Chapter 1127 - Drawing Her Sword in Opposition
Shang Tianqi’s cold, indifferent voice echoed throughout heaven and earth, provoking widespread uproar.
The crowd was astonished, and their expressions filled with dread.
The Church of the River of Stars! A powerful faction from the depths of outer space!
To the cultivators of the Wilds, the starry skies were like a legend full of forbidden, unknown flair.
How could they not be fearful when a faction from the stars beyond appeared in their midst?
But the old-timers were relatively calm. They’d learned a little about the Church of the River of Stars, the Nine Heavens Pavilion, and the Studio of the Heart a while ago. Thus, Shang Tianqi and company’s arrival was within their expectations.
Still, no one dared to get complacent.
Even Ancestor Peng, the Border Mountain Yao Ancestor, and the other living fossils looked grim.
In stark contrast, Su Yi’s apprentices were the calmest among the spectators. They’d witnessed their master’s victory at Martial Heaven Peak, and they knew he’d killed who-knows-how-many experts of the Studio of the Heart. Their master had even sent the mysterious young mistress of the Studio of the Heart packing.
And not long ago, in the Demons’ Elysium, their master massacred the representatives of the Nine Heavens Pavilion, including the Sixth Warden!
And Holy Son Qin Feng of the Church of the River of Stars had died beneath their master’s blade a long time ago. Given the circumstances, they naturally weren’t as fearful as the others present.
Su Yi naturally was even less concerned.
“Whether I’m a traitor or not has nothing to do with the Church of the River of Stars, now does it?” Qing Tang glanced coolly at Shang Tianqi.
Shang Tianqi said expressionlessly, “Fellow Daoist Qing Tang, we now stand in the same camp. The Church of the River of Stars naturally won’t remain uninvolved as you take Su Xuanjun down.”
He paused, then gazed indifferently at her. “You’re from the stars beyond the Wilds, and you deceived Su Xuanjun for countless years. Based on that alone, you have no hope of obtaining his forgiveness!”
This declaration was like a stone breaking through the heavens.
The entire area boiled over, and uproar arose on all sides.
“Empress Qing Tang... is actually from outer space!?”
“My heavens! Does that mean she’s hidden herself all this time? Has she been scheming right from the start?”
“No wonder she’s colluding with the Church of the River of Stars! It turns out she isn’t a cultivator of the Wilds at all!”
...The entire area was in chaos, and the uproar shook the heavens.
This really was far too shocking. Before this, who here had known that Empress Qing Tang, the woman who’d declared herself sovereign of the Wilds for the past five hundred years, hailed from the stars beyond?
Ancestor Peng and the other living fossils were inwardly stunned too, and their expressions shifted.
They instinctively looked at Su Yi, only to discover that he was just as calm as before. His expression hadn’t even shifted.
Su Xuanjun must have long since realized that Qing Tang’s origins were suspicious!
But against all expectations, even after her background was revealed, Qing Tang seemed as composed as ever, as if she didn’t care in the slightest.
Her bright eyes gazed at Shang Tianqi, and she said with pity, “It seems you really are afraid that my master and I will join forces against you. That’s why you’re doing everything in your power to ruin that.”
Shang Tianqi’s brow knit tightly. “Fellow Daoist Qing Tang, even now, you still call Su Xuanjun your master? Don’t you think that’s unbecoming of you? Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?”
Qing Tang laughed. “If the Fisherman were here, there’s no way he’d be so stupid as to try and sow discord between Master and I.”
It seemed she couldn’t even be bothered to explain. Instead, she gazed at Su Yi once more and said, “Master, this will be the fourth of the delightful surprises I’ve prepared for you. I trust that after you see it, you’ll change your view of me.”
Before that melodious voice had even finished echoing through the air, she turned and approached Shang Tianqi and his companions.
The entire area fell silent. What is Empress Qing Tang doing?
Shang Tianqi and the others’ expressions shifted as something occurred to them.
A man in black couldn’t help but bellow, “Qing Tang, do you really plan to oppose the Church of the River of Stars?”
“And what if I do? Others might fear your leader, but I most certainly don’t,” said Qing Tang, her eyes as placid as water. Her entire body emanated godlike majesty.
She looked at Shang Tianqi and said solemnly, “And I’ve been tolerating you people for far too long!”
Her clothing swayed around her, and she raised her hand into the air and slashed.
Boom!
Darkness descended upon heaven and earth, and the mountains and rivers trembled.
A streak of sword qi descended from the heavens, like an arc of divine light cleaving into the human world, shattering the clouds and slicing open the skies.
A suffocatingly terrifying and oppressive sword intent descended upon them, filling the landscape. Countless cultivators held their breath, visibly overcome with astonishment.
In the eyes of the old-timers, Qing Tang’s seemingly casual slash was like an arc of starlight from the nine heavens cleaving into the human realm. It was full of unparalleled sword intent.
Its power was such that even living fossils like Ancestor Peng and the Border Mountain Yao Ancestor narrowed their eyes, their hearts quivering.
Su Yi narrowed his eyes too. When he sensed the Mysterious Truths within her sword qi, he felt as if a stone had been tossed into the formerly tranquil lake that was his heart, stirring up ripples.
“Dammit!” Shang Tianqi’s roar shook the heavens, and his hair and beard bristled with fury. He dared not hesitate any longer, so he attacked with full force.
Bang!!!
A heaven-shaking impact rang out. Sword qi swept outward, cutting countless startling rifts into the air. Misty firelight rose, and the entire landscape swayed.
And Shang Tianqi was sent flying back!
Behind him, the other experts of the Church of the River of Stars were sent flying in all directions, their screams shaking the heavens.
One slash, and she forced every expert of the Church of the River of Stars back!
This tyrannical scene astonished everyone present. Countless eyes widened.
The living fossils broke out in cold sweats, visibly stunned.
The power of the Laws within that slash far surpassed their estimates. It was almost beyond imagination.
After all, the experts of the Church of the River of Stars had all mastered the supreme Laws of Cosmic Silence. They were as terrifying as could be.
Despite that, one slash had left Shang Tianqi and his subordinates in shambles!
“Qing Tang.... Is already this strong!?” Wang Que felt shaken. Jin Kui, Ye Luo, and the others were visibly moved too, and their hearts churned.
Qing Tang’s strength was public knowledge. Otherwise, she could never have proclaimed herself sovereign or reigned over the Grotto of Abstruse Force for the past five hundred years.
Still, no one had anticipated that she was this strong. Even the living fossils in attendance were cautious of experts of the Church of the River of Stars, but they were nothing to Qing Tang!
Su Yi, meanwhile, was completely stunned. His expression shifted, and he looked a bit dazed.
The Mysterious Truths of the Grand Dao within Qing Tang’s slash weren’t from the Wilds!
More importantly, Su Yi recognized the distinctive sword intent within that slash!
But before he could come to his senses, Qing Tang attacked Shang Tianqi and his companions once more.
Her black dress swayed around and sword intent hovered around her as she approached, like the surging tides. Her majesty linked heaven and earth and bore down on the entire landscape.
The sky trembled violently beneath her feet, as if in submission.
Even without using any treasures at all, when she attacked, streak after streak of astonishing, unparalleled sword intent descended upon the human realm. As the slashes intercrossed, their power was terrifying beyond measure.
How could Shang Tianqi and his companions have anticipated this? They’d been in the same camp as Qing Tang for years, yet now, she’d suddenly turned on them with the intent to kill!
Furthermore, she was far stronger than they’d anticipated!
But they naturally wouldn’t just sit around and wait to die. Each took out their strongest treasure and coordinated their full-force attacks with Shang Tianqi.
Boom!
A grand battle broke out before the gates of the Grotto of Abstruse Force.
However, it wasn’t exactly suspenseful. Right from the start, Empress Qing Tang’s strength completely dominated her opponents.
Within three snaps of the fingers, the nine experts of the Church of the River of Stars had been cut down where they stood, their blood splattering the skies.
Within six snaps of the fingers, Shang Tianqi had been badly injured. His flesh was in tatters, and he was covered in blood. He looked miserable and wretched to the extreme.
This scene provoked countless startled cries. The crowd trembled.
Qing Tang was just too strong. She seemed invincible, as if nothing could stand in her way!
Ancestor Peng and the Border Mountain Yao Ancestor looked at each other. This came as a shock to them too.
“Old Monster Su is already strong enough to make one give in to despair. Now, even his ninth disciple is this terrifying. Living in the same era as them is truly stifling and depressing...” one of the old-timers sighed.
“Qing Tang is from the stars beyond. She’s naturally no ordinary person. Don’t forget that she deceived Old Monster Su’s keen eyes during her thousands of years cultivating in the Grotto of Abstruse Force! Were she an ordinary person, how could he possibly have achieved that?”
“It’s true. Back then, not even Old Monster Su discovered anything suspicious about her. It’s obvious that her true identity and cultivation base can’t possibly be simple. We can’t even begin to guess.”
“Then why do you think Qing Tang infiltrated the Grotto of Abstruse Force? Just what was she after?”
...The old monsters conversed amongst themselves via transmitted speech. All of them struggled to remain calm.
Meanwhile, Shang Tianqi’s infuriated roar emanated from the distant battlefield. “When our leader gets here, he’ll be sure to settle the score with you!”
Every word boomed throughout heaven and earth. Every word was full of bone-deep hatred.
He really had gotten complacent. It had never occurred to him that Qing Tang, someone once in their camp, someone who’d once worked with them to oppose the Studio of the Heart and the Nine Heavens Pavilion, would turn on them without the slightest politeness!
“If the Fisherman’s Dao Clone dares come here, I’ll simply cut him down,” said Qing Tang. With a swing of her sword, Shang Tianqi’s defenses shattered, and his body split into pieces.
Shang Tianqi completely gave in to despair. He shouted, “Qing Tang! Who exactly are you!?”
“Naturally, I’m a disciple of the Grotto of Abstruse Force, my master’s ninth legacy disciple,” Qing Tang said softly.
Boom!
Sword qi swept through the sky, shattering Shang Tianqi’s soul and fragmented body. Both disappeared into the boundless sword qi.
Destroyed, body and soul!
Now, Shang Tianqi and all of his subordinates had fallen. Not one had survived.
Dazzling, misty light spread outward. Heaven and earth were still in upheaval, and the faint stench of blood permeated the air.
The distant onlookers stood there in a daze, too shocked for words.
A beam of light descended from the heavens, enveloping Qing Tang’s slender, graceful figure in a dreamlike glow. She was like an immortal from the nine heavens, standing proudly above the world.
She turned around, her bright, clear eyes turning toward Su Yi. A hint of hope and anticipation appeared on her beautiful face as she whispered in a voice tinged with respect, “Master, this is the fourth surprise I’ve prepared for you. Does it... please you?”
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