The moment Perfected Qianhuan activated the Returning Dao Jade Platter, Xu Ying understood what he intended to do.
*Perfected Qianhuan wants to use the Returning Dao Jade Platter to restore all the shattered Great Daos of Heaven and Earth throughout the Xuanhuang Realm!*
Xu Ying's eyes flickered. *Yet the Xuanhuang Realm is also the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain. This expanse of heaven and earth holds not only the shattered Great Daos of Heaven and Earth from ancient times, but also the fractured Daos of the immortals who fell in the battle of the Ancestral Court.*
The Returning Dao Jade Platter would not only reorder the local Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, but also restore every single Dao of those fallen immortals!
Those immortals had fought for the Immortal Realm and died for the Immortal Realm, yet after their deaths, they received no fair treatment. Instead, their corpses were cast into Weixu, where no one offered sacrifices or remembered their meritorious deeds. Because of this, their resentment soared to the heavens. Over the long years, they cultivated into corpse immortals and ghost immortals, establishing their own independent realm!
Previously, their strength had been insufficient, and they had been suppressed within the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain, unable to escape Weixu or cause major catastrophe. But what if their fractured Daos were revived and restored to completeness? A single corpse king or corpse immortal was nothing to fear, but tens of thousands of corpse kings and corpse immortals would be beyond terrifying! Just imagine: once the Daos of these corpse kings and corpse immortals were restored, could Weixu still hold them? If so many corpse kings and corpse immortals broke out of Weixu, they would inevitably bring calamity upon the myriad realms of the heavens!
The goal of Perfected Qianhuan's master was to have the corpse immortals and corpse kings of the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain unleash a massive upheaval sweeping through all the heavens and myriad realms, muddying the waters so he could reap benefits amid the chaos. To endanger the lives of hundreds of millions of living beings for personal gain—no wonder Xu Ying had thought him ruthless.
*However, the prerequisite for this was that the corpse kings and corpse immortals of the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain did not escape this domain.*
Xu Ying's eyes gleamed as he gazed up at the sky, thinking, *Yet despite all his exhaustive calculations, that existence behind Perfected Qianhuan failed to foresee one thing: the sudden appearance of the Yellow Court other shore and Yingzhou, which triggered a geomagnetic deluge that breached the two realms. He never foresaw that the immortal corpses would seize this chance to flee the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain...*
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a dazzling, peerless beam of sword light suddenly flared on the horizon. Golden sword qi rode the geomagnetic deluge, striking directly at the eye socket of the Supreme skull!
Gazing from afar, Xu Ying saw that brilliant sword light and sword qi sever the geomagnetic deluge in two.
The geomagnetic current trapped within Weixu instantly dissolved into a sky-filling shower of luminous rain, drizzling down from the heavens. The immortal corpses charging toward the Yellow Court other shore were immediately stripped of their pulling force, drifting helplessly in midair, bewildered.
Xu Ying froze, then suddenly came to a realization. He looked toward Perfected Qianhuan, his heart pounding in shock. *Could Perfected Qianhuan's master have foreseen even this? If he calculated all of this, his master must be an expert versed in divine calculations, just like the Divine Mother!*
Sword Monarch Jinhe had severed the geomagnetic power, cutting off the path to the other shore. All the corpse immortals would be trapped within Weixu, leaving them no choice but to return to the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain!
At the same time, Perfected Qianhuan had already activated the Returning Dao Jade Platter within the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain. The moment these corpse immortals and corpse ghosts reentered the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain, their incomplete Daos would be restored!
Such divine foresight had accounted for every single step, including the appearance of the Yellow Court other shore, the eruption of geomagnetic force, and the drawing away of the corpse immortals and ghost immortals from the domain. It had also factored in the timing of that peerless sword immortal guarding this place severing the geomagnetic power! Likewise, it had accounted for the timing of Perfected Qianhuan evading his enemies' attacks all the way to reaching the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain and activating the Returning Dao Jade Platter!
Xu Ying suddenly realized that from the moment Perfected Qianhuan set foot in Weixu, every single move he made had been exceedingly precise: evading Perfected Jade Pot's pursuit, dodging the chases of the Five Extremes Immortal King and the Ninth Immortal King, hiding among the horde of corpse kings, and shaking off Xu Ying's tracking. Every move might well have been the result of his master's meticulous deductions. His master had even anticipated Xu Ying's actions, factoring Xu Ying himself into the scheme!
Xu Ying's eyes flickered. Staring at the Returning Dao Jade Platter that hung so close at hand, he thought, *If I strike now to seize the jade platter and Perfected Qianhuan can block me, that will prove his master truly possesses divine calculation!*
Perfected Qianhuan had already begun driving the Returning Dao Jade Platter. The platter rose into the air, radiating waves of luminous aura that spread in all directions.
Without hesitation, Xu Ying struck instantly, clawing toward the Returning Dao Jade Platter!
Perfected Qianhuan was a Heavenly Immortal whose cultivation and strength were inferior to Young Master Ningqing's. With his might, he could never stop Xu Ying. Yet at that very moment, another hand reached out, lunging toward the Returning Dao Jade Platter!
Xu Ying's hand happened to align with that person's path. As their palms collided, Xu Ying grunted softly and fell back out of the void. The other person's aura also fluctuated as he revealed his form.
"Jade Pot!"
"Xu Ying!"
The one who had blocked Xu Ying's strike was none other than Perfected Jade Pot! He had slipped in undetected at some unknown moment and reached out just in time, resulting in a head-on clash with Xu Ying that prevented either of them from grasping the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
Perfected Qianhuan acted as if neither of them existed, wholeheartedly dedicating himself to activating the Returning Dao Jade Platter. From within the jade platter, waves of mysterious Dao rhythm spread outward, while streams of Dao light surged forth, resplendent and brilliant. The wondrous Dao sounds flowed into Xu Ying's and Perfected Jade Pot's ears, soothing the anxious fury in their hearts and causing the Dao manifestations and Dao chains that had severed from earlier injuries to reconnect one after another.
The Returning Dao Jade Platter seemed capable of reordering their damaged Dao methods and restoring them to their peak states.
This Supreme magic treasure truly possessed an unfathomable power!
Yet Xu Ying's heart sank abruptly. His strike had been blocked by Perfected Jade Pot—did this mean Perfected Qianhuan's master had truly calculated this exact step? Did it mean the man had clearly foreseen the exact moment both Perfected Jade Pot and he would strike?
The Returning Dao Jade Platter gradually ascended higher and higher, rising into the clouds.
Without a word, Xu Ying soared into the air, reaching out to grasp the Returning Dao Jade Platter. At the same moment, Perfected Jade Pot took a step forward, activating his Dao method. The firmament tore open, and a giant hand descended from the heavens, reaching for the jade platter!
Seeing this, Xu Ying immediately channeled the Gourd Heaven Dao Verification Scripture as well. The sky abruptly split apart, and the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron emerged against the firmament, swallowing the heavens! He had always deployed this treasure merely as a realm; this was the first time he had ever activated it as a magic treasure. Combined with the Gourd Heaven Dao Verification Scripture, the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron appeared vast, archaic, and towering, like a massive celestial body shaped like a cauldron.
This treasure was a Heavenly Dao Supreme Treasure. As its might erupted, water and fire swirled within the cauldron, devouring everything. Perfected Jade Pot's giant hand and the Returning Dao Jade Platter were both drawn toward the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron.
Perfected Jade Pot struck toward Xu Ying with his other hand. As an Immortal King, his cultivation was far more profound than Xu Ying's; this strike targeted what Xu Ying was forced to defend, preventing him from controlling the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron.
Although Xu Ying was outmatched in raw power, his comprehension of the Gourd Heaven Dao Verification Scripture far surpassed the old man's. Evading the palm strike, he activated the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains, slamming them down toward Perfected Jade Pot with a thunderous roar.
Perfected Jade Pot instantly felt as though he were walking with five colossal mountains on his back, weighed down unimaginably. Yet with a flicker of his body, he slipped free from beneath the five mountains.
The two deployed an endless stream of methods, trading lethal blows as they flew rapidly toward the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
Xu Ying's heart sank further and further. The Returning Dao Jade Platter was gradually releasing the might proper to a Supreme magic treasure; the bursts of Dao light it emitted even forced back his Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron, making it impossible to draw the platter inside.
Suddenly, Perfected Jade Pot summoned a jade pot, driving it in an attempt to pull the jade platter into the vessel.
The jade platter expanded to over an acre in size, hovering in the sky. It appeared modest in scale, yet the jade pot was utterly unable to take it in.
Xu Ying frowned and abruptly stopped hindering Perfected Jade Pot. Glancing down, he saw Perfected Qianhuan flying over at an unhurried pace, watching the two of them fight for the platter without making any move to intervene. Clearly, Perfected Qianhuan had anticipated this scene long ago, or rather, someone had informed him of this outcome in advance.
On the other side, Perfected Jade Pot rushed beside the Returning Dao Jade Platter and unleashed a divine ability. A giant hand descended from heaven, clawing toward the jade platter, yet it could not budge the platter in the slightest.
Startled and enraged, the white-haired elder immediately switched to another divine ability, shouting, "Sun and Moon in the Pot!"
He cupped his hands around empty space. Within his embrace lay verdant mountains, green waters, and rolling azure waves, complete with the orbits of the sun and moon and the operation of the Heavenly Dao—as if an entire world of the heavens were cradled in his chest!
Perfected Jade Pot activated this world of the heavens, attempting to absorb the Returning Dao Jade Platter into it. Yet when this world in a pot approached the Returning Dao Jade Platter, it seemed unimaginably miniscule, utterly incapable of containing such a Supreme magic treasure.
Perfected Jade Pot deployed method after method, yet no matter what divine ability he used, he could not take the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
Perfected Qianhuan drifted unhurriedly to Xu Ying's side, his expression relaxed and calm. "Once a Supreme magic treasure is activated, everything becomes fixed and cannot be altered. Fellow Daoist Xu, I have been ordered to strip you of your opportunity."
Xu Ying's mind shook violently. Fixing his gaze upon the man, his voice turned raspy: "Strip me of my opportunity?"
Perfected Qianhuan smiled faintly. "My master told me that once this treasure is activated, it will strip away your opportunity. To cultivate the Immortal Realm cave-heaven, you require the comprehension of the Xuanhuang Realm's Great Dao. But the jade platter will restore the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth of the Xuanhuang Realm, leaving you with nowhere to obtain your insights, thereby preventing you from opening this cave-heaven. Is that not stripping you of your opportunity?"
Xu Ying's eyes flickered, murder instantly stirring in his heart!
Perfected Qianhuan chuckled. "The Five Extremes Immortal King will make a move, attempting to seize the Returning Dao Jade Platter. He will break three fingers and return in defeat."
Just as his words fell, the Five Extremes Immortal King suddenly swooped down from afar, immediately driving the Five Extremes Sky-Transcending Art. Spreading his five fingers, his physical body and Primordial Spirit merged into one. His five fingers corresponded to the Five Elements, forged into the Five Extremes finger force. Grasping the Returning Dao Jade Platter, he exerted his strength violently!
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
Three fingers across both his physical body and Primordial Spirit burst apart simultaneously. The agony wrung a sharp hiss from his throat.
Perfected Qianhuan said, "The Ninth Immortal King will tear off his robes, turning them into a canopy that covers the sky to scoop up the Returning Dao Jade Platter. His Immortal King robes will be reduced to ashes."
Just as he spoke, the Ninth Immortal King strode forward, his aura mounting steadily. Abruptly lifting his right hand, he tore off the Immortal King robes from his body and threw them into the air. The robes transformed into a sky-shrouding canopy, sweeping downward to envelop the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
In the next moment, the Immortal King robes burst into flames, burning to cinders in an instant!
Witnessing this, Xu Ying felt a chill of dread and dared not make a move.
Perfected Qianhuan smiled. "My master told me that the next to strike will be a patch of dense fog. Within the mist is a supreme expert whose strength is extraordinary; in life, his cultivation and power bordered on the Supreme. He will strike, attempting three times to shake the Returning Dao Jade Platter, yet all three times he will fail to budge it in the slightest."
He smiled faintly. "My master said: without attaining the Supreme, a single step of difference is a difference of a thousand li."
Suddenly, Xu Ying saw dense fog roll in from the void. Amid the billowing mist, a colossal shadow emerged, with countless red corpse hairs dancing within the vapor. The corpse hairs were exceedingly long, writhing on their own like living creatures in an extraordinarily bizarre spectacle. The mist swept swiftly before the Returning Dao Jade Platter, and a giant hand resembling aged tree bark reached out from within, lunging for the platter. The hand gripped the jade platter and shook it with tremendous force, yet the Returning Dao Jade Platter remained utterly unmoving!
The shadow in the mist drew back its hand. In the next moment, it deployed its bodhimanda, blanketing the Returning Dao Jade Platter. Enormous Dao chains intertwined, heavily surrounding the platter in an attempt to suppress its might. Yet the power of the Returning Dao Jade Platter remained unchanged, as formidable as ever!
The shadow in the mist struck for the third time, lightly patting downward with a hand. Instantly, immortal divine abilities encompassed all phenomena, as if tens of thousands of immortal gods stood behind him, forming a complete Dao diagram of the myriad immortals and gods!
This strike crashed upon the Returning Dao Jade Platter, yet the platter still did not budge in the slightest.
The shadow within the mist vanished, and the fog rapidly receded.
"Sword Monarch Jinhe has arrived, but having no confidence, he will not strike," Perfected Qianhuan remarked.
Xu Ying saw a streak of sword qi arrive, resolving into a solemn-faced man standing in midair, gazing at the Returning Dao Jade Platter without making a move. Surely, this person was Sword Monarch Jinhe.
Perfected Qianhuan said, "The Heavenly Fiend Supreme has arrived. Unfortunately, though he carries the title of Supreme, he cannot budge the jade platter in the slightest either. My master said he is merely a piece of garbage severed by a Supreme, unable to shake a Supreme magic treasure."
Xu Ying saw the crowd from the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain arrive, led by none other than the Heavenly Fiend Supreme!
The temptation presented by a Supreme magic treasure was simply too overwhelming. Even figures like the Heavenly Fiend Supreme, the Imperial Monarch, and the Heavenly Venerable could not resist the stirrings of greed, seeking to claim this treasure for themselves.
Sure enough, the Heavenly Fiend Supreme stepped forward and made his move, attempting to seize the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
He tried three times in succession, but the Returning Dao Jade Platter showed no sign of being moved.
Xu Ying's heart sank further and further. Perfected Qianhuan's master had even anticipated the Heavenly Fiend Supreme—was there anything he could not calculate?
Such divine calculation was something even the Divine Mother might not surpass!
The expanse enveloped by the Returning Dao Jade Platter grew wider and wider, gradually expanding to encompass the entire Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain. The corpse immortals and corpse ghosts returning from the geomagnetic deluge also arrived in droves, streaming back into the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain.
Under the influence of the Returning Dao Jade Platter, the shattered Great Dao of Heaven and Earth of the entire Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain began to reorder and mend itself, while the incomplete Daos of those corpse immortals and corpse ghosts were continually being repaired and restructured!
Perfected Qianhuan smiled. "My master holds Fellow Daoist Xu in high esteem, saying you are full of variables and most interesting. He is a man destined for great things, and he told me that so long as you are willing to submit, he can cleanse you of all sins and guarantee your innocence. You may still enter the Immortal Realm as an official, and hold a very high rank at that!"
Xu Ying suddenly cut him off: "Someone once told me that divine calculation cannot accurately predict a Supreme. Is that true or not?"
Perfected Qianhuan blinked, then chuckled. "The Heavenly Fiend Supreme is no true Supreme. He is merely stray thoughts severed by a Supreme!"
Xu Ying strode toward the Returning Dao Jade Platter, smiling faintly. "Your master could calculate me, he could calculate the Heavenly Fiend Supreme, and he could calculate the leader of the corpse ghosts. But could he calculate the Returning Dao Jade Platter?"
He suddenly leapt into the air, plunging straight into the jade platter!
His entire body sank into the Returning Dao Jade Platter, vanishing without a trace!
Perfected Qianhuan's expression changed drastically. Suddenly, he recalled his master's words: *I can calculate Xu Ying's actions, yet he carries far too many variables. For some reason, his future has become somewhat uncertain.*
Perfected Qianhuan finally understood why his master could not calculate accurately. From the moment Xu Ying dove into the Returning Dao Jade Platter, the platter had shielded his future from his master's perception—and that was why his calculations could not hold!
Chapter 424