Chapter 412: Explosion of Destiny
by xennovelRumble—Boom!!!
A terrifying explosion birthed chaos between heaven and earth. Furious winds howled, and a shockwave rolled out like tangible, white ribbons, ravaging every direction!
A brilliant flash erupted—an overwhelmingly bright mushroom cloud soaring thousands of feet into the sky!
That golden cloud turned the dark night into a blaze of daylight in an instant!
Even Daocheng of Qianyuan felt its presence!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The sound of slicing through the air resounded as figures surged skyward within the city.
Faces were etched with sheer astonishment.
Gazing up at a sky transformed from night to day, chills crawled down their spines.
Something’s gone wrong!
And something’s wrong again!
A colossal mushroom cloud, like an enraged abyss-born dragon, roared as it lunged toward the heavens!
Even eight hundred miles away, one could feel the scorching, destructive energy, as searing heat burst forth on the wind with apocalyptic force!
“It’s the Underworld’s mechanized fire mushroom!”
Yu Wen Wenlong gasped in shock.
The Temple Guardian Division had once investigated the Underworld and learned that a killer from that realm always leaves behind a mushroom cloud—a harbinger of death in its turbulent roll!
Monitor Hong Shifo, clutching a chessboard, soared to the city walls.
Within the Divine Sect,
Figures burst forth from the skies.
Elder Zhao Fangzhou, Elder Ding Zi, two Martial Saints and Divine Transform users, wore sullen expressions.
The patriarchs of the great families—masters of the Martial Saint and Divine Transformation realms—also emerged, one after another.
Shock was written on every face.
“Its power… has increased again!”
The Yun Family patriarch couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Many present had witnessed the Underworld’s mechanical mushroom firsthand and clearly sensed its evolving might.
Now, its explosive force could be felt clearly even eight hundred miles away…
This thing…
If it bombards the enemy, even a four-stage Martial Saint might be gravely injured!
“That direction… is where the Imperial Army is stationed. What is the Underworld planning? A surprise night assault? If this explodes with full force, the Imperial Army—
Gongshu Jingjun and Tang Xiejia raced over.
Neither had been at Shendiao Ridge recently.
They had even evacuated the woodcarving masters from Shendiao Ridge to Daocheng.
After all, this is wartime. Though Shendiao Ridge is not far from Daocheng, distance matters. If National Teacher Xie Yunshen is ruthless enough to target Shendiao Ridge directly, it would devastate Qianyuan Divine Sect!
“Should we go check it out?”
After a brief pause, everyone exchanged glances.
Then Feng Zhiqi stepped forward. The aura of the four-stage Martial Saints shattered the cloud as they sped off into the distance.
After a moment’s hesitation, others quickly followed.
The patriarchs of the large families were filled with turbulent emotion.
Because that mushroom cloud had completely shattered their confidence!
Why?
Because none were fools; feeling the terrifying power of that mushroom cloud, they fully understood the catastrophic destructive force for any army!
Indeed…
It was even more fearsome than Tang Clan’s mechanical beasts!
And such might was now in the hands of Qianyuan Divine Sect!
Doesn’t that mean this war…
Qianyuan Divine Sect still has a chance!
Defeat isn’t inevitable!
One mushroom cloud!
It rallied everyone in Daocheng!
Hope…
It must be triggered by an explosion!
……
……
A piercing gaze, stretching thirty feet, fell on Xie Yunshen.
Around him, a hazy glow interwove into a defensive shield, warding off the deadly aftershocks.
As the Imperial Court’s National Teacher, though his cultivation was ordinary, his high status made him dearly trusted by the Emperor.
Thus, the Emperor had specially awarded him a divine weapon to protect his life.
Combined with the top-tier experts of Tian Can Di Que from Heavenly Gate, whose combined might could nearly reach half a Martial Saint’s power, his safety was almost guaranteed…
There were countless who wished Xie Yunshen dead in this world.
He had suppressed many Divine Sects for the Imperial Court; every major faction’s force had been thwarted by him at one point.
Thus, assassination attempts on him were nothing new.
Yet this time was different…
This time, the assassination made Xie Yunshen truly face death!
“Underworld… Yama!”
Xie Yunshen drew a deep breath.
He hadn’t expected…
The Underworld would resort to such an unforeseen method!
With Zhao Beidou’s divine calamity protection, Qianyuan Divine Sect had to deploy two divine calamity experts to even attempt such an assassination.
But now, even the Ancestral Patriarch of Qianyuan Divine Sect hadn’t made an appearance, and Xie Yunshen was in dire straits.
Because the Underworld had chosen an utterly despicable tactic!
They had directly taken Zhao Beidou away!
No honor in battle!
Where they took him didn’t even matter!
For Xie Yunshen, facing Yama of the Underworld meant teetering on the edge of death.
Sure enough.
Yama from the Underworld took one step forward!
A terrifying pressure swept away all surrounding airflow, and for an instant, heaven and earth turned into a dead, boundless void!
The protective divine weapon cloth before Xie Yunshen trembled violently!
Yet at that moment, Xie Yunshen remained eerily calm.
“Clap, clap, clap…”
He began clapping, almost admiring the Underworld Yama as he stepped into the camp.
“Every move is interconnected—a truly mesmerizing assassination,”
Xie Yunshen praised.
“Though despicable, if it succeeds, any lowly tactic is a fine one.”
However,
Yama did not reply. Before Xie Yunshen’s words had faded, the figure materialized before him.
Assassinations…
Are you ready for a rip-roaring verbal showdown?
Right now, Li Che…
Just wanted to kill Xie Yunshen.
And as fast as possible!
If Xie Yunshen were killed, the Imperial Army would be leaderless and far less threatening.
Boom—!!!
Yama’s five fingers, gnarled like ancient branches, unfurled like five razor-sharp spears as resplendent golden blood energy flowed out.
Such searing heat could easily melt precious jade, coiling around his fingers as he smashed down.
Instantly, Xie Yunshen stiffened as a crisp, shattering sound echoed.
It was the sound of his defensive divine weapon shattering!
His pupils contracted abruptly!
How could it be so strong?!
His defense, crafted by the sacred hands of the Seven Treasure Divine Sect’s divine weapon master, was supposed to be top-tier—but it shattered like paper!
Boom, boom—!!!
And as Li Che tore through Xie Yunshen’s defenses,
Inside the camp,
Waves of intense aura began to erupt one after another!
These were the auras of top-tier experts and supreme masters!
Ning Caishen from Seven Treasure Divine Sect, Gu Cheng from Bashu Sword Pavilion, and Huang Mei Great Master…
The three were shocked, appalled by the Underworld’s brazen and aggressive assassination attempt!
After all, National Teacher Xie Yunshen was protected by two divine calamity experts—
And yet now…
The Underworld hadn’t even shown divine calamity-level power, yet was nearly successful!
No time to waste!
The three felt a deep chill in their hearts.
“National Teacher—!!!”
Huang Mei roared, and Buddhist light burst forth!
He accelerated continuously.
In truth, among the three, only Gu Cheng of Bashu Sword Pavilion was visibly anxious.
Ning Caishen, the patriarch of Seven Treasure Divine Sect, had always taken things easy.
But Huang Mei… said everything with his steely gaze.
The anxious expressions on Huang Mei and Ning Caishen’s faces far surpassed even the composed look on Gu Cheng.
Above the Heavenly Dome,
Powerful techniques converged, channeling an overwhelming sword aura that formed a vast net, encapsulating the exploding Black and White Collapse Great Avalanche Guanyin Lotus Bomb.
Yet Gu Qianchi’s face remained devoid of any joy.
“Zhao Beidou… you useless thing!”
Gu Qianchi’s expression twisted in anger.
In an instant, he sensed the Underworld Yama stepping into the camp’s midst.
His heart sank deep!
Could he make it in time?
Gu Qianchi’s sword aura flared wildly, fracturing the space around him as murderous intent burned in his eyes.
He surged downward like flowing light, intent on protecting Xie Yunshen.
A torrential, overwhelming surge of divine calamity energy crashed down—like a breached celestial river unleashing torrent after torrent!
“Stop!”
A cold shout, as if the wrath of a deity, reverberated to intimidate Yama.
Gu Qianchi plummeted, his ancient robes billowing in the upward rush!
Yama’s five fingers grabbed and tore through the four-tier divine weapon defenses of Xie Yunshen!
However—
Amid the free-fall, Gu Qianchi suddenly felt a chill!
Before him, the space appeared to be sliced open by a blade; darkness devoured the torn space as a pure, jade-like hand emerged, radiating a soft glow.
It shot swiftly towards the falling figure of Gu Qianchi!
“Divine Calamity?!”
Gu Qianchi’s eyes narrowed sharply!
Every hair on his body stood on end!
Numerous sword auras coalesced in front of him, clashing with the incoming hand. Two immense flows of profound Dao energy entwined like battling serpents!
The space before them exploded into a one-meter-wide void!
Roaring, turbulent gales were swallowed by that void in an instant!
Yet the ripped space mended quickly!
Above the Heavenly Dome, explosions rocked the sky!
A dreadful will of heaven and earth descended. Calamities and disasters reappeared as swirling dark clouds closed in with menacing speed!
This was the aftermath of two divine calamity experts recklessly clashing!
“You’re not Lü Qiankun! Who are you?!”
Gu Qianchi glowered fiercely.
Sword auras swept upward around him, slashing the air like darting fish. The ruptured space was cleaved again and reformed into a closed loop!
And before him,
In the shattered space, a figure slowly emerged.
Clad in a black robe with a hood, its cloak fluttering ominously, a mask with unfathomable depth swirled like a vortex of stars!
On that black robe, an inscription pulsed with mighty Dao energy.
Lie—
Lie Shen Pavilion!
The Lie Shen Assassin!
“You!”
Gu Qianchi’s body instantly stiffened as he stared incredulously at the figure that had torn through the void!
Lie Shen?!
How could that be?!
How could the Lie Shen Assassin appear in the mortal realm?!
Weren’t they supposed to operate within Bizarre Temple?!
Gu Qianchi’s heart sank into despair.
It was over.
There was no saving Xie Yunshen now!
Sigh…
Gu Qianchi exhaled deeply,
his gaze fixed on the star-vortex masked Lie Shen Assassin.
He made no move to fight—it was futile.
Just as the assassin held back,
Both were divine calamity experts. A full-scale fight would merely trigger total destruction and premature calamity!
There was no need.
Yet, Gu Qianchi felt a crushing weight on his heart…
This mysterious Underworld…
Could it be intertwined with Lie Shen Pavilion?
Could it be that the Underworld too hails from the core zone of Bizarre Temple?!
……
……
Terrifying torrents of blood and energy surged like a bursting flood!
Boom, boom, boom—!!!
The entire camp’s ground exploded, caving in deeply, as countless clouds of dust roiled upward.
Then, a Cosmic Chessboard spanned and intertwined across the camp, sealing it completely.
Even Gu Qianchi and the Lie Shen Assassin, facing off above the Heavenly Dome, could not perceive the happenings within…
The scene left Gu Qianchi utterly despondent.
Underworld…
What a damned Underworld.
Gu Qianchi and Zhao Beidou had been told by Xie Yunshen that the Underworld excelled in stealthy assassinations—always catching one off guard.
He had been skeptical, but now he had seen the Underworld’s strange and uncanny methods firsthand!
Boom—!!!
Dust and smoke obscured all light.
No one could see clearly through the haze; only scintillating golden radiance shone— the dazzling energy of Yama’s power.
The endless dust swallowed the camp.
No one dared charge in recklessly.
After all, that was Yama of the Underworld…
The same King Ping Luan who had executed a clone of Ji Mo Li!
Such power—half a Martial Saint’s strength—who among the strong dared engage?
Ning Caishen wouldn’t dare; Huang Mei certainly wouldn’t either; only the earnest Gu Cheng remained, though he was no fool!
Within the haze, it wasn’t completely dark.
Beneath Li Che’s dual-toned Yama mask, a puzzled expression emerged.
He watched Xie Yunshen.
The unassuming National Teacher Xie Yunshen… remained unnervingly calm!
Could he have a backup plan?
Li Che’s formidable Heaven and Earth Soul spread out, and the Cosmic Chessboard was pushed to its extreme, sensing every detectable nuance.
Yet…
Nothing unusual was found.
Xie Yunshen appeared feeble.
What a charade!
If that’s the case…
Then…
Kill!
Li Che stepped forward, his oppressive aura like tidal waves slamming down!
With a clenched fist, his air burst out in a ferocious roar!
No martial arts were needed.
Just a simple punch sent shockwaves through the air!
Xie Yunshen’s countless hairs blew back,
while a bitter smile flickered across his eyes.
He hadn’t expected…
that his ambition—to shatter the clans and consolidate the world’s energy—had barely begun…
and already his first battle was threatened by death!
It was a bitter blow to the overly clever National Teacher Xie Yunshen.
Using his mortal body and his silver tongue, he had once subdued the greatest Divine Sects, even making them bow before the Imperial Court.
“Sigh…”
“Underworld…”
Xie Yunshen had calculated everything, yet he ended up with an Underworld!
It was so…
Damnable!
Ruining his grand plan to harmonize destiny!
A flash of extreme unwillingness lit up Xie Yunshen’s eyes.
Boom—!!!
The terrifying punch smashed into his face, annihilating everything with scorching force.
“Huh?!”
Under his mask, Li Che’s eyes flashed oddly.
He sensed resistance.
Xie Yunshen…
Sure enough, there was still a trump card!
Otherwise, with his strength, that punch should have obliterated his flesh, leaving nothing but dust.
So tenacious—card after card…
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
Suddenly,
Li Che’s masked face turned grave.
Pressure…
He could faintly sense a strange force weighing him down!
So inexplicable!
Boom—
Even though Li Che’s punch could shatter a four-stage Martial Saint, Xie Yunshen remained unbroken.
A burst of golden light exploded, dazzling and interwoven with innumerable golden currents that slowly formed definite patterns…
It was a… golden lotus!
The golden lotus cradled Xie Yunshen; as it unfurled, its petals blossomed wide…
Xie Yunshen raised his arms and tilted his head back.
He seemed to transform—everything turned golden: his hair, his skin, even his eyes shone gold!
He was engulfed in pure golden brilliance!
Faintly…
An aura of cosmic authority swirled about him.
It was as if, at that moment, Xie Yunshen…
became one with the cosmos!
Rumble—Boom—!!!
The bombarding air roared furiously as violent gusts tore through. A golden lotus mark bloomed between his eyebrows.
……
……
In Divine Capital’s Second City, at the Lotus Pavilion,
Within a courtyard stood a large water vat with a bamboo ladder beside it.
Originally, the vat held three lotus buds. Now, one bud had blossomed fully.
The once calm water surface rippled continuously in expanding circles…
Buzz—
Suddenly, a humming sound pierced the air.
A crack appeared in the surrounding void.
From the gap, a pair of eyes descended, fixed on the trembling, newly bloomed lotus.
Entwined within the lotus were strands of golden light.
“Destiny Golden Lotus…”
“After nurturing the Great Realm’s energy for so long, Xie Yunshen managed only this one bloom. It seems… he’s in grave danger in Daocheng.”
“Could it be that neither divine calamity expert can protect him?”
“Did the enemy deploy three divine calamity experts?”
Murmurs echoed from the crack before it sealed once more.
Moments later, another crack opened in the void.
“Useless.”
A curse; then the crack closed again.
……
……
“What is this?”
Li Che’s eyes brightened in curiosity.
Though he suspected something by now, at his level, one can still faintly sense the energy between heaven and earth.
“The power of destiny?”
Li Che raised his eyebrows.
“Exactly… This is the power of destiny!”
Xie Yunshen, bathed in golden light, looked as if he were molded from pure gold, fused with the force of the cosmos.
A mortal, in that moment, seemed to leap into divinity!
He stood atop the golden lotus, and behind him, a vague, golden disc gathered—fuzzy yet brimming with potential.
“I borrowed two parts of Great Realm’s destiny from the Imperial Court…”
Xie Yunshen gazed at Yama of the Underworld, a faint smile appearing in his dazzling golden eyes.
“Let’s settle this quickly—hope not too much destiny is lost, or the Emperor will blame me for it,”
Xie Yunshen sighed.
“Borrow two parts of Great Realm’s destiny? Borrow national destiny to empower myself?”
Li Che’s voice, rough and low, broke the silence in astonishment.
“So you cultivate destiny?”
Li Che pressed on eagerly.
Xie Yunshen narrowed his eyes.
“Haven’t you already seen it?”
“I’ve nurtured these Great Realm Destiny Golden Lotuses for ages—and you forced them out…”
“I cultivated three; each holds two parts of Great Realm’s destiny. Three yields six parts, leaving four in the Emperor’s hands.”
“And the Emperor charged me with nurturing these four parts so that the destiny of all eleven Divine Sects—and all but True Martial Divine Sect—could be obliterated!”
Xie Yunshen’s eyes burst forth with explosive golden radiance.
“Qianyuan Divine Sect… is only the beginning. A head-up bird must fight, and even the Peach Festival farce—besides the Emperor performing Temple Spirit Resonance—is but a pretext to attack the Divine Sect!”
“Even without Qianyuan Divine Sect, other Divine Sects—Tianshi Zifu, South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove, Qingyun Xuangu—could all be targets.”
“And you, Qianyuan, happened to get in the way,”
Xie Yunshen said coolly.
“But my calculations never expected… that Qianyuan Divine Sect would gain the unexpected backing of the Underworld!”
“Underworld, oh Underworld…”
Xie Yunshen’s aura soared steadily.
Boom—!!!
In the next moment, a flash of golden light streaked down from the vault of the heavens. A pillar of gold, as thick as an elephant’s hoof, descended in the night sky.
It split the heavens as if cleaving the world in two.
It crashed into the ruined, dust-choked remains below.
Above the Heavenly Dome, both Gu Qianchi and the Lie Shen Assassin exchanged stunned glances.
“Is that… a Destiny Golden Lotus?!”
“What a Xie Yunshen! To directly unleash the power of destiny by borrowing Great Realm’s energy!”
Gu Qianchi’s eyes lit up as he recognized an aura reminiscent of the descent of the will of heaven and earth.
Even the Lie Shen Assassin’s eyes widened in amazement.
Darkness deepened in his gaze.
Trouble was brewing…
“Destiny Golden Lotus!”
Xie Yunshen was indeed formidable.
Beneath the star-vortex mask, Fang Han Shu exhaled softly.
It seemed…
this assassination would fail.
What a pity for such a brilliantly devised plan by the Underworld!
Destiny Golden Lotus…
Based on the intensity of that pillar, Xie Yunshen, empowered by two parts of Great Realm’s destiny, had nearly reached half a divine realm’s strength.
And most importantly…
With destiny on his side, backed by the will of heaven and earth, he was nearly invincible at half divine realm!
He could even withstand one or two strikes from a divine calamity expert.
Though Yama of the Underworld had previously shattered Ji Mo Li’s clone in a three-pronged assault,
Ji Mo Li was far from being an unbreakable half-divine realm force!
Thus, Fang Han Shu boldly declared—this battle… Yama might not even be able to kill Xie Yunshen.
Later, the Underworld, through Fengdu, had dragged a divine calamity expert, Zhao Beidou, into a mysterious city.
A city not unlike a Minor Cavern of the Heavens—it was unclear how long Zhao Beidou would be detained.
Unless that mysterious city housed a divine calamity expert,
it wouldn’t take more than a hundred breaths for Zhao Beidou to break free of a caverns without one!
It’s doomed…
Beneath his starry mask, Fang Han Shu sighed.
Yet he wasn’t surprised.
Failed assassinations were all too common.
That Xie Yunshen could borrow Great Realm’s destiny—
no wonder the Emperor was decisive enough to lend destiny to a subject…
It also showed the Emperor’s confidence—empowering Xie Yunshen inevitably meant he could strip him of it later…
And that the Emperor had Xie Yunshen launch an assault to shatter the clans…
“Is he trying to ascend as a ruler before the Bizarre Temple phenomena reshape the mortal realm?”
Fang Han Shu’s gaze turned somber.
“But achieving that isn’t easy!”
“The world is not only ruled by eleven Divine Sects—Great Realm, Da Li Wangting, Witch God Mountain, Western Lands of Buddhism, the Four Seas Dragon Clan, and the Nation of Myriad Demons also exist!”
Fang Han Shu exhaled and stopped overthinking.
Although he predicted the assassination would fail, he still did his part by blocking Gu Qianchi’s path.
The Underworld at least was fighting for Qianyuan Divine Sect’s survival…
How could he retreat so easily?
However, at that moment, Gu Qianchi hesitated; he even tried to block the Lie Shen Assassin from aiding Yama of the Underworld.
……
……
“Do you know what stands behind me?”
“Once it takes shape, I’ll have stepped into the divine calamity realm!”
“It is the ‘Calamity Wheel.’ After surviving a disastrous calamity, any divine calamity expert can manifest a Calamity Wheel. Once it appears, they can unleash their full might.”
Xie Yunshen, glowing in gold, explained to Yama of the Underworld as if teaching.
He was reveling in such terrifying power for the first time.
He didn’t want it to end too soon—but he couldn’t delay any longer.
Boom—
With lowered eyes,
Xie Yunshen stepped forward. The Destiny Golden Lotus swirled at his feet,
and in an instant he reappeared before Yama of the Underworld.
A giant golden lotus crashed from his palm, enveloping Yama completely. The might of heaven and earth cascaded…
“With destiny on my side, beneath the divine realm… I am invincible!”
“Even if it lasts only for the brief time of an incense stick, it’s invincible! Hahaha!”
Xie Yunshen laughed heartily.
Under such heavenly authority, who could stand against him?
However,
In the next moment—
Xie Yunshen’s laughter was abruptly cut short.
Because he discovered that right beneath Yama’s feet, a chessboard had suddenly emerged.
That chessboard expanded within the golden lotus, tearing a rift in the field of his heavenly might!
Xie Yunshen was trapped by the chessboard’s field.
Then…
A terrifying pressure from heaven and earth crashed down on him.
Xie Yunshen’s legs trembled and with a loud thud…
He dropped to his knees!
He looked up in horror. His incomprehensibly invincible aura under the divine realm
was now plummeting rapidly—falling…
until it was reduced to the level of an ordinary supreme master.
What?!
Xie Yunshen looked up.
Then…
He saw Yama of the Underworld clenching his fist with five tightly curled fingers.
Behind him, eight dazzling stars radiated with intense brilliance!
“Eight… eight stars?”
Xie Yunshen was dumbfounded.
“Invincible under the divine realm?”
“I am the true one!”
Boom—!!!
The fist came down!
Xie Yunshen’s body erupted in dazzling golden light, and with destiny on his side…
He burst apart!
In the second installment, it’s finally over. Brothers, please support with votes and follow along. During the recommendation period, your stats affect the next recommendation. Xie Yunshen is dead—a chapter ends. A story needs buildup to reach its climax… I’m exhausted, I’ll continue tomorrow.