Chapter 470 : Chapter 470: Slaying the Giant, the Choice of Reincarnation

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Chapter 470: Slaying the Giant, the Choice of Reincarnation

The Ruins Coast lay within the sphere of influence of the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects, situated at the southeastern edge of the Great Yuan's Eastern Region.

The sea connected to this place belonged to the inner sea. Though it had access to the outer sea, the distance between them was still considerable.

In the near-ancient era, a heaven-shaking battle once erupted in this inner sea, shattering the spine of the earth veins and creating a vast stretch of ruins.

It was rumored that this cataclysmic battle was linked to the destruction of the Tinghai Pavilion.

Having obtained a damaged piece of the Endless Horn, True Monarch Netherwater wasted no time. With her red-robed female disciple-granddaughter in tow, she headed straight for the Ruins Coast.

Half a day later.

Within an underground cavern beneath the Ruins Coast, where the tides reversed and flooded inward.

“The subterranean river connects to the sea… so that's how it is...”

In the cavern’s depths, True Monarch Netherwater caught a faint salty stench and fell into thoughtful silence.

She let the turbulent waters wash over her calves and the hem of her black dress, it was an unusually cool and refreshing sensation.

In watery environments, she always felt more secure.

Especially within marine regions, where her divine abilities and magical powers would be enhanced. Her Water Escape Technique became impervious, drastically boosting her self-preservation ability.

What’s more, the Ruins Coast was located within the allied territory.

“Ancestor, it was these three who first discovered this underground cavern. I later set up a restrictive illusion formation, and no one else has entered since.”

The red-robed female cultivator, at mid-stage Core Formation, led three of their sect’s disciples over.

“Greetings, True Monarch!”

The three disciples, one old man and two younger ones hurriedly knelt with reverence, overwhelmed by the honor.

The elder was at Fake Dan, while the two younger men were at Foundation Establishment stage.

None of them had imagined that the damaged ancient relic they uncovered in this cavern would draw the personal arrival of their sect’s Nascent Soul elder.

“Tell the ancestor everything you’ve discovered. There will be great rewards afterward.”

The red-robed female cultivator’s hair was damp, half of her pale face visible, her voice icy.

“Yes, yes…”

The three scrambled to recount the entire sequence of events, how they discovered the cavern and the ancient artifact.

They even argued fiercely about who found the cavern first, who got the Endless Horn, nearly coming to blows over the credit.

“No need to argue. All of you shall be rewarded.”

True Monarch Netherwater’s voice was hoarse. Her cold, stunning face carried a hint of mockery as she slowly raised her jade-like hand.

Whoosh!

A surge of cold, shadowy water rushed forth, transforming into several black water pythons as thick as arms, which swiftly coiled around the three men.

“True Monarch, spare us—!”

The three disciples’ eyes reddened as they struggled desperately. But their spiritual energy was completely sealed by the icy aura, resistance was futile.

In just a few breaths, their bodies melted into pools of rotting blood, dissolving into the backflowing seawater of the cavern.

The red-robed female cultivator stood frozen, trembling slightly. Her already snow-white face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.

As the old ancestor’s trusted disciple-granddaughter and a True Dan cultivator, surely she wouldn't be silenced too?

…

“Following this cavern’s hidden channels for several hundred, maybe a thousand li, we might reach the inner sea from where the Endless Horn originated.”

Her ancestor’s voice fell like a pardon from the heavens, and the red-robed woman sighed in relief.

True Monarch Netherwater drifted within the shadowy water currents, her figure vague and graceful. Her skirt and legs swayed with the waves, resembling a serene and mysterious mermaid standing in the shallows.

Her cold gaze turned toward the cavern’s depths, toward the narrow, dark water passages.

The narrowest channels had protruding rock walls and moss-covered surfaces, not even an adult man could pass through.

“Ancestor, allow me to open the path!”

The red-robed woman volunteered, performing the Water Escape Technique. Her body twisted into a stream of greyish-white water as she advanced upstream through the hidden channels.

When she encountered tight spots, she drew axe and blade, relying on her strong Core Formation power to force a path through.

True Monarch Netherwater extended her spiritual sense, carefully exploring and following along the water route her disciple-granddaughter carved.

Because of the seawater backflow and the natural force of erosion, their progress was not fast.

Though she yearned for the hidden opportunities that might lie ahead, True Monarch Netherwater remained cautious.

She feared overlooking potential clues to the fated chance.

Thus, she refrained from using her Water Escape Technique to rush recklessly.

After traveling dozens of li, they passed through a winding waterway, and a wide-open space suddenly unfolded ahead.

A natural pool, spanning a hundred zhang, had formed in a low-lying section of the cavern. An underground river on the other end flowed toward the inner sea of the ruins.

The area here was no longer as dark. One could see with the naked eye.

Hmm?

True Monarch Netherwater noticed a faint, gentle glow coming from luminous pearls embedded in the cave ceiling.

“Ancestor, there seem to be signs of life here…”

The red-robed woman approached the pool cautiously, slowing her steps. The water was murky, heavy with yin energy.

Just then, True Monarch Netherwater keenly sensed a powerful water-elemental energy brewing within the pool.

“Careful!”

Her expression sharpened slightly as she issued a warning.

Boom!

A monstrous wave exploded from the water, a deluge a hundred times larger than the pool’s capacity surged forth in an instant.

The sound of a tsunami thundered throughout the vast underground space.

“Ancestor, save-!”

The red-robed woman, caught head-on, let out a shrill scream before being swallowed by the mountainous tidal wave.

In a flash her body was torn apart, reduced to scraps of red fabric drifting amidst the cataclysmic sea surge.

Almost at the same time, the overwhelming waves engulfed the entire cavern space, True Monarch Netherwater included.

“A fourth-rank water-element sacred beast!”

Even under the assault of the massive waves, True Monarch Netherwater remained composed. A hint of surprise and joy flickered in her eyes.

The red-robed woman’s death did not evoke the slightest sympathy in her.

Her spiritual sense detected that, at the heart of the tsunami, there was a massive dark-cyan creature, like an elliptical mountain.

Among the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects, many sacred beasts of the water element guarded their sects.

She was exceedingly familiar with this type of aura.

“The Endless Horn … a water-element sacred beast… the secret land of Tinghai Pavilion…”

In that split second, various thoughts clicked into place in her mind. She was both excited and secretly delighted.

In the cultivation world, it was common for secret realms or ancient abodes to be guarded by powerful spirit beasts.

The presence of a water-element sacred beast indicated that this fortuitous opportunity remained untouched.

“A fourth-rank giant turtle?”

True Monarch Netherwater’s elegant brows slightly furrowed. Judging from the gradually revealing outline of the sacred beast, she deduced its species.

Ordinarily, a fourth-rank water-element sacred beast at the early stage couldn’t pose a threat to her. In fact, it would be suppressed by her same-origin power.

However, a giant turtle of the fourth rank had exceptional defense.

Even with her higher cultivation, she couldn’t break through in a short time.

If the battle stirred too much commotion, it might attract other high-level cultivators.

She hesitated, should she send a message to the sect’s Grand Elder and request reinforcements to jointly seize the opportunity?

…

"Who dares to trespass into this lord’s secluded cultivation ground?"

A cold, echoing voice resounded from the other end of the underground river connected to the natural pool.

Netherwater True Monarch felt a strange familiarity, she had heard this voice before, buried deep in her distant memories.

Splash!

From the towering waves emerged a blue-robed youth with a hooked nose. Tufts of long hair framed his temples, and a pair of large ears, far exceeding the size of ordinary humans’, protruded conspicuously.

“…Shazhai True Monarch!”

Netherwater True Monarch's eyes gleamed with sharp light, her heartbeat quickening as she recognized the blue-robed, big-eared youth.

Years ago, she had pursued the Tinghai Pavilion descendant, “Shazhai True Monarch,” grievously injuring him and chasing him into the forbidden zone in Central Region.

After that, Shazhai True Monarch had vanished without a trace in that forbidden zone.

No, something was off!

How could Shazhai True Monarch appear here?

A flicker of unease passed through Netherwater True Monarch. The remnants of the Tinghai Pavilion were wanted by the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects; logically, they wouldn’t dare enter the Eastern Region.

“Netherwater True Monarch!? How did you find this place?”

The blue-robed, big-eared youth’s expression darkened, voicing the same confusion plaguing Netherwater True Monarch.

She paused.

From the sound of it, had she stumbled into this secret place purely by chance?

Could it be that Shazhai True Monarch had used reverse thinking back then, and hid in the most dangerous place right under the nose of the Sixteen Sects?

“Shazhai True Monarch! After all these years, you've actually gained control of a fourth-rank sacred beast? This hidden place… could it be secret place left behind by the Tinghai Pavilion…”

Netherwater True Monarch's lips curled into a faint line, her tone probing.

“Hmph! Since you’ve delivered yourself to my doorstep, this place shall be your grave!”

Shazhai True Monarch’s eyes flashed with cold light. With a flick of his arms, a surge of immense Nascent Soul mid-stage spiritual pressure burst forth.

Whoosh!

A blue sea-flag flew above the dark cyan giant tortoise.

The flag expanded tenfold in the wind, drawing in massive amounts of aquatic spiritual energy and channeling the vast surrounding waters into a deep-blue domain that enveloped a radius of several li.

In an instant, Netherwater True Monarch, Shazhai True Monarch, and the fourth-rank giant tortoise were all enclosed within this aquatic domain, isolated from the outside world.

“A domain of water? Mere child's play.”

Netherwater True Monarch glanced at the blue sea-flag, slightly inferior to the Ocean Sky Saint Banner she once wielded.

Regrettably, she had lost that treasure to Jing Wufeng after her crushing defeat in the battle against the Twin Dragons of the Central Region.

This so-called water domain couldn’t trap a water-elemental cultivator of her caliber, she could shatter it and escape at any moment.

Instead, what stirred her was the envy and longing over the opportunities Shazhai True Monarch had seized to advance to Nascent Soul mid-stage and possess a fourth-rank water sacred beast.

Boom! Whoosh!

The dark cyan giant tortoise, manipulating the blue sea-flag, conjured a mountainous torrent that spiraled into a massive maelstrom, its gaping maw threatening to engulf Shazhai True Monarch.

“Still!”

Netherwater True Monarch spat out a silver-blue water bead that rippled with waves of dim blue light.

The towering tidal wave that surged toward her suddenly became gentle and non-lethal.

“A mere fourth-rank water turtle is no threat to me.”

“Shazhai True Monarch, after all these years, I’m curious to see what tricks you’ve got left.”

Netherwater True Monarch stood calmly within the water domain, graceful and poised, not rushing to unleash her full strength.

Shazhai True Monarch radiated a strong water-elemental aura but showed no sign of launching a combined attack.

Had he joined forces with the fourth-rank water turtle to fully activate the sea-flag artifact, it might have posed considerable pressure on her.

Yet both were water-element cultivators and were hard-pressed to overpower the other.

A glint of cunning flashed in Netherwater True Monarch’s eyes. Hidden in her sleeve, her slender fingers tightly grasped a messaging jade talisman.

Even though the sect was far away, this high-grade talisman could transmit simple alerts or requests for help, and roughly indicate her location.

Her aim was to stall Shazhai True Monarch long enough to prevent his escape through the water escape technique.

...

“Calling reinforcements? Netherwater True Monarch, do you still have a shred of that old pride of yours?”

The blue-robed youth’s oversized ears quivered at a high frequency, keenly detecting Netherwater True Monarch’s subtle movement. He sneered in disdain.

Listening Sea Divine Ear!

Netherwater True Monarch thought to herself. No wonder he could escape me back then, this must be one of the Tinghai Pavilion’s secret divine arts.

Hmm?

She suddenly sensed something amiss, the waters of the sea domain had grown darker, their flow becoming unbearably cold and heavy.

Buzz!

The silver-blue water pearl floating before her began to tremble, while the surrounding deep currents surged with pressure akin to a thousand towering mountains.

“The power of Heavy Water… with Pure Yin Killing Qi!”

Netherwater True Monarch’s body chilled to the core. Even with her magical power and treasures isolating her from the surrounding currents, she could feel the chilling corrosion of the Yin energy.

Heavy Water divine arts required rare water-element spiritual materials and long refinement, she was an expert in this field.

Yet the Heavy Water pressure around her felt eerily familiar… and what was more, it contained lethal Yin qi, something no ordinary aquatic beast should possess.

“A Mutated fourth-rank Profound Water Turtle!”

She finally saw it clearly: the great beast’s shell shimmered with dark jade water patterns, exuding an aura of intense cold and death.

Using the top-grade sea flag treasure, its power was extended to affect the entire domain.

Splash!

Netherwater True Monarch transformed into a stream of black water, escaping with her water-escape technique to create distance.

But within this realm of toxic heavy water dense as liquid mercury and bitterly cold, her water-escape ability was significantly impeded, its mana cost increasing drastically.

“Hahaha! You’ve bitten the bait, how could I let you flee now?”

The blue-robed, big-eared youth laughed heartily. His aura shifted, surging with vigorous Evergreen spiritual power.

A simple, ancient feather fan appeared in his hand, flaring with flames of five distinct hues, green, blue, red, purple, and cyan.

The sharp cries of five chaotic spirit beasts echoed.

Boom!

A twisted arc of five-colored poisonous flame, radiating lethal energy, swept into the region where she had just used her water escape.

Swoosh!

A beautiful silhouette, cloaked in black water and wrapped in venomous flame, was forced out of her escape technique.

“Venom Fire Fan?! You're Xiang Dalong!”

Netherwater True Monarch let out a muffled groan, her face pale with shock and disbelief.

She instantly realized the true identity of the youth whose spiritual aura had completely changed.

Hiss! Hiss!

Dark ripples surrounded her, and even with protective spells, she struggled to extinguish the persistent five-colored flames.

Compared to their last encounter, the power of the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan had more than doubled!

The venomous energy it contained was intricate and insidious.

This wasn’t just due to Lan Chang'an’s growth in cultivation.

After slaying the poison refining master Red Refinement True Monarch, he had acquired a trove of toxic materials, using them to refine the fan and boost its potency.

The earlier surprise strike caught Netherwater True Monarch off guard, forcing her to halt her water escape technique.

Now, surrounded by freezing, heavy, and toxic waters, every step was a struggle.

“Xiang Dalong! How do you even have a fourth-rank water-element sacred beast-”

Netherwater True Monarch clenched her silver teeth, overcome with envy and alarm.

Everyone knew Xiang Dalong possessed a fourth-rank earth-element demon king, which gave him the confidence to challenge Central Region’s elites even as a newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator.

But earth and water elements were polar opposites!

So when she saw the aquatic beast, Xiang Dalong never even crossed her mind.

By all logic, having just broken through to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul, he should be at his sect consolidating his cultivation and improving his divine arts.

Typically, such a breakthrough period was reserved for rapid improvement.

Just a few months in... and he’s already crossed into Sea Suppressing Sect's territory to ambush me?

Could he have foreseen my visit to Sea Suppressing Sect’s Nascent Soul Great Cultivator?

“You’ve no idea what else I’ve prepared.”

Lan Chang'an smirked faintly and waved the Venom Fire Fan again. The warped, deadly flames swept toward her once more.

Swoosh!

His figure blurred and flickered, moving unhindered through the heavy water, hurtling straight at Netherwater True Monarch.

Profound Water Monarch, manipulating the heavy water with divine techniques and controlling the sea flag, restrained Netherwater True Monarch’s movements, offering his master a decisive advantage.

Though Lan Chang'an sped through the aquatic domain, not a single drop clung to him.

Netherwater True Monarch was battered by another fan blast. Her black-robed gown was torn, toxic flames coiled around her figure as she stumbled back in disarray.

The heavy water domain suppressed her full strength.

“Xiang Dalong’s ambush here… he really means to kill me!”

Her expression turned grim. The air was thick with danger.

Slap!

She struck her brow, causing a few drops of essence blood to seep into her pale palm.

Crystalline black flames erupted from her hand, bathing her entire body and instantly purging the surrounding poison flames.

The heavy water suppression lifted considerably.

Just then, Lan Chang'an charged forward at astonishing speed, creating afterimages and distorting her perception.

“Scram!”

Netherwater True Monarch’s eyes gleamed with frost. She hurled several fist-sized orbs of deep Heavy Water, now fused with the crystalline black flames, at the charging Lan Chang'an.

Boom!

The orbs exploded like volcanic eruptions, forming a black flame mushroom cloud that radiated an aura of forbidden power.

In that instant, its destructive force nearly reached the threshold of a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator’s might.

Even someone like Lan Chang'an with a fourth-rank tempered body was sent reeling by the blast, his qi and blood churning.

The aquatic domain trembled violently, cracks forming throughout.

“Heh heh heh… You think you can kill me without the power of a true Great Cultivator? Keep dreaming.”

Netherwater True Monarch let out a mocking laugh.

Seizing the chance, bathed in crystalline black flames she forcefully executed her water-escape through the venomous heavy waters, racing toward the domain’s boundary.

Pop!

The aquatic barrier was scorched open by the black flames, leaving a gaping hole.

Her face lit with joy as she morphed into a stream of water, surging toward the breach.

Water paths branched in every direction.

If she could break free of this domain’s poisonous suppression, she would regain her mobility and the upper hand.

This intense clash had stirred immense spiritual energy. Even on the outskirts of Sea Suppressing Sect’s territory, it would attract powerful alliance cultivators.

Bang!

The stream of water slammed into what felt like a wall of solid steel.

A soft cry of pain rang out.

Netherwater True Monarch’s elegant figure appeared, her head bloodied, a swelling bump on her forehead.

Blarg!

She coughed out a mouthful of poisonous blood, face pale as paper, her eyes full of venomous hatred staring at the dull yellow crystalline light sealing the stone wall in front of her.

…

It turned out that the boundary of the water domain was the cavern wall itself.

A surge of powerful earth-element force erupted from the mountain wall, severing her escape through the water escape technique.

Through a narrow crevice in the stone, the Lord Earthrock peered out, watching the flustered and enraged True Monarch Netherwater, and burst into hearty laughter.

Today’s task given by its master was an easy one.

No need to engage in battle, just petrify the surroundings with earth-element magic to cut off Netherwater's Water Escape.

Whoosh!

The heavy, chilling water surged again, engulfing her completely. True Monarch Netherwater was thrown back into the restored Sea Banner water domain.

“Xiang Dalong! Even if you manage to trap me for a while, the disturbance of this battle will surely alert the cultivators of the Sixteen Sect Alliance.”

Despite failing to break through the barrier, True Monarch Netherwater showed no panic. Instead, she quickly regained her composure.

Both she and Xiang Dalong were at the mid Nascent Soul stage, what right did he have to kill her?

Even two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators working together would find it hard to slay one of their own level.

What’s more, as a water-element cultivator, she was renowned for her survival skills and prolonged combat stamina.

“Oh? Then allow me to test that theory through you today, Fairy Netherwater.”

Lan Chang'an sneered as he fanned the Venom Fire Fan, pressing his assault on the woman.

With a sweep of his sleeve, five humanoid puppets appeared in the water domain.

Four stood in formation, robed in white, green, blue, and black, each radiating the spiritual pressure of a fourth-rank puppet.

At the center stood a towering, battle-armored, green-skinned middle-aged man, exuding the air of a battlefield commander.

“Five fourth-rank puppets?”

True Monarch Netherwater’s expression changed drastically. Her pupils contracted in shock as the overwhelming presence of the five-puppet battle formation crashed over her, making even her Nascent Soul heart tremble.

Buzz! Crackle!

The Puppet Master Wei's eyes gleamed with dark light as his heavy puppet arms unfolded. The combined power of the five puppets surged into arcs of eerie crimson lightning, converging above into a twisted, deep-red pillar of destruction.

In an instant, the entire water domain shook, the terrifying aura spreading like wildfire.

“No-!”

True Monarch Netherwater’s scalp went numb, her face pale as death. It felt like facing a full-blown Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.

Whoosh-BOOM!

The twisted red beam of destruction struck down in a flash. Trapped in the poisonous heavy water, True Monarch Netherwater had no room to dodge.

At this desperate moment, she clenched her silver teeth, burned her vital essence and activated a secret amplification art. Her body blazed with soaring spiritual light, enveloped in vast plumes of dark water flame.

Her power surged to the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage, rivaling the leaders of the Demonic Sects in Great Qing.

Yet as the destructive red beam struck her, the black flames around her were vaporized in vast swathes, dimming rapidly.

She barely held out for a single breath.

Thump!

Her delicate body staggered. Her legs buckled, and she half-knelt under the pressure of the crimson beam.

“True Monarch Netherwater, does this seat now qualify to take your life?”

Lan Chang'an looked down at the kneeling beauty in black robes, barely holding herself up.

Gah!

True Monarch Netherwater clutched her chest and spat out another mouthful of poisoned blood. Her pale, flawless face was painted with disbelief and fear.

Years ago, rumors claimed Xiang Dalong was striving to become a fourth-rank Puppet Master, perhaps he had already succeeded.

But who could’ve imagined he had refined five fourth-rank puppets and arranged them into this earth-shaking formation?

Years prior, when the formation was first completed, Lan Chang'an had only tested it cautiously at the Yunxia Sect’s mountain gate, never daring to unleash its full force.

Now, its explosive power approached that of a full Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.

Even with True Monarch Netherwater burning her essence and unleashing secret techniques to reach demonic sect leader-level strength, she was utterly overwhelmed.

Lan Chang'an hadn’t even used the Barbed Arrow… nor had he activated the Azure Profound Sword Formation.

Just this fourth-rank puppet army alone was enough to sweep aside any Nascent Soul cultivator below the Great Cultivator level.

In places like the Great Qing, he was practically invincible!

…

“True Monarch Xiang! Spare me, I have a secret…”

True Monarch Netherwater, still kneeling, clung to life with all her might. Her eyes were misted red, her delicate, flawless features filled with helpless pleading.

This situation was no different from being cornered by a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Xiang Dalong was already a powerhouse among mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, backed by two fourth-rank sacred beasts of water and earth.

Now, with this terrifying fourth-rank puppet formation, she was thrown into utter despair, reduced to pitiful begging.

She wouldn’t last until reinforcements arrived, Xiang Dalong could easily end her life.

Yet Lan Chang'an showed no mercy. Venom Fire Fan in hand, he unleashed massive waves of five-colored poison fire, endlessly burning and eroding the Eastern Region’s proud giant.

“Spare me! I’m willing to-!”

True Monarch Netherwater howled in agony. Her spiritual light flickered dimly, her black dress burned to ash, leaving her bare and exposed to the flames.

Just as she was about to be consumed by the poison fire-

Pfft!

She forced out yet another mouthful of blood and vital energy.

From the remains of her burned robe, a layer of silver crystalline sand spread across her snow-pale body, shimmering with faint silver runes.

At a glance, she looked like an exotic silver-scaled mermaid.

That layer of silver crystal sand, when fully activated, revealed astonishing defensive tenacity.

Even the five-colored poison fire couldn’t breach it for the time being.

“She’s certainly gained a few new life-saving tricks over the years.”

Lan Chang'an’s eyes narrowed, instantly seeing through her defense.

Despite her desperate state, her Nascent Soul still hadn’t emerged from her body.

Of course.

Back when she clashed with the Twin Dragons, she had secretly suffered under the Barbed Arrow and knew of Lan Chang'an’s lethal technique, she had been on guard ever since.

To that end, she had prepared a soul-defense artifact to enhance her Nascent Soul’s resistance.

If Lan Chang'an’s Barbed Arrow strike wasn’t fatal, she could use the moment to escape.

But Lan Chang'an, as a fourth-rank divination master, was adept at reading fate and seizing the advantage.

The hidden location he chose lay at the edge of the Sea Suppressing Alliance’s territory. It had once been the hideout of True Monarch Shazhai.

The genuine opportunity hidden here, combined with clues pointing to an ancient relic from the Tinghai Pavilion, had finally lured this big fish into his net.

…

"How much longer can you hold on?"

Lan Chang'an sneered coldly, his sleeve sweeping out as he summoned sixteen Azure Profound Swords.

"A sword formation! And a killing move-!"

True Monarch Netherwater’s heart trembled with fear. Suppressed by the fourth-rank puppet formation, she had no room to dodge.

Whoosh!

The Azure Profound Swords whirled and danced, spitting out streams of razor-sharp sword qi like spring silkworms spinning silk. Emerald sword lights flickered ceaselessly, weaving into a tight and seamless net of blades.

Though the Azure Profound Sword Formation's destructive power fell short of the fourth-rank puppet formation, it made up for it in relentless frequency.

Like the unending drizzle of a spring rain, endless and unyielding.

Clang! Clang! Hiss!

In mere breaths, cracks appeared in the silver crystalline scales on True Monarch Netherwater's body, revealing cold, pale skin beneath, now seeping blood.

The fourth-rank puppet formation launched a ferocious assault, shattering the black water flame above her head and breaking through her final defenses.

Boom!

True Monarch Netherwater’s graceful body suddenly swelled. Her silver crystal sand-like skin and physical body exploded in unison, bursting into countless droplets of blood, black flames, and silver dust...

The self-destruction's power far exceeded her cultivation realm, strong enough at close range to threaten a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

The entire water domain formation collapsed and shattered.

“Where do you think you're going!”

Lan Chang'an shouted sternly, already prepared.

A charged Barbed Arrow shot out, locking onto the fleeing Nascent Soul projection of True Monarch Netherwater.

On the surface of the water, a shadowy black female nascent soul emerged, her soul protected by a transparent shield embedded with nine anguished baby faces.

A wave of vengeful soul energy surged forward to meet the Barbed Arrow.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The nine baby faces on the transparent shield shattered instantly, their shrieks chilling. The Barbed Arrow’s soul-annihilating power wiped them out completely.

Though the soul-protection artifact was destroyed, it absorbed at least half the arrow’s lethal impact, buying her a brief moment to catch her breath.

The injured black Nascent Soul flickered and finally escaped the killing zone of the water formation.

But before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, a brilliant aurora-like beam erupted behind her from an ancient mirror treasure, locking onto her path.

It had predicted her escape route.

“Northern Polar Light!”

The black female nascent soul’s soul shivered. She forcibly activated her Nascent Soul escape technique, and with another blur-

Shua!

She managed to widen the gap, but half of her spirit form was scorched black, trailing wisps of black smoke.

Though the Northern Polar Light didn’t strike her head-on, even a glancing hit worsened her injuries significantly.

Having narrowly escaped the mystic light’s edge, True Monarch Netherwater was left trembling in fear, but finally broke free from the zone of death.

As a mid-stage Nascent Soul, her escape speed was formidable.

As long as she could pull away, she would be safe.

…

“Xiang Dalong! You may have used every trick you had, but this True Monarch still escaped with her life...!”

The black female nascent soul growled hatefully, her voice cold and venomous.

She turned into a blur of black shadow, darting toward a narrow tunnel behind her.

But at that moment, a muted yellow glow shimmered above her from the rocky ceiling.

A piercing, otherworldly bird cry rang out.

“What-?!”

Her soul body trembled violently as she caught sight of a majestic five-colored peacock.

Then, a twisted beam of five-colored divine light struck her soul. Her vision went black and she plummeted from midair.

"Almost let you slip away."

A calm male voice echoed.

Whoosh!

Lan Chang'an, wings of black shadow flaring behind him, arrived with near late-Nascent Soul speed.

He deftly unfurled a Ghost Spider Soul Net, ensnaring the heavily wounded black Nascent Soul.

Not daring to be careless, Lan Chang'an slapped on two fourth-rank Soul-Sealing Talismans, sticking them to the nascent soul's head, then sealed her into a wooden box.

He did not kill the Nascent Soul immediately.

If True Monarch Netherwater were to die now, her soul lamp and fate painting back at Black Sea Sect would be triggered instantly, confirming her death.

Though she had sent a brief distress message earlier, it wasn’t enough to signal absolute danger.

The fall of a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert would send shockwaves through the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects.

…

Ten breaths later.

Two fourth-rank spirit pets finished clearing the battlefield and collecting the spoils.

“Time to go, fast!”

Lan Chang'an didn’t hesitate. Wrapped in a grand radiance of blue water, he flew toward the southern region of Great Yuan.

The aquatic glow around him was a disguise, an illusion cast by the Profound Water Turtle using the Sea Banner magical treasure.

Their earlier battle had taken place deep within a cave, well hidden.

Still, the clash of such strong magical powers inevitably alerted nearby cultivators along the ruins' coast.

Fortunately, most of the released energy had been veiled by the Sea Banner, masked as water-element fluctuations.

“A Nascent Soul battle! Run!”

Nearby lower-tier cultivators scattered in terror, diving into surrounding waters to hide.

No one dared be seen by the victorious Nascent Soul expert for fear of being killed to silence witnesses.

“The winner seemed to be a water-element Nascent Soul cultivator?”

“Who was that who just left? A great power from the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects, perhaps?”

Much later, once the water-element escape light had vanished, the surrounding cultivators emerged, still shaken, unwilling to linger nearby.

Only the disciples of the Sea Suppressing Sect Sixteen Sects urgently sent messages back to their sects.

…

Half a day later.

Lan Chang'an traveled through the Nine Fiery Heavens, arriving in the southern domain of Great Yuan.

Earlier, he had chosen the Ruins Coast for its proximity to the south.

The Southern Region was one of the most developed regions of cultivation civilization in Great Yuan, overseen by the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, one of the three great powers.

Using his Hundred Illusions Mask, Lan Chang'an shifted between several identities along the way.

He finally settled in a secluded valley, disguised as a Fake Dan cultivator.

With his powerful spiritual sense, he scanned the surroundings to ensure no signs of life.

At the base of a cliff, Lan Chang'an sat down and retrieved the wooden box containing the sealed Nascent Soul.

“Keeping True Monarch Netherwater’s Nascent Soul too long is dangerous. The Sixteen Sects might trace her through it.”

Gazing at the sealed box, he hesitated, falling into brief contemplation.

Previously, devouring a few Nascent Soul spirit bodies with the Nine Seal Stele barely advanced his sixth life’s progress.

Even mid-stage Nascent Souls, in essence, were all similar divine souls.

Lan Chang'an closed his eyes and entered the Nine Seal Stele with his consciousness.

Rather than looking to the later lives, he focused on the topmost seal, the first life.

Within the seal, his first incarnation appeared: a refined young man holding a talisman brush, standing upright.

Like the very first page of a cultivation archive.

“Qi Refining cultivation, just a few decades of mortal memories... Surely that won’t affect who I am now?”

He double-checked repeatedly. There shouldn’t be any major risk.

The second life’s talisman arts and cultivation alone far exceeded everything from the first life.

Thus, using a whole seal on a mere Qi Refining life was an incredible waste.

When the Nine Seal Stele unlocked the fifth life, he gained a new ability, the power to "erase" a previous life.

If he could replace the first life with this mid-stage Nascent Soul, the boost would be tremendous.

As he advanced into the mid-Nascent Soul realm, the fourth life Master Lihuo, only at early Nascent Soul was already becoming obsolete.

…

Returning to reality.

Lan Chang'an looked at the female Nascent Soul in the box. Only one final hesitation remained.

Was he truly going to turn a female Nascent Soul into a simulated reincarnation for the Nine Seal Stele?

“True Monarch Xiang, please spare me! I’ll serve you loyally as your maid or slave in gratitude for your mercy…”

Sensing her impending doom, the sealed Nascent Soul let out a soft, pleading cry.

Lan Chang'an had previously devoured and converted the male Master Lihuo without issue but this time, it was a woman.

A slight discomfort lingered.

Yet there wasn’t time to hesitate. He had to decide now!

Either devour Netherwater and gain only minor nourishment or let her replace the first life and maximize the return.

(End of chapter)

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