Chapter 374: Ancient Immortals, the True Meaning of Martial Dao! (Combined)

Li Taiping and the three dry corpses fully unleashed their External Scenery of the Heavenly Person realm.

A shimmering green light!

It flowed from beneath their feet like a gentle stream of emerald.

Li Taiping's face was nearly deranged, his eyes blazing with fanaticism.

"The Book of Taiping contains four profound truths—Luo Tian, Qing Tian, Cang Tian, and the supreme ultimate."

"Huang Tian!"

"It is the ultimate truth of the Taiping Dao, surpassing the Heavenly Person, towering above all beings!"

Through the mysterious power of the Book of Taiping, the four External Sceneries merged into one, turning into a sandy yellow that instantly swallowed the surrounding black-and-white world.

The four united their strength.

In an instant, they shattered Lu Yu's External Scenery, and the surroundings seemed to turn yellow.

This autumnal killing aura, fiercer than the withering of grass and trees, caused the entire dense forest to wither away.

The life force of every tree was utterly stripped away.

The red light in the eyes of the three dry corpses grew even more piercing; their bodies were drenched in Wanyan Yunshan's blood, appearing grotesquely unnatural, while guttural cries—part human, part ghost—emerged from their abdomens.

Li Taiping and the other three were bound tightly by invisible iron chains, their powers converging into an indescribable, mysterious aura.

Li Taiping's once-ruddy face twisted, his eyes turning amber, emitting a haze of yellow mist.

"This is the Immortal Wanderer realm!"

"A realm no one in this Kunxu Realm has ever reached—but I have achieved it!"

"Pity that Xiao Yue and the Demon Master slipped away—had they stayed, I might have ascended even further."

His entire face kept shifting, four different visages appearing in succession.

Most terrifying of all, after a brief pause, the three dry corpses shattered the Heavenly Person barrier and advanced.

They entered the Immortal Wanderer realm!

Lu Yu slowly lowered his hands, feeling the oppressive pressure of the four merged External Sceneries—yet a long-absent smile appeared on his face.

Four Immortal Wanderers surrounding and hunting a single Heavenly Person Grand Master.

It was utter despair.

Lu Yu was pushed back several steps by their overwhelming aura.

Li Taiping, seeing Lu Yu's smile, frowned slightly, a strange emotion rising within him:

"Do you feel despair now, before such absolute power?"

"I killed you seven hundred years ago. This time, I will send you on your way again."

Li Taiping's voice grew more agitated.

"If I kill you once more, I shall gain another seven hundred years of mortal longevity."

Lu Yu's cultivation base also began to rise, finally stabilizing at the peak of the Heavenly Person realm.

Seeing this, Li Taiping burst into loud laughter:

"All mortals must halt beneath the laws of heaven and earth. Even if you are the destined one, your cultivation can never break beyond heaven's limit."

"Under the tide of heaven and earth, all mortals are but ants."

"Today, I execute heaven's punishment!"

Lu Yu had already assumed his fist stance and shook his head.

"I don't know who you claim to be in your past life, and I never believe such tales."

"What does the Immortal Wanderer realm matter?"

"You need only know: a Heavenly Person can kill an Immortal Wanderer!"

Li Taiping and the three corpses struck together, their grins turning monstrous.

"A single realm's difference turns heaven and earth upside down!"

"In our External Sceneries, you probably can't even move spiritual energy."

"In the Immortal Wanderer realm, inner and outer worlds are fully fused—mortal martial arts cannot harm me."

Ghostly wails and howling winds rose as the four surged from all directions, their aura overwhelming.

Lu Yu raised his fist!

He began with an ancient, primordial fist posture: his left shoulder slowly rose, pushing open his right shoulder, his left fist extended upward over his right arm.

In that moment, he seemed to merge with heaven and earth, radiating an indescribable aura.

Suddenly!

A dazzlingly brilliant fist intent exploded from his hand, like sun and moon converging, crimson fire igniting at the tip of his punch.

Lu Yu's black hair whipped wildly, his blood boiling.

Behind him, a faceless divine form stretched out its arms.

Lu Yu roared: "Shake!"

The divine form's hands slammed together.

Li Taiping and the three others froze in midair.

The three dry corpses opened their mouths to roar—but could not move.

Li Taiping's face was filled with utter disbelief.

He stared wide-eyed at the scene before him, murmuring to himself:

"This… how is this possible? No one in this realm can cultivate martial truth."

"It's absolutely impossible for anyone to achieve it."

In his understanding, beyond the Heavenly Person realm, the Immortal Wanderer realm could only be reached temporarily.

Martial truth was a method accessible only beyond the Immortal Wanderer realm.

Lu Yu was merely a Heavenly Person.

Yet the power Lu Yu now displayed clearly surpassed the Heavenly Person realm, brushing against that unreachable threshold.

"This is impossible! The heavens' chains cannot be broken!"

Li Taiping screamed, his face twisted with fury, refusing to believe what he saw.

Lu Yu sneered:

"Nothing is impossible!"

"You're merely a talentless fool!"

Hearing this, Li Taiping's eyes ignited like fire, his face contorting with rage.

He roared: "Impossible!"

The four only froze for a few instants before regaining movement.

The five clashed!

…………

…………

Outside the dense forest.

The drizzle grew heavier, turning into light rain.

Two figures stood silently on the official road.

Raindrops fell upon Huang Dao like wind—none could land on him.

Xie Mu had found a straw raincoat in the tavern; though he was a Grand Master, he could use inner strength to repel the rain.

He believed that when it rains, you use an umbrella; when you eat, you use a bowl.

It was natural.

No need to waste effort.

Huang Dao's gaze pierced through the fine rain, landing on the floating talisman suspended in the air above the forest.

The talisman emitted a faint glow, flickering in and out of sight—impossible for ordinary people to perceive.

Huang Dao looked toward the road ahead.

He reached out—and felt an invisible force blocking him, like a thick wall.

A forbidden zone!

Without direct contact, one could never detect it.

Seeing this, Xie Mu's curiosity surged.

"Let me see what's going on!"

Xie Mu tried touching from every direction—but was repelled each time, leaving him marveling.

"This is too miraculous!"

"Even the fairy tales don't describe such feats—how is this done?"

Huang Dao merely smiled.

"If this is fairy magic, then who used it?"

Only immortals can wield immortal arts!

Hearing this, Xie Mu's eyes flickered with confusion and longing as he whispered:

"Do immortal beings who transcend this mortal world truly exist?"

Huang Dao turned his gaze to the vast sky, his eyes swirling with purple light, emitting a foot-long radiance from within.

Xumi Demon Eye

Xie Mu noticed the anomaly in Huang Dao's eyes and instantly understood: this was the extremely rare and powerful "Demon Eye."

It could bewilder the mind and enhance vision.

Huang Dao not only withheld nothing from him but let him browse freely through the many techniques recorded in the Heavenly Demon Scripture, including the legendary "Great Method of Sowing the Demon in the Dao Heart."

Huang Dao's instruction of Xie Mu was utterly comprehensive.

Unfortunately, Xie Mu disliked demonic arts!

It was forcing the unwilling!

He knew that Huang Dao had mastered all three hundred-plus techniques recorded in the Heavenly Demon Scripture, his strength having reached a height unprecedented in demonic history.

He had fused them all into a unique school of his own!

Even the ancestral masters of past demonic generations had never reached such a height.

A true world-dominating demon lord.

In Huang Dao's eyes, a transparent thread seemed to hang from the sky, gently descending into the dense forest—a cosmic mystery revealed through his Sumeru Demon Eye.

Huang Dao withdrew his gaze; the purple light gradually faded. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"I don't know if he's immortal or not, but even the legendary Immortal Realm may not be as glorious as mortals imagine."

"Let's go in."

Xie Mu didn't react immediately, pointing at himself:

"Wait, I'm going too!"

Xie Mu was bewildered.

This was a clash between the pinnacle of martial prowess—he, a Grand Master, had no right to interfere.

He didn't want to be caught in the crossfire and get crushed.

Huang Dao chuckled: "You're my lucky star."

As Huang Dao spoke, his entire aura subtly shifted, as if he had instantly become someone else.

His gait, demeanor, every gesture and movement exuded an indescribable grace and presence, making Xie Mu involuntarily feel dazed.

Though Huang Dao showed no visible change on the outside, in Xie Mu's perception, he had truly become another person.

The demonic art "Thousand Transformations, No Form" could alter one's physical appearance and disguise oneself as another.

At this moment!

Huang Dao had used this art to successfully enter the previously sealed dense forest.

But when Xie Mu reached out to touch, he still felt solid resistance ahead—no passage.

Huang Dao stepped out calmly, leading Xie Mu into the forest.

"This immortal technique is selective. I mimicked Xuantianzi's aura, and so I could enter."

The two continued deeper into the forest, walking a distance before halting, no longer advancing.

At that moment, a piercing scream suddenly shattered the surrounding silence.

Huang Dao's face instantly turned grim. He spoke in a low tone:

"Xuantianzi truly had no good intentions!"

"I warned him long ago about Wanyunshan—told him to come with me. Now he's dead far from home."

Xie Mu's lips twitched as he silently criticized.

Just moments ago, you were pouring your heart out to Xiao Yue—if Wanyunshan had been there, he'd merely have traded death at Xuantianzi's hands for death at the Demon Master's.

Either way, he dies. What's the difference?

Huang Dao closed his eyes, focusing deeply on the spiritual energy fluctuations around him, his brow furrowed as if searching for something.

"I never expected Xuantianzi actually succeeded—this is the realm beyond the Heavenly Human, the 'Immortal' state recorded in our Holy Sect's texts."

His voice carried both awe and confusion: "Xuantianzi is deeply strange."

Yet Xie Mu's thoughts were not fully on this topic.

He cared more about the battle before them: "Who do you think will win?"

At this moment!

Four extraordinary auras swept through the forest, sending a chill through Xie Mu's body and stirring an inexplicable fear within him.

This fear was like a mortal's instinctive dread of snakes, lightning, or fire—etched into the bone, impossible to resist.

His teeth chattered; every hair on his body stood on end.

Fortunately, Xie Mu felt a warm current surge from behind him, dispelling the cold in his heart and calming his spirit.

He took several deep breaths, barely steadying himself, and exclaimed:

"Can a human emit such an aura? So terrifying!"

Huang Dao slowly withdrew his hand from Xie Mu's back, his eyes half-lidded, as if sensing subtle shifts in the air.

"This is the aura of the immortals from three thousand years ago,"

he said gravely, his tone laced with reverence.

"It is said that before this world formed, the immortals ruled this land, viewing mortals as pigs and dogs, slaves to be commanded, holding absolute power over life and death."

"The immortals governed this world for tens of thousands of years. Even now, people's bones instinctively fear them, as if facing natural disasters."

Huang Dao sighed again: "It is said that ancient immortals could wield lightning, and merely shaking their magic treasures could summon torrential rains."

Hearing this, Xie Mu felt not only fear toward the aura, but deep revulsion and resentment.

As if innate!

He whispered: "Then isn't it already lost?"

Huang Dao shook his head.

"Not necessarily."

Unconsciously, his mind recalled the boy on Mount Zhongnan—his punch, majestic and earth-shaking, as if it could shake heaven and earth.

Though years had passed and Huang Dao's cultivation now far surpassed his former self, that sense of awe and reverence had never faded.

At that moment, another aura emerged—utterly different from the previous one.

Huang Dao felt his skin burn as if sliced by blades.

It was as towering and heavy as a mountain, radiating unyielding majesty.

His pupils dilated sharply; his face changed color.

He murmured: "This is… the True Meaning of Martial Dao! How is this possible!"

He focused intently, confirming it in his heart.

This newly emerged aura was the True Meaning of Martial Dao—the very thing his sect's ancestral masters had pursued their entire lives and never achieved.

In that instant, Huang Dao's emotions were complex: astonishment, disbelief, and joy intertwined.

He instantly recalled the passage from the Heavenly Demon Scripture: "Spiritual energy returns; martial dao shatters the void."

He had long memorized these words, understanding their profound meaning.

This "martial dao" was the True Meaning of Martial Dao.

The True Meaning of Martial Dao was the key to breaking through the void and ascending to the higher realm when spiritual energy revived.

And the very goal Huang Dao had pursued his entire life now appeared before him, utterly without warning.

No time for hesitation—Huang Dao made his decision instantly.

He seized Xie Mu by the arm and vanished from the spot, leaving only a lingering afterimage.

Xie Mu felt the world spin; the noodles he'd eaten at noon threatened to come up.

After a violent jolt, Huang Dao's rapid movement made Xie Mu's stomach churn. He barely steadied himself and swallowed hard.

Vomiting would be humiliating!

Xie Mu found himself standing on damp ground.

Huang Dao halted beside him, his gaze fixed ahead.

Xie Mu felt puzzled and followed his gaze—before them stood a figure with their back turned.

As if waiting for them both all along.

"Lu Chen!"

Huang Dao frowned, uttering an unexpected name.

Prince of Yan!

Xie Mu could hardly believe it.

The figure wore a wide-brimmed hat obscuring his face. Slowly, he turned, his voice tinged with amusement.

"You're late."

(End of Chapter)