Melee at Mount Cangwu

Amidst the boundless curtain of rain, an elder clad in black strode forward at an unhurried, leisurely pace from beyond the mountains. Gazing upon Mount Cangwu, with its towering peaks and three floating palaces, a strange gleam flickered in his eyes. "Cangwu, the demon phoenix, Primordial Monarch Qixia!" Just as he was about to step onto Mount Cangwu, a green-robed woman stepped coldly in his path. "This is the sacred land of the Feathered Tribe. Halt your steps!" The black-robed elder chuckled and shook his head. "A mere roost of fledglings dares style itself the sacred ground of the Feathered Tribe? Little girl, you ought to know that there is always someone greater, and a sky beyond the sky!" Qingshuang’s expression remained frostily detached. "I know full well there is a sky beyond the sky, and greater beings beyond mortals. But here, you are the outsider. As a human Soul Transformation grandmaster, how dare you venture deep into the Barren Mountains? Do you intend to openly tear up the ancient covenant?" The black-robed elder merely smiled without answering. His nonchalant silence caused a ripple of unease to break across Qingshuang’s cold face. Was he tacitly acknowledging it? In that brief split second of distraction, the elder abruptly reached out a hand toward Qingshuang. The instant his hand extended, wind and clouds churned across several thousand li. The curtain of rain swept backward as a colossal hand that propped up the sky rumbled into existence, slowly reaching out to clutch at Qingshuang. Its movement appeared sluggish. Qingshuang sneered. A faint ripple distorted the space before her. She took a stride forward, intending to execute her spatial secret technique, So Close Yet Worlds Apart. Yet in the very next instant! Bang! Her entire figure was blasted backward instead. It failed! How could that be? Utterly appalled, Qingshuang swept her gaze across her surroundings, yet the air was clearly empty. *No!* *It's the water vapor!* *The snow that fell for months melted into a dense water vapor that not even the grand array could easily disperse. This water vapor is clearly under his control, and its omnipresence has disrupted my spatial technique!* *A Soul Transformation grandmaster who has comprehended the Law of Water!* In just a breath, with her exceptional combat genius, Qingshuang deduced why her innate spatial talent had failed to activate. And at that very moment, the ponderous giant hand had arrived right before her eyes without her even realizing it. Seemingly slow, yet deceptively swift—like water wearing away stone! Buzz! The colossal hand snapped shut. A look of satisfaction surfaced on the black-robed elder’s face. "Tearing up the covenant was inevitable. The war between humans and demons that halted in ancient times has reached the moment of its resumption. At a time like this, a late Nascent Soul existence like you, who has awakened an innate bloodline talent—and the most formidable, enigmatic spatial talent at that—truly counts as an unforeseen variable. "Allow this old man to personally inaugurate this great war between humans and demons for the cultivation world of the Eastern Desolation!" As he spoke, he prepared to channel his divine sense and crush Qingshuang to death on the spot. In the void, the colossal hand gradually condensed into a single transparent water droplet. Trapped inside was a graceful silhouette, perfectly preserved like an insect in amber. Yet! In the next instant! Boom! The water droplet, compressed to its absolute limit, detonated violently. Amidst the empty sky, a majestic silhouette hundreds of zhang long unfurled its wings. In that moment, a brilliant cyan radiance engulfed the heavens, as if the entire sky were sheltered beneath her magnificent form. A sharp, clear cry pierced the clouds and broke through the mist! The gloomy clouds that filled the sky instantly scattered to nothing. The boundless curtain of rain evaporated in a breath. Across the vast azure sky and sea of clouds, only the Qingluan's cry resounded without end. Seeing this, the black-robed elder blurted out in admiration, "What a magnificent Qing bird! You would make the perfect mountain-protecting divine beast for my Mingyuan Sect!" Even as he spoke, his palms struck out repeatedly. One surge of profound magic power after another, laced with an eerie power of law, encircled the splendid divine bird from all directions. Judging by his posture, his intent to kill had completely subsided, replaced by the desire to capture her alive. Facing this onslaught, Qingshuang, now in her true form, showed no fear whatsoever. Her wings beat in rapid succession, sending ripples of spatial vibrations through the air that continually neutralized the power of the laws. Seeing this, the black-robed elder grew even more eager. A Qingluan that had already unlocked spatial talents in the Nascent Soul stage possessed an utterly limitless future! If he could capture her alive, then regardless of how this war between humans and demons unfolded, his status in this realm would surely rank among the top five. And if he could help this Qingluan advance to the Soul Transformation stage, their combined strength would allow them to reign supreme across the entire realm! He cast a glance toward Mount Cangwu, where flocks of birds were gathering, and shouted over his shoulder. "Stop standing around and watching! While the master of this place has yet to return, raze Mount Cangwu to the ground at once. "Once this battle is over, I shall permit the three of you to cultivate in my Mingyuan Sect!" "We obey the Patriarch's decree!" Three voices rang out in unison. Immediately, three familiar silhouettes flew in from the distance. Glancing at the black-robed elder who was set on capturing the Qingluan alive, they tactfully shifted directions and charged straight into Mount Cangwu. Almost the moment the three stormed in, a shrill shriek erupted from within Duzhen Hall. "Damned humans!" A moment later, a woman dressed in a tight black gown with a voluptuous figure stepped out. Terrifyingly, however, atop her neck sat no fair countenance, but an ugly crow's head. "A feathered beast with a crow's head and a human's body—my Hehuan Sect would not deign to accept such an unsightly monstrosity!" Ancestor Hehuan laughed arrogantly. Youquan’s expression turned utterly hideous. Being forcibly interrupted at the most crucial juncture of her transformation had ignited a boundless fury in her chest! "I will slaughter you all!" Her piercing shriek rolled outward. The tremendous sonic attack caused the three late Nascent Soul cultivators’ faces to twitch. Not only that, but within Duzhen Hall, one powerful aura after another surged into the sky. At a glance, there were over a dozen presences comparable to Nascent Soul experts. Ancestor Hehuan’s expression shifted slightly. "End this quickly! Divide and conquer! Leave this crow to me; you two handle the rest!" He had certainly picked the easiest target! Monk Huiping of the Tianji Zen Sect nodded. Spreading his monastic robes, he swept several Nascent Soul avian demons into his sphere of combat. Meanwhile, Perfected Shenyuan of the Five Elements Divine Sect beamed with delight, charging straight into Duzhen Hall. From his purposeful stride, it was evident he had come with a specific goal in mind! Youquan glanced toward Perfected Shenyuan, her expression darkening as she transmitted her voice: "Leiyu, slaughter the prisoners in the dungeon first, then intercept the enemy!" As she spoke, she unfurled her body, reverting to her original black crow form. Her transformation into a human body had not been thorough, leaving it awkward and completely unsuited for battle. Inside Duzhen Hall, several silhouettes also lunged toward Perfected Shenyuan. In response, Perfected Shenyuan produced a small pagoda and stepped upon it. Distinct beams of multi-colored light shot forth from it. The demon beasts attempting to obstruct him struggled immensely against these rays of light. A late Nascent Soul grand cultivator was, after all, a grand cultivator! This was especially true for someone like Perfected Shenyuan, who cultivated all five elements without any shortcomings. When facing those of a lower cultivation realm, he was an overwhelming force unless they possessed extraordinary trump cards. Aside from relying on their innate demon arts to barely resist Perfected Shenyuan's techniques, none of the other methods used by the demon cultivators proved effective. In an instant, all the Tier 4 Nascent Soul demon beasts began reverting to their true forms to fight with everything they had. From the very start, the clash had escalated straight into a white-hot struggle. *** Ten thousand li away from Mount Cangwu. Three figures slowly faded into view. A man with an imposing, dignified aura gazed toward Mount Cangwu, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face. Behind him, one of his companions asked in a low voice, "Lord Ditian, according to our agreement, are we truly not going to aid them?" "Agreement?" Ditian slowly shook his head. "The agreement was only that Primordial Monarch Qixia of Mount Cangwu would aid me. There was never any mention of me aiding them." "However, they are fellow members of the demon race. Shouldn't we..." "For that, you should ask whether that woman, Qixia, ever considered herself part of the demon race in our Mountain Sea Realm." Ditian sneered, his eyes filled with grandiose ambition. Through this battle, he would first borrow the hands of the human grandmasters to wipe out Mount Cangwu, an unstable faction within the demon race. Then, using the external crisis as leverage, he would unite the demons across the Million Mountains of the Eastern Desolation under his sole dominion, riding the momentum to launch a war against the human race and reclaim all the territories lost by the Eastern Desolation's demon race over the past three thousand years. If he could even conquer the Mingyuan Sect, that would be all the better! By then, with the demon race of the Eastern Desolation occupying an entire continent and confronting the humans of the Central Plains across the Eastern Nether Abyss, he, Ditian, would become the first being in history to unify the Eastern Desolation! "Qinghe is weak and incompetent; Qixia appears and disappears without a trace; those ancient desolate beasts are ignorant and savage. Only I, Lord Pingshan Ditian, am the true, destined sovereign of the Eastern Desolation! "Qixia, is this pathetic display all that remains of the legacy you left behind?" *** Deep within the dungeon of Mount Cangwu. The turn of events had unfolded so suddenly that Luo Chen had completely failed to react in time. In the blink of an eye, the natal magic treasure he had only recently refined had been snatched away. The connection in his mind was still intact, but no matter how he channeled his intent, the Hunyuan Cauldron showed no response. As Luo Chen's face darkened, Tianyezi remarked leisurely, "All my possessions were looted by the demons of Mount Cangwu. This magic treasure of yours is quite decent, and having forged it with my own hands, it serves perfectly for my temporary use." As he spoke, he exchanged a glance with Han Zhan. Sharing a tacit understanding, the two flew toward the dungeon's exit simultaneously. Just as they reached the grand gateway of the dungeon, Tianyezi's expression changed drastically. "Fall back!" "Fall back immediately!" Yet it was already too late. A burst of berserk power suddenly exploded. A sea of blinding white lightning completely illuminated the dark dungeon. Thud! Thud! Two heavy thuds sounded in quick succession, followed by the slow entrance of an extraordinarily burly man who looked like a god of thunder. "I have long heard of the despicableness of the human race. "Today, with me, Leiyu, guarding this dungeon, the two of you... may die!" He clenched his fist, and violent bolts of lightning crackled and popped deafeningly. Amidst this rampage of power, Han Zhan—who had no physical body to shield him and was reduced to a mere Nascent Soul—took the brunt of the strike. "Ah... Fellow Daoist, save me!" Yet Tianyezi could barely protect himself, let alone spare any strength to save him. The bloodcurdling screams gradually weakened before fading entirely into nothingness. In a single blow! Han Zhan, who had been barely clinging to life moments before and was once a renowned Supreme Elder of the Luoyun Sect in the Jade Cauldron Domain, vanished like smoke into the boundless sea of thunder. Having landed his blow, Leiyu showed no sign of gloating, nor did he pause for a breath. Surging forward, he crossed hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, throwing a punch straight at Tianyezi. Tianyezi's eyes nearly tore open with fury as he maneuvered the Hunyuan Cauldron to block. Clang! A deafening crash rang out. The plump, round Hunyuan Cauldron was sent hurtling backward. Tianyezi himself was jolted by the backlash, his face flushing crimson. "In the end, it is not a treasure I personally refined and nurtured; manipulating it is simply too clumsy!" He roared fiercely, using the Hunyuan Cauldron to head-on withstand several more strikes from Leiyu. Once the cauldron was knocked flying away, he disregarded it entirely. Cloaking his fists in wind and thunder, he lunged forward to close the distance. He actually intended to rely on the power of his physique to engage in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat against a mid-stage Nascent Soul Demon Sovereign! The moment they clashed, countless fist shadows erupted in the blink of an eye. Under his relentless barrage, Leiyu was unexpectedly suppressed for a time, forced backward step by step. "Do not look down on me! Even your Lady Qingshuang had to look upon my physical strength with respect! "If you know what's good for you, clear the path and let me out! "Get out of my way!" Locked in close combat, Tianyezi roared continuously, devoid of any demeanor befitting an accomplished master. Under his ferocious suppression, Leiyu was battered all over, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood. Boom! With another brutal exchange of blows, both figures were forced back by the counter-force. Yet Leiyu's burly figure remained firmly planted across the exit. The surrounding cells, forged from an unknown material, showed no damage whatsoever aside from a few slightly bent bars. Tianyezi panted heavily, glaring at Leiyu with furious eyes. "If you still refuse to move, you will die on the next strike!" Leiyu grinned sinisterly and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "A skeleton in a tomb dares utter such arrogant drivel!" As he spoke, he took a deep breath, his abdomen swelling abruptly. In the next instant, he snapped his mouth open wide. "Roar!" A voice so tremendous it sounded like a detonating thunderclap instantly filled the entire prison. Demon Art—Resounding Thunder Roar! Amidst this violent, thundering roar, even Tianyezi, who had braced himself, could not help but shudder violently. Yet just as his mind was shaken, a sense of imminent doom snapped him back to his senses. The power of wind and lightning exploded outward from the Nascent Soul within his body. However, everything was already too late. A hand plunged savagely into his qi sea, clamping down tightly on his battered, crumbling Nascent Soul. Tianyezi stared at Leiyu with bitter defiance. "If... if not for having so much of my Nascent Soul's essence drained beforehand, and lacking my natal magic treasure to aid me, how could you ever have defeated me?" Leiyu smiled ruthlessly. "You can tell that to King Yama down in the Netherworld!" Immediately, lightning blazed brilliantly from his hand, crushing Tianyezi's Nascent Soul to pieces. Having personally obliterated a generation's Nascent Soul powerhouse, Leiyu let out a breath of relief. Casually shoving aside Tianyezi's aged, decaying corpse, his gaze suddenly locked on a figure, and he let out a surprised murmur. "Eh? You're still alive?" In the deepest corner of the dungeon, Luo Chen was trembling all over, his face pale. His lips quivered as he stammered, "Junior... Junior's soul is somewhat resilient, and Senior's attack was not focused on me, so I barely managed..." Leiyu frowned. Although he had deliberately constrained the area of effect to concentrate his power, the Resounding Thunder Roar was still an area-of-effect killing technique. With barely a few li between them, this mere Golden Core cultivator had somehow survived. *Earlier, Tianyezi was only dazed for a single instant. Could it be that because I haven't fought in so long, my demon arts have grown rusty?* As thoughts spun through his mind, his gaze fell on Luo Chen, growing increasingly unfriendly. The order he had received was to slaughter every single prisoner in the dungeon! Under that hostile glare, Luo Chen shouted in panic, "You cannot kill me! I am valued by Hall Master Youquan! She bestowed upon me a Tier 3 peak-grade cave dwelling and helped me cultivate the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture! You cannot kill me! "Right, there are also Transformation Pills! That is the key to Mount Cangwu's rise! If you kill me, no one will refine pills for you!" The Leiyu Divine Peng furrowed his brow, the killing intent in his heart subsiding slightly. In the next instant, his eyes narrowed. He beckoned with his hand toward Luo Chen. "Fine. I will spare your life. But hide in this dungeon for now and do not go outside." Holding a stalk of thousand-year thunder essence that Luo Chen had produced at the opportune moment, a satisfied expression appeared on his face. "It is utter chaos out there. Look after yourself." With that, he turned and walked toward the upper levels of the dungeon. As he walked, he reached behind his back. With a series of crackles, a whip-like weapon was extracted from his spine. Tianyezi? Heh! You were not at your peak, but did I use my full strength either? With this Thunder Whip in hand, Leiyu would dare battle even a late Nascent Soul grand cultivator! The Leiyu Divine Peng, inheritor of the ancient desolate beast Thunder Peng's bloodline, was inherently among the most combative of demons! He had heard that a late Nascent Soul human cultivator had charged inside. Killing him would be the perfect way to cement his position as Mount Cangwu's fourth-in-command! And after he departed... The panicked, pale-faced Luo Chen slowly stood up from the corner. His expression was calm and collected, devoid of the slightest trace of his earlier cowardice. Flipping his wrist, a battered little black wooden figurine appeared in his palm. "Senior Han, this feigned-death art of yours is truly profound!"