Wayfarer

Chapter 965: The Founder's Legacy

Within the wild wastes hidden realm, Liu Miaoyin absorbed nearly 80% of the spiritual aether in the entire realm all at once, leaving countless cultivators in shock. Even Blue Lantern was deeply shaken.

As Liu Miaoyin entered a meditative state, thunderous sounds echoed continuously around her. Waves of immense energy surged outward. Blue Lantern belatedly realized that she was breaking through rapidly.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng began to devour the Heaven's Hands more and more quickly. They surged toward him and disappeared into his body. Blue Lantern was growing numb from shock—how could this be? Any cultivator who witnessed such a scene would be in an uproar. Naturally, Blue Lantern had concealed the area with formations, preventing others in the hidden realm from approaching their group.

After an interminable amount of time, Xiao Nanfeng finished off all the Heaven's Hands in the region. High above, dark clouds churned, lightning flashed, and a peculiar energy seemed to fill the heavens.

Xiao Nanfeng howled, using the power of Blue Lantern's formations to forcibly swallow the billowing thunderclouds and countless bolts of lightning as well.

With a hum, the world fell silent. The skies cleared as the residual heavenly laws were entirely absorbed into Xiao Nanfeng's body.

Lightning radiated from Xiao Nanfeng's body, a sign that he had absorbed such immense quantities of energy that he couldn't digest it all at once.

Xiao Nanfeng entered a meditative state as well.

Blue Lantern exhaled deeply as he guarded the two cultivators.

At that moment, the void trembled. A vast luminous net covered the entirety of the wild wastes hidden realm. It seemed as though a hidden formation within the realm had been activated.

"What's going on?"

Blue Lantern frowned and activated the bronze compass in his hand immediately, forming layers of compass projections to resist the encroaching net.

With a hum, a wisp of blue flame emerged from within the net. The flame gradually coalesced into a faint humanoid figure.

Blue Lantern gasped in amazement. He recognized the figure—it was the founder of the sect.

The figure in the flames gazed at Blue Lantern. "You too possess a natural affinity with formations."

Blue Lantern, though slightly wary, nodded and replied, "I do possess such a constitution, Founder."

The figure in the flames scrutinized Blue Lantern for a moment before raising a hand. With a hum, the two bronze compasses in Blue Lantern's hand trembled and flew toward the figure.

Blue Lantern frowned, but restrained himself from attempting to seize them.

The figure in the flames examined the two bronze compasses and smiled faintly. "You truly are my successor."

"Disciple Blue Lantern pays respects to the sect's founder."

"Don't be nervous. I am but a lingering remnant of my legacy. Unfortunately, for years, I've been suppressed by heavenly law and haven't been able to manifest. I've been slumbering until the recent disappearance of heavenly law in this realm. Can you tell me about the situation at present?"

Blue Lantern nodded and respectfully explained the current state of affairs.

"Yu Fuli managed to slay the heavens? What a fear," the figure in the flames marveled.

"Founder, are you able to merge with the bronze compass and revive? If you were to return, you might play a pivotal role in the upcoming battle against the heavens," Blue Lantern said earnestly.

He showed no reluctance in offering up the bronze compass, believing that the founder's revival could be a significant advantage.

The figure in the flames shook his head. "I am but a remnant. This isn't my truesoul. I will awaken eventually, but not now. Even if I were to revive at this very moment, I wouldn't have enough time to reach my peak. Instead, allow me to empower you."

"Empower us?"

"You are my successor. You haven't been able to merge all the bronze compasses together, have you? I shall teach you how. In addition, I will pass ownership of the wild wastes hidden realm, and my entire legacy, to you. Work hard, young man. I hope I'll see you again when I awaken one day."

As he spoke, his form gradually disintegrated into two clusters of blue flames that merged into the bronze compasses. The compasses then flew back into Blue Lantern's hands.

The moment Blue Lantern beheld the compasses, blue flames enveloped his body. With a hum, the founder's inheritance flooded into his soul.

"Thank you for your gift, Founder," Blue Lantern called out gratefully.

He sat cross-legged in meditation as the bronze compasses were absorbed into his body. The luminous net slowly dissipated.

In the distance, Liu Miaoyin opened her eyes briefly. She was still lucid and aware of everything happening around her. After confirming that Blue Lantern and Xiao Nanfeng were unharmed, she closed her eyes again to focus on her breakthrough.

The next day, outside the wild wastes hidden realm, the Void Saint arrived and coldly eyed its entrance.

Beside him stood a man: Chu Tianban.

"Void Saint, have you fully recovered from your injuries?" Chu Tianban asked with a smile.

The Void Saint raised a hand. With a bang, a palm-shaped energy strike immobilized Chu Tianban in an instant.

Chu Tianban quickly said, "This is merely an avatar of mine. Killing me would be futile. The letter that led you here stated the truth. Xiao Nanfeng and Blue Lantern are here within the wild wastes hidden realm."

"How were you aware of my connection to her?" the Void Saint demanded.

"It is known that you have many confidantes across the world. I approached a few of them and had them pass the message to you. It seems that only one did so," Chu Tianban explained.

The Void Saint narrowed his eyes at Chu Tianban.

"We may not be allies, but we share a common enemy in Xiao Nanfeng, don't we?" Chu Tianban smiled.

The Void Saint's eyes grew colder. He destroyed Chu Tianban's avatar with a crushing motion, then turned to look at the sky above the island.

Though the entrance to the wild wastes hidden realm was concealed, that posed no challenge to the Void Saint. As he raised a hand, a column of blue flame surged into the void.

Powerful spatial ripples caused the void to fluctuate. A portal burst open, revealing the interior of the wild wastes hidden realm.

Blue Lantern and Xiao Nanfeng could be seen meditating in the distance.

"They are here, after all!" The Void Saint smirked as he entered the hidden realm.

Then, he frowned. He looked up into the air. Why couldn't he sense the restriction that the heavens had woven into the realm?

"Did Chu Tianban lie to me?" The Void Saint frowned.

He cautiously surveyed the area, but found no sign of an ambush. He turned back to Xiao Nanfeng and Blue Lantern.

He was just about to attack when the void trembled with a hum and a figure appeared before him.

"Liu Miaoyin? You're still alive?" The Void Saint's face turned grim.

"Long time no see, Void Saint," Liu Miaoyin replied coldly.

"Chu Tianban really was trying to trick me—but so what? Liu Miaoyin, last time, you destroyed the charm of heavenly law that boosted your strength. Let's see how you intend to beat me now," the Void Saint snarled.

He sent a palm strike at Liu Miaoyin. "Die!"

"Thousand Palms of Mercy!" Liu Miaoyin called out.

With a hum, thousands of palm-shaped shadows emerged behind her, surging forward as she countered the Void Saint's attack. With a deafening roar, their strikes collided, unleashing a massive storm of void flames.

"Impossible. You've grown stronger!" the Void Saint exclaimed in shock.

Neither cultivator had used their full power, yet their attacks were evenly matched.

Liu Miaoyin formed a seal with her hands, summoning her colossal eidolon.

As she merged with the eidolon, her aura intensified dramatically.

The Void Saint's eyes turned cold.

A blue pillar of law appeared behind him. He summoned vast quantities of heavenly energy from the void, forming a blue sea that surged toward Liu Miaoyin's eidolon.

Liu Miaoyin raised her hands skyward. A green pillar of heavenly law rose up behind her, summoning an endless tide of green energy.

The two massive seas collided with one another in an earth-shaking quake. The Void Saint was forced back from the impact and expelled from the wild wastes hidden realm.

"Impossible! Wasn't your charm shattered? How can you wield power over heavenly law?!"

Liu Miaoyin snorted, not bothering to explain her circumstances to the Void Saint. She flew out of the wild wastes hidden realm and sealed its entrance with a burst of green light. Then, she struck at the Void Saint.

The green sea to her back surged toward the Void Saint.

"Are you now able to control heavenly energy even without a charm? This can't be. It must be a trick! Die!" the Void Saint roared.

He too manifested an eidolon and countered Liu Miaoyin's strike.

With a resounding boom, the two seas clashed again, tearing through the heavens and creating massive spatial rifts. The resulting shockwaves sent torrents of water into the sky, creating endless fog that blotted out the sun.

This time, neither cultivator was forced back.

"How could you have grown so strong?!" the Void Saint cried out in alarm.

Liu Miaoyin shot forward.

Amidst the deafening roars of their battle, the two fought more fiercely than ever before. Unlike their previous encounter, where Liu Miaoyin had been at a disadvantage, the two cultivators were now evenly matched. Tremendous ripples spread through the air as their fight shook heaven and earth.

On a distant island, Chu Tianban's main body and his subordinates watched the battle intently.

"Didn't His Highness say that Liu Miaoyin was severely injured and crippled at best? But she seems to be stronger than ever—she wields power over heavenly law and is fighting the Void Saint to a standstill!" one of them shouted incredulously.

"That was close. Thank goodness we lured the Void Saint into this trap. Otherwise, if we entered the wild wastes hidden realm ourselves, we might have suffered a disastrous defeat," Chu Tianban murmured.