Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The battle atop Crouching Dragon Mountain stopped as both sides were thrown off. Gu Dongliu was injured while Bai Luli was thrown aside.
It was apparent that Bai Luli had an absolute advantage. Even so, however, Gu Dongliu was surprisingly capable of fending Bai Luli off under the powers of the Godly Creation of All Things still. It was nonetheless a feat that impressed many.
“Such a pity.” Many looked at Gu Dongliu and sighed. Such a person would have become a legend among their peers. While he had only appeared in the Barren State twice and was nowhere near as renowned as Bai Luli, that battle on Crouching Dragon Mountain would have made him famous throughout the Barren State overnight.
The battle that made Bai Luli a figure renowned far and wide all those years ago was one that was fought when he was at the pinnacle of the Noble Plane. He, as a noble at his pinnacle, defeated a mighty one who had broken into the Sage Plane. It was indeed a battle that made him something akin to a god. As such, he quickly rose to be ranked tenth as soon as he broke into Sage Plane. It was a prestige like no other, and Gu Dongliu’s current plane level would have meant being swiftly crushed. It was totally unexpected that he was able to hold out for so long. That alone served as a testament to his immense talent, and that he would have been a god among his peers as well.
Regardless of that impressive feat, however, Gu Dongliu was deemed to be at his limit, and fending off Bai Luli was the most he was able to do. Even if Gu Dongliu had talent on par with Bai Luli, the difference in plane levels meant that he would still have eventually ended up as the loser.
Many felt it a pity for two of figures of such godlike talent and capability to be on totally opposite sides. The current generation to have emerged in the Barren State seemed to be one where legends would have been made once again.
Bai Luli glanced at Gu Dongliu calmly, and there was little to be made out from his eyes. He extended his hands once again, unleashing his Eye of Devastation Life Spirit. A powerful aura field was conjured as violet lightning bolts and golden flashes struck from the heavens. Streaks of dazzling lights filled the air like lines of spell runes. The runes quickly flowed to seal the space around Gu Dongliu’s body.
Many turned their heads up from below. Huge matrixes that sealed off the air appeared around Gu Dongliu. The countless runes were practically all over him. Eight shadows emerged from every direction around him to control the huge matrix in the air.
Endless lights permeated the air in the matrix as if countless threads were thrown all across the space Gu Dongliu occupied. In that very instant, that space seemed to be locked down by absolute sealing powers. No Spiritual Qi was able to be gathered as the space was put under lockdown.
Caught in the middle of all that, Gu Dongliu remained calm as he unleashed his spiritual will. However, in the very next moment, his will felt thousands of threads all around him, and every thread felt like the sharpest blade that ever existed, tearing at his will. He was astonished to find that he had absolutely no control over the powers around him. An incredibly huge symbol saying “Seal” appeared in the air. Gu Dongliu was caught in it, and he seemed to have been rendered completely imprisoned within.
“What kind of sealing technique is this?” Many found their jaws gaping as they felt the terrifying sealing power infused within it.
“The Sealing of All Creations. It was a derivative skill that Luli created from the powers of Godly Creation of All Things,” Sage Zhu Song explained. Be it Godly Creation of All Things or Sealing of All Creations, there was no doubt that both were godlike skills, and such powers were derived from spiritual will like no other.
When a cultivator reached the Sage Plane, the cultivator would have developed the power to communicate with their surroundings using their spiritual will alone, enabling the use of powers of rules. When the spiritual will power was put under lockdown, however, it became a devastating blow like no other. The one to be subjected to such a predicament would have their combat capacity decimated.
That battle was practically over.
With Gu Dongliu’s spiritual will being put under lockdown, he was only capable of communicating with the limited amount of space immediately around him. Light of the Nine Words circled around him and nine shadows of the gods of war stood by. Sword aura permeated the air, attempting to unravel the seal.
At that very moment, a purplish gold shadow of an ancient god appeared before Gu Dongliu, standing tall in the sky, looking like some insurmountable god.
“His Godly Creation of All Things allows him to summon ancient gods of varying abilities.” Many watched the ongoing battle with stunned looks. Bai Luli was simply too powerful, so much so that he seemed to be the manifestation of the concept of ‘invincibility.’
The summoned purplish gold ancient god held a Heavenly Halberd in its hand as if it was the enforcer god charged with enforcing the laws between the earth and the heavens. A devastating, punishing power was unleashed from the weapon it held, striking down like purplish gold lightning bolts.
“The power of the Tianxing Pavilion.”
The hearts of many great figures shook. Such combat capacity was practically invincible if the one wielding it were to reach the pinnacle of Sage Plane. It was truly the potential of one destined to become a saint and the champion of Barren Sky Ranking in the future.
Endless punishing lights rained down Gu Dongliu, hitting hard on the Nine Words but still unable to destroy them. The ancient god was then seen striking down with the Heavenly Halberd in hand. The air rumbled with thunderous might, creating a sonic boom like no other.
Boom! When the Heavenly Halberd hit its intended target, sparkling lights danced in the air, spreading out in all directions. The ancient runes around Gu Dongliu shattered one after another and his defensive screen of light cracked, threatening to shatter at any given second. However, terrifying beams shot out from Gu Dongliu’s eyes. He unleashed his will to his very limit, keeping the screen of light together. Despite his efforts, the punishing lights seeped through the cracks and hit Gu Dongliu, making him spit more blood as his body trembled.
“That’s the end of it,” many quipped to themselves how short the battle had been at the sight of Gu Dongliu being bombarded. It was, however, a spectacular battle. Despite Gu Dongliu’s strategies and tricks, none of them proved to be of much use when he was being severely limited by Bai Luli’s overpowering abilities. The heir meant for sainthood crushed his opponent through sheer difference in Plane levels.
“Third Brother.” Ye Futian watched the battle above as he trembled within. So that is what Bai Luli, the number one genius of the Barren State, is capable of.
Despite his Third Brother’s unparalleled talents, he was being suppressed all the same. Geniuses were all capable of fighting people of planes higher than theirs, and his Third Brother was one with such talent. It was a pity that the one who stood before him was another with such talent. It was near impossible to make up for the difference in plane level when fighting someone like Bai Luli and come out on top.
“Ants trying to shake a tree; futility like none other indeed.” Bai Ze glanced at the air with cold eyes. His expression was a cold one, yet his mind was elated beyond measure. What makes Gu Dongliu think he can just come over to Crouching Dragon Mountain and steal the bride like that?
Ye Futian had already been expelled from the Holy Zhi Palace. If he dared kick up a fuss over Gu Dongliu’s death, he would have ended up dying next, and there was simply nothing anyone could do to save his skin.
The punishing lights headed for Gu Dongliu without rest, penetrating the screen of light. Gu Dongliu remained adamant in resisting the onslaught. His white garb was stained red with blood, and it was a harrowing sight to behold.
Xue Ye, Luo Fan, and all the others clenched their fists as they trembled. They, however, were unable to do anything to help. That battle was one that they did not even so much have the capacity to intervene in. Worse still, there were many great figures around them, and none of those great figures would have tolerated any attempts to ruin the battle.
“Enough,” Zhuge Mingyue said coldly. She leaped into the air armed and ready, but Bai Gu, the City Lord of White Cloud, City glanced at her casually. Terrifying Eye Sorcery was unleashed from his eyes, making Zhuge Mingyue feel herself going stiff all over and utterly incapable of moving. The difference in plane between her and the City Lord was simply too great.
“You are the future lady of White Cloud City. Know your place,” the City Lord said coldly with a deadpan expression. If it was not for that treasure of the Zhuge family and the desire to provide further assurance for his son, Bai Luli, on his way to sainthood, the City Lord would not have lowered himself to propose such a marriage arrangement. He was the City Lord of White Cloud City, ranked fourth on the Barren Sky Ranking while his son, Bai Luli, ranked tenth and was seen to be a future saint. No other force throughout the Barren State other than the Holy Zhi Palace, where both of them trained, was deemed qualified enough to have him take such measures. Despite this, however, Zhuge Mingyue dared do something so outrageous. It was seen as an unparalleled display of insolence.
Zhuge Mingyue glared at the City Lord coldly before turning her eyes back at the battlefield in the air. Gu Dongliu’s current predicament seemed to have reddened her eyes somewhat. She had once thought that so long as he was there, she would fear nothing and would give anything to be with him. She came to realize that that had been little more than an assumption. She was still afraid, and at the moment, her heart ached.
She felt herself to have gained some understanding about that break-up letter that Gu Dongliu sent. Sometimes, it was not so much something done out of worry for oneself, but out of concern for what the other party would do.
Zhuge Mingyue turned her eyes at Zhuge Qingfeng. The only one capable of stopping the battle was none other than her father.
Zhuge Qingfeng took notice of Zhuge Mingyue’s eyes and knew her intentions. He knew her daughter well. If something were to happen to Gu Dongliu, all her inhibitions would be thrown out of the window. He knew that while his daughter seemed to be the calm and quiet sort, she was incredibly stubborn within.
Bai Luli looked at Gu Dongliu in the air and asked, “Don’t you want to say something?”
Gu Dongliu glanced at Bai Luli before closing his eyes, letting all that punishing power penetrate his body.
What was that that Bai Luli wanted me to say? Whatever one deems to be the right thing to do, then one should persevere with one’s undertaking no matter what. What else is there to be said?
At that very moment, Gu Dongliu recalled a lot of things: the cottage, the old man sitting in there, him standing behind the old man, asking “Teacher, what does it mean to be a sage?”
“Your plane, your breath of mind, and your bearing,” the old man answered.
“How is one able to become a sage?” he asked again.
“Keep an open mind, and the world will open up before you. Know your destiny, and you will know how to become a sage.”
“What is above the sage?”
“The saint.”
“What does it mean to be the saint?”
“According to my understanding of the saint, it means to be free of shortcomings,” the old man said.
“What would that actually be?” he asked again.
“What the hell is wrong with you, kid? I don’t do cultivation. Can’t you go find answers yourself?”
“But would I be able to do so?”
“So long as you have the world in your heart and are free of yearning in your mind, there is no way you can’t do that! Are you doubting my judgment of character now? I should have left you to your own devices back then!” the old man yapped away in anger.
Gu Dongliu thought and there seemed to be a holy shadow welling up in his mind. Formless power flowed into his body and his will seemed to grow stronger, spreading outside his body.
The power of the Sealing of All Creations was still in place, blocking his will power. However, the Life Spirit behind him glittered with dazzling light, becoming increasingly holy as if it was imbued with terrifying divinity. Everyone was dumbfounded at the changes to Gu Dongliu’s body. The Life Spirit behind him seemed to have metamorphosed, becoming some holy being. The light of holiness flowed into his body, making him shining inside out with holy glitter!
