Chapter 1323 - Suppress
"Is that so?"
Ye Qingyu wouldn't let her words affect him.
"Why don't you give it a shot? Let's see if you'd truly be able to defeat me by attacking my weakness," Ye Qingyu said as he lifted his right hand slightly, as if he were lifting a tower and the [Cloud Top Cauldron] spun in his hand. It rapidly expanded and it finally grew to the size of a giant cauldron as it floated above his right palm.
The supreme artifact's aura circulated around it.
Jiang Xiaohan's expression changed.
After the giant cauldron appeared, all the formation and power of laws within the water realm were quietly suppressed; even the forces within her Divine and Saint Bodies started to circulate even more slowly than before. She recognized this cauldron, because this wasn't the first time Ye Qingyu had summoned it to turn the tables around. However, when she noticed that the cauldron seemed to have become many times more powerful than before, she was extremely astonished. The cauldron had become far more powerful than she could have ever imagined.
The only explanation for this was that the cauldron had not been crafted by Ye Qingyu, having been an extraordinary artifact from the very beginning. As Ye Qingyu grew more and more powerful, the true potential of the cauldron was gradually revealed.
Was Ye Qingyu's unbelievable surge in strength related to this cauldron?
All sorts of ideas flashed past her mind and she felt realization dawning on her.
"Suppress!"
As Ye Qingyu exerted the one hundred eight ancient characters mysterious technique, the [Cloud Top Cauldron] spun and expanded, and soon it was so large that it shrouded the entire water realm. The water realm that was like an abundant ocean suddenly seemed as small as a millet grain under the cauldron. Then, a terrifying devouring force exploded from the cauldron, as though it was attempting to devour the entire universe whole.
"Oh no..." Jiang Xiaohan turned pale.
She realized that she was completely unable to control her movements under the terrifying devouring force of the [Cloud Top Cauldron]. She was sent flying toward the mouth of the cauldron against her will, like a piece of straw being swept into a tempest.
She was filled with terror as she watched the pitch black mouth of the cauldron loom closer; it was as black as the black holes in space. She could sense death lying in wait for her in the depths of the cauldron and knew that she would definitely die if she were to be sucked in.
"Ah..." she howled and struggled with all her might.
Countless divine and saint rays of light exploded from her body. Then, visible chains formed by the power of laws surged frantically, like countless tentacles that dug themselves into the water realm and the void, as she tried to pin her body in place. Two phantom figures of fiendgods appeared behind her, letting out earth-shattering growls that activated the power of heaven and suddenly making demonic flames appear all over the water realm, as though an ancient and primitive fiendgod had come back to life.
Jiang Xiaohan had unleashed all the power she had to break free from the devouring force of the [Cloud Top Cauldron].
"Your struggling is pointless," he said simply. He stretched out his left hand, where a dense silver flame of sword will flickered at the tip of his index finger like silver ink, and he used his finger to engrave formations in the void. This was the 'suppress' formation from the one hundred eight ancient characters.
Since he saw the evolution and development of the one hundred eight ancient characters from the 18th district of the Abyss, his mastery of the one hundred eight ancient characters had reached unprecedented heights; he could mobilize the power of the universe with each stroke he made. The moment he finished carving the word 'suppress' into the void, it was as though this character had been imbued with all the powers in the universe.
"Go!"
He pushed this character out with his palm after he had written it, and it shot out like a silvery meteor to land on top of the [Cloud Top Cauldron].
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The [Cloud Top Cauldron] trembled violently just then.
As the power of the 'suppress' formation entered it, the [Cloud Top Cauldron] underwent a matchless and mysterious change. Chaotic mist bubbled from the sides of the mouth of the cauldron; nebulae and stars could vaguely be seen within the mouth of the cauldron. The stars and constellations orbited within and the nebulae surged as though a new universe had formed within the [Cloud Top Cauldron].
Jiang Xiaohan immediately sensed her strength rapidly fading away like a sand sculpture being swept away by the wind. The two phantom figures of fiendgods behind her were the souls from the Indestructible Divine Body and the Heavenly Saint Body but they were unable to defend themselves against the strength surging from the [Cloud Top Cauldron]. They let out resentful growls, as they were ultimately shredded into wisps of demonic light by the terrifying devouring power, disappearing into the depths of the [Cloud Top Cauldron]!
"No!" Jiang Xiaohan cried out in shock and anger.
Her eyes were fierce and crazed, as though blood was about to drip out of her eyes. At that moment, she resembled a crazed demon.
"Ye Qingyu, how could you be so cruel?" she looked up at Ye Qingyu as though she was looking at a lover who had betrayed her, but Ye Qingyu's expression remained calm throughout.
"You used to be such a beautiful person. Why did you have to go over to the dark side...? Today, it is time to put an end to all grudges and enmity between us," he said calmly.
Chaotic and rapid Dao sounds rang out from the depths of the [Cloud Top Cauldron], which made it seem even more terrifying.
The chains formed from the power of laws, which had surged from Jiang Xiaohan's body, were torn apart; they were no longer able to hold her steady in the water realm and in the void. The green storm divine dragons were also ripped apart by the devouring force from the [Cloud Top Cauldron]. Then, Jiang Xiaohan was dragged closer and closer to the [Cloud Top Cauldron].
"Ye Qingyu, do you really mean to kill me?" Jiang Xiaohan asked as she stared straight at him.
Ye Qingyu met her gaze and said, "Every bite and every sip is preordained. You'll have to accept the consequences of your actions."
Ye Qingyu did not feel like he owed her anything.
He had never felt like he had let her down.
"Is that so? You speak of karma but do you know what made me who I am today?" Jiang Xiaohan suddenly stopped struggling and said with a bitter laugh. "I've become who I am today because of you."
"Because of me?" Ye Qingyu said with a cold smile. "You only have yourself to blame for your actions, so why are you pinning this blame on someone else?"
"Do you really not know or are you pretending not to know?" Jiang Xiaohan said with a despairing smile. "Tell me truthfully, did you really not know how I felt about you?"
Ye Qingyu shook his head and said, "I can only see the intent of hell within you and no empathy nor kindness."
"Well, very well... Ye Qingyu, you're not an ice cube nor a withered branch. I know you've shown others mercy but why must you be so heartless toward me... Fine, I'll remember this," Jiang Xiaohan's eyes were filled with despair and anger as she spoke. Her emotions were so intense that it could make one's hair stand on end; her fierce and ruthless expression would have a lasting impression.
"I'll treat others in the same manner that they've treated me," Ye Qingyu said. He wasn't a coldhearted man and he also had an inkling of Jiang Xiaohan's feelings for him, but he was not touched by her feelings for him, because she had chosen her own path in life. Moreover, she had fallen so far into the dark side that he could not bring himself to feel sorry for her.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The [Cloud Top Cauldron] shook.
Ultimately, Jiang Xiaohan was sucked into the [Cloud Top Cauldron].
The [Cloud Top Cauldron] spun around slowly before it turned into the size of a fist and landed in the middle of his palm. Then, it gradually stopped spinning.
Ye Qingyu didn't stop to peer into the [Cloud Top Cauldron], but he immediately used the [Void Walk] technique to appear beside the City Lord and Shangguan Wu. Countless rays of sword qi hurtled out, slashing the green storm divine dragons that were holding them hostage into pieces. At the same time, his sword will turned into rain that entered their bodies.
Now that Jiang Xiaohan was held captive within the [Cloud Top Cauldron], she was no longer able to control the sealing force she had planted within their bodies. She was completely trapped within the bronze cauldron, so she couldn't activate the restrictive power within the City Lord's and Shangguan Wu's bodies. He was familiar with the power of formation restrictive arts and also, he had received his Dao foundation from the Storm Martial Emperor, so it wasn't long before he managed to free them both from the restrictive power within their bodies.
"Many thanks, Great Emperor Ye Qingyu."
"Many thanks, Great Emperor."
They shuddered in fear after they had been freed.
The water realm was clearly a secret area that had been constructed by the Storm Martial Emperor; it was hugely significant to Storm City. The mysterious figure that Ye Qingyu had described to them might have possibly been a projection left behind by the Storm Martial Emperor, but Jiang Xiaohan who was an outsider had secretly taken control of that secret location, snatching part of the legacy left behind by the Storm Martial Emperor and controlling the storm power, all of it while they remained oblivious to the fact, despite being the higher-ups of Storm City. If the Immortal God Emperor Ye Qingyu had not made the trip to Storm City, they could imagine how catastrophic her presence would have been to Storm City.
Although the City Lord was the most powerful person in Storm City and the Commander of the Purple Golden Divine Guards Shangguan Wu was also extremely powerful, these two top-level experts were completely helpless in front of Jiang Xiaohan, having been immediately subdued by her.
Thankfully, Ye Qingyu had managed to bring her down.
After Ye Qingyu made sure that the water realm was safe, also destroying the formations that Jiang Xiaohan had laid in place, the City Lord ordered Shangguan Wu to clean up the battlefield while he escorted Ye Qingyu out of the water realm.
Half a day later.
Ye Qingyu returned to the Immortal Dojo in the Ancient Sky Dragon Domain.
Before he left Storm City, he tasked the City Lord to send word of Jiang Xiaohan's whereabouts to Bai Yuqing, the successor of the White Jade Capital.
He had made that trip to Storm City in hopes to speak with the Storm Martial Emperor's projection, because logically speaking, the Storm Martial Emperor was one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and also the reincarnation of the Divine Light Emperor. He would definitely be privy to some secrets and might even be able to give Ye Qingyu some clues on the Sky Emperor's whereabouts. Unfortunately, he had been too late and the projection had been devoured by Jiang Xiaohan.
Ye Qingyu took out his [Cloud Top Cauldron] after he returned to the divine temple of the Immortal Dojo.
He hesitated for a moment before he sent his divine sense into the [Cloud Top Cauldron].
He had merely trapped her within the [Cloud Top Cauldron] instead of killing her. Although his conscience was clear, he was still hesitant to kill Jiang Xiaohan because they had once been childhood playmates. Ye Qingyu had always been a sentimental man.
"I hope I'll be able to keep her inside for eternity," he mused as he entered the space where he was keeping her captive.
However, he was astonished by what he saw the moment he entered.
What happened?