Chapter 270 : Half-Step Yang Spirit
Chapter 270: Half-Step Yang Spirit
“There’s still one left.”
Chen Ming had slaughtered seventeen First Grade prisoners in a row. His eyes were bloodshot as he pushed open the final door—only to find the cell empty.
“Where’s the person?”
His fevered mind cooled instantly.
Something was wrong.
His instincts went on alert.
The key had been taken from the prison warden slain by Zhou Yuan—there was only this single copy. By logic, if any prisoner wanted to escape, they would have to violently break the cell door.
Yet this one was completely intact.
Could it be that the prisoner had just been taken away?
Just then, Princess Lingyu suddenly spoke. “Do you feel it?”
“What?”
“A powerful and evil spiritual sense.”
Chen Ming’s heart skipped a beat. A moment later, he too sensed that malicious aura—a strong and sinister divine sense sweeping over them.
It felt cold, clammy, and serpentine, as though a poisonous snake had fixed its gaze on him.
He drew a sharp breath.
That evil divine sense felt familiar—eerily similar to a wisp of the Undying Demon Venerable’s divine soul he had encountered before.
The Undying Sect?
Not good—this one had come for him!
Chen Ming cursed inwardly. Fortunately, he had acted decisively, killing every single prisoner and earning over thirty million experience points.
With that much stored energy, he finally had the confidence to face this peril.
Princess Lingyu said grimly, “This isn’t a martial artist’s divine sense. A cultivator? An evil one? No—it’s the Eternal Life Cult, the Undying Sect!”
She gripped her sword tightly, her eyes flickering with strange light. “Looks like the rumors were true. A wisp of the Undying Demon Venerable’s divine soul escaped suppression—and now seeks to throw the world into chaos.”
From her tone, Chen Ming heard a trace of excitement. He thought to himself that for a princess of her standing to have been locked away in the Celestial Prison—there truly was reason behind it.
“Fourth Sister, take this.”
Princess Lingyu pulled out a white jade pendant from her robes and handed it to Princess Mingyu. “The Undying Sect excels at corrupting minds. Be careful not to fall under their influence. I’d hate to be the one to end you myself.”
“Mm.”
Princess Mingyu clenched the jade tightly and nodded. She knew her eldest sister never spoke empty words. If she were truly corrupted, her sister would indeed send her on her way with her own hands.
“Gu Xianyu, the same goes for you. If you fall under that demon’s control, I’ll personally kill you as well.”
Chen Ming glanced at her confidence and said calmly, “If Your Highness is possessed, I won’t kill you. I’ll simply knock you out and deliver you to the Celestial Master Residence for judgment.”
Princess Lingyu smiled faintly. “I admire your confidence. Unfortunately, your cultivation is too low. The opponent is about to condense his Yang Spirit—half a step into the Divine Repository Realm. No matter how exquisite your swordsmanship or movement techniques, your divine sense is too weak. With a single exchange, your mind will be seized.”
There was regret in her tone. Such a peerless genius—destined to die here.
She had even planned to spar with him someday after he advanced to First Grade.
What a pity.
“Ha ha ha—!”
A wild, echoing laugh resounded. “Boy, I truly must thank you! By killing so many First Grades, you’ve saved me all the trouble and helped me cross the final threshold. I’m about to ascend to Yang Spirit! You’ve spared me great effort!”
The voice came from everywhere at once, impossible to locate.
Chen Ming asked, “You’re here for me?”
“Indeed. Someone wanted me to kill you. But I’ve changed my mind. To slay a prodigy who, with a Second Grade body, slaughters First Grades like chickens—what a waste. Your body, boy, will be mine.
“With it, I shall cultivate both martial and spiritual paths, and let this flesh step into the Divine Repository Realm. Then tell me—who in this world could stand against me?”
The voice grew more frenzied as it spoke.
Chen Ming had met many from the Eternal Life Cult before. He knew their kind well.
In truth, they advanced too quickly—their tempering too shallow. The defects in their minds only grew worse.
Especially the Undying Sect, who strengthened themselves by devouring the divine souls of others. Devouring weaker cultivators could be digested with time—but swallowing seventeen of one’s peers in a single breath? That would drive anyone mad.
Chen Ming remained calm. While the enemy was speaking, he poured thirty million experience points into [Five Elements True Art (Incomplete)], raising it to Level 87.
He felt his power surge and worked to stabilize it.
Princess Lingyu, sensing something amiss, glanced his way with faint suspicion.
“Let me first get rid of these two troublesome women.”
The moment that voice fell, Chen Ming felt the world darken.
Everything vanished into shadow.
He could no longer see nor sense anything—the world had become a black abyss, his divine sense sealed away.
“This… a domain, like a Sword Domain? One that blocks divine perception?”
He thought quickly.
That half-step Yang Spirit might be unstable, but its combat instincts remained. It planned to deal with them one by one.
His five senses were cut off; he could neither see nor hear.
It was pure suppression of realm. Divine sense was his greatest weakness, and the gap between them was nearly two major realms.
Thankfully, the opponent hadn’t yet crossed the final step. Without surviving Heavenly Tribulation, it hadn’t truly become a Yang Spirit. Otherwise, death would’ve been certain.
“Fortunately, I learned a secret art from Wang Chenzi recently—one made to slay ghost souls.”
Chen Ming opened his panel: [God-Smiting Thorn] (Level 3, 46788/10000000).
This secret art specifically targeted spiritual entities—but it had a fatal flaw: it couldn’t pierce flesh. It wouldn’t even pierce the body of an ordinary mortal.
A person’s divine soul resided within the Purple Palace, naturally protected.
Thus, this art was nearly useless in normal combat. After all, few cultivators dared reveal their Yin Spirits in the physical world.
He hadn’t planned to upgrade it further.
But now, with that Undying Sect cultivator intent on seizing his body—this was the perfect chance.
As long as the opponent’s Yang Spirit drew near—he’d strike.
Still, at its third level, God-Smiting Thorn likely couldn’t destroy a Yang Spirit.
So he had reserved ten million experience points—just for this.
After killing seventeen First Grades, he’d earned over thirty-five million experience points.
Combined with the eight million he had saved from his time grinding in Qingwei Heaven and the Celestial Prison—that made forty-three million total.
Now, he was about to spend it all again—leaving only a few million.
……
In that moment, Chen Ming became both blind and deaf, waiting patiently.
Meanwhile, the battle raged. Princess Lingyu’s Peerless Divine Weapon blazed with holy light, dispersing the black mist and cutting down wave after wave of ghostly fog.
“Chongming Sword?”
The Yang Spirit’s hidden voice wavered with fear. That peerless weapon, one that specialized in destroying souls—how had it fallen into the hands of a royal woman?
Troublesome indeed.
If he were struck by that sword, even his Yang Spirit couldn’t withstand it.
The woman clearly had no intention of going on the offensive. She was stalling for time—waiting for reinforcements.
This was the Celestial Prison. Such chaos couldn’t go unnoticed for long.
Once the warding seals reactivated, he would become trapped—a bird in a cage.
Even a half-step Yang Spirit couldn’t defy the prison’s third-layer formation. Not to mention, the Six Doors Authority was filled with experts; even one Red-Clad officer could annihilate him.
“Forget it. I’ll seize that boy’s body first!”
The Yang Spirit decided. To escape his cell, he had burned his fleshly body—only his Yin Spirit remained. Now, at the brink of forming Yang Spirit, he desperately needed a vessel.
Once he took that boy’s body, he would no longer fear the Chongming Sword. The boy also wielded a Peerless Divine Weapon—killing the princess afterward would be effortless.
That boy’s movement technique was especially tempting.
The Undying Sect’s demonic art was unique—it allowed the possessor to retain the victim’s memories and martial skills after possession.
The boy was only Second Grade—easy prey.
Having decided, the Yang Spirit condensed the unstable half of its power into thick black mist and hurled it toward the two women.
Then, its true form—an ethereal purple light—shot toward the dazed Chen Ming.
“Boy, your body is mine!”
Here it comes!
The Taiyue Sword in Chen Ming’s hand trembled violently in alarm.
That Peerless Weapon focused on strength and defense—against a Yang Spirit, it was nearly useless. All it could do was warn him.
In this regard, it wasn’t as practical as the Phoenix Cry Sword.
Perfect. Just as planned.
As that icy force drilled into his head, Chen Ming unleashed God-Smiting Thorn, now raised to its fourth level.
It struck the purple shadow dead-on.
“What—what is this?!”
A shrill scream followed. “No—!”
The Yang Spirit felt something stab into its very soul. Its essence began to collapse, leaking away like air from a punctured balloon.
……
“It’s going berserk!”
Princess Lingyu’s scalp tingled as countless waves of black mist surged toward her. This was a soul attack—there was no avoiding it, only enduring it.
“Hmph! Break for me!”
She unleashed the full brilliance of the Chongming Sword, light flooding the area to shield both herself and Princess Mingyu.
The wails of ghostly spirits gradually faded.
Though pale, Princess Lingyu kept her guard up, scanning her surroundings.
Eh?
Where had the Yang Spirit gone?
She instinctively looked toward Chen Ming, but he appeared perfectly fine. Her divine sense swept over him—no abnormalities, no trace of demonic aura.
Within mere breaths, even a Yang Spirit couldn’t have possessed someone so completely. And his body bore no signs of corruption.
Then suddenly—her divine sense felt bound.
The seal was reactivating!
Princess Lingyu’s heart eased, though she remained cautious. The Yang Spirit must have fled the moment it sensed danger.
At last, safety returned.
Chen Ming looked at her with genuine admiration. “Your Highness’s divine power is truly unmatched—to have even destroyed a Yang Spirit.”