Chapter 1731 — A Senior's Masterful Hand Breaks the Deadlock

From behind him came Taichu's voice: "To attain the Dao as an assassin—you are remarkable. But you have steeped yourself in the Dao of slaughter and killing, and you understand nothing of the Innate Five Primes. The Dao of Taichu among the Five Primes is divided into Innate One Qi and divine consciousness. Whether body or primordial spirit, even the One Qi Grand Luo Heaven, including the Dao Tree, Dao Flowers, and Dao Fruits—all of it is Innate One Qi!"

Lord Shang turned around.

Taichu stood before him. Behind Taichu, his Dao Tree suddenly dispersed, transforming into Innate One Qi, and then the Innate One Qi gathered once more, becoming the Dao Tree again, with Dao Flowers hanging upon it.

And the riven One Qi Grand Luo Heaven likewise transformed into Innate One Qi, then re-emerged.

Behind Taichu's head, heavenly palaces combined into a Grand Heavenly Court, guarded by seventy-two treasure halls. His gaze fell upon Lord Shang as he said indifferently, "After all, you are not the Heavenly Venerable Mu. The Heavenly Venerable Mu was able to ambush me, wound my Dao, and inflict severe Dao wounds upon me. But you—you know nothing of the Dao of Taichu or the Innate One Qi. You are merely a machine that knows only slaughter. Lord Shang, you cannot harm me in the slightest."

Lord Shang's hand dropped, his killing intent receding, his gaze fixed upon Taichu.

Taichu's heart tightened. Where Lord Shang was looking was precisely the Dao wound that Shen Mu had left on him during the previous contest for the Azure Dragon Soul of the Eastern Emperor!

"The Dao of Taichu, the Innate One Qi—I have indeed never killed such a thing."

Lord Shang said dryly, "I would like to try."

Taichu's pupils contracted sharply. He had no choice but to focus entirely.

If Lord Shang struck again, it would surely be aimed at the Dao wound Shen Mu had left on him!

"Fortunately, this assassin can no longer lie in ambush! In a direct confrontation, he is no match for me!" Taichu thought.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao frowned, glanced sideways at Taichu, then withdrew his gaze and smiled. "Brother Yun, it seems you do have some tricks. A pity—you walk the path of matching your best against their best, your middling against their middling, your worst against their worst. In a battle against me, you will surely die!"

The Heavenly Venerable Yun smiled. "Actually, I am doing Brother Hao a favor. Brother Hao, you have cultivated the One Qi Grand Luo Heaven, and Taichu has also cultivated the One Qi Grand Luo Heaven. But I have inherited the Grand Emperor's Consciousness Grand Luo Heaven. When the Consciousness Grand Luo Heaven merges with the One Qi Grand Luo Heaven, it becomes the complete Dao of Taichu!"

His left hand formed a sword seal, gently stroking the Taichu Imperial Sword. The Taichu Primordial Stone at his brow emitted a faint, eerie glow as he smiled and said, "When the One Qi Grand Luo Heaven and the Consciousness Grand Luo Heaven merge, one can achieve Taichu Dao Attainment in one stroke! The strength of Taichu Dao Attainment is second only to Taiyi—in this universe, there is no rival! This is why the Ancient God Taichu has fought me endlessly, struggled against me endlessly. Once he achieves Taichu Dao Attainment, he can make you abdicate and continue as your illegitimate child. And you, Brother Hao, also possess a One Qi Grand Luo Heaven."

The Heavenly Emperor Hao's eyes lit up. "You have moved Us. Brother Yun, you have truly moved Us. The Retired Emperor is still deeply calculating—if he succeeds, it will indeed be trouble for me."

His One Qi Grand Luo Heaven drifted over as he laughed. "After I achieve Taichu Dao Attainment, I will certainly give Brother Yun a magnificent funeral!"

"Well said." The Heavenly Venerable Yun smiled with great delight.

Boom!

The two Grand Luo Heavens collided!

When these two Grand Luo Heavens met, it was like golden wind meeting jade dew, like dry kindling meeting raging fire—the moment they touched, they began to merge!

At the same time, behind the Heavenly Emperor Hao's head, the Heavenly Court swayed, thirty-six heavenly palaces and seventy-two treasure halls standing tall. Not only that, but a Zixiao Hall blazed with radiance!

This Zixiao Hall shone dazzlingly, far surpassing the Lingxiao Halls refined by others. It was a projection bestowed upon the Heavenly Emperor Hao by the Fourth Young Master, Zixiao, containing exceedingly powerful force!

His mana far surpassed the Heavenly Venerable Yun's!

The Heavenly Emperor Hao shook his sleeve, and treasure halls from the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City flew out one after another, suppressing the Heavenly Venerable Yun's Consciousness Grand Luo Heaven, crushing its power and might!

In this battle, he already held victory in his grasp!

The Heavenly Emperor Hao struck first, his moves and divine arts grand and sweeping, fully displaying the might of one who had attained the Dao through force. He had no need to trade blow for blow with the Heavenly Venerable Yun—his mana was too powerful, and he could simply crush the Heavenly Venerable Yun with sheer strength!

The Heavenly Venerable Yun, by contrast, appeared far more cautious, exhausting all his abilities, unleashing divine arts and Dao techniques while also pushing the might of the Taichu Imperial Sword in his hand to its utmost!

His moves were more varied, yet still he was driven back step by step beneath the Heavenly Emperor Hao's assault!

Not only that, but the Consciousness Grand Luo Heaven was also suppressed by the One Qi Grand Luo Heaven, continuously devoured. The Heavenly Emperor Hao felt his cultivation and Dao attainments rising without cease, and joy swelled in his heart.

In this battle, he would win a great and total victory!

Shhk!

The Heavenly Venerable Yun thrust his sword. The Thirty-Three Heavens of Sword Dao of the Founding Emperor lay in his hand, its exquisite subtleties in no way inferior to the Founding Emperor Shen Ye's, and combined with the might of the Taichu Imperial Sword, the power of this thrust was doubled!

The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily, shattering the Thirty-Three Heavens of Sword Dao with a single punch, then caught the tip of the Taichu Imperial Sword between two fingers!

The Heavenly Venerable Yun strained to thrust forward, yet the Taichu Imperial Sword did not budge, nor did the Heavenly Emperor Hao's two fingers. He laughed. "Brother Yun, it is time for you to be on your way."

He pushed forward with the Taichu Imperial Sword caught between his fingers. The hilt struck the Heavenly Venerable Yun's chest with a thud, breaking several ribs and piercing into his chest!

At that very moment, the Heavenly Venerable Yun smiled. The Taichu Primordial Stone at his brow blazed with a radiance countless times brighter, and a violent surge of consciousness rushed into the Heavenly Emperor Hao's brow!

"A petty trick."

The Heavenly Emperor Hao's mind went slightly dizzy for a moment, then recovered. He gave a light laugh. Yet in that instant of distraction, the Heavenly Venerable Yun exerted every ounce of his power to activate a divine art—the Supreme Consciousness Domain!

The Supreme Consciousness Domain erupted, freezing all things, buying the Heavenly Venerable Yun a brief moment!

"Red Rope Knot!"

He let the Taichu Imperial Sword pass through his chest, his hands flying through seals, striking toward the Heavenly Emperor Hao's brow!

The Heavenly Emperor Hao was caught off guard. Just as the Red Rope Knot was about to reach his brow, his appearance and body suddenly began to change at incredible speed—from male to female, from the Heavenly Emperor Hao to the Second Young Master!

"A divine art the Master created specifically to deal with me!"

The Second Young Master Wuji let out a shrill, furious cry. Before the Heavenly Venerable Yun's Red Rope Knot divine art could reach her brow, it was shattered by her terrifying, boundless power!