Chapter 1229: Dealing with you, I don't even need to take action personally

The Eighth Sword Immortal!

The spirit refiners near the battlefield looked up in shock.

When they saw that legendary figure, their first reaction was sheer astonishment. Only then did they suddenly realize that the influence of the Distortion Light had stopped.

With the Eighth Sword Immortal, Ba Zun An, at the center as he ascended into the high sky, the light vanished across a radius of ten thousand li.

The power of that radiance, which hung in the nine heavens and shone with the glory of sun and moon, seemed to be devoured and erased by some force as soon as it reached this area, no longer causing distortions in human spirits or intentions.

"What is this..."

The spirit refiners near the battlefield felt relieved while dealing with their own strange changes, and they gazed at the unusual surroundings.

Apart from the special "domain" formed here, people outside were still suffering from the pain of the Distortion Light.

This made it clear that they were the fortunate ones chosen by fate.

Sometimes, watching a battle from too far away is dangerous, but getting closer might actually save your life. Xu Xiao Shou hid in the state of Wu You Jian Liu, looking somewhat puzzled as he glanced at Mei Yi Ren.

He could only protect himself and had no power to save others.

Yet, Ba Zun An was clearly in a sealed sword state, but he still had the extra energy to consider the ants on the island?

"Kong Wu Jie," Mei Yi Ren said, his expression shifting slightly as he explained, "This is also a method of using Wu You Jian Liu, but it's far more advanced than what you currently master. It involves the application of 'others' beyond just 'self.'"

"In simple terms, this sword can nullify not only oneself but also others. Ba Zun An is using it to nullify the rules of light around us, protecting everyone here."

Self... and others...

Could Wu You Jian Liu be used like this? So powerfully?

Xu Xiao Shou felt his mind opening up to new ideas.

He didn't fully understand it yet, but that wasn't a problem.

He immediately stepped onto the Jian Dao Pan and activated Tian Ren He Yi.

As long as it didn't involve the second profound insight of the sword, he could memorize and copy it through sheer effort.

Whatever appears, it's mine!

However, even in the state of Tian Ren He Yi, Xu Xiao Shou still found it difficult to grasp the mysteries of "Kong Wu Jie."

He could only force himself to memorize it and understand it later.

"What level has this sword reached?" Xu Xiao Shou asked thoughtfully.

"This is Ba Zun An's sword, which stands above the level of the first realm. If you delve a bit deeper, it quickly approaches the heights of the second realm," Mei Yi Ren paused for a moment, "Tian Qi Zhi."

Xu Xiao Shou suddenly understood.

Old Eight's sword was exquisitely profound.

Even in the first realm, it was obscure and hard to comprehend. Secretly incorporating a touch of the second realm's power, it blended seamlessly!

If you didn't sense it carefully, you wouldn't even notice the sword intent around him—it was like a natural aura domain that could swallow the Distortion Light.

So, is this the kind of sword he can use in a sealed state?

Xu Xiao Shou felt doubtful and glanced at Mei Yi Ren.

But he saw his teacher frowning, staring at Ba Zun An, lost in thought. Suddenly, Mei Yi Ren turned back and asked suspiciously through a voice transmission, "But didn't you say Ba Zun An is in a sealed sword state?"

Xu Xiao Shou's heart skipped a beat at the words, and his face froze stiffly.

"Who are you?"

Er Hao seemed to have caught Xu Xiao Shou's syndrome.

His first reaction upon seeing Ba Zun An appear was shock, and his second was wondering if this was Xu Xiao Shou in disguise?

After all, earlier, Xu Xiao Shou had created an Empty Resentment and blasted Yan Wu Se with a punch.

"Heh."

Ba Zun An seemed to know what Er Hao was thinking. He shook his head with a chuckle and turned his gaze to Xu Xiao Shou, "Look at the mess you've made."

Before the latter could speak, he turned back to Er Hao, his expression now laced with disdain:

"The so-called strongest semi-saint, scared like this by a young man? Since you've felt fear, there's no need to pretend to be calm. I've given you my question, but you haven't answered yet."

He lifted his head, staring directly at the sun and moon's radiance in the distance, his turbid gaze unwavering, "Saving Yan Wu Se and saving Xu Kong Dao seems to be your top priority right now."

How could Er Hao give up everything here?

The thought of "retreating" never even crossed his mind.

In his view, Ba Zun An's question wasn't a problem at all, and he naturally had no answer.

Even if Yan Wu Se were still conscious, he absolutely wouldn't agree to accept such absurd conditions and let people go.

Er Hao slowly raised the Sheng Cai Zhi Jian, responding with silence and a surge of killing intent.

But as the sword pointed directly at Ba Zun An, a hum rang out, and the void trembled violently, surging with invisible sword waves.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Several strands of tangible light flashed out invisibly, streaking across the nine heavens and cutting through space like silver blades.

Ba Zun An's gaze fixed solely on the Sheng Cai Zhi Jian, on its tip. After a long moment of indifference, he looked up and said,

"You should understand what this action means."

"This is the first and only warning: Put down the sword, and I'll spare your disrespect."

In response, a resounding sword cry echoed across Xu Kong Dao.

Countless spirit swords—those worn by spirit refiners, hidden in the ruins of Zui Yi Dian, or even far beyond the other nine forbidden lands—vibrated simultaneously.

It was as if they were bowing to their king, welcoming his return.

Even Er Hao's Sheng Cai Zhi Jian trembled slightly under Ba Zun An's gaze, as if in reverence.

At the same time, the minds of the spirit refiners on the island who could still stay clear flashed with legends from the previous era:

After defeating the five domains of the continent, the "name" of the Eighth Sword Immortal, Ba Zun An, had become a substantial "presence," making all swords bow wherever he went.

He was so strong that even his gaze was like a famous sword, capable of shattering everything.

This was even before "Guan Jian Shu" had fully formed or "Jian Nian" had emerged. And anyone who dared to point a sword at Ba Zun An—nine out of ten had died—in that era when he was arrogant and defiant.

This was Er Hao's first time pointing his sword at Ba Zun An.

His database did contain information on the consequences of similar actions.

But he never imagined that those incomplete records might actually trend toward reality.

The Sheng Cai Zhi Jian was trembling.

Under Ba Zun An's gaze, a heart-pounding power surged from the sword.

Even Er Hao felt threatened by this force.

Jian Nian!

Not only the power of Jian Nian, but it also pierced through the sword and into his body, wreaking havoc everywhere.

Even the Sheng Cai Zhi Jian itself...

Er Hao had heard that whenever Ba Zun An touched a sword, no matter what it was, it became his with a single glance.

He never thought that even the Sheng Cai Zhi Jian, constructed by the Tian Ji in its liberated state, would fall into this category.

Now, the sword wasn't just afraid—it was resisting.

There was even a faint urge to fly out, switch allegiance, and stab its original master.

Bang!

Er Hao's hand holding the sword shook violently.

The Jian Nian exploding from the sword tore his arm apart, and even the Tian Ji Dao Ze couldn't restore it quickly.

He was about to lose his grip on the sword!

And this was just from one glance from Ba Zun An!

In that instant, Er Hao felt reverence and panic. He wanted to lower the sword in his hand and turn back to deal with the mess, as Ba Zun An had suggested.

As long as he didn't fight, he wouldn't die.

But his calm rationality erased this uncharacteristic, insane thought from his mind.

"Impossible!"

"Ba Zun An wouldn't come here."

"If he were competing with the Dao Hall Master, whoever entered first would lose, right?"

"How dare he risk himself and come here? Or is this the final situation he's aiming for?"

"His purpose in summoning Xu Kong Dao wasn't to unseal the inner island or to kill people from the Sheng Shen Hall."

"It was just to train Xu Xiao Shou?"

"That's too absurd!"

If it were anyone else, they might really be scared off.

But the intimidation from Ba Zun An's gaze hadn't completely overridden Er Hao's rationality.

He wasn't a normal person—he wasn't even human.

He couldn't understand Ba Zun An's intentions now, because they contradicted all his previous deductions.

If Ba Zun An's goal was only this minor, there was no need for such a massive scheme with Xu Kong Dao as the board.

Under these circumstances, reasoning backward...

Even if the person in front of him was incredibly powerful, he wasn't Ba Zun An. He was just someone who appeared to break the situation.

This person could be Xu Xiao Shou, or a Sheng Nu, or even Yan Wang, or someone from Xu Yue Hui Gong.

But in any case, he absolutely wasn't Ba Zun An!

In a flash, Er Hao made up his mind. A smile tugged at his lips as he gripped the nearly out-of-control Sheng Cai Zhi Jian tightly and said,

"I've heard you're in a sealed sword state, so what will you use to stop my rudeness? Your sharp tongue and verbal swordplay?"

Ba Zun An shook his head upon hearing this, his turbid gaze barely reflecting Er Hao's figure, as if he didn't take him seriously at all.

"Beating you, I don't even need to act myself."

Er Hao moved incredibly fast. In the midst of Ba Zun An's casual words, under the shocked gazes of everyone on the island, he struck out with a sword.

Holy light flashed, instantly slicing through Ba Zun An's body and splitting him in two. Blood sprayed, stunning everyone.

So... this fragile?

Could this Ba Zun An be fake?

It was entirely possible—after all, in the East Domain, fakes of Ba Zun An kept appearing, only to be killed off one after another.

Why assume the one in the Sky City was the real deal?

Boom!

A explosion echoed in the void, pulling everyone's thoughts back.

The Ba Zun An who had been split in two had somehow returned to his original state.

Meanwhile, Er Hao seemed to have been struck by a sword himself, with countless Jian Nian exploding inside his body, splitting him in two instead.

"This?"

"Illusion Sword Technique!"

"It's the Illusion Sword Technique!"

In an instant, everyone recalled the Illusion Sword Technique that Ba Zun An was famous for. Such a reversal of life and death, incomprehensible to outsiders, had to be the Illusion Sword Technique.

In other words, Er Hao's sword hadn't hit Ba Zun An at all—instead, he had struck himself?

This man truly lived up to being the Eighth Sword Immortal; he could even contend with the Tian Ji divine messenger!

"Shi Kong Yue Qian..."

On the other side, Xu Xiao Shou's face was stunned.

He could see that Ba Zun An had indeed used the Illusion Sword Technique.

The sword that pierced through Old Eight had actually struck Er Hao, and it involved the first realm of the Illusion Sword Technique: Shi Kong Yue Qian.

But Xu Xiao Shou felt no joy at all.

In his sealed sword state, Ba Zun An had already used two major realms: Wu You Jian Liu and Shi Kong Yue Qian.

This was extremely unbelievable.

In a sealed sword state, he might be able to draw his sword, but it shouldn't be to this extent.

Moreover, based on what he knew from last time in the Eight Palaces, facing Gou Wu Yue—who was also a sword immortal, mastering the first realm, and protected by seven hundred in white—Ba Zun An had used Mu Xia Shen Fo to shatter everything in one strike, like crushing dry weeds.

His first realm was absolutely on a higher level than other ancient sword cultivators.

But the one in front of him now... Xu Xiao Shou saw the words "impostor" written all over him.

He was strong!

He even mastered two major realms!

But fighting Er Hao and blocking the Distortion Light—granted, both were semi-saints, different from Gou Wu Yue—still required using two realms to counter them? That would make him just an ordinary sword immortal.

If the Eighth Sword Immortal was only at the level of an ordinary sword immortal, he wouldn't deserve the name Ba Zun An! How could he have led the Sheng Nu to storm Sheng Shan?

"Xiao Kong Dong?"

For the person in front of him, Xu Xiao Shou could only think of one figure that might match: Xiao Kong Dong.

But he felt it didn't quite add up...

If the person before him was Ba Zun An, he was too weak.

If he was Xiao Kong Dong, then this big mouth from Can Yue Xian Cheng was too strong!

Crack!

The world shattered like a mirror in an instant.

Er Hao's bisected body also recovered—the Illusion Sword Technique had been broken by him.

The Jian Nian couldn't linger in the body of the liberated Tian Ji divine messenger. All the damage Er Hao had shown was fake, created by the Illusion Sword Technique and presented to him and everyone on Xu Kong Dao.

It was so realistic that even Er Hao felt the pain!

Xu Xiao Shou suddenly understood why Mei Yi Ren always said his Illusion Sword Technique wasn't profound enough.

It turned out that someone from Ba Zun An's lineage, mastering the Illusion Sword Technique, could trap Er Hao with just the technique itself for a while?

What Xu Xiao Shou could think of, Er Hao could too.

After confirming the opponent wasn't Ba Zun An himself, he felt ashamed and furious. He immediately struck out with another sword, "You're asking for death!"

"Don't struggle," Ba Zun An shook his head, his expression extremely cold.

He didn't move an inch. Er Hao's sword passed through his body again, and then Er Hao himself exploded once more.

As soon as the Illusion Sword Technique was undone, Er Hao was trapped in it again—a cycle that repeated in an instant.

This Ba Zun An wasn't very strong, but he could repeatedly restrict Er Hao's actions.

What was he relying on?

Xu Xiao Shou didn't believe this was something an ancient sword cultivator below semi-saint could do.

This fake Ba Zun An, who was probably Xiao Kong Dong, must have some special ability or treasure that he couldn't see through.

Buzz!

Suddenly, starlight descended from the heavens.

This change made even Ba Zun An pause and look up.

At the peak of the nine heavens, the Star Angel had completed its transformation, turning into a sky full of stars and showering down stellar power.

At the same time, holy sounds echoed from all directions:

"Holy Revival."

Almost simultaneously, those on Xu Kong Dao touched by the stellar power had their mental distortions cease.

Even their strangely broken bodies surged with holy power from within, beginning to repair.

"Ahh..."

Groans of comfort rose from various places.

Everyone felt as if they were soaking in a hot spring of holy energy, their wounds healing rapidly, filled with bliss.

Even the distorted plants and objects on the island stopped their abnormalities and returned to their previous states.

"This is..."

Xu Xiao Shou realized this was another issue with Yan Wu Se's ability.

This old man couldn't distort everything on Xu Kong Dao one moment and restore it all the next.

He must have a specific target.

As he thought this, in the distance, the void bathed in the center of the stellar light quickly gathered.

It formed a vague human figure.

The figure wore blurred but luxurious robes and exuded a mad but powerful aura, but it had no head!

Under the power of "Holy Revival," the headless figure's body recovered rapidly, though the head couldn't be restored in time.

He clutched the empty space where his head should be, his body hunched as if to roar. But without a head, nothing came out.

He hunched again, still silent, almost comically.

Woo—

Holy light blazed forth, and ethereal holy sounds wailed across Xu Kong Dao, carrying grief, hatred, and forces that affected the mind.

Xu Xiao Shou understood.

Yan Wu Se!

With the help of the Star Angel, this guy was returning so quickly? Was this the power of the Three Emperors, the Refining Spirit Light?

Apart from the head that had taken a direct punch and was hardest to restore, Yan Wu Se's power had already climbed back to two or three tenths!

Boom!

Bathed in Holy Revival, Er Hao seemed to gain an boost as well. He broke free from the Illusion Sword Technique once more.

This time, his instinctive action wasn't guided by the illusion to strike that useless sword that would trap him in a loop.

Instead, his form expanded, drawing on the power of the nine heavens' rules to form chains that pierced into his own body.

"Dao Ze Zhuang Dian!"

With a crack, the Illusion Sword Technique's power shattered.

It could affect Er Hao alone, but clearly not the whole formed by Er Hao and Xu Kong Dao temporarily unified through the rules!

In that moment, Xu Xiao Shou clearly saw Ba Zun An's mouth twitch subtly in the distance.

But he just let out a cold laugh, maintaining his arrogant posture with hands behind his back, chin slightly raised.

"Interesting."

"But as I said, dealing with you, I don't even need to act myself."

Under the shield of Kong Wu Jie, Huang Quan and Tian Ren Wu Shui, who were behind Ba Zun An, regained their senses from the distorted state.

Unlike Yan Wu Se, who couldn't join the battle yet,

Huang Quan instantly reformed his Shang Xuan Jian and Hun Jie, turning back with fury to glare at Xu Xiao Shou, who had shrunk behind his teacher, looking innocent.

Tian Ren Wu Shui had also nearly returned to half his full strength, his first glance directed at Er Hao.

Ba Zun An calmly turned his head, looking at Huang Quan.

The two exchanged glances for a long time before Ba Zun An's lips curved slightly, and he said casually,

"A temporary alliance."