As the gourd's mouth opened, a chilling sword light tore through the air.
The Zhu Shen Flying Sword, its blade wreathed in baleful aura, slashed straight at Laozi's Primordial Spirit.
The moment this sword emerged, Heaven and Earth lost their color, and the sun and moon dimmed.
Even Laozi's eyes flashed with gravity. With a light sweep of his sleeve robe, he cried out:
"Yin and Yang entwine, Taiji turns; all laws cannot invade, all evils retreat!"
The Taiji Diagram spun rapidly as black-and-white Qi surged. Together with the layers of golden light descending from the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda, it formed an airtight defense, forcibly blocking the Zhu Shen Flying Sword's edge.
Passively taking blows was not Laozi's goal.
His defense was not meant to make him a punching bag. It was meant to keep him invincible while allowing him to strike others without restraint.
"Constant defense will eventually fail," Bei Ming said coldly. "Senior Brother Laozi, you must find another way to break the situation."
Though he said so, Bei Ming was calculating inwardly. With only the Hongmeng Measuring Ruler and the Zhu Shen Gourd, breaking through the defenses of two supreme treasures would still be far too difficult.
He had to strengthen himself further.
"Qi Embracing Cangming!"
Standing in the East Sea, with boundless waters stretching in every direction, this was the perfect place to borrow power.
A portion of the sea and sky's great power was drawn toward Bei Ming.
Wild waves surged, fierce winds howled, and tides and Cloud Qi gathered, pouring into his body.
"Hongmeng's single breath embraces the vastness; with each exhale, tides overturn the eight wilds. Eternal clouds and waves return to my palm; the mighty heavenly wind becomes Canglang!"
Waves crashed against the heavens as wind and clouds swept