Chapter 525: Flame Reaches the Nine Abysses

As the group battle between the Human Realm and Netherworld erupted within the Five Directions Grand Formation, everyone outside the formation watched closely.

The Netherworld experts wore lazy, amused expressions, their eyes filled with indifference; the slaughter and life-and-death struggles within the formation were, to them, merely a game to pass the time.

In contrast, the group of Human Realm experts all had solemn faces, heavy hearts, and could not conceal their worry.

Ever since the Nine Barriers Auction was restarted, after each auction ended, very few human cultivators had ever managed to survive until the end and become the sole survivor in the life-or-death battle within the Five Directions Grand Formation.

No other reason: in the path of slaughter, combat, and killing to survive, the human race was inherently inferior to the Netherworld races, who were born ferocious and had slaughter as their instinct.

This time, due to the involvement and interference of two Netherworld King-realm experts—Lady Spider Lily and Ghost King Su Mingyue—many direct disciples of human forces were forcibly thrown into the Five Directions Grand Formation.

The leaders of each faction watched their carefully trained juniors trapped in a desperate situation, struggling in the slaughter; if they made even a slight mistake, they would perish, body and soul destroyed—all were filled with pain and helplessness.

Within the formation, disciples from several top human forces stepped forward, taking on the responsibility of coordination and cooperation, directing everyone quickly but orderly amidst the chaos.

They arranged formations, divided tasks, and commanded all trapped human cultivators to join forces and defend, resisting the frantic assault of the Netherworld beings with all their might.

These actions undoubtedly bought some time for the human cultivators, preventing them from being completely crushed by the Netherworld as soon as the battle began.

However, as Ghost Chariot and other Netherworld experts charged into the battlefield, the human cultivators were completely put on the defensive.

Among them, Ghost Chariot was the most troublesome.

Ghost Chariot was a ferocious Netherworld bird, its movement swift as the wind, circling high in the air; human cultivators found it difficult to attack.

Moreover, Ghost Chariot was skilled in soul attacks; every dive bomb and sonic wave would knock down a swath of human cultivators.

The human cultivators outside the formation watched the tragic scene of Ghost Chariot rampaging wildly, slaughtering and devouring their kin, and could hardly bear to look; many lowered their eyes in sorrow and closed them in gloom.

Meanwhile, the human cultivators trapped inside the formation, facing life and death directly, felt an even deeper understanding of Ghost Chariot's terror and danger.

"Everyone, help me kill Ghost Chariot!"

A hoarse roar, like a beast's howl, exploded among the human cultivators.

The one who roared was Zhu Yunche of the Dao-Protecting Zhu Clan.

At this moment, he was drenched in blood, covered with countless wounds, but he seemed to feel no pain; he only stared fixedly at Ghost Chariot's nine-headed demonic body, like a moving meat grinder, his eyes filled with overwhelming hatred and a desperate resolve to die.

"I'm going to die anyway! If I can kill this beast that has devoured so many of my human kin before I die, then my life won't have been lived in vain!"

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately ignited the bloodlust and fighting spirit of the surrounding human cultivators.

"Right! Rather than being devoured like cowards, we'd rather drag Ghost Chariot down to hell with us!"

"Form the Spirit Convergence Formation! Lure Ghost Chariot over!"

In the blink of an eye, dozens of human cultivators, like moths to a flame, quickly gathered toward Zhu Yunche's location.

They exchanged a glance, then tacitly formed a defensive grand formation.

The moment the formation's light screen rose, Ghost Chariot's nine heads simultaneously turned toward Zhu Yunche and his group, a flicker of contempt and greed flashing in its eyes.

In its view, these cultivators were merely struggling in their death throes.

After letting out a disdainful screech, Ghost Chariot's nine heads lunged out together, with an aura of destruction, charging toward the defensive formation maintained by dozens of cultivators.

The formation screen shook violently under Ghost Chariot's pressure, its spiritual light flickering, as if it could shatter at any moment.

The cultivators inside the formation had faces as pale as paper, but they clenched their teeth, continuously drawing out their internal spiritual power, which was channeled through the formation and all converged into Zhu Yunche, who stood at the center of the grand formation.

With the infusion of spiritual power, Zhu Yunche's aura rose step by step, from the early Numinous Platform realm straight to mid-stage, late stage, and finally stopping at the peak of the Numinous Platform realm.

Zhu Yunche's body endured tremendous pressure, with fine beads of blood oozing from his skin, but he kept his teeth clenched and his gaze sharp as a blade.

The eyes of the others were also extremely resolute; all held the determination to fight to the death.

Just as Ghost Chariot's nine hideous heads were about to reach above the defensive formation, opening their huge bloody mouths, ready to devour the souls of everyone inside...

"Swoosh~"

Zhu Yunche suddenly burst out of the formation, holding a ten-thousand-year peachwood sword, pouring all the gathered spiritual power in his body into the sword, and slashed at the nearest head of Ghost Chariot with the strongest strike of his life.

This sword slash tore through the foul energy inside the grand formation, carrying an unstoppable momentum, and struck fiercely at Ghost Chariot's neck.

"Pfft!"

The sword light flashed, and a hideous head, along with scalding black blood, was severed cleanly, falling heavily to the ground, smashing a deep pit.

"Ao~"

The Ghost Chariot let out a piercing, mournful scream.

The sound waves swept through the surroundings like a gale scattering fallen leaves, blasting away Zhu Yunche, who was about to strike a second blow, and the others who were struggling to maintain the formation.

One of its heads had actually been cut off by a group of humans no more significant than ants—the Ghost Chariot went completely berserk!

"You're asking for death!"

The Ghost Chariot's remaining eight heads all turned toward Zhu Yunche at once, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent, carrying a hatred that could destroy heaven and earth, as they madly attacked the ant who had dared to sever one of its heads.

"Yunche!"

On the walls of Dui Men Pass, the Zhu Clan elder's eyes split with rage, and the other Zhu Clan disciples also had tears glistening in their eyes.

They all had a premonition—Zhu Yunche was as good as dead!

The other human cultivators also let out sighs one after another.

The Ghost Chariot's sharp beak, like a death god's scythe, brought with it a foul wind as it shot toward Zhu Yunche like lightning, aiming to bite him.

Facing the enraged Ghost Chariot, Zhu Yunche was powerless to resist and could only watch helplessly as the fang-filled giant maw rapidly grew larger in his field of vision.

Between those bone-white, razor-sharp teeth, he could already envision the horrific scene of himself being chewed to pieces and devoured.

Yet, just as that massive jaw, capable of crushing metal and stone, was about to snap shut, and the scythe of death was about to reap his life in that hair-trigger moment...

"Swoosh~"

A white soul whip shot through the air, wrapping itself around Zhu Yunche's waist with pinpoint precision.

"Swoosh!"

The soul whip contracted abruptly, and a gentle yet powerful force transmitted through it, yanking Zhu Yunche out of the Ghost Chariot's mouth by sheer strength, narrowly evading those teeth that could tear apart a soul.

Hua Changxi's figure appeared in midair like a phantom; raising her right hand, she flung Zhu Yunche toward a relatively safe area behind her.

"Swoosh~"

Hua Changxi extended her right hand, and the peachwood sword Zhu Yunche had dropped on the ground was instantly sucked into her grasp.

The next moment, a crackling sound rang out.

Purple lightning flames, as if alive, slithered and leaped across the sword's body, instantly covering the entire peachwood sword.

In that instant, an overwhelmingly yang, pure, and righteous aura—one specifically designed to counter dark and evil forces—burst forth violently from Hua Changxi as its epicenter.

The Ghost Chariot had been enraged by Hua Changxi's sudden appearance, all eight heads wide open, ready to lunge and devour.

But the moment that lightning flame aura swept over it, all eight heads froze at once, their movements stiffening in midair.

A shudder originating from the very depths of its soul instantly overwhelmed the Ghost Chariot's entire body.

It wasn't just the Ghost Chariot; even Cang Ming, who had just emerged from the shattered soul realm, and the other Netherworld beings present, all revealed expressions of shock and terror.

Lightning flame!!!

In the Netherworld, there were several types of flames that Netherworld beings loathed with every fiber of their being, and among them was lightning flame.

The restraint lightning flame held over Netherworld beings was far too severe; unless they were breaking through a cultivation boundary, Netherworld beings would not even willingly mention it.

Now that lightning flame had appeared within the Five Directions Formation, all the Netherworld beings trapped inside felt nothing but panic.

Compared to the grim solemnity of the Netherworld beings inside and outside the formation, on the Dui Men Pass city wall outside the formation, the human cultivators' eyes churned with a mixture of surprise and joy.

Lightning flame was specifically effective against the Netherworld—perhaps this time, during this Five Directions Formation, the ones who would survive in the end would be humans!

"Lightning flame isn't easy to subdue..."

The moment they saw the lightning flame, more than a few of the human experts had a flicker in their eyes.

The Zhu Clan elder looked at Wei Zhenjie, whose brow had relaxed: "Director Wei, you are well-traveled and knowledgeable. Do you recognize the person in the formation who saved my Zhu Clan disciple?"

Wei Zhenjie shook his head, neither confirming nor denying recognition.

Seeing this, the Zhu Clan elder did not press further but switched to another question: "That person said earlier that they would break open the Five Directions Formation. Director Wei, do you think it's possible?"

Hearing this, the other human experts also turned their gazes over, hope surging in their eyes.

Wei Zhenjie looked helpless: "I don't practice divination. How would I know about such a thing?"

As he spoke, within the great formation, Hua Changxi gave the Ghost Chariot no time to react. Gripping the peachwood sword wreathed in thunder and flame, she transformed into a purple lightning bolt, charging straight at the Ghost Chariot's massive demonic body with a killing intent.

Upon getting close, Hua Changxi swung her sword, unleashing thousands of sword beams at once.

The sword light cascaded like a waterfall, while thunder and flame wove together into a net of destruction, instantly enveloping the Ghost Chariot's enormous frame.

"Pfft~"

There were no flashy techniques—only extreme speed and power.

The thunder-flame peachwood sword cut through the Ghost Chariot's hardened defenses like a hot knife through butter.

Accompanied by a most piercing shriek, before the Ghost Chariot could dodge, three of its heads were cleaved by the sword beams, completely detonated by the supremely yang and rigid power of thunder and flame, scattering into charred flesh and blood mist.

"Aoo~"

After losing one head earlier, the Ghost Chariot had gone into a frenzy.

But this time, losing three heads drove fear into its heart. It fled without looking back, quickly putting distance between itself and Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi's eyes narrowed. She summoned a somersault cloud and transformed into a violet rainbow, giving chase.

In but a few breaths, she had caught up to the Ghost Chariot.

She leaped forward, landing steadily on the Ghost Chariot's massive spine like a falling meteor.

The Ghost Chariot was instantly terrified out of its wits. Its five remaining heads roared in unison as it frantically dove, spiraled, and rolled, trying to shake off the one on its back.

Unfortunately, Hua Changxi seemed fused with it; no matter how it struggled, she remained stuck fast.

Just as the Ghost Chariot made a violent lunge into the air, Hua Changxi seized the opening. Raising her thunder-flame peachwood sword high, its blade crackling with lightning serpents and blazing fire, she brought it down with the force to incinerate the Nine Nether, viciously chopping at the neck of a head on the left side.

"Craack~"

Sword light flashed like lightning, and the head fell with a thud!

Thunder and flame surged violently through the severed wound, burning the Ghost Chariot's entire demonic body into convulsions. Black blood gushed out as it let out a heart-wrenching, soul-shaking wail.

Its remaining four heads turned with difficulty toward the distance, its voice trembling with unprecedented fear and despair: "Cangming, save me~"

Cangming was also stunned by the combat prowess Hua Changxi had displayed.

Though the Ghost Chariot clan was not a top-tier power in the Nine Nether, each member was a fierce fighter, known for rampaging without restraint. This was the first time he had ever seen a Ghost Chariot reduced to such a pathetic state...

Cangming was somewhat wary of the thunder-flame sword in Hua Changxi's hand. Instead of charging directly at her, he rapidly formed hand seals, his surrounding baleful aura surging wildly.

"Rush~"

An even vaster and more violent expanse of Netherwater than before condensed out of thin air, like an inverted black ocean, crashing straight toward the human cultivators with the force to annihilate everything.

Towering waves blotted out the sky and sun. Black water churned, exuding a suffocating, corrosive aura.

"Ah~"

Some human cultivators who failed to dodge were instantly swallowed by the waves. Before they could even scream, they turned into bleached bones in the black water, their souls scattered.

Hua Changxi's ears were filled with screams rising one after another. Gritting her teeth fiercely, she stopped tangling with the Ghost Chariot, leaped off its back, and shot like a streak of light toward the area where the human cultivators were gathered.

"Too late!"

A cruel sneer curled at the corner of Cangming's mouth. He pressed his hands down fiercely, and the sky-covering Netherwater wave plummeted like the heavens collapsing, determined to drown and devour every last human cultivator.

An instant before the wave fell, Hua Changxi landed among the human cultivators.

"Splash~"

In a deafening roar, the Netherwater wave inundated the area where the human cultivators had gathered, blotting out everything.

Outside the formation, the assembled Nine Nether powers watching the battle all showed delighted expressions: "It's finally over."

On the city wall of Dui Gate, the surviving human cultivators wore looks of regret and grief. Some could not help but close their eyes, unwilling to witness this tragic scene.

Yet just when everyone believed the human cultivators had been completely annihilated, a sudden change occurred.

Inside the formation, the area submerged by the Netherwater wave suddenly began to boil without warning. Dark green waves churned violently, as if some terrifying power was brewing beneath the surface.

Then, rolling plumes of dark green steam rose, instantly spreading into the air.

The terrifying waves vanished at a visible speed, revealing a tightly closed fiery red lotus bud at the center of the water vapor.

The lotus bud radiated a heart-palpitating warmth that made Cangming’s pupils contract from the threat.

"Boom~"

Cangming struck again, manipulating the Styx's terrifying waves to smash violently against the bud.

Unfortunately, amid the deafening impact, water splashed everywhere but failed to shake the bud in the slightest.

"Hoo~"

After the waves passed, the sound of flames roaring and burning rose from the bud.

Then, under the stunned gaze of everyone both inside and outside the formation, the tightly closed bud trembled slightly and began to slowly unfurl and bloom outward.

"Hoo~"

As the petals spread, a scorching crimson flame erupted like a dormant volcano suddenly bursting forth.

Petal after petal bloomed, each one bringing a wave of fire that could burn the heavens and destroy the earth.

In the blink of an eye, the bud had fully opened, transforming into a magnificent fire lotus blazing through the Nine Netherworlds!

"Boom~"

At the moment the fire lotus bloomed, a terrifyingly fierce wave of fire swept in all directions.

Centered on the fire lotus, crimson flames poured out, surging to meet the Styx's terrible waves that had not yet fully receded.

There was no earth-shattering collision—only a one-sided conflagration.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~"

The Styx water, capable of corroding metal and dissolving souls, instantly vaporized like spring snow meeting a blazing sun upon contact with the flames burning on the lotus petals.

The dark green water vapor quickly dissipated in the glow of the fire.

In just a short while, the sky-obscuring, sun-covering waves of the Styx were completely evaporated by the fire lotus.

Heaven and earth fell silent!

The mighty figures of the Nine Netherworlds darkened their faces, while the human experts were invigorated.

Good, that human's identity was finally revealed—the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall!