“It seems I underestimated you and didn't prepare a second opponent for you. Still, it's not too late to prepare one now.”
A fishing rod appeared in Immortal Monarch Yanshi's hands. With a flick, the line dropped into the void. A moment later, as if it had hooked something, another pale green minor world slowly drew closer toward Wei Yuan's mindscape world.
Gripping the rod with one hand, Immortal Monarch Yanshi retrieved a scroll with the other and handed it to Wei Yuan. “This Diagram of Solitary Angling on a Cold River records the method of angling worlds. Vast and profound, it is a core legacy of our Hall of Heavenly Secrets lineage. Take it and comprehend it on your own. Gaining greater insight into it will also benefit your angling of samsara.”
Wei Yuan respectfully accepted it at once. Needless to say, this legacy was bound to be top-tier even within the Palace of Grand Beginning; he merely wondered whether Sky Azure Hall possessed a similar legacy, and which of the two was superior.
Naturally discerning Wei Yuan's thoughts, Immortal Monarch Yanshi said leisurely, “The immortal diagram in your hands is merely a replica, containing less than a hundredth of the original's true essence. Even so, it is more than enough for your cultivation. Though you carry on Sky Azure Hall's tradition of not being particularly bright, as long as you are willing to work diligently and put in a century of bitter effort, you might still comprehend thirty or forty percent of its profundities.
“As for Sky Azure Hall's own angling method, there is no need to learn it. That technique is crude and brutal—utterly devoid of refinement.”
To prepare for this great battle, Wei Yuan had spent several days cramming basic knowledge regarding Scenery Command and even immortals' mindscape worlds, giving him a fundamental understanding of these matters.
Each abbey and hall in the Palace of Grand Beginning possessed its own Heaven-reaching Path. Upon reaching the Scenery Command stage, cultivation shifted primarily toward the mindscape world.
A Heaven-reaching Path was generally divided into four parts: the fundamental method to nourish and expand the mindscape world; the offensive arts to wage war against other mindscape worlds; the immortal-seeking method to find minor worlds compatible with one's own mindscape world; and the unique ascension path belonging to each dao path, which could confer distinct characteristics upon the mindscape world.
The dao paths of every abbey and hall complemented one another, each with its own features, capable of mutual coordination and synergy. Yet dao paths also varied in quality, and the disparity between different paths could be as vast as heaven and earth.
Handed down for thousands of years in the Palace of Grand Beginning, the various halls and abbeys did not forbid their disciples from learning methods belonging to other dao paths. As a result, the different lineages learned from one another's strengths to patch their weaknesses, gradually narrowing the gap, yet the difference remained stark. Now, Immortal Monarch Yanshi had essentially passed down the Hall of Heavenly Secrets' immortal-seeking method to Wei Yuan ahead of time.
Wei Yuan accepted the Diagram of Solitary Angling on a Cold River, thanked him, and stowed it away. He saw the pale green minor world being drawn by some inexplicable factor, drifting closer and closer to Wei Yuan's Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. Once it closed within a certain distance, it finally noticed this unassuming, seemingly blue-green yet actually white, feeble minor world, and lunged violently toward it.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi smiled slightly. “It took the bait. Barring any accidents, you should win this battle as well. Once you do, you can rest. If you destroy two mindscape worlds in a row, the other side will certainly sense it. The third match will definitely be a grueling fight; perhaps they are even using angling methods to lure you onto their hook.
“Consuming two minor worlds in succession should benefit your cultivation immensely. Afterward, lie low for a while to digest your gains before attending to anything else.”
Meanwhile, within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, the warning of the Creation Immortal Venerable was once more imprinted into the consciousness of every mortal: The second battle beyond the heavens is about to begin. To the death!
The mortals were thoroughly bewildered. The first great battle hadn't even started—how had it suddenly become the second? Yet every single person knew this was an unprecedented crisis for their world, so none dared slacken, and all prepared earnestly for war.
This time, a shadow appeared in the sky above the sea, churning like dense clouds and expanding dozens of li across in the blink of an eye. Then, within the shadow, a realm manifested and grew increasingly tangible. In that realm stood several thousand living beings formed into neat phalanxes, their ranks disciplined and brimming with murderous intent.
As the two worlds grew clearer against each other, monstrous waters whipped up raging waves and surged frantically inward, submerging the vast majority of the land in an instant; only the tallest mountain peaks remained above the water. Most of the living warriors were swept away by the sea, and countlessly many vicious creatures swarmed through the water, tearing the fallen warriors to shreds and devouring them in mere moments.
The mountaintops were packed with living beings, yet the water continued to rise bit by bit. From the depths, ferocious creatures continually leapt forth, baring savage fangs and lunging viciously at the warriors on the peaks. Though these monstrous fish were not individually formidable, their numbers were overwhelming and their momentum ferocious, knocking one warrior after another into the water.
Seeing that the outcome was decided, Wei Yuan was finally able to put his mind at ease. Leaving the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World to resolve the rest on its own, he seized this rare opportunity to contemplate the myriad transformations of the immortal sky.
He had meditated for only a brief moment before a colossal deluge of information left him dizzy, nauseous, and stifled. Fortunately, each minor world bore distinct colors, allowing him to glean plenty just from observation; otherwise, it would have been even more agonizing.
Seeing Wei Yuan's pale complexion, Yanshi understood what was happening and said, “Your fundamentals are not solid enough yet. Do not attempt to absorb too much information.”
Wei Yuan nodded and drew back his divine sense. Sure enough, he felt much better.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi pondered for a moment, and a sheet of jade paper appeared in his hand. Handing it to Wei Yuan, he said, “Read all the books listed here; it should be of help. If there is anything you don't understand, come ask me.”
Glancing at the lengthy bibliography on the jade paper, Wei Yuan immediately felt a headache coming on. One look at the titles told him that every single volume dealt with algorithmic principles.
Meanwhile, in that minor world, the last tall and burly warrior swung his blade to sever a length of seaweed and tore it from his body.
The edges of the seaweed's fronds were razor-sharp, tearing away chunks of flesh as he pulled it off. Yet the warrior did not utter even a whimper, merely casting his gaze across his surroundings.
At this point, only a patch of land about a zhang square remained beneath his feet. The waters were teeming with savage beasts. Deep underwater, countless strands of seaweed had wound into a gigantic sphere, casting a boundless, faint shadow visible only from the surface.
Aside from the ground under his feet, nothing met the eye to the horizon but endless, boundless waters. All the comrades who had once fought by his side had drowned in the sea; now, only he remained.
The warrior's body was long riddled with wounds, and even standing took all his strength. Watching the strands of seaweed gradually rising from the sea, he let out a desolate, ringing roar, then turned his blade in reverse and plunged it into his own body, dying on his feet.
With the fall of the last warrior, the sea surged violently, submerging the final patch of dry land. The minor world swiftly faded, turning an ashen gray.
Having won two battles in a row and destroyed two of the enemy's minor worlds, Wei Yuan remained composed. Remembering Yanshi's words, he said, “Then your disciple will return first to rest and regroup.”
Just as Yanshi was about to nod, his expression suddenly shifted.
At the same moment, Wei Yuan felt an omen and looked into the void. A pale blue star abruptly emerged from nothingness, appearing right beside Wei Yuan's Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. The two worlds began to merge, and an all-out battle was imminent!
Wei Yuan was thoroughly astonished. He had no idea how this pale blue minor world had appeared; he hadn't sensed it in the slightest. And not just Wei Yuan—even Immortal Monarch Yanshi, right beside him, hadn't noticed it either.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi's expression grew solemn, and he said slowly, “You see? This is what it means to be angled. With the two of them joining hands, I was caught off guard after all. Return and meet the battle. Remember to use immortal power if necessary.”
“Your disciple understands.” Wei Yuan rose, bid farewell to Immortal Monarch Yanshi, and returned to the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
A pale blue star meant that at least one Scenery Command cultivator had arisen within that world, perhaps even more. Wei Yuan did not dare be careless, returning to oversee the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World in person.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi frowned slightly. Before him, countless Dao talismans and numerals flickered into existence and extinguished; every split second, vast amounts of information appeared, were filtered, and then analyzed. Through these ever-shifting Dao talismans, Yanshi saw another scene.
From the moment Yanshi had successfully made his catch, the Worthy Prince of the Left and the Little State Preceptor had detected his move and immediately countered, three fishing lines hooking the same target. However, they were a step too late. Though they tried every means to stop him, it had been futile, so they turned his trick to their advantage, casting other lines to counter-angle Wei Yuan's Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
The immortal power of the three parties washed over one another, karma shifting in the blink of an eye.
Under Immortal Monarch Yanshi's control, the position of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World shifted constantly, making it extremely difficult to angle. Sacrificing two other pale blue minor worlds, the Worthy Prince of the Left and the Little State Preceptor successfully drew Yanshi's attention, then maneuvered a previously unrevealed deep blue world toward the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
Just as they were about to succeed, the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World suddenly surged with karmic luck, altering countless numerical Dao talismans around it and instantly repelling the deep blue world away.
Seeing their fish about to slip the hook, the Worthy Prince of the Left and the Little State Preceptor acted decisively, reeling in their line by force to latch another pale blue world onto the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
At this moment, around the two immortals of the Liao Clan, hundreds of fishing lines extended deep into the void, their destinations unknown.
Around Yanshi, however, were nearly a thousand fishing lines woven densely into a colossal web. Sitting in the center of the web, he reached out and snatched the air; an invisible fishing line materialized, one end firmly hooking a golden world.
The Worthy Prince of the Left and the Little State Preceptor were appalled. Each cast a fishing line, straining with all their might to hold back the golden world.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi sneered coldly and flicked his fingers to cast several fishing lines whose endpoints were completely untraceable. The complexions of the Worthy Prince of the Left and the Little State Preceptor shifted slightly, but unable to calculate the karmic threads, they could only attend to the crisis before their eyes.
Meanwhile, an atmosphere of chilling solemnity permeated the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. News that the seaweed was heavily wounded had spread among all the immortal plants, shattering the lighthearted mood that had followed the first battle.
In the second battle, the seaweed had led all the ferocious aquatic spirit beasts, capitalizing on the deluge swallowing the land to wipe out most of the enemy warriors in a surprise strike. Yet while besieging the final few powerhouses, nearly half the aquatic beasts had been killed or injured, and the seaweed itself had suffered severe wounds that almost damaged its foundation.
Fortunately, it had succeeded in eliminating the enemy's strongest fighters, completely crushing the minor world's resistance. On the merit of this achievement, the seaweed had earned the favor of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. A massive bestowal of heaven and earth had plunged it directly into a deep slumber; once it awoke, it would advance in rank just like the Bingli Divine Wood.
In ancient times, this seaweed had possessed an illustrious, terrifying reputation, having consumed who knew how many Shamans; whenever it appeared, it was practically a walking natural disaster.
Presently within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, in terms of sheer combat power, perhaps only the celestial laurel tree could rival it; before its breakthrough, the Bingli Divine Wood was slightly inferior.
If even the seaweed had been gravely injured in bitter fighting, any other immortal plant would have fared far worse. Thus, all the immortal plants realized this battle was no longer child's play—they might well perish if they weren't careful.
The third battle would be entirely different from the previous two. A patch of shadow had already appeared on the horizon; judging purely by the juncture where the two worlds merged, this extraterrestrial world was likely far larger than the first two combined.
Wei Yuan stood above the sea with a grave expression, taking inventory of his karmic luck while inspecting defenses everywhere. Within the city, the sole mobile force was seizing every last moment to train.
Maiden Yin-Yang stood by Wei Yuan's side, while the young girl who was the incarnation of the Bingli Divine Wood stood on his other side, visibly nervous and uneasy. In contrast, Maiden Yin-Yang wore her perennial icy expression, revealing virtually no emotional ripple.
Wei Yuan exhaled and thought to himself, This battle won't be easy...
The moment the thought crossed his mind, the various immortal plants chimed in one after another in agreement.
Only then did Wei Yuan remember that this was his own mindscape world; if he didn't want his thoughts known to others, he needed to add an extra layer of seal.
As the shadow across the heavens grew ever larger, the atmosphere became increasingly oppressive.
Right at that moment, the first minor world that had lost its vitality finally could not bear the heavy pressure of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. With a crack, fissures split the world apart, and a wisp of origin aura leaked out, swallowed immediately by the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
In an instant, vitality gushed through the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World and spiritual qi erupted, primal chaos qi continuously diffusing from its core. The world's degree of perfection climbed rapidly. Though the immortal plants benefited in varying amounts, the paths ahead of all of them were unlocked, and each saw the dawn of advancement!
With a quick calculation, Wei Yuan realized he had saved at least fifty years of bitter cultivation, and the solemnity on his face instantly transformed into pure murderous intent!
With their dao paths unlocked, the attitudes of the immortal plants shifted in a flash.
Even the Red Lotus Bodhi, which had always been aloof from worldly strife, was the first to declare, “Let's fight them to the death!”
The other immortal plants echoed in chorus: “Kill them!”
“To the bitter end!”
Chapter 727