“Yao Clan…” He Qi murmured the two words, his mind naturally conjuring images of the Donghai Sword Estate.
Without his presence within the sect, could the Divine Weapons, Talisman Orders, and Grand Formation alone withstand Kong Que Taili, who wielded the Demonic Saint Spear?
The Donghai Sword Estate had gone through multiple generations, and only by the time it reached He Qi was the cultivation method leading to a Dharma Body finally perfected. With Meng Qi’s help and cooperation, they had also recovered the Sword Centipede Talisman Order and the Divine Weapon Shengsi Brush, sufficient to suppress the sect. Everything was gradually returning to order and seemed increasingly prosperous. At such a time, He Qi naturally felt especially anxious about a sudden catastrophe.
He nodded slightly, agreeing with Gao Lan’s concerns: “Indeed, we should be vigilant against the Yao Clan taking advantage of our vulnerability. With this old man and Master Yunhe staying here, that should be sufficient.”
Yunhe’s face, slightly flushed, chuckled: “This old Daoist isn’t too worried, as I had instructed all my disciples to return to our cave-heaven for cultivation before leaving home.”
As for precious items, they had always been stored in the cave-heaven’s main sect.
“So, you’ve got the Senluo Myriad Doors with you—one person well-fed means the whole family is worry-free… Truly cunning and sly!” He Qi sighed inwardly.
Gao Lan, gripping the Human Emperor Sword, walked with heroic bearing toward the outside of the Ice and Snow Fairy Palace.
At this moment, Master Yunhe suddenly smiled and said, “Master Gao, with so many Dharma Bodies gathered here, if the Yao Clan do not come, there will be no force outside to counterbalance you. Would you then march south and station your cavalry at the Divine Capital?”
He Qi’s gaze flickered slightly, obviously having already considered this possibility but not taking it to heart—what concern was it of his whether the Southern Jin would be swallowed by the Northern Zhou?
He only needed Gao Lan to appear outside, to intimidate the Yao Clan, and to prevent them from rash actions!
Upon hearing Yunhe’s question, Gao Lan continued walking without halting or turning his head, half-smiling as he said, “This Emperor has always been patient. One day, you will beg this Emperor to unify the north and south.”
His figure gradually disappeared, having already left the Ice and Snow Fairy Palace.
…
The Jade Pond was surrounded by the light of the Haotian Mirror, dividing the surroundings into different worlds that overlapped yet did not interfere with each other.
Gurdo, wielding the Tianzhu Axe, advanced toward the edge of the pond, driving away wave after wave of fierce beams of light. In the dim and dark realm, he arrived at the water’s edge and saw the core fragment of the Haotian Mirror floating midair. Surrounded by dark light and pond water, it hovered high above, exuding fierce and malevolent energy, yet strangely in a brief state of weakness.
“Heh, someone has already drained the power of this core fragment of the Haotian Mirror for me. Truly effortless gains!” Feeling delighted, Gurdo secretly chuckled, raised the Tianzhu Axe high, and transformed into a faint beam of light flying toward the core fragment of the Haotian Mirror. As his aura spread, the fragments of divine weapons and treasures hidden beneath the water actually remained dormant, seemingly aware of the danger, knowing that if touched by this beam of light, they would instantly lose their divine properties and become mere scrap metal.
The core fragment of the Haotian Mirror trembled slightly, showing little reaction to the approaching Tianzhu Axe and Gurdo’s beam of light. It seemed about to fall into Gurdo’s hands when suddenly, a seven-colored radiance surged from the pond and fiercely struck the beam!
Crack!
The beam dissipated, revealing Gurdo holding the Tianzhu Axe, who was sent flying backward to the edge of the pond.
What divine weapon was this, to remain unscathed even under the power of a banished immortal? Gurdo felt a momentary numbness in his right hand, and the Tianzhu Axe nearly slipped from his grasp.
As the feedback force dissipated and the numbness vanished, Gurdo focused intently on the seven-colored broken branch, sensing within it the essence of Great Bliss, Great Purity, Great Annihilation, and Great Freedom. Its fundamental nature was nearly on par with the core fragment of the Haotian Mirror. However, it appeared to be only a small part of the original, and its fierce aura clashed with its inherent Buddhist resonance, preventing it from displaying even a fraction of its peak power.
Powerful and vast forces continuously interacted between the divine body and the Tianzhu Axe, causing Gurdo’s might to rise again. He truly resembled a great adept who ruled over the heavens, facing off against the seven-colored broken branch from afar. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, seemingly on the verge of erupting at any moment.
Just then, a pale white beam of light shot from the pond, striking the side of the Tianzhu Axe with a clang.
A strange sensation surged through him, and Gurdo could no longer grip the Tianzhu Axe. He watched helplessly as it flew from his grasp. The pale white beam was a curved, glowing metallic fragment, seemingly a broken piece of some bracelet, covered in ancient and mysterious patterns, similar in nature to both the seven-colored broken branch and the Haotian Mirror fragment.
At this moment, Gurdo was wide open, and the Tianzhu Axe, seemingly somewhat dazed as if it were alive, failed to return for defense in time. Yet, surprisingly, the seven-colored broken branch did not seize the opportunity to attack. Instead, it gently swayed from a distance, as if proud of its own strength and disdainful of outside help!
The fleeting opportunity passed, but the Tianzhu Axe had its own spirit. Suddenly, it grew heavy, affecting the surroundings like a massive star, and fell back into Gurdo’s palm.
“These two fragments of divine weapons are not easy to deal with…” Gurdo’s earlier joy at seeing the core fragment of the Haotian Mirror faded. His eyes now focused only on these two “enemies,” while he remained wary of the Haotian Mirror core fragment recovering and striking him unexpectedly. The pressure he felt was no less than when he had faced Master Lu and Daoist Chonghe together.
…
The waters of the Jade Pond rippled gently, revealing the unrest in other worlds.
Han Guang’s right hand concealed flowing time, while his left hand, with six fingers, grasped various facets of destruction, standing resolute at the edge of the Jade Pond.
Facing him, Su Wuming in his green robe slightly stirred, his sword pointing diagonally forward. They had circled around and eventually clashed once again.
The space between them crackled with a sound like splitting wood, forming a dark and terrifying vortex. As if from the collision of their energies, the ground’s metal and other substances were covered in sword marks and signs of destruction. Su Wuming’s eyes appeared indifferent and empty, as though hiding countless versions of himself.
He suddenly spoke: “An external incarnation?”
Although the incarnation Han Guang’s strike with the “Hand of Yama” was formidable—reaching the level of an Earth Immortal and sufficient to deceive Gurdo and the Dharma King of World Salvation—when fully engaged in direct combat, it still fell slightly short of the original body’s power, enabling Su Wuming to discern the truth.
Han Guang smiled slightly: “If I were to fight without holding back, I would be confident in challenging you. Unfortunately, my ambitions lie elsewhere. At present, there remains a significant gap between us.”
He frankly admitted the truth of the incarnation.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a strange fluctuation suddenly emanated from his body. The waters of the Jade Pond instantly receded, and in the center, it seemed as though a deep pit had appeared. Something sunken at the bottom slowly began to rise.
Though described as slowly ascending, compared to the actions of Su Wuming and Han Guang, it moved incredibly fast, as if time itself had become chaotic around it.
It was a fragment of bronze, upon which was engraved a phantom river, filled with an ancient, timeless aura.
Dang!
The bronze fragment vibrated, emitting a long, resonant bell-like sound.
The vortex vanished, the sword marks and signs of destruction faded, and Su Wuming and Han Guang retreated from each other, increasing the distance between them. Their auras eased from fierce confrontation to cautious vigilance.
This world seemed to be “rewinding”!
The surrounding scenes seemed to be “restoring” themselves!
…
Yu Huang Mountain, Xuantian Sect.
“Leave quickly; this matter does not concern you,” Han Guang ordered the Illusory Annihilation Deva.
The Illusory Annihilation Deva showed a worried expression: “Patriarch, the Blade of Time is an unparalleled divine weapon. Forcibly seizing it may not be feasible. May I ask what brilliant strategy you have?”
“What brilliant strategy could there be?” Han Guang chuckled, then clasped his hands behind his back and strode toward Xuantian Sect: “Break in, ask it, whether it is willing to follow this Patriarch!”
“Ask it, whether it is truly willing!”
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