His robes fluttering in the wind, Xu Ying stood atop the immortal island.
At this moment, his Great Dao of Wuji had finally synthesized the Five Tais, reaching the Immortal realm!
Now, every one of his Nine Innate Daos—including Nirvana—had stepped into the Immortal realm!
When he channeled the Hongyuan Reverse-Proving Great Dao Records, he could feel his Martial Dao Cave Abyss transform into a Hongyuan. The nine innate daos cycled ceaselessly, evolving in sequence, never-ending, poised at any moment to step into another realm!
The Immortal realm!
At this moment, standing at the threshold between the Supreme realm and the Immortal realm, he felt as though the Grand Daos under heaven were all held within his chest.
The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death slowly straightened his back and raised his head. Gazing across the distance, he looked over the sea toward Xu Ying far away on the immortal island.
Xu Ying's strike had truly startled him. It was astoundingly vast and mighty, surging with overwhelming dao power that bore down upon him so heavily that even his Dao of Life and Death had struggled to withstand it.
"Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death, this technique of mine is called Lotus Blooms to Dazzle the World. Back then, I struck Dao Lord Rongku with a palm, sending him to see you."
Confronting him from afar, Xu Ying's voice came through with crystal clarity. "I thought you would have already devised a countermeasure against this move. But judging by how you were knocked back, you haven't comprehended anything at all."
Ripples disturbed the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death's Dao heart. When Dao Lord Rongku had come to him bearing the divine power of Xu Ying's strike, he had only recognized the chaos lotus, failing to see the Hongyuan, which ultimately resulted in Rongku's tragic death.
Just now, Xu Ying had deployed Lotus Blooms to Dazzle the World once more and forced him back; yet he still had not grasped the profound mysteries of this divine power.
"I have already traced life and death back to comprehend Taiji. The Great Dao of Taiji is a cut above the Dao of Life and Death!"
The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death suddenly mobilized his Dao of Life and Death. The myriad-li sea of stars before him abruptly reared upright, transforming into a Life and Death Taiji Diagram that began to spin with a deep hum!
In an instant, the dao power of countless star grains within the myriad-li sea of stars was ignited by him, converging into a beam of life and death that shone straight onto Xu Ying!
Li Xiao was startled. Just as she was about to activate the Lingxing Gate's nexus to counter it, Xu Ying raised a hand and said impassively, "No need."
The beam of life and death shone upon Xu Ying, intent on destroying all the daos in his body—rotting and decaying his daos, withering his physical body, and shattering his primordial spirit!
Yet Xu Ying remained standing there, unmoving, allowing the other's dao arts to bathe him.
A chill gripped the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death's heart. He felt as though Xu Ying's physical body were a Hongyuan itself, within which the Nine Innate Daos circulated and shifted with inexhaustible vigor. Having no beginning and no end, the daos cycled endlessly, never to wither or age.
His Dao of Life and Death was utterly useless against Xu Ying!
When he had slaughtered the Immortals of Qionghua Island, it had taken no effort at all—he had directly caused their daos to die, their primordial spirits to die, and their physical bodies to die. Even Dao Lords were powerless to resist his Dao of Life and Death.
Yet facing Xu Ying, he found that all the divine powers he cultivated were entirely futile.
This was something he had never encountered before!
"What kind of cultivation art is this?"
Startled, he immediately rose to his full height, skimming across the waters of the star sea as he charged straight for the immortal island!
Behind him, his cave abysses churned, summoning boundless, immense dharmic power. Cultivating to his stage, harvesting the cultivators of the myriad universes no longer did much good.
Thus, he had harvested all his successors across the myriad universes in a single sweep, refining them into his Life and Death Cave Abyss to serve as a formidable foundation for his breakthrough to Dao Master.
He was only half a step away from the Dao Master realm. To break through, harvesting alone would not suffice; what was required was comprehension of the Dao of Life and Death across various universes. Once he thoroughly grasped the Dao of Life and Death in those universes, he would naturally comprehend the true essence of this great dao.
He had been defeated twice by Grand Dao Lord Taiyi and once by Emperor Haotian, but each defeat had served as a spur and an inspiration, driving him to advance another step.
This time, since he could not prevail over Xu Ying through divine powers, he would rely on his boundless, colossal cultivation base to crush Xu Ying directly to death!
Having harvested the myriad universes for a hundred million years, his dao power was immensely profound. Even if Xu Ying's divine powers were exquisite, he could crush Xu Ying to death by sheer dao power alone!
Standing on the immortal island, Xu Ying looked toward the sky. Cyan and black qi swirled across the celestial expanse, blotting out the firmament. Suddenly, two giant palms breached the cyan and black qi and pressed downward, subsuming the entire immortal island beneath their prints!
Inside Xu Ying's body, the Hongyuan revolved, unifying the nine daos into the foundation of his Martial Dao. In an instant, all of his dao power converted into calamitous destiny dao power as he raised both palms to meet the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death's strike!
Boom!
Centering on the immortal island, countless stars across the surrounding sea of stars were swept airborne, forming massive waves that surged out in every direction!
The first surge soon crashed before the Lingxing Gate. Innumerable grains of star sand flew out from the star gate, streaming outside one after another.
Inside the Lingxing Gate, these star grains had seemed like ordinary grains of sand, merely glimmering with starlight as they floated in the air and orbited the immortal island. But the moment they broke free of the Lingxing Gate, each grain ballooned rapidly, swelling in size as its light grew blindingly brilliant in an instant!
Transforming into suns, they rose from the star gate into the sky, climbing higher and higher, expanding larger and larger.
Xu Ying and the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death's single clash caused millions of star grains to fly out of the Lingxing Gate, becoming millions of suns rising in succession.
The sky instantly became brilliantly radiant as sun after sun flew from the star gate, ascending ever higher into the outer heavens, forming a miniature galaxy that illuminated the lands of the other shore.
Above the immortal island within the Lingxing Gate, the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death let out an unbroken howl, and his second assault followed immediately!
In an instant, all the dao power within Xu Ying's body converted into slaughter dao power. A chilling, lethal aura flooded the sea of stars—beneath the sweep of the sword, all daos under heaven returned to dust!
Crack!
As palm and sword clashed, the Zhuxian sword qi snapped with sharp cracks. The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death's palms were left dripping with blood as well, the daos inside him slashed apart.
Yet his Dao of Life and Death had achieved the point of alternating between yin and yang, cycling between life and death. Relying on his peerlessly vast dao power, he ignored his dao wounds and slammed his palms directly against Xu Ying's!
The moment their palm powers collided, it was as if an Extinction Hongyuan were harbored within Xu Ying, surging forth in his palm force!
The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death felt the lingering qi of calamitous destiny and slaughter from parrying Xu Ying's prior two moves stirred up by this single strike. Like two soldiers who had breached a fortress, they flung open the city gates, allowing Xu Ying's nirvana dao power to drive straight in!
Suppressed by his colossal dao power, Xu Ying staggered back repeatedly, his face flushed and his footing unsteady.
The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death was about to unleash another attack when his expression suddenly changed drastically. Twisting around, he tore through the void and fled.
Xu Ying hesitated for a fraction of a second and coughed up a mouthful of dao blood. The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death did not pause in the slightest, shouting loudly from afar, "Xu Ying, since you have a helper today, I'll spare your life for now! Once I become a Dao Master, I will return to kill you!"
Xu Ying's complexion returned to normal. Cursing the slippery old fox under his breath, he muttered, "I spat up that blood for nothing."
He leapt into the air and shouted, "Master Bell, keep up with me! Let's send the Grand Dao Lord on his way!"
Behind him, Li Xiao was dumbfounded as the big bell chimed clamorously and shot forward, catching up with Xu Ying.
Man and bell sped across the sea and away into the distance.
Li Xiao hurried to activate the Lingxing Gate's core nexus to take control of the treasure.
A wave from the star sea surged over, catching her feet and bearing her aloft as she flew out of the gate.
Xu Ying had already flown out of the Lingxing Gate, streaking through the void like lightning.
Seeing this, Li Xiao quickly stowed the star gate and gave chase, sending out a divine consciousness ripple as she called out, "Xu Ying, wait for me—"
Sensing the three daos of calamitous destiny, slaughter, and nirvana inside the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death, Xu Ying pursued relentlessly. He had originally planned to feign weakness to bait the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death into attacking further, thereby triggering the man's calamitous destiny and setting his daos of life and death warring against each other until they collapsed into nirvana.
As long as the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death pressed the attack, he would fall straight into Xu Ying's trap, continuously worn down by the triple dao forces of calamitous destiny, slaughter, and nirvana.
With one waxing as the other waned, Xu Ying would have been certain of destroying him.
Unexpectedly, the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death was so cautious that, sensing Xu Ying's ploy, he refused to take the bait and turned tail immediately.
Since the ruse had failed, Xu Ying had no choice but to hunt him down.
"Someone who has held the position of Grand Dao Lord for so long truly isn't just an empty name. Anyone who wasn't cautious would have died long ago."
Xu Ying also perceived that the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death's cultivation was likely on par with Taiyi's.
He was merely half a step away from being a Dao Master.
"If the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death achieves Dao Master, he will run over to eliminate me first. With my current strength, I cannot survive even a single blow from a Dao Master! But if I achieve the Immortal realm, I should be able to block two or three of his moves."
Now, all nine of his innate daos had reached the Immortal realm, and he was at the grand completion of the Supreme realm, able to break through at any time and truly step into the Immortal realm.
If he stepped into the Immortal realm, his structureless dao—though inferior to that of a Dao Master—would share similar qualities. Thus, Xu Ying was certain he could block two or three moves.
Yet after two or three moves, he would still die.
"I cannot allow the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death to become a Dao Master. With the unique nature of the Dao of Life and Death, my Three Realms will possess no advantage over the other shore in foundational Dao patterns!"
Murderous intent surged in Xu Ying's heart. Hearing Li Xiao's divine consciousness calling out, his mind stirred, and he abruptly reversed course, flying backward.
Li Xiao was in mid-pursuit when she suddenly saw Xu Ying fly back and land within the star gate.
Pleased, she smiled. "Xu Ying, you passed down the Dao of Calamitous Destiny to me, and I saved your life. We're even now."
Xu Ying thanked her: "Thank you for lending a hand, Senior Sister."
Li Xiao laughed. "I already said we're even, so why thank me? Where are you headed? Don't tell me you're planning to take out the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death?"
Xu Ying nodded and smiled. "I will need Senior Sister's help."
Li Xiao's eyes flickered. "The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death slaughtered the disciples of Qionghua Island until only I remain to enjoy Master's personal tutelage. I won't have to scheme to bump off my senior brothers and sisters anymore. Still, eliminating the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death will make Master value me even more. Very well, I'll go with you!"
The two traveled together. As Xu Ying sensed the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death's whereabouts, he mused aloud, "Offering forty or fifty Immortals in blood sacrifice can revive a Dao Master. If we sacrifice a Grand Dao Lord, could that revive one as well?"
Li Xiao chuckled. "Xu Ying, you want to rebel!"
Xu Ying shook his head. "You are mistaken. I am merely helping your honored master weather the calamitous destiny sweeping across the other shore. Otherwise, your honored master could have cleaved me to death with a single axe strike; why let me live until now?"
Li Xiao thought about it and realized that made sense.
No matter how strong Xu Ying was, he could never withstand an axe strike from Dao Master Hua.
*It seems the Grand Old Master truly has no intention of killing him. Issuing the Dao Master Kill Order was likely just to send other Immortals to hunt him down, only to be offered as blood sacrifices by him to revive Dao Masters,* Li Xiao thought to herself. *That way, the Grand Old Master doesn't bear any infamy; instead, Xu Ying takes all the blame. Once everything is done, the Grand Old Master will eliminate this Three Realms native, raising his own prestige even higher.*
Having served at Dao Master Hua's side for years, immersed in his ways, she had long since developed such a mindset.
As the two journeyed together under the portal of the gate, Xu Ying concentrated on tracking the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death. Li Xiao glanced sideways at him, finding this youth from the Three Realms quite uniquely charming.
He was not burly and thick-set like the Sacred Clan of the other shore, yet lacked none of their imposing presence. Nor was he like the New Sacred Clan, who altered their appearance to mimic the other shore's Sacred Clan, only to lose the distinctive character of their own people.
Xu Ying was different; even on the other shore, he retained his original appearance.
Li Xiao stepped inside the star gate and emerged a moment later, having carefully spruced herself up to look far more graceful and alluring.
Unlike their men—who were rugged and craggy-boned—the women of the other shore's Sacred Clan possessed a certain softness. Though their skin was not as delicate as that of people from the Three Realms, it was strikingly fair, and their well-defined features lent them an exotic allure.
Her natural looks were good to begin with, and with deliberate grooming, she appeared all the more striking. Her eyes brimmed with affection, the corners of her lips curved in tender coquetry, and her voluptuous figure could hardly be constrained by her robes, teasing the eye with every motion.
Seeing this, the big bell thought, *Another vixen. Sooner or later, Yuan Weiyang is going to ram her to death.*
Although Xu Ying noticed the woman's transformation, he merely appreciated it with an admiring glance, without any other thoughts entering his mind.
His sole thought was to kill the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death as quickly as possible.
The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death also sensed Xu Ying hot on his trail and grew anxious. He had exchanged three moves with Xu Ying, and from the very first strike, he had fallen right into Xu Ying's scheme, having his own calamitous destiny stirred up.
The second move drove slaughter qi into his body, setting his Dao of Life and Death warring against itself and destabilizing his dao power. The third move triggered his own tribulation of nirvana.
Although his immense cultivation allowed him to suppress the dao powers from Xu Ying's three moves, he was completely unable to expel them, let alone refine them away.
With Xu Ying in relentless pursuit, he felt that things were looking dire.
*Calamitous destiny, slaughter, and nirvana—all three are among the highest of innate daos. An ordinary cultivator would find it exceedingly difficult to cultivate even one to the Immortal realm, yet anyone who manages it can be hailed as a Dao Lord! How on earth did this brat cultivate all three at once, and bring every single one to the Immortal realm?*
As he fled, he attempted various methods to resolve them, but was still unable to refine them away. A ruthless resolve suddenly surged in his heart. *My only option now is to find a resting place and brave the risk of taking an axe strike from Dao Master Hua to prove my Dao Master status first! Once I become a Dao Master, these three dao powers can be easily purged!*
Right then, the Lingxing Gate swept across the sky above. Startled, the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death concealed his dao aura, transforming it entirely into the Dao of Death, making himself resemble rotten wood and inert stone.
Standing within the star gate, Xu Ying whooshed past. But suddenly the star gate swept back and halted in midair.
"Strange. He should be nearby!"
Xu Ying summoned the big bell. Tolling clamorously, it blasted downward. Struck several times by the bell's reverberations, the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death remained utterly still.
"Could he have left?"
Xu Ying and Li Xiao propelled the Lingxing Gate away. A moment later, the earth shook violently as a pillar of samsara erupted from the ground, sweeping up the mountain ranges and folding the earth to form a ring of reincarnation.
With a fierce gleam in his eyes, Xu Ying flew swiftly in a circle around the ring of reincarnation, shouting, "Dao Brother Life and Death, come out!"
The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death remained motionless as ever.
"He's truly not here."
Xu Ying shook his head and smiled at Li Xiao, who caught up with him.
Li Xiao couldn't help remarking, "Why are you so suspicious?"
Looking a bit embarrassed, Xu Ying replied, "I was bullied too many times in the past, so I can't help being paranoid. The Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death probably used some substitution trick to mislead my senses. Let's go."
The two departed once more.
After a short while, the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death still had not moved. Suddenly, the sky trembled violently and tore open as an enormous Eye of Karma appeared across the firmament, exuding immense pressure as it rolled its pupil, searching for karmic threads.
Seeing this, the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death was appalled, but thought to himself, *I am already 'dead.' My karma does not exist. You can dream on if you think you can find me.*
From the distance came Li Xiao's complaint once again: "Why did you run back here again?"
Xu Ying laughed heartily. "I'm just too paranoid. Let's go, let's go. It's confirmed he isn't here."
Ten-odd days passed before the Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death gradually shifted from death to life, regaining his vitality.
Breaking out from the earth, he whispered, "I finally escaped this calamity..."
Just then, Xu Ying's voice sounded from behind him: "Dao Brother Life and Death, you truly are still here. If you don't die, my mind cannot rest."
Chapter 826