In a detailed quest to comprehend Yi Xin's methods, Yu Ci resorted to seeking over a dozen monks, projecting his divine consciousness through starlight, enduring the dizziness of multiple viewpoints for comparative analysis. However, Yi Xin's methods remained elusive. Instead, he discovered that among the monks of the Pure Water Sect, the fragmentary divine soul of Monk Zheng Yan was peculiarly distinct.
Apart from Zheng Yan, the divine soul structures of the other monks were clearly within the normal range, including that of the fellow Nature-Connecting Cultivator. Yu Ci scratched his head, perhaps he should have conducted a more meticulous investigation, but unfortunately, it was not the time.
At this moment, the implanted starlight delved further into the depths of Zheng Yan's divine soul. Given the current pace, perhaps in another eight to ten days, he would be able to probe the deeper consciousness of Zheng Yan. After a thorough scan within, confirming no other changes, Yu Ci was ready to withdraw. However, at this moment, under the illumination of the starlight, in the quiet depths of the divine soul sealed off, a stream of thought seemed to flow like a babbling brook in a deep valley.
Yu Ci withdrew his consciousness, only to find Zheng Yan still unconscious, with no signs of pretense - could he be dreaming?
The situation outside did not allow Yu Ci to continue his contemplation.
Suddenly, a commotion arose among the surrounding cultivators. Turning to look, Yu Ci saw on the distant wilderness, black flames surging, transforming into a translucent fire cloud in the night sky. The fire cloud rolled and expanded, threatening to engulf everyone beneath it.
People could clearly see, within the gaps, besides the deep-colored flames, a more dazzling golden light seeped out. Initially, it was sparse like grains of sand, but it soon coalesced into a sheet of blinding light. The stark contrast created a grand visual impact, striking directly at the hearts of the onlookers.
It was clear that Monk Yi Xin had amplified his aura; his presence filled the space between heaven and earth, making it difficult for Yu Ci to breathe. The golden light from the fire cloud made him feel as if he was under the indifferent gaze of Yi Xin, making him uncomfortable all over.
"Why is He Qing allowing Monk to gather his strength... What on earth is she doing?!" Yu Ci couldn't help but complain. Of course, with Gan Shi Zhen right beside him, it was merely a silent grumble.
However, perhaps his resentment was too strong. Under the golden light of the fire cloud, the previously inactive He Qing suddenly let out a long howl, and the Curse Sound erupted, launching the most vigorous counterattack since the start of the battle.
There was a "clang" sound, as if someone was brandishing a sword, but the sound was much heavier. As the sound wave entered his ears, Yu Ci felt as if there was an enormous sword, defying all norms, swinging in the sky above the clouds, the blade cutting through the wind, stirring up a storm that spanned hundreds of miles.
The fire cloud in the sky suddenly shook, and a large gap that stretched over ten miles was torn open in the thick cloud layer. The golden light poured down, but it quickly distorted under the impact of the Curse Sound. One tear in the cloud was not enough, parallel to the first, several miles apart, the fire cloud split again. This time, the golden light that leaked from the cloud was even scattered!
The howling sounds of the two consecutive strikes compressed together, thunderous. However, the third strike was imminent, the high-pitched howling sound turned sharp, the aftermath swept down, even scraping people's eardrums!
Unsurprisingly, the fire cloud split for the third time. The huge "wound" could no longer close, and the cloud gas between the three cracks was even more scattered like cotton. The golden light within it was even more dimmed.
"Wielding the sword through curse magic, Aunt Qing's signature move, Three Breaks of Cloud Peak, is as good as it gets, even for the first-rate sword cultivators!"
Gan Shi Zhen whispered in admiration. But her brows furrowed soon after, for from the depths of the split clouds, a piercing golden light poured down like water from a high gorge, rapidly filling the fissure. The light was even more intense than before, illuminating dozens of miles around as bright as day. The residents of Cliff City were in for another restless night.
Accompanying the golden light was a surging wave of energy and an impending pressure that instantly forced all Golden Elixir cultivators controlling instruments to fly in the sky back to the ground. There was a loud crash, and several buildings in the temple that had just escaped destruction were flattened. Not just the temple, but even the houses further away suffered the same fate. In just one wave, countless people were killed in a state of confusion.
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Yu Ci heard Gan Shi Zhen sigh softly, "Such a battle should be taken to the sky..."
Her words abruptly cut off. At this moment, everyone below saw a vague shadow under the golden light from the cloud fissure, which quickly grew larger and clearer.
Then, flames ignited in the golden light, and several slender shadows stretched and twisted in the fiery glow, resembling arms.
Upon closer inspection, the outlines of the head and body were evident. But the size was rather large - ten feet? Thirty feet? A hundred feet? Or even larger?
Due to distance and lighting, it was hard for people on the ground to gauge the exact size. However, the shadow became clearer and clearer. Yu Ci saw that it had as many as eight long arms, some spread wide, some forming seals, some holding Dharma wheels, and others wielding Vajra Scepters, surrounding the body. The expression was fierce and angry, and a Skull Crown adorned the enormous head. Under the fiery golden light, three dark shadows were visible.
These were three eyes, their divine light creating an effect of three black holes against the fiery golden light. Yet, substantial ripples were emanating from them, filling the space between heaven and earth.
"Golden Body of Amritakundalin... Yi Xin can actually condense into a Golden Body!"
With a "clang," Gan Shi Zhen's short sword was unsheathed. Her lips tightened unconsciously, and her beautiful face finally took on a so-called "stern" look.
Yu Ci shivered several times. This had nothing to do with courage but was an instinctive reaction of the body and mind under the insurmountable gap in rank. But his reaction was only so far. After being baptized in the memory zone "Iceberg," Yu Ci had developed a strong resistance to such spiritual pressure. He was capable of this, but others were not. Looking around, he was the only Nature-Connecting Cultivator who could still stand. The Golden Elixir cultivators also looked far from good.
"Retreat!"
This was the second time Gan Shi Zhen had said something similar. She pointed her sword in a direction, roughly forming an angle with the distant battlefield. Yu Ci knew it wasn't the time to play the hero. He agreed immediately, letting Shi Song lead the others as directed, while he bent down to pick up Monk Zheng Yan, preparing to retreat. But then he saw that Gan Shi Zhen had no intention of moving and asked in surprise:
"Master Gan?"
"I will stay here. Aunt Qing is fully engaged with the enemy, unable to split her forces from the Law Sky Prison..."
The delicate female cultivator spoke softly, leaving no room for debate. Yu Ci, taken aback, quickly realized what she meant. He turned his head to see the ruins of the Treasure Yan Tower, where the Phantom Demon Golden Tower, once firmly locked by the robust Primordial Qi, and the grey fog it emitted, had sprung back to life. The outer layer of the Yuan Qi Fortress was being eroded layer by layer, appearing on the brink of collapse at any moment.
Yu Ci drew a sharp breath, having not anticipated the chain reaction on this end. If the Yuan Qi Fortress were to be destroyed and the "Three Thousand Yin Demons" dispersed, the million residents of Cliff City would face unimaginable terror...
In the rush of the moment, before he could devise a plan, Gan Shi Zhen suddenly sensed something. She looked up, her face instantly drained of color.
Yu Ci was a step too slow. Just as he turned his head, he was abruptly pulled into an embrace. With a powerful force, he and Monk Zheng Yan were whisked away, covering dozens of feet in the blink of an eye.
As they retreated, Yu Ci had a clear view of the situation where they had just been standing.
A beam of golden light, a pillar as thick as ten feet and reaching the clouds, transformed into a giant handprint that descended silently. In an instant, the ruins of the Treasure Yan Tower, the surrounding courtyards, the nearby halls, the sealed underground palace, and of course, the floating Yuan Qi Fortress, were reduced to ashes. Then came the towering shockwave, turning the ground into a soup of rubble and dust. The shockwaves made the ground undulate like waves, with a height difference of over ten feet near the center!
The nearby cultivators who had not yet fled were blown away like tumbling gourds. Some unlucky ones were swallowed by the shockwave, leaving no trace behind. In the rush of time, less than one in ten unconscious monks near the ruins of the Treasure Yan Tower were rescued. But compared to the subsequent shockwave, this was a mere trifle!
The wave-like shockwave extended to ten miles away, and the powerful aftershocks reached a hundred miles—it was an earthquake! A city-wide earthquake! Cliff City shook violently, with half of the hundreds of thousands of residential buildings collapsing instantly. The rest trembled in the aftershocks, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Including Yu Ci, everyone was dumbfounded. The rumbling sound of the earthquake drowned out everything else, yet people seemed to hear the rising wails from the city. Even from miles away, one could smell a strong scent of blood.
"You bastard!" Yu Ci cursed, but his words were swept away by the gusty wind before they could fully leave his mouth. Moreover, he didn't even know who he was cursing at.
"It's coming!"
The faint voice cut through the wind and reached his ears. Yu Ci turned his head in surprise, only to see Gan Shi Zhen's expression as calm as one could imagine. Only the furrowed lines on her brow betrayed her inner turmoil, as if they were carved by an axe.
"The Three Thousand Yin Demons are dispersing, along with the hundred thousand souls in the city. He's planning a massacre... I know who he is!"
As the major event comes to a close, truth and falsehood, reality and illusion... Why am I making this so complicated? Brothers and sisters, just remember that a moment's description may not be the truth.
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