Section Five: The Sovereign Saint’s Consciousness

“How do you all think I survived by his side?”

Wuyun’s words struck like lightning, nearly causing the four Grand Ministers to tumble from the sky.

“You’d best leave at once. Matters concerning the Saint Tyrant are beyond your imagination. Since he entered the Qianluo Realm, he has never suffered defeat. The likes of you are but petty clowns, only daring to appear once he’s gone. Look at those great clans, those hidden behemoths—have any of them shown themselves? Who would wish to wade into these troubled waters?”

Wuyun’s words had the desired effect. Far above, the sky grew even brighter, as if starlight shone down through the razor-sharp astral winds, illuminating his face.

This made Wuyun appear all the more divine!

Damn it!

Wuyun cursed inwardly. This was the manifestation of Heaven and Earth’s will, a sign that the order of the world itself hoped Wuyun would step forward to purge these cultivators.

Such was the benefit of acting for Heaven—a divine hand lends its aid!

The four Grand Ministers of the Seven Qi Dynasty exchanged uneasy glances. As officials of a cultivation dynasty, how could they not understand the workings of fate? The fortune surging above Wuyun’s head was the favor of Heaven itself, a quality possessed only by their own king.

“He must not be allowed to live!” Minister Li muttered, gazing at the light. He cast a divination, and suddenly cried out, truly plummeting from the sky, only to be caught by the magical treasures of his fellow ministers.

“Minister Li, what’s wrong?”

“Such powerful destiny… I merely glanced at it and nearly fell into madness. This man is a calamity—I saw the Seven Qi Dynasty destroyed by his hand. Kill him! Kill him!”

Minister Li summoned a precious artifact and, reeling, was about to charge forward when the other three ministers restrained him.

“How sinister. He must possess some extraordinary treasure that conceals his fate, causing Minister Li to suffer backlash. As for Sword Mountain Sect, I care not, but this man—I must apprehend him and take him to the royal court for questioning!” The Royal Minister, who had until now remained silent, spoke and immediately acted.

He produced a treasure resembling a wine jar, aimed it at Wuyun, and sent it flying straight for his head.

Beside him, Yue Luohua was about to draw her sword in alarm, but Wuyun stopped her. The wine jar flew past, ignoring its intended target, and instead fell upon the smooth ground below.

What lay on the ground?

Remnants of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder!

The treasure, now like a child’s toy, cracked apart and scattered in an instant.

The destruction of his life-bound treasure caused the Royal Minister, who had been so determined, to cough blood on the spot, and he was shielded by Ministers Zhang and Zhao.

“Showing off before an expert! Such petty clowns are beneath my notice. Xiao Luo, do you still remember the sword Saint Tyrant gave you to suppress me?”

“It’s only a spiritual weapon!”

Yue Luohua’s voice lacked confidence, but she still brought forth the enormous sword.

The sword was over twenty meters long and five meters wide, a blue-gold blade perfect for parting clouds. As instructed, she aimed it at Ministers Zhang and Zhao, but before she could approach, Minister Zhang’s massive seal swept forward.

Most officials in cultivation dynasties used great seals as their treasures, each storing the power of countless devotees and the royal will. Such attacks combined physical and spiritual force.

The spiritual sword and the hundred-meter seal collided—it was like an ant challenging an elephant. In a single clash, the sword shattered into pieces.

Laughter erupted from the onlookers—the eight great sects, unrestrained and mocking. Minister Zhao also acted, his treasure, a judgment pen, thrusting forward like a lance after the seal had been momentarily blocked.

“Be wary of the thunder’s retaliation!” the Royal Minister shouted, as the seal and pen unleashed their overwhelming might, seeking to probe Wuyun’s depths.

How could mortal Wuyun withstand such power?

But before the pressure reached him, the shattered spiritual sword suddenly reversed its destruction, and a willful, domineering consciousness swept forth!

“Saint Tyrant!”

All who witnessed it shrank back in fear. Especially Wanyan Denglie, whose fiery gaze was fixed on the scene as he roared, “It’s only a shred of consciousness! How dare you act so arrogantly!”

Yet that single shred of consciousness not only blocked the treasures of the two ministers but, with its residual force, swept over them both. In an instant, Ministers Zhang and Zhao, along with their wounded and backlash-stricken companions, coughed up blood and fled with secret treasures.

Such terrifying spiritual force ignited Wanyan Denglie’s fighting spirit. As a cultivator who had broken the boundary of divinity, he could not believe Saint Tyrant’s mere will could defeat him.

He roared, and dozens of phantoms appeared behind him, then shot forward like thunder, striking at the humanoid presence of the consciousness.

But all these attacks were swallowed in a single gulp by Saint Tyrant’s will, which even grew a little fatter for it.

“Undying and unextinguishable; if not unextinguishable, then not undying. My true body has vanished like mist and smoke!” Saint Tyrant muttered in a low voice, his gaze lingering on the distance. After a long pause, he demanded, “Yue Luohua, this is the Dao artifact my true body used to restrain that cloud! It was forged from the spirit of the Dao artifact and can contain a trace of consciousness. Where is that demon cloud?”

Yue Luohua dared not answer. Copper Furnace, sensing the tension, glanced at the sect’s guardian beast, which was now quietly hiding behind Yue Luohua, hoping to conceal itself.

“Master, the guardian beast is behind Yue Luohua!” Copper Furnace blurted out honestly, and before Wuyun could curse him, a gust of wind swept by—the Saint Tyrant’s will flung Copper Furnace a thousand yards away!

“Noisy! How dare you deceive me? Where is that cloud?” Saint Tyrant’s consciousness effortlessly defeated Wanyan Denglie again, no matter how the latter summoned the powers of heaven and earth or wielded spiritual treasures—he was vanquished in a single move!

A single trace of will at the peak of the God-Breaking Realm—how could the others bear it?

The eight great sects of Luoshui Realm fell into collective silence, as if struck mute. Even the sky grew ever clearer, and the various concealed clouds vanished.

It was exactly as Wuyun had said—the waters of Sword Mountain Sect ran too deep for any to wade.

Just as retreat crossed everyone’s mind, the sky brightened even further. A massive flying ship appeared, a supreme treasure—the Cloud-Piercer.

Ranked among the top ten flying treasures in the Qianluo Realm.

Though the ship appeared to be a hundred yards long, as it drew near it grew smaller and smaller. An old man appeared at the prow, smiling amiably as he surveyed the scene.

“Saint Tyrant entrusted me to purchase many materials, some of which are treasures that can only be gathered in other worlds, other spaces. He cannot simply come and go as he pleases; let this trace of consciousness suffice as a little interest!”

When he finished speaking, the old man produced a great banner. This treasure was especially beguiling to souls—no matter how mighty Saint Tyrant’s will, it was entranced regardless.

He shouted about the cloud, his will spinning in circles, until the banner drew him in. Soon, a pale blue dragon appeared coiling around the banner, and at its center was the very white cloud he so longed to suppress.

“Damn!”

At the last moment, the strongest arrived, leaving Wuyun breathless.

Then he gazed at the old man, and as he looked, he couldn’t help but break into a smile.

Within the Qianluo Realm’s thousand planets, this visitor was from the wealthiest consortium on the most prosperous planet—Multi-Space Chamber of Commerce.

The name alone, Multi-Space, signified something extraordinary—the ability to trade across realms.