CHAPTER 256 TO OVERCOME OR TO DIE

'This has to work!' Rocky said to himself as he exerted his spiritual power to connect with the Dragon

Flame Pearl in his chest.

But, the Dragon Flame Pearl was not activated even after he almost completely drained his spiritual

power from exertion.

'Can I make this work? Or am I doomed here?' Rocky's will started to slip. Thoughts of hopelessness

and defeat plagued him. He started to think about giving up and surrendering to the Goddess of Fate

as the minutes passed by. He thought about the times when he escaped the grip of death relatively

unscathed before. But, alas, this time, it seemed that luck had deserted him completely.

As the thoughts of defeat hovered ever closer, the image of Lena forced itself into his mind. A powerful

emotion suddenly filled his entire being. His heart thumped with renewed energy. He realized that he

could not allow himself to perish. He knew that he needed to survive for the one who cared deeply

about him.

Rocky braced himself with renewed determination. He took a deep breath and slowly, carefully drew

forth his last reserve of spiritual power to once again attempt to activate the Dragon Flame Pearl. He

steeled his mind for only one acceptable possibility -- he would succeed! At this point, he prepared

himself for both absolute defeat and absolute success and held nothing back!

Beads of sweat trickled down from his forehead. His body reverberated from the intensity of his

concentration. At length, Rocky's strength started to ebb and give in to the enormous strain. And just as

he was about to collapse, a magnificent flame burst forth from his chest. The scorching heat almost

melted his skin! The flesh threads that bounded his chest gave out, unable to contain the power of the

Dragon Flame Pearl. The pearl then flew into the air as several smaller streaks of fire surrounded it.

The entire area looked as if dragons with bodies made of pure flame flashed in fiery waves of orange,

yellow and red and played around with the pearl.

"Go!" Rocky exclaimed as he moved his head upward and urged the flames forward. He was surprised

that the Dragon Flame Pearl followed his instruction. It flew directly into the flesh pillar. The shroud of

fire grew magnificently to engulf the flesh pillar in its searing flames.

A thundering sound filled the area as the flesh pillar disintegrated under the blazing assault of the fire

streaks of the Dragon Flame Pearl.

Loud groaning sounds filled the air that came from the spirit-manipulated beast as the flesh wall

shuddered violently from the assault.

The white flesh threads stopped feeding on his spiritual power. Its grip loosened which allowed Rocky

to move more freely. He reached for his Frozen Wind Dagger to completely free himself of the white

flesh threads by cutting them off. Without warning, as if it read his mind, a powerful surge of spiritual

power flowed through the white flesh threads and into his exhausted body.

In an instant, Rocky felt the spiritual power from the white flesh threads as it slammed into his body like

the waves of the ocean during a storm. But Rocky's body did not have the strength nor the sturdiness

of stones that stood stoically by the shore even on the direst of storms. And that last attack almost

brought unconsciousness to Rocky's weakened self. Rocky knew that he could not endure more of this

kind of attack.

"Fuck! Do you really believe you can beat me this way? I will not let that happen!" Rocky cursed under

the tension of the situation. He knew that he was helpless from the attacks of the spiritual power. He

simply had no way to stop its attacks on him.

He knew he had to do something. He realized that the surge of spiritual power assaulting him would

soon overload his weakened state. He imagined that his body would be like a balloon with too much air

blown into it, bursting when it could hold no more.

He never liked that thought. A regular person under these circumstances would have given up a long

time ago. Yet, Rocky was never a regular person. He was always so stubborn that he never gave up no

matter how hopeless the situation was.

Rocky needed a way to stop the strong spiritual power that assaulted him. He soon deduced that the

only chance he had was to somehow control the alien spiritual power and then convert it into a form

that benefited him. He knew that if he failed at this objective, then he would be truly and undoubtedly

doomed. The power of the Holy Dragon Bead was lost to him. He no longer had the option to use it to

tame the alien spiritual power.

Only one option was left to him. A single choice that increased the danger that he was in or saved him.

He had to use his will to tame the alien spiritual power that assaulted him. Rocky knew that a plan that

took time and prolonged exposure to this strong spiritual power brought with it the danger of damaging

his body too much. He knew that if his body became too injured while he executed his plan, then it was

over for him. It was like he fought a giant with but a single needle.

If his plan succeeded, then he would live. If it failed, then he'd die.

Rocky forced his exhausted self into a cross-legged position. He slowly took out the small bottle

containing magical saliva and drank half the contents of the bottle. Then he bore the attack of the alien

spiritual power as it fiercely assaulted him. He then meditated as he cultivated.

Anyone who suffered the same circumstances would have collapsed a long time ago. Repeated

assaults such as this were not something that a spirit manipulator's body was made to endure for

extended periods. It was fortunate that the magical saliva reinforced Rocky's spiritual constitution. His

meridians became more resilient than that of a normal spirit manipulator, even that of a royal spirit

manipulator.

He redirected his will and consciousness to the parts of his body where the spiritual power barrage had

hit him as he braced himself for repeated assaults. Rocky fortified himself against the repeated

assaults and focused on melding his will with that of the alien spiritual energy. He eventually bent the

spiritual energy attack to his will. Each assault of the strong spiritual power collided with Rocky's

determined will and he successfully altered the attack. It subsequently flowed and merged itself

harmlessly with Rocky's own spiritual power.

Rocky's enhanced spiritual constitution held together long enough as he completed his plan

successfully. The battle was now at a deadlock. Rocky met each of the dreadful attacks with his finely

honed will that redirected and merged the alien spiritual power attack with his own spiritual power. A

spiritual flame formed from his spiritual aura due to the increased amount of spiritual energy that flowed

in his body. What started as a pale luminous glow that surrounded Rocky's body slowly became

brighter and brighter with each successfully absorbed attack.

Rocky had no idea how long the cycle went on. The spiritual light around his body started to blaze

magnificently as he transcended to the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage.

But the spiritual power attack never ceased its assault. Whenever the spiritual power attack blasted

forth, he had to be in complete concentration and attentiveness. So that he could sway it to his will at

the precise moment. The slightest miscalculation meant his death. For the spiritual power that flowed

inside his body was in a delicate balance that could be tipped towards the side of harm with the

slightest mistake. And considering the amount of punishment that Rocky endured up to this point, his

body would not be able to survive another direct hit!

Two days and nights later, the spiritual light around Rocky's body blazed forth once more even brighter

than before.

He transcended to the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage!

Rocky's defensive plan brought him to a higher level but he was not aware of this development even

though it happened within his own body. It was dangerous if he lost even the slightest concentration.

So he was aware of nothing else but the defense that he erected against the alien spiritual energy that

bombarded him.

He maintained his cross-legged posture and his deep meditation as his will elevated into a state of

complete tranquility. The spiritual power continued to assault him. Yet he also continued his same

defense as he subdued the alien spiritual power to his will. As he absorbed it into his own reserve of holds text © rights.

spiritual power, his cultivation base was expected to elevate to the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage.

Two more days and nights passed and he went on the same spiritual battle with his attacker.

But the intensity of the spiritual power attacks weakened as the hours flew by. Rocky felt the end of the

struggle drew near. The assaults continued with decreasing intensity until it completely sputtered to a

halt.

Rocky opened his eyes slowly. He felt completely relaxed, calm and rested despite the amount of time

that had passed. He felt so full of spiritual power. He looked around him and saw the wilted flesh

threads that once attached to his body. Even the flesh pillar grew pallid and drooping.

Rocky sat in meditation for a few moments more. He then scrutinized the spiritual flame that blazed

inside his body. It was then that he realized he had almost reached the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage.

He jumped from a mere fourth grade in a few days.

The danger that came with such a progress was just as enormous. Rocky realized how great the peril

and how close he was to death during the entire time. He hardly believed that he was able to survive

each danger that blocked his way.

Rocky eventually stood up from his cross-legged position and walked steadily to the side of the flesh

pillar. He bent down and then picked up the Dragon Flame Pearl lying silently there. He felt relaxed as

the pearl rested in the middle of his palm. "This is a truly valuable treasure for it had saved my life even

though I did not expect it to do so!" he whispered to himself.

Rocky was suddenly greeted by a wave of cold air that surrounded him and overwhelmed him.

Everything around him was still dark yet he was sure that he had exited the abdomen of the spirit-

manipulated beast. Every breath he took now seemed like the freshest air that he had ever breathed.

He felt relieved. It was like finally waking up from a very bad dream!