Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 345 Suppressing the Imperial Weapon
Li Yao held the dragon-patterned cauldron and demonstrated the profound meaning of the True Dragon Treasure Technique. Countless dragon patterns flashed in front of him and were imprinted on the cauldron.

The dragon pattern is profound. Each symbol is like a small dragon, with different postures. Some roar to the sky, some shake their heads and wag their tails, and some soar through the sky... all representing a fundamental principle.

Others were bewildered but impressed, but Qianlun was completely captivated, as if he had discovered the supreme treasure of the Dragon Clan.

At this moment, he completely believed the princess's speculation. The inheritance in Li Yao's hands far surpassed the Imperial Dao Domain, and its creator was definitely a dragon immortal.

We made a fortune! This gamble was a complete success!
Although Qianlun didn't think that he could obtain a celestial scripture just because of one act of assistance, it was a good start, and there would always be opportunities in the future.

"You scoundrels, don't even think about making a move!" Qianlun shouted, holding the Myriad Dragon Bell and pressing down to stop the Cangyan and the Twelve-Armed Creatures who wanted to attack Li Yao.

Elder Wei Yi found this scene very strange, but he still immediately confronted the evil god with the Hengyu Furnace, the Void Mirror, and the Western Emperor Tower.

The dragon-patterned cauldron rose and fell, radiating brilliant divine light, with thousands of strands of chaotic energy hanging down. Lightning flashed and thunder roared at the mouth of the cauldron, and it seemed as if the world was being created within it. The figure of the deity became more and more obvious, dressed in a green robe, but his face was covered by chaotic energy and was indistinct.

As an imperial weapon, it is extremely difficult to awaken the profound meaning of immortal gold. If it is not awakened at the beginning, it is almost impossible to awaken it in the future.

But once they truly awaken, their speed is astonishing, far exceeding that of ordinary weapons.

Now, with Li Yao's unreserved assistance using the Dragon Clan's fundamental Dao, the speed is even more astonishing.

Finally, with a dragon's roar that shook the heavens and the earth, the Dragon Pattern Cauldron seemed to come alive.

The cauldron is still the same cauldron, and the patterns on its exterior—flowers, birds, fish, insects, and beasts—remain unchanged, yet it gives the impression that it is alive.

The people who were facing off, as well as those on the Big Dipper, all looked over and were dumbfounded.

There, it seemed as if two people were standing, both dressed in green robes, with identical figures. One had a visible face, handsome and unparalleled, while the other's face was covered in chaotic energy.

People were shocked. They closed their eyes and wiped them. When they opened their eyes again, one of the figures in green had disappeared. In its place was a black and gold cauldron with dragon patterns floating in the water. There was no longer any figure in green. It was as if the scene just now was just an illusion.

"What was that just now? Did I see it wrong?" Many people doubted that they had seen it wrong.

“You’re not mistaken, I saw it too.” More people responded.

"Imperial Weapon...Imperial Weapon...has it come back to life?"

Everyone was stunned. This was an unprecedented event that defied all common sense.

"I once read a record in an ancient book that each type of immortal metal has a different profound meaning. As long as it is compatible, it can be awakened. I always thought it was a baseless theory that the ancients had just figured out. Could it actually be true?" An old patriarch of a royal family questioned his life.

"It should be true. Legend has it that the weapon of the Immortal Emperor has always remained active and is somewhat different from other royal weapons." Another old patriarch of the royal family also spoke up, revealing this secret.

People were moved. Although they still didn't quite understand, they knew that the changes to the Dragon Pattern Cauldron were definitely extraordinary.

Outside the region, everyone was shocked; they saw more and were even more alarmed.

The Dragon Pattern Cauldron's activity level suddenly rose to a new level. This was something that even a Great Sage could not do. Even an ordinary Quasi-Emperor would probably not be able to revive an Imperial Weapon to this extent.

What does this mean? It almost means that the power that the Dragon Pattern Cauldron can display at this moment far exceeds that of the Great Sage, and can be compared with the combat power of a strong person who has gone a certain distance in the Quasi-Emperor realm and is holding an Emperor weapon!

The three evil gods were filled with fear and sensed something was wrong. But the worst thing was that they couldn't leave. They were locked down by several imperial weapons, and this void was also sealed off. With the double blockade, even with the power of the imperial weapons, they couldn't break out.

"Your Excellency, please stop. We promise that we will never set foot in this star field again." The twelve-armed creature readily admitted defeat, lowering its stance.

Unfortunately, Li Yao had no intention of letting any of them go.

"Go, crush them for me." He pointed at the three evil gods, his voice icy.

"boom!"

The chaotic energy surged, creating a hazy scene. The Dragon Pattern Cauldron transformed into a black dragon, raising its head and roaring, lifelike and full of vitality, like a real dragon in motion, charging forward.

The evil god, the twelve-armed creature, and the Azure Flame dared not underestimate them. Their boundless magical power surged, and they unleashed their ultimate weapons to confront the Dragon Pattern Cauldron.

A terrifying wave spread, shattering stars one by one, and the endless Dao traces caused a terrifying wave of destruction.

"puff!"

The evil god, the twelve-armed creature, and Cang Yan trembled violently, their bones cracking and popping, blood gushing from their mouths, their skin torn and bleeding profusely.

With just one strike, they were severely injured. They even had to use two ultimate weapons to fight back, but even the three supreme saints were no match for them!

"How can you be so strong?"

All three were utterly horrified, unable to maintain their confident and arrogant attitude. The absolute gap in skill made them realize that they were no match for their opponent.

"If I perish here, the Holy Spirit lineage will surely come out in full force, raise their battle flags, and attack this star," Cang Yan threatened.

He was afraid. In the thousands of years of his invincible universe, he had never felt such emotions. But today, death was approaching like never before, and even his Dao heart was trembling.

"Why don't you feel it for yourself? Haven't I killed enough Holy Spirits?" Li Yao said disdainfully.

Cang Yan was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage. He could feel the curses left by the fall of many holy spirits on the other party, and the blood of many holy spirits was on the other party's hands.

"So, one more of you won't make a difference. Just accept your fate."

"hold head high!"

Sensing Li Yao's will, the Dragon Pattern Cauldron became even more ferocious, with a ten-thousand-foot-long black dragon roaring and its supreme imperial might overwhelming, pressing forward.

The Refining God Pot and the Holy Spirit Stone Lamp shook, releasing countless Dao traces, but they were no match for the Black Dragon and were pressed down beneath it.

This was a one-sided battle, with the three evil gods suffering repeated defeats. Even burning their own life force was merely a drop in the ocean.

Fortunately, they had the ultimate weapons in front of them, so what was transmitted to them was only a tiny bit of killing power, without any imperial laws. Otherwise, they would have been reduced to ashes long ago.

Even so, they were not having an easy time. They were covered in blood, their bones were constantly shattering, and their bodies were repeatedly exploding, healing, and exploding again.

In the distance, Qianlun and Wei Yi exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with disbelief.

They had not expected that Li Yao would be so powerful, wielding an Emperor-level weapon and overpowering two Extreme Dao weapons and three Supreme Saints.

Lower-level cultivators might not see much more, only knowing that Li Yao had the upper hand.

But Qianlun and Wei Yi saw much more: the evil god and his ilk were merely struggling in their death throes, with no chance of escape. They would be gradually devoured until they perished.

At this moment, Qianlun felt only relief that he had obeyed the princess's orders and had not attacked Yaoguang; otherwise, Wanlong Nest would have been in grave danger of destruction.

Now things are much better. After this battle, we are no longer enemies, but have established contact and are practically on the same side.

"boom!"

The Dragon Pattern Cauldron trembled violently, and a star field was spat out from the mouth of the black dragon. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and strands of Dao traces intertwined to form an ancient universe, which pressed down.

Another violent collision erupted, unleashing a terrifying wave of destruction. Beams of light flew everywhere, annihilating countless stars in their path, and massive cracks spread, covering the entire starry sky.

The Refining God Pot and the Holy Spirit Stone Lamp swayed and nearly lost control, flying out of control. The evil god, the twelve-armed creature, and Cang Yan desperately burned their source energy to stabilize the ultimate weapon.

Now, this is their only chance to resist; once the ultimate weapon is removed, they will perish instantly.

"Hmph, a death throes. Your resistance is utterly powerless in my eyes." Li Yao sneered, a rune lighting up between his brows.

The "Soldier" secret technique was activated, enhancing the Dragon Pattern Cauldron while simultaneously interfering with the Refining God Pot and the Holy Spirit Stone Lamp.

The three evil gods paled, sensing the unusual movement of the ultimate weapon. But before they could prepare, the Dragon Pattern Cauldron suddenly trembled, unleashing endless Dao traces that smashed into the Refining God Pot and the Stone Lamp, before settling down and pressing down on them.

With one imperial weapon, he exchanged two extreme weapons from the enemy. If he were to attack now with the Void Mirror and the Eternal Furnace, he could kill the three of them in an instant.

But Li Yao did not do that. Instead, he pressed forward with all his might, preparing to kill the three Great Saints with his bare hands.

This attitude was extremely arrogant; instead of using imperial weapons to deceive, he wanted to prove his own Dao with his bare fists.

Azure Flame, the Evil God, and the Twelve-Armed Being were enraged. They sensed that invincible will and regarded them as nothing.

Li Yao's confidence stemmed from underestimating their abilities, because he genuinely believed he could win.

This was something none of the three could tolerate; they would rather Li Yao use imperial weapons to bully them, as that would demonstrate the other party's importance.

"boom!"

A burst of fire and celestial mist rose, azure flames struck, and unparalleled power erupted.

As a Holy Spirit of the Fire Clan, he was born invincible among his peers. Moreover, his cultivation was profound, making him the strongest being present. Even the Evil God and the Twelve-Armed Being were slightly inferior to him. He was only a hair's breadth away from the Quasi-Emperor realm and could break into the Quasi-Emperor domain at any time.

Everyone held their breath, eagerly anticipating a world-shaking battle, a clash of supreme Daoist techniques.

As Cang Yan continued to gather his strength, countless runes appeared on his two fleshy arms, transforming into chains of divine order that contained all his Dao power and his invincible will accumulated over thousands of years.

This was absolutely his peak strike; this single punch was more powerful than tens of millions of punches. He was like a god, melting the heavens and earth into chaos.

Without a doubt, this attack has reached the realm of a quasi-emperor. If a supreme saint were to face this punch directly, he would be torn to pieces in an instant.

The evil god and the twelve-armed creature wanted to join the battle, but before they could move, they felt the supreme divine power lock onto them.

Although Qianlun and Wei Yi did not make a move, they would not stand idly by and watch the three of them besiege Li Yao.

This was clearly unnecessary, as neither of them knew Li Yao's exact strength.

On the other side, Li Yao was radiant, his flesh and blood transformed into pillars of fire, his vital energy soaring to the heavens, illuminating this desolate universe, his divine power boundless.

He did not use his full strength. This was outside the Beidou Domain, and no one could say for sure whether a Supreme Being had just woken up from a nap. Li Yao was wary.

Even so, this punch was incredibly terrifying, definitely at the quasi-emperor level. Li Yao was like a true dragon, sweeping across the heavens and earth.

"boom!"

The two fists collided, and the sky trembled, as if a tattered cloth had been violently torn apart.

Cang Yan's body trembled violently as he was sent flying backward, his flesh and arms exploding and scattering white bones everywhere.

"Ah..." Under everyone's shocked gaze, Cang Yan screamed in agony, not only because of the physical pain, but also because of the blow to his mind.

Even without the advantage of the imperial weapon, he still lost, which proves one thing: Li Yao is stronger than him, surpassing him in every aspect.

Even with all their might, they were still no match; it's truly disheartening.

Li Yao was not surprised by the result of this attack. Even though Cang Yan had surpassed his limit, he had only reached the level of a quasi-emperor. He had been hiding his true strength, but the divine power he unleashed was still the absolute upper limit of his opponent's power.

"call out!"

Space and time stood still, and the operation of the universe became unstable. Li Yao unleashed the Xingzi Secret Technique, bursting out to catch up with the flying Cang Yan.

This incredible speed terrified everyone, who knew they wouldn't be able to react in time if faced with it.

Cang Yan roared, his body radiating divine light as he disintegrated, transforming into wisps of divine flame that spread across the starry sky, attempting to escape the series of deadly attacks.

Symbols appeared one after another, densely packed, impossible to count.

This is the original forbidden technique of the Fire Clan's Holy Spirit, capable of burning the heavens and purifying everything. It is a supreme technique bestowed by the heavens, not only unparalleled in attack but also first-rate in terms of survival.

In this world, the Azure Flame is everywhere. Every wisp of immortal fire transforms into a symbol, dazzling and brilliant, which can be gathered together at any time to manifest its true form.

He will not die unless all the symbols are destroyed at once, which can be considered an alternative version of rebirth through blood.

Li Yao burst through, his body engulfed in immortal fire, yet he was impervious to all magic and annihilated many symbols.

"Interesting." He looked back at the sky full of immortal flames. This method was very powerful and had a high purpose. It was a pity that Cang Yan's path to the Great Perfection collapsed halfway. If he had been able to attain the Dao, this great technique would have been second to none throughout history.

“But that’s not enough.” Li Yao charged again, and Dao patterns appeared beneath his feet.

Time seemed to stand still as Li Yao moved among the immortal fire symbols. In an instant, all the symbols were enveloped by the Dao patterns of the Xingzi Secret.

"puff!"

Azure Flame manifested, standing blankly amidst the sea of ​​stars, its body covered in wounds. The most severe wound was at the location of its Immortal Platform, which had been cleaved open, and its primordial spirit had been torn apart.

"How could this be?" he wondered to himself. Since his debut, this technique had never been defeated and had annihilated countless enemies. How could there be a way to counter it?
But he didn't have much time to ponder. His altar shattered and his primordial spirit was torn apart. Even for a Great Sage, this was a fatal wound, and he soon perished completely.

One of the strongest members of the Holy Spirit Clan perished in the starry sky.

Li Yao unfurled his form and attacked once more, transforming into a lifelike dragon god as he charged toward the evil god and the twelve-armed creature.

This time there was no fierce battle; it was just a burst of speed that annihilated the evil god and the twelve-armed creature with overwhelming force.

Compared to Cang Yan, the two of them were a step weaker.

In the realm of the Great Sage, being weak in one area means being weak in many areas, and unless one breaks through to the Divine Forbidden Realm, there is no way to make up for it.

Of course, weakness is relative. In fact, whether it is an evil god or a twelve-armed being, they are all strong at the level of Qianlun and the Golden King.

If we divide combat power into units based on this, even Qianlun and the Golden King wouldn't be able to withstand a single move from Li Yao.

It's only been a little over a decade. Enemies that once required a burst of power, establishing themselves in the forbidden realm of gods, mastering the secrets of the word "all," using imperial weapons to unleash immortal techniques, and stacking up all kinds of buffs to defeat can now be annihilated with a single casual move.

It has to be said that this scene made Qianlun's lips twitch, and his heart was filled with relief.

To be an enemy of such a being is harder than defying the heavens. Unless you can kill them with a single blow when they are weak, you can only watch them rise to power.

But when you're weak, who knows that a little Karami can grow to this point? No one can predict the future.

Inside the Big Dipper, everyone who witnessed the entire process was utterly awestruck, and a thought inevitably arose in their minds.

No need for "later," it's right now. This lifetime's struggle for the imperial throne has come to an end.

Even the major royal families no longer believed that their princes could compare to him.

There's no point in deceiving yourself anymore; how can you compete like this? There's simply no chance.

The emperor's sons were indeed blessed with exceptional talent, even surpassing their fathers of the same era, but none could possess the same level of performance as Li Yao.

In the honeycomb-like golden cave, the Golden King was filled with regret. If he had known it would turn out this way, he would have seized the opportunity, wielding his golden mace to smash the evil god's head and befriend the Yao Guang Holy Land.

That old scoundrel Qianlun, I never expected that the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes would be so shrewd, have such a strong gambling instinct, and even win a bet.

His own failures were regrettable, but the success of others was what truly pained him.

At this moment, the Golden King could only be thankful that the princess had stopped him, otherwise the Golden Cave would have been doomed.

"By the way, the princess has good taste. Go and discuss with her what to do next." The Golden King got up and walked towards the Golden Heavenly Maiden's cave.

Inside the Holy Land of Yao Guang, everyone cheered and shouted that the Holy King would live ten thousand years.

This day was a disaster for Yao Guang, with many fellow disciples perishing. But it was also the day that Yao Guang would rise completely and reign supreme over the nine heavens and ten earths.

"Grandmaster Feng, did you see that? Yao Guang did not fall; in fact, it shines even brighter."

"Senior brother, the Holy Lord has returned, annihilating all enemies and avenging you."

After the initial elation, a solemn atmosphere descended upon the entire Yao Guang sect as they prayed for their fallen comrade.

The Queen of Yaochi gazed intently at the young man in the scene, dressed in a blue robe, proud and aloof, radiating a brilliance that no one could look away from.

At this moment, the world is watching!

In the lands beyond, the battle is not yet over.

The Refining God Pot and the Holy Spirit Stone Lamp were impacting the Dragon Pattern Cauldron, trying to break free of their restraints and pierce through the sea of ​​stars to escape.

But the Dragon Pattern Cauldron remained unmoved, and the azure-clad figure within it was domineering and unparalleled, releasing endless Dao traces that suppressed the two ultimate weapons.

Divine light emanated from between Li Yao's brows, and the "Soldier" secret technique continued to operate, providing support to the Dragon Pattern Cauldron while suppressing the deities of the Refining God Pot and the Holy Spirit Stone Lamp to a certain extent.

But the effect was minimal. The fall of Azure Flame and the Evil God seemed to have been known to the Holy Spirit Clan and the Light Clan, who were far away in the depths of the starry sky, and they were summoning their respective ultimate weapons.

"You're going to suppress two ultimate weapons?!" Wei Yi asked in shock when he saw that Li Yao hadn't released the suppression.

“They need to be taught a lesson, otherwise they’ll all think that the human race is easy to bully.” Li Yao’s eyes were icy cold.

What a temper!
Qian Lun and Wei Yi both sighed inwardly, and then the former spoke up: "Ultimate weapons should not be treated lightly. If we are not careful, it may cause future troubles."

As a member of an extreme force and the strongest in his clan, Qianlun has a profound understanding of the imperial weapon. To suppress it would come at a great cost, and it cannot be permanently sealed; there will eventually be a day when it breaks free.

Moreover, the deities within the imperial weapon cannot be destroyed unless another great emperor intervenes.

But Li Yao had already made up his mind to teach both clans a lesson, otherwise he would be resentful.

"I implore you two to lend me a hand and put the deities of the Refining God Pot and the Stone Lamp to sleep." He said with great determination.

Seeing this, Qianlun and Wei Yi did not try to persuade them further. Instead, they summoned the Myriad Dragon Bell and the Eternal Universe Furnace and pressed them down on the two ultimate weapons.

Despite the triple suppression, no matter how much the Divine Refining Pot and the Stone Lamp shook, they could not break free, and the deity slowly fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Li Yao raised the dragon-patterned cauldron and took out a scroll to replace it.

"boom!"

The imperial might permeated the air, and the array released countless imperial symbols, engulfing the two supreme weapons. It continued to evolve, eventually becoming a cage that sealed the two supreme weapons.

"Ancient Emperor Formation!"

"The Great Emperor Formation!"

Wei Yi and Qian Lun gasped softly, somewhat shocked.

The array diagram that Li Yao presented was incredibly powerful. Although it was not complete, it was still more than 50% complete. If it were to evolve into a grand array, even a Great Sage at the pinnacle of cultivation would perish if he entered it.

"Fellow Daoist Li's talent in array formations is truly astonishing," Qianlun said.

Wei Yi nodded in agreement.

The Way of Arrays is also a form of cultivation. To imitate the Emperor's Array, one must comprehend its profound principles. Each of those patterns contains endless mysteries.

A complete array diagram, with its dense and intricate patterns, forms even more profound shapes on the original basis. Beyond these shapes, there are even more shapes that wrap around each other, interacting and extending new power, transforming into a new pattern...

Both of them were exceptionally talented and had come into contact with imperial formations, but neither of them could delve into them deeply. Their attempts to copy the formation diagrams were extremely crude and couldn't even achieve a semblance of their original form.

Li Yao's mastery of array formations is so profound that even a quasi-emperor specializing in array formations would be astonished and exclaim, "He's not human!"
"I must thank you both for your righteous help this time. If you ever need my assistance in the future, I will certainly not refuse." After completely suppressing the Refining God Pot and the Stone Lamp, Li Yao solemnly thanked Wei Yi and Qian Lun.

This time, if it weren't for the two of them taking action, the Yao Guang Holy Land would have truly suffered a great calamity.

The intervention of the Light Clan and the Holy Spirit was something he hadn't expected at all, because it didn't happen in the original story. He suffered from his limited understanding and had placed too much faith in the original narrative.

He forgot that he himself was a variable. Because of him, many things in the original work have changed drastically, and those changes will have a chain reaction, leading to changes in other aspects.

Especially after entering the starry sky, the range of influence is even greater, and every move changes the original trajectory.

For example, he killed many prodigies in the first stage, and one or two of them happened to be descendants of some powerful figures. They were in a bad mood because their descendants had died, so they destroyed forces that they originally did not intend to destroy.

These changes, which originated from Li Yao and were not present in the original work, will give rise to countless new possibilities.

To use a trendy term, it's the butterfly effect!
The recent attack on Yao Guang was a bloody example. Fortunately, he had some backup plans and was helped by Qian Lun and Wei Yi, so the damage was not too great.

Although Li Yao couldn't understand why Qian Lun had offered his help, a favor is a favor, and one shouldn't take it for granted just because someone else has ulterior motives.

Wei Yi didn't pay much attention to what Li Yao said. He only acted because he couldn't stand by and watch, and he didn't expect to get any benefits from Li Yao.

But Qianlun was different; he was overjoyed. He didn't overestimate his abilities and try to obtain the True Dragon Immortal Scripture. Instead, he planned to further deepen the relationship between the two sides.

(End of this chapter)