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Chapter 172: Enter, Exceptional Body Refining Talent (2)
"Alright, let's rest for another hour," Li Yan said softly. "After that, we'll make our way to the entrance. The other factions might have already arrived."
Li Yan motioned for Zang Jing to follow him as he headed toward the main building in the courtyard house. Wu Yuan understood Li Yan's intentions and followed closely behind.
Whoosh! Whoosh! The duo swiftly entered the main building, and with a wave of Li Yan's hand, the door slammed shut, preventing any prying eyes from observing them. Only a few stools stood in the building.
"Brother Zang Jing, your reconnaissance and stealth skills have greatly improved," Li Yan softly marveled, his voice not audible to anyone but Wu Yuan.
"Its just a slight improvement," Wu Yuan casually chuckled.
"I'm glad that you've kept your promise, Brother Zang Jing," Li Yan said, smoothly revealing a set of armor made of black chainmail in his hand. On top of the chainmail was a white jade vial.
"Have a look, Brother Zang Jing. This is what we agreed on," Li Yan smiled. 150 drops of Ancient Immortal Dew and a suit of second-grade divine inner armor. The armor has been customized to your desired size and color."
"Mm, Brother Li, you are as straight to the point as ever," Wu Yuan smiled, reaching out and accepting the treasures. Without hesitation, he swiftly removed his outer clothing and the third-grade divine armor beneath, replacing it with the second-grade divine armor.
It was a perfect fit. While Wu Yuan's appearance and skin color were altered via Transfiguration, his height and physique were a replica of his original body.
Altering one's height and physique through Transfiguration had a noticeable impact on ones display of strength. It might not make much of a difference when facing weaker opponents, but in a battle between experts, life and death teetered on a delicate balance.
Lets test it out. Wu Yuan began to test the defensive capability and durability of his newly acquired body armor. Though he believed Li Yan wouldn't deceive him in this regard, he could not afford to be careless when it came to matters of life and death. Entrusting such critical matters to fate was the epitome of folly.
Li Yan observed silently from the sidelines, withholding any comments.
Wu Yuan's face broke into a slight smile as he remarked, "Not bad. No wonder they are considered a major faction. Their equipment truly sets them apart."
"Brother Li, rest assured, once we enter the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm, I will do my best to protect Big Jiu and Wang Two," Wu Yuan said softly.
For him, returning a favor was a matter of principle. Protecting a few subordinates? It was a trivial matter.
However, Wu Yuans voice grew slightly gentle yet deliberate, "I must confess, Brother Li, I do have some ties to the Cloudstride Sect. I hope you can instruct your men to minimize conflicts with their experts, and if possible, avoid killing them. Please, do not make things difficult for me."
Li Yan chuckled lightly, "I understand your concerns. Rest assured, I have already issued instructions to that effect."
"Oh, and one more thing. Brother Zang Jing," Li Yan lowered his voice, "I cannot say for sure which expert from Great Jin will make an appearance, but it is highly likely that the leader will possess spirit battle armor. There may even be more than one person equipped with it. Exercise caution."
"Spirit battle armor?" Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Indeed. It appears that Brother Zang Jing is already aware of what this entails, so I shall not go into further detail." Li Yan continued, "Also, I must remind you that Song Guang belongs to the Starcom Consortium, known for its vast wealth and treasures. He might also possess a suit of spirit battle armor."
Wu Yuan nodded subtly, a sense of vigilance building within him.
Spirit battle armor was a type of treasure explicitly mentioned in the books provided by The Rain Hierarch. Essentially, it belonged to the category of first-grade divine equipment.
Just as how second-grade divine weapons only possessed a trace of spirituality while first-grade divine weapons were capable of manipulating heaven and earth's power, there was also a qualitative difference between second-grade armor and first-grade armor.
For defensive equipment like hard battle armor, soft inner armor, and shields, each upgrade from superior equipment to third-grade to second-grade divine equipment was an increase in the equipments strength and resilience, allowing one to endure increasingly stronger blows.
Yet, they all had one flawthey lacked adaptability, making it challenging to protect the entire body!
In confrontations between experts, the tip of a saber or spear was aimed with extreme precision. It would strike directly for the eye, without even grazing the brow. That was why most experts only wore soft armor or chain mail. Heavy armor, while providing higher defense, hindered mobility. A moment's delay in a life-or-death battle would expose a weakness that the opponent could exploit.
However, first-grade divine armor could compensate for these weaknesses. As long as it recognized its owner, it could protect any part of the body. Even the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose could be shielded.
Spirit battle armor is typically reserved for Heavenly Rankers. Using qi as its source of power, the armor's ability to absorb impact is greatly enhanced. With Soul Force sensing ones surroundings, one no longer requires sight or hearing, thus enabling one to achieve full-body protection and the elimination of all vulnerabilities.
The chasm between a qi refiner and an ordinary martial artist was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.
If faced with an average Grandmaster like Wang Huang, Wu Yuan could defeat him in just five moves with the aid of heaven and earth's power. Even without heaven and earth's power, it was possible to kill him in twenty moves. However, if the opponent was wearing spirit battle armor, the dynamics would shift entirely. Vulnerabilities would become non-existent, leaving one to rely solely on the consecutive impacts of blows to achieve a fatal outcome.
It could be said that a Land Ranker in possession of such battle armor was nearly synonymous with being unkillable below the level of the Heavenly Rankings. However, spirit battle armor was exceedingly rare. In this world, numerous experts might boast possession of a first-grade divine weapon, but procuring a suit of spirit battle armor? In the World Land Rankings, only Emperor Jin, Jin Cang, was documented to own one.
It doesnt matter. Anyone who dares obstruct me from obtaining the two spiritual fruits shall meet their demise. Killing intent surged in Wu Yuans heart.
On the path of cultivation, it was only natural to seize treasures when the opportunity arose.
The entrance to the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm did not lie within Ly City but rather at Jiexian Mountain, situated over 200 li away. This mountain did not boast any particularly distinctive features. During both the era of the Chu-Jiang Empire and Great Jin's occupation of the Chu Continent, armies had been dispatched to guard it. Naturally, among the local populace, numerous rumors and legends surrounding the mountain had arisen.
The top-tier factions of the world were well aware that Jiexian Mountain served as the entrance to the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm.
The weakest member in Wu Yuan, Li Yan, Song Guang, and Tie Tuos group was still a Savant expert, thus they crossed 300 li in no time at all. As night descended, the group of twelve successfully evaded the patrolling army and ventured into the outskirts of Jiexian Mountain.
"Everyone, the entrance to the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm is not a cave, but rather the entirety of Jiexian Mountain," Li Yan explained with a smile. "Jiexian Mountain spans an area of approximately 200 li in radius, which is precisely why no power has been able to effectively seal it off."
Wu Yuan and the rest of the group nodded in agreement. Even for Heavenly Rankers, their immense Soul Force still couldnt cover a 200-li radius. Besides, the established agreements among the Heavenly Rankers from different factions kept them in check.
Additionally, while the treasures of the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm held great value for Land Rankers, they offered little to the Heavenly Rankers. Hence, the Heavenly Rankers didn't pay much attention to it.
"Everyone, please take out your Chu-Jiang Tokens," Li Yan instructed.
With a simple gesture, Li Yan produced a palm-sized golden token in his hand. Though the material of the token didn't resemble gold, it radiated a dazzling brightness. Its surface was adorned with intricate lines, resembling the convergence of countless riversa truly exquisite creation.
Witnessing this, Wu Yuan, Song Guang, and Tie Tuo also presented their Chu-Jiang Tokens. To everyone's surprise, when Wu Yuan revealed his token, it trembled ever so slightly, as did the one held by Li Yan. Subsequently, the tokens seemed to respond to each other, emitting a peculiar white light.
Wu Yuan was bewildered. "What does this mean?"
Li Yan appeared to have anticipated this development. "This implies that, aside from us, there are other Chu-Jiang Tokens somewhere else on the Jiexian Mountain. Once at least six Chu-Jiang Tokens are gathered here, the Immortal Realm will open."
Following Li Yan's words, Song Guang and Tie Tuo also revealed their tokens, which also glowed white.
Whysee's Thoughts
For your reference:
Equipment grade (Middle Land)
Equipment category
ninth, eighth, seventh
Ordinary
sixth, fifth, fourth
Superior
third, second
Divine
first grade
Divine/Spirit