That silver sea and the abyss both hailed from illustrious supreme systems.
The Golden Board was overbearing and uncompromising, intent on taking on all foes single-handedly.
Within the Mountain and Sea Realm, heavy dread weighed on everyone's hearts. They had just clashed with a totem civilization, and now they had to fight to the death against two supreme civilizations. Today's survival was impossible to predict.
Yet many hot-blooded youths felt a fierce urge to fight those two systems to the bitter end. It was precisely their instigation that had drawn the totem camp onto the battlefield in the first place.
Tracing it back to the source, the Silver Sea and the Abyss were the true culprits. Their hostility ran deep; they had lurked in the background, propping up pawns to fight their battles.
The Silver Sea glittered brilliantly, and a voice resonated from within: "Fellow Daoist, you are too impatient. We have traveled from afar merely seeking a simple exchange of skills. An interchange between different systems can spark splendid civilizational breakthroughs."
The Golden Board replied coldly, "To utter such words at a juncture like this—do you not find yourself hypocritical? Still, it fits your usual face: perpetual double standards. Even when burning, slaughtering, and pillaging, you must package and beautify your actions, dressing up outright invasion as the propagation of civilization."
The voice sounded from the Silver Sea again: "Fellow Daoist, your prejudices run too deep. You jump to conclusions and view us through tainted eyes. Hearing that Yujing had vanished, we grew deeply concerned, fearing chaos would erupt here. Thus, we merely came to investigate."
A commotion rippled through the Mountain and Sea Realm. That sanctimonious display from the Silver Sea stoked a smoldering fury in those who had just survived a life-and-death clash, sparking intense disgust.
The beings of this system had provoked the conflict and seduced the totem camp into the fray, yet they could still spout such hypocritical drivel without batting an eye.
The Golden Board said, "Either speak human words or shut your mouth!"
It was gathering strength, preparing at any second to meet this supreme decisive battle. At the same time, it secretly informed the members of its own camp about the true origins of the Silver Sea and the Abyss.
The Silver Sea was an ocean of energy captured from beyond the heavens. Rarely encountered, remarkably scarce, and exceptionally precious, it could be used to nurture pure yang consciousness, construct supreme grand arrays, and more.
Evidently, a gathering of ancient monsters lay dormant within the Silver Sea.
As for this civilization, its origin lay in the Celestial Alliance.
In its early days, this massive organization had been dominated by winged aerial races, such as the Black Flame Phoenix, the Seven-Headed Heavenly Dragon, and the Silver-Blooded Winged Beings—all extraordinarily powerful clans.
Later, they began calling themselves the "Celestial Clan." Exactly which key members had joined since, or which race now held supremacy, remained completely unknown.
This organization had emerged only in the modern era, but its rise had been meteoric. By now, it had long become one of the supreme civilizations, unfathomably deep!
Across a vast expanse of the night mist world, the Celestial Clan possessed an illustrious and terrifying reputation, backed by genuine, dreadful battle records of crushing other supreme systems.
As for the Abyss civilization, a glance at their living environment was telling enough. Given its name, it was not difficult to deduce its nature.
This system had originated from the deepest bowels of the earth.
Thus, it was also known as the Earth Abyss civilization.
It had existed for an exceedingly long time, standing as one of the oldest civilizations. Through the passage of endless eras, it had never declined, constantly maintaining its terrifying might.
In fact, during ancient times, the Earth Abyss civilization had nearly faced annihilation. Legend had it that they made contact with abyss entities, boring through layer upon layer of mist zones to summon reinforcements, ultimately wiping out a rival supreme civilization in a reverse sweep.
Precisely because of this foundation, the Earth Abyss civilization was regarded as perilous and lethal, and was more commonly referred to as the Abyss civilization.
Its ability to endure to this day, sustaining its past glory while watching ancient rivals collapse and vanish into the wind, was proof enough of its horrifying power.
A voice drifted from the Celestial Clan's Silver Sea: "With Yujing gone, we cannot sit idly by while chaos engulfs this land. As fellow supreme civilizations, we share common roots and should unite to safeguard the stability of this region."
The Golden Board countered, "You've already barged into someone else's backyard to covet their territory, yet you stand there mouthing off about benevolence and righteousness. Have some shame!"
After laying bare the backgrounds of the two great civilizations to everyone in its camp, the Golden Board had lost all patience, ready at any moment to launch into war.
A booming voice rang from the Silver Sea: "According to our investigations, you have consistently oppressed the clans of the Plain of Divine Demise, causing frequent bloody conflicts there. We are willing to intervene and mediate."
Fury erupted throughout the Mountain and Sea Realm. This was shamelessness at its peak. They had already reached deep into Yujing's territory, yet they still couched it in such high-sounding pretexts.
A sinister, chilling voice echoed from the abyss as well: "We believe the Taixu realm harbors grave issues. We must intervene to assist you in maintaining stability."
The beings of that camp no longer bothered to hide their intentions either.
Within the Mountain and Sea Realm, an Earth Immortal with snow-white hair and beard bellowed in rebuke, "Using lies to conceal bloodstained hands, painting atrocities as acts of justice—can you be any more shameless?!"
The Golden Board remained composed and exceedingly aloof. "If you want to invade, show us you have the strength. Roll up and fight!"
"You dare speak to us like that? Have you forgotten the taboo legend of our Abyss civilization? We are the Harvesters of Supreme Civilizations!"
A bone-chilling, ruthless voice echoed from the colossal abyss, its threat stark and unvarnished.
Earlier, they had remained reticent and tight-lipped, but at the critical juncture, they showed themselves to be cold and vicious, by no means easy to deal with.
An Earth Immortal spoke up, "Subterranean creatures, vermin that cannot bear the light! If you hadn't accidentally bored through parts of the abyss realm and borrowed soldiers to fight your war, your race would have been eradicated ages ago! Whom do you think you're threatening? Any supreme civilization that survived from antiquity has weathered every storm. Who would fear you?!"
The Golden Board issued a frosty proclamation: "No need for more words. Sweep forward and kill them!"
By now, the Mountain and Sea Realm was boiling over. Resentment raged among the crowd, their fury at the Celestial Clan and the Abyss camp reaching a crescendo.
These two supreme civilizations were the true culprits behind this bloody clash, yet they still put on such airs, embodying hypocrisy and tyranny to the absolute fullest.
"Invading our territory, and offending us so grossly in word and deed!"
"What if two great camps arrive together? Tear right through them!"
The emotions of the crowd within the Mountain and Sea Realm were completely ignited. Coupled with their recent overwhelming triumph over another supreme system, everyone was brimming with soaring battle intent.
Above all, the Celestial Clan and the Abyss civilization had pushed things too far, stomping right on their faces until it was utterly intolerable.
The Golden Board judged that the time was ripe. The old monsters and the younger generation were all ablaze with fighting spirit; their hearts were united and ready for war.
In the distance, on the majestic Totem Sacred Mountain, someone whispered within the totem camp, "Have we been forgotten?"
Their side had found little favor with their allies. Ever since the Celestial Clan and the Abyss intervened, neither had paid them much heed.
"Kill! Overturn the Celestial Clan and the Abyss civilization!" Within the Golden Board's realm, emotions detonated.
In a sense, the totem camp was also filled to bursting—except entirely in their pants.
The Silver Sea surged, drawing near the realm as a voice rang out: "How regrettable. We originally hoped to engage in friendly exchanges in a harmonious atmosphere. Now it seems that was mere wishful thinking. In that case, we can only display a fraction of our power. Perhaps that will allow both sides to sit down and speak properly once more."
Even now, that camp maintained its elegant hypocrisy, which was nothing more than sheer arrogance.
With a sharp clang, a colossal, snow-white blade light flashed from the Golden Board. Vast and boundless, like the burst of a broken dam, it swept forward toward the Silver Sea.
In an instant, the Celestial Clan retaliated. Boundless divine feathers shot forth, piercing the night sky like an endless rain of arrows and densely packed flying swords, all trailing long plumes of light that crisscrossed the dark expanse.
It was a grand and devastating spectacle; the pitch-black firmament seemed severed and punctured all over.
The Abyss civilization joined the fray as well, their words even more overbearing: "Since you reject our terms and choose fierce battle, the flame of your supreme civilization may not be far from extinguishment."
The Golden Board seemed to blend entirely with the realm beyond the heavens. Divine waterfalls poured down—one could no longer tell whether they were starlight, streaming fire, or heavenly light.
At this moment, a myriad of stars sparkled as the Mountain and Sea Realm appeared to evolve toward a sea of stars.
All at once, heavenly constellations took misty shape, revolving slowly around the Golden Board as radiant, colossal astral bodies.
The power of the Golden Board climbed to an unprecedented height, its defenses maximized as it launched its offensive.
"Kill!" The immortals and the youths roared in unison, unleashing their arts and offensive techniques without reservation, all of which were amplified and augmented by the Golden Board.
Terrifying celestial-being avatars surged into the sky, smashing into the dazzling Silver Sea. Resplendent fist lights illuminated the firmament, boosted by the Golden Board as they crashed into the pitch-black abyss.
"All who stand against us ultimately perish," an ancient voice drifted from the abyss. Their arrogance and imperiousness remained unyielding; even amidst a bloodbath, they clung to their lofty conceit.
"Quit your damn sanctimonious posturing!" The Dog Sword Immortal offered a cordial greeting. Even an old monster like him could not stomach that attitude, let alone the younger generation.
A voice also resonated from the Silver Sea: "Fellow Daoists of Yujing, you underestimate the world. In this night mist world, three supreme civilizations have arrived in person. No matter how formidable your combat strength, you will be broken."
Its answer was a descent of stars across the sky, resembling countless burning meteors and massive comets crossing the void, crashing forward wrapped in boundless flames.
The Silver Sea churned with terrifying waves, shaking violently.
Soon, array platforms rose one after another from the water like islands, swiftly weaving tangible patterns that finally stabilized the boundless tsunami.
The Celestial Clan's wrath was stoked. Having risen with ferocious speed, they were inherently overbearing to their core—a league of peak species with a fierce appetite for vengeance.
Instantly, dark avian silhouettes soared from the Silver Sea, while a Seven-Headed Heavenly Dragon warped the surrounding space as it emerged above the waves. Various old monsters revealed themselves, letting loose heaven-shaking roars as they unleashed their supreme arts with full strength.
The entire Silver Sea boiled. Boundless streaming light and sweeping swathes of Dao patterns blossomed there before blasting toward the Golden Board.
Several legendary creatures emerged, their colossal frames towering above the sea, terrifying to behold, enmeshed in patterns of order that radiated sacred brilliance.
Amidst this tense, cataclysmic clash, a discordant voice sounded: "Master, there's a female dragon over there! Old Red here has been a bachelor for over five hundred years—aren't you going to look out for me?"
The Great Red Dragon was thrilled, throwing everything into its attacks while simultaneously pitching to the Sage.
The Sage replied, "Do you think a Seven-Headed Dragon is easy to catch? It stands at the absolute peak of the Seventh Realm. Were it not for the issues plaguing this era, it might well have taken another step forward."
"Roar!" A dragon roar shook the nine heavens from the Silver Sea. The behemoth stirred monstrous waves as silver radiance washed over the sky, illuminating the firmament.
The Seven-Headed Dragon had clearly overheard the undisguised transmission from this side. All fourteen of its eyes snapped open, unleashing fourteen beams of light that resonated with heaven and earth, shattering the void as they flew forward.
"What a vicious dragon!" the Sage remarked. His fist light shattered the firmament, augmented and enlarged by the Golden Board until it rolled forward like a surging sea of thunder, smashing down.
The grand battle erupted!
Within the abyss, towering figures rose side by side, roaring at the heavens like fiendgods charging out of the depths of hell. Each stood as tall as a mountain, their strikes tearing apart heaven and earth the moment they unleashed their power.
"Think we won't put you in your place?!" a peerless true god barked, leading a cohort of Seventh Realm old monsters to slash their swords repeatedly at the abyss, hurling forth exquisite techniques.
In an instant, the entire abyss was lit up.
Those mountain-sized figures were grotesque and monstrous: some clad in black scales, some bearing colossal ox horns, and some whose entire faces were studded with golden eyes.
The brief clash was fiercely intense, leaving both sides feeling the opponent was formidable and tricky to handle.
Within the Mountain and Sea Realm, nine-colored ice mountains creaked and groaned. The coffin lids could barely contain some of the reviving immortal and divine bodies.
Several ancient monsters were being awakened, already aware of their destinies and prepared to emerge at any moment.
The Golden Board remained steady, stating, "No rush. A scene like this is nothing yet; it can be handled. Their main force might not have fully arrived, and we must also remain vigilant against other crimson eyes watching this place."
"This old man has roamed the world for one thousand four hundred years. To think that in my twilight years, I would have the chance to personally destroy Yujing's camp—what a delight!"
Amidst the Silver Sea's surging waves, a Silver-Blooded Winged Being emerged, his entire body steaming with silvery-white light. A massive pair of wings spread wide, blotting out the sky as he thrust a silver spear toward the Golden Board.
Evidently, this was an exceptionally terrifying Seventh Realm old monster, or he would never have dared utter such boastful words. He aimed to crush his opponents' faith while showcasing his own might.
Around him, many old monsters joined in supporting his strike, further amplified by the array platforms in the sea, making him appear like an awakened Heavenly God.
Silvery blood qi surged violently throughout his form. His spear was unimaginably thick, spewing piercing sharpness entwined with Dao patterns as it punctured the night sky and stabbed toward the Golden Board.
"Insolent!" several Earth Immortals snapped.
"A mere firefly daring to compete with the bright moon?" Even the Golden Board spoke coldly.
Then, it amplified Qin Ming's nine-colored sword baleful aura, signaling for the fragment of the five-colored treasure to fuse with him.
"A rising junior alone is enough to sever your sharp edge."
For the first time, Qin Ming felt the sheer exhilaration of aligning with the grand trend. Even a fight to the death could feel so gratifying; even a mortal showdown could be so satisfying.
The fragment of the five-colored treasure instantly liquefied, blanketing his body. An inexplicable Dao rhythm empowered him, driving his nine-colored sword baleful aura toward the ultimate domain.
That was Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, and Wind-Thunder—nine domains roaring in unison, then boundlessly amplified by the Golden Board, swelling this single sword strike to an incomparable magnitude.
"Perfection upon meeting nine! Yujing's supreme sword immortal has made a move!"
Within the Silver Sea, several peak beings wore expressions of shock, their faces grave and intensely wary.
The nine-colored sword baleful aura blazed with ultimate brilliance, piercing the firmament as it slashed down violently toward the sea. Boundless sword qi and endless patterns permeated every corner of existence, pouring down like a cascading galaxy.
With a sharp clang, the heaven-propping Silver-Blooded Winged Being shook violently. The war spear in his grasp was sheared in two, its severed half tumbling into the ocean like a falling ridge, sending up terrifying silver waves.
In the blink of an eye, he manifested seven dharma forms—from fiendgod to void mist to blazing sun—yet none could halt that blade light.
With a squelch, a crack split his head, running straight down to between his legs as the sword cleaved him clean in half.
"Ah!" he cried out, sinking into the depths of the sea to evade fatal doom. Refusing to believe his ill fortune, he had tried to take on the peerless sword immortal's strike head-on, yet he truly could not withstand it.
In truth, at that split second, the Golden Board had commanded the Mountain and Sea Realm, channeling the powers of all nine domains—Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Wind-Thunder—into the nine-colored sword light Qin Ming unleashed, truly earning the title of supreme sword immortal.
"Since we've struck once, let's strike again!"
This second sword tore toward the abyss. With a tremendous boom, a figure standing as tall as a mountain was struck down by the nine-colored sword light, its colossal head plummeting into the depths while blood gushed like a waterfall.
*Swish!*
Next, the immortals joined forces in coordinated battle, augmenting the power of the nine domains as Qin Ming seized the momentum to slash a third sword.
The totem camp, which had temporarily retreated from the battlefield, wanted nothing more than to curse. They had been dragged back into the fight, catching a direct strike from the supreme sword immortal.
The Totem Sacred Mountain radiated light, resisting with all its might.
Yet facing this nine-colored sword baleful aura heavily backed by the Golden Board, the already damaged sacred mountain could not withstand it entirely. As the vast sword light swept past, two great totems standing atop the summit exploded.
A corner of the entire sacred mountain's grand array was breached once again.
The members of the totem camp were both terrified and enraged. Even when standing clear of the battlefield, they could still catch a sword strike.
"Since you refuse to compromise and will not accept our terms, then let us see if we can extinguish a supreme civilization!" a horrifying voice sounded from the bottom of the abyss.
Next, a dazzling, wondrous flower blossomed, rising from the abyss's threshold. Vast beyond measure, it blanketed the entire abyss layer upon layer, unfolding its petals amidst endless Dao patterns.
The Silver Sea rumbled with deafening roars as a magnificent high platform rose, bearing a colossal statue. It trembled violently, its stone skin flaking away in sheets before opening its eyes—like two suns rising into the sky, illuminating all creation, instantly turning heaven and earth bright as day.
The supreme bloodbath had entered a state of white-hot fury!
Chapter 542