I Am Overlord c1-962

by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu

  However, he did not feel that it was a pity. His flame star had been fully filled, and that alone had granted him a much richer amount of astral energy. The growth of his nine-colored fog was merely a bonus. He was very satisfied with the result.

  The only thing that mattered was that Yun Flame had become even more terrifying. Even a regular Sovereign wouldn't be able to extinguish the flame once burned, and they would quickly turn into a pile of ash. Only some peak Sovereigns would stand a chance against this version of Yun Flame. If he could absorb another flame, turning Yun Flame into a 10,000-year flame, he could perhaps burn even Saints to death.

  However, every single unique flame was extremely rare and hard to find. For now, Xiang Shaoyun did not have the time to go looking for more. He could do so after the competition of the four academies was over. At that time, he would be able to burn Saints.

  A clump of enchanting flame was flickering in his palm. It was mainly red with a tinge of blue and black, moving actively like it was alive. With a gentle wave of his hand, a tongue of flame lunged at a nearby boulder.

  Thump!

  Instantly, the boulder over 10-meter in diameter was reduced to ashes. Even after burning through the entire boulder, the flame continued burning the ground beneath. It would be able to burn through the entire mountain before long. With another wave of his hand, the flame was drawn back to his palm.

  "It feels amazing to have such a powerful flame in possession," muttered Xiang Shaoyun in satisfaction.

  Xiang Shaoyun did not end his seclusion at that. He entered the cave again and resumed his cultivation session. This time, he was going to refine the devil vine's blood heart to form a true soul body that could strengthen his soul power and life force.

  It was commonly known that the devil vine's blood heart could awaken one's bloodline power, strengthen one's life force, prolong one's lifespan, and form a soul foundation. However, not many were aware that it could also be used to form a soul body. Of course, the premise of doing so was to have a powerful soul.

  Xiang Shaoyun's soul had long been as strong as a fifth-stage Sovereign's. If it wasn't for his lagging cultivation base, he would have been able to form his soul foundation long ago. Thus, he was taking the chance to form a soul body before forming his soul foundation. That way, he would be even more formidable after forming the soul foundation.

  "Devil vine's blood heart, you better not disappoint me," muttered Xiang Shaoyun as he started refining the blood heart.

  Chapter 917: We Are Originally One

  The devil vine's blood heart had only formed after years of accumulating energy. It contained the essence energy of the blood devil vine, and as Xiang Shaoyun split and refined the energy, he could see a blood devil vine swaying about. Giving off a wondrous sensation, it stretched and whipped its vines and elongated and withdrew as though a supreme expert was attacking.

  Using the Nether Soul Domain, he recorded the sensation since he suspected that it would become a powerful battle technique once mastered. His bloodline stirred as his life force grew massively. His heart, which was once injured by Lady Shura, gathered a large chunk of the life force and fully healed itself, removing all lingering damage. It also grew more and more vigorous.

  His heartbeat hastened, and his blood circulated more quickly. For regular people, this was a bad sign since the person would just die from organ failure. But for a cultivator, it was extremely beneficial. After all, the stronger a cultivator's heart, the greater their life force and the stronger their resulting physique.

  As life force flooded Xiang Shaoyun's body, a powerful aura converged at his stars. The aura was the essence the blood devil vine had accumulated throughout its entire life of cultivation. The blood devil vine was a Sovereign Realm plant, and even a tiny part of its power could greatly benefit Xiang Shaoyun.

  Even in the midst of this, Xiang Shaoyun did not forget to form his soul body. He circulated his cultivation method and gathered a massive amount of the blood devil vine's energy into his head, fully enshrouding his soul with the energy.

  A majestic amount of life force entered his head, and his soul started rapidly absorbing it to forge its body. Prior to this, his soul had already solidified, but it still looked illusory. In truth, it was a fake body, not a body of flesh and blood. With the blood devil vine, the soul could forge a true body. Once forged, it would be an incredible achievement.

  According to the ancient records, a cultivator had to be at least at the Heaven Battling Realm before forming an actual soul body. Even then, one still needed many natural treasures for it. However, Xiang Shaoyun had a filthless soul, a soul that was basically without flaw. Thus, he could use the blood devil vine's power to form a true body for his soul at his current cultivation level.

  The blood devil vine's energy blended with his soul incessantly, ultimately becoming a blood cocoon. All presence vanished from Xiang Shaoyun's body as though he was an accomplished monk that had died in a state of meditation. In truth, his entire body was brimming with life, containing boundless life force that made him anything but dead.

  This meditation lasted three months. At the end of it, the blood cocoon finally cracked open. A body that was exactly the same as Xiang Shaoyun's appeared in his head. The body's skin was akin to the skin of an infant—sleek, fair, and flawless. Powerful soul power rippled out, demonstrating a strength far beyond a fourth-stage Sovereign. It rivaled the strength of a sixth-stage Sovereign, which was an incredibly powerful stage.

  A connection formed between Xiang Shaoyun's main body and soul, and his aura started rising. His soul was forcibly enhancing the main body. Only by having a strong main body would he be able to properly adapt to his soul's new strength.

  The energy leaking from his soul also nourished his nine stars, causing the stars to shine with a resplendent radiance. Astral energy was quickly converted into draconic aura, further perfecting Xiang Shaoyun's dragon spine, pushing his cultivation level to peak seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm. He was now only a step away from the eighth stage.

  The energy intended to further push him into the next stage, but he suppressed it to further purify the energy. He did not want to break through too quickly. As a brand new seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, he needed to strengthen and solidify his foundations.

  Finally, the raging energy in Xiang Shaoyun's body calmed. He tried sending his soul body out of his main body, something only doable by Sovereigns. He had a feeling he could now do the same.

  Sure enough, his soul floated out of his forehead and strode away. Immediately, a body of flesh formed around it. Two Xiang Shaoyuns could be seen standing together, as though they were a pair of twins.

  Xiang Shaoyun also sensed that his clone had formed independent thoughts, as though it was another version of him that was capable of independent thought and cultivation. He was stunned.

  "Is this my clone? Will it give birth to a different me?" Xiang Shaoyun questioned himself.

  The clone answered, "I am you, and you are me. You will still be the dominant person, and everything I see and obtain will be yours. At the same time, everything of yours will also be mine. We were originally one."

  The explanation cleared all the confusion in Xiang Shaoyun's mind. Although the clone had independent thoughts, the clone was also under his full control.

  "Very good. Does this mean that I will be able to split my focus into two from now on? This will be very beneficial for my cultivation," Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed in realization.

  Nevertheless, he knew very well that a clone was still a clone and could never be his own person. Also, if the clone was destroyed, he would probably suffer as well. Fortunately, the Nether Dragon Soul Headband would probably protect his soul from destruction. Thus, he would not face the danger of dying after his clone was killed.

  With the headband as an assurance, he sent his soul clone out to challenge some random beasts in the mountain range. Unfortunately, the demonic beasts there were too weak. He wasn't
able to have a proper fight.

  However, he still got to experience the amazing sensation of sending his soul out. Even without lifting a finger, he could fully experience all that his clone was experiencing. He could still focus on cultivation with his main body regardless of what his clone was doing. This was a perfect example of splitting his focus into two, something comparable to the ability of sages.

  "Alright, time to look for Money and the others," muttered Xiang Shaoyun. Instead of pulling his soul back, both bodies moved at the same time, heading toward the same direction using different routes.

  Xiang Shaoyun moved at full speed, while his soul clone found Money and the three birds first. They happened to have encountered something dangerous. Fighting Money was a powerful strong-ape. It was the size of a hill, and its entire body was brimming with strength. It was a fifth-stage Demon Sovereign, a strength that made it a tyrant of a large territory in the outer fringe of the mountain range.

  The Demon Sovereign usually spent its time cultivating in seclusion and wouldn't move out easily. However, Money and the three birds were hunting in its territory, provoking it to come out and deal with them.

  Money was a ninth-stage Demon Emperor, and with his bloodline talent, he could match a regular fourth-stage Demon Sovereign in battle. But it was still somewhat challenging for him to face a fifth-stage strong-ape.

  The three birds shrieked repeatedly, but they weren't much help and could only watch on as Money was beaten up.

  "Withdraw, Money. I'll deal with this big guy," Xiang Shaoyun's voice rang out.

  Chapter 918: Clone Versus Strong-Ape

  The one who had arrived was Xiang Shaoyun's clone. With the Nether Dragon Soul Headband around his head, he wore an unassuming martial outfit that couldn't hide his heroic looks. He looked like a child of god, and he emanated boundless majesty, his august bearing capable of gripping the hearts of countless maidens.

  "So strong, this big guy is too strong. It's hard to stop him. We better retreat for now," said Money.

  He was sending numerous lightning bolts out as he clashed with the strong-ape repeatedly, but the ape was extraordinarily strong. The ape waved his arm around, smashing apart one lightning bolt after another while still attacking Money. His attack sent Money flying away. Fortunately, Money had an incredibly resilient body that was as tough as a mid-stage Sovereign. Thus, a late-stage Sovereign couldn't easily harm him.

  "Withdraw," Xiang Shaoyun repeated.

  Money knew Xiang Shaoyun had many tricks up his sleeve, so he streaked toward the three birds and retreated with them and said, "Boss, this big fellow is guarding some treasures. If you can defeat him, all the treasures will be ours."

  "Don't worry. It's not my match," said Xiang Shaoyun confidently.

  With his hands clasped behind his back, he stepped forth. His step was ethereal, akin to a child of god setting out on a long journey. When the strong-ape sensed Xiang Shaoyun's presence, he looked over. His sinister eyes were capable of causing one to shiver in fear, and he roared at Xiang Shaoyun, "A puny human dares to strut around in this Sovereign's territory? I'll tear you apart!"

  Two terrifying beams shot out of the ape's eyes toward Xiang Shaoyun with unstoppable momentum, akin to two sharp blades. Instantly, the beams reached Xiang Shaoyun and pierced through him. However, they had only struck his afterimage before proceeding to hit the mountain behind him. With a world-shaking explosion, the mountain was leveled.

  Still using the ethereal footwork, Xiang Shaoyun continued striding toward the strong-ape. The strong-ape saw the derision in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes and was instantly angered. In a fury, the strong-ape slammed the ground with his arms.

  Numerous boulders were sent flying toward Xiang Shaoyun, and a massive gravity field covered the area, preventing flight in its active area. In fact, even standing would prove hard for some.

  The gravity field was incredibly powerful and instantly caused Money and the three birds to drop from the sky. If it wasn't for the fact that they had fled quite far away, they would have probably remained stuck to the ground after falling.

  Xiang Shaoyun felt as though several mountains were weighing down on his shoulders that were not exactly wide, causing his movements to turn somewhat sluggish. It was then that the boulders reached him.

  His lips curled into a smile as his earth star stirred. A reverse gravity field burst out, and he lashed both his palms forward, smashing all the boulders into pieces.

  Major Slab Palm!

  Numerous massive slabs appeared and hovered in the air, crashing into the incoming boulders before crashing toward the strong-ape.

  "Piss off!" The strong-ape lived up to his reputation as someone with boundless might. With each punch, a slab was destroyed.

  At this point, Xiang Shaoyun arrived beside him. A total of 108 palm attacks were sent out in succession. With the profundity of earth, boundless earth energy converged around him, giving him an endless supply of energy. His palm attacks were enhanced, and the 108 palms were akin to 108 mountains that forcefully smashed the strong-ape into the ground.

  "Roar! Roar!"

  The strong-ape roared and erupted with all his strength. His body enlarged as he used his body transformation technique, which could trigger his hidden potential and unleash an even stronger combat prowess.

  Using his technique, the strong-ape obtained the combat strength of a sixth-stage Demon Sovereign. With his unparalleled might, he could challenge even a seventh-stage Sovereign in a fight. Each punch of his now seemed capable of tearing the sky apart. He rained down punches at Xiang Shaoyun, smashing through Xiang Shaoyun's attacks with an overbearing power that made it hard for Xiang Shaoyun to harm him.

  "That big guy is really scary. Looks like I need to reach the Sovereign Realm as soon as possible," said Money with a sigh.

  "When we're at his level, we can easily tear him apart," said Vicious Three with a sinister glint in his eyes.

  "That's right. He has been cultivating for over 1,000 years. How many years have we cultivated?" said Vicious Two.

  "Give us 100 years, and we will be able to kill him!" said Vicious One.

  "Our boss has been cultivating for less than 10 years, and he is already strong enough to deal with the ape. We can't keep holding the boss down," said Money.

  Back on the battlefield, the fight between Xiang Shaoyun and the strong-ape was intensifying. About a dozen nearby mountains had already been leveled, and all demonic beasts in the area had fled far away.

  Xiang Shaoyun's clone had the combat strength of a sixth-stage Sovereign, and combined with his ability to punch above his weight, he did not fear even eighth-stage Sovereigns.

  With the profundity of earth, he summoned a boundless earth power which he used to face the strong-ape's punches.

  The strong-ape had an astonishingly powerful fist technique that was powered by dreadful vicious earth energy. His combat prowess was dreadful, and if measured in terms of pure strength, Xiang Shaoyun would be somewhat weaker. If it wasn't for the higher realm of his soul, he wouldn't be able to match the strong-ape with only a single star.

  "I cultivate nine powers, and I know the profundity of each power I cultivate. I can unleash the maximum potential of each power even with only a single star. Borrowing the unending energy of nature, I can fight the strongest among my peers." Xiang Shaoyun's confidence grew as the battle went on. His profundity of earth spread everywhere, forming numerous terrifying meteors in the sky. They rained down unendingly with a might nobody could hope to block.

  The meteors pounded the strong-ape. He looked incredibly pitiful, his blood spraying everywhere. However, the ape still remained unyielding. He sent his eye beams out again and spat out a clump of terrifying vicious earth energy from his mouth, forcing Xiang Shaoyun to repeatedly dodge the barrage of attacks.

  After some time, the strong-ape's transformation finally reached its limit, and his aura dropped. On the other hand, Xiang Shaoyun was still filled with strength. It was now obvi
ous which of the two was stronger.

  If Xiang Shaoyun had used his other powers as well, the strong-ape would have suffered a much earlier defeat. He was merely using the battle to get used to fighting using his soul clone.

  Upon exhaustion, the strong-ape no longer wanted to fight. He turned and started fleeing toward his cave.

  Chapter 919: I Am Willing to Submit

  The strong-ape's lair was located in a sturdy cave. Within the cave was an entirely different world. Numerous treasures were kept within. To survive, the strong-ape only needed to guard the entrance and prevent Xiang Shaoyun's entry.

  When Xiang Shaoyun arrived before the cave, he found that a bright formation had appeared around it. The formation kept the cave hidden and prevented Xiang Shaoyun from entering.

  A look of astonishment flickered in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes as he said, "The strong-ape is actually capable of laying down its own formation? What an amazing beast."

  He hurled his fist forward, unleashing a domineering punch in his attempt to smash the formation apart. But when his fist energy struck the formation, it was dissolved into nothingness.

  "How is this possible?" Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed in shock.

  His punch was incredibly overbearing, but it was completely useless before the formation. Its failure completely surpassed his expectations. He punched a few more times, but the result was the same. His punches weren't able to do anything.

  But instead of getting anxious, a smile formed on his face. "There must be a secret here. Otherwise, with the strong-ape's intelligence, he won't be able to lay out a formation."

  He stood ramrod and unleashed his profundity of earth, sending his senses creeping all over the formation. Previously in the Holy Earth Hall, he had similarly relied on the profundity of earth to detect the weak point of their formation. He believed he could do the same here.

  With his gift of instincts fully active, he searched dozens of formation eyes, seeing clearly each rune of the formation. He exclaimed, "This is a peak sovereign energy-neutralizing formation. Looks like a peak Sovereign once resided in this cave."