The Axe Falls, A Legend Awakens

“Mischievous monkey.” The Magic Hand Daofather cast a sidelong glance, not regarding the Handsome Monkey King of Flowerfruit Mountain in the slightest. Yet he still halted his assault on Ji Ning, instead striking out with his palm first to deal with this Monkey King.

Standing in midair, Magic Hand Daofather locked one hand in combat with the distant Buddha Tathagata while his other hand descended directly toward the Monkey King.

THUD.

A deep, low sound.

It was the sound of a glittering golden staff colliding with a crystalline, pale-white palm. Magic Hand Daofather’s hand actually came to a halt—stopped cold by the blow of the staff.

“Oh?” Magic Hand Daofather’s expression changed as he stared at the distant Monkey King.

“My junior apprentice-brother has reached such a level in just a few hundred years. Do you really think I, Old Sun, couldn’t have made any progress since the Dawn War all the way until now?” The Monkey King strode across the void, rapidly closing the distance, his long staff in hand and his battle-intent surging to the heavens.

…

“So that monkey is at this level too now.” The Lord of All Demons sighed inwardly. “It seems the Seamless Gate isn’t the only one that’s been hiding some strength—Nuwa’s camp has been holding back quite a bit as well.”

After all, it had been an unfathomably long time since the Dawn War—over half a Chaos Cycle.

Over such an enormous span of time, it was entirely possible for some seemingly ordinary True God or Daofather to suddenly erupt with power rivaling a top-tier Daofather, or even a Paragon. Unless the true moment of life-and-death crisis arrived… neither side’s hidden cards would be revealed. And these unseen cards were the most dangerous ones of all.

Because in the final battle, if a single mighty figure were to suddenly unleash their full power at a critical moment, the entire war could be tipped.

Thus, both sides had been concealing their strength.

Even the forces deployed in this engagement were merely the forces both sides had already publicly acknowledged.

“Back then, that monkey was favored by Nuwa, but he was only at the top-tier Daofather level. Now, he’s approaching the Paragon level.” The Lord of All Demons mused silently.

The Handsome Monkey King of Flowerfruit Mountain, Sun Wukong—Nuwa had always been watching over his growth from the shadows.

He was born from the one and only Heavenly Mending Stone. How could Nuwa not care for him? He had obtained treasures from the Dragon Palace, studied under Patriarch Subhuti, and been tempered by the Buddhist faith. In the end, Nuwa herself had appeared to personally guide him. It could be said that Nuwa had invested more effort in grooming this monkey than in anyone else. During the Dawn War, the Seamless Gate had been extremely wary of this monkey, afraid of how terrifyingly powerful he might become. But in the end? Though the monkey was fierce in battle and possessed many treasures, his comprehension of the Dao had been comparatively lacking, barely allowing him to match a top-tier Daofather.

But now, over half a Chaos Cycle later, the Monkey King had long since undergone a transformation. This was precisely why Patriarch Subhuti had summoned him.

Subhuti had summoned three of his disciples—his senior disciple, the Woodcutter; his second disciple, Ji Dian; and his sixth disciple, Sun Wukong. In truth, Subhuti did have another Daofather among his disciples—the twelfth. But that twelfth disciple was merely an ordinary Daofather, not yet capable of participating in battles of this caliber. Subhuti had not summoned him.

“This monkey is unexpectedly troublesome.” The Magic Hand Daofather clenched her teeth as she fought. “Nuwa must have helped him before she left the Three Realms.”

Although Nuwa was adept at combat, she was not like Master Stonerule. Master Stonerule could simultaneously restrain multiple beings at the Paragon level. Nuwa, by contrast, excelled at offense, not containment. If she had spent some effort, she could have slain this monkey—but that would take time. And time was extremely precious right now. The longer the battle dragged on, the more mighty figures would arrive.

This battle’s target was Ji Ning!

The monkey was formidable, yes. But he was already a True God Daofather, incapable of participating in the struggle for Qi of fortune. Ji Ning, on the other hand, was merely an Empyrean God and Celestial Immortal, yet he could unleash such monstrous power—especially when borrowing the All-Things Emissary, erupting with strength approaching the Paragon level. A prodigy like this could not be allowed to live, no matter what.

“Darklight, Shadowless. You two hold this monkey back. I’ll deal with Ji Ning.” The Magic Hand Daofather immediately sent a mental order. She refused to be distracted by the monkey.

“Understood.”

The Darklight Swordmaster, who had been hovering in the sky, willed it, and the jet-black streak of sword-light he commanded immediately changed course, hurtling toward the distant Monkey King. The Monkey King could only strain to block the incoming sword-light. None present dared to take the Darklight Swordmaster’s “sword” lightly.

WHOOSH.

The Shadowless Daofather swiftly retreated as well, turning to charge at the distant Monkey King.

“Ji Ning. Die.” The Magic Hand Daofather continued to trade blows with the Buddha Tathagata with one hand, while her other pale-white hand tore through the void, crossing millions of zhang in an instant to strike directly at Ji Ning.

“The Magic Hand Daofather.” The moment Ji Ning saw that descending palm, he felt a suffocating pressure bearing down on him.

If he were relying on the Rahu Formation, he would likely have been annihilated in an instant.

But by borrowing the All-Things Emissary, his strength was amplified many times over—equivalent to ten Rahu Formations—giving him at least a chance to resist.

“Soleheart Stance.”

Ji Ning gripped his twin swords and executed his strongest single-target defensive technique. In an instant, a sword-light black hole materialized before him. When the terrifying pale-white palm descended, it was blocked by that black hole. The Magic Hand Daofather could clearly sense her own palm being met by a series of bizarre, twisting forces that furiously dissipated her attacking power.

“Oh?” The Magic Hand Daofather frowned. “Plucking a Leaf.”

Her pale-white hand shifted into an even more exquisite and terrifying palm technique. Her index, middle, and thumb came together as though she were about to pluck a leaf.

SLAP.

Her five fingers danced like flowing water, invading Ji Ning’s sword-light black hole. With a crisp sound, the black hole vanished, and her fingers had already seized hold of Ji Ning’s Northsea Sword.

“How is this possible?” Ji Ning found it hard to believe even as he shuddered at the terrifying implications of that claw. The Magic Hand Daofather’s claw strike had been so “beautiful,” so “dazzling”—a technique so complex and profound it could make one involuntarily sink into its splendor. Its intricacy and profundity had even surpassed Ji Ning’s swordplay, directly breaking through his techniques.

Perhaps in swordsmanship, Ji Ning was the foremost in the Three Realms.

But in palm techniques, the Magic Hand Daofather was supreme—even the Buddha Tathagata, who was also renowned for his palm arts, was slightly inferior.

WHOOSH.

The Magic Hand Daofather’s pale-white palm flowed through one technique after another—Plucking a Leaf, Bending a Flower, Withered Petals. The names sounded elegant, and her movements were beautiful as well. But their power filled Ji Ning with despair. He gripped a divine sword in each hand. One sword was seized. Barely twelve exchanges later, a palm strike landed squarely on his waist, sending him crashing helplessly to the ground.

“Bind.” A Connate spirit-treasure rope suddenly appeared in the Magic Hand Daofather’s palm, rapidly wrapping around the All-Things Emissary.

Inside the All-Things Emissary, Ji Ning felt nothing but unwillingness and powerlessness. He had fought with everything he had, yet compared to this being—who, during the Dawn War, could go toe-to-toe with Mother Nuwa herself in offense—he was still lacking. With just one hand, in barely a dozen exchanges, she had captured him.

“If I could reach the fifth level of Sword Force, with more profound sword techniques and speed surpassing the limits of the Heavenly Dao… perhaps the Magic Hand Daofather wouldn’t have been able to capture me.” Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

…

To capture Ji Ning as quickly as possible, the Magic Hand Daofather naturally held nothing back. She unleashed more than a dozen dazzling palm techniques in rapid succession, startling even the other mighty figures present. “This Magic Hand Daofather truly has improved since the Dawn War.”

Ji Ning had been captured.

Although Ji Ning himself was unwilling, he had no excuse. He had been too reckless, and his strength truly was insufficient. Fortunately, he had left a clone behind. Even if he died here, he would have a chance to rise again. What he regretted most was the loss of his treasures—the Nine-Horned Lightning Serpent, the Northsea Sword, and many others.

“Magic Hand Daofather, please release my junior apprentice-brother.” A voice, warm and laced with laughter, rang out. A gaunt, ragged old man stepped through a spatial vortex. He stretched out a hand wreathed in golden light—the Buddhist Golden Body technique—and that golden hand shot forward to block the Magic Hand Daofather.

“You mad monk dare to stop me?” The Magic Hand Daofather’s palm, which had extended hundreds of thousands of zhang, seized the All-Things Emissary, completely ignoring Ji Dian’s attack.

CLANG.

The pale-white palm and the golden, bird-like claw collided.

Ji Dian’s expression shifted.

The Magic Hand Daofather allowed herself a faint smirk. But then, her smile froze. Her expression turned ugly. She stared incredulously at the figure that had appeared in midair. Another spatial vortex—and from it stepped a straw-sandaled, linen-clothed woodcutter carrying an axe on his shoulder. He and Ji Dian had arrived at the same time.

Ji Dian had struck first and failed.

Only then did the woodcutter swing his axe. The moment he raised it, the Magic Hand Daofather’s expression finally turned grim.

“No.” The Magic Hand Daofather even voluntarily released Ji Ning, her pale-white hand shifting to intercept that axe-strike.

“Sever.”

The woodcutter spoke calmly, his voice faint.

WHOOSH.

The axe fell—deceptively ordinary—yet the Magic Hand Daofather’s unfathomably profound palm technique failed to stop it. The blade-edge swept past, cutting into the Magic Hand Daofather’s arm.

PFFF.

The Magic Hand Daofather’s arm was severed cleanly.

“SWOOSH.” After severing that pale-white arm, the streak of axe-blade light continued onward at speeds faster than light, hurtling straight toward the Darklight Swordmaster, who was still manipulating his flying treasures.

“Flee.” The Darklight Swordmaster had never expected calamity to strike from the heavens. He had noticed the woodcutter, but he had trusted in the Magic Hand Daofather’s strength. He never imagined that a single axe-stroke, after cutting off the Magic Hand Daofather’s arm, would arrive before him in the next instant. The speed of that axe… was even more terrifying than Ji Ning’s sword.

He wanted to flee.

But how could he outrun such a fearsome axe?

CHOP.

The Darklight Swordmaster’s body was cleaved in two by the axe. His soul and Golden Core were instantly annihilated. His bisected corpse tumbled from the sky, blood spattering through the air. A Daofather who had reached the fifth level of Sword Force and specialized in assassination… had fallen.

The entire battlefield fell silent.

Daoist Three Purities, the Buddha Tathagata, Suiren—all of them halted. Master Stonerule stopped as well.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the woodcutter standing there, axe in hand. He was ordinary in appearance, humble in dress. Yet that simple axe-stroke had stunned every Paragon-level figure present. Long, long ago, there had been another being who had shaken them in the same way.

That was Houyi’s arrow.

And today, this woodcutter’s axe had stirred the same awe in their hearts.

“Junior apprentice-brother.” Ji Dian had already rescued the All-Things Emissary.

The Magic Hand Daofather recalled her magic treasures and re-materialized her arm. Her eyes were fixed on the woodcutter. She no longer even glanced at Ji Ning, no longer thinking of capturing him.

“Houyi? Is it you?” The Magic Hand Daofather’s voice was crisp and clear, like ringing jade.

“It is I.”

The woodcutter replied calmly.

The sky above the imperial palace was deathly still. After a brief pause—BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!—the sky above the palace shattered again and again as mighty figures descended one after another. They were reinforcements from Nuwa’s camp—the Heavenly Thundergod, the Carefree Lord, Amitabha, the Maitreya Buddha… one after another, they arrived.

Though described slowly, the battle had been incredibly swift. From the moment Ji Ning was slain, to his second true body borrowing the All-Things Emissary to strike back, to his capture, to Ji Dian and the woodcutter making their move… it had all taken only a few brief moments.

In that short span of time, the mighty figures on both sides of the battlefield no longer cared about Ji Ning.

They cared only about the woodcutter.

“I’ve troubled you, Master, all these years.” The woodcutter looked toward Bodhi.

“Haha. To have Houyi as a disciple—I think Daoist Three Purities, Tathagata, and the others would be fighting for the honor.” Bodhi chuckled. “Excellent. You’ve finally emerged. I was afraid you weren’t going to show this time.”

“My junior apprentice-brother was almost killed. If I didn’t come out now, when would I?” The woodcutter turned his gaze toward the now-wary Magic Hand Daofather and Master Stonerule. “I think it’s time for us to have a proper talk with your Seamless Gate.”

“Yes. It is time to talk.”

A figure clad in a red robe with blue hair appeared in midair.

“Windfiend.” The woodcutter regarded this crimson-robed, blue-haired figure.

Now, a host of mighty figures filled the sky above the imperial palace. Though they quietly exchanged mental messages among themselves, not one dared to speak aloud.

And below, Ji Ning, inside the All-Things Emissary, looked up at the woodcutter in the sky, his heart shaken. “Senior apprentice-brother? The woodcutter? Houyi?”