Chapter 705 - 700: There’s Another Expert?
The very instant Fortune began Seeking Gold, World Purger Fei Xue lashed out with her palm.
In an instant, the North became a sea of spiritual tides, the sky a blaze of light. It was like a torrential flood rolling through the air, surging forward with the force of a monstrous tidal wave to strike Fortune dead on the spot!
Clearly, World Purger Fei Xue had seen through Lü Yang’s plan.
No compromise!
That being the case, she held nothing back. Determined to prevent Fortune’s success, she put her full power into the strike. With her cultivation at the Middle Stage of Golden Core and her First-Grade combat prowess, if the blow landed, forget Seeking Gold—Fortune’s very Soul would be unable to escape. He would be extinguished, his body and Dao obliterated.
But in the next instant, a white light erupted between Heaven and Earth.
Wherever the light passed, Heaven and Earth fell silent. It was as if a placid lake, free of ripples, had materialized between Fortune and World Purger Fei Xue.
SPLASH!
World Purger Fei Xue’s palm strike hit the lake like a stone cast into the ocean, instantly sending violent ripples across its surface, yet it failed to harm Fortune below.
Then, a figure stepped out from the lake’s reflection.
It was a man.
He wore a Profound Robe, and his handsome features were marred by a sinister expression. His inky black hair cascaded to his waist, bound by a Golden Ribbon.
He held an unrolled Scroll in his left hand, his right hand clasped behind his back. As he stood there in midair, the lake below mirrored his exact image. The two figures, one above and one below, were perfect opposites, projecting an aura completely different from that of World Purger Fei Xue.
Water is without constant form; each had their own strengths.
If World Purger Fei Xue’s aura was an unrivaled, torrential flood pouring from a mountain gorge, then this sinister man’s aura was like a placid lake.
One embodied the "motion" of water.
The other, its "stillness."
This was none other than the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven!
Seeing him in person, Lü Yang couldn’t help the feeling of recognition that washed over him. ’Now that I think about it, he was the first Saint Sect True Monarch I ever saw.’
He was very familiar with the man’s face.
Years ago, Chen Taihe, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak, possessed a Jade Token. It was a Secret Treasure exclusive to the Peak Masters of the Inner Sect Four Peaks, a tool to be used at a critical moment to save one’s life.
Chen Taihe had once used the Jade Token on Skull Mountains to block the Sword Qi of True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde.
The figure who had emerged from the Jade Token back then was this very same sinister-looking, middle-aged man. Only now did Lü Yang realize it was the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven!
For a moment, a profound silence fell.
World Purger Fei Xue’s eyes narrowed, and she grew surprisingly calm. "Trying to stop me? Since you’ve been hiding like a coward for so long, why not stay hidden?"
"Why such a temper?"
The True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven shook his head with a wry smile. "With a temper like yours, how did you ever attain the Fruit of Gully-Rill Water? You should have gone for the Fruit of Thunderbolt Fire."
Before the words had even left his mouth, World Purger Fei Xue attacked.
Fortunately, the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven knew Fei Xue’s personality well and was fully prepared. Monstrous waves instantly surged across the heavens.
Regardless, World Purger Fei Xue was indeed tied down.
"Go!"
Fortune would not let such a perfect opportunity slip by. In a flash, he was already dashing toward the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire, ignoring all the changes in the world around him.
At the same time, the vast purple qi that filled the world was also probing, finally coalescing into the figure of Ang Xiao. Their true face remained hidden, their gender indiscernible. Only a pair of narrow, cold eyes were visible, staring at Fortune, brimming with killing intent. Yet, they did not strike immediately.
Because a figure had appeared to block their path.
True Monarch Gangxing!
"Daoist, you have not appeared in the world for many years. I fear you’ve grown unfamiliar with the world as it is today. Why not first join me for a tour of my Sword Pavilion and admire the scenery of the South?"
Having said this, True Monarch Gangxing even waited patiently for a moment.
But a second later, he was startled into awareness. He saw that Ang Xiao, who had been right in front of him, had vanished at some point without him noticing.
A sweep of his Divine Sense revealed that Ang Xiao had already appeared beside Fortune.
The Veil of the Trees!
True Monarch Gangxing was instantly speechless. He sighed. "The Emperor Fruit... No matter how many times I see it, I can’t help but marvel at how absurdly powerful it is."
He wasn’t worried, however.
Because in the next instant, the soft sound of shattering glass echoed from all around. Then, the entire patch of sky encompassing both Ang Xiao and himself shattered with a thunderous CRACK.
It was like an illusion in a mirror.
Then, Ang Xiao—who had been a mere step away from beheading Fortune—found themselves back in front of True Monarch Gangxing.
This time, they finally grew serious.
"Heh... the Eternal Sword?"
A note of understanding crept into Ang Xiao’s voice.
"So that’s it. You relied on this to force your breakthrough into the Late Stage of Golden Core, despite your lacking Cultivation? Your fortune is profound indeed."
They had no choice but to be serious.
The Eternal Sword was a legendary Supreme Treasure enshrined in the Sword Pavilion’s ancestral hall. It was rumored to have been formed from one of the founder’s Abilities before he crossed to the Other Shore.
It possessed but a single Divine Effect.
Lü Yang actually knew of a similar Divine Effect from the lifetime when he had managed to join the Sword Pavilion. Back then, he had used a First-Grade True Skill to forge a Dao Foundation.
Its name: the Eternal Observation of the World’s Golden Sword Foundation.
The corresponding Innate Ability of this Dao Foundation had four Profound Mysterious aspects, one of which was called Sinking Intent. During Combat, it could trap an enemy within a strange, inexplicable space.
Within this inexplicable space, if the Cultivator lost the fight, the outcome could be turned from real to illusory. It would be as if nothing had happened—a mere simulation. The user would remain unharmed, and both parties would return to the beginning to fight anew. If the user won, however, the illusion could be made real, causing the opponent to die instantly.
The Eternal Sword worked on the same principle.
Just now, Ang Xiao had been caught in its Sword Light. The reality where they were about to kill Fortune had been turned into an illusion, which was why they had been pulled back to their original position.
"This sword’s reset consumes an immense amount of Mana. How many times can you use it?"
Ang Xiao’s expression was cold.
In response, the smile on True Monarch Gangxing’s face never wavered. "To be frank, Daoist, using it ten or so times should still be no problem..."
PFFT!
The words had just left his mouth when True Monarch Gangxing realized his chest had been pierced at some unknown moment. A torrent of Mana instantly shredded his Dharma Body.
The next second, the scene shattered.
Everything reset.
Ang Xiao was once again standing opposite True Monarch Gangxing. Their gaze was frigid as they looked at him and stated flatly, "The third time."
"..."
The smile on True Monarch Gangxing’s face finally faded.
’It’s just a puppet avatar. It should only be able to exert the power and combat strength of the Middle Stage of Golden Core, just like me. How can they be this strong?’
’They feel even stronger than World Purger Fei Xue!’
’Unbelievable!’
But True Monarch Gangxing was a resolute man. Once he committed to a course of action, he saw it through to the end. He would never choose to give up halfway.
’Since I’ve already offended them, I might as well eliminate the threat, root and stem!’
At this thought, True Monarch Gangxing immediately unleashed his Sword Light and clashed with Ang Xiao once more. In an instant, Boundless, Illusionary Colors filled Heaven and Earth.
However, at that very moment...
「Overseas, in the Dragon Palace.」
From the depths of the Vast Ocean, a beam of light from a Seeking Gold attempt brazenly shot into the sky!
"Someone else is Seeking Gold?"
"Another expert?"
For a moment, all the Perfected Lords, whether they were fighting or not, subconsciously turned their gazes toward the light. There, within the beam from the Seeking Gold, they saw the Celestial Python.
And beside the Celestial Python stood the Old Dragon Monarch, frantically cheering him on.
"What are you standing around for!"
"Put your back into it!"
"This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity! All the world’s Perfected Lords are tied down! It’s the perfect time to fish in troubled waters! An opportunity like this won’t come again!"
At this, everyone was left speechless.
With the world in such chaos, no one had remembered this old sly fox.
He’d actually pulled it off!