Chapter 431: Do I Have the Qualifications Now?

Red lotuses bloomed above Hanshui City. Their immense power made Lu Yang's eyelids twitch, and he felt fortunate that Sect Master Qiu was fair-minded, not transferring his dissatisfaction with Lu Yang's master onto the next generation.

Five blasts of Red Lotus Karma Fire struck, depleting Qiu Jin'an's spiritual power. Governor Lü quickly used the power of national destiny to restore it to full capacity in the blink of an eye. With the power of national destiny, injuries and spiritual power were no longer concerns. As Emperor Xia said, those imbued with the power of national destiny feared protracted battles the least.

Qiu Jin'an wasn't surprised; it wasn't his first time fighting alongside someone who wielded such power.

"Good, very good!" Wu Youdao's body was riddled with injuries, his killing intent surging. Everyone in Hanshui City could feel it, as if plunged into an ice cave, shivering uncontrollably. This wasn't an attack method; rather, Wu Youdao was so powerful that his emotional fluctuations could affect those around him.

"Do you think mere Red Lotus Karma Fire can defeat me?" White mist rose from Wu Youdao's body, and under its cover, his injuries healed rapidly. Qiu Jin'an hadn't expected to accomplish the feat of challenging a higher realm merely with Red Lotus Karma Fire, especially bridging the gap between the Body Integration and Tribulation Transcension stages. Still, its minimal effect surprised him.

Lu Yang was confused, not understanding why the Red Lotus Karma Fire had such little effect on Wu Youdao. He asked, "Red Lotus Karma Fire is the karmic flame used by Buddhism to enlighten evildoers. Even a tiny bit can use evil karma as a catalyst to burn fiercely. Has he never committed evil deeds?"

Mang Gu and Zhao Po were also extremely puzzled. Regarding this, Meng Jingzhou could explain: "Didn't you see Wu Youdao's five-colored dragon and tiger qi? This is a symbol of an emperor. How can an emperor's actions be divided into good and evil?"

Qiu Jin'an and Governor Lü also realized this and changed their fighting strategy.

Wu Youdao didn't give them time to react. He attacked first, and countless chains appeared behind him. "Pagoda Purgatory Palm!" The chains were like a prison, as black as ink. They seemed to be forged from profound iron or similar material, yet also appeared to be condensed from immense spiritual power; their very existence was exceedingly strange.

"Tribulation Transcenders can forge substances that don't exist in the world. These chains must have been forged by Wu Youdao!" Qiu Jin'an emitted a five-colored divine light. Under its radiance, the "metal" in the purgatory quickly dissolved, leaving only the form condensed by immense spiritual power. Qiu Jin'an's words reminded Lu Yang of the Mother-Child River and Twin River created by the Immortal Fairy. If Tribulation Transcenders could forge non-existent substances, Immortals could only be stronger.

The chains were no longer a threat, but the force of Wu Youdao's palm strike was still heavy and unavoidable. Qiu Jin'an showed no fear. Five miniature, glazed flames appeared at the tips of his fingers. He changed his fist into a palm, and the five miniature flames merged. Even the faint aura of fire emanating from his fingers was enough to warp space. "Glazed Pure Flame!" The flame collided with the Pagoda Purgatory Palm. The two forces wrestled, like a dragon and a tiger locked in fierce combat, reaching a stalemate. Gradually, Qiu Jin'an's cultivation proved insufficient, and his power waned, causing the Glazed Pure Flame to fall into a disadvantage.

"I'm here too!" Governor Lü placed his palm against Qiu Jin'an, vigorously infusing a continuous stream of spiritual power and giving the Glazed Pure Flame renewed strength. "Great Luo Triple Force!" Wu Youdao suddenly retracted his force, then struck out with another palm. The three layers of Great Luo force, each stronger than the last, shattered the Glazed Pure Flame and struck Qiu Jin'an's chest. Qiu Jin'an quickly activated pressure points, temporarily sealing the triple force that was raging within him.

"Three Thousand Weak Waters!" Qiu Jin'an spewed forth Three Thousand Weak Waters. The vast Weak Waters flowed ceaselessly, submerging Wu Youdao. Wu Youdao tried to break free, but the Weak Water was so light that even a goose feather wouldn't float on it, and reed catkins would sink to the bottom. It was the lightest substance in the world; even with Wu Youdao's cultivation, it was difficult to escape. "Self-growing Soil!" Qiu Jin'an pulled out a piece of Self-growing Soil. This was a legendary immortal soil, something immortals had personally used. Every bit used meant one bit less, but now, he couldn't afford to care about that. The Self-growing Soil expanded upon contact with water and quickly multiplied when it encountered the Weak Water, burying Wu Youdao.

*Pleh* Only then did Qiu Jin'an spit out several mouthfuls of blood. This was the power of the Great Luo Triple Force. If he had spat blood earlier, Wu Youdao would surely have seized the opportunity to press his advantage, and they would truly have no chance of winning. Governor Lü quickly stepped forward to heal Qiu Jin'an and alleviate some of the Great Luo Triple Force.

*Crack* The Weak Water and Self-growing Soil didn't trap Wu Youdao for long. He surged out, full of rage, and lunged towards Qiu Jin'an. He realized that Qiu Jin'an was the most difficult opponent to deal with now; Governor Lü was secondary.

"Five-Colored Divine Light!" Qiu Jin'an fought desperately, continuously unleashing the Five-Colored Divine Light. He threw out elemental objects one after another, using no less than thirty kinds of true flames alone! Wu Youdao also stopped holding back and unleashed his killing moves.

"World-Shattering Finger!" Named "one finger," it was in reality a world. This technique condensed the power of "a universe in a palm" into his index finger. The fingerprint was so vast that four horses could gallop abreast within it!

"Three Flowers Converging at the Peak, Five Qi Returning to the Origin!" Qiu Jin'an refined essence into qi, qi into spirit, and spirit into emptiness, finally concentrating it at his crown, making him impervious to myriad calamities. The five qi of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth returned to their origin, converging at the Huangting (Yellow Court), achieving ultimate perfection and an ineffable state.

"Tanggu Water! Fusang Wood! Golden Crow True Flame!" Qiu Jin'an brought out three treasures, recreating the scene of the ten suns' birth. In terms of power, it was even stronger than True Monarch Meng Tian's "Ten Suns Patrolling the Sky!"

"Fusang Wood, so Fusang fell into your hands!"

The two engaged in fierce combat. Neither chose to defend, attacking each other with the most extreme force, trading injuries. Governor Lü couldn't even keep up with the changes in their fighting techniques; he could only continuously heal Qiu Jin'an.

*Pleh* Qiu Jin'an was sent flying, with countless broken ribs. Even his soul was damaged and unstable. "Very good! This is the first time I've seen a Body Integration stage cultivator fight me to such a standstill!" Wu Youdao was slightly stronger than Qiu Jin'an. Although his body was injured, it thankfully didn't harm his essence, and his soul was unharmed.

"Can you still fight?" Governor Lü secretly transmitted a message while healing Qiu Jin'an. "Damn it, my attack methods aren't enough!" Having reached this point, Qiu Jin'an was getting desperate. He cursed, "If we had another Body Integration stage cultivator similar to me, or someone like the old rogue Buyu, we could win!" "Where would we even find someone like that?" Governor Lü's eyes widened. If it were just a matter of numbers, it would be easy enough, but this clearly wasn't something a few more Body Integration cultivators could resolve.

Wu Youdao laughed loudly, unconcerned by their discussion. "I've already thoroughly checked everyone in Hanshui City. There's no one like that here."

"Oh really? Have you checked me?"

A strange voice came from below, alerting the three combatants. "Who's speaking?"

A man wearing a white paper hat slowly flew out from the house where the sacrificial ghosts were kept. Step by step, he ascended into the sky. Wu Youdao saw through the man's cultivation level at a glance and scoffed at his overestimation of himself. "Just a mere Body Integration stage cultivator in the early phase? Do you really qualify to join our fight?"

The man in the white paper hat didn't respond. At the same time, hundreds of people emerged from their houses in the city and walked onto the empty streets, making them particularly conspicuous. When some fierce ghosts saw them, they viciously pounced, intent on killing them, but one of the people casually struck them down. These hundreds of people had diverse appearances and varied identities: some were thieves, some were con artists, some were accountants, some were restaurant waiters, and some were barbecue shop employees.

As the man in the white paper hat ascended into the sky step by step, these hundreds of people ascended one after another, merging with him. The cultivation level of the man in the white paper hat continuously rose, like a surging river flowing upstream, rapidly soaring at a terrifying speed: Early Body Integration, Middle Body Integration, Late Body Integration... Half-step Tribulation Transcension! He stood opposite Wu Youdao and asked calmly, "Do I qualify now?"