https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-362-The-Battle-at-Celestial-Pivot-Mansion/13459453/
Chapter 361: Sixth Sense
Chapter 361: Sixth Sense
A cold wind blew, lifting the corner of the red veil to reveal a ghastly, pale, and decaying face. Then, a greenish-black hand rose and crushed the sword qi with a single pinch.
But at the same moment,
The power of the sword qi erupted, causing the hand to crack, and black blood splattered out.
In the next instant,
The bride's attire suddenly moved, and a terrifying aura instantly enveloped Gu Xiu. His vision blurred, and when he regained clarity, he found himself inside the bridal sedan.
"Damn—"
Gu Xiu couldn't help but realize that he had fallen under the mental influence of the Evil Spirits, trapped in some kind of illusion.
Without hesitation,
He bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of scalding blood, which made the bridal sedan melt away like a candle.
The illusion vanished.
The bride's attire, now standing before Gu Xiu, had sharp, black fingertips touching his skin. The eerie, cold aura made his blood run cold, and the sharpness of the touch felt as if it could slice open his chest with the slightest pressure.
"Filthy beast, how dare you!"
At that moment, a furious shout echoed, and a terrifying blade qi sliced through the darkness, as if destroying the entire world. The terrifying force made the bride's attire freeze in place.
In the next instant,
Her body shattered into pieces, and she was utterly destroyed on the spot.
With the bride's attire vanquished, the space around them rippled like the surface of a lake, and all the scenes dissipated like bubbles, returning to their original state.
Only then,
Did Gu Xiu realize that they had been sitting in the main hall of the yamen the entire time, and everything they had experienced was just an illusion created by the Evil Spirits.
The hall was now in ruins, as if something had plowed through it. The black blood on the ground and the tattered red bride's attire hinted at what had just transpired.
At that moment,
Everyone noticed that a middle-aged cultivator had appeared in the yamen, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Who are you—"
"Master!"
Just as Yan Yun was about to ask, Gu Xiu stepped forward and bowed deeply to the newcomer.
Master!?
Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed.
Grand Saint Huang Jie looked at Gu Xiu and smiled faintly, "It seems I arrived just in time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to explain this to your father."
He had been sent on a mission and arrived just as the Evil Spirits attacked the yamen. Seeing Gu Xiu about to meet his end, Grand Saint Huang Jie didn't have time to act directly and had to use the power of an imperial edict to kill the bride's attire.
Although it pained him, there was no other choice.
After all, an upper cataclysm was as powerful as a grand saint, and even Grand Saint Huang Jie might not have been able to save Gu Xiu from its hands.
In the end,
Time was too short.
So,
Grand Saint Huang Jie used the power of the imperial edict.
As he had expected, the power of the imperial edict was terrifying, and even an upper cataclysm couldn't withstand it.
"Congratulations, Master, on regaining your physical body!"
Gu Xiu, now regaining his composure, smiled at Grand Saint Huang Jie and then introduced him to Yan Yun and the others.
"This is my master, the former ruler of Huang Jie Holy Land, Grand Saint Huang Jie!"
"Hello, Grand Saint Huang Jie!"
Yan Yun and the others, upon hearing this, changed their expressions and hurriedly bowed in greeting.
A grand saint.
This was no ordinary person.
Moreover,
He was Gu Xiu's master.
Either identity alone was more than enough to command their respect.
Grand Saint Huang Jie merely smiled in response, not putting on any airs.
Gu Xiu then asked, "Why did you come here, Master?"
"Friend Gu was concerned about the situation at the Celestial Pivot Mansion, so he sent me here. I didn't expect the Evil Spirits to have become so rampant, openly attacking the yamen. If I had arrived any later, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
Grand Saint Huang Jie said this, looking at the fragments of the red bride's attire on the ground, his expression darkening.
It was a close call!
A very close call indeed. Gu Xiu had nearly died at the hands of the Evil Spirits.
Great Sage Huang Jie found it hard to imagine how furious Gu Qingfeng would be if Gu Xiufu were to fall.
If that were to happen, the entire Desolate Ancient Era would surely be thrown into chaos.
Great Sage Huang Jie had no doubt about this.
Although Gu Qingfeng seemed to be indifferent to everything, Huang Jie could clearly see the tyrannical nature within him. The consequences of provoking such a being would be unimaginable.
Moreover, Gu Qingfeng's strength was astonishing.
An enraged Empire Aspirant, if he were to unleash his full power, would be enough to make all factions tremble.
"Is that so..."
Gu Xiufu's face relaxed upon hearing these words.
"If my master intervenes, the matter with the Celestial Pivot Mansion will be much simpler!"
At that moment, Yan Yun spoke up, "Your Majesty, Senior Huangji, this is not the place for such a discussion. Why don't we move to the inner hall and take a seat?"
"That would be best!"
Gu Xiufu nodded, then looked at the damaged main hall and continued, "The Evil Spirits attacked the government offices. They might strike elsewhere as well. General Yan, please thoroughly investigate the area and see if there are any other damages."
"I understand, sir!"
Yan Yun bowed in acknowledgment.
---
Celestial Pivot Mansion.
Xingchen Imperial Capital.
The vast city was now a silent wasteland, with ruins scattered everywhere, as if a fierce battle had taken place.
In the palace, the atmosphere was eerie.
The grand hall, once filled with officials, had become a den for the Evil Spirits.
On the imperial throne sat a towering figure, clad in imperial robes and wearing a ceremonial headdress. His face was pale and bloodless, with eyes that glowed an eerie red.
If the Qin family from the Desolate Ancient Era and Gu Qingfeng were present, they would recognize this as the missing Heavenly Emperor of Guile.
Meanwhile, below the throne, a group of deceptive servants and numerous Evil Spirits gathered, including the former ruler of the Xingchen Imperial Court, Lu Zhen.
Lu Zhen now exuded a cold and sinister aura, his eyes faintly red, as if he were about to devour someone.
"Bride's Attire is dead!"
The Heavenly Emperor of Guile spoke calmly, breaking the silence in the hall.
Upon hearing this, many of the Evil Spirits were shocked, and Lu Zhen's face changed.
They were well aware of what Bride's Attire was.
An Upper Cataclysm, her strength on par with a Great Sage.
They had thought that Bride's Attire's intervention would make it easy to deal with the Divine Martial Empire's cultivators. Now, to learn of her demise left them stunned.
"Could it be that Gu Qingfeng was the one who acted?"
Lu Zhen asked in a deep voice.
In the entire Divine Martial Empire, only Gu Qingfeng had the capability to slay Bride's Attire.
The Heavenly Emperor of Guile's red eyes flickered with a cold light at the mention of this name. He still remembered the battle with the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.
"Whether or not it was Gu Qingfeng remains to be seen, but even if he were to come, what difference would it make? He would only serve to add more blood offerings for this emperor!"
A cruel, eerie smile spread across the Heavenly Emperor of Guile's pale face.
The blood sacrifice of an entire region had greatly increased his power, restoring him to the Middle World-Ending level.
At this level, he was on par with an Empire Aspirant.
This time, the Heavenly Emperor of Guile intended to devour the Eastern Domain Alliance in its entirety. Using the power of human flesh and blood, he would advance further, reaching the Upper World-Ending level.
Once he reached the Upper World-Ending level, he would be on par with a human Emperor.
In this era of declining heavenly laws, the Wily Heavenly Emperor is confident he can crush all opposition.
"This time, after breaking through to the Upper World-Ending level, there will be no one in the Desolate Ancient Era who can stand against me. You should be grateful for your decision to pledge allegiance to me, for in the future, you will have access to realms that were once beyond your reach.
Eternal life is no longer a mere dream!"
"Everything is at Your Majesty's command!"
Lu Zhen's body trembled, and he hurriedly bowed.
He had already pledged his loyalty to the Wily Heavenly Emperor, and the stronger the latter became, the better it was for him.
To join the Evil Spirits, Lu Zhen had sacrificed everything, and his heart was already twisted with a single-minded desire to wipe out the Divine Martial Empire and all other human clans.
As for the Lu royal family, in Lu Zhen's view, as long as he lived, the Mai Xue lineage would not truly be severed.
"Go forth and slay all humans who have entered the Celestial Pivot Mansion. Rip out their hearts; I have great use for them!"
The Wily Heavenly Emperor issued his command, and Lu Zhen, along with numerous Evil Spirits, respectfully accepted their orders.
---
In Zhenyao Immortal City.
As the Evil Spirits made their move, Gu Qingfeng, who was in seclusion, raised an eyebrow, sensing that something bad was about to happen.
His sixth sense made his expression grave.
"What is about to happen that has me so uneasy?"
Gu Qingfeng had no doubt about his sixth sense.
The higher a cultivator's realm, the more acute their sixth sense became.
It was no exaggeration to say that it could help them avoid danger and seek safety.
Of course, while the sixth sense didn't always warn of danger, when it did, it meant something bad was definitely on the horizon.
Gu Qingfeng instantly expanded his divine consciousness, covering the entire Zhenyao Immortal City and the battlefield.
Currently, the Demons had no advantage.
With numerous cultivators and the demon suppression army working together to defend, the Demon Clan had little chance of victory.
However, the greatest beneficiary of this battle was still the Deceptive Deity.
The Deceptive Deity Banner had devoured a large amount of demon flesh and divine souls, which in turn nourished the Deceptive Deity, significantly boosting its power.
By now, the Deceptive Deity had broken through the barrier of the First Heaven of the Saint Realm and reached the Second Heaven.
In a short time, the Deceptive Deity had advanced to a new level.
This rapid progression made Gu Qingfeng increasingly wary of the Deceptive Deity Banner.
It was hard to imagine what the Deceptive Deity could become if left unchecked and how terrifying such a being would be.
Therefore, Gu Qingfeng had always kept a close eye on the Deceptive Deity Banner, fearing any unforeseen changes that might cause it to slip out of his control.
With his sixth sense warning him, Gu Qingfeng immediately thought of the Deceptive Deity Banner.
However, everything seemed normal with the banner.
Gu Qingfeng then checked the Deceptive Deity itself, finding no signs of rebellion.
Next, he sent messages to people in the Divine Martial Empire to inquire about any internal issues and reviewed the information panel.
Finally, his gaze settled on one particular piece of information.
...
"Your offspring, 'Gu Xiu,' was attacked by an Upper Cataclysm-level Evil Spirit and nearly perished. Fortunately, he was saved by the great sage Huang Jie at the critical moment!"
"Your offspring, Gu Xiu, upon learning that the Great Sage Huang Jie has arrived, greatly boosting their strength, has decided to launch another attack on the Celestial Pivot Mansion, aiming to swiftly slay Lu Zhen!"
...
"Upper Cataclysm-grade Evil Spirits!"
"Celestial Pivot Mansion—"
Gu Qingfeng's eyes flickered.
He could now firmly determine that this sixth sense warning was definitely related to the Celestial Pivot Mansion.
Moreover,
An Upper Cataclysm-grade Evil Spirit attack.
Such an Evil Spirit, comparable to a Great Sage, suddenly launching an attack suggests that there might be an even more powerful Evil Spirit controlling the situation behind the scenes.
Initially, Gu Qingfeng didn't pay much attention to the Xingchen Imperial Court, believing that even if they colluded with Evil Spirits, their strength was limited and couldn't possibly rival the entire Eastern Domain.
However, as events unfolded, Gu Qingfeng increasingly realized that the Evil Spirits the Xingchen Imperial Court had allied with were not so simple.
Until now,
The appearance of an Upper Cataclysm-grade Evil Spirit confirmed Gu Qingfeng's suspicions.
"To command an Upper Cataclysm-grade Evil Spirit, there must be at least a Lower World-Ending-grade Evil Spirit, or possibly even a Middle World-Ending-grade!"
"If it's the former, it might be manageable, but if it's the latter, the four imperial edicts I left for Great Sage Huang Jie might not be enough to counter such an Evil Spirit..."
Gu Qingfeng's expression grew serious.
A Lower World-Ending-grade Evil Spirit would be the best-case scenario. Such an Evil Spirit, though as powerful as a Sage King, could be slain with the strength of the imperial edicts.
However, a Middle World-Ending-grade Evil Spirit is a different matter.
The difference between a Lower and Middle World-Ending-grade is akin to the difference between a Sage King and an Empire Aspirant.
Facing an Evil Spirit on par with an Empire Aspirant, the four imperial edicts would be insufficient to suppress it.
After all, the power of the imperial edicts can only reach the Empire Aspirant level.
In this case,
Gu Xiu and the Divine Martial Empire would be in serious trouble.
Realizing this, Gu Qingfeng took a deep breath and immediately sent a message to Gu Fengchen.
Moments later,
Gu Fengchen entered from outside, bowing to Gu Qingfeng.
"Grandson greets the Ancestor. Is there any task you need me to perform?"
"I will be leaving Zhenyao Immortal City for a while. In my absence, you will take over the responsibility of overseeing Zhenyao Immortal City. Here is the Imperial Blade of Evil Extermination. Should any danger arise, you can summon this blade to resolve the issue."
Gu Qingfeng paused, not waiting for Gu Fengchen to speak, and then flicked a drop of his blood, which landed in the center of the hall.
"This blood will simulate my presence. Even a Demon Emperor would not be able to detect the ruse.
Your task is to ensure that no one enters this hall. If word of my departure from Zhenyao Immortal City leaks, the Demon Clan will likely launch a full-scale invasion!"
Gu Qingfeng sternly warned.
His words caused Gu Fengchen's expression to change, and he quickly nodded.
"Ancestor, please rest assured. Grandson understands what must be done!" (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report