Chapter 656: The Cave
Chapter 656: The Cave
"Hiss!"
A shadow slithered like a snake, wandering through the void, before suddenly surging towards a corner of the city gate of Inferno City.
Buzz!
This seventh-level Abyss Beast hadn't even gotten close to the city gate when it was struck by a white beam of mirror light that pierced through the void. It tumbled out of the void, its body stiffening before crumbling into ruins.
Several Seventh Heaven Divine Lords nearby witnessed this scene, their eyes widening in surprise as they glanced at Chen Mu, who stood at the corner of the city gate, holding the Heavenly Mirror.
"Is he...?"
"Is that Mu Divine Lord?"
The mirror light that had just appeared was a Void technique, expertly controlled to permeate the void without causing significant damage. This made it difficult to gauge its power level, but the fact that it could instantly kill a Seventh Heaven Abyss Beast indicated an extraordinary might.
Before Chen Mu acted, only those who had interacted with him, like Jing Tian Divine Lord, could identify him. The others only recognized him after he made his move.
After all, to instantly kill a Seventh Heaven Abyss Beast, one's strength must be at the Eighth Heaven level. There were very few Eighth Heaven Divine Lords from the Void lineage within the Flame Sun Sect, and Chen Mu's aura and techniques were unfamiliar, making it easy to confirm his level.
Even so, several people's gazes towards Chen Mu still held a hint of surprise.
According to rumors,
Chen Mu was a Divine Lord Tyrant from the Void lineage, but his strength was limited to the Eighth Heaven threshold. While it wasn't difficult for someone at this level to kill a Seventh Heaven Abyss Beast, doing so with a single strike was extraordinary.
The Void lineage was known for its unpredictability and expertise in entanglement, transformation, and survival techniques. However, when it came to inflicting damage on life, they were slightly inferior to the Creation lineage. Most Divine Lords from the Creation lineage cultivated the 'Life' Mystic, and their techniques inherently had greater lethality against the essence of life.
Divine Lords and Abyss Beasts from the Creation lineage could cause immense harm to living beings in a short time, but they were less adept at entanglement and suppression techniques, making it easier for opponents to escape.
For example, a Seventh Heaven Peak Divine Lord facing an Eighth Heaven Creation lineage Divine Lord Tyrant would be at a disadvantage. If they forcefully resisted, their divine energy might collapse, and their true body could be annihilated in an instant.
However, without the element of surprise or ambush, there were still many opportunities to escape. Take Jianmu Divine Lord as an example; even Ming Fan Divine Lord would have difficulty truly destroying his divine energy incarnation if he wasn't ambushed.
If it were an Eighth Heaven Divine Lord from the Void lineage, the situation would be different.
Most Divine Lords from the Void lineage excelled in void-related techniques. If Ming Fan Divine Lord were an Eighth Heaven Divine Lord from the Void lineage, Jianmu Divine Lord might have lasted longer against him. Still, even without an ambush, there would be almost no chance of escape!
As for the Time lineage...
They were even rarer than the Void lineage, and their techniques were more mysterious. Unlike the Void and Creation lineages, they specialized in 'exchanging the power of the Time Great Path for a temporal advantage.'
They could borrow strength from the past or future, temporarily enhancing their power by a level. However, the greater the power borrowed, the greater the cost they would pay afterward.
This ability was undoubtedly troublesome.
A Seventh Heaven Peak Time lineage Divine Lord could, without regard for the cost, borrow future power to temporarily boost their strength to the Eighth Heaven level. Although they would suffer consequences like weakness afterward, who cared about the future? Therefore, no one was willing to provoke Time lineage Divine Lords, and few dared to risk their lives against them.
The attention on Chen Mu didn't last long, as a massive battle had already erupted near Inferno City. Hundreds and thousands of Abyss Beasts were attacking from all directions, and battles raged everywhere. Almost all the Divine Lords of the Flame Sun Sect were engaged.
Chen Mu stood tall at the city gate, his eyes indifferent. The Heavenly Mirror in his hand continuously shot out beams of mirror light, each striking an Abyss Beast and swiftly annihilating it.
Of course,
These Abyss Beasts were all only at the Seventh Heaven level, and Chen Mu only targeted those of the same level.
The current situation was different from the previous city defense. Temporarily trapping or suppressing the beasts was pointless. Even if they repelled the Eighth Heaven Abyss Beasts, they would quickly catch up. It was better to eliminate the weaker Seventh Heaven beasts to reduce their numbers.
"This won't do."
While killing the Abyss Beasts, Chen Mu also observed the situation. He could clearly sense that the number of Seventh Heaven Abyss Beasts was rapidly decreasing, while the Eighth Heaven beasts were gradually increasing.
Like Chen Mu, Eighth Heaven beings like Jing Tian Divine Lord were also doing their best to eliminate the Seventh Heaven beasts. They only occasionally intervened to block the Eighth Heaven beasts, not because they didn't want to kill them but because it was difficult.
Even Chen Mu, with his current strength at the Eighth Heaven's limit, could kill an ordinary Eighth Heaven Abyss Beast, but it wouldn't be instantaneous. He would need to contain and trap it, slowly erode its life force with Void Energy, and finally, exhaust its vitality to eliminate it. This process was far less efficient than dealing with a Seventh Heaven Abyss Beast, which he could vanquish with a snap of his fingers.
"Roar!"
An Abyss Beast covered in scales appeared from the distant void, charging towards the city gate where Chen Mu stood. Several Seventh Heaven Divine Lords nearby paled at the sight.
This was an Eighth Heaven Abyss Beast!
Several Seventh Heaven Divine Lords tried to stop it, but their attacks were effortlessly crushed like dry twigs. Jing Tian Divine Lord, who was not far away and also engaged with an Eighth Heaven Abyss Beast, noticed the commotion but couldn't spare any attention.
Buzz!
Just as the scaled Abyss Beast was about to collide with the city gate, a beam of mirror light shot out, enveloping the beast and freezing it in place.
It was not entirely accurate to say that the beast was trapped, as it continued to charge towards Inferno City. However, the distance between the beast and the city seemed to stretch infinitely, preventing any contact.
"ROAR!!!"
The scaled Abyss Beast, sensing the anomaly, let out an enraged roar. It unleashed a formidable power, shaking the void and causing the surrounding space to fracture and shatter.
Despite this all-out attack, the beast's situation remained unchanged; it couldn't get any closer to Inferno City.
"..."
Chen Mu, who was watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes slightly.
The scene also caught the attention of Jing Tian Divine Lord, who was not far away. He glanced at Chen Mu, noticing a subtle change in his cultivation since their last encounter several epochs ago. The method Chen Mu used to trap the scaled Abyss Beast was far more intricate than the one he had used to briefly stall the beast during his city defense duty. Even Jing Tian Divine Lord found it challenging to see through Chen Mu's current technique.
Back then, Chen Mu had employed some clever tactics to temporarily trap the Abyss Beast, allowing Inferno City to escape its pursuit. But now, Chen Mu relied purely on his cultivation and the power of the Great Path to directly suppress the scaled Abyss Beast.
Chen Mu's casual demeanor suggested that trapping this Eighth Heaven Abyss Beast did not exert significant pressure on him. He seemed capable of restraining it for an extended period.
Many Seventh Heaven Divine Lords might not perceive this subtle difference, but Jing Tian Divine Lord did. If Chen Mu's strength had merely reached the threshold of the Eighth Heaven, suppressing this Eighth Heaven Abyss Beast would not have been so effortless.
Had Chen Mu broken through? Jing Tian Divine Lord wondered.
Chen Mu was facing a bottleneck in his Triple Mystic Fusion, and if he overcame it, his cultivation would soar to new heights. His current strength might even surpass Jing Tian Divine Lord's, and he could be close to the Eighth Heaven's peak.
However, Jing Tian Divine Lord didn't dwell on this thought, as they were in the midst of a significant crisis. If Chen Mu had indeed made a breakthrough, it would be a boon for both him and the entire Flame Sun Sect.
Just then, Inferno City, besieged by countless Abyss Beasts, shook violently. Its direction of movement abruptly changed, shifting from fleeing to descending rapidly towards the lower layers of the Lava Caverns.
As everyone watched, the city approached a massive rock layer, dotted with numerous gigantic caves. Inferno City headed straight for one of these caves and plunged into it.
The interior of Inferno City was vast and expansive, capable of accommodating an entire world. However, its external dimensions were only a small city, measuring a mere one chi in diameter, like a seal. Compared to the caves that stretched for thousands of zhang, Inferno City could easily fit within them.
As Inferno City entered the cave in the Lava Caverns, Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged.
The passages leading to different layers of the caverns were located deep within the cave. While Chen Mu wasn't intimately familiar with the internal structure of the Lava Caverns, he had obtained a map from Vanggu Divine Lord, which gave him a rough idea of the nearest passage's location.
The Flame Sun Sect leader was currently piloting Inferno City, steering it towards that passage.
However,
As Inferno City entered the cave, the pressure it endured intensified. While it could freely fly and escape the Abyss Beasts' pursuit in the open void, its movement became restricted within the cave. Although the internal passages of the Lava Caverns were interconnected, they were still limited, allowing only movement along fixed routes.
With the Ninth Heaven Abyss Beast and numerous Eighth Heaven Abyss Beasts in pursuit, the entire cave shook continuously. Abyss Beasts emerged from all directions, relentlessly attacking Inferno City.
(End of Chapter)
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