Battle Against the Four Extremes

"Hmph. You refuse to see reason. If you hand over the Divine Source, perhaps I'll spare your life."

Zhao Fa saw that Jiang Yun showed no sign of panic and knew Jiang Yun must have something to rely on.

It was perfect—he wanted to stall for time as well, to make some preparations and seal off this area.

Then he could make these two disappear without anyone noticing. Even if Jiang Yun really was a Jiang Family disciple, there would be nothing to fear.

Jiang Yun asked curiously, "How can you be so certain that I have Divine Source on me?"

"A Source Master's methods are mysterious and unfathomable. How could impostors like you possibly understand them?"

Zhao Fa gave Jiang Yun a disdainful glance, becoming even more convinced that he was not from the Jiang Family.

If someone had used Divine Source for cultivation within a day, a trace of its aura would remain on them.

Source Masters could seek out that aura. It was an open secret among the major factions.

Otherwise, did he really think the Great Abilities of the aristocratic families and sacred lands remained stationed in Sacred City all year just to purchase Divine Source?

Besides, descendants of great families would not be so ignorant as to waste Divine Source cultivating in the mere Dao Palace Secret Realm.

Hearing Zhao Fa's words, Jiang Yun immediately understood. Source Masters were indeed the most sensitive to Divine Source, but he had not expected Zhao Fa to have studied Source Arts as well.

Now that he understood the reason, Jiang Yun did not waste any more words on Zhao Fa.

He took out the three hundred and sixty large black banners he had refined. Their material was not particularly good, but there were plenty of them.

Hundreds of large black banners fluttered in the wind, blotting out the sky as they scattered throughout the area.

Dense formations emerged in the Void, Dao Runes shrouding everything. This stretch of heaven and earth seemed to have been sealed by Jiang Yun.

Xia Weier was cut off outside and could only watch anxiously.

Seeing Jiang Yun's display, Zhao Fa grew irritated. He had originally planned to secretly lay down a field to prevent Jiang Yun from escaping.

Yet a mere Dao Palace Secret Realm cultivator had turned the tables and set up a field first. Did Jiang Yun think Zhao Fa, a Four Extremes Secret Realm cultivator, might run away?

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Nine streaks of sword light shot from Zhao Fa's mouth, transforming into nine-colored rainbows that flew straight at Jiang Yun. Their killing intent surged like a tide, dazzling and magnificent.

These nine divine swords had been forged from different types of Meteoric Iron. Their colors varied, and each was only palm-length, yet they were incomparably sharp.

They seemed ready to pierce through the Void as they emerged from nothingness. Like nine wings of a Roc, they erupted with endless radiant light and swept in with immense force.

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Yun used the Secret of Xing, dodging the nine divine swords in an instant.

Zhao Fa was, after all, a Four Extremes Realm cultivator who had reached the third secret realm, a major realm above Jiang Yun.

If not for the Secret of Xing, Jiang Yun would have nearly been struck.

The aura Zhao Fa gave off was at least at the Third Layer of the Four Extremes. Though he was considered part of the same generation as them, he was clearly much older and had cultivated for far longer.

There was no room for distraction in battle. Jiang Yun directly activated the formation. One hundred and eight banners danced in the wind, appearing around Zhao Fa.

In an instant, they drew upon Heavenly Momentum. Endless divine light descended from the sky, seeking to drown him.

At the same time, Jiang Yun unleashed Four Symbols Treading Heaven. Treading through the Void with the Four Symbols at his side, he appeared above Zhao Fa's head in an instant.

"Rumble!"

A tremendous roar rang out. As the boundless divine light dispersed, Zhao Fa looked somewhat disheveled, with even traces of blood spilling from his mouth.

He nearly went mad. He had never expected to be injured by a Dao Palace cultivator. It was simply intolerable.

Like a madman, he charged at Jiang Yun. A soaring violet radiance burst from within him, like a massive violet dragon stirring the heavens.

The nine divine swords rushed toward Jiang Yun from behind, trapping him in a pincer attack.

Jiang Yun did not wish to take them head-on. Relying on the profundity of the Secret of Xing, he darted and weaved, evading them one by one.

With a wave of his hand, he formed hand seals, and an Eight Trigrams Diagram descended upon Zhao Fa.

After exchanging several rounds like this, Jiang Yun had sounded out Zhao Fa's methods. It was clear that Zhao Fa's combat experience was not particularly extensive either.

Under the suppression of hundreds of banners, despite being separated by one major realm and three or four minor realms, the two were still evenly matched.

Their clothes had both been shredded by the aftershocks of the battle.

But Jiang Yun was clearly in better condition. After circulating Nine Secrets: Zhe, the wounds on his body healed at a visible rate.

"You rat who only knows how to dodge, die!" Zhao Fa suddenly roared.

Violet radiance shot into the sky, and a massive star appeared above his head. Its might lit up the heavens, incomparably dazzling!

This lone star seemed to possess endless, terrifying divine power. Even the Sun in the sky dimmed before it as immense waves of magical power spread outward.

Every banner in the Void emerged, radiating boundless light as they suppressed Zhao Fa's divine power with all their strength.

Grand chanting resounded from Jiang Yun's Dao Palace as he manifested the supreme divine ability, the Yin-Yang Great Mill, and sent it crashing toward that violet star.

The Yin-Yang Great Mill was a sacred offensive art Jiang Yun had comprehended from the Dao Scripture.

To be safe, Jiang Yun also burned a massive amount of magical power and secretly connected with the Stone Temple Forbidden Artifact within the Sea of Bitterness, borrowing a trace of its might.

Amid waves of Buddhist chants and Daoist scripture recitations, Buddhism and Daoism manifested together in a rather strange sight.

A Yin-Yang millstone several dozen zhang wide emerged from the Void, exuding an ancient Dao aura. It was as though only black and white remained in the world as it slowly revolved at an unchanging speed.

The two sides collided, and endless divine light flashed.

The thunderous roar was deafening as enormous cracks were torn across the ground.

The Yin-Yang Great Mill directly crushed the Ziwei Emperor Star manifested by Zhao Fa. Its rotation slowed somewhat afterward, but it still ground toward Zhao Fa.

"Impossible!!!"

Zhao Fa summoned the nine divine swords to block it, but the Yin-Yang Great Mill crushed them one by one. Even Divine Iron, rare in this world, could not withstand such power.

However, after obliterating the nine divine swords, the Yin-Yang Great Mill slowly dissipated into the air as well.

Though the Yin-Yang Great Mill had vanished, the divine power it released severely wounded Zhao Fa, sending him flying dozens of meters away. Blood continuously flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Yun was also somewhat surprised by the boost granted by the Forbidden Weapon. A simple activation had produced more than twice its usual power.

Just as he was about to press his advantage and take Zhao Fa down in one go—

A pitch-black, shuttle-shaped treasure flew from between Zhao Fa's brows. Like a black hole, it seemed capable of absorbing all light.

In an instant, before Jiang Yun could react, the black shuttle seemed to ignite. Strands of dark light emerged from it, as though tearing open space itself, and carried Zhao Fa away in an instant.

This black shuttle treasure treated the Dao Rune field laid out here as if it were nothing.

Only Zhao Fa's lingering aura remained at the scene.

Jiang Yun had not expected Zhao Fa to use a Forbidden Weapon—one forged by a Great Ability for escape.

Unfortunately, his research into Nine Secrets: Zu and formation runes was not yet thorough enough. Otherwise, this probably would not have happened.

Jiang Yun retrieved the black banners one by one. In this battle, more than fifty of the three hundred and sixty large black banners had been lost.