With just those words, the situation—which had seemed settled—instantly shifted once more.
Myriad Laws, the Dao Lord of Dao Arts who had stood alongside Cang Hao just moments before, turned traitor without hesitation, slamming a torrent of colorful dharmic light into Cang Hao's body!
Caught off guard, Cang Hao spat out a mouthful of blood that dissipated into a misty rainbow in the Light Sea, only to be instantly vaporized by the radiant arts. This brilliance poured into his true body through his crown, drenching his internal organs and taking root like a spiderweb rapidly spreading through his limbs and bones.
In a heartbeat, the tables were turned.
Yet, due to the state of Supreme Forgotten Emotion, even after being ambushed, Cang Hao's eyes remained unchanged, maintaining a cold indifference.
At the same time.
In a distant realm, the Primordial Saint smiled once more. "Nian Yao has played her hidden card as well. Good, very good. Both are heavily wounded—now that is a perfect outcome."
Elsewhere, Sisui witnessed this scene with a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "So that was it. No wonder you refused to come with me back then, despite being a cultivator of the Three Foundations. There was no need to join the [Heavenly Dao], yet you were determined to walk that dark path to the end with Nian Yao and Cang Hao."
Myriad Laws, the Dao Lord of Dao Arts.
After Sisui was suppressed, this Dao Lord had held up the remnants of the Three Foundations; compared to Du Xuan, the Dao Lord of Spiritual Power, his methods were significantly superior.
Throughout it all, he had followed Cang Hao and the Sword Lord.
His public explanation was that his heart remained with the [Paramita]. He claimed that Sisui would never allow him to slaughter the masses, so he chose to part ways.
It was perfectly logical.
Since the Sword Lord and Cang Hao felt the same, no one suspected his motives. It was only natural that they accepted him.
Yet now, this Dao Lord of Dao Arts had bared his fangs. It appeared he had long been planted with Threads of Sentiment and had become a "Dao companion" to the Sword Lord, just as Cang Hao once was. This was certainly not something the Sword Lord could have achieved alone; she lacked the capability.
Myriad Laws was different from Cang Hao.
Cang Hao had fallen into the trap because he had known the Sword Lord since they were insignificant; he was schemed against long before forging a Primordial Spirit or reaching the peak of the [Paramita].
Myriad Laws had no such history.
He had no prior intersection with the Sword Lord. His being planted with Threads of Sentiment was entirely the result of the Primordial Saint's secret arrangements and orchestration.
"What a vile woman..."
After hearing Sisui's explanation, Lu Yang couldn't help but curse. "Always grasping for more than she has—never satisfied with what's already hers. That title fits her perfectly."
Could the Sword Lord truly be about to flip the script?
Lu Yang's brow furrowed. He knew it was likely too late for him to intervene, and Sisui—the only one capable of acting—was being kept in check by the Primordial Saint.
'Is that why she fled so far?'
'The Sword Lord seems to have multiple escape routes... but she is still heavily wounded. Myriad Laws alone cannot kill Cang Hao. Most likely, they'll end up in a mutual downfall.'
The judgment was precise, and the Sword Lord herself realized it. Feeling the weakness spreading through her body, she was filled with helplessness.
'I miscalculated...'
She hadn't feared Cang Hao's betrayal or losing the wager. Even if she lost, as long as she retained her combat strength, she had one final, desperate plan.
But she had never expected Lu Yang.
Not only did Lu Yang defeat her, he managed to kill her once!
That was the most unbelievable part, and it was this single unexpected variable that left her with no strength to kick Cang Hao while he was down.
'Primordial Saint, everything has gone exactly as you wished...'
A mutual downfall.
Furthermore, with the [Heavenly Dao] lost, she had nowhere left to turn. In the future, her only choice would be the [Paramita], forcing her to assist the Primordial Saint with all her heart.
Thinking of this, a sense of defeat began to settle over her. Back when the Primordial Saint had approached her to help "negotiate" with Myriad Laws and force him to accept the Threads of Sentiment, she hadn't understood why he would help a rival. Only now did she realize the terror of that early arrangement.
Did that beast truly possess foresight?
Even as the one wielding [Destiny], she couldn't have peered this far into the future back then. Was the power of [Time] truly that formidable?
It was beyond her understanding.
'Forget it. For now, I must drive Cang Hao away, then keep Myriad Laws here to deepen the sentiment and transfer my injuries to him...'
The Sword Lord calculated rapidly.
In this moment, she thought of many things—past eras, her resolve for the Dao, the emotions from before she forged her Primordial Spirit and became a Dao Lord—all of it suddenly broke through her mental barriers.
'Wait?'
'Why am I feeling this way?'
Under the weight of endless thoughts, her Primordial Spirit suddenly issued a warning. Having cultivated to her level, she had long since discarded the past; how could she be troubled by such useless emotions?
'...Oh no!'
The realization struck her too late. She looked up only to see a cloud of shimmering dharmic light falling from the sky like a comet, trailing a long flame of brilliance. It was a dao art evolved to its ultimate peak, yet it was not aimed at Cang Hao—it was slamming directly into her!
[Dharma Extinction Scripture]
Enveloped in the flames, the already struggling Sword Lord was struck by shock and fury. Half of her body was instantly pulverized, and all her profound wonders were forcibly dragged into destruction.
"Myriad Laws!"
In a flash, the Sword Lord activated her Threads of Sentiment. In her view, Myriad Laws attacking her meant he must have severed the threads, which was an act of suicide.
Once the threads were broken, the Wisdom Sword would manifest, which should have stripped away seventy percent of Myriad Laws' power and transferred it to her. It would have been enough to stabilize her state; with luck, she might have even claimed the seas of consciousness of both Dao Lords at once, repairing the [Paramita] to the second layer in one go!
But then she froze.
There was no response from the Threads of Sentiment.
Though she had activated the wonder, Myriad Laws showed no sign of being affected by the Wisdom Sword. His power did not flicker in the slightest.
Only his eyes...
The Sword Lord turned to face him, locking gazes with the Dao Lord of Dao Arts. He too possessed the look of Supreme Forgotten Emotion, easily breaking her Threads of Sentiment.
They had different faces, different auras, and even different Great Daos.
Yet, she felt she was looking at the same person.
"It seems you truly have no cards left."
"Not just you—even the Primordial Saint has no more designs. And since he is currently occupied by Sisui, no one can save you now."
Cang Hao looked up as he spoke.
He was indeed wounded; Myriad Laws had not held back. If the injury were fake, it wouldn't have fooled the Sword Lord. One must bleed to deceive.
Nearby, Sisui was stunned.
"How is this possible..."
The Primordial Saint, who had assumed the situation was settled, also showed a look of surprise. "It's like this? No, that shouldn't be..."
In the next second, under the shocked gazes of the Sword Lord, the Primordial Saint, and Sisui, Cang Hao and Myriad Laws—one of the Three Foundations and the other of the Five Heavenly Destinies—stood together with calm expressions. They were like two sides of a mirror. Then, the two figures began to merge into one within a brilliant light!
"You... are the same person!?"