150] – [Against the Heavens?]

As the air rippled near Alexander, three figures emerged from it. Elder Rong immediately instructed the two juniors to take a look.

Closing in on the coffin, Sonia examined Alexander. His body was still in good condition, unfortunately, the vessel was often the least important part.

"Little Mary, come take a look. I will use our Divine Life Sutra and try to wake him up. Keep notes." Her eyes closing themselves, Sonia gave instructions to her disciple, who also got closer, ready to see a miracle. Even as a disciple of such a great figure, when she looked at him, she was at a loss. So how was her master going to cure him?

A few chants resounding throughout the room, green ethereal words began to appear, leaving Sonia's mouth each time she spoke.

The green aura of life permeated the air, focusing greatly on Alexander's body.

Putting her palms together, Sonia caused the room to be illuminated, a breath of life both spiritual and physical. Green threads like silk engulfed his limp body, trying to penetrate his mind.

"Junior, you are taking risks you shouldn't even be near. Something like this won't work." Behind them, some distance away, Elder Rong shook his head with a grim look.

"Elder Rong, are you doubting this junior's ability?" Her eyes still closed, Sonia felt Elder Rong to be unreasonable sometimes.

"I know of your ability, obviously, otherwise why would I come to you for help? But this disciple of mine is not so simple! Don't underestimate the Dao of Supremacy. But in a young man like him, I can understand your confidence. However, from his injuries, from the strength of what attacked him, it might have been the Eye of Heaven taking action!"

Her body startled for a moment, Elder Rong's sentence carried a very dangerous foe in them. The Eye of Heaven was no mundane entity. It did not matter whether one was a mortal or a mythical sage, in front of it, resistance was futile. Though, it only applied to its full strength. Something the Eye of Heaven would almost never use.

"Even if it is the Eye of Heaven, since he is like this, there shouldn't be any danger now. Once its work is accomplished, the Eye of Heaven would leave."

"…" Not sure whether to say it or not, Elder Rong felt this discussion to be heading nowhere.

'Already too late anyway.' Just as his thoughts expressed his inner turmoil, Sonia screamed in surprise.

Inside Alexander's mind, his avatar was still on the ground, like a corpse. His face was bleeding energy, the world around him turning darker and darker each passing moment.

His hollow eyes, filled with fog, were unmoving. Appearing right next to him, a green lady.

"Wake up!" Crouching, she tried to awake him, unfortunately, no matter what she did or say, he would not react.

And as she noticed crackling blue sparks, leaving her mesmerized, she turned around abruptly. Putting her palm forward, a giant shield of green light stood as a stronghold against a blue laser. The beam of blue lightning struck the shield, causing her to shiver. Without the ability to resist, she was forced to flee.

As she opened her eyes, she screamed in terror. Even her strength, standing proudly at the Calamity Enduring Realm, had been snuffed out like the weak flame of a candle. But it was not over yet.

"What?!" Her green threads were suddenly being electrocuted by the blue lightning around his body, soon reaching her.

"Careful!" Teleporting near her, Elder Rong cleaved with his hand downward, snapping the threads in half. The ones still connected to Alexander vaporized, all three were filled with horror.

It appeared that, the Eye of Heaven was still there somehow.

"Shit!" Stomping on the tiles, Elder Rong caused the entire world to quake.

"Elder Rong, this junior…" Never having seen anything so terrifyingly dangerous in her countless years of expertise, Sonia felt both ashamed and determined. It was clear now that her knowledge and skills could still be developed further. But in the end, she was still currently unable to do anything.

"Don't… It's fine." Waving his hand, Elder Rong looked gloomy.

"Since even your ability to heal was not enough, we can only try brute force."

Opening their eyes wide, both Sonia and Mary felt their soul tremble. Did he not care about his disciple? Why try brute force inside the mind? Was it not the sort of thing that could worsen an injury? The mind was definitely not more resilient than the body after all! But, it was their business, suddenly dismissed.

"You can go now, I still have favors that need compensation. I will directly ask the sect master." Determined, Elder Rong left his abode, lost in a mountain of mist, in direction of the sect's main palace.

Since the Eye of Heaven dared to play dirty, then he would ask the hand of a Heaven Surpassing Realm monster to eradicate it! And in case it angered it, he would have no choice but take the blame for it.

Taking out a talisman, Elder Rong poured a message into it.

Brother Pha, I hope that you can give this old man a few arrays. Something strong enough to hide from the Heavens' prying eyes.

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Taking on the Eye of Heaven was not a small matter. Diffusing its remnant aura was one thing, but directly defying it was no short of defying the Heavens themselves. But this, of course, would only be the case if they got caught.

'The Heavens are omniscient and omnipotent. But only when you are too weak. Even they won't be able to see through his arrays. Brother Pha has been one of the best in this field since countless eras.'

Deep into the Lured Cloud Sect, a beam of light disappeared into strange ripples in the air. It was like the air swallowed it whole.

And raising a brow, surrounded by a couple of elders, a middle aged man. His black hair, put in a high ponytail, fluttered with his long black beard. His emerald eyes seemed to able to pierce through the world, peering into everything. His dark luxurious robes halted as he sat down on a chair high above. Below him, the elders were curious from his reaction. But when they noticed the ripples in the air, they understood.

"Elder Rong, why have you come here today?" Calmly stroking his beard, the middle aged man was getting curious as well.

"Elder Rong greets the sect master!" Cupping his fists, Elder Rong bowed slightly.

"What happened to you, since that incident, you, who would never bow to anyone, took etiquette to a whole new level. Anyway, it seems like urgency has caught onto your shoulder."

"Yes! This old man hopes to claim one of his old favors."

"Oh?" His eyes widening slightly, Ivan showed a faint smile.

"I can do that, after all, was it not Elder Rong who helped me get to where I stand today? What can I do for you?" Very amicable, Ivan soon heard words difficult to swallow.

"I request your strength in exterminating the Eye of Heaven stuck inside my comatose disciple!"

"The Eye of Heaven? Are perhaps asking for my life as well?" Even though he appeared calm, Ivan was still in turmoil. He was not angry, but more so confused. The Eye of Heaven? Would he even have the ability? Even sages dared not contend with it!

"Of course this old man wouldn't ask for the impossible! I asked Elder Pha for arrays shielding us from the Heavens' vision. Also, the Eye of Heaven should only be comparable to me in strength!"

"Hmm…" Pondering on the matter at hand, Ivan felt like it would be feasible. The Eye of Heaven was a true monster, but it was not invincible. Especially when it appeared inside a junior.

'Elder Rong is half a step into the next realm while I'm already on the verge of breaking through the upper part of the first stage… The problem is that Elder Rong is not much weaker than I am, even with a lower cultivation base. In fact, if he uses his Dao of Supremacy, I might not be his opponent!'

"Elder Rong, do you truly believe that I will be able to eliminate it?"

"I understand your worries, sect master. But the Eye of Heaven was most likely injured by one of my full powered blows! It must be a remnant, and even if it isn't, we can just probe it before attacking." Since there existed countless ways to enter the mind, sending a few lab rats like artificial intelligences should be possible.

"Since it is a request of Elder Rong, this junior won't dare refuse!" Slowly standing up, Ivan prepared himself mentally. Chances were, he was about to finally pummel the mighty Heavens even if only in theory. As a cultivator near the Core Territory's absolute peak, his dreams were both broad and bold.

His emerald eyes glimmered with anticipation.

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.

.

Back to his abode, lost in the misty peak, three people stood near Alexander. One was Elder Rong, another was Ivan Lugoff, while the last was a grey haired old man, his blue and grey robes much calmer than his heart.

"Brother Pha, have you brought the arrays?" Elder Rong was impatient. This matter would decide the life and death of their sect. If the arrays did not work, chances were, even the entire sect world would suffer. It would even be possible for the entirety of Limbo to be thrown into disarray.

The Eye of Heaven held the prestige to sink even the sages beyond. No matter how weak its apparition was, the Heavens' strength remained unchanged.

"I did." As if slashing the air, Elder Pha threw dozens of discs everywhere. The room was filled while his preparations outside reflected the sparse sunlight amidst the clouds.

"I just placed the last ones. With three thousand array nodes and a Seven Colored Nihility Array, even the Heavens themselves will be left in the dark!"

"Good!" Nodding, the other two felt their chances to be rising. They were old, and therefore, had the means of cunning snakes.

A single thought sparking a chain reaction, the entire mountain the abode was placed upon dimmed. The sky turned black, and so did the earth. Light itself seemed to have vanished, their visions darkening as well.

With a single blast of sound, three thousand spots around the mountain, forming multiple patterns, brought a new meaning to colors. The pitch black darkness was being pushed aside, seven colors clashing with one another under the abyss above.

"The seal is done! As long as the arrays hold on, even the Heavens won't be able to judge our methods! And with the Time Order, unless it is so petty, the Heavens won't bother looking into the past!"

"Alright…" Calming his slightly agitated breathing, Ivan sat cross-legged near the coffin. A black aura emerging, dark tendrils of translucence drowned the coffin.

Inside a dark silver world, on the verge of evolving into a pure void, Ivan's avatar appeared.

Frowning, he lifted his right arm, blocking his side with his forearm.

"Attacking me already?" Scoffing, a blue laser crashed onto his arm, causing it to go slightly numb.

"This Ivan has a debt to pay! Don't resent me too much!" A blue light covering his fist, the power of Heaven clashed with its own ray. The Eye of Heaven was then in sight.

"A bit far, this bastard knows how to aim!" Kicking the empty space, Ivan shot forward. He passed by an unconscious Alexander, directly aiming at the horizon an enormous distance ahead. There laid the Eye of Heaven, its current apparition's cultivation hovering near the Calamity Enduring Realm's peak.

"Compared with the rumored Vessel of Heaven, a little eye definitely can't compete with me!" A giant black scythe fading in, Ivan held it tightly. Slashing horizontally, a black crescent moon of wild ethereal smoke was sent flying.

A blue laser of divine electricity meeting it head on, the black energy was swept away, disintegrated.

"Not bad!" Chuckling, Ivan's voice shocked the eyeball, now seeing Ivan's figure to be right behind the black gloomy crescent. He had used the smoke coming out of it and hid behind it, now in close quarter.

"Seeing you so startled makes me happy!" The scythe's blade inevitable, the withered Eye of Heaven was struck from above. Its off-white part was then pierced through, a blue crystalline blood exploding everywhere.

"Don't think it's over! Let this Ivan show you the might of the Lured Cloud Sect! Even daddy Heavens won't help you in here!!" Thrilled, his scythe slashed through the eye, splitting it in half.

The black shockwave still continuing, it caused the silver world to turn even dimmer. Left within was a dissipating, withered eyeball, soon turning into dust.

"Well, sorry about that. Against such a foe, I can't hold back so much. Don't blame me!" His avatar fading out, he opened his eyes.

"It's done."

Hearing these simple words, both Elders sighed in relief.

"How about the arrays?" Curiously asking, Ivan saw Elder Pha show a miserable face.

"It's… it's alright?"

Perking his ears at the sight, Ivan noticed the seal to be trembling.

"What happened?"

"Haha… sect master, do you truly believe the Heavens to be stupid? They only lack proof to incriminate us. As for the arrays, this seal is preventing them from seeing a place in their domain. Do you think they need evidence to smack it down?"

"Ah…"

Even with a major success, the three men realized the trial to have only just begun.