Infinite Professions

Xuanxiao Mountain, no longer Xuanxiao Mountain.

Wind Cloud Peak, no longer Wind Cloud Peak.

Only a scene of devastation, the ground cracked for hundreds of miles, with chasms stretching across.

In the void, two figures faced each other, robes stained with blood, blade and sword fallen in red, silently narrating the outcome of this battle.

The surroundings were silent and somber, equally soundless, the expressions of the cultivators were bewildered, not knowing what to say.

Although everyone had anticipated that this battle might end in a stalemate, they hadn’t expected it to end in this manner.

An epiphany on the battlefield?

A breakthrough during the fight?

Is it really possible for someone to achieve such a feat?

Indeed, between life and death, there is great fear as well as great opportunity. Breaking through bottlenecks under immense pressure is also reasonable, yet such reasonable occurrences are extremely rare and difficult to achieve.

After all, this is a life-and-death battle; the opponent is not a fool; how could they possibly allow you to break through?

Unless you can, in an instant, suddenly comprehend a realm, and immediately integrate it for usage, transforming it into combat power to confront the enemy; otherwise, the result of a breakthrough during battle would not be pleasant.

Such conditions are exceedingly harsh.

Yet he accomplished it; not only did he have an instant epiphany, but he also immediately transformed what he gained into actual combat strength, once again raising the Daoist Sword against the Demon Saber, finally shattering both blade and sword, each sustaining injuries, thus evenly matched against his opponent.

Such development, such a result, was beyond everyone’s expectations.

But the fact lay in front of them, and everyone had to accept it.

So, this battle...

"Hahaha!"

Once the cultivators’ thoughts settled, they heard the Swordsman laugh wildly: "As expected of the opponent I had my eyes on, you didn’t let me down; what a move, Absolute Sword, but that’s not enough, far from enough!"

Within the words, there was already a determination to fight to the death.

However, the Swordsman responded: "Your potential doesn’t end here; this battle remains unfulfilled; deciding life and death now would be a pity!"

With that, the Swordsman retracted his hand, the Daoist Sword’s edge fully withdrawn: "Three hundred years, three hundred years later, when you and my Primordial Spirits meet again, let’s duel!"

"This..."

"Hmm!?"

As these words were spoken, everyone changed their expressions.

"Primordial Spirit?"

The Swordsman’s eyes focused, then he laughed as well: "Fine, just as you said, I’ll come for you again in three hundred years!"

With that, his figure leaped, intending to leave.

"You cannot let the tiger return to the mountain!"

On the Golden Ship of Calamity, Wen Renying’s eyes sharpened, ready to join Yuu Lingying, Gux Shenxiu, and Zhong Yuxiu in deploying the Four Symbols Sword Array.

Yet someone was faster; even as the dark red blade light was about to leap, beneath the high heavens descended a rainbow-colored cloud, transforming into a Five Elements Smoke and Cloud Array, instantly enveloping that dark red blade light.

"Hmm!?"

"What’s this..."

The cultivators’ eyes focused, then someone exclaimed out loud: "Taiyi Five Smoke Net!?"

"Is it Elder Baiyun?"

Wen Renying’s eyes narrowed, immediately halting his actions.

On the other side, Mei Daoist gazed at the colorful clouds enveloping the Demon Saber, his brow furrowed.

Taiyi Five Smoke Net!

The name of this treasure, not prominent amongst the younger generation, was even unknown to some late-staged Nascent Soul cultivators.

But as a senior Nascent Soul from the same era as the Seven Taiyuan Cultivators, Mei Daoist knew well of its origin and the person it represented.

This treasure originally belonged to a major sect of the heterodox, the Wutai Sect’s founding ancestor, Taiyi Hunyuan Venerable.

This Taiyi Hunyuan Venerable, though from the heterodox sect, possessed fortune, not only cultivating to the Primordial Spirit but also establishing the foundation of the Wutai Sect, refining this Taiyi Five Smoke Net by gathering Five Elements essence, Heavenly Spirit, and Earthly Fiend Qi, and combined it with his sect’s Great Technique, becoming a top figure among the heterodox, and a carefree sect leader.

Yet the heterodox didn’t know fate, during the righteous-demonic war twelve hundred years ago, this Taiyi Hunyuan Venerable surprisingly led the Wutai Sect to turn to the Demon Dao, resulting in the Wutai Sect being destroyed by the Orthodox Dao, and he himself was slain by the Orthodox elders known as "Elder Baiyun," and the Taiyi Five Smoke Net consequently changed hands, becoming Elder Baiyun’s possession.

This Elder Baiyun, although not one of the Seven Taiyuan Cultivators, is of higher generation than them, a Venerable Primordial Spirit of the previous era, whom the world believed to have ascended to the Upper Realm, yet he remained in the Taiyuan.

Now he came silently, fiercely acted after the battle, using the Taiyi Five Smoke Net to trap the Three Calamities Demon Monarch, intending to use this opportunity to eliminate this potential-filled, immensely threatening Demon Dao powerhouse.

This made Mei Daoist uneasy.

Why uneasy?

He couldn’t quite say.

Intercepting after the battle, such actions, though accused of taking advantage, with Elder Baiyun as a revered figure of the Orthodox Dao and the highest-aged Venerable Primordial Spirit, acting thus was further criticized, yet this was an exceptional time, and utilizing exceptional means to counter the Demon Heaven Great Tribulation was unavoidable.

Not to mention Elder Baiyun, even Wen Renying and others intended to deploy the Four Symbols Sword Array earlier.

There was no alternative, as the Three Calamities Demon Monarch’s performance was exceedingly terrifying, having slain the Celestial Slaughter Demon Monarch three years ago and now fighting Qingming Dao Sword to a standstill, the Demon Saber’s prowess was uniquely astonishing.

The most dreadful aspect was that he wasn’t a Primordial Spirit but a Nascent Soul Cultivator, yet with room for advancement.

In the Nascent Soul stage, to possess such strength, if he achieves Primordial Spirit, how many opponents would he have left in the Taiyuan Realm?

Letting the tiger return to the mountain would have endless consequences. To resolve the demon’s grand situation, for the sake of all living beings, using some extraordinary means was regrettably necessary.

Thus, Elder Baiyun’s actions had no issue.

But for some reason, Mei Daoist still felt uneasy, always feeling this might be inappropriate.

"Boom boom boom!"

While Mei Daoist was tangled in thoughts, the Five Elements Grand Array formed by the Taiyi Five Smoke Net had already stabilized.

The five-colored smoke mist, cycling endlessly, seemingly weightless, but actually containing the profound truth of the Five Elements mutual creation and destruction.

This Taiyi Hunyuan Venerable, though from a heterodox sect, the Taiyi Five Smoke Net was not a heterodox artifact but a genuine Mystic Sect Magical Treasure, formed through his fortune encounters, after being acquired by Elder Baiyun it was perfected, containing the Five Elements Banner Gate, capable of deploying the Five Elements Grand Array, even the Purple Mansion Primordial Spirit couldn’t withstand several rounds of wear.