The Holy Venerable had always held himself in exceptionally high esteem, believing he was by no means inferior to Qingxuan. Now, not only had Qingxuan grasped the Daos of Slaughter and Calamitous Destiny before him, but even Daoist Wukong and Shi Tianyang had comprehended the Dao of Slaughter, dealing a heavy blow to his pride.
He soared forward, charging toward the Immortals of the Zhao Realm, thinking, *I will never be weaker than any of you!*
Yet even as he threw himself into the fray, no aura of slaughter surged toward him.
The Holy Venerable flew into a rage, stammering with indignation, "Just because I didn't rush out in the first instant, the universe discriminates against me?!"
He clashed with a Zhao Realm Immortal, cutting him down in a matter of moves, before immediately pouncing on another. Still, not a shred of slaughter aura flowed into him.
The Zhao Realm Universe seemed plunged into a final frenzy: its native Immortals slaughtered their own people, while the Holy Venerable, Qingxuan, and the others ruthlessly slaughtered those Immortals!
Perched high above in Zhongji Heaven, Xu Ying took in every shift within the Zhao Realm, sensing the aura of slaughter and the Dao of Calamitous Destiny that reigned supreme over all other Great Daos.
His attainments in the Dao of Slaughter were already exceedingly profound, bordering on the Immortal realm. Now, bearing witness as an entire world plunged into wholesale slaughter, insights flooded his mind in rapid succession.
Just as the Zhao Realm's aura of slaughter crested at its peak, Xu Ying rode the momentum to break through, elevating his Dao of Slaughter straight to the Immortal level.
His aura surged, hanging across the cosmos like a keen, unsheathed sword. His Dao of Slaughter was complete!
*Wait, someone else in this realm is cultivating the Dao of Calamitous Destiny too.*
Xu Ying suddenly noticed that the calamitous destiny of the Zhao Realm had split into six portions, and he could only tap into one-sixth of it.
*Who could the other five individuals controlling the calamitous destiny be?* he wondered inwardly.
***
Lu Yiren stood tall upon a shattered fragment of the Zhao Realm Heavenly Court, feeling the calamitous destiny radiating from heaven and earth cause his own Dao of Calamitous Destiny to climb by leaps and bounds.
He had arrived in the Zhao Realm under Dao Master Lin's orders to comprehend calamitous destiny, intending to borrow the universe's doom to attain Immortality.
His understanding of calamitous destiny grew increasingly profound, but he soon sensed that others besides himself had grasped this Dao, and their mastery was not a whit inferior to his own!
Just then, a woman's gentle voice drifted over: "Senior Brother Lu, the Grand Master told me before we left that only a few of us would be comprehending calamitous destiny this time. Yet now, two more people have suddenly joined the fray. What a strange turn of events."
Lu Yiren followed the sound to see Li Xiao, a disciple of Dao Master Hua, striding over. The woman was tall and dressed provocatively; the slit of her skirt nearly reached her armpit, while her neckline plunged almost to her navel.
With coquettish charm, Li Xiao stepped across the chaotic fragments of the Heavenly Court drifting in the void and came to his side. She smiled and said, "Aren't you curious who those two are, Senior Brother Lu? How dare they compete with us for calamitous destiny!"
Refined and affable, Lu Yiren smiled back. "So it is Senior Sister Li. If my memory serves me well, there should have been two other senior brothers at your side who also entered the Zhao Realm to vie for calamitous destiny. Yet you claim not to know who the two newcomers are. Does that mean those two brothers have already met a grim end at your hands?"
Hearing this, Li Xiao's expression darkened slightly, but she soon broke into an enchanting smile. "Junior Brother Lu truly is a clever man. I sent those two junior brothers on their way while we were still crossing the Chaos Sea."
Lu Yiren asked, "Have you come here now to send me on my way as well, Senior Sister?"
Li Xiao shook her head and replied solemnly, "I have come to join forces with you to deal with the other four. You and I are evenly matched; together, taking down Zhangsun Shenghai of Biyou Palace and Taishi of Nine Mounds Mountain will be child's play!"
Lu Yiren asked, "And then?"
Li Xiao chuckled. "Then we will track down the other two cultivating calamitous destiny and cut them down. That way, only you and I will remain in control of the Zhao Realm's calamitous destiny. When that time comes, we can have our decisive duel. What do you think?"
Lu Yiren asked, "And if I refuse?"
Li Xiao said casually, "Then I will have no choice but to join hands with someone else to eliminate you first, Junior Brother Lu."
Lu Yiren sighed. "You have me backed into a corner, Senior Sister. If I refuse, you will join forces with others to eliminate me. But if I agree to help you eliminate the others, I will walk straight into your trap."
Li Xiao looked astonished. "What trap?"
Lu Yiren replied, "I imagine you have heard of Dao Master Lin taking me as his disciple. Back when I entered his tutelage, my cultivation and strength were meager, and my cultivation techniques were riddled with flaws. Though I took Dao Master Lin as my master, my time under him has been too brief. Even if my cultivation and strength have improved, the gains cannot be great, leaving me far behind you. Once we eliminate the others and it comes down to our duel, you could easily twist my head right off."
Li Xiao giggled. "Why would I twist your head off, Junior Brother?"
Lu Yiren shook his head. "Dao Master Hua wields an axe, so you must intend to chop it off with an axe, wouldn't you?"
Li Xiao's eyes flashed. Suddenly, she drifted forward, launching an ambush. Her robes fluttered as her jade-like palms and scallion-white fingers darted gracefully between the ribbons of her dress, plucking at heartstrings with unspeakable elegance. She smiled and said, "You misunderstand me, Junior Brother Lu!"
Her words spoke of misunderstanding, but her strike was vicious. Just as her smooth, bare leg swept upward, her right hand vanished behind a fluttering sash. Li Xiao drew out her hairpin and shook it violently, transforming it into a massive, long-handled battleaxe that hacked straight down at Lu Yiren!
Lu Yiren smiled faintly. Facing her magical treasure bare-handed, he remarked casually, "It has been ages since Dao Master Lin took an apprentice. Why do you think he accepted me the moment he saw me?"
Li Xiao's eyes lit up, thinking to herself, *You're seeking death.*
The power of her great axe was extraordinary, capable of cleaving through anything. Once it fell, no matter what Grand Dao one had cultivated, it would be split right down the middle!
Yet just as Lu Yiren's fist met the axe blade, a long spear suddenly materialized, intercepting the divine greataxe with a crisp *clang* that echoed endlessly!
"It is because he saw how extraordinary my aptitude was!"
Lu Yiren retracted and flicked the spear, sending Li Xiao stumbling backward. His spear surged forward like a dragon, the Grand Dao coursing through the shaft as it thrust toward every one of Li Xiao's vital points!
In an instant, spearheads seemed to emerge everywhere across time and space, some fast, some slow, thrusting at Li Xiao from every direction!
"He told me himself that I am the Sacred Clan member with the greatest aptitude in tens of millions of years!"
Lu Yiren wielded his Dao through the spear, unleashing his moves in full force!
Li Xiao swung her great axe with all her might to defend herself, but in the next instant, her axe technique was shattered. Lu Yiren's spear pierced her shoulder, and as the weapon spun, the sound of tearing cloth rang out. In an instant, every scrap of clothing on Li Xiao was shredded to pieces!
The spear carried the woman backward, pinning her to a fragment of the Zhao Realm Heavenly Court with a resounding *ding*.
Flushed with shame and anger, Li Xiao hurried to say, "Junior Brother Lu, my destiny is yours!"
Lu Yiren flew over, pulled out his spear, and turned his back to her. "Put on some clothes first, Senior Sister."
Li Xiao hurriedly produced fresh garments and dressed herself neatly.
Lu Yiren smiled and said, "Senior Sister, I won't take your destiny for now. Let us continue to join hands, find the others cultivating calamitous destiny, and eliminate them. When only the two of us remain, we will settle the matter!"
Feigning bashfulness and demureness, Li Xiao agreed with a soft affirmative.
***
Elsewhere, after parting ways with Qingxuan and the others, Zhangsun Shenghai had devoted himself entirely to cultivating the Dao of Calamitous Destiny, his mind completely unburdened by outside distractions.
As for whether the Immortals of the Zhao Realm were slaughtering mortals or each other, he did not care.
He had already pointed out a path of survival to the Zhao Realm Crown Prince; what the man chose to do was his own affair, and he would not interfere.
Just then, a voice laughed, "Zhangsun Shenghai, Eldest Senior Brother under Grand Dao Lord Taiyi! You have long held great fame, and people always say your cultivation is unfathomable, yet no one has ever seen you fight."
Zhangsun Shenghai looked in the direction of the voice to see a plump, round youth walking toward him with a beaming smile. Dressed in yellow, with a face as round as a ball, the youth appeared thoroughly affable.
"Senior Brother Taishi under Dao Master Luo?" Zhangsun Shenghai asked.
The youth was indeed Taishi. He chuckled and said, "Though you enjoy great fame under Taiyi, your reputation isn't particularly sterling. Leaving the Taiyi Dao Sect to defect to Dao Master Tongtian—in the eyes of the Taiyi Dao Sect, that is outright betrayal."
Zhangsun Shenghai shook his head. "I was originally a disciple of Dao Master Tongtian, and only joined the Taiyi Dao Sect later."
Taishi had intended to shake his Dao heart, but seeing that his words fell on deaf ears, he could not help but frown.
Zhangsun Shenghai asked, "Have you come here for the calamitous destiny, Senior Brother?"
Taishi puffed out his chest. "Indeed. Now the calamitous destiny of the Zhao Realm is divided among six. Only by eliminating the others can one unify the calamitous destiny and attain the Dao! You need not waste your breath, Zhangsun Shenghai; words will not disrupt my Dao heart!"
Zhangsun Shenghai shook his head. "With my strength, defeating you is quite simple. There is no need for me to disturb your Dao heart."
Taishi snorted coldly.
Zhangsun Shenghai continued, "Furthermore, why must you eradicate others to comprehend calamitous destiny? One can grasp the marvels of calamitous destiny and cultivate step-by-step toward Immortality, or one can use the aid of calamitous destiny to attain Immortality all at once. There is no fundamental difference between the two. You might want to try the first method, Senior Brother."
Taishi charged forward, shouting, "I would rather use the second method and monopolize the calamitous destiny!"
Though short in stature, he cultivated a Dao Master-level technique, and the supernatural power he invoked had been taught to him personally by Dao Master Luo!
In a split second, his cultivation and strength erupted, soaring directly to the level of a Dao Lord as he struck toward Zhangsun Shenghai!
A Dao Master supernatural power: *Bright and Cleaving*!
Zhangsun Shenghai's expression remained as serene as before, bearing a gentle, jade-like smile. Mobilizing his cave abyss, he channeled his Dao to meet Taishi's blazing sword strike!
His movement was truly extraordinary: from Chaos and Primordial Beginning to Slaughter and Nirvanic Extinction, nine kinds of Grand Daos were mobilized at once, coalescing into a peerless strike!
In the next instant, the sword shattered!
Taishi coughed up blood and flew backward, knocked unconscious.
Zhangsun Shenghai reached out, caught him, and said calmly, "Senior Brother, I did not deceive you. Beating you truly required no psychological warfare."
He resumed his contemplation of calamitous destiny. He felt the calamitous destiny grow noticeably denser; with Taishi gravely wounded and unable to comprehend it, the calamitous destiny had likely been redivided among five.
Zhangsun Shenghai remained unmoved by gain or loss, as if the battle just now had not affected him in the slightest.
Not long after, Lu Yiren and Li Xiao arrived.
Zhangsun Shenghai glanced at them, paying them no mind.
Li Xiao smiled and said, "Did you just take down Senior Brother Taishi, Junior Brother Zhangsun? Who would have thought that behind such handsome looks lies such formidable strength?"
Zhangsun Shenghai said, "Senior Sister Li, there are two ways to comprehend calamitous destiny: one is to grasp its profound marvels and cultivate step-by-step, and the other is to eliminate rivals and monopolize the calamitous destiny. Why choose an impossible path?"
Li Xiao sneered. "Back at the Taiyi Dao Sect, we stared each other down for so long that Xu Ying escaped, which caused the Grand Master to punish me. There is bad blood between us, Junior Brother Zhangsun, and it must be settled! Junior Brother Lu?"
Lu Yiren hesitated, saying, "What Junior Brother Zhangsun says is not without merit. Since there is no need to eliminate others to grasp the mysteries of calamitous destiny, why must we resort to killing? Besides, I sense that he is very strong."
Li Xiao grew furious. "Don't forget, it was you who wanted to join forces with me, not I with you!"
Left with no choice, Lu Yiren retrieved his long spear. Flanking Zhangsun Shenghai from left and right, the two attacked!
Yet in the next instant, the great axe in Li Xiao's hands was bent clean in half. The woman spewed blood and collapsed unconscious onto the ground!
The webbing between Lu Yiren's thumb and index finger split open, leaving him unable to hold his spear. He immediately fled, vanishing without a trace!
Zhangsun Shenghai unleashed a palm strike from afar. Countless starry skies shattered as his palm force cut into the void, chasing directly after Lu Yiren.
Forced into a corner, Lu Yiren had no choice but to take the palm strike head-on. The impact blasted him out of the void and damaged his Grand Dao, leaving him with no choice but to concentrate on healing his injuries.
Zhangsun Shenghai did not press the attack, leaving the two of them to tend to their wounds.
The Zhao Realm's calamitous destiny now split into three, growing far richer than before.
Zhangsun Shenghai did not seek out the other three. Just then, he suddenly felt another portion of the calamitous destiny being claimed.
Moved by curiosity, he followed the flow of calamitous destiny and soon came upon good-for-nothing Qingxuan and the Holy Venerable, both of whom had comprehended the Dao of Calamitous Destiny.
*Since the two of them have grasped calamitous destiny, then they share an affinity with this Grand Dao.*
Zhangsun Shenghai did not wound the pair. Instead, he followed the remaining strand of calamitous destiny.
Walking across the starry void, he arrived at Zhongji Heaven and saw Xu Ying seated beneath the Elegance Pagoda, immersed in comprehending calamitous destiny.
Xu Ying opened his eyes right on cue, meeting his gaze.
Zhangsun Shenghai raised his eyebrows and walked straight toward Xu Ying, saying, "Martial Uncle Xu, have you noticed that the fewer people sharing the calamitous destiny, the faster one cultivates its Dao? I discovered this after severely wounding three people just now."
Xu Ying asked in surprise, "Why did you do that, Shenghai? When comprehending the Dao of Calamitous Destiny, one can grasp its essence and cultivate step-by-step. Why rob others of their opportunities?"
Zhangsun Shenghai chuckled. "They came to challenge me, and I defeated them."
Xu Ying smiled. "I see. I knew Senior Brother Shenghai was not a petty man."
Zhangsun Shenghai asked with a smile, "Have you found the profound marvels of the Daos of Reincarnation, Wuji, Chaos, and Primordial Beginning?"
Xu Ying replied, "I have already grasped the profound marvels of Reincarnation, Wuji, Slaughter, Taiyi, and Karma. Though I have cultivated Chaos and Primordial Beginning to the Immortal realm, I have yet to peruse the techniques of Dao Lord Hunyuan and Perfected Lord Duyu, so my mastery still lacks a bit of seasoning."
Zhangsun Shenghai smiled. "You only lacked Nirvanic Extinction and Calamitous Destiny to gather all Nine Innate Daos. After this, you will be short of only Nirvanic Extinction."
Xu Ying asked, "What about you?"
Zhangsun Shenghai replied, "The same is true for me."
Their eyes met, and a smile broke across Xu Ying's face. "Now, I can finally look you in the eye as an equal, Eldest Senior Brother. I have waited two hundred years for this day."
Chapter 795