True Martial World - Chapter 1030: Impasse

With a movement technique, Felicitous Rain Lord quickly appeared in front of Yi Yun and company. He was very surprised and glad seeing Yi Yun here.

"Yi Yun, you have come to the Door to the 33 Skies as well. Furthermore…you have managed to come this far unscathed." Felicitous Rain Lord revealed a relieved look. He felt regretful bringing Yi Yun here after realizing that his assessment of the difficulty of the Azure Wood Great World had been seriously lacking.

Especially with the Door to the 33 Skies, it was strange and fraught with danger. Unless one was a Supremacy, it would prove a challenge to survive—many warriors much stronger than Yi Yun had died, so it was hard to be optimistic about Yi Yun's safety.

However, he never expected that Yi Yun was not only alive but that he wasn't injured at all.

"I managed to get here on luck due to some fortuitous opportunities. However, I'm trapped in this plains of death as well. I wonder if Master has made any discoveries while in here?"

"Discoveries?" Felicitous Rain Lord shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm not sure if it's considered a discovery, but I'll let you take a look…"

As Felicitous Rain Lord said that, he grabbed Yi Yun's arm and flew into the sky with him. In an instant, Yi Yun reached a height a hundred thousand feet into the sky. Yi Yun had not dared to fly into the sky above the plains of death, but to a Divine Lord, be it any demonic fumes or evil entities, none could approach him because of his powerful protective Yuan Qi.

While overlooking high up in the air, Yi Yun was surprised to see nine black tumultuous rivers meandering in a way that surrounded the plains fifty kilometers away.

The black river water was like an anaconda that devoured everything. Large swaths of land from the river banks were collapsing…

"This is…"

"These nine rivers have completely sealed off every path in the plains, making it difficult to escape this land, even for us. We thought of killing the bronze giant, but he's too strong…"

Felicitous Rain Lord said while he brought Yi Yun back down. At that moment, several Divine Lords and the Supremacies that were led by them had rushed here as well.

"This punk." Demonic Eye Divine Lord revealed a look of surprise. Although Felicitous Rain Lord's disciple was weak and unworthy to catch his eye, he had never expected that such a junior had managed to come so far alive.

"I must be seeing things." Daoist You Ming had been injured himself while Yi Yun had remained unscathed. This contrast made Daoist You Ming feel like coughing a mouthful of blood.

And at that moment in time, Yi Yun saw You Feihua amongst the crowd!

"You Feihua had managed to survive as well?"

You Feihua had obviously seen Yi Yun too. As the saying goes, sparks fly when enemies meet. You Feihua believed him dead, but he never expected Yi Yun was fine and dandy.

You Feihua had a special communication method with his father, Daoist You Ming. When he reached an impasse, he had contacted his father, who had paid a terrible price to save him. Hence, You Feihua had managed to luckily survive. What about Yi Yun?

The Heavenly Sword Divine Lord from the Immortal Rain Sect descended from the skies as well.

He looked good for his age and his figure was upright. He exuded an extremely keen aura as he swept his sword-like gaze at Yi Yun. "Felicitous Rain, is this your disciple?"

"This is the Immortal Rain Sect's Heavenly Sword Divine Lord, Shi Xuanji." Felicitous Rain Lord tersely introduced him before he fell silent.

Shi Xuanji looked at Yi Yun and suddenly asked, "Lad, did you see members of my Immortal Rain Sect here?"

Yi Yun's heart thumped. The members of the Immortal Rain Sect?

He had obviously seen them. They had melted into the River Styx, turning to bone dregs, which were eventually absorbed by the bronze giant.

"About that, I never encountered them at all."

Yi Yun answered earnestly.

"Is that so…" Shi Xuanji frowned. He did not completely believe Yi Yun's words, but no matter how much he permitted his imagination to run wild, he would never have expected that his disciples and grand-disciples had been killed because of Yi Yun's machinations. It did not make any sense.

"I wonder what happened to those fellows." Shi Xuanji muttered to himself. He was somewhat worried. He could ignore most of the juniors, but Marquis Wu Yun was someone he thought highly of. It would be a pity if he died. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"Master, don't worry. Junior Brother Wu Yun might not have entered the Door to the 33 Skies at all."

Standing beside Shi Xuanji, a man with a cultivation level at half-step Supremacy spoke. He was Shi Xuanji's personal disciple.

"Hopefully." Shi Xuanji shook his head, but suddenly—

Clang!

A loud blast boomed like thunder. People turned their heads in aghast as they saw the bronze giant roar at the sky. He had brandished his gigantic ax and cleaved at a metallic chain!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The gigantic ax cleaved down, again and again, causing the metallic chains to tremble violently. The burning sparks caused by the crashing of metal spewed into the blue sky!

Finally, with a bang that sounded ten times louder, the chain suddenly broke as though it was in response to the sound!

A chain that had existed but unaffected by the hundreds of millions of years it had seen had now been cleaved apart by the bronze giant's strikes!

"Oh no!"

Everyone felt their hearts sink when they saw this scene.

The giant was freeing himself!

With the Azure Wood Great World on the brink of destruction and the world's divine tree being chopped at, these chains could no longer trap the bronze giant.

It appeared as though the bronze giant had expended a great deal of strength to break the chain. He suddenly looked up and with a cold gaze, he glanced at everyone present.

This glance made everyone's blood flow accelerate. Apart from the Divine Lords present, who could face it calmly, the rest found it suffocating.

What terrifying mental powers!

"He is escaping."

"Slashing a chain has drained a lot of his energy. But the speed which he can quickly gather his strength again and continue is worrisome."

The Divine Lords and Supremacies present were overwhelmed by danger. It was no longer as simple as being trapped here. If this continued on, they would all be dead in a matter of days.

"We might really be on the verge of death. It's all because of all you outsiders that triggered the Azure Wood Manor's seals and provided large amounts of flesh and blood as nutrients for the bronze giant. It's because of you that this world is being destroyed at a faster rate."

"Who are you?" Demonic Eye Divine Lord looked at Granny Yin.

"I'm one of the descendants of the orthodox Azure Wood Manor." At that moment in time, Granny Yin's identity was no longer worth concealing.

"Descendants of the Azure Wood Manor?" Demonic Eye Divine Lord had heard of the Azure Wood Manor previously. He watched Granny Yin and Yue Yingsha with a strange look. "It's no wonder that punk managed to safely come all the way here. As descendants of the Azure Wood Manor, you are able to avoid any dangers that you are aware of in the Door to the 33 Skies."

Demonic Eye Divine Lord's comment enlightened many. You Feihua scoffed disgruntledly, "So that's the reason. I was wondering how impressive this punk was. So he came this far by hiding under the skirts of a girl. Then, there's nothing inspiring about that."

You Feihua was a sworn enemy of Yi Yun, so there was no need for him to mince his words.

"What do you know!?" Yue Yingsha glared angrily at You Feihua, who had not only humiliated Yi Yun, he had also demeaned her.

"Stop arguing. What's important now is to escape this land of death." Heavenly Sword Divine Lord spoke. He was mainly looking at Granny Yin, whom he believed was likely able to provide suggestions of value.

Granny Yin said, "Yi Yun, the idea was raised by you. I'll leave the honors to you."

True Martial World - Chapter 1029: Divine Chains

Like the cracking of the firmament, the bronze giant's ax struck the ghastly palm first.

The ghastly claw covered half of the blue skies and it immediately grabbed the bronze giant's ax.

Millions of the souls issued piercing screams as countless heads appeared from the ghastly claw while they chomped at the giant's ax.

"This strike…" Yi Yun felt as though his soul had been wrenched by it.

"How fearsome is a battle between the bronze giant and Divine Lords… We can't even withstand the aftershocks…"

Granny Yin consumed a pill, flushing her face with an abnormal ruddiness before she conjured a Yuan Qi barrier.

Despite having Granny Yin's Yuan Qi barrier, Yi Yun and company felt like they were tiny canoes in a stormy sea.

"So these are Divine Lords…" Yue Yingsha mumbled as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. She had encountered few warriors in the Azure Wood Great World and she had never seen these Divine Lord outsiders.

She only had an inkling of the might of Divine Lords from records in the Azure Wood Manor's books. Having never witnessed one in person before, she was amazed that their strength allowed them to battle the bronze giant.

At that moment, a sanguine light suddenly bloomed from the bronze giant's ax. It emitted endless killing intent that seemed to consume everything.

"Ah Ah Ah Ah!"

When the heads from the ghastly claw came into contact with the sanguine light, they issued shrill screams and evaporated like blood.

The bronze giant's ax continued advancing, and with crunching sounds, it gradually shattered the ghastly claw!

"The Cadaveric Hand has been destroyed." The Fey Phantasm Sect's Demonic Eye Divine Lord appeared in mid-air, Behind him was a gigantic blood-colored skull which had ghostly fires burning in its eye sockets, as though it had a mind of its own.

Demonic Eye Divine Lord frowned slightly. The bronze giant was much tougher than he imagined!

Immediately following that, the bronze giant took a step forward, causing the chains on its body to issue its tumultuous protest. He raised his ax and slashed at the wraith conjured by the collective efforts of the Fey Phantasm Sect's Supremacies!

The wraith was massive, with horns on its head. Wherever it passed filled the area with the smell of death, marked by the ashen transformation of the plants on the ground. But against the bronze giant's ax, the wraith appeared exceedingly weak!

The ax cleaved down at the wraith's head, splitting it apart!

"Ah!"

With the wraith destroyed, the Fey Phantasm Sect Supremacies suffered severe injuries. Their face turned ghastly pale as they spat black blood.

The bronze giant's strike had injured their essence!

"Rime Divine Lord!" Demonic Eye Divine Lord yelled.

A gentle wind stirred as the heaven and earth seemed to instantly split apart to usher in a graceful figure that slowly descended.

The woman was dressed in red and she had fair skin that rivaled snow. She looked sweet sixteen.

"Attack!"

She extended her slender hand as a ribbon band fell from the sky like a waterfall, billowing towards the bronze giant. In an instant, it had securely wrapped itself around the bronze giant's ax.

The band looked somewhat light and soft, but the binding force seemed to increasingly tighten after its successfully wrapped itself around the ax. Even the surrounding space began to distort.

If the entity being bound was a human, his flesh and blood would turn into a mangled mess of blood that would dye the band crimson.

Ka Ka Ka!

The bronze giant roared and swung its arm after it stomped its feet harshly upon the ground, sending massive tremors through the earth.

The band that wrapped around the bronze giant began to tear!

The bands dissipated into countless points of light before condensing again in Rime Divine Lord's hand.

A chilly look suffused from Rime Divine Lord's face as she commented dreadfully about the bronze giant, "What immense strength!"

Two Divine Lords had attacked one after the other to no avail!

The bronze giant bellowed into the sky with a sound that could burst eardrums. Yi Yun hurriedly used his Yuan Qi to envelop his ears, barely withstanding the sound blast.

Yue Yingsha's slender figure also quivered as she concluded, "The bronze giant is truly terrifying."

At that moment, the sword beam that seemed to split the world apart came crashing down on the bronze giant's head.

The sword beam resembled a dense, misty drizzle, but every raindrop contained lethal killing intent.

Felicitous Rain Lord appeared in the rain as well. With a sword in hand, his azure clothes fluttered with the wind, as though he was an immortal from heaven.

"Sword of Rain."

Felicitous Rain Lord's blade and the raindrops were all directed at the bronze giant!

And at that moment, where Felicitous Rain Lord presided was where his sword ruled supreme. The entire area had been overwhelmed by his sword beam!

The sword beam was extremely sharp that it seemed to prick at Yi Yun despite the Yuan Qi barrier!

"This is the Sword of Rain…" Yi Yun was startled when he saw the sword beams that filled the sky.

As a Divine Lord, the might of Felicitous Rain Lord's strike could rend the heavens!

At that moment, another figure suddenly appeared on the other side of the battlefield.

The figure was an elder with a vaguely discernible air of immortality. Dressed in loose white robes, he held a deep blue sword.

"Sword of Rain."

The elder brandished his sword and also attacked with Sword of Rain, sending raindrops down from the heavens!

"Could this person be the Immortal Rain Sect's Divine Lord?" Yi Yun looked at the elder in astonishment. However, it was not surprising that a Divine Lord from the Immortal Rain Sect would join the expedition to the Azure Wood Great World.

The same Sword of Rain synergized the tiny raindrops, ensuring that the bronze giant's head would be struck!

The bronze giant sensed danger from the incoming sword beams as well.

He let out a deep growl as his body trembled!

Boom!

The entire earth seemed to quake along with the chains. Immediately, like a flood, more than a dozen columns of black water of the River Styx burst out from various outlets.

Like a whale sucking in water, the bursts of water surged into the bronze giant's body!

The bronze giant's figure immediately increased several hundred feet in size, causing the chains to clank as they turned taut.

Boom!

The bronze giant brandished his ax and slashed at the sky!

Suddenly, a blood-colored rift appeared in the sky.

Powerful Yuan Qi spewed out from the rift!

The raindrops were destroyed by the Yuan Qi bit by bit.

After the bronze giant cleaved thrice, all the raindrops had been wiped clean.

As for that lethal ax, it continued its momentum after the raindrops were expunged. The few Divine Lords faced a might that could render the heavens asunder from the ax, draining the color from their faces.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Space began to flake as the might was indomitable!

"Clang!"

At that moment, the chains around the bronze giant suddenly tightened!

The chains that numbered in the dozens shimmered with ancient, mystic runes. The power that came from the heavens and earth had shackled the bronze giant to his spot.

"Puah Puah Puah!"

The ends of the chains tugged at the bronze giant's flesh, causing black demonic blood to spurt out! The bronze giant's body quivered suddenly as the ax came to a sudden halt!

Dozens of chains, in combination with the power of the runic seals, had inhibited the bronze giant's strike!

All the Divine Lords and Supremacies took the opportunity to open up a distance from the giant!

Clearly, they had previously discovered that the bronze giant was shackled by the divine chains and had expected such a situation to occur. They had also stood outside the definitive kill zone of the bronze giant.

The bronze giant quieted down again. Like a dormant primordial behemoth, he waited quietly for that definitive fatal strike.

Felicitous Rain Lord stood at a high altitude with his sword in hand. He watched the bronze giant with a heavy expression.

"The combined attacks of the four of us can't even injure the bronze giant at all. We are in trouble," said Demonic Eye Divine Lord.

"You did not use all your strength in your attack," said Felicitous Rain Lord snidely.

Demonic Eye Divine Lord did not respond. The bronze giant was a humongous threat, but Felicitous Rain Lord was not someone who he could let his guard down. Furthermore, there was another Immortal Rain Sect Divine Lord accompanying Felicitous Rain Lord.

Having been trapped in the plains of death, the four Divine Lords had acquiesced to maintain a distance before they attacked the bronze giant.

However, the bronze giant was too powerful. It was nearly impossible to kill him no matter what technique they used!

At that moment, Felicitous Rain Lord suddenly sensed something as he looked to the ground.

He saw on the plains of death, a small Yuan Qi barrier barely resisting the energy storms from the battle. And in the Yuan Qi barrier, he was surprised to see Yi Yun!

"Yi Yun!"

Felicitous Rain Lord was somewhat startled. He never expected to see Yi Yun here!

True Martial World - Chapter 1028: The Might of Divine Lords

After the phantom vanished, the portrait gradually rolled up and flew into Yi Yun's hand.

"Senior Yin, I would like to know more about what the Azure Wood Manor separatists had previously mentioned. What's the secret zone in the Door to the 33 Skies that Yue Yingsha alone can enter?"

The secret zone and the Key of the Nine Lotus had left Yi Yun somewhat puzzled. However, he found it inappropriate to inquire as it touched upon the Azure Wood Manor's heritage. But now with it possibly crucial to their survival, he had to make a detailed inquiry.

"The secret zone…is a region interior to the divine tree. Its location is perhaps in the main root of the divine tree, an area closest to the spirit of the divine tree. Back in the past, there was one Azure Wood Manor overseer who had managed to awaken the divine tree despite the closure of the Door to the 33 Skies. Her notes spoke of a secret zone and the existence of the divine tree's spirit."

"Based on this progenitor's records, subsequent generations of the Azure Wood Manor came to believe that if they could find this secret zone and control the spirit of the divine tree, they would be able to awaken the divine tree once again. Not only would it save the Azure Wood Manor, they might also attain incredible power. The Azure Wood Manor separatists were here for that. As for the Key of the Nine Lotus, it was left behind by that progenitor."

"The spirit of the divine tree…" Yi Yun cast his gaze at Yue Yingsha and said, "Will finding the secret zone guarantee gaining control over the spirit of the divine tree?"

Yue Yingsha sighed and said with a shake of her head, "Actually…it's not definite…. It was just an insubstantial notebook left behind by the progenitor. She was an impressive person, so I might not be able to accomplish the awakening like she did."

Yue Yingsha had zero confidence, especially after she entered the Door to the 33 Skies. Witnessing the strangeness and dangers of the Door to the 33 Skies had compounded her belief.

"Yi Yun…it's you that has a perception—one never seen in my life. You are practically the chosen one of the gods. This is your first time seeing the portrait, yet you can awaken the Sacred Ancestor's power. Perhaps you are the best candidate…" said Yue Yingsha somewhat sourly.

Yue Yingsha had the impression that the black-dressed woman was equivalent to a god and had existed in a primordial era. Therefore, Yue Yingsha refused to believe that Yi Yun had any relationship with the goddess. In that case, the only reason Yi Yun could awaken the portrait was that it was decided by the heavens!

Such talent and perceptivity made Yue Yingsha lament over her inadequacies. She had been praying in front of the divine tree from a young age and she had injected the divine tree's sap into her bloodline. But even so, it was completely useless. Perhaps Yi Yun was someone more suitable than she was to be the overseer of the Azure Wood Manor.

Granny Yin's lips quivered but she did not say a word. Although she was unwilling to admit it, the facts were laid out in front of her.

"Then…let us walk towards the divine tree. The savanna is sealed off by the bronze giant's power, so there's no way we can leave this place. Apart from us, even Divine Lords aren't able to escape this land. Perhaps we might find a chance of survival in the core of the divine tree."

Walking towards the divine tree meant walking towards the bronze giant. It sounded equivalent to suicide.

But at that moment, a region of death might be the road to survival, and desperate times called for desperate solutions!

Yue Yingsha and Granny Yin exchanged looks. Despite an acute awareness of the danger, no solution came to their minds. In their desperation, they might as well fight for their dear lives rather than suffering a trapped fate in the deadly savanna.

"The divine tree is a god spirit planted by the Sacred Ancestor; and now, the divine tree is sleeping while the bronze giant wantonly hacks away at it. If the divine tree were to awaken, everything might be different."

Yue Yingsha firmly believed that the power accumulated in the divine tree over hundreds of millions of years was redoubtable. Even the bronze giant would be powerless against it!

In this land of doom, the trio embarked on their journey once again. And this time, their target was the core area of the savanna. Heading towards the boundary in their predicament was destined to be fruitless, but the trip towards the core was surprisingly fast. At nearly the rate of one stride equaling five, they could see the divine tree's roots far in the distance with just fifteen minutes of walking.

During this process, there was constantly the emergence of the black evil demons, but they were warded off by Yi Yun's use of the portrait's power.

As for the deadly water of the River Styx, they managed to avoid it from Granny Yin's understanding of the geological features of the area.

Although the trio was limited in strength, they managed to safely traverse the savanna of death through all sorts of guile. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

As the core region approached, Yi Yun began to see the fuzzy black figure that stood far into the horizon.

It was that bronze giant!

The bronze giant's body was wrapped in chains and like a statue, it stood motionless. He was no longer chopping at the tree.

Perhaps it had drained all its strength and it was in the midst of recovery, or it would only move again deep into the night.

"Is he not moving because he's sleeping?"

It could not be any better if the bronze giant was sleeping.

Granny Yin shook her head and said, "It's probably not that simple. We will definitely alarm it if we really approach it. And when that happens, our deaths to him will be as simple as crushing an ant to death."

Yi Yun frowned. They needed to cross the bronze giant in order to approach the divine tree. However, it was an exceedingly difficult task. The portrait left behind by the black-dressed woman could exorcise the evil demons, but it was probably useless against the bronze giant.

While Yi Yun contemplating the dangers he faced, he suddenly saw a few figures in the horizon. As they were too distant, these figures looked as tiny as sesame seeds.

However, one of the figures suddenly expanded rapidly in an instant. A gigantic ghastly claw emerged as it struck at the bronze giant!

Another figure slashed out a strike in the form of an azure-colored greatsword. When the strike flashed, its luster split the heaven from the earth, as though it was the only thing in the world!

Tumultuous might struck at the bronze giant.

"It's Master!" Yi Yun sensed Felicitous Rain Lord's aura from the azure greatsword.

As for the gigantic ghastly claw, it was like the hand of a devil that surfaced from a realm of wraiths. White bone was exposed beneath the rotting flesh and it exuded a creepy air of death.

"That person is…the Fey Phantasm Sect's Demonic Eye Divine Lord."

From the looks of it, Felicitous Rain Lord and Demonic Eye Divine Lord were both trapped in the plains of death. They had taken the opportunity to attack the slumbering bronze giant!

The plains of death was strange in every fashion and everything pointed towards the bronze giant. As long as they killed it, there might be a chance of them escaping the land of death.

The power of the two Divine Lords' attack was formidable!

Simply watching the attacks made Yi Yun feel a piercing pain in his eyes. His protective Yuan Qi could not help but be triggered.

And behind the Fey Phantasm Sect's Demonic Eye Divine Lord, a few figures formed an array formation, condensing a wraith the size of a small mountain that was hurled at the bronze giant.

Yi Yun found one of the figures very familiar.

"Daoist You Ming is here too." Yi Yun's expression sunk slightly.

At that moment, the bronze giant had suddenly opened his eyes—eyes so cold and heartless as though they looked from a deep frozen abyss.

Immediately, the chains on its body issued clamorous sounds that each sounded like thunder.

The bronze giant took a step and immediately caused the world to tremble.

He brandished his ax and attacked Felicitous Rain Lord and Demonic Eye Divine Lord.

The cleaving of the ax seemed to split the world apart!

True Martial World - Chapter 1027: Ancient Portrait

The ancient portrait scroll sat silently in between Yue Yingsha’s fingers. Not only did the woman in the portrait appear to transcend the space they were in, she also faced everything in silence. Even though life was on the line for Yue Yingsha, she remained unresponsive to her pleas.

“Sacred Ancestor…”

Yue Yingsha knelt to the ground and bowed her head deeply. Her hands that were holding the scroll were trembling. She knew that the woman she called Sacred Ancestor had nothing to do with the Azure Wood Manor. She was the creator of the Azure Wood Great World and the Door to the 33 Skies and she was also the person who planted the divine tree. As for the Azure Wood Manor, they had only prospered from excavating the treasures that she left behind in the Door to the 33 Skies.

Under such circumstances, what sort of rights did they have to call themselves progeny of the Sacred Ancestor?

Danger drew near once again. After the portrait lost its radiance, the black shadows began to crowd around apprehensively.

There were about two to three hundred black shadows—evil demons bred in the Door to the 33 Skies. Yue Yingsha knew very well that if the demons were to charge at them as a horde, they would be completely wipe out even if she and Yi Yun were dozens of times stronger. As for Granny Yin, she was about to be devoured by that strange shadow.

The black shadows drew closer, leaving them out of options…

“Let me take a look at that portrait.”

At the moment of despair, Yi Yun’s voice suddenly sounded. Yue Yingsha faltered for a moment before handing the portrait to him.

The moment the portrait landed in his hands, Yi Yun closed his eyes as he slowly infused his Yuan Qi into the portrait. Upon seeing this scene, Yue Yingsha sighed lightly. Yi Yun was apparently attempting to awaken the power sleeping within the portrait.

However, this portrait was something that left her helpless despite her having a vital connection with the divine tree from a young age. Yi Yun was an outsider and this was his first time coming to the Azure Wood Great World, so what could he do? It was just a final desperate attempt.

Yue Yingsha did not stop him, nor did she give any explanation. All she did was silently wait for her life’s final moment.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!”

Two hundred black shadows roared simultaneously when they were certain that the threat from the portrait had vanished. A few of the most powerful ones had begun to slowly approach. Their spectral green eyes and hideous fangs were already in close proximity.

And at that moment, Yi Yun’s eyes were still tightly closed. While being encircled by the black shadows, the Purple Crystal’s energy enveloped the portrait. Suddenly, he sensed a shudder that came from his soul and immediately following that, Yi Yun felt like he had once again entered the space inside the Purple Crystal, allowing him to see that woman.

She was on a nine-petaled red lotus, with her back facing Yi Yun. Her black hair rushed down her back like waterfalls and time seemed to come to a momentary halt. Only when the black-dressed woman seemingly sensed Yi Yun’s presence did she slowly turn her head…

Boom!

As though he had torn through space-time, Yi Yun’s vision immediately returned to the plains of death once again.

He saw the portrait that he was previously holding in his hands drifting up as it spread out slowly in mid-air.

The woman’s figure in the portrait was identical to the one he saw in the Purple Crystal’s space.

“That…” Yue Yingsha was stunned. She had been unable to awaken the portrait and over the past generations, only one of the female saints had been able to awaken a tiny portion of the portrait’s power. Why was Yi Yun capable of doing that?

Vroom!

Rainbow radiance scattered out of the portrait. Yi Yun bathed in the light and immediately appeared as though he was a descending heavenly god!

It was not Yi Yun’s aura, but the aura of the portrait’s woman.

Slowly, the woman’s phantom image seemed to walk out of the portrait. Every step she took seemed to give birth to a resplendent red lotus.

Her fingers gently swiped across the air as though she was engraving divine patterns in them.

Yue Yingsha widened her eyes but the trajectories of the divine patterns were blurry in an alternate space. She was unable to discern it clearly as though something was blocking her vision.

Could those be…the Dao patterns that the black-dressed woman engraved when she created this world?

The black-dressed woman was the creator of this world, so she was equivalent to a god when it came to the Azure Wood Great World!

Cha! Cha! Cha!

Divine beams radiated in every direction, causing the black shadows to issue biting screams. The ones that were a distance away fled in panic, while the ones in close proximity turned to ash when the rainbow light swept past them!

The evil demons born in the Door to the 33 Skies were unable to withstand the power of a god.

Even the evil demon that had entered Granny Yin’s body let out a loud shrill before turning to a blue wisp of smoke.

Granny Yin’s body jolted before she fell to the ground. She had just escaped the jaws of death and she was extremely weak. However, under the divine rainbow light’s illumination, her eyes that had nearly gone blind slowly began to open.

As her blurry vision gradually turned clear, Granny Yin saw the scene of a figure being immersed in divine light.

“Succ…Successor?”

Granny Yin’s first thought was Yue Yingsha, but after a long while, she realized that it wasn’t Yue Yingsha, but Yi Yun.

Wh…What… Yi Yun has managed to awaken the power of the portrait? Granny Yin found it unbelievable. Why did Yi Yun possess the ability to do so?

Yue Yingsha, as well as the past generations of female saints from the Azure Wood Manor, had a faint connection with the divine tree that stemmed from their soul and bloodline. As a result, they were able to possess sacred items like the Sacred Ancestor’s portrait.

As for Yi Yun, he had been labeled an outsider by the Azure Wood Manor, but now, an outsider had managed to awaken their Sacred Ancestor?

Yi Yun was facing the Sacred Ancestor’s phantom image. In the light, the Sacred Ancestor’s figure looked like a dreamy mirage, and there was no way to discern her facial features. Similarly, Yi Yun was unable to discern the Dao patterns that she had drawn with her hand.

Yi Yun only had a feeling that her beauty exuded a divine sacredness. It was impossible for people to have a tiny bit of disrespect towards her.

The nine-petaled red lotus fluttered around her, and there was a profound aura of samsara resonating around her. Even though she was just a phantom image, Yi Yun was still able to sense a tremendous power from her.

For some reason, Yi Yun sensed that the female phantom image had given him a glance.

It was obviously a phantom image left in a scroll that had been left behind in a time eons ago, yet she was able to traverse the long rivers of time to focus on him.

But that feeling was only ephemeral!

The phantom image gradually dissipated…

The evil demons had retreated with shrill cries, and after an unknown period of time, Yi Yun suddenly opened his eyes after feeling like he had experienced a dream.

Only then did he see Yue Yingsha and Granny Yin still prostrated on the ground.

In their eyes, the scene of the Sacred Ancestor’s phantom with dancing sleeves and fluttering dress facing Yi Yun had been deeply imprinted into their minds.

Unknowingly, tears were flowing from Granny Yin’s aged eyes. After tens of millions of years of persistence and protection, with generation after generation of people being guardians of this shattered world and the waning Azure Wood Manor, she, whose days were numbered, had managed to see the Sacred Ancestor making her presence felt today!

Granny Yin gave a deep kowtow. The surrounding evil demons had all been wiped out and coupled with the silence of the savanna, the scene that they were in seemed to be fixed in place for eternity.

True Martial World - Chapter 1026: Sinister Eyes

The black rain fell in a dense outpour. As Yi Yun and company proceeded through the rain, they had conjured a protective barrier to isolate the raindrops from themselves.

The bronze giant had completely vanished. Neither could they hear the tumultuous sounds of the metal chains rubbing against each other. But in the dead silence of the misty rain, Yi Yun felt that there was something constantly staring at them. He felt immense foreboding.

But Yi Yun did not see anything the few times he turned his head.

"Yi Yun, something doesn't feel right," said Yue Yingsha suddenly. She sensed chilly waves assaulting them and despite walking for so long, their surroundings did not seem to change at all. It was as if they were walking in circles.

"Granny…are we continuing?"

Granny Yin had been leading the way by walking in front. When Yue Yingsha called out to her, Granny Yin did not immediately respond. Instead, she was continuing straight ahead.

"Granny."

Yue Yingsha suddenly felt something amiss as she flashed in front of Granny Yin. What she saw drained the color from her face.

At that moment, Granny Yin's face was shrouded in an intense layer of cadaveric air. Her entire being resembled one that had crawled out of a tomb, as though she was almost done rotting!

Granny Yin's eyes were deeply recessed and her wrinkly eyelids were tightly closed. In between the slits of her eyes flowed a trickle of black blood that was nearing complete decay. She could not see Yue Yingsha at all.

However, Granny Yin suddenly raised her stiff right hand. In the palm of her right hand, as well as her neck, there were two additional strange eyes that did not belong to her. The eyes were green in color and as they blinked, they were staring intently at Yue Yingsha, as if they were watching a delicious prey!

"Ah!"

Such a strange scene made Yue Yingsha scream out in horror. Granny Yin was someone she was the closest to. Now, she had suddenly turned alien. Such horror had ten times more impact than encountering any ordinary danger!

"Be careful!"

Yi Yun immediately pulled out his pure Yang broken sword and stood by Yue Yingsha's side. The two eyes that appeared on Granny Yin's body made his scalp tingle.

But at that moment, Yi Yun was at a loss. The eyes were apparently attempting to possess or devour Granny Yin's body.

What should he do? Should he strike?

Yi Yun was unsure if a strike from him could kill the eyes on Granny Yin's body but there was probably no question that Granny Yin was doomed!

"Granny is still alive. I can still sense her aura, but it's very weak," said Yue Yingsha with a trembling voice. She had her suspicions that once the pair of eyes completed its devourment, it would probably become harder to deal with. However, there was no way she could steel her heart to kill Granny Yin at that moment in time.

"Although Senior Yin is still alive, we are out of options. If the eyes can even devour Granny Yin, it will not pose any troubles devouring the two of us. If we do not attack, there will not be any chances left."

Yi Yun could only lay out the facts although he abhorred the thought of attacking Granny Yin. The moment she died, their collective strength would be greatly reduced as well.

Just as Yue Yingsha was hesitating, the sudden scene that followed made Yue Yingsha feel like she had fallen into a frozen cavern. She could see pairs of green eyes lighting up in the distant rain.

These eyes were even bigger than the ones she had previously seen. There were more than a hundred pairs of eyes as they lined themselves up into rows! The biggest pair was situated at the highest point. It was as large as a lantern and its eyes exuded a cold gaze as it overlooked Yi Yun and Yue Yingsha.

A hopeless situation!

Yi Yun's heartbeat stagnated. With the sudden appearance of more than a hundred pairs of terrifying eyes, with each pair able to devour an expert like Granny Yin, did he and Yue Yingsha have any chance of survival?

The God Advent Tower could no longer be used again, and even with the remaining two sword Qi that Felicitous Rain Lord left him, he felt that he could only at most sustain an additional ten seconds. One sword Qi could at best destroy one or two pairs of eyes! Was there still a way out?

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

More eyes appeared and formed an entire assembly in the shrouding rain!

Finally, a few pairs of eyes moved. They were like arrows that had left their bowstrings, as they propelled at Yue Yingsha first!

At that moment, Yi Yun finally managed to discern the foe clearly. Those eyes were actually shadowy black blobs. Each entity had a fuzzy body and it only left a pair of eyes in its exterior. The eyes were filled with a faint blackness as they exuded an eerie green luminance.

The black shadow moved very quickly, so quickly that Yue Yingsha had no way of dodging. The black shadow had already rushed in front of her!

With her life on the line, Yue Yingsha yelled in fright. She nearly tumbled but at that moment, a rainbow radiance suddenly beamed from her chest!

"Cha! Cha! Cha!"

The rainbow radiance was like indestructible sharp swords. Wherever it passed, the black shadows would emit the howls of feral wraiths. Many of the black shadows were pierced through by the rainbow radiance!

"Peng!"

Yue Yingsha slammed heavily to the ground as a portrait scroll fell from Yue Yingsha's chest.

The portrait was extremely ancient and it had an air of antiquity. The rainbow beams of light had been emitted by it!

The portrait had left the countless of shadows afraid to approach. Not only so, even the shadow that had entered Granny Yin's body was appalled.

"This is…"

Yi Yun looked at the portrait in shock. The portrait tumbled on the grass pains, and despite the dense black rain, not a single drop stained the portrait.

As the portrait scroll tumbled on the ground, it slowly opened and revealed itself. It depicted a woman in it. She was tall and she had a slender waist. She wore a black dress and in the middle of her eyebrows, there was a bright lotus imprint with nine petals.

Although it was just a portrait, it was as though Yi Yun could feel the fluttering of the black dress. The lotus imprint also seemed to project itself into his soul sea. This mysterious woman was untainted by the mortal world, as though she was a heavenly woman who had descended into the mortal world.

It's her!

Yi Yun took a deep breath. Back in the Primordial Empyrean Heaven, Yi Yun had seen two phantoms hidden in the Purple Crystal while gaining insight into the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence. One was a man that wielded a spear, while the other was this woman. She held a nine-petal red lotus which left a deep impression on Yi Yun.

Yi Yun once suspected that the spear-wielding man and the red lotus woman were the previous owners of the Purple Crystal.

Was a previous owner of the Purple Crystal the person who created the Door to the 33 Skies and planted the divine tree that held up the Azure Wood Great World?

Thoughts raced through Yi Yun's mind, but at that moment, the rainbow radiance from the portrait was gradually dimming. It was as though the divine light from a while ago had burst out accidentally when the portrait opened.

The moment the rainbow radiance dimmed, the black shadows hovering in the sky would stir once again!

"It's the Sacred Ancestor's portrait!"

Yue Yingsha, who had collapsed to the ground, rolled on the ground so as to embrace the portrait.

She knew that the portrait had unfathomable power sealed in it. It was the power of the Sacred Ancestor, and what had previously unfolded proved that the evil demons of the Door to the 33 Skies were afraid of this power. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

However, Yue Yingsha was deeply aware that she had no way to awaken the power in the scroll. She had attempted numerous times in the past and be it the divine tree or the portrait, she had not received any response from her attempts.

"Sacred Ancestor, please bestow your power on me, even if it's one-billionth of it…"

Yue Yingsha held the portrait as she humbly knelt to the ground. She knew that the portrait was the final hope that could save the three of them!

True Martial World - Chapter 1025: Plains of Despair

The divine tree of the Azure Wood Great World had been planted eons ago, and it had existed for an unknown period of time before the world it resided in was born. It was a tree that held up the fate of the Azure Wood Great World, but such a divine tree was being chopped at by a terrifying giant?

"Hmph! The divine tree has lived for hundreds of millions of years. Although the giant is mighty, it's wishful thinking if it's attempting to chop down the divine tree!" Granny Yin said through gritted teeth. In her mind, the divine tree was a god that was absolutely indestructible.

However, Yi Yun begged to differ. Every cleave the bronze giant produced was earth-shattering so the divine tree was likely to be damaged even if it was not felled.

What sort of existence was the bronze giant? Why was it so terrifying?

"The divine tree is indeed like a god, but even a true god is unlikely to be indestructible. I wonder if the bronze giant's chopping of the divine tree has anything to do with the collapse of the Azure Wood Great World."

Yi Yun's remark left Granny Yin, who was simmering in killing intent, startled.

The collapse of the Azure Wood Great World had something to do with the chopping of the divine tree?

On careful thought, although the Azure Wood Great World had existed for eons, there were many worlds that had survived longer than the Azure Wood Great World. These worlds did not necessarily have a tree that held them up; but now, the Azure Wood Great World which had the divine tree rooted in it was collapsing at a faster rate than those worlds.

After this thought came to Granny Yin's mind, it felt like a specter haunting her. She had spent her entire life in the Azure Wood Manor and she had subconsciously believed that the divine tree was indestructible. This had made her automatically neglect such a possibility.

Could the Azure Wood Great World's collapse be explained by the bronze giant's chopping of the divine tree?

"Granny, what do we do?"

Yue Yingsha had clearly come to the same conclusion as well. She felt a deep sense of helplessness when facing the bronze giant. What could she do in front of such an existence?

Even if the Divine Lord, Yue Ziya, was alive, what he could do was likely limited as well, let alone her.

Yue Yingsha and Granny Yin were astonished the moment Yi Yun said, "I might have…seen this bronze giant before."

"You have seen it before?"

"It shouldn't be the same person, but someone from the same race. I've once seen a phantom image of a bronze giant in a ruin."

Back when Yi Yun entered the Pure Yang Sword Palace, he had witnessed its owner slash out a strike that cleaved off a corner of a world and simultaneously, the head of a bronze giant!

That scene had left an unforgettable impression on Yi Yun. However, a phantom image was nothing more than a phantom image. It was definitely different from seeing a bronze giant standing in front of him.

"What ruin?" Granny Yin asked quickly. By concealing information of the Pure Yang Sword Palace, Yi Yun told them a partial story of entering a dilapidated world and how he had witnessed the scene of a bronze giant being slain.

Granny Yin was somewhat disappointed after hearing his depiction because it was information that could hardly be analyzed to be of any value.

"Oh? That is…"

Yi Yun's heart leaped as he saw the chains wrapped around the bronze giant suddenly tighten!

"Clang!"

The chains blared as they tugged at the bronze giant's flesh. One end of the chains was lodged deep within the bronze giant's body.

The bronze giant revealed a grimacing look as all its veins bulged, as though bronze fluid was being injected into its muscles, swelling them up.

"Puah! Puah! Puah!"

Dozens of black fountains surged to the sky as they converged from every corner of the lands toward the bronze giant that resembled a whale sucking in water. Finally, countless small vortices appeared in the void as they were absorbed by the bronze giant's pores.

After absorbing all of the liquid from the black fountains, the bronze giant seemed to calm down greatly. The dozens of chains that restrained the bronze giant also began to slack.

"It's the water of the River Styx..."

Yi Yun could clearly tell that the black river, called River Styx by Granny Yin, covered the plains. It had previously devoured Marquis Wu Yun and the Immortal Rain Sect separatists. Although Marquis Wu Yun and company were rather powerful, they had been swallowed by the water of the River Styx, reducing their flesh and blood to withered bone.

"It's indeed the River Styx. The rivers are scattered all across the plains and every tributary of the River Styx would form a land that spells certain doom. Now, every trace of it is being absorbed by the bronze giant."

Granny Yin recalled of the countless white bones that bobbed in the black waters of the river and felt a baffling chill. Could those white bones be the remains of living creatures that had their flesh and bone consumed after they drowned in the black river?

"Successor," said Granny Yin with a grave expression. "I have a feeling that the bronze giant is imprisoned here by those chains. In order to escape those chains, it has devoured every living creature that has entered the Door to the 33 Skies through the use of the black river's waters!"

"Oh!?" Yue Yingsha's heart palpitated. After hearing Granny Yin's words, she made the connections with the records in canon and realized that it was not impossible.

Countless people had died in the Door to the 33 Skies, but if one thought about it, the ways they died ranged from having their flesh dissolve or bones melt, through decaying into ash, to having their bodies corrode. The ways they died had a common point. They were left without remains.

If it was conjectured that the final outcome of the flesh and blood of dead warriors in the Door to the 33 Skies was for them to be consumed by the bronze giant, then everything seemed to make complete sense.

This conjecture sounded sensational that even Yi Yun felt a sense of dreaded fear when he heard it.

"Successor, we might be in big trouble. This piece of land that was enveloped by the gray fog yesterday might be the most dangerous area in the Door to the 33 Skies. It might be very difficult to exit the moment we entered. If not, Ancestor Master from hundreds of millions of years ago would not have left his tombstone behind on this piece of land. That's because he knew he faced certain doom…"

A Divine Lord of the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven was almighty but had resigned himself to fate by believing that his days were numbered and left behind a tombstone. It was evident how terrifying this piece of land was.

Yi Yun took a deep breath when he heard Granny Yin's words. If they were truly in such a situation, the chances of them leaving this place alive was exceedingly slim.

"Kid, what ideas do you have?" Granny Yin suddenly asked Yi Yun. Previously, Yi Yun had led them out of the Blood Desert, making her think of him in a different light. At that moment, all she could do was resort to desperate attempts to save a hopeless situation.

"I don't know," said Yi Yun with a shake of his head. It would be a lie to not be horrified while facing unknown dangers and certain death. "But regardless, let's make an attempt. There might be a chance of survival…"

"Alright, I'll lead the way."

After Granny Yin said that, she immediately walked in front to lead the way. The person walking in front was naturally taking on the greatest risk. Although Granny Yin's cultivation level was the highest, her bit of strength was unlikely to amount to much in this plains of death.

The sun gradually rose, but the weather seemed to turn gloomier. The bronze giant seemed to fade into the fog as it slowly disappeared.

It was unknown when a drizzle began to fall down from the sky. However, the raindrops were black in color, just like the black river's water. It exuded a faint sanguine air to it that was suffocating.

Amidst the rain, a pair of eyes the size of bowls gradually emerged. It stared quietly at the advancing trio, and like an apparition, it began to slowly approach.

True Martial World - Chapter 1024: Giant

What was written on the stone?

Yi Yun wondered. Every inch of the Door to the 33 Skies exuded an air of strangeness. Despite walking in it for so long, he had yet to encounter hints of human or Fey race activity.

"It's text used by the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven."

When Yi Yun cautiously came in front of the black stone, he saw a line of text that was written with bold strokes. Although it had been weathered by the elements for an unknown period of time, with portions of it eroded, it still had Dao charms circulating within that ensured that the line of text was not destroyed.

"I'm acutely aware that my days are numbered and I have established my tomb here. To mistakenly enter the Door to the 33 Skies, there is no regret to dying after seeing the forces of nature and the powers of gods and demons. — Yue Ziya."

The few dozen words left a deep impact on one's soul. Had he established a tomb for himself? Who was Yue Ziya…?

Yi Yun glanced at Granny Yin and noticed her expression looking complicated. The corners of her mouth were twitching as she kowtowed at the tombstone.

"Yue Ziya is the founding ancestor of our Azure Wood Manor. He was also the only Divine Lord that had perished in the Door to the 33 Skies. He entered the Door to the 33 Skies thrice and he failed to exit it on his third. Nothing was heard of him from then on."

When Granny Yin recounted the piece of history, her face was filled with mixed emotions. Hundreds of millions of years had passed, but she had managed to see the tomb and last words of Yue Ziya in the Door to the 33 Skies. How could she not sigh?

"So the Divine Lord died here." Yi Yun had a serious expression. He knew that a Divine Lord had perished in the Door to the 33 Skies, but it was not necessarily a place that was filled with danger. For example, Yi Yun had managed to easily exit the Blood Desert with his energy vision. If a Divine Lord had entered the Blood Desert, his perception of the forces of nature would make it trivial for him to escape the Blood Desert. There might not even be a need for a Divine Lord to fully understand the forces of nature to withstand the laws of the Dao patterns.

But here, Yue Ziya had set up his tomb and said that he knew his days were numbered. He felt no regret for his death after seeing the forces of nature and the powers of gods and demons.

What did Yue Ziya see in his final living moments, and what did he encounter? What made him immediately know that his days were numbered?

Yi Yun suddenly felt a baffling chill.

If a Divine Lord could not survive in here, what about Master?

"Granny, if Ancestor Master perished here, this might actually be a land of great peril…" Yue Yingsha felt a dark cloud veil across her heart. The seemingly lush savanna was actually a hundred times more dangerous than the Blood Desert.

Before Granny Yin could say a word, the sounds of the rubbing metallic chains resounded once again.

The sounds seemed to come from the deepest depths of hell as they assaulted the eardrums. Immediately following the sounds of the chain was a loud boom!

"Boom! Boom!"

The reverberations surged at them and each one of them induced an earthquake!

The world in the Door to the 33 Skies was massive, yet the ground could quake from the sound blasts?

What sort of existence created it?

The reverberations continued blaring, striking straight at the heart. After hearing it a few times, Yi Yun realized that the sounds were resonating with his heart. His heartbeat was influenced by the sound and began to synchronize its beats with the sound. This made Yi Yun's blood and energy turbulent as he felt his chest heavy. It was an extremely unpleasant feeling.

"The sound is terrifying. What is it?" asked Yi Yun while clasping his chest. Granny Yin was fine, but Yue Yingsha was in a worse state than Yi Yun. Her face was pale and blood was seeping out the corners of her mouth. Clearly, the massive sound blasts had injured her when they resonated with her organs.

"Successor, quickly calm down and meditate. I'll be on guard. Let's wait for daybreak!" exhorted Granny Yin. She did not know how long more the sound will continue. She felt that Yue Yingsha was unable to last long against it and she had to be wary of the mysterious eye that was hiding in the fog. She could not be distracted.

Yue Yingsha stopped just as she was about to say something. She knew her bodily condition, so all she could do was close her eyes and meditate. She left everything to Granny Yin.

The night was longer than expected.

The terrifying booms and the rubbing sounds of metallic chains continued on. Occasionally, the fierce roars of ancient beasts were interspersed in it. The roars could instantly reduce a Dao Seed realm warrior to a mist of blood.

All of this gave them the creeps. It was as if there was a terrifying existence chained in the rolling mountains who was trying its best to escape those shackles in this dark and eerie night.

The torturous night depleted Yue Yingsha's Yuan Qi greatly. Even Yi Yun found it extremely unsustainable.

He knew that he had yet to actually encounter danger. It was just sound waves that would have been harmless to figures at the level of Yue Ziya. However, they were sufficient to reduce him to such a sorry state. This made Yi Yun feel a great sense of danger for he was unsure what he would encounter next.

"The fog is dispersing…"

Perhaps it was because daybreak was nearing as the night fog that occluded their vision and prevented their perception from working had mostly vanished. Looking up into the sky, the river of stars were becoming dimmer. In the eastern sky, a blood-red morning sun gradually rose, scattering its luminance that resembled thousands of divine swords.

"Daybreak has finally…finally, come." Yi Yun sighed in relief. Yue Yingsha's expression relaxed in a rare fashion. She had her brows knitted previously with sweat perspiring from her forehead. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

However, before Yi Yun and Yue Yingsha had a chance to say something, they were simultaneously astounded by what they saw into the distance.

Under the blood sun's illumination, Yue Yingsha and Yi Yun saw an alarming scene that they would never forget for life.

They saw in the distant horizon dozens of thick veins as thick as mountains gathered together. Like dragons snatching at a pearl, they twined around and formed a thick divine tree trunk. It stood erect like a heavenly column that reached toward the ends of the Door to the 33 Skies.

And in front of the divine tree stood a bronze giant. The giant seemed to hold up the heavens and his body obstructed the sanguine sun. All the mountains were crushed beneath his feet like sand mounds in a sandpit. The bronze giant held a massive ax in hand while his body was wrapped around by black chains. The end of these chains pierced into the bronze giant's flesh and on the other end, they were buried deep into the ground.

"Boom!"

The bronze giant was brandishing his ax and chopping at the tree root!

Clang!

The chains resonated producing the terrifying sound again. Like the collapsing of mountains and the howling of seas, a massive shockwave ran through the ground as a result of the sound blast with the bronze giant as the epicenter! The blast radiated out for hundreds of kilometers and moments later, a strong squall came rushing at Yi Yun and company.

With a grunt, Yi Yun took several steps back. Even with his Yuan Qi protecting him, he felt as though his eardrums were about to rupture from the sound blast.

Yue Yingsha was in an even worse state. She nearly collapsed after experiencing a night of torment.

What was this?

Yue Yingsha was astounded. There was a giant deep in the Door to the 33 Skies and it was chopping at the Azure Wood Great World's divine tree!