Chapter 1284: This Sword Pierces Through Time!
Chapter 1284: Chapter 1284: This Sword Pierces Through Time!
When a Saint discovers the existence within themselves, a personal realm of supreme sovereignty is created in their minds with a single thought.
One Realm!
Unrelated to reincarnation, transcending the Long River, One Realm is like a tiny fish swimming in the Sea of Reincarnation, its coordinates are not observable by reincarnation.
If a Saint intentionally hides within it, outsiders find it extremely difficult to locate them, let alone harm them.
Like a bird resting in its nest; like a beast hiding in its den.
Like a wanderer hidden in a paradise separate from the world, avoiding the chaos of the times.
But... One Realm is not entirely impossible to lock onto.
Cause and effect can also escape reincarnation, transcend the Long River, and precisely lock onto and account for everything in The Unknown!
Thus, to compensate for this shortcoming, to achieve complete success, countless Saints view cause and effect as fierce tigers, because you don’t know where or when, for what trivial and laughable cause, a vast, deadly disaster might befall.
And if a certain Saint considers avoiding misfortune as the ultimate Dao, then even if they haven’t yet become a Reverse Saint, they can still achieve immortality. They only need to stay within the realm, untouched by the mortal world, free from cause and effect, and even the Reverse Saints can scarcely touch them!
To kill a mosquito and to find it are simply incomparable in difficulty...
However, if one remains closed inside the realm indefinitely, their spirit sense will begin to erode. A mirror unpolished will eventually become blurred; a Wisdom Sword unsharpened will also rust; and a person unmoved, without ties or dwelling, will likewise be invaded by "emptiness"...
Thus, one needs to constantly keep clean...
Some people occasionally step out of their realms, adopt a new name or form, and return to the mortal world, cautiously navigating through — clearly being a Third Realm’s exalted existence, yet living more and more cautiously...
Of course, there are also those who inherently possess nothing, never needing to step out of One Realm...
They are initially "empty," naturally free from the troubles of "emptiness."
In the realm of those people, there are no mountains, no seas, and even their self is cultivated to the extent of non-existence, leaving only the echoes of Dao flowing.
They have no fear of erosion, for they have nothing to lose...
People are fearless due to absence, yet they are fearful due to the absence of presence...
...
At this moment, Jiumo Saint was disturbed by inner fear!
Within One Realm, the Golden Sky lost its golden radiance, the Black Earth fell into collapse and lamentation, that was his inner fear projecting onto this place.
Thus, between the two mountains and three seas, a thousand Buddha realms began to surge like waves, countless monks among the worlds reciting scriptures and crying, fearing the break of the Pure Land.
Jiumo Saint lacked the mindset to comfort believers, for he himself was the one most in need of solace!
He knew not which supreme existence was targeting him, but upon sensing the inconceivable, his heart was completely filled with terror, even the Saint’s spirit sense couldn’t settle.
"This inconceivable indeed belongs to the one who acted, not relying on external protection..."
He possessed the protection of Chaos Kun Ancestor’s unknown, naturally capable of discerning differences.
If it were simply a sword crossing the River of Time, he would suspect a rival Saint was messing around, or perhaps a rebellious Reverse Saint was resisting...
But this was an existence possessing inconceivable! Other than Reverse Saint, nothing else came to mind!
If someone assaulted you with a thousand pounds of Heavenly Dao Gold, would you suspect it was a poor man ambushing you...
Yet, there remained inexplicable facets: this Reverse Venerable’s inconceivable aura seemed quite sparse; and the sword crossing the Long River was "gently" somewhat abnormal, like the slight coolness when raindrops fall...
Jiumo Saint dared not conceive the delusional thought, "This sword of yours is truly weak and pathetic, unable to sever so much as a hair of me."
How could a Reverse Saint be weak! The other clearly intentionally showed mercy...
"Is it a warning... Utilizing the Fourth Step’s prowess, they had already locked onto my cause and effect, killing me should be easy... But I possess the Ancestor’s protection, so ignoring monk face, looking at Buddha face, the other intends not to escalate this warning to a cause and effect conflict between two Reverse Saints..."
"As for the reason for the other’s sparse inconceivable... perhaps, this inconceivable isn’t from the Fourth Step of this Reverse Venerable’s own will, so they’re unfamiliar with its use; or perhaps this unfamiliarity is purposeful... The only thing certain, this Reverse Venerable does not want me to discern their identity. But why? Is there any reason for me, such a minuscule existence, to be feared? No, they’re not fearing me, but fearing the Ancestor behind me..."
Indeed, being a Saint of the Black Buddha Sect, with quick wit, he immediately understood everything, feeling relieved, yet also regretful and helpless.
Relieved that it was merely a warning, otherwise he would’ve sought refuge at the Ancestor’s lotus seat. The protection of One Realm is nullified before the Reverse Saint’s cause and effect sword; only the Ancestor of Reverse Saints can save him... Fortunately, it was only a warning, avoiding a disgraceful escape.
Regretful that the Immeasurable Catastrophe of the Northern Barbarians Kingdom was indeed a major pitfall! He shouldn’t have come, greed indeed harms! This minor loss of Five Aggregates Treasured Light is trivial, provoking some Reverse Saint’s displeasure is significant...
Helpless that even knowing the Reverse Saint’s warning slash of cause and effect source failed to stop...
A Buddha realm devoid of life was extracted by Jiumo Saint from between the two mountains and three seas and, within his palm, transformed into a peony flower crafted from Seven Treasures true gold, quietly blooming.
A segment of past cause and effect bloomed within the flower.
"Ten Outstanding Scholars of Nanqi, Xu Yin..."
Was the Reverse Saint’s existence warning him through this cause and effect...
Jiumo Saint closed his eyes, his Buddha thoughts surging like the sea, recalling from the vast ocean, the origin of this cause and effect.
The arrival of Soul-Seizing Chess requires a Soul-Seizing Seed, and he once converted some insignificant chess masters to refine the Soul-Seizing Seed, Xu Yin being one of them...
Yet, the Soul-Seizing Seed materials he selected back then were carefully chosen, and these people wouldn’t be involved in the third step of cause and effect, let alone the fourth step...
The grand fourth step wouldn’t possibly be interested in someone as insignificant as Xu Yin...
So the dissatisfaction of this Reverse Saint might be due to the Soul-Seizing Chess itself, was his action interfering with some schemes of the Reverse Saints...
However, once the Soul-Seizing Chess is initiated, it cannot be stopped midway...
Jiumo Saint sighed bitterly, although he initiated the Soul-Seizing Chess, he cannot shut it down or end it halfway.
"If I can survive this catastrophe, I’ll retreat to practice under the Ancestor for some time..."
Afterwards, he wouldn’t dare to get involved in the Immeasurable Catastrophe of the Northern Barbarian Kingdom...
...
Ning Fan had no idea how terrified Jiumo Saint was by his impulsive sword strike.
A strike across the Long River to cut one, he couldn’t accomplish it...
Currently, he merely made such a strike inadvertently; he didn’t even realize it himself.
Yet, unintended actions are the most frightening.
Even an unintentional willow can thrive; if done intentionally, how many forests could arise...
But this isn’t entirely credited to the blessings of the Endless Sea.
Essentially, it’s because Ning Fan’s lifelong learning was too varied and rich. He didn’t seek deep understanding, yet he browsed through many Dao; he wasn’t attached to magic, he learned along the way and discarded, but whatever he studied left traces in the Dao methods.
And when countless streams finally meet the sea one day, all rivers reunited, becoming one...
At that moment.
There wasn’t a drop of seawater in excess.
There wasn’t a shred of knowledge wasted.
Ant Lord: "Second step... cutting something unbreakable? Started? It surely has started, right? Defying the heavens!"
Duowen: "Excellent! This is steady now! The master is carefree! Defying the heavens!"
Black Evil Sect: "The master defies the heavens! The master is most defiant!"
Dust Immortal: "Defying, defying, defying the heavens..."
Ning Fan, gradually accustomed to everything, silently ignored these divine sense spamming noises.
After a moment, he noticed that a usual participant seemed missing... Oh, Fried Chestnut Senior was still engaged in life-and-death struggles with Immeasurable Mountain, understandable not to partake in the commotion...
So Ning Fan set aside his distractions, and consumed all the Dao Fruits rewarded by Soul-Seizing Chess and Saint Child Thunder Scripture.
Aside from Dao Fruit, Ning Fan also obtained two hundred Star Points from the Thunder Scripture reward, which are self-explanatory.
The Thunder Scripture Dao Fruit allowed Ning Fan to advance his Ten Thousand Years Chess Skill.
On the other hand, the Soul-Seizing Chess Dao Fruit enhanced Ning Fan’s Hundred Thousand Years Chess Skill.
At first glance, there’s a tenfold difference between them, yet the effects of the two Dao Fruits differ entirely.
The Thunder Scripture Dao Fruit enhances chess skill by improving Ning Fan’s memory, calculation ability, divine sense, and spirit sense.
The Soul-Seizing Dao Fruit focuses on enhancing game experience, stretching the moment Ning Fan finds himself to a span of one hundred thousand years...
During that long period, Ning Fan played chess against the Soul-Seizing General named Xu Yin for a full hundred thousand years. Game after game, countless games...
Initially, he needed to rely on his immense calculation ability to overwhelm the opponent.
But as the games progressed, he became increasingly familiar with the opponent’s chess paths, while his own game experience kept growing...
Thus, his thinking became faster, and his chess moves grew more unfettered and inexplicable; at first glance, they seemed casual, even silly, yet those hidden threats required tens or even more moves ahead to fully unfold...
Eventually, he won for a whole hundred thousand years.
Xu Yin, the named Soul-Seizing General, was painfully and joyfully beaten for a century...
Indeed, the name of Xu Yin was spoken by the other party himself, while Ning Fan, due to the rules of Soul-Seizing Chess, remained silent throughout the century-long game...
"Phew..."
With a gentle exhale, Ning Fan regained clarity in the next moment, as if waking from a dream where yellow millet was cooked.
Without any extension in his bone age, so this century was truly just a dream...
Having played chess for a hundred thousand years, naturally, he should be exhausted physically and mentally, yet... where did this strange ease and joy come from...
Is this what the Chess Master refers to as... the joy of meeting one’s match in chess?
Ant Lord: "How can you call this meeting your match? You’re just bullying others one-sidedly..."
Duowen: "Winning one game of chess can uplift one’s mood, but Senior, you’ve won for a hundred thousand years, playing over a billion games... That’s a billion times the joy of winning, all returned in an instant, naturally bringing delight to body and mind."
As two Dao Fruits entered his stomach, Ning Fan’s slightly decreased satiety level was instantly refilled.
Then, without staying, he continued forward.
At the same time, the Saint Child Thunder Scripture also issued a new task.
[Side Mission: Soul-Seizing Second Battle]
...
Half an hour later, Ning Fan arrived deeper and encountered the second Soul-Seizing General here.
This person’s chess skill was slightly higher than the previous Soul-Seizing General, but he was even more miserably defeated.
Because Ning Fan’s improvement in chess skill was far greater than the gap between the two Soul-Seizing Generals’ skills.
After being defeated, this person also suffered the penalty of ten lifetimes of suffering.
Ning Fan remained silent, as before, and released the opponent with a single sword.
Afterward.
Another two hundred star points were in hand.
He also gained another Dao Fruit of Ten Thousand Years Chess Skill from the Thunder Scripture.
He engaged in a dream of Huang Liang with the second Soul-Seizing General during the long ten thousand years within the Soul-Seizing Dao Fruit, playing chess for ten thousand years.
Weix Yao, is it... indeed a decent opponent.
Ning Fan thought to himself.
...
Two more hours later, Ning Fan encountered the third Soul-Seizing General...
Guo Xuzhou... I have remembered your chess.
...
After another two hours of advancing, the fourth Soul-Seizing General attacked...
The fourth Soul-Seizing General, Yang Jiying... this person is very strong.
Ning Fan thought.
...
The further he went, the stronger the Soul-Seizing Generals’ chess skills became.
Ning Fan could easily defeat the first three, but when it came to the fourth person, he exhibited true first-grade entering god-level skill.
Thus, Ning Fan finally found himself in a tough battle, narrowly claiming victory in the end.
On the road ahead, who knows how many more Soul-Seizing Generals are waiting for him, and their skills will be even more formidable...
"Is this as far as I can go..."
"Along the way, I haven’t seen the Northern Barbarian God, has she already reached a deeper place..."
Even though in front of him lay endless darkness, Ning Fan seemed to glimpse a cloaked woman, deep within, facing the source of the Soul-Seizing Chess at any cost.
This woman moves so fast, does she possess profound skills to bypass the chess play, solving everything with extraordinary methods?
Or is she simply so skillful in chess that her every game is won incredibly swiftly, and she similarly sends the Soul-Seizing Generals to release, allowing her to move on a path Ning Fan finds unreachable...
Whichever the case, this woman exceeds Ning Fan’s expectations in every way...
Ning Fan shook his head, feeling inferior.
He did not intend to proceed further.
He did not have the utmost confidence to defeat the fifth Soul-Seizing General, nor did he have the confidence to defeat more Soul-Seizing Generals and reach the deepest point.
Therefore, he decided not to advance any further.
After all, reaching this point was already deep enough!
Scanning his surroundings with the Tianren Eye Technique of the Third Realm, Ning Fan finally found a special location.
This place was not the deepest of the Soul-Seizing Chess, nor was it the correct process to unravel the Soul-Seizing Chess.
However, it was the weak point of the Soul-Seizing Chess!
Ordinary people couldn’t possibly know where the weak point of the Soul-Seizing Chess lay, but Ning Fan instantly understood everything!
[If the Soul-Seizing Chess is a giant chessboard, then this place would be one of the nine-star positions on the board, though not the Tianyuan, it is still crucial]
[If the endless darkness before him were a fierce beast’s massive body, this would be the body’s most vulnerable spot]
[Piercing this place would destabilize the interior of the Soul-Seizing Chess, triggering a large-scale secondary collapse]
To use the Saint Child Trial as an example, destroying this place would be akin to provoking a collapse whenever he performed astonishing actions within the Trial World.
Start from a weak point, then instantaneously output the maximum Dao Power, finally surpass the critical threshold of this realm’s limit...
And then... trigger a collapse!
But this was not an easy feat, as the critical value of the Soul-Seizing Chess far exceeded that of the Saint Child Trial...
Roasted Chestnut Elder: "Good lad! You obviously understand the nature of your behaviors! Yet you claim you don’t cause trouble on purpose every time?!"
In a distant place, still locked in a stalemate with Immeasurable Mountain, Roasted Chestnut Elder couldn’t hold back any longer, forcefully returning his thoughts with a retort.
Ning Fan, who thought being away meant he could be more carefree but still got caught: "..."
[Attacking the Soul-Seizing Chess from this point, there’s only one chance, and the opportunity is fleeting]
[If unable to strike successfully in one hit, the Soul-Seizing Chess will instantly repair all damages, and then the disturbance will attract all the Soul-Seizing Generals’ assault within the chess]
[Moreover, it must be a Supreme saint-level attack to have any possibility of being effective...]
Is there only one chance to strike...
And it must reach the magnitude of a saint’s strike?
For me, this seems like an impossible task...
Ning Fan closed his eyes, the voice of Roasted Chestnut Elder loomed nearby saying, "Wait don’t be reckless," "You can’t do it don’t act rashly," "Can you act like a human," and so forth.
But at this moment, the power within Ning Fan’s body flowed with his will, like a sea in circulation, silencing all other voices to him.
Inconceivable...
There was a trace of an inconceivable force, slowly moving among his many powers, seemingly newly joined...
Ning Fan had yet to realize that the overdose of Desolate Blood he consumed was not temporarily effective; instead, his robust physique completely absorbed it. Like raindrops falling into a stream, like streams merging into rivers, it finally became part of Ning Fan’s strength...
So quiet...
Although all five senses and spiritual perception were fully heightened, what came to his ears was not a torrent of information but silence from a hollow valley...
The only thing he could hear was the Dao within himself, engaging in a conversation...
So contradictory, so disordered, he couldn’t comprehend what he was saying...
This sensation was akin to the feeling when communing with the Endless Sea, even though unwittingly chatting with one another, they nevertheless conversed joyfully and gained much from it...
If it’s just one strike, what kind of strike should I deliver...
Which strike is my strongest, capable of reaching saint-level potency?
Should I use the Reverse Sea Sword to replicate the slash that eradicates the unbreakable, it seems, insufficient...
Should I use the Rain Dragon’s attack instead...
Should I employ the upgraded Flooded Bottle...
Or perhaps the Eternal Ghost Soldier suits better...
Not enough, not enough...
Yet I can hear many voices...
The Merit Umbrella also craves a battle...
The recently conquered Five Aggregates Treasure Light also wishes to join the fray as a declaration of allegiance...
The Cross Halo is eager to display its prowess...
The Ant Lord Tao Mountain doesn’t want to fall behind...
But this became troublesome. I can only launch one strike now, how to give everyone a chance and match a saint’s strike...
[All together, we can go all together]
Together?
Can things that are mismatched, even with a large number of directly opposing Dao methods, really move forward together...
Does a way to transform everything into a single strike truly exist...
[Master can achieve it, because you are our master]
Master... is it...
Ning Fan abruptly opened his eyes, as if struck by a large bell, suddenly shaken.
What have I truly cultivated my whole life?
In my youth, I learned... harmony...
Later... I learned... communication...
And later still... acceptance...
And now... understanding...
Resolving conflicts, bridging misunderstandings, gaining acceptance, understanding everything...
I already possess enough means to make the impossible possible in this world...
In a trance, Ning Fan seemed to see a sea and mountain belonging solely to him, vaguely manifesting before him, but in the end, it dispersed like mist...
He saw it because he already understood that the sea and mountain existed.
It dispersed because it was still a distant place he could not yet reach.
The sea and mountain passed fleetingly before Ning Fan’s eyes, but Ning Fan still heard something.
The sea sang of eternal perseverance.
The mountain answered with eternal silence.
Ant Lord: "Getting the understanding of mountain and sea already? Defying heaven!"
Duowen: "I don’t understand it, but I’m deeply shocked! Defying heaven!"
Black Evil Sect, Little Dust: "Defying heaven, defying heaven, defying heaven..."
Roasted Chestnut Elder: "Second step... seeing the mountain and sea? Is this a person?"
The overwhelming shock caused the Roasted Chestnut Elder to disrupt the formation.
Yet nobody knew, not even Ning Fan, the only one capable of knowing, was currently aware.
After a long time, he opened his eyes, calmly summoning the Reverse Sea Sword.
This is a Dao Weapon, the embodiment of his life’s path, thus this strike shall use it as the vessel...
Reverse Sea, Reverse Sea... you may be a sword, and you can also be... a sea, capable of embracing all rivers...
Roasted Chestnut Elder: "I suddenly have a bad feeling, this boy seems to be preparing for something big..."
"Rain Dragon enters the sword!"
Ten Rain Dragons were summoned by Ning Fan, transforming into ten streams of water, entering the body of the Reverse Sea Sword.
This was Ning Fan’s initial attempt.
Reverse Sea Sword, Reverse Sea Sword!
This should not be a sword, it should be a sea! And so, Rain Dragon returns to the sea, in line with the Dao, as it should be!
This method... is feasible!
Perhaps he should have used the Rain Dragon this way all along!
Thus, under Ning Fan’s spiritual inspiration, the sword light of the Reverse Sea Sword had the addition of ten dragons, with its sword light’s intensity increased several folds!
"Water Flood enters the sword!"
Ning Fan decided to try further.
Thus, the Flooded Bottle turned into a ray of light, flew into the Reverse Sea Sword, akin to a stabilizing treasure sinking into the depths of the sea.
Moreover, surging waves from the Flooded Bottle poured out, flowing inside the Reverse Sea Sword, making the sword exude a turbulent force from the inside out!
Indeed, the Reverse Sea Sword was crafted from Eternal Rain.
And Eternal Rain was extracted by Ning Fan from the Flooded Bottle.
The two treasures shared the same origin, and their affinities were harmonious, with no incompatibility, like five fingers that can form a fist!
If the Flooded Bottle could work, then...
"Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle enters the sword!"
The Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle Iron, taken from the sea, should naturally be used at sea.
This treasure entering the sword posed no incompatibility!
Furthermore, the stabilizing power of the sea could further stabilize the internal structure of the Reverse Sea Sword, preventing instability from incorporating too much random stuff inside...
"Sun Moon Stars Stele enters the sword!"
The bright moon rises over the sea!
The sea sun arises in the dark night!
The sun and moon coexist, yet they do not compete, but harmonize Yin and Yang, stabilizing the Five Elements.
As a harmonizer, this treasure bears no incompatibility with the Reverse Sea Sword!
"Flame Thunder Fire enters the sword!"
With the Sun Moon Stars Stele stabilizing Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, Ning Fan decided to let go further.
Thus, surging flame thunder spewed out, rushing into the Reverse Sea Sword.
Logically, this should have been water and fire incompatible, as the technique and the Reverse Sea Sword have poor affinity, the difficulty of harmonizing them is high.
But what if he transformed Flame Thunder Fire into the rising sun over the sea, and the thunder during a storm, what then!
"Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree enters the sword!"
With the command of the wood god, let a divine tree grow in the ocean of the Reverse Sea Sword, this... is also in accordance with Dao techniques!
Additionally, using this as a medium, more wood-type divine spirit force can be affixed to the Reverse Sea Sword, preventing the divine spirit force from running rampant inside the sword.
"Demonic Night Transformation, Dao-Manifested Big Dipper!"
Then after...
"Ant Lord Tao Mountain enters the sword!"
Mountain and sea cannot meet, but both Tao Mountain and the Reverse Sea Sword are determined to participate in the battle, therefore they can join forces!
So, why can’t there be a Tao Mountain above the Reverse Sea?
There are too many magical treasures and divine skills added, and the technique is strong but the Dao weak, thus a Saintly Dao Mountain, to balance, supplementing the Dao might that the Reverse Sea Sword lacked.
Once the Ant Lord Tao Mountain was placed inside, what else couldn’t go?
Other’s Tao Mountain can enter my sword, my own things, naturally all can...
The Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and Dao techniques can all be harmonized, if any aspect’s power becomes too strong resulting in imbalance, another thing would be used to balance it...
"Shengwan enters the sword!"
"Five Aggregates Treasure Light enters the sword!"
"Primordial Thunder Cauldron enters the sword!"
"Merit Umbrella enters the sword!"
"Dao Like a Submerged Current enters the sword!"
"Chaotic Ancient Yin-Yang, all enter the sword!"
"Something enters the sword!"
"Something Something enters the sword!"
"Something Something Something enters the sword!"
After half an hour...
"If this sword had an Artifact Spirit, the power might be even greater... Black Evil Sect, you shall enter the sword! Little Dust, if you are willing, I can also divide a part of your consciousness into the sword!"
And then...
"Netherworld Ghost Flower appears! Ancient Great Cultivator Puppet enters the realm, making you act as the Artifact Spirit to complete the full might of a strike!"
"Things are still too much, relying solely on these Artifact Spirits, it’s still difficult to balance..."
"Duowen, are you willing to divide some consciousness into the sword? You are one of the Ziwei Four Sacred Artifacts, this matter is not difficult for you!"
"Hmm? I can’t hear, can’t hear your reply, you... have you tacitly agreed? If so..."
Duowen: "Wait, I didn’t agree! Does the Immortal Emperor not hear me refusing!"
Yes, Ning Fan couldn’t hear, even if he did, he would forget amid the inconceivable.
Since Duowen can enter the sword, then...
Ning Fan: "Ah Yi, an elder in the family is like a treasure, I need your strength for this matter..."
Ant Lord: "No discussion! Your sword cannot bear my consciousness!"
Ant Lord was speechless.
Although she is just a wisp of a Saint’s residual soul, how big-hearted is this guy to think of using it as an artifact spirit?
If this matter spreads, how can she hold her head high among other Saints? What if she still has hope of returning to the Real Realms? She absolutely cannot have such a black history!
Ning Fan: "It’s just to allocate a wisp of consciousness, the Reverse Sea Sword can bear it. I will temporarily recognize you as the master of a thread of consciousness and invest it into the Reverse Sea Sword, then return you your freedom, without deception... Are you silently consenting by not replying? Well, thank you!"
Ant Lord: "I am not consenting to anything! Stop, don’t do it! Not here! You beast, ah ah ah ah..."
Unable to hear, under the influence of the inconceivable, Ning Fan knows nothing.
"Reinforce the Reverse Sea Sword with this, use it as its exoskeleton..."
Ning Fan moved his mind, and a layer of shield light from the God-Extinguishing Shield formed an outer shell around the Reverse Sea Sword.
If it’s just one strike, it can now bear the Ant Lord as the artifact spirit, though more than a few times it might not...
Evidently, while Ning Fan is adding things carelessly, he is also considering the safety of the Reverse Sea Sword.
Two hours later...
The treasures in Ning Fan’s storage pouch were almost all thrown into the Reverse Sea Sword. Any Divine Skills he could recall were infused into the sword. Thus the seabed was fully packed, resembling being full of ocean debris, while above the ocean were flowing colors of Dao techniques, forming hundreds of rainbow colors... Yet this marvelous scene is balanced and harmonious, without any conflict in attributes; the only flaw is its lack of beauty, being overly marvelous.
Nevertheless, as a pragmatist, Ning Fan does not mind the temporary lack of beauty, nor does he see any problem with the Reverse Sea Sword appearing unwieldy like a Giant Sword at this moment.
The Reverse Sea Sword, transformed into a giant sword, was too heavy, both physically and in terms of Dao techniques. Fortunately, Ning Fan had strengthened his physical defense and Dao techniques once, and installed adequate artifact spirits in the sword to help bear the physical and Dao technique weight.
If it’s just a single strike, he can barely swing it...
As for mana, it is far from enough to maintain such a large consumption...
Luckily, as he is not battling an enemy now, he has sufficient time to slowly accumulate power and charge this sword.
"Cross Halo, activate!"
The cross halo began to revolve around Ning Fan like planetary rings. Instantly, all of Ning Fan’s attributes increased, and all mana regeneration turned into power charging, rapidly channeling mana into the Reverse Sea Sword...
The side effect is more taxing on the heart spirit than usual, given the multiple things he is controlling, but considering it’s just charging a single strike, it is no problem.
So, after another six hours...
Ning Fan finally completed his preparations!
At that moment, he had already transformed into a giant divine spirit, simultaneously activating the devil spirits rampage while shouldering a giant sword several times larger than his giant form.
The giant sword emitted a dazzling destruction sword light, its peculiar hue closely resembling a certain poisonous mushroom unique to Nijun Southern Wilderness.
That dazzling color is precisely... a signal of danger!
Yet Ning Fan does not hasten to strike, but waits, waits for the moment when his power and momentum reach their peak...
In his mind, he recalls the emotions from dispatching four Soul-Seizing Generals in succession...
One sword, like a butterfly...
And those thoughts, finally drifted towards the vast ocean formed by the Reverse Sea Sword... soaring!
Like a butterfly, it finally flew over the Northern Cold Country and then into the bleak expanse, returning to its origin...
As that moment arrives, the dazzling destruction sword light around the giant sword reaches its peak and gradually transforms into a huge butterfly shadow...
A butterfly has opened its wings in the inconceivable territory!
The butterfly shadow grows larger, even the desolate blood cannot block the burning light of its Fen Chi wings!
Far away, deep within the Soul-Seizing Chess, the Northern Barbarian God was suddenly aghast.
She abandoned a third of the root source of soul seizure without hesitation and flew towards Ning Fan.
She remembers nothing...
Yet for some reason, upon witnessing this butterfly burning wing phenomenon, she felt the greatest panic she ever had...
Fragmented scenes flashed through her mind, their meaning unclear, yet they still... tore her heart into pieces...
She seemed to see the black sun burning fiercely once again, descending from the sky.
The black sword flew out of the mouth of the Eternal Ghost Soldier but instead brought destruction to everything...
Thus, the lies on Primeval Mountain during the ancient time were buried...
Thus, the moon river was severed, merely to fold the sword...
But, so what...
The snowy valley is eternally silent, the flames never extinguish...
The body enters the Dust Tree, the gods do not respond...
The Parijata flower blooms, but there’s no path in the sea of suffering...
Planting the soul in the mountains and seas, yields no good fruit...
Bend the soul into paper, forever fall without return...
Having endured many farewells, growing accustomed to despair...
Yet she is still unable to do anything...
What is left in her memory are only empty betrayals and deceptions, while her body swims frantically towards the haven in the inconceivable sea of darkness.
If the Soul-Seizing Chess wishes to seize her butterfly once more...
She... will never allow it!
...
Meanwhile, inside, Jiumo Saint’s unease rose to the extreme.
When Ning Fan freed Weix Yao, the second slash of karma crossed the long river and accurately struck his face!
When freeing Guo Xuzhou, the third slash of karma flew in!
When freeing Yang Jiying, the fourth slash of karma flew in!
The good news is that these slashes of karma were not powerful at all, light as nothingness.
The bad news was that these "Reverse Saint Warnings" were becoming increasingly frequent, and Jiumo Saint couldn’t understand how big a mess he had caused in the Northern Barbarians Kingdom to receive four Reverse Saint Warnings!
As the ancient saying goes, nothing happens more than three times, but there have been four times already. How can this matter end well...
"My reckless actions of seizing souls must have interfered with some significant matter of a Reverse Saint! This is a great karma and may be difficult to resolve. Not even the face of the ancestor may suffice! No, I can’t stay here; I must return and beg the ancestor for salvation! But I don’t know where the ancestor is right now..."
Thinking of this, Jiumo Saint dared not stay in One Realm any longer and flew out of the realm without a second thought, heading straight for the River of Time.
Beneath him were the surging waters, reflecting countless shadows of reincarnation.
Jiumo Saint sped along, searching in the river waters for any guiding marks left by the ancestor.
Along the way, he encountered several companions of the Third Realm.
Some people questioned Jiumo Saint, but Jiumo Saint barely responded. He firmly believed that he was deeply ensnared in the great karma of the Fourth Step, and therefore saw everyone as the hawks and hounds of that Reverse Saint, daring not to engage in random conversations, for fear of further entrapment...
But what you fear will come.
Unable to find the guiding mark left by the ancestor, he suddenly encountered a vibrant butterfly sword light at a certain temporal dock filled with immortal boats...
At that moment, countless time travelers resting at the dock watched in shock as a blood arrow shot from Jiumo Saint’s body, falling from the sky...
What was going on?
The grand Jiumo Saint, slain at the River of Time?
Oh, he wasn’t dead after all, still able to shout, then it’s okay...
But why didn’t this saint get angry after being struck, instead, he seemed happy? Could it be like Liangyi Sage, who had lost his mind?
"I actually... didn’t die!"
"If my perception is correct, this sword is the final strike of the Reverse Venerable severing karma! But the elder still harbored a compassionate heart, thus only slashing a wound on me without killing me!"
"How generous! How benevolent!"
"This junior, Luo Shi, erred first, thus I pledge here with the great vow of reincarnation! In this life and this world, I shall never dare to interfere with the major affairs of the Reverse Venerable again, and if I break this vow, may I forever fall without return!"
Though injured by a single slash, Jiumo Saint dared not show a hint of anger, only a face full of gratitude as if thankful for the sparing hand.
In his heart, he believed that the Reverse Saint hesitated at the last moment due to the ancestor Chaos Kun’s karma, and ultimately chose to give up...
No matter the reason for releasing this karma, he needed to make a gesture to ease this great terror and great karma.
So without a word, he directly made the great vow of reincarnation.
Thinking to himself, I have apologized, and I have made the great vow of reincarnation; you, the mighty Reverse Saint, couldn’t possibly hold onto a junior any further...
Jiumo Saint waited for a while, seeing no response to his vow, unsure whether this supreme being had forgiven him or not. Though deeply anxious, he did not dare linger in the area, calmed himself with effort, and continued seeking the ancestral mark...
This time, if he found the ancestor, he would remain at his side without venturing a single step away, avoiding mundane affairs! Not until his cultivation was enough to receive the full-powered karma sword of the Reverse Saint unscathed, would he dare descend the mountain!