In ancient times, there was the great chun tree. Eight thousand years was its spring, eight thousand years its autumn. Thirty-two thousand years made one year of its life.
The Divine Chun Tree is extraordinarily ancient. No one knows how many years it has existed.
It grows in this sea domain forbidden zone. Time imprint light points gather densely in the sea domain. Divine qi is thick. Heavenly and earthly rules are active. It is a place greatly beneficial even for gods’ cultivation.
The Divine Chun Tree possesses spiritual intelligence, but its combat strength is not particularly powerful.
Successive generations of gods from Tianchu Civilisation, to protect the Divine Chun Tree, have set vast arrays and divine inscriptions in this sea domain forbidden zone. On the sea surface stand twelve array towers.
The trunk of the Divine Chun Tree is sturdier than even the flat peach tree. Numerous roots extend along the trunk, piercing into the seawater. Even smaller roots are hundreds of metres thick.
It is autumn now. The leaves are golden yellow.
The colour of the ten-thousand-mile sea domain is reflected in gold.
Tianchu Civilisation’s armies guard below the twelve array towers. They tread golden seawater, wielding saint spears and lances. Saint qi emanating from them twists together, their momentum like a rainbow.
Luo Jinshu is the second son of Yu God King, at upper god realm, responsible for guarding the Divine Chun Tree.
He wears Taoist robes, overlaid with golden armour. Dragon-shaped, tiger-boned, his gaze resolute as he stares at the death clan army beyond the layered arrays.
Yue Tong True Lord is also an upper god of Tianchu Civilisation, arriving not long ago to assist Luo Jinshu in activating arrays, resisting hell realm forces’ assaults.
Yue Tong True Lord gazes at the distant rear of the death clan army, where a broad spatial rift lies. He says coldly, “The sea domain forbidden zone spans eight million miles. Why did space crack precisely here? There must be a traitor, fearing the hell realm, leaking the Divine Chun Tree’s position to exchange for servitude.”
Luo Jinshu’s eyes darken. “Complaining now is meaningless. Holding the arrays, blocking hell realm attacks is more important than anything. If we lose the heavenly and earthly spirit root, divine qi in Tianchu great world will wither. Saint qi will dissipate. The world-protecting grand array will be severely weakened.”
“Even starry divine arrays rely on Tianchu Civilisation’s divine qi for full activation to resist the Asura Star Pillar Realm.”
“If the Divine Chun Tree is severed, we are finished. Billions upon billions of beings in the great world will turn to ashes…”
Towards the end, Luo Jinshu’s voice chokes.
He knows better than anyone that day will come, sooner or later. All they do now is death throes, unwillingness in their hearts, defying fate nonetheless.
Yue Tong True Lord says softly, “I hear preserving the fire seed allows one god to serve as guardian…”
Luo Jinshu’s tiger eyes blaze, staring at him.
Yue Tong True Lord senses Luo Jinshu’s displeasure yet continues, “If we two block the death clan army’s assault this time, it is great merit. Jinshu, I know you wish to perish with Tianchu Civilisation, but this lord prefers guarding its next generation, letting Tianchu Civilisation revive glory in some cosmic corner after several Yuan Hui.”
Anger rises in Luo Jinshu, yet he knows aspirations differ, cannot force. Moreover, he needs Yue Tong True Lord’s power to guard the Divine Chun Tree now, suppressing fury forcibly.
This breeds intense helplessness!
Facing death and destruction, most fear.
Seeking survival is mere instinct.
No wrong in it!
His heart desolate, yet eyes resolute. “The death clan army’s attack comes!”
Beyond the Divine Chun Tree’s layered arrays, death clan forces pour endlessly from the spatial rift. Grey death qi shrouds the sea, eroding divine inscriptions, aura decayed and yin-cold.
The death clan’s ten great lords successively descend across realms, each True Gods, overlords in hell realm with star domains as territories, worshipped by trillions.
Chi Hun Lord, cultivation at upper god Great Perfection, bears grey wings on his back.
Upon descending into Tianchu great world, he manifests giant divine body, shattering restraining divine inscriptions in the sea domain with it.
The divine body soon swells over three thousand zhang high, lightning and thunder around him.
Then he releases his divine border world. A black soil world barely manifests a corner before triggering powerful divine inscriptions.
“Boom!”
That corner of divine border world shatters under erupting inscription power.
World fragments plunge into the sea.
A white-haired man in silver-white divine robes flies from the spatial rift. “Careful. Those are divine inscriptions carved by Tianchu’s old Tianzhu.”
“Greetings, Heavenly God Sacrificer.”
Death clan troops bow in salute.
Even the ten great lords nod slightly in respect.
The Death God Hall’s Heavenly God Sacrificer gazes calmly, neither arrogant nor impatient. “Arrays and divine inscriptions here are extraordinary. First build the suppression inscription altar.”
“Yes!”
The ten great lords all manifest giant divine bodies, towering like mountains. They exhale divine qi rivers, appearing in various positions around the Divine Chun Tree, unleashing divine abilities.
Shattering divine inscriptions, destroying arrays.
Behind them, thousands upon thousands of death clan saint realm cultivators build the altar with suppression inscription stones.
Altar half-built, the eerie power from suppression inscription stones already affects divine inscriptions and array patterns. This alarms Luo Jinshu and Yue Tong True Lord!
Relying on successive generations’ means, even top death clan great gods arriving, Luo Jinshu confidently blocks.
But once suppression inscription altar completes, guarding Divine Chun Tree’s divine inscriptions and array patterns may become useless. Consequences unimaginable to Luo Jinshu.
Yue Tong True Lord cannot calm. “Suppression inscription stones are exceedingly rare. How do they carry so many? No, must destroy the altar.”
“You hold here. I go!”
Luo Jinshu tried earlier, but attacks all broken by the ten great lords.
Must charge out of arrays, break the ten great lords’ encirclement for chance to destroy altar. Chance slim, for behind ten great lords stands unfathomably deep Heavenly God Sacrificer.
Beside the Sacrificer, masses of death clan saint realm cultivators build another altar, purpose unknown, greatly unsettling Luo Jinshu.
Fight to death!
Only death resolve offers chance at the impossible.
Yue Tong True Lord admits lacking Luo Jinshu’s courage. “Go. Leave here to me!”
Luo Jinshu clenches fingers, urging golden armour. Body erupts brilliant light. Long howl, piercing layers of arrays, charging straight towards suppression inscription altar.
Four of the ten great lords exchange glances.
Yuan Tian Lord smiles. “Luo Jinshu is Yu God King’s son. Though only mid-upper god cultivation, we must take seriously. Leave to this seat!”
Yuan Tian Lord is peak upper god.
Most importantly, he survived Yuan Hui tribulation, so among peak upper gods, combat strength top-tier. Against mid-upper god, more than sufficient.
Vast death qi surges from Yuan Tian Lord’s divine border world.
Death qi ignites into divine flames.
“Hellfire Origin Blade!”
Yuan Tian Lord unleashes divine ability, condensing flames into hundreds-zhang origin blade, slashing through void towards Luo Jinshu’s path to the altar.
Hellfire Origin Blade temperature extreme, boiling the sea domain.
Luo Jinshu knows his cultivation far inferior to Yuan Tian Lord’s, avoids clash. Body rises skyward, evading the blade.
Yuan Tian Lord seems to anticipate, lips curving. He exhales grey divine qi.
“Whoosh!”
Within divine qi, a bronze bead.
Divine characters fly from the bead, forming ancient scripture.
Luo Jinshu unavoidable, summons purple-black wooden staff, swinging. Thousands of thunder dragons surge from staff, clashing with hovering ancient scripture.
“Boom!”
Two vast divine forces collide, heaven and earth overturn. Full sky divine inscriptions manifest.
“Luo Jinshu!”
Suddenly, Yuan Tian Lord’s deafening divine sound rings behind Luo Jinshu.
No need to turn. Luo Jinshu senses massive death god shadow behind, baleful qi skyward, ferocious glaring, fists clasped, smashing down.
In this critical moment, Luo Jinshu forgoes defence. Gaze to suppression inscription altar. Divine blood burns within, erupting top speed, charging straight.
As death god shadow’s fists smash down, Luo Jinshu swings right hand, unleashing array diagram.
Diagram unfolds into towering gold stone divine mountain, ten thousand zhang high, vast array patterns flashing on the body.
“Boom!”
Death god shadow’s fists shatter gold stone divine mountain. Powerful divine force aftermath impacts Luo Jinshu.
His protective divine light fully shatters. Divine blood flows from mouth. Yet heedless, black long spear appears in hand, hurled fiercely towards suppression inscription altar.
“Damn! Risking life to destroy altar!”
A mid-upper god breaching past shames Yuan Tian Lord. Anger rises. Body flashes, pursuing.
“With your cultivation, think to destroy altar?”
Heavenly God Sacrificer hovers calmly, silver-white radiance emanating. Finger lightly points.
The black long spear rapidly flying towards altar melts inch by inch into metal droplets. Droplets fall among death clan troops, screams rising.
Cultivators below Great Saint die instantly on contact.
Even Great Saints’ bodies pierced through.
Heavenly God Sacrificer gazes indifferently, as if death clan saint realm cultivators’ deaths concern him not.
Luo Jinshu stares dazed. A near-supreme saint artefact weapon melts thus. Opponent’s cultivation too terrifying.
As he prepares direct charge to altar, a flame divine blade slashes horizontally from behind, like blinding light trace, severing divine inscriptions, cutting rules. All Luo Jinshu’s protective defences shatter like paper.
“Pfft!”
Luo Jinshu’s divine body severed at waist. Death qi invades, pain piercing soul.
Yuan Tian Lord wields supreme saint artefact-level flame divine blade, cold smile. This strike shows true strength of Yuan Hui tribulation-surviving peak upper god.
“Jinshu junior brother, I come to aid!”
Feng Qi appears at horizon, beside alluring Nine-Tailed Heart Fox.
But seeing ten great death clan lords present, their speed sharply drops, halting afar, not immediately approaching.
