âMooooooooo,â lowed Kui. When standing at full height, its five-thousand-kilometer tall body appeared as if an awe-inspiring mountain. It, however, was far from Scarlet Apeâs match in close-quarters combat.
In Scarlet Apeâs eyes, the giant kui was nothing but a standing target. Its enormous iron rod stretched into the sky and rammed hard into Kui, knocking the ox away.
Caught off guard by Scarlet Apeâs speed, Kui didnât even have the time to summon lightning.
Only when itâd been sent flying did it reveal its entire body. The behemoth bovine was covered in violet-gold fur and surrounded by crackling electric currents of the same color. Protruding out of its giant ox head was a single fifty-kilometer-long horn. It didnât seem to be a regular horn, but more an immensely powerful immortal treasure.
Scarlet Ape had only managed to keep it in check, but not actually hurt it.
Although the zombie Kui was just a peak origin dao immortal, its physique could rival that of an immortal emperor. Moreover, Scarlet Apeâs rod was damaged to begin with, preventing it from deploying its full power.
The two giants viciously tore into each other in a berserk frenzy, with Azure Province as their battleground. Gradually, Kui began regaining its initiative and entered a stalemate with Scarlet Ape.
âŠâŠ
âRoyal uncle!â Zhao Changkong heaved a heavy sigh as he watched the fight play out. âThe Ingress Path!â
âYou mustnât, Your Majesty!â the emperorâs uncle stilled and hurriedly interjected. He knew what Zhao Changkong wanted to do.
âI must get these two monsters out of here! If we allow them to keep fighting, Azure Province will be completely destroyed and the seal will break again.â
The province was now barren and almost completely lifeless; Azure City was the only exception. With its fertile land and natural resources, however, the province would recover to its former self if given enough time.
There would be no yin spirit invasions in the future with the ancient tomb sealed by the bronze palace. In fact, the province would be more prosperous than ever. But if the two beasts kept fighting and razed all of the terrain and earthen veins, Azure would be the next Dusk Province.
Dusk Provinceâs decline hadnât begun when the Art Saint set up the layout of Enneawyrm Coffinbearers in Dusk City a thousand years ago. Rather, itâd started when the great burial mound fell from the sky five thousand years ago, crushing the main vein of the province and changing its fortunes for the worse.
The governor of the province then had been a peerless immortal, and her immortal cities governed by golden immortals. Yuying, whoâd been the Dusk governor twelve hundred years ago, though, had been merely a transformed spirit realm cultivator.
Azure Province was currently going through the same events that Dusk Province had weathered five thousand years before. There was no mountain falling from the sky, but the battle between two behemoth beasts would destroy everything in the province all the same.
Duskâs downfall had already been a devastating blow to Nephrite Major. If Azure Province was left in shambles as well, Nephrite Major would fall to the bottom among the nine majors, or even be surpassed by the ten lands.
What had befallen Dusk had been a calamity that no one could prevent. Not even the former celestial emperor, Zhao Fengyang, couldâve done anything then.
Meanwhile, events taking place today would have even greater repercussions. If the earthen veins were destroyed, the bronze palace would follow and the crack would be torn open again.
Then the yin spirits would return to the province. All of Nephrite Major might be overwhelmed by the tide, since the barrier around Azure Province was broken.
Zhao Changkong would not tolerate that happening.
âYour Majesty!!â the emperorâs wizened uncle called out with red eyes. âYour cultivation is too low to activate the Ingress Pathââ
âI am the Celestial Emperor of Nephrite Major!â roared Zhao Changkong. âHand it to me!â
A shudder ran down his uncleâs spine. With tears in his eyes, he shakily handed a key to Zhao Changkong, who took it into his body with a wave of his hand.
Rumble!
The expansive Ingress Path shook as piercing dragon howls rang through heaven and earth. A dragon brandishing fangs and claws morphed from the white path, soaring into the sky and becoming one with Zhao Changkong.
âZhao Shenguang is to be Celestial Emperor of Nephrite Major upon my death⊠Although he himself is a useless piece of trash, Qing Buyi and Chen Xiao will ensure Nephrite Major remains protected.
âPlease continue protecting Nephrite Major for a century as you promised, senior!â
The dragon lunged at Kui and Scarlet Ape.
Thud!
The imperial uncle dropped to his knees and kowtowed resoundingly in the direction Zhao Changkong had left in.
âWhat just happened?â someone asked in befuddlement. The Ingress Path was the greatest treasure of Nephrite Major, and the greatest weapon wielded by her celestial emperors throughout history.
However, itâd seemed like Zhao Changkong was marching to his death just now.
âActivating the Ingress Path requires the power of Nephriteâs heavenly mandate. Zhao Changkong hasnât plucked all nine of his origin dao fruits, so he canât activate the treasure at will.â Crimson light dissipated from Art Saintâs eyes and he sighed with lamentation. âThereâs only one way for him to call upon the heavenly mandateâsoul sacrifice.
âThat was Zhao Changkong sacrificing himself. Heâs⊠dead.â
Art Saintâs body trembled slightly as he stared at the great dragon in the sky.
âIâd thought that Zhao Changkong was a selfish, petty man, but when push came to shove in the face of the greater good, he gave up his life with no hesitation whatsoever...â Zither Saint sighed as well. âZhao Fengyang didnât make the wrong choice, nor were Chen Xiao and Qing Buyi wrong in their assessment of him.â
With a wave of his hand, he summoned a black zither and took a seat, drawing forth strains of wistful song from its strings.
âŠâŠ
In an ancient, nameless land somewhere.
Zhao Fengyangâs eyes shot open, tears streaking down his face.
âMy son, you protected the people and stayed true to your duties in the end...â
Rumble!
The dark land bereft of a sun trembled as a scarlet hand shot out from the ground. There seemed to be a giant trying to break out.
Nine peak origin dao immortals rose at the same time, assembling a strange formation to push the giant hand back.
âKekekeke⊠How long do you bugs think you can keep me underground? The day this seat breaks out of this seal is the day I tear you nine into pieces.â
âŠâŠ
Zhao Changkong was dead. Heâd sacrificed his flesh and blood, along with his soul, the moment he entered the Ingress Path.
The Nephrite heavenly mandate had flared with light and activated the Ingress Path, propelling it into Scarlet Ape and Kui with the last of Zhao Changkongâs will.
The two beasts were completely preoccupied by their fight.
Scarlet Ape would spare no effort to protect human territory. In fact, there would be nothing better than if Azure Province was crushed and Nephrite Major greatly weakened. Naturally, it didnât know that the newly-formed bronze palace would fall apart as soon as the earthen veins of Azure Province were destroyed, either.
Given some time, the palace would stabilize and the interment of heaven and earth would become part of the world. Then the grand influence of the palace would keep the province protected. Not even a resurrected great emperor from the human dao era would be able to damage the earthen veins then.
Meanwhile, Kuiâs sole purpose was to kill the ape standing in its way and take the Yi Wood Cleansing Thunder for itself.
Neither of them pulled their punches as they fought on the heavily scarred land.
Bam!
Suddenly, a white path descended from the sky and slammed into the two beasts.
âThe Ingress Path!!â Scarlet Ape growled at the same time as the zombie Kui roared.
Under the great might of the Ingress Path, the two beasts didnât have any time to react before they were knocked straight into the East Sea.
A mushroom cloud arose from over the seaâs horizon after some time.
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