By the Tongtian River (Part 2)

"Hmph!" A cold snort, filled with the fury of a tidal wave, echoed.

"Second Tribulation: Sky River Reversal!"

The River God's massive hand lifted upwards with a sudden force!

BOOM—!!!

The calm surface of the Tongtian River was instantly churned into a world-ending tempest! This wasn't just a localized surge; as far as the eye could see, the vast expanse of azure river water was as if scooped up by an invisible celestial bowl, then violently overturned!

The sky had fallen!

Endless azure river water, carrying the power to shatter stars, formed a colossal, indescribable ring of water that connected heaven and earth! At a speed that defied comprehension, the water wall descended upon the tiny riverbank, upon Cheng Xi and Yan Lingji, crashing down! This wasn't water; it was the sky river overturning! It was the manifestation of the Primordial Law of Water! It aimed to crush every living being that dared covet the immortal realm, grinding them into the smallest specks of dust between heaven and earth!

A catastrophic disaster! A truly catastrophic disaster!

Before this world-destroying Sky River Reversal, the shield formed by the Break Delusion sword intent and Jianmu Vitality was as insignificant as a candle flame in a gale!

The shadow of death had never been so clear!

"No—!" Yan Lingji screamed in despair, watching the azure water wall that obscured her entire vision and swallowed all light! The Witch Fire within her body instinctively burned wildly, attempting a final struggle, but before such celestial power, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!

Cheng Xi's eyes were about to split! The System issued frantic warnings, but there were no viable solutions! The power gap was too immense! He abruptly looked at the still-dormant Qingping Sword Sheath in his arms and roared with all his will, "Sword, come!!!"

Not to summon the sword intent, but to call out! With his dying will, he called out to the slumbering Sky-Severing Edge! This was his only, last hope!

Just as the destructive azure water wall was about to engulf the riverbank—

BZZZZ!!!

The dormant Qingping Sword Sheath suddenly erupted with unprecedented light! No longer a cool, clear blue, but an intense, blazing white light that seemed to tear through the cosmos! A supreme will, capable of severing all and seizing a sliver of life, carrying the eternal arrogance and rage of ages, roared awake!

The sheath itself didn't move, but a pure white sword light, condensed to the extreme by sheer will, shot up from its opening! The sword light wasn't large, only about ten feet long, yet it carried an edge that made the primordial world tremble!

The sword light didn't strike the overturning sky river, but—it fiercely slashed down onto the riverbank in front of Cheng Xi and Yan Lingji!

Chiiiii!

The earth was silently sliced open by a bottomless, pitch-black fissure! The edges of the crack, like fragile glass, shattered inch by inch! An irresistible, powerful suction instantly emanated from it!

Before Cheng Xi and Yan Lingji could even react, they were instantly swallowed by this spatial rift!

RUMBLE!!!

Almost the instant they vanished, the colossal waves of the overturning sky river, carrying the might to destroy all, crashed down fiercely upon the riverbank where they had just stood!

Billions of tons of azure river water plummeted down, the earth trembled violently, the colorful pebbles turned to dust, the riverbank was instantly wiped flat and sunken! Raging currents mixed with spatial fragments wreaked havoc, forming a chaotic abyss of destruction!

The River God's projection hovered silently in the sky, its body composed of azure river water undulating slightly. Its blurred "gaze" pierced through the destructive currents and fell upon the rapidly closing spatial rift, remaining silent for a long time. A cold intent flowed within the vast Primordial Law of Water:

"Sky-Severing Sword Intent... broke through space to escape? These two... their fate is not to perish in this tribulation? Or... is it the Lord's will?"

The colossal water figure slowly descended, re-merging into the vast Tongtian River and disappearing. The destroyed riverbank, nourished by the dense spiritual energy of water, was reshaping and recovering at a visible rate. Only the faint, almost imperceptible edge of Sky-Severing Sword Intent, left behind as the spatial rift closed, remained like an invisible brand on this ancient riverbank.

Deep within the riverbed, a massive black stone tablet, scoured by billions of years, shifted slightly under the impact of the violent energy. On its surface, a few ancient Daoist characters, neither gold nor jade, which only appeared when encountering water, faintly emerged in the reflection of the azure river water:

"A sliver... of... life..."

An unknown place, a spatial crack.

The sensation of the world spinning and being torn apart struck again, far more violent than any previous teleportation! Cheng Xi felt as if he had been thrown into a raging chaotic storm, his body and soul on the verge of being completely ripped apart!

He and Yan Lingji held each other tightly, violently tossed by the highly unstable spatial rift that had been cleaved open by the Qingping Sword Sheath's final power! The emerald green light erupting from the Jianmu Fragment formed a thin cocoon, struggling to resist the cutting force of the spatial turbulence. Yan Lingji's eyes were tightly shut, her face as pale as paper. The violent heat within her, forcibly pacified by the Jianmu Vitality, began to stir again under the ferocious spatial tearing, dark golden patterns flashing wildly beneath her skin.

After an unknown amount of time, which felt like both an instant and an eternity.

Thump! Thump!

The two of them slammed heavily onto the hard, cold ground, tumbling a considerable distance before stopping. The violent impact worsened their already severe injuries. Cheng Xi's vision went black, a sweet, metallic taste filled his throat, and he nearly passed out again. Yan Lingji, on the other hand, spat out a mouthful of blood, curled up on the ground, trembling in pain.

The tearing sensation of the spatial turbulence disappeared.

Cheng Xi struggled to lift his head and surveyed his surroundings.

It was a vast, naturally formed stone cave. The ceiling was high above, with enormous stalactites emitting a soft white light, illuminating the cave as if it were daytime. The air was exceptionally fresh, containing dense yet gentle spiritual energy, more refined than that by the Tongtian River. Every breath sent a comfortable sigh through his parched meridians.

In the center of the cave was a pool of clear water, shrouded in a faint mist of spiritual energy. In the middle of the pool, a giant, unopened green lotus flower floated silently! Its petals were like jade, its veins clear, emanating a serene, distant aura that purified the soul.

And directly above the lotus, at the highest point of the cave ceiling, a long, narrow natural fissure, as if split by a sharp sword, let in the cool, clear light of the sky. The celestial light shone precisely upon the lotus bud.

What made Cheng Xi's pupils contract even further was that beside the green lotus, on the edge of the pool, stood an ancient black stone tablet. The tablet was blank, yet it emanated a source of power that was the same as the Qingping Sword Sheath's, but far more vast and profound—Shangqing Dao Rhyme!

The abundance of spiritual energy here, the profoundness of its layout, was far from ordinary! Especially the green lotus and the blank stone tablet, which vaguely pointed to a possibility that made his heart race!

"Cough cough..." Yan Lingji struggled to sit up, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her fiery eyes were also filled with shock as she looked at the scene in the cave. "Where... is this? Such dense spiritual energy..."

"I don't know..." Cheng Xi panted, his gaze fixed on the green lotus and the blank stone tablet. "But this place... is likely deeply connected to the Intercepting Sect... and Lord Tongtian!" He recalled the phantom image of Biyou Palace, the earth-shattering slash from the sword sheath.

Just then!

Another change occurred!

The Qingping Sword Sheath in Cheng Xi's embrace, upon sensing the dense Shangqing Dao Rhyme and the aura of the blank stone tablet within the cave, let out a faint yet clear hum! This time, it wasn't rage or an outburst, but a kind of filial piety and call, like a wanderer returning home...

Amidst the humming, the sheath grew slightly warm, and a weak but clear intention entered Cheng Xi's mind—pointing towards the pool, towards the green lotus!

"It... is guiding us?" Yan Lingji also felt the sword sheath's unusual activity and asked in surprise.

Cheng Xi's heart stirred. This green lotus exuded potent spiritual energy, and the pool was also filled with powerful vitality. Perhaps... this was their only chance to heal and recover? Especially for Yan Lingji, the violent power within her desperately needed to be appeased.

"Let's go take a look." Cheng Xi forced himself to stand, helping the weak Yan Lingji, and the two stumbled towards the spirit pool.

The closer they got, the more concentrated the spiritual energy became, and their physical injuries seemed to be soothed. The pool water was clear to the bottom, and they could vaguely see that the bottom was covered with smooth spirit jade.

Just as the two were about to reach the edge of the pool, only a few steps away from the floating Green Lotus—

Swish!

Without any warning, a figure appeared out of thin air above the giant Green Lotus like a phantom!

The newcomer wasn't standing on a lotus platform but was cross-legged and seated on the budding green lotus, as if the lotus itself was his Dao platform.

He wore a simple, faded-out blue Daoist robe. His build was tall and straight, his face lean and gaunt, with three long strands of beard flowing down to his chest. He looked to be around middle age. His eyes were half-open and half-closed, his gaze calm and placid, like a deep, ancient well that reflected no emotions. No trace of magical power fluctuations leaked from him, yet he was perfectly integrated with this grotto-heaven, this Green Lotus, this stone tablet, and even the spiritual energy of this realm. It was as if he were not an outsider but an eternal part of this blessed land.

The blue-robed Daoist's gaze slowly swept over the disheveled, blood-soaked Cheng Xi and Yan Lingji, finally resting on the humming Qingping Sword Sheath in Cheng Xi's embrace.

His expression remained placid, but Cheng Xi keenly caught a glimpse of an extremely subtle ripple in the depths of that ancient, tranquil pool, like a pebble dropped into deep water.

A voice, peaceful and gentle, yet carrying an undeniable majesty, echoed in the silent stone cave, clearly reaching both their ears:

"Carrying the Qingping Sword Sheath, awakening the Sky-Severing Sword Intent, breaking through the River God's water tribulation, and seeking this place..."

The blue-robed Daoist paused slightly, his gaze falling on Cheng Xi like a tangible force, as if trying to see through him completely.

"You, are you the anomaly, Cheng Xi?"

The moment the words fell, an invisible, gentle yet boundless pressure, like the entire world slowly closing in, enveloped Cheng Xi and Yan Lingji, soft but irresistible!