"Phew~"
Cao Ya took a deep breath, drew his sword with his left hand, and a terrifying sword intent pierced the sky, causing the wind and clouds to change color. Gods and demons from all directions were filled with fear.
His right hand was already broken before he entered the system space, which is why he went to the Village of the Disabled and became one of the elders.
At that time, his strength was second only to Su Muzhe, the village chief who had once been the Human Emperor of the Yuan Realm, and surpassed that of the other elders.
As fellow swordsmen, the butcher and he would occasionally spar.
As a left-armed swordsman, he created the "Left-Handed Sword Technique," which contains many profound mysteries.
After entering the system space, he gained other powers and various insights, and observed the myriad laws of heaven and earth. Although these powers were not universally applicable in the [Shepherd of Gods] universe, he was able to make great progress by analogy, and his cultivation level began to advance by leaps and bounds.
Even though he knew all the secrets of the Yuan Realm, Youdu, Xuandu, Wuyou Township, Tianting, Zuting, and prehistoric times, Cao Ya later reduced his cultivation time in the Heavenly Palace and Divine Realm, focusing on the Dao Realm system, creating the future of the Dao of the Sword, reaching one peak after another, joining the ranks of Heavenly Venerables, and looking down on the universe!
This is still just the way of the sword, without taking other systems into account.
If they are superimposed, even if there is some loss, and some systems, when they use their divine power, will be weakened to a certain extent due to the changes in the universe, after all, the underlying rules have changed - in fact, such a result is already very good and satisfactory. Without the system space, he might not be able to call upon any of the magical power of those systems at all!
Now it has become his trump card, the source of his confidence in confronting the Heavenly Court.
Otherwise, relying solely on the Dao of the Sword, how could Cao Ya possibly rival the Four Heavenly Venerables?!
According to his own assessment, the level of his swordsmanship should be around the thirty-seventh heaven. If it were to manifest, it could be imprinted on the ultimate void and grow a Dao tree, but it could not bloom Dao flowers, bear Dao fruits, or build a Dao palace.
It's roughly equivalent to a regular Great Heavenly Court with thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and another one or two dozen or so Treasure Halls.
Compared to the other celestial beings, he is not even a level ahead, but only half a step ahead.
After all, a group of celestial beings, though they do not have thirty-six celestial palaces, generally have thirty-two or thirty-three, or even thirty-four or thirty-five!
Most importantly, they have more than one or two palaces!
Thirty to fifty seats is quite possible!
This is still the level of attainment at the Heavenly Palace Divine Realm. In terms of the Dao Realm system, the Heavenly Venerables are not without progress either.
Those beings who can reach this stage possess top-tier innate qualities, talents, and abilities.
Just like Emperor Kaihuang, who focused on the Dao realm and reached the thirty-fifth level of the Sword Dao, he also had considerable Dao cultivation in the Heavenly Palace Divine Realm, which focused on cultivating magic power. However, in this aspect, he could not compare with the Heavenly Venerables. Of course, the Heavenly Venerables were also inferior to Emperor Kaihuang in terms of the Dao realm.
Compared to Kaihuang, Cao Ya's swordsmanship is superior, but his magical power is inferior.
One is better than the other, so they're pretty much even.
The extraordinary power of other universes is Cao Ya's true trump card!
Examples include Cao Ya in "Covering the Sky", "Perfect World", "Panlong", "Stellar Transformation", "Primordial Era", "The Supreme Being", and "Immortal Gourd".
"Hiss~~"
The blade flashed, tearing the heavens and earth apart. The aura of annihilation was terrifying beyond measure. Countless gods and demons trembled and sweat poured down their faces.
Cao Ya held the knife in his left hand, and with a wisp of energy released, he could pierce through Xuandu and shatter the heavens!
The vast world seemed as fragile as paper before him.
Even the Heavenly Venerables, who already possessed the incomplete Heavenly Court, all wore solemn expressions and faced a formidable enemy when confronting Cao Ya, who had no more reservations.
They had a delusion that they were about to be defeated!
"With the combined power of the four, we can sweep across all realms. How could we possibly be defeated?" Emperor Langxuan roared, his voice shaking the heavens and blocking Cao Ya's flowing sword energy.
"Huh?" Suddenly, Cao Ya's eyes flickered.
In terms of Dao Realm, the Divine Emperor Langxuan has achieved a remarkably profound level, approaching the top level of the thirtieth heaven and above.
Even Haotianzun, Xiaotianzun, and Huotianzun have not yet been able to achieve this.
However, the Divine Emperor Langxuan beat him to it. Could he be more powerful than both the Heavenly Venerable Haotian and the Heavenly Venerable Xiaotian?!
"It's because of that Dao Fruit," Cao Ya thought to himself. With his knowledge of the original timeline and his understanding of various great secrets, as well as Qin Mu's message, he naturally knew that the Langxuan Divine Emperor had obtained a Dao Fruit from a prehistoric Daoist and had benefited greatly from studying it.
Of course, the hidden dangers are also enormous.
However, it seems that the Divine Emperor Langxuan was unaware of this, perhaps because he was blocked by the Dao-achievers within the Dao Fruit.
"Cao Ya, you crippled man, how dare you stop us? Die!" The emotions of the Langxuan Divine Emperor were fully revealed, as if he had lost all composure. He immediately attacked, his ferocity unmatched.
Cao Ya is a left-armed swordsman. Although his strength has greatly improved and he could have regenerated his arm long ago, he has never fully recovered after getting used to having only one arm.
He didn't even activate any special techniques or secret arts; it was just a sense of death spreading throughout the world, the universe ending, the heavens and earth falling silent, and the eight wastelands returning to nothingness.
That's Cao Ya from "Covering the Sky," a powerful Daoist technique that has already reached the Immortal Path in the Mortal World, at the five-star high level!
The universe of "The Legend of the Shepherd God" is just an ordinary Great Heavenly Court, or a normal Daoist!
Having completed this mortal immortal path and achieved the complete status of a mortal immortal, one reaches the peak of the five-star level, equivalent to a perfect Heavenly Court with thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and seventy-two Treasure Halls, or a super existence at the level of a Dao Palace in the fortieth heaven!
Such figures are few and far between, even among the many who attained enlightenment in prehistoric times.
In the Perfect World universe, he was a Quasi-Immortal King at the pinnacle of True Immortal!
Such figures, regardless of the universe they exist in, even in a terrifying universe with a seven-star elder, would still be considered top-tier, capable of commanding heroes and intimidating all races!
Due to wear and tear from the various systems combined, as well as the limitations imposed by the underlying rules of different realms, Cao Ya's overall combat strength has not reached the peak of the five-star level and remains within the boundary of the advanced five-star level.
Even so, he is terrifying enough, possessing power surpassing that of a Celestial Venerable!
If it weren't for the fact that the opposing side had all four Heavenly Venerables appearing together, and the divine artifact Yu Tianzun also emerging, Cao Ya would have killed him long ago if he were just one person.
"Buzz..."
The world was filled with the vastness of death, the surging energy of swords, and countless mysterious laws and phenomena such as fire, wind, water, and lightning rose up and covered this region.
There's no need to use swordsmanship or fist techniques; one can simply utilize the laws and principles of the Dao, unleashing boundless divine power.
In addition, there was a celestial river flowing, with endless magic arrays entwined around it, and the Great Dao roaring. At the bottom of that river, there seemed to be some enormous creature lurking, exuding a terrifying aura, ready to leap out at any moment and launch a fatal attack!
"How could he, all by himself, master so many laws?" Madam Yuanmu was shocked.
"Isn't it said that Cao Ya's foundation lies in the way of the sword... Damn it, I think the way of the sword is just one aspect here! It's not even the most outstanding one! Who spread this information? It's incredibly misleading!" Qiang Tianfei cursed loudly. Who spread this information? It's ridiculously wrong!
Even the drastically changed Langxuan Divine Emperor shrank back, his expression one of horror.
"Perhaps, in terms of the Dao realm, the one who has gone the furthest is not Kaihuang, but Cao Ya... Even the former Taidi is not as good as him... Taidi ultimately relied on the sacrifices of my Creator Clan. The so-called attainment of Dao through divine consciousness is not entirely achieved through one's own cultivation... In terms of understanding the Great Dao, let alone comparing with Cao Ya, Taidi may not even be as good as Kaihuang... Well, not just possibly, but definitely inferior!"
"It's a bit ridiculous that the Tai Emperor, a dignified Daoist and the first person in this era to reach the 36th level of the Dao Realm, lost to Cao Ya and Kaihuang of later generations."
Suddenly, a thought, or perhaps a judgment, popped into Gong Tianzun's mind.
For no reason at all, Gong Tianzun was simply certain!
Of course, the Celestial Venerable was also well aware that the Supreme Emperor's true form was extremely powerful.
The divine consciousness attained through sacrifice, though inferior to that attained through arduous cultivation, lacks profound insights and has an unstable foundation, but its external realm is too high, and its combat power remains formidable!
Moreover, so far, only Cao Ya and Kaihuang have surpassed Taidi in the Dao Realm.
The rest are not even as good as the Emperor Tai.
Thinking about it, she glanced at Consort Qiangtian.
The identity of Consort Qiangtian, along with Qin Mu's meddling in the affairs of the world, was no secret for a long time, but no one dared to expose it.
As eleven Heavenly Venerables, both rulers of the Heavenly Court, there's no need to make things too tense—at least not on the surface.
What happens behind the scenes, who can say for sure?
"Why is Gong Yun looking at me?" Consort Qiang was taken aback, not understanding what Gong Tianzun meant.
"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore! Killing Cao Ya is an important mission, but for me, it only ranks second!"
Consort Qiangtian pondered that her most urgent task was to refine the two divine swords she had obtained from the ancestral court!
That's the universe's number one weapon of destruction!
The Xuandu War resulted in countless deaths. Even experts in the Heavenly Palace Divine Realm, such as those at the Jade Capital, Lingxiao, and Emperor Throne levels, suffered casualties, their divine corpses shattering and falling to the earth.
"This is the best opportunity! A once-in-a-lifetime chance!" Consort Qiang's eyes burned with fervor.
Just as she was plotting to refine the divine blade, the other three Celestial Venerables flew out and attacked Cao Ya.
"In this universe, the Heavenly Court is the most supreme! Cao Ya, your stubborn resistance will only lead to your death!"
With a loud roar, Gong Tianzun unleashed her divine artifact, Yu Tianzun, a powerful weapon. Behind her head were thirty-five celestial palaces, not many in number and rather illusory. But no one could say for sure whether this was Gong Tianzun's deliberate attempt to lull her into a false sense of security, unwilling to reveal her full strength.
At the same time, the thirty-five celestial palaces rotated, the hazy palaces swayed, and then settled, serving as supporting elements to set off the celestial palaces, forming a broken heavenly court, magnificent and grand, with the smell of war surging out.
"Waaaaah!!!"
Furthermore, a loud horn sounded, echoing from within the Heavenly Court and reverberating throughout Xuandu!
On the Heavenly Court side, morale soared, and they felt an endless power surging from the deepest part of their bodies, as if some human treasure was being unlocked.
"kill!!!"
The army roared and trampled the divine city to the ground. The Xuandu region was left in disarray, with soldiers abandoning their armor and weapons, filled with fear and unease.
"Gong Yun, the God-King, is one of the three great God-Kings of the Primordial Era, and he is in charge of war!" Cao Ya whispered.
He was naturally aware of Gong Tianzun's background.
This is a woman who dares to draw her sword against the Supreme Emperor and the Ancient God Emperor. She is brave and skilled in battle, never knowing how to retreat. Even if she is inferior in strength, she is fearless and dares to fight!
"laugh!!"
With a flick of his divine whip, Gong Tianzun channeled his magical power, transforming it into an ancient spear that stood proudly across the myriad realms, pointing directly at Cao Ya. Its fierce aura surged forth, capable of annihilating an entire world!
Besides Gong Tianzun, Langxuan Shenhuang was also quick to act.
"Divine Essence Finger!" roared the Divine Emperor Langxuan. This was his strongest divine ability. The eleven Heavenly Venerables had many trump cards, but none of them had a second divine ability that could surpass Divine Essence Finger!
This is the manifestation of the primordial Way!
Langxuan Divine Emperor is actually the offspring of Gongyun Divine King and Ancient God Heavenly Emperor. Ancient God Heavenly Emperor is Taichu, one of the Five Primordial Gods, and Langxuan Divine Emperor has half of his bloodline. Langxuan Divine Emperor's background is also extraordinary, and he has a profound understanding of the Primordial Dao.
"Divine Essence Finger" is the embodiment of this kind of enlightenment.
"This mother and son... are so decisive, showing the demeanor of a Heavenly Venerable. As the Ancient God of Guixu and the mother of Haotian Venerable, I cannot fall behind!" Madam Yuanmu blinked, her eyes showing the charm of a young girl, but her body was still that of a burly man. This contrast was chilling.
She herself seemed oblivious.
"I'll risk it!" Madam Yuanmu gritted her teeth, took out her treasure chest, and opened a corner of it.
"Bang!!"
With a violent explosion, the divine artifact, the Heavenly Venerable, soared into the sky, its size increasing rapidly, expanding like a creation god, its imposing aura overwhelming even Xuandu, which seemed unable to bear its weight.
Madam Yuanmu divided her attention, using a wisp of her mental energy to control the divine artifact, Yutianzun, while her true body, like Ruogong Tianzun and Langxuan Divine Emperor, charged out and fiercely attacked Cao Ya, breaking through the Milky Way and beginning to confront the dense and profound laws!
"Roar..." With a roar, the enormous phantom of the Kunpeng leaped out and soared straight up to ninety thousand miles!
"Die!!" Lady Yuanmu's divine artifact, the Heavenly Venerable, slammed down, its Daoist flames spreading and burning through Xuandu, as if the Fire Heavenly Venerable himself had arrived, the master of flames!
The phantom of the Kunpeng burst forth with golden light, and then a dark light swept in, blocking the divine artifact, the Heavenly Venerable. The clash between the two behemoths shook the heavens and the earth, creating a tremendous commotion, comparable to the battle between the Heavenly Emperor and the Ancestral God King in the distance!
"That little vixen, Lady Yuanmu, used to hide her identity and stay in the Heavenly Court, in charge of the Creation Father Heavenly Palace. She was involved in the forging of various artifacts. Putting aside other things, she must have a secret weapon for a powerful weapon like the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Venerable!"
"That kind of cultivation technique definitely belongs to the Fire Celestial Venerable!"
Qiang Tianfei's eyes twitched, and she thought to herself, "The Fire Heavenly Venerable's techniques have been stolen to a great extent. I have also used the divine artifact Imperial Heavenly Venerable. Presumably, Lady Yuanmu has also gained something from it."
"Haotian Venerable, Hongtian Venerable, Xiaotian Venerable, Gongtian Venerable, Langxuan Divine Emperor, Ancestral Divine King, Xutian Venerable, Yantian Consort, and the others—once they use this item, there will be no exception!"
"Zaofu Heavenly Palace... Hey, that's a great choice!"
Consort Qiangtian was wary; she was 100% certain that Madam Yuanmu was not like her, possessing only one powerful weapon.
There must be at least two!
"Fortunately, they have a backup plan, but so do I," Consort Qiangtian snorted. As the true form of the Supreme Emperor, she remained in the Ultimate Void, yet her divine spirit descended to earth, enough to stir up a storm.
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"Moreover, there are two divine swords..."
With a smile, Consort Qiang set up an altar, activated her magic, and drew upon the malevolent energy of Xuandu.
"Qiang Tianfei, what are you doing?"
Before Gong Tianzun, Lady Yuanmu, and Emperor Langxuan could question and reprimand Consort Qiangtian for holding back Cao Ya, the Ancestral God King spoke first from afar, his voice filled with shock and anger.
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