Chapter 273: Counterattack! I, Too, Once Embraced the Darkness!

Chapter 273: Counterattack! I, Too, Once Embraced the Darkness!

Su Changqing and Chi Jian swept through the Restricted Zone Beasts with overwhelming force.

The crowd on the Dao Platform cheered in excitement, but the many powerful figures in the sky wore expressions of shock and horror.

They could sense the intensely pure dark aura emanating from Su Changqing.

This discovery sent shockwaves through everyone's hearts!

The Current Sword God, such a prodigy, could actually have embraced darkness?

"Is that really darkness?" one of the strong figures still hesitated, uncertain.

The aura is real, but Su Changqing's actions are helping the Human Race.

"No doubt about it."

Ximen Xiu was also present, and a cold, sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

"The darkness within this boy is even purer than that of the Restricted Zone Beasts."

"I think Su Changqing must have long embraced darkness!"

The crowd's hearts were shaken by this statement, and their expressions toward Su Changqing changed.

"It's too early to say."

Xuanyan, seeing the situation, spoke in a deep voice, "The darkness is pure, but it's too weak."

"Judging his identity based on this is too far-fetched."

"Without solid evidence, we must not wrong such a prodigy of the continent!"

Xuanyan was a staunch supporter of Su Changqing.

But no one noticed the unease and anxiety in his eyes.

He had once witnessed the apocalyptic heavenly punishment summoned by Su Changqing!

...

At this moment, on the Dao Platform.

Su Changqing wielded the divine sword, with sword qi surging around him. Every time he swung the sword, a swath of the Dao Platform was cleared.

The unstoppable might made the Restricted Zone Beasts tremble with fear.

What terrified them even more was the destructive power radiating from Su Changqing's sword intent.

In the face of that special energy, their proud immortal blood seemed useless.

None of those slain by Su Changqing could resurrect.

Even the two Heavenly Pride figures who had returned from the domain were no exception.

"Such pure dark aura, could he be from the Forbidden Zone?"

Even Amir, who was over ninety percent transformed into a Fiend, only a step away from complete transformation, looked at Su Changqing with uncertainty.

Despite his transformation, his bloodline was not as pure as Su Changqing's.

Or rather,

Even a pure Fiend could not match Su Changqing's level!

"Who is he, really?"

"If he's not a Fiend, why does he have such pure dark aura?"

"But if he is a Fiend, why is he standing with the continent?"

Amir's expression toward Su Changqing was uncertain.

After a brief moment of thought, he shook his head and smiled lightly.

Whether he is or isn't, it doesn't matter now.

The trend of the dark Forbidden Zone is already set, and Su Changqing alone cannot turn the tide!

...

"Kill!"

"Follow the Sword God's lead, and send these scum back to their lairs!"

On the Sword Dao Platform, numerous wandering cultivators followed Su Changqing's lead and launched a charge.

Boundless sword intent led the way, with a myriad of secret arts following behind.

The sharp sword qi tore through the Fiend defenses, and the sky-covering secret arts exploded among the Restricted Zone Beasts.

The light rain of shattered divine consciousness illuminated the Dao Platform and elicited thunderous cheers from the watching cultivators across the land.

"Ha ha, I thought the continent was doomed, but who knew that Sword God Su would be so formidable!"

"Who could disagree? Without the Sword God, our Human Race would be in dire straits."

"With Sword God Su leading us, we can surely turn the tide!"

The once-despairing cultivators of the land were now filled with excitement.

Although the continent was still at a significant disadvantage, with doctrines being overturned at any moment,

In the face of the darkness, they had found hope.

In an instant, the goodwill toward Su Changqing from cultivators of all doctrines surged!

It was at this moment.

On the Sword Dao Platform, the last Fiend was slain by Su Changqing's sword.

Cheers erupted across the Dao Platform, filling the air.

However, Su Changqing had no heart to enjoy the jubilation of the crowd.

The prolonged use of destructive power had gradually turned his emotions and senses cold and indifferent.

If not for the suppression of the Heaven-Cleaving Axe and the Chaos Pearl, he might have already lost control.

"Entropy Annihilation, why haven't you awakened yet?"

Su Changqing glanced inward.

Under the crescent moon, Entropy Annihilation lay in a deep slumber, while a vast Divine Output was slowly forming within the crescent.

Entropy Annihilation was breaking through to the Divine Output stage, with intricate and profound Dao patterns crisscrossing, constructing its own Divine Output.

At this moment, apart from the sheer vastness of darkness and destruction, Entropy Annihilation could offer no help at all.

"This place is filled with the Human Race. I cannot lose myself here!"

Su Changqing gritted his teeth, a glint of clarity appearing in his icy eyes.

But at that very moment,

A frantic cry echoed from nearby.

"Brother Changqing!"

Su Changqing immediately turned his head, his expression suddenly turning cold.

He saw that the already sparsely populated Ru Dao Platform was now almost entirely occupied by Restricted Zone Beasts.

The remaining cultivators of Ru Dao were cornered at the very top.

In just a moment, the Ru Dao Platform would fall!

"You, despicable creatures!"

The clarity in Su Changqing's eyes faded, replaced by an overwhelming chill.

Boom!

He stomped heavily on the Dao Platform, and the Purple Gold Divine Sword transformed into a streak of light beneath his feet.

Su Changqing moved like a bolt of lightning, swiftly ascending the Ru Dao Platform.

"Stop him!"

Yuzhi Heavenly Pride, who was about to reach the top, shouted.

"Kill!"

Laughter echoed, and a thick darkness instantly obscured the sky.

Dense waves of Fiends surged forward, instantly surrounding Su Changqing, who had just arrived.

"Sword God Su!"

This scene terrified everyone on the Dao Platform.

At this moment, only Su Changqing had the power to completely kill the Fiends.

If Su Changqing's divine sense were to dissipate, the hope of the continent would be utterly lost!

Just as everyone was anxiously rushing towards the Ru Dao Platform,

A cold voice resonated from the center of the darkness.

"Suppress!"

The Chaos Pearl shone brilliantly, emitting a purple-golden glow as it floated above Su Changqing's Tianling.

A vast and terrifying energy instantly enveloped the surrounding area!

A horrifying sight unfolded.

The numerous secret techniques that had been descending from the sky were now frozen in mid-air.

These techniques struggled and flickered in the void, but they were locked in place by an endless chain of restraints.

Su Changqing raised his head, his eyes cold.

He slowly extended his hand and clenched it tightly in the air.

"Shatter!"

Crack!

A scene that left everyone in awe unfolded.

Within a hundred-zhang radius around Su Changqing, the space began to crack like a mirror, and then exploded with a deafening boom.

Everything within this hundred-zhang space, whether living beings or secret techniques, was instantly annihilated with the shattering of the space.

The Dao Platform, now emptied of a large section, fell silent.

Countless people stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock, at the torn space.

A single hand, shattering the void!

"Is this... a Divine Output?"

At this moment, even the Heavenly Prides, let alone the numerous powerful figures hovering in the air, were rendered speechless.

Zhao Shanke, Kasyapa, Xuanyan, Ximen Xiu—

These great beings were well-versed in the world's mysteries.

Yet, even they were stunned by the sight before them.

Divine.output shatters the void with a single hand?

That is a terrifying power only a Saint can control.

Yet now, it has appeared in the hands of a Divine.output cultivator!

This unbelievable sight made everyone fall silent.

Even the proud Golden Crow Holy Feather, the reincarnated powerhouse Good Deeds, and the peerless Heavenly Prides like Zhao Batian and Mingzi were all stunned.

They could still comprehend Su Changqing's earlier display of strength.

But now, as fellow peerless Heavenly Prides, they found Su Changqing's methods incomprehensible.

That was a power far beyond their level.

"Clap, clap, clap."

Just as the world fell silent, a loud applause suddenly echoed.

Amir, who had ascended to the top of the Dark Dao Platform, looked at Su Changqing with admiration and said,

"Void power? Truly an enviable technique."

"Even among the surviving myriad races of Yuzhi, few can match your talent."

His tone turned somewhat mocking as he looked at Su Changqing,

"But alas, no matter how strong you are, you cannot save the continent."

"With your strength alone, how many Dao traditions can you save? One or two?"

The crowd, upon hearing this, glanced at the current state of the continent's Dao Platforms and their faces changed.

The Dao of Confucianism, Sword, Alchemy, and Demon were the weakest, and their situations were already precarious.

But the most critical were the Dao Platforms of Martial and Beast!

Martial cultivators made up nearly half of the continent's cultivators.

As for the Beast Clan, every member absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, forming their own Dao.

These two Dao traditions were the most prosperous and had the largest number of practitioners.

The Dark Forbidden Zone's target for these two Dao Platforms was simple.

If they could take these two, it would mean crippling seven out of ten cultivators on the continent.

As Amir said,

Su Changqing was indeed very strong, but he was ultimately stretched thin.

He had shuttled between the Dao Platforms of Confucianism, Sword, and Alchemy, protecting three Dao traditions with his own strength, which was already a monumental feat.

But if this continued, the continent might manage to save these three Dao Platforms, but the overall trend would still lead to defeat.

Amir, seeing the silence of the continent's cultivators, smiled even more broadly.

Even he, who had returned from Yuzhi, was inwardly shocked by Su Changqing's methods.

In the past, the burning jealousy would have already consumed him.

But now,

Amir glanced at the sky above the Dark Dao Platform, his face filled with excited anticipation,

"The Dark Dao Platform, condensed from one-third of Cangyan Continent's fortune."

"What kind of incredible opportunities and destinies will the Demon God and the Heavenly Dao leave at the summit of this Dao Platform?"

"Could I glimpse the legacy of one of the top thirty Demon Gods?"

Thinking of the terrifying Demon Gods at the forefront, Amir's eyes burned with even more fervor.

...

The dark faction was already on the verge of victory.

The loss of the Dao Platforms of Confucianism, Sword, and Alchemy did not concern the Restricted Zone Beasts.

Most of their forces were concentrated on the Dao Platforms of Beast and Martial.

The remaining forces were enough to hold Su Changqing back until the trend converged and the attacks ceased.

All the cultivators in the world looked at Su Changqing, their faces filled with anxiety.

The number of Beast Clan Heavenly Prides exceeded that of the Human Race, and they could hold on for a while longer.

But the Human Race's Martial Dao was almost at its limit.

Once the Martial Dao was occupied by the Fiends, half of the world's cultivators would be abandoned by the trend.

That would be an unbearable burden.

However, if Su Changqing left the range of the Confucianism, Sword, and Alchemy Dao Platforms, the Dark Forbidden Zone could attack at any moment.

That would mean abandoning his own Dao to save others.

No one could dictate Su Changqing's choice; only he could decide what to do.

"What are you waiting for! Hurry and save the Martial Dao!"

Zhao Shanke, standing in the sky, could no longer contain his impatience and shouted at Su Changqing.

As these words were spoken, many of the great powers frowned deeply.

Especially Jianxiu cultivators, Ru cultivators, and others, who all looked at each other with ill will.

"Hmph!"

Xuanyan snorted coldly, "Weren't you just saying that Su Changqing is a Fiend?"

"So now you're actually asking him to save your Martial Dao?"

Zhao Shanke replied coldly, "I'm merely thinking of the greater good, not for my own sake."

Xuanyan merely gave a mocking smile and said no more.

Meanwhile, below.

Zhao Batian, watching the Fiend draw ever closer to the peak, began to panic.

Prideful as he was, how could he bear to be abandoned by the trend and miss out on the chance to vie for the throne?

Though he knew it wasn't the right time to speak, he couldn't help but shout loudly:

"Su Changqing, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and help me!"

"Do you want to be condemned by the entire world?"

Beside him, Chu Xi, Ye Xiaoyi, Ling Si, and others, though they knew that aiding the Martial Dao was the best choice for the continent,

still couldn't help but snort in anger at Zhao Batian's words,

"Shameless!"

Zhao Batian paid them no mind, his gaze fixed intently on Su Changqing.

The other Heavenly Prides of the Dao Platforms also looked at Su Changqing with hopeful eyes.

They all understood that with Su Changqing's terrifying combat strength, whichever side he chose would have a great chance of being saved.

Helping the Martial Dao was indeed the Great Righteousness.

But people are selfish, and who would truly sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others?

For a moment, all the living beings on the continent waited, anticipating Su Changqing's difficult choice.

"Can there only be a choice?"

Su Changqing stood quietly, holding his Chi Jian, his gaze sweeping over the nine Dao Platforms of the continent.

The Fiend's sinister laughter, the cultivators' angry roars, the hopeful and desperate gazes—

Each Dao Platform was facing a life-or-death crisis.

If he left to go to the Martial Dao, it would mean abandoning the other Dao Traditions.

And those Fiends would not miss this opportunity.

He was confident he could protect the Martial Dao, but he couldn't be everywhere at once, and the other Dao Traditions would be left to their fate.

In the end, even if he saved the Martial Dao, what would be the point if all the other Dao Traditions were lost?

"Ah..."

Su Changqing took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly focusing on the largest of the Dao Platforms, the Dark Dao Platform!

"Actually, there is another way."

Su Changqing murmured softly, holding the nearly completely blackened divine sword.

Amidst the incredulous gazes of all, he approached the Dark Dao Platform!

In his memory, there was indeed a way to break the deadlock, known as "Encircle Wei to Save Zhao"!

"He's actually going to breach the Dark Dao Platform!"

Shocked exclamations rose one after another.

Su Changqing's choice was beyond everyone's expectations.

He did not choose any of the Dao Platforms on the continent, but instead chose to counterattack!

"Ha ha."

At the peak of the Dark Dao Platform, Amir shook his head and laughed,

"Don't waste your efforts. This Dark Dao Platform was created by the Heavenly Dao for the Dark Forbidden Zone."

"Only those with Fiend blood and who have embraced darkness can step foot on it."

As he spoke, the surrounding Forbidden Zone Heavenly Prides broke into mocking laughter.

At the same time, Zhao Batian's furious curses echoed.

But at that moment, Su Changqing slowly raised his head, gazing at the dark peak, and murmured to himself,

"I, too, once embraced darkness."

"But my darkness is different from yours!"

In an instant, Su Changqing released all the suppression on the power of destruction.

Boom!

In a mere moment, Su Changqing's long hair danced in the wind, turning instantly silver from the roots.

A crescent-like black mark slowly appeared on his forehead.

A surging darkness, accompanied by boundless destructive power, shot straight into the sky!

His aura turned cold and deep, his eyes clear and indifferent, Su Changqing slowly stepped onto the Dark Dao Platform!

And this scene!

The entire world was in an uproar!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end