Immortals of the End Times

Ancient Sword Domain, Mirror Lake Sword Realm.

"boom!"

A disheveled figure was thrown backward from the boiling lake, his robes torn in several places by the sword energy; it was Huang Shang.

He stumbled to the ground, his cloudy old eyes fixed on the lake.

At this moment, the entire Mirror Lake resembled a raging sword mound, with countless water droplets transforming into three-inch green blades that shot out and intertwined on the water's surface to form an impenetrable sword net.

"This is the seventh time."

Huang Shang's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

Three hundred zhang!
This was the limit of how far he could go in this mirror-like lake.

Even with his current mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, when pushed to the limit, his protective spiritual light was still very fragile in front of those water swords containing the phantom of the Sword Realm.

However, after holding out for only a short while, he was forced to retreat outside the lake by the sharp sword energy.

"Did that little girl Yan Lan really find the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great here?"

He stared at the raging lake, his brow furrowed.

The girl's presence has been gone for more than half a month.

If they were truly in the lake, they would probably have been torn to shreds by that terrifying sword energy long ago!
give up?

He nipped the idea in the bud as soon as it arose.

Although the Ancient Sword Domain offers many opportunities, very few can compare to the Nine Cauldrons of Yu the Great.

"It's not a problem with the lake, nor is it a problem with one's cultivation level."

Huang Shang suddenly clenched his fist.

"My swordsmanship level is not high enough!"

He frowned.

This Mirror Lake sword energy cannot be overcome by brute force alone.

Even if he recovers his late-stage Nascent Soul strength based solely on his cultivation level, he probably won't come out on top!

"Sword skills: Zhao Wuji, Lin Dengxian."

He narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy pupils.

If those two were here, with their swordsmanship skills, they might actually be able to reach the bottom of the lake.

Especially Zhao Wuji.

If Yan Lan really disappears in the lake, that kid will definitely not sit idly by!

But this ancient sword domain is neither too big nor too small, so finding that kid won't be easy.

As Huang Shang frowned in deep thought, little did he know that a pair of sharp eyes were secretly watching him.

The person hiding in the shadows was none other than Zhao Wuji, who had used an invisibility spell.

His gaze locked onto the hunched figure with lightning speed.

"How did this old monster end up in the Ancient Sword Domain?"

Alarm bells rang in Zhao Wuji's mind: "Where did he get his ancient sword token? And when did he infiltrate it?"

Sensing that something was amiss, he immediately used the portal of the Pot Heaven Space to communicate with Yan Lan telepathically.

"No wonder I could never sense that old ghost's presence from the outside."

Yan Lan's voice was grave, "So he actually infiltrated the Sword Domain without a sound. How should we deal with him now?"

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed with a cold light: "Judging from this situation, this old ghost must have discovered the Nine Cauldrons of Yu the Great at the bottom of the lake. With his temperament, I'm afraid he will not give up until he achieves his goal."

He hesitated for a moment, then said coldly, "Observe him secretly for a few days. If he insists on not leaving..."

At this point, a cold smile appeared in his eyes: "Then let's lure him into the lake!"

"Lure him into the lake?" Yan Lan asked, her tone filled with doubt.

"good."

Zhao Wuji nodded, "We'll make our move in Mirror Lake, using the power of the sword energy there. Even if we can't take his life, we'll make him suffer greatly."

He said in a serious tone, "But you must never show yourself. If I fail, I will flee immediately and will not let you be in danger."

"Yes, you're right. Let's do it your way."

Yan Lan nodded slightly, her eyes sparkling.

She and Zhao Wuji were secretly plotting the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great, and Huang Shang was still kept in the dark. The two sides had not yet completely broken off relations.

If they were to rashly join forces to attack Huang Shang at this moment, it would be a complete showdown, leaving no room for maneuver.

Both of them understood this implicitly, but still had some reservations.

Firstly, the clues about the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great that Huang Shang has collected over the years are closely related to the Zhenhai Stele, and we still need to use him to find out the whereabouts of the other nine tripods.

Secondly, if you try to kill a snake but fail, you will be harmed instead.

Without absolute certainty of a fatal blow, acting rashly will only put Yan Lan in danger.

Thirdly, Yan Lan can still obtain ancient techniques and resources from Huang Shang. Turning against him now would be a losing proposition.

Therefore, unless Zhao Wuji can completely kill Huang Shang this time, devour his soul and seize his memories related to the Nine Cauldrons of Yu the Great, there is no need to involve Yan Lan as well.

Just as Zhao Wuji made up his mind, Huang Shang on the other side also secretly made his decision.

"Wait another half month!"

A sinister glint flashed in Huang Shang's old eyes as he thought to himself, "I have already taught that brat Lin Dengxian the method of sensing Yan Lan's aura."

Logically speaking, that kid should have found this place by now. Why is he still nowhere to be found?

He stroked his long beard with his thin fingers, his eyes gleaming: "Enough, rather than this old man running around searching, I'd rather wait here and wait for the rabbit to come to me."

This place is rich in spiritual energy, making it an ideal location for cultivation.

Thinking of this, he flipped his sleeve, and a simple square cauldron shaped like a deer's head appeared in his hand.

Jade is inlaid at the forked part of the antlers, symbolizing the vitality of nature. The body of the tripod is entwined with vines and reliefs of grains, interspersed with patterns of medicinal herbs.

The cauldron is inscribed with the two characters 'Yanzhou', exuding an aura of vicissitudes and antiquity.

"With the aid of this Yanzhou Cauldron, a symbol of vitality, and the spiritual energy of this place, I will surely be able to recover my late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation more quickly."

Huang Shang's lips curled into a cold smile. "If there really is another Nine Cauldron hidden in this Mirror Lake, we might be able to use the Yanzhou Cauldron to lure it out."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "In this world of cultivation, strength ultimately reigns supreme. If Lin Dengxian doesn't show himself by the time I recover to the late Nascent Soul stage..."
"Then I'll go find Zhao Wuji. With my late-stage Nascent Soul strength, I'm sure I can subdue that eccentric brat and force him to help me explore Mirror Lake!"

In the shadows, Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed like lightning as he stared intently at the ancient square cauldron in Huang Chang's hand.

"That's the Yanzhou Cauldron? The Yanzhou Cauldron known as the Cauldron of Life!"

His pupils contracted slightly.

As Huang Chang activated the cauldron with hand seals, the spiritual patterns on its body flowed, drawing in all the spiritual energy from all directions like a whale sucking in water.

The spiritual mist inside the cauldron surged and condensed into drops of crystal-clear spiritual dew in the blink of an eye, emitting a captivating and rich fragrance.

"That old devil"

Zhao Wuji's eyes grew cold. "It seems you've made up your mind to cultivate here."

A sense of foreboding arose in his heart.

If Huang Chang were allowed to cultivate here, his strength would increase by leaps and bounds.

With this shift in power, it will be even more difficult to deal with in the future.

He held back for the time being and secretly observed for several more days.

Seeing that Huang Shang was indeed staying by the lakeside, not leaving for a moment, a cold glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes.

"Can't wait any longer!"

He slightly spread his five fingers, and a sword aura was faintly visible in his palm.

If we can severely injure this old ghost, we can then seize the Yanzhou Cauldron from his hands.
The thought flashed through my mind.

In the past, he would never have had such a risky idea of ​​snatching something from the jaws of death.

But now, having slain several Nascent Soul cultivators and possessing a Nascent Soul-level demon tree clone, his strength is vastly different from what it once was.

He was armed with a deadly weapon, and his murderous intent naturally arose.

"Now, with the help of the clone, even though this old ghost has many tricks up his sleeve, he might still have a fighting chance!"

Zhao Wuji's figure blurred as he activated his invisibility technique to its maximum, silently approaching Huang Shang like a ghost.
His exceptional invisibility technique was pushed to its limit, so much so that even the movement of his clothes was perfectly concealed from the surrounding airflow.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he secretly made a 'scene-shifting technique' between his fingers.

The surrounding scenery suddenly fell into an eerie stillness.

Falling leaves swirled naturally, ripples spread across the lake, and even the spiritual mist emanating from the Yanzhou Cauldron in front of Huang Shang continued to surge.

"It's done!"

Zhao Wuji was thrilled and floated to the front of the cauldron like smoke.

In Huang Shang's view, the Yanzhou Cauldron remained completely unmoved, and even the vine reliefs entwined around its body were unchanged.

In reality, the true ancient cauldron has been perfectly concealed by the illusion created by the Shifting Scenery Technique. At this moment, Zhao Wuji is attempting to seal it away using the Qi Restriction Technique, severing its connection with Huang Shang, and slowly taking it away.

"Um?!"

Huang Shang's old eyes suddenly snapped open, and his withered hand pressed hard against his chest.

His spiritual connection with the Yanzhou Ding was like a vibrating string on a musical instrument.

The Yanzhou Cauldron was right in front of him, but his divine sense showed that the connection between it and himself was rapidly weakening!
"presumptuous!!"

A furious shout shattered the silence of the lakeside.

Suddenly, a hazy, grayish nascent soul light burst forth from Huang Shang's crown chakra, and he abruptly waved his sleeve.

The rusty dragon seal in his sleeve rose into the air, and the nine coiled dragon patterns wrapped around the seal suddenly came to life, spewing out billowing turbid dragon energy from their mouths.

The turbid air condensed into nine rusty chains in mid-air, hissing as they corroded the void, instantly shattering the surrounding illusions and heading straight for Zhao Wuji's vital points.

"That old guy, such a quick reaction. Almost there!"

Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted sharply, and as his sleeves rolled up, the Bewitching Fan flew out.

With a 'whoosh' sound like tearing silk, the ink-splashed landscape on the fan surface instantly came to life.

Amidst the surging sea of ​​clouds, countless graceful celestial figures descended upon the clouds.

A fairy, ethereal and graceful, holding a cup of fine wine, floated in the air.

There were elderly men with white hair and youthful faces playing chess and discussing profound matters, and thousands of celestial maidens scattering flowers and dancing.

Bewitching clouds, intoxicating mist!

The scene before Huang Shang's eyes suddenly distorted, and the sharp, rusty chains paused involuntarily.

His primordial spirit felt as if it were trapped in a quagmire, and all he could hear was ethereal celestial music.

Although it was only for a brief moment, it caused the old monster to sway slightly.

For so many years, someone has actually managed to shake his Dao heart with illusions!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Just then, three sobering stones flew through the air like meteors falling to earth, taking their places in the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

The ancient wine patterns engraved on the stone surface suddenly lit up, transforming into three golden beams that shot into the sky.

Zhao Wuji rolled up his sleeves, and a jar of Lion King Wine flew out into the air.

With a "crack," the wine jar shattered, and the amber-colored wine poured out like a celestial river, intertwining with the golden light of the three sobering stones to form a net.

The rich aroma of alcohol mingled with the bewitching mist, rapidly condensing in the void into a grand array called 'Drunken Dream'.

"Chi chi chi!!"

The moment Huang Shang's protective aura came into contact with the wine mist, it melted away like snow meeting the blazing sun.

The misty wine contained the Daoist essence of the ancient god of wine, which could even corrode the spiritual power of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

His body swayed, his expression changed drastically, and he felt his spiritual energy sluggish and difficult to move, as if he were drunk.

"How dare you, youngster!"

Huang Shang roared like thunder, letting out a long howl.

"Riding the six dragons to rule the heavens!"

His once plump face instantly withered like a skeleton, and six dragon-shaped streams of pure energy burst forth from his seven orifices.

The pure energy grew taller with the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into six giant dragons, each a hundred feet long. This was the long-lost 'Six Dragons Control Technique'!
"Roar!!" The Azure Dragon's massive tail swept across, sending the Bewitching Fan flying.

The crimson dragon breathed fire, burning away all the wine mist.

The black dragon's claw tore through the void, and the three sobering stones were launched outwards with a bang.

The remaining three giant dragons coiled around, firmly protecting the Yanzhou Cauldron in the center.

"fragmented!!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his figure, as ethereal as smoke and mist, approached the Yanzhou Cauldron.

With his right hand spread wide, a bluish-green light from the Disintegration Technique spread like a spider web, and a dazzling bluish light burst from his fingertips.

"Tsk!"

The moment the blue light of the Disintegration Technique touched the mouth of the cauldron, the spiritual dew inside shattered like a mirror.

The spiritual dew was instantly cut into thousands of crystalline fragments, each drop floating in the void like a star, refracting brilliant light.

"receive!!"

Zhao Wuji had a rolled-up robe.

The countless fragments of spiritual dew, like an inverted Milky Way, were forcibly collected by him using the Disintegration Technique, condensing into a crystal waterfall in mid-air and pouring into his sleeve.

"Asshole!!"

Huang Shang laughed in anger, his hunched body suddenly straightened, and the terrifying pressure of the mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm erupted like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami, instantly freezing the air within a hundred feet.

Six giant dragons of spiritual energy roared to the sky, their cries causing ripples to spread through the void.

The six dragon claws extended simultaneously.

The claws were wrapped in a suffocating Nascent Soul Daoist aura, and wherever they passed, the void was torn apart with pitch-black cracks like rotten paper.

"boom!"

Before the attack even landed, the spiritual impact contained in the dragon's roar caused Zhao Wuji to grunt, his sea of ​​consciousness trembled violently, and the spiritual barrier constructed by the Exorcism Technique cracked under the strain.

Just as the dragon's claws were about to strike, a cold glint appeared in his eyes, and he suddenly flicked his sleeve.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, the cuffs burst open, and countless dark gold blood branches emerged like mad pythons, instantly intertwining to form a gigantic arm hundreds of feet long.

The giant arm was wrapped in gnarled vines, with dark gold patterns flowing like living things.

The brute force of Xiang Yu's battle body surged between the muscle lines, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

"boom!"

The giant fist collided violently with the six dragon claw shadows, unleashing a deafening clang of metal against metal.

The three giant dragons were instantly blasted to pieces, turning into chaotic streams of spiritual energy.

The remaining three dragons let out a mournful roar and were about to pounce again.

"die!"

Zhao Wuji snorted coldly.

Suddenly, the dark gold giant arm on the cuff spread its five fingers wide, like a net from heaven and earth, and grabbed the necks of the three dragons!
"Roar!!"

The dragon struggled frantically, its tail lashing out and shattering the void.

However, the giant arm remained motionless, and the dark gold patterns suddenly shone with a dazzling blood-red light.

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, the three giant dragons were crushed to pieces!
The dragon-shaped spiritual energy exploded like fireworks, and the violent shockwave plowed a deep pit in the ground within a radius of a hundred feet.

Huang Shang's expression changed drastically, and his emaciated body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, carving a ditch dozens of feet long in the lake before he barely managed to regain his footing.

"What!?"

For the first time, a look of horror appeared in his old eyes.

The terrifying power and destructive force contained in that dark gold giant arm made him tremble with fear.

In that fleeting instant, Zhao Wuji lightly touched the surface of the lake with his toes, and his figure shot back into Mirror Lake like a fleeting shadow.

In an instant, the entire Mirror Lake boiled as if in fury, and thousands of water droplets transformed into chilling sword energy that shot forth.

"Let's go!!"

His eyes suddenly flashed with fierce power, and he made a hand seal with his sword fingers, causing a misty sword fog to rise around him.

The mist fell like a galaxy, each wisp containing the profound essence of swordsmanship.

The moment the incoming water sword touched the sword mist, it merged into it like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, becoming part of the sword domain.

"Zheng!"

The clear, melodious sound of a sword echoed throughout the lake.

Countless sword energies sensed the aura of the Sword Domain Lord and spontaneously parted to create a passage.

The water sword bowed low like a subject, circling around Zhao Wuji three zhang away, reflecting countless illusory sword images.

"Young man, don't you dare leave!"

Huang Shang roared like thunder, his withered hands tearing apart the layers of water curtains.

Just as he was about to touch the lake surface, the sword energy that had been so gentle to Zhao Wuji suddenly erupted!

"Shhhhh!!"

Thousands of water swords attacked like a swarm of silver fish, instantly weaving into an impenetrable sword net.

Huang Shang's robe was immediately torn to shreds, and dozens of fine bloodstains appeared on his old arm, forcing him to take three steps back and stagger back to the shore.

"Zhao Wuji!"

Huang Shang was furious, his hair and beard bristling, his dark blue robe fluttering wildly. "You little thief who stole the cauldron! Is this how your elders taught you?"

"Hahaha!!"

A clear, long laugh came from the bottom of the lake, the sound like the chime of a sword: "Senior Huang is too kind. I was just blind and didn't recognize you. I was just itching to do something."

However, if the senior is not satisfied...

His laughter suddenly turned sharp: "You're welcome to fight at the bottom of this lake! But I'm afraid you wouldn't even be able to get in, senior."

"presumptuous!!"

Huang Shang laughed in anger, his old eyes fixed on Zhao Wuji's figure as he disappeared into the lake. Between shock and anger, he secretly rejoiced.

"This junior can actually ignore the sword energy of Mirror Lake!"

His withered fingers clenched tightly, and he roared inwardly, "He will surely help me find the Nine Cauldrons! I must not let him escape!"

"Junior!"

Huang Shang let out a sharp roar, his voice as loud as thunder, "How dare you show such contempt for me! Today, on behalf of your sect elders, I will teach you a lesson about respect and hierarchy!"

"Wow!"

He suddenly flipped his sleeve, and a scroll of Xuanhuang Daoist scripture burst forth from the sky!

The moment the pages were turned, the ancient seal script on them seemed to come alive, revealing them to be the original pages of the "Wanshou Daozang" (Taoist Canon of Longevity)!
"Zhuang Zhou dreamt he was a butterfly... Who am I, and who is the butterfly!"

The old monster took a step forward, his hunched body suddenly becoming ethereal, as countless sword energies swept in.

"Shh!"

His figure transformed into thousands of colorful butterflies, fluttering and scattering into the lake!
As the butterfly's wings trembled, reality and illusion alternated, and the chilling sword energy seemed to pass through phantoms, all falling into empty air.

"what?!"

Zhao Wuji, who was fleeing ahead, suddenly narrowed his double pupils.

Thousands of colorful butterflies danced like starlight, leaving dazzling trails of light in the dark lake water, their diving speed no less than his.

At this moment, Yan Lan's urgent voice transmission came from within the Pot Heaven Space: "Nephew, be careful! This old monster's Longevity Daoist Canon is a collection of the essence of many Daoist scriptures from the Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties. The original pages of the Daoist scriptures contained within can be used to develop various arts and techniques of the philosophers."

"The old devil's hidden methods are beyond my comprehension!"

"Alright! Then I'll experience it for myself today!"

Zhao Wuji made a hand seal with his sword fingers, and the sword mist surrounding his body suddenly collapsed.

Countless fine sword energies gathered like silver fish, weaving into a spiral sword net behind him, and attacking Huang Chang.

Each sword aura reflected the illusory image of a different sword domain.

"Shhhhh!"

The sword net spun like a millstone, instantly shredding dozens of dream butterflies.

When the butterfly's wings break, they make a crisp, glassy sound, scattering colorful fragments like a dreamlike bubble.

"You are not a fish, how can you know the joy of a fish!"

A cold laugh came from Huang Shang amidst the swarm of butterflies.

Suddenly, countless colorful butterflies, like rivers flowing into the sea, collapsed towards a single central point.

In the instant the blue light surged, all the shattered fragments of the dream, like birds returning to their nests, were swallowed up by that brilliant blue light.

The next moment, it transformed into a three-foot-long green sword-like fish.

The fish scales are all made of fine sword patterns, and when the tail swings, it blends seamlessly with the sword energy of Mirror Lake, increasing its speed even further!

"Two hundred feet. This old monster is indeed troublesome! He has many tricks up his sleeve."

Zhao Wuji glanced at the increasingly dark lakebed below, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and patted his storage bag.

"Zheng!"

The hidden blade sheath emerged with a sound, its ancient Dao patterns lighting up inch by inch, like a sleeping beast suddenly opening its eyes.

The moment the scabbard opened wide, the long-accumulated sword energy surged forth like ten thousand dragons emerging from the abyss.

It actually condensed into a dazzling, hundred-foot-long sword rainbow in the lake water.

The sword rainbow was shimmering with seven-colored light, but at its core was a line of dazzling silver light.

Wherever it passed, the lake water automatically disintegrated, tearing a vacuum tunnel out of the dark lakebed.

Countless fine sword energies wandered along the edge of the passageway, each reflecting different sword realm phantoms, as if ten thousand swords were paying homage!
"laugh!!"

The swordfish's body was instantly pierced by the sword rainbow, and the thousands of sword patterns on its scales shattered at the same time.

Huang Shang groaned, his figure appearing, his withered chest bursting open with a blood hole the size of a bowl, and pale golden nascent blood floating in the water like pearls.

"hateful!"

The moment the blood trickling from the old monster's mouth left his body, it transformed into hundreds of scarlet swords that shot out in all directions.

"Buzz buzz!!"

Without the protection of the swordfish's perfect state, the entire Mirror Lake instantly boiled over!

Countless water swords, like a swarm of silver sharks drawn by the scent of blood, came crashing down from all directions.

Each sword aura, carrying a phantom of the sword realm, intertwined to form a net around Huang Chang.

"Gate of the Mysterious Female, open!!"

Huang Shang roared, pointing one finger to the sky and the other to the ground, and suddenly a blinding gray light burst forth from the top of his head.

An ancient and massive phantom image of a gate suddenly rose from the inner realm of his dantian and then appeared outside his body.

Ancient thunder patterns lit up one after another on the surface of the enormous portal, and the illusory image of the Jianmu tree pierced through the two realms like a jade pillar supporting the sky.

As the door opened and closed, a fleeting image of a celestial court appeared: a ladder to heaven with white jade steps, a lecture platform cast in glazed glass, and countless figures in feathered robes and star-studded crowns discussing the Dao in the sea of ​​clouds, as well as a magnificent scene of countless golden-armored generals wielding halberds and patrolling.

From within the portal, a chilling suction force emanated.

The incoming sword energy flowed like a hundred rivers into the sea, completely disappearing into the dark portal.

"The Gate of the Mysterious Female!" Zhao Wuji turned around and saw this scene, his mind reeling.

This was the second time he had witnessed Huang Shang summoning this gate to devour the attack.

"Boom!"

The moment the portal swallowed the sword energy, the lightning patterns on its surface flickered wildly, and it was violently shaken by the impact.

Huang Shang bled from all seven orifices at the same time, but took the opportunity to perform a hand seal and unleash the Free and Easy Wandering Technique.

In an instant, his body erupted with azure light, and his figure was pulled backward as if by an invisible hand, turning into a wisp of green smoke and rushing towards the lake before the thousands of sword energies converged.

"Young man! I'll be waiting for you outside! You can't escape!"

Huang Shang let out a long howl, which shook the undercurrents at the bottom of the lake.
(End of this chapter)