Chapter 1680: Yama Invites the Master to a Banquet but He Does Not Move; Li Guo Wields the Blade and All Obey

Chapter 1664: The King of Hell's Feast: The Master Unmoved; The Stricken Nation: Blade in Hand, All Obey

"Hello, hello... can you hear me?"

"Feng Zhong... your... connection... what's happening?"

"Alright... testing... a bit of oscillation, reflection, penetration, accumulation, interception, deflection, stacking... Huh, I think it's working now?"

Across the Five Domains, the live broadcast of the Holy Mountain battle, transmitted by the Preaching Mirrors, suddenly lost half its feed.

In its place appeared a static-filled, grainy, blurry grey image, accompanied by a sweet, timid female voice.

The spirit refiners watching the battle were not pleased; they erupted in an uproar.

"Feng Zhongzui, stop shaking your hand! Half the screen is gone!"

"Did praising you make you arrogant? Show me Aunt Gui's Ninth Sacrifice! Damn it, did a dog shatter your mirror? Why is it so blurry!"

"Who's talking? That's not Northern Sword Immortal's voice... Feng Zhongzui, you'd better shut up! Who wants to hear you whine? I'm going to puke!"

"The Great Emperor Cangsheng finally made a move, and you're still shaking... What in the world!"

As everyone was frantically complaining, the other half of the blurry, static-filled screen suddenly cleared, becoming incredibly high-definition.

A head, covered in bloodstains, with dishevelled hair, looking like a terrifying female ghost, pressed itself close to the camera.

"Hello everyone, my name is Feng Tian... Uh, cough, cough, sorry, I have phlegm in my throat..."

In front of the Preaching Mirrors across the Five Domains, countless people instantly fled in a panic, clearing out crowds spanning dozens of feet.

"Damn it, what the hell is that?! Get lost, you monster!"

"Feng Zhongzui, are you sick? Did you accidentally put on those ancient sword art training videos you usually watch? You might like that, but I certainly don't!"

"Female ghost! Retreat! Retreat!"

The female ghost let out a gruesome laugh and waved creepily at the camera. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly tilted her head, as if listening intently to something.

"What? I didn't wash my face?"

With a single shriek, the ghost's head vanished from the screen with lightning speed.

The terrifying female ghost, who had occupied half of the Holy Mountain battle screen, disappeared. In that instant, keen-eyed viewers noticed the magnificent background in the Preaching Mirror, which had previously gone unnoticed due to the ghost's distraction.

"What is this place?"

"Such a tall cliff, and between the cliffs... is that a giant?"

"My heavens, how can it have such enormous abs? Those are abs, right? I'm not mistaken, am I?"

"A dragon! That's a dragon head, right? And what it's holding in its mouth is... a palace?"

"So the world has evolved to this extent without my knowing? These beast horns, this moon... The sun hasn't even set here yet. What plane is this?"

First the disrupted feed, then the female ghost, and now such a grand and majestic cliffside battlefield background.

It must be said that the Feng family, masters of creating a stir, had successfully piqued the curiosity of all the spectators in front of the Preaching Mirrors.

The murmurs of discussion grew louder and louder.

Soon, a pretty and charming young girl, with two sweet dimples, waved and darted into the frame.

*Clang*

"Hello everyone, I'm Feng Tiantian."

"My Ghost Sword Art just went out of control and let out my little darling. Did it scare you all?"

The world seemed to brighten instantly.

The area in front of the Preaching Mirror, where people had initially retreated, was instantly flooded with countless individuals, all scrambling for a better view.

"Wait, who are you, fairy? Where's my female ghost from just now?"

"Feng Zhongzui, tell us honestly, you're not cross-dressing, are you? She looks nothing like you!"

"Slurp, slurp... lick me, lick me."

"Get lost, you're disgusting... Ghost girl on the other side of the mirror, speak properly. Honestly tell us your relationship with Feng Zhongzui, your address, communication bead number, and whether you're single... Hehe, that last one doesn't seem important..."

"Feng Zhongzui, you're my brother, I want to meet Feng Tiantian!"

It was clear that Feng Tiantian on the other side of the Preaching Mirror couldn't hear the frantic commotion from the Five Domains, or she would have been terrified.

After her brief self-introduction, she seemed a bit camera-shy and quickly darted out of the frame, speaking in an off-screen narration:

"I'm sure you're all very curious why my camera can suddenly occupy half of the main Preaching Mirror screen."

"I won't waste your time with unnecessary talk. Let me briefly introduce the situation."

"I am currently in the Southern Domain. The forest I'm standing in is called the Misty Forest, and the palace you see held in the dragon's mouth at the cliff's edge should, without a doubt, be the Xuanyue Grey Palace."

Xuanyue Grey Palace?

The moment those four words were uttered, the spirit refiners who were still glued to their screens felt their legs go weak, and the people of the Five Domains watching the Preaching Mirrors were left dumbfounded.

The home of the Ghost Beasts, Xuanyue Grey Palace?

"No way, the Feng family, you really have guts, don't you?"

"Preaching is one thing, but you actually broke into the Ghost Beasts' lair to preach? And you really found their home and went inside?"

"It's no wonder the Feng family is on the list of the Seven Sword Immortals; none of you are afraid of death, are you?"

"Is that giant a Ghost Beast?"

"What's going on now? On one hand, they're broadcasting sacrilege at Holy Mountain, and on the other, they're broadcasting from the Ghost Beast lair, committing a crime while simultaneously performing a meritorious deed? I... wow!"

"Look! A sword light! What kind of sword is that? It's heading straight for the giant Ghost Beast! So, is the Feng family committing a crime and trying to slay a Ghost Beast for merit at the same time—balancing out their actions, the Feng family's way of survival?"

Indeed, in the footage, a sword light was seen shooting directly towards the giant by the cliff.

However, compared to the sky-obscuring giant, that sword was even more insignificant than a silver needle.

"ROAR!!!"

With a single roar, not only did the sword light fly backward, but the Preaching Mirror's display itself was flung wildly.

"Ahhh! Ahhh!"

"Help!"

Disorganized screams echoed from afar, leaving everyone bewildered as they couldn't grasp the situation.

Soon, the blood-faced female ghost reappeared for a moment but quickly vanished again.

Feng Tiantian, with a sweet smile that was a bit stiff, came back on screen and waved, saying:

"As you can all see, my current situation is extremely dangerous; I could die at any moment... but that's not important!"

"The giant, the sword light, you all saw them, right?"

"That's right, your guesses are correct. The giant is the one who tore apart the Qilin, it's Master Shou!"

"The golden-pink sword light is the Sound of Nulan, and the one currently battling my family's... uh, battling our Master Shou, is Gou... Sword Immortal Wuyue!"

"The clash between the new and old Sword Immortals, the battle on the second battlefield, let's wait and see!" Feng Tiantian quickly darted away, secretly sticking out her tongue, thinking she had almost exposed herself.

The spirit refiners in front of the Preaching Mirror didn't pay attention to her slip of the tongue; they all opened their mouths and simultaneously froze, but their shock was directed at...

What did she mean, 'you weren't wrong'?

We didn't guess correctly at all!

"Wait, isn't Master Shou battling Great Emperor Cangsheng at Mount Guizhe in the Central Domain? How did he end up in the Southern Domain?"

"Is he that busy?"

Someone looked at the left screen, where Master Shou was leisurely playing hide-and-seek with Cangsheng's Heretic Sin Bow.

Then they looked at the right screen, and as the Preaching Mirror zoomed in for a close-up...

The sword truly was the Sound of Nulan!

And the one-armed middle-aged swordsman who flashed by truly was Gou Wuyue!

And the giant, infinitely zoomed out, ultra-wide angle, reduced to barely fitting in the frame...

"Uh, it really looks like Master Shou, the one who tore apart the Qilin?"

Spirit refiners in other places might not believe it even after watching the Preaching Mirror footage and hearing the commentary.

But the spirit refiners from the Qilin World and Zhongyuan World in the Central Domain, just a glimpse at the giant's leg hair made their heads feel like they would explode.

It was indeed Master Shou!

This form of Master Shou was precisely the nightmare of the Holy Emperor Qilin!

"So, Master Shou has two..."

"One of his bodies is playfully teasing Cangsheng at Holy Mountain."

"His other body ran to the Southern Domain and is fiercely battling the old Sword Immortal Gou Wuyue?"

"How is this possible?! As a rising star, he's resisting two of the Ten Honored Ones... simultaneously! Xu Xiaoshou, are you trying to defy the heavens?"

"Look! It seems it's not just Sword Immortal Wuyue; there's also someone with a blade... What? A Half-Saint? Isn't that the Third Emperor Weifeng? Is he on the battlefield too?"

"Ptooey!"

Weifeng tilted his head, spat out a mouthful of bloody froth, and popped a pill into his mouth.

His shattered organs and almost completely collapsed body rapidly repaired themselves. Only then did he feel a breath of relief, having pulled himself back from the brink of death.

"What was that..."

Just now, he had simply received Dao Qiongcang's order and intended to advance with his blade, when suddenly Xu Xiaoshou erupted with immense power.

With that explosion, the giant immediately unleashed a Rising Dragon Punch.

Weifeng reacted with extreme speed, pulling back and retreating. The punch hadn't even reached him directly; merely its residual force had exploded, nearly shattering him.

"Ancestral power, and more than one kind..."

"My God of Slaughter Domain is almost useless against him; it can't affect his mind at all..."

"Gou Wuyue couldn't withstand it either..."

"The King of Hell's Feast can harm him and replenish me, but how many slashes will it take to weaken him?"

"The question is, can he even be killed? After ten thousand slashes, I probably wouldn't even be able to scrape off some dead skin from his feet!"

Weifeng's heart was filled with dread. In just a month, Xu Xiaoshou had reached such a level?

Gazing at the sky-obscuring giant, a profound sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

Kill him?

Dao Qiongcang, just kill me; this is an impossible fight!

"ROAR!"

But the giant's killing intent seemed genuine.

Dao Qiongcang also didn't know what had provoked this monstrous being, but Giant Xu seemed serious.

After punching through the entire Xuanyue Grey Palace's blockade, thereby freeing his massive form.

The Limit Giant didn't even glance at the blasted-away Gou Wuyue; its two eyes, larger than the sun, focused directly on him...

An electric jolt of dread shot from his feet to the top of his head. From the giant's gaze, Weifeng read many things:

Catch the king first to catch the thieves!

The greatest threat must be eliminated first!

A world-shaking skill like the Domain-type Thorough Mind, which even giants can't cope with, must be suppressed first!

"Clever boy..." Weifeng let out an angry laugh.

The reason he lost at the entrance of the Dyed Tea Ruins was not because of Xu Xiaoshou, but because of the Holy Emperor Fengtian's "World Taboo."

It was natural for a Half-Saint to be powerless against a Holy Emperor.

But this absolutely did not mean that a Half-Saint who mastered the Thorough Mind, facing Xu Xiaoshou who was merely a vessel and intrinsically weak, should turn and run!

Weifeng, who had proven his Dao through slaughter, made a single, decisive choice upon realizing he needed to seize the initiative.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the King of Hell's Feast, sacrificed a burst of blood light, infused it with killing intent, and soared high while merging with his blade...

The void trembled, and his figure vanished.

In its place was a massive blood-red blade, slashing diagonally and fiercely at the Limit Giant.

"King of Hell's Release, Immortal-Slaying Demon-Butchering Blade!"

The Preaching Mirror's screen rapidly zoomed in, and Feng Tiantian's voice, full of tension and excitement, was high-pitched and trembling:

"The Third Emperor Weifeng, it really is him!"

"My... our Master Shou, the giant, is looking at him!"

"Weifeng is scared, Weifeng is frantic, Weifeng leaped up!"

"The King of Hell's Feast has been unleashed... What, is this a Heavenly Release? No! In my opinion, it's merely a pseudo-Heavenly Release, nothing more."

"The Third Emperor Weifeng, man and blade as one, his God of Slaughter Domain infused into the King of Hell's Feast, forming a massive blood-red blade, but it probably won't amount to much... It's slashing towards my Master Shou, the giant! Oh, no!"

"Weifeng, how dare you... Cough, cough, Master Shou, be careful..."

"Sword Ancestor bless, Zang Ku bless, Tiansang Spirit Palace bless, Reverse Sword Control Technique bless..."

In front of the Preaching Mirror, everyone was stunned into silence, listening to that final string of whispers, which, though quiet, could be heard across all Five Domains.

Is this your first time using a Preaching Mirror?

Don't you know the Preaching Mirror picks up even the smallest details, including your muttered words?

And your word choice, it's completely off!

It was too obvious. Compared to Feng Zhongzui, who at least had some self-preservation instincts, Feng Tiantian's broadcasting style was absolutely biased!

Not only was her word choice inappropriate, but her stance was also highly questionable.

Everyone immediately recognized her as a devout follower of Master Shou.

And what in the world is the Reverse Sword Control Technique? Why are you asking for blessings from everything imaginable?

"Ah!"

However, the Preaching Mirror continued to provide the necessary footage without interruption.

No matter how outrageous the Feng family members were, the broadcasting gene rooted deep within their bloodline showed no mutations; it was as if whoever held the mirror would automatically broadcast.

Accompanied by Feng Tiantian's shriek, her speech quickened, becoming louder and more fervent:

"Weifeng has leaped!"

"The Immortal-Slaying Demon-Butchering Blade struck, hitting Beloved Shou... oh, no, it hit Master Shou's thigh!"

"Will he be hurt? Will he resist? No! Master Shou, the giant, didn't resist at all... Ha, my Xu Xiao... uh, he disdained to resist; he just stood there and took Weifeng's attack head-on..."

The image in the mirror shook violently.

Feng Tiantian also seemed to be jolted backward.

But with practice comes familiarity; this time, the Preaching Mirror's feed remained steady, reliably transmitting the frontline view of the battlefield to the Five Domains.

The Limit Giant stood with lowered gaze, its entire body radiating golden light.

The Immortal-Slaying Demon-Butchering Blade struck the giant's thigh, cutting in a full ten feet, but it seemed not even to have broken the surface?

Merely ten feet... Feng Tiantian's voice became utterly frenzied:

"It! Was! Use! Less!"

"No matter if you slay immortals or butcher demons, I stand unmoved. Even if you shock the world, Beloved Shou stands tall... oh, no, it's Master Shou!"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, what am I saying... My apologies everyone, my Ghost Sword Art just went out of control again, and the ghost spirit I was restraining escaped and started spouting nonsense. Please forgive me."

"Let's return to the battlefield..."

The battlefield was remarkably simple, as if Feng Tiantian was joking with the Five Domains, and the Immortal-Slaying Demon-Butchering Blade seemed like a joke too.

It had successfully shattered the golden light.

But before it could delve deeper, Weifeng himself was blasted away by the backlash of the Immovable King, flying out from the blood-red blade and separating from the King of Hell's Feast.

"Not good!"

Blood spurted from his body. Realizing something was wrong, he tried to recall the King of Hell's Feast...

High above, the giant's eyelids lowered, and a true world-engulfing suppression descended.

The world twisted; Huotian Peak, the Dragon's Head, and Xuanyue Grey Palace seemed to plummet along with space itself, as if they had shrunk.

Weifeng's movements froze.

Feng Tiantian's words caught in her throat.

The entire world of Beast Horn Capturing Moon, under the Limit Giant's single gaze, was as if completely immobilized.

Immediately afterward, a low voice, as if seeping from ancient times, from the very beginning of the primordial era, echoed into this world and across the Five Domains in front of the Preaching Mirrors:

"Stricken Nation... Blade in Hand!"

Weifeng floated upwards.

He felt as if his body had been sliced through by something incredibly sharp.

Yet, he felt no pain whatsoever.

His Saint's Will could still move, and he could vaguely perceive everything around Xuanyue Grey Palace.

He could see Dao Qiongcang, kneeling behind the giant, reattaching his head, then abruptly raising a hand and widening his eyes, looking horrified, his lips moving as if speaking.

He couldn't hear.

Weifeng realized he could no longer hear any sounds.

The world was terrifyingly silent; he couldn't even hear his own heartbeat.

But his Saint's Will was still active and could spread outwards.

He also spotted Gou Wuyue, who had been rushing over but was delayed by the young girl and thus missed the direct confrontation...

Why was he also looking horrified, frozen in place, staring at Weifeng with such an expression?

His Saint's Will extended further, revealing the Preaching Mirror, and in front of it, the young girl who, despite her blood-stained clothes and unwashed face, was professionally broadcasting.

Why was she also wearing such an expression, looking at him with utter horror?

"I..."

"What happened?"

Weifeng's thoughts didn't cease.

Finally, he used his Saint's Will to look at himself.

He found himself floating upwards, his body seemingly sliced through by something...

He looked at Dao Qiongcang and saw him raising a hand as if to stop something, his lips forming words that looked like "Stop!"...

He looked at Gou Wuyue and saw him gazing in terror, seemingly utterly aghast at Weifeng's current state...

He looked at the young girl...

Then he looked at himself again, then Dao Qiongcang, then Gou Wuyue, then the young girl...

He looked at himself again, then Dao, then Gou, then the girl...

And he looked at himself again...

"This... is Stricken Nation, Blade in Hand?"

Xu Xiaoshou was using this second awakening technique for the first time.

He had approached this with the mindset of testing it out, ready to switch to a normal fighting style if it didn't work against Weifeng... but now, he was utterly stunned.

Weifeng was severed!

Not in a physical sense.

Rather, due to the lock of "Stricken Nation, Blade in Hand," and the backlash he suffered from the Immovable King's burst, after being struck...

He, his past, and his future were severed!

He was thus trapped in a cycle of "the present." If he could find a way to reconnect his past and future, then there might be a solution.

But three breaths passed.

Weifeng remained in an unknowing "present" after his "disconnection."

Even if he could reconnect his past and future later, this battle could have ended much earlier!

"Shar... p..."

"This is what true sharpness means?"

Xu Xiaoshou already possessed a deep understanding of the Way of Space and had dabbled in the Way of Time.

With this single attempt, he tested all aspects of "Stricken Nation, Blade in Hand":

"The true essence of sharpness isn't to sever a person's physical body, but to sever their past and future, painlessly 'killing' their 'present' in an indirect way?"

Yes, within the coverage of this second awakening skill, Weifeng moved due to the backlash and was struck by an invisible sword light.

Then, he floated upwards.

And after that...

There was no "after that"!

If the咫 Realm Force Field involved infinite cuts within a ten-foot radius, without locking onto a fixed target, but with limited sharpness.

Then "Stricken Nation, Blade in Hand" meant remaining still within a one-mile radius, but it would lock onto anyone entering the "Stricken Nation" who moved erratically, helping them to sever their pain.

"What is this..."

Gou Wuyue froze in place.

Upon entering the one-mile radius around the Limit Giant, he keenly sensed "the rules"!

He immediately halted his steps, even keeping the Sound of Nulan still.

He watched Weifeng float effortlessly upwards, as if weightless.

"One, two, three... seven."

A full seven breaths!

Xu Xiaoshou, in his Limit Giant form, waited seven breaths for Weifeng without attacking or killing him.

Weifeng was also forcibly controlled for seven breaths by some "rule" before regaining his senses, and his weight returned to his body.

"Xu Xiaoshou, what did you do to me?"

This former Third Emperor, once the God of Slaughter, the moment his mind reconnected, raised his hand in panic, attempting to recall the King of Hell's Feast to counterattack.

Gou Wuyue clearly observed that because of the "raised hand" movement.

The rule had activated.

Weifeng floated upwards again...

"One, two, three... seven!"

Still seven breaths.

Xu Xiaoshou still did not strike.

Weifeng sank precisely on time, and then floated up again.

"He can't decipher this technique..."

Gou Wuyue's pupils contracted in shock. Also unable to understand the reason, he couldn't help but turn his head, seeking instructions from Dao Qiongcang.

Gou Wuyue floated upwards...