Chapter 2987: Talisman Art Extinguishes Qingxuan
Cultivators who had rushed over from various major worlds could only remain on their warships, blocked outside the Starry Sky Gate, unable to reach the Starry Sky Defense Line. Only gods could pass through the Starry Sky Gate to travel to the Heavenly Beginning Civilization Great World for rescue.
"This Hell Divine Tide is too terrifying. More than one Heaven-level powerhouse from the Heavenly Court side has made a move."
"I hope the Heavenly Beginning Civilization isn't breached now, that it can hold out a little longer."
"It's a pity we can't go to the battlefield!"
"With our cultivation levels, rushing to the Heavenly Beginning Civilization now would only cause chaos. It's better to wait until the situation stabilizes a bit before going to the battlefield. The Starry Sky Battlefield is destined to be a protracted war, testing reserves and resolve. There will be a time for us to play our part... what's happening?"
Numerous Saint Realm cultivators let out cries of alarm.
"Boom!"
Beneath the Starry Sky Gate, space suddenly collapsed on a massive scale, forming dozens of fissures.
The cracks spread for tens of thousands of miles...
Hundreds of warships, unable to retreat in time, were swept into the spatial storm and torn to shreds by the spatial forces. The cultivators on the ships soared upward, but were crushed into clouds of blood mist by a powerful aura.
Screams rose and fell one after another.
Strands of Fate Divine Qi surged out from the shattered space, coalescing into a Gate of Destiny as majestic and magnificent as the Starry Sky Gate.
From the black divine temple floating above the Starry Sky Gate, the Truth Hall Master emerged. He struck out with a punch, shattering the Gate of Destiny, and bellowed, "Xu Fengjin, have you finally lost your patience?"
The fragmented space beneath the Starry Sky Gate transformed into a chaotic vortex, connecting to the Void World.
From within the void space, an aged and ethereal voice rang out, "After Xumi died, I have been residing in the Void Great Calamity Palace. Lately, I have grown restless from stillness and merely wish to find an opponent to spar with. Of course, I also want to kill them!"
The Truth Hall Master showed no fear, his gaze sharp, and said, "This is not the Fate Divine Mountain. This is the Heavenly Court Universe. Under the suppression of the Starry Sky Defense Line, your power is likely greatly diminished."
"It doesn't matter. The void is everywhere, and so is my power. The Starry Sky Defense Line cannot stop me, nor can it suppress me."
"Boom!"
The chaotic vortex exploded. The power of the void surged violently into the real universe, instantly destroying the ten-thousand-mile-high Starry Sky Gate before spreading toward the black divine temple where the Truth Hall Master stood.
...
Whether it was the battle erupting on the Starry Sky Battlefield or the clash at the location of the Starry Sky Gate, both had reached a level where Zhang Ruochen could only marvel, unable to intervene. Even observing was beyond his ability.
"Destroying the Heavenly Beginning Civilization will severely demoralize the Heavenly Court army and intimidate the other ancient civilizations. The Hell Realm is truly going all out this time."
Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly, feeling pity for the countless defenseless mortal commoners in the Heavenly Beginning Civilization Great World and worrying about Luo Ji's situation. Yet, at this level of war, with his current cultivation, he could change nothing. There was so little he could do.
Beside him, Feng Qi received a divine talisman for help and his expression changed. "A large number of Hell Realm cultivators have headed to the sea forbidden zone where the Divine Toon Tree is located. They are going to cut down the world's spiritual root of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization."
After exchanging words with the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox, Feng Qi transformed into two beams of divine light and immediately flew toward the sea.
Zhang Ruochen did not sense Luo Ji's aura on the continent beneath him. After a moment of thought, he climbed onto Old Yellow Ox's back and chased in the direction Feng Qi and the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox had flown.
In the current Heavenly Beginning Civilization Great World, divine patterns and formations were everywhere, blocking the spiritual perception and divine thought detection of gods. Finding someone was as difficult as searching for a needle in the ocean.
The Divine Toon Tree was the world's spiritual root of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, of utmost importance. It was possible that Luo Ji had also gone to assist there.
Zhang Ruochen advanced at a leisurely pace.
The truth was, he did not know which faction the Hell Realm cultivators attacking the Divine Toon Tree belonged to.
What if they were from the Blood Heaven Tribe or the Heavenly Rakshasa Divine Kingdom? With his Yellow Ox Daoist's fiercely righteous nature, should he intervene? And if he did, how could he face Xue Jue War God and Emperor Luo Yan?
Old Yellow Ox was not slow in flight. Soon, they left the continent and entered the azure, clear sea.
...
After arriving in the Heavenly Beginning Civilization Great World, Qingxuan Ling Shen immediately set up a concealment formation on a remote rocky island.
Only by having a hiding place of his own could he advance when possible and retreat when necessary.
Just now, when Feng Qi and the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox flew overhead, Qingxuan Ling Shen was greatly startled. After all, Feng Qi was a powerful Upper-level God, and with his spiritual power level, he was definitely no match.
After confirming that Feng Qi and the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox had left this sea area, Qingxuan Ling Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He walked to the reef at the island's edge, a smug smile appearing on his face. "After reaching the seventy-fourth level of spiritual power, it really is different. The concealment formation I set up can't even be detected by an Upper-level God."
"Oh? There's a lone False God."
Qingxuan Ling Shen showed delight, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
That False God wore a Daoist robe, appeared to be in his fifties, and rode an old yellow ox.
That old yellow ox was quite extraordinary, its cultivation reaching the peak of Half-God.
"A peak Half-God yellow ox, definitely full of potential, yet willing to be the mount of a False God."
Qingxuan Ling Shen revealed a disdainful expression, silently resolving that after killing that Daoist-robed False God, he would capture the old yellow ox alive and make it his own mount.
"He's coming this way. Walking right into the trap! Since that's the case, this god won't be polite!"
The unlucky Daoist riding the old yellow ox was already only five hundred miles from the island.
Qingxuan Ling Shen extended his right index finger and traced a blood-red curse pattern.
With a slap of his palm, the blood-red curse pattern crossed five hundred miles and imprinted itself on that unlucky Daoist.
"Hit by my curse, you're dead!"
Qingxuan Ling Shen stared intently at the unlucky Daoist, waiting for him to scream and fall from the old yellow ox's back.
Suddenly, he sensed something was wrong. The blood-red curse pattern on the unlucky Daoist had disappeared! He looked down and found the blood-red curse pattern on his own body.
His body burst into flames, crackling like burning firewood, sending excruciating pain through his bones.
"Dare to scheme against this humble Daoist, you're dead!"
Zhang Ruochen took out a talisman paper, traced a talisman seal on it with his finger, and flicked it out.
The talisman paper fell, transforming into divine thunder.
With a booming explosion, the entire island was leveled.
Zhang Ruochen had long detected Qingxuan Ling Shen. He deliberately disguised himself as a False God to get close. Because without revealing his identity, killing Qingxuan Ling Shen was no easy task.
Only by getting close enough would there be a chance.
Zhang Ruochen harbored deep hatred for the Darkness Temple and had long wished to kill Qingxuan Ling Shen. Previously, he had been constrained by his identity and unable to act.
Unfortunately, Qingxuan Ling Shen was too cautious. He struck before Zhang Ruochen could get close.
The island was not only equipped with a concealment formation but also a defensive formation. When the talisman pressed down, the defensive formation held for a moment, giving Qingxuan Ling Shen time to escape.
"What a cunning Daoist, daring to scheme against this god."
Qingxuan Ling Shen realized his opponent was powerful and fled swiftly across the sea surface, not daring to stop.
Zhang Ruochen abandoned Old Yellow Ox and gave chase, roaring, "Where do you think you're going? Watch this humble Daoist's supreme talisman art!"
Zhang Ruochen's speed far exceeded Qingxuan Ling Shen's. In moments, he caught up to within a hundred miles behind him, hurling thunder talismans one after another, blasting Qingxuan Ling Shen until smoke rose from his body.
Zhang Ruochen had spent years in seclusion, delving into Daoist classics, and had achieved extremely high attainments in talisman art.
Of course, the main reason was that his spiritual power far surpassed Qingxuan Ling Shen's.
Qingxuan Ling Shen was one of the Twelve Ling Shen of the Darkness Temple, with a deep background. In the Hell Realm, he acted with impunity, and everyone had to show him some respect. He never expected that upon arriving at the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, he would be schemed against by an obscure, cunning Daoist and blasted by talismans until his divine soul was nearly scattered.
Forced into a corner, he had to use a forbidden technique, burning his lifespan, which suddenly increased his speed.
Before long, Qingxuan Ling Shen detected the presence of Hell Realm gods in the sea ahead. He quickly sent a distress message: "This lord is Qingxuan Ling Shen of the Darkness Temple. Which god is ahead? Would you show yourself and join me in killing the Daoist behind me?"
Xue Tu, hiding in the water, was tempted. Encountering a lone god in the Heavenly Beginning Civilization was rare.
Even if he couldn't kill the Daoist, saving Qingxuan Ling Shen would allow him to extort a large amount of divine stones from him.
This deal was not a loss!
Xue Tu burst out of the water, shouting, "I, the Great Tu War God Emperor, am here!"
"Scram!"
A shout rang out in Xue Tu's mind.
Xue Tu's expression changed. Slowly, he sank back into the water.
Only after Qingxuan Ling Shen and Zhang Ruochen had flown past the sea surface did Xue Tu re-emerge, sticking out his head and letting out a long breath. "How could I run into this? Luckily, Senior Brother treats me like a true junior brother; otherwise, he would have killed me to silence me just now."
He hesitated about whether to follow but ultimately abandoned the idea and fled in the completely opposite direction.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen took out a talisman inscribed with the blood of a great god and suppressed Qingxuan Ling Shen, killing him.
Qingxuan Ling Shen's blood dyed hundreds of miles of the sea red. All the spiritual power thoughts trying to escape were incinerated by the talisman fire, leaving only half a divine heart, like colored glaze, preserved.
Zhang Ruochen collected the half divine heart and looked back, muttering to himself, "This guy sure has guts, daring to barge into the Heavenly Beginning Civilization."
In the space ahead, powerful divine energy fluctuations came from the front.
Only then did Zhang Ruochen notice that at the end of the sea and sky, divine light and colorful clouds filled the air. A divine tree, towering into the clouds, appeared faintly within the divine light.
It was the world's spiritual root of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, the Divine Toon Tree.
"No wonder Qingxuan Ling Shen fled this way."
Zhang Ruochen abandoned the idea of going back to find Niu Jianqiang and Xue Tu. He concealed his aura, turned invisible, and quietly headed toward the Divine Toon Tree.