Chapter 2480: Sword Thirteen
The former divine sons and divine maidens descended, boosting the morale of the Destiny Temple’s Great Saints. One after another, they propped up Gates of Destiny, unleashing one shocking sacred art after another that astounded the mortal world.
Each Gate of Destiny hung in the sky like countless blazing suns, suppressing the combat power of the Ten Dark Powers’ experts.
The rules of fate pushed aside nearly all the natural laws of heaven and earth, transforming ten thousand miles of territory into a world region absolutely controlled by fate.
Mountains rose, only to be shattered moments later.
Lakes evolved into inland seas, then were swiftly boiled dry by flames.
...
Fate was both shaping the world and destroying it.
Blood Spirit Immortal and Starfall faced off, one standing on the ground, the other in the starry sea. Their auras locked onto each other, their Dao domains overlapping, their gazes like knives and swords, clashing at the sharpest point.
One was the divine son of Destiny Temple, a rare prodigy born once in a millennium, a natural-born unparalleled talent leading an era. The other had weathered many great rises and falls, shed all pretense, and forged an unyielding will, ultimately ascending to the pinnacle of the world.
This confrontation was destined to be recorded in history.
It could be either the Destiny Temple’s undefeated battle or the Undying Blood Silkworm’s legendary rise of a mortal to eternal fame.
Within the seven-colored clouds.
Haitang Old Woman and Yu Qiancheng stood facing each other, no one knowing if they were locked in a spiritual power duel.
Wind and rain arrived, and the killing intent drowned the mortal world.
A scream rang out.
The blood of a Great Saint stained the crimson sky, falling like rain.
Pang Hu, the leader of the Great Evolution Divine Sect and a titan who had shaken the world for over ten thousand years among the dark forces, was struck by a shuttle-shaped war artifact thrown by Tianxu Sha, the head of the Five Undead Shas. It pierced through his skull, causing severe injury, and he crashed to the ground.
Tianxu Sha was the world spirit of a great world, and legend had it that the entire world resided within its body.
It could be said that Tianxu Sha was the strongest under the divine realm of the Death God Palace, the master of slaughter within the entire Destiny Temple. Even the High Priest of Death had more losses than victories against it.
The leading giants of the Ten Dark Powers might not necessarily fear Zhuo Yunong or Wuyue Minghuang, but they were deeply wary of the Five Undead Shas, who specialized in slaughter and feared no death.
After all, not everyone was like Wuma Jiuxing, possessing the world-shaking power to slay a Sha with a single strike. Such a figure had only appeared once in the dark forces over a hundred thousand years.
Their lack of fear toward Zhuo Yunong and Wuyue Minghuang stemmed from the fact that those two had consciousness, spirit, and a desire for life, making them afraid of self-destructing their sacred sources in mutual annihilation.
But the Five Undead Shas would not fear mutual destruction.
If it came to mutual destruction, so be it.
Not long after Pang Hu was severely injured, a Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Qiankun Yiqitang, second only to Wuma Jiuxing, was trapped in the Eternal Night by Ye Sha, one of the Five Undead Shas.
By the time this Supreme Realm Great Saint broke free from the Eternal Night and escaped, he had become nothing but bones and a layer of skin, with nearly all the sacred blood drained from his body.
"Boom!"
Tianxu Sha condensed a five-fingered world over three hundred miles long and, before that Supreme Realm Great Saint could self-destruct his sacred source, utterly suppressed and killed him, annihilating both form and spirit.
The defeat at Goddess City was the greatest humiliation for the Five Undead Shas.
Today, they aimed to slaughter all the Supreme Realm Great Saints of the Ten Dark Powers, re-establishing the Death God Palace’s deterrent power over the entire universe.
If they succeeded, within thirty thousand years, everyone would tremble at the mere mention of the Five Undead Shas.
Half an hour later, under the restraint of a Fate Emperor, the ruler of "Prison Sea," one of the Ten Dark Powers, was jointly refined and killed by Xianyuan Sha and Ye Sha. They used a pot of Chaotic Divine Fire, and even though the Prison Sea ruler wielded a quasi-ultimate sacred artifact, he could not save his life.
The temperature of the Chaotic Divine Fire exceeded a million degrees, and even a powerhouse like Wuma Jiuxing dared not touch it. Once contaminated, there was a risk of falling.
Xianyuan Sha had spent a hundred years refining just that one pot.
The first giant’s fall dealt a severe blow to the morale of the dark forces’ cultivators.
All surviving cultivators felt a shadow cast over their hearts, sensing that today, they might truly all die here. The Destiny Temple’s ability to dominate the Hell Realm and keep the Ten Clans submissive was indeed unimaginably deep.
If not for being forced into a corner, they might have already begun to retreat.
Even the cultivators on the back of the Xuanwu Divine Corpse were chilled to the bone.
Normally, it was extremely rare to see a Supreme Realm Great Saint, but today, they witnessed one after another fall. Whose heart would not be shaken?
Shang Yue began to consider retreat, saying, "Even the Prison Sea ruler has fallen. The Destiny Temple’s strength far exceeds our estimates. Should we abort the original plan?"
Duan Lingfeng shook his head. "The Prison Sea ruler died because his cultivation was severely weakened by over twenty Gates of Destiny. In truth, the only ones with real killing power in the Destiny Temple are the Five Undead Shas."
"Look closely—whether it’s the three Fate Emperors or other Destiny Temple experts, they mainly harass and avoid pushing the dark forces’ Supreme Realm Great Saints into a death trap. The ones who truly strike, delivering fatal blows up close, are the Five Undead Shas. Each of them possesses combat power at the demigod level, far surpassing other Supreme Realm Great Saints, and they fear no death."
"Uncle Master means that if the Five Undead Shas have problems, the Destiny Temple will no longer be formidable?" Shang Yue said.
Duan Lingfeng said, "Exactly."
"In that case, why aren’t we acting yet? If we delay any longer, once the Ten Dark Powers collapse, we won’t have a chance to act!" Shang Yue said.
Duan Lingfeng’s gaze fell on Blood Spirit Immortal. "Wait a little longer. The timing isn’t right yet."
...
Blood Spirit Immortal broke the stalemate first, taking the initiative to attack.
Before he moved, the sacred Dao rules within his body surged out like a torrent, colliding with the starry sea in the sky, causing the sea to rise and fall as countless stars were annihilated.
Starfall not only showed no fear but even revealed a hint of a smile.
He knew that Blood Spirit Immortal was forced to act.
If he didn’t, the Ten Dark Powers would be defeated.
But by striking first, he disrupted his perfect aura, making it imperfect, and had already fallen into a disadvantage.
The stone sword of the *Wordless Sword Manual* tore through heaven and earth, causing space to tremble as tens of millions of sword qi burst forth.
Starfall raised the Extremely Ferocious Blade above his head. The ferocious light and supreme power radiating from its edge instantly threw the natural laws of heaven and earth within a hundred thousand miles into chaos. All cultivators within that range felt as if they were trapped in a gravity divine sea, struggling painfully.
Living beings millions of miles away could sense the fluctuation of supreme power, their minds all intimidated.
On a planet as massive as Ice King Star, many cities’ skies displayed the Extremely Ferocious Light, like dark red auroras.
A sudden gale swept across the ice plains, snowy mountains, forests, and pastures, sending snowflakes flying like blades.
"Boom!"
The Extremely Ferocious Blade clashed with the stone sword. After the thunderous roar, the world fell into an unprecedented silence, as if everyone had gone deaf.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
...
After a hundred clashes in a row, even the Supreme Realm Great Saints were knocked back by the ferocious energy waves, drifting away like scattered leaves.
The starry sea in the sky was completely destroyed. Starfall’s robe was torn, and blood continuously dripped from the gaps between his fingers gripping the Extremely Ferocious Blade. There was no trace of a smile on his face.
In contrast, Blood Spirit Immortal seemed to grow stronger with each exchange.
"So, the divine son of Destiny Temple is only this much."
Blood Spirit Immortal said coldly, then abandoned him and flew toward the eight-hundred-mile-long Undead Ghost Ship.
Starfall saw through Blood Spirit Immortal’s intent and snorted, "You are indeed strong, but you cannot kill anyone in front of me."
"Whoosh!"
Starfall used a Great Space Teleportation, appearing above the Undead Ghost Ship before Blood Spirit Immortal.
Below, within the Undead Ghost Ship, Ye Sha and Xianyuan Sha were jointly besieging the Nine-Eyed Ghost Emperor, having trapped him in the Eternal Night. If the Nine-Eyed Ghost Emperor were also killed, it would accelerate the collapse of the Ten Dark Powers.
"Extremely Ferocious Realm, Deterring the Universe. Extremely Ferocious Blade, God-Slaying Strike."
Beneath Starfall’s feet, the starry sea reappeared, transforming into a sky full of stars.
Using the Extremely Ferocious Blade, he manifested a legendary divine ability from the Fierce Horror Divine Palace: God-Slaying.
Before becoming a divine son, Starfall was born in the Fierce Horror Divine Palace. Even after becoming a divine son, he remained close to that lineage, receiving guidance from the Fierce Horror Divine Venerable and mastering this ultimate technique.
Even without the Extremely Ferocious Blade, a bare-handed strike of this move could threaten a demigod’s life.
With the Extremely Ferocious Blade—the ultimate sacred artifact most suited for "God-Slaying"—pushed to its limit, the power of this strike became unparalleled.
Blood Spirit Immortal’s silver hair flew wildly as he unleashed the divine ability "Extreme Lightning," combining it with the stone sword of the *Wordless Sword Manual*, turning the golden figure on the sword into a lightning figure.
The clash of divine abilities represented the collision of their highest ultimate techniques.
"Boom!"
The starry sea beneath Starfall’s feet shattered again, sending him flying a thousand miles like a meteor, spitting out a mouthful of blood. A bolt of Extreme Lightning pierced through his Dao domain and penetrated his chest.
Blood Spirit Immortal was also sent flying backward, coughing up a stream of crystalline blood.
But having endured far worse injuries, this was nothing to him; it wouldn’t hinder his continued fighting.
Without pausing, Blood Spirit Immortal boarded the Undead Ghost Ship and broke the Eternal Night with a single sword strike.
The Nine-Eyed Ghost Emperor broke free, his ghostly body no longer solid, becoming much more ethereal. He cast a grateful glance at Blood Spirit Immortal before charging deep into the Undead Ghost Ship to activate the ship’s formation hub and unleash its strongest power.
"Damn it, we were so close to killing him."
Ye Sha was regretful, glaring at Blood Spirit Immortal. Seeing that Blood Spirit Immortal was already injured, he chose not to flee but pressed a palm to the ground, sending out dense sacred Dao rules to manifest the Eternal Night again.
"Sizzle."
From the scales of Blood Spirit Immortal’s serpent tail, Extreme Lightning surged, rushing in all directions to repel the encroaching darkness.
The darkness was scattered, and the Extreme Lightning, like countless sharp tentacles, struck Ye Sha.
Starfall crossed space, landing on the Undead Ghost Ship, his eyes blazing with fury as he roared, "How dare you!"
This shout carried immense spiritual power.
Blood Spirit Immortal was unaffected, forming a Linked Mountain Seal and striking it against Ye Sha’s chest. Wrapped in lightning, Ye Sha disintegrated into ashes, scattered by the wind.
Ye Sha had fallen.
Starfall was so furious he nearly vomited blood. He had just declared that Blood Spirit Immortal couldn’t kill anyone in his presence, only to be publicly slapped in the face moments later.
Now, Blood Spirit Immortal turned toward Xianyuan Sha.
Knowing the terror of Extreme Lightning, Xianyuan Sha dared not engage, using his speed to flee far away while quickly retrieving a copper pot. This was the last pot of Chaotic Divine Fire. If used well, it might kill Blood Spirit Immortal.
He hoped Blood Spirit Immortal would pursue him.
Unfortunately, Blood Spirit Immortal had already seen through his intentions.
As Xianyuan Sha fled dozens of miles away, Blood Spirit Immortal remained in place, but the stone sword of the *Wordless Sword Manual* slashed down, cutting him from midair, his fate unknown.
With two Shas lost in succession, the situation was balanced again, allowing the cultivators of the Ten Dark Powers to breathe a long sigh of relief.
This Blood Spirit Immortal was truly godlike. Even while clashing with Starfall, he achieved such results, leaving even Supreme Realm Great Saints in awe.
Xianyuan Sha crawled out from the ground, but his origin was damaged, and his combat power had plummeted.
Charging forward again would be no different from seeking death.
Gong Nanfeng sighed deeply. "I never thought the Undying Blood Silkworm could be so formidable, literally creating an Eon-level representative figure. Coupled with Blood Spirit Immortal’s past entry into the divine realm, his understanding of divine abilities surpasses other Great Saint cultivators. With Extreme Lightning, every strike is a killing blow."
"Is the timing right?" Que asked.
He meant whether the time to use the divine artifact had come.
"There’s no other way. We have to use the divine artifact now." Gong Nanfeng said.
The mighty Destiny Temple had to resort to a divine artifact to suppress its enemies. If the Ten Clans of Hell or the Myriad Realms of the Heavenly Court learned of this, their reverence for the Destiny Temple would plummet.
Any loss of authority, any overthrow of an empire, stemmed from a loss of reverence.
Reverence and fear.
"We must kill one person first."
Gong Nanfeng took out the Celestial Pivot Needle, his gaze shifting between Haitang Old Woman and Blood Spirit Immortal as he selected the first target.
Though the divine artifact was powerful, killing experts like Haitang Old Woman and Blood Spirit Immortal still required strategy to ensure success.
A moment later, Gong Nanfeng’s lips moved slightly, transmitting a spiritual message.
Yu Qiancheng, who had been facing off against Haitang Old Woman, turned and descended from the seven-colored clouds, charging toward the Undead Ghost Ship.
Haitang Old Woman pointed her wooden staff through the air, creating ripples in space.
Yu Qiancheng twisted his body and pointed a finger.
From his fingertip, spatial ripples spread outward in rings.
Their clash was not as earth-shattering as Blood Spirit Immortal and Starfall’s, but it was more refined, revealing true skill in the subtleties as they mutually annihilated each other’s power, ending in silence.
Using the spatial impact, Yu Qiancheng landed on the sail of the Undead Ghost Ship even faster.
"Go get the Celestial Pivot Needle. Leave these two to me."
Blood Spirit Immortal transmitted to Haitang Old Woman.
He knew that the longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.
This was still the Hell Realm’s territory. Once the Hell Realm experts from Goddess City arrived, they would lose any chance to seize the Celestial Pivot Needle. Although the Dragon Lord had come with them to Ice King Star, he had made it clear that they could only rely on themselves to seize the needle; he could not intervene.
The stone sword in Blood Spirit Immortal’s hand rapidly shrank to four feet, the length of a normal war sword.
The might of his sword Dao dropped significantly.
Yet, in Starfall’s perception, Blood Spirit Immortal’s threat had grown even greater, even giving him a dangerous feeling that made his heart pound.
How could this be?
Yu Qiancheng also sensed that threat. Her graceful figure descended lightly, standing shoulder to shoulder with Starfall. The ghostly divine mask on her face emitted a radiance brighter than the sun.
"Attack."
Starfall decided to strike first, slashing with the Extremely Ferocious Blade. Countless trillions of sacred Dao rules flew out with it, reducing the buildings on the Undead Ghost Ship to dust.
Yu Qiancheng spun and rose like a seductress, beautiful and enchanting. Thousands of graceful ghost shadows flew out from her body, like celestial maidens dancing, yet they simultaneously unleashed a deadly killing technique, extremely dangerous.
With the boost of the ghostly divine mask, the power of her technique surged.
At the same time, a spiritual attack nearly reaching the divine realm shot from her eyes, striking Blood Spirit Immortal first.
Her spiritual power reached the sixty-ninth rank and a half, the strongest in the mortal world.
Blood Spirit Immortal closed his eyes, gripping the sword with both hands. His lips moved slightly, uttering three words that no one could hear clearly.
But Zhang Ruochen, reading his lip movements, identified those three words, and his heart trembled.
Gong Nanfeng and Bore also recognized them, their expressions changing drastically.
"Watch out! Sword Thirteen." Gong Nanfeng shouted in alarm.
Too late.
Blood Spirit Immortal’s Heavenly Sword Soul surged from the top of his head, merging with the stone sword.
Then, using the sword, he drew a circle on the ground.
When the circle was complete, over half of Ice King Star, covering tens of millions of miles, heard the sound of sword chimes in the wind. In the space where Blood Spirit Immortal, Starfall, and Yu Qiancheng stood, sword qi crisscrossed for thirty thousand miles.
In Starfall and Yu Qiancheng’s vision, Blood Spirit Immortal vanished, and the stone sword disappeared.
"Pfft."
The stone sword reappeared, piercing through the sky full of ghost shadows and penetrating Yu Qiancheng’s body.
Blood Spirit Immortal stood behind Yu Qiancheng, suffering the spiritual attack. His body swayed slightly, and his spirit and energy plummeted. The Extremely Ferocious Blade had pierced his body, leaving an unhealable bloody hole.
Yet his gaze remained sharp, and his battle intent remained strong.
"Shua, shua."
Yu Qiancheng’s body split apart, and countless sword qi burst from the cracks, like a blooming sword flower.
The sword flower took away all ghostly qi and soul power, magnificent and dazzling—the final radiance of Yu Qiancheng’s brilliant and splendid life.
Then it dissipated like smoke, leaving nothing behind.
The goddess had fallen, and a dirge echoed through heaven and earth.
Whether a beautiful woman or a supreme prodigy, they were but fleeting brilliance in the world, destined to fade and unable to endure through the ages.
...
Recently, the plot has introduced many characters and a lot of information, which might be overwhelming for everyone.
Therefore, Xiaoyu plans to do a "Review of Peak Combat Power Below the Divine Realm" on the WeChat public account.
A thousand readers have a thousand perspectives.
Based on my own understanding of the characters and power levels, I’ll discuss Blood Spirit Immortal, Wuma Jiuxing, Zhuo Yunong, Guye Jing... or those who have already become gods like Underworld King, Chi Yao, Fengchen Sword God, Yuqiu Divine Son, etc., and who is stronger or weaker, and what level they belong to.
Of course, my preferred writing style has always been that there is no absolute who is stronger than whom.
Doing this is mainly to help everyone read better and avoid confusion. Of course, readers can also have their own understanding. This analysis only represents my own views.
Readers who haven’t followed Xiaoyu’s public account can search for "Feitian Yu" on WeChat and follow it.