Xu Ying's eyelid twitched. With a smile, he asked, "When I entered Master Jin's memories and browsed the past, I noticed many mysterious figures assisting the heavenly gods and the Great Shang in hunting me down. I presume you were among them, sir?"
The youth in white shook his head and replied, "Those were my subordinates, ordered to descend to the mortal world before me. To hunt you down and prevent you from escaping subjugation, they joined forces with the heavenly gods and Great Shang Qi Refiners, suffering horrific casualties. Most of them died by your hand. Sensing that you were far too difficult to deal with, the higher-ups sent me down to the mortal realm."
Yuan Tiangang blinked and quietly backed away from Xu Ying, saying, "It seems this matter won't end peacefully."
With an ambiguous smile, Xu Ying said, "Oh? They all died, yet they dispatched you. Does that mean you are very strong?"
Ye Chui solemnly answered, "I am indeed very strong."
Xu Ying suddenly stomped his foot, pulling the white-robed immortal Ye Chui straight into his Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground!
Opening all six secret depositories, his four Nuo ancestor cave-heavens spun furiously, instantly driving his cultivation and prowess to the utmost peak!
Mount Buzhou propped up the firmament; sword qi spanned the heavens and plunged into the earth; the great furnace leaped forth with the sun and moon; the sea of stars surged with celestial bodies; and in the sky, one thousand nine hundred Heavenly Dao runes formed one thousand nine hundred phantoms of heavenly gods...
In a fleeting instant, Xu Ying transformed his Hidden Scenery ground into his Dao arena.
Xu Ying smiled faintly. "Do continue."
Unfazed, Ye Chui went on, "My strength lies not merely in power, but also in intellect. I knew you were deeply entangled with Yan Bao'er, so I laid a scheme, knowing you would definitely come. And come you did! I set up the Grand Array of Subduing Demons across the Heavens, nested the Celestial Constellation Demon-Refining Array within, embedded five Great Five Elements Arrays, interlaced seven Lesser Heavenly Star Arrays, and paved the ground with Four Phases and Two Poles Arrays. I unfurled immortal array diagrams, slew a primordial behemoth to use the beast god's blood as the catalyst, and cast a dragnet across heaven and earth. Capturing you was the greatest glory of my life."
Xu Ying smiled. "Is there more?"
Ye Chui said gravely, "To tell you the truth, after I captured you back then, I thought I could atone for my faults through meritorious service and ascend to the Immortal Realm. Even if I wasn't promoted, I could at least reclaim my former station. Who could have known the higher-ups would betray their word and shatter my dream of ascension! Filled with bitter fury, I sought refuge in Penglai to resist the Immortal Realm. Fellow Daoist Xu, I admire you greatly, and I am willing to turn swords into plowshares with you."
Yuan Tiangang continued to retreat, thinking, *If a fight breaks out, whose side should I take? Let me divine it...*
Just then, he noticed another figure beside him—a tall, burly old man. Yuan Tiangang's heart tightened, and he bowed. "Immortal Master."
The tall, burly old man signaled that there was no need for courtesy, remarking with a smile, "Ye Chui and Xu Ying are clashing the moment they meet."
Yuan Tiangang asked, "Should we step in to dissuade them?"
The tall old man shook his head. "No need. There are old grudges between them, and both harbor bellies full of rancor that require an outlet." He smiled faintly. "Besides, Ye Chui is an exiled immortal whose talents are truly extraordinary. I would also like to see how far his strength has grown over these ten thousand years."
Yuan Tiangang felt a chill in his heart. *The Immortal Master only wants to see whether Ye Chui poses a threat to his own position. This Penglai Immortal Realm may look like a paradise, but in truth it harbors its own filth; it isn't entirely clean.*
Ye Chui frowned slightly, detecting the cold edge in Xu Ying's tone. "Fellow Daoist Xu, you killed so many immortals under my command. It was only natural that I plotted against you and set an ambush. We are even now. Both of us are in the Penglai Immortal Realm, aboard the same boat. If we each take a step back, what say you?"
Without committing either way, Xu Ying pressed on, "When I entered Master Jin's memories, I did not see what happened after I left him behind. What took place after I charged into the array alone?"
Ye Chui said, "After you entered the array, you broke through several layers of my immortal formations in succession, eventually fighting your way before Yan Bao'er's reincarnation. But by then, you were already grievously wounded." He shook his head. "Your combat prowess in that lifetime was inferior to your first. I have heard many legends about you; your first lifetime sounded like a myth of the Immortal Realm, so absurd I could scarcely believe such a man ever existed."
With a wooden expression, Xu Ying pursued, "And then?"
Suppressing his impatience, Ye Chui answered, "Then you tried to carve a path of retreat with Yan Bao'er's reincarnation. But you failed to realize my formations operated both forward and in reverse. Breaking in was difficult, but breaking out was harder still—all the more so while carrying two people. In the end, I wore you to death within the formation until nothing remained but your imperishable true spirit."
Xu Ying's voice turned hoarse. "What about her?"
Ye Chui asked, "Who?"
Xu Ying said, "Yan Bao'er. Her reincarnation."
Ye Chui fell silent for a moment before replying, "She took her own life for love."
"Took her own life for love."
Xu Ying stared wide-eyed at him, two lines of tears rolling down his cheeks. His lips trembled as he repeated, "She died for love?"
Ye Chui sighed with emotion. "Her death was resolute. She believed you were dead, unaware that your imperishable true spirit was too formidable and would soon restore your physical body. But by then, she had already perished."
Xu Ying's fists clenched involuntarily.
Suddenly, Ye Chui's face changed drastically. The firmament warped and twisted erratically. Across the sky, phantom heavenly gods wept tears of blood, dyeing the vault crimson in the blink of an eye.
Palpitations seized Ye Chui's chest, and he hastily raised a hand. "Fellow Daoist Xu, I came here to resolve our grudge—"
*Boom!*
A Mount Buzhou plummeted from the heavens, crushing downward with earth-shattering force!
Tears streaming down his face, Xu Ying demanded, "Why didn't you speak of resolving it back then?"
Fury flared in Ye Chui's chest. Immortal Dao runes erupted around him, interlocking seamlessly to erect a Great Five Elements Array around his body in an instant. Sneering, he said, "I wished to reason with you, yet you refuse to listen. Very well! If I back down now, you'll look down on me! Xu Ying, if I could take you down once back then, I can take you down a second time!"
He had not deployed just one Great Five Elements Array, but five of them.
Five Great Five Elements Arrays interlinked the five qi of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth in mutual generation and restraint.
The metal qi formed the god of metal: a white-haired figure with a human face and tiger claws, brandishing a battle-ax and treading upon a pair of golden dragons.
The wood qi formed the god of wood: a bird-faced figure with a human body, treading upon a pair of azure dragons.
The water qi formed the god of water: a human-faced figure with a bird's body, treading upon a pair of green serpents.
The fire qi formed the god of fire: a human-faced figure with a beast's body, treading upon two fire dragons.
The earth qi formed the god of earth: an ox-headed figure with a human body, treading upon a pair of yellow serpents.
As the five Five Elements immortal arrays activated, twenty-five gods of the five elements manifested from Immortal Dao runes, their qi intertwined in ceaseless mutual generation and restraint. Their ever-shifting cycles instantly propelled the array's might soaring into the clouds!
Even within Xu Ying's Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground, and even having yielded the initiative to Xu Ying, Ye Chui harbored not the slightest fear.
He had defeated Xu Ying once before. That time, he had struck with premeditation against an unwary foe, winning without much honor.
This time, he would win fair and square!
The Immortal Realm had refused to value him. He would prove to them that the Xu Ying they could not handle was someone he could suppress once, and could suppress twice!
*Boom!*
Mount Buzhou crashed down from above, and the twenty-five five-element gods exploded one after another, pulverized to dust beneath its weight!
Ye Chui's expression shifted again. His Primordial Spirit emerged, roaring as he unfurled an immortal diagram that formed the Grand Array of Subduing Demons across the Heavens, halting Mount Buzhou's crushing descent!
He let out a muffled groan. Borne down by the terrifying, inexhaustible weight of Mount Buzhou, his body sank violently, nearly buried into the earth.
"Didn't you want to see the divine powers of my first lifetime?"
With a numb expression and tears of blood streaming down his face, Xu Ying spread his fingers wide and said softly, "I will show you, so you may die with your eyes closed."
Countless stars suddenly rolled across Ye Chui's surroundings, sweeping into his demon-subduing immortal diagram. The stars blazed and collided, continuously erupting with horrifying energy that jammed the diagram's operations!
The next instant, a beam of sword qi spanning the heavens and cleaving the earth descended, splitting the demon-subduing immortal array in two with a single strike!
A thread of blood appeared across the forehead of Ye Chui's Primordial Spirit. Another scroll of immortal diagrams flew up behind him, transforming into the Celestial Constellation Demon-Refining Array. With the constellations serving as formation eyes, phantoms of heavenly gods stood tall within the array, each bearing a savage, ferocious divine visage!
His design was exceedingly ingenious: using the Celestial Constellation Demon-Refining Array to neutralize Xu Ying's Sea of Chaotic Stars divine power. The Sea of Chaotic Stars was merely astral bodies, whereas the celestial constellations represented the orthodox gods of heaven!
The next moment, the phantoms of one thousand nine hundred heavenly gods manifested behind Xu Ying, converging into a furious Heavenly Dao avatar that drove a single punch into the demon-refining array, obliterating the phantoms of the orthodox gods in one blow!
Shaken until he coughed up blood, Ye Chui stumbled backward. Stomping his foot down heavily, he sent various immortal diagrams—the Four Phases Array, the Two Poles Array, and Lesser Heavenly Star Arrays—soaring into the air!
His body turned into a rainbow streak as he shot across the sky, arrays swirling about him in an unstoppable torrent!
Driving the immortal arrays, he attempted to slice through Xu Ying's Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground and escape to the outside world.
*The Immortal Master instructed me to make peace and resolve my enmity with Xu Ying, saying that if reconciliation failed, he would step in. Now, it is his turn to intervene!*
Just as the thought crossed Ye Chui's mind, a scorching sun rose before his eyes. The surroundings transformed into golden walls of molten fire, confronting him with unimaginable heat.
What had engulfed him was none other than the Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace!
Xu Ying's face remained devoid of expression as he clenched his fist. The Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace shrank violently, then detonated with a thunderous roar.
With a furious bellow, Ye Chui broke through the raging flames, his protective immortal arrays already charred full of holes. He shrieked, "Xu Ying, you killed the immortals under my command! Killing you was entirely justified! You were a prisoner of the Immortal Realm; attempting a prison break made you worthy of death!"
Instead of fleeing, he charged ruthlessly toward Xu Ying!
He could no longer care about the Immortal Master's instructions. Since he could not escape, he would simply kill Xu Ying, reducing this lifetime's cultivation to nothingness!
Though his treasures were destroyed, his immortal arts remained intact, and his mastery of Immortal Dao was still formidable. As he charged before Xu Ying, Immortal Dao runes had already linked together to form immortal arrays encircling his body.
Behind Xu Ying, the four Nuo ancestor cave-heavens opened wide. Wrath avatars stood towering within them, immortal fire blazing to elevate his power to the absolute limit.
*Whoosh!*
Xu Ying drove a punch forward. Everywhere his fist passed, the immortal arrays and Immortal Dao runes encircling Ye Chui crackled and burst apart!
*Thump!*
Xu Ying's strike landed square on his chest. Ye Chui felt his immortal power completely scattered by the blow. His chest caved in, his back bulged outward, and he was sent tumbling through the air!
While still midair, he tried to steady himself, only to find Xu Ying already standing before him, delivering another punch.
Ye Chui merged his Primordial Spirit and physical body to resist with all his might. An unfathomable surge of brute force battered him. *Crack! Crack!* Both his arms shattered, and he was hurled backward at even greater speed!
*Crash!*
His body smashed through Xu Ying's Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground, leaving a long trail across the sky of the Penglai Immortal Realm before slamming into a floating immortal mountain.
That immortal mountain had an owner. A female immortal rose to her feet, dodging the collision. Shocked and bewildered, she was about to help Ye Chui up when another figure materialized before her.
The female immortal looked closely: it was a youth clad in black, his face cold and impassive. Her heart gave a sudden leap of fright, and she dared not reach out to assist Ye Chui.
Ye Chui scrambled to his feet, vomiting mouthfuls of blood. His Primordial Spirit had suffered severe trauma, and panic crept into his eyes.
"These are the divine powers of my first lifetime," Xu Ying said softly.
Stars danced behind him as a seven-colored divine tree took form, celestial bodies revolving around it.
Ye Chui's face drained of color as he leaped backward, but the seven-colored divine tree had already cast down tens of thousands of auspicious rays and vapors. With sharp *shhh-shhh-shhh* sounds, they lashed across his body, leaving both flesh and Primordial Spirit covered in wounds!
Not only that, his Immortal Dao, his Realm of Xiyi, and each of his cultivation realms began to crack and fissure!
This was an attack aimed directly at his Immortal Dao, intended to destroy him from the very foundation!
With a crash, Ye Chui slammed into another floating immortal mountain, sending it spinning into the distance, nearly knocking it clean out of the Penglai Immortal Realm.
The immortal residing on that mountain hurriedly took action to tether their peak.
Throughout the immortal realm, other reclusive immortals broke off their cultivation and stepped outside, staring at Xu Ying and Ye Chui in shock and uncertainty. Among them was a woman emerging from the central peak. She looked like an ordinary mortal woman, bearing no extraordinary signs, unlike the other ethereal immortals.
Her gaze settled on Xu Ying, and a slight smile appeared on her lips. "You truly came."
Terror seized Ye Chui's heart, and he shouted in desperation, "Immortal Master! Immortal Master!"
*Boom!*
Xu Ying's Heavenly Dao avatar batted him away with a single palm. Ye Chui's bones snapped and his sinews tore; coughing blood continuously, he cried, "Immortal Master! You promised to resolve the grudge between him and me! Immortal Master..."
Before his words could finish, an abyss opened beneath his feet. All Dao fell silent within it, as though it buried every Great Dao—the ultimate resting place of the Dao!
The moment this abyss appeared, Ye Chui fell helplessly into its depths.
Consumed by boundless dread, he mobilized all his magic power in an effort to fly outward. Yet the worldly principles within his body fell silent one by one, stripped of every ounce of power.
"Immortal Master..." he cried out one final time, before plunging into the abyss.
At that moment, an aged, heavy voice echoed from behind Xu Ying, praising, "The battle on the heavenly road shocked the three realms; no sooner does Burying Dao appear than all Dao dim. Everyone says that once the Abyss of Burying Dao divine power is deployed, all immortal arts become useless. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its name. Xu Ying, this old man is the Immortal Master of Penglai. Might I plead for his life...?"
Xu Ying clenched his hand tightly.
The Abyss of Burying Dao snapped shut with a deafening crash, collapsing into a single black fissure in the void.
Fresh blood seeped steadily from the crack.
It was Ye Chui's blood, squeezed out from the fissure.
A rumbling churned inside the Abyss of Burying Dao, grinding thoroughly, reducing bone to ash!
Xu Ying turned around and said somberly, "Immortal Master, you spoke too late."
He unclenched his hand; his palm was stained with blood.
The exiled immortal Ye Chui had already been crushed to dust.
Aboard this ship of Penglai, one person had died!
Chapter 319