Chapter 2581: Sudden Change
The Blade Venerable reached out with his hand through the air, and between his five fingers, the patterns of heaven and earth rules emerged. Instantly, the "Shura Hell Map" in Seventh Master's hand appeared in his grasp.
Even though the gods present were all titans, none of them could fathom the mystery behind this.
Seventh Master looked at his empty palm and let out a helpless bitter smile. In the presence of a God Venerable-level existence, he was clearly still far behind.
Mortals look up to gods.
Gods, in turn, look up to God Venerables.
The "Shura Hell Map" was unfurled once more, and Jia Tianxia, Zhuhai Lord God, and the Nine-Headed Dragon God flew out from within. All three gods wore expressions of embarrassment. They were titans among gods, yet they had been trapped by the gods of the Hell Realm within their own map. If this matter were to spread in the future, it would surely damage their reputations.
Unless they killed Seventh Master today, they could not wash away this shame.
Xuan Yi True God appeared quite young, handsome and heroic, but his eyes were extremely deep. He said, "Blade Venerable, you should go retrieve the Origin Divine Temple. Leave this place to me."
He exuded an unparalleled confidence.
The Blade Venerable looked up, gazing into the distance, and said, "An old friend has arrived. I'm afraid I cannot go to the Origin Divine Temple for now."
All the gods present sensed a terrifying might that oppressed their divine souls.
In this space surging with divine qi, a blood-leafed parasol tree, towering who knows how many tens of thousands of miles high, appeared, casting the entire star domain into a blood-red hue.
A single blood leaf was as vast as a lake.
And indeed, a blood lake rested upon that leaf.
The thick aura of death was enough to make even gods tremble with fear.
"The blood-leafed parasol tree appears—the Death God Venerable has arrived!" Several gods of the Hell Realm were greatly invigorated.
With a phoenix cry, a five-colored phoenix flew into this star domain.
The phoenix's feathers shimmered with flowing light, each one like a divine river, and its eyes were like two stars. Yet, despite being such a sacred phoenix, it emitted a gray, hazy aura of death.
The phoenix circled the blood-leafed parasol tree once, then transformed beneath the tree into a graceful, hazy figure. Her silhouette was the epitome of beauty, with a veil covering her face. She stood straight, exuding an awe-inspiring, heaven-defying arrogance.
A sea of corpses rose and fell beneath her feet, as if she were a being who had lived for endless ages. Her aura was extremely ancient and fearsome.
Death God Venerable, Feng Caiyi.
Apart from the Blade Venerable, no one dared to look directly at the Death God Venerable.
The blood-leafed parasol tree swayed, sending out countless leaves that turned into a rain of blood, surging toward the direction of the Blade Venerable.
The Blade Venerable's expression was extremely grave. He raised his hand and struck out with a single slash.
"Whoosh!"
Ten thousand miles of space, like a sheet of paper, was cleaved open with that single slash, revealing the dark, boundless void.
The countless blood-red leaves were all shattered, turning into a sea of blood qi.
In the next instant, the Blade Venerable and the fleeting Death God Venerable vanished from the starry sky, entering the void space. Then, the sounds of battle, deafening and earth-shattering, had already receded a million miles away.
Few gods had ever seen the Death God Venerable speak.
She was always deathly silent and utterly cold, as if born solely for slaughter, unwilling to utter a single unnecessary word. Or perhaps, in her eyes, the gods present were not even qualified to make her speak.
The ten-thousand-mile space cleaved open by the Blade Venerable's slash still retained its blade qi, which lingered for a long time without fading. The divine might also persisted, and the space could not close, forming a long river of spatial rifts.
None of the gods present dared to approach that river easily.
After a long silence, the pressure on the gods of the Heavenly Realm Faction and the Hell Realm finally eased slightly.
Although they could also meddle in battles between God Venerable-level existences, the danger was immense. A single misstep could lead to their fall. Therefore, it was best to stay far away and not get involved.
One hundred thousand years ago, countless gods had fallen because they meddled in God Venerable-level battles. The bloody lessons were still fresh in their memories.
Xuan Yi True God said, "The Death God Venerable is being held back by the Blade Venerable. You deal with the remaining ones; I will go to the Origin Divine Temple myself."
"Xuan Yi, do you think you can leave?"
Yin Yang Divine Master, riding the Fate Divine Fetus, blocked the path of the Heavenly Realm Faction gods heading toward the Sword South Realm.
Xuan Yi True God said coldly, "Yin Yang, just you? You weren't even worth a glance one hundred thousand years ago, and now you're even less qualified to be my opponent."
Seventh Master, using some unknown technique, appeared beside Yin Yang Divine Master and stared at Xuan Yi True God.
"The two of you combined are still far from enough."
As soon as Xuan Yi True God finished speaking, a strange sensation arose in his heart. He turned his head to look at the space cleaved open by the Blade Venerable. There, a figure of immense majesty walked out from the sharpest point of the blade qi.
This person had broad shoulders and a sturdy build, clad in martial robes.
The blood qi within his body was extremely fierce. Even from a thousand miles away, one could hear the sound of blood flowing like rivers within his blood vessels.
Jia Tianxia's eyes narrowed sharply. "Yama Clan, Wu Qingzong. Isn't he supposed to be guarding the Abyss of Darkness? Why is he here?"
As Wu Qingzong walked, the blade qi dissipated, and the space slowly closed.
After the space had fully recovered, Wu Qingzong's proud and aloof figure stood still, his gaze fixed on Xuan Yi True God. "I will fight you. Do you think I am sufficient?"
Xuan Yi True God remained calm and composed. "You, Wu Qingzong, are naturally qualified."
Wu Qingzong's unexpected appearance caused the hearts of the Heavenly Realm Faction gods to sink to the bottom.
Was it truly a trap?
The Death God Venerable's swift arrival was understandable, given that her speed was unmatched by few in either the Heavenly Court or the Hell Realm. But why had Seventh Master and Wu Qingzong arrived so quickly?
Had they been lying in ambush here all along?
...
At the top of the giant stone altar in the Origin Divine Temple.
Zhang Ruochen ultimately did not dare to take the risk. After all, even if he used divine bones to build a bridge, it would not last long.
Moreover, there were two major variables.
First, what if a blood mist suddenly rose from the blood lake?
Earlier, Yuan Qianmo had only come into contact with the blood mist for an instant and had suffered greatly.
Second, no one knew if there were other dangers on Sword Island.
If there were, with his cultivation, rushing over recklessly would mean certain death.
Zhang Ruochen turned his gaze to the other side of the blood lake, where several strange stone structures were scattered.
The top of the altar was vast, and the blood lake only occupied a small area. It could be imagined that before the blood lake appeared, those stone structures were the main body of the altar's summit.
Zhang Ruochen was well aware that the gods of the Heavenly Realm Faction and the Hell Realm could descend upon the Origin Divine Temple at any moment. Time was pressing, and there was no need to risk his life to seize a divine artifact.
Finding Ji Fanxin and leaving the Origin Divine Temple as quickly as possible was the right course of action.
Many powerful cultivators had fallen precisely because of their greed.
He, Zhang Ruochen, had no need to be greedy.
"I hope Gu Shejing didn't deceive me. If flute sounds really did come from this area, then it must be connected to this altar. The only place on the altar that hasn't been explored yet is those stone structures."
Zhang Ruochen returned to the formation camel and, after discussing with the others, they all headed toward the stone structures.
The cultivators of the Death God Temple followed suit.
Additionally, they contacted Duan Lingfeng, and the two sides communicated secretly, reaching some unknown agreement. They had also wanted to ally with Wuma Jiuxing, but Wuma Jiuxing stood atop the Ying Dragon's head, staring at the chaotic cloud mass, ignoring them entirely.
Night Traveler Master watched the Death God Temple cultivators rapidly approaching and said gravely, "This is bad. The Death God Temple is probably going to make a move on us."
"Don't worry. If they dare to act, we'll deal with them."
With Granny Haitang by his side, Zhang Ruochen was quite confident.
There were four stone structures in total, very peculiar—some looked like Daoist temples, some like castles, and others like shrines.
Among them, the largest structure had no door, only a circular window, located more than ten zhang above the ground. Inside the window was pitch black, and when Zhang Ruochen tried to probe it with his spiritual power, it was blocked.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Did any of you notice earlier whether Ji Fanxin came out of this window?"
Everyone shook their heads simultaneously.
Bai Qinger was the first to ascend the giant stone altar. Zhang Ruochen absolutely did not believe she hadn't entered these structures to investigate.
Granny Haitang said in a hoarse voice, "This place is eerie. Ruochen, don't venture in recklessly."
"I understand."
Zhang Ruochen took out Fei Zhong's puppet body and infused it with a strand of his spiritual will and soul power. The puppet body immediately "came to life."
This puppet body possessed combat power close to that of a Supreme Realm Great Saint, making it perfect for scouting.
The puppet leaped up and flew into the circular window.
"Boom!"
Only a moment passed before a loud explosion rang out from inside. The entire stone structure shook violently, and strange ancient divine patterns emerged, accompanied by eerie sounds from within.
The sound was very strange, as if made by some living creature.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen's connection with Fei Zhong's puppet body vanished.
Zhang Ruochen's expression changed drastically. A puppet body with combat power close to the Supreme Realm had been destroyed just like that? What exactly had happened inside?
Such a puppet body was worth more than a Seven-Pattern Monarch Sacred Artifact, but Zhang Ruochen felt no pain—only deep fear.
Night Traveler Great Saint, Seven-Handed Old Man, and Kailuo Earth Master, all veterans of countless storms, now had faces as pale as earth.
No one noticed that at the moment of the explosion inside the stone structure, the Sword Island at the center of the blood lake trembled slightly and sank a little.
Before they could recover from their shock...
"Zhang Ruochen, you collude with cultivators of the Heavenly Court and repeatedly oppose the Hell Realm. Today is your day of death." Yuan Bensu's voice rang out as the Death God Temple cultivators surrounded the formation camel.
Zhang Ruochen turned to look at them and said, "If you want to kill me and seize my treasures, just say so. Why find such a high-sounding excuse?"
Yuan Bensu chuckled. "Since you see it so clearly, then take the initiative to hand over those Supreme Sacred Artifacts you carry. Perhaps you might find a way to survive today."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Just the likes of you?"
Yuan Bensu said, "Your only reliance is Kailuo Earth Master's formation. Once this defensive formation is broken, can you and your group possibly be a match for the Death God Temple? Coincidentally, Senior Duan is also a master of formation worlds. How long do you think this defensive formation can hold against him?"
Although Yuan Bensu was only a weakling among these Supreme Realm Great Saints, he was still the younger brother of Yuan Qianmo, with a high status and the right to represent the Death God Temple.
Duan Lingfeng stepped to the front, revealing a sinister smile.
Yuan Bensu, confident that he had Zhang Ruochen cornered today, said with great smugness, "My fourth brother is about to break through to godhood. By then, not to mention one Kailuo Earth Master, even ten of them won't be his match."
"Before he becomes a god, handing over your Supreme Sacred Artifacts is your only way out."
The cultivators of the Death God Temple were all at ease, not worried about Yuan Qianmo's safety at all. They knew that if Yuan Qianmo was outmatched by Ji Fanxin and faced a life-or-death crisis, he would immediately break through to godhood.
For Yuan Qianmo, the top-ranked on the "Divine Reserve Scroll" with a first-class rating, once he decided to break through, no one could stop him—unless a god intervened.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's gaze snapped to the distant chaotic cloud mass, and he saw an unbelievable sight. "Not good!"
Wuma Jiuxing, who had been standing atop the Ying Dragon's head, radiated dazzling divine light, unleashing an unparalleled divine might that caused space to tremble violently.
He reached out a hand and pressed it toward the chaotic cloud mass.
"Boom!"
His hand transformed into a divine cloud, and the Dao domain formed by Bai Qinger's Chaos First Opening Sacred Intent was crushed and shattered in an instant.
The four powerful beings locked in fierce combat within were sent flying like scarecrows, crashing to the ground in disarray. Each of them was covered in blood, having suffered severe injuries.
"Wuma Jiuxing, what are you doing?"
General Zhu roared and immediately rushed toward Bai Qinger, who lay in a pool of blood.
But before he could reach her, a blade light flew from Wuma Jiuxing's eyes and struck him. With a crash, his stone body shattered into a pile of rubble, and all signs of life vanished completely.
Ghost Prince swung his iron staff at Wuma Jiuxing but was sent flying by a flick of his sleeve, his body flying off the giant stone altar to who knows where.
Yuan Qianmo, Gu Shejing, Xue Lingxian, and Bai Qinger all fixed their gazes on Wuma Jiuxing, suppressed by the divine might and rule divine patterns emanating from him, unable to stand.
Bai Qinger, facing the divine might head-on, slowly sat down on the ground, her red lips stained with blood. She let out a self-mocking laugh. "So you've already broken through to the divine realm."
"Not too early. I only broke through after leaving Ice King Star," Wuma Jiuxing said calmly.
Bai Qinger asked, "Why?"
Wuma Jiuxing clasped his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, and said with some emotion, "Because the strongest blade path lies in the Heavenly Court, in the Blade God Realm."
"So, during the years you were missing, you went to the Blade God Realm to cultivate?" Bai Qinger said.
"Boom."
Wuma Jiuxing flew down from the Ying Dragon's head and stomped on the head of Yuan Qianmo, who was about to break through to godhood, crushing it. He then kicked the headless corpse into the blood lake.
The corpse turned into dust and sank to the bottom of the lake.
A generation's pride, the top-ranked on the "Divine Reserve Scroll" with a first-class rating, was killed like an ordinary mortal, not even a bone left.
Wuma Jiuxing paced back and forth, speaking casually, "Since all of you are going to die today anyway, I might as well tell you. Behind the Qiankun Yiqi Hall has always been the Blade God Realm and the Heavenly Realm. Qing'er, your talent is unparalleled. If you are willing to submit, you can keep your life today."
"Submit? Submit to whom?" Bai Qinger said, as if she were truly tempted.
Wuma Jiuxing looked down at Bai Qinger. "Hand over half of your sacred soul to me for control. Today, I will spare your life."
The divine might pressing down on Bai Qinger grew even stronger.