The immortal abodes of Mount Jiuhua, Mount Wulong, Mount Taihua, Mount Yuquan, and Mount Jinting hung like stars beyond the azure void, situated at the edge of the boundless starry sky. At night, their brilliance rivaled that of the bright moon.
At this moment, upon hearing the warning of the Eternal Mother of No-Birth, each “radiant star” flickered as if startled into silence, but soon steadied itself. Their consciousnesses traversed vast distances in an instant, converging directly within the Jade Void Palace, manifesting their respective forms. For a moment, they simply gazed at one another in silence.
“The Master still shows no trace of his presence,” Guangchengzi said with a bitter smile, communicating through thought.
Times were different now. During the Investiture of the Gods, their master stood at the pinnacle of the myriad realms, second only to the transcendent beings beyond description—revered as the most ancient of the Other Shore. Back then, the Twelve Jade Void Immortals, despite facing the tribulation of slaughter, stood firm and fearless, unshaken by any force. Even in the presence of their uncle-master, the Primordial Lord of Numinous Treasure, they dared to speak boldly. But now, their master had vanished into eternity in pursuit of the Dao Fruit, leaving behind only traces and arrangements from ancient times. It was hard to believe he would return in time to aid them. Meanwhile, their uncle-master, the Primordial Lord of Virtue, was obstructed by Amitabha Buddha, unable to intervene.
Under such circumstances, who would dare ignore the warning of a true Other Shore figure?
The consequences of defiance were clear in Guangchengzi’s mind—he recalled the fates of the Three Xiao Maidens during the Investiture of the Gods. Like moths to a flame, like mantises trying to stop a chariot, they had been extinguished without even a ripple.
Yu Dingzhenren sat upright, his pride concealed beneath a calm demeanor, more akin to a swordsman than an immortal. After the initial shock faded, he remained silent until Guangchengzi’s bitter words reached him. Then, with a cold sweep of his gaze over his fellow disciples, he spoke succinctly:
“What is a sect leader?”
Without waiting for an answer, he continued, “The symbol of a sect, the head of the Jade Void!”
“If even the sect leader is slain, and we cower in fear of death, standing idly by—then what use is brotherhood? What use is the Jade Void Palace? We might as well disband and each go our own way!”
His words were resolute. Rising to his feet, Yu Dingzhenren unleashed his soaring sword intent, his aura erupting like a storm. Fixing his gaze on Guangchengzi, he declared, “Our peers have long withered away—why do we still cling to cowardice? What is the purpose of the Four Swords of Slaying Immortals in our hands?”
“Without the Other Shore, if we allow ourselves to be bullied at our doorstep, what good is retreat? Today, they name our sect brother for execution; tomorrow, they may demand our own self-destruction. There is no greater cause for unity than this. When there is no more room to retreat, we retreat no further!”
Before Guangchengzi could respond, Chijingzi beside him rose with a serene expression, brushing his violet-ribbed immortal robe. With a faint smile, he said, “The Four Swords of Slaying Immortals are in our hands. Without the Other Shore’s protection, even if we evade the Eternal Mother of No-Birth today, we cannot escape the retribution of the Jie Sect tomorrow. Moreover, once our sect brother falls, Randeng will seize the Seal of the Dao’s Unity and ascend to the Other Shore. Then, our fates will be sealed. If death awaits us tomorrow, why not stake everything today? If we lack even this courage, how can we hope to grasp the elusive path of immortality?”
With that, he stepped beside Yu Dingzhenren, standing shoulder to shoulder, the glow of the Slaughtering Immortal Sword blazing in his palm.
The earlier exchange had stirred Nezha’s blood, filling him with the urge to rise and fight to the death without hesitation. But a hand suddenly pressed down on his shoulder, gently restraining him.
Beside him, Daoxing Xianzun had resumed his ever-smiling expression. Calmly, he said, “As the Final Tribulation descends, we must face it. This humble Daoist shall take the first step!”
His Daoist robes billowed as a streak of black radiance shot from the Jade Void Palace, merging with the immortal sword within Mount Jinting. The three Dao Flowers above him suddenly ignited with invisible flames, pushing his power to the pinnacle of Creation at any cost.
“Good!” Yu Dingzhenren roared in approval. A crimson glow surged from the infinite heights as his immortal body dissolved into pure golden light, transforming into a terrifying sword radiance that stained the starry sky red.
Chijingzi bowed slightly to the remaining disciples—Guangchengzi, Manjusri, and Nezha—before his consciousness returned to Mount Taihua. A white brilliance pierced through space-time, surrounded by swirling yin-yang energies before collapsing into the sword’s radiance.
He, too, had poured his lifelong cultivation into this single strike!
“Hahaha! The Master bestowed the Four Swords of Slaying Immortals precisely for this day. Three brothers, let us face the tribulation together!”
Witnessing this, Guangchengzi laughed heartily. Above his true form in Mount Jiuhua, a vast expanse of clear light emerged, cradling three illusory flowers on the verge of bearing the Dao Fruit—one ancient and verdant, one wreathed in purple qi, one purely yang without yin. They shattered like endless fuel, igniting the Slaying Immortal Sword into a blazing inferno.
As his four fellow disciples charged forth without hesitation, Manjusri, whose heart had remained unmoved for countless millennia, felt ripples stir within her spirit. Her vision blurred slightly. Just as she prepared to follow, Guangchengzi’s low voice reached her ears:
“Manjusri, sister, your ties to the Buddhist sects may spare you this tribulation. Endure humiliation for the Jade Void’s sake. Preserve yourself, and may you one day ascend to the Other Shore to revive our sect!”
“Brother Guangchengzi…” Manjusri murmured, watching helplessly as the azure sword radiance chased after the three preceding strikes, tearing through layers of space-time to slash at the Vacuum Hometown fused with the Netherworld. Guangchengzi’s final words echoed in her ears:
“Restrain Nezha. Do not let him act recklessly…”
The four sword radiances—crimson, azure, black, and white—burned like moths sacrificing their lives to illuminate the darkness, charging without hesitation toward the Vacuum Hometown shrouded in mist. Three at the pinnacle of Creation, one nearing the Other Shore, they formed the Slaying Immortals Sword Formation—advancing without retreat, fighting with no regard for survival, seizing the day!
Infinite sword energy shredded all in its path. Guangchengzi laughed heartily, “Tell the Eternal Mother—the Jade Void has always protected its own!”
The four radiances blazed brilliantly, descending upon the four poles of the Vacuum Hometown, bringing with them the stillness of time, the shattering of space, and the annihilation of all things.
A voice, detached and devoid of emotion, resonated in response:
“Like grains of rice striving to outshine the moon?”
A flawless, luminous orb, bright as the full moon, rose from the Netherworld, illuminating the myriad realms. It encompassed all things—destruction, slaughter, and every path of ending—as if welcoming them home.
The closer the four sword radiances drew, the smaller they became, until they were mere specks of light before the radiant moon.
Then, the specks were engulfed by the moonlight, vanishing from Manjusri’s sight without a trace.
Where the Dao led, they advanced without hesitation—even if it meant moths plunging into flames.
“Uncles!” Nezha struggled desperately, his fair face streaked with anguish, but the Binding Dragon Pillar held him fast.
Manjusri slowly closed her eyes, as if transported back to the days before the Investiture of the Gods—when Guangchengzi struck the bell, summoning Chijingzi, Yu Dingzhenren, Daoxing, Taiyi, and the others from their abodes to gather at the Master’s feet, listening intently to his teachings. In their leisure, they roamed the myriad realms in small groups.
Now, apart from the missing Puxian and Cihang, only she remained.
How lonely…
…
Meng Qi seemed to sense the fate of Guangchengzi and the others. His eyes reddened as he gazed at the Peerless Heavenly Blade before him. Forcing a smile, he said, “Blade Brother, if I perish today, follow Xiaosang. Protect her with all your might.”
Turning to Gu Xiaosang, he reached out with his left hand, clasping hers gently. With a faint smile, he added, “If I become a monster… wait until you reach the Other Shore. Then, come wake me.”
Before she could react, determination flashed in Meng Qi’s eyes as he drew all the eerie aura of the Blood Peach into himself—then released the blade’s suppression of Donghuang’s remaining flesh!
**BOOM!**
The sea of thunder roared as Donghuang’s remnant flesh writhed madly, morphing from the phantom of an ancient bronze bell into a twisted mass of darkness. Sensing the tantalizing aura, it surged from the blade into Meng Qi’s body, causing veins to bulge grotesquely across his face, rendering his final smile terrifyingly distorted.
At that moment, the Primordial Chaos Canopy above Meng Qi descended, enveloping him and Donghuang’s flesh in the concept of Infinite Chaos, while the Blood Peach was transferred to Gu Xiaosang.
**BOOM!**
A deafening explosion shook the Three Realms and Six Paths. The Peerless Heavenly Blade erupted in violet radiance, as if summoning an illusory River of Time. Countless thunderbolts converged in worship of their sovereign, its domineering will piercing through past and future.
With Donghuang’s flesh gone, the blade was finally unshackled!
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