Not only were the Innerverse’s Sword Sect Elder and other such powerhouses gathered just beyond the cosmic phenomenon, but there were also rulers and elders from some of the Neoverse’s great powers. They were the final barrier that the Sixth Mainland needed to break through.
Both sides had silently agreed to have the older generation leave the Cosmic Sea so that it would be a battlefield for the younger generation. However, if the situation truly reached a critical juncture, then how could they continue to silently abide by such an agreement?
Lu Yin turned away after seeing all this. He did not know where the Sixth Mainland’s older generation powerhouses had hidden themselves, but it seemed that they were actually able to entirely conceal their rune lines. He was reminded of Aegis’s Cloakstone, and although it was possible that there were other similar items, it was unlikely for there to be that much.
As the Champions’ Stage drew closer to the border of the Whitecliff Region, the expressions of Bu Kong and the other Sixth Mainland cultivators all suddenly changed as they backed away as one. Bu Kong then tapped out with a finger, which gave Tai Yishen a sense of extreme crisis. Qiu Shi and the others were also all completely astonished—at this moment, Bu Kong had changed.
Bu Kong threw out one sourcebox after another, and as he moved as though he was lockbreaking, but his actions actually caused the sourceboxes’ formless danger zones to spread out.
Lu Yin was alarmed. “Watch out for the sourcebox array!”
Amidst the millions of cultivators currently embroiled in battle, Xin Nü looked up, her face solemn. Only a Advanced Lockbreaker was qualified to even try comprehending a sourcebox array. As one of the Daosource Three Skies, Bu Kong was clearly already someone who was very powerful, but it was still shocking that he had comprehended a sourcebox array method.
When Bu Kong started arranging the sourcebox array, the apprehension that Lu Yin felt towards the young man reached an entirely new level. Not only had this person achieved such tremendous combat strength at such a young age, but he had also comprehended a sourcebox array arrangement method—Bu Kong’s future could not be estimated.
Zhi Yi was similarly overwhelmed, as even she had not known that Bu Kong had comprehended a sourcebox array arrangement method. Even if she was more confident in herself, she would doubt her chances at defeating a powerhouse within the same realm as her if they were able to use a sourcebox array. Even if sourcebox arrays could not quite compare to secret techniques, as long as one was given enough time to set one up, the resulting destruction would be endless.
Bu Kong was attempting to use a sourcebox array to trap Qiu Shi, Xing Kai, and the others. However, at this moment, someone else took similar action: Qiu Shi.
Every person in the Cosmic Sect was a Lockbreaker, as the Cosmic Art was widely regarded as all Lockbreakers’ dream technique as it was extremely helpful to lockbreaking. Originally, Lu Yin had relied on the Cosmic Art to calm the chaotic energy in a starburst orb, which had allowed him to catch Master Wusheng’s attention and thus given Lu Yin the opportunity to join the Lockbreaker Society. Qiu Shi was the Cosmic Sect’s true disciple, and she was also known as the All Rounder Fairy. She was talented in every aspect, and one of them was lockbreaking; she was also a Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker.
Bu Kong’s movements were fast, but Qiu Shi was by no means slow. Bu Kong relied on his innate gift of decomposition, while Qiu Shi relied on her Cosmic Art; each one had their own advantages.
Bu Kong had not expected that a Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker would be hiding on the other side. It was no wonder why Zhi Yi had always felt that Qiu Shi was hiding something quite deeply, as her suspicions had turned out to be true.
Still, Qiu Shi’s efforts would be useless even if she had hidden herself even deeper. Bu Kong’s sourcebox array did not require much time to arrange, and it possessed dozens of variations. He used one variation to cover another’s and then yet another variation to hide the first.
Qiu Shi continued unlocking the sourceboxes, altering their danger zones while also attempting to break through and halt the array’s activation. But in the end, her efforts were still a bit lacking, and her actions could not keep up with her intentions. Bu Kong had been a step ahead from the very start, and a sourcebox array soon enveloped the Champions’ Stage. It then slowly took the form of a boulder that trapped the crowd within it.
After that, Bu Kong’s figure flashed, and he unleashed a palm strike at Qiu Shi. At the same instant, the sourcebox array restricted Qiu Shi’s movements, leaving her with no choice but to let it land on her. With a soft thump, she was struck in the body, and fresh blood flowed from her lips as her body fell down to the Champions’ Stage.
However, Bu Kong did not stop there. The sourcebox array was also suppressed by the cosmic phenomenon, and it was only able to trap the crowd for a brief moment.
He struck out with five total palm strikes in quick succession, hitting five people and causing Xing Kai, Serati Phoenix, Shu Jing, Tai Yishen, and Qiu Shi to all fall from the Champions’ Stage. Shockwaves reverberated through the void, accentuating his godly image, as he had just defeated five peak experts in an instant.
Millions of cultivators watched this development take place with shock and disbelief written on their faces.
What came next were cheers, as everyone was shouting Bu Kong’s name. This was the power of one of the Daosource Three Skies, the image of unrivaled and unstoppable youths.
Bu Kong looked like a deity as Xing Kai’s group fell down from the Champions’ Stage. Everyone here would remember this scene for the rest of their lives. This scene was the symbol of strength that the Daosource Three Skies deserved to have.
Di Fa, the Sword Scholar, Shi Zhongjian, and Little Arrow Saint all took action as well, and they attacked the five who had fallen from the Champions’ Stage.
Bu Kong had used the Time Reversal Technique in his palm strikes, and whoever was struck by that technique would be temporarily returned to their childhood. This was the moment when they were at their weakest, as there was no way that children could withstand an attack from a Realmling.
This was Bu Kong’s ultimate plan, and he had succeeded. Each of the falling powerhouses had been struck, but shockingly, none of them had reverted back to children.
Di Fa and the others’ attacks were all stopped, and they were only able to knock the five people down to the surface of the sea, unable to wound the five fallen youths. Actually, the only injury that they had suffered was from Bu Kong’s palm strike, but that had only shocked them and caused them to vomit out a bit of blood. They were not actually severely injured.
Bu Kong was astonished; how was this possible?
Qiu Shi scanned the battlefield and saw that Gu Xiao’er’s face had gone pale.
When the battle atop the Champions’ Stage had first started, Gu Xiao’er’s white smoke had emerged and twisted around the stage. As the battle raged on, especially after a full day of intense combat, everyone had gotten accustomed to the ubiquitous smoke. However, while Bu Kong had been throwing out his sourceboxes, Gu Xiao’er had gathered and condensed the white smoke onto the bodies of some people in the crowd. To be more specific, he had used it to protect a small place on everyone’s bodies, the exact place where Bu Kong’s palms had struck.
Qiu Shi had been struck in the abdomen, and the white smoke had coincidentally condensed on her abdomen.
Xing Kai had been struck in the head, and the white smoke had coincidentally been there as well.
Serati Phoenix, Shu Jing, and Tai Yishen were all the same. Because the white smoke had acted as a barrier, they had been able to endure Bu Kong’s palm strikes, and the smoke had also protected them from the Time Reversal Technique.
This white smoke was very mysterious, and it was even able to tear through Vitality Qi. It was no wonder why the white smoke was the foundation of the great power Smoke Eater Peak, as it had just blocked a secret technique and rescued five of the Fifth Mainland’s strongest youths.
If not for this white smoke, Bu Kong’s palms would have reverted the five to their childhood, and they would have been in grave danger.
Bu Kong had been planning this attack for a long time, and he had been biding his time while fighting with Tai Yishen and the others, all for this precise moment when he would be able eliminate five absolute experts at once. However, his goal had been foiled by Gu Xiao’er.
Naturally, Gu Xiao’er had not been able to predict where Bu Kong would attack on his own; he had actually relied on Starsibyl, who was some distance away from him. That woman had told Gu Xiao’er where to condense his smoke, as she had seen through all of Bu Kong’s attacks.
Bu Kong had been scheming for this moment for a good while, but his plan had been instantly destroyed by Starsibyl. This was the capability of the Starsibyl Sect—this was divination.
At this moment, Bu Kong was standing atop the Champions’ Stage, staring down in disbelief. How was this possible? They had actually stopped his secret technique! He could not process what had just happened in this short amount of time.
Zhi Yi seemed to think of something, and she retreated a thousand meters back as she searched through the entire battlefield. She had nearly forgotten about Starsibyl. Who on their side could have known that, at the most crucial juncture of the battle, that woman would prove to be the most useful. Divination: formless yet fatal.
The Fifth Mainland simply had too many mysterious inheritances. After all, it was essentially five mainlands that had merged together.
Bu Kong once again remembered the advice he had been given before the beginning of this battle.
Below, Xing Kai and the others had survived Bu Kong’s attack, but they all looked up at the Champions’ Stage with ugly expressions. Even though they had not been incapacitated or severely injured, Bu Kong had revealed the terror of his full might. When they also considered the inexplicable Zhi Yi and the four Realmlings who were also present, they had no chance of winning.
Lu Yin stored his terrible item away, as there was no longer any for it since the older generation was about to arrive. Countless groups of rune lines were approaching them, and the two furthest in the lead were especially terrifying. They simply glanced at Lu Yin, but just that was enough for his scalp to go numb. These two were definitely terrifying old monsters with power levels over 1,000,000.
Since the Fifth Mainland’s older generation was joining the battle, the hidden monsters from the Sixth Mainland would definitely make an appearance as well. They were sure to be hiding somewhere within the chaotic battlefield that had millions of cultivators.
One cultivator from the Fifth Mainland had been fighting against someone from the Sixth Mainland for several days with no indications of a victor. At this moment, the Sixth Mainland cultivator suddenly revealed an unimaginable level of strength as he raised a hand to casually wipe away his opponent. He then looked off into the distance. “It’s time to determine the victor.”
Similar scenes took place all across the battlefield above the sea as one old powerhouse from the Sixth Mainland revealed themselves after another, each one displaying a terrifying level of strength.
They all charged forward together as they raced towards the Whitecliff Region’s border. They were planning to break out of this region that was suppressed by the cosmic phenomenon and then use their unrestricted power to determine the victor of this invasion.
Bu Kong was helpless in this situation, as that had been his final attack. However, he had not killed a single one of the five whom he had attacked. Now that the experts from the older generation were joining the battle, he would have no further opportunities to gain any merits. Although the Fifth Mainland was much weaker than the Sixth Mainland, there were still many people in the older generation whose power levels were above 500,000, and the attacks from those powerhouses would be more than enough to scare even Bu Kong.
This was no longer a battlefield for the younger generation.
At the border of the cosmic phenomenon, a group of powerhouses from the Fifth Mainland charged forward. Leading them was an elder from the Cosmic Sect and an elder from the Hall of Honor, each of whom had a power level of more than 1,000,000. Multiple Envoy-level powerhouses followed behind them, some from the Innerverse and others from the Neoverse.
In the Fifth Mainland, only the Neoverse had monsters with power levels above 1,000,000. In the Innerverse, the Sword Sect and the Daynight clan were the only groups that might have such powerhouses, though it was also possible that they did not. A power level of 1,000,000 represented a qualitatively different level of strength.
On the other side, the Sixth Mainland’s older cultivators were similarly led by two old people, and they were both Cosmic Imprinters. They were followed by another group of old monsters.
This was the highest level battlefield.
Just as the two sides were about to collide, the cosmic phenomenon high above them started to roil. Lu Yin, Tai Yishen, and everyone else who practiced Truesight were the first to discover the change, and they all looked up. As they did so, all of their expressions instantly changed.
The Rune Progenitor’s phenomena had begun moving as though it had gained sapience, and it suddenly suppressed everything.
Everyone froze and looked up in terror as the sky… collapsed!
The Progenitor realm was an indescribable realm; they were the source of everything. The universe had existed for an unknown number of years, and nobody knew how long humans had been around for. Since ancient times, the number of Progenitors that had emerged could actually be counted. It was not a matter of one being born from some amount of people, but rather one being born from some amount of eons.
Progenitors were in a completely different realm of existence, and the Rune Progenitor had even created a mysterious civilization of unique cultivators, and it would not even be too much to say that he had been a god. In fact, just his remnant spiritual force had been able to injure even the Progenitor of Combat. After that, the leftover power had covered the Innerverse and nearly half of the Cosmic Sea. Although the Progenitor had died long ago, he was still able to have such a massive influence on this inter-mainland war after countless years. This was the strength of a Progenitor.
No matter who they were, if they had not become a Progenitor yet, they could not touch or fathom the strength of one.
Even Empyrean Imprinters were no exception to this rule.
Under the influence of the Rune Progenitor’s cosmic phenomenon, runes covered everyone, and they all felt terrified and desperate; even Lu Yin felt the same. He did not know what the Rune Progenitor’s phenomena was about to do, but the Sixth Mainland’s forces’ action of trying to break away from the suppression seemed to have unlocked another hidden aspect of the Rune Progenitor’s cosmic phenomenon. The moment this power was activated, it instantly shone down upon one of the unassuming elders from the Sixth Mainland.
