Rescuing Yun Xiao Beneath Kirin Cliff; the Mysterious Yellow Tower Shakes, Revealing a Saint's Presence

On the East Sea Coast, a streak of faint light slipped quietly away from Golden Ao Island. In an instant, it had traveled a thousand miles, heading toward the center of the Great Desolation Continent.

Within the streak of light were Tongtian, Wudang, and Kui Niu. Tongtian's expression was calm, but deep in his eyes, lava waited to erupt. Saint Mother Wudang was filled with worry, anxious for Senior Sister Yun Xiao and afraid that her master might take a reckless risk in his fury. Kui Niu galloped at full speed, clouds forming beneath his four hooves. He remained silent, but his resolve was clear.

Kirin Cliff was no ordinary place. It was a divine mountain left behind at the ancient Ancestral Land of the Qilin Clan. Later, Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning had brought it to the edge of Kunlun Mountain, where he had transformed it with his peerless magic power into an important Dao Field of the Chan Sect. It had also suppressed countless Demonic Beasts and wicked fiends. Legend had it that the mountain had been nurtured by the auspiciousness of the Qilin Clan and tempered by the Jade Pure Immortal Method. It was indestructible and contained countless restrictions and formations.

And Yun Xiao was imprisoned beneath this cliff! She was sealed by both the golden bridge formed from the Taiji Diagram and the power of Laozi's Mysterious Yellow Tower!

This journey was no less dangerous than retrieving a pearl from a sea of blood. Kirin Cliff stood right next to Kunlun Mountain—in other words, practically beneath Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning's nose!

[You have entered the area of influence of the Kunlun Mountain Range. Warning: The aura of the Jade Pure Immortal Method is dense here, and the Heavenly Dao laws are active. The host's Chaos Aura is suppressed, greatly increasing the difficulty of concealment.]

Tongtian's gaze narrowed slightly. He could feel the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy around them carrying a faint, repellent quality belonging to the Jade Pure Immortal Method. Here, even the circulation of his Primordial Unity Magic Power had become slightly sluggish.

"Conceal your auras. Take a detour," Tongtian ordered. Kui Niu immediately lowered his altitude and flew close to the mountain ridges, using the terrain to evade any possible detection.

The closer they came to Kirin Cliff, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. They could even see some third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect patrolling the mountains on beams of light. Their cultivation was not impressive, but their presence showed that this place had an owner.

At last, an unusual cliff appeared in the distance.

Auspicious colors suffused the entire cliff, and vague Qilin phantoms circled it. It was majestic, sacred, and extraordinary. Yet at the foot of the cliff, one area was shrouded in dense Mysterious Yellow Qi. Its aura was so heavy that it seemed capable of suppressing all things beneath the heavens. It clashed with the auspiciousness of Kirin Cliff, exuding a deathly stillness that made one's heart tremble.

Within the Mysterious Yellow Qi, the faint image of a thirty-three-tiered golden pagoda slowly revolved, releasing ten thousand strands of Mysterious Yellow tassels. Beneath the pagoda, there seemed to be a faint wisp of pure qi, struggling desperately, on the verge of vanishing.

That was where Yun Xiao was imprisoned! The acquired merit treasure of the Grand Pure Saint—the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, in projection!

Just seeing the distant projection of the Mysterious Yellow Tower made Saint Mother Wudang's Nascent Soul tremble. She nearly fell to her knees. Kui Niu also let out an uneasy growl.

Tongtian's gaze turned icy. The Primordial Dao Fruit within his Saint Body spun faster, and Chaos Qi circulated, counteracting the Suppression Power.

"Master, the Mysterious Yellow Tower is Grand Uncle Taishang's merit treasure. It is impervious to all laws, the foremost defensive treasure, and a tool for suppressing Auspicious Qi. Even as a projection, it is beyond our ability to break through," Saint Mother Wudang said anxiously, despair creeping into her voice. Before a Saint's treasure, they were like ants gazing up at the sky.

"Foremost in defense? Impervious to all laws?" A cold curve appeared at the corner of Tongtian's mouth. "That applies to the laws of the Heavenly Dao. I cultivate the Primordial Unity now. I am no longer beneath the Heavenly Dao!"

He did not rush forward recklessly. Instead, he circled the outer perimeter of Kirin Cliff, observing it carefully. Combining his Saint's Will with the system's scan, he rapidly analyzed the operating patterns and weak points of the Mysterious Yellow Tower's projection.

[Analyzing target: Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda (projection). Energy sources: Kunlun Mountain ley lines + power left behind by the Grand Pure Saint. Core laws: Heavenly Dao Merit Law, Suppression Law. Weaknesses: Relatively weak resistance to forces outside the Heavenly Dao system. The projection's energy output also fluctuates periodically, reaching a slight low point for one-thousandth of an instant every three hundred breaths.]

The system provided detailed data.

Tongtian immediately devised a plan. A head-on fight was out of the question. Even as a projection, the pagoda contained a Saint's power, which he could not withstand at his current level. But if he seized that one-thousandth-of-an-instant opening and used the power of the Chaos Bead to disrupt its operation for a moment, he might be able to tear open a tiny gap!

Timing and speed were everything! He had to rescue Yun Xiao in that instant and flee immediately! If he alerted Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning on Kunlun Mountain, all would be lost!

"Wudang, Kui Niu, wait here to receive us. As soon as I rescue Yun Xiao, flee at once. Do not fail!" Tongtian ordered in a deep voice, leaving no room for argument.

"Master! Let me help you!" Wudang cried urgently.

"My lord, this old ox has thick hide. I can take a hit!" Kui Niu growled.

"This is an order!" Tongtian's gaze swept over them. "Your task is to receive us and get away! If things go wrong... leave on your own!" Before they could respond, he blurred and became an almost transparent shadow, slipping toward the foot of Kirin Cliff.

The closer he got to the Mysterious Yellow Tower's projection, the greater the pressure became. The heavy Mysterious Yellow Qi was like countless billions of mountains, crushing the space until it warped and solidified. An ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortal would probably be unable to move at all in its presence.

Tongtian circulated his Chaos Dao Fruit. A thin layer of Misty Grey light covered his body, pushing back the terrifying Suppression Power just enough for him to advance like a fish swimming upstream—slowly, but with unshakable resolve.

He held his breath and focused all his attention on the pagoda's projection, calculating every subtle change in its energy fluctuations.

Two hundred and ninety breaths... two hundred and ninety-five... two hundred and ninety-eight...

Now! In the instant before the Mysterious Yellow Tower's projection reached its low point, Tongtian moved!

He abruptly summoned the Chaos Bead (fragment). Rather than hurling it at the pagoda, he suspended it over his head and released billions of strands of Chaos Qi, temporarily severing the Mysterious Yellow Tower's connection to the laws of the Heavenly Dao!

At the same time, he joined his fingers like a sword. His Primordial Unity Magic Power erupted without reserve, condensing into a tiny yet incomparably sharp blade of Chaos Sword Qi: Supreme Clarity Profound Breaking Slash!

He had created this technique by combining Chaos Qi with the Sword Dao he had recently comprehended. It was made to break through all manner of restrictions and seals!

"Break!" Swoosh! The Chaos Sword Qi slipped into the tiniest gap in the Mysterious Yellow Tower projection's energy fluctuations with the precision of a butcher effortlessly carving an ox!

Buzzz!!! The pagoda's projection shuddered violently! The tassels hanging from it immediately fell into disarray! The impregnable field of suppression had truly been torn open—a crack no wider than a strand of hair! It lasted only one-thousandth of an instant, but that was enough for Tongtian!

His divine sense flashed through the crack and instantly locked onto the faintest wisp of pure qi, nearly vanished: the last remnant of Yun Xiao's origin!

"Yun Xiao! Wake up!" Tongtian shouted, his voice imbued with Primordial Unity Dao Sound, rousing her submerged true spirit. At the same time, his magic power transformed into a giant hand and yanked her out through the crack!

The entire process was faster than thought. Yet the instant Yun Xiao's origin was rescued—BOOM!!! The Mysterious Yellow Tower's projection seemed to fly into a rage, erupting with unprecedented brilliance! A concentrated stream of Mysterious Yellow Qi, like an enraged giant dragon, crashed toward Tongtian! It was the treasure's instinctive counterattack!

Tongtian had anticipated this. The instant he rescued Yun Xiao, he had already begun retreating. At the same time, the Chaos Bead blazed with light and shielded him!

Bam! The Chaos Bead shuddered violently, its Misty Grey glow dimming slightly. Tongtian took a heavy blow. He swallowed the blood rising in his throat, then used the force of the impact to fly backward even faster!

"Go!" he growled toward Wudang and Kui Niu. They were already prepared. Kui Niu leaped into the air on all four hooves and caught Tongtian as he flew back, while Wudang activated a Water Escape Talisman she had prepared earlier, enveloping them all!

But they were still half a step too late! The violent fluctuations of the Mysterious Yellow Tower, along with the auras of the Chaos Bead and Primordial Unity Magic Power, had been brief, but they were like a boulder dropped into a tranquil lake. In an instant, they alerted the being deep within the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain!

An immense, indifferent, and dignified Saint's Will descended upon Kirin Cliff like the heavens collapsing!

"Presumptuous!" The icy voice seemed to come from beyond the nine heavens, carrying the peerless authority of a Heavenly Dao Saint. The space within a radius of ten thousand miles instantly froze! Kui Niu's beam of light abruptly stalled, as if he were a mosquito trapped in amber, unable to move!

Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning! Even a mere wisp of his Saint's Will was beyond the ability of an ordinary Quasi-Saint to withstand!

Tongtian's expression changed. Without hesitation, he struck his chest and forced out three precious drops of Origin Blood Essence, setting them ablaze!

"Chaos Without Limit—escape!" Boom! The Chaos Bead unleashed its final power, and the Primordial Dao Fruit spun wildly, forcibly tearing through the Saint's Will's restraint! A Misty Grey rift flashed open before them!

Kui Niu roared and summoned every ounce of his strength, carrying Tongtian and Wudang as he charged into the rift!

The instant they vanished, a gigantic palm condensed from pure Jade Pure Immortal Light seemed to cross space and slammed down at the spot where they had been!

Rumble!!! The earth shook and the mountains trembled! Kirin Cliff shuddered violently, and boulders split apart! If the Mysterious Yellow Tower's projection had not been suppressing it, that single palm might have shattered the entire divine mountain!

The gigantic palm slowly lifted. Its center was empty.

Inside Jade Void Palace, Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning frowned slightly as he sat on his Cloud Bed. A flicker of doubt crossed his indifferent eyes.

"The aura of Chaos—and the scent of Tongtian? He didn't die? He even dared to come to my Dao Field to rescue someone?"

He formed hand seals and divined the secrets of Heaven, but everything concerning Tongtian had grown indistinct, as if shrouded by a layer of chaotic mist.

"He abandoned his Saint Position and sought another path? Hmph, the aspirations of an ant!" Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning sneered, paying it little heed. In his eyes, anyone who had not become a Saint remained an ant. Even if Tongtian had miraculously survived and gained some opportunities, he still could not escape his grasp.

Still, Kirin Cliff had been disturbed, harming his reputation. He would need to inquire into it.

He spoke indifferently. "White Crane Boy."

"Your disciple is here." White Crane Boy appeared. "Tell Immortal Official Nanji to investigate what happened at Kirin Cliff. Find out whether Yun Xiao's true spirit is still intact." Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning spoke with indifference, as if handling a trivial matter.

"I shall obey your decree." White Crane Boy bowed and withdrew.

On the Cloud Bed, Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning slowly closed his eyes. The aura around him was merely a shade colder than usual.

Meanwhile, ten million miles away, a spatial rift appeared out of nowhere in a desolate mountain valley, and Tongtian, Wudang, and Kui Niu tumbled out in a sorry heap.

Tongtian spat out another mouthful of blood. His face was as pale as paper, and his aura was feeble. He had expended enormous strength tearing through the restraint of Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning's Saint's Will, and had even injured his origin.

But in his arms, he tightly protected a wisp of pure, faint qi.

Yun Xiao's origin had been rescued!