A thunderous boom ripped through the void as the silver-haired woman's delicate, jade-like foot descended. The very fabric of heaven and earth groaned, reverberating with a Grand Dao Sanskrit Sound that echoed like a colossal bell. This was power far beyond any Quasi-Dao Supreme.
A collective gasp of terror swept through the onlookers. The Silver-haired Woman's aura was so overwhelmingly tyrannical that most felt their knees buckle, nearly prostrating themselves on the ground. Their divine souls quivered, blood congealed in their veins, and even their Dao Foundations trembled violently. This was merely the oppressive force of her presence!
Liu Ruyan's face, usually composed, was etched with profound shock. This was her first glimpse of the true powerhouse from the Starry Sky Holy Land. She recalled her own attempts, armed with Dao Yi's token, to enter the Holy Land. Time and again, she had been repelled, never even breaching its outer defenses.
Stumbling, Liu Ruyan collapsed into Dao Yi's arms, her voice a fragile whisper. “Is this... is this truly the power of a Supreme?”
Dao Yi nodded, a hint of regret in his eyes. He had indeed passed the Silver-haired Woman's trial, earning the right to refine the Bronze Ancient Coffin. But in his infatuation, he'd shared the secret with Liu Ruyan, who, in her arrogance, insisted on attempting it herself. Her repeated failures had enraged the Silver-haired Woman, who, in a fit of pique, had revoked Dao Yi's hard-won opportunity.
While everyone else swayed on the brink of collapse, Lu Xuan and the Green-skirted Girl stood firm, utterly unperturbed, as if the Supreme's crushing aura was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Chen Changsheng, ever the pragmatist, paused for a beat, then dramatically crumpled to the ground, landing neatly before Xuan Shang Old Ancestor and his companions. The Old Ancestors blinked, dumbfounded. “Changsheng, are you... alright?” Xuan Shang Old Ancestor stammered. Chen Changsheng, feigning extreme weakness, managed a pained whisper. “I can still... hold on.”
Above them, Lu Xuan regarded the Silver-haired Woman with an utterly unconcerned expression, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. His Insight Eye had effortlessly pierced through her illusions. A fox demon, he mused. And a tiny one at that, just a remnant soul. This ‘Silver-haired Supreme’ is nothing but a fancy projection.
Lu Xuan's voice was calm, almost bored. “Little fox,” he drawled, “I'll let you have the first strike.”
The Silver-haired Woman's eyes blazed with fury. This white-robed man had seen through her True Form! Yet, she couldn't perceive even a sliver of his cultivation, as if he were an empty void. The humiliation burned.
With a furious cry, her jade-like hand shot out, conjuring a Damaged Supreme Weapon: the Ancient Bracelet. Its surface was etched with intricate, arcane Dao Patterns that pulsed with ancient power. As the Silver-haired Woman's will flowed into it, a brilliant, colossal Dao Pattern erupted, forming a massive, primeval imprint in the void. Terrifying Rule Power began to coalesce, ripping through space itself.
The moment the Ancient Bracelet manifested, the entire starry sky for a million li trembled. Space itself shredded, and the colossal floating domains within that vast expanse groaned under the pressure, cracking and crumbling into dust.
Moments later, the titanic imprint transformed into a Heaven and Earth Cage, a colossal prison of light and shadow that blotted out the very stars. It descended with crushing force, aiming to trap Lu Xuan within its inescapable grasp!
“What in the hell is that power?!” the onlookers shrieked, their voices laced with terror. Even from a safe distance, the mere overflow of its aura was enough to shackle their divine souls, freeze their physical bodies, and even suppress the Vitality/Life Energy within them! It was utterly, mind-numbingly terrifying!
The Ancient Bracelet pulsed, its Rule Power suppressing the very Heaven and Earth Momentum. Endless bolts of lightning and crackling thunder wove through the void, surging and coiling around the Heaven and Earth Cage.
With a deafening roar, the Heaven and Earth Cage slammed shut, imprisoning Lu Xuan within its shimmering confines. The sight sent a wave of profound shock through every observer. Was he... suppressed? The question hung heavy in the air, thick with disbelief.
Innumerable threads of Rule Power, crackling with lightning, coiled around Lu Xuan, binding him tightly. Yet, to the utter astonishment of all, Lu Xuan remained perfectly still, a picture of serene indifference, as if he were merely enjoying a pleasant afternoon stroll.
The very next instant, Lu Xuan simply flicked his sleeve. A boundless, terrifying power erupted from his form, surging outwards. Crack! Snap! The countless lightning threads binding him instantly disintegrated. The colossal Heaven and Earth Cage, a moment ago an unbreakable prison, began to crumble, then violently shatter into a million fragments of light.
The Silver-haired Woman's face drained of color. The Quasi-Dao Supreme Old Ancestors from the Demon Court and Supreme Profound Sect stared, utterly dumbfounded. Their hearts hammered against their ribs, and their scalps prickled with terror. This was a genuine Supreme, wielding a terrifying Damaged Supreme Weapon, and it had been shattered so effortlessly? How is this possible?!
The Silver-haired Woman, who had always believed herself the paramount power in this starry sky, found herself utterly helpless. She couldn't suppress Lu Xuan, not even for a moment!
Chen Changsheng, from his feigned position of weakness, offered a knowing, almost smug smile. As expected! Master's true strength is still unearthing! He hides it far too deeply!
At that moment, the Silver-haired Woman hurled the Ancient Bracelet into the void, her gaze chilling as she fixed it on Lu Xuan. “Who... who exactly are you?!” The Ancient Bracelet pulsed with an eerie Rule Power, warping the very fabric of space around them.
A thunderous boom! In an instant, the Ancient Bracelet's power cascaded across the cosmos, swelling to encompass the entire great domain where Lu Xuan stood. The Damaged Supreme Weapon began to devour heaven and earth, stripping away all spatial integrity within its grasp!
The sight left everyone utterly stunned. This was the true suppressive might of a Supreme! The battle between Lu Xuan and the Silver-haired Woman now seemed to unfold in a dimension entirely separate from their own, a realm beyond their comprehension, utterly incompatible with their reality.
In that moment, a chilling realization dawned on Liu Ruyan: this was why she had never been able to enter the Starry Sky Holy Land. Despite being a Three-rotation Quasi-Dao Supreme, the chasm between her and a true Supreme was vast, insurmountable. Yet, Dao Yi had been infinitely close to that realm.
Then, Lu Xuan finally deigned to act. His hand glowed with brilliant divine light, surging with Supreme Dao Patterns. His overwhelming momentum began to effortlessly suppress the Ancient Bracelet.
A deafening boom, boom, boom! Two heaven-shaking powers clashed, erupting in a dazzling display of fire trees and silver flowers that painted the entire starry sky.
The Silver-haired Woman's brow furrowed in disbelief. “You... you're a One-star Supreme!”
Lu Xuan merely offered a faint, enigmatic smile, remaining silent.
Her confusion deepened. “How did you even get in here?” she demanded. “I was in slumber until that Ancient Jade Slip awakened me! I never imagined a Supreme could have entered the Bronze Ancient Palace!”
The Silver-haired Woman turned her gaze to the Green-skirted Girl. “What is the meaning of this?” The Green-skirted Girl wrinkled her delicate nose, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “Believe me, I'm just as curious! And he even has Star Cores!”
The Silver-haired Woman froze, her mind reeling. This white-robed man before her was an enigma, a profound mystery she couldn't fathom.
Lu Xuan's voice cut through her thoughts, calm and direct. “Are you convinced now?” He had already discerned the profound link between the Silver-haired Woman and the Bronze Ancient Palace. To truly subdue the ancient artifact, her cooperation would be essential. If my guess is right, he thought, this little fox is the Weapon Spirit of the Bronze Ancient Palace.
“Never!” the Silver-haired Woman snarled, gritting her teeth, and lunged forward once more, unleashing another devastating attack.
Lu Xuan chuckled, a cold, amused sound. “Then I'll just have to beat you until you are!”
A resounding BOOM! Lu Xuan's form erupted with boundless momentum, radiating dazzling divine radiance. He moved like a colossal star, a force of nature, directly crushing down upon the Silver-haired Woman.
“Such arrogance!” she spat, defiance in her eyes. “In my territory, you dare to think you can defeat me?!”
Lu Xuan's fist shot out, manifesting like a vast, primordial star. Immense momentum surged and roared, creating extraordinary phenomena as countless Dao Patterns erupted across the heavens.
A cataclysmic BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! The Silver-haired Woman's 'stance' shattered into a million pieces. The void around her ripped apart and reformed endlessly, the very power of heaven and earth spiraling into chaos as nearby great domains disintegrated. She was sent hurtling backward, five thousand zhang... ten thousand zhang... a hundred thousand zhang!
Lu Xuan's offensive power surged through the firmament, shaking the very foundations of the universe. A mere flick of his wrist held the might to shatter mountains and cleave rivers. If I weren't holding back, he thought, this little fox's remnant soul would be annihilated in an instant.
For a terrifying moment, heaven and earth convulsed, the boundless aftershocks radiating outwards, utterly devastating.
The Silver-haired Woman's face burned crimson, a mix of furious rage and utter helplessness. It was clear now: Lu Xuan was merely toying with her, like a cat with a mouse.
Suddenly, Lu Xuan vanished, reappearing directly behind the Silver-haired Woman. SMACK! A resounding slap echoed through the starry sky as his palm connected squarely with her Honeyed Buttocks. Instantly, dazzling divine radiance erupted, and terrifying energy waves bloomed like a brilliant lotus, illuminating countless mountains and rivers across the cosmos.
The Silver-haired Woman shrieked, gritting her teeth in fury and mortification. This time, Lu Xuan's strike had forcibly shattered her illusion, revealing her True Form! She was a tiny, snow-white fox, no bigger than a kitten, tumbling through the void. She let out an indignant yelp, sounding utterly bewildered and wronged. “What... what are you doing?!”