Chapter 131: Xia Bingling Reaches Soul Integration Realm
A chilling silence descended upon the battlefield once the last disciple of the Iron Hammer Sect fell unconscious. Wang Li, his eyes narrowed into slits of icy fury, scanned the remaining figures.
“You fools,” he growled, his voice laced with a deadly calm. “Don’t even think about taking another step. If you do, by the heavens, I won’t be responsible for the consequences. Not even your corpses will be left behind to tell the tale.”
The remaining disciples, their bravado shattered by the swift and brutal takedown of their comrades, felt a cold shiver crawl down their spines. Wang Li’s words, dripping with murderous intent, painted a vivid picture of their impending demise. They could almost feel the bite of his blade, the sting of his attacks.
Wang Li, noticing their growing fear, pressed his advantage. “Don’t think for a second your elders will come charging in to save you. They’ve already fled this territory with their prized little lapdog, Ye Fan. You’re nothing but pawns sacrificed for their escape.”
The revelation struck a chord of doubt within the disciples. They had been promised a swift victory, a chance to cripple the Xia Family while their elders dealt with the real threat. Now, they realized they were mere expendable pawns in a larger game.
But their demonic cultivation instilled a flicker of defiance. Disrupting Xia Bingling’s tribulation remained their objective. With a guttural roar, a few bolder disciples charged forward, desperate to buy their elder’s precious time.
Their attempts were met with a whirlwind of steel. Wang Li moved with lightning speed, his sword a blur of deadly grace. With each precise swing, he disarmed, crippled, and incapacitated the attackers. Screams of pain and curses filled the air, quickly replaced by stunned silence.
Seeing the fate of their companions, the remaining disciples finally broke. Their desire for glory and reward evaporated, replaced by a primal urge for survival. With terrified cries, they turned tail and fled the Xia Family territory, their loyalty to the Iron Hammer Sect crumbling in the face of their own mortality.
Once the field was clear, Wang Li turned towards Xia Qingwu, his expression resolute. “I’ll help your mother with the next lightning bolt,” he declared. “Stay vigilant and ensure that no further interruptions occur.”
Xia Qingwu, her eyes gleaming with admiration and gratitude, responded with a firm nod. “Leave it to me, Wang Li.”
With the immediate threat neutralized, Wang Li approached Xia Bingling. Her beautiful form, bathed in the ethereal glow of the tribulation, stood defiant against the approaching storm. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, channeling the power of his Yin-Yang Cultivation Ability.
A surge of energy coursed through both of them. The Yin energy from within Xia Bingling’s body harmonized with the Yang energy emanating from Wang Li, creating a perfect balance. A sense of calm and power washed over Xia Bingling, revitalizing her spiritual energy.
She opened her eyes, a flicker of surprise followed by a warm smile gracing her lips. “Wang Li, you…” Her voice, though faint, held a note of gratitude.
But the time for pleasantries was short-lived. The heavens above rumbled with a deafening roar. Dark, ominous clouds churned above them, unleashing torrents of electrical energy.
A single, thick bolt of purple lightning, pulsating with raw power, emerged from the heart of the storm, its target – Xia Bingling.
Wang Li gritted his teeth. This was it. The eighth bolt, the penultimate stage of the tribulation. He tightened his grip on Xia Bingling’s shoulder, his entire being pouring into channeling his Yin and Yang energy, a shield against the impending wrath of the heavens.
With a deafening crack that split the sky, the eighth bolt of lightning struck. It surged down with unimaginable power, engulfing both Xia Bingling and Wang Li in a blinding flash.
The ground trembled, the air crackled with energy, and the very fabric of reality seemed to warp under the onslaught.
As the blinding light subsided, revealing the ravaged landscape, a gasp escaped Xia Bingling’s lips. Wang Li stood beside her, his body a canvas of raw, purple burns etched by the lightning’s fury. His clothes hung in tattered shreds, his face pale and contorted in a grimace of pain. Despite her own safety, a surge of worry washed over her.
“Wang Li!” she cried, rushing to his side. Her voice held a tremor of fear and gratitude. He had shielded her from the brunt of the attack, taking the full force of the lightning upon himself.
Despite the agony wracking his body, a weak smile tugged at Wang Li’s lips. “Don’t worry about me,” he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. Blood trickled from a corner of his mouth. “Focus on the final bolt, Bingling. You have this.”
A wave of guilt crashed over Xia Bingling. She knew he pushed himself to the limit to protect her. With a determined nod, she quelled her worry and settled back into a meditative state. She had to be strong, not just for herself, but for him.
Drawing upon the last vestiges of her spiritual energy, she began weaving a dense barrier around her body. Wang Li, despite his ravaged state, channeled his own waning energy, merging it with hers. The combined effort infused her defense with a power beyond her own.
Minutes ticked by, agonizingly slow. The storm raged above, a maelstrom of crackling energy. Then, with a final, earth-shattering roar, the heavens unleashed the ninth and final bolt of lightning.
A blinding pillar of purple energy descended upon them. Xia Bingling’s barrier, bolstered by Wang Li’s sacrifice, met the assault head-on. The air crackled, the ground trembled, and the very atmosphere seemed to writhe under the immense pressure. Yet, the barrier held.
As the light faded, Xia Bingling stood panting, her clothes singed but her body unharmed. A wave of exhilaration washed over her. She had done it. She had defied the heavens and was now ascending to the Soul Integration Realm in the earnest.
The world seemed sharper, clearer. The spiritual energy coursing through her veins felt boundless, surging with a newfound density and power. Her perception of her surroundings deepened and the very flow of elemental energy whispered secrets in her ear.
Inside her dantian, however, a remarkable transformation was taking place.
Her previously humanoid Nascent Soul, fueled by the tribulation’s essence, began to morph and shift. A shimmering blue light emanated from within, coalescing into the shape of a majestic Glacial Blizzard Serpent. Its scales glittered like ice crystals, its eyes glowed with a piercing azure light. This was the manifestation of her Ice Attribute, now elevated to the Soul Integration Realm.
The Glacial Blizzard Serpent pulsed with power, signifying Xia Bingling’s newfound mastery over ice. It allowed her to not only generate, and control ice more efficiently but also gather and store vast quantities of ice attribute energy within her dantian. This enhanced energy reserve translated to a dramatic increase in her overall power.
The transformation didn’t end there.
Her physical form, too, had undergone a dramatic transformation. Muscles, previously honed through years of cultivation, now held an unyielding strength.
Even without channeling her spiritual energy, she felt capable of battling toe-to-toe with Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.
With her full power unleashed, she could likely dominate dozens of peak-level Nascent Soul experts.
But this elation was cut short as her gaze fell upon Wang Li. Curled on the ground, his breathing shallow and labored, unconsciousness painted across his face.
Guilt gnawed at her. He had pushed himself beyond his limits, all for her sake.
“Qingwu!” she called out, her voice echoing through the ravaged landscape.
Her daughter Xia Qingwu, who had been a vigilant spectator throughout the ordeal, materialized at her side. “Yes, Mother?” she responded, her expression mirroring Xia Bingling’s concern.
“Take Wang Li to the infirmary. Have the family physician tend to him immediately,” Xia Bingling instructed, her voice firm despite the tremor of worry within.
“Of course, Mother,” Xia Qingwu replied, gently scooping Wang Li into her arms. Disappearing into the distance, she rushed to ensure his recovery.
Once they were gone, a steely glint hardened Xia Bingling’s eyes. Those Iron Hammer Sect fools who had dared attack her family would pay dearly for their transgression. Now, empowered by her newfound strength, she felt invincible.
With a swift movement, Xia Bingling vanished from the spot, leaving behind a trail of swirling ice crystals.
Outside the Xia Family territory, the disciples and elders of the Iron Hammer Sect cowered, remnants of fear clinging to them like a shroud. They watched in disbelief as a beautiful woman, radiating an aura of power that sent shivers down their spines, emerged before them.
The woman was Xia Bingling, and they were about to witness the full power of this enraged woman.
With a flick of her wrist, Xia Bingling conjured a blade of pure ice. It pulsed with a chilling blue light, a weapon forged from her Ice Attribute. The air itself seemed to crackle with frost as she surveyed the remnants of the Iron Hammer Sect.
“You dare trespass on Xia Family territory,” she declared, her voice laced with icy fury that echoed across the battlefield. “Now you shall face the consequences.”
