Mount Bozhong, Youdu.
Mystic steps climbed toward the heavens, the imperial palace encircled by clouds. The broad main hall resembled a towering giant, and the sprawling complex of buildings was its massive hand pressing down upon Mount Bozhong.
Inside the main hall, a man with a dignified and imposing presence, dressed in a dragon robe, sat upright on a mountain-like golden throne. Behind his head was a halo formed by the profound radiance of five Dao Fruits, rippling like water waves. Visible grid-like light connected him to heaven and earth, faintly carrying the sounds of cheers and applause.
The man's eyes were tightly shut.
But right at the moment Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva turned hostile and made a move, he also opened his eyes. A pair of eyes flowing with five-colored brilliance abruptly looked outside the hall.
He took in the entire battle situation.
Including Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva suppressing Great Perfected Lord Xin Ye and Great Perfected Lord You Hai, followed by Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace rescuing them, and finally the Dao struggle between the two sides.
Wearing a look that said just as I expected, he muttered to himself in a low voice:
"The evil cultivators of the Pure Land truly cannot be trusted."
Originally, under the suppression of the ghost domain, even a Great Perfected Lord couldn't observe from such a distance. But with the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], he was the sole exception.
He could not only observe, but even travel there.
'Precious Radiance is absolutely not a fool. Daring to make a move means he must have contacted the remnants of the Three Foundations... Perfect, I've been wanting to catch them all in one net for a long time.'
Emperor Cang pondered in his heart. Meanwhile, from the halo behind his head, two figures successively walked out from the light. One of them was astonishingly the Azure Heaven incarnation that was previously slain by Lu Yang, surging with a strong Dharma Body aura. The other, however, looked solemn and dignified, holding a precious seal in his hand.
[Three Profound Heavens-Revering Orthodox Method]!
The method Emperor Cang took pride in. One person split into three, respectively cultivating the Grotto-Heaven Method, the Dharma Body, and commanding the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], with all three having reached the peak.
However, this was still not the most important part.
The most important part was that despite previously losing the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool]—lacking the Supreme Treasure, which should have caused the Azure Heaven incarnation's cultivation realm to drop—it was surprisingly still at the Immortal Bridge Realm right now.
This was Emperor Cang's trump card.
"Everyone thinks one of my bodies has dropped in cultivation realm, yet they don't know I prepared methods long ago. I have already made my three bodies return to completeness. No matter who comes, I fear no one!"
Thinking of this, his heart settled significantly.
As long as his three bodies were complete, even that mysterious inheritor of Sisui, plus the two Immortal Bridge Great Perfected Lords of the Three Foundations' remnants, were merely his equals.
He could fight them! He would win!
'Furthermore, as time passes, I will only grow stronger. The Dao Lord has already promised me; He is willing to elevate me, assisting me in breaking through to the Heaven Treading Realm.'
Emperor Cang envisioned the future, actually becoming somewhat entranced for a moment.
Under his gaze, layers of temples stood tall, the doors of the halls opening and closing. Resplendent Buddhist light actually blocked his far-observing line of sight on the outside.
"Hmm. Something's wrong!"
At the exact moment Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace disappeared from his vision, and Great Perfected Lord Xin Ye and Great Perfected Lord You Hai chased into the temple only to disappear as well, Emperor Cang suddenly woke up with a start. He subconsciously stood up, and with the empowerment of the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], instantly crossed the nether earth and rushed over.
However, he had barely reached halfway when his heart abruptly sank.
"Snap!"
The thread—broke.
Someone died! With a sound, Heavenly Furnace, Xin Ye, You Hai... Who was it? Heavenly Furnace? Impossible! How much time had passed? Killed in one move?
How was it done? Did an Immortal Bridge Realm Great Perfected Lord make a move?
But this was Mount Bozhong, his private territory. Enveloped by the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], even an Immortal Bridge Great Perfected Lord shouldn't have been able to sneak in.
Endless incomprehension filled Emperor Cang's heart. The next second, riding a streak of light, he landed outside the temple. Looking over, he saw a stretch of water hovering above the temple, wrapped in heavy dark clouds. Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance, who hailed from the Saint Sect, stood on the water surface, wearing a thoughtful expression.
Seeing this scene, Emperor Cang instantly grew anxious and angry.
"Why didn't you make a move!"
As his voice fell, Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance turned around and tilted his head with an innocent look: "Why should I help a sword bastard of the Sword Pavilion?"
Emperor Cang: "..."
Damn it, that makes a lot of sense.
How could he not know about the generational conflict between the Saint Sect and the Sword Pavilion? It was completely normal for Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance and Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace to find each other an eyesore.
But even so, Emperor Cang still couldn't help but harbor suspicions:
"They were in danger. Below is a trap. If you had made a move, Precious Radiance wouldn't have been able to escape, and Heavenly Furnace wouldn't have fallen into the trap by pursuing..."
"There's a trap? Really?"
Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance looked even more innocent: "But Your Majesty, my cultivation isn't as high as yours, and I don't have the authority of the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules]... How would I know?"
It made entirely too much sense.
Emperor Cang didn't bother saying anymore. He formed hand seals on the spot. The five-colored halo behind him rapidly began to operate, until a streak of color nimbly leaped out from within.
[Great Relay Earth].
"Open!"
With a Dao shout and the empowerment of the Five Elements Dao Fruit Secret Method, the might of the [Great Relay Earth] rapidly climbed to its absolute peak, instantly carving out a broad, open road.
Wherever the road passed, the temple, the Buddhist light, and the numerous layers of seals left by Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva were effortlessly broken apart, finally revealing the mountain body of Mount Bozhong. On the mountain body, which absolutely shouldn't have been damaged, a pitch-black cavity was astonishingly gaping open, emitting death spirit qi.
Three heads rolled out from within, one after another.
Heavenly Furnace, Xin Ye, You Hai. Traces of terror still lingered on all three faces. Even as heads, they were continuously disintegrating and dissipating with the passage of time.
Emperor Cang's eyes abruptly became solemn.
Under his gaze, accompanied by a series of heavy footsteps, a youth astonishingly walked out from the cavity, strolling leisurely and calmly.
'All dead!?'
His reaction was absolutely not slow; it could even be said he rushed over at the first moment. He was merely slower by one move, and as a result, they were all wiped out?
His first thought was that inheritor of Sisui from Mount Baodu.
Emperor Cang's gaze slowly moved upward. First, it landed on the three heads at the youth's feet, and then he saw green smoke drifting from all three heads.
'Death spirit essence...'
The essence left behind after a death spirit died was highly beneficial for artifact forging and alchemy. Emperor Cang watched as this green smoke drifted into the air, and then was inhaled completely by the youth to his heart's content.
'Hmm? He actually doesn't resist this stuff?'
Then it shouldn't be a remnant of the Three Foundations, and it probably wasn't that inheritor of Sisui either. After all, that group of idiots who upheld ancient customs had always rejected this sort of thing.
Countless guesses flashed through Emperor Cang's mind.
But when he truly saw the youth's face clearly, he froze again.
Firstly, naturally because the other party wasn't the Sisui inheritor he imagined. Secondly, because he was extremely familiar with the other party's facial features and attire.
"[Pill Cauldron]?"
What a joke! How could it be [Pill Cauldron]?
He had been dead through and through for a long time!
'Not good...'
Emperor Cang frowned deeply. The Sisui inheritor, the Three Foundations remnants, and if you added a [Pill Cauldron], then the opposing side had four Immortal Bridge Great Perfected Lords.
Thinking of this, the killing intent in his heart surged dramatically.
He had to eliminate one, otherwise, if four Immortal Bridge Great Perfected Lords joined forces, the quantitative change would be enough to trigger a qualitative change—fortunately, he wasn't completely without helpers.
"Azure Firmament, you..."
Emperor Cang said subconsciously, turning his head sideways, wanting Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance to join forces with him to keep the [Pill Cauldron] before him in Mount Bozhong.
And then he saw an empty space.
Holy shit! Where did he go?