Scourge Messenger

Chapter 403 The Four Phases of Natural Disasters
[Epitaph] Can we imprison the Foundation Establishment Demon King in an illusory coffin?

This doesn't need Yan Qing to test, because the game forums have already tested it. The answer is that it doesn't work on Demon Kings of the same rank in most cases. This is why [Epitaph] is only one of the Ten Mysteries, not the top one: it's impeccable in the PVP field, but it's lacking in the PVE field and cannot be a universal solution for conquering dungeons.

Yan Qing had just tried it out, consuming about 100 spirit essences, but the wonder of [Epitaph] didn't even cover one of Yan Fei Li's feet, so he wisely stopped casting the spell. Even if he exhausted all his spirit essences to activate [Epitaph], the result would probably be as futile as trying to trap an elephant with a refrigerator.

If Yan Feili is a fourth-level demon king, he would probably need to be at the fifth level to have enough spiritual energy; if Yan Feili is a fourth-level demon king of difficult difficulty, he might even need spiritual energy at the sixth level.

Aside from a few demon kings who can be easily imprisoned by the [Epitaph], those of enormous size are generally not. One could argue that size affects the [Epitaph]'s consumption, which sounds perfectly reasonable, but Yan Qing believes it's actually a balancing adjustment: if large demon kings could also be imprisoned by the [Epitaph], then the [Epitaph] would be too invincible. Players wouldn't need to understand any mechanics; they could simply unleash a round of attacks, imprison the demon king, then unleash another round, imprison it again… any boss could be defeated this way.

The few demon kings that can be imprisoned by the [Epitaph] are those that have multiple forms, and they cannot be imprisoned once they reach the second or third stage.

The rainwater evaporated from the Flame Queen's body by its blue flames before it even reached her. Enveloped in a white mist, the blue flames on her claws melted the blue bricks on the ground, making her seem like a mythical beast straight out of a legend. A crack in the ground separated her from Yan Qing and the others; this seemed to be an unspoken dividing line, and crossing it would have dire consequences.

The sound of hooves below was like a continuous thunderclap as the Hundred Guards charged up the steps. Yan Qing glanced down at the scene; [Pupil Fire] hadn't even burned through the Hundred Guards' helmets, nor had it triggered [Northern Dipper Death]—with their Dao Foundation rank, these Hundred Guards were no longer feigned warriors, but genuine fourth-tier warriors!

Yan Qing didn't know what other changes Ying Le's [Heart of the Masses] had undergone, but just the fact that it granted him the Dao Foundation rank was enough to give the Hundred Guards a qualitative leap in their abilities.

The previous Hundred Guards were only a bit troublesome for Foundation Establishment True Persons, but not insurmountable. As long as one is willing to give up spiritual energy, it is only a matter of time before the Hundred Guards are killed. The Dragon Lock True Person, Winter Hunt True Person, and Jie Huang Chao that Yan Qing has met all possess this kind of strength.

But now, the Hundred Guards are truly a threat to Foundation Establishment cultivators! Take Master Suolong as an example; she might have been able to suppress a hundred Hundred Guards with ten spirit essences before, but now even a hundred spirit essences wouldn't be enough. Without the suppression of rank, a Foundation Establishment cultivator can only compete with eight hundred Hundred Guards in terms of stats. Even if the Hundred Guards' stats are still at the third rank, the problem is their sheer numbers. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to fight them is like being dragged into a cesspool to fight eight hundred cockroaches… Even if they win, it will be a pyrrhic victory.

"Retreat," Duan Xiaoxian said again. "Perhaps you can escape unscathed, but what about your companion? Although he hasn't reached the fourth stage yet, he has such vitality at such a young age... Why waste your life here? You should make a decisive choice. Otherwise, you will only cause more trouble. You made a mistake by not stopping your companion from going in. Now, you have one more chance to choose."

“Yes, I have companions,” Yan Qing said. “Well said.”

“But as you said, they are my companions, not subordinates or pets.” Yan Qing took out a string of blue-glowing Buddhist beads and wrapped them around his wrist. He gently flicked the outer earlobe of his right ear, and his voice changed slightly, becoming hoarse and deep: “My choice in this matter never changes… I trust their judgment!”

He flicked his right hand backward, and two beams of blood-red light shot out from the Buddhist beads, landing precisely on Yaoshiyuan and Shangxinlei.

"I'll handle these three old geezers and the hissing kitten. Can you guard the stairs?"

The apothecary stood on the steps, watching the guards of the Hundred Guards charge up on horseback. He let out a long breath and slammed the butt of his spear, Dragon Snake Seven Kills, heavily on the ground: "Make a pledge. If you miss even one, you will not receive any reward!"

"So serious? Fine." Shang Xinlei stretched, her bones cracking, and chuckled, "If you miss one, you can do whatever you want with me; conversely, you can do whatever you want with me, how about it?" "Be serious." Pharmacist Yuan smacked Shang Xinlei's butt with the barrel of his spear. Shang Xinlei had no time for playing around, because the Hundred Guards had already arrived!

Thump! The first rank of the Hyakubo Guards leaped onto their warhorses, and the second rank immediately charged forward. This was a tactic that no cavalry manual since ancient times could ever have included. The two ranks charged simultaneously, like an overwhelming tide of steel sweeping in! Yakushi and Shang Xinlei stood in front of them, like two lone boats in a storm!
Duan Xiaoxian shook his head almost imperceptibly. Even he dared not directly confront the current Hundred Guards, let alone just two third-rank guards. No matter how exquisite their tokens or how powerful they were, they would be completely neutralized by the sheer number of Hundred Guards.

The next second, all three great rulers of Qi stared wide-eyed!

The pharmacist thrust his spear into the ground, and with a flick of his three-pointed double-edged sword, he unleashed a blood-red shockwave. In the blink of an eye, all the warhorses on the steps were shattered into pieces, their blood flowing like a river. The guards were also sent flying, their armor shattered, and they fell to the ground, unable to get up again. Even those who didn't die had most of their bones shattered!
【Dragon and Snake】!
Behind the crimson shockwave was two violently spinning flying rings. They flew down, severing the legs of dozens of Baibao members with a whoosh, forcing them to retreat and not daring to approach. A huge vacuum zone was created by the two flying rings!
【Air Blade Wheel】!
The Imperial Guard fell silent for a moment. Faced with this unimaginable scene, they needed time to regroup. All their questions revolved around the same issue: What about the damage sharing effect of "United We Stand"? Why were some people's bones shattered? Why were some people's legs severed?
The essence of "Unity of Hearts" is that one is the whole, and the whole is one. Either the whole army is wiped out, or the whole army is intact. There has never been an accident in the past ten years!

Only the three great masters of Qi Kingdom noticed something amiss. Just moments ago, they had clearly sensed that both Yaoshi Yuan and Shang Xinlei had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and their auras were exactly the same as Yan Qing's—they could actually share a Foundation Establishment!

"Is your Dao Foundation Divine Power also similar to the [Heart of All] Divine Power?" Duan Xiaoxian shook his head after saying this: "No, your divine power is clearly to expel us from this world."

Yan Qing didn't answer the enemy's question. He turned and glanced at Yao Shiyuan and Shang Xinlei, noticing that their silhouettes seemed to be coated with a layer of bloody light, and a strand of red hair had appeared. His worries vanished. The Hundred Guards would absolutely not be able to cross their defenses.

Duan Xiaoxian was wrong. This wasn't some kind of supernatural power, but rather Yan Qing's Dao Foundation itself. To be precise, the effect of his Dao Foundation was simply sharing his power!

"Four Phases of Natural Disasters: Foundation of the Dao (Realistic Mode)"

"Taoji Supernatural Power: Life and Death"

"Foundation Status: 100% Perfect↑ (Under minor erosion by a small gust of wind, +0.01% per hour)"

"Cultivation Foundation Level: 40 (Spiritual Essence = Divine Soul × 1.2)"

"Tao Foundation Inner Landscape - Four Phases of Natural Disasters: You can freely switch between the four phases of Dharma, namely 【Other Shore Red】【Withered and Flourishing Green】【Secluded Landscape Blue】【Boundless Purple】. Only one phase can exist at a time."

When switching to the [Other Shore Red]/[Withered Flourishing Green]/[Desolate Blue]/[Boundless Purple] Dharma Form, your Cataclysmic Milestones [Calamity]/[Sigh]/[Enlightenment]/[?] are shared with allies affected by your healing effects, and their duration is the same as the healing time.

Due to the causal entanglement of the four elements of natural disasters, all damage caused by your allies originates from you.

(End of this chapter)