Brilliant white light surged from Zhu Yi's Supreme Holy Ancient Apparel. Within the white light, thousands of projections bobbed and wavered, as the sound of recitation reverberated in everyone's ears.

The white light lent itself to the golden bridge below formed by Zhu Yi's Essay of the Sages. With a twist, the golden bridge zoomed through the Void, leaving Shao Qingcheng's star power-strengthened Fire Wheel of Mars to complete its trajectory fruitlessly.

At the same time, the Eternal Night Demon Stele emitted an impossibly black glow, causing the surrounding patch of s.p.a.ce and time to be seemingly trapped in the eternal night.

The bright flame of Shao Qingcheng's magic treasure, the Yang Heaven Lamp, was instantly devoured by the darkness. Dimmed together with it was the radiance of the Heavenly Fire Formation of the Twenty-Eight Mansions.

Even with all this, Zhu Yi did not forget about Yin Cangchen. With a clap of his hands, streaks of bright light and dark light weaved into the Great Boundaries of the Celestial Light and Darkness Mandala, sealing Yin Cangchen inside.

The next instant, the Great Boundaries of the Celestial Light and Darkness Mandala started to collapse towards a single point in the center. Yin Cangchen's Cosmic Form has already been shattered; now that he has been trapped within the Great Boundaries of the Celestial Light and Darkness Mandala, once the Mandala collapsed and the simulated power of the destruction of the universe erupted, his only possible fate was death.

"You still want to throw your weight around? You overestimate yourself," Shao Qingcheng let out a condescending snort. "Like mother, like son indeed. Meng Bingyun was like this; the unworthy descendent she left behind as well."

With a guiding movement by her hand, the Deadly Ice Billow of Mercury transformed into Glacial Ice Waves, instantly freezing the Great Boundaries of the Celestial Light and Darkness Mandala.

The ma.s.sive strength from the planet Mercury, converted into the energy of polar frost, would not be weaker by much even compared to a fellow Immortal Soul cultivator controlling Xuanming Primordial Water. It will freeze anything and everything; s.p.a.ce, time, matter, spiritual energy, Mana…

Once it was touched by the Deadly Ice Billow of Mercury, Zhu Yi's Great Boundaries of the Celestial Light and Darkness Mandala, in the midst of collapsing, was instantly immobilized.

Yin Cangchen, overjoyed, was about to break the seal and escape.

"The Cosmic Form was destroyed…my cultivation was severely damaged, so much that it would probably take a few centuries for me to re-forge my Cosmic Form. But I still have time to attempt Immortal Soul; when I attain Immortal Soul, I shall repay today's humiliation hundredfold!"

Despite having rescued Yin Cangchen, Shao Qingcheng's demeanor did not show any sign of relaxing, but instead growing graver. This was due to her sensitive mental senses as an Immortal Soul cultivator.

Without a moment's hesitation, Shao Qingcheng swept up Yin Cangchen as a green glow appeared on her body, forming a small, emerald-green world that s.h.i.+elded her as she shattered the Void, ready to teleport.

However, the golden bridge formed by Zhu Yi's Essay of the Sages has already moved, streaking in front of her and blocking her path.

"The Heaven's Gate's Celestial Spell of Elusiveness was indeed remarkable; if used by an Immortal Soul cultivator, it was strong enough that even I might not be able to catch up. However, this fragmented and broken escape spell of your East Heaven's Gate…don't make a fool of yourself!"

"It's like a three-legged chair; it might be able to confuse some people when it's just placed there, but if someone actually sits on it, it will fall instantly." Zhu Yi said with no hurry in his voice.

As he spoke, the golden bridge, supported by the power of the Supreme Holy Ancient Apparel, paralyzed s.p.a.ce-time as it bore down on Shao Qingcheng.

"What a cunning brat!" Shao Qingcheng instantly came to realization; from the start, Zhu Yi's target was never Yin Cangchen, but rather her!

To use Yin Cangchen to bait her to come to the rescue - which was why he used the Great Boundaries of the Celestial Light and Darkness Mandala to trap Yin Cangchen. Or else, if the golden bridge formed by the Essay of the Sages continued to press down, it would have destroyed Yin Cangchen instantly!

The power of the Intermediate Nascent Soul Zhu Yi could not be measured at all with the standards of Nascent Soul cultivators. Even facing the Immortal Soul Shao Qingcheng, he dared to challenge her himself.

If Shao Qingcheng was to battle him heads-on, Zhu Yi would not be afraid at all; but if Shao Qingcheng was set on fleeing, Zhu Yi would not be able to do anything to her either.

The East Heaven's Gate's Celestial Spell of Elusiveness was indeed incomplete, but if Shao Qingcheng had not been trying to rescue Yin Cangchen, she would not have lost the initiative. If she were to escape, she would have countless ways to hinder Zhu Yi and allow herself to leave with ease.

"Actually trying to prevent me from escaping?" Shao Qingcheng's eyebrows rose upwards as a half-smile appeared on her exquisite face, as if humored by Zhu Yi's actions, but with a hint of murderousness.

"I said that you think too much of yourself, just like Meng Bingyun, and you took it as a compliment?" Shao Qingcheng's smile faded as coldness glinted in her eyes. "It would be alright if it was the Leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders doing the same thing, but you…you think you can be so presumptuous in front of me?"

She held the Fire Wheel of Mars in one hand, and the Deadly Ice Billow of Mercury in the other. Together, the two Abhijnas blasted towards the golden bridge formed by Zhu Yi's Essay of the Sages.

Facing Shao Qingcheng's powerful counterattack, Zhu Yi was not unnerved. Instead, he was so calm that he could still nod as he spoke. "Although with this essay, I caused the Resonance of the Hundred Sages and achieved first place in the examinations, with my name atop the Golden List, but I myself know that the knowledge within me has not been fully channeled yet."

"My Essay of the Sages still has room for improvement. If this essay was perfected, it could suppress you with a flick of the finger. However, if the essay was perfected, I would probably have attained Immortal Soul as well; then, I could suppress you with a flick of the finger even without the Essay of the Sages."

Zhu Yi smiled slightly. " Within the misfortune there's luck; when disaster strikes, there is good fortune. Today, it is the misfortune and disaster you caused that will bring about my luck and good fortune. Shao Qingcheng, first, take this!"

The island-sized turtle and the mountain-like Kirin appeared beside Zhu Yi again. At the same time, a penetrating roar sounded behind Zhu Yi. The might of the dragon radiated from within a sea of celestial clouds; a dragon, by no means inferior to the turtle and the Kirin in size, appeared in the Void.

Right after it, a clear phoenix cry sounded out as well. The multi-colored phoenix, in graceful dance, circled above Zhu Yi's head.

"Return of All Appearances Spell!"

"Celestial Kirin Mantra!"

"Rebirth of the Phoenix Spell!"

"Soaring Dragon Spell!"

As Zhu Yi's hands formed intricate gestures, the four forms converged. The roaring spiritual energy formed a gigantic circle, seemingly cutting off the s.p.a.ce around Shao Qingcheng and sealing her inside.

Shao Qingcheng's pupils contracted slightly. This circle recurs eternally, harmonious and self-consistent, bearing and encapsulating the profound Way of the Heavens.

It seemed to have defined the laws and principles by which everything in the universe operated, from birth to death, from the origin to the end.

Within the circle, the images of the four forms alternately appeared.

The Turtle suppressed all agitation and changes, ensuring that the world tended towards a stop. Simultaneously, it conducted its divinations, calculating the future of the world, seeing all and knowing all.

The Kirin, full of righteousness, guarded the Center and the Just Way. It suppressed all evil, ensuring that everything did not err from their trajectories and continued to progress along their paths.

The Phoenix demonstrated the cycle of creation and destruction. Everything will eventually meet destruction, but after the destruction was rebirth, and so goes the cycle.

The Dragon did not show any aggressiveness, but rather, represented an enterprising, trailblazing will. It was not selfishness or greed, but rather, the grand will of every single person under the Heavens to work hard and strive for prosperity.

All the lines are heads. There appears a flight of dragons without a leader. Good fortune.

The power of the four forms supplemented each other and continued to merge. The circle seemed simple, but appeared to be large as the entire world, epitomizing the power of the Sages.

"Shao Qingcheng, try my Four Appearances Sky Formation. You are an Immortal Soul cultivator; you should be able to give some constructive comments, right?"

The Four Appearances Sky Formation, inspired by the Four Appearances Heaven Cleaving Script taught to him by Lin Feng, was one of Zhu Yi's current two strongest Abhijnas together with the Essay of the Sages.

With the power of the Heavens bearing down, Shao Qingcheng suddenly realized that she was unable to crack open the sky and draw the power of the stars.

Even the connection of Immortal Soul cultivators to the universe and the control of Cosmic Vital Spirit were vaguely obstructed.

"Good! Very good!" Shao Qingcheng's eyebrows straightened slightly. "You're stronger than Meng Bingyun. If at this moment, you have already achieved Immortal Soul, this formation can cut off the connection between the universe and I right away."

"But a pity, you're not Immortal Soul yet."

As she spoke, Shao Qingcheng's body abruptly twisted in s.p.a.ce, forming an ent.i.ty that appeared like a patch of the cosmos, rotating like the worlds of the Multiverse.

At this moment, Shao Qiancheng has finally revealed her Immortal Soul Avatar. Within the Multiverse formed by her Immortal Soul, the Fire Wheel of Mars and the Deadly Ice Billow of Mercury suddenly rose. The two polar opposites, converging together, did not cause chaos, but rather, started to merge!

"From using Junior Yin as the bait to entice me into your trap, you have indeed put in much effort. But, a pity; all tactics and strategy must be built on strength!"

"What I said still stands; you, are not your master!" Shao Qingcheng said coldly.

"I heard while you're young, Meng Bingyun taught you to read and violated Hongwu's rules, and she was even reprimanded because of that. Then, did she teach you this?"

"Fire and water cause disaster!"

The two dichotomous types of power, the Fire Wheel of Mars and the Deadly Ice Billow of Mercury, merged together. Instantly, an all-new Concept of power was born from within.

Earthquake-like tremors radiated outwards, each one stronger than the previous one. At the end, it was as if the earth itself was shattering. Volcanoes erupted and dams overflowed; the air of catastrophe shook every single bird and beast in the vicinity!

Apocalypse, the end times. It was as if Heaven and Earth were facing their inevitable end as well.

Fire and water meet, catastrophe of the stars!

Turbulent strength crashed against the Four Appearances Sky Formation. Even the world-halos materialized by the formation were shaking violently; this ultimate blow by Shao Qingcheng seemed as if it would brutally rip open the sky.

The Tidal Sword Elder and the other Immortal Soul masters, seeing this scene, appeared grim as well. With such power and Abhijna, in addition to her magic treasure the Yang Heaven Lamp, Shao Qingcheng's strength was, to a certain extent, the first among the five Immortal Soul masters present.

Under the effect of Shao Qingcheng's Mana, it appeared as if the crack was going to open in the Heavens again.

If she were to succeed, when she drew upon the power of the stars, the strength of her Abhijna will be even greater. Then, it would truly live up to the name of "Catastrophe of the Stars".

Zhu Yi, however, was calm as always as he said flatly, "'Fire and water cause disaster', my mother naturally had taught me this. Apart from that, she also taught me that, small discrepancies lead to great errors!"

The Eternal Night Demonic Stele was using its full might to suppress the Yang Heaven Lamp, while the Supreme Holy Ancient Apparel was blazing bright. Its strength was added to the golden bridge formed by the Essay of the Sages, causing the power of the golden bridge to grow even greater and more vast, resisting Shao Qingcheng's attack together with the Four Appearances Sky Formation.

With both Abhijnas using all of their power for defense, although Shao Qingcheng was already Immortal Soul, it was still impossible for her to penetrate their defenses quickly. 

The golden bridge formed by the Essay of the Sages was even more wondrous. As it defended against her attack, it was also influencing Shao Qingcheng's Immortal Soul Avatar, causing her mental operations to grow more sluggish.

Shao Qingcheng's mind was dazed slightly. For a single moment, she even reverted back to her true form from the Immortal Soul Avatar.

Having regained her senses, Shao Qingcheng flew into a fury. She raised her strength up to the maximum, so as to destroy Zhu Yi's Essay of the Sages and Four Appearances Sky Formation.

"Little discrepancies lead to great errors? Your discrepancies are anything but little!"

Zhu Yi, atop the golden bridge, let out a light laugh. "Before, it was little discrepancies; now, it was indeed more than little."

Vast, tremendous ripples of Mana radiated from the golden bridge, shaking the surrounding Void.