Chapter 4047: Return of the Nether Sea
That figure was vast and distant, yet so towering and conspicuous, as if standing eternally upon the River of Time.
The gods of the Destiny Temple, who had been immersed in sorrow, instantly became invigorated. Some even wept with joy.
In the darkness, they saw the dawn.
In hardship, they tasted sweetness.
"It's Imperial Dust! Lord Imperial Dust is ahead, coming to meet us. He's here, so the Half-Ancestor has an opponent."
"I knew it! With Senior Sister Bore and the Soul Mother in danger, how could Imperial Dust not act to save them? I said so, didn't I?"
"This is the Hall Master's contingency plan! She must have discussed it with Imperial Dust long ago, which is why she entered the River of Time to buy time. Look, the gods captured by Chongming Ancestor and the Nether Sea Spirit have been rescued, and the Parasol Tree Divine Tree has fallen into Imperial Dust's hands. This is a feint to the east and strike to the west strategy."
……
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree, who had always found Zhang Ruochen quite disagreeable, felt her chest heave with emotion. Her eyes glistened with mist, and she had never been so moved as she was at this moment.
She knew better than anyone that Feng Tian had never discussed anything with Zhang Ruochen. Yet, he had come!
He clearly knew that the North Marsh Great Wall was dangerous, a trap. He clearly knew there were more important matters unfolding in the universe—the Jade Desolate Realm, the Eternal Paradise, the Abyss of Darkness—all on the verge of major events.
Yet, he still came without hesitation!
What is loyalty and righteousness?
This is it.
"Master, Imperial Dust is here!" she said.
Feng Tian stood atop the Past Divine Palace, enveloped in divine flames, her gaze still so calm. But she, who had been prepared to self-detonate her Divine Source and perish together with Baal, no longer had the courage.
Baal's tiger-like eyes darkened. He controlled the Origin Divine Temple as it rose, extending the five fingers of his right hand.
A demonic hand ten thousand zhang long stretched out, strands of rule order surging from its palm, reaching for the Heaven Cauldron.
He had some understanding of Zhang Ruochen's strength and dared not underestimate him. He had to seize the Heaven Cauldron before returning to the space of the real world.
As for the Life Ancestor Divine Source on Feng Caiyi, and the Fate Esoterica within the Past Divine Palace and Future Divine Palace, he could only temporarily abandon them.
If he could obtain one of the three supreme treasures of the Path of Fate, his combat power would increase significantly.
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen's body was enveloped in specks of Time Imprint light as he moved against the current on the River of Time. In an instant, he passed by Feng Tian standing atop the Past Divine Palace and walked toward Baal.
"Supreme Pillar, take this strike from me!"
The stone knife cut through the sky, splitting the demonic energy, and slashed straight at Baal, who was reaching for the Heaven Cauldron.
Though his cultivation was at the Heavenly Venerable rank, he struck with the power of a Half-Ancestor.
How could Baal have expected Zhang Ruochen to arrive so quickly? Before he could employ any countermeasures, the ten-thousand-zhang-long demonic hand formed by divine ability had already been severed.
This strike contained Ancestor power, even cleaving through the demonic energy entwining the Heaven Cauldron.
"Zhang Ruochen, this is the River of Time. Are you sure you want to fight here? If you fall into the time turbulence, even your lifespan won't be enough to withstand the dissipation, right?"
Baal knew the power of the Heavenly Demon Stone Knife well. Gripping Auspicious Wishful, he stood on guard.
Within the Wishful, one Fate Imprint after another emerged, radiating a bright light that could illuminate an entire star region.
"What does the River of Time matter? Do you still remember, over ten million years ago in the Chaotic Ancient Era, you tried to kill me on the River of Time? The Heavenly Demon saved me."
Zhang Ruochen struck with the second slash.
"So that's how it is."
As if comprehending something, a look of realization appeared in Baal's eyes. Seeing that the Nether Realm was already close at hand, he cast aside all hesitation and laughed heartily: "Today, I shall weigh just how much substance this First-Rank Divine Path truly has!"
Auspicious Wishful swung out, causing waves of fluctuation on the River of Time, and clashed with the Heavenly Demon Stone Knife.
"Boom!"
The River of Time shattered.
The power of time spread like fireworks across most of the Nether Realm.
Baal could not have broken the River of Time.
It was because, after entering the Nether Realm, the River of Time had become quite faint, about to return to the world.
Even so, the force of this impact caused many cultivators in the Nether Realm to suffer damage to their lifespans.
The residual power of a Half-Ancestor-level clash caused millions of miles of territory below to collapse. Even the most stable spatial structure could not withstand it.
How could Baal have imagined that Zhang Ruochen's combat power was so formidable? In close-quarters combat, he could match him evenly.
"It must be the power of the Heavenly Demon Stone Knife and the Ancestral Blood Wings," he thought to himself.
Suddenly.
The Heaven Cauldron, empowered by Fate Esoterica, flew at extreme speed and appeared above Baal's head.
From the corner of his eye, Baal saw Feng Tian behind Zhang Ruochen. Thunderous sounds echoed from his internal organs. His physical strength surged dramatically, repelling the Heavenly Demon Stone Knife as he teleported backward.
"Hua—"
The Heaven Cauldron pressed down, shattering the afterimage of Baal's former position and falling into the Nether Realm.
Below, a Nether Tower collapsed with a thunderous roar, kicking up thick dust as destructive energy continuously spread outward.
Within less than the blink of an eye, Zhang Ruochen was once again locked in close combat with Baal.
One wielded a knife, the other a wishful. They fought from the sky to the ground, and from the ground into the depths of the earth.
Half-Ancestor divine power, residual force, knife intent, sword light, demonic energy... all kinds of power leaked out. Except for Feng Tian, no other god present could even see their figures.
"Hurry and collect the Demon Ancestor Ridge, then lead the gods out of the Nether Realm. I can sense that the Nether Sea Spirit is about to return!"
Zhang Ruochen's voice echoed in Feng Tian's ear.
Not long after.
"Boom!"
The Earth Cauldron and the Flood Cauldron fell from an unknown point in the void, shaking the Nether Realm and reducing dozens of Nether Towers to ashes.
After another period of time, the Origin Divine Temple shattered, its broken temple body scattering in all directions.
No one could imagine how terrifying this battle was. Even the Origin Divine Temple was shattered, and blood from the Ancestral Blood Wings rained down from the sky.
This was not a contest of divine abilities; it was close-quarters combat.
Only when it was a fight to the death would Half-Ancestor-level beings engage in close-quarters combat, which was extremely dangerous for both sides.
"Pfft!"
In the void, blood rain scattered, fluttering down.
The blood droplets contained demonic nature.
An Upper-Level God was struck by a drop of blood rain. His divine body was pierced through, his bones dissolved, and he nearly fell.
Blood Butcher saved him, extremely excited, and laughed: "This is Baal's Half-Ancestor blood! See that? When my senior brother gets angry, even a Half-Ancestor bleeds like rain."
The gods of the Destiny Temple, led by Seventh Elder and Lian Xi, were all fleeing.
They had to leave the Nether Realm as quickly as possible and retreat to the North Marsh Great Wall.
Arriving at the edge of the Nether Realm, thick black fog obscured the sky and earth.
With their cultivation, Seventh Elder and Lian Xi could see through the formation's black fog into the cosmic void beyond. The North Marsh Great Wall was already in sight. If they could break through the formation, they could escape the Nether Realm.
But an extremely dangerous perception arose in the hearts of all the gods.
"It's here! It's the aura of a Half-Ancestor-level existence." Seventh Elder's face was as pale as death, his divine staff clenched tightly in his hand.
Lian Xi said, "It's the Nether Sea!"
"What do we do?"
"Imperial Dust said that only the Nether Sea Spirit can control the formations in the Nether Realm. Now that It has returned, using the formations, It will suppress everything."
……
Panic spread. No god was unafraid.
Although Zhang Ruochen had arrived in the Nether Realm, being able to hold off Baal was clearly his limit.
Once the Nether Sea Spirit returned, the outcome was beyond doubt.
"In the end, is there no escape from death?"
Yan Ju's massive flame body let out a furious roar, punching heavily at the formation's black fog.
Seeing his courage, Seventh Elder regained his confidence and said, "Today, the only path is to fight to the death! I believe that with Imperial Dust's wisdom, he would never come to the North Marsh Great Wall alone. In the battle of the top figures, we only need to ensure we don't hold them back. Now, listen to my orders: scatter and target the Nether Towers. Destroy as many as you can."
"Go back again? Fine, I'm not leaving today!"
"Damn it! The Venerable has already fallen. Listen up, all gods of the Judgment Division: each of you must destroy one Nether Tower. This is the Judgment Division's final order."
……
Chi Yao, holding the Blood-Dripping Sword, stood on a beacon tower of the North Marsh Great Wall, gazing into the distance at the rolling Nether Sea.
The sea was vast, shimmering under the starry sky, moving at incredible speed with astonishing momentum, as if it had swept up the space of the entire universe.
She saw Void Heaven's figure.
Void Heaven was suppressed beneath the Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison at the center of the Nether Sea, his body shattered and frozen within a mountain-sized block of ice.
Clearly, the Nether Sea Spirit's strength far exceeded Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
Even with Void Heaven's abilities, he had failed to escape.
"You have no idea how powerful the Nether Sea Spirit is. You are destined to pay the price for your misjudgment. Enough, today we all die."
Peacock Heavenly Empress stood not far from Chi Yao, her fear growing stronger. A bitter smile appeared on her face, as if she had resigned herself to fate.
"All die? Not necessarily."
Chi Yao's eyes were fixed on the approaching Nether Sea, unafraid even in the face of Void Heaven's miserable state.
Her battle intent was thick, and her sword hummed without end.
Peacock Heavenly Empress said, "We need to flee now! If we flee now, there's still time. The Nether Sea Spirit will definitely target Zhang Ruochen and Feng Caiyi as its main objectives, so we have at least a fifty percent chance of escape."
"Chen Ge is in the Nether Realm. How could I flee? If the Nether Sea Spirit wants to return to the Nether Realm, it must first get past me!"
Under Peacock Heavenly Empress's incomprehensible gaze, Chi Yao activated all the remnants of the North Marsh Great Wall in this star region. Like ten thousand arrows shot simultaneously, they all flew at light speed toward the Nether Sea Spirit.
During the time she had waited here, she had already released her divine Qi and rules, attaching them to the broken sections of the Great Wall spanning trillions of miles in the starry sky.
From the very beginning, Chi Yao had made up her mind: if Zhang Ruochen failed to return in time, she would have to block the Nether Sea Spirit here.
How could the sight of Void Heaven's miserable defeat change her resolve?
Her determination could not be extinguished, her faith could not be shaken.
Millions of sections of the Great Wall slowed to a halt at the edge of the Nether Sea.
"With your meager cultivation, you dare to—"
Before the Nether Sea Spirit could finish its words, the Blood-Dripping Sword had already broken through the rules at the edge of the Nether Sea, slicing across the surface to strike It, who stood atop the Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison.
"A sword forged from Creation Divine Iron! Do you really think such a sword can slay a Half-Ancestor or Ancestor?"
The Nether Sea Spirit waved its sleeve, and the Blood-Dripping Sword flew askew, falling into the Nether Sea, frozen by the cold.
Immediately after, millions of sections of the Great Wall flew back in reverse, all heading toward Chi Yao. The speed they achieved broke the rules of light, their power several times greater than before.
Space continuously shattered. The entire star region, spanning trillions of miles, collapsed, swallowing Chi Yao and Peacock Heavenly Empress.
In the universe, a spatial hole that devoured everything appeared, one that would take several eons to recover.
……
In a different time-space.
Baal's face was twisted. A thousand-zhang-long bloody wound was slashed across the chest of his giant demonic body. "The Nether Sea Spirit has returned. Once It enters the Nether Realm, your death is sealed."
"Thank you for the reminder."
Zhang Ruochen was not lightly injured. His white robe had turned into a blood robe, but his figure remained upright, his expression calm. After repelling another of Baal's attacks.
He took a step back, leaving the different time-space, and appeared above the Nether Realm.
Below, at the Demon Ancestor Ridge, Snow Granny, Feng Jiutian, Wu Zhen, and all the direct descendants of Chongming Ancestor had been slain by Feng Tian and Void Kun War God.
The Demon Ancestor Ridge was collected by Feng Tian into her Divine Realm World.
Feng Tian looked up and exchanged a glance with Zhang Ruochen. "Go. I will hold Baal back. No matter what, do not let the Nether Sea Spirit return to the Nether Realm. Otherwise, all is lost."
"If it cannot be done, you can retreat into the Wind Pavilion. It contains over ten percent of the Fate Esoterica... Combined with the Esoterica you brought from the Destiny Temple, the Fate Esoterica in the Nether Realm already exceeds fifty percent."
Zhang Ruochen's figure blurred, and he reappeared at the edge of the Nether Realm.
The Nether Sea Spirit struck first. A vast amount of seawater flew out, like a Nether River extending forward, or like an arm reaching out. At the forefront of the water river, a five-fingered palm imprint condensed.
The Nether Sea Spirit sensed Zhang Ruochen's power—capable of wounding Baal, no ordinary being!
Of course, It had to strike first.
What It feared was not losing to Zhang Ruochen, but that Zhang Ruochen might escape. It wanted to knock him back into the Nether Realm.
The liquid palm imprint, like a continent in the shape of five fingers, pressed down toward Zhang Ruochen.
"Hua!"
Zhang Ruochen had no time to use other means. He struck out with one palm, and a Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal, tens of thousands of miles in diameter, appeared in his palm, colliding with the liquid palm imprint.
"Zhang Ruochen, taste my Thousand Spirit Blood Fiend!"
It was Baal's voice.
Blood Fiend clouds filled the sky, surging out from the Nether Realm, condensing into another hand seal.
Zhang Ruochen clenched his left hand into a fist. The Kirin Fist Gloves released four thunderous heavenly rivers. He punched out, clashing with Baal's hand seal.
"How could Feng Caiyi stop me?" Baal's voice was right in his ear.
Zhang Ruochen had already sensed the upheaval in the Nether Realm.
The Thunder Lord had emerged and was fighting Feng Tian.
"Pfft!"
Facing two top-tier Half-Ancestors alone, even Zhang Ruochen's powerful physical body could not withstand it. Blood spurted from his mouth.
"Zhang Ruochen, Corpse Nightmare doesn't kill you because he wants to use you against the Eternal Paradise, but I will kill you."
The Nether Sea Spirit's true form, controlling the Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison World, spun like eighteen millstones, aiming to grind Zhang Ruochen's physical body and soul into bloody mud.
"Come on!"
Zhang Ruochen let out a long roar, his hair standing on end, nearly frenzied.
Twenty-seven layers of Heavenly Realm World erupted above his head, radiating nine-colored divine light, and heavily collided with the flying Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison World.
It was like two universes crashing into each other.
Zhang Ruochen coughed up large amounts of blood. He formed hand seals with both hands.
His right hand raised above his head, pointing a sword finger at the sky.
"Hua!"
The Sword Heart broke through the air from the twenty-seven layers of Heavenly Realm World, carrying the ancestral residual might of Sword Ancestor and Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, slashing horizontally and landing on Baal.
Baal blocked with Auspicious Wishful.
He could not block it.
The sword light cut through his waist.
"Bang!"
Baal flew out like a meteor, his divine soul suffering unprecedented damage. Even with his spiritual will, he let out a scream.
The Nether Sea Spirit's true form appeared beside Zhang Ruochen, striking with both palms.
Zhang Ruochen had no time to react. His right hand was still raised above his head. He could only use his left hand to form a single sword finger strike. The Abyssal Divine Sword, Heavenly Demon Stone Knife, Earth Cauldron, Flood Cauldron, and other artifacts under his mental control had no time to be deployed.
The fastest reaction would always come from one's own body.
The sword finger struck the Nether Sea Spirit's chest.
The Nether Sea Spirit's double palms struck Zhang Ruochen's body.
A formation light wheel appeared on Zhang Ruochen's blood-soaked robe. The light wheel flickered violently, dissipating most of the power from the Nether Sea Spirit's palms. Then, the overwhelming impact sent his body flying straight out, crashing into the Nether Realm and plowing a tens of thousands of miles long canyon into the ground.
"Again!"
Zhang Ruochen sat slumped at the bottom of the canyon. The broken bones in his body were rapidly reconnecting. His pupils were bloodshot. He gestured with his hands, using his will to control the Abyssal Divine Sword, Heavenly Demon Stone Knife, Earth Cauldron, and Flood Cauldron. These four war artifacts flew together toward the Nether Sea Spirit.
(Chapter End)