The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror-Chapter 863 - 400: Nine Heavens

"Clang!" The Greedy Wolf Sword was the first to collide with the Ziwei Star Position, exploding into stardust that ignited the Heavenly River. The True Monarch's Dharma Form swung its six arms in unison, transforming the treasure wheel into a sweeping solar corona, while the Golden Mace summoned the illusion of the Thunder Department God, and the Jade Talisman called forth the Nine Heavens gale. Xu Qing's arms were knotted with muscle, gripping the Po Jun and Wu Qu twin swords, their blades stirring the Earth Lungs Poison Fire as they cleaved a scarlet chasm within the Star Formation.​

"Roar!" A dragon's howl shattered the illusion of three stars, and the Dragon Lord, enveloped in karma, rose from Sword Peak. The dragon tail spiraled the Wenqu and Lianzhen twin swords, transforming into a Yin Yang Sword Wheel that shredded the treasure wheel and solar corona.​

Seizing the moment, Xu Qing soared skyward on the Lu Cun Sword, its blade pointing where the Forget River's waters condensed into a towering icy dragon, its fangs entwined with the chilling Xuanming True Water. The blood mark on the True Monarch's brow suddenly cracked open, and from his third eye flew the illusion of the Golden Crow. The three-legged Divine Bird spread its wings, incinerating the sky and steaming the ice dragon into a torrential rain.​

Xu Qing's expression remained calm as the mana of Two Principles Annihilation suddenly manifested, each raindrop transforming into a miniature Tai Chi Sword Formation. Tens of thousands of sword formations wove into a net, entrapping the Golden Crow illusion within.​

"Break!" The blade of the True Monarch's saber twisted sharply, causing the All Heaven Star Formation to suddenly collapse. Three hundred sixty-five stars condensed into a Heaven-opening Giant Axe, its blade entwined with the Chaos Qi of Heaven and Earth Opening.​

Xu Qing's pupils contracted as the seven swords settled into formation, creating the Beidou Kill Array, with the Array's core revealing the River Map and Luo Book illusion, symbolizing the Human Dao's destiny and the form of an Innate Taiyi Dao Seed Spiritual Treasure.​

At the moment axes and swords clashed, time and space momentarily stilled. The ruins of Fengdu City seemed to reverse time, with thirty-six shattered Ghost Gates rising again, only to collapse a second time in the aftershock.​

The golden body of the True Monarch's Dharma Form cracked open, while blood seeped from Xu Qing's seven orifices, yet his battle intent intensified, his arms' muscles bursting into a mist of blood as he forcefully resisted the downward pressure of the Heaven-opening Axe.​

"Rise!" Xu Qing's shout boomed like thunder, as a Eight Diagram Array Map suddenly appeared beneath his feet. In the Qian Position, Immortal Fire surged upward, in the Kun Position, Wu Earth Essence gushed forth, the Zhen Position brought down Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, and the Xun Position rolled up Nine Heavens gale. The power of the Four Symbols infused into the Beidou Sword Formation, merging the seven swords into one, transforming into a rainbow piercing the sun that shattered the axe shadow.​

The True Monarch took three steps back, crushing three Yin Mountains underfoot, and suddenly sheathed his saber, forming a Mysterious Dharma Seal with his six arms. As the Dharma Seal was formed, Xuanhuang Qi descended from beyond the Nine Heavens, condensing into the Nine Tripods Prison Suppression Formation. Each bronze cauldron etched with an Ancient Ancestor Sacrificial Map, spewed forth the Human Dao Fire.​

Xu Qing wiped the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth, his hands forming a virtual circle. Yin Yang Qi surged from his Dantian, condensing before him into a Tai Chi Scroll. When the scroll unfolded, it revealed the alternating scenes of the Twenty-four Solar Terms, with the thunder of Awakening of Insects and the cold tide of Frost's Descent interwoven into a net, contending with the power of the Nine Tripods Suppression.​

Rumble! The collision of the two forces incited a resonance with the Heavenly Dao, causing twelve Merit Golden Pillars to suddenly rise from Fengdu City's Earth Vein. Bathed in golden light, both combatants simultaneously withdrew their hands—this was the restriction left by Lady Houtu, to prevent the Netherworld's foundation from being destroyed.​

Xu Qing dispersed the Tai Chi Diagram, the Purple Emperor Dragon Armor once again covering his body. The True Monarch's Dharma Form returned to position, and the Three-pointed Two-bladed Sword was sheathed as he suddenly said:

"Once I have rescued the Sea Assembly's Three Altars Divinity, let us continue this battle above the Nine Heavens."

With that, he transformed into a streak of golden light and vanished, leaving countless stardust fragments shimmering around.​

…

…

"Sea Assembly's Three Altars Divinity?"

Xu Qing, well-versed in the Daoist Collection, recognized the term "Three Altars" as mentioned within, referring to the real universe's Heaven, Earth, and Water Three Altars Principles.

It implies that everything within the practical universe lacks Heaven, Earth, or Water rights.

Sea Assembly is frequently mentioned in the Buddhist Scripture, meaning "the gathering seat of the saintly beings, whose virtue is as profound as the sea."

Sea Assembly's Three Altars can be interpreted literally as a god with divine power as vast as the sea within the universe of heavens.

It can also be seen as the supreme military god of the Soldier Dao, ruling heaven, earth, and water within the real universe.

Secretly, it hints that this god must be the fusion of "Buddha, Immortal, and God, the unification of the three paths" Dao Fruit.

According to Xu Qing's modern memory, this deity is "Nezha."

But Xu Qing, who was already merged with the bronze mirror, envisioned the complexity was greater than that.

Moreover, Nezha has many versions.

"Who would have thought that the Daoist could actually force the True Monarch Xiansheng to retreat from the Underworld." The Sin Dragon landed beside Xu Qing, dragon eyes filled with incredulity.

Previously, its transformation into the Purple Emperor Dragon Armor was also greatly beneficial, even stimulating its Ancestor Dragon lineage. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

If it survives to the next era, it might even have the opportunity to vie with the Dragon Clan of the myriad realms for the position of Ancestor Dragon.

In reality, when great celestial beings fall, those corresponding to their projections, bloodline descendants, or Daoist successors, upon joining powerful patrons or obtaining heaven-defying opportunities, may replace them in the next epoch and become the new them.

Therefore, in any era, once peace prevails, foundational roots become most important.

The Sin Dragon was once nothing more than a servant of Guanyin, now aligned with Xu Qing, it found a chance to soar through the Dragon Gate.

Indeed, dragon life's encounters are oft hard to predict.

"Not forcing a retreat, I lost." Xu Qing sighed lightly.

Despite giving it his all, he was ultimately outmaneuvered by the True Monarch Xiansheng, who stole a sliver of the Five Elements Dao Origin with the Stealing Heaven and Changing Day technique.

Though it didn't harm Xu Qing's foundation, it signified that the True Monarch Xiansheng achieved his purpose.

Without the self-illuminating power of the bronze mirror, Xu Qing mightn't have realized.

Oh, what a marvelous True Monarch Xiansheng, what a skillful Stealing Heaven and Changing Day!

Xu Qing patted his abdomen, spitting out a peach pit from his mouth.

The True Monarch Xiansheng almost deceived Xu Qing with this peach pit.

"A peach pit from the Immortal Peach Orchard Ancestor Tree." The slender black Divine Dog arrived, incredulous at first, then turning excited.

Xu Qing whispered, "Too bad the Underworld doesn't have the spiritual soil suitable for planting Immortal Peaches."

The slender black Divine Dog: "The Underworld lacks this environment, but Spirit Mountain does. The water of the Eight Treasure Merit Pool is even better than the Heavenly Pool water used in the Immortal Peach Orchard."

Xu Qing nodded slowly, "The Yin Mountain indeed has an access point directly to Spirit Mountain, but we aren't suited to enter Spirit Mountain now. Divine Monarch, I finally brought you into Fengdu City."

With that said, Xu Qing and the slender black Divine Dog shared a knowing smile.

In Impermanence City, even if the slender black Divine Dog cracked its head open, it couldn't have imagined how arduous the journey would prove.

Yet Daoist Xu Qing conquered the formidable barrier with sheer force.

…

…

Purple Bamboo Forest.

The true dojo of Guanyin does not reside in any one of the Three Realms and Six Paths, nor any universe.

It is a realm independent of Taixu.

In Taixu, all the mighty figures' dojos, however close they may be, without absolute power, they seem further apart than spanning two universes.

Taixu does not merely exist within a universe; specifically, it permeates the Multi-universe.

Traversing between the Taixu of different universes is even harder.

The True Monarch Xiansheng, however, disregarded these challenges, appearing directly in the Purple Bamboo Forest.

The places he couldn't go in the Three Realms and Six Paths, Multi-universe, were few.

The Purple Bamboo Forest wasn't among them.

In reality, by this epoch, the True Monarch Xiansheng's true body's cultivation faintly surpassed that of Guanyin by a bit.

This was a consequence of Guanyin and Ksitigarbha inflicting mutual injuries.

"Though it came with minor hiccups, I've finally secured a strand of Five Elements Dao Origin." The eternally ice-cold handsome face of the True Monarch Xiansheng now bore a hint of humanity.

Not only was he on the brink of reviving his good brother, but also because he finally glimpsed hope in once again challenging the ultimate realm."

When someone like Xu Qing appears, bearing the Qi Fortune of destiny, it signals an opportunity for all heavenly powers to pursue the supreme Dao Fruit.

The true great era is about to unfold.

Many old friends have already exited the stage or been replaced by newcomers in their own places.

The True Monarch Xiansheng didn't know if in the next epoch, he would still be the same.

It was no longer important.

This time, he too would spare no effort in seizing the chance.

Guanyin Bodhisattva received the thread of the Five Elements Dao Origin with a purifying bottle, with a hint of complexity in her demeanor before settling into tranquility, "True Monarch, wait for me forty-nine days."

The True Monarch Xiansheng: "Bodhisattva, how many years in the Human World do forty-nine days here correspond to?"

"Five hundred years."

The True Monarch Xiansheng furrowed his brow.

Guanyin Bodhisattva softly said, "If the True Monarch waits here for forty-nine days, in the next epoch, I assure you, you'll remain the True Monarch Xiansheng."