Chapter 11 The Art of Heaven

With a clang, Ye Xiaoluo’s Yuanyang Precious Saber left a long, long scratch. This mark was like a tear in the sky, extending towards Zhenhai Gong with a stark aesthetic. Such a strike appeared effortless, but in reality, it was heavy and profound. No one facing such a strike would feel relaxed.

Clang!

Under the oppressive force of this heavy saber technique, many of Zhenhai Gong's original methods seemed impossible to execute. His Domain techniques were unparalleled, but Ye Xiaoluo simply exploited his strengths and avoided his weaknesses, refusing to confront him in Domain manipulation, forcing Zhenhai Gong to fight him head-on. Faced with Ye Xiaoluo's pressure, Zhenhai Gong flipped his palm, and a narrow, long, translucent curved saber appeared in his grasp. After a flash of the curved saber, it dissolved into the Domain like water. Subsequently, every wisp of air within the entire Domain space seemed to become the blade of this saber. "Good weapon!" Ye Xiaoluo praised, but the saber held tightly in his palm did not change its original momentum, continuing to fall heavily. He allowed thousands of saber edges to fall upon him, scraping against the Yuanyang Treasure Armor and scattering sparks.

Clang!

The tangible saber collided violently with the intangible sabers. Zhenhai Gong was forced to retreat several steps, his wrist trembling continuously, clearly at a disadvantage. At this moment, Yan Po's saber suddenly intervened, as if out of nowhere. This was not some duel emphasizing chivalry, but a surprise attack, a premeditated ambush. Yan Po was not one to mince words; seizing the opportunity created by Ye Xiaoluo, he attacked with his saber. Taking advantage of Zhenhai Gong's wide-open defenses, Yan Po moved in close and slashed seventeen times with his heavy, black-backed saber. The rhythm, power, and angle of each strike were distinct, yet equally overbearing and fierce, forcing his opponent to respond directly.

Clang clang clang clang!

Each of Yan Po's strikes hit Zhenhai Gong. However, countless mirrors seemed to rise before Zhenhai Gong. Each time Yan Po struck him, the Zhenhai Gong who was struck shattered like a mirror. After shattering seventeen times in a row, Yan Po's saber momentum waned. Continuing to pursue would only drag him into a trap. At the same time, the light in the space distorted, and a large number of black-armored puppets appeared. They wore masks, were clad in heavy armor, and emanated a thick, decaying aura of death. With a loud roar, these black-armored puppets surrounded Ye Xiaoluo and the other three, about to drown them in a tide of bodies. Yan Po swung his black saber horizontally, wielding what felt like a sky-splitting axe rather than a blade. Each strike forced back a large number of black-armored puppets. However, the core of these puppets was well-hidden, and ordinary vital points were ineffective against them. Coupled with their thick armor, crafted from extraordinary materials, even Ye Xiaoluo and the others could not shatter them all in a short time. And as long as they weren't destroyed, they would continue to besiege them relentlessly. Their main tactic was "accompaniment," not seeking immediate results but aiming to exhaust them. "Damn it! We can't expand our Domains to suppress them, or we could directly cut off their source of control and prevent them from interfering with us," He Gang cursed. The other three remained silent. If not for Zhenhai Gong's Domain restraining and weakening them, how could this trap have employed such unbalanced black-armored puppets?

Not far away, Zhenhai Gong was struggling to break free from the Divine Artifact Pagoda's entanglement, trying to escape the space where Ye Xiaoluo and the others were, and then turn from the dark to the light, using the power of the Domain to interfere with Ye Xiaoluo and others' actions. As long as the Domain was restricted, Zhenhai Gong could theoretically use a sea of black-armored puppets to bury Ye Xiaoluo and his companions. "Don't let him escape! Leave these puppets to me!" Xu Xiaotian's aura rapidly increased, and a large number of incantations spread across his body like vines, covering him completely. In an instant, a desolate, ferocious aura emanated from Xu Xiaotian, transforming him into a terrifying beast patrolling its territory. Incantationists and spellcasters often give a similar impression. But in reality, there are many differences. More than ninety percent of a spellcaster's methods involve using energy to perform various long-range manipulations and attacks. Incantationists, however, have a distinction between internal and external incantations. Once an incantationist uses an internal incantation, they can instantly transform into a terrifying war machine. Of course, this consumes a great deal of the user's own energy. The foundation of an incantation is the medium; when an internal incantation is cast, the medium consumed is naturally the cultivator himself. Xu Xiaotian charged forward, throwing a punch that carried a heavy, terrifying, and boundless pressure, sending the black-armored puppets flying. Even more terrifying was that chains of incantation shadows surrounded Xu Xiaotian, like claws, binding many black-armored puppets that were trying to evade him. This made it difficult for these puppets to advance or retreat, forcing them to remain in their original state and clash head-on with Xu Xiaotian. "Don't waste the opportunity, keep him here!" Yan Po roared, his tongue like spring thunder, his long saber vibrating. He unleashed his saber techniques, simple and unadorned, but each strike was heavier than the last, as if he was carrying a mountain and throwing it at Zhenhai Gong, who was trying to escape this space. At this moment, Yan Po's muscles were also taut, his clothes bulging. He had transformed into another ferocious monster.

Amidst the sounds of clashing, Yan Po and Zhenhai Gong were locked in combat once more. Yan Po's saber techniques excelled in being straightforward and clear, with each move being easily understood, leaving his opponent nowhere to hide. It could be called the epitome of turning decay into the miraculous. Zhenhai Gong's attacks, however, matched his narrow, curved saber, filled with deceitful changes. The variations in his techniques were endless, like countless undercurrents beneath a surging ocean. Although Yan Po's strikes were simple and unadorned, they secretly aligned with some kind of miraculous law. Faintly, they began to be supported by the might of heaven. "This saber technique... strangely resembles mine," Ye Xiaoluo said, slightly surprised. Although he initially learned the saber under Yan Po's heavy influence, after mastering the Longevity Saber and the Nine Forms of the Saber Master, Ye Xiaoluo had long broken free from the original framework. After long-term training, he was different from his initial self. Although their style and posture seemed to come from the same source, subtle differences existed. Now, Yan Po's saber contained a faint celestial might. This was not Yan Po's own saber intent, but the might of heaven cooperating with his saber force. "It's Tang Suyi!" Ye Xiaoluo realized. Tang Suyi cultivated the path of death sacrifice. In reality, from another perspective, he was refining the Heavenly Dao. It was just that this was a reciprocal process. In the end, ninety-nine percent of the time, Tang Suyi would still be assimilated by the Heavenly Dao. But before he was "assimilated," Tang Suyi could be considered the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao. Yan Po was raised by Tang Suyi, and Tang Suyi's traces were heavy and deep within his methods. This meant that Yan Po's attacks "secretly aligned with the Heavenly Dao." Therefore, when he concentrated, his saber force became the force of heaven, and his saber intent became the intent of heaven. This was a unique blessing for Yan Po. In a sense, Yan Po, like Zhenhai Gong, had a special Intent Domain. It transcended the scope of ordinary Intent Domains, but neither had entered the realm of Wuding, nor had they grasped the opportunity that belonged to them. Cultivating Wuding was like this; it wasn't that you could break through just by being strong enough. It required opportunity and coincidence, all coming together perfectly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The collision of sabers produced sounds that seemed like countless cannons firing. Whether it was the immovable Yan Po or the ever-changing Zhenhai Gong, their techniques were the surface, while the core was still a contest and comparison of their power, accumulation, and will. And once the aura of this comparison formed, it was difficult for Ye Xiaoluo and He Gang to intervene in the changes between lightning and flint. Because any attempt to attack could mistakenly strike Yan Po. Under the premise that the Domain was greatly restricted and weakened, relying solely on the naked eye for accurate judgment was not easy. In an instant, Ye Xiaoluo's Yuanyang Precious Saber transformed into a rainbow, its blade falling in an arc, as if reflecting the vast sky. This strike of Ye Xiaoluo's was not a direct intervention, but a reflection of Yan Po's saber. Because of this, Yan Po's saber represented the will of heaven. In just a moment, the two men and two sabers seemed to merge into one. The aura became chaotic. The overlap of the will of heaven and the intent of the saber caused Zhenhai Gong's response to become uncontrollably disordered. He could only choose to retreat and evade, attempting to break out of the encirclement. This was in line with He Gang's intention. His "cannon" had long been aimed and pre-empted. When Zhenhai Gong retreated to the predetermined position, a strong magical light traversed most of the space and violently struck.

Rumble!

The entire space was trembling violently. The space that had been constantly segmented began to merge back together, screen by screen. Zhenhai Gong was strong, but Ye Xiaoluo and the others were not weak. He wanted to trap Ye Xiaoluo and the others with some mindless puppets, which was truly overestimating himself. But was this game really so simple?

...

Another dimension, the Scarlet Sun Lands. A man dressed in scarlet red, as dazzling as a golden crow, stood atop a burning peak, holding a fiery red jade scepter. "You're so confident that he can break through Zhenhai Gong's barrier? Instead of me directly intervening?" The man, flowing with a radiance like the sun, asked coldly. At this moment, a figure emerged from the sea of fire, walking on white lotus flowers. Just looking at her attire at this moment, she was elegant and ethereal, otherworldly. Even without seeing her face, simply judging by her aura, one would be captivated. The man's eyes changed slightly, his expression shifting from scrutiny to appreciation. "Very good! You've already emerged from your original predicament!" "The greatest temptation in this world is unparalleled nobility and transcendence. Conquering a woman like you is the desire of every strong man." Without rising or stepping forward, the man had already appeared beside the otherworldly woman. He seemed about to reach out and remove her veil, but she lightly evaded him. Her cold eyes looked at the man like sharp swords. The woman's voice was equally ethereal, as she softly said, "If he weren't so outstanding, how could he have forced me to enter the second state of Wuxing?" This woman was none other than the demoness Ying Niang. But unlike Ying Niang's former seductive style, she was now aloof, as cold as a goddess, radiating an aura of unparalleled isolation. The original Wuhua Heavenly Maiden of the Yuanling Sect initially only pursued emotion without form. The seven emotions and six desires were severed and transformed into the Heart Elixir. All the emotions of the Wuhua Heavenly Maiden originated from deduction. Only after nurturing the Heart Elixir could she regain her emotions and possess true seven emotions and six desires once more. And the Xinling Wuxing was the second state. Entering this state meant actively and thoroughly abandoning certain emotions, thoroughly entering a state of "Dao transformation." If given a choice, no one would actively enter this state. Because this undoubtedly and thoroughly changed the "self," more like using a unique technique to change the soul to fit a specific existence. If Ye Xiaoluo hadn't given Ying Niang too much pressure, she wouldn't have chosen to actively enter the second state. "Interesting! I'm even more interested in you now!" "You bet with me, saying that if I stayed here and fought Ye Xiaoluo, I wouldn't be able to defeat him, and the stake was yourself." "Originally, I just wanted to play a game... but now... I really want to win." As the man spoke, the entire space became even hotter, his emotions infecting everything in the other dimension. The three blazing suns hanging in the sky all erupted with dazzling halos. Ying Niang turned and walked slowly through the sea of fire, "I also hope you can win." The man heard this and burst out laughing. "I will definitely win!" "This other dimension was transformed by me sacrificing Wuding. If he comes here, he will surely die!"

...

Within the palace. Luo Mochen held a rusty iron token, his aura changing continuously, sometimes terrifying. Outside his palace, the Empress Dowager had arranged a large number of guards, and anyone who came to investigate was turned away. Even the young emperor personally came, but was met with the Empress Dowager's soft nails. He could only send people to keep a close watch, but he didn't know what kind of change had occurred within the Cinnabar Fragrance Palace. After several hours, the changes in the aura within the Cinnabar Fragrance Palace finally stabilized. The Empress Dowager adjusted her collar, took a deep breath, and then mustered her courage to push open the doors of the Cinnabar Fragrance Palace. The moment the doors opened, she saw the 'young girl' sitting on the phoenix couch, closing her eyes to rest. When she opened her eyes, the golden light flowing in her eyes forced everyone to want to kneel and prostrate. At the same time, curved dragon horns emerged from her forehead. Half of her face also had dense patterns like dragon scales. But all of this did not detract from her beauty, but instead made her even more妖异 and beautiful. Luo Mochen leaned against the back of the couch, her expression solemn, her imposing manner natural. Seeing the Empress Dowager push open the door and enter, she opened her mouth and said, "Concubine Xiang! Many years since we last met, you are still so graceful. It makes me miss you so much." The Empress Dowager trembled, goosebumps rising on her arms and hands. Without thinking, she knelt and prostrated on the ground, "This concubine greets Your Majesty, and welcomes Your Majesty's return after tribulation!" 'Luo Mochen' waved her hand and said, "No need for excessive words, quickly bring the landscape map of mountains and rivers. I have a use for it." The Empress Dowager slightly raised her head, seemingly wanting to say something, but hesitated and didn't dare to speak. She could only softly say, "Yes!" Then she rose and crawled out of the palace. After exiting the palace and rising from her knees, the cold sweat on the Empress Dowager's back finally flowed down completely. "He... he actually really came back!"