Chapter 1740: Drilled Full of Holes
"Seventh Young Master!"
Trường Phong Palace Master halted in his tracks, and the Salvation Golden Ship also came to a stop behind him.
Trường Phong Palace Master took a long breath. The Dao Fruit within the small canopy atop his head began to radiate light, and the Great Dao within the Dao Fruit revived, spreading out like the texture and folds of a brain.
The situation was now extremely unfavorable to him. His root tendrils were locked by the Salvation Golden Ship, and dragging this golden ship while clashing with Tần Mục was clearly a tremendous inconvenience.
In a confrontation with the Seventh Young Master, any carelessness could prove fatal — let alone having to drag along such a massive ship?
What was even more critical was that this Salvation Golden Ship had never been able to be commanded by anyone. Yet the first time Tần Mục went to the Di La Palace, he had managed to spirit this ship away. If, during their clash, this ship were to make a move under the Seventh Young Master's control, he would truly be doomed beyond redemption!
Tần Mục's expression was indifferent as he said, "Trường Phong Palace Master, help me deliver a message to Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master."
Upon hearing this, Trường Phong Palace Master's hair stood on end.
When Sở Ca Palace Master died before the assembled crowd at the Di La Palace, his final words were that the Seventh Young Master had asked him to deliver a message — and then, before everyone's eyes, his skull had split open, his Dao Fruit had shattered, and he had died a violent death!
Now Tần Mục was again asking him to deliver a message to the two young masters, and he could already see his own fate!
The supreme art of war is to attack the enemy's strategy; the best tactic is to attack the mind.
Tần Mục's psychological warfare was more formidable than any divine ability!
Trường Phong Palace Master was nonetheless decisive. He immediately sensed the root tendrils he had left within the Great Destruction Calamity of the Sixteenth Era, and channeled them, forcibly dragging his own body toward the Sixteenth Era!
The true body of a tree was not the trunk, the canopy, or the branches — it was the root system. His root tendrils had not fully descended, and now countless roots exerted force together, actually dragging him back from the starry sky toward the past!
His strength was formidable, and his cultivation path was extremely unique — his Dao and his body were one, his abilities outstanding and extraordinary. As his roots exerted force, even the phantom image of the Chaos Long River appeared in the starry sky, its waves surging violently!
The Salvation Golden Ship was also dragged along by him, sailing toward the Chaos Long River of the Sixteenth Era!
He knew that with his Dao heart wavering, it would be very difficult to defeat Tần Mục in a head-on confrontation, so he directly chose to abandon his descent.
Descending to the Seventeenth Era was extremely difficult — it required blood sacrifices and sufficient energy to be offered into the Great Destruction Calamity of the Sixteenth Era. But abandoning the descent and returning to the Sixteenth Era was much simpler for him.
Within the Great Destruction Calamity of the Sixteenth Era, energy was the one thing never in short supply. Moreover, his root tendrils were still in the Ngọc Kinh City floating within the Chaos Long River. He merely needed to forcibly pull his body back, and the energy of the Chaos Long River would surge in endlessly to complete the exchange!
His body began to sink into the Chaos Long River of the Sixteenth Era, and billowing chaos energy immediately overflowed from the void, surging and churning.
The power of an Ascended One was simply too great, and the energy converted from it was likewise enormous. When he performed this exchange, it was as if the Chaos Long River had burst its banks — chaos energy flooded out in overwhelming waves, submerging entire star systems, crushing the stars within them directly, shattering them beyond all recognition!
At that very moment, Tần Mục raised his hand and unleashed Thái Dịch's axe technique. The Dao of Thái Dịch transformed into a divine axe, cleaving toward the void!
When Trường Phong Palace Master saw this axe technique, despair arose in his heart. Every powerful being of the Sixteenth Era, whether or not they had become an Ascended One, had witnessed the scene of Thái Dịch felling the World Tree!
As the first stowaway to enter the Seventeenth Era, Thái Dịch's very first act had been to raise his great axe and chop down the World Tree — the medium that all stowaways relied upon — then burn it to ashes, cutting off everyone's path to survival!
And now, the divine ability Tần Mục was using was none other than Thái Dịch Felling the Tree!
It was precisely this divine ability that had shattered the Dao hearts of countless powerful beings!
Even more terrifying was the fact that, throughout history, nearly all Ascended Ones cultivated Dao Trees — and the Dao Tree was modeled after the World Tree. This technique could fell the World Tree, so naturally it could also fell the Dao Trees of Ascended Ones!
Trường Phong Palace Master himself had attained the Dao as a divine tree. His Dao Tree had already been refined into one with his physical body — his body was his Dao, Dao flowers bloomed on his body, and the Dao Tree bore fruit on his body.
The suppression Tần Mục's technique exerted on him was unimaginable!
Though his exchange was swift, it could never be swifter than Tần Mục's divine axe!
"Seventh Young Master, if you give me no path to survival, then I shall give you none either!"
Knowing he could not escape his doom, Trường Phong Palace Master roared in grief and fury: "Come back to the past with me!"
Suddenly, from within the phantom image of the Chaos Long River in the void, countless root tendrils shot forth, whipping and dancing as they coiled toward Tần Mục!
Knowing he could not escape this calamity, he chose not to dodge or evade, but instead to channel his Dao divine abilities to the utmost. Countless root tendrils wrapped around Tần Mục, locking him tightly, dragging him together toward the Chaos Long River of the Sixteenth Era.
His root tendrils were manifestations of his Dao — the embodiment of his own Great Dao. Each tendril represented an achievement of his, one could say they were branches of his Dao — tough, resilient, and containing supreme might!
He had not cultivated merely a single Great Dao. Over a long period of time, he had endured three Great Destruction Calamities, and the calamities had not been able to grind him away. Instead, his root tendrils had taken root within the chaos, drawing power from it, making his physical body incomparably stable and his Dao techniques increasingly mature.
Buzz! Buzz!
His two Dao Fruits flew out from the canopy atop his head. The Dao might contained within them erupted completely, and the imprints of the Great Dao projected forth, shining upon the dancing root tendrils!
With this strike, locking onto Tần Mục, he could absolutely prevent Tần Mục from breaking free!
In that instant, both of them pushed their respective Dao techniques and divine abilities to the absolute limit. Tần Mục's Thái Dịch divine axe cleaved through Trường Phong Palace Master's legs, while the root tendrils that Trường Phong Palace Master had sent flying from the Chaos Long River pierced straight through Tần Mục's Hồng Mông physical body, punching through it and sending blossoms of blood flying!
Shua shua shua!
Countless root tendrils wrapped around Tần Mục, straining desperately to drag him into the Chaos Long River!
In his battle with Sở Ca Palace Master, Tần Mục's body had been damaged, wounded by Sở Ca Palace Master. Trường Phong Palace Master's root tendrils precisely exploited those Dao wounds to bore into his body. Otherwise, given the toughness of Tần Mục's Hồng Mông body, breaking through it would have been no easy task.
Suddenly, the Salvation Golden Ship expanded to an enormous size, blocking in front of Tần Mục to resist the dragging force coming from the Chaos Long River!
After being struck across the legs by Tần Mục's axe, Trường Phong Palace Master's body immediately began to wither. Leaves and branches withered and fell, his body started to dry up, and his limbs rapidly turned to wood.
The Dao light in his eyes also dimmed. His originally lively pupils instantly became wood, no longer able to move.
His two Dao Fruits fell from the canopy atop his head. One smashed toward Tần Mục's back, while the other slammed into the Salvation Golden Ship.
Boom! Boom!
The Dao might contained within the Dao Fruits erupted completely at the moment they struck Tần Mục. Countless magnificent Dao patterns spread outward, weaving together in an instant into a net — a whole heaven-realm formed from countless tree roots!
Then the Dao Fruit collided again — a second heaven-realm, a third heaven-realm, a fourth heaven-realm unfolded in succession!
In the blink of an eye, thirty-six heaven-realms burst forth from the Dao Fruit. Countless root tendrils spread everywhere, even penetrating Tần Mục's Divine Treasures, reaching deep into every domain of his Divine Treasures, into every heaven-realm, extending into the thirty-three layers of the void!
The power of his Dao Fruit even pierced through Tần Mục's Primordial Spirit!
A Palace Master of the Di La Palace — even without fully descending — when fighting for his life, could display abilities that shook the world!
At the same time, the other Dao Fruit crashed into the Salvation Golden Ship. The thirty-six Dao Realms contained within the Dao Fruit erupted as well, also transforming into thirty-six heaven-realms, locking the golden ship and sending it flying toward the Chaos Long River!
"Seventh Young Master, I act on the orders of Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master!"
Trường Phong Palace Master's body rapidly turned to wood, and the wood began to burn, yet a joyful expression appeared on his face: "I'm sending you back!"
Bang bang bang!
His body surface exploded amid the flames. Tần Mục's axe had not only employed the divine ability of Thái Dịch Felling the World Tree, but had also invoked the Wind of Heat Death to burn his body. Without the support of his root tendrils, the Wind of Heat Death had already begun to devour his body.
In this exchange, both had used every means at their disposal, and the battle was exceptionally brutal.
Tần Mục's body was dragged along. The Great Dao and vital energy within him were locked by the root tendrils, and he slid helplessly toward the Chaos Long River of the Sixteenth Era.
The Salvation Golden Ship was also dragged along, sliding toward the Great Destruction Calamity of the Sixteenth Era.
In terms of cultivation base, Tần Mục still could not match the profound reserves of an existence like Trường Phong Palace Master. Bound tightly by his root tendrils, he found it difficult to resist the force coming from the Great Destruction Calamity of the Sixteenth Era.
Suddenly, within Tần Mục's Divine Treasures, Thái Dịch's coffin rose up.
Tần Mục used the last of his remaining strength to activate Thái Dịch's coffin, touching the fifty Dao-Slaying Divine Nails. The power of the nails erupted instantly!
The Burial Dao Divine Coffin had been personally refined by Grand Young Master Thái Thượng, specifically designed to restrain Thái Dịch, the Di La Palace's mortal enemy. Tần Mục had long since discovered that forcibly pulling out the Dao-Slaying Divine Nails would inevitably trigger the power of the Burial Dao Divine Coffin — not only severely wounding whoever tried to open the coffin, but also severely wounding Thái Dịch suppressed within.
Touching the power and might of the Burial Dao Divine Coffin would harm both attacker and victim alike. Unless it was a critical moment, he would not resort to such a desperate measure.
His wounds from the battle with Sở Ca Palace Master had not yet healed, and facing Trường Phong, he had no certainty of victory.
The might of the Burial Dao Divine Coffin erupted. With a hum, light expanded in all directions, and wherever it passed, the root tendrils filling Tần Mục's Divine Treasures and physical body were riddled with holes!
Tần Mục let out a muffled groan. His Primordial Spirit, his Heavenly Palaces, and the various heaven-realms of his Divine Treasures felt as though they had been pierced by countless nails — in an instant, leaks appeared everywhere!
At the same time, the might of the Burial Dao Divine Coffin penetrated his physical body, shooting outward from within. Chi chi chi — blood splattered in all directions, and his body instantly became a broken sieve, light shining through from every hole!
The might of the Burial Dao Divine Coffin was truly terrifying beyond measure!
By the time its power subsided, blood was spraying from every part of Tần Mục's body. Yet he reached out and grabbed hold of the root tendrils that were trying to retract into the Chaos Long River.
"If I let you deliver a message back, wouldn't Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master see through my true state and know that I'm nothing but a paper tiger?"
Tần Mục strained, hoisting the bundle of root tendrils onto his back. Turning around, he pulled with all his might. The Chaos Long River shook violently, and the chaos energy that had been surging out rapidly retracted. Trường Phong Palace Master's enormous root system was actually being dragged out by sheer force!
The root tendrils suddenly contracted into a ball, then burst outward in all directions. Countless tendrils spread toward the surrounding starry sky, attempting to take root in the distant stars.
Tần Mục flicked his wrist, hurling Thái Dịch's coffin, smashing it into the center of the root ball. Then he flicked his fingers repeatedly, striking the fifty Divine Nails on Thái Dịch's coffin one after another.
On that ball of root tendrils, eyes suddenly appeared — countless eyes whose pupils contracted sharply, all turning to look at the Thái Dịch coffin flying toward them.
Light erupted from within the divine coffin!
— These past few days, Trại Trư has been suffering from migraines. He keeps seeing wavy striped patterns in his eyes, affecting his vision. Sometimes he briefly loses sight in one eye. It might be from overexertion...