Chapter 1618: Six Realms Sky Changes, Heavenly Machine Loads Buddha Sword Immortal

The scene blurred, and the surroundings shifted.

One moment, the Fates' Shrine was merely a plaque; the next, the surrounding space collapsed, transforming into a boundless, dim world.

Majestic high walls stood tall, forming intricate pathways wide enough for giants. Their architectural style resembled that of the lightless First Hall of Void Island's Sin.

However, the surfaces of these high walls and passages were covered in black, winding branches, intricate and twisted, disorienting to the mind.

Direction?

The entire interior of the Fates' Shrine was vast and labyrinthine, and the covering branches obscured all features and landmarks.

Newcomers, let alone finding their way, couldn't even discern differences between the surrounding walls and other areas.

Moreover, there was the inherent strangeness of the Fates' Shrine itself to guard against, and the risks lurking within the dense ancestral tree branches.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

As soon as his consciousness entered this world, a delicate, bell-like laugh echoed in his ears, evoking a feeling of infinite beauty and briefly immersing him in memories of a cherished 'white moonlight' figure.

What a pity.

Dao Qiongcang's 'white moonlight' was not a real person, but the moment he first saw the metal scraps he had pieced together call out "Mama."

He had long since "killed" his 'white moonlight'.

In his mind, there were even more gentle and intimate forms, such as "Liberated White Moonlight" and "Six Paths White Moonlight," along with numerous lower and higher substitutes.

The saying, 'Latercomers can never replace a 'white moonlight' figure,' was true, but for Dao Qiongcang, this concept simply didn't apply. His 'white moonlight' had been updated and iterated tens of millions of times, long since turning black.

What was there to be nostalgic about a mere half-finished metal lump?

"Great Purification Art, break!"

With just a tremor of thought, Dao Qiongcang broke free from the control over his soul and consciousness.

Yet, his mind simulated the expected reactions of a normal person encountering such control. So, his eyes welled up with profound tenderness, and his lips unconsciously curved upwards.

"Mmm, ahh."

The laughter lingering in his ears instantly intensified, rising from crisp and pleasant to a myriad of captivating charms, moving from prelude to climax, outlining a soul-stirring allure:

"I have waited for you so very long, darling."

As this phrase was uttered, the ancestral tree branches covering the high walls and the ground immediately emitted a faint purple mist of evil god power, and simultaneously emanated an invisible, intangible life fluctuation.

The dual forces converged and took form, silently permeating a person's spirit and will with unstoppable momentum.

Dao Qiongcang's mind was filled with countless light pink bubbles tinged with alluring colors. Semi-transparent, flimsy veils, seemingly trying but failing to conceal, descended. Behind the bubbles and veils, beautiful, scantily clad women danced gracefully, their revealing attire enticing and provoking.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

An alarm sounded appropriately.

It was clear that even if Dao Qiongcang wasn't easily swayed, the Phantom Mother Saint's illusionary power was still a hard control, forcibly stirring up humanity's instinctive desire for procreation.

But for outsiders, this hard control would likely be insurmountable; even if their minds consciously desired to wake up, they would inevitably be tempted to immerse themselves in the fantasy to explore its depths.

In Dao Qiongcang's eyes, it was another matter entirely:

"Mortal flesh is but a painted skeleton."

"It's a pity you don't understand Heavenly Mystery Arts, and therefore don't know that for me, the highest level of temptation is not procreation, but rather ascension through Heavenly Mystery."

Disappointment flashed in Dao Qiongcang's eyes.

"If I achieve divinity through Heavenly Mystery, even chickens and dogs could attain enlightenment, and the entire Southern Domain would transcend. How could merely procreating one or two offspring compare to that?"

His spirit surged upwards, directly tearing through the illusion.

Dao Qiongcang, frustrated that he couldn't glimpse a corner of Heavenly Mystery's truth from the ancestral tree's perspective, nonetheless drooled from the corner of his mouth and made unconscious sounds like those of a man lost in lustful fantasy.

"Heh heh, hee hee..."

How could mere mortals compare to a saint?

The Phantom Mother Saint found it commonplace that she could control the Demigod Dao Qiongcang with Saint Emperor-level influence in just a few words.

She had devoured so many Demigod positions in the First Heaven.

Not all, but nearly eighty to ninety percent of the Demigods who fell into her hands, their will had already fallen below the Saint-level.

In the experiences of that group of Demigods, the struggle of their first half-lives was mostly brilliant.

But after becoming a Saint, each wasted time and years, squandering their prime years and energy.

Under the invisible corrosion of the mortal world, they adorned themselves with external objects, falsely elevating their combat power, while their will was essentially immersed in various desires.

Having already fallen into the sea of suffering, how could they speak of transcendence?

Be it lust, power, material wealth, or tribal desires...

Even if one or two still harbored a desire to struggle upwards, under the prevailing trend, their aspiring thoughts were utterly dwarfed by their other seven emotions and six desires.

Such castles in the air could be brought down with just a slight influence, which is how the Phantom Mother Saint captured many Demigods.

This "Dao Qiongcang," in the memories of the Saints, was known for his strength in behind-the-scenes manipulation; almost no one had seen him make a "formal" direct move.

He was probably just a strategist or tactician-type Demigod, with very weak combat power.

This was supported by facts:

First, when he was originally in the First Heaven, this Saint broke free from the influence and never entered his divine court prototype. If his "will" path was so specialized, his "combat" path surely wouldn't be as strong as that god.

Second, when he followed the Evil God Chongyin down from the Thirty-third Heaven, he exerted no power whatsoever, truly not a frontline combatant. His defense was so weak that he was directly pulverized by a single blow from the Evil God Yi.

Although it was unknown how he regenerated, Demigods always had some trump cards; these... were insignificant!

It could be said that all of Dao Qiongcang's disgusting behaviors after falling victim were entirely within the Phantom Mother Saint's expectations.

This was precisely why, having received orders from Chongyin, she had lurked here in advance and, after deliberation, chose to capture him rather than anyone else for a "preemptive strike" at the Fates' Shrine. It was the sole reason.

Weakness was the original sin.

"You can block the influence of my thought-incarnation, but now that my true body is here, can you still block me?"

"If you can't block me and your combat power is insufficient, then among the Saints outside, you are the weakest, bar none!"

"Hiss—"

The true intentions were revealed.

Accompanied by a shrill hiss, the pink bubbles swirling around Dao Qiongcang suddenly shattered, and the beautiful woman in a black dress transformed into her true form.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Countless branches shot out from her head, coiling upwards, while countless tree roots intertwined and emerged from beneath her skirt.

In just half a breath, a graceful, alluring Dark Tree Mother with thousands of twisted branches took root at the entrance of the Fates' Shrine, sealing off communication between inside and out.

As she looked down, the human Dao Qiongcang appeared like an ant.

"Fall into the sea of bitter desire!"

As the words fell, countless branches descended from above, instantly piercing through Dao Qiongcang's entire body and suspending him in mid-air.

"What?"

Dao Qiongcang exclaimed in surprise, not even having time to react.

The ancestral tree branches, piercing to the bone and causing excruciating pain, then violently pulled in four directions, like a drawing and quartering, tearing him to pieces.

"Bang!"

A loud explosion.

The Demigod's physical body was destroyed in an instant.

On one of the Phantom Mother Saint's high-hanging purple branches, a weak soul entity was hooked out.

Another branch swept upwards, lifting a crystal gem.

The Phantom Mother Saint, in her true form as a beautiful tree mother, had her crown rustle and sway as if in a breeze, outlining a proud and triumphant expression.

"Hmph! Another position claimed..."

Demigods. Once upon a time, she had to be fearful and serve them diligently, supplying them with Dao Infants.

But now, having joined Chongyin's sect and obtained an Ancestral God's fate, she could casually annihilate them.

Thinking this way, she could tolerate it a little, even if the Evil God Chongyin often humiliated and ignored her.

The immediate priority was Xu Xiaoshou outside the Fates' Shrine. If he still had the power for "one punch" or even "a few punches," perfect; she just needed to stir up the hatred between him and Chongyin...

"Hee hee hee, hee hee hee, woo hoo—"

The Phantom Mother Saint could no longer suppress her undisguised laughter. Her roots and branches unconsciously lashed at the ground, as if she had already envisioned the beautiful scene of her ultimately reaping the benefits.

Just then...

"Crack!"

The crystal gem Demigod position she had acquired suddenly turned into a stone.

The soul entity hanging from her branch swayed with the wind for a moment, then gently dispersed.

The Phantom Mother Saint's laughter abruptly ceased. As her tree crown rustled and swayed, her humanoid-like face showed immense horror:

"What?"

"Is that all?"

A low murmur suddenly appeared in this dim world, entirely enveloped by ancestral tree branches.

The Phantom Mother Saint was suddenly overcome with dread.

She wielded an Ancestral God's fate, and even if not fully digested, her true form possessed the might of a high-level Saint Emperor.

Under such circumstances, even if careless, how could she not notice a second person entering this place?

But that second person...

"Who is playing tricks?!"

The Phantom Mother Saint roared, and ancestral tree branches swept out wildly.

Yet her divine power reached tens of thousands of miles, still finding nothing unusual.

Except for the stone-turned fake Demigod position that had fallen to the ground, the pulverized remains of Dao Qiongcang's body scattered everywhere and swallowed by her, and an insignificant Heavenly Mystery Sprite...

Where else could there be a second person here?

"Wait!"

The Phantom Mother Saint suddenly noticed a movement before her eyes.

Gazing intently, the chubby, adorable Heavenly Mystery Sprite suddenly flapped its broken wings, trembling as it flew up.

Its plump, short index finger rose. After wiggling it left and right twice, its lips curled upwards, and it uttered the same mocking voice heard earlier:

"This殿 (referring to itself) originally thought with your newfound fortune you could transcend the ancestral tree's shackles, transforming from a Phantom Mother tree of a different path into a combat-oriented tree like a sisal or blood tree."

"Never expected, it was overthinking. Heh..."

This "heh" raised the mocking tone to its extreme, but the Phantom Mother Saint could not recover from her disbelief.

Because, that voice...

Dao Qiongcang?!

The Phantom Mother Saint simply couldn't believe that within that tiny, mosquito-larva-like life form, Dao Qiongcang's true body was hidden.

How dare he?

So...

From the very beginning, the strong, humanoid figure she had targeted was fake?

This one, so weak it was completely negligible, who should have been casually obliterated by the residual power of a Saint Emperor in battle—this chubby creature that should have been a cute pet—was the real one?

"You dare to mock this Ancestor?"

The Phantom Mother Saint instantly went mad. Her loosely drifting branches gained weight in an instant, striking like spears towards the Heavenly Mystery Sprite.

The Heavenly Mystery Sprite, Xiao Qi, put its hands behind its back, but because its arms were too short, it could only put them on its hips. Even so, its disdainful posture was displayed perfectly:

"This Ancestor?"

It was completely unfazed by the attack; it merely scoffed and chuckled:

"Just a mere boastful wretch. Just because you obtained an Ancestral God's fate, do you truly believe you're worthy of being called a god or an ancestor?"

"If that were the case, why would this殿 have schemed for over thirty years, laid out plans across the Sin Lands, and humbly sought the Dao under the prevailing forces?"

Ancestral God!

Such noble words.

How can one attain it simply by acquiring a fate?

"Die—"

This seemed to sting the Phantom Mother Saint even more, only intensifying her attacks, sending all her branches furiously surging towards the Heavenly Mystery Sprite.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...

Its small frame endured damage it shouldn't have at its size.

In an instant, the Heavenly Mystery Sprite, Xiao Qi, was engulfed by thick blackness and slammed about in the world of branches, being pierced for a full dozen breaths until space shattered and Dao principles surged...

The Phantom Mother Saint realized something was wrong and withdrew her attack.

The dust and smoke cleared.

The Heavenly Mystery Sprite's wings were broken on both sides, all its beautiful feathers had fallen off, and all its ornaments were gone.

Yet, despite being bruised and swollen, not a single wound appeared; instead, it looked spirited and vibrant.

It again raised a finger, pointing it at the Phantom Mother Saint from afar, as if this was the most disrespectful gesture possible:

"This殿 is waiting for 'Heavenly Mystery Loading'. You, what are you waiting for?"

"Beep! Data reception complete."

Attack: ☆☆Speed: ☆☆☆☆Defense: ☆☆☆Combat Awareness: ☆☆☆Physical Body Base Evaluation: First Realm Spirit Refinement Saint EmperorPhysical Body Amplification Evaluation: No amplification.Spirit Refinement Base Evaluation: Seventh Realm Spirit Refinement Saint Emperor.Spirit Refinement Amplification Evaluation: Eighth Realm Spirit Refinement Saint Emperor, capable of super amplification, activating Ancestral God power.Comprehensive Evaluation: Currently digesting Ancestral God fate, possessing Ancestral God potential. Overall combat power is average at the Saint Emperor level. Great Dao comprehension of life attribute is hyper-Daoized. Ancestral Origin power is borrowed and used primitively.

Counterattack Suggestion: Advise immediate entry into 'Combat Mode', prepare to activate 'Liberated Mode', and 'Six Paths Qiongcang' mode pending activation.

"Give me a specific time."

"Based only on currently acquired data, perform a Heavenly Mystery calculation and provide a general answer; no variables involved."

Combat Mode: Combat power is equal, life attribute is inferior, requires a large amount of time to wear down life, stalemate, approximately one year.Liberated Mode: Combat power evaluation exceeded, life attribute is inferior, requires a small amount of time to wear down life, stalemate, approximately one week.Six Paths Qiongcang Mode: Combat power evaluation excessively overflows, time currently calculating...

"No need to calculate."

"Activate 'Six Paths Qiongcang' mode."

Heavenly Mystery calculation terminated, Heavenly Mystery loading in progress. You need to hold on for one hundred breaths. Countdown: 99, 98, 97...

Converting damage received, accelerating Heavenly Mystery loading. Estimated sixteen breaths, countdown: 64, 52, 39...

Heavenly Mystery loading complete, 'Six Paths Qiongcang' activated. Please select the mode you wish to experience.

"Six Paths Qiongcang Sword Immortal Path."

Sword Immortal Path data loading. Loading complete, Sword Immortal Path activating, activation successful.

Gou Wuyue data activating...Rao Yaoyao data activating...Hua Changdeng data activating...Ba Zun'an data activating...Xiao Kongdong...

Xiao Qi's friendly reminder: Six Paths Qiongcang Sword Immortal Path has been activated; you can activate data while experiencing the Sword Immortal Path.

Xiao Qi's friendly reminder: Old Daoist, old Daoist, an Ancient Sword Cultivator is making an appearance. Try to speak less, do more, and be concise; that's what truly shows off your charm!

Under the Phantom Mother Saint's gaze, after the Heavenly Mystery Sprite finished speaking, Dao patterns surged around its body, and it astonishingly transformed into a humanoid form.

A flowing swordsman's robe, like light scales, extended downwards from its chest. By the time the light faded at the hem of the robe, the figure's waist-length black hair fluttered instead.

"Buzz!"

The Firmament Scroll suddenly unfurled and instantly burst forth with sharp sword intent, roughly outlining a sword dao profound diagram similar to Ba Zun'an's.

The human's demeanor was completely different from the previous strategist or tactician image, becoming sharp, domineering, and utterly ferocious, like a drawn sharp sword!

"What's going on?"

The Phantom Mother Saint had never seen anyone undergo such a transformation; if someone said this person had been suddenly possessed, she would believe it.

But in this current place, just as she had sensed earlier, where could there be a third party?

From beginning to end, there was only the Heavenly Mystery術士 Dao Qiongcang... Oh no, this aura...

The Phantom Mother Saint's heart grew cold. Her thoughts drifted back to previous eras, to those sharp, formidable "Sword Cultivators" who had existed!

A Sword Cultivator?

He, a Sword Cultivator?

No need for further words; a single sentence from Dao Qiongcang severed all of the Phantom Mother Saint's doubts.

After his transformation, he extended his right hand into the air, his lips parted slightly, and he softly uttered:

"Sword, come!"

"Boom—"

Ten thousand golden light Buddhas from the nine heavens sat suspended in the air, arranging themselves into formations. From nothingness, a giant sword was summoned to suppress from above, bursting into light just as it was about to land.

No one saw how the sword or the Buddhas moved.

Dao Qiongcang, now embodying the Sword Immortal Path, stood with his sword slanted, floating in mid-air before the beautiful tree mother's crown. His eyes lowered, like a Buddhist Sword Immortal, compassionate to mortals and seeking the path of transcendence.

"This sword is named 'Wrathful Immortal'."

"My meaning is, the people outside are your only chance of survival. If you still refuse to give up your blockade of the Fates' Shrine... within ten breaths, there will be no corpse left by my sword."