Moon Sets in the West

Phoenix-Qilin Isle, Seven-Colored Rock.

A huge, Seven-Colored Rock stands between heaven and earth. Its seven-colored patterns resemble Rainbow Clouds and solidified earth, layer upon layer. From a distance, it looks like a ray of light falling from the sky has been intercepted by the earth and turned into stone.

Below the rock, Su Yao stood side by side with Yang Li, the messenger under True Lord Xicheng.

Su Yao stared blankly at the Seven-Colored Stone, lost in thought.

Two years ago, at the edge of South Pole, he split his soul and tested his sword with the True Lord Balmy Wind. With one strike, he made his decision and then turned northwest, intending to go to the far west.

Throughout the journey, he remained true to his old ways, killing Devil Cultivator he encountered and destroying any shrines or temples dedicated to evil gods.

Along the way, he also encountered several ancient Divine Dao like the Buting Huyu Supreme True Person. He knew that these Divine Dao figures mostly did not get involved in the affairs of the Central Plains, but now that he had True Lord secretly protecting him, he did not hold back and went to kill their followers to accumulate his own prestige.

On his journey to the far west, he harbored a hope that the True Lord Sufeng of the Shouma Kingdom could lend him a hand, just as the True Lord Balmy Wind had.

After a moment, Su Yao withdrew his gaze and said:

"Last time I went to Nanzhao, Yunsong told me that the envoy had already left the pass and Five Laws Perfection, but I didn't see the envoy. I thought the envoy had returned to the seat of the True Lord of Mount Zhongnan, but I didn't expect the envoy to come to Phoenix-Qilin Isle instead."

Upon hearing this, Yang Li was speechless.

He found the identity of "messenger under the True Lord" that Daozheng had arranged for him to have more and more troublesome.

Since emerging from seclusion in the Purple-Blue Secret Realm and Five Laws Perfection, he originally intended to return to Qixia Mountain in Lake Encompassing Emptiness to continue his seclusion. However, he received Qingzhu, saying that Su Yao now controlled all the secret realms of Qixia Mountain and that he should come to the Seven-Colored Stone to hide, lest Su Yao discover that he had been deceived. Because he had hidden the Encompassing Emptiness Secret Realm from Su Yao back then, Su Yao had already killed him.

The more I think about it, the more speechless I become.

Does this mean that once Su Yao achieves enlightenment, he won't return to Qixia Mountain?

Does he really intend to go to Mount Zhongnan for ascetic practice?

Although Mount Zhongnan is a blessed place, it is still located in the Guanzhong in the north, where there are few large lakes, and he is not used to living in the north.

After thinking for a while, Yang Li said:

"Mount Zhongnan is now besieged by demons, making it difficult even for the True Lord to descend the mountain. If I were to return to Zhongnan now, I would need to trouble the True Lord to intervene."

He paused, then continued:

"Furthermore, I dislike the sweltering heat of Qixia South Sea, so I came to Phoenix-Qilin Isle."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao was speechless for a moment.

If he remembered correctly, Phoenix-Qilin Isle was probably even more sweltering than the South Sea coast where Qixia Mountain was located...

Thinking that the other party might harbor resentment because their Dao Path was destroyed, Su Yao stopped talking and instead looked at the Seven-Colored Rock, saying:

"Back then, one of the Divine Core Perfected One of the Rainbow Clouds and Wu Earth Branches from Qixia Temple and Jieshi Immortal-Accepting Temple respectively perished here, transforming into these Seven-Colored Rock. Every five hundred years, a portion of the Rainbow Clouds spiritual object ' Rainbow Marrow Sand ' and a portion of the Wu Earth spiritual object ' Wu Earth Yellow Sprout ' are born. Because this place is closer to my temple's Qixia Mountain detached courtyard, it is under my Qixia's control. Seeing it today, one can truly appreciate its magnificence."

Upon hearing this, Yang Li said:

"This place is indeed magnificent, but it doesn't compare to the many Danxia landforms within the Qing Dynasty's territory. In the past, during numerous battles between Rainbow Clouds and demons, many Divine Core, Earth Immortal, and Human Immortal perished, creating numerous Danxia wonders. However, due to the frequent battles there, much was damaged. But since True Lord Xichen ascended to the throne as the True Lord of Cinnabar Clouds Subsidiary Rank, these landscapes have become even more dazzling than before his ascension."

Su Yao nodded, and then said:

"Has the messenger been the only one accompanying you on the mountain all these years, True Lord?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Li was speechless.

He couldn't very well tell the truth, since he hadn't even met the True Lord in person yet.

Last time, it was only at the foot of the mountain that the True Lord sent a telepathic message.

After a moment of silence, Yang Li said:

"Most True Lord are in seclusion, and I rarely see True Lord."

After saying that, he immediately changed the subject:

When does the abbot plan to ask for gold?

Upon hearing this, Su Yao immediately sensed something was amiss, but instead of asking, he said:

"Having traveled the world for fifty years, he returned to Qixia to prepare for his quest for gold."

After saying that, Yang Li simply nodded.

Then, both of them thought to themselves: In the end, we still have to lie.

Seeing this, Su Yao said no more, and said:

"I am heading to the far west this time, and will not stay any longer."

Upon hearing this, Yang Li clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:

"Respectfully bidding farewell to the Abbot, we hope he will soon return to Qixia, ascend the throne, and revive our Qixia."

Su Yao nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and soared into the air toward the far west.

In the far west, outside the capital of the Shouma Kingdom.

A figure fell to the ground, followed by a cold snort echoing from within the city. Sufeng blew, and a deep, angry voice rang out:

"Where did you come from? Get out of here! I am not a shameless person Yinyinhu Yin Yin Hu among the True Lord."

Upon hearing this, the man who had fallen stood up cursing and, riding on the golden light, fled into the distance.

A moment later, after traveling more than a thousand miles away from the Shouma Kingdom, he stopped and revealed Su Yao's figure.

Three years ago, after leaving the Seven-Colored Rock, he traveled all the way, slaying gods, demons, and monsters, and finally arrived at the Shouma Kingdom in the far west. He originally wanted to tell a story about the South Pole, but he didn't expect that this True Lord Sufeng was not as easy to talk to as True Lord Balmy Wind.

After a brief exchange, seeing that the True Lord remained unmoved, Su Yao requested to test his sword, and then the events that had occurred earlier took place.

Although the True Lord hadn't exerted his full strength, Su Yao still searched for a place, briefly adjusted his breathing, and after recovering to his peak condition, he continued searching everywhere.

Although he had cut down mountains and destroyed temples in places like the West Sea over the years, Su Yao always felt that it was not as good as what he had gained in South Pole.

Three days later, Su Yao had been traveling back and forth for thousands of miles around, but he still couldn't come up with a solution.

While I was reflecting on something on a cliff in the real world, a gentle male voice suddenly rang out:

"Abbot Su, you've certainly been a difficult person to find."

Upon hearing this, the Pear Blossom Return Sword appeared in Su Yao's hand.

He looked up and saw a person dressed in pure white, with a bright moon hanging behind his head and a long, white sword at his waist, the scabbard of which was engraved with a pale moon.

Seeing this, Su Yao said coldly:

"People from the Yuanfu?"

The man nodded:

"Lu Chuan, personally instructed by the Lord of the Manor."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao said:

"Many people from the Yuanfu have died at my hands. Fellow Daoist, have you come here today seeking death?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan smiled and said:

"Twenty years ago, I certainly wouldn't have dared. But having spent twenty years observing Sword Pavilion in Shu, Shu, I dare now."

He paused, then said:

"Today, it is I who have bullied the juniors. In my previous life, I cultivated for eight hundred years and Five Laws Perfection. After my master's test, my Daoxing was insufficient, so I sought gold in the Five Laws and reincarnated. Now, I have returned in this life and spent four hundred years cultivating back to Five Laws Perfection."

He looked up at the bright moon behind him, and his voice suddenly lowered:

"I have come here not to seek revenge, nor to advocate for the Yuanfu. It is simply that with the gold imminent and the Great Dao before me, I seek a worthy opponent to test my own cultivation. I have long heard of Abbot Su's southward campaign against demons and his reputation as a sword immortal."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao thought to himself, "This person has cultivated to Five Laws Perfection for eight hundred years. His talent is not low. Moreover, he is the personal disciple of that Heavenly Venerable of Yuanfu. He has been reincarnated and has been cultivating until now, all for the sake of verifying the Great Dao before seeking the gold."

This obsession has a touch of madness about it.

So Su Yao said:

"Then let's go."

Lu Chuan raised his hand and pressed on the hilt of the sword at his waist, slowly drawing out the moon-white longsword.

The sword was drawn silently, its blade resembling a condensed moon, its entire body gleaming with a cool, moon-white luster. Two ancient characters, "Pure Lunar Soul," were engraved on the spine of the sword.

"This sword is named Pure Lunar Soul, and it has accompanied me through two lifetimes." Lu Chuan held the sword horizontally to his chest. "Please take a look, fellow Daoist. I have cultivated the ' Greater Yin Pure Lunar Soul Shadow-Illuminating Sword Intent ' for two lifetimes."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bright moon behind his head suddenly became clear, the moonlight on the Pure Moon Sword surged, and a moon-white sword light emerged from the tip of the sword, as cold as frost, silently slashing towards Su Yao.

The Sword Intent was neither fierce nor explosive, but extremely strange and cold. A faint shadow followed the sword light, moving with the sword; the shadow arrived before the sword.

Su Yao immediately saw the tricky part: the real sword and the shadow sword were two sides of the same coin; if you cut the real sword, the shadow sword would appear, and if you cut the shadow sword, the real sword would appear.

With a flick of his right hand, he wielded the Pear Blossom Return Sword, Crimson Dawn Unstained Night-Illuminating Clear Light Sword" met it head-on. An extremely thin and quiet sword light, like the quietest ray of light before dawn, silently collided with the moon-white sword shadow.

The two swords clashed, and the space above the entire cliff trembled slightly.

The clear light and the moon's shadow intertwined, and the real sword and the shadow sword clashed back and forth. Su Yao's Sword Intent was clear and pure, and he was best at piercing through illusions; but Lu Chuan's Pure Lunar Soul Shadow-Illuminating Sword Intent had been cultivated for two lifetimes, with truth contained in the shadow and shadow hidden in the truth. As one layer was pierced, another layer would be reborn.

The two clashed with Sword Intent, their movements becoming faster and faster.

As the third sword strike occurred, the cliff beneath Su Yao's feet suddenly trembled, a crack spread down from the mountaintop, and then the entire cliff collapsed with a deafening roar.

The cracks spread from the cliffs to the valleys, and from the valleys to a radius of hundreds of miles, making the earth look like a piece of thin ice that had been shattered, cracking inch by inch.

Within a hundred miles, mountains crumbled, rivers changed course, and even the clouds in the sky were torn open by the aftershocks of the two men's Sword Intent.

And this was already the result of the two of them stopping.

Su Yao's expression darkened slightly.

Lu Chuan clearly shared this intention, sheathing his sword and taking half a step back, raising his hand and pointing towards the Great Void:

"Master Su, the mortal world is too narrow; why not discuss the matter further in the Great Void?"

Su Yao nodded:

That's exactly what I was thinking.

As soon as they finished speaking, the two of them vanished from the mortal world in a flash.

In the Great Void, everything was a hazy gray, devoid of light, and without any sense of up, down, or directions.

Within the Great Void, speed is several times faster than in the mortal world, the flow of Law Power is smoother, and there is no need to worry about damaging heaven and earth.

The two stood a hundred feet apart, then stopped.

Lu Chuan Pure Moon Sword, and the Greater Yin Pure Lunar Soul Shadow-Illuminating Sword Intent slashed out again. The moon-white sword light was three times faster than before, and the shadow swords were also three times denser. Su Yao met it head-on, and Pear Blossom Return the sword with a series of slashes. The Crimson Dawn Sword Intent and the moon-white sword shadows clashed back and forth in the Great Void.

After exchanging over a hundred sword strikes, Su Yao felt a chill on his left shoulder as a moon-white sword shadow grazed past, leaving behind a spray of seven-colored blood droplets.

His expression changed slightly, and his sword abruptly stopped, condensing the Crimson Dawn Sword Intent into a single line, precisely striking the point where the real sword and the shadow sword intersected.

"Zheng!"

The moon-white sword shadow paused slightly.

Taking advantage of the situation, Su Yao flipped his left hand and drew the Autumn Steed Sword.

The Autumn Steed Sword is as solid as autumn water, with a Fu Water pattern running from the hilt to the tip, and the blade is a very faint cold blue. When this sword is drawn, the moonlight in the Great Void pauses slightly, as if it is blocked by a thin layer of ice.

The power of the Fu Water poured out from the tip of the sword, suppressing the stagnant moon-white sword shadow inch by inch.

Lu Chuan sheathed his sword and took half a step back, a flash of approval in his eyes:

"What excellent Sword Intent! What a fine Autumn Steed! Abbot Su's 'Unblemished Dawn, Clear Light in the Night' truly lives up to its reputation. This is the first time in my two lifetimes that my Sword Intent has been directly severed."

Then he changed the subject, holding the Pure Moon Sword horizontally in front of him:

"But Sword Intent is merely an appetizer, Abbot Su. Now, take a look at my divine Divine Ability."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chuan Hand Seals with his left hand, and the moonlight in his Spirit Platform surged, with a Divine Ability rising from the depths of his Spirit Platform.

The Great Void suddenly darkened, and nine moon-white ribbons of light descended from the sky, like nine white dragons hanging in the heavens. Behind the ribbons of light, a bright moon slowly rose.

Nine beams of light intertwined, locking the space around Su Yao inch by inch, while moonlight, like a waterfall, pressed down from all directions.

This is the Greater Yin technique's Divine Ability, "Knock on the Azure Heavens".

Su Yao flipped his left hand, and the Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner unfolded.

Above the banner Hazy Clouds and rosy clouds intertwined, and the pressing moonlight fell on the banner like rain falling into a lake, being gathered and dissolved layer by layer.

At the same time, Su Yao activated his life -Fate Divine Ability "Rosy Cloud Feather Wanderer," causing his feathered robe to spread out from his shoulders, woven with seven colors like Rainbow Clouds, blocking all the moon-white light from three feet away from him.

He immediately formed Hand Seals with his left hand, unleashing his Divine Ability technique "Heaven-Weaving Shuttle." Thousands of rays of light surged from his palm, weaving into a net in the Great Void like silk threads, dividing the nine moon-white ribbons layer by layer.

Immediately afterwards, he made another hand seal with his left hand, and the rainbow light of "Color Pierces the Thoroughfare" burst forth from his palm. The rainbow light did not harm people, but simply shone through and penetrated the spiritual energy of the moon-white ray of light. When the ray of light was illuminated by the rainbow light, it melted away inch by inch, like thin ice meeting the sun.

Upon seeing this, Lu Chuan flipped his left hand, revealing a plain white spherical wheel in his palm.

The entire wheel is as smooth as moonlight and jade, its surface engraved with Greater Yin runes, and inlaid at the center is a thumb-sized, moon-white bead, which is the Greater Yin Spirit Treasure "Pure Lunar Soul Wheel".

He tossed the Pure Lunar Soul Wheel into the air, and the wheel hovered above his head, slowly rotating, with the runes on it lighting up one by one.

As the Pure Lunar Soul Wheel spun, the Heart Moon bead at its center shot out strands of moon-white silk, which, like spider silk, wrapped around Su Yao.

The silk threads do not seal off space or lock the four directions; they only bind Law Power. Once it touches you, it is like a bone-deep infection, tightening more and more as you struggle, inch by inch, strangling the flow of Law Power.

Su Yao frowned slightly.

This Pure Lunar Soul Wheel is completely different from the Knock on the Azure Heavens just now: the Knock on the Azure Heavens is Divine Ability that locks the void, while the Pure Lunar Soul Wheel is Spirit Treasure that binds the magic.

He held the Autumn Steed Sword horizontally in his left hand, unleashing the power of the Fu Water, which formed a thin curtain of water around him.

The moon-white silk threads fell onto the water curtain, like silk entering a cold pool. After a slight pause, Su Yao seized the opportunity and slashed with his right hand, the Pear Blossom Return Sword, the Crimson Dawn Sword Intent cutting the silk threads one by one.

Seeing that Pure Lunar Soul Wheel was broken, Lu Chuan remained calm and flipped his left hand again, revealing a sprig of osmanthus in his palm.

The entire Osmanthus Blossom Branch resembles a newly broken old osmanthus tree, dotted with golden stamens, exuding a cool, delicate fragrance; it is indeed the "Osmanthus Blossom Branch" of the Greater Yin Spirit Treasure (a rare and precious osmanthus tree).

He tossed the Osmanthus Blossom Branch into the air, and the golden stamens fell like rain, transforming into countless osmanthus shadows and runes that clung to Su Yao's Spirit Platform like a malignant sore.

Those Guiying runes were as thin as hair, harmless and unbreaking, but they drilled deep into the Spirit Platform, causing the flow of Law Power to become increasingly sluggish.

Su Yao frowned slightly.

He flipped his left hand, Transforming Azure Bracelet lit up. The Transforming Azure Bracelet was entirely green, with a circle of fine runes engraved on its surface.

The illusory image of the Qingyang leaped out of the bracelet, bowed its head, and Qingxuan's "Dispel Calamity" power spread out like ripples, gradually diminishing the sharpness of the Guiying rune.

Seeing the Spirit Treasure being broken one after another, Lu Chuan clasped his hands together, and the moonlight in his Spirit Platform rose again, with a Fate Divine Ability rising from the depths of his Spirit Platform.

The Greater Yin Fate Divine Ability "Golden Tower Palace".

The Greater Yin Golden Palace condensed from the void, its moon palace towers pressing down like a heavenly city, enveloping Su Yao and the rosy light within it.

This Golden Tower Palace is purely a manifestation of Divine Ability, not Spirit Treasure. Moonlight flows within the palace's illusory image, and the four palace walls slowly close in, trying to extinguish the rosy light inch by inch.

Su Yao Hand Seals with his left hand, unleashing the Fate Divine Ability technique "Rosy Clouds Red City".

Rosy Clouds Red City rose up from the ground behind him, its walls like Rainbow Clouds piled up, its gates like the morning glow opening wide, and the glow on the city towers flowing like banners fluttering.

The entire city was half real and half illusory, suppressing the Great Void within a radius of hundreds of miles.

Beneath Rosy Clouds Red City, the Golden Tower Palace was blocked by layers of Rainbow Clouds power, and the moonlight and rosy glow were strangled in the Great Void, like two heavenly cities colliding.

The seriousness in Lu Chuan's eyes deepened.

The Pure Lunar Soul Wheel above his head spun, and the moon-white silk threads wrapped around him once more; the Osmanthus Blossom Branch in his hand swayed again, and golden stamens scattered.

With both Spirit Treasure and Divine Ability advancing simultaneously, the Golden Tower Palace pressed down inch by inch, shattering Su Yao's Rosy Clouds Red City walls, only to reform them again in the instant of shattering.

The two clashed with their Divine Ability and Spirit Treasure, exchanging blows evenly.

Su Yao possesses the Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner to gather the moonlight, the Transforming Azure Bracelet to dispel Dispel Calamity and difficulties, and the Autumn Steed Sword to suppress the Fu Water; Lu Chuan possesses the Pure Lunar Soul Wheel Entangling Technique, the Osmanthus Blossom Branch to disturb the Spirit Platform, and the Golden Tower Palace to press down on him.

As the two fought fiercely, the moonlight and rosy clouds in the Great Void mingled together, neither able to swallow the other.

But Su Yao became more and more stable as the fight went on.

Although the Spirit Treasure in his hands were not as sharp as weapons, each one was used to its fullest potential. The Transforming Azure Bracelet was used to Dispel Calamity, and the osmanthus shadow runes cast by the Osmanthus Blossom Branch were gradually erased; the Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner was good at gathering and collecting, and the moonlight rolled in from the Knock on the Azure Heavens was taken away layer by layer; the power of Fu Water the Autumn Steed Sword Palace was inherently able to counter the Greater Yin energy, and the moon-white silk threads wrapped by the Pure Lunar Soul Wheel fell into the sword light, melting away inch by inch like snow falling into a cold pool.

After more than a hundred moves, Su Yao had gained a firm advantage.

Lu Chuan, unable to break through after a prolonged attack, frowned slightly.

He suddenly withdrew his hands and stepped back, then clasped them together, and a lake suddenly appeared in the Great Void. The lake arose out of thin air, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting an autumn moon. The moon hung in the center of the lake, its light falling on the surface and reflecting back into the sky. The lake and the moon reflected each other, encircling the Great Void for hundreds of miles around.

The Greater Yin Technique's Divine Ability, "Hu Autumn Moon".

Autumn is reflected in the lake, and the full moon hangs in the sky.

Su Yao felt as if he were standing on a giant mirror, with the moon above him and the moon below him. Every ray of rosy light was reflected on the lake, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion. What was even more troublesome was that the lake was rising inch by inch, like autumn waters overflowing a dam, gradually submerging the foundation of Rosy Clouds Red City.

Su Yao frowned, made a hand Hand Seals with his left hand, and unleashed the Divine Ability technique "Half Farewell to Heaven".

Dusk fell suddenly.

There is no heavenly light in the Great Void, but when Half Farewell to Heaven is drawn up, a patch of twilight light spreads out out of thin air, and dusk descends.

That twilight was not an illusion, but a power of "farewell"—farewell to the day, farewell to the light, farewell to all the moonlight that depended on the Greater Yin.

As soon as "Half Farewell to Heaven" was uttered, the surface of Hu Autumn Moon's lake suddenly froze. The moonlight seemed to be bid Pear Blossom Return reflections in the lake faded away piece by piece. Taking advantage of the situation, Su Yao slashed with his right hand, and the Crimson Dawn Sword Intent went straight for Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan advanced instead of retreating, activating his Body Divine Ability, "Mold Heaven-Roving".

He transformed into a crescent moon, soaring into the sky. The crescent moon, like a hook, drew an extremely fast arc in the Great Void. Su Yao's sword light struck the crescent moon, but only managed to cut an afterimage.

The waning moon roamed the sky, its speed more than twice as fast as before, patrolling back and forth in the Great Void, each pass bringing with it a streak of cold, moon-white light.

Su Yao immediately activated Rosy Cloud Feather Wanderer, and with a flash of rainbow light, he barely avoided the sharp edge of the crescent moon.

He held the Autumn Steed Sword horizontally in his left hand, and the power of the Fu Water formed a thin curtain of water around him.

As the waning moon swept past again, the water curtain paused slightly. Taking advantage of this, Su Yao slashed back with his right hand, his sword, Pear Blossom Return, the Crimson Dawn Sword Intent striking precisely at the point where the waning moon's trajectory had begun.

"Zheng!"

The crescent moon was struck by the Sword Intent, and Lu Chuan's body froze, falling out of the crescent moon state. He had a sword wound on his left shoulder, from which moon-white blood flowed, but he showed no anger. Instead, he laughed:

"Very well, Abbot Su, you were able to break my Mold Heaven-Roving; you are indeed worth my full effort."

He clasped his hands together, and moonlight surged from his body, condensing into a moon-white halo beside him.

From within the halo, another person slowly emerged.

The man wore a moon-white robe, and his face bore a slight resemblance to Lu Chuan, but his eyes and brows were more reserved.

He held a Jade Rabbit Pestle in his hand and a Moon Essence Bottle hanging at his waist. Moonlight flowed around him, and he was also at the Five Laws Perfection. His aura was no weaker than Lu Chuan's.

The superior Divine Ability Divine Ability the Greater Yin technique, "Cannot Bear the Cold," is "Bearing Faces Shadow" (仪对影).

Su Yao's heart sank upon seeing this.

He knew all along that Lu Chuan was a direct disciple of the Yuanfu lord and would definitely possess this superior Divine Ability, so he had been on guard.

But he didn't expect that the clone that Fang Bearing Faces Shadow created was also practicing Greater Yin.

Two Lu Chuan figures stood side by side, one with a gentle smile, the other silent and reserved.

They have different appearances and personalities, yet they are clearly the same person. There is an inexplicable tacit understanding between them; they can communicate without words or even eye contact.

"Abbot Su," Lu Chuan said with a gentle smile, "This is a clone created by my Bearing Faces Shadow. Be careful."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two Lu Chuan made their move simultaneously.

With a flick of his Pure Moon Sword, Su Yao unleashed the Greater Yin Pure Lunar Soul Shadow-Illuminating Sword Intent; his clone, wielding the Jade Rabbit Pestle, smashed it down, unleashing a waterfall of moonlight. Two streams of Greater Yin, one on the left and one on the right, sandwiched Su Yao between them.

The main body's Pure Lunar Soul Wheel spun above its head, and moon-white silk threads wrapped around it; the clone tilted the Moon Essence Bottle at its waist, and a cloud of moon-soul cold mist poured out of the bottle's mouth. Wherever the cold mist passed, the rosy light around Su Yao condensed into a thin layer of frost.

Su Yao Hand Seals with his left hand, and the Rosy Clouds Red City bloomed once more. At the same time, his right hand slashed with the Pear Blossom Return Sword, and the Crimson Dawn Sword Intent met the main body; his left hand held the Autumn Steed Sword horizontally, and the power of the Fu Water blocked the Jade Rabbit Pestle of the clone.

"Boom--"

The moonlight and rosy glow exploded in the Great Void, causing the entire gray void to tremble violently.

The walls of Rosy Clouds Red City crumbled inch by inch, yet they reformed themselves in the instant they shattered.

The main body and the clone work in perfect harmony, one attacking and the other defending, their moonlight ever-flowing.

The clone, Jade Rabbit Pestle, struck three times in quick succession, and a magical Divine Ability suddenly arose within its Spirit Platform. Countless white light spots emerged from the void, as fine as frost and as dense as flying catkins, which was the "Cannot Bear the Cold" technique cultivated by the clone. The light spots struck Rosy Cloud Feather Wanderer's feather robe, peeling away the protective glow layer by layer, leaving a bone-chilling cold.

Su Yao felt a chill creeping through his Spirit Platform, and his Law Power began to stagnate. He suddenly sheathed his sword, made a hand Hand Seals with his left hand, and placed all the power of the Half Farewell to Heaven Resignation onto "Shadow"—severing the connection between his main body and his clone.

As dusk fell, the connection of moonlight between the main body and the clone severed inch by inch, as if bid farewell by the twilight. The clone's form faltered, the supply of moonlight abruptly ceased, and the light on the Jade Rabbit Pestle quickly dimmed.

Lu Chuan reacted extremely quickly. With a turn of his main body's primordial Pure Lunar Soul Wheel, the moon-white silk threads forcibly passed through the twilight, entangled his clone, and reconnected the severed link.

The moonlight shone brightly again, and the Jade Rabbit Pestle struck down once more.

Su Yao felt his dantian churning, and his Half Farewell to Heaven was being attacked from both sides by the Golden Tower Palace and the Pure Lunar Soul Wheel, making it extremely difficult for him to maintain his position.

His old wound on his left shoulder had not yet healed, his right rib was struck by the Moon White Silk, and his back was hit by the Jade Rabbit Pestle, causing blood to splatter.

But he didn't back down.

He was waiting for the moment when Lu Chuan would forcefully re-establish contact.

Although the connection between the main body and the clone was re-established, a very thin crack appeared because it was forcibly passed through the twilight of the Half Farewell to Heaven.

Su Yao flicked his right hand, revealing the Pear Blossom Return Sword. The Crimson Dawn Unstained Night-Illuminating Clear Light Sword" erupted, and an extremely thin and quiet sword light pierced through the crack, heading straight for the clone's brow.

The clone's pupils contracted sharply, and the Jade Rabbit Pestle and the Moon Essence Bottle simultaneously appeared in front of him.

But the Sword Intent was too still, too clear, like a ray of morning light shining through the window, silently passing through the shadow of the pestle and the light of the bottle, and piercing into the brow of the clone.

The clone froze, looked down at the sword light between its brows, and suddenly smiled:

"Well... well, Danxi Buran is truly remarkable."

As soon as he finished speaking, his clone vanished like moonlight.

Lu Chuan, the main body, groaned. The backlash from the Bearing Faces Shadow made his face turn pale. But instead of retreating, he activated Pure Lunar Soul Wheel, Osmanthus Blossom Branch, Golden Tower Palace, and Hu Autumn Moon at the same time. The moonlight surged like a tide, pressing down on Su Yao.

"Master Su, you can break through my clone, but can you withstand this attack?"

Su Yao was indeed struggling. Half Farewell to Heaven was being suppressed by the Golden Tower Palace and was on the verge of collapse, with wounds all over his left shoulder, right rib, and back.

At this point, he no longer held back.

Within the Qi Sea, the seven talismans on the Prism lit up simultaneously.

With all seven talismans shining brightly, Su Yao's aura surged.

He made a hand Hand Seals with his left hand, Rosy Clouds Red City bloomed for the last time. The glow of the sunset flowed on the city walls like fluttering banners, and the city gates opened like the first rays of dawn.

At the same time, with a backhand slash of the Pear Blossom Return Sword, the Crimson Dawn Unstained Night-Illuminating Clear Light Sword" transformed into an extremely fine and still sword light, meeting the torrent of moonlight simultaneously with Rosy Clouds Red City.

The sword light collided with the moonlight, causing the entire Great Void to tremble violently. The walls of Rosy Clouds Red City shattered inch by inch, yet they reformed in the instant of shattering; the Sword Intent was worn down layer by layer by the moonlight, yet it was re-condensed in the instant of being worn down.

Two forces were locked in a fierce struggle, entangled, and torn apart within the Great Void.

Lu Chuan ultimately only had his main body. His clone was destroyed, and his Bearing Faces Shadow was broken. Although the moonlight was fierce, it lacked the clone's cooperation and was gradually suppressed by Rosy Clouds Red City and the Sword Intent.

This was the moment Su Yao had been waiting for.

With a flick of his right hand, he wielded the Pear Blossom Return Sword, and his Sword Intent surged suddenly. The Crimson Dawn Unstained Night-Illuminating Clear Light Sword, pierced through layers of moonlight and aimed directly at Lu Chuan's face.

Lu Chuan's pupils contracted sharply as he simultaneously held the Pure Lunar Soul Wheel and Osmanthus Blossom Branch in front of him.

But the Sword Intent was too still and too clear, like a ray of morning light shining through the window lattice, silently passing through the gap between the wheel and the shadow of the branch, and piercing into Lu Chuan's chest.

Lu Chuan froze.

He looked down at the sword light on his chest, which did not immediately dissipate. Instead, he raised his head and looked into the depths of the Great Void.

The moon behind his head was dimming inch by inch, but his eyes shone unusually brightly, as if he had finally seen something he had been waiting for a long time.

He opened his mouth, but his voice was very low:

"Master... I think I saw the ranking system... so that's what it looks like."

He paused, a very faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, a smile that seemed to be both gratified and regretful:

"Unfortunately... I will never be able to see it again."

As soon as he finished speaking, his physical body transformed inch by inch into moon-white light spots.

But just as Lu Chuan's physical body dissipated, a bright moon rose in broad daylight from the depths of the Great Void.

The moon was unusually large, its light like a waterfall, gathering all of Lu Chuan's scattered true spirit. Within the moonlight, the faint shadow of a Golden Tower Palace could be seen, its gates wide open, as if to welcome him.

At the same time, strange phenomena arose in the Great Void.

First, at the spot where Lu Chuan perished, the moonlight surged back like a tide, and the sun and stars appeared in the bright sky, arranging themselves into the shape of the Greater Yin. Then, a faint bell rang from the depths of the Great Void, as if heaven and earth were bidding farewell to a cultivator who had failed in his quest for gold. Wherever the moonlight passed, the gray Great Void was tinged with a layer of cold, silvery-white, like frost and snow, which lingered for a long time.

Su Yao's expression darkened upon seeing this.

He knew the Yuanfu was powerful, but he never expected they would even take away his true spirit. Lu Chuan had cultivated for two lifetimes and was only one step away from obtaining the gold. If his true spirit was taken back by the Yuanfu, he might still have a chance to reincarnate and cultivate again.

Su Yao hardened his heart, unafraid of offending the Heavenly Venerable. With a swift slash of his right hand, the Pear Blossom Return Sword unleashed its Crimson Dawn Sword Intent, which chased straight towards the bright moon.

The sword light shone like a rainbow, piercing straight into the depths of the Great Void.

But before the sword light could touch the moon, an invisible force rebounded from within it, like a tide. Su Yao felt as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer in the chest, and was thrown hundreds of feet away. His Qi and Blood surged, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He gritted his teeth and steadied himself, wanting to go up again, but deep in the Great Void, Purple Qi swirled and yellow talismans, like birds, blocked his way first.

The Purple Qi transformed into a barrier, and the yellow talismans scattered like a flock of birds, gradually dissipating the recoil.

The Celestial Master's voice rang out from an unknown place, his tone less composed than usual and more solemn:

"Sir, are you trying to bully the weak?"

As the words fell, a mysterious voice echoed from the bright moon, indifferent as frost:

"You are not qualified to send the Celestial Master of Orthodox Unity."

As soon as he finished speaking, the moon shone brightly, drawing Lu Chuan's true spirit, along with the Spirit Treasure of Lu Chuan and his clone, into its radiance.

The bright moon slowly rose into the depths of the Great Void, its light like a waterfall, illuminating the entire Great Void in silvery white. The Purple Qi and yellow talisman dissipated in the moonlight, as if they were being suppressed and extinguished by the bright moon.

Then, the bright moon and its light gradually dissipated, leaving only the strange phenomenon of Lu Chuan's death in the same place. The moonlight reversed, the sun and stars appeared, and the lingering sound of bells lingered for a long time.

Su Yao stood in the Great Void, blood still seeping from the wounds on his left shoulder, right rib, and back. Waves of emptiness surged within his dantian after the seven talismans had been unleashed. He gazed in the direction where the bright moon had disappeared and slowly sheathed his sword.

The Great Void remained shrouded in a hazy gray, but where Lu Chuan perished, the silvery moonlight, like frost and snow, stained that void with a chilling stillness.

Su Yao remained silent for a long time.

He recalled Lu Chuan's last words: a person who had cultivated for two lifetimes and was only one step away from obtaining gold, before dying, did not think of the Yuanfu, nor of grudges, but only wanted his master to know that he had seen it.

Su Yao said softly:

"Yuanfu..."

Before he could finish speaking, he turned and walked into the far west, his shadow stretching long in the hazy Great Void.

A poem says:

Three years of honing skills in the South Sea, a single sword strikes across the South Pole.

Outside Shouma City, I met Yuanfu; within the Great Void Realm, I slew the two swordsmen.

The westward journey is marked by auspicious signs.

His journey north and east was unfinished, but the Daoist alchemy of Zhongnan Mountain was flourishing.

The success of nine transformations depends on our generation; a new sword illuminates ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers.

Returning to the capital, I knock on the Jade Capital.