Chapter 651 - 646: 1 Thought: Heaven Opening
At first, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch didn’t think much of it.
After all, the Kanli Chishou Jade was his Seeking Dao Immortal Technique. The Splendid Light it produced was intrinsically linked to his life force, so how could it possibly harm him, its master?
However, his expression quickly changed.
He discovered that when he used his spiritual perception to control the surging Light of Yin and Yang, the feedback from his perception vanished as if a stone had been dropped into the ocean.
’What’s going on!?’
In that instant, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s pupils constricted.
Although common sense told him that the Light of Yin and Yang he had unleashed could not possibly harm him, instinct made him retreat at the last possible moment.
At the same time, he summoned an Artifact from his sleeve.
It was a simple stone carved into a seal, named the Crossing Profound Stone. He had obtained it in a chance encounter, and it was the very source of his current Honorary Title.
The Crossing Profound Stone was cast into the air, shimmering with brilliant light. In an instant, it wove itself together, manifesting a likeness of Du Xuan Immortal Monarch that stood before him. It staunchly resisted the onrushing Light of Yin and Yang for a full three breaths before the stone shattered and its light died.
Seizing this opportunity, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch had already made his escape.
His face was extremely grim, hiding a trace of relief at having survived a close call... If he hadn’t reacted in time, he might have just been killed by his own attack!
But... how could this be?
Why would the Light of Yin and Yang he himself had unleashed end up harming him? What trick had this Little Immortal Core Demon pulled?
With this in mind, he looked toward Lü Yang again.
But when he looked, he found that Lü Yang had vanished... Not only that, but Progenitor Tingyou and Demon-Vanquishing Perfected had disappeared as well.
Something’s not right!
At this moment, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch didn’t hesitate. He summoned a Flying Light and prepared to leave the 9th Layer. The feeling Lü Yang gave him was even more unsettling than the previous two!
He’d retreat first, then observe and probe the situation!
"Thinking of leaving?"
At the same time, a drifting laugh echoed from the surroundings, as if coming from a great distance. "Senior, your Cultivation is extraordinary. Why would you want to leave upon seeing a junior like me?"
The rumbling laughter echoed, making Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s expression grow even darker. He realized that even though he had been flying toward the eighth layer and should have long since left the 9th Layer, the eighth layer that seemed so close was now as distant as the horizon.
"Is it not a pleasure to have friends visit from afar?"
"Senior, since you’ve come all this way and injured two of my elders, don’t you think it’s a bit disrespectful to just up and leave?"
Du Xuan Immortal Monarch came to a stop in the void.
Just then, endless Illusionary Colors surged around them. The colors intertwined, constructing images that left Du Xuan Immortal Monarch dazzled and overwhelmed.
What in the world is this Evil Technique?
The unease in Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s heart grew heavier. He wanted to test the illusion with his Kanli Chishou Jade, but he feared a repeat of what had just happened—his own attack being turned against him.
The next moment, Lü Yang’s voice rang out again:
"Between Heaven and Earth... there is a righteous qi!"
As his voice fell, the intertwining, infinite Illusionary Colors settled into a fixed hue. A brilliant light bloomed in the void, almost engulfing Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s Divine Sense.
"Above, it becomes the sun and stars."
When the light finally dimmed, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s expression was one of absolute horror.
He discovered that the 9th Layer he had been in was transformed. He looked up to see a Cyan Heaven with white clouds, and the sun and moon hanging high in the sky.
’...Something’s wrong!’
’Si Chou has awakened, and most of the Celestial Mansion has become part of its human form. How could there still be a sun and moon? They should have long since become the eyes on that giant face.’
Where is this place?
An Illusion Realm?
Du Xuan Immortal Monarch released his spiritual perception but found nothing amiss. At the same time, the environment around him continued to change, with new things constantly appearing.
"Below, it becomes the rivers and mountains."
Mountain ranges spread out! Rivers and streams appeared!
Du Xuan Immortal Monarch looked around, dumbfounded, as mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, and trees materialized from the void, surrounding him completely.
Creating a world?
Ridiculous!
’Impossible... Creating an Outer Realm is a Supreme Power that only a Master of Dao possesses! An illusion, this is definitely an Illusion Realm! Immortal Core Demon, you can’t fool me!’
At this thought, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch instantly suppressed all emotion, becoming utterly calm. He once again held the Kanli Chishou Jade in his hand and, infused with Mana, unleashed a sky full of the Light of Yin and Yang. Everywhere it passed, mountains crumbled, rivers dried up, and everything was utterly destroyed!
Soon, the world was reduced to nothingness.
But before Du Xuan Immortal Monarch could even breathe a sigh of relief, new mountains and rivers appeared, as if they had never been destroyed, causing his brow to furrow deeply.
Is this still the Early Stage of Golden Core?
He didn’t pause, once again unleashing the Kanli Chishou Jade. Terrifying Mana howled forth; he refused to believe that restoring this world didn’t consume Mana.
But in the next second, his expression changed.
Because high above in the sky, the void tore open, and the Light of Yin and Yang he had just unleashed came sweeping back at him. He hastily formed a Daoist Hand Seal, intending to dodge.
But just then, the once vast world suddenly collapsed, shrinking to a space of just three inches around his body. He had no room to escape, trapped in place as he watched, stunned, while the overwhelming Light of Yin and Yang catastrophically engulfed him.
"You despicable villain!"
Du Xuan Immortal Monarch roared, then squeezed his eyes shut. His physical body shattered as he directly, without deviation, took the full force of his own Light of Yin and Yang.
"BOOM!"
The next moment, his Dharma Body exploded violently, causing the surrounding space to tremble. A fissure finally appeared, allowing him to escape through it.
The next second, a bloody light reconverged.
Du Xuan Immortal Monarch stood in the air, his entire body covered in cracks from which the Light of Yin and Yang flowed. His expression was utterly ghastly as he stared at Lü Yang before him.
He had suffered a major loss!
Before this, whether it was Progenitor Tingyou or Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, they had amazed and shocked him, but they had never made him feel true danger.
They had just self-destructed twice.
To a Mid-stage Immortal Monarch, that was nothing. At most, he lost a bit of face.
This time, however, was different. Lü Yang had given him a taste of his own medicine, using his own Light of Yin and Yang to inflict a truly grievous wound!
A wound that even self-destruction and rebirth couldn’t erase!
What was even more infuriating was that Lü Yang, the one who had accomplished this incredible feat, was now sighing with a look of regret. "I just had a breakthrough, so I’m not very skilled with using it in Combat yet."
"And my Cultivation isn’t deep enough. I can’t truly evolve all the myriad Daos inside the Yellow Court as I’d like... I’m still limited to the Fruit Position Imagery I’ve encountered. If it were you operating it, Progenitor, the effect would probably be much better... Hmm, but there should still be more potential to uncover."
At this point, Lü Yang gave a relaxed smile.
"After all, strictly speaking, I haven’t condensed my Seeking Dao Immortal Technique yet. I have the three True Treasures, but they haven’t formed a connection and resonance."
"This is only good enough to deal with some Outer Heaven Wanderer."
Du Xuan Immortal Monarch: "..."
Who are you looking down on!
He finally understood. Lü Yang was using him as a whetstone, hoping to use this battle to temper himself... How dare a mere Early Stage of Golden Core cultivator act so arrogantly?
"Arrogant!"
Du Xuan Immortal Monarch simply put away his Kanli Chishou Jade. Instead, he expanded his Dharma Body, manifesting a towering Dharma Appearance that charged toward Lü Yang to kill him.
He wasn’t one of those Early-stage Immortal Monarchs from the Celestial Mansion who had been rendered useless by the Fruit of Money. Like Jade Toad Immortal Monarch, he was a ruthless warrior who had survived the world-shaking war five thousand years ago, fighting his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Despite their brief exchange, he had already seen Lü Yang’s weakness.
’His techniques are miraculous, but his power is lacking!’
’This person’s Daoist Skills are the most bizarre I have ever seen, but his foundation is clearly insufficient. The best way to deal with someone like this... is to use close-quarters combat and give him no room to perform them!’
The Light of Yin and Yang could be absorbed and turned back.
But fists and feet didn’t have that problem. In close-quarters combat, victory and defeat are decided in an instant. There would be no time for him to use any more Mysterious Divine Power!