KREE!
Imperial Sky, Sky Judgement Mountain.
Zhangjie Wushu executed hand-seals as illusory runes integrated with the mountain. The abacus pieces banged left and right while the paper fan glowed a luminous green, circulating her body like a spiritual guardian. Liu Yinlan and Hu Meifang stood to her left and right, not daring to bother her. The former was anxious while the latter was contemplative.
A full nine mortal seconds had passed. Zhangjie Wushu still hadn't broken through the formation despite her confident declaration earlier. However, that wasn't what Hu Meifang was contemplating; she had seen an image of a handsome young man earlier and recognized him from various spiritual jades as Wei Wuyin, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint! The characters he wrote in the air were incessantly flashing in her mind.
Liu Yinlan wanted to speak but decided not to. She had to trust Zhangjie Wushu and didn't dare to bring forth any complaints in case this was a crucial point and something unexpected had occurred.
If one was observing the sky at the moment, one would note that the starry backdrop of the Dark Void was not chaotic or turbulent. There was no thunderous noise or screeching song of the sword. The planets remained unmoved. There was no chaos at all.
Zhangjie Wushu had her eyes closed tight. She had noticed earlier that they had been moved into a type of dimensional space of a Saint Ring; the skies had been quietly replicated to a near-flawless degree, and this was clear by how two World Emperors of the Endless Voyage Realm remained ignorant of these changes. While Hu Meifang was startled and distracted earlier and Liu Yinlan was single-mindedly focused on her sister's situation, the effects 'should' have been felt if done with the slightest carelessness.
It was an extraordinary trap, and she was trying to observe their predicament, probing the situation for any openings. If her guesses were correct, the worst-case scenario was their reality: they'd entered Tian Taizong's Domain of Mysticism. Likely, they'd been forcefully brought into a Saint Ring, Secret Realm, or worse of all-his Internal World. However, the mountain wasn't simple either.
Zhangjie Wushu noted there was an aura of a nigh-impregnable law that was preventing anyone from entering or leaving. It was a genuine Sprouting Phase level aura from a Seed of Law, and it felt absolute. She had long since broken the defenses of the mountain, but this thin veil of Law aura was like a blockade that she couldn't sneak through.
She either had to resort to force or have the one who established this blockade remove it personally.
However, this was troublesome! If he's at the Sprouting Stage and the Worldly Saint Phase, then they'll have considerable trouble to deal with. Her thoughts were pensive. Moreover, they were undeniably caught. If they tried any overt ways to escape, there were far too many variables to consider. Since she didn't know the circumstances outside, she didn't know if they were being held hostage or not, or if Tian Taizong was distracted and could spare the attention. If they were simply talking, then their attempts could result in a fierce retaliation.
The Heaven's Sky Palace is active... The formation placed on that Palace was fully activated and was the only indication she had that there was an ongoing battle. But it could simply be a way to reinforce their cage, making it impossible to escape with ease.
She had to remain calm about this and consider things from multiple angles. "I'll need thirty seconds. Something is blocking the way that I hadn't expected," she suddenly said, but she knew that breaching through this Law aura was going to take far, far longer than thirty seconds. Without brute strength, it could take three hours.
"Take as long as you need," Liu Yinlan said. Despite her words, the anxiety in her eyes intensified.
...
The battle between the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor and the three World Emperors of the Endless Voyage Realm was reaching a fever pitch. Tian Taizong was exhibiting a clear display of supremacy, having dealt consecutive blows to Jia Yang's giant body and Su Nainzu's armor, which was falling into pieces, crumbling into dust.
"Argh!" Su Nianzu was blasted by Tian Taizong's Aeternal Sky Power, tumbling through the Dark Void, his legs stabbed into fixed space as he leveraged its stability to weaken his backward momentum. The act left miles-long stretches of broken space!
Jia Yang slammed his Worldbane Mace at Tian Taizong's head, his gigantic body emitting an aura of hellish brutality and mountainous weight as he held nothing back! Tian Taizong calmly lifted his hand, slamming out a palm that rapidly expanded to become as large as a tiny-sized planet within the blink of an Ascended's eye, and tried to push Jia Yang back!
The Worldbane Mace crashed into the world-sized palm and shattered it almost instantly! Unfortunately, it was almost! The tiniest gap caused a delay in coordination, allowing Tian Taizong to construct a bridge of space, his gaze shifting to Zhen Yang and shining with brilliant, imposing light.
Zhen Yang was in the worst state of the trio, suffering greatly early, and then having little time to recover despite the assistance of Su Nianzu and Jia Yang. Moreover, he was key to breaking Tian Taizong's gathered momentum in the fight several times, saving both of them more than half a dozen times from a vicious blow. He wasn't a simple swordsman but one who dual cultivated the sword and sound, allowing him to see things as ethereal as momentum and the subtle cadence of one's aura and action.
When others fought, their bodies were like composed music. Every attack, every defense, every spell, every art, and every breath followed invisible musical notes that perfectly synchronized into harmony. The stronger the cultivator base and cultivated foundation, the greater this phenomenon was to the perceptive eyes of those who birthed Sound Intent with an emphasis on music.
Tian Taizong's cultivation base was a grand symphony of a high caliber, but this also made it easier to read the flow of his movements and actions, enabling Zhen Yang to slice precisely at critical moments from afar, halting his gathered momentum and predicting his decisive attacks.
Moreover, he was a Sword Cultivator, renowned for their extraordinary offensive means. Despite Su Nianzu and Jia Yang possessing Domains of Mysticism and intact Mystic-World grade armaments, he could unleash slightly sharper attacks, just a little bit stronger! Tian Taizong couldn't ignore a single sword light of his!
If not for this, Tian Taizong's Sprouting Stage Seed of Law would have been enough to establish utmost superiority! This was especially so considering Su Nianzu and Jia Yang only unleashed the fullest extent of their cultivation base, not daring to rely on excessive external means without knowing Zhangjie Wushu and Hu Meifang's situation.
Tian Taizong had long since discovered this fact as Zhen Yang stayed a safe, pestering distance with an unyielding glint in his eyes. But currently, Su Nianzu was blasted back and Jia Yang was briefly delayed-OPPORTUNITY!
WHOOSH!
Zhen Yang had long since felt the disconcerted melody of Tian Taizong's movements, the sound of heavy bass that focused on him, and he was already retreating after Su Nianzu was blasted away. Unfortunately, Tian Taizong had long since made subtle preparations that Zhen Yang couldn't quite notice. The bridge was already formed. With a single step, Tian Taizong appeared before Zhen Yang. It almost seemed as if Zhen Yang's flight path had directly led him to Tian Taizong!
Pupils constricted, Zhen Yang's two eyes erupted in golden sword light, unleashing two sky-splitting beams.
"Sink," Tian Taizong's eyes glowed, as an absurd amount of Imperial Law aura erupted from his gaze. The two sky-splitting beams sunk downwards as if a titanic-sized planet acted as a weight, pulling them down. With a single motion, Tian Taizong's hand reached for Zhen Yang's throat. Despite still being a few miles away, it felt as if Zhen Yang's throat was destined to be caught.
BOOM!
Zhen Yang unleashed his Mystic Aura in a torrential explosion of madness and desperation. Alas, in the end, he found his throat caught between four fingers and a thumb. His eyes bulged as he felt an undefiable power drown him entirely!
This was Imperial Law!
"Cease."
A single word and Zhen Yang felt his entire cultivation base stop circulating, refusing to listen to his will. It was only for the briefest of moments. Given another microsecond, Zhen Yang would have completely escaped through the sheer strength of his Mystic Soul's instinctive strength and resistance, but Tian Taizong was long since prepared for this scenario, his free hand moving like void lightning, striking at key points on Zhen Yang's meridians and on his glabella with unerring accuracy.
This weakened Zhen Yang slightly and extended his microsecond of reaction to two, and that cascaded into three, and then four as Tian Taizong kept striking, and then Zhen Yang was unable to resist as he was captured!
Su Nianzu and Jia Yang flew forward, but they stopped their attacks. If they launched any, they could injure Zhen Yang further. They didn't think that Zhen Yang was in any danger. Worldly Saints were extremely difficult to kill. They had no confidence in slaying Zhen Yang and they similarly had no confidence in Tian Taizong's ability to do so, even if Zhen Yang was held captive.
Wang Yutian and those who came from the Endless Purgatory were prime examples of this unchangeable fact! And for those like Zhen Yang who had a good background, the life-saving treasures implanted in his Mystic Soul and Soul itself weren't simple at all.
However, if they acted hastily and inadvertently assisted in harming Zhen Yang, it was potentially possible for him to die given Tian Taizong's Sprouting Stage Seed of Law!
"Tian Taizong, do you want to be sealed again? Are you going to repeat your mistake?" Jia Yang suddenly warned.
Tian Taizong held Zhen Yang aloft.
Su Nianzu added, "The granddaughter of the Zhangjie Clan's Matriarch that sealed you is currently in your possession." Unlike Jia Yang, Su Nianzu didn't care about keeping the importance of the hostages hidden. In fact, he wanted to highlight it, especially since Zhangjie Wushu had the most prestigious background of them all. However, he didn't try to warn Tian Taizong threateningly as Jia Yang had. Given his cultivation of a Seed of Imperial Law, there was no way threats would work. He simply wanted to inform Tian Taizong that any hasty action would be met with a retaliation far greater than what he received before.
Jia Yang knew that too. However, he had his reasons for openly threatening. He wanted Tian Taizong to kill Zhen Yang! He wanted him to try!!
Tian Taizong frowned slightly. The frown of an Emperor could cause the downfall of clans and the change of a nation's fate. He could guess both of their intentions. He didn't answer either. Instead, he ignored them, focused on Zhen Yang, and his hand was brought to Zhen Yang's chest. The hand grew illusory as spatial ripples infused with Imperial Law aura emanated outwards.
Su Nianzu and Jia Yang's eyes widened.
"You have something that doesn't belong to you."
"AHH!" Zhen Yang exclaimed in agony as Tian Taizong plunged his hand into Zhen Yang's chest. There was no blood. There was no splash of energy. With a hearty yank, Tian Taizong pulled out the Imperial Advisor from Zhen Yang's Internal World!
She was sealed but fully conscious. When she was pulled out, seeing Tian Taizong in his Exalted Transformation state, her eyes grew so emotional that tears swelled within them threatening to spew out.
"Who told you to get yourself captured?" Tian Taizong revealed a very rare warm smile, his eyes unnaturally gentle toward this advisor of his. "Trying to relive the old days that much?"
The Imperial Advisor's throat lurched with unspeakable feelings, nostalgic about their younger years, especially when she was saved there too in the darkest era of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. She couldn't even speak despite the millions of words she wanted to say.
"Watch this," Tian Taizong instructed as his smile gradually faded, turning to face Zhen Yang who was writhing in dreadful pain. Tian Taizong stabbed once again! This time with greater force! Zhen Yang's body frantically spasmed.
Peng Yue's unconscious body was pulled out!
Then, Tian Taizong eyed the two World Emperors who were curiously watching. They didn't seem too worried. However, how would they ever expect what was about to happen next?!
"St-stop!" Zhen Yang's eyes were dangerously bloodshot as he saw Peng Yue's beautiful, unconscious figure that was bleeding from several orifices.
Tian Taizong, however, didn't stop. He grabbed Peng Yue's head in his large hand and without hesitating a single second, summoned forth his Seed of Imperial Law! It moved through his soul and into Peng Yue's head! The sight caused all three to reel in abject shock.
"Reverse."
A single word and the imperial Law were etched into reality, unchangeable and irreversible. Peng Yue's entire body erupted with vast, frightful Time Power! It happened in an instant.
The world seemed to reverse rapidly! As if someone was turning back the clock.
Temporal Reversion!
Moreover, Peng Yue was unleashing it!!!
The Imperial Advisor felt all her injuries regress to a completely normal state, even abolishing her seals. It was as if they were being undone in the same way they were formed.
The Aeternal Sky Starfield started being affected from border to border!
The fragments of debris and areas of the obliterated Sky Destroyers...all of it began to reverse and fluctuate!
Zhen Yang was shaken to the core as he watched Peng Yue's beautiful face and slender body withered. Her life aura began to rapidly deplete alongside her innate energies cultivated over tens of thousands of years of dedicated, difficult effort! She was exhausting her lifeforce!!
"STOP!!!" His screeching shout shook the void. There was no way Peng Yue would survive unleashing Temporal Reversion on the entire Aeternal Sky Starfield! Even if they stopped it now, her foundation would be disastrously ruined!
Tian Taizong ignored him entirely. The colossal Sky Destroyers and normal Sky Destroyers were in the miraculous process of being rebuilt on an atomic level, slowly reversing the catastrophic damage inflicted by Zhen Yang!
The lives that were lost-the Mystic Heart Intent of the Yin Sword beseeched the Mystic Dao, slowly easing the requirements of regression of their deaths and bodily destruction! This was something only World Emperors could do!
It was why it was common practice for World Emperors to revive Ascended beings!
However, only that this power of Temporal Reversion was indiscriminately performed in a wide range, targeting those from the Endless Voyage Realm and the Aeternal Sky Starfield!
The body that cradled his grandmother's body was shaken as her eyes brightened with life.
"Feng'er?" The words of the grandmother were incomparably soft yet it was like thunder to the boy's ears!
Su Nianzu and Jia Yang were stunned and speechless. You can do that?!
"STOP! STOP!! STOP IT NOW!!!" Zhen Yang seemed to have gone crazy. "STOP HIM!!!!!" He shouted toward Su Nianzu and Jia Yang, but both of them were taken aback by the events, observing the mass regression of the world around them. They had never seen a World Emperor exhaust their lifespan and innate energies cultivated over a lifetime to unleash Temporal Reversion before...
They even felt that their injuries not sustained by the Imperial Law aura were reversing to a healthy state. Additionally, Peng Yue was frighteningly young for a World Emperor, only about twenty-one thousand years old. She had a lot of lifeforce left!
Tian Taizong eyed Zhen Yang, "There will be no stopping. Just as there will be no surrender, as you previously declared."
The Imperial Advisor's eyes brightened considerably.
Zhen Yang's eyes widened in disbelief, rage, panic, agony, and fear.
Su Nianzu and Jia Yang were at a loss.
KREE!!!
Suddenly, the regression stopped!
The lives that were in the process of being revived were in stasis, some of their bodies half-returned, and their eyes revealing an awkward state of being tethered to an inkling of their souls. The Sky Destroyers' debris halted entirely. The flow of Time Power stopped emitting from Peng Yue's withered, life-drained body.
All of them looked in a single direction.
"No surrender? I might just use that myself."
Tian Taizong's eyes narrowed. Su Nianzu's eyes glittered. Jia Yang frowned. Zhen Yang was only focused on Peng Yue. And the Imperial Advisor grew solemn.
Wei Wuyin, atop his Fire Phoenix, had arrived!
From far, currently flying at a steady pace, Wei Wuyin's voice was like resounding thunder yet as serene as a stream of water, "Did you complete them all, Tian Taizong?"
