Chapter 3224: Forced Assault
One hundred thousand years ago, Gong Shang was an absolutely fearsome existence in the Hell Realm, known for his extreme bloodlust.
Moreover, with Gong Xuanzang sealing the heavens, his status and position had risen even further, making him even more formidable—enough to stride sideways across the Yellow Spring Star River, with few daring to offend him.
Zhang Ruochen, appearing in the high-profile identity of "Gong Shang," had no fear of being exposed. He hovered in midair, dozens of zhang above the ground, with the Nether River churning beneath him, waves surging skyward, and the phantom of a Nether City manifesting above his head.
His vast divine might forced the ghost clan cultivators in the surrounding city domains to kneel and prostrate in worship.
A top-tier great god was the master of the current universe!
Tang Lan and Bore, who knew Zhang Ruochen's true identity, gazed at the thick Nether clouds outside the Ghost Emperor's Mansion, feeling a sense of disorientation. They wondered if the real Gong Shang had truly returned. Such a Nether clan aura could not be possessed by beings of other races.
...
As an ancient powerhouse of the Supreme Void realm, Golden Jade Heavenly God possessed extraordinary bearing. He transmitted his will to all the gods, saying, "Don't activate the formations. A spiritual power supreme has blocked the messages. We still don't know what's happening outside. Whether Gong Shang is friend or foe is unclear. We must be cautious."
Earlier, Tang Lan had recounted to the gods of the Destiny Temple what had happened in Fengdu Ghost City. But this matter was of great importance, and Gong Shang and Huang E Divine Lord were no ordinary figures. How could the gods of the Destiny Temple believe her one-sided account?
Listening Cloud Sheng manifested the Gate of Destiny behind him and said cautiously, "There were earlier rumors that Tang Lan had defected to the Nether clan, joining forces with Gong Shang to capture Radiant Light Emperor Consort. Though the truth is uncertain, we must be on guard. Gong Shang's arrival at such a sensitive time is suspicious."
Tang Lan's eyes glinted with cold light, feeling that Listening Cloud Sheng was insulting her. She said, "Fengdu Ghost City is the city of the Heavenly Venerable. Why would I need to defect to the Nether clan?"
"Gong Shang can help you rescue Chi Chaluo," Golden Jade Heavenly God added.
"But Chi Chaluo is, after all, a traitor to the Hell Realm."
Golden Jade Heavenly God's implication was clearly to suggest that Tang Lan and Gong Shang were also traitors to the Hell Realm, having already defected to the Heavenly Court.
Tang Lan summoned the supreme sacred artifact "Nine Nether Thorn," suspending it before her as divine qi radiated from her body. She said, "You, Golden Jade, are twisting right and wrong like this; your intentions must be impure. In my view, you are the one who is a member of the Quantity Organization."
Golden Jade Heavenly God did not grow angry. Instead, he advised earnestly, "Lan Shen, please put away your war weapon quickly. I am merely stating a possibility, and that possibility is certainly very low."
Listening Cloud Sheng knew that many of the ghost clan gods within the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion still obeyed Tang Lan. If a conflict broke out, it would not benefit the Destiny Temple. He quickly soothed her, saying, "Lan Shen, since such rumors exist outside, we must be on guard. I hope you can understand. The Destiny Temple is stationed here at the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion to ensure that Fengdu Ghost City is not exploited by the Quantity Organization."
Although Golden Jade Heavenly God and Listening Cloud Sheng seemed to be calming Tang Lan's emotions, maintaining the stability of the Ghost Emperor's Mansion, the gods of the Destiny Temple all harbored doubts and secretly became wary.
Many ghost clan gods within the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion communicated via telepathy, some suspecting that Tang Lan had indeed defected to the Heavenly Court to save Chi Chaluo. They thought she might have fabricated the story about the Quantity Organization plotting to throw Fengdu Ghost City into chaos, perhaps to muddy the waters and facilitate a rescue.
Given Tang Lan's relationship with Chi Chaluo, it was entirely possible she would go to extremes.
Tang Lan noticed the suspicious looks from the gods and immediately sent secret transmissions to a few gods she trusted, ready to act at any moment. Golden Jade Heavenly God's excessive caution was itself abnormal.
Golden Jade Heavenly God sensed that the waters within the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion were already murky enough, and Yan Ju, the highest cultivator present, was not one to grasp the situation clearly.
He said, "Lord Yan Ju, you have the highest cultivation here. I ask you to first capture Hai Shang You Ruo. But under no circumstances should you harm her life, or it will be difficult to explain to Feng Tian and Void Heaven later."
His words were sincere and followed the rules, leaving no room for criticism.
Yan Ju pondered for a moment, his massive eyes burning with divine flames fixed on Hai Shang You Ruo. He said, "I do not wish to engage in a great battle with a great god of the Destiny Temple, inviting ridicule. Seal your own cultivation and put on the chains."
A divine chain that had been coiled around Yan Ju's body flew toward Hai Shang You Ruo like a steel dragon.
"Yan Ju, if your brain doesn't work well, don't jump out to be someone else's blade. Feng Tian is watching here. Be careful you don't get demoted to guard the ancient ruins," Hai Shang You Ruo said, looking like a young girl but sharp in spirit and energy, her eyelashes slightly raised, her gaze cold and mocking. She added, "Old man Golden Jade, your death is upon you, yet you don't realize it. Let's see how long you can still laugh."
Yan Ju was ranked among the top three powerhouses in the Destiny Temple. Being publicly scolded like this—did he have no face to lose?
"Roar!"
With a long roar like a furious beast, Yan Ju's flame-covered fist, the size of a house, smashed straight down at Hai Shang You Ruo.
The ground was blasted into a large pit, and countless formation inscription runes exploded.
Hai Shang You Ruo executed her Space-Time Displacement technique, appearing above Yan Ju's head. A bright ocean of time imprints condensed beneath her feet as she danced like a seductive maiden, her form shifting unpredictably.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Rings of flame light patterns burst from Yan Ju's body, manifesting a divine realm world outside the Array Hall, pulling Hai Shang You Ruo inside.
Seeing Hai Shang You Ruo locked in fierce combat with Yan Ju within the divine realm world, a flicker of a smile crossed Golden Jade Heavenly God's face.
But his satisfaction did not last long. A ghost clan god standing within the divine formation exclaimed in shock, "The Emperor Consort has returned!"
Streams of divine thoughts surged out from the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion, looking outward.
Although most of the gods in Fengdu Ghost City were on the Starry Sky Battlefield or stationed at various nether realms, star passes, and secret realms along the Yellow Spring Star River, and many gods of the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion had already defected to the other four Ghost Emperor Mansions, there were still many gods present. Dozens of true gods alone shone like stars.
Golden Jade Heavenly God's heart sank, his smile vanishing completely. He couldn't understand how Radiant Light could have escaped given Huang E Divine Lord's cultivation.
Wasn't this disrupting all his plans?
Tang Lan, whose anger had been suppressed by Listening Cloud Sheng's locked-on aura, finally showed joy. She said, "Since the Emperor Consort has returned, why not open the formation immediately to welcome her?"
Outside the Ghost Emperor's Mansion.
Radiant Light appeared, her figure tall and striking, noble and radiant, her spiritual power radiating outward with immense pressure.
Behind her, rows of artifact-refined corpse soldiers were arrayed.
In the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion, aside from Wen He Ghost Emperor, Radiant Light Emperor Consort held the highest status and possessed sufficient strength.
Golden Jade Heavenly God released his Supreme Void divine might, stopping the ghost clan gods who were about to open the formation. He barked, "Don't fall for Gong Shang's trick. Since Radiant Light Emperor Consort was captured by him, she has most likely been controlled. If the formation is opened and the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion falls, who among you will bear that responsibility?"
The Supreme Void divine might was too overwhelming. Which ordinary true god would dare defy his will?
Listening Cloud Sheng nodded slightly, feeling that Golden Jade Heavenly God's words made sense. He said, "Not opening the formation at least ensures the absolute safety of the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion. If Gong Shang and Radiant Light truly have problems, we simply cannot handle them. Gong Shang is at the peak of the Supreme Void level!"
Zhang Ruochen's perception was powerful. Even separated by layers of divine formations, he could sense what was happening inside.
Golden Jade Heavenly God was jumping around like this, yet he could still win the trust of others. It wasn't because he was particularly quick-witted, but because Feng Tian had deliberately left a flaw to lure him into exposure.
Without a doubt, whoever jumped the most was either a member of the Quantity Organization or an accomplice.
Worried about the safety of Bore and Hai Shang You Ruo, and fearing that delays would lead to changes, Zhang Ruochen transmitted a message to Radiant Light, saying, "The current situation is a deadlock. The Quantity Organization clearly wants to muddy the waters. There's no other way—we have to force our way in. You should be very familiar with the weaknesses of the divine formations in the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion, right?"
"The title 'Emperor Consort' is in the past. Call me Radiant Light, Gong Tianzi."
Radiant Light's voice was pleasant but devoid of worldly warmth, giving a sense of distance.
Her spiritual power had reached the peak of the eighty-third rank, as if weightless. She floated to a position about ten zhang from the Ghost Emperor's Mansion and pressed her fair, delicate fingers outward.
"Whoosh!"
The outermost divine formation of the Ghost Emperor's Mansion materialized.
The light barrier was three zhang thick, like an inverted divine bowl, covering the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion, which spanned a thousand li.
Inside the light barrier, billions of skull marks flew about, emitting piercing howls.
As the ruling hub of Fengdu Ghost City, the Ghost Emperor's Mansion contained nearly a hundred large and small divine halls, and its protective formations were naturally extremely powerful.
Only Radiant Light dared to break the formations here.
Any other cultivator, even if their spiritual power and formation mastery surpassed Radiant Light's, would most likely end up dead if they dared to touch these formations.
Zhang Ruochen kept his gaze fixed on the interior of the Ghost Emperor's Mansion, his heart anxious. If he used the God-Defying Stele, the speed of breaking the formation would be much faster.
For now, he could only wait.
...
Inside the Ghost Emperor's Mansion.
A ghost clan Tai Yi great god stood atop a ten-thousand-meter-tall divine hall, a bright formation disk suspended above his head. He asked, "The Emperor Consort is forcefully breaking the formation. What do we do now?"
Golden Jade Heavenly God said, "See? They can no longer hide. Since they are forcefully breaking the formation, it's equivalent to declaring war. Activate the attack formations... kill them!"
"This is the Western Ghost Emperor's Mansion. Who dares?" Tang Lan raised her voice.
Golden Jade Heavenly God said, "Great God Listening Cloud Sheng, first seal Lan Shen's cultivation to prevent them from coordinating from within and without."
Listening Cloud Sheng frowned deeply, hesitating.
The current situation was truly murky and confusing, with fog obscuring the truth. Any wrong decision could plunge him into the abyss.
"I'll do it!"
Golden Jade Heavenly God spat out a mouthful of gray death qi, and his rule divine patterns surged out like chains, trapping Tang Lan within.
He said, "Since Great God Listening Cloud Sheng has concerns, go assist Yan Ju in dealing with Hai Shang You Ruo and finish it quickly. Leave this to me. Even if I guess wrong, I will bear all the consequences."
Listening Cloud Sheng, afraid of taking responsibility, transformed into a beam of divine light and charged into Yan Ju's divine realm world.
Although Tang Lan was enveloped by the rule divine patterns, she propped up her own divine realm world to resist, continuously striking out with the Nine Nether Thorn, producing a series of booming sounds.
Every moment she could hold out gave Emperor Consort and Zhang Ruochen a better chance to break through the formation and enter.
(End of Chapter)