The Legend of Futian

Saint Xihua had been paying close attention to the battlefield high above the sky, so it was only a given that he had also been able to watch Liu Zong’s position. He frowned and thought about where Bai Luli and Gu Dongliu came from, as well as why were they able to borrow Yang Xiao’s battle matrix and wielded it to such effect. Yang Xiao, who was ranked on the Sage Ranking, seemed to only support the other two.

“Go and help Liu Zong out,” Saint Xihua told the mighty ones of Xihua Sacred Mountain below.

“Stay back.” A shout was heard on the battlefield where Liu Zong was. It was from a mighty one from Xihua Sacred Mountain in the matrix.

“How dare you,” Saint Xihua said as he eyed the one who spoke. That person was trembling within the matrix as if he was to die at any moment. His expression was twisted and his cold eyes glared at Saint Xihua as he said, “I’m not afraid of death. We who have trained in Xihua Sacred Mountain became sages after training for so long. We dare not disobey any order from Xihua Sacred Mountain, but you have deceived us and let Liu Zong make one such sacrificial matrix, and I’m very not pleased. We’re all cultivators of Xihua Sacred Mountain, yet you see us all as disposable just for the sake of Liu Zong. I regret training in Xihua Sacred Mountain,” that person shouted.

Saint Xihua extended his hand below, conjuring a large hand and pinned down that person across the vast space. He then said coldly, “Treason in the battlefield shall be punished with death.”

“Xihua Sacred Mountain shall perish!” that person roared and his voice resounded on the battlefield right before his death. Saint Xihua pressed down with his hand. and with a splatter, that person died at Saint Xihua’s hand instead of Gu Dongliu’s.

“What are the rest of you waiting for?” Saint Xihua said coldly, attempting to quell the doubts of those from Xihua Sacred Mountain. However, it became obvious that the minds of many mighty ones from the Xihua Sacred Mountain had been shaken.

Saint Xia and Saint Li, who were still playing chess at the side, sighed. Saint Xia then said, “Liu Zong is indeed supremely talented and possesses incredible powers. But as a brutal one who can sacrifice anyone or anything just to further his own cause, he will either end up an ambitious hero if he succeeds or a despised loser if he fails. Xihua Sacred Mountain is indeed playing a dangerous game, and it seems that they are being caught in their own trap now.”

A cultivator trained their mind as well, and there was simply no one who reached Sage Plane yet had nor developed an incredibly strong sense of self. They would not simply allow themselves to be played by others, and blind loyalty generally did not exist with sages.

“Saint Xia, you’re overestimating him. True heroes require unique charisma to enable others to give themselves entirely to their cause. Liu Zong is far from being able to achieve that,” Saint Li shook his head and said.

“Indeed.” Saint Xia nodded and continued, “What about Ye Futian then?”

“If he had been in Liu Zong’s place, I believe many from the Holy Zhi Palace would have thrown themselves into the matrix willingly,” Saint Li smiled and said. Saint Xia smiled in reply and both of them continued to play chess.

The game seemed to be a difficult one, and like the battlefield, where it seemed that the allied forces consisting of six holy lands had obtained an absolute edge, the ones from the Barren State had indomitable beliefs and were united throughout the ranks. They were ready to throw their lives away in their last stand, thus making it possible for them to push their enemies back despite being in a despairing state. That was not to say that victory was theirs, as the six holy lands came with an explicit purpose of eliminating the Holy Zhi Palace, and they probably had yet to bring out their trump card. Furthermore, there were some others, other than Kong Yao, who seemed very powerful as well. They were perhaps secret weapons of sorts. None of them moved in and killed anyone. They simply stayed behind and watched where Ye Futian was.

Liu Zong was being attacked by Bai Luli and Gu Dongliu. The World Tree shook in a frenzy. A devouring power burst from him, and in an instant, countless branches of the tree withered at a frightening speed. Worse still, those mighty ones who had yet to be killed in the matrix by Gu Dongliu had their powers channeled in a frenzy into Liu Zong’s body. Screams were heard everywhere.

Gu Dongliu quickly summoned the Celestial Shadow and the Light of the Nine Words, heading straight for Liu Zong himself. The dazzling light pierced through all and the sword river of the great path coalesced into a single sword, piercing through Liu Zong. A crisp rumble was heard and Liu Zong’s shadow gradually disappeared, yet vague saintly might emanated from that spot as if there was a spectral mirror there. Countless shadows of Liu Zong appeared there at the very next moment, spreading out in all directions. It was apparent that he had deflected the attack using divine implements.

An incredibly huge pair of grey eyes appeared in the air as if they were Bai Luli’s. The power of rules coursed and countless runes hovered above the Blood Spell Scroll, locking down their surroundings. Shadows of ancient gods appeared in all directions. Terrifying blood lightning powers placed their surroundings in a lockdown. It was the power of the Sealing of All Creations, a power that Bai Luli had developed, but it was obviously far more powerful than what it had been years ago.

“Kill.” Killing intent was seen from Bai Luli’s eyes. There were many of the Holy Zhi Palace who had died at Liu Zong’s hands. Despite having spent years training in the Jixia Holy Palace, his heart remained with the Holy Zhi Palace nonetheless. Countless Blood Spell Scrolls came down and every single one of them turned into bolts of blood lightning.

Gu Dongliu’s silhouette stood at the raging space. He formed seals with his hands and his garb billowed. Countless shadows of the Nine Words fell. In an instant, one silhouette of Liu Zong after another was destroyed. Both of them joined hands with the intention of killing everything within that space, and there was no way they could just let Liu Zong leave.

Buddhist chants were heard in the air and immense mighty power of the Buddha emanated. A golden ancient tree burst forth, looking like a bodhi tree, growing in a frenzy and reaching out for the bodies of both Bai Luli and Gu Dongliu. The branches of the tree were torn and cut down in a frenzy. Liu Zong’s shadows continued to crumble, yet he seemed to have concentrated all power within one strike. A beam of dazzling light pierced the air, descending upon the matrix that Yang Xiao had laid.

Heaven and the earth resonated as the Buddhist chants continued to reverberate around them. Saintly power emanated from the ancient tree with terrifying might out to overpower everything, extended at Bai Luli and Gu Dongliu in an unstoppable manner.

Liu Zong had concentrated all of the powers that he had acquired from the Devouring Matrix in that single attack. He sacrificed a holy item and brought out everything he had, just so that that one strike would have been able to kill Bai Luli and Gu Dongliu.

Yang Xiao saw the scene and turned into a bolt of lightning, lashing out with the silver halberd in his hand like a thunderous calamity of the great path and a thunder dragon, out to tear everything apart.

The Buddhist chants reverberated and all mirages disappeared at that very moment, coalescing into one strike from Liu Zong. The force was magnificent as an enormous palm struck down, clashing with the silver halberd. Yang Xiao spat up blood as the recoil from the strike hit him, sending him flying with a loud boom, but his attack nonetheless nullified Liu Zong’s attack.

Blood Spell Scrolls descended from above and a bolt of blood lightning struck onto Liu Zong’s original body. Without other powers getting in the way, the mudra of the Nine Words struck him almost at the very same moment. Liu Zong’s body shook violently as he continued to spit up blood.

Saint Xihua’s face went pale. No might ones from Xihua Sacred Mountain came in as reinforcements. He did not believe that with so many mighty ones available in Xihua Sacred Mountain, none were able to do so. It became apparent that morale of Xihua Sacred Mountain had been shaken due to Liu Zong’s previous actions. His aura was bone-chillingly cold. He had never expected Liu Zong, who had been borrowing the power of matrixes, would be caught in such a pinch.

“Such talents in the way of Buddhism and yet the wrong path was chosen. You’ve been too anxious indeed, Saint Xihua,” Saint Xia said plainly, causing Saint Xihua to feel speechless.

Saint Li sighed deep down as well. Liu Zong had such rare talents and fated encounters. If he had been able to train in the Vajra Region, he would have been able to achieve more. Yet, Liu Zong seemed to have indeed taken the wrong path. He had been too anxious to fulfill his ambitions quickly.

Liu Zong was the student of three saints, so there was no problem for Saint Xia to chastise Saint Xihua. It was naturally the teacher’s fault for not teaching the student correctly after all.

Bai Luli and Gu Dongliu naturally would not have gone easy on Liu Zong, who had gone on a killing spree earlier. Waves of attacks landed on him without pause and he kept spitting up blood. Yet, at that moment, a voice was heard.

“I’ll end him.” Yang Xiao’s shirt was bloodstained as he stepped forward.

“Very well.” Gu Dongliu nodded. He and Bai Luli took the flanks, blocking any route of escape for Liu Zong. Without reinforcements from the matrix and having suffered such grave injuries, there was no way Liu Zong would have been able to come out alive, so there was no problem for Yang Xiao being the one to end him.

Yang Xiao held the halberd in his hand while walking up to Liu Zong. He spared no time with words, and with a single step, he turned into a bolt of lightning, sticking the halberd right into Liu Zong’s abdomen. Devastating lightning coursed throughout Liu Zong’s body, but it did not kill him immediately, causing his body to tremble frantically instead. He looked up at Yang Xiao with despaired and frustrated eyes. He was going to die soon. He had immense talent and had been an esteemed student from the very first day he stepped into Xihua Sacred Mountain.

Liu Zong remembered the time when he sparred with a senior, who had beaten him due to being of greater plane, then boasted about putting him in his place. Rage got to his head and he brought everything he had to bear and killed that senior. None of his teachers reprimanded him and they took him in as their personal student instead, appreciating him even more. No one in Xihua Sacred Mountain dared to bully him from then on out. His status was unparalleled and his ambition grew considerably. He wanted to create a new era for Xihua Sacred Mountain and unify the entire Eastern State, then become the absolute best in all of the Nine States. His teachers acknowledged his goals and put everything they had into nurturing him. However, a young man named Ye Futian appeared in the stage of the Nine States, known to be peerless throughout the Nine States.

On this day, he had brought an army with him, with the expressed purpose of killing Ye Futian, yet he died before Ye Futian was even harmed. Bai Luli and Gu Dongliu were both exceptional, but he was unable to fathom how they had been able to kill him.

“Liu Zong, does it hurt?” Yang Xiao twisted the weapon in Liu Zong’s body, a testament to the sheer amount of hate he had for Liu Zong. He had personally watched as his wife, brothers, and sisters were sent into the sacrificial matrix and died in the Nether Sword Mound. He felt his heart bleed. He wanted nothing more than to let Liu Zong have a taste of that.

Liu Zong glared at Yang Xiao and blood continued to ooze from his mouth. He smirked all of a sudden in a very demonic manner. He then said with a croaked voice, “Winner takes all. Your wife, brothers, and sisters were but pawns. Their deaths are hardly worth grieving over.”

“How about you then?” Yang Xiao shouted angrily, twisting the halberd in his hand again. Devastating powers raged in a frenzy and Liu Zong’s aura grew increasingly weak.

“I didn’t lose to you. I lost…to you three ganging up on me. Pity that…I don’t get to truly fight Ye Futian.” Liu Zong looked at Ye Futian’s direction. He had intended to kill Ye Futian himself.

“You’re not qualified,” Gu Dongliu said coldly.

“That so?” Liu Zong glared at Gu Dongliu.

“You’re not qualified indeed,” Bai Luli said plainly. While Liu Zong was indeed powerful, he remembered the day he left the Holy Zhi Palace. That battle he had back then rendered him speechless indeed.

“Who are you three to tell me that I’m not qualified?” Liu Zong roared. His eyes were filled with rage despite being moments away from death, seemingly feeling vexed.

“Seven holy lands allied just to kill him, yet you, Liu Zong, died fighting right here. You’re, of course, unqualified,” Yang Xiao said sarcastically and coldly. Liu Zong felt his heart turn into ice.

“Die already,” Yang Xiao roared and devastating lightning burst out. Liu Zong’s body turned into pieces in an instant, reduced to nothing. The student of the three saints of Xihua Sacred Mountain was dead!