Chapter 441 - 392: [Forbidden Celestial Rules]

Qi Yun stood motionless in the void, his deep blue Daoist robe perfectly still.

His vast, cyan-gold eyes were slightly downcast, as if scrutinizing something.

Deep within his Purple Mansion, inside Daluo Heaven, the cyan lotus that had merged into his body was slowly rotating.

With each rotation, a sliver of impossibly profound Dao Rhyme flowed from the lotus’s heart, merging into his limbs and bones, into his Divine Soul Origin, and into every inch of his being.

His Dharma Body was formed, his Immortal Appearance coalesced.

The Two Profound States were complete, his Status elevated.

He was no longer the Sect Leader of the Holy Sect who, just moments ago, had needed the power of a million Demon Cultivators to contend with the Vast Righteous barrier.

Now, he was, in the truest sense of the word—a Great Master.

And one who, upon entry, had reached the very summit: the Great Master Peak!

OMM...

An extremely faint tremor, yet one that seemed to originate from the very source of the Great Dao, emanated from within Qi Yun’s body.

It was not the fluctuation of Magical Power, nor the resonance of Dao Rhyme. It was—the birth of Divine Techniques.

Qi Yun closed his eyes slightly, sensing two completely different and profound concepts welling up from the depths of his Purple Mansion.

The first Divine Technique, born from his Venerable Dao Foundation, was called: Observing All Changes.

It was an indescribable perception, as if a pair of invisible eyes were slowly opening in the depths of his Heart and Spirit.

These eyes did not observe external objects or perceive superficial phenomena; they peered directly into the essence of all things.

Any Magic, any Divine Technique, any Daoist Law—as long as it fell within the sight of these eyes...

...its foundation, its structure, its operational mechanics, and its flaws would become as clear as pebbles in a pristine stream, completely exposed.

Even with just a few words, even from just a vague concept...

...these eyes could use it as a guide to fully deduce and manifest the complete version.

The Ten Thousand Laws of the world could no longer escape his sight.

This was—Observing All Changes.

Qi Yun smiled faintly.

He had long anticipated this Divine Technique.

It was one of the fundamental authorities granted to him by his Venerable Dao Foundation.

It was also the ultimate manifestation of Daluo Heaven’s command over the Ten Thousand Laws.

However, it was the second Divine Technique that truly made him open his eyes.

This was his true ace in the hole, the reason he had dragged the entire Northwest Demon Path into this, risked universal condemnation to perform the Refinement on the Crown Prince of Nanyin, and dared to clash with Qingyuan Dao Seeking True Monarch from afar.

It was also the sharpest tool he had for shattering the Vast Righteous barrier before him.

Qi Yun slowly raised his right hand.

The movement was slow, so slow that every onlooker could clearly see each of his fingers unfurl and the faint halo of light swirling in his palm.

Then, he extended his left hand.

With the index finger of his right hand, he drew a light line across his left palm.

The gesture was effortless and elegant, like a master calligrapher making the first stroke on rice paper, or an emperor carving the first mark upon his Jade Seal.

There was no earth-shattering fanfare.

No phenomenon of resonating Laws.

There was only a faint, golden line that appeared in his left palm after the gentle stroke.

At first, the line was exceedingly faint, almost imperceptible.

But the very instant it formed—

OMMM—!!!

He thrust his left hand upward!

The faint golden line suddenly shot from his palm, rocketing toward the sky!

It rapidly expanded, swelled, and solidified in the void!

In a single breath, it transformed into a golden word that illuminated the heavens and spanned the Celestial Vault—the word "Forbidden"!

The word "Forbidden" was indescribably massive, covering the entire Celestial Vault!

Its every stroke was as thick as a mountain range and as long as a great river, suffused with a terrifying Dao Rhyme—one that was supremely noble, supremely domineering, as if it could suppress and seal everything in existence!

Golden light poured down from the word "Forbidden," dyeing the entire world a pure, brilliant gold!

The Celestial Vault became a golden vault.

The clouds became golden clouds.

The earth became a golden land.

Even the million Demon Cultivators, the Three Seas Dragon Race, and the Righteous Cultivators behind the Vast Righteous golden light were all coated in a faint golden sheen!

At that moment, everyone involuntarily raised their heads to gaze at the word "Forbidden" suspended across the Celestial Vault, feeling the terrifying pressure it emanated—a pressure sufficient to make any Magic or Divine Technique tremble in fear!

Then, something changed.

The Vast Righteous golden light barrier that stretched between Heaven and Earth, separating the Righteous and Demonic Daos; the Supreme Restriction that the Vast Sacred Land had exhausted its resources to deploy; the Mystic Heart Zhengyi Forbidden Technique that had left a million Demon Cultivators helpless—

It began to tremble.

At first, it was just a slight tremor, like ripples on a calm lake.

But a mere breath later, the tremor intensified into a violent quake!

Amidst the quaking, countless golden characters swirled frantically, emitting a shrill, urgent hum!

The chanting of "Heaven and Earth have Righteousness" suddenly grew louder.

Countless figures appeared—princes and generals, peddlers and porters, artisans, farmers, scholars, and merchants. With proud, resolute faces, they shouted aloud, gathering an even more immense tide of Vast Righteousness.

But it was all for naught.

The word "Forbidden" hanging in the Celestial Vault was emitting a pressure that was more fundamental, more tyrannical.

Wherever that pressure reached, all the Laws, all the Dao Rhyme, and all the restrictive power on the Vast Righteous golden light barrier began to disintegrate at an unstoppable rate.

Like ice under a scorching sun, like a sandcastle against the tide.

CRACK...

A soft sound.

A crack appeared on the Vast Righteous golden light barrier.

The crack was as fine as a hair, yet it struck the hearts of all the Righteous Cultivators like a bolt of lightning!

"This... How is this possible?!"

"The Mystic Heart Zhengyi Forbidden Technique... was broken?!"

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!!"

Countless gazes, filled with utter horror, were fixed on the spreading crack!

But their horror could not stop it from spreading.

One after another, and another...

A dense web of cracks spread madly across the Vast Righteous golden light barrier!

CRACK—CRACKLE—BOOM!!!

Finally, with a world-shaking roar—

The Vast Righteous golden light barrier, which had sealed off heaven from earth and blocked the path of the entire Northwest Demon Path, collapsed with a thunderous crash!

Huge shards of golden light peeled off the Celestial Vault and fell, dissolving into motes of light in mid-air before vanishing into nothingness.

The sound of countless golden characters being chanted fell completely silent after one final, mournful wail.

In the Celestial Vault above, only the glittering word "Forbidden" remained, still hanging there, its light blazing.

Behind the remnants of the golden light, the figures of countless Righteous Cultivators were now completely exposed to the sight of a million Demon Cultivators.

Those proud, standing figures were all frozen in place.

Their eyes held shock, fear, despair, and disbelief.

The barrier they relied on for protection, the Supreme Forbidden Skill they had placed their hopes in, the final line of defense they believed was enough to hold back the demonic tide.

’It was... broken? Just like that?’

’Just like that... suppressed, sealed, and dismantled by a single word, "Forbidden"?’

No one could answer their questions.

Only the figure in deep blue, standing in the void with his hands behind his back, turned his head slightly. He glanced at the wreckage of golden light, and the corner of his mouth slowly curved into a faint smile.

This was his third Foundation Establishment Divine Technique—

Forbidden Celestial Rules.

Select a Great Dao, or a certain Divine Power Technique.

As long as the target’s Status is not higher than his own.

Once this skill is activated, the chosen Divine Power Technique will be forcibly sealed.

No matter what methods you try, you will be unable to use it.

And now, he was at the Great Master Peak.

A Great Master Peak with a Venerable Dao Foundation.

Those with a Status higher than his...

...were only True Monarchs!

The Confucian Cultivators of the Vast Sacred Land certainly possessed world-shaking abilities, were protected by Vast Righteousness, and were bolstered by an ancient heritage.

But there was no True Monarch among them.

Therefore, this Mystic Heart Zhengyi Forbidden Technique was utterly fragile before him.

Qi Yun slowly withdrew his gaze.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his deep blue Daoist robe motionless in the void.

Then, he turned slightly.

His gaze fell upon the million Demon Cultivators behind him.

It fell upon the roiling demonic clouds, upon countless pairs of eyes—some wild, some bloodthirsty, some ecstatic, some ice-cold.

He slowly raised his right hand.

He pointed toward the countless Righteous Cultivators frozen in the void behind the fading golden light.

His voice was not loud, but it reached the ears of every Demon Cultivator as clearly as a Celestial Constitution being proclaimed, as a law of the Demon Dao:

"All demons, hear my command."

He paused slightly.

In the depths of his vast, cyan-gold eyes, it was as if the Ancient Cold Abyss was churning, as if world-ending killing intent was boiling.

Then, word by word, he slowly uttered:

"Leave. No. One. Alive."

The moment his voice fell—

"ROAR—!!!"

The million Demon Cultivators roared to the heavens in unison!

Their roars converged, forming a terrifying shockwave of sound powerful enough to tear apart the Celestial Vault and shatter the earth!

The roiling demonic clouds churned and boiled once more!

Countless streaks of Escape Light in various colors shot out from the demonic clouds, sweeping toward the Righteous Cultivators behind the golden light like an apocalyptic flood!

Black smoke billowed as bloody light soared to the sky!

Skeletal Demon Deities rose, spewing ghastly green phosphorescent fire!

The Blood River surged and shrieked!

Shadows flitted about, silently reaping lives!

Infant Souls wailed mournfully as the Karma Fire Red Lotus bloomed!

This was the charge of a million Demon Cultivators!

This was the frenzied release of the Northwest Demon Path’s millennia of accumulated power!

This was the most terrifying, most unstoppable force in this world—a torrent of slaughter!

And at the very forefront of that torrent, the figure in deep blue stood with his hands behind his back, perfectly still.

He raised his eyes slightly, gazing at the Righteous Cultivators about to be engulfed by the demonic torrent, at the three draconic auras in the distance that had suddenly frozen, and at the Buddha Light from Overseas that had abruptly dimmed.

The war—

had begun.

...