The Nether Ancient Curse Furnace brimmed with boundless ancient curses, its malevolent nature claiming countless souls through the ages, growing ever more terrifying.
Even Nether Clan cultivators dared not use it lightly, wary of unpredictable disasters.
It was a forbidden artifact within the clan.
Ming Yao and Ming Buddha risked bringing it to the Kunlun Realm, determined to eliminate Zhang Ruochen, restore the Nether Clan’s honor, and remove a major threat to the Infernal Realm.
“Ah!”
Some cultivators, slower to flee, were invaded by the invisible curse, letting out agonized screams.
Their skin turned gray-black at a visible rate, faces contorting in torment, eyes filled with despair.
As the primary target, Zhang Ruochen was worse off, engulfed by the curse’s power.
This curse was so formidable it could erode even space, seemingly unstoppable.
Activating the Truth Mystery, Zhang Ruochen ignited the Fire God Armor, flames blazing.
He unleashed Emperor-grade Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire, merging it with the armor’s flames, enveloping his body.
The curse, upon touching the flames, sizzled, turning to black smoke and dissipating.
“Fortunately, the Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire has evolved to Emperor-grade. Otherwise, these ancient curses would be tough to handle,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
The fire’s “pure” and “extinguishing” qualities were ideal for neutralizing curses.
“Roar!”
A deafening beastly roar echoed.
A grotesque, colossal creature broke free from the furnace, its body etched with intricate curse runes, radiating negative auras—eerie, ominous, fearful, destructive, resentful.
“It’s a curse resentful spirit, nurtured by countless harvested souls… Hiss…”
Many cultivators gasped, their saint souls trembling.
Resembling a massive centipede with thousands of varied legs—human, beastly, clawed—it seemed stitched from myriad creatures, chilling to behold.
Its resentment was palpable, as if the Tianhe River couldn’t cleanse it.
Stretching dozens of li, the spirit lunged at Zhang Ruochen upon emerging.
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed. He extended a hand, channeling 680,000 spatial rules, pressing forward.
With his spatial mastery, even the furnace’s space-locking couldn’t fully restrain him.
“Boom.”
Space within a thousand zhang shattered, revealing a vast dark void, like a black hole.
The spirit was repelled, its body breaking into dozens of segments.
Yet, it instantly reformed, unscathed, its aura growing more menacing.
It charged again, spewing gray-black flames woven from countless curse runes.
The flames’ erosive power melted space in its path.
Shen Yuan Ancient Sword flew from Zhang Ruochen’s divine light sea. He gripped it, wielding sword and spatial rules together.
“Sword Realm.”
A strange world materialized, engulfing the spirit.
Filled with endless sword qi, each strand could threaten a nine-step Saint King.
This technique, created during his twenty-eight-year retreat, fused sword and spatial paths seamlessly.
Though a prototype, needing refinement, its potential was vast.
Self-created saint techniques offered limitless growth, potentially evolving into divine abilities.
Many saint techniques across great worlds were crafted by gods at various cultivation stages, interconnected.
Mastering lower-tier techniques could lead to higher-tier ones.
As Zhang Ruochen battled the spirit, the furnace’s curse continued spreading.
To the horror of fleeing cultivators, it seeped into Luoshui, infiltrating its depths.
Only now did they grasp how the furnace could extinguish a great world’s life—it permeated everything, eroding all.
“Ming Yao and Ming Buddha are too strong, pushing the furnace to this extent. We’ll all die in Luoshui.”
“We can only flee deeper. There’s a slim chance there. Outside, it’s certain death. Even nine-step Saint Kings can’t survive the curse.”
“Zhang Ruochen’s feud with the Nether Clan has dragged us into this mess.”
“You’re oversimplifying. Ming Yao and Ming Buddha’s ruthless style means they’d have massacred everyone in Luoshui if not for targeting Zhang Ruochen.”
“I heard Ming Yao ambushed a late Immortal Great Saint in outer space before entering the Kunlun Realm, nearly succeeding. He’s untouchable.”
Cultivators debated while fleeing.
They faced an unprovoked calamity, seeking opportunities but now trapped by Ming Yao and Ming Buddha.
“Master, what now? Many of our Tianchu Civilization cultivators are on the Nine-Tune Celestial Star. If the curse reaches them, they can’t resist,” Li Miaohan said, worried.
Butcher frowned. “If the curse corrupts the star, our cultivators can no longer use it to comprehend sacred paths.”
“Damn Ming Yao and Ming Buddha. I hope the furnace backfires on them,” Fool gritted.
Despite their anger, they were powerless against the Nether Clan’s top duo.
The Nether Clan innately wielded curse power, but only Ming Yao and Ming Buddha mastered the Nether Ancient Curse in their generation.
The Dark Son needed external aid to use it.
The curse rivaled the nine eternal paths, elevating Ming Yao and Ming Buddha to top-tier below Great Saint, matching the Dark Son, a darkness master.
Only those wielding the Nether Ancient Curse could activate the furnace without backlash.
Fairy Tianchu closed her eyes, a profound fluctuation emanating from her.
“Rumble.”
Deep Luoshui stirred, the Nine-Tune Celestial Star trembling.
Its nine divine rivers surged tenfold, channeling vast divine power to Fairy Tianchu.
Her eyes opened, radiating dazzling light across hundreds of li.
Rising, she spread her hands, her aura growing divine, as if Luoshen reincarnated.
Luoshui behind her churned, waves rising from hundreds to thousands, then ten thousand meters, stacking skyward, flipping the river in a terrifying spectacle.
“What’s happening?”
Fleeing cultivators gaped.
Golden mist converged on Fairy Tianchu, Luoshui’s vast power bolstering her.
Li Miaohan looked up, thrilled. “Master resonates with the star, gaining Luoshen’s divine power. She controls Luoshui, expelling the curse.”
“She’s Luoshen’s incarnation, wielding such immense power, driving out the curse,” Fool said, awestruck.
Fairy Tianchu, expression grave, pointed a finger.
“Roar.”
Ten-thousand-meter waves formed countless water dragons, charging at Ming Yao and Ming Buddha.
The curse infiltrating Luoshui reversed.
“Boom.”
The furnace, struck, flipped repeatedly, its curse runes dimming.
Ming Yao and Ming Buddha’s eyes shifted, unprepared for Fairy Tianchu’s prowess.
Seizing the chance, Zhang Ruochen released Shen Yuan, unleashing Luoshui Fist.
With Luoshui’s power activated, the fist’s true might shone.
As he punched, a massive wave surged.
Two towering figures—a god and a ghost—flanked him, riding waves toward Ming Yao and Ming Buddha.
Caught countering Fairy Tianchu, they struggled against Zhang Ruochen’s assault.
Hastily, they struck, fusing curse and dark energies into massive palm prints.
“Boom.”
The god-ghost shadows shattered, but the impact sent Ming Yao and Ming Buddha flying, blood trickling from their mouths.
Zhang Ruochen intensified “Sword Realm,” shredding the curse spirit and obliterating it with spatial force.
Fairy Tianchu landed, her aura weak, face pale.
Li Miaohan supported her. “Master, are you alright?”
“Just depleted my sacred qi,” Fairy Tianchu said, shaking her head.
Her cultivation wasn’t yet peak-level, limiting her use of Luoshen’s power.
But one strike had averted the crisis and aided Zhang Ruochen—enough.
With Ming Yao and Ming Buddha weakened, Zhang Ruochen held the advantage.
“Ah!”
Moro’s piercing scream rang out.
All eyes turned, witnessing a gruesome scene.
The Cyan Sky Saint Dragon tore off Moro’s arm and wing, blood gushing.
“Master, let me aid the dragon,” Moyin said, emerging from Zhang Ruochen’s spine, eyes gleaming.
Zhang Ruochen saw her intent—to devour Moro’s essence and saint source. He nodded. “Go. Don’t let him die easily.”
“I’ll make him suffer,” Moyin assured.
She darted to the dragon and Moro’s battlefield.
After absorbing countless Infernal Realm elites’ essence on True Dragon Island, plus myriad Nether Snake souls, and thirty-four years of secluded cultivation, Moyin’s foundation was immense, her strength unknown.
Moro, struggling against the dragon, faced worse odds with Moyin.
“Moro’s finished!”
Cultivators shared the thought.
But attention remained on Zhang Ruochen versus Ming Yao and Ming Buddha, hoping he’d triumph and end the crisis.
Ming Yao glared at Fairy Tianchu, murderous intent flaring. Her interference caused their setback.
“Your opponent is me,” Zhang Ruochen said, advancing with Shen Yuan.
He wouldn’t let anyone harm Fairy Tianchu.
“Ming Buddha, hold him. I’ll kill that Tianchu Fairy,” Ming Yao said darkly.
Fairy Tianchu was a threat he couldn’t ignore.
“You two are embarrassing. Two against one, yet you can’t win. Some Nether Clan elites,” a mocking voice rang out.
Ming Yao and Ming Buddha’s faces shifted, turning toward the distant horizon.
The voice, though loud, came from hundreds of thousands of li away.
Dark clouds surged over Luoshui, cloaking ten thousand li.
“Crack.”
Space shattered, forming a massive black hole piercing the heavens.
A god-demon-like figure stepped through.
Its aura alone annihilated surrounding space.
“Boom.”
Landing, it sank the ground hundreds of zhang, Luoshui flooding in.
The land became sea.
The figure’s evil aura surpassed the Nether Ancient Curse.
It turned thousands of li of earth into black wasteland, dyeing Luoshui like ink.
“Yan… Yan Wushen.”
Cultivators paled, trembling uncontrollably.
The strongest below Great Saint, Yan Wushen of the Yama Clan!
