Shui Miao attacked the Sanqing Sect with the force of a violent storm, leaving them no chance to retaliate. In the chaos, even allies ended up fighting each other.
Shui Miao overwhelmed the Sanqing Sect with the force of a storm, leaving them defenseless and even causing infighting among their own ranks.
Meanwhile, the Celestial Dipper Star Lord mistook Xing Kui and Xing Ba for Shui Miao and the Heavenly Mechanism Venerable’s puppets. Wielding his meteorite supreme artifact, he relentlessly pursued and attacked them.
Xing Kui and Xing Ba, in a state of disarray, were forced to dodge and counterattack in desperation.
Shui Miao, lurking in the shadows, took advantage of the chaos, occasionally manipulating the Cosmic Chessboard to strike at Xing Kui and Xing Ba, further tipping the scales in his favor.
“Shui Miao, seeing your master, why don’t you come and pay your respects?”
Suddenly, Luo Tong, the Forging Sage King, appeared like a ghost to Shui Miao’s right.
Luo Tong exuded no aura, appearing ordinary, yet he gave off an air of mystery and profoundness.
“Who are you?”
Shui Miao turned to see Luo Tong and was instantly startled. Scanning with his divine sense, he found his perception swallowed up, as if sinking into a bottomless sea.
He must possess some artifact I’ve never encountered before.
Shui Miao immediately went on high alert, not daring to be careless.
“You don’t recognize me? In the Raksha Realm, my avatar taught you the art of forging. Have you forgotten so quickly? Or do you simply not acknowledge me as your master?” Luo Tong spoke slowly, both to buy time and to gauge Shui Miao’s strength before making his move.
“…”
Shui Miao’s mind raced. Why has Luo Tong appeared now, and why is he being so slow? Is he here to save the elders of the Sanqing Sect? Or to probe my strength? Or perhaps to distract me while Xuan Chi Zi strikes from the shadows?
After a moment, Shui Miao suddenly sneered, “If you were truly my master Luo Tong, I would naturally pay my respects. But you reek of sinister energy, clearly a demonic heretic. Hmph! A demonic heretic trying to deceive me by taking on my master’s appearance—aren’t you afraid I’ll destroy you on the spot?”
“You don’t believe I’m Luo Tong?” Luo Tong was momentarily taken aback, then nodded. “Fine, if that’s the case, then try to destroy me. Let’s see how much your cultivation has truly grown.”
Luo Tong was brimming with confidence, completely underestimating Shui Miao.
Indeed, it’s natural for a master to look down on their disciple.
Luo Tong had a rough idea of Shui Miao’s capabilities. It had only been a few years; he couldn’t believe Shui Miao had grown so powerful.
Moreover, he sensed that Shui Miao was only at the Immortal Elder level.
“Really?”
Shui Miao suddenly felt uncertain. Seeing Luo Tong so confident, he wondered what the man was relying on.
At the same time, Shui Miao prepared the Cosmic Chessboard, ready to strike at any moment.
Luo Tong simply smiled faintly, “Enough talk. If you have the skill, try to break through my Yin-Yang protective artifact first.”
“Fine!”
Shui Miao’s mind flashed, and he immediately activated the Void Annihilation Array, directing it at Luo Tong.
The Void Annihilation Array’s penetrating power was astonishing, capable of piercing through artifacts, destroying their spirits, and dismantling their formations. It was the signature artifact of the Punishment City’s Executioner Venerable, rendering all other artifacts defenseless before it.
“Hum…”
The immense power of the Void Annihilation Array enveloped Luo Tong, instantly destroying the spirits of several of his artifacts and rendering their formations useless. One by one, they turned into worthless debris.
“This is the Void Annihilation Array! And it’s being unleashed by a supreme artifact! With the combined power of many Immortal Emperor-level experts!!” Luo Tong’s expression turned to one of extreme shock. After muttering to himself, he looked at Shui Miao with a mix of disbelief and shame. “You brat, you’ve truly surpassed your master. You’ve hidden your strength, gathered so many Immortal Emperor-level experts, and even obtained the Punishment City’s ultimate technique. But don’t get too cocky. You’ve only destroyed some worthless artifacts of mine. The real treasures are beyond your comprehension.”
Luo Tong’s body suddenly shook, and a wave of black energy shattered his robe, revealing a simple cloth garment beneath… The material of this garment immediately reminded Shui Miao of the brocade pouch given to him by the Supreme Lord Lao Jun.
Yes, it was the same mysterious material as that pouch.
This material couldn’t even be forged in a smelting furnace, and ordinary formations were completely ineffective against it.
“What is this?”
Shui Miao couldn’t help but ask.
“Hahaha…”
Seeing Shui Miao’s confusion, Luo Tong burst into laughter. “You brat, I thought you were truly formidable, but it seems you haven’t grasped the true essence of formations! If you want to know what this is, kneel before me and perform the master-disciple ceremony.”
Luo Tong knew well the obsession of forgers with materials and formations, so he felt confident in threatening Shui Miao.
“Haha…”
To his surprise, Shui Miao simply chuckled.
Luo Tong was puzzled, “What are you laughing at? Surely you can’t know… Impossible, you couldn’t possibly know…”
“Hmph!”
Shui Miao coldly snorted, “I’m laughing at how, despite your age, your thinking remains so outdated. You’re unworthy of being the Forging Sage King, trying to deceive me with this shoddy thing. Do you think I’m as easily manipulated as you? The Demon Emperor Wu Ye Zi is my sworn brother, yet you associate with his disciple. How pathetic you are—does your grandfather know?”
“What? What are you saying?”
Luo Tong grew more confused, feeling as though Shui Miao knew far more than he let on, and some of his words were utterly shocking, leaving Luo Tong completely bewildered.
Shui Miao grinned and suddenly unleashed a surge of purple energy, enveloping Luo Tong.
In truth, Shui Miao was bluffing, using these random statements to confuse Luo Tong, distract him, and then launch a sudden attack.
After releasing the purple energy, Shui Miao immediately used half the power of his Immortal Emperor-level artifact spirits to suppress Luo Tong and activated the Dream Demon Heart Technique, preparing to infiltrate Luo Tong’s mind and extract his memories.
The cloth garment was powerful, but it only protected Luo Tong’s body. His head and limbs were still exposed.
Thus, Shui Miao chose to use the intangible and pervasive purple energy to deal with Luo Tong.
Shui Miao had seen Luo Tong’s avatar and knew he wasn’t a demon. Luo Tong’s current state was likely due to Xuan Chi Zi’s control, making the purple energy the best choice.
Additionally, Shui Miao only used half the artifact spirits’ power to guard against a potential sneak attack from Xuan Chi Zi.
“You brat, how treacherous! Attacking your own master—such a grave sin!”
Luo Tong was frantic, desperately activating his supreme artifacts and demonic artifacts to resist Shui Miao’s suppression. But due to Shui Miao’s sudden assault, he suffered a significant setback.
Luo Tong actually possessed thirty-six supreme artifacts and demonic artifacts.
He activated them all, using the power of their spirits to momentarily hold off Shui Miao’s attack.
“Hahaha, Shui Miao, you’re still too green. Though we have a similar number of supreme artifacts, my formations are far more intricate, and I’ve arranged all my artifacts to work in unison, amplifying their power. Now, it’s my turn to strike back!”
Having gauged Shui Miao’s capabilities, Luo Tong decided it was time to go all out and capture him.
Instantly, Shui Miao’s power began to wane, and Luo Tong gradually turned the tide, his vast energy enveloping Shui Miao…
“Master, you talk too much…”
In desperation, Shui Miao activated the Cosmic Chessboard, composed entirely of inferior artifacts, to defend against a potential sneak attack from Xuan Chi Zi. Then, using all the power of his Immortal Emperor-level artifact spirits and the energy from everyone in his realm, he launched a fierce counterattack against Luo Tong. Luo Tong’s power was quickly suppressed and forced back into his body…
This time, Luo Tong was utterly terrified!
He hadn’t expected Shui Miao to wield such immense power. He was completely defenseless.
Shui Miao swiftly suppressed Luo Tong’s supreme artifacts, refining and absorbing them one by one…
Luo Tong was now powerless to turn the tide, but he still resisted in silence…
It seemed he was making a final stand for his dignity.
Shui Miao didn’t let his guard down, continuing to suppress Luo Tong meticulously while absorbing his artifacts.
However, absorbing the artifacts took a considerable amount of time.
Luo Tong appeared inactive, but in reality, he was buying time. If he could hold out for an hour, Xuan Chi Zi would complete the Red Refining Technique, and they could turn the tables. At this rate, by the time Shui Miao absorbed all the artifacts, an hour would have passed.
Thus, Luo Tong chose silence.
But soon, Shui Miao sensed something was amiss. Many of Luo Tong’s artifacts contained incredibly intricate formations. He could have used them to counterattack, but instead, he focused solely on resisting the refining process—clearly a stalling tactic.
Realizing this, Shui Miao was alarmed.
Immediately, Shui Miao changed tactics, once again employing the Dream Demon Heart Technique on Luo Tong…
Luo Tong, focused on resisting the refining process, was caught off guard when Shui Miao suddenly invaded his mind. In his confusion, his thoughts became muddled… Shui Miao used the same technique he had employed against the Celestial Dipper Star Lord, and soon, Luo Tong was ensnared, his mind clouded…
But Luo Tong’s mental strength was formidable, and Shui Miao couldn’t immediately extract his memories. He could only induce a state of drowsy sleep. To fully extract his memories would take a significant amount of time—dozens of hours, or more… Thus, Shui Miao took Luo Tong into the Time Tower, reversing time to deal with him slowly.
Inside the Time Tower, Shui Miao focused on suppressing Luo Tong’s thoughts and mental energy.
But suddenly, Luo Tong let out a sinister chuckle…
“Shui Miao, you fool!”
Luo Tong’s voice echoed eerily in Shui Miao’s mind. “Did you think I, Luo Tong, have been idle all these years? If anyone could extract my memories, how would I have survived this long? Well… since we’re master and disciple, and you’re so exceptional, I can’t let you die in ignorance. Let me tell you this: if you hadn’t entered my mind, you might have won. But now that you’re here, you’re doomed. Because I’ve hidden a very special artifact in my thoughts—a replica of the Ten Thousand Evils Gu from the Demon Emperor’s hand…”
As Luo Tong spoke, Shui Miao suddenly sensed an eerie, blood-red energy silently infiltrating his mind…
Xing Kui and Xing Ba were thrown into disarray, dodging frantically and finally forced to fight back in self-defense.
Meanwhile, Shui Miao secretly sabotaged them from the shadows, occasionally activating the Hongyu Chessboard to strike a few blows, placing Xing Kui and Xing Ba at a clear disadvantage.
“Shui Miao, seeing your master, why don’t you come and pay your respects?”
Suddenly, from Shui Miao’s right side, the Forgemaster Sage King Luo Tong appeared like a ghost.
Luo Tong showed no fluctuation in aura, appearing ordinary, yet exuding an eerie and unfathomable mystery.
“Who are you?”
Shui Miao turned, startled inwardly. His spiritual sense swept over Luo Tong, only to vanish like a cow swallowed by the sea—completely ineffective.
He must be concealing some artifact I’ve never encountered before.
Shui Miao immediately became highly alert, not daring to be careless.
“Do you not even recognize me anymore? Back in the Luosha Realm, my dharma body taught you the art of forging. Have you forgotten that so quickly? Or perhaps, you never truly respected me as your master?” Luo Tong spoke slowly, deliberately stalling for time while probing Shui Miao’s strength, waiting for the right moment to strike.
“…”
Shui Miao’s mind raced. Why had Luo Tong appeared now, speaking so slowly? Was he here to rescue the elders of the Sanqing Sect? To gauge his strength? Or was he merely a distraction, while Xuan Chizi plotted treachery from the shadows?
After a pause, Shui Miao suddenly smiled coldly. “If you truly were my master Luo Tong, of course I would pay respects. But you reek of sinister yin energy—you’re clearly a demonic cultivator. Hmph! Do you really think disguising yourself as my master will deceive me? Don’t you fear I might kill you on the spot?”
“You still don’t believe I’m Luo Tong?” Luo Tong blinked in surprise, then nodded. “Fine then. If that’s the case, come test your strength against me. I’d like to see how far your cultivation has come.”
Luo Tong was brimming with confidence, clearly not taking Shui Miao seriously.
Indeed, under normal circumstances, a master always looks down upon his disciple.
Luo Tong had already assessed Shui Miao’s level. In just a few years, he couldn’t possibly have grown that powerful.
Besides, he sensed that Shui Miao was only at the Xianweng Realm.
“Really?”
Shui Miao hesitated slightly, puzzled by Luo Tong’s confidence. What exactly was he relying on?
At the same time, Shui Miao prepared the Hongyu Chessboard, ready to strike at any moment.
Luo Tong smiled faintly. “Enough talk. If you have the skill, try breaking through my Yin-Yang protective artifact first.”
“Fine!”
Shui Miao’s mind surged, activating the Mie Kong Formation and launching it directly at Luo Tong.
The Mie Kong Formation possessed astonishing penetrative power, capable of piercing into artifacts, shattering their spirit cores and dismantling their arrays. It was a signature treasure of Xingtian Fazun from Tian Ting’s Punishment City, rendering all other artifacts powerless before it.
“Buzz…”
The immense power of the Mie Kong Formation engulfed Luo Tong. Instantly, the spirit cores of several artifacts on his body were destroyed, their internal arrays shattered. One by one, they fell apart into useless junk.
“This is the Mie Kong Formation! And not only that, it’s powered by a supreme artifact! And its strength rivals that of multiple Xian Di Realm experts combined!!” Luo Tong’s expression turned shockingly pale. After murmuring in disbelief, he glared at Shui Miao with a mix of shock and fury. “You brat, you really have surpassed your master. Hiding your strength, harboring so many Xian Di experts within you, and even acquiring the forbidden techniques from Tian Ting’s Punishment City! But don’t get too cocky. You’ve only destroyed some cheap artifacts. The real treasures, you haven’t even seen yet.”
Suddenly, Luo Tong’s body trembled. A wave of black energy surged outward, shattering his black robe into pieces, revealing a simple-looking cloth garment beneath…
The moment Shui Miao saw the material, he recognized it instantly—it was the same mysterious fabric used in the pouch given to him by Laojun’s spirit general.
Indeed, it was the exact same rare material.
A material that couldn’t be burned even in a refining furnace, and against which ordinary arrays were completely ineffective.
“What is this?”
Shui Miao couldn’t help but ask.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Seeing Shui Miao’s confusion, Luo Tong burst into arrogant laughter. “I thought you were really something, but apparently, you still don’t understand the true essence of arrays. If you want to know what this is, kneel down first and pay me proper respect as your master.”
Luo Tong, well aware of a forger’s obsession with materials and arrays, boldly demanded submission.
“Hehe…”
To his surprise, Shui Miao merely smiled faintly.
Luo Tong blinked. “What are you laughing at? Impossible! There’s no way you could possibly know…”
“Hmph!” Shui Miao snorted coldly. “I’m laughing at how old you are, yet your thinking is still so outdated. You’re not even worthy of being the Forgemaster Sage King. Don’t think you can fool me with such a ragged thing. Do you really think I’m as gullible as you, falling for the schemes of demons? I’m sworn brothers with the Demon Emperor Wu Yezhi. And yet you, his disciple, associate with you? Do you think your master knows how pathetic you’ve become?”
“What did you say? What are you talking about?”
The more Luo Tong listened, the more confused he became. Shui Miao’s words were full of implications, shocking and unfathomable.
Shui Miao grinned and suddenly unleashed a surge of purple fortune energy, enveloping Luo Tong entirely.
In truth, Shui Miao was bluffing—spouting nonsense to confuse Luo Tong, distracting him before launching a sudden attack.
As the purple fortune energy surged forth, Shui Miao immediately channeled half the power of his Xian Di-level spirit cores to suppress Luo Tong, while activating the Meng Mo Heart Method, attempting to infiltrate Luo Tong’s mind and extract his memories.
The cloth garment might protect Luo Tong’s body, but his head and limbs were still exposed.
Thus, Shui Miao chose to use the intangible and invasive purple fortune energy.
Having seen Luo Tong’s soul before, Shui Miao knew he wasn’t a demon cultivator. Luo Tong’s current behavior must be the result of Xuan Chizi’s control. Therefore, the purple fortune energy was the perfect choice.
Moreover, Shui Miao only used half his spirit core power to prevent a surprise attack from Xuan Chizi.
“You brat! How despicable! Attacking your own master! Unforgivable! Unforgivable!”
Luo Tong screamed, desperately activating his supreme artifacts and demonic treasures to resist Shui Miao’s pressure. However, caught off guard, he suffered a major disadvantage.
Surprisingly, Luo Tong possessed thirty-six supreme artifacts and demonic treasures.
He activated them all at once, drawing on the power of their spirit cores, successfully halting Shui Miao’s assault.
“Ha ha ha! Shui Miao, you’re still too green. Although we wield a similar number of supreme artifacts, my arrays are far more profound than yours. Moreover, I’ve synchronized all my treasures into a unified formation, amplifying their power. Now, it’s my turn to strike back!”
Having gauged Shui Miao’s strength, Luo Tong decided to go all out and capture him.
Instantly, Shui Miao’s power began to falter, and Luo Tong gradually turned the tide, overwhelming Shui Miao with a surge of energy…
“Master, you really do talk too much…”
In desperation, Shui Miao suddenly activated the Hongyu Chessboard made entirely of low-grade supreme artifacts to guard against Xuan Chizi’s ambush. Then, he unleashed every Xian Di spirit core within him, along with the power of everyone inside his realm of consciousness, launching a fierce counterattack.
In an instant, Luo Tong’s power was crushed and forced back into his body.
This time, Luo Tong was utterly horrified!
He hadn’t expected Shui Miao to command such immense power—he was helpless against it.
Shui Miao quickly subdued all of Luo Tong’s supreme artifacts, one by one, refining and absorbing them…
Luo Tong was now powerless to resist, yet he still silently resisted—fighting for the last remnants of his pride.
Shui Miao remained vigilant, continuing to suppress and absorb the artifacts methodically.
However, absorbing artifacts required time—lots of it.
Though Luo Tong appeared motionless on the surface, he was secretly buying time. If he could hold out for an hour, Xuan Chizi would complete the Chi Lian Technique, turning the tide of battle. Judging by the current pace, by the time Shui Miao absorbed all the artifacts, an hour would have nearly passed.
Thus, Luo Tong chose silence.
However, it wasn’t long before Shui Miao sensed something amiss. Many of the arrays within Luo Tong’s artifacts were exquisitely intricate—capable of launching counterattacks. Yet Luo Tong made no attempt to do so, instead focusing solely on resisting the refining process. Clearly, he was stalling for time.
Realizing this, Shui Miao’s heart jolted.
Without hesitation, he switched tactics again, launching the Meng Mo Heart Method into Luo Tong’s mind.
Luo Tong, focused on resisting the artifact refining, was caught off guard. His thoughts became hazy and disoriented—just like when Shui Miao had used it against Tian Dou Xing Jun.
Soon, Luo Tong was ensnared, his mind clouded.
However, due to Luo Tong’s immense mental strength, Shui Miao couldn’t directly extract his memories yet. He could only plunge him into a daze, a sleep-like state. To fully extract his memories would take many hours—perhaps even more.
Thus, Shui Miao swiftly retreated with Luo Tong into the Time Tower, reversing time to deal with him at his leisure.
Inside the Time Tower, Shui Miao fully suppressed Luo Tong’s mind and spiritual force.
But suddenly, Luo Tong let out a sinister, cackling laugh.
“Shui Miao, you’re such a fool!”
Luo Tong’s voice echoed coldly within Shui Miao’s consciousness. “Did you really think I, Luo Tong, have survived all these years for nothing? If anyone could steal my memories, do you think I’d still be alive today? Well… since we are master and disciple, and you’ve turned out so well, I can’t let you die without understanding why. I’ll tell you this—had you not entered my mind, you might have still had a chance to defeat me. But now that you’re inside, you’re doomed. Because hidden within my consciousness is a very special artifact—a replica of the Demon Emperor’s Wan’e Gu from the Demon Realm…”
As Luo Tong spoke, Shui Miao suddenly sensed a strange, blood-colored energy silently seeping into his own consciousness!
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