The Heavens

"Ha, you're right. It's good to confide in someone when you've been keeping things bottled up inside. You don't know, these Hu Barbarians spend all day talking to me about our sheep. It's so annoying..."

The man in red robes seemed to have laughed enough. He stood with his hands behind his back in the air, looking down at Li Fan. "Alright, you've dragged this out for so long, you must be ready by now, right? Don't blame me for not reminding you, the opportunity is fleeting. Once the sun sets, how much power will you be able to unleash with this sword formation? If you can't kill me in one strike, there won't be a second chance."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes. "... I don't know what you're talking about."

Zhang Xun chuckled and said, "Kid, who can you fool with your little tricks? You just want to hide that white energy in the snow, wrap your bones, and smuggle it over here to use as the array's core, activating the Golden Sun Array to ambush me, right?"

However, I do admire you a little. You peeled your own flesh and bones, yet you remained unfazed and spoke to me calmly. You do have some backbone, worthy of being the last disciple of the Sword Sect.

Heh, fine. I admire the peerless heroism of the Sword Ancestor Xuantian, but if I were to annihilate your Sword Sect's lineage with a single palm strike, I'd find it rather pointless. So I'll give you a chance. If you want to use the Radiant Golden Light Array to kill me, then come on!

The Sword Sect loves sword duels, right? Then let's have a contest and see if your Beichen Sword Sect is superior, or if my Blood God Child Great Law Art is truly unparalleled!

Li Fan swallowed hard, his mouth full of saliva mixed with blood, and only then did cold sweat begin to seep from his forehead.

Damn it, we've really been seen through.

Yes, just as Zhang Dali said, he gritted his teeth, removed a rib, wrapped it in white baleful energy, and secretly sent it to the array eye, attempting to replace Yan Xingyun's skeleton as the array eye to activate the Sun Sword Array.

Of course, that's not all. Li Fan has other backup plans. For example, if the other party sees through this trick, he can pretend to be angry and rush out to snatch Brother Yan's remains. That way, when the other party focuses their attention on him, he can use the Ruyi Sword Scripture at the same time to control the ribs that were just broken in his abdomen, and shoot them out like a sword to insert them into the array eye. There is still a chance to activate the sword array.

Zhang Dali had already been attacked by the remnants of the Sword Sect and the Mountain Lord, each of whom had struck him with the word "Exterminate." As a result, he was now so careful not to touch the white evil aura that he sensed something was wrong. He must have suffered considerable losses after the series of battles. If he could activate the Sun-Shining Golden Light Sword Formation, he might have a chance to turn the tide and win.

But now, Li Fan isn't so confident.

Because he was too steady; Zhang Dali's performance at that moment was simply too steady!

He saw through Li Fan's plan, but remained calm and composed. He even made a gesture of invitation, indicating that Li Fan didn't need to play so many tricks and should climb up to the array's core to activate the Sword Sect duel! He would wait for him in the sky!

Li Fan couldn't figure out whether the other party was genuinely swayed by his persuasive words and developed a passion for sword fighting in the world of immortals, or was still being cunning and deliberately undermining his Dao heart and confidence.

But Li Fan had experienced this kind of mental battle many times before, and he knew that the more difficult it was to be hesitant and indecisive, the more important it was to avoid such situations!

Hesitation creates an opening; hesitation breeds fear. When fear arises, the sword moves a fraction slower, leading to certain death!

So he laughed and, using the snow as a makeshift brace, got up.

"Zhang Dali! Do you perhaps think this sword formation is so profound and mysterious that even if Brother Yan were dead, he would still be in danger of being killed, but since I'm in charge, there's no threat?"

Hmph! You underestimate me like that? Don't blame me for not telling you! I am the legendary Chosen One! Blessed by Heaven! My destiny is sealed! If you're so arrogant, you'll regret it when you die by my hand!"

The red robe fluttered wildly in the wind as the man flicked his sleeve and said, "Heh, someone with your temperament and aptitude, while not bad by today's standards, was quite common back then. Besides, there were plenty of people better at arithmetic than you! Hmph, the Sword Sect Leader? You got killed so many times trying to break a formation, I couldn't stand it anymore! If you're going to try to possess someone, at least find someone smarter!"

Holy crap! My defenses are down!

"So what! You think you're so great just because you killed your own brother! You survived! He died! So you're awesome! He's an idiot! Pah! At least he dared to try! In broad daylight! In this peaceful world! He dared to reach out and ask for it! What about you!"

You wouldn't dare do anything! Don't even mention joining Brother Yan and his group; you don't even have the guts to carve out a peaceful world! The Divine Cult threatened you, and you betrayed your brothers! For your own wealth and glory! For your unparalleled martial arts! For your position as Dharma King! And you still whine and cry to me! Calling others naive lunatics! Bah! Coward! Selfish, self-serving, betraying-your-friends-for-glory coward!"

"Snort!"

In a flash, the red robe appeared before Li Fan's eyes, instantly teleporting to his front. Inside the empty robe, it seemed as if an unseen face was glaring at him angrily.

"What?! You've broken down! Zhang Dali, eat shit!"

Li Fan stubbornly refused to admit defeat. In the Divine Court, Daoist Qiongqi, carrying the Five Mountain Gods Demon-Slaying Sword, was prepared to fight to the death.

"Hehehe, I wouldn't dare to do it?" Zhang Xun chuckled coldly. "You think the Divine Cult is a demonic cult, don't you? You think we are evil people, don't you? You think that if everyone were like Yan Xingyun, sworn brothers, and everyone worshipped the Void Star, there would be no killing or strife in the world, and everyone could enjoy peace and happiness, right!"

"Ha! You want to discuss the Dao with me? Fine, I've killed plenty of people from the Three Great Sects, but I've never really understood what you lunatics from the Divine Cult are after! Come! Let's discuss the Dao!"

Li Fan simply plopped down in the spot where Yan Xingyun had just been sitting, but without activating the sword formation, he also made a gesture of 'please'—even if he lost the game, he wouldn't lose face!

"You've had your fill of venting, sir. There are some things I've been holding back for a long time. Please allow me to say a few words."

I hate you immortals the most! What immortals?! What immortals?! What's so great about you?! You're just lucky because you had a genetic mutation! You're lucky because your parents are officials! You're lucky because you stumbled upon a treasure in dog poop! And that's why you think you're superior!

Fine! It's all fate! I won't say much more! But what's wrong with mortals that you have to be treated like this! Ah! At least the Immortal Palace still raises its people! All they care about is pleasure! At least the Xuanmen doesn't care about mortals! All they seek is a legacy!

You cult! What the hell are you trying to do?! You've spread Devil Embryo and corpses everywhere! What are you trying to gain by harming so many people?!

If you want to fight, then fight the Immortal Palace and the Mystic Sect! Immortal matters should be decided by immortals! Let's wage war and have a good, bloody battle! Why do you always drag mortals into this?! It's not the first or second time! Every time we encounter your divine sect, you drag ordinary people into it! Can't you handle your own affairs?! Damn it!

Zhang Dali! Zhang Fawang! I beg you, please have some sense! In this world, ordinary people toil like oxen and horses, and it's already difficult enough to live to be a hundred! Please, you old ghosts who claim to be a thousand years old, have some empathy and let them live in peace, okay?

"Your Three Great Sects' gods are high and mighty, fighting to the death is none of my business! I just want to bring peace to the common people, is that so difficult!?"

"..." Zhang Xun looked at Li Fan for a while, but instead of taking advantage of Li Fan's momentary lapse in defense, he actually rolled up his red robe and sat down in front of Li Fan. "Difficult, as difficult as ascending to heaven. Because what we are doing, what our Three Great Sects are doing, will inevitably involve mortals. You won't believe me even if I say more about what those two families are doing. But as the Great Strength Dharma King, I can still say a few words about what the Divine Sect wants to do."

Our religion wants there to be no more 'Heaven' in this world! How could all the people of the world possibly escape being drawn in?

Li Fan, "... Your 'sky' probably refers to something else, right? Because if there were no atmosphere..."

Zhang Xun seemed to roll his eyes at him, "Nonsense! Of course it refers to something! From the time of our supreme god-king, from the very beginning of our founding, to the present day, our Divine Sect has always been single-minded in its goal of overthrowing the Three Palaces of the Immortal Palace!"

The destruction of the Immortal Palace is the very foundation upon which our Divine Sect was founded! All those heavenly books, divine skills, and secret treasures are merely means to an end! Now you want us to sit down with the Immortal Palace, drink and chat, and become brothers? Do you really think that's possible?

Besides, don't Yan Xingyun and the others want peace? Don't you want peace? Let me tell you, for peace to exist, the Immortal Palace absolutely cannot exist!"

Li Fan sneered, "Oh, so to put it bluntly, your Divine Cult is just a simple alliance of avengers? To eradicate the Immortal Palace completely, you're willing to sacrifice even the people of the Immortal Palace, right?"

Then I truly understand, Zhang Dali. Since your Immortal Palace runs so deep that you'd even betray your friends and brothers, I have nothing more to say.

However, compared to Brother Yan and his group, who are willing to forgive and forget to end the conflict between the Three Great Sects, it seems that your magnanimity is only so-so.

Zhang Xun wasn't angry. Instead, he chuckled for a while. "Righteousness, huh? It seems you really haven't heard of me and don't know what I've done. Alright, I'll tell you who I am first, and then I'll tell you why Yan Xingyun and the others are a bunch of fools."

Li Fan frowned. He could feel that he had completely controlled the Sunburst Golden Light Sword Formation and could activate it at any time. He also knew that Zhang Dali, who was sitting opposite him, knew that he was ready, yet he still spoke so calmly.

Why hadn't he made a move yet? What was Zhang Dali still relying on? Li Fan couldn't figure it out, and he really wasn't confident, so he could only nod.

So Zhang Xun said, "This is my third incarnation. I possessed the body of the Xianbei. In my previous life, I was the Great Strength Dharma King of the Divine Sect. My original name in my first life was Zhang Xun. I was a scholar who passed the imperial examination in the Immortal Palace and became a mere county magistrate in the capital. Back then, I was an ambitious and impetuous scholar who thought all day long about bringing peace and stability to the country, serving the court, and becoming a good official who would benefit the people. It's just a pity..."

Li Fan understood. "It's a pity that your uprightness offended powerful figures in the court, leading to various setbacks and failures. In the end, you suffered the loss of your wife and children, and the destruction of your family. As a result, you lost hope in the Immortal Palace and became an antisocial person, wanting to wipe out the Immortal Venerable's entire family, right?"

"Hehehe, hehehehahaha!"

Zhang Xun laughed loudly, "Alright, alright, my story is roughly what you guessed. Anyway, serving the Immortal Palace as an honest official or a loyal minister usually leads to this kind of end. That's not important. What I want to tell you is that in my first life, I served in the Central Plains and saw a lot of things and met a lot of people. That's why I don't stand with them. Because I know that Yan Xingyun and the others are just a bunch of fools being manipulated."

Zhang Xun abruptly stopped smiling, his blood-stained robe pointing directly at Yan Xingyun's skeleton.

"Do you even know why he was expelled from the Sword Sect by the Sword Ancestor?!"

Li Fan was taken aback, "Associating with the demonic sect..."

"Yes! He's a demon! He's fallen for a fox! And it just so happens to be a fox from the Ziwei Yuan!"

Zhang Xun angrily retorted, "I'm not going to beat around the bush with you! That fox was sent by Ziwei Yuan. Back then, it instigated the Immortal Clan to kill the Grand Commandant, causing the Immortal Palace to split in two and plunging the world into chaos. Because of it, countless people have died, and my..."

Hmph, anyway, the Sword Ancestor Xuantian was entangled with the Divine Sect in Kunlun at the time, and afterwards he sent his disciples to the Three Realms to investigate and track down the mastermind behind it all. Yan Xingyun tracked down this monster's trail, but who knew that the fool would actually collude with this monster! Betray his sect! And she even instigated him behind the scenes, gathering a bunch of cronies, saying she wanted peace in the world! Bah! A bunch of fools being used as pawns! They've been used as pawns and they don't even know it!

How would I know these secrets? Hehehe, hehehehahaha! That vixen! She's a scourge on the world! I wish I could skin her alive! Drink her blood! Chew her bones! Eat her flesh! You think I wouldn't recognize her just because she changed her appearance?!

Who do you think instigated the Luo Sect brothers to gather in righteousness? Who do you think leaked the inside story of those fools betraying their sect? Let me tell you plainly! The Luo Sect's massacre back then was all orchestrated by Ziwei Yuan behind the scenes! Even the Three Great Sects' joint attack on the Luo Sect was facilitated by Ziwei Yuan!

What a load of rubbish about peace! What a load of rubbish about peace! It's just that the Ziwei Yuan thinks the Three Great Sects have been at peace for too long! They're bored out of their minds! This is like the left hand hitting the right, just playing around with themselves!

So you see! To achieve peace, the sky above the Ziwei Yuan must first be overturned! Otherwise, this sky will not grant you peace!

Li Fan was stunned; he was truly stunned.

While some things did confirm certain suspicions, hearing it with my own ears was still incredibly absurd... and why...?

Why should I tell you all this?

Zhang Xun stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked up at the sky.

"When I attained enlightenment this time, I sensed that my demise was not far off. Since Qin Tianjue coming, nor is he a Grandmaster, and you are still hesitant to make a move, it seems the problem doesn't lie with you..."

Heh, what a pity. I'd rather die at the hands of the Sword Sect, at least I could die with honor... Heh heh heh..."

Zhang Xun was there, chuckling to himself.

Li Fan's mind was in a state of confusion; Jue Ming something, yet he was completely bewildered. Many people and events swirled in his mind: the Ziwei Yuan, the fox, the Three Great Sects, the Divine Cult, the Legion...

"Company..."

Suddenly it got dark, like the lights being turned off, and then it lit up again, but not from the sky, but from the distant south. Almost blinding rays burst forth, and a slightly purple light shone from the top of Yinshan Mountain! The dazzling light pollution melted away the snow, and the icy cold air in front of us suddenly boiled like a heat wave!

Li Fan turned his head and saw a blinding light shining down from the sky! Like a thunderbolt from heaven! It melted away the Yinshan Mountain peak shrouded in distant clouds and mist! The entire Yinshan Mountain disappeared under this divine punishment-like light! Only a huge crater remained in its place! The landscape instantly transformed from an icy plain into a sea of fire! It was permanently distorted and reshaped!

"Hehehehe! One strike annihilated my physical body! You saw it! You saw it! That was 'Heaven'! That was 'Heaven'!"

Zhang Xun laughed loudly in the bright light, and with a flick of his wrist, he threw the scripture, "The Scroll of Diligent Practice for Enlightenment," into Li Fan's arms!

"Share half when you meet! Take it and see! You bunch of fools, do you really want peace? Just remember! You must overturn this sky!"

Li Fan glared at him and roared, "You don't want this?!"

Zhang Xun laughed heartily, "I've already learned it!"

Then the blood-stained robe rolled up and transformed into a long rainbow, shooting straight into the sky!

At the same moment, from the entire ice field and from the Yinshan Mountains, hundreds of rainbow-like lines pierced into the deep sky, as if tearing the heavens apart!

But in the next instant, the blinding light in the sky suddenly burst forth, colliding with the rainbow that rose against the heavens!

In an instant, the heavens and stars seemed to whisper secrets, and a dense array of stars appeared!

The bright red light vanished the instant they connected, and then the rainbow lines exploded, scattering into a sky full of stardust! Like a blood-red aurora!

It looked as if someone had shaken off a blood-stained garment and casually hung it in the sky!

Li Fan looked up at the brilliant starry sky above him, and at the aurora borealis that turned his eyelids blood red.

For a moment, he suddenly wished he could see a rainbow that could cut through the entire 'sky' and allow him to escape!

But it didn't happen.

This extraordinary phenomenon lasted only a few dozen seconds before night returned to day, and sunlight shone down, extinguishing the crimson glow of the sky.

Just now... a celestial dog eating the sun... no, it was a solar eclipse, or perhaps the shadow of something swept across overhead, briefly obscuring the sun...

Then one of the Dao Lords perished.

Yes, that is, 'sky'...