Chapter 1954: Dream Broken on the Rock

Chapter 1954: Dream Broken on the Rock

Boom!
Crack!!
Hum——
The blood flow of every profound practitioner was stirred up again and again, and even each burst of power was a painful disaster for their eardrums.
Space collapsed continuously, over and over again. The eternally gray-white primordial firmament was dyed a dark hue, constantly twisting and shattering. From afar, it looked as if dozens of huge holes had been punched through it.
The land below was even more ravaged, gouged out with bottomless black abyss after abyss.

Clang!
The second golden light extinguished.

Clang!
The third Nanming Divine Source vanished forever.
...
...
Clang!
The seventh Nanming Divine Source was eternally annihilated.

Boom!!
In the clash of demigod powers, it was still Mo Beichen who was defeated, plummeting downward, smashing another abyss-like giant crater into the already ravaged primordial land.
After over ten breaths of combat and dozens of collisions of power, Mo Beichen was suppressed throughout, never gaining the upper hand.
His facial features began to twitch continuously, and a manic light gradually surfaced in his eyes.
This was not the Abyss, but a despicable world without gods!
And he was being suppressed to this extent!
What an immense humiliation this was!
Yun Che... how could his power...

Shriek—
The sound of space being violently torn apart suddenly approached. Mo Beichen spun around, a terrifying baleful light shooting from his eyes.
This time, he did not retreat or defend. A fierce, dry yellow profound light erupted from his body. Instantly, a massive rock spear quickly condensed, growing to ten thousand zhang in an instant, aimed straight at Yun Che.
The ten-thousand-zhang rock spear rose to the sky, and wherever it passed, space shrank layer by layer. The entire Taichu Divine Realm seemed to be severed and split in two by it.
How could Yun Che retreat? He charged straight ahead, the Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor Sword crashing down heavily onto the ten-thousand-zhang rock spear.

Boom—
The impact was especially heavy and dull.
The destructive force carried by the rock spear was still weaker than Yun Che's power, and it was quickly annihilated by the sword's might.
But its toughness far exceeded expectations; it only cracked open a thousand-zhang fissure and did not shatter.
Yun Che had no intention of getting entangled with it forcefully. He used Star God Remnant Shadow to teleport in an eerie manner, reversed the sword, and slanted a Heaven Star Sorrow strike.

Boom hum—
Another crack extended on the rock spear, but it still did not shatter. However, its trajectory of power had been greatly deviated, losing its suppression and lockdown on Yun Che. It shot straight toward the northern sky, flying to an unknown and distant space.
Yun Che was already closing in on Mo Beichen. In his obviously constricted pupils, the Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor Sword, which had just unleashed its sword might, erupted again at an unnatural speed, crashing onto Mo Beichen's hastily crossed arms.
Mo Beichen, who had just furiously released the ten-thousand-zhang rock spear, was completely unable to recover his power in time. The Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor Sword easily broke through his arms, and the sword might and demonic flame exploded violently almost against his chest.

Boom—
"Ah!!!"

This was Mo Beichen's first scream in this battle, and in this world.
Amid the sky-splitting sword might and the dome-devouring demonic flame, Mo Beichen, his body ablaze with black flames, flew sideways like a charred piece of coal, cutting a long, pitch-black trail through space.

Clang!
The eighth Nanming Divine Source vanished.

A terrifying, strange light suddenly burst from Yun Che's eyes.
A perfect opportunity!
Countless more blood wounds split open on his body, but no trace of pain showed on Yun Che's face.
The continuous eruption of power without respite would undoubtedly bring heavy burden and backlash, but he did not care in the slightest.
As the strange light flashed in his eyes, he circulated and released his full power to the maximum, then frantically condensed it upon the sword blade. His entire body turned into a black meteor, shooting toward Mo Beichen, who had just been blasted flying in the previous instant.

Different from before, this time, the Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor Sword's momentum was not a slashing strike; instead, the tip of the sword pointed forward, aiming directly at Mo Beichen's heart.
All his power was also concentrated entirely on the sword tip.
With a decisive force and a resolute heart, his speed far surpassed Mo Beichen's backward flight, and the sword tip closed in in an instant.
If only he could pierce—better yet, penetrate Mo Beichen's body—then He Ling would have absolute confidence in poisoning him to death!
This was the only light under the eternal night cast by the Abyss!

The perception of a demigod was formidable. When Yun Che was within a hundred zhang, a sudden, inexplicable sense of danger pierced directly into Mo Beichen's soul.
Unable to stop his backward momentum, Mo Beichen extended his right arm with difficulty. The silver armor covering his entire arm suddenly expanded and transformed, emitting a thick, almost substantial dry yellow profound light. In front of him, it spread open a strange profound formation shaped like a rocky cliff.

Ding~~~~~
The Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor Sword, concentrated with Yun Che's full power, stabbed squarely into the suddenly appearing rocky cliff formation. However, it did not pierce through, nor did it produce the roar of a power clash. Instead, it caused a piercing screech that twisted even Yun Che's soul in pain.
Several cracks appeared on the rocky cliff formation...
But they were only cracks! They did not penetrate, and they certainly did not touch Mo Beichen's body.

"..." The black light in Yun Che's eyes contracted sharply along with his pupils.

Boom!
The power exploded. Mo Beichen screamed again, rolling and tumbling with the still-not-fully-extinguished Eternal Calamity Demonic Flame, deeply crashing into the primordial land below, whose depth was unknown.
The huge, entirely unexpected recoil force also sent Yun Che tumbling backward.
He immediately forced himself to stop his momentum and was about to pounce on Mo Beichen again... But suddenly, a violent dizziness hit him. Mouthful after mouthful of blood surged from his mouth, and his body swayed uncontrollably, almost falling.
Under the Divine Ashes state, with unceasing continuous eruptions, the accumulated backlash had finally caused his body to lose control and his aura to collapse.
Yun Che had no choice but to temporarily regulate his breathing. He stared at Mo Beichen's position, panting heavily, his gaze terrifyingly cold.
That barrier just now...

The profound practitioners in the distance had already been pushed back by the residual shockwaves of this fierce battle to an unknown distance.
This demigod battle, completely transcending their cognitive domain and never existing even in fantasies, had numbed their souls with shock.
The space within sight was already so tragic that it could not be described with the word "disaster."
It was unimaginable that if this battle were not in the Taichu Divine Realm, how many star realms and living beings in the God Realm would have been shattered and annihilated.
And even more unimaginable was that this was the true form of Yun Che!
If Long Bai saw this scene, he would probably be glad that he died with dignity... after all, back then, he had fought with Yun Che back and forth.

Under extreme shock and continuous daze, their emotions churned endlessly.
"The Abyss Venerable... is no match for Yun Che!" a high-level Realm King murmured.
Yun Che held the upper hand throughout, Mo Beichen was suppressed the entire time, barely able to fight back.
At this moment, Yun Che stood proudly in the air, while Mo Beichen was smashed into the abyss.
This was a scene that no one could have possibly imagined before today.
Could it be that this originally hopeless and lightless calamity was about to be annihilated by Yun Che?

"With Yun Che here, perhaps we can escape this disaster?" another high-level Realm King said in a hesitant, uncertain tone.

"Hmph, naive."
Xuanyuan Wentian gave a light snort.
"If that were the case, half a month ago, why would Yun Che have fled in such a sorry state, not even daring to show his face? And why would the Demon Empress be so full of an aura of certain death today?"
"Furthermore, the three Yan Ancestors have not appeared so far. The rumor that they died helping Yun Che escape is obviously true."

"Exactly." Ziwei Emperor also spoke at this time. "When Yun Che appeared, he was holding the Nanming Divine Pearl. Attached to his body were eighteen Nanming Divine Sources."
As emperors of the Southern Domain, they certainly recognized them.
"The power Yun Che currently possesses is clearly born from these Nanming Divine Sources. Moreover... haven't you all seen that these Nanming Divine Sources have been disappearing?"
After all, they were divine legacies, shining like stars in the sky. Everyone could see them clearly.
"In other words, when the Nanming Divine Sources are exhausted, this power of Yun Che's should also disappear."
Of the initial eighteen starlights, eight had now been extinguished.
"Based on the visible rate of consumption, the remaining ten can last at most twenty more breaths."
"Although Yun Che seems to have the upper hand, the possibility of killing the Abyss Venerable within twenty breaths... is basically non-existent!"

The power Yun Che erupted with was too abnormal, and the Nanming Divine light on him was too dazzling.
After the initial extreme shock and awe, everyone began to gradually realize that each extinguished starlight was very likely the countdown of his current power... and his fate.

"Even if we take a step back a million times," Ziwei Emperor let out an even more pessimistic whisper. "Even if Yun Che really kills the Abyss Venerable... that is just a pioneer of the Abyss."

These voices were cold and realistic, quickly extinguishing the flame of hope that had just ignited in people's hearts.

Yun Che was panting heavily. Inside the Heavenly Poison Pearl space, He Ling was already frantic with anxiety.
No one knew better than she did Yun Che's true state at this moment.
In terms of power, Yun Che's full strength in the Divine Ashes state did indeed surpass Mo Beichen.
But in this short, fierce battle, the trauma caused by the cruel backlash was far greater than the damage Mo Beichen had suffered.
Mo Beichen's defense was clearly much stronger than his destructive power. When the dry yellow profound light first appeared on him, a strong unease suddenly surged in her soul.
Earth profound force—whether in the God Realm or the lower realms, very few people cultivated it. Because earth profound force could generate the strongest defense and protection, but correspondingly, its destructive power was indisputably the weakest.
(Only above Light Profound Force, which ordinary beings could not bear.)
Thus, the vast majority of profound practitioners scoffed at earth profound force, which focused on defense.
In this world where the strong were revered, pursuing stronger combat power versus pursuing stronger defense—the latter was undoubtedly seen as cowardly in the eyes of the world.
From Yun Che's first arrival in the God Realm to the present, he had encountered countless strong people, but those who cultivated earth profound force were extremely rare.
Its status in contemporary profound arts was obvious.
Even when the Evil God decided to discard one of the Evil God Seeds back then, the one thrown into the Abyss was also the earth seed.
However, the earth profound force now manifesting on Mo Beichen had become the nightmare He Ling least wanted to see.
Earth profound force had two major branches: sand and rock. The former had both control and defense, while the latter focused more on defense.
And Mo Beichen specialized precisely in rock! Just a moment ago, when Mo Beichen, while losing power and flying backward, managed to block and deflect Yun Che's thrust, it made her heart almost fall to the bottom of the abyss.
How could this be... Why rock, of all things... why rock?!

Boom!
The earth exploded, and Mo Beichen's figure shot straight up, reappearing in everyone's sight.
But now, he no longer had any of his previous domineering and arrogant posture.
Under the burning of the Eternal Calamity Demonic Flame, his face, neck, wrists—all exposed skin was covered with burn marks. His long hair was almost seventy percent gone, and the bare scalp was charred black.
Beyond the burns, injuries were everywhere. However, they were all superficial wounds caused by tremendous force, the longest of which was no more than half a foot, and none exposed bone.

"..." Yun Che silently tightened both hands holding the sword.
What He Ling dreaded, how could he not dread as well?
He would rather Mo Beichen's power be twice as strong than have his body be this tough.

At this moment, Mo Beichen's eyes and soul seemed to have thousands of demons howling in fury.
He never imagined that his first loss of emotional control as an Abyss Knight would be in this despicable world!
He raised his right arm. The silver armor covering it had transformed into an elongated shield shape.
It was actually an arm shield, with a withered yellow light flowing like quicksand.
"You... actually..."
Every word he spoke carried anger that seemed to tear apart one's soul.
"...made the shield armor... bestowed by Lord Divine Official... be stained with dust in this base world!!"

Every Abyss Knight who had gone through layers of rigorous training and assessment would receive an Abyss profound artifact bestowed by the Divine Official under whom they served.
The shield armor covering his arms was the Abyss profound artifact that the Divine Official had bestowed upon him on the day he became an Abyss Knight.
It was a defensive profound artifact with no destructive power at all, but it could amplify the already strong defensive capabilities of earth profound force.
It was the recognition of Abyss Sovereign, the gift of the Divine Official, a mark of identity, a symbol of honor!
What truly enraged him was not being suppressed by Yun Che, nor his current disheveled state, but being forced to reveal his Abyss profound artifact.

Yun Che said not a word. He gathered all his willpower, forcibly controlled his body's condition, and raised the Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor Sword again.

Thump!
Thump!!
Thump!!!

From He Ling's world came the sound of Yun Che's heart beating many times more violently.
Her emerald eyes instantly filled with terror.
As the one who had lived with him for many years and knew him best in the world, she was all too clear about what thoughts had arisen in Yun Che's mind.
Before leaving the Zhou Tian Divine Realm and coming to the Taichu Divine Realm, he, who could drive eighteen Nanming Divine Sources at once, had harbored hopes that were not slim.
But Mo Beichen's terrifying defensive ability made Yun Che realize that the possibility of piercing him through with a sword in the remaining time... was so small as to be virtually non-existent.
However, he still had another trump card.
A final choice, with himself as the sacrifice, to be used when all hope was completely lost.
Under the Divine Ashes state...
the Other Shore Asura!

"Don't! Master, don't!"
She cried out in alarm, desperately trying to stop Yun Che's dangerously stirring will. "It's not time for that yet! There must be another way... don't... don't!"

In extreme panic, she suddenly thought of the Demon Empress.
Her Nirvana Wheel Demon Soul was the only presence among all present that could interfere with the battle between Yun Che and Mo Beichen.
In her frantic desperation, she quickly found Chi Wuyue's aura, concentrated her spirit, and sent a soul sound to her:
"Sister Demon Empress, I beg you to use your demon soul to help Master. If Master's sword can pierce his body, I can poison him to death with Heavenly Poison. Please... only you can help Master."

The soul sound was released, but at that moment, Mo Beichen's eyelids narrowed slightly.
"Pierce this Venerable's body with a sword, then poison to death?" he murmured, about to sneer in mockery, but then suddenly thought of something, his eyes sinking further. "Heavenly Poison..."
"Heavenly Poison Pearl!?"

His murmur was heard clearly by everyone.
Yun Che's sword froze in midair.
He Ling's face and emerald eyes instantly lost color.
The soul sound between He Ling and Yun Che could not be intercepted by anyone.
But the one she transmitted to an outsider—and to Chi Wuyue so far away—
Mo Beichen, what kind of being was he? With his demigod-level divine perception, it was effortless for him to intercept it.