The greenish-blue halo that emerged from Yu Ci's sleeve was, for the moment, witnessed only by the Heavy Weapon Sect Leader.
Yet, at the same time, at the source of the Boundary River, which had been grotesquely eroded by the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, another moon ascended, a spectacle that none could ignore. The moon shone like a resplendent silver plate, its halo faint, outshining the stars and cleansing the chaotic heavens and earth with its pure light, significantly fading the sinister red hues.
The Great Brahma Demon King was truly taken aback.
Rewinding time, it had been in a position of assured victory.
The Heavy Weapon Sect Leader had forced Yu Ci to wield the Xuan Huang Killing Sword, and regardless of the outcome, the Black Magic Altar had absorbed sufficient nourishment. It had transformed this energy into a force capable of shattering the barriers between worlds. With the blood tide slapping the heavens, the Altar could even siphon some essence to send back to the Skyless Scorched Purgatory, providing a modest supplement to its true form.
If things continued in this vein, it would take but a few breaths for the barriers between worlds to crumble, the collapse of the Spatial Structure to instantaneously level a radius of tens of thousands of miles, annihilating all living beings within, including the projections of its allies. Only its Separate Consciousness and Thoughts, housed within Yuan Dao's Physical Body, would escape unscathed. Then, the aura of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion would burst forth and spread throughout this realm. Wherever it reached, it would violently clash with the Primordial Qi of this world. This process was akin to reshaping the heavens and earth—rivers rerouted, mountains shifted, living beings either transformed or mutated, with the impact extending billions of miles until a new equilibrium was established with the "True Realm."
By then, the Skyless Scorched Purgatory would have a foothold in this realm. Through this buffer zone, its power could probe this world with minimal loss, much like the Rakshasa Ghost King, who had condensed a True Realm Incarnation, cultivated followers, and laid a solid foundation for a critical breakthrough.
For this purpose, it had even allocated more of its energy to the Separate Consciousness and Thoughts of this realm. It should be noted that its true form was still locked in fierce battle with the Rakshasa Ghost King in the Skyless Scorched Purgatory. At their level, a clash within a small square could mobilize vast amounts of Primordial Qi. Any slight misstep could lead to a catastrophic collapse with destructive consequences.
The situation in the Skyless Scorched Purgatory was already tense, but the Great Brahma Demon King believed the risk was worth it. It was confident that within a few breaths, it could shatter the spatial barrier, after which the natural changes of the universe would proceed without its intervention. It could then calmly return to focus its full might on the battle with the Rakshasa.
The calculations were sound, but in an instant, it caught sight of the lingering smile from Qu Wu's Thunderbolt Tribulation.
The Bright Moon Soaring, illuminating heaven and earth.
The crowd was momentarily stunned, but within the heart of the Great Brahma Demon King, it felt as though a nail was being brutally hammered in, threatening to burst his heart.
"Not good!"
To the others, the arrival of the Moonlight Glow was enigmatic. Despite its immense power, the beginning and end were unclear, the information within too wondrous and cryptic. But in the eyes of the Great Brahma Demon King, what the Moonlight Glow revealed was the most straightforward declaration, an aura as familiar to him as any, second only to that of the Great Demon Lord.
"How can it be you?"
The projection of the Black Magic Altar continued to voraciously consume the tide of blood, transforming it into the power to break through boundaries. With less than three breaths' time left, it was a matter of gritting one's teeth and making a desperate attempt. However, the Great Brahma Demon King was filled with a cold dread. Under the Moonlight Glow, the lingering shadows revealed too much, burdening him beyond endurance.
He had seen too many fall at the final step. At his level, the courage to gamble was not a necessity; calculation was the fundamental principle. Just one step away... it sounded hopeful, but this single step was the insurmountable chasm that could never be crossed!
At the source of the Boundary River, the Great Brahma Demon King realized one thing: there was no chance left!
On the foundation of precise calculations, the second essential trait to form was decisiveness. Under the deluge of moonlight, he abandoned everything, seeking to sever the connection and return to the Skyless Scorched Purgatory.
But as the moonlight shone down, thousands of invisible threads appeared in the void, like a spider's web unfurled, catching that slight connection within its weave. A power immensely familiar to him surged from the flowing moonlight, locking the link between his Separate Consciousness and Thoughts and his true self through the "spider's web."
Not even allowing him to leave? Boundless, you have wronged me too much!
The Great Brahma Demon King's first attempt was thwarted, and he immediately let out a fierce howl. Yuan Dao's Physical Body soared into the air, leaping towards the collapsing center of the space ahead, plunging into the flames of the Crimson Fire Demon Flame. He sought to use the power of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion to forcibly break the confinement.
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At this moment, he had declared his own defeat, but there was something he couldn't understand: "Why are you siding with Qu Tribulation-Free'? And yes, there's also the Rakshasa Ghost King. Could it be that everything before the Five Thunderbolt Tribulations was your conspiracy? No... Impossible!"
How could you deceive me momentarily, but how could you deceive me for a lifetime? Even in the eyes of the Great Brahma Demon King, an eternal and supreme demon, the time of the Five Thunderbolt Tribulations was not insignificant. If there were any conspiracies, how could he have been completely unaware for such a period?
The entanglement on his Separate Consciousness and Thoughts persisted, and the Great Brahma Demon King felt that too much time had been delayed. But it was precisely because of this prolonged contact that some things hidden at a deeper level gradually surfaced.
"This feeling of being mixed together, unable to distinguish the boundaries... Don't joke with me!"
The Great Brahma Demon King saw Qu Tribulation-Free's smile once again. Behind that almost non-existent shadow was the moon suspended in the night sky, their auras intertwined, indistinguishable from one another. "Seeing" this scene was like a thunderclap exploding in his mind, unlocking a most vital acupoint.
"The song is devoid of Thunderbolt Tribulation, you have seized it..."
In an instant, an irresistible force sealed its mouth. A tremendous sense of absurdity flooded its mind. The Great Brahma Demon King wanted to roar, to laugh, yet it could express nothing; only the mocking shades of ancient images painted its entire realm of thought.
Then came a sorrow that had not surfaced in a very long time.
So, you have already met your doom? Before the five Thunderbolt Tribulations, you had covertly instigated the Sword Immortal's western campaign, overturning the era of Sword Cultivation in one fell swoop. But after the five Thunderbolt Tribulations, retribution was swift, and someone had ousted you, taking over your nest... Thus, the collusion between the song devoid of Thunderbolt Tribulation and the Rakshasa Ghost King found its perfect explanation.
All was over!
Amidst these rapidly shifting thoughts, the Great Brahma Demon King had tried countless methods and exploited the instability of the Spatial Corridor, along with its familiarity with the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, to leap from place to place. Yet the moonlight's spider silk clung to it like a bone-burrowing maggot, relentless in pursuit. Everywhere it went, all void barriers dissolved before it, unable to block it in the slightest. No, it was even more unimpeded than in the Boundary River! It was as if the moonlight could draw energy from traversing the void.
"So adept at using it, you must have been at it for quite a while... But what's the point of dragging me along like this? Do you really think I would lose to that old hag, the Rakshasa, in the Skyless Scorched Purgatory?"
As the thought arose, the detestable voice of the Rakshasa Ghost King sounded: "I heard you once wanted to harvest my Origin Force? What goes around comes around, I suppose you wouldn't mind now!"
"Not good!"
The Great Brahma Demon King suddenly remembered the Rakshasa's notorious vindictiveness. The deeds it had done in the Sky Rift Valley, now exposed, how could they not invite retaliation?
For a demon of its caliber, the Origin Force must not fall into enemy hands at any cost, lest it sows the seeds of its own downfall. If its Separate Consciousness and Thoughts were to be locked and the Origin Force extracted, that would truly be the end of everything!
"Alright, alright... I concede to you, song devoid of Thunderbolt Tribulation!"
With a pained howl, the Skyless Scorched Purgatory trembled, the landscape of a million miles shifted, countless living beings perished or were wounded. But at that moment, the Great Brahma Demon King forcefully severed a divine intent that had penetrated the Cultivation World and, without hesitation, catalyzed it, driving it into the physical body of Yuan Dao, upon another "tenant."
---
In the realm of the most formidable demons and deities, the Origin Force, a substance of immeasurable value, was infused. Such a move was not merely like water to parched earth for the Shadow Ghost, but akin to fierce flames upon oil. The inherent flaws of his foundation were instantly remedied. With the Thunderbolt Tribulation, he was no longer utterly powerless. Furthermore, with the Great Brahma Demon King's retreat, he regained control over Yuan Dao's Physical Body. His combat prowess, at least in this domain, had already reached unparalleled heights.
The Great Brahma Demon King bellowed with laughter as the Origin Force catalyzed and merged into the Shadow Ghost's body, immediately inducing a mutation. Even if the two beings of Divine Power were formidable, they could not reverse this change. Though this act cost the demon king a portion of his essence, an injury that would take a millennium or two to heal, it was still the best possible outcome.
"Now it's up to you. I'm off to lick my wounds!"
His laughter faded into the void, followed by a sigh. Despite being among the upper echelon, there were realms he was still unqualified to meddle with. The warning slap he had delivered resounded sharply.
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Impressive tactics! But are they worth it?
The situation had changed in an instant, and even someone of Yu Ci's caliber could not fully grasp the intricacies. Yet, the Heavy Weapon Sect Leader was different; she was qualified to be an observer. Although some critical details eluded her, piecing together the sequence of events was not beyond her abilities.
She and the Great Brahma Demon King were temporary allies with fundamentally different stances. They sighed over the same matter, but their motivations were vastly different. "A generation's sovereign, the Unparalleled Sword Immortal, knows the warmth and cold of gains and losses!"
And today, it ends!
Under the clear moonlit sky, the wheel of blue light in Yu Ci's hand was but a firefly's glow. Yet, resonating with the same source, its power had increased tenfold. The Heavy Armor he had prepared was already damaged, exposing the projection directly to the blue light. The intense suction force was irresistible even for the Heavy Weapon Sect Leader.
She let out a wry chuckle, not bothering to think further. On her Azure Sky Armor, layers of Rune Patterns lit up, flowing like water, activating some mechanism. In front of her, the blue light flared, but she disregarded it and, with a "swoosh," Starlight burst forth like a spear, flying towards a collapsing void in the distance.
The dual moons exerted their influence, causing the Starlight to wobble, but they could not alter its trajectory in the slightest. Until the starlight extinguished, dissipating like a wisp of smoke.
"Yu Ci, huh..." With that thought, her presence faded.
"Truly unyielding."
Yu Ci snorted, collapsing to the ground as the Xuan Huang Killing Sword fell beside him. The dense Bloodthirsty Qi had battered him to the brink of death. A moment longer, and he would likely become the next vengeful spirit slain by the Xuan Huang Killing Sword.
"I told you not to be ungrateful!"
As he muttered, he felt something amiss: "This mirror is getting too hot!"
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