Chapter 281: Strange White Jade Capital

Within a valley on Penglai Island.

While Gu Mo and others headed to Heavenly Island, Xiaobai entered this valley, sword in hand, proceeding deeper into its heart.

As she walked, she transmitted a message: "This place is called the Valley of Beginnings and Endings, signifying the start and conclusion of all things. It's considered a forbidden area on Penglai Island. However, all rules on Penglai Island are about the unity of heaven and man, following one's heart and nature. So, although it's a forbidden area, access is not restricted, except for the innermost cave."

Deep within the valley, verdant cliffs embraced a winding, murmuring stream. The water flowed gently over pebbles, splashing tiny silver beads. Vines hung like emerald curtains on both banks, and moss covered strange rocks. A few wild orchids released their faint fragrance from the rock crevices. Only the sound of flowing water and the occasional chirping of a passing titmouse emphasized the valley's serene isolation.

Xiaobai touched her toes to the ground, and with a few swift movements, she darted deeper into the valley. Ahead, the cliff face abruptly receded, forming a natural cave entrance half-obscured by several gnarled ancient pines. On the bluestone slab at the cave's mouth, four figures sat cross-legged: a youth, a young man, a middle-aged man, and an elder. They corresponded to short, tall, stout, and thin appearances, each radiating a distinct aura.

The four appeared to be in solitary meditation, yet their auras subtly intertwined, forming an invisible barrier. Even flower petals drifting towards the cave entrance spun in mid-air, unable to descend.

Xiaobai stood beneath a distant large tree and transmitted a message: "Cunmang Buddha, Tayun Immortal, Fat Maitreya, and Thin Bamboo Elder. Two Buddhas, two Imperial Guardians. Cunmang Buddha excels at earth-burrowing techniques, Tayun Immortal at wind manipulation, Fat Maitreya can turn his body into stone, and Thin Bamboo Elder specializes in illusion. My martial arts are particularly effective against Thin Bamboo Elder and Tayun Immortal. I'll hold these two back; you quickly deal with Cunmang Buddha and Fat Maitreya, then come assist me."

Jiang Ruoxu said nothing more, merely responding with a grunt.

Immediately, Xiaobai walked towards the cave. Behind its entrance stood a tall bronze door, and opening it to enter the cave was their objective for this journey.

As Xiaobai stepped into the cave entrance, the Thin Bamboo Elder, who had been meditating with closed eyes, suddenly opened them. With no expression on his face, he inquired, "Saintess, this is a forbidden area; you may not proceed further."

Xiaobai remained silent, her heavy sword poised to be drawn. However, at that very instant, a terrifying dragon's roar echoed through the sky, shaking Penglai Island. It was a sound that pierced the heart.

Xiaobai immediately gripped her heavy sword.

Immediately after, a roar that shook the void resounded: "Bai Yujing, you're seeking death!"

That voice instantly transformed into another dragon's roar. The other three, who had been meditating, also opened their eyes, quickly exited the cave, and looked up. They saw chaos brewing where Heavenly Island was located: winds swirled, the sky lost its color, and a dragon thrashed and roared in the clouds. In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder boomed, and a terrifying draconic might permeated the air.

Xiaobai's pupils constricted slightly, and she hastily said, "Thin Bamboo Elder, something's happened on Heavenly Island! The Great Island Master sent me to tell you to hurry over and help. Someone... no, a monster has invaded the island!"

However, the Thin Bamboo Elder and the others remained unmoved.

The Thin Bamboo Elder said, "Saintess, if there's a need, the Great Island Master and Second Island Master will naturally inform us..."

However, before the Thin Bamboo Elder finished speaking, his expression shifted slightly, and he said, "The Great Island Master's command has arrived. Saintess, we must go and help."

Having said that, aside from Cunmang Buddha, who appeared as a child, the other three swiftly departed towards the outside of the valley, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Xiaobai, who had already been preparing to act, was stunned. She hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.

At that very instant, the heavy sword in Xiaobai's hand suddenly sprang from its sheath. The sword, as if made of ethereal mist, instantly pierced Cunmang Buddha's heart. Without even a single wound appearing, Cunmang Buddha simply collapsed to the ground.

And the next instant, a figure slowly emerged beside Cunmang Buddha's corpse; it was Jiang Ruoxu.

"I didn't expect it to be this smooth," Xiaobai remarked with a touch of emotion.

Jiang Ruoxu calmly said, "No more talk; let's go in. Penglai Island isn't peaceful today. It seems there truly are dragons in this world."

"I haven't seen one either."

As Xiaobai spoke, she walked to the bronze door and pushed it open with force. Immediately, wisps of immense spiritual power surged out.

The cave's depths overflowed with an impenetrable inky blackness. Water droplets seeping from the rock walls fell audibly in the darkness, like the rhythmic beat of a countdown.

Jiang Ruoxu and Xiaobai moved swiftly, their afterimages darting like fish through the dark cave passage. After traveling only a hundred zhang, an ethereal membrane of light suddenly appeared at the end of the tunnel.

The light membrane was neither metal nor stone; it resembled a solidified galactic vortex, with countless tiny points of light slowly flowing within it, forming an arcane array of runes—an energy barrier woven from spiritual power.

Jiang Ruoxu's gaze sharpened, and he extended a fingertip into the light membrane. The anticipated soul-tearing sting or repulsion from a powerful force did not occur. Instead, it felt like touching a warm, soft abyss of stars. The light membrane rippled like water, gently enveloping his palm.

"No problem, let's go!" he uttered a low cry and stepped into the light membrane first. Xiaobai followed close behind. In an instant, the world spun, and a bone-chilling coldness enveloped them. When their vision cleared, they found themselves in an astonishing crystal cave.

The cave walls were made of flawless white crystal, every inch reflecting a cold, white light, illuminating the entire space as if it were a frozen lunar palace.

Stalactites hung from the dome like glass-carved harp strings. The ground was flat and mirror-like, reflecting their slightly surprised and bewildered figures.

In the very center of the crystal cave, a circular mechanism, ten zhang in diameter, floated. It glowed with a warm, milky-white luster, its surface covered in gear-like patterns, yet it lacked any metallic coldness. Instead, it resembled a gigantic luminous pearl polished by divine power.

The mechanism rotated silently, each turn sending out a ripple of faint golden light. As these ripples touched the cave walls, they transformed into tiny fireflies, flitting and dancing among the crystals. The entire cave was thus bathed in a serene and sacred glow.

"What is this?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

Xiaobai shook her head. "I don't know either. It's my first time here. But this thing is filled with immense spiritual power, so it must be controlling the restrictions within our primordial spirits."

Jiang Ruoxu pondered for a moment, then declared, "Then let's destroy this thing!"

The heavy sword on Jiang Ruoxu's wrist hummed sharply. In an instant, a sword's roar tore through the crystal cave's silence. He stomped his foot and spun, his arm drawing back like a taut bow. A blue light, three feet long, surged with the sword's momentum, transforming into a torrent of sword energy that slashed forth with a roar.

The sword energy was like a crashing wave splitting the shore, or lightning tearing through clouds. Where it passed, even the air rippled with distortion, rushing directly towards the circular mechanism suspended in the center.

"CRACK—"

The crisp sound of metal clashing was not from the mechanism's outer shell, but exploded from deep within its core. The milky-white luster on the circular mechanism's surface instantly cracked inch by inch, like ancient jade shattered by a heavy hammer, and blinding golden light burst forth from countless spiderweb-like fissures.

Before the cracks could spread to the edges, the entire mechanism exploded like a stone dropped into water, transforming into thousands of firefly-like fragments of light that scattered in all directions.

However, the light fragments did not dissipate. Instead, they abruptly froze in mid-air, then surged and coalesced like living things. Solidified ethereal figures slowly emerged from the bursting golden light—human silhouettes!

There were actually hundreds, even thousands, of translucent primordial spirit phantoms silently floating in the crystal cave. They stood or lay, their faces indistinct, eyes hollow like abysses, and faint soul-fires flickered around them. Yet, there was no trace of intelligent fluctuation, clearly indicating they were spiritual husks after death.

"These are... all primordial spirits?"

Jiang Ruoxu's sword-holding hand paused slightly, his pupils reflecting the phantoms floating throughout the cave, his sword-like brows furrowed like iron.

At this moment, Xiaobai suddenly let out a short gasp of surprise, stumbling back half a step.

She stared intently at a primordial spirit that had just solidified in front of her—though the phantom's face was still somewhat blurry, the light brown cinnabar mole on its forehead was undeniably clear; it was her appearance from her previous life!

The primordial spirit's eyes were tightly shut, a faint silver thread of light entwined around its body, as if sleeping within an invisible cocoon, completely unresponsive to its surroundings.

The air in the crystal cave instantly solidified.

Jiang Ruoxu sharply turned his head. Seeing Xiaobai's ashen face, he followed her gaze, asking in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Xiaobai swallowed hard and slowly said, "That's... my previous life... Yu Jinghong!"

Jiang Ruoxu exclaimed in surprise, "Haven't you already reincarnated?"

Xiaobai's face was pale, her entire demeanor extremely distressed. She murmured, "I don't know... I don't know what's happening? Yes, I clearly reincarnated, but why is my primordial spirit from my previous life still here... No... not just my previous life's..."

Xiaobai pointed at several other figures and said, "They... they came to Penglai Island with my previous life. Theoretically, they should have also reincarnated... but they're all still here!"

Jiang Ruoxu's pupils constricted. He quickly scanned the densely packed primordial spirits in the crystal cave. Soon, he also found several acquaintances of his, masters with whom he had discussed the Dao during Penglai Island's last opening.

"What... what exactly... is going on here? What's happening..."

Xiaobai seemed to have lost her mind, staring blankly at Yu Jinghong's primordial spirit, appearing distraught and utterly bewildered.

Jiang Ruoxu, however, was staring at Xiaobai. After a moment of confusion, he suddenly seemed to realize something and abruptly spoke, "I think... I might understand... Xiaobai... Hahaha... Xiaobai... Bai Yujing..."

Xiaobai suddenly lifted her head, asking in confusion, "You... what do you mean?"

Jiang Ruoxu pointed at Xiaobai, letting out a bewildered laugh. "You're right, the Great Island Master and Second Island Master are Bai Yujing. But Bai Yujing isn't the Great Island Master or Second Island Master. You are also Bai Yujing... They are all Bai Yujing, everyone is Bai Yujing. What's the point of fighting then..."

In an instant, fine silver mist rose around Jiang Ruoxu. The mist was not ephemeral; his entire being instantly dispersed like an ink-wash painting, coiling like smoke and mist into the ancient heavy sword before him.

The patterns on the heavy sword's spine suddenly erupted with a blue glow, and the sword hummed, shattering the surrounding airflow. The next moment, it transformed into a streak of light imbued with the force of thunder.

As the light streak tore through the air, a dull sonic boom exploded. The tail of the blue glow trailed several distorted spatial afterimages, like a dragon breaking free, vanishing in an instant. Only the lingering hum of the sword echoed in the crystal cave.

Xiaobai remained motionless, as if in a daze, murmuring, "No reincarnation, I am not Yu Jinghong, I am Xiaobai... No, I am Bai Yujing... I am Xiaobai..."

In the alternate dimension, Gu Mo's Dragon God Cultivation automatically protected him. Its unique power, combined with the Dao Heart Demon Seed technique, instantly shattered the restriction that had appeared in his primordial spirit. Immediately, Gu Mo reached out, and the Void Sword flew to him. He unleashed a terrifying torrent of sword energy with a single slash.

In an instant, the surrounding landscape shattered like a broken glass mirror: the azure sea steamed with white mist, the silver-plate moon cracked into fireflies, the phantom of Chang'e transformed into thousands of light particles amidst her swirling sleeves, and along with the starlight, all sank into inky chaos.

Only swirling black chaos remained between heaven and earth, its shades intertwining into a vortex of nothingness.

Gu Mo swiftly unleashed a second sword strike, and spiderweb-like cracks spread across the chaotic firmament.

Immediately, he stepped onto the Void Flying Sword and charged towards the rift. In that very instant, space suddenly erupted with dazzling white light—above the clouds, an immortal island built of green jade floated, spiritual mist entwining its flying eaves and dougongs. It was Heavenly Island, on Penglai Island!

At this moment, on Heavenly Island, two celestial cranes circled, carrying the Great Island Master and the Second Island Master.

"Form the array!"

Amidst the sharp cry, the Great Island Master's red robe billowed like a sail. As she formed hand seals, she played a jade flute. Eight glazed pagodas rose from the island's edge, their spires emitting golden light that wove into a net.

The Second Island Master plucked the zither strings, and the clear, melodious notes transformed into thousands of runes. Alongside them, Penglai Island's most powerful Three Buddhas, Four Imperial Guardians, and numerous Qi practitioners simultaneously cast spells to activate the array. Various colors of Qi converged into a torrent under their incantations, pouring into the spatial rift torn open by the giant dragon.

The light and shadow at the rift's edge suddenly twisted. Heavenly Island remained seemingly within reach, but no matter how Gu Mo flew, how fast he went, or how many times he tore through space, he was always just short of reaching it. There was no way to return from this illusory space to the real world.

Gu Mo's expression was stern. He stood on the flying sword, endless darkness behind him. He looked at the Great Island Master, the Second Island Master, and the others, seemingly within arm's reach yet miles away in another realm, and said coldly, "Where is Bai Yujing?"

The Great Island Master maintained her aloof demeanor, standing on the crane's back. She said, "Hero Gu, between life and death, why cling to past and future matters? In this life, you are Gu Mo; in the next, you will be someone else. In this life, Bai Yujing helps you pursue the Great Dao, advancing you further and allowing you to see higher and farther landscapes. The cost is merely an invitation for your next incarnation to come to Penglai Island. Why be so angry?"

Gu Mo scoffed and said, "It seems you are complicit, Bai Yujing's pawns. If Bai Yujing had openly presented its terms, clearly stating that a primordial spirit restriction was the price for assisting in the pursuit of the Great Dao, then it would be a free choice, and I would have nothing to say. But Bai Yujing engineered this scheme of coercion and forced transactions through deceit. For that, he deserves to die. As his pawns, if you repent and mend your ways, I will spare your lives. If you remain unrepentant, you will be executed without mercy!"

The Great Island Master smiled faintly and said, "Hero Gu, your words are rather specious. If not for the greed of mortals, wanting to gain advantages for free from Penglai Island and from Bai Yujing, how would they have fallen into Bai Yujing's trap? It was their own greed that caused this; even if they pay a price, aren't they getting what they deserve? Moreover, Bai Yujing has not made you greedy individuals pay too great a price. It merely requires your second incarnation to come to Penglai Island for cultivation, and it even grants the opportunity to live a second life. Is this not a immense gift?"

Gu Mo's expression was calm. He stopped his advance, looking at the Great Island Master, who was seemingly close yet in another dimension. With his hands clasped behind his back, standing on the flying sword, he slowly said, "Do you think I'm reasoning with you? I am currently granting you the chance to live!"

The Great Island Master smiled slightly. "Hero Gu, you can utter such boasts once you've managed to escape. The greatest under heaven in the mortal realm is, after all, merely mortal, like a mayfly peering at the vast sky!"

Gu Mo sneered, then suddenly began to run forward.

"ROAR..."

In an instant, a dragon's roar tore through the air. As the sound wave rippled out like golden concentric circles, Gu Mo's figure disintegrated into light—scales of light burst forth from the crevices of his bones, transforming into thousands of fireflies that coalesced into a phantom dragon body.

The dragon's body was covered in faintly golden, glass-like scales. Its head bore jade-colored dragon horns, and its eyes burned with fragmented starlight. Though not a physical entity, it carried an aura of world-destroying might.

The giant dragon let out a second roar, its sound wave shaking the chaotic vortex into violent turmoil. White astral wind surged around its body, and its draconic form spiraled upward like living lightning. Its sharp claws instantly tore through the spatial barrier. In that very instant, the chaotic vortex exploded like a pierced glass lamp.

The white astral wind surrounding the giant dragon suddenly surged into a torrent, carrying a sharp, time-space-rending cry as it shot into the sky. The dragon's body expanded a hundredfold the moment it escaped chaos. The cold light reflected from its scales cast a frosty hue upon Heavenly Island's clouds.

It hovered in the void above the immortal island's peak, its dragon head like a towering mountain. Where the surging lightning in its dragon eyes swept, inky cloud-waves churned like a boiling sea, and purple lightning, like frenzied silver serpents, struck towards the island's core.

With a flick of its tail, it shattered the spiritual mist across the sky. The raging winds it generated transformed into a furious black sea tide, and the rising curtain of rain actually contained azure-golden lightning.

When the first lightning pillar crashed down with a roar, the array shattered in response. With crisp sounds of the light net cracking inch by inch, countless runes vanished like fireflies.

The giant dragon seized the opportunity to dive. The moment its claws tore through the clouds, the thunderclouds across the entire sky erupted in continuous flashes of lightning. Thousands of lightning bolts intertwined like silver chains, forming a devastating torrent with the gale and downpour, violently striking the island's array hub.

"BOOM—!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the eight glazed pagodas shattered like jade artifacts struck by a colossal hammer. The Buddhist light barrier, sustained by the combined efforts of numerous Qi practitioners, showed spiderweb-like cracks.

Smoke and debris, mixed with torrential rain, surged skyward. Heavenly Island, once shrouded in immortal aura, instantly transformed into a lightning-riddled battlefield of shattered walls and crumbling ruins.

And at this moment, Tayun Immortal, Fat Maitreya, and Thin Bamboo Elder, who had rushed over from the Valley of Beginnings and Endings, were all greatly alarmed. Before they could even react, they heard the Great Island Master shout, "Seal the Kun position!"

Immediately, Tayun Immortal grabbed a wisp of wind, then extended his hands, left and right, carrying Fat Maitreya and Thin Bamboo Elder as he flew into the air, intending to repair the array that had been shattered by the impact.

However, at that very instant, a spatial fluctuation occurred, and the three of them saw a giant dragon appear above their heads, diving down. Startled, they hastily unleashed their divine techniques to resist. But the next instant, Tayun Immortal felt a heat in his dantian, and his entire body exploded like a bursting melon in the astral wind generated by the dragon's dive. The blood mist had not yet formed before it was scattered into crimson rain by the gale.

The Thin Bamboo Elder and Fat Maitreya, who followed closely, didn't even have time to scream before they transformed into two plumes of blood mist amidst the sharp tearing sound of the dragon's claws. Disfigured limbs and fragmented flesh, mixed with shattered magical artifacts and spirit weapons, splattered across the air like broken glass lamps.

"Seal!"

The Great Island Master's jade flute suddenly spun out from her sleeve. Frost-white runes erupted from its nine jade segments. Simultaneously, the Second Island Master's fingertips swept across the Jiaowei zither, and seventy-two strings burst forth with golden-red light threads.

Dozens of streams of light swept in from various parts of the island. As the Qi practitioners formed hand seals, eight ancient bronze mirrors inscribed with constellations of the Heavenly Cycle hovered in the air. Their reflections intertwined to form an amber-colored light cage that enveloped the entire island core. Arcane incantations wrapped around the cage's edge, descending like a spiderweb to trap the diving giant dragon.

However, the moment the dragon's roar pierced clouds and shattered stone, the white astral wind surging around the giant dragon suddenly expanded explosively, transforming into thousands of spinning blade-like lights.

The moment the light cage touched the dragon scales, it emitted an unbearable "CRACK." The incantations vanished inch by inch like burning talismans, and the ancient bronze mirrors exploded into myriad fragments under the dragon's claws. When the destructive astral wind swept through the formation, the frontline Qi practitioners didn't even have time to activate their protective Qi. Their bodies exploded limb by limb, bone by bone—flesh mixed with bone fragments splattered like projectiles, and severed limbs drew crimson arcs in the air, pulverized by the astral wind before they could even hit the ground, leaving only the pervasive scent of blood and char in the air.

The giant dragon's head, pressing down with crushing force, was like Mount Tai descending, heading directly for the Great Island Master who stood holding her flute.

As the Great Island Master held her jade flute horizontally across her chest, nine solidified sound waves suddenly burst forth, transforming into nine layers of white light shields entwined with ice crystals, rising one after another.

But with several muffled "thudding" sounds, the light shields were shattered like thin paper by the dragon horns. The giant dragon's impact, carrying immense force, made the air explode with a dull roar.

The Great Island Master felt an unstoppable, immense force strike her chest. She was sent flying backward like a snapped arrow, crashing through three stories of pavilions before slamming into the island's central plaza, creating a ten-zhang square crater.

Almost simultaneously, the Second Island Master's zither notes abruptly turned sharp. The Jiaowei zither no longer emitted threads of light but transformed into thousands of sound blades entwined with black lightning patterns, raining down like a storm of pear blossoms towards the giant dragon's abdomen.

However, at this moment, the giant dragon violently swung its tail. As its long tail, covered in glass-like scales, cut through the sky, the air was squeezed into a distorted vacuum zone.

The sound blades exploded with streaks of purple lightning the instant they struck the dragon's tail, yet they couldn't even harm a single scale. Instead, the Second Island Master was swept and pulverized by the dragon's tail. The terrifying air current shook the surrounding palaces and colonnades, causing them to collapse with a roar, and rubble cascaded down like a waterfall.

"ROAR..."

The giant dragon's phantom form descended with a roar, instantly transforming into Gu Mo.

But at this moment, Gu Mo felt a bone-chilling coldness that pierced his soul, creeping up his spine from his feet.

The blue-black stone slabs of the ground, which had just been steaming with blood mist, were visibly covered in spiderweb-like ice patterns. Spiritual blood seeping from the cracks solidified into crimson ice crystals before hitting the ground, falling with the crisp sound of shattering glass.

He looked up. The Second Island Master, who had been pulverized into dust by the dragon's tail, his scattered bodily fragments suddenly froze in the wind. Entwined by wisps of ethereal blue coldness, they coalesced as if replaying in reverse.

The moment the cold air solidified, his slender figure was re-outlined in the void. His skin had transformed into a translucent ice shell, and even his flowing white hair had frozen into icy threads, each strand tipped with tiny icicles.

Rotating ice dust swirled around him, making him appear like a breathing sculpture of profound ice. As the ice layers on his body vanished, he reappeared once more, still in his immortal-like, Daoist-like guise.

Simultaneously, the deep crater in the ground roared with the sound of cracking ice. As the Great Island Master emerged from the pit, her red robe was covered in ice, transforming into form-fitting ice armor. Even her flowing silver hair had solidified into an ice waterfall, and the dangling icicles behind her traced cold arcs of light.

Her eyes were now rimmed with ice flowers, and in the depths of her pupils lay an abyss of coldness that hadn't thawed for millennia. The wounds inflicted by the dragon horns had already healed, and upon landing, she etched inch-deep ice pits into the stone slab.

"OM—"

The moment the Great Island Master and Second Island Master landed, Heavenly Island's core violently erupted with blinding blue light. This blue light was not mere illumination but a materialized torrent of cold Qi, expanding outward in a circular blast from the two of them. The shattered walls and ruins that had been burning moments before were instantly encased in a foot-thick shell of ice. Toppled jade pillars crystallized into ice prisms, and even the debris floating in mid-air was frozen into suspended ice shards.

In mere breaths, the entire Heavenly Island had transformed into an icy purgatory.

The pavilions and towers that once shimmered with immortal aura were sealed within the azure ice shell. Several-zhang-long icicles hung from the flying eaves and dougongs, and even the flowing clouds and mist froze into layered ice floes, reflecting a chilling light under the setting sun.

"Nirvana rebirth?" Gu Mo murmured.

The Great Island Master did not answer. Instead, she looked at Gu Mo and said faintly, "No wonder your realm is Ascension, yet you haven't knocked on the Heavenly Gate. So, you truly aren't human. It seems the Heavenly Gate sensed this, and thus, didn't come to meet you."

Gu Mo asked in surprise, "You mean the Heavenly Gate is a living being? Conscious?"

The Great Island Master nodded slightly but didn't elaborate on the Heavenly Gate. Instead, she observed Gu Mo and softly said, "It's a bit strange. You are a dragon, but you have its spirit without its form. Did that Azure Dragon from back then reincarnate as a human?"

"What is an Azure Dragon?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

The Great Island Master explained, "There are five unique divine beasts in the world: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Seven-Colored Phoenix, Black Tortoise, and Fire Qilin. The White Tiger has almost never appeared, so there's no record of it in the world. As for the Azure Dragon, it was killed over a thousand years ago, leaving behind an inverse scale that merged into a blade, becoming the Eleventh Taboo, the Inverse Scale Blade, among the Thirteen Taboos. However, being a divine beast, it's unlikely to have simply perished. But there's a law in this world: divine beasts are unique and cannot coexist. Just as the Seven-Colored Phoenix, Fire Qilin, and Black Tortoise have all laid eggs, if they don't die, their eggs can never hatch. Dragons are the same; two dragons cannot coexist in the world. And back when the Azure Dragon was slain, it hadn't reached adulthood, so it couldn't have laid a dragon egg. You should be that Azure Dragon reincarnated; it's just that, currently, your memories haven't recovered."

Gu Mo asked in confusion, "You know all this so clearly?"

"Because I am Bai Yujing," the Great Island Master stated.

Gu Mo extended his hand, and the Void Sword flew to him.

The Great Island Master continued, "Gu Mo, I am Bai Yujing, but Bai Yujing is not merely me. You cannot kill Bai Yujing, nor can you find Bai Yujing. You are the reincarnation of the Azure Dragon. You and Bai Yujing belong to the same kind of existence; there's no need for a death struggle. Why not cease fighting and make peace? Bai Yujing might even help you recover your Azure Dragon memories and reclaim your dragon body!"

"Alright, alright, alright!" Gu Mo, gripping the Void Sword, said, "Can't find it, you say? Then today I'll just sink Penglai Island. Let's see if Bai Yujing shows itself then!"

Before his words fully fell, he lunged at the Great Island Master with a sword.

The three instantly engaged in battle. The Great Island Master and Second Island Master truly lived up to their centuries of existence and cultivation. Their methods were so strange and peculiar that even Gu Mo was astonished. Most importantly, they were incredibly resilient. Heavenly Island swayed precariously under the three's battle.

And while the three were fighting, many who came to meet Bai Yujing, such as Zhang Daozhi and Su Qianqiu, were still pursuing the Great Dao within a unique alternate dimension, each encountering their own opportunities and insights.

Master Liansheng, who was determined to create an unparalleled martial art, was currently in a Buddhist Pure Land. Buddhas filled the sky, chanting scriptures, and the Tathagata Buddha sat high on a lotus platform.

"Is this what this humble monk seeks?" Master Liansheng pressed his palms together in a bow, inclining his head and saying, "This humble monk, Liansheng, requests the Buddha to bestow scriptures!"

The Buddha on the lotus platform was immensely compassionate, his sacred Buddhist light pure. Looking at Liansheng, he slowly spoke, and amidst the resounding Sanskrit chants, a voice emerged: "Liansheng, I have the Lotus Heavenly Sutra Forty here, which I can impart to you. Once you have cultivated it, you can achieve the fruit of Arhatship!"

Liansheng suddenly pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Buddha, this disciple already possesses the Lotus Heavenly Sutra Forty. Please bestow upon me another method."

From the lotus platform, the Buddha spoke again, "Then I shall impart to you Heavenly Sutra Forty-Three."

Liansheng pondered once more, then said, "Reporting to the Buddha, this disciple already possesses Heavenly Sutra Forty-Three. Please bestow upon me another method."

The Buddha paused slightly, a flicker of bewilderment in his eyes before it vanished. He then said, "Then I shall impart to you Heavenly Sutra Forty-Seven."

"This disciple already possesses Heavenly Sutra Forty-Seven."

"Then I shall impart to you Heavenly Sutra Fifty."

"This disciple already possesses it."

"Then I shall impart to you..."

"This disciple..."

The scene descended into a bizarre tableau: the Buddha and the monk endlessly repeated almost identical phrases. As the number of repetitions grew, the so-called Buddhist Pure Land began to grow illusory.

Until a certain moment, the Buddhist Pure Land swayed precariously like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in water. The expression of the high-seated Buddha on the lotus platform began to grow exceptionally dull and numb. The Buddhist light on his body also vanished. Slowly, he even transformed into a person identical to Liansheng.

"I impart to you Heavenly Sutra One Hundred and Twenty-Eight."

Liansheng was silent for a moment again, then suddenly raised his head and said, "No, you don't have Heavenly Sutra One Hundred and Twenty-Eight!"

The "Buddha" paused slightly, then said, "How do you know?"

Liansheng suddenly smiled faintly and said, "But I have Heavenly Sutra One Hundred and Twenty-Eight."

"Impossible." The Buddha stepped forward, stood before Liansheng, and pointed a finger at Liansheng's forehead. Then, he exclaimed in surprise, "There really is Heavenly Sutra One Hundred and Twenty-Eight? How is this possible? Where did Heavenly Sutra One Hundred and Twenty-Eight come from... It shouldn't be..."

The "Buddha" murmured in confusion. Gradually, smoke began to rise from his head. At the same time, the already precarious Buddhist Pure Land instantly shattered and collapsed.

The next moment, below Heavenly Island, all those who had gone to seek Bai Yujing for answers were instantly expelled from the alternate dimension, each of them bewildered and confused.

"What happened?"

"How did I get out?"

"I hadn't seen anything yet!"

"You too? What exactly happened? I was fine there, then suddenly the scene shattered before my eyes, and I was thrown out by a huge force!"

"Me too..."

For a time, everyone was discussing animatedly when suddenly someone shouted, "Look! People are fighting on Heavenly Island! Run, the island is about to collapse!"

At once, everyone looked up and saw Heavenly Island, amidst the clouds, swaying precariously, and its hundreds of zhang tall stone pillars were cracking.

The crowd immediately dispersed in a rush, each wishing they had two more legs. Heavenly Island was hundreds of zhang high; if it fell, everyone present would be crushed into paste.

However, when the crowd had run far enough, they discovered an even stranger and more terrifying sight: they saw all the Penglai Island disciples along the road standing motionless, as if they had lost their souls, appearing utterly numb and bewildered. Their eyes were blank, and they murmured: "Where did Heavenly Sutra One Hundred and Twenty-Eight come from... It shouldn't be... That monk is playing with me..."

Seeing this scene, Master Liansheng immediately gathered and protected the crowd around him.