The battle between the two sides was frenzied and brutal.
The Mother Cult’s side was clear—they aimed to ensure their forces remained within the red light for ten breaths to secure victory. Their primary focus was protecting the woman with the venomous tail, who hovered in the air within the red light, her cold gaze sweeping the surroundings. Her venomous tail lashed out unpredictably, striking with deadly precision.
She had already stood within the red light for over three breaths, and no one had managed to dislodge her.
“Whoosh!”
A Blood Serpent Spear materialized from the void, thrusting viciously toward the woman’s back. She didn’t even dodge, instead taking the strike head-on. The spear tip carried the aura of the Slaughter Dao, infused with the terrifying power of the Ten Thousand Demons True Body, piercing straight into her spine. With a dull thud, the woman merely staggered forward three steps, completely dispersing the impact. As for her injuries? Not even her skin was broken!
Dongbo Xueying flickered in and out of the void, his eyes filled with urgency. “This female Saint Guardian’s defense is absurdly strong. I can’t even scratch her. The other two Guardians wouldn’t dare take a hit like that, but she does! And her ability to disperse force is incredible—my full-power strike only made her stumble three steps!”
Among all the Venerables, few surpassed him in offensive power.
The Great Commander of Purgatory and the Ascetic might have slightly stronger attacks, but their survivability was too weak. If they dared to approach, the three Saint Guardians could easily annihilate them together.
The Water Demon King and the White Monarch were somewhat lacking in raw power.
The Wuyu Emperor was also weaker in force, leaving only the Nirvana Emperor as the sole remaining powerhouse—but he had already been slain by the combined efforts of the three Saint Guardians.
“We’ve already won,” the venomous-tailed woman said coldly, standing firmly within the red light. The golden-furred ape and the staff-wielding giant flanked her, assisting their comrades. Though all three remained within the red light, they continued launching long-range attacks—the venomous tail lashed out repeatedly, the golden ape swung its massive palms, and the giant brandished his wooden staff.
Complete suppression!
“Kill!” The Water Demon King, Dongbo Xueying, and the White Monarch pressed forward, their attacks frenzied but increasingly futile.
“Are we really going to lose like this?” Dongbo Xueying watched as the three Saint Guardians stood unshaken within the red light, surrounded by their elite forces, while their own side had already lost over half their combat strength with no hope of victory in sight.
…
Time passed, and the cultivator Venerables grew increasingly desperate.
“You cannot win!”
Finally, with a furious roar, the Nirvana Emperor reappeared, teleported back with the help of the North Profound Palace Master. At this moment, the Nirvana Emperor let out a thunderous cry—his entire body dissolved into a black, flowing sludge. His life aura vanished, his karma disappeared, and the surging black sludge surged straight toward the venomous-tailed woman. The golden ape and the staff-wielding giant were stunned.
“Since when did the Nirvana Emperor have such a technique? Is this the secret of his immortality?” the golden ape and the giant wondered.
Among the Venerables, the strongest—such as the former Qing Jun, the Nirvana Emperor, Wuyu, the White Monarch, and the Water Demon King—all possessed the ability to survive against a Paragon.
Unlike Qing Jun and Wuyu, who relied on their own insights into the Dao, the Nirvana Emperor’s survival hinged on the mystery of his true body. Once hidden, no one could find it. He always fought with avatars while his true form remained concealed.
His ability to hide his true body stemmed from an ancient death-filled universe he once entered. There, he obtained a strange treasure that allowed his body to merge with it, transforming into black sludge—erasing his aura and karma. The black sludge also possessed incredible resilience. This was the Nirvana Emperor’s ultimate trump card, the reason he never bowed to any Paragon.
Now, with no retreat and the battle at its climax, he had finally brought this treasure into the fray with his avatar.
“Kill!” The golden ape’s eyes blazed with golden light—he couldn’t use this ability many more times, but he had no choice now.
“Whoosh—” The staff-wielding giant exhaled a torrent of dense water, crashing against the black sludge.
The venomous-tailed woman remained aloft, not rushing to attack—the emerald crystal in her forehead had shrunk considerably.
Despite their assaults, the black sludge surged forward relentlessly. The golden beams pierced through it, yet the sludge continued its advance. The heavy water currents scattered parts of the sludge, but they quickly reformed, charging unstoppably toward the venomous-tailed woman. In an instant, the sludge coalesced into the figure of the Nirvana Emperor.
With a swing of his staff, the Nirvana Emperor struck with profound technique. Though the woman defended desperately, the staff smashed into her chest.
“Boom—” She was sent flying backward.
The Nirvana Emperor’s attack was far more ferocious than Dongbo Xueying’s.
At this moment, the emerald crystal in her forehead finally flared as she struggled to halt her momentum. Simultaneously, her venomous tail lashed out, coiling around the golden ape nearby. The ape seized the tail, using it to anchor herself and stop her flight.
“Bang!” Yet another unpredictable strike came.
Though the golden ape and the giant tried to block, the Nirvana Emperor—now a formless black sludge—was unstoppable. Another blow landed on the woman, finally forcing her out of the red light.
“If we don’t kill him, we can’t win,” the venomous-tailed woman shrieked.
The golden ape, the giant, and the other Mother Cult Guardians panicked.
“Kill him!”
The order came from the Mother Cult’s leaders, who had been observing the battle all along.
The venomous-tailed woman hesitated no longer. With a flip of her hand, a strange shuttle-like weapon appeared before her, covered in intricate patterns and exuding an aura of dark destruction. Gripping the massive shuttle, she seemed to go mad as an invisible force enveloped the Nirvana Emperor.
Once trapped, the surrounding space was completely sealed.
Dongbo Xueying, the Demon Phoenix, and the others paled—they could sense that teleportation was impossible within that zone.
“Retreat!” The Wuyu Emperor, who had been shadowing the Nirvana Emperor, roared as he charged forward to shield him.
The Nirvana Emperor immediately dispersed into countless streams of black sludge, fleeing in all directions.
“Useless!” The venomous-tailed woman’s eyes gleamed coldly.
“Boom—”
The shuttle erupted with countless purple sparks, forming a vast pillar of light that first struck the Wuyu Emperor. Though his body was resilient and brimming with vitality, it rapidly disintegrated. He sighed inwardly—back in the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel, this very weapon had annihilated his soul. Only his mastery of the Dao had saved him then.
“Boom! Boom! Boom—” The purple light then targeted the fleeing black sludge, the beams splitting apart to ensnare every last tendril.
Within the sludge, the faint visage of the Nirvana Emperor appeared.
He, too, sighed silently.
He had known…
Using this treasure would greatly enhance his survivability, but even the Wuyu Emperor had been utterly annihilated by the Mother Cult. Could he withstand it? For the survival of his people, he had brought this treasure into battle.
“As expected… I can’t hold on. I knew it would end like this.” The Nirvana Emperor’s thoughts were calm as the countless streams of black sludge rapidly disintegrated under the purple light’s relentless assault.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage