Chapter 1082: The Strongest Aspect, Cleave

The profundities of his saber technique... I can’t sense any true eternal profundities in it! How can its power be so overwhelming?

Devil Emperor Xue Gu could scarcely believe it, utterly baffled.

Yet the might of Wu Yuan's blade rays was no illusion. Each razor-sharp arc had already transcended into another realm entirely – fourth-stage Overlord level!

When Wu Yuan wielded the Mo Yuan sabers, his power still fell short of an eternal ultimate technique in terms of its profoundness.

But once he activated the profundities of the path of matter, his fundamental power increased by leaps and bounds. His attack power and defense all surged dramatically, crossing into the realm of the fourth-stage Overlord level.

This was the true source of Wu Yuan's confidence behind sending his body refiner self into the Abyss.

Boom!

An earth-shattering collision ensued. Space shattered layer by layer where the blade rays passed. Countless devil spikes formed from converging blood mist exploded violently, desperately trying to weaken the azure blade rays, yet unable to completely block it.

Retreat!

Devil Emperor Xue Gu gritted his teeth and abruptly fell back, withdrawing into the mountain range array. As a qi refiner Devil Emperor, he dared not withstand this saber strike head-on.

"Devil’s Call!" Under Devil Emperor Xue Gu's control, devilish echoes filled the air, attempting to infiltrate Wu Yuan's Yuan Soul.

"Xue Gu, you dare flaunt such useless soul secret arts before me?" Wu Yuan's cold voice resonated through heaven and earth.

He seemed utterly unfazed by the soul attack onslaught.

What? What kind of monster is this?

Devil Emperor Xue Gu was shocked.

Such powerful attacks, and even his soul defense is this formidable? Even if he possessed a Xiantian artifact for soul defense, he shouldn't be able to simply ignore it.

Devil Emperor Xue Gu himself only possessed the strength of a second-stage Devil Emperor. But over countless years, the numerous arrays he had laid in his mountain stronghold allowed him to rival peak third-stage Devil Emperors in all aspects. This type of soul attack should, in theory, at least slightly affect a fourth-stage Devil Emperor.

But he was unaware that Wu Yuan's body refiner self possessed not only an extremely strong spirit and will, he had also cultivated soul defense secret arts over these tens of thousands of years. He also equipped the Truthsight Lens, a secret treasure for soul defense.

Most crucially, within Wu Yuan's body refiner self's internal world, the Ancestral Pagoda's projection was protecting him. The Ancestral Pagoda's projection weakened soul attacks considerably, its effectiveness surpassing many soul defense Xiantian artifacts. This was something Wu Yuan had only realized recently.

Back when he was still mortal, one of the black pagoda’s functions was to guard his Yuan Soul, though its effectiveness gradually diminished over time.

Now, having fused with a strand of the Ancestral Pagoda's Archaea imprint, the resulting Ancestral Pagoda projection once again guarded his Yuan Soul with an effectiveness countless times greater than before.

Under multiple layers of protection, Wu Yuan was confident he could withstand not just soul attacks at the third-stage Devil Emperor level, but even those far stronger.

"Break." Wu Yuan trod upon the void, letting out a furious roar.

This explosive saber strike, having cleaved through Devil Emperor Xue Gu's obstruction and forced him to retreat, finally struck the towering, sprawling Blood Bone Mountain Range.

The terrifying impact force was instantly transmitted to every corner of the mountain range array spanning hundreds of billions of li.

The entire Blood Bone Mountain Range was one complete defensive array, all its parts perfectly unified. Unless subjected to an attack exceeding its upper limit, the power of any assault would be dispersed to every part of the array.

Crack!

As this saber strike landed, the shockwaves from the collision surged outwards in all directions. Instantly, enormous spatial rifts visible to the naked eye appeared in the void, each rift like a colossal black dragon stretching for hundreds of millions or even over a billion li.

An area spanning over a hundred billion li was affected. Here, space was distorted and the ground fractured apart.

The few Astral Monarchs who were not caught in the initial impact ultimately failed to escape, instantly annihilated by the shockwave.

It didn’t break open?

Wu Yuan's gaze sharpened slightly, though he wasn't surprised.

If a Devil Emperor's stronghold was breached so easily, they wouldn't be worthy of the title ‘Devil Emperor’.

If one saber strike isn't enough, then ten should do the trick!

Wu Yuan's gaze turned ice-cold as he strode through the void, advancing towards the Blood Bone Mountain Range.

Whoosh!

Vast spiritual qi from heaven and earth frantically converged onto Wu Yuan’s position. Once again, the blade rays lit up, fiercely cleaving down.

Not good! If I allow this Devil Emperor Xia to keep attacking, the entire defense array will eventually collapse.

Devil Emperor Xue Gu grew anxious, his eyes tinged with red.

"Mist Condensation! Array Convergence!"

Whoosh~

Devil Emperor Xue Gu's aura surged once more. Before him, besides the Xiantian shuttle, a massive shield and a flying sword also appeared.

The endless blood mist enveloping the mountain range poured frantically into the three Xiantian artifacts, greatly boosting the auras they emanated.

"Suppress!" Devil Emperor Xue Gu gritted his teeth. The shuttle flashed like a blade ray, the shield transformed into a massive seal, and the flying sword morphed into a majestic, blood-red bird.

Under Devil Emperor Xue Gu's control and the array's enhancement, the three Xiantian artifacts shot towards Wu Yuan.

Boom! Rumble~ Clang!

In the sky above the Blood Bone Mountain Range, a series of clashes unfolded. With each collision, space would rupture, and the vast lands below gradually disintegrated into nothingness.

"This?"

"A Devil Emperor is attacking?"

"What? He's forced Devil Emperor Xue Gu to utilize the full power of his array? Is this the power he accumulated over countless years?" Within the Blood Bone Mountain Range, the Sovereigns operating the various secret arrays immediately sensed the anomaly.

Earlier, Devil Emperor Xue Gu hadn't fully activated the array. Furthermore, he deliberately kept the news of the battle from them. Thus, besides Sovereign Gui Chi, the other seven Sovereigns were still unaware of the situation outside.

But now, as Devil Emperor Xue Gu fought with all his might, he could no longer spare a thought for these Sovereigns.

These eight Sovereigns were all late-stage Sovereign powerhouses with decent insight.

A single saber strike tearing over a hundred million li of space apart?

Sovereign Gui Chi felt a chill go down his spine.

Where had such a super powerhouse emerged from? This was someone who could stand among the strongest Overlords. And he was here to kill him?

...

In regions not far from the Blood Bone Mountain Range, dozens of Sovereigns who sensed the disturbance had hastily gathered, watching the battle at the edge of the void with utter shock. This was undoubtedly a confrontation at the pinnacle of power.

"Who exactly is that Devil Emperor wielding a saber?"

"Devil Emperor Xue Gu seems to have deployed the full power of the stronghold's array, yet he's still at a disadvantage? This! This!"

"The mighty Devil Emperor Xue Gu, cornered in his stronghold... without the array's support, what would the battle be like?" These Sovereigns observing from afar trembled inwardly as they witnessed the heaven-shattering, earth-splitting scene.

Any stray ripple of aftershocks from a casual strike would be enough to kill them all instantly.

It was only after seeing it with their own eyes that these Sovereigns finally understood what a battle at the absolute pinnacle of sempiternal lifeforms looked like. This level of combat had already transcended ordinary Devil Emperor battles.

"Devil Emperor Xue Gu is at a disadvantage!"

"He will likely be defeated."

"What should we do? Will that mysterious Devil Emperor turn to slaughter us next?"

These Sovereigns couldn't help but feel a trace of fear. As subordinates under Devil Emperor Xue Gu's command, all of them lived in this region.

"Not good, the Devil Emperor's array." Suddenly, one of the Sovereigns' expressions changed slightly.

Their hearts tightened, and they couldn't help but look over.

In the distant void above the Blood Bone Mountain Range.

That towering figure in black armor, several million li tall, withstood a direct hit from the massive seal formed by the combination of the Xiantian shield and the blood mist of the array.

Immediately after, a blade ray erupted.

"Die!"

Crack~

The blade rays surged forth relentlessly, forcefully cleaving apart that blood-red bird. Countless wisps of blood mist were dispersed, revealing the Xiantian flying sword within.

With that, one of the three artifacts Devil Emperor Xue Gu controlled was temporarily neutralized. Even if reactivated through the array, it would take quite some time.

Relying on your physical body to withstand a direct hit from my seal? Even if you're a body refiner Overlord, you shouldn't be unscathed.

Devil Emperor Xue Gu thought to himself.

A moment later, his expression changed drastically. "You?"

After enduring his strike head-on, Wu Yuan had only retreated slightly, his vital aura still at its peak, as if he wasn’t affected at all.

"Impossible! How can your physical defense be this strong?" Devil Emperor Xue Gu found it hard to believe, unable to accept the scene before him.

"Enough nonsense. Xue Gu, time to die." Wu Yuan's cold voice resonated through the majestic heaven and earth as he charged straight toward the Blood Bone Mountain Range.

How could Devil Emperor Xue Gu know that Wu Yuan cultivated two eternal paths simultaneously?

His strongest aspect had never been offense, but physical defense. Externally protected by the Azure Origin Armor, internally supported by his tough flesh, and possessing the terrifying regenerative abilities brought by the Great Dao of Creation, Wu Yuan's vitality had reached mind-boggling levels.

Third-stage Overlord attacks? Even if it were a fourth-stage Overlord attack, Wu Yuan wouldn’t mind taking a direct hit.

In truth, Wu Yuan had been reluctant to reveal this trump card. However, with Devil Emperor Xue Gu fully activating his array, the three Xiantian artifacts enhanced by the stronghold's array were like three peak third-stage Overlord powerhouses joining forces to battle him, completely restraining his movements.

And Devil Emperor Xue Gu himself was hiding within the Blood Bone Mountain Range's array, his position unassailable. There was no choice but to unleash his full power.

Wu Yuan roared as he swung the Mo Yuan saber.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Once again, blade rays bloomed forth. As the Wheel of Life and Death was unleashed, countless great universes seemed to erupt, threatening to tear the world apart as the blade rays cleaved towards the Blood Bone Mountain Range.

It resembled a series of giant cleavers attempting to split a hard bone.

"Devil Emperor Xia, I'm willing to hand over Sovereign Gui Chi! I'm willing to hand him over!" Devil Emperor Xue Gu frantically transmitted.

Simultaneously, knowing the urgency of the situation, Devil Emperor Xue Gu crushed a token he had kept in his storage artifact, one he hadn't used for over a hundred million years.

Boom!

While Devil Emperor Xue Gu transmitted his plea for mercy, he continued to manipulate the other two Xiantian artifacts, attempting to block Wu Yuan's attacks, yet no longer able to completely stop them.

Rumble~

Nine blade rays slashed through the air, and six of them struck the Blood Bone Mountain Range with devastating force. The layers of defensive Dao patterns enveloping the entire range, radiating endless divine light, finally began to falter. Countless cracks appeared on the surface.

Six strikes, and still it hasn’t broken?

Wu Yuan marveled at the incredible defenses of the Blood Bone Mountain Range.

This was the array of a Devil Emperor's lair. Even under direct assault, it could withstand several attacks.

If six strikes aren't enough, then sixty it shall be.

Wu Yuan's gaze turned cold and resolute.

Like bolts of lightning, an unstoppable storm of blade rays swept forth.

Ten strikes, twenty strikes, forty strikes!

Azure blade rays surged like a river, tearing through the void. Heaven and earth trembled.

Finally, on the fifty-second strike, the defense array of the Blood Bone Mountain Range shattered completely.

Like the collapse of a universe, countless Dao patterns dispersed. The entire Blood Bone Mountain Range split open, its internal array bases crumbling layer by layer.

This was what it meant to break all methods with sheer force. No matter how intricate your array, I'll simply smash it open with absolute power.

As the numerous arrays of the Blood Bone Mountain Range began to crumble, nothing could hinder Wu Yuan anymore.

"Flee!" Devil Emperor Xue Gu seemed to panic, darting away like a bolt of lightning.

"Quick, run!"

"Escape!" The many Sovereigns who had been waiting within the mountain range scattered in horror as they sensed the collapse of the array and the descent of the imposing figure.

None of them had imagined that even with their Devil Emperor present, his lair could be forcibly breached.

"Gui Chi!" Wu Yuan's karmic perception locked onto the fleeing Devil Sovereign instantly.

Whoosh!

A blade ray slashed across ten billion li like lightning.

"No!" A flicker of fear flashed in Sovereign Gui Chi's eyes.

Slash~

The blade ray swept through the void, instantly annihilating Sovereign Gui Chi's body.

Dead!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

More blade rays howled through the air, four of them striking down the other seven Sovereigns in the blink of an eye.

Once he had made his move and incurred a blood feud, there was nothing left to say. Total annihilation was the only possibility.

This scene made Devil Emperor Xue Gu's heart race with fear and ache with loss. These eight Sovereigns had been painstakingly selected from thousands under his command. Now that their true selves had perished, they were truly dead.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan soon reached his maximum speed as he charged toward Devil Emperor Xue Gu.

What?

Devil Emperor Xue Gu's expression changed dramatically. He called out in anger and desperation, "Devil Emperor Xia, you've already killed Gui Chi and achieved your goal. This is only my mana body, why must you insist on total destruction?

"Spare me, and I'll give you all three of my Xiantian artifacts. I'll let go of today's grudge and never seek revenge in the future." As he fled, Devil Emperor Xue Gu also manipulated his Xiantian artifacts, launching them at Wu Yuan.

"Revenge? You're not even qualified to seek revenge against me," Wu Yuan's eyes were cold as ice. "I gave you a chance before. Now, die."

Back then, it was Devil Emperor Xue Gu's subordinate Sovereigns who had invaded that macrocosm of the Immutable Land.

So, Wu Yuan had long harbored killing intent towards Devil Emperor Xue Gu, though it hadn't been so intense before. If Devil Emperor Xue Gu had handed over Sovereign Gui Chi at the start, that would have been the end of it. But begging for mercy now? Wu Yuan would not relent.

Boom! Boom!

Wu Yuan chased after Devil Emperor Xue Gu, rapidly closing the distance between them.

As for the artifacts Devil Emperor Xue Gu threw out to obstruct him? Without the array, and only the power of a second-stage Devil Emperor, they could hardly make any impact.

Hmm?

Wu Yuan sensed something in his peripheral vision, instantly turning to look at a spot a hundred billion li away.

Countless shadows converged there, spacetime itself twisting. It seemed as if an incomparably terrifying being was attempting to open a passage through spacetime and descend upon this place.

Innumerable shadows coalesced, and a towering, blurred figure clad in black robes appeared, emanating an eternal and endless aura.

"True Saint, save me! Save me!" Devil Emperor Xue Gu called out anxiously. His eyes glowing with hope.

"Devil Emperor Xia, I am True Saint Ji Guang. Would you do me the favor of sparing Devil Emperor Xue Gu today?" A gentle voice resonated in Wu Yuan's mind.

"True Saint Ji Guang?" Wu Yuan cast a cold glance at him.

Whoosh!

A blade ray sliced through the sky, sweeping aside all artifacts obstructing him and passing through Devil Emperor Xue Gu's body, completely annihilating it.

Devil Emperor Xue Gu's mana body was dead!