[At that time, the gods of the Eastern Wilderness rebelled against Heaven, and the enraged Eastern Emperor Taiyi ordered the Head Manager and the Young Master to strike together.
The ten suns filled the sky, intending to traverse the East Sea and throw the Great Wilderness into chaos, but Heaven entrusted the task to the brave human warrior Da Yi. With his divine archery, Da Yi shot down the suns, piercing nine Golden Crows and resolving the crisis in the Eastern Wilderness.
The gods of the Eastern Wilderness rallied their forces in a desperate revolt, but the Head Manager summoned a million Heavenly Soldiers to tighten the Heavenly Dao's control over the Great Dao, thereby enhancing the glory of the Heavenly Dao!]
γThe Outer Sky's Luili Realm.γ
Wu Wang had already spotted from afar the black aura rising into the sky, and his eyebrows gradually knitted together.
This was indeed the aura of the Candle Dragon, but something about it seemed a bit off.
I can't pinpoint exactly what's off at the moment.
Emperor Shun's move this time hadn't exceeded the scope of Heavenly Dao's prior predictions. It was nothing more than a feint, a ploy to spread confusion, intended to make it difficult for the Celestial Court to cope with both internal and external threats.
Indeed, such a tactic was proof that Emperor Shun was running out of tricks and near the end of his rope.
"Hm?"
Wu Wang suddenly furrowed his brows deeply, his figure appearing out of the high clouds and mists, looking towards an area thousands of miles away.
There, a mass of black qi burst through the clouds and then dispersed in the high sky, forming a dark light shield, seeming to envelop a hundred miles around.
Beneath the black qi, several beams of light rose into the sky, and Wu Wang sensed the Dao-presence of the Sword God and the Blade God within them.
Though these beams of light were able to push back the black qi, they could not prevent the formation of the light shield.
Within the shield, several Great Daos clashed fiercely.
Between Heaven and Earth, figures were converging towards this location, but most bore ill will.
As expected, Emperor Shun's ten-year pact was complete nonsense; it hasn't even been five years.
Shaking his head, Wu Wang's eyes filled with silvery-white Divine Light.
[Heavenly Dao descends, Heaven and Earth lend me their law!]
Speed! Liu Guang!
HUMβ
Heaven and Earth, like a calm sea, were stirred into waves by the silvery-white Divine Light.
Using the Great Dao of the Liu Guang siblings for travel, this way, they would also feel somewhat involved in the campaign to exterminate the Candle Dragon.
Gliding gracefully, as swift as teleportation.
Wu Wang, like a silvery-white comet, forcefully broke into the scene before the black qi could touch the ground, arriving at the encirclement around the Candle Dragon.
But the moment Wu Wang had broken in, before he could even steady himself, waves rippled across Heaven and Earth in front of him. A vast force came head-on, blowing him right out of the light shield.
The next instant, the dozen Divine Spirits who had been inside attacking were all flung away by the black light.
The Martial God resisted for a few breaths. However, the powerful force was peculiarly strange. It seemed as if it had altered the attributes of the Dao of Heaven and Earth 'at its roots' and bestowed [No Entry] characteristics.
Characteristics.
A unique ability of the most powerful beings.
BOOM!
The Martial God, furious, punched the black light shield, yet it was like hitting an impenetrably solid mountain.
The black light shield itself, as well as the ground within its hundred-mile diameter, remained unchanged.
But on the outer edge of the shield, the ground began to crack, and the land for tens of thousands of miles around was trembling.
The Martial God glared, stubbornly pounding several more fists into it.
The ground kept trembling, the cracks spreading rapidly, but the scene inside the shield remained utterly unchanged.
Inside the light shield:
The valley where Wu Wang's incarnation had grown was now filled with black mud that was spreading outward. The contours of an Azure Dragon were pressed into the center of the black mud. It seemed that the Candle Dragon was hiding within, twisting its divine body, which had shrunk hundreds to thousands of times.
The ground surrounding the valley was pitted and uneven, and the strong Dao-presence of the Martial God still lingered everywhere.
Clearly, the Martial God had previously tried with all his might to prevent the spread of the black mud and to strike at the dark shadow within it, but to no avail.
"What is the Candle Dragon doing?" the Martial God shouted at several 'Weapons' gods beside him.
The Divine Spirits stammered; they couldn't articulate what was happening.
Wu Wang lightly tapped his toes, and his figure floated over. Continuously using the Heavenly Dao in his mind to infer the previous situation, he quickly came to a conclusion.
A conclusion that surprised him a little.
The Heavenly Emperor is somewhat nervous, but not completely so.
"Teacher!"
"Qing Shan! What are you doing here?"
Seeing Wu Wang, the Martial God's irritated expression dissipated by more than half. He hurriedly said, "The Candle Dragon is up to something here, and we have no idea what it is! You're not strong enough, don't get too close!"
"Teacher, I think I know what he's doing," Wu Wang said calmly, with a steady voice,
"Before and during the ancient gods' war, the Candle Dragon devoured more than a hundred Great Daos and was also blessed by the Dao of Chaos. Consequently, his strength expanded rapidly. However, he has never been able to merge all the Daos.
Now, he's attempting a final gambit. Using living beings as a sacrifice and relying on the characteristics of his Dao of Yin Invasion, he is devouring the Dao of Chaos along with the other hundred-odd Great Daos.
This is its initial stage, and it has spread this barrier through its own immortal trait.
Once it completes the remolding of the Dao of Yin Invasion, this dark mire will rapidly spread, engulfing... the entire land and ocean.
This is its path to transcendence!"
The Martial God opened his mouth, his eyes full of confusion. "How do you know all this so clearly?"
Wu Wang: ...
"Teacher, if I said that I have come back from the future to help you defeat the Candle Dragon, would you believe me?"
"So that's how it is!" The Martial God showed a sudden realization.
Wu Wang hastily shouted, "Just kidding, that was purely a joke! The Heavenly Dao told me!"
"Ah, it's that Eastern Emperor Taiyi guy again," the Martial God sneered, then turned his head to glare at the layer of black light before him.
A dozen Innate Gods gathered.
The Water God and the Goddess of Fortune were on their way here with a dozen other Divine Spirits.
But, these fewer than thirty Innate Gods were all the forces they could muster at the moment.
The Innate Gods who had rushed here mostly stopped tens of thousands of miles away, watching the situation from afar with indecisive expressions.
Clearly, they would side with whoever won between the Candle Dragon and the Martial God.
Or rather, they would make a decision only after there had been a clear shift in the balance of power at the scene.
Unfortunately, adding flowers to brocade is never as good as sending charcoal in snowy weather.
The Water God and the Goddess of Fortune stepped forward together, while an incarnation of Yun Zhongjun also appeared on distant clouds, leisurely observing this place.
The incarnation of Yun Zhongjun hadn't cultivated much, so it wasn't suitable for it to get too close.
Seeing the Water God arrive, the previously anxious Martial God calmed down considerably and hurried forward to meet him.
Yet the Water God greeted him with, "Qing Shan, what's the situation now?"
The Martial God pondered for a moment and didn't get angry, only felt a bit let down.
Wu Wang repeated what he had said just now. The gods who had just arrived showed surprise, while some Divine Spirits tried to bombard the Barrier, all to no avail.
After pondering for a moment, the Water God slowly said, "Our only plan now, I fear, is external aid."
"They're already on the way," Wu Wang replied curtly.
The Earth God, the esteemed elder Shen Nong, and Xiong Ming were indeed on their way.
They would activate the Heaven and Earth Seal and come directly here to encircle and suppress the Candle Dragon. As the Heavenly Emperor, I am like a fire brigade captain. Wherever a problem arises within Heaven and Earth, I'll descend there and deal with the troublemaker.
The Goddess of Fortune gazed at the dark mire inside the Barrier, her complexion turning slightly pale as she murmured, "Mother..."
"What should we do now?" asked the Martial God. "Do we really have to just sit by and watch?"
Wu Wang hummed softly, then turned his head to look at the black light and drew a Longsword.
"Let me try."
"It's no use," said the Martial God. "The force of my earlier attack was all transferred to the ground. This Barrier is likely impervious to damage, much like the Candle Dragon's thick outer layer."
The Water God asked in a low voice, "The Candle Dragon wants to remold all its Daos?"
"Maybe," the Goddess of Fortune turned around, frowning. "We must stop this from happening. Even if the outer layer is unbreakable, once the Candle Dragon completes the remolding of the Great Dao, everything will..."
She paused mid-sentence, looking towards Wu Wang who was stepping forward with a raised sword.
"Is it possible?"
"Of course," Wu Wang replied softly, slowly closing his eyes.
Now there was no need to hide anything, nor was there much to worry about.
"Teacher, arrange for the evacuation of all beings within these thousands of miles. The faster, the better."
"Okay, good," the Martial God replied solemnly and immediately turned to call out. More than half of the twenty-odd Innate Gods were dispatched, and the many Martial Artists and Divine Generals who followed from afar quickly headed towards various towns and settlements.
Wu Wang's Longsword trembled lightly, and strands of pure black aura appeared on it.
The Martial God's brows furrowed tightly.
The Goddess of Fortune by his side was already murmuring softly, "Death?"
The Heavenly Dao overhangs, Heaven and Earth lend their law.
The Dao of Death!
Wu Wang pointed his Longsword forward. The tip, seemingly meeting no resistance, touched the Barrier of unknown thickness. A faint halo appeared where the tip met the Barrier.
Just at that moment!
The dark mire inside the Barrier suddenly stilled.
What was previously like a bowl of black porridge had now solidified like a vat of cooled black oil.
But within the dark mire, bits of golden light appeared. The golden light was not abundant, but it caused Wu Wang's expression to change.
"Hold off on your actions!" the Water God urgently called out from the side.
Wu Wang's thrusting Longsword also hung in mid-air.
"What's the matter?" asked the Martial God, puzzled.
"The Dao of Time," murmured the Goddess of Fortune. "He is threatening us. As soon as we remove this Barrier, the Dao of Time will fully erupt, instantly completing the ritual here."
"If we don't act now, will he not use the Dao of Time?" the Martial God retorted.
"That's not it," said the Goddess of Fortune in a low voice. "He is threatening Qing Shan."
"What do you mean?"
"Within a radius of tens of thousands of miles, there are still a vast number of living beings. With the boost from the Dao of Time, this black sludge can sweep through all areas in a very short amount of time, annihilating all living beings within these tens of thousands of miles."
The Goddess of Fortune pursed her lips slightly. "If Emperor Shun forcibly intervenes, there will be a price to pay.
Now, Emperor Shun is giving us the choice. If we dismantle this Barrier, Emperor Shun will expend Divine Power and destroy the living beings within tens of thousands of miles.
If we do not dismantle this Barrier, Emperor Shun can save that Divine Power, and most of the living beings within tens of thousands of miles will be able to escape.
However, no matter what, the ritual for the Candle Dragon to remake the Great Dao will not be interrupted; the only difference is the duration."
"Delay!" declared the Water God with resolve. "We can wait for reinforcements. What can he wait for?"
A flicker of lightning passed through Wu Wang's eyes.
"Everyone, go save people."
"Qing Shan, this..."
"Everyone, save people!"
Wu Wang's hand, clutching the Longsword, slightly shifted. "I will choose the right moment to break this place. Prioritize saving people, as many as possible, within the time it takes for one incense stick to burn."
"Listen to him," the Water God immediately turned and called out. "Young Ning, retreat a little further. You and I will use all our might to move the nearby living beings."
"Ah!"
With a slap on his thigh, the Martial God, along with the remaining Innate Gods around him, hurriedly flew off into the distance.
Wu Wang retracted his Longsword and sat cross-legged on the spot, his gaze fixed on the Candle Dragon churning within the black sludge.
As if to provoke Wu Wang deliberately, bubbles began to form on the surface of the black sludge. Whenever these bubbles popped, human figures would be revealed within them.
They were the living beings who used to dwell in this place.
Wu Wang's expression remained unchanged. He merely sat quietly, mentally lighting an incense stick.
Make the cut when necessary, without delay, even at the cost of some casualties. The confrontation with Emperor Shun is coming to a close.
Within the realm of the Heavenly Dao, Wu Wang closed his eyes and pointed his finger.
The tableau revealed by the grey clouds changed again. Only one scroll now showed the situation in the Eastern Wilderness, while the other two depicted the calamities unfolding in the Outer Sky.
In the scroll to the left, one could see the pitch-black Barrier, and the black sludge filling valleys and spreading outwards, with the Candle Dragon constantly churning within it.
The gods of the Heavenly Dao all changed their expressions. Many Divine Spirits showed anger, while some gods and goddesses displayed fear.
In the scroll to the right, several beams of Divine Light flickered continuously in the sky.
These were near the Heaven and Earth Seal. Behind the Divine Light was the Heaven and Earth Seal, once opened but now closed. Judging by the distance between the Divine Light and the Heaven and Earth Seal, the figures within the Divine Light had only recently left it.
In reality, they had set off moments before.
A Divine Spirit shouted, "Your Majesty! They have broken into the great formation of the Dao of Time! It's a grand formation laid out by Emperor Shun!"
Wu Wang, with his eyes closed, nodded slightly and said calmly,
"Do not worry, everyone. Everything is under my control. For now, you may all reflect on your own Great Daos.
Later, we may need to rely on everyone to contribute their strength."
The gods cried out in unison, "We are at Your Majesty's command!"
Wu Wang nodded slightly, his expression indescribably serious.
The final struggles of these two supremely powerful beings, Emperor Shun and the Candle Dragon, were indeed problematic and a complete victory would be difficult.
Nothing in the world is perfect, so why torment oneself? At this moment, I must stay rational, do my best while reserving some strength, and minimize losses while completely eradicating this hidden danger.
Groups of Martial Artists rushed toward the western and northern gates of Liuli City, swiftly forming ranks under the shouts of several Generals.
Even though the site of spiritual energy fluctuations was far away, these Martial Artists still had to be ready for battle.
No matter who the enemy was, as Martial Artists, they had to be determined to protect the weak.
Jin Wei, in a golden gown, stood atop the city wall, continually receiving updates about the distant situation from the Priests, and pondering what her side could do to assist her teacher and the Martial God.
Suddenly, and without warning, a pain struck Jin Wei's chest.
She clutched her chest and instinctively leaned on the parapet, letting out a muffled grunt.
A nearby Priest quickly asked, "My Lady! What's wrong?"
Jin Wei gestured that she was fine, aware of the many gazes cast in her direction from below β men, women, the elderly, and the young, all Martial Artists looking up to her, the disciple of the Goddess of Liuli.
Enduring the tearing pain in her heart, she stood tall with her chest out and a composed face.
But for some reason, Jin Wei didn't understand. The dreams that usually appeared during her sleep, often vague, were now crystal clear, vividly surfacing in her mind.
The originally confused dream realm, accompanied by the pain in her body, transformed into a logically clear, well-structured 'story'.
And she was the protagonist of the story, experiencing and feeling it.
"Jing...Wei..." Jin Wei murmured these words, and these two words were like a key that unlocked segment after segment of memories buried deep within her heart.
Jin Wei, Jingwei?
Daughter of the Yan Emperor, perished in her early years in the East Sea, transformed into a divine bird, living on by sheer obsession...
The lengthy loneliness of the years;
Her encounter with that young man on the deserted island...
One image after another surged to her mind; the two of them enjoying their meetings time and time again beneath the Divine Wood.
The scene shifted, and she was floating up and down in the Divine Pool.
The scene turned once more; she transformed into a Blue Bird, flying to a Demonic Sect within a great crack in the earth, staying by his side...
"I am Jingwei..." Jin Wei whispered to herself, and inexplicably, two tears slid down from the corners of her eyes.
DANGβ
The sound of a bell brought forth the figure of a young girl in Jin Wei's spiritual mind, bringing with it a sense of inexplicable calm.
It was, naturally, Zhong Ling.
The phantom of Zhong Ling drifted past Jin Wei's divine soul, whispering softly in her ear, 'Look.'
Another series of images scrolled past, showing the journey of the Martial Artist Qing Shan in reverse.
At first, Jin Wei dared not watch, unsure of how to face this matter.
But as these scenes reversed to Qing Shan's childhood, where he innocently sat by the stream, the phantom of Wu Wang appeared behind 'Qing Shan'.
The conversation between Wu Wang and Zhong Ling also echoed in Jin Wei's heart.
'Master, your incarnation will have to wait a few years before a strand of Lady Jingwei's soul can come here.'
'Then let's wait for a few years, it's no problem.'
'Alright, I'll go arrange a body for this strand of Lady Jingwei's soul.'
DONG!
Those images successively dissipated.
Zhong Ling spoke softly, "Lady Jingwei, the Master has always been by your side and has never left."
"He has always been by my side, never leaving."
Jin Wei murmured, tears streaking down her cheeks, flustering the surrounding Martial Artists and Priests.
"Where is he?" Jin Wei asked directly. "I want to see him. I want to be by his side right now."
"The Master is dealing with some minor troubles, and is also working to save your body and Lady Cang Xue," Zhong Ling's voice grew ever more gentle, as if a hand gently caressed Jin Wei's cheek.
Meanwhile, the two streams of memories within Jin Wei's heart had completely merged.
Now, referring to her as Jingwei seemed more appropriate.
Daughter of the Yan Emperor, favored by the Eastern Emperor, disciple of the Goddess of Liuli, the precious pearl of Uncle Shan and Aunt QingβJingwei.
With another sound of the bell, all those images within Jingwei's heart vanished, revealing the somewhat bizarre scene in the distance.
Beyond the pitch-black light, the Martial Artist Qing Shan sat cross-legged in the sky, his form as still as a clay statue.
After a few breaths, he stood up, his gaze flickering like lightning. Several figures flew back behind himβit was the Water God, the Martial God, the Goddess of Fortune, and the Sword God.
The other Divine Spirits were still busy in the distance.
Wu Wang could wait no longer. To act now was the optimal solution given by the Heavenly Dao.
How could he allow Emperor Shun's threat to succeed today?
Lifting his Longsword, imbuing it with Dao, he stepped forward.
Wu Wang's actions showed no hesitation. His expression even carried a hint of indifference. He pointed the Longsword toward the light barrier before him, and the profundities of the Dao of Death blossomed from its tip.
In that instant!
A figure appeared above the black mire, possessing the human form of the Candle Dragon and the divine bearing of Emperor Shun.
This phantom gazed at Wu Wang, who returned the look, his eyes devoid of ripples.
Time seemed to stand still.
Emperor Shun's gaze carried a trace of amusement, and a smile formed on his lips, as if to say, 'Do you not care about the lives of the Luili Realm's beings?'
However, the only response to his words was the Longsword's tip, piercing the black light with ease.
Wu Wang swung his sword fiercely, a streak of light splitting the night!
Emperor Shun's smile froze. The phantom flashed into the mire. Golden light erupted from all parts of the mire, which had been slowly growing but now started expanding rapidly!
The Water God and the Martial God advanced simultaneously, their respective Great Daos erupting violently.
Listen, dragon roars resounded from within the black mire!
