“The next slash will be ‘Slaying the Sacred Mountain, All Buddhas Enter Nirvana.'”
After the Hegemon solemnly declared, he did not immediately unleash his blade. Instead, he stood tall and waited for Master Da Lu to strike. Unlike his earlier casual attack, when formally facing an opponent whose realm and strength were far inferior to his own, he certainly would not strike first.
This was the Hegemon’s pride, the pride of being unrivaled in the world.
Great Master Da Lu’s dharma body gradually turned translucent, as if resonating with the longsword in his hand. That profound emotion and boundless compassion became almost tangible, swiftly setting him apart from the external world. This was the unique Great Master Da Lu, this was the unparalleled One-Heart Sword—nothing else existed beyond himself. This sense of absolute uniqueness stirred delicate transformations within his inner world, as though an incomplete celestial realm subtly evolved toward the traits of the Ninth Heaven—peerless in the world, overlooking all realms.
At this moment, before the Hegemon, it was as if an incomplete legendary expert stood.
“What a pity…” the Hegemon sighed again.
The opponent had surpassed predecessors by forging such a path, truly evoking admiration between heroes.
The heavens and earth are vast; every Dao-seeker is both similar and different.
As he sighed, a sword beam magnificently slashed forth, as if descending from some unknown height, piercing through the entire world. Besides it, there was nothing else. It slashed from the front, attacked from behind, descended from above, and rose from below, leaving no room for evasion.
It brought about the disintegration of countless substances in the void, unleashing mighty power, stirring the surging energy ocean, possessing the majesty of a Celestial Immortal.
This was the One-Heart Sword, this was Master Da Lu.
Seeing this sword, Gourdo’s face behind the Hegemon instantly turned grim, tinged with pallor. When had Lu Da reached this level, capable of unleashing such a unique sword beam? Even if he fully wielded the Tianzhu Axe, unless it awakened to the legendary level, it likely could not withstand its sharpness.
A rival once equally renowned in the world had already left him behind.
“Good!” The Hegemon roared, his long blade slicing out levelly. Countless subtle and indistinguishable changes abruptly arose, interconnecting and superimposing. It was both utmost simplicity and utmost complexity, two entirely contradictory concepts strangely fused together.
The blade light transformed into an autumn gale, roaring forth with a grim and mighty aura of decay, sweeping across all directions and the six cardinal points.
Microscopic control, a single sword forming a formation—I can do that too!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! In Gourdo’s and Su Daji’s ears rang a series of collision sounds. Only at their realm could they distinguish each clearly; for a Human Immortal, the intervals would be too brief to differentiate, merging all into one sound.
They heard every inch of void shattering within the autumn gale, every sword beam withering, every restriction spell collapsing, every speck of matter being destroyed.
Bang!
The blade and sword lights dissipated. The Dragon-Sealing Stone had turned to dust. Master Da Lu’s back collided with the stone gate at the end of the passage, shattering it completely, tumbling into the outer hall of the mausoleum, his entire body covered in blood wounds. For a moment, he was too weak to move, barely able to grip the One-Heart Sword.
With just one slash, the Hegemon had wounded and exhausted Master Da Lu!
The vast disparity between the two revealed the Hegemon’s terrifying might. He was by no means describable merely as a “Peak Celestial Immortal”!
“If you have ascended to the Celestial Immortal level, you might rival the Sages and could force me to reveal my complete dharma body. Alas…” the Hegemon sighed again.
Gourdo and Su Daji exchanged glances. Indeed, until now, the Hegemon had yet to fully display his dharma body, meaning he hadn’t used his full strength.
Even without using his full might, his performance was this terrifying. Truly worthy of being the greatest figure of the Middle Ancient Era, the last great expert to self-certify as a legend!
Master Da Lu’s injuries weren’t too severe. Due to the uniqueness of his inner world, he drew power from infinite heights, instantly alleviating his drained condition. He stood again, resuming his position ahead, gazing at the Hegemon with focused calmness, not yielding an inch.
“Fine. If you insist on dying for the Dao, I shall oblige you, using ‘Arriving at the Heavenly Court, Immortal Gods Retreat’ to send you off.” The Hegemon declared with pride. The Hegemon Blade abruptly returned to its invisible scabbard, the previously overwhelming aura and formidable power completely withdrawing into the unseen sheath.
The overwhelming, unmatched aura was hidden within the scabbard, awaiting the moment of unsheathing, of eruption—no one could predict its splendor!
Toward a worthy opponent, the Hegemon always spared no effort in providing a grand burial!
“Master Da Lu is already injured, his power restored less than halfway. This slash will surely kill him…” Gourdo secretly mused, suddenly feeling a pang of sorrow akin to a hare mourning a fox’s death.
The outstanding figures of his time and the preceding generations had successively perished. At present, only a few remained. Each death meant one fewer, and perhaps soon it would be his turn.
Zeng!
The Hegemon Blade emitted a long, resonant hum within the invisible scabbard, echoing through the mausoleum and across the Three Realms. The Hegemon suddenly stepped forward, breaking absolute stillness, drawing the blade.
The dazzling violet lightning, the overwhelming domineering aura, shook the heavens and earth, stirred the winds and clouds, and made the mausoleum tremble—as if under this single strike, all would be annihilated. The terrifyingly oppressive energy, like an ocean of power or shackles of the void, tightly bound Master Da Lu, rendering him unable to draw his sword, leaving him with no choice but to await death!
Sigh… Gourdo lamented inwardly.
At that moment, he saw a figure flash, and from high above descended a sword beam. The light formed a ring, five-colored and pure, containing all transformations. Yin and Yang continuously revolved, converging at the center of the ring into a point of primordial chaos—profound, dark, subtle, supreme, bright, and boundless. Here emerged the illusory Supreme Seal of the Yuan Shi Daoist!
The ring expanded, the chaos swelling. The Purple Radiance of Heaven could no longer distinguish up, down, left, or right, directly crashing into that point of “Ultimate Extremity!”
Heavens and earth changed color. Gourdo and Su Daji lost their senses momentarily before recovering. Then one cleaved forth the Tianzhu Axe, and the other waved nine tails, barely blocking the scattered residual force.
Many protective spells before the mausoleum were destroyed, leaving only a few thin layers. Had it not been for Master Chunyang being a legendary expert and the place having been carefully arranged for a long time, the mausoleum would have already collapsed.
“Not bad,” the Hegemon lightly remarked. Then the purple glow and darkness faded together. Gourdo saw Su Meng in a green robe, saw him retreat two steps, blocking before Master Da Lu.
When Meng Qi arrived at Master Chunyang’s mausoleum, he discovered the concealing arrays outside had been destroyed, the entrance damaged. Knowing something was wrong, he cautiously infiltrated. He found the Hegemon had slashed back Master Da Lu with a single strike, while Gourdo and Su Daji watched menacingly nearby.
Meng Qi understood that at this moment, apart from slightly inferior Nirvana traits and Dharma Body quality compared to himself, the Hegemon’s legendary attributes, realm, and domineering aura were far superior. He was not an opponent to be faced head-on. Therefore, Meng Qi planned to infiltrate stealthily, retrieve Master Chunyang’s legacy first, and rely on his Nirvana traits to withstand the corrective forces.
This would offer a slim chance of survival, avoiding immediate expulsion and death within the chaotic temporal currents, because once matters settled, he could reinsert the inheritance and reconstruct the mausoleum, maintaining “history.”
However, the Hegemon’s strength exceeded Meng Qi’s expectations. With the second slash, he defeated Master Da Lu. The third would likely succeed without issue. Yet Meng Qi valued righteousness and gratitude deeply. His mind raced, and he swiftly decided, blocking the Hegemon’s deadly slash.
Against the Hegemon, he might still have a sliver of hope. At least the Hegemon Blade wouldn’t truly kill his own “master!”
Moreover, Meng Qi understood the Hegemon’s techniques and fighting style better than anyone, almost like a parasite in his gut, enabling him to exploit this advantage fully.
Once decided, Meng Qi brandished his sword before his chest, springing upward, transforming into countless five-colored radiant beams, slashing downward at the Hegemon.
The sword beams were hazy, like water ripples, rapidly filling the nearby heavens and earth. Red, green, yellow, white, and black absorbed surrounding colors, dimming them, leaving only gray and monochrome, slowing everything, including the Hegemon, Gourdo, and Su Daji.
Once the Zhu Xian emerged, even Great Luo Immortals would bow their heads!
The sword beams rained down like rain, falling upon the Hegemon amidst the silence and slowness!
Yet suddenly, a phantom river emerged around the Hegemon, flowing with time, untouched by dust, eternal and unchanging. The Hegemon stepped into the river, like a “sage” overlooking the mortal world, seeing through the past, perceiving the present, and foreseeing the future. The current level of slowness and silence could no longer affect him.
The Hegemon slightly nodded, seemingly praising Meng Qi, then proudly proclaimed: “Step into the River of Time, Fate Shall Not Be Decreed!”
Figures flew from the River of Time, some wielding halberds, some gripping blades, some carrying cauldrons, some resembling future Heavenly Lords. They emerged with the Hegemon’s slash of the Hegemon Blade, each unleashing their strike in unison, transforming into a rainstorm from all directions and times—past, present, and future—sealing every angle, severing space and time together.
This sight made Su Daji’s heart pound. Even Mei Mountain Great Sage Yuan Hong had no similar attack. If the Hegemon hadn’t perished in the Middle Ancient Era, he could at least reach the culmination of Creation!
Facing this strike surpassing his current realm, Meng Qi was not alarmed but delighted, because he knew the Hegemon’s best choice against the Zhu Xian Sword Method was precisely “Step into the River of Time, Fate Shall Not Be Decreed.”
His right hand left the immortal sword, continuously dividing, meeting the figures within the River of Time, attempting to sever their destinies. His left hand formed a palm blade, slashing into emptiness, darkening the heavens and earth, disturbing the threads of causality.
Blade and sword disregarded past and future, manipulating fate, altering causality, waiting precisely for “Step into the River of Time, Fate Shall Not Be Decreed!”
Disregarding other factors, concentrate as much as possible on the opponent’s characteristics, using one’s strengths to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses!
Meanwhile, Master Da Lu also cooperated seamlessly, unleashing the unique sword beam once again.
Majestic and vast, the heavens and earth lost their colors.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage