Chapter 599: Fleeing Without a Fight

Zhaang Ye’s Spiritual Sense detected a shift in the void, and he found himself in a world that was both real and bizarre. In this world, all sorts of Exotic Beasts charged forward, roaring. The stars spun in the sky, and one incredible sight after another appeared without warning. Even with Zhaang Ye’s powerful Spiritual Sense and strong state of mind, his expression couldn’t help but change slightly.

A sharp, arrow-like glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes as he abruptly extended his Spiritual Sense. But in this strange world, both his sight and Spiritual Sense were affected. He found that neither could penetrate the Illusion Realm.

‘What a terrifying Illusion Realm! It’ll be a problem if I get trapped inside.’ Zhaang Ye’s heart tightened slightly. In a real fight, he was confident he could break the illusion, but doing so would take time, and Zhaang Ye didn’t want to waste any of it here.

WHOOSH! Activating his Wind Realm, faint cyan wisps of wind appeared around Zhaang Ye. His rapidly advancing body retreated backward without any warning!

Normally, to retreat while moving forward, one would need to slow down, stop, and then move backward. But Zhaang Ye’s body, flying at high speed, simply retreated on a whim, completely defying common sense. The Profound Mysteries of the Wind Realm were on full display.

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s terrifying Body Technique, Jade Fox’s expression changed. She bit her lower lip, and an ancient mirror suddenly materialized in her palm. A strange ripple instantly appeared in the void.

“The Fake Jade Mirage Mirror!”

“That mirror in Jade Fox’s hand looks like the Fourth-Grade True Artifact, the Fake Jade Mirage Mirror! A terrifying True Artifact capable of launching Spiritual Attacks!”

“A Fourth-Grade True Artifact! Heavens, how could her sect entrust such a precious True Artifact to Jade Fox?”

“Jade Fox is highly valued by her sect, so it’s not that strange they would give her the Fake Jade Mirage Mirror. But even though this Jade Mirage Mirror is a fake, it’s still a Fourth-Grade True Artifact. With Jade Fox’s Cultivation, wielding it is no easy task.”

Seeing the ancient mirror in Jade Fox’s hand, the young experts watching from below had looks of shock and desire in their eyes. They stared intently at the Fake Jade Mirage Mirror, wishing they could claim it for themselves.

True Artifacts are divided into nine grades, which can be further categorized into three tiers. Ninth-Grade, Eighth-Grade, and Seventh-Grade True Artifacts are considered low-tier. Sixth-Grade, Fifth-Grade, and Fourth-Grade True Artifacts are mid-tier. Third-Grade, Second-Grade, and First-Grade True Artifacts are high-tier.

The ancient mirror in Jade Fox’s hand was a Fourth-Grade True Artifact, only one step away from the high-tier, and its power was immense. Even though the young experts present were all worldly and experienced, they were still captivated by the Jade Mirage Mirror in her hand.

BOOM!

The Jade Mirage Mirror instantly shot out a ray of light, and a tremendous boom resounded in everyone’s minds. Following this sound, the experts present felt their Spiritual Sense suddenly stagnate as a vast and realistic world abruptly appeared before their eyes!

“Oh no, the Jade Mirage Mirror is already affecting my mind!”

“What a terrifying mirror! Just the aftershock it releases is this dreadful!”

Everyone’s expression changed, and they hastily used their Body Techniques to get away from Jade Fox. Even Shui Cangmang’s face paled slightly as he quickly executed his Body Technique and flew into the distance.

The Jade Mirage Mirror’s attack was a form of Spiritual Attack. It was silent and traceless, striking deep into the soul to create all sorts of illusions. If one’s will was not strong enough, they would immediately fall into the Illusion Realm, unable to escape.

BOOM!

The moment the Jade Mirage Mirror was used, Zhaang Ye’s mind was immediately hit by a terrifying attack, and a brilliant light flared before his eyes. A massive world, like an incredibly sturdy cage, instantly enveloped him. Every inch he flew required immense strength.

The Fire Spirit warned, “Be careful! This mirror can attack with Spiritual Power. If your Mental Power isn’t focused enough, all of your strength will be suppressed, and you’ll fall into the Illusion Realm, trapped for all eternity! We need to get out of here now!”

Zhaang Ye was a veteran of countless battles and naturally knew how formidable the mirror in Jade Fox’s hand was. The moment the Jade Mirage Mirror activated, his mind was affected, and illusions sprouted everywhere. Feeling a tremor from the depths of his soul, Zhaang Ye, whose speed was already unparalleled, actually accelerated again, shooting off in one direction in an instant.

The Jade Mirage Mirror was a Fourth-Grade True Artifact, and the power it emitted was incredibly strange. Within its attack range, Zhaang Ye felt the world spinning around him. A bizarre power threatened to seep into his mind at any moment. Under these conditions, the short distance of several hundred yards felt as though it took Zhaang Ye ten thousand years to cross.

In this hostile environment, Zhaang Ye’s peerless Body Technique and formidable Spiritual Sense were finally put on display. He flew at top speed against the onslaught of illusions and, after a loud bang, finally escaped the Jade Mirage Mirror’s attack range.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Having escaped the Jade Mirage Mirror’s attack range, Zhaang Ye instantly drew his blade, unleashed his Shadowless Blade technique, and sent out more than a dozen slashes in a row. Empowered by his potent Celestial River Righteous Qi, dozens of invisible Sword Gangs flew toward Jade Fox in an instant.

Jade Fox never imagined that Zhaang Ye could rely on his Body Technique alone to escape the Jade Mirage Mirror’s attack. Just as she, in her utter astonishment, was about to launch a second attack, Zhaang Ye’s counterattack arrived. She had no choice but to defend herself.

Just then, Shui Cangmang shouted, “Watch out!”

Jade Fox had just heard the warning when a black arrow suddenly shot toward her. It turned out that as Zhaang Ye was unleashing his Shadowless Blade, he had, with unparalleled speed, drawn his Profound Water Bow and fired an arrow.

While hastily defending, Jade Fox was struck by the black arrow. She coughed up a mouthful of blood on the spot, temporarily losing her ability to pursue Zhaang Ye.

Seeing Zhaang Ye escape the Fourth-Grade True Artifact, the Fake Jade Mirage Mirror, in the blink of an eye, Shui Cangmang finally realized just how terrifyingly powerful Zhaang Ye was. Without a word, he flew off into the distance.

Fleeing without a fight!

Shui Cangmang knew how formidable Zhaang Ye was and didn’t dare face him again. Seeing Zhaang Ye injure Jade Fox, he actually disregarded his own status and fled!

Shui Cangmang was one of the young titans of the Purple Spirit Domain, a man of incredibly noble status. Seeing him flee without a fight, the young experts present could hardly believe their eyes.

A glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face. He had originally planned to take advantage of Jade Fox’s injury to kill Shui Cangmang, but he hadn’t expected Shui Cangmang to be so afraid of death that he would flee without even fighting.

‘Forget it. Something big seems to have happened in the Earth region, and I need to get there right away. I’ll spare Shui Cangmang’s life for now.’ Zhaang Ye put away his Profound Water Bow and left without a second glance.

Zhaang Ye had killed Yue Changsheng and then injured both Shui Cangmang and Jade Fox in succession. No one present dared to stop him; they could only watch helplessly as he left.

Zhaang Ye flew at top speed while simultaneously Healing his injuries. After flying for tens of thousands of miles, an enormous, earthen-yellow palace abruptly appeared on the horizon, standing tall like a mountain peak.

Inscribed upon this massive palace were three enormous words: Sword Monarch Hall!

The giant characters were ninety-nine units square. Each stroke was like a blade, containing a chilling Sword Intent that could be felt even from hundreds of miles away. The three grim, massive words were like tens of thousands of blades, each carving a peerless arc through the air, flying in from every unimaginable angle, radiating a dense killing intent!

“Hmph!”

Zhaang Ye’s gaze swept over the three giant words, and he felt his soul tremble violently. The Celestial River Righteous Qi inside him actually showed signs of going out of control, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.

The Fire Spirit cried out, “Master, be careful! Those three giant words contain the Sword Monarch’s will and can directly attack the soul! Oh, right, among the Five Elements, Earth resides in the center. This Sword Monarch Hall must be the inheritance hall left behind by the Sword Monarch. The Earth Origin is very likely inside this hall too! Let’s hurry inside!”

Zhaang Ye acknowledged it and instantly flew hundreds of miles, arriving outside the Sword Monarch Hall. Looking up, he saw nine incomparably massive doors before him.

Of these nine great doors, three were already pushed open. Clearly, three young experts had already entered the suddenly-appeared Sword Monarch Hall.

The Fire Spirit spoke up again, “The Sword Monarch was a figure from Ancient Times who believed in destiny. These nine great doors are nine paths into the Sword Monarch Hall. If you are fated, you will naturally enter the inheritance path and receive the Sword Monarch’s legacy. If you are not, you will likely enter a dead end and perish within this hall!”

This time, the Fire Spirit did not urge Zhaang Ye on. Its voice was filled with an indescribable gravity.

Zhaang Ye was slightly startled and said, “Are you saying that of these nine great doors, only one is a path to life, and the rest are paths to death?”

The Fire Spirit replied, “Exactly! The Sword Monarch was an Ancient Strong Person. Even after his fall, he possessed infinite means to kill even a True Dao Expert. Master, whether we enter the hall or leave is up to you.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zhaang Ye said, “Of course we’re going in! It wasn’t easy to get here. Even if there’s only a sliver of a chance, I have to go inside and see for myself!”

Cultivators seek to defy heaven and supplement their fate, using the various essences of the world to extend their lives. True Cultivators all possess a fearless heart; as long as there is a sliver of a chance, they will strive for it with all their might. Zhaang Ye’s will was firm, and he had long ago decided to devote himself to the path of cultivation. Therefore, even knowing it was a one-in-ten chance of survival, he made his decision without hesitation.

The Fire Spirit sensed Zhaang Ye’s resolve and giggled. “Master, your heart for the Dao is growing ever more resolute. Don’t worry, Fire Generates Earth. I have a certain connection to this Sword Monarch Hall, which can greatly reduce your danger. By the way, even a path to death will have a sliver of life. As long as you use the right method, all roads can lead to the same destination.”

Zhaang Ye smiled slightly and said, “In that case, I’ll be relying on you!”

As he spoke, a glint appeared in Zhaang Ye’s eyes and he sized up the doors before him. ‘There are nine doors in total, and three have already been opened. Should I enter through one of the open ones, or push open a new one myself?’

Zhaang Ye pondered for a moment, his gaze landing on one of the giant doors. Then, without any hesitation, he strode forward and pushed it open.