Currently, the sky above Copper Men Island seemed to be rippling slightly like water as it was rather blurry and indistinct, yet appeared surreal. One would have to look very carefully in order to vaguely notice some discrepancies.
Enveloped by that radiance, the entire Copper Men Island seemed to be drying up.
The scenes within lost their glow with lifeforms losing their vitality as time fell still.
The people on the island all seemed like puppets which had lost their lives yet appeared so realistic and lifelike.
Space seemed as though it was fixed throughout the entire Dragon Avatar Region.
The only entities that were still able to barely move about were the three massive copper men which seemed to tower to the heavens even as they were rooted to the earth as well as Chief Gongsun Wu.
The three copper men opened their mouths, seeming as though they had lives of their own as they emitted soundless roars.
Their six arms were raised high in supporting the sky, blocking that water-light which unceasingly descended, enveloping the entire island.
Gongsun Wu’s tone was dry, “This strength, such attainments in the Time Flowing Sword…Shen Lingzi!”
There was no response from the sky up above as there was only that sword-light which resembled water that froze time as it unceasingly whittled down the three massive copper men down below.
Beneath the onrushing of the sword-light, there were no major disturbances like the howling of ghosts and the wailing of gods or any heaven-shocking, earth-shaking changes.
Yet, the surface of the copper men rapidly broke down, becoming mottled as they deteriorated.
It was as if however powerful an existence was, it would still be hard pressed to stand against the flow of time.
On this day, the former number one defensive location of the Royal Reed Sea, Copper Men Island, fell.
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 863: Take no prisoners, accept no surrender!
HSSB863: Take no prisoners, accept no surrender!
In the north of the Royal Reed Sea, the Grinding Hut Region.
Where the headquarters of the North Sea Sword Pavilion was located, the sword domain of the pavilion that had been passed down for millennia had already been unleashed at full force as it circulated at its maximum level.
Sword-light shot into the heavens, enveloping the entire Grinding Hut Region.
Yet, these streaks of sword-qi were currently being whittled down unceasingly as they gradually fell apart.
It was as if numerous divine weapons were ultimately hard pressed to withstand the assault of time as they became rusted and mottled.
A figure stood amidst space, wielding the sword-light as he guided along the sword-qi of the sword domain in stirring up numerous frenzied torrents.
This person was none other than Pavilion Lord Gu Hong of the North Sea Sword Pavilion, an expert of the early Immortal Bridge stage.
In terms of cultivation base, he was the mightiest amongst those of the anti-Xuan coalition in the Royal Reed Sea.
Currently, with the geographical advantage of the sword domain of the Grinding Hut Region and unleashing his full power, he seemed to possess the divine authority of overturning the vast sea.
Yet, such a miraculous divine sword of the vast sea appeared pale and powerless beneath the illumination of the sword-light that resembled water as it enveloped the heavens all round.
The faint sword-light which seemed mild and almost undetectable actually broke through those tsunamis that surged to the heavens with the momentum of breaking bamboo, charging for the North Sea Sword Pavilion on Grinding Hut Island at full speed ahead.
While Gu Hong had a dauntless look on his face, despair was already visible in his eyes.
That day, the sword domain of the Grinding Hut Region shattered, and the North Sea Sword Pavilion was destroyed.
……
Atop Broad Creed Mountain’s Heaven Rising Peak, Yan Zhaoge’s Northern Ocean Clone sat across from Yuan Zhengfeng and the others as everyone had solemn expressions on their faces.
“Can we confirm that it was Shen Lingzi?” Yuan Zhengfeng asked in a heavy tone.
Fang Zhun nodded, “It is indeed so from the information we received.”
Yan Zhaoge’s Northern Ocean Clone said, “Even Kang Ping with the Cloud Circulating Heavenly Light Sword might not be able to single-handedly penetrate through the defences of Copper Men Island. It could only be Shen Lingzi who has a higher cultivation base.”
“Although Kang Ping once spoke of his ‘former Grand Master Shen Lingzi’ and it could be a fellow expert of Shen Lingzi’s lineage of the same generation as him, I still believe that it is Shen Lingzi himself who is alive and has returned to the Royal Reed Sea. Otherwise, they would not be able to account for things to Golden Court Mountain so easily.”
Over a century ago, the strongest person of the Grand Xuan Dynasty who had come to the Royal Reed Sea had been the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s founder, King Xuanwen of the eight level of the Martial Saint realm.
Back then, Shen Lingzi and Daoist Shi had both been of the early Immortal Bridge stage.
However, Shen Lingzi had cultivated in the Aeon Light Heavenly Scripture of the Jade Clear lineage and also possessed supreme talent as his strength far surpassed others of the same cultivation level.
In terms of combat prowess, Shen Lingzi of the seventh level of the Martial Saint realm might not have been any inferior at all to King Xuanwen of the eighth level of the Martial Saint realm.
Now, more than a century later, seeing Shen Lingzi’s mighty abilities in taking down Copper Men Island so quickly, his power had likely already advanced to a whole new level.
Also, he had definitely brought along a high-grade Sacred Artifact!
Yuan Zhengfeng looked at Yan Zhaoge’s Northern Ocean Clone, “In battling unannounced, they intend to take down all of us one by one.”
The Northern Ocean Clone rubbed his temples lightly, “From easy to difficult, killing all without reservation, sweeping through the Royal Reed Sea regardless of whatever enmity there may be.”
Comparatively speaking, the enmity between Broad Creed Mountain and the Grand Xuan Dynasty along with Shen Lingzi’s lineage ran the deepest.
Like Kang Ping, He Dongcheng and Gu Zhang, Madame Kang had also been a disciple of Shen Lingzi.
Because of her death, the North Sea Sword Pavilion and the Radiant Light Sect had similarly fallen to the bad side of the Grand Xuan Dynasty.
Meanwhile, the enmity between Copper Men Island and the Grand Xuan Dynasty was clearly lesser.
To put it bluntly, if the Grand Xuan Dynasty could not be stopped, it was not impossible that Copper Men Island might lower their hands and submit to their rule.
However, Shen Lingzi had started off with Copper Men Island this time!
It was like a soundless pronouncement.
Take no prisoners, accept no surrender, sweep through the entire Royal Reed Sea!
It was already not that the subservient would live whereas the uncooperative would fall.
Instead, anyone who had been enemies with them before were all to be slain without question!
Xu Fei frowned, “Isn’t that too arrogant? As a foreign power, he wants to be the absolute hegemon in the Royal Reed Sea. How would the Southeastern Exalt and Golden Court Mountain possibly agree to this? It is not just a single Shadow Mountain Sword King amongst the peak experts Golden Court Mountain currently has in the Royal Reed Sea.”
Fang Zhun said, “This means that the major figure behind Shen Lingzi has started exerting power.”
In the World beyond Worlds, there were only the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors who could suppress the Ten Exalts.
The Northern Ocean Clone said, “Truly suppressing him would not be easy. The Southeastern Exalt is not someone without allies.”
“More importantly, the situation between Golden Court Mountain and the southern Blazing Heaven Territory is already extremely intense.
They have major troops stationed just outside the west of the Royal Reed Sea. The attention of Lin Hanhua and the others is now focused externally.”
Yan Zhaoge and the others had also been paying close attention to the situation there.
Therefore, after Lin Hanhua and the others had primarily focused on the southern Blazing Heaven Territory, whether it was Broad Creed Mountain, Copper Men Island, the North Sea Sword Pavilion or the Dim Darkness Sect, they had all heightened their vigilance lest the Grand Xuan Dynasty make use of this chance to attack.
Broad Creed Mountain had even once proposed that they should just join forces, congregating their troops at a single spot. However, the North Sea Sword Pavilion and Copper Men Island had evidently been unwilling to give up on their foundations just like that.
Whether it was Copper Men Island with their three men of copper or the sword domain of the Grinding Hut Region, they were both very ideal locations for defending indeed.
Still, facing the ferocious attack from the enemy this time which was extremely overwhelming despite just being from a single person, taken by surprise, Copper Men Island which had once been the number one defensive location in the World beyond Worlds had directly fallen.
Yan Zhaoge’s main body was currently in secluded cultivation in the Vast Ocean World while Yan Di was in secluded cultivation right there in the World beyond Worlds.
While the other party seemed to be targeting the weaker before the stronger, who could know that they were not trying to pull the wool over their eyes?
If the Northern Ocean Clone and some others left to reinforce the North Sea Sword Pavilion and the other party turned around and attacked Broad Creed Mountain instead, the consequences would be unimaginably disastrous.
Therefore, after receiving the news, even as Broad Creed Mountain had increased their vigilance and defences with an urgent meeting convening amongst its higher echelons, it had contacted the North Sea Sword Pavilion and requested Gu Hong and co to retreat from the sword domain of the Grinding Hut Region and hurry over to the Spirit Inheritance Region to join forces with them.
However, whether they would be in time to do so and whether the other side would be willing were things that they really could not know for sure.
The Northern Ocean Clone said, “At the present moment, it seems to go unsaid that Golden Court Mountain will not act as they will allow the forces within the Royal Reed Sea and the Grand Xuan Dynasty to battle.”
“While the Grand Xuan Dynasty can have reinforcements, they have to be people who once stayed in the Royal Reed Sea before and not any new experts. Therefore, I believe that that expert who felled Copper Men Island is none other than Shen Lingzi, now returned to the Royal Reed Sea.”
Within the great hall, all their expressions were rather solemn.
Now, a unique technique of the sect circulated with an urgent notification coming in.
“Even before arriving at the Grinding Hut Region, without even being able to see those of the North Sea Sword Pavilion, I saw that a great battle was already underway over at the north sea!”
Hearing this news, Yuan Zhengfeng and the others all felt momentarily suffocated.
After felling Copper Men Island, Shen Lingzi had actually gone straight for the North Sea Sword Pavilion!
With his mighty cultivation base and high speed and the fact that no one had been able to hold him back for too long, he had hurried from the east to the north of the Royal Reed Sea in a short period of time.
The communications between Broad Creed Mountain, the North Sea Sword Pavilion and Copper Men Island paled in comparison.
Fang Zhun pondered for a moment before he said, “It is unknown how long Copper Men Island can hold for. If it falls in less than half a day’s time, as our disciple has come and returned with news, he may already be on his way to our Spirit Inheritance Region by now.”
Yuan Zhengfeng stood up, saying, “Copper Men Island is harder to break through than the North Sea Sword Pavilion but also was not able to hold on for long. Sending aid would already be too late now. We can only hope that Pavilion Lord Gu Hong and the rest were favoured by fortune and managed to make it out alive.”
“Our opponent this time seems to far surpass any we have had in the past.”
As they conversed, the horizon to the northeast of the Spirit Inheritance Region was covered by a blurry layer of water-light which enveloped the heavens and covered the earth as it swept over!
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 864: The sword of time
HSSB864: The sword of time
The faint water-light soundlessly appeared in the horizon before swiftly flooding over towards the Spirit Inheritance Region.
Soon, the sky above the entire Spirit Inheritance Region was enveloped by this blurry water-light.
Where the radiance passed, the flow of time amidst the heavens and earth seemed to fall still.
All things in the world lost their glow, all sounds inaudible as all had fallen silent throughout.
Above Broad Creed Mountain, streams of light surged as they instantly established a huge formation that obscured the heavens and concealed the sun. It was precisely the Grand Clear Grand Formation.
As the formation circulated, streams of clear qi extended into the distance, penetrating into space.
Between the heavens and the earth, numerous jet-black spheres of light and yellow spheres of earth could be seen as they were uncountable like the myriad stars of the sky.
As the radiance joined up in a line, the circulation of the Grand Clear Grand Formation became heavy as it seemed sturdy and impenetrable like the dense earth.
As the rippling light that resembled water enveloped the Grand Clear Grand Formation, the circulation of the formation began to slow.
However, the formation could still be sustained.
The clear qi rose unceasingly, merging together with the actual sky as it was like the sky itself had been pulled downwards, moving closer to Broad Creed Mountain.
The countless yellow and black spheres of light sunk together, resembling the great earth as they seemed to bring Broad Creed Mountain and the Spirit Inheritance Region beneath it a little higher.
The heavens and the earth seemed to have been brought closer to each other with the momentum of combining as one.
Beneath this majestic power, even that blurry water-light seemed to ripple.
An ancient voice resounded amidst the air, “Oh? A sect from the lower worlds that settled down in the World beyond Worlds just a couple of years ago seems to have a guardian grand formation that is even mightier than the North Sea Sword Pavilion’s sword domain with its hundreds and thousands of years of accumulation?”
“Having been able to stir up so many things, you are indeed not incapable people.”
While some puzzlement could be felt from these words, that tone remained indifferent like eternal time.
“Sadly, the one controlling the formation is too weak. Were you an Immortal Bridge Martial Saint, you might be able to withstand this old man for some time.”
While that tone was still indifferent, it seemed to have sped up in the ears of Yan Zhaoge and the rest.
Accelerating alongside his tone beneath the water-light that enveloped the area was the flow of time between the heavens and the earth there!
Even the sky and the earth would change following the passing of time, the vast oceans and the boundless fields no longer as they had once been.
Aging and deterioration was something all things between the heavens and the earth had to experience.
Beneath the onrushing flow of time, the Grand Clear Grand Formation instantly destabilised.
Yuan Zhengfeng was currently controlling the grand formation. Dust and filth began appearing on his clothes as his skin began to turn mottled and wrinkled.
He seemed to be aging and deteriorating alongside the heavens and earth there.
Yan Zhaoge’s Northern Ocean Clone emitted a clear roar, directly exiting the great hall.<
br />
A long metallic box that was completely jet-black in colour now appeared in front of him.
The Northern Ocean Clone clapped the Heaven Swallowing Earth Devouring Box, the lid of the box opening as black light appeared.
An ancient bronze sword shot out from within the sword box, landing in the hands of the Northern Ocean Clone as an aura that was greedy and tyrannical and ferocious to the extreme instantly shot into the skies.
Jet-black blood vessels appeared atop the surface of the Northern Ocean Clone’s body that appeared savage and terrifying.
As the jet-black blood vessels intersected, on the back of the Northern Ocean Clone’s sword-wielding right hand was formed a profound sigil.
The sigil flickered, the radiance shockingly condensing as a Taotie.
The cry of a Taotie which resembled the wailing of infants resounded as the Northern Ocean Clone waved his right hand, the jet-black sword-light transforming into a black hole which hovered in the air above Broad Creed Mountain.
That black hole emitted a terrifying suction force which devoured all in its surroundings.
Even space itself collapsed as numerous black crevices were ripped apart, caving inwards with the black hole as their centre.
A great amount of that sword-light which resembled water that enveloped the air above Broad Creed Mountain was sucked within that black hole as well.
While the sword-light was just as powerful as ever, the pressure on Yuan Zhengfeng who was controlling the Grand Clear Grand Formation immediately lessened.
Yuan Zhengfeng’s expression was heavy and calm, “Zhaoge, how are things with your real body in the Vast Ocean World?”
The Northern Ocean Clone simply answered, “In death seclusion.”
Yuan Zhengfeng answered, “Yan Di is in death seclusion too. There is still half a year from the time estimated by him before he can exit seclusion.”
Yan Di had always had a good grasp of the time that he would need to spend in seclusion. If he said that he would be out in a year, he would be out in a year. He would almost definitely succeed, but he would probably not come out any earlier than that.
History's Strongest Senior Brother c1-1474 Page 474