In the City Lord Mansion, at the Fire Seed Conference.
Zhuang Ta’a’s gaze sharpened, losing all scholarly air. He raised his voice, “A Shura clan spy has appeared at the Fire Seed Conference. He must have ulterior motives. Capture him.”
Shang Hong noticed many eyes intentionally or unintentionally fixed on him. Understanding their thoughts, he acted decisively, unleashing the Great Dao Desolation Seal to suppress Lord Lan.
Murderous qi surged from Lord Lan, forming black Shura clouds above his head. He roared to the sky, “You should all know the Yuanhui tribulation is imminent. All current struggles are futile. Only the Hell Realm can overcome the tribulation. Only those blessed by destiny can endure eternally. Burn my divine source, sacrifice to destiny, return to dust, reborn after death.”
Lord Lan was no weakling, a peak upper god. The instant his identity was exposed, he knew his fate.
Thus, from that moment, he had been activating the secret art to detonate his divine source—decisive, fearing no death.
Let alone Shang Hong, even a great god present would have missed the final chance to stop him.
Generally, suppressing a god’s divine source detonation succeeded because the god clung to life, hesitating until the last moment.
Strong mental power could then crush their detonation will.
But Lord Lan was entirely different.
“Bad!”
Seeing Lord Lan’s divine body crack inch by inch, even his divine source fracturing with divine light leaking, Shang Hong’s heart sank to the depths. He wanted to retreat but it was too late.
A peak upper god detonating divine source—unimaginable destruction.
“Whoosh!”
Suddenly, dense time mark light points appeared around Shang Hong. Space-time seemed frozen.
Time mark light points emerged from around the golden carriage, converging on Lord Lan, condensing into a massive hand of time. In its palm, Lord Lan’s body rapidly withered, aged, decayed, finally becoming dry bones and divine source fragments.
The destructive force from the divine source dissipated over prolonged time, merging into Shang Hong’s divine realm world.
Seeing the chaotic forces calm, the gods in the City Lord Mansion finally breathed long sighs of relief.
A peak upper god detonating divine source was too terrifying. Even with the City Lord Mansion’s strong defensive divine arrays, they had trembled in fear.
Shang Hong bowed towards the golden carriage. “Many thanks for Young Master Lian’s life-saving grace and bestowal of divine power. Absorbing Lord Lan’s divine force, Shang Hong will surely break through to Tai Zhen soon.”
“What a pity! Earlier, this young master was distracted elsewhere, allowing Lord Lan to successfully detonate his divine source. I did not expect destiny’s power so fearsome, making a peak upper god fearless of death.”
Xuanyuan Lian paused momentarily before adding, “All gods here associated with Lord Lan need not participate further in the Fire Seed Conference. Master Zhuang, please escort them to the military camp outside Doushuai City. Until the starry battlefield divine war ends, anyone stepping out will be killed without mercy. Shang Hong, you go too!”
Shang Hong secretly sighed in relief. “This is proper! I had good personal ties with Tao Lan and, as a Truth Emissary, failed to detect he was Shura. Naturally, I cannot clear suspicion. Master Zhuang alone may not watch me. Please, Young Master Lian, seal my cultivation.”
“No need! If you dare escape the camp, this young master will personally slay you.” Xuanyuan Lian said.
…
“So Granny Tianhu is stationed in the God King Mansion. Now it all makes sense!”
All Zhang Ruochen’s previous doubts resolved.
If upheaval struck the Fire Seed Conference, it could lure God King Yu away. But with Granny Tianhu guarding there, Feng Qi and Hell Realm gods could not approach the array spirit.
They had to restrain Granny Tianhu!
How?
By detoxifying the Three Evils Corpse Poison, of course.
Per Feng Qi’s plan, having Zhang Ruochen—a Butian realm god—detoxify her would consume vast time.
That was the time he needed.
In other words, no need to guess: Feng Qi definitely had issues.
Feng Qi was peak upper god; Qing Shen early mid-god. Even with arrays, she was no match. This was why Zhang Ruochen hurried back desperately!
In Doushuai City Lord Luo Jincheng’s reception hall, divine battle had erupted.
After Feng Qi arrived, seeing neither Luo Jincheng appear nor Qing Shen produce *Luo Shu* rubbings, he knew he was tricked. That matter likely exposed.
He forcibly left.
Qing Shen, seeing this, fully believed Zhang Ruochen’s suspicions. She immediately activated hall arrays, trapping Feng Qi.
By the time Zhang Ruochen arrived, the divine battle had ended.
Feng Qi swiftly shattered all arrays, condensing a zhang-long flame phoenix claw from rules divine inscriptions, pinning Qing Shen’s slender body in its grasp.
Coldly, “Speak! How did you discover?”
Qing Shen struggled against the sharp phoenix divine claw, but claw tips pierced inch by inch, divine blood flowing. Divine flames invaded through wounds, refining her divine soul.
“Feng Qi, God King saw you as his own child. When the Phoenix clan ostracised you, he taught you the great dao, helped you step into divinity. Aside from not giving you *Luo Shu* to contemplate, your treatment matched Jincheng and Jinshu in all else. Is this how you repay him?”
Qing Shen maintained clarity with strong will.
Feng Qi’s eyes turned somewhat mad, roaring, “Speak quickly! Who else knows? Luo Jincheng or Luo Jinshu?”
“Pfft!”
A phoenix claw pierced Qing Shen’s chest, divine flames spreading across her body.
“Bang!”
The hall doors were blasted open by Zhang Ruochen’s palm.
“Feng Qi, are my Twelve Booths of the Divine Maiden people for you to bully?”
Zhang Ruochen strode forward, walking straight towards Feng Qi.
“Who are you?”
Feng Qi clearly knew the approaching was Daoist Yellow Ox, but instinctively felt this was no mere Yellow Ox Daoist, involuntarily asking.
“You need not know.”
A Taiji circle manifested on Zhang Ruochen, impacting Feng Qi.
Feng Qi, peak upper god—top tier below great gods—was struck like a divine sea crashing upon him. Irresistible momentum hurled him flying.
The phoenix claw condensed from rules divine inscriptions dissipated. Qing Shen’s bloodied body fell from mid-air.
Feng Qi’s blood qi churned, divine qi inexplicably chaotic. Staring at Zhang Ruochen’s withered face, shock beyond words. No will to resist.
“Whoosh!”
A pair of phoenix wings appeared on his back. He unleashed the Phoenix clan’s speed divine ability “Colourful Phoenix Returns,” filling the hall with countless Feng Qi illusions.
These illusions became hundreds, thousands of streams rushing in all directions.
“Useless. You think you can escape today?”
Within eighteen zhang close range, Zhang Ruochen confident invincible below great gods. No god could flee.
Arm like lightning, aurora. He reached out, seizing Feng Qi’s true body’s wing. Instantly, all divine shadows in the hall dissipated.
Zhang Ruochen stomped down on Feng Qi’s back, slamming him to the ground. Divine bones cracked explosively.
Simultaneously, blood light flashed. Feng Qi’s wing was torn off bare-handed by Zhang Ruochen.
Feng Qi had never faced such a terrifying foe—utterly powerless. Once a noble phoenix, now like a quail, suppressed effortlessly.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his foot, righted the toppled divine iron dragon chair nearby, sat down. “Speak. Where is the Heavenly God Priest?”
Earlier, Zhang Ruochen had probed Feng Qi’s divine realm world—no Heavenly God Priest.
Feng Qi immobilised, sealed in space. Incredulously staring at Zhang Ruochen, muttering, “Impossible, impossible. How can you be him? Who exactly are you?”
Qing Shen slowly approached, grateful eyes on Zhang Ruochen. “I owe the Twelve Booths another life!”
Zhang Ruochen’s earlier words—”Are my Twelve Booths people for you to bully?”—stirred long-buried warm memories, reminding her of Empress Bai Qing’er who saved her from misery.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen’s erupted battle power truly stunned her—indescribable shock.
This was the new city lord of the First Divine Maiden City’s strength?
Qing Shen stared at Feng Qi, eyes chilling. “Soul search directly. I fear time is short!”
“Very well. Since he refuses to speak, no choice.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Though with Zhang Ruochen’s current cultivation, forcibly soul-searching a peak upper god was extremely risky, no time to interrogate. Must try.
From Feng Qi’s performance fighting Hell gods in the sea domain forbidden zone, he seemed opportunistic, will not overly strong.
But Feng Qi showed will far exceeding Zhang Ruochen’s estimate, roaring, “I was not wrong! I was not wrong! Dying here is worth it… Master…”
Zhang Ruochen’s palm was about to press his head.
Yet Feng Qi’s body rapidly decayed, skin blackening, oozing foul pus.
Divine life’s strong vitality extinguished instantly.
“Three Evils Corpse Poison!”
Zhang Ruochen’s pupils contracted sharply. He retreated rapidly, sleeve sweeping to freeze space inch by inch, halting poison spread. Grabbed Qing Shen’s wrist, pulling her to the hall door.
…
Today’s three chapters update is not to beg for monthly tickets, nor because Feitian Yu went mad! Definitely not splitting two chapters into three—each is three thousand words.
Last night during live-stream coding, I rashly agreed to PK a female streamer. Win, add a chapter. I was too hasty! PK just five minutes, but I had to code hard two hours.
But thanks to readers who helped with PK yesterday. Unfortunately, too focused on the female streamer, did not note who sent gifts.
