The moment the sword qi appeared, the Listening Nether Patriarch also raised his head to look at the sword qi that had suppressed him for a thousand years, the very thing that had cast him down from the clouds. The next second, his face suddenly twisted.
"Daoist Master! A thousand years! A full thousand years."
"How much longer will you keep me trapped?"
"Do you truly intend to annihilate my Witch Ghost Dao lineage!?"
His voice fell, but the sword qi in the sky paid him no mind. It was merely silently appraising something, as if it could come crashing down to strike at any moment. The Listening Nether Patriarch knew that the karma he had obscured during his Possession a thousand years ago was still in effect.
However, with his aura now completely exposed, it would not be long before the Golden Core sword qi fully identified him and flew over with a single strike to take his life.
"I refuse to accept this!"
Thinking of this, the Listening Nether Patriarch suddenly turned and looked at Lu Yang.
"Today, by borrowing your life, I will defy the heavens and continue my Witch Ghost Dao lineage!"
As his voice fell, the Listening Nether Patriarch manipulated the Yama Demon Hall, causing it to come crashing down with a boom! Lu Yang activated the talisman formation, once again drawing upon the power of the grand formation to support him.
However, this time, no matter what wind, thunder, water, or fire was summoned, it could no longer harm the Listening Nether Patriarch in the slightest. Because a gap in status had appeared. With the eight elders in their positions, the Yama Demon Hall was complete.
The Listening Nether Patriarch's status had already surpassed Lu Yang's and was even rapidly approaching that of the Foundation Establishment Realm!
"It's useless. Since you've forced me to reveal myself and reassemble the Yama Demon Hall, all your tricks are not worth mentioning. This supreme divine ability was deduced back then by the combined efforts of us Foundation Establishment cultivators. If nine Perfection-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were to preside over it, it might even be possible to temporarily assume a golden status and fight a Daoist Master!"
The Listening Nether Patriarch's tone was filled with pride. Of all the Dao lineages in the world, which one does not wish to endure for ages? Which one does not wish to ascend to a higher level?
The Witch Ghost Dao was one of them, and it had almost succeeded! If it were not for the Sect Master of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion from that generation… That Daoist Master…
That streak of sword qi…
"... Kill!!!"
The Listening Nether Patriarch let out a furious roar. The status of the Yama Demon Hall was still climbing, and in one fell swoop, it actually entered the state of ascension that only appears when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm!
"Junior, let me show you the true peak of Qi Refining."
The Listening Nether Patriarch stood high atop the Yama Demon Hall, his aura lofty and profound. In an instant, he broke through the nine heavenly gates and stood within the "Foundation Establishment Realm"! The next second, Lu Yang's pupils shrank abruptly!
Because he had broken through before, he knew that the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was divided into two steps. The first step was ascending to the "Foundation Establishment Realm", and the second was building the Dao foundation. At this very moment, the Listening Nether Patriarch had already completed the first step, having ascended into the "Foundation Establishment Realm".
However, he did not choose to build his Dao foundation. Instead, he began to— fall! The Listening Nether Patriarch was seen standing in the "Foundation Establishment Realm".
He pointed a finger out and began to fall at the same time. Instantly, a shadow enveloped Lu Yang's entire mind and spirit. He understood the technique the Listening Nether Patriarch was displaying almost instantly.
It was an attack launched from the level of the "Foundation Establishment Realm" at the cost of a "failed breakthrough"! But in terms of power alone, this strike was not much weaker than one from a true Foundation Establishment Daoist Master! This was— "The Heavens Collapse."
In the next instant, the shadow fell. Lu Yang's figure was instantly swallowed by it. The ground for a hundred miles around collapsed, all the formation talismans shattered at once, and the billowing dust and smoke resembled an earth dragon ascending to the heavens.
The impact of the single strike was like the sky crashing down, like turbid waves emptying the air! For a time, only boiling waves of qi and interwoven brilliant lights could be seen. This lasted for a long while before gradually dissipating, finally revealing the wretched figure of the Listening Nether Patriarch.
It must be known that "The Heavens Collapse" was no ordinary divine ability. Strictly speaking, it was not even a divine ability, but a kind of technique. Of the two steps to breaking through to Foundation Establishment, failing the second step meant certain death.
Failing the first step, however, depended entirely on the cultivator's personal foundation; a strong foundation meant one could survive. And "The Heavens Collapse" was a self-destructive technique created on this basis. It purely used one's foundation to crush others, borrowing the momentum of a failed ascension's fall to attack the opponent.
Although one would certainly suffer heavy injuries from the failed ascension, exchanging it for a Foundation Establishment-level strike was considered worth it.
"To achieve a quick victory, this was the only way."
The Listening Nether Patriarch's expression was calm. After the eight elders returned to their positions, he could steadily suppress Lu Yang by relying on the Yama Demon Hall, but steady suppression did not mean a quick victory. And with the Golden Core sword qi above, he could not afford to waste time.
That was why he chose such an extremely harsh method, to grievously injure Lu Yang and leave him on the verge of death in one move. Only then could he carry out the final step of his plan.
"... Myriad Souls Devouring the Soul, Heaven-Seizing Great Art."
As the Listening Nether Patriarch formed a hand seal, a strange and mysterious fluctuation instantly spread out, but it was not targeting Lu Yang. Instead, it was aimed at the City of Wrongful Death below. The next second, the City of Wrongful Death was overturned!
In the blink of an eye, all the living beings in the City of Wrongful Death were slaughtered by the Listening Nether Patriarch! And not just the City of Wrongful Death; at this moment, splashes of blood light erupted all over the secret realm!
Immediately after, streams of soul light visible to the naked eye surged towards the Listening Nether Patriarch. Finally, they clustered around his soul, transforming into a streak of light as fast as lightning, and pounced towards Lu Yang's direction with the speed of a thunderclap that leaves no time to cover one's ears.
His face wore a ferocious and triumphant grin.
"Nurturing these souls for a thousand years was all for this very moment!"
However, in the next second, his smile suddenly froze. As the dust and smoke dispersed, Lu Yang was seen strolling out. He was not grievously injured and on the verge of death as imagined.
His clothes were merely stained with blood; he appeared to be largely unharmed!
"So that's how it is. It was not the Golden Core sword qi that caused the great slaughter, it was you..."
Lu Yang sighed, understanding the cause and effect. Why were there so many extra people in the Witch Ghost Secret Realm? Because a secret art of the Listening Nether Patriarch required them.
They were all human resources, raised like livestock! The reason the secret realm in his previous life turned into a land of death was likely because the Listening Nether Patriarch had killed everyone to perform his secret art, but in the end, he failed to deceive the Golden Core sword qi, and his own soul was scattered as well.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang could not help but sigh, looking at the Listening Nether Patriarch with a hint of pity. Pitying him for having clung to life for a thousand years, only for it to be a fruitless effort.
"This is impossible!"
The Listening Nether Patriarch's face was ferocious as he looked at Lu Yang in disbelief.
"You clearly took my 'The Heavens Collapse'. How could you possibly be unscathed?"
Lu Yang smiled faintly.
"To tell you the truth, I've got a trick or two..."
Purple Talent: Got a Trick or Two Got a Trick or Two: No matter how terrifying the attack you encounter, as long as it is within the limits of your ability, you can handle it with ease for two instances. With his current cultivation level, the entire Qi Refining Realm was within the limits of his ability.
Even "The Heavens Collapse" was no exception! In an instant, a look of despair appeared on the Listening Nether Patriarch's face. Lu Yang's strength was not weak.
If he were grievously injured and dying, his Possession could be said to be one hundred percent successful. But if Lu Yang had only suffered some minor injuries, the situation would be different. His ten-out-of-ten chance of success would plummet to five-out-of-ten, or even lower!
However, at this point, the Listening Nether Patriarch had no path of retreat. He could only rouse his entire spirit and, surrounded by ten thousand souls, charge into Lu Yang's Sea of Consciousness! He was going to stake everything on this one battle!
To destroy Lu Yang's Sea of Consciousness in one blow, then perform Possession and take his place! The next second, the Listening Nether Patriarch saw inside Lu Yang's Sea of Consciousness. Lu Yang's soul calmly stood up.
With a few casual moves that seemed divinely aided, he handled the attack with ease, gracefully and effortlessly throwing him directly out of the Sea of Consciousness! The Listening Nether Patriarch: "???"
Because Lu Yang's actions were so relaxed and effortless, the Listening Nether Patriarch did not even realize what had happened until after he was thrown out of the Sea of Consciousness.
"I already told you, I've got a trick or two."
One instance to deal with "The Heavens Collapse", one instance to deal with the Possession.
"No—!!!"
Having failed the Possession, the Listening Nether Patriarch only had time to let out a wretched scream.
Clang!
The next second, a magnificent streak of sword qi descended from the sky and, without another word, directly shattered his soul. Countless thoughts exploded outwards, like a sky full of brilliant stars. Seeing this, Lu Yang did not say another word.
With a sweep of his great sleeve, he immediately gathered all the thoughts. These were all formed from the shattered spiritual sense of a Foundation Establishment soul, containing most of the memories of the Listening Nether Patriarch, the last sect master of the Witch Ghost Dao. To put it bluntly, these were all priceless Treasures!
(End of this chapter)