On the Avenue.

Chapter 713 Bamboo Forest Sword Formation
Fan Xiao examined Xi Muran's body, his brows furrowing deeply.

Xi Muran had no external injuries, so it was impossible to tell where the attack came from.

He was as if he had been flattened by an invisible giant, squeezing out all the water from his body.

However, the attack did not come from the outside, but from the inside. It was Xi Muran's own power squeezing him in different directions, squeezing out all the blood and water in his heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys, while also squeezing out all the blood and water in his bones, muscles, blood vessels and even brain!

Xi Muran has already finished.

It's completely dry.

He hadn't absorbed any water after falling into the sea, and when Fan Xiao pulled him out, his body was still extremely dry.

His primordial spirit, however, was in a different state of destruction.

Fan Xiao looked around and saw that the air was filled with fragments of Xi Muran's primordial spirit, broken into countless pieces.

These fragments of primordial spirit, each exactly the same size and as fine as a hair, floated silently in the air, motionless.

They are evenly dispersed, with each fragment neither too close nor too far apart, as if they were precisely measured and embedded in space.

Xi Muran's primordial spirit fragments exhibited an explosive outward shattering and expansion before finally coming to a standstill.

From a distance, it appears as a colossal, three-dimensional primordial spirit composed of countless tiny fragments!

This primordial spirit is so lifelike, it seems as if it were still alive.

Fan Xiao stood at a distance, watching Xi Muran's primordial spirit. He saw that Xi Muran's face was still filled with terror. He knew that death was imminent, but he did not know where the attack was coming from. This fear of the unknown was deeply imprinted in his eyes.

Seeing his expression, Fan Xiao felt a deep pain in his Dao heart.

Fan Xiao was the eldest disciple. When the Immortal Emperor took on disciples, he would often only teach them one or two moves when the mood struck him. However, being an Immortal Emperor, he was too busy and rarely gave his disciples deliberate guidance. Many of his disciples were taught by Fan Xiao on their behalf.

Fan Xiao treated these junior brothers and sisters as both the eldest brother and a half-master.

He especially admired his junior brother Xi Muran, and the two had a deep friendship. That's why he intervened when Li Tianwang tried to harm Xi Muran last time, making Li Tianwang back down.

Xi Muran came to him seeking advice on how to deal with Chen Shi, and he shared all his knowledge, doing everything in his power to break the Hongmeng Split move, and even gave Xi Muran the magic weapon Fuxi Qin that he had obtained.

Xi Muran tried to escape Chen Shi's pursuit, and he also offered advice and even got involved himself to prepare to ambush and kill Chen Shi.

Unexpectedly, Chen Shi proved to be more skilled in the end, using his unknown supernatural powers to kill Xi Muran right in front of him.

The fragments of Junior Brother Xi's primordial spirit were still hanging in the sky by Chen Shi as if showing off his skills, which was extremely dazzling.

Xi Muran's fragments of primordial spirit emitted a dazzling light, slowly melting away and transforming into pure spiritual energy, which dissipated into the world.

Carrying Xi Muran's body, Fan Xiao silently walked towards Swan Bay under the beautiful glow of the sunset.

"Chen Tianwang, I swear I will not become a Great Luo Immortal if I do not kill you!"

He felt his Dao heart surging. He was extremely close to becoming a Great Luo Golden Immortal, but he still lacked a crucial opportunity to achieve that goal. This surge of Dao heart led him to make a vow: "If I do not kill Chen Shi, my Dao heart will not be complete!"

The moment Chen Shi was executed was the moment when his Dao heart was enlightened and he attained the Great Luo status!
On Jin'ao Island, Chen Shi changed his clothes, put on a golden crown, and dressed neatly before inquiring about Xiao Duantian's experiences in the Immortal Realm.

"Regarding the reincarnation of the Nine Emperors, my godmother didn't say anything and let the Nine Emperors reincarnate in the Tianchi Kingdom. However, the Nine Emperors were somewhat unwilling and cursed, saying that my godmother was also a thief who had cheated the Great Shang."

Fairy Xiao Duan said, "They kept going on and on, saying that their godmother was also an ancestral deity worshipped by the Shang Dynasty, but she didn't help in the war against Shang. She just sat on the sidelines and watched the tigers fight, wasting all the incense and human sacrifices they had offered for thousands of years. The most beautiful and highest-ranking Qiang people we captured were first offered as sacrifices to the Earth Goddess Houtu. But the Earth Goddess didn't help, so she was a little resentful."

Chen Shi didn't know much about the war against Shang, and asked curiously, "Did my godmother and the gods such as Fuxi, Nuwa, Huangdi, and Yandi intervene in the war against Shang?"

Xiao Duan shook his head and said, "I don't think so. Back then, the Shang Dynasty was tyrannical, and I doubt even these gods could stand by and watch."

Chen Shi, mindful of her feelings, didn't ask further, but inquired, "Is Zhong Erniu satisfied with the Celestial Realm? Has he considered leaving the Celestial Realm and returning to the Western Paradise?"

Fairy Duan said angrily, "You care about him more than you care about me!"

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Er Niu is of great importance, and we absolutely cannot afford to lose him. Therefore, we have to be extra careful."

Xiao Duan was only feigning anger, just for the sake of marital intimacy, not because she was truly angry. She said, "The Celestial Realm is vast, with many sacred sites. Zhong Wuwang currently resides in Tianliu Residence, which is a clear spring that appeared in the sky, called Longdu Dao Spring. It produces Longdu Immortal Spirit Qi. This sacred site is enough to reach the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. He built Tianliu Residence there and is so happy that he doesn't want to leave."

Chen Shi breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Duan added, "I met him during my recent trip back to my hometown. When we talked about Zhong Wuwang from Xitian, he said he missed his teacher very much."

Chen Shi felt a pang of anxiety. Zhong Wuwang and the old monk Yun Cheng had a deep bond, and Zhong Wuwang might leave the Celestial Realm because he missed his teacher.

Even when the Celestial Realm was still Xiniu New Continent, Zhong Wuwang didn't have much affection for it.

His childhood was filled with hardship; he was sold by his father and forced to fight and scheme against thousands of other children, ultimately eliminating them to become disciples of the Despair Slope. His master took him to Xinxiang County, where, in front of him, he dissected Chen Shi's head, dug out the innate Dao embryo, and transplanted it into his brain.

These events had a tremendous impact on him.

Later, the Celestial Venerable also used and schemed against him, causing him to have no feelings for Despair Slope.

Although the old monk Yuncheng was a cruel and wicked monk, he was sincere to him, and it was only natural that he had a deep affection for the old monk Yuncheng.

Chen Shi blinked. Zhong Wuwang was now his precious darling, and he couldn't tolerate the slightest danger from him. Keeping him in the Celestial Realm, under his watchful eye, was naturally the best course of action. If Zhong Wuwang were to run away, get injured, or die, Chen Shi would be filled with regret.

Since Zhong Wuwang cannot leave the Celestial Realm, the best solution is to bring the old monk Yun Cheng there!

"Then, how can we get this old monk, Yun Cheng, out of the Buddha's sight and into the celestial realm?"

Chen Shi racked his brains but couldn't come up with a solution. He sighed and whispered, "Zhong Erniu doesn't dare leave the Celestial Realm now. If he goes to the Dark Sea, we don't know how he'll get to the Earthly Immortal Realm. We should be able to keep him trapped for a few more years..."

On Jin'ao Island, Chen Shi's Demon Realm in the Well hangs upside down, with the canopy of the Demon Blood Tree drooping down. Looking up from below, one can only see a small part of the world within the well, and cannot see the entire Demon Realm.

Now, this demonic realm is emanating a chilling aura of heterodox influence, affecting the natural world around Jin'ao Island. Even the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is affected and becomes unstable.

Qiao Gu, Jiang Guo, and the others did not stay on Jin'ao Island. Even the guard dogs at the gate fled to avoid being corrupted by heretics.

Beneath this demonic realm within the well, Fairy Xiao Duan was cultivating.

She cultivates the Heavenly Mandate Profound Yellow Technique, which is based on the Profound Bird Orthodox Domain Technique of the Great Shang Imperial Clan, inherits the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Shang, cultivates the Profound Yellow Daoist Method from Chen Shi, and integrates the Milky Way's Great Qi from the Great Wilderness Mingdao Collection.

She sat beneath the Demon Realm within the well, sensing the Heavenly Dao aura contained within the Demon Blood Tree, thus enhancing her Daoist cultivation. At the same time, Jade Purity Dao Spring beside her continuously sent forth Jade Purity spiritual energy, which, with each breath, was refined into her cultivation, causing her cultivation to rise rapidly.

Fairy Xiao Duan has already cultivated to the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, not far from the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. However, her cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds because she activated the power in the bloodline of the Great Shang Imperial Clan. It is not the result of genuine cultivation, and her understanding of each realm is not as solid as that of Jiao the Cripple and others.

That's why she was no match for Lady Yuanling.

Chen Shi's Demon Blood Treasure Tree has integrated all of Chen Shi's Heavenly Dao cultivation. This treasure has also absorbed the remains of many great demons, making its Dao power increasingly profound and its strength increasingly powerful. Xiao Duan's comprehension under the tree is no less than that of Chen Shi's personal instruction.

Moreover, Chen Shi's instruction was like forcing the seedlings to grow faster; her self-comprehension could actually compensate for the instability in her realm caused by her rapid cultivation advancement.

Xiao Duan sat under the upside-down precious tree for more than two months, his cultivation level increased, and he gained a lot of insight into external paths. He felt that his cultivation was becoming more and more stable, and he was quite happy.

On this day, while she was still cultivating, she heard a melodious zither sound coming from the empty valley. The zither music was long and drawn out, but it was sometimes paused and had a hint of killing intent. It was as if the person playing the zither could not suppress the killing intent in their heart and unconsciously revealed it in the music.

Xiao Duan's heart stirred slightly. He opened his eyes and smiled, "Since Brother Fan has come, why hide?"

Fan Xiao sat on a white cloud, the Fuxi Qin lying across his lap, playing as he drifted toward Biyou Palace.

Upon arriving outside Biyou Palace, he pressed his hands against the vibrating strings of the zither, his gaze falling upon Xiao Duan.

Those eyes were chilling; when they looked at Xiao Duan, they were like two immortal swords piercing her Dao heart, causing her Dao heart to waver.

Little Duan Fairy's Dao Heart Cultivation was not as strong as Chen Shi's. She was originally a princess of the Great Shang Dynasty, exceptionally intelligent, and cultivated smoothly all the way to the Ascension Realm, achieving Dao Integration and becoming an immortal. However, she encountered an invasion of the Primordial Worm, severed her own cultivation realm, and destroyed the self-seal of her Dao Integration Ground.

She did not experience the catastrophe of the fall of the Shang Dynasty, nor did she experience the suffering and choices of the Shang survivors struggling to survive. Without such trials of life and death, she would not have developed an unwavering Daoist heart.

Faced with Fan Xiao's sword intent, her Dao heart was somewhat outmatched.

Fairy Xiao Duan remained calm and smiled, "Is that Senior Brother Fan Xiao? My husband told me to wait for Senior Brother Fan here, saying that he will definitely come to Jin'ao Island to find him in two months."

Fan Xiao looked up, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Did Chen Shi know I was coming?"

He exuded a murderous aura, highly concentrated, and came with great force to kill Chen Shi and avenge Xi Muran.

However, the strength that Fairy Xiao Duan displayed during her cultivation slightly impacted his aura, so he released sword intent through his eyes to shake Xiao Duan's Dao heart. Xiao Duan's words aroused his curiosity, and he asked a question, at which point his killing intent immediately diminished.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Duan regained his wavering Dao heart, escaped the disadvantage, and said with a smile: "You fought a battle of divine calculation with my husband. You deceived the heavens, but my husband still managed to find out Xi Muran's whereabouts and you lost a move. My husband said that you might come to kill me with hatred in your heart. My former leader of Jin'ao Island, Jiao Huang, has already left, and no one else is your match. So he told me to wait here."

Fan Xiao was silent for a moment, then said, "Chen Shi's mastery of divination is indeed superior to mine, no wonder he was able to kill Junior Brother Xi in front of me. However, you are no match for me, and even Jiao Huang is no match for me. Chen Shi dares not see me, leaving you, a mere woman, to die. He is truly a despicable person."

Xiao Duan shook his head and said, "My husband is not a villain, but he has other important matters to attend to and does not want to delay for more than two months just to wait for you. Before he left, he told me that Senior Brother Fan also cultivates the Great Wilderness Dao Collection and is considered his senior brother. He is an upright person. Xi Muran said that Senior Brother Fan has mastered the technique of Hongmeng Split and taught him the Fuxi Qin and the Dragon Battle Wild Melody to break Hongmeng Split. Therefore, he wants to see if Senior Brother Fan has truly grasped the essence of Hongmeng Split and whether he has truly broken Hongmeng Split."

Fan Xiao was slightly taken aback: "He wants to see my skills?"

Fairy Xiao Duan said, "Before my husband left, he used the move 'Primordial Chaos Split' in the bamboo forest outside Biyou Palace. He told me that if Senior Brother Fan could break his move, I should take action and slaughter all 200,000 immortals on my Golden Turtle Island, so that I would not have to take action. Senior Brother Fan, please."

Fan Xiao looked at the bamboo grove beside her and walked in with the Fuxi Qin.

In the bamboo forest, the bamboo leaves rustled softly.

Fan Xiao looked over and saw that someone had used sword energy to leave strange Dao marks on these bamboo leaves.

This bamboo forest has more than a thousand bamboo stalks and countless bamboo leaves. The bamboo leaves, which are scattered all around and have the marks of the Great Dao on them, form a sword formation, which is the ninth move of the Hunyuan Sword Scripture.

The primordial chaos was divided, and the universe was separated!
Fan Xiao arrived at the center of the sword formation, sat cross-legged, and placed the Fuxi Qin (a type of zither) on his lap.

"Little tricks."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind rose around him.

That was the wind brought up by the sword energy.

Amidst the whistling wind, bamboo leaves, like leaping Xuanhuang sword energy, detached from the branches, instantly forming the move "Primordial Chaos Separation and Xuanhuang Separation"!
Where are the bamboo groves around Fan Xiao now? Where are Jin'ao Island and Penglai West?

The world around him collapsed, as if returning to the primordial chaos, with all kinds of Dao forces—earth, water, wind, and fire—twisting and mixing, roaring and deafening!
He seemed to be in a state of chaos, and the situation was extremely dangerous!

Just then, the sound of a zither rang out, and Fan Xiao activated the Fuxi Zither, using the five tones and twelve musical scales to decipher the division of the primordial chaos.

His musical skills were extremely high. His zither music had entered the Dao, and he had mastered the mysteries of the five tones and twelve musical scales. He used his zither music to evoke the Dao power between heaven and earth to counter the move left behind by Chen Shi!
He played the Dragon Battle Wild Melody, bringing out the profound mystery of the dragon's battle in the wild, its blood black and yellow, with various finger techniques that were indescribably wonderful.

At his level of cultivation, the competition is all about spiritual attainment.

He didn't believe that Chen Shi's cultivation was superior to his!
Suddenly, in the primordial chaos, a world-shaking sword light tore through the primordial chaos, instantly opening up the light of heaven!

This sword strike was majestic and full of boundless vitality. It burst forth from the celestial light that the sword light transformed into, as if in an instant, the universe evolved from a state of chaos and death to create stars and all things, becoming full of life!

"Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!"

Three strings of the Fuxi Qin broke in succession, and Fan Xiao stopped playing.

Fairy Xiao Duan waited outside. After a while, the music of the zither disappeared, and the crisscrossing sword energy also stopped. Fan Xiao walked out, no longer holding the Fuxi Zither.

"Is this a sword formation set up by Chen Shi?" he asked.

Xiao Duan nodded.

Fan Xiao asked, "His cultivation is very high. Where is he now?"

Xiao Duan laughed and said, "My husband went to Beihai to mine. He said that if Senior Brother Fan still wanted to kill him, he should go to the Beihai mining area to find him."

Fan Xiao left without harming anyone on Jin'ao Island.

Fairy Xiao Duan watched him leave Jin'ao Island and breathed a sigh of relief. Facing Fan Xiao, she had no chance of winning at all.

Fairy Xiao Duan entered the bamboo forest and saw that the ground was covered with a thick layer of bamboo leaves, and there were almost no leaves left on the bamboo stalks. In the center of the bamboo forest, Fuxi Qin lay quietly on the ground, with three of its strings broken.

"Fan Xiao is indeed arrogant and proud. He lost a move and didn't even want the magic weapon. This zither is extremely powerful, and he just threw it away like that."

Xiao Duan rolled up the zither and walked outside, preparing to restring it. She thought to herself, "But is it too much for my husband to send Fan Xiao to the North Sea mining area to find him? It was not easy for Fan Xiao to break his Primordial Chaos Dissection, but it is not difficult to kill him."

(End of this chapter)