Chapter 442: Moonlit Cataclysm

The cool moonlight flowed like a dam break from the Heavenly River, a cascade of celestial water.

A bone-chilling murderous intent spread, interweaving throughout heaven and earth.

Even the void seemed on the verge of shattering, as that moonlit arrow erupted forward, mercilessly tearing apart the endless black night.

It struck forcefully against the colossal array suspended over Luoyun City, and from the lifeless formation erupted the dreadful will of the Corpse God, twisting and roaring in madness.

Under that single arrow, the formation shattered like fragile glass—fine cracks spreading relentlessly until it burst apart in midair.

Ripples of expanding circles exploded as terrifying gales howled wildly, the air trembling like a translucent carpet.

It undulated with restless surges.

The crimson mist that had pervaded Luoyun City was violently torn asunder at that moment.

The scheme designed to mark every citizen of Luoyun and then strangle them with deathly intent was instantly obliterated!

A horrifying blast resounded over Luoyun’s skies like a celestial thunderclap following a cascade of leaden clouds— as if the heavens themselves had riven the clouds to unleash an ear-splitting roar of wrath!

The formation exploded with a deafening roar, its bloody radiance fading to nothing.

Such majesty, such awe-inspiring presence!

It was as if a mountain had descended upon the City Tower of Luoyun, weighing heavily on every heart.

Terrifying, dreadful!

Temple Spirit!

Divine Being!

On the City Tower, Zhou Chiguo was so oppressed by the overwhelming divine might that even the slightest movement became a struggle; the clashing of his armor rang out sharply.

Not just Zhou Chiguo—many of the black-armored guards and even the experts from the Corpse God Sect trembled under the awe-inspiring pressure of the Temple Spirit.

The bright, lofty moon hanging high in the night sky suddenly shone as dazzlingly as a blazing sun!

Her blue-black hair danced in the breeze, her lithe figure and exquisite features reminiscent of an ethereal goddess descending from a forbidding height for a single glance.

Elsewhere, amidst swirling dark clouds, a rotund, pig-headed figure exuded explosive, arrogant power—the overwhelming qi and blood essence emanated from his transformed body.

The entire world dimmed, as the city’s deadly siege plan, which had shrouded Luoyun, was utterly thwarted by the appearance of these two Temple Spirits and the shattering of the formation.

Outside Luoyun City.

In the Dense Forest.

Moonlight bathed everything in a radiant glow.

XiXi tread confidently on the Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel as two divine weapons spun silently at her feet, while in her grasp, the Purple-Flame Serpent Spear flashed. She stared blankly at the distant scene.

Watching Yun’e and Zhou Peng erupt into battle—and, oh, Jin Taisui being flung away.

Jin Taisui had been tossed off to an unknown destination.

But at that moment, XiXi had no time to worry about these details as a surge of unprecedented sorrow stirred deep within her eyes and heart.

In that fleeting moment of transcendence, what followed was destined to be oblivion and desolation.

Surely, the Temple Spirit power concealed within Yun’e and Zhou Peng could never be mastered by mere children.

Unleashing such strength would inevitably come at a steep price.

Tears welled uncontrollably in XiXi’s eyes; it was as if she could already see Yun’e and Zhou Peng drifting farther away.

And far off, in Luoyun City…

After Yun’e exploded the arrays set by the Corpse God Sect and the black-armored guards with a single arrow,

her cool, indifferent gaze swept over the figures on the City Tower.

Corpse God Sect, Black-Armored Guards, and Zhou Chiguo—

A faint murderous aura lingered.

“Sister Yun’e, leave this mess to me! How could I let a beauty like you fight with your own hands?”

“Hahaha!”

Zhou Peng, his demonic aura swirling skyward, transformed into a golden-armored divine general with unrivaled dominance.

With a sudden motion, it was as if a roaring river surged through the heavens, shaking even the void with its tremors.

A searing burst of scorching blood qi erupted from his fingertips, as terrifying divine energy converged from all around,

which then coalesced into a gleaming silver, razor-sharp Nine-Toothed Rake in his hand!

The power of the Temple Spirit was immense and overwhelming; its rising intensity had reached nearly half a Divine Calamity level.

This was the highest form of power that could manifest in the mortal realm—any further, and it would be suppressed by the will of heaven and earth.

BOOOOM!!!

For Yun’e and Zhou Peng, this was the ultimate display of the inner Temple Spirit power, a breathtaking flourish!

Buzzing with divine energy that intertwined and spread, even amid Zhou Peng’s burly frame, it bloomed like magnificent divine flowers; his cold blood surged and boiled, radiating grandiose strength!

Explosive bursts of blood qi, overwhelming might, and a barrage of raw power roared out from within Zhou Peng’s body.

Compared to Yun’e’s cool detachment and transcendence, Zhou Peng’s pig-headed, golden-armored visage exuded a brash and unbridled dominance.

With a forward surge like a falling meteor, he crashed onto the city wall.

With a twitch of his fingers, the Nine-Toothed Rake spun into action.

Grasping it single-handedly, his bulging muscles roared as he unleashed a titanic force, sweeping out like nine silver dragons charging forth in unison.

On the city wall,

Numerous black-armored guards clad in dark armor roared as they drew their blades, yet before even unsheathing, the blades were shattered through,

with their armor splintering apart, nailing them to the wall!

The wall itself crumbled like soft tofu, large chunks cleaved away effortlessly.

An overwhelming divine aura bloomed on their skin like intricate patterns—both godlike and demonic!

With ears flapping like fans, Zhou Peng landed on the wall, fierce and laden with murderous intent; every strike carried the weight of a life taken.

As the Nine-Toothed Rake trembled, it swept horizontally, its target set on a Corpse God Sect powerhouse.

Zhou Chiguo’s armor clanged resolutely as an indomitable will awoke within him; yet Zhou Peng spared him no mercy—his rake swung with crushing force, striking Zhou Chiguo hard.

Zhou Chiguo fought back desperately. Although he had reached the Martial Saint Threefold stage, before the might of the Temple Spirit, his cultivation faltered.

He was struck so violently that a dense blood mist erupted, scattering him into Luoyun City, carving deep, horrifying furrows into the ground!

Yet Zhou Chiguo did not die. He lay on the ground, gazing up at the half-dark, half-moonlit dome of the sky.

Suddenly, a soft smile crept across his lips.

How—this scene wasn’t at all as he had imagined?

There was a time when his heart burned with passion, when he had strived to save others; yet confronted with an irresistible force,

all that remained was despair and a twisted change in his spirit—

Now, as the same ordeal befell XiXi, it unfolded so differently.

Why could XiXi receive help and salvation from her friends while he had no choice but to stare helplessly at despair?

BOOOOM!!!

Zhou Chiguo closed his eyes, his body surging with fierce energy; the bloodline of Ji Mo Li within him, which had flowed for battle, rekindled like vivid, scarlet floodgates, bursting forth as wild, rampant crimson dragons.

A cold and lofty voice then echoed in Zhou Chiguo’s mind.

“Father, something has changed—”

“Borrow its strength and use it!”

Zhou Chiguo rumbled gravely.

When his words fell silent,

his eyes suddenly shut tight; when he opened them again, they had transformed to an entirely different hue.

It was a gaze Zhou Chiguo could never forget.

That very year, as a youth gripping a sword, he faced a force that annihilated an entire city—a terror whose very eyes burned with that hopeless color.

He felt the power inside him surging relentlessly; his jet-black hair whipped wildly in the storm.

An incomparable strength surged through him—Zhou Chiguo’s eyes blazed with battle fervor as his entire body tensed, muscles bulging as an explosive force, every sinew trembling like a hidden dragon beneath the earth!

He sensed his mortal body was nearing its absolute limit; the power of a half-step Martial God was all he could muster!

“Is this the reincarnation of the Temple Spirit?”

“It’s merely a fleeting moment of brilliance!”

“If you borrow strength, then so shall I!”

With that, Zhou Chiguo abruptly surged upward from the ground, a streak of black lightning, lashing out fiercely toward Zhou Peng’s pig-headed, golden-armored form!

With a cold, piercing glare and a trembling whole body, a furious punch erupted, unleashing countless dragon shadows that roared as they burst apart!

The very air was evacuated, the winds crushed into submission!

It was the signature martial art of Ji Mo Li!

Wanlong Fushen!

At that moment, the bloodline power within Zhou Chiguo fully awakened, granting him an unparalleled insight—as if he had become Ji Mo Li incarnate.

He punched out and unleashed the roar of myriad dragons—an exquisitely masterful strike!

It was as if the boundless sea had spawned countless Dragon Gods, their roars unleashing unbridled chaos and fierce defiance!

The very air trembled as if the great river had unleashed tidal waves!

Zhou Peng, with his pig-headed, golden-armored appearance, grinned broadly; a peculiar glimmer shone in his eyes as the Nine-Toothed Rake swirled, clashing violently with Zhou Chiguo’s punch.

BOOOOM!!!

It was like a cataclysmic collision between earth and moon—the entire Luoyun City shuddered violently, with endless dust clouds and explosions that reverberated from the skies.

Zhou Chiguo was thrown horizontally, his eyes flashing an abnormal gleam.

Could this Temple Spirit really manifest such overpowering strength in the mortal world?!

The power of a Temple Spirit on earth is inherently limited; unless one is within the Bizarre Temple or the Bizarre Temple, its might is suppressed by the will of heaven and earth.

For the Temple Spirit does not belong to the mortal realm!

Its overwhelming divine nature, when released, only distorts earthly beings, leading to perversion and calamity.

“Fortunately—almost, but not by much!”

“How long can you harness this Temple Spirit power?”

“Father is already on his way—none of you can escape now.”

Zhou Chiguo’s eyes shone with resplendent brilliance; his body emanated a burning, torrential qi as he charged once more toward Zhou Peng, who had taken on the mantle of the Temple Spirit!

Elsewhere,

the shattered Corpse God Sect formation slowly rotated, and the forsaken members cloaked in black robes began to exude a thick, oppressive lethality.

This deathly aura swept and thundered throughout the city, venting its malice.

It was as if, unwilling to surrender death, they sought another way to massacre the entire city.

Yet high in the air, Yun’e’s gaze turned icy cold—like an aloof, celestial maiden descending from the Nine Heavens—as she nocked another arrow,

as if the moon itself were a bow and the moonlight solidified into arrows. One after another, they flew forth, piercing the ranks of the Corpse God Sect evildoers!

Thus erupted a near one-sided slaughter on Luoyun City.

Li Che sat upon his Flying Sword, his brows slightly furrowed.

Through the Cosmic Chessboard he observed the scene over Luoyun, astonished that Yun’e and Zhou Peng had unleashed their latent Temple Spirit powers at this moment.

It was too early.

Although they possessed the power of the Temple Spirit—entities of at least the Divine Calamity realm—and their abilities might even be greater,

both were too young; their cultivation and physical fortitude were simply insufficient to bear the full might of the Temple Spirit.

Thus, to trigger the true release of that power…

the fates of Yun’e and Zhou Peng were already sealed—they were doomed to die.

The power of the Temple Spirit, abhorred by heaven and earth, would eventually wither into nothingness.

“Gulp——”

Li Che sighed softly.

This was a lesson Yun’e had imposed on XiXi—a parting guidance from an elder sister to help her learn to grow through loss.

But for XiXi, the word ‘loss’ was too cruel to bear.

Li Che slowly rose to his feet.

Sword qi roared and howled; although Lü Taibai had rushed with all his might, to Li Che, his speed still seemed too slow.

“Sect Leader, you’re too slow,” Li Che remarked.

Standing poised at the sword’s tip, Lü Taibai’s robes billowed as he glided with resolute vigor.

“Sect Leader, I’ll go ahead,”

and then Li Che gripped a white chess piece between his fingers and vanished in an instant.

+1

Lü Taibai was incensed.

Hurry up!

Only you, Li Che, are the fastest!

Despite his urgent pace, nothing could compare to the slippery relocation technique of the Underworld!

However, Lü Taibai’s expression quickly turned serious.

Evidently, Li Che had sensed what was unfolding around XiXi; his sudden rush indicated that something extraordinary was occurring on her side.

For his cherished disciple, the future Sect Leader of Qianyuan Divine Sect, Lü Taibai held her in the highest regard.

He absolutely could not let his precious disciple meet with misfortune!

Without hesitation, Lü Taibai touched his brow, slicing through flesh with a burst of blood—

while the Tao Calamity Sword roared into life, and the void itself thundered.

Lü Taibai was insanely fast too!

In the Dense Forest,

a wild wind howled relentlessly—an onslaught of turbulent qi surging from the direction of Luoyun City.

It shook countless trees, their leaves chattering like the crashing of ocean waves.

XiXi stood her ground, gritting her teeth for a long while, her eyes flickering violently.

Wiping away her tears, XiXi pursed her lips.

Although young, she was no fool. Experiencing parting and loss was indeed heart-wrenching, but XiXi was no longer the little girl she once was.

She was seven years old!

“Always treating Emperor XiXi like a child!”

XiXi wiped away her tears.

With a sudden surge, she lunged forward; the Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel clanged mightily, sparks scattering as she transformed into a blazing wheel of light, barreling toward Luoyun City.

XiXi was determined to fight side by side with Sister Yun’e and Zhou Peng until the very end!

They were comrades!

How could she possibly retreat at this critical moment?

How could Emperor XiXi ever run away?!

Fight!

XiXi raised her Fire-Tipped Spear high, her youthful voice piercing the air with a roar.

Gulp—

A soft sigh echoed.

XiXi’s heart trembled; that raw roar suddenly caught in her throat.

Her eyes lit up as she cried, “Big Sister, is that you?”

“It’s me,” came the reply.

“Silly girl.”

The gentle tone carried a wistful warmth.

Then,

XiXi felt an immense, overwhelming power surge into her body—a mighty, tumultuous force that ignited a black lotus on her brow, spreading in an instant.

So potent was the force that XiXi’s eyes brightened instantly.

She transformed into a streak of light, her spear unfurling as she charged forth with unyielding might!

BOOOOM!!!

Black flames burst forth in the night sky, blooming like a black lotus, burning fiercely and consuming all in its path!

Zhou Peng, locked in battle with Zhou Chiguo as he channeled his blood qi, could not help but notice the small, dark-haired girl dashing through the darkness, stepping on a black fire lotus like a shooting star.

A trace of bewilderment flashed across his eyes.

“Yulian—”

A tender smile spread across the pig-headed face.

Then his smile turned wry: “This little girl… always so stubborn as ever.”

He glanced over at Yun’e, who was locked in combat with a hideously summoned corpse by the evildoers of the Corpse God Sect.

Yun’e’s eyes were cold as she gripped her Divine Moonlong Bow, a trace of helplessness flickering within.

Yet gradually, a spark of cheerful reminiscence shone in her cool eyes.

“Then, let us fight together.”

Yun’e smiled softly.

Her arrow traced a graceful arc as countless beams of moonlight intertwined, unleashing a terrifying, rending force that struck the evildoers emerging from the deathly vortex.

It erupted into bursts of moonlit divine energy!

Zhou Peng, his fingers firmly gripping the Nine-Toothed Rake, whirled wildly in midair, battering Zhou Chiguo so fiercely that even when blood qi exploded, the crimson flow was unstoppable.

With a resounding gulp, Zhou Chiguo expelled a mouthful of blood, crashing onto the wall as huge portions of it collapsed.

Under this relentless assault, half the city crumbled into ruins.

A dazed look crossed Zhou Chiguo’s features:

How could it be this strong?

Why, even after unleashing the full might of the Ji Mo Li bloodline, was he so utterly suppressed? The gap was enormous.

Black flames rolled like a torrent.

XiXi, stepping on the Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel, charged forward with sunken, dark eyes as a black lotus blossomed on her brow,

as if black lotuses whirled around her entire being.

With a sudden twitch of her spear, she pierced through a master among the black-armored guards, yanking it out fiercely as blood sprayed, slicing its waist cleanly in two!

Atop the City Tower, XiXi joined the battle—with the three fighting side by side in a frenzy of chaos.

Bolstered by newfound power, her spearwork became ever deadlier; confronting a Martial Saint wielding black-armored strikes, XiXi held her own, her fighting spirit blazing.

Her Fire-Tipped Spear, as if fully aroused, roared like a coiling dragon-snake, completely overpowering the onslaught of three Martial Saint attackers!

XiXi was completely immersed in combat; the Yulian divine mark on her brow pulsed in rhythm.

She barely noticed as her qi, her divine aura, even her soul itself grew mightier with every blow in this breathtaking battle.

Even the curse of the Yulian seemed to be on the verge of breaking free of all suppression.

But XiXi didn’t care one bit!

Right now, she was simply a child letting loose.

“Kill!”

Bang!!!

A golden brick shot forth, striking a Martial Saint square on the back of the head; the Fire-Tipped Spear then vibrated wildly, piercing right through the cultivator’s core, nailing him to the city wall!

The thick scent of blood permeated Luoyun City.

This city, destined for slaughter, now oozed with the stench of bloodshed.

Yet the source of this carnage was not quite as one might expect.

Jiangnan Dao, Jianzhou.

Dongsheng Prefecture.

Qitian City.

A sprawling metropolis of unfathomable scale—its walls stretching for millions of miles, as though one could stand at one end and see no end in sight.

The gates of Qitian City had long been flung wide open.

Outside the gates, countless figures gathered—cultivators from across the land who had heard the news.

There were vagabonds from the Great Realm as well as cultivators from distant lands, such as those from Da Li Wangting,

and even foreign cultivators from realms like the Western Lands of Buddhism.

These people managed to bypass the restrictions of the Great Realm and appear in Qitian City primarily because the city, backed by the boundless Eastern Sea, stretched out before them like an endless ocean.

Moreover, cultivators from Da Li Wangting, Witch God Mountain, Western Lands of Buddhism, and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda could arrive here by navigating the seas.

This is why the opening of Qitian City has become a grand event drawing all major divine sects, ancient clans, and the Imperial Court.

Huss, a camp tent shuddered slightly.

Inside the tent, Ji Mo Li, clad in burly armor, slowly opened his eyes; it was as if the light in his pupils shimmered with the flow of blood.

Zhou Chiguo had been dispatched to lay waste to the city and harvest blood souls.

Yet—

Ji Mo Li sensed that Zhou Chiguo had expended every ounce of his internal bloodline power, and the bond between them was utterly severed.

Zhou Chiguo—

was dead.

What had just happened?

Ji Mo Li closed his eyes briefly.

This massacre, from his perspective, was something that could not go awry.

The power of the Blood Pool needed replenishment; this time, the Blood Pool’s contribution to his breakthrough in Divine Calamity had been entirely exhausted. He needed the slaughter of the city, more blood soul energy to fortify the Blood Pool.

Thus, for Zhou Chiguo’s action, Ji Mo Li had given the order for a death sentence.

BOOOOM!!!

Ji Mo Li’s aura trembled violently; his fingers spread wide, and in the next instant, an Umbrella Spear fell into his hand as a dense, oppressive death qi surged from him, swirling relentlessly.

It formed into a vortex of deathly energy!

Time-Space Corpse Technique!

Now, Ji Mo Li unleashed this art—a technique far beyond what the evildoers of the Corpse God Sect could ever match.

He stepped forward, entering the swirling death vortex formed by the Time-Space Corpse Technique.

The sound of cascading stones filled the air as half the city wall collapsed with a deafening crash.

Before Luoyun City, bodies lay scattered everywhere.

XiXi burned with black flames, standing amid a field of black Yulian, her chest heaving violently; her mind was clear—she had borrowed this power, though her big sister within had not taken control of her body.

Thus, the slaughter was her doing.

XiXi’s massacre was to save the city, to spare its citizens from impending doom.

It was a battle fought shoulder to shoulder with Yun’e and Zhou Peng.

That was her creed.

Amidst the ruins, Zhou Chiguo was impaled by the Nine-Toothed Rake, his body split in two, blood spurting across the ground.

Zhou Chiguo’s wild, blue-mottled face gradually softened back to its human features as he lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky in his final moments.

He knew his end was near.

In his last moments, Zhou Chiguo suddenly became calm—perhaps because the bloodline of Ji Mo Li within him, expended entirely for the sake of battle, had burned out completely.

Freed from the influence of his bloodline power, Zhou Chiguo regained clarity.

Tears streamed from his eyes as he became lost in the haze of power, ultimately becoming a slave to it.

He had once wished to avenge his teacher’s grievances, to slay evil dragons.

But in the end, the boy who sought to slay dragons had become a dragon of evil himself—

Now, at last, it was a liberation.

“Teacher—Zhou Daoyuan, I’m sorry.”

The former Zhou Daoyuan slowly closed his eyes, memories of training under Nan Lihuo surfacing in his mind.

He had been extraordinarily gifted; had his talent been lacking, he would have perished long ago, never to be captured by Ji Mo Li and stripped of his bloodline, condemned instead to be Ji Mo Li’s disciple.

XiXi cast a cold, brief glance at Zhou Chiguo.

Her gaze held barely a ripple of emotion toward the senior brother Zhou Daoyuan.

Buzzing, buzzing—the sounds of Yun’e and Zhou Peng drew near to XiXi; Yun’e’s divine aura had grown thin, her body riddled with fine, crumbling fissures as if built of countless grains of sand—

a testament to the price paid by mortal flesh under the strain of divine power.

“XiXi—Big Sister is leaving,”

Yun’e and Zhou Peng looked at XiXi, their eyes unusually gentle.

“The road ahead is long. Learn to avoid danger; don’t rush in with blind fervor. You have to learn to choose your battles, to keep yourself from constant peril—

Yun’e patted XiXi’s head gently as she imparted her final advice.

Tears welled in XiXi’s eyes despite her usually cold demeanor.

She simply could not bear to part with Yun’e.

BOOOOM!!!

Suddenly, atop Zhou Chiguo’s lifeless body, a thick vortex of death qi began to churn.

It formed into a colossal maelstrom of death.

“Leave now?”

“Those who killed me still want to leave—”

A callous voice resounded.

Then, an oppressive aura so fearsome it seemed to freeze the very air erupted from that death vortex, rolling out like endless tides.

Above, dense black clouds gathered.

The will of heaven and earth churned; it was as if the tribulations of three calamities and nine ordeals were gathering!

Yun’e and Zhou Peng’s faces changed subtly.

“Ji Mo Li!”

“XiXi, run!”

Yun’e and Zhou Peng summoned their remaining divine aura, unleashing one final burst of Temple Spirit brilliance to suppress the swirling death vortex.

Yet Ji Mo Li, his towering and majestic figure, stepped forward.

A terrifying force surged forth, as if ten thousand dragons roared in unison.

Yun’e and Zhou Peng were hurled backward; their Temple Spirit power nearly exhausted,

unable to withstand the overwhelming might of Ji Mo Li:

an endless, rumbling vortex of death qi roiled.

Ji Mo Li advanced slowly, his armor clanging, his eyes flashing with an icy, cruel light.

His gaze swept over Zhou Chiguo’s body, then shifted to Zhou Peng and Yun’e before ultimately resting on XiXi.

A ferocious smile began to spread across his lips.

“So it’s you, you little girl,”

Ji Mo Li gripped his Umbrella Spear firmly.

He advanced slowly as oppressive death qi spread like a tidal wave from the Bizarre Temple,

and in a heartbeat, space itself seemed to crack under the weight.

Ji Mo Li appeared right beside XiXi. With fingers curled like hooks, he struck at the immobilized XiXi whose body was pinned under an unyielding pressure.

But with that strike—

everything fell silent.

Ji Mo Li’s eyes narrowed.

XiXi had vanished.

He slowly lifted his head,

and looked into the ten-yard-high emptiness.

A richly embroidered, inky-black robe flapped in the wind.

A gentle father cradled his daughter as if embracing the whole world.

“Father—”

XiXi’s Yulian mark trembled on her brow, her eyes suddenly alight as she

turned to the familiar figure holding her, inhaling the familiar scent.

Her body relaxed at once, a profound sense of comfort flooding in, and all the tension and anxiety of her ordeals melted away, tears streaming down her face.

“Father!”

XiXi wrapped her arms around Li Che’s neck.

Li Che gently patted XiXi’s back.

“Don’t cry—Father is here.”

Then, Li Che glanced downward at Ji Mo Li, who raged like a tide of death.

Ji Mo Li looked up as well.

Their gazes met.

It was as if…

King met King.