"Want to kill my friends from the Interception Sect? Did you ask me first?"
At this critical moment, a cold shout rang out from the horizon.
A golden rope shot through the air, fast as lightning. It overtook everything in its path and instantly wrapped around the Sky-Turning Seal as it came crashing down from above.
It was none other than Zhao Gongming, the Interception Sect's eldest disciple, arriving just in time!
As it turned out, Shen Zhaochi had kept a card up his sleeve while plotting against Guangchengzi. Knowing that Wang Mo and the others might not be a match for Guangchengzi, he had used a warning from the Heavenly Secrets to alert his friend Zhao Gongming, who was far away at Luofu Cave on Mount Emei.
Sensing that his friend was in danger, Zhao Gongming had immediately mounted Black Tiger and rushed over. At the most critical moment, he used his magic treasure, the Dragon Binding Rope, to ensnare the Sky-Turning Seal.
"Zhao Gongming?"
Guangchengzi's expression changed when he saw who had arrived.
He was rather wary of this senior disciple of the Interception Sect's outer sect. Zhao Gongming was highly accomplished and renowned for his loyalty throughout the Primordial Era. His strength was no less than Guangchengzi's.
"Guangchengzi, you're the foremost disciple of the Sect of Explanation, yet you've gone after my friends and even tried to kill them. What an impressive show of might!" Zhao Gongming landed in front of Wang Mo and the others, shielding them behind him as he glared coldly at Guangchengzi.
Wang Mo and the others were both surprised and delighted to see their rescuer arrive.
"Brother Gongming, you came just in time! This guy's gone too far!"
"Guangchengzi, does your Sect of Explanation really mean to break with my Interception Sect?" Zhao Gongming demanded.
Seeing Zhao Gongming only made Guangchengzi angrier. He showed no sign of backing down.
"So what if we break with you? Your Interception Sect was the first to ambush my teacher, Randeng. Now you've ganged up on me and injured me! No one can save them today! You'll die with them!"
He was blinded by rage. All he wanted was to kill everyone before him who had humiliated him.
"Arrogant!"
Zhao Gongming was furious too.
He recalled the Dragon Binding Rope and brought out his true trump card.
Twenty-four beads glimmering with five-colored light rose from behind him. They were none other than the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure that had shaken the Primordial Era—the Sea Calming Divine Beads!
"The Sea Calming Divine Beads!" Guangchengzi's pupils contracted.
He knew full well how powerful the treasure was.
But now, he was ruled by his arrogance and anger. He was convinced that his Sky-Turning Seal was invincible!
"Break!"
Guangchengzi roared and poured all his strength into the Sky-Turning Seal. It broke free of the Dragon Binding Rope and hurtled toward Zhao Gongming and the five others at even greater speed.
"Just what I wanted!"
Zhao Gongming was undaunted. He launched all twenty-four Sea Calming Divine Beads, sending them streaking toward the Sky-Turning Seal.
Boom!
The crash shook the heavens.
The Sky-Turning Seal and the twenty-four Sea Calming Divine Beads collided violently in midair.
The energy unleashed by the two supreme treasures tore open the space around them. In an instant, countless rocks, trees, and plants on Nine Dragon Island were reduced to dust.
The shockwave sent Zhao Gongming and the four others reeling backward, their blood and qi churning.
Guangchengzi fared even worse.
His shoulder was already injured, and his spiritual power was not flowing smoothly. He suffered dearly in the head-on clash.
An irresistible force surged from the Sky-Turning Seal, splitting his thumb and sending blood streaming from his hand. He flew backward like a kite with its string cut, spitting out a large mouthful of golden blood.
"No... That can't be!"
Guangchengzi's eyes filled with disbelief.
How could his Sky-Turning Seal have lost?
He couldn't understand why his luck had turned so bad.
Inside the Investiture of the Gods Space, Shen Zhaochi watched the scene and gave a cold smile.
"Not enough."
"I don't just want him gravely injured. I want him... on the Investiture!"
He poured the immense Power of Faith he had accumulated from the Great Qin world and the Warhammer world into the Investiture of the Gods.
The name "Guangchengzi" blazed with black light on the list. An overwhelming Death Qi crossed endless stretches of time and space, enveloping Guangchengzi's True Spirit.
As Guangchengzi flew backward, a sudden stab of pain shot through his primordial spirit, as if countless steel needles had pierced it.
For an instant, his consciousness wavered.
In a battle between experts, even a moment's lapse was fatal!
His control over the Sky-Turning Seal faltered for a fraction of an instant.
The Sky-Turning Seal, knocked away by the Sea Calming Divine Beads, traced a strange arc through the air. With no target left, it abruptly reversed course and hurtled back toward its own master, Guangchengzi, faster than it had come.
"No!!!"
Guangchengzi snapped out of his daze just in time to see the familiar, terrifying Sky-Turning Seal grow larger and larger in his eyes.
He tried to dodge, but his injuries and the pain in his primordial spirit left his body unresponsive.
He tried to activate his magic treasure again, only to find that an invisible force had severed his connection to the Sky-Turning Seal!
That was the last thought of his life.
"Thud!"
A dull, sickening impact rang out.
As Zhao Gongming and the four others stared in horror, the mighty Sky-Turning Seal smashed squarely into Guangchengzi's crown.
There was no suspense.
Guangchengzi's head burst apart like a watermelon struck by a hammer.
Red and white splattered across the ground.
His mighty immortal body and primordial spirit were crushed into a bloody pulp by the very treasure he had once prided himself on most.
He was dead beyond all doubt.
And so, in this pathetic and absurd fashion, the foremost Golden Immortal of the Sect of Explanation met his end.
As his body and soul perished, a faint True Spirit flew out of the bloody remains, its face filled with confusion and resentment.
It seemed to be trying to flee toward Kunlun Mountain.
But in the next instant, an irresistible force surged from the void, seized the True Spirit, and yanked it away.
With a whoosh, the True Spirit vanished into the distance, its destination unknown.
Inside the Investiture of the Gods Space.
Shen Zhaochi looked at the name "Guangchengzi" on the list. It had turned completely from black to gold and was deeply etched into the page. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Done. The first one."
"Guangchengzi, foremost Golden Immortal of the Sect of Explanation. In accordance with Heaven's will, he is destined for the list and hereby appointed Army Breaker Star Lord."
Shen Zhaochi picked up his vermilion brush and wrote Guangchengzi's divine title beside his name.
At the same time.
Far away, in the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain.
The glazed jade lamp representing the source of Guangchengzi's life shattered without warning, with a sharp crack.
Baihe Boy, standing guard in the hall, was so terrified that his soul nearly fled his body.
Venerable Yuanshi, who had been meditating with his eyes closed on his cloud couch, abruptly opened them.
His eyes held neither anger nor sorrow, only a deathly, icy calm.
Then a terrifying killing intent, powerful enough to freeze time and space and destroy all things, erupted from him!
"Guang! Cheng! Zi!"
A Saint's fury turned heaven and earth upside down!
The entire Kunlun Mountain range shook violently beneath his wrath. Countless spirit beasts and monsters cowered on the ground, trembling in terror.
"Who did it?!"
"Who dared to kill my disciple?!"
Venerable Yuanshi's roar, heavy with suppressed fury, resounded through the Thirty-Three Heavens.
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