Wounds covered Guizhong's body, crimson blooming across her pale robes.
Despair began to cloud her eyes.
Is this… how it ends?
Am I truly fated to die here?
All around, the immortal hosts stared at the incoming deluge.
For the first time, even the immortals felt powerless.
Were the people of the Guili Plains truly doomed to perish here?
On the ground below, the civilians who hadn't yet escaped were fleeing desperately toward the mountains.
Some caught sight of the endless, rolling flood—
and fell to their knees in despair.
"Lord Rex Lapis…"
"Immortal Lord…"
"Where are you…?"
"Our home… it's gone…"
Then—
A clear, commanding voice rang through the skies.
"Stand up!"
At that instant, every person—
civilians, immortals, even Guizhong herself—
and yes, even Chi and his Demon Gods—
snapped their heads upward.
The clouds above churned violently.
A vortex formed within the storm, and from it descended a massive Wooden Dragon, roaring as it spiraled downward.
Atop its head stood a man in a cerulean-gold battle robe.
With a flick of his sleeve, he leapt from the dragon's head.
"Immortal Art—Wood Release: True Thousand-Armed Hands!"
From the earth below, a colossal Buddha rose slowly into the sky—
its thousand-armed halo spinning, its enormous form colliding head-on with the oncoming flood.
The clash was thunder itself.
Even the enormous weight of the Buddha could not withstand the flood's momentum; it was driven backward tens of meters before it steadied.
Then, with a resounding boom, it sank into a seated posture, its thousand arms braced outward—
and it stopped the flood.
Every gaze turned upward to the figure standing atop the Buddha's crown.
"Wood Spirit Immortal Lord!"
Chi's voice was a venomous shriek, as if he wished to swallow Jiang Yan whole.
He knew exactly what this meant.
If Jiang Yan was here, it meant the Demon Gods of Minlin had failed to kill him—
had failed entirely.
Those useless worms!
Jiang Yan's gaze met the Chi Dragon's, his eyes glacial.
"Chi. It's been a century."
"You've grown even filthier."
His tone was sharp, every word laced with killing intent.
Had he arrived even a little later…
Guizhong might have shared the same fate as before.
But he was here now.
And that was enough.
"Hmph! Times have changed!"
Chi's voice rumbled like thunder as water-elemental power surged around him.
The ten Water Demon Gods rallied behind their master.
"Those fools may have failed to stop you…"
"But in your current state—"
"—do you really think you can unleash that technique again?"
He could feel it—the faint instability in Jiang Yan's aura.
After using the True Thousand Hands three times, and even passing power to his clone to maintain the Deity of the Summit—
his reserves of elemental energy were surely nearly gone.
But Jiang Yan only sneered inwardly.
Please. I'm the man who carries Senzu Beans, damn it.
He reached into his robes and pulled out a small cloth pouch.
Inside lay ten round, jade-green beans that shimmered faintly in the light.
He plucked one out and tossed it into his mouth.
"What are you eating?!"
Chi's sharp draconic eyes missed nothing.
"Me?"
Jiang Yan grinned.
"Just… my cheat code."
"Wh—"
BOOM!!!
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Yan's aura erupted—
his wounds vanished, his presence soaring back to its full, blazing peak.
Chi froze midair, eyes wide.
What in the—what the hell?!
You're cheating!
Jiang Yan brought his palms together once more.
Behind him, the Thousand-Handed Mandala began to spin.
"Immortal Art—Buddha's Top Transformation!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
An endless storm of fists erupted once more, filling the heavens like a downpour of divine judgment.
The people of the Guili Plains had long heard tales of this technique—
but hearing was one thing.
Witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely.
Even the seasoned immortals who had seen it before felt their hearts tremble anew.
"So powerful…"
Guizhong, bloodied and weak, leaned on Cloud Retainer for support as she gazed skyward.
"The might he wields… it's beyond words."
"Assist me!"
Chi roared, his power swelling.
The ten Water Demon Gods immediately joined him, channeling their authority into his form.
Though Chi was weaker now than a century ago,
with ten Demon Gods lending their power,
his strength in that moment surpassed even his prime.
"Azure Flood of Heaven!"
A roar tore from Chi's maw as the sea itself seemed to rise with him.
Jiang Yan's lips curled into a cold smile.
"After all these years, and your techniques still haven't evolved, have they, Chi?"
"But tell me—"
"You may be able to withstand the Deity of the Summit…"
"—but can you take this?"
He raised both hands, fingers curling in the air.
A spark of gold flared between his palms.
Then the world itself began to shift.
The light of the mountains, the glimmer of rivers, the glow of the people's hearts—
all the radiance of Guili converged toward that golden spark.
"The light… it's all gathering…"
Ganyu's voice trembled.
Even she—one who had fought beside gods—had never witnessed such a sight.
The gold condensed, forming a blade of pure brilliance.
Its hilt was of deep sapphire blue, its edge gleaming like dawn.
Light rivers of sword energy streamed into it, swirling like galaxies around its form.
Jiang Yan stepped forward, the ground cracking beneath his foot as power rippled outward.
"This sword carries the faith of every soul in this land!"
"Chi Dragon—can you withstand it?!"
He raised the blade high.
"EX—"
The air trembled.
"Calibur!!!!"
A radiant beam of golden light cleaved through heaven and earth.
The flood, the storm, even the clouds themselves split apart beneath the strike—
as the holy light of countless prayers swept across the Guili Plains.
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