Joe Di had long been wary of Howard Zuo, so when Howard made his move, Joe did not even flinch. The sixth wave of blade force had already completely suppressed Jude Fen’s divine art, Mist Over the Void. Before Jude Fen could change his technique, Joe Di unleashed the seventh wave of blade force.
The seventh wave of blade force nearly surpassed the killing intent limits of this universe. Not only did it suppress Jude Fen’s second divine art, but it also blocked Howard Zuo’s sweeping river attack.
Beneath the surging, boundless river, the seventh wave of blade force constructed a wall of blades.
Endless torrents tilted from the universe and crashed against Joe Di’s blade wall, erupting into a burst of cosmic white light at the edge of the Saint Seat Plaza. Under the assault of killing intent, even the space as solid as the Saint Seat Plaza began to crack layer by layer—this was the rending of cosmic laws.
As Howard Zuo struck, Jude Fen did not feel relaxed, but he found a moment’s opening. Seizing the chance, he wielded his Baoquan Demon Staff without hesitation, stirring up a violent killing aura.
But before Howard Zuo’s second divine art could fully take shape, the Creation Brush—already prepared by Joe Di—came smashing down toward Jude Fen.
For the first time, Joe Di used the Creation Brush to strike a person, rather than to inscribe the Genesis Opening Incantation.
As the Creation Brush came down, the Dao laws also condensed into a single word: ‘Death’. Strictly speaking, this word was hammered out by the brush.
The moment the ‘Death’ character was struck, it unleashed billions of deathly auras, locking Jude Fen within them.
Jude Fen shuddered all over. After Joe Di released the ‘Death’ character, it transformed into a rule of death. The Dao resonance of death swirled ever thicker and vaster, gathering all death together before crashing down upon Jude Fen.
A thousand miles without the crow of a rooster, sun and moon no longer wait—within a single thought, all may perish!
Faced with such terrifying Deathstroke Resonance, Jude Fen dared not continue his second divine art. He struggled desperately to escape the grip of death, but Joe Di’s seventh wave of blade force did not entirely sweep toward Howard Zuo; part of it pinned Jude Fen down, leaving him no chance to recover, let alone unleash more Way Resonance techniques.
Not only was Jude Fen trapped within the ‘Death’ character, but the entire Saint Seat Plaza was permeated by Joe Di’s Deathstroke Resonance. The bleak, withered Way Resonance filled every corner of the plaza.
If not for the gray mist still spreading in the center of the Saint Seat Plaza, and the continuous condensation of Saint Seat Way Resonance, most cultivators would have already summoned their Genesis Artifacts, or simply fled. Even though the Deathstroke Resonance was aimed at Jude Fen, the surrounding cultivators felt as if they were about to be crushed.
Crack! Boom...
Howard Zuo’s Boundless River blocked Joe Di’s blade force for the first time, unable to fully reclaim its waters. The river poured down like a tilted torrent, flooding the entire Saint Seat Plaza.
At this moment, Howard Zuo had no mind to care about the killing power of his Boundless River. His heart sank to the bottom. He had never imagined Joe Di could be so formidable—able to suppress Jude Fen with a single Deathstroke Resonance, even after Howard intervened. If no one else acted, Jude Fen would lose half his life, if not die outright. And if Jude Fen was slain, what then for him?
It was now clear that Joe Di hadn’t gone all out against Jude Fen before; at least forty percent of his focus had been on Howard Zuo. Since Howard Zuo began his cultivation, he had never faced such a terrifying opponent. Regret crept into his heart for getting involved in this chaos.
The aura of death seeped in, the bleak, lifeless Way Resonance enveloping all his domains and binding every strand of his own Way Resonance. Jude Fen felt despair—he had underestimated Joe Di, but never imagined Joe could defy the heavens to such an extent.
In this universe, could anyone truly kill him, Jude Fen, face-to-face? Today, he saw that Joe Di indeed possessed that power. Not only did Joe have the ability, but even with Howard Zuo’s interference, he could still kill Jude Fen. With such strength, what difference did it make if he had never underestimated Joe Di?
It was as if everything had been calculated by Joe Di. No matter how unwilling Jude Fen was, at this moment he could only burn his own Way Resonance desperately, seeking a chance to survive.
Boom! Crack!
The endless Deathstroke Resonance binding him suddenly exploded. Jude Fen was overjoyed—he fled frantically, escaping Joe Di’s terrifying death suppression in the shortest time possible.
He knew someone had intervened to help him, and that person had directly torn apart Joe Di’s ‘Death’ character resonance. To do this required strength surpassing Joe Di.
Joe Di did not strike again, but instead stared at the violet-robed youth who had descended before him. He knew this was Chi Yao’s True Body.
In the vastness, aside from Chi Yao, no one else could tear apart his Genesis Opening Incantation resonance. Chi Yao not only tore it apart, but did so with ease.
"You’ve schemed against me many times and ruined many of my plans. But you truly have guts, daring to come to the Saint Seat Plaza. Do you think I, Chi Yao, am so magnanimous that I won’t hold it against you?" Chi Yao’s voice was calm, and his gaze at Joe Di was as if looking at a stranger he’d only met once.
Joe Di took a deep breath. He knew he might fall here today, but he absolutely could not retreat even half a step.
Chi Yao had arrived a little too early. If he had waited until Joe Di killed Jude Fen and Howard Zuo, Joe would have immediately constructed Law Array Banners here. With just half a month more, even Chi Yao would not be able to crush him so easily.
Joe Di was grateful he had destroyed several of Chi Yao’s avatars. Otherwise, there would have been no point in fighting today—he would have had no chance to counterattack.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist, for saving me." Jude Fen had finally regained his composure. If Chi Yao had not intervened in time, he truly would have perished at Joe Di’s hand.
Chi Yao smiled warmly, "No need to thank me. That man’s killing intent is too strong. By helping you, I’m helping myself. When the Saint Seat is contested, I guarantee you a place."
Jude Fen understood Chi Yao’s meaning—he hoped Jude would join forces with him. Jude Fen was no match for Joe Di, and as Chi Yao spoke, Jude was about to agree when Howard Zuo suddenly called out from afar, "May I ask, are you Chi Yao?"
Severely wounded, Zane Jin struggled to his feet and answered before Chi Yao could, "That’s right, he is Chi Yao—the only one who can step into the Fourth Step. That’s bad enough, but I hear that once he gains the Saint Seat, his first act will be to claim the Vastness for himself. Even if I die, I will never be this man’s dog."
Hearing Zane Jin’s words, Joe Di immediately sensed trouble and, without hesitation, threw a punch.
Almost at the same moment as Joe Di’s punch, a Slaughter Law swept toward Zane Jin. With a cracking sound, the shadow of Joe Di’s fist was shattered by the Slaughter Law, and his bones fractured. Yet Joe Di also shattered the Slaughter Law meant to kill Zane Jin, dispersing it completely.
Chi Yao glanced indifferently at Joe Di but did not strike a second time.
Cold sweat broke out on Zane Jin’s back. If Joe Di had not acted in time, he would have been killed by that Slaughter Law. He would not have been able to block it, nor even react. This realization filled him with dread—how could he help Joe Di in the future if he could not even defend himself? Chi Yao’s terror far exceeded his expectations. Though he was badly injured, he should not have been so helpless.
Joe Di’s voice transmitted to Zane Jin’s ear, "Don’t worry about it. Chi Yao went all out against you just now. He won’t get another chance to do so in the future."
Zane Jin nodded silently. Though he knew Joe Di was speaking the truth, his heart still sank. As the first Dao Master of his universe, he had always believed that even if he could not match the strongest, he would not be so far behind.
Today, Jude Fen had easily gravely injured him, and when Chi Yao made his move, he didn’t even qualify to fight back. Was there any meaning to being the First Dao Master?
"You’re quite impressive. If I’m not mistaken, you must be Howard Zuo, the First Dao Master of the Tanyuan Universe." Chi Yao still did not attack Joe Di; his gaze fell on Howard Zuo.
If not for all his avatars being destroyed by Joe Di, he would never have spoken so amiably to Howard Zuo, trying to recruit a few helpers.
Jude Fen seemed to have made up his mind. He cupped his fists to Chi Yao, "I, Jude Fen, have decided to stand with Brother Chi and defend all the rules of the Saint Seat Plaza together."
Chi Yao replied with satisfaction, "Good. I promise you won’t be disappointed. And you?"
The last two words were directed at Howard Zuo.
Howard Zuo answered calmly, "My strength is meager, but I’d rather trust to my own luck and see what happens."
Chi Yao’s desire to control the Vastness was no secret—many in the Vastness knew it, not just Joe Di and his allies. Howard Zuo’s words were clearly a refusal. Even if he was weaker than Chi Yao, as a universe’s Dao Master, he had his pride and would never be Chi Yao’s dog. Besides, he knew better than anyone that if Chi Yao controlled the Vastness, he would be less than a dog.
What meaning is there for a cultivator whose every move is controlled by others?