Due to the losses suffered in the first river battle, the rebel army had very few ships left, so only the most elite warriors were selected. The top three ranks focused on offense, with supreme experts either assisting or guarding the ships, while the lower three ranks led chosen cultivators skilled in acupoint-opening to set up formations and barriers to help protect the vessels. However, not even birds could fly across the raging river, and the riverbed was home to many terrifying monsters. If the ships were destroyed, the powerful experts attacking the altar would lose their retreat route and be trapped in a desperate situation!
With so many powerful individuals aboard, their combined qi and blood surged into the sky, forming vast war clouds, majestic and awe-inspiring.
After a long crossing, the altar came into view. Its lower portion was submerged in the river, seemingly connected to the riverbed, yet showed no signs of monster attacks. The portion above water was nearly nine stories high, colored dark yellow, and engraved with numerous patterns resembling eerie inscriptions or divine figures. These patterns radiated a faint, sacred light of vows, flowing along vein-like “networks” to the highest and most central point.
There sat Crown Prince Shen Yunqing cross-legged, holding the Emperor’s Blade, his eyes half-closed, exuding a terrifying aura, like a true sovereign destined to rule. Before him was the ninth level of the altar, only half a person high, forged entirely from various precious metals, golden in color, and inlaid with yellow talismans inscribed in blood.
Several Blood Sea Sect experts were busily setting up the ninth level of the altar, seemingly about to succeed in a moment!
“It’ll be ready in half a teacup’s time,” Qi Zhengyan, standing beside Du Huaishang and Meng Qi, said gravely. “Don’t kill too much; each death feeds the altar’s power, hastening its completion and linking Heaven and Earth.”
At this moment, the expert piloting the rebel army’s ship had masterfully navigated just beyond the enemy’s attack range by utilizing the interference of divine and demonic auras.
Du Huaishang’s expression was grim as he said solemnly, “We can’t delay any longer. Beat the drums and attack as planned!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The drumbeats shook the heavens, drowning out the roar of the Nu River. From the Zhenhai Army, Jiushan Army, Fudi Army, and Hai’er Army, several figures leaped out, splitting left and right as they stepped onto floating logs to assault both sides of the altar. On one side stood Marquis Wu Tonghou and General Kou Jin, while on the other stood General Dou Qing and Minister Liu Tui.
On the opposite side of the altar, teams of soldiers, guided by experts, were stationed at key strategic positions. They offered their blood essence and true essence to merge with the forbidden formation, erecting layers of blood-yellow, misty barriers around the altar. Thick with murderous intent, these defenses blocked the view of most onlookers.
Dugu Shi was clad in a brocade robe with a black cape, brandishing an eighteen-foot golden spear. Already towering in stature, he stood at the heart of the formation like the axis of heaven and earth, radiating an aura of majesty and grandeur.
Zhenren Wan Shi flicked out a long sword as calm as autumn waters, and with a sleeve wave, conjured numerous floating planks on the river. He dashed forth, stepping on the planks, and slashed his sword from afar toward Dugu Shi!
The sword radiance cleaved the river waters, exposing the abyss beneath and the restless monsters lurking within. Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei, Qi Zhengyan, and Du Huaishang followed closely behind, while Ruan Yushu remained aboard the warship, amplifying the range of her zither with “Thousand-Mile Killing Sound” to provide long-range support. Zhao Heng and Hu Zhigao stood guard nearby, intercepting any sudden assaults from imperial experts.
Without employing the Heaven-Reflecting Earth technique, Dugu Shi resembled a deity upholding the heavens as he advanced within the altar. His golden spear trembled violently, each oscillation blossoming into a spear-flower, every petal intricately linked to the shifting Yin and Yang of the formation. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and Meng Qi felt as though countless stars were cascading down, their luminous tails streaking across the void, completely engulfing them and obscuring both the altar and Dugu Shi himself.
With the support of the formation, he alone seemed capable of holding off everyone! Meng Qi couldn’t help but think. Such was the might of the “Emperor of Martial Arts,” and his spear technique truly lived up to its unmatched reputation!
With the assistance of other cultivators, the formation’s defenses, and the tower ships forming a pincer around the altar, Meng Qi doubted even a full day and night would be enough to break through.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Wan Shi, Jiang Zhiwei, and Qi Zhengyan each unleashed their sword techniques, manifesting a Milky Way of white rainbows, barely blocking Dugu Shi’s spear strike.
Just then, Du Huaishang, expressionless, raised the “Chengtian Sword,” channeling his aura, true yuan, and the very forces of heaven and earth into the blade.
He had chosen to activate the divine weapon right at the start of the battle!
Before the ninth level of the altar, Crown Prince Shen Yunqing, fully committed, hadn’t expected Du Huaishang to act so rashly and directly. By the time he tried to wield the Emperor’s Blade, it was already too late.
Had he truly abandoned all caution?
Left himself unprotected by his own Emperor’s Blade?
“Feng Tian Cheng Yun, Kou Han Tian Xian!”
A divine voice reverberated through the void. A golden sword radiance, blazing like flames, surged toward the altar—extinguishing all stars, splitting the vast river asunder, and sending the underwater creatures fleeing in terror!
Peng!
The sword energy repelled Dugu Shi, its shockwave overturning numerous boats. Yet it didn’t stop there, continuing to strike the blood-yellow forbidden barrier.
A tearing sound rang out as the formation shattered. The squads of soldiers and experts stationed at the pivotal points burst into bloody mist, seeping into the altar.
The formation hastily set up in two days was no match for a well-fortified camp—it was shattered in a single blow!
Du Huaishang’s face instantly turned pale, but taking advantage of the momentary chaos at the altar, he swallowed a spirit pill and swiftly restored his aura. Though temporarily unable to wield the divine weapon or unleash full-force attacks, he could still defend himself. Behind him emerged the image of a golden crow within the sun—with each punch, water evaporated and enemies melted away.
—After testing, Meng Qi found that the extra Dongji Changsheng Dan was sealed, just like the divine weapon’s core material, and couldn’t be given to Du Huaishang.
With the formation shattered, Dugu Shi’s pressure instantly eased, yet he remained standing like a celestial deity, his vigor undiminished, his gaze as sharp as ever, brimming with fighting spirit. He thrust his spear, transforming it into countless meteors that shot toward Qi Zhengyan.
Yes, his first chosen opponent was Qi Zhengyan, not Wan Shi. For reasons unknown, his mind, clear as a mirror, sensed this expressionless man as the most dangerous!
The meteors blazed, each indistinguishable from real falling stars, filled with explosive force and piercing power. A direct hit would leave no bones intact!
Before the attack arrived, the air pressure surged, blowing away and submerging floating planks, robbing Qi Zhengyan of space to maneuver.
Qi Zhengyan’s skin flushed slightly red, his eyes as deep and dark as the farthest reaches of the universe. With a sudden step forward, he exploded mid-air, using the shockwave to gracefully pivot in flight over the river where even birds dared not cross. His frost-tinged sword slashed nine times in succession, each strike precisely landing on the side of the spear-flower meteors, freezing them and redirecting their trajectory into the raging river below.
Pengpengpeng!
Massive waves erupted as Wan Shi charged forward, blocking Dugu Shi’s continuous spear shadows.
Qi Zhengyan sheathed his sword, then slowly drew it again, unleashing a towering wave that roared toward Dugu Shi. The surge carried nine mighty river waves, infused with the force of falling meteors.
Though a common technique from Dian Canghai, Qi Zhengyan skillfully utilized the residual force from Dugu Shi’s earlier strike, turning his opponent’s momentum against him from a macro perspective. The precision and depth of his plan made even Dugu Shi shudder.
Hualaa! The wave crashed over the altar as Qi Zhengyan and Wan Shi together fully engaged the first-tier expert Dugu Shi.
As the two supreme experts intercepted Du Huaishang, Jiang Zhiwei took the lead with Meng Qi close behind, swiftly bypassing the destroyed formation and charging toward the altar.
Despite the aftermath, the altar remained unscathed, even after Jiang Zhiwei’s full-force sword strike.
“It’s useless! The altar won’t fall unless the core is destroyed!” Shen Yunqing laughed from above. He hadn’t activated the Emperor’s Blade, believing only a significant target deserved such a divine strike.
Restricted by the altar’s inherent power, Jiang Zhiwei’s attack couldn’t reach far, so she leapt upward, attempting to scale the nine levels.
Suddenly, a sinister green blade flashed, unexpected and hard to guard against. If not for Jiang Zhiwei’s “Autumn Wind Unmoved, Cicada Foresees” ability, she would have been struck.
Her sword curved impossibly, blocking the strike. The collision’s force sent her retreating several steps.
Suddenly, eerie winds arose, swirling with countless skull-like green phantoms, turning the area into a sanctuary for vengeful spirits and demonic souls. Jiang Zhiwei not only struggled to absorb vital energy but even found it difficult to breathe.
Amidst the swirling green lights, Wen Jing flew forth, wielding a sinister green blade in a slashing strike.
Ding-ding-dang-dang! Jiang Zhiwei barely managed to block the strike after retreating three steps. Meanwhile, Meng Qi, who was trying to assist, suddenly felt wind-like ropes entangling his body, slowing his movements.
A supporter from the Daoist lineage? Meng Qi pondered, yet maintained his composure.
Then, the sound of the qin rang out like a distant bell, shaking the three realms, freezing the wind ropes and slowing Wen Jing.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Zhiwei turned defense into offense, unleashing the once-legendary “Ephemeral Reflection of a Swan.”
The sword light was pure, beautiful like the azure sky beyond the world, slowing time and thought. Wen Jing seemed able only to watch helplessly as the blade aimed for his forehead.
Wuwuwu!
The skull demon’s soul was connected to the abyss below, spewing forth green light and shattering the stillness. Wen Jing suddenly regained consciousness, drawing his sword to gather countless spirits into a single point, blocking Jiang Zhiwei’s attack.
“Hmph, let’s see how long the zither’s melody can hold out!” Wen Jing unleashed his blade technique, alternating between absorbing and slashing, enveloping both Jiang Zhiwei and Meng Qi in its range.
Just as they were engulfed, he suddenly sensed something amiss, his heart tightening.
Aboard the warship, Ruan Yushu played the qin, providing long-range support with her “Thousand-Mile” technique, while Zhao Heng and Hou Yue stood guard to protect her.
Yet, in a corner they overlooked, the void rippled, and a semi-transparent sword tip pierced toward Ruan Yushu’s dantian.
Dang!
A pristine white blade flashed, clashing against the sword’s tip. The impact was so fierce, the edge so keen, that a nick appeared on the sword’s point, and the nearly translucent assassin retreated into the void.
Meng Qi revealed himself, wielding the Zhanyu Blade, stepping forward for another strike!
If this foe wasn’t eliminated, the rear would remain unstable. Thus, from the start, only a clone joined the altar assault, while his true body transformed into a tiny insect, hiding in the folds of Ruan Yushu’s clothing.
Sharpening the axe doesn’t delay chopping wood!
The blade light dazzled, cleaving darkness, creating heaven and earth. So fast was the strike, the assassin barely managed a feeble defense.
Dang!
He was struck back once more. Meng Qi charged forward, delivering blow after blow, each strike capable of creating heaven and earth. Although these were self-created blade techniques at the External Scenery level—not Dharmakaya techniques—they were formidable yet less exhausting.
Dangdangdangdang!
After four strikes, without looking back, Meng Qi threw out floating planks, rushing toward the altar.
The assassin revealed himself, standing at the ship’s edge—it was Xu Wei’s “shadow.” Crack! Crack! Crack! His hands and feet fell, hitting the deck. Then from his forehead to abdomen, a deep gash split him in two, his treasure weapon shattering into pieces, clattering to the ground.
Only then did blood spurt, staining the deck red.
“Xu Qian was killed by a samsara cultivator from the opposing faction. Everyone loses 3,000 virtue points.”
Just as Wen Jing sensed something off about the strength of the “Origin” cultivator, the voice of the Six Realms’ Master rang in his ears. At the same time, he caught sight of a figure darting across the river, its blade shimmering with purple lightning and azure thunder.
“Villain, take my strike…” Suddenly, Meng Qi roared, slashing his blade as his body flew forward.
“Dao! Dao! Dao! Dao! Dao! Dao! Dao!” The sound pierced through the void, with consecutive waves exploding.
As the drawn-out sound reached Wen Jing’s ears, he saw the sky filled with purple lightning—each bolt a blade of light, each blade of light a thunderous giant descending from the heavens!
“Take my strike!”
The voice echoed, purple lightning struck down, scattering the demonic spirits!
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