When the True Dragon underwent the Lightning Tribulation, its scope was vast beyond measure.
None could tell how many were caught within its aftermath—there were Golden Crows swept away by a single lash of the dragon’s tail, experts who manifested Heaven and Earth rammed by its horns, members of the Sun-Chasing Clan scorched black and crisp by the Tribulation Lightning, and even a Kunpeng in the sea who was jolted numb all over by thunder.
Those struck by the storm’s outskirts were furious. They were all Late Foundation Establishment cultivators—none much weaker or stronger than the others. How could these two dare act so lofty, pretending to be mighty overlords before them?
The Heaven and Earth Manifestation expert and the Kunpeng exchanged glances and at once formed a temporary alliance. The Heaven and Earth Manifestation expert grasped the Kun Fish’s tail, spun twice in place, and flung it with the momentum straight toward the True Dragon. There was a cracking sound—one of the dragon’s horns was snapped clean off.
Someone lifted entire mountains and hurled them toward the one controlling the Lightning Tribulation, but each peak was shattered by bolts of Heavenly Lightning before they could even strike.
“Such petty little mountains can hurt me… pft!”
From within the rubble flew a Golden Crow, blazing like a Great Sun rising into the heavens. It singed the shoulder of the one wielding the lightning! Watching this grand brawl unfold with dazzling spectacle, Jiang Li fell into thought.
Was his own way of fighting too plain? All he ever did was throw punches. Perhaps he should at least add some flair—maybe wave an Xuanyuan Sword for appearance’s sake.
The Seven Kills Dao Child was spinning his mind power to the limit, urging forth the Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele. Seven sword intents filled with murderous qi tore through the space around him. He shouted, “Heaven gives birth to all things for man, yet man gains nothing from heaven—kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!”
Seven Kills Dao Child especially adored the Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele. He had long collected ancient legends related to it, so his imagined stele carried tremendous power, nearly akin to a true Immortal Artifact. Imagination, however, was bound by one’s understanding.
Though he had heard stories of the might of Tribulation Transcendence experts, he had no real concept of how such power functioned. He could only imagine himself as a cultivator who had just entered the Integration Stage—at about the level of Daoist Nun Xuan’ai.
There was a lot of exaggeration in that vision, and thus he could not draw out the stele’s true might. Even so, an Integration Stage cultivator wielding an Immortal Artifact was already a terrifying existence.
“Li Fugui, stop acting like such a fool! You think you’re the real Seven Slaughter Daoist?”
Qin Luan mocked from the side. He didn’t waste effort on grand illusions, instead calmly envisioning what his future Core Formation would be like, and what kind of golden core would fit his nature best. By that alone, he would probably surpass everyone here.
Upon hearing Qin Luan call him by his mundane name, Seven Kills Dao Child flared with anger. But seeing that Qin Luan’s cultivation was only at the Golden Core Stage, he quickly calmed himself. As an Integration Stage great cultivator, was there any need to fuss with a Golden Core junior?
With a casual wave of his hand, he sent forth a slashing strand of killing sword intent, aiming to slice off Qin Luan’s meddlesome tongue!
“Seven Kills Dao Child, how dare you!”
A woman’s cold cry rang out. Song Ying threw forth an illusory green lotus that blossomed before Qin Luan, intercepting the sword intent. Jiang Li’s expression became somewhat strange.
At present, Song Ying was wearing the Daoist robes of the Red Dust Pure Land, and using the Green Lotus concept as a weapon—she looked almost exactly like the Holy Maiden of Pure Heart. Indeed, Song Ying deeply admired the Holy Maiden. Thus, in this dream realm, she had taken on her likeness.
Yet, never having seen the real Holy Maiden’s face, she veiled her own with silk to preserve an air of mystery.
“Heh, why wouldn’t I dare?”
Seven Kills Dao Child looked upon the Integration-Stage Song Ying with genuine seriousness now.
“Today I will cut off Qin Luan’s tongue. Even if the Human Emperor himself descends, he will not stop me. I said it!”
The Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele shone with blazing light. Sword intents stretched for millions of miles. The True Dragon, still entangled with others, suffered a grazing sweep that knocked off several scales.
The hundreds of thousands of mountains around them were cleaved apart—the summits and bases split asunder. If even stray fragments of sword intent bore such power, the might directed at Song Ying and Qin Luan was easily imagined. Song Ying brought forth layer after layer of green lotuses to shield them both.
But hers was not the true art of the Pure Heart Holy Maiden, and its defense was limited. In the end, they failed to withstand the assault and were blasted away by the Seven Kills Sword Intent. Thankfully, the green lotus shield lessened the blow.
Otherwise, Qin Luan would have been minced into a paste by that boundless sword intent. Jiang Li channeled spiritual qi to dissolve the force of their impact, letting them land safely on the ground. Seeing that it was Jiang Li who rescued them, both Qin Luan and Song Ying immediately bowed, offering thanks for the Human Emperor’s lifesaving grace.
Jiang Li waved a hand.
“It doesn’t count as saving. You can’t really die in a dream.”
After a pause, he added with a light smile, “But the line between life and death carries great terror—and great opportunity. Perhaps it wouldn’t be bad for you to taste that once.” Song Ying quickly refused.
Qin Luan, on the other hand, looked intrigued, almost eager to try dying once for the experience.
“Haha, just joking. Such things are not to be toyed with.”
“Quite the temper you’ve got,” Jiang Li turned his gaze, smiling pleasantly at the Seven Kills Dao Child.
“Human Emperor Jiang,” Seven Kills Dao Child gave a slight bow—not too respectful, but not rude either.
“I only wished to test the limits of my potential.”
He was the fifth to awaken in this dream. He already knew Qin Luan, Li Litong, and Song Ying, so it wasn’t hard to deduce that the man wearing a different face was the Human Emperor Jiang Li himself. Jiang Li sighed, reverting to his true appearance.
“I shouldn’t have been so honest with Elder Meng. So, what now? You wish to exchange a few moves with me?”
He could tell from the spark in Seven Kills Dao Child’s eyes that the youth was itching for a fight.
“Please, Human Emperor, instruct me.”
Seven Kills Dao Child set his stance. Now at the Integration Stage and wielding the Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele, he had easily defeated Song Ying and Qin Luan. Feeling invincible, he could not help but yearn to challenge Jiang Li.
Jiang Li wasn’t angry. Young ones who were unaware of heaven’s height or earth’s depth—he used to be the same. Back in his Foundation Establishment days, he would have dared challenge the previous Human Emperor himself.
And truthfully, he preferred a challenge to empty reverence. The Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele trembled faintly. Its sword intent sliced even the air until the space around Seven Kills Dao Child turned into a vacuum.
Fortunately, he was in the Integration Stage and could maintain internal circulation without needing to draw external breath; otherwise, he would’ve suffocated himself by his own sword intent. The Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele transformed into seven Immortal Swords, each floating upright around him. Seven Kills Dao Child grasped one, and shouted a single word: “Kill!”
That sword’s strike showed no grand omen, no thunder or lightning. Yet Qin Luan, watching from the side, suddenly noticed something strange—Jiang Li’s figure wasn’t moving, and yet he kept drawing closer to Seven Kills Dao Child! Realization struck him, and he cried out, “This sword has cut the space between them!
The distance is being severed—they’ll collide no matter what!” What kind of unfathomable sharpness was this? Qin Luan knew little about the Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele, not knowing that it could transform into seven Immortal Swords, nor that legends spoke of it having sliced off a fragment of the Immortal Realm itself.
Facing that strike, Jiang Li neither dodged nor blocked with any weapon. He merely raised his thumb and forefinger, lightly pinched the Seven Kills Immortal Sword between them—as though holding a goose feather. Seven Kills Dao Child’s eyes bulged wide with disbelief.
According to his imagination, even if it did not injure the Human Emperor, it should at least make him feel pressured. How could it be captured so easily—by mere fingertips! This was the Immortal Sword forged from the Heaven-Severing Seven Kills Stele!
“Hmm, not bad,” Jiang Li appraised calmly.
“An ordinary Integration cultivator couldn’t block that sword. But to wound a Tribulation Transcendence expert? That’s far too weak—and to think of harming me, even less likely.”
He pressed his two fingers slightly and flicked. The sword, along with the astonished Seven Kills Dao Child clutching it, was hurled backward into the air.
(End of Chapter)