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Xu Zimo looked at the stone and said slowly, “And the imprint carved by that Infinite Dao cultivator isn’t an ordinary one, it’s an attack sigil. A single strike from this stone would carry the full power of an Infinite Dao cultivator.”

“Sharp eyes,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch replied with a smile. “Indeed, this divine stone was personally inscribed by our ancestor.”

He turned his gaze toward the Holy Elder. “Will you withdraw your formation yourself, or shall I break it for you?”

“Light Lord Sage Monarch, you’re going too far,” the Holy Elder said softly, his eyes narrowing.

The Light Lord Sage Monarch gave a cold snort. Since their masks were off, there was nothing more to be said. The Radiant Court’s intervention was not just to save their saintess, the passage managed by the Huo Heavenly Clan was a vital choke point in the Inferno Crucible Heaven. The Heavenly Court’s interference there had already overstepped its bounds, provoking serious outrage among the Radiant Court’s higher ranks.

The Light Lord Sage Monarch waved his hand. Endless radiance surged outward. The Leviathan-God Wind-Striking Stone echoed with the resonance of the Grand Dao, and faintly, a vast Leviathan could be seen soaring against the wind.

“The great leviathan rises with the wind, soaring ninety million miles in a single sweep.”

Now, the Leviathan carried that very same momentum, soaring skyward, piercing through the firmament. With a piercing cry that shook heaven and earth, it dove down, empowered by the strength of an Infinite Dao cultivator.

Facing the unstoppable assault, the Holy Elder did not panic. He pressed his palms together and began chanting under his breath. Countless runes burst from his hands, merging into the Sky-Shroud Formation.

In an instant, the formation blazed to life, its power magnified a millionfold.

When the Leviathan finally collided with it, the world exploded with a sound that deafened all creation.

Those of lesser cultivation screamed, eardrums burst, blood streaming from their seven orifices. Even those of higher cultivation had to shut off their hearing to avoid the overwhelming shockwaves.

The sky was riddled with countless cracks, spreading like shattered glass. Then came the echoing crack, crack, and the heavens themselves seemed to collapse.

A storm of chaotic void winds swept across the world. At the center of the maelstrom, the enormous Leviathan struggled wildly. Before it, a translucent barrier, the shield of the Sky-Shroud Formation, held fast.

The two forces were locked in deadlock. The formation drew upon the power of heaven and earth, trying to resist the Leviathan’s advance. But after a long struggle, it was clear the formation was losing ground.

Had this been an ordinary Leviathan, the formation would have endured. But this one bore the blessing of an Infinite Dao powerhouse.

The Leviathan’s divine power surged, its massive body roaring. With a thunderous boom, the barrier of the Sky-Shroud Formation began to crack apart, like flawless glass splintering into countless fractures.

The Holy Elder’s expression darkened. His immortal energy flared violently, and more and more runes poured forth, but it was useless.

The entire formation shattered like a dam bursting under a flood. The torrent of divine power swept through everything, unstoppable.

When the Sky-Shroud Formation finally broke, the Leviathan-God Wind-Striking Stone retreated once more into the sun.

“How does it look now, Holy Elder?” the Light Lord Sage Monarch asked with a faint smile.

“Having your ancestor interfere like this is against the rules, isn’t it?” the Holy Elder said coldly.

When the formation collapsed, the Holy Elder’s blood and essence had surged violently inside him, though he forced it down. His expression was grim. The Radiant Court had truly overstepped this time.

Their ancestor, known as Primordial Flame, was an Infinite Dao existence.

Of course, the Heavenly Court was not without Infinite Dao cultivators of its own. Across the Nine Heavens, there were only a handful of such beings. They were exceedingly rare, not because they didn’t exist, but because they were far removed from the affairs of the mortal world.

First, Infinite Dao cultivators spent most of their time in seclusion, seeking enlightenment and attempting to break through the twelve meridian gates of the Grand Dao. They seldom interfered with worldly matters.

Second, their sheer power was too great. A single move from an Infinite Dao cultivator could destroy suns and stars and change the course of the Nine Heavens themselves.

So while there was no written rule, it was understood by all, Infinite Dao cultivators did not participate in worldly battles.

“You misunderstand,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch replied. “Our ancestor knows nothing of this. The Leviathan-God Wind-Striking Stone was left behind long ago. Your Sky-Shroud Formation was simply too formidable, and we juniors had no choice but to rely on our forebear’s relic.”

“So the Radiant Court truly intends to tear all ties and go to war with the Heavenly Court?” the Holy Elder asked again.

“I believe I’ve made myself quite clear,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch answered. “This is Radiant Court territory. Your Heavenly Court has no authority here. Outside our domain, you can turn the heavens upside down if you wish, we won’t interfere.”

“Good... Very good,” the Holy Elder said sharply, his eyes blazing with fury.

Just then, an aged voice resonated across the sky.

“Light Lord, you should not have come here. The Heavenly Court is determined to execute the Infernal Lord this time. If you interfere, you will die with him.”

At those words, everyone present trembled inwardly. What an arrogant tone!

The Light Lord Sage Monarch was no minor figure, he was a Sage Monarch who had already opened three blossoms, only a single step away from the Infinite Dao realm. Though that step might take a lifetime to cross, it still represented immense power.

Everyone turned toward the Holy Temple, wanting to see who dared speak so boldly.

And then, high above, a solitary figure appeared.

It was a monk, calm and composed, dressed in a plain gray robe. Around his neck hung a string of crimson prayer beads that exuded a faint scent of blood. On closer inspection, each bead shimmered faintly, containing within it the power of the Grand Dao itself.

“Who is that?” someone in the ruins of the Lotus Pathway murmured.

“No idea.”

“Never seen him before.”

While others were puzzled, the Light Lord Sage Monarch’s gaze turned deep. “The Sky-Burial Buddha.”

“Who is that?” Xu Zimo asked, puzzled.

“You’ve never heard of him?” Murong Qing said, clearly surprised. “He’s the legendary Invincible Sage Monarch.”

“Invincible Sage Monarch?” Xu Zimo chuckled. “I haven’t heard the word ‘invincible’ in a long time.”

“He’s a figure from the ancient era,” Murong Qing explained. “It’s said he once challenged a thousand Saint Sovereigns, all of them invincible Sage Monarchs, and won every single battle, never defeated once. That’s how he earned the title of Invincible Sage Monarch. After the ancient era, he disappeared without a trace. I didn’t expect someone like him to join the Heavenly Court. Someone of that level shouldn’t be the type to let himself be restrained,” she added, frowning slightly.

Xu Zimo smiled. “That’s not so strange. What if the Heavenly Court promised to help him ascend to Infinite Dao?”

Murong Qing’s eyes narrowed. “Impossible. Even the Heavenly Court only has a few Infinite Dao cultivators.”

“The Heavenly Court alone can’t,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. “But the power behind the Heavenly Court could…”

He stopped there, saying no more.