Fear

Torrent of Time. Great Annihilation Sword Qi. Two Dao arts unleashed in unison. Augmented by the Torrent of Time, four beams of Great Annihilation Sword Qi tore through the void, weaving into a net that descended straight upon True Monarch Jinghong. The sudden offensive caused True Monarch Jinghong's expression to change. Especially when he sensed the ripples of the Grand Dao of Destruction invoked within the Great Annihilation Sword Qi, he could not help but blurt out in shock, "A perfected Dao art!?" Following the Void Sword and Void Flicker, he had actually revealed a third perfected Dao art! Moreover, this Dao art seemed to be amplified by another Dao art, unleashing four beams in a single breath. The Grand Dao of Destruction to which the Great Annihilation Sword Qi belonged was peerless in offensive might. Although it fell somewhat short of the Void Blade in pure armor-piercing penetration, four beams fired simultaneously was another matter entirely. The web formed by the four sword beams completely sealed off the space around him. Without going all out... He could not block it! This realization instantly surfaced in True Monarch Jinghong's mind. "Remarkable." The True Monarch offered heartfelt praise as the high-grade Dao artifact tome in his hands flipped rapidly. "Life and destruction, existence and nothingness—all are merely outward manifestations of worldly transmigration. Only with creation and destruction can things endure for eternity..." Yet almost the moment he wielded the power of the Grand Dao of Truth to suppress and wear down the Great Annihilation Sword Qi, Yaoguang noticed that the Grand Dao of Truth's influence over the Grand Dao of the Void had weakened. The next instant, the Wuji Sword vibrated, and the mighty Grand Dao of the Void broke free from the Grand Dao of Truth's interference. Without that disturbance, the Grand Dao of the Void exhibited unprecedented fluidity and sharpness. Before True Monarch Jinghong could fully disperse the Great Annihilation Sword Qi, the Void Sword slashed down in close pursuit, tearing through the blockade of the Grand Dao of Truth like a hot knife through butter and striking True Monarch Jinghong's body. That smoothness, that swiftness... *It's Truth.* Yaoguang quickly realized why. It was because the Grand Dao of Truth had just acknowledged the Grand Dao of the Void as the foundation of all Daos. Consequently, when the Grand Dao of the Void now slashed toward the Grand Dao of Truth, the latter naturally yielded, allowing the edge of the Void Sword to sweep forward unimpeded. Seeing himself struck, a translucent sphere manifested above True Monarch Jinghong's head, causing the sharpness of the massive void sword to halt for a fraction of an instant. Immediately after, his figure transformed into a streak of flowing light, shooting thousands of li away in an instant. This sight caused the expressions of Gu Li and True Monarch Buzhou, who were watching from afar, to shift simultaneously. "How can this be..." "Senior Brother appears to be... at a disadvantage!?" True Monarch Buzhou's face was filled with disbelief. "Impossible! This must be Senior Brother's tactic of retreating to advance!" Gu Li said nothing, but a hint of terror lurked in his eyes as he looked at Yaoguang. He knew Yaoguang was strong. Back in the Heavenly Dao Sect, Yaoguang had withstood the combined attacks of him and Zhen Xuanyuan to forcefully execute Supreme Elder Jing Yuntian, a Void Shattering cultivator. Yet Gu Li had never possessed an intuitive measure of just how terrifying that strength truly was. Only now, as Yaoguang fought True Monarch Jinghong and actually suppressed this powerful cultivator ranked in the top ten of the Dao Lord Candidate List, was that might... Finally displayed in its full, undeniable reality. This young Void Shattering cultivator, who had cultivated for merely a century, was already standing at the absolute pinnacle of the Void Shattering realm!? *** On the battlefield. Looking at True Monarch Jinghong, who had reappeared thousands of li away in an instant, Yaoguang quickly identified the grade of the Dao artifact on him. "A flowing light Dao art? And... a second high-grade Dao artifact!" A high-grade Dao artifact! None of the opponents Yaoguang had battled—the Eight Desolations Demon Lord, the Dark Demon Lord, Jing Yuntian, or Gu Li—had ever revealed a high-grade Dao artifact. The only one who possessed one was the First Supreme Elder, Zhen Xuanyuan. Yet True Monarch Jinghong not only possessed high-grade Dao artifacts, but more than one. Such wealth... No wonder he was the foremost powerhouse of the Heavenly Dao Sect. However... "I have Dao artifacts as well." With a single Void Flicker, Yaoguang caught up to True Monarch Jinghong thousands of li away. Pressing his hand down, he summoned the Heaven-Sealing Stele, a supreme treasure that had transformed into a high-grade Dao artifact. An invisible ripple spread outward from the high-grade Dao artifact. True Monarch Jinghong, who could travel hundreds of thousands of li in an instant when transformed into flowing light, was frozen right in his tracks. Immediately following, guided by spiritual intent like a nimble fish, the Swimming Dragon Sword surged forward through the waves of space, whipping up an unstoppable edge as it slashed toward True Monarch Jinghong's body once more. Pressed by this terrifying sharpness, the Dao artifact tome in True Monarch Jinghong's hand flipped backward rapidly. At the same time, maxims that seemed to carry the ultimate truths of heaven and earth echoed across the surroundings once more: "The void is supreme! The void is magnificent! The void is boundless! The void leaves no trace..." "Heh..." Sensing the Void Sword being disrupted again, Yaoguang abruptly activated the Torrent of Time, firing another volley of Great Annihilation Sword Qi. Yet through the influence of the Grand Dao of Truth over the Grand Dao of the Void, the Heaven-Sealing Stele's suppressing effect on Jinghong had also drastically diminished. Seizing the opportunity, Jinghong transformed into flowing light and shot thousands of li away in the blink of an eye, evading this new round of destructive sword beams. Because this was within the territory of the Southern Domain, Yaoguang had to wave his hand to make the four destructive sword beams collide and dissolve into nothingness, lest these perfected Dao arts ravage ten thousand li and level the mountains and earth into flat ground. Then, forcefully executing Void Flicker, he caught up to the retreating True Monarch Jinghong. "Truth only grows clearer through debate! Yet True Monarch Jinghong refuses to debate the truth with me, choosing instead to flee thousands of li on the Grand Dao of Light. That hardly aligns with your Dao of Truth." Yaoguang pointed his finger, and the Great Annihilation Sword Qi began to form anew. "There are clearly irreconcilable differences between us. If we continue this argument, perhaps right and wrong could be determined, but the process will not be settled overnight. In the course of such debate, the Dao arts we manifest would likely reduce the entire Southern Domain to scorched earth. Therefore, let us cease hostilities for now; it would not be too late to sit down and discuss this at length." True Monarch Jinghong pulled away once more using the Grand Dao of Light. At the same time, he used the Grand Dao of Truth to interfere with the Grand Dao of the Void, preventing Yaoguang from closing in with Void Flicker. Seeing this, Yaoguang pondered briefly and came to a halt. "As a member of the Heavenly Dao Sect, True Monarch Jinghong actually uses the Southern Domain to threaten me, the Sect Master? You have truly opened my eyes," Yaoguang sneered. With the Grand Dao of the Void disrupted by the Grand Dao of Truth, unleashing or using any void-type Dao arts or Dao artifacts yielded half the result for twice the effort. And if he did not employ the Grand Dao of the Void, relying solely on the power of the Grand Dao of Destruction would leave him unable to catch True Monarch Jinghong, who commanded escape arts of the Grand Dao of Flowing Light. Perhaps by relying on Sovereign Human Emperor, he could grind it out against True Monarch Jinghong and wear him down to death. However... One could not forget that the two True Monarchs, Gu Li and Buzhou, were watching like tigers stalking prey from the sidelines. Though neither was on True Monarch Jinghong's level—and both fell short even of Zhen Xuanyuan—one could not take Void Shattering cultivators lightly. If a true life-and-death battle ensued... It remained uncertain whose hand the victory would fall into. "I am merely stating an inevitable outcome. Once a full-scale battle truly erupts, neither of us will be able to pull our hands back. Yet this battle can be averted through negotiation. If Sect Master Yaoguang insists on continuing, then all blame for the destruction of the Southern Domain will lie on your shoulders," True Monarch Jinghong said solemnly. "You seem to have mistaken one thing. You were the ones who took the initiative to come to the Southern Domain and provoke me, yet now... you want to push the blame onto me? What magnificent twisted logic!" As Yaoguang spoke, the Dao art of Sovereign Human Emperor began to circulate. A terrifying surge of energy began to awaken within him. Sensing it for only an instant, True Monarch Jinghong recognized what it was, and his expression shifted slightly. "The Great Dao of Origin!? Sovereign Human Emperor!? You have actually mastered this Dao art as well!?" "Though the process of debate cannot be settled in a day, I believe that what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. In the end, truth will stand on my side!" Yaoguang declared resolutely. "Why must it come to this?" An object appeared in True Monarch Jinghong's hand as well. From it, a rich power of Dao charms similarly wafted out. It was Dao essence. It was similar to the Demon Saint blood Demon Emperor Tuntian had once used, yet its effects were far more potent. If one had to make a comparison, it was comparable to Demon Saint essence blood. "If we truly keep clashing like this, I fear the situation will genuinely escalate beyond control," True Monarch Jinghong said. "Then let's see who breaks first." A bracelet surfaced on Yaoguang's wrist as well. "Today, I must debate this truth to the very end with True Monarch Jinghong." As a certain power within the bracelet was triggered, an extraordinarily colossal aura emanated from it. "Grand Void True Dragon origin!" True Monarch Jinghong's scalp went somewhat numb. This... Just what kind of person was he? How did he possess more trump cards than even a Dao Lord's direct disciple!? "First the Great Dao of Origin, and now he was bestowed Grand Void True Dragon origin... Senior Brother, this Yaoguang is definitely a pawn cultivated by Dao Lord Penglai with all his might!" True Monarch Buzhou shouted vehemently. "Backed by Dao Lord Penglai, he infiltrated our Heavenly Dao Sect seeking to usurp the foundation that countless members of our sect painstakingly built!" "You two, leave first," True Monarch Jinghong waved his hand toward True Monarch Buzhou with a grave expression. "Senior Brother, you must not let him off! He is not one of our sect; his heart is bound to be alien! If he is allowed to expand his power in the Heavenly Dao Sect and even become Sect Master, the Heavenly Dao Sect will cease to be the Heavenly Dao Sect—it will be reduced to a branch of the Penglai Immortal Sect!" True Monarch Buzhou shouted fiercely, "If we lose the Heavenly Dao Sect's foundation, we will become sinners of the entire sect, without the face to confront our ancestors even in death! Therefore, even if we must fight to the bitter end, we can never allow this to happen! Senior Brother, you—" "Silence!" True Monarch Jinghong barked, forcefully cutting off True Monarch Buzhou's words. "Senior Brother!?" True Monarch Buzhou wanted to say more, but Gu Li stepped forward, pulled him back, and whispered, "Let's go!" His voice carried a trace of fear. "Can't you see? True Monarch Jinghong no longer wants to fight. If this truly escalates to a fight to the death, I'm afraid all of us might perish here..." "Are we just supposed to watch helplessly as Yaoguang—a pawn clearly pushed forward by Dao Lord Penglai—parades his might in our Heavenly Dao Sect and steals the foundation we spent countless years building? If that truly happens, I will never rest in peace even in death!" True Monarch Buzhou said unreconciled. Yet Gu Li knew full well why Buzhou was speaking this way. They were both thousand-year-old foxes—who did he think he was fooling? True Monarch Buzhou would rather watch True Monarch Jinghong and Yaoguang destroy each other just to clear the thorns and pave the road for Zong Wenxian! Such a heartless, ungrateful wretch... To think Gu Li had associated with him. Gu Li's expression turned thoroughly cold. "If you're so capable, you go! Count me out! From this day forth, I, Gu Li, will have no part in this feud between Zong Wenxian and Sect Master Yaoguang." The moment he finished speaking, he took the lead and sped away toward the border of the Southern Domain.