Corrupted Immortal City

After crossing the Main Gate, Xiao Yun saw an enormous City Ruins so hideous it was unbearable to look at.

The clouds that had once drifted like gauze had now congealed into purple-black scabs of flesh, covering the entire immortal city like festering wounds. The flowing spiritual charm had been polluted by Abyssal Power, turning into a viscous, tar-like substance that slowly seeped from the cracks between buildings, trailing spiderweb-like strands of corruption as it dripped.

The outline of the immortal city remained, but it had twisted into something chilling—

The once crystalline cloud palaces were covered in Dark Red vein-like patterns that pulsed faintly like living things. The dragon and phoenix reliefs carved into the colonnades suddenly split open at the eyes, revealing mouths full of sharp teeth and letting out shrieks like crying infants.

The jade railings of the Nine-Bend Immortal Bridge had withered and decayed, while its surface was as soft as rotten flesh, oozing Pus and Blood underfoot. The Weak Water of the Milky Way that should have flowed beneath it had become a pool of writhing black maggots. Whenever a living creature passed by, the swarm would churn wildly, forming one blurry human face after another.

Most terrifying of all were the clouds—

The clouds and mist that had once been light and ethereal had become solidified embodiments of resentment. At times, they condensed into phantom immortal officials hanging from the corners of the eaves; at others, they swelled into bloated giant eyeballs. Within their Pupils was reflected the horrifying scene from the day the city fell: Emperor Donghua's Divine Body pierced by seven Abyssal Bone Spears, golden blood scattering across the cloud sea.

At the central plaza, where the Haotian Stele had once stood, a corrupted Divine Tree made of Flesh and Blood now grew. Its trunk and branches consisted of countless intertwined arms, each finger forming a different hand seal. Its leaves were palm-sized ears that rustled in the wind, repeating the curses uttered by the fallen immortals at their deaths.

The remnant souls of the fairy maidens who had not yet been completely corrupted were the most miserable—

Their translucent bodies were nailed in midair, and the lower halves beneath their snow-white immortal robes had turned into centipede-like limbs. Upon sensing the presence of living people, they would suddenly turn their heads in unison, their rotten lips opening and closing mechanically. "Emperor... save..." Yet the Abyssal Worms crawling from their throats gave off laughter.

The entire city was breathing.

With every breath, the doors and windows of every building opened like fish gills, spewing purple mist carrying the embers of starlight. At other times, sweetly rancid pink spores surged from cracks in the ground, immediately sprouting talking flesh buds upon touching skin.

The sight gave even Xiao Yun a tremendous fright. He could not imagine how the Lingxiao Tianque, which should have been incomparably magnificent and resplendent, had become like this.

He turned his searching gaze toward Sovereign of Destiny Chu Ying'e and the others beside him.

Chu Ying'e and the others clearly were not surprised by this. Noticing Xiao Yun's gaze, she explained, "The Lingxiao Tianque of old was once the most glorious miracle of the Great Wilderness—it was built above the Nine Layers of Cloud Sea by Emperor Donghua, using the Nine Heavens Floating Clouds as its foundation and refining the Sun and Moon Spiritual Charm into bricks, together with his supreme power and the many deities under his command. Unfortunately..."

Seeing that Chu Ying'e had no intention of continuing, Nine Heavens Profound Maiden Xuan Yinghua took over. "Back then, the Jade Pavilions and Towers in the city were all formed from flowing clouds. Wind Chimes refined from stars hung from the eaves, and when the breeze passed, their clear notes washed through the Three Realms. The fairy maidens drifted in flowing Sleeves, holding Glazed Chalices filled with Sweet Dew of the Jade Pond. Golden Armored Divine Generals stood solemnly upon the cloud steps, their eyes like cold lightning as they patrolled the heavens. What a glorious Immortal Divine Domain... Unfortunately..."

She too wore an expression that showed she did not wish to recall those scenes. In the end, the Rain Master Divine Monarch continued, "Unfortunately, one great battle changed everything."

"That day, a vicious bloody scar split open the Sky Vault, and a giant hand Entanglement with Black-Purple Demonic Flames tore through the cloud sea and struck down fiercely!

That was the full-force blow of the Top Abyss Demon God, Eternal Darkness Eclipse!

Although Emperor Donghua led the gods in forming an array to resist it, the immortal city was still swept by the aftermath. The demon god's divine power exploded at the city's center, and Abyssal Aura spread like a plague. The Cloud Bricks were stained with filthy purple-black patterns, while spiritual charm corroded into foul-smelling Pus and Blood.

Most terrifying were the fairy maidens and divine generals—

Nishang Fairy Maidens: Their wide sleeves, once fluttering gracefully in dance, turned into rotting tentacles. Their faces crawled with writhing black patterns, and they still mechanically hummed broken Immortal Music, though viscous Abyssal Pus seeped from their seven orifices.

Cloud Palace Divine Generals: Their golden armor rusted into purple-black, and dim green Ghost Fire danced in their eye sockets. The long halberds in their hands had long twisted into malformed Bone Blades, yet they still stubbornly guarded the Corruption Core, slaughtering all who approached.

Music Official Fairies: The Jade Pipa in their arms split apart with fang-like bone spikes. Its strings were twisted from Human Tendons, and when played, they produced the wails of Lost Souls. Wherever the sound waves passed, even the air corroded into Poison Mist.

Deep within the immortal city, the Lingxiao Hall that had once enshrined the Haotian Mirror had also been completely eroded by Abyssal Power. Floating in the center of the hall was a constantly pulsing Egg of Corruption, its surface covered in purple-black Veins like blood vessels. With every beat, many immortal spirits were transformed into monsters.

As for the immortals who had not yet completely fallen, they were Entanglement by Abyssal Tentacles extending from the egg, frozen in their final struggling postures like insects trapped in amber—their wide-open eyes still reflected the immortal light of the past."

Xi Zhaoyue's voice was exceptionally pleasant, but its contents made one's hair stand on end. Goosebumps rose all over Xiao Yun's body as he asked in disbelief, "Fairy Xi, how do you know all this so clearly?"

A nostalgic expression appeared on Xi Zhaoyue's face. Only after a long while did she speak. "I happened to be here during that battle as well. I witnessed nearly everything that happened. If someone had not risked their life to push me out, I would probably have become one of these monsters too."

Xiao Yun had not expected to stir up such painful memories for her, and quickly comforted her. "Fairy Xi, don't be too sad. Those things are already in the past. Haven't we returned? We will definitely destroy that Abyssal Corruption Core. By then, this entire immortal city may be able to recover its original appearance soon enough."

Wangliang, who had already grown impatient from waiting, stepped forward. "Since the Lord has arrived, let us begin. At the very least, we should take the Teleportation Array outside the immortal city, then slowly clear out the Demonic Monsters here that have already completely fallen."

Xiao Yu immediately agreed. Looking at the ink-black Abyssal Aura above the immortal city, it would be far too unwise to charge straight in without first drawing out and eliminating a large portion of the monsters. They could easily become Entanglement by them.

He immediately summoned countless strands of Sword Qi to protect himself, then followed Wangliang as he charged toward the Teleportation Station Outside the Fallen Immortal City.

Xuan Yinghua naturally refused to fall behind and rushed out beside Xiao Yun. Chu Ying'e and Xiangliu, the two mage-type War Spirits, followed next, with Xi Zhaoyue, the War Spirit skilled in healing and support, bringing up the rear.

With all the War Spirits fighting at full strength, they quickly recaptured the Teleportation Array outside the Fallen Immortal City and officially activated it. This would allow the low-tier War Spirits in the White Jade Capital to come over and help gain some levels, easing the pressure on the High-Tier War Spirits.