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Chapter 473 Tracing Cause and Effect
Chapter 473 Tracing Cause and Effect
Looking at the white-clad figure in front of him, Luo Haoxuan felt a sense of relief.
They survived!
With the protection of True Martial Lord, even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to take his life within the Protectorate Immortal City.
"What, you think staying silent will help?"
Chen Beiwu remained indifferent. His storage ring flashed with a faint light, and a mysterious blade appeared in his hand.
boom!
At the same time, the golden egg activated its Three Absolute True Qi, and with a sweep of its dragon claw, it slammed heavily down towards the top of Zhu Jing's head.
"snort."
Zhu Jinglong snorted coldly, his figure retreated rapidly, dodging the dragon claw. Then, his body burst forth with light, transforming into thousands of silver threads that frantically shot outwards.
The opportunity has passed, and there is no longer any need for him to continue attacking Luo Haoxuan.
If he were to force it, not only would he fail to kill Luo Haoxuan and tarnish the city's reputation, but he might also lose his clone in the process.
"You can't escape," Chen Beiwu said leisurely.
Driven by his divine sense, the Zhou Tian Twelve Protectors Formation set up within the city was activated with a roar.
Twelve beams of light of various colors emanated from the four cardinal directions (east, south, west, and north) and the eight trigrams of the Protectorate City.
These spiritual lights intertwined and merged, forming layers of restrictions, which then suddenly unfolded, transforming into an invisible and intangible, magnificent net that completely sealed off the earth's veins and spiritual energy within a radius of thousands of miles, thereby intercepting the silver light that filled the sky.
"What a loss! This mission was no simple task; no wonder few sect True Monarchs were willing to take it on, and it ended up falling to the original body!"
Affected by the formation, the silver light quietly returned, revealing Zhu Jinglong's slightly changed color.
Unless the main body descends, the probability of breaking through the protective city's formation and escaping alive by relying solely on the strength of the clone is less than 30%.
But he did not choose to give up. Instead, he prepared to abandon this clone and fight to the death.
"The suspended mirror reflects the void, and the Dharma image connects to heaven."
Zhu Jinglong formed a hand seal, and a vast ancient mirror suddenly appeared in the sky and sea of clouds behind him, spanning the heavens and earth.
"Who is telling the truth?"
Sensing the power of the ancient mirror's dharma image, some Mirror Moon disciples turned pale, their eyes flashing with doubt.
Mysterious phenomena can be imitated, and vital energy can be disguised through secret methods, but how can the Dharma form of a Nascent Soul True Monarch be perfectly replicated?
To be honest, if the cultivator who just exposed Zhu Jinglong's identity hadn't been the City Lord Chen Zi'ang, the Jingyue disciples present would have almost thought that True Monarch Xuanjing and True Monarch Zhenwu had turned against each other, or that there was some internal strife within the sect's higher-ups who didn't want to see the City Lord Duhu grow any bigger.
"Buzz!"
The ancient mirror hangs in the air, and the mountains and rivers are stabilized. An invisible and intangible void force imprisons the space where Chen Beiwu is located, attempting to tear apart the Zhou Tian Twelve Protectors Formation and escape.
"Fine, since you refuse to talk, then die here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Beiwu did not use more of the power of the Zhou Tian Twelve Protectors Formation, nor did he let the Golden Egg and the others take action. Instead, he flashed and instantly crossed space to appear in front of Zhu Jinglong. Then he raised his right hand, made a loose fist with his five fingers, and drew his sword from its sheath.
Clang!
The sword's intent soars to the heavens, deciding the fate of heaven and earth.
With the Xuan Blade in Chen Beiwu's hand as the boundary, all things within a radius of a thousand miles, including space, the five elements, and spiritual energy, suddenly lost all color and turned into constantly flashing and jumping pitch-black lines.
Unlike his previous strike at True Monarch Shuyu, Chen Beiwu used ninety percent of his sword intent this time to make an example of him and let the Earthly Realm cultivators understand the ironclad rule that violence is forbidden within the Protectorate Immortal City. The immense sword intent instantly transformed into an extremely condensed, pitch-black sword beam.
Under this blade, all laws are disrupted, and all forms can be shattered!
"not good!"
Finding himself unable to move and his Heavenly Qi stagnating, Zhu Jinglong hardened his heart and unleashed his full power in an attempt to break free and escape.
As a veteran Nascent Soul cultivator of the Soul Refining Sect, he had also fought against the Sword Master of the Earthly Realm, who was recognized as the number one swordsman among the five major sects.
That was his first failed assassination attempt, defeated by a peerless genius much younger than himself. He even needed to rely on the substitute Xuan Tong to escape from the sword of the Carefree Sword Lord.
Now, facing Chen Ziang's domineering strike, Zhu Jinglong struggled, but his shock only intensified.
The reason is simple: at this moment, he could clearly feel that his causal connection with this world had been severed.
Not to mention using his magical powers, he didn't even have a chance to escape with his nascent soul leaving his body. He could only watch helplessly as the sword intent slashed down with overwhelming force.
boom!
boom!
boom!
As the blade flashed, Zhu Jinglong's pupils dilated, and he froze on the spot, staring at the fourth-tier Xuanbao and protective essence that had been split in two before him, a hint of awe appearing in his eyes.
What a terrifying stab!
Fortunately, he was always cautious, and this time it was an avatar that came, not his real body; otherwise, today would have been his death anniversary.
"Today's grudge will be avenged tomorrow."
Zhu Jinglong opened his mouth, uttered his last words, and then his entire body silently vanished, leaving only the head that Chen Beiwu had deliberately preserved.
"How ridiculous, they didn't even realize they were about to die."
Chen Beiwu shook his head slightly and sheathed his sword.
At that very moment, Zhu Jinglong's head suddenly twisted, his appearance changed drastically, revealing an ordinary face.
"Transforming the soul into form, transforming the vessel. Within the Soul Refining Sect, there are only a handful of True Monarch Demon Cultivators who have cultivated the True Spirit Transformation Technique to such a level."
If I'm not mistaken, this person should be Qi Chengyi, the Myriad Transformations True Monarch, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Western Evolution Realm renowned for his concealment and transformation techniques within the Soul Refining Sect.
A sweet, charming female voice rang out, and a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in light gauze, with bare, jade-like feet and red ropes and golden bells tied around her ankles, slowly appeared.
"Gurgle."
Looking at the stunningly beautiful and charming female cultivator before them, all the cultivators present couldn't help but swallow hard, unable to tear their gazes away.
Noticing the gazes of the other cultivators, True Monarch Miaoyu's eyes turned cold, and he exuded a True Monarch's aura.
The surrounding cultivators, their lust raging and restless, trembled. Realizing what had happened, they dared not look at the former again.
"That means fighting is forbidden within the Protectorate City; otherwise, I will gouge out your eyes."
Zhao Caixuan parted her red lips slightly and uttered words that sent chills down the spines of the cultivators present.
Ignoring the reactions of these weaklings, Zhao Caixuan turned her head to look at Chen Beiwu, smiled charmingly, but felt somewhat dissatisfied.
She is still as charming as ever, so why won't Zhenwu Zhenjun even glance at her, risk his life for her, and become her devoted subject?
"The Myriad Transformations True Lord has countless clones, and his methods of concealment are endless. He is also extremely vengeful."
"Today, Fellow Daoist Chen, you killed one of his mid-stage Nascent Soul clones. You may not fear his retaliation, but the cultivators coming and going from Duhu City cannot withstand Qi Chengyi's wrath," Zhao Caixuan reminded him gently.
"He has no chance for revenge." Chen Beiwu said calmly, glancing at Zhao Caixuan.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Caixuan's smile remained unchanged, but she was quite surprised in her heart.
Chen Zi'ang's statement that Wanbian Zhenjun had no chance of revenge suggests that the latter's original body was likely dead and dissipated, without even the opportunity to reincarnate or possess another's body.
But is that even possible?
While the Half-Step Sword Intent Soaring Realm is indeed inconceivable, a transcendent realm that countless Nascent Soul sword cultivators in the Southern Wilderness cannot reach in their entire lives, it is unlikely that Chen Zi'ang, with his mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, could so brazenly cross the realm and kill a late-Nascent Soul cultivator from hundreds of millions of miles away!
This was a subconscious suspicion that arose in Zhao Caixuan's mind.
But her intuition told her that a peerless genius like Zhenwu Zhenjun had his pride and wouldn't speak recklessly, especially about something that could be easily investigated and verified.
The exploration of the ruins cannot be delayed any longer. If it is delayed any longer, I may not be able to control this person!
A sense of apprehension suddenly arose in Zhao Caixuan's heart.
On the other side, tens of thousands of miles away from the Earthly Realm, lies the Western Realm.
Deep within the branch hall of the Soul Refining Sect in the Extreme Fiend Valley.
Qi Chengyi sat cross-legged on a futon, with incense sticks mixed with the energy of countless souls inserted into the jade tables and incense burners on both sides.
Suddenly, Qi Chengyi groaned, his face changed drastically, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
As his life force was depleted and his soul was annihilated, Qi Chengyi suffered a backlash from Xuan Tong, causing his energy to plummet and his cultivation level to drop from the late Nascent Soul stage to the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
"Damn it, how could this plan have failed!" Qi Chengyi's face was ugly, and his eyes revealed resentment.
Although his True Spirit Transformation Technique was powerful, it was both its strength and its weakness.
Once his clone is severely injured and dies, he will also suffer a severe backlash, and his cultivation level will drop drastically.
What frustrated Qi Chengyi even more was that, for safety reasons, he did not rush to the Earthly Realm to personally control the clone. Instead, he separated a part of his soul and let the clone act on its own to avoid exposing the location of his main body.
It was precisely because of this that the soul of the clone dissipated and vanished after its fall. Because the distance was too great, Qi Chengyi did not even know what was happening in the city of Duhu, whether the clone had successfully killed the cultivator who had won the precious auction item and successfully tarnished the reputation of the city of Duhu.
"Never mind, I have done what I had to do, even though it has greatly weakened me. Even if the plan fails, the sect cannot blame me."
Qi Chengyi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and distracting thoughts in his heart.
He has cultivated for over two thousand years and has seen all kinds of storms.
It was just a mid-stage Nascent Soul clone. Although Qi Chengyi felt a pang of heartache at its death, it was impossible for him to leave seclusion in anger and personally target the Protectorate City.
Of course, Qi Chengyi wouldn't do nothing. In order to clear his mind, he would release more than a dozen Golden Core clones to attack the Golden Core cultivators of Duhu City and try his best to disrupt Duhu City's trading channels.
"Clang!"
Just then, Qi Chengyi suddenly heard a faint clanging sound of a knife.
"Has your location been compromised?"
Upon realizing this, Qi Chengyi did not hesitate and quickly fled.
He has countless enemies and is also the strongest member of the Soul Refining Sect's branch hall.
If the location of the branch hall is exposed, and it attracts the attention of old enemies, the attackers will most likely be True Monarchs at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage or above.
No matter how Qi Chengyi tried to escape, the sense of crisis in his heart not only did not dissipate, but became stronger and stronger, making his scalp tingle.
Something's not right. Could this be the causal backtracking of a Nascent Soul True Venerable? No, impossible. If it really was a Nascent Soul True Venerable who made the move, I wouldn't even have a chance to react!
After several attempts, Qi Chengyi realized that the crisis was always looming over him, so he decisively returned to the Ji Sha Valley branch hall.
"The Ten Thousand Souls Formation is activated!"
Qi Chengyi formed a hand seal, and the soul purgatory paintings hanging on the walls of the main hall flew up and burned, turning into raging soul flames that covered the white bricks and bones on the ground.
Then a layered, dark blue barrier formed in front of him, with countless vengeful souls wailing and swimming around.
In order to unleash this azure barrier, Qi Chengyi used the spiritual essence accumulated over hundreds of years in this branch hall, and the immense power that erupted was enough to withstand the fierce attacks of a late-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch for three days and three nights.
Even so, Qi Chengyi's sense of crisis did not lessen.
The storage ring between his fingers flickered with a faint light, and a small, dusty gray banner quietly unfurled, spewing out wisps of gray mist.
This is Qi Chengyi's natal treasure, the "Myriad Transformations Thousand Souls Banner," which can simulate and change his cultivation qi, transfer and pledge witchcraft and curse techniques, and protect his own soul.
"Still not enough?"
Qi Chengyi gritted his teeth, and the nascent soul deep within his spiritual platform opened its mouth, spitting out a mouthful of his natal infant blood, activating the True Spirit Transformation Technique.
In an instant, the floor of the main hall trembled, and one after another, shapeshifting clones rushed out, their bodies soaked in their natal infant blood, their faces changing to resemble Qi Chengyi.
This is the supreme secret technique of the True Spirit Transformation Art, "Nine Souls Substitute Death Puppet". When cultivated to its extreme, it can create nine soul clones at the same time to resist nine fatal spells.
Qi Chengyi's comprehension was average, and he was unable to cultivate this profound skill to the point of mastery. He could only die twice in his place at crucial moments.
"That should be enough. Even if a Nascent Soul Peak True Monarch were to make a move, they wouldn't be able to take my life within a quarter of an hour."
Qi Chengyi stirred his consciousness and crushed the emergency aid jade slip in his hand.
The jade slip vanished, and he only needed to hold on for another quarter of an hour to wait for reinforcements from the sect's experts.
They're here!
Suddenly, Qi Chengyi felt a chill run down his spine and looked up at the source of the danger, but saw nothing.
"Clang!"
The sword intent soars to the heavens, capable of severing cause and effect.
Even though Chen Beiwu has not yet fully entered this realm and cannot sever the cause and effect, he can still rely on the causal connection between the clone of the Myriad Transformations True Monarch and his main body to cross the distance, trace that trace of cause and effect with the half-step Lingxiao technique, and kill the main body.
"laugh!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the powerful sword intent instantly crossed the azure barrier, passed over the gray mist gushing from the Myriad Changes Thousand Souls Mystic Banner, and directly slashed towards Qi Chengyi's Purple Mansion Nascent Soul.
"How is that possible!"
Qi Chengyi let out a furious roar of resentment, detonating his golden core and pouring all the vast Heavenly Gang True Qi into his Nascent Soul in his Purple Mansion, attempting to find a glimmer of hope for his Nascent Soul to leave his body and escape.
But all his efforts were in vain!
As the surrounding substitute puppets were cleaved in two by the terrifying blade intent, Qi Chengyi's nascent soul deep within his purple mansion split in two, collapsed with a bang, and his aura completely dissipated.
"The sect has ruined me!"
Before he died, Qi Chengyi had one last thought.
He who hunted geese all day long eventually had his eyes pecked out by them. If it weren't for the sect's desire to disrupt the development of the Protectorate of Immortal City and suppress the power of the Mirror Moon Sect, he wouldn't have dared to offend True Martial Lord, causing the protective Mirror Moon Sect to directly touch the sect's foundation, tracing back the cause and effect with a single strike, and killing him across tens of thousands of miles.
Yes, that's right. From beginning to end, Qi Chengyi never imagined that this was a strike that Chen Ziang was capable of making!
Not only Qi Chengyi, but even the higher-ups of the Soul Refining Sect did not expect that the renowned Myriad Transformations True Monarch of the Western Evolution Realm would fall silently in the Extreme Fiend Valley.
At the same time, a stroke of good fortune suddenly appeared within Chen Beiwu's chaotic world.
That was the fortune he gained by using the power of destiny to kill the Myriad Transformations True Lord.
In addition to the luck accumulated by Chen Beiwu in the past, and the luck added by attracting the attention of various forces and many false infant cultivators to join the city during the past two days, the three auspicious red dragons in the chaotic world simultaneously let out a high-pitched dragon roar, ushering in their final transformation and giving birth to wisps of misty purple energy that was neither gold, jade, nor rosy clouds.