" Heaven-Smiting Thunder... Heavenly thunder roars!"
Eight beams of colorful light shot towards the suspended ring of shadows from eight directions. The dazzling white light was so intense that everyone was forced to close their eyes. A tremendous and unparalleled force swept over, and even a cultivation master like Li Qiang could not resist it, being forced to retreat rapidly by the force.
The dull thunder rumbled with bursts of furious roars, shaking the heavens and earth, and changing the color of the wind and clouds.
No one expected the eight-ringed interlocking Tower-Subduing Heavenly Thunder to be so powerful. Even the cultivators of Heavenly Halberd Peak hadn't anticipated it, as they usually practiced only the five-ringed version and had never tried the eight-ringed Heaven-Smiting Thunder.
Li Qiang suddenly felt a lightness in his body, and heard the Divine Envoy Kaben shout, "The power that imprisoned the Wild Plains has dissipated!"
Li Qiang looked around and saw that many cultivators with lower cultivation levels had fallen to the ground, looking quite disheveled. Under the bombardment of the Heaven-Smiting Thunder, the entire Wild Plains ruins were filled with smoke and dust, and the central area was like a volcanic eruption, with thick columns of smoke shooting into the sky.
Li Qiang exclaimed inwardly, "Damn, this is almost like a nuclear explosion! The Heaven-Smiting Thunder is truly terrifying!"
Divine Envoy Kaben's face turned deathly pale. His power was weak, and his endurance was poor. He asked anxiously, "Has the demon been destroyed?"
Geng Feng shouted, "We're definitely doomed! Who can withstand such powerful heavenly lightning?"
White-Haired Wu Chen stared intently at the smoke and dust, and said calmly, "Not necessarily. The demon's Divine Ability are extraordinary."
As the smoke gradually dissipated, the Devil Creature shrouded in black mist were almost entirely wiped out by the Heaven-Smiting Thunder. The ruins were littered with broken bones and mangled flesh, and black blood flowed freely in the low-lying areas. The entrance to the crypt was more than twice as large as before, and wisps of blue smoke rose from the dark opening. The Blood Fiend in the sky seemed very impatient and had already pressed down from high above, approaching the arrayed experts of Heavenly Halberd Peak.
Lu Chengchao called out, "Second preparation..."
Li Qiang said, "It seems that the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch has been killed; there's nothing left at the cave entrance."
Wu Chen suddenly shouted, "Everyone, use your flying swords for self-defense! Be quick!" The last two words resounded like thunder, and he used his True Essence Power to unleash them.
Upon hearing the shout, the surrounding cultivators immediately launched their flying swords. Wu Chen also unleashed his own flying sword, which was quite unique, resembling countless silver stars orbiting around him.
Wu Chen's usually calm voice suddenly became somewhat anxious. "Come to my side! Form a sword circle!" Li Qiang, Tianhong, Geng Feng, and the Divine Envoy Kaben and joined in.
Just as the Divine Envoy Kaben was about to ask something, before he could speak, the surroundings suddenly turned blood red. Apart from the few people who formed the sword formation, everything around them was completely obscured and nothing could be seen.
Wu Chen, "Brother! The Golden Lotus Jade Throne!"
Li Qiang cast the incantation downwards, and a golden light appeared beneath the feet of the group.
Tianhong looked very nervous. "This is the Heaven-Governing Asura! Damn it! This demon is cultivating the Shamo Demon... Huh? Where did you get this Buddha Sect treasure, brother?" He was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth.
That point of golden light suddenly transformed into a golden lotus platform, with countless golden needles shooting out from the tips of its petals, enveloping them all inside.
Wu Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Good heavens, it truly lives up to its reputation as Buddha Sect treasure. Let's prepare to rescue them!" With the appearance of the Heaven-Governing Asura, he knew that a great calamity was imminent. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He never expected that he would encounter the birth of a demon so soon after escaping the Great Illusion Buddha Realm. This was truly a nightmare for cultivators.
The Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch had one of his Primordial Spirit destroyed by Li Qiang's Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder. He was injured before he was even born. Just as he was lured out of the cave by the Blood Fiend, he was blasted back into the cave by the Heaven-Smiting Thunder and injured again. These two setbacks aroused his demonic nature, and he spat out the Heaven-Governing Asura, which was his third Primordial Spirit and the most famous demonic treasure of the Black Devil Dao.
If he doesn't unite with the bloodthirsty aura in the sky, the Heavenly Tribulation will arrive ahead of schedule.
The Heaven-Governing Asura an extremely insidious demonic artifact, which ordinary cultivators simply cannot withstand. Once possessed by this Sha Qi, they will immediately be refined by it. Apart from Li Qiang and his few companions who remained unharmed within the Golden Lotus Jade Throne, the other cultivators scattered and fled. About a hundred cultivators were trapped within the Heaven-Governing Asura, struggling desperately. Their flying swords could temporarily resist the Heaven-Governing Asura's attacks, but they could not hold out for long; if left unchecked, their swords would surely be destroyed and they would perish.
The experts of Heavenly Halberd Peak didn't have time to unleash a second Heaven-Smiting Thunder, but they knew more about Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch's methods. As soon Heaven-Governing Asura appeared, they rose above the Blood Fiend and rearranged the Tower-Subduing Heavenly Thunder.
Shi Qingming of the Abyssal Cavern Sect was inwardly groaning. He had also been caught in the Heaven-Governing Asura while trying to save his disciples. His cultivation was high, at the mid-stage of the Leaving the Body Realm, but his flying sword was quite ordinary, a refined water-based flying sword. He desperately tried to get closer to his disciples, but the surrounding Heaven-Governing Asura seemed to slow down his sword light like glue. He saw a disciple fall to the ground screaming in agony because he couldn't withstand the attack of the Heaven-Governing Asura. He was so angry that his eyes turned red, and he roared loudly while raising his hand to unleash Yang Gang Thunder.
The normally powerful Yang Gang Thunder struck the Heaven-Governing Asura, producing only a muffled explosion, utterly ineffective. A feeling of powerlessness welled up within him. Just then, countless golden rays shot towards him, and he immediately felt his flying sword lighten. Looking closely, he was overjoyed to see that Li Qiang had arrived.
Amidst the chaos, the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch swiftly ascended into the air, and in the blink of an eye, he plunged into the blood-red aura above. He let out a triumphant, eerie cry, the sound of which was so unpleasant that everyone found it unbearable.
The Golden Lotus Jade Throne beneath Li Qiang truly lived up to its reputation as Buddha Sect treasure; the golden light it emitted completely annihilated the Heaven-Governing Asura within a radius of thirty to forty meters. Li Qiang urged the golden lotus to rise upwards, gathering cultivators trapped within the Heaven-Governing Asura along the way.
Ascending above the Heaven-Governing Asura, Wu Chen spotted the churning blood demon and exclaimed in surprise, "Brother! Use the most powerful of the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands to strike that blood demon!" He had already discerned that Li Qiang possessed Buddha Sect martial Buddha Sect, which had a significant restraining effect on demonic forces.
The blood-red aura had shrunk into a massive sphere, like a grotesque mass of bloody, rotting flesh, writhing and groaning—a truly horrifying sight. Above the blood mass still hung the ring of the Tower-Subduing Heavenly Thunder, but only six remained; two others appeared to be trapped within the Heaven-Governing Asura. Now was the crucial moment for Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch's success or failure, and the cultivators of Heavenly Halberd Peak had no time to attend to their companions trapped in the Heaven-Governing Asura; they activated the Tower-Subduing Heavenly Thunder once more.
Li Qiang was also preparing his Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder from the side, this time attempting to use Six-Layer Stacking. Wu Chen was extremely experienced; he had fought against the Buddha Sect for many years and knew Buddha Sect very well. As soon as he saw Li Qiang's starting gesture, he knew it was extraordinary. He had seen Buddha Sect elder use this move before; it had a name called " Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder," and its terrifying level was comparable to the Heavenly Tribulation during a tribulation. He was both surprised and delighted that Li Qiang also knew this move.
Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch was furious. He knew that if he were attacked at this moment, he might never reach the highest realm of the Black Devil Realm. Although he was already immortal and could be said to fear nothing except for Heavenly Tribulation, this was the most critical moment. If he was injured now, it would mean that he would never be able to recover.
He sensed something was wrong and also vaguely felt a strange force from the side, which made him extremely uneasy. In his fear and helplessness, he quickly summoned back the Heaven-Governing Asura to protect himself.
The Tower-Subduing Heavenly Thunder was finally ready again, and a series of shouts came from above, "Six rings interlocked... Heaven-Smiting Thunder! Heavenly Thunder move!" Six beams of light shot into the rings. At the same time, someone shouted, "Everyone else, get out of the way! Get out of the range of the Heavenly Thunder!" Those cultivators who had managed to escape the Heaven-Governing Asura's wrath desperately scrambled outwards, knowing that being Heaven-Smiting Thunder would be fatal.
The mass of flesh churned violently, Heaven-Governing Asura condensed into a protective barrier, enveloping the mass of blood.
Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch was so angry he was practically going mad. He had to merge with the Blood Fiend to undergo his first transformation, and he couldn't afford to be distracted by the attacks from the outside. If it weren't for the Blood Fiend's presence, he wouldn't have cared about these mere few hundred cultivators at all.
The Heaven-Smiting Thunder struck again, but this time its power was much less.
Li Qiang discovered that the Six-Layer Stacking Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder was completely different from the previous five methods, which required all his energy to inscribe. Fortunately, his skill had increased significantly when he emerged from the Buddha Dust, especially as he had learned to control the essence of the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands. He finally managed to complete the incantation inscribed with hand gestures and mental focus.
The Golden Lotus Jade Throne is a treasure that can change size at will. More than twenty cultivators stood inside. The moment Li Qiang completed his hand gesture, an astonishing change occurred. Countless golden rays flew from the horizon, converging on him at incredible speed. Simultaneously, his entire body radiated dazzling golden light, making him appear like a statue made of pure gold. Everyone was pushed to the edge of the Golden Lotus Jade Throne by the energy he emitted, even experts like Wu Chen and Tianhong.
Geng Feng was so envious he was practically drooling. He muttered to himself, "Good lad, every time I see you, you open my eyes to Fengzi. Damn it, where did you learn all these strange and Fengzi tricks? When will I ever get this lucky? I'll be laughing Fengzi head off! Sigh! Comparison is the thief of joy!"
At this moment, Li Qiang felt extremely frightened, because he found that he couldn't seem to unleash the Six-Layer Stacking he had created. It was as if something was firmly stuck to his hand, while all his True Essence Power was frantically surging into the spiritual technique.
Upon seeing this, Wu Chen was greatly alarmed. A thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly realized: Li Qiang's skill was insufficient. He shouted loudly, "Brother Tianhong, Fengzi, let's help!"
Wu Chen tried to approach Li Qiang, but the golden light emanating from Li Qiang prevented him from taking a step. The White-Haired Wu Chen was indeed extraordinary. He slammed his hand on the Golden Lotus Jade Throne and said in a deep voice, "You all transfer your True Essence Power to me, and I will transfer it to my brother. Quickly!" Tianhong put his hand on Wu Chen's shoulder, Geng Feng, the Divine Envoy Kaben, and Shi Qingming from the Abyssal Cavern Sect also reached out their hands. Wu Chen immediately sent his True Essence Power over.
Li Qiang was caught between life and death. He hadn't expected that a single spiritual technique would require so much True Essence Power. The Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder was the most powerful move among the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands, and it couldn't be used recklessly without a certain level of cultivation. Li Qiang had always been incredibly daring when it came to refining weapons, testing techniques, and experimenting with Law Treasure, and this time was no exception. He tried his best to control the speed at which his True Essence Power flowed into the spiritual technique, and just when he was at his breaking point, a huge surge of True Essence Power came from the soles of his feet. Li Qiang was overjoyed, knowing that Wu Chen had come to his aid, and hurriedly guided this surge of True Essence Power into the spiritual technique.
White-Haired Wu Chen, possessed extremely high cultivation. He combined the True Essence Power of everyone and rapidly sent it from the golden lotus into Li Qiang's body.
Li Qiang took a deep breath and shouted, "Go!" A crescent-shaped golden light shot out from his hand. On the surface, its power seemed to be less than the combined effect of four layers. After releasing the spiritual technique, Li Qiang felt weak all over and saw stars. He didn't care about the effect of the attack and immediately grabbed two Immortal Stone to recover quickly.
The cultivators of Heavenly Halberd Peak were astonished to find that the Heaven-Smiting Thunder had only dispersed the Heaven-Governing Asura King, without harming the Blood Baleful Intent Patriarch inside. They saw that the churning flesh inside had already begun to take shape. The Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch had sacrificed two of his Primordial Spirit for this transformation; if he succeeded, most of the cultivators here would be doomed.
The Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder that Li Qiang unleashed—that faint, crescent-shaped golden light—did not strike the mass of flesh directly. Instead, it slowly revolved around it, gradually increasing in speed and emitting a strange buzzing sound.
None of the cultivators present understood what Li Qiang had just unleashed. Only Wu Chen had seen it before, and he shouted, "Everyone, step back! Step back now!"
The Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch suddenly roared wildly. He was about to take shape, but he also sensed the impending danger. Helplessly, he had no strength left to resist and could only roar and howl angrily.
Under the rapid rotation of the moon's golden light, the mass of flesh and blood was completely obscured by the golden light.
Someone shouted, "Look everyone, what's that?"
A beam of white light shot into the golden light, followed by a beam of red light, then a beam of Blue Light. All these lights appeared out of thin air, as if countless invisible deities were wielding Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch. Each beam of light emitted a deafening thunderclap, the thunderclaps growing louder and more frequent until, gradually, people saw colorful light radiating everywhere and heard a continuous barrage of thunderclaps.
Wu Chen sighed, " Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder... Heh! Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder! One tribulation leads to a hundred tribulations... He can never cultivate to the level of Gods and Devils in the Black Devil Dao again. Even if he were to start cultivating again, there would be absolutely no time left. We were really lucky."
Geng Feng asked doubtfully, "Senior, is he really that powerful? Even the Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder couldn't destroy him?" He found it unbelievable.
Wu Chen, his white hair fluttering, approached Li Qiang, placed his hand on his shoulder, and infused him with a surge of pure True Essence Power before saying, "Destroy him? That's impossible. He's already a demon. After being Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder, hehe, even if he transforms and metamorphoses, his power will be limited. At the very least, cultivators can resist him."
Geng Feng was secretly surprised. He understood what Wu Chen meant. In other words, if the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch had not been struck by the Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder, cultivators would not be able to withstand it at all.
Suddenly, the thunder stopped, and the mass of flesh and blood suddenly lit up. A desperate roar came from within the flesh and blood, followed by a series of popping sounds, like firecrackers during a festival. The mass of flesh and blood formed from the blood demon tore open with countless cracks, and stench spread everywhere. Suddenly, golden light flashed, and with a loud bang, the mass of flesh and blood exploded.
Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch's hope of rebuilding his demonic body was completely destroyed by Li Qiang's Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder. This kind of demonic body can be used to resist Heavenly Tribulation, which means that Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch will never be able to become the most powerful Gods and Devils in the Black Devil Realm.
A naked red shadow was left in the sky, looking around blankly.
For a moment, everyone was dumbfounded, unable to figure out what this red shadow was. Only Wu Chen and a few other experts knew that it was the demonic primordial Primordial Spirit of the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch.
"Ancestor, save me! Ancestor, save me!" Ming Lingzi flew up from the ground, his armor was shattered, and his flying sword was dull and lifeless. He looked extremely disheveled.
The crimson shadow of the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch seemed to have found its target. It flashed to his side, let out a strange laugh, and suddenly darted into Ming Lingzi's body. Ming Lingzi screamed in agony, "No! Master... Master... save me... ah... no... no..."
A cultivator in the sky shouted, " Ming Lingzi! You fool!" A beam of white light struck Ming Lingzi's crown. His master, unable to bear it any longer, intervened.
Ming Lingzi's Nascent Soul struggled to fly out of his physical body, its body wrapped in long red threads. His Nascent Soul body, however, chuckled sinisterly, "Run? Dream on!" Suddenly, it opened its mouth and spewed out a thick red mist that enveloped Ming Lingzi's Nascent Soul soul. The Nascent Soul let out a miserable scream and was swallowed up by the gaping maw of the physical body.
Wu Chen exclaimed, "Body-stealing and soul-devouring! Damn it, this Ming Lingzi is an idiot; he dares to approach a demon."
Li Qiang finally opened his eyes. With Wu Chen's help, he quickly recovered his strength. He secretly vowed never to use the Hundred Tribulations Divine Thunder again; this move was ridiculously powerful and could easily cost him his life. He made a hand seal and put away the Golden Lotus Jade Throne, as this treasure also consumed a lot of True Essence Power.
He asked, "Brother, how did it go? Did you wipe out Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch?" Wu Chen pointed to the air, and Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, " Ming Lingzi?"
Wu Chen, "That's Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch. He seized Ming Lingzi's physical body and devoured his Nascent Soul. However, he can no longer cultivate into a god or Gods and Devils." Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch kept circling in the air, and it was clear that he was extremely angry.
Some cultivators had already stepped forward to fight him, and more and more cultivators joined in. Li Qiang laughed, "Haha! A group fight, huh?"
Tianhong shook his head and said, "Fighting like this won't work. He doesn't seem to have the ability to fight back yet. But once he Fusion Ming Lingzi's original form, things will probably be different."
Geng Feng, eager to try, said, "I'm going up there! Hehe, let's have some fun!"
He unleashed his flying sword and was about to step forward when Tianhong grabbed him, saying, "What's the rush? There'll be plenty of fighting later. Don't get impatient, just wait!"
Geng Feng smiled wryly, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" He dared not disobey his elders.
Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch was chased wildly by the cultivators. He had long forgotten that he was originally a peerless master in the Cultivation Realm. This was the first time he had ever been chased in such a miserable state. He howled as he fled. He was unable to fight back at the moment. He first had to demonize Ming Lingzi's body.
Wu Chen had no intention of making a move. He had already vaguely guessed who Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch was from his evasive Movement Method, and couldn't help but sigh, "Heavens! A great master... so tragically enduring... Alas!"
Geng Feng looked at Wu Chen, puzzled, and wondered, "What 'master of a generation'? Who is that?"
Li Qiang understood, because he knew that Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch was an unparalleled master who had entered the Mahayana Realm, but had fallen to such a state because his physical body had been destroyed by a divine artifact.
Wu Chen looked up at the sky and muttered to himself, "Three peerless masters, what a pity! What a pity!" He suddenly felt listless and lost.
With a bloodcurdling scream, the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch's arm was shredded by the flying sword, revealing his crimson demonic arm. That demonic arm suddenly transformed into countless red threads, enveloping the cultivator who had injured his arm. The man's expression was one of surprise, fear, and disbelief, as if he thought this was utterly impossible. In that instant of stunned silence, he suddenly exploded, a mass of flesh and blood torn away. His armor and the surrounding flying swords were like decorations, utterly useless.
With a raucous laugh, the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch charged forward. The mass of flesh and blood was absorbed into his body like a moth drawn to a flame, and instantly, a perfectly intact arm grew back.
The terrifying sight shocked the cultivators who were besieging him, and they all retreated hastily. Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch finally bought this precious moment, Ming Lingzi's original body suddenly shattered into a pulp, Fusion with the demonic body.
Someone shouted, "Attack quickly! Don't give him a chance to breathe!" Seven or eight sword lights shot towards him.
Then, the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch Tianji let out a sinister laugh, "Too late! You will all... die!"