Dao Master Ji Cang hurried toward the other shore with all his might. Yet even though Tianjing had run aground against the other shore, the distance between them remained vast; even for a Dao Master like him, returning would take over a year of travel.
Just as he was rushing along at full speed, Dao Master Tongtian suddenly swept past him.
Ji Cang froze, thoroughly bewildered.
When he departed, Tongtian had clearly been in Cuiluotian, driving the Zhuxian Calamity Formation to refine and slay Dao Venerable. Why had he suddenly appeared here?
While he was still baffled, Dao Master Tongtian halted his steps and glanced back at him. Ji Cang shuddered as boundless murderous intent flooded forward, soaking through his Dao heart and making him feel as though a sharp blade were piercing him through, over and over.
"Are you... a Dao Master of the other shore?" Dao Master Tongtian asked.
Ji Cang's throat bobbed with difficulty. "I am..."
Dao Master Tongtian's expression remained rigid and unyielding. "You must settle your karma with heaven and earth."
Ji Cang was at a loss. "Settle karma with heaven and earth? Settle it how?"
Tongtian drew his sword, sheathed it, turned, and walked away.
The world-shaking sword light from that single stroke still rippled outward through the universe. Yet the beam of light skewering Ji Cang's body had already begun to dim, while the sword light across the starry sky grew all the brighter, dazzling and fierce.
His eyes turned entirely hollow. The very instant the Immortal-Slaying Sword was drawn from his body, the Great Dao and Dao power he had cultivated transformed into blazing Nirvanic heavenly fire, flowing into the sword.
He had died so quickly that not even his primordial spirit or consciousness had time to flee.
After a long and arduous journey, Dao Master Tongtian finally returned to the other shore. Seeing that the calamitous destiny and slaughter had indeed diminished considerably, he felt rather surprised.
By all rights, after Dao Venerable's layered schemes and calculations, he never would have allowed the other shore to disperse its calamitous destiny so easily.
Yet the calamity here was genuinely receding.
"This makes no sense."
He shook his head lightly.
Dao Master Taiyi released Tianjue City from his cave abyss, and the disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect reunited once more. Hearing the news, Jiu Zeng, Qingxuan, the Holy Venerable, and the others also hurried over; Jiu Zeng stood behind Taiyi, while Qingxuan and the Holy Venerable took up positions behind Xu Ying and the Ancestral God.
Facing Taiyi were over twenty Dao Masters of the other shore, including Tianchengzi and Sacred King Xuannü, along with Dao Masters from Tianjing such as Gong Jiexuan and Dong Xuan.
As the Primordial Dao Master, Xu Ying had a seat of his own, just like the Ancestral God.
Taiyi surveyed the room and said, "Of our three great Dao Masters, two are now gone. Countless fellow Daoists have perished, and less than thirty percent of the other shore's population has survived. This calamity has dealt too severe a blow to our realm. If the slaughter continues, whether the other shore can ever recover remains an open question. Dao Master Lin Chuanting has shown an inclination to negotiate peace; therefore, I have invited you all here to deliberate this matter together."
In the hall, the assembly erupted into discussion.
Among them were many who were allies of Taiyi, like Tianchengzi and Sacred King Xuannü, but even more had been revived by Dao Master Luo.
They had originally pledged allegiance to Luo, but with Luo now dead, they had no choice but to follow Taiyi's lead.
Dao Master Pengqiu said, "Dao Master Lin is exceptionally formidable. If we fight him to the bitter end, I fear our casualties will be catastrophic. The calamitous destiny over our realm already shows signs of resolving; we should not stir up a slaughter again."
The other Dao Masters nodded in agreement. Dao Master Dongyun added, "If he is willing to sue for peace and bring peace under heaven, that would naturally be best. The other shore cannot endure any more turmoil."
"Dongyun speaks the truth. The other shore governs myriad universes. If our strength is heavily depleted, those universes will rebel and break free from our grasp. When that happens, will the other shore remain so prosperous?"
Dao Master Shi Lan remarked, "What is more, Tianjing lies right beside our couch. Before Dao Venerable is eliminated, how can we turn on one another?"
At these words, the Dao Masters nodded one after another.
Gong Jiexuan frowned slightly and said in a cool, clear voice, "Fellow Daoists, rest assured. Dao Venerable may stand against you, but the rest of us Dao Masters from Tianjing will not become your enemies."
The Dao Masters of the other shore sneered, remaining silent.
Sacred King Xuannü sent a voice transmission to Taiyi: "Fellow Daoist Taiyi, Tianjing's faction is gradually gaining the upper hand. We cannot afford to overlook this."
Taiyi's heart grew solemn as he looked toward Gong Jiexuan and her companions. Although Gong Jiexuan had not yet attained the Dao in the Primordial, she was already very close. Her Primordial Dao had not been cobbled together through merit like Xu Ying's; she had cultivated it step by step on her own.
If she became a Primordial Dao Master, in terms of the Primordial alone, her strength would certainly surpass Xu Ying's!
*Moreover, with Dong Xuan, Cenxi, Yuxi, Jingning, and Haining, they cultivate the Nine Innate Daos; their prowess far exceeds that of the Dao Masters on our side. Even if Tianchengzi and the others maintain their state of summoning the Dao power of dozens of universes, they are no match for them at all.*
Taiyi considered that while he was not inferior to any one of them individually, facing two would mean certain defeat.
Thus, after Dao Master Luo's death, Gong Jiexuan and her allies had imperceptibly become the greatest threat to the other shore.
To balance this faction, Dao Master Lin could not die!
While he was still lost in thought, Xu Ying's voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the murmurs in the room: "Everyone, Lin Chuanting seized control of the other shore's Great Daos of heaven and earth, enslaved the myriad universes, and butchered his fellow Daoists. Many of our Dao Masters died at his and Luo Shizong's hands! He currently bears the heaviest calamitous destiny of the other shore. If he is not eliminated, how can the calamity ever truly dissipate?"
Shi Lan snorted. "Enslaving the myriad universes counts as a calamity? Were we in his place, would we not have enslaved them as well?"
Tianchengzi spoke with less venom, offering a smile: "Fellow Daoist Xu, there is something you do not understand. The reason the other shore is the other shore lies precisely in enslaving the myriad universes, rescuing them from ignorance and bestowing upon them our civilization."
Shi Lan sneered, "In the future, your Three Realms will also be bestowed with our civilization!"
The Holy Venerable's face darkened instantly. He scoffed, "Shi Lan, the Three Realms' transcendence beyond the other shore was personally granted by Dao Master Taiyi. What do you mean by those words? Do you intend to rebel against him?"
Dao Master Shi Lan sneered back, "Don't try to suppress me with Brother Taiyi's name! I am a Dao Master too, an ally of Brother Taiyi, not a servant! What right or merit does the Three Realms have to stand alongside our other shore? Are you worthy?"
Xu Ying slammed his hand onto the table, brimming with murderous intent. "Shi Lan, I have poured my heart and soul into the other shore not to risk my neck for parasites like you, but out of respect for my master, Dao Master Taiyi! If you dare harbor evil designs against my Three Realms, I will wipe your ancestors eighteen generations back right out of the other shore's history!"
Shi Lan was beside herself with rage and was just about to speak when Dao Master Taiyi coughed. The sound carried immense weight, causing the Dao power within both Shi Lan and Xu Ying to sink into sudden stillness.
Both felt a chill in their hearts, reminded that Taiyi's Dao power was vastly superior to their own.
Taiyi said, "Fellow Dao Masters, you have not cultivated calamitous destiny, so you do not understand its peril. Brother Haining, tell them."
Just as Hainingzi prepared to speak, several Dao Masters of the other shore scoffed in unison. "What need is there to hear from a Tianjing spy?"
Hainingzi flared with fury and sneered, "A pack of wolf-hearted ingrates who repay kindness with malice! You deserve to plunge into the killing calamity and be reduced to extinction!"
Tensions flared to the brink of violence.
Dao Master Taiyi could not help but feel a throbbing headache. The three factions beneath him were like fire and water. So long as they shared a common enemy, they could manage, but once that enemy was gone, infighting was inevitable!
Just then, Xu Ying's heart stirred. He stood up and turned to walk outside.
Taiyi frowned slightly at the sight but did not stop him, thinking to himself: *Tianjing's faction is indeed too strong, while our other shore is a scattered mess, at odds with the Three Realms to boot. Once Dao Master Lin is eliminated, the world will descend into utter chaos. Yet Dao Master Lin's intentions are certainly not pure...*
Outside the hall, Xu Ying walked briskly until he arrived at the Xiuyin River of Tianjue City, where an elderly man robed in green stood on a bridge.
Xu Ying hurried over, somewhat nervous, and asked, "Brother Tongtian, how did your battle with Dao Venerable turn out?"
Seeing him arrive, Dao Master Tongtian allowed a faint smile to surface. "I bested him by half a move. Though I wounded him severely, he seized the opportunity to use my Nirvanic Extinction Dao to advance his own cultivation another step."
Not fully grasping his meaning, Xu Ying continued to look at him inquiringly.
Dao Master Tongtian despised formalities and hated explaining things even more, but seeing the anticipation in Xu Ying's eyes, he had no choice but to elaborate: "I gathered the qi of calamitous destiny and slaughter, driving the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction to its absolute pinnacle in three-Dao cyclic verification to slay him. Yet he used the occasion to refine my Nirvanic Extinction Dao, gambling on achieving cyclic verification from Nirvanic Extinction to Chaos."
Hearing this, Xu Ying's expression turned grave. "In other words, if Dao Venerable succeeds, he will become even stronger than before. Is that right?"
Dao Master Tongtian nodded faintly. "Stronger. But his Dao of Nirvanic Extinction remains imperfect. Furthermore, before leaving, I severed Tianjing's Great Daos of heaven and earth, slowing down the realm's recovery. Unable to borrow the power of heaven and earth, completing his cyclic verification will take him far longer."
Xu Ying let out a breath of relief. "How long can that buy us?"
Dao Master Tongtian said, "So long as my sword marks remain, he cannot draw upon the Dao power of heaven and earth, nor can he recover."
Xu Ying's heart finally settled, and he smiled. "With those words from you, I can rest easy. Brother Tongtian, don't stay on the other shore all the time; whenever you're free, go over to Tianjing and deepen those sword marks."
Dao Master Tongtian glanced at him. "Are you a Dao Master of the other shore now?"
Xu Ying grinned. "Nothing escapes your discerning eyes, Brother. I have indeed attained the Dao in the Primordial, becoming the other shore's Primordial Dao Master!"
Dao Master Tongtian's hand quietly gripped the hilt of the Immortal-Slaying Sword. "You must settle your karma with heaven and earth."
Xu Ying smiled. "I'm just about to! I intend to use Nirvanic heavenly fire to burn away all the karma clinging to me."
Hearing this, Dao Master Tongtian slowly relaxed his grip.
Xu Ying then extended an invitation: "Taiyi has gathered the Dao Masters of the other shore to deliberate whether to reconcile with Dao Master Lin. Our Three Realms is vastly outnumbered in there. Come in with me and help me keep them in line."
Dao Master Tongtian was about to decline when Xu Ying added, "This concerns the survival of the Three Realms; do not refuse, Brother."
Reluctantly, Dao Master Tongtian agreed and followed him toward the council hall.
Xu Ying surreptitiously wiped away a bead of cold sweat.
Inside the hall, an uproar still raged as everyone argued incessantly. Suddenly, a chilling frost swept through, sending a shiver through every person present. The clamor died down at once, and all eyes turned toward Dao Master Tongtian standing behind Xu Ying.
Surprised and delighted, Dao Master Taiyi stood up immediately and smiled. "Fellow Daoist Tongtian, please take the seat of honor!"
Tongtian shook his head. Producing a prayer mat, he sat down beside Xu Ying.
Xu Ying beamed, quietly sending a voice transmission to the Holy Venerable and Qingxuan: "Fellow Daoists, under no circumstances should you attain the Dao on the other shore and become its Dao Masters, or disaster will surely befall you!"
The Holy Venerable and Qingxuan shuddered inwardly, hurriedly asking why. Xu Ying merely glanced at Dao Master Tongtian and said no more.
Devoid of human emotion, Dao Master Tongtian's gaze swept over the gathered Dao Masters one by one. Even the masters from Tianjing felt their hair stand on end under his stare.
"You are all Dao Masters of the other shore; you must settle your karma with heaven and earth."
His voice rang out with sonorous clarity, like the clash of gold and stone.
Everyone looked on in bewilderment, unable to understand what he meant.
Xu Ying quickly pressed his hand down onto the hilt of the Immortal-Slaying Sword and laughed heartily. "Everyone, this is Dao Master Tongtian from our Three Realms, who attained the Dao through slaughter, calamitous destiny, and Nirvanic Extinction!"
He planted a foot on the table before him, wearing a broad smile. "From this day forth, our Three Realms is the new sacred race of the other shore! We shall have our rightful place here! If any among you object, feel free to ask Brother Tongtian whether his Immortal-Slaying Sword is sharp!"
Dao Master Tongtian had been somewhat annoyed by Xu Ying pinning down his sword, but hearing these words, a glimmer of anticipation rose in his eyes.
Suddenly, Dao Master Tianyang slammed his hand onto his table and rose in fury. "Tongtian's Immortal-Slaying Sword may be sharp, but my blade is by no means dull! The Three Realms has produced merely two Dao Masters, yet you dare dream of ruling over the other shore? You will have to consult the sword in my hand first!"
He summoned a divine sword. Instantly, radiant spiritual light blew the roof off the grand hall! The weapon was called the Hanque Sword, a Chaos spirit root of overbearing might; the moment it was unleashed, its power flooded the void!
Dao Master Tianyang bellowed, "Tongtian, come outside and face me! If you lose, the Three Realms will be treated like any other universe! If you win..."
Dao Master Tongtian said with absolute solemnity, "You shall settle your karma with heaven and earth."
"Fine!"
Dao Master Tianyang agreed readily. "Out we go to battle!"
"No need."
Dao Master Tongtian drew his sword. In an instant, calamitous destiny and slaughter swirled, transforming into Nirvanic Extinction Dao power. As the sword light flashed forth, bone-chilling cold filled the entire chamber, plunging everyone into an icy abyss!
Their hearts leaped into their throats. Under the crushing pressure of the Great Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, the onlookers scrambled to channel their Dao power in defense.
Dao Master Tianyang drove the Hanque Sword forward to meet the blow, spiritual light surging down. The next moment, the light severed cleanly, and the Immortal-Slaying Sword pierced straight between his brows.
All of Dao Master Tianyang's Dao power and his Great Dao dissolved into Nirvanic heavenly fire. As Dao Master Tongtian drew back his blade, the heavenly fire poured from the wound between Tianyang's brows, flowing into the Immortal-Slaying Sword.
The blade retained its emerald luster, yet deep within, all-consuming heavenly fire raged. A moment later, the flames vanished beneath the surface, and the sword returned to normal.
Sheathing his blade, Dao Master Tongtian sat back down in his original spot and swept his gaze across the crowd, a look of keen expectation in his eyes.
Dao Master Taiyi had intended to intervene, but the moment Tongtian struck, he knew he was powerless to stop it. He immediately raised his voice: "Fellow Daoists, hear me! The arrival of the Three Realms on the other shore means integrating into our realm as a new sacred race. Our other shore gathers elites from across the myriad universes; why would we ever reject the people of the Three Realms? Their joining will only make the other shore stronger!"
With those words, the tense atmosphere finally eased.
Dao Master Taiyi let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself: *Reconciliation with Dao Master Lin is an absolute necessity!*
Chapter 880