Chapter 217: The Gods Are No More

“Besides, such a duel can still be considered to fall within the rules of this so-called trial.”

With that thought, Ru Shou’s enormous divine body, which had towered into the heavens like a majestic mountain, suddenly began shrinking amid swirling golden light. In an instant, he had transformed into a human-sized figure, no different in stature from Li Shun.

He stepped down from the dragon’s head and stood face-to-face with Li Shun. His voice rang out like metal striking stone.

“Good! Then I shall suppress my divine power and fight you properly at the same level.”

“However, this time, I will not hold back!”

With that, Ru Shou raised his arm. The massive divine battle-axe in his hand had likewise shrunk to an ordinary size, and he pointed its blade toward Li Shun from afar.

But seeing that Li Shun was empty-handed, Chi kindly asked, “Do you need a weapon?”

Li Shun nodded.

“A sword will do.”

Ru Shou pointed a finger toward the space above Li Shun’s head. A long sword shimmering with brilliant golden light immediately materialized and floated before him.

Li Shun grasped the sword and took a deep breath.

In the very next instant, Ru Shou realized that Li Shun had changed.

He was no longer an unfamiliar mortal who had only just ascended Mount Buzhou.

Instead, he had become a close friend whom Ru Shou had known for millions of years.

They had grown up together, eating and sleeping side by side.

They had fought enemies together and hunted together.

Even when Ru Shou had once been punished by the Heavenly Emperor, Li Shun had willingly stepped forward and taken the blame on his behalf.

Now, after being separated for countless years, they had finally reunited.

Ru Shou was overjoyed.

The two of them began exchanging sword techniques.

In Ru Shou’s eyes, the fierce sword momentum Li Shun unleashed was riddled with openings.

Yet this was merely a friendly spar. Ru Shou naturally had no intention of actually injuring him.

He did not strike with full force and defeat Li Shun outright.

Instead, he accompanied his old friend with great interest, continuing to exchange sword techniques.

Sword light spread in every direction, illuminating the summit of Mount Buzhou.

Gradually, Ru Shou seemed to remember something.

An indistinct feeling of wrongness began to emerge in his mind.

But by then, Li Shun’s sword technique had already reached its final stage.

The Twenty-Eight Forms of Regicide.

The final move.

Old Friend.

Ru Shou’s consciousness once again became hazy.

Faced with the enthusiastic greeting of an old friend, Ru Shou naturally had no reason to retreat.

Then, in an instant, a brilliant sword light flashed.

It struck directly into his body.

“Hmm!?”

The tiny figure instantly shattered.

Ru Shou once again returned to his former, towering form.

This time, the expression with which he looked at Li Shun was noticeably different.

“Boy, what sword technique did you just use?”

Li Shun cupped his fists.

“The Sword of No Killing.”

Since Ru Shou had already mentioned the existence of the so-called Heavenly Emperor, Li Shun naturally could not reveal the original name of the technique, Regicide Sword Art. He did not want to cause any unnecessary misunderstanding.

“The Sword of No Killing. What an excellent Sword of No Killing.”

“This is a sword technique that has never appeared before in the primordial world.”

“You truly have the qualifications to ascend Mount Buzhou.”

Ru Shou raised the enormous battle-axe in his hand and smashed it heavily against the Buzhou Heavenly Gate.

A tremendous sound, like the ringing of a massive metal bell, erupted from the collision.

The resounding clang echoed from the summit of Mount Buzhou before spreading in every direction.

Along with the ringing of the bell, the magnificent gate that had originally stood high above the clouds suddenly seemed to draw much closer.

It was as though it were within arm’s reach. With just one step forward, one could enter.

“May I ask, High God, what lies beyond the Buzhou Heavenly Gate?”

Li Shun did not enter rashly. Instead, he turned around and asked first.

Upon hearing this, Ru Shou was immediately stunned.

“You traveled countless miles to reach Mount Buzhou.”

“Yet you don't know what lies beyond the Heavenly Gate?”

“The Heavenly Gate naturally leads to the Heavenly Court.”

“All the gods of the primordial world reside within the Heavenly Court. I simply wonder which one you will have the fortune to encounter this time.”

Although Ru Shou had been “defeated” by Li Shun, he showed not the slightest trace of anger.

Instead, he seemed to remain immersed in the sword move Old Friend that Li Shun had just displayed.

Seeing Li Shun hesitate to move forward, he even urged him onward.

“Enough. Don't waste any more time.”

“Now that I have successfully sent someone into the Heavenly Court, I no longer need to remain here on guard.”

Hearing this, Li Shun no longer hesitated.

He strode forward and entered the Buzhou Heavenly Gate.

The light and shadows before his eyes suddenly changed.

The sensation was extremely similar to when he had fallen from the Great Qian world into the primordial illusion.

It was as though he had arrived in an entirely different world in the blink of an eye.

Except...

“The Heavenly Court?”

Li Shun looked around.

He found himself standing amid a desolate and lonely ruin.

As far as the eye could see, enormous structures had collapsed, leaving behind only their shattered remains.

There was not the slightest trace of life here.

Nor was it known how long it had been since another living being had set foot in this place.

Li Shun had been here for only a moment, yet an intense sense of loneliness had already emerged from both his body and soul.

Every part of him seemed to be urging him to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Li Shun instinctively turned around.

The Buzhou Heavenly Gate through which he had entered had vanished at some unknown point.

“I...”

“Am I really still within the primordial illusion?”

A trace of doubt surfaced in Li Shun’s heart.

Looking back on his journey to Mount Buzhou, Li Shun could not help feeling that something was unreal.

Convincing Ru Shou to suppress his cultivation and fight him was one thing.

But he had never expected the dignified Western God of Metal to be so easily defeated.

He had been led around entirely by the nose by the Regicide Sword Art.

“Although I never truly injured him, there is no doubt that I won.”

“Even if Ru Shou had completely suppressed his realm, he should not have lost so quickly.”

“I can say with certainty that if that had been the genuine Western God of Metal who once existed in the primordial world, there is no way I could have injured him so easily.”

“The only reasonable explanation is that this place is ultimately an illusion.”

“It cannot truly reproduce the might of a God.”

“The Regicide Sword Art was personally taught to me by Elder Wei. In a certain sense, it is an ultimate technique of the Heaven-Earth realm. At equal levels of power, it makes sense that an illusionary God would be unable to withstand it.”

As Li Shun pondered this, however, he suddenly thought of a contradiction.

The previous time he had entered the primordial illusion, he had encountered the Formless Suspended Skull atop Mount Buxian.

Even within the illusion, that existence had displayed an utterly terrifying and unfathomable strength.

It was completely beyond what the God of Metal Ru Shou could compare to.

Li Shun had already noticed this the first time he encountered Ru Shou.

He had felt none of the trembling awe that should come from encountering a true [God].

It had felt more like encountering a powerful cultivator or yao beast.

“Why is there such a stark difference?”

Li Shun’s attention once again focused on the ruins before him.

The ruins seemed to have existed since primordial antiquity.

They had endured for an unknown span of years, and only now had they finally received their first visitor.

“The Heavenly Court.”

“It has already become a ruin.”

“Then what about those so-called native gods of the primordial world?”

“Have they all perished?”

“The Outer Gods still exist even now. Their power is projected here and can even influence the primordial illusion.”

“But the native gods of the primordial world disappeared long ago. Without the true source of those gods, no matter how lifelike the illusion becomes, it is ultimately nothing more than an empty shell.”

Li Shun seemed to understand something.