Chapter 644: Before One's Eyes Lies the Great Luo Heaven (End of This Volume)

The moon had climbed to the center of the sky.

Inside Piandian, Li Yuan opened his eyes; his gaze was very bright as he sorted through the intelligence obtained from the bronze coffin spirit.

"The You Jing and the present world are each other's surface and depth; its vastness is nearly infinite, but compared to the present world's boundless starry sky, the You Jing is like a thousand-layer cake, possessing infinite dimensions…"

"Those Gulaodao Sect, called 'Weitiandao Sect,' have inheritances stretching far back, traceable to before the founding of the Origin Divine Dynasty. No one knows where Their mountain gates lie; they are suspected to be hidden within the endless dimensions of the You Jing's deep layers."

"Different Weitiandao Sect have different initiation ceremonies; not all of them recognize the ceremony where 'slaying an evil god' suffices for entry, and the divine-predecessor sacrifice also does not apply to every Weitiandao Sect,

but the Guidance Divine Fire is different!"

"All true-lineage disciples of the Weitiandao Sect can, at the moment of their death, give birth to a cluster of Guidance Divine Fire to be left for the fated one. Whoever obtains it and completes the ceremony within may also enter the corresponding Weitiandao Sect!"

……

Li Yuan sorted through what he had gained, reviewing the conversation with the bronze coffin spirit.

Compared to people, his trust in treasure-spirits was somewhat higher.

Therefore, upon noticing that this bronze coffin spirit held no enmity toward those Weitiandao Sect, he had, on rare occasion, boldly inquired about the Guidance Divine Fire.

And the result…

"What ceremony the Guidance Divine Fire contains varies entirely from person to person; some are perilous, some are gentle, but failing to complete the ceremony will burn one to ash…"

Li Yuan let out a long breath; the gloom that had gathered since the sudden appearance of the Blood Phoenix had largely dispersed. He squinted slightly, and upon sensing that pale-white flame again, his mood was already different.

Before, he could only guess that this flame was related to entering those ancient sects, but now he already knew this flame's origin and its use, so naturally he no longer dreaded it.

"This is a stroke of fortune."

Sensing the fluctuations of the pale-white divine fire, Daoist Li's thoughts became far more active; he no longer avoided it like a snake or scorpion. Were it not for the lingering concern of failing the ceremony, he would have wanted to release this flame right now.

"According to the bronze coffin spirit's account, the true-lineage disciples of the Weitiandao Sect who left behind the Guidance Divine Fire would mostly leave behind a hint, so 'if a person is not burdened by form' must be related to completing the ceremony…"

Suppressing the stirring in his heart, Li Yuan pondered and dissected:

"Judging from the literal meaning, this phrase is also plain and easy to understand; the question lies in what this 'form' is."

Daoist Li was thinking.

Benefiting from the elevation of his innate talent, and from his unceasing reading over these years, in just a single turn of thought he already had several dozen different understandings of this phrase.

What is form?

It can be the external flesh-body, worldly rules, reputation, profit, or it can be the shackles that trouble oneself.

Of course, it can also be the form in shape-shifting.

"The form in shape-shifting? But the words left by a Weitiandao Sect true-lineage disciple probably wouldn't be this obvious, would they?"

Daoist Li muttered to himself, ceaselessly guessing and associating, but since it concerned his own safety, he could not judge for a long while.

"Perhaps I can consolidate them?"

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Li Yuan: "Why must I choose only one?"

At the rise of this thought, Daoist Li's mind immediately livened: "The meaning of this phrase can be entirely understood as: if a person can cast aside worldly rules, personal desires, and the shackles of the flesh-body…"

"Truly very difficult."

With this reckoning, Daoist Li instantly felt tremendous pressure.

Each family knows its own affairs; Daoist Li was very clear about his own limits. Worldly rules were still manageable, personal desires were also manageable, but the flesh-body—he definitely could not give that up.

"Mm…"

In Piandian, Li Yuan sat in a daze all night without any clue, and had to turn to the second path mentioned by the bronze coffin spirit:

"Fire-warding."

This path suited Li Yuan's tastes far better.

First, consider avoiding being burned to ash after the ceremony fails.

"According to the bronze coffin spirit's account, upon realizing the ceremony has failed one can hide inside the God-Burial Coffin; this divine coffin is of extremely high grade, but to ensure one won't be burned to ash in an instant…"

Li Yuan rubbed his face, unable to refrain from cursing that Blood Phoenix. If not for having only three days, given his temperament, such a dangerous matter—he would never have done it no matter what.

"Hoo!"

Steadying his mind, Li Yuan began to take stock of the usable weapons on the gray Dingxin Dingxin Shitai.

"There are quite a few weapons that can ward fire, but the only one likely to be effective is probably Dun Tian Zhou; besides, although the Sea-Suppressing Shan Xuan Tortoise Shell and the Two-Color Azure Dragon Shell have no fire-warding ability, stacking a few more layers of armor is never wrong…"

"Mm, the Shan Xuan Whale Hammer must also be added; innate talent is equally important…"

Regarding the choice of weapons to wield, Li Yuan had long been well practiced. By the time Xin Xin Wenhua came to Piandian to look for him, he had already picked out a set—a currently strongest 'fire-warding set' with Dun Tian Zhou as the main piece, supplemented by the Shan Xuan Tortoise Shell, Azure Dragon Shell, and Shan Xuan Whale Hammer.

With this fire-warding set upon him, he reckoned that even if this divine fire's temperature were higher, it could not burn him to ash in an instant.

"Senior Brother Xin."

Having a decision in his heart, Li Yuan absolutely did not dawdle, nor did he have any thought of waiting until the very last moment of the three-day period Huang Longzi had mentioned:

"Notify all parties to send over all the incense-fire currently gathered,

I am going to perform the sacrifice!"

……

……

Ooo~

In a stretch of dim An De You Jing, a crimson dragon-shadow soared through it, rising and falling.

"Xuandaozi, Fa Huan Fa Huan Yi Tong, Fenghuang'er, Feng Feng Wu Ding… only this few have come?"

On the crimson great dragon-ship, Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long stood with his hands behind his back; his crimson divine armor trembled lightly as if alive, emitting a low sound:

"The Weitiandao Sect mostly do not accept those who switch masters bringing their skills; Taihuang Heaven is no exception. All those who have already achieved 'World-Refining' will not come to join this commotion… You have been suppressing your realm for a hundred years and have already fallen behind those few by quite a lot."

Behind him, crimson divine light flickered in and out of view, as if extremely violent fierce beasts lurked within. Duan Yang Jian Tian Yi glanced once and dared not look again, while Wang Shan Xuan did not dare raise his head at all, wishing he could even plug his ears.

The two sat slumped on the deck, dejected, like prisoners awaiting judgment.

"The path of cultivation is long; those who contend over a moment's victory or defeat—how can they contend for ten thousand generations?"

Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long turned around, his expression indifferent: "You were the first to discover the Blood Phoenix — speak in detail."

"Y-yes, Senior."

Duan Yang Jian Tian Yi's breathing was somewhat labored, but he still steeled himself and recounted everything he had experienced one by one, not daring to hide a single thing.

"Mm…"

Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long listened in silence, while light and shadow interwove in the depths of his eyes.

If Duan Yang Jian Tian Yi and the other could have seen, they would have noticed that the light and shadow surfacing along with their narration was precisely their previous sights and sounds.

And far more detailed than what the two described.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, the sound of tearing silk rang out.

Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long's crown trembled slightly; the flickering light and shadow in his gaze scattered, leaving only a mottled, swaying great banner bearing a thousand phoenix-birds:

"The Thousand Phoenix Banner — quite well prepared."

"This Thousand Phoenix Banner should be the very one used by Feng Feng Qingcang in years past. Though it is a Thousand Phoenix, it already faintly shows signs of transforming into a Ten Thousand Phoenix. Trying to peer into her will not be easy."

A wisp of dim light stepped out from the darkness — it was an old man with a sallow face and grizzled beard and hair. As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, sending Duan Yang Jian Tian Yi and the other tumbling off the dragon-boat, before saying:

"Just as I expected, that Blood Phoenix did not appear out of nowhere — it was drawn by the aura of the Eight Directions Temple, cried three times in succession, wanting to swallow the Eight Directions Temple."

"The Eight Directions Temple where Feng Feng Qingcang rose to power?"

Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long raised an eyebrow and looked toward where the Blood Phoenix was. The dragon-mark on his brow flickered with crimson light, as if he were using a secret art to peer: "No wonder no one is moving — they all fear this temple."

"Naturally that one."

The sallow-faced old man nodded. His name was 'Chi Qiu', an elder of the Red Dragon lineage of the Poison Dragon Academy, and also Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long's Dao-protector on this outing.

"I heard that temple carries a great karmic burden?"

Having peered for a long time without result, Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long withdrew his gaze.

"It's more than just great."

Chi Qiu was somewhat evasive, only hinting: "It is said that when Feng Feng Qingcang crossed his tribulation, the Dao-tribulation manifested the Dao-shadow of an earth-shattering figure, and Feng Feng Qingcang nearly perished, body and Dao both destroyed."

"It was actually because of the Eight Directions Temple?"

Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long seemed lost in thought: "It seems we'll have to avoid this temple during the ritual."

"Dao-tribulation is already hard to cross — if one also gets entangled with this temple… tsk tsk, a tribulation even someone like Feng Feng Qingcang could not pass."

Chi Qiu sighed, just as he was about to remark further, when he suddenly raised an eyebrow.

"Mm?"

Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long reacted just as quickly. The crimson divine armor on his body trembled violently, wrapping him entirely within it; at the same time, the great crimson dragon-boat beneath him let out a low dragon's roar and vanished from the spot in an instant.

"Lii!"

The next instant, the Blood Phoenix's cry rang through the You Jing.

Boom!

Throughout the You Jing, every one of those spying on the Blood Phoenix changed color, some urging their flying boats, some urging their treasures and spells, scattering in all directions to flee.

"……"

On the scorched earth, Wang Shan Xuan, who had been congratulating himself on surviving the tribulation, suddenly changed color. Without a second thought he grabbed Duan Yang Jian Tian Yi and plunged headfirst into the scorched earth, no longer caring whether they might lose themselves within the You Jing.

Rumble!

The phoenix's cry echoed in all directions, but contrary to everyone's expectations, the anticipated 'Heaven-Devouring Divine Ability' did not spread to engulf the surroundings.

"That bird's gone mad again!"

Atop the head of a golden toad crouched on the ground, Fa Huan Fa Huan Yi Tong also gazed with rapt attention, seeing in the extreme distance a sky of blood-light, raging flames, and a colossal phoenix-bird folding its wings and slamming brutally into the scorched earth.

Rumble!

In an instant, the blood-red light blazed fiercely, illuminating even the You Jing tens of thousands of li away.

Beneath the blinding divine light, even Dao-protectors like Chi Qiu and Yan Momo, who had cultivated superior Dharma-eyes, felt their eyes sting — yet they still barely managed to witness the Blood Phoenix's heaven-shaking strike.

The colossal phoenix-bird fell like a collapsing star; all who witnessed this scene felt as though heaven and earth themselves trembled.

Immediately, a startling scene unfolded.

The scorched earth struck by the Blood Phoenix did not crack, but instead rippled like water-waves. As the ripples spread, they revealed a sky of clear azure, with four great suns hanging high!

"This is a life-star?! It doesn't seem to be in the 'Star Register' of the Tian Shi Yuan — what a pity, a fine herding ground…"

"This Blood Phoenix wants to break through the boundary? Truly lost and fallen — without karmic merit it still dares to dream of descending into the present world?"

"Wait — that ancient temple is?!"

"That's the Eight Directions Temple? No wonder there's a life-star not in the 'Star Register'."

……

Feng Huang'er, Feng Feng Wu Ding and the others, who had evaded by various means, were all startled, only now realizing the purpose of the Blood Phoenix's strike.

"It actually wants to enter the present world?"

On the Ten Thousand Phoenix Ship, Feng Huang'er could barely contain herself, but Yan Momo reacted faster, raising a hand to press down on her shoulder.

"Evil creature!"

At this moment, an angry rebuke even drowned out the Blood Phoenix's earth-shaking crash.

Under the gaze of every faction, a single speck of dust emerged from the void, and in the blink of an eye swelled ten billion-fold, transforming into an ancient, desolate temple.

"Evil beast!"

Dong Dong Ershisan stood atop the ancient temple, unable to endure any longer.

By common sense, even though corroded by the You Jing's aura, these evil gods — who in life had been deities — should still possess some instinct to seek fortune and avoid misfortune.

Therefore he had been unwilling to act before, but now…

'A slight movement shouldn't detonate the 'Three Suns Dao-Nurturing Array'…'

Dong Dong Ershisan lightly stamped his foot, producing a muffled "thud."

Then, the ancient temple beneath his feet, already as massive as a mountain, swelled by hundreds of millions of times once more, sprang upward with a single bound, and then pressed down like a stellar sun.

A vast, ancient aura rolled outward in waves; even the true inheritors of the various Sacred Lands watching from the You Jing hundreds of thousands of miles away could not help but have their pupils contract sharply, feeling a bone-piercing chill.

"Huang Fan Tian Yin!"

A startled exclamation came from somewhere in the You Jing. A tall, burly great Monk pinched his fingers to calculate, then raised a brow and looked up at the ancient temple, where Dong Dong Ershisan manifested a body ten thousand zhang tall:

"Gu Gu Shentong?"

"Screech!"

The ancient temple hung in the void; the blood phoenix cried out once more.

The enormous phoenix bird screeched as it shot skyward, letting the blood in its chest flow freely, and pounced ferociously upon the ancient temple pressing down like stars and moons.

……

Within the territory of Thunder Sound Great Continent, there were many mountains, rivers, and lakes, and all manner of mineral resources were extremely abundant.

The Seven Star Palace sat amid a stretch of mineral mountains.

"Master, take a rest! This disciple's arms can't even be lifted anymore!"

At the rear mountain of the Seven Star Palace, Brother Qiao Tianhe pitifully swung his arms. He had performed the Frightening Dragon Hammer Technique three hundred times in one go; even though he had already achieved Tongmai, he truly could not endure it.

Because the hammer in his hand had been specially forged by Wan Chuan — not only was the handle very long, it was also extremely heavy.

"Back then, that lad Li learned my Frightening Dragon Hammer Technique in just one round. And look at you…"

Wan Chuan tapped his forehead, frustrated that his student was failing to live up to his expectations.

"…Senior Brother Li reached the Grandmaster realm years ago. Why don't you enter the Dao?"

Brother Qiao Tianhe could not help mutter a complaint in his heart.

"What did you say?"

Wan Chuan flew into a rage.

"This disciple didn't say anything?"

Brother Qiao Tianhe shuddered all over and was slapped to the ground with one palm.

"Get up!"

Wan Chuan glared at him and was about to lecture him, only to see his disciple pointing at the sky with a face full of terror, as if he had seen a ghost.

"What are you looking at…"

Wan Chuan subconsciously looked up and was so startled that he stumbled.

Above the azure sky, washed clean as jade, darkness rolled in like terrifying waves, covering the heavens as far as the eye could see. Then, a blood-colored phoenix bird, so vast it defied description, slammed into the canopy of the sky!

Boom!

As if heaven and earth had been shaken!

Terrifying ripples spread layer upon layer in the high heavens, like monstrous waves, sweeping out toward the four directions at a speed beyond imagination.

In an instant, wind and cloud alike shattered!

Then, a sound like the explosion of stars echoed down from the highest reaches of the sky, reverberating unceasingly among the mountain ranges.

Rumble!

Wan Chuan fell to the ground — not only because of his fright, but because the mountain peak beneath his feet was trembling violently.

"What is this thing?!"

Wan Chuan's mind went blank.

"Master!"

Brother Qiao Tianhe rushed over, shoving the dumbfounded Wan Chuan aside. Just then came a "crack!" as a hideous fissure split open and rapidly spread.

In the blink of an eye, the great mountain where the Seven Star Palace sat had already split apart. "An earth dragon turning over?!"

"What is that thing in the sky? What a huge bird…"

"The sky is falling!"

The Seven Star Palace erupted into chaos. Figures darted out from the crumbling houses one after another; seeing the black fog churning in the sky and the scene of wind and cloud alike shattering, every one of them turned pale with horror.

"Has the sky fallen?!"

Wan Chuan suddenly came to his senses, grabbed his disciple who had nearly fallen into the abyss, and with a few bounds, landed at the edge of the cliff.

Only to see an even more terrifying sight.

Boom!

Boom!

Above the vault of heaven, gang winds detonated; on the earth, the earth dragon turned over; among the mountains, violent winds rose suddenly… countless plants, trees, mud, and sand were swept up into the sky by the gale, as if doomsday had arrived.

This earth-shaking scene was not limited to the Seven Star Palace.

Thunder Sound Great Continent, Smoke Mountain Dao, Dragon Hidden Dao, Gusu Dao, Heng Dragon Dao, Ten Thousand Dragon Dao… almost in an instant, the aftershocks of the blood phoenix's heaven-shaking collision had already spread across the entire Dayun Dynasty, and even the whole world!

In an instant, the world was shaken.

Countless people looked up at the sky; even more fell to their knees in terror, some weeping and wailing, some praying to the gods. Beneath the great terror of doomsday descending, even Jianghu Sect Grandmasters were struck with fear.

"Heavens!"

"Help! Help!"

"What is that thing? Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva, have mercy and save the world…"

……

"Holy crap!"

Before the Huangchengpiandian, Xin Xin Wenhua stared at the sky in horror. Looking at the You Jing that covered heaven and earth, and the giant phoenix that blotted out the sun, he felt his scalp explode.

As a true inheritor of Dragon Tiger Mountain and a friend of Li Yuan, he had of course heard of the upheaval in the You Jing, and knew that an extremely terrifying phoenix bird had descended into the You Jing, possessing the power to devour heaven and earth.

But how could it compare to seeing it with one's own eyes?

Crack!

Winds and clouds unfurled, thunder rolling.

Xin Xin Wenhua's eyesight was excellent; he could even see through the shaken celestial phenomena to the cracks in the void, solid as if real, as if the barrier between You Jing and the present world would shatter the next moment!

An indescribable chill surged into his heart, and for a moment he even forgot to breathe.

"Th-this, this is, is an Evil God?"

Xin Xin Wenhua stood dumbfounded on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.

"Evil God…"

Li Yuan was also looking up at the sky.

His eyesight was naturally far better than Xin Xin Wenhua's, and he saw far more; he saw the Blood Phoenix slamming into the scorched earth with perfect clarity.

Separated by You Jing, this strike of the Blood Phoenix only sent faint ripples into the present world, but these faint ripples alone were enough to stir up a catastrophe covering the entire planet!

"How dare Xuandaozi pursue something like this?!"

Li Yuan's body trembled, his hands and feet turning ice-cold.

He saw it clearly: above the clouds, the Nine Layers of Gale Heaven covering the atmosphere had been torn apart, and within the rolling dark clouds, he even saw a small mountain peak!

Power of this magnitude had already exceeded his comprehension.

Whoosh~

A streak of rainbow light broke through the sky; before Pang Pang Wenlong even landed, one after another Yun Xiang Ding had already fallen before the Piandian.

Not only him, Long Long Yingchan, Long Xi Xiang, Fang Fang Sanyun and others also arrived one after another; the faces of this group of Grand Masters were far uglier than Xin Xin Wenhua's.

"Does this Evil God want to flee into the present world?"

Long Long Yingchan pinched his wildly twitching long brows, his expression Solemn as never before; although he had not cultivated magic power, the divine patterns in his Spirit Form had been plucked from 'Wind' and 'Cloud'.

Through the raging gale, he could sense a breath that made his hair stand on end.

"Bafang Temple!"

At this moment, Xin Xin Wenhua's voice suddenly rang out, and everyone looked up at the sky.

A desolate ancient temple descended across the sky like the sun and moon, intending to suppress and slay the Blood Phoenix; the latter shrieked, turned to meet it, and in an instant, the light and shadow in You Jing vanished beyond the heavens.

"Bafang Temple blocked it!"

The light and shadow vanished; the scenes within You Jing could no longer be seen. Even knowing the Blood Phoenix was still battling Bafang Temple within You Jing, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though their expressions remained unsightly.

The feeling of a great calamity descending, of life and death hanging by a thread, of being powerless to act—even a group of Grand Masters found it hard to remain calm.

"Able to shake heaven and earth even through You Jing, the power of an Evil God is truly fearsome and terrifying."

Pang Pang Wenlong took a deep breath and handed the last two Yun Xiang Ding to Li Yuan:

"The Xieshen Sect has hidden over a dozen ding of incense offerings in the mountains of Thunder Sound Great Province; if you need them, this old man will go fetch them now."

"I'm afraid there isn't time."

Li Yuan took those two Yun Xiang Ding, barely steadying his emotions: "If this incense isn't enough, then even a dozen more ding won't be enough."

"Mm."

Pang Pang Wenlong said no more.

Long Long Yingchan, Long Xi Xiang and other Grand Masters also stepped forward; even Tian Tian Shezi and Fang Fang Sanyun, who had previously harbored complaints about Li Yuan, now proactively offered their assistance.

"This imperial city is the hub of the Great Fortune, where human will gathers; the collapsed Star-Gazing Platform is the center of the imperial city, where earth fortune converges, so setting up the altar here would be best…"

Li Yuan could no longer bother with politeness, and began giving orders to the group of Grand Masters.

Before long, including Qin Li Shixian with her complicated expression, a group of Grand Masters hurried off to prepare what Li Yuan needed for the ritual.

After the crowd dispersed, Li Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the pressure immense.

'If it were when I first arrived in this world, encountering something like this, I definitely would have run…'

Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

"Nie Xianshan has already gone to fetch your second brother's family; if things go badly, at the end I will use the Bafang Token to send them into Bafang Temple…"

Pang Pang Wenlong suddenly spoke.

"Thank you, Senior."

Li Yuan bowed in thanks; this had originally been the last thing he had asked Pang Pang Wenlong to do.

"Not just your second brother's family; if your ritual fails, this old man will do everything in his power to send more people into Bafang Temple… however many can be saved, so be it."

Finally, Pang Pang Wenlong patted his shoulder:

"That includes you."

"Hah!"

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment; he drew his stance and slowly pushed through a set of Soldier Body Posture, and only after his emotions had completely calmed did he sit cross-legged.

While waiting for the ritual ceremony, he also sensed the fluctuations of that pale-white divine fire:

"If a person is not burdened by the body…"

……

……

"Plague-ridden thieving bird!"

The Blood Phoenix's world-shaking strike even reached the present world, and within Bafang Temple the rumbling came wave after wave; the human-headed monstrous bird clung desperately to a strange stone on the mountaintop, cursing through gritted teeth.

Although it had a human head, it still belonged to the category of birds; the Blood Phoenix's aura affected it far too greatly, every thread and wisp making its hair stand on end.

"Damnable! If not for the East Temple's depleted foundation, and Old Gu having just ignited the Spirit Puppet's Heart…"

The human-headed monstrous bird gritted its teeth and spread its wings; stretching its pinions, it borrowed the power of the Dao Soldier Pagoda to guard Bafang Mountain, and only by turning its face green did it block the Blood Phoenix's aura outside the mountain.

"Old Gu has already begun mobilizing the East Temple's power; th-this, one careless move and the Three Yang Grand Formation will explode, and Li kid is still outside, what do we do?!"

Feeling the trembling of Ba Fang Mountain, the human-headed monster bird grew very anxious. It circled the mountain once, and just as it was about to land back in Shi Lin, its brow suddenly furrowed deeply, as if it had seen something utterly loathsome.

From a bamboo grove halfway up Ba Fang Mountain, a youth with white hair and Bai Mei stepped out. At a glance, the youth looked about twenty, but upon closer sensing, there was an indescribable air of decay about him.

"This mongrel!"

Toward this half-breed of the human race and the Cloud Demon race, the human-headed monster bird felt great disgust. It did not understand why Gu Ye had taken him in, but it could not be bothered to spare him another glance.

Ignoring the man's greeting, it beat its wings and flew back to Shi Lin atop the mountain.

Hum~

Ba Fang Mountain trembled violently for an instant.

The human-headed monster bird jerked its head up, only to see a wisp of Bai Guang burst forth from the void, transforming into the figure of Dong Dong Ershisan.

"Dong Ershisan Ye!"

The human-headed monster bird went to meet him.

"That mad beast has gone berserk and lost me, and there are still quite a few people lurking nearby…"

Dong Dong Ershisan spoke concisely and to the point: "I am preparing to activate the Three Yang Dao-Nurturing Array. Coordinate with me."

Even though it had its suspicions, the human-headed monster bird was still somewhat alarmed: "You're going to use the Three Yang Grand Array now? But our accumulated energy is insufficient at present. If it emerges ahead of time, I'm afraid…"

"That Blood Phoenix may not truly have been passing through."

Dong Dong Ershisan's gaze was very cold. Having no time to slowly persuade the human-headed monster bird, with a raise of his hand, a streak of rainbow light plunged into Ba Fang Mountain beneath his feet like a bolt of silk:

"Activate the Dao Soldier Pagoda!"

"This… yes!"

Unable to refuse, the human-headed monster bird beat both wings and unleashed ten thousand beams of brilliant light. Under the radiance, the void beneath Ba Fang Mountain boiled, and a colossal pagoda materialized from illusion to reality, slowly emerging.

"Gu Ye, that lad Li…"

The human-headed monster bird could not help but speak up; it held Li Yuan in very high regard.

In that Fang Mi Jing cut off from the outside, with incomplete inheritances, he could still transform his form at will, shed his mortal bones for the talent of gods and demons, and moreover fight his way to the thirty-sixth floor of the Dao Soldier Pagoda. Even placed among the five great grotto-heavens of Tian Shi Yuan, he would be a figure on the level of a Dao Child.

Even rarer, this lad was a native-born 'one of our own.'

"I will open the 'Wan Yuan Zhao Shen Jing.' You remotely draw him in!"

Dong Dong Ershisan was sparing with words. He had to face that berserk Blood Phoenix head-on, and at this moment, splitting his focus to also channel the Three Yang Dao-Nurturing Grand Array left him no spare energy.

Hum~

The humming instantly rang through all of Ba Fang Mi Jing.

Whether the several Grandmasters below the mountain, Han Han Chuijun who had just exited the Dao Soldier Pagoda, or Wan Wan Zhuliu halfway up the mountain in the bamboo grove who had just condensed his human-form flesh body—all could not help but look up.

An ancient mirror nearly as tall as Ba Fang Mountain itself materialized from illusion to reality. Upon it, brilliant light flowed and intertwined, forming a colossal painting.

Within the painting, above the clouds wild winds howled, gang winds exploded, and upon the earth mountains and rivers quaked, with many places cracking open. Even more startling was at the seaside, where one waterspout after another connected heaven and earth.

"Is this the Great Fortune?!"

"Has the heavens collapsed? How could there be so many calamities?!"

"Impossible!"

Everyone within Ba Fang Temple erupted in uproar, utterly unable to believe their own eyes.

"Is it that giant bird that caused the Demon-Subduing Dragon God Blade to go berserk?"

Wan Wan Zhuliu was also somewhat startled, but after a moment's thought, he already had a guess. The instant of stiffness just before he was hammered to death by Li Yuan was precisely because of that monster bird.

Hum~

Mirror-light flowed. The human-headed monster bird beat its wings, having prepared to remotely draw Li Yuan into Ba Fang Temple, but when Li Yuan's figure appeared within the mirror-light, it could not help but freeze.

The mirror-light reflected the Divine Capital.

It saw, within the imperial city's ruins, a wooden platform several zhang high erected. Thirty-six Yun Xiang Ding were arranged in a special formation. Upon the platform, Li Yuan tread the gang steps and paced the dippers, his expression solemn.

"Not good. That lad Li is holding a grand sacrifice!"

The human-headed monster bird inwardly cried that things were bad.

Of all great matters under heaven, none surpass sacrifice and cultivation!

Disrupting a grand sacrifice is a grave taboo, especially for the one performing it. If the grand sacrifice is interrupted, the backlash could very well kill him!

If it were anyone else, it could not be bothered to care, but the one performing the sacrifice right now was Li Yuan—and he was the chief officiant!

"Fool!"

Catching sight of this, Dong Dong Ershisan's face twitched. He had never expected that before such a great calamity, this lad would not think to take shelter in Ba Fang Temple, but instead pin his hopes on some ritual learned from who knows where.

"Gu Ye…"

The human-headed monster bird beat its wings: "You just open the array, I, I'll keep watch. The moment he finishes the sacrifice, I'll draw him over remotely…"

"No need… hmm?"

Dong Dong Ershisan was about to withdraw the Yuan Zhao Shen Jing, but when he happened to glance at Li Yuan, his pupils could not help but contract:

"What is that?"

"Eh?"

The human-headed monster bird was half a beat slower, yet its heart could not help but tremble. Its gaze locked dead onto the clump of ghastly pale flame that had abruptly appeared before Li Yuan.

Even across an unfathomably vast distance, merely glimpsed through the Yuan Zhao Shen Jing, the instant it caught sight of that wisp of flame, it still had the terrifying illusion that it was about to be burned to ash!

"What fire is this…"

Hum~

The man and the bird saw that clump of ghastly pale divine fire, but the others within Ba Fang Mi Jing saw only a sheet of white.

The instant that clump of divine fire appeared, an indescribable aura suddenly surged upward, like a divine blade-edge piercing through the ninefold gang-wind heavens,

piercing through the barrier between the present world and the You Jing!

Boom!

Within You Jing, the Eight Directions Temple pressed down horizontally, and the Blood Phoenix let out a furious cry, shattering tens of thousands of miles of scorched earth.

But this terrifying collision sound lasted only for an extremely brief instant, and when that ghastly-white divine light tore through the gloom, it fell utterly silent!

"What is this? Could it be another evil god…"

"No, the aura of this Bai Guang is vast and majestic — it absolutely cannot be an evil god! Could it be some High God making a move?"

"It's impossible for a High God to intervene…"

……

Heaven and earth were both silent.

The true-successor Dao children of the great clans of the Holy Lands — Feng Huang'er, Feng Feng Wu Ding, Ying Ying Shan Xuan Long, and others — who had been watching the battle from various voids in space, ever ready to step forward and perform the ritual, all turned their gazes aside.

Some wary, some stunned, some indifferent and calm…

"The aura of this light…"

Only Shan Xuan Xuanjing Daozi's eyelid twitched wildly, as he sensed an uncanny sense of familiarity.

But the very next instant, upon perceiving the fluctuations emanating from that divine light, the true-successor Dao children all changed color at once, so much so that they could spare no heed for the threat of the Blood Phoenix and the Eight Directions Temple,

and instead urged their dragon boats and phoenix warships to surge skyward.

Yet at the very moment of setting out, they were frozen in place by an invisible current of qi.

Hmm~~

The vast and mighty divine sound descended from an extreme height, and in the blink of an eye, it had already poured down across the four wilds, reaching everywhere.

"Th-this is…"

Upon the Ten Thousand Phoenix Warship, Feng Huang'er's eyes widened as she gazed into the distance toward the source of that divine light.

In a daze, she seemed to see howling gale winds, churning seas of cloud, and a figure perched high above the nine heavens, indifferently looking down, chanting the divine sound of Dao scripture:

"If a person is not burdened by form…"

"Before their eyes lies the Great Luo Heaven!"

(End of this chapter)