Chapter 111: Celestial Blue Timber

Chapter 111: Celestial Blue Wood

“Wuwu...” A circular shockwave burst forth from the Gate of Demon Hunting, rapidly spreading in all directions with incredible speed, soon engulfing the entire vicinity around the Gate.

Amidst the agonized cries of the cultivators, those who remained rooted to their spots were instantly annihilated. Except for a very few fortunate ones, no intact bodies remained on the ground.

Zhao Shuo’s face was smeared with blood, his expression twisted with rage as he glared fiercely at the distant Gate of Demon Hunting, cursing bitterly, “I hate it... hate the Gate of Demon Hunting...”

Weng Putian lay motionless on the ground, even the beard beneath his chin was shaved clean by the violent shockwave. Staring up at the sky, memories flashed through his mind as if replayed by an illusionary technique: his master urging him to cultivate during childhood; in his youth, practicing sword techniques amid swirling snowflakes; the proud smile of his master when he succeeded him as sect leader; then his own stubbornness, refusing counsel and insisting on deploying two Grand Qi Refinement masters to battle the demons—leading to the calamity before him...

“Boom!” Not far ahead of Jiang Yan, the fierce shockwave ripped up a vast swath of earth. The wave snaked underground, tearing huge chunks of soil as it charged toward him.

“Junior sister, lend me your spiritual power.” Jiang Yan grasped Tang Wan’s arm with difficulty, lifting the hem of his long robe and sitting cross-legged on the ground. He spoke to Tang Wan, whose eyes were reddened.

Tears shimmered in Tang Wan’s beautiful eyes, her expression tinged with reproach for Jiang Yan’s refusal to seek refuge within the Golden Bell Shield of the Monk Wukong. Yet, she obeyed quietly, sitting behind him and gently placing her delicate hands on his back, transmitting a warm, wood-attribute spiritual energy.

With Tang Wan’s aid, Jiang Yan felt renewed strength coursing through his body. Folding his hands over his chest, he cast a last glance at the swirling sandstorm before slowly closing his eyes.

A faint blue glow radiated from the flesh-colored wood character emblazoned on Jiang Yan’s forehead.

Suddenly, his crossed hands shifted; fingers extended stiffly like a sword, pointing sharply skyward. Jiang Yan’s voice dropped low, “Swift!”

The wood character on his forehead blazed with azure light. Within his spiritual sea, the blue radiance intensified as a strand of spiritual energy, as fine as a strand of hair, surged upward from the spiritual liquid directly to his forehead. The tip, sharp as an arrowhead, sliced through the air with a soft crackling sound.

The spiritual energy buzzed around Jiang Yan, and with his conscious control, it continuously formed circles of spiritual force encircling both himself and Tang Wan, gradually enveloping them.

“Clatter!” A massive chunk of earth, torn loose by the Gate’s explosion, suddenly shot toward Jiang Yan.

“Whoosh...” Accelerated by the shockwave, the soil chunk tore through the air, emitting a mournful whistle as it closed in on Jiang Yan.

“Sizzle.” The earth struck against the spiritual energy circle surrounding Jiang Yan, but was halted. Under the influence of the spiritual force, the soil instantly disintegrated into a cloud of dust, settling softly on the ground.

Unmoved, Jiang Yan focused intently, driving his spiritual energy to form successive protective circles.

With a long exhale, he finally solidified the spiritual defense sphere, opening his eyes to view the approaching shockwave. His handsome face clouded with solemnity; the wave’s force was tremendous. He wondered if his newly learned spiritual technique could withstand such an onslaught.

A colossal spiritual circle tightly enveloped Jiang Yan and Tang Wan. Through its shimmering surface, one could glimpse Jiang Yan’s grave expression, the fine sweat beads on Tang Wan’s forehead, and a few green wood beasts circling around the seated woman.

Faced with the overwhelming tide and drained of spiritual power, Jiang Yan finally unleashed the first move of his newly acquired spiritual technique—the Cocoon Formation.

The spiritual circles were the initial step—Transform Spirit into Cocoon. This defensive technique enabled the practitioner to summon a vast cocoon of spiritual energy around the body. Once fully formed, it became a cohesive, flexible shield, nearly impenetrable even by attacks several times more powerful than the user’s strength.

“Clang!” The massive soil chunk slammed against the Golden Bell Shield with a deafening crash, followed by smaller chunks rattling noisily, assaulting the ears. The shockwave generated by the spiritual explosion had finally arrived.

Inside the Golden Bell Shield, four monks sat cross-legged on the ground, faces contorted with pain, teeth clenched in grim determination. The standing Monk Wukong’s forehead streamed with sweat, forming a small rivulet down his cheek and chin, the droplets splattering onto the floor.

“Bang...”

The shockwave finally struck the shield, a muffled roar reverberating within. Instantly, the four monks’ noses and mouths bled profusely.

“Pfft,” a faint sound came as the shockwave collided with Jiang Yan’s spiritual defense cocoon, producing a soft noise as the cocoon pressed against his face.

Suddenly, Jiang Yan’s face flared with pain as if struck by a heavy stone, burning hot. His nostrils warmed, and fresh blood trickled from them.

“Crash!”

Within Jiang Yan’s spiritual perception, the shockwave flowed like water, streaming out along the cocoon that enclosed him and Tang Wan, rushing rapidly behind them.

The shockwave came swiftly and dissipated just as fast, passing through the Golden Bell Shield and near Jiang Yan in mere moments.

With a tearing sound, the spiritual cocoon around Jiang Yan’s face abruptly shattered, breaking into fine threads that drifted downward like falling silk. The spiritual energy within Jiang Yan’s sea was exhausted; the cocoon collapsed, its strands disintegrating into nothingness.

“Pfft...” Jiang Yan collapsed forward, spitting a mouthful of blood onto a nearby wooden plank. By chance, his left hand pressed against the same plank.

“Huh?” As he gasped for breath, Jiang Yan’s gaze casually swept over the plank. The smooth, verdant surface caught his eye, and his eyes widened in disbelief. If his memory served, the blood he spat had landed directly on a dented spot on the plank—but the surface was pristine, without a single stain, much less blood.

“Boom...” From the direction of the Gate of Demon Hunting, another deafening explosion echoed, shaking the earth violently.

Jiang Yan looked up toward the distant Gate, now shrouded completely by thick smoke and dust. Struggling to rise and get a clearer view, he waved his right hand a few times but soon collapsed back down in exhaustion.

After several attempts, he confirmed that his left hand was firmly stuck to the wooden plank, immovable.

“Buzzing...” Suddenly, a dazzling azure light blossomed where his palm met the plank. A warm sensation flooded his hand as spiritual energy surged upward from beneath.

The energy coursed through the veins of his palm, instantly entering the nine circulating meridians within his body...

The nurturing spiritual power quickly filled the once-dry meridians. The energy flowing from the Celestial Blue Wood was exceptionally gentle and warm, enveloping Jiang Yan as if he were immersed in a soothing bath, bringing him profound comfort.

“Sss...” Jiang Yan inhaled sharply, but the moment he sat up, his body wobbled violently. Within his meridians filled with the warm spiritual energy, a sudden needle-like pain erupted, stabbing through all nine channels. The searing agony nearly brought him crashing to the ground.

“Celestial Blue Wood!” Monk Wukong’s voice rang out in surprise from beside him.