Chapter 1273: When Will This Revenge Ever End

Chen Mobai had initially believed he wouldn't need to personally intervene in the battle with the Kui Beast. To his surprise, the Myriad Sword Dharma Body was unable to withstand the assault. It just goes to show that the power of the Heavenly River Realm's most formidable entities should not be underestimated.

Standing up, he saw the void around him subtly warp. Then, with a flash of silver light, he instantly teleported away from Mount Panghuang, appearing at the edge of the Sky Veil Earth Network Array. Witnessing this, the Spirit Transformation cultivators observing from the Ninth Heaven looked at Grand Void Immortal with a hint of surprise, recognizing it as the signature spell of their lineage. The Azure Emperor of the Eastern Desolation had practiced the Void Dharma Body! Grand Void Immortal, however, remained expressionless and offered an explanation.

Chen Mobai's recent teleportation indeed employed the Void Dharma Body, a deliberate act to make Grand Void Immortal recognize it. He reasoned that encountering powerful foes in the Heavenly River Realm would inevitably necessitate the use of secret arts like Void Walking. By displaying the Void Dharma Body now, he aimed to avoid future associations with the Grand Void Ethereal Palace. This strategy ensured that, moving forward, Chen Mobai could freely use instant teleportation as long as he wasn't directly confronting a Spirit Transformation cultivator from the Grand Void Ethereal Palace, since it would be known that he had cultivated the Void Dharma Body.

In truth, Chen Mobai wasn't unique in this regard. In the Heavenly River Realm, the Void Dharma Body, once cultivated successfully, intrinsically bestows the ability of void teleportation. Consequently, many high-level cultivators seize any opportunity to cultivate it concurrently. However, the version of the Void Dharma Body intentionally distributed by the Grand Void Ethereal Palace for selection could only be cultivated to the Core Formation Perfection stage, offering a limited teleportation range. Furthermore, many cultivators were unable to sense void power directly, requiring them to absorb energy from void stones and store it internally, activating it only when needed. These numerous limitations often made it less effective than even a fifth-order escape technique.

This was Chen Mobai's first time activating the Void Dharma Body. He noticed that, compared to the subtle elegance of the Immortal Sect's Void Walking technique, this method was rather crude, involving a direct tearing of the void to shift his body. It wasn't that Chen Mobai was incapable of performing better; he possessed the authentic Void Dharma Body, a gift from the elder at the Big Dipper Assembly, which was as refined as Void Walking. However, as Chen Mobai was not affiliated with the Grand Void Ethereal Palace, he could only display this "simplified" version of the Void Dharma Body in front of Grand Void Immortal.

After demonstrating this technique, Chen Mobai positioned himself precisely on the shoulder of the Myriad Sword Dharma Body. Before him was the utterly enraged Kui Beast. Its violent lightning orb was so intense it shattered the void, and the Primordial Bell's five-colored ripples had been suppressed to within nine meters of its wielder. This was not due to a failing of the Primordial Bell, but rather the Myriad Sword Dharma Body's inability to fully utilize its power. Despite possessing a cultivation equivalent to a Spirit Transformation Perfected stage, and wielding four Grand Dao paths linked to the One Yuan Dao Scripture, these augmentations could, at best, only unleash thirty to forty percent of the Primordial Bell's true power.

"You've done well!"

Standing on the Myriad Sword Dharma Body's shoulder, Chen Mobai gently addressed the struggling Primordial Bell. A vibrant, multicolored Nascent Soul Dharma Aspect ascended from his head, first appearing as a beautiful peacock before instantly transforming into a perfectly spherical treasure pearl. This was precisely the Primordial Pearl, which had been cultivated to the Spirit Transformation realm through the One Yuan Dao Scripture. It descended with a brilliant, hazy glow and affixed itself to the Primordial Bell, becoming its loop. Simultaneously, Chen Mobai's right hand, previously held behind his back, rose. Under the watchful eyes of the Spirit Transformation cultivators in the Ninth Heaven, he gently supported the fully manifested Primordial Bell.

An unparalleled, brilliant radiance surged forth from the jade-colored bell. At that moment, the entire battlefield was engulfed in this brilliant five-colored radiance. Even many Spirit Transformation cultivators in the Ninth Heaven found their vision obscured, unable to penetrate the light. However, everyone sensed the terrifying aura of two vast Sixth-Order powers clashing. The Five Profound Hermit, who had just been grazed by the Violet Lightning Sword and lost a century of cultivation, felt his Nascent Soul Dharma Aspect becoming unstable. This was due to the residual energy from the two Sixth-Order powers, which had even reached the Ninth Heaven, exacerbating his injuries. This sight further appalled him, prompting him to question whether he should still pursue vengeance for the patriarch of his Five Extremes Monastery. Despite his thousand years of arduous cultivation, which had brought him close to Spirit Transformation Perfection and ranked him among the Heavenly River Realm's elite masters, he seemed to be a full tier below the individual fighting below. Perhaps it was best to let it go?

Meanwhile, in the eyes of the Grand Spirit Immortal, purple rings illuminated. Utilizing the Sage's Favor technique from the Timeless Pen and Ink Forest, he pierced through the five-colored ocean of light above the Mysterious Sea below. Yet, what he saw left him with a look of astonishment and doubt. He witnessed Chen Mobai's true form, one hand supporting the Primordial Bell while the other rested behind his back, effortlessly deflecting the lightning orb generated by the Kui Beast's burning essence, qi, and spirit. How could this be? Even though the Kui Beast had forcibly broken through and was considered the weakest among Void Refinement cultivators, it was still a Void Refinement entity. Both he and Grand Void Immortal would require the power of their Dao-Attainment Treasures to resist such an attack. Yet Chen Mobai, merely wielding the Sixth-Order Primordial Bell, stood steadfast on the Myriad Sword Dharma Body's shoulder, like an unyielding cliff by the sea, unshaken by countless crashing waves.

Soon, the brilliant five-colored radiance began to recede, and the other Spirit Transformation cultivators also witnessed the sight, their eyes wide with disbelief. They were certain that Chen Mobai had not, by any means, entered the Void Refinement realm. Yet, while still in the Spirit Transformation realm, he had almost fully activated the power of the Primordial Bell, effortlessly repelling the Kui Beast's desperate assault. It was known that the top Spirit Transformation cultivators present could, at best, briefly unleash power equivalent to the Void Refinement realm, but only for a fleeting moment. Chen Mobai, however, had been grappling with the Kui Beast for several breaths already. Moreover, the Primordial Bell's aura grew progressively stronger with time. Initially, it seemed unable to fully adapt to Chen Mobai's power infusion, causing its light to scatter across the sky. Now, however, it was gradually concentrating and internalizing all its might, focusing it entirely upon the Kui Beast.

What exactly was the cultivation level of this Azure Emperor of the Eastern Desolation? Or was the Primordial Bell, left by True Lord One Yuan, simply that formidable? It was a combination of both, yet if he wasn't in the Void Refinement realm, how could he unleash such immense power from the Primordial Bell? The Spirit Transformation cultivators in the Ninth Heaven buzzed with discussion, all finding the sight incredible. Only the Grand Spirit Immortal and Grand Void Immortal seemed to have grasped something. Grand Void Immortal, in particular, gazed thoughtfully towards the Eastern Continent behind Chen Mobai.

The reason Chen Mobai was able to accomplish this was not solely due to his personal power. He had activated the Sky Veil Earth Network Array, which encompassed the three border regions of the Eastern Continent. As the array's master, he channeled its entire power into the Primordial Bell. This Sixth-Order great array, in terms of sheer power, was equivalent to a Void Refinement cultivator. However, it could only provide defensive capabilities if the enemy remained outside its bounds. The Primordial Bell, conversely, required precisely Sixth-Order power to unleash its full potential. This was precisely why Chen Mobai only rose to action when the Myriad Sword Dharma Body retreated to the edge of the Sky Veil Earth Network Array.

Before making his move, he had meticulously calculated every detail using the Square Inch Book. However, he had miscalculated one thing: even with the Sixth-Order great array's augmentation, he could only unleash approximately eighty percent of the Primordial Bell's power. Nevertheless, this was entirely sufficient to withstand the Kui Beast's final attack.

The Primordial Bell chimed once more, its profound tolls resounding one after another. Amidst the powerful vibrations, the greenish lightning orb, which had been on the verge of crushing the Myriad Sword Dharma Body, gradually began to dim. Although the Kui Beast commanded three Grand Dao paths, its most formidable remained the Grand Dao of Thunder. Its previous ability to wield the lightning orb for suppression stemmed from its superior cultivation realm. Now, however, with the Primordial Bell augmented by the Sky Veil Earth Network Array and empowered by the Grand Daos of Primordial Chaos and Doomsday, it began to suppress the Kui Beast in turn. The Grand Dao of Thunder was the first to falter. As the bell tolled for the sixth time, its sound reverberated through the Nine Heavens and vibrated across the vast ocean below. With a violent roar, the greenish lightning orb formed by the Kui Beast utterly disintegrated, revealing its true form.

Shock was etched across the bovine face of the true spirit. It had not anticipated that its full-force attack would not only fail to kill Chen Mobai but wouldn't even inflict a scratch. After the Primordial Bell neutralized the opponent's final attack, Chen Mobai's other hand, previously held behind his back, formed a sword-finger. The Violet Lightning Sword, which had been observing from a distance after being repelled, instantly surged with brilliant electrical energy and slashed towards the Kui Beast's head.

"Master, I can only go so far!" Sensing the Violet Lightning Sword rapidly approaching from afar, the Kui Beast sighed, abandoning the thought of self-destructing its inner core, and released its suppression of the ascending spiritual light. The Kui Beast had already formulated its plan: its final strike would surely force Chen Mobai's true form to reveal itself. If the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Desolation still possessed hidden reserves to resist, it would then pledge its loyalty to its master, self-destructing its Sixth-Order inner core—the concentrated essence of its Grand Dao—to ensure this formidable enemy perished with it. However, it never imagined that while its final attack did indeed force Chen Mobai to reveal his true form, it couldn't even harm a single hair on him. Confronted with the Primordial Bell, now operating at almost full power, the Kui Beast realized that even self-destructing its inner core would, at best, only injure its opponent and incidentally destroy half of the Eastern Continent's spiritual veins. While this act could utterly annihilate the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Desolation's Five Elements Sect, the Kui Beast deemed its sacrifice worthless if it failed to eliminate its opponent. It was better to preserve its valuable form and seize its opportunity for ascension. With this thought, the Kui Beast's form completely merged into the five-colored spiritual light. Abandoning all resistance, it ascended directly along the spiritual light towards the Ninth Heaven. The swiftly approaching Violet Lightning Sword consequently cut through empty air, leaving a sword mark ten thousand meters long on the ocean surface.

As the Kui Beast ascended, enveloped in the first layer of lightning tribulation, it immediately spotted the gathered Spirit Transformation cultivators from the Five Continents and Four Seas. As an anomaly, despite being True Lord Heavenly Spirit's spirit beast, it was not acquainted with these human Spirit Transformation cultivators. It merely exchanged nods with the Grand Spirit Immortal and Grand Void Immortal, then remained stationary, beginning to absorb the power of the lightning tribulation to recover its injuries and vital essence as much as possible. Amidst the booming thunder, myriad lightning bolts formed. Summoned by the Kui Beast, they continuously struck it, instantly flowing into its skin upon contact, like water merging into water. In response to the Kui Beast's actions, the Spirit Transformation cultivators present merely waited. Although it was an anomalous ascension, observing it could still allow them to gather valuable experience.

However, someone among them thought differently. "Fellow Daoist, to fight at your whim and leave at your leisure—do you not take me seriously?" Below, above the Mysterious Sea, Chen Mobai remained standing on the Myriad Sword Dharma Body, his gaze piercing through the Nine Heavens to the recovering Kui Beast. He couldn't help but let out a furious roar. Today, the conflict between him and the Kui Beast was, essentially, a battle to the death. Chen Mobai could not truly rest easy without witnessing its demise before his very eyes. Naturally, he couldn't idly watch it comfortably absorb the lightning tribulation's power to recover. Following his roar, the Violet Lightning Sword responded first. The Myriad Sword Dharma Body pointed its sword-finger skyward, activating the Sky-Severing Sword Domain, causing the destructive white light on the blade to flare anew. Like a meteor gleaming with blazing white electrical energy, it shot straight up from the Mysterious Sea into the Ninth Heaven, cutting towards the Kui Beast.

Clang, clang, clang! Simultaneously, Chen Mobai's true form lifted the Primordial Bell in his hand skyward. The jade bell, having already absorbed vast quantities of spiritual energy, erupted with dense, multicolored divine light, joining the Violet Lightning Sword in its assault towards the Ninth Heaven. From a distance, it appeared as a blazing white meteor, trailing a five-colored luminescence, cleaving through the cosmos and striking towards the heavens.

The Five Profound Hermit, witnessing this spectacle, found his Nascent Soul Dharma Aspect trembling uncontrollably. He saw that at the very edges of those five-colored divine light rays, some had even condensed into needles of five-colored light, as fine as ox hair. The Great Five Elements Annihilation Divine Light Needles! Thousands of years ago, True Lord One Yuan had swept across the Five Continents and Four Seas, compelling that generation's Saint Lord of the Timeless Pen and Ink Forest to summon his Dao-Attainment Treasure just to counter this supreme divine ability. In the past, the Spirit Transformation Patriarch of the Five Extremes Monastery had been instantly killed by this very technique from True Lord One Yuan. The Five Profound Hermit, who had inherited the ruins and legacy of the Five Extremes Monastery, saw the divine ability, so vividly described in the ancient texts, manifest before his eyes. All doubt vanished from his heart. "When will vengeance ever end? Oh Patriarch, your vendetta is thousands of years old; your bones have turned to dust. We, your descendants, should adopt a more enlightened view and not wallow in hatred." After resolving to abandon his hatred, the Five Profound Hermit immediately felt his future brighten and his path become clear. Even the century of cultivation he had lost from being grazed by the Violet Lightning Sword, he now felt was a deserved payment. He considered it the resolution of his grievances with the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Desolation.

While the Five Profound Hermit could embrace such open-mindedness, the Kui Beast found it impossible. For it had already engaged Chen Mobai and established an enmity. Facing the Violet Lightning Sword and the five-colored radiance slicing directly from the Mysterious Sea, the Kui Beast calculated that even if it managed to block them, it would expend a significant amount of vital essence and potentially worsen its injuries. Therefore, after its assessment, it chose to flee.

"Junior, should I successfully ascend, your lineage will face dire consequences in the Immortal Realm." After uttering its threat, the Kui Beast stomped its single foot. Following the ascending spiritual light, it left the first layer of lightning tribulation and entered the second layer of fire tribulation. Upon witnessing this, Chen Mobai knew his strategy had succeeded. The Kui Beast was now Sixth-Order. Relying solely on Chen Mobai, even with the suppression of the Sky Veil Earth Network Array, would deplete the spiritual veins of the Eastern Continent's three regions, making it an unrewarding endeavor. However, Chen Mobai also wished for its demise, leaving him with no choice but to force its ascension.