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Chapter 168: Chapter 165: Distinction
Devils, before reaching the Divinity Transformation Realm, typically have a significant advantage over human cultivators in combat.
Ordinary devils, if equipped with heavy armor and war swords like human cultivators, are sufficiently powerful to combat those in the Gang Condensation stage.
However, this advantage gradually diminishes after entering the Divinity Transformation Realm.
Divinity Transformation Cultivators, relying on the advantage of flying swords, can often suppress Middle-level Demons.
Only those Middle-level Demons who are skilled in speed and defense can quickly close in to obliterate the Divinity Transformation Cultivators.
As for Primordial Spirit True Monarchs...
The disadvantages of Upper-level Demons become increasingly obvious.
Aside from avian Upper-level Demons, other Great Demons of the same rank can only passively withstand the onslaught when facing a Primordial Spirit True Monarch.
And avian Upper-level Demons, typically having weaker defenses, are at a disadvantage against the onslaught of flying swords, still making the chance of victory slightly higher for the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
This situation continues until the stage of Demon Demon Kings, where a change occurs.
At the stage of Great Demons, their attacks are limited to their strength and physical constitution.
But when they reach the stage of Demon Demon Kings, the power of their Qi Blood has concentrated to its peak, and when this power merges with the demonic Qi they inherently carry, it enables Demon Demon Kings to acquire long-range attack capabilities.
It’s akin to the leap from Qi Refinement to Gang Condensation.
The attack range of a Demon Demon King suddenly increases by hundreds to thousands of meters, and can even reach several kilometers if they develop related Divine Skills.
Even if the Primordial Spirit True Monarch’s flying swords are fast, at a distance of a kilometer, it’s still challenging to strike down the Demon Demon King before they can react.
In such circumstances, Demon Demon Kings have the ability to readily destroy the flying swords of a Primordial Spirit True Monarch and to combat the Devas head-on.
Upon reaching the level of Demon Demon Emperors, with a perfected Undying Demon Body, they can develop a second form.
In this form, demons typically evolve the ability to fly, completely negating the cultivators’ aerial advantage.
For fear of being overtaken and slapped to death, the Devas had to find ways to enhance their own strength.
Thus, the cultivators who followed the stage of Deva emulated the Undying Demon Body and forged the Saint Body.
This includes cultivation methods like the Immortal Golden Body.
With the Immortal Golden Body, cultivators have the power to contend with the Undying Demon Body.
...
Gu Jinlai flipped through the Purgatory Reincarnation Technique.
"Devils are strongest in the second stage, their advantage expands to the maximum at the beginning of the third stage, but by the end of it, the advantage drops to the lowest. By the fourth stage, the two sides gradually level out, with no clear superiority."
Gu Jinlai commented.
However, this statement is not absolute.
Like him, with a Middle Level Demon Body, because he comprehended Mental Realm, flying swords could not harm him either.
Moreover, having mastered All Swords Return to One, with techniques such as Ten Directions Annihilation that extend the attack range to hundreds of meters, facing a Primordial Spirit True Monarch, he was not without the power to resist.
Of course, if that Primordial Spirit True Monarch were very cautious, always ensuring to attack from a kilometer away, he could only look on helplessly, reduced to passively taking hits like the Demon Ape Commander.
"Not necessarily so,"
Gu Jinlai suddenly declared, "While my physical constitution and Recovery ability isn’t on par with that of the Demon Ape Commander, as a Heavenly Monarch, I master various Soul Secret Techniques. I can completely use the Eternal Heavenly Curse to strike against the flying swords, reducing their speed. Then, with the Mysterious nature of the Mental Realm, I can directly shatter the flying swords, or even seize them... Without their flying swords, be it Divinity Transformation or Primordial Spirit, they become like de-fanged tigers, with their threat greatly diminished."
Furthermore...
If the flying sword is destroyed, both Divinity Transformation and Primordial Spirit will suffer backlash.
If he persistently pursues and catches up, by the time the Primordial Spirit True Monarch has exhausted most of their True Qi and is forced to land, he can swoop in, manifest the Great Sun True Demon Body, and squash them with one slap.
"Perhaps... even without using the Heavenly Sword Missile, I am now capable of engaging a Primordial Spirit True Monarch in a life-or-death battle,"
Gu Jinlai thought to himself.
Of course, this was just his speculation.
How it would truly unfold could only be known after the battle.
"Primordial Spirit True Monarch..."
Gu Jinlai looked up, his gaze drifting towards the direction of the Yunqi Mountain Range.
To be precise...
It landed on Dragon Sparrow Manor, located within Jiangzhou State.
He had already sent people to investigate the collusion between Dragon Sparrow Manor and devils. Although the news has yet to come through, there is a nine out of ten chance it’s true.
Therefore, it might not be long before he would truly face such a level of adversary.
"For safety... I need more security,"
Gu Jinlai glanced at the Qiankun Talisman hanging from his body.
Thousands of devils.
He needed to utilize these Merits as soon as possible and exchange them for practical materials.
...
Outside Changjun City, in Green Shade County.
At this moment, a team was escorting towards the county town.
This team consisted of a hundred people, including not only merchants but also about thirty individuals carrying swords and blades.
Among these thirty-odd people, the one who attracted the most attention was a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties.
"As expected of an expert from Tianyu Martial Arts Hall, our Zhou Family’s trading team has a strong guard force as well, mostly consisting of ex-soldiers, many of whom have been selected into elite combat teams. The captain at the forefront has reached the Refining Organ Realm, but compared to this Tianyu Sword, he still appears slightly inferior."
"I heard he’s only around twenty-four this year, yet he’s already at the peak of the Blood Exchange Realm?! Is that true? Our Zhou family is considered a major clan locally, but such elite experts can be counted on one hand."
"One of the top ten masters among the young generation in Green Shade County, how could he not be formidable? This Tianyu Sword alone, with a single blade, fought against thirty-one formidable bandits half a year ago! How excellent are his swordsmanship and movement technique?"
A hubbub of discussions rose among the crowd, with everyone looking at the young man with eyes full of reverence and admiration.
Although Green Shade County is no match for places like Huayin County, where a single county town can have a population of a hundred thousand, it is still not considered a small county among the dozens of counties under Changjun City.
For the young man to be known as one of the top ten young masters of Green Shade County, his cultivation must be extraordinary.
Within Blue Star Central Earth Country, he would be hopeful of being admitted to one of the top universities.
The young man paid no attention to the chatter of the people around him.
These people were merely passersby in his life.
Instead, it was a girl who looked under twenty by his side who raised her chin proudly: "Senior brother, once you return this time, you should be preparing for your breakthrough into the Qi Refining Realm, right?"
The man glanced at her and nodded, "I have had some insights. Whether I can complete the step of Refine Void to Reality, we’ll have to see the results of the cultivation at that time."
"I believe senior brother will definitely succeed."
The girl looked at him with worship in her eyes: "Qi Refining Realm, that’s already a whole new domain. Once you step into it, from now on, senior brother will be like a dragon roaming the sea and a tiger entering the forest, with limitless prospects for the future."
"I only have some insights, whether I can break through is still an unknown. With our master being the head of Tianyu Martial Arts Hall in Green Shade County, commanding hundreds of disciples in his prime, he is merely at the Qi Refining Realm. I am not entirely confident about reaching that realm in the future."
The man shook his head.
He was very clear about the difficulty of Refine Void to Reality and stepping into the Qi Refining Realm.
Body Refining, Organ Refining, Blood Exchange, as long as you practice diligently and have proper nutrition, you can always achieve them, but generating True Qi...
How many such masters are there in the whole of Green Shade County?
A man in his twenties, what made him think he could break into a circle of the county’s top masters, which numbered only in the dozens?
"Boom boom boom!"
Right then, a rumbling sound that caused the ground to shake approached.
The experienced captain of the merchant caravan’s guard immediately shouted, "There’s a large troop passing by, quick, move aside!"
Following his shout, everyone busied themselves.
"Roar!"
Soon, a deafening roar came from ahead.
The mere oppressive force contained within the roar made countless faces in the caravan pale.
"A Fierce Beast?! A Demon?!"
Quickly, a gigantic creature appeared in everyone’s view. Even without standing upright, it was still over seven meters tall, resembling a giant T-Rex, and it had a metallic luster emanating from its body.
Seeing this gigantic T-Rex and the metal shine on its body, the originally terrified members of the merchant caravan seemed to realize something.
"Is this... a Mechanical Tyrannosaurus?!"
Lingxiao City had never stopped publicizing its might to surrounding cities, allowing them to quickly recognize this colossal creature which common people might not have the chance to see in a lifetime.
"A Mechanical Tyrannosaurus! It’s the City Lord’s mount, the Mechanical Tyrannosaurus!"
"I recognize that flag; it’s the City Lord’s Personal Guard! Known as the Demon God Guard! It is said that every one of them is stronger than Qi Refining Sect leaders and masters!"
"It’s the City Lord’s troop! I’m fortunate to actually witness the City Lord’s troop!"
Soon, someone cried out.
All at once, everyone’s demeanor became excited.
Especially when that troop drew closer...
The leading Mechanical Tyrannosaurus, the accompanying T-Rex, and the large numbers of Swift Dragons passing by caused everyone’s blood to boil with excitement.
"It’s the City Lord, the real City Lord! We’ve seen with our own eyes the chaos in other regions of Star State, with officials extorting and colluding with local clans and bandits, almost to the point where we can’t survive. However, in a few of our cities, under the City Lord’s governance, the administration is clear, officials and soldiers commit no injustices against us, and in times of danger, they are the first to rescue and soothe the people. All this is brought to us by the City Lord."
"I heard that not long ago, Demons and Fierce Beasts invaded Baihe City, but the City Lord led his army in one battle to defeat tens of thousands of beasts and several thousand Demons."
"Long live, long live our City Lord!"
As time passed, some people couldn’t help but cheer loudly, the atmosphere becoming very fervent.
Listening to the cheering around him, the young man known as Tianyu Sword also had his eyes shining.
Looking at the Demon God Guards in their sharp, cold armors, and their imposing and ferocious Swift Dragon mounts, he couldn’t help but imagine himself as one of them, being revered by thousands.
"A man born between heaven and earth should wield a three-foot sword to achieve unparalleled deeds! What counts as respect in a small Green Shade County? I, Zhang Tianyu, aim to be the very best one."
The young man stood up, full of vigor: "Lingxiao City has opened up recruitment for the Demon God Guards, junior sister, tell master that I’m going to Lingxiao City. In the future, I will definitely make them proud of me!"
