A single attack infused with the murderous intention to sunder the heavens, slice through time, pierce through space, and annihilate all life. The saber light was boundlessly shocking.
The range of this attack was precise and condensed, directed solely upon the one-armed elderly man's thin, withering figure. The flood of turbulent saber light and the deep howl of a saber caused the one-armed elderly man's robes to flutter as if besieged by a great storm.
The facial expressions and body language of Cao Cuifen and Young Master Shang dramatically shifted with awe, surprise, and fear as they instinctively guarded themselves. Their respective mystic wards were still in the process of enveloping their forms as the saber light met flesh.
The one-armed elderly man's gaze flickered with faint shock. This attack could devastate large swathes of starfields. Endless lives could be brought to an unquestionable end. It was mighty, pure in purpose, and flawlessly executed. The Imperial Law aura geysered from his pores, intricately infusing with the saber.
However...
A single saber swing, nothing more.
In the eyes of others, this was incomparably terrifying and awe-inspiring. To him, it was an equation whose only answer was a single fist, as were most of his obstacles on the path of assiduous cultivation.
With a clenched fist, he launched it forth with the ease of a breath and the demeanor of a demon. The hearts, minds, and souls of everyone on board were immediately engulfed by the image of this thin, wrinkled fist that contained compressed world-shattering, profound power.
SHATTER!
The saber light collapsed. It released a deep howl bearing the despair of ten thousand shattered glasses and dispersed tragically, leaving behind brilliant motes of law aura.
The Imperial Law aura was far weaker than earlier. There was no law of Space or Time within this saber, and the strange esoteric laws within had diminished to a barely noticeable extent.
The elderly man's mind felt satisfied that his theory had been validated. While within the confines of the Endless Void Mirror, surrounded by the pious worship, reverence, and reliance of quintillions of living beings, The Minor Authority of Imperial Law that Wei Wuyin wielded was reduced to a scant shell of its former self.
Without the quasi-supreme Heavenly Treasure, how could he possibly wield the Laws of Space and Time so easily? While it all seemed to have originated from Wei Wuyin's soul, how could he easily trust such things when his cultivation base was sealed? Seeing the truth before him left him feeling both pity and relief. Pity that Wei Wuyin hadn't grasped these things himself, giving him a chance to seize them from his mortal soul. Relief that Wei Wuyin hadn't grasped these things himself, likely causing all sorts of potential issues to occur.
His fist remained unaffected by the saber light as its power smashed through. It didn't aim at Wei Wuyin after shattering his attacks but veered perfectly to the side.
"..." Wei Wuyin's single slash contained a great amount of his power, and seeing it shattered so easily left him visibly taken aback, but the ferocious rage in his eyes remained as he readied another swing. Alas, the elderly man's attack shifted, leaving him briefly stunned.
"AH!" A shriek of horror escaped Cao Cuifen's lips as her half-completed mystic ward could barely resist the mere fluctuation of mystic power from the one-armed elderly man, shattering and enveloping her in a crushing, inescapable feeling. Before she could say a single word more, the force from the fist smashed against her.
Despite being an Ascended being, her entirety shattered in much the same way as Su Mei, only her body erupted in a deep-sounding explosion beforehand, a sign of her Mystic Soul and Mystic Core resisting death with all its might. Her figure vanished from the white vessel.
The others were flung back by the explosion, but the white vessel's formations kept them from leaving the confines of the ship, only reaching to the railings before smashing against an invisible barrier. The sounds of bones shattering and flesh erupting were sickening and continuous.
"So they aren't hidden experts," the one-armed elderly man remarked with relief. From the very beginning, he had been under the assumption that Cao Cuifen might be a deftly cunning hidden expert staying by Wei Wuyin's side as a guardian. A guardian turned lover. He had always been on guard against her, not daring to do anything obscene while his cultivation base was sealed.
If Cao Cuifen had demanded that he retrieve his Incarnations earlier when he acted against Trueborn, he would have without hesitation. The concept of being inside the isolated world of a Heavenly Treasure was hellish for any True Sage Phase expert, especially one that had used the Soul Lock of Lawful Authority. Before he could fully unravel the seal, any Heavenly Saint could have slaughtered him in their Heavenly Radiance State.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
Moreover, that saber-wielding, black-haired woman seemed to have the aura of Heavenly Radiance on her. She became his main priority to guard against any surprises, hoping to eliminate any unexpected incidents.
With both potential hidden experts dealt with, the one-armed elderly man was infused with a sense of satisfaction and a wave of relief as all had gone perfectly as he'd imagined.
SHIING!
A saber howl was unleashed as Wei Wuyin rushed forth and slashed out as many times as he possibly could, sending forth streaks of saber light after saber light in a flurry of blows. Thousands of streaks of saber light shot forth.
"Insignificant," commented the one-armed elderly man as he drew upon his True Sage cultivation base. The feeling of this strength swelling within him, the manifestation of over a hundred thousand years of cultivation and deep struggle roared, and he waved his hand as the Law of Momentum at the Minor Authority accumulated within his fist. This third fist was considerably stronger than the first and second!
Every last saber light was crushed within an instant, left in shambles as motes of radiance rained down on the ship. Wei Wuyin's saber-Element-shattered, and his arms exploded into crushed flesh, bones, and blood. He was flung against the ship's invisible barrier as a groan of heavy pain shot into the heavens. It was soul-rending to the ears and soul.
While pressed viciously against the invisible barrier, Wei Wuyin's bloodshot eyes began to struggle to focus, desperately struggling to meet that thin figure as weakness poured into his body as if to imprint his image into his mind. A foreign force invaded his Sea of Consciousness, his Meridians, his Dantian, his Mind's Eye, and his soul.
Within a single fraction of a fraction of a second, Wei Wuyin's cultivation base was sealed. Completely.
Wei Wuyin gritted his teeth to the point his gums bled as his companions met the same fate. Their cultivation bases were sealed as they tethered on the verge of unconsciousness. Clearly, he marked Cao Cuifen and Su Mei as potential threats best overestimated and prioritized eliminating them as a form of utmost caution. This particular habit, this deft display of ruthlessness, greatly showcased how the one-armed elderly man dealt with his obstacles on the path of cultivation.
"Wh-why?!" Wei Wuyin spat out with every ounce of his willpower. The harsh strain in his voice signified the irresistible strength of a Sage.
"Monstrous body for a mortal," the one-armed elderly man commented, ignoring Wei Wuyin's burning desire for answers. He glanced at the ship's deck and sighed emotionally.
The entire exchange happened in the white vessel and despite the fluctuations of world-rending power, not even a single board or nail was out of place. The ship was beyond sturdy, not even a Sage could easily destroy it. What an incredible treasure!
The only two figures that were standing on the ship were Yue Songli and Young Master Shang. The rest were violently pressed against an invisible barrier, restrained and sealed. Even Luo Ning beneath the ship was pressed forcefully against the wall. Yue Songli was terrified, her astounding beauty shockingly offset the ugliness of true fear on her expression alongside her quaking, hapless figure exuded an unsurpassed charm, making it extremely difficult for any ordinary man to not want to comfort her.
The shivering of her eyes, the feelings of loss within after her heaven-holding pillar collapsed before her, and the quivering of her body painted a scene of helplessness and terror.
Witnessing this, Young Master Shang sighed in his heart.
The one-armed elderly man lifted his gaze onto Yue Songli. His eyes were indifferent, flat even, yet the glint of greed radiated from within. "What a treasure."
"Treasure?" Yue Songli's eyes widened as her hoarse voice quivered. She took several steps back. Each step was heavier than a mountain. "What do you want? Why are you doing this?" She gathered her strength and asked, inching closer to Wei Wuyin. Within her Dantian was a Mystic Core ready to ignite, her Mystic Soul pulsed subtly. She wanted to free Wei Wuyin!
"How romantic," the one-armed elderly man commented. He lifted his hand.
Whoosh!
Yue Songli moved as she tapped into her latent potential, willing to ignite it all! She was going to give one last-ditch effort! Despite her mind feeling egregious levels of dread, she remained unyielding and unwilling to surrender!
Unfortunately, her cultivation was too low. Her movements were like a snail before a hawk. Too slow. With a single wave, her muscles tensed as she felt a foreign force seize her body, encasing her body in a restrictive spherical prison of space and time. She froze in place.
"Truly a fascinating treasure," the one-armed elderly man commented yet again. He didn't refer to Yue Songli as a woman or a cultivator but as a treasure! It was dehumanizing, but he didn't find a single thing wrong with his words.
"Aren't you just overcomplicating the situation?" Young Master Shang asked as he downed yet another gulp.
"LET HER GO!!" Wei Wuyin's voice somehow blasted through his restraints and thundered across the ship, causing it to shake slightly. The strength within his lungs was explosive, worthy of a dragon.
The one-armed elderly man shrugged at Young Master Shang's comment. "I've profited quite a bit from this trip," he waved his hand toward Wei Wuyin and directly added several layers of spiritual seals on his cultivation base and body. Wei Wuyin's body was bound by various runic shackles around his limbs, neck, and mouth. Even his eyes were covered.
The one-armed elderly man began to pilot the ship once again. From time to time, he eyed Yue Songli with glee. Young Master Shang was left drinking on the side.
"Why?!"
Suddenly, Wei Wuyin's voice blasted through again. This caused the one-armed elderly man's eyes to narrow. He looked and saw that his runic bindings had been blown through by blood.
"Bloodline? You're a hybrid, huh?" With his True Sage cultivation base returned, he got a clearer sense of Wei Wuyin's cultivation. To think he was a hybrid. What an unorthodox path. No wonder his physical strength was disturbingly ferocious, enough to defeat Young Master Shang with a single kick. So it wasn't the empowering force of the Imperial Law.
Go figure.
He revealed the shackles, reinforcing them.
Yet again, after an hour or so, Wei Wuyin somehow shattered his shackles and spoke in a voice that seemed to be rife with exhaustion and hellish fury. "WHY?! Tell me WHY?!" He demanded.
Young Master Shang remained silent, somewhat moved by Wei Wuyin's desperate efforts to learn of a reason. Unfortunately, no one was obligated to explain. Moreover, neither of them had dispositions that were inclined to do so. They were true cultivators. They often spoke with their fist and explained their reasons to only the heavens in their minds.
Once again, the shackles were reinforced by three times its original strength. Wei Wuyin's bones were crushed and crumbled by the force. He didn't scream out in the slightest.
But once again, Wei Wuyin had somehow freed himself. The shackles around his mouth crumbled. Imperial Law aura surged from his throat, seemingly hidden within the depths of his soul, unrestrained and kept as a trump card for desperate situations.
"I HAD AGREED TO GO! I HAD AGREED TO REJECT HER!!! WHY?!" His voice was filled with rage and yearning to know, even containing a hint of begging as if he had to know the reason. Yue Songli remained in status, her cultivation base unharmed and untouched. It was quite a deliberate treatment.
"Wasting your hidden trump cards to ask why?" Young Master Shang was shaken. He had a poem in mind, but the urge to speak it left him a little saddened, and he took another sip. He didn't explain.
Neither did the one-armed elderly man. He pointed a finger toward Tuo Bihan. The old man was struggling from beginning to end yet his body disintegrated. His body and soul were obliterated.
"!!!" Wei Wuyin's body erupted with ferocious strength, but the one-armed elderly man clenched his fist, and the shackles were reinforced yet again. Clearly, he had no intentions to explain himself. "Be obedient or the others die as well."
"He won't kill you," Young Master Shang said. He leaned over the railing and watched the stars pass by. "It'll be over soon."
"..."
Time passed.
Minutes.
Hours.
There was still no explanation as to why or their purpose. They remained silent throughout their trip and Wei Wuyin's actions, even a quivering whimper to shake the shackles was met with severe punishment. Yao Houyi was killed next. Again and again, they died as Wei Wuyin refused to relent and used every trump card he could, even drawing on a secret art of the Endless Void Mirror to spatially shift him out of the shackles and attack the one-armed elderly man once again.
"How many tricks do you have?" Even the one-armed elderly man was stunned. He had put in status, but his bloodline origins came from a draconic lineage of time, so it wasn't effective at all. What dragon lineage was it though? Strange.
"..."
Time passed.
Hours.
Days.
The one-armed elderly man was observing the frozen Yue Songli with keen interest as he fiddled with a ball of twisting, dark, eerie material that resembled blackened flesh. Within its depths was a milky white aura of life and soul. It was the Nest of Necros!
"You can't be thinking of bringing her back with us? If others know of her existence, they'll kill for her." Young Master Shang said with concern.
"..." The one-armed elderly man didn't answer. Instead, he eyed Wei Wuyin's beaten and bruised form that was on the verge of death. He had used several methods to escape and if he had saved them for a critical moment, then the situation would have been mildly annoying. Fortunately, some of those cards were limited by time, so he couldn't save them on such a long trip.
"Can you tell me why?" Young Master Shang's voice rippled out into his ears. The one-armed elderly man looked at Young Master Shang who was staring at the clouds.
The voice resounded again, "Can you tell me why this woman is so important? Why do we have to take this route? We could have recruited Wei Wuyin and his allies. The boy is a talented monster, you said so yourself."
"..." The one-armed elderly man's brows furrowed.
"He could even be a Worldly Saint Alchemist. Shouldn't we take that into consideration?" The voice reasoned.
Worldly Saint Alchemist? The one-armed elderly man thought for a moment and felt curious. When was Wei Wuyin a Worldly Saint Alchemist?
"You couldn't tell? You didn't know?" The voice pounded against his mind and heart.
"..." His brows furrowed even deeper. "Young Master Shang..."
"Just tell him why. Give him an explanation so we can be done with it," the voice pleaded softly, enticing the one-armed elderly man. He stayed standing for several seconds as if pondering for a moment.
Something...didn't feel right...
"I see. Even while using this false reality, your personality can't be easily influenced. Guess you're not the type to explain your plans to anyone. How guarded." A cultivator that cultivated for over a hundred thousand years was not so easily goaded into detrimental decisions. Innately, the elderly man was extremely cautious and guarded. He was cunning and capable of changing his personality to suit his situation.
When he realized that Wei Wuyin had total supremacy within the Endless Void Mirror, did he not wait until he escaped to make a move? Moreover, he eliminated any potential hidden threats that might be sealing their strength too. He was thorough. He was deliberate.
"How troublesome," a majestic voice drowned the world as the stars in the distance began to brighten and dim in chaos. The sight caused the one-armed elderly man to reel, circulate his cultivation base, and send out his Spiritual Sense.
What was happening?!
He waved his hand and enveloped Young Master Shang in a mystic ward and pulled, bringing him into his Internal World. The Young Master would be safe as long as he was. He was about to take out a talisman when the entire world fragmented.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!!
The Dark Void, the starry skies, the nearby planets, the faraway stars, the white vessel, the frozen Yue Songli...
They all began shattering like glass, crumbling into bits of crystalline pieces! Even his hands, legs, and...
"WHAT?!"
