Ninth In the World

Di Jiu stopped again. He saw a gigantic red cocoon with a circumference of about 10 feet. There seemed to be a fluctuating life aura in that red cocoon.

If this cocoon hadn’t had the aura of a flame or emitted any fiery sensation, Di Jiu would have almost suspected that it was the Heavenly Fire Spirit.

Just as he was about to go over to take a look, Di Jiu discovered that something was amiss. The gigantic cocoon had a layer of natural restriction outside, which had to probably be a level-six Immortal Array.

Di Jiu put Mo Yuxuan down and told her, “I am going over to take a look at that gigantic cocoon. Please don’t follow me. I will still be within sight. I won’t go far. You will be a hindrance if you follow me.”

Di Jiu walked towards the gigantic cocoon after repeatedly warning Mo Yuxuan. His Spiritual Force sensed that she indeed hadn’t followed him. Di Jiu felt relieved that she could finally understand some simple instructions.

Although it took Di Jiu a bit more effort to open the level-six immortal-grade restriction, it still didn’t take him long. He was, after all, a level-six Immortal Array Great-Master.

After being in the Immortal World for so many years, he had spent all his time researching the Array Dao besides striving to establish the Starry Sky Immortal City. This had improved his Array Dao so that he was nearly a level-seven Immortal Array King. However, his cultivation was still hovering around the fourth-stage Perfected Immortal Realm.

Di Jiu had already planned on spending all his time to advance his cultivation level once his Array Dao broke through to the level-seven Immortal Array King.

Even if he couldn’t advance to a level-seven Immortal Array King, he would still give up on researching the Array Dao and spend all his effort on cultivating, as long as his Dao fire could transcend nirvana.

The most important thing for a cultivator was to cultivate.

Di Jiu stood beside the gigantic red cocoon after he opened the natural restriction. Then, he stretched out to touch the red cocoon. It was ice-cold, without any tinge of warmth.

Strangely, there was a pile of small, fine white stones beside the red cocoon.

It looked like this wasn’t the Heavenly Fire Spirit. Di Jiu tried to tear the red cocoon, but it was too hard. Despite his strength, he couldn’t tear it up.

Di Jiu wanted very much to slice it up with his Heavenly Aqua Saber. However, he was worried that a life might be incubating within it. If his saber intent invaded this incubated life, it would certainly die.

Why not put this red cocoon into his Quintessential World first?

Suddenly, just as Di Jiu was about to take out his array flag, a needle-like thorn poked out of the red cocoon and immediately pierced Di Jiu’s waist.

Di Jiu hadn’t anticipated this. However, he wouldn’t have been able to avoid the thorn even if he had anticipated it, as its speed was too fast.

Immediately, Di Jiu felt his Blood Essence get quickly sucked away by this needle-like thorn.

Suddenly, he realized what this was all about and felt extremely angry. This wasn’t an incubated life. It was an evil monster that killed without leaving a trace. Those small, fine white stones outside the red cocoon were the skeletal remains of the cultivators who had died.

There were so many white skeletal stones... Many cultivators must have been killed there.

Di Jiu immediately drew out his Heavenly Aqua Saber and slashed with it.

Di Jiu didn’t slash the needle-like thorn that had pierced him. The needle-like thorn was so hard that even his immortal-like Tempered Body wouldn’t be able to resist it. Therefore, his saber move might not be able to break it either.

In other words, even if he managed to break it, a new needle-like thorn could pierce out from the red cocoon again. Nobody could be sure that this wouldn’t happen.

Therefore, Di Jiu slashed at the gigantic red cocoon instead.

He had used the Wind-Rustling Move, which was the saber move that contained the most aura amongst his three saber moves. An unstoppable saber intent aura was summoned. This aura was sure to persist until it managed to slash open the gigantic red cocoon.

The red cocoon might not have expected that anyone who had been pierced by the needle-like thorn and had their Blood Essence sucked out would ignore the thorn and instead slash at the cocoon with their Dharma treasure.

Based on precedence, the victim always used their Dharma treasure on the needle-like thorn to get rid of the danger first.

Crack! At the same time, while the red cocoon was sucking away at Di Jiu’s Blood Essence, his saber move created a crack in the red cocoon.

However, the crack began to close up very quickly as soon as it was formed. Di Jiu naturally wouldn’t let the crack mend itself. Therefore, he blasted out once more with the Primeval Thunder Pattern.

The Primeval Thunder Pattern blasted right onto the crack just as it was half-mended.

Crack! The gigantic cocoon split open!

Then, a frightening burning aura burst into his face while the gigantic cocoon was slashed open by Di Jiu.

Di Jiu definitely would not give the gigantic cocoon any chance to restore itself. He quickly opened his hands and put it into his Quintessential World.

The needle-like thorn that had pierced his waist was still absorbing his Blood Essence. However, Di Jiu didn’t feel like bothering with it now. He just stared blankly at a ginseng-shaped flame in front of him.

Was this the Heavenly Fire Spirit?

A long, ear-piercing shriek was emitted from the ginseng-shaped flame. Then, a frightening flame whirled toward Di Jiu.

Before Di Jiu could send out any message, the black-colored flame in the Dao fire had already turned into a black shield that encapsulated him.

However, Di Jiu quickly sensed that his Dao fire couldn’t hold on much longer.

Di Jiu knew exactly what he had to do. On one hand, he madly tried to refine the Heavenly Fire Spirit, while on the other, he urged his Dao fire to swallow the Heavenly Fire Spirit in order to transcend nirvana.

If it hadn’t been for Di Jiu, the Dao fire would have been swallowed by the Heavenly Fire Spirit the minute they exchanged blows. It wouldn’t have been able to swallow the Heavenly Fire Spirit to transcend nirvana.

Even though Di Jiu had made the best choice within the shortest time possible, he still couldn’t stop the Heavenly Fire Spirit from quickly eroding the Dao fire shield.

Di Jiu knew very well that he definitely wouldn’t be able to survive the frightening flames once the Dao fire shield was torn apart by the Heavenly Fire Spirit.

The only way out was by body-tempering. The Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art Schema that he had was good. However, he had only been able to cultivate his body until the Spirit Realm while he was in the Cultivation World because of the limitations of the Heaven Earth Law.

He had been running around and trying to survive ever since he had arrived in the Immortal World. He couldn’t even find a place to cultivate, let alone a place ideal for body-tempering.

Now, his life was on the line. He had to break through the Spirit Realm body in order to survive.

The difference between an immortal and a mortal was definitely not whether the things that existed in the universe, such as flames, were in agreement with the Heaven Earth Dao. If he wanted to improve his body, he needed treasures that could enable the Tempered Body to transcend nirvana.

The best treasure for doing this was the Chaos Green Reed, which Di Jiu didn’t have. The only thing that Di Jiu had was the Universe Membrane fragment.

Di Jiu was possibly the only one in the whole universe who had used the Universe Membrane fragment to help his body transcend nirvana.

Di Jiu knew very well that it wasn’t up to him to decide whether or not the Universe Membrane fragment could help his body transcend nirvana. If the fragment and he were destined to, then he would use it to allow his body to transcend nirvana. If they weren’t, then he wouldn’t be able to use it, even if the Heavenly Fire Spirit burned him to ashes.

Di Jiu madly circulated the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art as it channeled the Universe Membrane fragment in his Spiritual Sea. He wanted to make use of this frightening flame to help his body transcend nirvana.

Once his Spiritual Force channeled the Universe Membrane fragment, the Golden Dao Law within it felt it.

The Golden Dao Law began jumping in rage as if it were trying to protest against what Di Jiu was doing. This was because it would lose its residence once Di Jiu used up the Universe Membrane fragment.

The Golden Dao Law had chosen to stay in Di Jiu’s Spiritual Sea, not because it had chosen Di Jiu, but because it had chosen the Universe Membrane fragment.

However, the piece of Universe Membrane fragment had been picked up by Di Jiu, so it belonged to him. Therefore, it couldn’t be taken away.

Di Jiu wouldn’t bother with the Golden Dao Law, regardless of how unhappy or formidable it was. He was facing death now, so he naturally had to ensure his own survival first.

What made Di Jiu happy was that the Universe Membrane fragment didn’t reject him. Instead, it landed in his starry sky meridian when he circulated the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art.

Boom! Di Jiu’s Dao fire was torn apart by the Heavenly Fire Spirit at the same time.

The Heavenly Fire Spirit whirled away all of Di Jiu’s clothes in a single sweep as it began to scorch his body.

The frightening aura of a burning body loomed as the pain and misery almost made Di Jiu faint. With a really strong display of willpower, he managed to maintain his Principal Spirit and consciousness, even though his body was slowly melting away. He was still madly circulating the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art so he could use the Universe Membrane fragment to help his body transcend nirvana.

He would be basically committing suicide if he fainted now.

The Foundation Order that he had gained insight into was working, so Di Jiu quickly grasped the Foundation Order in the Universe Membrane fragment. Thanks to the Foundation Order, Di Jiu’s Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art quickly permeated the Universe Membrane fragment. The Universe Membrane fragment then turned into drops of Spirit Liquid which were combined perfectly with Di Jiu’s body. Thanks to the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art, his Tempered Body quickly advanced.

A streak of Golden Dao Law shot out from between Di Jiu’s eyes, circled around Di Jiu’s head, and then shot directly into the void.