Immortals of the End Times

The twelve former Nascent Soul Dao Lords of the ancient Celestial Court are now all controlled by the corrupt Heavenly Dao, reduced to mindless and soulless beings.

Now, descending from beyond the Nine Heavens, the overwhelming spiritual power and Dao aura solidified into a tangible form. The twelve chains of tribulation and turbidity clanged, each chain entwined with a suffocating pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

With such a formidable force, it's no wonder that even peerless powerhouses like Zhang Zhenren and Xiang Yu suffered defeats and setbacks when they conquered the Nine Heavens.

At this moment, even if Zhao Wuji joined forces with Cang Yunzi and Wentian Sword Lord, the three Nascent Soul cultivators, it would be too late.

Furthermore, even Zhao Wuji's Jianmu clone, which had reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, felt helpless in the face of the terrifying formation of these twelve soulless beings.

Strangely, however, the twelve lost souls merely stared coldly at the four of them after their arrival, without immediately making a move.

This strange state seems to differ from the three soulless individuals encountered earlier.

But the chilling lock-on of that energy and Daoist aura was like a sword hanging overhead, clearly a warning.

If the four make the slightest move, they will be met with a thunderous strike.

"These lost souls."

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed like lightning, yet he remained calm and observant even at this critical moment of life and death.

He discovered that among these twelve people, besides Lu Ming and Yan Lingluo whom he had already recognized, there were four other figures whose auras felt strangely familiar to him.

That hunched-over old man was clearly Du, the Taoist priest in charge of incense offerings in the celestial court.

And behind them was an old man wearing a tattered robe with star patterns, who was none other than Zhu Muchen, the elder of the Treasure Pavilion.

What shocked him even more was that the aura emanating from the remaining two people was none other than that of the two Nascent Soul cultivators who had debated the Daoist principles in front of the Forest of Ten Thousand Laws Stele years ago.

"I never expected that these two Nascent Soul cultivators, whom I had advised and guided many times, would later advance to the Deity Transformation stage."

Zhao Wuji sighed inwardly, "It's a pity. In the end, I can't escape the fate of becoming a soulless person."

Just then, Cang Yunzi saw that the twelve lost souls were only looking at him coldly and did not make a move immediately. His tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he turned to look at Zhao Wuji, asking him in a telepathic message.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, do you have any good strategies to deal with this situation?"

Zhao Wuji's gaze was like lightning, and the double pupils in his eyes revealed a blood moon as he stared at the churning turbid mist outside the ninth heaven.

Deep within the mist, the colossal, single-eyed Heavenly Dao, faintly visible, coldly surveyed the scene.

After a moment of thought, he replied in a deep voice: "Although the way of Heaven has fallen, there is still a glimmer of hope."

As the saying goes, "Heaven never seals off all paths," this is the true meaning of the Great Way.

That is why these twelve fellow Daoists did not immediately make a move.

The Dao Seal between his brows flickered slightly as he continued, "But if we insist on continuing upwards, we are voluntarily giving up this chance of survival."

At that time, Heaven will have no more scruples, and we will be plunged into a perilous and desperate situation.

Upon hearing this, the sword intent in the eyes of the Sword Lord Wentian suddenly became as sharp as frost.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his green robe fluttering in the Soul-Burning True Fire emanating from all around him, and said in a loud voice: "Fellow Daoists, it is my great honor to be able to fight alongside you to reach the peak of the Ninth Heaven."

He made a hand seal to activate the Heavenly Sword beside him, and said slowly and deliberately, "My path is only the two words 'Asking Heaven'."

Now that I have come this far, if I cannot witness the true face of the Heavenly Dao with my own eyes, and cannot glimpse the truth behind the Nine Heavens, then my Dao heart will likely be tarnished.

As he spoke, he suddenly turned around, a sword mark between his brows flashing with a blinding cold light: "The road ahead is too dangerous. You two should retreat for now. Let my Heaven-Asking Sword pave a way out for you!"

"absurd!"

Upon hearing this, Cang Yunzi's white eyebrows shot up, and he resolutely shouted, "We have fought together to get here, how can we let you take the risk alone next?"
Moreover, these twelve are all former Nascent Soul cultivators of the Celestial Court. Even if your swordsmanship is unparalleled, you will find it difficult to discover the slightest flaw! There is absolutely no way you can find a way out.”

He knew perfectly well that asking the Heavenly Sword Master was not only the ultimate Dao he sought throughout his life, but also the object of his obsession.

His lifelong pursuit was to find the trace of his deceased father, who had disappeared here years ago, in the Nine Heavens.

But now, seeing these twelve soulless beings, each a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator from the ancient Celestial Court, everyone understood the situation.

His father was only at the Nascent Soul stage back then, and he probably died long ago.

There was absolutely no way they could survive such a scene, let alone be controlled by the Heavenly Dao and become soulless beings.

"Sect Master Cangyunzi is absolutely right."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, "Now that we have joined forces to reach this place, we should advance and retreat together. Besides..."

He raised his head and looked into the depths of the Ninth Heaven, his brows furrowing: "I also want to see with my own eyes what the Heavenly Dao is really like."

Perhaps just a glimpse would unravel many of the mysteries in my heart.

Despite this, he was perfectly clear-headed.

Throughout history, those who defy the will of Heaven have never met a good end.

Zhang Zhenren, Xiang Yu, and other peerless masters all ultimately met their demise.

Therefore, he had already made up his mind in secret.

If I can truly break through the encirclement of these twelve lost souls and glimpse the true face of the Heavenly Dao, I will immediately withdraw without lingering a moment longer, waiting until my strength and cultivation have advanced further before making further plans.
Zhao Wuji raised his head and looked at the twelve lost souls. The Dao Seal between his brows shimmered with golden light. He said in a deep voice, "We must eventually overcome this final hurdle. We may not be without a chance."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Cang Yunzi's expression relaxed slightly, and he raised his white eyebrows as he looked at him: "What good plan does Fellow Daoist Zhao have?"

Zhao Wuji's gaze sharpened, locking onto six figures: Lu Ming, Yan Lingluo, Zhu Muchen, the Earth God, and others. He pondered for a moment, then said, "If I join forces with my clone, we might be able to find an opportunity to deal with these six. As for the other six..."

He turned to look at Cang Yunzi and Wentian Sword Lord: "I need the two of you to temporarily handle things."

"what?"

Cang Yunzi and Wentian Jianjun were both startled, but then they remembered that Zhao Wuji possessed three great treasures: the Nine Cauldrons, the Sword Grass, and the Jianmu Tree, which were also a variable in the world.

Now, both the main body and the clone have entered the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and their cultivation is even superior to theirs.

Since they dared to make such an arrangement, they must have something to rely on.

The current situation is better than them blindly forcing their way in.

"it is good!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, please be careful!"

The two immediately agreed, and their Daoist auras erupted, their energy locking onto the remaining six soulless individuals like chains.

"town!!"

Cang Yunzi let out a low shout and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The nine mountain dharma images around him were suddenly dyed red by blood mist, rising thousands of feet high, like nine ancient divine mountains appearing out of nowhere.

The surface of the mountain was covered with flowing, dark yellow patterns, which even revealed the illusory image of the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces.

The winds and thunder of Qingzhou, the vast sea of ​​Yangzhou, and the fertile plains of Yuzhou—the fortunes of the nine provinces coiled like dragons, forming nine towering natural barriers that crashed down with a deafening roar!

"Boom boom boom!!"

The three soulless beings were instantly surrounded by nine mountains, their peaks swirling like millstones, their profound Daoist aura distorting the void.

At the base of each mountain, the ancient seal script characters "承天载物" (meaning "bearing the heavens and carrying all things") appeared.

The primordial energy cascaded down like a waterfall, pinning the three Nascent Soul cultivators to the spot, even causing the chains of tribulation between their brows to clang under the strain.

"Sword Realm! Open!"

The Sword Master Wentian ran his fingers along the sword's edge, smearing the blood between his fingers onto his brow, instantly causing the Dao mark on his brow to explode like the sun.

"Zheng!!"

The Heavenly Sword beside him suddenly split into three beams of clear light, each sword energy expanding to form its own small world.

Sword energy from the left border congeals into frost, and surging snow waves freeze everything.

Crimson flames blaze across the right realm, and the fire phoenix's long cry scorches and tears apart the nine netherworlds.

The starlight in the middle realm is like a chain, and thousands of sword threads intertwine to form the Zhou Tian Star Array!

Before the three lost souls could react, they were swallowed up by the Sword Realm like bubbles.

Where the sword light passed, the void cracked like a glass mirror, and the spells and attacks unleashed by the three were shredded inch by inch, turning into fireflies and dissipating.

Almost instantly, the two unleashed their most powerful techniques, each fighting against three opponents to temporarily hold off the six lost souls.

"it is good!"

Seeing this, Zhao Wuji's eyes blazed with golden light, and his fingertips moved like phantoms, forming hand seals. His array technique transformed into numerous Dao patterns, which condensed into a dazzling array plate in the void.

"Nine Cauldrons! Return to your positions!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Nine bronze cauldrons flew out from his sleeves, spinning wildly, their thunderous tolling echoing through the heavens.

The central cauldron, the Jizhou Cauldron, burst forth with dazzling dark yellow light, and the Dao patterns of "Nine Provinces Return to One" on its body lit up one by one.

The Qingzhou Cauldron roared with wind and thunder, the Yangzhou Cauldron surged with the vast sea, and the Jingzhou Cauldron's illusory mountain shadows rose and fell. The eight cauldrons, like stars surrounding the moon, formed an array with the Jizhou Cauldron at their core.

"boom!!"

At the point where the Daoist auras of the Nine Cauldrons converged, a phantom figure wearing a flat-topped crown suddenly materialized.

The phantom was clad in a dark yellow dragon robe and stood on a winding earth vein.

It was actually a projection of the ancient sage emperor Yu the Great!
The illusory figure of the human emperor raised his hand and pressed down, causing the Nine Cauldrons of Profound Yellow Qi to hang upside down like a celestial river, condensing into a ten-thousand-foot-long shackle.

Each chain was engraved with the ancient seal script "Establishing the Nine Provinces". Wherever it passed, the void collapsed, forcibly pinning Lu Ming and the other six soulless individuals in mid-air!

"Snap!!"

The chains of tribulation and turbidity between the brows of the six people trembled violently, twisted and deformed by the suppression of the Xuanhuang Daoist rhyme, and emitted a mournful cry of unbearable burden.

at the same time.

"Jianmu Tianluo!"

The demon tree's clone roared to the sky, causing its two-thousand-foot-tall trunk to tremble violently.

"Kusa!!"

Countless dragon-like roots broke through the soil, each one entwined with lapis lazuli patterns, and tender buds of Jianmu sprouted from the branches.

These tender shoots grow rapidly in the wind, and in an instant they transform into giant vines that are thousands of feet long!
The vines intertwined to form a sky-covering blue curtain, the surface of which flowed with the Daoist charm of Jianmu, like ancient blue dragons coming back to life!
That boundless vitality, originating from ancient times, actually condensed into tangible annual ring patterns in the void, spreading outwards in concentric circles, transforming the entire battlefield into the Jianmu Domain.

Before the six lost souls could break free from the suppression of the cauldron formation, they were entangled by countless giant vines.

"break!!"

The six lost souls struggled fiercely, each displaying their unique abilities.

Lu Ming's sword mark between his brows flashed, and as he made a hand seal, countless sharp sword energies poured down like a torrential rain, but they were instantly obliterated by the Daoist aura of the Jianmu tree upon touching the green vine.

Yan Lingluo was engulfed in raging flames, summoning a fire lotus magic treasure. The Jianmu wood pattern shimmered with azure light, reversing the Nanming fire into nourishment for herself. Zhu Muchen offered up two ancient treasures, but their brilliance was completely swallowed up by the mysterious rings appearing on the green vines.

The Earth God transformed into a small giant radiating silver light, but his limbs were entangled by countless green vines, and the Jianmu Dao patterns invaded his meridians like a bone-deep carbuncle.

The remaining two Nascent Soul cultivators each unleashed their unique skills, their Daoist auras soaring to the heavens, yet both found themselves mired in a quagmire within the Jianmu domain.
The Dao patterns on the Jianmu tree, as if alive, surged upwards, piercing the foreheads of the six people along the chains of calamity and turbidity.

That ever-flowing ancient Daoist energy formed a perfect closed loop with the Nine Cauldrons' profound and mysterious energy!
this moment.

Nine tripods to suppress the soul, Jianmu tree to lock the body!
Two supreme treasures unleash their power!

The six great deities are unable to move an inch!
"Junior Brother Lu!"

Zhao Wuji took a step forward, and the golden light of the Dao Seal between his brows flowed.

He made hand seals like a phantom, and suddenly a burst of divine light erupted, transforming into a familiar aura that entered Lu Ming's brow.

"Ugh!!"

Lu Ming's face suddenly contorted, his long gray hair danced wildly, and the chains of calamity between his brows trembled with a "crackling" sound.

The flickering flames in his empty eye sockets seemed to contain endless struggle as he roared, "Kill...kill all the way to the Ninth Heaven...the Way of Heaven...cannot be defied..."

His body was filled with rampaging sword energy, and his immortal sword rang out as if about to be unleashed, but it was slowed down by three points due to the binding of the Jianmu Heavenly Net.

Right now.

"Junior Sister Yan!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed, his expression solemn. He made a hand seal again, summoning the immortal technique, the clear light like an arrow, straight to Yan Lingluo's spiritual platform.

The woman in the red dress suddenly froze, her empty eyes momentarily glazed over.

She slowly raised her head, looking at Zhao Wuji's face, her lips trembling slightly: "...Senior Brother?"

This murmur suddenly exploded like a thunderclap!
"what?!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes narrowed, his mind reeling in disbelief.

Yan Lingluo actually remembers him?

But that's absolutely impossible!

The ancient celestial court within the mysterious land was nothing but an illusory arena, and their encounter within it was merely a dream he created with his own dream.

Even if the real Yan Lingluo hadn't perished in the river of history and become a lost soul, she still couldn't possibly know him...

"boom!"

Before she could think it through, Yan Lingluo suddenly slapped Lu Ming beside her with her palm.

The crimson lotus of fire roared like an angry dragon, forcefully blocking the sword energy that Lu Ming was about to unleash.

Her eyes blazed with a mixture of turbid fire and clear light as she cried out in a hoarse voice, "...Wake up."

"Chance!"

At this critical moment, Zhao Wuji had no time to think. He immediately suppressed his shock and launched a sudden attack!

"Intercept the path, sever the secrets of heaven!"

He pointed his fingers like a sword, and the golden light of the Dao Seal between his eyebrows transformed into a tangible blade, slashing down fiercely along the crack in the Tribulation Chain between Lu Ming's eyebrows!
"Qiang!!"

The chains shattered inch by inch, Lu Ming's body trembled violently, and his long gray hair turned to ash inch by inch.

He stared blankly down at his gradually disintegrating hands, then a relieved smile appeared on his face: "...So that's how it is."

Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished like smoke, leaving only a broken sword imprint floating in the air.

Zhao Wuji witnessed this scene, a complex look flashing across his eyes. He then turned his gaze to Yan Lingluo and tentatively asked.

"Junior Sister Yan, help me!"

He let out a low shout and then charged toward the remaining four soulless individuals who were suppressed by the demon tree's clone and the Nine Cauldrons.

Yan Lingluo's crimson eyes still held a clear light, and she actually waved her sleeve, creating a towering wave of fire, and stood shoulder to shoulder with him!

The Jianmu tree, like a celestial net, surged and churned, while the Nine Cauldrons, dark

The four Nascent Soul cultivators, having lost their souls, had all their Daoist attacks resisted and were instantly suppressed.

"Duh!"

Zhao Wuji unleashed a burst of divine light from his fingertips, which, like a sudden enlightenment, entered the brows of the two lost souls he had previously guided.

"Click!!"

The chains of calamity between their brows trembled violently, and a moment of clarity appeared in their turbid eyes.

"Is that Inspector Zhao?"

One of them trembled, his withered face suddenly appearing, but in an instant it was consumed by the calamity, his face twisted like a demon.

"No, Inspector Zhao is dead. You are not Zhao Zheng!"

"Zhao Zheng?"

Zhao Wuji's heart skipped a beat, then he sighed softly, "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Let them all disperse!"

His hidden technique, the light of his sleeve flashing like a knife.

"Zheng!"

The two chains of calamity snapped instantly, and the bodies of the two soulless beings collapsed like sandcastles, dissipating into shimmering starlight in the morning light.

On the other side, Yan Lingluo's red skirt billowed up, and Nanming Lihuo transformed into chains that bound the remaining two people.

"quick!"

As she shouted, Zhao Wuji had already made a hand seal and unleashed a golden light that pierced the sky like a dragon, instantly shattering the two chains of tribulation.

When it was Yan Lingluo's turn, Zhao Wuji paused slightly, his gaze falling on the woman's face, which was as beautiful as the bright moon.

The woman in red stared blankly at him, her eyes a mixture of turbid fire and clear light, a look of bewilderment and confusion on her face. Her lips trembled slightly as she said, "You are not him."

The flickering flame at her fingertips seemed to reflect the eternal loneliness in her eyes: "Zhao Zheng, I've waited for you all these years. Where are you?"

"So that's how it is. They all mistook me for Zhao Zheng!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed, and in a flash he understood the cause and effect.

It seems that the person who formed a bond with this Junior Sister Yan back then was Zhao Zheng, who actually existed in the ancient Immortal Court.

He once used the true meaning of intercepting the Dao to steal the secrets of heaven and replaced the destiny of 'Zhao Zheng' in the ancient immortal court.

The familiar aura that Yan Lingluo sensed at this moment was clearly from the real Celestial Court Inspector from ten thousand years ago.

"Whoosh!!"

In that fleeting moment of thought, the Calamity Chain between Yan Lingluo's brows suddenly trembled violently, and viscous golden liquid seeped out from the cracks in the chain, attempting to regain control of her.

"Junior Sister Yan!"

Zhao Wuji's clear shout was like a sword ringing in the sky. His fingertips cut off the golden light that shone three inches, but then suddenly froze.

His eyes flickered as he looked at the woman's bewildered yet ferocious expression, and finally he sighed softly.

"fragmented!"

The true meaning of intercepting the Dao was integrated into the technique, condensing into a golden blade about an inch long, which was then inserted into the crack in the chain like a butcher dissecting an ox.

"Mist!"

He simultaneously formed a hand seal with his left hand, and the misty spiritual energy coiled around him like a living chain, each wisp of mist concealing Dao patterns for deciphering the Dao.

"Ka-ka!"

The chains of calamity immediately let out a mournful cry, unable to bear the weight any longer.

It was torn apart inch by inch by the combined strangulation of the Disintegration Technique and the Mist Technique, turning into black smoke and dissipating.
The turbid fire in Yan Lingluo's eyes suddenly died down.

The illusory figure began to vanish like morning dew, but in the brief moment when the red dress turned into flowing fire.

"Zhao Zheng."

A soft call echoed for a thousand years, and she suddenly smiled.

That smile, like the Nanming Fire of their first meeting at Zhurong Palace, made Zhao Wuji's Dao heart tremble slightly.

In a daze, he seemed to see again under the corridor of the celestial court, where a girl in a red dress held a glass wine cup and winked mischievously: "Senior brother, try my newly brewed Burning Heart."

Before the lingering sound had faded, only a single crimson lotus remained, swirling in the blazing sun that had burned away the soul.

"Shh!"

Zhao Wuji's wide sleeves billowed like clouds, and the Southern Ming Fire Lotus obediently fell into his palm.

The lotus has twelve petals, each engraved with ancient Zhu Rong shamanic patterns.

At the heart of the flower, a wisp of pure, crystal-clear fire flickers, like a glimmer of light from a departed friend.

Just as he was about to put away the fire lotus and turn around...

A strange sensation suddenly came from my fingertips.

"Ok?"

He looked down and examined it closely, and saw that there were seven tadpole-shaped patterns engraved on the bottom of the lotus platform.

The flowing blue light formed the characters "Entering Water," which were part of the true inscriptions of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Technique!
"This is."

Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted sharply, and his mind was struck as if by lightning.

Previously, in the illusory ancient immortal court, he did indeed use the true meaning of intercepting the Dao to intercept Yan Lingluo's aura and left behind some of the true teachings of the Water Entry Technique.

But the celestial court within that mysterious place was clearly an illusory arena.

How could the Nanming Li Fire Lotus in front of me, which originated from the real Yan Lingluo, have completely identical runes engraved on it?

"Is it a tangled web of cause and effect, or is it the Heavenly Venerable Dao influencing and interfering with the past and future?"

As he was deeply shaken, he suddenly heard Cang Yunzi groan from afar.

Looking up, one sees that the Nine Mountains Dharma Form has been pierced by the chains of the Six Paths of Calamity, and the Daoist charm of the mountains is like a flickering candle in the wind.

"go!"

He didn't have time to think, and let out a low shout.

The demonic tree clone immediately let out a long roar, its two-thousand-foot trunk crushing the void, while the Immortal-Slaying Spear unleashed a monstrous wave of blood, as they together fiercely charged into the battle.
(End of this chapter)