Chapter 558: 557. One Mansion, Three Heavenly Lords! (Part 2)

Chapter 558: 557. One Mansion, Three Heavenly Lords! (Part 2)

Qiu Li, Qiu Xuanhe, and other top experts of the Qiu family had perished one after another.

Their clan still had a Confucian Sage, and the great Confucian scholars of the Ninth Heaven, such as Ye Mo Quan, could plan to take refuge in an idyllic paradise. The Qiu family could do the same.

But they didn't have the protection of a powerful cultivator like Wu Hailin. Even though they had created an independent world to reside in, it was discovered by the new Confucian cultivators a few years ago.

Long before the Heavenly Realm reappeared in the Scholar Forest World, the Qiu family of Qi Lu and many other noble families had already become history.

For this reason, this place wasn't as carefully watched by the new Confucian cultivators as the Guanzhong region.

Wu Jing concealed himself and acted discreetly, secretly making his arrangements without a sound.

Although there were Confucian cultivators nearby, there was no one who had achieved Sainthood, and no one could discover what Wu Jing was up to.

However, in the distance, two people were watching him.

High in the sky, a transparent, invisible mirror seemed to hang high.

Through this Jade Purity Cyclic Mirror, Tang Xiaotang and Zhuo Baojie could see Wu Jing's every move.

"It's up to you now," Tang Xiaotang casually waved to Zhuo Baojie, "I'm going after bigger fish."

She didn't move the Jade Purity Cyclic Mirror, but above her head, a pair of closed eyes seemed to quietly open.

"Farewell, Senior Tang," Zhuo Baojie bowed to Tang Xiaotang's departing figure. After seeing her off, he turned his gaze back to the distance.

The Upper Clarity Reverse Spirit Golden Bamboo appeared on its own.

A ten-section green bamboo staff with a metallic sheen pointed diagonally towards the sky, and a vast amount of primordial magnetic force began to surge.

In Zhuo Baojie's hand, a bamboo shoot with the same shimmering golden light appeared, and he kept weighing it.

His Upper Clarity Reverse Spirit Golden Bamboo was a combination of the plant and metal attributes.

The essence of the Reverse Spirit lay in this Upper Clarity Reverse Spirit Golden Bamboo. Every once in a while, it could regenerate a young bamboo shoot, gathering the essence of heaven and earth, becoming a rare treasure. It was transformed from the original spiritual essence and thus didn't carry the aura of metal, only that of plants.

Whether used for alchemy or crafting magical artifacts, it was an invaluable treasure.

For Zhuo Tianshi, it was mainly used for...

eating.

But not now.

He had to maintain his image.

First, as the leader of a sect, and second, as a role model for his disciples, Zhuo Tianshi valued his demeanor and bearing.

Even if there was no one around.

So, he slowly accumulated it, storing most of it away, planning to enjoy it after passing on the position of Celestial Master to the next generation in a few decades.

As his teacher, Lei Zhangjiao, had once said, self-control was always tested when one was alone.

It was a pity, Zhuo Tianshi thought, that he couldn't use the Upper Clarity Reverse Spirit Golden Bamboo as a flying sword. The primordial magnetic force was too violent, and after each use, the golden bamboo wouldn't produce any bamboo shoots for a long time.

Without hesitation, Zhuo Tianshi unleashed the accumulated primordial magnetic force, and the Upper Clarity Reverse Spirit Golden Bamboo disappeared in an instant.

With a flash of golden light, it reappeared above Wu Jing's head in the distance.

Wu Jing, with his newly achieved Sainthood, had a profound understanding of the "Changes" in Confucian classics, allowing him to perceive even the slightest details, almost like precognition.

As he was planning something confidential and critical, he was exceptionally vigilant.

There was no threat nearby, but suddenly, a sense of danger arose in Wu Jing's heart.

Without time to think, he drew his sword, and a torrent of sword qi surged.

However, the enemy's attack was too fast, and even with Wu Jing's sharp eyes, he could barely see the trajectory of the attack.

In the blink of an eye, the golden light had already shattered his sword!

Zhuo Baojie's "sword" strike had been building up power for a long time, and its might surpassed his previous attack on the heavenly demon Ao Lie.

After breaking Wu Jing's sword, the golden light's momentum remained fierce, and it smashed Wu Jing's protective treasure, a jade pendant, into pieces.

Fortunately, Wu Jing was the son of Wu Hailin, and with his family's profound knowledge, even when retreating into the Finger Tips Realm, he had no shortage of resources. His protective treasure was extraordinary, and after the jade pendant shattered, his Confucian robes suddenly billowed with ink, intercepting the attack.

As a result, his long robe was torn into four pieces on the spot.

Coming back to his senses, Wu Jing narrowly avoided the Upper Clarity Reverse Spirit Golden Bamboo, and as the golden light fell to the ground, a massive canyon was instantly blasted into the ground.

Seeing this, Wu Jing didn't harbor any hope of escape. He immediately turned and fled, seeking only to get as far away from this place as possible.

But Zhuo Baojie had locked onto Wu Jing's position with the Jade Purity Cyclic Mirror, and being at the same level of cultivation, his spatial movement was much faster than Wu Jing's. He quickly caught up.

When they confronted each other, Wu Jing stared at Zhuo Baojie, who wore the Celestial Master's robe and the Primordial Crown.

His own sword had been broken by Zhuo Baojie's golden bamboo, but now he drew another famous Confucian sword, his demeanor calm and composed. He held the sword across his chest, and the majestic aura of Confucian culture filled the air.

Zhuo Baojie looked at the other party's good appearance and said, "I've long heard of your esteemed name, Scholar Tianrui. I never thought I'd have the fortune to meet you in these circumstances. But you and the other Wu family members intend to seal off the Heavenly Realm and cut off Yan Zi and my master's escape route. Have you ever considered that although the Hundred-Eyed Demon Tree is currently in the Tai Yi Great Thousand World, the Demon Dragon Emperor and the Great Annihilation Bodhisattva are still outside?"

"Without Yan Jiangdong, my father can easily regain control of this Great Thousand World and face the Great Annihilation Bodhisattva. Moreover, from our Wu family's perspective, what's the difference between you and the foreign heavenly demons, or the Great Annihilation Bodhisattva?"

"You need not bring up right and wrong here. A demon like you is merely a monkey wearing a crown."

"This poor Daoist is a monkey wearing a crown..."

Zhuo Baojie's face showed no anger; instead, he smiled, "...but it's still better than a human face with a beast's heart."

As he spoke, his feet seemed to take no steps, but he immediately appeared before Wu Jing. His furry palm rose and struck towards Wu Jing's head.

After attaining the Penetrating Mysteries and Ascending to Immortality, Zhuo Baojie, like Lei Jun and the others, had perfected his life-preserving martial arts. The Doumu Star God's methods and various life-preserving divine abilities had completely merged with his body, no longer visibly manifesting.

But as soon as he made his move, Zhuo Baojie's body instantly expanded and grew larger, towering like a mountain, his shadow enveloping Wu Jing.

Fortunately, Wu Kuang had previously gathered information, so although Wu Jing had been confined within the Finger Tips Realm for many years, he had a general understanding of the new Celestial Master Zhuo Baojie's abilities. He was skilled in physical life-preserving martial arts, so he remained calm.

With his personal sword destroyed, Wu Jing still had the renowned sword, Cheng Qi, with him. The refined and majestic aura of the sword had already transformed into a torrential sword qi, forming a tight defense against Zhuo Baojie's sudden attack.

However, Zhuo Baojie's sudden approach and fierce attack still startled Wu Jing.

He had cultivated the Wu family's Divine Brush, 'Full of Classics', a talent that, although not as versatile as Left and Right, allowed him to integrate the mysteries of other lineages into his Confucian studies.

Wu Jing's saintly method after achieving enlightenment was called the 'Meteor Sword', signifying the myriad changes of the weather.

But at this moment, the myriad changes were instantly torn apart by Zhuo Baojie.

The contemporary Celestial Master, who had just exuded an immortal aura, now transformed into the Giant Spirit God pushing mountains and filling the sea.

Fortunately, Wu Jing's Meteor Sword also incorporated some martial arts mysteries, allowing him to dodge Zhuo Baojie's fierce attack in the nick of time.

As Zhuo Baojie approached, a darkness resembling the night sky spread around Wu Jing's body, enveloping him.

Wu Jing was well-prepared for this Dao Realm Mystic Barrier, and he immediately countered with his 'Family, Country, and World'.

It was as if two separate worlds were colliding, their edges constantly pressing against each other.

Under these two halves of the starry sky, Wu Jing, holding the renowned sword Cheng Qi, struggled to stand firm, fighting against Zhuo Baojie and trying to create distance between them.

Wu Jing, having been taught by his father, Wu Hailin, had a solid foundation in all aspects and paid attention to details, leaving almost no loopholes for Zhuo Baojie to exploit.

However, his attempts to break free from Zhuo Baojie were filled with difficulties.

Especially when Wu Jing realized that Zhuo Baojie's Mystic Barrier, although not fully deployed, still possessed formidable destructive power, gradually overwhelming his 'Family, Country, and World'.

"Literature stops the violence of war!" Wu Jing spoke with a heavy voice.

Zhuo Baojie's body seemed to be restrained, and his movements slowed slightly.

His face remained unchanged, and he smiled, "This poor Daoist once discussed the Way with Zhang, Xiao, and Meng. I've heard the saying, 'Use martial arts to curb violence and stop the chaos of war.'"

Zhuo Baojie didn't have the other party's Confucian wisdom and the profound principles of establishing order in the world.

But he had his own methods.

In addition to his palms and claws, Zhuo Baojie's entire body emitted flickering purple light, giving off an extremely unstable feeling.

Wu Jing immediately felt that his profound principles aimed at suppressing Zhuo Baojie had been broken.

At that moment, his consciousness seemed to see the Purple Microcosm Imperial Star in the central palace of the Heavenly River, swaying and shaking.

The Purple Microcosm Imperial Star was actually shaking and hanging upside down!

Although he wasn't cultivating the Imperial Art, Wu Jing couldn't help but exclaim, "...A rebellious spirit!"

The immortal essence and power of the bear before him clearly restrained the complete and orderly methods that relied on overwhelming pressure and physical artifacts and treasures.

No wonder Wu Jing had felt from the beginning that Zhuo Baojie's Mystic Barrier hadn't fully opened, and its edges were constantly crushing his 'Family, Country, and World'.

Upon closer inspection, he indeed saw that the edges of Zhuo Baojie's Mystic Barrier were also flickering with unstable purple light.

The Purple Microcosm Imperial Star in the illusory universe on the other side was also hanging upside down!

Zhuo Baojie remained unmoved by Wu Jing's scolding.

This was the result of his cultivation after attaining the Penetrating Mysteries and Ascending to Immortality, a technique called:

'Upside-Down Purple Microcosm'.

As Wu Jing had sensed, this technique was adept at countering various well-prepared and imposing divine abilities, a method that could overturn the universe.

When he was in the Ninth Heaven, his third innate divine ability was chosen to cultivate his master Lei Jun's Two Extremes Celestial Origin Talisman, which complemented his close-combat skills with long-range combat methods. However, he cultivated this technique not just for the Yuan Magnetic Flying Sword like An Buzheng and Cheng Rongrong.

Under Lei Jun's guidance, Zhuo Baojie delved into the profound principles of the Two Extremes Yuan Magnetic Universe, coordinating it with his destiny star god and the Purple Microcosm Bear's divine abilities.

After attaining immortality, he achieved this 'Upside-Down Purple Microcosm' technique.

Earlier, he had shattered the Heavenly Demon Ao Lie's Heavenly Wilderness Prison with a single claw, surprising Ao Lie, thanks to this technique.

Now, Zhuo Baojie used this technique to break through Wu Jing's profound principles, not giving him a chance to create distance. He further revealed his true form, and his powerful physical body directly withstood the myriad sword auras of the Meteor Sword.

Pushing through the torrential sword qi, Zhuo Baojie's claw struck again, and although Wu Jing was resilient and didn't get blown away, the sword's edge was still deflected to the side.

His protective treasures had already been destroyed by Zhuo Baojie's Yuan Magnetic Flying 'Bamboo', and as he faced Zhuo Baojie's attack, he was about to be hit. Suddenly, a strange light shone in front of him.

In the light, a book rose, its pages flipping rapidly. This seemingly fragile book blocked Zhuo Baojie's palm and claws.

Under Zhuo Baojie's attack, the book shrank and became a one-inch-square seal.

Zhuo Baojie felt as if the seal could contain the entire universe, and his palm strike was also contained within, leaving him without any resistance.

He knew that this was not Wu Jing's own ability, but rather the means of the Triple Sage Confucian Sage, Wu Hailin, from the Three Realms.

Wu Hailin had written and established classics, and at this moment, he was temporarily blessing his descendants.

But Zhuo Baojie was not worried about this.

Above the two of them, in the distant and ethereal sky, a transparent and invisible round mirror floated, emitting a faint glow on its surface.

Within the mirror, a majestic immortal city was reflected, as if the illusion within the mirror had transformed into reality at this moment.

The twelve gates of the immortal city seemed to open simultaneously, like a slumbering celestial deity awakening.

On the city walls, a Taiji diagram of dark yellow and azure appeared and started to rotate.

It was hard to describe whether the grandeur or the subtle wondrous radiance that emanated from the immortal city, passed through the mirror, and descended from the heavens, illuminating the earth.

Right in the middle, it landed on the imprint that protected Wu Jing.

The Immortal City of the Three Realms, the Grand Illumination of the Dark Yellow!

Wu Jing stood there, dumbfounded, watching as the imprint left by his father was destroyed by the pillar of light from above, leaving not a trace behind.

On the other hand, Zhuo Baojie showed no signs of surprise or shock.

They both had their backers.

My backer is greater than yours.

Zhuo Tianshi calmly used his Dao Realm Mystic Barrier to crush his opponent's homeland, capturing the Confucian Sage, Wu Jing, within it.

This also signaled that the opponent had no way to escape.

...

When Wu Jing was attacked earlier, he had fled while notifying Wu Hailin and the others.

Unfortunately, Zhuo Baojie had accumulated Yuan Magnetic Power and deliberately waited for a while before taking action, allowing time for both his own power accumulation and for his senior uncle, Tang Xiaotang.

Therefore, when Wu Hailin and the other two received the news and realized that their plan had been exposed, although they had made the correct decision to abandon their original plan and retreat to the Finger Tips Realm, it was already too late.

No one could have predicted this!

Or rather, the speed of the incoming person was truly astonishing.

The dazzling light at the horizon had just brightened when, in an instant, the enormous Supreme Vessel had already spanned the sky and charged directly towards the three of them.

Tang Xiaotang stood at the bow of the divine vessel, gazing at Wu Hailin, and coldly said, "Today, let's have another fight!"

Wu Hailin stared at Tang Xiaotang but did not respond.

He could not afford to be distracted.

On one hand, he was fully sensing his surroundings to check if there were other enemies like Zhang Wantong.

On the other hand, the dazzling glow of the Primordial Qi of the Great Beginning, which Tang Xiaotang was using, had already spread out in all directions, making it difficult to count the countless fine specks of light that even many Immortal Realm cultivators would find hard to detect.

Even Wu Kuang and Wu Fangyi, who had already reached the second level of cultivation in the Immortal Realm, would be in great danger if even a single one of Tang Xiaotang's Opening Pearl entered their bodies.

Fortunately, Wu Hailin had experienced this move before.

With his profound observation and keen insight, he could perceive what others could not, and with the First Sacred Decree, Whip of Insight, he activated the Fourth Sacred Decree, Saintly Dust, to counter Tang Xiaotang's Opening Pearl with precision.

In just an instant, the two had already clashed a hundred million times.

Compared to their previous encounter, Tang Xiaotang's cultivation realm had improved, and her Profound Mystic Purple Microcosm was even more powerful than when she had resonated with Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen in the Three Microcosms.

With the support of Whip of Insight, Saintly Dust could not gain the upper hand, but it was still able to hold off Tang Xiaotang's Opening Pearl.

At the same time, his fifth Sacred Decree, Unreachable, allowed him to move freely among the Saintly Dust, and wherever the Saintly Dust reached, his ability to shift through space and time was almost comparable to that of Martial Immortal Ancient Emperors, helping him dodge the impact of Tang Xiaotang's Supreme Vessel.

However, Tang Xiaotang's current speed was incredibly fast, even surpassing many Martial Immortal Ancient Emperors. Although the Supreme Vessel seemed massive, its speed was astonishing, and it still caught up with Wu Hailin.

A Finger Tips Realm imprint appeared in front of Wu Hailin, and he used Whip of Insight to directly confront the Supreme Vessel, intending to dismantle it.

At the same time, he did not retreat but instead advanced, voluntarily boarding the Supreme Vessel and approaching Tang Xiaotang.

Tang Xiaotang's eyebrows rose, and the Primordial Qi of the Great Beginning, reversed and condensed into the Inverse Origin Sword, slashed down towards Wu Hailin.

Wu Hailin used the Unreachable technique to dodge the sword's edge, but immediately, the reversed Primordial Qi of the Great Beginning transformed into the Inverse Origin Seal, descending from the heavens and pressing down on him.

Wu Hailin raised his palm, combining Whip of Insight with the Third Sacred Decree, Finger Tips Sword City, to block the Inverse Origin Seal, preventing it from pressing down, while his own agility remained undiminished, and he dodged another sword strike from Tang Xiaotang with the support of Unreachable.

Tang Xiaotang's second sword strike missed, but she did not stop her actions. Instead, she pointed another finger towards Wu Hailin's forehead as he approached, and the invisible Originating Pearl was ready to strike.

However, Wu Hailin did not dodge, and a Finger Tips Realm imprint appeared on his forehead, directly withstanding Tang Xiaotang's Originating Pearl.

At the same time, a burst of intense light exploded from his body without any warning.

It was Tang Xiaotang's Primordial Qi of the Great Beginning, Dragon Tiger Strike, which seemed to be unleashed later than the Originating Pearl, but it landed on Wu Hailin at the same time.

Fortunately, Wu Hailin's keen observation allowed him to perceive this in time, and another Finger Tips Realm imprint appeared in the same location as the Dragon Tiger Strike's burst of light, blocking Tang Xiaotang's attack once again.

After approaching Tang Xiaotang, Wu Hailin, like a martial artist, pushed out his palm towards her.

His Saintly Dust could not penetrate Tang Xiaotang's Inverse Origin Robe, but with the insights gained from Whip of Insight over the years, he could try to erode her Valley God's Immortal Body.

The prerequisite was to first use Finger Tips Sword City to break through the Inverse Origin Robe.

This also relied on Whip of Insight as the foundation.

For a moment, aside from not directly confronting the edge of the Inverse Origin Sword, Wu Hailin had effective countermeasures for all of Tang Xiaotang's divine abilities.

Even if he couldn't completely suppress Tang Xiaotang, he had successfully seized the initiative.

The opponent's Dao Realm Mystic Barrier was extremely powerful, and the Primordial Qi of the Great Beginning rendered many divine abilities ineffective, making her the strongest in large-scale combat among the Three Microcosms of the Dragon Tiger Mountain's Three Celestial Masters. Wu Hailin had no intention of directly clashing with her homeland and instead used his immortal virtue to temporarily resist Tang Xiaotang's Dao Realm Mystic Barrier and the Great Beginning's Law Realm's capture.

While Wu Hailin's Finger Tips Sword City struck Tang Xiaotang's Inverse Origin Robe, Wu Kuang and Wu Fangyi, who had just avoided the calamity of the Opening Pearl, immediately set up the sacrificial ritual to support Wu Hailin.

The speed of the opponent in front of them was too fast, and if they wanted to escape, they had to first defeat her with Wu Hailin's help to have any chance of survival.

The Primordial Qi of the Great Beginning, reversed and condensed into the Inverse Origin Robe, protected Tang Xiaotang from her opponent's Finger Tips Sword City.

But she could clearly feel that if she didn't concentrate all her strength to display the Inverse Origin Robe, it would soon be broken by her opponent's Finger Tips Sword City.

The opponent had a deep understanding of her Inverse Origin Robe.

"Tsk, this reminds me of my early years when I fought with my senior sister."

The tall female crown wearer said with a chuckle, "My senior sister can't handle me now, so you're even less likely to succeed."

As she spoke, Tang Xiaotang's body suddenly swayed in place.

Wu Hailin instantly felt his palm unobstructed, and the Finger Tips Sword City continued to advance.

But the opponent was not yet destroyed.

Instead, the opponent took the initiative to transform, seemingly dissipating into formless air currents.

Tang Xiaotang had broken through from the second level of the Immortal Realm to the third, and with her all-around talent and strength, she was bound to comprehend the mysteries of new immortal techniques. Wu Hailin had anticipated this.

This would be a divine ability he had never witnessed before.

Although Wu Hailin's scholarly wisdom far surpassed his peers, and he had made some rather reliable guesses, he had never personally encountered such a situation.

Thus, even as he repeatedly resolved Tang Xiaotang's previous immortal techniques, Wu Hailin remained deeply vigilant.

But the next moment, Wu Hailin felt a flash before his eyes.

For a fleeting moment, this outstanding scholar among the Confucianists almost thought he was seeing things.

How could such a thing happen to a cultivator of his caliber? But whether it was his eyes or his mind, Wu Hailin clearly saw that after Tang Xiaotang transformed into a Qi, her body seemed to disintegrate, and in an instant, she split into three.

When she reappeared, there were three Tang Xiaotangs standing before him!

...One Qi Transforming into Three Purities?!

The thought popped into Wu Hailin's mind involuntarily.

But...was it possible?

Did her already incredible speed increase even further, erasing the time interval during her movement? Or was it a mental attack akin to an illusion?

Or did she create three clones?

...No, none of the above!

Wu Hailin, with his keen observation and profound insight, couldn't deceive himself.

At this moment, the tall female crown displayed an ultimate prowess that even those who had cultivated the Primordial Dao Body in the past had never achieved. With the innate wonder of the universe, she interfered with the postnatal reality of creation.

Fifth Immortal Technique—Primordial Qi Transforming into Three Purities!

The Tang Xiaotang that appeared in that instant was real.

Wu Hailin could still see Tang Xiaotang's transformation.

Far away, Wu Kuang and Wu Fangyi couldn't react in time; they only felt a flash before their eyes.

In the next moment, each of them had a Tang Xiaotang appear beside them.

The first Tang Xiaotang had a rotating black and white Taiji diagram in her palm, which she imprinted on Wu Kuang's back. The radiance of the Primordial Qi of the Dragon and Tiger's combined strike pierced right through Wu Kuang's back and chest.

The second Tang Xiaotang appeared in front of Wu Fangyi and lifted her hand, her finger pointing at the opponent's forehead.

As the Primordial Pearl exploded, it shattered the opponent's head.

The speed at which she divided into three was unbelievably fast, seemingly even faster than the speed of the Supreme Vessel burning the Primordial Qi earlier. The two Confucian Saints at the second level of the Immortal Realm had no time to react before they perished.

The third Tang Xiaotang also held the Inverse Origin Sword, ready to strike Wu Hailin.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Hailin barely had time to react. He tried to dodge, but he was slightly slower, and the third Tang Xiaotang's sword wounded him.

As Wu Hailin attempted to evade, the other two Tang Xiaotangs also drew their Inverse Origin Swords, laughing as they slashed horizontally and diagonally.

The sword blades shattered the immortal steles of Wu Kuang and Wu Fangyi, severing their last chance of resurrection, while also attacking Wu Hailin.

Wu Hailin used his second and third saintly techniques, the Thumbprint and the Thumbnail Sword City, along with the fourth saintly technique, the Holy Dust, pushing their mysteries to the extreme. His entire body seemed to disappear in place, shrinking to a size that even a mustard seed or dust particle couldn't reach.

All three Tang Xiaotangs' Inverse Origin Swords struck the empty air.

But the smiles on their faces only grew brighter, and they simultaneously raised their hands, extending their index fingers.

The tips of the three white jade-like index fingers touched.

The three Primordial Pearls, formless and invisible, seemed to open up the universe as they exploded, their combined power far surpassing the sum of their individual strengths.

Even with Wu Hailin's incredibly refined saintly techniques, he was blasted and forced to reveal himself.

The brilliance of his Thumbnail Sword City faded, and his right palm burst open, blood and flesh spilling out.

The three Tang Xiaotangs struck again with their swords, and the shadow of death enveloped the Confucian Saint, Wu Hailin.

Wu Hailin used his Thumbnail Sword City to dodge once more, but he was still struck by a sword, and his arm flew up into the sky, drenched in blood.

In his final moments, the Confucian Saint, Wu Hailin, did not dodge. Instead, the countless dust particles at the tip of his other hand's finger vanished, transforming into a torrent of destruction that shot towards Tang Xiaotang.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end