Chapter 1697: The Great Emperor Arrives at Sword God Heaven, Golden Dragon Purifies the World and Presents the Celestial Bridge

"He's not giving anyone face!"

Fengzhong Zui hadn't expected that at the last moment, Elder Shou would leap out to intercept the arrow aimed at the Five Decays of Heaven and Man.

What did this signify?

Their bond was undeniably deep!

He also hadn't anticipated... though perhaps he should have, how could Emperor Cang Sheng possibly retract his arrow?

Half of the Holy Mountain had already been obliterated!

Given the horrific impact of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man and the Bloodworld Pearl, the pre-arranged duel between him and Elder Shou was utterly inconsequential.

Why, one might ask?

Respect is only founded on an equilibrium of combat power!

"So, will Elder Shou manage to take this arrow?"

"If he attempts to, can his previously demonstrated combat prowess truly withstand it?" Fengzhong Zui murmured, lost in thought.

The black iron arrow pierced through the air and hurtled forth.

All the Saints before the Dao Transmission Mirror, and indeed everyone watching behind it, craned their necks in anticipation.

Among the onlookers, there were always keen minds.

This perceptive minority could largely discern that, regardless of whether the arrow was successfully blocked, Elder Shou's "state" was about to undergo a significant change.

Previously, he had been like a perfectly constructed barrel, entirely without flaws.

Though solitary, he was capable of both offense and defense, managing every situation with absolute precision.

Yet, the moment he "intended" to intercept the arrow...

Regardless of the outcome, the Five Decays of Heaven and Man would unmistakably become the sole vulnerability in what was otherwise Elder Shou’s flawless "barrel."

If Ai Cang Sheng wasn't foolish, he would continuously unleash arrows, employing a tactic of "attacking the core to draw out and then eliminate reinforcements."

Unless Elder Shou abandoned the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, he would be forced to grit his teeth and endure Ai Cang Sheng's full onslaught.

Could he withstand a single arrow?

Even if he could, could he endure a second, a tenth, or a hundredth arrow?

He was merely Xu Xiaoshou; could he possibly achieve that?

"Ai Gou! You're audacious!"

Under the eyes of countless spectators, Elder Shou, struck squarely in the face by the arrow before he could even finish speaking,

in a flash, his address shifted from the highly disrespectful "Emperor Cang Sheng" to his long-favored "Ai Gou."

Even so, observers noted his complete absence of any thought of retreat!

"Come on!"

"If you have the guts, shoot me dead!"

"If you manage to kill me today, tomorrow I'll change my name to Xu Xiao Ai!"

Elder Shou's face flushed with fury as the power of the Heavenly Ancestor suddenly erupted from him.

His sudden burst, however, did not manifest with the same extravagant power as Ai Cang Sheng's.

But for anyone paying close attention...

This time, the Heavenly Ancestor power Elder Shou wielded was, in terms of quality, entirely on par with the strength Emperor Cang Sheng had unleashed!

In that fleeting moment, before Elder Shou had even finished his retort, he reached into the air and seized a colossal silver shield, slamming it down.

The moment the shield materialized,

the previously imbalanced scales seemed to begin to tip.

Holding the shield, Elder Shou positioned himself between Emperor Cang Sheng and the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, his form growing immeasurably vast, akin to a deity capable of severing an entire realm.

"This is..."

The Five Domains initially failed to grasp the significance of the enormous, several-zhang-tall shield.

But soon, someone recognized the silver shield's origin from its profound, ancient, and unshakeable aura, more stable even than the Holy Mountain itself.

"The Shattering Weight Shield?"

"Isn't this the long-lost Shattering Weight Shield, almost classified as a relic artifact on the Tablet of Lost Inscriptions?!"

"A confrontation of the Nine Supreme Divine Artifacts? The mightiest bow against the heaviest shield? Elder Shou possessed this treasure too?!"

Fengzhong Zui identified the Shattering Weight Shield.

Yet, before he could even utter a single syllable of "Shatter," the black iron arrow loosed from the Sinister Bow had already embedded itself squarely into the silver shield.

There was no explosion.

The world fell silent.

After the ripples propagated, the Dao Transmission Mirror's image frequently distorted.

Amidst an extraneous cacophony of "sizzle" and "rustle" that clearly didn't belong to the battlefield, the Five Domains dimly perceived that the initial impact was not borne by Elder Shou, but by innocent civilians several miles away!

Whether it was Zhong Yuanzi, Xi, Fang Wenxin, or the Nine Sacrifice Divine Emissary... merely the residual shockwave sent all of them tumbling.

The main Dao Transmission Mirror, amidst its erratic movements, instantly ordered Fengzhong Zui to anchor its view on Elder Shou.

Through this, everyone could observe...

The phenomenon of the Dao Transmission Mirrors across the Five Domains frequently distorting, previously seen when the Evil God Arrow flew past, reappeared.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—"

The sound was finally captured by the mirror.

This time, however, it was no longer the Five Decays of Heaven and Man being propelled by the arrow, but Elder Shou himself.

The scene flashed from the Holy Mountain to the Central Rock Realm, then past Zhong Ling Mountain, and over the West Ferry teleportation gate...

It was too fast!

As the void rumbled and exploded in successive bursts,

the Five Domains could only perceive a black mass, pushing a silver one, rapidly tearing through the void, unable to discern the condition of the individual behind the shield.

"It's slowing down!"

"It's slowing down!"

This was in stark contrast to the Five Decays of Heaven and Man's utter inability to retaliate earlier.

This time, in mere seconds, everyone could distinctly perceive the black iron arrow's momentum waning and its speed decreasing.

It seemed to have been finally halted in its trajectory!

"He's alive!"

"Elder Shou is still alive; he hasn't even shattered!"

When the image buffered slightly, and the main Dao Transmission Mirror's power was nearly capable of capturing and displaying the figure behind the shield,

Spirit Refiners across the Five Domains rose to their feet, blood surging, every pore on their bodies prickling with excitement.

Elder Shou was, astonishingly, holding the shield with a single arm!

Even with his black hair wildly whipping from the force, he defiantly raised his empty left arm, roaring with laughter, utterly invigorated:

"Hahahahaha!"

"Ai Gou, is that truly all you've got?"

"I thought you'd been holding back all this time for something spectacular; turns out it's just a petty skirmish?!"

At this moment, the Five Domains fell silent.

Was it truly just a petty skirmish?

While Elder Shou indeed held the shield with a single arm, flaunting his arrogance, his actual condition appeared far from optimistic!

Even through the Shattering Weight Shield, his body was visibly cracked, and blood patterns crisscrossed his exposed skin, a truly horrifying sight.

Blood continuously welled from the corners of his lips, spraying into the wind.

His eyeballs hung loosely outside their sockets, threatening to fall but somehow clinging on.

His nostrils were torn into an unknown number of pieces, and as they flared with each utterance, bloodied mucus streamed forth.

One of his ears was even gone, and the lobe of his remaining leeward left ear was missing, leaving only a blurry mass of flesh violently shaking and trembling, which finally detached.

Yet, despite all this...

"Hahahahaha! Ho ho ho ho!"

"Ai Gou, you're truly nothing special!"

Fengzhong Zui, observing this mad spectacle through the mirror, felt a chill run down his spine, leaving him utterly speechless.

What kind of lunatics are these!

A normal person, injured to this extent, would have surely fainted?

Elder Shou could still speak, acting as if nothing had happened. Was this injury merely an illusion, and he was actually unharmed?

However...

Fengzhong Zui suddenly realized something, speaking rapidly:

"Elder Shou shouldn't be like this; there's more to him than this!"

"He possesses numerous defensive spiritual abilities; why is he only utilizing Ancestral Origin Power and the Shattering Weight Shield for resistance?"

"At the very least, he can enlarge himself. What about the physique that allowed him to tear apart a Qilin?"

"Was he incapacitated, only managing to conjure this shield in the crucial moment?"

Then, Fengzhong Zui shrieked in horror:

"No! Elder Shou is testing it out! He actually dares to put himself in harm's way, personally experiencing the arrow's true power!"

"What defines 'mastery and audacity'?"

"This is true lawlessness!"

"Passive Fist (Charge Value: 685.23)."

"Passive Fist (Charge Value: 741.84)."

"Passive Fist (Charge Value: 802.95)."

Xu Xiaoshou was simultaneously in agony and euphoria.

Fengzhong Zui was indeed correct in one aspect: Xu Xiaoshou had genuinely been "controlled" just moments ago.

At that critical juncture, after his initial reaction to deploy the Shattering Weight Shield, he had also considered activating Limit Giant, Immovable Wisdom King, and other awakened abilities...

He wavered.

A sudden thought sprang into his mind.

"What if I just tried?"

By the time he suddenly realized he was either insane or under the Bloodworld Pearl's influence, it was already too late to initiate his giant transformation.

The arrow struck the shield.

The impact he endured in that instant nearly extinguished his life on the spot.

Endless Life was instantly depleted, almost unable to generate even a sliver of vital energy.

Xu Xiaoshou was grateful that he had drawn the "Conversion" passive ability much earlier.

It enabled him, when experiencing "damage," to distribute the harm across his body, spirit, and mind through a process of conversion.

With the combined effort of his various passive abilities, after recovering from the initial impact of taking the arrow, Xu Xiaoshou once again mused...

"It's not that I'm strong."

"It's that the shield artifact is too strong!"

The Shattering Weight Shield, upon detecting its abnormal state, had almost single-handedly, and with complete disregard for its own integrity, absorbed a full seventy percent of Ai Cang Sheng's arrow's output!

Had the Shattering Weight Shield not been bearing the brunt, Xu Xiaoshou felt he would have been utterly annihilated by the Bloodworld Pearl.

He began to experience a creeping dread.

For he suddenly realized that his second true body had not yet split off—was this also part of the "Guidance of Death"?

"This arrow could shatter a Saint Emperor!"

The surge in Passive Fist's charge value alone provided a rough estimate of the terrifying output of Ai Cang Sheng's arrow.

Aside from Sui Yin, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't recall another opponent to compare it to.

But that was Sui Yin, an Evil God!

It was difficult to imagine that such power could be contained within a mere humanoid like Ai Cang Sheng!

The wind howled past his ears.

The unassuming black iron arrow, in mere seconds, had propelled the silver Shattering Weight Shield, driving Xu Xiaoshou out over the vast ocean.

Riding the wind and waves was not his intention; as he continued to contend with his numbed arms, Xu Xiaoshou, after a long silence, heard the timid voice of the shield artifact.

"Hiccup..."

It shyly let out a satisfied burp.

It then indicated that this was merely the first portion, yet it was already nearly full.

Furthermore, if a second arrow followed, it might not be able to directly absorb seventy to eighty percent of the force; it needed time to digest.

"Thank you!"

Xu Xiaoshou wished he could embrace the shield artifact and shower it with affection; having survived the initial onslaught, he now had a plan.

"Human Path, the ocean aids me!"

Sweeping across the vast ocean, Xu Xiaoshou activated the Human Path of his Six Paths, drawing power from nature itself.

"Power of Devouring, Greedy God assist me!"

Upon reaching the desert, Xu Xiaoshou transformed, nine tails blooming from his waist, his temples turning white, and through the Shattering Weight Shield, he began to absorb the black iron arrow's power.

Faster, faster...

The arrow's momentum persisted!

It had been forcibly propelled from the Central Domain all the way to the Western Domain, its residual force still intact!

As he sensed he was nearing the location of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, Xu Xiaoshou calculated the remaining momentum of the arrow, comparing it against the limits of his Immovable Wisdom King form...

Suddenly, he slammed his foot backward with immense force!

Shattering the void, he vowed to halt his retreat!

Simultaneously, his eyes transformed, bursting forth with a crimson glow!

"Limit Giant!"

"Divine Agility Moment!"

"Standing Alone in the World!"

"Explosive Stance!"

"Immovable Wisdom King!"

First and Second Awakenings, all five abilities activated simultaneously!

All others remained unchanged, while "Standing Alone in the World" was immediately deactivated after a momentary activation!

In just an instant, the Five Domains witnessed a colossal, sky-piercing giant materialize out of thin air above the vast desert.

Upon his appearance, he immediately settled onto one knee, his body enveloped in golden light, bracing the shield with his shoulder and elbow.

The silver shield, like a veritable wall of the world, with a tremor of the giant's body, instantly shattered the black iron arrow on impact!

The arrow shattered.

The golden light also fractured.

Concurrently, the Dao Transmission Mirror displayed Emperor Cang Sheng, who had been seated within the black hole area at the peak of the Holy Mountain.

He too suddenly jolted violently!

The osmanthus wood wheelchair he had been seated upon, previously so well-protected, abruptly exploded into dust.

"What does this signify?"

"Did Emperor Cang Sheng lose control of his power?"

Emperor Cang Sheng, who moments earlier had been unperturbed and expressionless.

Now, his right hand had just touched his shoulder and neck, still deliberating whether to continue firing arrows...

"Pfft!"

He opened his mouth and spewed forth a torrent of blood.

His entire body spun backward, flung ungracefully, as if an invisible assailant had delivered a devastating uppercut to his chin!

"What happened?!"

Fengzhong Zui cried out in astonishment.

Not only did he fail to understand,

few of those watching the Dao Transmission Mirrors across the Five Domains could comprehend what had just transpired.

Elder Shou, in the vast Western Desert, with a mere transformation and from a realm away, had caused Emperor Cang Sheng to vomit blood without even touching him?

"What kind of spiritual ability is this? A divine skill? A spell? Or dark sorcery?"

Some speculated it was due to the "golden light," though in truth, few were aware of the specific functions of the Immovable Wisdom King.

Everyone merely noted the "anomaly" that occurred simultaneously: the golden light shattering on one side, and Ai Cang Sheng flying backward and spitting blood on the other.

A mere coincidence?

Or perhaps, not a coincidence at all?

The Limit Giant shattering the black iron arrow was clearly premeditated!

Without a word, having accomplished his task, he proceeded to "give birth" to another Elder Shou on the spot, before the very eyes of the Five Domains.

This newly formed Elder Shou, his clothes casually draped and belt unfastened, immediately extended his slender fingers towards the flesh of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, which lay suppressed by the Evil God's power in the desert.

"Swish swish swish!"

Ten fingers danced, weaving threads of life.

The people of the Five Domains clearly witnessed the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, which moments earlier had been suppressed and scattered across the desert, their very flesh unable to coalesce.

In the very instant Ai Cang Sheng lost control due to exhaustion...

In that mere instant, Elder Shou seized the opportunity, and the life patterns of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man were instantly rewoven.

The newly formed Elder Shou cupped the other's chin in his palm, exhaling gently as if breathing out immortal qi.

The Five Decays of Heaven and Man's physical form not only coalesced, but their eyeballs also shifted from white to black, and they instantly came back to life!

Elder Shou: "Long time no see. Miss me?"

The Five Decays of Heaven and Man stood frozen.

The next second, he reacted, and before he could even speak, he joined his hands, pointing his fingers directly into his twin temples.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of vital blood spurted out.

The Five Decays of Heaven and Man seemed to have sacrificed his very soul, gazing eastward, and in a hoarse voice, he bellowed:

"Forbidden • Spiral Separation Divine Art!"

"Elder Shou is here!"

"No, the giant is here!"

In the Western Domain, rescuing the target was simply a matter of fulfilling a duty.

After the "delivery" was complete, Xu Xiaoshou's main body, bearing the Shattering Weight Shield, ascended to the heavens with a single stride combined with spatial profoundness, directly returning to the peak of the Holy Mountain in his colossal form.

He was not one to be easily bullied!

If it were in his weaker past, if you struck him, he would endure it.

After all, "a gentleman's revenge is never too late."

Now?

That's simply out of the question now!

Shoot me with one arrow, and I'll return it tenfold!

Respect is mutual. You're still flying, yet my condition has already recovered by thirty to forty percent.

Why should I uphold an agreement you broke, waiting for your condition, your person, and your combat power to return?

"Ai! Gou!"

The Limit Giant ascended the mountain.

The Holy Mountain was instantly flattened by half with a single stomp.

Ten thousand li beyond the mountain, the Saints from the Holy Divine Temple and the External Aid faction did indeed intend to lend their might to Emperor Cang Sheng.

But upon witnessing the sudden emergence of the giant, entering with a dynamic posture—its waist twisting, shoulders swinging, shield slamming—it swung the World's Wall directly towards the still-recoiling Ai Cang Sheng...

"Holy smokes!"

Before the Dao Transmission Mirrors across the Five Domains, people were stunned by this display of extreme violent aesthetics.

In Apricot Realm's Jade Capital City, the commoners watching the battle suddenly felt that the earlier scene of the Heavenly Dao God punching and splitting the Holy Mountain was, perhaps, nothing special in comparison?

Who would dare approach?

At this moment, who possessed the confidence to withstand Elder Shou's strike?

Even Zhong Yuanzi visibly flinched.

Limit Giant coupled with the Shattering Weight Shield... one swing, and not just him, but all the Half-Saints present combined would be instantly incapacitated!

"Go! Die!"

A sweep of silver light passed through.

Beneath the colossal shield, like a wall encompassing the world, Ai Cang Sheng appeared even more fragile and insignificant than a fly beneath a swatter.

And when that shield-type heavy artifact, ranked among the most formidable weapons, truly came face to face with him...

The intent to kill, paradoxically, stimulated Ai Cang Sheng!

He stiffened in mid-air, forcibly wrenching his mind back to focus.

As he looked back, he saw the world, unbeknownst to him, had secretly transformed into silver...

"What is that?"

Ai Cang Sheng also fell into a momentary daze, unable to react immediately.

The image within the Dao Transmission Mirrors across the Five Domains consequently went silent for another instant.

The next moment, the familiar "frequent image distortion" returned, followed by Emperor Cang Sheng's nearly disintegrating facial features:

His head tilted...

His Great Dao Eye bulged out...

His front teeth flew out, piercing diagonally through his nostrils, then, propelled by the silver light, embedded themselves into his skull...

Under the "compression," his entire body seemed to have its moisture drained, suddenly deflating as blood and flesh gushed out in reverse from the pores on his back...

Deforming!

Still deforming!

"Holy cow! Holy cow!"

No one had ever witnessed Emperor Cang Sheng in such a wretched state.

The cultured individuals across the Five Domains felt as though all their elegant vocabulary had been simultaneously shattered by the Shattering Weight Shield, their emotions exploding into utter chaos.

On the primary viewing platform, Dao Qiongcang's eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets.

He had anticipated an explosion, but not one so swift, nor in such a crude manner...

As expected, he was not on the Holy Mountain.

All developments were utterly unexpected... low-level developments!

Where are the schemes, Xu Xiaoshou, your schemes? Ai Cang Sheng, your ruthlessness? Have you both forgotten your "roles"?

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM..."

A tit-for-tat exchange!

Still, a continuous thunderous roar reverberated.

But this time, it was neither the Five Decays of Heaven and Man nor Elder Shou, but Emperor Cang Sheng.

He departed from the Osmanthus Fold Holy Mountain in the Central Domain, heading relentlessly eastward.

He traversed fractured spatial currents, visited nameless mountain ranges, and after smashing through everything in his path, successfully landed in the Eastern Domain.

"Welcome to Sword God Heaven!"

At the peak of the Holy Mountain, the Limit Giant roared explosively, not relenting in his advantage, and sought to follow up with another attack.

He adopted a horse stance in mid-air, striking a javelin-throwing pose!

He was utterly theatrical: his left hand stretched straight, aiming at the heavens, while his right hand hoisted the Dragon Painting Halberd. After his muscles visibly bulged... he threw!

"Shoot!"

Fengzhong Zui's voice cracked from his shouting, completely empathizing with Elder Shou's sentiment at that moment:

"You shot me?"

"Fine, with the tables turned, I'll shoot you too!"

A golden dragon appeared, winding across two domains, sketching a celestial bridge.

ROAR!!!