Chen Kuang's cry of "Sever!" fell.
Though not loud, it resounded like a great bell of heaven and earth, the sound of the cosmos itself.
In that instant, across the entire battlefield, everyone could hear that single word, Sever, followed by a crisp sound echoing from the void:
A twang, like a snapped string.
The space before Chen Kuang, following that sword strike, suddenly began to ripple and fold, as though a piece of paper had been crumpled by invisible hands. The entire region peeled away from its original position in space.
At the center of this spatial collapse were the two pale giant hands summoned by Wen Yao.
In that moment, all ten of those massive fingers twisted and warped within the distorted space, though most retained their form, resisting complete disintegration.
Wen Yao's eyes widened in surprise, but then, he burst out laughing:
"A mantis trying to stop a chariot! How laughably ignorant!
To dare wield the power of 'Time and Space' within the Dao Domain of the 'Ancestral God'?
How utterly foolish!"
Indeed, for Chen Kuang, a mere Tower Ascension Realm cultivator, to grasp "Dao Resonance", and in the domain of Time and Space no less, was undeniably a display of staggering talent and brilliance.
Even Shen Xingzhu could not accomplish this...
But that was the limit.
To choose Time and Space as one's Dao against an opponent who had summoned the embodiment of that very path was perhaps the most foolish decision of Chen Kuang's life.
And the second most foolish?
To make an enemy of Wen Yao.
Wen Yao's originally handsome face had become twisted and contorted.
He had already been driven to a desperate edge: first his Dao Heart shattered by a second dual-pupiled person, then his physical body ravaged by Yan Hui's sneak attack.
If not for his soul currently merged with the ancient body of the Ancestral God, his lifeforce tethered to that prehistoric vessel, he would have been dead long ago.
Now, if he couldn't break through to the Profound Realm before the ancestral possession ended,
It would mean death.
But all of his enemies had now appeared, and their positions were fixed.
If he could kill them all, his cultivation realm would immediately surge again!
"AAAAAAHHHH!!"
Wen Yao roared, his entire body cloaked in blood-red primitive markings.
Below the pale giant hands, the Void of Cataclysm and Tribulation expanded once more. And with its spread, great apocalyptic visions emerged, torrential floods, ten suns blazing in the sky, rains of needles slicing the wind, all of it devouring and unraveling the warped space.
The spatial rift that had ensnared the giant hands... was completely consumed.
The hands were once again free.
These hands, summoned from the Mijie Space, had only become possible because of the unique resonance between Wen Yao's dual pupils and the Dao of Time and Space practiced by the Ancestral God in ancient times.
Through this shared Dao, the Celestial Vastness Realm "Ancestral God" could be summoned from the ancient past and made manifest in the present, projected through Wen Yao's dual pupils.
The fundamental pillars supporting this summoning were:
First: the bloodline resonance traced through the dual pupils.
Second: the shared Dao of Time and Space.
To try and clash with that same Dao, through a Sage's understanding of time and space, was, frankly, to hurl an egg at a rock.
If that was all Chen Kuang intended... then he had already lost.
But unfortunately for Wen Yao, this sword was only the primer.
What Chen Kuang truly intended...
Was to sever the root.
To break the foundation of Wen Yao's ancestral summoning by attacking one of its two anchors.
And the key to this was the "Yu" sigil left behind by Xi Mengquan.
If he could use that sigil to invoke resonance through the same Dao, then Chen Kuang could disrupt someone else's Dao in an instant!
A bold and shameless tactic, to be sure, "If I can't have it good, you're not having it either!"
And this "Yu" sigil... really did reek of Old Bastard Xi's flavor.
If Chen Kuang could master this sigil, and accumulate enough methods or comprehend enough "Dao Resonances," then even if a Martial Saint passed by, he could trip him up, disgust him a little, or even land a blow just to mess with him.
But what he was attempting now might be even more infuriating than killing a Martial Saint.
Everyone knew that Martial Saint Mu Zhao had two direct disciples:
One: Li Hongling.
Two: Wen Yao.
Of the two, Wen Yao's status was universally acknowledged as superior.
Though Li Hongling was extraordinarily talented, she came from humble origins. Her focus was formation and strategic arts, and despite her close relationship with the Martial Saint, it was Wen Yao who was seen as the one to inherit the Martial Saint's mantle.
After all, Wen Yao was the son of the Martial Saint Pavilion's current Pavilion Lord, a position of immense prestige.
The Martial Saint would never forsake the Pavilion, and the Pavilion's current scale and influence owed greatly to Wen Hongsheng's contributions. For the sake of drawing in Wen Hongsheng, Mu Zhao had to favor Wen Yao.
Not to mention...
Wen Yao possessed the dual-pupil physique.
Now, with Li Hongling already dead, the Martial Saint's legacy had only one successor left, Wen Yao.
He was the crown jewel of the Martial Saint Pavilion, cultivated with all of its vast resources and support.
They had even gone so far as to manipulate all the young elites of Cangyuan, just to ensure Wen Yao would ascend to Sainthood first!
If Wen Yao were to die now, for both Mu Zhao and the Pavilion, it would be a devastating blow.
Not only would they lose a near-certain Saint candidate, but they would also offend every other sect in Cangyuan that they had already taken advantage of.
It would be a total loss.
In the instant his sword descended, Chen Kuang, with closed eyes, felt himself return to that time when his original body had been blind...
And yet, he now saw a vast web of strings spanning all of heaven and earth.
They came from nowhere.
Went nowhere.
And yet they pervaded everything.
An endless mesh of luminous strands, densely intertwined, ran through every part of existence.
Among them, one string passed through Wen Yao and those pale giant hands.
Another string was affixed to the sword in Chen Kuang's hands.
Both strings pulsed with a faint, white radiance.
Something clicked in Chen Kuang's mind.
These strings, were representations of the Dao of Time and Space.
This was the true score of the "Sage of Music."
To express the principles of Heaven through musical theory; with a single note, all phenomena are revealed.
And this was just a single "Yu" sigil.
If he had all five tones, just how powerful could it be?
Chen Kuang had a vague but unmistakable intuition:
The gulf between Saints and Saints... might be far greater than he had ever imagined.
Old Bastard Xi Mengquan hadn't acted seriously for over a thousand years. He rarely showed his face, and had become something of a mythical figure.
But the last time he truly acted, he helped destroy the final remnants of the Ancient Qi Dynasty, the last surviving dynasty of antiquity.
The legendary piece he played in that war, Tianwen, Heaven's Inquiry, shattered half of the Mountain and River Domain.
Even from this one "Yu" sigil, a mere glimpse through the bamboo tube, Chen Kuang could already sense it,
Xi Mengquan's strength was unquestionably above even that of Goddess Wang Shuyuan.
However, not just anyone could wield this "Yu" sigil to such a degree.
To pluck the strings of time and space, one must first evoke resonance.
Even comprehending a single form of "Dao Resonance" is a daunting feat for ordinary cultivators.
Yet at this moment, Chen Kuang had comprehended two forms of Dao Resonance:
First, Music.
Second, Time and Space.
Only through the synergy of these two could he perceive the strings woven throughout this vast cosmos, strings that could be plucked, or even severed.
Chen Kuang "looked" toward the string that pierced through the giant hand. With a thought, his consciousness reached toward it, and began to apply force.
He could immediately sense that the string was stretched to an extreme, already fraying and taut to the breaking point.
He understood.
It was because Wen Yao's own cultivation was far too weak to sustain this second-layer dual-pupil ancestral summoning for much longer.
And now, Chen Kuang was about to become the final straw that broke the camel's back!
Chen Kuang continued to apply spiritual pressure with his will, but in the next moment, his heart trembled with dread. His soul was rapidly draining, collapsing, exhausted to the brink of ruin.
This "Yu" sigil, consumed soul power!
And right now, Chen Kuang hadn't even opened his Sea of Consciousness, which made the soul cost unbearably high.
He gritted his teeth, barely able to stay conscious. The soul-searing pain stabbed deeper than anything he'd ever endured before, as if his soul were being ripped apart from within, tearing through the marrow of his bones.
Fortunately, the string was already on the verge of collapse.
Moreover, Chen Kuang's spiritual soul had always been far more resilient than most.
That alone was why he hadn't been instantly obliterated.
But he had underestimated the force required to sever this connection.
He was nearly drained dry just from touching it.
To actually cut the tether between Wen Yao and the "Ancestral God" through the Dao of Time and Space..
He was still far from having enough.
Chen Kuang took a deep breath.
No Sea of Consciousness?
Insufficient soul power?
Then open one!
Within his spiritual sea, atop a mist-shrouded staircase of nine tiers before a towering palace, a humanoid soul-shadow slowly began to form, glowing with faint, sacred white light.
It looked just like Chen Kuang himself.
He stood upon the ninth step, lifted one foot, and, without resistance, stepped directly onto the platform before the palace gates.
Whoosh!
The surrounding mist suddenly scattered.
The palace beyond became hazy, as though it had retreated several hundred zhang into the distance.
But at the center of the platform, something began to manifest clearly:
A vast lake.
The water glimmered and rippled. The surrounding clouds were drawn into it, setting off waves that surged and expanded in all directions!
If any Sea-Cleaving Realm cultivator witnessed this scene, they would be utterly shaken.
For the term "Sea of Consciousness" was only a generalized label. The true measure of it depended on the strength of one's soul.
The size of this inner sea determined the tiers of the Sea-Cleaving Realm.
They were:
A Pond.
A Lake.
A Sea.
And now, as Chen Kuang advanced into the Sea-Cleaving Realm, the scale of his spiritual sea had already reached the Lake Stage, but not just any lake.
It was at least four to five times larger than the average cultivator's!
The soul-shadow in Chen Kuang's form stepped into the lake and raised his hand.
The hovering Slaughter Sword fell into his grasp and became his waist-sheathed blade.
Then he floated cross-legged above the lake, drawing in the mist as he was nourished by Heaven and Earth.
This was the manifestation of his soul.
In that moment, Chen Kuang's entire aura surged.
His previously exhausted soul had now gained a brand-new source of strength.
He exhaled slowly and once again focused on the string of time.
This time, the string reached its limit.
The final strand of connection snapped.
"KANG!"
A metallic chord split the heavens.
Chen Kuang's eyes shot open.
The once-imposing pale giant hand froze,
And then exploded into fragments!
The immense "Void of Cataclysm and Tribulation" behind it shattered into nothingness.
The endless apocalyptic illusions vanished in an instant. The space folded in on itself, collapsing into a floating, inky-black singularity.
This moment marked the complete collapse of Wen Yao's dual-pupil ancestral summoning Divine Ability!
Wen Yao let out a bloodcurdling scream:
"AAAAHHH! WHAT DID YOU DO?! IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
His raised arms dropped as he clutched at his face. Blood streamed between his fingers as his aura began to visibly wither and decline.
With his dual pupils destroyed, Wen Yao's Dao of "Sole Self" could no longer be sustained.
His hands were now torn to shreds, white bone exposed, bits of flesh hanging loosely, an image of utter ruin.
His cultivation plummeted back to half-step Grandmaster, and his injuries worsened.
Trembling, he retrieved a pill from his robe and swallowed it.
Immediately, the wounds on his hands began to close, even the gaping hole in his chest began to heal at shocking speed.
In normal circumstances, this pill could have saved anyone from the brink of death.
But right now, Wen Yao's heart had already been shattered. With no cultivation to sustain his life force, this medicine could only offer a brief illusion of vitality.
He was like a punctured balloon forcibly inflated.. only to burst moments later.
"PUH!"
Wen Yao vomited a mouthful of blood.
This time, he could no longer keep his hands over his eyes.
The consequences of the second-layer dual-pupil summoning had finally exploded in full,
Turning inward, devouring him.
The once-radiant golden dual pupils had dimmed, drenched in blood..
Completely ruined.
In short...
Wen Yao was now blind.
His heart sank into despair. His Spiritual Energy leaked uncontrollably, unable to even float in midair, he plummeted straight down.
On the other side, Chen Kuang staggered.
Having exhausted his soul, darkness clouded his vision, but Jiang Yungqing and Shen Meinan rushed in to catch him.
Both pulled out medicinal pills, trying to feed them to him, but Chen Kuang waved them off.
His physical injuries were irrelevant now.
What needed help was his soul.
But both Jiang Yungqing and Shen Meinan cultivated sword techniques. They likely had few soul-related methods.
Chen Kuang steadied himself, then immediately activated Pearl-Wielding Serpent Transformation.
It was his only soul-restoration Divine Ability, and fortunately, it was effective.
Chen Kuang couldn't help but think:
If only I had a passive ability for soul recovery...
Suddenly!
From mid-air, Wen Yao began laughing maniacally, glaring upward at the three of them:
"If I'm going to die, I'm taking you all with me!"
BOOM!
Blood tears streamed from his eyes, then both exploded!
The black singularity in the air suddenly became tinged with red.
It rapidly expanded, fusing together,
Becoming a red-and-black Yin-Yang Taiji diagram!
It blanketed the sky like a massive millstone.
Everything within began to distort. Wind and clouds churned, and time itself seemed to reverse through millennia.
Worthy of a peerless genius..
Even in the wake of the Ancestral God's possession, Wen Yao had actually comprehended a trace of the Dao Resonance of Time.
The Dao of Time and Space, consisting of both Time and Space, was widely recognized as one of the most powerful paths in existence.
Jiang Yungqing's face went pale.
"He's trying to reverse time, and destroy this entire level of the battlefield!"
Shen Meinan bit her lip, glanced at Chen Kuang, and as if making a decision, pulled out her Longevity Lock.
Chen Kuang stared at the sky.
Then he spoke:
"The power of Time and Space can cancel itself out. You two go, I'll be fine!"
Before either could respond, Chen Kuang broke free and shot skyward.
Sword in hand, he struck again.
The Severing Sky Sword.
Yes, that would be its name.
But this time, he would combine it with Parting the River into Land, a Divine Ability.
BOOM!
The sword light collided with the massive Taiji diagram above.
The entire Ancient Battlefield of Meditation trembled.
Mystical energy surged, and a tear thousands of li wide split open in the illusory sky.
Within that tear, a sea of blood surged. Countless visions floated within it.
Amidst the blood sea, a sword sheath stood embedded.
Chen Kuang looked down. The Slaughter Sword in his hand was trembling violently.
And then he heard a voice, echoing in his mind:
"Sheath... Sheath..."
Chen Kuang whispered:
"Is that your sheath...?"
He could feel it..
That sword sheath was the very source of the Ancient Battlefield of Meditation!
The Slaughter Sword kept calling:
"Sheath..."
Chen Kuang sighed.
"Alright, alright."
There was no warning from Blood Premonition, which meant, no immediate danger.
He took a deep breath and dove straight into the rift, dodging to the left and right, but was still swept into the flow of the Great River of Time.