Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Yue Qing’er let out a hoarse scream, as if struck by lightning, standing rigidly in place.

Zhou Yuan’s face was as still as water, witnessing the scene with shock and anger. His Mahayana immortal power surged, summoning the Wind Thunder Sword, which blasted into the formation and struck at the body of Xuanyuan.

“Bang!”

But then, light and shadow exploded, creating an illusion like a reflective ripple in water, and space shifted, with the figure vanishing without a trace, leaving only a sword hitting empty air.

“Hm!?”

Zhou Yuan’s brow furrowed, as he spurred his swordlight to reverse direction, only to see a flash of light reappear in front of the blood-soaked, slightly damaged Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor; with a sweep of his large sleeve, he took away the superior-grade immortal armor and several spirit lights along with it.

Nine Heavens Sword Disciple?

Merely a jumping clown!

Although Xu Yang’s cultivation was only at the Return to Void level, with the assistance of Heavenly Crafts Natural Creation, the middle-grade Fairy Spirit Mech Armor White Jade Capital of five hundred million Artifacts Level, and a series of skill characteristics like “Daoist Law Ancestor,” those under Mahayana, besides those rare exceptions of a freak of nature born from an immortal womb, were simply no match for him, not even the Saint Lords of the Immortal Sect.

Not to mention, he had already set a trap and, within the Canglang Ruins, had arranged a “Minor Nine Rites and Three Talents Sword Formation,” transforming the power of the heavens and earth within a hundred miles into the sword formation to aid Xuanyuan. With such a strike, there was no chance for survival for anyone under Mahayana.

Xiao Zhang was indeed a Nine Heavens Sword Disciple and had the superior-grade Immortal Artifact Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor to defend his body, which when fully activated could withstand several strong attacks by Mahayana cultivators. However, this armor had been broken three months earlier by Li Cangwu’s Heavenly Sword and had since been hastily repaired, still harboring a fatal flaw—how could it withstand this assured strike of Xuanyuan’s divine blade?

Therefore, there was never any suspense to this battle. The moment Xiao Zhang stepped onto the battlefield and into the sword formation, the outcome was set.

But Xu Yang’s target was not merely him!

“You thief!!!”

Seeing Xu Yang take away Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor and several of Xiao Zhang’s personal immortal implements, even as a Mahayana True Immortal with great equanimity, Zhou Yuan was enraged and his eyes bulged with fury. Instantly, he spurred his Flying Sword, aiming to kill Xu Yang.

Xiao Zhang’s death was a done deal; no matter how astonishing his natural talent or how immense his potential, once dead, everything would vanish like smoke in the air, becoming inconsequential.

But the Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor was different. This superior-grade immortal implement was a treasured possession of the Ninth Heaven Sword Pavilion, the protective gear of generations of Sword Masters, and not private property of the Xiao Family. It was only that Xiao Teng abused his power for personal benefit, grossly overstepping his bounds, passing this artifact to Xiao Zhang who had not yet become the Sword Master.

The loss of Xiao Zhang was irretrievable, but if they also lost the Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor, the losses for the Ninth Heaven Sword Pavilion on this expedition…

Unacceptable!

Overwhelmed by urgency and anger, the sword became even more pressing, ignoring even the loss of immortal power. Zhou Yuan rushed forward with his swordlight, furiously attempting to take back the Sword Pavilion’s treasure.

However…

Xu Yang paid him no heed. His figure shifted, and in an instant, he vanished into the void amidst iridescent lights.

Heavenly Gang Divine Power—Five Elements Great Escape!

With the assistance of the Immortal Spirit Mech Armor and special characteristics, he could roam freely and dominate unopposed under Mahayana, claiming to be invincible, but only up to Mahayana and no further.

Facing Zhou Yuan, a Mahayana cultivator from a prestigious Righteous Path background, he had no winning strategy at hand. The Nine Ritual Sword Formation also had exhausted its power in the preceding strike to break the Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor, and continuing the fight would undoubtedly lead to defeat.

Therefore, Xu Yang decisively withdrew, employing the Five Elements Great Escape.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Zhou Yuan, furious and startled, chased after him. Seeing the other escaping, he immediately slashed at the void, trying to block his path.

But the Five Elements Great Escape, a Heavenly Gang Divine Power, was not something easily intercepted.

In the Earth Immortal Realm, using this method of escape, Xu Yang stirred trouble in the Dragon Palace, made a commotion in the Underworld, and even True Immortals undergoing tribulations and Yanluo, Lord of the Nether, could not stop him. How could a mere Mahayana cultivator hope to block his path?

Only to see the Five Elements Escape Light breaking through the void, vanishing in a flash.

“You thief!!”

Zhou Yuan charged with his sword only to hit emptiness, frustrated and furious, howling at all directions.

“…”

“…”

“…”

As if awakened from a dream, those who witnessed the scene dared not speak, all quietly retreating to avoid bringing disaster upon themselves like fish in a pond caught in a city gate fire.

No one expected that this sword duel would develop and conclude in such a manner!

The Nine Heavens Sword Disciple, not even three moves in, was obliterated by a single strike.

This was truly unexpected.

Although everyone knew from previous events that Li Xuanyuan was extraordinarily powerful and must have relied on something substantial to dare to engage in such a life-and-death battle, they did not expect that his reliance would be so immense, so strong.

Two moves, one sword, retracting the sword formation, breaking the immortal armor, executing the Saint Heir, determining life and death!

Could such ability … really be Return to Void?

As if that wasn’t enough, he faced the Mahayana directly, coming and going as he pleased, killing at will!

It was not just unexpected, it was utterly unimaginable.

Polishing his sword in the Southern Sea, Xuanyuan seeking the Tao?

What sword was he polishing, what Tao was he asking?

People did not know and were left frightened, hastily retreating.

Zhou Yuan alone, sword in hand, looked around bewildered.

Battling across the lands, dueling with the world, yet his first stand ended up buried in the sand.

Now, with a contemporary sword disciple broken, a former Saintess dead, and the treasure Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor from the sword pavilion lost.

How will he, as the protector of the path, explain this upon his return?

“Zhou, Elder Zhou!”

Dazed, Zhou Yuan was called back to reality by a trembling shout.

Looking up, he saw the giant ship in the sky, its crew in disarray and panic.

“…”

Zhou Yuan was silent for a moment, then soared up and returned into the giant ship.

Let it be, let it be!

The dead were from the Xiao family; he had advised and obstructed, fulfilling his moral and ethical duties—what more was there to say?

As for Li Xuanyuan, with his Heavenly Sword fully realized and with an understanding of the Five Elements’ principles, having mastered the divine escape techniques, unless forbidden treasures are used and several Mahayana collaborate in pursuit and interception, who could take him down?

Let the mess the Xiao family caused be their own headache; he would not bother with it anymore!

…

The Nine Heavens Giant Ship left in alarm and anger.

Canglang Ruins were still turbulent with rising winds and surging clouds.

Looking further away, tens of thousands of miles distant, at the Origin of the Mirage Dragon, everything was calm and tranquil.

Xu Yang returned, passing through numerous formations, and arrived back into the Kylin Palace.

After a hundred years of efforts, he had already mastered the Mirage Dragon Abyss; apart from some areas kept open to the public to conceal the truth, the rest was enveloped by formations, transformed into his Cave Mansion, Spirit Fields, medicine gardens, and Artifact Refining workshops. While not yet comparable to the achievements of his dreams, they did resemble the makings of the Wandao School.

The two foundations in the Southern Sea, the Mirage Dragon Abyss and Lingbao Island, with the latter now abandoned, Xu Yang did not plan to leave the Southern Sea.

The most dangerous place is the safest!

This statement is not necessarily true, but also not necessarily false.

Following logic, after having cleared out the Lingbao Island foundation, there was no reason to stay in the Southern Sea waiting for death.

Even if the Ninth Heaven Sword Pavilion came down inversely, the Southern Sea was vast and extraordinary, connected to endless oceans; it would still be hard for them to trace his whereabouts.

With Xu Yang well-versed in the Heavenly Secrets and acting on a whim with the ability to foresee warnings, even if they found the Mirage Dragon Abyss, he would be able to detect it in time and escape far away without any worries.

After returning to the Kylin Palace that belonged to him and activating the Formation, he fully enforced the prohibitions and prepared various isolation measures. Only then did Xu Yang open his Qiankun Sleeve and take out the Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor stained with fresh blood.

Qiankun Bagua, a Superior Immortal Implement, the greatest gain from this battle.

Although it was damaged, its foundation remained intact. With his Seventh Rank Artifact Refining Immortal Master skills, as long as he found the appropriate materials, he could repair it and restore it to its original state.

As for the Nine Heavens Sword Seal on top of it, and the spiritual nature of the Immortal Implement itself…

With his now near-Holy Tao level of Cultivation and the completion of the Heavenly Sword, subduing an Immortal Implement was not a difficult task at all.

If it really came to it, he would refine it, melting it down for recasting!

After putting away the Qiankun Heart-Protecting Armor, he took out several Immortal Implements of varying quality and selected the ones with storage capabilities.

They say that murder and arson bring a golden belt, and both Xiao Zhang and Yue Qing’er, one being the current Sword Disciple and the other the former Saint Heir with the Xiao Family being a distinguished family of the Ninth Heaven Sword Pavilion, had considerable wealth. As he opened the few storage Immortal Implements, an array of dazzling treasures appeared before his eyes.

Xu Yang carefully chose the items that suited his fancy and were of the greatest value.

First was a Five Elements Divine Dragon Wood.

Indeed, it was a whole one, not just a piece!

At the last East Lai conference, Xiao Zhang used only a piece of the Five Elements Subduing Dragon Wood to bid for the Five Elements Xuanyuan Sword.

This showed the value of the Five Elements Divine Dragon Wood, which ranked amongst the upper levels even within the Seventh Rank Spiritual Objects.

Previously, having only one piece was suboptimal and practically useless.

However, now things were different. Xiao Zhang the fool gifted away the entirety of the Five Elements Divine Dragon Wood to him while attempting to utilize it.

It was just the right material to refine a Superior Immortal Implement!

Ever since the Heavenly Mechanics Methods advanced to the Seventh Rank, the plan to craft a Top-Grade Immortal Spirit Mech Armor had been brought up in Xu Yang’s schedule.

But to create a Top-Grade Immortal Spirit Mech Armor, a Superior Immortal Implement was needed at its core.

Having collected a vast array of Artifact Skills in the Earth Immortal Realm and having gained access to the treasury of the Heavenly Court through cooperation, as long as he had enough materials and advanced his Cultivation to Mahayana or Integration, refining a Superior Immortal Implement would be no difficult task for him.

With so many Superior Immortal Implements, which one should he refine?

Xu Yang had considered this, and the ideal choice was, of course, Xuanyuan.

But Xuanyuan required the merit of saving the world, which he couldn’t count on at the moment.

Thus, he decided to settle for the next best thing and refine an imitation of the “Li Ground Flame Light Banner.”

The Ground-Departing Flame Light contained within it the Five Elements and had the ability to mix Yin and Yang and turn Qiankun and all laws upside down.

In the Earth Immortal Realm, Xu Yang had replaced the original Five Elements True Spirit Pearl with this banner, elevating the White Jade Capital to a Top-Grade Fairy Spirit Mech Armor, which was then piloted by Phoenix Song to ultimately defeat the Fire Virtue Star Lord of the Heavenly Court and even seize the Li Fire Banner.

The power of this Li Ground Flame Light Banner was evident, and with it as its core, the White Jade Capital was indeed a first-class Mech Armor among those under the Nine Rituals Heavenly Venerate. Complete with the Five Elements, it had no weaknesses and could enhance battle prowess even further when combined with the Divine Powers like the Five Elements Divine Light and the Five Elements Great Escape.

Consequently, this treasure became the first Superior Immortal Implement that Xu Yang planned to refine in this world.

However, crafting a Superior Immortal Implement required an extensive amount of materials.

This Five Elements Divine Dragon Wood could only produce a flagpole.

Fortunately, the storages of Xiao Zhang and Yue Qing’er contained many high-order Spiritual Objects, mostly of the Five Elements category.

Adding to that, the considerable amount of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Objects Xu Yang had earned from selling goods on Lingbao Island and the trades with Lu Mingyu and the Bright Moon Pavilion over the past three months, he had acquired several treasured possessions of the Pavilion…

Now, not only had he gathered all the materials needed to refine the Li Ground Flame Light Banner, but he could also spare some to update the existing components of White Jade Capital with those related to the Five Elements.

Once the Li Ground Flame Light Banner was refined, he would immediately possess the first Top-Grade Immortal Spirit Mech Armor in the modern world.

When that time comes, barring the emergence of a Calamity Immortal, who in the world could stand against him?