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The three Doyens’ true purpose had been to deal with an 8-Essences Paragon from the 33 Heavens. They struck out, sealing that Paragon, and yet that was only one part of their purpose. The true killing blow came in the form of the three spikes!

By using the scriptural power within themselves, as well as the a.s.sistance of the custodians of the scriptures, their apprentices, they transformed into three scripture spikes. When those spikes stabbed into someone, that person’s cultivation base would be sealed. Even an 8-Essences expert who was struck by them would find their cultivation base severely dropped, if not for all eternity, then at least for a significantly long period of time!

That person would drop from the 8-Essences level to the 7-Essences level, and perhaps even cease to be a Paragon.

Moments ago….

The danger felt by the 8-Essences Paragon caused her to tremble. She had considered every angle to the situation, but had never imagined that the Mountain and Sea Realm would be equipped in such a way. Nor could she ever have imagined that these Doyens, who were comparable to Imperial Lords, would just sit and watch countless Mountain and Sea cultivators die, and would do nothing as the First through Seventh Mountains were destroyed.

Such patience was terrifying, and left the 8-Essences Paragon completely shaken.

And that was because she had no idea how many other tricks the Mountain and Sea Realm was patiently waiting to reveal!

It was even possible to say that the longer the Mountain and Sea Realm kept fighting, the worse things were going for the 33 Heavens, and the more likely that they might eventually lose.

As the 8-Essences Paragon fell back, she looked at the Heaven Severing Doyen, and what drew her attention most was his aura. Previously, she had taken him to be dead, and could never have imagined that it had all been a trick!

“This is all a trap! A trap prepared for countless years to target an 8-Essences Paragon!!

“This man is the Heaven Severing Doyen, and at the same time, is not. The one who died before truly was a person who had cultivated the Heaven Severing Scripture to the point where he was on the very cusp of reaching the Doyen level.

“But this man here... is a discarnate soul who was placed into the body of the Heaven Severing Doyen by means of some grand magic. He is like a second life; should the Heaven Severing Doyen actually die, then the discarnate soul would possess the body, and thus still be able to wield... the Heaven Severing Scripture!!”

The 8-Essences Paragon’s face fell as she realized all these things. However, it was at this point that the voice of Heaven Severing Doyen Fang Hehai’s voice echoed out through the Heavens.

“Heaven Severing Spike!”

His forehead exploded open in a ma.s.s of crimson blood as a spike burst out, filled with scriptural power that could end the Heavens and crush the Earth. It flew out with incredible speed, and at the same time, Fang Hehai’s body withered rapidly, until his aura was completely gone.

In the moment before his eyes shut... he looked over at his grandson, his most cherished descendant, the blood of his blood who made him more proud than anyone else.

He had no desire to part ways, and his gaze was filled with both sadness and well wishes....

Finally, he closed his eyes.

Rumbling echoed out as the spike shot toward the 8-Essences Paragon with incredible speed. As for Meng Hao, he was trembling. That was his own grandfather, who had gone missing for years all because of him.

“Grandpa....” he murmured, tears welling up and spilling down his cheeks. Up to this point in the war, countless Mountain and Sea cultivators had felt the pain of watching friends and family die. Now, it was Meng Hao’s turn.

“No....”

Wails rose up from within the Fang Clan. Eyes turned red as tears poured down their faces. According to the ancient saying, ‘lead the people like your family.’ The Fang Clan members couldn’t help but think of that saying as they watched what was happening.

Rumbling could be heard as the crimson Heaven Severing Spike bore down upon the 8-Essences Paragon. She already had two spikes stabbed into her, throwing her cultivation base into chaos. Therefore, she was incapable of evading the final spike as it stabbed into her dantian, causing a miserable scream to echo out from her mouth. However, at the same time, a look of determination flashed in her eyes.

She had no time to ponder the matter in full. She was not a cultivator of the 33 Heavens; she and the other 8-Essences Paragon had both come by means of possession. However, she was not a discarnate soul, she was a full and complete soul.

She had stayed behind after the defeat of the Paragon Immortal Realm, in order to stand guard within the 33 Heavens. Her mission was to be prepared to make an early attack should the item sought by the two powers suddenly appear. If that happened, she was to wipe out the Mountain and Sea Realm and then wait to receive the two other powers.

But now, those two powers were still on their way, and her cultivation base was suddenly suppressed. The battle was dragging on, and the resources at the disposal of the Mountain and Sea Realm left her terrified.

Having no other choice, she screamed two words at the top of her lungs.

“Dao Fang!!”

Even as the Heaven Severing Spike stabbed into her, she called the words out, almost as if she were uttering a curse. If you looked at her mouth, it would seem like numerous sounds were emerging, but what echoed in the ears of all that could hear were only two characters!

Dao Fang!

In the moment that those two characters echoed out, backed by her curse-like delivery, at the very apex of the starry sky from whence the 33 Heavens had descended, a sinister voice suddenly rang out to fill the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, causing it and all of the Heavens to shake.

“I require a sacrifice from you.”

The Heaven Severing Spike stabbed all the way into the 8-Essences Paragon’s dantian in the same moment that the voice echoed out. A tremor ran through her, and her cultivation base began to drop. Instantly, one of her Essences was sealed, putting her at the 7-Essences level. Even then, she continued to weaken, until she was only a hair away from dropping completely out of the Paragon level!

Her face was pale as she spit out a mouthful of her blood, causing some of her soul’s longevity to fly out, lowering it by sixty percent.

The sacrificed portion of her soul’s longevity transformed into numerous threads which shot up into the starry sky toward its very apex. Then, the 8-Essences Paragon began to laugh.

“Mountain and Sea Realm, you are doomed to be destroyed!”

Suddenly, at the highest point in the starry sky, a deep golden light flooded out. If you looked closely, you would see that it was a staff!

A gargantuan, shocking staff, which whistled down through the void toward the Eighth Mountain and Sea!

It was as if some unimaginably large giant were wielding that staff, causing the entire starry sky to tremble and shake. Ma.s.sive rumbling sounds filled the entire Eighth Mountain and Sea as they shook violently and began to crumble. Finally, they exploded.

One strike of a staff destroyed an entire Mountain and Sea!

“Eee?” said a sinister voice, which sounded somewhat surprised. “How come the Mountains and Seas seem so much weaker?” When the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm heard the voice, they were completely shaken, and looked up into the starry sky to see an enormous figure approaching the Mountain and Sea Realm.

He held a staff over his shoulder, and as his features became clear, he was revealed to be... a humanoid monkey!!

His raging, murderous aura caused the starry sky to be thrown into chaos. A vortex of stars seemed to form around him, causing shocking energy to radiate out.

A single strike from his staff shattered the entire Eighth Mountain and Sea, and left the Mountain and Sea cultivators completely shaken. There were even some who began to cry out in despair.

Meng Hao's mind was spinning as he stared at the monkey, who was none other than... Dao Fang!

He stood guard outside of the 33 Heavens, maintaining the last barrier imprisoning the Mountain and Sea Realm. After the summons and sacrifice of the 8-Essences Paragon, he was able to descend in person.

Heaven and Earth trembled, and the starry sky shook. It now seemed as if the Mountains and Seas could be completely wiped out at any moment. However, it was at this point that a voice suddenly rang out from within the Ninth Mountain and Sea.

It came from a spot in the void of the starry sky where, all of a sudden, two people appeared. One was Shui Dongliu, and the other was the second 8-Essences Paragon from the 33 Heavens.

It was the middle-aged man who didn't seem to be an Outsider at all. As soon as he appeared, blood oozed out of the corners of his mouth, and his face was deathly pale as he fell into retreat, staring at Shui Dongliu the entire time. His expression was one of agitation, fear, and even disbelief.

“Nine Seals! It’s you! I can’t believe you’re still alive!!”

Even as the man fell back, a thunderous voice spread out in all directions, which belonged to none other than Shui Dongliu. “Mountain and Sea Realm cultivators, return to the Ninth Mountain and Sea. Prepare for the final battle!”

His voice seemed to carry a strange power, and as soon as the Mountain and Sea Realm cultivators heard it, they instantly trusted it. Without hesitation, they began to fall back, even Paragon Sea Dream and the other powerful experts.

As the Mountain and Sea Realm’s forces began to retreat to the Ninth Mountain and Sea, the 8-Essences female Paragon seemed inclined to stop them, but was unable. As for the 8-Essences male Paragon, his eyes flashed, but fear lingered in his heart, and he did nothing to interfere.

However... the newly arrived Dao Fang’s lips twisted into a cold smile. The staff which he carried slung over his shoulders suddenly flashed out toward the cultivators who were retreating into the Ninth Mountain and Sea.

The staff was a deep gold color, and moved with incredible quickness. As it bore down on the Ninth Mountain, it grew longer and longer, until it was on the very brink of smas.h.i.+ng down onto its target.

It was at this point that a cold snort echoed out, and Shui Dongliu took a step forward to appear atop the Ninth Mountain. He extended his hand and waved his sleeve, causing rumbling sounds to fill the air. The Ninth Mountain trembled as a boundless power flowed out from Shui Dongliu’s sleeve, slamming into the staff.

BOOOOMMMMMM!

It was as if the staff had been blocked by some powerful force. It was incapable of moving any further down, and was in fact sent rebounding back. Dao Fang’s pupils constricted as the staff vibrated in his right hand. Shui Dongliu had used only his own strength to block that staff, and although his face was a bit flushed, he seemed none the worse for the wear. The truth was that his qi and blood were churning, and his soul was unstable, and yet, his eyes were calm as he sighed inwardly.

“I'm... finally getting old....” he thought.

After his attack was repelled, Dao Fang did not make another move. He glanced coldly at the Mountain and Sea cultivators in their retreat, then looked back at the Ninth Mountain, which was now the final stronghold for the forces of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

As of this moment, all that remained... were the Ninth Sea and the Ninth Mountain.