Chapter 492 - 127: Each Has Their Own Schemes
Xiao Shan Lord held a ’Celestial Sword’ in his right hand and formed a spell sign with his left. Then, the remaining nine ’Celestial Swords’ transformed into streaks of light and vanished into the golden map behind him.
An expression of disbelief appeared on Xia Yao’s composed face as she rose from the cloud bed. The magnificent golden palace around her began to collapse until, in the blink of an eye, only a solitary cloud bed remained floating behind her. Then, the splendid and vast map behind her also began to shrink.
Finally, a flash of pure white light flared between her eyebrows, leaving a hideous golden crack in its wake.
Meanwhile, the map behind Xiao Shan Lord was absorbing the territories lost from Xia Yao’s map, and in the blink of an eye, it formed a giant map of Zhongzhou.
Xia Yao snapped back to her senses and tapped a point in the air with her right hand. Her tattered, remnant map appeared before her, showing only the Northern Yunhai Grassland. ’Countless thoughts flashed through her mind as she desperately searched for a way to turn the tables.’
"Why?"
she asked, her voice heavy with indignation. Her destiny had been set from the moment of her birth. Hundreds of years of effort were about to pay off, only to turn to dust on the very cusp of success.
Xiao Shan Lord didn’t answer Xia Yao. He extended his right hand and pointed gently in her direction. A golden streak of light shot through Xia Yao, dragging her northward until she vanished over the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Aside from Wang Ping, who cast a conflicted glance in the direction Xia Yao had vanished, everyone else was focused intently on Xiao Shan Lord. After banishing Xia Yao, Xiao Shan Lord merged the vast golden map into his body. The next moment, he, like Xia Yao before him, could feel the life paths of tens of millions of people.
"So that’s how it is!"
Xiao Shan Lord murmured, as if he had come to some realization.
Then, a new map unfurled from the golden lotus beneath his feet, expanding dozens of miles in an instant. It was marked with incredibly detailed mountains, towns, rivers, and the Great Sea. What was truly unnerving, however, was that hundreds of millions of living beings could be seen moving upon it.
At this very moment, those hundreds of millions of living beings were all bowing in worship toward the map’s center—the very spot where Xiao Shan Lord stood.
Xiao Shan Lord had harnessed the lives of all beings to pass the Red Dust Tribulation, the most crucial step in cultivating a Divine Technique, thereby revealing the nascent form of a Divine Country. If the people of Zhongzhou could maintain their current piety, he could even forge a true Divine Country. However, his current grasp on Zhongzhou’s providence was gained through a shortcut and couldn’t be sustained for long.
’Is such a destiny acceptable?’
Xiao Shan Lord looked up at the sky as a cyan Talisman, over thirty feet tall, materialized beside him. Millions of tiny characters were densely carved upon its surface.
This was the ’Heaven-Covering Talisman’.
Written upon it was Xiao Shan Lord’s own destiny!
The heavens offered no response to Xiao Shan Lord’s question, but he was not in a hurry. He simply stood quietly in the center of his Divine Country, gazing skyward and awaiting an answer.
In the distance, Ao Bing stared at the Divine Country being constructed by Xiao Shan Lord, his gaze distant, as if searching for an answer he desperately needed within it.
"Third Brother, have you seen anything?" Ao Hong asked, sidling up to Ao Bing.
"Not a clue."
"So this method is a dead end?"
"Perhaps."
Upon hearing this, Ao Hong turned to look at Wan Zhi Daoist. He felt the Five Elements Spiritual Qi of the world return to normal now that the golden light of the Divine Technique had faded. In a sincere tone, he said, "I’d like to borrow something from you, Third Brother."
Ao Bing’s attention was mostly focused on Xiao Shan Lord’s Divine Country. He replied offhandedly, "What is it?"
"That wisp of True Dragon Aura Father bestowed upon you!"
"..."
Ao Bing turned his head and saw the greed in his younger brother’s eyes. It was only then that he realized his Spirit Veins and Qi Sea were no longer under his control. Looking up, he saw a transparent, cyan pearl hovering above his head.
This was the true ’Water-Stabilizing Pearl,’ not some imitation. It had its own unique designation in the Daoist Scripture Hall: Top-Grade, Number Twelve.
At full power, it could still the waters of the entire Southeast Sea Region. Its greater purpose, however, was to immobilize the Primordial Spirit of a Water Cultivator. But for Ao Hong, at his current level of cultivation, to try and immobilize Ao Bing’s Primordial Spirit and seize the ’True Dragon Aura’ within it was nothing short of a fool’s dream.
"You’ve grown quite bold!"
Ao Bing forcibly circulated the True Essence within his Spirit Veins and Qi Sea, on the verge of breaking free from the ’Water-Stabilizing Pearl’s’ control. But just then, a dense aura of Earth Veins erupted from the ground, and a vast Earth Vein Array manifested.
Countless ochre screens of light flickered within the Array, and one of them enveloped Ao Bing.
It was the ’Life and Death Seal’ from the Earth Cave Sect’s "Great Earth Sutra," a technique achievable only at the Third Realm!
Ao Bing whipped his head around to look at Wan Zhi Daoist in the distant sky, then back at Ao Hong. "This was your trap?" he said coldly.
"This little brother just wants a glimpse of the view beyond the Fourth Realm!"
Ao Hong cupped his fist. "Third Brother, you should make your decision quickly. Otherwise, I’ll use the ’Soul Devouring Technique,’ even if it drives me half-mad!"
Ao Bing studied his younger brother for a long moment, recalling a scene from over three hundred years ago when he had explained the connection between the Divine Technique and ’True Dragon Qi’. His voice was grave. "I have underestimated you. But you should think this through. From this day forward, there will be no place left for you in this world."
"You needn’t trouble yourself with my concerns, Third Brother. You have ten breaths to decide!"
Ao Hong urged.
Ao Bing was decisive. Without another word, he summoned his Dragon-shaped Primordial Spirit, which opened its maw and spat out a faint golden light.
Seeing his chance, Ao Hong transformed into a Five-Clawed Dragon and swallowed the faint golden light in a single gulp. He immediately turned and fled to the north.
Ao Bing, however, ignored his fleeing brother. Instead, he cupped his fist toward Wan Zhi Daoist. "Fellow Daoist, must we continue this fight?"
Before Wan Zhi Daoist could speak, Rongyang Monarch interjected, "Right now, crushing you would be easier than crushing an ant!"
Just then, Guang Zuo Taoist’s figure landed beside Ao Bing. He looked at Rongyang Monarch and said, "Junior Brother, do not be reckless!" Then, he turned to Wan Zhi Daoist. "Fellow Daoist, what’s done is done. Why don’t we each take a step back?"
Wan Zhi Daoist glanced toward Xiao Shan Lord. He was still waiting for a reaction from the ’Heaven-Covering Talisman,’ as motionless as a statue beside the massive artifact.
She shook her head. "This time is different..."
"Lishui Prefecture will no longer involve itself in Xiao Shan Lord’s affairs!"
Ao Bing pledged immediately.
Guang Zuo Taoist clasped his hands. "I will vouch for Fellow Daoist Ao Bing."
Rongyang Monarch raised an eyebrow. "Senior Brother, why are you getting involved?"
"Such is destiny."
"Bullshit!"
Guang Zuo Taoist ignored Rongyang Monarch, cupping his fist and bowing to Wan Zhi Daoist once more.
In truth, Wan Zhi Daoist had never intended to actually kill Ao Bing. He was, after all, a son of the Dragon Monarch. Everyone under heaven knew you could fight the Dragon Monarch’s children, even injure them severely. But if you dared to take their lives, you would surely face the Dragon Monarch’s wrath.
"I hope you keep your promise, Fellow Daoist."
As Wan Zhi Daoist’s voice rang out, the ’Life and Death Seal’ trapping Ao Bing vanished.
Freed, Ao Bing cupped his fist in a bow toward Wan Zhi Daoist, then transformed into a Five-Clawed Dragon and gave chase in the direction Ao Hong had fled, vanishing over the horizon in an instant. Following him, Guang Zuo Taoist also turned into a fiery red streak of light and shot northward.
At that moment, there was finally a reaction from Xiao Shan Lord. A current of Wood Spirit Qi, visible to the naked eye, ignored the restraints of the Divine Technique Formation, materialized out of thin air, and descended upon the ’Heaven-Covering Talisman’ before him.