Amidst the gathering of prodigies and the dazzling array of stars, which battle truly shone brightest at this Yellow River Meeting?

As the referee stepped forward, swords surged like a river of stars.

Even the Emperor’s ceremonial robes, displayed atop the Six Harmonies Pillar, stood still, untouched by the wind.

Even the Nine Dragons Holding the Sun Ever-Suppressing Mountains and Rivers Seal, a final preparation perhaps destined for the Primordial Evil Immortal, lent a sliver of its power to delineate the boundary for this battle.

The Inner Palace Championship seemed like child’s play; the Heavenly Master’s Flame Banner was mere background.

The grotesque roars of the Transcendent Sea of Sins and the Primordial Evil Immortal were just discordant notes, lost amidst billions of sword cries.

Yan Chunhui’s unbound hair billowed, his sword-finger pointed skyward, commanding earth, wind, water, and fire to yield, as if piercing the heavens itself—

First, a distant, sharp whistle, like wind tearing through a celestial rift, then a stinging sensation, as if one’s divine sense had been pricked. Spectators instinctively looked up, spotting a flash of starlight in the distant reaches of the sky.

Then, the Star River poured down!

Starlight cascaded like a waterfall, the Star River surging. Countless brilliant stars vied for brilliance, their fiery tails streaming in unison as they poured down upon the mortal realm.

Never before had such a cascade of light been seen in a millennium; never again would such a starfall be witnessed in ten thousand years.

This was the swan song of a collapsing era.

This was Yan Chunhui’s sword!

Riding a raft through the Milky Way, now returned to the human world.

As the spectators gazed skyward, Jiang Wang too looked up, observing the resplendent Star River, a sight from long ago.

Holding his sword in one hand, his Heavenly Lord’s robe hung still, like a drawn curtain.

At this decisive moment, this juncture of life and death, he suddenly recalled a distant time, when he couldn’t yet fly, sitting on a rooftop in Pegasus Lane with his sister… gazing at the starry sky.

He smiled serenely.

What of the Dragon Lord’s former wish?

Where was the Human Emperor’s old ambition?

The ideals of youth, gazing at the stars… were they still remembered?

His wide sleeves suddenly flapped like banners, and he raised his sword.

A sudden roar of waves filled the air. The raging currents and turbulent tides were not merely the Star Sea cascading from the heavens, but also the tumultuous hearts of those gazing skyward!

Every observer, every person who heard that sudden sound, found their breath quicken, their gaze fixed, their sea of consciousness churning.

Everyone’s subconscious sea was now stirred by the sword’s roar, swept up in its surging tide.

The Sword of the Sea of Consciousness! Killing from the unseen.

The thunderous rumbling wasn’t confined to human hearts alone.

A vast white mist gathered in the high heavens, the purest water essence transforming individual droplets into miniature battlefields, where sword-wielders seemed to fight and entangle within crystalline, spherical arenas.

Sa Shihan raised the Heavenly Master’s Banner of Water Virtue, and Zuo Guangshu was revered as the Count of Water; both had declared authority over the water element.

Yet, how could any compare to this moment?

The surging long river was his sword; its shimmering ripples were all sword scales. With a roar, it transformed into a white dragon of sword energy, leaping over the Nine Garrisons, instantly striking with its claws and tail as it ascended to the nine heavens.

The Nine Garrisons of the Long River were his sole authority. In this era, apart from the Hegemon Emperor who collectively wielded the Nine Dragons Holding the Sun Ever-Suppressing Mountains and Rivers Seal, only Jiang Wang could momentarily shift the Nine Garrisons, releasing the waters of the Long River to become flying dragons.

Such a magnificent spectacle was unprecedented.

The Ancestral River of the present world met the boundless starry sky.

The white dragon soared to the sky, the star dragon plunged into the sea. Their clash raged across the mortal realm.

Hues of light streaked, shimmering orbs danced, sword light entangled with sword light.

Blinding light obliterated all vision.

Only those in the Dao-True realm could still discern the situation on the field.

Huyan Jingxuan even forgot to commentate, and found the insistent prompt sign so annoying that he turned and leaped towards the River-Viewing Platform, abandoning the whole chaotic scene.

For a powerhouse of his caliber, no amount of elemental stones could compare to the gains from witnessing such a battle firsthand. Had they known this fight would unfold at the Yellow River Meeting, Huang Sheli could have made everyone in the Taixu Pavilion rich from a single round of ticket sales.

This was the initial clash in the unrestricted life-and-death arena.

The Long River incredibly collided with the Star River.

The Dao of Flying Swords, embodying absolute selflessness against foes, was supremely potent and sharp. Yan Chunhui’s first move was a direct bid for life or death, and Jiang Wang responded with formidable force!

He dragged the Star River down from the nine heavens, and transformed the Long River into a white dragon.

From their respective rivers, the two gazed at each other, like dragon riders meeting. Their Dao principles refined their very essence.

Their Dao essence clashed amidst raging torrents.

The collision of sword intent and momentum was merely superficial. Only the struggle of Dao principles and Dao essence represented the fundamental clash at the peak.

The fine sand of the Star River and the droplets of the Long River, splashing in the high heavens, might have appeared as mere peripheral elements in this grand spectacle, but they were, in fact, crushed Dao essence!

With the insight of a peak expert, one could discern each grain of sand, amber-like in quality, dimly translucent yet interwoven with sword threads, severing any divine sense attempting to probe them. Observers would find them curious, probe them, then forget!

And within each splashing water droplet, vaguely, indistinctly, emerged the shadow of a faceless immortal!

Yan Chunhui’s Dao essence of the sword was ‘Selflessness’.

When the world achieves selflessness through the sword, the Dao is transmitted.

Jiang Wang’s Dao essence of the sword was ‘Sword Immortal’!

All swords beneath heaven were wielded by him. All swords in heaven were manifested by him!

Both represented the most potent expressions of sword dao from different eras. These two Dao essences were difficult to judge as superior or inferior, but their quantity varied.

Yan Chunhui’s accumulation of over three millennia resulted in a Dao essence as vast as river sand, virtually forming the very composition of every star in the Star River he had brought down.

Even with his myriad sword manifestations, the constant Dao refinement within the Yanfu Sword Prison, and the dissemination of teachings from the Celestial Palace of Morning Dao, Jiang Wang simply could not compare to Yan Chunhui in the sheer accumulation of Dao essence.

Fortunately, this was the River-Viewing Platform, and this was the Long River he personally guarded.

The human Dao surged like a tide; the present world roared to life!

On the River-Viewing Platform, his power was bolstered. Though his Dao essence was numerically smaller, the Dao principles each fragment could evoke, and the power it could unleash, were extraordinary, beyond conventional measure.

Moreover, white dragon scales shimmered, and the Long River’s waves rolled in endless succession.

As the saying goes, ‘no wind, no waves,’ thus, following the furious tides, a celestial wind began to stir.

Beneath each fragment of Dao essence named ‘Sword Immortal,’ delicate, ice-prism-like wisps of Dao essence provided support.

These Dao essences, shaped like sharp needles, possessed wind-hiding pores, moving with every breath.

Jiang Wang’s Dao essence concerning the heavens was named ‘Buzhou’!

As a mountain, it was a celestial pillar; as wind, it was divine retribution. The former upheld heaven and earth, while the latter brought icy death to the mortal realm.

Buzhou Dao essence and Sword Immortal Dao essence moved in tandem, like wind carrying a lotus and shaking dew. They clashed and consumed each other with Yan Chunhui’s Selfless Dao essence, yielding not an inch.

This Buzhou Dao essence summoned celestial winds, unleashing heavenly punishment… beyond the Long River and the Sea of Consciousness, the Heavenly Sea roared with surging waves!

The Heavenly Sea at this moment. If no sins arose, if the Seven Hates did not descend, if Ksitigarbha sat solitary in the netherworld, and Yuan Kong remained still, guarding within the painting.

Then who in the present world could contend?

Yan Chunhui was insufficient. Even riding a raft through the Milky Way, he could not escape the boundless Heavenly Sea.

At this moment, observers witnessed three dragons soaring together in the high heavens, their Dao essence constantly shattering and raining down like countless shards.

The Dragon of the Long River and the Dragon of the Heavenly Sea jointly assaulted the Dragon of the Star River.

An additional Dragon of the Sea of Consciousness, imperceptible to divine senses, infiltrated Yan Chunhui’s divine mind, assaulting his subconscious sea.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, too, resided Dao essence.

Jiang Wang’s Dao essence concerning humanity was named ‘Three Treasures’.

The Three Treasures of the Dao: first, compassion; second, frugality; third, not daring to be first in the world.

The Three Treasures of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

The Three Treasures of Medicine: essence, qi, and spirit.

The Three Treasures of Action: teachers and friends, sentient beings, and oneself!

Teachers and friends benefit me; sentient beings are my source; and I am myself!

One should respect teachers and friends, benefit all beings, and walk one’s own path. This defines such a person, seeking not from others, but from oneself.

Jiang Wang’s accumulation of Dao essence was far less abundant than Yan Chunhui’s, yet his qualities were diverse, and his Dao path expansive. This forced Yan Chunhui to constantly adapt and adjust his strategies.

Thus, while attrition of Dao essence was Yan Chunhui’s forte, Jiang Wang did not fall behind for a moment.

This alone was enough to stun the world!

But merely astonishing the world was not Jiang Wang’s aim; he ascended the stage with his sword, seeking only victory.

With so many dragons dancing and Dao essence flowing, each moment of attrition represented years of arduous cultivation. Neither wished to prolong the exchange.

Jiang Wang held his sword, stepping on white scales as if ascending a staircase. Yan Chunhui, wrapped in chilling light, descended into the Star Sea as though entering the mortal realm. They met again!

Heaven and earth were so vast, yet so narrow for those who strayed from the path.

“In this tainted world, there are chances to ride dragons; on the crooked path, there are encounters with life and death!” Yan Chunhui’s eyes flashed, and instantly, flowing swords streaked across the sky.

Like a long rainbow, his sword light formed a bridge connecting the two dragons.

At this moment, Jiang Wang almost forgot the deadly flying sword!

Yet, his long sword was already advancing; he had not forgotten his pursuit of victory.

The instant the dragons passed each other, the cold edge seemed to carve a celestial scar. It extinguished both starlight and sword light; wherever Changxiangsi passed, a vast, hazy expanse lingered.

Fate had reached its dead end here — — The Calamity-Free Void!

The Star Dragon and the White Dragon were almost half intertwined, scales and horns interlocked, waves clashing… Flying scales and shattered pearls were Dao essence splattering.

But ultimately, they passed each other by.

This life-and-death clash, a fleeting dance of light, caused observers to break out in a cold sweat.

A narrow, almost imperceptible fissure appeared on Jiang Wang’s neck. On Yan Chunhui’s brow, a crimson dot emerged!

They turned simultaneously!

Riiipp!

A tearing sound came from Jiang Wang’s neck.

It was the agonizing moan of a peak Dao body, stretched to the limits of this world, repeatedly carved by terrifying sword marks, causing it to tear.

The fissure carved into his neck began to bleed, forming a spreading red line.

But the trembling blood droplets instantly transformed into fluttering, blood-roobed immortals.

At this moment, Jiang Wang’s Dao body also opened its orifices, enshrouded in jade light, with the Yellow Bell tolling continuously, his form manifesting as the Immortal of Ten Thousand Immortals!

In that moment, even his Heavenly Lord’s robe seemed unable to convey his nobility. He was not merely the focal point on the stage, but appeared to be the very center of the present world.

His body became an immortal court, and a multitude of immortals emerged in unison.

All energies submitted, heaven and earth celebrated. From his neck, tiny immortals formed from blood droplets fluttered up, bearing the sword mark as if it were a celestial rift, lifting it out of the immortal court itself!

A mark lingered in the void, yet Jiang Wang’s body showed no wound.

Ji Jinglu watched from the stage, awestruck… this physical display was utterly comparable to Cao Yuxian’s flesh-and-blood martial body, even surpassing it in its transformative abilities.

Indeed, it was worthy of being the Immortal Palace’s wondrous art, which once spanned the world—the peak of an entire era.

Not only that, he further observed that some of the immortals residing within the orifices of this Immortal of Ten Thousand Immortals, whose body had become an immortal court, had shed their illusory nature, possessing true sensations of immortals.

Among them, the most vibrant were the Ear Immortal and the Eye Immortal.

They could fly out independently to slay minor deities and subdue malevolent spirits!

Upon these immortals, he saw clearly flowing Dao essence, as if they were laden with immortal treasures.

Beyond Sword Immortal, Buzhou, and Three Treasures, Jiang Wang actually possessed additional Dao principles and had refined more Dao essence! No wonder he dared to claim ‘unrestricted’ and aim for the absolute peak.

Furthermore, thanks to the existence of the Cloudtop Immortal Palace, the exchange from the ‘Nine Chapters of Immortal Dao,’ and the support of several other Immortal Palace Lords, his immortal Dao essence had accumulated even further.

This Dao essence’s illusory intent was ethereal, manifesting light and coalescing spirits. Vaguely, it appeared as a jade-colored immortal palace.

Every human-bodied immortal gained substance from this essence and vitality from this spirit.

Jiang Wang’s Dao essence concerning immortals was named ‘Lingxiao’!

Lingxiao, exalted and supreme, was the palace of the contemporary Immortal Emperor, where immortals gathered to pay homage.

Thus, he could command all immortals and issue decrees across all realms.

Azure heavens opened their jade gates, crimson steps blossomed with jade splendor. Nine layers of cloud passes opened in succession, and immortals arrived, radiant as the dawn.

As his immortal form emerged and the Lingxiao Dao essence manifested, virtual immortals became true. Jiang Wang’s senses encompassed all, without obstruction, doubt, or forgetting—raising his sword, he pierced Yan Chunhui once more!

To trap his fate, then kill him.

This was the contemporary Immortal Emperor’s retribution!

But then, a red dot appeared on Yan Chunhui’s brow, turning crimson with blood, then murky and deep purple, rapidly sinking as if his very destiny were plummeting.

Then, this patch of blood was torn open!

Just before the crisis, wisps of dragon- and snake-like demonic smoke surged from beneath the blood spot!

The sword imprint left by the Calamity-Free Void was thus eroded and destroyed. Under the encroaching demonic smoke, Yan Chunhui’s youthful visage grew dim and shadowed, appearing malevolent, profound, hidden, and mysterious.

Could life ever be young again?

The figure on the stage was no longer truly human.

This was a demonic fetus!

A human-demon fetus!

Yan Chunhui had created human-demons, and after countless revisions, forged a perfect human-demon body for himself.

Born into the Chen family, nurtured by the power of the nation, and enlightened by the light of humanity.

Thus, this spirit came into being.

Both human and demon, losing influence yet gaining it.

Bits of demonic light also transformed into a flying sword, dark and obscure, swallowing light and eclipsing the moon, emerging from fate’s dead end. It shattered the immortal light in its path, meeting the very tip of Changxiangsi’s sword!

“True Monarch Jiang! The contemporary Immortal Lord of Cloudtop Immortal Palace!” Yan Chunhui, infused with demonic energy, did not undergo a ‘rebirth’ or acquire a new life nature as if he had truly become a demon. Instead, he still embodied his human aspect, persisting as the human Yan Chunhui.

To some extent, he had achieved something similar to Jiang Wang’s refining and slaying of the Lust Demon Art, or his confrontation with heavenly demons while simultaneously suppressing his true self.

“Is my Selfless Human-Demon Body not inferior to your Immortal Body?”

He spread his hand, raising a vast, sky-obscuring demonic hand that descended upon the magnificent human-bodied immortal court. Countless demonic chains, integrated with Legalist techniques, swayed like long fur from a demonic palm, seeking to ensnare the immortals.

Before this colossal hand, dense with demonic energy, the so-called immortals appeared fleetingly minuscule, like fleas.

The demonic palm seized the immortal court, demonic chains bound ten thousand immortals!

A playful smile touched his lips, but his eyes held no amusement: “You, who command the Lingxiao Chapter, must be aware of all immortal matters. With your knowledge of the Immortal Palace, tell me, if I had been born in the Immortal Palace era, could I, with this very method, cultivate a demonic palace?”

His talent was unparalleled, his brilliance supreme; he could ascend to the peak on any path, with the potential to gaze even higher—yet the path of the flying sword had reached its end; its era was broken.

Hence this regret. This unsmiling, bitter resentment.

Within Jiang Wang’s eye orifices, true seeing immortals stood manifest; he now observed others with an ethereal, immortal aura.

His very being became ethereal and Dao-imbued, as if a spiritual truth reborn, exuding the grandeur of a heavenly immortal.

Yet, from behind him, a colossal, mountain-like demonic shadow burst forth, laughing wildly.

Within the demonic shadow, dark, flowing flames erupted. Its colossal, hairy hand rose, immediately blocking Yan Chunhui’s demonic palm. It then opened its gaping maw, swallowing thousands of demonic chains in a single gulp, its fangs clashing shut!

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

It swallowed demons and chewed iron.

Clatter, clatter!

Broken chains rattled.

“Not pure enough, old man!” The demonic ape bared its fangs. “Who are you trying to fool with this paltry stuff?”

It vaulted over the immortal body, seized the demonic palm, and tore with immense force—

Surging demonic energy poured like a waterfall, bathing him in its essence, making his long fur sleek and shiny.

The Dao essence named Lingxiao steamed upwards like clouds.

Encircling Jiang Wang’s immortal body, at this moment, immortal and demon coexisted: the immortal ascended higher, while the demon grew more ferocious.

“I believe you possess that talent, Yan Chunhui!”

The Immortal of Ten Thousand Immortals stepped atop the demonic ape and soared skyward, unleashing another sword from the heavens!

“But your demonic palace is destined not to last.”

Vast immortal light converged here, the power of ten thousand immortals channeled into a single sword. It swept aside the demonic sword, cleaving through the Raft-Riding Milky Way.

“The Immortal Era was not inaugurated merely through power, but because immortals embodied an ideal that benefited both the world and its people!”

“In the mythical era, the Immortal Master’s final act was sealing the Blood Demon. In the Immortal Era, the Immortal Emperor’s last battle was sailing a boat against Yizhen.”

“Or perhaps you’ve always believed that the era betrayed you.”

The immortal voice rose with the Yellow Bell’s chime: “But what path are you treading? Had you been born in the Immortal Palace era, you would still be universally condemned!”

He had fought his way to Yan Chunhui, seeing eyes shrouded in demonic smoke. Beneath the demonic might, starlight still glimmered like swords.

Yan Chunhui roared hoarsely, demonic smoke flying swords coiling around him like ascending dragons: “The path of boats is exhausted, the world is turbid, the Dao is skewed. If you deny me a path to transcendence, I shall become the Demon of Transcendence!”

“A demon is a demon not merely by its aura. It is ghosts in sackcloth, people harming people, and malevolent intentions made manifest.”

Jiang Wang flicked his sleeve, and a white scroll unfurled, swallowing the demonic body whole!

The Ancient Demon-Slaying Covenant!

“You tread the path of human-demons; have you not heard of the Devil-Slaying Heavenly Monarch?!”

“A demon dies, and even a demon of transcendence shall die!”