Chapter Thirty-One: The Fourth Terrace

Chu Jie’s figure shot forward with reckless speed, leaving flashes of brilliance in his wake. The small cauldron streaked ahead like lightning, trailing a long tail of flames as it thundered forth, a wave of energy surging behind it, followed by a tempest.

Radiant light shimmered upon the cauldron, and as it trembled, iridescent clouds flickered around it, mesmerizing to behold.

“Hmph! Mere tricks!” Lord Tianchi sneered, his palm aglow with power. Overhead, the vast black net slowly descended, obscuring the sky and sun, casting the entire Abyss of Gods and Demons into darkness in the blink of an eye.

“Bind the heavens and earth!” Lord Tianchi roared, and countless flames erupted from the black net, spreading toward the small cauldron.

Boom!

In an instant, the world was engulfed in a sea of fire. The black net transformed into a colossal flaming hand, seeking to grasp the cauldron in its palm.

Chu Jie narrowed his eyes, a torrent of spiritual power surging from his core. The cauldron radiated dazzling light, and a rainbow shot forth from its body, soaring into the sky and crashing against the black net.

Thump, thump, thump!

Countless muffled impacts echoed. The net trembled repeatedly, yet remained unbroken.

“Hahaha! Boy! This black net is forged from the venomous silk of the Ten-Thousand Poison Spiders within the Abyss of Gods and Demons—it is incomparably tough. How could you break through? I suggest you surrender!” Lord Tianchi taunted.

Chu Jie’s expression chilled. “Is that so?”

He leapt upward, sweeping his arm, and a streak of black light sliced through the sky!

The Wheel of Heaven and Earth swept across the expanse like a black ribbon, its sharp aura instantly slashing the black net.

“What? Impossible!” Lord Tianchi cried in astonishment.

The flames atop the black net were extinguished in a flash; the net itself was torn apart by the Wheel of Heaven and Earth!

The small cauldron burst through at once. The wheel danced and surged, its boundless sharpness shredding the net to tatters.

Controlling two treasures simultaneously, Chu Jie felt the strain—his face paled slightly and he grunted, though spiritual power still surged in his divine sea.

“The Wheel of Heaven and Earth! You’re from the Luo clan!” Lord Tianchi’s face changed instantly, retreating two steps.

Chu Jie narrowed his eyes, sweeping forward in a frenzy.

The cauldron and the wheel interlaced, slashing ahead.

Bang!

Lord Tianchi’s broad blade struck the cauldron once more. Staring wide-eyed, he shouted harshly, “We Five Heavenly Lords bear no grudge against your Luo clan—why do you seek to harm us?”

Chu Jie knew Lord Tianchi now took him for a member of the Luo clan. He replied coldly, “Because you deserve to die!”

With a flick of his arm, the Wheel of Heaven and Earth unleashed a surge of energy, spreading outward…

Boom!

The small cauldron plummeted, suppressing Lord Tianchi beneath it.

Like a flash of brilliance sweeping the sky, the wheel swept forth in an instant, its boundless sharpness shredding Lord Tianchi’s skull almost at once!

Such ferocity!

Splurt!

Blood spurted from Lord Tianchi’s chest, spraying several meters into the air.

His body slowly collapsed as Chu Jie’s face paled once again.

Bracing himself, Chu Jie tossed Lord Tianchi’s broad blade to Chen Long, and his group fled to the side.

After this fierce battle, Chu Jie felt his entire body had undergone a subtle transformation; he sensed a strange change within himself.

It was as if, through this fight, Chu Jie finally realized what he lacked.

Whether the Five Heavenly Lords or High Master Tianyun, given the formidable strength of his ninth-stage body, the power of the Reincarnation Scroll, and even his unique battle formations, he should not have been so battered—yet he was.

Thus, Chu Jie concluded he still lacked… momentum.

The aura when facing an opponent—not the aura of cultivation, but his own presence!

That is, the essence of combat!

After the encounter with Lord Tianchi, Chu Jie and his companions lingered for several days in the third terraced field, and Chu Jie gradually began to grasp this momentum.

He frowned often during these days, but his comprehension of momentum was still insufficient—far from enough!

But this was not something to be rushed; it would require slow exploration.

What comforted Chu Jie, however, was that after several battles, the brothers of the Mad Dog Battalion had thrown themselves into cultivation with all their might.

By now, most had reached the sixth tier of the Body Tempering Realm, while Chen Long and Liang Bo had achieved the seventh tier.

The Nine Heavens Gale of the third terrace no longer affected the Mad Dog Battalion; though most were at the sixth tier, they could go head-to-head with ordinary seventh-tier practitioners without disadvantage.

Gazing at the wild winds of the fourth layer, Chu Jie pressed his lips together and looked back at his brothers. Suddenly, he shouted, “Are you afraid?”

The Mad Dog Battalion replied in perfect unison, “No!”

“Good brothers! Fearless!” Chu Jie roared, leaping down at once.

Chen Long and Liang Bo exchanged glances, shouting together, “If we do not die, we shall never be defeated!”

With that, they followed Chu Jie, and the brothers of the Mad Dog Battalion shouted wildly as they jumped into the fourth terrace.

Within the fourth terraced field, the gales nearly knocked Chu Jie head over heels in an instant. He focused his power in his core, stamping both feet to the ground, anchoring himself like a massive boulder embedded in the earth, resisting the forceful wind.

Around him, the sounds of impact erupted as the brothers of the Mad Dog Battalion all unleashed their spiritual power at once; otherwise, the fierce gales would have torn their bodies apart!

Yet already within the fourth terrace, numerous mysterious crystals glimmered with dazzling light, obscuring the view of human silhouettes.

Seeing many brothers struggling to hold on, Chu Jie drew out the Wheel of Heaven and Earth.

He smashed it against a nearby cliff.

Spiritual power surged, stone fragments flew.

Countless shards scattered to the side, and after about half an hour, Chu Jie had carved out a massive stone cave large enough to hold the entire Mad Dog Battalion.

Outside, the raging winds howled like vengeful ghosts, making all the brothers pale with fear.

“Boss, the winds out there are too ferocious—we won’t last long if we go outside!” Liang Bo said to Chu Jie.

Chu Jie frowned. “Teams of ten, stand outside for two hours, then return to the cave. Rotate in shifts. Spiritual power may be used!”

Over these days, Chu Jie’s authority had been fully recognized by all. Once he finished speaking, the members of the Mad Dog Battalion executed his orders without hesitation.