Chapter 734: The Stroke of Flair
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Jets of light in a myriad of colors shot into the air. The columns reached straight into the sky and reached down into the earth with captivating beauty and awe-inspiring grandeur.
An imposing and lofty aura descended along the nine-colored pa.s.sage from the Heavens. From afar, Meng Qi could not help but feel fearful and humbled by its overwhelming presence.
Such was the power of G.o.ds summoned by sacrifices!
Meng Qi’s Immortal Primogenitor Form shrank into a single point on his forehead, protecting his mind from the oppression of the staggering presence.
Meng Qi regained his consciousness, and the chilling frost in his mind was replaced by a soothing warmth that fueled his spirit to fight and fire returned to his eyes.
“So what if G.o.ds were to come! I would rather die trying to thwart them than beg for mercy!”
He would gladly embrace his own death if Fate so willed. He would never surrender, and he would fight to the end!
He channeled his power and cast the Law Phenomenon, causing his body to grow to the size of a lumbering giant. He released his aura in its entirety, churning and swirling across the entire battlefield. The muscles on his back flexed and out sprung two more limbs. With sabers and swords held in all four arms, he attacked simultaneously with two of his Precious Weapons activating their powers. The blows from the weapons came with an unnerving ferocity that the priest of the Cult of the Gory Seas stood awestruck, not daring to stand between Meng Qi and his target!
Until now, Meng Qi had not regretted his decision to temporarily suspend the flow of Time to eliminate the a.s.sa.s.sins that could disappear at will. This had helped safeguard Ruan Yushu while she worked her magic. As Wen Jing had mentioned before, Ruan Yushu would not have been there to fight against the sorcerers of the imperial army if he had not hidden earlier in the sleeves of Ruan Yushu’s robes and bided his time until the a.s.sa.s.sin appeared. Yet, despite his strong physical defenses, he was still inevitably delayed, preventing him from thwarting the completion of the altar.
The outcome would be the same no matter what he did!
If only he had noticed the construction of the altar earlier! There was hardly any merit in brooding on the past, however.
After all, it was only in the final phases of the altar’s construction that the magic concealing its aura failed.
Any regret was pointless by now! Meng Qi might as well stave off all doubt and concentrate on his battles!
His weapons collided. Two pure white incandescent sparks broke out and fiery waves engulfed everything around him in white. The priests of the Cult of the Gory Seas shrieked in pain and anguish as they were devoured by the heatwave, their flesh burned and scorched and their eyes bleeding and blistering profusely. Losing all will to fight, they leaped down from the top levels of the altar to safety.
“Boom!”
The sound of an explosion came after the brilliant light, causing everyone to shudder and many to fall momentarily deaf and dizzy while some struggled to remain standing. The huge torrents of sweltering heat gushed toward the Pa.s.sage of Heavens!
Suddenly, a gigantic fist smote down from the thick clouds above the nine-colored pa.s.sage into Heaven. It was sparkling gold and descending with an aura embodying the will of its wielder so thick and vehement, striking the waves of fire from the Destruction of Stars technique with the force of the falling Heavens!
The advent of the Saint Emperor of Benevolence!
The sacrifices and wors.h.i.+p of his descendants had bestowed Him the lifeforce that allowed Him to rise from the decay of Death!
Most deities derive their powers and immortality from the offerings and prayers of their wors.h.i.+ppers, making them impervious to the adulteration of Time and the changing of dynasties. However, for the Saint Emperor of Benevolence, it was a matter of life and death. With this at stake, how could he not grab the opportunity and secure victory!
“Bang!”
The tide of destruction instantly vanished, its powers and magic undone. The blinding light was extinguished and replaced by a golden glare of light enveloping the altar like the gleaming radiance of the sun. Meng Qi felt his weapons growing heavier in his grasp and a sudden ripple of force nearly swept him off his feet, almost breaking his ribs and knocking the air out of him.
This was not even the power of the Dharmakaya!
It was the Half-step to Dharmakaya at most!
Did the imperfect construction of the Pa.s.sage hinder him from appearing with his full might?
Despite nearly being thrown into the air, Meng Qi was neither sad nor dejected. Instead, he was rather jubilant with hope!
However, he was already exhausted from simultaneously activating the powers of his two Precious Weapons. His knees buckled, causing him to fall toward the river.
Suddenly, a flying cord came out of nowhere and coiled around Meng Qi’s body, pulling him onto one of the boats. It was Hou Yue of the Red Coat Army who had saved him!
“There is still hope! Do your best!” Meng Qi roared, rallying the troops, as he looked at Ruan Yushu, Zhao Heng, and Hu Zhigao.
After a brief respite, he threw a piece of driftwood into the water and stepped on it to make his way back to the altar.
Chips and cracks littered the altar but it was still standing tall, channeling powers to sustain the nine-colored pa.s.sage. From the midst of the blending rainbow colors, a figure emerged clad in golden mail and armor. His aura was strong and powerful, gradually growing in magnitude. As Meng Qi had expected, he was not of the Realm of the Dharmakaya!
With a step forward, he took to the sky and hovered over the river. He raised his fist and savagely struck the boat in which Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu were standing with their comrades.
The aura of the Immortal having saved him from certain death, Shen Yunqing mumbled groggily, calling out to his Immortal ancestor with admiration on his face.
Zhu Shou, Miao Hu, Feng Jingtang, and Liu Shunsui had been fighting the battle fiercely when they saw that the altar was nearing completion. They knew that all hope would have been lost if the Immortal could be summoned.
When the overwhelming presence of the Immortal descended preceding His actual arrival, Liu Tuizi, who was one of the most easily frightened warriors, had thrown himself into the thick of the clas.h.i.+ng steel and crying men. The sight of him roaring courageously as he brandished his weapon encouraged the others to persist. Now, however, the coming of the Saint Emperor of Benevolence tipped the balance against them and they could not come to provide aid.
The Sword of Divine Mandate trembled but the Saber of the Emperor did not budge, keeping its nemesis from helping Meng Qi as well.
Du Gus.h.i.+’s saber danced around and filled his enemies’ sight with its shadow. Swift and deadly strokes pinned down both Immortal Wans.h.i.+ and Qi Zhengyan. They could not free themselves from his “restraints.”
Qi Zhengyan’s skin suddenly turned a pale-red shade and six limbs sprouted from his torso. He held the Golden Dragon Stripe Sword in one hand, while his other arms held other artifacts and relics bearing sinister appearances—the Crimson Fire Lotus, the Spike of Defilement, the Sword of Malice, and the Claw of Destruction.
The six limbs flailed violently together, hurling a barrage of death and carnage to his enemies!
With a flash of his gleaming blade, Du Gus.h.i.+ parried and deflected the projectiles from him, but Qi Zhengyan used the opportunity to slip away.
Immortal Wans.h.i.+ fought desperately alone, his long hair las.h.i.+ng in the wind as his blade clanged with his foe’s.
Jiang Zhiwei’s Dharmic Form, the Art of the Supreme Sword Master became increasingly distinct, intensified by the concentration of the aura of her sword. It augmented her power along with the silhouette of the Dharmic Form behind her.
She knew that the situation would not change unless she channeled her powers in a burst of defiance!
Her burgeoning aura blazed brilliantly as she activated the power of her Precious Weapon. Immediately, the bright flashes of the aura of her sword streaked one after another, forming a bridge of rainbow as barrages of her auric blades rained on her enemy. Jiang Zhiwei decided to attack with reckless abandon!
Witnessing her fearlessness made Wen Jing instinctively flinch with fear and evade the offense, giving Jiang Zhiwei an opening to return to the river and help her comrades hold off the Saint Emperor of Benevolence.
Knowing that he would still be able to reap benefits without further cost, Wen Jing would hardly want to gamble with his own safety!
He knew that the Saint Emperor of Benevolence was G.o.d wielding the power of the Dharmakaya Realm. Despite making His entry with only a fraction of His full might, it was estimated that the enemies would hardly be able to survive his onslaught. Wen Jing would only have to patiently bide his time to deal the coup-de-grace to ensure that the Karma Points would be his!
The churning waters of the Nu River grew still, tamed by the presence of the G.o.d.
The cold and emotionless eyes of the Saint Emperor of Benevolence looked down on Meng Qi and his comrades who were preparing to defend themselves. With his right fist, he smote furiously at them, the sheer destructive force of his. .h.i.t tearing apart the fabric of s.p.a.ce.
Just then, not far from him, another figure appeared. It was Qi Zhengyan who, despite the late hour, still wore his customary expression of indifference!
Vertical, slitted pupils replaced his normal ones as his eyes seemed to reveal a bottomless depth. The Saint Emperor of Benevolence felt Qi Zhengyan’s sudden presence beside him, hesitating as his fist slowed down.
Seizing her chance, Ruan Yushu summoned the power of the Zither of Seven Deities. Her rising aura created turbulent winds around her, whipping her clothes and sash as her hands danced on the zither’s strings.
“Bang!”
The silhouette of an old and ancient bell appeared and rang with a note that shook all three planes of existence. Even the Saint Emperor of Benevolence himself was slightly affected by the sound and his movements became sluggish.
The six arms of Qi Zhengyan swung forward. Sword light shot before his arms like a lunging snake and coiled around the Saint Emperor of Benevolence, restraining Him before he recovered from the shock. Layers of ice materialized to hold him—even the power of his wors.h.i.+ppers that sustained his presence seemed to be suspended in stasis.
The Art of the Supreme Sword Master burned with blistering pain in Jiang Zhiwei’s eyes as she stepped on a piece of flotsam and glided in the air. The Sword of the Sun-Penetrating Rainbow escaped from its scabbard, s.h.i.+ning brightly with the brilliant colors of the rainbow. The agility and speed of her movements made everything around her seem slow as if the rest of the fighting warriors had fallen into a limbo of Time. The Saint Emperor of Benevolence Himself appeared to be equally affected.
The blow she unleashed had distinct similarities to the Twenty-three Swords Skill but it lacked the flavor of the Anatta Sword technique, accelerating her pace at the cost of her lifeforce!
Zhao Heng had also activated the powers of his Fish Dragon Sword, stabbing upward with the final stroke of the Eight Strokes of Turmoil.
The sword light of his blade blasted into the sky and then exploded at its peak, scattering into strands of aura that rained down like falling scrolls, changing the flow of weather as they fell before they converged around the Saint Emperor of Benevolence and a.s.sisted in restraining Him.
Ruan Yushu continued playing her zither, channeling more power into her enchantment. The Saint Emperor of Benevolence gradually lost control of his physical manifestation. With a few of his limbs weakened, Meng Qi brandished the Saber of the Shattered Jade, activating its power as he released the apertures of his body, summoning the Dharmic Form of the Celestial.
The bow of the s.h.i.+p sank further into the water. A shade of darkness circled around Meng Qi, a personification of the Primordial Beginning of the universe.
Meng Qi’s blade shone with a garish brilliance like a huge lightning bolt streaking through the gloom of a dark storm, instantly tearing through the distance between him and the Saint Emperor of Benevolence and hacking viciously.
There were no more reservations nor doubt in the execution of this blow, no imbuement nor enhancement in the attack. There was only the pure incisiveness of his blade that forcibly ripped open the distortions of s.p.a.ce and brought about the anomalies of the Chaos!
A golden saber radiance escaped from the figure of the Saint Emperor of Benevolence, slithering quickly like a circling dragon around the layers of ice holding him. The aura split into mult.i.tudes of pieces before scattering into countless slivers of auric blades, rattling against the restraints.
“Crack!”
The Saber of the Shattered Jade and the Sword of the Sun-Penetrating Rainbow met just as the aura of the golden blade struck the icy walls, blowing apart the bounds of confinement and pouring forth with the force of a broken dam!
“Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!”
The auric blades clashed and exploded, some churning the waves of the river. A soldier die who was unable to dodge died. Jiang Zhiwei directed more attacks upon the protective shroud of gold around the Saint Emperor of Benevolence while Meng Qi seized the moment to direct his attacks on whichever holes she had created, aiming straight at the Hidden Latch aperture of the Immortal.
“Boom!”
The Saint Emperor of Benevolence broke free from the momentary stupor and frantically released a projectile of aura from His mouth that struck and nullified Meng Qi’s attacks.
He raised his left arm and s.h.i.+elded his forehead with his hand.
“Crack!”
Meng Qi’s blow hit his hand, but with an unfazed frown, the Saint Emperor of Benevolence easily whisked it away with a wave of his hand.
A strong gust of wind created from the lifeforce of the G.o.d’ wors.h.i.+ppers swept Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei off their feet, almost causing them to fall backward.
The Saint Emperor of Benevolence looked down at his palm and saw a faint trail of blood at the center. Rage and anger burned in his eyes. His physical body had not been wounded in any way for ages, but now it had been defiled by a few puny vermin!
“Bang!”
At this very moment, the silhouette of a Dharmic Form appeared behind Ruan Yushu. It looked like a heavenly fairy playing the zither. It blended with Ruan Yushu’s physical self, imbuing her with renewed vigor and refreshed aura that allowed her to continuously activate the powers of the Seven-string Zither, invoking the ringing bell that shook all planes of existence.
This once again slowed down the movements of the Saint Emperor of Benevolence who had wanted to eliminate the troublesome pests that dared provoke his wrath. Determination and conviction blazed in Qi Zhengyan’s deep and distant eyes. The Golden Dragon Stripe Sword attacked with an aura resembling a frost dragon filled with bloodthirsty malice, lunging at the Saint Emperor of Benevolence.
Aurora lights of frost surrounded the Saint Emperor of Benevolence, freezing his physical body and even the flow of his aura. Bloodl.u.s.t seeped from the frost dragon, flowing through the c.h.i.n.ks of the golden armor, corrupting the Saint Emperor of Benevolence and besmirching his sacred aura. The sparkle of life left the cold glare of his eyes.
Zhao Heng was about to cast another spell and activate the power of his Fish Dragon Sword when emerald-green light flashed before his eyes, heading straight for the weakened Ruan Yushu.
It was saber radiance from Wen Jing in the shape of skeletal apparitions that trailed the scent of Vital Qi with their devilish fangs bared.
Wen Jing had found an opportunity to eliminate an enemy and thus dealt a blow to earn himself some Karma Points and provide support to the Saint Emperor of Benevolence.
Zhao Heng gnashed his teeth as he performed his spell, stepping in front of Ruan Yushu defensively. His kingly robes shone brilliantly and a golden dragon emerged from its folds, radiating a strong majestic essence. The dragon threw itself into the path of the approaching wraiths, s.h.i.+elding Zhao Heng and Ruan Yushu whilst the wraith ripped and tore at its defenses. Trembling and weakened, Ruan Yushu took the chance to put an Immortality Elixir of East Pole into her mouth.
“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!” The demonic aura struck repeatedly upon the golden s.h.i.+eld protecting Zhao Heng. Meng Qi heaved another breath, turned in mid-air, and immediately summoned his Immortal Primogenitor Form while the Law Phenomenon effects still lasted. In the air, he stood like an ancient Taoist that wielded mysterious powers.
The Nature-involving Knack!
In the aspect of the Taoist of the Primordial Beginning, Meng Qi flew toward his foe. Channeling the powers of both Yin and Yang Elements in both palms, he clasped his palms together and then attacked the Saint Emperor of Benevolence. Hanging in the air, a huge, spinning taiji symbol appeared as Meng Qi hurled himself forward. The symbol fell upon the Immortal with the aura from Meng Qi’s palms. Still, in his gigantic form, Meng Qi then activated his Precious Weapons, striking his sabers and swords together, performing a two-fold Destruction of Stars!
Meng Qi used all the strength and will he could muster and initiated a three-p.r.o.nged attack!
Just when Jiang Zhiwei decided to use the skills of the Twenty-three Swords Skill and the Anatta Sword technique by draining the lifeforce of her Vital Spirit, a huge double-handed sword whistled out of nowhere and hit her, flinging her onto the wood of the decks of the boat.
It was Du Gus.h.i.+ who had flung his huge sword! Immortal Wans.h.i.+’s inferior skills had not been able to stop him from slinging his weapon from afar!
With his mind and sight transfixed upon the Saint Emperor of Benevolence who stood across from him in the air, Meng Qi paid no heed to the condition of his companions. The Immortal’s body had a golden glow, dispersing the aura of bloodl.u.s.t as the ice encasing him shattered.
The Yin and Yang symbol struck the melting ice and flames immediately broke out. Tongues of fire engulfed the chunks of ice around the Immortal, dispelling the aura of bloodthirstiness and filth, casting the Saint Emperor of Benevolence into an inferno as he bellowed in pain. With his bloodl.u.s.t diminished by the cleansing aura of the Yin and Yang symbol, he felt reluctant to satisfy his cruel need for savagery.
With his s.h.i.+ning armor almost falling off, the golden glow radiating from the Immortal increased like light escaping from its shade, stretching far into all corners around them. The Immortal Himself looked defenseless.
“An opportunity!”
Grinding his teeth, Meng Qi swiftly activated the powers of his swords and sabers again, striking them together at the same time.
A huge tide of white, sweltering heat poured out. Everything within hundreds of kilometers of the river was blanketed with a strong, blinding pure white light. The heatwave vaporized the surface of the river, as it streaked toward the Saint Emperor of Benevolence with a destructive force.
“Boom!”
“Kaboom!”
There was a huge explosion, incapacitating many of the soldiers and throwing many into the river.
Meng Qi saw only a huge flash of golden light swallow him whole before he was pummeled by a strong force on his chest.
“Bang!” Meng Qi was thrown off his feet and smashed through the sides of several boats, his Kunlun Taoist Robes tattered and badly damaged. The golden protection enchantment began to break down and he shrunk back into his usual size, his aura weak and feeble without any more strength to fight.
Zhao Heng, Qi Zhengyan and Jiang Zhiwei used the brief opportunity to consume Immortality Elixirs of East Pole, restoring themselves quickly and preparing for the next round of fighting.
Meng Qi collapsed just beside Ruan Yushu. He watched the flash of light fade and found that the Immortal was nowhere in sight.
“Dead?”
“The Saint Emperor of Benevolence has fallen?”
“Or had the energies that sustained his manifestation been broken?”
Just as Meng Qi felt the dread lifting from his heart, he saw the nine-colored Pa.s.sage still standing, enveloped by plumes of mist. A familiar figure emerged, his armor broken and mangled, his body riddled with terrible injuries. The Saint Emperor of Benevolence still lived!
His aura was terribly weakened, but he still drew power from beyond the strata of Heaven, allowing him to restore himself to his full health and re-conjure his armor.
He regarded Meng Qi and his companions with an icy stare and before slowly speaking.
“No one has damaged this body in millennia until you.
“Unfortunately, you will never be able to comprehend the true power of a G.o.d. A great part of my powers are being used to sustain the link between the Heavenly Pa.s.sage and the deepest part of the ground to prevent the intrusion of demons and evil beings, yet, this is all you can do.
“Your fates were sealed when you failed to prevent my coming. No amount of struggling will help!
“Weep and despair. Relish your final moments.”
The Saint Emperor of Benevolence was rapidly restored, stepping out like how he was when he first arrived!
“Weep and despair. Relish your final moments.” The icy voice sounded in their ears. Meng Qi gazed up at the newly-restored Saint Emperor of Benevolence and his heart sank.
With a great deal of effort, he had dealt blow after heavy blow with all the strength he could muster, but he had not only barely injured the Saint Emperor of Benevolence, the latter had also restored himself in just the blink of an eye!
“This is a G.o.d?
“This is a one-sided contest…”
The hollow voice of the G.o.d struck gloom and dejection into Meng Qi. Zhu Shou, Miao Hu, and even Immortal Wans.h.i.+ and Du Huaishang were broken by the grim declaration of their doom. Some of the men contemplated surrendering while some planned to fight to their death.
All hope was lost.
With her Vital Spirit rejuvenated, Ruan Yushu’s hands returned to the strings of the Zither of Seven Deities. Despite the deathly paleness of her face, she remained composed, preparing to reactivate the powers of her Zither and play the 12 Magical Sounds of Langhuan.
Just then, Qi Zhengyan reached into Meng Qi’s and the others’ minds telepathically,
“I will spearhead the next attack and the rest of you restrain him. I have spells that will cast him down into the Ninth underground level and keep him there.”
Meng Qi detected the resolute will in his voice, but also the somber acceptance of death.
“Will Senior Brother Qi be unable to leave our group but die here for our sake instead?”
All of a sudden, he heard Jiang Zhiwei’s voice in his mind, crisp and clear,
“Perhaps I should lead the charge. I might be able to trigger the spell that my Teacher has left upon me. It comes into effect whenever I am in danger.
This was an illusory hope. Despite his powerful skills, Su Wuming had yet to reach the Realm of the Dharmakaya and the enemy before them was, undeniably, a true G.o.d. Meng Qi could imagine the tragic deaths of Qi Zhengyan and Jiang Zhiwei even though he could feel that they were neither resigned nor despondent.
He felt his eyes get wet, intensely hating his helplessness in this time of dire need.
Jiang Zhiwei giggled like she was comforting them and rousing their will to fight for their survival.
“Resurrect me one day if I die.”
“Resurrect?” Meng Qi remembered the tragedy of their previous Death Task. “It was Senior Brother Zhang then, and now will it be Senior Brother Qi and Jiang Zhiwei?
“And you expect me to sit still?”
He rekindled the flame in his heart, he rummaged through his storage bag to see if anything within could be used for their deliverance. Together with his companions, he will fight, and together they will embrace Death!
Qi Zhengyan and Jiang Zhiwei threw themselves forward and Ruan Yushu worked her magic while Zhao Heng stood in Wen Jing’s way, preventing his attack with gritted teeth.
The Supreme-wisdom Tree had shown no reaction, it would not help!
The Animated Peach showed no reaction as well, it would not help either!
The Fiery Core of the Grand Sun was still being sealed and could not be used!
The Wrist Bone of Nether would be of no use!
He looked at Qi Zhengyan’s back, erect and stern, the embodiment of his steely resolve, and Jiang Zhiwei’s lean posture, tall and straight like her temperament. The former conjured six other doppelgangers, each preparing to cast spells, while the latter consumed the lifeforce of her Vital Spirit, holding her sword as if to wield an eminence that even halted Time.
Their silhouettes were burned into Meng Qi’s mind.
“No, no, no, no, no!” Meng Qi screamed in hysteria as he continued to rummage through his bag, finding nothing that would help.
Suddenly, his fingers grazed an item that he had long forgotten about. It eased his anxiety.
It was a wooden figurine carved to resemble Meng Qi.
“Is this not the wooden carving that Master Lu gave me when we first met in Maoling?” Meng Qi took it out and studied its lifelike appearance.
“Bang!”
The fabric of Time was torn asunder. The energy bestowed by the Saint Emperor of Benevolence’s wors.h.i.+ppers encircled him, shrouding him in a cloak of brilliant sparkles. Having learned his lesson earlier, He struck Jiang Zhiwei first, sending her flying with blood spurting from her mouth and her aura plummeting precipitously. Qi Zhengyan’s expression remained placid as ever, his eyes remained transfixed upon the Saint Emperor of Benevolence, completely oblivious to what had happened to Jiang Zhiwei.
At this moment, the wooden figurine in Meng Qi’s hand began to grow hot to the touch!
At the back mountain of Huamei Heights, Master Lu was seated in his humble shack gazing at the grave just outside with longing.
His spiritual senses tingled suddenly. He gripped the hilt of his sword, ripped it out of its scabbard, and then slashed at s.p.a.ce before him before he vanished into thin air.
The warm sensation Meng Qi felt had barely registered when the wooden figurine began to s.h.i.+ne brightly in his hand. The brightness focused into a single point that then turned into a bladed aura that zipped from Meng Qi’s hands, smiting furiously at the Saint Emperor of Benevolence.
“Was that Master Lu’s token?” Meng Qi thought blankly.
The sword light filled into the earth and the skies. As it flew, Meng Qi heard Master Lu’s solemn voice
“By this stroke, let there be no more G.o.ds and demons in this world.”
“What?” The Saint Emperor of Benevolence was bracing himself against retaliation when he felt himself getting weaker. An astounding change in the ambiance around him stripped him of his all-powerful immortality as tendrils of his Vital Spirit together with the energy of his wors.h.i.+ppers rose from his body and shot up into the sky.
“How is this possible?” He was in disbelief and his body trembled with newfound fear. Suddenly, he vanished, removed from the world of mortals and back into the Heavens.
Somewhere in a hidden corner of this dimension, the voice of an old man howling sounded in the sky.
“For centuries I have toiled to pursue full enlightenment so that one day I can achieve the power of G.o.ds and demons, and be a mundane mortal no more!”
His voice had barely escaped his throat when he felt a sensation descending upon him from the Heavens. There was a huge flash of green light that engulfed him and then drew him up into the clouds.
“What is this…” The old man could barely think clearly and was unable to break free.
There was another flash of light一another sword light followed by a loud voice.
“By this stroke, let the Heavenly Pa.s.sage be broken, and no one can confer with Heaven save by divine ascendancy or spiritual visions.”
There was a loud crack, and the sacrificial altar began to crumble and fall. The nine-colored Pa.s.sage to the skies vanished into nothingness.
There came another swirling flash of light一another sword light, and the voice boomed once more.
“By this stroke, let there be only peace upon the waters of Nu River, and the Devil Qi that has tormented it shall be no more.”
There was a loud boom. The Nu River turned quiet, the Devil Qi emanating from the river completely dispelled. Heads emerged from the surface一warriors of the Exterior Realms who had fallen into the river earlier. Even Jiang Zhiwei could be seen floating weakly over the calm undulations of the current.
“By this stroke, let all demonic and evil beings return to their true selves.”
The flash of the sword light shone upon the waves of the river, undoing the curse that had plagued it for ages. The river monsters broke the surface of the river and slowly reverted to common aquatic species.
Meng Qi took in the spectacle gaping in astonishment.
He had always known that Master Lu wielded great strength, but never had he imagined that his powers reached such heights!
Yet, he felt, with such strength, Master Lu should have been able to reign supreme across all lands. Gu Erduo would even seem to pale in comparison!
At the shack at the back mountain, Master Lu sat before an anomaly in the continuum of s.p.a.ce and Time一a chaotic vortex that swirled endlessly. There was a flash of light and his sword flew back into its scabbard.
The distortion began to fade and everything slowly return to normal. Suddenly, the atmosphere tensed around him as a deep and hollow voice resonated from an unknown place.
“Do you want to resurrect your wife?”
Master Lu sighed and smile as he replied. “I will see to it myself.”
His eyes held strong resolve.
The anomaly dissipated and then vanished as if nothing had happened.
Witnessing such a climactic turn of events, the warriors of the imperial army gave up and surrendered to the Revolutionary Army as if they had truly seen a vision. Only Du Gus.h.i.+ refused to concede defeat.
The hollow voice of the Dominator of Samsara in Six Realms rumbled in the ears of Meng Qi and his companions.
“The task is complete. You will now return.”