Chapter 453: The Wu Kong Ring

"Imperial weapons…"

Fang Xing wearily put away the three Imperial weapons.

Even the 'Wa Yuan Mirror,' it is said, besides defending against ordinary soul attacks, also offers some protection for the will.

But if the will attack is too strong, it shatters immediately…

Among Imperial weapons, it's among the finest.

But to me, it's still useless.

"Why do you seem unhappy? Know that even Soul Sovereigns who possess one Imperial weapon hide it desperately, fearing exposure…"

The Snake Woman blinked in surprise.

"Cough… I am now a Soul Sovereign, my strength rivaling a Heaven Demon. I wish to inherit my Master's Imperial weapon."

Fang Xing cleared his throat and spoke.

"Soul Sovereign?"

The Snake Woman gasped: "Did you not leave fifty years ago, but five hundred? Or even five thousand?"

"Well… after joining the Boundless Mountain, my strength rose sharply, and I happened upon the Pangu Secret Realm, gaining some fortune."

Fang Xing spoke plainly.

"I see… If you were a Heaven Demon, I could directly grant you the Imperial weapon the Lady last obtained. But you are merely a Soul Sovereign…"

The Snake Woman hesitated: "Then you must pass the trial left by the Lady… She once created a trial space, filled with puppets refined by her Life Dao principles. The strongest among them rivals the weakest Heaven Demon… If you can pass it, I will confirm you possess Heaven Demon-level strength and are worthy to inherit the Lady's Imperial weapon."

"Perfect. Let's go."

Fang Xing nodded and stepped into the spatial passage.

A few breaths later, he walked out with calm composure: "Well?"

The Snake Woman now looked as if struck by shock: "It's real… a Soul Sovereign… and your Time Dao has advanced at an astonishing pace… Perhaps, in the future, you truly have a chance to revive the Master."

A glimmer of tears seemed to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Follow me!"

Her serpent tail curled forward, leading Fang Xing to the rear of the divine hall.

Countless trees thrived lush and dense, twisted like dragons, brimming with green vitality.

At the center stood an ancient, towering tree, its trunk draped with countless vines forming a spherical mass.

"Imperial weapons wield boundless power—even Heaven Demons and Heaven Immortals can only unleash a hundredth of their might… For ordinary Soul Sovereigns, possessing one is useless. But you are a Soul Sovereign—naturally different…"

As she spoke, the Snake Woman formed a series of hand seals.

The vines retracted, revealing a black arm ring sealed within.

The arm ring appeared massive, as if forged for a giant, its black surface marked with three strange gray patterns.

Fang Xing reached out, grasped the arm ring, and black hole energy coiled upward—immediately sensing a terrifying aura.

"So strong!"

"Indeed, the opponents I faced earlier were too weak to unleash the true power of an Imperial weapon…"

"The only exception was that green slave of the Soul Sovereign last time…"

"Now, I can only rudely refine it…"

His will was terrifyingly potent, granting him great advantage in subduing the Imperial weapon—he plunged directly into its core and left his own will imprint.

Whoosh!

The once-massive Imperial weapon instantly shrank, fitting perfectly around his right forearm.

"Imperial weapon—Wu Kong Ring!"

Feeling the vast aura of the Imperial weapon, Fang Xing's eyes grew brighter.

The most basic function of this Imperial weapon is defense and striking foes—it allows my current self to unleash killing power equivalent to a Heaven Demon of the fifth or sixth tier.

In other words, the Wu Xin Daoist outside is no longer my match.

And this… is merely one percent of the Imperial weapon's power.

If the Imperial weapon fully awakened and unleashed its full might, it could suppress a peak Heaven Demon and briefly contend with a Demon Emperor.

Of course, almost no Heaven Immortal or Heaven Demon can utilize an Imperial weapon to such a degree.

Only the rarer 'Heaven Demon Sovereign' or 'Heaven Immortal Sovereign' could!

The greater the realm, the wider the gap between major realms.

A Soul Sovereign might rival a Heaven Immortal or Heaven Demon through physical prowess or supreme Dao comprehension.

But a Heaven Immortal or Heaven Demon seeking to rival the Chaos Realm solely through self-power is nearly impossible—unless aided by external tools.

For example, a peak Heaven Demon who wields an Imperial weapon and can fully unleash its power may temporarily contend with a Demon Emperor—thus earning the title 'Heaven Demon Sovereign.'

"The deep use of the Wu Kong Ring has three levels… First level: activate one of its Dao patterns—granting an enhancement equal to a Heaven Demon."

"Second level: activate another complete Dao pattern, stacking to rival a Heaven Immortal of the seventh tier…"

"Third level: fuse Dao patterns to manifest Great Dao power—capable of suppressing a peak Heaven Immortal…"

"The final level: the Imperial weapon fully awakens, unleashing power to briefly contend with a Demon Emperor—but it inevitably damages the weapon's core essence, making it nearly impossible to achieve…"

"Now, I can only clumsily use the Wu Kong Ring to strike… Without near-mastery of its Dao, I cannot activate the engraved Dao forces…"

Activating the Dao forces is equivalent to gaining a complete Dao enhancement—instantly erasing Fang Xing's previous disadvantage in Law comprehension.

After barely mastering the Wu Kong Ring, he immediately began comprehending the Great Dao inscribed upon it.

Soon, a look of surprise appeared on his face: "It's… the Space-Time Great Dao? Hmm… slightly different—Time as the core, Void as the supplement—but undeniably still the path of Space-Time fusion…"

"This Imperial weapon was utterly unsuited for Master Qinghua… yet it suits me perfectly…"

"Is this coincidence? No… Master Qinghua once explored the tomb of the Zhu Long Demon Emperor—his Zhu Long blood came from there… If this Imperial weapon was found in Zhu Long's tomb… the connection to Space-Time is understandable, and Time as the core aligns with Zhu Long's nature…"

Fang Xing touched the black arm ring on his right forearm, lost in thought.

"Black Dragon, trouble!"

At that moment, the Snake Woman's face changed: "Two Heaven Immortals have arrived beyond the Qinghua Small Realm… The Qi Sha Daoist is here too. He's no ordinary Heaven Immortal—his killing power is terrifying. Had he not been born lowly, his achievements might far exceed this."

"Qi Sha Daoist?"

Fang Xing nodded: "Let's deal with them together. Send me out."

"Are you certain? Outside are two Heaven Immortals… Even as a Soul Sovereign, you…"

The Snake Woman hesitated.

"No matter what, I must face them. I can't hide in the Qinghua Small Realm forever… Besides…"

Fang Xing shook his head, saying no more—but the Snake Woman understood clearly.

A Heaven Immortal, if willing to pay any price, could utterly destroy the Qinghua Small Realm.

After all… no matter how powerful the Qinghua Small Realm, Qinghua Lady was merely a Heaven Demon.

Even alive, she might not have been feared—how long could her posthumous methods endure?

Previously, they didn't act because the Qing Emperor's Palace and Qinghua's side mutually restrained each other—keeping the trial disciples was more beneficial than harmful.

…

Outside the Qinghua Small Realm.

"Here he comes!"

Qi Sha Daoist suddenly opened his eyes, pupils flashing crimson.

'Those who cultivate the Killing Dao are all madmen…'

Beside him, Wu Xin Daoist's scalp prickled—his sudden premonition had been screaming warnings ever since Qi Sha Daoist arrived, as if death loomed.

Yet he dared not flee—Qi Sha Daoist might strike immediately.

He could only secretly send a plea for aid to the 'Yan Luo Sect' and stall for time.

Now, the variable had arrived.

"Wu Xin Daoist… and Qi Sha…"

Fang Xing stood with hands behind his back, gazing at Qi Sha Daoist: "What brings the Demon Palace Lord here?"

"To settle a karmic debt…"

Qi Sha Daoist's eyes glowed crimson, yet his expression grew eerily calm—like a sea about to boil, or a volcano before its roar: "You emerged from my Qi Sha Demon Palace's secret realm, and harmed my disciples. In the secret realm, life and death are fate—if you had openly slain all trial disciples, I might have made an exception and taken you as my true heir. But you secretly schemed… enslaved my elder! How do you settle this karma?"

"Indeed, we must settle this."

Fang Xing sighed softly.

He could have argued he acted for survival, that the strong devour the weak was Heaven's decree.

But truth lies only beneath the fist!

If your fist isn't strong, no matter how eloquent your words, they mean nothing.

"Hah! So Brother Qi Sha also wishes to kill this one? I'll lend a hand!"

Wu Xin Daoist laughed loudly, slashing his black halberd.

Roar! Roar!

Black Water Dao surged across the heavens, forming a monstrous black demon dragon. With a single twist, a hundred thousand li became a sea of black mire.

Wu Xin Daoist had no doubt he could defeat the Black Dragon.

Though the opponent was a Soul Sovereign, he himself was no ordinary Heaven Immortal.

Had he not been careless before, he wouldn't have let the Black Dragon escape.

Now, he secretly sealed the heavens and earth with Black Water Dao, and with Qi Sha Daoist present, the Black Dragon could no longer flee back into the Qinghua Small Realm.

Facing this strike, Fang Xing's eyes remained unmoved—he merely lifted his right arm slightly.

Shhh!

The Wu Kong Ring flew out and struck the tip of the black halberd.

The heavens and earth fell silent.

CRASH!

The Black Dragon let out a mournful cry and shattered violently, followed by the halberd's tip, then its shaft…

This exquisite imperial weapon was destroyed the instant it made contact!

CLANG!

The Wu Kong Ring's aura erupted, as if an ancient dragon slowly awakened, freezing time and space in that moment.

BOOM!

The black ring shattered the black water and slammed into Wu Xin Dao Ren's chest.

Wu Xin Dao Ren recoiled, a streak of crimson blood appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Imperial weapon?! You have an Imperial weapon?!"

He was both greedy and terrified.

With the Black Dragon possessing an Imperial weapon, he was clearly no match.

But Qi Sha Dao Ren was here—combined, they should still be able to subdue him, though the ownership of the Imperial weapon…

As Wu Xin Dao Ren pondered, he suddenly looked down at his chest.

There, the tip of a sword protruded—it was Qi Sha Dao Ren's "Seven Kill Sword"!

"You?"

He turned his head, gazing at Qi Sha Dao Ren, whose crimson eyes were fading, his face filled with disbelief.

"Throughout the world, no one is beyond killing…"

Qi Sha Dao Ren calmly withdrew his sword: "I, Qi Sha, have come to settle our karmic debt with you…"

(End of Chapter)