Chapter 173: Pain Point

"Jianmu, you truly are a persistent nuisance," the mastermind thought, his expression sour after being tricked by a move from his former friend. This wasn't the first time Jianmu had tripped him up.

Jianmu was his friend from ancient times; after Jianmu's death, the Immortal of Time was born.

When the Immortal of Immortality was about to achieve the nascent Dao Fruit of Annihilation, the mastermind saw that she was the same kind of person as himself, and would eventually walk the same path.

However, Luo Yuexian then advised the Immortal of Immortality not to let hatred control her life, stating that the rudimentary Dao Fruit of Annihilation was not the right path. The Immortal of Immortality subsequently let go of her hatred, severed her past self, and instead focused on forming the Dao Fruit of Immortality. From that point on, the world had one less transcendent being, and the mastermind had one less fellow Daoist.

The Immortal of Time did not recall the events from ancient times, but a faint voice in his heart cried out, warning him that the Immortal of Immortality had taken the wrong path.

"Why is there no rebound?" the Nine-Fold Immortal exclaimed in surprise, only then seeing clearly the sword Lu Yang was holding, which was not his usual Azure Edge Sword.

"It's my Supreme Sword," Jiang Ping'an said. His combat power was limited, preventing him from directly participating in the fight; he could only assist others. The Supreme Sword was perfectly suited for Lu Yang's use.

After breaking the mastermind's Immaculate Golden Body, Yun Zhi and the Immortal of Immortality once again joined forces to fight. The Kirin Immortal, the Immortal of Time, and the Nine-Fold Immortal stood by, ready to assist.

Lu Yang's brows furrowed slightly. He had only intended to test it, but he hadn't expected the Supreme Sword to be so effective. He sent a mental message to Jiang Ping'an: "Does the Supreme Sword only nullify Dao Fruits?"

"Logically, yes," Jiang Ping'an replied, "at least when it struck Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi, nothing happened to her."

Lu Yang pondered. So, the mastermind's immunity to all attacks and reflection of all attacks just now was a technique of a Dao Fruit?

The Immortal of Immortality had never mentioned such a Dao Fruit, indicating that no immortal with such a Dao Fruit had appeared from the ancient times until now.

This meant that this Dao Fruit appeared in ancient times?

Hadn't the Dao Fruit path been created by the Immortal? Were there already Dao Fruits in ancient times?

"That's right, he once buried an entire era, and Dao Fruits appeared in that era too!" This wasn't an internal monologue; Lu Yang had intentionally spoken it aloud.

In warfare, attacking the mind is paramount!

Lu Yang suspected that the mastermind's obsession with impersonating the Immortal of Responding to Heaven was related to his experiences in ancient times.

As expected, upon hearing these words, the mastermind instantly became agitated. He had sacrificed too much to achieve transcendence and was unwilling to revisit the past. Lu Yang's words undoubtedly triggered a certain memory for him, striking a nerve.

Yun Zhi and the Immortal of Immortality seized the opportunity of the mastermind's distraction. They formed supreme fist seals, shaking heaven and earth with unparalleled dominance, and blasted the mastermind. The other immortals dared not intervene, fearing being caught in the crossfire.

They were originally the paragons of their respective eras. Had it not been for various accidents, they would have long since achieved Dao Integration and Omniscience. With them united, any enemy from past, present, or future could be slain!

In an instant, light radiated for millions of miles, obscuring everything. Space shattered, and countless miniature worlds were born. This was not intentional; rather, the combined energy they unleashed was so immense that it could reshape the cosmos.

In a peak battle, the slightest mistake could alter the course of the fight!

Star rivers collapsed, and miniature worlds perished. The mastermind's body trembled continuously, as the power of the dual immortal fist techniques erupted within him, wave after wave, countless times.

"Argh!" the mastermind roared, using his powerful life force to forcibly suppress the fist technique's power.

Boom—!

Self-detonation occurred again, but it was more terrifying than any explosion throughout history. This wasn't just the Immortal of Immortality detonating herself; Yun Zhi also self-detonated alongside her.

After receiving the Immortal of Immortality's "immortality" blessing, Yun Zhi could also rapidly restore her body.

The mastermind was indeed powerful. Yun Zhi felt that self-detonation was undignified, but against the mastermind, such niceties couldn't be afforded. Every combat technique had to be employed.

"Cloudfall Palm."

The stellar cluster clouds reappeared, transforming into a massive palm print. It contained myriad rules and Daoist techniques, any one of which, if taken alone, would be enough for a Tribulation Transcender to study for a lifetime.

Space was forbidden, pinning the mastermind within this realm. As the palm descended, all laws retreated.

Seeing he couldn't dodge, the mastermind simply stopped trying to evade. He showed no fear facing the Cloudfall Palm.

Boom—heaven and earth shattered, and the great Dao laws rang out, emanating boundless tribulation light. This palm strike was even more powerful than the one at the start of the battle. The Kirin Immortal felt a chill, knowing that even in his strongest state, it would be difficult to find a way out from this strike. This was a palm that could destroy immortals.

Yet, the mastermind walked out from the Cloudfall Palm, without a single injury.

Yun Zhi frowned. The moment her palm landed, she felt that the great Dao laws and boundless tribulation light, upon touching the mastermind, had all vanished without a trace.

Had that Immaculate Vajra Physique reappeared?

No, not quite.

Yun Zhi's eyes turned cold, a chilling intent to kill evident within them. Her murderous intent boiled. Regardless of the mastermind's techniques, this time, she vowed to kill him here!

Space vibrated, and the stars resonated. The stars destroyed in the battle miraculously regenerated, fusing together and becoming perfectly intact. Yun Zhi had used her magic to restore them all.

"Mediating Creation, Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations."

The stars transformed into blazing fire, burning fiercely. Their positions rearranged, forming a Nine-Fold Supreme Killing Array. Yun Zhi enjoyed stargazing and also liked to arrange formations with stars, though she rarely found the opportunity in the cultivation world.

The killing array cage activated, enveloping the mastermind. The array transformed into a purgatory, manifesting boundless divine abilities: earth, fire, wind, and water, as if creating a world. It was dazzling and blinding.

The mastermind's vital energy surged, and the space around him twisted. He recreated the cosmos, conjuring countless stars across the sky, connecting them with lightning as a conduit, to construct an unrivaled grand array to contend with the killing array.

Rumble!

The two grand arrays collided and cracked apart. Time distorted, and heaven and earth lost their splendor at that moment, devoid of light.

The Immortal of Immortality arrived, striking. Behind her, various phenomena frequently manifested: all beasts roaring in unison, myriad nations coming to court, humans born from jade, nine luminaries galloping. These were not intentionally summoned by the Immortal of Immortality, but rather countless creations born from the sheer scale of the battle and the collision between the two sides.

Each of these phenomena could potentially create a powerful expert, but at this moment, no one cared about these so-called fortuitous creations. All they wanted was the other's life!

"Is this all you've got, Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi? It's not enough to impress me!" The mastermind laughed wildly. He held his ground against two opponents without falling into a disadvantage, giving him reason to be arrogant. "I originally intended to arrange a marriage between the two of you fellow Daoists and young Lu, but since you're seeking death, don't blame me!"

Golden bells chimed softly. Yun Zhi attacked again, her every move exuding elegance, not like a mortal, but like a celestial maiden descending to the world.

Her attacks seemed elegant, but when they landed on the mastermind, his laughter quickly faded.

Yun Zhi's next attack was always stronger than the last. This unusual attack method was certainly not a sudden breakthrough during battle, but a return to her peak! She was reclaiming the power that originally belonged to her!

"You're integrating with the Dao?!"

"Since you are transcendent, it's only natural for me to integrate with the Dao," Yun Zhi responded coldly. This was the first time she had unleashed her full power since comprehending the Dao Integration realm!