Chapter 1294: The Saint Emperor Awakens a Remnant Will
Chapter 1294: The Saint Emperor Awakens a Remnant Will
Sun Qi raised his hand, as if to touch the sky.
Without any conscious effort to draw it in, the surrounding spiritual energy surged into his body, a desperate, eager flood.
This feeling...
Sun Qi hadn't experienced it in a long, long time.
It felt as if a towering tree that had been pressing down on him was finally toppled, and an unprecedented lightness washed over him.
"Hehehe..."
After a moment of stupor, a savage glint gradually appeared in Sun Qi's eyes.
"As I thought—family, relatives... they're all just burdens!"
"I am the Sun family! The Sun family is me!"
"The prosperity of an entire clan, all converging upon a single person..."
He had spent the first half of his life in the shadow of his family. Now, by a strange twist of fate, all his relatives were dead. Sun Qi felt little grief; instead, he felt a catharsis he had never known before in his life.
He even faintly sensed that with the death of the other bloodlines, the Sun family's collective fortune had not dissipated but was slowly gathering upon him.
"Give me ten years—no, five—and I'll not only recover my full strength but might even reach the Dao Integration realm..." The glorious future his powerful intuition foresaw made Sun Qi's body tremble with excitement. It made him want to throw back his head and laugh.
But another silver-white arrow whistling overhead instantly bleached the color from his face and sent a shiver down his spine.
"Heavens above! Could it really be that cultivators from beyond the Xuanhuang Realm are attacking...?"
Sun Qi ducked his head, glanced at the nearby white mist barrier, then gritted his teeth and deliberately accelerated his absorption of spiritual energy.
"I can't stay in Tianling Province. I have to leave, quickly..."
"It's a shame all those burdens were taken by the tentacles. To cross the white mist barrier, I'll have to rely on myself."
Having dispersed and now recultivating his power, Sun Qi's progress was incredibly fast. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had already returned to the peak of the Qi Refining realm.
The number of assailants flying across the sky continued to increase, and a sense of urgency tightened its grip on Sun Qi's heart.
"I can control a flying artifact now. I'll get somewhere safe first."
"Crossing just one provincial barrier won't reduce my lifespan by much."
"Only after returning to Foundation Establishment will I be able to see my future fortune again. But I can't wait that long..."
With his plan set, a transparent sphere enveloped Sun Qi and flew straight into the white mist.
Just as Shanteng Province was within reach, Sun Qi was horrified to discover faint silhouettes moving within the white mist ahead.
Terrified, he immediately brought his flying artifact to a halt.
But it was too late.
"Who's there!"
A furious shout was followed by a barrage of multi-colored techniques that erupted from the mist, slamming into Sun Qi.
Before he could even cry out, he was instantly annihilated, turned to dust and smoke.
"Target eliminated. Stand down!"
Cai Yongchen, a corporal of the Great Qi Third Legion on garrison duty, inspected the area before reporting.
"Just a Qi Refining cultivator. Probably a panicked Immortal Alliance member trying to flee."
"Damn. And here I thought we'd caught a big fish."
"Poor bastard, flew right into our patrol zone..."
"Enough chatter. Sweep this area clean, now!" Cai Yongchen snorted, cutting off his subordinates' idle talk.
He suddenly sneezed.
It was as if something from the Immortal Alliance cultivator he'd just seen blasted to pieces had remained and entered his body.
Cai Yongchen's heart tightened. He checked himself carefully but found nothing unusual.
However, his professionalism as a corporal of the Great Qi Legion prevented him from simply ignoring it.
Instead, he very seriously reported the origin of the incident and his own sensations in detail through the Saint Emperor's Great Web.
Only after filing the report did he breathe a sigh of relief. He then continued to lead his men on their sweep.
...
Inside Sun Erlang's sea of consciousness, reports like this surfaced ceaselessly. They included the number of Sacred Army Puppets and Sky Patrolling Arrows lost on the battlefield, the count of wounded and fallen Great Qi soldiers, and even a list of Immortal Alliance factions that had been captured or had surrendered...
There were also inventory lists of newly produced supplies from the Great Qi's territories deep in the rear.
Enormous sets of real-time data flickered constantly.
And based on this information, the faint blue glow of the Dao Transformation Stone in Sun Erlang's sea of consciousness shifted, its internal deductions of the battlefield scenarios changing accordingly.
Although some resistance had arisen in various Immortal Alliance provinces, the vast majority of its territory had already fallen under the Great Qi's control.
The Dharma Spreader statues in the heavenly cities were suppressed by the Saint Emperor's talismans, and new suppression and communication arrays were swiftly established.
"According to the deductions, the Great Qi's probability of victory on the outer battlefields is steadily increasing."
"Once the situation stabilizes, we can focus on cracking the tougher nuts."
"Currently, thirty-four Dao Integration cultivators from the Immortal Alliance have appeared on the outer battlefields. There are still over a hundred more who should have appeared but have not..."
Thinking of this enormous number, Sun Erlang's heart couldn't help but feel heavy.
Although they had a superweapon like the Sky Patrolling Arrow, the Dao Integration cultivators weren't just living targets who would stand still and let you bombard them.
They required Great Qi soldiers to pin them down.
Casualties were inevitable.
"Fortunately, the previous Li Realm Rainbow Light plan drew away a large number of the Immortal Alliance's veteran Dao Integration cultivators. Otherwise, this war would be even more difficult."
Sun Erlang looked at the miniature map of the Immortal Alliance before him.
Besides the yellow and purple markings indicating the contested territories, there was a unique gray color indiscriminately seeping across all regions.
It spread out slowly, with Tianling Province at its center.
In every area the gray covered, the Dao Transformation Stone's deductions showed the Great Qi winning swiftly and with absolute superiority.
"The Dao One Worm..."
An image appeared in Sun Erlang's mind: the Dao Integration cultivator of Shanteng Province being captured alive by a team of Golden Core soldiers from the Great Qi, clad in Sacred Army armor.
The Heaven and Earth Soul that the Immortal Alliance's Dao Integration cultivator manifested was the [Crimson Vine].
After Shanteng Heavenly City was conquered by the Great Qi soldiers, this Crimson Vine Immortal Venerable finally made a belated appearance.
Countless vines, like fiery, gnarled dragons, erupted between heaven and earth, growing with wild abandon. The tendrils swept about with immense, unparalleled force, swatting great numbers of Great Qi soldiers from the sky like flies.
The Crimson Vine took root in mid-air and propagated across the ground.
In the blink of an eye, it had crawled over the entirety of Shanteng Province. What was once a land of rolling mountains and rivers had transformed into a dense, primordial jungle of vines.
The forces of three Great Qi legions were immediately locked in a bitter struggle against the omnipresent crimson vines, each of which seemed to possess its own intelligence.
Even with the protection of their puppet armor, they could not withstand being constantly entangled, scorched, and drained.
It was as if this Dao Integration cultivator from the Immortal Alliance was truly going to turn the tide and reclaim Shanteng Province all by himself.
However, the battle took a sudden turn after a mysterious shadow descended and shrouded the sky.
The once-vigorous crimson vines suddenly went limp, their attacks becoming weak and feeble.
Even the color of their crimson flames inexplicably dimmed.
In contrast, the Great Qi soldiers had been trapped in a grueling, exhausting fight.
But after the grayness arrived, their fatigue vanished in an instant, and they became vigorous and full of life again.
Their attacks were even more ferocious than before! A casual strike, imbued with spiritual energy, would tear a gash in the previously indestructible crimson vines.
The wounds on the vines did not heal as they had before; instead, they grew larger and larger throughout the fight. It was as if some invisible entity was constantly gnawing at them!
The Great Qi's counterattack lasted only two hours.
The behemoth that had covered an entire province was ultimately reduced to the size of half an adult man.
It was captured alive by the Great Qi soldiers and locked in a specially made cage designed to hold Dao Integration cultivators of the Immortal Alliance.
This cage could sever the connection between the cultivator inside and the outside world, forcing the power of the Heaven and Earth Soul within them into a dormant state.
Once imprisoned, a Dao Integration cultivator was as helpless as a mortal, completely unable to escape.
After being captured, all the Dao Integration cultivators were sent to the rear, to the Great Qi, for centralized imprisonment.
As the Dao One Worm spread, the number of captured Dao Integration cultivators continued to rise.
As the situation on the outer battlefields gradually stabilized, the pressure on Sun Erlang's shoulders eased slightly.
Pressing his throbbing temples, Sun Erlang did not rest. Instead, he reviewed all the information from the battlefield once more.
To ensure he hadn't missed any details.
Soon, Cai Yongchen's report caught his attention.
He did not dismiss Cai Yongchen's sensation as a delusion. After a moment of thought, Sun Erlang ordered the man brought back from the front lines.
After isolating him, he conducted a thorough examination.
The result was the same; he still found nothing amiss.
But Sun Erlang still felt that something was not right.
After some thought, he decided to report the entire incident, from beginning to end, along with his own findings from examining Cai Yongchen, to the Saint Emperor through the Great Web.
A few moments later, the Saint Emperor replied.
"The abnormality in his body should be a stray wisp of [Universe One Breath]."
"Qian and Kun are Heaven and Earth."
"Qi is the source of all things."
"It is a blessing, not a curse, so do not worry. However, this stray wisp of Universe One Breath came from a fallen cultivator. It may carry a remnant of the previous owner's will. He should no longer remain on the battlefield..."
After receiving his master's guidance, Sun Erlang understood at once.
At the same time, he marveled at Cai Yongchen's strange fortune. This Universe One Breath could almost be considered half a Heavenly Wonder. Although Cai Yongchen had only absorbed a stray wisp, its effects were still immense. It could even integrate directly with his Dao foundation, bringing many miraculous benefits.
"Return to the Great Qi for now and recuperate in the Sacred Heart Hall. Only after you have completely absorbed this Universe One Breath may you return to the battlefield!"
Sun Erlang explained the matter of the Universe One Breath to Cai Yongchen before giving the order.
Cai Yongchen's face showed both joy and a hint of regret.
"I hope the war is over by the time this humble subordinate returns." Cai Yongchen bowed deeply and turned to leave.
Sun Erlang issued a transfer order to fill Cai Yongchen's position.
Although it was just a minor incident, it demonstrated the impact of efficient communication on the overall war effort.
Eliminating all potential hidden dangers.
Each small increase in the probability of victory accumulated, ultimately securing the win.
As the days passed, only a handful of provinces on the outer battlefields were still fiercely contested. The rest had all been taken by the Great Qi's army.
Sun Erlang did not rush to order a final assault on the remaining Immortal Alliance territories. Instead, he commanded the various legions to fortify their positions and establish bases where they stood.
At the same time, he methodically transferred the captured Immortal Alliance cultivators and supplies to the Great Qi's interior.
After years of war preparations, the Great Qi had long since prepared ample space for housing and imprisonment.
Sun Erlang turned his gaze once more to the Immortal Alliance's Central Four Prefectures.
"The Immortal Alliance's true counterattack should be coming soon."
He made this judgment based on the faint fluctuations coming from the moonlight blockade.
Tianquan Province, at the border of the moonlight.
Lu Xichan watched as wisps of azure qi rose, obscuring the moonlight, a flicker of joy in her eyes.
Although only eight days had passed in real time, the Immortal Alliance headquarters had already run countless deductions.
They had finally found a possible way to break the formation.
Since the formation was so superb as to be incomprehensible, they simply abandoned the idea of "breaking" it.
Instead, they would directly use "Spirit-Nullifying Qi" to corrode the formation's units.
Spirit-Nullifying Qi could suppress all spiritual energy fluctuations.
Under its continuous, vaporous diffusion, it was indeed having an effect.
The moonlight, originally like a bolt of silver silk, slowly grew hazy, as if veiled in blue smoke.
It seemed the formation would be broken at any moment.
However...
The bright moon in the sky once again shone down.
In an instant, it replenished the damage.
Even though Lu Xichan had anticipated this and ordered everyone to resist with all their might, they could not stop the moonlight from descending.
Seeing the formation restored to its original state, Lu Xichan's face turned ashen.
"Chief..."
Seeing this, the formation masters under her command also turned pale, despair in their eyes.
"I will go fetch the Formation Breaking Disks," Lu Xichan said in a low voice, admitting her failure.
She transformed into a streak of rainbow light and vanished over the horizon.
Several hours later, Lu Xichan returned.
Following her was a cultivator in a dark green Daoist robe, an insignia that resembled a mirror engraved on their forehead.
Their face was indistinct, their gender indiscernible.
If Li Fan were here, he would have recognized it at a glance as the unique attire of the Immortal Alliance's Mirror Holder lineage.
The Mirror Holder ignored all the formation masters present, first looking up at the silver moonlight covering the land and nodding slightly.
Then, they bowed slightly towards the empty space.
The mirror-like insignia on their forehead emitted rays of light. A round, white jade disk appeared in their midst, bathed in the radiance.
The white jade disk flew on its own, slowly approaching the moonlight cascading from the sky.
The moonlight distorted and was absorbed by the jade disk.
Within the light radiating from the disk, one could faintly see the patterns of countless evolving formations.
The Mirror Holder studied it for a moment, frowning slightly.
Then they released another white jade disk.
But it seemed the effect was still insufficient, so they released nine disks all at once.
The nine disks circled one another, drawing the moonlight into their center.
The illusory images of the changing formations instantly sped up countless times over.
"What kind of formation breaking disks are those? To be so powerful?"
"According to Chief Lu, they are secondary bodies born from the Heavenly Profound Mirror, called [Dissociation Disks]."
"Hiss... To think such a wondrous item exists. If it can break formations so easily, what use are we formation masters?"
...
The formation masters present discussed among themselves via voice transmission.
Lu Xichan, however, stared intently at the changing patterns in the center of the Dissociation Disks, her brow still furrowed.
"Venerable One, it seems..."
The Mirror Holder nodded, their expression growing even more solemn as they looked at the formation in the sky.
After a brief pause, they seemed to make a decision.
They flew above the crowd, struck a strange pose, and then kowtowed towards the empty space before them.
With a light kowtow, the insignia on their forehead erupted with a burst of light.
Then, the phantom of an object quietly appeared.
The Mirror Holder kowtowed nineteen times.
And nineteen illusory objects of various shapes appeared.
There were disks similar to the Dissociation Disks, but of different colors. There were also long white jade rulers, azure jade slips...
The nineteen objects, as if sentient, flew to the periphery of the nine Dissociation Disks.
They began to rotate rapidly.
The already faint images blurred even further as they spun.
Their forms changed, startlingly becoming very similar to the Dissociation Disks in the inner circle!
And with the aid of the outer disks, the speed of the deductions flashing in the center of the ring increased explosively once more.
It became almost impossible to see clearly.
After observing for a while, the Mirror Holder said, "In three days, we can open a breach in this formation."
"We must seize the opportunity to completely dismantle this trapping formation," the Mirror Holder said, pointing to the moon above.
Lu Xichan bowed her head. "I will explain the situation to the Lord Dharma Spreaders."
The Mirror Holder said no more, focusing intently on guarding the Dissociation Disks and the nineteen phantoms.
The spectating formation masters, after witnessing this strange sight and being dazed for a moment, slowly came back to their senses.
"How did nineteen more Dissociation Disks appear? The power of a single one is terrifying enough. Nineteen of them combined..."
"I know! The Profound Azure Mirror, the Measuring Heart Ruler, the Heaven and Earth Book... These are all secondary bodies of the Heavenly Profound Mirror!"
The statement sent shockwaves through the assembled formation masters.
"Nineteen of them... I only knew the Heavenly Profound Mirror had secondary bodies, but I never imagined there would be so many!"
"No, no, after so many years, gestating nineteen of them is understandable. But I've never heard that they can transform into one another! Doesn't that mean each secondary body can unleash more than ten times its own power?"
As if sensing her subordinates' buzzing discussion, Lu Xichan shot them a cold glance and sent a voice transmission: "Don't just stand there gawking. Take the parts of the formation deciphered by the disks and study them together."
"Don't tell me you think everything will be fine once the formation is broken? If we can't atone for our failure, the entire Strategy Array Hall of our Immortal Alliance will be replaced, from top to bottom."
Her words made the formation masters break out in a cold sweat, and they quickly shifted their attention from the secondary bodies to the flashing illusions of the formation.
...
The Saint Emperor's Throne.
The Saint Emperor's gaze pierced through the formation's barrier, falling upon the twenty-eight secondary bodies of the Heavenly Profound Mirror, including the nine Dissociation Disks.
"The Heavenly Profound Mirror, gestating from its own body, splitting off to become the Dao..."
The Saint Emperor nodded thoughtfully and praised sincerely, "Even after falling into the mortal dust, it has not given up on transcending once more."
"The Heavenly Profound Mirror is truly worthy of its reputation as a great artifact of the Xuanhuang Realm, passed down since ancient times."
The Saint Emperor held down the Cat Treasure, which was poking its head out curiously, looking as if it was about to leap up at any moment.
Restrained by the Saint Emperor, the Cat Treasure was slightly displeased.
It lightly nipped the Saint Emperor's finger but relented after its mouth was blocked by a ball of golden source power.
It then lay back down on Li Ping's shoulder to rest.
"Aiya, Great Saint Emperor, those things down there are all fine treasures."
The One Absolute Daoist, whose two eyes were fully extended into the vortex channel, could still see the events in the Xuanhuang Realm below as clear as day. He clicked his tongue in admiration.
"Each secondary body is equivalent to a Dao that the Heavenly Profound Mirror has replicated and separated."
"Some of these Daos are not even inherent to the Heavenly Profound Mirror itself; rather, they are ones it has detected while observing this world over the years."
"If this old Daoist still had a human body, I'd risk my life to snatch one. With it as a foundation, it would be of great use even after achieving the Dao and becoming an immortal!" the One Absolute Daoist boasted, seemingly trying to coax the Saint Emperor into action.
But Li Ping was completely unmoved.
"Within the sea of stars, I can comprehend the Dao of Heaven and Earth on my own. Why would I need to rely on external objects?"
"Besides, the Daos observed by the Heavenly Profound Mirror are not necessarily true."
Li Ping chuckled softly, and the One Absolute Daoist was left speechless.
"Great Saint Emperor, are you just going to watch them break the formation? If you sent someone to harass them, even if you don't snatch any secondary bodies, delaying their progress would be good enough." After a moment of silence, the One Absolute Daoist spoke up again.
"Yi Jue, just do what I've instructed you to do," Li Ping said, glancing at him coolly.
The One Absolute Daoist gave an awkward laugh and fell silent.
"This old man wasn't so talkative before. It seems those mirrors below are truly of great use to him," Tianyang, who had been silent until now, suddenly remarked.
Below, some of the paper figures from the Salvation Sect nodded slightly, not denying it.
However, as for what specific use they had, the One Absolute Daoist refused to say a word.
"You people from the Ten Great Immortal Sects are as annoying as ever," Tianyang said softly.
An invisible wind seemed to blow through the hall of the Saint Emperor's throne, and the Salvation Sect's paper figures were instantly sent swaying.
Even the gates of the Salvation Sect's mountain showed signs of being buffeted.
The One Absolute Daoist waved his hand, and the paper figures huddled together, resisting the wind.
Tianyang snorted and averted his gaze.
And so the great wind subsided.
"It seems you've truly made a lot of progress," the Saint Emperor said, somewhat pleased.
"My sanity has returned, and I have a new understanding of my memories of the 'Ancestor'. Moreover, though my original body died during those years of slumber within the earth veins, the experiences of this puppet body are still a treasure. The vast sea becomes a mulberry field, the years flow on, and the affairs of the world are ever thus..." Tianyang's small body spoke with a world-weariness that did not match his appearance.
"Right... take a look at this."
A moment later, Tianyang took out the skeleton of a young child.
"Hm? Isn't this your body from before you died?" The Saint Emperor recognized the skeleton's origin at a glance.
"Yes..." Tianyang's expression was unreadable.
"I can faintly sense an extremely peculiar power on it. It comes from the lingering will I had before I abandoned this body."
"It's unlike any of the current cultivation methods..."
Hearing Tianyang's words, the Saint Emperor also became much more serious.
At Tianyang's gesture, Li Ping took the skeleton and frowned, trying to perceive it.
After a long moment, he shook his head slightly and said honestly, "I can't sense the energy you're talking about."
Tianyang rubbed his chin, then said thoughtfully, "Perhaps this will work."
A crimson-gold color instantly flooded the surface of his skin.
Tianyang's body dissolved and vanished into the crimson-gold armor that had abruptly appeared.
The crimson-gold armor separated into several pieces and flew to the Saint Emperor's side.
He donned them one by one.
They changed automatically to fit the Saint Emperor's form.
Before long, a suit of puppet battle armor, as if custom-made for the Saint Emperor, had taken shape.
It enveloped his entire body, radiating an aura of majesty and sanctity.
Tianyang's voice came from within his mind: "Don't resist."
"Please, see my life..."
Boom!
"Tianyang, it's time for your medicine!"
Countless images instantly flooded Saint Emperor Li Ping's vision.
It was everything Tianyang had experienced in his mortal life.
But now, transmitted directly by Tianyang, it was as if he had truly become Tianyang himself, experiencing it all firsthand.
His senior brothers and master from the Body Transformation Dao, all going to their deaths on the battlefield one by one to protect him.
The incredibly real images and emotions deeply moved the Great Qi's Saint Emperor.
"In his life, Tianyang was second to none!"
The cry from Tianyang's heart transformed from illusion to reality, truly ringing in Li Ping's ears.
And so...
The Great Qi's Saint Emperor was finally able to perceive, in sync, that wisp of extremely peculiar energy from Tianyang's remains.
It seemed out of place with everything else in the world.
Like a winter plum blossom in the snow, standing proud and alone.
Although it seemed quite weak, it had persisted for thousands of years, not fading with the passage of time.
Instead, it grew stronger with age.
"This is..."
Li Ping felt as if he remembered something, and his hand trembled slightly.
But some invisible presence severed that thread of connection.
The Saint Emperor felt a sense of loss.
But his will was extraordinary, and he quickly suppressed this strange feeling.
He first used the Cat Treasure to probe it, and after finding that even it could not identify the peculiar energy, he turned his gaze to the Salvation Sect below.
The paper figures of the Salvation Sect seemed completely unaware.
They were still huddled together.
"Yi Jue, what do you know?" Saint Emperor Li Ping asked, though he wasn't certain.
At this moment, the One Absolute Daoist actually retracted his protruding eyes from the channel.
The two eyeballs, trailing long paper ribbons, flew next to Tianyang's remains.
They circled it several times.
From the expression on the One Absolute Daoist's face, it seemed he had genuinely recognized something.
"This old Daoist only has a guess."
"It can't be considered the truth."
The Saint Emperor waved his hand. "Speak freely."
As if afraid of being overheard, the One Absolute Daoist even turned his eyeballs to look outside the Saint Emperor's throne.
Only then did he say, word by word, "Regarding that Tiandu Grandmaster, our Salvation Sect has had a theory since ancient times."
"The Grandmaster has already fallen. The one who passed down the immortal arts to the Ten Sects was merely a thought he preserved after his demise."
"It upholds the Grandmaster's remnant will to [spread the Dao]."
As the One Absolute Daoist spoke these words, the Salvation Sect's paper figures huddled even tighter, as if some terrifying presence was drawing near.
"A remnant will to spread the Dao is neither a living being nor a form of energy."
"It's more like..."
The Saint Emperor said thoughtfully, continuing the thought, "A resonance of the Great Dao."
The One Absolute Daoist clapped his hands in praise. "The Saint Emperor's comprehension is truly excellent!"
"When the immortals fell, their Daos were left vacant. The Dao of Immortals is everywhere, and if someone can even slightly approach its essence, it will create a resonance of the Dao."
"Within the Heavenly Capital, it is the Dao of Spreading the Dao."
"And on this skeleton, perhaps it is the [Dao of Strife]."
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