Chapter 983: The Vajra Heart

High above Dayan's capital, two seas of fortune overlapped. The lower layer, representing Daxi's fortune, was devouring the upper layer, Dayan's fortune. Dayan's golden dragon of fortune wailed, seemingly unable to hold on any longer.

At that moment, Yan Zhenshui was maintaining his broadcast to the entire empire, gathering public sentiment and support to elevate Daxi into a divine empire. His own golden dragon of fortune was devouring Dayan's to consolidate its strength.

Such a crucial ascension would undoubtedly take some time.

Yu Banruo stepped out of the palace to observe the scene outside.

"Your Highness, given your strength, you could easily break open the seal around the entrance of the vajra hidden realm, but if you do so, Yan Zhenhuo may escape, link up with his golden dragon of fortune, and spread news of his imprisonment across the empire. If that happens, Dayan will riot, and the coronation will fail," one of his subordinates advised.

"In that case, we'll wait a little longer. Ensure that no one exits that hidden realm. Once Dayan's golden dragon of fortune collapses, I'll deal with Yan Zhenhuo and Xiao Nanfeng properly," Yu Banruo ordered coldly.

"Understood!" everyone replied.

Within the vajra hidden realm, Ye Dafu and the others quickly took down the vajra guards, bolstered by Blue Lantern's formation.

"Has everyone been subdued?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"They have. They've all been knocked unconscious and kept in a storage treasure. None of them will be able to spread word of what's happening here through an avatar outside," Ye Dafu reported.

"Do we have enough time to act?" Xiao Nanfeng continued.

"We do," Ye Dafu confirmed.

"In that case, let's make our move."

"Got it. Brothers, let's move out!" Ye Dafu shouted in excitement.

The golden cultivators rushed excitedly toward the giant Vajra Eidolon in the distance.

Xiao Nanfeng turned to Yan Zhenhuo. "I'd like to help you reclaim Dayan, but given the fact that your body's been swapped, even if you notify the people, you can't reclaim your empire in your current state. Instead, Yu Banruo would quickly locate and eliminate you. So..."

Yan Zhenhuo smiled wryly. "Don't worry about Dayan on my behalf. I know I can't hold onto it now. I don't plan to notify everyone either. That might make things difficult for Yu Banruo, but it would also bring disaster to the loyal ministers and old comrades still on my side."

"It's good that you understand," Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

"So just what are you doing?" Yan Zhenhuo asked curiously.

"Well, since we're leaving, we can hardly leave these treasures for Yu Banruo. We're planning to dismantle the Vajra Eidolon and take it with us," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

A loud boom resounded as the twelve golden cultivators attacked the Vajra Eidolon simultaneously, causing it to shake.

Yan Zhenhuo's eyes widened. "Hold on. It's dangerous!"

Suddenly, the Vajra Eidolon seemed to come alive. Its eyes flared open, releasing an immense wave of fiery energy that swept the surroundings like a storm. One massive hand swatted down and sent Ye Dafu flying.

Cries of alarm followed as the twelve golden cultivators were knocked away one after another.

"The Vajra Eidolon is alive?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"No, it's not, but it can act in self-defense. You won't be able to bring it with you unless you defeat it."

In the distance, Ye Dafu and the others charged forward again.

"Damn it, I'm a Boundless Immortal! How can I lose to a statue?"

"Get him!"

The golden cultivators lunged forward once more, only to be repeatedly sent flying by the Vajra Eidolon's counterattacks.

"The Vajra Eidolon contains near-endless reserves of vajra energy. Despite the fact that it lacks consciousness and can't exert its full strength, it's as strong as a peak Boundless Immortal. Bringing it with you would be impossible!" Yan Zhenhuo exclaimed.

"I'll handle it," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"You? But..."

He stopped short as he saw Xiao Nanfeng crush a black lotus petal in his hand. Immense power surged forth, forming a colossal eidolon of Liu Miaoyin.

Yan Zhenhuo was stunned.

Xiao Nanfeng merged with Liu Miaoyin's eidolon, which was as large as the Vajra Eidolon. He maneuvered the eidolon forward.

"Make way!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted. "Hegemon's Fist!"

The twelve golden cultivators quickly leapt aside as thousands of Xiao Nanfeng's fists struck the Vajra Eidolon in a flurry. It was sent flying.

The tremendous force caused the entire realm to quake.

Yan Zhenhuo gaped. "The power of a peak Boundless Immortal? If Xiao Nanfeng had fought me like this that day, I wouldn't have stood a chance..."

At that moment, the Heaven's Hand that the Vajra Eidolon had been guarding against descended, slamming down on it with another deafening boom.

The impact caused cracks to spiderweb across the Eidolon's surface.

The Vajra Eidolon seemed to be stimulated by the impact and grew even stronger. It broke free of the Heaven's Hand in an instant.

The Heaven's Hand retreated into the clouds as the Vajra Eidolon charged at Liu Miaoyin's eidolon.

Liu Miaoyin's eidolon surged forth and attacked at full strength.

The two eidolon's attacks slammed into each other, tearing a rift in space and releasing a fiery shockwave. Both eidolons were blasted back, each riddled with cracks.

"What incredible power," Xiao Nanfeng marveled.

Just then, the Heaven's Hand descended again, smashing the Vajra Eidolon into the ground. This time, the Vajra Eidolon cracked like shattered glass and remained immobile.

Just then, a golden light emerged from the Vajra Eidolon's head, forming a hundred-meter-tall golden apparition identical to the Vajra Eidolon itself.

"Xiao Hongye, have you returned?" the apparition asked.

Xiao Nanfeng froze mid-stride. "Who are you? How do you know my father?"

The golden apparation seemed a little dazed. Only when Xiao Nanfeng had spoken did he turn to him and frown. "You aren't Xiao Hongye?"

"Xiao Hongye is my father," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

The golden apparition glanced at Xiao Nanfeng. "You are Xiao Hongye's son? Have you brought cultivators who possess vajra hearts?"

"Senior, are you the owner of the Vajra Eidolon? May I ask what you've requested of my father?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

The golden apparition nodded. "The Vajra Eidolon is indeed mine. Unfortunately, only a sliver of my truesoul remains. Last time, a certain young man with the name of Xiao Hongye awakened me, claiming that he would spread the Indomitable Vajra Body to the outside world and help me identify those who possess vajra hearts. They would be able to obtain my full inheritance upon shattering the Vajra Eidolon. Where are they?"

"What do you mean by vajra hearts?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Do you not know? Have you not found candidates who possess vajra hearts? I suppose they aren't so easy to find. Such hearts lie not in talent, cultivation, or foundation, but in mindset and mentality. I scoured the entire world, but found no one like me. It only stands to reason that Xiao Hongye wouldn't succeed. I—what? No! You've found them—twelve of them!" The golden apparition's eyes widened as he glanced at the twelve golden cultivators in the vicinity.

Ye Dafu's eyes lit up. "Senior, do you mean we have vajra hearts?"

"Haha, good, good! I thought that the Indomitable Vajra Body, which I exchanged for from the world away, would soon be a lost art—but twelve promising disciples have emerged! Xiao Hongye, you have granted me a great gift," the golden apparition murmured.

Confusion rippled through the group.

The golden apparition continued, "You twelve, I'll pass all the vajra qi I've gathered to you. Spread the Indomitable Vajra Body and cultivate it to its peak. Perhaps one day, you will be able to revive me as you battle the heavens."

With that, the apparition returned to the Vajra Eidolon, which promptly melted into twelve streams of golden liquid that engulfed the golden cultivators.

The golden cultivators glowed with light.

"What incredible vajra qi! We're rich, haha!"

"Quick, absorb it all!"

"Store it within your body so it doesn't dissipate!"

The twelve golden cultivators were overjoyed.

"They absorbed the Vajra Eidolon?" the others exclaimed in shock.

"Beware the Heaven's Hand!" Yan Zhenhuo warned.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

A new Heaven's Hand descended, intending to annihilate the twelve golden cultivators.

Liu Miaoyin's eidolon intercepted it, holding the massive hand aloft.

However, the Heaven's Hand was too powerful. Liu Miaoyin's eidolon began to crack.

"Blue Lantern, activate the formation!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Understood!"

Blue beams of light shot up toward the sky, forming the projection of a massive bronze compass that bound the dark clouds overhead.

"I'll lend you all the remaining strength in this eidolon to help you bind the Heaven's Hand," Xiao Nanfeng called out.

"Very well!"

The projection of a bronze compass appeared underfoot. A blue barrier of energy surrounded Liu Miaoyin's eidolon, which transformed into a burst of black energy that shot toward the Heaven's Hand, coating it in a thin membrane. The Heaven's Hand slowed.

"Your Majesty, everything's ready!" Blue Lantern shouted.

Yan Zhenhuo frowned, perplexed. "What are you doing?"

The next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Xiao Nanfeng was sitting cross-legged. He opened his mouth wide and sucked the Heaven's Hand, along with the accompanying dark clouds, into his mouth.

"Y-You..." Yan Zhenhuo's eyes widened in shock.

After Xiao Nanfeng had swallowed everything, a bronze compass floated above his head and released a pulse of blue light that encapsulated him and helped him distill the essence of the Heaven's Hand.

"Disperse!" Blue Lantern commanded.

A group of black-robed subordinates carried off Xiao Nanfeng and the twelve golden cultivators, who were deep in meditation.

Yan Zhenhuo couldn't seem to process what was going on. He was still dumbfounded even as the black-robed cultivators escorted him out of the other entrance to the vajra hidden realm.

Did Xiao Nanfeng really... consume... that frightening Heaven's Hand? How was that possible?

Shortly thereafter, back in Dayan's capital, a dragon's roar echoed across the sky. Daxi's golden dragon of fortune had devoured Dayan's, elevating Daxi into a divine empire.

Daxi had formally replaced Dayan. All of Dayan's territory, fortune, and people were now Daxi's.

"It's done," someone said.

Yu Banruo's eyes gleamed coldly. "To the vajra hidden realm!"

His entourage joined him.

Yu Banruo punched the entrance to the vajra hidden realm, shattering Blue Lantern's seal.

The cultivators rushed into the vajra hidden realm, only to freeze in shock.

"Where's everyone? Where did they go?"

"What happened to the Vajra Eidolon?"

"Where's the Heaven's Hand? What happened here? It's almost as if everything has been looted!"

Everyone was utterly baffled by what was going on.