Chapter 738: 接引

As Palace Master Shengyuan's palm strike aimed at Yaoyao, the void instantly collapsed, plunging the heavens and earth into darkness. At that moment, it was as if a colossal, sky-supporting mountain was pressing down, its golden holy flames burning fiercely, reducing everything in its path to ashes.

Palace Master Shengyuan's sudden treachery was incredibly bizarre, and his strike was as swift as lightning. Even though Ancestor Cangxuan reacted, it was already too late, as he was preoccupied with the supreme Saint Race expert from beyond the boundary wall. Thus, he could only watch helplessly as Shengyuan's full-powered palm strike hurtled towards Yaoyao.

Yaoyao stood suspended in the air, her golden hair gently fluttering. Palace Master Shengyuan's immense and violent palm strike rapidly grew larger in her eyes, causing her delicate brows to furrow slightly. This sudden assault by Palace Master Shengyuan was also somewhat unexpected for her. This person was truly loathsome.

In the depths of Yaoyao's bright eyes, an aura of extreme cold surged. Instead of bothering with Palace Master Shengyuan's palm, she abruptly clenched her slender, jade-like fingers, sending her small fist directly towards him.

"Revert to Origin!"

From her crimson lips, an ancient sound seemed to emanate.

Palace Master Shengyuan's furious palm strike landed directly on Yaoyao's shoulder, and simultaneously, Yaoyao's clenched jade-like fist struck his chest. The space surrounding them instantly collapsed. The next instant, both were sent reeling backward as if struck by a massive force.

Yaoyao lightly tapped the void with her bare feet, stabilizing herself. Faint, crack-like patterns were spreading across her fair, jade-like skin. Palace Master Shengyuan also reeled back before steadying himself, his expression a mix of shock and uncertainty. His full-force palm strike against Yaoyao had felt as though it plunged into a bottomless black hole. Although her body appeared unusually frail, it seemed to harbor a terrifying power that even he could barely comprehend.

As Palace Master Shengyuan's thoughts raced, his pupils suddenly constricted. He looked down at his chest, where a small fist print had appeared. From that print, an incredibly mysterious power was invading his body. Wherever that power spread, Palace Master Shengyuan felt his flesh and blood disintegrating. In just a few breaths, a gaping wound appeared on his chest. Furthermore, Palace Master Shengyuan was horrified to discover that even the origin energy within him, upon contact with that power, began to slip from his control, as if being converted into a form of rootless, undifferentiated heaven and earth origin energy... If that power were allowed to spread and consume him, Palace Master Shengyuan feared his entire body would be reduced to nothing more than common heaven and earth origin energy.

Palace Master Shengyuan's face darkened. He then drew his fingertip across his chest, directly carving away all the flesh and blood from the area, creating a gaping hole that revealed glistening internal organs. He flung the excised flesh away, watching it swiftly dissolve into nothingness, broken down into the most basic heaven and earth origin energy.

Throughout the land, powerful experts from all sides watched Palace Master Shengyuan's self-mutilation, all utterly dumbfounded. No one had anticipated that Palace Master Shengyuan, having seized the initiative with a sneak attack on Yaoyao, would instead be forced by her counter-attack to mutilate his own body...

While still in shock, Sect Master Qingyang and the others were also secretly pleased. However, unlike their hidden pleasure, Ancestor Cangxuan, whose attention remained fixed on Yaoyao, showed a deep concern in his eyes. He could see the faint cracks marring Yaoyao's skin. These were due to Yaoyao repeatedly using that power within her, which her physical body was now struggling to withstand. Yaoyao's situation was exceedingly unique; her ability to manifest this body was the result of countless fortuitous circumstances. If this physical form were to be destroyed, it would be a catastrophic outcome for her. Thus, the stronger the power Yaoyao wielded, the greater Ancestor Cangxuan's unease. Furthermore, the most problematic aspect was that Yaoyao had now used her power directly under the gaze of the Saint Race supreme expert, which likely meant the latter would now truly identify her.

*Boom! Boom!*

Ancestor Cangxuan looked up and saw the enormous golden vertical eye beyond the boundary wall's fissure flickering intensely. Despite the vast distance, he could sense the profound emotional turmoil of the Saint Race supreme expert at that moment.

"Acce...pt..."

A vague, indistinct sound drifted from the distant reaches.

Upon hearing the sound, Palace Master Shengyuan's eyes flickered, then a look of ruthless determination swept over them. Today's events would decide if he could obtain the Cangxuan Holy Seal and claim dominion over Cangxuan Heaven. Therefore, by any means necessary, he had to eliminate Ancestor Cangxuan and Yaoyao. While the Saint Race supreme expert found it difficult to pass through the boundary wall and descend in true form, Shengyuan knew that although their true bodies couldn't fully manifest, they could project their power downward if they were willing to pay a significant price. However, this required a medium for the power to be received.

"Ultimately, this will still benefit me..."

A grim smile flickered in Palace Master Shengyuan's eyes. He then glanced at Yaoyao, formed a hand seal, and the very next moment, more than half of his body shockingly exploded amidst countless horrified gazes. A terrifying surge of blood mist permeated the air.

From within the blood mist, a beam of light suddenly shot skyward, as if piercing endless void, reaching the boundary wall. Through the boundary wall's fissure, the enormous golden vertical eye flickered, then seemed to make a decision. Instantly, a golden speck of light descended, making contact with the rising beam. A closer look would reveal that the golden speck of light was, in fact, a bloody, vertical eyeball! The vertical eyeball touched the beam, instantly merging into it. The light then retracted with lightning speed, falling back into the pervasive blood mist.

All of this transpired in mere seconds. Only Ancestor Cangxuan and Yaoyao witnessed it clearly, yet they were powerless to intervene.

"Shengyuan, you truly are a well-trained dog of the Saint Race! To self-detonate half your body just to usher in Saint Race power!" Ancestor Cangxuan's face was livid as he spoke chillingly.

The dense blood mist filling the air rippled slightly. A figure slowly emerged from within the mist, under the gaze of countless onlookers. And when the many powerful experts saw the figure, they all gasped in collective shock. The figure was covered in blood, only half of its body remaining, a grotesque sight. It was indeed Palace Master Shengyuan.

However, despite Shengyuan's shattered body, his aura at that moment became incomparably formidable, even beginning to surpass Ancestor Cangxuan's. This was because, above his head and on his left shoulder, a golden sacred lotus flower floated respectively. Gazing at the two golden sacred lotus flowers, Sect Master Qingyang and many other powerful experts were filled with horror. For they all knew that Saints had three realms, with each realm marked by a single lotus. The formation of three lotuses signified the pinnacle of a Saint's power. Even Ancestor Cangxuan, in his prime, had only reached the Two-Lotus Saint realm... Yet now, as Palace Master Shengyuan received the power of the Saint Race supreme expert, he had astonishingly reached this very stage...