Chapter 689: So Many Old Foxes

Upon hearing this, Celestial Light True Monarch’s Platinum Glaze Dharma Aspect couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

An imperceptible ripple appeared in the solidified domain of Profound Light Crystal Stone.

Although Celestial Light True Monarch and Red Sun had long been at odds, they were both True Monarchs of the Wansheng Sword Sect. Xu Yunfan’s action was tantamount to flogging a corpse in public—a blatant humiliation and provocation.

However, he thought of the turmoil within the Sect caused by Red Sun’s fall and True Monarch Tongxuan’s grave injuries, not to mention the Puchen Pure Land watching like a tiger. If he fought Xu Yunfan to the death now, it would only let those bald-headed fools from the Pure Land reap the benefits.

As for Lv Chunyang, the current nominal Sect Leader of the Wansheng Sword Sect and a top-tier Mid-Stage Golden Core expert, he wouldn’t bother himself with the sordid dealings between the Sect’s various families.

In fact, on some level, it would be a good thing for him if the likes of Red Sun True Monarch and True Monarch Tongxuan were all dead.

Only then could he truly take control of the Wansheng Sword Sect.

Celestial Light True Monarch’s thoughts raced. In the end, his many reservations won out, and he said no more. The congealed killing intent gradually subsided, like a volcano being forcibly frozen over.

Seizing the momentary lull, the Platinum Glaze Dharma Aspect flickered with light.

From within the great army of Wansheng Sword Sect cultivators that had long been waiting in the distance, countless sharp sword lights suddenly flared.

With the disciples of Arctic Peak as the main force, they swept up the Sword Cultivators from the other peaks. Like a torrent of steel from a burst dam, they transformed into arcs of sword light and brazenly charged into the rift in the Aitira Boundary Wall before it could fully close.

The chilling sword light aimed straight for the Western Wilderness, intent on contending with the Primordial Sect’s vanguard for Aitira’s remaining Origin and opportunities.

Xu Yunfan’s eyes glinted as he watched, but he took no drastic action. He simply flicked a finger, sending an extremely subtle ripple into the Aitira Realm, designed to warp the perceptions of others.

It didn’t need to be much. A subtle touch at a few key points would suffice.

He had mastered the Celestial-Eroding Netherworld Talisman to the level of Great Perfection, making it ideal for such a clandestine task. Even Celestial Light True Monarch, right in front of him, failed to notice a thing.

Aitira. Upon the scorched earth of the Wilderness West Field.

Lu Chuan stood atop the enormous skeleton of a god, half-buried in the scorched earth. The Spirit Talisman on his brow glowed brilliantly; it was the token and communication Dharma Seal that Xu Yunfan had given him.

He cupped his hands toward the statue of Taoyi the Celestial Lord of Salvation and Relief up ahead—the figure Xu Yunfan had ordered him to obey unconditionally—then turned and shouted in a stern voice.

“Set up the All Heaven Shifting Array! By the True Monarch’s decree! The day the array is complete is the day we slaughter gods and seize the Origin!”

Three thousand cultivators roared their assent, their voices shaking the shattered world.

Array Banners, as numerous as trees in a forest, were thrust violently into the scorched-black earth.

The moment the Array Patterns lit up, the unwilling shriek of the Dark Main God Ymir’s remnant soul echoed from deep underground. Venomous resentment and the Power of Darkness attempted to corrode the Array Base, only to be ruthlessly suppressed by the starlight and purple lightning cascading down from the phantom of the Star Spirit Banner outside the realm.

Battles between the cultivators and the remaining divine creatures and twisted nature spirits had already erupted all across the scorched land.

Hidden within his Divine Country, Zhang Ziyang watched the scene below. For him, the arrival of his fellow Primordial Sect disciples was a boon. As long as they didn’t interfere with his foundational base of faith, he could expand his influence at an incredible speed.

As long as he had sufficient Incense Fire Wish Power, his authority and rank would rise rapidly. It might even be possible to accumulate enough of a foundation in this world to return to the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm and achieve the Daoist Golden Core.

After all, the Dao Fruit Format of the Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends in the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm was several tiers higher than Aitira’s, making it his natural first choice.

—

Meanwhile, in an unknown region of the Boundary Sea that endlessly surged with the Chaos Birth and Death Profound Light…

The Nine Nether Evil Mist quietly coalesced, forming a blurry figure.

True Monarch Dong Ming toyed with the Bone Jade Treasure Box that sealed the Eternal Night Descent Dao Fruit, her Profound Evil Magical Power continuously seeping inside to refine the Dao Fruit. Her gaze pierced through layers of chaos to land on the two True Monarchs in their standoff outside the Aitira Realm, and the corner of her mouth curled into a cold, mocking smile.

‘You’ve bitten off more than you can chew, Junior Brother Xu. The Great Brightness Dao Fruit is not so easily swallowed.’

She sensed the weakened, yet still immense, fluctuations of Origin within the Aitira Realm, as well as the influx of cultivators from both sects.

‘When the snipe and the clam grapple… we’ll see who the real fisherman turns out to be.’

Her figure once again merged into the evil mist and vanished without a trace. Clearly, her own schemes ran deeper.

The Great Brightness Dao Fruit was undoubtedly a jack-of-all-trades Fruit Position. Though her compatibility with it wasn’t particularly high, it was more than enough.

Anyone seeking to practice the principle of Yin and Yang Complementing Each Other would surely take an interest in it.

—

Outside the Aitira Celestial Realm, the two True Monarchs faced off in silence, but the expenditure of power was immense.

Seeing that all the Sword Sect disciples had entered, Celestial Light True Monarch no longer lingered.

His Platinum Glaze Dharma Aspect transformed into a streak of sword light that seemed to freeze time itself as he created distance from Xu Yunfan. It left behind a region of the Boundary Sea permanently solidified into Profound Light Crystal Stone, a testament to the might of his Dao Fruit.

A phantom of his Platinum Glaze Dharma Aspect remained high above, looking down on the host of Sword Cultivators in the Aitira Celestial Realm.

The two had been too close, their spirits stretched taut. The slightest move could have triggered a massive battle, and Celestial Light True Monarch naturally had no desire to start one at this juncture.

‘What a shame…’

Xu Yunfan thought to himself, indifferently withdrawing his gaze.

He, on the other hand, did not fear a battle. He was even looking forward to it. Only by instigating conflict could he find an opportunity to advance further.

The advancement time indicated on his Attribute Panel was simply too long. Without the aid of a Dao Fruit, relying purely on the panel to advance, he might only be able to take the final step just as his lifespan was about to run out.

If it came to that, it would be no different from throwing his life away.

Xu Yunfan was naturally unwilling to do so.

He took one last glance into the Aitira rift—at the spiritual light of the Primordial Sect cultivators building their array, the crisscrossing Sword Qi of the Wansheng Sword Sect’s cultivators, and the twisted shadows of the Divine Abominations on the scorched earth. With a flicker of thought, he acted.

“Withdraw!”

The ten-thousand-zhang Thunder Dharma Aspect transformed into an extremely condensed stream of purple-gold light that shot into the space between his eyebrows, leaving only a phantom of itself behind so that he could return in an instant.

The Wonderful Techniques of the Golden Core realm were infinite; this was merely one of a Dharma Aspect’s abilities.

The Attribute Panel pulsed silently in his field of vision.

‘Daoist Cultivation: 1259 (Peak Early-Stage Golden Core)

Grotto Heaven Lifting: 43%… 44%’

‘Hmm, a bit of progress thanks to the Dual Cultivation with True Monarch Dong Ming and refining Red Sun’s Origin.’

With a flick of his sleeve, he retrieved the Breaking Realm Platform. Its spiritual light had dimmed slightly after withstanding the aftershocks of the clash between True Monarchs.

The key resource for the next step, suspending his Grotto Heaven high, lay within this world’s Origin.

Xu Yunfan’s figure transformed into a bolt of purple-gold lightning that tore through the Boundary Sea, vanishing into its depths in an instant.

He certainly wasn’t going to stand guard here. With the phantom of his Dharma Aspect remaining, he could return in an instant with but a single thought.

There were other, extremely important matters he needed to attend to.

The Primordial Sect. Nine Immortals Mountain. Divine Sky Mountain.

「For the next ten years.」

Xu Yunfan remained hidden deep within an Earth Vein Fire Eye on Divine Sky Mountain, drawing down the mountain’s exceptionally pure thunderbolts to continuously refine his body and power.

The scorching lava churned, forming a natural Melting Furnace, but it was not even one ten-thousandth as spectacular as the scene within his Dantian.

Enveloped by the Purple Gold Thunderbolt, the Light Leaving Flame Burning Red Sun Dao Fruit thrashed about like a captive molten sun. Every violent tremor caused the space around Xu Yunfan to warp, releasing waves of Pure Yang heat that could incinerate all things.

He sat cross-legged in the void, the phantom of his Divine Sky Dharma Aspect flickering behind him, its three heads and six arms each performing their own duty.

The central head had its eyes shut tight, its Divine Thought spread like a net to firmly lock down the restless Origin of the Red Sun Dao Fruit.