Chapter 360: Bride's Attire

Chapter 360: Bride's Attire

Above the Nine Heavens, the heavenly punishment thunder roiled like a colossal dragon, emitting a terrifying aura that spread far and wide. Below, the Great Sage Huang Jie's body was shattered, golden blood oozing from his seven orifices.

Severely wounded!

Even with his current strength, Huang Jie found it difficult to withstand such heavenly punishment.

Seeing that a new wave of heavenly punishment was about to descend, a glimmer of despair and unwillingness appeared in Huang Jie's eyes.

"Am I truly to perish here..."

Huang Jie was unwilling.

He had exhausted everything to take this final step. If he could just weather the heavenly punishment, he would be reborn.

However.

The heavenly punishment was overwhelming.

It was something he could not resist.

Despite his myriad of regrets, Huang Jie seemed to have no choice but to accept his fate.

Just as the heavenly punishment was about to strike and annihilate him, ripples suddenly appeared in the void, and an imperial edict materialized.

The imperial edict unfolded, and a terrifying Dao essence flowed through it, as a naturally formed "slash" character appeared, transforming into a heaven-splitting blade that instantly shattered the heavenly punishment, cutting through the majority of the calamity clouds.

This scene caused Huang Jie's expression to change.

At that moment, a voice abruptly rang in his ear.

"Now is the time to act, what are you waiting for!"

With these words, Huang Jie no longer hesitated. His body shot up from the ground, and his peak Great Sage cultivation erupted, delivering a world-shattering punch that shattered the sky and dispersed the calamity clouds.

When the calamity clouds dissipated, Huang Jie's face showed a look of relief.

The heavenly punishment had vanished.

This meant he had successfully weathered the heavenly punishment and was truly reborn.

Then.

Huang Jie soared through the air, returning to Zhenyao Immortal City to meet with Gu Qingfeng.

"Many thanks, Daoist Gu!"

Huang Jie's expression was filled with gratitude. He was well aware that his ability to weather the heavenly punishment was entirely due to Gu Qingfeng's intervention.

If not for the imperial edict he had sent at the critical moment, he would have certainly perished in the heavenly punishment.

Although it was generally not allowed for other cultivators to openly interfere with the heavenly punishment, indirect assistance was not a problem.

Huang Jie was deeply awed by Gu Qingfeng's ability to shatter the majority of the heavenly punishment with a single imperial edict.

"Congratulations, Daoist Huang, on successfully weathering the heavenly punishment and being reborn. I also have a matter that requires your assistance."

"Please speak, Daoist Gu!"

Huang Jie's expression was respectful.

Despite still addressing each other as fellow daoists, Huang Jie had already placed himself in a lower position.

In the presence of such a powerful figure, he dared not show any disrespect.

Gu Qingfeng snapped his fingers, and four imperial edicts filled with terrifying pressure appeared before Huang Jie.

"Demons are invading, Evil Spirits are causing chaos, and the Xingchen Imperial Court has performed a blood sacrifice, corrupting the lives of an entire province. As a human, I cannot stand idly by.

However, Zhenyao Immortal City is also crucial at this moment. Therefore, I hope you will carry these four imperial edicts to the Celestial Pivot Mansion in Gu Yue Province and slay the Xingchen Imperial Court's emperor, Lu Zhen!"

"Yes!"

Huang Jie respectfully accepted the four imperial edicts. There was no doubt that these four imperial edicts were just as powerful as the one he had seen earlier.

That imperial edict had given Huang Jie a sense of suffocating, terrifying power, surpassing even a sage king and reaching the level of an empire aspirant.

Four imperial edicts!

Each one was equivalent to the strike of an empire aspirant.

To put it bluntly.

An imperial edict of this level could serve as the ultimate trump card in many holy lands and noble families.

This was no exaggeration.

An imperial edict that could match the strike of an empire aspirant was a great deterrent.

There was no need to use it.

Just the knowledge of its existence was enough to prevent other cultivators from acting rashly.

Even though there was only one imperial edict, no one wanted to be the sacrifice that consumed it.

A strike comparable to an empire aspirant's could make even a sage king bleed.

Therefore.

Huang Jie naturally understood the value of these four imperial edicts.

Then.

Gu Qingfeng handed a demon core to Huang Jie.

"This is a demon core from a Saint Human Realm demon. It should be sufficient to help you recover from your injuries!"

"Many thanks, Daoist Brother Gu!"

Great Sage Huang Jie did not decline, as he was well aware that for someone like the person in front of him, the inner core of a Saint Rank demon was nothing significant.

Afterward.

Great Sage Huang Jie left.

Divine consciousness from Gu Qingfeng covered the entire Zhenyao Immortal City. After confirming that Great Sage Huang Jie had departed, he retracted his divine consciousness.

"A Ninth Heaven Great Sage and four imperial edicts should be sufficient to resolve the issues with the Xingchen Imperial Court. As long as there are no world-shaking Evil Spirits, it's unlikely to cause much trouble!"

Gu Qingfeng was confident about this.

Subsequently.

He closed his eyes and continued to cultivate the Heaven Pulse True Scripture.

For Gu Qingfeng, the biggest breakthrough now was to consolidate the fourth Heaven Pulse, and if he could succeed in doing so, he would have the confidence to face an Emperor directly.

Don't think that one additional Heaven Pulse only doubles one's strength, as it might seem like a minor change. In reality, doubling a cultivator's strength often has a greater effect than having two cultivators of the same rank.

Two peak Empire Aspirants would not be a match for an Emperor. But if a peak Empire Aspirant's strength were to double, the outcome might be different.

Sometimes, one plus one is greater than two. This is the result of a qualitative change.

However.

Cultivating the Heaven Pulse True Scripture is a daunting task, and truly consolidating the fourth Heaven Pulse is no easy feat. Despite Gu Qingfeng having already consolidated three Heaven Pulses, he still has little idea how to proceed with the fourth.

But Gu Qingfeng is not in a hurry.

Cultivation is a process of accumulation. Given enough time, it's not impossible for the Heaven Pulse True Scripture to breakthrough to the fourth level.

---

Gu Yue Province!

Celestial Pivot Mansion!

All the major forces have now fully entered, and upon entering the Celestial Pivot Mansion, they discovered that it had become a breeding ground for Evil Spirits. Countless Evil Spirits had appeared, forming a pure Evil Spirit army, dealing a heavy blow to all the forces.

These Evil Spirits were bizarrely powerful, and many had reached the Cataclysm level. Even with several Saint Rank and Great Sage cultivators present, they found it difficult to match them.

It took half a month to assault the Celestial Pivot Mansion, and the progress of all the armies was extremely limited. The Divine Martial Empire, among others, suffered significant losses.

Now, in an ancient city.

All the Divine Martial Empire generals were gathered, their faces somber, and the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.

"How is Yun Wang's condition?"

Yan Yun looked at the injured Gu Xiu, whose face was pale and his aura weak, indicating he had been severely wounded.

Gu Xiu shook his head slightly. "The injuries are not life-threatening, but the Evil Spirit army is incredibly powerful. It's not going to be easy to truly conquer the Xingchen Imperial Court and slay Lu Zhen!"

As they had initially suspected, all the people in the Celestial Pivot Mansion had been sacrificed. At first, Gu Xiu did not understand the purpose of the Xingchen Imperial Court's sacrifice of these people. Only after seeing the Evil Spirit army did he realize their goal.

Blood sacrifice of the populace!

Using the blood of countless humans to nurture a large number of Evil Spirits.

While most of these Evil Spirits were not very strong, their sheer numbers made them difficult to handle. Additionally, a portion of the Evil Spirit army was extremely powerful, making it even harder for the various forces to advance.

Furthermore, with demons causing chaos, many forces had to divert part of their strength to resist the demons, making their situation even more dire.

"The Evil Spirit named Bride's Attire is at least at the Upper Cataclysm level. If not for Yun Wang's timely intervention, we might have been completely annihilated!"

Yan Yun's face darkened as he recalled the previous battle.

Upper Cataclysm!

That was a level on par with a Great Sage. If not for Gu Xiu's timely use of his own blood to empower the Can Que Di Bing, forcing the Evil Spirit back, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

But the problem is, the Imperial Court of Xingchen isn't just dealing with one Evil Spirit of this caliber.

One can only imagine how terrifying such a force would be.

"We need to prevent a sudden attack by the Evil Spirits. The entire city must be put on high alert, and we should report this matter to the imperial court so His Majesty can make a decision."

Gu Xiuhuai said helplessly.

The current situation was beyond his control.

However, just as Gu Xiuhuai finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed, as if he had sensed something. In the next moment, he walked out of the government office.

The others, seeing this, hurriedly followed him out.

Once they left the government office, they realized that although it was daytime, the entire city was shrouded in a thick black fog, completely blocking out the sunlight, plunging the city into a darkness like night.

"Evil Spirits!"

Gu Xiuhuai muttered, his face grim.

Without his knowledge, an Evil Spirit had already infiltrated the city.

The city was now eerily silent, as if everyone had vanished into thin air.

Suddenly, a shrill sound of a suona horn echoed from a distance, growing louder. Gu Xiuhuai followed the sound and saw a flower-laden sedan chair at the end of the street, surrounded by dozens of people. The leading figures were playing the suona, creating an especially eerie atmosphere in the silent city.

At the same time, as the sedan chair procession appeared, the air around them suddenly turned cold. Several people carrying large red lanterns cast an eerie red light, revealing faces as pale as if they had no blood.

"Bride's attire... It has come!!"

Gu Xiuhuai's face changed, his eyes filled with wariness as he looked at the sedan chair.

This was the Evil Spirit that had severely injured him, a terrifying existence suspected to be of the Upper Cataclysm level.

Gu Xiuhuai had never imagined that this Evil Spirit had already entered the city unnoticed. The city was now deathly silent, and he had no idea what had happened to the soldiers.

Yan Yun and the others, upon seeing the red flower-laden sedan chair, also turned pale.

Bride's attire!

Upper Cataclysm!

The appearance of such a terrifying existence caused many to feel an uncontrollable surge of fear.

"Prince Yun, what should we do now...?"

Someone, terrified, began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was impossible to avoid feeling fear when faced with such a great terror, no matter how strong one's resolve.

Gu Xiuhuai took a deep breath and said sternly, "You all should leave first. I will handle this!"

"No, Prince Yun, you are too valuable to risk your life!"

Gu Xiuhuai, hearing this, shook his head slightly. "Only I can hold off this Evil Spirit. If you stay to cover my retreat, it would be a needless sacrifice, serving no purpose.

Besides, if you leave, I will have a chance to escape—"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Finally, Yan Yun gritted his teeth and said, "As Prince Yun commands, we will retreat!"

With that, Yan Yun led the others to prepare for their departure.

However, just as they were about to move, the scene before them changed again. The government office had vanished, replaced by an ancient residence.

The front door of the residence was wide open, revealing a heart-chilling darkness. On either side of the door, large red lanterns hung, their eerie red light resembling a flow of blood.

It's over!

Seeing this, Yan Yun and the others felt their hearts sink.

They realized they had entered a forbidden zone.

This was a complete forbidden zone, created by a Disaster-level Evil Spirit, far more formidable than the average Evil Spirit's forbidden zone.

Gu Xiuhuai's expression also changed upon seeing this.

"It seems you have no way out. The only option now is a fight to the death, perhaps giving us a sliver of hope!"

As he spoke, the sedan chair procession arrived, and a putrid, decaying odor filled the air. The red curtains of the sedan chair trembled slightly, and a dark green hand suddenly reached out, pulling back the curtains to reveal the interior.

Inside the sedan chair, a woman dressed in a bride's attire sat, her face covered by a red veil. Her hands were dark green, with long, sharp nails. The moment she appeared, an eerie, chilling aura exploded out, instantly sweeping everything in its path.

Yan Yun and the others, under the assault of this chilling aura, felt their blood and qi stagnate, their bodies almost unable to move.

"Beloved... I have searched for you so long..."

A hoarse voice echoed, like nails scraping against glass, causing an uncomfortable, grating sensation. The red veil fluttered in the wind, as if it might fall off at any moment.

"Monster... dare to play tricks before me?!"

Gu Xiuhuai roared in anger, his powerful bloodline aura erupting like the sun, illuminating the surroundings and forcefully dispelling all the encroaching chilling aura.

A broken sword suddenly appeared, and Gu Xiuhuai spat a mouthful of blood onto the blade. Instantly, the sword trembled, and a terrifying sword light sliced through the sky, illuminating the city as if it were daylight, before it lunged straight at the face of the bride in the sedan chair. (End of Chapter)

Chapter end