Chapter 2489

He Lingchuan dodged Jia Lou Tian's iron fist and rushed toward the Earth Mother, only to have his path blocked by a triangular golden light ring. As soon as his footsteps halted, the twin-blade beast charged at him.

From Ji Yao's perspective, the battle between Jiu You and Jia Lou Tian's four beasts was so fast that only a few streaks of flowing light could be seen flashing across the field, with human figures almost invisible.

But Jia Lou Tian is Jia Lou Tian—he could tightly entangle Jiu You, giving him no chance to return to Lei Chi.

In fact, He Lingchuan had previously hidden a ghost cicada molt on the Earth Mother's body, ready to shift back when needed.

But the thunder in the sky was immense, and it had already shattered the cicada molt into flying ash—very little could survive the cleansing of thunderlight.

The heavenly demon's avatar that had just escaped the fleshly shell buzzed around the void like a headless fly, circling several times but finding no exit, and was then struck by three or four successive thunderbolts, turning into green smoke and dissipating on the spot.

Shangguan Biao accidentally injured his allies, but felt no remorse, his mind entirely focused on casting spells.

Everyone knew he wanted to separate the Earth Mother and He Lingchuan, then defeat them one by one.

Once dragged to the pool's bottom, the Earth Mother would likely have no strength left to escape.

It had been dragged from the Du Zhi Mountain Secret Realm into the void—who knows where this time it would be taken, perhaps imprisoned by Shangguan Biao somewhere?

He Lingchuan being able to find it once was already remarkable; if separated this time, even immortals could not save it.

The Earth Mother glanced at him, then at Shangguan Biao, wanting to speak but hesitating.

It also understood there was no time left. Yet, having been deceived by humans again and again, could it possibly be an exception this time?

"You just suffered a loss and got tricked, didn't you? You swore you'd never sign a contract with any human again—so why are you now rushing headlong into another trap?" Shangguan Biao's voice rose above the thunder, directly entering the Earth Mother's ears with cold mockery: "Follow me and you may live; follow Jiu You and you will surely die. Do you really think you have a choice?"

How long had the Earth Mother known this person? A quarter-hour? Two quarters?

Even if Shangguan Biao does evil, who says Jiu You the Great Emperor is a good man?

To end the millennia-long turmoil of the Flashing Gold Plains, to found a vast and powerful empire—this man's scheming must be deeper than the boundless sea.

Good person? At this level, who is truly good?

He Lingchuan had just opened his mouth when the sky cracked with a few "kacha" sounds, and dozens of tree-shaped lightning bolts struck down, building between him and Lei Chi a wide, thick thunder wall woven with electric threads!

The intense lightning illuminated He Lingchuan's face as grim and cold, but he could no longer see the Earth Mother beyond the thunder wall.

Even he could not think of any spell or divine ability that could pierce the thunder wall in a single step.

Thunder and lightning are almost the bane of most divine abilities and spells in this world.

He glanced at Shangguan Biao, seeing this man tightly shut his eyes, murmuring incantations, earnestly intensifying his spellcasting.

This is the decisive moment—Shangguan Biao spares no cost, determined to completely separate them.

Physical separation is the most effective way to cut off influence—no matter what tricks Jiu You has, they cannot affect the Earth Mother!

With the heavenly demon blocking ahead and the thunder wall behind, he refuses to believe He Lingchuan has any means to break through these two obstacles and return to the Earth Mother's side.

This round, he is destined to win.

At that moment, a long spear materialized out of thin air behind Shangguan Biao and thrust fiercely toward the back of his head!

He Lingchuan also had the ability to create avatars, and he took the Mirage Horn to seek Shangguan Biao.

He did not need this spear to kill Shangguan Biao—only to interrupt his pulling of the Earth Mother.

This spear pierced Shangguan Biao's skull without obstruction, the stone figure crashed down with a clatter and turned into a pile of stones.

Yet the Earth Mother's sinking speed only increased.

He Lingchuan looked around and finally noticed that on the eastern hill, another stone figure was also casting spells.

That was Shangguan Biao's true body.

"Come on." He bared his teeth at He Lingchuan with a grin, "No matter how many times you interrupt me, it's useless!"

He is the true master of this void—he can create as many avatars as he wishes, and take a single step to cross a thousand li if he desires.

In the time it took to speak those few words, the Earth Mother had sunk another zhang, and the waters of Lei Chi were about to submerge its chest.

It struggled desperately.

But just like anyone deeply mired in a mud pit, the harder it struggled, the deeper and faster it sank.

Fifteen breaths! At most fifteen more breaths, and it would be completely swallowed by Lei Chi.

The voice of the Blood Demon suddenly echoed from somewhere, entering its ears:

"Fool, stop overthinking! I just ask you—"

It spoke each word clearly, deafening and stunning: "Who do you hate more! Do you want Shangguan Biao dead?"

Only then did those eight words truly strike like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly clearing the Earth Mother's mind—so much so that it even forgot to struggle.

Right, whether Jiu You the Great Emperor is a deceiver or not—what does that have to do with it?

What it has always wanted was to kill Shangguan Biao!

Even if Jiu You the Great Emperor harbors ill intentions, as long as he ultimately kills Shangguan Biao, that's enough!

Does it not care about anything else but this outcome?

The Blood Demon spoke with lightning speed:

"Didn't you say, even if the stone heart shatters, it's fine as long as Shangguan Biao dies! The opportunity is right before you—are you shrinking back in battle?"

One word pierced the truth, shattering the Earth Mother's confusion.

The Earth Mother understood, but it was too late to regret: "But we've already been separated—he can't come over!"

Jiu You can't come over, and neither can it.

In the end, it was its own foolishness that ruined the best opportunity.

"Not late, not late at all!" The Blood Demon's voice echoed in its ears: "As long as you say 'I am willing,' you can change your fate! Say it!"

"But……?" The distance between the Earth Mother and Jiu You was too great—it didn't know how the other could draw it into their secret realm.

"Just say it out loud, hurry!" Though the Blood Demon roared angrily, no one else could hear a thing.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the thunder wall, the Blood Demon also complained to He Lingchuan: "Hey, Jia Lou Tian's attacks seem to be getting fiercer!"

"Not just Jia Lou Tian!"

From the very beginning, the attacks of these few beasts had been fierce. And as the battle progressed and time passed, their strength and speed did not decline but steadily increased.

The more he fought, the faster he became; the more he fought, the fiercer he grew.

He Lingchuan felt like a nail on the ground, being hammered hard by several hammers, with no time to catch his breath at all.

This kind of oppressive pressure from a sudden storm was something he used to inflict on others.

In the battlefield between him and the four war beasts, the raging gang qi was extraordinarily violent, so much so that even two other heavenly demons could not approach; stones on the ground were occasionally sucked into the gang wind and instantly shattered into powder.

He Lingchuan glanced at these few war beasts, and a thought arose in his mind:

How much power did Jia Lou Tian actually release during this divine descent?

A single Longjiang war beast could not bear its full power; but if the released power was too weak, it could not kill the Nine Abysses Great Emperor.

For a great heavenly demon like Jia Lou Tian, if he does not act, then so be it; but once he acts, success is certain.

Seeing again the four war beasts advancing and retreating with measure, coordinating seamlessly, He Lingchuan had another thought:

Are these four humanoid monsters entirely under the control of Jia Lou Tian?