Chapter 17: with translation of chapter title

Endless explosion sounds rang out everywhere, the whole house seemed about to collapse, the cellar ceiling instantly became riddled with holes, and from time to time light beams shot through the planks to strike near Pei'er, bringing intense burning pain. Pei'er knew that if she stayed like this, the house would sooner or later collapse; having no choice, she pushed open the cellar's wooden door and stumbled out. Even if enemies lay in ambush outside, she could no longer care.

In the night sky, only the guards' frantic shouts could be heard; the wooden gate shattered instantly, several figures leapt out from within, accompanied by piercing light beams that followed like shadows, clashing with each other. Though Pei'er did not understand magic, she was also stunned by the sight before her, unable to speak for a long while.

Mingguang, Bafaliya, Xilixiya, and Get formed some kind of formation, each occupying a corner, completely surrounding Viscount Luofugude. Get wielded a two-handed giant sword, fighting Luofugude fiercely. Though his divine strength was astonishing, each strike carrying the force of thousands of jun, the Viscount handled it as if it were light, still holding a great advantage; if not for Xilixiya occasionally firing magic in the gaps of their melee to strike the Viscount, Get would have already been defeated. Meanwhile, Bafaliya's fingertips gathered white light orbs that circled around Get; each time Luofugude shot a light beam, it was blocked by his barrier, and when the beam could not be fully blocked, Mingguang formed a second line of defense with his staff. The four cooperated, having both offense and defense, yet despite being four against one, they still could not win.

Viscount Luofugude grew braver the longer they fought; he was a supreme battle mage cultivating both magic and swordsmanship, not only stronger than these four hall masters but also more flexible. Against a mage like Mingguang, he could deal with swift, unmatched swordsmanship; as for the magic-weakened Get, he could launch light beams from afar. No matter who, he could respond with ease. Although outnumbered, for a moment he still did not lose the initiative.

After another brief bout, Mingguang and the others grew increasingly fearful in their hearts. Though they knew well that Viscount Luofugude's strength was unfathomable, they reckoned each hall master was a "Human Emperor"-level expert; even if individually they could not match the Viscount, with four against one there was absolutely no reason to lose. Little did they know that upon engaging, they found they could do nothing against him at all. If they were even slightly careless, they might even be defeated!

However, they did not realize they themselves had overestimated the Viscount. Although Viscount Luofugude's strength surpassed that of the Seven Divine Halls' hall masters, it was not overwhelmingly ahead; originally, if the four joined forces, he would inevitably lose no matter what. But the Seven Divine Halls were discordant, the hall masters scheming against each other, their conflict with the head hall master Mingguang especially sharp, especially Get, Aordeng and others, who looked down on Mingguang's magic and ability from the bottom of their hearts. At this moment, though they presented a united front outwardly, they still distrusted each other and refused to give their all. Among the four, the main attacker Get was still unhealed from serious injury, Xilixiya excelled in melee among thousands of troops, not suited for mage duels, while Bafaliya and Mingguang feared Get would be slain by Viscount Luofugude, so they kept summoning protective barriers and could not launch attacks. Thus the Divine Hall side became weak in offense but strong in defense, naturally unable to quickly defeat the Viscount. Yet the Viscount also could not breach this iron‑clad defense. Forced into a war of attrition, after another brief bout, Viscount Luofugude and Bafaliya began to see clearly: the key to this battle lay in Get. If Viscount Luofugude could wound Get, the offensive‑defensive balance on the field would instantly reverse; once he unleashed his exquisite, peerless swordsmanship, the remaining mage side of the Divine Hall would surely lose. Conversely, if Get could hold his ground in the stalemate, even wounding the Viscount, then the Divine Hall forces could seize the momentum and win in one blow. For the Divine Hall, defeating Viscount Luofugude would allow them to use Qinyan‑Luofugude to carry out the plan of drawing out Luoshan; with the four hall masters united, Luoshan would have no chance to escape. In this way, their long‑painstaking plan could succeed.

Resurrecting the Supreme God. This was something Bafaliya had never dared to imagine before; even in his conversation with Pei'er he wore a look of contempt, saying, "Who would think of resurrecting the Supreme God?" Yet he understood deep down that this plan truly existed. As the head hall master of the Divine Hall, Mingguang naturally possessed extraordinary qualities; though his magic might not be vastly superior to that of Heisen, Aordeng and others, his scheming and strategy were unmatched under heaven. After poring over classics for years, he actually found a method to resurrect the Supreme God: gather the pure power of the angelic race and act contrary to the Supreme God's dark power, thereby breaking the taboo in one fell swoop and awakening the greatest force humanity has ever known.

But if this plan succeeded, what would the world become?

Bafaliya had not personally experienced that history from hundreds of years ago, but merely from books he could imagine how terrifying that blood‑storm had been. The whole continent lived in fear, dreading that the blood‑thirsty Supreme God might descend upon their doorsteps tomorrow, tearing their throats out with bare hands and strengthening his blood‑thirsty soul with death.

Until that earth‑shaking war between men and gods, the Supreme God slew the Death God Mikael, crushed Boromir, and even the strongest of the gods, Makas, suffered grave wounds. Such brilliance that made the sun and moon gaze upon it, yet he finally could not go on. Bafaliya often wondered, when people at that time heard the news of the Supreme God's death, were they more saddened or more delighted?

Yet such a demon, Mingguang wanted to resurrect it.

He had advised more than once, hoping to persuade Mingguang to abandon this mad notion. But Mingguang confidently declared that he had full confidence in being able to place the resurrected Supreme God under his control. As the head hall master of the Divine Hall, Mingguang's decision, though Bafaliya half‑believed and half‑doubted, he could not oppose. Yet in his heart, worry always lingered.

If Mingguang could control the Supreme God's power, who on this continent could stand against him? By then, anyone who refused to obey his commands would probably be ground to powder by the Supreme God's might.

"Boom!" A beam of light grazed past him. "Bafaliya!" Mingguang roared fiercely. "What are you thinking? Do you have a death wish?"

Bafaliya then came to his senses, only to see Viscount Luofugude's hair disheveled, a faint trace of blood at the corner of his mouth—he had indeed suffered a serious wound. Before he could even feel glad, he saw Xilixiya's body fly out like a sheet of paper, crashing heavily to the ground, one arm already sliced off at the shoulder by the long sword. Get's face was covered in blood as he roared and swung his giant sword, looking like a madman, yet every move was blocked by Viscount Luofugude. Mingguang strained to maintain the barrier protecting Get, seeming to grow increasingly unable to hold it.

It turned out that in that brief moment just now, Viscount Luofugude had already decided on his points of attack. He was thoughtful, deliberately assaulting Get first so that Mingguang and Bafaliya would place their magical barriers around Get, thereby neglecting Xilixiya standing to the side. At that very instant, however, Viscount Luofugude suddenly unleashed force, ignoring Get's fierce onslaught and striking Xilixiya with the speed of thunder before one could cover their ears. Xilixiya was a pure mage; after a prolonged siege, his guard had unconsciously relaxed, and suddenly faced with the Viscount's magic‑infused exquisite swordsmanship, he was at a loss, his arm severed by a single blow and he fainted. Mingguang sensed something wrong and quickly fired a "Dark Arrow," but it was already too late. The light of the Dark Arrow pierced Viscount Luofugude's body, breaking his personal barrier and making him spit out a mouthful of blood. Yet just then, Xilixiya had already collapsed; the Divine Hall's encircling formation collapsed at once, forcing each to fight alone.

Although Viscount Luofugude was wounded, his magical power remained superior to Mingguang's; even though the Dark Arrow had entered his body, he still retained the strength to keep fighting. He let out a fierce roar and swung his long sword, each strike carrying thunder‑like force. Get had previously failed to entangle the Viscount, instead giving him an opening to inflict heavy damage on Xilixiya; feeling immense guilt, his assault grew even more ferocious. Yet Get was no match for Viscount Luofugude, and persisting in this blind assault only brought him repeated peril. Had it not been for Mingguang's successive spells striking the opponent, and Bafaliya wholeheartedly weaving protective barriers, Get would have long been struck by the magic clinging to the Viscount's sword and ended up just like Xilixiya.

Pei'er hid to the side, witnessing this world‑shaking battle, her heart filled with dread. As the fight progressed to this point, anyone could see the situation turning against the Divine Hall side. Because of her tie to Bafaliya and because Viscount Luofugude intended harm to Luoshan, Pei'er's heart leaned toward the Divine Hall. Seeing the Divine Hall crowd on the verge of defeat, she could not help but panic, and leapt out from her hiding place.

Besides the five combatants on the field, a dense crowd of Luofugude Manor people stood in a ring around them, awed by the might of the experts, so that not a single person dared to step forward. At first, seeing Pei'er rush out, most paid no attention; only when she charged through the crowd did someone realize that, since Young Master Viscount already had the upper hand, those stepping forward now would naturally be from the Divine Hall side. For a moment shouts rose, and several spears thrust forward. Pei'er waved her right hand and instantly snatched a spear. She is a direct disciple of the Sword God; though still young, her swordsmanship is already extraordinary. Although the sword is short and the spear long, she now wields the iron spear to perform the Genesis Sword, and remains unstoppable against any who block her.

In that instant, the manor guards who tried to block were swept aside by the spear; Pei'er's feet never paused, and in a flash she leapt into the battle group, thrusting the spear forward to deal a heavy blow to Viscount Luofugude's chest. Bafaliya watched from the side, seeing it clearly, and could not help but feel urgent.

Seeing a blond girl jump into the battle group, Viscount Luofugude could not help but smirk slightly. With his right‑hand long sword he unleashed three quick strokes in succession, forcing Get to retreat a step, then followed with another strike that turned back, carrying supreme magical power, and struck suddenly. This sword was extremely swift; Pei'er could not evade, so she raised the spear horizontally to block hard, only to hear a crisp crack—the steel spear shaft was severed by the sword's blow. In his anxiety, Bafaliya's palm blazed with light, instantly weaving a white net of light before Pei'er to block the Viscount's fierce follow‑up attack.

Though her weapon was cut off, Pei'er's mind cleared instead. The iron spear had been heavy, her arm strength insufficient, making its use rather laborious; now that the spear had been chopped off by the opponent, leaving only the spearhead in her hand, she felt light‑handed. The Genesis Sword technique emphasizes agility and liveliness, quite unlike ordinary sword arts that stress brute force; with the weapon now lighter, her swordsmanship instantly became more than twice as nimble. Viscount Luofugude, already wounded by the Dark Arrow, had expended enormous stamina and mana in the prolonged clash; now faced with Pei'er and Get's combined sword strikes and Mingguang's distant light beams, he felt the pressure surge sharply.

Could it be that today he would actually lose to the Divine Hall? He felt indignant; as he swung his sword, its power surged severalfold. The three of them with their three swords fought on for dozens of exchanges, and he gradually saw that Pei'er's swordsmanship, though fast, lacked strength, far inferior to Get's blows that could each split mountains and rend rocks. Thus he gradually relaxed his guard against Pei'er and focused on Get. Because Pei'er's presence made Mingguang fearful of friendly fire, he dared not unleash magic as recklessly as before, which allowed the Viscount to concentrate on Get. After a few more bouts, Viscount Luofugude noticed Get's sword movements becoming disordered; he let out a clear whistle, and his long sword suddenly struck from an unexpected angle, slamming heavily into Get's sword blade. This move gathered all of his magical power; Get, already utterly exhausted, could not resist, and his whole body was hurled backward several steps by the tremendous force, staggering as he tried to stand, then spitting a mouthful of blood and collapsing helplessly.

At this point, the situation seemed already clear.

Mingguang's face was ashen, his teeth clenched tight, as if making a difficult decision. Light again welled up from the tip of his staff, but instead of shooting out immediately, it lingered, gradually condensing into a black mass of light. Bafaliya beside him saw this and his expression changed. "Mingguang, what are you doing…"

Mingguang turned his head, gave a faint bitter smile, and said nothing more. That cluster of black light grew ever brighter, nearly enveloping the whole battlefield. At that moment, Viscount Luofugude launched a new round of rapid assault; Pei'er strained to defend, when suddenly her tiger's mouth ached and the broken spear in her hand was knocked away. At this critical juncture, the black aura at the tip of Mingguang's staff seemed to come alive, lunging wildly toward the Viscount.

At the same instant, Mingguang's staff slipped from his grasp, blood gushed from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground.

This was a mutually destructive spell that opened a passage between the real world and the Nine Abysses, instantly hurling a powerful foe into a hell of darkness and death—the most terrifying strike imaginable. Yet although it is mighty, it can be realized only by inflicting grave harm upon the caster himself; even a Human Emperor‑level mage, when facing an opponent he cannot resist, often refrains from using it. Because once unleashed, there is no retreat—if the enemy does not die, then the caster will.

Viscount Luofugude naturally knew well how fearsome this move was, but after the bloody battle his strength had also waned terribly; seeing that black mass surge toward him, he found himself unable to dodge. He could only muster all his remaining strength and thrust his sword hard at the dark cloud.

With a booming crash, the sword struck the aura and instantly shattered into several pieces. Viscount Luofugude's chest felt as if hammered, and blood spurted out. Yet precisely because he had blocked it, he managed to avoid falling into the dark Nine Abysses.

"Young Master Viscount." Bafaliya spoke up at this moment in a loud voice. "Right now both sides are utterly exhausted; in my opinion, we should temporarily cease fighting, and three months from now, at the summit of Lengshan, Luofugude Manor and the Seven Divine Halls will have a rematch—what do you think, Young Master Viscount?" He reckoned that his side had three of the four seriously wounded, while Viscount Luofugude, though also struck by Mingguang's spell, was clearly not yet incapacitated. Moreover, Luofugude Manor numbered in the hundreds; relying on him alone might not be enough to prevail. But since he, uninjured, set these terms now, if the manor refused, its hundred‑year reputation would be ruined. And after three months, when Mingguang and the others' wounds should have healed, plus Aordeng, Mekelun, Heisen, and Sakesen, the Divine Hall would have a seventy‑to‑eighty percent chance of victory. By making this agreement, which appears fair, he has actually placed himself in an invincible position.

Although Viscount Luofugude understood the hidden meaning of this agreement, he now bore serious injuries while Bafaliya was unharmed; he reckoned that if he kept fighting, his life would likely be in danger. Should he die, the entire Luofugude Manor would still not be left to be toyed with. "Since Lord Bafaliya has spoken, Old Luofugude will naturally obey." He sneered. "The Divine Hall may be strong, but it is not necessarily invincible under heaven. By the Lengshan Pact, Luofugude Manor will certainly come; when the time arrives, we will learn Lord Bafaliya's techniques!"

"If so, then the Seven Divine Halls may part ways for now." Bafaliya felt a great weight lift from his heart as he turned and saw Xilixiya, Get, and Mingguang all on the brink of death; he could not help but feel grim. Suddenly his thoughts shifted, and an idea struck him. "Pei'er!" he exclaimed in panic, looking around. "Pei'er! Where are you?" Yet across the battlefield, aside from the wounded scattered haphazardly and the still‑undispersed black mass, only the dark‑crowded throng of manor folk outside remained—there was no sign of that girl.

Just then, everyone felt their vision blur; a figure leapt like a fly into the field, straight into that black mass—the grim, terrifying Nine Abysses that no one wished to enter.