Chapter 572: The Local
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"Master, is Sister Amber going to rescue the two senior sisters? Why is she alone?"
Miaomiao watched the images streaming from the curtain—Amber’s synchronized view, visible both at the mansion and in Su City.
Naturally, Su Cheng could contact Amber at any time, though so far, he hadn't discerned what kind of being she truly was.
While neither the Valkyries nor Su Cheng had noticed anything unusual, Yu Lan and Cang Jue beside them began whispering…
"Cangjue, don't you find that 'ghostly shadow' strange?"
"Hmm, you think so too?"
Both had been utterly captivated by Amber's formidable divine power moments ago. After all, the Apostles who had caused everyone such headaches were utterly insignificant before that Valkyrie—she had slaughtered them all with effortless ease!
But when that blonde woman clad in black armor appeared, they both froze.
"Doesn't that look a lot like the state of a Nascent Soul leaving the body?"
"Hmm, but it's not entirely the same. And if we call it a 'ghostly shadow' as you suggested, this shadow's power seems a bit too overwhelming, don't you think?"
Yu Lan nodded, beginning her own analysis.
"Yes, I only feel that the existence of that 'ghostly shadow' resembles an out-of-body Yuan Infant. But I doubt either Bai Tao or I could manifest an out-of-body Yuan Infant with such immense strength, let alone withstand that divine power head-on."
"Amber's sword strike just now definitely connected. Yet it had absolutely no effect. It seemed like nothing more than a phantom—utterly insubstantial."
"That 'Heaven's Wrath' wasn't blocked by him at all—it probably didn't even hit."
"Yet if it truly lacked substance, that sword light was undeniably real. And the black dagger in that 'ghostly shadow's' hand—it was tangibly present…"
The two chatterboxes murmured on the sidelines, clearly disturbing Su Cheng, who had been watching the battle in deep thought. Spotting Su Cheng lift his gaze, they promptly shut their little mouths in frustration.
"What are you two discussing? Have you formed any conclusions?"
Su Cheng himself didn't consider himself particularly intimidating. After all, he'd always been this way, surrounded by a bunch of disrespectful lads who called him "Honorable Master" to his face but referred to him as "Gou Cao" behind his back.
But Yu Lan and Cang Jue were locals. While Su Cheng's temperament was usually beyond reproach, when it came to his direct disciples, there was no trace of kindness left!
"Uh, nothing. Just thought that ghostly shadow was a bit peculiar, so…"
Yu Lan certainly didn't want to invite trouble now. After all, Su Cheng had been wearing a sour expression these past days. Even if he hadn't openly scolded them, his mood hadn't exactly been pleasant.
Upon hearing this, Su Cheng slowly turned his head back, refocusing his attention on the curtain as he scrutinized it…
【Huh? Wait…】
Su Cheng pondered. Perhaps cultivators could discern something about the deities that descended upon this cultivation world?
As an outsider, he naturally couldn't discern the issue. Since Yu Lan found it peculiar, she likely noticed something he hadn't!
"Yu Lan, what do you mean by 'strange ghostly shadow'?"
To minimize the deity's destructive impact on this world, Su Cheng didn't wait for the creature to wield its authority. He immediately rallied his forces to focus their fire and eliminate the bastard instantly!
This meant Su Cheng remained unaware of the exact nature of the deity's authority.
"I suspect this isn't the true form itself, but rather a divine ability akin to spirit-summoning. As for the core entity—what you'd call the energy vessel—it likely resides elsewhere."
"Initially, I thought it resembled a spirit projection or a secondary core, but clearly it isn't. This spirit entity can unleash divine abilities yet possesses no physical form."
"In my view, we should focus on the source of the divine power projection—as you've emphasized these past days, energy requires a vessel. If we can locate and destroy that vessel, I believe the spectral form will disintegrate on its own!"
"Regardless of how it channels its divine power, one fundamental question remains: where does its spiritual energy originate? After all, that blade's light was solid and undeniable—no mere illusion."
"If that's the case, the moment it strikes might be the perfect opportunity to counterattack!"
The logic held true. Yulan hadn't intended to elaborate further, but since Su Cheng had asked her to speak, she might as well continue~
Even after she finished speaking, Su Cheng didn't respond. He remained impassive, as if her words were meaningless chatter. She didn't dwell on it.
"Yu Lan, do you think it's possible without a host?"
Given Amber's formidable spiritual perception, she would have detected any such "true form" nearby. In other words, while Yu Lan's reasoning made sense, it was regrettably too simplistic. If it were truly that straightforward, Amber would have resolved it long ago.
"What do you mean?"
Su Cheng pondered for a long moment. Yu Lan simply lacked understanding of matters beyond the established rules—she wasn't truly stupid. At least in bed, her thoughts flowed like a spring, capable of conjuring all sorts of bizarre and ingenious ideas!
"What if this thing truly has no physical form, existing only as pure spiritual energy? Then perhaps the sword light isn't light at all, but concentrated spiritual power?"
"If that's the case, do you have any good ideas?"
Yu Lan visibly paused at this, gazing at Amber locked in a fierce battle far away in the Eastern Realm through the curtain. She bit her lip and fell deep in thought…
If it's composed of pure spiritual energy, how could it possibly be killed?
That would be a true specter! Even cultivators merely harness the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to enhance their cultivation. But to confront something inherently composed of spiritual energy…
Wait!
"Cangjue, I heard that among the cultivation techniques you practice, there is one that allows you to harness the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for your own use, correct?"
Cang Jue sat quietly by the side, having remained silent all along—after all, she disliked interrupting.
"Hmm, but you wouldn't be suggesting draining the spiritual energy that forms the ghostly shadow using that method, would you?"
Yu Lan shook her head. "Of course not. I'm not stupid. That spiritual energy clearly isn't naturally occurring. What I mean is, if we used equally pure spiritual energy, could we neutralize it or even annihilate it altogether?"
Cangjue froze, suddenly grasping the meaning!
"You mean, like a clash of divine abilities between cultivators—sword light against sword light, spell against spell? To counter this pure spiritual energy, use equally pure spiritual energy to completely disperse it, achieving mutual destruction?"
"Hmph… Theoretically, it should work. After all, if what you and Su… the Sect Leader said is true, the enemy is composed of pure spiritual energy. If two forces of equal magnitude collide, based on the principle of balance, they should naturally disperse and be重组. That's precisely why Amber's slash couldn't harm the enemy."
"But alas, this is impossible!"
"Setting aside whether one could precisely control the amount of spiritual energy channeled by each divine technique—even if that were possible—how could one possibly gauge the opponent's strike…"
Yes, it's like water and fire. Too much water extinguishes the flames, while too much fire scorches the water dry. Only at an absolute point of equilibrium can one achieve what Yulan described!
Humans aren't machines. How could any cultivator possibly achieve such a feat? Moreover, that ghostly figure moves so swiftly—who knows how much power each of its strikes carries?
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