Chapter 1670: Lei Jun

The Eight Scenery Palace Lantern to Eight Scenery Temple is akin to the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror to Heavenly Hao Tower.

However, the Purple Lightning Daoist's lantern is not the true Eight Scenery Palace Lantern; it is his natal magical artifact.

The true Eight Scenery Palace Lantern serves as the foundational reliance for Eight Scenery Temple's mountain-protecting formation. Should an unforeseen event occur, it can directly sever the ley lines, relocate the entire temple, and escape afar, thereby preserving the sect's core strength. To transcend the mundane world and await the opportune moment. It is similar to Old Demon Lu's Luye, but superior in all aspects.

Given the ancestral teachings, the Purple Lightning Daoist would never dare to take this lantern out of the mountain gate. Should any mishap occur outside, he would become a sinner of Eight Scenery Temple. With this lantern, Eight Scenery Temple would possess a foundation unshakeable for eternity.

However, if this were truly done, Eight Scenery Temple would have to abandon external possessions, losing years of accumulated effort in an instant, becoming a reclusive sect beyond the mundane. Restoring its former glory would be incredibly difficult, and the cost immensely painful. As the Temple Master of Eight Scenery Temple, how could the Purple Lightning Daoist allow the sect to decline under his leadership?

The replicated artifact possesses all its powers and can resonate with the true Eight Scenery Palace Lantern. Every generation's Temple Master of Eight Scenery Temple chooses the replicated artifact as their natal magical artifact, fulfilling a responsibility that comes with being the Temple Master. Unfortunately, the Purple Lightning Daoist's lightning cultivation has reached its peak, but his Dao path does not align with the Eight Scenery Palace Lantern. This natal magical artifact has instead become a hindrance. He has been stuck before the Soul Transformation stage for many years, a situation not unrelated to his natal magical artifact. This issue is actually not difficult to resolve. Eight Scenery Temple has had precedents: a journey to the Sword Tomb would suffice. The culmination of various factors led to the scheme involving the Immortal Palace.

At this moment, the Purple Lightning Daoist displayed two powers of the Eight Scenery Palace Lantern.

The first is called the 'Heart-Illuminating Reflection Lantern'. The mystical lantern casts its light, leaving a reflection of the mind's trace. This allows for capturing the target's movements, establishing a connection through their aura. However, the Purple Lightning Daoist's lantern is ultimately less powerful than the sect's true one. Against an opponent of comparable cultivation like Zhu Wudao, it is extremely difficult to cast a reflection without being detected. At the cliff's peak, a hasty exchange occurred, and the reflection failed. After experiencing the battle at the teleportation array and the pursuit in the mountains—two fierce battles—he finally managed to lock onto Zhu Wudao when his mind was fluctuating. After entering the mountain, the Purple Lightning Daoist remained hidden, in fact, constantly observing Zhu Wudao's movements through the Heart-Illuminating Reflection Lantern, letting him unwittingly lead the way. Of course, this connection has its limitations; it cannot reveal every minute detail. Sensing that Zhu Wudao had lingered too long in a particular spot, and noting its unique location within the mountain's core, the Purple Lightning Daoist deduced that Zhu Wudao had found his target and immediately launched his attack.

The second is the 'Mystical Crossing Rainbow Bridge'. Utilizing the connection from the Heart Lantern, a rainbow bridge can be spanned, allowing the Purple Lightning Daoist to traverse through the air and reach the other side directly. This is unless there is an extremely powerful formation or restriction in between, severing the connection. On Emperor-Granted Mountain, the wind fiends filled the sky and formations were chaotic, naturally posing no obstruction.

The rainbow bridge landed directly in front of Zhu Wudao. The Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror had already vanished without a trace.

In an instant, the rainbow light faded, and the Purple Lightning Daoist stepped out, his gaze cold and piercing, fixed directly on Zhu Wudao. Unexpected changes kept occurring. Even with Zhu Wudao's firm resolve, he felt a jolt of alarm. Old Demon Fan was not so bad; he merely used the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror to locate him and disturb his mind with words. His true body should still be outside. But the Purple Lightning Daoist had driven straight to his core vulnerability, catching him completely off guard.

The Eight Scenery Palace Lantern floated above the Purple Lightning Daoist's head. The lantern had eight facets, each depicting a unique wonder: true realms of the immortal domain, presenting myriad magnificent and awe-inspiring sights. Mystical light, resembling hanging sashes, encircled the Purple Lightning Daoist, driving away all the surrounding grey mist, preventing it from approaching him. The Purple Lightning Daoist's gaze fell upon Zhu Wudao, causing his body to stiffen and an intense sense of alarm to surge. He immediately used the divine statue in his sleeve to warn the Demonic Son.

Next, the Purple Lightning Daoist scanned the surroundings, clearly seeing the scene within the mountain's core, and was indeed drawn by the seal below. If Old Demon Fan could discern the relationship between the Five Elements Divine Restriction and the Five Elements Crown, it naturally wouldn't escape the Purple Lightning Daoist's discerning eye. Since the method to wield the spiritual treasure was hidden within the Five Elements Divine Restriction, why waste any more words with Zhu Wudao?

The Purple Lightning Daoist said nothing. Just as he conceived a thought and was about to act, he suddenly felt something amiss and looked directly at Zhu Wudao's sleeve, his gaze as sharp as a knife: "What are you doing?" His voice was like thunder, a Daoist roar from the Mystic Gate. Those with weaker cultivation would have their mental defenses shattered and be stunned on the spot.

He was exposed!

Zhu Wudao's heart pounded. He hadn't expected the Purple Lightning Daoist's perception to be so keen. Daring not to entertain any shred of luck, he refrained from arguing and urgently cried out in his mind: "Help me!"

Blinding golden light erupted. Golden armor enveloped Zhu Wudao's body, and a howling sound, like a heavenly dragon's roar, erupted from his throat. The howl carried substantial sound waves, surging towards the Purple Lightning Daoist.

The Purple Lightning Daoist's expression darkened. The Eight Scenery Palace Lantern's light flared intensely, not only dispelling all gloom but also overshadowing the golden armor's radiance.

The palace lantern swayed gently, flew high, radiated brilliant light, and spun even faster. As the palace lantern spun, its light, far from becoming chaotic, instead manifested wondrous scenes. The various landscapes depicted on the lantern were projected into reality. Moreover, the eight facets of illusions were no longer distinct. Mountains and seas, sky and earth. Vast starry heavens, chaotic human realm. Clearly disparate illusions, yet at this moment, they seamlessly merged, without any sense of abruptness, unfolding around the Purple Lightning Daoist.

These scenes were, of course, illusory. Wherever the illusions covered, it marked the extension of the Purple Lightning Daoist's power, to some extent drawing upon the essence of heaven and earth, incorporating it into this space. Anyone who fell into it would be subjugated and controlled by him. Soul Transformation cultivators were an exception. Even the most perfect illusion was ultimately illusory, and the Purple Lightning Daoist's cultivation realm had its limitations; it couldn't compare to the true communion between heaven and man experienced by Soul Transformation cultivators. However, it was more than enough to deal with Zhu Wudao.

The palace lantern's illusions unfolded, like a miniature world reflected in this space. Zhu Wudao's howling sound pierced through, entering the palace lantern's illusions unimpeded. However, it was met with multiple layers of illusory barriers, and the howl simply couldn't reach the Purple Lightning Daoist. In contrast, the Purple Lightning Daoist ignored the howling, his eyes gleaming with mystical light, and formed a hand seal, pressing it towards Zhu Wudao.

In an instant, various illusions, like a vast torrent, rolled down, threatening to envelop Zhu Wudao. Furthermore, the Eight Scenery Palace Lantern's aura had already sealed him off. Even through his golden armor, Zhu Wudao still felt an immense sense of restraint, and he inwardly cursed. His reaction was somewhat unexpected by the Purple Lightning Daoist. Instead of trying to break through the aura seal or fleeing far from the Eight Scenery Palace Lantern's range, he crushed the rock beneath his feet and plummeted straight down.

However, recalling the formation about to materialize on the seal's surface and the strange aura emanating from Zhu Wudao, the Purple Lightning Daoist swiftly reacted. His finger transformed into a sword, and a lightning sword suddenly appeared.

"Soul-Reaping Six Harmonies!"

A lightning net suddenly formed around Zhu Wudao, also known as a sword net, as if the void itself was shattering. Lightning sword qi crisscrossed, easily shredding the golden light on the outer layer of the golden armor. The golden armor dimmed, and sword intent pierced to the bone.

A resonant sword hum originated from within Zhu Wudao's body. In an instant, a dazzling golden light erupted. This golden light was unrelated to the golden armor; it was a golden rainbow flying out from the crown of Zhu Wudao's head, and inside the golden rainbow was a sword. The sword was less than three inches long, yet its sharpness was unparalleled. This single sword strike not only contained soaring sword qi but also Zhu Wudao's accumulated sword intent. Any discerning eye could tell that this was a rare, top-tier sword art in the world.

"Taiyuan Golden Adamant Sword Scripture!"

The Purple Lightning Daoist's pupils contracted slightly. The Taiyuan Golden Adamant Sword Scripture, a legacy of the Golden Aspect lineage of the Formless Immortal Sect, was exceedingly fierce and peerless. The sword unleashed a golden rainbow, its might so potent that it surpassed even the Soul-Reaping Six Harmonies. This was not because Zhu Wudao's cultivation surpassed the Purple Lightning Daoist's, but rather because the Taiyuan Golden Adamant Sword specialized in attacking a single point, using a point to break a surface, thereby carving a path through the sword-lightning killing net.

The Soul-Reaping Six Harmonies briefly hesitated, giving Zhu Wudao enough time to react. His golden armor rapidly expanded, manifesting a phantom image of a golden-armored warrior that possessed Zhu Wudao. Enduring the lightning sword's onslaught, he plunged rapidly downward. Meanwhile, the golden rainbow's momentum was unspent; it shot straight through the sky, intending to shatter the palace lantern's illusions. Unfortunately, his intention was difficult to achieve. The Purple Lightning Daoist snorted coldly. The palace lantern's illusions curled back and layered upon each other, suddenly becoming several times thicker. Although the golden rainbow pierced through, it had already been weakened by the sword-lightning killing net, and was ultimately confined by the illusions, completely dissolving with a single ripple of the illusory realm.

The illusory torrent flowed downward with an irresistible momentum. The Purple Lightning Daoist's control was incredibly precise. The palace lantern's illusions caused no impact whatsoever on the five-colored seal, instead spreading open on its surface. Zhu Wudao offered no resistance and was pulled into the palace lantern's illusions. However, his objective was achieved: his feet landed on the formation, allowing him close contact with the seal. The Purple Lightning Daoist sensed something was amiss and naturally wouldn't give him a chance to complete the formation. The Eight Scenery Palace Lantern materialized above the illusion, its light like a bright moon, casting its glow upon Zhu Wudao, pinning him dead center within the illusion. Terrifying pressure converged from all directions.

However, Zhu Wudao knew this well and did not directly attempt to complete the seal. Those who dared to be distracted in front of the Purple Lightning Daoist were usually reduced to mere bones. He personally brought the divine statue down. Although the passage was not fully formed, it could still serve a certain purpose. The Demonic Son had long been waiting. A powerful force passed through the channel, entering the divine statue in Zhu Wudao's sleeve. The redness within the statue's eyes grew increasingly intense, gradually gleaming with an eerie radiance, clinging tightly to Zhu Wudao. The next moment, a flush surged onto Zhu Wudao's face, his hair splayed out, his black robe flapping, and his aura surged wildly. His spiritual sword, connected to its master's will, also hummed in resonance, its sound clear and bright.

The spiritual sword hummed a long note, and a golden rainbow, even more brilliant than before, shot straight into the sky, its target clear: the Purple Lightning Daoist's true body! Zhu Wudao suddenly looked up, his eyes having transformed into purple pupils at some point. Within them, boundless demonic realms seemed to reside, making them incredibly strange. His gaze was like lightning, piercing through layers of illusions, striking the Purple Lightning Daoist's mind like a heavy hammer.

The Purple Lightning Daoist's expression abruptly changed. An unprecedented sense of crisis enveloped his heart. Those purple pupils seemed like two sharp swords, penetrating his mental defenses, giving him the illusion that his mind was being dragged into them. He had no doubt that if his mind were seized by the purple pupils, he would utterly sink into oblivion. They were clearly demonic eyes!

Was this still a successor of the Golden Aspect lineage? Among the five lineages of the Formless Immortal Sect, the Golden Aspect lineage was the purest of sword cultivators, not involved in unorthodox ways, and particularly wary of the demonic path. Perhaps this was also why the remnants of the Golden Aspect lineage chose to hide in Heavenly Hao Tower. Even if some Golden Aspect descendants had to switch to Heavenly Hao Tower's demonic cultivation for concealment, it was impossible for a legitimate successor like Zhu Wudao to truly abandon his sect. Why then was his mastery of the demonic path so profound, seemingly surpassing even his sword Dao? Moreover, to the Purple Lightning Daoist's knowledge, Heavenly Hao Tower did not possess such a purple-eyed demonic art! How many secrets was Zhu Wudao truly hiding!

Fortunately, the Purple Lightning Daoist had not hoped to suppress Zhu Wudao solely with the Eight Scenery Palace Lantern.

"All-Heavens Purple Lightning, empower me!"

A magnificent sound, like a divine incantation summoning gods, vibrated the minds of all who heard it, making them feel an urge to prostrate themselves. Zhu Wudao was stunned, his purple pupils showing ripples for the first time. Inside the illusion, amidst the stars, the Purple Lightning Daoist stood upon nothingness. Streaks of purple lightning crisscrossed the sky, and the illusion abruptly transformed into a lightning domain. The Purple Lightning Daoist hovered in the mid-air, boundless purple lightning surged around him without harming him in the slightest, instead actively converging towards him. Above his head, a Purple Lightning Emperor's Crown materialized out of thin air. The emperor's crown slowly descended, and a lightning robe draped over him. The Purple Lightning Daoist became terrifyingly majestic, transforming into the Thunder Monarch!

***

As they began to act, the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror reappeared on the other side of the mountain's core. The Purple Lightning Daoist and Zhu Wudao were locked in a fierce confrontation, which Old Demon Fan was pleased to see, as it allowed him to fish in troubled waters. At this moment, Old Demon Fan's true body was also rapidly rushing towards the mountain peak. Guided by the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror, he didn't have to worry about getting lost in the fierce winds. The closer he got, the clearer the scene revealed by the mirror talisman became.

Within the mountain's core, the mirror surface seemed embedded in the rock wall, its light obscure, and its fluctuations reduced to a minimum. Controlling the mirror surface from afar, Old Demon Fan was able to discern the details of the seal and made a new discovery. This greatly surprised him. After the Five Elements Divine Restrictions converged here, what formed was actually a seal, not the spiritual pool for nourishing spiritual treasures he had imagined. What was sealed beneath it? Or perhaps...

His thoughts churned. Old Demon Fan, not daring to act rashly, observed for a moment, then formed a hand seal with one hand, unexpectedly striking his own chest with a heavy backhand.

"Ugh!"

Old Demon Fan's body trembled, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, all of it absorbed by the mirror talisman. The mirror talisman stained with blood, and the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror in the mountain's core transformed into a blood mirror, like a crimson disk, lightly drifting down. It meticulously selected a position and clung tightly to the seal's surface. Then the ancient mirror began to melt, and a bloody radiance slowly spread out. Upon closer inspection, fine threads of blood could be seen extending from the mirror surface, piercing into the five-colored seal, specifically searching for the points where the five colors connected. This was not an act of destroying the seal but a silent infiltration, one of the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror's strongest powers.

Old Demon Fan did not know what was sealed beneath. Given that it was solemnly sealed here by the Formless Immortal Sect, and despite so many years having passed, he prudently chose to investigate using this method first. Since the seal primarily targeted the demon inside, and Zhu Wudao had first shattered the Jade Pavilion, affecting the Seven Constellation Sword Array, and then used the divine statue to construct a channel, prying at the seal, causing more or less an impact, the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror found an opening and its infiltration proved quite effective.

Atop Emperor-Granted Mountain. Old Demon Fan stopped at some point, sitting cross-legged. Beneath him was a black lotus, none other than the Myriad Illusions Nether Lotus. After sitting still for a moment, Old Demon Fan suddenly closed his eyes. The nether lotus trembled faintly, its petals gradually folding inward, layer by layer. As the petals closed, Old Demon Fan's figure shifted from solid to ethereal, finally transforming into a wisp of mist, enveloped within the Myriad Illusions Nether Lotus, which had now become a closed bud.

A black light shot out from the lotus heart, directly into the mirror talisman. At the same time, a black speck of light appeared in the center of the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror within the mountain's core, clearly a Myriad Illusions Nether Lotus. As the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror gradually permeated, the Myriad Illusions Nether Lotus also infiltrated the seal. The Myriad Illusions Nether Lotus was Old Demon Fan's natal magical artifact, indicating that his Dao foundation lay in the path of Illusionary Demons, making him a true master of this Dao. Coupled with the Heavenly Hao Ancient Mirror, it exhibited incredible abilities.