Chapter 560: Refining the Way of Heaven

The opponent, anticipating a strong foe, had long guessed that Li Shiwei would be very powerful.

After all, how could an existence capable of producing such technology not be strong?

So from the very beginning, they were prepared, with all four of them together, to encircle and kill Li Shiwei!

The four of them moved in unison, their Martial Dao Divine Intent bursting forth.

This was a necessary battle; the technology Li Shiwei brought was not merely a ‘revolution.’ If fully promoted, it would destroy the world's original technological system.

It was like the arrival of Zenith Star people's technology, directly overturning all of Earth's electronic technology. If not stopped, the civilization's future ‘Dao’ would be completely distorted by this new technology.

Therefore, they had to prohibit the spread of this technology.

Although many among the local Seventh Grade also supported technological advancement, they felt… this was wrong, this was digging at the roots. So striking at Li Shiwei became the best choice out of helplessness.

Watching their sword light, Li Shiwei's eyes widened instantly.

Because… the Martial Dao Divine Intent of the four people was exactly the same.

They were all white phantoms, an aura of protection.

This, in the world, was absolutely impossible.

The Martial Dao in the world greatly emphasizes the self. The Martial Dao requires an extremely strong and firm Dao Heart, because after condensing Martial Dao Divine Intent, Martial Artists have no reference objects whatsoever.

The Martial Dao has no clear grade classification, relying entirely on combat power for grading. If you can kill a Fifth Grade, then you are a Fifth Grade Martial Artist, it's that simple.

The reasons for this are still unclear, but Li Qi speculates that it might be because the essence of Martial Dao Inner Qi is extremely noble, and thus they do not need to improve their own essence; what they cultivate and improve is only power.

Therefore, to control this noble essence that far surpasses their own cultivation, they need an extremely firm Dao Heart, the kind of Martial Artist's heart that remains unshaken after myriad tribulations and dares to throw a punch even against the heavens.

But now, it was different; the Martial Dao of these people was all carved from the same mold.

This quickly reminded Li Shiwei of a few years ago, when she observed the Martial Dao of this world and found that they all imitated the Divine Intent within their cultivation method, making themselves fit the cultivation method, rather than using their own Divine Intent to control their Dao path. (See Chapter 550 for details)

Perhaps this is also why this Seventh Grade world can produce so many Seventh Grade individuals at once? No wonder the status of Martial Artists in this world is low, not as good as those mentors and priests.

“In that case, what’s the difference between one and four?” Li Shiwei mentally evaluated.

Four identical ones, so what?

When quantity doesn't create a qualitative gap, the point of a group attack is to catch the opponent ‘off guard.’ After all, two fists are no match for four hands; if you block the front, you can't block the back.

In a battle between those with similar cultivation, the most important thing is the mind; one must use insight and knowledge to find counter-synergies, to grasp the opponent's weakness, and to find a way to counter it—that is the greatest chance of victory.

Therefore, the most effective group attack is when you find one person's weakness but can't find a second person's. Even if you find both, you still have to use two different methods to deal with them, and the pressure of the battle doubles.

Add one more person, and it doubles again.

But now, the four individuals had completely identical weaknesses, even their Martial Dao Divine Intent was exactly the same.

In this situation, it couldn't serve as an encirclement at all. Li Shiwei only needed to find one weakness to easily deal with all four!

The fighting style of this world was too backward.

However, her Talisman Great Formation, drawing upon Di Qi (Earthly Qi), altered the surrounding terrain, causing mountains to collapse and the earth to crack, like an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.

Li Shiwei’s Great Formation rose. These were Talismans written by a Fifth Grade, which could function individually, each with different wondrous uses. Tens of thousands of them could handle tens of thousands of different situations; there were at least twenty types just for detoxification, and at least no poison Shen Shuibi knew of couldn't be dealt with.

And the way Li Shiwei commonly used them was to arrange a Great Formation with Talismans, which Shen Shuibi had already set up. The rabbit was a Formation Great Master; this was her carefully configured combined Formation, where a set of Talismans served as a Formation base, enough for Li Shiwei to contend with a typical Seventh Grade.

At the same time, she also used the orthodox Mountain and River Grand Formation learned from her father, leveraging the terrain.

As a result, she even easily suppressed four completely identical Seventh Grades!

Thunder exploded, and lightning rumbled! Smoke and dust rose all around.

The four Martial Artists were firmly entangled by Talismans, lightning spells, fire spells, and water spells, unable to escape.

If a Martial Artist cannot get close, they cannot exert their power.

Perhaps Martial Artists from the world might have been able to charge forward, but these natives had not mastered methods of rapid advance.

No, they had mastered them.

It's just… the techniques they mastered were not fast enough for Li Shiwei, who originated from the world.

Fire spells descended from the sky, true fire spanning dozens of miles, burning the earth into glass. The villager, in particular, had a good portion of his body immersed in the sea of fire, the high temperature causing his skin to peel off and emitting the smell of roasted meat.

However, for a Seventh Grade, such injuries were common; the skin healed rapidly, and although the pain would not lessen, it would not affect their movement.

At this moment, lightning continuously pressed down from the sky!

The four individuals moved nimbly, running incredibly fast. Even as lightning crashed to the ground, shaking and collapsing it, it couldn't harm them in the slightest. However, they also couldn't break into Li Shiwei's Great Formation.

The Great Formation had three layers of defense.

The outermost layer of spells, water, lightning, and fire spells extending for dozens of miles.

The middle was the main body of the Great Formation, requiring them to pass through mountains and rivers.

The innermost layer consisted of a row of high-grade body-protecting Talismans, solid as gold.

Li Shiwei felt it was foolproof.

However, the four people exchanged glances.

Immediately after, the four forcibly broke through, exchanging injuries for opportunity, and gathered together.

Innumerable spells, clustering close behind, a cannonball of light exploded beside them!

Unable to dodge, one of the four lost balance and fell to the ground, his calf barely touched, and the entire leg instantly turned into a bloody mess.

Under the Great Formation's enhancement, Li Shiwei fully possessed the output of a Seventh Grade, and a standard Seventh Grade from the world at that, already enough to wound these opponents.

However, merely losing one leg was not enough to impede a Seventh Grade Martial Artist's movement. He rolled on the ground, dodging the subsequent lightning strike, and dragging his crippled leg, he actually managed to keep up with the other three, using all his strength to resist the surrounding spells!

Li Shiwei’s first layer of spells, spanning dozens of miles, could deal with four people simultaneously, but a large range meant that the unit output within a certain range was only enough to block one person.

Now, with one person desperately intercepting, the other three freed their hands and forcibly broke through!

Li Shiwei frowned slightly, accelerating her attacks.

Soon, the native Seventh Grade who stayed behind died on the spot, but his death allowed the others to approach Li Shiwei by twenty-seven miles, with about a hundred meters left to break into the second layer of the Great Formation.

These hundred meters, normally, would only take them a second even if they strolled slowly.

But now, these hundred meters were like an insurmountable chasm!

However, the creator of the chasm, Li Shiwei herself, didn't feel it could be blocked.

“Trouble…” Li Shiwei’s expression darkened, and she directly withdrew the outer spell groups.

The spells could no longer stop them; it was better to conserve magical power and strengthen the Formation.

Even she, if she had faced the situation just now, would have had to rely on luck to survive. One can imagine how terrifying the attacks those four people faced were.

But even so, these Martial Artists were still advancing with their companions on their backs!

That’s right, they used a relay method, one person dragging the others, desperately pushing forward, avoiding widespread bombardment. Thus, one life after another, they forcefully sent people into the Formation.

Inside the Formation were countless Talismans, and the main body of the Mountain and River Grand Formation.

Li Shiwei wanted to activate it, but those Martial Dao Divine Intent began to tremble at this moment.

Their Martial Dao Divine Intent… was protection.

Protecting their own world.

Spells pierced through their bodies more than once, every step forward stained with blood, but their expressions remained unchanged, as if nothing existed.

The Heavenly Dao of this world, the Di Qi (Earthly Qi) of this world, seemed to have sensed such will.

And so, Li Shiwei’s Mountain and River Grand Formation, without even having time to exert its effect, directly collapsed!

The Martial Artists seemed to not have anticipated it either.

They were clearly stunned for a moment, just like the astonished Li Shiwei.

What the Hell, the Mountain and River Grand Formation self-destructed? Are these Di Qi (Earthly Qi) out of their minds?

But they did not stop, because no matter if what lay ahead was good or bad, they were already prepared to charge.

Continuing the relay, they charged directly into the last layer of defense.

Li Shiwei spread her hands, and high-grade Talismans burst forth with immense power.

In the sky, a phantom of Hell appeared!

This was Li Qi’s creation, a projection of true Hell, a demonic thoughts illusion that Li Qi integrated from his experience of passing through the Ghost Gate.

Evil spirits filled the sky, Ox-Head and Horse-Face figures lifted oil cauldrons, countless wailing ghosts swept past, and eighty-one chains, covered with sharp barbs and hooks, burned red hot by high temperatures, pierced towards the charging Martial Artists.

Eighty-one chains whistled down from the sky! The Martial Artist carrying his teammates rolled and dodged the first strike, but under Li Shiwei’s control, a dozen more coiled back.

Dodging left and right, he also drew his sword and cut open several chains, but one still broke through his defense and accurately wrapped around his body.

The fiery red hooks, barbs, and chains, burning with demon fire, pierced into the Martial Artist’s flesh, making sizzling sounds as the high temperature scorched his skin.

This was the demon fire Li Qi had mastered, learned from the Demonic Prince.

Such pain made the Seventh Grade Martial Artist’s vision darken, and he couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan, but he immediately swung his sword back, forcibly cutting open the chain, and charged again.

The Martial Artist’s injuries were too severe.

Covered in wounds? No, no, that's far from enough to describe it.

Li Shiwei found it hard to say… whether they were still alive, but undoubtedly, whether dead or alive, they were advancing.

Fifty meters…

Thirty meters…

One person died.

Twenty meters…

Ten meters!

Li Shiwei grew anxious. She disregarded everything, burning a large number of Talismans directly, turning them into single-use consumables, and bursting forth with her final power, grand, immense, magnificent, like a pillar of light piercing the sky, standing before her. The karmic fire of the underworld extinguished, the mountain of blades turned to ash, under the bombardment of endless energy—

The second person died.

A Seventh Grade in a Seventh Grade world holds a status similar to a First Grade powerhouse in the world.

Yet at this moment, they died without hesitation, to expel the dangerous technology brought by the outsiders, and to nip a potential global civil war in the bud.

The desperate charge of the three broke through Li Shiwei's final defense.

After the last Martial Artist broke through all the chains with his life, the villager, a Seventh Grade Martial Artist, finally, in his peak state, reached Li Shiwei's side.

A Seventh Grade Martial Artist, close-quarters with an Eighth Grade Daoist.

The outcome needed no explanation.

Li Shiwei was torn apart almost instantly! Within a second of the Martial Artist getting close, she was already in dire straits, facing two life-or-death crises!

The life-protecting Spiritual Artifacts given by her parents were being consumed at a rate of one per second, and this could only buy her three seconds.

Three seconds… facing a storm of Martial Artists, what could she do?

Most likely, only wait for death.

Perhaps it was a life review, as the unresisting Li Shiwei, in a trance, saw her entire life flash before her eyes.

She was born already at Ninth Grade, possessing power far beyond ordinary people, and she naturally enjoyed this power.

Standing at the highest point, she naturally held a 'charitable' attitude towards others, and her decade-plus as a hero was, in fact, much the same.

However, precisely because she was too powerful from birth, she lacked a true sense of what it meant to fight desperately, to experience bitter struggles, or to have the resolve for a deathmatch.

Yes, Li Shiwei not only lacked a true sense of civilization, she even had no particular feeling about her own life.

Just like those Young Misses who would cry and cut their wrists for fun, this was all a disregard for life, a lack of real feeling for existence.

This battle was, in fact, her first fight under extremely unfavorable conditions.

Could she still exhibit the qualities of a “hero”? This thought popped into Li Shiwei's mind.

She was well aware of her own strength; she had never been injured in any battle, and the Spirit Treasures and Talismans her parents had given her were ridiculously plentiful.

Therefore, for her, facing a Seventh Grade, “defeat,” “injury,” and “death in battle” were completely ethereal concepts.

It was only now, facing these Seventh Grade natives, that she suddenly realized the possibility of her own failure and death.

Thus, she showed a timid side.

However, she still chose to continue fighting, not fleeing, but instead taking out the courage of a “deathmatch” to face these Martial Artists.

She felt that this should be considered a transcendence of her past self, right?

Unfortunately, even though she brought out her resolve for a deathmatch, as if displaying the radiance of a hero, she was still defeated.

Not only was her body defeated, but the resolve she had so painstakingly made was also mocked by the Martial Artists before her.

The deaths of those Martial Artists were a mockery of her.

Those Martial Artists mocked her with their actions.

Their deaths seemed to say: “The resolve for a deathmatch is the most basic attitude a combatant should possess; there's nothing remarkable about it.”

Yes, nothing remarkable.

For the past decade, she had prided herself as a hero. For two years in this world, she had thought herself mature, even imitating maturity, yet it was her first time fighting with her life on the line.

Why should she drink with this villager? Was she qualified?

Truly…

Humiliating.

On the fourth second, a long sword pierced her body, taking away her last breath of life.

The victor had been decided.

The dark clouds in the sky hung low, and the villager, dragging his heavily wounded body, pulled out his sword.

His brothers, with whom he had worked for thousands of years, were all dead.

But fortunately… the extraterrestrial invaders were eliminated, and the destructive technology she brought, along with a future full-scale civil war, could all be successfully resolved.

Once again, he had protected this world.

However, at this moment.

Including the Seventh Grade, everyone in this world simultaneously fell to the ground.

They heard the wailing of their world's Heavenly Dao! This wailing caused all life to suffer immensely!

They didn't know what was happening.

But people from the world called this situation “refining the Heavenly Dao.”