Chapter 1801 — While the Palace Stands, the Dharma Stands; When the Palace Falls, the Dharma Falls

The Master of the Joyous Hall exhaled a breath of turbid air, but blood came surging up from her throat. She steadied her breathing, her single leg slowly sinking, bending into a crouch, the smile fading from her face. "My teacher said that when I stop smiling, that is when I am at my most dangerous. Dangerous not only to my opponents, but also to myself. Because when I stop smiling, that is when I am least calm."

Behind her, layer upon layer of Dao realms erupted with a thunderous roar!

The blade in Lord Shang's hand slowly slid back into its sheath, and his figure too slowly sank.

A thirty-six-layered heaven of the Dao of Slaughter formed beneath his feet. His body tensed—some muscles relaxing, some tightening, some compressing like springs.

The two gathered their force.

The Master of the Joyous Hall's gaze locked dead onto Lord Shang. She said in a low voice, "Lord Shang, you personally destroyed the Sixteenth Epoch that nurtured you, and in the Kalpa of Destruction you went mad, slaughtering those who had attained the Dao. The Great Lord Supreme did not take your life, but I will not spare you."

Boom!

Her figure leaped forth. The treasure hall, split in two, suddenly blazed with Dao light. The hall disintegrated within the Dao light. The Master of the Joyous Hall cried out fiercely, "While the hall stands, the Dao stands; when the hall falls, the Dao falls! Today, with my cultivation, I will send you, demon, to depart together with me!"

In that moment, her fighting spirit rose to an unprecedented peak!

Had she fled, even Heavenly Lord Yue could not have kept her. But she stayed, to fight Lord Shang to the death!

It seemed some ideal sustained her, driving her to block Lord Shang and the others, driving her to stake her life in battle to slay Lord Shang and bring about the descent of the Dao-attainers of the Miluo Palace.

Heavenly Lord Yue, Jiang Baigui, and the others had their own ideals, and Lord Shang had his, sustaining them as they challenged the powerful and sought to achieve their desires.

The Master of the Joyous Hall had hers as well.

Her ideal was the ideal of the Miluo Palace—and it was precisely because of the Miluo Palace's ideal that it had become the holy land in the hearts of all who attained the Dao across the past sixteen cosmic epochs.

For this ideal, they could brave fire and water, could stand against all.

Though the master of the Miluo Palace was no longer present, so long as the ideal endured, the Miluo Palace would not dissolve.

In her heart, the Miluo Palace's ideal could never be wrong, the Miluo Palace master's ideal could never be wrong—only others could be wrong!

As a hall master, she must guard the Miluo Palace's ideal!

Lord Shang drew his blade. At the moment when the Master of the Joyous Hall's Dao light and Dao flame blazed most fiercely, he met her head-on!

The Master of the Joyous Hall had her ideal, and Lord Shang had his.

He longed to protect the countless beings of the Sixteenth Epoch, to carve out for them a peaceful and prosperous age, to slaughter every smuggler, every Dao-attainer who had stolen the vitality of the Sixteenth Epoch!

He had failed.

When he attained the Dao, he became the chief culprit in the destruction of the Sixteenth Epoch. He had wanted to protect the countless beings, yet became the executioner who slaughtered them.

From that time on, his Dao heart had never recovered.

His mistake could not be remedied.

But after meeting Shen Mu, his Dao heart was tempered once more, and he found his ideal again.

He could not protect the countless beings of the Sixteenth Epoch, and became the sinner of the Sixteenth Epoch. But the countless beings of the Seventeenth Epoch were also countless beings. He could absolutely not tolerate a repeat of the tragedy. He could not err again!

No matter how noble the Miluo Palace's ideal sounded, no matter how splendid and dazzling the rhetoric, it was, in the end, a worm gnawing at this universe!

He would protect a place of peace.

The two collided head-on in the air for the first time. The Master of the Joyous Hall controlled the disintegrating treasure hall, countless Dao chains interweaving, piercing into Lord Shang's body. She cried fiercely, "Depart together with me!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lord Shang's body exploded in place after place. Great holes were torn through his physical body and primordial spirit, the thirty-six heavens of the Dao of Slaughter riddled with holes. His power was failing at flying speed—yet his killing intent was more intense than ever before!

His vast killing intent sublimated, transforming into the thirty-seventh slash!

Heaven and man both issued forth, ten thousand Daos laid as foundation!

As this slash fell, all the Master of the Joyous Hall's great Daos, all her Dao chains, shattered within the blade light.

Yet her final vital essence transformed into a final strike, piercing into Lord Shang's brain.

Boom!

Lord Shang fell backward. His physical body, primordial spirit, and the domain of the Dao of Slaughter—all shattered.

"Hahaha!"

The Master of the Joyous Hall stood on one leg, laughing loudly. "Lord Shang, I said I would depart together with you, and I never break my word. What a pity..."

She turned to look at Heavenly Lord Yue, her gaze strange. "I could not bring you along with us. I failed to complete the Fourth Lord's entrustment..."

Her brow split open. A line of blood ran from her forehead down the midline of her body.

Heavenly Lord Yue had intended to strike the killing blow, but seeing this line of blood, she stayed her hand.

Jiang Baigui flew swiftly to Lord Shang's side and said, "My Art of Inevitability is not as powerful or precise as Second Senior Brother's—only a little stronger than Senior Brother Wei Suifeng's. Whether I can save Lord Shang, I cannot yet say."

"Blasphemer!"

The Master of the Joyous Hall turned around, letting out a shrill, mournful cry as she pounced at him. Suddenly the ultimate killing intent hidden within her body erupted, tearing her to pieces!

The Master of the Joyous Hall had fallen. Of the Miluo Palace's Seventy-Two Treasure Halls, one more was gone.