Outside Longxing Temple, the Lingxing Gate crashed down with a roar, startling the surrounding heroes who had come to hunt Xu Ying into scattering aside.
"They are disciples from under the Dao Master of Qionghua Island. This Dao Master Kill Order was issued by them."
"These pretty young women brought such a treasure—are they planning to present it as a gift?" someone murmured with an unkind gaze.
Li Xue and the others walked out of the Lingxing Gate. Looking around, she frowned slightly. Many experts had gathered at Longxing Temple, yet most were cultivators of the Dao Realm's eighth level; Immortals and Dao Lords were few and far between.
"Most people do not know Xu Ying's strength and have underestimated him."
Li Xue's brow furrowed. Having clashed with Xu Ying before, they knew his combat prowess had long since reached the point where ordinary Dao Lords could not even detain him.
Moreover, he possessed extraordinary treasures; he was simply not someone these people could handle.
Li Xiao whispered, "Eldest Martial Sister, though we broadcast the Dao Master Kill Order far and wide, there shouldn't be so many people who knew Xu Ying was coming here, right?"
Li Xue had also noticed the excess of people; it seemed as if everyone knew Xu Ying was heading for Longxing Temple.
She gazed toward Longxing Temple. Though called a temple, it was in truth an expanse of ruins strewn with crumbled walls and broken masonry, with remnants of ancient palaces still visible among the debris.
This place was also a forbidden zone. Someone had once seen a god-fiend from over a hundred million years ago here, manipulating time with one hand and the starry sky with the other.
"What is Xu Ying coming to Longxing Temple for?" Li Xue wondered, perplexed.
His injuries fully healed, Xu Ying walked leisurely toward Longxing Temple. Ahead of him, the Qi of Gods and Demons swirled—one black, one white, hanging in the air like twin waterfalls.
Xu Ying paused in slight surprise, then a look of delight spread across his face. He stepped forward, walking between the black and white qi.
Beneath the two waterfalls, two elderly figures—one clad in black, the other in white—sat playing Go, one holding a white stone and the other a black stone.
Xu Ying walked up beside the two old men and watched the match.
The black-robed elder looked up, glanced at him, and asked, "Do you understand the game?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "I do not."
The black-robed elder sneered. "Then what are you watching?"
Xu Ying replied solemnly, "A Grand Dao Lord playing chess against himself—that is something I must see."
The black- and white-robed elders burst into loud laughter to dispel the awkwardness. The white-robed elder said, "Xu Ying, you are Taiyi's disciple. As Taiyi's contemporary, I would not normally stoop to making a move against you in person. However, you nearly wiped out my Gods and Demons Dao Sect, leaving only a single worthless good-for-nothing. Thus, I had no choice but to come."
Xu Ying pulled up a stone stool, sat down beside the stone table, and smiled. "The Gods and Demons Dao Sect attacked the Three Realms, so I had no choice but to strike back and wipe them out. As for that worthless one, his temperament suits me well, so I spared him twice."
The black-robed elder showed a look of appreciation and said, "Showing mercy because someone suits your taste—you truly are a person of sentiment. Clashing with Taiyi's disciples is nothing new for me either. Back when Haotian was alive, he challenged me as well."
The white-robed elder added, "Haotian was a genius of heaven-born brilliance. Fighting him was no disgrace. What is more, even Taiyi was defeated at his hands."
The black- and white-robed elders spoke in unison: "So today, coming to test Taiyi's disciple is no disgrace either!"
Suddenly, one from the left and one from the right, the two struck together, blasting toward Xu Ying's head!
Xu Ying remained seated. Raising his hands, he met the twin strikes of the Gods and Demons Venerables head-on. Pushing the Hongyuan Inverse Verification of Great Dao Record to its utmost limit, he astonishingly held firm against their combined assault!
The three of them remained seated upright and unmoving. Suddenly, the Gods and Demons Venerables activated their Gods and Demons Ultimate Dao Ode. One person represented the extreme realm of the Divine Dao, the other the extreme realm of the Demonic Dao, pushing the divine arts of both Daos to their zenith!
In an instant, countless immortal gods and demons seemed to attack Xu Ying from every direction and dimension! Ten thousand divine arts of the twin Daos surged like an ocean tide, crashing forward with overwhelming fury!
Still seated where he was, Xu Ying erupted with the Martial Dao Extreme Realm. In a flash, countless iterations of himself unleashed all manner of divine arts to meet the twin Daos!
Boom!
Behind the two venerables, the ponderous waterfalls of black and white qi drifted backward, revealing the Grand Thousand cave abysses concealed within them.
These cave abysses were divided into Divine Dao and Demonic Dao abysses, connecting to the Grand Thousand universes. Strangely, no one cultivated or maintained these abysses anymore.
"Truly worthy of Taiyi's lineage—monstrous talents abound. Such was Haotian back then, and such is Xu Ying today."
The two venerables could not help but sigh in praise. Suddenly, their palms met, merging the twin Daos of Gods and Demons, and their palm force skyrocketed instantly.
Xu Ying's expression changed abruptly. He shot to his feet at once and bowed deeply toward the two venerables!
In the blink of an eye, myriad martial divine arts formed the Firmament of Divine Powers, rising to meet the grand divine arts of the Gods and Demons!
The two venerables' expressions also changed drastically. Their forms snapped together, merging into a singular, three-faced being: the left face wrathful and hideous, the right face sacred and compassionate, and the central face devoid of sorrow or joy. It was the true form of Grand Dao Lord Shenmo!
Amidst the black and white qi behind Grand Dao Lord Shenmo, the Divine Dao and Demonic Dao cave abysses began to pair up and fuse, intertwining the two Daos. Meeting Xu Ying's Firmament of Divine Powers head-on, he laughed and said, "The Firmament of Divine Powers was Haotian's divine art. Back then, it defeated Taiyi to stunning effect. Even looking at it today, it remains extraordinary!"
The divine arts Xu Ying wielded did not share the same divine art imprints as Emperor Haotian's Firmament of Divine Powers; his were predominantly martial divine arts, and in sheer explosive power, they surpassed even the original version.
Yet as the Dao methods clashed, Xu Ying was shaken into a stumbling retreat.
Grand Dao Lord Shenmo marveled, "Xu Ying, you are truly remarkable. Given time, you would become another Grand Dao Lord Haotian! What a pity, what a pity!"
Murderous intent stirred within him. The numerous God and Demon cave abysses behind him suddenly began merging two by two, fusing together until, before long, they coalesced into a single, supreme Gods and Demons Cave Abyss—rooted in the other shore, yet seemingly existing across the Grand Thousand universes!
"My Daos of Gods and Demons are indeed inferior to Taiyi, nor can they compare to Chaos or Hongmeng. But I am not greedy. I am not a clever man. I studied the methods of Tianjing and comprehended the divine arts of Tianjing. In one hundred and twenty million years of cultivation, I only reached the Immortal realm."
Grand Dao Lord Shenmo's aura suddenly turned incomparably immense. Striding toward Xu Ying, he smiled faintly. "Yet I am also the greediest and the cleverest. The Daos of Gods and Demons are not among the Nine Innate Daos, but neither are they inferior Daos. My battle with Xuanhuang, my battle with Taiyi, my battle with Haotian—three consecutive defeats showed me my shortcomings."
Xu Ying mobilized the Hongyuan within his physical body and unleashed Blooming Lotus Illuminates the World. This was his own divine art. When the lotus bloomed, the Hongyuan burst open with the force of cosmic creation, instantly erupting with the four Dao powers of Chaos, Hongmeng, Wuji, and Taiyi—the ultimate pinnacle of Xu Ying's current achievement!
From beneath Grand Dao Lord Shenmo's ribs, four more arms burst forth. All six arms rose and crashed down atop the Hongyuan, forcibly suppressing the erupting Blooming Lotus Illuminates the World back into its embryonic Hongyuan state. All three faces laughed boisterously.
"Having remedied my shortcomings, I suddenly discovered that I have arrived at the end of the Immortal realm. One step further, and I shall be a Lord of the Great Dao!"
With a ferocious exertion of power, he shattered the Hongyuan.
Xu Ying tumbled backward. Without hesitation, he raised the Apricot Yellow Banner. The great banner tore through the sky, whipping up the Qi of Xuanhuang as it charged at Grand Dao Lord Shenmo.
Grand Dao Lord Shenmo vaulted into the air to meet the Apricot Yellow Banner, taking the impact of the banner face head-on.
From the banner, the Xuanhuang Qi pressed down with near heaven-opening power. Grand Dao Lord Shenmo slid backward, yet he forcefully withstood the banner's might!
At that moment, with a resounding dong, the big bell flew in and slammed against his forehead, bruising it black and blue!
Simultaneously, Xu Ying raised the Chaos Lotus. As the flower blossomed, an invisible shockwave surged forth. Grand Dao Lord Shenmo was swept back like a falling leaf, yet he still touched down steadily.
Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat. 'The Hongyuan Inverse Verification of Great Dao Record, combined with the Apricot Yellow Banner, Master Bell, and Master Lotus, still cannot do anything to him. His Immortal realm is nearly consummate!'
The big bell also flew back and whispered, "Ah Ying, this old rascal's strength... I'm afraid we can't stop him..."
"One more time!"
Xu Ying gave a long roar and drove the Apricot Yellow Banner, expanding it to blot out the sky as it charged straight for Grand Dao Lord Shenmo. Beneath the banner, the big bell flew with ringing chimes. Xu Ying mobilized tribulation karma, first inflicting doom upon Grand Dao Lord Shenmo, then activated Samsara—a blindingly bright beam of light dragged Grand Dao Lord Shenmo into the cycle of reincarnation!
Yet in the next moment, Grand Dao Lord Shenmo tore free of Samsara. With three faces and six arms, he violently clashed with the Apricot Yellow Banner, punched the big bell away, caught Xu Ying's slaughter sword qi barehanded, and crossed two arms over his chest to withstand the Chaos Lotus's impact!
Without a second thought, seizing the moment Grand Dao Lord Shenmo was repelled, Xu Ying rolled up the banner, turned, and fled!
Grand Dao Lord Shenmo gave chase, his voice ringing clearly in Xu Ying's ears: "Xu Ying, where can you possibly flee?"
One fleeing and one pursuing, the two charged straight toward Longxing Temple.
Before Longxing Temple, people had long been waiting in tight formation. However, Xu Ying was far too fast; in a flash, he swept past the crowd and plunged straight into the ruins of Longxing Temple.
"Xu Ying!"
Seeing this, the crowd was overjoyed and swarmed into the ruins of Longxing Temple, pursuing Xu Ying.
Grand Dao Lord Shenmo followed right behind, likewise rushing into the ruins.
Suddenly, an abnormal space-time power erupted, swallowing everyone along with Xu Ying and Grand Dao Lord Shenmo!
Li Xue tensely channeled the Lingxing Gate, not daring to enter Longxing Temple.
Li Xiao was also dumbfounded by the sight and asked, "Eldest Martial Sister, just what kind of figure is suppressed inside Longxing Temple?"
Li Xue shook her head. "Master never mentioned it."
Just then, a voice came from behind them: "The Dao Master suppressed in Longxing Temple cultivated the Space-Time Great Dao. Time and space are also known as Zhouguang and Yuqing. These two Daos stand on equal footing with Creation, Yin-Yang, and Life and Death."
Li Xue and the others hurriedly turned to look, only to see Grand Dao Lord Taiyi standing behind them, though none knew when he had arrived.
"Greetings, Grand Dao Lord," Li Xue and the others bowed in greeting.
Taiyi nodded slightly. "There is no need for such formalities."
Li Xiao was relatively familiar with him and asked, "Grand Dao Lord, what about the Great Dao of Gods and Demons?"
Taiyi slowly shook his head. "The Great Dao of Gods and Demons is slightly inferior to these four Great Daos. The Dao Master who mastered the Space-Time Great Dao went by the Dao title Tiancheng."
Dao Master Tiancheng.
Li Xue's eyes flickered. "Then, is the Grand Dao Lord here to kill Xu Ying, or to save him?"
Taiyi did not answer. Staring straight at the forbidden zone of Longxing Temple, he said, "I have always been pondering a question. The other shore continually shifts its tribulation karma and destroys universe after universe; sooner or later, the Grand Thousand universes will be wiped out completely. The three Dao Masters shift tribulation karma and kill one Dao Master of the other shore after another; sooner or later, the Dao Masters of the other shore will all be slaughtered by them. When that time comes, they will still have to face the tribulation of the other shore."
Li Xue, Li Jie, and the others blinked, unable to find words.
The matters they considered were not on the same level as Taiyi's.
Li Xiao ventured, "Then, what is the Grand Dao Lord's intention?"
Taiyi said slowly, "I think the other shore should face a real, bare-knuckle showdown against its tribulation—without shifting it to other universes, and without slaughtering the Dao Masters of the past. The other shore has so many Dao Masters; rescue them. With so many Dao Masters, what cannot be overcome?"
Li Xue and the others were appalled.
Seeing their expressions, Taiyi shook his head slightly, having no desire to speak further with them, and strode into the Longxing Temple forbidden zone.
'What I intend to do is what Xu Ying is doing! But my purpose is not the same as his!'
He muttered softly under his breath, "My purpose is to revive and liberate those Dao Masters of the other shore, to help the other shore transcend its tribulation, openly and honorably!
"What I must do is this: since the three great Dao Masters have decayed and are no longer suited to this era, then replace them!
"The other shore needs a new king, new Dao Masters, replacing the old blood so it may travel further!
"I will revive the other shore, and make it once more the master of the Chaos Sea!"
His Taiyi Great Dao shifted abruptly, transforming into the Space-Time Great Dao, tearing open Longxing Temple's fragmented space-time and revealing an ancient scene from one hundred and twenty million years ago.
Daoji Heaven, Qionghua Island.
Dao Master Hua stood beneath a cherry blossom tree with his hands behind his back, admiring the blossoms. He chuckled softly to himself, "There are always juniors audacious enough to think they can overturn the heavens, unaware that they are already trapped within tribulation, unable to break free. Within tribulation, the more fiercely one prances about, the faster one dies."
Just then, a tall figure strolled forward—an elderly man with a handsome beard.
"Fellow Daoist Xuanhong." Dao Master Hua's eye twitched slightly as he turned around to face the old man.
Chapter 816