Chapter 2683 - A Palm Strike Descends From the Heavens

On Red Pine Mountain, at the very pinnacle of Five Elements Peak.

The Five Elements Altar was blanketed in five-colored, resplendent light. A flood of chaos power coursed outward, enveloping Su Yi completely.

No one knew just what transformations he was undergoing.

The yellow finch watched intently from a distance, not saying a word.

Beyond the Five Elements Altar, over one hundred Eternals watched as well, all of them eager to take action!

Earlier, during the Battle for Order, they couldn’t borrow external power or use external treasures, but things were different now. The curtains had fallen on the Battle or Order, and Red Pine Mountain had changed dramatically. They no longer needed to fear a backlash from its chaos source!

All manner of treasures silently appeared in their hands. Some of the old-timers even used various treasures to unseal their cultivations, rising rapidly from the Unfettered Realm and breaking into the Divine Wandering and Silent Realms!

“Everyone, if Su Yi seizes control of the Laws of Red Pine Mountain, there will no longer be a place here for us!” someone said gravely.

The atmosphere was as tense and hostile as could be. Everyone knew that once the fighting began, it would mean a chaotic battle to the death.

Who knew how many would die in the competition to seize Su Yi’s Dao Fruit?

But if they didn’t attack, the moment Su Yi assumed full control over the Five Elements Altar’s chaos source and became the ruler of Red Pine Mountain, they’d find themselves in grave peril!

“Then let’s attack together and kill Su Yi!” said an old-timer whose cultivation base had soared into the Unfettered Realm. He seethed with murderous intent. “Once he’s dead, we can compete for his good fortune amongst ourselves. It’ll all come down to skill!”

“Good!” Many of the others chimed in their agreement.

But then, a burst of laughter rang out. “What could be more ludicrous than ants vying for supremacy? Do you really think using a few external powers to raise your meager cultivation bases means you can do whatever you want?”

Whoosh!

All eyes instantly looked over, only to see Xiao Jian standing there leisurely, one hand behind his back, the other holding a scroll. His whole body emanated the bookish air of a scholar.

He pointed into the sky. “The ones who’ll really determine the outcome of today’s battle are the old-timers yet to enter the battlefield. Rush into battle, and you’ll amount to nothing more than cannon fodder.”

He turned, then swept his gaze across the hundred-plus Eternals and said earnestly, “I know that many of you brought hidden cards and killer weapons. You’ve prepared all manner of external powers, and many of you are hiding your true cultivation bases, but I assure you that none of that will do you any good.

“Allow me to give you an opportunity. Leave Red Pine Mountain, and you can avoid losing your little lives to the flames of war.”

But his words didn’t just fail to convince the Eternals. On the contrary, their expressions were darker than ever.

“Xiao Jian! Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to order us about like this?” said a man with thin eyebrows and a Daoist seal.

Xiao Jian sighed. “I said all that for your own good. Bad enough that you aren’t grateful. Why react with such hostility? It seems that those old bald donkeys are right. Compassion alone isn’t enough to save those unwilling to be saved!”

“‘Unwilling to be saved’ my ass! I’ll kill you first, dammit!” A tall, stalwart, white-haired old man roared, then charged explosively at Xiao Jian.

His Divine Wandering Realm cultivation base shook both heaven and earth!

Xiao Jian vividly recalled that this very old-timer was one of the opponents he’d spared out of the goodness of his heart. Who’d have thought the old man would be the first in line to attack him?

Boom!

The old man’s palm slammed into Xiao Jian, like a divine mountain bearing down on his head.

But Xiao Jian didn’t even budge, and the blow didn’t so much as scratch him. On the contrary, the old man’s wrist broke on impact, and he was sent flying backward hundreds of feet, shrieking in agony.

A deathly silence descended over the crowd.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jian brushed off his clothes, glanced up at Su Yi, and said calmly, “I’ve spared you only to buy Su Yi time, but if you really think I’m a pushover...”

He laughed, then continued, “Then all of you will die.”

He spoke casually, but his words left many of the Eternals stunned and uncertain.

The white-haired old man had recovered his Divine Wandering Realm cultivation base, but he’d failed to injure Xiao Jian. On the contrary, he was forced back. After seeing that, who could fail to realize that Xiao Jian had been hiding his true strength, too?

“Don’t listen to his nonsense! The bastard just wants to monopolize all of the good fortune!” someone said icily.

Xiao Jian just stood there, paying him no heed. He’d already said everything he had to say. Whether or not they listened was up to them; he didn’t care about their lives in the slightest.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Boom!

Suddenly, a group of Eternals attacked under the leadership of a Silent Realm old man in black. Each drew their treasures and attacked Xiao Jian from afar.

When the others saw this, their eyes lit up. They too took action, except that they charged at the Five Elements Altar instead!

Xiao Jian furrowed his brow. “You’ve brought this upon yourselves. You have no one else to blame.”

He’d only just said this when he waved his sleeve through the air.

Boom!

Sword qi swept forth like the tide, spreading in all ten directions.

The old man in black, the one leading against the charge, instantly took out an old-fashioned golden Daoist seal.

The strength of Eternal weapons was highly variable, just like Eternal Laws. The old man’s seal was imbued with a sixth-tier Eternal Law, making it a first-rate treasure of extraordinary power.

But the moment he drew it...

Bang!!!

It exploded into pieces.

The old man’s eyes widened, and his jaw practically fell off for sheer shock.

Just what kind of sword qi is this? How could it be so terrifying?

This thought had only just occurred to him when...

Boom!

A tide of sword qi enveloped the old man in black completely, then continued, sweeping over the Eternals following into battle and killing them all before they could even react.

It didn’t matter whether they were clones or Unfettered Dao Lords here in the flesh. All of them died, their bodies offering no more resistance than paper.

Meanwhile, those charging at the Five Elements Altar felt a prickling pain in their eyes. Moments later, a boundless flood of sword qi appeared in their line of sight.

It was like the waters of the river of heaven, blanketing heaven and earth in a boundless flood, illuminating everything on all sides.

It rumbled like the simultaneous humming of ten thousand swords!

When the sword qi swept outward, Five Elements Peak was completely enveloped in sword light.

Xiao Jian sighed softly.

Boom!

The sword light filling the sky dissipated. There was no longer any sign of any enemies. All that remained was fragments of their treasures strewn across the ground like scrap metal; even their spirits had been ground away.

With a wave of the sleeves, a tide of sword qi swept forth, and over one hundred Eternals perished!

“Why was this necessary?” Xiao Jian shook his head slightly, as if he’d done something ordinary, even trivial.

Off in the distance, only the yellow finch remained. It looked at Xiao Jian and asked, “How strong are you, anyway?”

Xiao Jian said distractedly, “How strong are my enemies? I can be as strong as them—no, I can be even stronger.”

“Then why admit defeat?” asked the finch.

Xiao Jian gazed into the dome of heaven. “You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

“Might you do me a favor?” Xiao Jian asked suddenly.

The yellow finch refused. “I won’t participate in any kind of conflict."

Xiao Jian gestured to Su Yi. “He’s already earned the Five Elements Altar’s recognition, becoming the ruler of Red Pine Mountain. In other words, he’s your master, isn’t he, Patrolling Spirit? Will you help him now?”

The yellow finch fell silent.

“I’m not asking you to fight anyone. Just keep an eye on things here and keep anyone from approaching the Five Elements Altar. That’s enough,” said Xiao Jian, pointing into the dome of heaven. “I’ve got to take a trip out there. Otherwise, those blind fools will attack before your master has finished assuming control over Red Pine Mountain’s source. I’d hate to see the place reduced to a battlefield.”

The yellow finch had nothing to say, but it nodded almost imperceptibly.

Xiao Jian smiled. “Good.”

But just as he was about to take action, he seemed to discover something. He couldn’t help but exclaim softly.

Meanwhile, behind the spacetime barrier closest to the God Domain, Madam Purple Blue, Heavenly Monarch Xun, Meng Tianya and the others practically simultaneously noticed what was going on atop Five Elements Peak.

They watched as a wave of sword qi swept outward, slaying over a hundred Eternals at once. Their brows instantly furrowed with murderous intent.

“Who is that guy?”

“No idea.”

“Who cares who he is? He dared brazenly slaughter our subordinates, so he must die!”

The Heavenly Monarchs were furious.

According to their factions’ arrangements, they were indeed in competition, but none of them would strike to kill each other.

Yet now, someone had just slain over one hundred Eternals without the slightest politeness. How could they

not

be angry?

“No need to wait any further!” said Heavenly Monarch Xun, rising to his feet on the Golden-Winged Great Peng’s back, his gaze icy. “We planned to let those juniors compete while we sat back and waited to welcome them back, but now, it seems someone wants to monopolize the good fortune!”

Boom!

His aura surged around him, violently shaking the spacetime barrier.

“Heavenly Monarch Xun, if you attack directly, the measly little God Domain will split. Who knows how many will perish?” said Madam Purple Blue. “Aren’t you afraid of being cursed and spat upon for ages to come?”

“So what if I destroy the God Domain?” Heavenly Monarch Xun said calmly. “Why should I care?”

As he spoke, he suddenly raised his hand, and a glittering golden flame ignited between his fingers.

Then, he smacked the air.

Boom!

An incomparably massive hole tore open in the barrier closest to the God Domain. It was shaped like a hand, but it was so enormous that suns and moons seemed like grains of sand by comparison.

Were someone in the God Domain to look up, they’d see a blazing, resplendent, golden palm imprint hurtling toward them from beyond the broken spacetime barrier.

It was like the hand of divine fury, bringing with it the power to destroy the world!

Before the golden hand arrived, terrifying destructive power swept forth. A wave of terror spread across the God Domain, and trillions of living beings were overcome with despair.

Even mighty Nine-Tribulation Master Gods felt incomparably paltry and insignificant in the face of that golden palm.

This was true apocalyptic power!

They didn’t even need to think to know that if that palm strike landed, it would cause a world-ending catastrophe!

Over on Five Elements Peak, Xiao Jian stood with one hand behind his back, the other holding a scroll. His gaze was calm and clear.

He immediately saw the palm imprint hurtling toward him on the peak, and his brow furrowed. He was a bit angry.

You’re a lofty Heavenly Monarch, but look at you! You’re completely disregarding the lives of the masses. You’re simply sick and depraved!

But Xiao Jian didn’t move

The golden palm imprint shattered the sky and was just about to slam into Red Pine Mountain when a figure appeared out of nowhere and swung his sleeve.

As if wiping the dust off his body.

That palm strike was enormous enough to blanket the sky and blot out the sun, yet it silently shattered, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

All that remained was the hand-shaped hole in the spacetime barrier deep within the dome of heaven.