The Three Purities Shake the Heavens

A Daoist, crowned with a Nine-Cloud coronet, clad in a crimson robe embroidered with white cranes, and wielding a long sword, announced: 'I am Shangqing the Daoist, from the realm of the Eight Trigrams.'

Another Daoist, wreathed in the hazy energies of Xuanhuang, crowned with a Ruyi crown, dressed in a pale yellow robe patterned with the Eight Trigrams, and holding a sacred Lingzhi Ruyi, proclaimed: 'I am Yuqing the Daoist.'

A third Daoist, surrounded by primordial chaotic qi that shook the heavens, crowned with a Nine-Celestial crown, clad in a purple robe of the Eight Treasures and Ten Thousand Longevities, and holding a Dragon Beard Fan, declared: 'I am Taiqing the Daoist.'

The three elders radiated ten thousand rays of auspicious light and a thousand auspicious beams, brilliant as they shimmered and dazzled the eyes. They each displayed their divine powers: the longsword, the jade ruyi, and the dragon-beard fan shattered space. Everywhere, white lotuses bloomed upon the ground, and sacred light sprinkled down like a rain of light.

All three possessed the strength of Half-Ancestors. Now, it was as if four Half-Ancestors were battling the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden, and she immediately felt stretched thin and disheveled. The phoenix hairpin atop her head was cut in half, and her jet-black hair tumbled down like a waterfall.

'Li Dan, you...!' the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden roared in fury. Her four War Swords descended like the Milky Way, stirring up a sky-full of stellar winds that blocked the four Daoists without.

Laozi was still as dead wood, speaking not a single word as he commanded the Taiji Diagram to sweep outward. Several times it collided with the emerald-jade sword, producing thunderous peals.

'Boom!'

The Taiji Diagram slammed heavily into the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's back, causing her to spit blood and fly backward several hundred zhang. Shangqing, Yuqing, and Taiqing followed closely in pursuit.

This was the first time the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden had suffered a major loss since the battle began. She had not wounded a single enemy but had suffered disarray and injury herself. The observing Half-Ancestors sighed in acknowledgment of Laozi's skill; he was indeed one of the strongest Half-Ancestors beneath the Ancestral Gods.

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden was incandescent with rage. Her phoenix brows shot up as she swept her emerald-jade sword across all directions and arranged her four War Swords into a Four-Element Formation to trap Laozi in turn.

Three thousand li of churning sea erupted. The War Swords broke through the encirclement, cutting off the world's energies from the four directions, trapping Laozi and the three Daoists within. Tens of millions of sword beams and a thousand sharp edges utterly annihilated everything within the formation.

But when the ferocious assault ceased, the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden stared in shock. The Taiji Diagram, its light blazing bright, remained indestructible, suspended in the void. Figures flickered, and Laozi and the three Daoists materialized. The Four-Element Formation had not harmed Li Dan in the slightest.

The fierce battle began anew. Laozi and the three Daoists surrounded the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden. With a deafening 'Clang!' one of the Daoists' long swords struck the Celestial Maiden's body, sending her vomiting blood. If not for the battle-armor formed by her Lotus Platform, she would likely have been cut in two.

Clearly, Laozi's skill was superior. His dharma-power was overwhelming. Yet the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden was equally terrifying, for she was, in effect, doing battle with four Half-Ancestors.

'One Qi Transforms the Three Purities... I wonder how long you can sustain it!' the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden said, her eyes filled with murderous intent as she stared fixedly at Laozi. When the Three Purities dispersed, that would be the moment of her fierce counterstrike.

Though she spoke thus, the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden was having an exceedingly difficult time. In the brief moments that followed, she was struck five times by the sword, three times by the jade ruyi, and twice by the dragon-beard fan, each blow landing heavily upon her. Meanwhile, as Laozi's true self used the Taiji Diagram to block her emerald-jade sword, he drew out an iron staff and lashed it across her ribs. The blow ignited the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's fury; her silver teeth were almost ground to dust.

'I'll fight you to the death!' she shrieked. Her long black hair flew wildly as she resolved to set up the ** Six Directions Annihilation Sword Formation **, a killing array she had comprehended in recent years. She would not normally display it lightly, as any who saw it would have to be silenced.

Today, surrounded by eleven Half-Ancestors, escape was extremely difficult. She had originally intended to use this formation at a critical moment, but she had not expected this present pass to be so hard to cross, and so she deployed the formation early.

The four War Swords were planted in the four cardinal directions, the emerald-jade sword rushed to the lower position, and the lotus armor shed from her body formed lotus petals, sharp as dagger-light, stationed above. The Six Directions were sealed, trapping Laozi and the three Daoists within.

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's body became ethereal like smoke and cloud, and finally, she merged into the Six Directions Annihilation Sword Formation, vanishing from sight.

'Li Dan, I will kill you!' Her voice was grim, echoing through the entire formation.

The many observing Half-Ancestors were astonished. For that brief moment, Laozi was equivalent to a union of four Half-Ancestors, yet even he was trapped within this absolute formation. It was a testament to the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's power and terror.

Laozi and the three Daoists stood within the formation, motionless as fossilized stone, watching for change.

'Sweep the Six Directions!'

Though she was a woman, the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden had the momentum of an emperor. Her voice boomed like thunder from the Nine Heavens.

Within the Six Directions, billions of sword beams blazed. This was truly an absolute formation, one that only a mind like the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's could comprehend and forge.

Laozi and the three Daoists emitted a brilliant radiance to block, but they were nonetheless pierced by thousands of sword beams. Among the three Daoists, Yuqing was instantly extinguished.

A terrifying killing formation!

Though Yuqing was merely a wisp of pure energy transformed from Laozi, he had possessed the power of a Half-Ancestor for that brief moment. His destruction was shocking.

'Heh heh...'

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden laughed coldly, urging the formation onward. Sword qi shot into the heavens. A small distant star was directly pierced and swept down from the sky by a colossal beam of swords.

Such terrifying destructive power was beyond imagination. The ten Half-Ancestors quickly reinforced the seal, lest all the immortal islands in this sea region be reduced to dust, with countless casualties.

'Shh-shh!'

Within the deadly formation, billions of sword beams surged. Shangqing the Daoist was extinguished, dissolving into a stream of pure qi and vanishing between heaven and earth, leaving only Laozi and Taiqing.

But everyone also noticed that Laozi had done this deliberately. By sacrificing two Daoists, his true body had already charged beside one of the War Swords, hoping to remove one of the gateways to the Six Directions Annihilation Formation.

'Li Dan, your effort is in vain!' the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden sneered. Amid the billion sword beams, she materialized safely before Laozi, wielding a phoenix hairpin as she struck downwards.

'Clang!'

Taiqing the Daoist stepped forward, sending the phoenix hairpin flying. At the same time, he swung the dragon-beard fan, sending the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden flying violently. Such unreserved attacks left his own defenses at their lowest, and in an instant he was torn apart by billions of sword beams, dissolving into a stream of pure qi that vanished between heaven and earth.

But he had bought enough time for Laozi. Laozi smoothly removed one of the War Swords. He tried to store it within the Taiji Diagram, but found the sword was of too high a grade. Under the control of the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's will, the Diagram could not contain it.

For the first time, Laozi, who was as calm as an ancient well, showed a hint of surprise. Enduring several sword strikes, he forcefully erased a portion of the spiritual imprint on the War Sword, and then charged through the Six Directions Formation, War Sword in hand.

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden was furious. She let out a long howl, and the formation contracted, pressing in to crush Laozi. The War Sword that Laozi had taken also began to rebel—the residual Green Lotus imprint upon it was ineradicable.

Helpless, Laozi's heart stirred. He flung the War Sword out of the Six Directions Annihilation Formation, sending it straight toward Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen and Keke had been closely watching this peak-level duel. Seeing a beam of sword-light fly out, he immediately felt a familiar aura—it was a War Sword.

Without a moment's hesitation, he soared into the sky, holding the little white beast, and shouted, 'Open Paradise Lost!'

The little white beast chirped, and in an instant, it opened the divine garden that made even Half-Ancestors pale. The War Sword flashed once and vanished into it.

At that moment, the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's heart and mind trembled. She sensed immediately that she was about to lose a War Sword.

And sure enough, in the next instant, a feeling of loss swept through her, as if a part of her very life had been taken. She knew the War Sword had changed hands, lost forever. No matter how she summoned it, she could no longer connect with it; her subtle resonance with the sword had been cut off.

Xiao Chen and the little white beast quickly retreated from the battlefield to a safe zone. Several Half-Ancestors clearly witnessed all of this, their expressions varied, but none spoke.

Because of this, the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's heart and mind were thrown into great disorder. Within the Six Directions Annihilation Formation, she was struck three times in a row by Laozi's Taiji Diagram, vomiting blood, and the sword formation nearly collapsed.

Seeing Laozi going for a second War Sword, she could bear it no longer. She manifested herself beside the War Sword and engaged in fierce combat with Laozi. Billions of sword beams swept across, and killing intent soared to the heavens.

Laozi's pressure doubled. The Taiji Diagram blocked the brunt of the assault, but several sword beams still pierced his body, and blood flowed freely.

Yet at the same time, Laozi's iron staff also smashed heavily into the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's shoulder, causing her to spit three mouthfuls of blood in a row.

The Taiji Diagram flicked, and a second War Sword flew up. The Celestial Maiden was greatly alarmed, leaping out of the formation to block the sword and reclaim it. However, the Six Directions Sword Formation was broken. The other two War Swords had come very close to being taken by Laozi.

With no other choice, the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden let out a long sigh. She withdrew her three War Swords, the emerald-jade blade, and the Twelve-Grade Lotus Platform, standing in the void, staring coldly at Laozi without a word.

'You have lost,' Laozi said, finally uttering those three words.

'I do not accept this. Even if you had taken the sword, you could not have kept it. You used someone else's power to intercept one of my War Swords.'

'You have still lost,' Laozi said, sparing of words. 'Originally, I could also have sealed it within the Six Directions.'

This was the truth, but Laozi simply did not wish to sacrifice a portion of his cultivation. Everyone present immediately understood.

Shua shua shua

Figures flickered. Primordial, Zhunti, Xuanwu, Tongtian, Sun Wu, Zhuangzi, Taihao, the Buddha, Jieyin, and Chiyou—ten Half-Ancestors all surrounded her. Since the decisive battle had determined victory and defeat, there needed to be a resolution.

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden had known from the moment she was encircled that it would be very difficult to extricate herself today.

'Ever since I was surrounded from the start, I knew today would be difficult to shake free of you all,' she said.

'Gentlemen, I will go first to rescue my dear disciple,' Taihao said. The Haotian Tower above his head opened a spatial passage, and he entered that dimensional space.

Xiao Chen flew over. Looking at the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's physical body, he should have been sorrowful, but at this moment he felt no excessive grief. It was as if he had truly lost half his heart. Calmly, he asked, 'This is Ruoshui's body. But what of her soul?'

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden let out a heavy, cold snort. She had never imagined that the boy she had once looked down upon would set up such a great force against her. With a sneer, she said, 'I killed it.'

'You killed her?!'

'I ground that soul to dust. Even after a hundred cycles of reincarnation and ten thousand years of waiting, she will never return. I have thoroughly erased her imprint from this world. Haha...' With that, she laughed loudly, carrying a trace of pleasure as she looked at Xiao Chen.

His heart felt empty. Xiao Chen did not know if this was sorrow or numbness. His broken soul wanted to feel the past, bit by bit, but it was impossible. The sensation was incomplete.

'Is this the greatest pain? I should grieve, yet I cannot grieve...' Xiao Chen was desolate beyond measure. This wordless loneliness was more unbearable than heart-tearing pain.

At this moment, Taihao brought the unconscious Qingqing out and said to Xiao Chen, 'Qingqing is unharmed. But there is no trace of your Ruoshui's soul within her.'

'Truly, utterly vanished...' Xiao Chen stood on the void, nearly numb. After a long time, his eyes suddenly shot out two beams of cold light. 'Is there a soul sealed within the Green Lotus's body?' He was still unwilling to give up and asked the surrounding Half-Ancestors.

Chiyou shook his head. 'No.'

'Why must it be this way?!' Xiao Chen screamed at the sky. Then, turning to face the many Half-Ancestors, he asked, 'Can you force the Green Lotus's soul out?'

'Haha...' The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden laughed loudly, looking coldly at Xiao Chen. 'That would be harder than killing me. They can shatter this body and gravely wound me. But to preserve the flesh and drag my soul out? That would require an Ancestral God in person.'

'Great ancestors, please trap her,' Xiao Chen said, truly enraged now. He picked up Keke and said, 'Open Paradise Lost. Take her in!'

The little white beast hopped onto Xiao Chen's shoulder and swiftly opened the divine garden. A beautiful world emerged, dreamlike and illusory, far surpassing the immortal realm. One War Sword hung suspended in the void.

'The nightmare of Half-Ancestors...' the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden had sensed the existence of Paradise Lost the moment she lost the War Sword. Now it was even clearer. She shouted, 'Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge, reveal yourself!'

Ear-splitting. An ancient stone bridge shattered the void, bursting forth from that dimensional space and pressing down toward the gathered Half-Ancestors.

'Boom!'

The single impact forced all eleven Half-Ancestors back a dozen paces in unison.

One could only imagine the bridge's extraordinary nature!

The Half-Ancestors who had not seen the Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge before all changed color, but they immediately did their utmost to seal this space, refusing to let the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden escape.

'Take her!' Xiao Chen roared.

Little Keke, ignoring everything else, opened the divine garden toward the descending stone bridge, trying to engulf it. The little white beast was somewhat strained and panting; Paradise Lost only took in a small portion of the Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge.

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden, watching Little Keke, finally changed color. The Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge had been held fast at one end by Keke. No one understood the bridge's extraordinary nature better than she did, and this gave her a foreboding: her ultimate measure seemed on the verge of failing.

'I want to ask you one more time. Did you truly and thoroughly erase Ruoshui's soul imprint?'

'If you clear a path for me, I can return a Ruoshui to you,' the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden said.

Xiao Chen's last hope died. What could she return with? She was simply trying to flee.

The eleven Half-Ancestors pressed forward together, giving the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden no chance to escape.

The Green Lotus Celestial Maiden was both shocked and furious. With one end of the Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge fixed within Paradise Lost, she could not move it at all. Spreading discord, she said, 'Heh heh... You may not know the origin of this bridge, but you will certainly be interested in one of its functions: it can open a path to the Primordial Celestial Realm.'

The news was earth-shattering!

Xiao Chen's heart immediately tensed, fearing that these Half-Ancestors might make a move against Keke. But as of now, the eleven Half-Ancestors remained very calm, continuing to press forward.

A note on narrative: Different records of the 'Three Purities' vary. This chapter uses the version from 'Fengshen Yanyi' regarding Laozi's 'One Qi Transforms the Three Purities.'