Chapter 442: Sweeping Away Anxieties, A Father's Presence, and Confronting Ji Mali Wang

Chapter 442: Sweeping Away Anxieties, A Father's Presence, and Confronting Ji Mali Wang

The cold moonlight seemed to burst forth like a broken dam, spilling heavenly water from the sky.

An extreme sense of killing intent permeated the entire world, intertwining and spreading throughout the heavens and earth.

The void appeared to be on the verge of shattering, and the moonlight arrows that burst forth seemed to tear apart the dark night sky.

In an instant, the arrows fiercely pierced the enormous array above Luoyuncheng, and the terrifying will of the Corpse God that emerged from the death energy array began to twist and roar frantically.

However, under this arrow's might, the array became as fragile as glass, unable to withstand the pressure. Fine cracks appeared and gradually spread, eventually shattering and exploding in mid-air.

Ripples of destruction spread in circles, and the terrifying airflow howled and raged, making the air seem like a transparent carpet, undulating and trembling continuously.

The blood-red aura that had enveloped the entire Luoyuncheng was torn apart in this moment.

The marking of the entire city's inhabitants and the means to strangle them with death energy were instantly destroyed!

The terrifying sound of shattering filled the skies above Luoyuncheng, like a thunderous roar after the leaden clouds had parted, as if the heavens were expressing their fury towards the mortal world.

The array exploded, and the blood-red light vanished into nothingness!

Such a majestic and awe-inspiring display!

It was as if a mountain had descended upon the city's walls and into the hearts of all its inhabitants.

Terrifying and fearsome!

The Temple God!

The Divine God!

On the city walls, Zhou Chengguo was oppressed by the terrifying divine pressure of the Temple God, making it difficult for him to even move. His armor clanged as it constantly collided.

It wasn't just Zhou Chengguo; the surrounding Hei Jia Wei guards and experts from the Corpse God Sect trembled under the oppressive divine pressure of the Temple God.

The bright moon, hanging high in the night sky, seemed to shine like a dazzling sun at this moment.

With blue-green hair flying, a slender and graceful figure, and a peerlessly beautiful face, she appeared like a celestial goddess, looking down upon the mortal world with a cold and detached gaze.

On the other side, dark clouds swirled, and from the fat-headed and big-eared pig-like figure, powerful blood energy and aura burst forth from his transforming body.

The entire city of Luoyuncheng, covered in darkness, was about to be destroyed by the Temple God's appearance and the shattering of the array, making it impossible to continue the siege.

Outside Luoyuncheng.

In the dense forest.

The bright moonlight shone.

Xixi stood on the Hell Lotus Flame Wheel, her two divine weapons quietly spinning beneath her feet, while her hands gripped the Purple Flame Serpent Spear. She stared blankly at the distant scene.

She watched as Yun'e and Zhou Peng clashed, and Jin Taishui was flung away.

It was unknown where Jin Taishui had been flung.

But at this moment, Xixi couldn't spare any attention for him; her eyes filled with tears, and her heart was overwhelmed with a sense of sorrow.

In this moment of epiphany, she awaited the ensuing silence and loneliness.

Yun'e and Zhou Peng, who had unleashed the power of the Temple God, were children, and such power came at a cost.

Xixi's eyes welled up with tears, and she seemed to have already envisioned Yun'e and Zhou Peng being separated from her.

Far away, at Luoyuncheng.

After Yun'e shot and shattered the array set up by the Corpse God Sect and Hei Jia Wei, her cold and indifferent gaze swept across the figures on the city walls.

The Corpse God Sect, Hei Jia Wei, and the Temple God...

A faint killing intent flowed through the air.

"Yun'e, leave these messy matters to me, an old man! It's not right for a young lady like you to get involved!"

Ha ha ha ha ha!

Zhou Peng, transformed into a demonic aura, was a gold-clad divine general, unmatched in his dominance.

As he moved, it was as if a mighty river surged through the heavens and earth, causing the void to tremble violently.

With a clenched fist, scorching blood energy erupted, and divine power gathered from the heavens and earth, forming a nine-toothed pitchfork in his hand, shimmering with a sharp silver glow.

The power of the Temple God was immense and boundless, and the constantly rising aura had already reached the semi-divine level.

This was the highest level of power that could be displayed in the mortal world, beyond which one would face suppression from the will of the heavens.

Boom!

This was the ultimate display of their power, as they harnessed the Temple God within them.

Humming—

Divine power intertwined and spread, and on Zhou Peng's robust and sturdy body, it was as if divine flowers of profound complexity bloomed. In this moment, the cold and still energy boiled and surged, magnificent and powerful.

As the blood energy exploded, the raging aura and overwhelming force roared within Zhou Peng's body, ready to burst forth.

Compared to Yun'e's cold and transcendent demeanor, Zhou Peng's fat and big-eared pig-headed appearance made him seem even more domineering.

With a forward charge, he seemed like a shooting star crashing into the city walls.

As he shook his hand, the nine-toothed pitchfork spun fiercely.

Within the bulging muscles, the force roared and erupted, sweeping out with terrifying power, like nine silver dragons roaring forth.

On the city walls.

Numerous Hei Jia Wei guards in black armor drew their swords in anger, but before they could even unsheathe them, they were pierced through, their armor shattered, and they were nailed to the walls!

The walls, soft as tofu, were directly cut into large chunks.

The divine aura was so dense it was like a divine demon, blossoming on his skin like intricate tattoos.

Zhou Peng's pig-like ears flapped like fans, and he stood atop the city walls, his aura fierce and murderous. Each move he made took a life.

Buzz—

The nine-toothed pitchfork waved, and in an instant, it swept across, targeting the powerful members of the Corpse God Sect.

Zhou Chengguo's armor clanged, and within him, a will awakened and raged, not even sparing Zhou Peng. The nine-toothed pitchfork struck, viciously slamming into Zhou Chengguo.

Zhou Chengguo resisted, but despite his Three Openings Martial Saint cultivation, he felt weak before the Temple God.

His entire body was smashed, erupting with dense blood mist, flying horizontally and crashing into Luo Yun City, gouging out a terrifying and shocking trench in the ground! But Zhou Chengguo didn't die. He lay on the ground, gazing at the sky, half shrouded in black clouds and half illuminated by the moon.

Suddenly, he chuckled softly.

Why... was the scene different from what he imagined? In the past, he had been passionate and tried to save others, but facing this unstoppable force, all he felt was despair and a distorted mindset.

And now, the same thing was happening to Xixi, yet the outcome was different.

Why... could Xixi have these friends to help and save her?

Back then, he could only stare helplessly at despair.

Boom—!!!

Zhou Chengguo closed his eyes, and in an instant, his entire body transformed, his veins bulging like a fierce green-faced demon. The blood of Ji Mali coursed through him, reviving and transforming him into a crimson dragon, bursting from his flesh and wildly lashing about.

A cold and lofty voice echoed in Zhou Chengguo's mind.

"Father, the situation is..."

"Borrow some strength!"

Zhou Chengguo spoke with a deep voice.

As his words ended, his eyes suddenly closed, and when they opened again, they had transformed into a different color.

It was a gaze Zhou Chengguo couldn't forget.

That year, the young Zhou Chengguo held a sword, facing the terrifying power that had destroyed a city. The source of that terror, and his eyes had turned that color, a color of despair.

Zhou Chengguo felt a surge of power within him, his black hair wildly dancing.

Power, incomparable power, filled Zhou Chengguo with battle intent, excitement surging, his fists clenching as his muscles bulged. An explosive force erupted from his body, every muscle fiber rippling like a coiled dragon beneath the earth!

Zhou Chengguo felt his flesh had reached its limit, unable to continue. The power of a Half-Step Martial God was his limit!

"A Temple God's reincarnation?"

"Just a fleeting moment of strength!"

"You borrow strength, and so will I!"

Zhou Chengguo's body suddenly erupted from the ground, skyrocketing like a black lightning bolt, viciously striking towards Zhou Peng, transformed into a pig-headed, black-armored general.

With a cold gaze and trembling body, his clenched fist unleashed a punch, accompanied by countless roaring dragon shadows!

The air was emptied, the airflow crushed!

Ji Mali's signature martial art!

Ten Thousand Dragons Subduing the Divine!

In this moment, his bloodline power fully awakened, granting him unparalleled insight. It was as if he had transformed into Ji Mali himself.

With a single punch, ten thousand dragons roared, an exquisite and unparalleled move.

Like an explosion of countless dragon gods, they roared wildly, arrogant and fierce. Their aura shook the sky, and the air trembled like a giant wave in a great river!

Zhou Peng, with his fat head and large ears, grinned, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He swung his nine-toothed pitchfork, fiercely striking towards Zhou Chengguo.

Boom—!!!

Like a terrifying collision between earth and moon, the entire Luo Yun City shook violently. Countless clouds of dust rose, obscuring the sky like a curtain. It was as if a thousand explosions of energy tore through the sky.

Zhou Chengguo's body flew horizontally, his eyes revealing a strange light.

How could this Temple God unleash such power in the mortal world?

The Temple God's power in the mortal realm was restricted. Only in the Enigmatic Realm could they fully unleash their strength; otherwise, they would be suppressed by the will of heaven and earth.

Because the Temple God didn't belong in the mortal world.

Their immense divine aura, when released, would only affect mortals, causing deformities and more.

"Fortunately... it's just a little short, but not too far off!"

"How long can you sustain this Temple God's power?"

"Father is on his way... you won't escape."

Zhou Chengguo's eyes shone brilliantly, his body trembling with scorching blood. He charged towards Zhou Peng, the Temple God's incarnation!

On the other side, the shattered Corpse God Sect's Death Aura Formation slowly rotated. The sect's evil followers, shrouded in black robes, erupted with an intense death aura.

The death aura swept and roared, spreading towards the entire city.

It was as if they were determined to annihilate the entire city by other means.

However, in the sky, Yun E's eyes were cold, like a celestial goddess descending from the heavens. She drew her bow, as if the moon itself was her bow, and the moonlight formed her arrows. One by one, she shot, piercing the evil followers of the Corpse God Sect.

A one-sided massacre unfolded in Luo Yun City.

……

……

Li Che sat cross-legged on a flying sword, his brows slightly furrowed.

Through the Heaven-Earth Chessboard, he witnessed the scene in Luo Yunkai City, feeling surprised at Yun'e and Zhou Peng's sudden eruption of their Temple God powers.

It was too early.

Despite possessing Temple God powers, they were at least Divine Tribulation cultivators, and their Temple God might was even stronger. However, their young ages and insufficient cultivation levels made their physical bodies inadequate to bear such power.

As the true power of the Temple God was unleashed...

Yun'e and Zhou Peng's fate was sealed; they would die.

The power of the Temple God, unaccepted by Heaven and Earth, would eventually wither and die completely.

"Ai..."

Li Che sighed softly.

This was a lesson Yun'e was teaching Xiexie, a class for her little sister. As an older sister, she had high hopes and expectations for Xiexie, wishing for her to experience separation and loss, and learn to grow up.

However, the word 'loss' was too cruel for Xiexie.

Li Che slowly stood up.

Sword Qi raged and howled, and although Lu Taibai was rushing with all his might, Li Che still found his speed a bit slow.

"Master, you're too slow," Li Che said.

Standing atop the sword, his robes fluttering, Lu Taibai, with his baggy robes, was startled.

"Master, I'll go ahead," Lu Taibai said, and then Li Che's five fingers clenched a white chess piece, and his entire person vanished in an instant.

"Damn!"

Lu Taibai was caught off guard.

Hurry!

Li Che was the fastest! No matter how he rushed, how could he compare to the Netherworld's shameless teleportation technique? However, Lu Taibai's expression soon turned serious.

It was clear that Li Che could sense what was happening beside Xiexie, and his sudden urgency indicated that something extraordinary was happening.

Lu Taibai dearly loved his precious disciple, the future master of the Divine Essence Sect.

But he couldn't let his beloved disciple get into trouble!

Without hesitation, Lu Taibai lifted his hand and pointed at his forehead, and his flesh split open...

The Daoyun Tribulation Sword surged and rumbled, and the void echoed with a boom.

Lu Taibai was also incredibly fast!

...

...

In the dense forest, the howling wind blew incessantly, carrying the air currents that rippled and spread from the direction of Luo Yunkai City.

Countless trees swayed under the impact, and the rustling leaves seemed to create a sound like a vast ocean.

Xiexie stood in place, clenching her teeth for a long time. Her eyes shimmered intensely.

Wiping away her tears, Xiexie pursed her lips.

Although young, she wasn't foolish. Separation and loss were indeed heart-wrenching, but Xiexie was no longer the little three-year-old Xiexie.

She was seven years old!

"Always treating Xiexie like a child!"

Xiexie wiped away her tears.

Her body surged forward, and the Hell Lotus Flame Wheel clanged, sparks flying incessantly. Her entire person transformed into a wheel of light, swiftly charging towards the direction of Luo Yunkai City.

Xiexie wanted to fight alongside Yun'e and Zhou Peng until the very end! They... were her companions!

At this moment, how could she retreat? How could Xiexie the Great escape?!

Fight! Xiexie raised the fire-tipped spear in her hand high, and her childish voice let out a roar that tore through the sky.

"Ai..."

A soft sigh echoed.

Xiexie's heart trembled slightly, and the childish roar suddenly stuck in her throat.

Her eyes suddenly brightened: "Big sister, is it you?"

"It's me."

"Silly girl."

The gentle voice seemed to carry a hint of reminiscence.

Then...

Xiexie felt an immense power surge into her body, and her eyebrows instantly brightened.

She transformed into a streak of light, and with a sweep of her spear, she charged fiercely! Boom!!!

Black flames blossomed in the night sky, like a black lotus, burning fiercely, incinerating the heavens and seas! Zhou Peng, suppressing the power of his bloodline, fought against Zhou Chengguo. He also noticed the black-haired girl in the black night, standing on a black fire lotus, charging like a meteor.

A hint of daze flashed in his eyes.

"Hell Lotus..."

A gentle smile appeared on his plump face.

The next moment, his smile turned helpless: "This girl... is still as stubborn as ever."

He looked to the other side, where Yun'e was fighting against the grotesque and ugly Corpse God summoned by the Corpse God Sect's evil disciples, her eyes coldly holding the Divine Moon Bow. A hint of helplessness appeared in her cold eyes.

However, her cold eyes gradually revealed a trace of joy and reminiscence.

"Then, let's fight together," Yun'e said with a light smile.

The arrows in her hands had already drawn an arc, and countless moonlights gathered and intertwined, erupting with a terrifying tearing power, fiercely drilling into the Corpse God that crawled out from the death aura vortex.

Zhou Peng clenched the Nine-Pronged Pitchfork with his five fingers, and in mid-air, he wildly swung and danced, striking Zhou Chengguo, who was also bleeding profusely even after unleashing his bloodline power.

Puchi—

Zhou Chengguo spewed blood and fell onto the city wall, causing a large portion of the massive wall to collapse.

In the face of this terrifying onslaught, half of the city collapsed, reduced to ruins.

Zhou Chengguo's eyes flickered with a dazed expression.

How could they be this strong?

The power of Ji Mali's bloodline, which Zhou Chengguo had fully activated, was still completely suppressed, and the gap between them seemed to be far greater than expected.

Hum—

A torrent of pitch-black flames swept through.

Xie Xie, standing amidst the Hell Lotus Flame Wheel, had deep, dark eyes, and a black lotus blossomed on her brow, as if black lotuses were swirling around her.

With a swift flick of her spear, she instantly pierced through a Grand Master of the Black Armor Guards, pulling out her weapon and unleashing a pressurized spray of blood that slammed into the waist of the Black Armor Guard, severing him at the waist!

On the city tower, Xie Xie joined the battle, fighting side by side with two others, their ferocity overwhelming.

Xie Xie, empowered, wielded her spear with increasing ferocity, facing off against the Black Armor Guards' War Saints. But now, with the help of her big sister, Xie Xie's battle intent surged.

The Fire Tip Spear seemed to be fully activated by her, and the Dragon Snake Roar surged, completely suppressing the three Initial Opening War Saints.

Xie Xie was fully immersed in the battle, the Hell Lotus divine pattern on her brow constantly throbbing.

Xie Xie even felt that her blood, her divine essence, and her soul were all growing stronger in this exhilarating battle.

Even the power of the Hell Lotus curse seemed to be slightly beyond her control.

However, Xie Xie didn't care!

Right now, she was just a child indulging herself.

"Kill!"

Bang!

A golden brick swung out, smashing into the back of a War Saint's head. The next moment, the Fire Tip Spear flicked, piercing through the War Saint, drilling into his elixir sea, and nailing him to the city wall!

Thick blood mist enveloped the city of Luo Yun.

This city, which was supposed to be slaughtered, was now drenched in thick, bloody mist.

However, the source of this blood mist was slightly different from what one might imagine.

...

...

The Jiangnan Dao, Jianzhou.

Dongsheng Prefecture.

Qitian City.

This was an extremely vast city, boundless and sprawling, with walls stretching for thousands of miles. Standing at one end of the city wall and looking towards the other, one couldn't see the end.

The gates of Qitian City had long been opened.

Outside the city gates, a dense crowd gathered, all the cultivators from the world who had heard the news and rushed over.

There were cultivators from Da Jing, as well as cultivators from other countries outside Da Jing, such as the Great Li Royal Court, the Western Buddhist Kingdom, and other foreign cultivators.

The reason these people could bypass the restrictions of Da Jing and appear in Qitian City was mainly because Qitian City was backed by the vast and boundless East Sea. The ocean was so immense that one couldn't see the end with a single glance.

Therefore, cultivators from the Great Li Royal Court, the Witch God Mountain, the Western Buddhist Kingdom, and the Ten Thousand Buddha Tower could travel through the sea, riding the waves to reach Qitian City, arriving to witness and face this grand event of Qitian City's opening.

No one could resist such a grand event. Within the Enigmatic Realm, those who wanted to pass through the Outer Enigmatic Realm and reach the Inner Enigmatic Realm had to face numerous dangers.

The Enigmatic Realm was too vast, and the enigmatic mist was so thick that it was like a third dimension filled with dangers that could appear at any moment.

Cultivators ventured through the Enigmatic Realm, facing countless crises even if they were Divine Tribulation Cultivators. It was extremely challenging to travel from the Inner Enigmatic Realm to the Underworld Enigmatic Realm.

And reaching the Underworld Enigmatic Realm was even more difficult.

Even though everyone knew that the Underworld Enigmatic Realm was rich in resources and opportunities, the Qitian Temple in Qitian City was a mysterious temple located at the connecting line between the Inner Enigmatic Realm and the Underworld Enigmatic Realm.

This was why the opening of Qitian City became a grand event that attracted the major divine sects, ancient noble families, and even the imperial court.

Huff, huff, huff—

A tent trembled slightly.

Inside the tent, Ji Mali, clad in a robust armor, slowly opened his eyes, a blood-like glow reflecting in his pupils.

Zhou Chengguo had sent him to slaughter the city and gather blood souls.

However...

Ji Mali sensed that Zhou Chengguo had fully activated the power of his bloodline, which had been left in his body, and then, this power, and the connection between them, was completely severed.

Zhou Chengguo...

Was dead.

What happened? Ji Mali closed his eyes slightly.

This slaughter was crucial for Ji Mali; he couldn't afford any mistakes.

He needed to replenish the power of the Blood Pool, as the energy from this slaughter had been exhausted to help him breakthrough the Divine Tribulation. He needed more blood soul power to accumulate in the Blood Pool.

Therefore, for this action of Zhou Chengguo, Ji Mali had given a death order.

Boom!

Ji Mali's aura shook violently, and as he spread his five fingers, a black umbrella spear appeared in his hand. Thick death energy surged from his body, constantly swirling.

It formed a death energy vortex! The Corpse God's Time-Space Comparison Technique! Ji Mali's display of this technique far surpassed that of the Corpse God's evil disciples.

Stepping into the vortex of death energy formed by the Time-Space Comparison Technique.

...

...

Clatter, clatter...

Rubble continuously rolled down, and half of the city wall collapsed and crumbled.

In front of Luo Yun City, corpses lay scattered everywhere.

Xie Xie, engulfed in black flames, stood amidst the black Hell Lotus. Her chest heaved violently, and her consciousness was exceptionally clear, for she had borrowed this power, but the big sister within her body had not taken control of her physical body.

So, the slaughter was carried out by Xiexie.

Xiexie slaughtered to preserve the city and spare its people from the crisis of being butchered.

She also fought alongside Yun'e and Zhou Peng.

This was her conviction.

Amidst the ruins, Zhou Chengguo was impaled by a nine-pronged pitchfork and pinned to the ground, his body split in half, and blood gushed out, soaking the ground.

Zhou Chengguo's green-fanged face transformed back into a human countenance. He fell to the ground, gazing up at the sky, dazed in his final moments.

He knew he was going to die.

Suddenly, in his last moments, Zhou Chengguo calmed down, perhaps due to the bloodline power of Ji Maoli within him, which he had burned away in combat.

Without the influence of the bloodline power, Zhou Chengguo regained clarity.

Tears streamed from Zhou Chengguo's eyes, and he was blinded by the power, ultimately becoming a slave to it.

He once wanted to be like his teacher, Nanli Fire, but in the end, the dragon-slaying youth became the evil dragon...

Now, finally, it was a release.

"Teacher... Zhou Daoyuan, I'm sorry."

Zhou Chengguo, formerly known as Zhou Daoyuan, slowly closed his eyes, and memories of his training under Nanli Fire surfaced in his mind.

He had excellent talent; if he didn't, he might have died long have perished and never been captured by Ji Maoli, his bloodline power washed away, and he would have become Ji Maoli's disciple.

Xiexie gave Zhou Chengguo a cold glance.

Her gaze was unperturbed.

For this senior brother, Zhou Daoyuan, Xiexie felt no emotion.

Hummmmmmmm!

Yun'e and Zhou Peng appeared beside Xiexie, their divine essence becoming extremely thin, their bodies covered in countless fine cracks, as if countless grains of sand had piled up, forming a huge vortex of death.

This was the price the flesh had to pay to withstand the divine essence.

"Xiexie... Sister is leaving."

Yun'e and Zhou Peng looked at Xiexie, and their eyes softened.

"The road ahead is long. You must learn to avoid danger and not rush into everything with hot-blooded enthusiasm. You must learn to make choices and not put yourself in harm's way..."

Yun'e ruffled Xiexie's hair, offering her final words of guidance.

Xiexie's eyes welled up with tears, even in her coldness.

Yun'e crouched before Xiexie, sharing many words and much consolation.

Xiexie's tears kept flowing.

She let go, and her body relaxed.

Her heart felt an unprecedented sense of relief. All the tension and anxiety from her trials vanished, and she couldn't help but shed tears.

"Father!"

Xiexie hugged Li Che's neck.

Li Che gently patted Xiexie's back.

"Father is here."

Then, Li Che looked down at Ji Maoli, whose body was ravaged by death aura, below.

Ji Maoli also looked up.

Their eyes met.

It was like a king facing a king.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end