Dongbo Xueying’s face turned pale. Beside him, the four figures—Emperor Wu Qu, Lord Bai, the Water Demon King, and the Demon Phoenix—were all stunned. They turned their gazes toward Dongbo Xueying, still hoping for a miracle. Though they knew that for a treasure as extraordinary as the ‘Black Gourd,’ it was already remarkable for a mere Sovereign to unleash its power even once. Attempting to use it multiple times would undoubtedly be an immense challenge!
Take, for example, that terrifying weapon of the Mother Goddess Cult—its power was close to that of the Black Gourd, yet it could only be activated once, with no possibility of a second use in a short time.
Logically, they understood this. Yet, they still clung to the hope of a miracle. But seeing Dongbo Xueying’s ashen face, they began to grasp the truth.
“All along, they’ve been fighting with their avatars. Even when the battle was at its most grueling and desperate… they never revealed their true forms!” Dongbo Xueying felt a surge of helplessness. “Their true selves have been hidden, waiting for the critical moment to deliver a fatal blow. This time, seizing the Chaos Flying Vessel is their all-or-nothing gambit.”
“Come on, come on!” the golden-furred ape roared. “That gourd of yours is quite impressive, isn’t it? Use it again!”
“The four of us are here to die. If you have the strength, take our lives,” the other three elite guardians sneered, their eyes locked onto Dongbo Xueying.
—
In the vast hall of the Mother Goddess Cult, the gathered leaders showed no joy, silently observing the unfolding battle. Despite the earlier ferocity of the combat, aside from the six guardians slain by the Infernal Grand Marshal’s ‘Infernal Reincarnation’ at the outset—and the complete annihilation of the Bamboo Mountain Lord’s true form and avatar—none of the other guardians had truly perished. Their true selves still lived. But from this moment onward…
Every guardian who fell would be truly gone.
The Black Gourd’s power was too terrifying. If it could be used again, sending all the guardians out would be nothing but suicide. Thus, only four guardians emerged, led by the golden-furred ape. They were the first wave of sacrifices—but even in death, they needed sufficient strength. If they were too weak, the Sovereigns could simply gang up to eliminate them without the need for the Black Gourd.
“Six guardians have already fallen, and Guardian Mei sacrificed herself for our race,” the Tusked Leader said, his voice heavy with sorrow. “More will follow.”
“But this time… we must obtain the Chaos Flying Vessel.”
“No cost is too great.”
The Tusked Leader’s words echoed through the hall as the others remained silent, their eyes fixed on the scene projected in midair. There, the golden-furred ape and his three companions stood defiantly within the crimson light, taunting Dongbo Xueying.
—
In the void outside the Chaos Flying Vessel, the ten Rulers had fallen silent. The moment the four guardians appeared, they had stopped speaking.
“The worst we feared has come to pass,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor said grimly.
Lady Ganhe nodded. “We thought they sought to conquer this universe, but not necessarily at the cost of sending in their true forms. To commit both true selves and avatars is to leave no retreat. If they fail, every guardian will perish. Only in the direst desperation—the final madness before annihilation—would they resort to this.”
Under normal circumstances, even if ordered to invade a universe, the guardians would rebel against such a command. No one would willingly forsake all hope of retreat.
Unless…
They had no other choice. Only then would they submit willingly.
“Have they truly gone so far for victory?” the Primordial Origin Master murmured, shaking his head. “It all hinges on whether Dongbo Xueying’s gourd can be used again. If so, we may yet prevail. If not… there is no hope.”
The Spacetime Island Lord frowned coldly. “Such a treasure must have stringent conditions for activation. Sustained use would be nearly impossible.”
“Perhaps there is still hope,” the Infernal Ruler in silver armor interjected.
“Let us see. Maybe Dongbo Xueying truly possesses a treasure potent enough for a Sovereign to wield repeatedly,” the Abyssal Progenitor mused.
“We can only watch now,” Pang Yi said softly.
Qing Jun remained silent, his gaze fixed on his young junior brother.
—
“Tsk, tsk. A treasure capable of unleashing peak Ruler-level power?” The colossal statue of ‘Gu Qianluo’ observed with mild interest. “Not bad, I suppose. But its attack is crude and inflexible—it couldn’t even kill an ordinary Ruler. At best, it can force a retreat.”
Though intrigued, Gu Qianluo was wholly unimpressed. As the Seventh Holy Son under the Bone Ancestor, even a single Chaos Flying Vessel was worth more than these Rulers and Cult Leaders could fathom.
“If it could be used a few more times, it might be interesting. Otherwise, it’s practically useless.” Gu Qianluo watched the battle with detached amusement. The fate of these two factions mattered little to him. Even if this universe collapsed, he cared not. All he needed was a single ally.
—
“What’s wrong? Not going to attack? We’re right here, offering ourselves to you!” the golden-furred ape jeered. The other three elite guardians joined in the mockery. They had no intention of striking first—their sole purpose was to stall. If they could hold their ground within the crimson light for ten breaths, victory would be theirs. Indeed, their previous annihilation had reset the clock.
Seeing Dongbo Xueying refrain from using the Black Gourd, the four guardians inwardly sighed in relief.
Though they were prepared to die for their race, survival was still preferable. Guardians like the three Holy Guardians were already qualified to become Cult Leaders—only lacking the necessary resources.
If they lived, after the war’s conclusion, the Mother Goddess Altar would be erected. The golden-furred ape and his comrades could ascend to leadership, perhaps even reaching greater heights and witnessing grander vistas.
“Is this all that’s left of your guardians?” A cold voice cut through the air as the Annihilation Emperor, the North Profound Palace Master, and Huo Chen the Blaze Sovereign reappeared.
“These few aren’t even worth killing,” Huo Chen scoffed.
“Attack.”
Dongbo Xueying stowed the Black Gourd and rejoined his comrades.
“Why are they still fighting?” The golden-furred ape and his companions paled slightly. Now, death would be permanent. “They were despairing earlier. Where is this resolve coming from?”
The answer lay in Dongbo Xueying’s telepathic message to his allies: “I can use the Black Gourd one more time. But the Mother Goddess Cult’s guardians are likely hiding within treasures. We must force more of them out. Even if we can’t draw them all, if we can lure most, I’ll unleash the gourd to annihilate them. The remnants can be overwhelmed through sheer numbers. We still have time—ten breaths.”
Immediately, even the North Profound Palace Master and the others, who had been waiting outside the vessel in despair, rushed back. More Sovereigns, having reformed their avatars, joined the fray.
“Kill!”
The Annihilation Emperor, Emperor Wu Qu, the Water Demon King, Lord Bai, Dongbo Xueying, the Demon Phoenix, the Infernal Grand Marshal—one by one, the cultivators’ forces swelled.
The golden-furred ape and his three comrades couldn’t hold out. They couldn’t afford to die meaninglessly.
Dying to the Black Gourd would serve a purpose.
Dying to a mob of Sovereigns would be a waste—for their deaths would force the remaining guardians to emerge, only to face the same fate.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One by one, elite guardians were compelled to reveal themselves.
By the time sixteen elite guardians and two Holy Guardians had emerged, they finally matched the cultivators’ assault.
“We can’t draw out any more.”
“Dongbo, eight breaths have already passed.”
The Annihilation Emperor and Emperor Wu Qu relayed their observations.
Dongbo Xueying nodded slightly. He had hoped to bait more guardians, but the Mother Goddess Cult wasn’t foolish enough to risk total annihilation.
His head throbbed with pain, but his decision was made.
“Dongbo Xueying, are you truly going to use the Black Gourd again?” The artifact spirit’s voice echoed in his mind. “Don’t be reckless! Your soul is already severely wounded. Another activation could shatter it entirely! If you die, I won’t remain here—I won’t let another Sovereign or even Gu Qianluo claim me. I’ll return to my original world. You’ll lose the gourd forever, and your third trial will end in failure.”
“Then let it fail. Mastering the Black Gourd is beyond me. Over sixty thousand years have passed, and I’ve seen no progress. Even if given a million years, I doubt I’d succeed,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
“How can you give up before the final moment? Even if you lose this battle, your survival skills ensure you can escape. In time, you could still master the Black Gourd, become a new Voidwalker—your path would be utterly transformed! This is your great destiny!” the spirit urged.
“This is a war between two races. I cannot retreat. Trading a treasure I may never master for the hope of my people’s victory is a worthy exchange.” Dongbo Xueying extended his left hand, and the Black Gourd reappeared.
Whoosh.
The Demon Phoenix, anticipating his move, instantly enveloped all the Sovereigns in her domain and teleported them away.
Only the Mother Goddess Cult’s guardians remained in the area, their attacks meeting empty air.
“Stop! Stop right now!” the artifact spirit cried out in desperation.
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