猫咪3.0

The curse killing approached, yet Xu Yang remained indifferent, still engrossed in the Taoist Scriptures in his hands.

Although he had unified the South for many years, hindered by the views of sectarian gatekeeping, he had still been unable to directly request the complete teachings of the major Taoist schools.

Only now, in the face of the calamity befalling the populace, with no more talk of sects and schools, not only did the various southern Taoist lineages offer up their ancestral teachings, but even the surviving seeds of the North had given their fortunes and lives, along with their lineages’ inheritances.

In his possession now were not only the arts of combat and defense, protection of the Tao, and safeguarding of oneself from the various Taoist schools, but also secrets of cultivation that the Ancient Immortal Gods of antiquity left in the world, utilizing the Heavenly Earth Prime Spirit.

With these, current cultivation, breaking through the Golden Core, had no more barriers; as long as he accumulated enough, he could attempt the breakthrough.

Alas, he lacked the technique he most desired, the one he had longed to obtain—the method of feigning the ordinary to cultivate the true.

A slight regret.

However, as long as this world did not perish, Xu Yang believed that one day, he would obtain this technique.

Therefore…

“Boom rumble!”

Muffled thunder resounded, and the skies suddenly darkened.

Xu Yang looked up and saw the Yang Yun descending once again, a great dark sky approaching.

Within the darkness, a blood light could be faintly seen, contorting into a horrifying visage, and howling ferociously as it bore down on him.

Xu Yang’s expression was unchanged. He set down the Taoist Scriptures in his hands and sat alone on the high altar, surrounded by Yellow Talismans that had long been affixed. Many magic artifacts arrayed around to shield the Divine Soul and dissolve Curse Skills, but many were already cracked, a frightening sight to behold.

Six days had passed with five rounds of curse killings, all blocked by him. But with the Nailhead Seven Arrow, each arrow stronger than the last, he had paid a heavy price. Countless talismans, elixirs, and magic artifacts had been consumed without measure.

Now, the opposition had only two rounds of curse killings remaining, while his trump cards were also nearly spent.

Who would be the first to fail?

The facts would have to speak.

“Boom rumble!”

Just as Xu Yang closed his eyes, his sea of consciousness twisted, and he was transported between mountains. The Three Rivers and Five Peaks shifted and converged from all sides, pressing heavily upon his body, exposing only his head.

Xu Yang remained motionless, seated in the void, with golden light shimmering around him, withstanding the crushing mountains.

It was still the Golden Light Spell.

As one of the eight great protective Divine Spells of Taoism, this spell was exquisite, with extraordinary might. The previous five rounds of Nailhead Plowhead curse killings had been unable to break through the protective golden light.

Of course, no matter how strong the Curse Skill, it depends on one’s Cultivation. Without enough Cultivation to support it, all Taoist techniques and Divine Skills are but castles in the air.

Now, Xu Yang devoted all his Cultivation to sustaining this spell, one could say this golden light was his last line of defense.

Once the golden light shattered, he would have no more defenses, and the Curse Skill would penetrate unimpeded, the Nailhead Plowhead would crush his Divine Soul.

Therefore, the spell must not break, the light must not shatter.

Otherwise, it would be the end of his Tao and his life.

But the opposition also knew this well. The Three Mountains and Five Peaks, closing in from all sides, their power far greater than the first round, bore down upon the golden light, causing sparks to scatter and resounding with a metallic clatter, as if undergoing a thousand refinings.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

In reality, atop the high altar, one magic artifact after another exploded into fragments, one spirit talisman after another turned to flying ash. Even the base of the Nine Ceremony High Altar shook as if struck by some terrifying force.

The Nailhead technique, its might doubled.

Then look at the Plowhead Spell.

“Mooo!!!”

Within the sea of consciousness, a bellow sounded as the Ancient Green Bull pulled the Heavenly Plow, with wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning rushing forward.

“Bang!!!”

A loud crash as the Heavenly Plow descended, colliding with Xu Yang’s head, all defended by the protective golden light.

During the initial round of curse killings, this Green Bull could only pull the Heavenly Plow once before crumbling to dust.

With each passing day, with each round of cursing, the number of times Green Bull could pull the Heavenly Plow increased by one.

Now, at the sixth round of curse killing, the Green Bull could continuously plow his head six times, each time stronger than the last.

“Boom rumble!”

The first plow, the golden light flickered.

The second plow, the spirit talisman turned to ash.

The third plow, the magic artifact shattered.

The fourth plow, the high altar trembled.

The fifth plow, the golden light cracked.

After five strikes of the Plowhead, Xu Yang’s protective golden light was full of cracks and on the verge of collapse.

Could it withstand the doubly increased might of the sixth plow?

No one knew. The Green Bull, merciless, fiercely pulled the Heavenly Plow, thunderously charging toward him.

At that moment…

A streak of sword light descended from the sky, merging into the cultivator’s Heavenly Spirit.

The dazzling sword light seemed to possess tremendous power. Poured into the Heavenly Spirit, it instantly bolstered the golden light.

The golden light surged, its cracks vanished, and in an instant, it stabilized as before, perhaps even stronger than before.

“Bang!!!”

A loud crash as the Green Bull collided but failed to shift the golden light, instead causing itself to shatter.

The Green Bull crumbled, the Heavenly Plow broke apart, and the sixth round of curse killing dissipated into nothing.

But no hint of joy appeared on Xu Yang’s face.

In the end, he had been the first to play his final card.

The Xuanyuan Divine Sword, his Magical Treasure—through it, he had blocked the sixth round of curse killing.

But tomorrow, when the seventh arrow arrives, would he be able to hold it off?

The Power of Seven Arrows, its strength untold. This final round of curse killing, I fear, will surpass the previous six combined in terror.

He might not be able to withstand it. Even if he could, it would leave him gravely wounded, greatly damaging his Yuan Qi.

Then, should Pudu Cihang seize the opportunity to break through and ascend to the Eight Realms, who could possibly resist?

“At this juncture, we are in a dire situation, only a desperate struggle may bring a slim chance of survival!”

Within the Northern Territory, beyond the Capital Region, atop the Duotian Altar, True Monarch Changrong, looking visibly diminished, said to the assembly of cultivators, “Tomorrow is the seventh day; we must breach the capital and destroy the Taoist sanctuary before then.”

“Only then can the Taoist Master intervene and execute that demon.”

“Otherwise, even if the Taoist Master survives the Seven Day Curse Killing, he will be greatly wounded, and no longer able to contend with that demon.”