Chapter 1435: Corpses Strewn Across the Wilderness
“Woo woo…”
The Immortal Tear Green Gold Ruler transformed into a beam of emerald light, shattering dozens of divine mountains, plunging deep into the Divine Domain, and charging straight toward an ancient hall, intent on looting the magnificent structures there.
The Sacred Spirit, the Bull Demon King, the Gray Flood Dragon, the Golden Toad, and others struck in succession, attacking the Divine Domain and disrupting its order, hoping to cause a split so they could contend for the Ancient Tree of Life and other treasures.
Not only the Great Sages from beyond this realm, but also some powerful rogue cultivators on the Other Shore and the pinnacle figures of various clans could no longer hold back. For so many years, the Divine Domain had ruled the Other Shore with no one able to oppose it, and now that it had finally fallen into a desperate situation, they were adding insult to injury, seeking to plunder scriptures and divine artifacts.
Heaven and earth turned upside down. In an instant, rivers of blood flowed within the Divine Domain. Many pinnacle figures surged forward to kill, causing the divine army to collapse with heavy casualties.
After all, they had just experienced a great calamity. Both the old and new gods had died, and the transition between them had led to tragedy. Now, with the Divine Domain leaderless and hearts unsettled, great turmoil had erupted. This was the perfect time to invade—a golden opportunity that would never come again!
“Ah…” Cries of agony rose one after another, filling everyone with dread. Everywhere, there were shouts of battle, and everywhere, corpses fell from the sky.
Golden Serpent Lord, Earth Corpse, Devouring Sky Beast, Sanggu, and others showed strange expressions upon seeing this. Originally, they had only planned to strike from the outside, kidnap some important figures, interrogate them, and learn the secrets of the Divine Domain.
They never expected things to escalate to this point. It was truly a heaven-sent opportunity, and the last trace of fear they had for the formation diagram left by the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable vanished.
Because everyone could see that this divine diagram was almost uncontrollable. With the old god dead and the new god perished, no one else had absolute command over it. They could only let it awaken and attack on its own.
This divine diagram was terrifying, but it did not slaughter in all directions. It guarded the Ancient Tree of Life and did not unleash too much divine punishment, nor did it massacre the invading armies.
“Boom!”
Within the Divine Domain, four great halls in succession turned to ashes, breached by the Great Sages from beyond. They leveled those four sacred mountains to the ground, and all the scripture collections were seized.
At the same time, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Domain barely escaped with her life, pursued by Sanggu, the Great Demon God, Di Tian, and the Celestial Maiden of the God Clan. Her body was stained with blood as she fled in defeat.
Several hall masters were locked in battle with the Bull Demon King, the Sacred Spirit, and others, facing unimaginable pressure. For the Divine Domain, this was a catastrophe.
Several divine elders were enraged. One of them, his eyes splitting with fury, let out a clear cry. A divine drum flew out from between his brows. Holding drumsticks, he struck with all his might.
Dong, dong, dong…
The earth-shaking demonic sound rang out, cracking the skulls of many. Covered in blood, they died on the spot.
Especially the rogue cultivators of the Other Shore, who had always been in awe of the Divine Domain. Seeing the divine elders display their might, they all retreated like a receding tide, daring not to press the attack.
“Steady! Our Divine Domain has endured countless tribulations and faced many great disasters, but it has never declined. These are just some demonic fiends from beyond—what do they amount to!” a divine elder roared.
The other divine elders leaped tens of thousands of zhang in an instant, arriving at that most sacred and ancient low mountain. They cut open their chests, letting the blood from their hearts drip onto this mountain, which, though low in stature, held a status equivalent to Buddhism’s Mount Sumeru.
“Rumble!”
The sacred power of faith surged like an ocean striking the heavens, threatening to sweep down the stars beyond the realm. The raging waves rushed into the cosmos, terrifying beyond measure.
“The god is dead! We act in the god’s stead. Grant us the power of the gods, Sacred Mountain, to protect the Divine Domain and drive out the demons!”
These divine elders shouted together, their voices deafening, causing the entire Divine Domain to tremble. At the same time, the low but majestic ancient mountain blazed even brighter, engulfing them. Their bodies shone brilliantly, as if several supreme gods had descended upon the world.
The nine-layered ancient coffin from the Mythical Era had retreated, and here, the power of faith had once again become an invincible weapon of slaughter. Shrouded in divine light, they possessed a vast power.
“Revive the ancient formation of the Divine Domain!”
The divine elders roared. Heaven and earth shook violently, and all directions trembled. With a rumbling sound, divine mountain after divine mountain quaked, and on each peak, an ancient rune appeared, branded into the sky.
This was a grand formation of the Divine Domain that only a god could activate. At this moment, the divine elders, using secret techniques passed down by their ancestors, acted in the god’s stead, seized control, and revived the ancient formation.
In an instant, the place changed entirely. All the mighty figures retreated, feeling an immense pressure that threatened to shatter their minds.
The three lords of the Golden Serpent Clan, Sanggu, the Metal-Eating Beast, Earth Corpse, and others, all possessed keen senses and fled at the first moment. As for the Great Sages, whose eyes were as sharp as needles, they too sensed the vast fluctuations and frowned as they temporarily withdrew.
“Supreme divine artifact, please suppress all enemies.”
The divine elders cried out, their bodies glowing. They exerted every effort to drive the formation diagram of the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable. This was a massive investment of power, acting in the god’s stead to control the supreme artifact.
“Not good!”
Some of the arrogant rogue cultivators among the original inhabitants of the Other Shore were too slow. Swept by the divine light of the formation diagram, they were instantly reduced to ashes.
Boom!
This was a massacre. No one had expected the divine elders to gain control of the supreme artifact so quickly, giving them no chance. Even the Great Sages from beyond suffered the consequences.
Because the hall masters and divine elders of the Divine Domain were all watching them. These individuals were immensely destructive and were seen as the greatest threat to the Divine Domain. At this moment, they drove the divine diagram to pursue and kill them.
“We got carried away. Even though the god is dead, there is still the killing formation diagram, which naturally falls into the hands of the Divine Domain’s people.” Everyone regretted their actions.
“Pfft”
The Stone Man let out a muffled groan as one of his arms exploded. Though not directly hit by the divine diagram, a trace of its fluctuation spread and still inflicted severe damage on him.
He had attacked fiercely with the Measuring Ruler earlier, earning the hatred of the Divine Domain. Now, he was naturally the focus of attention. From the start, they had locked onto him, bringing him to the brink of death.
The Bull Demon King let out a great roar. The lower half of his body shattered inch by inch, turning into wisps of blood mist. He slapped the void hard, sacrificing another arm as a substitute, and fled into an unknown void passage.
No one had expected the Divine Domain’s counterattack to be so swift. It had almost collapsed moments ago, seemingly destined for annihilation after such a blow, yet in the end, it stabilized.
The Great Sages were indignant. Facing the formation diagram of the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable, they all retreated in defeat. That killing intent seemed to pierce through past, present, and future, utterly unstoppable.
Cries of agony rose one after another. The Sacred Spirit and the Bull Demon King paid a heavy price to escape, marking the moment the dam broke. All forces fled for their lives, scattering in disarray.
It was astonishing. The contrast between before and after was so great that everything had been reversed.
The Divine Domain was now shrouded by a grand formation. Mist swirled, divine roars and demonic howls echoed, fierce winds howled, and sand and stones flew. The scene was terrifying, and no one could attack it anymore.
In fact, the Divine Domain was now on the offensive. Driving the formation diagram, they unleashed boundless killing intent, like a great calamity of heaven and earth, slaughtering the area outside the Divine Domain until corpses lay strewn across the wilderness and rivers of blood flowed.
In the end, a rogue cultivator Great Sage among the original inhabitants who had caused trouble was killed, as was an alien Great Sage from beyond. This shocked and terrified everyone even more.
These divine elders and hall masters showed no mercy, continuously slaughtering, turning the place into a Shura field. Flesh and blood turned to mud, and piles of broken bones made the scene horrifying.
The Divine Domain had suffered a great calamity that day. Both the old and new gods had fallen, and even these people had nearly had their faith ignited, turning to dust. They had experienced a great fall, their hearts desolate and their mood terrible. Now that they had the upper hand, they naturally killed without mercy, slaughtering until the yin wind howled and ghosts wailed in grief.
This day was destined to be recorded in history. Outside the Divine Domain, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed so thick it could float shields. No one knew how many had died. For dozens of days, a bloody mist lingered, unable to disperse.
Moreover, the Divine Domain launched a frenzied revenge, uprooting many of the great clans on the Other Shore that had caused trouble and invaded the Divine Domain, slaughtering until the world fell silent.
“This battle… too many have died…” Ye Fan sighed softly. He, Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, and the others had not participated in the battle or attacked the Divine Domain, but they had witnessed it all.
Outside the Divine Domain, the ground was a muddy mess of blood. The mist was crimson, the blood steaming and spreading through the area.
As for the broken mountains and great fissures, they were splattered with many fragments of bone, dotted with red, a sight too gruesome to behold!
No one had expected this. Even the battle during the transition between the old and new gods had not been this brutal. The assault of the mighty on the Divine Domain had caused such a catastrophe.
In the following months, Great Sages frequently came to attack the Divine Domain. Naturally, these included the Bull Demon King, the Sacred Spirit, the Golden Toad, the strongest of the ancient clans, the human protectors, and others, all from beyond this realm.
Of course, they did not attack with their true bodies but used other means. Otherwise, no one could face the killing formation diagram of the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable.
Unfortunately, they all failed. Some of their avatars were killed, the Great Sage formations they had set up were dismantled, and one person’s true body was killed, resulting in a crushing defeat.
“To break through the Divine Domain, one would need an imperial artifact; otherwise, it’s absolutely impossible.” People came to recognize this reality. Even though the god was dead, this place was still supremely powerful. Outsiders could hardly conquer it. The Divine Domain was filled with experts and was terrifyingly strong.
Furthermore, that ancient mountain, though not as grand as Mount Sumeru, held a similar status within the Divine Domain and filled the Great Sages with fear. It had accumulated too much power of faith. Once it surged forth, it would kill gods and slay buddhas without mercy!
The Great Sages racked their brains, searching through the classics of various clans on the Other Shore for weaknesses.
In the end, someone within the Divine Domain leaked a secret. After months of poring over ancient texts, the divine elders and hall masters finally understood that the Divine Domain was a cursed place.
To be precise, an ancient supreme being had once drawn a circle as a prison, carving formation patterns here, making this place different.
As long as the god absorbed the power of faith, it was equivalent to putting on shackles. One day, this could become a fatal flaw. The corpse-ghostly aura of a Great Emperor could ignite the power of faith, causing the Divine Domain to instantly collapse and disintegrate.
The people of the Divine Domain were terrified. They finally understood why the old god, upon learning that the nine-layered coffin from the Mythical Era had fallen on the Other Shore, had never dared to investigate. They also understood why he had used the ancient coffin to nearly destroy the Divine Domain’s foundation.
“Our Divine Domain’s power of faith is unparalleled and has nearly reached its peak. An ancient supreme being was worried and drew a circle as a prison, restricting us.”
It was not a flaw in the power of faith itself, but that the Divine Domain was “afflicted.”
The descendants of the Divine Domain lineage had this curse branded into their bodies. Therefore, as long as they absorbed the power of faith, it was like wearing shackles. If they never encountered an emperor’s corpse, it would be fine. But once such corpse-ghostly aura invaded, this place would inevitably become a Shura field.
This was the ancient supreme being’s means of restraining the Divine Domain.
Ye Fan also heard this secret and was suddenly enlightened. These past days, he had been pondering: since the power of faith had such great drawbacks, why did Amitabha still establish a religion and collect faith? In every ancient domain, there were his teachings, and the boundless faith flowed across the void toward Mount Sumeru.
So, the power of faith itself was not fatal. It was mainly because the Divine Domain was cursed. The ancient supreme being had marked it as a prison, leading to this great disaster.
Ye Fan muttered to himself, “I thought the power of faith in the cauldron couldn’t be used. So that’s it. But in the end, this kind of thing is an external aid. It cannot be relied upon and must not be refined into the body. Otherwise, why would both the old and new gods have died? In the end, this power is unreliable.”
The Divine Domain took the initiative to strike, searching the world for demonic fiends from beyond. Whenever they were found, they were suppressed and killed. This put the Great Sages and the young supreme beings in danger.
Finally, some Great Sages joined forces and came to the forbidden land where the divine-demon liquid was produced. They intended to break in together, truly lift out the ancient coffin of Emperor Void, and send it into the Divine Domain to destroy it!
The situation deteriorated into a fight to the death. The Great Sages from beyond were forced to this point and had to take risks. If they succeeded, the Divine Domain would be shattered, and the Ancient Tree of Life would change hands.
Golden Serpent Lord, Sanggu, Devouring Sky Beast, Earth Corpse, the Great Demon God, Di Tian, and others also came to watch the Great Sages perform their arts.
The Sacred Spirit struck, shattering a mountain peak. But it did not crumble. The mountain body only split open, and a river of blood surged out, vast and overwhelming, covering the sky and the earth.
This made everyone gasp. Were these mountains made of flesh? After such a long time, there was still blood.
Although they had long heard that this was a burial ground for gods and demons, seeing it with their own eyes still shocked them.
“I don’t believe this is impossible!” The Sacred Spirit had felt greatly stifled since arriving in this world. First, it was suppressed by the old god for twenty years, not daring to show its face. Then, when attacking the Divine Domain, it was nearly suppressed and killed. Its mood was extremely foul.
It raised its head and let out a long howl. The Immortal Tear Green Gold Ruler flew out from its crown and plunged into the divine-demon mountain range ahead, smashing with all its might. Accompanied by a sky-filling emerald light, the place shook violently. Many peaks split open, and blood splashed high, as if it had struck into a bloody ocean.
And at that moment, tens of thousands of peaks trembled. Each one surged with an ancient symbol, like a reincarnation wheel, grinding all living beings as they pressed down to suppress it.
“Pfft”
The Sacred Spirit coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying. In its fierce attack, it suffered a great loss. Even its Immortal Tear Green Gold Ruler was nearly broken.
Ahead, tens of thousands of peaks displayed tens of thousands of ancient symbols. Each symbol was unique, representing a supreme Dao.
Everyone drew in a cold breath. These were the inheritances of the ancient gods and demons, the embodiment of their Dao. Attacking this place was like opposing their traditions and principles.
The Celestial Maiden of the God Clan, Xin Lan, stood in the distance, her body glowing and her jade-like form translucent. Watching this scene, she trembled and spoke excitedly, “This is the inheritance of the gods! If my God Clan enters here and comprehends these tens of thousands of ancient symbols, we will give birth to a divine sovereign lord!”
“The inheritance of the ancient gods and demons… This is my Dao. If I comprehend the Dao here, one day I will be invincible under heaven!” Sanggu, a descendant of the ancient gods and demons, was also shaken.
Apart from them, Earth Corpse also trembled. So many corpses had turned into mountains. For him, this was the best sacred ground for cultivating the Corpse Demon Dao.
The Devouring Sky Beast’s eyes also blazed with light. If it devoured the corpses of these ancient gods and demons, then in the future, it might truly be able to swallow the heavens!
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the Dragon Horse were also in the shadows, because they knew that the combined strength of many Great Sages was comparable to that of the old god. They should be able to break open this place. Perhaps Ji Ziyue and Ji Haoyue would soon appear.
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