Chapter 68: Shattering the Void!
As Ji Xiongying's words fell, the assembled Heaven and Man realm martial artists immediately took action. With the Yun Family Patriarch subtly manipulating karma from the shadows, none noticed anything amiss.
In the next instant, seven figures launched their assault simultaneously, their divine weapons illuminating the night sky.
"Well met!"
Before Lü Yang's voice had even faded, his entire body dispersed into a cloud of Primordial Qi, then swept forward like a raging gale, arriving before Ji Xiongying in the blink of an eye.
Ji Xiongying's eyes flashed crimson. His divine weapon—the Heavenly Prince Sword—left its sheath, instantly stirring the winds above Tianjing City. Every commoner within the capital suddenly felt their hearts grow heavy, their strength inexplicably draining away as they collapsed weakly to the ground.
In exchange, Ji Xiongying's power surged dramatically.
"Die!"
His sword descended with force surpassing even a Sword Qi Talisman, nearly dispersing Lü Yang's qi-formed body upon impact. Yet that was all it accomplished.
The Primordial Qi incarnation, formless and ever-shifting, feared neither fist nor blade—this was its natural advantage against martial techniques. Had it been otherwise, Lü Yang wouldn't have sent this particular incarnation.
After all, the martial path was but a crude system Lü Yang himself had established. Even after the Yun Family Patriarch expanded it to a fourth step—granting its masters physiques comparable to peak Qi Refinement cultivators—its flaws remained glaring. Any immortal cultivator with a suitable divine ability could effortlessly defeat them.
"Everyone, attack together!"
Seeing his strike ineffective, Ji Xiongying immediately retreated while shouting: "Bind him! Prevent him from using those talismans! Force him into close combat!"
His allies needed no urging. The 'Barefoot Daoist' Chang Qingjing and 'Calamity-Delivering Monk' Xuan Ku—one Daoist, one Buddhist—flanked Lü Yang from both sides simultaneously.
Meanwhile, 'Fairy Mingyu' Hua Xiangrong descended from above, while 'World Alliance Lord' Guan Qiankun replaced Ji Xiongying in confronting Lü Yang head-on. Only 'Demonic Blade' Ding Feiying remained hidden like a venomous serpent, awaiting the perfect moment to deliver his lethal strike.
Boom!
Lü Yang fought with abandon—sometimes reforming his body to unleash talismans, other times dispersing to evade attacks. Against seven opponents, he moved with effortless grace.
Watching from afar, the Yun Family Patriarch shook his head in disappointment.
"Too weak..."
While martial Heaven and Man realm practitioners technically surpassed Lü Yang's Primordial Qi incarnation in rank, reality told a different story. If Lü Yang's incarnation represented a max-level character with six divine items, these martial artists were merely max-level beginners—superficially equal, yet worlds apart in capability. This inherent limitation of their young, century-old system left them hopelessly outmatched against immortal cultivation.
"...Very well. I shall intervene."
With a thought, the Patriarch began twisting karma, gradually shifting the battle's momentum from Lü Yang toward the martial artists.
The effects manifested immediately. Rather than tiring, the seven Heaven and Man realm fighters grew increasingly exhilarated, their minds overflowing with inspiration and insight. Their divine weapons likewise grew more potent—these artifacts the Patriarch had designed as 'fortuitous encounters' perfectly complemented each warrior's unique techniques.
Under normal circumstances, this synergy could approach the power of divine abilities. But with the Patriarch forcibly altering causality, what was merely 'close' to divine ability instantly achieved the real thing.
Boom!
Another coordinated assault landed, and this time Lü Yang noticed something amiss—when his qi-body reformed, a corner of his robe remained missing.
'Their attacks... worked?'
Lü Yang's heart chilled. His incarnation should have been flawless—any damage meant portions of his Primordial Qi had been eroded by their strikes.
'The Foundation Establishment cultivator must have intervened!'
Though his divinations revealed nothing, Lü Yang immediately identified the culprit. No matter—the performance had gone on long enough. He couldn't risk losing this incarnation to carelessness when greater plans awaited.
"Huuu..."
A deep, resonant breath echoed through the battlefield, sending air currents swirling violently as if heaven and earth themselves inhaled. The sound—clear and melodious—resembled a true dragon drawing breath between heaven and earth.
Then the white qi reassembled, revealing Lü Yang no longer evading, but standing confidently with a knowing smile.
"Begone!"
A terrifying aura erupted from his body as a circular halo appeared behind his head—like a mirror reflecting wind and thunder.
The Taiwei Mirror!
As spiritual treasures went, this artifact dwarfed the so-called 'divine weapons' of his opponents. Its activation instantly reversed the battle's tide.
Boom!
The mirror's surface rippled as rolling wind and thunder detonated around Lü Yang, blasting all seven martial artists away with grievous injuries.
Yet instead of despairing, their killing intent only intensified. All distracting thoughts vanished, leaving only one imperative:
'Kill! Kill him!'
Fueled by this murderous resolve, they overcame obstacles that would normally stump them for years in mere instants.
Only the 'Saintly Scholar' Wang Boyuan showed hesitation. Though equally bloodthirsty, his movements betrayed struggle—as if aware of something horrifying yet powerless to resist. Terror shone through his fortune-seeing eyes.
'Don't worry, Brother Wang. You're talented—I'll guide you in your next life...'
Lü Yang sighed inwardly while maintaining his assault. Another blast of wind and thunder repelled the martial artists before dazzling radiance erupted from his body.
Instantly, the void trembled!
Vital energy surged like a dragon piercing the clouds—a heavenly pillar stabilizing the moonlit winds while parting the overcast sky to reveal the luminous moon. The dark, stormy night transformed into one of crystalline clarity.
Only Lü Yang's triumphant cry remained:
"This immortal has achieved the Great Dao!"
Crack!
The void shattered as a massive rift appeared above Tianjing City. Lü Yang leapt into it, his figure vanishing in a flash of light.
Shattering the Void!
The spectacle stunned the martial artists back to lucidity, their faces filled with awe at witnessing this unimaginable martial legend.
Was this the realm beyond Heaven and Man?
To shatter the void and ascend—transcending mortality itself—how closely it resembled the immortals of folklore! What profound mysteries might it hold?
"I see..."
Among the seven, only Ji Xiongying murmured to himself.
As the Yun Family Patriarch's most valued pawn, he'd received the greatest infusion of destiny's breath—consuming nearly all his remaining lifespan's fortune. Consequently, his comprehension peaked at this moment.
He glimpsed Lü Yang's method—finding the void's connecting point, piercing through before it could reseal, then stepping across...
"...Hahaha! I can do this too!"
Throwing back his head in laughter, Ji Xiongying raised his Heavenly Prince Sword and slashed at the void. Another rift appeared!
Without hesitation, he strode through.
Both rifts sealed shut moments later, leaving the remaining martial artists staring blankly at where their comrades had stood.
"They... broke through?"
"How is this possible?"
"Shattering the Void... So there truly is a realm beyond Heaven and Man? To transcend mortality through void-shattering ascension?"
...........
Meanwhile, outside the Refinement Secret Realm:
Emerging from his void passage, Ji Xiongying found Lü Yang waiting in a great hall, studying him with an odd expression.
"I can't decide if you're lucky or unfortunate..."
"Where is this...?"
Turning, Ji Xiongying saw only a crystal sphere—but its contents chilled him to the bone. Inside stood his bewildered comrades, alongside miniature versions of Great Zhou's cities—his domain.
"This... is Great Zhou!? Impossible..."
Far from ignorant, Ji Xiongying's exceptional intellect—the very quality that elevated him above other martial artists and attracted the Yun Family Patriarch's attention—allowed him to quickly grasp the truth.
His horrified gaze snapped back to Lü Yang.
A scam! All of it!
Shattering the Void was a lie!
Whirling around, Ji Xiongying attempted to reopen the void and warn his comrades: "Don't shatter the—"
Boom!
Before he could finish, radiant light pinned him in place as Three Rivers Association's Second Senior Brother Luo Wuya strolled into the hall.
"What excellent corpse refinement material!"
Luo Wuya's eyes gleamed with delight. "Did you cultivate this in the secret realm, Junior Brother? Peak Qi Refining strength... How ever did you manage it?"
Lü Yang clasped his hands respectfully. "If Senior Brother approves, he's yours."
"Excellent! Many thanks!"
Luo Wuya immediately began incanting. An icy energy invaded Ji Xiongying's body—his Heaven and Man physique utterly powerless to resist.
In his final moments, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
But ultimately, this peerless martial artist—this Heaven and Man realm master who'd supposedly achieved the legendary Shattered Void ascension—could only roar one final curse at the architect of this deception:
"Beast... You absolute beast!!!"