Yefutidaolu

Chapter 420 Killing people
Under the pressure of his extremely stifled and almost exploding emotions, a cold glint suddenly condensed at the tip of the rusty knife in Gao Jian's hand! The cold glint neither increased nor decreased, neither bright nor dim, was exactly one inch long!
It was as if all his repression, anger, loneliness and enlightenment were embodied and condensed at the very tip of the blade!
He was completely enveloped by the overwhelming aura of the mortal world, the surrounding scenery was bizarre and grotesque, and the thoughts of countless beings surged against his mind like a tide, the weight of cause and effect seemed to be crushing his spine.

Under such immense pressure, ordinary cultivators would have long since lost their Dao heart, their souls assimilated by the mortal world, and become muddleheaded fools.

But we have different opinions.

Amidst the boundless clamor and endless entanglements of the mortal world, countless wisps of even deeper and more deathly black energy unusually appeared around him!

That was neither demonic energy nor death energy, but rather—an image of destruction! It was the afterimage of the ultimate fate of countless worlds that he had witnessed and endured during that life-and-death ordeal!
The imagery of destruction, like a surging torrent, churns and spreads, faintly exuding a terrifying aura that threatens to reduce all things to nothingness!
In a daze, strange phenomena seemed to appear:

The stars were deathly silent and cold, devoid of any life.

Space was frozen like amber, and everything was still and motionless;
The universe collapsed and condensed into a deformed singularity;

Dimensions become brittle and overlap, groaning under the unbearable burden;
Even the entire universe is rotting and bleeding, and all possibilities are heading towards a hopeless end...

Furthermore, one can see that certain universes are like inflated balloons, expanding infinitely until they burst, resulting in an ultimate explosion where every trace of matter and every wisp of energy is completely annihilated, turning into the purest nothingness!
This is a different universe, decaying and facing final annihilation after countless ages! It is a grand end that Takashi once glimpsed through his rusty knife during a life-or-death ordeal, a end that far transcends personal life and death, and far transcends the survival of an entire race!

Of course, what appeared around Gao Jian at this moment was just a tiny, insignificant remnant of that boundless aura of annihilation, a mere trace of "divine will" that he could manifest after digesting that conceptual monster.

It was merely an illusion, less than a fraction of the true cataclysm, as if the majestic existence that pervaded the starry sea had been forcibly compressed into a speck of dust.

But—that's enough!
Because, under the guidance of Gao Jian's will, within that endless annihilation and boundless aura of destruction, something entirely different was faintly revealed—

That wasn't despair, but transcendence.

It's not about sinking into despair, but about liberation!

It seems to be saying: Since everything ultimately amounts to nothingness, why cling to suffering? Since all things must eventually perish, why fight each other?

Let it be completely freed and gone!

May you be freed; I, Gaojian, will bear the rest of your suffering!

The strange phenomenon before my eyes became incredibly contradictory: on one side was the ultimate destruction representing the annihilation of turbidity and silence, and on the other side was the transcendent liberation representing letting go of attachments.

Both are grand and silent beings that transcend ordinary joys and sorrows.

Well, the problem is coming.

Can the hustle and bustle of the world withstand such silence?
Can the entanglements of everyday life outweigh the liberation after ultimate destruction?

The answer is obvious!
The vast world of mortals, composed of countless mundane desires, sorrows, and ambitions for fame and fortune, is essentially rooted in "attachment," "greed," "anger," and "inability to let go." But the divine will manifested by the superior insight at this moment is, at its core, "seeing through," "letting go," "ending," and "liberation"!
In terms of realm, the divine will of the superior has already transcended the cause and effect of this mortal world!
The vast world of mortals was restrained to the extreme by Gao Jian!

But Gao Jian's mind was focused, and the cold glint of the blade trembled slightly!
The overwhelming aura of the mortal world surrounding him, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, surged towards him, yet could no longer pose any obstacle or pressure to him!
Instead, it was as if they had encountered a bottomless abyss, and were completely "swallowed" by the divine will that contained the true meaning of destruction and liberation!
I have even envisioned the birth and death of the world and the cycle of the universe in my mind, and I dare to bear its weight!
How could I not be worthy of your mere existence in this mortal world?! How could I not see through your petty and despicable schemes?!

The mundane world, far from being a source of pressure for his insightful views, has instead become an asset to him!

It was witnessing the suffering and injustice in this mortal world that gave Gao Jian the target to wield his sword!
It was through experiencing the helplessness and struggle in this mortal world that Gao Jian had the reason to sever his karmic obstacles!

It was precisely because deep down he still felt a sense of "reluctance" to leave this mortal world that Gao Jian had the motivation to draw his sword!
The light of that inner lamp shines ever brighter, not to sever ties with the world and transcend it, but rather—to illuminate! To thoroughly illuminate this world! To see clearly all its suffering, all its evil deeds, all its helplessness and injustice!
Since we can't avoid it, then there's no need to avoid it!

Since you use worldly desires to oppress me, then I will—

I will draw all of this mortal world into my blade!
Let this mortal world be my fuel, igniting the fire of my severing karma!
A resolute glint flashed in Gao Jian's eyes. His endless frustration and anger seemed to have found their final destination. Instead of destroying outwards, they burned inwards, transforming into the purest and most extreme—a dignified will to sever karmic obstacles and cleanse the filth!

The rusty knife in his hand emitted a clear, resonant hum that seemed to pierce through metal and split stone, as if it could cleanse all the filth of the world! Large patches of mottled rust peeled off the blade, revealing a dull yet incredibly tough blade beneath, now gleaming with a cold, sharp light! That inch of sharpness suddenly surged!

The blade is no longer pointed at a specific person, but at this suffocating world!

Rather, it is this distorted world itself! Rather, it is the root of all oppression, injustice, and enslavement!

He will use this knife in his hand to cut through the fog and break through the shackles, to carve out a path for a new world!
Even if this path has to be paved with his own blood and bones!
Even if behind this blade lies an abyss!

The sword intent soars to the heavens, encompassing all of the mortal world!

At this moment, Gao Jian's momentum reached an unprecedented peak!
Gao Jian's aura surged wildly, which was not a simple expansion of blood and qi or an increase in internal strength, but a sudden elevation of his life level and spiritual realm!

Its overwhelming pressure gave people the illusion of breaking through a realm, as if they had instantly stepped from the seventh realm to another level!
but……

This is impossible!

According to the deeply rooted cultivation system of the Divine Dynasty, breaking through realms and advancing in level must be accompanied by the opening of acupoints! Whether it is acupoints in the physical body or secret acupoints in the divine realm, there must be a specific and perceptible "door" that is opened in order to activate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and achieve a leap forward.

This is an ironclad rule, an unchanging cornerstone of spiritual practice throughout the ages!
However, at this moment, Gao Jian's body was completely undeveloped!

His source of power did not come from a newly opened inner world or a deeper fusion with the outer world. His advancement was a fundamental leap that transcended the existing cognitive paradigm of the Divine Dynasty!
It is a resonance and fusion of will with some higher-level power! This is an advancement that breaks through all existing paradigms of cultivation!

This is a practice originating from beyond that world!

It's a completely different power system!

"Playing tricks! Attack him together and kill him!" Shui Wuyai suppressed his shock and confusion and shouted sharply.

He absolutely refused to believe that anyone could defy the common sense of cultivation, and concluded that Gao Jian was merely using some unknown secret method to forcefully boost his aura, making him outwardly strong but inwardly weak!

Although the numerous experts from the prominent families of Cangzhou were intimidated by Gao Jian's strange aura, they knew they were already in a difficult situation. They suppressed their distracting thoughts, unleashed their most powerful techniques and signature weapons, and activated the immense power they were so proud of!

"Ninefold Overlord Mountain!"

The hot-tempered ninth-realm martial artist from the Wang family roared first, his arm muscles coiling like dragons, his blood boiling like fire!

He unleashed a barrage of punches, not in a straight line, but each punch contained nine distinct layers of force—some fierce, some gentle, some penetrating, some resonant… The nine layers of force stacked together like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, each layer more powerful than the last, its momentum truly as if it were about to shatter a ten-thousand-foot mountain! This was the Wang family's top martial art; when mastered to its fullest extent, with nine layers stacked, one was virtually invincible at close range among those of the same realm! However, at this moment, he was agitated, and the nine layers of force flowed with slight stagnation; although the power was sufficient, it lacked a certain smoothness and coherence.

The patriarch of the Tong family, his eyes bloodshot with rage, channeled his hatred for the lost spiritual ginseng into the most insidious killing move! With a flick of his sleeve, he didn't throw out a magical weapon, but instead unleashed a cloud of gray-green medicinal mist! This mist seemed to possess a life of its own, hissing and hissing, instantly devouring and corroding even the scorching heat of magma wherever it passed! Within the mist, countless twisted phantoms of plants and trees faintly appeared, teeming with life, yet growing wildly and absorbing spiritual energy. This was a poisonous miasma concocted by the Tong family using countless rare spiritual herbs and secret techniques. Seemingly vibrant, it was like wildly growing weeds, absorbing all life force and specifically eroding essence, utterly vicious! However, his mind was in turmoil, and the operation of the poisonous miasma lacked some precise control, appearing somewhat violent and chaotic.

A master of talismanic arts bit his fingertip and used his blood essence to write rapidly in mid-air, instantly forming an incredibly complex purple talisman.

A peak eighth-realm cultivator from a family of divine mechanics flicked his fingers, and countless thin, yet incredibly strong, metal threads shot out from his sleeves! These threads did not travel in straight lines, but rather intertwined, coiled, and combined in mid-air, changing in an instant! Extremely bizarre and cunning! This was a marvelous method that combined mechanical arts with weapon crafting and formations.

In an instant, a variety of attacks and defenses came crashing down: fist strikes, poisonous miasma, mysterious ice, silk nets, shadow blades, heavenly lightning, giant walls... Magical treasures were also activated, their light soaring into the sky, spells roaring, and blood and smoke rising again! All sorts of attacks, like a storm, once again bombarded Gao Jian!

Its power remains astonishing.

however……

This time, however, their attack appeared full of flaws and weak in Gao Jian's eyes!

It wasn't that the energy of the attack itself had weakened, but rather that the person who launched the attack was in a state of confusion!
They themselves may not have been fully aware of it, but the many distracting thoughts in their hearts—fear of Gao Jian, greed for secrets, dissatisfaction with Wang Gang's reprimand, suspicion of their companions, and even worries about their own future—became increasingly intense at this moment! They grew wildly like weeds, entangling their Dao hearts!
When the mind is unsettled, the spirit cannot concentrate, the flow of magical power becomes sluggish, and the surge of qi and blood cannot be pure! The moves performed may seem to be as powerful as ever, but the core "intention" has dissipated, losing that unwavering determination and conviction to succeed! They become hesitant, wavering, and even subtly mutually exclusive!
They had no idea where this sudden unease and a multitude of distracting thoughts came from.

But Gao Jian knows.

His rusty knife was already entwined with a trace of demonic energy from the realm of desire.

In the previous series of battles, especially when he devoured the arm and launched a counterattack, the demonic energy had silently seeped out, like sown seeds, quietly stirring up the deepest negative emotions in these people's hearts!
At this very moment, Gao Jian charged in with the overwhelming power of "Ten Thousand Feet of Mortal World"—this was equivalent to Shui Wuyai personally turning his most powerful move into Gao Jian's background and support! The aura of mortal world not only failed to crush Gao Jian, but was instead integrated by him with the intention of destruction and transcendence, turning it into a part of his own sword intent, making his power even more profound and desolate with the vicissitudes of human life!
On one side is a coalition of powerful families, their minds in disarray, each fighting their own battles, and their magical powers greatly diminished.

On one hand, there was a high-level expert whose realm had inexplicably improved, whose sword intent had transformed, who had integrated the cause and effect of the mortal world, and who carried demonic thoughts to disrupt the enemy!
With this shift in power, the situation instantly reversed!

Faced with the overwhelming torrent of attacks, Gao Jian simply swung the rusty knife in his hand.

The blade was raised, not emitting a particularly dazzling light, but carrying a resolute will to sever cause and effect, split the mortal world, and destroy all laws!

The blade whipped up a fierce wind!
As the wind passed, the dazzling magical light dissipated like smoke being blown away!
The magical artifact's spiritual light, which had been bombarding them, seemed to have struck an invisible barrier, and flew back with a mournful cry!

The surging qi and blood fist intent seemed to have encountered its nemesis, and disintegrated and collapsed on its own!

"what?!"

"impossible!"

"My mana?!"

"I can't hold onto my mind!!"

All the experts from the powerful families who had made their moves paled at that moment! They felt as if their attacks had been like mud oxen sinking into the sea, achieving no effect whatsoever. Instead, their minds were shaken violently, as if their Dao heart and their will had been torn apart and scattered by the "whirlwind" brought by that single strike!
The blood and qi surged backward, the magical power backfired, and the soul trembled!

puff!puff!puff!
Several people turned pale, coughed up blood, staggered backward, and their eyes were filled with disbelief and horror!
With a single, unparalleled strike, Gao Jian, without even directly hitting anyone, shattered their combined attack with his unfathomable sword intent and demonic interference!
Everyone's expression changed drastically.

They were shocked to discover that their own foundations were crumbling at an unbelievable speed.

But how is that possible? To achieve such an extraordinary effect, one must first thoroughly analyze the power systems of all of them and fully grasp the paths they take.

In the words of cultivators, it means simultaneously seeing through the essence of all of them, and then reshaping all three kinds of Great Dao essence in reverse. This is definitely not something that a martial artist of high rank can do.

This is not impossible, but the premise is that the secrets are leaked, studied by the enemy for decades, and then ambushed in one fell swoop!
What the hell is this?!
But they had no choice but to accept it.

Because they are already dead.

(It's a new month, and today is also double monthly votes, please give me your votes!)
(End of this chapter)