sleeve, taking out a new one when the old one didn’t work. Even Tang Jie couldn’t help but sigh in admiration at all the variety. This was how different people from the six major sects were from others. Only when facing people like this could one truly feel the pressure of cultivation level.

Original Tang Jie was able to fight Mei Huaping primarily because his Diamond Body didn’t lose out in terms of cultivation level to the Celestial Heart Realm. Thus, the two were actually fighting on the same level. This was also why the original body, despite its awe-inspiring power and constant pressure, was having a hard time taking down Mei Huaping. In fact, with that art relic from the Seven Absolutions Sect, Mei Huaping should have been stronger than Tang Jie. Alas, his luck was poor, as he had run into someone with one soul sharing two bodies, making the Dream Pearl Lady painting useless.

But there was still another move after that, and the trick the Seven Absolutions Sect had left behind in the Mountain River State Diagram had given Tang Jie a lot of trouble. He had finally managed to get through it, but from the look on Mei Huaping’s face, it seemed like he still wasn’t out of hidden cards. Tang Jie couldn’t help but feel like this battle was taking a little too long.

He muttered, “It’s about time. Yiyi, have Shi Jingzhai go.”

Yiyi pointed. “Hit him!”

Shi Jingzhai roared and flailed his hands around. An earth dragon rose up and lunged at Mei Huaping.

Mei Huaping grunted, “Seeking death!”

He thrust his left hand at the earth dragon, and the earth dragon immediately stopped. He then waved his hand, and the earth dragon turned around and lunged at Shi Jingzhai! The use of this Reversal spell art was simply sublime, but Mei Huaping couldn’t stop himself from grunting, blood flowing from his nose. It was clear that forcibly reversing the spell art of a True Person of the same tier had been enormously taxing.

As the earth dragon lunged back, Yiyi shouted in shock, “Dodge!”

But to her surprise, Shi Jingzhai stopped and giggled at the earth dragon. “Fun!”

After going crazy and coming under Tang Jie’s control, he was still capable of fighting, but he had lost his ability to judge and react. Seeing that earth dragon rushing at him, he didn’t know to dodge. The earth dragon slammed into him and sent him flying through the air, but he continued to shout, “Fun! Fun!”

Twelve Heavenly Cloud Blades dropped from the sky, and then Yiyi summoned her Silkheaven Net to sweep up Mei Huaping. The combined might of the trio gradually began to wear away at Mei Huaping.

The light of various spell arts filled the air, mixed in with the powerful shockwaves unleashed by Tang Jie’s original body. Strangely, however, from start to finish, avatar Tang Jie only used the Heavenly Cloud Blades, electing to not use any other spell arts.

Even so, this was enough to make Mei Huaping falter. He made a fighting retreat, and finally, he lost his patience and shouted, “What are you still waiting for?”

Tang Jie’s pupils suddenly constricted, and entirely on instinct, he dropped his head and lunged forward.

A flash of bloody light!

Tang Jie cried out as he jumped forward, a bowl-sized hole in his chest. After flying for some distance, he landed with a crash. With a knee on the ground and a hand over the hole in his chest, he shouted, “Mad Sword Meng!”

Turning his head, he saw that his ambusher was none other than Mad Sword Meng, who had been heavily wounded by his original body at the very start of the battle.

But now, he appeared to be entirely uninjured. Brazenly laughing, he said, “You really think I could be taken down so easily?”

Tang Jie angrily glared. “I remember very clearly that my blows struck true!”

Mad Sword Meng laughed. “Yes, you really managed to hurt me, but that was on purpose. If I weren’t really injured, how could I deceive you? But did you forget what my Seven Absolutions Sect most excels in?”

Tang Jie’s complexion darkened. “True. Your Seven Absolutions Sect specializes in the four auxiliaries, being masters in pills, talismans, formations, and tools. You must have come here prepared, so even if you were injured, you would have a way to rapidly heal yourself. I can’t believe I forgot.”

Mad Sword Meng laughed. “Everyone says that Tang Jie is as crafty as a fox, but you don’t seem like much to me. In a real fight, you only know how to go blow for blow. Everyone calls me Mad Sword Meng, but they don’t know that my madness is just a front. My true love is to attack from the shadows!”

He swung his sword at Yiyi and Shi Jingzhai, much more powerfully than before. Sure enough, he had been hiding his power.

At the same time, Mei Huaping took out a golden ring and threw it into the air. It constricted Tang Jie’s original body, making it extremely difficult for him to take even one step.

The tables had instantly turned. Mei Huaping had been on the back foot just moments ago, but he now had control over the situation.

He sneered, “Puny thing, thinking that you could oppose my Seven Absolutions Sect with just a body refining avatar, and you dared to think that you could work with my Seven Absolutions Sect against Godhead Palace… With this little ability, you think you have the right to have such fantastical thoughts? You know nothing about the vastness of the world!”

He was still under the impression that the original body was the avatar.

Covering his wound, Tang Jie staggered to his feet.

His injuries were severe, and it was an effort just to stay alive. He looked at the pair and struggled out, “I see. So the Seven Absolutions Sect was still looking down on me, so they had no interest in working with me? In their eyes, if I couldn’t even take care of you lot, I wouldn’t even be worthy to talk about working with them—is that right? You are abandoned pieces, and also gold-testing stones.”

Mei Huaping’s face flashed with anger. “Shut your mouth! Rather than calling us gold-testing stones, it would be better to say that we came to test you. You weren’t even able to notice a simple ambush, nor were you able to notice a simple problem with the Mountain River State Diagram, so what makes you so arrogant? This stupid oaf? See how I take care of him!”

He constricted the gold ring, and the giant Tang Jie found it even more difficult to move.

“‘The Mountain River State Diagram’?” Tang Jie shook his head. “I checked the diagram and didn’t find any problems. I have no idea what you did, that you were able to control a divine treasure that should have belonged to me, even making it serve you instead.”

Mei Huaping laughed. “Why do you think the Seven Absolutions Sect sent me? Don’t forget what the Mountain River State Diagram is! And what my expertise is in.”

Tang Jie froze for a moment, and then he blurted out, “The Dao of Painting!”

“Hahahaha!” Mei Huaping smugly said, “Correct. The Dao of Painting focuses on space, on unfathomable transformations. Long before the Mountain River State Diagram was given to you, I had already attached a sliver of my will to it. If you had been at Cognitive Creation, you might have noticed, but as you have yet to pass the Nine Revolutions, how could you discover it? The schemes of the world cannot be accomplished purely through plotting. Strength must also support it. Tang Jie, your problem is that your cultivation level is too low, that you’re too weak. Otherwise, how could you have not even seen through a trap as simple as that?”

“Is that what was happening?” Tang Jie nodded. “In other words, there is no problem with the Mountain River State Diagram. The problem is you… So long as I kill you, all the problems will be solved, right?”

Mei Huaping shouted, “Naturally. If you have that ability, then you are worthy of working with my Seven Absolutions Sect, and my Seven Absolutions Sect will naturally no longer make trouble for you over this treasure. But… are you capable? You’re almost dead from your wound!”

“‘Wound’? You’re talking about this wound?” Tang Jie suddenly laughed.

He dropped the hand covering his wound.

That hole on his chest was still there, but it had stopped bleeding.

Most shocking of all was that Tang Jie was standing just fine despite having such a severe wound, as if nothing had happened to him.

“What’s going on?” Mad Sword Meng was flabbergasted.

Suddenly, Mei Huaping noticed something and cried out, “Mad Sword, watch out!”

Mad Sword Meng sensed a lethal danger approaching. He put away his sword and lunged forward, reacting in exactly the same way as Tang Jie had.

But his end was also the same as Tang Jie’s.

“Matchless Slash!”

An enormous saber energy burst through Mad Sword Meng’s body, punching a bowl-sized hole through his chest.

Mad Sword Meng cried out as he lunged forward, not forgetting to turn his head as he flew away. What he saw standing behind him was none other than Tang Jie.

“You…” he shouted, not daring to believe his eyes.

The first thing Mad Sword Meng did after hitting the ground was to look at the Tang Jie he had previously injured.

He was still standing there, but he was slowly dissolving into spiritual light.

“Illusion!” He now completely understood.

This Tang Jie had been fake from the very start.

It was no wonder he had never done anything except the Heavenly Cloud Blades.

This was because the Heavenly Cloud Blades dropped from the sky, so it wasn’t possible to see where the attack had come from, and so it was difficult to identify the user of the art.

At the same time, the original body bound by the gold ring laughed. He shook his arms and began to push the golden ring outward, the golden ring groaning under the pressure. Mei Huaping’s heart went cold.

“So you were pretending this whole time!” Mei Huaping roared.

“Of course!” Tang Jie smirked as he hefted the Heartbreak Saber. “If I didn’t, how could I identify the problem with the Mountain River State Diagram? But another reason I was hiding was also to make sure you didn’t escape… While you were fighting, I was setting up a formation on the outside.”

Tang Jie used his thumb to gesture at the surrounding area, after which he sighed, “But it seems like it was a waste now. This is the problem with the Dao of Formations. It’s powerful, but everything goes to waste when you can’t use it.”

While he was talking, Mad Sword Meng swiftly took out medicine from his Mustard Seed Bag to apply to his wound. The Seven Absolutions Sect’s medicines had divine effects. If he could apply treatment now, he could still be saved.

Tang Jie smirked. “Your possessions are all mine. You think I would let you waste it?”

He waved his hand, sending out a wave of sharp blade energy. At the same time, Yiyi commanded Shi Jingzhai to attack his hands, the Mustard Seed Bag, and the wounded area. From the look of it, what was important wasn’t that he died or lived, but that he didn’t use the medicine and cause Tang Jie to lose out on some of his spoils.

Mei Huaping knew that this wasn’t good. With a shout, he waved his hands, creating streaks of spiritual light. The widening golden ring constricted again, and he used this moment to flee into the distance.

Tang Jie sighed as he watched Mei Huaping flee. “I just said that I laid down a formation, and you still run.”

There was a rumble of thunder in the distance as lightning cracked down. Mei Huaping was blown into the air by the lightning, and then the lightning formed a cage to hold him.

Mei Huaping looked around and yelled, “So it’s the Lightning Cage! You think this formation can hold me? Keep dreaming!”

The Lightning Cage was only a Grade 4 formation. It used the power of lightning to hold a target and was only effective against peak Mortal Shedding cultivators at most. Its power was greatly reduced against Celestial Hearts. Someone of Mei Huaping’s strength would be held for only a little while before he broke free.

Tang Jie casually said, “Holding you for only a little while is enough.”

As he spoke, original Tang Jie, still bound by the golden ring, raised his head to look at Mei Huaping.

It was a gaze suffused with endless profundity, and Mei Huaping felt his heart shiver.

The original body raised a hand and lightly placed a finger on the golden ring.

The golden ring instantly shattered.

“Noooo!” Mei Huaping cried out in shock.

His true fear was this immensely strong giant Tang Jie. Avatar Tang Jie would have a very hard time killing him, and he would have enough time to escape the cage. But now that the giant had broken free, he had no chance at all.

Most infuriating of all was that this giant was clearly able to break the golden ring and had been pretending this whole time.

Nearby, avatar Tang Jie casually said, “In truth, even if he didn’t break free, I would still be able to kill you.”

With a flip of his wrists, Tang Jie produced the Soul Refining Pearl in his left hand and a Heavenbane Lightning Pearl in his right hand, and a golden thread appeared on his wrist. “Having your soul refined, being blasted by the Heavenbane, having your head cut off by the golden thread, or having a giant crush your bones… Which method of death will you choose?”

Decisions, decisions…Of course, the best decision was to never backstab Tang Jie in the first place, but what can you do?