Chapter 1488 — The Bright Moon and the Morning Sun Vie in Radiance

Venerable Gong gave a stifled groan, then a shout rang out; one heavenly palace after another blazed with light, and the long, melodious horns of the Heavenly Court sounded to resist the cry of the sword Dao. Kaihuang raised his brows, drew the sword three inches out, and thrust it down heavily once more; the sword cry swelled, and the two cries met and clashed.

Venerable Gong's Heavenly Court crackled and burst with noise, as though countless sword energies were sweeping across her heavenly palaces.

Venerable Gong vomited blood and fell to her knees.

Consort Yan was startled and hesitated.

To her ears Kaihuang's sword cry was nothing, a common sound of the Dao; yet when it reached Venerable Gong's ears, Venerable Gong was gravely wounded. It was utterly uncanny.

She did not know how grave the Dao wound upon Venerable Gong's Dao-heart was.

But she had no time to ponder the reason, for Venerable You's spirit had arrived.

At the same time, the two Ancient Gods' Taiji Diagram was complete and turning; just then the sword light blazed again, and a single stroke fell.

The two Ancient Gods felt at once that yin and yang were severed from each other; the bond between them had been cut apart by that one sword of Kaihuang's.

"The man burns bright as the radiance of the morning sun; his sword gleams pure as the splendor of the bright moon.

" The two Taiji Ancient Gods looked at Kaihuang within the Taiji Diagram and praised him in one voice: "Kaihuang Shen Ye, a few days apart, and you are one step nearer to attaining the Dao.

Joyous news, and how it makes us envy you. " Suddenly the two Ancient Gods both shouted, and set the Taiji Sand Table in motion; the sand table spanned the sky and spread out as a vast desert.

Those two strokes of Kaihuang's had forced them to bring out the supreme treasure born alongside them.

Since their emergence into the world, their very first battle had driven back Consort Qiang and Shi Qiluo, forcing those two Venerables to swallow their loss and withdraw, yet even then they had not used the supreme treasure born with them.

But now those two strokes of Kaihuang's had greatly increased the pressure on them; only by using the companion supreme treasure did they have any hope of victory. Kaihuang strode on through it; wind and sand filled the sky, and countless grains of dust came at him, and those grains were planets.

In the instant they touched Kaihuang they became countless worlds that howled past him, and some came head-on to strike him.

Yet before those stars could strike Kaihuang, they seemed to meet an invisible sword energy and split of themselves, dividing in two and howling past on either side of him. "Fellow Daoist!

" The two Taiji Ancient Gods, their bodies coiled at the center of the galaxy, bowed in salute to Kaihuang across the endless starry sky and said: "Last time, seeing that you were a being about to attain the Dao, we yielded you three parts of courtesy and did not make trouble for you.

Meeting again today, we hope you will not make trouble for us.

" Kaihuang sheathed his sword and lifted the Wuyou Sword in return of their salute, and the countless galaxies ahead suddenly parted to either side, as though pushed aside by an invisible force. "Your courtesy, my two Dao-brothers, Shen will keep in mind, and another day I shall return the courtesy to you both.

" Kaihuang's tone was calm: "Today I have come to save a man.

You two need only yield courtesy once more, and another day I may well yield you an extra courtesy. " The two Taiji Ancient Gods exchanged a glance.

Lady Taiyin said: "We have already yielded to him once. The first time was out of respect for his cultivation; his realm of the Dao is deep and far, he walks ahead of us, and he may be counted our senior brother.

A second time, there is no reason to forbear.

" The Taiyang Ancient God nodded: "This time there is indeed no reason to yield to him. Fellow Daoist, forgive us; brother and sister must offend you. " Kaihuang said: "Have you two seen Venerable Gong's wound?

It is a wound of the Dao. If you two Dao-brothers take wounds from my sword, I fear you will be as she is.

" The two Taiji Ancient Gods looked at each other and smiled: "We entered the world precisely to temper our Dao-hearts, to comprehend the road to the Dao amid this rolling red dust.

If we can take a wound at your hands, fellow Daoist, it will be our good fortune. " Kaihuang frowned.

The power of the Taiji Sand Table grew ever greater; this battle, he feared, would be the most terrible he had fought since he first set foot on the Dao. Elsewhere, a great hole gaping between his brows, Venerable You rose unsteadily to his feet, his mind a muddle; the ghost-face mask on his face had been shattered by Venerable Gong's spear and split in two. His face was covered in blood.

He snatched up the mask in panic, wanting to fit it over his face, but could not join the pieces together no matter how he tried.

Tears pattered down his face, mingled with blood, dripping into the starry sky. "A Venerable of You, of all people, beaten to tears.

" Consort Yan laughed: "You have quite lost the dignity of a Venerable. " "Do not underestimate the enemy.

" Venerable Gong clenched her teeth, forcibly suppressed her injuries, and struggled to her feet, her voice hoarse: "I saw that mask in an illusion.

It is the only relic his mother left him. " Consort Yan shuddered with cold.