Five Hundred Years Later

Deep within the Black-White Mountain, both sides were shaken! Nian Songhe could hardly believe it. He looked first at the severed hand on the ground, then toward the round, chubby black-and-white bear. A single stroke of its sword had actually managed to wound him. The black-and-white bear was also secretly alarmed. Four Earth Immortals arriving all at once today—could it be that Old Liu's "secret had been exposed," and it was about to suffer the fallout as well? If the opposition dared to make a move against a decayed Heavenly God, the bear certainly wouldn't be able to withstand them either. Beneath the gentle night, the murmuring fire spring wound through the undulating mountains like molten gold, painting the bamboo grove in warm tones and draping every stalk in radiant splendor. Yet now, everything had changed. The peace and stillness were shattered completely. How terrifying was an Earth Immortal? They were already the highest tier of living beings in this era. Their blood shone brilliantly, staining all the flora crimson and suffusing the entire mountain range. Seen from afar, it was as if a blood-red sun were rising from the depths of the Black-White Mountain. "An unregistered 'wild Earth Immortal'!" Qi Yunding said in a heavy voice. His words alone showed just how arrogant those "old mountain strongholds" in the heavens had once been. The black-and-white bear felt slightly relieved. So they weren't here for Old Liu? Then its eyes widened round with indignation. Who were they looking down on? They were all creatures of the Seventh Realm—why did it have to be branded with the word "wild"? Besides, for five hundred years, it had endured untold torment, constantly exchanging its blood and desperately undergoing metamorphoses. Its lifeform had reversed; it had long ceased to be a pure Earth Immortal or Earth God. "Just four lesser immortals! Who gave you the gall to disturb... Lord Bear's peace?" It nearly slipped and let the words "Lord Dog" tumble from its mouth. Hearing such an address, the four old eccentrics could not help but frown, while feeling an odd sensation in their hearts. Not long ago, they had referred to the gods of the nine-headed bird clan as lesser gods, and now, in the blink of an eye, a fat bear was calling them by a similar title and tone. Before either side could speak again, they struck. Nian Songhe's body shone as brilliant runes flared at his stump, attempting to summon his severed hand back. *Chi!* A flash of luminous green sword light swept past. The black-and-white bear's movements were fast as lightning; it impaled the severed hand on the ground with its bamboo sword and snatched it away directly. Nian Songhe took a deep breath and said, "Giant panda, iron-eating beast. Attaining the Dao on the earth and reaching such an achievement is no easy feat. Are you willing to ascend to the heavens? You could oversee a detached estate in Yujing, one filled entirely with spiritual bamboo." Qi Yunding also spoke: "Under the whole heaven, every spot is the sovereign's ground. The Eastern Lands, Night Province, and all other lands lie within Yujing's sphere of influence. Being an orthodox immortal in the heavens is far superior to being a wild immortal on the earth." The black-and-white bear looked them over. Did they find it troublesome? The wounded man opposite had lowered his pride to actively recruit it, while the other brought up Yujing with a veiled threat. It did not turn hostile immediately either, but shook its head. "I won't go. I'm used to being carefree and unfettered." "Fellow Daoist, we invite you with good intentions," Xiao Qingheng said with a faint smile. As the night wind blew, her dark hair fluttered, lending her an airy and ethereal grace. Mu Cangwu said, "You must understand that the greater environment of heaven and earth has changed. Remaining on the ground will ultimately cost you your freedom, and great calamity may await you in the future." Each time they spoke, one played the kind face while the other played the stern. "I am a bear, not a cat to be kept in a cage. Do you truly take my teeth for soft and my claws for blunt? My sword is not without an edge," the black-and-white bear bared its teeth and grinned. It was now certain that these people had not come for the "decayed Heavenly God Liu." The situation was far less dire than it had imagined. "Fellow Daoist, are you refusing our goodwill and choosing to make an enemy of Yujing?" Nian Songhe asked in a deep voice. The black-and-white bear cast its gaze over them. "Yujing has already exploded and is still in the middle of being reborn. I seriously doubt whether you Earth Immortals even have the qualifications to take charge there." Mu Cangwu said, "Fellow Daoist, please think twice. The will of Yujing must not be defied!" If anyone else were present, they would have been thoroughly shocked. In the outside world, wherever the four Earth Immortals passed, every major power bowed their heads. The four old eccentrics had advanced with overwhelming force, barely deigning to speak; they had even annihilated members of the Alliance of Perils without the slightest mercy. Yet now, for the sake of a black-and-white bear, they were repeatedly offering counsel. It was entirely due to the opponent's strength, which left the four old eccentrics somewhat unable to gauge its true depths. Yet the black-and-white bear did not appreciate the gesture. Feeling threatened again and again, it thought this was pushing a bear too far! "Just the four of you dare claim to represent the will of Yujing?" It raised its green bamboo sword, and divine flames immediately burst forth, setting the severed hand ablaze. It licked its lips and said, "Eating chaff and swallowing bitter greens for five hundred years—after making myself suffer for so long, it's about time I improved my diet." It was indeed a bear, not a herbivore. The four old eccentrics' expressions darkened. They felt they had already spoken with more than enough "pleasant words" and cast aside their haughtiness, yet the other party remained wild and unyielding, caring nothing for them. They carried Dao chains on them and did not fear anyone on the ground; they simply did not wish to excessively deplete such devastating weapons, preferring to "invite" the creature to the heavens first, where they held the home advantage. In an instant, killing intent surfaced across the four Earth Immortals' faces. "Fine, showing your true colors now, are you?" Not only did the black-and-white bear show no fear, its eyes gleamed with divine brilliance, looking remarkably excited. In a flash, it donned a wooden "armor," placed a bamboo hat on its head, and draped a coir raincoat over its shoulders. Its body thinned down, taking on a distinctly "canine" air. Principally, after five hundred years, it had grown accustomed to this form. Calling it the Dog Sword Immortal now would not be amiss. "Do you know what I've been through these past five hundred years?" The black-and-white bear ground its teeth, unleashing a monstrous, towering ferocity. In an instant, fierce gales swept across the entire Black-White Mountain, and even the pitch-black clouds above churned violently. The Dog Sword Immortal was wrapped in killing intent that had condensed into tangible substance. "Five hundred years! I've endured it for five whole centuries!" it roared toward the heavens like a peerless archdemon emerging into the world, its baleful aura surging to scatter the thick clouds in the sky. All these years, it had been kicked and punched by Liu Mo, thoroughly "disciplined" for centuries, yet it had to wag its tail and grin like an obedient, foolish dog. Only Liu Mo could suppress it; had anyone else dared to glare at it, they would have been torn to shreds long ago. The people of Twin Trees Village had only ever seen Big Yellow's good temper, obedience, and loyal protection of its master. But who could have known that it was once a generation's Beast God whose ferocious name had shaken the entire world? The black-and-white bear pulled the bamboo sword from the severed hand. Drenched in Earth Immortal blood, its killing intent soared into the heavens. Its fur stood on end, its eyes brimmed with excitement, and its entire bear frame trembled with thrill. "He's finally gone! It's time for my debut, haha...!" Amid its roaring laughter, mountain peaks shook, boulders tumbled down, and countless beasts and birds throughout the range shuddered in terror. Whether flying through the sky or running across the earth, all prostrated themselves on the ground, paying reverent homage toward this direction. The four Earth Immortals looked astounded. The black-and-white bear's presence had transformed completely into something outrageously formidable. Gone was any trace of round, silly adorableness; now, its ferocious flames scorched the sky. They struck without hesitation, launching ferocious offensives together. The Dog Sword Immortal was even faster. The sword light erupting from the green bamboo sword was truly terrifying, possessing the power to throw heaven and earth into chaos, its sword intent tearing through the dark canopy. The soaring sword light struck the storm clouds, causing them to explode and disperse in an instant. *Pfft!* Nian Songhe was struck on the spot. Once again, he failed to dodge. Heat flared beside his ear as white hair fell away and blood poured forth—his left ear had exploded. Merely grazed by the sword light, he lost an ear. To make matters worse, the arm that had already lost its hand was struck by the blade, severing cleanly at the shoulder with a squelch. The bamboo hat atop the black-and-white bear's head and the coir raincoat on its back both radiated sword light, to say nothing of the green bamboo sword in its paw. With one sword and alone, it took on the four Earth Immortals, meeting each of them head-on. As the towering sword beams swept across, all four felt deeply troubled, finding this black-and-white bear utterly crazed. Under the four's combined assault, a bloom of blood rose on the black-and-white bear as well. Yet it paid it no heed, locking onto Nian Songhe alone to slaughter him. With a wet rip, Nian Songhe's body was impaled. A thick sword beam tore open his waist, sending glowing Earth Immortal blood scattering in all directions, nearly bisecting him. For a brief moment, the four Earth Immortals even wondered if this was a Mind Ape that had been tempered and refined for five hundred years, now breaking free at last and unleashing its most violent nature. "Five hundred years! I ate chaff and swallowed greens, never daring to bare my fangs or eat meat bamboo shoots, terrified he would misunderstand!" Black mist surged skyward around the black-and-white bear; it had finally outlasted him. Without question, when the four Earth Immortals arrived, they became the perfect targets for its pent-up resentment. Did they really think it was the gentle, docile Big Yellow? Such obedience was reserved for Liu Mo alone. Even so, at the very end, it had nearly been slaughtered by Liu Mo. No one knew a dog better than its master; Old Liu knew exactly what it was and worried it would run amok once he departed. After all, this dog had a terribly grim "past record." Yet during those final days, the Dog Sword Immortal had wept bitter tears and sworn to the heavens, narrowly escaping Old Liu's fatal hand. In truth, Liu Mo really had contemplated destroying the hound, and had even mentioned to Qin Ming that before leaving, he would treat him to an extraordinary feast of divine meat. Only at the last moment did Old Liu soften his heart. With Liu Mo gone, the hound was naturally no longer Big Yellow. Facing anyone else, it was Superior Immortal Huang. Clearly, it had reclaimed the unyielding confidence of its past as a generation's Beast God! The black-and-white bear and the four Earth Immortals had already shot into the firmament. The terrain below could not contain them, cramping their moves; dozens of mountains down there were already snapped or blown apart. "Four Symbols Demon Subduing Array!" The four old eccentrics communicated in secret, wanting to suppress this beast swiftly. "Exhilarating! Haha...!" The black-and-white bear laughed loudly and raised its sword. Boundless divine fire spread, scorching the entire firmament crimson and completely scattering the black clouds. This was one of its sword forms—Torch Raised to Scorch the Heavens, using divine fire of the sword dao to incinerate the heavens. Once again, Nian Songhe took the brunt. Incensed beyond measure, he found that this crazed bear truly singled him out to kill, locking down his retreat with a sword domain. "Ah...!" Even as an Earth Immortal, when engulfed by the divine fire of the sword dao, Nian Songhe let out an agonized cry, genuinely struggling to bear it. His Earth Immortal physique was slashed open by the sword energy, blood pouring like a torrent. Scorched by heavenly fire, portions of his flesh turned pitch-black, and indelible sword intent clung to him relentlessly. A moment later, shocked and furious, Nian Songhe felt a chill in his heart. This opponent attacked again and again, targeting only him, driving him almost to a dead end. With a booming crash, his form shifted. White immortal mist surged as he twisted and squirmed, completely losing his human shape to reveal his horrifying true form. Earth Immortals altered their original lifeforms; once walking this path, rare was the person who could maintain their original appearance. All became hideous, terrifying, and unpredictable. Now, scales, feathers, and mucus covered his body. He looked like a monster stitched together from over a dozen creatures, devoid of any immortal demeanor. "Is it monsters like you that serve as immortals in the heavens? In Yujing... it's simply unimaginable!" Remarkably, the black-and-white bear's madness receded slightly. Over the past five hundred years, like Liu Mo, it had painstakingly exchanged its blood, fought desperately for rebirth, and reshaped its "former self" to return to its original form. It was indeed qualified to speak such words. The black-and-white bear was covered in blood. How could taking on four Earth Immortals alone ever be easy? It had long suffered wounds of its own. "Slash!" it bellowed once more. In an instant, vast sheets of sword light steamed upward, transforming into sword mountain after sword mountain that crowded the night sky, crashing down toward the four Earth Immortals. It was a miraculous sight: above the clouds, sword light condensed into unbroken mountain ranges, surging with magnificent momentum to suppress and kill all four old eccentrics simultaneously. While resisting, Nian Songhe exhaled a breath of turbid air. The opponent was finally no longer singling him out; otherwise, he truly would have been unable to hold back from deploying a Dao chain. Yet, if the four Earth Immortals joined forces and still could not bring down this sword immortal, having to rely on a devastating weapon in the end, they would likely be held accountable once word reached the heavens. After all, their stockpile of thick Dao chains meant for dealing with Seventh Realm experts was not as plentiful as imagined; they could not squander them recklessly. *Pfft!* Suddenly, Xiao Qingheng, the sole female Earth Immortal, took several consecutive sword strikes. Fissures spread across her body, and sword energy pierced through her flesh, leaving her hair disheveled and her state thoroughly wretched in an instant. The black-and-white bear had abruptly switched its primary target, achieving remarkable results. "Get out of the way! That is a killing form from the *Black-White Classic*—it has actually mastered the Black-White Dual Instruments Sword!" Mu Cangwu shouted. The black-and-white bear's own fur bore only two colors, black and white, and the sword light it cultivated was the same. The slaying power of the Dual Instruments Sword was world-shaking. Instantly, black and white sword light enveloped Xiao Qingheng completely. "Ah...!" She let out a shrill scream. The Black-White Dual Instruments sword energy was ceaseless, grinding and severing continuously, seeking to slice her to ribbons. Of course, the irascible canine-like sword immortal was bleeding as well, facing frantic assaults from the other three old eccentrics. With a hum, the void trembled. A thick chain of order emerged as Xiao Qingheng deployed the ultimate weapon—a Dao chain. The black-and-white bear felt its hair stand on end. Instantly, stepping upon black and white clouds and shielding itself with Dual Instruments sword light, it retreated at extreme speed. Yet the thick Dao chain snaked through the void, seeming locked onto it, determined to bind its true body completely. "Is this the dog leash Old Liu talked about?" It felt terrified. Though it had never experienced it firsthand, just hearing Liu Mo describe it had left it traumatized. At the crucial moment, it deployed a diagram that bore only two colors: black and white. Back when it fought as the Dog Sword Immortal against enemies who came to Twin Trees Village to test Liu Mo's condition, Old Liu had instructed it that this diagram could be deployed at a critical juncture. However, it hadn't needed it back then. Now, black and white light flared. When that thick Dao chain struck, it was actually swallowed by the black-and-white diagram, turning into a faint, blurred shadow of a chain within the scroll. "Old Liu, you really are something. Even after you're gone, I still live under your shadow!" the black-and-white bear lamented. The four Earth Immortals' faces changed abruptly. For someone on the ground to actually neutralize this Dao chain from Yujing unsettled them deeply. Sword energy surged from Xiao Qingheng, and with a wet snap, her body broke in two—she had just been severed at the waist by the Black-White Dual Instruments sword light. Then her frontal bone shattered as well, her Pure Yang consciousness dimming. Without a doubt, had she not deployed the Dao chain quickly, she would have been in mortal peril just now. Even though Earth Immortals were hard to kill, she would have suffered grievous wounds, and much of her conscious spiritual light would have been extinguished. Piecing her body back together, she could no longer maintain a human shape, revealing her true Earth Immortal form. Her frame swelled dramatically, turning as massive as a hill and extraordinarily thick, covered in grotesque lumps. Where was any trace of the ethereal grace befitting a transcendent immortal fairy? She was hideous to behold. Furious beyond measure, Xiao Qingheng had never wished to reveal this state, and killing intent surged within her. "Fall back!" her companions communicated via divine sense, wary of that black-and-white diagram and worried that the Dao chains they carried would also fail, wasting them for nothing. At the same time, the black-and-white bear noticed that the divine diagram had dimmed slightly. It felt unsure of itself as well, because chilling Dao chains hovered before the other three opponents as well. Without conferring, almost by unspoken accord, both sides retreated simultaneously, vanishing into the pitch-black clouds and mist. "Hmm? It actually fled? Could it lack the confidence to withstand the Dao chains?" The four Earth Immortals were astonished, halting abruptly. "They don't know my limits—are they afraid?" The black-and-white bear also stopped in the distance. Then it glanced beneath the clouds. It was still near the Black-White Mountain, not very far from Twin Trees Village. "If I retreat and they search nearby, striking out recklessly, it would be bad if that village got caught in the crossfire. Old Liu's wedded wife, the spirit medium, and the Godchild are both there. I cannot retreat!" In an era without Liu Mo, the Dog Sword Immortal had grown a bit full of itself, constantly referring to Heavenly God Liu as Old Liu. Yet its core loyalty had never wavered; at the crucial moment, it still thought of protecting the spirit medium and the Godchild. ... Above the ninth heaven, aside from the familiar-acting Big Red Dragon, the others barely spoke, exchanging wordless glances as if looking at their own reflections in a mirror. Both sides knew full well that quietly sneaking up into the sky at this time meant neither had good intentions. The Present Sage was a rather imposing old man. Sitting atop the dragon's back, he spoke: "You juniors are not very old, so why are your minds so guarded? Seeing this old man, you're all on guard, treating me like a stranger. No matter what, I am your senior predecessor. Why must it be like this?" "A crow perched on charcoal shouldn't call anyone black. Besides, I'm not that much younger than you, so don't play the elder here," Leng Mingkong said. On the side of the Night Province patriarchs, the Present Rulai offered a silent bow to the opposite side. Suddenly, luminous mist churned, and a void tunnel appeared. A patriarch stepped out and said, "A fight has broken out on the ground! Someone is taking on the four Earth Immortals!" The patriarchs in the Night Mist Sea were instantly startled. "Did that fellow from the esoteric sect make a move?" Helian Chengyun asked. "It's not that fierce fellow from my esoteric sect. It's a black-and-white bear." "Let's go. We're heading back—put the matters in the sky on hold!" A group of patriarchs prepared to return to the surface. "We'll go together!" the Sage seated atop the dragon said, quickly following after them. Fierce light gleamed in the Old Barbarian God's eyes. Possessing the body of a Giant Spirit God, he exuded an immense, oppressive aura as he prepared to accompany them as well. ... Meanwhile, in the Night Ruins, Xie Jinglan and Qi Daozhen were both stunned. It was not out of shock at reuniting with Taiyi so soon, but out of fear and terror. Young Taiyi's audacity was simply too vast—he actually wanted their help to betray their masters and destroy their ancestral sects.