Fighting the Heavenly Immortal

After ten years in the Illusion Demon Realm, Ju Hua had reached its core. The Mirror Stone was birthed here, and one could easily depart the realm from this location.

However, Ju Hua had no intention of leaving just yet.

The core of the Illusion Demon Realm spanned a hundred miles. The intensity of the illusions varied from the outermost perimeter to the very center; while a Celestial Immortal could endure the outer illusions with some effort, the innermost ones were enough to make even a Celestial Immortal turn pale.

Ju Hua's heart force had reached the threshold of the third level. He harbored a faint hope of using the innermost illusions to break through this barrier. However, the Mirror Stone's dampening effect was already waning against the outer illusions of the core area, and it was unclear if it would have any effect at all in the center. Thus, Ju Hua was in no rush to head to the deepest part, choosing instead to familiarize himself with the outer core first.

Perhaps because everything in the Illusion Demon Realm had gone too smoothly, the defensive array Ju Hua had set up outside his cave dwelling was rather crude. One day, while he was deeply immersed in the illusions, the array was suddenly subjected to a brutal assault.

The commotion outside triggered an immediate reaction from the puppet guarding Ju Hua. Without a moment's hesitation, the puppet placed the Mirror Stone directly into Ju Hua's hand.

The Mirror Stone's suppression of the core's illusions had diminished significantly, so it took quite a while for Ju Hua to shake off the trance and regain his senses.

By the time he did, the defensive array outside had been completely demolished.

Ju Hua frowned as he stood up. Soon, an old man with white hair and beard strolled in. The man made no effort to conceal his aura—he was a Celestial Immortal.

"Kid, from this moment on, this Illusion Demon Realm belongs to the Xia Emperor. You may leave now!" the old man said indifferently.

"Belongs to the Xia Emperor?"

Ju Hua's brow furrowed slightly, but he immediately understood. This old man must be the Celestial Immortal whom the Tianyang Ancestor mentioned had been sent by the Xia Emperor to investigate the realm.

"Do you have an objection?" the old man asked coldly.

"How would this junior dare? I shall pack my things and depart at once!" Ju Hua replied.

He did not fear this Celestial Immortal, but there was no need to provoke a conflict.

He had been a Loose Immortal for only thirty years. It was one thing to possess his current strength, but if he were to defeat a Celestial Immortal head-on today, any explanation he offered would sound pale and unconvincing.

Ju Hua had not been born with such talent. Anyone with a mind to investigate his past three hundred years would find the truth. The massive disparity in his talent before and after his failed tribulation would inevitably invite suspicion.

To put it bluntly, Ju Hua currently lacked the ability to protect himself. Once this secret was exposed, his only option would be to flee the Great Xia World; otherwise, even the Xia Emperor might take an interest in him!

Yet, without cause, Ju Hua did not want to become a stray dog. Not for any other reason, but for the sake of his little sister who was still waiting for him back in the clan!

As for the old man's arrogant attitude, Ju Hua couldn't care less.

If he cared about such trifles, he would have wasted the last ten years tempering his Dao heart in the Illusion Demon Realm! He treated the old man as if he were air; no matter what the other party said, what could they do to him?

As for the Illusion Demon Realm, he could always return in the future!

The Xia Emperor had claimed this realm to provide a training ground for his subordinates. When the time came, it wouldn't be difficult to gain entry by paying a certain price!

Seeing Ju Hua so sensible, the old man nodded in satisfaction.

However, as Ju Hua was packing, the old man seemed to recall something and suddenly asked, "You came to this Illusion Demon Realm to temper your Dao heart, didn't you?"

"The senior is correct. This junior came under the guidance of my ancestor to temper my Dao heart within this realm!" Ju Hua replied.

"Hmm!" The old man nodded slowly and continued, "Which clan do you belong to?"

"This junior is Ju Hua of the Zhuanshui Clan!" Ju Hua stated directly.

"A disciple of the Zhuanshui Clan?" The old man's eyes narrowed slightly. As if realizing something, he suddenly said:

"I recall that the Celestial Immortal your Zhuanshui Clan sent to the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh this time is the fellow Daoist Tianyang. So, you are a junior whom fellow Daoist Tianyang holds in high regard?"

"Senior jests. I am but a Loose Immortal; how could the Tianyang Ancestor hold me in high regard?" Ju Hua said calmly. For some reason, he sensed that something was amiss.

Upon hearing Ju Hua's words, the Celestial Immortal suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"Why does Senior laugh?" Ju Hua asked.

"I laugh at the foolishness of that old ghost Tianyang, knowing I was coming here and still daring to let a junior come to this place!" Before the old man's voice had even faded, Ju Hua suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind whistling toward his back.

The Qiuhua Sword appeared in Ju Hua's hand in an instant. Divine patterns lit up across his body as he whirled around, thrusting his sword toward his rear.

This strike was like the Milky Way cascading from the heavens—swift and peerless!

BOOM!

A black spike suddenly emerged from the void, only to be violently deflected by Ju Hua's strike.

The black spike slammed into the mountain wall with tremendous speed. In an instant, the mountain collapsed, and the cave dwelling Ju Hua had excavated was pulverized into dust.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Ju Hua and the old man flew out from the debris almost simultaneously. Ju Hua stared at his opponent with an expressionless face, while a trace of astonishment appeared on the old man's features.

"You actually blocked it? Since when did the Zhuanshui Clan have a Loose Immortal as powerful as you?" the old man demanded.

"Since when the Zhuanshui Clan has had a Loose Immortal like me is no concern of yours, Senior. I think you had better worry about your own life first!" As Ju Hua spoke, he suddenly transformed into a hundred-foot giant, simultaneously manifesting his Three Heads and Six Arms, with six massive swords appearing in his hands.

"Hahaha, arrogant! You dare spout such nonsense just because you blocked one of my moves? Today, I shall teach you what a true Celestial Immortal is!" The old man laughed wildly, and a vast swarm of black spikes appeared around him.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH!

Flames ignited on the surfaces of these black spikes.

"Go!"

With a thought from the old man, countless spikes tore through the void, surging toward Ju Hua like a torrential downpour.

Facing such an attack, Ju Hua did not retreat but instead advanced, taking long strides as he rapidly closed the distance toward the old man.

In a flash, the countless sharp spikes arrived before Ju Hua. His six arms danced with blinding speed, his six greatswords simultaneously unleashing one exquisite sword technique after another, deflecting every incoming spike with effortless ease.

In the distance, the old man's eyes glazed over in disbelief. Ju Hua had actually blocked every single one of his attacks just like that; this swordsmanship was simply inconceivable.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Countless black spikes were swatted away by Ju Hua without the slightest pressure. By now, he had closed in on the old man and, without a moment's hesitation, thrust a sword directly at him.

BOOM!

A turtle-shell-like magical treasure suddenly manifested. After a violent tremor rippled across its surface, it firmly blocked Ju Hua's blade.

The old man let out a sigh of relief while rapidly retreating backward.

At the same time, the countless black spikes that had just been swatted away by Ju Hua regrouped, surging toward him once more like a tidal wave.