The Grandmist dragon and the man’s domain, strengthened with every ounce of his power, collided, letting out an apocalyptic boom. Space shattered in the surrounding hundred miles closest to the man, with some of the fragments piercing his skin and causing grievous injuries. Nine large panes of space broke apart and flew down, three in each direction like before. Huxian barked instructions to his friends in a move to secure at least one piece before the ordeal was over. The lesser cultivators below Cha Ming and the elders cheered as flecks of raw spatial fragments rained down on them. The Haijing royal family also issued orders.
Everything around Cha Ming erupted into chaos. He wasted no time and used his concentration technique to summon a Myriad Truths Formation, something akin to a nascent domain. He used his power over the five elements to force people apart as he snaked toward where two of the spatial fragments were headed. Predictably, Zhou Li did the same. They flew neck and neck toward the same two objectives, launching long-ranged attacks toward each other as they traveled.
A black cloak of flame appeared around Cha Ming, who directly projected destruction qi to break it apart. He whirled his staff, creating shackles of pure creation power to wrap around Zhou Li. Zhou Li sent scythe-like bundles of sin flames to cut them down, then barely erected a shield as Cha Ming’s staff came bearing down with Crushing Chaos.
The world erupted in black flames as Cha Ming felt himself being tugged in ninety-nine directions at once. He couldn’t see them but sensed ninety-nine threads of unfair, sinful karma tying down his nascent angelic wings, threatening to tear them off. He countered by sending out a thin string of destruction to sever the ninety-nine threads, letting his half-corporeal wings manifest, boosting both his body and four of his elements in the process.
Cha Ming’s energy reserves plummeted, but he didn’t care. A strict edict by the Haijing royal family stated that killing was punishable by death in this friendly competition. He funneled the remainder of his five-element, creation, and destruction power into a ball of flame in his fist. Then he threw it out and formed a gray wall of flame between everyone and the two spatial fragments. He, as the owner of the flames, dove through them. No one followed.
He grinned as he pocketed the two spatial fragments, and Huxian pocketed another in the demonic battlefield. Then he pulled back the gray flames. They were a bluff, of course. There was no way he could generate enough power with his middle-core-formation cultivation to threaten so many peak-core-formation cultivators.
But they didn’t know that. His gray flames were strange, unknown. In addition, they were all still shocked at the display of raw power from the Grandmist Lightning Dragon from the tribulation beside them. As a result, he’d managed to secure two of the four prizes that had landed in their area.
“Better luck next time,” Cha Ming said to Zhou Li, who looked like he’d bitten into a lemon. The man glared at him murderously but could only sheathe his weapon and head back down. The elder who’d been fighting the tribulation had survived. Barely.
Cha Ming flew down to the other elders, who congratulated him on his heavy haul. Then, glancing into his Clear Sky World, he noticed the greedy brush had devoured one of the fragments, and to his surprise, the disc of concentrated time essence. He smiled bitterly and hoped something good would come out of it.
Now, what to do with my one remaining fragment? he thought as he reunited with his disciples and Huxian. Large spatial fragments were in short supply, so he was in no hurry to spend it.
Chapter 13: Sea God Royal Family
Cha Ming spent the next six months completely engrossed in alchemy. He carefully raised his alchemical skill to the middle of core grade before leaving seclusion. Zi Long, who was often practicing in the courtyard outside his chamber, greeted him as he exited. After some quick sparring exchanges and a few pointers, he proceeded to the Alabaster Group’s headquarters.
“Master, master!” a voice sounded. It was a middle-aged man named Wei Yu, a talisman artist and one of the six he’d recruited. “I have some good news!”
“Everyone who’s received instruction slips has mastered their contents,” Cha Ming said, smiling. “With that, my karmic duty is fulfilled.”
The man scratched his head sheepishly. “That takes away the excitement. Yes, we mastered them, and the effects on my talisman arts were profound. Most of us advanced a full sub rank in our respective crafts.”
“That’s good to hear,” Cha Ming said. “Tell me, has much happened while I was gone?”
“You’d have to ask the elders,” the man replied.
“Not a problem,” Cha Ming said. “Could you do me a favor? I’d like you to gather your brothers and sisters. I want to give everyone pointers after I’ve finished speaking with the elders.”
“Right away,” the man said. He bowed and left. Cha Ming wandered through the bustling Alabaster Group with great difficulty, as there were many more members than the last time he’d visited. He eventually reached the meeting room where several elders had already assembled. Cha Ming took a seat beside some familiar faces and waited as
