“Before I left, my father warned me that once I reached Xinghuan Heaven I must keep a low profile under all circumstances. Now I see why!” said Shang Hong.
A divine master of arrays whose name appeared in no records anywhere had suddenly intervened. Every god present was deeply shaken.
In the path of formations, beneath the Taishang level, divine masters stood supreme.
Galinnan, a god of the Angel race, spoke. “Something about this feels off. How could Wuma Jiuxing possibly have struck to kill Motong?”
The Four-Armoured Blood Ancestor of the Blood War God Temple, Flame God of the Merit God Temple, Kelanfeili of the Elf race… all the gathered gods nodded in solemn agreement, sharing the same suspicion.
They were all gods of this kalpa, each outstanding in his own right, every one harbouring the ambition to wed Bai Qing’er.
Even the oldest among them, the Four-Armoured Blood Ancestor, had tidied himself up. No longer aged, he appeared as a robust man in his thirties or forties, muscles bulging, head covered in blood-red hair, brimming with vitality.
A god’s lifespan was 129,600 years. Once past 60,000 years without reaching Upper God realm, natural ageing would set in.
At 100,000 years, even an Upper God would rapidly decline.
The four manor lords of the Twelve Divine Maiden Manors walked toward Shang Hong.
Liu Qingcheng took out Motong’s divine origin. “It does seem Motong truly died by Wuma Jiuxing’s hand. There are blade marks upon the divine origin that belong to him.”
Shang Hong accepted the divine origin and examined the scar upon it.
Wuma Jiuxing was counted among the gods of the Paradise Realm faction. For a god to fall in Xinghuan Heaven because of him, the Twelve Divine Maiden Manors would naturally seek answers from Shang Hong, the leader of that faction.
“Manor Lord Liu, rest assured. Once their battle ends, this seat will personally question Wuma Jiuxing and then give a full account to Empress Bai herself.” Shang Hong returned the divine origin to Liu Qingcheng.
He was refined and courteous, his features exquisite. Though a heavenly grandson, he carried not a trace of arrogance, radiating a warmth that felt like a spring breeze.
Placing the divine origin into Liu Qingcheng’s snow-white palm was like casting a stone into the lake of her heart, sending ripples spreading outward.
Though she was a god who had risen from the dust of the mortal world, her resolve was iron. Yet after only this brief encounter with Shang Hong, the lock upon her heart was already close to shattering. She nearly fell completely. The realisation shocked her.
“What terrifying technique is this? Bewitchment of the heart? Disruption of the spirit?”
Liu Qingcheng no longer dared meet Shang Hong’s gaze. She put away the divine origin, turned decisively, and left, cheeks burning, heart pounding uncontrollably. In her mind, Shang Hong’s handsome figure and smiling countenance lingered, impossible to banish.
This was no divine battle, yet it surpassed one.
It made Liu Qingcheng realise she had been utterly defeated. The gulf in cultivation between them was as heaven and earth. Without a century of secluded meditation, she could not hope to fully erase the influence Shang Hong had planted in her heart.
Watching Liu Qingcheng flee in her crystal gown, long blue hair flowing like a routed maiden, the Four-Armoured Blood Ancestor licked his lips and smiled. “The Twelve Divine Maiden Manors gather the beauties of the world. Apart from Empress Bai and Bai Qing’er, the twelve manor lords are all supreme treasures. To capture even one would make this journey to Xinghuan Heaven worthwhile.”
“Her resolve is impressive. She actually managed to escape. Any other Middle God would already have thrown herself into the heavenly grandson’s arms,” Kelanfeili laughed with faint mockery.
The Angel god Galinnan carried an air of lofty pride, his gaze scornful. “What kind of man is the heavenly grandson? Besides Bai Qing’er, who is worthy of him?”
“The heavenly grandson and Bai Qing’er are truly a match made in heaven, a perfect union of strength,” another god remarked.
Flame God’s attention remained fixed on the battle between Wuma Jiuxing and Zhang Ruochen inside the formation. “Wuma Jiuxing possesses extraordinary talent and boundless ambition. He probably wished to claim the Heavenly Sovereign’s treasured gauze for himself alone, so he killed Motong. Otherwise, with that old man’s spiritual-force strength, Motong could have escaped unharmed.”
“Only Wuma Jiuxing, striking suddenly while Motong was completely off guard, could have slain him.”
The Four-Armoured Blood Ancestor asked, “Wuma Jiuxing dares to rival the heavenly grandson for Bai Qing’er?”
“Have you all forgotten that a thousand years ago, the relationship between Wuma Jiuxing and Bai Qing’er was far from ordinary?” Flame God replied.
Shang Hong’s eyes narrowed slightly. No one knew what he was thinking. He said, “The divine master has sealed the battlefield with her formation, which is extremely disadvantageous for a spiritual-force god. In this fight, Wuma Jiuxing holds at least seventy percent chance of victory.”
Yuyao’s divine formation covered ten thousand li, enclosing mountains and rivers. Even if Zhang Ruochen and Wuma Jiuxing turned the world upside down inside, not a wisp of divine power leaked beyond the array.
“Four-Unities Blade Art.”
Wuma Jiuxing stood with blade held horizontally. The aura radiating from his body merged completely with the weapon in his hand.
Man and blade became one.
In the next instant, blade and earth became one.
The entire domain transformed into his divine realm world. The momentum of man, blade, and earth seemed to fuse into perfect unity.
Zhang Ruochen knew well the terror of the Four-Unities Blade Art. This was only the third unity, yet Wuma Jiuxing’s presence had already doubled at least.
No longer retreating to keep distance, Zhang Ruochen strode forward like a shooting star.
Each step collapsed the earth beneath him into a valley.
“Break!”
Zhang Ruochen raised both arms. The ground before him quaked, and hundreds of mountains ten thousand zhang high rose up, shattering Wuma Jiuxing’s earthly momentum. At the same time, those mountains soared into the air and hurtled toward him.
“At last you come!”
Wuma Jiuxing’s gaze turned icy. His blade traced a circle, and countless blade-path rule patterns flowed with it.
One slash.
