CHAPTER 973: CHAPTER 533: GHOST

The battle began, and Golden Corpse Nanming was the fastest, his figure suddenly appearing in front of the Netherworld Emperor, reaching out a claw towards him.

As a Fourth Grade Ghost Soul, the Netherworld Emperor’s strength was far inferior to when he possessed a physical body.

He even felt that, despite being at his peak, the speed of this Golden Corpse surpassed his own, and he could not evade this strike.

However, Golden Corpse Nanming’s claw merely passed through the Netherworld Emperor’s body, causing very little harm to him.

The Netherworld Emperor quickly reacted, reaching out his own hand towards Golden Corpse Nanming.

Golden Corpse Nanming’s figure flashed, returning to Li Shiming’s side, causing the Netherworld Emperor’s attack to miss.

Golden Corpse Nanming’s proactive assault provided Li Shiming with time to launch his Thunder Skill.

A bolt of lightning shot from the void, directly hitting the Netherworld Emperor.

The Netherworld Emperor felt a tremor in his soul, sensing a threat.

"Heavenly Thunder!" His body strangely became more transparent, sacrificing attack power to enhance immunity to various energies — a talent ability of his Fourth Grade Ghost Soul cultivation.

Lightning imbued with Heavenly Thunder attributes struck the Fourth Grade Ghost Soul, making him feel torn apart, but his talent ability minimized the damage to a controllable level.

Of course, the main reason for this was Li Shiming’s lower cultivation realm — a small realm difference in Nascent Soul Stage distinguishes another tier entirely.

There is a significant gap between the Nascent Soul Early Stage and Nascent Soul Middle Stage. If not for Li Shiming’s ’Yuqing Thunder Scripture’ possessing Heavenly Thunder attributes, which just happens to be the nemesis of the Netherworld Emperor’s Fourth Grade Ghost Soul, even this damage couldn’t be achieved.

Li Shiming was truly surprised. Although he cast this Thunder Skill casually, it should hurt the opponent, even if it couldn’t kill him instantly.

"Useless! The stronger you are, the greater your potential; I like your body very much!" The Netherworld Emperor screeched piercingly.

Li Shiming wanted to tell the Netherworld Emperor that he was just a three-spirit root talent and couldn’t comprehend why cultivators always wanted to seize his body.

Seeing that ordinary Thunder Skill could not harm the Netherworld Emperor, he stopped holding back his methods.

He did not have many means to deal with a Fourth Grade Ghost Soul; Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent also had only Nascent Soul Early Stage power, unable to transcend realms to fight.

His only option was the Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer, his confidence in confronting high-level cultivators.

With a thought, a small Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer flew out from within him.

As soon as it emerged, a terrifying aura of lightning filled the entire space.

An Artifact Tribulation Treasure already has a transcendent effect, not to mention the empowerment of an innate treasure spirit, further boosting the power of the Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer.

When Li Shiming summoned the Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer, the Netherworld Emperor immediately realized the dire situation.

He did not know what kind of treasure the Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer was; however, combined with the Thunder Skills exhibited, his barely Fourth Grade Ghost Soul could not possibly defend against it.

Fortunately, here was his domain, where he set up survival strategies — otherwise, he might really succumb here.

Thinking this, he began dividing his Fourth Grade Ghost Soul body into a hundred parts, each flying to one of a hundred locations.

His lair was not randomly established; years ago, he discovered a space rift here, continuously emanating Yin Cold Energy.

Thus, he built his lair here, arranging formations relying on Yin Cold Energy.

Dividing his Fourth Grade Ghost Soul into a hundred parts, he entered a hundred positions, precisely the formation’s hundred nodes.

Beneath this formation was the space rift, entering the formation nodes equated to entering the rift.

Of course, not truly entering the rift, merely channeling part of its force into the formation.

Unless Li Shiming possessed the power to tear the space rift, he couldn’t harm these hundred clones.

This was why the Netherworld Emperor dared set traps here — unless a Great Cultivator came, he was confident of escaping with his life.

In other words, beneath a Great Cultivator, he was practically immortal within this lair.

Li Shiming drove the Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer, channeling his Spiritual Power Pattern into it. Instantly, he felt overwhelmed — the hammer required too much spiritual power.

Now, having stabilized at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, and with five nascent souls providing spiritual power, he could only support the hammer’s usage.

He realized that using the Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer once consumed a tenth of his total spiritual power — something he expected but did not anticipate such significant consumption.

To achieve powerful artifact effects, high consumption is inevitable.

This is still at Nascent Soul Early Stage; once he advances to the Nascent Soul Middle Late Stage, the spiritual power consumed by the Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer will multiply considerably.

"When you were whole, you might withstand a blow; now like this, you’re courting death!" Li Shiming noticed the Netherworld Emperor dispersing into the formation nodes, speaking sternly.

Without responding, the Netherworld Emperor was unwilling to explain.

This enemy was too terrifying; the Netherworld Emperor didn’t want to risk Li Shiming discovering the space rift behind the formation.

Actually, Li Shiming hadn’t discovered the space rift; the Netherworld Emperor’s formation lineage belonged to the Sun Concealing Sect on par with the Ten Thousand Beast Sect, differing entirely from Li Shiming’s studies.