Chapter 110: The True Meaning of Destruction

The "Essence of Golden Soup" is a highly regarded form of Metal-element essence, derived from the idiom "impenetrable as a golden fortress." It is also fittingly known as the "Essence of Indestructibility."

Once one grasps this essence and integrates it into their elemental energy, their defensive capabilities increase dramatically. The degree of this enhancement depends entirely on the depth of one's comprehension. There is no doubt, however, that even for someone who has just grasped the Essence of Golden Soup, its application to elemental protective barriers is remarkably effective.

Within the Shenyang Sect, any disciple of the Four Great Families who can master a single essence is undoubtedly considered an elite. Yet, Jiang Zhenglong had not only reached the Pulse Flow Realm before the age of twenty, but he had also mastered two types of essences, one of which was the Essence of Golden Soup. The gap between him and others was simply incomparable. It must be understood that even the youngest Inner Sect disciples of the Shenyang Sect are generally over twenty-five. The rate of progress naturally slows down during the later stages of the Condensing Qi Realm, and it is common for many to remain stuck at the bottleneck between the Condensing Qi and Pulse Flow Realms for years.

"You know of the Essence of Golden Soup?"

A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Zhenglong’s face, though he continued to eye Luo Tian’s "Origin-Breaking Hands" with greed. "What is this? Why does it feel like my protective elemental energy was consumed so much in an instant?"

"Take a guess," Luo Tian replied, his expression unchanged, though the elemental energy within him surged frantically, driving out the Metal-element energy that carried the sharp essence.

Seizing this opportunity to purge the foreign energy from his body was the only logical course of action. Fortunately, Luo Tian’s own elemental energy was exceptionally powerful, and he had mastered the Essence of Blazing Heat. Although he had been struck by Jiang Zhenglong in several places, the amount of Metal-element energy that had entered his body was minimal and merely ordinary energy drawn from the environment. Thus, within a short time, Luo Tian was able to clear it out.

"Guess? You’ll find out soon enough!" Jiang Zhenglong’s voice was filled with chilling murderous intent. "When you’re dead, everything you have will be mine!"

Luo Tian snorted coldly. The traces of Metal-element energy had been completely purged, and the power within him was once again unified, free of any foreign substances. As for his wounds, the vitality of the Boundless Life Wood caused them to heal rapidly, restoring him to his former state.

Moving with agility, leaving faint afterimages in his wake, Luo Tian closed the distance in a few strides and threw a punch directly at Jiang Zhenglong’s chest.

Dammit!

Jiang Zhenglong inwardly regretted not having learned any movement-based martial skills, having focused only on speed. It rarely mattered in ordinary situations, but in close-quarters combat, he felt his lack of technique. However, it didn't matter. Even if Luo Tian’s strange gloves could annihilate his elemental energy, so what? The power of a Pulse Flow Realm cultivator was so dense and vast that he could simply wear him down.

With this thought, Jiang Zhenglong did not retreat. Instead, he leaned slightly to the side and met Luo Tian’s punch head-on with one of his own. He was choosing to counterattack!

Li Yang dared not even breathe. He knew all too well how disadvantaged a Condensing Qi Realm cultivator was against a Pulse Flow Realm expert, yet he desperately hoped for a miracle. Despite his reluctance, he kept his eyes fixed on the battle.

*Boom!*

The explosive sound of their fists colliding stirred up a gust of wind. Luo Tian felt a surge of violent, overwhelming force. Jiang Zhenglong’s fist, wrapped in elemental energy, felt like a heavy hammer. The combination of infinite power and impenetrable defense gave Luo Tian the fleeting illusion of facing an insurmountable mountain.

Although his left hand was not positioned comfortably and could not unleash its maximum force, and the Essence of Golden Soup offered no offensive bonus, Jiang Zhenglong’s physical training was solid. After landing the blow, he saw that Luo Tian had only staggered back a few steps, and his expression darkened.

While the elemental energy was dense, in terms of raw power, it was only marginally stronger than that of a ninth-stage Condensing Qi Realm cultivator; it required corresponding martial arts to maximize its lethality. Furthermore, Luo Tian’s own energy was no ordinary quality, so after the exchange, he was only slightly at a disadvantage. Even Jiang Zhenglong, who held the upper hand, had his body shudder, nearly losing his footing.

Luo Tian let out a low growl. The situation today clearly could not end peacefully. If he didn't find a chance to kill Jiang Zhenglong, surviving would be harder than reaching the heavens. Though his chances were slim, Luo Tian had no intention of waiting to die. With the combination of his "Transforming Origin True Gang" fire energy and the "Origin-Breaking Hands," a war of attrition might not necessarily be a dead end.

Seeing Luo Tian charging again, Jiang Zhenglong abandoned any thought of gathering power for a heavy technique. The boy was agile and his speed was not slow; if he tried to charge up, he would likely fail. But so what? A gleam flashed in Jiang Zhenglong’s eyes as a plan formed. After feigning a few exchanges of close-quarters combat, a bolt of Metal-element energy suddenly flew from his retracting left palm!

Die, you bastard!

The sudden appearance of the crimson-red energy within his field of vision caused Luo Tian’s pupils to constrict. It wasn't that Luo Tian hadn't been wary of such simple tactics from a Pulse Flow Realm cultivator, but because his own cultivation level was lower, he felt constrained whenever they clashed.

Fortunately, Luo Tian had remained cautious, not putting all his strength into every blow, but reserving some for emergencies. His footwork shifted instantly, and his body dodged like lightning, avoiding his vital organs. However, his arm could not evade the strike, and the Metal-element energy sliced across it. Blood sprayed instantly.

"Senior Brother Luo!" Li Yang let out a roar, his heart filled with dread. Even if Luo Tian was the most outstanding Condensing Qi Realm cultivator, what did it matter? Against a Pulse Flow Realm expert, it still wasn't enough. A few more hits like that, and the disadvantage of Jiang Zhenglong’s missing arm would be negated. At this moment, Li Yang hated his own incompetence for being unable to help, and he hated his weakness even more—if he were strong, why would he ever need to be subjected to a villain like Jiang Zhenglong? He could have just slapped him to death!

"Go, Young Master Long, go!" Zhao Yishui, still shaken by the sight of Wang Lin’s corpse, gritted his teeth and called out in a low voice. He was terrified that if he didn't show his stance, Jiang Zhenglong would vent his frustrations on him and beat him to death, so his inner conflict was beyond words.

"Are you even human?" Li Yang finally snapped, cursing loudly. "Senior Brother Luo risked his life to come here to save you, and this is how you treat him?"

As a Pulse Flow Realm expert, Jiang Zhenglong’s senses were far superior to ordinary people. He heard the cheers from Zhao Yishui. Though he found them tiresome, his plan was working, and he was in a good mood. He watched Luo Tian with a cold, mocking smile.

Luo Tian didn't even glance at his wound, his eyes locked onto Jiang Zhenglong. He needed time for the wound to heal, so he did not rush back into combat, fearing it would hinder the process.

"Do you know how your fellow disciples died?" Jiang Zhenglong said softly. "Their bodies are in the room over there. If you want to choose how you’d like to die, I—"

Jiang Zhenglong, feeling triumphant, suddenly noticed that the wound on Luo Tian’s arm was sprouting new flesh; the pink hue was blinding, and Jiang Zhenglong even wondered if he was hallucinating.

"How are you healed?" Jiang Zhenglong was bewildered. "Essence of Immortality? Who on earth are you?"

How could the rubbish Shenyang Sect produce a genius at the ninth stage of the Condensing Qi Realm who had already mastered both the Essence of Blazing Heat and the Essence of Immortality? It was impossible. If such a thing were true, the Shenyang Sect would have treated him like a deity and sent him straight to Wanfeng City for rewards, not sent him on a suicide mission.

"I’m the one who’s going to take your life!"

Luo Tian’s body had recovered, so he had no interest in wasting more breath. He lunged forward again. As long as he wasn't struck in a vital spot, his life force would naturally mend his wounds.

Having been shocked by Luo Tian’s performance time and again, Jiang Zhenglong’s anger grew. With a cold snort, he engaged Luo Tian once more. Li Yang stared blankly at Luo Tian’s flickering figure, his mind unable to comprehend it. Just how powerful was Senior Brother Luo? It felt like a bottomless pit that could never be fully explored.

Zhao Yishui and the others dared not speak again. Seeing Luo Tian’s performance, was there actually a chance he could win? If that happened, what would become of them? Cold sweat broke out across their backs.

As Luo Tian and Jiang Zhenglong clashed again, even though he sustained several wounds, they healed rapidly; however, he still couldn't gain the upper hand. After all, Jiang Zhenglong was a Pulse Flow Realm expert. Even if his energy was partially annihilated whenever he was hit, the Essence of Golden Soup and his vast reserves of energy gave him the confidence to win a war of attrition.

Feeling his elemental energy draining rapidly, anxiety grew in Luo Tian’s heart. If everything went smoothly, he might not lose to Jiang Zhenglong even with his ninth-stage Condensing Qi cultivation. But the Essence of Golden Soup made Jiang Zhenglong like a tortoise; no matter how he attacked, he felt as though his strength was being wasted.

The Lost-Trace Steps, the Origin-Breaking Hands, the Transforming Origin True Gang fire energy, the Flame Hands—Luo Tian felt he had exhausted all his means, yet the results were negligible.

The Essence of Blazing Heat was not the most effective for offensive purposes, so it was insufficient against the Essence of Golden Soup. What could he do? Luo Tian had already diverted a portion of his focus to search through Qin Tianyu’s memories for information regarding fire-element essences, hoping for a clue.

"Kid, if I were you, I’d kill myself now to avoid a fate worse than death later!" Jiang Zhenglong felt victory was within his grasp and began to fantasize about how he would torment Luo Tian. Should he chop off his limbs and toss him into a water jar to slowly torture him, or inflict more wounds to study just how strong this "Essence of Immortality" really was? Jiang Zhenglong didn't know much about the Essence of Immortality, but he assumed it was just a matter of life force.

Luo Tian danced with the Lost-Trace Steps, circling Jiang Zhenglong. If he were facing an ordinary Pulse Flow expert, he would have had the confidence to kill him, but this Essence of Golden Soup was like a turtle shell that left no opening.

*Got it!*

Luo Tian, currently attacking like the wind, suddenly paused. Jiang Zhenglong would never miss such an opportunity and kicked out at Luo Tian’s abdomen. Luo Tian immediately regained his focus, dodged the kick, and began to carefully perceive his Transforming Origin True Gang fire energy. Specifically, he focused on the moment his energy, fused with the Origin-Breaking Hands, struck Jiang Zhenglong’s protective barrier and the process by which it disrupted his opponent’s energy.

"What? You think if you don't talk, I’ll let you go?" Jiang Zhenglong, relying on his thick defenses, couldn't be bothered to dodge much, only sidestepping Luo Tian’s attacks slightly. If he couldn't dodge, he simply traded blows. Even if his right arm couldn't attack and he suffered slightly, the cumulative damage put him at an advantage. If this continued, Luo Tian would never be his match.

Seeing Luo Tian remain silent, Jiang Zhenglong became even more arrogant. He might not be able to hit the little monkey right now, but it didn't matter. The boy couldn't run. As long as this continued, he would eventually find an opening to deliver a lethal blow. And even if he didn't, once he exhausted the boy’s energy, he would be at his mercy.

Jiang Zhenglong curled his lip into a cold sneer, as if he could already see Luo Tian kneeling on the ground begging for mercy like a mangy dog.

"Senior Brother Luo..." Li Yang sighed, sensing that the tide was against them. They had only intended to clear out a bandit group and do a good deed for the people, but who could have known that such a minor force was backed by a Pulse Flow Realm expert? Not only was their team captured, but Jiang Zhenglong had lured other disciples in like fish, torturing and slaughtering them right before their eyes—it was worse than beastly! And to claim these disciples were killed because of their crusade against the bandits? It was sickening.

Thinking that the handsome-looking Jiang Zhenglong could commit such acts, Li Yang gnashed his teeth. Besides Senior Brother Luo, how many good people were there among the handsome cultivators in the world?

"Young Master Long is truly amazing!"

"We’ll help you bury them later, and then we’ll change our names and never reveal a word of this!"

"Exactly, you don't have to worry about us talking!"

Li Yang’s hatred was boiling over. Seeing Zhao Yishui and the others showing off their ignorance right in front of him, his anger nearly exploded. "Shut up! You animals! Do you really think that bastard Jiang Zhenglong will spare you?"

"Who says he won't? As long as we don't make him angry..."

"If you want to die, don't drag us down with you while we look for a way to live! Do you expect Luo Tian to save us? Stop dreaming!"

Although they knew Li Yang was likely right and that Jiang Zhenglong would never let them go, Zhao Yishui and the others refused to give up, hoping to move Jiang Zhenglong with their sycophancy. One had to have delusions—what if they actually came true?

A brilliant light suddenly erupted in Luo Tian’s eyes. Within his elemental energy, a new, indescribable, and miraculous power emerged.

*Is this the Essence of Destruction?*

Luo Tian had no time to ponder it further. He immediately threw another punch, slamming it heavily into Jiang Zhenglong’s protective elemental energy.