Suppressing Everything

"Xu Ying?" Yuanjun asked in surprise. "Has that Xu Ying still not been dealt with? That was such a long time ago. I assumed he had died ages ago." "If he were dead, the realm would have known peace long ago," the Imperial Monarch said, shaking his head. "You know what kind of calamity he stirred up back then. The man is rebellious to his bones. While in the mortal realm, he attained immortality seven times and severed his own cultivation seven times, driving the Ascension stage so high that no one else could cross it! Was that not severing the path of ascension for everyone under heaven? Pitying his talent, I suppressed him for forty-eight thousand years, yet who would have thought he would never settle down even then, leaping up to rebel again and again?" He sighed and continued, "This time was particularly fierce. He has already broken five of the Immortal Dao runes I used to suppress him. Fortunately, nineteen still remain unbroken." Yuanjun showed concern. "Imperial Monarch, if he is truly troublesome, perhaps I should inform Perfected Jade Pot and have him lend a hand in suppressing him. Perfected Jade Pot was ordered to descend to the lower realm this time to settle a personal matter from the past. You know his strength as well—he is extraordinarily capable. It is only because the Immortal Realm is brimming with talent that he has never been promoted, leaving him somewhat slighted." The Imperial Monarch's eyes flickered, and he chuckled. "There is no need for you to worry, Yuanjun. When Xu Ying ran rampant across the realm back then, I put an end to it. Even if he jumps and kicks in rebellion now, he cannot leap out of my palm. There is just one thing: he broke the five-character seal while in Kunlun." "Kunlun?" Yuanjun smiled. "I heard that the Heavenly Venerable of the Thunder Department ordered the Thunder Capital Office, one of the three departmental offices, to descend to the mortal realm—it seems precisely to eradicate Kunlun." The Imperial Monarch smiled. "The Heavenly Venerable wields immense power and authority, capable of allowing True Immortals to descend to the mortal realm without shaving down their cultivation realms. Perhaps we can borrow the might of the Thunder Department to capture Xu Ying." The two exchanged a knowing smile. *** In the Kunlun Realm, despair gripped the hearts of Feng Yao and Qingluan. They watched as the Heaven Immortal unleashed the Doutian Five Dragons Spear, five dragons coiling around the immortal artifact to magnify its dreadful might. No mortal or immortal could hold the great spear in hand, for five divine dragons twined tightly around its shaft. Their scales flared like razor-sharp bucklers with jagged, saw-toothed edges. With five dragons tempering the spear combined with the Heaven Immortal's Dao domain, it seemed empowered by the weight of myriad heavens. Faced with such a strike, the two sisters had nowhere left to run! Suddenly, a figure appeared between them and the Doutian Five Dragons Spear. Around the colossal divine spear, the five dragons threw back their heads and roared, tearing space to shreds as it bore down upon them. "Granduncle, look out!" Feng Yao cried in haste. The figure standing before them was none other than Xu Ying. Facing the Doutian Five Dragons Spear, he appeared diminutive in comparison. Linked directly to the Immortal Realm, the immortal artifact commanded unfathomable might, its dragon roars shaking heaven and earth! In the next instant, Xu Ying raised his palm. Immortal Dao runes swirled around him, and as he thrust his palm forward, the character *Feng*—Seal—shot forth, instantly trapping the Doutian Five Dragons Spear within its boundaries. The five dragons bellowed furiously, as though confined to a cramped cage. Though nothing visible surrounded them, they felt an intangible shackle that not only bound their physical bodies, but also sealed away their spirits. The five dragons abruptly ground to a halt, and the immortal artifact froze in midair. Xu Ying strode forward toward the Doutian Five Dragons Spear. Immortal Dao runes such as *Jin*—Prohibit, *Yu*—Enclose, and *Kun*—Trap flew forth, swiftly suppressing and sealing the five dragons. Even the Doutian Five Dragons Spear itself was completely subdued and sealed, tumbling down from the sky. Seeing this, the Heaven Immortal who wielded the spear was filled with shock and fury. Letting out a long cry, he brought his Dao domain crashing down to crush Xu Ying. An Immortal Realm cave-heaven materialized behind Xu Ying. The Huntian Cauldron, the Twelve-Storyed Mansions, the Immortal Dao Jade Pool, and the Third Heavenly Pass surged out, forcefully checking the Heaven Immortal's suppression. Xu Ying lightly flicked his palm, sending a flurry of Immortal Dao runes into the air—every one of them was the very sealing runes laid upon him by the Imperial Monarch! "You dare display Immortal Dao divine abilities before me? Are you even an immortal?" The Heaven Immortal sneered, driving his Dao domain into a state of absolute invulnerability against all dharmas. Even if Xu Ying deployed the Immortal Dao runes devised by the Imperial Monarch, none could come close to him. Seeing this, Xu Ying flicked his finger and released the character *Shou*—Receive. This was the very first character of the sixteen-character seal that bound him, the *Shou* from "Receive Mandate from Heaven." The moment this character flew out, the Heaven Immortal's domain—previously impervious to all spells—was forced to receive the dharma. Xu Ying's other sealing abilities poured in like a torrent, instantly suppressing the Heaven Immortal's domain. The character *Shou* was of paramount importance, serving as the linchpin of Xu Ying's suppression. In his first lifetime, Xu Ying's cultivation and strength had been terrifyingly supreme, and his comprehension of the Dao so extraordinarily profound that ordinary techniques could not even touch him, let alone seal or suppress him. The *Shou* technique created by the Imperial Monarch was designed specifically to break his absolute invulnerability to myriad arts. Only with this character could Xu Ying ever have been sealed and suppressed. The Heaven Immortal's attainment in the Dao was naturally far inferior to Xu Ying's. The moment he encountered the *Shou* technique, his defenses broke completely, and he was promptly suppressed by the following flurry of Immortal Dao runes: *Ling*, *Yu*, *Qiu*, *Yin*. On the other side of the battlefield, dozens of immortals from the Thunder Capital Office were besieging Lu Wu. Their Primordial Spirits whipped out chains of thunder, binding Lu Wu's nine tails and four limbs. Other immortals hurled their immortal artifacts, smashing them toward Lu Wu! Dragging the Primordial Spirits of the immortals with him, Lu Wu fought on valiantly, lunging and striking to slaughter them. Yet more and more chains locked onto him, causing his movements to grow increasingly sluggish. Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang knew the situation was dire. Master and disciple gave everything they had, frantically executing various divine abilities to deflect the immortal artifacts hurled at Lu Wu. Ever since meeting Xu Ying, their cultivation and strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, progressing at a blistering pace, especially after entering Kunlun. Their comprehension of the Dao was incomparably deeper than before. They could even deflect the artifacts of ordinary Earth Immortals, but not without sustaining injuries. Straining to protect Lu Wu's life, the pair repeatedly coughed up blood from the jarring shocks. Gathering a breath, Master Fire Dragon shouted to Han Zekang, "Disciple, God Lu Wu and I will do everything we can to carve a way out for you! You must leave immediately, escape Kunlun! The Divine Vulture Palace cannot end here..." Han Zekang wept, "Master, I won't leave!" "Then should I leave?" Master Fire Dragon's eyes lit up, and he said, "You and God Lu Wu carve a bloody path to send your master out! I swear I will carry on the glory of the Divine Vulture Palace—" Han Zekang stared in disbelief. "When indecision strikes, disaster follows!" Master Fire Dragon roared. Summoning his Primordial Spirit, he bellowed, "Immortals, sink with me into the Netherworld! Escape—" His Primordial Spirit violently dragged the surrounding space downward into the Netherworld. Pitch darkness enveloped them as the laws of the Netherworld surged. The lineage of the Divine Vulture Palace specialized in Netherworld arts. Master Fire Dragon's spells and abilities surged in power instantly. Together with Lu Wu, he charged desperately in one direction, shouting, "Disciple, we've carved a path of survival for you! Don't let the Divine Vulture Palace perish!" Weeping, Han Zekang charged toward the opening. Just then, the sky twisted and whirled as a massive cave-heaven ripped through the Netherworld sky—Xu Ying had arrived! The sounds of the Immortal Dao resonated like grand thunder. Around Xu Ying, various Immortal Dao runes fluttered. Driven by his palms, they flew in every direction, striking the immortals besieging Lu Wu! "Receive!" Accompanied by a booming sound of the Immortal Dao, the techniques of each attacking immortal were instantly bound. Then, an array of Immortal Dao runes—*Yong*, *Zhen*, *Ling*, *Yu*, *Qiu*, *Kun*, *Feng*, *Jin*, *You*, *Yu*—transformed into divine abilities, sweeping outward in all directions! Master Fire Dragon was overcome with emotion and cried, "Good disciple, Young Master Xu has come to save us! Let us fight our way out together! God Lu Wu, once we grow strong in the future, we will surely burn incense and sweep your grave every festival!" Hardly had the words left his mouth when the dozens of besieging immortals suffered grievous blows—some had their cultivation sealed, some had their divine senses bound, some had their physical bodies trapped, and others had their dual qi suppressed, their strength drastically diminished. Xu Ying's feet touched the earth. With a heavy stomp, the yin and yang reversed, and the entire patch of space that Master Fire Dragon had dragged into the Netherworld returned to the realm of the living. Leaving the others behind, Xu Ying charged off toward the remaining immortals of the Thunder Capital Office. Surprised and overjoyed, Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang rushed forward to slaughter the weakened immortals who had just besieged them. Lu Wu pounced on the immortals while casting an unfriendly glare back. "Master Fire Dragon, what did you just say? Something about burning incense and sweeping my grave?" Before Master Fire Dragon could make an excuse, Lu Wu flickered like a phantom, finishing off the crippled immortals. With two swift thumps, his tails slammed master and disciple into the earth, burying them up to their necks with only their heads sticking out. Lu Wu bounded into the air and dashed away. Covered in dirt, the master and disciple scrambled out of the ground and hurriedly gave chase to assist in rescuing the other gods of Kunlun. Xu Ying strolled leisurely across the battlefield of Kunlun. Wherever he went, immortals of the Thunder Capital Office were suppressed one after another; none could withstand his abilities! These were the sealing methods of the Imperial Monarch, completely unshakeable once inflicted. A single strike would drastically diminish the victim's cultivation: if it could not seal the physical body, it sealed the Primordial Spirit; if not the Primordial Spirit, the divine sense; if not the divine sense, the primordial qi; and failing that, divine power! Only Heaven Immortals, with their terrifying cultivation and profound comprehension of the Dao, could barely fend off his methods. Yet in the very next breath, Xu Ying would execute the *Shou* formula to shatter their defenses and seal them away. Across the entire battlefield, not a single foe could stand against him. High in the sky, the Queen Mother of the West unleashed boundless dharmic power, a tempest of divine might sweeping in all directions. In comparison, Immortal King Fang Songhuai of the Thunder Capital Office was visibly outmatched. At her zenith, the Queen Mother of the West could clash head-on with the Heavenly Venerable of the Thunder Department. Though she had perished for tens of thousands of years and was now resurrected with her divine might greatly depleted, her dharmic power still far outstripped his. Weaving through the air to evade her heavy blows, Fang Songhuai sneered, "Queen Mother of the West, you are nothing more than a wild god worshiped by primitive mortals, outside the Heavenly Dao and beyond the Immortal Realm's governance! "Did you truly think you could turn the tables? Back then, it took the Heavenly Venerable himself to kill you, but today, I alone am enough to slay you!" His Dao domain expanded continuously outward, linking with heaven and earth and transforming into a realm of thunder. Fang Songhuai moved like lightning, growing swifter with every breath, arcs of electricity crackling around him. Above him, immortal banners unfurled across the sky, establishing a grand Immortal Dao array! The array greedily absorbed the spiritual qi of the Immortal Realm, pulling the immortal spiritual energy into swirling vortexes that poured into its center. Immortal Dao power surged within the array, growing steadily stronger. Lightning formed thick, blinding Dao chains that threaded through each banner. Dao resonances boomed, and the emanating power manifested as streaks of thunder, each seemingly concealing entire worlds within. This was the Thunder Department's Jade Firmament Brahma Qi Immortal Formation, endowed with limitless power. Knowing he was no match for the Queen Mother of the West in direct combat, Fang Songhuai had deployed it early. Sensing the mounting pressure, the Queen Mother of the West looked up, her expression darkening slightly. She wished to dispatch Fang Songhuai, but her cultivation had not fully recovered, leaving her just short of the required strength. In ancient times, revered as the Queen Mother of Mount Kunlun, she had received incense and offerings from all living beings across the myriad heavens and realms, possessing boundless divine power. Though resurrected, while some still offered incense, the number of her worshipers across the myriad worlds was far smaller than before. Her divine power had yet to return to its peak. Fang Songhuai might lack other talents, but he was exceptionally adept at fleeing. As long as he stalled her until the Jade Firmament Brahma Qi Immortal Formation fully erupted, she would be slain once more! *This merit is practically mine,* Fang Songhuai thought as he dodged while driving the formation. Its power had already gathered to seventy or eighty percent; once it reached ninety, it would be enough to destroy the Queen Mother of the West! *Over the years, the Imperial Monarch, Yuanjun, and the other upstarts have acted shamelessly, sending disobedient immortals to do their dirty work, only to let their own cronies take the credit while abandoning those who earned it in the lower realm,* Fang Songhuai mused. *It is only because their foundation is too shallow. Had they wielded true authority like the Heavenly Venerable, they could have allowed their subordinates to descend to the mortal realm with their cultivation intact. Once I return to the Immortal Realm after achieving this merit, how many will envy me!*'* Just as the thought crossed his mind, the Queen Mother of the West's vast divine power suddenly receded. From that ocean of divine might, a youth soared into the air, stomping heavily. Immortal radiance cascaded outward as a colossal character *Shou* erupted from beneath his feet! The character *Shou* merged into Fang Songhuai's Dao domain, then dimmed and vanished. Fang Songhuai was startled. *Who is this? Where are my subordinates? Wait, his face looks familiar, as though I have seen him somewhere before...* Xu Ying shot upward, darting through the fluttering ribbons—each as long as a heavenly river—beneath the Queen Mother of the West's colossal form. His hands blurred into motion, casting massive Immortal Dao runes that branded themselves directly into Fang Songhuai's Dao domain. Rising higher and higher, Xu Ying reached the Queen Mother of the West's countenance. Her face was like fine jade, her eyes brilliant as radiant stars. Compared to her towering divine form, Xu Ying seemed tiny and insignificant. Opposite him stood Fang Songhuai's equally immense, towering Immortal Dao Primordial Spirit. Moving in unison, one vast and one small, Xu Ying and the Queen Mother of the West struck at Fang Songhuai simultaneously. Fang Songhuai sneered and evaded their assault. He noticed more Immortal Dao runes flying from Xu Ying's hands, yet none landed on his body—they only branded themselves into his Dao domain. *I really have seen this person before...* The more Fang Songhuai looked at Xu Ying, the more familiar he seemed. Suddenly, enlightenment struck, and he threw his head back in loud laughter. "So it's you! You are the orphan of Xujiaping from all those years ago! I remember you!" He forcefully activated the Jade Firmament Brahma Qi Immortal Formation laid in the Immortal Realm. The formation's power erupted violently, turning into an apocalyptic haze of light that surged downward toward the whole of Kunlun with terrifying speed! Viewed from afar, the light appeared to pour slowly from another world, as if intent on submerging the entirety of Kunlun! Fang Songhuai laughed. "You are Xu Ying! When I slaughtered my way into Xujiaping back then, you were wailing at the top of your lungs while a man and woman risked their lives to help you escape!" "Is that so?" Xu Ying reached out his right hand and snapped his fingers wide open. Instantly, countless Immortal Dao runes surfaced within Fang Songhuai's Dao domain—characters like *Yong*, *Zhen*, *Ling*, *Yu*, *Qiu*, *Yin*, *Feng*, *Jin*, *You*, and *Yu* blazed densely, illuminating his entire domain! And among these characters, the most numerous of all was *Ming*—Mandate! *Whoosh!* Myriad Immortal Dao runes contracted. In a split second, all the Dao chains of the Great Dao of Thunder within Fang Songhuai's domain were completely sealed. The domain contracted sharply, plunging into Fang Songhuai's body along with the thousands of runes! "Then on behalf of my parents and clansmen, I will first collect a bit of interest!" Xu Ying clenched his hand into a tight fist. Fang Songhuai's colossal Immortal Dao Primordial Spirit, towering shoulder to shoulder with the Queen Mother of the West, shuddered violently, contorted, and was forcefully sealed away—stuffed straight back into his physical body!