Chapter 322 – Slaying Immortals with a Mortal Body

A Celestial Artifact, even if it was merely an illusory one manifested through Divine Ability, still brought immense pressure upon the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal at this moment.

Ordinary people might not understand the significance of a Celestial Artifact, but the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal knew all too well how terrifying they could be.

It was the embodiment of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth—seemingly a mere “artifact,” yet in reality, it contained certain principles imbued with the ultimate truths of the universe. Under such principles, even an Immortal could easily fall prey if caught off guard.

And the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal happened to know the effect of the Celestial Artifact known as the Gathering Immortal Bell.

It was none other than a single word: “Gathering.”

Any being possessing a “Primordial Spirit” would be affected by the bell’s chime upon entering its range. This rule was tied to the cultivation level of the bell’s wielder and the inherent rank of the Gathering Immortal Bell itself.

If a True Immortal were to wield the Gathering Immortal Bell, even another being of the same True Immortal level would find it difficult to break free easily.

Although Lu Chen was currently using a Divine Ability to manifest the Gathering Immortal Bell, making it not a true Celestial Artifact, this Divine Ability was condensed from a genuine fragment of the Gathering Immortal Bell. Thus, it still retained a fraction of the bell’s true power.

Even though Lu Chen was only at the Golden Core Stage, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s current Divine Soul was merely at the Nascent Soul level, not yet reaching the Primordial Spirit Realm where one could roam at night as a Yin Spirit.

It could be said that, for him at this moment, the Gathering Immortal Bell was the most restraining Magic Treasure.

Realizing this, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal immediately changed his strategy. He no longer sought to steadily suppress Lu Chen through cultivation superiority but instead decided to strike first.

Under the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s control, the Great Dao Starfire grew even more violent. The Winged Fire Serpent’s manifestation moved accordingly, sweeping up vast amounts of starfire as it charged toward Lu Chen.

The scene resembled a massive comet, trailing countless smaller meteors, hurtling toward Lu Chen.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen, who was fully channeling the Gathering Immortal Bell, had little mental capacity to spare and could only rely on the Samadhi True Fire for defense.

Boom!

The Winged Fire Serpent Immortal, standing atop the Winged Fire Serpent formed from the Great Dao Starfire, slammed fiercely into Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire.

The collision of the two flames caused the surrounding space to warp and distort. The sheer dominance of the Samadhi True Fire temporarily prevented the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal from approaching Lu Chen.

But the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal did not stop there.

Aside from his advantages in Divine Ability and cultivation, his incredibly powerful Physical Body, impervious to all arts, was also a significant asset.

Seeing the Gathering Immortal Bell in Lu Chen’s hands gradually solidify, the unease in his heart twisted the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s expression. He raised his fist and punched toward the fiery barrier formed by Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire.

Bang!

The punch was astonishing.

Though it was a simple, unrefined strike, it generated power far more terrifying than even fist techniques of the Enlightenment Realm or the Harmony Realm.

There was no skill in the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s punch—only pure Physical Body strength. It was a terrifying Physical Body forged from the corpse of an Immortal, absorbing the Luck of mountains and rivers and the life force of countless living beings.

This punch not only caused Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire to waver violently but also seemed to inflict severe internal injuries on Lu Chen himself, churning the Qi and blood within his body.

And this was the drawback of the Great Divine Power of the Transformation Dao Realm.

The Great Divine Power of Embodying Dao was the result of a Cultivator’s Fusion with their own Dao.Though the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal appeared to not be attacking Lu Chen directly, focusing instead on his Samadhi True Fire,

for a Great Divine Power expert who had stepped into the Transformation Dao Realm,

attacking their Great Divine Power was even more effective than attacking their physical body.

This was why the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal had not rushed to attack Lu Chen earlier, instead continuously suppressing his Samadhi True Fire with his cultivation.

Because attacking Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire was equivalent to attacking Lu Chen himself.

Although the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s punch did not shatter the barrier formed by Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire outright,

it still achieved a significant effect.

However, everything has its pros and cons.

In his eagerness to succeed, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal suffered considerable backlash.

His fist was now tainted with traces of the Samadhi True Fire.

Though this fire could not immediately breach the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s Flying Corpse physique,

it continuously eroded the spiritual energy within his body and fed it back to Lu Chen himself.

Such was the nature of the Samadhi True Fire—it could refine all things in existence.

Even a reincarnated Immortal was no exception.

Yet, all of this was within the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s expectations.

“As long as my attack overwhelms the assimilation speed of your Mystic Flame, you are doomed to die.”

With this thought, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal launched a frenzied assault.

His powerful Flying Corpse physique allowed each punch to unleash terrifying force.

Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire held out for only a moment before being completely shattered by the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal.

Though it seemed to take a long time, the entire sequence lasted no more than two or three seconds.

Such a short time was far from enough for Lu Chen to materialize the Gathering Immortal Bell.

Thus, just as the bell was about to take form, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal broke through Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire and stood before him.

Towering five meters tall, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal loomed over Lu Chen like a demonic deity from Hell.

At this moment, Lu Chen, his Divine Ability broken, found his Divine Soul and spiritual energy flow disrupted.

He was temporarily unable to mount a counterattack.

Yet, even in this seemingly hopeless situation, Lu Chen’s expression remained utterly calm.

In fact, a glint of sharp insight flashed in his eyes,

as if he had found a way to turn the tables.

Though the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal held an absolute advantage and Lu Chen appeared moments from death, his soul and Dao extinguished,

the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal felt no joy. Instead, his heart was filled with a sense of crisis,

as if an invisible blade had quietly approached his throat,

waiting for the right moment to strike and seal his fate.

The Winged Fire Serpent Immortal did not understand where this feeling came from, but he was certain it was not unfounded.

His unease made him unwilling to waste words on Lu Chen.

He directly punched through Lu Chen’s heart meridian,

along with his soul.

Yet, just before death, Lu Chen’s body transformed into a blaze of flames, disintegrating on the spot.

Staring at the spot where Lu Chen had vanished, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal wore an expression of unprecedented gravity.

Though he had slain Lu Chen, and the latter faced certain death with his soul scattered beyond recovery—

a situation even an Immortal would struggle to recover from through Rebirth,

let alone a mere Mortal at the Golden Core Stage—

the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal instinctively felt that things were not so simple.

Lu Chen’s expression before disappearing had been far too calm,

so calm it seemed as if the one facing death and Dao dissolution was not Lu Chen, but himself.

Something was wrong. This Mortal… was peculiar.No matter how hard the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal racked his brains, he couldn’t figure out where this strange feeling came from.

In the end, he had no choice but to give up.

【You have died…】

After reviving for the second time, Lu Chen reopened his eyes.

Compared to the first battle, Lu Chen’s performance in the second was even more disheveled, without any decent counterattacks.

Yet Lu Chen felt this second battle was more valuable than the first.

Because in this second encounter, he had genuinely experienced the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s Flying Corpse form.

Was the Flying Corpse form powerful?

Naturally, it was.

After all, not every physical body could achieve complete immunity to all arts.

But such a physical body wasn’t necessarily a good thing for a reincarnated immortal like the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal.

What made immortals truly immortals?

First, their terrifying cultivation base, and second, the powerful immortal techniques they mastered.

Yet the Flying Corpse form directly sealed off both these aspects.

As a Yin Qi-based form, the Flying Corpse’s energy was no longer the pure spiritual power it once was.

Instead, it had become Yin Qi.

Attempting to wield immortal techniques with Yin Qi was undoubtedly unrealistic.

This was precisely why, in both battles, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal could only employ the Great Divine Power of the Transformation Dao Realm, without utilizing any other divine abilities or techniques.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to use them—his current body simply wouldn’t allow him to wield the divine abilities from his past life.

This single limitation stripped the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal of ninety percent of his capabilities.

After all, what difference was there between a reincarnated immortal devoid of techniques and divine abilities, and an ordinary brute?

In other words, if Lu Chen could find a way to break the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s Great Divine Power, Spark, all he’d have to face afterward was an immortal’s corpse puppet reliant solely on its physical body for combat.

With this realization, Lu Chen’s mind began racing.

He pondered ways to break the deadlock.

Slowly, a relatively complete plan began to take shape in his mind.

But before he could act, he needed to make a few more attempts.

【You have died…】

【You have died…】

After sacrificing dozens more lives, Lu Chen gradually uncovered all of the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s methods.

And perfected the plan in his heart.

When Lu Chen reopened his eyes this time… he was fully confident.

Who said mortals… could not slay immortals?

Inside the Bloodflame Mountain interior.

The Winged Fire Serpent Immortal sensed a powerful enemy approaching from outside and was forced to rupture his heavy cocoon prematurely, ending his reincarnation ritual.

Once outside, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal immediately spotted the intruder.

It was a mere mortal at the Golden Core Stage.

Yet, from his earlier perception, he knew this mortal was different from others.

Though he possessed only a mortal’s body, he had already grasped traces of near-immortal techniques.

With just one more step, it wasn’t impossible for this mortal to ascend and become an immortal.

It was precisely because he sensed this potential threat that the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal had no choice but to break his seclusion early.

Otherwise, he would never have so easily cut off his own path to advancement.

And that mortal wasted no time on words.

At first sight, he unleashed that astonishing Great Divine Power.

Watching the spreading Samadhi True Fire, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal instantly recognized the extraordinary nature of these flames.

After a moment of astonishment, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal was overcome with wild joy.

His gaze toward the mortal filled with greed.

“Audacious!”

Faced with Lu Chen’s proactive release of the Samadhi True Fire, the proud Winged Fire Serpent Immortal swiftly prepared his response.The raging Great Dao Starfire spread across the entire area, instantly transforming this realm into the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s domain.

Yet Lu Chen seemed to have anticipated this all along.

Almost simultaneously with the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s release of the Great Dao Starfire,

an Immortal Sword materialized in Lu Chen’s hand.

The appearance of this Immortal Sword immediately made the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal sense danger.

As a former Immortal, his Celestial Being intuition kicked in at this moment,

causing him to retreat half a step instinctively.

But Lu Chen appeared to have predicted even this.

An invisible sword edge pierced through the sky, arriving precisely three inches above the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s Dantian—

the exact location of his vital point.

Lu Chen’s timing was impeccable, striking at the critical moment when the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal was transitioning from a Flying Corpse to a Drought Fiend.

Without completing this transformation, his Physical Body remained vulnerable.

The Winged Fire Serpent Immortal couldn’t comprehend how Lu Chen had instantly identified his weakness,

nor how Lu Chen’s sword could bypass his Great Dao Starfire to strike him directly.

Every aspect of this encounter felt profoundly unnatural.

Thud.

Struck at his vital point, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s Qi and blood surged violently within.

Though the strike was far from fatal,

it served as an ominous warning.

This was their first meeting, yet Lu Chen seemed to know everything about him—

not just his weaknesses, but even anticipating his every move, staying steps ahead.

The sensation of being completely seen through reignited the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s fear.

The last time he’d felt this way was facing the enigmatic Gu Xian on the Two Realms Battlefield.

He never imagined a mere Mortal could evoke similar dread.

How bizarre.

But Lu Chen gave him no time to ponder.

As the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal struggled to steady his breathing,

Lu Chen donned a unique Trigram Celestial Robe.

A Heaven and Earth Pill Furnace and a sublime phantom gradually merged with Lu Chen,

manifesting as his Golden Core Dharma Body.

Witnessing this transformation, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s unease intensified.

Without hesitation, he unleashed his full power.

He maximized the Great Dao Starfire to constrict Lu Chen’s space

and lunged forward, ignoring his injuries,

all because he’d spotted the small golden bell materializing in Lu Chen’s hand.

But just as the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal combined his full force with the Great Dao Starfire to breach Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire,

a delayed Sword Intent erupted from his wound.

The Sword Intent wasn’t powerful, but its timing was perfect,

causing the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal to stagger.

A… a hidden Sword Intent?!

He stared at Lu Chen in disbelief, never expecting his opponent to have concealed a second layer of Sword Intent from the very beginning,

waiting until this critical moment to activate it.

This was clearly the result of Lu Chen’s meticulous planning.

That momentary delay slowed the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s movements just enough.

By the time he regained his footing and shattered Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire,

the golden bell in Lu Chen’s hand had fully materialized.

Seeing that familiar bell,

the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s pupils contracted sharply—

he knew exactly what it signified.

Ignoring the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal’s reaction, Lu Chen immediately activated the Gathering Immortal Bell.In the next instant, both he and the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal shuddered.

When they regained their senses, they found themselves in a completely new space.

This space was none other than the inner world of the Gathering Immortal Bell.

As for the two of them, they had entered in the form of their Divine Souls.

Witnessing this scene, the Winged Fire Serpent Immortal finally felt fear.

Without his Flying Corpse body, relying solely on this newly born Divine Soul…

What difference was there between him and an ordinary Mortal?

The tables… had turned.

(End of Chapter)