Chapter 551: Collision of Heaven and Earth

"What's with this…"

Murmurs of dissatisfaction started sounding from the audience seats on the Emperor's Mound and at the foot of the hill.

The grumbling began as the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams' light screen continued to show only the South Melody Conservatory team. It started with Xue Lingxue playing the guqin, then Yu Xiang'er on the flute, Shen Qingyan with her own flute performance, and now Tie Chui beating the drums...

The crowd couldn't take it anymore.

What is this all about?

Although the fans of the South Melody Conservatory were happy to see this, most of the audience had come to watch the exciting and intense fights at the Competition of the Hundred Sects. If they liked seeing this, they could have attended the tour set up by the South Melody Conservatory instead.

Since the Black Devil Whale appeared in the illusory realm, many teams had lost their grasp on what was truly happening and had been acting strangely. However, if the audience had seen these scenes, it would inevitably cause chaos.

This was why Immortal Jiuyi had instructed the South Melody Conservatory team to perform, keeping the screen focused solely on them.

The audience had no idea of the earth-shattering changes happening elsewhere.

At the heart of the swirling vortex loomed the massive Black Devil Whale, suspended ominously in the sky. Many teams dared not approach, yet all kept a close watch on its every move.

Everyone was busy speculating. Had a new mechanism been introduced in this year's Assembly of Immortal Sects? Or had they added wild monsters to the map?

But isn't it a bit too powerful?

Who would even dare fight it?

Monk Pushan, who was right beneath the Black Devil Whale also had the same question. As he was very near, he could feel the immense pressure radiating from the colossal creature with startling clarity.

As Immortal Yuan Lu disappeared into its massive mouth, the Black Devil Whale turned slowly, seemingly preparing to dive into the sea.

Chu Liang immediately recalled the legends he'd heard about the Black Devil Whale. If this colossal beast returned to the sea, dealing with it would become even more troublesome.

Immortal Yuan Lu would then likely be able to fight for control of the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams undisturbed within the creature's belly.

With that thought, he no longer hesitated and declared, "Whether it works or not, we have to try. We can't just sit back and do nothing."

In truth, if Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals lost the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, it might actually benefit the Mount Shu Sect. Among the sects in the Divine Nine, they wouldn't be the only ones without a legendary artifact, and much of the burden wouldn't rest solely on the Mount Shu Sect.

But if the West Sea Diabolical Forces obtained the legendary artifact, it would be a terrible catastrophe for the righteous world.

Whoosh—

Chu Liang suddenly took off on his sword, creating some distance between himself and the others.

Monk Pushan was momentarily stunned by this move.

How can he say "whether it works or not, we have to try," and then turn around and run? Is he messing with me?

However, because he trusted Chu Liang, he decided to just wait and see.

Sure enough, after Chu Liang flew some distances away, he suddenly summoned an airship… one with colors beyond description.

The overly modern design made both Pushan and Enchantress Yi frown.

But in the next instant, an immensely terrifying power erupted from the airship.

Previously, Wen Yulong had informed Chu Liang that a collision with this airship could pose a significant threat to seventh-realm demonic beasts. Of course, this would only be effective against massive demonic beasts, as people would simply move out of the way.

Even sixth-realm cultivators would try their best to dodge if an airship was barreling toward them, not to mention seventh-realm Eminent Ones. Thus, this wasn't the most effective method for attacking human cultivators.

But demonic beasts, with their massive size, were easier targets.

It was similar to how Chu Liang could slay the Taowu with the Violet and Azure Twin Swords, yet he might not have been able to do the same to seventh-realm Eminent Ones who, despite their great power, could not kill the Taowu.

Demonic beasts gained advantages from their large size, but naturally, there were many downsides as well.

For example, right now.

The enormous Black Devil Whale attempted to dive into the sea, but just as it turned its head, the airship Lianglong had already begun a relentless charge from afar.

Boom—

The entire airship suddenly ignited in a blazing inferno, and a pike made of the finest black gold rose from its tip, moving so quickly it became a blur in an instant.

Inside the cabin, Chu Liang lost his balance momentarily, struggling against the force that threatened to throw him back.

However, he wasn't afraid. After the last incident, Dong Futu had advised Wen Yulong to make a small modification that would make the airship safer.

Bang—

Just as they were about to collide with the massive beast, a tremendous force surged up from beneath his feet, launching Chu Liang out of the airship!

That's right—this "safety" feature was designed solely to ensure the pilot's survival.

The airship's vast reserves of Spiritual Qi Jade Talisman burned out in an instant, adding even more momentum to intensify the force of the collision.

Boom, boom, boom—

The airship itself wasn't small, but compared to the Black Devil Whale, it was like a mere toy. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the two collided.

The "little toy" plunged deep into the body of the Black Devil Whale.

Immediately, a bright light burst from the hole left by the airship's collision with the Black Devil Whale.

This was one of Dong Futu's "small" modifications.

He had argued that simply ramming wouldn't be powerful enough. Since it had come down to the final step, why not just blow it up?

By crushing the medallion while the airship was on the third tier, the final self-destruction mode would be initiated.

It would become a self-destructing airship.

The explosion of this airship was equivalent to the destruction of the entire wealth of a mid-tier immortal sect. It was a huge loss for Chu Liang as well.

要不是在虚境之中，他肯定是会犹豫的。 If they hadn't been in the illusory realm, he would have definitely hesitated before making such a costly move.

The explosion from the enchanted formation that Dong Futu added was so powerful that even Chu Liang, who had just been ejected from the cabin, couldn't escape the impact of the shockwave. Just a minor ripple from the blast flung him high into the sky, where he became a tiny, distant figure against the vast horizon, like a speck of starlight in the night.

The Black Devil Whale's carcass crashed heavily to the ground. Although it appeared mostly intact, a massive hole gaped in its side, with muffled explosions still rumbling from within.

Its insides were blown to pieces.

Rumble, rumble, rumble—

At that moment, Immortal Jiuyi's words finally reached his ears.

Immortal Jiuyi wanted to order everyone to stop the fight temporarily and attack the diabolical cultivators invading the illusory realm. It was undoubtedly a difficult decision, so he spoke slowly.

He had only managed to say half a sentence when he witnessed this shocking scene unfold before him.

Chu Liang of the Mount Shu Sect?

Despite being only a fifth-realm disciple, he had managed to kill a vicious seventh-realm beast using a heavily enhanced airship.

It was simply beyond belief.

If one had to explain how this happened, perhaps it was the sheer power of wealth?

It was like witnessing a collision of heaven and earth.

Not only did it kill the Black Devil Whale, but it also seemed that Immortal Yuan Lu inside had suffered severe injuries. It was unknown as to whether he survived, but it was clear he had lost the ability to awaken the spirit in the Diabolical Divine Mirror.

Immortal Jiuyi felt the pressure ease considerably and he started focusing on breaking through the barrier that was blocking his power from entering the realm.

As for the other disciples in the illusory realm, he simply followed up with one more sentence.

"To all disciples participating in the Competition of the Hundred Sects..." He paused briefly, then slowly added, "Good morning."

…

This sudden twist left everyone dumbfounded. He alerted everyone only to say those two words?

He's saying good morning at this hour?

Huh?

Of course, most people were oblivious to the earth-shattering events happening elsewhere; they had only seen the black whale rise and fall, unaware of what had actually happened.

In actuality, they did not care at all. The teams remained focused on their own victories and losses, their attention locked on the competition at hand.

The teams from Mount Shu Sect and Buddhist Cloud Monastery had been trailing behind Chu Liang and Pushan, keeping a safe distance. However, when Chu Liang attempted to contact them before crashing into the Black Devil Whale, they didn't respond.

This was because the team had encountered trouble of their own.

Though, in this case, the trouble came in the form of a single person.

Jiang Yuebai, Xu Ziyang, Ling Ao, and three young monks from the Buddhist Cloud Monastery were following Chu Liang when a figure suddenly descended in their path.

The person wore brocade robes with a jade belt, his hair flowing in the wind. He stood with a graceful posture and an indifferent expression.

With sparkling eyes, he glanced around and said slowly, "My target is the team from the Mount Shu Sect. The people from the Buddhist Cloud Monastery may leave."

"Yang Shenlong..." Jiang Yuebai stepped forward.

The person was none other than Yang Shenlong, the head disciple of Penglai.

He stood alone before the combined forces of the two teams.

"Young Hero Yang, you're underestimating Buddhist Cloud Monastery." Pucheng stepped forward as well. "We've allied with the Mount Shu Sect. If you strike against them, we won't stand idly by."

Yang Shenlong glanced at him again, his tone calm and breezy. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not afraid of you helping the Mount Shu Sect in a fight against me. I've simply gathered enough soul crystals, so there's no need for me to end you all here."

His words sounded gentle, but on closer inspection, they carried a strong air of disdain, causing Pucheng to furrow his brows deeply.

Jiang Yuebai whispered, "Master Pucheng, since we're his only target, there's really no need for you to intervene."

"Miss Jiang, there's no need to say that," Pucheng replied, shaking his head. "Since we've formed an alliance and pledged to advance and retreat together, how could we back down first? Even if the Penglai Supreme Sect is strong, they can't ignore the strength of my senior brothers and me."

Hah—

As he spoke, the three monks of Buddhist Cloud Monastery had already taken their stances, hands clasped in prayer, with their qi flames surging, exuding the might of Vajra Arhats!

"Alright then." Jiang Yuebai said no more.

When she turned her gaze back to Yang Shenlong, his expression remained calm, as he quietly observed them discussing their plan.

Only when all six of them had assumed their stances to face him did Yang Shenlong ask with a slight nod, "Ready?"

With that, he took a step forward.

Boom.

The ground erupted with roaring wind and rumbling thunder, as though a dragon and tiger were soaring into the sky!