Chapter 2131: Again Enlightened

Wuxia and Xianxia

The Young Master withdrew the Boundless Eight Extremes Diagram, leaving King Lu and his subordinates exposed.

Thunder rumbled overhead.

The aura of death enveloped everyone, bringing profound fear. Faced with such overwhelming thunderous power, they couldn't even contemplate resistance. They had watched, almost helplessly, as the Grand Emissary fell. A powerful late-stage cultivator, capable of wielding Void Domain divine abilities, met such an end with virtually no power to retaliate, let alone them.

As the tree fell, the monkeys scattered. Those who had come to assist, such as Shi Mu and others, were unwilling to perish alongside King Lu. Without hesitation, they scattered and fled in all directions. As for standing by King Lu and uniting to overcome the difficulty, they hadn't even considered it.

As the saying goes, 'better a dead friend than a dead me.' King Lu was the mastermind, so logically, the enemy would choose to kill him first, giving them a slim chance of survival.

King Lu had rarely had the chance to establish his authority since inheriting the throne. Now, with the Grand Emissary's death, King Lu alone could not intimidate these people.

"Rumble..."

Azure lightning surged, splitting into two streams in the air, one of which shot directly towards Lu Gan. It was clearly visible that high above, where the sky had been stained azure by the lightning, a stream of even deeper blue light formed, resembling an azure river spanning the sky and descending from above.

At that moment, Lu Gan was frantically fleeing across the ground. The spiritual energy and vitality of the earth had been drained by the Boundless Eight Extremes Diagram; vegetation had withered, and mountains had turned into barren hills, offering no cover whatsoever.

Lu Gan looked up at the sky, sensing that he had been locked onto by the azure lightning. His expression was contorted in terror, like a trapped beast on the verge of death. When the Thunder Oath Scroll and the Boundless Eight Extremes Diagram collided, he bore the brunt of the impact, suffering severe injuries on the spot. He was then immediately pursued, and at this point, he had lost the ability to resist, practically just waiting for death.

"Crack!"

A beam of lightning descended, containing hundreds of bolts of thunder and lightning, striking the location where Lu Gan was. At the last moment, Lu Gan's figure suddenly became illusory. The lightning struck the ground, instantly leveling an entire mountain range and leaving a deep crater with lightning arcs still dancing within it. Lu Gan vanished from his original spot, and not far away, one of his companion beasts transformed into Lu Gan's likeness while frantically fleeing.

Just as Lu Gan reappeared, his eyes suddenly bulged, and a look of terror flashed within them.

"Boom!"

The lightning, astonishingly, erupted within his body. Faintly, a flash of lightning resembling a sword gleam flickered and disappeared. Lu Gan's entire body stiffened, then tore into pieces, his life force extinguished!

Another general under King Lu's command had fallen, delivering another severe blow to morale. Even King Lu's own subordinates began to flee for their lives.

Meanwhile, King Lu was being pursued by another stream of azure lightning. Lu Gan was not a major concern; killing him was merely a convenient act. Qin Sang fully activated the residual power of the Thunder Oath Scroll, its thunderous might like an abyss, firmly locking onto King Lu.

At this moment, the only thing King Lu could do was summon four companion beasts, sending them fleeing in four different directions. Above his head, black smoke billowed, within which a hexagonal black umbrella spun up into the air. The umbrella opened, rapidly expanding into a giant fan-like canopy vast enough to obscure hundreds of miles. The black umbrella formed a barrier, isolating King Lu from the thunderous power. But immediately after, thunder rumbled continuously; the black umbrella vibrated violently, its canopy torn apart by the lightning, and it burst into a cloud of black smoke. The black umbrella was forced back into its original form, its spiritual light dissipated, and it fell from mid-air.

Beneath the black umbrella, King Lu held a palm-sized circular treasured mirror. He pointed the mirror surface at himself, and the mirror's surface rippled subtly, spiritual light flowing like water to envelop him. Immediately, light waves rippled through the void, and King Lu's figure instantly turned into nothingness.

King Lu's aura had completely vanished. It was impossible for him to hide his tracks from the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, so he must have used a mutual transformation technique to escape. However, none of the four companion beasts showed any abnormalities, making it impossible to discern which one he had transferred himself to.

Unfortunately, King Lu's cunning plan was useless against Qin Sang.

The four companion beasts were galloping across the ground when they suddenly realized the ground beneath their feet, the sky, and the azure lightning had all disappeared, and they had all fallen into a vast night sky. The Four Symbols Sword Formation! Although the Space-Severing Spirit Pagoda had already been used, King Lu hadn't left his companion beasts outside beforehand. How could Qin Sang give him a chance to escape?

Starlight Transforms into Malevolence.

"Rumble!"

Ten thousand azure lightning bolts simultaneously descended into the sword formation. Regardless of which companion beast King Lu had possessed, he would have no way to escape.

This battlefield deeply affected Shi Mu and the others. They saw the lightning briefly fade, then the sky suddenly darkened, and then stars began to appear high above. Lightning permeated between the stars, emitting bursts of astonishing fluctuations. A terrifying power erupted in the starry sky, but King Lu's figure was nowhere to be seen from beginning to end. The outcome was obvious: a king had fallen. All hope was lost for them.

"The Lu family is finished!"

The Young Master sensed King Lu's aura dissipate and inwardly sighed. Without looking back, he fled from the Western Lands. Among the Siyou Clan's one Emperor and four Kings, two royal families had successively met with disaster. Soon, Si Lu would surely return with momentum, making the rapidly changing situation dizzying. He had to return quickly to report to Emperor Si. How to deal with the Yanshan Si family and this True Man Qin in the future would also require considerable thought.

Qin Sang's gaze shifted from the sword formation to Shi Mu and the others who were fleeing. He said coldly, "Surrender yourselves, and I might spare your lives. Otherwise, you can try your best; see how many of you can escape my grasp!"

At these words, everyone's heart tightened. Qin Sang's power far exceeded their imagination. Even the Grand Emissary and King Lu had fallen, and the Siyou Clan's life-saving divine abilities were useless against him. Could they truly escape? But reason and past experience told them that survival was always something to be fought for, not granted as charity by others. Waiting for death was the only dead end!

Just then, Frost Sable appeared from nowhere, and Si Lu shouted loudly, "Heaven is benevolent and cherishes life. Considering your difficult cultivation and the fact that you are not the main culprits who brought disaster upon my Yanshan Si family, become Yanshan guest elders from now on, and our past grievances can be cleared."

These words, coming from a bloodline descendant of King Yan and the next King Yan, carried a completely different weight. Si Lu's words were like a lifeline, dispelling the hesitation in some people's hearts. Especially for Shi Mu and the others, who had no blood feud with the Yanshan Si family, being employed was better than dying. After all, the Yanshan Si family was one of the four great royal families, and surrendering to King Yan would at least preserve their dignity. Si Lu only promised the position of a guest elder, not even an elder. However, circumstances outweighed their will, and defeated generals had no right to make demands.

They certainly did not want to personally experience the power of the Thunder Oath Scroll. Soon, some gave up fleeing, halted their escape light, and stood still, awaiting their fate. Shi Mu and Shi Ying stopped upon seeing this. Si Lu remembered the strength of these two clearly and was secretly pleased to see them willing to surrender.

Only two of King Lu's trusted subordinates remained obstinate. They had participated in the massacre when the Yanshan Si family was attacked years ago and knew there could be no good outcome for them. Qin Sang naturally showed no mercy, striking them down one by one. Thus, King Lu's side had its dead, its fleeing, and its surrendered, and the Storm Realm achieved a great victory!

On the battlefield, the thunderous might had not yet dissipated, like the lingering afterglow of the battle. Qin Sang hovered in mid-air, lightning beneath his feet. After slaying the last person, his gaze shifted towards a mountain peak.

Yuan Miu stood there, staring blankly at Qin Sang, his face filled with astonishment. He had not been affected, nor would Qin Sang attack him, so he was completely unharmed. Yuan Miu knew that Qin Sang had previously communicated with the Yuanxiang Clan Chief, and since he dared to accept this battle, he must have had confidence. However, Yuan Miu had thought Qin Sang could at most put up a fight and delay them for three years. Unexpectedly, the moment his true strength was revealed, it was utterly astonishing!

Qin Sang smiled and nodded at Yuan Miu as a greeting, then closed his eyes, entering a meditative state right there.

"Great True Man!""Sage Qin!"

Qin Sang seemed to hear cries from thousands of miles away, seeing the cultivators of the Storm Realm prostrating before him in fervent reverence. These scenes were illusory yet so real. This was heartfelt adoration. The statue from back then was merely an inanimate object, mostly symbolic. Now, in their hearts, the living Qin Sang had become a true Sage Qin. He was the guardian of the Storm Realm, its master, and all things and beings within the Storm Realm existed by relying on him.

At this moment, Qin Sang truly felt that this place was his Daoist Sanctuary! Chapters from the *Purple Tenuity Sword Scripture* naturally appeared in his mind. The fervent cries, the devout souls, and his previous experience of consecutively slaying powerful enemies and breaking enemy formations all surged forth, guiding him as he wandered through the obscure verses, pushing aside layers of mist on the path of the Grand Dao. A look of delight appeared on Qin Sang's face. His long preparations, strategic planning, and painstaking efforts had not been in vain! This was the Mahayana Killing Dao! He wasn't sure if this battle would propel him directly to the late-stage Void Refinement breakthrough, but the path ahead would undoubtedly be much smoother.

In fact, as a Daoist sanctuary for a mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator, the Storm Realm was too small and too weak. For most cultivators practicing the Mahayana path, the Daoist sanctuary is the foundation of their Dao, and its strength directly impacts their cultivation. By conventional wisdom, even with the people's allegiance, Qin Sang wouldn't benefit much from the current Storm Realm alone. However, the *Purple Tenuity Sword Scripture* cultivates the Mahayana Killing Dao, emphasizing the word 'killing'. The enemies who attacked this time were not only numerous experts but also included a top-tier powerhouse ranked among the best in the late-stage Void Refinement realm. On their side, there were only four Void Refinement cultivators, with the highest cultivation being merely mid-stage Void Refinement. Anyone else would have long since fled in despair. The results of this battle were truly glorious, so it was not surprising to reap such significant gains.

Moving forward, with all internal and external troubles settled and the situation looking promising, he could slowly manage his own Daoist sanctuary. More importantly, he could focus on enhancing his cultivation! There would certainly be a period of rapid advancement before he encountered his next bottleneck.

However, amidst his joy, Qin Sang couldn't help but reflect: even as a mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator, to achieve enlightenment, he had to slay the Grand Emissary, a top-tier expert, and practically annihilate the Lu family, one of the Siyou Clan's four great royal families. When he eventually entered the late-stage Void Refinement and continued on the Mahayana Killing Dao, what would he have to do to seek enlightenment for breaking through to the Integration stage? Could it be that he would have to confront an Integration-stage power, defeat them head-on, or even annihilate them? Qin Sang hadn't let joy cloud his judgment. Even if he were more arrogant, he didn't believe he would then possess the ability to cross major cultivation realms and challenge an Integration-stage powerhouse. For now, he could only take one step at a time and hoped he was overthinking things.

Outside the Storm Realm, deep within the ocean, on a spiritual island near the Misty Tide, the summit of a mountain had been leveled. The mountain was lush and vibrant with life, but it seemed to hold no living creatures, making it unusually silent.

On the stone platform at the mountain summit, a chessboard was carved. Some were playing, others observing. It was the same three individuals who had played chess in the Zhuyan Clan's territory earlier, but the brothers had swapped positions, and one of them was now playing against the white-robed man. The chessboard surface was imbued with spiritual light; they were playing Dao-seeking chess. The board and pieces subtly aligned with the Grand Dao, and each game was like a journey of seeking the Dao. The weaker player often gained greater benefits. If fellow disciples of the same lineage played, the stronger one could even use it to enlighten the weaker. Their game with the white-robed man was, in essence, a quest for the Dao. Given the rare free time the white-robed man had, the two brothers wished they could play until the end of time. When King Lu's army arrived in the Western Lands, they followed, setting up their chessboard here to both seek the Dao and watch the unfolding drama, occasionally commenting on the performances of both sides.

The young man holding the piece pondered for a long time before carefully placing a stone, as if making a crucial decision. He let out a soft breath and looked at the white-robed man. The white-robed man across from him nodded slightly, a look of approval on his face, but he wasn't in a hurry to make his move. Instead, he turned his gaze towards the horizon.

A moment later, the two brothers also felt a sensation. The man holding the piece said, "I didn't expect those outsiders to hold on for so long. This time, the Grand Emissary should reveal his true capabilities, or it will be too long a delay." "That altar formation is indeed not simple," the observing man commented. "But the Grand Emissary and the Young Master are likely wary of the Yuanxiang Clan Chief and are still probing. They still don't understand the Zhuyan Clan well enough; those wild fellows might act rashly, but they have always kept their word. If they say they won't interfere, they won't." After evaluating the three factions, the observing man concluded, "As long as the Grand Emissary and the Young Master personally enter the fray, unless someone behind those outsiders intervenes, they are bound to lose!"

As if in response to his words, a shocking clap of thunder suddenly erupted, and lightning danced wildly across the horizon. The brothers' expressions instantly changed. The observing man abruptly stood up, staring fixedly in the direction of the Storm Realm, his face filled with shock.

Divine thunder shook heaven and earth. With their cultivation, they could sense the terrifying pressure contained within the thunder, which, even from such a distance, still made their scalps tingle. "This... what is this?" The brothers could barely conceal their shock.

The white-robed man's expression remained unchanged. He slowly stood up and scoffed, "What an impressive True Man Qin!"

"Clack!"

He flicked the piece in his hand onto the chessboard. The board trembled, its spiritual light dissipated, and it transformed into an ordinary stone table and ordinary stones. The white-robed man waved his sleeve, and rode the wind away. The two brothers exchanged glances, erased the traces in the mountain, and hastily followed.

In another sea region.

On a certain island.

The Yuanxiang Clan Chief lay sprawled amidst the tree canopy, looking utterly drunk. "Hmm?" He suddenly sobered up, his eyes flashing with sharp light. He propped himself up, gazed intently for a long time, and a look of astonishment flashed in the depths of his eyes. Finally, he sighed twice, took another swig of wine, and comfortably lay back down. It seemed True Man Qin knew his limits; that thunderous might did not fall towards the Holy Bath Plains again. Otherwise, it would have surely caused immense suffering, and the Changyou Clan's Holy Lake Grand Formation probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it.

No one noticed.

At this moment, unusual fluctuations emanated from the Land of Filth, but they were overshadowed by the overwhelming presence of the Thunder Oath Scroll.