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The Taowu departed in peace.
The divine beast Hakutaku of Shu Mountain had existed for many years, its strength comparable to a cultivator of the Eighth Realm. Due to the accumulation of countless years, it often surpassed the contemporary sect leaders in power.
The very purpose of a mountain-guarding divine beast is just that. In years when talents are scarce, it's not guaranteed for a cultivator of the Eighth Realm to emerge from the sect. At such times, the long-lived mountain-guarding divine beast becomes crucial, assuming the role of a sect's guardian.
Since the loss of the Demon Suppression Tower, Hakutaku had not been seen, leading to widespread speculation in the cultivation world, but no conclusions had been drawn.
Just now, with Shu Mountain in chaos and reinforcements arriving from the outside, Hakutaku still did not show itself, leading many cultivators to believe that the speculation about Hakutaku vanishing along with the Demon Suppression Tower might be true.
However, Hakutaku's current appearance in such a peculiar dormant state made everyone realize that this was not the case.
But due to their insufficient cultivation levels, they could not understand why Hakutaku was like this, nor were they clear about what this state actually was.
The old monk on the Lotus Platform of Myriad Laws caught sight of this and his pupils flashed.
"No wonder the divine beast Hakutaku has not been seen for many years. It has achieved Great Perfection and is preparing to break through to the Ninth Realm," he murmured with a hint of surprise, "Shu Mountain has shown weakness for years, but if Hakutaku succeeds, it will once again rise to the forefront of the righteous path!"
The old monk's words were still conservative. Historically, each emergence of a Ninth Realm cultivator has reshaped the mortal world as much as a reshuffling of the deck!
Because the Ninth Realm is the sole dominion of the world, aside from the previous Demon God, there are no records of a Ninth Realm being overthrown.
Of course, it is for this reason that the power of the Demon Suppression Tower is so evident.
Only a cultivator of the Eighth Realm could discern the clues of Hakutaku's dormant state. In fact, it was not asleep, but its own microcosm had reached a state of perfection, achieving an enlightenment of the Great Dao. Since then, it has been in another world.
This could also be defined as "Great Perfection of the Eighth Realm."
Once the right opportunity arises, it will ascend with its entire microcosm, becoming a mysterious being of the Ninth Realm.
But this opportunity is not just about its own enlightenment; more importantly, it requires the death of the previous Ninth Realm being, as only then can a new Ninth Realm emerge.
However, it's not to say that once the Demon God dies, Hakutaku can ascend. Because there may be more than one Eighth Realm cultivator at the critical point of Great Perfection.
In some hidden corners of the world, there might be others in a dormant state, waiting for their moment.
Should the Demon God fall one day, these beings at the brink will engage in the fiercest of struggles.
Then, a true pinnacle battle will ensue, with the victor ascending to the summit and the loser's efforts coming to naught.
Regardless, the emergence of a being at the brink signifies that Shu Mountain has secured a ticket to the grand opportunity. No wonder that for hundreds of years, despite facing great adversity, the divine beast Hakutaku has never shown itself.
This is a gamble on the future!
And it is for this reason that Lu Chengchou targeted Hakutaku first. Disrupting its brink state is not something that can be quickly recovered.
In comparison, humans may have an advantage. Although their lifespans are much shorter, their enlightenment is quicker, making it easier to re-enter the brink state. For the beast race, enlightenment is much more difficult, and once disrupted, it may take hundreds or even thousands of years to reach it again!
But considering the long lifespan of divine beasts, they may experience more than one opportunity to vie for the Ninth Realm after its fall, making the humans' advantage in enlightenment a form of cosmic fairness.
Therefore, if Hakutaku's brink state is disrupted this time, Shu Mountain may completely miss the next grand opportunity.
This would be even more severe than the consequences of severely injuring Wen Yuan Senior.
Such malice is undeniable.
As the Taowu was about to crash into Hakutaku's giant egg, at the moment when years of effort could be shattered, that sword light appeared.
***
When Chu Liang unleashed that earth-shattering sword qi with the combined swords, his gaze was remarkably calm.
The bigger the stage, the more he could keep his composure. Ignoring the astonished gazes all around, he was merely repeating something he had done before.
Although he had failed the last time he attempted to combine the swords, this time he was determined to succeed.
As for the massive amount of true qi infused within, that was no longer his concern.
There was a celestial technique called "Heaven and Earth Longevity."
This technique allowed the caster to connect with the target, transferring all of the caster's true qi, blood energy, lifespan, and other powers without reservation to the target.
At times, this celestial technique was useless, but at other times, it was miraculous.
Like now.
Although the whereabouts of the Riding Whale Immortal were unknown, an invisible and intangible channel had already formed between him and Chu Liang. True essence surged like a mighty river into the sea, forcefully passing through Chu Liang's body, and soon after, pouring into the combined swords' radiance.
Boom—
Chu Liang could even hear the roaring within his meridians!
The sensation was incredibly surreal yet exhilarating!
In the vast cultivation world, how many could have such an opportunity in their lifetime? To wield the seventeenth-ranked divine sword of the mortal realm, wielding the power of the Heavenly Origin.
To slay an ancient ferocious being born from the Great Dao!
Hiss—
The Taowu's eyes widened, one eye revealing anger while the other burst forth with blood.
This creature, born defiant and unrivaled, would not show a hint of fear or retreat even in the face of death. Instead, it opened its gaping maw of a blood sea even wider! If this sword did not kill it, it would devour Chu Liang along with Hakutaku!
Then, the sword light of the combined purple and green swords fiercely poured into its mouth, entering through the mouth and exiting from the back of the head, piercing through! The sword light then sliced downward, severing half of its torso!
Such was the power of a divine sword!
Without a divine weapon in hand, even an Eighth Realm powerhouse would not find it so simple to slay such a beast so cleanly.
"Roar…"
This ferocious beast, full of fighting spirit until death, seemed to want to devour even the Grim Reaper, before crashing heavily down into the sea of clouds.
Like a small meteorite falling, the ground shook and the mountains trembled!
Boom, boom, boom—
In the next instant, a huge mushroom cloud of dust rose from below the sea of clouds.
A massive golden shadow rose with the dust, merging into Chu Liang's body, and only then did he show a look of joy.
Wow, now that's a relief.
It had been a while since the White Tower inside him had opened, and he hadn't expected such a big catch on its first opening. The rewards given by the White Tower weren't entirely based on the cultivation level of the slain being, but there was still some correlation.
A mark of the Taowu's level might be something he could never achieve on his own in a lifetime; he couldn't imagine what reward it would yield.
On and below the mountain, in the heavens and on the earth, countless eyes watched as Chu Liang emerged out of nowhere, slaying the Taowu with a single sword strike.
They were all dumbstruck.
If they didn't know him, they might wonder which reclusive expert of Shu Mountain he was. But the vast majority had just witnessed the final match of the Shu Mountain summit meeting and knew that Chu Liang was a promising new disciple.
Even if he had some talent, it shouldn't be to this extent...
Even if he was recognized by the purple and green swords, wait... how could he alone be recognized by the purple and green swords? Wait! How did he manage to combine the swords by himself?
Of course, amidst all the other overwhelming shocks, this curiosity was just a minor detail.
The bigger question was, even with the combined swords, the amount of true qi needed to instantly kill the Taowu was definitely beyond what a Fourth Realm disciple could possess, right?
It was clear to the discerning eye that if the true qi of a Fourth Realm disciple was a bucket of water, then the true qi unleashed by that sword was an ocean!
The disparity was as vast as heaven and earth!
How did he do it?
While the entire place was in shock, and everyone was somewhat dazed.
Chu Liang moved again.
The swords, still combined, were raised high, pointing towards the sky.
"No way, he still wants to join the battle above?" "But if he has the purple and green swords, it seems possible..." "He's just a newcomer from Shu Mountain..."
"Heh—" Chu Liang let out a clear shout.
Under countless incredulous gazes, he swung his sword towards the true form of Ksitigarbha in the sky!
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After this sword strike, the whole world will remember my name!