Chapter 52: Only Gods Could Kill Him

"Do you realize that in the current universe, the heavens and myriad worlds are boundless, and countless pantheons are locked in fierce rivalry?"

"There are also numerous sects and factions locked in mortal combat."

"You want to help Ying Zheng unify the universe?"

"Heh, it's not entirely impossible."

"Perhaps you can try when you attain the Hunyuan realm one day and reach a higher plane."

"Even I wouldn't dare to dream such a dream, yet you actually dare to think about it."

Lu Ge blinked, realizing that even the Hunyuan realm was not invincible after all.

That was because other supreme Hunyuan beings existed, and they all kept each other in check.

Lao Dan continued, "Don't take that battered old mirror of yours too seriously either."

"Just treat it as a tool that allows you to traverse the myriad realms."

"Pay no attention to whatever tasks or rewards it offers."

"The tasks are merely given to keep you occupied."

"As for the rewards, heh, I don't even want to mention them."

"That Dao De Jing from before was clearly sent to you through me."

"Yet that mirror took all the credit and turned it into a mission reward."

At this very moment, the ancient mirror hiding deep within Lu Ge's body was trembling with fear, not daring to show itself at all.

Listening to Lao Dan's words, Lu Ge gained a deeper understanding of the ancient mirror.

"Then what if I fail the task and it refuses to transport me back?"

Lao Dan glanced at Lu Ge, his gaze seeming to look right through him at something else entirely.

"Would it dare?"

"Besides, even if you wanted to stay in a single world for the rest of your life, it wouldn't be willing."

"It is now symbiotically bound to you; imprisoning you is imprisoning itself."

Lu Ge experienced a sudden epiphany. The ancient mirror, which he had always regarded with deep mystery, now seemed rather mundane after all.

"Alright, it seems you have no further questions."

Lao Dan waved a hand.

Lu Ge hurriedly reached out.

"Master, I still have..."

Before he could finish his sentence, darkness enveloped his eyes.

Lao Dan's voice echoed faintly in his ears.

"What else could you have? You have nothing."

"Return to the realm of the living quickly, and remember to cultivate diligently so you may ascend to the Realm of Daluo at an early date."

Lu Ge's consciousness blurred as he plummeted into the dark abyss.

......

The State of Chu, Royal Palace.

Shen Dao stood waiting anxiously beside the carriage.

The surrounding royal guards formed a faint, oppressive encirclement.

If Lu Ge emerged victorious from this battle, naturally nothing would happen.

But if Donghuang Taiyi returned victorious, Shen Dao would have nowhere to run.

Time ticked away second by second.

Finally, a crimson radiance suddenly illuminated the edge of the sky.

In the distant horizon, the towering phantom of a deity spanned the space between heaven and earth.

Its eyes radiated divine light, as if capable of piercing the firmament.

Shen Dao's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous foreboding welled up within him.

"It's the God Taiyi."

Someone cried out in alarm.

Shen Dao turned his head and saw the surrounding guards simultaneously kneeling in worship toward the divine phantom.

The King of Chu's eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.

"Hahahaha."

"The State of Chu is truly favored by Mandate of Heaven."

"With divine protection, we shall certainly unify the world hereafter."

"What state of Qin? They are mere dogs of clay and roosters of wood, destined to perish by our hands sooner or later."

The palace guards and the citizens in the city, all who witnessed this miraculous phenomenon, wore fanatical expressions and shouted without cease.

Only Shen Dao grew pale, his hands and feet turning icy cold.

Facing the strike of a divine entity, the Grand Master was in grave peril.

The divine phantom did not linger long; after its eyes flashed with divine light, it immediately dissipated.

Shen Dao held his breath and gazed far into the distance.

Now, everything depended on who would return.

Before long, the crimson glow at the horizon stained the clouds red.

A solitary figure stepped through the void and returned.

Shen Dao's heart sank as despair gripped him.

The one who had returned was Donghuang Taiyi.

"Take him into custody."

Without a second thought, the King of Chu pointed at Shen Dao.

The surrounding guards, fully prepared, brandished their weapons and swarmed forward.

Shen Dao let out a furious roar, "All of you, get lost!"

Executing the law with his very words, those guards—though fierce and valiant—had never stepped onto the path of cultivation.

Suppressed by the mighty force of heaven and earth, they each tumbled away uncontrollably.

Truly, in the literal and physical sense, they were literally rolling on the ground.

The King of Chu was startled by this sight.

He had not expected this Master Shen's mystical abilities to be so formidable.

"Tricks of a lesser sort."

A cold, indifferent voice echoed from the sky.

Donghuang Taiyi stood suspended above the royal palace, looking down at Shen Dao below.

"The Daoist Grand Master is indeed as formidable as his reputation suggests."

"Solely in terms of mystical abilities, I am no match for him."

Donghuang Taiyi admitted candidly.

"Yet, what a pity."

"I am the mortal avatar of the divine."

"For him to force me to sacrifice my lifespan and summon a deity's descent into the mortal realm, he has every right to be proud."

"Master Lu is indeed the peerless number one of this era, utterly invincible."

"The only one capable of killing him is a deity."

"Mortals can never hope to triumph over gods."

Shen Dao raised his head, his eyes burning with unyielding hatred as he stared fixedly at Donghuang Taiyi.

This old bastard's words sounded like praise for the Grand Master, but his intentions were profoundly venomous.

He merely wished to elevate the Grand Master so that his own victory would appear all the more monumental.

After all, by his own account, the Grand Master was invincible at the time, yet still fell to his hand.

Once the world learned of this, how could they not hold him in awe?

Building his own renown upon the stepping stone of the Grand Master was utterly hateful.

"Master Shen, your mystical ability is quite impressive as well."

"I will give you a choice."

"From this day forward, submit to the State of Chu."

"When the rivers and mountains are eventually unified, boundless benefits shall be yours."

Donghuang Taiyi looked down from his lofty perch, addressing Shen Dao.

Shen Dao cracked a smile.

"Submit?"

"Submit to your mother's corpse."

"If I do not die today, hunting you down shall be the lifelong ambition of my remaining days."

Roaring with rage, Shen Dao turned on his heels and bolted away at full speed.

"With a favorable wind comes great momentum, upon white clouds I take my flight."

Executing his law with his words once more, he activated his power.

Clouds instantly formed beneath Shen Dao's feet, lifting him up into the air.

Gales of heavenly wind rose to propel him rapidly forward.

Donghuang Taiyi narrowed his eyes.

"Truly a fine mystical ability."

"It is genuinely enviable."

"It's just a pity..."

"If you cannot be put to use by me, how could I possibly let you live?"

With those words, he raised his right hand slightly.

In an instant, primordial energy surged and gathered, transforming into three thousand golden chains.

The golden celestial chains slithered like slender serpents through the void, rapidly closing the distance and catching up to Shen Dao.

Shen Dao felt a sudden tightening constriction around his body.

Looking down, he realized he had already been bound by those golden chains of primordial energy.

His body was being dragged backward.

"I couldn't defeat Master Lu, but surely I can't even handle the likes of you?"

Donghuang Taiyi pulled Shen Dao directly before him.

"One final chance."

"Submit, or die."

Shen Dao stared into the face right in front of him.

The unmasked arrogance in those eyes only fueled his surging anger.

*Spit.*

A thick glob of phlegm was spat directly at him.

Unfortunately, Donghuang Taiyi reacted even faster.

A flash of the True Fire of the Sun instantly vaporized the phlegm.

"Foolish."

"I gave you a chance, but you proved utterly useless."

"Then you have only yourself to blame."

Flames of anger flickered in Donghuang Taiyi's eyes as he prepared to deliver a fatal blow.

"Hold on, Donghuang."

The King of Chu suddenly called out from below.

"Donghuang, though this man's mystical abilities are shallow and he is no match for you,"

"His status is nonetheless significant; he is one of the Five Elders of Daoism."

"Rather than killing him, it would be better to keep him alive."

"Using him as a hostage, we might coerce the Daoist school into serving our ends."

"Surely the Daoist school would not wish to watch him perish in vain."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Donghuang Taiyi nodded and said, "His Majesty speaks with reason."

"We shall try this approach first."

"Should it succeed, that would naturally be best."

"Even if it fails, killing him then will not be too late."