Chapter 1357: Tai Chi True Body

This was a vast mountain range, majestic and imposing.

If viewed from the heavens above, it resembled a massive dragon lying prostrate on the earth, which is why it was named Longquan Mountain.

Today, Longquan Mountain was extraordinarily lively. From afar, the sky was filled with figures, a sea of people crowding the surrounding void, mostly powerful Taiqing Palace experts, though many had come just to watch the spectacle.

However, although there were many strong Taiqing Palace experts present, they had not joined the battle and instead guarded the outskirts of Longquan Mountain.

In the central expanse of heaven and earth, two young men—one in white and one in purple—were locked in an intense fight, both radiating overwhelming vital energy.

The one in white robes stood on a Taiji diagram, wielding an immortal sword surrounded by divine light. His secret techniques and divine abilities evolved on their own, harnessing the essence of heaven and earth to strike at the highest realms, like a god-king descending.

The one in purple robes wore a purple gold crown and had a sea of stars at his back. His phenomena were nothing short of world-altering, his strikes causing the sky to shatter and the earth to collapse, standing in this world like an immortal emperor.

These two were no ordinary individuals. The purple-robed youth was the divine child of Taiqing Palace, known throughout Donghuang as Taiqing Shenzhi.

As for the white-robed youth, he was Taiji Zhenti, the very person Taiqing Palace had recently put out a warrant for. He bore a face identical to Liu Yi's, though it was unknown whether he was Liu Yi reincarnated.

The heavens rumbled as Taiqing Shenzhi and Taiji Zhenti clashed on a grand scale, toppling entire swaths of peaks. The two were evenly matched in cultivation, and their combat prowess was equally formidable.

"That Taiji Zhenti truly lives up to his name, holding his own against Taiqing Shenzhi without giving an inch."

Discussions erupted everywhere, filled with exclamations of surprise and sounds of astonishment.

"I believe the victor will be Taiqing Shenzhi," an elder cultivator pondered aloud. "Though they are at the same level, Taiqing Shenzhi has been at the Zhunsheng realm for nearly a hundred years. Compared to him, Taiji Zhenti has only recently advanced to Zhunsheng, so his understanding of the Dao is somewhat weaker."

"My friend, you may be mistaken," someone else said with a laugh and a shake of the head. "The Dao has no absolute strength or weakness, nor does it follow a strict order. Judging the outcome of a battle based solely on how long one has been at Zhunsheng is rather arbitrary."

"That's true enough, but given the forces Taiqing Palace has arrayed today, can Taiji Zhenti even escape alive?"

"You're right about that." Another person stroked his beard, glancing around as he spoke. "The divine child of Piaomiao Palace and the divine child of Zhizun City have also arrived. For Taiji Zhenti, this is a deadly trap."

"Is Taiqing Shenzhi just asking for trouble? With so many Taiqing Palace experts here, they could have overwhelmed Taiji Zhenti directly and likely destroyed him. Why insist on a one-on-one fight?"

"What do you know? Taiqing Shenzhi wants to defeat Taiji Zhenti single-handedly to prove his own Dao."

"This battle was unfair from the start," an old-timer remarked meaningfully. "Taiji Zhenti was already gravely injured from a previous encirclement and has been fighting his way here, far from his peak condition."

"There's no true fairness in this world," someone sighed. "Now that he's cornered here, escape is unlikely. But if he can defeat Taiqing Shenzhi before dying, it would still make for a legendary tale."

"Surround them on all sides—do not let Taiji Zhenti escape again."

In the shadows, the Taiqing Palace experts were all brimming with killing intent. If Taiqing Shenzhi were to lose, they would strike immediately.

"This setup is getting a bit too intense," Xiao Ling Wa coughed dryly from a corner, glancing at the surrounding void. "With so many experts around, are we going to get caught in the crossfire?"

"What I'm curious about is whether that Taiji Zhenti is really the reincarnation of Liu Yi," Man Shan scratched his head. "If he's not, then we've come all this way for nothing—we'd be wasting our effort."

"Should we wait and see?"

"Yeah, let's wait and see."

"Today, I will end you."

As the two spoke, a shout rang out nearby. Taiqing Shenzhi ascended to the ninth heaven, unleashing a sword strike that pierced the sky, splitting the heavens with its blade.

Taiji Zhenti said nothing, his immortal sword ringing as he countered with a supreme strike, blending yin and yang, reversing the cosmos. This was a heaven-piercing secret technique, fused with his Dao and Taiji abilities, its power overwhelmingly dominant.

Under the watchful eyes of all, the two supreme techniques collided. From the point of impact, a visible shockwave spread infinitely, shattering space inch by inch. Both Taiji Zhenti's immortal sword and Taiqing Shenzhi's divine sword were sent flying.

"Kill!"

Taiqing Shenzhi charged forward, forming a great seal with his hands, his face twisting into a ferocious expression. Having been at Zhunsheng for a hundred years, he was furious that he hadn't defeated Taiji Zhenti after five hundred exchanges.

Taiji Zhenti darted across the nine heavens, trying several times to break away, but Taiqing Shenzhi, like a madman, pursued him relentlessly.

The battle raged on, thunderous booms shaking the skies, blood raining down like a storm—the fight was brutally fierce.

The spectators retreated again and again, fearing the aftershocks, their sighs of amazement growing louder, all astounded that Taiji Zhenti could hold out so long against a renowned Zhunsheng expert.

After an unknown number of rounds, the evenly matched battle finally tipped in one direction.

Taiqing Shenzhi fell to the disadvantage, suppressed by Taiji Zhenti. No matter how profound his techniques, he couldn't reverse the tide and was struck down by a palm, smashing a mountain peak to rubble.

"I don't believe it!"

Taiqing Shenzhi roared in anger, his eyes blood-red, refusing to accept defeat. He burst from the ruins, hair disheveled, face twisted like a demon.

Taiji Zhenti raised his hand abruptly, a Taiji diagram forming in his palm, merging various secret techniques into one. His strike was as heavy as a mountain range, sending Taiqing Shenzhi, who had just soared into the sky, crashing down again.

Having subdued Taiqing Shenzhi, Taiji Zhenti turned and shifted in a single step, escaping that section of the void. He knew the situation clearly—the longer he delayed, the worse it would be for him.

"Kill!"

The Taiqing Palace experts swarmed in. They hadn't expected their divine child to lose, but since he had, they would take over. No matter what, Taiji Zhenti could not be allowed to escape.

But as they charged, before they could even attack, a massive divine beam descended from the ethereal void—it was an ancient secret array, with sword lights flying and thunder raging.

This was the handiwork of Xiao Ling Wa and Man Shan. While Taiqing Shenzhi and Taiji Zhenti were fighting, the two had been busy inscribing this terrifying killing array to help Taiji Zhenti break free.

Their move proved to be brilliantly timed. The Taiqing Palace experts were caught off guard, with groups of figures turning into blood mist, their spirits shredded.

Realizing there was aid from the shadows, Taiji Zhenti coordinated perfectly, slashing a bloody path with his sword.

However, just as he was about to break through, two shadowy figures appeared like ghosts—one in black robes, one in white—the divine child of Piaomiao Palace and the divine child of Zhizun City, blocking his way.

"You've come this far—did you really think you could leave?"

The Piaomiao Palace divine child sneered mockingly, his laugh laced with menace.

"I'm in need of a special bloodline to refine my divine weapon, and Taiji Zhenti's blood is just perfect." The Zhizun City divine child also grinned, his pearly white teeth gleaming menacingly, his eyes filled with bloodlust.

"Kill."

At the same time, Taiqing Shenzhi, who had been struck down earlier, charged from behind.

Taiji Zhenti furrowed his brow and, without a second thought, fled. Facing three opponents, defeat was certain.

The Piaomiao Palace and Zhizun City divine children both sneered coldly, their forms elusive as shadows, blocking his path again. They summoned powerful artifacts and unleashed divine abilities, holding Taiji Zhenti back.

The battle erupted instantly. Taiji Zhenti, fighting one against two, was at a disadvantage, and with Taiqing Shenzhi charging in like a rabid dog, he was immediately wounded.

"You bastards!"

Xiao Ling Wa soared into the sky, transforming into his Bawang Long form, intercepting the Zhizun City divine child. Man Shan swung his spiked club and charged, blocking the Piaomiao Palace divine child, his attacks fierce and overpowering.

"Bawang Long?"

"Man Ti?"

The surrounding cultivators were stunned, as were the Piaomiao divine child and Zhizun divine child.

"Kill them all!"

The Taiqing Palace experts converged from all sides. They hadn't expected the wanted Bawang Long and Man Ti to be here as well. Regardless, now that they were, none of them would leave alive.

In an instant, Longquan Mountain range became even more chaotic, with the remaining shattered peaks collapsing.

It was clear that Taiji Zhenti, Xiao Ling Wa, and Man Shan were all thoroughly suppressed. Not to mention the ruthless trio of Taiqing Shenzhi, Zhizun divine child, and Piaomiao divine child, the sheer number of Taiqing Palace experts was overwhelming.

Even Xiao Ling Wa and Man Shan's ferocity was sapped; they were formidable in one-on-one fights, but the enemy was endless. Wave after wave surged forward, dark and unrelenting.

"This is bad news." Sighs echoed from all around. "With Taiqing Palace's massive forces, Bawang Long, Man Ti, and Taiji Zhenti will have a hard time escaping—they're likely to meet their end at Longquan Mountain."

"I knew it! Taiji Zhenti, Bawang Long, and that big brute Man Ti are in cahoots."

"Who knows if the Huanggu Shengti and that cheap donkey have shown up." Someone muttered, glancing around. "If those two are here too, then things would really heat up."

No sooner had the words been spoken than a golden figure shot in from the distance, trailing boundless vital energy. Every strand was incredibly heavy, rumbling through space and draining the color from the heavens.