Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 972 Zhu Xian vs. Zhu Xian

"Go to hell!"

Enraged, the Demon Lord unleashed another punch. After he exerted his power, all the laws and principles around him groaned under the unbearable pressure. His absolute violence oppressed all the principles around him, exploiting, squeezing, and absorbing them, making his attack even more terrifying.

"That punch was quite good. If the original Emperor had encountered it, he probably wouldn't have been able to stop it, but I'm different..."

With a tap of the Heavenly Demon Staff, a warm, peaceful radiance, seemingly embodying the purest prayers of all beings, appeared. At the same time, concepts such as [order], [benevolence], [kindness], [mutual assistance], and [dedication] converged, forming the phantom of a Celestial Cauldron.

The Lord of the Demonic Path's pupils trembled slightly, and Chu Tai also sensed it, unable to resist taking a glance, but was quickly distracted by the Lord of the Demonic Path again.

On the other side, the Demon Lord was burning with rage, but before he could react, he was trapped inside the Heavenly Cauldron. Countless rays of light flowed, drawing out the last remaining, or rather, the portion of positive humanistic power that the Demon Lord had previously regained within him.

Furthermore, the subtle changes within this power are driving its continuous transformation, resonating with the Holy Kingdom system outside, and once again suppressing the Demon Lord.

Almost the instant the Demon Lord was suppressed, the four sword lights that had been intercepted earlier reappeared behind the Heavenly Demon.

He waved his staff again, drawing the four annihilating sword lights aside, and looked back at Jade Emperor with a scrutinizing gaze.

Finally, my gaze fell upon the auspicious clouds atop the True Lord's head. Within the clear cloud light, five streams of primordial energy washed back and forth, cascading down strands of spiritual light like dripping water from the eaves, flowing endlessly. Within these strands were tiny, dazzling characters, intertwined with each other, giving rise to two different systems of Daoist practices.

"Your Taiyuan Five Tribulations Dao Fruit cultivation is quite good, and you can be said to have your own unique approach. It's a pity that this method is too mysterious. Even though you have entered the first grade, you have not broken out of its framework and have not walked a path that is completely your own. As a result, although the four sword lights that have been generated are powerful, their spirit is somewhat lacking."

As he spoke, a hint of memory surfaced in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.

"The four swords of Zhuxian that I have seen are: Zhuxian (Lesser Yang), which belongs to the Wood element and the Earth element, and is associated with destruction. It is the nemesis of all concepts of protection and defense. Luxian (Lesser Yin), which belongs to the Metal element and the Wind element, and is associated with slaughter. It is the nemesis of all concepts of immortality and longevity. Xianxian (Greater Yang), which belongs to the Fire element and the Water element, and is associated with the end. It is the nemesis of all concepts of change and miracle. Juexian (Greater Yin), which belongs to the Water element and the Fire element, and is associated with chaos. It is the nemesis of all concepts of order and hope."

"Its birth and death are uncertain, and all things change. It can drive all things toward ultimate destruction and end, but it can also bring a trace of new life and change. Compared to that, your sword light is far inferior. Or rather, your sword light has only grasped a little bit of the basics... It's just not easy to deal with."

The demon pointed his staff, and brilliant light condensed, transforming into a four-sided sword with an ancient design and majestic aura. Each of the four sides of the sword was engraved with a power that illuminates people's hearts.

Like the courage of the rising sun, the impartial integrity, the benevolence that benefits all living beings, and the wisdom that sees through all things.

"I happen to have a great divine power of the Four Swords of Zhuxian here. Would you please take a look at it?"

The Heavenly Demon chuckled softly, and pointed his staff again. The sword, which embodied courage, integrity, benevolence, and wisdom, instantly burst forth, splitting into four colors—blue, black, red, and white—each containing unparalleled sharpness.

Compared to Jade Emperor's four sword lights, the Heavenly Demon's sword light was more mysterious, more vast, and contained more principles.

"The sword Zhuxianli corresponds to [Courage]. As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way. Therefore, the characteristic of this sword is [Sharpness]. It has the ability to [Separate] all things. No matter how mysterious your methods are or how profound your Taoist magic is, they are nothing but illusions in front of this sword light. They will shatter upon contact."

The cyan sword light blocked Jade Emperor's Immortal Slaying Sword light, and at the moment of the clash, a sharp edge pierced Jade Emperor's heart.

"The Immortal Slayer represents 'righteousness,' which in the human realm is 'justice.' And for all things, nothing is more just than death. Therefore, its characteristic is 'inevitable death,' making it the most just force under the cycle of heavenly principles."

The black sword light blocked Jade Emperor True Lord's Immortal Slaughtering Sword Light. This true meaning of death, which symbolizes the operation of heaven and earth, birth, aging, sickness and death, was actually suppressed and even devoured by the true meaning of Immortal Slaughtering.

"The red light that emanates from the Immortal's abode represents benevolence. As the saying goes, the benevolent are invincible and their love is boundless, thus they can assimilate everything."

The red sword light met the Immortal Trapping Sword light, and upon contact, the red sword light subtly and gradually assimilated and eroded the Immortal Trapping Sword light.

"The infinite variations of the Immortal Sword represent the wisdom of nature. It understands the essence of all things, deduces all changes, and can naturally generate sword light that can control everything!"

The final white sword light swirled back and forth, enveloping the Immortal-Slaying Sword Light, and in turn, subtly generated numerous methods to restrain the opponent.

Four sword lights crisscrossed back and forth, constructing a wondrous net that paved the way with courage, judged right and wrong with integrity, embraced dissent with benevolence, and foresaw the future with wisdom. Moreover, this net was also united with the Heavenly Cauldron.

The array is formed by the illusory image of the Celestial Cauldron and the four great sword lights form the network.

In an instant, all the changes and resistances initiated by Jade Calendar True Lord were drawn in and moved into the Celestial Cauldron by this formation.

Furthermore, Jade Emperor's Four Swords of Immortal Slaughter also brought forth the power of [Courage], [Integrity], [Benevolence], and [Wisdom], making the ideal world within the Heavenly Cauldron even more radiant and suppressing the Demon Lord of the Monarch's Demonic Path, making it even more difficult for him to move.

"What a brilliant use of the principle of mutual generation and restraint! As expected of a Heavenly Demon who has mastered the Way of Change, he has found a way to target the Demon Lord and Jade Calendar so quickly."

The Primordial True Lord, who sensed the changes remotely, exclaimed in praise. At the same time, a golden bridge appeared inside the Celestial Cauldron, attempting to help the Demon Lord inside to escape.

The Heavenly Demon paid no heed, and four sword lights flew out again, forcing Jade Emperor True Monarch to instinctively fight back.

The two clashed, and the eight sword lights collided, causing changes in the laws within the Heavenly Cauldron, severing the golden bridge, and suppressing the Demon Lord once again.

The broken golden bridge was instantly repaired, even connecting the past and the future, giving the Demon Lord a chance to break free from the past and escape into the future, or to exert force in the future to break free from the past.

"Trying to manipulate the changes of time and space under the Four Swords of Zhuxian, Hunyuan, you overestimate yourself..."

Before the Heavenly Demon could finish speaking, he suddenly sensed something was wrong; the auspicious clouds above Jade Emperor's head had changed.

Everything changed along with Qingyun, and everything involuntarily moved towards a predetermined future.

"The Five Transformations?"

The Heavenly Demon was startled, vaguely guessing that Jade Emperor wanted to use him to hone his sword light. But just as he used the four sword lights and the Heavenly Cauldron to restrain the three True Lords, once the combination of the Heavenly Cauldron and the Four Swords of Immortal Execution was formed, it would be difficult for him to break it apart.

Sensing the faint, indescribable Daoist aura gradually emerging from the auspicious clouds, and sensing the guidance and momentum within them disrupting the connection between the sword light and the Heavenly Human Cauldron, thus giving the Demon Lord within a chance to break free, the Heavenly Demon raised his staff, intending to deal with the situation using other means.

But as soon as the power of change was revealed, a viscous, scarlet, and eerie blood-red glow appeared within it.

This blood-red light is very peculiar. When there is no change, the blood-red light also subsides. But once a change occurs, with the old replacing the new, the blood-red light immediately spreads along with it.

"Blood Demon!"

The Heavenly Demon instantly became alert, his icy gaze fixed on the Blood Demon Lord, who should have been fiercely clashing with and restraining the Heavenly Demon Lord.

The blood moon remained, and the sea of ​​blood churned, but the Heavenly Demon Lord had vanished without a trace. Having lost his opponent, the Blood Demon Lord shifted his attention to the Heavenly Demon. The [Creation] of life clashed with the [Changes] of the Heavenly Demon, further suppressing the Heavenly Demon's power.

The Heavenly Demon looked around and saw that True Monarch Qing Shi firmly stabilized the operation of the Great Heaven. If any disturbance occurred due to their struggle, the power of the Primordial Qi Dao Fruit would immediately descend to repair the damage.

Where is the Heavenly Demon Lord?

A bad feeling rose in the heart of the Heavenly Demon, and finally his gaze shifted to the direction of the sky.

The heavens, which were cleaning up the Buddha's light left behind by the Tathagata, also sensed something, and their will converged, "looking" in one direction.

Visible ripples appeared in the void, and then a figure slowly emerged. He seemed to be formed from primordial Qi, or perhaps from the reflections of countless beings in the mortal world.

His existence gives people a strange feeling that defies common sense and is full of contradictions.

"You... want to fight me at this time?"

Looking down at the Heavenly Demon Lord below, who had condensed a myriad of transformations of Qi, his voice was very deep, yet every word caused the void to tremble and lightning to flash.

Faced with such pressure, the Heavenly Demon Lord merely sneered: "Only at this moment, when you are severely affected and the situation is turbulent, will you truly show me what Heaven is! After all, at this time, you have no choice but to go all out!"

A near-mad desire to investigate surfaced in the eyes of the Heavenly Demon Lord, and his tone rose slightly: "I have been thinking, I have always been very curious, do you also regard me as a pawn, the one who treats us as chess pieces, the one who regards all post-natal beings as existing on the chessboard?"

Having said this, the Heavenly Demon Lord's gaze was no longer on the sky, but rather through the firmament, looking in an unknown direction.

"Is my coming before you now my own decision, or his will? If it's the former, that's fine, but if he has already made his move, then..."

The Heavenly Demon Lord looked up at the sky with an almost insane sarcasm: "Then, high above, Heaven! Should you also accept your fate? Follow the predetermined path according to that being's will and complete your charade?"

"This madman!"

Looking at the Heavenly Demon Lord, even the now independent Heavenly Demon couldn't help but sigh, but Tian didn't think so.

"interesting!"

A grand yet silent voice reverberated through the heavens; the will of heaven showed no anger, but rather a hint of joy.

"I grant permission for this cut."

The will of Heaven descended, not to oppress the Heavenly Demon Lord, but to transform into an incomparably vast blessing, merging into the Heavenly Demon Lord's body, which contained primordial Qi and all phenomena of the mortal world.

At the same time, countless laws and principles manifested in the sky, and Heaven revealed its essence to the Heavenly Demon Lord without reservation.

"Let me see if this slash you've prepared for me can harm my body and my spirit, and whether it can... separate Heaven from me!"

At this moment, the voice of the heavens had become incredibly ethereal, like the will of heaven high above, anchoring the inevitable future.

"If you succeed, you will surely have a place among the innate Dao Lords, and will enjoy the honor of immortality through countless eons."

His tone paused slightly, and an endless chill descended, freezing the void and the light of the universe.

"But if you fail, then be utterly annihilated!"

'So this is what the Heavenly Demon Lord is thinking?'

On the other side, Chu Tai was also startled by the Heavenly Demon Lord's plan, but he had to admit that the other party's choice was not a bad one.

According to Chu Tai's understanding, the Heavenly Demon Lord's journey to this point over the years may not have been without divine guidance, as can be seen from the Heavenly Demon Lord's methods.

Therefore, the simplest, most dangerous, and most direct way for the Heavenly Demon Lord to advance further is to seek answers from the heavens.

But as the Heavenly Demon Lord himself said, under normal circumstances, even if the Heaven is sealed in one place, he is still high above, regarding all living beings as pawns.

How could he possibly allow a mere pawn to glimpse his true nature?

Only at this critical juncture of multi-party conflict, at this moment when even he himself had to personally intervene and go all out, did he have the opportunity to force the other side to act.

Of course, the Heavenly Demon Lord's idea was essentially in line with the Heavenly Lord's idea.

For Heaven, the most important thing is to separate Heaven from Me.

Everything else can give way to this.

To put it bluntly, this is a calculated scheme by all parties involved.

Heaven knows what the Heavenly Demon Lord wanted, and he seized this perfect opportunity.

At the same time, Chu Tai couldn't help but look at the Immortal Manifestation Dao Transformation Heaven. Did the Heavenly Emperor who sent the Buddha Tathagata to this place see this scene before him, and that's why he chose the most opportune time to let him deal with the Buddha Demon Lord?

Thinking about this, Chu Tai also understood that now was the most suitable time to deal with the Buddha-Demon Lord.

The Heavenly Demon Lord was restrained by the Heavenly Demon Lord, and the Heavenly Demon was restrained by the Monarch Demon Lord, Jade Calendar True Lord, and Primordial Chaos True Lord.

He could suppress the Buddha, Demon, and Dao Lord with all his might, and after killing him, he could then suppress the Heavenly Demon and even the Heaven, bringing everything back to normal.

Therefore, Chu Tai no longer held back.

His body surged with the laws and principles of the Dao, and endless auspicious clouds and auspicious energy rolled around. His Heavenly Cauldron, Primordial Yang Seal, Yin-Yang Lamp, and Eastern Emperor Bell flew out one by one, giving the Buddha-Demon Dao Lord no time to react and suppressing him.

"Don't even think about it!" The Buddha-Demon Lord also knew that this was a moment of life and death, and he unleashed his strongest power.

(End of this chapter)