Liam Cloud, transformed into the Emperor of Letters, chanted ancient Dao-language as he drew a stroke on the scroll with his brush.
The Emperor of Letters' words became law; his spoken Dao-language turned into divine arts that could summon wind or rain at will. With a single utterance, he could call forth storms, clouds, thunder, and lightning.
Whatever he painted with his brush became reality: draw a dragon, and a dragon soared; draw a rope, and the rope bound; draw Sumeru Mountain, and Sumeru Mountain descended to crush!
Yet even as Liam Cloud took the form of the Emperor of Letters, he still couldn't withstand Quinn Shepherd. Quinn's fist-intent and spirit swept all before him, shattering every divine art the Emperor of Letters unleashed.
In close combat, Quinn Shepherd was nearly invincible!
Another banner rose, enveloping the retreating Liam Cloud. The banner exploded, and a three-legged Golden Crow carrying a blazing sun soared into the sky, diving at Quinn Shepherd.
Liam Cloud transformed again and again—from Great Sun Star Lord to Five Luminary Star Lords, from Seven-Kill Star Lord to the Heavenly and Earthly Star Generals, and through all Three Hundred and Sixty Righteous Gods, dazzling the onlookers with endless changes.
When Cloud‑Venerable fell in battle, the Purple Firmament Throne Art had only just taken shape. But over history, the Cloud Clan continually evolved and perfected it.
Only now, after hundreds of thousands of years, has the Purple Firmament Throne Art truly reached perfection, displaying a unique charm unmatched by any other cultivation method!
After countless ages, this art has finally matured. Though Cloud‑Venerable is long dead, his cultivation method now stands equal to those of any other Heavenly Venerable.
This is precisely the charm of Cloud‑Venerable.
Quinn Shepherd continued to fight Liam Cloud with martial Dao divine arts, infusing the spirit of the Everpeace Reform into his martial path. No matter what ancient god appeared, he smashed them all with his fists and slew them with his palms, fearless and indomitable.
No matter how exquisite or varied Liam Cloud's divine arts became, Quinn saw only flaws.
As the founder of the Grand Micro Numerology Canon, Liam Cloud used Dao Ancestor's Classic Numerology Canon to calculate ancient god Dao-runes, but to Quinn they were far from perfect.
Suddenly, banners floated up one after another, fusing together as Liam Cloud shot skyward and merged with them.
The sky blazed with light as the body of a majestic ancient god appeared, seemingly made of pure radiance—white brows, white hair, white beard, even the eyes shone white, radiating brilliance.
Heaven Duke.
Behind Liam Cloud, Forty‑Nine Heavenly Principles formed forty‑nine unique treasures, suspended in the sky.
Liam Cloud's display of the Purple Firmament Throne Art had reached absolute perfection; if not for the Everpeace Reform, there would be no flaws in this cultivation method at all.
Quinn Shepherd praised him. The third eye at his brow finally opened, and a halo appeared behind his head—a wheel of darkness that devoured all light, like a black hole.
His physical body began to transform; the third eye on his brow grew ever brighter, as if Netherworld divine fire blazed within.
Flames burst from his forehead, sprouting a pair of twisted ox-horns. His face shifted into a tiger's visage, his flesh swelling and rising, becoming ever more imposing.
Terrifying Netherworld miasma erupted from the Jade Sea, turning a hundred-mile radius into a shadow of Youdu.
In the winding corridors, a tiny Little Earth Sovereign popped out of Dragon‑Qilin's ear, eyes wide as it pointed at Quinn, exclaiming, "Scary—"
Before Dragon‑Qilin could reply, Annie immediately noticed the little creature, delighted, and handed it a spirit pill.
The Little Earth Sovereign struggled to hold the spirit pill, solemnly asking Annie, "Scary?"
"That's right. You look just like him."
Annie laughed, "Fat Dragon, did you bring this little guy with you?"
Dragon‑Qilin nodded, whispering, "I don't know when it crawled onto me. It looked so pitiful, I decided to keep it with me. If it ran off, it'd starve to death by the next day."
As they spoke, on the Jade Sea, Quinn Shepherd in Tu Bo form finally collided with Liam Cloud in Heaven Duke form. These two ancient god leaders had never clashed before—no one knew who was stronger, and many were eager to find out.
This time, Quinn Shepherd took on Tu Bo's form, while Liam Cloud became Heaven Duke. Though it wasn't a true clash between Tu Bo and Heaven Duke, the excitement was palpable.
Terrifying waves of force swept out in all directions. The people standing before the winding corridors were hit first: space twisted, transmitting the power of the two combatants' divine arts in rippling waves!
Islands and mountains were stretched—some elongated more than tenfold, others suddenly shrank to stunted mounds.
Annie spread her wings to shield the winding corridors, protecting everyone.
The second shock-wave came from the Jade Sea itself: towering waves nearly overturned the entire sea, flooding everything. Even the divine turtles flying through the air struggled to keep their footing, flailing helplessly as they carried island-mountains on their backs.
Huge golden lotus flowers in the sea swayed in the turbulence, radiating sheets of golden light that blocked the impact and remained intact.
The third shock-wave was a hurricane, its winds many times faster than sound, sweeping up everything with a terrifying roar.
Such power was beyond the reach of most gods, yet here it was wielded by two seemingly sickly young divine arts users—Quinn Shepherd and Liam Cloud—leaving everyone stunned!
When the storm finally calmed, Annie folded her wings. Young Master Cyrus Qi, Dragon‑Qilin, and the others looked over and saw Quinn Shepherd and Liam Cloud standing on the surface of the sea, no longer fighting.
A surge of admiration welled up in Young Master Cyrus Qi's heart: "Liam Cloud is truly the undisputed number one of the younger generation, worthy heir of Cloud‑Venerable. Cult Master Quinn is equally remarkable, able to match him blow for blow. If Cult Master Quinn survives, he might one day claim the Heavenly Venerable title for real."
Dragon‑Qilin laughed, "Third Brother, you still don't understand the Cult Master. He's a humble man—he always holds back a little."
Young Master Cyrus Qi was momentarily startled, then laughed, "Humble? When has Cult Master Quinn ever been humble? Second Brother, you must be joking."
"The Cult Master has always been humble—just humble in a way that makes you want to hit him."
Dragon‑Qilin said, "Look, in his fight with Liam Cloud, he never once used his Primordial Spirit, nor his best sword arts."
Young Master Cyrus Qi shook his head, dismissing it: "What Primordial Spirit? He doesn't even have a soul left, so of course he can't use his Primordial Spirit. As for his sword arts—at this level, when even Heavenly Dao and Netherworld Dao are in play, what use is swordsmanship?"
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On the Jade Sea, Liam Cloud's breath gradually calmed. He coughed violently, his face flushed, and said, "Venerable Shepherd, what do you think of my ancestor's Purple Firmament Throne Art?"
Quinn Shepherd sincerely praised him, "It's a great cultivation method—truly beautiful. Cloud‑Venerable lives up to the Heavenly Venerable name, and you, Liam, are no slouch either. With your current skill, you could hold your own against any young Heavenly Venerable."
Liam Cloud's eyes flickered. "Then, Venerable Shepherd, do you think my ancestor's art is outdated?"
"Of course."
Quinn Shepherd said earnestly, "There's no need to feel inferior. Even in the lower realm, few could surpass you—at most two people at your level could defeat you. You haven't experienced the Everpeace Reform, yet you achieved so much. You've brought no shame to Cloud‑Venerable."
Liam Cloud chuckled, "There are two people in the Primordial Realm stronger than me? Are they more powerful than a Heavenly Venerable?"
Quinn Shepherd shook his head, "They're just a little weaker than me, and a little stronger than you—after all, I have the Overlord Body. But even so, I'm only a shade above you both."
Liam Cloud burst out laughing, then coughed violently and caught his breath. "So the Heavenly Venerable didn't go all out earlier. I hear you have the Overlord Body and are a master of sword arts. Back at Jade Pool, even Lady Yuanmu's projection couldn't crack your sword move. I'd love to see your swordsmanship!"
Quinn Shepherd looked troubled. "Liam, you're a genius. I don't want to discourage you and affect your Dao-heart..."
Liam Cloud replied solemnly, "My ancestor's teachings praised your sword arts above all. Don't hold back—if my family's legacy loses to you, it's no blow to me, but a blessing!"
He brimmed with confidence and pride. "Only by losing can I see my family's arts are still imperfect, with room to improve. If I don't lose, then living in this world would have no joy! To be honest, I still have one unfinished divine art—I'd like to pit it against your sword, and lose fair and square!"
His aura surged forth again.
At that moment, Young Master Cyrus Qi glanced off into the distance, spotting many young men and women sailing across the sea toward them.
Dragon‑Qilin looked around. "Third Brother, who are those people?"
Young Master Cyrus Qi studied the newcomers gravely. "They're figures from the Azure Glory List and Divine Splendor List. In Heavenly Court, the younger generation is vast, so they created the Radiant Spirit List, Azure Glory List, and Divine Splendor List to encourage them. The Divine Splendor List ranks the disciples of Heavenly Venerables, ancient gods, Heavenly Kings, Four Emperors, and imperial princes. The Azure Glory List ranks disciples of great clans and sects. The Radiant Spirit List is for commoner prodigies. Everyone on that ship is from the Divine Splendor or Azure Glory List."
He shook his head. "These people aren't here for peace. I knew nothing good would come of Cult Master Quinn visiting Heavenly Court. He thinks no one dares touch him—what a joke. If Heavenly Court wants someone dead, not even a Heavenly King is safe!"
The group drew nearer, their tower-ship stopping as they prepared to disembark.
Young Master Cyrus Qi whispered, "They're definitely here to cause trouble, looking for a pretext to kill Cult Master Quinn. Second Brother, don't get involved—I'll handle them. As a disciple of the Crimson and Black Emperors, I have some standing. I can only protect you, not Cult Master Quinn..."
He turned to Annie, voice low. "If Cult Master Quinn is in danger, you can't intervene either. This is Heavenly Court—if they want to kill Quinn, they might hesitate; but you, they'd kill without a second thought!"
Without waiting for Dragon‑Qilin or Annie to reply, he strode forward, laughing, "Friends, long time no see! What brings you to Jade Pool today?"
"So it's Brother Jiuyi."
The leader, a man in yellow, smiled. "We heard Brother Jiuyi went down to the lower realm and hadn't returned. I thought something terrible happened to you—who knew you'd still be alive. Heaven must be blind!"
Young Master Cyrus Qi sneered, "Thanks for your concern. The blessed are protected by Heaven—I've got luck and a long life, so I won't die so easily."
A woman with wings on her back looked at Quinn Shepherd and Liam Cloud in the Jade Sea, intrigued. "Was that Venerable Shepherd and Liam Cloud fighting just now? Incredible! Such boundless divine arts—they nearly scared me away."
"A Heavenly Venerable naturally has some skill."
Another Daoist smiled, "Venerable Shepherd may come from a tiny place in the lower realm, but to be able to match Liam Cloud is truly impressive."
Everyone nodded and laughed, "No wonder the bumpkins from the lower realm call him Everpeace Overlord Body—he really does have some ability!"
Suddenly, Liam Cloud's aura surged again, startling everyone: "Are they going to fight more?"
But this time was different. Liam Cloud raised his palm, runes swirling, forming the vision of Vault Heaven Heavenly Court.
Stars coalesced, divine palaces and cities appeared, and his forging runes constructed ancient gods, each with unique manifestations.
More and more gods appeared, and the heavenly court grew complete—until Vault Heaven Heavenly Court seemed to step from the past into reality. In the Supreme Hall, it was as if a great emperor had come back to life.
A resounding Dao voice echoed across the Jade Sea, shaking all who heard it!
Even those with names on the Azure Glory and Divine Splendor Lists turned pale. Liam Cloud had never shown this ultimate art before—it must be a new divine power he created!
His vital energy was fierce and his aura domineering, making all who watched feel a chill of awe!
At that moment, Liam Cloud unleashed the full might of his new divine power. With this move, he broke through to a realm he'd never reached before—his mind clear and serene.
Before, he couldn't fully wield this move's power. But facing Quinn Shepherd, his greatest foe, he could finally let go of all restraints and worries, and show his ambition to the fullest!
To him, this move was already flawless!
In the next instant, a sword flashed through the sky, filling Vault Heaven.
Quinn Shepherd's sword-light was razor-sharp, piercing Vault Heaven Heavenly Court, striking down the great emperor in the Supreme Hall, and stabbing into Liam Cloud himself.
Liam Cloud heard a thunderous crash—his Divine Bridge was severed by Quinn Shepherd's sword, and his Divine Bridge Treasury collapsed!
——Moon Ticket Rankings for 'Shepherd's Record' are open next month. Please vote for 'Shepherd's Record'! There will be an update at midnight!