Chapter 491

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Protagonist:

Yu Zhangsheng

From the depths of nothingness, a wind suddenly blew over — gentle, yet quietly dispersing the clouds and mist, revealing the Xuan Turtle's massive body within.

Its body was like a mountain range; one glance could not see its head. It was hard to describe its immensity in words; only a sense of vastness rushed forth. Yu Zhangsheng stood dazed, Wei Lao's breathing was slightly steady, his gaze bright as he looked at the Xuan Turtle's true body.

"It has come."

Finally, the Xuan Turtle's true body emitted a resonant sound, its voice like muffled thunder. A vicissitudinous aura flowed out, causing the stars to tremble, falling upon Yu Zhangsheng's ears.

The Xuan Turtle origin avatar beside Yu Zhangsheng instantly nodded, trembling lightly, as if in excitement.

"Old friend, I have brought my disciple to fulfill the contract and unseal you."

Wei Lao laughed heartily, looking at the Xuan Turtle, his voice resonant as he spoke.

"You didn't make me wait too long."

The Xuan Turtle spoke calmly, its massive beast eyes trembling slightly. It lowered its brow to look at Yu Zhangsheng, and instantly a vast pressure rushed forth, yet it caused Yu Zhangsheng no harm — merely drawing spiritual qi to swirl around him.

Yu Zhangsheng was slightly stunned, his face showing respect, and he cupped his fists in a bow.

"Many thanks for Senior's care. This junior has not failed his mission; my cultivation has now reached the Purple Mansion realm. Not daring to delay a moment, I have come to keep the appointment."

The Xuan Turtle fell silent. After a long while it smiled faintly and said:

"Since that is so, then prepare yourself. This old man will now, through the Spirit Beast Contract, lift the seal, completely linking my life origin with yours. Henceforth our lives share the same source, sharing fortune and calamity together!"

His voice was vast and grand, calm yet possessing inherent majesty. As his words fell, the Xuan Turtle origin dharma body beside Yu Zhangsheng trembled lightly, transforming into a point of light, slowly flying into the Xuan Turtle true body's forehead.

Instantly, the Xuan Turtle true body shuddered. Streaks of light erupted from its body, connecting toward Yu Zhangsheng.

The light was like a magnificent bridge, mutually linking the two — one man, one beast. Their qi mechanisms harmonized; their destinies intertwined.

Yu Zhangsheng's eyes suddenly widened. He only felt his mind go blank; in this instant a trance arose, as if he were the Xuan Turtle and the Xuan Turtle were him.

Between the two, there was no distinction. The Myriad Spirits Art operated frantically, inhaling and exhaling the power of heaven and earth. Yu Zhangsheng's essence, qi, and spirit were all mobilized. Deep in his sea of consciousness, the Spirit Beast Contract trembled, shining brightly, emitting a mysterious aura, hooking the laws of heaven and earth.

Thereupon, the Xuan Turtle true body let out a clear cry. The sound was like flowing clouds and water, like spring wind and summer rain, slowly flowing into Yu Zhangsheng's heart field, gently touching his origin.

"Shake!!"

That Heavenly Dao Spirit Beast Contract suddenly emitted infinite brilliance, absorbing Yu Zhangsheng's heart and soul, and also illuminating the Xuan Turtle within.

The connection between the two deepened profoundly in an instant. The surrounding stars flickered. Streams of mysterious power surged forth like a tide, completely submerging the one man and one beast.

Seeing this, Wei Lao at the side instantly narrowed his eyes, deeply exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi, and suddenly pointed a finger at the sky. Instantly the myriad stars trembled; the chains binding the Xuan Turtle at their roots trembled.

"Crack, crack..."

The Xuan Turtle roared, its body moving. Chains all over its body trembled, emitting snapping sounds.

Wei Lao slowly closed his eyes. His finger slashed fiercely. With a flash of light, a sword suddenly appeared! This sword was profoundly long, its entire body crystalline and transparent, presenting a Xuan Huang color, forged from an unknown metal. Its patterns were distinct; each pattern was unexpectedly an Original Dao Mark, seemingly sealing, inhaling and exhaling the power of heaven and earth.

The moment it appeared, merely a wisp of sword qi flowing from the sword tip caused this space to tremble. Countless stars contended to burst forth with dazzling radiance.

It was only a pity that although this sword was sharp, its spirit light was dim, and the Original Dao Marks upon it were blurred by ninety percent — clearly in a sealed state.

Yet even so, the moment this sword emerged it still erupted with earth-shaking might, revealing an ancient, simple, and vicissitudinous aura, as well as a hidden but unreleased ultimate sharpness. Even light was twisted and cut before this sharpness.

Yu Zhangsheng's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it. The Myriad Spirits Art within his body and the Original Light Dao Marks were actually stirred into some restlessness beneath this sword.

Yu Zhangsheng's expression changed. He was suddenly stunned, looking at this sword, slightly pursing his lips.

"Xuan Tian Sword..."

What Wei Lao held now was precisely the Xuan Tian Sword — Cao Jinxian's natal magic treasure back then. She had left it in the Sword Washing Pool on Yujian Peak, serving as an array eye to maintain the formation seal.

At the same time, this sword was also the formation-breaking object.

And now, with Yu Zhangsheng's cultivation rise, he was no longer the ignorant novice who knew nothing. His horizons had also risen considerably. At a glance he saw that even though this sword was dim, it still concealed its brilliance; its quality was unfathomable.

"At minimum it is a Divine Weapon grade magic artifact... however, there seem to be some restrictions preventing its power from being fully exerted."

Yu Zhangsheng pondered inwardly, secretly shocked yet not surprised.

A Divine Weapon — looking across all of Wuzhou, only the Xuan Yin Sect openly possesses one.

Wei Lao's gaze was dazed for an instant. His palm gently stroked the Xuan Tian Sword, a trace of nostalgia appearing in his eyes, then turning slightly dim. He suppressed the other thoughts in his heart, his gaze sharpening. Pursing his lips and gritting his teeth, one hand gripped the sword, the other extended a finger and fiercely wiped it across the blade! Hiss! The blade was keen; with this wipe, Wei Lao's palm instantly bled unceasingly. His complexion turned pale in an instant. Blood flowed out, completely smearing the Xuan Tian Sword.

In that instant, Wei Lao's blood was completely absorbed by the Xuan Tian Sword. His complexion grew even paler. As his qi withered, the Xuan Tian Sword faintly flickered with a layer of strange blood color. A heaven-soaring pressure slowly erupted. The few dao marks upon it slowly lit up, hooking the power of heaven and earth, rippling with a dim glow.

A formation fluctuation, taking the Xuan Tian Sword as its source, erupted toward the surroundings, causing the stars above to droop down, making all the chains binding the Xuan Turtle tremble.

"Seal, open!"

Wei Lao roared low. As his words fell, he gripped the Xuan Tian Sword and slashed fiercely at the chains sealing the Xuan Turtle's true body.

Boom!

In that instant, heaven-soaring sword light erupted. Sword qi slashed fiercely. This sword was peerless; its sword qi like a rainbow. Thunderous booms exploded through space, twisting light, draping over the chains! "Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"

Sparks burst. With a bang, instantly, chain after chain, following the sword qi's slash, suddenly snapped apart, transforming into countless starlights, all merging into the Xuan Turtle's body.

As the bindings were undone, the Xuan Turtle suddenly took a step. Its mountain-like massive body swayed lightly. It opened its mouth and violently inhaled. In a split second, heaven and earth spun. The surrounding stars, following this inhalation, actually transformed into countless falling meteors plummeting down.

"I shall return!"

Countless stars fell. In this special space, they transformed into long rainbows, each dragging an extremely gorgeous tail. Following the Xuan Turtle's inhalation, they were devoured into its mouth.

At this moment, the Xuan Turtle was the displacement of this place — swallowing heaven, devouring stars. These stars, devoured by it, transformed into the purest energy. Thereupon, the Xuan Turtle's aura grew increasingly vast. Its heavy might seemed capable of covering heaven and earth.

"Myriad spirits as foundation, god soul as guide, origins connected, contract shall stand!" Boom!

A grand voice suddenly exploded in Yu Zhangsheng. Yu Zhangsheng's consciousness suddenly blurred. The Heavenly Dao Contract connecting him and the Xuan Turtle ignited, transforming into mysterious rules. Origin power mutually covered the Xuan Turtle and Yu Zhangsheng.

At this moment, a clear sense of connection simultaneously surfaced in the hearts of the one man and one beast. The Spirit Beast Contract, at this moment, was truly completed.

The instant the contract was established, the entire wondrous space began to collapse. All stars fell, surging into the Xuan Turtle's body. The Xuan Turtle cried softly. All its aura retracted. It let out a long breath of white refined qi. Its massive body began to shrink, finally transforming into a stream of light, returning to Yu Zhangsheng's Inner Landscape.

"Finally free..."

Space collapsed, and amidst the blur, Xuan Gui's resigned muttering rang out.

For Xuan Gui, this place was both a seal and its life-prolonging ground; without the formation seal, it would have perished back in those years.

Even so, after the long passage of years and many upheavals, its origin was exhausted; if it continued waiting, the end would only be a dead end.

And Yu Zhangsheng's arrival brought it a glimmer of hope; through life sharing the same source and the Spirit Beast Contract, plus Yu Zhangsheng's Saint-level technique Myriad Spirits Decree nourishing its origin, it could maintain the continuation of its life even after leaving the formation.

"Although cultivation base needs to be re-cultivated, and origin also needs to be slowly replenished, still, to survive like this — the current situation counts as not bad."

………

………

When the world before his eyes regained clarity once again, he had already returned to Yunwu Valley.

"Contract complete; now Xuan Gui has fully become your spirit beast; after thousands of years, this also counts as severing a strand of karma."

Wei Lao lightly exhaled a breath, patted Yu Zhangsheng's shoulder, and while he was still in a trance, his tone was filled with lament and a moment's other implications that could not be clearly explained.

Yu Zhangsheng rubbed his eyes, his mind beginning to return, and sensing the scene within the Inner Landscape, he couldn't help but smile faintly.

In his perception, the Inner Landscape suddenly grew heavier by a great deal; cultivation base, at the very instant Xuan Gui fully contracted, received feedback, and once more condensed a Shenjue Sub-Talisman Dameng in the Sea of Qi.

Four Sub-Talisman Dameng stood tall in the Sea of Qi, reaching a thousand zhang high, providing Yu Zhangsheng with a constant stream of power, and also drawing Heaven and Earth Power.

"Sub-Talisman Mid Stage..."

Yu Zhangsheng muttered a sentence, his heart unable to restrain a trace of strange feeling.

"This is Sub-Talisman Mid Stage? Your cultivation advancement speed is too fast, opportunities unceasing, but be careful to consolidate your foundation."

Wei Lao glanced sideways at Yu Zhangsheng; regarding Yu Zhangsheng's cultivation breakthrough, he wasn't very surprised, but rather reminded him.

"Disciple will pay attention from now on."

Yu Zhangsheng nodded, a thought stirring; the next moment, a stream of light flew out from within the Inner Landscape, transforming into a Xuan Gui shrunk countless times, standing tall beside Yu Zhangsheng.

"Now, you and I have fully contracted; only a pity that I ultimately remain heavily injured and unhealed, these years living ignobly, too weak, and did not let your cultivation increase too much."

Xuan Gui spoke human words, voice weathered and heavy yet revealing a trace of relief, and lightly said:

"If not so, letting you Breakthrough Spirit Transformation would also be more than enough, but this is also good; rash breakthrough, forced irrigation is merely pulling up seedlings to help them grow, overdrafting potential. No benefit for your future cultivation."

Yu Zhangsheng nodded in acknowledgment; he also felt his current realm was somewhat vacuous; cultivation base piled up through various opportunities, although the rise was indeed fast, in the end it was not as solid as slowly cultivated by himself, and still needed a period of time to precipitate.

Wei Lao stood to the side hehe laughing, stroking his beard looking at Xuan Gui, smilingly said: "So long, finally came out; how is it, breathing free air again — is it completely different?"

"I said I wouldn't let you just sink into depravity; finally managed it, old friend."

Xuan Gui turned, looked at Wei Lao, turbid eyes revealing a trace of gratitude, nodded and said: "Many thanks. Your disciple, Yu Zhangsheng, not bad."

"Hahaha." Wei Lao laughed heartily, "Thank me for what? Now you've become my disciple's spirit beast, that's originally one family."

Wei Lao's tone paused, face still brimming with laughter, only this smile unconsciously added a few more points of meaningful flavor, hehe said: "Since it's one family, no need to be polite; the current Wuzhou situation, you presumably know it too, right?"

Xuan Gui lightly glanced at Wei Lao, expression carrying a trace of doubt, nodded dully and said: "Know; great enemy before us, turbulent and uneasy. But with me here, Yu Zhangsheng's self-protection should be no problem."

The return of the Origin Dharma Body let Xuan Gui instantly understand all of Yu Zhangsheng's experiences during this period, and such a situation.

"That is natural; this point I naturally believe you, however..."

Wei Lao spoke, brows furrowing slightly, expression revealing a trace of helplessness, lightly sighed.

"However, Qingzhou side has Holy Land's support; wanting to flatten Wuzhou is no difficult matter; when the time comes Changsheng can leave, but my Wanxiang Sect with its great establishment, how to stay or go?"

Xuan Gui hearing this, also fell silent for an instant; these principles, it naturally understood them all.

Holy Land's Might, it knew only too well; with Yu Zhangsheng's actions, even if Yu Zhangsheng escapes then, Wanxiang Sect will inevitably suffer retaliation; how to resist.

And for thousands of years, sitting under Wanxiang Sect's seal, it could be said to have personally watched how this sect went from weak to flourishing, and how from flourishing it walked onto decline; the countless figures emerging within it all left impressions on it.

To some extent, there would exist some feelings; not to mention a portion of its qi fortune early on already hooked with Wanxiang Sect.

If letting it personally watch Qingzhou and Holy Land flatten Wanxiang City, Xuan Gui would also find it hard to remain unmoved. Thus, after a moment of silence, Xuan Gui raised its eyes, glanced at Wei Lao, and lightly asked:

"What do you want to say; any method?"

Wei Lao licked his lips, lightly raised an eyebrow, eyes revealing deep meaning, stared fixedly at Xuan Gui and said: "Very simple; I hope old friend you can help Wanxiang Sect."

"Facing Holy Land, current me also powerless; how to help?"

Xuan Gui frowned.

"No no no, I'm not asking you to clash head-on with Holy Land; my meaning is, I want you to take Wanxiang Sect, and leave together." (Chapter End)