Revealed

‘You!’ With the Great Void severed, Xin Du was already steeped in despair. As he spun around, someone was suddenly standing right behind him, radiating bone-chilling cold—yet sweeping his spiritual sense back and forth revealed no one there at all! ‘It's over!’ Xin Du hailed from the northern desert tribes. Through fortune and chance, he had cultivated to his current heights, acquiring quite a few formidable arts. If truth be told, his ties were actually closer to the Zhao imperial court, and the most exalted figures he had ever laid eyes on were merely Mohe. Only after obeying orders to head south and arriving in Luoxia, where he met Wei Xuanyin, had he finally seen an immortal cultivator of the Great Master tier—a leading figure of Guanxie, no less—which had secretly shaken him to the core. Yet now, the green-robed man before him stood quietly in midair. An icy detachment filled his blue-purple eyes, and astonishing divine abilities flickered across the sky; when perceived through Xin Du's spiritual sense, they shocked him beyond disbelief. ‘All five methods complete... How is this possible? Which cultivator with perfected divine abilities in the world doesn't have a renowned name? If such a person could strike, why would Murong and Shilou take risks in person! Who is this?’ His body trembled faintly. Daring not make the slightest sudden movement, he stood paralyzed as absolute silence fell over the riverbank. *Rumble!* Dark light converged across the heavens. Ning Wan quietly lowered her head, while Chen Yin stared in stunned bewilderment, at a complete loss. When Chen Yin's eyes swept across the surroundings, the four Lianmin were still clutching their bellies, laughing uproariously. They seemed completely unaware of anything amiss. The four colossal golden bodies raised legs and waved arms, rocking back and forth in midair in utterly comical bouts of laughter. Yet the entire sky was eerily, deathly still. Not a single sound escaped the Lianmin, nor did they show any sign of stopping. "We respectfully welcome Master Sui Guan..." Ning Wan's melodious voice echoed through the air, crashing into Xin Du's ears like thunder. Xin Du naturally understood what such cultivation signified. In this world, unless a True Monarch descended, the perfection of divine abilities was the very pinnacle! Yet the emergence of the name Sui Guan plunged him into a despair that chilled him to the marrow. ‘Sui Guan... The inhuman Sui Guan who descended from Luyu Heaven, transformed from divine abilities...’ Though the disparity in strength was immense, both were Violet Palace cultivators. While possessing all five methods and perfected divine abilities was formidable, so long as the adversary was not of the caliber of Mount Luoxia, Xin Du—having deliberately borrowed a treasure—should have stood a sliver of a chance to survive if he immediately shed his corporeal Dharma-body. Yet of all people, it had to be Sui Guan! In Sui Guan's eyes, there was not the slightest room for Xin Du. He merely appreciated the surrounding scenery in silence. After what seemed like a long time, yet also like a mere instant, he finally raised a hand. Xin Du felt a rush of scalding blood surge to the crown of his head. He knew that this Lushui Great Master of perfected divine abilities had certainly not come to exchange pleasantries! He was here to take his life! The purple talisman that had hung inside his sleeve for years, kept at the ready for just such an emergency, was finally pulled out. It leaped forth at once, transforming before Xin Du into streaks of intensely glittering radiance. Simultaneously, his fingers flew into an incantation gesture. ‘[Light-Concealing Pure Heart Shifting Art]!’ Every shred of divine ability and dharmic power throughout his body surged into the spell, unleashing the escape art he had taken pride in for countless years—the very art that had saved his life time and again! Dazzling white light burst from his body, resonating in tandem with his cultivated divine ability, Floating Cloud Body, as he prepared to turn into a flash of white light and flee! Yet the moment the talisman's radiance flared, it froze under Sui Guan's mocking gaze. Drifting weightlessly away from Xin Du, it settled straight into Sui Guan's hand. Pinching the talisman between two fingers, Sui Guan glanced at it briefly. Xin Du finally found an opportunity to vault into the sky, but before his eyes danced a speck of jade-green light. The light was no larger than a thumb, yet within his pupils it expanded into a colossal green barrier that cut off heaven and earth. Xin Du's pupils dilated for an instant. Despair welled up within him, leaving him unsure whether to advance or retreat. Yet a chilling frost had already settled on the back of his neck. In the midst of endless despair, a single spark of hope remained in his heart. From within the robes over his chest flew a speck of bronze, thumb-sized and hexagonal. As its form unfolded slightly, one could vaguely discern a bronze sparrow the size of a fingernail. Sleekly contoured and speckled with points of silvery brilliance, it swiftly fell into Xin Du's mouth. This object had an extraordinary background: he had paid a staggering sum to borrow it from a Master of the Zhao imperial court specifically as a life-preserving measure for his journey south! Once activated, not even ghosts or gods could trace him! All the divine abilities throughout his body rushed toward the tip of his tongue as he tried to channel his entire cultivation and might into this desperate gamble... Yet the instant that thought formed, those blue-purple eyes flared. A crushing sluggishness surged into his mind, and that large hand had already clamped shut around his neck. As heavy, deep Lushui radiance washed over him, the divine abilities coalesced around his body were like lingering snow under a blazing sun, plunging into the radiance and vanishing without a trace, leaving him firmly trapped within that grasp. In his hands, this northern demonic cultivator had failed to survive even three exchanges before being captured alive like a dead dog! The green-robed man before him still did not spare him a single glance. Holding him casually by the neck, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon, his face wore a smile dripping with chilling cold. Everyone remained silent. Only Li Zhouwei quietly composed his expression. The Great Void was sealed off, preventing any of the divine-ability cultivators present from observing it. Yet Li Zhouwei alone, through his immortal artifact, saw clearly: within the Great Void at this very moment stood more than one cultivator of mighty divine abilities! The Great Void was already in complete turmoil. There were tens of thousands of golden rays and drifting morning clouds; manifestations of Buddhist Lands with streaming glorious light; and somber, eerie white lights surging with bitter cold. Be they early arrivals or figures that had just appeared, all stood quietly, subtly encircling Sui Guan in their midst and silently watching him. Yet Sui Guan merely looked up with a smile. Unbeknownst to anyone, dense water mist had already blanketed the entire riverbank. The demonic cultivators, rogue cultivators, Buddhist cultivators, and immortal cultivators battling in the north failed to perceive the roiling water mist around them in the slightest, continuing to fight with mounting ferocity within the fog... The mist grew ever denser, swiftly whipping up churning black billows that surged across the north side of the Great River toward the border of Funan, submerging the dark mountain ranges, newly built temples, and dense villages beneath its tide. *Drip, drop.* The black light in the sky deepened. Fine raindrops began scattering across the land. The rain was not heavy, yet possessed a piercing, oppressive chill; just two or three drops were enough to make one's body feel sluggish and heavy. Sui Guan, bathed in this rain, appeared entirely relaxed and at ease. Xin Du, however, shivered violently in his grip amidst the downpour. Black droplets slid down his cheeks as his dark hair was swiftly washed away, exposing a sparse, pale skull. Flesh roiled and dissolved into white vapor, trickling down the sides of his face, while his hands gripped Sui Guan's wrist tightly, struggling in vain. Even though his struggles were futile, a fierce will to live kept him clenching the bronze sparrow tightly in his mouth, pouring billowing divine abilities into it without regard for cost in hopes of seizing a sliver of life. Countless gazes watched from all directions, silent and unfathomable. The dense dark light completely blotted out the sky, plunging the entire battlefield into darkness as pitch-black as night. The only illumination came from the four colossal golden bodies, stationed in their respective corners, doing nothing but laughing. Soon, everything sank into thick darkness where one could not see one's own outstretched hand. ‘This must be Ru Chongzhuo!’ After an indeterminable time, Ning Wan slightly lowered her head. In the water mist beneath her feet, not the slightest stir remained. From the banks of the Great River stretching all the way across the vast expanse of Baijiang Creek, there was similarly not a whisper of movement—quiet as a desolate wasteland. The four colossal golden bodies began to teeter, their massive forms trembling within the black qi. As if struck by heavy hammers, the majestic statues groaned with muffled agony. Violent cracking and shattering erupted immediately after, like countless boulders tumbling down. *Crash...* The rustling of falling stone and sand mingled with the splintering of glazed glass, becoming the sole sounds in this darkened world. Amidst the black heavens and earth, only a single light shone: the bronze sparrow in Xin Du's mouth. Sui Guan's gaze grew peculiar, and he let out a chuckle: "You even prepared a [Star-Gazing Bronze Sparrow] of your own!" Hearing the name, a look of utter disbelief flashed in Ning Wan's eyes. She snapped her head up, staring blankly at the tiny bronze sparrow in the demonic cultivator's mouth. Sui Guan finally loosened his grip and stood quietly. Xin Du's body tore apart like crumpled paper. Dense white light gathered upon the jade stone, and endless clouds and mist drifted out from him at last, swirling upward toward the sky. The sign of a cultivator's fall surged into the sky, stirring waves of ripples. Churning cloud qi drifted unpredictably, appearing exceptionally somber and dark amidst this black Lushui qi, devoid of any divine splendor. *Rumble!* A muffled rumble rose from the earth veins, and clear, sparkling spring water burst from beneath their feet. A sudden violent wind arose, driving the water mist that had blanketed the battlefield northward at blinding speed. Sui Guan stood quietly amidst the water mist rushing northward, his wicked, blue-purple eyes narrowing in satisfaction. Before him, like the ebbing tide of a dark ocean, inch after inch of bare earth was exposed, strewn with sparkling spring water and endless white bones frozen in various postures. The vast lands north of the Great River were devoid of all life. These skeletons either gripped magical artifacts or knelt on the ground, the bone gleaming with a soft luster. But farther away, across the entire Baijiang Creek basin, countlessly more corpses and skeletons stood upright upon the earth, reflected in the shattered pools of spring water. In recent years, Dayu Dao had relocated a million temple-tenant commoners from the north; in mere dozens of breaths, not a sound remained from them. White bones covered the wilderness, bathed in surging springs. The divine ability's radiance that had constantly enveloped Sui Guan finally dissipated, and the familiar Great Void once again emerged within everyone's sight. Be it the myriad beams of golden light or the layers of Buddhist Lands, all had long vanished without a trace. Yet every Violet Palace cultivator present froze, staring blankly up at the Great Void. Within the perpetually dark, silent Great Void, a change had finally appeared. A streak of bright light revealed itself to everyone's vision. This light was like a nascent crescent moon, showing an extremely shallow arc—blue above and white below—suspended in the Great Void. At times hazy, at times sharp, it held everyone's gaze captive. This arc of light seemed under some manner of suppression, flickering bright and dim. The rest of its structure would surface from time to time, only to sink into darkness so quickly it seemed as though it had never been there. Yet all present were Violet Palace cultivators; how could they fail to see it clearly! Everyone could see dense clusters of Daoist monasteries and palatial halls flickering in and out of the light. Each tower and pavilion displayed pristine white and deep grayish-black, while countless long feathers could be vaguely seen hanging beneath the eaves, swaying in the wind. In Sui Guan's blue-purple pupils, everything in the Great Void was quietly reflected. A low laugh drifted from between his teeth: "True to its fame... Truly true to its fame. Worthy of the Wanling Supreme Sect. Exceedingly difficult... The light of Primordial Magnetism, the atmosphere of Bingxiu, the qi of Floating Clouds... Even now, it refuses to enter the mortal world. Still... as long as its whereabouts are revealed... everything becomes simple." The five fingers gripping Li Zhouwei's halberd tightened abruptly. In his heart, everything had become clear. ‘[Wanling Heaven].’ His gaze quietly fell upon the green-robed back of Sui Guan, and the words spoken that day surfaced in his mind once more: ‘Now, I wish to cross the river to handle an affair, and tidy up the scenery a little.’ ‘Sui Guan's words were naturally not wrong... or rather, Lushui... how could they be ones to contend with Luoxia? From start to finish, Sui Guan was merely using everyone, perhaps having coordinated with Guanxie long ago...’ As early as arriving with the scroll and finding Qi Lanyan and the others absent, Li Zhouwei had harbored a premonition. Observing the Great Void in secret, he had understood that Sui Guan's intervention... was merely the final act of this grand drama north of the river. ‘Those left on the northern bank—Xin Du was a sacrifice prepared in advance, while Murong Yan, Shilou Yingge, and the others were figures they wished to eliminate or intimidate...’ ‘Why was there an explicit prohibition against damaging the earth veins and spiritual veins during the successive great wars north of the river all those years ago, despite the fertile soil and spiritual energy? Everyone thought it was for Li Qianyuan's reincarnation, but the truth was entirely the reverse... Even Li Qianyuan being north of the river... was for the sake of Mifan.’ ‘Everything at Mount Tangdao had been orchestrated long in advance... Taiyuan True Monarch might even be one of the mighty beings who brought this about... He alone holds dominion over the world's Dui Metal; if a hidden threat of Primordial Magnetism lay at His doorstep, how could He not remove it!’ Li Zhouwei looked down at the bones blanketing the ground and silently lowered his brow. ‘Kuiqi... Did Kuiqi understand? In that cry before his death, had he already foreseen today's scene? That he preferred to die at Mount Tangdao—was it a compromise... or sheer helplessness...’ The dazzling bright light wandered incessantly through the Great Void, reflected in Ning Wan's eyes. In this instant, her heart leaped into her throat as realization finally dawned on her. ‘So that's how it is!’ A chill pierced from her heart and lungs straight into her mind. The woman wavered in indecision, her lips trembling slightly as if she wanted to say something. Yet Sui Guan seemed utterly oblivious. He merely stood quietly, taking in the scene before him, before soon looking up to observe the grotto-heaven within the Great Void with a smile. Heaven and earth remained somber and dark. Ning Wan slowly closed her eyes, hesitated for a moment, and spoke with a slightly trembling voice: "My Lord... now that Baijiang Creek is pacified... Seniors Tinglan and Master Houfu are engaged in battle in the Xuanmiao territory... I implore you to go reinforce them..." Her trembling, melodious voice drifted in the wind, but Sui Guan merely gazed into the Great Void, offering no reply. Only after an unknown stretch of time did he turn his head back with a smile. There was no trace of cruelty or malice on his face; from beginning to end, there was only that faint smile and the eerie cast of a serpentine dragon as he spoke: "What does that have to do with me?" *Rumble!* With a thunderous crash like a detonating cannon, torrential rain poured from the heavens. Bolts of lightning echoed through the clouds, illuminating Ning Wan's already pale face until it was stark white. Amidst the gloom, the cultivators from the south looked up in awe at the divine abilities and tentatively stepped across the river. One or two, treading upon the clear, sparkling water, stood frozen amidst the endless white bones, completely at a loss.