CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 88: ACTING_1

WHOOSH!

The wind howled, the sun and moon lost their light, creating an apocalyptic scene.

Zhang Yangtian and Qin Wudao were besieged by six Celestial Realm martial artists, battling desperately. They were like a tiny boat on a tempestuous sea, constantly on the verge of being swallowed by the depths.

PFFT!

After dozens of rounds, Zhang Yangtian was struck by a gray Sword Qi. His robes shredded, revealing a ghastly blade wound from which blood flowed unceasingly.

"Die!"

The ghostly phantom cackled sinisterly and lunged forward, its form pulsing with dense resentment, intent on finishing off Zhang Yangtian.

It was filled with hate! It was because of these outsiders that it now faced utter annihilation.

"Yin-Yang Impermanence Seal!" Zhang Yangtian roared, his right hand holding the Impermanence Seal, which pulsed as he poured his Spiritual Energy into it, channeling vast amounts of Yin and Yang power.

As it absorbed the energy, countless black and white interweaving patterns appeared on the base of the Impermanence Seal, forming a runic imprint that radiated an intense aura of death. It seemed that a single strike from it would condemn one to eternal demise.

Indeed, that was precisely the case!

BOOM!

In the dim sky, the two attacks collided like comets, energy erupting in all directions.

The moment of contact caused the ghostly phantom’s expression to contort. An overwhelmingly powerful energy, capable of obliterating the heavens and earth and destroying anything, emanated from the runic imprint.

After resisting for only a few breaths, the ghostly phantom could no longer hold on and was sent flying backward. Its already illusory body became even fainter, as if on the verge of dissipating completely.

The formidable aura it once radiated deflated like a punctured balloon, its power plummeting from the Celestial Realm, finally stabilizing at the Peak of the Transcendent Realm.

JIEJIE!

Immediately after, the vengeful spirit summoned by the Impermanence Seal transformed into a black torrent. It surged towards the now-weakened ghostly phantom, opened its maw revealing sharp fangs, and devoured it completely in an instant.

Of the five ghostly phantoms, one had perished.

"Battle!"

Zhang Yangtian, Impermanence Seal in his right hand, attacked the other two ghostly phantoms he was engaged with. The violent movement aggravated the wound on his chest, causing him to spray a large amount of blood.

Yet, he paid it no mind, his thoughts solely focused on vanquishing his foes!

「On a different battlefield.」

Qin Wudao, while engaged in his own battle, spared a glance towards Zhang Yangtian. Watching the latter’s frenzied actions, a derisive sneer touched his lips. Fighting to the death?

To onlookers, Zhang Yangtian appeared to be fighting desperately, but Qin Wudao saw it differently.

"First-Rank Sword Intent, Slash!"

Qin Wudao’s expression turned grave. The Xuanyuan Sword burst forth with dazzling radiance, forming an incomparably sharp Sword Qi. It radiated an intense imperial might that compelled submission.

At this moment, he was the sovereign, his imperial sword ruling the sky.

The resplendent imperial sword filled the Void, threatening to cleave the heavens in two.

"Battle!"

"Kill!"

Two ghostly phantoms roared, channeling all their power to meet the Sword Qi. For a moment, they seemed evenly matched.

If one more Celestial Realm martial artist were present, perhaps the situation could have been altered, and this Sword Qi shattered.

So strong!

But at the critical moment, the Skeleton Ghost King hesitated. It didn’t act immediately, a beat too slow. Ultimately, it was one who cherished its life dearly.

And this hesitation had dire consequences.

RUMBLE!

The two ghostly phantoms crashed into the Sword Qi, generating a heaven-shaking explosion that echoed through the universe. The Void shattered into countless fragments, revealing a gaping black hole.

Sword light flashed, and violent aftershocks rippled outwards endlessly.

After about ten breaths, the aftershocks subsided, revealing the scene within.

The two ghostly phantoms hovered in the air, still in defensive postures. Their gray forms had grown dimmer, their auras unstable, as if they might fall from the Celestial Realm at any moment.

A single strike had severely injured them!

"Why didn’t you attack?" ’The Great Ancestor’ phantom turned its head, staring directly at the Skeleton Ghost King. It roared in anger, its voice thick with dissatisfaction and disappointment.

If the Skeleton Ghost King had attacked just then, the outcome would have been entirely different. At the very least, they could have destroyed the Sword Qi and avoided such a heavy blow to their vital energy.

They might even have seriously injured Qin Wudao!

This... The Skeleton Ghost King’s jaw slackened, unsure how to respond. What could it say? It certainly couldn’t admit it cherished its own life too much!

"Forget it. You don’t need to explain. I, who am about to die, have no say over you!" ’The Great Ancestor’ phantom shook its head, then looked at Qin Wudao again. An intense killing intent emanated from it. This person must die, no matter what, or our people will face annihilation.

"Let me burn the last of my essence then!" another phantom spoke grimly. Its translucent body solidified, and its initially fluctuating power began to surge, climbing through the early Celestial Realm, then the mid-Celestial Realm... In an instant, its strength reached the late-stage Celestial Realm.

The surrounding Void, for hundreds of feet, began to crack under the immense pressure, emitting CRACK! sounds.

On the earth below it, fissures snaked across the desolate land as if an earth dragon was turning over beneath, sending plumes of dust into the air.

This is the only way! ’The Great Ancestor’ phantom murmured. It glanced at the gray, overcast sky as if bidding a final farewell. Its aura began to surge, also reaching the late-stage Celestial Realm.

This technique, fueled by the soul, could temporarily boost their strength, but the price was instant death.

However, this price meant little to them now.

Their end was death, regardless.

Qin Wudao’s expression turned grave, and he dared not be careless. His physical body was enveloped in brilliant light, his black hair flying wildly. He resembled an ancient immortal god, emanating a supreme aura. "Chaos Divine Body, activate!"

The blood within him surged like a torrent!

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Countless profound runes spread across his skin, offering immense defensive power.

"Kill!"

The three of them roared simultaneously, their terrifying auras colliding as they engaged in brutal close-quarters combat. They fought from the sky down to the earth, then from the earth back up to the highest heavens. Their speed was so incredible that only afterimages flickered in the Void, their true forms indiscernible.

In the blink of an eye, they clashed for hundreds of rounds.

BOOM!

Another thunderous impact, and all three were sent flying.

Qin Wudao stood ten thousand feet away, covered in wounds. Blood dripped incessantly, staining him completely red. He gasped for breath; his face was ashen, his lips devoid of color.

A single glance revealed the enormous toll the battle had taken on him.

Tens of thousands of feet away, the two ghostly phantoms froze, staring fixedly at Qin Wudao. They wished to attack, but reality forbade it.

Their soul power had been utterly consumed by the flames.

Death was imminent.

"The rest is up to you! Remember, you are the king of our people. You can be prudent, but you must not be cowardly or afraid of responsibility!" ’The Great Ancestor’ phantom said solemnly before its passing, its voice thick with unwillingness as it faded towards death.

Its towering figure dissolved into countless motes of light.

Immediately after, the other ghostly phantom also vanished.

...

Is he injured?

In truth, just as Qin Wudao had been covertly observing Zhang Yangtian, Zhang Yangtian had also been secretly watching Qin Wudao.

When he saw Qin Wudao injured, a faint smile touched Zhang Yangtian’s lips. He looked at the two Celestial Realm ghostly phantoms before him and sneered.

It’s time to end this!