Chapter 91: Sword Qi Severs Senior Butian!

Above Skeleton Mountain, outside the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm.

The void split open; Senior Senior Butian and Daoist Hong Yun stepped out one after the other, their Foundation Establishment gazes sweeping down to instantly scan the entire Skeleton Mountain.

In an instant, the sky, previously clear for ten thousand li, was suddenly weighed down by dark clouds; bolts of lightning wove through them like silver snakes dancing wildly, illuminating half the firmament. Even the unintentional sweep of spiritual sense from a Foundation Establishment True Person frightened the scattered cultivators, demons, and ghosts within the mountain into showing faces full of fear.

"This is the place."

Although his spiritual sense detection yielded nothing, Senior Senior Butian could not help but smile; the fact that his spiritual sense had not immediately located the target proved the opponent's hiding spot was of a high grade!

"I didn't expect an unexpected harvest—a Secret Realm?" Thinking of such a massive gain, Senior Senior Butian could not help but snort lightly.

The next second, he began calculating with his fingers to see what kind of Secret Realm it was, yet the result revealed only an ordinary, unnamed minor Secret Realm.

"Very well, I'll enter and see for myself."

Senior Senior Butian was extremely confident; as the master of one of the Holy Sect's four peaks, his cultivation base had long reached the Mid Stage of Foundation Establishment, merely one step away from the Late Stage.

Looking across the world, aside from remnants left by a True Person, who could kill me?

With this thought, Senior Senior Butian immediately formed a hand seal and cast the "Technique of Searching the Heavens and Netting the Earth," quickly locking onto the entrance of the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm.

Thinking of this, Peak Master Senior Butian immediately formed a hand seal and cast the "Heaven-Searching Net and Earth-Binding Art," quickly locking onto the entrance of the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm.

Senior Senior Butian grinned grimly, then took a single step forward, walking toward the Secret Realm.

However, on the other side, Daoist Hong Yun, upon seeing this, not only showed no urgency but even displayed a strange expression: "This Secret Realm... seems somewhat wrong!"

Named after Good Fortune, he naturally mastered the Dao of Luck; just as he intended to follow Senior Senior Butian into the Secret Realm, a sudden sensation arose, making his heart pound and flesh tremble, prompting him to decisively halt his steps. After all, at his current cultivation base, what thing could evoke a sense of crisis in him?

Bearing the name Hong Yun, he naturally mastered the Dao of Fortune; yet just as he intended to follow Peak Master Senior Butian into the Secret Realm, a sudden premonition struck, making his heart leap with terror, prompting him to decisively halt his steps—for at his current cultivation base, what could possibly evoke such a sense of crisis within him?

Thinking thus, Daoist Hong Yun suddenly gave a cold smile, watching with great interest as Senior Senior Butian entered the Secret Realm, a hint of schadenfreude shining in his eyes.

Reflecting on this, Daoist Hong Yun suddenly let out a cold laugh, watching with keen interest as Peak Master Senior Butian entered the Secret Realm, a hint of schadenfreude gleaming in his eyes.

"Boom!!!"

A tremendous roar erupted from within the Secret Realm, followed by a beam of spiritual light shooting straight into the sky, stirring the earth veins of the eight-hundred-li Skeleton Mountain and revealing its true form.

Due to Senior Senior Butian's forced intrusion, the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm could no longer remain hidden and was completely exposed; simultaneously exposed to the world was a world-shocking sword qi hovering above the Secret Realm, suspended in the heavens like a silver galaxy or an inverted sea and mountain, magnificent and unparalleled!

Beneath the sword qi fled Senior Senior Butian, running for his life.

"Shameless junior! Cunning villain! I—"

Senior Senior Butian cursed loudly as he fled, his earlier composure completely vanished, replaced only by anger and anxiety born of his defenses being shattered.

A single strand of Golden Core sword qi!

Senior Senior Butian never expected that within the Secret Realm he had regarded as something in the palm of his hand lay a strand of sword qi left behind by a Golden Core True Person!

This was exactly like mixing a shark into a fish pond!

"Lu Yang... what kind of person are you!?"

Because he had used a divine talisman to conceal the karmic ties of the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm, Lu Yang himself lost that protection, and the result was that Senior Senior Butian calculated everything clearly.

Yet even with everything calculated clearly, Senior Senior Butian dared not believe it.

For according to his divination, Lu Yang had stepped onto the path of cultivation less than a year ago, yet not only had he reached the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, but he had also cultivated the Saint's Theft, a secret transmission of the Holy Sect.

Not to mention that beyond this, he possessed the True Method of Corpse Liberation via Yin Transformation and the Heaven Silkworm Secret Art of Severing Thoughts to See the Self, among other great divine abilities of the Holy Sect, all standard equipment for true disciples... but in reality? Lu Yang had only just entered the sect! How could Senior Senior Butian believe this? It must be false; he had been deceived by karmic obscuration again!

He even suspected Lu Yang was the reincarnation of some True Person from the Holy Sect.

"No, with such a sinister and poisonous style of action, there is no doubt; he must be the reincarnation of a True Person from my Holy Sect..."

Senior Senior Butian's thoughts raced, yet the sword qi above forced him to quickly cast aside these distractions; he flew through the air, attempting to dodge the sword qi's lock.

Peak Master Senior Butian's thoughts raced, yet the sword qi bearing down from above forced him to swiftly cast aside these distractions; he soared through the sky in a fleeing遁, attempting to evade the sword qi's lock.

The next second, Senior Senior Butian abruptly halted, his face ugly, for fleeing further was useless; the sword qi had already locked onto his karmic ties!

A clear voice descended from the heavens: "The Demonic Path deserves execution!"

Before the words had faded, the sword qi struck!

Senior Senior Butian was utterly unable to resist, yet a jade tablet at his waist activated on its own, flying before him to block directly in the path of the sword qi.

In an instant, even the rotation of heaven and earth seemed to slow; the sword qi reflected the image of a handsome youth clad in a Daoist robe, while from the jade tablet emerged a middle-aged man with a grim and fierce expression. The two locked eyes, and invisible, mighty forces collided frantically in the heights above.

In an instant, even the rotation of heaven and earth seemed to slow at that moment; the sword qi reflected the image of a handsome youth clad in a Daoist robe, while from the jade tablet emerged a middle-aged man with a grim and fierce expression—their four eyes met, and invisible, mighty forces collided wildly in the heights above.

After a sudden explosion of sound, the jade tablet shattered.

Correspondingly, ninety-nine percent of the sword qi was also shaved away, leaving only a mere wisp to pass through the jade tablet's obstruction and strike Senior Senior Butian.

Yet even so, Senior Senior Butian could not withstand it; he exploded with a thunderous boom!

Amidst the scattered flesh and blood, only a vigorous soul remained of Senior Senior Butian, his eyes filled with towering rage as he glared toward the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm.

Inside the Secret Realm, Lu Yang sighed helplessly upon seeing this.

"As expected, he wasn't killed..."

Just as he had anticipated, Senior Senior Butian indeed possessed a life-preserving item of Golden Core grade, which had indeed saved his life at the critical moment.

"Fortunately, my side has also succeeded."

Under the Golden Core sword qi, Senior Senior Butian's physical body was pulverized, leaving only a soul, equivalent to suffering heavy injuries, while the nearby Daoist Hong Yun watched from the sidelines.

Utilizing the final sliver of time gained by the Golden Core sword qi, Lu Yang successfully completed the final step of the 【Yanmo Hall】; at this moment, the Myriad Souls Banner waved, and the eight-hundred-li Skeleton Mountain immediately responded, causing the magnificent 【Yanmo Hall】 to rise from the ground, with the Dharma Protector Goddess Sunu entirely bathed in Dharma light.

Utilizing the final sliver of time gained by the Golden Core sword qi, Lu Yang successfully completed the last step of the 【Yanmo Hall】; at that moment, the Myriad Souls Banner waved, the eight-hundred-li Skeleton Mountain responded immediately, and the majestic 【Yanmo Hall】 rose from the ground, while the Dharma Protector Goddess Su Nu was entirely bathed in Dharma light.

Sunu drifted down beside Lu Yang and bowed respectfully, showing not a shred of rebellious thought despite her own achievements.

Even the beautiful eyes with which she gazed at Lu Yang carried a hint of fear.

Since she had been personally refined by Lu Yang using his spiritual sense, Sunu, now transformed into a Dharma Protector Goddess, was also influenced, including her perception of Lu Yang's nature.

In her view, her master could be described in just four words.

Meticulous as a needle!

One must absolutely not offend him!

Seeing Sunu so respectful, Lu Yang finally nodded in satisfaction: "Come in."

As his words fell, Sunu immediately agreed softly and obediently entered Lu Yang's dantian, dedicating her entire being to him without reservation.

The next second, Lu Yang's qi mechanism surged!

As his brows opened and closed, a brilliant Dharma light of divine ability, radiant as the sun in the heavens, shone forth, within which six talismanic scripts resembling dragon chapters and phoenix seals glittered brightly.

As his brows and eyes opened and closed, a brilliant Dharma light, radiant as the morning sun in the heavens, shone forth, within which six talismanic scripts resembling dragon chapters and phoenix seals glittered brightly.

Immediately after, the earth veins of the eight-hundred-li Skeleton Mountain erupted violently; an invisible bestowal of power descended, causing three additional talismanic scripts to spontaneously appear before the original six.

Immediately afterward, the earth veins of the eight-hundred-li Skeleton Mountain erupted violently; an invisible bestowal of power descended, causing three additional talismanic scripts to materialize out of thin air before the original six.

【Yanmo Heaven Xuanming Sheyou Fujun】!

At this very moment, Lu Yang felt as though warm currents flowed throughout his entire body; Sunu was like a bowl of sweet dew poured upon his dantian.

With such a Foundation Establishment Dharma Protector Goddess present, although he had not yet reached Foundation Establishment, he could enjoy in advance the enhancement and benefit that the Foundation Establishment realm conferred upon one's foundation, so much so that in his perception, the progress of the 【Corpse Liberation Immortal】 transformation had shortened from decades to mere months!

To reversely cultivate a great divine ability with the status of Foundation Establishment naturally resulted in rapid advancement!

And if Lu Yang's heart was currently filled with the ease and joy of a great accomplishment, then on the other side, Senior Senior Butian's mood was far from good.

And if Lu Yang's heart was currently filled with the relief and joy of a task successfully completed, then on the other side, Peak Master Senior Butian's mood was far from pleasant.

He stared blankly at Lu Yang, whose qi mechanism was soaring, hardly believing his eyes: "The Celestial Official of the Jiangdong region? No! It seems similar yet different..."

Before he could figure it out, he saw Lu Yang glance sideways at him.

In an instant, Senior Senior Butian felt chill rise all over his body; now reduced to merely a soul with his cultivation base greatly damaged, engaging in a Dharma battle with a Foundation Establishment cultivator could lead to disaster!

In an instant, Peak Master Senior Butian felt a chill permeate his entire body; now reduced to nothing but a soul with his cultivation severely damaged, continuing to engage in a Dharma battle against a Foundation Establishment expert could prove disastrous!

Senior Senior Butian's decision was undeniably decisive; his soul immediately transformed into a streak of light retreating backward, even casting out several clones of his spirit to confuse the view.

However, upon seeing this, Lu Yang merely formed a hand seal.

With palms pressed together in emptiness, index fingers and little fingers bent within the palms... the next second, dark light surged behind Lu Yang, reflecting a gloomy world.

Within it, countless witches and ghosts upheld a towering great hall, roaring incessantly.

There were also Impermanence seizing lives, ghost officers hooking souls, judges dispensing rewards and punishments, and wandering gods patrolling the heavens.

Eight principal deities with green faces and fangs, acting fiercely yet bearing solemn countenances, each holding golden shackles, silver locks, mourning staffs, and the Register of Life and Death, clustered before the towering great hall.

At the head of the hall, Lu Yang laughed magnanimously: "Senior, you have traveled far to come; why the hurry to leave?"

The next second, the 【Yanmo Hall】 opened and closed.

"Why not enter my jar, allowing me to fulfill my duties as host!"

As his words fell, Senior Senior Butian did not even have time to dodge; he felt darkness sweep before his eyes, and upon looking back, he found himself already trapped inside the 【Yanmo Hall】!

As his words fell, Peak Master Senior Butian did not even have time to dodge; he felt only darkness sweep before his eyes, and upon looking back, he found himself already trapped within the 【Yanmo Hall】!

(End of Chapter)