What Wei Yuan could not understand was how Shengxin could turn an oath into a heavenly tribulation. At this moment, he had an intuition: no matter what kind of oath he swore before Shengxin, Shengxin would be able to convert it into a corresponding heavenly tribulation.
If that were truly the case, Shengxin had first used the offer to spare Wei Yuan as bait, luring Wei Yuan into agreeing to terms and swearing an oath never to breach them.
For many humans, making vows was as casual as eating or drinking, and for Wei Yuan, it was as effortless as breathing—from the moment he swore, he never intended to keep his word. Yet once an oath was broken, one fell right into Shengxin's trap, likely to be blasted into ashes by an abrupt descent of heavenly tribulation.
Judging from Shengxin's practiced execution and polished acting just now, he had surely pulled this trick countless times. Who knew how many formidable human adversaries had mysteriously perished beneath heavenly tribulation?
For his part, Shengxin had never expected that someone bearing Wei Yuan's face, possessing Wei Yuan's aura, speaking in Wei Yuan's tone, and even sharing that exact same cunning look in his eyes wasn't actually Wei Yuan—and that this person's oath could likewise stir the Heavenly Dao.
Shengxin had been waiting with absolute confidence for Wei Yuan to break the vow and get struck down by heavenly thunder. He hadn't expected Wei Yuan's move to be a sneak attack, nor had he anticipated that when the heavenly tribulation struck, the one it blasted would be a substitute!
Shengxin and Wei Yuan exchanged a deep, measuring look. Having gained a profound appreciation for each other's deceitfulness, both raised their vigilance to the utmost.
Without a word, Wei Yuan produced a Yang Bullet and began loading it.
Shengxin took fright and hurriedly exclaimed, "No need, no need! That treasure should be saved for Lord Hongye—using it on me is truly making a mountain out of a molehill!"
Expressionless, Wei Yuan said, "I find you far more dangerous than Hongye. I don't wish to see you ever again. Farewell, Shengxin!"
Shengxin said in a rush, "I can guarantee that I will never oppose you in the Nether Cold Realm again! Your enemy is Hongye, not me. If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath!"
Wei Yuan eyed Shengxin suspiciously. "If you break your own vow, you wouldn't just walk away unscathed, would you?"
Shengxin adopted an earnest expression. "The Heavenly Dao in this region has undergone a slight shift, which is why a heavenly tribulation manifests when an oath is fulfilled or broken. Surely you don't think I possess the power to alter the fundamental Great Dao of an entire heaven and earth?"
Wei Yuan looked up at the sky and frowned. "Why haven't the tribulation clouds dispersed yet?"
Shengxin also glanced up at the sky, looking somewhat puzzled. "I am not entirely sure either. But isn't that for the best? If I break the vow, the tribulation will strike all the faster."
Still unconvinced, Wei Yuan asked, "You are only slightly at a disadvantage. Why compromise?"
Beside them, Longying suddenly spoke up: "Why waste words on them? Attack directly! I have a sixty percent certainty of keeping this female behind!"
Shengxin gave a bitter smile. "That is precisely what I worry about. I can escape, but she would likely take another blow. Her primordial soul might suffer permanent damage then, which is why I am willing to compromise. Another reason is that I'd much rather watch Hongye die. Although with your abilities you cannot kill Hongye right now, causing him some trouble will be quite enough."
Wei Yuan finally nodded. "Fine. Swear the oath."
Shengxin closed his eyes, his face bathed in pious sincerity. "I, Shengxin Tianyi, hereby swear to heaven and earth that from this day forward, I will never strike against Wei Yuan within the Nether Cold Realm, nor harm Wei Yuan in any manner. Should I violate this vow, I am willing to endure the agony of heavenly fire consuming my body..."
Before he had even finished speaking, the tribulation clouds overhead abruptly turned deep crimson. Drops of fire rained down, coalescing into a Heavenly Fire Tribulation—and remarkably, falling straight toward Wei Yuan!
Wei Yuan only had time to utter half a curse before the heavenly fire descended upon his head!
At that very instant, Shengxin's left hand had already morphed into a ten-foot blade, thrusting straight toward Wei Yuan's chest and abdomen!
Wei Yuan was startled and furious. Not only had Shengxin sworn an oath and broken it on the spot, but why was the heavenly tribulation falling upon his own head instead? Did this mean that whenever someone swore an oath in Shengxin's presence, no matter who broke it, Wei Yuan would be the one struck by heavenly tribulation?
And most speechlessly exasperating of all, if no one else swore an oath, it seemed Shengxin could simply swear one himself and inflict a heavenly tribulation upon his opponent!
Shengxin's blade stabbed into Wei Yuan's chest, and then the heavenly fire crashed down, melting Wei Yuan like wax until he turned into a puddle of residue.
Yet at the same time, countless flying swords shot forth, blasting Shengxin's lower body and reducing his legs and long tail to a mangled mess of flesh and blood.
Shengxin was likewise startled and enraged. Looking back, he saw another Wei Yuan appear behind him, holding a peculiar, rapidly spinning Dharma treasure that was frantically spewing flying swords!
Needless to say, the Wei Yuan burned to ash just now was yet another substitute.
A slit suddenly opened between Shengxin's brows, revealing a seven-colored halo.
Wei Yuan sensed extreme danger in that split second and immediately ceased his attack, backing away to put distance between them. At the same time, Longying retreated at full speed, no longer caring to land another slash on Huixin's tail.
Separated by a hundred fathoms, the two sides stood in a distant standoff. Both bore grave expressions, having acquired an even deeper understanding of their foe.
After a brief impasse, Shengxin was the first to speak. "When did you swap in a substitute?"
Wei Yuan countered, "How did you manage to divert the heavenly tribulation onto my head?"
Looking into each other's eyes, both instantly knew neither was going to speak the truth.
Shengxin sighed and said, "How about we call it quits here? From now on, let us mind our own business and stay out of each other's way. If you don't believe me, I can swear—"
Wei Yuan remained motionless where he stood, but yet another Wei Yuan appeared behind Shengxin. A blue halo exploded from his hand, instantly freezing Shengxin and Huixin in ice. Then the Crimson Night Immortal-Slaying Sword swept across, cleaving both Shamans in two at the waist!
Shengxin and Huixin's figures suddenly popped like bubbles, dispersing into nothingness. It turned out that even while Shengxin was speaking, they had already fled in secret, leaving behind only an illusory substitute image.
This substitute art was exceptionally lifelike; until the sword struck, Wei Yuan hadn't noticed at all that it was an illusion.
Wei Yuan stood with sword in hand and looked around, but found no trace of Shengxin and Huixin. They had presumably used an ability similar to a thousand-li spatial shift and were likely already extremely far away.
This was likely Shengxin's life-saving trump card: fleeing a thousand li in an instant, coupled with an exquisite illusory substitute technique to ensure utter perfection. Without prior preparations, Wei Yuan felt it truly difficult to keep Shengxin from leaving.
This clash between them had twisted and turned with unexpected developments at every corner. At this point, Wei Yuan did not dare linger where he was either; he merely summoned a dozen-odd Dao Foundation warriors to bury several dozen sword-mines in the ground before swiftly departing. If Shengxin returned to search for Wei Yuan's tracks, he would most likely receive quite a surprise.
In this encounter against Shengxin, Wei Yuan had struck Shengxin three times, inflicting grievous wounds each time. Yet Wei Yuan had also taken a solid blow himself, while two wisdom-awakened Dao Foundation warriors were destroyed—a tremendous loss as well.
Being annihilated by heavenly tribulation meant true destruction; they did not revive within Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. All in all, the clash ended in a draw.
As he fled, Wei Yuan engaged in deep introspection, realizing he had underestimated the heroes of the world. This was the first time he had ever encountered an adversary whose deceitfulness rivaled his own.
Chapter 535