Chapter 3225: Self-Immolation
Golden Jade Heavenly God pressed his palm toward the void, divine qi surging from his palm as he firmly suppressed Tang Lan. Suddenly, he sensed something was missing.
He immediately turned his head, looking toward the direction near the Ghost Emperor Mansion's main gate.
There, Bore transformed into a beam of Fate Divine Light, charging into a complex array of formation inscriptions spanning ten thousand zhang in diameter, swinging her sword to strike.
"Whoosh!"
A Ghost Clan mid-rank god who was activating the formation groaned in pain as sword light sent him flying.
The formation disk scattered, and the outer protective grand formation immediately weakened by a fraction.
In the next instant, Bore leaped, rushing toward another formation disk. Around her slender waist, a winding, surging Nether River manifested, striking a Ghost Clan upper-rank god.
The formation disk dimmed once again…
Golden Jade Heavenly God burned with rage, his eyes turning bloodshot. He said coldly, "What are you all standing around for? Can't you see that bitch Bore has already defected? Kill her!"
The gods of the Destiny Temple thought they had seen it all, having weathered countless storms, but they had never experienced so many bizarre events in a single day. One after another, they truly tested their ability to react.
After all, Golden Jade Heavenly God was a Grand Void Great God, with both cultivation and status to match. Who would dare disobey his orders?
Immediately, two Taiyi Great Gods of the Destiny Temple flew out, each unleashing sealing divine abilities. One conjured a Gate of Destiny, the other manifested a Heavenly Earth Cage, attempting to suppress Bore.
After all, she was a disciple of Nutian Shenzun. Even if she had truly defected, they could not kill her.
They could only suppress her for now.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen, wielding the Earth Cauldron, smashed through the Ghost Emperor Mansion's main gate, breaking through the formation to charge inside.
The Earth Cauldron in his hand trembled, unleashing a thunderous roar that shattered the Gate of Destiny and Heavenly Earth Cage conjured by the two Taiyi Great Gods from a distance.
On the ground, building after building collapsed, leaving a vast expanse of rubble.
Ignoring the two Taiyi Great Gods, Zhang Ruochen charged straight toward Golden Jade Heavenly God.
The two Taiyi Great Gods were intimidated by Zhang Ruochen's momentum, but they did not retreat. Each unleashed a Supreme Sacred Artifact, drawing upon the supreme battle might to form two divine clouds crackling with lightning and thunder.
"In the presence of this Heavenly Son, you dare to wield war weapons? Those who wield war weapons shall be killed without mercy."
Zhang Ruochen hurled the Earth Cauldron like a meteor, striking toward Golden Jade Heavenly God a hundred miles away.
Sensing the terrifying momentum radiating from Zhang Ruochen, Golden Jade Heavenly God immediately unleashed his shuttle-shaped Supreme Sacred Artifact to meet the attack.
This was a sub-god-rank Supreme Sacred Artifact, one that had accompanied Golden Jade Heavenly God for many years, capable of slaying enemies across an entire starry sky.
But when it collided with the Earth Cauldron, this sub-god-rank Supreme Sacred Artifact exploded into pieces, brilliant light scattering in all directions as its artifact spirit was crushed into oblivion.
Golden Jade Heavenly God was terrified out of his wits. Grabbing Tang Lan, he immediately fled toward the formation hall.
"Boom!"
The Earth Cauldron crashed into the square outside the formation hall, piercing through layer after layer of defensive formations. The ground collapsed, spreading forward until it reached the hall's entrance, where it was stopped by a divine formation.
Golden Jade Heavenly God was struck by the shockwave, letting out a muffled groan as he tumbled into the hall.
The next instant, Zhang Ruochen was already standing atop the cauldron, pointing a finger forward.
"Whoosh!"
A beam of divine light as thick as a water barrel shot from his fingertip, striking into the hall.
At the hall's entrance, countless Boundless Divine Patterns emerged, blocking the divine light Zhang Ruochen had unleashed.
Yao Guang led the Artifact Refining Corpse Soldiers through the formation breach into the Ghost Emperor Mansion. Her gaze swept over the Ghost Clan gods standing atop the various divine halls, and she said, "I have returned. Who dares to act recklessly? Today's events are a conspiracy orchestrated by the Quantity Organization. Do not be deceived and walk the path of death."
The Ghost Clan gods could see that Yao Guang Imperial Consort did not appear to be under anyone's control. Coupled with the reverence they had always held for her, they immediately abandoned their attacks.
…
The western city domain of Fengdu Ghost City was vast, far exceeding thirty thousand li.
About eight hundred li from the Western Ghost Emperor Mansion, within a certain residence, Mu Lingxi stood beneath a bare tree, the ground covered in fallen leaves.
Desolate and lonely.
Countless eons ago, she had once cultivated here.
Now, upon returning, she stood at the pinnacle of the universe, looking down upon the myriad beings. With a single thought, she could decide the fate of billions of cultivators. Every move she made could influence the pattern of heaven and earth.
If the universe were a chessboard, she would undoubtedly be one of the players capable of placing pieces, manipulating them, and setting her own game.
Cang Jue stood nervously behind Mu Lingxi, his body bent deeply in deference.
Mu Lingxi said, "So, Zhang Ruochen does have some connection to the Great Dark Mountain? And your master is the Ling Yanzi who once fell in love with the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable?"
"Reporting to Feng Tian, Cang Jue does not know much about my master. The mysteries and taboos of the Great Dark Mountain, I trust you, Elder, have heard of them," Cang Jue said cautiously.
Mu Lingxi said coldly, "If the Great Dark Mountain were truly so taboo, it would not have been so afraid of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable back then, sending a woman to negotiate for its survival. One day, I will trample that place flat."
She fell silent, then turned her gaze toward the wooden door of the residence. "Since you're here, come in."
The wooden door was pushed open, and Huang E Divine Lord stepped inside.
His gaze first fell on Cang Jue, then shifted to Mu Lingxi, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
The top-tier powerhouses of the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm were only so many, yet this woman before him, with her aura completely concealed like an ordinary mortal, was someone he had never seen before.
"What remarkable perception. May I ask how I should address you?" Huang E Divine Lord turned and closed the door, his demeanor relaxed and carefree.
No matter how strong you were, he had already reached the peak, fearing nothing in the world.
Yin Shang Corpse had fallen only because he was ambushed.
Mu Lingxi said, "You truly do not know when to stop. Tracking me here—do you want to seize the Heaven Cauldron, or eliminate Zhao Wu to prevent the Three Evil Emperor Lord's identity as a Quantity Sovereign from being exposed?"
Huang E Divine Lord could tell that the woman before him was extraordinary and did not underestimate her. He took out the Red Stain Tower and held it in his hand, smiling. "The Heaven Cauldron—who wouldn't want it?"
"And your life?" Mu Lingxi said.
"Sizzle!"
The temperature rose sharply.
In the courtyard of the residence, the withered old tree suddenly burst into flames, sprouting leaves that emitted a blood-red radiance.
It was a Blood Leaf Parasol Tree, its height immeasurable in millions of li, each leaf like a sea of blood.
Huang E Divine Lord's eyes widened in shock as he looked around. Before the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree, he felt as insignificant as a speck of dust.
Turning back to Mu Lingxi, he saw behind her a terrifying phoenix silhouette, as if the universe were its nest, its wings like a sea of stars, its feathers like mountain ranges.
Huang E Divine Lord realized he had provoked someone far beyond his league. As someone just one step away from the God Venerable level, he was exceptionally composed. At a moment when other gods might have been terrified out of their wits, he steadied his mind and fled for his life.
"Impressive mental fortitude."
In Mu Lingxi's eyes, the scene of stars being born and dying appeared, and the vision in her pupils manifested into reality.
A boundless sea of stars appeared beneath the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree.
Huang E Divine Lord ran through the star sea, but no matter what divine speed technique he used, he seemed to be running in place, unable to escape.
Panic surged within him, but he also sensed that Feng Tian was not so overwhelmingly powerful that he could not resist.
A doppelganger—it must be just a doppelganger.
Huang E Divine Lord quickly calmed himself, activating the Red Stain Tower. With the determination of a last-ditch struggle, he controlled the divine tower, taking the initiative to attack Feng Tian beneath the Parasol Tree.
"So what if you're a Heavenly Lord? Just a doppelganger. What do I have to fear?" Huang E Divine Lord's corpse blood boiled as he activated forbidden arts, burning both his lifespan and blood to push his combat power to its peak.
Today, only by embracing a death-defying resolve and overcoming his fear of the Heavenly Lord could he have a chance to survive.
"No wonder the Three Evil Emperor Lord values you so highly. With such mental fortitude, you could become a Heavenly Lord in the future. But what a pity."
Mu Lingxi extended her hand. Her delicate jade-like hand became vaster than the star sea, pressing down on the Red Stain Tower, dimming the radiance erupting from the divine artifact.
Although the power Feng Tian could currently unleash was not much greater than Huang E Divine Lord's,
her mastery over power and divine abilities far surpassed his by countless times. Moreover, she had brought the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree and set up this inescapable trap.
Just as the Red Stain Tower was about to be taken by Feng Tian, Huang E Divine Lord let out a long roar: "Earth Calamity Profound Yellow Force!"
A fully developed Boundless divine ability was unleashed, far stronger than the Corpse Summoning Heavenly Art.
The boundless star sea was torn apart from below by a beam of Profound Yellow Qi. Beneath Mu Lingxi's feet, bright cracks appeared in the space, and the world she had manifested seemed about to be ripped apart.
For a Great God to have cultivated two fully developed Boundless divine abilities simultaneously was astonishing.
In his death-defying state, Huang E Divine Lord was comparable to a half-step God King.
Even someone ranked in the top five of the "Great God Theory" comprehensive rankings would have to retreat immediately and avoid his sharp edge.
Mu Lingxi glanced down, and a thick cloud of deathly divine qi condensed beneath her feet, stabilizing the space that was about to shatter.
A resounding phoenix cry rang out!
The brilliantly feathered phoenix silhouette flew out from behind her, colliding with the Profound Yellow Qi beam. It crushed everything in its path, finally slamming heavily into Huang E Divine Lord.
"Pfft!"
Huang E Divine Lord spat corpse blood, his entire body drenched in blood.
Feng Tian took the Red Stain Tower, holding it in her palm as she suppressed its artifact spirit with divine qi. Her gaze was utterly indifferent. "Do you have any other tricks? Use them all. Let me see if you, the future clan leader of the Corpse Clan, can survive to see that future."
"I have one last move—mutual destruction."
Huang E Divine Lord's gaze was resolute. He clasped his hands together, and an explosive surge of divine power rippled outward, collapsing the star sea and annihilating ten thousand stars.
Cracks appeared on his corpse body as divine qi frantically converged toward his divine source.
But Feng Tian, who had been on the opposite shore of the star sea, suddenly appeared before him, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him up.
She said, "You want to die? It's not that easy. Your soul must remain."
Feng Tian was about to perform a soul search.
Huang E Divine Lord's face twisted in pain, but a sinister smile flickered in his eyes. His body ignited from the inside out, burning to ashes in an instant.
Black smoke drifted through the star sea.
Only a "Quantity" character mark remained, floating there.
Feng Tian caught the "Quantity" character mark in her palm, carefully sensing it, then muttered to herself, "To be able to self-immolate under my suppression—this Quantity character mark is truly interesting. Don't let me find out who forged it."
"Thinking that self-immolation can escape, erase all evidence, and evade my pursuit? Naive!"
In Feng Tian's other hand was a piece of flesh, torn off the moment Huang E Divine Lord had self-immolated.
This piece of flesh grew rapidly in her palm, soon reforming into the likeness of Huang E Divine Lord. It was a complete flesh-and-blood body, complete with a soul.
But without a divine source, it was extremely weak!
Feng Tian said, "Take me to find Yang Huo Corpse. You have no right to refuse."