Chapter 176: Tempest of Ruin

Splash, splash!

A torrential downpour obscured the endless sky.

The oppressive darkness felt as if night itself had descended.

Winter clouds brought a fiercer force than summer rain, imposing an overwhelming pressure over Jingguang City.

It was as though the heavens were collapsing and the earth shattering.

Guanchao Pavilion.

A carriage dashed along, its wheels churning and splashing water that shattered the puddles in its wake.

After winding through the city, the carriage finally eased its way back into Guanchao Pavilion.

It arrived before an unassuming pavilion.

A figure in a black robe wearing a black iron mask dismounted slowly. Under a bamboo hat braving the relentless winter rain, water pelted the hat and formed a hazy mist.

He knocked on the door. A narrow gap opened and a shadowed figure in a black robe scrutinized him.

Only then was the door opened to let him inside.

Inside the room.

The man with the black iron mask strode quickly, channeling his vital energy to evaporate the moisture clinging to his body.

He entered the chamber where a figure wearing a golden mask was engrossed in handling documents.

Suddenly,

The golden-masked figure halted mid-task, raised his head, and glared at the man in the black iron mask, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“Is there someone tailing you?”

The man in the black iron mask froze. “Why would you say that, sir?”

“My Cautious Divine Inquiry skill is trembling… it means you’ve either run into trouble or brought back a tremendous threat.”

In an instant, the golden-masked figure sprang from behind the desk.

His eyes sharpened dramatically.

“But… the fact that even my Cautious Divine Inquiry trembles suggests that your visitor’s strength is far from ordinary.”

With a sweeping motion of his broad sleeves, he exuded a powerful and distorted aura.

“A modest city and yet so many complications unfolding.”

“First, a failed mission resulting in the deaths of two Jiuyiao assassins, and now you have a tail following you…”

“It’s truly exasperating!”

The golden-masked figure sighed deeply.

The operations of Lie Shen Pavilion depended on directives from their headquarters.

If this monthly report reached headquarters, he’d be the laughingstock of the entire organization.

It wasn’t as if Lie Shen Pavilion had just set up shop in Jingguang City; Guanchao Pavilion was managed by their own, a trusted protege of theirs.

Taking over Guanchao Pavilion was supposed to be inevitable.

Suddenly,

The golden-masked man narrowed his eyes, twisted his head, and before long, his figure had stepped outside the doorway.

Crash, crash!

Howling winds and pellet-like raindrops!

The rain pounded onto the golden mask, slowly streaming down.

He stared into the distance where the turbulent wind seemed to carry a massive sunset slowly vanishing into oblivion.

It felt as if a searing heat was emanating from every corner of the world.

“The extinguishing of the Martial Dao will, in its indignation, bellow at the heavens…”

“A Grandmaster has fallen.”

“Within Jingguang City, the only publicly recognized Grandmaster is… Xue Dufu!”

The golden-masked man spoke in a deep, grave tone.

Meanwhile, the man in the black iron mask trembled uncontrollably behind him.

“How can this be?”

“How could Xue Dufu fall?”

“I had just negotiated a cooperation with him—he even offered to finance a hit on Li Che and Zhang Ya’s couple!”

The black-masked man exclaimed in shock.

He had left only moments ago, and yet Xue Dufu, the Grandmaster…

Had been killed in the city!

“That is exactly what happened… a Grandmaster has perished.”

The golden-masked man shook his head, trusting his own perceptions.

“At the Four-Yu Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple… even before the Temple Spirit Resonance was activated, a Grandmaster’s fall has already occurred… disorder is inevitable.”

“As a great opportunity looms, chaos is bound to follow.”

“This Temple Spirit Resonance Assembly may surpass all previous expectations!”

The golden-masked figure remained unnervingly calm.

Around Divine Capital, Daocheng, and other great cities, whenever a Four-Yu Bizarre Temple activated its Bizarre Temple, fate would manifest accompanied by brutal slaughter.

In the fierce scramble for Four-Yu opportunities, even the fall of a Divine Practitioner was hardly surprising.

“But we must clarify: this affair has nothing to do with Lie Shen Pavilion, or else… Xue Dufu, though merely a Divine Giant Grandmaster under Ji Mo Li, would attract unwelcome attention.”

“Don’t be made the scapegoat.”

The golden-masked man’s gentle voice resonated.

The black iron mask man clasped his fists, his entire body trembling slightly.

Shaking his head, the golden-masked man turned back to the desk to resume his unfinished paperwork.

Suddenly,

His steps halted abruptly—as his feet struck the wooden floor,

It was as if a massive drumbeat reverberated outward in a shockwave.

The golden-masked man’s eyes narrowed intensely, his pupils contracting.

A burst of uncontrolled divine aura erupted from him, swirling violently.

Slowly, he turned to gaze toward a distant courtyard.

There…

A wooden carving was silently falling along with the rain.

It depicted a statue of Guanyin seated atop a lotus platform.

Her kind, gentle features and hand gestures forming mystic mudras.

Falling silently with the raindrops.

The golden-masked man’s eyes narrowed further.

Every hair on his body stood on end as scorching heat burst from each pore.

A bone-chilling terror, almost suffocating, surged from his heart the moment he locked eyes with the Guanyin carving!

What is this…

What on earth?!

Why…

It appears to be just a wooden carving, yet it sends shivers down my spine!

As if it could scorch mountains and boil seas!

As if it could snuff out life itself!

But still…

It’s merely a wooden carving!

Then in an instant,

The golden-masked man’s vital energy surged uncontrollably; enveloped in his overwhelming divine aura, a Divine Essence Golden Pill materialized in an instant!

Countless divine energies burst forth from his back like dazzling radiance.

That black-masked man was instantly pinned to the ground by the crushing pressure of the Divine Practitioner’s rank.

With clenched fingers, the very air solidified around him.

The Guanyin wooden carving, nearly about to crash down, was sealed and frozen by his formidable divine cultivation.

Countless raindrops coalesced into a hand, attempting to lift the Guanyin statue!

Yet…

It was unbearably heavy!

Incomparable weight crushing down!

The Guanyin statue toppled like a mountain collapsing.

He…

Could not hold it up!

The hand formed from raindrops shattered like broken glass.

And then the Guanyin statue slammed into the ground.

In the golden-masked man’s eyes…

The Guanyin statue began to swell, distort, bulge, and shatter apart!

The gentle, compassionate visage of Guanyin warped into a horrific mask before exploding into fragments!

Light!

A blinding burst of radiance!

It erupted from the remnants of the Guanyin statue!

One divine chess piece after another, formed of condensed divine energy, exploded in a dazzling display of light and heat as they clashed!

The terrifying force contained within was beyond measure…

The golden-masked man felt as if his very spirit had been encased in ice!

“Run—!!!!”

A voice roared in anger.

The golden-masked man stomped forcefully on his toes.

Before his body could even surge forth,

An explosion…

Happened in an instant!

Boom——!!!!

As endless light, shockwaves, and scorching torrents of destructive energy erupted amidst the turbulent divine force,

A piercing explosion rang out, echoing in the distance.

It was like thunder clashing in the heavens, striking down like a falling meteor on the mortal realm!

Unbridled light and heat burst forth in that split second!

A massive sphere of light expanded relentlessly until the ground shattered; under its seemingly slow yet rapidly expanding glow, the earth crumbled like paper.

Countless fragments of stone exploded upward before being vaporized into dust by the dreadful light and heat!

Amid the howling winds, everything was obliterated without mercy!

The ground felt as if it were struck by a colossal meteor from the heavens.

It rumbled, then stilled, only to surge like tidal waves!

The ground transformed into a fragile, water-like surface!

The world overturned!

The sky burned, and the seas boiled!

Boom——!!!!

A spectacular inferno broke out!

The black-masked man barely had time to turn when the sight of a dazzling, blazing sun erupted in his view, overwhelming his senses!

…

…

A Grandmaster had perished!

His indomitable Martial Dao will linger in the air, sending chills down the spines of Jingguang City’s mightiest warriors.

Even the furious, thunderous rain could not wash away the profound resentment left by this fallen Grandmaster.

This was no ordinary Grandmaster!

His Martial Dao will was so solid it could level any warrior beneath him, freezing their energy and halting their movements!

It was an oppressive force rivaling that of divine ranks!

Yet, such a figure had been slain!

Murdered openly on Long Street!

Worse, his death was only discovered post-mortem,

With no one witnessing the magnificent spectacle of the Grandmaster’s demise—a moment that would have forever etched Jingguang City’s history!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——

The sound of tearing through the air reverberated among the ruins as

Figures rushed in, each with eyes filled with grave determination.

The Patriarchs of the Four Great Clans of Divine Vision, along with many Virtual Forms and Grandmasters, stood at the edge of the vast crater.

They stared at the blood-red, molten remnants corroding the ground within the deep pit.

Stunned and speechless.

“A Grandmaster has truly died…”

Qin Di Kun’s eyes flickered with shock and disbelief.

“Who did it?”

The venerable patriarch of the Hai Family’s features were etched with solemnity, a trace of terror in his eyes.

He knew that a killer capable of dispatching Grandmasters could easily eliminate those Divine Vision experts as well.

Qin Di Kun stepped into the ruins.

Crack, crack, crack——

The remnants of burning heat and the overwhelming Martial Dao will of the fallen Grandmaster continued to surge!

He crouched slowly near the wreckage and picked up an intensely heated arrow.

“Crimson Flame Shattered Star Arrow…”

“This is the divine archery technique of Wen Longshan, the great archer…”

The moment Qin Di Kun grasped the arrowhead, he could feel the terrifying truth energy and chaotic divine aura seeping from it, like venomous snakes ready to strike.

His face convulsed repeatedly.

Who could it be?

Such vicious divine energy, such domineering true energy!

But most importantly…

The one who killed Grandmaster Xue Dufu was none other than a Grandmaster!

The lingering true energy on the arrow confirmed it!

“A Grandmaster killing a Grandmaster…”

Qin Di Kun’s face grew somber, his eyes flickering with a mysterious light.

“Such strength… such mortal form…”

While a Grandmaster killing another is rare compared to clashes between Divine Vision and Divine Essence,

it is still almost unheard of.

For even among warriors, the suppression between energies is never as absolute as that between divine ranks.

Yet it is an extremely rare occurrence.

For a Grandmaster to emerge from such dire straits, his body must have been honed into something terrifying—a towering divine presence beyond compare!

The aura reached three feet high, shattering defenses for three fathoms!

That alone demonstrated the stark difference between a Grandmaster and an ordinary one!

“Who did it?”

“I don’t know… but you can probably guess, right?”

“Do you all remember that battle a few days ago between the Underworld Divine Monkey and Grandmaster Xue Dufu?”

Many experts exchanged glances and murmured among themselves.

Suddenly,

Those who were still peering at the ruined ground felt an intense tremor in their hearts.

They sensed the earth begin to shake violently!

Even the relentless downpour halted in an instant!

Everyone felt as if they were on a swaying ship, tossed about by the turbulent waves!

Qin Di Kun’s hairs stood on end as he jerked his head around.

Several of the Patriarchs of Divine Vision ascended into the air as if taking flight.

Then,

They saw…

Beneath the darkened clouds, the gloom transformed into a dazzling daylight!

Light!

Endless radiance soared from one sector of the Capital in an instant!

All sound and light in their eyes were overwhelmed by that brilliantly rising light!

Leaving only boundless emptiness and a daze!

Destruction!

A ferocious aura of annihilation exploded within Jingguang City!

The earth cracked and mountains crumbled!

Every building in the Capital trembled as though struck by a catastrophic natural calamity akin to a dragon’s roll.

And this…

Was only the beginning.

…

…

City Lord’s Residence.

Crash, crash!

Downpour mixed with fierce winds, howling like lost souls!

Rain like razor-sharp arrows descended en masse from the skies, each one cleaved apart by the figure seated on blood-stained clouds, brandishing a long spear to split a headless corpse.

The figure wearing the Divine Monkey Mask had golden flames glistening in his eyes.

A carefree, unruly laugh burst from his lips.

In an instant, silence fell over the entire City Lord’s Residence.

Inside the mansion,

Little Prince Ji Haihui diligently nurtured his divine aura, yet felt an unprecedented agitation and unease.

He opened his eyes—the Dragon God Purple Gaze flickering like a mirror reflecting streams of light.

A dark silhouette silently appeared behind him.

“Little Prince… something’s happened.”

“Xue Dufu… is dead.”

The deep, somber words from the dark figure turned Ji Haihui’s face ashen in an instant.

“How… how could this be?”

Wasn’t Xue Dufu supposed to be out on a mission for Lie Shen Pavilion?

How could he have died?

From the Underworld’s Divine Monkey came the tidings that,

outside the mansion,

the headless corpse of Xue Dufu was being hoisted by the Divine Monkey…

“The Underworld Divine Monkey has killed Xue Dufu.”

The Divine Guardian from the Black Armor Blood Guards spoke slowly.

Ji Haihui swayed—this was a Grandmaster after all, albeit a fledgling Divine Giant Grandmaster.

Yet upon ascending to the realm of Grandmasters, everything changed!

His refined Martial Dao was terrifying; on the battlefield, a Grandmaster could stand against a thousand elite warriors!

“This is a provocation.”

The Divine Guardian sighed softly.

Little Prince must have angered someone who shouldn’t have been trifled with, or…

Perhaps it was the enemy of the Prince?

The enemies of King Ping Luan and Ji Mo Li were spread across the lands, and directing their wrath toward Ji Haihui wasn’t uncommon.

“Little Prince, I’ll go take a look around.”

The calm voice of the dark figure resonated.

“With Black Armor Blood Guards protecting you, you’ll be safe.”

Ji Haihui’s mouth opened slightly as a weight settled on his heart.

The death of Grandmaster Xue Dufu was enough to instill a deep fear within him.

Before long, the Divine Guardian vanished.

The door opened.

Six Black Armor Blood Guards entered in single file, surrounding the Little Prince protectively.

Each gripped the slender hilt of their Zhanma Dao.

Yet,

As soon as the door swung open!

The ground trembled violently!

Inside his room, Little Prince Ji Haihui witnessed a brilliantly blooming mushroom cloud, slowly rising into view!

It was as if the most dazzling fireworks were illuminating the darkness.

…

…

At the City Lord’s Residence entrance,

Su Huai Li, attired in scholarly robes and flanked by elite members of the Divine Guard Army, appeared before the great gates, staring at the Divine Monkey seated on blood clouds.

With one deft throw by the Divine Monkey,

Xue Dufu’s headless corpse soared high, tracing a parabolic arc,

Before slamming back to earth.

A spray of water, over three feet high, erupted, mingled with a potent, acrid scent of blood!

Su Huai Li’s eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the corpse lying on the ground, his chest heaving with each breath.

The elite of the Divine Guard Army exchanged anxious glances.

The Divine Monkey let out a soft chuckle, “Let the Little Prince wait…”

“One after another.”

Boom——!!!

Abruptly, a powerful surge of divine energy coalesced with rain, forming an enormous, terrifying hand that slammed down!

The oppressive aura of divine rank seemed to freeze both time and space.

Countless raindrops exploded into fine dust!

Yet,

The Divine Monkey, seated atop a swirling cascade of vital energy, vanished in an instant, ignoring the oppressive divine rank of the Divine Practitioner, as he dashed far away.

The Shadow Guard Divine Practitioner floated, shrouded entirely in darkness.

His indifferent eyes pierced through the torrential, piercing rain as he watched the audacious Divine Monkey.

The practitioner’s feelings were complex—Xue Dufu had been his comrade…

Protector of Little Prince Ji Haihui.

Yet now, with Xue Dufu dead, he felt a pang of shared sorrow.

“Divine Monkey… you said one after another…”

“Does that include me?”

“A Divine Practitioner?!”

A dazzling Divine Essence Golden Pill slowly rose behind him, like a moon ascending over the sea.

Beneath the Divine Monkey’s mask, his eyes shone with unyielding golden brilliance, fearless and smiling.

He replied, “Naturally.”

As his words faded, the Divine Monkey clenched his fingers; a light laugh resonated from beneath his mask.

“Boom——”

The Divine Monkey pressed his fingers against the side of his mask like budding flowers, then let them disperse as if simulating the sound of an explosion.

The Divine Guardian froze, his eyes shrinking in shock.

Just as the Divine Monkey’s explosive motion concluded,

He vanished from sight.

At the horizon’s edge…

A brilliantly radiant, golden mushroom cloud unfurled.

It surged skyward!

Like a clap of thunder on a tranquil plain!

What was this…

What?!

…

…

Rumble, rumble!

The shockwaves roared!

Destruction!

The darkness was swept away, revealing daylight as a colossal mushroom cloud ascended over a hundred meters high before thick, searing smoke began to descend.

The entire earth seemed like a tossed carpet as countless bluestones shattered into oblivion.

The ground heaved violently…

The land buckled and sank, and shockwaves blasted outward, scattering mountains of dust!

A terrifying gale roared, searing heat spread relentlessly!

Sweeping vast clouds of sand and debris!

Tens, hundreds, even thousands of feet high!

The shockwave formed a circular surge of white, carrying dust and sand in every direction!

Buildings trembled; those in close proximity collapsed instantly under the onslaught!

An explosion equivalent to one hundred and fifty Divine Perception Divine Chess Pieces!

It was utterly horrifying!

The entire Guanchao Pavilion crumbled in a moment, its pavilions and structures obliterated, reduced to ashes!

The devastating shockwave ravaged everything in its path, tearing apart all in its wake!

“Damn it—!!!!”

A roar of anger and despair echoed, yet it was drowned out by the explosive roar!

At the center, the golden-masked man chose to flee immediately; he unleashed his Divine Essence Golden Pill to its peak.

The tremendous divine energy he invoked formed a protective shield around him, deflecting the searing, terrifying shockwave.

But the explosive divine force from the Guanyin Lotus Bullet was not solely destructive—it also carried a corrosive and devastating divine radiation!

The protective shield lasted less than three heartbeats before it was riddled with cracks and shattered, forcing him to escape at full speed.

He burst out of the collapsing pavilion, his clothes scorched by flames, as the expanding fireball propelled him forward like a cannonball,

Crashing into the raging Jiulong River, which surged tens of meters high under the assault of the shockwave.

Countless torrents crashed and splintered, rocks hurled through the air!

The golden-masked man reappeared from the river, crouched miserably on its surface.

Much of his golden mask had melted away from the searing high temperatures.

Beneath the ruined mask, his eyes were fixed in shock at the dazzling, destructive scene before him.

Even the Divine Practitioner had, at that moment, felt a bone-chilling terror.

“Its explosive power nearly matches that unleashed by a fully committed Six-Divine Practitioner-level divine technique…”

“Under such divine might… one will either die or be grievously injured.”

His expression was grim.

The sheer destructive force was overwhelming.

Moreover, caught completely off-guard,

He, a Divine Practitioner with immense divine power, had to brace himself just to escape.

But…

The foundation of Lie Shen Pavilion in Jingguang City

Might be utterly annihilated!

Guanchao Pavilion…

Is no more!

Who was it?!

Who on earth was responsible?!

Fury surged out of him without reservation—the golden-masked Lie Shen Pavilion Master never imagined he’d be struck by such a crushing blow!

Soon, the golden-masked man recalled something.

Among various reports, he had heard accounts of mushroom fireworks.

This wasn’t the first time such a display had been unleashed.

“Underworld…”

The Lie Shen Pavilion Master’s thoughts coalesced around one name.

Cold, hard, bubbling with fury—could it be the intimidation of the Underworld?!

Smoke and dust still swirled, yet the mushroom cloud above, towering over a hundred meters, continued to churn!

It spread out like a gigantic parasol, seemingly covering half of Jingguang City!

Its spectacle was visible for tens of miles!

…

…

Shendiao Ridge.

A faint tremor was felt.

Lu Yao, meditating on Shendiao Ridge, suddenly sensed something amiss.

As a Divine Practitioner whose Divine Essence Golden Pill had greatly amplified his spiritual power, his senses were incredibly acute.

Even the slightest vibration set off his alertness.

He soared upward eagerly.

At the same time, Tang Sanjia, the master of mechanisms on Shendiao Ridge, also broke through the confines of the air.

The two exchanged a knowing glance and a silent smile.

Then they looked toward the Capital,

And saw a brilliant mushroom cloud blooming beneath dense black clouds!

Lu Yao’s expression shifted subtly.

City Lord’s Residence…

Something major was unfolding!

Tang Sanjia stroked his beard, his simple clothes billowing, his eyes sparkling with determination.

Gazing upon the resplendent mushroom firework,

A faint, wry smile played at the corner of his mouth.

“How beautiful those fireworks are.”

“Beneath them, the whole world feels purified.”

“It’s truly magnificent.”

Tang Sanjia felt a strange familiarity with the mushroom cloud over City Lord’s Residence.

His mind involuntarily recalled the kindly visage of the Guanyin Blood Lotus carving.

Then the Guanyin face slowly transformed…

Merging into the gentle smile that once graced Li Che’s lips.

Tang Sanjia was overcome by a momentary daze.

The Guanyin Lotus of Scorching Mountains and Boiling Seas…

Had he succeeded?

…

…

On Jinguang Peak.

Not far from the explosion, the shockwave pounded into the mountain, causing the entire peak to tremble.

XiXi was practicing martial arts on Jinguang Peak.

At the moment the explosion erupted, XiXi’s ears perked up and she dashed toward the edge of a pavilion.

Peering through the cascading rain, she looked toward City Lord’s Residence and saw an immense firework blossoming along the banks of the Jiulong River.

XiXi’s eyes were immediately washed with water and dazzled.

“Wow…”

“What a magnificent mushroom firework!”

Chubby Kid Zhou Peng and the beautiful Yun’e followed closely behind.

Both stood, dumbfounded, staring at the spectacular mushroom cloud.

The Capital…

What catastrophe had struck again?

None of them knew what exactly was happening—not even XiXi.

Why had Master Niu Niu suddenly set off such fireworks?

In XiXi’s eyes, only Master Niu Niu could launch such a grand, stunning display!

Surely, some villain must have bullied Master Niu Niu!

Master Niu Niu would never be wrong!

…

…

At Zheng Lei Peak.

Li Qingshan stood dumbstruck, watching the horrifying mushroom firework that had exploded before him.

Its extreme brilliance illuminated the entire Capital!

Even the raindrops falling from the sky were caught in the turbulent, inverted winds, rising into a hazy mist and steaming into swirling vapors!

“Damn…”

After a long while, Li Qingshan could only let out an angry curse.

Such a spectacular event…

And he wasn’t even there!

There was no doubt that Li Che was behind this explosion.

He didn’t know how Li Che managed it, but one thing was sure—if Li Che dared trigger such terror, he must have his own purpose.

“Lie Shen Pavilion…”

Li Qingshan crossed his arms and stood.

Then he smiled lightly.

He pulled out a Cat Face Mask and pressed it against his face to add his own touch to the spectacle.

“Whoever you’ve messed with, you really shouldn’t have…”

“You had to provoke our Underworld.”

…

…

The explosion continued for a long while.

Its aftershocks eventually faded, and the explosive might was no more.

The mushroom firework slowly dispersed, yet the dense smoke and the reverberating divine aura still lingered.

At the edge of the Guanyin Lotus Bullet’s detonation,

Figures descended rapidly.

Xie Jing of the Temple Guardian Division, Monitor of the Imperial Watch, along with Nan Lihuo, Wang Kuyu, and others,

All stood at the periphery of the ruined grounds.

Amid the swirling dust,

They saw intertwined bursts of volatile divine energy.

Then,

They cleared away the smoke and saw a solitary figure standing on the raging surface of the Jiulong River.

That figure…

Standing on the river,

His clothes tattered and scorched, with numerous burn marks, his golden mask distorted and reformed into a grotesque visage.