On the path to the Jade Pond, the void rippled, a human face emerged, and the Dharma King of Salvation, wielding two transparent short blades, suddenly appeared behind Master Da Lu. Like a clinging malevolent spirit, he viciously stabbed downward. The blade tips vibrated in a terrifyingly ordered manner, seemingly motionless, yet everything blocking their path was crushed into dust, including the protective golden sword aura surrounding Master Da Lu!
Yet at this very moment, abruptly, a long sword materialized before the transparent blades. Somehow, Master Da Lu had already brought his sword back, waiting precisely for the Dharma King to walk right into his trap.
Puh!
The long sword collided with the short blades, yet no sound was produced, no air pressure released. The short blades seemed like illusions, devoid of any physical substance, and shattered like bubbles in the face of the long sword.
Chi! Yet simultaneously, not far from the sword light, Master Da Lu’s protective golden sword aura suddenly shattered into countless microscopic particles. Two transparent short blades emerged clearly.
With Master Da Lu’s cultivation level and sword skills, how could such an error occur, where a slight miscalculation leads to a tremendous mistake?
Master Da Lu’s gaze grew even more focused. His sword light suddenly split into one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred rays. These rays connected in groups of three, six, seven, nine, and twelve, forming tiny arrays. Numerous small arrays combined into a larger and more powerful sword formation. Eventually, layers of sword arrays condensed into one, forming a terrifyingly immense formation covering a vast area.
Sousou sou!
Sword qi crisscrossed, sword light surged, swallowing the two transparent short blades before they could pierce Master Da Lu’s indestructible golden body. However, there was still no sensation of contact, forcing him to focus solely on defense, ensuring his protection was airtight.
Outside the sword formation, the void rippled again. A transparent figure darted about, vanishing and reappearing intermittently, exerting immense pressure on Master Da Lu, luring him into attacking and swinging his sword.
The Dharma King of Salvation fixed his dead gaze on the sword formation, his calmness tinged with a flicker of intensity, waiting for an opening to appear.
He had waited many years for this opportunity to finally match Master Da Lu in a contest of equal footing, where either could seize the advantage!
The void was not merely a tool for concealment and invisible assassination; it could also entrap and seal enemies or directly cut through the spatial existence of their bodies, breaking their protective techniques. Furthermore, the void could distort vision, hearing, and spiritual perception, confusing enemies’ sense of danger and causing them to make fatal mistakes. Even if one stood directly before them and plunged a blade into their chest, they would remain oblivious until the moment of death!
Combined with the sharp, metallic force permeating the Jade Pond, even the “illusions” created by distorted senses carried a certain degree of offensive power and danger. The real and the illusory merged seamlessly, capable of transformation. The only way to counter this was through flawless, comprehensive defense. Yet how long could one maintain such precise and terrifyingly controlled defense?
This was what he referred to as “advantage of terrain”!
This was the evidence that the Dharma King of Salvation was no mere pretender!
Sword light surrounded Master Da Lu from all sides. At times, it expanded outward, attempting to defend while waiting for an opportunity to strike, covering a wide area. Yet the Dharma King always evaded at a distance, making it difficult to land a decisive blow.
This was his specialty.
…
The Illusory Annihilation Heaven Demon, sensing a major upheaval about to occur at Jade Emperor Mountain, did not dare to delay and turned to flee the scene.
Han Guang strode forward with his hands clasped behind his back, his form subtly changing. By the time he reached the Dissolving Martial Pool, he had transformed into a half-white-haired Daoist priest, his hair streaked with silver, his face thin and refined, exuding an ethereal grace. He was clearly one of the senior elders of the Xuan Tian Sect, a guardian of the sect.
“Greetings, Senior Patriarch,” the disciples guarding Jade Emperor Mountain, sensing the return of an esteemed elder from travels, did not dare to be negligent and respectfully bowed.
Han Guang smiled slightly and nodded: “I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I had to return earlier than planned. Is the Sect Leader currently in retreat for cultivation?”
The current leader of the Xuan Tian Sect was Daoist Master Xu, the most outstanding figure of the Xu generation. He had grown up at the foot of Jade Emperor Mountain and, as a child, had randomly chosen the character “Xu” during the抓周 (zhuā zhōu) ceremony. Upon joining the Xuan Tian Sect, he was assigned to the Xu generation and thus received the Daoist name “Xu Chong.” However, people usually referred to him as “Daoist Xu.” Though not yet sixty years old, he had already reached the peak of the Outer Manifestation realm, surpassing senior elders like Xu Zhuo and Xu Jie.
“Senior Patriarch, the Sect Leader emerged from retreat a few days ago and has been handling mundane affairs recently,” the disciple guarding the Dissolving Martial Pool respectfully replied.
The Heaven Emperor sect placed the utmost emphasis on discipline and was the most ritual-conscious among the three major Daoist sects.
“Very well,” Han Guang nodded, proceeding leisurely upward without the slightest hint of tension or anxiety one might expect when infiltrating another sect.
He had done this too many times already.
After walking for a while, nearing the Heaven Emperor Hall atop Jade Emperor Peak, Han Guang suddenly halted. Hidden dangers lay ahead—the core formation had been silently activated. Without the Sect Leader’s command, anyone rash enough to approach would be mercilessly annihilated.
Since Han Guang’s infiltration of the Shaolin Sect had been exposed, major sects and clans had all heightened their vigilance. Due to frequent personnel movements, the full protective formation couldn’t be maintained continuously, but the core areas had been specially fortified with hidden killing arrays, powered by divine weapons, rivaling even the protective formations in strength.
Faced with this, Han Guang smiled slightly, then clasped his hands in a respectful salute toward the Heaven Emperor Hall. His palm subtly vibrated, subtly manipulating the outer layer of the killing formation. Instantly, winds rose and clouds gathered, and the surroundings seemed to sink beneath the water, shimmering with waves.
At the same time, he called out loudly: “This humble Daoist seeks an urgent audience with the Sect Leader.”
His voice rippled outward, reaching the Heaven Emperor Hall. Shortly after, the formation subtly shifted, and a water curtain materialized before Han Guang, revealing the scene inside the inner sanctum:
A towering statue of the Heaven Emperor loomed majestically within the wide chamber, gazing forward as if surveying all realms, weighing the actions of gods, Buddhas, immortals, and demons alike.
Before the statue, on the offering table, rested a greenish box, its surface smooth and lustrous, carved from celestial jade. Inside, faintly visible, lay an ancient long saber, its glow subdued.
Before the offering table were several meditation cushions. A Daoist with jet-black hair sat before the Heaven Emperor statue, his back to the jade box, facing Han Guang.
This Daoist exuded a gentle, serene aura, a stark contrast to the solemn majesty of the grand hall, bearing the faint air of a true Daoist.
He opened his eyes. His pupils resembled two still pools, their clarity rippling slightly:
“Senior Uncle Xu Jie, what urgent matter brings you here…”
Before he could finish speaking, the Daoist Xu’s eyes rippled with surging waves and dark clouds:
“No! You are not him!”
Before his voice faded, a golden “卍” symbol had already appeared on Han Guang’s forehead. With his right hand shimmering like water, he slashed forward fiercely.
The cries of celestial birds faded, the colors of rare flowers and exotic grasses dimmed. The world seemed reduced to black and white. The slight flaw in the killing formation was seized by the audacious Han Guang. Like a river dammed by a levee, the flow built up higher and higher, temporarily unable to mend the wavering water curtain reflecting the inner sanctum.
The water curtain rippled. Han Guang infused his voice with divine consciousness, directly piercing through the slightly frozen image, entering the inner sanctum, flying toward the jade box, and vibrating around the Time Saber:
“The Celestial Court has fallen, the Nine Heavens shattered, yet the era has not ended—why?”
“Because the Heaven Emperor refused to perish, and with his dying breath, fused his Dharma body with the Heavenly Dao Seal and the Heavenly Palace, forging you into the Time Saber, entrusting you with his lingering will, making you his alternative inheritor!”
“The Heaven Emperor has not fully perished; his lingering will remains. As long as you exist, this era shall not end.”
“Are you willing to remain hidden forever?”
“Are you willing to be controlled by mediocre, ordinary men?”
“Are you willing for all the Heaven Emperor’s lingering will to fade into nothingness?”
Han Guang’s voice thundered like rolling thunder, shaking the celestial jade box, paying no heed to Xu Daoist’s frantic summoning of masters and activation of the killing formation.
“Even if you are willing, will they allow you the chance? Do you not know what became of the Mirror of Heaven?”
For once, Han Guang’s eyes flickered with emotion, gazing intently and expectantly at the jade box.
Inside the jade box, the ancient long saber remained still, its glow subdued, seemingly indifferent to Han Guang’s words.
This… Han Guang’s gaze hardened.
…
On the road to the Jade Pond, the sword formation suddenly contracted, condensing into a single, pure blade of sword light that slashed toward the distant void.
Dang!
A crisp sound rang out. The transparent figure retreated from the void, staring in disbelief at his own hands, at the long sword that had blocked his divine weapon.
“You… how did you find me?” The Dharma King of Salvation stared at Master Da Lu in shock, making no move to counterattack.
In just a few breaths of time, had Master Da Lu truly pierced through his treasured Void Illusion Technique?
He had left no trace at all!
Master Da Lu regarded him respectfully and simply said: “Your heart is not calm.”
If the heart is not calm, there will be traces. With his unique heart, he could certainly sense the presence.
“I see…” the Dharma King of Salvation let out a bitter laugh, “The One Heart Sword, the One Heart Sword—I ultimately fell because of the ‘heart.'”
As he spoke, his figure suddenly collapsed, as if merging into the Jade Pond, leaving no trace behind, only his voice echoing:
“If you continue to grow, you will eventually become a legend.”
“Unfortunately, you are destined to die in the Jade Pond today!”
…
In another space-time, the world “rewound,” and everything began anew. This time, Han Guang carefully avoided Su Wuming and approached the waters of the Jade Pond.
…
Dang!
The Blood Transformation Divine Saber lost its luster and clattered onto the metal floor. The Blood Sea Rakshasa’s cry of unwillingness and terror still echoed faintly, gradually weakening. No trace of blood remained—only fragments of pure golden metal, newly reformed under the laws of this realm, drifted gently downward.
Meng Qi flicked his sleeve and retrieved the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, his gaze shifting toward the core fragment of the Mirror of Heaven.
Acquiring it was the greatest danger and the ultimate test.
At that moment, the fragment of the Mirror of Heaven gently trembled and suddenly flew toward the center of the Jade Pond. Radiating a mysterious glow, a hidden realm quietly emerged.
It resembled a mirage, filled with layered palaces and pavilions—the former residence of the Golden Queen Mother of the West!
Among the pavilions and terraces, Meng Qi suddenly spotted a white figure, ethereal and refined, standing silently there, like an unchanging statue across eternity.
This feeling was strangely familiar, vivid even after a decade!
Had she once come to the Jade Pond?
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