A Duel of Wills at Taihang

The Great Demon Emperor, born from the million evil spirits Xiao Chen had annihilated, billowed forth, blotting out the sky with vast demonic clouds that shrouded the entire Yin capital. It was a world-shaking sight.

In that moment, every cultivator in Yin capital felt a chill run down their spine.

The transformation from Buddha to Demon was a difference of heaven and earth. No one had expected such an outcome.

"Fight demon with demon!" Wu Ming stared at the surging demonic flames. He formed hand seals, and the eighteen ancient demon skulls suspended in the sky let out soul-shaking roars, beginning to grow in the void.

Beneath the skulls, demonic bodies rapidly formed, manifesting in the sky as eighteen ancient demons. They assembled into the Eighteen Ancient Demon Formation and charged at the Five Demon Emperors.

"Before the Demon Emperor, all things turn to nothing." The Death God Emperor of the eastern direction let out a cold laugh, chanting a spell.

A pitch-black spatial gate opened, and dozens of Death Gods appeared in the sky, each wielding a Death Scythe. They moved silently toward the Eighteen Demon Formation, killing intent flooding the heavens.

The yin aura was overwhelming. Though there were no battle cries, their momentum scourged the clouds, and the power of death sealed the entire space.

The Death Scythes, jet-black with gleaming white edges, were indestructible. They quickly shattered the balance of the Eighteen Demons, tearing through the ancient formation.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Sounds like blades cutting through flesh rang out. The dozens of Death Gods fought the eighteen ancient demons, gaining the absolute upper hand, annihilating them with overwhelming advantage.

"Return to your places!"

The spirit treasures floating in the four directions transformed into a meteor shower, flying toward Wu Ming and merging into his body. They shimmered like stars within him.

The Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell hovered above his head as he advanced. Though he appeared calm and unhurried, a chilling murderous intent filled the entire sky.

Ordinary cultivators sensed peace, but those at this level sensed a raging storm.

Ancient Qi Refiners not only cultivated Dao techniques and spirit treasures but also focused on tempering their precious bodies. Wu Ming's cultivation art was especially unique—he absorbed the souls of spirit treasures into his own body, granting every inch of his flesh unimaginable power.

Even if the spirit treasures he wielded were destroyed outside, as long as the artifact souls within him remained intact, they could manifest again.

Of course, he had not yet reached perfection. When fully cultivated, all spirit treasures would converge into one and merge with his precious body, making his flesh the most terrifying of supreme treasures, capable of regenerating even after destruction.

Shua, shua, shua!

Wu Ming's entire body blazed with light. The divine radiance of hundreds or thousands of spirit treasures soared into the sky, sweeping toward the Five Demon Emperors.

At the same time, he shook the Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell, condensing a golden bell-wave that struck directly at the hazy figure shielded by the Five Demon Emperors.

"The Immovable Wisdom King incarnates as a demon!"

The Five Demon Emperors chanted softly. In that instant, they manifested a thousand demonic forms, meeting the rain of radiance and blocking all the divine light of the spirit treasures.

The sky churned with black clouds and surging energy waves, accompanied by cascading auspicious light—the clash of demonic killing intent and divine spirit treasure radiance.

The heavens were in turmoil.

Buddhism's Five Wisdom Kings could subdue all demons under heaven, their might matching the heavens' own.

Xiao Chen had cultivated the Perfect Vase Seal, the Divine Charm Flower Seal, the Fearless Lion Seal, and the Immovable Wisdom King Seal. These techniques came from the hidden masters of the Forest Tribe, but their roots were in Buddhism's peerless divine arts.

Manifesting the Five Wisdom Kings, even if he could not match Buddhism's great powers in subduing the heavens, they still possessed tremendous divine authority.

Xiao Chen lacked the Buddhist nature to unleash the ultimate essence of these arts, but he could express them through another power—the might of the million evil spirits' killing intent.

The Five Demon Emperors corresponded to the Five Wisdom Kings, driven by opposing attributes, displaying divine power no less than the Wisdom Kings themselves as they battled Wu Ming, a rare genius of the cultivation world.

"Break once, break all: ten thousand laws, all shattered!" Wu Ming shouted. In that moment, he was sacred beyond compare. The Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell blazed with infinite light, its golden radiance enveloping him like rippling water.

All demonic clouds and killing intent could not approach him, while the spirit treasure divine light within his body shot unhindered toward the Five Wisdom Kings.

At the same time, his left hand rose, and a purple divine hammer manifested—the Heavenly Thunder Hammer, famed in the cultivation world.

"Boom!"

Beneath the endless demonic clouds, a world-shaking thunderclap resounded. The Heavenly Thunder Hammer's might was unmatched; purple lightning rent the void, forcibly scattering the Five Demon Emperors!

Wu Ming, with the divine bell over his head, shot forward like a meteor, intent on annihilating the hazy figure in the center.

"A million demon spirits condense—three thousand worlds tremble! A mere purple hammer cannot extinguish my divine thought!" The hazy figure at the center was wreathed in layered mist, and around him the Five Demon Emperors manifested once more.

In the east was the Death God Emperor; around him, dozens of Death Gods wielded Death Scythes, slashing forward.

In the south was the Nether Evil Emperor; around him appeared a hundred nether spirits. The terrifying Nether Hymn rang through heaven and earth. Countless demons danced, myriad souls wailed, as if hell's dirge played in the mortal world.

In the west was the Flame Divine Emperor; raging flames blazed, illuminating half the sky. It showed surging waves of magma rolling forward.

In the north was the Skeleton War Emperor; behind him stretched an endless army of white bones, each wielding a bone saber, their killing intent soaring as they cleaved at Wu Ming, causing heaven and earth to tremble.

At the very center was the Demon Evil Emperor; around him manifested all kinds of demons, their roars shaking the sky.

The Death Scythes shattered the divine light shooting from Wu Ming's body. The white bone army completely surrounded him, raising their bone sabers to hack at the Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell. The Nether Hymn, like the words of apocalypse, brought dark winds and beams of deathlight around Wu Ming, steadily weakening his divine power. The Flame Divine Emperor charged to the forefront, immense fire burning the void, refining Wu Ming's precious body. Finally, the Demon Evil Emperor let out a roar, demonic qi surging as he joined the assault.

Though Wu Ming possessed heavy treasures, he was trapped like in a swamp, locked in a stalemate.

"End it!" he shouted at last, merging with the divine bell. A burst of golden light shattered all evil spirits.

The bright sky reappeared.

Xiao Chen shot up from the winehouse, merging his divine thought with the presence high above. In an instant, his radiance blazed, too brilliant to behold.

"You've finally shown yourself!" Wu Ming's voice was cold as he advanced.

But when he used his divine arts to see Xiao Chen's true form, his expression changed.

"It's you…"

"It's me, come to test my sword against you." Xiao Chen briefly revealed his true appearance, then gathered all his killing aura around him, once again hiding his body.

Wu Ming showed anger. The man had obviously been belittling him, only revealing his true body now. Thinking back to the bitter memory of being hunted by Xiao Chen under the night moon in the Immortal Mountains a decade ago, Wu Ming's face grew even colder.

Despite his anger, he grew calmer. He was a man of deep schemes, not swayed by negative emotions.

Years ago, the Four Great Loose Techniques had struck him nearly to death. He knew well Xiao Chen's terror, and now the man came with confidence, likely wielding even more fearsome means.

He did not voice Xiao Chen's identity aloud. Instead, he transmitted secretly: "Strictly speaking, we are not irreconcilable enemies. That wisp of my incarnation, along with others called the Ten Prodigies of the Cultivation World, once surrounded you, but you destroyed it. And a decade ago, you hunted me across the Immortal Mountains and nearly killed me. I think that should be more than enough to settle our old debts. I believe we can wipe the slate clean."

"Truly wipe it clean? Why didn't you think so a decade ago in the Heavenly Burial Valley? I remember your endless scheming nearly destroyed me."

"Times change. At that time, I only wanted the Five Element Souls." Wu Ming calculated silently. The other party seemed reluctant to fight to the death, perhaps sharing his own thoughts. He smiled and transmitted, "There are no eternal enemies, no unresolvable hatred. In truth, we have common great enemies. Now, if you so much as show yourself on the Nine Provinces, the Five Element Heavenly Kings will directly hunt you. The Night Yaksha Half-Ancestor and the Asura Half-Ancestor might not sit idle either, perhaps even stooping to bully the weak and annihilate your body and soul. And those very people are also at odds with me."

Xiao Chen sneered, "At odds? Nonsense. Your scheme to steal the Five Element Souls has made you sworn enemies with the foreign kings."

"Precisely. We have common great enemies. Now we can set aside our past grievances and join hands to destroy the Five Element Heavenly Kings and the like." Wu Ming's expression was earnest.

But how could Xiao Chen believe him? "A decade ago, I used Ancestral God Corpse Poison to kill over a thousand cultivators in the Heavenly Burial Valley, including many from the Artifact Refining Sect. The idea that you've let go of that grudge—only a ghost would believe it."

"Fine, I won't be hypocritical then." Wu Ming smiled coldly. "Sooner or later, we will have a battle, and that is inevitable. But today is not that day. Though our enmity cannot be dissolved, we can still use each other. Yes, we are in a relationship of mutual exploitation. If we join forces, our common enemies will surely perish."

"You could cooperate with your enemy?"

"Indeed." Wu Ming said coldly, "I am a very pragmatic man. Rules and norms cannot restrain me. If you find it acceptable, we can find a place to talk in depth."

"You greatly desire the Five Element Souls?" Xiao Chen stared at Wu Ming.

"Indeed, I want them very much." Wu Ming answered calmly. Once the Five Element Souls coalesced into his body, his divine art would be perfected. The spirit treasures fused within him would refine into one, and his body would become comparable to a Half-Ancestor's supreme treasure. But these words, he could not speak to Xiao Chen.

"I recall you already obtained the Sea God King's soul years ago. With your methods, after more than a decade, have you not gathered all the Five Element Souls?"

At this, Wu Ming's brows showed undisguised anger. "I not only obtained the Sea God King's soul; I also killed the Fire Spirit Heavenly King and the Wuji Heavenly King, gathering three souls. But… the Half-Ancestors of the hundred races forcibly summoned their souls back and revived them!"

Here, Wu Ming felt like cursing, but quickly calmed himself.

"Oh. I forgot. Some important figures seem to have two lives now that the Trial War has begun."

"Now the Five Element Heavenly Kings move together. If the Half-Ancestors don't act, they are effectively invincible under heaven." Wu Ming frowned. "In the current world, among Heavenly King-level experts, only you and I together could break their Five Element Divine Formation."

"Mutual exploitation is not impossible. We can briefly join forces. But before that, I think we need to test each other's power."

Hearing this, Wu Ming nodded. "Yes, it's necessary to understand each other's strength. But this place is too restrictive. Taihang Mountain is not far from Yin capital. We can go there for our duel."

Taihang Mountain, also known as Five Element Mountain or Nuwa Mountain, was one of the most important locations of the Nine Provinces.

The rolling mountain ranges were like coiled dragons, majestic and imposing.

Xiao Chen and Wu Ming stood in the sky above Taihang, beginning their true confrontation.

Cooperation and mutual exploitation required the foundation of strength. If the gap between the two sides was too vast, what meaning was there in cooperation? One side would surely die.

These two were former archrivals. Even if their strength were equal, each would scheme to suppress the other.

An unusual tension hung in the air. They had said it was simple sparring, but it could easily turn into a battle to the death.

"Wu Ming, let me see just how far you've advanced in these ten-odd years."

"I was just about to test your signature techniques."

The two appeared polite and amiable, but in that instant, their fighting spirit soared, and their essence, energy, and spirit peaked. They attacked each other like mortal enemies.

Wu Ming's chest shot out five spirit treasures, trapping Xiao Chen in a Five Element formation. The treasures transformed into five rainbow beams, swimming like flood dragons.

Over the years, Wu Ming had often fought the Five Element Heavenly Kings, and this formation was derived from his understanding of their Five Element Divine Formation.

"Break!"

Xiao Chen spoke softly. His left hand rose casually, executing the Divine Charm Flower Seal. Like a divine Buddha smiling while holding a flower, he swept across the sky.

Between his crystalline fingers, a divine flower bloomed, full of the breath of life. Dewdrops rolled on its petals.

The flower just opened, surpassing all others.

Chi!

Five-colored divine light shot into the sky, and crystalline petals flew out, striking the surrounding five spirit treasures. They instantly shattered the treasures, effortlessly breaking the Five Element formation.

Wu Ming's heart sank, his killing intent growing heavier. He turned into a golden beam and charged forward, a purple divine hammer appearing in his left hand, smashing at Xiao Chen's chest.

This was the Artifact Refining Sect's supreme treasure, the Heavenly Thunder Hammer, a grade not inferior to the Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell. Its offensive power was unmatched, instantly summoning endless purple lightning.

"Duo!"

The Duo sound of the Eight Origin Sounds, representing yin and yang, was uttered by Xiao Chen.

"Dang, dang, dang…"

The sound waves continuously collided with the purple divine hammer, producing ear-splitting sounds and leaving black holes in the void.

"Exceptional sound-killing power—a supreme art," Wu Ming praised. The Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell above his head blazed with light, its bell waves ringing without pause, clashing head-on with the Duo sound.

A great battle erupted. The sky above Taihang Mountain blazed with blinding light. The two figures, like brilliant stars, collided incessantly, or like two immense bolts of lightning intertwined.

Half an hour later, the sky above Taihang echoed with Wu Ming's furious shout: "You intend to kill me?"

"And you intend to kill me as well, do you not?"

"Dang…" The divine bell shook the heavens. Wu Ming's entire body was enveloped in golden radiance.

At the same time, mysterious diagrams appeared all over Xiao Chen's body. A war sword, like a splendid rainbow, shot toward Wu Ming.

"Dang…"

The bell wave was deafening, instantly shattering dozens of great mountains.

But the flying war sword actually pierced through the body of the Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell—half the sword's length, like a rainbow tip, had already penetrated the golden bell wall!