Unlimited priesthood

Chapter 187 White Cloud
Xuanxiao Mountain no longer exists.

Fengyun Peak no longer exists.

There was only devastation, the earth cracked for miles, and a deep abyss looming.

In the void, the two faced each other, their robes stained with blood, their swords falling like crimson, silently narrating the outcome of this battle.

The surrounding area was silent and still. The cultivators looked bewildered and didn't know what to say.

Although everyone had anticipated that the battle would be evenly matched, no one expected it to end in this way.

A sudden realization in the heat of battle?

A breakthrough during the battle?

Is there really anyone who would do something like this?

Admittedly, life and death are filled with both great terror and great opportunity, and it is only natural to break through bottlenecks under heavy pressure. However, such natural things are extremely rare and difficult to succeed in.

After all, this is a life-or-death battle. The opponent isn't stupid; how could they let you break through?
Unless you can instantly gain enlightenment and immediately apply it to your own combat power, the outcome of breaking through in battle will be anything but pleasant.

Such conditions are extremely demanding.

But he did it. Not only did he have an instant enlightenment, but he also immediately transformed what he had gained into actual combat power. He raised his Dao sword again to fight against the demonic blade. In the end, both swords shattered, and both were injured, thus achieving a draw.

This development and this outcome were beyond everyone's expectations.

But the facts were undeniable, and everyone had no choice but to accept them.

Therefore, this battle...

"Hahaha!"

Once the cultivators had calmed down, they heard the swordsman laugh wildly: "As expected of the opponent I chose, you have not disappointed me. What a magnificent sword technique! But that's not enough, far from enough!"

His words already conveyed a sense of certainty, as if he were facing a doomed situation.

However, the swordsman said with his hands behind his back, "Your potential is not limited to this. This battle has not been completed. It would be a pity to die now!"

Having said that, the swordsman withdrew his sleeves, concealing the sharpness of his sword: "Three hundred years, three hundred years from now, our primordial spirits will debate again!"

"This……"

"Um!?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

"soul?"

The swordsman's eyes narrowed, then he laughed, "Very well, as you say, I will come back to find you in three hundred years!"

Having said that, he leaped away, intending to leave.

"We must not let the tiger return to the mountain!"

On the golden ship of salvation, Wen Renying's eyes sharpened, and he was about to unleash the Four Symbols Sword Formation together with Yu Lingying, Gu Shenxiu, and Zhong Yuxiu.

But someone was faster than him. Just as the dark red blade light rose, a five-colored cloud descended from the sky, transforming into a five-element cloud formation that instantly enveloped the dark red blade light.

"Um!?"

"This is……"

The cultivators' eyes narrowed, and then someone exclaimed in surprise: "Taiyi Five Smoke Garland!?"

"Is it Senior Baiyunsou?"

Wen Renying's eyes narrowed, and she immediately stopped what she was doing.

On the other side, Master Mei looked at the colorful clouds that covered the demonic blade, his brows furrowed.

Taiyi Five Smoke Garland!
This treasure is not particularly famous among the younger generation, and even some late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators are not very familiar with it.

However, as a senior Nascent Soul cultivator from the same era as Taiyuan Qixiu, Daoist Mei was well aware of the origin of this treasure and the person it represented.

This treasure originally belonged to Taiyi Hunyuan Venerable, the founder of the Wutai School and a great master of unorthodox sects.

Although this Venerable Taiyi Hunyuan came from a side sect, he was also blessed with good fortune. Not only did he cultivate his primordial spirit and establish the foundation of the Wutai Sect, but he also gathered the essence of the five elements, combined the energies of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends with the sect's great techniques, and refined the Taiyi Five Smoke Luo. He was a top figure among the side sects and, as a sect leader, he was quite carefree.

However, those who follow unorthodox paths are ignorant of destiny. During the great war between good and evil 1,200 years ago, this Venerable Taiyi Hunyuan led the Wutai Sect to join the demonic path. In the end, the Wutai Sect was destroyed by the righteous path, and Venerable Taiyi Hunyuan was also killed by the elder of the righteous path, "Old Man Baiyun". Taiyi Wuyanluo changed hands and became Old Man Baiyun's possession.

Although this Old Man Baiyun is not one of the Seven Masters of Taiyuan, he is of a higher generation than them. He is a Yuan Shen Venerable of the previous generation. Everyone thought he had already ascended to the Upper Realm, but they never expected him to still be in Taiyuan.

Now he has arrived silently, and after the battle he has made a sudden move, using the Taiyi Five Smoke Curtain to trap the Three Calamities Demon Lord, intending to take this opportunity to eliminate this powerful demon with unlimited potential and great threat.

This made Mei Daoren uneasy.

Why the unease?

He couldn't tell.

While the act of intercepting people after the battle might seem like taking advantage of their misfortune, and given that Baiyun Sou is a highly respected righteous figure and the most senior Yuan Shen Venerable, such actions are even more reprehensible, these are extraordinary times, and using extraordinary measures to deal with the great calamity of the Demon Heaven is understandable.

Not to mention Bai Yunsou, even Wenren Ying and the others had just tried to unleash the Four Symbols Sword Formation.

There was no way around it; the Three Calamities Demon Lord's performance was simply too terrifying. Three years ago, the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord had slain three demons to attain enlightenment, and now he was fighting to a draw with the Azure Netherworld Sword. The power of the demonic blade was astonishing.

What's most terrifying is that he's not a primordial spirit, but a Nascent Soul cultivator, and he even has a space for advancement.

With such strength at the Nascent Soul stage, how many people in the Taiyuan Realm would be his match if he were to achieve the Primordial Spirit stage?

Releasing a tiger back into the mountains will bring endless trouble. To break the evil's overall plan and for the sake of all living beings, resorting to extreme measures is a last resort.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with what Baiyunsou did.

But for some reason, Mei Daoren still felt uneasy, as if doing so was somewhat inappropriate.

"Boom!"

Just as Master Mei was struggling with this dilemma, the Five Elements Array formed by the Taiyi Five Smoke Luo had already stabilized.

The five-colored mist, in its endless cycle, appears light and ethereal, yet it actually contains the profound principles of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint.

Although the Venerable Taiyi Hunyuan came from a heterodox sect, the Taiyi Five Smoke Garland was not a heterodox artifact, but a genuine Xuanmen magic treasure. It was created by his good fortune and fortuitous encounter. After Baiyun Sou acquired it, he perfected it. It contains five elemental flag gates and can set up a five-elemental array. Even a Purple Mansion Primordial Spirit cannot withstand a few rounds of wear and tear.

The five elements' power, mutually generating and restraining each other, endlessly cycling, formed a great array, seamless from top to bottom, inside and out, without a single gap, determined to refine the enemy within the array.

Looking out from the crowd, the dark red blade light had disappeared, leaving only a colorful glow.

"This……"

"Taiyi Five Smoke Garland!"

"Is it that old codger, Baiyunsou?"

"That old bastard hasn't ascended yet?"

"Good heavens, he must be three thousand years old!"

"To strike after the war, to take advantage of someone's misfortune—is this what you call righteous conduct?"

"That old guy is still so shameless!"

"This is bad! The Three Calamities Demon Lord just fought a fierce battle with the Azure Nether Sword Master, and his demonic energy, magical power, and even his life essence have been damaged. Now that this old ghost has made his move, how can the Three Calamities Demon Lord escape?"

"The Taiyi Five Smoke Luo is already a defensive treasure, and now it has set up the Five Elements Grand Array. In addition, there is the old immortal Baiyun Sou, who is over three thousand years old. The Three Calamities Blade Demon is probably doomed."

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; who would have thought that a demon lord would fall in such a way!"

Looking at the Five Elements Formation formed by the colorful clouds, the cultivators of the Xuanmen Sect remained silent, while only some cultivators from other sects and hidden demonic spies discussed among themselves.

On the golden ship of salvation, Master Mei remained silent, Wen Renying stood ready, Yu Lingying and Gu Shenxiu stood to his left and right, while only Zhong Yuxiu lagged behind, her brows furrowed.
She didn't care about the Three Calamities Blade Demon.

But she knew her master's character.

The old man of the white clouds did such a thing… “Execute him!”

With a cold shout, the Dao Sword reappeared, its sharpness increasing by a hundred feet, and it fiercely attacked, crashing down on the five-colored clouds.

"Boom!"

The Five Elements Grand Array, though extremely powerful, could not withstand the slaying edge of this sword. The five-colored clouds surged and churned, and the flawless array, with its perfect and unbroken momentum, was forcibly broken open with a small crack.

From this tiny crack, the three calamities of karmic fire erupted, splitting into countless clouds, and a demonic blade emerged menacingly.

The demonic blade was unleashed, soaring into the sky before transforming back into the figure of the blade user, coldly gazing at the clouds: "I'll remember this!"

Having said that, the blade flashed and disappeared into the sky.

"Where to go!"

The Taiyi Smoke and Clouds surged forth, drawing in the clouds and sky, ready to form another formation to block the enemy.

But don't want to...

Sword energy swept across the sky, as vast as the abyss, blocking the way before the colorful clouds: "Take another step, and the Dao Sword will be merciless!"

"you!!!"

The colorful clouds paused for a moment, uttering words of shock and anger, but before they could make any further moves, the dark red blade of light had already pierced through the air and disappeared.

"Li Qingming!"

This outcome caused the multicolored clouds to surge, revealing a phantom figure—an old man with white hair and beard and a childlike face: "How dare you protect demonic cultivators?"

"Humph!"

Shen He snorted coldly: "You take advantage of my vulnerability, using my battle against me with treacherous schemes, treating my sword as nothing?"

"you!!!"

Bai Yunsou paused for a moment, then exclaimed in shock and anger: "This demon is insane and slaughters all living beings to forge the Demon Blade. By letting this tiger return to the mountain, you will not only create endless karma of killing, but also cause a world-destroying demonic calamity. You abandon all living beings for your own personal fame. How dare you call yourself the Dao Sword?"

"Distorting the truth and fabricating charges!"

Shen He's eyes narrowed, and the sharpness of his sword was fully revealed: "You really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"

Having said that, sword energy surged forth, and they clashed head-on.

"This……"

"Senior Li!"

"Senior Bai!"

"No!"

The golden ship of salvation appeared out of nowhere and quickly landed between the two. Mei Daoren flew out and said, "Now is a time of great calamity. Both of you are pillars of the righteous path. How can you fight each other and do something that will hurt your friends and please your enemies?"

His words were filled with anxiety.

He finally understood where his unease came from.

Right here!

From a broader perspective, Baiyun Sou's actions were understandable, but he overlooked one crucial point: the nature of the Azure Sword Master.

At the summit of Fengyun Peak, a duel of swords and blades—this is a battle agreement!
Baiyun Sou used this battle agreement as a pretext to intercept the heavily injured Three Calamities Demon Lord after the battle. Although it was for the sake of breaking the demonic forces and protecting Taiyuan, it still trampled on the fairness of this battle. It was a scheme to use the reputation and credibility of the Azure Nether Sword Master as a pretext, and to treat his Dao Sword as nothing.

What swordsman could tolerate such treatment?

Others may not know, but this Azure Sword Master clearly cannot tolerate it.

Therefore, he drew his sword fiercely, intercepting the old man Baiyun and Taiyi Wuyanluo, even intending to spill blood within five steps.

Swordsmen are known for their fierce spirit!
So, here comes the problem.

Is he a match for Baiyunsou?
Master Mei didn't know, and had no interest in knowing at the moment.

What a joke! This Demonic Blade and Dao Sword are incredibly powerful. They had already formed a blood feud with the Three Calamities Blade Demon just now. If they were to fight this sword again, unless Baiyun Sou could easily defeat him, the righteous path would have two more extremely terrifying opponents.

Originally, the Demon Blade and the Dao Sword had a mutual respect. If Bai Yunsou forced them to combine their swords and their immortals, wouldn't the situation in Taiyuan be turned upside down?
Not to mention that the Azure Sword Master is Zhong Yuxiu's teacher. Given Zhong Yuxiu's admiration for him, if Bai Yunsou really forces him to rebel, then the Three Heroes and Two Beauties will probably break off their relationship directly.

How can this be allowed?

Therefore, Master Mei directly steered the Golden Ship of Salvation between the two, determined to prevent them from coming to blows.

On the other side, Wen Renying and Yu Lingying also realized the seriousness of the situation. Yu Lingying hurriedly came to Zhong Yuxiu's side: "Junior Sister Yuxiu, don't act rashly!"

But Zhong Yuxiu ignored her, pressing down on the Xuanpo Sword with one hand and staring intently at Bai Yunsou, her stance needing no further explanation.

Tensions were high!
Faced with Shen He's sword, Bai Yunsou was in a dilemma. Even Mei Daoren understood this principle, so how could he not know that this battle must not be started, or it would be impossible to control once it started?

and so……

"Excellent, excellent, excellent Dao Sword Li Qingming!"

Baiyun Sou cheered several times, but there was a hint of anger in his voice: "Today you have let the tiger return to the mountain. When that demon wreaks havoc and the people suffer in the future, I want to see how you will explain this sword to the world!"

Having said that, without caring about Shen He's reaction, the colorful clouds vanished in an instant.

"call!"

Seeing this, Master Mei was relieved and hurriedly turned to Shen He: "Senior Baiyun Sou hates evil and his actions this time were somewhat excessive, but they were for the sake of the common people and he did not intend to put the Sword Master in an unjust position. Please forgive him!"

"A cultivator has things to do and things not to do!"

Upon hearing this, Shen He did not press the matter further. He sheathed his sword and then turned and left.

"Master!"

Upon seeing this, Zhong Yuxiu also drew her sword and followed him without looking back, ignoring the reactions of Wenren Ying and the others.

"..."

This outcome left Master Mei speechless for a moment, but there was nothing he could do. He could only set sail on his golden boat to escape this place of trouble.

Not only him, but all the cultivators and members of the orthodox Xuanmen sect around him left in silence.

Originally, Dao Jian's enlightenment and his defeat of the Demon Blade were good things for the righteous path. Although they were unable to eliminate the Demon Blade once and for all, they at least gained a force to keep it in check.

But now, Bai Yunsou's move has turned a good thing into a bad thing. Not only did he fail to remove the demonic blade, but he also almost forced the Dao sword to turn against him, and he has completely lost face for the righteous path. If it weren't for his stance on the greater good of the common people, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his reputation would be ruined.

If someone else had done this, they would have been condemned by everyone.

But Baiyun Sou... was a righteous master, whose seniority was even higher than that of the Seven Masters of Taiyuan. They really couldn't say anything and could only leave in silence.

On the contrary, some unorthodox cultivators, heretics, and demonic spies were all talking at once.

"Leaving now?"

"What else can he do but leave? Can he really fight that Azure Nether Sword Master to the death five steps away?"

"The ambush just now has already created a blood feud with the Three Calamities Blade Demon. If we were to fight to the death with the Azure Nether Sword Master as well, then this matter would be impossible to resolve."

"Hmph, a dignified Nascent Soul Venerable, the most senior and most qualified figure in the righteous path, yet he acts so absurdly, it's simply laughable!"

"There's nothing we can do. That old ghost is getting desperate. He has been cultivating for over three thousand years. Even if he has methods to prolong his life, he is still just a primordial spirit. If he doesn't ascend to the upper realm to seek a breakthrough, he may only be able to pass away here in Taiyuan."

"Who can we blame for this? It's all his fault for stubbornly refusing to ascend. Now look what's happened, with the Demon Heaven Formation, he can't ascend even if he wants to."

"There must be a reason why this old ghost is staying in the mortal realm. Maybe it's some great opportunity."

"Forget about any opportunity, he's already three thousand years old. I don't believe he can live for four or five thousand years. If he can't break through that Demon Heaven Formation as soon as possible and ascend to the Upper Realm to seek a breakthrough, then any opportunity is just a mirage."

"I was wondering why he was in such a hurry, why he couldn't wait to ambush him, and why he had to do it in front of the Azure Sword Master. Turns out he was forced into a corner..."

(End of this chapter)