Chapter 787: Counterattack

The Main Temple, which possessed power nearly equivalent to that of a Great Luo, had actually been breached so easily?

The only possibility was that the opponent was the very creator of this Main Temple, naturally leaving behind numerous backdoors for himself.

“No wonder the previous suppression and sealing were too effortless—it was all orchestrated by you!”

Wu Ming’s physical body remained rigid atop the Throne of Ten Thousand Realms, while the true-word mark above his head emitted violent fluctuations.

“Don’t bother trying to stall anymore. I have far more experience in advancing to the eighth level…”

The young man transformed from the colossal serpent curled his lips slightly upward. “Here, you have absolutely no room for resistance.”

As he spoke, endless waves of transcendent light descended, gathering around the Infinite Serpent, so thick and tangible that numerous authorities were instantly transferred, causing Wu Ming to feel as if he had lost control over the Main Temple.

“Are you the former master of the Main Temple?!”

Wu Ming asked solemnly.

“Depriving you of the final authority still requires a little time, and it will definitely be completed before you ascend to Great Luo. You already have no hope left…”

The Infinite Serpent was confident. “Before your demise, I can grant this small wish of yours. Indeed, I was the one who created this place!”

“So you had already perished…”

Wu Ming sighed softly.

If it was truly the original master, how could he possibly only possess seventh-level strength?

His original self must have already perished. Yet beings who had once achieved Great Luo were known for their incredibly tenacious vitality—given even the slightest opportunity, they could return to the world.

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you reclaim the Main Temple earlier, and why did you set up so many things in the Steampunk World?”

Wu Ming asked in confusion.

“Reclaiming the Main Temple? How easy could that be?”

The Infinite Serpent sighed as well. “Although it was my creation, it was shattered into fragments during my final battle and scattered across the universe. Thanks to you, it has now been gradually restored—this is merely returning it to its rightful owner.”

“As for those arrangements in the Steampunk World, you will soon find out!”

Facing the true-word mark above Wu Ming’s head, the Infinite Serpent’s eyes revealed unrestrained greed.

“My hidden trump card isn’t something just anyone can easily claim! Come forth!”

“Hmm?”

At this very moment, Wu Ming’s true-word mark fluctuated, and countless images emerged—clearly depicting the experiences of his various incarnations across different worlds.

In the Steampunk World, Steven suddenly underwent a transformation.

A faint colossal serpent quietly appeared behind him. Especially after inheriting several legacies, half of his face became blurred, bearing a striking resemblance to the current Infinite Serpent.

“The Main Temple itself isn’t that important. What I truly desire is everything you possess!”

The Infinite Serpent radiated black mist, thread by thread, beginning to coil around the true-word mark floating in midair.

“My enemy is far too powerful. Once I ascend to the eighth level again, the ripple will surely be detected by Him, leading to another cross-dimensional strike that will kill me again!”

The Infinite Serpent hissed. “Therefore, I can only maintain the power of the seventh-level limit for now. The only way is to seize everything from someone on the verge of ascending to the eighth level, using his aura as a cover to ascend again to the eighth level!”

To completely seize everything from someone nearly reaching the eighth level was almost an impossible task.

Yet Wu Ming had built his foundation upon the Main Temple, with his true self constantly residing within it, offering many opportunities.

Moreover, there were hidden moves set in the Steampunk World.

“I continuously influenced you through the Main Temple, although the effect was minimal. However, your incarnation in that world has already been thoroughly corrupted by me. I deliberately left legacies for you, guiding you to realize that the prerequisite for advancing to Great Luo is the unification of all incarnations, compelling you to accept that other self—and thus, accept me!”

Thread by thread, the mist seeped into the mark, altering the original runes, turning them partially black and adding inverted triangular true-words.

Had the Infinite Serpent ascended to Great Luo again, the resulting ripple would certainly attract the attention of his deadly enemy.

At his enemy’s level, near-omniscience and omnipotence allowed instantaneous descent across multiple universes, leaving the Infinite Serpent with no place to bury his bones.

But now, the Infinite Serpent was attempting to pull off a deception.

He intended to conceal his resurrection and ascension beneath the upgrade of another Great Luo.

If he succeeded, he could not only regain his eighth-level power but also control the complete Main Temple, barely gaining a bit of self-defense capability.

Such a being’s scheming and calculation were profoundly deep, revealing no trace until the moment of action.

Now, Wu Ming faced the greatest crisis since his transmigration!

Not only was the authority of the Main Temple being stripped away, but even the very concept of his existence was being continuously polluted.

If the Infinite Serpent succeeded completely, Wu Ming would be utterly erased from the world, leaving only the Infinite Serpent Great Luo, reborn in his body and inheriting all his attainments.

“Hiss… Stop struggling pointlessly. It’s useless!”

The Infinite Serpent’s form became increasingly ethereal, as his entire being transformed into black currents, surging into Wu Ming’s true-word mark.

“Everything about you, I know. And your greatest trump card, the Main Temple, was originally mine. What do you have left to oppose me?”

“Little bug, your rise was only possible because of the Main Temple. Now, it’s time to repay me!”

The Infinite Serpent’s form completely vanished, each thread of black current rushing into the true-word, causing the mark to emit a deep black hue, transforming into an unknown state.

This was exactly what he desired—to fundamentally alter his essence through this method, evading the gaze of his deadly enemy.

“Indeed… external forces are the most unreliable!”

At this moment, deep within the mark, the compressed corner where Wu Ming’s consciousness resided suddenly let out a long sigh.

“Now that you’ve realized this, it’s already too late…”

The Infinite Serpent still tried to break Wu Ming’s resistance with his thoughts.

“Stop wasting your effort, thinking I’ll give up and let you succeed? Have you forgotten the unshakable will of beings like us? Even if you reduce me to livestock, cycling through rebirths for a hundred lifetimes, my will won’t waver in the slightest!”

Wu Ming’s Dao heart had been tempered countless times—how could it possibly be shaken by such an event?

On the contrary, the more critical the moment, the calmer and more chillingly composed he became: “You thought I relied on the Main Temple as my trump card and foundation? Wrong! From the beginning, I never placed my hopes upon it. The only thing I trusted was my own strength!”

“Come forth! My World!”

Buzzing!

At the fluctuation of his will, a burst of bright yellow light suddenly emerged within the Main Temple Hall.

It was the world light radiated by his Yellow Court World.

“Just that tiny world of yours? Not even a tenth the size of my Main Temple?”

The Infinite Serpent mocked. Of course, he was aware of the existence of this Yellow Court World. The exposure of that Steampunk Universe coordinate had come a bit too early.

Fortunately, this person’s growth rate had surpassed his wildest expectations, now reaching a level satisfactory enough for him.

“Tiny?”

Wu Ming’s will also fluctuated. “A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days. Infinite Serpent, you’ve underestimated me too much!”

Boom!

At the next moment, within the infinite space of the Main Temple, the Yellow Court World suddenly radiated brilliant light, beginning to expand rapidly.

The volume of the entire world surged at an alarming rate, instantly occupying nearly half of the Main Temple.

“What… what is this?!”

The Infinite Serpent was shocked. “How could your world suddenly become so vast… Wait, the recent cosmic ascension, the opening of the Chaos Sea…”

“Exactly. I naturally allocated the majority of the benefits from this ascension to my Yellow Court World, after all, it’s the only truly mine!”

Wu Ming’s will roared. “Although the Main Temple was your creation, after my world’s gradual erosion over time, its essence has become aligned. Now that my world is growing, it can easily devour your Main Temple!”

Boom!

Within the Main Temple, numerous spaces trembled.

The light of the Yellow Court World began expanding violently, instantly occupying half the realm.

The Main Temple’s power previously seized by the Infinite Serpent now began flowing back by half, combined with the Yellow Court World’s strength.

The resulting impact caused Wu Ming’s will within the true-word to rise abruptly, pushing the Infinite Serpent into a disadvantage.

“No! You damned thief, despicable robber!”

The Infinite Serpent’s will panicked.

To reach this point today, he had paid dearly.

Especially now, he had burned everything he had, gathering true-words and merging into Wu Ming’s mark, leaving absolutely no room for retreat.

Complete failure would mean his entire “existence” being erased from the world, with everything inherited by Wu Ming.

Survival of the fittest—the victor takes all!

The struggle for the Dao was this cruel, leaving no room for luck.

“Damn… how could this happen? I refuse to accept it!”

As the Yellow Court World’s light continued expanding, the Infinite Serpent’s resistance weakened. He roared and screamed, his mark within the true-word manifesting a small black serpent: “I originate from an ancient evil deity, my bloodline inherently noble. How could I end up in this state?”

“Because, in the end, you are not Him!”

Seeing this seventh-level being, at the brink of life and death, becoming so hysterical, Wu Ming suddenly understood: “You are not your true self. At most, you’re a fortunate reincarnation of a mere fragment. With such a massive flaw in temperament, if you don’t fail, who will?”

“Flaw?”

The Infinite Serpent’s will hesitated, and Wu Ming seized the opportunity, devouring a large chunk of it.

The Yellow Court World kept expanding, finally encompassing the entire Main Temple.

This seemed to be the final straw that tipped the balance. With the Main Temple’s ownership shifting and the return of authority, Wu Ming’s true-word mark radiated brilliant light, instantly recovering and completely devouring the black true-words.

“Indeed… villains always die from talking too much!”