Chapter 792 - 787: Standoff
The North, at the Sea of Clouds.
"Quite the grand display."
Lü Yang walked out of his Cave Mansion and stood with his hands behind his back. He looked up at the Sword Light that stretched across the heavens from south to north. Deep within his pupils, the image of a figure appeared.
It was none other than True Monarch Gangxing.
This Great Perfected Lord from the Sword Pavilion, known for his refined and composed demeanor, now appeared much younger. He had looked middle-aged before, but now he had reverted to the appearance of a young man.
It was clear he had brought himself to his absolute peak for this battle. With the foundation of a Great Perfected Lord, even Lü Yang, who now stood on the threshold of a First-class True Monarch, couldn’t help but feel immense pressure. However, he didn’t let it show, his expression remaining calm.
"Daoist, you seem quite confident."
Seeing this, True Monarch Gangxing gave a faint smile. "Though I am unsure how you managed to achieve the Fruit of Celestial Fire, Daoist, you don’t seem to possess Mid-phase Cultivation."
"You also cultivated the Ancient Technique before."
"A pity. The Ancient Technique has long been obsolete, far inferior to the Pocket World Technique. If I am not mistaken... if you die, Daoist, you will truly be dead."
"Indeed," Lü Yang admitted with a frank nod.
"It seems you are confident you can block my sword, Daoist?" True Monarch Gangxing raised an eyebrow.
The power of a single strike from a Great Perfected Lord like him was undeniable. It was not only enough to instantly kill someone in the Middle Stage of Golden Core, but it would also leave behind wounds that would be difficult to erase even through reincarnation.
And what if his opponent were an Ancient Law True Monarch?
Without a doubt, an Ancient Law True Monarch, with only one life to live, was almost perfectly countered by True Monarch Gangxing. If they were to truly fight, death was certain with a single slash of the sword.
If not for this, he wouldn’t have dared to be so brazen as to go to the Star Palace, where no one in the entire, vast Star Palace dared to fight him. The Pocket World Technique was able to become mainstream in the Immortal Pivot, and although it had many problems—even containing many hidden pitfalls—its advantages over the Ancient Technique were still quite obvious.
"You are welcome to try, Senior," Lü Yang said calmly.
"..."
True Monarch Gangxing did not speak, but simply met Lü Yang’s gaze. Lü Yang also did not make the first move. Both sides seemed to be waiting for something.
...
「High in the Empyrean Sky.」
A mass of chaotic clouds hung in the sky, collapsing and expanding as if it were breathing. With each cycle, it was as though an Outer Realm was being forged within.
As the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi howled and was completely swallowed by it, the cloud mass grew larger and larger, expanding in all directions. It even spread to cover the entire sky, obscuring the sun, moon, and stars of the Immortal Pivot, casting a vast shadow upon the ground below.
Yet, despite this spectacular sight, no one in the Current World noticed a thing. In the eyes of mortals, Qi Refining disciples, Foundation Establishment cultivators, and even Perfected Lords of the Golden Core, the sky was still the same sky, and the sun and moon were still the same sun and moon.
However, just as the clouds were about to cover the North...
RUMBLE!
Accompanied by the deafening roar of a rushing torrent, a Celestial River of immeasurable length traversed through layers of void, appearing before the mass of clouds to block its path.
The Celestial River’s head connected to its tail, with no end in sight. It completely shielded the entire North below, refusing to let the cloud mass take the stage alone and firmly holding it back.
Before the Celestial River, the clouds surged, and Outer Realms were born and destroyed.
Behind the Celestial River lay the lands North of the River, where time flowed peacefully.
Such a profound scene went bizarrely unnoticed by anyone, which only served to further highlight the power of the two opposing sides. It was as if they existed entirely beyond the mortal realm.
Soon, figures emerged.
From within the clouds, a figure strode out, shrouded in mist. It was Ang Xiao, whose Qi trace and Position had undergone a qualitative transformation.
Late Stage of Golden Core, a Great Perfected Lord!
And on the other side, World Purger Fei Xue, with her long, snow-white legs and fluttering skirt, also strode out from the Celestial River, a chilling smile on her face.
In that moment, Heaven and Earth became All Clear.
Within the Sea of Suffering, a total of six Fruit Position Stars lit up one after another, projecting into the Current World and stirring up the malice that all Cultivators under their dominion held for one another.
Fruit of Great-Forest Wood, Fruit of Sky-River Water, Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth.
Fruit of Gully-Rill Water, Fruit of Mulberry-Thorn Wood, Fruit of Sea-Deep Metal.
Looking out, the six Dao Fruits each occupied a different quarter. Their masters stood on opposite sides of the divide formed by the clash of the Celestial River and the clouds, gazing at each other calmly.
"As expected, you have broken through as well, Daoist."
Ang Xiao sighed softly. "That Old Loach is useless. If not for his shameful, resounding defeat, you might not have been able to break through so quickly, Daoist."
World Purger Fei Xue smiled. "It was a matter of timing and fate."
"You still believe in such things, Daoist?"
Ang Xiao shook his head. "So-called timing and fate are nothing more than playthings in the hands of the four great lords of the Other Shore. It seems someone does not wish for me to return to the Netherworld."
Although he looked down on the Old Dragon Monarch, Ang Xiao was well aware of his strength. No matter how he thought about it, there was no way the Old Dragon Monarch should have been beaten into such a sorry state by Lü Yang. After learning the full story, he became even more certain: a Master of Dao was targeting him!
If not for that, how could Mu Changsheng, a mere practitioner of an Outer Dao, no matter how strong his Fruit or how skilled his methods, have possibly deceived the Old Dragon Monarch? If he could be deceived so easily, the Old Dragon Monarch wouldn’t have managed to lie low for so many years.
There had to be a conspiracy at play!
"It’s highly likely a Master of Dao secretly manipulated fate, causing the Old Dragon Monarch to become muddle-headed for a time. That’s the only reason he failed to discover the hidden injuries left behind by Mu Changsheng."
"They used this to destabilize the situation Overseas."
"This, in turn, prompted you to use those few Great Saints of the Demon Race from Overseas to achieve your breakthrough to the Great True Monarch Position, ultimately leading you to stand before me at this very moment."
Everything was interlinked.
On the other side, World Purger Fei Xue merely chuckled at his words, neither confirming nor denying them. As one of the involved parties, how could she not have noticed the coincidences?
Of course, she could think of everything Ang Xiao had.
But unlike the targeted Ang Xiao, she was the beneficiary. Why refuse a benefit that was handed to her on a silver platter? In any case, she wasn’t the one at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, Ang Xiao was feeling deeply troubled.
’Deliberately targeting me, preventing me from killing that nameless beast and returning to the Netherworld, while helping this shrew Fei Xue... this couldn’t be the work of the Ancestral Master.’
’Could it be the Bhagavat?’
After a moment of thought, Ang Xiao shook his head.
’It doesn’t seem like him either... The methods are too subtle—it’s like moving a thousand pounds with four ounces, accomplishing things silently and without a trace. If it were the Bhagavat, he’d be more direct.’
For example, he would probably just descend and issue a direct challenge.
’The Sword Pavilion... also unlikely. I’m on their side right now. Even if the Sword Pavilion wouldn’t help me, they wouldn’t go out of their way to trip me up.’
’In that case... is it the Dao Court?’
At this thought, Ang Xiao’s brow furrowed even deeper. The Daoist Court Daoist Lord, much like the Dao Court’s position among the Four Great Forces, was a classic nobody.
He possessed neither the Bhagavat’s infamous style nor the Saint Sect Ancestral Master’s ethereal and lofty power. Even the Sword Pavilion at least had the background of a generation-spanning feud with the Saint Sect, allowing one to vaguely glimpse the Sword Pavilion Daoist Lord’s true capabilities. Yet, for the Daoist Court Daoist Lord, there was absolutely no information at all.
This was extremely troublesome.
Because of this "nobody" status, Ang Xiao simply couldn’t figure out why the Dao Court’s Master of Dao would target him and prevent his return to the Netherworld.
He couldn’t even be sure it was the Daoist Court Daoist Lord who had acted.
Because on second thought, considering his collaboration with the Sword Pavilion, it wasn’t impossible that the Saint Sect Ancestral Master had secretly acted to punish him.
’...Perhaps I’m just overthinking this.’
’Regardless, it seems settling this with one decisive blow is no longer possible.’
With this thought, Ang Xiao sighed. All the clouds instantly receded, and in the blink of an eye, the entire strange phenomenon vanished. He had returned to the South.
Almost simultaneously, down below, True Monarch Gangxing, who was in a standoff with Lü Yang, frowned slightly. He then shook his head and dispersed the Sword Light that filled the sky.
That’s right, he had indeed been the one to initiate the challenge.
But a fair duel with Lü Yang?
Anyone with such a notion wouldn’t make a name for themselves, not just in the Sword Pavilion, but in the entire Immortal Pivot.
According to the original plan, he was supposed to act as bait, and then Ang Xiao would strike, using his Great True Monarch Position to slap Lü Yang to death.
Now, however, it seemed Ang Xiao had failed.
’Fei Xue came out of seclusion and even broke through to the Late Stage of Golden Core? It must be because of that bunch of fur-and-horn-wearing brutes from Overseas... There’s no other way. It seems we’ll have to make a new, long-term plan.’
True Monarch Gangxing retreated decisively.
After all, he wanted a guaranteed victory, not some fair duel. Pinning all his hopes for his Dao path on a single Combat was irresponsible.
’With Fei Xue here, Ang Xiao alone is not enough.’
’In that case, we must agree to the Pure Land’s conditions. And with the Dao Court as well... Hmph, there’s no need to speak of honor and justice when dealing with the Jiangbei Demon.’
Ganging up on him is the right way to do it!