Chapter 287: Divine Spirit Hall: Internal Statue War (Combined)

「Step~」

A flash of light, Qin Chuan and Lin Yue vanished inside Yan Da Academy; once again they set foot on solid ground, now standing before the gates of a magnificent, splendid grand hall.

The hall's doors were tightly shut; above them were carvings of various beasts—birds, beasts, insects, fish—and also some strange shapes the two could not recognize, each bearing a solemn and sacred feeling that inspired awe.

Qin Chuan instinctively turned his head, looking behind himself.

Behind him was a long upward staircase.

At this moment he stood at the top of the staircase, while its other end was covered by a sea of clouds.

Kariteli Divine Spirit Hall, located above the sea of clouds.

【Dungeon: Kariteli Divine Spirit Hall】

【Dungeon Introduction: The Half Demon Clan's holy ground, where only true powerhouses have the right to leave statues imprinting their power on this pilgrimage land, and the power they leave will also make this Divine Spirit Hall truly indestructible.】

【Dungeon Rank: SS-level】

【Horizontal Difficulty Rating: ★★】

【Dungeon Boss: Unknown】

【Dungeon Talent: Sunneedle (Gold)】

【Equipped Title: 【Red】Abyssal Calamity】

【Dungeon Minimum Clear Requirement: Slay any one of the demon gods inside the Divine Spirit Hall】

【Dungeon Clear Time Limit: 71:56:12】

【Give Up This Attempt】

【00:00:48】

「The dungeon boss is actually unknown. 」 Lin Yue's voice carried a hint of surprise as it came from beside him, 「An SS-level dungeon is indeed different from an S-level one. 」

「Yeah. 」 Qin Chuan gave a slight nod, 「Even the dungeon's minimum clear requirement does not display a specific target to slay. 」

He attempted to activate the third talent of the Sunneedle, but the usually infallible third talent of the Sunneedle now only gave him feedback of a blank map, with no trace of the dungeon boss.

"Let's go in and see." Qin Chuan took a deep breath, stepped forward, placed both hands on the tightly shut doors of the Divine Spirit Hall, and gradually applied force.

With the surge of supernatural power, the heavy doors slowly opened a crack; light from outside the doors shone into the hall interior, illuminating a corner of the main hall.

That was an incredibly vast hall; as Qin Chuan and Lin Yue entered, bright golden flames ignited on the inner walls, lighting up everything inside the hall.

Inside the hall stood rows of gilded statues, each emanating domineering power, a faint oppressive pressure looming over Qin Chuan and Lin Yue.

「Boom—」

A low, resonant sound echoed from behind; Qin Chuan and Lin Yue quickly turned back, and the door that had just been cracked open was pushed shut by an invisible force.

"Look over there!" Lin Yue suddenly exclaimed, tugging at Qin Chuan's sleeve.

Qin Chuan followed the sound, and his pupils constricted slightly.

He actually saw a familiar figure inside this hall.

It was a statue of Dalaisayi holding the Tide Halberd, displaying a demonic form.

However, compared to the other statues around it, this statue emitted no special power, and its gilded surface appeared even duller due to the lack of power.

His heart stirred, Qin Chuan's gaze swiftly swept over the statue group, and soon he spotted another familiar figure in another corner.

Storm Demon Lord·Dailai

Like Dalaisayi, the statue of Dailai also had a dull gilded surface.

「There are 81 statues in total, 14 of which are dim. 」 Lin Yue quickly tallied and reported the number, 「Since the statues of Dalaisayi and Dailai are also here, the other statues likely correspond to demon lords, i. e., powerhouses of the Legendary stage. 」

「The other 12 dim statues might be like theirs, their owners having been slain, thus losing their corresponding power. 」

「At least there are still 67 Legendary-stage combatants…」 Qin Chuan marveled slightly at the Half Demon Clan's strength, then turned his gaze to a road inside the hall that split it in half.

The road passed between rows of gilded statues, ending at a gate taller than the hall doors and equally splendid, tightly shut.

Although no main quest clues have appeared so far, it seems unnecessary.

Demon lords cannot be considered gods.

"Let's go straight to the next gate." Qin Chuan spoke calmly, then stepped forward.

Lin Yue followed closely behind.

However, before they had taken a few steps, the hall suddenly emitted a low humming sound.

On the ground, previously inconspicuous lines quickly lit up, forming a massive array covering the entire hall; the foot Qin Chuan stepped out happened to land on the edge of the array.

Obviously, upon entering the array's range, some latent power here was activated.

「Indeed, it's not that simple. 」 Qin Chuan glanced upward; from his current position to all areas before the gate, the array left no blind spot.

Obviously, this is an unavoidable segment that cannot be skipped.

「Boom boom boom—」

A low rumbling exploded throughout the hall, the latent power within the gilded statues fully activated, each reaching Epic tier.

However, this was only the beginning.

Under the glow of the array, golden patterns began to appear over the statues' bodies; with these patterns' enhancement, the statues' power started to climb at breakneck speed, seemingly trending from Epic to Legendary tier.

「Soul Descent·Nightshade Hunter. 」

Qin Chuan pressed one hand into the shadow on the ground, unfurling Soul Descent without hesitation, wielding the Dragon‑Slaying Blade, he struck down one of the gilded statues before it could complete its transformation.

The statue split silently in two beneath the blade's razor edge, and the power it held quickly dissipated.

But Qin Chuan's expression did not relax as a result.

Because he could feel that the dissipated power did not simply vanish.

They flowed back into the array, then spread to the other statues, swiftly boosting their power.

In that brief moment, aside from the previously dim 14 statues and the one just severed, the remaining 66 statues broke through to the Legendary tier!

「Click click click—」

In a series of clear sounds, 66 gilded statues moved simultaneously.

They slowly and stiffly turned their heads to look at Qin Chuan and Lin Yue, their gaze moving as if alive, with an indescribable eeriness.

It was obvious they were gradually gaining the ability to move.

"Spirit Descent·Azure Feather Wind Cry."

Lin Yue walked out of the gale, standing beside Qin Chuan in the posture of Spirit Descent, her brows slightly furrowed, "Should we keep destroying the statues?"

"If we sit and wait for death, it will only get worse." Qin Chuan steadied himself and reached out to grab Lin Yue's hand.

In the next instant, the entire hall was shrouded in silent darkness.

Feeling everything before her turn dark and hearing no sound, Lin Yue's heart jumped, but the continuous warmth from the hand holding hers quickly calmed her.

With her other hand lightly clenched into a fist at her chest, Lin Yue instantly activated Life Prayer Second Talent, attaching luck to Qin Chuan.

Meanwhile, Qin Chuan felt the statues in the darkness still increasing their strength; his Dragon-Slaying Blade burned with black flame as he slashed suddenly in the void.

Moon·Shadow Erosion Body!

A dark hue appeared and rapidly spread across the statues, like an indelible stain frenziedly devouring the gilded surface's brilliance.

One… two… three…

More and more statues dissolved into nothingness under the power of Shadow Erosion Body.

But at the same time, the remaining statues' strength rose even faster because of it.

When only nine statues remained, after absorbing the power of the others, those nine statues completely suppressed the effect of Shadow Erosion Body, not only surviving Qin Chuan's assault but also reaching the peak of the Legendary Stage.

They fully gained the ability to act, walking down from their respective platforms, their momentum soaring; under the enhancement of the formation diagram, they converged, forming a terrifying force capable of suppressing Qin Chuan.

In the next instant, amidst the darkness, they—who should have lost sight and hearing—all turned their heads in unison, locking onto Qin Chuan and Lin Yue's position.

Seeing this, Qin Chuan without hesitation dispelled the darkness to avoid affecting Lin Yue.

His gaze locked onto the faint leader among the nine statues; Qin Chuan flashed and appeared before it, long blade in hand.

"Human Race, trespassing in the Hall of Divine Spirits, die!"

The leading Demon Sovereign statue, as if truly conscious, shouted loudly, gripping a broadsword with serrated edges, and came down heavily toward Qin Chuan.

At the same time, the five Demon Sovereign statues nearby moved simultaneously; in an instant, several attacks intertwined, aiming straight at the Qin Chuan coming forward.

Boom!!!

Accompanied by a tremendous boom, various kinds of power intertwined; the shattered remnants surged throughout the hall.

Qin Chuan stepped back several paces, looking at the Demon Sovereign statues that had attacked together, his expression slightly solemn.

The remaining three Demon Sovereign statues were about to follow, but walls entwined with wind blades instantly separated them.

"Your opponent is me."

Lin Yue held the Sky Sword, gazing at the three targets she had specially chosen.

Without exception, they all possessed the ability to fly.

"Sky Sword? It turns out Dailai was broken in your hands." One statue suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Although that guy deserves a beating, she is after all a Demon Sovereign; it's not for outsiders to slay her!"

The three statues landed simultaneously, then instantly shifted their target to slaughter Lin Yue.

Lin Yue's expression shifted slightly, and she quickly exchanged a glance with Qin Chuan.

These statues are off.

Under the bolstering of the formation, they not only possessed strength comparable to that of a complete demon lord, but also temporarily gained consciousness, as if the corresponding demon lord, with the aid of these statues, had accomplished Descent from afar.

The three Spirit Beasts, Lin Yue having broken through the Epic tier, now have a transcendent value of 34w; after activating Spirit Descent, she can match the peak of the Legendary tier, yet before her stand three statues.

She originally intended to rely on the Sky Sword's strong counter effect against aerial targets to take on three foes alone, thereby easing Qin Chuan's pressure.

Unexpectedly, these opponents actually knew the effect of the Sky Sword clearly.

Watching the three demon lords rapidly approach, Lin Yue took a deep breath and gave Qin Chuan a look that said 'I can do it.'

Without hesitation, she used the Life Prayer's second innate ability once more to buff herself.

Converted into a dungeon talent, Life Prayer can be used three times each time one enters a dungeon.

No cooldown.

Seeing Lin Yue surrounded by light, Qin Chuan felt reassured.

He knew that within ten minutes, Lin Yue would not face great danger.

Triple luck was enough for Lin Yue to handle opponents of equal strength with ease.

Therefore, he aimed to dispatch the six demon lords before him as quickly as possible.

Turning his gaze back to the opponents before him, Qin Chuan tightened his grip on the Dragon-Slaying Blade.

"Burn."

He spoke softly, and in the next instant, black flames erupted upon the body of one of the demon lords.

"Ugh..." The demon lord's eyes widened in shock, clearly unprepared for this sudden strike; as the black flames rose, his strength rapidly waned, and within a moment his power dropped by a full fifty percent.

Spirit Descent·Ebony Night Hunter second effect: imbues the designated target with Shadow-Devouring Fire, instantly clearing the opponent's defense and dealing true damage equal to 5% of their maximum HP per second.

The other demon lords' expressions shifted abruptly; the leader, without hesitation, reached out to help suppress his companion, but upon touching the black flames on the other's body, he jerked his hand back as if shocked, his aura surging skyward as he forcibly restrained the Shadow-Devouring Fire that clung like a bone-deep ulcer.

"You..." He swiftly turned his head toward Qin Chuan; in the next instant his pupils constricted slightly, and he jerked his longsword upward.

"Boom!!!"

Accompanied by a deafening boom, his body was flung backward, slamming heavily into the wall of the Spirit Divine Hall.

With the strike successful, Qin Chuan brandished the Dragon-Slaying Blade and lunged at the target wreathed in black flames.

"Human Race, don't even think about it!"

The other four demon lords, shocked and enraged, acted without hesitation, trying to block Qin Chuan.

Seeing this, the corner of Qin Chuan's mouth beneath his mask instantly curved.

He took the bait.

His body twisted slightly in midair, dodging the nearest attack, and one hand ignited pitch-black flame, instantly pressing against the nearest demon lord.

Threefold Extinction, First Strike!

That demon lord grunted, pitch-black veins swiftly spread across his body, countless ghostly lights flashed, and in an instant countless bloody gashes were carved into him.

True damage equal to 40% of current HP?

No, under the Death Mark of Eclipse Body, this strike cut 60% of the opponent's life!

The remaining three attacks landed on Qin Chuan at once, while his body had already turned into pitch-black flame in time.

Qin Chuan, virtually unharmed, didn't even glance at the demon lord still shrouded in Shadow-devouring Fire, and decisively rushed toward another demon lord at peak condition.

Casualties?

Has he gone mad?

Since the more losses, the stronger, then cripple all targets.

Then, a single strike obliterates!

When another demon lord was quickly gravely wounded by Qin Chuan, the demon lord who had been blown away earlier arrived late, brandishing a long blade and slashing at Qin Chuan, shouting, "Human race, die!"

"Good, good, good, come on!" Qin Chuan barked, forming his hand into a claw, and a pitch-black claw shadow swiftly slashed at the opponent.

After a few breaths, not a single one of the six demon lords could stand.

Meanwhile, the three demon lords who had never managed to wound Lin Yue even a bit were furious.

All their infallible tactics proved useless against this female human before them, as she seemed always able to dodge effortlessly at the most awkward angles.

And now, even with the six demon lords joining forces, they couldn't subdue a human who had not yet stepped into myth!

"It's over!"

Qin Chuan barked, and without hesitation his long blade slashed at one of the demon lords.

"Wait!"

The leading demon lord bellowed, "Human race, you may pass."

The blade hung in the air, and Qin Chuan regarded the opponent with a half-smile.

"Oh?"

(End of chapter)