Chapter 2497: Chaos First Opens
Ten Gates of Destiny hung like ten blazing suns, their light shining for ten thousand miles. Countless rules of fate, like invisible chains, bound the Seven Star Imperial Palace.
Space seemed frozen; time appeared still.
Back when the Destiny Temple and the Ten Dark Powers clashed, dozens of Gates of Destiny had hung in the void, but Zhang Ruochen had been tens of thousands of miles away. He hadn't felt their true terror then.
Now, standing at the center of ten Gates of Destiny, he finally understood how terrifying that suppression was. It pressed down on spirit, cultivation, will, and state of mind with an almost absolute force.
Without immense spirit and cultivation, one could never break through that suppression and would fall in an instant.
Zhang Ruochen silently admired Xue Lingxian. Under such powerful suppression, he had still managed to claim the lives of many powerful figures.
Not far away, Fei Zhong's eyes were filled with fear.
He had seen grand scenes before—on the Great Saint Merit Battlefield, where large numbers of top-tier Great Saints from the Heavenly Court and Hell had clashed.
But he had never experienced being surrounded by over a dozen Supreme Realm Great Saints with just a few companions. Among them were the former Divine Son of the Destiny Temple, the First Life Emperor, and the number one expert of the Death God Palace.
For any other Great Saint, there would be no choice but to self-destruct their Saint Source.
Fei Zhong glanced at Bai Qinger, but she remained calm and composed. He guessed, "She must be planning to use Zhang Ruochen and the Minister of Works of the Fate Department to threaten the Destiny Temple's experts and secure a way out. That's the only option."
"Enough with the nonsense. Let's fight!"
Bai Qinger was radiant and heroic, with no intention of using hostages to buy a chance to live. Her body emitted an extremely pure light of origin, brighter than all ten suspended Gates of Destiny combined, scattering all the fate rules covering the Seven Star Imperial Palace.
"She dares to... fight..."
Fei Zhong's eyes nearly popped out. He could hardly believe it.
"Whoosh!"
Bai Qinger charged out of the Seven Star Imperial Palace, entering Xing Luo's Dao Domain Star Sea. Wherever she passed, stars were annihilated and the Dao Domain shattered.
Xing Luo's expression was extremely grave. He accelerated to speeds faster than ten thousand times the speed of sound, the supreme power of the Extreme Ferocious Blade rising to its peak in an instant as he thrust it toward the flying Bai Qinger.
Bai Qinger pressed out a palm, and an article appeared in her palm.
White characters, all divine script, floated in the void.
As the characters rippled, ancient voices echoed through the starry sky, expounding the ultimate principles of the human world, the joys and sorrows of the mortal realm.
"The Confucian Ancestor's Prayer to Heaven Scripture. How does she know Confucian techniques? And from the Kunlun Realm?" Zhang Ruochen's brows furrowed.
"Boom!"
The Extreme Ferocious Blade pierced through the sacred script, its edge scraping against Bai Qinger's jade-white fingers with a metallic clang.
On her fingers, dense characters emerged, as fine as dust, swimming like tadpoles. Even a supreme sacred artifact could not break them.
Xing Luo's eyes were filled with shock. He had never imagined that a cultivator below the Divine Realm could fight a supreme sacred artifact barehanded—and that the artifact was in his hands.
They passed each other, their Dao Domains clashing with endless thunder and lightning.
Xing Luo immediately sensed something was wrong and turned to chase.
But Bai Qinger had already stepped onto the continental world beneath Tianxu Sha's feet. She pointed a finger, like a Buddha enlightening all beings, and a ten-thousand-zhang Buddha light appeared behind her, making her aura sacred beyond compare.
The shuttle-shaped war weapon in Tianxu Sha's hand, carrying infinite divine power, struck precisely against her fingertip.
"Bang!"
Fingertip met divine weapon, and energy ripples scattered in all directions.
Bai Qinger withdrew her finger, turning it into a palm seal. In her palm appeared a three-inch golden Buddha with a smiling face.
"Bang!"
The palm seal struck down.
Bai Qinger then turned her palm into a fist. Behind her appeared the shadows of one hundred and eight golden-bodied Bodhisattvas. All the shadows merged into the fist's power, and amidst Buddhist chants, one hundred and eight layers of vibrating force erupted.
In the blink of an eye, she struck three times in a fluid, seamless motion.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
The continental world beneath Tianxu Sha collapsed, turning into countless floating fragments. His body was struck heavily, flying backward.
Purified by the Buddha light, the deathly power on his body had faded considerably.
"Buddha Finger Intent, Maitreya Palm, Salvation of All Beings Fist. These are Buddhist ultimate techniques!" Zhang Ruochen's gaze grew even darker.
Xing Luo caught up to Bai Qinger, activating the power of the Ghost Face Mask.
A massive ghostly figure rose behind him, unleashing a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering strike that bent the void.
Bai Qinger drew a circle with her right hand, forming a thousand-zhang Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram that dissolved the ghostly strike into nothingness. At the same time, her left hand formed a lotus seal, blocking the Judgment Axe swung by Wuyue Life Emperor.
The four figures fought faster and faster, eventually turning into countless afterimages. Only Supreme Realm Great Saints could see their techniques and spells.
This battle left Fei Zhong dumbfounded.
Ten Supreme Realm Great Saints of the Destiny Temple held up ten Gates of Destiny, suppressing Bai Qinger with all their might. Yet even under such pressure, Bai Qinger fought three—Xing Luo, Wuyue Life Emperor, and Tianxu Sha—and held her own.
Gong Nanfeng quietly moved closer to Zhang Ruochen, his expression somewhat strange.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at him with disdain, signaling him to stay farther away.
Gong Nanfeng sent a voice transmission: "Brother Ruochen, the time you've been waiting for has come. Why haven't you acted?"
Zhang Ruochen didn't use voice transmission. He spoke directly: "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Gong Nanfeng looked anxious. "At a time like this, with our relationship, can't we be open with each other? This is the best moment. The Destiny Temple's experts have suppressed Bai Qinger. If you strike, this demoness will surely die."
"I'm only at the Hundred Shackles Realm," Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng said, "You're the only cultivator Bai Qinger fears, which is why she doesn't dare kill you. If you merge with Zangjin Baihu, you can pose a fatal threat to her."
"My Qi Sea injury hasn't healed. Forcing a fight might cripple my cultivation," Zhang Ruochen said with a helpless shrug.
Gong Nanfeng looked at the battle in the star sea, growing more anxious. "Opportunity lost is never regained. Don't you want to kill that demoness and escape?"
"I can leave anytime I want," Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng felt Zhang Ruochen was far too unambitious, letting a golden opportunity slip by.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "Fine, let's escape now. Fei Zhong shouldn't be able to stop you."
"Escape? Why escape? I want to marry her. I need to stay by her side to have a chance. A waterside pavilion gets the moonlight first," Zhang Ruochen said, looking at Gong Nanfeng with a puzzled expression.
Gong Nanfeng felt like he was being driven mad, deeply despising Zhang Ruochen.
That demoness was terrifying. Did you really want to marry her? Could you even handle her?
Fei Zhong heard Zhang Ruochen's words and guessed that Gong Nanfeng must be trying to incite Zhang Ruochen to oppose Miss Bai.
How outrageous.
This Minister of Works of the Fate Department had low cultivation but plenty of nerve.
Fei Zhong walked over, grabbed Gong Nanfeng like a chicken, lifted him from behind, slammed him hard to the ground, and stepped on him. He raised his battle axe to strike.
"Wait!"
Zhang Ruochen stopped Fei Zhong.
Gong Nanfeng was already curled up in fear, his face pale as paper. He whispered, "Brother Ruochen, save me."
"This traitor has rebellious intentions. He must die. Why do you stop me, Young Master Ruochen?" Fei Zhong asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "He is the artifact spirit of the Celestial Pivot Needle. He is of great use to Miss Bai. He cannot be killed."
After much persuasion, he finally convinced Fei Zhong.
But while death was spared, punishment was not.
Fei Zhong kneaded Gong Nanfeng like dough into the size of a fist, tossing it in his hand. From the "dough" came screams worse than a pig being slaughtered.
Fei Zhong was a clear-headed man. He knew that even though Bai Qinger was fighting the Destiny Temple cultivators, she could still hear the conversation between Zhang Ruochen and Gong Nanfeng. Even voice transmissions couldn't escape her perception.
That was why he needed to show absolute loyalty.
And Zhang Ruochen's earlier words were also because he knew that even his spiritual power voice transmissions would be heard by Bai Qinger.
The Destiny Temple experts' attack was indeed an opportunity, but it wasn't a good one.
Because Zhang Ruochen could see that Bai Qinger was only using the Destiny Temple experts as practice. From start to finish, she held the initiative.
Moreover, this opportunity was only what Gong Nanfeng was waiting for, not what Zhang Ruochen was waiting for.
The two people Zhang Ruochen was waiting for hadn't arrived yet.
To achieve great things, one must know patience and recognize the best timing.
Especially when one's strength is inferior to the opponent's.
Zhang Ruochen stopped watching the battle outside and returned to the Seven Star Imperial Palace. He had to take this chance to secretly do one thing. Only by being fully prepared could he seize the right moment and deliver a fatal blow to Bai Qinger.
...
Xing Luo, a veteran of countless battles, saw Bai Qinger's intent. He knew this woman's cultivation was unfathomable, and she was using them to hone herself. Her aura was growing thicker by the moment.
"Use the Four Seals Scroll!" Xing Luo shouted.
The ten Supreme Realm Great Saints standing within the ten Gates of Destiny each took out a corner of an ancient scroll, mobilizing all their power to activate it.
The ten corners joined into one scroll.
The scroll was a hundred thousand zhang long, shedding white mist like rain, like a waterfall, enveloping Bai Qinger.
The Four Seals Scroll was a treasure of the Fate Department, capable of dealing with gods.
The four seals were: Seal Space, Seal Spirit, Seal Soul, and Seal Rules. It had been jointly refined by cultivators from the four divine palaces of the Destiny Temple.
Under the four seals, even the strongest enemy could only surrender.
Enveloped by the Four Seals Scroll, Bai Qinger was indeed fixed beneath the scroll, like a stone statue, unable to move.
Even the fluctuations of her soul and spirit disappeared.
"What a formidable demoness. We've finally suppressed her. I'll go kill her."
Tianxu Sha charged into the white mist, mobilizing the world power within him. His aura rose step by step, his momentum rivaling a false god, reaching the top tier below the Divine Realm.
Fei Zhong sensed the danger and wanted to act.
If Bai Qinger was killed, how could he survive?
But sensing Tianxu Sha's aura, he had to give up. Charging in with his cultivation would be no different from seeking death.
Just as Tianxu Sha was about to pierce Bai Qinger's brow with his shuttle, the Four Seals Scroll suddenly shook violently. Beneath the scroll, vast, boundless chaotic qi surged, centering on Bai Qinger, creating a hazy, chaotic scene.
"Not good. It's Chaos First Opens."
Xing Luo's expression changed drastically. He wanted to call Tianxu Sha back, but it was too late.
Chaos First Opens referred to the second-rank sacred intent, "Chaos First Opens Sacred Intent."
The Four Seals Scroll could fix all things in heaven and earth, but it could not fix chaos.
"Dong!"
A deep, resonant bell sound came from the deepest part of the chaos.
Tianxu Sha's body exploded.
At the point of the explosion, space began to expand. Through the spatial cracks, a vast, boundless world could be seen gestating within.
"The legend is true. Tianxu Sha is indeed the world spirit of a great world. The great world is inside his body. Once Tianxu Sha dies, the great world will manifest and fall into this starry sky around Ice King Star," Fei Zhong thought.
"I am a world spirit. You cannot kill me."
Tianxu Sha's body quickly reformed. The expanding space contracted, and the spatial cracks disappeared.
"Dong!"
Tianxu Sha retreated rapidly, but the second bell sound rang, and his body exploded again.
At the center of the chaos appeared two rows of bronze chime bells, sixty-five in total, exuding an endless ancient charm, as if they had existed since the beginning of heaven and earth.
"Chaos first opens, all things are born, heaven and earth are established."
Bai Qinger stood beside the chime bells, striking them with her fingers.
"Dong!"
"Dong!"
...
The bells rang densely. With each chime, Tianxu Sha's body exploded once.
After exploding twenty-seven times, Tianxu Sha's life force was completely extinguished. A great world, billions of miles wide, gradually manifested in space.
Everyone thought that by releasing the great world upon death, Tianxu Sha could use the world to suppress Bai Qinger.
But the great world was absorbed by the chaos, merging into Bai Qinger's sacred intent.
For every ten thousand miles the world manifested, it was devoured ten thousand miles.
For every hundred thousand miles it manifested, it was devoured a hundred thousand miles.
Xing Luo said with great difficulty, "It's a complete second-rank sacred intent. I never thought that in our era, a Supreme Realm Eon-level genius would emerge, invincible below the Divine Realm. Let's go. With our strength, we cannot kill her. There's no need for more pointless sacrifices."
"We may want to leave, but she may not let us go." Wuyue Life Emperor showed a look of despair and smiled bitterly. "You take them and escape. I'll hold the rear. If this woman is a cultivator of the Heavenly Court, then no matter what, she must be eliminated today."
Xing Luo stared deeply at Wuyue Life Emperor, knowing what he intended. He said, "It hasn't come to that yet. Although she has reached the Eon level, I still sense a flaw in her. Her power isn't as strong as legend says. Otherwise, she would have killed Tianxu Sha with one strike, not twenty-seven."
"Go. Don't hesitate. Go find Yuan Qianmo and Yan Yu. Only the three of you working together can restrain her. Find out her purpose, kill her, and avenge me. Of course, if I can kill her myself, that would be best."
Wuyue Life Emperor had made up his mind. He charged into the chaos, his body igniting, his back looking utterly tragic.
"The cultivators under the Fate Department will defend the Destiny Temple with their lives, unwavering until death."