CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41 DECISION

The earth trembled. Above the palace, thunderclouds flashed with bolts of lightning, accompanied by bursts of muffled thunder. Wrapped in the grand Formation, the palace had now descended into chaos.

A figure swathed in starlight, relying on the Light Wings on his back, flew back and forth across the Formation. Numerous guards were in hot pursuit but were always left far behind.

Beneath the ground, the battle had begun. Wu Wang, having decided to act, did not wish to delay any longer. He dashed openly through the palace, hiding Crystal Balls in various corners. The Praying Star Technique originally had no Formations, but with enough manipulation, Formations emerged.

After several loops around the palace, Wu Wang was followed by hundreds of figures. Streaks of arrows whizzed through the air, yet their speed could not match the Star Wings behind Wu Wang.

Suddenly, he changed direction and headed straight for the Queen’s sleeping quarters. The Imperial Guards were instantly thrown into disarray; cries and shouts erupted continuously, the same old refrains:

"There’s an assassin!"

"Stop him!"

"Protect Her Majesty!"

Unfortunately, the experts in the palace who could pose a threat to Wu Wang had all been dispatched to the main palace hall in the northwest corner.

Wu Wang burst into the sleeping quarters as if entering an uninhabited land, leaving behind more than a hundred Ice Sculptures. His figure shot up through the skylight, hurrying towards the entrance in the northwest corner. On the bed in the sleeping quarters, the Queen was still in deep slumber, her rosy cheeks bearing the smile of someone who had drunk to excess; only now, a necklace made of Ice Crystal adorned her wrist.

The National Teacher, who had collapsed next to the wine table unnoticed, now groggily opened his eyes and sat up, supporting his forehead.

What’s... happening...

「Meanwhile, deep within the Earth Palace.」

The grotesque Huge beast had left its sitting area, roaring fiercely. An eerie human-like hand gripped a Staff from which wind, fire, and lightning were unleashed. Every charge and stomp of its sturdy hooves shook the underground palace, causing a succession of stones to fall from every direction.

The Generals who had followed Feng Ge were now scattered. Most were harassing from a distance with bows and arrows, attempting to hit the Huge beast’s vital points like its eyes, mouth, and neck. However, their powerful bows, capable of penetrating stone and piercing gold, were repeatedly deflected by the hard skin of the Huge beast. The Generals who directly confronted the Huge beast... had already suffered significant casualties. This was despite the Huge beast’s gaze being continuously drawn to Ling Xiaolan, who deftly avoided more crowded areas while dodging and weaving.

The main force attacking the Huge beast was undoubtedly Ling Xiaolan, Ji Mo, and Feng Ge.

Feng Ge, her long spear in hand, charged, her path transforming into interweaving bolts of lightning. Each strike on the Huge beast’s limbs caused spurts of blood to shoot out.

Charge, an endless charge!

Shadows approaching the Huge beast were repeatedly knocked away, and Generals were either buried in flames or swept away by fierce winds, tumbling far into the distance. Yet these Martial Artists from the Women’s country showed not a hint of retreat. They roared in anger and shouted fiercely, wishing to use their rage to slay the Huge beast that had devoured the souls of their countrymen. Though their assaults seemed feeble against the massive body of the Huge beast, not a single one showed fear in their eyes.

But inevitably, some would fall. Gradually, the fallen figures lacked the strength to rise; they could only muster the energy to lift their heads and look...

"Great General! Order your men to fall back!" Ji Mo, suspended mid-air, bellowed loudly, his hands clasping the small hammer wrapped in lightning. His eyes shone with a purple glow as the hammer rapidly expanded, suddenly growing to tens of meters in length.

Feng Ge let out a whistle, and those besieging the Huge beast quickly backed away. Ji Mo, holding the Immortal Hammer aloft, smashed it down fiercely onto the Huge beast’s back, making it stagger. Its front hooves bent, forcing it to kneel.

Ling Xiaolan’s Treasure Sword radiated dazzling white light. Her figure soared into the sky, zigzagging and shedding endless Sword Qi. Swords like rain, resembling a river, as if the waters of a magnificent river fell from heaven!

The Huge beast roared skyward, its body engulfed by the Sword Qi. Black energy exploded from its body, leaving deep gashes.

Feng Ge clenched her long spear and took a deep breath. Seeing Ji Mo gasping for air, unable to wield the Immortal Hammer again for a while, she lowered her stance, gripping the long spear tightly, and charged once more. One step, two steps, her long spear blazed with lightning, her figure like a swift breeze, rushing into the thick black mist.

In the sky, the light in Ling Xiaolan’s eyes returned to calm as she scrutinized the situation below. She saw streaks of lightning appear within the black mist, and the body of the Huge beast seemed to topple...

Was it resolved?

Ling Xiaolan swept her Spiritual Sense over the area, only to discover heavy casualties.

Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred! The black mist expanded rapidly, and a blood-red membrane, like a shockwave, surged in every direction. Feng Ge’s figure was thrown back, and the Huge beast’s wounds were visibly healing at an alarming rate.

Ling Xiaolan immediately readied her sword for a plunging attack, but as the blood-red light approached, she heard piercing screams. Her Nascent Soul vibrated, her Divine Soul stirred, and she nearly fell from the sky as everything went black.

This was a Spell that damaged the Divine Soul!

Ji Mo, with a lower cultivation level than Ling Xiaolan, fared worse. His figure was swept away, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper, eyes full of terror.

"Great General!"

A shout came from nearby. A few Generals rushed to Feng Ge’s side after she was struck. The Generals moved like the wind, ready to attack the Huge beast again.

"All fall back! Surrounding it is useless! Fall back!" Feng Ge roared. "This is a military order! The injured retreat immediately! Fairy Ling! Give me a moment!"

"Slay the evil demon!" Ling Xiaolan’s voice was light yet stern as her sword danced like a dragon. Her entire body’s Mana vibrated as she attacked swiftly from the air. However, the Huge beast swung its wooden Staff, creating layers of red light that made it impossible for Ling Xiaolan to get close.

The Huge beast’s gaze was locked firmly on Feng Ge. Gritting her teeth, Feng Ge pushed aside the hesitant General beside her. She took two steps forward with her spear, then her legs trembled, and she knelt on the ground. A ferocious light burst from the eyes of the Huge beast, and its terrifying human-like face slowly closed in on Feng Ge, as if it intended to swallow her whole.

Your Majesty... Jiayi...

A trace of confusion swept through Feng Ge’s eyes, as fleeting images surfaced then disappeared from the depths of her mind...

"National Teacher, how should we deal with this person? She wandered into the Temple unintentionally."

"Execute her," the white-haired old National Teacher sighed. "Her soul is not yet mature; keeping her alive, she would live in fear for the next three years. Strengthen the guard on that side, and let’s not have this happen again."

"But..."

She could never forget the small child, only seven or eight years old, who had stood out from behind the National Teacher, red-rimmed eyes, and said softly, "Can she be allowed to live?

"My mother will soon replace my grandmother, and there should be at least a few decades of peace. We already have enough sacrificial offerings here. Can she become my guard, please?

"National Teacher, haven’t we lost too many people already?"

"Your Highness, to suddenly speak like this... Sigh, it’s up to you to decide."

「The scene shifted to beside the swing under that tree.」

"What is your name?"

"Your Highness I, I don’t have a name."

"Then, from now on, can you be called Feng Ge? My name is Jiayi, pleased to meet you."

"Jiayi..." Feng Ge muttered to herself, the confusion in her eyes quickly fading. She stared at the Huge beast in front of her, its massive mouth wide open, as flames suddenly ignited all over her body, with even brighter flames flickering on her forehead.

Burn my Divine Soul, I offer everything!

"Ice Seal."

Suddenly, a rich icy blue color appeared around Feng Ge. She instinctively leaped backward. A massive block of ice materialized where she had been standing, which the Huge beast bit into, shattering it and showering ice fragments everywhere.

"Is this your plan? To defeat the Huge beast by piling up lives?" A voice tinged with confusion came from behind her. Feng Ge and Ji Mo were both stunned for a moment, but Ji Mo looked back with surprise and joy, shouting, "Brother Xiong, save us!"

"A change from when you were plying me with Sleeping Pills?" A flicker of starlight twinkled, and the sound of something cutting through the air grew rapidly louder. Numerous ice lances formed a river of ice in the sky, striking fiercely at the Huge beast’s head!

With the rapid incantation, Spiritual Power erupted from every corner of the Earth Palace. Several ice spikes pierced through the Huge beast’s paw, drawing out a thick, bloody light.

Feng Ge saw a figure emerging from behind the river of ice, with a pair of Light Wings unfurled on its back, surrounded by seven Crystal Balls brimming with starlight. This empty underground palace suddenly seemed to be visited by the starry sky. The Huge beast was about to pounce, but one after another, walls of ice appeared before it, and countless ice spikes sprang from the ground, making it afraid to move rashly.

"General Feng Ge, take your people and retreat." Wu Wang slightly turned his head, glanced at Feng Ge, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "This Huge beast, that’s not how you fight it."

Taking a deep breath, Wu Wang raised his hand to hold the necklace on his chest, popped several Elixirs into his mouth, and with a slight flutter of his Star Wings, he dived swiftly at the Huge beast. He then plummeted to the ground at breakneck speed, circling past the front paws of the Huge beast the moment it raised its Staff. A few Crystal Balls lingered at the Huge beast’s ankles, their insides twinkling with stars.

"Praise the Star God."

Starlight burst forth, and pure Star Power condensed into a massive Ice Blade, cleaving harshly into the Huge beast’s ankles. The Huge beast staggered, and its forelimbs collapsed to the ground.

Yet Wu Wang was already on its left side, a hexagonal snowflake emerging behind his Star Wings. A fierce wind carrying a freezing chill enveloped half of the Huge beast’s body. As Wu Wang moved, he blanketed the Huge beast with it. Several Crystal Balls exploded into an ice mountain, crashing directly onto the highest part of the Huge beast’s back. Silver-white lightning targeted the Huge beast’s eyes, forcing it to shut them tight. The cold condensed into an Ice Sword a hundred zhang long, brandished down on the Huge beast’s head.

But who would have thought all these were feints to distract the Huge beast? Wu Wang’s ghost-like figure appeared by its ankles and back, targeting its vital points, tossing out Crystal Balls and quickly moving away.

His voice also echoed continuously throughout the Earth Palace:

"The Women’s country might need this knowledge; you’d better all remember it.

"To deal with a Huge beast, you must find its weak points. No matter how strong a Huge beast is, as long as it can’t kill you instantly, it can’t possibly be without weaknesses.

"The larger its size, the greater its destructive power, and the more weaknesses it has.

"Typically, you should prioritize attacking its ankles, armpits, and other such areas to disable its mobility.

"Then, by detecting the Divine Thought fluctuations it produces whenever it activates Spells like wind, fire, lightning, and so on, lock onto the position of its Beast Core. Aim your strongest attacks at its Beast Core; even a needle prick to the core can inflict injury."

The people of the Women’s country stared blankly at the scene unfolding before them, listening to that calm and composed voice.

"General, why didn’t we commission this Divine Envoy before...?"

Feng Ge, her body no longer engulfed in flames, said, pale-faced, "How would I know he would be this strong? I thought he was about as powerful as the National Teacher. How could this be?"

"In fighting Huge beasts, Brother Xiong clearly has more experience than us." Ling Xiaolan’s voice came from above their heads. As everyone looked up, they saw Ling Xiaolan had taken out her Jade Flute and was gently playing it. Waves of green ripples spread out from around her and converged toward Wu Wang, wrapping around him as he flew by at high speed.

Wu Wang’s forward momentum suddenly increased, and he almost couldn’t stop himself, nearly crashing directly into the Huge beast! Wu Wang turned his head and glared at Ling Xiaolan, who pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and gave a slightly embarrassed smile...

"Keep playing!" Wu Wang shouted lightly, his figure dashing above the Huge beast, which was already covered in wounds.

Ling Xiaolan played another Immortal tune, wrapping layers of ripples around Wu Wang, whose aura suddenly surged.

Ji Mo looked at Ling Xiaolan with some helplessness, frustration evident in his eyes. After all this time, why hasn’t he received this treatment? He had never once enjoyed the famed signature ability of the Tianyan Xuan Nu Sect.

CRACK!

Wu Wang brought his hands together, then yanked them apart, creating a rapidly spinning Ice Crystal Ball in his palm, which he gripped with one hand and hurled directly at the Huge beast. The Huge beast swept its Staff, and those blood-red shockwaves appeared once more. A bluish light bloomed from the necklace on Wu Wang’s chest, enveloping him completely, turning him into an ice-blue rock that stood unyielding through the relentless onslaught.

With a half-snort, Wu Wang’s figure moved like lightning, his hands constantly forming seals, and a barrage of Crystal Balls sprinkled from his sleeves. His figure flashed so rapidly that only his afterimages remained within the Earth Palace. The wounds on the Huge beast’s body had no time to heal; it was pierced into a pockmarked mess by icicles, its limb joints embedded with Ice Blades.

Finally, as Wu Wang’s figure stopped in front of the Huge beast, he squatted down, pressing his hands on the ground. The incantation he had been chanting immediately rose to a crescendo, and dozens of icicles shot up from the ground, penetrating the immobile body of the Huge beast. With a thunderous collapse, the Huge beast fell, its blood already frozen.

Wu Wang let out a soft breath, swallowing the last Elixir in his mouth to replenish his depleted Divine Thought. The sound of the flute did not stop outright but rather became soothing, making Wu Wang feel quite comfortable and giving rise to a bold idea in his heart...

He wondered if the disciples of the Tianyan Xuan Nu Sect had an easy time finding jobs; the Northern Wilderness was in dire need of a team of musicians.

This felt too comfortable.

If it weren’t for his strange illness and Fairy Ling’s reluctance to get close to others, he would have already prepared a lavish betrothal gift and proposed marriage.

"Divine Envoy, the Women’s country will forever remember this great favor!" Feng Ge shouted, carrying her long spear as she quickly approached. She was about to leap forward and end the life of the Huge beast.

But Wu Wang suddenly made his move. The Ice Wings on his back exploded, transforming into walls of ice that shielded the Huge beast behind him.

Feng Ge frowned at Wu Wang and demanded, "Divine Envoy, what is the meaning of this?"

"Let’s first establish our stance," Wu Wang said authoritatively, his hands clasped behind him. "I support the Human race fighting against any Huge beasts that threaten us, and I support the Women’s country freeing themselves from the shadow of these Huge beasts."

After a pause, Wu Wang continued, "But the premise is that everyone present has the right to know the facts."

Feng Ge retorted, "What facts?"

"The facts concerning this Huge beast," Wu Wang replied indifferently. "General Feng Ge, have you been keeping anything from your subordinates who followed you here?"

The group of Women’s country Martial Artists, supporting each other, all turned to look at Wu Wang.

Feng Ge said, "The fact that Huge beasts devour Human Souls has been witnessed by everyone."

"And what about the fact that this Huge beast is the core of the Women’s country’s protective Barrier Formation?" Wu Wang countered. "Do they know that? If I’m not mistaken, that’s a secret only known to the State Preceptor and the Queen."

Feng Ge couldn’t help but grip her spear tightly, her face shadowed.

"The core of the protective Formation? What does that mean?"

"Great General, isn’t this Huge beast simply a guardian beast of our nation?"

"Does this relate to the boundary Barrier?"

Feng Ge was engulfed in shadows, her long spear quivering slightly.

Ji Mo, clutching his chest, flew over on his Magic treasure and asked in a low voice, "Great General Feng Ge, this seems somewhat different from what you described in your call for help."

"The Great General is unwilling to speak? Then allow me." Wu Wang’s right hand swept across the air, and above his head appeared a disk condensed from starlight, displaying words such as "Royal Capital" and "Frontier."

He said, "This is the topographic map of the Women’s country I have recorded. The whole nation is a giant Formation, drawing power from the earth’s veins and the Stars, covering an area of one thousand six hundred li, turning this place into a paradise.

"It’s clear that this Formation was created by an Innate God.

"According to your mythical records, for some unknown reason, this Innate God later left this place. Although there are no explicit words about this, the texts are filled with the complaints of the Priests at that time.

"The Goddess who abandoned this place left behind a disaster that would destroy the Women’s country—those flickering Stars on the outskirts. Each Star represents a Huge beast; you must have seen their stone statues on the frontier.

"I speculate that once the Barrier fades, these statues will come to life and march towards your capital.

"Clearly, this Goddess did not want her paradise to be defiled by other Divine Spirits."

He paused. The hundreds of people staring at him were now unable to utter a word.

Wu Wang continued, "The entire Formation’s foundation is the Spirit Incubator, which should be a precious treasure, the factual basis for the existence of the Women’s country.

"And this Huge beast is the keystone of the whole Formation. If it dies here today, the Barrier will shatter, and the one hundred and eight Huge beasts on the frontier will awaken. The Women’s country...

"By my rough estimate, will lose about thirty percent of its population, and that’s under relatively ideal conditions."

Silence. It became so quiet in the Earth Palace that one could hear a pin drop.

Wu Wang added, "If we retreat now, the Huge beast’s injuries will regenerate in one hour."

"Then why did you help us?" Feng Ge suddenly spoke up, staring fixedly at Wu Wang. "You say so much, and yet you helped us suppress the Huge beast. What exactly do you want?"

"The right to know," Wu Wang stated coldly. "The fate of the Women’s country should not be decided by one person. You cannot decide, and neither can the Queen. Is it appropriate to disregard significant casualties and make no emergency plans for the sake of personal interests?"

"I have spent decades training a large number of elite troops at the frontier!" Feng Ge’s voice suddenly rose. "We are prepared to confront the Huge beasts!"

"Your performance tonight shows you know nothing of the Huge beasts’ true power," Wu Wang said. "If those one hundred and eight Huge beasts appeared in the Northern Wilderness, even the strongest Big Wave Tribe would be flattened overnight. You should hate the Innate God who created and then abandoned the Women’s country."

"Then all the more reason to end everything left behind by the Innate God," Ji Mo declared loudly from the side. "If the entire Women’s country can only exist through the sacrifice of its women, what is the meaning of such an existence? Brother Xiong, if the very foundation is unjust, what future can this nation speak of?"

"But the people of the Women’s country are not to blame for this," Ling Xiaolan said. "To condemn so many lives to death because of the decisions of a few—that is the true injustice."

Feng Ge advanced with her spear.

Wu Wang was about to step forward to intervene when Ji Mo landed in front of him. His complexion was pale as he stared at Wu Wang, but his eyes were firm with conviction.

Feng Ge took a few steps, but Ling Xiaolan’s figure blocked her path, her Longsword shimmering with layers of water-light as she pointed it at Feng Ge’s neck.

Ling Xiaolan said, "Evacuate the civilians first."

Feng Ge gritted her teeth and cursed, "What do any of you understand!"

At that moment, from the palace’s great door, a figure stumbled in. Seeing the nearly frozen Huge beast, the person could not help but cry out, "Your Majesty... what are you all doing!"

Your Majesty?

Wu Wang was taken aback. Is this Huge beast related to the sleeping Queen? No, the Queen’s Divine Soul is intact, and her aura is completely different from this Huge beast’s. Their Divine Thought fluctuations bear no resemblance; they definitely aren’t one and the same.

Could it be...

"AH—" Feng Ge suddenly screamed. Brilliant flames erupted from her body, a bright fire igniting on her forehead. Waves of fire surged around her, hurling Wu Wang, Ji Mo, and Ling Xiaolan away! She leaped up, holding her long spear high, her eyes filled with grim resolve.

As Wu Wang was flung away, he suddenly understood the connections he couldn’t figure out before.

The Huge beast, the disk, the fading Divine Light of the Goddess... The Huge beast here is part of a succession ritual. The one lying there could very well be the previous King of the Women’s country, the current Queen’s mother... The fading Divine Light likely means that the Queen, upon reaching the eye of the Formation, gradually succumbed to the erosion of some Divine Power, devolving into a beast and sustaining herself by absorbing souls.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wu Wang caught a glimpse of Feng Ge, blood-soaked. Her long spear, carrying her Divine Soul flame, had already pierced the Huge beast’s forehead.

A blood-red beam of light shot straight into the sky, breaking through the layers of earth, through the palace’s grand Formation, blasting open the layer of dark clouds. It spread across the sky, transforming into a ripple pattern several li wide...