Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 525 Yunya's Move Overturns the Galaxy, Lucheng Holds Up the Tower, Xuanhuang Shines (Seeking Rewards and Subscriptions!)

The Doutian Platform, forged from star debris, now seemed to float at the edge of the universe.

High in the sky, only here is the celestial glow woven like silk, and the clouds surge and roll like a raging sea, supporting this battle that is destined to be recorded in the holy history of the human race.

The Nascent Soul realm isn't particularly advanced, but cultivators who can ascend to the Immortal Pool to fight for the title of Human Champion, as long as they don't perish along the way, can easily leave their mark on the long annals of history.

Above the suspended celestial platform, countless beings possessed profound and unfathomable auras.

The elders of the nine human clans, the leaders of the thirty-six sects, and even the representatives of several powerful holy lands from beyond the realm all focused their gazes on the two figures at the center of the altar.

Countless powerful divine thoughts intertwined to form an invisible giant net, enveloping this land of fallen stars.

"The battle for supremacy in the Immortal Pool will determine the victor, who will become the contemporary Dao Child of the human race and enjoy the favor of the Holy Realm. This battle is for seeking one's own path and for protecting the destiny of the human race! Begin!"

"clang--!"

The ancient, weathered sound of the bell pierced through the sea of ​​clouds, echoing deep within the souls of every spectator.

To the left stands Daoist Yunya of the Shangqing Sect. His jade-green Daoist robe shimmers with spiritual light, and his face is slender and refined, like an ancient star that has endured countless vicissitudes without being tarnished. Only his eyes shine like the billions of stars reflected in the depths of a cold pool.

His aura was as solid as a mountain, yet as vast as a galaxy. As the Holy Realm declared the start of the duel, his intangible yet omnipresent natal magic weapon, the "Star Chessboard," was already laid out.

Yunya Daoren was a highly skilled weapon refiner who had also encountered many fortuitous events, making him extremely wealthy. His Star Chessboard was a top-tier seventh-order magic weapon, and it had also developed spirituality and immense power.

Other powerful magical artifacts consume a great deal of the user's spiritual sense and magical power, while the Star Chessboard only consumes the cultivator's magical power and greatly enhances the cultivator's spiritual sense.

As Daoist Yunya summoned his natal magic weapon, Lu Cheng, who cultivated the Fiery Eyes Golden Gaze Technique, saw black and white lines crisscrossing and overlapping in the world.

On the chessboard, the black and white pieces were not illusory, but rather physical objects made from the superior magical treasures that Daoist Yunya had refined and collected over thousands of years. The Daoist runes and incantations condensed on them, with each subtle flicker, triggered several laws. Strands of purple energy were quietly gathering in the depths of his sleeves along countless invisible chess pieces, as if nurturing some kind of magical power that even Lu Cheng feared.

The innate calculation of the Great Dao uses Heaven and Earth as the framework and all living beings as the pieces. No one can escape its influence, and every move is in harmony with the infinite secrets of the heavens and the constellations.

To the right stands Lu Cheng, a Daoist from the Taiqing Sect. His plain Daoist robe is spotless, and his aura is as deep and restrained as a pool. The soaring spirit he had displayed while overcoming obstacles and tribulations has been completely suppressed, leaving only a quiet and unassuming demeanor.

The Xuanhuang Pagoda, a treasure of acquired merit, hangs at the top of the gate, with countless streams of Xuanhuang energy flowing down from it, heavy and majestic, embodying the Taoist concept of "great virtue carries all things."

Daoist Yunya used heaven and earth as a chessboard. The moment he unleashed his natal magic weapon, the Star Chessboard, Lu Cheng should have launched a swift attack with his sword. Otherwise, the more pieces the opponent made, the more he would suffer.

However, Daoist Yunya was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, while Lu Cheng was at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. He could even break through to the Void Returning stage at any time, but he was suppressing his magical power progress for this Immortal Pool Sword Battle and did not break through.

Given this disparity, Lu Cheng realized that he couldn't quickly destroy the Starry Chessboard. Therefore, rather than exhausting himself and losing his composure, he should play a proper game with his opponent.

'The Great Dao of Innate Calculation clashes with the Great Dao of Innate Power; this is the will of Heaven, and there is no way to escape it.'

A thought flashed through Lu Cheng's mind. Beneath his feet, a barely perceptible five-colored halo quietly merged into the void beneath him. The aura of the five elements flowed subtly, forming a perfect echo with the pagoda above his head, appearing and disappearing in perfect harmony, ready for battle.

In the early stages of this magical duel, it was extremely uninteresting, almost a replica of Lu Cheng's previous magical duel with the monk Daoyun of Xiji Zen Temple.

Both Monk Daoyun and Daoist Yunya set up formidable defensive formations at the start to counteract the protective power of the Merit Xuanhuang Pagoda.

However, Dao Yun's goal was merely to force a draw. What made Yun Ya Dao Ren different from him was that he could convert all the defensive magic treasures he had set up into offensive power when needed.

This senior brother from the Shangqing Sect is known as "Duobao!"

Lu Cheng certainly didn't just watch him unleash one magical treasure after another onto the Heavenly Mystery Disc and then attack and kill with flying swords. Although it was impossible to break through the Heavenly Mystery Disc's defense in a short time, he still wanted to consume as much of Yunya Daoist's spiritual power and slow down his overall strategy as possible during this process.

However, Daoist Yunya, having spent his life refining artifacts, possessed several Yuan Magnetic Magic Treasures. These Yuan Magnetic Magic Treasures were not only powerful, but could also restrain metal-type magic treasures and flying swords.

Yunya Daoist set up a game on the chessboard to lure Lu Cheng's flying sword to attack. Several Yuan Magnetic Magic Treasures suddenly appeared as surprise weapons, which then captured the sword light of Lu Cheng's flying sword.

If Lu Cheng hadn't possessed the Five Elements Immortal Qi, a divine power that combined with the sword light, allowing him to draw it away in time, the Five Elements Flying Sword would have suffered spiritual damage even if it hadn't been captured.

"Troublesome. Although this Yuan Magnetic Divine Power is difficult to master and easy to break, it is indeed extremely effective against sword cultivators. Daoist Yunya is skilled at crafting Yuan Magnetic Magic Treasures, so even the aspect of being difficult to master and easy to break is negligible. It's truly formidable!"

Because of Yunya Daoist's several Yuan Magnetic Magic Treasures, Lu Cheng became much more cautious in controlling his sword light. Later, he simply used the Blood Talisman Profound Aperture Divine Power, transforming into a talisman sword/blood sword several times, clashing and slashing from both sides. However, Yuan Magnetic Magic Treasures not only countered metal magic treasures and flying swords, but also had extremely strong attack power, damaging people's blood and vital energy. Lu Cheng was somewhat hesitant to use the Profound Heaven Divine Art in full view of everyone, and ultimately could not unleash its full potential. After transforming into the Boundless Blood Sea Divine Sword several times, he stopped transforming.

“Junior Brother Lu, the Taiqing lineage has been dormant for ten thousand years. Today, you are leading the revival, which is truly admirable. It is my great fortune to be able to verify the Daoist teachings I have learned with you on this altar.”

After the two sides had been playing chess, entangled, and fighting for three days and three nights, the other side suddenly spoke like this.

Yunya Daoren's voice was gentle and peaceful, penetrating the spatial barriers of the Star Chessboard and clearly reaching Lu Cheng's ears.

Although it was a kind remark, Lu Cheng suddenly felt a tightness all over his body.

The moment he finished speaking, the illusory black and white chessboard beneath his feet suddenly solidified.

hum!
In an instant, the space of the entire Doutian Platform was stretched and distorted, and countless illusory stars appeared out of thin air, transforming into "chess pieces" that were either dazzling, dim, exploding, or silent, and began to operate according to extremely mysterious trajectories.

The center point, the star points, the ko fights... these life-or-death mysteries of the game of Go have now all turned into traps and killing fields!
Lu Cheng felt as if all the surrounding scenery had vanished in an instant, and he felt as if he had fallen alone into a boundless universe, with endless starlight all around him. Yun Ya's figure had merged into the depths of this sea of ​​stars, omnipresent yet nowhere to be found.

A force as heavy as ten thousand stars pressing down, and as sharp as the celestial stars, swept in from all directions.

The opponent's strategy was complete, and at this moment, they finally switched from defense to offense.

"Play the Star Luo, control the Heavenly Origin. Begin, place your piece!"

Yun Ya's voice seemed to be the will of this universe. Without him making any move, a crystal-clear "white piece"—actually a magic treasure—condensed into a rhombus-shaped crystal of pure law, with a sharp shriek that tore through the void, crossed space and suddenly appeared three inches in front of Lu Cheng's brow!

It's fast, faster than you can imagine, even ignoring spatial distance!
Before Lu Cheng could even blink, the "white piece" had already landed with overwhelming power, the Xuanhuang Pagoda hummed on its own, and the Xuanhuang energy hanging down suddenly expanded and solidified.

clang! ! !
A deafening clang of metal clashing resounded throughout the universe. The spatial white pieces shattered into fragments of silver light. The powerful impact caused the hanging primordial energy to ripple violently, yet it ultimately blocked the sudden attack. However, this was only the beginning. Lu Cheng's eyes narrowed. Instead of advancing, he retreated. He activated his escape technique, and with a flash of spiritual light, his figure left an afterimage in place. His true form, like a streak of light, shot straight towards the location of Yun Ya's main body in his memory.

"Excellent escape technique, excellent eye power!" Yun Ya's voice carried a hint of approval, yet it also revealed a cold and ruthless undertone.
"This entire galaxy chessboard is my territory! Dragon-trapping Lock—Void Condensation!"

Swish swish!
Several enormous "black pieces" suddenly condensed in the void ahead of Lu Cheng's sprint trajectory.

These "black pieces" were essentially several magical artifacts such as flags, swords, gourds, rulers, and scissors. At this moment, however, they were condensed into the immense, extremely yin and cold "Xuanming Star Fiend". They were interconnected and instantly froze that space!

As if an invisible, cold steel gate had suddenly appeared out of thin air, Lu Cheng's figure stopped abruptly, as if he had crashed into an invisible ice wall, his speed decreased sharply, and at the same time, the cold aura spread along the space, attempting to freeze him completely in this location!
Because the entire space is frozen in one piece, the Xuanhuang Pagoda is useless. If it is frozen, the insects inside the amber will be confined.

"Break the evil with fire!" Lu Cheng shouted, his hand seals changing. He summoned a seventh-order true fire talisman and activated it. A blazing white spark flew from his fingertip, growing larger with the wind, transforming into a ball of raging flame that crashed fiercely into the spatial barrier formed by the Xuanming Star Evil.

*Swoosh!* *Boom!*

Extreme cold collides with extreme heat, and the ear-piercing sound of ice and fire annihilating each other tears through the void.

The bizarre sight of red and blue briefly appeared; although the flames did not completely break through the blockade, they melted a twisted crack through it.

Just as Lu Cheng was about to break through the gap, the starlight above his head suddenly dimmed!
A "calamity star" several meters in diameter, swirling with blood-red malevolent energy, and a massive black chess piece filled with star-fierce power, carrying a destructive intent that would make most Void Returning cultivators' scalps tingle, silently condensed from the void above and crashed down.

This attack sealed off all of Lu Cheng's escape routes.

"Mysterious Yellow Pagoda, suppress!"

hum!
The Xuanhuang Pagoda above Lu Cheng's head burst forth with unprecedented brilliance. The pagoda grew taller in the wind, instantly transforming into a giant pagoda phantom tens of feet high. Nine layers of precious light flowed around it, and various illusions of humanity, mountains and rivers rose and flowed around the pagoda.

The crimson star crashed onto the top of the tower, creating a deafening roar!
Boom! ! !
The energy storm spread wildly in a visible ring, causing the protective light screens of the surrounding viewing platforms to shake violently!

Countless low- and mid-level cultivators were shaken to their core, nearly injured by the lingering shockwaves.

The crimson aura and the primordial yellow aura clashed and annihilated each other, causing the pagoda to tremble violently. Even Lu Cheng's figure below the pagoda sank slightly, as if he felt considerable pressure falling on him.

"What a treasure of merit! It actually withstood the full force of my 'Blood-Weeping Calamity'! Junior Brother Lu, do you know that unleashing just one of these Calamities destroys a high-grade Nascent Soul magic weapon? Even I would find it difficult to restore it to its former glory." Yun Ya's voice carried a hint of solemnity, yet also revealed an even stronger fighting spirit:
"However, I am determined to win this battle. My sect elders have placed their expectations on me, and I cannot fail them after thousands of years of arduous cultivation! Dingling will perish, and the Nine Luminaries will be trapped!"

The Taoist Yunya's sleeves fluttered, and with a series of finger gestures, the starry chessboard transformed once more.

Nine points of light of varying sizes and auras—Rahu, Ketu, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn—collectively known as the Nine Luminaries, appeared instantly within a few feet of Lu City according to their positions.

The nine beams of light shot out simultaneously, not as an attack, but as chains of law like living vines, instantly wrapping around the Xuanhuang Pagoda.

These nine chains of light were not pulled by brute force, but carried a completely different power of erosion: the golden sharpness cut through the tower body, the yin energy weakened the treasure light, and the yang fire burned the foundation... It was actually trying to forcibly sever the connection between the Xuanhuang Pagoda and the cultivator, and forcibly suppress and seal it!
In just a few months, Daoist Yunya was able to come up with such a way to break the deadlock. His talent is truly unimaginable.

The Xuanhuang Pagoda's radiance fluctuated violently, emitting a mournful hum, as the descending Xuanhuang energy was continuously eroded and severed by the nine-colored light chains.

The scrolls of salvation and humanity flowing on the tower became blurred and dim, and the Nine Luminaries Binding God Rope actually subtly restrained the Xuanhuang Pagoda!
Lu Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted. This Yunya Daoist's methods were indeed far superior to all his previous opponents. Although it was only a brief suppression, he actually managed to find the flaw in the use of the Xuanhuang Pagoda!
"You want to destroy my pagoda? This Nine Luminaries Starlight is not enough!" Lu Cheng took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with sharp light. The Five Elements Demonic Thunder of the Profound Heaven Divine Art was running wildly within his body, and five-colored light emanated from his body, making him look like a god who existed innately.

"The Five Elements revolve, Yin and Yang give birth! Thunder Sword—Destruction!"

Crimson fire sword energy, dark blue sunflower water sword energy, turquoise wood sword light, dark yellow earth sword energy, and platinum metal sword edge: five different but fundamentally the same thunderous sword lights, with a purity and refinement surpassing the previous ones, burst forth from his fingertips, palms, feet, brows, and chest!

These five sword lights did not shoot directly at the Seven Star Light Chain, but instead followed a mysterious trajectory, instantly forming a five-element sword wheel that is ever-renewing and inexhaustible!

The Five Elements Flying Sword, a natal magic weapon, was thrown into the sword wheel as Lu Cheng Daoist opened his mouth and spat it out, enhancing its power. At the core of the sword wheel, a point of boundless lightning, resembling the first creation of heaven and earth, was faintly visible!
The five-colored lightning sword wheel spun wildly, carrying a terrifying aura of cutting, destroying, and obliterating everything, and crashed into the nine light chains wrapped around the Xuanhuang Pagoda!
Sizzle! Boom! Crack!

The laws clashed, lightning flashed, and metal clanged!

The Five Elements Sword Wheel is an unparalleled destructive divine power, while the Nine Star Chains is a versatile sealing technique.

The two elements clashed to the extreme: the sharp Geng metal sword energy sliced ​​through the Yin Sha chains, bursting forth with dazzling sparks; the raging Li fire thunder aura burned the Yang fire chains, causing waves of fire to surge back; the heavy earth element sword energy resisted the sharp metal cutting, producing a piercing sound like metal rubbing against jade; the agile Yi wood sword light entwined the water element chains, sprouting countless wooden vines; the soft and gentle Kui water sword aura impacted the earth element chains, corroding and dissolving them... The mutual generation and restraint of attributes were used to the extreme at this moment!

Lu Cheng stood to one side of the sword wheel, continuously pouring his divine sense and magical power into it to maintain its endless operation.

His hands moved with lightning speed, veins bulging on his forehead, his divine power and magic were already running at their limit.

Meanwhile, Daoist Yunya's expression was extremely solemn. He continuously circulated his magic incantations to maintain the power of the Nine Star Chains. On the starry chessboard, the moves changed, and he frantically mobilized all the star power to enhance it. For the first time, the two were engaged in the purest and most dangerous battle of spiritual and magical power.

Finally, the nine luminaries shone brightly, and the star threads resembled dragons!

The nine chains of starlight, formed by the immense power of the stars and supported by nine top-grade Nascent Soul magic treasures, seemed to descend from the heavens like a galaxy, forcefully suppressing the Xuanhuang Pagoda and pulling it down above Lu Cheng's head.

The runes flowing on the starlight chains clung to the pagoda like living things, emitting a "sizzling" sound. This spell, of course, could not destroy the Xuanhuang Pagoda, but rather sealed it. Even this seal was only temporary, but it was enough for Daoist Yunya.

The pagoda hummed and trembled, and the golden light of merit and the power of human vows flowing on its body surged wildly, as if the indomitable will of ancient beings was roaring.

However, the "Nine Luminaries Trapping God" technique, which Yunya Daoren had been planning for a long time, was fully unleashed. The star chessboard shone brightly, and a continuous stream of vast star power was poured into the star ropes. Like nine giant pythons devouring the sky, it locked and peeled away the power of the treasure of merit, making its connection with Lu City become ethereal and weak. In the end, it was forcibly dragged and turned into a stream of light, imprisoned at the edge of the chessboard. Only the dim light of the tower body flickered uncertainly in the star prison, almost completely isolated from the world.

"Now is the time!" Daoist Yunya's eyes flashed like cold stars. With the Xuanhuang Pagoda, his most solid reliance, temporarily sealed, Lu Cheng's own energy circulation inevitably slowed down during the clash of magical power.

Yunya Daoist's situation was different. Although his spiritual energy and magical power consumption far exceeded that of Lu Cheng, he had been planning for a long time and had switched from defense to offense. How could he let go of this fleeting opportunity? He suddenly swept his hands across the star chessboard!
"Ten Thousand Stars Guidance!"

In an instant, the entire Doutian Dharma Platform seemed to sink into the core of the universe.

Countless dazzling stars of varying sizes, some crashing down like mountains, others shooting like bullets, carrying destructive stellar power, descended from all directions, from the heavens and the earth, transforming into an indiscriminate torrent of stars that relentlessly engulfed the location of Lu City!

Rumble!
That wasn't a loud bang, but a tremendous lament formed by the simultaneous explosion, collision, and friction of hundreds and thousands of stars!
That space was torn to pieces by the violent force of the falling stars, revealing deep, twisted void rifts behind it.

The chaotic light and surging energy combined to form a chaotic and desolate realm, completely engulfing the figure of Daoist Lu Cheng.

(End of this chapter)