Chapter 1384: Dye Ming's Lingering Thoughts Sever Human Traces; The Emperor Sword Stands Supreme Over the Black Water

“Something’s off…”

“Very off!”

At the entrance to the Ran Ming ruins passageway, Feng Yujin suddenly halted all his actions, his face etched with shock and doubt.

He had been suppressing the God of Slaughter, Wei Feng, insisting on leaving him alive and urging him to stop resisting.

But for some reason, he withdrew his full aura as a Sheng Di.

Even the massive gray fog hand that had shaken the realm and seized the Si Xiang Mi Jing was casually dismissed with a wave.

Wei Feng was still on the ground, roaring and howling, but upon this sudden reprieve, he froze in confusion.

What was this?

Some new form of humiliation?

The path of slaughter demanded rising from the brink of death, and for him, this battle was just beginning, not ending.

Wei Feng propped himself up with the Yan Wang Yan and sprang to his feet.

But before he could raise his blade or unleash his God of Slaughter domain again, Feng Yujin extended his hand seriously and said:

“Hold on, let’s pause and fight later!”

Pause?

Wei Feng stood there dumbfounded, gripping the Yan Wang Yan, unsure if he should strike.

Why go to such lengths?

He was a Sheng Di; he didn’t need to do this!

“What’s going on?”

Jin Ren asked, following the sound.

Feng Yujin had the upper hand and could have killed Wei Feng, yet he chose to spare him—there had to be something strange about it.

Feng Yujin didn’t explain; his expression turned grave as he drew out the Zhan Shen Ling from behind him, a token taller than half a person.

The three of them noticed it: the Zhan Shen Ling was tilting slightly toward the depths of the passageway, trembling incessantly.

The frequency of the vibrations was extremely pronounced, far stronger than before.

“Guiding force!”

Feng Yujin turned his startled gaze back toward the interior of the Ran Ming ruins, eyeing the gaps slashed by Wei Feng’s blades and the damaged giant murals.

“This power is strong, incredibly strong… Oh, you two aren’t Sheng Di!”

Feng Yujin sounded frustrated, as if he wanted to explain but was worried about wasting time.

He didn’t elaborate on what the “guiding force” was; instead, he gripped the Zhan Shen Ling tightly, which seemed eager to fly into the Ran Ming ruins, and fixed his stare on Xu Xiao Shou.

“Retreat immediately!”

Boom, boom, boom…

From beyond the Hei Shui Jian, faint massive rumbles echoed.

It seemed a battle had erupted outside—perhaps the Ban Sheng were clashing in the Si Xiang Mi Jing? The noise was loud enough to pierce through the Hei Shui Jian and reach here.

Feng Yujin’s sudden change in attitude…

And the unexpected outbreak of a holy war outside…

This gave Jin Ren a sense of impending doom.

But he glanced at Wei Feng—who hadn’t been dealt with yet. How could they retreat?

Jin Ren had received orders from his true self and had cast aside thoughts of life and death.

He hadn’t self-destructed earlier because he feared the restrictions from Mo Mo would leave Feng Yujin unable to defeat Wei Feng.

But now…

“I’ll stay; you go!”

Jin Ren made the decision in an instant.

Regardless of why Feng Yujin said to retreat, he trusted the judgment of a Sheng Di—it was a matter of respecting strength.

Feng Yujin shook his head firmly and snapped:

“We go together, including you!”

The last words were directed at Wei Feng.

Wei Feng felt an undeniable pressure, almost stepping forward to leave with them.

But soon, he felt utterly baffled.

What was all this about?

His task was to guard the entrance to the Ran Ming ruins passageway, and here Feng Yujin, the Sheng Di of Sealing Heaven, was in the middle of a fight and suddenly went mad, wanting to run—who knew why?

Was this his fighting style?

He wanted to say something like, “Trying to run? None of you are getting away,” but after their earlier exchange, Wei Feng knew full well that the power of a Sheng Di was beyond what he could handle alone.

He quickly sent a “request for support” signal in the Tian Zu combat channel, but got no response.

Staring at the tense and bewildered pair in front of him, Wei Feng hesitated and said uncertainly:

“So, you’re leaving?”

Before the mission, Dao Qiong Cang hadn’t mentioned that his opponent would include a Sheng Di; he’d only said Wei Feng could hold the passageway.

Out of absolute trust, even when he encountered the Sealing Heaven Sheng Di, Wei Feng believed it was all within Dao Qiong Cang’s predictions.

—The Sealing Heaven Sheng Di must be under some restrictions, making him unable to defeat a Ban Sheng, and his female form was proof of that.

So, without a second thought, Wei Feng had charged in headfirst, only to be subdued in one move.

Now, his only thought was:

Dao Qiong Cang told me to guard this place and not let anyone in, but he didn’t say I had to stop Xu Xiao Shou and the others from leaving, right?

Scaring them off could still count as guarding the passageway.

“Huff…”

After hearing this, Feng Yujin let out a long sigh of relief and smiled, his posture completely relaxed.

But Wei Feng’s scalp tingled, and he instinctively raised his blade.

“Six Paths: Cang Long Seal!”

Feng Yujin struck suddenly.

A Sheng Di attacking a Ban Sheng—and he chose to ambush.

In a flash, he bypassed the Yan Wang Yan and appeared behind Wei Feng.

But Wei Feng’s combat instincts were too sharp; he swung the Yan Wang Yan backward, blocking his own back of the head.

Feng Yujin’s speed was astonishing.

His palm was originally aimed at the back of Wei Feng’s head, but seeing it anticipated, he adapted on the spot, dropping low and turning into gray fog like a snake, slipping through and striking Wei Feng’s abdomen.

The gray sealing fog transformed into a massive Cang Long, crashing ferociously into Wei Feng’s qi sea.

“Des…picable…”

Wei Feng’s voice came out strained.

His vision went dark, his hearing vanished, his senses shut down…

He lost all six senses.

Even his divine soul and spirit felt submerged in stagnant water, utterly still.

He’d calculated everything, but not this!

The Sealing Heaven Sheng Di really used a scheme—a Sheng Di against a Ban Sheng, and he discarded his dignity for an ambush!

This time, Wei Feng had been careless and didn’t dodge.

Even as he was fully sealed, Wei Feng still couldn’t understand…

Earlier, he clearly had the chance to kill me!

With one ambushing strike, Feng Yujin completely sealed Wei Feng.

He grabbed Wei Feng like a sack of potatoes, hoisting him over his shoulder without killing him, then turned and glared at Xu Xiao Shou:

“Retreat! Now!”

He emphasized each word, leaving Jin Ren utterly baffled.

What puzzled Jin Ren most was the look of sheer terror on Feng Yujin’s face.

This was a Sheng Di!

What could he possibly fear?

That day, when they faced the eight Zun An, Feng Yujin hadn’t shown such fear.

At this point, Jin Ren realized the situation was far more complicated than he thought—something that could make Feng Yujin lose his composure…

He glanced back at the shattered passageway entrance, recalling how Wei Feng’s sky-rending killing intent had once slashed into the Ran Ming ruins.

Ran Ming ruins?

Was it the guiding force from the Zhan Shen Guan, Ran Ming?

“Go!” Jin Ren shouted, leaping into the sky and outrunning even Feng Yujin.

“Take me with you!” Feng Yujin nearly panicked; no matter how fast he was, he couldn’t beat spatial teleportation. “Get us out of the Hei Shui Jian, out of the Si Xiang Mi Jing!”

“Are you crazy? I have to exit the Hei Shui Jian and the barrier first before I can take you!”

“…Then just get us out of the Hei Shui Jian.”

Feng Yujin carried Wei Feng on his shoulder, his heart pounding with dread.

As a Sheng Di, how could he overlook such a minor detail?

One hand held Wei Feng, desperately hoping he wouldn’t suddenly die, while the other clutched the Zhan Shen Ling tightly.

Even his Sheng Di power was struggling to contain it now.

The half-person-tall token was straining desperately toward the Ran Ming ruins, desperate to break free.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two figures shot from the Ran Ming ruins passageway, breaking through the restraints and plunging into the Hei Shui Jian.

Up, up, and still up…

The distance of a thousand zhang was nothing for them, covered in an instant.

During their escape, Jin Ren couldn’t hold back any longer and used rapid mind transmission to ask:

“Why are we running?”

“The guiding force—that’s absolutely the remnant will of the Zhan Shen Guan, and now I’ve discovered it!” Feng Yujin’s response was a bit disjointed.

“Why are we running?” Jin Ren didn’t waste words, just repeated the question.

“A discovered guiding force will either vanish or grow stronger! If the Zhan Shen Ling really gets summoned back, I’d be as good as entering the Void Island!” Feng Yujin’s face showed the fear of being dominated, a nightmare he couldn’t forget.

“So, why are we running?”

“Defiance!” Feng Yujin finally got to the point: “I didn’t have time to explain, but the more I don’t want to, the more I have to. Xu Xiao Shou, remember this: the best way to counter the ‘guiding force’ is ‘defiance’.”

Defiance… Jin Ren pondered, feeling a sudden clarity. “So, you wanted to kill Wei Feng, but now you can’t?”

“Yes!”

“I wanted to stay there, so I had to do the opposite and leave? And the same for Wei Feng?”

“Yes!”

“What about when I wanted to self-destruct just now…” Jin Ren suddenly recalled.

Feng Yujin heard this and felt a chill in the palm holding the small copper furnace, looking at Xu Xiao Shou like he was insane.

Are you out of your mind?

Why would you suddenly want to kill yourself?

“What kind of time is this to joke with me?” Feng Yujin nearly threw Wei Feng in frustration but restrained himself.

He felt an itch on his forehead, tempted to smooth back his disheveled hair behind his ear, but he suppressed the impulse and gripped the struggling Zhan Shen Ling even tighter.

“I wasn’t joking; I really wanted to self-destruct earlier, except I was afraid you couldn’t beat him…” Jin Ren continued.

Feng Yujin was on the verge of losing it, completely baffled by Xu Xiao Shou’s mindset.

Life is so wonderful!

“No matter what you’re thinking right now, don’t do it first!” he scolded. “Suppress every idea of yours! Every single tiny notion—even something as trivial as fixing your hair!”

Jin Ren hadn’t planned on fixing his hair, but after hearing that, he felt his cheeks might be itching from the speed, so he reached up to scratch and casually adjusted his hair.

His hand froze by his ear.

Feng Yujin, ever the Sheng Di, had incredible self-control; the string of curses he almost blurted out were forced back into a single sentence: “The moon looks beautiful tonight…”

“Oh, right!” Jin Ren suddenly thought of something. “What if our ‘defiant’ thoughts are also part of the Zhan Shen Guan’s guiding force?”

Feng Yujin froze on the spot.

It was as if the world hit pause; his mind overloaded, and gray smoke seemed to rise from his head.

After a moment, he couldn’t hold it in anymore and roared:

“From now on, keep your mouth shut!!!”

Above the Hei Shui Jian, black fog swirled.

Bei Bei, carrying her sword casket, suddenly felt uneasy, a wave of discomfort washing over her.

In the brief furrow of her brow, she saw the black water below break open as two figures burst out.

“Xu Xiao Shou?”

“That woman?”

Bei Bei’s pupils contracted.

What was she seeing?

The fight had ended so quickly—had Senior Wei Feng been killed, his body in that woman’s hands?

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Not caring if she was outmatched alone against the man and woman, Bei Bei slapped her sword casket, following her first instinct.

She’d been splashed with tea by Xu Xiao Shou on the high cliff, suffering humiliation, and now old grudges and new fueled her rage—how could she let them escape?

“Request support!”

She sent the message in the Tian Zu channel but got no reply; the coffin-like sword casket swung open wide.

Boom!

A stunning sword intent erupted, dazzling golden light bursting from the casket.

Bei Bei’s soft cheeks trembled under the sword qi, her white robes turning gold, even the tea stains on her collar fading to a noble yellow.

In an instant, her aura transformed, like a queen crowned with an invisible diadem, her eyes losing their usual liveliness and turning cold and indifferent.

“Emperor Sword: Sole Sovereign!”

With a clang, the sword’s cry rang out.

The black fog on the cliff roiled and bowed low.

The Hei Shui Jian rippled in waves, trembling.

A golden light shot skyward, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, forming a phantom of an emperor that merged into Bei Bei’s soul.

At the same time, a massive sword shadow, taller than she was, appeared behind her.

She slowly reached over her shoulder and gently grasped it.

Buzz!

Sword intents quaked in all directions as the long sword solidified, revealing its formidable edge.

This sword was extraordinarily long, with a black hilt, gold-patterned guard carved with fierce dragon faces, exuding solemn authority.

The blade had eight faces, thicker than most swords; the double edges were dark silver, while the central four faces were etched with black-gold dragon patterns, blending imperial nobility with deadly menace.

Bei Bei gripped the Emperor Sword: Sole Sovereign, her eyes gaining even more regal poise, as if she held the power of life and death over all.

She merely drew the sword slightly, twirled it in the air, then pressed both hands on the hilt and planted it before her.

“Mortals, kneel!”

As soon as Feng Yujin broke through the Hei Shui Jian and saw someone waiting, he instinctively wanted to capture Bei Bei, but a cold sweat broke out, and he quickly said:

“Xu Xiao Shou, take her down—fastest way, second choice!”

Defiance, defiance, defiance…

Jin Ren had been muttering these words the whole way, feeling like he was about to forget what they meant.

He looked at Bei Bei, his mind flashing back to the scene where his image clone had splashed her with tea, and he subconsciously wanted to mock her.

But this girl, who had seemed foolish before, suddenly slapped her sword casket and underwent a magnificent transformation, her gaze as cold as if she were a different person.

“Mortals, kneel,” her imperial voice thundered, rolling out.

The golden, noble sword intent surged like a tide, making the entire Hei Shui Jian shudder as grass, trees, and rocks all bowed.

Even Feng Yujin nearly buckled at the knees, incredulously looking up.

Mortals?

In this world, if he was a mortal, who dared call themselves emperor?

But he realized what made him instinctively wary wasn’t Bei Bei—it was the sword in her hand.

Emperor Sword: Sole Sovereign?

What sword was that? It sounded familiar.

As the Sealing Heaven Sheng Di, even he felt this way, so Jin Ren, as Xu Xiao Shou’s second true body, fared even worse.

After silently reciting “defiance,” he sealed his lips to avoid sarcasm, but before he could take a step with One Step to Heaven, his second thought of soul reading barely emerged.

The Emperor Sword: Sole Sovereign’s aura alone pressed down on him like a mountain, nearly making him plummet like a bird with broken wings.

Bei Bei, holding the sword, merely planted it and stood there.

The power of the first realm of Ten Thousand Swords Art, “Absolute Imperial Rule,” was more terrifying than any ancient sword cultivator Jin Ren remembered.

“What the hell?”

“Is this still that silly, innocent girl?”

Jin Ren’s mind went blank for a moment.

He could see that Bei Bei’s compatibility with the Emperor Sword: Sole Sovereign far surpassed Rao Yao Yao with the Xuan Cang Divine Sword or Mei Si Ren with the Tai Cheng Sword.

The former wasn’t worthy; the latter was just a custodian.

This was more like Xu Xiao Shou’s relationship with Zang Ku—raised from childhood!

No, even that wasn’t accurate.

Zang Ku wasn’t this strong.

It was more like the relationship between the young eight Zun An and Qing Ju after he became famous but before his sword broke.

“Are you kidding me, Feng Yujin…”

As Jin Ren spoke, his eyebrows lifted, and sword intent shot from his eyes.

Only when his sword intent clashed with the overwhelming aura did he regain his sense under the pressure of the Emperor Sword: Sole Sovereign.

He quickly drew his finest third-grade spiritual sword.

Whimper…

The spiritual sword wilted immediately, cowering like a commoner under the emperor’s gaze, its blade bending in submission.

Jin Ren fell silent.

Without Zang Ku, it would probably be crushed by the Emperor Sword: Sole Sovereign, even if it resisted.

The only things that could counter this eight-faced sword were Yan Mang and the Four Swords, but they were all with his true self.

Tian Zu power or Long Zu power might work, but his second true body didn’t have them.

Che Shen Nian’s status was high enough, perhaps.

Sword intent could fight it, coming from the eternal eight Zun An.

But how much sword intent power had he inherited? Only what his second true body had cultivated in a short time.

And what would carry the sword intent?

Use the Ten Section Sword Fingers?

Against others, Jin Ren was confident he could turn into a sword-wielding madman with Sheng Di Lv.0 sharpness and cut them down like vegetables.

But he wasn’t foolish enough to clash his physical body with a Chaos Five Divine Artifact, especially when wielded by a pure ancient sword cultivator like Bei Bei, who had just taken over from Gou Wu Yue.

That would be a fool’s choice!

Jin Ren turned his head, looking at Feng Yujin with a hint of speechlessness:

“I might be able to take her down quickly, but that would take at least a day. Can you wait that long?”