Chapter 527: Breaking the Formation

After Hua Changxi unleashed the Fire Lotus Domain, she knew her identity could no longer be hidden.

The master of Lingguang Hall, the commander of the Vermilion Bird Army, must uphold the will of the Vermilion Bird—to cleanse the world of evil with the power of the blazing sun, and to protect the blessings of all living beings with the radiance of crimson feathers.

Hua Changxi lowered her eyes to look at the human cultivators within the fire lotus. To avoid sullying the Vermilion Bird's might, she had to protect these people!

Then she raised her eyes again to look at Cangming, suspended across from her over the waters of the Styx River, and the Nine Nether beings shielded within those waters...

For her, delving deep into the Nine Nether was meant to temper herself and seek opportunities, not to engage in wanton slaughter.

Now that she was trapped in the Five Directions Formation, the urgent task was not to fight the Nine Nether beings to the death, but to break the formation and escape.

After pondering for a moment, she spoke.

"Cangming, I have no intention of killing Nine Nether beings. My earlier proposal—that we join forces to break the formation and both get out alive—still stands. I hope you will give it serious consideration."

Above the waters of the Styx River, Cangming's robes fluttered violently, and the dark green mist around him surged like a tide.

At this moment, his face was icy cold as he stared fixedly at the proud figure standing atop the fire lotus, his eyes churning with barely concealed admiration and wariness.

All Nine Nether beings admire the strong, and the person before him was undoubtedly a supreme powerhouse. Though a human, she was worthy of his high regard.

However, upon hearing Hua Changxi's words, Cangming, feeling threatened, showed a face full of intense shame and unprecedented gravity.

He deeply understood that if he did not accept the master of Lingguang Hall's proposal, this time he might very well perish inside the Five Directions Formation.

Simply put, the Ghost Clan's Eclipsing Shadow Ghost King, with the help of the Ghost Infant River and Ghost Mother Mountain, plus the aid of Heavenly Punishment, had failed to kill the master of Lingguang Hall. As someone who had only recently broken through to the King Realm, he stood no chance.

Though shame and resentment filled his heart, he also knew this was the best choice at present.

Just as Cangming was about to accept the proposal to join forces and break the formation, voices from all the Nine Nether clans' powerhouses outside the Five Directions Formation rang out in unison, their sound waves surging across the sky above the Styx River.

A Demon Clan powerhouse's voice boomed like a great bell, carrying an unquestionable domineering tone: "What is there to consider? The Nine Nether has no deserters. Even if we must die, we fight to the very last moment."

"Cangming, as the crown prince of the Styx River Clan, you must not disgrace the Nine Nether."

The Nightmare Tapir's eyes rolled cunningly, his face full of slyness as he urged loudly, "Cangming, do not be bewitched by that human female cultivator."

"Though her Qi is vigorous, her soul body is feeble. If you join hands with Ghost Chariot—one attacking the physical body, the other assailing the spirit soul—you will surely have a chance to kill her! Do not miss this opportunity!"

"Even if this battle is perilous and you and Ghost Chariot fall, I, this king, am willing to offer two Nine-Oracle Spirit Heart Fruits to compensate the Styx River Clan and the Ghost Chariot Clan."

Ghost King Su Mingyue's black robes billowed, his ghostly aura dense. Remembering the heavy damage to the Ghost Domain's forbidden grounds, he spoke in a cold, piercing voice.

"The master of Lingguang Hall is a great scourge upon the Nine Nether. Cangming, you go ahead and fight without restraint. If you meet with mishap, the Ghost Clan is willing to cede three Yin-Sha Mountains as compensation to the Styx River Clan."

A Soul Clan powerhouse was wreathed in soul mist, his voice ethereal and faint, concealing a hidden viciousness.

"Crown Prince Cangming, do not be weak. Strike with full force to eliminate the threat. Should you be defeated in this battle, my Soul Clan offers an ancient soul artifact as condolence compensation."

A Blood Sea Clan powerhouse's blood energy surged, his killing intent boiling.

"Sons of the Nine Nether, why fear death!"

"Cangming, if you truly fall in there, my Blood Sea Clan will allocate one million catties of 'Blood Essence Stone' from our clan treasury, presented to the Styx River Clan!"

The Lady of the Othershore Flower, having received a secret signal from the Lord of the Yellow Springs, swayed in her red robes, the floral scent carrying a killing aura. She spoke slowly, her tone cold yet laced with temptation.

"Crown Prince, fight as you will. If you unfortunately fall in battle, the Yellow Springs territory's ten thousand acres of Othershore Nether Fields are willing to be entirely gifted to the Styx River Clan to compensate for your loss."

Just as the Nine Nether clans' powerhouses were all raising their voices, above the Ghost Gate, another figure whose presence shook heaven and earth appeared.

Black and White Impermanence stood shoulder to shoulder, and Lady Mengpo stood still, ladle in hand. After the three who represented the order of the Nine Nether Underworld appeared, though they remained silent, their stern and murderous demeanor made their stance unmistakably clear: they tacitly approved of Cangming slaying Hua Changxi, steadfastly supporting the Nine Nether's fight to the death.

The many powerhouses of the Nine Nether spoke all at once, some goading, some tempting with benefits, some threatening.

Their words were like invisible shackles, firmly trapping Cangming in place.

Every sentence carried the intense desire to kill Hua Changxi; every promise was meant to make him abandon the idea of joining forces and choose to fight to the death with that fire-clad female cultivator.

Under the words of the powerhouses, Cangming's expression shifted from solemn to livid, and from livid to deathly pale.

He looked at the calm figure across him on the fire lotus, then felt the threat and pressure from the Nine Nether powerhouses outside the formation, almost ready to devour him. For the first time, he felt so insignificant and powerless.

Hua Changxi knew she had incurred the wrath of the entire Nine Nether; she was not surprised by their desire to see her dead, but she paid them little heed, quietly watching Cangming across from her, whose face was twisted with inner conflict, shame, and anger.

"You aren't actually taking the words of those bystanders to heart, are you?" she said, her tone calm but every word striking home. "They're using you as a wager."

"It's not them who will die, so naturally they talk without feeling the strain."

"You only have one life. If you die, there's nothing left. Are you sure you want to gamble your own life to fulfill someone else's ambitions?"

Cangming was well aware of the wolves' ambitions among the Jiuyou tribes. Of course, he was unwilling to stake his life on this nearly hopeless gamble.

However, just as he was about to reject the proposal and pressure from the Jiuyou powers, his body suddenly trembled violently, and his face turned as pale as paper in an instant.

A cold and majestic divine thought exploded in his sea of consciousness: "Cangming, kill the master of the Lingguang Hall with all your might."

No concern, no retreat—only an unquestionable command.

Cangming's entire body went stiff, and the surging Nether River water vapor around him froze at that moment.

He knew that he had been abandoned by his own father—the Nether River Lord!

Cangming slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, only a desperate resolve and madness remained in his gaze.

"Fine!"

His voice was hoarse, yet carried a ruthless determination to burn his bridges. He said to Hua Changxi and to the Jiuyou powers behind him, word by word: "Today, I, Cangming, will fight to the death with the master of the Lingguang Hall!"

Before his words faded, Cangming's hands suddenly formed seals, and the essence of the Nether River within his body surged out like a burst dam, without any reservation.

"Ah~"

Accompanied by a shrill roar, a dark green pillar of light tore through the void, shooting straight into the sky.

Cangming, at no small cost, directly sacrificed himself, forcibly awakening the avatar of the Nether River Lord dormant within him!

Nether River Lord Cangji, a peak imperial realm top-tier powerhouse of Jiuyou, was a terrifying existence with one foot already on the threshold of the sovereign realm.

The avatar of Cangji was Cangming's last trump card, and also his strongest.

"Boom~"

The heavens trembled, and the Nether River waters on the western side of the Five Directions Array suddenly boiled.

"Ah~"

Screams of agony rose one after another.

Except for a few marshal-level powerhouses like Guiche who desperately opened shields, the other Jiuyou creatures didn't even have a chance to react before being mercilessly devoured by the boiling Nether River waters.

Their flesh, blood, souls, and cultivation all turned into nourishment for the Nether River waters in that instant.

Then, layer upon layer of dark green mist crazily coalesced in the void, eventually forming a dark green dragon thousands of zhang long.

The dragon's head was ferocious, its eyes like blazing torches, and along its winding body, scales gleamed with a cold, dark luster. Every scale seemed to contain endless, world-corrosive power of deathly stillness.

The terrifying pressure of a peak imperial realm descended, like an ancient demon god from the deepest depths of Jiuyou, looking down upon all beings with a cold indifference that disregarded all life.

The moment the great dragon appeared, the temperature within the entire Five Directions Array plummeted to freezing point.

Even the blazing heat of the fire lotus, which had been enough to burn the sky and boil the seas, visibly wilted a few degrees before this ultimate Nether cold.

From the moment the dark green dragon materialized fiercely to the moment countless Jiuyou beings wailed and vanished in the raging waves of the Nether River—it was no more than the blink of an eye.

This horrifying scene not only left the Jiuyou creatures and human cultivators outside the array watching in stunned disbelief, but even the few surviving Jiuyou beings inside the array, like Guiche, felt a chill creeping up their spines to the nape of their necks.

Outside the array, the Jiuyou powers erupted.

A blazing fanaticism burned in their eyes, and they were wildly elated.

They had never expected Cangming to hold a trump card like the Nether River Lord's avatar—perhaps, with this, he could actually slay the famed master of the Lingguang Hall in one fell swoop.

But on the city wall of the Dui Gate Pass, the hearts of the human cultivators sank to the bottom. Staring at the sky-obscuring dark green dragon, their expressions were heavy and filled with worry.

"Roar~"

The dark green dragon raised its head and roared, its voice shaking the nine heavens, carrying the boundless pressure of a peak imperial realm, as if about to tear the firmament apart.

The dragon, carrying the world-destroying power of the Nether River, lunged fiercely at Hua Changxi, who was floating above the fire lotus.

As its claws swung, the void collapsed, tearing open pitch-black spatial fissures; its tail swept, whipping up monstrous Nether waves, as if to drown Hua Changxi and the crimson fire lotus completely.

Above the fire lotus, facing the howling, terrifying onslaught, Hua Changxi's expression remained indifferent. There was no fear in her eyes; instead, a blazing, intense battle intent ignited.

Her gaze shifted slightly, sweeping over the upright fire-attribute flagpole within the Five Directions Array, and a decision formed in her mind.

The next moment, the qi and blood within her body surged like a river bursting its banks, erupting instantly to the extreme!

Boom!

A blood-red radiance blazed like a scorching sun, abruptly illuminating the entire Five-Sided Grand Array and forcing back the Stygian River mist carried by the ink-green dragon by three parts.

The terrifying physical power that came with stepping into the eighth level of Body Refinement was now unleashed without any reservation.

Then, under the horrified and unbelieving gazes of the crowd, Hua Changxi’s body swelled abruptly, and in the blink of an eye she transformed into a colossal giant that towered between heaven and earth!

This giant stood a thousand zhang tall, its entire body flowing with crimson divine radiance and filled with an explosive sense of power.

The giant Hua Changxi descended like an ancient war god, looking down upon the ink-green dragon charging toward her.

In her eyes, the dragon that appeared invincible to outsiders was now as insignificant as an insect.

"Hmph."

Hua Changxi snorted coldly, her giant hand suddenly reaching out like Mount Tai collapsing, carrying a terrifying momentum that could crush the void, and fiercely grabbed at the dragon’s head.

"Boom!!!"

The giant hand and the dragon’s head collided violently, producing an earth-shattering roar.

The terrifying shockwave spread outward like a tsunami, causing the Five-Sided Grand Array to tremble violently and the five array flags to shake drastically.

Outside the array, both the netherworld creatures and the human cultivators stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with horror.

The battle between the two was like a clash of gods, far exceeding their expectations!

"Bang~"

Though the long dragon soared swiftly, it ultimately could not escape the giant hand that blotted out the sky.

Hua Changxi closed her five fingers, gripping the dragon’s neck like iron pincers.

Then, exerting the strength of both arms, she swung the thousand-zhang ink-green dragon like a giant hammer and slammed it viciously toward the fire-attributed array flag!

The ink-green dragon struggled wildly in the giant hand’s grasp, spewing rolling Stygian River water from its mouth in an attempt to corrode the hand.

However, five golden "卍" runes suddenly appeared on Hua Changxi’s giant hand.

The runes flowed with a sacred and solemn golden Buddha light, forming an indestructible defense that completely dissolved the Stygian River water capable of corroding all things.

"What?!"

The "卍" rune on her finger made Cang Ming’s pupils contract sharply, his face full of disbelief.

Not only him, but all creatures inside and outside the array were stunned into silence by this scene.

Besides the Heaven and Earth Dharma, Hua Changxi had also manifested the Divine Palm Buddha Kingdom technique!

Using two divine techniques simultaneously, the physical constitution of the Lingguang Hall Lord was terrifyingly formidable!

In that moment, the boastful netherworld elites fell silent.

"Bang! Bang! Bang~"

The dull and terrifying sounds of impact exploded one after another, like war drums being beaten.

The ink-green dragon struggled uselessly under the grip of the giant palm, each time it was slammed heavily into the fire-attributed array flag, producing a heart-pounding thud.

The ink-green scales on its thousand-zhang dragon body continuously cracked and peeled off, dissolving into wisps of dark light in the air, and the entire dragon body became more and more illusory.

Finally, after another mountain-shattering collision, the fire-attributed array flag gave out a strained "creak" and began to shake and loosen violently.

With the flag loosening, the five-colored light barrier that covered heaven and earth rippled like a lake struck by a boulder, and the originally stable array barrier was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

"Break... now!"

Hua Changxi suddenly exerted force with both arms, the crimson divine radiance surging like a volcanic eruption. The thousand-zhang dragon body in her hands turned into a heavy ink-green divine whip, carrying an unstoppable, devastating kinetic momentum that slammed viciously into the fire-attributed array flag!

At the same time, a giant axe burning with blazing flames suddenly appeared, following the momentum of the dragon body, carrying the power to sever mountains and rivers, and struck fiercely at the array flag!

"Crack~"

A crisp sound of breaking echoed across the entire battlefield.

That seemingly indestructible fire-attributed array flag was actually smashed and chopped into two pieces!

With the flagpole broken, a huge hole was torn open in the five-colored light barrier that had originally separated heaven and earth!!!