Embers of Sword

Chapter 527 The Withered Sword
Renzuka knelt down before the Red Leaf Throne.

Many of those who were besieging the enemy breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this scene.

If this chief disciple of Yinshan chooses to fight desperately under siege, there may be another fierce battle to come.

Fortunately.

Renzuka seems to have given up.

In their view, kneeling before the throne was a sign of Renzu's surrender... The evil spirits of the Southern Frontier should kneel before the Great Chu Yang God.

However, Qian San and Zhou's expressions did not soften.

A gentle breeze blew across the stone wall, producing a sound that made your teeth ache.

The old man, seated on the throne of red leaves, slowly turned his head. His gaze followed the gust of wind back to the direction he had come from. A cloud of dust billowed in, and a swaying, withered figure emerged from it. The figure was thin and upright, exuding a strong aura of blood, and surrounded by a faint golden light.

"The Six Desires True Lord?!"

The elders of Qiantian Palace and the female Venerable of the Xu family, upon recognizing the newcomers, had their pupils contract and immediately summoned their magical artifacts, assuming a fighting stance.

However, the figure eventually stopped a hundred feet away.

"Do not……"

Qian San's expression was solemn as he spoke in a low voice, "This is not the Six Desires True Monarch who fought against you earlier."

"What does this mean?"

The elder of Qiantian Palace was taken aback.

next moment.

The Six Desires True Lord, who had been swaying and steadying himself, suddenly raised his arm and pointed two fingers lightly at the location where Ren Zhong was.

"boom!"

A long line of wind and thunder, wrapped in golden light, stretched for hundreds of feet.

"This is the Heavenly Puppet Sect's 'Blood Thunder Strike'!"

The elder of Qiantian Palace immediately understood Qian San's meaning.

Previously, during the battle with the Six Desires True Lord.

Although this person is incredibly powerful, his main method is still the Dharma Domain... As the chief disciple of the Joyful Union Sect, how could he possibly have learned the secret techniques of the Heavenly Puppet Sect!

The magic of the Heavenly Puppet Sect...

Naturally, only members of the Heavenly Puppet Sect can perform this skill.

The slightly strange posture of the Six Desires True Monarch when he walked earlier, and the "Blood Thunder Pierce" he is currently unleashing, all subtly point to a chilling truth—

This guy has been turned into a corpse puppet by the Heavenly Puppet Sect!
Amidst the roar, golden wind and thunder swept a hundred feet away, but this attack was not aimed at the Martial Sect, nor at Hundred Flowers Valley...

It wasn't aimed at Tonzuka either!
Master Baihe knelt on the ground, head bowed, trembling all over. The fierce golden light of wind and thunder swept over his head, shattering the towering and heavy "maze wall" behind him. Countless pebbles fell like a waterfall, crashing down on Master Baihe. Zhongsha, who had lost consciousness and was like a wild beast, immediately pounced forward, using his body as a blanket and his hands on the ground to shield his senior brother from all the crackling pebbles.

The giant wall shattered.

Everyone fell silent.

Thunder and lightning echoed through the labyrinth. After the massive wall shattered, a vast and boundless sanctuary was revealed. This was the "end" of the second level of the secret tomb. The exposed sanctuary floor after the collapse of the wall was a vibrant red, with countless delicate red lines crisscrossing like a magnificent peony in full bloom. This scene was grand and majestic, yet tinged with a touch of eeriness. Each red line was delicate and distinct, as if woven with the blood and sweat of royal needlework. Upon closer inspection, one would discover that these delicate red lines on the ground were indeed infused with blood, and were even "slowly" increasing in number.

Zhou, Qian San, Qin Baihuang...

Those who were navigating the maze and attempting to trace their route with their divine sense all recognized the familiarity of the red line.

These red lines are intertwined densely.

Some of the patterns overlapped with the "maze path" in their minds.

It seems...

Is this an aerial view of the maze?

However, this red-line drawing is no longer important at this moment.

After the colossal wall collapsed, a rich "Daoist aura" emanated from it, like a flower bud ripening and bursting into bloom. At the end of the red carpet laid out in the sanctuary, a small, pure white stone tablet floated, with countless slender lines spreading out like vines, all converging towards it.

In a sense, this meeting is both accidental and inevitable.

This is a grand and magnificent labyrinth.

However, the original intention of Bai Ze in setting up this maze was not to trap those who entered the tomb.

Those with powerful cultivation can shatter stone walls, constantly seeking opportunities and plundering treasures within the stone chamber.

Those who are weaker will obediently proceed along the maze.

As long as these people buried alive...

Then you will surely reach the "end" of this second level!
"This is... a broken stele of the Great Dao?"

The elder of Qiantian Palace watched this scene, his heart pounding and his lips drying. Within the blessed lands and grotto-heavens of the various holy sites of Da Chu, there were Dao steles left behind by ancient sages; the Dragon Formation Technique he used during his battle with the Six Desires True Monarch originated from one of these. However, just as the "Dao" in this world is divided into different grades, so too are the "Dao Steles"!
The pure white stele suspended at the end of the sanctuary exudes an ancient and awe-inspiring aura.

As the saying goes, "When the body dies, the Dao perishes," but a truly powerful cultivator can leave the "Great Dao" to future generations even after death... In a sense, these steles can also reflect the strength of the person who was on the stele during their lifetime.

Of course, even the most powerful cultivators cannot withstand the passage of time. These stone tablets, imbued with the essence of the Dao, will gradually fade and darken with the weathering of the years.

However, a thousand years have passed, and the mere pressure emanating from the pure white Dao Stele is still unbearable for the elders of Qiantian Palace...

He was certain that the cultivator who left this stele was more powerful than all the sages of the Qian Tian Palace Holy Land!
The two characters on the stele resonated throughout the four directions.

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Everyone looked up at the stele that exuded the majesty of the Great Dao, but Ren Zhong, kneeling on the ground, trembled and remained motionless. He suppressed the urge to turn around and continued to kneel in worship.

Taoist monument...

It turns out that behind this giant wall lies the Dao Stele that I have been searching for with all my might and at all costs!

I was just a little bit short... just a tiny bit...

The golden light of wind and thunder slowly dissipated.

The oppressive aura of the pure white Dao stele spread from the sanctuary, sweeping over everyone's heads. The Six Desires True Monarch's corpse puppet, which was leaning against the collapsed stone wall, suddenly squeezed out a dry laugh from its chest.

"Hehe...hehe..."

The Six Desires True Lord gazed into the distance, whether on the White Crane True Man or on the Holy Hall Stele, it was unclear. At this moment, his laughter sounded full of mockery and pleasure.

"White Ghost, your good disciple is still alive."

"Tsk... He knelt down before you..."

From the edge of the void, obscured by smoke and dust, a faint, mocking laugh echoed.

"who?"

"who is it?!"

The mocking laughter was extremely soft, yet it seemed to possess a magical power.

Wherever it swept, it sent chills down people's spines.

As the smoke and dust dissipated, what remained were patches of eerie, crimson blood mist—

Three figures appeared at the end of the void.

An immense sense of majesty enveloped the hearts of everyone present.

A pressure ten times greater than that of the others landed on the heart of Master Baihe.

Renzuka lowered his head even further, clenching his fists tightly. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, word by word: "Master... you've come."

Although I knelt, bowed, and then stopped.

But the title of the White Crane Immortal has also changed.

Normally, he would address Master Bai Gui with utmost respect and the most reverent tone.

And now...

"您" has become "你".

Master Baihe knew Bai Gui and Yinshan all too well. He knew that if he were captured by his master here, no matter how respectful or submissive he was, it would be meaningless... His master would definitely kill him. The pressure from the cultivation techniques and the divine power emanating from his soul made his voice tremble and he couldn't straighten up.

But under the oppressive force of certain death... Master Baihe slowly raised his head. He looked at the snow-white figure of the boy floating in the air, and the fear in his eyes gradually dissipated, eventually turning into calm.

dead.

My greatest fear is death.

But now... being respectful means death, and being disrespectful also means death.

If that's the case, what is there to be afraid of?

……

……

"White Ghost! Mo Daoren!"

The moment the three figures appeared, Zhou's expression darkened. He took a deep breath and silently stared at the illusory image before him. The three figures shrouded in blood mist appeared majestic and imposing, but in reality, they were merely projections of divine consciousness.

Just as Ye Zu predicted.

The three major false saints have already entered the tomb!
And... they had been hiding at the back of the group. It was obvious that they had discovered Ye Zu's "injuries." These old devils were extremely cunning. Even though Ye Zu was seriously injured, they had only appeared as divine avatars.

It seems that the Six Desires True Monarch has been turned into a corpse puppet by the Ink Daoist.

If I guessed correctly.

These people are preparing to test Ye Zu using the Corpse Puppet Technique!

The thought settled.

The Six Desires True Monarch, who was leaning against the stone wall, suddenly moved. After being refined into a corpse puppet, the Six Desires True Monarch could no longer use the Divine Image Domain with two heads and four arms, but his speed and strength increased to a huge level.

Whoosh!
The moment that withered figure pushed off the ground, it even unleashed a terrifying sonic boom!

In an instant, just an instant.

The Six Desires True Lord then crashed into the Great Chu's camp—

There was a loud bang!
The white-robed martial artists attacked at the same time, and Zhou stepped forward, unleashing a punch just as the Six Desires True Monarch took a step. The Joyful Union Sect primarily cultivates the art of the soul, making the physical body a major weakness. However, the Six Desires True Monarch, having been refined by Mo Daoren, had his greatest deficiency remedied. Although he had lost his Dharma form, he had become even more powerful.

In a sense, this is a "perfect masterpiece" that combines the efforts of two major evil sect leaders.

This punch caused the surrounding void to collapse!

The sound exploded loudly.

The clash between the two top-tier Yin Gods sent countless ripples through the air, shattering the void within a ten-zhang radius and sending out layers of sonic waves. Everyone retreated, and the Mingwang Zhenhai Formation was activated again. However, this time, without Ye Zu's divine sense infusing the main formation, the Mingwang Zhenhai Formation clearly lacked its divine charm and oppressive power, merely deflecting the ripples in the void.

Rub rub rub rub -

After exchanging a punch.

The Six Desires True Lord and Zhou each retreated a hundred feet.

"week."

Just as Zhou was adjusting his breathing and preparing to make another move.

Suddenly, Ye Zu's voice transmission rang out.

The white-clad warrior remained calm and listened attentively.

"The white ghost that has appeared at this moment is merely a projection of divine thought."

Ye Zu's voice was hoarse, and he was extremely tired.

"……Um."

Zhou nodded: "Lord Ye, I see it."

"The three of them are still too cautious."

The old man sitting on the red-leaf throne said softly, "I'm afraid... they won't show themselves unless I close my eyes."

The three false saints were buried together.

But clearly, they each had their own ulterior motives.

Ye Zu possessed great fortune and opportunities, and all three wanted to kill him... but when it came to a real fight, none of them were willing to show themselves.

What if Ye Zu left behind a sword?

Nobody wants to take that risk.

"Now I am exhausted... I have very little strength left..."

Ye Zu raised his head, gazing into the distance shrouded in blood mist: "This final sword... perhaps it won't be delivered..."

The three white ghosts' divine consciousness clones.

In his view, it was just a trivial skill.

From the very beginning, Ye Zu's divine sense had detected the location of the three. However, these three were far too afraid of death... perhaps they had already inquired about the situation from the Paper Doll Path, and they maintained a distance, never stepping into the range of this "final sword".

"Lord Ye Zu..."

Zhou's expression turned serious: "Perhaps I can try to lure them out."

The main road stele is in front of us.

If the Corpse Puppet Six Desires True Monarch can be suppressed and killed, then the three major sects' evil saints will have no choice but to step in.

Ye Zu certainly understood Zhou's thoughts.

This is a good idea, but unfortunately, the three major pseudo-saints have clearly decided not to show themselves, so the upcoming battle is destined not to develop according to the original plan.

"The 'Corpse Puppet' technique of the Mo Daoist and the 'Soul Banner' technique of Yin Mountain are both top-tier evil arts for long-range attacks..."

Ye Zu chuckled and said, "What if they kill all the other people in Da Chu first?"

Zhou was stunned.

"The 'Great Dao Stele' left behind by Bai Ze is not far away."

Ye Zu took a deep breath and said calmly, "Those guys from the three major sects dream of obtaining this stele so they can advance to the Yang God realm. In a sense, you are no different from them."

He was just one step away from becoming a Yang God.

Those who obtain the stele will obtain the spirit of Yang!
"If you do the math... all the hardships of the past centuries have passed, new trends have arrived, and the old waves should have dispersed."

Ye Zu sat on the crimson throne, slowly adjusting his posture, and chuckled softly, "How about I hold off these evil cultivators here while you go and remove the 'stone tablet' from the sanctuary? Even if my final sword strike fails to kill all the enemies, you can still smooth over the rest of the troubles."

"..."

Zhou stared blankly at the withered figure on the Red Leaf Throne, a lump forming in his throat.

The two didn't have much time to talk.

After being defeated, the Corpse Puppet Six Desires True Lord immediately made a comeback.

This time.

He was no longer alone—

As Ye Zu had anticipated, although Bai Gui and Mo Daoren only unleashed their divine senses, they used their most powerful techniques. In the distant blood mist, a soul banner crashed heavily to the ground, and a puppet cavern opened high above.

The ghosts and the celestial puppets roared out.

In an instant, the second level of Bai Ze's secret tomb was transformed into a bloody battlefield where the world was shrouded in darkness.

"boom!!"

Martial Sect, Hundred Flowers Valley, Qiantian Palace, Qin Family...

All the surviving cultivators were enveloped by this bloody, chilling wind!
The old man sitting on the throne straightened up and sent out his divine thoughts.

At this moment, the Mingwang Zhenhai Formation seemed to awaken its soul.

The great formation possessed flesh and blood and a soul.

The rolling waves spread out, blocking out the bloody, cold wind!
(End of this chapter)