Lord of the Earth

"Clang! Clang!"

Two clear, dragon-like sword cries suddenly rang out.

The voice was not loud, but it carried a power that pierced through illusion and reached the core of one's being. It penetrated the suppression of the "Eternal Border" domain and resounded clearly in everyone's heart, clearing the almost frozen souls of Qianxia's side.

The next moment, the void, which had been suppressed by the "Emperor's" divine power like an iron plate, suddenly emitted a cracking sound as it could not bear the weight!
Suddenly, two sharp and incomparably different sword intents, like ancient dragons awakening from their slumber, burst forth from the void. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, two figures with distinct temperaments, yet equally soaring sword intents, stepped out from the crack and descended onto the battlefield!
"I am a Pure Yang Swordsman!"

The first figure, like the rising sun, carrying boundless vitality and heat, suddenly appeared in front of Qi Jiguang.

He was a young swordsman dressed in a blue robe, carrying an ancient sword box on his back. He had a handsome face and a carefree smile on his lips, but his eyes were as bright as cold stars, so sharp that they seemed to pierce one's soul.

"How dare the swords of the Japanese pirates invade our Chinese territory?"

The young swordsman laughed loudly as he faced Susanoo's deadly sword, which carried an overwhelming aura of ferocity and was already close to Qi Jiguang's brow.

He pointed his fingers forward like a sword, and casually flicked them forward.

"Ding--!"

A crisp, clear sound rang out, not like metal striking metal, but more like the gentle tapping of a jade chime.

A sword aura, refined to its utmost purity and yang energy, arrived first despite being delayed, seemingly effortlessly striking the side of the sword blade entwined with the phantom of the eight-headed serpent.

With such a light touch, the violent sword force was actually deflected, grazing past Qi Jiguang's helmet, cutting off a few strands of hair, and silently evaporating a vast area of ​​sea tens of thousands of miles behind!

"General Qi, let's rest for a while. This scoundrel is mine."

With a flick of his sleeve, the young swordsman unleashed a flurry of dancing finger movements and bursts of sword energy that filled the sky.

"Sword Net, a Net That Covers Heaven and Earth!"

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Countless scorching pure Yang sword energies crisscrossed and intertwined, some like serpents emerging from their holes, cunning and ruthless; some like the sun and meteors, upright and dignified; some like spring breezes and rain, penetrating everywhere.

Susanoo, who had manifested his physical form under the blessing of the "Emperor", roared repeatedly, his sword strikes were wide and powerful, stirring up wind, thunder, water and fire, but he was firmly entangled by this seemingly loose but actually extremely tight net of sword energy!

The second figure, like the ancient starry sky, was profound, vast, and majestic, stepping into the bizarre and fantastical "Tsukuyomi Illusion" that enveloped Huang Rong.

"I am Yan Kezi!"

This is an elderly Daoist master wearing a dazzling star crown and a black robe with cloud patterns. He has an air of otherworldly grace, an ancient and simple face, and calm and unwavering eyes, as if he has seen through the vicissitudes of eternity.

Within the illusion, countless shadowy threads were coiling around Huang Rong, whose Dao heart was swaying, from all directions, and the distorted landscape was constantly assaulting her perception.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, illusions will eventually dissipate, but pure Yang will endure forever."

After Daojun uttered a soft word.

He raised the whisk in his hand and gently swept it across the void.

"boom!"

The whisk transformed into countless Daoist principles, like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens, or like pure white snow in spring, instantly sweeping across the entire illusion!

Wherever the Daoist aura passed, those eerie, writhing shadow threads, like ice meeting the scorching sun, hissed and quickly burned, purified, and dissipated.

The distorted and upside-down land, the bizarre and grotesque scenes, are like the reflections on the water's surface after a stone has been thrown in, creating violent ripples before shattering into pieces, revealing the cracks in the real void behind them!
"Fairy of the Moon Palace, calm your mind and guard the One; I, the humble Daoist, will vanquish the external demons."

Dao Jun's calm yet powerful voice, like a grand bell, resounded directly into the depths of Huang Rong's nearly lost mind, instantly dispelling the lingering coldness and confusion, and allowing her almost lost gaze to regain its moonlit radiance.

"Thank you for your help, Daoist Lord!"

Huang Rong's spirits lifted, and the "Heavenly Lock Key" shone brightly, protecting her entire body.

"Yan Kezi" nodded slightly, his gaze sharp as lightning, locking onto the hazy, ever-changing phantom of Tsukuyomi at the core of the illusion.

He made a hand seal with his left hand, raised his whisk with his right hand, and chanted, "Heaven and earth shine brightly, evil spirits hide!"

With each syllable uttered, a golden, radiant Daoist scripture containing the pure Yang Dao was generated out of thin air, continuously bombarding Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi's illusory figure flickered rapidly between reality and illusion, but was repeatedly forced back by this "pure Yang power," and his illusory figure became increasingly dim.

They clearly suffered a huge loss!
"what?"

"Our side actually has two 'quasi-true gods', and their strength is so great?"

Under the influence of the Emperor's "Eternal Boundary" Dao Fruit power, even Xia Tian's "Bronze Gate" was unable to be used...

Just when they thought they were in dire straits, the sudden arrival of two powerful quasi-gods brought them a devastating surprise.

However, this shattered the deadly trap that the Emperor had created by relying on the false god's domain and the three divine artifacts!

In the Qianxia region, from summer to ordinary soldiers, the immense burden weighing on their hearts suddenly lightened, as the suffocating divine might was forcefully resisted and torn apart by the three soaring "Pure Yang Sword Intent"!

Morale erupted like a volcano, and shouts of battle and roars shook the heavens and the earth once again.

For the first time, the Emperor's face, which had always been as indifferent and majestic as a god looking down upon all living beings, finally revealed a violent emotional fluctuation!
"A clone? No... this is... a Daoist clone?!"

The Emperor's voice carried a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation. He stared intently at the two figures who had blocked Susanoo and broken through Tsukuyomi's life seal, then looked at Lü Dongbin's true form, who was battling Amaterasu, his pupils suddenly shrinking.

"The Three Pure Ones Transformed from One Qi by the Celestial Venerable of Morality?"

"No, it's not the supreme divine power of Taoism, but a 'Taoist body' forged based on the supreme pure Yang sword intent... So you've already cultivated two 'quasi-true god' level clones?!"

He couldn't help but be surprised.

After he ascended to the rank of "Pseudo-True God" and established the "Eternal Territory" of the True God.

Even the treasures held by Xia Tian, ​​the "Lord of Qianxia" who carried the fortune of an entire dynasty, were greatly suppressed...

However, the two newly appeared clones did not seem to be completely suppressed by the domain.

While it was certainly because they had all reached the level of "quasi-true gods," the more crucial reason was that they all possessed a surge of pure "pure yang sword intent." The youthful swordsman's lively and agile nature, the elderly Daoist's vast and majestic presence, and the true self's dignified and upright demeanor, though different in style, shared a common origin, all being manifestations of the pure yang sword path. The three were interconnected, their sword intents resonating, which actually blocked his true god rules...

"I am Lü Yan, the Pure Yang Immortal!"

After the two "helpers" arrived, in the center of the battlefield, the sword intent around Lü Dongbin, which had been suppressed by the "Emperor," erupted like a volcano that had been freed from all restraints, soaring straight into the sky! He still had no sword in his hand, but his entire being had transformed into a towering "sword"!
A pure yang sword that embodies the righteous spirit of humanity, the primordial sun of heaven and earth, and the vitality of all things!

The vast sword intent and pure yang energy even formed visible blazing white flames around him, constantly burning and repelling the golden light of the "Eternal Sealing" rule!

He slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the dazzling pseudo-sunlight, like two peerless divine blades, locking onto the "Emperor" himself, who was high in the sky and resembled a shard of the sun!
"Stealing sunlight, masquerading as divine authority, usurping the throne with evil magic, and oppressing people with a treacherous realm... You, this 'Emperor,' are nothing but a monkey in a crown, a petty scoundrel who steals fire to illuminate himself!"

Lü Dongbin's voice was like rolling thunder.

"Today, I, a humble Taoist, will use the pure Yang energy passed down through generations to cleanse your illusory, dazzling heavenly fire! Let us see whether your false sun's light is more intense, or the Yang in the hearts of my human race is more eternal!"

"Pure Yang - Piercing the Sun!"

Before he finished speaking, his figure completely merged with the soaring sword intent.

It transformed into a pure, bright, and blazing white sword rainbow, as if it were condensed from the first wisp of yang energy at the beginning of creation!
Where the sword rainbow passed, space was not torn apart, but was instantly vaporized by the high temperature, forming a pure yang trajectory that could not be repaired for a long time. It ignored the confinement and distortion of space by "Eternal Borders", and went straight for the core of the "Yata Mirror" in the "Emperor's" hand, which emitted infinite light and heat and seemed to control the light of this world!
"This is swordsmanship that is close to the level of a 'true god'..."

This scene seemed to tear open the Emperor's long-buried memories, instantly transporting him back countless years to the time when he was under the tutelage of the supreme Donghua Emperor...

That young man was always one step ahead of him, and no matter how hard he tried to catch up, he could only look up at his back.

Both wield swords, yet the opponent's sword light is always so majestic and radiant, making my painstakingly cultivated divine power appear dull and lifeless. Every exchange is a silent crushing and humiliation...

"what--!"

The sting of memories intertwined with the anger over the reversal of the situation, and the Emperor let out a low growl, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

The supreme emperor's majesty and the arrogance of the "true god" regained their advantage, and his eyes turned icy cold.

"So what if you're three quasi-true gods? You're only 'quasi'! You haven't truly condensed the Immortal Dao Fruit, you're just ants gazing at the sky! Now that I've stepped into this realm, you... I can destroy you with a flick of my hand!"

"The divine punishment of the emperor, thousands of thunders pierce the heart!"

The Emperor was filled with rage. His magnificent "Emperor's Robe," embroidered with the sun, moon, stars, and sixteen chrysanthemum patterns symbolizing the eternal lineage of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom, fluttered and rustled without wind, its surface radiating a blinding golden divine light!
With a hissing sound, countless golden threads, as thin as hair yet condensed to the extreme, appeared out of thin air. Each thread was surrounded by a rich "dynasty" aura, as if carrying the faith and destiny of hundreds of millions of people, and also carrying a chilling and unparalleled killing intent.

These golden threads stretched taut in an instant, transforming into a sky full of golden divine lightning, containing enough power to easily annihilate a small world!
As if they possessed life, they locked onto the three figures of Lü Dongbin, especially the most dazzling Pure Yang Sword Rainbow, which shot out, as if a destructive golden rain was falling from the sky, annihilating all rebellion!
"Well done!"

Lü Dongbin's true form and two avatars laughed simultaneously, their voices shaking the universe.

The sword rainbow that the main body transformed into neither dodged nor avoided, and its speed increased by three points. The blazing white sword light clashed fiercely with the golden arrow rain. The pure yang sword light seemed to have terrifying "purification" and "burning" properties. Many golden arrows were distorted and dissipated by the extreme high temperature and righteous energy when they approached the sword rainbow within a certain range.

Even if some of it penetrated the sword light barrier and struck the sword rainbow itself, most of it was shredded by the ever-flowing pure yang sword energy. Only a very small portion left a shallow mark, which was then repaired.

The young swordsman's clone and the old Taoist master's clone also displayed their unique abilities.

The young swordsman pointed his sword swiftly, and the net woven from pure Yang sword energy suddenly contracted, turning around and catching some of the golden arrows that were shot at him into the net. The sword energy strangled and killed them, and bursts of golden light and mist erupted.

The elderly Daoist then flicked his whisk, creating Daoist patterns that acted as a shield, deflecting the arrows. At the same time, the Daoist mantra he chanted formed golden chains that coiled back towards the Emperor, interfering with his spellcasting.

The Emperor's expression changed slightly; this was a blow delivered in anger.

Although it wasn't used at full strength, it would normally be enough to severely injure or even kill an ordinary quasi-true god, yet it was barely blocked by the combined efforts of the three opponents, rendering it ineffective...

What made his heart sink even more was that, just as the two forces were locked in a stalemate and the golden and white lights were frantically annihilating each other—

"With time and space as our guide, sword intent as our inspiration, and calamity as our summons—all 'selves' descend to the mortal realm!"

Lu Dongbin himself, the young swordsman, and the elderly Taoist master all spoke simultaneously, chanting an ancient and profound incantation. With the incantation, a strange, illusory pillar of light, seemingly woven from countless fragments of time and threads of cause and effect, rose from their bodies and shot into the depths of the void!

"Buzz buzz buzz buzz—!!!"

This time, the tremors in the void came from all directions, as if the entire spacetime structure of the battlefield was responding to the call!

One after another, "gateways" quietly opened up across the battlefield!

From a "gateway" emerged a middle-aged swordsman, sword in hand, singing wildly, with a gourd of wine hanging from his waist, unleashing a blazing sword aura as he laughed!

From another "portal," a middle-aged cultivator appeared, sitting quietly in the void, surrounded by a long river of pure Yang talismans, with a solemn and dignified appearance. With a press of his hand seal, ten thousand talismans flew together, cleansing away the demonic aura!
Within another "gateway," a majestic and awe-inspiring illusory figure of an emperor appeared, standing on the Big Dipper, wearing a star crown, and draped in a celestial map. Though slightly blurry, the star sword intent it evoked was boundless and unparalleled!
Then, the fourth, the fifth...

Six figures, each with distinct temperaments, forms, and ages, but all sharing the same core sword intent and at the "quasi-true god" level, and each carrying a sense of time and space sedimentation, emerged one after another from those mysterious "gates." Although their ages and attire were completely different, one thing remained undisputed—

They all exuded a powerful aura at the "quasi-true god" level, and their core "pure yang sword intent" was exactly the same as that of Lü Dongbin himself and his two avatars, resonating perfectly!

After these six figures appeared, they did not immediately join the attack on the Emperor.

Instead, they quickly took their positions according to some mysterious orientation, subtly echoing Lü Dongbin's true form and his two avatars.

In an instant, nine pure yang energies at the quasi-true god level soared into the sky, intertwining, resonating, and amplifying in the air, forming a massive pure yang sword domain that covered half the battlefield.

Although this sword domain is not as large as "Eternal Borders", its degree of refinement, its amplification of the Pure Yang Dao, and its repulsion of different laws are more obvious!

The Emperor's golden lightning, which filled the sky, was weakened layer by layer as it fell into the expanded Pure Yang Sword Domain, and its dissipation speed was several times faster!
"How is this possible?! There are still more?!"

The Emperor's composure finally vanished completely, replaced by a hint of shock in his eyes.

He could clearly sense that each of the six newly appeared figures possessed an independent divine soul and complete cultivation. They were not simple illusions or temporary clones, but clones that had truly cultivated to the level of "quasi-true god".

Including the two quasi-true god clones from before, this makes a total of nine 'quasi-true god' clones!
Even more terrifying is that they have a strange resonance with Lü Dongbin himself. With each additional clone added to the whole, the pure Yang sword intent becomes more solid and powerful, and the solidity of the originally illusory "prototype of the Dao Fruit" also increases accordingly!
"That's impossible. Normally, even a quasi-true god would need thousands of years to condense a 'clone' of the same level. It's only been ten thousand years since 'Tianchiao', so how could eight of them be condensed?"

"No... this kind of technique involving interconnected energy, resonance of origins, and the creation of countless clones..."

The Emperor stared intently at Lü Dongbin, whose cultivation aura was rising without end, and then realized something.

"The Heavenly Emperor's Calamity Scripture?! You...you actually cultivated the Heavenly Emperor's Calamity Scripture too?! You also followed that path...using yourself as a seed, evolving into countless forms, seizing all creation, and condensing the Dao Fruit?!"

These words were like a thunderclap.

Upon hearing this, the top executives of Qianxia were all deeply shaken.

"Emperor's Tribulation Sutra"?
Isn't that the evil technique that Lü Dongbin mentioned before, which the Emperor relied on to forge the "false true god" Dao fruit?
Did Lü Dongbin also cultivate? (End of Chapter)