Chapter 535: Hidden Currents, Open Struggles, Each Side Strategizing

As Yin Wujie spoke, moments later, the sky was filled with a surge of dark flames, their assault intensifying.

Simultaneously, three beams of golden and emerald light surged forth from within, masked by the dark flames, and in an instant reached within five li of Yin Wujie.

Within the golden-emerald radiance were a golden hammer, a small flag, and a treasure mirror, their spiritual luminescence blazing like three sunlit rainbows—clear to any observer that they were no ordinary artifacts.

These three artifacts struck with ferocious force; Yin Wujie’s earlier defensive smoke barrier was pierced through in one go, as if an arrow had torn through silk.

A vicious wind suddenly whipped across the face, its howl chilling and grim!

As they drew near, the three artifacts first unleashed countless spiritual energies from the flag’s surface, summoning a hundred-zhang phoenix with white feathers and a sharp beak, its wings spreading wide like two mountain-sized swords crashing down, crossing the sky in an instant and descending straight upon Yin Wujie’s head.

Immediately behind it, a mass of black qi surged forward, suddenly leaping out from the phoenix’s rear as it launched its attack, transforming into a colossal black tiger.

The black tiger’s mouth bristled with sharp fangs like a forest of swords and spears, and it lunged forward with a single mighty bite!

The movements of the phoenix and the tiger were swift as lightning—clearly the power of mere artifacts—but their appearance matched that of true living creatures, revealing considerable intelligence.

Yin Wujie smiled faintly, casually pointing a finger, and before him a dark vortex arose.

When first formed, the vortex was only a zhang in diameter, dwarfed by the hundred-zhang phoenix and black tiger, utterly insignificant.

Yet this tiny vortex forcibly halted the movements of both phoenix and tiger, locking them in place despite being only a hundred zhang away from Yin Wujie, preventing them from advancing a single inch.

As the vortex slowly rotated, the two spiritual entities were compelled to retreat, helpless against its pull, no matter how fiercely they roared or strained.

Their forms drew ever closer to the vortex, as if being swallowed whole, then expelled from the mortal realm.

This was another divine art bestowed upon Yin Wujie by the one in Yutian Meng, named “Mingmo Xiantian Qi.”

Once fully activated, it could cause all surrounding clouds to collapse, all nine directions of earth to turn to dust.

Rivers and lakes would hang inverted in the sky; beasts would leap into the clouds!

Any cultivator lacking superior techniques or insufficient cultivation depth would likely be swallowed by the vortex, then suppressed by “Mingmo Xiantian Qi,” their body weighed down, senses dulled.

At that point, escaping would be nearly impossible, leaving only hope for some great stroke of fortune to rescue them.

“Mingmo Xiantian Qi” was meticulously crafted by the Divine Nascent Soul Master who had forged the vast Shoushi Tian into his external incarnation, a figure of notorious ferocity.

Alongside “Mingmo Xiantian Qi,” two other mysterious divine arts exist: “Zhuanlun Bianhua” and “Wulai Bao Han Gong,” both complementary and mutually reinforcing, amplifying its power.

Once all three divine arts are fully gathered and refined to profound levels, one may then ascend to the famed “Hundong Taiwu.”

In terms of power, “Hundong Taiwu” rivals the world-defining techniques of the Eight Sects and Six Clans.

In ancient times, when the Divine Nascent Soul Master attacked Shoushi Tian, he used “Hundong Taiwu” to forcibly imprison a celestial giant who had attained Immortal Body, and to this day, that giant remains trapped—no matter how hard his disciples try, none can awaken him from “Hundong Taiwu.”

At this moment, the vortex had already swallowed half the bodies of the phoenix and tiger, and escape seemed impossible.

But the treasure mirror flew forward, releasing a beam of mirror-light that struck the vortex’s center, shattering it halfway.

Simultaneously, the golden hammer flashed several times, leaping out of the chaotic battlefield, its body’s radiance suddenly spinning wildly, like a golden sun falling from the heavens, aimed straight at Yin Wujie’s third eye.

BOOM—

In an instant, a furious wind erupted, surging outward in all directions, churning like oceanic waves, shaking the earth and trembling the mountains, tearing vast swathes of the dark flames apart!

This hammer struck with immense, unstoppable force.

Though it dented Yin Wujie’s protective aura, just before impact, a jade-like hand caught it, halting its descent.

“A fine Star Pivot Golden Hammer—no wonder it was forged from the remaining divine material of Hu Zhao’s primordial magnetized golden orb. Such brutal power is rare indeed.”

Even at this moment, Yin Wujie had time to praise it.

Though the Star Pivot Golden Hammer continued to press forward, the hand holding it stood firm as a divine mountain, unshakable.

At this moment, Yin Wujie’s left hand formed a seal, preparing to unleash “Mingmo Xiantian Qi” again to suppress and reclaim the hammer.

But a thunder talisman shot like lightning toward his face, forcing Yin Wujie to alter his seal and first destroy the talisman.

Soon after, clear light spilled like dew, and the vortex imprisoning the phoenix and tiger slowly dissipated.

In moments, the three artifacts pressed forward again, accompanied by talismans manifesting as rotating sun, moon, and stars, spanning the heavens.

Combined with the endless dark flames covering the land, it resembled an apocalyptic calamity poised to scour the mortal world clean.

Yin Wujie swept his sleeve, condensing his magic power, and calmly brushed his hand forward.

Instantly, a glow appeared.

In moments, the glow expanded to a hundred zhang in length, growing ever larger until it became a colossal ten-thousand-poison hand seal, entwined in green and white, radiating sinister residual energy, terrifying to behold, towering above the heavens!

And the sounds of slaughter never ceased.

After a brief struggle, when the golden hammer was once again blasted backward, piercing through layers of divine wind, Gu Yi formed a seal, called out, and then slightly shook her head.

This matter was unlikely to end peacefully.

After her battle with Wei Ling Jiang, she had sought a secluded place to recuperate, yet she never expected to encounter Yin Wujie—truly an unexpected turn.

Due to disputes over rankings on the Suidan Ping, long before her Core Formation, she had clashed with Yin Wujie several times and knew her own divine arts were inferior to his.

The struggle for the Danyuan Champion title concerned future destiny.

Even if Yin Ruohua had reached this stage, Yin Wujie would not yield the Xu Du Great Elixir to her.

Thus, no pleasantries were exchanged; upon seeing each other, they immediately attacked.

Yet…

Gu Yi glanced at the flickering talisman-light in the sky, and as she formed her seal, a strange feeling stirred within her.

Shortly after she began fighting Yin Wujie, Pei Zhi suddenly appeared, intervening.

Though she had heard rumors of Pei Zhi’s grudge against the Qi Wu Yin Clan, they had had little prior interaction—yet now they chose to join forces against a common enemy, which was curious.

Yet even together, their efforts proved insufficient; Yin Wujie still controlled the battle, denying them any chance to turn the tide.

If this continued, the outcome would be obvious.

“Yin Wujie’s Tai Su Jade Body has reached the sixth layer of Yuan Realm; without continuous bombardment from artifacts, merely occasional hits cannot break his defense.”

At this moment, Pei Zhi extended two fingers and slashed; countless brilliant lights burst from her talismans, merging into a wall that barely blocked Yin Wujie’s fist wind.

She sent a thought to Gu Yi:

“Do you have a divine art capable of corrupting his blood qi?”

Gu Yi shook her head.

Tai Su Jade Body—

The power of this flesh-to-saint method need not be elaborated; it is nearly impervious to all evils.

Though she possessed the True Mind Golden Insect, a cosmic rarity, and held a divine art specifically designed to suppress flesh and blood qi, both proved useless against Tai Su.

To defeat a cultivator who has perfected Tai Su Jade Body, the simplest methods are either to locate his system’s core or to surpass him directly in flesh cultivation, or to strike with overwhelming divine power.

The former is exceedingly difficult—no Jin Dan cultivator here could accomplish it.

As for the latter, it is no easier.

Yin Wujie’s flesh cultivation has clearly reached the pinnacle of Jin Dan; Gu Yi is no match for him, and his evasion techniques are also extremely potent—he will not stand still like a target for her to attack.

If there were any Danyuan True Person here who could match Yin Wujie in flesh cultivation…

It would only be…

Gu Yi’s mind flashed upon a figure, then she herself found it strange, and slightly shook her head.

“If so, I have a method to temporarily restrain his evasion. You seize this opening and unleash Hu Zhao’s supreme divine art.”

Pei Zhi paused slightly, then continued:

“But I need you, True Person Gu, to buy me a moment to form the seal.”

Gu Yi’s thoughts shifted instantly, and she had a plan.

Yet before she could send a thought, a tremendous cracking sound rang out, and her three artifacts were all blasted backward, their spiritual light dimming.

The sun, moon, and stars summoned by the talismans exploded all at once, causing Pei Zhi to grunt in pain.

“Rise.”

Yin Wujie seemed unwilling to prolong the battle.

He merely lifted his hand lightly, and his body shed some kind of blockage—a vast, overwhelming force erupted, shaking the earth’s crust with a rumble as if it could not bear the weight!

“Ping Tian Fu Di?”

Gu Yi recognized the technique Yin Wujie had used, her expression turning serious.

At the same moment,

In a strange realm where sky and earth were inverted, mountains and rivers floated in the air, and clouds and blue heavens formed the base, Yu Huangshang’s expression also grew solemn as he leaned forward slightly.

“Ping Tian Fu Di.”

He said.

…

…

At this moment, Yu Huangshang seemed lost in thought, beneath him a hundred-zhang venomous dragon wrapped in blazing fire slowly glided, exhaling smoke.

Before him floated a crystal orb, roughly a zhang in diameter, clearly reflecting the battle between Yin Wujie, Gu Yi, and Pei Zhi.

This was the secret technique “Han Guang Zhao Ying,” personally created by Chen Yu.

As long as the user was willing to expend energy, even scenes three thousand li away appeared as clearly as patterns on one’s palm.

With the Hua Chun Mist no longer obstructing him, Yu Huangshang could now freely unleash all his divine arts.

Yet after glancing briefly at Yin Wujie, Yu Huangshang paid him no further attention; he waved his hand, and the crystal orb shifted, revealing Chen Hang and Zhou Fu’s figures emerging within.

These two most formidable sword cultivators in the arena had not yet clashed, but instead activated their sword evasion.

As if competing in evasion, they had already left the area corrupted by the “Tun Ling Fan Zhen Fa,” yet continued moving forward without pause.

Yu Huangshang understood they sought a secluded place to fight, so others would not benefit.

Yet even through the crystal orb’s reflection, the sword momentum they displayed stirred Yu Huangshang’s heart.

“Zhou Fu… has this man truly gleaned some insight from that half-sword scripture? Truly more troublesome—this means my previous plan must be reconsidered…”

Seeing this, Yu Huangshang fell into deep thought.

Now there are ten Golden Core True Persons of the Imperial Elder Society’s Map.

Yin Ruohua has already been eliminated.

Yin Wujie’s fate was long sealed; in Yu Huangshang’s view, Gu Yi and Pei Zhi were destined to lose, and no further attention was needed.

Wei Lingjiang and Lu Rong clearly fell outside the scope of the Containing Light and Reflecting Shadow technique, and their figures did not appear in the crystal sphere.

As for Jia Xiu of Dou Shu…

Thinking Zhici , Yu Huangshang chuckled, unconcerned.

When the Hua Chun Mist had dispersed earlier, Yu Huangshang had already confronted Jia Xiu, effortlessly injuring him and planting a spell upon his body.

Though Jia Xiu had fled far away, every move he made was within Yu Huangshang’s perception—he was no longer a threat at all.

Thus, only Chen Hang and Zhou Fugia remained…

As Yu Huangshang pondered his next move, he suddenly frowned and rose gracefully from the dragon’s head.

Not long after, a blood-shadow flew toward him, then struck an invisible barrier and shattered into fragments.

But this was only the beginning; as the sky’s corner blazed blindingly bright, countless blood-shadows surged forward in succession, colliding with a thunderous roar like mountains collapsing and peaks toppling, forcing their way into this inverted realm!

“Lu Rong,” said Yu Huangshang.

“It seems my guess was correct—you indeed used this technique to conceal your whereabouts first, then employed the Containing Light and Reflecting Shadow method as your eyes and ears… Master Yu, you still act with such caution.”

Amid the torrential bloodlight, Lu Rong’s figure flickered in and out of view:

"If not for the Zai Yuanzhao True Divine Eye, I truly would have struggled to locate you."

“Judging by these wounds, they resemble the Red Ming Technique—did you clash with Wei Lingjiang?”

Yu Huangshang paused his gaze on Lu Rong, his expression growing slightly more serious.

Lu Rong bore several deep gashes, bone-deep, within which flickered blazing firelight; though slowly pushed and nibbled away by the bloodlight, the firelight remained stubbornly present for now.

“I was seeking you, but I happened upon her first.”

Lu Rong paid little heed to his wounds; recalling the earlier battle, he gave a quiet commendation:

“And this woman truly lives up to her status as a First-Rank Golden Core—pity she has cultivated too briefly, lacking sufficient depth. Give her more time, and she may become another formidable rival for you and me!”

Yu Huangshang caught Lu Rong’s implied meaning and frowned:

“We need not fight each other now. Of the eight sects’ True Persons here, only Chen Hang and Zhou Fugia can match us. The rest have either already been eliminated or are about to fall.”

“Once Yin Wujie drives off Pei Zhi, and Chen Hang and Zhou Fugia are both wounded from their clash, when only our Yuanmen cultivators remain, won’t it be better to fight then?”

“Master Yu, do you truly believe your Containing Light and Reflecting Shadow technique has been seen by no one but me? Never mind others—Chen Hang’s spiritual sense must have sensed something. How then could he give you the chance to be the hunter behind the bird?”

Lu Rong, upon hearing this, smirked as if amused by a joke.

“Moreover, letting Chen Hang and Zhou Fugia weaken each other so we can swoop in for the spoils? First, such a plan is bound to fail.”

Lu Rong sneered, his blood-red robe stirring without wind as he spoke with pride:

“Who do you think I, Lu Rong, am?”

“Do you really believe that with the Chi Pan Zhen within you, you can afford to ignore all cost?”

Seeing this, Yu Huangshang ceased his persuasion, merely moving his lips to form a spell.

At a hidden mountain foot, Jia Xiu, who had been seated in meditation, suddenly spat out several mouthfuls of blood; then, a vast torrent of essence within him was mysteriously drawn away into Yu Huangshang’s body.

“Excellent technique!”

Lu Rong praised.

The two exchanged a glance, saying nothing further.

In an instant, two mighty forces of magic power clashed head-on, churning the clouds into spirals and turning the gale into blades!

……

Elsewhere.

Green mountains, full of peaks; clear streams flowed—

Upon arriving here, Chen Hang and Zhou Fugia simultaneously halted their swordlight, descending from the clouds several miles apart.

They merely bowed to each other from afar, then stood still, silent.

“Master Tu… what is the meaning of this?”

Seeing the two locked in stalemate, neither drawing sword to attack first,

After a long wait, a young girl from the Water-Land Celestial Palace, who had come with her sect elders to observe and gain experience, could no longer hold back and whispered her question.

But Master Tu said nothing, his eyes only brightening with admiration.

As for the other Water-Land Celestial Palace cultivators, some wore solemn expressions, others sighed inwardly.

The girl did not understand. She was about to speak again when her pupils suddenly shrank slightly.

Between Chen Hang and Zhou Fugia, a lush, towering mountain suddenly had half its peak sheared away, the cut smooth and even as if a hot knife had sliced through wax.

And the flying rocks and trees scattered through the air had already turned to dust before they could touch the ground—utterly silent, utterly invisible.