Old Man Heavenly Sword

Chessboard Mountain.

Since Daoist Taiyuan opened a Marketplace on Chessboard Mountain, this place had become one of the most prosperous spiritual mountains in the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range.

There was also a True One Realm divine demon from Phoenix Perch Mountain leading Dao soldiers and standing guard.

Over nearly one yuanhui, it had developed at an astonishing pace.

Yet at this moment, cries of battle filled Chessboard Mountain.

High in the sky, an aged deity looked down at the slaughter within Chessboard Mountain, his gaze indifferent and merciless.

"It seems the Phoenix Perch Mountain lineage truly does not care about the Chessboard Mountain Marketplace."

Since the fighting began, these cultivators of Chessboard Mountain, skilled in artifact refinement and pill alchemy, had caused the cultivators of the Five Directions Divine Dynasty no small amount of trouble.

He had thought that, given their skills, the cultivators here would receive at least some protection from Phoenix Perch Mountain.

That would have made it easier for him to reap a harvest.

But now, it seemed he had overthought things.

"So be it."

"Let us end this farce."

The deity slowly revealed his form.

His immense dharma manifestation enveloped Chessboard Mountain.

Geng Metal Qi manifested killing phenomena.

The clang of weapons seemed to ring through the void.

This was a Grand Unity Great Sage who cultivated the killing Dao of Metal.

"A Grand Unity Great Sage!"

Guizhenzi and the Golden Armored Divine General from Phoenix Perch Mountain, who had been locked in battle, abruptly raised their heads, their expressions changing drastically.

How could a divine demon cultivator at the Grand Unity Great Sage level have come to the heart of the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range?!

And yet the Grand Unity cultivators of the Phoenix Perch Mountain lineage had not noticed anything at all.

Seeing their expressions, the aged deity in the sky chuckled.

"This old man possesses a method for concealing his tracks and veiling the secrets of heaven. Cultivators of the same rank would find it difficult to see through it."

"Though the few fellow Daoists of Phoenix Perch Mountain possess formidable divine abilities, I fear they would also struggle to discover me immediately."

At this point, the being's expression suddenly turned cold as he shouted sharply.

"How dare you!"

"You dare transmit a message before me?"

With a wave of his hand, he seized a jade slip from the void.

The Golden Armored Divine General's face went pale.

Clearly, his methods were insignificant before a cultivator at the Grand Unity level.

The Grand Unity Great Sage in the void had cold eyes and had already run out of patience.

The longer this dragged on, the more likely complications would arise.

So be it.

With a thought, the Geng Metal Qi in the void condensed into golden dharma swords.

Baleful energy surged, and the dharma swords hung across the sky, revealing boundless killing intent.

They seemed poised to pierce through the heavens.

The Golden Armored Divine General, Guizhenzi, and the countless living beings of Chessboard Mountain sensed the fierce, overbearing, and utterly perilous aura overhead, and alarm bells rang wildly in their hearts.

An overwhelming terror spread through their bodies, making their hair stand on end and chilling them to the bone.

They could neither hide nor evade.

A dead end!

Despair!

"Ah, go die!"

The Golden Armored Divine General rose fiercely. Divine blood boiled within him, dragons and tigers coiled through the haze, and his powerful aura shook the void.

His face was resolute. He refused to submit to execution.

Even knowing death was certain, he would still swing his final blade.

Driven by him.

The living beings on Chessboard Mountain raised their dharma treasures one after another, prepared to fight to the death.

The being high in the sky lightly brushed his golden sleeve.

His eyes remained utterly indifferent.

"Ants climb a locust tree and boast of a great kingdom; how could mayflies hope to shake a tree?"

"How laughably overconfident."

With that, he turned to leave.

The outcome of this battlefield had already been decided.

The next moment, countless streams of golden sword qi blanketed the sky.

They shot down toward the ground.

Just then.

A sigh suddenly sounded from the heavens.

"Since you have come, fellow Daoist, then stay!"

As those words drifted through the void.

The golden sword qi in the air froze in an instant.

Then they dispersed into nothingness.

Shortly after.

A light rain suddenly began to fall from the sky.

The rain grew heavier and heavier.

When it fell upon the living beings of Chessboard Mountain, it was like sweet rain after a long drought, nourishing their bodies and souls.

But when it fell upon the divine demon cultivators of the Five Directions Divine Dynasty, it was like fatal poison.

It corroded their bones and flesh, wearing away their dharma power and divine abilities.

In the blink of an eye, countless cultivators turned into grim white bones and vanished between heaven and earth.

The aged Grand Unity Great Sage paused. His golden eyes stared at a spot in the void as he sighed.

"What fine methods, fellow Daoist."

"This old man was careless."

He did not care about the Divine Demon Imperial Dynasty cultivators who had died below.

They were merely Grotto-heaven Cultivators and celestial divine demons; there were not even two True One Realm cultivators among them.

Yet the appearance of this mysterious Grand Unity Great Sage set alarm bells ringing in his heart.

"Cultivating the Great Dao of Water Element."

"Yet within the water element, there seems to be yin and yang."

"I cannot see through it, nor can I comprehend it."

"But I know every notable Grand Unity cultivator in the Phoenix Perch Mountain lineage."

"Where did this one come from?"

All sorts of information flashed through his mind.

The next instant, a golden flying sword suddenly appeared beneath his feet.

The flying sword streaked through the air, shattered the void, and fled toward the horizon at extreme speed.

When in doubt, fleeing was the best course.

This deity had lived for far too long.

He had long ceased caring about face, and he no longer acted on impulse.

When faced with an opponent he did not understand, it was best to leave first.

"I shall thoroughly investigate this fellow Daoist's background."

"Then decide what to do."

The aged Grand Unity Great Sage thought so.

But in the next instant.

The rain before his eyes gathered and condensed, and amid countless droplets appeared a Daoist clad in an ancient green robe, his face gentle as jade.

The Daoist held a bamboo staff and smiled as he made a respectful salute.

"This poor Daoist is Taiyuanzi. Greetings, fellow Daoist."

"Since fellow Daoist has come to this poor Daoist's domain."

"Why are you leaving in such haste?"

The golden-eyed old man said nothing. His flying sword turned and once more tore through the void.

But the next moment, Zhou Yuan appeared before him again.

"This poor Daoist cultivates the Great Dao of Water Element."

"This rain filling the heavens is all within this poor Daoist's domain."

"Fellow Daoist should cease trying."

Hearing this, the golden-eyed old man let out a faint sigh.

"Fellow Daoist, how difficult was it for people like us to attain Grand Unity?"

"Why must we fight to the death?"

"This matter arose because this old man acted discourteously first."

"This old man is willing to make amends."

"Whatever fellow Daoist requires, say it plainly."

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly.

"I only wish to borrow fellow Daoist's head."

The golden-eyed old man raised his head. The aura around him suddenly turned sharp, like a divine sword drawn from its sheath and thrusting into the heavens.

"If that is the case, then let us fight."

Though the golden-eyed old man cherished his life more with age, he had also been a decisive and ruthless killer in his younger years.

Now that he saw there was no way out, he immediately attacked with all his strength.

"I have a sword, nurtured since the era of the ancient Human Emperor. I ask fellow Daoist to appraise it!"

The golden-eyed old man laughed boldly and inhaled deeply, swallowing all spiritual essence within a radius of ten thousand miles.

Then he gently exhaled.

A streak of golden sword light instantly filled the entire vault of heaven.

The sword light was icy and fierce, as though it would create the world.

Before this sword light, every physical concept seemed to lose meaning.

Beyond it lay only endless nothingness.

Above and below heaven and earth, there was only this sword.

Throughout the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range, all living beings were horrified.

"What is that..."

Some beings looked up, but after only one glance at the golden light, their eyes exploded.

They only felt sword qi stabbing straight into their primordial spirits.

The several Grand Unity Great Sages stationed in the heart of the mountain range abruptly rose to their feet.

"A sword Dao cultivator, wielding the supreme art of slaughter."

"I wonder which fellow Daoist is fighting him."

"That Heaven-Slaying Sword Intent... could it be Old Man Heavenly Sword of the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty?"

"Old Man Heavenly Sword is famously cautious. It has been several yuanhui since he last truly fought."

"Which fellow Daoist could have driven him to attack so fiercely?"

"Old Man Heavenly Sword earned his formidable reputation through slaughter since ancient times."

"An ordinary Grand Unity cultivator is certainly no match for him."

"We should go and lend a hand."

The many Grand Unity great cultivators of the Phoenix Perch Mountain lineage discussed the matter among themselves.

But most believed that the unknown fellow Daoist would not be Old Man Heavenly Sword's match.

However, Old Man Heavenly Sword was a cultivator of the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty.

The enemy of one's enemy was a friend.

With that in mind, the Great Sages transformed into streams of light and flew toward Chessboard Mountain.