Have You Heard of the Zhuxian Sword?

The two exchanged a smile and struck almost simultaneously, lunging toward True King Cangzhu. Lu Yiren possessed the most profound cultivation, but his injuries were also the most severe. First gravely wounded by Yinyuanzi, he had then been besieged during his flight by dragon masters and Yinyuanzi's disciples. Wound piled upon wound; holding out until now had been extraordinarily difficult. Yet when Xu Ying proposed joining forces, he charged forward without the slightest hesitation. True King Cangzhu possessed nine heads. Several had previously been lopped off by the father and son Ming Xun and Ming Dao, but his injuries had now healed, the heads had regrown, and his cultivation stood at its absolute peak. Above each of his nine heads hung a great cave abyss. Each head cultivated one cave abyss and maintained one Great Dao, giving him incomparably immense and majestic cultivation. True King Cangzhu laughed boisterously. His nine heads unleashed nine distinct divine abilities, making it seem as if nine paramount experts were simultaneously besieging Xu Ying and Lu Yiren! Lu Yiren had attained the highest mastery of the other shore's Great Dao—so keen that he could spot even the flaws in Emperor Ming Dao's techniques. True King Cangzhu's flaws naturally could not escape his eyes either. Summoning his remaining breath, the instant Cangzhu exposed an opening, Lu Yiren abruptly sliced through it. With a wet squelch, he severed one of True King Cangzhu's heads. As the head struck the ground, the cave abyss above it fell along with it. True King Cangzhu's remaining eight heads flew into a rage. Their respective divine abilities erupted, eight successive thunderous booms blasting Lu Yiren tumbling backward, sending him flying far into the distance. "Brother Lu?" Xu Ying slashed his way into close quarters, using a move of Myriad Daos to send dragon scales flying from one of the heads. Seeing the scene, he urgently called out, "Brother Lu, can you still stand?" Lu Yiren unsteadily rose to his feet, battered and bedraggled. Xu Ying dodged an attack from True King Cangzhu, stood suspended in midair, and channeled Zhuxian to slice through Cangzhu's divine ability, charging right before one of Cangzhu's heads. True King Cangzhu had long attained the Immortal realm, where his body was one with the Dao and he himself was the Great Dao of heaven and earth. Having reached such a stage, ordinary divine abilities and magic treasures could hardly harm him. The only thing capable of injuring an Immortal was an equivalent Great Dao. Only Great Dao divine abilities and Great Dao treasures had the right to harm an Immortal! A Great Dao divine ability referred to one composed of the Dao itself—peak Supreme-level divine abilities and Immortal divine abilities. Xu Ying's Eight Immortality Methods, Three Seals, and Taiyi Divine Bridge qualified as such Great Dao divine abilities. A Great Dao treasure referred to Supreme-grade treasures and Immortal treasures. Because their masters' Great Daos were imprinted onto heaven and earth, the brandings within such treasures were likewise Great Dao brandings. The big bell barely touched this level. Xu Ying let out a great shout. The big bell immediately soared forth, hovering above his head, radiating spiritual light to protect him. Though it was a treasure, above it floated cave abysses large and small in vast numbers, showing the clear makings of Xu Ying's former thirty-six cave abysses. Empowered by the big bell, Xu Ying unleashed an Earth-Cleaving Divine Ability that slashed ruthlessly downward. With a crisp thud, True King Cangzhu's second dragon head was lopped off. True King Cangzhu sneered, "Flashy tricks!" With a shake of his body, countless dragon scales flew out, howling and spinning as they slashed toward Xu Ying. At the same time, his seven remaining heads unleashed divine abilities, surging toward Xu Ying to kill him! Within the Martial Dao cave abyss behind Xu Ying's head, Princess Mingman was fraught with tension as she recited the eight cultivation arts True King Cangzhu practiced. However, True King Cangzhu practiced far too many arts and divine abilities. Princess Mingman was dazzled; often she had only managed to recite one before the other six heads had already deployed six different techniques. Xu Ying fought in utter disarray, parrying left and right. Fortunately, with the big bell's help, he managed to fend off a few of the divine abilities. Suddenly, True King Cangzhu split from one into seven, transforming into seven men with dragon heads and human bodies, all lunging toward Xu Ying together. Xu Ying channeled the ultimate intent of the Martial Dao to battle the seven True King Cangzhus while using One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones to resist desperately. The pressure grew heavier by the second, and the big bell was sent clanging away by heavy blows. Boom! Boom! Boom! Xu Ying took seven consecutive heavy impacts, tumbling and rolling backward until he crashed near Lu Yiren. Coughing blood again and again, Xu Ying swayed as he stood, channeling his Dao techniques to heal his wounds, only to find Lu Yiren's condition even more dire than his own. The seven True King Cangzhus suddenly merged back into a single dragon body with seven heads, stalking toward them. Though the Netherworld of this Heavenly Immortal Realm was permeated by eerie yin energy, there were hardly any ghosts—only a scattering of dead dragons awakened by the tremors of the trio's battle, craning their necks to watch. Divine power had yet to coalesce here, making it impossible for gods to form. Engaged in slaughter across this boundless netherworld, they unleashed all their divine abilities without restraint, unconcerned with how much devastation they might inflict on the outside world. "Brother Lu, can you still fight?" Xu Ying asked, his eyes fixed on True King Cangzhu. Lu Yiren wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and chuckled. "Let's give it a try!" He surged with what remained of his cultivation and lunged at True King Cangzhu. Xu Ying moved at the same moment, following closely behind. Yet his divine ability arrived first despite being launched second—a divine ability of time. A long river of time poured from the void, intercepting True King Cangzhu's attack. Lu Yiren seized the momentum to leap forward. Caught unprepared, True King Cangzhu had another flaw exploited, and another head was cleaved off. Cangzhu was furious. Just as he moved to kill him, Xu Ying leaped through the air, deploying a Samsara divine ability. But no sooner had it trapped True King Cangzhu than the cycle of reincarnation shattered. True King Cangzhu broke through, manifesting as a six-headed man, both palms thrusting forward. Xu Ying raised his hands with Myriad Daos to meet the strike. Their palm forces collided, and Xu Ying roared, executing One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones. Three Xu Yings materialized behind him, each extending a palm against his back. Yet beneath the overwhelming brute force of Cangzhu, he still could not hold his ground and slid backward. Cangzhu's six heads each channeled a divine ability, bombarding Xu Ying. The three Primordial Spirits behind Xu Ying soared up, directly intercepting the six divine abilities, only to be blown apart with violent booms. The big bell flew back, hovering once more above Xu Ying's head, mobilizing its cave abysses with all its might to withstand Cangzhu's divine abilities. Lu Yiren suppressed his injuries and joined the fray. Cangzhu fought with both hands while his six heads struck left and right. The three battled across millions of li, ravaging the netherworld until its original geography was unrecognizable. Suddenly, Lu Yiren spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed. His injuries could no longer be contained and finally erupted. If he did not receive immediate treatment to suppress the damage, his body would perish and his Dao vanish! Without his distraction, the pressure on Xu Ying surged drastically. Then, with a deafening gong, the big bell was struck so violently it nearly shattered, hurled far into the distance. Xu Ying faced Cangzhu alone. Within only a few exchanges, he was knocked flying, crashing into and collapsing a mountain range of the netherworld with a thunderous roar. Just as he struggled to his feet, True King Cangzhu charged in and drove a fist into him, shattering the broken peak behind him to powder. Coughing blood, Xu Ying slumped limply. True King Cangzhu snorted, only to see Xu Ying stand up once more. "The Supreme Dao is indeed formidable." True King Cangzhu reached out, seized Xu Ying by the neck, and lifted him off his feet. Tightening his other fist, he sneered, "Still, how many more of my punches can your golden body forged from the Supreme Dao withstand?" "Wait!" Xu Ying wore a peculiar expression and suddenly asked, "True King Cangzhu, have you heard of the Zhuxian Sword?" True King Cangzhu shook his head and thrust his fist viciously toward Xu Ying, sneering, "Never heard of it!" "Well, now you have!" Xu Ying shouted, "Lord Sword, show yourself!" Just as True King Cangzhu's fist drove downward, a gigantic sword spanning heaven and earth pierced through the Netherworld of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, descending with boundless sword qi. Towering murderous intent and lethal dread instantly flooded the entire netherworld! Swish— The sword light illuminated the entire netherworld. A sudden chill ran down True King Cangzhu's spine. Without hesitation, he diverted his punch toward the stabbing Zhuxian broken sword! "Not good!" The moment he clearly saw the broken sword's form, he knew something was amiss. The sword gleamed an emerald green—unmistakably an exotic treasure wielded only by the True Kings of the other shore! As his fist met the sword's edge, Cangzhu watched his fingers slice away, one by one. Though this sword was not an Immortal supreme treasure, it had been forged from Emerald Rock, possessing the distinct properties of an Immortal supreme treasure of the other shore. Cangzhu's body shuddered violently, and scales flew off in waves, clattering against the blade to deflect the strike off course. Right then, a tremendous burst of force erupted from his other hand. Xu Ying tore free from his grip, leaped into the air, and flipped back down with the rapidly shrinking Zhuxian broken sword in hand! Swish! Swish! Swish! Xu Ying wielded the sword like a whirlwind. The sword light flashed unpredictably, every strike aimed squarely at True King Cangzhu's neck. True King Cangzhu retreated in haste, his mouth emitting non-stop dragon cries and furious roars. By the time he had fallen back three thousand li, another head abruptly slid off. Ten thousand li back, yet another head silently took flight. When True King Cangzhu retreated roughly twenty thousand li, two heads tumbled down simultaneously. Terrified to his core, True King Cangzhu hesitated no longer. He soared into the air, bursting out of the netherworld. Just as he returned to the world above from the Heavenly Immortal Realm's netherworld, another head slipped silently from his neck. Paralyzed with fright, True King Cangzhu immediately fled using a blood escape, daring not linger for a single breath. Xu Ying let out a long breath, suddenly feeling as though every bone in his body was on the verge of shattering. But paying it no mind, he rushed to Lu Yiren's side and channeled the surging vitality of the Chaos Sea Dao scenery into Lu Yiren's body. At the same time, he directed the Zhuxian broken sword to slash at Lu Yiren's Dao injuries, cleaving them away. These Dao injuries were extraordinarily dangerous, containing wounds inflicted by two Immortal-realm beings, Yinyuanzi and True King Cangzhu. Treated by ordinary means, Lu Yiren would have died long before being cured. Xu Ying therefore used the Zhuxian broken sword to excise the existing Dao injuries first, replacing them with the Zhuxian Sword's Dao wounds—which involved a Great Dao he understood—making the treatment far simpler. Sword light gleamed and flitted about Lu Yiren. Before long, Lu Yiren's condition finally stabilized. Lu Yiren woke from his stupor and opened his eyes, only to find himself not in the netherworld, but within a subterranean realm. This underground realm was exceptionally bright. In the sky above, a grand Primordial Spirit formed of indestructible spiritual light drifted across a vast expanse. It carried the aura of the Ancestral God, an aura he knew all too well. To him, the Ancestral God was an obstinate old relic; given the chance to kill him, he would not have hesitated in the slightest. Yet right now, this subterranean world radiated a rich aura of the Heavenly Dao. The Great Dao of heaven and earth here was unusually vibrant, making him somewhat uncomfortable, though the effect was minor. This Great Dao differed from that of the current Heavenly Immortal Realm; it was likely the revived Heavenly Dao of the primeval era. Yet Lu Yiren also sensed a familiar aura, somewhat resembling the Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Realm. The revival of the Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao had been connected to him—the first revival point of the Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao had appeared in the human tribe he had led. Lu Yiren moved his limbs and found his injuries fully healed. From the distance came the voice of a young girl reciting scriptures, and the contents were none other than the cultivation arts True King Cangzhu practiced. Lu Yiren walked forward to find that Xu Ying had already transcribed all the arts practiced by True King Cangzhu and was currently pondering methods to unravel them. "We must kill Yinyuanzi, the Immortal True King of the other shore," Lu Yiren declared loudly. Xu Ying was deep in thought. Hearing this, he glanced at him, then returned his gaze to his studies. Lu Yiren strode forward and said in a heavy voice, "We must eliminate him! If we fail to do so, all the forces of the Heavenly Immortal Realm will fall under his control! When they breach the gelatinous zone, the Earth Immortal Realm won't stand a chance!" He channeled his true essence and casually neutralized one of True King Cangzhu's arts and divine abilities, continuing, "We also cannot allow Yinyuanzi to return to the other shore! Once the other shore learns the state of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, the harvest will begin immediately! We must keep Yinyuanzi and all his followers right here!" Xu Ying examined the counters he had outlined for those arts and divine abilities and could not help but praise, "Brother Lu's study of the Emerald Rock Great Dao is indeed so profound that I cannot hope to match it. I am truly impressed!" Irritated, Lu Yiren was about to speak when the Holy Venerable's voice suddenly drifted over: "Lu Yiren, as an outlander, why would you help us deal with an Immortal from the other shore?" The Far Ancestor walked over and said gravely, "Immortal True King Yinyuanzi is of your own kind. Your parents were the vanguards of the invasion into the three realms. You should return to the other shore and take your place as a member of its sacred race." Former Emperor Ming Xun added, "Why did you strike out against Yinyuanzi and end up hunted by him?" The Ancestral God descended from the sky, transforming into a young man, and said, "Could this be a ruse to win our trust and capture us?" Lu Yiren exhaled a breath of stale air and asked, "Do I look more like an outlander now, or more like a human?" The crowd looked him up and down. The Far Ancestor remarked, "You look like an outlander, but your speech and conduct are entirely human." Lu Yiren said, "In my heart, I always considered myself an outlander who came to the Mortal Realm from the other shore. Even when I served as the human clan's leader in the Mortal Realm, I thought of myself as an outlander. I opposed you and made enemies of you, relying on my identity as an outlander. But when I met the Immortal True King, when I met his disciples and followers, only then did I realize that I am not like them. In truth, I became human long ago." The Ancestral God, Ming Xun, and the others were not satisfied with this answer. The Holy Venerable shook his head. "Those who are not of our kind are sure to be of a different mind. He still cannot be trusted." Xu Ying studied the counters Lu Yiren had set down, then suddenly smiled. "If we join forces to kill Immortal True King Yinyuanzi of the other shore, our chances are slim without Lu Yiren." Lu Yiren's expression shifted slightly. "You intend to kill Yinyuanzi as well?" Xu Ying nodded gently. "The reason we haven't left the Heavenly Immortal Realm is precisely Yinyuanzi. Only by killing him will Emperor Ming Dao truly resolve to break with the other shore." Lu Yiren glanced around at them. "Just with the likes of you?" Xu Ying walked to his side and smiled. "And you. Get ready—we depart soon."