The rolling river waters never cease to flow.
How many people still remember why this river that traverses the Nineteen Continents was named Jiutou River?
The originally noisy peaks of Kunwu had now fallen into complete silence.
“Plop.”
A palm-sized black fish lay in the fish basket like a salted fish. Hearing no sound around it for quite some time, it rolled over to look at the person sitting at the bow of the boat.
Skin pale to the point of transparency, the bamboo hat on his head cast a shadow that covered half his body.
Fu Chaosheng looked up at the sky.
At this moment, Kun believed that at this very moment above Kunwu, countless people were likely maintaining the same posture as it—no, him.
The ghostly phantom appeared at the place closest to the dome.
That three-zhang ghost axe, that six-chi ancient sword, that twelve-tasseled crown worn high atop her head…
The supreme ruler need not lower her eyes to look at anyone—ten thousand demons already crawled like ants beneath her feet.
The same brows, the same eyes, the same features.
This “old friend’s” phantom body wasn’t necessarily herself, but at least wore the same face.
Fu Chaosheng’s gaze fell upon that white bone throne, upon the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine skulls beneath her feet, upon the hellish darkness behind her…
“Yama King?”
Below the extreme regions lay the underworld. Since the great war six hundred years ago, there had been only eight Yama King halls and eight Yama Kings.
What manner of being was this current “Jian Chou”?
He had originally come here just to borrow a witness, never expecting to personally witness the scene before him.
Fu Chaosheng slightly narrowed his eyes, pondering, and recalled Zhang Tang, the court official he had framed, who lost his life and was ultimately dragged to the Qin Guang King’s hall.
This trip could be considered an unexpected pleasant surprise.
Atop the main peak, everyone couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Kunwu was like a righteous sect leader, normally with white clouds floating above and golden light shining without rest. The Cloud Sea Plaza was the place where sunrise came earliest and sunset came latest.
Simply because it was so high, so very high.
Now, layers of dark clouds shrouded it, with tens of millions of evil spirits howling.
Even this immortal holy land now seemed like a gloomy hell.
That Grand Master Sister of Yashan’s phantom body was actually herself, seated high upon the white bone throne, seeming to look down upon all living beings!
Entering the Door of Right and Wrong and Cause and Effect, one emerged with a phantom body.
But what exactly was the origin of Jian Chou’s phantom body before them?
Was it her past, her future?
Or was it her obsession, her inner demons?
Was it something she had once seen, or something conjured from nothing?
…
No one could give a definitive answer.
Even Fudao Shanren lost his words at this moment.
Standing high before the Heavenly Hall, Hengxu Zhenren, who had always remained composed even with mountains collapsing before him, when he clearly saw the face of the woman seated majestically upon the white bone throne, was unable to control himself and his color changed slightly!
Ghostly aura dense, white bones everywhere.
The ghost axe in “her” right hand was precisely Jian Chou’s current magical artifact, only slightly different in appearance; while the sword in “her” left hand…
“Yixiantian!”
Not far away, the Yashan disciples gathered together finally awakened from their shock.
Finally, someone sharp-eyed completely noticed the sword gripped in “her” left hand.
All Yashan disciples above Foundation Establishment stage had entered the Yashan armory without exception.
Who hadn’t coveted that six-chi ancient sword sealed in ice, pointing downward?
Even rust-stained, no one could erase its imposing presence.
That red mark extending from the sword tip along the blade was the origin of its name!
Now, this sword, Yashan’s Yixiantian, had appeared so unexpectedly before them.
Appeared in the hands of Jian Chou’s phantom body!
This shouldn’t be possible!
How many people had tried to draw it for how many years!
Yixiantian remained only in the mountain, immovable.
Now it had actually appeared in Jian Chou’s phantom body’s hand like this?
“She cheated, Grand Master Uncle definitely cheated!” Some Yashan disciples couldn’t help but wail.
Even Jian Chou’s fellow disciples found it hard to believe…
Life was impossible now!
They had just learned that Qu Zhengfeng had drawn the Yashan sword, and they were still feeling indignant about it. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, here came Jian Chou?
“Calm down! Calm down!”
Shen Jiu, fearing his fellow disciples would be traumatized, quickly shouted.
“It’s just a phantom body! Everyone don’t get excited!”
“…”
Complete silence!
Phantom body?
Talking about phantom bodies made it even more terrifying.
What was the origin of phantom bodies?
Righteous path cultivators, though they killed, did not enter the path of evil demons.
Yet Jian Chou’s phantom body made people’s hearts turn cold and chill, even unable to suppress trembling!
Everything else was fine, but if this phantom body had some mysterious connection with Jian Chou herself…
Just thinking this, some people’s scalps began to tingle.
The several phantom bodies originally fighting chaotically in the field all stopped, overwhelmed by the imposing presence of Jian Chou’s phantom body.
Zuoliu, who had already lost consciousness, was released by the Three Reflections Cliff, his entire body falling like a stone from the clouds.
Zuoliu, eliminated.
Jiang Wenchao looked at her, and the Three Reflections wall retreated three zhang, seeming somewhat apprehensive;
Young Master Ruhua looked at her, and the giant in the sky shook his massive head, showing some unease;
Xiao Jin also looked at her, and the big watermelon flying in the sky rolled its eyes, opened its mouth, and rapidly spat countless watermelon seeds at Jian Chou!
Dizzy!
In that instant, Xiao Jin simply had the urge to dash his head against something and die!
Stupid watermelon, if you want to die, die by yourself, don’t drag me down!
“Jian, Jian, Jian Chou Senior Sister, it didn’t mean it!”
“…”
Jian Chou stood in place. Xiao Jin’s panicked shouts passed through her ears but left no trace in her heart.
Others were watching “her” in the sky, and she was also watching herself in the sky.
The complete ghost axe, Yixiantian gripped in her palm.
That sword…
No matter how she called to it, it remained unmoved.
Yashan’s Yixiantian.
Others didn’t know what relationship this phantom body had with her, but only she knew…
Stepping through that gate, all that met the eye was the future.
The spray of watermelon seeds came flying, but before reaching within three zhang of that phantom body, they seemed to be subjected to some shock, suddenly shattering into powder and disappearing without a trace.
The big watermelon, having missed with one strike, was actually scared into trembling and fled without hesitation like a rat.
The “Jian Chou” on the throne only lightly raised her eyes.
Raising the ghost axe in her right hand, with a turn of her wrist, the black and white pearl on the back of the ghost axe flashed with one black and one white ray of light.
With a release of her hand, the ghost axe immediately flew out!
This axe blow had no overwhelming axe shadows, no howling wind sounds, and no fierce demons.
Only…
Swift speed, black and white faint light!
A heart-startling purity!
Returning to simplicity, utterly ordinary.
The big watermelon had originally been fleeing for its life, but sensing this seemingly calm yet terrifying aura behind it, it was so frightened it matured by two full circles in mid-air.
“Owh!”
It cried out strangely, its life hanging by a thread!
“Swish swish swish!”
Emerald green watermelon vines actually shot out from the big watermelon’s head, frantically wrapping around the Three Reflections Cliff stone wall, forcibly uprooting the several-zhang-tall stone wall and hurling it toward its rear—precisely in the direction from which the ghost axe was attacking!
The hundreds of ancient characters on the Three Reflections Cliff stone wall sensed danger and wildly shot out countless blue-purple rays of light, yet couldn’t stop the big watermelon one bit.
Jiang Wenchao’s face immediately turned ugly.
The Three Reflections Cliff stone wall was useful for those with sources of error in their bodies and roots of guilt in their hearts, but against this watermelon spirit of unknown origin, it was completely helpless.
The watermelon spirit dragged the Three Reflections Cliff as a shield, and the Three Reflections Cliff had no power to resist!
“Bang!”
Almost at the instant the Three Reflections Cliff was thrown out, Jian Chou’s ghost axe had already reached before it.
Axe blade forward, the moment it touched the surface of the Three Reflections Cliff stone wall, it directly broke through the entire stone wall.
Instantly, broken stones flew in all directions.
Jiang Wenchao, eliminated!
The axe head continued forward.
Smashing through the Three Reflections Cliff wall was like puncturing a piece of tender tofu—its speed wasn’t affected in the slightest, still pursuing that big watermelon!
Poor big watermelon had finally managed to lift the stone wall to smash the ghost axe, but who would have thought it couldn’t block the opponent even a little?
A mountain-like figure was running ahead of the big watermelon.
Even the giant at this moment couldn’t summon any fighting spirit.
The moment it saw Jian Chou’s phantom body, the deep-hidden fear in its heart was triggered, absolutely not daring to linger here for even a moment!
Flee!
Flee for dear life!
The giant moved its legs and ran extremely fast.
Its broad feet smashed down on the plaza ground, shaking everyone until they swayed back and forth.
The big watermelon behind was also fleeing for its life, but seeing the giant blocking the way ahead, the watermelon rind on its back was already making crisp cracking sounds—
It couldn’t hold much longer!
The two eyes on the big watermelon immediately turned blood red.
Didn’t want to die.
They didn’t know they were just phantom bodies with limited existence time, but even if they knew, they would fight desperately to live even one more moment!
The blood-red eyes immediately took on a fierce color. The big watermelon opened its mouth wide, actually splitting open a huge black crack from the middle of its body.
Its speed also suddenly increased at this moment.
Giant mouth opened wide, then snapped forward!
Crack!
The giant still running felt everything go dark before his eyes.
That big watermelon had actually swallowed him whole!
Young Master Ruhua…
Eliminated.
Everyone felt this scene was full of violence and bone-chilling.
The entire three-zhang-tall giant disappeared from everyone’s sight in an instant, chewed by the big watermelon for a while, then like it was full, it burped.
“Burp.”
After one sound, the watermelon that had already been several zhang in diameter suddenly began to grow explosively!
One zhang, two zhang, three zhang!
As if absorbing the giant’s power, the watermelon became like a mountain peak in the blink of an eye.
A towering monster!
The deep and light emerald watermelon rind around its body had now become impenetrable armor, impervious to swords and blades.
Below, Xiao Jin craned his neck with all his might to look up, feeling only soreness.
This huge watermelon, bizarre yet terrifying, comical yet hiding horror, made one feel their heart was being tightly gripped, ready to burst at any moment!
Seeming to feel it possessed infinite power, the big watermelon finally turned around, facing Jian Chou and also facing that “phantom body” identical to Jian Chou!
The ghost axe flickered alternately with black and white light, originally pressing close behind the big watermelon.
Now that the big watermelon had swallowed someone and turned around, it wasted precious escape time.
Thus, the ghost axe was before its eyes in a blink!
Red and green light rose with a roar, instantly blocking in front.
The big watermelon had spent all its power, wanting to withstand this fierce strike from the ghost axe.
…
Only, the expected violent attack didn’t come.
The silent ghost axe, with peaceful light, was like a phantom that directly disappeared when it hit the big watermelon.
As if it had scattered at once.
Or as if it had directly passed through the big watermelon’s body.
The big watermelon couldn’t help but lower its eyes to look with all its might. There wasn’t a single scratch on its body, its intact “armor” had no breaks at all—no pain, no itch, no broken skin, no bleeding.
Extreme bewilderment.
Not only the big watermelon, but all the spectators were also stunned.
Only Fudao Shanren and Hengxu Zhenren’s pupils contracted violently!
What they saw wasn’t that comical big watermelon, but—
The figure still seated majestically upon the white bone throne!
Left hand holding sword, right hand gripping axe!
The fierce ghost axe that had clearly flown spinning from her hand was now mysteriously back in her hand as if it had never left, held by her slender palm and quietly pressed against the throne’s armrest!
When…
Had it returned?
Had it actually returned, or had it never flown out at all?
One person seeing wrong was normal, but could so many cultivators up and down here all see wrong together?
“She” seemed to have never made a move, yet also seemed to have been watching the show all along.
Calm and intelligent eyes pierced through this void above the sea of clouds and fell upon the big watermelon.
In that instant, the world was silent, yet everyone’s ears rang with strange contracting sounds, very much like the explosive cracking of bones.
The big watermelon stiffened in place. Just wanting to throw back its head and laugh loudly for its “survival,” but with its mouth open, it could no longer move.
A ray of black light lit up around the big watermelon’s body, flashed once, then quickly extinguished.
A ray of white light flashed once, then immediately appeared, enveloping the entire watermelon.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The sound of a heartbeat.
After three beats, it shrank drastically!
Originally huge as a mountain, in an instant it became tiny as floating dust!
Many cultivators, if using their naked eyes, couldn’t see anything in the field at this moment.
The terrifying contraction accumulated enormous energy.
How could a body tiny as floating dust withstand this?
In the instant before everyone could react, this “watermelon” that had become as small as dust suddenly exploded!
Self-destruction?
Of course not!
In Hengxu Zhenren’s eyes, there was already a gleam of wisdom flashing.
That was…
Near-rule-level power!
Although limited by the phantom body’s existence, limited by the cultivator’s original state of mind and cultivation, unable to display its full might, just this tip of the iceberg was enough to horrify people!
Cultivators who comprehended rules didn’t necessarily become immortals.
But without comprehending rules, one definitely couldn’t become immortal!
The ghost axe, one black and one white, connected the yin and yang worlds.
The Liangyi Pearl embedded in the back of the ghost axe represented the opposing sides of all things in the world!
The strongest and weakest, the closest and most distant, the most righteous and most evil…
And also, the largest and smallest!
Dust so small it was barely visible to the naked eye, almost equivalent to nothingness.
Thus in that instant, as if something from nothing, emerald melon rind exploded from a patch of “nothingness” like countless splattering broken jade; red melon flesh splattered bright crimson blood like scarlet sunset glow.
In a vulgar display of floating light and shadow, the quintessential power condensed to the extreme exploded with a roar!
“Boom!”
Xiao Jin, standing close, bore the brunt and was directly blown away.
The six Doors of Right and Wrong and Cause and Effect standing on the plaza were uprooted and shattered with a crash!
The cultivators surrounding the plaza, already very far away, were like being punched hard in the chest. Though not injured enough to vomit blood, their qi and blood churned, nearly unable to control their flying magical artifacts.
They swayed unsteadily, about to fall headfirst from the heights!
Fortunately, the ground of the Cloud Sea Plaza shot out a sheet of white light in time, weaving together to calm the chaotic air currents, allowing everyone to stabilize their forms.
Thus, the horror that hadn’t had time to rise all surged into their hearts.
In the sweeping wind, the female cultivator on the white bone throne didn’t move at all.
Even her stern expression remained like carved stone, unchanged by half a measure.
But that dreamlike axe strike just now…
Devastating!
It eliminated three opponents in one breath!
And they…
Had no power to resist, couldn’t even summon the will to resist.
As if in this world, no one could block her axe!
Jian Chou, possessing this phantom body, was just one step away from becoming the “one person” who would ultimately ascend the One Person Platform.
And this final step had quietly appeared.
In the last moment of the giant gates’ shattering, a dark red figure finally stepped out from the southeastern giant gate, surviving the catastrophe.
Xia Houshe opened his dark red eyes and saw the devastation below, and also saw—
Two Jian Chous!
One light as clouds and wind, standing quietly on the plaza; one majestic and supreme, seated upon the throne.
In that instant, a flicker of struggle flashed in Xia Houshe’s eyes.
A void, as if by destiny, slowly condensed in the emptiness behind him…
Massive golden wings, each feather flashing with dazzling light.
With a crackling sound, blue lightning traveled across them, not only not harming the wings at all, but actually removing impurities from them, making their flashing golden light appear even more naturally bright.
The spread wings were several zhang long, and moreover…
These were the wings that everyone had seen not long ago in the Empty Sea.
Dijiang, Storm-Thunder Wings!
A blurred human figure gradually became clear.
Moon-white robes, blown by the wind, seeming to merge with the sky, yet also seeming to melt into this gust of wind, traveling through rivers and mountains for thousands of li.
Gentle eyes and brows, with a kind of relaxed beauty.
That was…
The third Jian Chou on this Cloud Sea Plaza!
Everyone collectively drew in sharp breaths.
Those hearts already gripped in someone’s hand were all crushed to explosion at this moment!
Madness!
Fengmo Sword Sect, Weapon Master Xia Hou…
His phantom body was actually the opponent who had fought him to the death in the previous trial—Yashan’s Jian Chou!