Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 518 Though the might of Taiqing has vanished, its sword light still illuminates countless mountains (Seeking donations and subscriptions!)

“That Shi Zheng is really troublesome. His foundation in Daoist magic is too solid. If it weren’t for the Burning Dust Cauldron that the sect leader had bestowed upon me, even if I could break his ‘Hundred Mountains’ spell in the end, I would probably be exhausted and injured. I can forget about fighting him in the future.”

Jin Shayu flew down and arrived among his fellow disciples. He looked slightly tired but could not hide his excitement. He had defeated Shi Zheng and had entered the top 100.

“Shi Zheng’s foundation is indeed profound.” An Xiaoyue nodded slightly and continued, “The power of Senior Brother Lu and the merit of Mr. He in the past few days have saved us a lot of unnecessary losses in the early stages, which can be regarded as taking advantage of the favorable wind. However, that’s the end of the story. No one will be willing to give way to us anymore.”

Previously, it was a chaotic challenge within the rules. As a large number of cultivators were eliminated, the next competition was to draw lots using magic treasures. The higher you go, the less likely anyone will give way. You have to rely on your own abilities. Just like Jin Shayu's battle with Fa Shizheng, it's not easy to truly win a match.

Lu Cheng stood to one side, and at this moment turned to the side.

As one battle after another ended on the Battle Platform, the crystal-clear "Fate-Following Bottle" hanging high in the sky began to hum softly, with swirling light and radiant glow emanating from its mouth.

The next moment, several ancient-looking blue bamboo sticks, engraved with intricate runes, flew out of the bottle mouth as if being held by an invisible hand, and hovered in the sky.

Instantly, all the cultivators' attention was drawn to it.

The presiding cultivator of Nuwa's Immortal Realm, the middle-aged cultivator with a tall hat and wide belt, and a dignified demeanor, loudly proclaimed the signature:
"Taiqing Sect, Lu City—"

Because of the intense focus on the game, the sound seemed to be deliberately drawn out, causing all the spectators to tense up.

"A duel between Xie Chenxiao, a true disciple of the Eastern Celestial Palace of Creation!"

As the two names were uttered, the vast Immortal Pool arena fell silent for a moment before erupting into an even more heated wave of discussion.

"The Creation Palace is actually one of the Nine Sects!"

"Xie Chenxiao! I've heard that he is one of the most renowned geniuses in the Creation Heavenly Palace in the last hundred years, and he has mastered the true teachings of the 'Heavenly Palace Puppet Technique'!"

"This is going to be interesting! The Taoist Master Taiqing of Lucheng acts like a sword, sharp and ruthless; the Creation Palace is ingenious and ever-changing!"

"What a coincidence... The Taiqing Sect has just gained a slight advantage, and now it has run into such a tough opponent. The Creation Heavenly Palace is not afraid of the Taiqing Sect's reputation!"

"A head-on clash between the true disciples of the nine sects of the human race! The most anticipated battle in the history of the Immortal Pool Sword Fighting!"

As the voices of the surrounding cultivators rose, Jin Shayu and An Xiaoyue also became solemn:
The Eastern Celestial Palace of Creation is the most mysterious and skilled sect among the nine sects of the human race, adept at using the arts of immortal cultivation and the principles of creation to defeat enemies.

Their true teachings far surpass those of Shi Zheng's sect.

Lu Cheng slowly rose to his feet. He took a step forward, and a cloud of flowing five-colored rosy clouds naturally formed beneath his feet, lifting the Taoist priest and flying unhurriedly toward the jade-white altar that symbolized the glory of the top 100.

Across from the altar, a figure was already waiting.

The man was dressed in a dark blue Taoist robe embroidered with the constellations of the heavens. He was tall and slender with a handsome face and a faint smile on his lips. He exuded composure, but his eyes seemed to hold the workings of the universe.

He was Xie Chenxiao, a true disciple of the Eastern Celestial Palace of Creation.

The two stood at their respective positions, and the Immortal Pool envoy quickly withdrew after announcing the rules. Throughout the Immortal Pool arena, countless divine thoughts intertwined and focused on this single magical platform.

In the silence, a fighting spirit was brewing.

"Brother Lu Dao of Taiqing Sect."

Xie Chenxiao spoke first, his voice gentle and clear, like jade striking each other: "I am Xie Chenxiao, and I have long admired your reputation, Brother Dao. In the battle of the Thousand Caves Netherworld, you summoned the Samadhi True Fire, burning away the demonic aura and cleansing the universe. Your Dao heart is as firm as a rock, untouched by demonic influence. Truly, what skill and spirit you displayed!"

Lu Cheng nodded slightly in response, remaining silent. However, his eyes remained fixed on his opponent, as if trying to see through him.

Xie Chenxiao didn't take it to heart, his smile deepening with a knowing look: "Brother Lu's demeanor is truly extraordinary. Judging from your bearing, you must be practicing the 'Primordial Chaos Technique,' the most renowned and powerful secret technique of the Taiqing Sect. To be able to unleash such a powerful fire technique that burns away impurities and returns to the origin at the Nascent Soul stage is a legendary, transcendent technique, far beyond ordinary fire-based supernatural abilities! I am truly impressed by your abilities."

"If Brother Lu were still at his peak, Chen Xiao would have immediately surrendered. Unfortunately, fighting against many alone and using the Dao to defeat the demons... Brother Lu's Samadhi True Fire must be almost depleted, right?"

Although it was a question, it was phrased with certainty.

What he said was indeed correct. After the battle of the Thousand Caves Netherworld, although a small amount of Samadhi True Fire remained in Lu Cheng's body due to the red gourd, Lu Cheng's body was still intact.

However, he still needs to use it to refine his own body and maintain his physical cultivation progress. Indeed, he will no longer use it as a means of combat.

From this perspective, Xie Chenxiao's estimate was absolutely correct.

At the Taiqing Sect seats, Jin Shayu's expression changed slightly, and An Xiaoyue's eyebrows also furrowed. Both of them understood that what Xie Chenxiao said was very likely true.

Lu Cheng had previously used a super-level Dao technique in the Void Vortex, and later burned the evil spirits in the Thousand Caves Netherworld. The Samadhi True Fire he used was incredibly powerful. Super-level Dao techniques are not so easy to cultivate and use!

"So, can we begin?" Lu Cheng's voice was calm and indifferent, yet it carried a chilling aura that pierced the soul.

Faced with Lu Cheng's question and the sudden surge of chilling sword intent, Xie Chenxiao's pupils shrank almost imperceptibly.

However, he was a proud cultivator from the Creation Heaven Palace, and his mind was also extraordinary. He did not waver in his confidence because of Lu Cheng's attitude, but instead became certain of his judgment!
"Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist!" Xie Chenxiao laughed heartily, no longer harboring any intention to test or waver, and his Daoist robes suddenly bulged!

"Rise!" came a soft shout.

"Qiang!"

A sharp and fierce sword light immediately reached Xie Chenxiao's front.

Faced with this sword light, Xie Chenxiao felt that the protective magic he had cultivated for thousands of years was as fragile as paper, and was torn apart almost instantly.

Fortunately, immediately after his protective magic, an extremely condensed azure light expanded outwards from Xie Chenxiao's body.

A seventh-tier protective magic weapon, the Azure Dragon Ring of the Taiyi Star Pivot.

'If it weren't for this protective magic treasure bestowed upon me by my master before I came to participate in this Immortal Pool Sword Battle, I would have already been defeated!'
How could his sword light be so fast!

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
With the Azure Dragon Ring of Taiyi Star Pivot providing a brief respite, Xie Chenxiao's actions were already complete.

This was certainly quick, as he only took out five items from his Qiankun Ring.

The five enormous, heavy figures, radiating a metallic chill and possessing strange textures, suddenly tore through the void and descended upon the Dharma platform like five small mountains.

A violent and ferocious aura surged forth, instantly filling every corner of the altar. Even the powerful protective array light barrier set up around the edge of the altar rippled with dense energy.

Firstly, it resembles a black iron demon ape, its entire body forged from non-reflective deep black Xuan iron "Nine Netherworld Xuan Sha Refined Steel," with menacing fangs, arms reaching past its knees, and claws flashing with a sharp light capable of tearing everything apart.

Secondly, it resembles a hundred-armed Asura, with a dark gold metallic color. Each arm holds a different strange weapon: knife, spear, sword, halberd, spear, axe... cold light flickers and cold gleams intertwine.

Thirdly, it has a huge metal wing bone several feet wide on its back, with countless intricate and complex spatial patterns engraved on the wing bone. It is the "Void Flowing Wind Puppet" whose speed is the best among the five puppets!
Fourth, it resembles a prehistoric giant tortoise, carrying an extremely heavy metal shell on its back. The shell is covered with patterns resembling star trails, making it indestructible and an unparalleled defensive "Immovable Star Puppet"!
Fifthly, and most strangely, its form resembles a "humanoid" composed of countless giant gears, shafts, nozzles, and talismans, its body flowing with scorching lava light, countless runes lighting up, radiating a high temperature that can burn everything!
The spiritual materials it uses are the top-grade fire-resistant "Crimson Flame Heart Copper" and "Primordial Magnetic Fire-Repelling Divine Wood"! It is impervious to water and fire!

The five giant puppets, each several meters tall, landed with heavy bodies, causing the ancient black stone arena beneath their feet, as solid as refined gold, to tremble slightly.

They surrounded Xie Chenxiao, instantly forming a profound killing formation that encompassed heaven and earth and sealed off all directions!
A terrifying sense of oppression, a mixture of heaviness, sharpness, speed, solidity, and moltenness, swept towards Lu City like a raging tsunami.

Five high-grade seventh-tier puppets, all of which have been modified to be relatively fire-resistant and able to control flames.

Xie Chenxiao was different from ordinary cultivators. Although he could control puppets and create things, he knew how but not why.

Xie Chenxiao was born in the Eastern Celestial Palace of Creation and inherited the top puppetry skills of the human race. Facing different enemies, he can modify and fine-tune any of his puppets to gain the upper hand. Although he could not know in advance that he would be fighting Lu Cheng, he had a large number of seventh-tier puppets and had prepared countermeasures for various enemies.

This was not a simple siege, but almost equivalent to six Nascent Soul stage cultivators working together seamlessly and complementing each other's attributes to simultaneously kill one person!
If Lu Cheng still possessed that terrifying Returning Void True Fire, he would still be somewhat wary, but now, the puppet can even repair Xie Chenxiao on the spot after shattering it.

"kill!"

Boom!

The five giant puppets moved. The immovable Star Puppet slammed its giant feet into the ground with a loud "hum," and dark starlight suddenly spread out, like a heavy giant bell falling from the sky, firmly suppressing the entire battle arena area!

The air is stagnant like mercury, making movement a hundred times more difficult, which is the best combination of gravity and space.

The spatial Dao patterns on the wing bones behind the Void Flowing Wind Puppet suddenly lit up, tearing through the airflow and leaving only a blurry, almost invisible afterimage.

The next moment, countless spatial wind blades carrying the laws of tearing through the void slashed towards Lu Cheng's vitals from all directions with unpredictable speed, beyond imagination.

The Hundred-Armed Asura was in full swing, with over a hundred strange weapons stirring up the wind and clouds. The cold light was like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, converging into a metal madness that annihilated everything, blocking all angles of evasion for Lu Cheng.

The Black Iron Demon Ape let out a silent roar, raising its incredibly strong metal arm high with pure brute force capable of shattering mountains and void. Its fist imprint crashed down like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down, locking onto the central gate of Lu City.

Meanwhile, the Fire God Forging Puppet, which is located at the core of the Gate of Life, controls the Fire Element and is Lu Cheng's greatest reliance, opened its huge mouth, brewing the "World-Burning True Essence Flame" that is enough to melt most of the matter in the world!
They waited for Lu Cheng to show a weakness under the combined onslaught of immense force, wind blades, raging tides, and fist imprints before delivering a fatal blow!
As for Xie Chenxiao himself?
As a puppet master, he didn't even move an inch, simply standing at the core, his hands forming a divine hand seal, drawing upon the secret divine power passed down from the Creation Heavenly Palace, perfectly controlling the combined attack of the five puppets. His eyes were cold, as if he were merely observing.

Only by remaining an outsider can one maintain absolute composure.

This is the foundation and methods of the core true teachings of the nine sects of the human race. When they do not move, they remain still, but when they do move, it is earth-shattering, leaving no room for counterattack.

For a moment, all the cultivators watching from below the stage were breathless.

Even Taiqing True Disciples like Jin Shayu and An Xiaoyue felt a chill from the bottom of their hearts.

This formation, with its complementary five elements, integrated offense and defense, combining speed and power, and being unafraid of flames, has virtually blocked most of Lu Cheng's chances of breaking the deadlock.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator can control about three magic weapons of the same level at the same time. Puppets are also a type of magic weapon.

However, Xie Chenxiao had clearly cultivated the Divine Refining Technique, a true inheritance of the Eastern Pole Creation Heavenly Palace. His spiritual strength far surpassed that of Feng Tong, and he controlled five puppets with ease.

On the execution platform, five against one.

Five imposing, high-grade seventh-order puppets, each with a unique form, unleashed their attacks under Xie Chenxiao's mental guidance, weaving together a vast, all-encompassing net.

"Brother Lu, do you still recognize this formation?" Xie Chenxiao stood in the center of the five puppets guarding him, his face smiling but his eyes sharp as needles, fixed on the constantly shifting figure in the net.

Lu Cheng's expression remained unchanged, only a flash of lightning appeared in his eyes. Faced with this terrifying killing formation that could instantly crush an ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he advanced instead of retreating.

Clang!
A clear and melodious sword cry tore through the frozen air. It was not a majestic display of divine power, but rather like the first thunder of spring, carrying a sharp edge that seemed to be nurturing life.

His entire being merged with the light of the flying sword, transforming into a faint streak of light. He did not charge in a straight line, but followed the principles of the five elements and the flow of yin and yang, adhering to an incomparably mysterious trajectory, and recklessly crashed into that destructive net.

Man and sword unite!

Sword Qi Thunder Sound!

In an instant, the gravity field of the Immovable Star Puppet, imbued with the power of a colossal mountain, crashed down, distorting and bending even the light. Lu Cheng's sword light, however, abruptly changed direction, its crimson blade surging like a wildfire, striking precisely at the point in the gravity field where the fluctuations were most intense, yet also the most unchanging. A tearing sound, like ripping cloth, rang out as the scorching sword energy burned a crack through the solidified gravity field.

In the next instant, the Hundred-Armed Asura's hundreds of steel arms, wielding strange weapons of various shapes, came from all directions like countless deadly snakes, their trajectories unpredictable and mysterious, sealing off all space for evasion.

Lu Cheng broke free from the sword light, his figure swaying like a willow catkin in the wind. He moved naturally with the gusts of wind and air waves stirred up by the hundred arms, but his sword aura suddenly became dense and supple. The verdant and dripping Yi Wood sword energy poured out like mercury, transforming into layers upon layers of ever-growing sword nets.

Although Yi wood is soft, it is also extremely resilient.

The deadly energy that could pierce mountains struck the sword net, but it was as if it had fallen into an endless jungle, and was dissolved layer by layer by the boundless vitality and resilience.

In the third instant, the Void Flowing Wind Puppet silently appeared above Lu Cheng's head, its wings fluttering lightly, and hundreds of translucent wind blades, enough to cleave space, silently poured forth.

Lu Cheng swiftly twisted his wrist, and the Xuanhuang Thick Earth Sword Qi suddenly solidified like a mountain barrier, stretching across his head. Containing the profound meaning of the earth bearing all things and encompassing all existence, it blocked all the sharp wind blades that could slice through refined gold, causing them to explode into a sky full of flowing colors.

At the same time, his footwork changed mysteriously, and with the force of the recoil, he narrowly missed the giant fist of the Black Iron Demon Ape that was blasting from the side. The violent fist wind swept across the solid stone ground of the altar, carving out a deep trench.

Even the most powerful swordsman has his limits in achieving perfect harmony with his sword. Moreover, even the flying sword itself is not perfect and powerful.

The spine, hilt, and other areas where the sword's power cannot reach are also weaknesses.

A truly skilled swordsman can perfectly switch and utilize the time when man and sword are one.

"call!"

The molten golden flames spewed out by the Molten God Fire Puppet followed closely behind, instantly engulfing the spot where Lu Cheng had just stood.

The terrifying heat caused the space to distort and boil, and the hard altar floor instantly turned into crimson magma!

Amidst the distorted light and shadow, a platinum sword light, imbued with the cold, sharp intent of Geng metal, burst forth from the edge of the destructive sea of ​​fire, leaving only a blinding trail behind it!

The sword light pointed directly at the key point controlling the flow of energy in the Fusion God Fire Puppet's core. Xie Chenxiao's eyes narrowed slightly, and his mind raced. A runic shield on the puppet's chest and abdomen lit up instantly, barely blocking the deadly attack.

"Both cultivate the 'Primordial Qi Mystic Technique,' but this person's swordsmanship is far superior to that of Jin Shayu!"

His swordsmanship is so advanced that if this drags on for too long, my divine sense will be greatly depleted while I am controlling five puppets at the same time, and I may really be no match for him... Seeing that Daoist Lu Cheng sometimes merges with the sword light and sometimes changes his escape technique, Xie Chenxiao's expression became somewhat solemn.

He really didn't expect that the killing formation composed of five seventh-grade high-level puppets would be unable to defeat this person in a short time.

The spectator area, especially near the seats occupied by the Taiqing Sect, was already filled with suppressed exclamations and whispers.

Besides Jin Shayu and An Xiaoyue, many disciples of the Taiqing Sect also came this time, naturally hoping that their own lineage could achieve a better ranking and be honored.

At this moment, in the heart of the battlefield, Xie Chenxiao truly felt the pressure. Lu Cheng's swordsmanship was not merely fast and ruthless; rather, it demonstrated an unbelievable level of understanding and control over timing, space, the flow of magical power, and the opportune moment in combat.

Every movement, every turn of the sword light, was perfectly timed to the precise moments of the five puppets' coordination and the instantaneous flaws in their attribute shifts.

"Roar!" The Black Iron Demon Ape pounded its chest and roared, then pounced again with ferocity, its giant fists creating a sound like wind and thunder.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" The Hundred-Armed Asura's weapon tore through the air, weaving a dense net of blades.

The gravity field of the Immovable Star Puppet expanded again, attempting to completely lock Lu Cheng's figure in place.

The Void Flowing Wind Puppet, like a ghost, lurks in the void rifts, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow.

The Molten God Fire Puppet was accumulating even more terrifying molten gold flames, its oppressive aura rising steadily.

Faced with this more ferocious and seamless encirclement, Lu Cheng's response remained the same: speed over slowness and precision over clumsiness!

His figure became increasingly flickering and blurry amidst the raging energy storm, the five-colored sword light flitting like butterflies among flowers, or like a master butcher carving up an ox.

He never took a direct hit, and every dodge was perfectly timed. His Xuan Tian Divine Art surged and roared within him, meticulously channeling every ounce of his magical power to the sword's edge, striving to achieve maximum disruption and destruction with minimal expenditure.

The Crimson Flame Breaker destroyed the protective runes on the Demon Ape's fist!
The thick earth element controls the force, forcibly distorting the trajectory of the Hundred-Armed Asura's blade net!

Geng Jin is the main attacker, targeting the seemingly illusory core of the Flowing Wind Puppet!
The Wood element, representing the main element, allows the supple sword intent to penetrate the gravity field, causing a slight delay!

With the main fire drawn away, the sword tip lightly flicked, diverting the accumulated flames of the fire puppet and causing it to crash into the air, igniting a sky full of smoke and fire!
Lu Cheng's figure, amidst the extreme shuttle of the five colors rotating and life and death, seemed to merge with the five elements of the universe.

He was not simply fighting, but demonstrating the interaction of the five elements, the righteous law of thunder, and the ineffable principles of life and death!

Every sword strike aligns with the trajectory of the Great Dao, and every movement seems to be in step with the rhythm of the pulse of heaven and earth.

He mastered the two exquisite sword techniques, "Man and Sword as One" and "Sword Qi Thunder Sound," to their fullest extent. Even under the siege of five late-stage Nascent Soul puppets, he managed to carve out a resilient and sharp domain of his own.

Explosions echoed continuously above the altar, with sparks flying and sword energy crisscrossing. The energy released from each collision was enough to make ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators pale.

Time slipped away little by little amidst this intense back-and-forth of offense and defense.

Xie Chenxiao's expression gradually changed from calm and confident to serious, and then a hint of imperceptible anxiety appeared.

He could clearly feel the intense consumption of his own spiritual power. Simultaneously controlling five powerful seventh-grade high-quality puppets was already an extremely mentally taxing secret technique. Moreover, he also had to maintain their coordination, form a profound killing formation, and deal with Lu Cheng's unpredictable and ingenious counterattacks that pointed directly at his weaknesses. The rate of consumption far exceeded his expectations.

Lu Cheng's godlike micro-management was like "bleeding" himself with every breath.

Xie Chenxiao's spiritual power surged and flowed out like a floodgate being opened, far exceeding expectations.

The massive puppet horde controlled by the five separate thoughts of his mind, with each violent impact and adjustment, felt like a heavy hammer slamming into his sea of ​​consciousness.

Cold sweat finally broke out uncontrollably, soaking Xie Chenxiao's temples, and his fingertips began to tremble slightly: No! If this drags on any longer, before Lu Cheng's magical power is exhausted, his own sea of ​​consciousness will probably wither and collapse first!
"Indeed powerful! Then let's use this method to decide life or death in one move!" Xie Chenxiao's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and his anxiety was instantly replaced by a desperate ruthlessness.

He suddenly bit his tongue, and a surge of pure life essence mixed with surging divine soul power instantly ignited.

The speed at which his hands formed the hand seals was extremely fast. As his ten fingers danced, a dazzling array of runes and light, seemingly containing the true meaning of "creation and creation," suddenly appeared.

"The Seal of Creation and Divine Union—Condense!"

With his stern shout, as if it were an imperial edict, the rules of the entire court seemed to freeze!
boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The five imposing seventh-tier superior puppets suddenly let out a deafening roar.

Countless intricate and dazzling array patterns lit up their massive shells. Their originally diverse forms began to twist and decompose violently under the control of some supreme creative power, and their hard alloy shells rolled and reassembled like liquid.

The Black Iron Demon Ape's domineering power transformed into its core skeleton, while the Hundred-Armed Asura's hundred arms merged into four iron chain arms that shimmered with a deathly light.

The Immovable Star Puppet's heavy gravity field collapsed into a star core embedded in its chest; the Void Wind Puppet's ethereal wings and core energy source transformed into the Eye of the Wind embedded in its back; and the Molten God Fire Puppet's molten gold flames transformed into a blazing energy core driving furnace.

Thousands of streams of light converge, and the principles of Tao intertwine!
A terrifying pressure, surpassing the Nascent Soul realm and reaching the early stage of the Void Return realm, suddenly awakened like a dormant ancient beast!
That enormous, ferocious yet sacred outline, forged from five primal powers and standing a hundred feet tall, rapidly solidified within the flames:
A Void Returning Puppet, possessing a Star Core, the Eye of Flowing Wind, the Heart of a Molten Gold Furnace, and four Arms of Order, radiating dazzling light and surrounded by a terrifying aura, has appeared in the world.

"hiss--!"

"Five elements united as one! A Void-Returning Puppet?! Isn't the use of Void-Returning Spiritual Objects forbidden in the Immortal Pool Sword Battle?"

"The Immortal Pool Sword Fighting does not allow the use of Void Returning Spiritual Objects, but if it is originally a Nascent Soul Transformation Spiritual Object, and one temporarily pushes it to the Void Returning Realm using their own Dao techniques, then this restriction does not apply."

A tsunami of gasps and gasps erupted from the spectator area!

Even through the powerful protective array, the oppressive aura emanating from the newly formed Void Returning Puppet still terrified countless cultivators with slightly weaker cultivation levels.

"I knew you'd pull this trick!"

However, at the same time, Xie Chenxiao was using the Creation and Divine Seal.

Four ancient, vast, and spiritually vibrant talismans appeared around Lu Cheng without warning.

These are not ordinary paper talismans; their material is neither gold, jade, stone, nor wood, existing somewhere between the real and the illusory. The color of each talisman is incredibly pure.
From the east, a desolate dragon's roar seemed to pierce through time and space! Suddenly, a talisman, its entire body azure and its runes resembling coiled azure dragons, lit up, unleashing boundless vitality and the majesty of thunder!
In the south, crimson flames blazed across the sky, and a vermilion talisman danced fiercely, its runes outlining the shape of a vermilion bird with outstretched wings, the sacred essence of the fire burning intensely!
In the west, a chilling golden wind rose from the ground, and a platinum talisman rang out, its sharp aura piercing the sky. The talisman's patterns manifested as the roaring divine beast, the white tiger!
In the north, the Xuan River flows endlessly through the Nine Netherworlds. A pitch-black, abyss-like, and boundless talisman surges forth, its runes condensing into a Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) coiled around a divine mountain, suppressing all waters!

Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Formation, activate!

Lu Cheng's eyes shone brightly, and his fingertips changed their hand seals, drawing upon the vast Xuan Tian Divine Art power within his body. Ignoring the stinging pain from his meridians, he poured it all into these four ancient talismans.

"The Four Symbols revolve! Seal the heavens and lock the spirits! Imperial decree—Suppress!"

With a clear shout, like a resounding bell or a decree from the heavens!

The four talismans were no longer separate; they suddenly merged and burst forth with dazzling divine light.

The four colors of light—blue, red, white, and black—instantly merged and intertwined, transforming into a four-colored talisman that enveloped the heavens and earth. Carrying unparalleled sealing and suppressing power, it traversed the distance of space and instantly appeared above the Void Returning Puppet's head.

The talisman fell!

In an instant, time seemed to be drawn away, and space seemed to freeze.

The Void Returning Puppet, which was frantically gathering energy, had its four Order Arms, which were about to swing down, suddenly restrained as if by an invisible giant lock!
The terrifying energy fluctuations that expanded rapidly, comparable to the power of returning to the void, were like being choked by an invisible hand the moment the Four Symbols Divine Talisman descended!
The Void Returning Puppet raised its ferocious head high, emitting a silent, destructive roar. The runes that formed its body, flowing with the five primal powers and containing the mysteries of creation, flickered, twisted, and dimmed violently, like a branding iron plunged into ice water. Its massive body convulsed violently, abruptly dragged from its peak state of absolute dominance back to a semi-frozen state!
"Impossible! You're not cultivating the Primordial Chaos, you're cultivating the Supreme Purity Secretly Transmitted Brightness Talisman Scripture!" Xie Chenxiao's soul was connected to the puppet, and the enormous backlash was like a ton-ton hammer slamming into the depths of his mind.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of bright red blood, his face instantly turning ashen, with blood trickling from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

The oppressive force emanating from the Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Talisman not only suppressed the Void Returning Puppet, but also severed his divine sense channel! He felt as if he had been stripped of even a fraction of his control!
But the fatal thing is that one in a thousand breaths!
Just as the sealing power, which was close to the Void Returning stage, reached its peak, the Void Returning puppet froze, and Xie Chenxiao suffered a severe injury and lost his composure.

A faint five-colored sword light suddenly appeared!
fast!
It was faster than thought! Faster than the remaining gravity on the altar! Faster than the barrier of space itself!
Almost no one saw how Lu Cheng broke through the near-void gravity constraint. Just as the Four Symbols Talisman reached its peak of power and Xie Chenxiao's mind trembled and he coughed up blood, Lu Cheng's figure seemed to "grow" directly from the void.

The Five Elements Flying Sword he wielded had long since concealed all its dazzling brilliance, condensing only a point of the Five Elements Thunder Sword's essence, so pure and sharp as to pierce through time and space!
One sword, no return!
The sword is drawn without regard for self!

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, there seemed to be only this silent sword light, yet it seemed capable of severing the trajectory of all things!
puff!
It made a soft sound, like a bubble bursting or a sharp blade cutting through silk.

The sword, whether cold or hot, passed over the puppet, sliced ​​through Xie Chenxiao's throat, and swept past in a flash.

Xie Chenxiao froze, all color draining from his face, leaving only cold sweat pouring down his back. His prized Creation Returning Void Puppet, which he was so proud of and which could even briefly rival the Returning Void Realm, seemed to have all its power drained from its massive body. The destructive light in its eyes suddenly went out, and the chaotic aura surrounding it instantly dissipated.

Crackling sounds spread across its massive body. Having lost the support of its core energy and been struck by the wisp of sword energy that pierced its armor, this terrifying behemoth could no longer maintain its form.

boom!
With a heavy, deafening roar, as if a small mountain had collapsed, the Void Returning Puppet disintegrated on the altar.

The Black Iron Giant Ape's arm, fragments of a hundred weapons, pieces of the Star Core, the faint light of the Eye of the Flowing Wind, and the embers of the Molten Gold Furnace... all crashed onto the altar like hailstones, raising clouds of dust and turbulent energy.

The dust has settled. The outcome is decided.

(End of this chapter)