Chapter 836: Mediating the Fight

Jing Yuanzi left the world peacefully.

...

As one of the first in Penglai's middle generation to attain the Heavenly Origin, Jing Yuanzi had limitless possibilities in his future.

He had been one of the prodigies of his peer group, but he had always lagged behind the Mount Shu Sect's golden generation. Even among the prodigies in his sect, he had merely kept pace with his senior and junior brothers. He had never been able to achieve a decisive gap.

Nevertheless, that was just how it usually was for cultivators that had just passed through the Heavenly Gate. Then, with just one moment of enlightenment or fated opportunity, they could surpass their peers by several centuries' worth of cultivation.

That was what had happened to Jing Yuanzi. He attained the Heavenly Origin very early on and left his peers far behind.

If he could solidify that advantage, then Jing Yuanzi would have a strong chance of becoming the next sect leader of the Penglai Supreme Sect once Daoist Cangsheng stepped down.

Over the years, Jing Yuanzi's status in the Penglai Supreme Sect had indeed been like that of a crown prince. The sect leader position of the Righteous Path's Top Immortal Sect was already beckoning him over. It could even be said that half his butt was already on the sect leader's seat.

This battle at Mount Shu was meant to be his chance to prove himself.

If he could defeat Daoist Yan in a one-on-one fight, then that meant there was no one else in his generation who could rival him. He would become the undisputed number one among his peers! From then on, the title of the Penglai Supreme Sect's crown prince would be rightfully his.

Jing Yuanzi's plan hadn't been fully realized, but he had at least fought Daoist Yan to a draw. That alone would count as a military achievement when he returned to his sect. However, Di Nufeng's interference meant it was no longer a fair one-on-one fight. That was why Jing Yuanzi had gotten so furious. And that resentment was why he had vented his anger on the iron-eating beast.

After all that, he finally realized just how important it was to be an emotionally stable adult. Unfortunately for him, he realized it much too late.

Boom!

Daoist Yan unleashed a burst of sword qi, instantly slicing Jing Yuanzi's internal organs to shreds. Shortly after that, his corporeal body turned to dust. The moment his flesh and blood became ash, all fear left him. In soul form, he promptly left his corporeal body and braved the sword qi prison, making a desperate escape.

As a streak of light, Jing Yuanzi fled far into the distance. Nevertheless, Daoist Yan had anticipated that. She cast the Ten Thousand Swords Seal and surrounded Jing Yuanzi with thousands of swords, trapping him once more.

Strike while he's down; kill him while he's weak.

Killing an eighth-realm cultivator this young was a far greater achievement than killing a sect elder. It would deal the Penglai Supreme Sect a far deeper pain.

However, in the midst of fleeing for his life, Jing Yuanzi unleashed a terrifying burst of speed. The Ten Thousand Swords Seal only managed to land a few direct blows on him, weakening his soul but not enough to destroy it.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

A wisp of his remnant soul still managed to escape.

Daoist Yan had expected this too. She had tried her best to kill him, but an eighth-realm Eminent One would not be so easy to kill. Still, she had essentially cut off Jing Yuanzi's future. Even if he spent decades restoring his ability to cultivate and paid a great price to rebuild his corporeal body, his cultivation level would never advance beyond his current level.

So, she thought Jing Yuanzi had escaped. Jing Yuanzi thought so too.

But someone else did not.

After breaking free from Daoist Yan's Ten Thousand Swords Seal, Jing Yuanzi streaked across the sky like a shooting star. It was at this moment that a blast of cyan swordlight suddenly erupted from one of the surviving peaks of Mount Shu, carrying the terrifying qi of primordial chaos!

Who is that?!

Jing Yuanzi exclaimed inwardly.

Damn it, why are there members of the Mount Shu Sect everywhere—oh, right. It's because we attacked their home.

That terrifying qi made Jing Yuanzi feel like death was approaching once again. It seemed like the sword qi of an eighth-realm Eminent One.

But didn't I just escape from Daoist Yan? Just how many eighth-realm sword cultivators does Mount Shu have?!

This is absurd!

His gaze quickly passed over the wave of cyan swordlight and saw the face of the person standing behind it. The person was a handsome man with a solemn expression. His eyes glowed bright with divine light, his gaze sharp like a legendary sword of the mortal world.

He looked awfully young.

Jing Yuanzi realized that this young man wasn't at the eighth realm; he was merely a seventh-realm sword cultivator. The reason he wielded such a powerful sword qi was the sword in his hand.

That sword was brimming with the aura of Primordial Chaos, and it was definitely stronger than the Heavenly Cloud Ancient Sword that Daoist Yan wielded.

It's simply unbelievable.

This legendary sword is powerful enough to be ranked among the top in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures. How could I have never even heard of it? And how did it end up in the hands of a mere junior disciple from Mount Shu?

Come to think of it, that boy—Chu Liang summoned some unknown legendary artifact earlier, and now this one's holding an unknown legendary sword... Where did these Mount Shu youngsters come from? Are they all heir to wealthy families or something? Even I have never used such a fine sword!

As the cyan swordlight struck Jing Yuanzi, he let out a miserable scream, "

Aaaaaah!!!

"

If his corporeal body hadn't been destroyed... or even if his soul was in perfect condition, this sword wouldn't have caused him such agony. But as it was, he was as fragile as a slab of lamb meat on a chopping block.

At the very end of his life, all he could do was ask, "What sword is that?!"

Nevertheless, the young man didn't waste a single word on Jing Yuanzi. He watched silently as Jing Yuanzi dispersed into nothingness, then he finally sheathed his sword and coldly left behind two three words.

"Azure City Sword."

...

Daoist Cangqiu, Daoist Cangyun, and the Elder of Mount Lu had originally joined forces to fight Baize, relying on their numbers advantage to offset the terrifying lethality of Baize's Great Dao of Yin and Yang.

However, when the battle resumed, things went very differently.

Just as Daoist Cangqiu, Daoist Cangyun, and the Elder of Mount Lu were about to kill their way out with Daoist Cangsheng, Baize once again dragged them into the Realm of Yin-Yang Illusion and Reality. In this place, every divine ability they used against Baize would turn into an attack that harmed themselves or their allies.

They had encountered this trick earlier, so they didn't fall for it again. They worked together to break through the barrier between illusion and reality, pulling the battlefield back into reality.

Yet, just as they reappeared in reality, a thunderous strike crashed down from overhead.

The Heavenly Strategist of the Celestial King Sect had appeared, with seven General's Constellation Orbs floating above his head. He shouted, "Let's talk this through!"

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

He smashed all seven General's Constellation Orbs onto Daoist Cangyun. The impact sent him flying into the air with blood spurting from his mouth. He had managed to block the first three with his Dao essence, but his rushed defense collapsed under the last four orbs, and they all slammed into his chest.

The Heavenly Strategist had only targeted Daoist Cangyun because Shentu Yang of the Ascending Dragon Academy had attacked at the same time.

...

A moment earlier...

Shentu Yang gathered some of the rubble from Mount Shu's peaks and reassembled them into a mountain peak. He then compressed it into the size of a pebble in his palm and hurled it with great force.

He yelled, "Everyone, calm down first!"

Boom! Bang!

Daoist Cangqiu had just broken out of the Yin-Yang Realm. Before he even found his footing, a black pebble flew toward him. He released a lightning serpent, lashing it at the pebble like a whip to deflect it.

However, the pebble weighed as much as three mountains. It smashed through his lightning whip, struck him in the chest, and sent him falling into the sea of clouds below—all in one swift motion.

Whoosh. Boom!

As he crashed into the ground below, another wave of earth-shaking tremors swept through Mount Shu.

Meanwhile, the Elder of Mount Lu, the eldest of the group from the Penglai Supreme Sect, was greeted by a sword strike from the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner!

Boom!

The Elder of Mount Lu immediately sensed that he was in mortal danger. Breaking out in goosebumps, he hurriedly summoned twelve stone steles and barely managed to block the force of the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner's sword strike.

As the divine power dispersed, the Elder of Mount Lu glared at the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner and shouted, "Qi Yingxuan, are you insane?!"

Nevertheless, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened. He said, "Give me some face, everyone. Let's stop fighting."

"You—"

Elder of Mount Lu nearly spewed out some profanities he hadn't used in years.

Instead, he criticized the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner inwardly,

If you want to mediate, then mediate. If not, don't interfere. What's the difference between this so-called mediation and ganging up to beat us up?!

However, he knew that these people were normally at odds with the Penglai Supreme Sect. Earlier, the Celestial Cosmic Ring had blocked them from interfering, but now that they could get involved, they would obviously side with the Mount Shu Sect and fight against the Penglai Supreme Sect with everything they had.

The Elder of Mount Lu was angry, but he had to hold back for now. If he dared to fight back against them, he'd be making too many enemies.

He said nothing aloud, but he gritted his teeth in hatred as he thought,

These hypocrites—truly despicable!

Compared to them, the members of the Great Astral Sect were much more genuine and straightforward.

Lu Jiuwai hadn't taken off his Xuanhuang Battle Armor this whole time. He had stayed on the sidelines, clearly dissatisfied to see the battle settling down. Now that the battle had resumed, he was extremely excited. He leaped into the air and hurled a Sky-Piercing Fist straight at the East Sea Chrono Wheel!

Simultaneously, he yelled, "Brothers attacking Mount Shu, did you get your old man's permission to do that?!"

Boom!