Although specific word had not yet arrived from within the Three Sects, the high-level cultivators still settled everything in secret.
Led by Gu Yini and assisted by Ao Mingzhu, the Splendid Platform came to a halt where the three kingdoms of Qingqiu, Black Crow, and Yaksha converged.
In the areas around the Jiao People's Sea City, the Black Crow Nation's Wancheng, and the Yaksha Nation's Trident Bay, High-level Sky Demons had recently been suspected of infiltrating and slaughtering both humans and demons.
The shrimp soldiers and crab generals dispatched by Ao Mingzhu had ascertained that the slaughtering Great Demon was likely still lingering near the Sea Market.
To avoid alerting the enemy, only a handful of people were privy to this operation.
In an instant, the might of the Deity Transformation stage swept across the heavens and earth as streaks of spiritual light filled the sky!
“Buzz—”
Gu Yini was the first to cast a spell. Four streaks of golden light plunged into the black mist, firmly enclosing the convergence zone of the three kingdoms, connecting south to north and linking east to west, cutting off a corner of the Wuwang Sea and trapping it inside.
“Rumble...”
“Rumble—”
Within this stretch of sea filled with pervasive black mist, the ocean surface occupied by Sky Demons suddenly surged with hundred-meter waves. The inky water churned and roared as hundred-zhang spikes sprouted from the seabed in all four cardinal directions: east, south, west, and north!
Thick hundred-meter-wide earth spikes grew rapidly from the vast seafloor with fierce, violent momentum, fully forming in just the span of a cup of tea.
A few demon beasts and Sky Demons had no time to flee and were impaled straight through by the vicious stone brambles, crying out in agony!
Blood gushed forth, and Sky Demons perished in the blink of an eye.
Overturning mountains and seas—it was truly nothing less than this.
“Turning illusion into reality—what remarkable methods, Sect Master Gu!”
Gongshu He murmured in praise, unwilling to be outdone. With a subtle twitch of the sword scabbard at her waist, she pointed into the air, cleanly slaying the Sky Demons attempting to flee on the spot.
“Roar! Roar-aaagh!”
Sword light radiated in all directions, dazzling like shooting stars across the daytime sky as it fell.
Every Sky Demon targeted was reduced to ash amidst piercing shrieks.
Across the raging waves, sword light flashed with supreme sharpness.
As the black mist churned, High-level Sky Demons in this maritime area sensed something was amiss, immediately abandoning their kin to hide within the black mist and scatter in flight.
Yet Yun Tianming was seen hovering in midair, waving the whisk in his hand to transform it into a flurry of silver threads that linked the four earth spikes!
The ultra-fine silver threads danced through the air, appearing entirely harmless. But as they swept through the black mist, the soft threads suddenly revealed their bloody edge, turning into razor-sharp arrowheads that left behind shattered Sky Demon corpses wherever they passed.
“With all the seniors present, this junior cannot hold back either.”
Ao Mingzhu smiled faintly and transformed into an aqua-blue true dragon. Dragon whiskers fluttering, she wheeled and soared through the clouds as a silver treasure mirror like the moon orb beside her split into four beams of eerie cold light.
Moonlight cascaded down, piercing straight into the black mist.
Even across the surface of the Wuwang Sea, which was impenetrable to Deity Transformation divine senses, a path was forcibly torn open, reaching straight down to the inky water and landing atop the earth spikes.
The moonlight was tranquil and pure. The treasure mirror leisurely followed the true dragon’s flight, resembling a moon pearl frolicking with the colossal aqua-blue dragon.
The moment that dharma treasure appeared, everyone’s brows twitched heavily once more.
The mirror possessed an ancient, primitive design, radiating radiant light while secretly containing lunar power of unfathomable profundity.
With their discerning eyes, they could naturally tell that the “moonlight” cast by this mirror was none other than genuine lunar power.
The moon had been formed from Pangu’s right eye, which gave birth to True Lord Taiyin—the Goddess Wangshu—from whom lunar power originated.
Ordinary dharma treasures could only temporarily borrow the power of the sun or moon, but this treasure mirror directly transformed lunar power for its own use!
It did not look like an object of the Demon race at all.
It was said that the West Sea Dragon King doted on his youngest son. If the Dragon Palace possessed such a treasure, how could it ever have ended up in Ao Mingzhu’s hands?
If Ao Mingzhu had possessed such a treasure before, she would not have been ambushed by Sky Demons and plummeted severely wounded into the Wuwang Sea.
Could it be...
...it was bestowed by the person backing Ao Mingzhu again?
Their thoughts raced, but they asked no questions.
Before long, the remaining Sky Demons at the convergence of the three kingdoms were thoroughly eradicated.
“That demon is cunning. If it fled into the Wuwang Sea after slaughtering the city, we have no countermeasures for the time being. We can only purge the surrounding waters bit by bit to see if we can find a way to disperse the black mist of the Wuwang Sea.”
Only then did the blindfolded Hua Rusong step forward, tossing out countless talismans that landed on the earth spikes in all four directions:
“It is a pity Senior Sister Ningxue is not here. Otherwise, if she set up a heavenly net, that demon would certainly have nowhere to run.”
In the clouds, Ao Mingzhu secretly shook her head, descending along the moonlight to land upon the sea surface with a solemn expression.
The aquatic clan had not left the black mist unchecked without attempts to disperse it.
It was just that the black mist arrived so bizarrely; wherever it covered, not a blade of grass would grow. Not to mention aquatic demon beasts, even ordinary shrimp and crabs would slowly die out under the Black Mist Poison.
Even if they could kill the Sky Demons entrenched in this maritime area, as long as the black mist remained unpurged, new Sky Demons would sprout here again before long.
They were just like weeds: wildfire could not consume them all, and when the spring wind blew the following year, countless new shoots would sprout once more.
“The Sea Market Master need not lose heart. Heaven generates all things, mutually promoting and restraining one another. Though the Sky Demons come aggressively, there must be something that counters them.”
In the blink of an eye, Gu Yini appeared beside her, pink butterflies dancing in her hair as specks of scales drifted down.
With a single thought of a Deity Transformation expert traversing thousands of miles in an instant, the cultivators landed on the earth spikes in four directions, using Hua Rusong’s talismans for voice transmission.
Gu Yini and Ao Mingzhu firmly guarded the east side closest to the Wuwang Sea.
Gongshu He guarded the north with her sword, Hua Rusong and Yun Tianming remained in the south, while Mo Zhaoming and Heaven-Cripple Monk sat upon the Splendid Platform, guarding the west.
—Hua Rusong and Yun Tianming bickered whenever they met, yet with the former suffering backlash from divining heavenly secrets, the two actually managed to get along harmoniously for once.
Stationed at the earth spikes, they agreed upon the remaining details of the Four Directions Assembly trial.
The second demon-slaying trial was canceled and merged into the third round of trials. Divided into the “Heaven” and “Earth” boards, with the four earth spikes defining the boundary, they would purge the Sky Demons within the Wuwang Sea.
Most of the human cultivators participating in this trial were rogue cultivators.
However, for those three hundred Detoxification Pills, the high-level cultivators had secretly transmitted orders to their disciples stating that their respective sects—the Qingjing Sect, Wuwei Sect, and Hehuan Sect—must seize the top position in this Four Directions Assembly.
...
Setting aside how things were on the Dragon Girl’s end, over on Hua Rusong and Yun Tianming’s side, the two had always clashed tit for tat, quarreling like bitter rivals for many years.
Thrown together once more, their conversation naturally turned toward the person backing the Dragon Girl.
“I heard the Dragon Palace was wary of Ao Mingzhu’s growing power and intended for the Dragon Prince to take over the Sea Market. Earlier, they even sent a dragon-transformed Lord Jiao to probe her, only for him to be slain by Ao Mingzhu.”
With his eyes closed, Hua Rusong spoke in a relaxed tone:
“I wonder, when the West Sea changes hands in the future, if Ao Mingzhu will sit firmly upon the Dragon King's throne.”
The higher one’s cultivation, the more knowledge one naturally possessed.
The Heavenly Court had not issued edicts to enfeoff gods for three hundred years, nor had anyone been heard to ascend for a century.
Were it not for the regular rotation of the four seasons and the normal operation of the Underworld's cycle, the people of the Three Sects would have suspected something was amiss with the Heavenly Court and the Underworld.
Yun Tianming instinctively wanted to mock him, but seeing the miserable state of this old dog, he swallowed his words back down and spoke in an uncharacteristically gentle tone:
“Though you specialize in talismans, you cannot fool me. The 《Great Dao Deduction Record》 you cultivate is a supreme art of the Qingjing Sect. How could you—”
He was also exceptionally skilled in divination. He wondered...
Even if heavenly secrets were elusive and he could not divine them, could he not divine the identity of that mighty powerhouse behind the scenes?
“...You old monster, why are you speaking so strangely today?”
Hua Rusong turned his head slightly, as if seeing a ghost:
“This old man knows you always like to compete with me, but this time, you absolutely must not divine carelessly.”
His old friend's warning only made Yun Tianming all the more curious.
He felt as though his heart was being clawed at, itching to crack open Hua Rusong’s skull to see just what he had witnessed.
“It is hard to say. I only have a vague feeling that the person behind Ao Mingzhu must possess an extraordinary background.”
Hua Rusong strained his memory, faintly recalling that behind the Dragon Girl, he had seen a faint golden radiance.
A soft, gentle screen of brilliant golden light that seemed to embrace the starry river, utterly magnificent and vast.
The endless golden light stretched grand and boundless.
Merely catching a glimpse of a single corner, he was almost pulled entirely inside, sinking and drowning within it.
Its aura was magnificent, vast, and limitless.
Yet Hua Rusong, a half-step Deity Transformation expert, was as minuscule as a speck of dust before that golden radiance.
Facing that golden glow, he felt as if stripped naked, all his thoughts laid bare before that existence.
Attachment to the mortal world.
The yearning for immortality.
Benevolence toward younger generations.
Gratification toward fellow sect members.
And buried in the darkest corners, the deepest hidden negative emotions he had ever harbored.
Jealousy, resentment, agony, struggle.
It felt as though under such immense tolerance, all suffering could be smoothed away.
Just what kind of power was that?
Hua Rusong unconsciously sank into his memories, feeling a deep sense of lament.
If only he could divine it one more time...
The moment the thought arose, a stabbing pain tore through his eyes, and in the next second, two streams of blood gushed from the corners of his eyes!!
With his soul in agonizing pain, Hua Rusong’s face turned pale and gray. Collapsing sideways like a broken clay statue, he did not forget to spit at Yun Tianming:
“Screw your father! You thieving old Daoist!!! You set me up!”
Yun Tianming’s expression changed drastically. He hastily swept his sleeve to catch him, pouring spiritual power to smooth his meridians:
“Just what on earth did you try to divine?! How could the backlash be this severe?!”
Just who was the person backing Ao Mingzhu?!
Yet with this single stray thought from Yun Tianming, a sudden thunderclap erupted out of thin air above the clouds!
“Rumble—”
“Rumble—”
“Rumble—”
Beneath the clear azure sky, muffled thunder exploded.
The terrifying might of lightning rolled within the clouds as dozens of dark-purple heavenly bolts hung poised to strike, radiating immense oppressive dread.
Yun Tianming's face turned completely pale.
Even when he had shattered his core to form a Nascent Soul, he had never seen such a thunderous lightning tribulation!
Earlier, Hua Rusong had only suffered minor backlash.
Why had it escalated to a direct heavenly thunder warning when it was his turn?!
What virtue or ability did a mere Deity Transformation cultivator like him possess to be targeted by the Heavenly Dao?!
Just who was that figure behind the scenes?
Merely harboring a slight thought...
Perhaps that existence was a hundred, a thousand times more terrifying than they had imagined.
It was not a realm that Deity Transformation cultivators could touch.
...
Before the war with the Sky Demons had even formally begun, Hua Rusong, one of the main forces on this side, suffered heavy injuries yet again.
When he was transported back to the Sea Market by the Splendid Platform to recover from his injuries, Hua Rusong, eyes weeping blood, did not forget to unleash a barrage of curses at Yun Tianming:
“Yun Tianming, you *****, I’ll your ****!”
“Despicable and shameless! Lowly scoundrel! Treacherous and venomous! To think this old man thought you genuinely harbored good intentions!”
“Aren't you just holding a grudge because I snatched half a stalk of Life and Death Lotus from you in the secret realm back then, and later in the Three Sects Competition, beat you with talismans to claim a Foundation Establishment Pill—cough, cough, cough, cough—”
“Shameless bastard with a heart narrower than a needle! Petty-minded, lunatic maniac! Hypocritical, beast in human clothing—cough, cough, cough, cough...”
The dignified master of the Qingjing Sect's talisman lineage, a high-level half-step Deity Transformation cultivator, and patriarch of the cultivation Hua family, spat blood as he hurled relentless curses.
Meanwhile, Yun Tianming of the Wuwei Sect wore a strange expression, not uttering a single word.
In the end, Gongshu He simply could not bear the embarrassment any longer and flew over, striking Hua Rusong unconscious with the flat of her sword so Mo Zhaoming could safely transport him back to the Sea Market.
The scene was absolute chaos, a truly splendid spectacle.
In the end, if someone insisted on courting death, nobody could stop them.
Ao Mingzhu did not need to ask to deduce part of the truth.
Most likely, they had seen the treasure mirror she carried and harbored suspicions regarding her Master’s identity, thereby bringing about backlash.
Her gaze was melancholy, wishing only to sigh.
Another day of missing her Master.
When would she have the fortune to behold Master’s true appearance?
...
“Achoo!”
On the other side, standing in the Sea Market, Nan Zhi sneezed and unconsciously rubbed her nose.
Rumors always spread fast.
The news of Hua Rusong being sent back to the Sea Market spread like wildfire within three days.
Most people unaware of the inside story merely assumed that the Sky Demons were so aggressive that they could even wound a lineage master of the Qingjing Sect.
“What? Lineage Master Hua fought to the death against a Deity Transformation Sky Demon, was gravely wounded, and is on the verge of death?”
“Ah! Lineage Master Hua fought relentlessly against the Sky Demons and suffered heavy injuries to his lower body?! Why his lower body? The Sky Demons are actually this despicable!”
“—Did you hear? In the Wuwang Sea, Lineage Master Hua was captured by a Body Integration high-level Sky Demon and forced to betray the Qingjing Sect. Lineage Master Hua was unyielding as iron; only after days of torture was he rescued by Sect Master Gu!”
“They say that iron-boned Hua Rusong was imprisoned and toyed with for days by a high-level Sky Demon. A true man to the core, even with severe injuries to his lower half, he never sold out our human race!”
“Lineage Master Hua is truly an unyielding man of iron!”
“Admirable, truly admirable!”
“Hey hey hey, have you heard? Lineage Master Hua was captured by Sky Demons to be a male consort! When he was sent back, only half his was left. Luckily, Sect Master Gu was there and used Hehuan secret arts to forcibly reconstruct his body from that remaining half —”
“Lineage Master Hua is truly iron-boned!”
By the time Nan Zhi heard the rumors, they had completely distorted into something else.
Resting against Hongluo, she laughed uncontrollably for a full half-shichen.
...
Three days later, atop the two massive white jade coral stone walls at the entrance of the Sea Market, two boards—one gold and one silver—faintly projected countless densely packed names.
On the Heaven and Earth boards, the former listed mostly Golden Core cultivators, while the Earth Board consisted mostly of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
With a single glance, Nan Zhi could tell that the Three Sects seemed determined to claim those three hundred Detoxification Pills.
【Earth Board: Canzhi, Foundation Establishment Level 9, Qingjing Sect Demon Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 346】
【Earth Board: Meifu, Foundation Establishment Level 8, Qingjing Sect Demon Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 321】
【Earth Board: Xiang Lansheng, Foundation Establishment Level 6, Hehuan Sect Human Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 132】
【Earth Board: Great Black Yaksha, second-revolution demon core, Sea Market Demon Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 233】
【Earth Board: Zhuge Zheng, Foundation Establishment Level 7, Wuwei Sect Human Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 231】
【Earth Board: Chuyun Caixia, Foundation Establishment Level 3, Sea Market Immortal Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 218】
...
【Heaven Board: Ning Lingdang, third-revolution demon core, Wuwei Sect Demon Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 1682】
【Heaven Board: Meng Qianji, Golden Core Level 3, Qingjing Sect Human Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 1232】
【Heaven Board: Tushan Zilan, third-revolution demon core, Sea Market Demon Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 1635】
【Heaven Board: Shui Qianhuan, third-revolution demon core, Sea Market Demon Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 1432】
【Heaven Board: Bei Ke Yi Meng, Golden Core Level 6, Hehuan Sect Human Cultivator, Demon Slaying Merit: 1800】
The names of Tu Jiuxiao and Hai Ying were mingled among the thousands of entries, and the ordinary name “Ma Jiu” was also hidden within.
Treasure ships skimmed over the Sea Market as thousands of flying vessels soared, sailing respectively toward the border cities of the Yaksha, Black Crow, and Jiao People kingdoms.
Countless cultivators rushed toward the frontline of the Wuwang Sea to slay Sky Demons and etch their names onto the Heaven Board.
Among the young cultivators, who did not yearn to make a name for themselves and stand unmatched as a supreme prodigy?
They eagerly craved battle, hoping to break through their limits amidst repeated brushes between life and death.
Kill, kill, kill.
Will to fight surged sky-high as the Wuwang Sea boiled with fervor.
Rate on N.U.
