146: Chapter 146 Don't be afraid, stand behind me

"What powerful Sword Intent!"

"Is this the Realm of the Lucid Sword Heart? Truly terrifying!"

At that very moment, the Ancient Tablet of Enlightenment, which had remained motionless for ages...

Actually produced a hint of resonance!

On the surface of the ancient tablet, Law imprints related to the Dao of the Sword began to emit a faint light, as if summoned, echoing Li Mu's Sword Intent from afar.

Time passed, second by second.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn...

A sudden change occurred!

The longsword floating above Li Mu's head suddenly erupted with a dazzling, brilliant light!

An incredibly solid Sword Intent surged out from his crown.

It transformed into a visible stream of light, striking the thousand-foot-tall Ancient Tablet of Enlightenment like a startled swan!

Clang—!!!

A loud bang of metal clashing on stone shook the clouds!

Under the shocked gazes of everyone, a fresh, three-foot-long sword mark was forcibly left upon the ancient tablet that had existed since antiquity and endured countless ages of erosion!

Above the sword mark, the Sword Intent was chilling and did not dissipate for a long time!

“Heavens! He left a mark on the ancient tablet!”

“In less than the time for an incense stick to burn, he triggered the tablet's resonance and left his own Dao Mark! This... what kind of monstrous talent is this!”

“Terrifying! This Li Mu's talent in the Dao of the Sword is simply unheard of!”

Amidst the exclamations, Li Mu slowly opened his eyes.

He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

Though his face was somewhat pale, his eyes were brighter than ever before.

Clearly, this discussion of the Dao had benefited him immensely.

He stood up, turned his gaze toward Chu Xiao, and made a gesture of "please."

In an instant, over a hundred pairs of eyes...

All fell upon Chu Xiao simultaneously.

Everyone was curious: faced with Li Mu's stunning performance, how would this man, who had always acted overbearingly and arrogantly, respond?

Could he also leave a Dao Mark on the ancient tablet?

How long would it take him?

And how deep would the Dao Mark be?

However, under the gaze of countless expectant eyes...

Chu Xiao's actions made everyone's jaws drop.

He had no intention of sitting cross-legged like Li Mu.

He simply let out a yawn, then took a step and walked unhurriedly toward the massive black ancient tablet.

Then, under the puzzled gazes of everyone...

He reached out his right hand and pressed it against the stone tablet.

“What is he doing?”

“Touching it directly with his hand? What does he think this is? A wishing stone?”

“Truly an arrogant fellow. How can enlightenment be treated like such a joke!”

Several prodigies from the Central Province couldn't help but sneer in low voices.

However, before their laughter could fade...

In the next second, a sudden change occurred!

Rumble—!!!

The entire thousand-foot-tall, eternally immortal Ancient Tablet of Enlightenment...

Began to tremble violently without any warning!

That movement was more than ten thousand times greater than when Li Mu triggered the resonance just now!

It was as if the entire earth was wailing under this vibration!

Following that, a terrifying scene appeared that everyone present would never forget for the rest of their lives!

On the ancient tablet, thousands of ancient and obscure Law imprints, the moment Chu Xiao's palm touched them...

Seemed to come alive!

They went wild!

They boiled over!

They transformed into brilliant streams of light of various colors, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, scrambling to pour frantically into Chu Xiao's fair and slender palm!

“Ah!”

“My Dao! My insights!”

The prodigies who were still sitting cross-legged and meditating instantly let out cries of agony.

They were horrified to find that the weak connection they had finally established with the ancient tablet...

Was forcibly severed at this moment by an invincible and domineering power!

Many people suffered immediate backlash on the spot.

They spat out blood, their expressions becoming listless.

One by one, they looked up in absolute terror at the white-robed figure before the ancient tablet, the expressions on their faces...

Like they had seen a ghost in broad daylight!

Everyone was petrified.

Their eyes were wide, their minds blank, completely losing the ability to think.

On the square, there was a deathly silence.

Only the "buzzing" sound of the thousands of Law streams flowing into Chu Xiao's palm...

Was clearly audible.

Li Mu stood blankly in place; the brilliance and Battle Intent on his face had long since vanished.

In its place was endless confusion and daze.

He had just been feeling complacent for being able to leave a three-foot sword mark on the ancient tablet.

But now...

The other person was almost "eating" the entire tablet!

How could he even compete?

It seemed only ten short breaths had passed.

All the Law imprints on the surface of the Ancient Tablet of Enlightenment, which had stood for ages, were swallowed clean by Chu Xiao.

The entire ancient tablet turned into a bare, wordless white board.

Immediately following...

Crack—!

A crisp sound of cracking was exceptionally piercing on the square.

The ancient tablet, having lost all the support of its Laws...

Split open with a gap right down the middle.

The moment the crack appeared...

A golden light of ultimate brilliance shot out from the crack.

Instantly illuminating the entire world!

Under everyone's gaze, a tattered golden page from within the ancient tablet...

Slowly floated upward.

The page was made of an unknown material, and a Reincarnation aura that made one's Divine Soul tremble flowed upon it.

It seemed to contain the mysteries of life and death between heaven and earth!

“What... what is that?!”

“To think such a supreme treasure was hidden inside the ancient tablet!”

“The aura of Reincarnation! Heavens! Could it be the legendary...”

Everyone's breathing became incredibly rapid at this moment.

Their eyes were filled with greed and fanaticism.

Chu Xiao withdrew his palm, not even looking at the already cracked ancient tablet.

He simply beckoned with his hand, and the golden page emitting endless divine light...

Flew obediently into his hand.

[Reincarnation Dao Scripture · Remnant Page]!

He put away this supreme treasure, which was enough to make the entire cultivation world go mad, and then slowly turned around.

He looked at Li Mu, who was already completely petrified behind him.

With a somewhat lazy smile on his face, he said faintly: "The Dao is not meant to be comprehended; it is meant to be controlled."

"Your path is still very long."

The calm voice reached Li Mu's ears.

Boom!!!

Li Mu's body shook violently as if struck by lightning!

The confusion and daze on his face completely faded at this moment.

The Dao is meant to be controlled...

Yes!

He had spent his whole life painstakingly searching, trying to understand the Dao, to get close to the Dao.

Yet the man before him already stood at the end of the Dao.

Playing with the Dao in the palm of his hand!

This was the gap!

An eternal chasm that could never be crossed!

Realizing this, a bitter smile of release appeared on Li Mu's face.

He sheathed his longsword and bowed deeply, very deeply, toward Chu Xiao.

This bow was one of complete and utter submission.

“Li Mu has been taught.”

The four words came from the bottom of his heart.

However, at that moment.

Chu Xiao's brow suddenly twitched slightly.

His lazy gaze swept across the seemingly calm Void Realm around them, and then he gave a soft laugh.

“Finally here.”

“Just as well, I was getting a bit bored.”

As soon as Chu Xiao finished speaking...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

On the plains, from all directions, dozens of powerful auras that had been deliberately suppressed earlier erupted!

Thick pillars of blood-colored light...

Rose into the sky from every corner of the plain.

Quickly connecting to form a massive killing array covering a hundred-mile radius!

Buzz—!

The blood-colored light curtain, like an inverted giant glass bowl, instantly enveloped Chu Xiao and his party, along with the over one hundred prodigies from various places before the Ancient Tablet of Enlightenment!

In an instant, heaven and earth turned into a dim, blood-red color.

The black earth beneath their feet actually transformed into the surging and turbulent Nine Nether Styx!

The ink-thick river water rolled.

Countless distorted and pained faces rose and fell within it, letting out silent roars.

A bone-chilling coldness and killing intent...

Instantly descended upon the heart of every living being trapped within the Formation!

“Is... is this the Myriad Dao Heavenly Demon Slaying Array of the Dayan Holy Dynasty?!”

“No! This aura is even more sinister than the Slaying Array!”

“And the assassins from Xiaoyao Valley! What do they want to do?!”

The faces of the prodigies present instantly changed drastically.

One moment they were still immersed in the shock of the Ancient Tablet of Enlightenment being destroyed.

The next moment they were plunged into an ice cellar by this sudden certain-death situation.

Everyone looked in terror at the suddenly appearing killing array and the figures floating beneath the blood-red sky, emitting terrifying auras.

Just then, directly above the Formation, space distorted.

The wrinkled face of the Great Elder of Xiaoyao Valley...

Slowly emerged.

Beside him stood dozens of Xiaoyao Valley Elders with equally unfathomable auras, as well as experts from the Dayan Holy Dynasty.

On everyone's face...

Was the fanaticism of revenge.

Their gazes were deadlocked on Chu Xiao in the center of the Formation.

“Haha... Hahahahahaha!”

The Great Elder of Xiaoyao Valley let out a burst of laughter.

The sound, amplified by the Formation, spread to every corner.

“Chu Xiao! Welcome to the Nine Nether God-Slaying Array—meticulously prepared for you by my Xiaoyao Valley and the Dayan Holy Dynasty!”

“This array cost my Sect nearly a thousand years of effort and the sacrifice of a full million living souls to finally refine!”

“Once this array is out, it is specifically designed to slaughter Returning Void Old Ancestors! For a mere brat like you to die in this array is an honor you've earned over eight lifetimes!”

Beside him, an Imperial Uncle of the Dayan Holy Dynasty pointed at Chu Xiao with a venomous gaze and roared sternly:

“Chu Xiao! You destroyed my Holy Dynasty's prince's Saint Pupils and severed our Holy Dynasty's future Luck!”

“Today, this array shall be your burial ground! We will extract your Divine Soul and suppress it within the Nine Nether Underworld Fire, burning it for ten thousand years, so you may never be reincarnated!”

“The Formation has completely cut off the secrets of heaven and obscured all Karma here! Even if the King of Heaven himself came, he wouldn't be able to save you! Today, you cannot escape even if you had wings!”

Venomous curses and arrogant laughter echoed throughout the entire Formation space.

Causing the hearts of all the trapped prodigies to sink completely to the bottom.

This was no longer a competition between the younger generation.

This was a certain-death trap laid by two top-tier forces...

Sparing no expense!

They were merely the fish in the pond who happened to be present and were caught in the crossfire!

“Ah!”

One Prodigy, refusing to believe it, roared and summoned his strongest Lifebound Treasure, turning into a stream of light and striking the blood-colored Formation curtain with all his might.

However, his attack was of no use whatsoever!

Instead, because of this attack, that Prodigy was instantly dragged into the Nine Nether Styx beneath his feet by an invisible force.

Disappearing without a trace!

This scene sent a bone-chilling cold through everyone.

Within the Formation, the bone-chilling Nether Qi had already reached its peak concentration.

They were like billions of poisonous snakes.

Infiltrating and corroding everything.

Spirit energy, flesh and blood, Divine Soul... even the glow of Magic Treasures!

Princess Ji Ziyue's fair face was pale. She had summoned a royal secret treasure, a Heart-Protecting Mirror, which was currently emitting a soft light, protecting her and Xiao Fan within it.

But this Heart-Protecting Mirror, whose grade was as high as a half-step Dao Artifact, was under the corrosion of the Nether Qi.

Its light was dimming rapidly at a visible rate.

Black spots began to appear on the surface of the mirror.

As if it would completely shatter at any moment.

Even more terrifyingly, within that Nine Nether Styx, tens of thousands of souls that had been forcibly refined and were filled with endless resentment...

At this moment, they let out shrieks capable of tearing apart the Divine Soul.

They transformed into black ghostly shadows, rushing out from the Styx.

Baring their fangs and claws as they pounced on everyone in the Formation.

Frantically battering everyone's minds.

Many prodigies with weak wills immediately had their eyes roll back, foaming at the mouth as resentful souls invaded their Sea of Consciousness, their Divine Souls instantly torn to shreds!

“Roar—!”

A furious dragon roar resounded through the sky at this moment!

Xiao Hei's massive form of the Nether Ancestor Dragon...

Manifested in mid-air once again.

He felt that his master's companions were in danger.

He also felt the provocation of this filthy aura toward his master!

In a fit of rage, he opened his dragon mouth and spat out a stream of black dragon breath toward the flood of resentful souls pouncing from the sky!

However, a bizarre scene occurred!

The usually invincible [Nether Dragon Breath], upon contact with the Nether Qi, not only failed to purify it...

But instead seemed to have met its nemesis!

This Nether Qi shared the same source as his dragon breath, yet it was even more filthy.

Even more filled with an aura of destruction and corruption!

The filthy Nether Qi actually polluted his pure dragon breath in turn!

“Roar!”

Xiao Hei let out a pained roar.

His massive dragon body trembled violently under the shroud of the filthy Nether Qi.

The indestructible Obsidian Dragon Scales on his surface began to lose their luster.

As if covered by a layer of gray Death Qi.

Even Xiao Hei was being suppressed!

Seeing this, Princess Ji Ziyue and Xiao Fan's faces instantly turned deathly pale.

He stared blankly at Xiao Hei roaring in pain in the sky.

Then he looked at the group of crazed enemies outside the Formation, his lips trembling as he muttered to himself: "It's over... it's all over..."

“Even... even the Great Dragon Lord is being suppressed... this... this is a truly inescapable death trap...”

Such a move, such a scale, was completely beyond what they could imagine.

Completely beyond the scope of what they could handle!

This was a killing game where even Returning Void Realm Old Ancestors would die with regret!

How could they possibly live?

Princess Ji Ziyue's delicate body trembled even more, and she subconsciously reached out to grip Chu Xiao's arm tightly.

She felt that bone-chilling cold and watched Xiao Hei struggling in pain in the sky.

Her voice carried a hint of fear:

“Brother Chu Xiao...”

However, just when Princess Ji Ziyue thought she would feel Chu Xiao's muscles equally tensed...

She only felt a warm hand gently patting the back of hers in return.

A gentle and calm voice sounded in her ear.

“Don't be afraid.”

“Stand behind me.”