Chapter 670: Great Dao Contend, the Immortals Retreat!

Pitch-black flames, eerie chains, the Great Dao of Death, and a deadly divine ability that was unlike anything the endless space had ever seen...

The golden-haired Daoist was a Grand Dao Golden Immortal. Although he was not some great figure from the Ancient Era or Primal Era, his Daoist realm was still undeniably profound.

Within this region of space, no matter how powerful the expert or how formidable their divine abilities and treasures were, none could claim they could easily kill or heavily wound him.

Yet now, black flames were devouring his body, his soul, and even his Great Dao at a terrifying speed. He could not even fight back!

Only a few seconds had passed since Qinghua stepped out of the coffin. Nevertheless, with just a light palm strike, the golden-haired Daoist had already lost any chance of survival.

Space fell completely silent for a brief moment. Countless streaks of light shot toward the distance as onlookers fled.

The black chains in front of Qinghua trembled slightly. The golden giant ape exploded with a thunderous burst, shattering the golden-haired Daoist's Great Dao.

The collapse of the Grand Dao Golden Immortal's Great Dao sent ripples across heaven and earth. Even tens of thousands of

li

away, violent turmoil in the Dao's laws severely injured many cultivators, causing them to vomit blood.

The Daoist robe in front of Qinghua drifted slowly downward, completely undamaged.

More than a dozen now-ownerless treasures flickered faintly. The artifact spirits within them dared not reveal themselves. Since the black flames burned only living beings, Qinghua swept his hand to make them all disappear.

He had just easily given a Grand Dao Golden Immortal a miserable and silent death.

The pale-faced emperor simply smiled faintly. He stepped forward once more and reappeared right above the coffin. Behind him, the Apricot-Yellow Banner swayed gently.

Half of the powerful beings in the area immediately retreated. The other half exchanged rapid voice transmission with trusted allies, weighing gains and losses. Eventually, they agreed to join forces.

At that moment, the Dao Rhythms of two Great Dao erupted where the golden-haired Daoist had stood.

Many numb gazes shifted toward the source, finding the two divine-ability masters who had attempted to rescue him. One was a middle-aged man, the other a wrinkled old woman.

Their Dao Rhythms surged around them. Vast immortal power roared outward as though they were battling space itself.

Qinghua smiled faintly and murmured, "Resistance is futile."

Two black chains appeared out of thin air behind the old woman and the middle-aged man. They pierced through layers of immortal power and ignored the many spiritual treasures that the pair had taken out. Even though their targets had already sensed danger and already had their guards up, the chains still managed to pierce through their chests without leaving the slightest wound.

Though their cultivation was inferior to that of the golden-haired Daoist, the two cultivators were still renowned figures in the Eastern Sky Region. Nevertheless, they were powerless against the chains. When the chains withdrew, they lowered their heads in confusion and stared at themselves, seemingly unable to understand what technique had struck them.

The old woman's eyes widened as her silver hair fell out in clumps and her already gaunt face shrank into skin and bone. With wisps of aura drifting away from her, she bent further with age. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man's temples instantly turned white. A rumble echoed from within him as his realm plummeted rapidly.

At that moment, a veiled middle-aged female cultivator cried out in shock, "The Five Heavenly Declines! It has to be!"

Her words echoed across tens of thousands of

li

, clearly warning the immortals in the area.

Qinghua gazed up at her.

She didn't dare meet his eyes. Retreating at full speed, she hurriedly shouted, "I never opposed the Heavenly Court!"

"Is that so?" Qinghua slowly clasped his hands behind his back. His gaze swept across the region as he calmly added, "Are you all really just going to sit this one out? My Dao foundation is not yet stable, which means this is likely your only chance. If you fail to kill me today, I will one day seek out every last person who opposed the Heavenly Court and repay you with the suffering that our deities suffered."

An old, tall, and slender Daoist sighed softly. He stood on an auspicious ganoderma-shaped[1] cloud. With a priceless pagoda floating behind him, he unhurriedly walked forward.

He looked refined and carried himself extraordinarily well. Moreover, the pagoda behind him was clearly a powerful treasure. The majesty it displayed could faintly contend with Qinghua's oppressive presence.

Some couldn't believe that such a mighty individual had actually come here.

With half-closed eyes, the old Daoist slowly replied, "Let bygones be bygones. The Heavenly Court no longer exists. The Immortal Emperor defied the Dao and met a grim end. Your Imperial Majesty, you have obtained the Great Dao of Death with great hardship. Why repeat the Immortal Emperor's path?

"Today, the Three Realms are what cultivators yearn for most. With your present divine ability, if you swear never to attempt taking revenge for the Heavenly Court again, the Immortal Saint Realm will naturally grant you a place."

Wang Sheng immediately concluded that the old Daoist was likely one of the leading figures among the forces that opposed the Heavenly Court.

Qinghua only smiled faintly and lowered his eyelids slowly. His reply echoed across the entire region of space, though it seemed meant for a specific person.

"Boy, remember that old Daoist's aura and Dao Rhythm. When the Heavenly Court fell, he led the assault on the Western Heavenly Gate. He originally belonged to the Western Buddhist sects and followed the Universal Moro path.

"Later, he founded a sect in the Immortal Saint Realm called the Heaven-Destroying Lapis Sect. It is now one of the Twelve Heavenly Sects of the Immortal Saint Realm. The pagoda behind him is the Twelve Heavenly Spirit Lapis Pagoda, and it once grievously injured the Queen Mother of the West.

"He was also one of the eighteen main culprits who killed Ziwei at the edge of the Immortal Saint Realm during his attempt to restore the Heavenly Court. Do not let his friendly aura deceive you. He is ruthless, favors ambush in battle, and is extremely shameless. In that regard, he rivals even Peng, the Primal Era's great kun fish."

Qinghua then looked at the space past the old Daoist. His tone remained calm.

Calmly, he added, "Considering you dared show yourself, you probably came with four or five others whose divine ability rivals yours. Why keep sneaking around? Come out and show yourselves. It will save me the trouble of introducing you to the young one of my Heavenly Court."

The young one?

Wang Sheng blinked.

Is he talking about me? He is, isn't he?

Wang Sheng felt helpless. He did not understand why Qinghua would deliberately reveal the existence of a junior from the Heavenly Court, but he knew there had to be a deeper meaning behind it.

Yet Qinghua's words garnered not even the slightest reaction from the powerful beings in the area. One after another, sharp and overbearing strands of immortal perception swept toward the palace to probe its interior. However, the Great Dao of Death blocked them before they could enter.

Wang Sheng stayed far on the outer edge, safely beyond their reach.

The old Daoist sighed slowly. "Why cling to the foolish dream of restoring the Heavenly Court? When it ruled the Three Realms alone, it already defied both reason and the Dao. The Three Realms are not supposed to be the dominion of a single ruler. They belong to all living beings."

Six people appeared behind him. Waves of aura surged upward, piercing heaven.

Seven Grand Dao Golden Immortals stood together. Each held a position of power within the Immortal Saint Realm, far beyond what the golden-haired old Daoist could compare to. They had once been part of the main forces that destroyed the Heavenly Court. Now, setting aside their old conflicts, they faced Qinghua as one.

When the seven released their aura, the other immortals withdrew at once. Even the leaders of the major factions hurriedly ordered their sect members and disciples to retreat.

There was no profit left to be had here.

More importantly, this clash had become a continuation of the war that ended the Heavenly Court. No one was foolish enough to let these seven powerful beings from the Immortal Saint Realm use them as pawns. Whether they had joined the assault on the Heavenly Court in the past or not, they all chose to stay far away.

There was little to say about the other sects. Even the ten strongest organizations, like the North-River Sword Sect, had no standing in such a battle. Right now, they wished only to be as distant as possible.

Qinghua calmly added, "To the Heavenly Court's old friends who are still here, you need not help me. Young One, you should leave as well. Do not worry about me. They're too weak to do anything to me."

His opponents frowned. Their immortal perception searched the surrounding sky again and again, trying to uncover the identity of this "young one."

Wang Sheng frowned as well. Streams of light shot past before his eyes as others fled. A deep reluctance rose within him, yet he could only turn the Shadowless Shuttle around. When a wave of fleeing light passed his position, he guided the shuttle to follow under them, slipping silently toward the distant space.

He had not flown long before heaven and earth began to convulse. The Shadowless Shuttle shook violently as eight fearsome pressures rose from behind.

Wang Sheng felt as if he stood with his back to a towering tidal wave. The immortal power within him churned uncontrollably even though he was already two hundred thousand

li

away from the battlefield.

The eight combatants' combined might pressed down, seemingly suppressing the entire cosmos. Their clash churned the sea of Dao principles, threatening to overturn heaven and earth.

Even the Taiyi Golden Immortals within a hundred thousand

li

of the battle barely managed to keep their own Great Dao stable. Those below the Golden Immortal Realm could not use even Daoist arts at all.

Wang Sheng looked back, initially finding only a vast void torn open in space. Heaven and earth appeared to have been shattered!

Though he could not unleash the Dao of Pure Yang, his Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent trembled softly. Another scene rose within his heart.

Above the palace, a wooden coffin hovered in silence. Qinghua stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his long hair whipping freely through space.

Around him floated several indistinct manifestations. A tall mountain, a long spear, a large drum, a pitch-black divine bird, a cauldron, and a towering pagoda.

Qinghua threw his head back and laughed. From the wooden coffin beneath his feet, countless black chains shot outward, streaking toward the eight Great Dao.

The sea of Dao principles trembled with even greater fury. The Great Dao of Death stood alone against the seven. Enormous waves surged across the sea, and the image in Wang Sheng's mind was cut off at once.

Anxiety seized him. He worried whether Qinghua could bring his senior sister away safely, but he knew his place. As Qinghua had said, he was no more than a young junior. Aside from hiding himself and quietly cultivating, there was nothing else he could do.

One day...

Wang Sheng clenched his fists so tightly that blood dripped from his palms.

I will cleave apart the barrier of this Daoist realm with a single strike, stand before the great powers of heaven, and protect Senior Sister myself!

He silently etched into his heart the aura and Dao Rhythm of the old Daoist who wielded the pagoda.

1. A type of flat-top fungi. ☜