Chapter 212: Destroying Holy Mountain, Again Visiting the Ruins of Ti Lan Mountain!

After Shi Huan and the others rushed forward, they prepared to slay these strange things with the speed of thunder—before one could cover their ears.

Because they sensed a very strange aura coming from them.

This aura seemed familiar; they seemed to have seen it somewhere before.

At this moment, Qi Shaoyu had once again summoned densely packed sword glints!

These sword glints gathered in midair, gradually forming a terrifying giant sword a hundred zhang long, preparing to deliver a fatal strike at Bai Shan's true form.

As a Divine Spirit Realm cultivator who also inherited the legacy of an ascendant, her attack style resembled that of an ancient sword immortal.

After the terrifying giant sword formed, its sharp sword intent directly tore open the clouds above, giving the impression of a sword opening the heavenly gate.

Faced with such a terrifying sword, the eight eyes on Bai Shan's true form all showed panic.

It clearly knew it could not block this strike!

"Squeak!"

"Squeak!"

Strange cries containing special spiritual fluctuations emanated from Bai Shan's body, one after another.

Beside it, the Holy Mountain disciples who were controlled and parasitized all rose with ferocious faces, charging toward the giant sword manipulated by Qi Shaoyu!

How could an attack fully powered by a Divine Spirit Realm expert be shaken by mere cultivators of the Martial Master and Martial Venerable Realms?

Even some Martial Master Realm experts, still a thousand zhang away from the Heaven-Piercing Giant Sword, were directly split apart by its sharp sword intent, while Martial Venerable Realm cultivators could only rush to within a hundred zhang of the giant sword.

Yet even so, countless cultivators, unafraid of death, rushed forward madly.

The rampant sword intent slew them one by one!

The sky suddenly poured down a rain of blood!

Countless fragments of corpses, mixed with shredded organs, fell densely upon the square before Mount Huayang.

For a moment, the entire Mount Huayang resembled a hell on earth.

These fearless cultivators were not entirely useless; at least they bought Bai Shan a brief moment.

Eight huge tentacles flailed wildly, shattering the stones of Mount Huayang!

Under the control of those eight tentacles, the stones went berserk, smashing toward Qi Shaoyu!

Seeing this, Qi Shaoyu immediately pressed together his right index and middle fingers, directly controlling the giant sword in midair to shatter each incoming boulder.

But after the smoke and dust cleared, Bai Shan made another move.

Only then did the strange patterns on two of its tentacles gradually light up, spewing out strange black mist as thick as ink from each suction cup.

"Ah!"

"Ugh!"

"Roar!"

Accompanied by the pitch-black, ink-like mist enveloping the surroundings, shrill cries rang out from within the mist!

Yin souls!

The cultivators who had fearlessly charged the giant sword and died miserably just now did not escape being controlled even after death.

Their souls were controlled by Bai Shan, and they rushed again toward Qi Shaoyu and the others!

Swarms of yin souls bared their fangs and claws, letting out shrill wails as they charged toward Fang Xu and the others!

Fang Xu frowned slightly, then directly summoned the Bronze Treasure Vessel, preparing to collect all these yin souls inside.

But the Bronze Treasure Vessel was already filled with those strange octopuses at this moment.

Helpless, Fang Xu could only give up.

But if he let these yin souls charge forward, it would surely become very troublesome.

After some hesitation, Fang Xu suddenly thought of something.

Bai Shan could use her own body as a medium to connect to a strange little world.

Why couldn't I use myself as a medium to manifest my aperture space?

He recalled that when Extension God battled the Will of Heaven, he had also summoned nine strange vortices; from those vortices emerged nine figures, which directly joined forces with the mysterious existence in the void to repel the Will of Heaven and Earth.

This proves that the cultivation method of the Divine Extension Canon can manifest the aperture space world.

With this idea, he immediately decided to give it a try.

Beside him, Zhongli Hui and the others were employing means to resist the impact of the yin souls.

Yin souls differ from cultivators; ordinary attacks struggle to kill them.

Fortunately, the guards surrounding Fang Xu were all Divine Spirit Realm and Dharma Appearance Realm experts.

Although dealing with yin souls was somewhat taxing, concentrated anti-aircraft fire could still kill mosquitoes.

With their protection, Fang Xu immediately treated the space before him as a life-bound artifact, controlling the black mist rising from within his body to converge before him.

When he previously selected to cultivate a life-bound artifact, he used this method to draw the artifact into his aperture space.

Perhaps now, as long as he gathers this black mist before him, he can open the passage to his aperture space.

Everything proceeded smoothly as he had imagined; backed by a powerful soul, a black vortex instantly formed.

The vortex gradually expanded, revealing a world covered in wind and snow within it.

Under Fang Xu's control, the vortex's rotation speed increased, and a faint suction began to appear.

"Second Elder, release some yin souls over here!"

Fang Xu immediately spoke.

Zhongli Hui glanced at the strange vortex before him, somewhat worried, but still released two yin souls over.

As soon as those two yin souls approached Fang Xu, they were uncontrollably sucked into the vortex.

It worked!

Fang Xu immediately controlled the vortex's rotation speed with his soul's power.

A terrifying suction instantly enveloped the surroundings.

At this moment, Zhongli Hui and the others no longer resisted the approach of the yin souls, allowing Fang Xu to suck all the yin souls in with that strange vortex.

As a massive amount of yin souls were absorbed by the vortex, Fang Xu also sensed a strange change.

In the darkness, it seemed as if a strand of extremely pure and warm energy drifted out from the aperture space, gradually flowing toward his sea of consciousness.

His consciousness sank into the sea of consciousness.

Fang Xu discovered that this energy was pure gold in color.

Strand after strand floated before his divine soul.

At this moment, Fang Xu's divine soul was seated upon the nine-layer Dao foundation platform.

Logically, with the nine-layer Dao foundation as protection, any force not actively drawn by him could never approach his divine soul.

But these strands of golden energy ignored the layered protection of the nine-layer Dao foundation and merged directly into his divine soul.

Om!

At the instant the first strand of golden energy merged, Fang Xu felt his thoughts undergo an explosive change!

It was an indescribable sense of refreshment!

With the merging of the golden energy, Fang Xu felt as if his divine soul had been washed from head to toe!

In an instant, Fang Xu gained a feeling of weightless transcendence!

This situation was somewhat similar to the feeling when he initially absorbed the mental attribute, but far more intense.

As a large number of yin souls were absorbed, the aperture space gave birth to a total of eleven strands of golden energy.

After these eleven strands of golden energy merged into Fang Xu's divine soul, his body also underwent some changes.

First and foremost, the star chart halo underwent the greatest change.

At this moment, the twelve star charts showed signs of merging with each other.

After pairing up and merging, they went from twelve to six, and the patterns also changed.

Next was his divine soul: the Profound Water Soul, originally clad in black, after the infusion of the eleven strands of golden energy, gradually revealed golden patterns on its black robes, looking much more noble.

At the same time, Fang Xu also suddenly comprehended another law.

Life and death.

Strictly speaking, life and death should be two laws.

But Fang Xu actually grasped both laws simultaneously, intertwining them together.

After dealing with the yin souls, Qi Shaoyu also faced no further obstruction; he joined his fingers and directly wielded that giant sword, slashing toward Bai Shan's body!

Bai Shan now had no means left and could only use her eight massive tentacles to block the incoming giant sword.

Pfft!

Pfft!

……

The sharp giant sword severed the resisting tentacles one by one!

Large amounts of ink-black blood spurted out, and Bai Shan's main body let out a painful howl.

Yet the giant sword's momentum did not wane; it still struck directly into its body!

Pfft!

The massive octopus head was split open down the middle!

Bai Shan's body violently writhed in an instant!

Large amounts of ink-like thick mist were sprayed out, obscuring everyone's view.

Qi Shaoyu sensed Bai Shan's signs of life slowly fading, and he also retracted the giant sword.

He prepared to return to Fang Xu's side.

But just then, an illusory mini octopus suddenly shot out from the black mist!

Its speed was unimaginably fast as it flew toward Fang Xu!

Everyone was completely unprepared for this.

Seeing that the illusory octopus was about to burrow into Fang Xu's body,

the vortex before Fang Xu suddenly emitted a terrifying suction, directly drawing that illusory octopus and the surrounding mist into it.

With Bai Shan's death, the people around her who had been controlled also stood frozen in place.

The resurrected cultivators who had been fighting Shihuan, such as Li Cangwu and Zhao Wují, also gradually lost their power, turning into soul forms that stood dazedly in place.

Seeing this, Fang Xu sucked them all into the aperture space.

Huayang Mountain returned to calm once again.

Looking at the few remaining cultivators, Fang Xu approached Jiang Feng, wanting to see if there was any way to wake him.

But at this moment, Jiang Feng suddenly moved.

An emerald-green Heaven-Piercing Sword Bamboo swiftly flashed behind him!

Before Fang Xu could approach, each leaf of the Heaven-Piercing Sword Bamboo fell off, then transformed into numerous sharp little swords that pierced his own body!

"Senior Brother Jiang!"

The sight before him surprised Fang Xu somewhat.

He also hadn't expected the uncontrolled Jiang Feng to make such a choice.

"Fang Xu, sorry."

His body pierced, Jiang Feng's life force rapidly ebbed away.

At this point, he had little time left.

"Jiang..."

Fang Xu still wanted to say something, but Jiang Feng directly interrupted his words, with a miserable smile he said: "I misjudged; during the time I was controlled, I clearly remember everything that happened."

Obviously, his actions during the period of control made it hard for him to accept himself, so he could only choose this extreme means to end his life.

"Seventh Elder."

Fang Xu hurriedly called Qi Shaoyu over.

"Jiang Senior Brother, this is the president of the Ascension Immortal Society!"

"President?"

Jiang Feng's expression stalled, then he was full of shame, forcing his body that was about to run out of oil and wane to cup his hands toward Qi Shaoyu: "Disciple Jiang Feng, I pay my respects to the president."

Qi Shaoyu's expression was complex.

Although she had never met Jiang Feng, she had always learned about his actions through some channel of information.

Over these years of running the Yu State Ascension Immortal Society, Jiang Feng made great contributions to the Ascension Immortal Society.

But…

"Jiang Feng, I hope you can give up your resolve to die."

Although Jiang Feng before them had already committed suicide, there were several God-Penetrating Realm experts present, and before his soul completely dissipated, there was still a way to heal him.

The precondition is that Jiang Feng himself must have the desire to live.

"President, disciple can only atone with death."

Jiang Feng was determined to atone for the heaven-defying, reason-violating deeds he had done during those years of being controlled.

He turned his head to look at the silent Ku Lun beside him: "Master, back then…"

Ku Lun slightly shook his head, indicating that Jiang Feng should not mention it again.

"Jiang Brother, the matter back then was voluntary on my part."

"The path of bitter cultivation lies in tempering the soul; I also wanted to use this tribulation to advance myself further, so it's not your fault."

Jiang Feng nodded: "In that case, I can also reduce some of my sins."

After saying that, he raised his head to look at the desolate Huayang Mountain, a hint of longing in his eyes, and gradually lost his breath.

Jiang Feng died.

The remaining ones, originally disciples of the Ascension Immortal Society like Xu Changqing, at this also all bowed toward Fang Xu and Qi Shaoyu, and then all committed suicide to atone.

Over these years, after being controlled, they had committed heinous crimes.

Now that they have awakened, there is no way for them to continue living.

"Fang Xu, I really regret not leaving with you back then."

At this moment, Huang Qingzhou came before Fang Xu, with a bitter expression.

Back then, if he had left with Fang Xu, he naturally would not have been controlled.

"Huang Senior Brother..."

Fang Xu quickly used soul power to seal Huang Qingzhou, preventing him from committing suicide.

But Huang Qingzhou then spoke slowly: "Useless Fang Xu, my heart is already dead; you can block me for a moment, but not for a lifetime."

"Let me go."

Upon hearing Huang Qingzhou's words, Fang Xu's expression became somewhat unsightly.

He knew Huang Qingzhou's words were not wrong.

He could not keep him confined forever.

To save him, he must untie his heart-knot.

But Fang Xu also did not know what Huang Qingzhou, Jiang Feng, and the others had done over the past decade or more.

"Huang Senior Brother, there will be a way."

Fang Xu said, and directly sealed Huang Qingzhou's soul and blood-qi power, turning him into an ordinary person, and had people constantly guard him to prevent him from committing suicide.

After doing these, everyone returned to Zhongzhou City.

Upon seeing Lu Zhiyuan again, Fang Xu inquired about the actions of Jiang Feng and the others over the past decade or more.

Lu Zhiyuan shook his head, merely telling Fang Xu that what he said might not be accurate; if he wanted specifics, he could go inquire personally among the common folk.

Fang Xu, after hearing, also did not pursue further questions.

Coincidentally, I need to go to Ti Lan Mountain on this trip, so I can ask about these things along the way.

After bidding farewell to Lu Zhiyuan, everyone set off toward Maple Forest Town.

Along the way, Fang Xu took the opportunity to ask everyone's opinion on Holy Mountain.

But as soon as they heard the two words 'Holy Mountain', everyone avoided speaking of it, daring not to say more.

In the end, Fang Xu still told them that Holy Mountain had been destroyed, and only then did some dare to speak of Holy Mountain's deeds.

As the news of Holy Mountain's destruction spread, when Fang Xu reached Huangzhou, he actually saw gongs and drums shaking the heavens, everywhere decorated with lanterns and banners, a festive scene.

Everyone, whether martial artists or common folk, upon learning that Holy Mountain had been destroyed, actually all burst into tears of joy.

Seeing such a scene, Fang Xu felt there was no need to ask further.

The world has long suffered under Holy Mountain!

Only in this way would they be so overjoyed after confirming Holy Mountain's destruction.

It seems that untying Huang Qingzhou's heart-knot is not so easy.

Without stopping in Huangzhou City, Fang Xu directly led everyone to Ti Lan Mountain at Maple Forest Town.

Looking at the entrance of the remains before them, everyone accompanying them was utterly excited.

Because they were well aware that what came next was very likely to be an encounter with the Derived God.

"Let's go."

Revisiting the old grounds, after Fang Xu sighed a bit, he directly led everyone inside.

The first layer of the ruins, upon seeing those exquisite mechanism arrangements, Zhongli Hui couldn't help but sigh and say: "This must be the work of Senior Tian Gong, and only their Gongshu family possesses such exquisite mechanism puppet technique."

"Alas, the Gongshu family has declined, and the core transmission of the mechanism puppet technique has also been lost."

Fang Xu suddenly realized; it seems that when Yanshen first came to Three Mountains Island, he must have brought considerable forces from the Divine Palace.

Everyone continued forward; when Fang Xu reached the second layer, he suddenly noticed something amiss.

He actually discovered some human demon corpses inside the passageway of the second layer.

Moreover, among the many human demon corpses, he also saw several corpses of Yanshen Sect followers! (End of chapter)