“How will the Heavenly Net Temple possibly recover from this?”
Yet, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor’s face showed no trace of shock. He knew this was merely the expected power of an Old Ancestor from the “Heaven” lineage.
Ji Fuyao’s starry eyes flickered, a tidal wave of awe crashing in her heart. The battle between High-star Great Emperors was utterly terrifying! In her previous life, she had only attained the rank of a One-star Great Emperor, a realm far, far below the Cangxuan Old Ancestor and this mysterious “Heaven” lineage master.
She glanced at the colossal, Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm in the void, then turned her gaze to Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan looked completely unperturbed, his expression serene and indifferent, as if the life-and-death struggle of Great Emperors held absolutely no interest for him.
Ji Fuyao mused internally, As expected, a battle of this caliber is beneath Master’s notice! Just how powerful is Master? It’s truly unfathomable!
Meanwhile, high above the void, the Mo Ying Great Emperor and his companions were frozen in place, their faces etched with utter horror.
Before descending upon the Grand Dao Sect, they had been confident that the Temple Master’s Edict would be enough to cow the entire sect! Who could have known the Grand Dao Sect harbored such a terrifying powerhouse?
Mo Ying and the others were shaken to their core, feeling utterly deceived by the Grand Dao Sect. For thousands of years, the Grand Dao Sect had maintained an impossibly low profile, never once showcasing its true strength in the Southern Wilds. They had all been fooled into believing the Grand Dao had fallen into decline and was crumbling.
This time, however, the Grand Dao Sect had made its move, and Mo Ying Great Emperor knew they had just hit a brick wall—or worse, kicked a hornet’s nest of cosmic proportions.
At this realization, Mo Ying and his group looked utterly wretched, as if they had collectively swallowed ten pounds of excrement.
With the Temple Master’s Edict already shredded and gone, they had no leverage left to remain. Mo Ying wanted to flee, but he knew that if he tried to escape now, the Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm would instantly crush him.
The owner of that giant hand hadn’t even bothered to show his face, clearly viewing them as utterly insignificant.
Mo Ying now bitterly regretted his arrogance upon arrival, realizing he had spoken far too loudly. He wanted nothing more than to slap himself hard across the face.
What the hell, Mo Ying, why did you have to show off?
His only thought now was how to appease the Grand Dao Sect’s wrath and escape with his life.
Mo Ying did possess one final trump card: a projection of the Heavenly Net Temple Master, Duan Hunsheng. But he dared not use it. To unleash it would be to completely enrage the Grand Dao Sect’s Old Ancestor, which would be nothing short of suicide.
With a surge of desperate courage, Mo Ying Great Emperor bowed respectfully toward the Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm in the void.
“Senior, your magnanimity is vast, and your belly can hold a ship. I was merely following orders, and I meant no disrespect to the Grand Dao Sect,” he pleaded, his voice trembling. “I beg you, Senior, please be merciful and let me leave! I, Mo Ying, will no longer serve the Heavenly Net Temple! I will quit the Temple immediately!”
Quit the Heavenly Net Temple!
Thump! Thump!
The other Great Emperors immediately dropped to their knees in the void, shouting desperately, “Please, Senior, be merciful! We were only following orders!”
At that moment, a furious, booming voice echoed from the giant palm, sneering, “Kneel? Why are you kneeling? Did I tell you to kneel?”
The Great Emperors of the Heavenly Net Temple froze, dumbfounded.
Get up? This Grand Dao Sect Old Ancestor is truly overbearing!
Mo Ying Great Emperor bowed again, even more respectfully, toward the giant palm. “Senior, how can we earn your permission to leave?”
At his words, the kneeling Great Emperors beside him quickly interjected, “Mo Ying Great Emperor, it’s us, not me…”
Mo Ying shot them a deadly glare.
A voice descended from the Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm. “You wish to leave? Hahahaha! Of course, you may. My Grand Dao Sect honors the Heavenly Dao. I shall speak the word ‘Dao’ three times. If you can withstand it, you may depart!”
Speak the word ‘Dao’ three times!
Mo Ying Great Emperor was utterly bewildered.
Ji Fuyao looked curiously at Lu Xuan. “Master, what does the Old Ancestor mean by that?”
Lu Xuan gave a noncommittal “Hmm,” and replied, “Just watch.”
Ji Fuyao’s starry eyes flashed in understanding. “Oh.”
Before Mo Ying Great Emperor could speak again, the first sound boomed from the Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm.
“Dao!”
The single word “Dao” was like a celestial thunderclap, instantly changing the color of the sky and earth. The surrounding Heavenly and Earthly power surged wildly, coalescing into a golden storm in the void, like an ocean overturning, manifesting ten thousand killing intents!
The Dao Kill!
It was only a soft shout, but it contained terrifying Dao and Stance—the fundamental power of the Grand Dao Scripture!
In an instant, this single word transformed into an endless killing intent, slamming down upon Mo Ying Great Emperor and the other Heavenly Net Temple Great Emperors. The force was tyrannical and fierce, carrying the momentum to destroy all heavens. The entire void shook and roared.
“Pfft!”
Mo Ying Great Emperor immediately spat out a mouthful of vital blood, his body thrown back over a hundred thousand miles. But even at that distance, he could not block the terrifying power of that single word!
Mo Ying Great Emperor was forced to burn his soul!
Flames erupted from his body, consuming his soul to resist the horrifying killing intent!
The other Great Emperors screamed instantly.
“Ah, no, Senior, no…”
“No, no…”
“Mercy!”
Their bodies could not withstand the terrifying killing intent. They instantly dissolved into a mist of blood!
They were instantly annihilated!
Their bodies and souls were utterly destroyed! They had simply perished.
After a few breaths, Mo Ying Great Emperor’s black robes were reduced to tattered rags. Blood streamed from his seven orifices, and his flesh was shredded, revealing white bone on half his face.
He was severely wounded!
Although he had used the power of his burning soul to block the first “Dao Kill,” he had reached his absolute limit!
Seeing this, the colossal hand in the void spoke coldly, “Very good! Very good!”
Then, a second word “Dao” descended upon the void!
The sound of the Dao was like a great bell, reverberating through the void, ringing in everyone’s ears.
The powerful cultivators from the surrounding states, who had been watching, had already retreated hundreds of miles away! This “Dao Kill” sound was too terrifying; merely hearing it could shatter one’s divine soul!
All eyes were fixed on Mo Ying Great Emperor.
The second “Dao Kill” descended, transforming into endless void gales, like a torrential flood, rushing toward Mo Ying Great Emperor!
Crack!
Boom!
Mo Ying Great Emperor’s Emperor body began to shatter and disintegrate! He immediately burned his lifespan!
A fierce light surged from his body—the power of burning his own life essence. Mo Ying Great Emperor intended to use this to resist the second “Dao Kill.”
But it was useless!
His divine soul was dissolving, his physical body was scattering like tattered rags in the wind, his consciousness was blurring, and his life force was rapidly vanishing…
“No… I shouldn’t die! I shouldn’t die here!”
Before he could finish his desperate plea, Mo Ying Great Emperor dissolved into nothingness, vanishing from the void.
Annihilated!
At that moment, the Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm spoke again, “What? Duan Hunsheng, are you still not going to show yourself?”
As the voice fell, a small, inconspicuous black speck in the void suddenly swelled, transforming into a towering black fog. A colossal figure slowly rose between Heaven and Earth.
This was a black-robed man, his face hidden within the endless black mist. Black energy coiled around his entire body, giving him a ghostly, chilling aura. His physique was immense, like a towering mountain range.
This was the projection of the Heavenly Net Temple Master, Duan Hunsheng!
Duan Hunsheng stared coldly at the Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm, seemingly fearless, and spoke slowly. “Your Excellency, you possess great skill in using the Heavenly Dao’s killing intent. What? You’ve already annihilated Mo Ying and the others. Do you intend to keep my projection here as well?”
“If Your Excellency were not within the bounds of the Grand Dao Sect’s territory, and without the Heavenly Dao’s killing intent, how much strength would you truly possess?”
At his words, everyone was shocked. They hadn’t expected the Heavenly Net Temple Master’s projection to be present!
A cold laugh echoed from the Heaven-Reaching Giant Palm. “Heh. Die!”
“Dao!”
A third Great Dao Sanskrit sound appeared, containing terrifying Heavenly Dao killing intent!
The Heavenly Net Temple Master sneered, his voice ferocious. “Very good! Very good! Very good! Grand Dao Sect, I remember you! Just wait for the endless vengeance of my Heavenly Net Temple!”
With that, the Heavenly Net Temple Master didn’t wait for the “Dao Kill” power to arrive. He chose to self-destruct in the void.
Rather than be annihilated by the power of the Dao Kill, he would choose his own end! As the Temple Master of the Heavenly Net Temple, he would not allow himself to be killed by another!
Boom!
The Heavenly Net Temple Master’s figure collapsed into nothingness, utterly gone.
Instantly, silence descended upon Heaven and Earth.
The powerful cultivators who had been watching from afar all let out a deep, ragged breath. This battle had been too terrifying, but it had finally concluded.
The Grand Dao Sect was certain to become famous because of this battle! Their silence had not been decline!
When the Grand Dao Sect revealed its true strength, it was enough to shake the entire Southern Wilds!
“Let’s go!” someone said.
With the annihilation of the Great Emperors, the Heavenly Net Temple’s operation was an undeniable failure. The arrogance with which the Heavenly Net Temple powerhouses arrived was matched only by the miserable way they perished.
That was the Heavenly Dao’s killing intent! It reduced them to dust, destroying their forms and spirits, leaving no chance for reincarnation!
“Disperse, disperse.”
Soon, the powerful cultivators tore open the void and departed. The intelligence networks’ Great Emperors were already impatient to spread this earth-shattering news.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The void tore, and space twisted as the numerous Great Emperors left.
At this point, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor looked at Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao. “Let’s go back. The matter is settled.”
Lu Xuan asked, “Old Ancestor, just how many lineages does our Grand Dao Sect have?”
Ji Fuyao tilted her snowy neck, also curious, and listened intently.
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor smiled. “My Grand Dao Sect has four lineages: the ‘Cang,’ ‘Heaven,’ ‘Grand,’ and ‘Dao’ lineages. My ‘Cang’ lineage is considered the weakest. Following that order, each lineage is progressively stronger.”
Cang, Heaven, Grand, Dao!
Lu Xuan was slightly stunned. He had been in the Grand Dao Sect for so many years—how was it that he knew absolutely nothing about this? The sect’s foundation was truly terrifying!
Seeing Lu Xuan’s expression, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor patted his shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Lu Xuan. After all, you’ve always stayed on Azure Mystery Peak and never bothered to walk around. It’s normal that you don’t know anything.”
Lu Xuan was speechless.
Ji Fuyao covered her mouth, stifling a smile.
Lu Xuan continued to ask, “Old Ancestor, which master from the ‘Heaven’ lineage made the move just now?”
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor replied, “That was the Tianxing Old Ancestor.”
Lu Xuan suddenly recalled something and muttered, “Does the ‘Heaven’ lineage have an ancestor with the Dao title ‘Tianye’?”
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor frowned. “No. Who is Tianye?”
Lu Xuan’s face twitched. “An old acquaintance. His grave is now overgrown with grass.”
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor was speechless.
Everyone was speechless.
Soon after, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor and his party returned to the sect, descending upon Azure Mystery Peak.
There, a black-robed man was already lying on Lu Xuan’s recliner, looking at the group and smiling slowly. “Good, good. You’ve all returned.”
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor smiled at Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao. “Lu Xuan, Fuyao, this is the master I spoke of—the Tianxing Old Ancestor of the ‘Heaven’ lineage!”