Chapter 577: Heavenly Marshal Moved

“But now, you wanting to take one of my arms is impossible!” The Golden Armor Man took a deep breath, stared at Wang Lin, and shook his head, saying, “If you can strike the drum fifteen times, I, Jin, swear here to the Celestial Demon that I will sever one of my own arms and give it to you!”

“If you can’t do it, then shut up. If you keep being noisy, don’t blame this old man for being unable to resist taking action and ending you!” The Golden Armor Man snorted coldly.

Wang Lin coldly glanced at the Golden Armor Man. This person's cultivation was very high. Wang Lin had already known this when he previously received the Solar Spear. This person's cultivation should have reached the Peak of the Soul Transformation Middle Stage, only a sliver away from the Soul Transformation Late Stage!

Although this person's cultivation was only one Realm lower than Vice Commander Xuan, this gap of a single Realm was still quite large for Wang Lin!

That was secondary. Most importantly, the Cultivation Technique this person Cultivated was extremely overbearing. Wang Lin immediately noticed the strangeness of this power when he previously took the Solar Spear attack. In his opinion, the Golden Armor Man’s Divine Ability was related to Yang Fire. The strength of this Divine Ability, combined with his cultivation, was enough to place him at the Peak among those in the same Realm. Even against an ordinary Soul Transformation Late Stage Cultivator, this person would dare to fight!

Unless he encounters a Titled Soul Transformation expert, it would be very difficult for him to lose with this Divine Ability.

Of course, fighting this person during the day versus the night also makes a huge difference! If it were noon during the day, he would definitely lose! But if it were midnight during the three updates when the sky is overcast, and in a place with extremely heavy Yin Qi, fighting this person would be relatively easier.

Withdrawing his gaze, Wang Lin no longer looked at the Golden Armor Man, but instead focused on the Demon Drum. He had already struck it eight times. The counter-shock force from the eighth drum sound broke through nearly three thousand layers of the Mark of Life.

“Even if Mo Lihai cannot fight, having struck the drum eight times, striking it one more time at most would qualify me to enter the top ten. I shouldn't push it further, or else, if I get injured, the losses would outweigh the gains…”

“However, the sound of me striking this Demon Drum stirred my mind. I only had a similar realization when listening to the zither music by the river. Could it be that striking this Demon Drum also aligns with the Dao Concept…”

“Striking this drum is not the Dao Concept, but the echoing force of this drum contains the character 'Reverse.' The force I strike with is Compliance; the rebound is reversal!”

“This Compliance and reversal, however, contain the changes of the Heavenly Dao…” A strange light shone in Wang Lin's eyes as he stared at the Demon Drum before him. At this moment, he no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, and punched out!

“Dong”—the ninth drum sound rang out!

The rebound force, like a flood, violently surged along Wang Lin's right hand and into his body. This rebound force was the power of reversal, spreading throughout Wang Lin's entire body. His Marks of Life rapidly dissipated: one hundred, eight hundred, one thousand, twenty-two hundred, thirty-four hundred… until more than thirty-six hundred layers of the Mark of Life had dissipated. Although the rebound force was weakened by more than half, some of it continued to rush in.

More than three thousand seven hundred Marks of Life—for the first time since Wang Lin obtained them—collapsed completely in this instant!

As the last brand collapsed, the rebound force entered Wang Lin's body, sweeping through his Meridians with unstoppable momentum. Wang Lin's body was like a ship caught in a storm; his hair fluttered violently, and his clothes billowed backward.

His body involuntarily stepped backward into the air, retreating one step, two steps, three steps, four steps… He retreated nineteen steps in total before Wang Lin stomped his right leg back, stopping his momentum!

His complexion was strangely rosy, and it only returned to normal after a short while.

Seeing this scene, the Golden Armor Man secretly sighed in relief, and a cold sneer reappeared on his face. He thought to himself, “This kid absolutely cannot strike the drum fifteen times. This is only the ninth strike, and he has already reached his limit. I can confirm that the tenth strike will be his absolute limit!”

The surroundings were silent. No one had the inclination to discuss anything at this moment. The ninth drum sound—this achievement had already surpassed Mofei, the First Demon General. Everyone who witnessed this understood that from this moment on, the name Wang Lin would shine brilliantly within Tianyao Prefecture!

One must know that the Demon Emperor does not question the background of capable individuals—wasn't the Heavenly Marshal of yesteryear also a Cultivator?

No one discussed anything; their gazes were fixed intently upon Wang Lin.

Mo Lihai stared blankly at Wang Lin. In these short few months, Wang Lin's changes were immense.

“Nine strikes… I couldn't do it…” Mo Lihai sighed bitterly.

Wang Lin stood at the center of the ten thousand zhang square, countless gazes fixed upon him. He paid no attention to this. At this moment, his expression was volatile, and his brows gradually furrowed.

The rebound force of the Demon Drum, after being dissolved by more than three thousand seven hundred Marks of Life, had little remaining when it finally entered his body! With the circulation of his Immortal Power, he quickly recovered as normal.

But the instant the rebound force entered his body, Wang Lin immediately sensed a strange aura within that power. This aura contained a spirit of unyielding defiance and the overbearing nature of going Heaven-Defying!

The rebound of the Demon Drum was due to the unyielding and arrogant nature of this aura. Anyone who dared to provoke it had to endure its frantic counterattack. Even if the sky collapsed upon them, they must forcibly hold the sky up and then pierce through it!

This was the Intent within the aura!

“Reverse…” Wang Lin murmured to himself.

“I was wrong before. Resisting this Reverse Intent with the Mark of Life was, invisibly, resisting the reversal in my own heart…” A strange look appeared in Wang Lin's eyes. In this instant, he seemed to undergo a sublimation. He gazed silently at the Demon Drum.

At this moment, the Heavenly Marshal among the Demon Commanders on the viewing platform slightly opened his eyes again and looked toward Wang Lin.

Wang Lin remained silent for a long time before stepping forward, one step, one step. After nineteen steps, he arrived beside the Demon Drum. Wang Lin did not strike it immediately; instead, he gently stroked the jet-black, rough drum surface, which was covered in indentations and protrusions.

Threads of unyielding consciousness slowly flowed along Wang Lin's palm and drilled into his body.

He slowly closed his eyes. At this moment, his entire being seemed to merge with the war drum, and his aura slowly dissipated.

The Golden Armor Man frowned, then sneered and said, “Putting on an act! Could touching this Demon Drum allow you to strike it fifteen times? If that were true, wouldn't the servants who wipe this drum daily be able to strike it over a hundred times! Absurd!”

It wasn't just him who thought this; even the Demon Commanders on the north and south viewing platforms slightly frowned.

“What is this boy doing?” Marshal Xuan was quite puzzled.

“Can this Cultivator communicate with the Demon Drum?” Someone among the Demon Commanders chuckled softly.

“It's not communication; it's realization. When I struck the Demon Drum back then, I also felt the aura contained within it. Gentlemen, have you forgotten?” Marshal Yu, the only female among the Demon Commanders, spoke softly.

As soon as these words fell, the expressions of those Demon Commanders turned solemn.

The civil officials and noble relatives on the elevated viewing platform could no longer remain quiet and began discussing in low voices.

Among the Demon Generals, Mofei's eyes revealed a strange light. He stared at Wang Lin and whispered, “You, too, sensed that aura…”

The instant Wang Lin closed his eyes, that unyielding aura became clear.

This aura condensed within his body, and Wang Lin's Primordial Spirit gradually immersed itself within it, completely Fusing with the Demon Drum.

“The reversal of the drum sound must not be resisted, but rather merged with. If I gain realization of this reversal, then the echoing force will be unable to harm me; instead, it can achieve the goal of Cleansing the Marrow!” Wang Lin opened his eyes, which were filled with clarity. He raised his right hand, then gently lowered it.

“Dong”—the tenth drum sound echoed within the ten thousand zhang square.

Wang Lin's body immediately felt an unimaginable impact force emanating from the drum. In this instant, Wang Lin resolutely withdrew the Mark of Life, allowing the impact force to enter his body directly.

The impact force surged wildly through his body. Drops of black sweat secreted from the pores all over Wang Lin's body. The moment this black filth left his body, a refreshing sensation of Cleansing the Marrow—a feeling he had only experienced during the Foundation Establishment Stage—surged throughout Wang Lin's entire body.

However, this feeling did not last long. The power that entered his body immediately became uncontrollably violent, and as it traveled, Wang Lin's face turned pale.

“Cleansing the Marrow! This boy actually used the drum sound to cleanse his marrow!” The Demon Commanders were instantly shocked.

Not only them, but bursts of exclamation came from among the Demon Generals. Shi Xiao's gaze toward Wang Lin grew even colder, filled with killing Intent. He raised his arm multiple times, hesitated for a long while, then put it down again.

A cold light flashed in the Golden Armor Man's eyes, and he sneered internally, thinking, “Cleansing the Marrow… I have followed the Demon Emperor for a long time and heard the Demon Emperor mention that this drum sound can cleanse the marrow. But your cultivation is insufficient. Forcing the cleansing will only lead to severe injury!”

The Heavenly Marshal among the Demon Commanders showed a trace of disappointment in his half-open eyes and closed them again.

“There is no need to watch this boy anymore…” The Heavenly Marshal sighed internally the moment he closed his eyes.

Wang Lin's face was pale, but his eyes were bright.

“This reversal force of the Demon Drum contains a certain consciousness. If I merge with it without reservation, although it aligns with the character ‘Reverse,’ this reversal is not my Wang Lin's Dao, but the Dao of this Demon Drum!

I was injured during the Cleansing the Marrow not because my cultivation was insufficient, but because our Daos are different! In this world, whether Cultivators or living beings, as long as they Cultivate Heaven-Defyingly, they possess their own reversal!

This reversal is a single character, but based on personal realization, it is divided into countless Great Daos! I, Wang Lin, have Cultivated the Dao for seven hundred years; I possess my own Dao!” A burst of bright light erupted from Wang Lin's eyes. Although his face was pale, at this moment, a Concept descended upon him! Gradually, the bright light in his eyes slowly dissipated, replaced by a hint of decline and solitude.

He raised his right hand and gently touched the Demon Drum!

“Dong”—the eleventh drum sound rang out.

In this instant, a sense of sorrow, following the drum sound, echoed throughout the entire square, spreading far and wide, affecting Tianyao City!

The sorrow contained within the drum sound was soul-stirring, just like the zither music from the Pleasure Boat.

Using sorrow to enter the spirit, using the spirit to enter the Intent, using the Intent to strike the drum, using the drum to transmit the Dao… “The drum sound contains Intent… Impossible, this is impossible! How can this person achieve this? This is absolutely impossible!!!” The Golden Armor Man's expression completely changed for the first time. He subconsciously retreated several steps, staring dumbfounded at Wang Lin.

The Heavenly Marshal, for the first time, completely opened his eyes. For the first time, he stood up and looked toward Wang Lin! In the entire square, Wang Lin was the only person who could move him so deeply!