307 - Elasia Saga

--- "Boom——" In just an instant, the narrow cave was divided into three sections. Six figures darted about in every direction, as massive sword beams suddenly flickered by. The enormous power clashed, and demonic energy and spiritual energy filled the air immediately. Some of the misaligned attacks struck the surrounding cave walls, causing a tremendous shaking throughout the cave. Despite manifesting three clones, the Heavenly Dao was still able to evenly match Fu Yan and the others. After all, His power was already terrifying, tightly controlling the will of the Heavenly Dao and suppressing the space entirely. When Zhao Ping floated in from outside, she was greeted by this scene, making her scalp tingle with fear. Actually, after Fang Yu ran off, Zhao Ping hadn't left the Dragon Trapping Gorge. However, seeing Fang Yu's formidable strength made her too afraid to show herself easily. Yet, in a fleeting moment, she seemed to sense the aura of her master, the Zhu Shen Jian, which prompted her to sneak in. As she looked at the cave ahead, Zhao Ping hadn't quite recovered when the red silhouette of the Zhu Shen Jian barged into her view, leaving her stunned for a moment before she became extremely emotional, nearly weeping with joy. She hadn't anticipated the Zhu Shen Jian to suddenly break numerous seals and awaken once more. If not for the inopportune situation, she might have rushed forward. After watching the chaotic battleground for a long while, Zhao Ping finally calmed down. Her strength was insignificant compared to anyone here, and stepping forward would only cause trouble and potentially risk her own life. For a moment, she felt as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. In the next second, the Zhu Shen Jian trembled slightly and met Zhao Ping's gaze. Overcome with excitement, she soon found herself obscured by Fang Yu's figure without even a chance to speak. Sighing lightly, as Zhao Ping felt somewhat at a loss, the voice of the Zhu Shen Jian echoed in her mind. Instantly, her eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she drifted along the wall towards Fu Yan, aiming to keep herself out of harm’s way in the chaotic environment. After some time of floating with the air currents, Zhao Ping finally safely reached Fu Yan's side and relayed the Zhu Shen Jian's words to her completely. Upon hearing this, Fu Yan, who was in the midst of swinging her sword, paused suddenly, and a look of sudden realization flashed across her face. Only at this moment did she fully understand that she could only control one law power at a time. This was exactly why her attempts over the decades to condense them had failed. Now that the law power used to destroy the seal of the Zhu Shen Jian had been expended, it was the ideal opportunity for her to gather it anew. Meanwhile, the initial law power on the Mo Ling had practically been expended, considering Mo Ling had entered a slumber with the law power to ensure it remained infallible and thus, wouldn't be affected. Reflecting on this, amidst the pressing will of the Heavenly Dao, Fu Yan finally leaped into action within the cave. Without hesitation, her true essence erupted entirely. In the next instant, a vast sword formation materialized behind her, fully unfurling its "petals." "Go!" With a shout from Fu Yan, countless sword shadows surged forth, rushing straight towards Fang Yu. The mighty sword intent seemed as if it could tear through space at any moment, causing the air to become turbulent. Unbothered, Fang Yu casually moved his hand, sending his sword flying forth, rotating rapidly before him. "Szzzzz—" The sword shadows all collided with his sword aura, creating a massive tearing sound, enough to make one's scalp tingle. Yet, amid the dense barrage, Fang Yu, beneath his sword, remained calm and composed. None of the chaotic sword intents managed to touch even a corner of his clothes, all effortlessly blocked by the sword before him. Seeing this, Fu Yan showed no hint of panic. She knew how terrifying the fully matured Heavenly Dao was. On the other side, Bai Yue Li and the Zhu Shen Jian were also struggling. Against the pressure of the Heavenly Dao's will, no matter how powerful they were, it was impossible to single-handedly defeat the avatar of the Heavenly Dao. Every semblance of Fang Yu seemed ever so relaxed, as if He was merely playing along with the three of them. What they were facing wasn't Fang Yu but the Heavenly Dao itself. Battling with the heavens, so it was. Nonetheless, for a fleeting moment of respite, Fu Yan summoned her celestial crossbow and with a swift gesture, a formidable light arrow immediately coalesced upon it. Whizz! In an instant, the light arrow traversed through Fu Yan's sword formation, quickly shooting towards Fang Yu. Faced with the celestial weapon's mighty power, He finally raised his idle right hand, effortlessly dismantling the light arrow with a grasp in the void. No matter how terrifying the power, Fang Yu seemed able to effortlessly dismantle it. Yet, at this instant, Fu Yan handed over the celestial crossbow to Bai Xiong, her spirit tool, while withdrawing her mental focus rapidly. Simultaneously, Fu Yan unleashed all her spiritual force, seizing control over the sword formation below with her formidable psychic abilities once more. "Ugh…" Although Fu Yan's spiritual power significantly increased after her ascension, the accompanying growth of the sword formation's power meant utilizing her psychic force to manage it remained arduous and painful, even post-ascension. At that instant, her entire mental sea churned violently, feeling like her head might burst apart any moment. Despite enduring such agony previously, this experience gave Fu Yan some much-needed familiarity, so she appeared less disheveled. In a fleeting breath, the sword formation behind her and the celestial crossbow before, both launched aggressive attacks on Fang Yu. Although He could handle them with ease, it forced Him to focus completely. Seeing this, Fu Yan availed herself of the brief respite, biting hard on her molars to disregard the agony in her mental sea before closing her eyes and immersing herself in her mindscape. As time passed by with the seasons, she seemed to reconnect with the world around her. "…" In less than a moment, a golden glow burst forth on Fu Yan’s wrist, swiftly materializing an encircling spell on her arm. A new law power had been successfully condensed by Fu Yan. "Phwoosh—" Yet, right at that moment, under intense mental pressure, Fu Yan, deep in her meditation, suddenly spat out blood. In the nick of time, she awoke quickly, eyes opening wide. The pressure on her mental sea reached its peak. Had she been delayed by a few seconds more, her mental sea might indeed have faced catastrophic detonation. Not even sparing a glance to sense the new law power on her hand, Fu Yan retreated as if the tide had reversed, swallowing back all her spiritual force, breathing heavily and involuntarily. "Splash—" As her spirit withdrew, the sword formation behind Fu Yan instantly collapsed. Countless sword shadows, as if losing anchor, plummeted from mid-air, dispersing into spiritual energy before disappearing. Within a fleeting breath, the densely packed sword shadows surrounding her returned to their original state. "Whoosh," as expected, under Bai Xiong's control, the celestial crossbow continued firing another light arrow towards Fang Yu, streaking across the sky with explosive speed. With the absence of the sword formation's oppression, Fang Yu finally reached out to once again clasp His sword, deftly intercepting the light arrow with ease. At this moment, Bai Xiong within the celestial crossbow, almost at the brink of collapse, cried out, "Is this person truly just a regular immortal? My attacks to him feel like cotton balls, this is beyond crazy." Though Bai Xiong wasn't a top-tier celestial tool, even in the long bygone past of the cultivation world, it had never seen anyone casually handle the attacks of a mid-tier celestial tool, and so nonchalantly, as if hardly exerting any extra effort. If Fu Yan didn’t return to herself, Bai Xiong thought it might end up ensnared in its melancholy. Pressed for time, Fu Yan wasted no words, swiftly retrieving the celestial crossbow while acknowledging Bai Xiong with, "Thank you!" Instantly flipping over, she threw the newly condensed golden law power in her hand towards Fang Yu without a moment’s delay. The law power transformed into a long whip, streaking directly towards Fang Yu. In this moment, Fu Yan clearly sensed the crushing will of the Heavenly Dao dispersing under the law power, an overwhelming sense of lightness and relief washed over her. Faced with the oncoming law of power, Fang Yu's eyes flickered, seemingly not having time to deliberate further. Suddenly, a terrifying sword intent burst forth from him, clashing violently with the golden law power. "Boom! Boom!" Instantly, a deafening explosion erupted between the two. The entire space seemed to shake violently, with massive boulders cascading down from the cave ceiling. Fu Yan poured more strength into her attack, finally hurling it outward. In the next moment, she heard the sound of tearing sword intent and raised her gaze to see that Fang Yu's longsword showed signs of fracturing upon contact with the law power. Seeing this, Fu Yan rejoiced as the situation finally turned. However, there was no time to celebrate; she knew she couldn't give her opponent any chance to breathe. In a blink, she vanished from her position, only to reappear at Fang Yu's right side, wielding the law power. "Go!" Without hesitation, Fu Yan once again swung the long whip of law power. The terrifying force surged forth like an immense tidal wave, bearing down on its target. At this moment, Fang Yu showed no intention of dodging. Instead, he furrowed his brows slightly, and an enormous power erupted from within him. Having discarded the shattered sword, He faced the law power barehanded. The force, strong enough to obliterate a mountain, intertwined with the law power, causing the entire space to twist drastically. Buzz—— At this moment, the surrounding walls of the cave could no longer withstand the strain, rapidly collapsing. But the individuals within the cave paid no mind, only Zhao Ping, floating nearby, was filled with unease. Fu Yan focused her spirit, causing the golden light upon the law power to shine even brighter. With a distinct tearing sound, the law power finally crushed through Fang Yu's strength, striking him in a whirlpool of power. With a muffled sound, Fang Yu was repelled backward in disarray, crashing into the collapsing wall. Massive rocks fell, seemingly ready to bury him completely. However, a transparent, unseen barrier suddenly appeared in the cave, holding space against the falling debris. Meanwhile, across from Zhu Shen Jian, Fang Yu retained a confident demeanor, smirking at the sword spirit. “It seems I overestimated your ability. The legendary Zhu Shen Jian is nothing special.” Zhu Shen Jian, unperturbed by the mockery, evaded the incoming sword intent with a swift move. “Is that so?” she retorted, smirking back. Fang Yu remained indifferent. “If that’s truly all you've got, there’s nothing worth expecting.” With that, a cold gleam flickered in Fang Yu's eyes. His lips curled as He gripped His sword, a sword intent mingled with the will of the Heavenly Dao coalescing swiftly. In a blink, a massive sword blade shot out. Fang Yu seemed to be holding back no more, intending to finish the fight in one strike. Facing the fierce sword blade, Zhu Shen Jian's gaze finally shifted. At that moment, the space around Zhu Shen Jian vibrated violently, and before anyone could react, multiple sword blades appeared, as if an entire army had been unleashed. Swish! Swish! Suddenly, the blades charged forward, imposing like troops storming a fortress, filling the space with an overwhelming aura as they clashed head-on with Fang Yu's sword intent. Immediately, the sound of tearing filled the air. The blades from Zhu Shen Jian shattered through Fang Yu's sword aura, shooting towards him with unstoppable force, striking at his body forcefully. “Slam!” Fang Yu was knocked back by Zhu Shen Jian's attack. The oppressive will of the Heavenly Dao trembled as well, testament to the terrifying power of Zhu Shen Jian. In just a moment, two of Fang Yu's avatars were forced back, their expressions shifting. However, with Bai Yue Li, the scenario was less favorable. Massive serpents formed from demonic energy lunged at Fang Yu, mouths agape. The dense demonic Qi enveloped him, rapidly wrapping around his figure. Nearby, Bai Yue Li furrowed her brows tightly, intensifying her power. The serpents surged into Fang Yu's body, unleashing explosive energy immediately. Amidst the thick demonic Qi, Bai Yue Li's eyes widened, fixated on the figure inside as it shattered under the overwhelming power. But… In the next second, a new figure emerged from the demonic Qi, Fang Yu smiling with towering sword light dispersing the surrounding demonic energy. In the nick of time, Bai Yue Li leapt back, withdrawing her hand to avoid the backlash of power she would have suffered. Having absorbed some of Mo Jun's power, Bai Yue Li's strength was nearly on par with Fu Yan’s. Nonetheless, without the power of law, she was helpless against the avatar of the Heavenly Dao. Just as when Fu Yan hadn't reconsolidated her law power, all their attacks felt insubstantial to Fang Yu. Staring at the figure, Bai Yue Li felt her heart sink. “It’s time to end this,” Fang Yu declared calmly, looking at Bai Yue Li with a sudden determination. Just as Bai Yue Li reacted, Fang Yu raised His hand, unleashing several bolts of Heavenly Thunder towards her. Eyes wide in disbelief, she quickly regained her senses, deftly dodging. Yet, the Nine Heavens Terrifying Thunder persisted, relentlessly chasing her. Finally, it struck her fiercely, sending powerful electric surges through her body and causing fresh blood to spurt from her mouth. In the next instant, Bai Yue Li slammed heavily into the ground. … At the same time, as Fu Yan regained her composure, a bolt of Nine Heavens Thunder hit her directly. She couldn’t block it in time and was forced to endure the blow. “Ugh…” She let out a low groan, eyes raising sharply to see Fang Yu rising from the rubble, staring back with a bloodthirsty grin. “Did you think just one law of power could defeat me?” His smile deepened, as He raised His hand again, unleashing more bolts of Nine Heavens Thunder. “Dream on,” He said. Watching the lightning bolts approach, disbelief filled Fu Yan's eyes. The Nine Heavens Thunder was part of the ascension tribulation, yet the Heavenly Dao's avatar could wield it easily, comparable to undergoing another ascension trial. Not quite, for during a tribulation, lightning strikes sequentially, giving cultivators a brief respite. Now, however, multiple bolts struck simultaneously, leaving no room for evasion. With no other choice, Fu Yan hurled her law power to block, but it only entangled one bolt of the Nine Heavens Thunder, the others continued unimpeded. Her protective true essence was useless; she could only watch as bolt after bolt of Thunder pierced her body. The lightning surged, overwhelming her strength. “Gah—” In a flash, Fu Yan too spat out blood, crashing heavily to the earth, stirring clouds of dust. Blood trickled from her mouth as she struggled to look up, seeing Bai Yue Li had also fallen nearby. She rushed to her side without hesitation. “Shijie, are you alright?” Fu Yan quickly helped Bai Yue Li up. Bai Yue Li, seeing Fu Yan’s injuries, grasped her hand tightly and shook her head. “I’m fine, you…” Swish! The golden law power returned to Fu Yan's hand. Before the two could react, another thunderous sound echoed, revealing a red figure hit as well, collapsing to the side. “Cough… cough…” The Zhu Shen Jian coughed, the vibrant red blood reflecting her attire. In mere moments, all three were struck down by Fang Yu's Nine Heavens Thunder. Watching as the three avatars merged into one as He approached. A grin stretched across His features as He spoke, "You’re still too weak." As Fang Yu merged into one, Fu Yan momentarily considered using her law power to bind Him but dismissed the thought quickly, realizing one law of power wouldn’t hold Fang Yu any better than it did when Mo Jun emerged. It was nothing more than a futile struggle. Even though Zhu Shen Jian was not a match for the Heavenly Dao, understanding that its strength hadn't fully recovered after breaking the seal, Fu Yan's mind was still in turmoil, feeling as though there was no way out. In this moment, she wasn't even certain if the space within Xu You Jade Seal was completely safe. Lost in thought, she suddenly saw Fang Yu raising his hand once again, releasing several bolts of Nine Heavens Thunder straight towards the three of them. In that crucial moment, as Fu Yan was about to take Bai Yue Li with her into the Xu You Jade Seal, a figure abruptly appeared before them. "Boom——" The entire cave shook as that person shielded them from the Nine Heavens Thunder. "Mo Jun?" Fu Yan stared at the sudden appearance of the figure, utterly shocked, blurting out in disbelief. Bai Yue Li was equally stunned by the unexpected appearance of Mo Jun. Before the two could gather their thoughts, Mo Jun's voice resonated in Fu Yan's mind, "Create a Law Space." And with that, she dashed towards Fang Yu. Barely allowing a moment for Fang Yu to react, the two instantly clashed fiercely. "A Law Space?" Fu Yan paused, momentarily puzzled by these words. “Cough… cough…” The sound of Zhu Shen Jian's cough brought Fu Yan back to focus as it abruptly said, "The power of the Heavenly Dao originates from between heaven and earth." The Heavenly Dao is a manifestation of this world, continually drawing power as long as the Tongxuan Continent exists, enabling it to easily employ the Nine Heavens Thunder from the tribulation. To defeat the opponent, one must sever the connection between the Heavenly Dao's avatar and the entirety of this world. In that instant, an understanding dawned on Fu Yan. The Law Space that Mo Jun referred to was an independent space generated using the power of laws. Only within such a space could the connection between the Heavenly Dao's avatar and the continent be severed. With this realization, Fu Yan quickly cast her gaze on the law power in her hand. But how could she use the law power to create a space? It seemed the final key rested with Fu Yan. Glancing at the injured Bai Yue Li, she felt utterly unsettled, her entire being tumultuous with anxiety. Seeing Fu Yan's state, Bai Yue Li quickly regained her composure, reaching out gently to wipe the blood from Fu Yan's mouth with a calm and tender gesture, her eyes conveying a quiet smile. "I believe in you," she said. From beginning to end, Bai Yue Li had always believed in the person before her. With these words, Fu Yan paused, and her heart instantly calmed. She smiled back at Bai Yue Li, "Mm." The surroundings seemed to fall silent, as Fu Yan quietly entered a meditative state, clutching the golden law power in her hand, its glow fluctuating, appearing unstable. Whoosh— Before long, within the cave, golden threads of light emerged, rapidly extending in every direction.