Chapter 251 - 218: Divine Transformation

Zhao Xuanqi’s gaze met his, and a sudden feeling of being seen through washed over him. It was as if the other man’s eyes could pierce his skin and flesh to stare directly at his internal organs.

’It seems those pale cyan eyes must possess some kind of special biological ability.’

"Elder Jiang, this is a successor to the Holy Beast Divine General of Ancient Times. He has just entered the Harmony realm. The Martial Arts Association is currently in peril, and we wish to borrow the Dragon Embryo Array Hub. Might you grant us this request? If our endeavor is successful, the resources the Martial Arts Association provides you will be tripled."

The Earth Elder spoke to Jiang Wu with reverence.

Upon hearing the words "Holy Beast Divine General," a flicker of movement finally stirred in Jiang Wu’s pale cyan eyes.

"A successor to the ancient Holy Beast Divine General has appeared in this era?"

A muffled voice emanated from within Jiang Wu’s body. The syllables were deep and slow, not originating from his vocal cords but from the rumbling of his abdomen.

Ventriloquism.

"If you are willing to help, Elder, I will be sure to repay you in the future."

Zhao Xuanqi said to Jiang Wu.

Jiang Wu sized up Zhao Xuanqi, the name "Holy Beast Divine General" seemingly sparking a unique interest in him.

"From what I know, the Holy Beast Divine General never passed down the Holy Beast Fist. Within the Divine Land, there is the Four Saints Sect. Legend has it that uniting the Secret Transmissions of the four gates can recreate that Fist Technique, but that is only a legend. Where did your Holy Beast Fist come from? Don’t tell me you’ve actually united the four Secret Transmissions?"

Jiang Wu asked Zhao Xuanqi.

"I am not at liberty to say. My apologies."

Zhao Xuanqi replied.

Jiang Wu fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, he finally spoke. "If you are truly a successor of the Holy Beast Divine General, then I suppose I can form this karmic bond."

Then, his torso swiveled one hundred and eighty degrees, as if his spine had no limits, and he pointed to the mountain peak where he had just been.

"The Dragon Embryo land is at the summit of that peak. If you can reach it, my Liquor Brew is yours to use."

Jiang Wu’s ventriloquism reached Zhao Xuanqi. But even as he pointed out the destination, his massive body remained planted in front of Zhao Xuanqi, showing no sign of moving.

The implication was clear.

He wasn’t going to simply stand by and watch Zhao Xuanqi reach the summit. To get there, Zhao Xuanqi would have to prove his worth.

"Earth Elder, please move to a safe distance."

Zhao Xuanqi’s expression was calm; this was not unexpected.

The Earth Elder nodded slightly. With a light push of his feet, his figure leaped dozens of meters to a safe distance.

"Ah, the Holy Beast Divine General... It is said that back when my ancestors prospered, the Holy Beast Divine General dominated the world. That our kind has fallen to its current state is largely thanks to him. Strictly speaking, you and I should be enemies."

"But the world changes. A thousand years is a long time. The rise and fall, success and failure—it all turns to dust in the end. I live here, apart from worldly affairs, and have no desire to dredge up old grudges. However, this so-called Holy Beast Form might be quite enlightening for my kind. Therefore, I will not hold back. You might die here. You should be certain of your decision."

Jiang Wu’s rumbling voice told Zhao Xuanqi.

CRACK! CRACK!

Zhao Xuanqi said nothing more. A series of cracking sounds erupted from his body as it began to rapidly transform, as if tearing through human skin to reveal the form of a beast.

Qilin Form!

At this moment, Zhao Xuanqi’s body had swelled to a height of about three meters. Although there was still a significant disparity between his overall size and Jiang Wu’s terrifying physique, he at least no longer looked like a child in comparison.

Seeing the drastic change in Zhao Xuanqi’s body, Jiang Wu’s pupils contracted slightly, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

The next moment.

WHOOSH!

A giant fist covered in white fur had already appeared before Zhao Xuanqi, its terrifying shadow eclipsing his vision.

It was silent, without a trace, not even generating Gang Qi. Despite its terrifying power, the fist produced no intense drag or friction. Even as he threw the punch, Jiang Wu remained in that state of seeming fusion with Heaven and Earth, leaking no killing intent whatsoever, which greatly deceived the perceptions of powerful Martial Artists.

This fist felt less like a blow from a living creature and more like the oppressive force of nature itself.

A sudden squall, a clap of thunder, a flash of lightning—natural disasters harbor no killing intent.

SWISH!

In an instant, Zhao Xuanqi raised both arms to block the massive fist.

A terrifying brute force instantly poured forth, like a great mountain crashing down upon him.

There was little in the way of channeled Force or technique—it was simply the most savage explosion of power.

BOOM!

With a tremendous crash, Zhao Xuanqi’s body, still in its blocking stance, was sent sliding back more than ten meters, his feet carving two deep grooves in the earth.

’Such incredible power,’ Zhao Xuanqi thought.

"Not bad, you took my punch. But this is just the beginning."

The dull rumble from his abdomen was like a clap of thunder.

AWOOO!

Suddenly, Jiang Wu threw his head back and let out a long howl, the sound waves expanding outward.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The wind rose abruptly, and all the surrounding grass and trees began to sway violently. Most terrifyingly, the magnetic field between heaven and earth suddenly underwent a massive change.

Everything in this place seemed to harbor malice toward Zhao Xuanqi. Countless layers of ill will stacked upon one another, creating a terrifyingly oppressive effect.

The very trees and grass became his enemies.

Everything in existence was targeting him, rejecting him.

RUMBLE.

At the same time, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky. Lightning flashed and muffled thunder rolled.

In an instant, the very complexion of the sky and earth changed.

This reminded Zhao Xuanqi of the scene he had witnessed earlier: Jiang Wu, standing on the mountain peak, could summon wind and rain with a single howl.

This Blessed Land was a giant Array formed by nature itself, and Jiang Wu was now the master of this Grand Array formed by the mountains and marshes.

The Power of Heaven and Earth was his to command.

He was the deity of this place.

No wonder he was called the Mountain God.

Moreover, Jiang Wu’s ability to command the Power of Heaven and Earth seemed to be a bone-deep instinct. Combined with years of being nurtured in this place, his control felt far more effortless and arbitrary than that of the Three Elders. Under the influence of his Array, both the mobilized magnetic field and the environmental changes were superior to what the Three Elders could achieve.

No wonder the Earth Elder had to treat Jiang Wu with the deference of a disciple!

"This is..."

Seeing Jiang Wu’s ability to practically summon the wind and call the rain, the expression of the watching Earth Elder changed.

Jiang Wu was actually using his Divine Transformation abilities! This meant he wasn’t holding back in the slightest!

The so-called Divine Transformation was an ability unique to Exotic Beasts.

The Exotic Beasts of old were as divine as Celestial Gods!

The body and brain structures of any orthodox Exotic Beast bloodline were vastly different from those of ordinary beasts, which gave rise to all sorts of Divine Abilities.

Walking on water and breathing fire, swallowing thunder and eating lightning, shaking the earth and making mountains ring...

Jiang Wu’s clan was naturally attuned to the Power of Feng Shui. They could seek out spirit mountains to dwell in and Blessed Lands to inhabit. They could manipulate the Feng Shui magnetic field and had the power to summon wind and rain—they were the very source of the ancient legends of the Mountain God!

A grave expression appeared on the Earth Elder’s face. While using his Divine Transformation, the Power of Feng Shui Jiang Wu commanded was nearly equal to the combined power of all three of them. On top of that, his Exotic Beast body was who-knows-how-many times stronger than theirs.

How could Zhao Xuanqi, who had only just entered the Harmony realm, possibly defeat such an opponent?

SWISH!

The next moment, Jiang Wu’s figure vanished. The howling gales seemed to have no effect on him; in fact, under his command, they became his allies.

As if adding wings to a tiger.

Zhao Xuanqi, on the other hand, was targeted by the natural magnetic field, the howling wind a blur before his eyes.

Heaven and Earth themselves were against him.

’So this is the power of an Exotic Beast?’

Zhao Xuanqi’s expression remained calm.

WHOOSH!

The next moment, Jiang Wu’s figure was upon him.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Inside his body, his Physical Ability was rapidly consumed to supply his five viscera. Under the control of his will, his organs began to rapidly transform.

The five viscera transformed—the Qilin Form was fully unleashed!

A light of auspiciousness enveloped his entire body.

When the Qilin appears, auspiciousness follows!

With his current Physical Ability, the transformation of his five viscera was extremely draining and still carried considerable risk. But facing an opponent like Jiang Wu, a newcomer to the Harmony realm, he could not afford to hold much back.

And yet, it seemed this still wasn’t enough!

In terms of raw physical power alone, Jiang Wu’s strength was nearly on par with Yang Xun’s death-or-glory attacks. The difference was that now, in his opponent’s territory, he also had to endure the magnetic field of Heaven and Earth being turned against him.

BOOM!

His five viscera whirred. Qi and Blood surged wildly, rushing up his neck and flooding his brain. In an instant, his eyes turned crimson, his face a bruised purple, and blood streamed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as his temples throbbed violently.

But this rush of Qi and Blood, this infusion of nutrients, instantly pushed Zhao Xuanqi’s cerebral capabilities to their absolute limit.

ROAR!

The auspicious light around him instantly flared. Agitated by his intense will, the magnetic field of Heaven and Earth erupted into chaos.

Silver light erupted as a colossal beast took form.

Accompanied by a terrifying, colossal roar, a massive silver Qilin over ten meters tall manifested. Its might spread as a light of auspiciousness covered a radius of dozens of meters.

’This is...’

Jiang Wu’s pupils contracted violently. Under the shroud of that auspicious light, his control over the magnetic field of Heaven and Earth had been completely nullified!

Transforming Form, Holy Beast’s Intent.

Holy Might: Qilin!

Zhao Xuanqi’s Physical Ability had not yet reached its zenith, but his Spirit and will were still at the peak of his past life. Though limited by his body’s capabilities, when the Qilin manifested, standing tall between heaven and earth, how could it be affected by a mere worldly magnetic field?!