Chapter 2109: Heavenly Dao Hammer Technique

In his perception, the pointer spun continuously, unable to stop.

This situation indicates either extremely chaotic spiritual energy or extremely stable spiritual energy, where the density of spiritual energy is identical in all directions: up, down, front, back, left, and right.

"Spiritual energy is like a water flow. Water in a dry well can be perfectly still, but as soon as someone or something enters, ripples are bound to form..."

Thoughts flashed in his mind, sparking like ideas.

"I've entered this space, but the spiritual energy I perceive hasn't changed at all. This can only mean one thing: either the spiritual energy here is incredibly strange and defies common sense, or... the spiritual energy I'm sensing is wrong! This confinement formation is creating an illusion, preventing cultivators from even distinguishing spiritual energy!"

Although he had never seen this particular formation before, countless books and knowledge about formations from the Master Teacher Continent and the Firmament appeared in his mind. Things that were difficult for others to understand were not complex for him.

"Seal the six senses!"

Understanding that the formation's main effect was to interfere with a cultivator's senses, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes tightly and, with a thought, sealed his six senses.

In an instant, he seemed to enter a gloomy, dark place, unable to see or hear, and even his spirit fell into a slumber.

After a moment of silence, he "saw" a water clock appear in his vision.

The water clock was not large; water dripped from it onto the ground, making a ticking sound.

"That's it!"

With a low cry, Zhang Xuan remained still. Inside his dantian, a sword hum resonated. The God's Sword Intent, which had integrated with his body, suddenly leaped out. With a gentle sway, it transformed into a giant sword spanning heaven and earth, slashing down towards the water clock.

Whoosh!

The pitch-black curtain was torn down, and light returned to his vision.

Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and indeed saw that the previously pitch-dark hall was now illuminated like daytime by countless burning torches.

"This confinement formation truly traps the mind..."

Exhaling, Zhang Xuan knew he had made the right gamble.

This type of formation completely trapped a person, preventing even their soul from escaping. To break it, there was only one method: distrust everything seen, heard, or scanned by divine perception, seal the six senses, and search using one's purest inner senses.

It had little to do with understanding formations. As long as one's heart was pure and their mental state strong, they could quickly discover and break it.

This meant that even someone completely ignorant of formations could, like him, successfully break out.

"Breaking the Soul Punishing Formation in less than one-tenth of the allotted time indicates excellent cultivation and mental state. You are now qualified to enter the second level!"

Master Kong's voice continued to resonate.

A flight of stone steps suddenly appeared.

"Soul Punishing Formation? Qualified? What are you up to?"

Zhang Xuan was utterly confused.

He had expected that since the other party knew he would arrive via the altar, they would have prepared an ambush of countless pseudo-gods to kill him. He never dreamed it would be another formation, leading to a second level...

What exactly was this guy playing at?

The surroundings remained quiet, and no one replied.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stepped towards the stairs.

As he stepped onto the first stair, he immediately felt a unique pressure bearing down on him, as if trying to expel his soul from his body.

"This must be from a true god..."

Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Xuan continued forward.

The power before him created a sense of helplessness deep within, like the suppression of a bloodline or a food chain.

It was similar to how an ordinary person's legs would involuntarily weaken upon seeing a roaring tiger.

It originated from the depths of the soul, impossible to hide from or refuse.

However... to him, it was nothing significant.

The pendant on his chest emitted warmth, and the pressure instantly vanished without a trace. Zhang Xuan walked steadily, soon reaching the second level of the room.

It was also a spacious hall. On the surrounding walls hung eight scroll paintings arranged in the pattern of a Bagua formation, seemingly suppressing something.

Zhang Xuan looked closely.

The paintings depicted eight figures: some held long swords, others long sabers, some iron whips, and others iron hammers... Each figure had a different appearance and posture.

Even before he approached, he felt an oppressive sensation radiating from the paintings, pressing down on him, giving him a sense of sharpness.

"The artistic skill of these paintings is not high, but... the artists themselves are extremely powerful! Despite being simple strokes, they have imbued the spirit of the depicted figures into the works, making it impossible for even peak pseudo-god experts to resist..."

Zhang Xuan had already reached the realm of a Nine-Star Painter and Calligrapher on the Master Teacher Continent. His understanding of painting and calligraphy, if not comparable to Master Kong's, certainly wasn't far behind.

The scrolls before him had simple brushstrokes and a rough style, something an ordinary Three-Star Painter and Calligrapher on the Master Teacher Continent could produce. However... the divine charm and power contained within them were beyond such artists' capabilities.

Even he might not be able to achieve it.

"Could it be... a true god personally painted these?"

Only a true god painting them personally could infuse such immense power into ordinary paper, allowing them to retain such potent might after so many years.

Of the eight scrolls, six were in color. One had become dim, like a black and white photograph, and another had lost half its color, appearing odd, leaving him unsure whether it was incomplete or for some other reason.

After observing for a while, finding no useful clues and hearing no further words from Master Kong, Zhang Xuan approached one of the paintings.

To leave, it must be related to these paintings, and he had to find a way to solve their mysteries.

The painting before him depicted a tall, muscular man with eyes like brass bells, wielding an iron hammer with great power.

With slight hesitation, he extended a finger and touched it.

He vanished from his spot and reappeared in an incredibly vast wilderness.

The entire place was pale white, devoid of green grass, vegetation, or walls, like an ethereal dream.

"Let's begin!"

Zhang Xuan looked up and saw the figure from the painting, holding two enormous iron hammers, glaring coldly at him.

"Am I... inside the painting?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

This was indeed the figure from the painting. He hadn't expected that by touching it, he too would enter the scroll and become part of it.

"Why should I fight?"

Seeing the murderous intent from the other side, Zhang Xuan frowned.

He didn't even know why he had entered the painting. Fight... why should he fight?

"If you don't fight, you'll be trapped here forever. Don't even think about leaving..."

With a cold snort, the brawny man with the twin hammers, regardless of Zhang Xuan's agreement, swung his hammers, creating a whooshing sound as they crushed down.

Before the hammers even reached him, Zhang Xuan's body stiffened, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

The strength of the figure in the painting actually surpassed that of the peak pseudo-god who had self-destructed earlier. In fact... it was no weaker than Master Kong's!

"A true god..."

In an instant, he understood. The person before him, even if not a true god, was very close.

He raised his hand, intending to summon his long sword, only to realize that his storage ring had lost connection with his spirit. And in his palm, two enormous iron hammers, identical to the opponent's, had appeared at some unknown point.

He hadn't expected weapons to be restricted within the painting. Zhang Xuan's face twitched, looking grim: "I've never specifically cultivated with a hammer..."

He had practiced sword arts, spear arts, saber arts... but he had never encountered or used a hammer.

Before this thought fully registered, the opponent was already before him, their hammers descending through the air with a mighty roar.

When attacking with hammers, power was key. The moves lacked the agility of sword arts but gave the impression that one had no choice but to block, yet found it impossible to resist.

Stepping back, he dodged the attack. Zhang Xuan felt anxious: "I'll have to learn it now..."

Although he currently didn't know hammer martial arts or fighting methods, he had read countless secret manuals on such techniques from the Master Teacher Continent to the Firmament. They had always been stored in the Library of Heaven's Path, just never retrieved!

Since he could only use hammers in the painting, he might as well learn them now.

"Correct!"

He gathered all the cultivation techniques and secret manuals related to hammers in the Library of Heaven's Path and, with a thought, activated it.

A brand-new book appeared before his eyes. With a gentle tap, the knowledge flowed into his mind.

Although frequently using the Library would produce a grayish mist, in a crisis, he couldn't afford to worry about that.

He could figure out how to deal with the mist later; if he didn't use the Library now, he might very well be bludgeoned to death by this guy.

Due to the Heaven's Path seal, the Library here could only detect flaws in other items. However, forming correct cultivation techniques from the books it contained was still very easy.

Dodging and learning simultaneously, after a few breaths, the Heaven's Path Hammer Art was fully comprehended and integrated into his own knowledge.

With his newfound understanding of hammer techniques, Zhang Xuan's aura suddenly changed. He transformed into a drawn long sword, sharp yet austere.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Iron hammer clashed against iron hammer. Zhang Xuan's web of thumb and forefinger felt numb, but his opponent gained no advantage either, and their attacks were no longer as swift.

"If I keep fighting like this, I might not win even if my True Qi runs out. I need to find another way..."

Although the opponent was merely a figure from a painting, their strength was comparable to a true god's. While Zhang Xuan, having advanced, could contend with them, winning wouldn't be easy. In fact, if he continued, he would eventually fail due to excessive energy depletion!

After all, as long as the painted figure remained within the painting, its power was endless, like a perpetual motion machine. He, on the other hand, no matter how profound his reserves, would eventually exhaust them.

"The opponent's hammer art is even more profound than my Heaven's Path Hammer Art. If I can integrate it into my own martial arts, I should be able to win..."

An idea emerged.

Although he had learned the Heaven's Path Hammer Art, he was still slightly inferior to his opponent. Winning wouldn't be easy... unless he thoroughly learned the opponent's moves as well.

Then, by combining the two, he could create an even more powerful martial art!

Thinking this, he didn't hesitate and quickly observed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The opponent's iron hammers continued to bear down, and Zhang Xuan memorized every move.

After fighting for a hundred moves, his brows furrowed, and a strange look appeared in his eyes.

"His hammer art only has... twelve moves in total. All other moves are merely transformations and derivations of these?"