The Mount Innerheart Roll Call

The Yellow Emperor, Xuan Yuan, was burning with rage. This was his imperial palace, yet the Seamless Gate had dared to launch a direct assault. Unable to shatter the violet light's binding on his first attempt, a divine sword radiating endless golden light materialized in his hand—the legendary 'Xuan Yuan Sword'. As the blade appeared, countless formation patterns flickered to life across the entire palace. The power of Heaven and Earth converged with maddening intensity, causing the very skies to dim and the earth to shake.

"Stonerule, get out of my way!" Xuan Yuan's aura exploded with terrifying might. All of his boundless power concentrated into the Xuan Yuan Sword in his hand as he delivered a cleaving strike from afar.

RUMBLE~~~

The violet light was split apart like tidal waves, yet these surging tides of violet light surged forward relentlessly, grinding away at the sword-light time and time again. Drawing a blade to cut through water only made it flow more fiercely. Though the sword-light tore through the violet light for a brief instant, even more violet light surged forth to replace it.

"Xuan Yuan, while you are an exceptional commander of armies, in true one-on-one combat, your strength is far from sufficient," Master Stonerule said calmly. His gaze, however, had fallen upon the distant Subhuti, for he had sensed the change in Patriarch Subhuti's aura.

"Having concealed yourself for endless ages, Subhuti, I am very curious about your true strength." Master Stonerule's voice resounded directly in Subhuti's ears.

Subhuti was too mysterious.

Even during the Primordial Dawn War, he had only acted to save others, never truly participating in the battle. He was the greatest escape artist on Nuwa's side, and a Daofather who absolutely stood with Nuwa's camp. Why had such a 'resolute' major power not fought back then? The Seamless Gate speculated... that Subhuti was likely Nuwa's camp's final contingency plan.

If the Pangu Chaosworld side was truly fated to be destroyed during that Primordial Dawn War, Subhuti would likely have made his move, taking them away.

The Lord of All Demons was the Seamless Gate's contingency plan.

Subhuti was highly likely to be Nuwa's camp's contingency plan.

Thus, the major powers of the Seamless Gate had never dared to underestimate this Subhuti. No one knew exactly how strong he truly was.

"Ji Ning is my disciple." Subhuti's hair and beard whipped in the wind as his entire body radiated a heart-stopping aura. His aged hands suddenly expanded explosively, like two dark clouds, as he reached directly forward.

CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE~~

Where those massive, sky-covering palms passed, even before they touched the violet light, the dense violet light began to shatter. The palms crushed madly toward Master Stonerule. The closer they got to Master Stonerule, the stronger the resistance of the violet light became. Yet those two palms glowed with an eerie black light, razor-sharp, tearing through all obstructions as they grasped directly at Master Stonerule, who stood in the void.

"I knew it. You would still be able to break through my Protective Divine Light." The awe-inspiring violet light surrounding Master Stonerule was merely his protective divine light. Even the Yellow Emperor, exerting all his strength, could not breach it. After all, in terms of defense, he was undoubtedly the strongest within the Seamless Gate; perhaps only the Buddha Tathagata, equally renowned for defense on Nuwa's side, could compare.

The Buddha Tathagata's methods emphasized refinement. He had only a few techniques.

But Master Stonerule was incredibly versatile; there was almost nothing he didn't understand. In formations, he was perhaps close to Fuxi. In close combat, he was also among the very top. He was equally skilled in crafting puppets and concocting pills. Though not number one in the Three Realms, he was undoubtedly in the top three! This made Master Stonerule extremely formidable.

"Be careful, Subhuti." Master Stonerule held a wooden ruler in his hand and pointed it from afar.

SWISH.

The wooden ruler instantly expanded to a height of ten thousand zhang. The enormous ruler smashed directly down onto those two sky-covering palms.

"BOOM~~~" Heaven and Earth quaked.

"The rumors were not false, Subhuti. Show me all the strength you have," Master Stonerule said, looking at Subhuti.

"The Seamless Gate is truly going all-out to kill my disciple." Subhuti was growing anxious. He had unleashed his killing moves from the very start, yet was unable to prevail against his opponent.

"Suiren!"

"Tathagata!"

"Three Purities!"

"Come quickly!" Subhuti's divine will swept across the Three Realms, urging them urgently.

...

In the distant Tristar Crescent Major World, on Mount Innerheart.

"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..." A gaunt old man lay sleeping, snoring loudly, a fan resting on his chest. He slept very soundly.

"Jidian, come quickly to the Zhuolu Major World to save your junior apprentice-brother."

A voice suddenly rang out in the old man's mind.

The gaunt old man was startled.

"The Zhuolu Major World is the Yellow Emperor's foundation, and Master is there as well. Now it's come to the point where Master is forced to call for reinforcements?" Jidian had none of his usual casualness; his expression was solemn. A spatial vortex passage had already appeared before him. Jidian took a step and entered it.

...

At another spot on Mount Innerheart.

"Yo, down you go."

A woodcutter, wearing sandals and clothed in coarse linen, swung his axe. A large tree slowly toppled.

"Woodcutter, your junior apprentice-brother is in danger at the Zhuolu Major World. The Seamless Gate has attacked; I cannot hold them off alone. Whether you come is your own decision." Subhuti's voice rang out in the woodcutter's mind.

SHHHH~~~

A spatial vortex passage also appeared before the woodcutter.

The woodcutter had lost his previous leisurely air. He hoisted his axe onto his shoulder and calmly looked at the spatial passage before him. He was the most low-key person on the entire Mount Innerheart. He always stayed at the foot of the mountain, never going up to see Subhuti. Yet, he was indisputably the strongest of all Subhuti's disciples on the entire mountain.

No one knew anything about his past. No one even knew his true name. Ji Ning and the others only knew... that the senior apprentice-brother was called 'Woodcutter'.

"Whether to go? Ji Ning, that little kid who learned archery?" The woodcutter, axe on his shoulder, had a faint smile on his lips. "To kill my junior apprentice-brother, you haven't asked me yet."

WHOOSH.

The woodcutter, with his axe on his shoulder, stepped into the spatial vortex passage.

...

Flowers and Fruit Major World.

Flowers and Fruit Mountain had been immensely renowned in the primordial era, but during the Three Realms period, it had become very low-key. The leader of the demon race on Flowers and Fruit Mountain was also a figure of legendary status.

He was born from the divine stone left by Mother Nuwa when she mended the heavens. He was born with boundless fighting spirit!

He fought against Heaven, fought against Earth.

He was born for battle!

Subhuti taught him; the Buddhist School tempered him. This had transformed the peerless ferocious king, who once would draw his staff and strike at the slightest disagreement, into someone truly reborn—low-key and restrained. Day after day, he stayed on his Flowers and Fruit Mountain with his children. When happy, he ate divine peaches and drank fine wine; when he wanted to sleep, he used Heaven and Earth as his bed and slept wherever he pleased.

He was like a piece of raw jade, once full of flaws, but now perfected, having restrained all his sharp edges.

"Wukong, your junior apprentice-brother is in danger at the Zhuolu Major World. The Seamless Gate wants to kill him. Your master can no longer hold them back alone." Subhuti transmitted his voice.

"Master."

A furry monkey, who had been sitting cross-legged casually on a strange rock watching two ants fight, was slightly startled when Subhuti's voice rang out in his mind.

"Kill my junior apprentice-brother?" The furry monkey stood up. A layer of golden, gleaming armor immediately appeared on his body, and a staff appeared in his hand.

"Children, your king is going out."

His voice echoed through the skies above Flowers and Fruit Mountain.

This monkey king had already torn through the void and was directly heading for the Zhuolu Major World.

...

In an instant, Subhuti summoned major powers from Nuwa's camp one after another. The Daofather disciples of the Mount Innerheart lineage rarely fought together, but this time Subhuti had summoned them as well.

Within the imperial palace of the Zhuolu Major World, as Subhuti, Xuan Yuan, and Master Stonerule clashed, Ji Ning's Primaltwin manifested.

"Oh?"

The Darklight Swordmaster descended. He suddenly noticed that after slaying Ji Ning's true body, a streak of black lightning had flown into a large seal.

"A dimensional treasure?" The Darklight Swordmaster immediately guessed as much. At that moment, a figure appeared outside the large seal. It was the All-Things Emissary, resembling an ape wreathed in dark-red flames, but its face had transformed into Ji Ning's visage. Ji Ning's eyes were filled with killing intent as he stared at the gaunt old man.

"Careless."

"I was careless. I trusted Master and the others too much. But I forgot... I am no longer the person I once was. In the past, when I was by Master's side, he could completely shield me from the wind and rain. I didn't need to consider danger. But now, I already possess the strength of a top-tier Daofather while controlling the All-Things Emissary. I am likely very close to Master's own power. At this level, if something can threaten me, even Master's help might not be enough." Ji Ning was fully awake now.

"He has already refined the All-Things Emissary, and quite quickly at that, hmph." The Darklight Swordmaster laughed coldly. "But it's useless."

The Darklight Swordmaster stood in the distance, staring at Ji Ning.

BOOM!

Suddenly, the mysterious black sword-light appeared once more. If the previous black sword-light had been fan-shaped and overbearing, tearing apart and shredding his divine body directly, then this black sword-light was like flowing water, gentle and soft, enveloping Ji Ning, trying to bind and trap him. Once bound, he could be taken away, just as Ji Ning had collected the 'All-Things Emissary' earlier.

"Arrogant."

The All-Things Emissary, under Ji Ning's control, wielded two divine swords. His right hand suddenly moved.

SWISH!

Sword-light flared.

Using a Daofather's magic power to channel the Emissary's strength, Ji Ning executed his fastest, most penetrating sword strike. The sword-light blazed, and a bolt of lightning appeared in the darkened midair! The sword was even faster than the lightning bolt! The intense penetrative force then encountered the obstruction of the black sword-light, which was like flowing water.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG~~~" An extremely dense sound, seemingly thousands of collisions.

Countless small swords revealed their forms in midair.

The Darklight Swordmaster's sword was composed of countless finger-sized swords, each with a black light flowing on its surface. Now, under the dazzling sword-light of Ji Ning's single strike, these countless small swords were scattered, knocked back by the impact.

This sword technique was none other than the 'Blood Drop Stance' of the Brightmoon Sword-Art!

"Impossible!" The Darklight Swordmaster was greatly shocked. He was ranked among the top-tier Daofathers; even compared to Patriarch Subhuti, he was likely not much weaker.

In his estimation, a Heavenly God True Immortal controlling the All-Things Emissary barely qualified as a top-tier Daofather and was no match for him.

But reality proved him wrong—he was actually at a disadvantage!

"He's suppressing me!" The Darklight Swordmaster was stunned. He couldn't dwell on his shock; he knew how important this mission was. He immediately transmitted his voice, shouting, "Shadowless, why haven't you made your move yet? Do you intend to let Ji Ning escape?"