Chapter 1781: Abyss God Cannon
Bang——
The combined force of the Three Yan Ancestors smashed into the Abyss Emperor Barrier. At that instant, the roar of impact was as if ten thousand realms had collapsed and the rivers of stars had broken. The faintly appearing golden barrier suddenly burst forth with blinding golden light. Amid violent outward bulging, it spread countless golden cracks, accompanied by a mournful sound that tore through space and ripped at souls.
But immediately, an immense counterforce rebounded from the Abyss Emperor Barrier, violently flinging the Three Yan Ancestors back. All three let out muffled groans as they landed far away, their arms trembling with intense numbness.
And the moment they landed, the golden light on the barrier quickly contracted, and even the cracks that had spread in an instant vanished without a trace.
"Hiss~~" A low sound escaped the mouths of the Three Yan Ancestors simultaneously. Staring at the barrier, which not only hadn't shattered but had instead restored itself in the blink of an eye, their eyes flickered with a trace of surprise and an extremely terrifying black light.
"Oh?" Yun Che seemed somewhat surprised and muttered, "Even these three old geeks beside me can't break it. This turtle shell does have some tricks."
Qianye Bingzhu and Qianye Wugu remained utterly expressionless—this result was no surprise to them.
Under the force of the Three Yan Ancestors, the Abyss Emperor Barrier was unharmed. However, not a single person in the Southern Abyss laughed scornfully; instead, deep shock appeared on every face in that same instant.
Because they clearly saw that under the claws of the Three Yan Ancestors, cracks had actually appeared on the Abyss Emperor Barrier!
They were brief and recovered immediately... but they were cracks more real than anything!
The terror of the Three Yan Ancestors had long been known. The fact that the Zhou Tian Realm, despite having six Guardians left behind, was crushed to annihilation was precisely because of these three old monsters. Even the powerful Ash Dragon God was utterly powerless under their suppression.
But all of that combined couldn't compare to the impact of those cracks just now, because they knew far too well how formidable the Abyss Emperor Barrier was. In their understanding, it was simply impossible for the Abyss Emperor Barrier to be cracked—not even by successive generations of Nanming Shendi!
In the moment the Abyss Emperor Barrier was heavily struck, every Abyss God felt as if their own heart had been pierced, and those fine cracks spread across their very livers and gallbladders.
Nanming Shendi's face also stiffened for a full half-breath, before quickly returning to an arrogant light smile: "Yun Che, you're wasting your effort. These old monsters beside you are indeed remarkable, but breaking through the Abyss Emperor Barrier is nothing but a fool's dream."
His heart was far less calm than his exterior. That single blow from the Three Yan Ancestors had created cracks in the Abyss Emperor Barrier while also leaving an indelible crack in his own heart, giving rise to a terrifying thought...
If these three old monsters kept attacking, maybe they really could break it by force... One hour? Or maybe even shorter!
Such monsters, such a threat... they cannot be allowed to live!
"Hehehe," Yun Che chuckled coldly, head lowered. "Just a mere turtle shell, and you're showing off like that. Is this all the skill and ambition you, Nanming Shendi, have? Since you're so proud of this turtle shell, why not rename your Southern Abyss Divine Realm the Turtle Shell Realm? What do you think?"
"Hmph, still arrogant even at death's door." The speaker was Nan Qianqiu. He no longer had any of his previous caution or fear; his face was composed, with even a hint of barely concealed anticipation. He spoke with pity: "But if you want to laugh, go ahead and laugh, because once you're in hell, you'll never laugh again."
"Your Majesty." Beiyu Abyss King suddenly said in a low voice, "Long nights breed many dreams."
Clearly, the sight of the Three Yan Ancestors cracking the Abyss Emperor Barrier had deeply alarmed him as well.
Nanming Shendi narrowed his golden eyes and slowly extended his hand, his curved fingers pointing toward Yun Che's location, as if he had already firmly grasped the fate of them all: "Yun Che, open your eyes wide. This is the greatest gift I, this king, have ever given in my life. Savor the glory of this despair!"
His five fingers suddenly clenched.
Boom!
From the center of the divine altar, a golden light suddenly burst forth, piercing through the barrier and shooting straight into the sky. Within that tearing golden light, a massive golden shadow slowly emerged from the split center of the altar.
That golden light came from countless overlapping and interconnected profound formations that shimmered and rotated. At the center of these formations, a pitch-black aperture pointed toward Yun Che's location. Though only half a zhang wide, it seemed capable of devouring ten thousand realms and all the stars in an instant.
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble——
The altar trembled. Nanming Imperial City trembled. The entire Southern Abyss Divine Realm trembled... and beyond the Southern Abyss, endless star fields quaked, stirring up one catastrophic cosmic storm after another.
"Ah!"
"Ah—"
"This... is!?"
The three Southern Domain Divine Emperors were horrified beyond measure. Though they had varying degrees of mental preparation, when the golden light tore through the air, they still felt as if struck by a heavy hammer and shaken to their souls by a celestial mallet.
Because what shrouded their bodies and souls was a pressure so powerful it surpassed all cognition, exceeded the limits of the present world—a pressure that, after Jie Tian Mo Di's departure, simply should not exist in this era!
"Abyss... God... Cannon..." Shitian Shendi gritted his teeth, forcing out those trembling and twisted syllables from between his teeth.
The secret records he had always dismissed as absurd nonsense had today become reality before his eyes!
"..."
Xuanyuan Emperor and Ziwei Emperor said nothing, for they could no longer make a sound.
The Abyss God Cannon—as Southern Domain Divine Emperors, they certainly knew the name. But the Abyss God Cannon they knew was from the ancient era, the clan-guarding artifact of the Southern Abyss Clan. Recorded as having "the power to slay gods in an instant," it was the most terrifying and forbidden of all divine clan artifacts.
How could something so terrifying have survived to the present age!
They didn't know, and they couldn't believe that what they were witnessing was that legendary god-slaying artifact from ancient times. But the might pressing down upon them now—even separated by the Abyss Emperor Barrier—made their bodies and souls tremble violently beyond control.
Within the barrier, a storm suddenly rose. Yun Che's black clothes and black hair were violently whipped up, rustling loudly. The Three Yan Ancestors all changed color. Facing that dark aperture, their already hideous faces twisted even more fiercely than true hellish fiends.
"Ugh!" Gu Zhu staggered back a step, swaying before steadying himself.
Although Gu Zhu's profound energy had not fully recovered, he was still a Tenth-rank Divine Lord. Being forced back a step by mere spiritual pressure alone showed just how terrifying the power was.
It felt as if countless stars were pressing down upon him. Though Yun Che stood unmoving, he could no longer breathe. He slowly raised his hand... and even that simple motion was extraordinarily difficult.
"Master, this thing... isn't right!" Yan Yi turned his head and rasped.
"Hahahaha!" Nanming Shendi spread his arms wide and laughed loudly: "Yun Che, how do you like this gift that I have specially prepared for you? Hahahahaha!"
This was also the first time he had truly felt the divine might of the Southern Abyss forbidden artifact! His body trembled, but his soul was exhilarated, his blood boiling as if on fire!
Because this belonged to his Southern Abyss!
"..." Yun Che did not speak. He slowly moved his fingers, as if testing to what extent the pressure from the Abyss God Cannon could suppress him.
"Nanming!" Shitian Shendi said in a deep voice. "You've actually been hiding... something like this!"
He suddenly thought of something and murmured: "No wonder... no wonder Long Huang frequently visits the Eastern Divine Region but never sets foot in your Southern Abyss Divine Realm!"
Nanming Shendi did not respond. He was reveling in the trembling brought by the divine might of the Southern Abyss Cannon, and even more eagerly anticipating the fear... and death... that would soon appear on Yun Che's face.
Qianye Bingzhu and Qianye Wugu exchanged a glance, then stepped forward, standing in front of Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er.
Qianye Wugu said: "This old man originally thought that the ceremony of the Crown Prince's enfeoffment was merely a hastily borrowed pretext. It turns out there was a great reason behind it. The tower beneath this divine altar, which was raised for the Crown Prince's sacrifice to heaven, is the source of energy for the Abyss God Cannon, is it not?"
The tower that lifted the divine altar was truly enormous. The energy hidden within it was so vast that ordinary people could not imagine it in a thousand lifetimes.
"Correct." Nanming Shendi laughed arrogantly. He lifted his foot but ultimately did not set it down, because the pressure from the Abyss God Cannon made him afraid to approach. This fear only made him more excited, and his voice grew increasingly wild: "Do you know how reluctant I was to give this gift? What a pity! Compared to this cost, I have no choice but to kill this mad dog!"
"In terms of scheming and ruthlessness, you surpass your father." Qianye Bingzhu said. "But have you considered that this is the core of the Southern Abyss Divine Realm? Under the Abyss God Cannon, your Southern Abyss will suffer a great disaster."
"So what?" Nan Qianqiu sneered coldly. "The vast Eastern Divine Region has been utterly routed and humiliated under the demonic claws of Yun Che. The entire divine realm is now gripped by fear of the Northern Domain demon people. Today, my Southern Abyss slays the demon lord Yun Che. This achievement will be praised by the present age and remembered by future generations. Even if the Southern Abyss is damaged, it is damage for the sake of the world."
"Hehe, well said." Nanming Shendi nodded approvingly.
"Since it has come to this, words are useless." Qianye Wugu raised both hands and said in a low voice: "Divine Emperor..."
After a slight pause, his tone softened a fraction more: "Ying'er, the Abyss God Cannon absolutely cannot manifest its ancient might. With our power and that of the Three Yan Ancestors, there might be a possibility of enduring it. If you gain even a sliver of chance to live, you must flee with all your might. Do not be stubborn."
As his voice fell, a dull golden light simultaneously condensed in the pupils of Qianye Bingzhu and Qianye Wugu...
It was clearly the preparation to forcefully burn their Fan souls.
"Stand down!" Qianye Ying'er said coldly. "I'll say it again: this is not the place for you to act on your own."
Her tone was icy, but her gaze softened slightly. Still, she ultimately sent a voice transmission: "He has his own plans. Both of you, step back."
"..." A faint flicker of surprise passed through the deepest parts of their eyes. After a brief hesitation, they finally obeyed.
"Yun Che, how do you find this gift?" Nanming Shendi said leisurely, looking at Yun Che.
"Not bad," Yun Che said with a faint smile. "At least it didn't disappoint me too much."
"Disappoint?" Nanming Shendi's face was all smiles.
"As for the true power of this Abyss God Cannon in the present age, you, Nanming Shendi, have surely never actually witnessed it, have you?" Yun Che maintained his smile, and no one could see a trace of panic on his face. "Are you so certain it can kill me?"
Nanming Shendi's smile deepened: "To be honest, I don't have absolute confidence. After all, these loyal dogs beside you have far exceeded my expectations. If they use their lives to protect you with full force, there might be a slim chance you survive."
No one found these words surprising.
With the Three Yan Ancestors, the Two Fan Ancestors, plus Gu Zhu and Qianye Ying'er, if they truly used their all to protect Yun Che alone, no one could guarantee he wouldn't survive the Abyss God Cannon.
"But even so, even if you do survive, you'll be nothing but a cripple. Can you still walk out of my Southern Abyss?"
"And even if, against all odds, you eventually leave here alive, without these loyal dogs, what will you use to suppress the Eastern Divine Region? What will you use to resist my Southern Divine Region and the Dragon God Realm, which you have thoroughly offended?"
"It's just..." Nanming Shendi slowly shook his head with a brief sigh: "A pity for my Ying'er. But compared to you being defiled by the demon now, I would rather have the Ying'er in my memory die five years ago—a beautified death, but still so aloof and proud, flawless as white jade."
Qianye Ying'er lightly pressed her lips together. An almost imperceptible movement traced an enchanting charm that could steal souls. She stepped forward half a pace, leaning lightly against Yun Che's side, and said faintly: "I, Qianye Ying'er, would rather be a demon's plaything than be glanced at by you, a Southerner. After all, in my eyes, you have always been nothing but a toy dog wagging its tail for a look. Being remembered by you is quite nauseating."