Chapter 7: Chapter 4 The More You Look, the More Mysterious the World Becomes
"It must be a system of this era," pondered Wang Qi. "The organization known as the Immortal Alliance probably wants to gain control over every cultivator. They have Foundation Establishment Cultivators hunting down solitary Qi Refining Cultivators, bringing them back for easier management. That's why this little girl's appearance wouldn't arouse suspicion. Her arrival was meant to catch the attention of that Taoist Hai. While Daoist Hai's attention was focused on the little girl, those four Great Cultivators would have the chance to launch a surprise attack and set up the Heaven and Earth Net."
Wang Qi couldn't help but laugh and cry in his mind: "What kind of unforeseen disaster is this? And didn't you say just a few years ago that there wouldn't be any cultivators within ten miles?"
"Daoist Hai is also a Mahayana Grandmaster, stronger than I am," Zhen Chan justified. "It's normal to overlook him temporarily."
"What should we do then?"
"We will see what the Immortal Alliance is really up to."
Wang Qi's eyes twinkled as he looked at the young girl, "Fairy Sister, what exactly is the Immortal Alliance up to?"
Zhen Chan blew his beard and stared in Wang Qi's mind again: "Idiot, who asks directly like that!"
Even the girl in red couldn't remain calm faced with such blunt stupidity: "What do you mean by 'what exactly is the Immortal Alliance up to'?"
"Is the Immortal Alliance good or bad, righteous or wicked, you need to make it clear, don't you?"
"Don't worry about that—once you arrive, you'll know."
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Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Four swords were drawn in perfect unison.
The four people from Heavenly Sword Palace gripped their swords at the same time.
Meanwhile, Hai Senbao did nothing.
Even though they had a numerical advantage, the four from Heavenly Sword Palace were not careless. Daoist Bu Rong, who had made a big mistake in his earlier years due to his stubborn and conservative nature, had genuine cultivation strength.
The first to make a move was Gu Ci with the Electric Vortex Sword. As soon as Gu Ci thrust his sword, it released a spreading mist of Sword Qi. The Sword Mist spread like real drifting clouds—dreamy and illusory—but if the Spiritual Sense barely touched this mist, its beauty would turn into a sharp, deadly strike that could shock the skies!
This was the absolute skill of Mysterious Palace, the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword!
Mrs. Ma made a decisive move, attacking with her sword. Her mana was already infused with that Strange Metal energy. Usually, it could help her perform great deeds, but if Mrs. Ma was intent on killing, without even forming a spell, the Strange Metal energy would take her enemy's life.
Palace Master Qian was fully unleashing the Sword Power of the Heavenly Sword. His approach was to use strength to shatter finesse, straightforward but with a rock-solid foundation—one strike of the Heavenly Sword could break all the laws of the world!
Daoist Bu Rong was the last, a bit slow, but he too raised his Heavenly Sword. He leapt up, his Sword Light aiming straight for Daoist Bu Rong! His Swordsmanship seemed plain, but in his rapid attack, he changed more than a dozen moves, none the same! Strangely enough, the moves didn't seem consistent with one another, yet they coexisted fluidly!
These four people were top Cultivators of the world. When they joined forces, even a Heavenly Immortal could be reduced to shreds. However, in the face of such an onslaught, Daoist Bu Rong remained still, as if it was all too easy for him.
And just when the deadly crisis was upon him, Daoist Bu Rong finally moved!
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Suddenly, Wang Qi let out a scream!
Wang Qi cried out in agony, startling the young girl: "Hey hey, what's wrong with you!"
Ignoring the girl, Wang Qi shouted at the ring: "Old man! What's wrong? Speak up!"
"What's happening?" The girl was completely baffled.
Just then, Zhen Chan had screamed "Impossible" in Wang Qi's mind, nearly shaking his soul! After that, Zhen Chan, like a madman, kept repeating "Impossible": "How could it be... impossible... that's the strength of a Heavenly Immortal Level... impossible..."
Wang Qi almost thought that Zhen Chan's Residual Soul, while focusing on those Mahayana Cultivators, had taken some damage, and couldn't hide his concern any longer.
"That ring must have sealed a Residual Soul of an Ancient Method Practitioner. The first time an Ancient Method Practitioner encounters the Modern ways, you know what happens," another voice suddenly interjected.
A young man around twenty-four or twenty-five appeared, riding his sword beside the girl. When the girl saw the young man, she stopped the Sword Light, shaking Wang Qi in her hand, and said, "Mission accomplished."
Wang Qi hurriedly smiled apologetically: "And how should I address the Senior?"
The man didn't put on airs: "I am Li Ziye of Wanfa Sect. This young lady is Xiang Qi, Junior Sister Xiang from Burning Gold Valley. We are both Security Envoys of the Immortal Alliance. What's your name, young brother?"
"I'm Wang Qi. Senior Li, what did you mean by 'Ancient Method' and 'Modern'? That old man keeps... Ahhh!"
Before he could finish, Zhen Chan screamed again: "What kind of movement technique is this?! To dare... have such technique!"
The world view of Zhen Chan was being impacted, and without a stable Dao Heart, his Soul Power started to dissipate! Wang Qi bore the brunt of it!
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"Hmph."
Daoist of Uncertainty snorted coldly.
At the moment before the killing calamity struck his body, he finally made a move.
In just an instant, Hai Senbao pushed his renowned Absolute Skill, the Unpredictable Body Technique, to its limit. Daoist of Uncertainty did not move quickly, but no one could simultaneously discern his position and speed!
Heavenly Mechanism is unpredictable, truly living up to its reputation.
In the blink of an eye, he had escaped the range of Mrs. Ma and the Heavenly Sword Palace Master's sword momentum. Cultivators from Burning Gold Valley were not skilled in martial combat, and Mrs. Ma immediately retreated thirty feet, guarding to the side, her sword intent enveloping the arena to prevent Daoist of Uncertainty's escape while dispersing the Strange Metal's aura with all her might. However, the Heavenly Sword Palace Master displayed a different style altogether. Qian Xueshen was originally a disciple of the Liuyun Sect, with unparalleled skill in flying escape and sword control, wielding the Heavenly Sword with a power that even ordinary Heavenly Immortals would struggle to handle, making mysterious turns.
A unique creation of the Vice Palace Master of the Heavenly Sword Palace, the Qian Style Sword Rail Technique!
But, it was still not enough.
Even with the perception of Five Silence Extinction, it was still far from enough to lock down Daoist of Uncertainty.
Mrs. Ma and Palace Master Qian both understood that their greatest role was to pressurize Daoist of Uncertainty with their presence, ensuring that his aura remained weak in the ensuing struggle, while sealing off his escape routes. As for inflicting heavy damage on this Great Cultivator of the Mysterious Palace, they would have to rely on the other two Mysterious Cultivators.
Gu Ci brandished his sword, driving the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword towards Daoist of Uncertainty, the sword mist rapidly swirling with an astonishing force. Using his movement technique, Daoist of Uncertainty dodged the Sword Cloud's direct strike, but he still couldn't avoid glancing at the Sword Cloud. The moment Hai Senbao's gaze met the Sword Cloud, the myriad of hidden changes within the Indeterminate Cloud Sword activated, causing the Sword Cloud to collapse instantly. What Daoist of Uncertainty saw was only a streak of electric light!
"A bright pearl in obscurity?"
Daoist of Uncertainty scoffed disdainfully, summoning his Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Great Square Sky Map! At first glance, the Great Square Sky Map appeared as nothing more than a thin sheet of white paper, but it contained the Great Square Formation, a culmination of various Mysterious laws unified. Daoist of Uncertainty had once dominated the lands with this treasure, unchecked. Before Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger combined the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy of the Light Hall with the Mysterious Palace's methods, no one could break through it!
As soon as Gu Ci's Sword Light touched the Great Square Sky Map, it was absorbed into the picture, spreading across and becoming part of the compilation. Gu Ci quickly withdrew his sword and retreated. But Daoist of Uncertainty had no time to pursue, for at that moment, the Sword Momentum of Daoist Bu Rong, whom he dreaded most, had already caught up to him.
One sword, two swords, three swords... several strokes of the sword lights, returning to simplicity and truth, sealed off all of Hai Senbao's possible moves. Po Li was after all Daoist of Uncertainty's senior brother, deeply familiar with each other's battle techniques. Daoist of Uncertainty dared not be careless, using the Great Square Sky Map to collect Daoist Bu Rong's Sword Light. He was very clear that he must fight quickly and decisively because each time his senior brother's sword technique progressed a few moves, it would rise one energy level, and once the Bu Rong Electric Sword technique was executed completely, it would be absolutely unmatched in the world!
The Great Square Sky Map and Po Li's Heavenly Sword emitted dazzling light, the senior brothers unleashing their full strength simultaneously!
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Wang Qi felt a darkness in front of his eyes, and when he came to his senses, he had already been handed over to Li Ziye by Xiang Qi. Li Ziye supported him with his left hand and held the hand that wore the ring with his right, with a brilliant light radiating from his palm. Li Ziye said with a smile, "Senior, you're getting on in years, you should calm your mind and emotions."
"Hmph," Zhen Chan's voice actually carried a trace of chagrin.
"What the hell happened... eh, eh!"
Wait a minute, something seemed off?
This position... one man holding another in his arms, holding his ring-wearing hand, saying something...
Instantly, Wang Qi came to a conclusion.
His heart went cold, and he struggled frantically, taking several steps back and shouting, "Senior, you've got the wrong idea; I'm not that kind of person!"
Li Ziye was puzzled, "Ah? Little brother, what do you mean? Have I done something wrong?"
Wang Qi was determined not to touch Li Ziye, "First, tell me what just happened."
Xiang Qi snorted coldly on the side, "The relic in your ring was so frightened by the sight of today's highest laws that it lost its senses, and its Soul Power scattered."
Only then did Wang Qi realize that Li Ziye and Xiang Qi had descended to a small grove far from the village. That huge sphere of light still hung in the sky, indicating that the battle among the Mahayana was still unresolved.
Li Ziye looked bemused, "Junior Sister Xiang, among the Ancient Method Practitioners there were also many who laid the foundation for Modern Methods, you shouldn't be so disrespectful."
"Tsch, the Wanfa Sect has the longest lineage in Modern Methods, even the founding ancestor was an Ancient Method Practitioner, of course you would say that."
The more Wang Qi listened, the more confused he became, so he looked towards his ring. Now that the secret of Zhen Chan's presence was out, he no longer concealed it.
"The strength contained in the magic swords of those cultivators actually exceeds the Heavenly Tribulation that a Mahayana Cultivator faces during ascension!" Zhen Chan was clearly still shaken, "And that Daoist's Leaping and Flying Technique, so terrifying! This old man has never seen such laws before; I was so astonished that I lost control of my mind and spirit, and my Soul Power leaked and rushed into your body."
"Wait a minute, old man, are you saying that you've been scared into a state of helplessness in my mind by just a few spells from those guys over there!" Wang Qi was shocked.
Zhen Chan, despite his thousand years of cultivation, couldn't bear this comment, "Hmph! The Dao that today's cultivators follow is strange and unusual; I was caught off guard for a moment and began to doubt what I had previously believed, resulting in a backlash of my Dao Heart."
"So, old man, you've tricked me." Wang Qi suddenly stopped laughing and ground his teeth, "Now it seems that the 'Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture' I've practiced for four or five years is just junk!"
Zhen Chan, after all, was a Mahayana Grandmaster; he gradually calmed down, "Ten thousand years ago, 'Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture' was indeed a Supreme Technique, but the development over these ten thousand years has been too bizarre, surpassing my understanding."
Wang Qi hung his head, shaking all over.
Li Ziye, seeing this, felt a touch of pity, "Brother Wang, you need not be too disappointed; since you can cultivate mana, it means you have the potential for seeking immortality. Every cultivator is meaningful to the Immortal Alliance... Eh?"
Li Ziye exclaimed in surprise because he realized that Wang Qi was actually trying to suppress his laughter.
"Huhuhuhu... Ahahaha... I thought this world was crude, dull, and boring... Who would have thought... Ahahahaha!"