348: Chapter 343 The Outer Heavens

"These tin cans look intimidating, but what kind of cheap junk is inside?"

She mumbled, casually hoisting the great sword back onto her shoulder, not bothering to even put up a defensive stance.

Chu Weiwei lifted her skirt, carefully avoiding the poisonous water on the ground, terrified of dirtying her newly changed shoes.

"Second Senior Sister, step carefully. This poison is something I just mixed; it's really hard to wash off if it gets on your soles."

The conversation between the two was as relaxed as if they were discussing what to have for dinner.

The Immortals nearby, who were originally high and mighty, were now huddled in the corner, trembling and seeking warmth from one another.

Watching these female cultivators treat the Heavenly Court's battle generals like clay figurines, they didn't even have the strength to run away.

Su Lin looked at these shivering guests and sighed helplessly.

What a disgrace to Immortals.

They managed to ascend after undergoing the Heavenly Tribulation, so why did they turn into quails at the first sign of trouble?

He picked up the cup of non-poisoned clear tea in front of him and took a slow sip.

"The flavor is a bit bland."

The Emperor on the high platform finally changed his expression.

The mask of dignity he had worn for ten thousand years cracked, and the muscles at the corner of his eyes twitched uncontrollably.

He stared fixedly at the ascenders from the Lower Realm who were strolling leisurely within the Formation, his eyes flashing with extreme shock and rage.

The dark golden chain web was still contracting.

The Law suppression attached to those chains seemed completely ineffective against these few people.

Luo Ximei twirled her folding fan, her white-gold heterochromatic eyes examining the web overhead.

"This weaving technique is too crude. They're actually using the same trashy, common-street logic for a containment Formation from the Lower Realm."

She clicked her tongue, her face full of disdain.

"Is the Heavenly Court's Formation Master outsourced? To think they dare to show off with this level of skill."

The Emperor stood up abruptly from his throne.

He raised his hand and crushed a jade carving beside him.

Countless dazzling runes lit up on the ceiling of the great hall.

The dark golden chains seemed to be injected with violent energy; their size swelled several times over, and they lashed down toward the group with the power to crush space.

Simultaneously, the white jade tiles on the ground flipped over.

A foul-smelling red liquid gushed out from the ground, turning into thick, bloody tentacles that attempted to wrap around everyone's ankles.

Su Lin sat behind the table, not even intending to shift his buttocks.

"With these red special effects, it seems the Heavenly Court's aesthetic is still stuck ten thousand years ago."

This flesh-flying tentacle style was nauseating to look at.

Cold Moon snorted coldly.

Her purple-gold Phoenix robe fluttered in the air currents.

She didn't even draw her sword, simply stomping heavily on the ground with one foot.

Nine golden imperial Dragon shadows spiraled out, directly crushing those bloody tentacles into foam.

"Toying with these filthy things in front of Us is a desecration of imperial authority."

Her voice was resonant, carrying indisputable imperial majesty.

Mu Qingxue gripped her Ice Sword tightly, a flash of coldness in her light blue eyes.

She waved her long sword.

A Domain of extreme cold spread along the edge of the blade.

The moment the thick dark golden chains touched the cold Qi, thick layers of ice rapidly formed on their surfaces.

The ice layer spread rapidly, freezing even the flickering runes on the ceiling into ice lumps.

"Frozen."

Mu Qingxue sheathed her sword, her tone flat.

The action was clean and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

Gu Qiuyue hugged the repaired Golden Abacus, her fingers flicking rapidly over the beads.

"The Formation core is beneath the throne."

She looked up at the high platform, her golden eyes flashing with a merchant's shrewdness.

"Revered Master, there is a top-grade Spiritual Vein hidden under that chair; the energy is being drawn from there."

Hearing the words "top-grade Spiritual Vein," Chu Weiwei's eyes lit up immediately.

"Revered Master, let's dig it out. Weiwei happens to be missing a high-grade medicinal ingredient."

Su Hongling had already raised the great sword again.

"Dig what? Let's just smash it."

She bent her knees and exerted force, launching herself like a cannonball toward the Emperor on the high platform.

The Emperor watched the red-haired woman, radiating violent Qi and blood, rushing up, his eyes twitching violently.

He formed seals with both hands in front of his chest.

An ancient cyan treasure mirror appeared out of thin air, blocking his path.

The great sword slammed into the treasure mirror.

A piercing sound of metal friction echoed throughout the hall.

Su Hongling was pushed back by a powerful rebounding force, flipping twice in mid-air before stabilizing her figure.

"Ouch, this mirror is quite hard."

She shook her numb wrist and grinned.

"Interesting."

Ripples appeared on the surface of the cyan treasure mirror.

The Emperor's complexion, however, was so gloomy it was about to drip water.

He could feel that the artifact spirit inside the treasure mirror had been severely damaged by that single blow.

This was an Immortal Artifact that had protected the Heavenly Court for one hundred thousand years.

To think it was cracked by the brute force of a Body Cultivator.

What kind of monsters were these?

The Emperor took a deep breath, his gaze moving past Su Hongling and locking onto Su Lin, who was sitting behind the table.

He realized that this man in green robes, who had not made a move the entire time, was the backbone of this group of lunatics.

"Capture the ringleader first."

The Emperor sneered inwardly.

His figure vanished from in front of the throne instantly.

The space within the great hall was forcibly twisted, and a Golden Immortal Law with absolute suppression bypassed the front line, locking onto Su Lin firmly.

"Revered Master."

Several disciples exclaimed in unison.

Luo Ximei wanted to return to assist, but her path was blocked by several golden lightning pillars that appeared out of thin air.

The Emperor's figure appeared half a foot in front of Su Lin.

He held a light sword entirely condensed from Laws, stabbing directly at Su Lin's glabella.

"Die!"

The Emperor's face was somewhat distorted with excitement.

As long as he killed this leader, the remaining women would be nothing to fear.

The tip of the sword stopped one inch away from Su Lin's glabella.

It could not advance even a fraction further.

Su Lin was still holding that crude teacup, not even blinking an eye.

"Your speed is too slow."

He evaluated with a sincere tone.

The Emperor widened his eyes, desperately driving the immortal essence within his body.

The light sword emitted a groan of unbearable strain.

But he discovered with despair that a black hole seemed to exist around the opponent, swallowing all of his Law power clean.

Su Lin put down the teacup.

He extended two fingers and gently pinched the Law light sword.

"Returning this to you."

He applied a little force with his fingers.

The light sword shattered into dots of light filling the sky.

Immediately following this, Su Lin backhanded the Emperor across the face.

The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the hall.

The dignified Emperor of the Heavenly Court was sent flying by this slap, crashing through several white jade pillars in the distance like a broken sack, deeply embedding himself into the wall.

The entire hall was silent.

The Immortals hiding in the corners were all stunned.

This was the Emperor who had ruled the Taihuang Immortal Domain for tens of thousands of years.

Just like that, he was slapped away.

Something must be wrong with this world.

Su Lin took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers.

"The skin is quite thick; it made my hand hurt."

He mumbled in a low voice.

Su Hongling walked back carrying her sword and glanced at the Emperor embedded in the wall.

"Old Man, your force control is not good; you didn't even drop any equipment."

Chu Weiwei stepped forward and handed over a wet towel.

"Revered Master, wipe your hands quickly; don't get that guy's bad luck on you."

Su Lin took the towel, wiped his hands, and turned his gaze to the depths of the hall.

Although that slap had stunned the Emperor, he could feel that the Spiritual Vein beneath this hall was pulsating at a strange frequency.

"This great hall is a giant energy-extraction Formation."

Gu Qiuyue walked over with her Golden Abacus, her expression serious.

"I have calculated it. Not only us, but the Immortals attending the banquet—there are energy-absorbing Formation patterns beneath the tables they are sitting at. These guys are trying to use the name of the grand ceremony to drain everyone's Origin at once."

Hearing this, the Immortals in the corners all panicked.

Some looked down to check their seats and found that, sure enough, dark red patterns were quietly absorbing their immortal essence.

Panic spread instantly.

Su Lin looked at these Immortals who had finally reacted, finding it only amusing.

Sold out by others and even helping count the money, and now they know how to call for help.

The Emperor embedded in the wall struggled to crawl out.

Half of his face was swollen high, and his originally neat imperial crown was tilted to one side.

He stared fixedly at Su Lin, his eyes filled with madness.

"You think you've won."

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and laughed wildly.

"This Ascension Temple was originally prepared as a graveyard for variables like you. Since you have seen through it, then let's all be buried together."

He slammed his hands onto the ground.

The top-grade Spiritual Vein at the bottom of the hall went berserk instantly.

A world-destroying energy fluctuation brewed underground.

"He wants to detonate the Spiritual Vein."

Luo Ximei frowned.

"He wants to drag us down with him? He isn't worthy."

Su Lin stood in place, his hands behind his back.

The seedling of the world tree within his body emitted a soft, chaotic clear light.

"Youer."

Su Lin called out.

Ye You, who had been staying at the very back of the team with a very low presence, raised her head.

A flash of excitement appeared in her dark green vertical pupils.

"It's up to you."

Su Lin said.

Ye You licked her lips, and her figure vanished instantly.

The next second, she appeared in the center of the hall.

Countless thick, dark green vines grew from behind her, directly piercing through the hard white jade floor and stabbing deeply into the Spiritual Vein underground.

"Suck."

Ye You whispered.

Dense suction cups appeared on the surface of those vines.

The violent Spiritual Vein energy that was about to explode was like encountering a bottomless pit, being crazily devoured by these vines.

The wild laughter on the Emperor's face stiffened.

He could feel that his trump card for mutual destruction was rapidly shriveling.

What kind of monsters were these?

They could even swallow a violent top-grade Spiritual Vein alive.

"Are you full?"

Su Lin asked.

Ye You touched her flat lower abdomen and let out a dainty burp.

"It's alright."

She retracted her vines, returned behind Su Lin, and stood obediently.

The crisis was resolved so perfunctorily that everyone present couldn't quite react.

Su Lin walked up to the Emperor and looked down at him.

"Now, can you speak properly?"

His tone was calm, without a ripple.

"Where is the true person in charge of this Taihuang Immortal Domain hiding?"

The Emperor sat slumped in the pile of rubble, the madness in his eyes finally replaced by a deep despair.

He looked at this man in green robes who seemed able to see through everything, and suddenly laughed miserably.

"The person in charge? You will never find him."

The Emperor coughed up a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes becoming hollow.

"This Taihuang Immortal Domain is just a cage, and we are merely jailers guarding the cage. The true controller is in a higher place."

Su Lin frowned slightly.

"A higher place. You mean the Heaven Beyond Heaven?"

"You guessed right. They will not let you go."

As soon as the Emperor's voice fell, his body suddenly began to swell violently.

A violent energy that did not belong to him erupted from within his body.

"Revered Master, step back. He is going to self-destruct his Divine Soul."

Chu Weiwei exclaimed, crushing several medicine bottles in her hand, preparing to use poisonous miasma to protect everyone.

Su Lin, however, did not move.

He simply extended a hand and pressed it gently on the Emperor's head.

"In front of me, you don't even have the qualification to commit suicide."

Chaos Immortal Energy poured into the Emperor's Sea of Consciousness, instantly cutting off his connection to that self-destruct energy.

The Emperor's body deflated like a punctured balloon, his eyes completely losing their luster.

He became a shell without a Soul.

Su Lin withdrew his hand and looked deeply at the ceiling of the hall.

He could feel that in the endless Void Realm above, a pair of eyes was watching this place.

"Heaven Beyond Heaven."

Su Lin whispered these three words, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"It seems this game of chess has just begun."

He turned and walked toward his disciples.

"Let's go. There is no need to stay in this Ascension Temple anymore."

"Revered Master, what about the things in this hall? Those Formation Materials look quite valuable."

"Revered Master, why not leave these things for me to handle? I guarantee I can maximize their value."

"These prodigal sons of the Heavenly Court actually used Nine Heavens Profound Gold for decoration. If this stuff were melted down and recast, how many top-tier defensive armors could be made? It's truly a waste of precious Materials."

Without stopping, pieces of precious Materials were stuffed into storage Magic Treasures.

"This chair is also good; it's made of Soul-Warming Jade."

She kicked the Emperor's empty shell aside and efficiently hoisted the entire throne up.

It was too practiced.

It was like she was restocking inventory.

The poisonous water on the ground was still bubbling.

The Immortals who were originally high and mighty shrank in the corners, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Watching this group of female cultivators treat the Ascension Temple like a wholesale market, their eyeballs were about to pop out.

The white jade bricks in the hall were pried up until it was pitted, and the murals on the walls were scraped off skin and all.

Su Hongling walked to a load-bearing pillar carrying the great sword.

She sized up the pillar carved with dragon patterns and swung her sword.

With a muffled thud, the pillar broke into two.

She bent down and picked up the half-pillar, weighing it, and curled her lip in disdain: "It's actually hollow inside; cutting corners. I thought I could make a sturdy bed leg for the Old Man."

Hearing this, those Immortals shrank back into the corners even further.

This was the Dragon-Coiling Pillar of the Heavenly Court's main hall.

In their eyes, it was just material for making a bed leg.

Chu Weiwei was squatting beside the Emperor's shell.

She wore a pair of thin silk gloves she had fished out from somewhere, carefully rummaging through the storage implements on the Emperor.

"Aiya, this old guy is quite poor."

She pouted with some dissatisfaction.

"Besides a few bottles of expired life-saving Medicinal Pill, there isn't even a decent poisonous herb."

She casually poured those Medicinal Pills on the ground and crushed them with her foot.

"Eating this trash will give you diarrhea; Weiwei won't save it for Revered Master."