"Greetings to Senior Xu Fu! Just as you are determined to resurrect the First Emperor of Qin, I, Ming Ri Xuan, truly have no other choice!"

Though his tone was level, it carried an unyielding resolve.

"Is that so?"

Xu Fu let out a cold laugh, his gaze then shifting towards Zong Shou.

"Has the Holy King come for the Twelve Bronze Men as well?"

"Naturally!"

Zong Shou stared in the direction of the Epang Palace, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "I wonder how His Majesty Yin Yu is doing now?"

The oppressive aura of a Transcendent Realm cultivator was, of course, no small matter. However, Zong Shou had managed to adapt, albeit just barely.

Moreover, at this moment, he could discern that Xu Fu might not possess the full strength of the Transcendent Realm; he was lacking compared to Long Ying, bearing a resemblance instead to the state of Yuan Jing San Ren in the past.

He couldn't tell if this was due to the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array, or if it stemmed from the restriction placed upon his life force by the First Emperor of Qin.

Still, even a flawed Transcendent Realm being could crush him effortlessly, like an ant.

However, what interested him most at this juncture was the current condition of the Great Shang Emperor.

"His Majesty Yin Yu is certainly no fool."

Xu Fu sneered mockingly. "This humble Daoist certainly harbors thoughts of utilizing his True Dragon Qi. Yet, His Majesty Yin Yu equally plans to exploit us to 'reap the rewards from the fire' within the Qin Emperor's tomb. Truly worthy of being the illustrious sovereign of Great Shang—ruthless toward others, and equally so toward himself—"

He continued blandly, "This Daoist bears no malice toward His Majesty! The lineage of the Alchemists holds deep blood feuds with Great Qin. All that is required is for the First Emperor of Qin to complete his revival! Afterward, whether the First Emperor lives or dies, or who ultimately obtains the Twelve Bronze Men, is of no concern to this Daoist. In fact, I can even lend His Majesty a hand. The Confucian Sect is exclusionary; for us Alchemists to return to the Cloud Realm, Great Qian is the optimal choice."

"Oh?"

Zong Shou responded lightly, then promptly played dumb, adopting an expression of deep contemplation, as if genuinely wavering.

To merely ensure the First Emperor of Qin's revival? In other words, even if the Cloud Realm were to face catastrophic ruin afterward, it would have nothing to do with him—

The words sounded pleasant enough; having the aid of a Transcendent Realm Saintly Venerable was certainly tempting.

But wouldn't it be far better if this Qin Emperor never revived? Who could guarantee the sincerity of Xu Fu's words? After the Qin Emperor's resurrection, would Xu Fu not fall under his control again?

Yet, he knew his own strength was insufficient; even against this soul projection of Xu Fu, he could only manage to flee far away.

Here and now, the only one who could truly confront him head-on was the recluse Ming Ri Xuan beside him.

How to proceed required first observing this man's reaction.

Seeing Zong Shou remain silent, Xu Fu did not press further, redirecting his argument toward Ming Ri Xuan: "What are your thoughts? When the First Emperor of Qin is first resurrected, he will inevitably be weak. The Twelve Bronze Men have been masterless for ten thousand years; the Qin Emperor's divine sense imprint will be at its faintest—the optimal moment to seize them. Once he loses this supreme defensive artifact, he will lose all his fangs and claws. With your abilities, Ming Ri Xuan, it might not be impossible to eliminate him before he recovers. I will assist you with all my might!"

His words were pleading, exhausting every art of persuasion. Ming Ri Xuan, however, did not even blink, flatly refusing, "Senior's words are indeed meant to manipulate hearts. However, Ming Ri Xuan is unwilling to take such a risk. In this world, few things go entirely as one wishes. Rather than pinning hope on an ethereal and unpredictable future, it is better to grasp the present—"

Xu Fu seemed to have long anticipated Ming Ri Xuan's response, though his eyes darkened slightly as he mocked, "I recall that since the end of the Barren Cloud era, you have been the most outstanding master of arts and calculations in the world. Deducing the heavens and earth, peering into destiny and fortune—none have been inaccurate. What? Even someone like you is unwilling to trust the future you have foreseen?"

Ming Ri Xuan burst into laughter. "Precisely because I have mastered the calculations and achieved minor success, I am unwilling to entrust my own life, fortune, and misfortune to the future. Fate is not immutable, fortune is not unchangeable; disaster and blessing drift vaguely. Senior Xu Fu, you should actually understand this principle more deeply than this junior."

When this statement was made, others might not have felt much, but Zong Shou was deeply affected, momentarily distracted.

Meanwhile, Xu Fu’s face had regained its look of indifference.

"In other words, there is nothing left to discuss between us? Must we first determine victory and death right here?"

Just as Zong Shou and the other four awaited Ming Ri Xuan’s reply, the entire earth began to shake violently. It was utterly sudden, without any warning.

Twenty-four massive stone hands abruptly shot up, slamming down towards the altar above. A formidable magnetic force generated simultaneously, sweeping over them. All five felt as if they had instantly become millions of times heavier, bound by the magnetic pull and unable to move.

Above them, a purple lightning bolt, thick as a water bucket, pierced the sky and struck down.

It split into six streams mid-air. The first stream naturally targeted Ming Ri Xuan. The remaining five streams were directed at Zong Shou and his companions.

"A heavenly tribulation?"

Zong Shou's expression shifted slightly; he recognized immediately that this was no ordinary lightning, but a tribulation light embodying the reversal of laws and the essence of cosmic destruction.

It was a divine tribulation infinitely close to that of the Transcendent Realm, possessing vast might! Even a true Transcendent Realm cultivator could not ignore it.

This was no longer something achievable through the techniques of cultivators; it must be the power of the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array.

This single beam of tribulation light could annihilate the six of them right here!

Xu Fu had been amiable during his attempts at negotiation and persuasion, but once talks broke down, he immediately unleashed his full power, with successive strikes like thunder and lightning, showing no mercy.

The Chronos Scroll in Zong Shou’s hand instantly radiated a sapphire light. With another spiritual command, he slowed time around him tenfold.

At this moment, Ming Ri Xuan’s clear voice rang out simultaneously. Even the earth-shattering resonance could not suppress it. And because time was slowed, in his ears, it sounded like every word was distinct. It was clear there was not a trace of fear or alarm in his voice.

"Those whose paths diverge cannot walk together! Between the Senior and myself, there was never any room for compromise; there was no need for further words—"

From the sky, millions of starlights poured down, like sword beams, imbued with surging stellar power. Due to repulsion of the same nature, they instantly twisted the core terrestrial magnetism surrounding the area into a chaotic mess.

The five individuals felt their bodies lighten, returning to normal. Simultaneously, the twenty-four colossal supporting hands disintegrated.

The next instant, a surge of magnificent power erupted from the altar, propagating outwards in all directions.

This was clearly a component of the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array. However, as this spiritual wave spread, layers upon layers of restrictive runes shattered and dispersed.

Nearby restrictive formations collapsed one after another.

This also directed itself toward the purple lightning, now imminent in the sky.

In a single breath, it shrank by ten, even twenty times its original size. By the time it reached Zong Shou, only a sliver remained.

After the Chronos-grade World-Guiding Book slowed time, it moved excruciatingly slowly.

Zong Shou was momentarily stunned before reacting. He swept out his Primordial Soul Sword and absorbed it entirely.

This was a reversal of laws generated within the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array; even if he comprehended it, it would be useless outside the Qin Emperor's Tomb.

However, glimpsing even a sliver of its secret could allow him to recover some strength within Xianyang City.

Yuan Wu Shang was protected by his Jade Puppet, and Shen Yue Xuan once again deployed the Thousand Profound Iron Leaf Flower. Facing this moment, they realized they had worried excessively; they resolved the tribulation light with ease.

Ming Ri Xuan was even more so. Casually, without even moving, the purple tribulation light dissolved on its own.

However, above them, Xu Fu's soul image began to radiate immeasurable radiance.

Spiritual energy converged, becoming almost tangible, enveloping him like a colossal pill. Countless magnetic forces gathered around, and innumerable electric currents flickered, causing all the metal within this vast expanse to be forcibly drawn toward him.

Even Zong Shou nearly lost control of his Spirit Refining Sword; the Primordial Unity Sword immediately sensed danger and retreated into his Sea of Consciousness on its own.

Fortunately, the Ten Absolutes Dao Controlling Dragon Tooth Swords were not forged from metal but refined from dragon teeth.

They remained unaffected, yet under the surge of unparalleled magnetic force, utilizing them became extremely difficult.

"Is this the contingency left behind by Xi Zi? Creating something from nothing, causing this otherwise perfect Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array to possess an inherent flaw. No wonder you, a mere junior, possess such confidence!"

His tone remained indifferent yet chilling, his killing intent sharp. Following this, a massive, seven-colored blade light streaked out—

Having no physical form, it was entirely composed of condensed magnetic force. It caused the sky to explode with concussive sounds, and the earth's soil layer churned. Zong Shou felt the blood and Qi within his body surge violently, almost beyond his control. He had to dedicate more than half his true force to suppress himself.

He felt as if he was about to be torn apart. He mused that with this single strike, some weaker Lesser Thousand Worlds might simply shatter into pieces!

And where the tip of the seven-colored blade pointed, the figure of Ming Ri Xuan flickered precariously.

Being formed entirely from condensed nascent spirit, maintaining cohesion under the blade seemed exceptionally difficult.

Yet, this figure made no move, allowing the blade to cleave toward his form.

But as the seven-colored blade light swept past, Ming Ri Xuan's primordial spirit manifestation remained unharmed, suffering only negligible, insignificant damage.

Less than one thousandth of the immense magnetic storm torrent contained within the blade could touch his body.

Zong Shou was initially filled with suspicion, wondering if this man also mastered the art of shifting between substance and void.

But moments later, he realized that the magnetic storm force seemed to actively evade Ming Ri Xuan’s soul body.

Often, moments before contact, inexplicable distortions would occur, resulting in Ming Ri Xuan remaining safe.

"Is this the art of twisting fate?"

Yuan Wu Shang was the first to exclaim in surprise, his expression one of utter shock as he stared at the scene unfolding.

Su Xiaoxiao and Shen Yue Xuan were equally taken aback.

When that blade struck, they had anticipated Ming Ri Xuan would be severely wounded, if not killed.

Yet, the outcome was truly unexpected.

Who could harm such a divine art? Was the pinnacle realm of the art of Destiny truly at this level?

Zong Shou, however, noticed that Ming Ri Xuan's soul image had become slightly fainter.

"Only battle remains!"

A streak of brilliant blade light suddenly flew out from his sleeve, striking directly toward the sky.

It arrived in an instant, crossing the distance to Xu Fu in the blink of an eye.

It remarkably bore a resemblance to Zong Shou's Six Spirit Flying Dagger technique, yet it was incomparably more powerful!

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