Embers of Sword

Chapter 596 Empty Mountain
"I?"

Zhu Yan was taken aback.

He stared at the massive formation beneath him, momentarily at a loss for words.

This is the Great Sword Palace—

It is the sacred place where Zhao Chunyang lived and cultivated his swordsmanship!
The Empress Dowager wants to break this great formation herself?

"Just do it."

The Empress Dowager calmly replied, "With me here, what are you afraid of?"

"This……"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan's expression became somewhat complicated.

He knew that the Holy Empress was a powerful figure who had reached the pinnacle of the Yang God realm, but Zhao Chunyang... was also at that level!
We only consider cultivation level and attack methods.

His fear of Zhao Chunyang was no less than that of the Holy Empress.

The large ship remained silent for a few breaths, and the Empress's gaze towards Zhu Yan turned icy.

"I'll go right away."

Zhu Yan gritted his teeth and reluctantly agreed.

He knew he had no choice; if he hesitated any longer, the Empress would probably activate the copper hoops to torture him!

With a whoosh.

Zhu Yan arrived above the Sword Palace. He took a deep breath, gazing at the dense stream of sword energy below and the mountain-suppressing formation that condensed this sword intent. This formation was forged by the First Lord a thousand years ago; it was extremely sturdy, and breaking it... would require at least a Yang God Realm expert.

"Sorcery...warfare!"

Zhu Yan raised his hands, his expression becoming serious and solemn.

These four words were uttered.

Centered on him, an invisible domain expanded outwards, and snow-white figures emerged from his sleeves, no longer appearing in human form, but in ape form.

Legend has it that a thousand years ago there was a demon ape with exceptional comprehension who entered the Taoist sect for further study and eventually comprehended the demon race's supernatural power of "turning hairs into soldiers"!
This supernatural ability is quite similar to "turning beans into soldiers," but it is also different.

Taoist magic and techniques consume vital energy.

However, the magic of the demon race consumes blood and energy.

This demonic ape's magical powers of war and disaster are even more perfect than those of the Taoist sect. It is said that when cultivated to the extreme, a single hair can transform into a physical body.

One person is worth thousands of troops!
Although Zhu Yan could not compare to the great demon monkey from a thousand years ago, it had still cultivated to the Yang God level. At this moment, it used the "War Disaster" technique, and the area within a radius of nearly a hundred feet was filled with densely packed white ape figures. As the Dao Domain descended, these white apes swung their fists and smashed directly at the top array of the Great Sui Sword Palace!
Bang bang bang!
In an instant, the Great Eagle Sword Palace's mountain-suppressing formation was dented and cracked!
"..."

Upon seeing this, Zhou Zhiren's expression turned slightly cold.

Without hesitation, he immediately took a step.

The purple robe fluttered in the air!
The young master of Chunshan, who had ignited his life force, arrived at the location of the Heavenly Array and directly unleashed his Dao Domain to confront the great demon Zhu Yan!

The Empress stood at the bow of the ship, watching the scene with a blank expression, without any intention of interfering.

At this moment, her attention was entirely focused on Lotus Peak, which was surrounded by four sword peaks.

boom!
The two Dao Domains clashed, and the victor was decided in an instant.

Zhou Zhiren had only just ignited his life flame... At this moment, he was at a crucial juncture in his breakthrough to the Yang God realm. Although he had used the power of his life flame to forcefully elevate this Dao domain beyond the Yin God realm, he was still unable to contend with the mature and perfect Yang God Dao!

The Xiaochun Mountain Dao Domain cracked instantly.

Zhou Zhiren groaned and staggered back, his black hair flying everywhere. He swallowed the blood that welled up in his throat, but a hint of red still appeared on his lips.

"That arrogant fool..."

Zhu Yan sneered, "You think you can stop me? Don't even mention that you haven't completed your promotion yet; even if you had, you wouldn't be a match for me!"

The Yangshen realm has ten levels, each level being a formidable barrier!

The devastating force of the war-stricken Dao Domain crashed down, creating a breach in the Great Sui Sword Palace's mountain-suppressing formation!
Zhu Yan threw a heavy punch!
Zhou Zhiren raised his hands, but was still slammed back to the ground.

Just as Zhu Yan was about to deliver his second punch, the aura of the entire Great Sui Sword Palace gate suddenly changed... The Holy Empress, standing at the bow of the ship, raised her phoenix eyes, her gaze becoming sharp and expectant. With her hands behind her back, she stared solemnly in the direction of Lotus Peak. The majestic stone mountain, shrouded in layers of restrictions, slowly opened, and the ancient vines covering the stone gate were shattered by the sharp sword energy!

A golden sword aura burst forth from the forbidden area of ​​Lotus Peak.

"Take charge of the law!"

"Lord Master!"

Exclamations of surprise echoed through the Sword Palace Mountains.

"...Master!"

Qi Lie helped his senior brother to his feet, and when he saw the familiar golden sword light rushing out from the Lotus Forbidden Land, his expression brightened!
The Master of Laws has appeared—

When the Master went to invite the Sect Leader to come out of seclusion, he disappeared without a trace as soon as he entered the Lotus Forbidden Area!
These few Yin God Realm mountain lords, relying solely on their mountain-suppressing formation, were simply no match for the imperial city's massive ships' attack.

This golden sword light was incredibly fast, skimming along the ground and arriving at the very center of the Sword Palace in an instant, before soaring into the sky.

Zhu Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.

In fact, he realized something was wrong the moment the golden light flashed out, but it was too late to dodge.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Tongtian reached the same height as him.

Stab it!

A golden flying sword shot out without warning, piercing directly into the brow of the Zhu Yan Great Demon. Zhao Tongtian's moves were always clean and swift. He was a sword cultivator of the purest kind, and whenever he made a move, he was always aiming to kill!

"……No!!!"

Zhu Yan felt a great fear arise in his heart.

The flying sword was too fast; he wanted to dodge, but his physical body wasn't fast enough.

but--

The flying sword pierced only a fraction of an inch between the eyebrows before being blasted away by an invisible force.

Zhu Yan retreated dozens of feet, exiting the top of the Sword Palace and landing on the royal ship. He touched his forehead, looking at his hands covered in blood, feeling half fear and half gratitude.

"Your Majesty the Holy Empress..."

Zhu Yan knew very well that only one person could save him after that attack.

He looked to his side.

The Empress stood at the bow of the ship, her expression indifferent, her long sleeves fluttering in the wind, and a wisp of golden light at her fingertips just beginning to dissipate.

Zhao Tongtian's sword, which had already pierced Zhu Yan's brow, was forcibly repelled by her using the power of her Dao Domain.

If not.

Although Zhu Yan wouldn't be instantly killed, he would most likely lose half his life...

This great demon still has a great use.

We can't just let them die like this.

"...Zhao Tongtian?"

The Empress looked at the old man in his golden robe, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

As the Lotus Forbidden Land opens.

She took the opportunity to scan it with her divine sense—

The forbidden area was completely empty; she couldn't see anything.

Why didn't Zhao Chunyang show up?
What does this mean... is he treating himself like he doesn't exist?

However, there was another possibility that the Empress Dowager feared even more than this idea.

He cultivated to the tenth level of the Yang God realm.

Their spiritual realm and the level of the Great Dao have almost reached the pinnacle of perfection.

The only difference... might be the primary or secondary location of one's natal grotto.

Fighting on home ground within one's natal grotto naturally gives one an advantage.

This is why the Holy Empress was able to win the battle of Yueyin at a small cost... Qin Zu really shouldn't have left the Martial Vein and entered Renshou Palace.

But in today's battle, the roles of offense and defense have been reversed.

If the Holy Empress wants to take away the Great Dragon Vein, she must come in person!

The Empress Dowager's divine sense probe had yielded no results, and doubts began to grow in her heart...

Although it's only one in a thousand, one in ten thousand, or even lower.

but……

Could it be that this guy surnamed Zhao has already broken through the final bottleneck of the Yang God Realm?

……

...Wild grasses fluttered in the wind, and fireflies filled the sky.

Deng Baiyi stared blankly at the world that appeared after the stone wall opened. It was a world that was close to "perfect". Perhaps, this was the real "Tianyuan Mountain"... The Dao patterns of Tianxiazhai transformed into an invisible barrier, separating the world inside the stone wall from the outside world. Taking a step forward, countless powerful primordial energies rushed towards her.

Deng Baiyi's internal energy surged in an incredible way!
A thousand years ago.

The level of spiritual practitioners is generally higher than that of current practitioners.

It wasn't that cultivators a thousand years ago had higher aptitude or better talent... but rather that the world a thousand years ago was richer in resources, making it easier and simpler for cultivators to accumulate vital energy. As long as one could comprehend the Qi refining methods and successfully ignite the major acupoints, one could at least become a Foundation Establishment cultivator; it was simply a matter of time.

But now.

Many cultivators are stuck at the Qi Refining stage for their entire lives.

Their energy absorption efficiency is too low, and their accumulation speed is too slow!

Now Deng Baiyi finally understood the reason... With each breath she took, a large amount of vital energy surged into her lungs and cleansed her meridians. Compared to this, blessed lands and dragon veins were far inferior. In just a few dozen breaths, Deng Baiyi's cultivation level rose several levels, directly reaching the peak of Qi Control!
Deng Baiyi's cultivation level ultimately stopped at the peak of Qi control.

It wasn't that the spiritual energy here had been completely absorbed... but rather that her frail body, which had only cultivated for a year, could only reach this level a thousand years ago.

With the external vital energy depleted, contemporary practitioners are actually in a state of physical exhaustion, with dried-up acupoints, and nothing left to cultivate...

Once replenished, it will naturally become unstoppable!
It can be said.

This is the biggest secret of the entire Tianyuan Mountain!

Deng Baiyi simply couldn't imagine what would happen if those few masters from the outside world stepped into this place.
Even after I reached the perfect state of Qi control, the spiritual energy in this forbidden area was still exceptionally abundant.

Perhaps... the remaining primordial energy here could support a Yin God cultivator to become a Yang God?

Or perhaps, even more?

Because of her lowly status, Deng Baiyi dared not make any wild guesses.

But what shocked her even more than the sudden increase in her cultivation level was that... this Tianyuan Mountain secret realm was completely empty, with nothing at all.

After the forbidden area was opened, it turned out to be an empty mountain!
She had expected to see the figure of Xiaoyaozi, the leader of the Taoist sect.

In fact, Deng Baiyi had already mentally prepared for the worst.

She thought about it... Xiaoyaozi was in seclusion and should not be disturbed.

She had also thought about it... Xiaoyaozi had met with misfortune and passed away many years ago.

But she never thought of that.

This forbidden land of Tianyuan is now just a barren mountain, devoid of endless primordial energy.

There was a futon not far away.

That seems to be the place where Xiaoyaozi meditated in seclusion.

The meditation cushion is still there.

But the people vanished like smoke.

"This……"

Deng Baiyi was at a loss for what to do. She cautiously approached the prayer mat, intending to examine it closely, but was blocked by an invisible barrier. Centered on the prayer mat, there was a square area of ​​ten zhang in circumference, seemingly enveloped and encircled by a solid, luminous wall that stretched to the heavens on all sides.

But strangely... a gentle breeze blew the light, wild grasses swept across the landscape, and along with the flowers and leaves, these lifeless, inanimate objects freely passed through this wall of light.

Some wild grass even fell onto the futon.

The sect leader isn't here?

Deng Baiyi was somewhat bewildered, but a strange thought suddenly arose in her mind the next moment.

"Sect Leader?"

Deng Baiyi spoke to the empty prayer mat, but since there was no one there, there was no response.

The only response she received was the gentle breeze that swept across the mountains and fields.

And the rustling withered grass.

"I am Deng Baiyi, a disciple of Tianxiazhai."

Deng Baiyi spoke softly, somewhat embarrassed, "It was Master Tang who took me as her disciple... Please don't be angry. In a sense, I shouldn't be considered a formal disciple of Tianxia Zhai yet. Because Master Tang didn't teach me many techniques; she only taught me for a few months, and I only know some basic array formations and talismans..."

The Taoist sect is the greatest sect in the world, and Tianxiazhai is the foremost vegetarian mountain of the Taoist sect.

With Tang Zhaizhu's cultivation level, there is no doubt that he is qualified to serve as the head of the Zhaizhu.

But his status as a disciple of Tianxiazhai... was truly undeserved.

The only level of cultivation is the ability to control Qi.

Aside from the art of talismans, his training in other magical arts was mediocre, even appalling. Even his swordsmanship, which he had poured so much effort into, was only at a passable level. Looking back at the history of Tianxia Zhai, he was probably the least talented disciple.
"A lot has happened in the Taoist sect."

Deng Baiyi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Senior Junshan sent me to find you."

She slowly recounted what had happened in the Taoist sect to the person on the futon.

Do not know why.

Deng Baiyi always felt that...

Although this prayer mat is empty... the sect leader can hear what I say.

The sect leader is not dead.

Since I'm not dead, I'll wait here and I'm sure I'll get a response.

"..."

They waited quietly for a while.

A gentle breeze blew, and blades of grass fluttered in the wind. Deng Baiyi looked at the futon with anticipation, and she tried to pick up a blade of grass that had drifted out from the futon to see if there were any words carved on it...

It is a pity.

Nothing happened.

Just as Deng Baiyi was preparing to continue waiting and try other methods to see if she could get a response.

A deep, wooden voice suddenly sounded behind her.

"Don't waste your efforts."

Deng Baiyi was startled and turned around in disbelief, only to see a figure wearing a wide black robe appear behind her at some point. The black robe billowed in the wind, as majestic as a mountain... Deng Baiyi was so frightened that she fell to the ground with a thud, her face turning pale.

Although they had never actually met, she had glimpsed his true appearance through the jade slip containing his divine soul in the library—

Chongkan Dazhenren!
The Taoist Grand Master before them, draped in a black robe, had facial features almost identical to those recorded in the Jade Slip of the Divine Soul in the Book Tower.

But her temperament seemed to be different from what Deng Baiyi had imagined.

Chongkan's gaze was deep, yet devoid of murderous intent.

He stood before the prayer mat, gazing at the swaying wild grass, and said calmly, "Do you know about 'spiritual travel'?"

"Dreaming?"

Deng Baiyi nervously stepped back, trying to create some distance, and leaned against the invisible light barrier.

"..."

Seeing this, Chongkan silently took a step back, voluntarily giving way.

"This is a mysterious and profound realm, and most cultivators never have the opportunity to enter it in their lifetime. In the state of spiritual travel, the divine sense is far removed from the physical body and travels through the long river of the Great Dao. At this time... you can see many bizarre and wonderful things."

Chongkan said calmly, "Some people can see what happened in the past, while others can see the future."

"but."

"When one ascends to the Celestial Realm, the probability of triggering 'Divine Travel' increases significantly."

Chongkan looked at the futon and said, "When the spirit travels, both the physical body and the soul will transcend. One is neither alive nor dead, neither present nor absent."

"what do you mean……"

Deng Baiyi was completely bewildered.

She looked behind her and murmured, "Is the Sect Leader lost in thought?"

"Do not."

Chongkan shook his head, laughing self-deprecatingly, "My senior brother is already 'dead'..."

"I killed him with my own hands."

……

……

(It's almost the end of the month, please vote for me with your monthly tickets~~~)

(End of this chapter)