Confrontation

Dao Lord Wujin struck with unprecedented decisiveness. From his sudden appearance to using the Void-Banning Pagoda to seal off the space around Yaoguang, and then encasing all of them within an amber-like world, the entire process was executed in one fluid, seamless motion. Not a single word was wasted. Moreover, having frozen the space around Yaoguang into amber, he swept the Void-Banning Pagoda once more, intending to draw all hundreds of thousands of li of surrounding void into this supreme treasure before departing immediately. He executed the classic strategy of striking a decisive blow and fleeing hundreds of millions of li to perfection. Yet, just as he was about to make off with the space encasing Yaoguang, a surge of void power erupted from Yaoguang's center, instantly permeating into the forces freezing the surrounding void. This infiltration did not disperse the freezing force; instead, it vastly reinforced the amber-like space. Most startling of all, the radiating energy even reached Dao Lord Wujin himself, encompassing the Dao Lord's very body within its bounds. This unexpected development made the Dao Lord frown. With a wave of his hand, the power of the Void-Banning Pagoda rapidly contracted. And as the pagoda's power shrank, the hundreds of thousands of li of void frozen by its might contracted along with it. One hundred thousand li, eighty thousand li, sixty thousand li, forty thousand li… It felt as if this pocket of space had been granted life, actively drawing closer toward Dao Lord Wujin's Void-Banning Pagoda. Furthermore, as it closed in, the power of the Void-Banning Pagoda, the force freezing the void, and Dao Lord Wujin's own might seemed to fuse together into an indivisible whole, forging this space into an impregnable fortress. It was like one piece of amber enclosing an even larger amber, causing all three elements to plunge inward toward this completely solidified space. And this space was… "A grotto-heaven?! You dare try to trap me, a Dao Lord, inside a grotto-heaven?" Sensing it briefly, Dao Lord Wujin quickly realized Yaoguang's intention and was provoked to contemptuous laughter by such sheer arrogance. He had gathered intelligence on Yaoguang before moving against him. He knew that when Yaoguang had dealt with the demonic cultivators of the Shadow Moon Sect, he had more than once reduced them to their Heavenly Demon Origins and then refined them with the aid of his grotto-heaven. However… Refining the Heavenly Demon Origins of demonic cultivators was one thing—refining a Dao Lord?! Refining the Great Dao origin commanded by a Dao Lord who had integrated with the Great Dao itself?! Calling him ignorant of the heavens and earth fell short. It could only be described as… Sheer idiocy! Only now did Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li, the two Supreme Elders of the Heavenly Dao Sect traveling alongside Yaoguang, seem to react and realize what was happening. "A Dao Lord! A Dao Lord! It's a Dao Lord!" "The Void-Banning Pagoda! This is Dao Lord Wujin?! How could this be… At such a crucial moment, why would a Dao Lord take such an immense risk to attack Yaoguang? To attack Yaoguang, who at most can only serve as leverage against that mysterious Artifact Saint?!" For a moment, the two Supreme Elders could not hold back cries of terror and despair. In their estimation, while many void Dao Lords harbored jealousy toward geniuses of the void path and would not mind nipping them in the bud… They almost always did so conveniently when there was no risk involved. Yet here, it was as if Dao Lord Wujin had deliberately waited for Yaoguang to leave the sect, taking the immense gamble to strike during the brief window of less than half an hour while Yaoguang went out to welcome Dao Lord Juntian… It completely defied their imagination. When did a mere Void Shattering cultivator ever warrant such elaborate premeditation from an exalted Dao Lord?! "How did it come to this?! Why?!" "If a Dao Lord truly wanted to move, shouldn't he be targeting the Artifact Saint behind Yaoguang? Why…" The two Heavenly Dao Sect Supreme Elders racked their brains, yet could not fathom Dao Lord Wujin's actions. And facing a mighty Dao Lord… At this moment, aside from praying that Dao Lord Juntian might arrive a little early to intervene in time, Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li could not muster the slightest thought of resistance. Because… It was utterly pointless. Before a Dao Lord, any resistance from a Void Shattering cultivator was utterly meaningless. The lofty Dao Lord Wujin naturally paid no heed to what mere Void Shattering cultivators thought. In fact, realizing that Yaoguang actually intended to swallow him with a grotto-heaven, he felt somewhat amused. An ignorant Void Shattering cultivator dared to fight back? A newborn calf truly feared no tiger. Still… "I admire your courage." Dao Lord Wujin's divine mind stirred, and with an airy flick of his hand, he lightly tapped toward the grotto-heaven world Yaoguang had deployed. A ripple of void power spread from his fingertip, rippling outward in concentric circles like water. Each ripple seemed to carry the impact of tens of thousands of crashing stars; layer upon layer stacked together to form an unprecedented void tsunami. Under such concussive force, let alone the grotto-heaven world of a mere Void Shattering cultivator, even a genuine Dao artifact placed before it would be pulverized to dust. Yet, while Dao Lord Wujin's gesture had indeed been casual and effortless, the ripples did not shatter Yaoguang's grotto-heaven as he had envisioned. Instead, like a bullet fired into water, the shockwave was completely dissipated by the aqueous force within moments. Not only that, under the impact of the ripples, the power of the grotto-heaven world continued to contract, shrinking this "amber" to within ten thousand li in the blink of an eye. "Hm?! Something is wrong!" At that moment, Dao Lord Wujin finally noticed something amiss. He abruptly swept his hand forward, unleashing a Void Sword with the motion. The amber space, robust enough to withstand the ripples of tens of thousands of stars, was on the verge of tearing apart under the slash of the Void Sword. Yet just as that strike flew forth, another Void Sword formed within the grotto-heaven world and met it head-on, clashing directly against the blade. Furthermore… When the two Void Swords collided, Dao Lord Wujin's blade did not crush the opposing sword with overwhelming force. Though the Void Sword from the grotto-heaven shattered, scattering in a burst of spatial ripples, the might of Dao Lord Wujin's Void Sword was likewise drained by a significant margin. As a second Void Sword followed in close succession, the sword strike unleashed by the Dao Lord was completely shattered. This sight… Finally forced Dao Lord Wujin, who had assumed he could spirit Yaoguang away at leisure, to focus his attention. Pressing his palm down, he slashed out another Void Sword, and then pulled his right hand back, directly shaking the surrounding Grand Dao of the Void. He was attempting to wrest control of the Grand Dao of the Void, depriving all other Great Daos of their spatial medium and rendering them unable to manifest. This was the most inescapable, lethal technique a Dao Lord possessed against anyone beneath their realm. Especially for a Dao Lord of the Void. So long as they stripped away the Grand Dao of the Void—the foundation that bore the manifestation of all other Great Daos—even the mightiest Void Shattering cultivator could not even cast a Dao art before them. They would be left entirely defenseless, with nothing to do but passively take the beating and await death. This was also why Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li, upon realizing their assailant was an entity at Dao Lord Wujin's level, had been completely stripped of their will to fight. There was simply no battle to be fought. However, while Yaoguang's mastery of the Grand Dao of the Void could not rival that of a Dao Lord, by utilizing three pinnacle Dao artifacts and the unique traits of the Human Immortal path, he had crossed the threshold from zero to one. Though the power of his Void Swords decreased under the suppression, by driving the Torrent of Time to its absolute limit, he was able to unleash an endless barrage of Void Swords. If one was not enough, then two. If two were not enough, then three, four! The Void Swords striking out from the grotto-heaven in rapid succession shattered the strike Dao Lord Wujin had slashed forth once again. Arduous though it appeared, he had proven himself qualified to stand against him. "Hm?" Seeing that Yaoguang could still unleash Dao arts even after he had stripped away the Grand Dao of the Void, Dao Lord Wujin could not help barking through his divine mind, "Which colleague is playing games with me? If you wish to protect this person, speak up and say the word; I, Wujin, will turn and leave at once!" His divine mind pierced through the surrounding spatial barriers like a tempest, pressing relentlessly into the entire grotto-heaven. Under this sweep, he realized something within a split second: "No, the power of a Dao Lord could never be so weak. Moreover, were a void Dao Lord to approach, the Grand Dao of the Void I have integrated with would never fail to give warning… Could it be the Golden Book of the Great Dao?!" Not only him, but even the two Supreme Elders, Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li, made the same connection. Though they felt it unlikely that Yaoguang, as the sect master, could easily bring the Golden Book of the Great Dao out with him, there was no other explanation for what was happening. For a moment, a desperate hope for survival surged in their eyes. Yet Dao Lord Wujin, having formed his guess, was not frightened off in the slightest; instead, a slight smile touched his lips. Because… He believed he had seen through Yaoguang's trump card. "Cautious indeed. Stepping out for mere moments, yet you carried the Golden Book of the Great Dao with you to ensure absolute safety. If the one moving against you today were an aged Dao Lord whose divine mind operates sluggishly, like Yuanxu, you might truly have held out until Juntian came to your aid. Unfortunately, the one you met is me, Wujin!" He swept his hand violently. The resonance between his own Spatial Dao and the Void-Banning Pagoda escalated to its absolute peak. A visible ripple carrying tidal waves of raw force rushed in all directions, threatening to scatter the frozen void entirely. Under the impact of these tsunamis, the amber-like space did indeed rapidly unfreeze. In particular, the outer perimeter… Namely, the borders of Yaoguang's grotto-heaven began to collapse and crumble into pieces. Seizing this opening, the Dao Lord brought his hands together. The tsunami-like waves surging in all directions coalesced into one, smashing toward the depths of the grotto-heaven with world-shattering momentum. "No matter what tricks you are playing, now… get out here!" *Rumble!* Under the concussive force of that tidal wave, the outer perimeter of Yaoguang's grotto-heaven shattered completely. With the perimeter blown apart, the figure concealed deep within the grotto-heaven—as well as the true source of the power freezing this space—was laid bare before the Dao Lord's eyes. The painstakingly carved formation runes, the meticulously placed Dao artifacts, and the foundation stones bearing the entire array were revealed without reservation, exposed in their full glory. With just a single glance… Dao Lord Wujin, who possessed no small attainment in the art of formations himself, instantly recognized the precise caliber of this array. "A sect-protecting grand formation?!"