Ch. 1350 - Time to Slip Away

The sword of destruction sought to annihilate everything in its path. Wherever it passed, not even a blade of grass remained. From the mouth of the Demon-Refining Gourd, waves of blazing solar fire burst forth. This sunfire not only possessed the power to devour, but also the ability to melt anything without limit, melting and consuming as one.

It was indeed a rare treasure. Yet, the single yang gourd was clearly no match for the Sword of Destruction. It was suppressed in midair, sinking slowly as it was pushed downward bit by bit.

In the heavens above, the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign stood tall. Behind him, a phantom of another gourd manifested, the projection of his true life essence.

“Back then, when the Yin-Yang Vine bore the twin Yin and Yang Gourds, countless cultivators fought over them. Though I failed to seize the Yin Gourd, I witnessed its birth and divine phenomenon. I inscribed that vision upon my own life. I may lack the true Yin Gourd, but my True Fate itself has evolved into one.”

With a cold snort, the Saint’s true life Yin Gourd spewed out endless frost. This frost was not ordinary ice, it was a grayish chill formed from the purest Yin energy of heaven and earth.

Seeing this, Xu Zimo nodded in quiet admiration. “This Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign is clever. Since his single Yang Gourd couldn’t unleash its full potential, he used his true life essence as a substitute for the Yin Gourd.”

Beside him, Moonlight Fairy finally spoke. “Indeed. But the True Fate is the foundation of a cultivator’s path. What he gains now, he’ll lose later. His cultivation will never surpass the Yin-Yang Gourd.”

Hearing her words, Xu Zimo didn’t deny it, but he didn’t fully agree either. It depended on how one interpreted “limitation.”

The True Fate was indeed vital for a cultivator’s future. Xu Zimo’s own True Fate was an entire world, a complete, living world. The potential of such a True Fate was unfathomable. In terms of true life essence alone, calling himself the greatest of all ages would not be an exaggeration.

When one reached the Grand Emperor Realm, and later the Saint Sovereign Realm, the applications of true life essence would only grow more mysterious.

The Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign, however, had chosen to sacrifice his true life for a mere artifact, binding it to the concept of the Yin Gourd. Such a True Fate was inherently limited. Because his life essence mirrored the Yin-Yang Gourd, his strength could never exceed that archetype.

To go further, he would have to evolve it into a Primordial Chaos Gourd, a terrifyingly powerful existence, but the price for that would be beyond measure.

High above, when the phantom Yin Gourd appeared, the tide of battle began to shift. The power of Yin merged with the Yang Gourd; in an instant, ice and fire united, the dual forces of heaven and earth fusing and counteracting.

The devouring force suddenly surged. Half of the Sword of Destruction was already being consumed by the gourd’s swirling energy.

Even Radiant Gold’s expression changed slightly.

“It’s working!” the Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign exclaimed with joy. The power of banishment he’d been building was reaching completion. Radiant Gold’s form was already blurring, fading from this realm.

But then, from the front of the celestial battleship, the dragon-shaped prow’s eyes flared open, and from its maw erupted a massive shockwave.

“Not good!” shouted the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign.

He was already stretched thin suppressing the Sword of Destruction, he had no strength left to block this attack.

At the critical moment, Moonlight Fairy stepped forward. Dressed in pure white, she seemed a celestial being descended to earth, ethereal, flawless, otherworldly. When she moved, heaven and earth trembled, the sun and moon dimmed.

A fairy of peerless beauty.

With a graceful flick of her sleeve, what appeared to be a soft motion easily neutralized the devastating shockwave.

“A Creation God, one step away from Sage Monarch,” Xu Zimo murmured. “Among them all, she’s the strongest.”

“Enough, end this,” came a furious voice from within the battleship.

A massive orb of Primal Daos was hurled out. Within it, the powers of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth rotated endlessly, along with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

The sphere struck down, slamming onto Moonlight Fairy with oppressive force.

The next moment, the void around them rippled violently.

More than a thousand Grand Emperors appeared, each wearing the robes of the Heavenly Court.

Normally, to a Saint Sovereign, even a million Grand Emperors were nothing. But now, each Grand Emperor sat cross-legged, a deadly weapon floating above their heads, and strange seals forming in their hands as they chanted incantations.

“It’s a formation,” said the Mirror Saint grimly.

“And not just any formation,” the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign added, face dark.

The Primal Dao sphere above Moonlight Fairy exploded, ripping apart the void at its center.

The half-banished Radiant Gold was blasted back into the world.

The Saints’ faces grew heavy. The three of them, back to back, stared at the encircling Heavenly Court Grand Emperors.

In mere moments, the formation had trapped them completely. Escape was no longer possible.

“Damn it, we’ve been had,” growled the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign. “We were so focused on banishing that Sage Monarch, we didn’t even notice these Grand Emperors setting up the formation in secret.”

It was a well-laid trap. From the very moment the Heavenly Court descended, their plan had been to capture them all in one sweep.

The chanting continued. The air thickened, the void sealing tighter and tighter.

Then, from the celestial battleship, an old man walked out.

His hair and beard were white, his bearing dignified and serene, his aura that of another Sage Monarch.

“Ancient Void,” Radiant Gold called. “What do you suggest we do with them?”

Ancient Void’s eyes gleamed coldly. “You have two choices,” he said evenly. “Submit peacefully and face the Heavenly Court’s judgment, we’ll spare your lives. Or resist… and be annihilated.”

The Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign burst into laughter. “I’ve cultivated for over thirty million years and never once bowed my head!”

He glanced down toward Xu Zimo. “Brother Xu! How about we work together, strike from within and without, and break this formation?”

Xu Zimo smiled faintly. “I think I’ll pass.”

“If you leave now, you’ll gain nothing,” said the Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign sharply.

“I can live with that,” Xu Zimo replied, shaking his head.

“Young Master Xu, don’t forget who you are!” the Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign shouted, panic in his tone.

Xu Zimo was of the Ancient Demon Race, and right now, the Heavenly Court was actively hunting them. The others knew this. Radiant Gold and the rest, however, did not realize that the very demon they sought stood before them.

Without another word, Xu Zimo tore open the void and vanished.

Seeing him go, Radiant Gold snorted. “At least he knows his place.”

“You’d better chase him,” the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign said with a sneer. “Isn’t your Heavenly Court hunting the Ancient Demon Race? How ironic, the one you want most was right here, and you didn’t even see it.”

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