Chapter 20
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Chapter 20: One Sword Once Defeated a Million Soldiers!
Xu Pan has an inherent thirst for light that is etched into his marrow.
It originates from his childhood experiences.
In Heluo Country, he was an unpopular prince and a thorn in the eyes of his elder brother.
In his eyes, the magnificent and majestic palace was no different from the bloody and dark dungeons.
The palace maids who served him were no different from the cruel guards at the dungeon gate.
Many nights he slept in powerless anger, but even his dreams were not a place of escape for him.
He came from the dark reality to an even more bleak prison.
This prison is far more despairing than the outside world, at least, when outside, his understanding sister is always there to comfort him.
From then on, Xu Pan would spend a great deal of time staring out of the window.
It’s unlike anywhere else.
Because there’s light there.
A vast expanse of white, like the brightness of a milkshake.
Xu Pan didn’t know what was behind the light.
Even if the situation there was worse, it couldn’t be worse than the cell where he lived.
He called that place hope.
He regarded that place as his lifelong pursuit.
During the time oppressed by pressure, Xu Pan relieved the pressure by reading.
It was at that time that he began reading a large amount of historical materials on Heluo Country, and also learned how the wise and brave founding emperor died miserably at the hands of the Spiritual Path Master.
He often fantasized about how he would deal with the situation if he were in that position.
Many, many years later, Xu Pan still couldn’t come up with an answer.
The ancestors needed time, so Spiritual Path Master froze time.
As long as there are concerns in their hearts, no matter how they struggle, the ancestors cannot fight for time.
That was an almost unsolvable situation.
To break the stalemate, it is necessary to make the ancestors abandon everything they value in their hearts.
But then they would no longer be ancestors.
Xu Pan recalled the external evaluations he received after becoming the emperor.
Some said he was the most diligent emperor in the history of Heluo Country, as he never rested.
However, a cultivator at this level of cultivation base doesn’t need to rest.
But humans will always inadvertently be tempted to laziness. Playing with his concubines, taking a brief rest when tired – these are all normal things.
However, he was different.
He never sleeps, even when contemplating.
But no one knows that it has nothing to do with diligence.
He stays awake because he doesn’t want to dream and go back to that room where he silently looks out the window at the light.
"But today is somewhat different."
Welcoming the attack launched by dozens of people, Xu Pan, who shot out like sharp blades, slowly closed his eyes.
In an instant of lowering his eyelids, his world became utterly dark.
Despite not having fallen asleep, Xu Pan felt as though he had returned to that very dream.
He saw once again the brightly illuminated square window. However, unlike every other time before, this time the cell he was in was not silent.
Various curses and swear words filled his ears.
He was criticized by some as an executioner, by some as someone who spits venomous words, and by some as a cunning and treacherous person.
After the curses fell, the memories were of deafening explosions, turbulent ocean waves, and the incessant howling of the wind.
Outside the window was a scene of doomsday, and the so-called hope never existed.
However, this didn’t intimidate Xu Pan.
He had known about this matter long ago.
From the moment Marquis Wu’an sacrificed himself to send him away, to the moment he saw the eldest princess safe and sound, he had no more fear in his heart.
He wanted to see the world behind the light outside the window, and no matter what awaited him, he wanted to see it.
He had been walking for a very long time, and now he finally reached the edge of the window, with no reason to step back.
Move forward.
Unlock the window.
Push the window open.
Then, with all your might, jump fiercely through the narrow window and out!
"Boom!"
A terrifying force, which almost tore Xu Pan’s body apart, attacked from all directions. The violent explosion deprived him of all his hearing ability.
All he could see in his eyes was light, bright light, even brighter light!
"Break, break, break…"
Xu Pan vigorously waved his right hand.
The power that flowed from the Gate of All Living Beings poured out from his palm.
It was not ordinary power, but rather the obsession accumulated by numerous generations from Heluo Country attempting to create the Gate of All Living Beings, among which, the obsession of his tragically deceased ancestor and Xu Pan’s own were the most steadfast!
With a single swing of this obsession, everything before him was as if shattered by the sharpest blade in the world.
Spells, divine abilities, enchanted items, talismans, incantations, magical formations, space, time…
And the courage in the hearts of the crowds of the Taixuan Taoist Sect!
"How is this possible? My spell just vanished?"
"Pfft… it cannot be, my beloved Spirit Tool…"
"Magic Array Flags, quickly arrange the Magic Array Flags!"
Various panicked screams echoed over the crumbling Da Mang Mountain.
Bai Lian activated the Qianhuan Real Eyes, dispelling all confusion, and fully shared her sensory perception with the eldest princess.
Then they saw Xu Pan, like a war god holding a torch and sword, rushing into the spider-web-covered cave. With each swing of his arm, he could clear a space.
The cultivator who controls the Magic Array Flags is very strong, whose strength is comparable to the sea monster that was once killed by Bai Lian with a single sword strike, and is considered a top-tier expert throughout the East Divine Land.
Although the cultivator beside him suddenly lost his own Spirit Tool and his strength was weakened by several points, he was still not much weaker than his companion.
However, when these two experts surrounded Xu Pan, their behavior was extremely "comical."
They were unable to cast spells.
Their Spirit Tools missed the hits again.
In less than two breaths, Xu Pan’s hands moved swiftly and shattered their bodies into pieces, couldn’t even manage to leave their souls intact.
Bai Lian blinked hard.
"Isn’t it true that all members of the Taixuan Taoist Sect are just looked strong, so they can easily be knocked down with a single punch during a real fight?"
The onlookers were all bewildered.
Even the eldest princess, who was so nervous that she was about to ride on Bai Lian’s back, finally calmed down at this moment.
Xu Pan may be seriously injured, but he won’t die, right?
The first to discover the anomaly was the discerning Qingxuan Sword Master.
"That door…"
Following his gaze, Bai Lian looked over and immediately saw the problem at a glance.
Regardless of the type of attack, tangible or intangible, as long as it touches the strand of light in Xu Pan’s palm, it will eventually be bound by a force that is almost akin to the way of the Great Tao.
With the golden runes flashing on his arm, all those things would be dragged into the antique gate opened behind him.
"The way of the Great Tao?"
Bai Lian felt a little puzzled, suspecting that she might have seen it wrong, but the power was truly somewhat similar to the Destruction Power left inside her by her master.
Soon, the people of the Taixuan Taoist Sect also noticed the anomaly.
The strange origin came from the Gate of All Living Beings. Under the pressure of this gate, they were unable to exert even a tenth of their full strength.
However, the crux of the problem was that they had identified the problem but had not found a solution to it.
Time.
They urgently needed time, but unfortunately Xu Pan had made time stand still!
He flew with great effort towards the source of the bright light outside the window, using his fists and feet to fend off all the monsters and goblins blocking his way.
He was no longer alone, as more and more illusions appeared behind him.
There were former emperors of Heluo Country, loyal heroes who died tragically searching for materials for the Gate of All Living Beings, and Marquis Wu’an, but notably absent was Empress Yongjia.
Accompanied by those illusory figures, Xu Pan was invincible!
At first, the voice that lingered in his ear was-
"Xu Pan, you old rascal, you don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth, yet dare to brag here!"
"As an emperor of a country, but doing some unspeakable evil deeds, Xu Pan, you have fallen into the demonic way. Today, I will completely kill you!"
"How dare an ant to provoke the dragon? Die!"
Then those sounds turned into –
"Xu Pan, how dare you!"
"Xu Pan, if you persist in your stubbornness, both Heluo Country and your sister will be buried with you!"
"The source of magic breeds demons, and Heluo Country should not have been spared that day!"
After that, these voices changed again –
"Xu Pan, don’t do anything foolish again!"
"Life is endless suffering, turn back to the shore!"
"If you take one more step forward, the heavens and earth will be turned upside down!"
Finally, as Xu Pan withdrew his hand from the neck of the elder of the Taixuan Taoist Sect’s scripture pavilion, all the sounds in this world disappeared.
The group of cultivators from the Taixuan Taoist Sect stood still, with pale faces, and said nothing.
Everyone, including Xu Pan himself, was waiting for his next move.
His hand was held level.
He stood in the increasingly brilliant golden light.
In that moment, his body appeared even more upright than Da Mang Mountain.
"Puff~"
Suddenly, Xu Pan let out a long breath.
He realized that he had walked out of the narrow cave and was now standing at the entrance of the cave.
In fact, he knew what he would see when he opened his eyes, but he still wanted to witness it with his own eyes.
His eyelashes fluttered.
Numerous scenes flashed through his mind, with a plethora of flavors and experiences.
After several attempts, Xu Pan finally overcame everything and opened his eyes.
He returned to this world, coming as a person with emotions.
The strong light that once blocked his vision had dissipated, and the prison surrounding him had vanished, he silently waited for the body of the person he had just crushed to scatter like numerous flickering fireflies.
Afterwards…
There was nothing obstructing his vision anymore, and he saw the Spiritual Path Master standing in front of him, only a yard away.
This man, already in his declining years, had wrinkles on his face that could not be erased even with magic spells.
These are the marks left by the passing of thousands of years!
Xu Pan pointed towards the Spiritual Path Master and said in a serene voice like a tranquil lake, "You are my greatest obsession!"
The wind.
Suddenly rose.
The Daoist robe of the Spiritual Path Master flapped loudly in the wind.
This sound fell into the hearts of everyone present, and suddenly they had a premonition that this was a more exciting battle than thousands of years ago.
The outcome, perhaps, could be different?
Xu Pan’s gaze was calm, and his initial fear came from his older brother.
However, after he perused the historical records of Heluo Country, everything changed.
He anticipated this day, and finally, he walked into it.
Now, he intends to destroy everything!
Dazzling golden light radiated from his palm, enveloping both himself and Spiritual Path Master.
Suddenly, Spiritual Path Master began to speak.
"Xu Pan."
Xu Pan ignored him.
Spiritual Path Master continued, "I did indeed do those things, but you’re no better. For the sake of building the Gate of All Living Beings, you killed many people, including Canglong Garden, where Yu Ying, the fourth Martial Sister of Bai Lian, was born. You may say that you didn’t personally do it, but everyone knows that Marquis Wu’an was merely a knife in your hands."
Xu Pan responded, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Therefore, I am already prepared."
"Prepared?"
Xu Pan looked down at the Spiritual Path Master with a cold gaze, "What I am burning is not only my obsession, but also all of my remaining lifespan."
"…"
For a long time, the Spiritual Path Master widened his eyes and sent forth a brilliance.
He whispered lowly, "Xu Pan, back then, I was able to slay your ancestor here. Today, I can also slay you here!"
Xu Pan laughed heartily and replied, "You are free to try!"
Instead of getting angry, the Spiritual Path Master laughed in response and said, "You know, many people died from talking too much, just like you!"
Hmm?
Bai Lian perked up her ears.
In the moment when the character "you" disappeared, she suddenly looked towards the southwest wilderness.
She saw a ray of light, a fiery red ray of light!
After a breath, the originally dull sky suddenly turned into a dazzling crimson.
The crimson sky was filled with various intricate runes, like another world.
"Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell!"
Qingxuan Sword Master exclaimed.
Spiritual Path Master laughed heartily and said, "If only you had acted earlier, I would have not been able to summon the Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell. But you insisted on positioning yourself as the winner. It’s time to end this!"
He raised his hand high and pressed it down.
The Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell, occupying the entire sky, immediately began to operate.
The crimson flames scattered like flying snowflakes.
A flame dragon column, tens of miles wide, shot down from the center of the Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell and swallowed Da Mang Mountain in one gulp.
This is the complete immortal treasure!
Inhaling and exhaling divine fire, burning everything to ashes.
The vast land and four wilds turned into nothingness, and the eternal Da Mang Mountain disappeared.
The face of the eldest princess turned pale in an instant.
"Bai Lian."
She grabbed Bai Lian’s skirt tightly.
"It will be alright, it will." Bai Lian quickly comforted her.
If Xu Pan could be defeated so easily, then the risk indicated by the system couldn’t possibly be worth only 15 points of Soft Skill.
After all, her strength was inferior to Xu Pan’s, and if a Spiritual Path Master could instantly defeat Xu Pan, then it would be a piece of cake for him to defeat her as well.
The fact proved that she had guessed correctly.
After three rounds of intense cleansing with fire pillars and rain, a faint golden light bloomed from the center of the fire, and then broke through the flames, like a huge shield, abruptly pushing back the fire pillars.
This was a scene that nobody had ever thought about!
Xu Pan floated calmly in the deathly black mud, unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
In sharp contrast to him was the Spiritual Path Master, whose forehead was covered in sweat drops.
Spiritual Path Master opened his mouth slightly, forgetting to close it.
The successive mirages behind Xu Pan shattered at a moderate pace, not fast but not slow either.
He spoke, "As I said, before coming here, I had already burned through my entire lifespan."
"Was it intentional?"
Xu Pan continued, "If I had only killed you, it wouldn’t have been enough to break the foundation of the Taixuan Taoist Sect. Only by destroying the Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell can I achieve what I desire."
"Arrogance!"
Xu Pan smiled, "I only learned a few days ago that the Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell is a high-grade immortal treasure, even in the Immortal World, it is considered divine."
"A high-grade immortal treasure?"
Spiritual Path Master frowned suddenly. Even he didn’t know about such a thing.
"However…" Xu Pan said, "You could never imagine that the Gate of All Living Beings, which has been crafted by the Heluo Country for countless years, has long surpassed the category of immortal treasures. This is the Immortal Emperor’s efforts, burning with divine flames, and possessing the tenacity to extinguish all things!"
In an increasingly high-pitched voice, a golden light coalesced into a long spear in his hand.
Not only him, but also those phantoms all held onto the spear.
The spear was pointed at the Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell.
At that moment, the heart of the Spiritual Path Master suddenly trembled.
He had a premonition of something.
He exclaimed, "Stop, please stop…"
"This is what you deserve."
Xu Pan glanced at Spiritual Path Master and made a fierce throw.
The golden long spear shot out.
In an instant, the world fell silent and all eyes were fixed on the tip of the spear.
See it break through the thick clouds.
Watch it repel the waves of fire.
Watch it tear apart the runes.
See it pierce through the Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell with one shot after a tangled battle of numbers.
Buzzing –
The ear-splitting sound of the restless bell echoed far and wide, as web-like cracks appeared in the sky above people’s heads.
The crimson mucus rolled down in abundance, but halfway through, it dissipated into the void.
The Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell was weeping!
The Soul of the Fire Phoenix that had been concealed within was struggling!
However, in the end, it was all in vain.
Xu Pan waited for a long time, waiting for this moment of shattering the Phaseless Fire Phoenix Bell.
"Y-y-you…"
Spiritual Path Master could no longer maintain his composure.
The inherited immortal treasure of the sect was destroyed, and it was due to his carelessness.
Rationality, demeanor, and cultivation, all of these were abandoned by him. He was like a hideous old lunatic, shouting ferociously in all directions:
"Kill him, kill him! Kill Xu Pan! Today, I will kill you!"
"Is that so?"
Xu Pan sneered.
Surrounding attack?
There is no longer a surrounding attack.
The people of the Taixuan Taoist Sect remained motionless even after hearing the call of the Spiritual Path Master.
Do you still want to go up and die?
Once Xu Pan kills Spiritual Path Master, everything will be over. Isn’t it nice to just stand here and watch?
"You guys?"
Spiritual Path Master looked around.
His countenance was extremely unpleasant, twisted with repugnant ugliness, and no one listened to him anymore.
"I’ll give you back that sentence."
Xu Pan took step by step.
He raised his hand and fiercely chopped down.
"It’s over."
It won’t end.
How is it possible to end here?
Spiritual Path Master roared and rushed forward. He had lived for thousands of years and could have ascended to the Immortal World long ago, but for the Taixuan Taoist Sect, he gave up his chance to ascend.
He was determined to restore the former glory of the Taixuan Taoist Sect and to completely crush Qingxuan Sword Master underfoot. How could he possibly die here?
Spiritual Path Master launched an all-out attack on Xu Pan, regardless of the consequences.
However, even his power could not break through the barrier of the Gate of All Living Beings, and it was completely consumed.
Is this what powerlessness feels like?
Is this the helplessness of the weak?
The blade condensed with golden light fell on the head of Spiritual Path Master, after a brief stalemate, suddenly fell and broke through his defense, splitting his body in half.
Boom!
The explosion swept across all four directions.
Vitality ceased.
Did the old sect leader of the Taixuan Taoist Sect pass away?
Isn’t this a bit too easy? No one has reacted yet.
And it was at this moment that Xu Pan took a step forward and approached Bai Lian.
His words shocked everyone.
"Is all of this planned by you?"
