Chapter 724: The Exchange with the Temple Master

The Drunkard and the Butcher are the longest-lived cultivators in the human world, and they each have their own Life-bound Object.

The Butcher's Life-bound Object is that meat cleaver; with the blade in hand, cleaving mountains and severing rivers is a trivial matter.

But few people know that the Drunkard's true Life-bound Object is not the wine gourd, but the sword within the gourd.

Before the last Eternal Night, he was the world's top swordsman, his peerless Sword Technique crowning the world.

Yet now, as he thrusts his sword out, it merely pierces the other party's clothing. To him, this is simply unimaginable.

While the Drunkard was still in shock, Yu Liancheng had already turned his head to look over, his gaze fixed coldly upon him, actually making his scalp tingle. As for the Butcher who had originally been pinning Yu Liancheng down, he had already vanished, replaced by dozens of scattered chunks of flesh, blood splattered everywhere—a sight too ghastly to behold.

"The Butcher, dead?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Boom!

In an instant, it was as if the Drunkard's mind had been struck by heavy hammers, countless thoughts intertwining and exploding like lightning within his brain.

He has lived for tens of thousands of years, and his feelings toward all things have long since become incredibly indifferent. He can slaughter all living beings without reason, and he can also become a savior praised by everyone.

Only his relationship with the Butcher can be described as "partners" or "fellow travelers," accompanying each other for ten thousand years, knowing each other to the core.

Yet, in order to create an opportunity for him, the Butcher actually died at the hands of Yu Liancheng.

Not even a complete corpse was left behind.

The Drunkard is very angry.

As long as one is not a dead person, no matter how long one has lived, one will still have the emotions one ought to have.

He looks at Yu Liancheng, his fingers gripping the sword in his palm tightly, his knuckles turning white, his entire being like a volcano about to erupt.

The next moment, the Drunkard's figure vanished from Taoshan without a trace.

The Drunkard arrived at the embankment by the Fengbao Sea in the Song Kingdom.

He stood on the black reef, looking toward the direction of Taoshan.

Regarding the Butcher's death, he was indeed very angry, but there was not a shred of sorrow.

And when standing by the sea, not only was his anger washed away completely, but he even felt a sense of relief.

In this long life, apart from the last Eternal Night and that one time when an old ox pulled a broken cart into a small town, this was the third time he had experienced the feeling of surviving a disaster.

And even those first two times were not as intense or as heart-stopping as this experience.

The Drunkard let out a long breath and silently mourned for the Butcher for the duration of one breath.

To him, his own life was still more important.

Or rather, nothing was more important than his own life.

That fellow named Yu Liancheng was simply ridiculously strong; his Life-bound sword couldn't even manage to wound the other party.

Even with the trump card known as "Tianmaonv" in his hand, the Drunkard did not have much confidence that he could kill the other party.

Since that was the case, he might as well continue to linger on in the human world and be a drunkard who finds joy in drinking.

Thinking of this, the Drunkard wanted to drink again.

He took the wine gourd from his waist and was just about to raise it to his face when suddenly, a hand as slender as jade reached through the sea breeze, came to his side, and took the wine away.

The movement of this hand was very casual, very natural, just like a wisp of the hot sea breeze.

When the sea breeze was perceived, his hair was already fluttering in the wind, the sea breeze brushing against his face.

Yu Liancheng lifted the wine gourd and began to drink, some wine spilling onto his black clothes, making him appear all the more free and easy.

When he put down the wine gourd, he discovered that the Drunkard's complexion was very pale.

"I didn't finish it all, look at how stingy you are." Yu Liancheng tossed the wine gourd to the Drunkard: "Besides, although the taste of your wine is not bad, if it were compared to mine..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Drunkard caught the wine gourd and vanished.

This is the Distance-less, where the heart goes, the body follows.

"Why are you running? Do you really think you can get away?"

Yu Liancheng shook his head, his figure also vanishing.

You have Distance-less.

I have Distance-less as well.

And when Yu Liancheng saw the Drunkard again, he saw the Drunkard holding Tianmaonv by the throat with one hand, looking at Yu Liancheng with a ferocious expression, and saying in a deep voice: "Yu Liancheng, if you dare to make a move against me, I will dare to kill this little girl."

With the Drunkard's strength, a single thought might be enough to kill Tianmaonv, and this current action was full of threats.

Tianmaonv bit her lip, her large, watery eyes looking at Yu Liancheng, yet she did not open her mouth to beg for help, so as not to disturb his focus.

Yu Liancheng first showed a reassuring smile to Tianmaonv, then looked at the Drunkard: "If I am not mistaken, both you and the Butcher work for Haotian."

"Correct."

"Let me guess again, if she could make you two cowards become her lackeys, then she must have made you a promise, an eternal promise."

"Heh, it's a pity that you, this fellow, refuse to die."

"Actually, I can also grant you eternity." Yu Liancheng smiled slightly.

"What?" The Drunkard frowned slightly.

Apart from Haotian, who else could bring eternity? Could this fellow be playing with him?

"Look."

Yu Liancheng smiled and pointed toward the sky.

The Drunkard turned his head and could not help but stare blankly.

Above the firmament, clouds and mist surged out of thin air, colorful and brilliant, covering the sky and the sun.

Within those clouds and mist, a holy and divine, dazzling and brilliant light gate emerged. Sweet dew and heavenly flowers fell from the clouds. And through the "Heavenly Gate," one could see graceful fairies, mighty divine generals, and palace halls and Daodian floating in the sea of clouds and mist within the Divine Kingdom.

Every brick and every tile seemed to exude an aura of eternity, such that even after ten million years, there would not be the slightest damage or decay.

"This, this is the Haotian Divine Kingdom..."

The Drunkard trembled all over, his eyes filled with fanatical longing.

To slave away for Haotian, to be Haotian's dog—wasn't it all to enter the Divine Kingdom and obtain eternal life?

Even though he felt a vague sense of unease in his heart, the sight of what he had dreamed of day and night and pursued for ten thousand years appearing before him made even the Drunkard unable to stop his mind from reeling.

The Drunkard took a step forward to see it clearly, when he suddenly felt his hand grow light.

"Wrong!

"

The Drunkard's expression changed; the wine pot in his hand enlarged, and dozens of Swords flew out simultaneously.

With a shift of his intent, the sword light flashed chaotically, and the magnificent, sacred scene of the heavenly kingdom before his eyes was like an oil painting being continuously slashed by a paper cutter. The image was Broken, revealing the unsightly frame behind the oil painting.

A moment later, the scene of the heavenly kingdom vanished.

The sky was still the sky.

The clouds were still the clouds.

Where was there any Divine Kingdom?

Meanwhile, the hostage Tianmaonv, whom the Drunkard had been holding, had already appeared beside Yu Liancheng, nervously clutching Yu Liancheng's arm, looking at the Drunkard with her large eyes, not forgetting to stick out her tongue and make a face.

The Drunkard looked at Yu Liancheng.

He saw the pity and mockery in the other's eyes.

"Good! Good! A fine Yu Liancheng!

"

He suddenly began to laugh loudly; the laughter was somewhat manic, somewhat blustering, yet filled with arrogant killing intent and unconcealable fear—his emotions were extremely complex.

"Die!

"

Amidst the wild laughter, the Drunkard raised his hand, and all the swords converged into one, brilliant and radiant, as if stealing the glory of the sun.

And at the very moment he struck, his expression became solemn and grave.

Above the firmament and beneath the earth, countless unfathomable breaths poured into his physical shell.

As one of the longest-living practitioners, the Drunkard possessed both the realms of No Distance and No Measure; once he truly erupted, it was enough to overturn the mountains, rivers, and the universe.

Then, he stepped forward; one step was the end of the world.

He thrust violently toward Yu Liancheng, his movements wide and open, as if he were a theatrical performer about to take his final bow on stage.

Yu Liancheng did not move, letting out a long, soft sigh.

Suddenly, sword light danced wildly, and the world was illuminated into a silvery white by the sword light.

The figures met and then separated.

A wind blew past.

The muggy sea breeze seemed to carry the chilling cold of autumn, making one feel cold to the bone.

Yu Liancheng and the Drunkard stood facing each other.

With a "bang," the wine pot fell to the ground; the Drunkard, who loved wine as his life, could not even hold onto his wine pot.

The Drunkard's figure swayed, his face as pale as paper.

In that split-second exchange, that power which transcended the human world had Broken his sword, slammed into his chest, and shattered his internal organs. A mouthful of blood sprayed out, filled with bits of viscera.

The Drunkard's eyes held a look of disbelief.

He was no ordinary practitioner; he was a Daxingzhe, a figure of the same level as Fuzi, Ke Haoran, Fotu, and the Temple Head.

Even the term Daxingzhe was not entirely accurate.

He came from the ancient past, existing in this world long before Fotu; the generation of Fuzi and the Temple Head from a thousand years ago, and even the generation of Ke Haoran from several decades ago, were all his juniors. He was a true legend, a myth, and it seemed he would always continue to be so.

Today, however, they were all going to die.

The Drunkard spat out bloody foam.

He still could not believe everything that had just happened.

"You... deceived me..."

The Drunkard looked at Yu Liancheng, hatred appearing in his eyes.

"Death... is also eternal."

Yu Liancheng turned his head away, holding Tianmaonv's hand.

The Drunkard collapsed; he did not even glance at him.

He was nothing more than a dog of Haotian.

Slaughtering a dog was nothing worth caring about.

The Zhiguo were attacking the Tang Kingdom.

The Tang Kingdom's backing was the Academy.

Fuzi, the head of the Academy, had already turned into the moon.

Thus, the one who had to take up the heavy burden left behind by Fuzi was naturally First Brother Li Manman.

Li Manman was still wearing that old cotton-padded jacket, only now there were many ragged tears in the padding, seemingly cut open by sharp blades. Tufts of cotton squeezed out from the tears, trembling slightly in the wind. There were many dark red stains on the cotton—they were dried bloodstains.

The water ladle that often hung at his waist had long since been Broken, and in his hand, there was now a wooden staff. There were many marks on the wooden staff from being hacked by swords; this wooden staff had once beaten a Daxingzhe like a stray dog, to the point where he could not even climb onto the shore.

That Daxingzhe was named Chen Mou, a very ordinary name; he was the Temple Head of the Zhishou Temple.

And now, Li Manman's opponent was also Chen Mou.

Chen Mou beat Li Manman until he looked like a stray dog.

"Although you have learned how to fight, and learned very quickly, you are still too young." The Abbey Dean Chen Mou looked at Li Manman, his expression indifferent.

"But I, after all, blocked you for several days, didn't I?"

Li Manman smiled slightly; although he looked disheveled at this moment, his expression remained serene, still giving people a feeling of cleanliness from the inside out, spotless, like the first snowflake falling in winter.

"The will of God is hard to defy."

Chen Mou shook his head and sighed: "No matter who wants to go against the heavens, they must always pay a price. Ke Haoran was like this, Fuzi was like this, Yu Liancheng is like this, and you are like this. None of you are fools, but why are you all so stubborn?! So stupid?"

The Abbey Dean raised his hand, about to further injure Li Manman, but suddenly sighed leisurely and lowered his palm: "They really still couldn't stop you for too long; you came faster than I imagined."

A pair of black cloth shoes landed on the ground.

The owner of the black cloth shoes was a young man dressed in black.

"Greetings, Mr. Yu." The Great Teacher bowed to the young man in black.

Yu Liancheng nodded and looked at the Abbey Dean: "They are trash, so they couldn't stop me. You, as you are now, are also trash in my eyes."

"Is that so?"

The Abbey Dean stood with his hands behind his back, smiling slightly.

A straight crack was torn open in the clouds in the sky.

From the crack, majestic Haotian Divine Brilliance poured down, landing on the Abbey Dean's body: "Then, how about now?"

That was the power above the Five Realms.

It was also a true Daoist Divine Art, Apocalypse.

"Not enough." Yu Liancheng shook his head.

The Abbey Dean's mind stirred, and a wave of destruction and death surged from his entire body. This wave spread out in all directions like a tide; no matter if it was flowers, grass, trees, birds, or beasts, once touched by this wave even slightly, they instantly seemed to have undergone millions of years of weathering, crumbling into dust and drifting away with the wind.

This is Jiemie.

Above the Five Realms.

In an instant, two states above the Five Realms appeared in the world.

Both came from the Abbey Dean.

"A bit interesting, but still lacking." Yu Liancheng shook his head again.

The Abbey Dean's body seemed to grow countless times taller, and his entire aura changed, vast as the sea, boundless and immeasurable, instantly filling the entire space between heaven and earth.

This is Boundless.

Above the Five Realms.

In addition to these three realms, the Abbey Dean himself possessed the Wuju Realm.

Furthermore, endless energy erupted from that seemingly ordinary physical shell, as if he could overturn mountains and rivers with a casual wave of his hand; this is the Demon Sect's Heavenly Demon Realm.

"Is this enough?" The Abbey Dean looked at Yu Liancheng with a smile.

Yu Liancheng looked back at the Abbey Dean.

The Abbey Dean's strength was indeed very strong, perhaps strong enough that the Drunkard and the Butcher combined would not be his match.

But Yu Liancheng shook his head and looked at Li Manman: "Your realm is indeed inferior to the Abbey Dean's, but on the path of Wuju, you walk more steadily than the Abbey Dean."

The Abbey Dean also sighed slightly: "Over these years, the pressure has been too great, and I have walked too fast, so naturally it is not very steady."

A smile curled the corner of Yu Liancheng's mouth: "However, it is enough to accompany me for a walk and exchange pointers."

The Abbey Dean was silent for a long time, his hands behind his back, yet he seemed to embrace the world, and he smiled freely: "Then let's go."

Yu Liancheng smiled and made a gesture of invitation: "Good, let's go."

Boom!

The next moment, a gale rose within a radius of ten miles, and the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi swept out like a hurricane, causing all rocks, grass, and trees to shatter and fly. Power beyond the imagination of the mortal world erupted, as if it could destroy everything.

The two figures seemed to have never moved.

The Abbey Dean's face was slightly pale, a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and his figure disappeared.

Yu Liancheng smiled slightly and followed the Abbey Dean as he left.

The Great Teacher bowed toward the void.

"Safe travels to you both... cough cough..."