Chapter 294: Crisis

"This matter is a long story; do you know of the Xuanhuang Supreme?"

The avatar of Fengdu Niangniang no longer concealed this matter; she had not spoken of it before because she feared that if the true situation were exposed, it would alert the creatures of the Mirage Sea.

But now that everything has already come to pass, these things can naturally be spoken of.

Not only must Chen Mo be told, but the many Great Ability powerhouses here also have the right to know.

Therefore, although she used a secret voice transmission, she did not send it to Chen Mo alone; the many Great Abilities present here could also hear it.

"This junior understands." Chen Mo spoke, and at this moment, a Great Ability had already used their own power to form a domain around them.

They could communicate freely within it without worrying about their words leaking out and being heard by other Master Martial Artists.

If it were ordinary times, Martial Artists of the Mastery Realm would naturally be qualified to know these things.

But the current situation is different; the Mirage Sea Water is constantly rioting, the Array is collapsing, and endless Mirage Sea Water is surging into the pass.

It is indeed blocked for now, but there is no guarantee that the Mirage Sea Water will not rush into the pass again.

"After obtaining the Reincarnation Stone, I immediately contacted the Xuanhuang Supreme and handed the Reincarnation Stone to him to use.

Accumulated over long years, that avatar had been almost completely eroded by the Mirage Sea.

And following right after that were many slightly stronger Mirage Sea creatures that possessed intelligence.

"Where are those three Supremes now?" Dao Haizhen asked in a deep voice.

The avatar of Fengdu Niangniang continued to narrate slowly.

Not only that, those Mirage Sea creatures also intended to use the Xuanhuang Supreme's avatar as a springboard to completely erode the Xuanhuang Supreme."

Under these circumstances, even for a Martial Artist of the Mastery Realm, every bit of extra information known increases the possibility of being dragged into the Mirage Sea.

It wasn't until I met you that I re-established contact with my true body. It was also thanks to your help that the Samsara Pool was sent into Xuanhuang Heaven."

Before the avatar of Fengdu Niangniang could answer, a deafening sound, like the roar of mountains and the howling of seas, struck.

But to sever all connections between oneself and one's avatar, and even with this world—even for a Supreme—it is inevitable that one will be weak for a period of time.

Therefore, he informed Taichu Daozun of this matter to seek a solution.

Although I had previously determined where my true body was, it was difficult to find her. Thus, the three Supremes and I were all thinking about whether other methods could be used to solve it.

Unlike Martial Artists of the Great Ability realm, although Martial Artists of the Mastery Realm can master laws, they cannot reverse the power of laws, nor have they been baptized by the Origin Law.

His strength is currently in a state of weakness, and for the Mirage Sea creatures outside, this is an extremely rare opportunity.

Even if they cannot completely destroy Juhaiguan, they must weaken the heaven and earth creatures within Juhaiguan as much as possible.

"Xuanhuang Daozun has many avatars; apart from the avatar that gives lectures, there is also an avatar with formidable strength that has long been stationed within Juhaiguan.

"Xuanhuang Daozun discovered this point not long ago, but he did not act rashly. That avatar's strength is extremely high, and it is deeply linked to him. If he were to rashly sever the connection with the avatar, he would inevitably suffer heavy injuries.

And Taichu Daozun knew that I had a method to solve it; my true body has a Reincarnation Stone. This treasure can allow one to sever all attachments and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

They did not surge over in clusters, but rather, they formed a peculiar Array to stir the Mirage Sea Water.

And that avatar eroded by the Mirage Sea creatures immediately discovered this change. Although there were two Supremes guarding it, it still managed to escape into the Mirage Sea by colluding with the Mirage Sea creatures outside."

I do not know when it was, but the Mirage Sea creatures used a Secret Technique to begin eroding that avatar of Xuanhuang Daozun.

The Fengdu avatar spoke, finally laying out the ins and outs of this matter.

Chen Mo looked out, his gaze passing through the Juhaiguan Heaven-Separating Array; outside the Array were endless Mirage Sea creatures.

With such changes inside Juhaiguan, even if the Xuanhuang Supreme's strength was damaged and he was in seclusion healing, the other two Supremes should have appeared long ago.

However, just at this moment, Chen Mo arrived in Xuanhuang Heaven, and the avatar of Fengdu Niangniang successfully established contact with her true body.

If it were himself, he would certainly seize this opportunity.

He activated the power of the Reincarnation Stone to sever all attachments with all his avatars. With his strength, even if he activated the Reincarnation Stone, as long as he did not wish to, he would not fall into reincarnation.

Thus, while concealing everything as much as possible, the two of them had Chen Mo send the Reincarnation Stone from Cangxuan World.

The invasion of the Mirage Sea creatures was not aimless; it was quite methodical.

Once this opportunity is missed, and they wait another tens of thousands of years for the Xuanhuang Supreme to fully recover, then when they invade again, they will have to face three Supremes in their prime.

Fengdu Niangniang spoke slowly, her tone slightly low.

Chen Mo's expression was quite solemn; he did indeed have some understanding of the Mirage Sea's erosive power, but he had not expected that even a Supreme's avatar could be eroded by it.

Chen Mo also understood at this moment why the Mirage Sea Water outside would suddenly riot; the reason was quite simple: the Xuanhuang Supreme used the Reincarnation Stone to sever his connection with all his avatars.

"Old friend Taichu, it has been many years; your strength has reached a new level!"

There were actually many of these Mirage Sea creatures that had previously surged into Juhaiguan, only to be pushed out by his extremely formidable power.

These Mirage Sea creatures are actually just cannon fodder; even if many die, those powerful Mirage Sea creatures will not care.

Not only him, but everyone present wanted to know this.

Letting them surge over constantly serves to interfere with and entangle the powerhouses within Juhaiguan, as well as the Juhaiguan Heaven-Separating Array.

When she first learned of this matter, she naturally had to find a way to contact her true body and have her find a way to send the Reincarnation Stone.

If she could not be contacted, then there would be no choice but to use other methods; after all, this matter could not be dragged on indefinitely.

The first to surge over was the Mirage Sea Water, followed by countless weak Mirage Sea creatures, the vast majority of which possessed no intelligence.

Although the cultivation is only one realm apart, in terms of resisting the power of the Mirage Sea, the gap between the two is worlds apart; they are simply not on the same level.

Those with strength a level higher, whose strength is comparable to Martial Artists of the True One Mastery Realm, act as Array Eyes to maintain the operation of the entire Array.

It is just that because there is no carrier object, and the entire Array must keep moving constantly.

Chen Mo could see that the power of the Array formed by these Mirage Sea creatures could not compare to the Juhaiguan Heaven-Separating Array, but it was not far off.

The reason for this is, firstly, that these Mirage Sea creatures have no stable Array foundation; they did not use any rare treasures to set up the Array.

Because this Array is constantly moving, it drives the Mirage Sea Water to strike Juhaiguan like waves.

In addition, the Mirage Sea creatures setting up the Array do not have a particularly tacit understanding.

Many unintelligent Mirage Sea creatures even inadvertently disturb the operation of the Array.

Furthermore, the number of Mirage Sea creatures maintaining the operation of this Array, although much larger than the Martial Artists within Juhaiguan, is not off by an order of magnitude.

The reason is simple: when the Mirage Sea first invaded this world, many powerful beings attempted to use various means to resist it.

That they could not completely eradicate the existence of the Mirage Sea does not mean they could not severely wound the Mirage Sea creatures.

During the era of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor, the living beings of Heaven and Earth and the creatures of the Mirage Sea had fought major battles far more than once.

Of the twelve Heavenly Supremes, only two remained in the end, while the Xuanhuang Supreme only made their breakthrough after the Xuanhuang Heaven was established.

Of the several hundred Great Ability powerhouses, only thirty-two remained by the time the Xuanhuang Heaven was established.

In the last hundred thousand years or so, although there has been some growth, to this day, even including Chen Mo, there are only forty-seven Great Ability powerhouses in total.

As for the powerhouses of the In-Charge Realm, there were originally nearly ten thousand, but by the time the Xuanhuang Heaven was established, only two hundred or so remained.

As for the Martial Artists of the True One Realm, the number remaining was indeed higher, totaling over forty thousand.

But after more than a hundred thousand years, apart from a small portion who luckily broke through to the In-Charge Realm, the original True One Martial Artists have dwindled.

The rest either died on the battlefield while continuing to grapple with the Mirage Sea creatures, or, nearing the end of their lifespans, chose to perish together with the Mirage Sea creatures in the outside world.

It is precisely because of this that, under countless fierce battles, the living beings of Heaven and Earth have suffered heavy losses, but the Mirage Sea creatures have not had it easy either.

To this day, although their strength is great, they must still pay a tremendous price if they wish to completely breach Juhaiguan.

That is why both sides have been able to remain in a stalemate here.

But the Mirage Sea creatures ultimately hold the initiative; the area of Heaven and Earth they occupy is broader, and they possess a greater number of powerful beings.

Furthermore, they are essentially unkillable; even if they lose their entire cultivation base, those inherently formidable Mirage Sea creatures grow back to their former strength much faster than before.

Added to this is the vast area of the Mirage Sea, where the number and speed of the birth of powerful beings are far faster than those of the current living beings of Heaven and Earth.

If the area occupied by the Xuanhuang Heaven and the countless Small Worlds standing within the Ancient Heaven and Earth is considered one part.

Then the area occupied by the Mirage Sea is a full nine parts, and as time passes, it is still constantly expanding.

As for the three thousand Great Worlds that once existed during the Ancient Heaven and Earth era, they have long since been completely eroded and turned into a part of the Mirage Sea.

Under such circumstances, the two sides will remain in a stalemate for a short time, but as time accumulates, the living beings of Heaven and Earth will inevitably be defeated.

In reality, whether it is this time or the many previous invasions by the Mirage Sea creatures.

Their true goal is not necessarily to achieve success in a single battle, but to constantly wear down the strength of the living beings of Heaven and Earth.

Only when the number of Martial Artists in the Xuanhuang Heaven can no longer maintain the operation of the Array will they strike with full force to completely destroy Juhaiguan.

Although doing so is slower, the price they have to pay is the lowest.

And time, to these Mirage Sea creatures that do not perish, is the least valuable thing.

"After all these years, you are still the same."

Taichu Daozun revealed his form within the Boundless Mirage Sea.

He did not differ much from the avatar that had preached the Dao back then; he remained an old man with white hair and beard, and a kind, benevolent appearance.

Let alone the Zhizun Realm, even a Martial Artist of the True One Realm can change their appearance at will if they so desire.

That Taichu Daojun maintains such an image can only mean that his mindset is no longer young, but as steady as an elderly person.

This is also normal; after all, as a disciple of that Dao Ancestor, the time Taichu Daojun has experienced is so long that it cannot even be calculated in detail.

"Hmph!" The Mirage Sea creature that spoke earlier let out a cold snort, but did not say anything more.

Chen Mo had been trying to observe that creature, but even with his strength, at this moment he could only see a mass of distorted black shadow.

However, this mass of black shadow had already been wounded by Taichu Daojun, and now its figure was like black smoke, constantly emitting black Qi outward.

With his own strength, even if he were not a match for this Mirage Sea creature, he would never be unable to see through its true form.

This can only mean one thing: the true form of this Mirage Sea creature is a mass of black smoke.

Following the appearance of this black smoke, three other Mirage Sea creatures appeared in its wake.

One of them had a slender figure and a cold expression, looking on the surface not much different from an ordinary Human Race Martial Artist.

The other one was different; its figure was tall and towering, stretching for who knows how many billions of miles.

It was not composed of flesh and blood, but seemed to be built from individual tentacles.

These tentacles were slender and snow-white, each only as thick as a thumb, and who knows how many were hooked together to form an extremely massive body.

Looking from afar, the body composed of countless tentacles was constantly twisting back and forth, as if every single tentacle possessed an independent consciousness.

Immediately after, the body composed of those tentacles began to change constantly, and in the blink of an eye, its figure shrank drastically.

Finally, it transformed into a humanoid armored soldier over a zhang tall, covered in snow-white heavy armor, with its specific features indistinguishable.

And the other Mirage Sea creature beside it was completely opposite to it, also over a zhang tall, but wearing pitch-black heavy armor.

Chen Mo could tell that the strength of these three Mirage Sea creatures that had just appeared, while not as great as that black shadow, was not too far off.

Their true combat power had also definitely reached the Supreme level.

Especially those two black and white armored soldiers, whose auras resonated vaguely; if they were to join forces, their strength would only be greater.

"Charge!" Another loud shout rang out, the voice thick and powerful, resounding throughout the entire Juhaiguan.

The water of the Boundless Mirage Sea was dispersed; Chen Mo's eyes were blazing, and he used the power of the Yin-Yang Law to see through the countless spaces to the scene in the distance.

Inside the Mirage Sea, the Xuanhuang Supreme was fighting his own avatar, whose true form looked very much like him.

Both were dressed in Xuanhuang brocade robes, with the appearance of heroic youths.

However, that avatar eroded by the power of the Mirage Sea had the Mirage Sea Breath flowing and changing on its body, and its face looked slightly sinister.

Under normal circumstances, the Xuanhuang Supreme would naturally not need to expend much effort to suppress his own avatar.

It was just that after the Xuanhuang Supreme's avatar was separated, it was already injured.

Added to the fact that his avatar was now absorbing the boundless power of the Mirage Sea within the Mirage Sea, its strength had increased once again.

With one side waning and the other waxing, the two were unexpectedly evenly matched for a time.

But as another Mirage Sea creature, entirely blue-gray and as towering as a mountain, appeared, the situation reversed in an instant.

That creature with a figure like a mountain changed its Shape Transformation, turning into a blue stone giant, with boundless power condensing and thousands of Mirage Sea forces surging and roaring.

These forces were like dense, countless threads, and in just an instant, they drilled into the body of the Xuanhuang Supreme.

With this, all five creatures within the Mirage Sea capable of rivaling a Supreme had appeared.

Taichu Daojun's figure immediately vanished into the Mirage Sea, wanting to go and support Xuanhuang Supreme.

Otherwise, with the ebb and flow of strength, it would only be a matter of time before Xuanhuang Supreme was defeated or even killed.

How could the remaining Mirage Sea Supremes give him this opportunity? They immediately used their means to intercept him.

The Array formed by countless Mirage Sea creatures operated at full power, resembling surging waves, and began to strike the Juhaiguan Heaven-Separating Array once again.

The Array within Juhaiguan operated to resist the impact from the outside, while simultaneously providing support to the several Supremes outside.

It is precisely because of such an Array that, through battle after battle, the creatures of heaven and earth have been able to barely hold a stalemate against the infinite Mirage Sea creatures.

In just an instant, the slaughter between the two sides entered a white-hot stage.

The four Mirage Sea Supremes steadily suppressed Taichu Daojun and Fuyao Supreme.

Even with the support of the Array's power, the two Supremes were only barely managing to remain undefeated.

Moreover, Xuanhuang Supreme was now already injured; even though a Supreme's vitality is powerful, if things dragged on like this, he certainly would not be able to hold out for long.

More importantly, he was too far away from Juhaiguan, and the power of the Array could not provide him with support.

Not only that, the Array formed by the Mirage Sea creatures was not providing any support to the several Mirage Sea Supremes at all.

This Array was currently invading Juhaiguan with all its might.

Chen Mo could perceive that under the impact of wave after wave of Mirage Sea Water, the entire Juhaiguan was shaking incessantly.

If the situation developed this way, even if the pass did not break, it would be unable to continue providing support to the several Supremes.

It must be said that this time, the Mirage Sea creatures were indeed attacking with all their might, and their reaction speed was extremely fast.

After discovering that Xuanhuang Supreme had separated from his avatar, they acted immediately.

Chen Mo even deduced that they had made all preparations long ago, just waiting for a suitable opportunity.

And while Xuanhuang Supreme falling into a weakened state was not the most ideal opportunity, it was the rarest one to see in over a hundred thousand years.

Therefore, they mobilized all their strength and began to invade Juhaiguan with full force.

"Splash!" The water of the Boundless Mirage Sea surged, and the Mirage Spirit creatures composing the Array struck the Juhaiguan Heaven-Separating Array like tidal waves.

Inside Juhaiguan, all Martial Artists were doing their utmost to maintain the operation of the Array; even so, Chen Mo could still feel the Array shaking round after round.

The current situation on the field appeared to be a stalemate, but in reality, the creatures of heaven and earth were at an absolute disadvantage.

It was only because the several Supremes were strong enough, and the Juhaiguan Heaven-Separating Array was strong enough, that they had not been defeated quickly.

But if the situation continued to develop like this, then the fall of Xuanhuang Supreme would only be a matter of time.

The number of Supremes among the creatures of heaven and earth was already inferior to that of the Mirage Sea creatures; if one more were sacrificed, it would not be so easy to hold Juhaiguan.

Chen Mo had been observing the situation of the Mirage Sea outside, looking for an opportunity to strike.

Although he could erupt with power rivaling a Supreme in a short time, he could not sustain it for very long.

Therefore, he had to find the most suitable opportunity to strike, striving to achieve success in one blow and regain some advantage.

The dozens of Great Abilities and numerous powerful figures in charge nearby also frequently looked toward Chen Mo.

It was clear that, given the strength Chen Mo had just displayed, if one were to ask who could break the current deadlock and save Juhaiguan, Xuanhuang Heaven, or even all the creatures between heaven and earth.

Then it could only be Chen Mo alone!

(End of this chapter)