Chapter 331: The Identity of the Wood Qi Daoist Master!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The drum rumbled like thunder, striking incessantly. Even protected by a Spiritual Treasure, the Heaven-Stealing Thief was completely suppressed, stripped of any ability to fight back.

Only now did Xianfu finally make his move.

"I respectfully invite wood qi to ascend. Suppress metal and subdue earth, let water descend and fire be deposed. May the earth be moistened and heaven unified!"

The moment the incantation left his lips, a phantom projection of a sovereign in a twelve-tasseled crown materialized behind him, settling firmly onto the main seat of the Unified Mind Hall.

Decreed Immortal Sovereign!

Though he lacked Great Rebellion Exploits and his cultivation fell far short, a Spiritual Treasure and a supreme destiny form still qualified Xianfu to enter this battle.

The next second, he drove the Unified Mind Hall directly into the fray, viciously ramming it into the True Person's phantom and the Heaven-Stealing Thief. The hall's heavy doors then crashed open.

"The sovereign commands the subordinate minister to enter the hall and seek audience!"

Xianfu's voice rang with profound resonance, his words manifesting into law. The Heaven-Stealing Thief cooperated flawlessly, throwing his full weight into a brutal shove that forced the True Person's phantom directly inside.

Immediately after, talismans flared brilliantly within the hall. They manifested rivers and mountains, the sun and moon, countless subjects, and a hundred schools of thought. It was the glow of a myriad homes—the national destiny of Great Shun. The profound power acted like tightening chains, wrapping around the True Person's phantom to stifle him in a clear attempt to suppress him right there in the hall!

Seeing this, the True Person's phantom only laughed. "What a treacherous wretch!"

"It is you, Xianfu, isn't it? Hiding behind the Heaven-Stealing Thief's identity and using the national destiny of Great Shun to restrain me—did you think this would make me too hesitant to break free?"

The national destiny of Great Shun was crucial. It could bypass the Immortal Decree to guide the mighty power of a True Person down to the mortal realm; if the phantom unleashed his strength to break the suppression, that national destiny would inevitably be damaged.

Xianfu's move was designed to make the True Person's phantom hesitate out of fear of causing collateral damage. While it lacked the raw power of the Heaven-Stealing Thief, its practical effect was flawless.

Yet a second later, the phantom spoke in a haunting tone. "Human-yang wood. The Profound Heaven's Ruling Talisman? Back when I founded my nation and battled the Great Rebellion, your true spirit was likely still incubating in the womb of heaven and earth."

"You are wielding an axe before Lu Ban!"

As his voice fell, he stomped his foot. The profound notes of the Great Wind Song rang out, sweeping the two streams of heaven and earth wind around him into a single fused mass.

Heavenly Yin Wood, Tianqu Rides the Wind and Soars.

Human-yang wood, Profound Heaven's Ruling Talisman.

The two streams of qi merged, yin and yang generating one another. They instantly birthed a mesmerizing, resplendent radiance that swept outward in all directions like a rushing gust.

"The sovereign does not inquire of the high, nor do the lowly remonstrate. The words of women are applied, and selfish governance takes reign. This is the wind of a ruined nation."

Rumble!

In a flash, the mesmerizing radiance rippled. It blew like a gentle breeze, devoid of any chill. Instead, it was bright, warm, and soothing, making one helplessly sink into its intoxicating embrace.

Wherever it passed, the national destiny of Great Shun inside the Unified Mind Hall seemed to sink into a tender, blissful slumber. It did not shatter; it simply softened. Slipping into a sluggish, powerless state, it actively relinquished its suppressive force, causing the profound power of the entire Unified Mind Hall to crumble along with it.

Seeing this, Xianfu narrowed his eyes. How could he fail to recognize what was happening?

'He was also once a mortal emperor, and he cultivated human-yang wood... damn it, how have I never heard of such a grand figure emerging from the Immortal Prescription Courtyard?'

'Human-yang wood is a path of supreme sovereigns. Logically speaking, once someone cultivates it, they should be renowned throughout the world. It is impossible to remain an absolute nobody. Yet ever since this Mysterious Wood Qi Daoist Master appeared, he hasn't even revealed a sliver of his Daoist title. Even now, when forced to repeatedly deploy his methods, he has left no clues to his origins.'

'This does not match the imagery of human-yang wood!'

Xianfu's expression grew increasingly grim.

Not far away, Wang Ping also focused his gaze. Bolstered by Spirit-Invoked Mingyou, his cultivation vastly exceeded Xianfu's, and he had naturally already grasped the underlying truth:

'Because human-yang wood is not his primary cultivation path.'

'His primary path is Heavenly Yin Wood; human-yang wood is merely a secondary pursuit. However, as a supreme path, human-yang wood has always been associated with the sovereign lord. How could it ever willingly submit to being beneath another?'

'There is only one answer.'

'He is the ruler of a ruined nation!'

'A ruined ruler... He broke the grand imagery of human-yang wood to seize control of it... His wood qi was damaged. The era in which he attained his Dao must have been right during the absolute peak of the Great Rebellion!'

'This is also why Xianfu's suppression struggled to achieve any results. Clearly, the eight winds under his control broke the human-yang wood once in the past, allowing him to layer on the imagery of the "wind of a ruined nation." It has likely even evolved into an exploit. For it to suppress human-yang wood at this moment couldn't be more natural.'

Just then.

The True Person's phantom, having effortlessly strolled out of Xianfu's suppression, did not rush to attack. Instead, he looked around and chuckled. "There should be another little friend hiding in the shadows, shouldn't there?"

"Little friend Wang?"

"..."

Wang Ping, of course, did not reply. A second later, however, the dull rumble of the drum echoed once more. It was still the Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil, being struck by the fierce gales.

"Rectify the borders, tend the fields, and let all things brightly emerge."

The radiance shifted. This time, it was no longer a warm, intoxicating breeze, but a brilliant, gleaming Wind of Clarity that illuminated the entire hall.

Wherever it swept, all profound secrets were laid bare, making it impossible for anything to remain concealed. Yet, as this wondrous wind blew through, the Unified Mind Hall remained exactly as before. The figure of a third person never appeared. The smile on the True Person's phantom wavered slightly. "Hmm? Not here?"

Of course he wasn't there.

Because from the very beginning, Wang Ping had never entered the Unified Mind Hall. He had been lurking outside the entire time, the faint roars of dragons and elephants echoing from the twin maces in his hands.

'As expected, he has methods to reveal the profound and expose illusions.'

Wang Ping's gaze was calm. Spirit-Invoked Mingyou had seen through the True Person's phantom long ago, which was why it had deliberately warned him to stop right before he was about to strike.

'Now is not the time.'

With this thought in mind, Wang Ping concealed himself even deeper.

'As long as that Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil hangs above his head, I cannot make a move. Backed by a Spiritual Treasure, this phantom is no different from a Corpse Dissolution Immortal...'

As he lay in wait, Wang Ping could also sense a certain profound energy deep within his sea of consciousness slowly inching toward a critical threshold.

But the closer it got, the deeper he hid.

Even though he needed a better opportunity, he did not send any telepathic messages to the Heaven-Stealing Thief or Xianfu to explain his thoughts, for fear that doing so would expose his position.

Fortunately, not a single person on this battlefield was mediocre.

Without a word spoken, the two allies understood implicitly. The next second, having caught his breath with Xianfu's help, the Heaven-Stealing Thief struck again.

"The exploits of the Great Rebellion lie in immortals and gods!"

Once again utilizing the profound truth of the final word of the Usurper Immortal, combined with the Spiritual Treasure Crown-Stroking Mountain, the Heaven-Stealing Thief's figure grew lofty and ethereal once more.

However, this time, he did not descend the mountain to deliver a crushing blow like Mount Tai bearing down. Instead, he remained high upon the summit and cast incantations aimed directly at the True Person's phantom.

"Life-Stealing Thief!"

"Time-Stealing Thief!"

"Merit-Stealing Thief!"

"God-Stealing Thief!"

Cast from the high summit at a superior dimension, the binding authority of these incantations soared to another level. At the same time, a burst of profound power launched later but arrived first.

"The exploits of the Great Rebellion lie in chaos and thieves!"

The profound truth of the word "chaos"—sowing chaos to birth thieves and destabilizing the profound—restrained the True Person's phantom for another fleeting second, allowing the trailing incantations to land with absolute precision.

The next second, the True Person's phantom staggered violently. His life force and vital essence were ripped away, and his magical power plummeted. The very time around him was stolen out of thin air, leaving him no room to react. Even his identity and Great Rebellion Exploits were stripped away by a layer, causing the Great Wind Song to tremble violently and wiping out any thought of a counterattack.

The result was that he stood completely frozen in place.

"Pfft!"

Almost simultaneously, the Heaven-Stealing Thief spat blood and stumbled backward. Layers of cracks surfaced on his face, spilling out profound light. Clearly, he had paid a massive price to execute this.

Yet he still forced himself to act, reaching out to grab one last time.

"Object-Stealing Thief!"

Seizing the opening created by the phantom's momentary stun, this grab finally achieved its crucial purpose, plucking the Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil right off the phantom's head out of thin air!

Immediately following, Xianfu, who had been preparing all along, locked his incantation. "The sovereign commands the subordinate minister, cast into the mountains and banished to the seas!"

Instantly, the Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil—having just broken free of the phantom's control—flickered and was banished far outside the Unified Mind Hall!

The entire sequence was blindingly fast. Although the True Person's phantom remained powerful even after losing the Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil, without the enhancement of a Spiritual Treasure, he finally fell from that tier comparable to a Corpse Dissolution Immortal. However, on the other side, the Heaven-Stealing Thief and Xianfu had suffered an equally grievous toll.

The Heaven-Stealing Thief was vomiting blood endlessly.

Xianfu's entire body was fractured.

As for their Spiritual Treasures, the Crown-Stroking Mountain and the Unified Mind Hall, their brilliance had dimmed and their power had plummeted. They were forced to halt and recover for a moment.

Normally, this would have been completely futile.

Because this brief moment of respite would be more than enough for the True Person's phantom to recover, summon back the Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil, and return to his peak state.

The very next second, the True Person's phantom snapped back to his senses.

"Hmm?"

But then, a shadow was instantly cast over his consciousness once more, freezing him in place yet again. An ocean of distracting thoughts flooded his divine sense, accompanied by a wave of profound power.

Transformation of Illusion and Reality!

This was the profound technique of Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang, drawn out by Wang Ping during his first use of Golden Sea Desiccation, and he had saved it all the way until today.

Now, he unleashed it without a shred of hesitation.

Immediately after, his figure moved like lightning, blitzing straight into the Unified Mind Hall. The twin maces in his hands were already surging with the power of dragons and elephants as they smashed down with a deafening boom!

In this instant, he used every method at his disposal.

The Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron, the Heavenly Martial Campaign Profound Armor, the newly acquired dragon and elephant force, Clasping Mountains and Leaping Seas, the Fourfold War God, and the Heavenly Martial Conquering the Profound First Blade.

He held absolutely nothing back!

"Boom!"

With this strike, Wang Ping completely emptied himself out. His Divine Intent, his vitality, his magical power, and his sea of consciousness were all drained dry. Through the Integration of Immortal and Martial, he poured everything out.

In that flash, even though the True Person's phantom was still trapped under the influence of Golden Sea Desiccation, his eyelids twitched involuntarily, seemingly registering the mortal danger.

Fierce! Perilous! Deadly!

The total voiding of his four attributes was exchanged for a fourfold strike of unparalleled ferocity. It smashed squarely into the True Person's phantom's face, detonating in a blinding eruption of light.

"Bang!"

Under Wang Ping's full-force bombardment, the visage of Tianqu that the True Person's phantom had worn all this time finally cracked open with a tiny fissure.

From behind that crack in his face, a twenty-four-colored radiant light violently spilled forth.

Outside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, in the Cosmic Deep Space.

From within the twenty-four-colored radiance stretching across the starry sky, a sudden sigh echoed. A certain aura that had been deeply hidden this entire time, without revealing a single trace, abruptly made itself known.

"Danyang... it's you."

In an instant, the originally silent Immortal Gate in the higher dimensions suddenly buzzed with activity. One after another, true and tangible eyes opened from the unseen depths.

"The Gen Trigram and the Xun Trigram."

"..."

"Dismantling the imagery of the Great Rebellion, destroying the Great Rebellion Exploits, attempting to release Heavenly Yin Metal... these were all just a smokescreen. So that's how it is. You wish to ascend to the absolute zenith..."