Its nipples were eyes and its navel was a mouth. Hefting a shield in its left hand and lifting a blade in its right, the manifestation wielded the blade in a skilled manner, surprisingly brandishing a silver globe of light that not a single drop of water could splash through.

Boom boom boom!

 In an instant, countless flower petals struck the blade screen. Waves of seven-colored ripples, visible to the naked eyed, dyed the enter space with flowing radiance and vibrant color! Streaks of considerably terrible qi frantically devastated the blade screen’s sides!

In this twinkling, as life and death hung in balance, aged eyes suddenly opened again within Daomaster Floatingcloud’s pavilion! A sliver of brilliance flitted through them, and without almost any thought, Ancestor Floatingcloud’s voice quietly rang out, “Seed Spirit Great Art!”

Boom!

 A berserk qi wave lifted up everyone beside him and sent them flying! Each one was a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet they couldn’t even resist Ancestor Floatingcloud’s sudden eruption of qi!

“Urk Puh Urgh…” Several mouthfuls of blood were spat out from the mouths of a few Foundation Establishment cultivators who simply dared not crawl back on their feet. They had no understanding of what had occurred.

A chance! Only Ancestor Floatingcloud understood that this was a golden opportunity bestowed by the heavens! 

Fortunately… Fortunately I came this time! I was originally just planning on taking a look at the quality of the medicinal pills, but I never expected that old ghost Titanspirit and that unrecorded old fool would actually have such a row!

Quetzalcoatl? He didn’t care. As for that tree, he didn’t care either. He understood all too well that if he hadn’t accidentally entered the heart of one of the Eight Great Deadlands, the Dragon Hole, he would’ve possibly long since transformed into a handful of yellow dust. It would’ve moreover been impossible to reach Core Formation!

Luck. Towards this word, he had the deepest emotion among all the Core Formation ancestors. Especially… luck that could be plundered such as Xu Yangyi’s!

“No one whatsoever knows that I obtained this art at the heart of the Dragon Hole…” His face revealed the wisp of a sneer. “It’ll plant a sliver of spiritual sense on him. With the disparity between our realms, it won’t even take a decade for him to become my third incarnation… It’s just a pity that the restrictions on this art are too high. The target must be within a thousand meters of myself… and the detectable movement is too great. It requires the concealment of other spiritual-force fluctuations…”

“If used in another location, it would immediately become detected by our Umbran Armaments. This day… is truly a golden opportunity bestowed by the heavens!”

Under Daomaster Floatingcloud’s meticulous concealment, a serpentine phantasm, difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, spread out like lightning towards Xu Yangyi’s direction!

At this moment, the floor was a morphing scene of winds and clouds! By Daomaster Yue’s pinnacle fury, almost nothing had been left untouched. Violent spiritual-force oscillations began to destabilize the Golden Dipper Hall’s space! Without anyone paying attention, this snake-like shadow, imbued with a terribly strange spiritual force, stormed towards Xu Yangyi from the ceiling!

Furthermore, Xu Yangyi couldn’t possibly be aware! Let alone a Qi Condensation cultivator, even Core Formation cultivators making moves had no chance of perceiving it! Right now, Floatingcloud was exhausting his full strength to mask it! In the venue, there was also the divine abilities of two great Core Formation ancestors coming to blows! Amidst the interweaving light and shadow, an unseen killing will extended forth!

“Hmph!” At this time, a snort was heard from Daomaster Skybearer’s pavilion. In an instant, the petals and giant froze in midair like so, like a show of cracking puppets.

In his pavilion, Daomaster Floatingcloud’s complexion suddenly changed. He was too familiar with this voice. Daomaster Skybearer! Half-step Nascent Soul! Finally… he had moved. 

Floatingcloud’s hesitation lasted less than a millisecond. In the next moment, the faint shadow, so faint that it was nearly invisible, swiftly increased in speed! Three to four times faster than before, it arced forth like electricity!

Two seconds… Floatingcloud’s eyes narrowed. All he needed was two seconds, and then he could revoke the Black Kill Order, something that posed a massive problem if discovered… After this day, he would still be the same distant and aloof Ancestor Floatingcloud as before, but none whatsoever would know that he had leisurely wiped his mouth and ate a great banquet.

Almost simultaneously, Xu Yangyi suddenly raised his eyes! He scanned all around him with extreme vigilance! Killing aura! Very dense killing aura! Well-concealed killing aura!

Floatingcloud!

Needless of justification, he immediately determined that Floatingcloud had attacked! Just now, the half-box hanging over his chest issued a fierce buzzing without warning! At the same time, the silkworm in his qi sea also made an ear-piercing screech as if it was warning him that if he didn’t leave he was doomed to meet with tragedy!

Where?

As mortal fate hung on the edge, Daomaster Floatingcloud had actually dared to act underhandedly before the other eleven Core Formation, crossing the sea by concealing the heavens! This had surpassed his expectations, but he would in no way sit waiting for death!

[1]

“SCREEEECH!” The silkworm reared its head and lifted up its plump body with great effort. Trembling, its head was pointed straight above. At this instant, as if Xu Yangyi was telepathic, he revolved his entire spiritual sense and faced overhead to look up!

[2]

It was a predestined opportunity. In this wink of time, berserk spiritual force was put to a halt because of Skybearer’s cold snort. Amidst the flowing light and brilliant color and under the domain of white light… he saw a black shadow snake!

The creature was extremely slender, but a sensation of danger caused his whole bodily defense to activate without the slightest awareness to peak form! At this very moment, time seemed to stop. He saw… saw that the shadow snake was linked to Floatingcloud’s pavilion!

As expected, it was him!

“How could this be?!?!” Xu Yangyi was astonished, but in his pavilion, Daomaster Floatingcloud was even more shocked! This moment, this place, and this time could be said to be the Seed Spirit Great Art’s most perfect chance of display! This arcane effort’s flaws were many and varied and the quality of its concealment utterly terrible, but he was a Core Formation ancestor!

When Xu Yangyi raised his head to lock his eyes above, the shock in his heart was no less than that day he fell into the heart of the Dragon Hole and gazed upon that eternally unforgettable scene!

“This child… mustn’t remain!” In this flashing instant, boundless killing intent welled up in his heart because he actually smelled a hint of danger on Xu Yangyi’s body! The shadow snake’s speed increased again, nearly transforming into black lightning! It couldn’t be evaded!

Directly facing this snake, Xu Yangyi discovered that he was basically unable to dodge this attack! Being able to see and being able to dodge were two separate matters. Due to the strange silkworm’s warning, he’d caught sight of Ancestor Floatingcloud’s attack. Nonetheless, the tremendous disparity of realms rendered him unable to avoid it!

“Universe Tucking.” In the air, a dull voice was heard. Afterwards, a white ripple, like a deity’s descent, exploded from Daomaster Skybearer’s pavilion. Celestial might, vast and powerful, all places that it traversed transformed the giant and the tree leaves into streaks of qi. They dissipated in the sky, akin to a spring sun turning to snowfall.

However… the shadow snake hadn’t!

“0.2 seconds…” Ancestor Floatingcloud sighed long and deep. Success…

Great danger did indeed possess great reciprocation. As his thoughts turned to the Animus Armament, his heart was restless with wild palpitations! Yet in the next second, his smile, which had just emerged, froze. 

Swoosh!

 Like sparking flint, all of this occurred in a mere span of several seconds. It was unknown how many Foundation Establishment cultivators didn’t have the time to shout “no good”! At this moment, as their spirits fled their mortal coils in terror, the white ripple brushed past everyone’s hair and clothes, causing them to fly back intensely! It was then that everyone felt that they had taken a walk in the cycle of life and death. Even their backs were drenched in cold sweat.

Before they even had time to sigh ruefully, a shadow titan no less than ten meters tall appeared in front of Xu Yangyi without the slightest omen! Immediately, the air erupted with an explosion!

BOOM!!!

 An equally fierce qi ripple scattered all around! Suddenly, the shadow giant transformed into flying ash! As for the shadow snake, it was annihilated at the same time!

A Core Formation divine ability!

The audience still hadn’t reacted but were shortly dumbfounded! So it turned out… there were actually other Core Formation masters moving into action! A spark of flint, no more than a few seconds. In light and dark, five Core Formation masters had traded hands!

Daomaster Yue was the first to move in extreme fury with his Flower Hall Intoxicates 3,000 Guests. Daomaster Titanspirit had welcomed this foe with the raised blade of the Dance Of Shield And Axe. Yet none had anticipated that at this moment, Daomaster Ancientpine would suddenly come to blows! Another unknown ancestor had answered this move!

In the end, all had been restrained by Daomaster Skybearer’s Universe Tucking! Half-step Nascent Soul and four Core Formation. Under the audience’s eyelids, a single move had passed!

“Huff… Pant… Huff…” A young junior stood like a puppet for a couple seconds and quickly fell back as if he lost his soul, actually so frightened that he blacked out! Countless people, their faces ashen, hadn’t expected that they’d already stepped into an uncertain corner of the nether realm! 

Silence. Daomaster Skybearer seemed to be startled and even Daomaster Yue and Daomaster Titanspirit had also completely laid down their hands. That was to consider… their fighting had spread like wildfire, exploited as a tool by someone?

“Hahaha!” Daomaster Titanspirit began to laugh heartily. “Fellow Daoist Ancientpine, whose move did you just take?”

“Tsk, tsk… This Fellow Daoist’s cultivation is not weak… It seems there’s someone among the twelve of us who’s being proactive in their advance? It’s only right that a grand affair of this level ought to be jointly congratulated... “ Titanspirit stopped laughing, and a streak of obviously annoyed spiritual sense brushed past all the pavilions. “I’m not in the mood, and to be blunt, whatever this Fellow Daoist is planning isn’t my business… but to use me as a spear, you’re really not taking me too seriously!”

“Grandfather…” A Qi Condensation junior below was so excited that he was trembling. Pulling on his grandfather’s sleeve, he said, “J-Just n-now did…” Before his voice even fell, his grandfather’s hand yanked over to cover his mouth. In the lower area, each person kept quiet out of fear, silent like cicadas in winter!

“Hehe…” Daomaster Yue’s voice also began to laugh eerily, “I have walked this globe for over a century… and ran into business of this level very few times. Could it be that this Fellow Daoist sees me as a fresh face, so has specifically prepared an unexpected pleasure?”

In Daomaster Floatingcloud’s pavilion, Ancestor Floatingcloud’s aged eyes had already opened wide. Both his hands were slightly clenched!

How?! Why is it like this?! Old thief Ancientpine! How great is the enmity between you and I?! For what reason have you stuck your hand in?!

Regarding the swift arrival of both providence and advantageous location, Floatingcloud had chosen to attack without the slightest delay. However, he had forgotten one thing. People didn’t get along.

The shadow snake… was before Flowing Light Imprisoning Shadow, the master of drifting shadows. Perhaps others and even Skybearer wouldn’t perceive it. After all, the opportunity of moments ago had truly been too good. Nonetheless, for Flowing Light Imprisoning Shadow, Daomaster Ancientpine, it was impossible not to detect! Thus… it was no accident that the shadow giant had appeared before Xu Yangyi!

No… No! Now wasn’t the time to think of the reason! Daomaster Floatingcloud painfully closed his eyes. This move… had struck the face of three Dao Masters!

Daomaster Yue, Daomaster Titanspirit, and… half-step Nascent Soul, Sweeping The Six Directions, Daomaster Skybearer!

How was this to be explained?! He practically had a splitting headache!

Xu Yangyi’s nerves had completely relaxed. In that instant ago, he felt as if he had suddenly been placed on an ocean surface of howling winds and torrential rains. Soon, he realized two things.

First, if a Core Formation master truly wanted to move against him, his opportunity of even possibly making the seal to ignite the Explosive Talismans… was only one! 

Second… he was very glad… From the beginning to the end, he’d maintained the greatest reverence for the Core Formation. His deal with Ancestor Ancientpine this time was a most proper choice!

If he hadn’t opted to collaborate with a Core Formation master, he would very likely already be a dead man at this moment!

“Core Formation…” He sucked in deeply and stared firmly at Daomaster Floatingcloud’s stationary pavilion.

Now… it’s your turn.

1. “Crossing the sea by concealing the heavens” This line has a few different translations, but I chose this one. This line is the very first stratagem in a famous Chinese text called 

The Thirty-six Stratagems

. Its meaning is along the lines of a feint. Say you’re going to do something, but do the opposite.

2. “Telepathic” Actual Chinese is “Rhinoceros horn”. I believe that in traditional Chinese medicine, the horn is said to grant telepathic powers.

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