Chapter 1234: Stealing Right in Front of Our Heavenly Court Creed?
“As I thought, it’s the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit!” The sudden arrival of the figure confirmed Lu Yang’s suspicions.
The Nine-Netherworlds Creed was similar to the Everlasting Creed in some aspects. Both had employed faith power to condense an Incipient Dao Fruit.
The difference was that the Everlasting Creed believed in a non-existent “Everlasting Immortal,” so they condensed not only an Everlasting Incipient Dao Fruit but also Bu Yaolian.
On the other hand, the Nine-Netherworlds Creed simply believed in reincarnation, so they only condensed a Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit.
“Who are you? How dare you trespass on our creed’s territory!” Mu Baiyi was furious. The Fengdu ceremony was sacred in the hearts of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed members. It could be said to be when faith power was at its peak, as demonstrated by the emergence of the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit.
The Nine-Netherworlds Creed wouldn’t allow anyone to disrupt the ceremony.
The figure produced a black staff and pointed it at Mu Baiyi. Stained by the blood of slain enemies, it had turned from red to black over centuries.
“I am the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord, sent by the Midheaven Emperor-Lord to claim this Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit. If you know what’s good for you, stand aside. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
“Balance Arbiter Divine Lord?” Lu Yang narrowed his eyes. According to the Great Qian prisoners, the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord was the Midheaven Emperor-Lord’s competent subordinate. He wielded a Yin-Yang Incipient Dao Fruit condensed not through faith power, but through his own comprehension.
No wonder his timing is perfect; he appeared the moment the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit emerged. The Great Qian Dynasty excels at using faith power to condense Incipient Dao Fruits.
It’s likely that the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord had been waiting for the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit in Fengdu City’s space all this time.
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord’s appearance shocked everyone in the Nine-Netherworlds Creed, not with fear, but rage. They hurled teacups, plates, solar lamps, and other items at him.
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord sneered, erecting a barrier to deflect the items.
“Courting death! I haven’t made a move in three hundred thousand years, and it seems the world has already forgotten this lord’s legends!”
“I dare you to try!” As they were in Fengdu City and on home ground, Mu Baiyi showed no fear. Now that the sapling’s fruit was identified as the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit, there was no way he could yield.
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord swung his blood-stained staff at Mu Baiyi.
“Avici Hell Grand Millstone!” Mu Baiyi conjured a millstone in front of him.
“This thing isn’t qualified to stop me!” With a boom, the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord smashed it to smithereens before it could demonstrate its abilities.
However, it wasn’t Mu Baiyi behind the millstone, but six black coffins.
“Rise!” Mu Baiyi shouted.
The coffin lids flew off, and six corpses hopped out.
“Are these six the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s heritage assets Junior Brother Li mentioned?” Lu Yang transmitted an auditory message to Meng Jingzhou.
“More or less.”
Li Haoran had told Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou about the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s strongest trump card—the corpses of six former creed leaders. They were all Transcendent Tribulation cultivators before they passed, and each represented a glorious chapter of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s history.
In times of existential crisis, the creed leader of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed would control these corpses in battle.
The millstone blocked the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord’s view, but as an onlooker, Lu Yang saw clearly where the coffins had come from. They had been buried near the altar, occupying the six best feng shui positions.
Even if Mu Baiyi didn’t fear the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord, it didn’t mean he underestimated him. A Basic Transcendent Tribulation cultivator like myself will definitely not be a match for him alone, so I might as well start off with our creed’s strongest trump card.
The Nine-Netherworlds Creed hadn’t developed reincarnation arts, but they had conducted extensive research into Corpse-Driving Techniques. They could grant these corpses temporary combat consciousness, allowing them to retain eighty percent of their strength from when they were alive.
“Great Heaven-Rending Hand!”
“Wish-Fulfilling Ruyi Seal!”
“Mad Devil Fist Technique!”
“Boundless Myriad Poisons!”
“Netherworld Heaven!”
“Oblivion River of No Return!”
A giant hand tearing the sky apart, a seal that suppressed everything at will, a fist that came alive through madness, a poisonous mist that could kill a land of living beings with a single wisp...
Six Transcendent Tribulation cultivators, renowned in the underworld of their time, attacked the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord in unison, unleashing their most powerful techniques. Even an Apex Transcendent Tribulation cultivator would die on the spot.
“Mere Transcendent Tribulation cultivators dare to attack me? Mortals, I’ll let you learn what an Incipient Dao Fruit means today.”
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord’s expression turned cold as he activated the Yin-Yang Incipient Dao Fruit. Space warped in six locations, and six figures emerged.
“What?!” Mu Baiyi stared at the six figures in disbelief.
They look exactly like the six former creed leaders!
“Go,” the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord commanded.
The six figures he conjured were not completely the same as the originals, but their complete opposites. Whatever techniques the six original Transcendent Tribulation cultivators knew, the doppelgangers countered with the exact opposite techniques, resulting in a stalemate.
Lu Yang saw through the principle behind it. “Senior Nine-Layers Immortal’s Yin-Yang Dao Fruit can designate yin and yang, thereby making them cancel each other out. The incipient version isn’t capable of that. It can only create puppets with techniques that are the complete opposites of their enemies’, indirectly achieving the same effect of yin and yang negation.”
“So this is the power of an Incipient Dao Fruit?” Mu Baiyi didn’t dare believe his eyes. The trump card our Nine-Netherworlds Creed has accumulated over tens of thousands of years was neutralized in one move?
“Mortals, I’ve said you would pay the price for your foolishness.”
Creed Leader Chi and Liu Zhen, who had initially wanted to help, revealed a trace of fear. Against such a divine technique, they wouldn’t be able to turn the tide even if they helped.
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord descended, sweeping aside Mu Baiyi, who hadn’t given up attacking. He intended to uproot the sapling and take the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit along with it.
Suddenly, his hair stood on end. Sensing life-threatening danger, he hastily backed away.
A sword light grazed past him. Had he been a moment slower, he would have been split in two.
The sword light vanished, leaving the altar split into two unequal halves.
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord was shocked and enraged. Was this sword qi from a sword cultivator? Aren’t sword cultivators known to be upright and aboveboard? Why is there one that launches sneak attacks?!
“Tch, you’re really not easy to kill.” Lu Yang stepped forward lazily with the Qingfeng Sword in hand. Looks like the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord is a battle-hardened cultivator with sharp senses.
“Stealing right in front of our Heavenly Court Creed isn’t very nice, is it?”
Mu Baiyi had been helped away by others. He was thrilled to see Lu Yang step in. “Young Creed Leader Lu!”
“Heavenly Court Creed?” The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord snorted coldly. He had already seen Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou while lurking in Fengdu City. “The Midheaven Emperor-Lord has already told me long ago that there was no Heavenly Court Creed in the ancient era!”
“What would your emperor-lord know? He doesn’t even know about the Ember Legacy Dynasty.”
Just then, Meng Jingzhou pushed off with his legs, launching himself like a cannonball at the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord. The latter parried it with his staff, but the web between his thumb and index finger[1] split open instantly.
Realizing he couldn’t take this punch head-on, he swung his staff in a wide arc, redirecting Meng Jingzhou to the side.
Meng Jingzhou was flung away, landing beside Lu Yang. Then he exclaimed, “Enough with the talk, Old Lu. Let’s take him down first!”
“Why are you in such a rush? I was about to fish for information, and you cut me off.”
“Fish what information? He doesn’t even know about the Ember Legacy Dynasty. He’s practically illiterate! What would he know?”
“Are you two done yet?!” the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord roared. He hated it most when people called him illiterate.
1. There’s a specific term for this part of the hand, and it’s called “hukou.” You’ll often see mentions of hukou in wuxia stories or whenever martial arts is brought up. ☜