The Imperial Decree
Seeing this, Su Yao did not answer.
He held the Pear Blossom Return high above his head.
The fifth talisman, "Clear the Source and Discern the True," suddenly lit up.
The cyan talisman resembled an ancient mirror, its surface as clear as water. This Divine Ability was actually an egg bestowed upon him by Jade Void, which he had hatched and refined.
Su Yao's gaze pierced through Clear the Source and Discern the True, instantly seeing through the flaws in the four people's current state. These flaws were all left behind because their cultivation had not yet reached perfection.
Then, Pear Blossom Return swung her sword, its light like a rainbow, and aimed straight at Xue Li.
Xue Li's expression changed, and before he could react, the sword light had already accurately pierced into the blood-red vortex between "Surging Blood Sea" and "Transform into a Corpse Mountain".
Sword Intent erupted, the vortex exploded, and the sea of blood and mountain of corpses paused simultaneously, before the entire sea of blood poured down.
Xue Li let out a muffled groan and retreated violently, causing countless human faces in the sea of blood to explode simultaneously.
Su Yao didn't stop. He turned around and slashed back with Pear Blossom Return Fist.
The sword light cleaved through the water vapor fault between Ze Chongyuan's "Overflowing Li Abyss" and "Dawn Cold Grows", splitting the vast waters of Ze Chongyuan in two with a single strike. The cold rain surged back, and Ze Chongyuan was thrown back several miles by the shockwave.
Su Yao turned around again, Pear Blossom Return the sky.
The sword light soared into the sky, precisely striking the ninth beam of Gui Wuque's "Knock on the Azure Heavens".
The luminous threads shattered, and the nine chains of luminous threads collapsed instantly. Gui Wuque's bright moon disc trembled violently, and the silvery-white luminous threads shattered inch by inch.
Seeing the situation was dire, Yan Sui unleashed his "Gather Li Essence" Fate Divine Ability to its fullest extent. A crimson halo rose from behind him, and boundless essence of the Li Fire condensed into a pillar of crimson-gold light, crushing towards Su Yao. At the same time, he flipped his left hand again, taking out a crimson longsword. The blade was engraved with Separating Bing Fire, and a crimson light at the tip shone like the sun— the Li Fire Spirit Treasure, the Hundred Li Sword!
With a slash of his Hundred Li Sword in his left hand, Yan Sui unleashed a crimson-gold sword light that pierced the sun like a rainbow, simultaneously striking towards Su Yao along with the crimson-gold pillar of light.
Su Yao deflected the pear blossoms horizontally, and the Azure Nether Sword Intent collided with the Crimson Gold Sword Light, exploding into countless fragments of light.
He flipped his left hand again, and the Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner surged with radiant light, completely engulfing the crimson-gold pillar of light. At the same time, the Autumn Steed Sword swept across, and the Fu Water extinguished most of the sword light from the Li Fire Sword.
Xue Li teeth and unleashed the full power of his "Bathe in the Blood Sea" Body Divine Ability, transforming his body into a vast sea of blood. He merged into the sea of blood, becoming a dark crimson current that lurked behind Su Yao. The "Slay Life for Sacrifice" Fate Divine Ability was activated once more, and a crimson altar rose from the sea of blood.
Ze Chongyuan his footing and activated his "Nurture the Marsh Embryo" Body Divine Ability power, transforming his entire body into a vast expanse of water.
He tilted the earthenware bowl again, unleashing the "Steam Yunmeng" Divine Ability, and the water of the great marsh transformed into a sky full of clouds and mist.
Gui Wuque gritted his teeth and pushed the disc to its limit. The nine rays of light re-condensed, though not as solid as before, they still locked the Great Void around Su Yao layer by layer. At the same time, he used the "Cannot Bear the Cold"Divine Ability technique to unleash countless white light spots that flew towards Su Yao.
All four attacked simultaneously.
Su Yao's expression darkened upon seeing this.
He Hand Seals with his left hand, and "Rosy Clouds Red City" suddenly bloomed.
A colossal phantom of a city formed from the glow of dawn rose from the ground behind him, suppressing the entire world within a radius of hundreds of miles.
The four men's attacks simultaneously stalled.
But at this very moment--
Gui Wuque and Ze Chongyuan exchanged a glance.
Both of them simultaneously pushed their Spirit Treasure to their limits.
The bright moon and the pottery bowl reflected each other's light, and the "Lake Autumn Moon" domain suddenly shrank, taking all the water and moonlight into the body of Gui Wuque alone.
Gui Wuque's Greater Yin energy surged, instantly rising from the Four Divine Abilities to the Five Laws Perfection.
Ze Chongyuan's aura, however, dropped back to the level of the Four Divine Abilities.
With his Five Laws Perfection, Gui Wuque activated the dual supernatural Divine Ability "Knock on the Azure Heavens" and "Lake Autumn Moon". The nine beams of light and the Autumn Lake Reflecting the Moon domain exerted their power simultaneously, suppressing Su Yao's Rosy Clouds Red City layer by layer.
Yan Sui, Xue Li, Gui Wuque attacked simultaneously, forming a pincer movement.
Su Yao's face was ashen. He used the Pear Blossom Return Sword to strike several times, alternating between the Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner and the Autumn Steed Sword to defend, but all three were at the peak of the Five Laws Perfection level, and he was unable to break free from the predicament.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth again.
Yan Sui sneered:
"Su Yao, what makes you think you can turn the tables?"
Su Yao raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, then suddenly let out a soft breath.
He looked up at the sky, then at the bright moon and the vast marshland.
Is that all you know?
As soon as he finished speaking, the sixth talisman, "Gather the Myriad and Return Them to One," suddenly lit up deep within his dantian.
The sky-blue talisman resembled an ancient seal, and the four characters "Gather the Myriad and Return Them to One" (meaning "gathering all things into one") on its surface suddenly emitted light.
Endless golden threads spread out from the seal's surface, gathering all the Law Power, Sword Intent, and spiritual energy in Su Yao's dantian into one.
The aura surrounding Su Yao suddenly vanished in that instant.
It is not dissipation, but rather "gathering"—all power is gathered into one.
His energy no longer rose, but instead became like a bottomless abyss.
The expressions on the faces of the four people changed simultaneously.
Yan Sui's Hundred Li Sword struck Su Yao, but it was as if it had entered the void. Xue Li Li's Life -Slay Life for Sacrifice devoured Su Yao's life force, but it was like a clay ox sinking into the sea. Gui Wuque's Knock on the Azure Heavens locked Su Yao, but the nine beams of light were like locks on flowing clouds. Ze Chongyuan's Steam Yunmeng trapped Su Yao, but in that sea of mist, Su Yao's figure was like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in the water.
"How is this possible!" Gui Wuque exclaimed upon seeing this.
Su Yao stepped out of the sea of mist, Pear Blossom Return high above his head.
On the sword's blade, countless cloud patterns lit up simultaneously, as all the gathered power surged into the sword's tip.
"Yan Sui, Xue Li, Gui Wuque, Ze Chongyuan-- "
He said, enunciating each word clearly, "I hope that you will remember me after your reincarnation, and witness my ascension to the throne!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of sword light appeared.
The sword light was not bright, but within it lay all of Su Yao's unified power: the perfected Law Power the Five Laws Perfection, the Sword Intent of the Azure Firmament Netherworld, and the blessing of the Six Paths Talismans.
Once the sword is drawn, all techniques are contained.
Yan Sui was the first to be hit. His Hundred Li Sword was cut in two by a single sword strike, and the crimson-gold sword light pierced through his Blazing Fire body, splitting him in two. Then his body disintegrated, and the essence of the Blazing Fire erupted like a volcano, scattering crimson fragments everywhere.
The countless crimson fragments of light coalesced in mid-air, like a red sun falling into the deep sea, evaporating the seawater within a radius of hundreds of miles into a misty white fog.
The white mist dissipated, leaving only a dark red glow and a Bing Fire, mystical Blazing Fire, silently suspended in the Great Void.
Bathe in the Blood Sea of Xue Li was cleaved open by a single sword strike, the crimson altar shattered, and he fell out of the sea of blood, a very thin sword wound on his chest. The Sword Intent spread from the wound, tearing his Blood Devil body apart inch by inch.
His sea of blood surged like boiling water, with countless distorted human faces struggling, rising and falling within it, eventually dissipating along with the sea of blood. Finally, a mass of blood plasma emerged, gathering in one place and transforming into a spiritual entity of Blood Qi, suspended in the Great Void.
Gui Wuque's bright moon disc was pierced by a single sword strike, the nine strands of light completely broke, the Greater Yin energy scattered and fled, and he was pinned to the void by the Sword Intent.
His bright moon disc shattered into countless silvery fragments, and nine beams of light fell like broken harp strings. His figure gradually became transparent in the moonlight, eventually transforming into a wisp of cool moonlight that dissipated between the sea and the sky.
Ze Chongyuan's great swamp was severed by a single sword strike, the ceramic bowl shattered, and the water vapor fractured like a breached dam. He was sent flying several miles by the Sword Intent. His great swamp dried up, the aura of the Fu Water dissipated like the receding tide, and his body dissolved in the water, like a piece of ice melting into spring water, leaving no trace.
With one sword strike, all four were killed.
Su Yao sheathed his sword and stood there. His face was as pale as paper, the blood at the corner of his mouth was still wet, and his aura had dropped to freezing point.
He knew in his heart that without these seven talismans, he would have been defeated long ago, after all, these four people all came from good backgrounds and had cultivated for a thousand years. These seven talismans were the Prism gave him, and the key to his ability to fight and win against so many veteran Great True Person at the same time.
Su Yao took a deep breath, glanced at the spot where the four had disappeared, remained silent for a moment, and then turned and sped off to another battlefield.
On the battlefield, Liu Chan's hundred-foot-long serpentine body was covered in wounds, with large patches of its yellowish-brown scales peeling off. Hu Bugui's Forest of All Beings had been mostly burned down, with human-faced trees scattered in disarray. Zilin's Purple Gauze Umbrella had been stretched to its limit, its Three Yangs patterns dimming like a candle flame about to go out. Liu Yunhe and his five-person small formation had been compressed to its limit, and their Law Power was nearly exhausted.
The four Great True Person are launching a full-scale attack, their offensive relentless, and Liu Chan and Hu Bugui are already showing signs of defeat.
But at this very moment--
The Greater Yin obscures and dissipates.
Su Yao's figure appeared from the depths of the Great Void.
His body radiated a restrained glow, his aura deep and still as an abyss. Though his face was pale, the oppressive aura of Five Laws Perfection power enveloped the entire battlefield like a mountain.
The four Great True Person turned around at the same time.
They saw Su Yao Su Yao, and they also saw the empty Great Void behind him—the auras of Yan Sui, Xue Li Gui Wuque, and Ze Chongyuan had vanished.
The Heavenly Devil Great True Person Grandmaster's pupils suddenly contracted:
"Xue Li and the others..."
Before his voice had even faded, the four Great True Person moved simultaneously.
escape.
Without the slightest hesitation.
The Heavenly Devil Great True Person transformed into a pitch-black demonic shadow, the Blood Devil Great True Person into a sea of blood, the Desire Devil Great True Person into pink smoke and mist, and the Village Hypocrisy Great True Person into an earthen-yellow phantom. The four figures, like four streaks of light, fled in four directions.
Su Yao did not give chase.
He simply and slowly raised the Pear Blossom Return.
"You think you can escape?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the seventh talisman deep within his Qi Sea, "Purple Ultimate Immortal Clarity," suddenly lit up. The deep purple talisman, like a purple sun, hung in the deepest part of his Qi Sea.
The Three Yangs patterns flowed endlessly, and countless purple clouds, like silk threads, dyed the entire Qi Sea a magnificent purple. In that instant, Su Yao's aura surged once again.
Within that energy, there was something indescribable—like the flow of celestial intent, like the harmonious union of the Three Yangs, like the purple qi aura rising from the east.
Within his Sword Intent, the Azure Firmament aura and Purple Qi mingled, and the Rainbow Clouds light intertwined with the Three Yangs, transforming into an unprecedented celestial sword Intent Sword.
A sword strike was unleashed.
The sword light was imbued with the immortal intent of Purple Ultimate Immortal Clarity. The sword light split into four, like four purple rainbows, chasing after each other in four directions.
The demonic figure of the Heavenly Devil Great True Person was pierced by a purple rainbow. His demonic energy surged like boiling water, and his body fell out of the Great Void. A very thin sword mark appeared on his chest. The Sword Intent spread from the wound, tearing his Heavenly Devil body apart inch by inch, turning it into Heavenly Devil energy that dissipated.
The Blood Devil Great True Person's sea of blood was cleaved open by a purple rainbow. The blood waves surged like boiling water, and he fell out of the sea of blood. His body was covered with cracks, his sea of blood dried up, and his body disintegrated like ice shattering into fire, disappearing into the Great Void.
The pink mist surrounding the Great True Person of Desire Devil was illuminated by a purple rainbow. The mist dissipated, revealing his figure, which was deathly pale. He had been pierced by the Sword Intent, and his physical body shattered inch by inch, turning into countless pink fragments that dissipated into nothingness.
The earthen-yellow phantom of the Great True Person of the Village Hypocrisy was pierced by a purple rainbow. The phantom shattered, and his body fell out of the Great Void. He was pierced by the Sword Intent, and his physical body disintegrated, turning into countless earthen-yellow fragments that dissipated into the Great Void.
Four purple rainbows appeared, and all four were annihilated.
Su Yao sheathed his sword and stood there, his face ashen. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze sweeping over the spot where the four had vanished, and remained silent for a moment.
Just then, from the depths of the Great Void, a wisp of pink smoke surged forth.
The pink haze was extremely thick and alluring, like the blush of dawn that adorns the branches when peach blossoms first bloom in March.
Amidst the mist and haze, a figure slowly emerged. The figure was incomparably graceful, with an indistinct face, yet the aura emanating from it was as deep and vast as the sea, far surpassing that of the Great True Person from before.
The Qi of True Lord.
Su Yao's expression changed drastically. He transformed into a streak of rainbow light and retreated rapidly. But the pink mist was faster than him, wrapping around Su Yao like thousands of threads. Within the mist, countless desires were contained, like the gentlest yet most deadly whisper on the pillow during a spring night's dream.
Su Yao felt a Spirit Platform, and an indescribable weariness and desire surged into his heart at the same time. He gritted his teeth and charged with his Sword Intent, but the desire was like a malignant tumor clinging to his bone, wrapping around him layer by layer, impossible to shake off.
The pink haze was getting closer.
Su Yao's face turned deathly pale, and he sighed inwardly, wondering if he was destined to perish here today.
But at this very moment--
A profound sound resounded from the depths of the Great Void, like the grandest bell, piercing through layers of primordial energy and reaching the ears of everyone present.
"By order of the Emperor of Great Qing, I will tour the southern seas. If any demons or monsters cause trouble, I will execute them without mercy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a phantom image of an imperial edict descended from the sky. The edict was bright yellow, and its Human Dao aura was vast and boundless, dyeing the entire sky a brilliant gold.
Following the imperial edict, a surge of Human Dao energy poured down like a tidal wave, forcibly forcing the pink aura of desire back several miles.
Su Yao felt a lightness all over his body, and the desire dissipated like the receding tide.
He looked up and saw a figure slowly emerge from the illusory image of the imperial edict. The figure was surrounded by a surge of Human Dao energy, but that energy was not from any of the human Human Dao that Su Yao knew of—not the path of the Emperor Position, not the path of a vassal king, not the path of civil and military officials, nor the Common People Dao.
Its aura was as gentle and soft as the moon, like a wisp of melancholy in the deep palace, a sigh in the boudoir, or a shadow within the palace walls.
Su Yao had never seen such Human Dao aura before.
The energy merged into the imperial edict, giving the entire edict an indescribable and inexplicable color.
The pink aura, illuminated by that energy, melted away like thin ice meeting the sun.
Deep within the Great Void, the figure of the True Lord Monarch paused slightly, remained silent for a moment, and ultimately did not make another move. Instead, he swept up the pink mist and retreated into the depths of the Great Void.
The illusory image of the imperial edict slowly dissipated, and the effeminate figure also faded away, like a moon shadow disappearing into the clouds.
Su Yao stood in the Great Void, gazing at the vanishing figure, remaining silent for a long time.
A poem says:
I was born a hermit of Qixia, and now I return from the Southern Sea, having braved the waves.
The seven talismans and the four true stars are destroyed.
The crimson clouds parted from their net-weaving, a single sword piercing through the encirclement.
Last night the fighting ceased, this morning the cups are full of wine.
My dreams return to the moonlit sea.
My dreams are unrestrained, and I inscribe them in my drunken stupor.
In my dreams, I lean on my sword against the sky, sweeping away the dust and rainbows across ten thousand miles.