Bagua Qimen Heavenly Plate Daoist Arts, Burning Plane Spirit

Chapter 22: Bagua Qimen Heavenly Plate Daoist Arts, the Burning Plane Spirit (4K)

"Boom—"

Inky black flames filled the sky and sea, the scorching heat vaporizing a huge amount of seawater. Guang Biao and his Black-Grade Mecha turned to ash in an instant, as if they had never existed in this world.

Teng Snake slowly closed its giant mouth, its massive body covering the sky and blocking the sun. It raised its upper body high, its black scales solid and cold. Those scarlet vertical pupils pierced through the sea of clouds, like two blazing furnaces of flame.

Compared to this celestial spirit, condensed from the world's fire and deceptive power, humans were as insignificant as dust. Yet one single speck of dust stood atop the giant serpent's head, its eyes flowing with a blazing molten gold color!

"Let's go. We'll go meet... Tang, the God King!"

The voice echoed through the sky, icy to the bone. Zhao Xuanzhen was no soft cotton, nor a persimmon to be easily squeezed. He didn't seek trouble, but he didn't fear it either!

In the battle at Eastsea City's elementary Spirit Ascension Platform, Tang San had acted without martial virtue, attempting to plant a divine sense brand. Zhao Xuanzhen knew he had been marked by a dog. If he didn't resolve Tang San's divine thought, there would be no peace for him in this life!

Tonight, the stars blazed brilliantly. It was the night when Heaven's Timing was most favorable to Zhao Xuanzhen. Seizing this good opportunity to end the God King, he would fight for a peaceful future, free from divine interference!

Following the Master of Qimen's command, Teng Snake roared skyward. Its body rose as if riding clouds and mist, transforming into a black lightning bolt that streaked across the sky, charging straight at its target!

In the Zero Class dormitory of Eastsea Academy, Tang Wulin abruptly halted his meditation cultivation. On his forehead, the Golden Trident rune shone clearly. His black-and-white eyes had, at some unknown time, turned into the blue-gold of the sea.

The youthful vigor of a young man was completely gone. Tang Wulin's expression was indifferent, filled only with cold, emotionless calculation.

Tang Wulin's body, Tang San's soul.

Tang San, hidden within the Sea of Consciousness, had taken over his son's body. The reason was simple and brutal: he had sensed that overwhelming killing intent, directed solely at him, rapidly approaching from afar!

"Must I use a contingency again?" Tang San sighed softly. "Last time it was the Xingdou Fierce Beasts. That Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King comprehended spatial attributes and managed to open a Spatial Tunnel to flee with those beasts. I wonder who it is this time..."

A ray of light drilled out from between his brows. A four-meter-long trident floated before Tang San, its golden light flowing like ripples on water. The moment the trident appeared, the sea bordering Eastsea City suddenly boiled, letting out an excited, sobbing whimper.

Holding the trident, Tang San floated lightly into the air, ready to shatter all obstacles blocking his son's path. Even if it was just a divine thought, the proud God King did not believe anyone on the Douluo Continent could stop him!

High in the sky, the stars shone especially bright. The firmament was like a massive curtain studded with countless gems. Two figures stood facing each other from afar, air currents surging and churning without rest.

"Who are you?"

Tang San's brow was tightly furrowed. Zhao Xuanzhen's entire body was shrouded in Deceptive Power, his form shifting and grotesque, constantly changing. Teng Snake, in particular, was beyond the God King's knowledge. Its form was that of a super fierce beast, but its aura was vastly different from a soul beast's. It seemed to be a part of the Douluo Continent's very world itself!

"Forgotten already?"

Zhao Xuanzhen chuckled softly. His hand covered his forehead, and he forcibly pulled out the Deceitful Soul that had previously fooled Tang San. With a pinch of his fingers, a crisp shattering sound rang out, and the Trident brand dissipated.

"Variable of Fate!"

The spiritual brand failed. Tang San's expression turned extremely gloomy. As the Sea God's will shifted, the sea raised layer upon layer of giant waves, and terrifying energy continuously gathered in the air.

The Poseidon Trident pointed forward, its sharp blade gleaming coldly. Tang San said coldly, "I set things right, giving you the chance to become Wulin's guardian. If you offer him all your luck, bone, and blood, you might be fortunate enough to ascend to the Divine Realm in the future and become a glorious God Official!

And you, you rejected this supreme glory!

Evil one, you deserve to die!"

"Twenty thousand years, and you only have this one set of righteous speeches and 'deserve to die'? Truly no creativity."

A hint of mockery curled at the corner of Zhao Xuanzhen's mouth. Tang San caught the unmistakable sneer and gripped the trident tighter.

"Enough talk. Let's see who's stronger!"

Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze was cold as ice. He said in a low voice, "Eight Divine Powers, Teng Snake, return to position!"

Teng Snake's mountain-like serpent body surged into Zhao Xuanzhen's form. The Eight Deceitful Gods instantly transformed into the Eight Divine Powers representing deception, and then became a part of the Master of Qimen himself!

The drifting, scattered clouds were attracted by Teng Snake, coiling like a giant serpent and casting a spiral shadow. A scarlet serpent-pattern mark bloomed on Zhao Xuanzhen's brow, like a bizarre flame burning illusorily!

"Boom—"

With the Eight Divine Power Teng Snake entering his body, a scarlet ring suddenly expanded outward, centered on Zhao Xuanzhen. It was a force field formed by the Fire of Deceit!

The sky trembled and churned from the surging Fire Element. Tang San watched the figure at the center of the domain expressionlessly. Around Zhao Xuanzhen's dazzling Brilliant Gold Eyes, crack-like blood veins gradually spread.

"That giant serpent's power has been transferred to you."

Tang San thought he had seen through the truth and said dismissively, "This method hasn't elevated your life level. You are still a Quasi-God, fragile and vulnerable!

A Quasi-God and a God. One word difference, a world of difference!"

The trident swung out. In the distance, seawater shot into the sky. Huge water dragons condensed in the high air, imbued with the great power of the deep sea. They roared towards Zhao Xuanzhen, shattering everything in their path, their howls sharp and piercing!

"You're right. That's why fusing with Teng Snake was merely a prerequisite to bear another power."

Countless brilliant starlight suddenly burst forth in the sky. The starlight crisscrossed, outlining a massive starry Array Diagram that crushed the water dragons formed from seawater!

With nine stars as the sovereign, the runes of the Array Diagram flowed. Each star seemed to possess life, calling to and pulling on each other, constructing a complex and exquisite system of star power. An awe-inspiring, radiant aura emanated from it.

Bagua Qimen, Heavenly Plate Daoist Arts!

Bagua Qimen is composed of four plates: Heaven, Earth, Man, and God. Zhao Xuanzhen often fought using the Earth Plate, which represents Geographical Advantage, and treated the God Plate, representing the eight divine assists, as his trump card.

But on this rare, star-brilliant night, the power of Heaven's Timing would be amplified dozens of times over. The Heavenly Plate Star Power had, in one fell swoop, surpassed the God Plate, where not all of the Eight Deceitful Gods had yet awakened!

As soon as the Heavenly Plate Daoist Arts appeared, Tang San was finally moved. After all, he was merely a divine thought, not a true deity descended. His reserved divine power was limited. Zhao Xuanzhen, having absorbed the Eight Divine Power Teng Snake and being amplified by the Heavenly Plate under the stars, now possessed the capital to threaten him!

"Nine Stars, stop and rest."

Star power sealed the sky, the earth, and the sea, isolating all aura from leaking out. The battle between the two was bound to be earth-shattering. Zhao Xuanzhen was eliminating future troubles, preventing Sky Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu from joining, and also cutting off the connection between Tang San and the sea!

Tang San swung the Poseidon Trident. The Sea God's divine weapon, weighing one hundred and eight thousand jin, moved as lightly as a feather. The blade traced a circular arc in the air.

Golden Thirteen Trident, Unpredictable Storm!

Golden halos spread outward, dense and layered, the sky beginning to constrict, the ocean waves falling still, all things sinking into silence as the golden halos of Unpredictable Storm enveloped heaven and earth!

As Tang San's standard combat opener, Unpredictable Storm struck his enemy, binding even a deity for a period of time, immediately followed by a storm of attacks from the Poseidon Trident!

"Deceitful Soul."

The advantage of foresight manifested itself; Zhao Xuanzhen understood the strong control mechanism of Unpredictable Storm. Pitch-black flames mixed with Heavenly Plate Star Power surged forth, the Soaring Serpent's treacherous and shifting baleful fire perfectly blocking all the golden halos!

"Stars, gather here!"

Lifting his head to gaze at the sky, Zhao Xuanzhen's pupils resembled an endless starry expanse, deep and boundless. One by one, stars lit up, countless golden specks hanging high in the heavens, as if illuminating the entire world's night into day.

The stars poured back into the Heavenly Plate, radiant light piling and compressing. Nine stars shone the brightest—they were the Big Dipper plus the Left Assistant and Right Assistant stars. At this moment, they frantically absorbed star power, the veins of the Heavenly Plate Star Chart blazing hotter and hotter, as if never reaching their limit!

"White Clouds for a Thousand Years, drifting in emptiness!"

Tang San lost his composure, his expression turning ferocious. On a night of brilliant stars, star power was virtually inexhaustible; a single divine thought was not enough to contend with All the Stars in the Sky.

The Heavenly Plate Star Power manifested the Stop and Rest formation, preventing him from absorbing the ocean's energy, adding insult to injury. If Zhao Xuanzhen was not dealt with soon, the divine power left behind by Tang San's divine thought would inevitably be exhausted, forcing him into slumber, unable to influence the course of Douluo Continent, and even the Ten Thousand Year Great Plan would slip from his control!

The Poseidon Trident danced, layers of golden halos appearing around Tang San. The halos gathered into drifting clouds, ethereal and intangible. The flow of time slowed, seas shifting, fields changing!

"Emp—"

The Golden Thirteen Trident Divine Skill was interrupted; Tang San's movements suddenly froze, starlight firmly imprisoning him as time resumed its normal flow!

"The ocean prostrates itself at the feet of the sky, and you have always been illuminated by starlight!" Zhao Xuanzhen slowly spoke the truth.

Astral control, absolutely established!

My mechanism is above yours!

"Binding the Vicious and Locking the Evil, Nine Luminaries Seal!"

The Earth Plate commanded the elements, the Divine Plate harbored divine power, but the Heavenly Plate's greatest strength was sealing!

Zhao Xuanzhen's palms suddenly clapped together. Star power answered the call, the Heavenly Plate Star Chart condensing nine rotating crystalline rings of stars. Vast star power leaped, these energies born from the boundless cosmos surging along stellar orbits, weaving a mysterious sealing star formation.

The world seemed to press the pause button. The sea ceased its surging, the air stopped flowing. Zhao Xuanzhen stepped on light stairs woven from star power toward Tang San, the sealing star rings beginning to take effect.

"Just sealing isn't enough, is it?"

A sigh echoed through the void. Zhao Xuanzhen followed the sound to its source, where a half-black, half-white figure appeared between heaven and earth. Though its aura was chaotic, it had clearly transcended quasi-divinity and ascended to the divine realm.

"You are... the Douluo Plane Spirit!"

Every move of this figure aligned with the laws of heaven and earth. Aside from this plane's spirit, Zhao Xuanzhen could find no other answer!

"Yes."

The Plane Spirit looked at Tang San bound by star power, a profound hatred flashing in its eyes—a hatred that wished to devour his flesh and sleep on his skin. It spoke:

"Variable of Fate, my time is limited. Let me be brief.

As long as Tang San is not eliminated, Douluo Continent will never know peace. Even if this is just a single divine thought, I cannot allow him a second chance to stir up chaos.

Before the Divine Realm was swept into Spatial Turbulence, Tang San sent a human named Tang Hao into the plane's core, ordering him to devour my body and consciousness and become the new Douluo Plane Spirit.

For thousands of years, I have gradually lost control over Douluo Continent. I considered self-detonating to drag Tang Hao into oblivion with me, but that method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. As long as Tang San lives, there will be future Zhang Haos and Wang Haos to replace my position.

Until you appeared, I conceived a new idea.

Now, while my consciousness is barely clear, I will burn myself, dragging Tang Hao into slumber with me, buying you time to transcend the world's Shackles. At the same time, I will grant you the power to annihilate this divine thought of Tang San before you!

I will bear the heaviest cost myself!

I ask only one thing of you: carry my will forward, help the Douluo Plane break free from Tang San's control, and be reborn!"

Zhao Xuanzhen did not agree. Instead, he asked, "Plane Spirit, to entrust the future to me so easily—are you not afraid I will become the next Tang San?"

The Plane Spirit threw back its head and laughed: "Of course I am afraid, but think about it—no matter what, it cannot be worse than the current situation.

Even if it is a gamble with no certainty, I must seize that sliver of hope to turn defeat into victory. I will do everything in my power to lay the groundwork for future generations, never retreat, and never yield even in death!

I am the Plane Spirit, and I shall carve a path of life for Douluo!"

"I accept. Let the continent be reborn."

Zhao Xuanzhen spoke softly, somewhat moved by the Plane Spirit's fierce resolve.

Burning itself to drag Tang San and Tang Hao down from their divine pedestals—Plane Spirit, you bastard!

Before the Heavenly Plate Star Power and the Plane Spirit, Tang San's divine thought understood there was no hope of turning the tables. His voice was as venomous and cold as poison: "Your actions are meaningless. When the Divine Realm returns, your blood will stain Douluo Continent red!"

"Humanity will never yield, nor will it accept the God King's Ten Thousand Year Great Plan. I swear to fight the evil gods to the end!" Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze blazed like a torch.

"Twenty thousand years ago, I was blind, thinking you were the Child of Destiny of an era. Ten thousand years ago, you used your daughter to shackle the second Child of Destiny, destroying the Soul Beast Clan's Emperor Auspicious Beast." The Plane Spirit spoke with seething hatred.

"All these blood debts, I remember them all!

I would rather die fighting, starting by taking some justice from you!"

With a roar, the Plane Spirit ignited flames. Intense pain wracked it, blood seeping from the cracks in its skin. The continent wept blood and wailed in mourning at the Plane Spirit's self-immolation, and from within came the unwilling roar of a middle-aged man.

A limit-exchange of one for two—annihilating Tang San's divine thought and dragging the Tang Hao within into a state of severe injury and slumber. The Plane Spirit's laughter was wild and triumphant. After thousands of years of suppression, it had finally found a chance to take revenge on the Tang family!

"Variable of Fate, I have cleared most of the threats to this continent today. But the Abyss, the Demon Hell, and other planes still eye Douluo hungrily."

"Once I fall into slumber, I will be powerless against those enemies—you'll need to find a way to deal with them."

As its origin gradually burned away, the Plane Spirit's voice grew fainter and fainter.

"There's one more thing. The Plane's Life Core faces the same predicament as I do—the Blue Silver Emperor is devouring its consciousness and energy."

"If possible, please help it. It will grant you some recompense in return."

With those words, the Plane Spirit dissolved into specks of light, the shimmering seven-colored energy falling toward Zhao Xuanzhen.

"Kill Tang San... This is my last bit of strength!"