C19 Half Step Diamond Stage

The Withered Bone Elder emerged unscathed, while Zhang Chen was compelled to stagger back several steps.

"Youngster, I've reached the Half Step Unbreakable Diamond. Do you really think you, a mere Master Stage cultivator, could harm me even if I stood still?" The Withered Bone Elder let out a cold laugh as he watched Zhang Chen recoil.

Zhang Chen's heart seized at the Elder's words. It had never crossed his mind that the Withered Bone Elder had attained the Half Step Diamond Stage, his body as impervious as ironclad, resistant to the bite of blade and spear alike.

Despite Zhang Chen's Master Stage prowess and the strength of nine bulls and two tigers, he was clearly outmatched by the Withered Bone Elder, who had achieved the Half Step Unbreakable Diamond.

With an icy gaze fixed on Zhang Chen, the Withered Bone Elder stood immovable above the grisly landscape of corpses and blood. "Out of pity for your youthful ignorance, I'll be merciful. Leave the half-Dao Artifact you possess, and I'll spare you from the fate of this mountain of corpses and sea of blood!"

"Don't let his words deceive you. The Yin Fiend Profound Fire continues to flood into his body, rendering him immobile. Besides, being at the Half Step Unbreakable Diamond doesn't mean he's without vulnerabilities!"

"Where is his weakness?" Zhang Chen, now reassured, pressed for an answer.

"Until one reaches the Diamond Stage, the body's nine apertures are all potential weaknesses. If he's at the Half Step Unbreakable Diamond, then the flaw must lie within these nine spots!"

A human body possesses nine apertures: the ears, nostrils, eyes, mouth, and the lower and back yin, all of which are vulnerable points. Only at the Diamond Stage does one's body become entirely seamless, devoid of any weaknesses. But the Withered Bone Elder was merely at the Half Step Unbreakable Diamond, so he certainly had a weak spot.

Seated in meditation amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, the Withered Bone Elder had only his back yin as a flaw that Zhang Chen could not directly strike.

Realizing this, Zhang Chen instantly pinpointed his vulnerability!

"Withered Bone Elder, the Yin Fiend within you has paralyzed you, and you're merely at the Half Step Unbreakable Diamond. Your physical form is incomplete, surely there's a weak spot!" Zhang Chen's gaze bore into the Withered Bone Elder, a ruthless glint flickering in his eyes.

As expected, the Withered Bone Elder's complexion drastically shifted upon hearing Zhang Chen's declaration.

"Young fool, you've cornered me. I must slay you today! And by claiming that half-Dao Artifact you possess, my losses will be recouped!"

Uttering these words was agonizing for the Withered Bone Elder. To forge the Yin Fiend Profound Fire, he had ventured thousands of miles to the Jinhan Principality, massacring hundreds of thousands in Wuuha, and expended a great deal to arrange the Yin Fiend Profound Fire Formation. He was on the cusp of ascending to the Diamond Stage, only to have his efforts thwarted by two juniors.

His breakthrough thwarted today, who knew when another chance would come? Yet, securing a half-Dao Artifact was a consolation, a sure gain amidst the loss!

In the midst of speaking, the Withered Bone Elder was ready to sever his link with the Yin Fiend Profound Fire Formation to proceed with Zhang Chen's execution.

But just then, his face contorted, his body jolting upward as if impaled on something sharp!

It was 'Pan'!

The Universe Diagram's Artifact Spirit, the Young Man In White, 'Pan', had seized the moment of distraction during the exchange between Zhang Chen and the Withered Bone Elder to deliver a lethal blow, piercing right through the Withered Bone Elder's lower back.

With a thunderous crash, Zhang Chen simultaneously slammed his palm onto the crown of the Withered Bone Elder's head.

Striking from above and below! Even at the Half Step Unbreakable Diamond, the Withered Bone Elder was no match.

In an instant, the Withered Bone Elder's form spiraled out of control, plummeting into the abyss of the corpse sea below, vanishing from sight.

'Pan' wasted no time, sweeping the entire corpse sea into the Universe Diagram, and the palace, once awash with the Corpse Tide, was swiftly restored to a state of serene tranquility.

After the Withered Bone Elder and the numerous corpses were taken, the Universe Diagram vanished without a trace, unresponsive to any of his calls. With the Withered Bone Elder's demise, Zhang Chen felt a sense of relief and quickly went to check on Tian Yuling's condition.

As night fell in a secluded corner of the Wuuha Imperial Palace, Zhang Chen looked with a furrowed brow at the still-unconscious Tian Yuling. Her condition was dire, but not beyond hope. If she took an Energy Gathering Pill to replenish her Genuine Energy, she could expel the Yin Fiend from her body upon awakening.

Tian Yuling, the daughter of the Spiritual Pill Hall's Master, had taken Energy Gathering Pills before, so she was likely to have some on her person. Setting aside concerns of propriety, Zhang Chen searched her and found an Energy Gathering Pill, which he then administered to her.

Before long, Tian Yuling began to stir. "Junior Brother Zhang... where are we? What happened to the Withered Bone Elder?" she asked, seeing the urgency on Zhang Chen's face.

"Senior Sister Tian, now that you're awake, you must circulate your Genuine Energy to heal your injuries. I'll explain everything else in due time," Zhang Chen replied.

Tian Yuling, harboring the perilous Yin Fiend Power within her, knew the importance of expelling it promptly to avoid lasting harm that could hinder her advancement to the Diamond Stage. She refrained from further questions and focused on her recovery.

Zhang Chen had resolved to keep the truth about the Universe Diagram from Tian Yuling. He fabricated a seamless story, telling her that the Withered Bone Elder had perished in the Yin Fiend Profound Fire Formation, leaving no remains, and that the Corpse Tide had been transformed into a mass of Yin Fiend Profound Fire.

Tian Yuling listened to Zhang Chen's detailed account with a hint of skepticism but chose to concentrate on healing instead of probing further. After a session of circulating Genuine Energy, her injuries were not fully healed but were under control. She then turned her grateful gaze to Zhang Chen, who had been vigilantly by her side, and said, "I owe you a great debt for this battle, Junior Brother Zhang. Without you, I surely would have perished."

"Senior Sister Tian, don't downplay your role. Without your valiant effort, I never would have managed to defeat the Withered Bone Elder." Zhang Chen was acutely aware that without Tian Yuling's assistance, even with the aid of the Universe Diagram, the victory over the Withered Bone Elder would have been unattainable.

"The Withered Bone Elder, a practitioner of the Devil Dao ranked ninety-seventh on the Mission Ranking, was worth thirty thousand Merits and Virtues upon his defeat. We've secured the seed of the Yin Fiend Profound Fire; it's time we head back to our sect. Despite sustaining injuries in the battle, I've gained much from the experience. Once we return, I may be able to condense a cyclone and reach the Peak of the Energy Master Stage."

Entering the Energy Master Stage begins with gathering Qi in the Dantian, but reaching the Peak of the Energy Master Stage requires condensing Genuine Energy into a cyclone within the Lower Dantian. Achieving this level offers the prospect of advancing to the Diamond Stage.

Having collected the seed of the Yin Fiend Profound Fire, Zhang Chen also captured the Fire Repelling Cold Toad and harvested venom from the Green Scorpion. Several days later, they embarked on their return journey.

En route, Zhang Chen did a quick tally and realized he had earned a total of 330 Merits and Virtues from this venture. Once Tian Yuling claimed her reward for the Withered Bone Elder's defeat, he would possess 15,330 Merits and Virtues. If converted into Blood Nourishing Pills, that would equate to 15,330 pills—more than enough for ten individuals to cultivate to the Energy Master Stage.

However, Zhang Chen's excitement over their gains didn't cloud his judgment; he still had an important matter to discuss with Tian Yuling.