Chapter 529: Great Sage

Chapter 529: Chapter 465: Great Sage

In his palm, the phantom of the Vast Celestial Book suddenly transformed into a massive wolf-hair brush! Ancient seal script flowed across its body, and its tip contained a Realm that could pierce through illusions and point directly to the origin!

“The brush of history reveals praise and censure! Trace back to the source, and let the Cause and Effect Threads take form!” Qi Yun chanted the True Words. Using his fingers and wrist, he grasped the ethereal “Spring and Autumn Brush” in midair and rapidly wrote into the void toward the direction where the demonic wind had vanished!

Where the brush tip passed, it did not leave ink in the void, but instead condensed into two Great Dao seal characters with restrained brilliance: “Spring” and “Autumn”! As soon as these two words appeared, they immediately emitted a supreme Dao Rhyme that spanned past and present, recorded the rise and fall of eras, and embedded judgment within its very lines!

This was a profound deduction Secret Skill of the Confucian Dao. Rather than forcefully unraveling the secrets of heaven, it used the intent of the “Spring and Autumn” historical brush to write and freeze the cause and effect that had just occurred. This left the target with nowhere to hide, naturally manifesting a clear trace!

BUZZ!

With a flash of light, the two characters traced a very faint, ominously pitch-black Cause and Effect Thread in the void, twisting and extending into the depths of space! The end of this thread pointed exactly to the direction of the last residual aura of that demonic wind!

“Found you!” Qi Yun’s gaze sharpened. Without hesitation, his body transformed into a Flowing Light interwoven with iridescent gold. Following the direction of the Cause and Effect Thread, he tore through the void and pursued at breakneck speed! He moved so fast that he left a long, lingering trail of light in his wake.

“Qi the Kid! Wait! That box…” Down below, seeing Qi Yun tear through space and give chase without another word, Cai Shen opened his mouth to shout. Before he could finish his sentence, Qi Yun’s figure had already vanished beyond the horizon.

He looked down at his feet. After the dark gold monument shattered, it revealed a pitch-black cave entrance. Lying quietly beside it was a quaint, foot-wide iron box. It was completely black, forged from an unknown metal, and covered in profound patterns. The box was tightly sealed, but Cai Shen could sense the familiar, faint aura of Fourteenth Brother seeping out from within!

“Ugh!” Cai Shen stomped his foot in exasperation. With no time to examine it closely, he swept up a wave of golden light and stored the iron box within his body. He then transformed into a golden Flowing Light, pushing himself to the limit as he hurriedly chased after Qi Yun, following the lingering aura and light trail.

He thought uneasily, “Please don’t let this be a diversion.”

Following the Cause and Effect Thread drawn by the Spring and Autumn Brushwork, Qi Yun traveled an unknown distance through the boundless void. The surrounding scenery gradually grew eerie. The already dim void became even darker, and the floating remnants of stars and world fragments grew sparse.

Even the Cause and Effect Thread he was tracking flickered in and out of sight in this darkness, becoming extremely unstable. An obscure yet omnipresent malice and coldness quietly spread, like a giant beast lurking in the deep sea.

“An ambush?” Qi Yun’s pursuing footsteps came to an abrupt halt without warning. He hovered in this bizarre, profound darkness, his gaze sweeping the surroundings like lightning.

At the exact moment he stopped—

RUMBLE!!!

The already dark void suddenly surged violently, like a boiling pot of oil! A terrifying coercion—unrivaled in its strength and brimming with savage, brutal, and domineering Demon Qi—crashed down from all directions. It felt as though billions of Divine Mountains were pressing down simultaneously from every inch of the void, threatening to completely suppress and crush Qi Yun along with the space he occupied!

BUZZ!

BUZZ!

BUZZ!

At the same time, nine colossal grotto-heavens, each differing in shape and shimmering with distinct, eerie demonic lights, suddenly soared from the boiling void! Taking up nine different positions, their auras connected, and their demonic lights intertwined. In an instant, they formed a terrifying demonic Array that blotted out the sky and sealed off all avenues of escape through time and space!

The moment the Array took shape, the pressure around Qi Yun increased a hundredfold, making even his breathing stagnate!

“Hehehe…”

A familiar, gloomy laugh filled with deep-seated resentment echoed through the sealed void. Boiling, dark green mist surged ahead, and a tall, macabre figure slowly stepped out from within. It was none other than the Master of the Ancient Coffin, whose main coffin had been shattered by Qi Yun’s punch not long ago and who had escaped using a golden feather!

At this moment, his face was as pale as paper. His pitch-black eyes, resembling two abyssal whirlpools, stared fixedly at Qi Yun. His voice was hoarse and grating. “Fellow Daoist… I have kept my promise… And come to take your miserable life!”

Faced with the Master of the Ancient Coffin’s appearance and clamor, Qi Yun did not let his gaze linger on him for even a moment. His eyes looked straight past the Master of the Ancient Coffin, landing on a spot slightly behind him to the side.

There, the void distorted. An even taller and more imposing figure, completely shrouded in a rolling, pitch-black demonic mist, was slowly solidifying and emerging. Even through the mist, Qi Yun could clearly sense the terrifying, abyssal, and boundless foundation radiating from the other party! It was the absolute majesty of one who had weathered countless ages, ruled over myriad demons, and dominated Heaven and Earth!

“A Great Sage of the Demon Race?” Qi Yun’s eyes shimmered with iridescent light as he saw through the other party’s foundation. His voice was flat, yet tinged with sudden realization. “So… your kind hasn’t died out completely after all.”

A Great Sage of the Demon Race was a peak existence with the same Status as a True Monarch of the Human Race or a Bodhisattva of the Buddhist Sect; only the title differed. However, as far as Qi Yun knew, ever since the Demon Suppression Calamity swept through the Profound Yellow Origin Realm four hundred thousand years ago, the elites of the Demon Race had nearly withered away entirely. All the Great Sages of the Demon Race were either suppressed or slain, and legends said they had all fallen. Today, the strongest members of the Demon Race in the Profound Yellow Origin Realm were merely Great Demons at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The one before him was clearly a terrifyingly powerful big fish that had hidden itself exceptionally well!

“Hmph, sharp-tongued.” The figure in the pitch-black demonic mist let out a cold snort as muffled as thunder, his voice seemingly capable of shaking one’s vitality and demonic soul.

Sensing the terrifying, abyssal foundation of the other party, as well as the nine grotto-heaven phantoms exuding fierce Demon Qi that faintly formed a death-trap Array… Qi Yun’s hint of interest and battle intent was gradually replaced by a purer, ice-cold killing intent.

“No wonder you dared to come seeking revenge. You found a helper.”

As his words fell, the phantom of the [Holy Essence Wenqu] Dao Fruit in his palm, which still flowed with vast literary aura and Confucian Golden Light, suddenly restrained its brilliance and dissipated silently. In its place, another Dao Fruit—one completely different in form and aura—slowly rose from the depths of his Purple Mansion and hovered above his head.

This Dao Fruit appeared entirely as a continuously churning, gloomy gray mist. Within the mist, the phantoms of four Ancient Swords of archaic designs and various colors could be vaguely seen bobbing and clashing. They emitted a peerless sharpness and an apocalyptic aura of slaughter capable of severing all vitality and karma!

The Immortal Slaying Dao Fruit!

Merely by appearing, that ultimate Realm of destruction and finality fiercely clashed with the brutal Demon Qi exuded by the nine demonic grotto-heavens surrounding them. Qi Yun raised his hand and gently grasped this gloomy Dao Fruit floating above his head. His calm gaze shifted toward the figure in the pitch-black demonic mist ahead and the Master of the Ancient Coffin, whose face was growing increasingly malevolent beside him.

BUZZ!!!

The Immortal Slaying Dao Fruit suddenly burst with radiant light in Qi Yun’s palm!

The mass of gloomy gray mist churned and expanded. The four Ancient Sword phantoms drifting inside unleashed sword cries that shook the universe. They shot out from the mist, rapidly expanding against the wind! In the blink of an eye, four terrifying Ancient Swords—archaic in design, varying in color, and as massive as celestial pillars—took up the four cardinal directions and hovered in the void above Qi Yun’s head!

The four swords hung in the air, their auras linked together. As the blades vibrated, countless fine threads of Sword Qi, condensed from pure Dao Patterns of slaughter, madly spread and intertwined. They faintly outlined a hazy yet undeniably real phantom of a sword array!

As soon as this sword array took shape, a peerless, ferocious might that surpassed all forms of slaughter erupted with a bang, like a slumbering, world-destroying beast suddenly opening its eyes!

GASP—!

The terrifying slaughtering Sword Intent swept out like a tangible cold wave, causing the Master of the Ancient Coffin—who had been preparing to watch a good show from the sidelines—to undergo a drastic change in expression. He couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air, his body involuntarily stumbling backward. THUD THUD THUD!

His pitch-black eyes reflected the phantoms of the four heaven-supporting giant swords. An uncontrollable, profound sense of crisis and fear rose in his heart!

However, unlike the terror of the Master of the Ancient Coffin, the tall figure standing beside him did not retreat when he sensed the world-destroying, peerless ferocious might of the Immortal Slaying Sword Array—a might that also contained supreme principles of the Array Dao. Instead, two brilliant rays of light suddenly erupted from his eyes!

“Excellent!” A deep shout exploded like muffled thunder!

The tall figure took a large stride forward. The ceaselessly rolling pitch-black demonic mist around him rapidly shrank and retracted inward, as if heeding a command! When the mist dispersed, it revealed a figure standing as straight as a pine, dressed in a plain black Daoist Robe.

This person appeared to be middle-aged, with a classic, stern face and sharp features that exuded a resilience and weathered look forged through countless hardships. His full head of black hair was casually tied behind his head with a wooden hairpin, and the short beard on his chin was neatly trimmed. His entire body emanated an indescribable, solemn majesty, completely contrasting with the typical brutal and savage image of a Demon Race Great Sage. Instead, he looked more like an enlightened perfected master who had read extensively and deeply understood the supreme principles of Heaven and Earth!

He raised his head, his blazing gaze fixed on the soon-to-be-formed Immortal Slaying Sword Array phantom above Qi Yun. He let out a chuckle filled with admiration and an eagerness to fight.

“What an Immortal Slaying Sword Array! At the absolute peak of slaughter, with array principles that touch upon the profound!” he exclaimed, his voice deep and steady. “I have studied the Array Dao extensively for many years, and I dare say I have gained some insights.” He slowly raised his hands, his fingers slightly spread. “Seeing such a peerless, fierce array today has me burning with anticipation. So, I shall compete… Against you!”

Before his voice had even faded, the black-robed Daoist brought his hands together in front of his chest, forming a strange and complex Ancient Seal!

“Array, rise!”

RUMBLE!!!

Following his command, the nine massive grotto-heaven phantoms in the surrounding void—which had previously only been floating and exuding Demon Qi—violently trembled! The nine grotto-heavens corresponded to heaven, earth, wind, thunder, water, fire, mountain, marsh, and finally, an undivided, primordial grotto-heaven of chaos right in the center!

Their auras blended together. As light flowed, they evolved into a boundless, incredibly vivid, and vast painting within the void. It depicted the rising, setting, and Reincarnation of the sun, moon, and stars; the surging and rolling of mountains and rivers; the alternation of the four seasons and the cycle of flourishing and withering; and the reproduction, rise, and fall of all living beings… It was as if a complete, vast world—brimming with infinite vitality and transformation—had been condensed and reflected within this sealed void!

Just as these two peerless Grand Arrays were about to collide head-on and their clashing auras reached their zenith—

SWISH—

A somewhat hasty streak of golden light swept over from afar. It was none other than the late-arriving Cai Shen. As soon as he steadied himself, his gaze was drawn to the vast array phenomenon ahead. When he got a clear look at the profound Grand Array laid down by the black-robed Daoist—the one evolving the rise and fall of mountains, rivers, and all creation—he was momentarily stunned, and then his pupils abruptly contracted.

“This… this formation…” he muttered. “The… the Heluo Grand Array?”

Cai Shen cast his gaze toward the black-robed Daoist in disbelief. When he clearly saw the other party’s archaic and majestic face, as well as the aura that blended the domineering air of the Demon Race with the demeanor of an Array Dao grandmaster, he exclaimed, “You are… Demon Master Kunpeng!”