Chapter 2589: Unfulfilled Wishes

"Interesting!" Jin Tandu, completely encased in his armor, naturally couldn't show his expression.

But his voice was even colder than his iron armor: "I, Jin, have spent my life in the military, and this is the first time someone has treated me like a soft persimmon—is True Monarch Jiang truly bullying an old man like me?"

"Rivers and mountains span a hundred generations, cultivation knows no years or months. From ancient times till now, I've never heard of someone achieving the Dao while still a child, nor have I ever seen a True Monarch old and decrepit." Jiang Wang slowly stepped forward, his eyes like quiet abysses. "I never considered you a soft persimmon. It's precisely because you are strong enough that these three swords have meaning."

"Three swords? Heh—" Only then did Jin Tandu show a hint of provocation. He reached out and grabbed a somberly cold iron mace. "Come! Remove my armor for me!!"

A point of golden light exploded from his feet, radiating millions of golden lines, and countless mysterious characters flew between them, quickly weaving into a brilliant golden arena.

Majestic virtual shadows of eight honored mighty spirits, each with the appearance of a Vajra treasure, either angry, roaring at evil, or laughing loudly, stood on the eight sides of this platform, sealing it together.

This was Jin Tandu's secret technique, not to be revealed unless facing life or death: the Vajra Realm Mandala Eight Gates Life and Death Platform!

What looked like a square octagonal iron cage arena actually concealed the Dharma realms of the eight directions. Ten thousand soldiers and horses could fight and kill within, and all the universe's matters could evolve inside. At its peak, a hundred thousand Iron Futu could fill this place, and he dared to face Jiang Hong's charge.

On the cast-gold high platform, only Jin Tandu, in his full iron armor, faced Jiang Wang.

This platform transcended stars and moon, and below it, wind and snow were separated, isolating all unrelated people outside.

The Cloud Realm Corridor and the Seeing and Hearing Immortal Boat were positioned to the left and right of this platform.

"Is it an illusion?" Wanyan Qingfrost murmured, raising her head.

She felt as if the entire sky had pressed down a bit... How could the sky actually sink?

"No. This is happening in reality." Helian Zhaotu, standing beside her, also looked up, his voice heavy.

His azure eyes allowed him to see more clearly. He indeed saw the "sky" sinking, and the boundless, limitless power of the Heaven Dao, as if using this Vajra Realm Mandala Life and Death Platform as a gap in the present world, the Heaven Sea poured into the human world!

Suddenly, a long howl came from above the nine heavens, and a dazzling golden-edged Peng bird, covering stars and moon, swooped down.

Its wings spread to an infinite width, yet as it swooped down, they sharply contracted, sticking tightly to the upper edge of the Life and Death Platform's boundary. It was unclear whether it was subdued by the Life and Death Platform's boundary or deliberately restraining itself to invade within.

But the moment it swooped down to the Life and Death Platform's boundary, heaven and earth seemed to shake!

Creak, creak.

Including the nearly ten thousand armored soldiers on the Cloud Realm Corridor, everyone clearly saw that the Life and Death Platform, which seemed forged of Vajra and destined to be eternally indestructible, was currently shaking and crumbling!

Even the eight honored Vajra mighty spirits couldn't hold it up!

It was precisely because this Life and Death Platform was so stable that its collapse only tore space cracks.

Streaks of swallow-light, swallow-snow black gaps, like chains, hung from this platform.

The Kunpeng heavenly state that swooped onto this platform had no color inside, but its outer layer was outlined with gold. Swooping into the midst of dozens of space cracks, it seemed to be connected as one with this Life and Death Platform, with no original separation.

Jiang Wang's hand was still on his sword hilt. The continuously collapsing Life and Death Platform and the pouring sky had already set the momentum for this sword.

Within it, Jin Tandu naturally felt the pressure more concretely.

The Life and Death Platform was his territory. The power of the eight directions' Dharma realms was all concentrated within his body, so he naturally controlled everything—and also bore everything.

He was exerting the self-formed world pressure of the Life and Death Platform onto Jiang Wang, yet Jiang Wang directly crushed the pressure of the real world onto the Life and Death Platform.

Heaven Humans were rarely seen from ancient times, and battle examples involving Heaven Humans were also rare. The most recent Heaven Human great war also occurred in the Heaven Sea.

Battles between Heaven People and non-Heaven People often used Heaven's Will as a knife, borrowing the power of the Heaven Dao to pick pieces from the chessboard, controlling the enemy invisibly.

Jiang Wang, however, seemed to be directly swinging the power of the Heaven Dao like a big hammer!

The power of the Heaven Dao had almost become substance, so strongly interfering with the human world.

This was a kind of posture that could be called "brutal."

The direct bombardment of the Life and Death Platform by the Heaven Dao power brought by the Kunpeng heavenly state was completely borne by Jin Tandu.

He was a long-experienced veteran general, understanding that at this time there was no retreat, only advance. Once the Life and Death Platform was bombarded open, this boundless Heaven Dao power would bombard his Dao body without reservation.

Although he was currently suffering from ten thousand *jun* of shackles, at least his opponent was also under the suppression of the Life and Death Platform.

Immediately, he lifted that resentful-soul-entwining iron mace, took a step forward, and smashed it down head-on. The eight directions' mighty spirits each focused their gaze, pouring it all into this weapon, giving it the power to shatter mountains and rivers.

But the entire Life and Death Platform suddenly shook at this moment!

The power of the eight directions' Dharma realms mysteriously conflicted, colliding with each other. Terrifying power collapsed onto the iron mace, and Jin Tandu felt like he was holding an out-of-control mountain!

"Drink!"

He let out a low roar, and suddenly twisted his hands. All the golden light on his body armor was released! He forcefully suppressed this out-of-control power and bombarded his target with an even more violent posture.

Golden quality does not decay, a golden body is not bad, golden nature is inextinguishable.

He detected the interference of Heaven's Will and wanted to prevent himself from being invaded by it.

Behind him, a golden giant rose up, filling this Life and Death Platform with infinite golden glory, consolidating the platform's base and reinforcing his Dao body. It then reached out with a giant hand to grab the Peng bird heavenly state outside the Life and Death Platform.

But at this moment, the ground beneath his feet suddenly gave way!

Only then did he realize with shock that where were the golden platforms beneath his feet? They had clearly become a vast ocean.

The power of the Heaven Dao had already invaded this place, drowning this fighting arena in the pond of Heaven's Will.

How could peak powerhouses fall into such a state of having nothing beneath their feet? It was because the foundation he was standing on had been extracted.

Splash!

A large fish outlined in golden glory leaped out of the water, opening its abyss-like mouth that mixed with the void, and swallowed towards him.

Jin Tandu remained calm in danger. He took a step with his military boots, and his condensed killing intent turned into a tiger with hanging eyes and a white forehead. With an extremely violent posture, it waded through the water and charged towards that large fish.

This manifestation of Geng Metal Qi was the spirit of killing.

He also used stepping on the tiger's forehead to take a high step, shaking off the erosion of Heaven's Will, adjusting his battle posture, and rushing to kill his opponent again.

But when he looked, there was no trace of the enemy!

Knowing well that the True Monarch of Zhen River had unparalleled sight and hearing, and was skilled at deceiving the eyes, although he wasn't lacking in pupil techniques, he couldn't completely trust his own eyes in front of such an opponent.

Hence, at this moment, forty-nine wisps of golden smoke, like ribbons, extended out from outside his iron armor.

These were Spirit Whiskers, his uniquely created technique, listed as a secret transmission of the Jin family. Their function was to strengthen the caster's capture of "spirit." Each manifested spirit whisker doubled the sensitivity. Forty-nine spirit whiskers were the limit of this secret technique. It was equivalent to forty-nine more Jin Tandu, together capturing the target's existence at the spirit level.

He should be... nowhere to hide!

So Jin Tandu immediately discovered that Jiang Wang was indeed not in front of him, indeed not within the locked position of this iron mace!

When did he escape?

Or...

In the middle of his charge, he suddenly looked up, only to see that the Peng bird heavenly state was grabbing the golden giant's shoulders, its wings spread wide enough to cover the sky and hide the stars and moon, going directly towards the nine heavens!

The light of the Peng bird's wings, spread wide enough to cover the sky, was all hidden.

Splash, splash! The Heaven Dao sea water flowed like a waterfall from the gaps between its feathers.

In front of his eyes was a vast expanse of white.

Dazzling, scorching light!

Jin Tandu's eyes were instantly covered with rhombus fine fragmented crystals, yet they naturally fitted together again, as if they were a pair of golden false pupils.

The appearance of Indestructible God Eye allowed him to shake off the influence of Heaven's Will, struggle out of the immortal technique he saw, and finally see clearly where that scorching light originated—

He only saw a path of cold light, a sword getting closer and closer.

One sword facing him head-on!

Jin Tandu felt the heaven-destroying, earth-extinguishing pressure completely, yet he did not retreat but advanced, biting his steel teeth and rising up.

"Fast indeed!!!" He shouted loudly!

His voice was like a tiger roaring in a mountain forest, his momentum like a mountain collapsing and a flood surging.

From within his body, a dazzling light that was hard to look at burst forth.

Even his heavy iron armor, at the chest plate, was illuminated through.

But at the position of his heart, a golden Tandu flower was reflected, currently slowly blooming—

Each petal that opened increased Jin Tandu's momentum by three points.

Golden nature does not decay, and the Tandu flower appears simultaneously.

It will be called eternally indestructible, blooming in an instant.

This style, the Jin Tandu Flower, was Jin Tandu's life-or-death killing move! In his lifetime so far, having experienced countless large and small battles, it had bloomed no more than five times.

Helian Liangguo, who had been silently observing this battle from outside the field, subconsciously took a step forward.

On the edge of the sky, there was another path of brilliant light, shifting to shine upon this place.

But on that Vajra Realm Mandala Life and Death Platform, only a flicker of frost-light was seen.

Jiang Wang and Jin Tandu had already passed each other, both landing on the golden platform.

It wasn't until a fish tail lightly slapped the water, stirring up waves several *zhang* high, that people realized it wasn't a golden platform.

The large fish heavenly state had already swallowed the Geng Metal giant tiger, and was perched and swimming beneath the two figures' feet. Using its back as a platform, it carried these two peak powerhouses.

Of course, under Jin Tandu's feet, there was Geng Metal white Qi surrounding him, separating him from this large fish heavenly state.

He held his iron mace upside down, looking at Jiang Wang, his valor and fearlessness undiminished: "Again!!"

Jiang Wang, however, only sheathed his sword and said: "Commander Jin is tired, today is enough."

He turned directly and walked towards the outside.

Jin Tandu raised his hand to block, but only heard—

Crack, crack, crack!

His arm armor cracked first, followed by his chest armor, and then his leg armor.

His heavy armor shattered into pieces, instantly falling to the ground, only the iron helmet remained on his head, covering his illusion-changed expression.

Unbeknownst to him, his battle objective had already changed from deciding victory or defeat to deciding life or death, while Jiang Wang remained consistent, only thinking of "removing the armor."

Looking at the vast Life and Death Platform again, it began to crack, then shatter like rain.

Jiang Wang walked out through this rain of shattered pieces.

His green shirt hung quietly, composed in the wind and rain.

The golden large fish flicked its tail and submerged into the water again. After that, the vast ocean of Heaven's Will actually became a drop of water, crystal clear, refracting various lights, and returned to the nine heavens.

Jin Tandu seemed to finally have time to savor this one sword at this moment.

Thinking of how this one sword was restrained everywhere, less than five percent of his full power was unleashed.

If they did it again, he surprisingly didn't know how he would respond—it seemed he could only fight for his life.

He couldn't help but ask: "What is the name of this sword?"

Jiang Wang didn't turn back, only saying: "Heaven's Will Denied!"

This sword benefited from his participation and experience in the Transcension battle.

The nameless one's battle still belonged to a stage he found difficult to understand. Although he personally witnessed a Transcender confirming their name and dying, any detail in the process was difficult to replicate.

In the battle at Dizang, however, there was the bridge of the Heaven Dao, allowing him to truly participate, to touch, and to feel.

This sword primarily used the power of the Heaven Dao. Under this sword... every human wish was denied!

This sword denied Jin Tandu's wish, and also denied Helian Zhaotu's wish.

Helian Zhaotu said that if Helian Yunyun was unwilling to withdraw, Helian Yunyun would die, Zhao Rucheng would die, and Jiang Wang would also die.

Jiang Wang did not retort.

He did not retort not because he acknowledged it, but because he only wanted to safely bring Zhao Rucheng and Yunyun out of the grassland. He knew Helian Yunyun had already lost! He was willing to maintain Helian Zhaotu's dignity as the Crown Prince of the Shepherd Country.

Now he still wanted to give respect to the Shepherd Country.

But he also wanted to tell Helian Zhaotu that even if Helian Yunyun was unwilling to give up the struggle for the throne, not wanting to borrow external force to overturn the table—Jiang Wang would not die, Zhao Rucheng would not die, and even Helian Yunyun would not die.

It was true that Helian Yunyun had lost this political struggle.

But Helian Yunyun and Zhao Rucheng's third brother had the ability at any time to reserve a retreat path for them!

Perhaps this wasn't very fair to Helian Zhaotu, but just like the years he was born earlier, the existence of this third brother was also an objective reality.

If Helian Zhaotu accepted, then there would be a future period.

If Helian Zhaotu was unwilling to accept, then... Heaven's Will Denied.

He had to wipe away the potential shadow in Helian Yunyun's heart. Giving up the struggle for the imperial throne was not the end of life.

Under the silent gaze of the people, Jiang Wang walked back to the Seeing and Hearing Immortal Boat.

With just a touch of his foot, the white boat flew horizontally, returning directly to Star Moon Plain.

Helian Yunyun sat on the boat, looking at the whistling grassland scenery, silent for a moment. Zhao Rucheng accompanied her, trying to lighten the mood: "Didn't Third Brother say he wanted three swords? Did he overestimate Jin Tandu, or underestimate himself?"

"Neither overestimated him, nor underestimated myself," Jiang Wang said calmly. "Dividing life and death requires three swords. Dividing victory or defeat, one sword is enough."

The outcome of this battle demonstrated that Jiang Wang's judgment on the battle between him and Jin Tandu was completely accurate.

That was to say... he could kill Jin Tandu with three swords!

Of course, this was under the circumstances that Jin Tandu didn't lead an army, didn't turn and run, and fought him head-on in a life-or-death situation with no retreat.

But even so, Jiang Wang's current strength performance was truly alarming.

Zhao Rucheng's mouth was open in astonishment for a while, and with difficulty, he retracted it, then asked: "Can I learn this sword?"

Jiang Wang shook his head: "This sword must be wielded from the absolute peak to be overlooked, and a non-Heaven Person cannot master it. But if you become a Heaven Person, mastering it is also meaningless."

Because the Seeing and Hearing Immortal Boat intended to fly slowly, they could still see the grassland at this time, but Helian Yunyun had already retracted her gaze. She looked at Jiang Wang and keenly said: "Third Brother seems not very satisfied with this sword?"

Jiang Wang paused for a moment and said: "Perhaps because it is still not strong enough."

This sword was of course extremely strong, almost the limit of his current utilization of Heaven Dao power, and also the peak of sword techniques. But relying on the Heaven Dao for this sword, there was no way to cause any harm to the Seven Hates.

All the unwillingness in the world possibly stemmed from "not being strong enough." Helian Yunyun today, of course, deeply understood this point.

"From now on, let's just cultivate with Third Brother," Helian Yunyun smiled and nudged Zhao Rucheng. "Practice in the coldest days of winter, practice in the hottest days of summer, and there should no longer be a time when we feel we are not strong enough."

"Yunyun," Jiang Wang thought for a moment, then asked: "Do you know that the Divine Crown Great Priest is supporting Helian Zhaotu?"

Helian Yunyun wasn't without considering the possibility of Tu Hu genuinely supporting Helian Zhaotu.

However, if Tu Hu clearly supported Helian Zhaotu, then she fundamentally had no necessity to struggle further.

She also had no opportunity to reach the top from beginning to end.

Tu Hu, who single-handedly suppressed the entire Cangtu Divine Teachings and helped the Shepherd Emperor complete the grand act of royal power suppressing divine power, held discourse power throughout the Shepherd Country, second only to the Son of Heaven.

It could be said completely—in a situation where the Son of Heaven's attitude was unclear, whoever Tu Hu supported was the Crown Prince!

Since Tu Hu had already taken a side, then what had she been struggling for all this time? Playing with Helian Zhaotu?

So Tu Hu must not have taken a side.

As long as Tu Hu didn't directly stand in front, she simply couldn't admit it.

At this moment, the Shepherd Country coup had settled. As a loser who abdicated and left the country, she no longer had anything she couldn't face. She only said: "Within the news I already know, there is no intelligence that can completely prove this point."

She asked again: "Why does Third Brother say so?"

"There's a problem with the sword Wanyan Qingfrost used," Jiang Wang's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he pondered. "The true killing power of the Manifest Cave is not Wanyan Qingfrost. It is the Wandering Demon raised inside that sword—if I remember correctly, her name is Wanyan Qingping. I once saw her in the border wilderness and knew she had suffered Tu Hu's scheme, only falling into a Wandering Demon after death. But now, she has been sent back to the Wanyan family."

Yesterday afternoon was a bit better, but in the evening, I continued to run.

Running made my waist sore and back ache...

I had a doctor's appointment for the afternoon and went to the hospital at two o'clock.