Chapter 428: The Lotus Sect Master's Last Breath (Part 1)

Chapter 428: The Lotus Sect Master's Last Breath (Part 1)



The Taikong Xian Body, along with the Universe Xian Body, the Starlight Xian Body, and the Creation Xian Body, are all considered extremely superior root bone qualities.

While they may not give birth to unique divine abilities like those of the Pure Yang Xian Body, Pure Yin Xian Body, Grand Thunder Xian Body, and Two Extremes Xian Body, which allow cultivators to develop unique powers when they reach the Upper Three Heavens realm, the Taikong Xian Body still possesses its own unique mysteries.

One of its greatest divine anomalies is its natural ability to conceal the bearer's cultivation from others.

Just like now, that girl only seems to have a basic Qi cultivation, but even Lei Jun and the Somaria Lotus Sect Master, Zongga, with their mental cultivation and soul perception, could only vaguely sense that she was unusual at first glance.

Even for a Nine Heavens level expert like Lei Jun, who paid extra attention to observe her, the truth remained elusive.

It was only because Lei Jun recalled some information about the Taikong Xian Body from ancient books that he was able to guess the reason for her unusual aura.

If it were someone with a lower cultivation realm and strength, they wouldn't be able to see through her, and they might not have noticed her unique qualities at all.

Currently, her cultivation is lower, and her figure is clearly visible to Lei Jun and Zongga.

However, if her cultivation realm wasn't far from Lei Jun's, then even Lei Jun and Somaria might have overlooked her presence.

In terms of concealment, it's as if she's naturally cloaked in a Taiking Eight Views treasure robe.

In a situation where the cultivation realms are not too different, she could potentially exempt herself from the "Outer Binding Seal" and "Inner Binding Seal" of the Buddhist palm print lineage (skilled in scouting and perception), as well as the "Changes" of the Confucian school's Nine Heavens Four Layers Great Scholar.

Martial artists are inept at outward scouting but excel at vigilance.

However, if a cultivator with the Taikong Xian Body root bone were to ambush a martial artist, the probability of being detected would still be lower compared to someone at the same realm.

Although the result of this draw was a little unexpected, it did not disappoint Lei Tian Shi.

Li Tianqing, shrouded by the visage of the Four Symbols, turned to look at Lei Jun.

In the current situation, he was trying to close the void portal, while the Somaria Lotus Sect Master, Zongga, on the other side, was stabilizing it.

Now, someone was passing through the portal to enter the Earthly Sea.

If Li Tianqing stopped while Zongga didn't, those few Great Song refugees would be devoured by the distorted void.

"Let's consider it fate. Let them enter the Earthly Sea."

Lei Jun nodded slightly to Li Tianqing, "There's no major issue for now."

His forty-nine talismans were ready, but he held back. Li Tianqing understood that Lei Jun was probably waiting for someone, seeing his confident demeanor.

Most likely, he was waiting for Tang Xiaotang, another Great Vehicle realm expert from the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion.

Although worried about the imminent arrival of Golden Khan Ang Qin, seeing Lei Jun's calmness, Li Tianqing nodded and did not make any further moves, quietly stabilizing the void portal.

This eased the pressure on Somaria's side.

Li Tianqing's slight relaxation immediately alerted Somaria Lotus Sect Master Zongga.

The "Wisdom Fist Seal," which was affecting the void, displayed its wonders, not only stabilizing the portal connecting the Earthly Sea and the Great Song realm but also shaking Li Tianqing's Ghost God Sacrifice Array.

The clouds surged in the Earthly Sea.

The array patterns of the "Nine Songs·Cloud Lord" suddenly cracked.

Somaria Lotus Sect Master Zongga was exceptionally powerful. Although Li Tianqing's array distorted spacetime, the difference in their realms led to vastly different outcomes.

A crack appeared on the visage of the Four Symbols that shrouded Li Tianqing's face.

However, his eyes remained calm and composed.

The next moment, as if there were a powerful heartbeat, an invisible force pulsed.

"Array Heart," the divine ability of the Nine Heavens Layer Two "Descend Spirit" God Dance lineage.

Along with Li Tianqing's pulsing array heart, a vibrant life force surged.

This life force affected not only him but also his array.

The "Nine Songs·Cloud Lord" array, which had just been shaken by Somaria Lotus Sect Master Zongga, immediately regained its vigor, as if it had been reborn, returning to its original state.

Somaria's slight advantage was erased, and the stalemate resumed.

The portal connecting the Earthly Sea and the Great Song realm trembled slightly but remained stable, not affecting the Great Song refugees passing through.

Just as those few people stumbled through the portal into the Earthly Sea, Li Tianqing suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

As a Nine Heavens realm God Dance lineage Great Shaman, his spiritual perception was equally sharp, and he sensed the abnormality in that girl.

Lei Jun nodded to him and extended a wisp of magical power, transforming it into white smoke that enveloped the refugees, sending them away from the unstable void portal to safety.

Li Tianqing understood that although something was unusual, it wasn't a cause for immediate concern.

At the same time, he realized that Lei Jun must have sensed the peculiarity in that girl even before he did.

If it came to acquiring talented individuals, Li Tianqing shared the same sentiment.

However, given the situation, he naturally wouldn't compete with Lei Jun, and the face shrouded by the Four Symbols smiled, "Congratulations, Lei Tian Shi."

"It's all due to fate. Thank you, Li resident," Lei Jun replied.

As they spoke, his expression changed slightly.

On the other side, in the Great Song realm, someone else had arrived.

Li Tianqing, who was grappling with Somaria Lotus Sect Master Zongga, also sensed the anomaly.

Somaria was obviously distracted, his attention divided.

At the other end of the Earthly Sea portal, deep underground in the Great Song realm, apart from Somaria Lotus Sect Master Zongga, who was radiating red Buddhist light, a faint golden flame suddenly lit up.

Zheng Chen.

This Pure Yang Palace elder, who had returned to the world and had been active in the Great Song realm for a long time, was no stranger to Somaria.

The opponent was also a Nine Heavens realm Great Vehicle expert, and Somaria's attention was focused on stabilizing the void portal, but he still controlled the Amitabha Peacock Seat to counter Zheng Chen's attack.

Zheng Chen was ruthless. One hand formed a fist, while the other stretched forward, and vast Pure Yang true fire condensed on his outstretched index finger.

The extreme yang primal qi, a powerful attack technique of the Pure Yang Palace's martial arts, was manifested by Zheng Chen.

With a single point of the Extreme Yang Primal Qi, the Amitabha Peacock Throne transformed into a crimson peacock, its wings spread high in flight, only to be abruptly halted.

Zongga maintained the wisdom fist seal with one hand, stabilizing the void portal to the Underground World.

With the other hand, he formed the Great Vajra Wheel Seal to empower the Amitabha Peacock Throne and engage Zheng Chen.

Simultaneously, his mind remained vigilant, scanning the surroundings.

The Lotus King, at that moment, was not exerting his full strength.

He had yet to utilize his other great treasure, the Solitary Cobalt Vajra Pestle.

He was cautious, anticipating a surprise attack from Tang Xiaotang of the Great Tang Dragon-Tiger Mountain or another formidable foe.

After being ambushed by the Great Witch of Kongsang and losing track of Li Yuanheng, Tang Xiaotang had rarely shown herself in the ancient Song realm.

However, this did not lessen the vigilance of Zongga, the Lotus King.

As the Great Tang delayed in sealing the portal between the Underground World and the ancient Song realm, Zongga suspected that it wasn't out of consideration for the ancient Song survivors; it wasn't solely for this reason, at the very least.

It was highly probable that Tang Xiaotang or someone else was still traveling between the two realms.

Compared to Zheng Chen, Zongga was more wary of Tang Xiaotang...

"Hmm?!"

The Buddhist master suddenly sensed something amiss.

Before him, a vast sea of pure yang energy unfolded.

Within it were not only massive amounts of pure yang true fire but also endless pure yang immortal lightning!

Amid the intertwining lightning and fire, a majestic divine ship appeared. Its entire body was pure gold, forcefully suppressing the Amitabha Peacock Throne as it continued to ram towards Zongga himself!

On the divine ship stood Zheng Chen, the Grand Elder of the Pure Yang Palace.

However, at that moment, his figure suddenly became blurred. His black and white Daoist robe transformed into a purple-golden hue, and the headscarf on his head changed into a Daoist crown.

Finally, a tall female cultivator appeared before Zongga, none other than Tang Xiaotang.

"This feels amazing!" Tang Xiaotang laughed aloud, standing at the prow of the Pure Yang Divine Ship, ramming the Lotus King towards the Underground World portal!

"You... Have you been impersonating Zheng Chen of the Pure Yang Palace in this mortal realm all along?!"

As these thoughts flashed through Zongga's mind, he quickly brandished the Solitary Cobalt Vajra Pestle, another great treasure of the Lotus Department of Mount Sumeru.

But with a single strike of the pestle, Tang Xiaotang's body was enveloped in the revolving lights of the nine holes and nine lights of the Hun Dong, directly withstanding the Lotus King's attack.

At the same time, she unsheathed the National Master Sword without hesitation. The sword light swept across, continuing to chop down towards Zongga, while the majestic purple lightning also struck the Amitabha Peacock Throne, sending it towards the Underground World portal.

The portal to the Underground World, which had been stabilized by Zongga, suddenly underwent a change.

A powerful suction force emerged from within.

It was unmistakably the Grand Dao Realm of a high cultivator from the Talisman Sect, absorbing and seizing from within.

Aside from Tang Xiaotang before him, there was another Grand Dao cultivator from the Talisman Sect in the Underground World.

Zongga's heart suddenly sank, but his spirit platform remained clear and calm despite the surprise.

On his crimson Buddhist body, a large area of transparent, colorless, yet powerful King of Enlightenment's wrathful flames appeared.

While blocking Tang Xiaotang with the wrathful flames, Zongga's hand seals changed continuously.

Nine grand hand seals were presented together, transforming into the shape of a treasure wheel. Along with the Amitabha Peacock Throne, they descended to stabilize the Underground World portal and counteract the absorbing and seizing force generated by the opponent's Grand Dao Realm.

However, on the other side, Tang Xiaotang laughed slyly. The majestic pure yang lightning and fire suddenly became ethereal and intangible, confronting the wrathful flames of the King of Enlightenment, dissolving the Lotus King's wrathful flames with its own formlessness.

At the same time, Tang Xiaotang's Pure Yang Divine Ship underwent another transformation.

With the divine ship as the center, a vast amount of golden light emanated.

The National Master Seal hanging at Tang Xiaotang's waist shone in harmony with the golden light.

Although they were not in the Great Tang realm, the golden light still transformed into a majestic and perilous landscape of mountains and rivers.

The Pure Yang Divine Ship sailed smoothly upon this landscape, unimpeded.

Taking advantage of the dissolved and restrained wrathful flames, the massive divine ship instantly reached Zongga.

Zongga had miscalculated earlier, failing to realize that Zheng Chen, the elder of the Pure Yang Palace, was actually Tang Xiaotang. Now, Tang Xiaotang had seized the initiative, and one step ahead meant continuous gains.

Zongga exerted himself to the utmost, trying to turn the situation around, but with enemies in front and behind, he ultimately couldn't reverse the tide. Tang Xiaotang, standing on the Pure Yang Divine Ship, forcefully rammed him into the Underground World portal.

"Li Tianqing!" Lei Jun called out softly.

Li Tianqing was extremely sensitive, and as Lei Jun unfolded his Grand Dao Realm, he was already prepared.

The Ghost God Sacrifice Array, which had been shaking the Underground World portal, changed in power and intent, now stabilizing the portal instead.

Thanks to his quick reaction, the void was spared from being torn apart by the clash between Tang Xiaotang and Zongga.

At that moment, Tang Xiaotang, standing on the Pure Yang Divine Ship, directly rammed the Lotus King into the Underground World, sending him into Lei Jun's Grand Dao Realm.

The enormous black sphere, as deep and quiet as the universe, swiftly closed.

The crimson radiance and the pure golden light disappeared within it.

Lei Jun himself did not enter the Grand Dao Realm but remained outside the massive black sphere.

After the Battle of Penglai, it was no longer a secret among the Great Tang cultivators that the Heavenly Master, endowed with extraordinary talent, had simultaneously refined two Grand Dao Realms. Thus, Li Tianqing was not surprised by this sight.

Lei Jun waved his hand, and the forty-nine talismans that had been hovering in the air without dispersing began to shine, flying together and sticking onto the Underground World portal.

Seeing this, Li Tianqing removed his Ghost God Sacrifice Array.

The forty-nine talismans seemed to be pasted onto the void, rotating together and twisting the void realm along with them.

The portal connecting the Underground World to the ancient Song realm was closed.

In front of Lei Jun and the others, the Underground World returned to normal, leaving only darkness and black mist.

"Hmm, the timing is not just right, but slightly off..." Lei Jun, who had been keeping an eye on the time, nodded inwardly.

At that moment, in the ancient Song realm, the lightless realm formed in the Jingxiang region underwent further collapse, with the sunless valley sinking deeper into the earth.

Without the crimson Buddhist light and the golden firelight, the place reverted to the pitch-black darkness that reached out one's hand.

Outside the deep valley, it was high noon, and the long-awaited moment of noon had finally arrived.

Suddenly, the entire world seemed to tremble in unison.

Without warning, a massive figure appeared in the sky over the Land of No Light.

The figure belonged to a colossal yaohu, its body resembling a small mountain, with horns sprouting from its head.

A chilling aura of menace and ferocity permeated the area, causing the surrounding creatures to nearly suffocate.

Once upon a time, the river of shattered mountains and the resulting Land of No Light had come about due to this formidable yaohu and its master.

Now, Yaohu Hataer was even more powerful than before.

This enhancement was due to its master.

A man of middling build, neither robust nor frail, stood atop the head of the colossal yaohu.

With the sun directly overhead, the glare obscured the man's features, making them indiscernible.

However, at this moment, he seemed to emanate an even stronger presence than the sun itself, with intense radiance and heat radiating outwards from his person, like a second sun descending upon the earth.

The flow of spiritual energy throughout the entire ancient Song realm seemed to alter due to the man's presence, causing a tumult in the Jingxiang lands.

Whether it was the movement of earth veins or the glimmer of light in the sky, everything converged upon this spot, making it seem like the very center of the ancient Song realm.

Without a sound, the man and the colossal yaohu beneath his feet caused the deep valley of Youluo to further collapse and shatter.

The contiguous mountains turned to dust, and then seemed to vanish into nothingness.

If before the landscape had been described as a river of shattered mountains, now it was as if a section had been completely erased, leaving behind not even a fragment.

This expanse of Land of No Light had transformed into a massive basin, with the underground now exposed to the sky.

The colossal form of Yaohu Hataer and the man atop it now descended upon the valley floor.

The valley floor seemed devoid of any features.

Without any discernible movement from the man, the valley floor began to distort.

It was not that the earth and stones were further shattering.

Rather, the very space itself was wrinkling and twisting, tearing open.

But the next moment, it all ceased.

For it was all in vain.

The rift in the void did not lead to another world, but instead, to a barren expanse of pure nothingness.

The massive body of Yaohu Hataer seemed to tremble, and it lowered its head, "Great Khan..."

The man atop its head, was none other than the Golden Khan, Ang Qinfu, returned once more to the mortal realm.

His features, still indiscernible to mortal eyes, seemed to furrow in a slight frown.

His gaze fixed upon the shattered void, and he remained silent for a long while.

There, a fleeting glimmer of light had appeared, but it vanished in an instant.

The next moment, the wrinkled and twisted space restored itself, returning the deep valley pit to its former ashen-white appearance.

And in that instant, the colossal yaohu and the Golden Khan atop it vanished from sight.

…………………

Within the Earth Sea, Li Tianqing looked on with a hint of surprise as he watched Lei Jun standing in place.

The forty-nine talismans that had been used to seal the Earth Sea gate were now burning brightly, their flames ascending, only to quickly die out.

Lei Jun stood with one hand forming intricate incantations in front of his chest, while the other hand was raised straight up, his five fingers splayed, lifting a glowing orb of light.

Within the orb of light, a radiant daoist blade gleamed.

The surface of the blade, too, was ablaze with brilliant light and flame.

From Li Tianqing's perspective, the blade did not originate from Lei Jun.

Instead, it seemed to have appeared out of thin air, tearing through the air as it arrived.

A glimmer of blade light had suddenly flashed in the dim void of the Earth Sea, and then it tore through the air to arrive above Lei Jun's head.

The blade's arrival seemed to sever something invisible in the air.

And as the blade tore through the air, the forty-nine talismans used to seal the Earth Sea gate began to burn.

Lei Jun looked up at the blade he was holding aloft, which was also burning and turning to ash, disappearing without a trace, and then he nodded to Li Tianqing and said, "This is one of the methods Senior Sister Yuan Zhen left behind in the ancient Song realm during her travels there."

"Senior Sister Yuan Zhen? Her name is well-known, and she is admirable indeed," Li Tianqing said with a thoughtful expression.

He, too, was a cultivator of high attainment and exceptional insight, especially in the ways of time and space, despite following the shamanic traditions of the Wu Sect rather than the Daoist lineage.

At this moment, as he focused his consciousness and pondered, he gradually understood the methods employed by Lei Jun and Yuan Zhen.

The Great Expansion of Fifty, leaving one unemployed, hence Forty-Nine remains.

The forty-nine transformations often leave a single strand of possibility.

Senior Sister Yuan Zhen's enigmatic daoist blade left behind in the ancient Song realm was linked to Lei Jun through their shared consciousness.

At this moment, it was summoned by Lei Jun, the blade tearing through the void and arriving, joining with Lei Jun's talismans, severing that final strand of possibility.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end