Above the sky, divine might was like a prison, and the killing intent had nearly solidified into substance.
Facing the encirclement of three gods, Dongyue Xian and Li Yunming wore grave expressions, yet their gazes remained as sharp as ever, without the slightest trace of fear. This unusual calmness magnified the unease in Xie Miaojiang's heart once more, gnawing at his confidence like a Poison Snake.
"Something is wrong! The longer we delay, the more likely something will change—attack!" Xie Miaojiang roared, unwilling to think any further. Dark green poisonous mist erupted around him, transforming into countless twisted phantom snakes and centipedes that swept toward Dongyue Xian from all directions. "Ten Thousand Poisons Devour the Heart!"
Dongyue Xian snorted coldly. The Heavenly Heart Ring in his hand shone with brilliant emerald light, and a gentle yet vast aura of life formed an enormous circular barrier around him. "Heavenly Heart Ward!" The poisonous mist struck the green halo with ear-piercing sizzling sounds, yet it could not advance an inch. The two extreme powers of life and poison collided fiercely, annihilating one another.
"Brother Du, end this quickly. Take down Li Yunming!" Qiu Qianchen's cold gaze swept over Heavenly Phoenix City below, which seemed entirely defenseless. Cruelty and greed flashed in his eyes. To him, Li Yunming and Dongyue Xian themselves were the greatest variables. As long as they were dealt with swiftly, Heavenly Phoenix City would be meat on the chopping block.
"Heh heh, don't worry. What waves can a junior who just advanced possibly make?" Du Yunhe sneered, his eyes fixed on the Sky-Piercing Divine Spear in Li Yunming's hand, greed nearly spilling from his gaze. "Boy, hand over that divine spear obediently, and I'll leave you an intact corpse!"
He thrust both palms forward. Surging azure divine power erupted around him, actually drawing upon the moisture between heaven and earth and transforming it into wave after wave of raging blue tides. Each wave rose higher than the last, carrying an overwhelming force capable of crushing everything as they swept toward Li Yunming. "Boundless Vast Sea!"
Facing this attack that resembled the might of nature itself, Li Yunming's eyes sharpened without a trace of fear. The Sky-Piercing Divine Spear in his hand erupted with dazzling golden divine light, its shaft trembling with a clear, resonant hum.
"Sky-Piercing—Sea-Sundering!"
With a furious roar, he advanced instead of retreating. The divine spear in his hand became a bolt of golden lightning tearing through the sky, thrusting straight ahead without any flourish! Wherever the spear light passed, the surging blue tides were forcibly split apart by an incomparably concentrated, razor-sharp will, like Moses parting the sea! The golden spear tip struck precisely at the very core of the tidal force.
"Boom—!!"
A deafening explosion rang out high in the sky. Golden and blue energy currents ran wild, shredding even the clouds to pieces. Du Yunhe's expression changed slightly. He could feel the power of his vast sea being forcibly torn through and pierced by that overwhelmingly domineering spear intent! "Good brat! You really do have some skill!" He put away a trace of his disdain, and his attacks became even fiercer. The power of the tides shifted unpredictably, now incomparably forceful, now soft and entangling, seeking an opening in Li Yunming's defenses.
Meanwhile, Li Yunming wielded his divine spear so tightly that not even water could pass through. The Sky-Piercing divine light sometimes became pillars of light that swept across the battlefield, and sometimes condensed at the spear tip before erupting. Though his Soul Power Level was slightly inferior, with his extraordinary spear intent and the sharpness of his divine artifact, he fought Du Yunhe to a standstill and did not fall into disadvantage for the time being.
On the other side, the battle between Dongyue Xian and Xie Miaojiang was even more perilous. Xie Miaojiang's poison arts were strange and unpredictable. The poisonous mist sometimes condensed into needles that specialized in piercing protective divine light, and sometimes spread into a domain that continuously eroded Dongyue Xian's life barrier. Dongyue Xian, however, relied on the Heavenly Heart Ring's supreme control over life power. While defending steadily, his emerald halos occasionally transformed into streaks of light to counterattack, forcing Xie Miaojiang to respond with caution.
Something isn't right... They're far too calm! The longer Xie Miaojiang fought, the more alarmed he became. Dongyue Xian's defense appeared passive, yet he always managed to block Xie Miaojiang's killing moves at the most critical moment.
Just as the four gods battled fiercely, Qiu Qianchen, who had been "ignored" all along, revealed a savage smile. His gaze passed over the battlefield and locked directly onto Heavenly Phoenix City below, which had no God Rank protection.
"Li Yunming! Dongyue Xian! I will first destroy your foundation and see whether you can remain so calm!" He laughed wildly as Netherworld divine power frantically gathered in his right palm. An aura of destruction instantly filled heaven and earth. Within Heavenly Phoenix City below, countless people sensed the deadly threat, and despair appeared on their faces.
"Netherworld—Annihilation Palm!"
An enormous black palm that blotted out the sky descended slowly toward Heavenly Phoenix City, wrapped in the wails of countless resentful souls and carrying a terrifying aura that could annihilate all things! If this palm landed, the entire city would likely be reduced to dust!
"Not good!" Li Yunming and Dongyue Xian's expressions changed at the same time. They tried to rush back to aid the city, but Du Yunhe and Xie Miaojiang held them fast, leaving them completely unable to break free.
At that critical moment!
"Qiu Qianchen! Your opponents are us!"
Two cold, majestic voices rang out abruptly, like a judgment descending from the Ninth Heaven!
At the same time, two figures appeared without warning in the void not far behind Qiu Qianchen! They were none other than Luo Wuya, patriarch of the Astral Sect, and Lin Jingshen, patriarch of the Thunderstorm Sword Sect, who had supposedly "left" long ago!
Luo Wuya held an ancient staff that seemed to be condensed from stars themselves. The enormous Astral Gem at its tip erupted with dazzling radiance! "Astral Annihilation Wave!" A white beam condensed to the extreme, as though it could pierce through the stars, tore through space and shot straight toward Qiu Qianchen's back!
Lin Jingshen became one with his sword, his entire body transforming into a violet lightning sword light that streaked across the heavens, so fast it surpassed thought itself! "God-Shocking Strike!" The sword light was peerlessly sharp, containing a resolute will to sever all things, aimed directly at Qiu Qianchen's head!
The two had lurked in ambush for a long time, ready to strike, and their first move was a thunderous killing blow! Their timing was flawless, chosen precisely for the instant when Qiu Qianchen was unleashing his divine skill with all his power, his mind most agitated and his defenses at their weakest!
"What?!!" The savage smile on Qiu Qianchen's face instantly turned into boundless terror and horror! He sensed the two terrifying powers behind him, each enough to kill him. He wanted to turn and defend himself, but it was already too late! The massive Netherworld Annihilation Palm lost the support of continued power, trembling violently in midair and nearly collapsing.
"No—!" He could only frantically mobilize his remaining divine power to form a hasty Netherworld shield behind him.
"Boom!!!!"
The astral beam and the God-Shocking sword light struck the Netherworld shield almost simultaneously! The hastily formed shield shattered instantly like paper! The beam and sword light continued unabated, slamming solidly into Qiu Qianchen's divine body!
"Aah—!!!"
A scream of utmost misery tore through the sky! Qiu Qianchen plummeted brutally from the heavens like a kite with its string cut, spraying golden divine blood from his mouth. His back was a mangled mass of flesh, blackened burns interwoven with sword wounds. White astral power and violet lightning sword qi raged wildly through his wounds like parasites attached to the bone, preventing his divine body from repairing itself. Even more terrifyingly, his left arm had been severed at the shoulder, the wound as smooth as a mirror—it had been cut off by Lin Jingshen's God-Shocking Strike! Golden divine blood streamed from the severed limb like a small creek.
"Thud!" Qiu Qianchen crashed heavily into the wilderness outside Heavenly Phoenix City, kicking up clouds of dust. He tried to struggle, but Luo Wuya and Lin Jingshen descended like shadows. Two powerful seals of divine power, like shackles, instantly suppressed him firmly, leaving him unable to move even an inch. His aura had weakened to the extreme.
This sudden, earthshaking reversal took place in the span of a spark!
Du Yunhe and Xie Miaojiang, who had been fiercely battling Li Yunming and Dongyue Xian, suddenly froze. The triumphant expressions on their faces completely stiffened, turning into boundless shock and horror!
The two instinctively broke away from the battle at once, retreating rapidly before gathering together. They stared in disbelief at the suddenly appearing Luo Wuya and Lin Jingshen, as well as Qiu Qianchen below, who had been suppressed and left in a miserable state.
"Luo Wuya! Lin Jingshen! You... you never left?!" Xie Miaojiang's voice trembled slightly, and the poisonous mist around him churned violently with his intense emotional turmoil.
Du Yunhe's expression was even uglier. He stared fixedly at the Astral Staff in Luo Wuya's hand and the God-Shocking Sword in Lin Jingshen's hand, which flickered with lightning. Then he looked at Dongyue Xian and Li Yunming, who had expended considerable strength but whose fighting spirit had only grown fiercer. His heart sank instantly to the bottom.
Three against four! And the other side had been waiting at leisure, while Qiu Qianchen had been severely wounded and lost his combat ability in a single exchange... Now it should be two against four. They had been careless; they should never have involved themselves in this mess.
The situation had reversed in an instant!
Li Yunming stood with his spear in hand, the Sky-Piercing Divine Spear pointed at Du Yunhe. His voice was icy. "Now, do you still think you can take my divine spear?"
The Heavenly Heart Ring's radiance flowed around Dongyue Xian, its life aura locking onto Xie Miaojiang. His tone carried mockery. "Xie Miaojiang, it seems that today, we will see whose martial soul changes hands."
Luo Wuya and Lin Jingshen continued suppressing Qiu Qianchen, their cold gazes also turning toward the remaining two uninvited guests. Killing intent rose once more between heaven and earth, but this time, the roles of hunter and prey had already been reversed.
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