Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 132 The Mysterious Transformation Technique

The power of the Nascent Soul stage was as profound as an abyss, like a surging river, flowing into the seal.

The golden light on the seal grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire mountaintop as if it were daytime.

The cracks began to shrink rapidly.

Thirty zhang, twenty zhang, ten zhang...

Just as the crack was about to close completely, a sharp hiss came from deep within it.

A giant black hand emerged from the crack and slammed towards Zhou Ning and Yan Chixia.

The hand was a full ten feet in size, with five long fingers and nails as black as ink, exuding a strong aura of death.

The air seemed to freeze wherever his palm touched.

Yan Chixia's expression changed, and he suddenly stood up, forming a hand seal. A golden sword light shot out from his palm, heading straight for the black hand.

"boom!"

The sword light collided with the palm, producing a deafening explosion.

The golden sword light repelled the palm, but the palm did not dissipate; instead, it struck at them even more frantically.

Zhou Ning gritted his teeth, concentrated all his Nascent Soul power at the tip of his sword, and unleashed the ultimate move of the "Demon Slaying Technique".

A dazzling golden light shone from the Qingfeng Sword.

The light grew stronger and brighter, like a small sun, dispelling all the surrounding darkness.

He poured all his power from the early Nascent Soul stage into this sword strike, and the golden sword energy, like a golden dragon, collided with the black palm.

"boom--!"

The two forces collided, unleashing a deafening roar.

The rocks at the top of the mountain began to collapse, and rubble fell down.

The golden light on the seal flickered violently, and the cracks began to shrink rapidly.

The black palm, unable to withstand the impact of the golden sword energy, was finally shattered, turning into countless black fragments that dissipated into the air.

An angry roar came from the depths of the crack, then gradually subsided.

The crack has finally closed completely.

Zhou Ning sheathed his Qingfeng sword, slumped to the ground, and gasped for breath.

Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his nascent soul power was almost exhausted, and his arms were trembling slightly.

Several fine cracks appeared on the Qingfeng sword, the price of that last strike.

Yan Chixia also finished her practice, walked to his side, and extended her hand.

Get up.

Zhou Ning grasped his hand and struggled to stand up.

His legs felt a little weak, but an indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

"Master, what happened just now..."

Yan Chixia's expression was solemn:

"That was the true form of the extraterrestrial demon. Although it was only an attack through the rift, its power far surpassed that of the Nascent Soul stage. If it weren't for your sword strike, it would have been very difficult to repel it."

He paused, then continued:

"Although the rift has been temporarily sealed, the true form of the extraterrestrial demon has already set its sights on us. Next time, it may descend in person."

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "Then what should we do?"

Yan Chixia said, "Improve ourselves. Only by becoming stronger can we protect our homeland when it comes."

Yan Chixia looked at Zhou Ning and said, "I have already given you the contents of the Nascent Soul chapter. How far you can go depends on your destiny. Your talent is rare in the world, especially your righteous energy, which is the nemesis of all evil in the world. You are the key to this battle."

Zhou Ning seemed to understand the weighty responsibility he was entrusted with, and after nodding heavily, he said, "This disciple will certainly not fail in my mission."

Yan Chixia said, "Let's go back first. We're not needed here for now."

The two left the Flaming Mountain and returned to Lanruo Temple.

Although the rift in the southern border was temporarily sealed, the giant black hand that emerged from the rift was deeply imprinted in Zhou Ning's heart.

The power of that palm strike far surpassed that of any opponent he had encountered before.

If Yan Chixia hadn't joined forces with him, and if he hadn't used his full strength to unleash the "Demon-Slaying Technique," they would probably both have died there.

Just how powerful is the true form of the extraterrestrial demon?

This question lingered in Zhou Ning's mind the entire way.

On the way back to Lanruo Temple, Yan Chixia remained silent, his expression solemn.

Zhou Ning followed behind him and could feel the oppressive aura emanating from his master.

He knew that his master was also thinking about the same question.

After three days of travel, the two finally returned to Qingyun Mountain.

Lanruo Temple still stands atop the mountain, its green bricks and gray tiles nestled among the evergreen pines and cypresses.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the temple rooftops, gilding everything with a warm golden hue.

Standing at the mountain gate, Zhou Ning looked at the familiar temple and felt a long-lost sense of peace welling up in his heart.

But this time, a heavier feeling settled over him.

"Master, there is something I don't understand."

Zhou Ning entered the main hall and sat down on the prayer mat.

Yan Chixia sat down at the head of the table and gestured for him to speak.

"If the true form of the extraterrestrial demon is so powerful, why doesn't it descend directly to the mortal realm? Why use the rift? Why send avatars and followers to probe?"

Yan Chixia was silent for a moment, then said:

"Because the laws of Heaven in the human realm have a suppressive effect on the extraterrestrial demons. If they want to descend, they must break the shackles of the laws of Heaven."

"Breaking the laws of Heaven requires sufficient power. Cracks are their way of testing the weaknesses of the laws of Heaven."

He paused, then continued:

"The Black Mountain Demon has committed evil deeds in the human world for decades, accumulating countless resentments and blood. All of this resentment and blood has been absorbed by the extraterrestrial demons."

"Their power is several times stronger than it was decades ago. So, once the Black Mountain Demon stopped feeding them, they started to forage for food on their own, which is why the cracks are getting bigger and bigger, and this is the root cause of their increasing frequency."

Zhou Ning asked, "How long can that Heavenly Dao Law last?"

Yan Chixia shook his head: "I don't know. It could be a few years, a few months, or... a few days."

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine.

"Therefore, we must gather all available forces as soon as possible, including ourselves, and strive to improve our strength."

Yan Chixia stood up and paced back and forth.

"You've just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and need time to stabilize your realm. But what we lack most right now is time. I have a way to help you advance to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, or even the late-Nascent Soul stage, in a short period of time."

Zhou Ning's eyes lit up.

"What method?"

Yan Chixia took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning:

"This is a secret technique I obtained during my travels in my early years, called the 'Transformation of the Divine Soul'. It can increase your Nascent Soul power several times over in a short period of time, but the price is that you will be weak for a month after using it. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary."

Zhou Ning accepted the jade slip and solemnly said, "This disciple understands."

Yan Chixia then said:

"Furthermore, it is said that the secret realm of the Qingqiu Fox Clan contains an ancient magical artifact used to fight against the extraterrestrial demons. Since you have connections with the Qingqiu Fox Clan, you can go and inquire about it. If we can obtain that artifact, it will be of great help in our fight against the extraterrestrial demons."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple will go in a few days."

In the days that followed, Zhou Ning cultivated while studying the "Transformation God Technique".

He studied the "Transformation of the Divine Art" dozens of times, memorizing every single word.

This secret technique involves compressing the power of the Nascent Soul to its limit and then unleashing it in an instant, with a power comparable to a strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

However, the cost is that the nascent soul will be damaged after use, and it will take a month to recover.

"Don't use it unless absolutely necessary," Zhou Ning told himself.

He carefully put away the "Transformation of the Divine Art" and continued to nurture his nascent soul.