Great Sage
In the palm of his hand, the illusory image of the Heavenly Book of Righteousness suddenly transformed into a giant wolf-hair brush, its entire surface flowing with ancient seal script, its strokes containing the meaning of piercing through illusion and pointing directly to the origin!
"The Spring and Autumn Brush Technique reveals both praise and criticism!"
"Tracing back to the source, cause and effect form a line!"
Qi Yun chanted incantations, using his fingers as a wrist to grasp the "Spring and Autumn Brush" in mid-air, and wrote swiftly in the direction where the demonic wind had disappeared!
Where the brushstrokes passed, they did not leave ink marks in the void, but rather condensed into two understated, radiant Daoist seal characters—[Spring].
[Autumn]!
The moment these two words were uttered, they exuded a supreme Daoist charm that transcended time, recorded rise and fall, and conveyed praise and criticism between the lines!
This is an extremely profound deductive Secret Method in Confucian Dao. It is not about forcibly deciphering the secrets of heaven, but rather about "writing" and "freezing" the "cause and effect" that just happened, making it impossible for it to hide, and naturally revealing a clear "trace"!
"Buzz-"
The characters "[Spring][Autumn]" flashed with light, and in the void, they outlined a faint, ominous, pitch-black thread of cause and effect that twisted and extended into the depths of the void!
At the end of the silk thread lay the last vestige of that demonic wind!
"Found you!" Qi Yun's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation, his figure transformed into a streak of interwoven golden Flowing Light, tearing through the void and speeding after the direction indicated by the thread of cause and effect!
Its speed was so great that it even left a long, lingering trail of light behind it!
"Qi boy! Wait! That box—"
Below, Cai Kun saw Qi Yun break through the air and chase after him without saying a word. He opened his mouth, but before he could finish speaking, Qi Yun's figure had already disappeared from sight.
He looked down at his feet. Beside the entrance to the dark cave revealed after the dark gold monument shattered, lay a simple, ancient iron box, no more than a foot square, entirely black, made of some unknown metal, and covered with mysterious patterns.
The box was tightly closed, but Cai Shen could sense that the faint aura emanating from it was the familiar, faint scent of the Fourteenth Brother!
"Sigh!" Cai Shen stamped his foot helplessly, not bothering to examine it carefully. With a flash of golden light, he took the iron box into his own body.
He then transformed into a golden Flowing Light, exerting all his strength to hurriedly chase after Qi Yun, following the aura and light trail he had left behind.
"Please don't let this be a diversionary tactic," he thought anxiously.
Following the cause-and-effect threads outlined by the "Spring and Autumn Brush Technique," Qi Yun traveled an unknown distance through the vast void.
The surrounding scenery gradually became eerie.
The already dim void grew even darker. The floating star debris and world fragments dwindled in number.
Even the causal thread he was tracking became faint and unstable in this darkness.
A subtle yet omnipresent malice and coldness, like a giant beast lurking in the deep sea, quietly spread.
"Inviting the enemy into a trap?" Qi Yun's pursuit abruptly stopped without warning.
He hovered in this eerie, deep, dark void, his gaze sharp as lightning, scanning his surroundings.
Just as he stopped!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The already dark void suddenly surged violently, like a pot of boiling oil!
An incomparably powerful and terrifying pressure, filled with Savage Wilderness, violence, and domineering Yao Qi, descended like billions of divine mountains simultaneously crashing down from all directions, engulfing every inch of the void, attempting to completely suppress Qi Yun and the area he occupied.
Crush it!
"Buzz!"
"Buzz!"
"Buzz!"
At the same time, nine enormous caverns, each with a different shape, shimmering with different colors of eerie light, and exuding a domineering and overwhelming Heavenly Demon, suddenly rose into the air from the surrounding boiling void!
The nine grottoes, each occupying a different direction, are interconnected by their respective energies and intertwined with demonic light, instantly forming a terrifying demonic array that blots out the sky and blocks all exits in time and space!
The moment Formation Art formation was completed, the pressure around Qi Yun increased a hundredfold, and even his breathing became sluggish!
Hehehe----
A familiar, chilling laugh, tinged with a deep-seated malice, echoed through the void sealed by the demonic array.
The swirling, dark green fog ahead surged once more, and a tall, eerie figure slowly emerged from it.
It was Lord of the Ancient Coffin who had his main coffin shattered by Qi Yun's fist not long ago and escaped using the golden feathers!
At this moment, his face was ashen white, and his dark eyes, like two swirling vortexes in an abyss, were fixed on Qi Yun. His voice was hoarse and grating: "Fellow Daoist----"
"I keep my promise—"
"I've come to take your dog's life!"
Faced with the appearance and clamor of the Lord of the Ancient Coffin, Qi Yun's gaze did not linger on him for even a moment.
His gaze passed directly past the Lord of the Ancient Coffin and landed on a spot slightly behind him.
There, the void twisted, and a taller, more imposing figure, completely shrouded in a swirling, pitch-black demonic mist, slowly solidified and emerged.
Even through the demonic mist, Qi Yun could clearly sense the terrifying, boundless, and unfathomable power emanating from the other party!
It was an absolute majesty that had been refined over countless years, commanding all demons and dominating the world!
"Great Sage of the Demon Race?" Qi Yun's eyes gleamed with a glint of light as he discerned the other's foundation. His voice was calm, yet tinged with a hint of realization.
"So... you're not all dead yet."
The Great Sage of the Demon Race is a peak existence of equal status to the True Lord of the Human Race and the Bodhisattva of Buddhism, only with different titles.
However, according to Qi Yun's knowledge, since the "Demon-Subduing Great Tribulation" that swept through Xuanhuang 400,000 years ago, the elite of the Demon Race in the Xuanhuang Home Realm has almost been wiped out. All the Great Sage the Demon Race race were either suppressed or killed, and legend has it that they have all perished.
In the current Xuanhuang Home Realm, the strongest Demon Race are merely Foundation Establishment Realm stage demons.
The one before us is clearly a powerful fish with terrifying cultivation, hiding its true strength deep within!
"Hmph, sharp-tongued."
The figure within the dark, demonic mist let out a deep, thunderous snort, a sound that seemed to shake a person's Qi and Blood and demonic soul.
Sensing the opponent's terrifying, unfathomable power, and the nine illusory cave-like structures surrounding them, radiating domineering demonic Yao Qi and subtly forming a deadly array—
The interest and fighting spirit in Qi Yun's eyes were gradually replaced by a purer, colder intent to kill.
"No wonder he dared to come seeking revenge; it turns out he brought help."
As soon as he finished speaking, the illusory image of the [Sacred Yuan Literary Star] Dao Fruit in his palm, which still radiated a vast literary aura and the golden light of Confucian Dao, suddenly withdrew its brilliance and vanished without a trace.
Instead, another Dao Fruit —one with a completely different shape and a distinct aura—slowly rose from the depths of his Purple Mansion and hovered above his head.
This Dao Fruit was entirely enveloped in a constantly swirling, dark gray mist.
Within the mist, four ancient sword phantoms, each with a unique shape and color, could be vaguely seen, rising and falling and fighting within the fog, exuding an unparalleled sharpness and a world-destroying aura that could sever all life and cause and effect!
[Immortal-Slaying] Dao Fruit!
Its mere appearance caused a violent clash between the pure, ultimate sense of destruction and annihilation emanating from the nine Demon Race caves surrounding it and the domineering Yao Qi emanating from them.
Qi Yun raised his hand and gently grasped the dark Dao Fruit hanging above his head. He calmly looked at the figure in the dark demonic mist in front of him, and the Lord of the Ancient Coffin whose face was becoming increasingly ferocious beside him.
"Buzz--!!!"
The Immortal-Slaying Dao Fruit suddenly shone brightly in Qi Yun's palm!
The dark, swirling mist expanded and rolled, and the four ancient sword phantoms floating within it emitted a sword cry that shook the universe, shooting out of the mist and swelling against the wind!
In the blink of an eye, four terrifying ancient swords, each with a simple shape, different colors, and as large as pillars of heaven, appeared in the four directions, hanging in the void above Qi Yun's head!
The four swords hovered in the air, their energy interconnected. As the swords vibrated, countless fine threads of Sword Qi energy, formed from pure killing Dao patterns, spread and intertwined wildly, faintly outlining a hazy yet undeniably real sword formation phantom!
As soon as the sword formation was completed, an unparalleled ferocity that surpassed all killing intent erupted like a dormant, world-destroying beast suddenly opening its eyes!
"Hiss--" The terrifying killing Sword Intent swept over the Lord of the Ancient Coffin like a tangible cold wave, causing his expression to change drastically as he was preparing to watch the show. He couldn't help but gasp and involuntarily took several steps back!
His dark eyes reflected the phantom images of four towering swords, and an uncontrollable sense of crisis and fear rose in his heart!
Unlike the fear felt by the Lord of the Ancient Coffin.
Standing beside him, the tall figure shrouded in the dark demonic mist, upon sensing the world-destroying yet supremely powerful array formation, the Immortal Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, not only did not retreat, but its eyes suddenly flashed with two brilliant beams of light!
"Good!" A deep shout rang out, like a muffled thunderclap!
The tall figure took a big step forward, and the churning black demonic mist around him suddenly contracted and receded as if on command!
As the fog dissipated, a tall, straight figure, dressed in a simple black Daoist robe, was revealed.
This person appears to be middle-aged, with a simple and honest face, and distinct facial features, exuding a sense of perseverance and vicissitudes that comes from having experienced countless hardships.
His full head of black hair was casually tied back with a wooden hairpin, and he had a short, neatly trimmed beard.
He exuded an indescribable awe-inspiring solemnity, completely different from the image of the violent and savage Demon Race Great Sage in people's minds.
On the contrary, he seems more like a highly accomplished Daoist master who has read extensively and understands the profound principles of the universe!
He raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on the illusory image of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation that was about to take shape above Qi Yun's head. He let out a smile of admiration and eager anticipation, his voice deep and steady. "What a fine Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation!"
"Peerless in battle, profound in the principles of formations!"
"I have immersed myself in the path of array formations for many years, and I believe I have gained some knowledge." He slowly raised his hands, his fingers slightly spread.
"Having witnessed such an unparalleled and ferocious formation today, I am itching with desire."
"Then I'll give it to you—"
"Let's have a competition!"
Before he finished speaking, the black-robed Daoist suddenly clasped his hands together in front of his chest, forming a strange and complex ancient seal!
"Charge!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
With his command, the nine enormous phantom caves in the surrounding void, which had previously been merely floating and exuding Yao Qi, suddenly began to tremble violently!
The nine grotto-heavens correspond to Heaven, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Water, Fire, Mountain, Marsh, and the primordial grotto-heaven at the very center, a state of undifferentiated chaos!
Their energies intertwined, and as their radiance flowed, they created a magnificent and vividly beautiful scroll in the void.
There are the Lunzhuan and setting of the sun, moon, and stars; the rushing and undulating mountains and rivers; the changing seasons; and the rise and fall of all living things—as if a complete, vast world full of infinite vitality and change has been condensed and reflected in this sealed void!
Just as these two unparalleled formations were about to collide head-on, and the clash of their energies reached its peak.
With a "whoosh," a slightly hurried golden light swept in from afar, revealing Cai Kun had arrived late.
He had just regained his footing when he was immediately drawn to the vast Formation Art of strange phenomena in front of him.
When he saw clearly the mysterious array set up by the black-robed Daoist, which manifested the rise and fall of mountains, rivers, and all things, he was first stunned, and then his eyes suddenly narrowed.
"This... this formation..."
"The River - the Hetu Luoshu Grand Formation?"
Cai Kun stared incredulously at the black-robed Daoist. When he saw the man's ancient and dignified face, and the aura of Demon Race master mixed with the demeanor of a grandmaster of array formations, he was filled with disbelief.
"Who are you----
"Demon Master Kunpeng!"