Chapter 2341 Break Free

The world had fallen into deathly silence.

Countless cultivators wrestled with their emotions. Even if they found it hard to accept, they had no choice but to acknowledge the reality. Lin Xun had already won three out of the five rounds and secured an undeniable victory!

Ling Xuanzi smiled. “But we have not yet finished the five rounds of our duel.”

“You still want to continue?” Lin Xun raised a brow.

Ling Xuanzi replied calmly, “Little Junior Brother, didn’t you want me to understand what it means to be utterly defeated on the cultivation path?”

Before his voice had fully faded, a mighty quasi-Emperor aura surged from him and his eyes shone with unfathomable dao light.

“Fine, I’ll make sure you admit defeat from the bottom of your heart.” Lin Xun soared into the sky.

Boom!

The battle of supreme quasi-Emperors erupted instantly.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

This clash was even more intense, even more heart-stirring than before. The world before Fangchun Ruins plunged into chaos and destruction.

Everyone watching felt their hearts tighten, their souls shaken again and again.

Even Emperors held their breaths and concentrated fully, unable to hide the astonishment in their eyes.

They were not supreme Emperors nor supreme quasi-Emperors, and they had never witnessed power at this level before.

Only now did they realize that the so-called Emperor Stage heavenly barrier that was regarded as an insurmountable divide since ancient times posed no hindrance at all to Ling Xuanzi and Lin Xun at all!

The strength both displayed defied heavens, far beyond conventional comprehension. The terrifying power they unleashed had long surpassed that of ordinary Emperors!

It was truly terrifying.

If word of this spread, it would even overturn the understanding that had existed for countless ages!

As the battle raged on, Ling Xuanzi began to sustain injuries, but unlike before, he did not admit defeat. Instead, the more setbacks he suffered, the more determined he became, his fighting spirit burning with even more ferocity.

Boom!

In the void, Ling Xuanzi was seen charging forth with unstoppable momentum, wielding the power of the boundless cosmos, executing a myriad of profound techniques like a divine being descending upon the world.

He appeared more composed than ever, his expression solemn, yet his eyes burned with a terrifying divine light. Every strike he unleashed carried the force to incinerate mountains, boil seas, and split heaven and earth. The power was so overwhelming that it was unimaginable.

However, no matter how devastating his blows were, Lin Xun shattered them one after another. No matter how profound his dao was, they were all utterly destroyed!

Compared to Ling Xuanzi’s relentless attacks, Lin Xun’s every move exuded an air of simplicity—direct, unadorned, yet utterly indestructible and impervious to all attacks.

Before long, Ling Xuanzi was riddled with wounds.

Though his figure was formed from the power of his will so it bore no blood, the damage was unmistakable. Everyone could see his form flickering and blurring, showing signs of disintegration.

The spectators felt a pang of disappointment. Was Venerable Dao Lord, a supreme existence to them...really about to fall from grace?

“Why won’t you admit defeat? Or are you just refusing to accept the reality?” Lin Xun asked.

Ling Xuanzi’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit, but his expression remained as calm as always. “I haven’t lost yet, so why would I concede?”

Boom!

As soon as the words left his lips, Lin Xun struck once more, sending Ling Xuanzi hurtling through the air. The dao light around him trembled and scattered.

Despite the impact, Ling Xuanzi steadied himself as if unfazed and immediately launched another assault.

Lin Xun furrowed his brows.

From the very beginning of their battle, Ling Xuanzi had demonstrated a level of strength that defied the heavens, forcing Lin Xun to unleash his full power to suppress him.

This alone was enough to prove that Ling Xuanzi was no ordinary opponent.

However, Lin Xun was puzzled by Ling Xuanzi’s relentless persistence. What was the reason driving him to continue?

As time went on, the battle only grew fiercer.

Ling Xuanzi’s figure had become blurred and fragmented, but he still remained unyielding, appearing extremely tenacious.

It was not that Lin Xun wasn’t trying to suppress him completely, but even if he was exerting his full strength, he was unable to fully take down Ling Xuanzi.

An unparalleled genius like him who only appeared once in countless ages was not so easily subdued.

“It’s tragic...”

Far away, countless spectators felt a sense of unease.

Recently, Ling Xuanzi had been preaching the profound truths of the great dao, enlightening and benefiting countless cultivators. Seeing him in such a dire state, they couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Meanwhile, Meng Lianqing and the others were gripped by a single thought.

Is that guy...really the Lin Xun we know?

Even Venerable Dao Lord is struggling against him, so just how terrifying is Lin Xun’s strength?

None of them knew that in the reincarnation world of the Nirvana of Transcendence, Lin Xun had already become the undisputed number one across all history in the lower five cultivation stage, the Longevity Tribulation Stage, the Saint Stage and the Quasi-Emperor Stage!

Under such circumstances, how could Ling Xuanzi possibly stand a chance?

In the distant canyon, A’hu, Toady, A’lu and the others held their breaths, watching nervously.

They all knew that Ling Xuanzi had lost. There was no turning the tides anymore.

However, they were concerned as to whether Ling Xuanzi would keep to his promise.

Given Ling Xuanzi’s cultivation, if he revealed his full strength, would Lin Xun be able to withstand it?

Boom!

On the battlefield, Ling Xuanzi was once again sent flying.

His figure had become completely blurred, as faint as drifting smoke, as if he could dissipate at any moment. In truth, everyone could see that Ling Xuanzi could no longer hold on.

At that moment, he let out a long sigh and decisively stopped.

Despite that, there was no trace of disappointment, bitterness or unwillingness in his sigh. Instead, it carried an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

Many found this hard to believe.

He had been utterly defeated, so why would he react so unusually?

“Remarkable! Little Junior Brother, your dao is truly one of a kind, unprecedented in all of history.” Ling Xuanzi said, his voice carrying a depth of emotion.

Lin Xun frowned. “At such a time, you still have the mood to be sentimental?”

“Haha.” Ling Xuanzi chuckled. “Even if I lost, to have personally witnessed my Junior Brother’s great dao, I feel nothing but joy and deep satisfaction!”

This was like the most unreserved praise from a senior brother to his junior brother, filled with genuine sincerity.

At this moment, a flicker of realization crossed Lin Xun’s expression. His eyes narrowed slightly and he asked, “During our dao duel, have you been trying to figure out my dao path all along?”

Ling Xuanzi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, clapping his hands. “Little Junior Brother, you are sharp as ever. But you’re mistaken. I was not trying to figure it out; I have already comprehended your past dao paths and know it thoroughly!”

After a brief pause, he continued, “From what I can tell, you must have reconstructed your dao path more than once before, but the one you forged before becoming an Emperor was the most pivotal.”

He then added, “If my guess is correct, the place where you underwent rebirth and achieved nirvana must be the Nirvana of Transcendence, am I right?”

Lin Xun felt a chill in his heart, his eyes flashing sharply.

Just from our dao duel, Ling Xuanzi has pieced together so much! This man is far too terrifying!

Lin Xun suddenly recalled what the Dao Ruleless Bell had once said about Ling Xuanzi:

Born with profound wisdom, a heart of nine apertures, a mind that blooms like a lotus, a talent that defies heavens, unparalleled throughout the ages.

Lin Xun couldn’t help but wonder whether Ling Xuanzi’s extraordinary perception and insight might be linked to his innate talent.

“Seems like my speculation is correct.”

Ling Xuanzi remarked with a calm, amiable smile, “Regardless of everything, I must thank you, Little Junior Brother. Your dao path had finally allowed me to understand what kind of great dao Master had been waiting for. After glimpsing into your dao, I can finally...”

He turned around, gazing at Fangchun Ruins, and spoke firmly, emphasizing each word, “Break free!”

The moment he finished—

Boom!

The massive lotus-shaped sacred mountain quaked violently. Torrents of chaos qi erupted from its depths like a tidal wave, and boundless divine light surged in all directions.

It was as if an ancient god had awakened beneath the mountain, attempting to overturn the prison that had confirmed him for countless years and once again step into the world!

Cries of shock erupted in the distance, causing a stir and chaos.

No one had expected such a sudden, earth-shattering change would happen as soon as the fourth round came to an end.

“So, this was your true intention all along.”

Lin Xun’s dark eyes turned toward Fangchun Ruins in the distance. He could distinctly sense an immensely terrifying presence awakening beneath the sacred mountain’s foundation.

“You misunderstand, Little Junior Brother. Even if you hadn’t come today, I would have broken free from this countless years of imprisonment in no more than two months.” Ling Xuanzi’s voice was light, almost casual, yet there was an unmistakable arrogance.

Lin Xun’s expression remained cold. “That brings me to the question I was about to ask. In order to escape, do you truly intend to sacrifice all those innocent cultivators?”

Ling Xuanzi asked in response, “Little Junior Brother, after all your years of cultivation, the number of people who have perished by your hands must be beyond counting. Perhaps you had your reasons for killing them, but so do I. Death is death. What difference is there between us?”

Lin Xun laughed in anger. “I, Lin Xun, have cultivated to this day with a clear conscience. No matter whom I’ve killed, I have never done anything unjust, ruthless, or inhumane. But you? You are willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of innocent lives!”

Countless cultivators in the distance turned deathly pale, their bodies cold with terror. The realization of what Lin Xun’s accusation meant slowly dawned on them.

When they looked at Ling Xuanzi again, their gazes were filled with deep fear and disbelief, as if they couldn’t comprehend how the Venerable Dao Lord they worshipped could do something so ruthless and monstrous?

Rumble!

In the distance, the sacred mountain trembled violently, divine brilliance surging across the land as if it were on the verge of collapse.

Ling Xuanzi seemed not to notice Lin Xun’s fury as well as the countless cultivators watching from afar. With an indifferent tone, he said, “Little Junior Brother, in your eyes, they are living beings, but to me, they are nothing more than specks of dust along the path of the great dao. In fact, at this moment, you and I are also no different from dust ourselves.

“Only by transcending the great dao and attaining eternal immortality can one truly stand above all, as the supreme ruler of the heavens!”

As he spoke, a fervent madness burned in his gaze, and he let out a long sigh, “This was the great dao dispute between Master and me back then! Perhaps, for now, I am inferior to Master now, but one day, I will prove whose dao reigns supreme!”

Lin Xun’s expression suddenly grew calm as he looked at Ling Xuanzi’s fading illusory figure. “Do you really need to wait for one day? Don’t forget, you just lost four rounds. By your own words, your fate is mine to decide. Or, are you planning to go back on your words?”

Ling Xuanzi was stunned for a moment, before breaking into a smile. “No, I, Ling Xuanzi, have never gone back on my word. Even after being suppressed for countless years, have I ever once shown regret?”

After a pause, he spoke each word slowly and deliberately, “Little Junior Brother, don’t be so hasty. The fifth round...has yet to begin...”

At the end of his words, the incarnation of his will dissipated into a rain of light and vanished without a trace.

At the same time, the sacred mountain in the distance collapsed with a deafening rumble!