Chapter 1657 - 219: Battle Across a Thousand Miles (Part 3)

Chapter 1657: Chapter 219: Battle Across a Thousand Miles (Part 3)

On Smoke Cloud Lake.

A gentle breeze blew by.

Chen Jingxuan, quietly reading alone on the boat, felt a slight movement in his heart.

He instinctively shifted his head, looking towards the Qing Deng lamp.

The fresh breeze brushed by, causing the lamp’s flame to sway.

The pages of the book turned silently.

"..."

Chen Jingxuan gazed outside the boat again.

The misty waves were vast, and the cloud sea was empty.

Someone had come.

That person had already left.

...

...

Da Sui Sword Palace, Taoist Gate, Imperial City.

Xie Xuanyi, like a fallen leaf, drifted with the wind through this mortal world, moving ceaselessly.

Following behind him, Lu Yuzhen gradually grew uneasy.

Lu Yuzhen was well aware.

Xie Xuanyi did not move at random.

Every "resting place" he chose likely held great significance. Whether it was Tianyuan Mountain or Smoke Cloud Lake, Xie Xuanyi stayed only for a breath, even less. Even with the blessing of the Space-Time Dao Realm, all Lu Yuzhen could see was a fleeting afterimage of Xie Xuanyi.

This single breath was really too brief.

Not to mention engaging in conversation.

Even transmitting thoughts through Divine Thought was far from enough.

What most gave Lu Yuzhen a "headache"...

Was actually that the Space-Time Dao Realm couldn’t restrict Xie Xuanyi.

This meant.

Even if he activated the Dao Domain, attempting to slow Xie Xuanyi down, it was to no avail.

What Xie Xuanyi was doing, what he intended to do, he could only guess.

"You, this guy."

Lord Lu gradually lost patience, lowering his voice, "Is this never-ending?"

Leaving Da Sui Sword Palace, heading north, they had already drifted thousands of miles.

Crossing an entire Great Chu Dynasty.

"If you are unwilling to battle in the Lotus Forbidden Land, you must pay some price."

Xie Xuanyi spoke calmly.

The one now seeking battle was Lu Yuzhen.

Wherever he went.

Lu Yuzhen could only follow.

"You..."

Lu Yuzhen laughed in anger, "Do you really think I’m a saint?"

Just because he hadn’t attacked before didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future.

"You aren’t a saint, so why would I be?"

Xie Xuanyi mercilessly mocked, "You don’t have many attachments in this world, but you have some. If you strike, so will I."

"..."

Lu Yuzhen fell silent.

What kind of person is the most terrifying?

Those without kin or friends.

In earlier years.

Lu Yuzhen was just such a person... But now, having established the Paperman Sect, when he chose to exchange Chi Wu’s life for Cui Zhen’s in the Demon Country Snow Mountain, he was no longer that unburdened Paperman Taoist.

Things on his mind, people and objects he cared about.

As long as he had them.

Quantity was irrelevant.

"I heard you took over the Heavenly Phoenix Palace."

Xie Xuanyi raised an eyebrow, directly pointing out, "If I don’t want to duel with you, you’ll activate the Heavenly Phoenix Palace and head south... Is that your plan?"

"Ha."

Lu Yuzhen chuckled.

He indeed had that intention.

He didn’t care about worldly power but felt the need to take over the Heavenly Phoenix Palace.

Because at that time, he wasn’t sure...

Whether Xie Xuanyi would agree to this ultimate duel with him.

Being exceptional means doing exceptional things.

If Xie Xuanyi refused to fight, then he should have a "backup plan."

This was why Lu Yuzhen was reluctant to interfere with the freedom of the Great Venerable of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace—

In his eyes.

The entire Heavenly Phoenix Palace was but a chess piece.

When necessary, he would use "heading south" as a bargaining chip to demand a duel with Xie Xuanyi.

As of now...

This chess piece was no longer important.

"Heading south is the last resort."

Lu Yuzhen smiled while asking, "But often, last resorts are very effective. If you really don’t want to fight, I don’t mind starting a war."

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent.

He knew Lu Yuzhen’s intentions.

The reason he was so protective over the years...

Was because Lu Yuzhen’s goal, from the beginning, was anchored on "Heavenly People"!

To break free of the shackles, to ascend to Heavenly People, he needed immense Qi Fortune.

This immense fortune either comes from the Strongest or from all living beings.

Unlike the Holy Empress.

Lu Yuzhen viewed the two worlds as a chessboard. He was more unrestrained than the Holy Empress and less greedy for power; what he sought... was the purest, simplest "immortality."

Emperor Qi of Great Yue followed this path in the past.

The entire nation ascended.

To achieve the success of one.

If the Paperman Sect urged the demon country southwards, peace shattered, it would resemble the situation of the "Great Yue Kingdom" back then.

"So."

Lu Yuzhen solemnly said, "Fight me seriously."

He crossed the River of Destiny for this.

For the sake.

Of this battle...

If he wished to transcend, to achieve the utmost glory, he needed an opponent equally on the brink!

Such an opponent could only be Xie Xuanyi.

Whether a Zen Master or Zhao Chunyang, none of the "Seekers" over the past thousand years could compare to Xie Xuanyi.

Even if they had outstanding talents.

They were born in the wrong era.

In the past thousand years, there was only one "Harmonizer" as powerful as this.

And that person was right before his eyes.

"Alright."

Facing Lu Yuzhen’s invitation, Xie Xuanyi lightly replied.

Just two words.

It sounded... almost perfunctory.

Because he didn’t stop walking, continuing his journey, continually shattering the void with sword qi.

This time.

He wasn’t heading north.

Instead, with a single sword stroke, he moved eastward, crossing the Qu River.

"My patience is limited."

Lu Yuzhen suppressed his anger, speaking lowly, "If you continue to avoid battle, I will choose to destroy a Holy Land."

From the Snow Mountain all the way south.

He had given Xie Xuanyi more than enough respect.

"We’re here."

Xie Xuanyi suddenly spoke.

The sword qi surged, tearing apart the last fragment of the void, with a faint crimson glow appearing before them.

The two had traversed thousands of miles, arriving on another land.

"Da Li?"

Lu Yuzhen frowned slightly, somewhat surprised.

He did not expect.

Xie Xuanyi would choose the final battleground here.

This was Wuzhou Fengxi City, the main sect of Buddhist Temple of Fan Yin.

It had been a full decade since the Ninth Prince ascended to the throne and brought peace to Li Kingdom.

Ten years ago, Fengxi City lay in ruins, with overturned banners and the people destitute.

Ten years later, this great city was orderly and prosperous, rivaling Jiangning of Chu Country in wealth and well-being.

A faint chanting could be heard on the streets.

Many monks walked the streets, preaching and giving alms.

"You want to fight here?"

Lu Yuzhen looked at Xie Xuanyi with an odd expression.

He had thought.

Xie Xuanyi would choose a deserted battleground, perhaps Li Lan Mountain or the Ruins...

Unexpectedly.

In the end, he chose one of the busiest and noisiest great cities in the world.

"We’ll fight here."

Xie Xuanyi nodded, "What do you think?"

"I naturally have no objections."

Lu Yuzhen sneered, as he cared nothing for the lives of these ordinary people, he prepared to unfold the Dao Domain, letting paper snow fall upon the entire Fengxi City.

However.

Xie Xuanyi acted first.

"Extinguish."

In the heavens and earth rang out a low command.

The Lotus Robe was raised by the wind—the Sword Wind—ushering a vast gale, carrying thousands of slender sword qi, slicing the world.

More precisely.

Slicing the world where Xie Xuanyi and Lu Yuzhen stood.

"Swish—"

Lu Yuzhen’s pupils slightly contracted.

His Divine Thought sensing abruptly severed at this moment, and the bustling, noisy street scene also extinguished completely at this instant.

In that moment when the word "Extinguish" was spoken.

The entire world seemed truly extinguished.

Complete darkness.