CHAPTER 246: GOING ALL-OUT!

Ancestor Suitian let out a cold snort and ignored Daoist Du. "Hmph... as long as you understand."

Daoist Tian Ji stood to the side, still smiling. "Since none of you can come to a conclusion. I'll make a bet that Lu Chen is destined to become a ruler in the future."

Venerable Ban Yao gently stroked the Snow Python coiled beside her. "Who can say for certain? Every golden age sees the rise of countless heirs of the Heavenly King, yet how many ever claim the throne? Your faith in Lu Chen seems far from impartial. It's all because of Nantian Yijian, isn't it?

"Nantian Yijian, a disciple of the Nantian Sect... Do you really take the people of that sect as so easy to manipulate? Perhaps this so-called Nantian Yijian is the sect's chosen heir for this generation."

"Hehehe... you're not wrong," Daoist Tian Ji said with a light chuckle. "But I, for one, wouldn't miss out on a young talent like him."

He cast a glance at Nantian Yijian, then turned his gaze toward Jun Laoye. "Jun Laoye isn't bad either. I heard him just now declare himself 'Heavenly Lord Jun.'"

Stroking his white beard, the Daoist smiled faintly at Ancestor Suitian. "The title 'Heavenly' isn't one an ordinary youth of the Jun Clan can claim. Could he be someone the clan personally endorsed?"

Ancestor Suitian replied indifferently, "Time will tell. It's too early to discuss such matters. I've long been away from the family. Those affairs no longer concern me."

He sounded calm, but to the ears of these shrewd elders, his words revealed far more than he intended about Jun Laoye's identity.

For a while, the venerables fell silent, each quietly watching the ravine below.

***

While Ancestor Suitian and the others conversed, Lu Chen and his three avatars had already exchanged hundreds of blows with the skeletal giant. Under Lu Chen's command, they were gradually closing in on Wind Dragon.

Clad in torn clothes and clutching his chest, Lu Chen coughed lightly. He wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth with his thumb and muttered, "I didn't expect this pile of bones to be so tough. We've been at it for so long and still haven't finished it... and now we're all filthy."

His second and third avatars returned to his side, both panting heavily.

Lu Chen repaired the wooden dragon beneath his feet, crouched, and patted its head. "Looks like it's time for the next plan."

He then sent the wooden dragon burrowing underground, surging toward the skeletal giant once again.

He exchanged a glance with his two avatars. The second avatar began channeling a series of Dao Arts, from the Stone Wall Formation, the Thunderburst Curse, to the Spirit Light Chains, striking relentlessly from the left.

The third avatar nodded slightly, taking over Wind Dragon's authoritative access to the small world. A portal opened behind him, revealing two faint silhouettes of the Green Sovereign Divine Trees. Gripping the vines, he charged at the skeletal giant from the right.

Floating orbs of light coiled into serpentine paths beside the second avatar, while countless vines behind the third avatar spread into wing-like shapes, surrounding the second avatar in a halo of green.

Amid the barrage from both sides, the two avatars maneuvered with precision, closing in on the skeletal giant.

The second and third avatars called out together, "Original, I'm ready."

They formed intricate hand seals as they unleashed their combined assault.

"Everything's nearly set," Lu Chen said. "Let's stir up a real storm."

He glanced toward Lu Qing atop the Green Sovereign Divine Tree, then reached into his small world and pulled out Eggy.

Eggy chirped happily, thinking Lu Chen wanted to play, only to be pressed firmly onto the sword.

Lu Chen shouted, "Slot and Strike! Planetary Jade Token Mode!"

He secured the Planetary Jade Token to the sword hilt. The Hunyuan Greatsword instantly blazed with blue light. Eight grid-like buttons appeared, each wrapped with flowing lines of energy.

Lu Chen pressed lightly on the lines, trying to manipulate the flow of time, but nothing happened.

He shook his head. "No reaction at all. Looks like I still can't control these lines."

Eggy chirped in protest, clearly unhappy about being restrained.

Sensing its emotion, Lu Chen patted the Planetary Jade Token gently. "Be quiet for now. Once we defeat this pile of bones, I promise we'll go out and play."

At that, Eggy let out a delighted chirp. Energy burst forth, and the blue buttons on the Hunyuan Greatsword glowed brighter.

From atop the Green Sovereign Divine Tree, Lu Qing chuckled at their exchange. He quickly expanded the Innate Bagua Diagram, doubling its power and amplifying their combined spells.

Spirit qi from both the small world and the Heavenly Pool poured into the Bagua Diagram. The runes deepened in color, radiating even greater energy.

Seeing the formation extend to the edge of the ravine, Lu Chen shook his head. "The storm still isn't strong enough. Lu Qing, use the Green Sovereign Serene Void Spear. We're going all out. If that fails, we'll have to call for reinforcements."

Lu Qing responded with excitement, slamming his right palm heavily onto the treetop. "All right, original, I've been waiting for this moment. The Green Sovereign Serene Void Spear is ready."

Under his command, the Green Sovereign Divine Tree continued to grow. Thousands of flower buds emerged along its branches, each swelling rapidly as energy flowed from the tree into them.

"Bloom!"

Lu Qing pointed toward the skeletal giant. The buds burst open in unison, petals unfurling in a radiant display. Gathering spirit qi in his palm, he flicked his fingers, and the pistils and stamens shot out like blades toward the skeletal giant.

Tens of thousands of divine vines followed, each entwining around a pistil or stamen. In midair, they assembled into the magnificent Green Sovereign Serene Void Spear.

Lu Qing's gaze locked onto the fully formed spear in the sky as he roared again, "Original, get ready for the Green Sovereign Serene Void Spear!"

Spirit qi from the Green Sovereign Divine Tree surged into the spear. The petals and stamens condensed into the weapon's body, while the Divine Tree itself turned into a towering giant wielding the spear.

The giant made from the Green Sovereign Divine Tree stood against the skeletal giant across the northern ravine.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen's second and third avatars moved with remarkable agility, bombarding the enemy from both sides. Beneath the ground, the wooden dragon lurked in silence, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Lu Chen observed the skeletal giant now surrounded on all sides. A faint smile curved on his lips. "Come on. Time for the fireworks."

He detonated all the prepared spells at once.

The wooden dragon burst from underground, coiling rapidly up the skeletal giant's legs before thrusting its head into the giant's waist and abdomen, voraciously absorbing its core essence. The giant's cultivation plummeted from level three Sunken Core Realm... to two... then to one. With each drop, Lu Chen's confidence grew.

Furious, the skeletal giant tore the wooden dragon free and flung it aside. It let out a deafening roar, blasting apart the black mist around its Three Dantian Fields and Three Meridian Gates, sending the two avatars flying.

Black mist poured from its eyes as it fixed on Lu Chen, pounding its chest before charging forward. But before it could advance, eight massive stone walls erupted around it, sealing it within.

"Grrr! #￥%%#"

The skeletal giant bellowed. Black mist coiled around its legs as it stomped furiously, trying to crush the walls.

"What nonsense is it muttering? Watch this!" the second avatar snarled, hurling a bolt of lightning at it. "No matter how strong you are, you are nothing but a wretched spirit, and spirits fear lightning—"

Before he could finish, the skeletal giant roared again. The black mist surged, swallowing the lightning whole.

The second avatar slapped his forehead. "Ah... I slipped up."

He quickly dodged the giant's next blow.

Seeing an opening, the third avatar unleashed the Divine Tree's vines, forming a dense net that wrapped around the skeletal giant. The wooden dragon seized the chance and bound it once more.

Layers of vines entwined tightly around its legs, holding it still.

Taking advantage of the momentary restraint, the second avatar leapt high into the air and unleashed a chain of powerful spells. "Spirit Light Chains! Restrain! Thunderburst Curse! Thunderburst! Yang Purifying Water! Demon Breaker!"

Dozens of Spirit Light Chains shot from his hands. One end anchored to the stone walls, while the other multiplied rapidly, forming hundreds of chains that wound around the skeletal giant's thigh bones and locked it in place.

The second avatar grinned fiercely. "Hehehe, let's see if you can resist this."

The blue Yang Purifying Water streamed out from the vines, the wooden dragon, the stone walls, and the Spirit Light Chains, pouring over the skeletal giant. The corrosive flow aided the dragon in eroding the black mist and corpse qi.

The giant was engulfed in both black mist and Yang Purifying Water, the two opposing forces clashing violently and bursting into a storm of explosions.

The second avatar shouted, "Original! Boss! Are you two ready? This is my last spell. Dao Art! Thunderburst Curse!"

He raised his hands, summoning primordial lightning qi above the skeletal giant. The Innate Bagua Diagram spun wildly beneath him until the "Zhen" position aligned at his feet.[1]

A dense wave of primordial spirit qi poured into the second avatar, then erupted from his palms, striking straight toward the skeletal giant.

1. In the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) system, each trigram represents a natural force. The trigram Zhèn (震) corresponds to thunder and lightning, symbolizing vitality and explosive energy. ☜