Chapter 21

The man in a white cloak appeared suddenly among the crowd, and even Luo Shan didn't notice how he had appeared. The Wind God and Fire God's faces changed; they drew their weapons and instinctively stepped back several paces. Luo Shan looked at the newcomer's face, his heart filled with surprise and joy.

"Brother Mu Ze."

The one who arrived was none other than Mu Ze, who had originally gone to Black Cliff Mountain together with Luo Shan; they had shared life-and-death trials and become brothers. After swallowing the Death God's Fruit, Mu Ze had undergone a complete transformation, becoming the Death God who dominated a region of the Nine Nether Lands, while Luo Shan, having endured great hardships these past days and narrowly escaped death, had also reached the level of a Human Emperor expert. Though their separation had been brief, it truly felt like a world had changed. "Luo Shan, big brother, since you've come to my territory, you are a guest; please rest awhile to the side and see how we brothers deal with these two petty fools." Mu Ze glanced at Luo Shan and gave a slight smile. "The Fire Spirit Tribe and the Wind Spirit Tribe have been frequently provoking my tribe, encroaching on our territory, and slaughtering our people. As the Death God, if I do not kill one to warn a hundred, I fear I will truly be looked down upon." He suddenly spread his arms, and indeed a pair of jet-black wings unfurled from his back. "Fire God, Wind God." His whole body suddenly emanated an awe-inspiring presence that made it hard to meet his gaze. "For decades you two have roamed the Nine Nether Lands, gained a little cultivation, and grown arrogant, calling yourselves deities—truly you are frogs at the bottom of a well."

Hearing these words, the Wind God and Fire God's faces changed in unison, yet pressured by the Death God's aura they dared not immediately step forward to attack. Although they knew the Death God's power was formidable, first, Mu Ze had originally been an obscure evil spirit; although by chance he had become the Death God, he might not be that terrifying. Second, they relied on their divine abilities, having roamed the Nine Nether Lands for decades without meeting an equal; moreover, to deal with Mu Ze, almost all the major tribes of the Nine Nether Lands had united, leaving the evil spirit Death God tribe isolated and weak, and in their view they held an overwhelming advantage.

"Fire God, your Mystic Fire Technique may be unmatched in might, but you have no advantage in speed; Wind God, conversely, you are swift but lack strength. The reason you two have been able to roam the Nine Nether Lands without encountering rivals is simply that talent among the tribes has withered, allowing you to run rampant. Now that I, Mu Ze, have become the Death God, for you to still intend to act as you did decades ago is truly courting death."

As Mu Ze's words fell, he waved his hands and his black wings suddenly spread wide; jet-black light poured from his body, instantly dimming the radiance of the Fire God and Wind God. Although Luo Shan stood aside, he could still feel the unparalleled magical power emanating from the opponent, and his heart secretly trembled. Although he had long known the Death God's power was astonishing, back then he was merely a low-level apprentice mage, and his perception of power was far less clear than it is now. The aura Mu Ze now exuded not only surpassed that of the Wind God and Fire God, but exceeded any expert he had ever seen in his life. The title "God" is truly deserved.

As the most mysterious member of the divinities, the Death God has dwelt in the Nine Nether Lands through the ages, possessing power passed down generation after generation. Since the previous Death God, Mikael, was slain by the Supreme God, the Death God's power has remained sealed within the Nine Nether Lands until Mu Ze stormed Black Cliff Mountain and obtained the Death God's Fruit, after which the Death God's power revived once more. As a divinity, the Death God can stand equal to the Dark God and the Light God; though he cannot withstand the Supreme God's might, he is still more than twice as strong as an ordinary human Human Emperor expert, and even surpasses a Human Sovereign expert. Although the Fire God and Wind God are evil spirits of the Nine Nether Lands, their power remains within the mortal realm; to challenge the Death God is practically suicide.

"Boom!" As their lights clashed, the Fire God and Wind God's bodies shuddered, and they involuntarily stepped back several paces, their eyes filled with terror. Mu Ze, however, remained composed; the black light from his fingertips suddenly blazed, instantly overwhelming the opponents' radiance.

"Fire God!" Mu Ze let out a sudden clear whistle. "If you surrender now, I can spare your life; otherwise, the entire Fire Spirit Tribe will likely not escape calamity."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" the Wind God faced Mu Ze's magic, gritting his teeth to endure. "Since you are the chieftain of the evil spirit Death God tribe, if we do not resist, within a few years won't all the tribes be swallowed by you one after another? Although you now have the upper hand, if all the tribes join forces, the outcome remains uncertain. Death God, if you now withdraw and swear never to attack the tribes again, we will lay down our weapons and follow your lead. Otherwise, since we are bound to die sooner or later, we might as well fight to the death today." "Wind God, hold your tongue." Mu Ze said sternly. "I am addressing the Fire God, not you. The Fire God is naturally loyal; if it weren't for you provoking him from the side, how could he dare to be so bold as to oppose me? Today the Fire God's life may be spared, but yours is not to be taken."

The Wind God's expression changed drastically; before he could reply, the Fire God spoke up with a bitter smile. "Death God, we oppose you not for our own status but for the survival of the myriad peoples of all the tribes. Know that when the previous Death God, Mikael, assumed office, the tribes truly ran rivers of blood, with only a tenth or so surviving. The Death God's lineage has been passed down through slaughter and destruction; for our own tribes we dare not be careless. Although we know we are no match for the Death God, we have no choice but to fight to the death." These words were spoken with fervent passion, causing even Luo Shan to nod secretly; he felt that although the Fire God was an enemy, he still bore the bearing of a tribal chief.

"If that is the case." Mu Ze seemed to sigh slightly. "Since you are bent on self-destruction, I will have to fulfill your wish." In an instant, the black light surged, pressing the Fire God and Wind God to retreat continuously. The Fire God's body trembled, a trickle of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth; the Wind God, whose cultivation was somewhat inferior, shook all over, and it was clear that within a few moves he would be unable to withstand.

"Mu Ze..." Luo Shan, unable to bear watching, cried out. "You just need to subdue them; there's no need to exterminate them completely." At that very moment Mu Ze's expression suddenly shifted, and his light inexplicably waned. "Well done, Wind God." He let out a sudden long whistle. "I truly underestimated you, using yourself as bait to set up this 'Wind Erosion' formation. But if you think this little formation can trap me, you are gravely mistaken."

Nevertheless, though his words were so, Mu Ze's power seemed still to be greatly restricted. The light from the Wind God and Fire God grew ever stronger, gradually overwhelming Mu Ze. In the darkness, countless figures suddenly appeared, surrounding Mu Ze and Luo Shan; innumerable threads of magical power emanated from them, weaving a dense net that enclosed Mu Ze from all sides. Luo Shan felt something intangible pressing on him, draining his circulating magical energy bit by bit. He felt a sudden astonishment, instinctively drawing his longsword and leaping forward, but from the crowd several beams of light shot out, forcibly keeping him outside. Due to the depletion of his magic, Luo Shan found himself temporarily unable to break through the enemy's blockade.

He did not know that this formation was precisely the Wind Spirit Tribe's generations‑old Wind Erosion Formation: the casters form a surrounding array, then gather the strength of over a hundred people to cast simultaneously, using magical power to weave a giant net that draws out the enemy's strength thread by thread. This formation is extraordinarily fearsome, yet it also has a non‑negligible weakness—it requires the combined power of over a hundred individuals to produce a net capable of trapping a master, and these casters themselves are insignificant in the eyes of experts; if discovered, they can be easily slaughtered. Hence, although the formation is powerful, the Wind Spirit Tribe has employed it only once in the past several centuries.

Yet now the Wind God and Fire God used themselves as bait, luring Mu Ze into a direct confrontation. Both were Human Emperor‑level experts; although Mu Ze was strong, he had to exert his full effort to respond, causing him to overlook the surrounding situation, and coupled with his lack of combat experience, the hundred or so Wind Spirit Tribe members who formed the Wind Erosion Formation went unnoticed by him.

As the Wind Erosion Formation activated, Mu Ze, though possessing the Death God's power, felt a sudden, uncontrollable depletion. He repeatedly channeled his energy, hoping to crush the Fire God and Wind God in one blow and then turn to shatter the formation, but his strength waned too quickly while the enemy had come prepared, leaving him momentarily unable to act. Luo Shan, too, was blocked by a master of the Wind Spirit Tribe, drawn into a bitter struggle from which he could not escape, and could only anxiously wait.

However, at that very moment, a flash of cold light suddenly tore across the sky, causing even the mighty Mu Ze and Fire God to shudder inwardly. The Wind Erosion Formation was exerting its full force to suppress Mu Ze, while the remaining experts with spare strength were engaged in fending off Luo Shan's assault; faced with this sudden attack, they were unable to respond in time.

The attacker was none other than Pei Er. She could not use magic, so the Wind Erosion Formation posed no threat to her. Her strike was as swift as a rabbit's start and a magpie's descent. A series of miserable cries rang out, blood spattered, and several Wind Spirit Tribe members collapsed. Sword light flashed, and in an instant the Wind Erosion Formation was shattered to pieces. The Wind Spirit Tribe members all practiced magic, and few knew swordsmanship; moreover, facing the Genesis Sword Technique personally transmitted by the Sword God, they were utterly unable to resist.

Mu Ze instantly felt the pressure on him ease; he let out a long whistle, flung out his right hand, and a powerful, blinding light shot forth in an instant. Though it was an intangible, immaterial spell, it scorched the air itself with heat. The Fire God was slightly startled; the scorching wind in this move even surpassed his lifelong secret art, the Mystic Fire Technique—truly the Death God's divine power is unfathomable!

With a boom, the combined light blast fired by the Fire God and Wind God was overwhelmed; Mu Ze's spell surged forward like a tidal wave, instantly breaking through their protective barriers and hurling their bodies backward like severed kites.

The Fire God let out a muffled grunt, blood gushing out as he collapsed to the ground, struggling a few times to rise but ultimately lying limp. The Wind God, smooth‑mannered, had let the Fire God block the front while he conserved his strength during the clash with Mu Ze; consequently, most of Mu Ze's magic had been absorbed by the Fire God, and although the Wind God too had his protective barrier shattered by the magical force, his injuries were not severe, and he believed he still had strength for another fight—yet faced with Mu Ze's awe‑inspiring might, how could he dare to throw eggs at a stone?

"Brother Mu Ze." Luo Shan had felled many Wind Spirit Tribe members in succession; seeing that the opponents largely lacked any ability to resist, he felt a sense of pointlessness. By nature kind‑hearted, although the thirst for blood and soul constantly tried to lure him onto a path of slaughter, this only deepened his aversion to fighting and killing. At this moment, seeing the Fire God and Wind God both defeated, he felt glad for Mu Ze yet could not help a tinge of sorrow. "These two are already gravely wounded; please spare them." "Spare them?" Mu Ze frowned. "Big brother, you don't know the situation in the Nine Nether Lands; I don't blame you. Now the Nine Nether Lands are plunged into internal strife—whether the Fire Spirit Tribe, the Wind Spirit Tribe, or any other tribe, all wish to kill me to exterminate the evil spirit Death God tribe. As a brother standing at the forefront of the storm, how could I show womanly compassion?"

"So, these two—I must kill them!"