Sword Lord Jinhe could not help but freeze. The Heavenly Fiend horde, with whom he had always been at odds, had suddenly rushed over in a great swarm to guard every side of the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
Sword Lord Jinhe knew his own reputation—he was probably the most disliked individual in all of Weixu.
Even down-and-out wretches like the Ninth Immortal King and the Five Extremes Immortal King had bands of followers and had established Peak Lian and Diecui Valley.
Powerhouses from the Immortal Realm had even courted them, offering promises of great benefits.
Even a fiend as heinous as the shadow lurking within the mist enjoyed the loyalty and veneration of countless tens of thousands of immortal corpses, ruling over them as the Lord of the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain.
Even the iniquitous Heavenly Fiend horde banded together to support the Heavenly Fiend Supreme.
Only he remained alone and forsaken. Though still an immortal official under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Court and bearing the title of Sword Lord, he was truly a solitary soul, universally despised in Weixu.
He had never expected that this time, the Heavenly Fiends would actually charge forward to stand by his side!
"My friends..."
Deeply moved, he felt a surge of remorse for the cold, disdainful looks he had given the Heavenly Fiends when he first arrived here all those years ago.
"This has nothing to do with you. Just fight," the Heavenly Fiend Supreme told him, seeing right through his thoughts.
Sword Lord Jinhe snapped back to his senses at once. He channeled the Jinhe Sword without delay, turning to confront the shadow in the mist.
The two had been bitter adversaries since long ago. In the past, Sword Lord Jinhe had always held a slight edge over the shadow in the mist, and he could even maintain an undefeated record while loaning out his Jinhe Sword.
Yet this time, that shadowy figure in the mist had used the Returning Dao Jade Platter to restore several Dao chains, vastly increasing his strength!
The tables had turned between them. Now, it was Sword Lord Jinhe who struggled bitterly under his onslaught.
Countless crimson bristles thrust forward from every direction; even the Jinhe sword qi could not ward off all the corpse hair.
Within the mist, the colossal shadow still had not revealed its true form. Only an arm resembling the twisted roots of an ancient tree reached forth, unimaginably massive. Spanning a vast distance, it reached right in front of Sword Lord Jinhe!
Deep within the shadow, an astonishing brilliance stirred and churned.
It seemed to harbor an inner bodhimanda forged from Great Daos. Vaguely, a peerless divine being seemed to be chanting his own principles inside, expounding Dao methods and divine powers!
This sight bore a faint semblance to the aura of a Supreme!
"A dead man dares dream of becoming a Supreme?"
Sword Lord Jinhe sneered. His sword light shone like a rainbow, sweeping aside layer upon layer of crimson hair as he sent the Jinhe Sword flying through the void, thrusting directly at the bodhimanda within the corpse mist!
Inside the corpse mist bodhimanda, that peerless divine being seemed provoked to fury. The massive, gnarled arm thrust out repeatedly, slamming down toward Sword Lord Jinhe blow after blow.
Sword Lord Jinhe took dozens of consecutive strikes, repeatedly jarred backward!
Suddenly, the Heavenly Fiend Supreme flashed to his side and said in a low voice, "Switch!"
Without a second thought, Sword Lord Jinhe withdrew his blade and fell back, unleashing his Jinhe sword qi to meet the tidal surge of corpse kings, corpse immortals, and ghost immortals.
While his Jinhe sword qi had just been suppressed by the shadow in the corpse mist, it now shone with brilliant splendor. The sword qi swept through like a golden river, shattering the bodhimandas and Dao domains of corpse king after corpse king, corpse immortal after corpse immortal!
The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch, Primordial Monarch, and the others had just been under immense pressure, but his charge to the front lines drastically alleviated their burden.
Suddenly, the crowd of corpses stirred. A tattered multi-decked warship flew straight into the sword qi. Aboard the ship stood hundreds of fallen warriors from the Immortal Realm. The immortal corpse leading them possessed a formidable aura—not a whit weaker than Sword Lord Jinhe's!
"We too were loyal and righteous men back then, no worse than you, Sword Lord Jinhe!"
Consumed by grief and indignation, the immortal corpse spoke in a deep, booming voice. He raised a Great Luo Canopy to deflect the onslaught of thousands of sword qi blasts. Driving the vessel forward, he sneered, "For the orthodoxy of the Immortal Realm, we fought the decisive battle against the demonic realm! How many of us perished? Jinhe, look at the wounds on our bodies!"
The corpse lord possessed an imposing, awe-inspiring presence. He boomed, "The wounds on our bodies are fatal blows dealt to us by our enemies from the demonic realm! And now, your sword wounds appear on our corpses alongside those fatal blows from our enemies!"
Sword Lord Jinhe's sword heart was lucid and pure as fine jade, fundamentally unshakeable.
Yet during his bitter residence in this frigid desolation, he not only had to suppress the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain, but also had to guard against the Heavenly Fiends of the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain.
Consequently, he had never dared sever the impurities within his Dao heart. At this moment, with his conscience not yet entirely extinguished, the corpse lord's words caused his sword heart to waver.
As his sword heart wavered, his Great River of the Sword Dao also trembled, revealing multiple flaws.
The corpse lord immediately steered the vessel across the Great River of the Sword Dao, driving deep into their lines until he reached the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
Just as Sword Lord Jinhe moved to intercept him, the corpse lord roared, "You are no righteous man!"
Sword Lord Jinhe felt as though struck by a heavy blow.
The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch, Primordial Monarch, and the others hurried to block him, but the corpse lord hurled himself toward the Returning Dao Jade Platter with reckless abandon. The multi-decked ship was battered into splinters, and corpse immortals were torn to pieces, yet the ruined vessel broke through their encirclement and plunged straight into the Returning Dao Jade Platter!
With Sword Lord Jinhe's Dao heart severely shaken, gaps opened across the defensive line. The other immortal corpses swarmed forward in droves. Even with the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch and the others fighting with all their might, they could not stem the sheer horde of immortal corpses.
In a matter of moments, several hundred immortal corpses breached their perimeter and leaped into the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
They had charged into the platter for one reason alone: to kill Xu Ying!
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that before Xu Ying leaped into the jade platter, it had restored not only the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth throughout the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain, but also the Dao principles and Dao chains cultivated by the immortal corpses themselves, repairing their Dao domains and bodhimandas.
Yet ever since Xu Ying plunged into the platter, it had only restored the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth of the immortal domain. Evidently, Xu Ying was pulling the strings inside!
They charged into the platter and plummeted rapidly. Aside from not being hunted by Perfected Qianhuan's master, their experience was virtually identical to Xu Ying's.
One by one, the immortal corpses tore through myriad worlds at ever-increasing speeds. They witnessed diverse realms, different Great Daos, and thousands of landscapes flashing past in the blink of an eye.
When their transit reached an absolute blur, all the worlds suddenly vanished, leaving only a mass of clear qi enveloping them all. Whether they had been Immortal Kings, Immortal Lords, or mere Human Immortals, Earth Immortals, and Heavenly Immortals in life, all found themselves within this ball of clear qi.
At that exact moment, they touched the Qi of Creation—the very origin of this Supreme treasure, the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
Upon touching this qi, they felt just as Xu Ying had: experiencing the grand spectacle of ten thousand Daos bursting forth at once, sensing the diverse fractured Daos of Heaven and Earth across the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain, and perceiving the wonder of Returning to the Dao.
They felt a marvelous sensation of attaining the Dao and sublimating, as though they were uniting with the Qi of Creation, merging into one with no distinction between self and other!
"Do not be deceived by this qi!"
The corpse lord had been an Immortal Lord in life, an existence on par with Sword Lord Jinhe. When nearly half of his physical body had already dissolved, he finally came to his senses and barked, "Everyone, wake up!"
Yet not a single immortal corpse heard his words. Every corpse immortal and corpse king remained immersed in the ecstasy of merging with the Qi of Creation.
The already tattered warship seemed submerged in an intensely corrosive liquid; in just a few moments, more than half had dissolved.
Aboard the vessel, the bodies of corpse kings, corpse immortals, and ghost immortals dissolved within breaths, visibly reducing from corpses into white bones, and from white bones into nothingness.
The entire ship vanished into thin air. Aside from the corpse lord, nothing remained of the other corpse immortals, corpse kings, and ghost immortals except tiny specks of undying spiritual light.
Those were their Undying True Spirits, drifting away from the Returning Dao Jade Platter under the call of a wondrous power between heaven and earth.
The corpse lord felt an icy chill in his heart. This too was a form of uniting with the Dao, but the price was catastrophic.
*I must kill that boy!*
He swam desperately through the Qi of Creation until he finally caught sight of Xu Ying.
To be precise, what he saw was Xu Ying's Undying True Spirit. Resembling a fourteen-year-old youth, he was completely bare, without a shred of clothing, his entire body appearing like pure light.
Yet from this Undying True Spirit, flesh and blood continually sprouted, and souls and spirits steadily reformed, grappling with the Qi of Creation even as they merged with it.
The corpse lord saw a beating heart inside Xu Ying, with blood vessels branching out toward his limbs and torso, vaguely outlining hands and feet.
He could also see bones growing slowly, and the five viscera and six bowels gradually taking shape!
This was the process of remolding a physical body. The union of the Undying True Spirit with the power of the Qi of Creation was marvelous beyond words.
*It was this person who ruined our grand plan of vengeance!*
The corpse lord swam with all his might through the Qi of Creation, lunging toward Xu Ying. His body slowly unraveled; his bodhimanda, Dao chains, divine sense, primordial qi, and everything else steadily assimilated into the Qi of Creation.
His Primordial Spirit dissolved as well, becoming part of the Qi of Creation.
By the time he swam to Xu Ying's side, nothing was left of him but a skeleton.
The skeleton threw itself at Xu Ying, only to collapse with a clatter. As it scattered, it transformed into wisps of clear qi that merged into the Qi of Creation, leaving it impossible to discern which strand was his.
Brushed by that skeleton, Xu Ying awakened from his state of uniting with the Dao.
Just moments ago, he had used the power of the Returning Dao Jade Platter to sort out the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth of the Xuanhuang Realm, uniting with the Great Dao.
His union with the Dao differed from the corpse lord's. Inside the Returning Dao Jade Platter and within the Qi of Creation, he softened his glare and settled his dust, only then utilizing the platter's power to unite with the Great Daos of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Of course, the prerequisite to softening the glare and settling the dust was to blunt the sharp edges and unravel the entanglements!
Had his Undying True Spirit not resisted the erosion and assimilation of the Qi of Creation, and had Xu Ying not steadily contracted his aura earlier to preserve his cultivation, his fate would have been identical to that corpse lord's.
Only by first blunting the edge of the Qi of Creation and resolving the conflict between it and himself could he harmonize with it—and even quietly seize control over part of the Returning Dao Jade Platter's functions.
The revival of the Xuanhuang Realm's Great Daos and the failure of those corpse kings and corpse immortals to recover their peak strength from life were precisely the results of Xu Ying manipulating the Dao power of the Returning Dao Jade Platter and the Qi of Creation.
Outside, even more corpse immortals and corpse kings broke through the defenses of the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch and Sword Lord Jinhe, plunging into the Returning Dao Jade Platter.
Yet the Returning Dao Jade Platter was like a bottomless pit. Small as it seemed, no matter how many corpse immortals, corpse kings, and corpse ghosts swarmed in, it showed no sign of filling up.
Though the jade platter appeared only several dozen mu wide—hardly larger than the coffin of certain corpse kings—every single entity that entered vanished completely. Not a single one managed to crawl back out!
This sight not only struck fear into the hearts of the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch and the others, but even caused the oncoming corpse kings and corpse immortals to hesitate.
Perfected Jade Pot had been lurking near the Returning Dao Jade Platter all along, ready to slip inside at any moment. Seeing this, he stayed his hand.
The Gourd Heaven Dao Verification Scripture was truly the premier concealment technique. Though he had hidden here for so long, neither the Heavenly Fiends like the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch, nor Sword Lord Jinhe, nor the charging corpse lords and corpse kings had managed to detect him.
*There is something bizarre about this jade platter. Those who go in leave behind neither a living person nor a corpse. Their plight must be dire indeed!*
As Perfected Jade Pot pondered this, he suddenly caught sight of a figure in the distance. His heart stirred, and he immediately crept over under cover. That figure was none other than Perfected Qianhuan!
At this moment, Perfected Qianhuan did not dare draw close to the Returning Dao Jade Platter either, lest he be struck down. Countless figures present far outmatched him in cultivation and strength.
He was merely a Heavenly Immortal—utterly insignificant here.
Suddenly, Perfected Jade Pot appeared behind him and said with a dark expression, "Fellow Daoist Qianhuan, might we have a word?"
Perfected Qianhuan's body went taut, but he soon relaxed and smiled. "I will tell you everything I know."
Perfected Jade Pot asked, "What is inside this jade platter? Why have so many powerful existences entered it, only for none of them to return?"
Perfected Qianhuan shook his head. "I don't know, we aren't that close!" Then he hurriedly added, "However, I do know that my master once went inside and barely escaped with his life."
Perfected Jade Pot's expression shifted drastically. Although he did not know who Perfected Qianhuan's master was, Perfected Qianhuan was a Capital Guard of the East Gate of the Celestial Court—at the very least a subordinate of the Immortal Emperor.
Though ostensibly just a gatekeeper, were not the Four Heavenly Kings of the South Gate gatekeepers as well?
Thus, Perfected Jade Pot deduced that Perfected Qianhuan's master had to be connected to the Imperial Palace!
Moreover, the Returning Dao Jade Platter had surfaced in an exceedingly distant era before disappearing, which meant its master had claimed it long ago.
From the moment he acquired this treasure until now, he had failed to fully refine it, and had even nearly perished upon entering it. That was truly terrifying!
*In other words, that bane Xu Ying has also died inside the jade platter?*
Perfected Jade Pot stared blankly for a moment, then broke into a sudden smile, chuckling. "This old man descended to the lower realm on the Primordial Monarch's orders to fulfill two tasks: first, eradicate the scourge named Xu Ying; second, capture the person who opened the Immortal Realm cave-heaven. Now that both matters are settled, I can happen upon a few beauties, indulge in an affair across the ages, and return to the Immortal Realm with many lovely wives to live carefree and at ease!"
Just as he said this, rays of Dao light suddenly burst forth across the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain, permeated by Dao power. In an instant, heavenly flowers rained down, and golden springs bubbled from the earth!
Above the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain, the winds churned, and the clouds surged. The heavens rotated violently as a cave-heaven burst open, roaring downward to connect with the Returning Dao Jade Platter!
"An Immortal Realm cave-heaven... a fifth Immortal Realm cave-heaven!"
Perfected Jade Pot stood dazed. Then, above the Returning Dao Jade Platter, a figure slowly rose. He was completely bare, without a shred of clothing, not even a scrap of cloth.
It was none other than Xu Ying!
That Immortal Realm cave-heaven was suspended right behind Xu Ying!
Not only that, but cave-heavens opened one after another, connecting directly to the Immortal Realm. Surging immortal spiritual qi instantly poured into Xu Ying's body, causing the dazzling Dao light radiating from within him to shine even more brilliantly.
In an instant, Xu Ying became the most radiant existence throughout this entire Xuanhuang Realm bodhimanda.
"At least put some clothes on." The Heavenly Fiend Primordial Monarch raised a hand over her eyes, spreading her index and middle fingers to reveal two glistening eyes.
Chapter 426