Chapter 138: Overcoming the Earth Dust Scripture?
When he saw his senior brother being blasted out of the arena, Jiang Li rode the Dragon Imprisoning Lock forward to greet him, “Senior Brother Liu Bai, how are you?”
After helping the other party up in the air, he and Senior Brother Liu Bai flew back to the ‘A’ stage. While letting him rest, he received the treatment of the Rejuvenation Hall’s disciple.
“Sigh. I’m fine.”
Senior Brother Liu Bai had a dejected look on his face, appearing rather regretful of his loss this time.
“Hmm? Junior Brother Jiang Li? Shouldn’t you be in the arena below? Why have you flown here?”
After being depressed for a long time, Senior Brother Liu Bai suddenly noticed that the person speaking to him was his junior brother, Jiang Li, who was at the Qi Refinement realm.
Jiang Li did not conceal it. After all, this was something that everyone knew. It was only because Senior Brother Liu Bai and the others were in an intense battle earlier and were too busy to pay attention to it that they did not notice it.
After he roughly explained the situation, Senior Brother Liu Bai had a stunned expression as well. After staring blankly for a long time, he became even more depressed.
“I originally thought that Junior Brother would still need a few years to catch up to us. I didn’t expect you to be here so soon…”
The matter of Jiang Li being arranged to fight with the Foundation Establishment disciples seemed to have a greater impact on Senior Brother Liu Bai than losing to Shen Ruoshi.
It was as if he was a top student in high school and had lost to another straight-A student in the next class during a mid-term examination. This made him unhappy, but it was also normal.
However, when he returned home with the result, he discovered that his cousin was a guest at home. He graduated from high school at the age of eight and studied his master’s degree at the age of ten. At the age of thirteen, he was already a Nobel Prize winner…
That was the feeling.
Jiang Li comforted him. Senior Brother Liu Bai was actually just like Senior Sister Liu Mulan from before, and he was not injured at all.
As long as he took a short break, he would be able to issue another challenge. In fact, he still had a chance of entering the top five.
However, for some reason, the other party’s mood was constantly low.
“However, Senior Brother Liu Bai, that Earth Dust Scripture is so effective against us body cultivators, why do you still want to challenge her?” Jiang Li asked after thinking about it. He was still puzzled by this.
“Because…”
“I didn’t challenge her. It was Shen Ruoshi who kept chasing after me.”
Jiang Li was speechless. Although it was understandable to challenge an opponent that she was good against, it still felt like bullying.
‘I don’t want to fight you, but you are not letting me go…’
On the five floating stages of the Foundation Establishment realm, the result of three of the stages had already been decided.
They were respectively the first, third, and fourth rings.
Among them, there was a senior brother from the Alchemy Hall on the fourth ring. He seemed to have grasped a blue spirit fire of heaven and earth that was extremely scorching when burning.
The person fighting with him might have a higher cultivation level and stronger Dao technique, but he could not withstand the power of the spirit fire and was eventually forced out of the arena.
On the third combat ring was a beautiful young lady with a smile on her face. She was the Heaven and Earth Hall’s Shen Ruoshi that Jiang Li had seen defeat Jiang Li’s senior brother and sister in succession.
After the battle with Senior Brother Liu Bai, the entire third ring was already covered in problematic dust. As long as the challenger stepped onto the ring, it was equivalent to directly stepping into a trap, and it was a very troublesome character to deal with.
On the first stage stood another disciple from the Heaven and Earth Hall.
The sect’s Heaven and Earth Hall had a collection of the best geniuses in the entire Scripture Storage Valley. Unlike the other halls, the Heaven and Earth Hall itself existed to nurture experts and cultivate the future pillars of the sect.
Naturally, they produced the most outstanding disciples.
However, this senior brother’s expression was gentle, and his demeanor, as well as his every move, looked like… a lower-quality version of Chu Yunxuan.
Even his combat style was extremely similar to the Eldest Senior Brother. He used things to smash people, but what he held in his hand was not a golden seal, but a small mountain peak that seemed to be an ornament.
This imitation could not be said to be similar, but nearly identical.
This person… was not normal.
For some reason, Jiang Li instinctively had this feeling when he looked at him.
Jiang Li stared at the other party who seemed to have noticed his gaze as well. He turned around and met Jiang Li’s gaze.
The two of them looked into each other’s eyes, and then they revealed a warm smile at the same time, nodding towards each other.
After turning their heads, they sneered in their hearts at the same time.
‘Hmph! That guy really acts well!’
Due to the restrictions of the rules, after each battle, the ring that had been challenged would have the right to stop fighting for two hours. That was for the disciples after the battle to meditate and recover from their injuries.
Jiang Li and Senior Brother Liu Bai meditated on the ‘A’ stage together.
Of course, to Jiang Li who had recovered his spiritual qi long ago, this was only an act. In his mind, he studied the possible tactics he could use with the parallel mind.
Two hours passed quickly.
Jiang Li stood up while Senior Brother Li Bai who was by his side was still immersed in regulating his breathing and was unable to free himself. It seemed that he had indeed exhausted a great deal of his strength in the battle earlier.
The Dragon Imprisoning Lock on his body emitted a crisp sound as Jiang Li slowly flew towards one of the five stages.
Thump. Thump.
When his feet landed on the platform, Jiang Li could clearly feel that the texture of the platform below his feet was obviously much tougher than the Qi Refinement realm stage.
“Senior Sister Shen, I am Jiang Li of the Demon Vanquishing Hall. Please enlighten me.”
Jiang Li cupped his hands. The person standing opposite him was the disciple of the Heaven and Earth Hall, Shen Ruoshi, who had defeated two Foundation Establishment realm cultivators in succession!
“This Jiang Li actually wants to challenge Little Ruoshi?”
In the Long Clear Hall, the group of elders who were watching the show felt very surprised.
This was especially true for the Valley Master, Daoist Wushe, and Elder He, the Head Elder of the Demon Vanquishing Hall.
The two people standing opposite them were both the youngest disciples under their wing. They were looking forward to the outcome of this battle.
However, Jiang Li’s choice was very confusing to others.
It was obvious that Shen Ruoshi’s Earth Dust Scripture was an ancient technique that could restrain body cultivators. It was powerful and unpredictable.
Facing such an enemy, the best way was to use long-range spell techniques to probe them and not let them be tainted by the dust. As a result, body cultivators who only knew how to engage in close combat were always restrained.
As for Jiang Li, the elders had watched him fight until now, and they were already quite familiar with his stubbornness.
There was no denying that he was a genius in body cultivation.
In terms of Dao Techniques, it was true that he could already be considered outstanding, and the strength of his spiritual qi was also impressive among the Qi Refinement realm disciples.
However, compared to Foundation Establishment Cultivators, there was clearly no comparison.
Did he have some sort of special confidence when he chose to challenge Shen Ruoshi? Or did he find some flaws in the Earth Dust Scripture from the perspective of a third party?
On the other hand, Shen Ruoshi could not understand why a Qi Refinement realm disciple came up to challenge her.
Jiang Li could only explain the reason again before the other party reluctantly accepted reality.
“Junior Brother Jiang Li is also a body cultivator?”
After getting an affirmative answer, Shen Ruoshi covered her mouth again. She looked surprised.
“If I remember correctly, your two senior brother and sister lost to me. Since you are a body cultivator, why did you choose to challenge me?”
“Could it be that… Junior Brother wants to avenge them?”
Shen Ruoshi could not understand.
“No, no. Senior Sister misunderstood.”
“Senior Sister Shen is beautiful and kind-hearted. You didn’t even injure the two seniors earlier, so I won’t be so ungrateful.”
Jiang Li waved his hand repeatedly and immediately praised, causing the other party’s smiling eyes to narrow even more.
What he said was the truth. After the battle, Senior Sister Liu Mulan and Senior Brother Liu Bai did not have many injuries on their bodies. The other party clearly showed mercy. If they still wanted to seek revenge shamelessly, it would not make sense.
“It’s just that the path of body cultivation is a straightforward path. If you choose to blindly escape after discovering your deficiencies, then the restrictions you encounter in your future cultivation will definitely increase. Therefore, I am determined to succeed in challenging Senior Sister.”
“This Junior Brother is reckless and stubborn. Senior Sister, please be gentler with me.”
As Jiang Li spoke, everyone who heard his words nodded successively. They sighed in their minds and felt that this kid would definitely become great in the future with such a character.
“Since Junior Brother has said so, please go ahead.”
The gong sounded, and the battle began.
At this instant, Jiang Li felt the atmosphere on the arena suddenly change.
A thin layer of dust that almost covered the entire ring started to jump and float as if it had a life of its own.
The dust around Jiang Li’s feet was like iron sand that was attracted by a magnet, and it gathered around Jiang Li’s feet.
If one was surrounded by this dust, their feet would become heavier and slower.
However, if he wanted to find a place to hide, there was no safe place to stay in the entire ring.
Jiang Li did not float in the air, allowing the fine dust to stick to his shoes and pants.
However, at the next moment, this thin layer of dust was washed away by an invisible force. Every tiny dust was washed clean.
The surrounding dust continued to stick to him, but it was continuously washed away by the invisible force. As this happened, not a single dust could stay on Jiang Li’s body for even a second.
Jiang Li was delighted in his heart. He had made the right guess!
To achieve such an effect, it was naturally the status that Jiang Li had just obtained. This was the magical effect of [Effective Body Cleaning].
This powerful cleaning effect came from Senior Sister Qi Yu’s full-powered cleansing technique.
Compared to the ordinary [Body Cleaning], this [Effective Body Cleaning] could not only remove the foreign stains on his body, but it could also remove some tracking scents and spiritual qi objects.
For example, the dust that contained the spiritual qi of the Earth Dust Scripture was within its targeted group.
This was the same as having a Foundation Establishment cultivator beside Jiang Li at all times, using a full-powered body cleaning technique on him every five seconds.
It was difficult for the dust to stay on him.
Jiang Li did not have to worry about the troublesome dust for the time being. He immediately kicked his feet and drew a straight line on the arena. Then, he punched Senior Sister Shen Ruoshi in the chest.
Shen Ruoshi did not dodge or resist. She let Jiang Li’s fist land on her body.
However, Jiang Li’s heavy fist seemed to have landed on a pile of ash. It passed through his chest without any obstruction.
In the next moment, her delicate figure transformed into a cloud of dust that enveloped Jiang Li.
Huff!
A gust of cold wind from the Yin Wind Art that did not care about spiritual qi expenditure blew away the dust.
Jiang Li’s body was still dyed a layer of gray.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Every second, a layer of dust would be brushed off from Jiang Li’s body. He did not need to worry at all. After a few seconds, his body would become spotless again.
“Junior Brother Jiang Li, you asked me to be gentler, but your punch was so heavy.”
The dust that was blown away gathered in the distance. When it dispersed again, Shen Ruoshi appeared there unscathed. She patted her chest as if she was really afraid.
“Senior Sister’s Earth Dust Scripture is unfathomable. How can I injure you? Don’t make fun of me.”
As Jiang Li spoke, he continued to rush towards the other party. This time, he raised his leg and swept the other party into two segments. Then, he watched helplessly as the other party turned into dust.
Jiang Li had long known that this move of his would not have any effect. It was just that he did not use much strength.
However, the moment the attack struck the other party, he observed any abnormalities in his surroundings with all his might, trying to find out where the other party’s true body was.
In the end, he found nothing.
Shen Ruoshi appeared again. Jiang Li threw the Dragon Imprisoning Lock at her. He wanted to use the Dragon Imprisoning Lock to suppress her spiritual qi so that she could not use it.
However, the moment the chains tightened, the other party was still turned into dust. At this point, even the Dragon Imprisoning Lock was also covered in thick dust, not giving him any chance at all.
Jiang Li pursed his lips and put away the Dragon Imprisoning Lock. Not only could this dust suppress the strength of cultivators, but it could also weaken the might of artifacts.
How troublesome.
Even though he had successfully removed the other party’s dust from his body, he was still caught in a bitter struggle.
However, Jiang Li was not discouraged. He put the Dragon Imprisoning Lock back on his waist. He punched and kicked Shen Ruoshi into dust repeatedly as she appeared time and again.
He believed that all spell techniques had to consume spiritual qi.
It was obvious that most of the dust was prepared by the other party in advance, as Shen Ruoshi could not have enough spiritual qi to make them on the spot.
However, the amount of dust that she had prepared beforehand would definitely be limited without any spatial equipment.
Moreover, no matter how little it consumed to control them, there would definitely be some expenditure.
As long as it continued, Jiang Li did not believe that the other party’s stamina could still compare to his.
Jiang Li shuttled through the flying dust without any fear. He ignored the dust that stuck to him and blasted the other party’s body apart one after another.
From time to time, he would use the Yin Wind Art to blow the dust away from the ring.
Every time he did that, Shen Ruoshi had no choice but to recall the dust. He was doing everything he could to increase her spiritual qi consumption.
It would be the biggest joke in the world if a Qi Refinement realm disciple wanted to bring down a Foundation Establishment realm disciple. However, when it came to Jiang Li, everything was not absolute.
In next to no time, Jiang Li noticed that the speed at which his opponent’s body reconstituted had started to slow down. It was probably because the expenditure of spiritual qi had increased, causing her to feel strained.
Shen Ruoshi was not a fool. She saw that Jiang Li was still lively despite being in her territory. There was definitely something fishy about him!
Initially, she had planned to win with this invincible technique, but now that her plan had been foiled, she started to panic.
She took the initiative to gather a large amount of floating dust, forming a few earth currents that rushed towards Jiang Li, attempting to directly cover him into a statue.
However, in her previous battles, the reason why she did not do so immediately was because she had always used fine dust to weaken her opponent before controlling large amounts of dust to cover them.
It was not because she did not want to, but because she could not.
The speed at which the gathered dirt flowed in the air was truly slow, and Jiang Li’s swift movement technique easily dodged it before he shattered the head with a punch.
Without weakening or restricting the opponent ahead of time, it would be difficult for the dust to catch up to cultivators who were focused on avoiding them.
“Why! Why aren’t you afraid of my turbid air heavy earth!”
Shen Ruoshi could not retain her smile any longer. How could a Qi Refinement realm disciple crack her turbid air heavy earth?
That was the core chapter of the Earth Dust Scripture. How could it be easily unraveled by a disciple?
She could not help but ask Jiang Li anxiously.
When she asked this question, she originally did not think that Jiang Li could answer, but she did not expect that Jiang Li would actually say the ‘truth’ about his countermeasure against the Earth Dust Scripture.
Jiang Li did not answer directly but asked first, “Senior Sister actually can’t control all the dust, right?”
The other hesitated for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment.
Jiang Li thought to himself that it was indeed the case. Even he, who cultivated the Bodhisattva Heart Sutra, progressed slowly in the aspect of spirit refinement. It was impossible for the other party to possess a high Mind attribute. She would definitely not be able to control this “turbid air heavy earth” in a large area.
“But so what? What does this have to do with you being able to overcome the Earth Dust Scripture?”
Shen Ruoshi still looked confused. The Earth Dust Scripture was such a powerful technique. Even if she did not control it in detail, as long as the enemy entered the range, they would still be attacked.
This was a trait that she had tested time and again. In the past, it had never lost its effectiveness in battle. She definitely could not be wrong.
“That’s exactly why. You’ll understand when you see it, Senior Sister.”
Jiang Li took out two talismans from his bosom. After pouring a large amount of spiritual qi into them, he threw them towards a stream of dust floating in the air.
The two talismans pierced through the dust flow, but after passing through the dust flow, the two talismans were covered in a thick layer of dust, and then they lost all their strength and fell to the ground.
“Senior Sister’s turbid air heavy earth will be attracted by objects with spiritual qi and will automatically stick to them. Am I right?”
Jiang Li had discovered this matter from the Dragon Imprisoning Lock. At that time, after it swept through the dust, it was covered in a thick layer of dust. After that, Jiang Li had some guesses about this.
He had secretly tried it during the process of the battle, and he quickly verified this guess.
Although he himself did not use the characteristics of turbid air heavy earth to overcome it, using it as an excuse was completely reasonable.
As for whether this would cause problems for them later, it was none of his business.
“I’m a body cultivator, so I don’t really rely on spiritual qi. As long as I don’t use spiritual qi myself and use other sources of spiritual qi to lure them, I can naturally avoid getting tainted by the dust.”
Jiang Li explained a lot of things that he had just thought of. Shen Ruoshi and the elders of the Long Clear Hall came to a realization.
So that was the reason… As long as he did not use spiritual qi, he could overcome the Earth Dust Scripture.
Wait, not using spiritual qi?
How could they fight without it?
Even body cultivators had to infuse their bodies with spiritual qi.
Body cultivators only used their bodies to fight, but it was not to say that they did not rely on spiritual qi. If they threw aside spiritual qi, even if they could still fight, their attributes would be greatly reduced. It would be a blessing if they could unleash 40-50% of their strength.
Only a freak like Jiang Li could maintain considerable combat strength without using spiritual qi.
Moreover, the Earth Dust Scripture’s turbid air heavy earth could be controlled by a cultivator’s will. Shen Ruoshi had this limitation only because she had not reached the higher levels of the cultivation method.
If she was given two more years, this method would be completely useless to her. At that time, if he still plunged into the turbid air heavy earth, he would only suffer a crushing defeat.
So, when they thought about it carefully, the method Jiang Li spoke of was actually very limited.
He did not overcome the Earth Dust Scripture. He only unraveled the Earth Dust Scripture that Shen Ruoshi used.
Moreover, he was not even close to overcoming it. At the very least, Jiang Li was still unable to see through Shen Ruoshi’s actual body.
With this in mind, they subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief. If the sect’s ultimate technique was broken just like that, it would be a huge problem.