Chapter 38: Divine Sword, Thunder, Accumulating Killing Intent

After only a moment's thought, sensing Chen Daoxuan's approach, the Governor of Xuanqi Zhou directly tossed a great seal wreathed in fortune Qi to Baofu True Lord.

"Fellow Daoist Baofu, I shall entrust this Governor's Fortune Seal to your keeping for now."

"But once my king has overcome the tribulation and extended his lifespan by ten thousand years, we shall see how you all shall answer for this!"

After saying these two lines, the Governor of Xuanqi Zhou transformed his body into a streak of flowing light and fled the provincial capital.

Although handing over the Governor's Great Seal now caused his realm to become loose and unstable, a trace of relief surfaced in his heart.

"At this juncture, being forced to abandon my post is actually fitting; relying on my clan's fortune Qi, I can just barely maintain my cultivation realm."

"I shall sit in guard over my clan and wait for the situation to become clear!"

In the span of a thought, this former Governor of Xuanqi Zhou was about to depart Xuanqi Zhou and return to his clan.

……

But before he could leave,

he sensed Chen Daoxuan's Primordial Spirit pressure rushing toward him at extreme speed.

In an instant, he saw a heaven-piercing thunder bamboo manifest on the horizon, cleaving toward him.

A vague sense of peril rose in his heart.

"Qingzhu, the Governor's Seal — I have already handed it to Baofu and already abandoned my post. What are you doing?"

The former Governor of Xuanqi Zhou's expression changed drastically. He let out a roar, hand forming a hand-seal, and his life-bound treasure seal transformed into a mountain range to meet the heaven-piercing thunder bamboo.

At the same time, he struck his chest with one hand, igniting his essence blood, causing his fleeing speed to increase severalfold in an instant.

Seeing this, Chen Daoxuan, who had rushed over to intercept, remained expressionless.

In the span of a thought, atop the heaven-piercing thunder bamboo, Thunder gathered, condensing into a scroll of the Mountains and Seas Thunder Diagram.

"Fellow Daoist, you simply do not recognize the will of Heaven.

Entering the tribulation is easy, but escaping it is hard. I see your Calamity Qi has not yet dissipated — Fellow Daoist, please accept the tribulation and take a turn through reincarnation."

As Chen Daoxuan spoke, the Mountains and Seas Thunder Diagram he had manifested rolled forth.

Instantly, the fleeing former Governor of Xuanqi Zhou clearly sensed that, beyond the faint Thunder Dao on the surface, there were also Five Elements, Yin and Yang, Four Symbols… and Great Dao Power he could not identify, all tugging at him from the unseen.

In a flash, he activated the three strands of Earth Element Great Dao Law Imprints he had comprehended and condensed, attempting to resist and break free.

But before he could resist for even an instant, he was irresistibly drawn in. Space and time shifted, and he fell into the Mountains and Seas Diagram, which had manifested Wushan Wuhai and was rolling him up within it.

……

High above the heavens.

Outside the Nation's Fortune Great Barrier that Zhenqi had activated.

A streak of sword light and a mass of Thunder — existences manifesting Dao resonance — faced each other from a distance.

On the surface, they confronted one another.

Silently watching Chen Daoxuan.

And upon seeing the instant Chen Daoxuan displayed the Mountains and Seas Diagram, that streak of sword light trembled slightly, and that mass of Thunder flickered sharply.

Two wills of the Great Dao emerged.

"So it uses Thunder as the surface, with Five Elements, Yin and Yang, Four Symbols, Cause and Effect as the substance."

"I was wondering what kind of Divine Transformation cultivator from some minor sect could make Xiao Ning'er feel victory was hopeless, causing her to summon her sect's divine sword power to flee."

"But Fellow Daoist Tianlei, when has your Thunder Lightning Sect ever possessed such a supreme inheritance?"

"Or is it that this young friend from your sect's branch lineage obtained this opportunity on his own?"

"Mm, he is actually still at Primordial Spirit Pure Yang — that means he is only a single step away from Returning to Void."

"Such a fine jade of a talent, appearing in this little place."

"Fellow Daoist Tianlei, you must be careful — perhaps he is a hidden agent planted by those few enemies of your Thunder Lightning Sect."

……

Listening to the will within the sword light issue these probing, instigating words one after another, the mass of Thunder flickered and emitted a wave of delight.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Divine Sword is overthinking.

Although he is in a subordinate sect branching from my Thunder Lightning Sect, he absolutely cannot be a hidden agent of those factions."

"Oh? Fellow Daoist Tianlei, you are so certain?"

"Have you already examined Cause and Effect and inquired into the heavenly secrets?"

"But if Cause and Effect and heavenly secrets show no problems, yet he appears in your Thunder Lightning Sect's branch —

could he be an ascender from the lower realms?"

And with these speculative words from the will of the sword light, the previously pleased Thunder will instantly withdrew.

Its expression darkened.

"Hmph, doesn't your Divine Sword Sect revere only the sword and only the self? In these past two thousand years or more, how have you become more like a law cultivator than a law cultivator?"

As it spoke, the Thunder flashed, as though it had thought of something.

"Mm, that's not right — could it be that you old fellow have already touched upon that Sword Realm?"

"Making your sword heart bright and unobstructed?"

Upon hearing this, the will of the sword light stiffened slightly and replied blandly.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Tianlei overthinks. If I had touched upon the Sword Realm, I would have long since entered closed-door cultivation, preparing to attempt Heavenly Dao Harmony."

"How could I still spare a portion of my will to come here?"

"I am merely attempting to temper my sword heart."

"Indeed!"

"Fellow Daoist Tianlei, you say this Qingzhu Xiaoyou, after consolidating the right to govern a whole province, still leaves his province to slay immortal officials of other provinces — what move is he preparing to make?"

The will of the sword light began to change the subject.

……

"Hmm?"

At the very instant he drew the former Xuanqi Zhou Prefect into the Mountains and Seas Diagram.

Chen Daoxuan suddenly paused, faintly sensing, in the unseen depths, a certain prying gaze.

He merely stilled his mind and sensed for several breaths, yet gained nothing.

"Was it an illusion?"

"Or could it be that some Return to Void (Dazhou Yuzhou Fenshen Qi) cultivator of this realm — or even a Merging Body — is watching me?"

Thoughts flowed.

While wielding the Mountains and Seas Diagram to slay the former Xuanqi Zhou Prefect who had been drawn into the diagram and was under suppression.

Chen Daoxuan simultaneously linked with the Kunlun Mirror, ready to depart at any moment.

Then, half of the Primordial Spirit Dharma Power within his Great Dao Primordial Spirit was channeled into a Merging Body treasure — the Guiyuan Heaven Seal, passed down through the Guiyuan Lineage.

In an instant.

As a shadow of the Black Tortoise flickered upon the Guiyuan Heaven Seal.

Chen Daoxuan clearly perceived that the divine ability he had cultivated, 【Black Tortoise Spiritual Sense】, received a mysterious augmentation.

After the augmentation, the sensing range and sensing intensity of the Black Tortoise Spiritual Sense were elevated beyond measure.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Daoxuan sensed, high above Xuanqi Zhou, two Return to Void Wills — one manifesting as a streak of sword-light, the other as a mass of Thunder.

Immediately afterward, Chen Daoxuan even turned the tables and overheard their conversation.

And beyond sensing these two Return to Void Wills, Chen Daoxuan also faintly perceived more than ten Return to Void Wills hovering above the sky of the Zhenqi Kingdom's capital.

But because they were too far away, and had no Cause and Effect connection with him, Chen Daoxuan's perception of them was unclear.

Regarding this, Chen Daoxuan merely focused his mind upon that streak of sword-light and that mass of Thunder.

Three Breaths later, as the might of the Guiyuan Heaven Seal faded and the augmentation vanished.

"Hmm, Divine Sword Sect, Thunder Sect."

"According to legend, aren't these two great sects hostile powers with many entanglements between them?"

"Why then are the Sect Masters of these two sects so familiar with each other?"

"Could their mutual hostility be a show put on for the outside world?"

Thoughts flowed, and Chen Daoxuan made some guesses, feeling that the Sect Masters of these two great sects might be working together in a scheme.

"I wonder which power will fall into the trap."

……