Chapter 478 – Cultivating Concepts

The Shattered Isle Region, originally an unremarkable, desolate, and extremely decayed large island, welcomed light on this day.

First, purifying radiance illuminated the land, followed by gentle rays of sunlight piercing through the haze one after another.

Like sunlight breaking through the dark night, the entire world visibly brightened. Pure white light patterns rapidly spread outward from the center where the initial pillar of light had descended.

Hundreds of meters!

Thousands of meters!

Tens of thousands of meters to hundreds of thousands of meters!

Wind swept across the land as the Crimson Mist continuously dissipated.

Dozens of miles away, a thousand-meter-high black mountain peak suddenly began to boil. From a distance, the entire mountain seemed to twist and roar, like a swaying sharp tentacle struggling to break free from the earth’s constraints.

After a while, everything settled.

The thousand-meter-high mountain peak remained bare, the earth gray-black, with black scattered rocks littering the ground, just as before. Yet, when gazing upon it now, the mountain had lost its eerie aura, leaving only ordinariness and commonality—just one among countless surrounding hills.

Even beyond the island, the seawater that had always appeared deathly black, like viscous sewage, began a slow recovery.

Mu Yuan surveyed his surroundings.

The warzone, covered by the rules of heaven and earth, spanned approximately several hundred kilometers in radius.

Not small by any means—it was already larger than several Stone Ridge City regions combined.

But not particularly large either.

Even in a small domain like the Shattered Isle Region, a few hundred kilometers in radius was merely an insignificant corner.

However…

“When we establish a warzone here, the power of Miracle will spread forth and use this as a foothold to influence the entire Shattered Isle Region.”

In short, before their warzone was established, the erosion of Dragon’s Slumber Valley over the entire Shattered Isle Region had been extremely rapid. Even with their relentless assaults, they could only delay it, not stop it.

But now, the erosion of Filth had ceased.

Not just ceased.

In many areas outside the warzone where the radiance of Miracle had yet to fall, the Crimson Mist had also thinned somewhat.

Mu Yuan looked up, his gaze piercing through the superficial layers of ‘Crimson Mist,’ ‘haze,’ and ‘celestial light’ to perceive the deeper laws of heaven and earth.

A nameless concept, flowing like a murmuring stream in a crimson hue, had been severed here.

“By cutting off the erosion, the top-tier forces of Dragon’s Slumber Valley can no longer extend here easily.”

“However…”

“In its place, we are now closer to the enemy’s vanguard forces. The war has only just begun.”

…

Southern end of the Shattered Isle Region.

The assault teams had already sounded the retreat, withdrawing batch after batch to the defensive lines of the Red Mountain City region.

Tyrant Dragon, Youshan, Flying Flame…

One after another, the Pioneer Lords wore grim expressions.

They had failed.

They had fought fiercely for over two hours, rotating in continuous combat, drenched in blood.

Yet, they hadn’t even managed to break through the defensive lines of Dragon’s Slumber Valley, let alone establish a foothold to counter the enemy.

They were far from achieving their goal.

“Have we failed?”

Watching the medical teams rushing back and forth, tirelessly treating the wounded, the strong warriors like Tyrant Dragon felt somewhat lost.

What should they do? What could they still do? Prepare and wait for the next all-out assault?

But if this sudden, forceful attack had yielded no results, the next one would be even less promising. Dragon’s Slumber Valley would undoubtedly be better prepared.

Just as they were lost in confusion, Tyrant Dragon heard news of a great victory spreading through the warzone.”A great victory? That doesn’t seem right.”

“No, it is indeed a great victory.”

The Pioneer Lord from next door walked over and said, “I also thought we had failed, but it turns out our real mission in this assault group was to attract the enemy’s attention, to keep them firmly pinned down here.”

“The true objective, the more important mission, was actually handled by another group of experts.”

“The enemy was deceived, and so were we.”

Tyrant Dragon frowned and pondered, then suddenly understood after a moment.

“No wonder I felt something was off earlier—I hadn’t seen Tianyuan and a few other Lords all this time.”

The warzone was, after all, quite large, and the assault group had opened up several battlefields.

Tyrant Dragon didn’t think it strange that he hadn’t caught sight of Tianyuan for a while. But upon careful reflection, every one of Tianyuan’s Generals was impressive, each standing out as the most dazzling presence on the battlefield. Was it possible he wouldn’t have seen a single one?

“You really have a lot of confidence in Tianyuan,” the Pioneer Lord sighed. “But according to the news I just heard, the strategic victory achieved by the other group is inextricably linked to General Uta of Tianyuan City.”

“That General Uta’s true combat power far exceeds what he has shown in the past.”

…

Shattered Isle Warzone · New Zone.

Established on an unnamed island within the Shattered Isle Region.

Several days had already passed since the new warzone was established.

In just a few short days, the new warzone’s defensive lines had been largely constructed, and one Miracle Building after another had risen from the ground. Building a large number of Miracle Buildings not only met the daily needs of the warzone’s soldiers but also, as the number of Miracle Buildings increased, strengthened and stabilized the warzone’s rule-based power.

This was something Mu Yuan had only recently discovered.

The buffs in the Shattered Isle Warzone remained the same as before, but the “resistance” was different.

As the Miracle Power and world power of the Shattered Isle Warzone grew, the warzone’s purification of the Shattered Isle Region was slowly strengthening.

For instance, it was now absolutely impossible for experts from Dragon’s Slumber Valley to seal the heavens and earth using certain special methods.

Here, now, was their domain.

In recent days, the Shattered Isle Warzone had been relatively calm.

Dragon’s Slumber Valley, having suffered a strategic defeat, had not rushed to reclaim their losses. This was because the Arrow Sword Master and many other experts from the Pioneer Group had now relocated to this island.

With a larger number of powerful figures stationed here, Dragon’s Slumber Valley would not easily launch an attack.

At this moment, in the core area of the warzone.

Inside a newly constructed Arena-like building.

The ground was spacious, gleaming with a cold light.

Two figures stood on opposite sides, facing each other from a distance.

On the right stood a brawny man, bare-chested and with bulging muscles.

A crimson aura slowly rose around him, like smoke or fire, accompanied by the faint sound of shackles breaking. The crimson flames blazed fiercely, stirring up a terrifying gust of wind.

“Sealing the physical body with shackles, only to sever them at a critical moment—that’s truly ruthless.”

“But if it weren’t for such ruthlessness, how could General Uta have forged such an extraordinarily powerful path in his own unique way?”

There were only a few spectators in the Arena.

They were none other than Green Mountain, Yuchen, and the others who had witnessed Uta’s overwhelming display of power, subduing heaven and earth with his fists and feet, just a few days prior.Standing opposite Uta was a man temporarily stationed in the warzone, a powerhouse renowned throughout Taixuan and the entire Eternal World—the Arrow Sword Master!

He had agreed to serve as Uta’s sparring partner.

This was a mutual admiration between the strong and the strong, the battle-hardened and the battle-hardened, the ruthless and the ruthless.

After all, the Arrow Sword Master was indeed a truly ruthless man who frequently engaged in self-harm.

Mu Yuan was also watching this battle.

“Perhaps this is an opportunity to observe the gap between our own powerhouse and a true Law Realm expert.”

Uta had unleashed all his restraints.

Boom—!

The hard surface of the Miracle Buildings cracked extensively with spiderweb-like fissures.

Before the sound could spread, Uta’s figure, shrouded in thick crimson flames, had already appeared before the Arrow Sword Master. His gaze sharpened, and his fists rained down like meteors.

Ora ora ora ora—

Uta threw punches; Flowing Arrow parried.

The Arrow Sword Master, gripping his blood-stained sword still sheathed, precisely blocked Uta’s fist strikes with a series of clangs and thuds.

Dull, heavy impacts erupted and echoed throughout the entire Arena.

The Rain Dust Lord was horrified to find that her eyes could no longer keep up with the two figures in the arena—she couldn’t match Uta’s speed—she could only see terrifying sonic ripples exploding in the air, one after another.

The ground in the distance sank with loud booms, affected merely by the residual shockwaves.

Further away, the barriers on the walls hummed, flickering erratically, before cracking and splintering with a series of sharp snaps.

Suddenly,

“Bang—!”

The two figures reappeared high in the distant sky.

Uta remained in a punching posture.

Fist and scabbard collided, the force of the punch piercing through and stirring an endless storm.

He had now undergone a dramatic transformation.

His body still radiated intense energy, but beneath it was not bulging or cracked muscles, but a full-body suit of pitch-black armed armor.

Such an opponent was worthy of a full-force battle.

Battle Intent Zenith Fist!

The light deep within the Arrow Sword Master’s pupils shifted slightly.

“Clang—”

The blood-stained sword, steeped in the blood of countless legendary monsters, was drawn.

A trace of madness gradually surfaced on the Arrow Sword Master’s calm face.

A terrifying vision of mountains of corpses and seas of blood materialized behind him.

This was no illusion.

A thick, pungent scent of blood filled the entire Arena space, overwhelming the senses.

After a moment—

“Boom—!!!”

The Arena’s barriers shattered completely, the hard ground and walls riddled with cracks, teetering on the verge of collapse.

The two figures landed.

Uta bore forty-four wounds.

Half were sword injuries.

Half were self-inflicted.

His aura was feeble, but he remained standing tall, the battle intent in his eyes undiminished.

“Fighting… feels great!”

The Arrow Sword Master touched his chest.

The blood-formed outer layer had silently cracked.

He was injured.

Under his murderous intent, not only had his opponent not retreated a single step, but he had also wounded him.

And this power…

It didn’t just come from the Physical Body.

The Arrow Sword Master licked his lips.

“Great.”

…

The Miracle Buildings trembled, on the brink of collapse.

The Rain Dust Lord leaned against the broken railing to keep from falling.

However…

“He’s actually this strong? He even forced the Arrow Sword Master to get slightly serious!”

Previously, she had witnessed Uta’s display of Divine Might, but that was under the constraints of the world’s seal.

When the world was sealed, the Crimson Dragon was similarly affected, unable to harness the power of heaven and earth.

It was just that their Physical Bodies were weak, while the Crimson Dragon’s was strong, making their disadvantage seem much greater.However, Uta’s physical body seemed to be even stronger than the Blood Dragon’s, and the Heaven-Earth Seal instead became his advantage. Slaughtering monsters became even easier for him.

“Even without the Heaven-Earth Seal, his combat power is terrifyingly strong!”

“At least in his explosive state, this strength is enough to make one tremble with fear!”

Her own top powerhouse, ‘Water Cardinal Yala’, was currently trembling uncontrollably. A punch like that would kill—carelessness would mean certain death!

Rain Dust Lord looked toward Tianyuan, who appeared thoughtful not far away.

What was he pondering again?

He couldn’t possibly be thinking about how to deal with a powerhouse of Arrow Sword Master’s level, could he?

…

Azure Mountain Lord remained relatively calmer.

“This explosive power is indeed chilling, but its flaws are also very obvious.”

“Short duration of explosion, relying solely on physical strength throughout.”

He pondered.

He quickly devised a countermeasure.

He was confident in dealing with General Uta.

However, this didn’t seem like something to be particularly proud of?

“Tianyuan’s ten-thousand-meter Domain-level powerhouse appears to be that General Dolai.”

“So, between Tianyuan’s Uta and Tianyuan’s Dolai, who is stronger?”

…

“The gap between Uta and Arrow Sword Master is considerable.”

“Then, what if it were Dolai or Deadbone facing a powerhouse of Arrow Sword Master’s level?”

Lord Mu was deep in thought.

Earlier, in the eyes of powerhouses like Green Mountain and Rain Dust, it might have just been a blur of colliding figures, with continuous storms and deafening roars.

But to him, it was different.

He saw the golden radiance of Uta’s Battle Intent, dazzling and indomitable.

He even saw the vast, striking, and suffocating conceptual patterns.

The blood-colored concept surged like a tidal wave of blood, containing three concepts within: Slaughter, Blood, and Indestructibility.

Slaughter was the primary concept, with Blood and Indestructibility as secondary.

The three intertwined, imposing and profound in their essence.

Under the impact of such a massive concept, the elemental particles, Heaven-Earth power, and Domains in the surroundings could all be ‘slaughtered’ clean.

In other words, Arrow Sword Master had the ability to artificially create a ‘Dustless Land’.

Environments like ‘Dustless Land’ or other special rule-based conditions had minimal effect on him.

He was already a conceptual-level powerhouse.

And Mu Yuan also had some understanding of concepts.

“Possessing the concept of Slaughter, Arrow Sword Master might be able to sustain himself through slaughter, continuously recovering in the midst of killing, never exhausting.”

Of course, Mu Yuan wasn’t clear about the specific conceptual abilities of his opponent.

The ‘name’ was merely a summary of the concept.

Its specific effects and focus varied from person to person.

Similarly, the cultivation of concepts also differed from individual to individual.

Or perhaps…

The Taixuan Alliance possessed a wealth of cultivation experience and techniques for the Heaven-Earth Realm, inherited from predecessors.

However, when it came to the cultivation of the Law Realm and concepts, the relevant materials within the Taixuan Alliance were scarce. The few that existed were marked ‘for reference only’ or ‘do not imitate blindly.’

The path of conceptual cultivation could not be taught by anyone, and there was no precedent to follow.

One could only rely on oneself.

Or perhaps, there were two or three companions walking the same path.

“Deadbone primarily cultivates the concepts of ‘Death and Life.'”

“Dolai primarily cultivates the concept of ‘Devour.'”

Their cultivation methods were entirely different.

Apart from the most basic methods of observing the patterns of Heaven and Earth (slow and inefficient) and absorbing compatible Treasures (rare and hard to obtain), each had forged their own path.

Deadbone awakened the undead.The undead symbolize death, yet they are also life itself. They bathe in death to attain rebirth.

Deadbone has explored many different paths.

Dolai’s Dao is simple, direct, and remarkably effective.

“Oww~~!”

It stands atop Black Mountain, devouring the turbid Origin Qi in great gulps like a whale.

Devouring ordinary lands;

Devouring the Land of Fury;

Devouring the Red Mist Region;

This is the new Warzone.

Where sunlight and gloom converge.

Dolai stands here, performing grand acts of Devour.

Its cultivation yields remarkable results. Though it remains completely unaware of the reasons behind this efficacy.

(End of Chapter)