Chapter 921: Sword Breaks the Divine Bridge

Wenchang Dijun, into whom Yun Jianli had transformed, chanted ancient Daoist incantations. He took up his brush and drew a stroke on a scroll.

Wenchang Dijun's words were law; the Daoist incantations he uttered could manifest as worldly divine powers. He could command wind or rain as he wished. A single incantation from his lips could summon wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning.

Whatever his brush painted, it became reality. If he drew a dragon, the dragon would fly. If he drew a rope, it would bind. If he drew Mount Sumeru, Mount Sumeru would descend!

Yet, even with Yun Jianli transformed into Wenchang Dijun, he still couldn't stop Qin Mu. Qin Mu's fist intent and spirit shattered everything like dry weeds and rotten wood. Wenchang Dijun's every divine ability was completely broken by him.

In close combat, Qin Mu was nearly invincible!

Another banner flew up, enveloping the retreating Yun Jianli. The banner exploded, and a three-legged Golden Crow, bearing a sun on its back, soared up to attack Qin Mu.

Yun Jianli continuously transformed. From the Great Sun Star Lord to the Five Planets Star Lord, from the Seven Killings Star Lord to the Heavenly and Earthly Gangs, he arbitrarily shifted among the 360 True Gods, creating a dazzling display.

When Heavenly Venerate Yun died, the Purple Heavens and Blue Depths Art was only just taking shape. However, this cultivation art continually evolved throughout history, being perfected by the Yun family.

Only now, after all this time, could the Purple Heavens and Blue Depths Art be considered fully mature, showcasing a unique allure distinct from other cultivation arts!

A cultivation art that took hundreds of thousands of years to mature, though Heavenly Venerate Yun had passed away, his art was still formidable enough to stand alongside those of other Heavenly Venerates.

This was precisely Heavenly Venerate Yun's charm.

Qin Mu continued to confront Yun Jianli with his martial divine abilities. He integrated the spirit of the Eternal Peace reforms into his martial arts spirit. No matter what ancient god faced him, he shattered them with his fists and killed them with his palms, displaying immense bravery.

No matter how intricate Yun Jianli's divine abilities were, or how perfectly they mimicked their forms, to Qin Mu, they were full of flaws.

As the founder of the Great Subtlety Calculation Sutra, Yun Jianli's ancient god Dao runes, calculated using the Dao Ancestor's classic numerology, were, in Qin Mu's view, far from perfect.

Suddenly, numerous large banners floated into the air and merged sequentially. Yun Jianli's figure shot skyward, merging with the banners.

The sky brightened intensely, revealing the majestic body of an ancient god, seemingly composed of pure light. It had white eyebrows, white hair, white beard, and snow-white eyes that radiated light.

It was Heavenly Duke.

Behind Yun Jianli, forty-nine Heavenly Daos formed forty-nine exotic treasures, suspended in the sky.

The Purple Heavens and Blue Depths Art displayed by Yun Jianli had reached the peak of perfection. If not for the Eternal Peace reforms, no flaw could be found in this cultivation art.

Qin Mu marveled. His third eye on his brow finally opened. A halo appeared behind his head, a dark light wheel that devoured all light, like a black hole.

His physical body transformed accordingly. The third eye on his brow grew increasingly bright, as if raging Youdu divine flames were burning within it.

Flames surged from his forehead, growing a pair of winding, eighteen-bended ox horns. His face turned into that of a tiger. His body expanded segment by segment, becoming even more colossal.

Terrifying Youdu demonic qi immediately surged from the Jade Sea, transforming an area of one hundred miles into a realm of Youdu.

In front of the Winding Corridor Pavilion, Little Earth Count crawled out of Dragon Qilin's ear. He stared wide-eyed, pointed at Qin Mu, and exclaimed, "Gasp!"

Before Dragon Qilin could speak, Yan'er immediately noticed the tiny creature and, overjoyed, gave it a spirit pill.

Little Earth Count struggled to hold the spirit pill, and seriously asked Yan'er, "Gasp?"

"Yes, he looks exactly like you," Yan'er chuckled. "Fatty Dragon, you brought this little one out?"

Dragon Qilin nodded and whispered, "I don't know when he climbed onto me. I felt sorry for him, so I kept him. If this little guy were to run off, he'd starve to death the next day."

As they spoke, on the Jade Sea, Earth Count, into whom Qin Mu had transformed, finally clashed with Heavenly Duke, into whom Yun Jianli had transformed. Heavenly Duke and Earth Count had never fought before, and no one knew which of these two ancient god leaders was stronger or weaker. This was likely something many people wanted to know.

This time, Qin Mu became Earth Count, and Yun Jianli became Heavenly Duke. Although it wasn't the true Earth Count fighting Heavenly Duke, it was still incredibly exciting.

Terrifying ripples swept in all directions. Those standing in front of the Winding Corridor Pavilion were immediately impacted. First came spatial fluctuations; space distorted, transmitting the power of their divine abilities in the form of waves!

Islands and mountains were stretched. Some islands and mountains were elongated by more than tenfold, while some mountain peaks suddenly became incredibly small.

Seeing this, Yan'er immediately spread her wings to shield the Winding Corridor Pavilion and protect everyone.

The second wave of impact was the Jade Sea's waves. Monstrous waves nearly turned the Jade Sea upside down. A great flood submerged everything. Even the divine turtles that had been flying in the air were dislodged by the impact, unable to stand firm. Carrying islands and divine mountains on their backs, they flailed their limbs weakly in the air.

The gigantic golden lotus flowers in the sea swayed unsteadily amidst the impact, emitting vast swathes of golden light that blocked the impact, preventing their destruction.

The third wave of impact was a hurricane. The wind force surpassed the speed of sound by an unknown magnitude, sweeping up everything, its roar terrifying beyond measure.

This was a power that many gods couldn't master, yet it was unleashed by Qin Mu and Yun Jianli, two seemingly frail divine ability practitioners, which was truly astounding!

Once the wind and waves subsided, Yan'er retracted her wings. Qi Jiuyi, Dragon Qilin, and the others looked over, seeing Qin Mu and Yun Jianli standing on the sea surface, no longer continuing their battle.

Admiration welled up in Qi Jiuyi's heart. "Yun Jianli is indeed the foremost among the younger generation, a true descendant of Heavenly Venerate Yun. Cult Master Qin is also extraordinary, capable of matching him. If Cult Master Qin survives, he might well solidify the title of Heavenly Venerate in the future."

Dragon Qilin chuckled, "Third Brother, you still don't understand the Cult Master. He's a humble person and always holds back a bit."

Qi Jiuyi was slightly taken aback and let out a laugh. "Humble? When has Cult Master Qin ever been humble? Second Brother, don't joke."

"The Cult Master has always been humble; it's just that his humility makes people want to punch him."

Dragon Qilin said, "Look, in his fight with Yun Jianli, he didn't use his primordial spirit at all, nor did he use his strongest sword art."

Qi Jiuyi shook his head, unconcerned. "Where would Cult Master Qin have a primordial spirit? He doesn't even have a soul left, so naturally, he can't use his primordial spirit. As for his sword art, in a battle of this caliber, where even the Heavenly Dao and Youdu Grand Dao are being used, what use would a sword art be?"

On the Jade Sea, Yun Jianli's breathing gradually stabilized. He coughed violently a few times, his face flushed, and said, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, what do you think of my ancestor's Purple Heavens and Blue Depths Art?"

Qin Mu genuinely praised, "It's a great art, beautifully executed. Heavenly Venerate Yun certainly lives up to his name. Brother Yun, you're not bad either; with your current skill, you could hold your own against a young Heavenly Venerate for a few rounds."

Yun Jianli's eyes flickered, and he said, "Then, Heavenly Venerate, do you think my ancestor's art is outdated?"

"Naturally," Qin Mu replied with utmost sincerity, "You don't need to feel inferior. Even in the lower realms, not many could surpass you. At most, two people at the same cultivation level could defeat you. Considering you haven't been exposed to the Eternal Peace reforms, achieving this level is truly remarkable and doesn't disgrace Heavenly Venerate Yun."

Yun Jianli chuckled lightly, "There are two people in the Primordial Realm whose abilities surpass mine? Are they stronger than you, Heavenly Venerate?"

Qin Mu shook his head, saying, "Their abilities are slightly less than mine, and slightly stronger than yours. After all, I possess the Hegemon Body. But even so, I'm only marginally stronger than both of you."

Yun Jianli burst into laughter. As he laughed, he started coughing violently, and it took him a few gasps of air to recover. He then said, "So, Heavenly Venerate, you weren't using your full power just now. I've heard that in the lower realms, you're known as the Hegemon Body and are a master of sword arts. It's said that a single sword move you performed at the Jade Pond back then was enough to stump even the projection of Yuanmu. I'd like to witness your sword art!"

Qin Mu showed a hesitant expression. "Brother Yun, you are a genius. I wouldn't want to discourage you and affect your Dao heart..."

Yun Jianli replied seriously, "My ancestor's teachings highly praise your sword art, Heavenly Venerate. You don't need to hold back. If my family's ultimate art is defeated by your hand, it won't be a blow to me; rather, it will be a fortunate event!"

Filled with confidence and pride, he said sincerely, "Only if I am defeated will I know that my Yun family's cultivation art is still imperfect and has room for improvement. If I am not defeated, then living in this world would truly hold no joy for me! To be honest, I still have an unfinished divine ability that I haven't demonstrated. I'd like to request your sword art, Heavenly Venerate, to confront this move of mine, so that I may be utterly convinced in my defeat!"

His aura erupted once more.

At this moment, Qi Jiuyi looked into the distance, seeing many young men and women crossing the sea by boat, about to arrive.

Dragon Qilin looked around and asked, "Third Brother, who are those people?"

Qi Jiuyi looked at the people on the boat, his expression grave. "They are figures from the Heavenly Court's Qinghua List and Shenxiu List. There are many young people in the Heavenly Court, and to encourage them, the Heavenly Court prepared the Lingxiu List, Qinghua List, and Shenxiu List. The Shenxiu List ranks disciples of Heavenly Venerates, ancient gods, Heavenly Kings, Four Emperors, and imperial princes. The Qinghua List ranks disciples from prominent clans and major families, while the Lingxiu List ranks commoners' children. The people on this boat are all figures from the Shenxiu and Qinghua Lists."

He shook his head and said, "These people mean no good. I knew Cult Master Qin coming to the Heavenly Court wouldn't bring anything good. He thinks people wouldn't dare touch him or kill him – what a joke. If the Heavenly Court wants to kill someone, let alone a Heavenly Venerate, they could even kill the most powerful figures!"

The people drew closer, their multi-decked boat stopped, and those on board prepared to disembark.

Qi Jiuyi whispered, "They are surely here to cause trouble, looking for an excuse to kill Cult Master Qin. Second Brother, don't intervene; I'll greet them. After all, as disciples of the Red Emperor and Black Emperor, we still have some standing. I can only protect you, but not Cult Master Qin..."

He then looked at Yan'er and said in a deep voice, "If Cult Master Qin is in danger, you cannot act either. This is the Heavenly Court, after all. They might still have some reservations about killing Cult Master Qin, but they would have none about killing you!"

Without waiting for Dragon Qilin and Yan'er to reply, he stepped forward to greet them, laughing heartily, "Everyone, long time no see! What brings you to the Jade Pond today?"

"So it's Brother Jiuyi," the leading man in yellow robes chuckled. "We heard Brother Jiuyi descended to the lower realms and hadn't returned, so I thought something unfortunate had befallen you. I didn't expect Brother Jiuyi to still be among the living; the heavens must truly be blind."

Qi Jiuyi sneered, "By fortune, by fortune. Fortunate people are blessed by heaven. I have great luck and a long life, so I naturally won't die."

A delicate woman with wings on her back looked at Qin Mu and Yun Jianli in the Jade Sea, and said with interest, "Was that Heavenly Venerate Mu fighting Yun Jianli just now? Indeed impressive, with boundless divine abilities. It almost scared us away!"

"Heavenly Venerates naturally possess some skill."

Another Daoist chuckled, "Although Heavenly Venerate Mu comes from a mere speck of a place in the lower realms, his abilities to contend with Yun Jianli are truly remarkable."

Everyone nodded and chuckled, "No wonder those bumpkins from the lower realms call him the Hegemon Body of Eternal Peace; he really does have some skill!"

Suddenly, Yun Jianli's aura erupted again. Everyone present was startled, thinking, "Are they going to fight again?"

However, this time was different from before. Yun Jianli raised his palm, and runes flew around, forming the phenomenon of the Empyrean Heavenly Court.

Stars formed one by one, and divine palaces and cities appeared in succession. His forged runes constructed ancient gods, each with its own unique phenomenon.

More and more gods appeared, and the Heavenly Court became increasingly complete. Eventually, the Empyrean Heavenly Court seemed to have stepped from the past into reality. Within the High Heavens Palace of that Empyrean Heavenly Court, it was as if a Great Emperor had been resurrected.

A resounding Daoist chime instantly echoed across the Jade Sea, deafeningly loud!

Even the prominent figures from the Qinghua and Shenxiu Lists couldn't help but change their expressions at this moment. The ultimate art Yun Jianli displayed, which he had never shown before, must have been a great divine ability he recently created!

His qi and blood were immensely potent, and his aura overwhelmingly domineering, making people involuntarily feel dread!

At this moment, Yun Jianli fully unleashed the power of this great divine ability. This strike allowed Yun Jianli to break through to a Dao realm he had previously been unable to reach, leaving his heart clear and empty.

Previously, he hadn't been able to fully unleash the power of this move. But now, facing Qin Mu, his formidable enemy, he could finally cast aside all restraints and worries, freely manifesting his aspirations!

In his heart, this move was already flawless!

The next moment, a sword flew forth, its light filling the Empyrean Heavens.

Qin Mu's sword light was incredibly sharp, piercing through the Empyrean Heavenly Court, striking down the Great Emperor within the High Heavens Palace. The sword light then penetrated Yun Jianli's body.

Yun Jianli heard a thunderous roar. His Divine Bridge had actually been severed by Qin Mu's single sword strike, and his Divine Bridge Divine Treasure collapsed with a crash!