In the past, Bai Xiaochun feared death, because he wanted to live forever!
In the past, he didn't understand why there had to be things like fighting and killing!
But that was the past. Although he still retained some of that past innocence in his heart, he had grown up. He was a sovereign now, and he knew that if he wanted to live forever, he could not allow himself to fear death!
He knew that if he wanted to put an end to fighting and killing, then he had to be completely invincible!
Eyes bloodshot, he faced the nine vortexes and threw his hands out in front of him, causing his sovereign aura to blaze.
Then, he performed a quick incantation gesture, and spoke in a low voice.
"Former!"
Instantly, his Sutra of Former Reincarnation appeared. The nine vortexes, which contained power so destructive it could end the starry sky, suddenly shuddered as magical symbols began to pour out from them!
The nine vortexes really did come from sprawling worlds that the Mortal Renegade had brought nirvanic extermination to, worlds that had their own starry skies. Therefore, Bai Xiaochun's use of the Sutra of Former Reincarnation did not just dredge up the memories of living beings, but of entire starry skies!
Although those starry skies of the past had been destroyed and transformed into statues, their memories still existed!
The magical symbols became countless images of living things. There were men and women, old and young, even animals and other strange entities. They were howling in rage and resentment as they flew, not toward Bai Xiaochun, but toward the vortex from which they had come forth.
The Mortal Renegade was visibly surprised, and yet, things weren't over yet. Bai Xiaochun could sense the sovereign power within himself ebbing, and yet, he still performed another incantation gesture!
"Present!"
The Sutra of Present Life and Death!
Now that Bai Xiaochun was a sovereign, this divine ability was even more extraordinary. As soon as it appeared, the starry sky trembled, and an enormous, ancient gate appeared behind him!
This time, it was not the Gate of Death, which was how he had used the technique in the past, but rather… the Gate of Life!
And behind the vortexes appeared nine gates, each of which was a Gate of Death!
The Sutra of Present Life and Death could reverse life and death, but this time, instead of traveling from life into death, it was the opposite. Death to life. Darkness to light. As the nine vortex were attacked by the magical symbols, causing their very foundations to be deeply shaken, the auras of death that surrounded them began to dissipate.
Even more shocking was that, as the auras of death disappeared, the air of nirvanic extermination faded, and it seemed as though life force would soon appear.
It was as if they were reverting into the nine great worlds they had once been in the past!
At this point, the Mortal Renegade no longer looked surprised. Snorting coldly, he extended his right hand and performed an incantation gesture.
"Be destroyed!" he said coolly. The nine vortexes instantly destabilized and began to fall apart. Obviously, the Mortal Renegade realized how dangerous things could get if he let things proceed. After all, he wanted to kill Bai Xiaochun as quickly as possible.
However, before the nine vortexes could actually be destroyed, Bai Xiaochun looked at them with bloodshot eyes and shouted, "Future!!"
Suddenly, a soul connection snapped into place, and something like an aura of karma could be sensed. And the target was… the Mortal Renegade!!
Instantly, the nine vortexes shattered, and the power of nirvanic extermination within them hurtled toward Bai Xiaochun with mountain-toppling, sedraining force.
That power seemed unstoppable, and was more than enough to slaughter a sovereign. However, Bai Xiaochun had already used his Sutra of the Former to weaken the vortexes. And the power of the Gates of Life and Death had sapped their energy even further.
Therefore, although they were still terrifyingly powerful, they were not enough to kill Bai Xiaochun. The magical symbols of the Sutra of the Former shattered, and the Gates of Life and Death fell to pieces. Then, blood sprayed out of Bai Xiaochun's mouth as he was sent tumbling backward. At the same time, the power of the Sutra of the Future sent the same blow to the Mortal Renegade.
Howling, the Mortal Renegade ignored the backlash injuries, sweeping his left hand out as if to grab Bai Xiaochun.
As his hand passed through the void, the starry sky around it shattered.
In that moment of crisis, Bai Xiaochun backed up, hands blurring with an incantation gesture that sent the Essence of time out as Gravitational Extermination.
This was Bai Xiaochun's first time using Gravitational Extermination as a sovereign. After taking control of fifty percent of the starry sky, and forming numerous Dao clones, his control over the Essence of time had improved, and therefore, his Gravitational Extermination was far more powerful. Reaching out toward one particular direction of the starry sky, he made a grasping gesture!
"Time Hourglass!"
In response, the hourglass region that he had discovered years ago suddenly trembled, and a Dao clone appeared there!
Bai Xiaochun had prepared long ago to use the precious treasure if needed. Therefore, as soon as he called out to it, and his Essence of time built up, the entire area trembled, and the region of countless hourglasses vanished.
When it reappeared… it was in the exact location the Eternal Immortal Domains had previously occupied in the starry sky!
Now, a gigantic hourglass suddenly existed there!
Bai Xiaochun had control over the Essence of time, but did not have complete control over this hourglass. After all, he did not own it. Given enough time, he would have been able to refine it and make it his own, but there was no time for that now. Instead of using the full extent of its powers, he would use it… like a club to beat his enemy!!
He would attack the Mortal Renegade with a magical item that had once belonged to the man's Master!
The instant the hourglass appeared, the Mortal Renegade's expression flickered. He recognized that hourglass, and knew that it was a precious treasure left behind by his Master. Back when his Master had perished, that hourglass had vanished without a trace.
The Mortal Renegade had searched for it, but in vain. Eventually, he had assumed it lost for good. Therefore, to see Bai Xiaochun summon it right here in this fight was profoundly shocking.
As the hourglass appeared, a vast array of hourglasses came into being around the Mortal Renegade, changing the flow of time and creating a sealing power. Clearly, Bai Xiaochun… wanted to seal the Mortal Renegade!
The Mortal Renegade closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and threw his hands wide, causing boundless black smoke to pour off of him. Within that smoke was death and nirvanic extermination, which immediately rushed toward the hourglasses.
The hourglass had once belonged to his Master, and had many extraordinary aspects. Although the Mortal Renegade was strong, he was not a master of the Essence of time, and therefore, the smoke he unleashed was having a hard time suppressing the hourglasses.
However, the power of the hourglasses was limited. Although they could keep the Mortal Renegade locked down temporarily, eventually, he would be able to break free.
Bai Xiaochun had been aware of that from the beginning. Ignoring the Mortal Renegade, he closed his eyes and sent his divine sense out to touch the Dao clones that existed in the fifty percent of the starry sky that he controlled.
Instantly, the Dao clones in hundreds of thousands of various ruins opened their eyes. Each of those clones was Bai Xiaochun, and could be controlled by him just like his true self. In fact, in many ways, they didn't even seem like clones.