Forge your destiny into a sword, slash your soul and ascend to immortality

Chapter 130 Reaching for the Stars
If a third-rank [Heaven-Mending] Cave Heaven Master wants to close the door and unify the realm, even a second-rank powerhouse would find it extremely difficult to break through in a short period of time.

Therefore, only after the Buddha's Hand Chrysanthemum successfully escaped back to the Great Wood Cave could it finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It is undoubtedly a traitor to the [Yamfu Path]. As the only [Guardian God] left to guard the realm, it neglected its responsibilities as a [Guardian God] and chose to run away after the [Yamfu Path] provoked a terrifying enemy.

Therefore, it simply did not have the courage to face any of the [Yanfuzi] directly, even if the [Yanfuzi] was only a low-grade cultivator.

Right now, it has retreated to its own grotto to hide, but it has given the [Mirror Cloud Shrine] a death order to launch a full-scale attack, requiring the two [Star Pickers] and many [Earthly Fiends] in the shrine to head straight for [Hunzhou].

The fact that Buddha's Hand Chrysanthemum was stripped of its title as the "Guardian Deity of Jambudvipa" was tantamount to severely damaging the foundation of its cultivation.

For such demons and ghosts, the [Guardian Deity of Jambudvipa] is a true opportunity for the Great Dao.

But once that opportunity is taken away, all that awaits it is a slow decline.

The great demon with a ghostly face and a Buddha-like body lay prostrate inside the cave, desperately trying to save itself.

However, the frightened Thousand-Handed Demon Buddha failed to notice that despite his command, the entire Mirror Cloud Shrine remained completely still, with not a single soldier or horse leaving the mountain gate.

If the Buddha's Hand Chrysanthemum were to look back at its own mountain gate in time, it would find that the entire site of the [Mirror Cloud Shrine] is already enveloped by densely intertwined threads of cause and effect.

Inside the mountain gate, countless large demons filled the area!
At this moment, Ikihime had emerged from her cave and was leading two large demons toward the back mountain of the [Kyokuni Shrine].

The three demons stopped in their tracks when they came to a huge bronze mirror.

Ikuhime spoke:
"My lords, this mirror contains a grotto beacon that leads directly to the [Great Wood Grotto], which is a secret passage of our sect."

"I can only guide you two this far. My lord's side is about to engage in a great battle, so the battlefield at [Kyōun Shrine] will be left to you two!"

Opposite her stood a ghost emperor in a black dragon robe and a bride in a golden wedding dress—the brother and sister, the Impermanent Emperors, from the Sea of ​​Wrongful Souls.

Then the [Impermanent Emperor] spoke:
"You've had a hard time, priestess. You possess the title of 'Daughter of the Witch Demon,' and you are exceptionally talented in the cultivation of the ghost path. Perhaps I could discuss with 'Yan Fuzi' and have you cultivate in my 'Sea of ​​Vengeful Souls.'"

“Once my younger sister inherits the Great Wood Cave, she will move to Yingzhou to cultivate. My Sea of ​​Wrongful Souls will have a large amount of resources available, enough to support your cultivation to the third rank of Mending Heaven.”

But then, Sheng Ji shook her head and said:
“I appreciate Your Majesty’s kindness. My bond with [Yanfuzi] is already deep; we share both glory and loss. I will do my utmost to help him achieve enlightenment.”

After saying that, Sheng Ji tore open a spatial rift and left.

But then Princess Ping'an spoke up:
"I haven't even left yet, and my elder brother is already thinking about who will replace me. How cold-blooded he is!"

The Impermanent Ghost Emperor laughed and said:
"I'm just happy for a moment. My little sister has endured three thousand years of hardship, and finally her path to enlightenment is promising. She has even been granted the title of [Guardian God of the Jambudvipa Path]. In the next battle for destiny, she will have an advantage. It's truly a double blessing!"

As they spoke, the two large demons stepped into the bronze mirror.

Immediately, boundless ghostly energy erupted from the [Da Mu Cave Heaven], and a terrifying ghost emperor revealed his true form, kicking the half-dead Buddha's Hand Chrysanthemum to the ground.

Then, Princess Ping'an unfurled her wedding dress, completely enveloping the Buddha's Hand Chrysanthemum, and began to frantically absorb the magical power of this [Heaven-Mending] Great Demon.

With its title of "Guardian Deity" and the hard-earned "Thousand Hands" destiny, Princess Ping'an's cultivation, which had been delayed for so many years due to her "illness," could finally break through again and advance to the third rank of "Heaven Mending."

The fact that the Sea of ​​Wrongful Souls was willing to intervene in the power struggle between Pure Yang Heaven and the Three Floating Sects, and to fight against Mirror Cloud Shrine, was naturally an equal deal between Shang Xi, Jing Qian, and the Impermanent Ghost Emperor.

In exchange for a third-grade Ghost Phoenix and the complete eradication of the karmic ties between Jing Qian and the Vengeful Spirit Sea, Jing Qian would be promoted to the rank of Yama, and in return, the title of Guardian Deity of the Thousand-Leaf Buddha's Hand Chrysanthemum would be transferred to Princess Ping An. Furthermore, a path would be provided to open up the Great Wood Cave.

In addition, the [Wuchang Ghost Emperor] must also ensure that enemies from the [Kyōun Shrine] do not interfere when Shangxi is promoted.

Both parties are very satisfied with this mutually beneficial deal.

For the master and disciples of [Pure Yang Heaven], the only ones who would truly intervene to stop Shang Xi's advancement are most likely the three lower sects.

To help Shangxi advance, besides seizing a [main star], the biggest obstacle is how to stop the interference of these three powerful figures.

After all, Shangxi's entire focus must be on advancement, which will leave him unable to participate in battles for a long period of time.

During this process, the task of stopping the master of the third-grade grotto-heaven will have to be handed over to someone else.

Fortunately, the master and apprentice pulled the [Sea of ​​Vengeful Spirits] to their side, successfully blocking the [Mirror Cloud Shrine] and stopping one-third of the enemies.

At the same time, the [Wuchang Cave Heaven] was thrown into chaos when Shang Xi broke in with his sword!

Facing the third-rank [Great Bodhisattva of Wonderful Sound], Shang Xi's sword flashed like a dragon, unleashing boundless Yin-Yang sword light.

Outside the grotto, every sword strike from Shangxi would be a deadly blow to the Great Bodhisattva of Wonderful Sound, capable of crippling or even killing her.

However, within this grotto-heaven, she was able to mobilize its resources to wear down and block Shang Xi's sword light.

Moreover, with the protection of the grotto-heaven, she can freely appear in any location within the grotto-heaven, which is enough to make her invincible for a short period of time.

If Shang Xi wants to kill Miao Yin, there is only one way: to completely destroy this [Impermanent Cave Heaven]!
And this is exactly what he was thinking!
Shang Xi, wielding the second-grade [Two Elements Annihilation Sword], gathered the fundamental sword energy accumulated over three thousand years of suppressing two second-grade great demons, and focused it into a fierce sword light. Instead of aiming at Miao Yin, he rushed straight out of the cave and cleaved open the boundary membrane of the cave with a single sword strike.

A massive amount of vital energy began to gush out from outside the cave.

With just this one sword strike, a third of the [Impermanent Cave Heaven] was cleaved in two.

Shang Xi could destroy the cave dwelling that the Great Bodhisattva Miaoyin relied on for survival with just two more sword strikes, and then it would be her death day!
But just then, a giant tower suddenly appeared outside the cave, directly suppressing the hole.

Four powerful cultivators flew out of the tower. The one in the lead was Tianyan, a third-rank [Spirit Official] bestowed by Heaven, the first guardian of the [Heavenly Gang Tower] of the Divine Dynasty, and a third-rank [Heaven Mending] powerhouse.

He just opened his mouth and said:
"Please forgive us, Master Shangxi. The Divine Dynasty has no intention of interfering in the affairs of your Pure Yang Heaven. However, we have a responsibility to protect the membrane of the realm, and we cannot allow you to destroy the Impermanent Cave Heaven."

These four guardian cultivators include two third-rank and two fourth-rank cultivators. Even if they were just the four of them, they wouldn't be enough to kill Xi Sha if they were tied up.

However, the [Tian Gang Tower] is a second-grade [Spiritual Energy] and can mobilize the power of many cave heavens. This combination of four people and one tower can be regarded as a second-grade combat power.

Therefore, when the [Heavenly Gang Tower] jumped out to stop Shang Xi, it really did change the course of the battle!

Shang Xi stopped drawing his sword and stood alone, holding it. He looked up coldly at the four Tianyan people, as if waiting for something.

……

In the land of Hunzhou, Daozi raises his sword!

After the Thousand-Petaled Buddha's Hand Chrysanthemum ran away, only Blood Robe remained, riding the Boundless Blood River to arrive.

Even though this was a third-grade grotto-heaven master with boundless power, Jing Qian was not afraid at all.

He gained another mid-grade title, causing his combat power to surge once again.

He opened his [Three Lives of Reincarnation Eye] to its maximum, staring at the blood-clad figure from a distance of 100,000 miles.

Now that the other party has left the Blood Pool Cave, there's no point in thinking about going back!
The next second, a phoenix cry resounded through the sky. [Good Corn] rode [Ghost Phoenix], transformed into a black light, and rushed into the blood river, engaging in a fierce battle with the blood-clad figure.

The two sides are evenly matched, truly a battle of equals!
Jing Qian, however, vanished into Hunzhou in a flash.

When he reappeared, he had already used the vision projection of the [Three Lives Eye] to descend upon the Blood River Sect's base in [Youzhou].

The entire sect was in an uproar!

The [Yanfu Dao] has reappeared in the world, and [Yanfu Zi] is acting in a high-profile manner, causing the entire realm to tremble.

As assigned by Xueyi, the Blood River Sect also gathered all the top cultivators from various sects to head to Hunzhou.

Just then, a figure inexplicably appeared in the middle of the crowd. The twelve fifth-grade [Earthly Fiend] cultivators had just gathered and were about to set off when they saw the group of people.

This figure has a vertical eye between its eyebrows, holds a black sword, and bursts forth with boundless sword energy the moment it appears.

A [Minor Heavenly Gang Sword Formation] enveloped all the fifth-rank cultivators. Within the sword formation, killing sword energy crisscrossed, grinding and polishing, instantly washing away many [Earthly Fiend] cultivators.

Those who were not quick-witted enough or lacked defensive skills were simply killed by the sword light.

Of the twelve Earthly Fiends, only four survived!

This is the culmination of thousands of years of accumulation by the Blood River Sect!
The four surviving Earthly Fiends were unable to break free from the sword formation's constraints, and their fate was predictable.

Holding the Immortal Sword Embryo, Jing Qian targeted the remaining four Earthly Fiend cultivators, beheading them all in the blink of an eye.

Among the Earthly Fiends of the Blood River Sect, there wasn't even a single cultivator with a title, their combat strength was meager, and they were no match for Jing Qian at all.

All the cultivators with the highest magical power present were killed, and the remaining disciples of the Blood River Sect were no longer a threat.

Jing Qian raised his hand and summoned Qili and Shengji.

Both the cat and the ghost were at the fifth rank of cultivation. In particular, the girl, Sheng Ji, had the title of "Daughter of the Witch and Ghost" and wielded the fourth-rank "Ox-Head Blood Tears" spiritual energy.

The two of them alone were enough to completely flatten the Blood River Sect at this moment.

Jing Qian spoke and gave the order:

"You two need not hold back. Sweep away all the cultivators in the sect and move all the sect's magical artifacts and resources to the [Void Realm]."

After saying that, he flashed into the Blood River Sect's territory and entered a mountain peak.

At the base of this mountain, inside a cave, lies a sealed pool of blood.

Jing Qian arrived here, broke the seal with a single sword strike, and jumped into the blood pool.

He was so familiar with the Blood River Sect's headquarters that it felt like his own home.

And this was all thanks to the extremely cooperative guidance from Xue Cang in his mind.

This Xue Cangsheng was once the legitimate number three figure in the [Blood River Sect].

Apart from the sect leader [Blood River] who fled into the void and Blood Robe who hid in [Blood Pool Cave Heaven], the entire [Blood River Sect] was under his control.

He knew all the secrets within the sect.

After Jing Qian made his request, Xue Cang quickly produced a manual on how to destroy the Blood River Sect, which was both concise and efficient.

Jing Qian followed the instructions and found that it was indeed very easy to use.

At this moment, within the blood pool of this cave, there is a grotto beacon directly connected to the [Blood Pool Grotto].

Using the power of [Sumeru] to sense the beacon, and with the crucial information provided by Xue Cang, he entered the cave in a flash.

This [Blood Pool Cave Heaven] is the core of the [Blood River Sect], where the most precious resources and the most important inheritance are all stored.

The Blood River Sect is a subordinate lineage of the Yanfu Dao's meat feast, and they are most adept at manipulating blood and organs, engaging in disgusting tricks of flesh and blood proliferation.

Within this grotto, every inch of air seemed to be writhing.

As soon as Jing Qian stepped inside, he was hit in the face by a thick, pungent smell of blood.

The smell was unlike ordinary blood; it was more like the grease boiled from thousands of rotting corpses, mixed with the sweet, fishy smell of steaming bone marrow, which burrowed straight into the brain through the nasal cavity.

Beneath their feet lay a translucent, scarlet gel, from which thick, sticky blood oozes with every step. Countless humanoid protrusions struggled beneath the surface, all vengeful spirits transformed from the cultivators imprisoned here.

As soon as Jing Qian got close, his bare, skeletal fingers pierced through the gelatinous layer and scratched sticky, bloody marks on his ankle.

His body was covered with a layer of [Sumeru Ghost Skin], which blocked all flesh and blood power from the outside.

For those who do not practice the secret art of the "Meat Feast," this place is a terrifying hell.

External forces, like cancer cells, will erode its flesh and blood, and diminish its magical power.

Jing Qian, under Xue Cang's guidance, had already discovered all the secrets within the cave.

As soon as he entered, he transformed into a streak of light and, after traversing most of the cave, plunged headlong into a giant blood sphere.

The [Immortal Sword Embryo] cut the blood sphere in two like a precise scalpel, splitting it open.

Inside this blood sphere was a secret chamber, where a cultivator was lighting a thick, strange blood candle and using its magical properties to transmit messages to the outside world.

Ignoring everything else, Jing Qian twirled his black jade sword in a beautiful flourish and slashed at the cultivator.

At the same time, terrifying sword energy swirled around the inside of the blood sphere, forming a sword array once again to hinder the opponent's movements.

His novel tactical system of binding enemies with sword formations and beheading with sword embryos is, at present, enough to allow him to crush most of the enemies he encounters.

As long as he can get close to the opponent, the power of the first-grade [Immortal Sword Embryo] in his hand will be irresistible!
The Blood Nether cultivator before them was also a fourth-grade [Star Picker] level expert.

But in reality, he doesn't even have a title, and his combat strength is less than 30% of Xue Cang's. He's probably only on par with Qiongqi, and might not even be able to defeat Thunder Bird, the Son of Thunder.

When Jing Qian charged straight at Xue Ming as if he had X-ray vision, Xue Ming was caught off guard and was killed by a single sword strike.

At this point, Jing Qian had single-handedly wiped out the entire Blood River Sect's power within the realm!

Before his death, Xue Ming left behind a final message:

“Young man, I have already sent a message to the sect leader. He will be returning from beyond the borders soon and will surely wipe out all the remaining evil forces in this world!”

Jing Qian shook his head after hearing this. "You're already dead. Why are you still concerned about these things after your death? It's all superfluous."

A local official is more powerful than a distant one. Even though Blood River is a second-rank powerhouse with formidable magical power, who knows what the realm will be like when he returns.

As a fellow second-rank cultivator, [Blood River] also ascended [Mountain of Immortal Qi], successfully erected a [Life Stele] for himself, and achieved an immortal and eternal status.

However, the difference in strength between the second and third ranks is not small.

Jing Qian clearly understood from Xue Cang that although [Blood River] had advanced to the second rank, his strength and foundation were still not comparable to the likes of [Eyeless], and at most he was comparable to [Wuchang Ghost Emperor].

At the very least, [Blood River] cannot recklessly bite other people's hooks and disregard boundless space and time.

Even if Blood Darkness lit the red candles and sent out the message, it would take at least half a year for Blood River to receive the message and return.

By then, Shangxi will have already "reached for the stars"!

With his own powerful backer, Jing Qian was naturally not worried at all.

He raised his Three Lives Eyes and looked outside the cave, where the blood-stained clothes were still tightly bound by the combination of Good Corn and Ghost Phoenix.

Neither side could gain a quick victory, and they were locked in a stalemate, with a massive tsunami sweeping across the vast ocean.

However, this was enough for Jing Qian.

As long as Xueyi cannot return to the Blood Pool Cave for the time being, it will not affect his next plan.

He continued to follow Xue Cang's instructions and arrived at the cave, where he stood before another enormous blood sphere.

As usual, the [Immortal Sword Embryo] sword parted the blood sphere, revealing its unique structure.

Here, a large number of flesh and blood chains firmly bound a spherical black shadow within.

Strange talismans hung from the chains, suppressing the dark figure within.

After Jing Qian arrived, he didn't stop for even a second. He swung his black jade greatsword, which was smoking, and slashed at the chains and talismans in front of him.

After a series of crackling sounds, all the odds and ends could not withstand the slashing of the first-class greatsword and crumbled into pieces.

The dark figure that had been suppressed within was finally completely freed!
Immediately, the black shadow began to rise infinitely, and within a very short time, it passed through the boundary membrane and disappeared into the endless void.

Jing Qian raised his Three Lives Eyes and looked up. The black shadow soared into the sky and sped towards the vast universe.

It only exploded suddenly when it rose to a position nearly 500 million miles away from the [Yingfu Pagoda Realm].

Beneath this exploding black shadow lies the main star controlled by the Blood River Sect!
This dark figure was a piece of the Great Dao essence that [Blood River] had carved out from the [Main Star] using his great magical power. It was the core means of controlling and sealing this [Main Star].

Without this shadow, the [Main Star] cannot be perfected. Although its shadow can be seen from within the realm, it cannot be truly located or reflected.

Jing Qian's actions were precisely aimed at completely liberating this [Main Star] and clearly presenting it to the entire [Yingfutu Realm].

At this point, the true intentions of [Chunyang Tian] were revealed, and their strategic goal of seeking promotion for Shang Xi was fully exposed.

In an instant, the entire [Yingfutu Realm] was filled with powerful cultivators who were greatly shaken.

After all, there is a fundamental difference between a Pure Yangzi who is waiting to die and a Pure Yangzi who has completely broken through the shackles and advanced to the Star-Picking Realm!
Many top-tier cultivation lines and powerful grotto-heavens have reacted!

Over the past three thousand years, those who have sworn animosity against the Pure Yang Heaven have been living in constant fear and are plotting to make a move against them.

But at that moment, from the land of [Haizhou], towering [Yunzhu] rose, and an immeasurable surge of magical power swept across the land of [Haizhou], shocking the entire realm.

In the land of Yunzhou, a great phoenix soars into the sky, riding a five-colored light, soaring straight into the heavens and flying over the territory of the divine dynasty.

In the Taizhou region, within the Lingluo Sect's mountain gate, a golden jade gong was struck loudly, and the sound of the gong echoed in the ears of all powerful beings with cultivation levels above the fifth rank.

The three factions of the mortal realm simultaneously declared their positions, revealing their full strength and preparing for battle at any time, determined to support Shang Xi's advancement.

Unlike the three sects of Fuxia, the Lingluo Sect, Cihangzhai, and Yuhua Sect have completely severed ties with their respective sect leaders' lineages.

Even though the power of the Pure Yang Heaven has weakened, the three lineages have also declined considerably over the past three thousand years.

However, with their firm stances, they will surely receive the rewards they deserve after Shang Xi's promotion!
Inside the Blood Pool Cave, Jing Qian, with his Three Lives Eyes, watched the three factions of the mortal realm make their move, and was completely relieved.

With these three factions taking action, it's enough to suppress the troublemaking of other petty scoundrels.

By this point, Shangxi's plan had been executed perfectly, and all of the remaining resources of [Pure Yang Heaven] had been mobilized.

He finally secured his only promotion opportunity!

The rest depends entirely on his own efforts!

On the other side, Jing Qian's mission was complete, and he could finally focus on collecting the biggest reward of this battle.

He unleashed his full magical power, the power of [Sumeru] and the title of [Lord of Myriad Manifestations Sumeru] mutually reinforcing each other, and in the blink of an eye, he carved out a huge spatial rift within the [Blood Pool Cave Heaven].

The primordial energy, matter, and magical power within the cave immediately began to be frantically absorbed into it.

He intends to completely absorb this powerful grotto-heaven into the dimensional world of [Sumeru], transforming it into the fundamental essence of [Sumeru]'s power!

Compared to the Void Realm, the Blood Pool Cave is more than a thousand times, ten thousand times stronger!
For Jing Qian, this was a once-in-a-lifetime, tremendous improvement, no less than a qualitative change in his cultivation!

If it weren't for the fact that Shangxi Fuma was so skilled and meticulously planned, how could Jingqian have had the chance to seize one of the twenty-three top-tier grotto-heavens of the Yingfutu Realm?

This was a rare opportunity, so he naturally went all out!
……

When the main star of the Blood River Sect appeared in the world, within the Impermanence Cave, Shang Xi immediately realized that the opportunity he had been waiting for for three thousand years had finally arrived!
At this moment, the Heavenly Gang Pagoda blocked their way above, while the Great Bodhisattva of Wondrous Sound and Red Serpent entangled them below.

When the support player was fine, it was Shangxi himself who failed to play with perfect rhythm.

Just then, Lingling, who was standing beside him, quietly appeared and said excitedly:
"I knew it!"

"Brother Shangxi can't do without my help!"

“Brother, you go and pluck the stars. Leave everything after you to me.”

At this critical moment, Shang Xi remained completely calm. He addressed the crowd and said:

"Fellow Daoists, please forgive me. I have been suppressing the [Mother Yaksha] for many years and am already nearing my limit."

"It just so happens that Fellow Daoist Miaoyin and the four fellow Daoists from the [Tiangang Tower] are here, and their cultivation levels are all far superior to mine."

"I will no longer force myself to endure this, and I ask my fellow Daoists to help me find liberation."

After saying that, Shangxi raised his hand and grasped the sword hilt that was exposed behind Lingling. With a "Canglang," he pulled out the [Great Micro Sword] that was embedded in her chest.

This natal [Lingji] has finally fallen into Shangxi's control again after three thousand years.

As for the second-rank [She-Devil], the seal has been broken, and she has finally regained her freedom!

Boundless zombie energy erupted from her body, instantly filling the [Wuchang Cave Heaven], and then swept towards the [Tiangang Tower] on the horizon.

"Shang Xi! You're insane!"

The First Guardian of Tianyan was utterly shocked!

Unexpectedly, with just a little pressure, Shangxi flipped the table over.

Now that the great demon has broken free, it is frantically devouring the cave heavens above the boundary membrane. If this is not handled properly, a great calamity will surely befall us.

Therefore, the guards acted decisively, wielding the [Heavenly Gang Tower] and crashing into the [Impermanent Cave Heaven] to suppress the [Mother Night Demon].

At this moment, the [Mother Yaksha] revealed her true form, a hundred feet tall, with furrowed brows exuding murderous intent and eyes revealing a fierce light. Bracelets bound the witch's arms, and her red robes reflected the Yaksha spirit.

She threw a punch with her left arm, hitting the [Tiangang Pagoda] squarely, and then reached out with her right arm to grab the [Wonderful Sound Bodhisattva] and stuff it into her mouth.

With one bite, the Sanpin Yanni bursts with juice, crunchy and delicious.

Lingling looked up at the sky and howled, her voice like thunder that could destroy the world, showing no trace of the charming appearance beside Shangxi.

Inside the [Impermanent Cave Heaven], the remaining two sides were both second-grade combatants, and for a time they were locked in a fierce battle.

Shang Xi had already fled far away, sitting back on the boundary membrane of the Pure Yang Cave Heaven. His Eye of Breaking Illusion and Rebirth opened between his brows, staring directly at the Main Star five hundred million miles away.

Then, the [Xiwei Sword Box], which he had painstakingly refined over thousands of years, transformed into a surging sword light, rising like a dragon and heading towards the [Main Star].

The day we reach for the stars is today!
(End of this chapter)