This unexpected turn of events was no trivial matter; a cold sweat broke out across Sun Yuanjiang's back.
The Hunyuan Bell was not his personal treasure, but the palace-guarding treasure of the Silu Heavenly Palace under the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper; Sun Yuanjiang had merely borrowed it.
Yet even though it was borrowed, he had refined it countless times. How could a single palm strike from Xu Ying completely erase all of his imprints?
"Soldiers and commanders of all divisions, hear my command!"
Sima Baihong's voice rang out, sharp and trembling slightly. "Activate the formation flags!"
From the Immortal Court, the soldiers and generals of the various heavenly palaces—the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper: Siming, Silu, Yanshou, Yisuan, Du'e, and Shangsheng; the Four Palaces of the Eastern Dipper: Cangling, Lingyan, Kaitian, and Daming; the Four Palaces of the Western Dipper: Weiji, Baibiao, Gaoyuan, and Huangling—all waved their formation banners and mobilized the arrays!
Instantly, immortal melodies resonated across the skies of the Ancestral Court. Immortal formations hummed into motion as streams of immortal light beamed down from beyond the heavens, bathing each palace lord in brilliance.
The palace lords felt their cultivation and strength soar astronomically, giving them the illusion that they had leaped straight into the Immortal Monarch realm!
Of course, this was merely an illusion—a sensation conjured by the empowering arrays formed by tens of thousands of immortals!
Yet their power was indeed swelling relentlessly, their combat strength growing fiercer by the moment!
Without a second thought, Sun Yuanjiang, Palace Lord of Silu, thrust out his hand to seize the Hunyuan Bell. He had to reclaim the bell and retrieve his lost dignity!
His palm gripped the rim of the Hunyuan Bell, his eyes meeting Xu Ying's bright gaze.
He heard Xu Ying's voice, perfectly placid, as though speaking of something entirely unrelated to himself.
"A foot higher in Dao, tenfold the might. Do you wish to know how vast the gulf in Dao attainment is between yourselves and a Heavenly Monarch?"
Before the words had even faded, Xu Ying's palm lightly tapped the Hunyuan Bell.
Clang.
The Hunyuan Bell reverberated. The sleeve on Sun Yuanjiang's right arm shredded into fluttering butterflies of cloth, and the skin of his arm ruptured all at once, flesh tearing away and evaporating into mist.
Never had he imagined that the Hunyuan Bell could unleash such terrifying might—he had never been able to draw forth its power to anywhere near this staggering extent!
He heard the crack and splinter of his arm bones. A moment later, his torso slammed against the great bell, his ribs snapping with sharp pops.
The Hunyuan Bell crushed his physical form. With another thunderous clang, Sun Yuanjiang's body was blasted into pieces.
His Primordial Spirit fled his mangled corpse in panic. Glancing downward, he saw that Xu Ying had already abandoned him and closed in on Zhao Yunfei, Palace Lord of Weiji.
He saw Xu Ying moving like a phantom, slipping right through Zhao Yunfei's bodhimanda.
Zhao Yunfei activated the Star Lantern Armillary Sphere, the palace-guarding treasure of Weiji Heavenly Palace. Once unleashed, stars lit up like lamps, dancing around the armillary sphere and establishing a second layer of armillary bodhimanda!
With this atop his own bodhimanda, the dual bodhimandas should have been impenetrable; yet they could not impede Xu Ying in the slightest, allowing him to breach them as though strolling through empty air!
"Palace Lord Zhao, run—!" Sun Yuanjiang yelled at the top of his lungs.
Zhao Yunfei did not flee, nor did anyone else. The palace lords surged forward like a tidal wave, raising their own palace-guarding treasures, resolved to slay Xu Ying right there!
The Dou Department was, by its very nature, a gathering place of battle maniacs. Bolstered by the legions of immortals from each palace and backed by skyrocketing cultivation and power, how could they possibly turn tail without a fight?
Boom!
Xu Ying had already torn into Zhao Yunfei's bodhimanda. With a single punch, he blasted clean through both layers of the bodhimanda, his fist smashing directly into the Star Lantern Armillary Sphere.
Blood poured from Zhao Yunfei's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, while his hands were drenched in gore. A piercing whine rang in his ears, drowning out all other sounds!
Looking up, he saw his Star Lantern Armillary Sphere and the Silu Heavenly Palace's Hunyuan Bell hurtling toward him.
The might of both supreme treasures erupted. From the Star Lantern Armillary Sphere in particular burst forth countless swirling, intricately entwined Dao chains—representing profound truths that even he had never comprehended!
How could the Star Lantern Armillary Sphere possess such wondrous depths?
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the bell boomed and the stars, like chains of light, swallowed him whole!
Just as Sun Yuanjiang's Primordial Spirit finished shouting the word "run," Zhao Yunfei was already dead.
The shockwave from the two magic treasures swept outward. Lacking the protection of a physical body, Sun Yuanjiang's Primordial Spirit was instantly shattered to pieces, his soul drifting aimlessly down into the Netherworld of the ancient era!
Still dazed and shaken, Sun Yuanjiang did not even realize he had perished. When he spotted Zhao Yunfei, he saw that Zhao Yunfei was equally clueless as to where they were.
As the two looked around, they suddenly saw an expanse of the Nether Sea below, where two colossal, curved ox horns rose out of the dark void of the cosmos.
Only then did they realize that both their bodies and Primordial Spirits had been annihilated, leaving nothing behind but their souls.
Meanwhile, back in the Ancestral Court, five Immortal Kings attacked in unison: Feng Yanqiu, Palace Lord of Siming; Zheng Dabiao, Palace Lord of Yanshou; Liu Yunpeng, Palace Lord of Yisuan; Yi Yangzi, Palace Lord of Du'e; and Liao Lei, Palace Lord of Shangsheng.
Feng Yanqiu raised the Siming Banner, Zheng Dabiao brandished the Life-Extending Longevity Saber, Liu Yunpeng threw out the Tianyuan Precious Abacus, Yi Yangzi unfurled the Du'e Golden Pennant, and Liao Lei released the Eight Mystic Spirit Gates. The bodhimandas of the five Immortal Kings surged forth, pressing down simultaneously upon Xu Ying!
"We've suppressed him!"
The five were overjoyed. But in the next breath, Xu Ying stepped out like a ghost from beneath the crushing force of the five palace-guarding treasures and the five Immortal Kings. Not a trace of panic showed on his face; he still moved as though taking a leisurely stroll!
He leaned aside to evade the slashing gleam of the Life-Extending Longevity Saber and lightly tapped the blade's flat with his palm. A deep palm print sank into the divine saber, and the various runes and imprints within it instantly shifted into an aberrant configuration!
In the very next moment, Zheng Dabiao felt the palace-guarding treasure he had cultivated and refined for tens of thousands of years slip completely from his control.
Xu Ying seized the hilt and brought the blade sweeping down.
Roaring with rage, Zheng Dabiao charged straight at him. The saber flashes gleamed; it was still the same Life-Extending Longevity Saber, and the Dao was still the immortal Dao of the Yanshou Heavenly Palace.
Yet he could not understand it at all.
He fought frantically to parry the saber light as he lunged toward Xu Ying, but within moments he was drenched in blood. Slashed over a hundred times, he had failed to dodge a single strike.
By the time he reached Xu Ying, his life force was completely severed. He raised a bloodied hand and grabbed at Xu Ying's face, but the gesture had no strength behind it, leaving only a few bloody smears across the left side of Xu Ying's face.
As Zheng Dabiao's corpse plummeted, Xu Ying had already snatched the Siming Banner and impaled Feng Yanqiu through the chest!
With the Tianyuan Precious Abacus, Xu Ying riddled Liu Yunpeng, Palace Lord of Yisuan, with countless holes; with the Eight Mystic Spirit Gates, he crushed Liao Lei, Palace Lord of Shangsheng, into pulp.
He snatched the Du'e Golden Pennant and waved it, shattering Yi Yangzi's Primordial Spirit.
Yi Yangzi's physical body was unscathed, but with his Primordial Spirit destroyed, his corpse dropped from the clouds.
Thump! Thump!
Two punches slammed into Xu Ying's back.
Xu Ying wheeled around and struck Wu Zejiang squarely on the forehead. The Eight Desolations Sun Refining Seal exploded forth, driving a divine power shaped like Laojun's Eight Trigrams Furnace deep into his body.
True fire raged inside Wu Zejiang, Palace Lord of Cangling, erupting outward and engulfing him in an inferno until he became a blazing silhouette of fire!
In a mere matter of moments, only the palace lords of the remaining three Eastern Dipper palaces and three Western Dipper palaces were left on the field, along with Sima Baihong, Lord of the Northern Dipper Kaiyang Heavenly Palace.
Xu Ying stood in the center, encircled by seven great masters, their expressions grim.
In such a brief span, eight Immortal Kings had perished. What was even more horrifying was that the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper had been wiped out entirely—not a single one survived!
This was what it meant when a foot higher in Dao yielded tenfold the might!
Xu Ying's Dao attainment was simply too profound. Previously, his realm had been too low and his cultivation had lagged behind, preventing him from bringing his Dao attainment to bear. But now, Xiyue had returned four great realms to him, completing all nine of his realms. The enhancement this brought him was earth-shaking!
Previously, he had only been a Qi Refiner and could not wield his Dao attainment. But now, he had traversed the Ascension stage and stepped into the Jade Capital as an immortal!
A Human Immortal!
Every insight he had gained into the immortal Dao was now entirely at his disposal!
His Dao attainment had long surpassed that of his first life, reaching straight into the realm of a Heavenly Monarch.
Empowered by Dao attainment comparable to that of a Heavenly Monarch, looking upon the divine powers of these Immortal Kings and their palace-guarding treasures was as plain as reading the lines on his palm. Their immortal Daos were crystal clear, and their divine arts were bare before his eyes, devoid of any secret.
The corner of Sima Baihong's eye twitched. It was already too late to flee back to the Immortal Court. Empowered by the immortals of Kaiyang Heavenly Palace, his cultivation continued to climb. With his combat strength as an Immortal Monarch, perhaps he still had a fighting chance.
Even if he was the foremost of the Three Realized Ones of the Dou Department, his Dao attainment cannot be so much higher than mine!
Behind Sima Baihong, a ten-thousand-zhang Primordial Spirit towered, cradling a colossal zither, poised to strike the strings at any moment.
"We Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper share equal fame with the Three Realized Ones of the Central Dipper! My Dao attainment is in no way inferior to yours!"
He charged forward, and zither notes exploded!
Hao Jiangfeng, Palace Lord of Baibiao; Lin Shoujun, Palace Lord of Gaoyuan; Yun Wanli, Palace Lord of Huangling; Zhao Sui, Palace Lord of Lingyan; Li Zishu, Palace Lord of Kaitian; and Cai Xiaohui, Palace Lord of Daming each wheeled around, leaping into the air and soaring toward the heavens.
"Palace Lord Kaiyang, every man for himself, or the heavens will destroy him!"
Lin Shoujun's voice echoed back. "The gap between our Dao attainment and his is far too wide; we will not march to our deaths!"
Sima Baihong was thrown into utter disarray. That these six palace lords had not charged alongside him and instead turned tail and fled was completely beyond his expectations.
He wanted to pull back, but it was already too late.
Before him, the Hunyuan Bell, the Life-Extending Longevity Saber, the Star Lantern Armillary Sphere, the Siming Banner, the Tianyuan Precious Abacus, and the other magic treasures took flight, circling him tightly and unleashing tremendous power!
Sima Baihong strummed with all his might, the zither notes thundering as they repelled one treasure after another. Originally, the power of these treasures was nowhere near that of his ancient zither, but in Xu Ying's hands, they burst with unprecedented ferocity—to the point that even his zither could not shatter them!
Xu Ying walked directly toward him, the various magic treasures swirling and intercepting every single one of Sima Baihong's strikes.
Xu Ying walked straight up to him and stopped face-to-face.
Even at point-blank range, none of Sima Baihong's attacks could touch Xu Ying, blocked entirely by those magic treasures.
A profound sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.
A foot higher in Dao, tenfold the might.
He finally understood what the phrase meant from firsthand experience. Only, this lesson was so excruciating.
Xu Ying raised his palm, and from his fingertip, a beam of Zhuxian sword qi slowly thrust forward.
This strike was slow, devoid of the swiftness typical of divine powers. Yet Sima Baihong's eyes widened in horror. He strained with all his might to retreat, but the circling treasures hemmed him in, preventing any escape.
He deployed divine powers, trying to shatter that sword qi, yet his techniques could not even reach it before being smashed to pieces by the treasures.
He attacked frantically, but every move was in vain. He was like a fly caught in a spider's web, or an injured bird trapped in a cage, watching helplessly as the fatal blow drew near.
Chii.
Xu Ying's sword qi pierced Sima Baihong's chest. Limitless killing intent surged in with the sword beam, annihilating his divine soul, obliterating his will, and tearing everything he was to shreds!
Xu Ying withdrew his hand. Sima Baihong's corpse tumbled downward, eyes still opened wide, as if unable to rest in peace.
Was the gulf in Dao attainment between him and Xu Ying really that vast?
Xu Ying tilted his head back toward the sky. Taking advantage of the distraction, Li Zishu, Lin Shoujun, and the others had already fled back to the Immortal Realm. The heavenly palaces of the Dou Department and the various entrances to the Immortal Realm were slowly closing.
Xu Ying's lips curled. Suddenly, his Primordial Spirit manifested behind him, swelling abruptly from two zhang to ten thousand zhang.
In its hands rested the palace-guarding treasures of the eight heavenly palaces.
Xu Ying stirred all his magic power, drew back his palm, turned his torso, and hurled them with all his might!
His Primordial Spirit mirrored the motion—drawing back its palm, twisting its body, and violently hurling the eight palace-guarding treasures toward the heavenly palaces in the Immortal Realm.
"Close the gates to the Immortal Realm!"
Screams erupted from Lingyan, Kaitian, Daming, Baibiao, and the other heavenly palaces. Countless immortals descended into panic, while harsh shouts rang out in an attempt to restore order amidst the chaos.
"Close the gates! Hurry and seal the Immortal Realm!"
Looking upward, the people of the Ancestral Court saw that outside those majestic heavenly palaces, immortals scurried like ants on a hot pan, utterly frantic.
In stark contrast to their chaos, each Immortal King treasure radiated dazzling immortal light and resonated with melodious Dao hymns, surging upward from below and hurtling toward the Immortal Realm, closing the distance to those heavenly palaces.
The rift opened to the Immortal Realm was healing, but the speed of its closing could not hope to match the blistering flight of those eight magic treasures!
Finally, accompanied by an explosion of brilliant immortal light, above the Lingyan, Kaitian, Daming, and Baibiao Heavenly Palaces, the power of the Hunyuan Bell, the Life-Extending Longevity Saber, the Star Lantern Armillary Sphere, the Siming Banner, the Tianyuan Precious Abacus, and the other treasures erupted!
Down below, Xu Ying and his Primordial Spirit both shuddered and manifested eight arms. Their eight arms waved—some forming saber incantations, others weaving magic mudras—driving the eight Immortal King treasures to unleash a massacre within the eight heavenly palaces!
The people of the Ancestral Court gazed up, witnessing clusters of immortal light exploding in succession as corpses of immortals were blasted out of the palaces, plummeting toward the Ancestral Court.
Immortal blood sprayed across the sky, saturated with Immortal Dao pollution, resembling a child's colorful painting that rendered the heavens shockingly vivid and dazzling.
***
The ancient Nether Sea.
Sun Yuanjiang, Zhao Yunfei, and the others were met by emissaries sent to escort their souls, leading them toward the various palaces of the Ten Halls of Yama.
Sun Yuanjiang lifted his head and said, "It seems we were the only ones who perished. Xu Ying couldn't do anything to Sima Baihong and the rest this time. Palace Lord Sima and the others were shrewd after all."
He did not yet know that Sima Baihong was already dead, leaving behind nothing more than a spark of indestructible spiritual light.
The words had barely left his mouth when hundreds of immortal souls suddenly appeared in the ancient Netherworld.
Sun Yuanjiang and the others paled in shock. Those immortals were none other than the immortal masters from their own Dou Department!
Before they could even ask, hundreds more immortal souls materialized, followed by hundreds more. The ghostly crowd was in a frenzy of panic; some did not even realize they were dead, futilely parrying and blocking as though still locked in slaughter!
Sun Yuanjiang and the others were filled with sheer terror as more and more dead immortals of the Dou Department appeared in an unending stream!
"This is going to be a replay of the tragedy from forty-eight thousand years ago."
They fell silent. These were merely the immortals who had been blasted out into the Ancestral Court and died; just how many more had been slaughtered inside the Immortal Realm?
The foremost True Lord among the Three Realized Ones of the Dou Department, the premier thug of the Immortal Court, the court's most notorious hound—he truly lived up to his name!
Chapter 466