Chapter 372: Putting an End to It (Part 2)

Chapter 372 -198: Putting an End to It (Part 2)

“Master!” Qin Dengxiao cried out with joy. Yang Huai Venerable, far from being alarmed, was actually pleased. He sneered, “Hmph! You’ve saved me some trouble.”

“Xuzhuang! Since you’ve come uninvited, you can just stay here forever!”

“A defeated foe…” Xuzhuang’s voice seemed to come from a great distance, echoing faintly. A moment later, it boomed like thunder from all directions as he roared, “Such arrogance!”

With a tremendous RUMBLE, the nine layers of heaven suddenly split open. A massive hand that blotted out the sun, grasping wind and thunder and manipulating astral currents, ruthlessly descended!

‘Not good!’ Yang Huai Venerable’s expression changed as he stared intently at the sky-blotting hand pressing down. An unbelievable thought popped into his head: ‘This scoundrel’s cultivation has improved again!’

‘I can’t face him head-on.’ Yang Huai Venerable’s face twitched. He had long since experienced the might of Xuzhuang’s Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture. He had thought that after receiving primordial qi from the True Master of Dharma, he could contend with it, but a single glance told him that his original plan would not work.

He remained calm in the face of danger, focusing his mind and channeling his technique. After a moment, he let out a great shout. Streams of black smoke shot out from his seven orifices, instantly transforming into a streak of fire that broke through the restraining force and fled, escaping the range of the capture in the blink of an eye.

However, the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture seemed not to notice, continuing its descent. But it grew gentler, and by the time it reached the ground, it had transformed into a layer of Smoke Mist. It enveloped Qin Dengxiao, then shot back up into the sky.

Yang Huai Venerable’s expression shifted. Just as he was about to give chase, the clouds and mist slowly parted. A young Daoist with a magnificent bearing and flowing sleeves calmly revealed himself. Behind him, an ethereal, ever-changing mass of white qi protected Qin Dengxiao as they descended. The Daoist said coolly, “Yang Huai Venerable, you were lucky to escape with your life last time. Have you still not learned your lesson, seeking death again and again?”

…

“He’s here!” The instant the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture appeared, Wu Hengguang, who was silently trailing Yang Huai Venerable in the white bone carriage, felt his spirits lift. Ji Qingyan’s face showed even more surprise as she murmured, “What terrifying Magical Power! What a domineering capture technique!”

“Hmph hmph.” Wu Hengguang chuckled. “If he didn’t have at least this much skill, he wouldn’t deserve such a grand reputation.”

Ji Qingyan nodded and asked, “In your opinion, who has the better chance of winning?”

Wu Hengguang pondered for a moment. Before he could answer, he saw Xuzhuang appear in the sky and let out a soft sound of surprise.

His brow furrowed in suspicion. “Why does this person give me the feeling of being ethereal and illusory, like primordial qi given form?”

‘Disperses into qi, gathers into form… isn’t that a Primordial Spirit True Man?’ Ji Qingyan was startled. She glanced at Xuzhuang several times but couldn’t discern anything unusual. “Don’t talk nonsense!” she said coldly.

Wu Hengguang ignored her, his eyes fixed on Xuzhuang. “I see now,” he said suddenly. “I didn’t expect him to be proficient in the art of avatars. Could it be a Dao skill from the *Tai Su True Form Scripture*?”

Before Ji Qingyan could ask, a look of certainty appeared on his face. He smiled. “He’s appearing openly with a Dharma body. If Yang Huai Venerable fails to notice and Xuzhuang’s real body suddenly attacks from the side during the fight, he’ll surely catch him by surprise. He might even decide the battle in an instant.”

“What a cunning Mystic Sect Daoist. He’s quite the schemer.”

Ji Qingyan scoffed. Wu Hengguang, who prided himself on his intelligence, admired this kind of so-called “strategy,” but she was unimpressed. She didn’t say anything more, simply casting her gaze toward the battle—

Wu Hengguang suddenly shouted, “Something’s wrong!”

“What?” Before Ji Qingyan could ask, Yang Huai Venerable had already launched a sudden attack.

Xuzhuang’s contempt didn’t shake Yang Huai Venerable in the slightest. His body suddenly trembled, and as a Gangyun rose beneath him, an infinite amount of firepower erupted like a volcano. It shot toward the heavens like a signal flare, and with a subsequent BOOM, set half the Celestial Vault ablaze.

“Scoundrel, die!” Yang Huai Venerable roared. Within the sea of fire in the sky, which was like both flame and cloud, vortexes began to swirl. After a moment of refinement, countless meteors trailing fiery tails shot out, raining down to kill him.

Xuzhuang’s eyebrows rose slightly. He hadn’t expected Yang Huai Venerable, who had already reached the peak of his cultivation, to have made another breakthrough in such a short time. It was somewhat impressive.

But that was all. Yang Huai Venerable’s skills weren’t bad, but against Xuzhuang, he had absolutely no chance of resistance.

With a shake of his shoulders, Xuzhuang abruptly unfurled a watery expanse that instantly connected heaven and earth. It was as if a segment of the Celestial River now hung there, its waves churning ceaselessly. It surged toward the sky full of flaming meteors and devoured them in an instant. Then, it pressed forward, forcing the fire cloud to retreat step by step. The moment any flame touched the water, it was immediately swept away and extinguished, as naturally as waves dousing a bonfire.

“What Divine Technique is this?” Yang Huai Venerable was shaken, a sense of dread rising in his heart.

When Xuzhuang had fought him last time, besides the Tai Su Dao skills, he had only used the Void Shape Xuan Creation Dragon Dao Skill. And that was only to test the strength of his Dragon Transformation Dharma Jade after refining it to near-perfection. He had never used the Water Divine Light.

How could Yang Huai Venerable have known that Xuzhuang possessed such a Water Element Dao Skill? He was caught completely off guard. The fire cloud he had spent a great deal of primordial qi to create was mostly extinguished, and he was instantly put at a disadvantage.

But in the next instant, he suppressed his shock and took a long breath—

The Celestial Fire Sect had established its footing on the Divine Continent with its fire techniques; it couldn’t be so easily countered by a single Water Element Dao Skill. It was known that while water countered fire, a strong enough fire could in turn overcome water. He had only suffered that setback because he had been careless, spreading his firepower to create an advantage.

Now, seeing the might of Xuzhuang’s Water Divine Light, he immediately consolidated his firepower. He condensed and transformed it, and a vague Three-armed Flame Dharma Aspect appeared behind him. It clasped two of its hands together, and with its third hand, it drew a blazing Fire Sword from between them. An unbridled power radiated from it.

Yang Huai Venerable’s expression turned fierce. He formed a hand seal, and the Flame Dharma Aspect immediately raised the sword high with all three arms. It brought the sword down in a single chop, instantly cleaving the Celestial River and parting the heavy clouds!

“Excellent!” Ji Qingyan couldn’t help but exclaim. “Yang Huai Venerable’s skills are impressive…”

“Wrong!” Wu Hengguang shouted. “It’s all wrong!”

Ji Qingyan’s brow twitched. “Wu Hengguang, have you gone mad?” she chided.

Sweat beaded on Wu Hengguang’s temples. He asked, “Have you located Xuzhuang’s true body?”

“True body? What true body…” Ji Qingyan suddenly understood. Wu Hengguang had just said that the Xuzhuang before them was merely a Dharma body, and this Dharma body—

—facing the might of Yang Huai Venerable’s Dharma Aspect and Magical Sword, was completely unafraid. It raised its head and gave a great shout. The water light mended itself, and the Celestial River began to churn again. Then, a green light emerged from within—water gives rise to wood. This was followed by wood giving rise to fire, fire to earth, earth to metal, and metal back to water. The five elements circulated, and a brilliant divine light erupted, sweeping down fiercely. From his Magical Sword to his Dharma Aspect, Yang Huai Venerable was instantly annihilated, crumbling inch by inch!

A look of disbelief filled Yang Huai Venerable’s eyes. However, his mind did not stop working. Just as he was about to cast a spell to escape, his body suddenly convulsed!

The instant his Dharma Aspect was shattered, a surge of fire qi that was not his own suddenly backlashed. Yang Huai Venerable’s Magical Power fell into momentary disarray. But in that single moment lay the difference between life and death.

Ji Qingyan’s breath caught in her throat. She asked in horror, “Are you sure that’s just a Dharma body?”

Wu Hengguang didn’t answer, his eyes fixed on the scene. A dignified Nascent Soul Great Successor Cultivator like Yang Huai Venerable had fallen to Xuzhuang’s hand in such an understated manner. Yet Xuzhuang treated it as if it were nothing. He unhurriedly withdrew his divine light, but his Gangyun did not descend. He simply tilted his head slightly, his gaze locking directly onto their location.

“Go!” Wu Hengguang roared. Ji Qingyan, startled, quickly urged them on with her mind. She had no time to retract the cloud of mist formed by the Invisibility Gauze. The eight White Bone Dao Soldiers went into a frenzy, lifting the carriage to flee.

But it didn’t move an inch. The grand carriage did not travel even a single inch. An invisible force had, at some unknown point, locked them firmly in place. Wu Hengguang’s face changed drastically. He shouted, “Ji Qingyan, you can’t—”

Before he could finish, Ji Qingyan acted without a second thought. She produced a talisman from between her eyebrows, which transformed into a streak of Sword Qi and slashed at her own neck. Her head rolled to the ground, and her enchanting, curvaceous body instantly became nothing but a pile of white bones.

Of course, Wu Hengguang knew she hadn’t killed herself. Her true body had long since escaped, leaving him behind all alone.

Wu Hengguang’s mind was buzzing. Suddenly, only a single voice remained:

“You think yourself clever, but sooner or later, it will be your undoing. Only if you can temper your disposition and cultivate properly will you have a chance at attaining the Dao.”

‘It’s over.’ Wu Hengguang gave a bitter laugh, then suddenly summoned his Magical Sword, slashed open the carriage door, and charged out to fight.