Chapter 527: Breaking the Formation

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

As the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall and Commander of the Zhu Que Army, she must uphold the will of Zhu Que: to cleanse the world of evil with the power of the blazing sun, and to protect the well-being of all living beings with the radiance of crimson feathers.

Hua Changxi lowered her gaze to look at the human cultivators within the Fire Lotus; to avoid tarnishing the prestige of Zhu Que, she had to protect these people!

Immediately after, she raised her eyes to look at Cang Ming, who hovered above the Nether River waters opposite her, as well as the Nine Nether creatures sheltered within those waters...

For her, venturing deep into the Nine Nethers was to temper herself and seek opportunities, not for meaningless slaughter.

Now trapped within the Five Directions Great Formation, the most urgent task was not to fight the Nine Nether creatures to the death, but to break the formation and escape.

After pondering for a moment, she spoke.

"Cang Ming, I have no intention of slaughtering the Nine Nether creatures; my previous proposal—that you and I join forces to break the formation and survive together—still stands. I hope you will consider it carefully."

Above the Nether River waters, Cang Ming's robes whipped violently in the wind, while dark green mist churned around his body like surging tides.

At this moment, his face cold and deadly, he stared fixedly at the proud figure standing atop the Fire Lotus, his eyes churning with undisguised admiration and wariness.

All Nine Nether creatures admired strength, and the person opposite him was undoubtedly a supreme expert; although human, she was worthy of his high regard.

However, upon hearing Hua Changxi's words, Cang Ming, feeling threatened, revealed a look of intense shame and anger on his face, along with an unprecedented gravity.

He knew clearly that if he did not accept the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall's proposal, he would likely perish within this Five Directions Great Formation.

There was no other reason: the Erosion Yin Ghost King of the Ghost Race, leveraging the power of the Ghost Infant River and Ghost Mother Mountain, plus the assistance of Heavenly Punishment, had still failed to kill the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall; how could he, someone who had only recently broken through to the King Realm, possibly succeed?

Although his heart burned with shame and unwillingness, he also knew this was currently the best choice.

Just as Cang Ming was about to agree to the proposal of joining forces to break the formation, the experts of all Nine Nether races outside the Five Directions Great Formation spoke in unison, their collective voice vast and sweeping across the sky above the Nether River.

The Demon Race experts spoke with voices like great bells, carrying an overbearing tone that brooked no argument: "What is there to consider? The Nine Nethers have no cowards who abandon battle; even in death, we must fight until the very last moment."

"Cang Ming, as the Crown Prince of the Nether River clan, you cannot lose face for the Nine Nethers."

The Yan Mo's eyes darted cunningly, his face full of guile as he loudly instigated: "Cang Ming, do not be bewitched by that female human cultivator."

"Although her aura is strong, her soul is weak; if you join forces with Gui Che, one attacking her physical body and the other assaulting her soul, there is absolutely a chance to kill her! Do not miss this golden opportunity!"

"Even if this battle is perilous, should you and Gui Che unfortunately fall, this King is willing to provide two Nine-Aperture Exquisite Soul Heart Fruits as compensation to the Nether River clan and the Gui Che clan."

Ghost King Su Ming, his black robes billowing with ghostly energy, recalled the heavy damage suffered by the Ghost Domain Forbidden Lands and emitted a voice cold enough to pierce bone.

"The Hall Master of Lingguang Hall is a great calamity to the Nine Nethers; Cang Ming, fight without holding back. If you meet with misfortune, the Ghost Race is willing to cede three Yin Sha Mountains to compensate the Nether River clan."

The Soul Race expert, surrounded by swirling soul mist, spoke with a voice that was ethereal yet hid ruthless ferocity.

"Prince Cang Ming, do not be weak; simply unleash your full power to eliminate this future trouble. If we lose this battle, my Soul Race is willing to present one ancient soul artifact as compensation and consolation."

The Blood Sea Race expert, with blood energy churning and killing intent boiling, shouted:

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

"Cang Ming, if you truly fall here, my Blood Sea Race will allocate one million jin of Blood Essence Stones from our clan treasury as a gift to the Nether River clan!"

Receiving a secret signal from the Lord of the Yellow Springs, Lady of the Paramita Flower, her red robes swaying and her floral scent carrying a deadly edge, slowly spoke with a tone that was both cold and subtly tempting.

"Crown Prince, fight without hesitation; should you unfortunately fall, the ten thousand acres of Paramita Nether Fields within the Yellow Springs realm will be entirely gifted to the Nether River clan to compensate for your losses."

Just as the experts of the various Nine Nether races were speaking out one after another, another earth-shaking expert appeared above the Ghost Gate.

Black and White Impermanence stood side by side, while Meng Po stood quietly holding her ladle; after these three, who represented the order of the Nine Nether Underworld, appeared, though they remained silent, their solemn and deadly demeanor made their stance unmistakably clear: they all tacitly approved of Cang Ming executing Hua Changxi and fully supported the Nine Nethers fighting to the bitter end.

The various Nine Nether experts spoke all at once, employing provocation, bribery, or coercion.

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

Every sentence carried a strong desire to slay Hua Changxi; every promise was meant to make him abandon the idea of joining forces and choose instead to fight to the death against that female cultivator bathed in fire.

Amidst the words of the various experts, Cang Ming's expression shifted from grave to iron-green, and then from iron-green to deathly pale.

Looking at the calm figure atop the Fire Lotus opposite him, and feeling the threat and pressure from the Nine Nether experts outside the formation that seemed almost ready to swallow him whole, he felt for the first time how insignificant and powerless he truly was.

Hua Changxi knew she had provoked the wrath of the entire Nine Nethers; she was not surprised by their desire to put her to death, yet she paid them no further heed, simply watching Cang Ming opposite her, whose face struggled between shame and fury.

"Surely you haven't actually taken the words of those spectators to heart?" Her tone was plain, yet every word struck the heart. "They are using you as a wager."

"Since it is not they who will die, it is easy for them to stand aside and speak without feeling the pain."

"Life comes only once; once dead, everything is lost. Are you certain you want to sacrifice your own life to fulfill someone else's ambitions?"

How could Cang Ming fail to see the wolfish ambitions of the various Nine Nether races? Of course, he was unwilling to gamble his life on this nearly certain losing bet.

However, just as he was preparing to reject the proposals and pressure from the Nine Nether experts, his body suddenly trembled, and his face turned paper-white in an instant.

A cold and majestic divine sense exploded within his consciousness: Cang Ming, kill the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall with all your might.

There was no concern, no way out, only an unquestionable command.

Cang Ming's entire body stiffened, and the Nether River water energy churning around him froze in that instant.

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

Cang Ming slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only a desperate, all-or-nothing determination and madness remained in his gaze.

"Very well!"

His voice was hoarse yet carried a ruthless ferocity born of burning his bridges; addressing both Hua Changxi and the Nine Nether experts behind him, he spoke word by word: "Today, I, Cang Ming, shall engage the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall in a fight to the death!"

Before his voice had even faded, Cang Ming abruptly formed seals with both hands, and the Nether River's origin force within his body poured out without reserve like a flood breaching a dam.

"Ah~"

Accompanied by a piercing shriek, a pillar of dark green light tore through the void, shooting straight into the clouds.

Cang Ming, sparing no cost, actually sacrificed himself to forcibly awaken the avatar of the Lord of the Nether River lying dormant within his body!

Cang Ji, the Lord of the Nether River, was a top-tier Nine Nether expert at the peak of the King Realm, a terrifying existence with one foot already across the threshold of the Emperor Realm.

The avatar of Cang Ji was Cang Ming's final trump card, and also his strongest one.

"Boom, boom, boom~"

The firmament trembled, and the Nether River waters on the western side of the Five Directions Great Formation suddenly began to boil.

"Ah~"

Piercing screams of agony rose one after another.

Apart from Gui Che and a handful of other Marshal-realm powerholders who staked their lives to hold open protective shields, the rest of the Nine Nether creatures did not even have a chance to react before being ruthlessly swallowed by the boiling waters of the Nether River.

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

Immediately afterward, layers upon layers of ink-green mist madly coalesced in the void, finally forming an ink-green dragon a thousand zhang long.

Its dragon head was ferocious, its eyes like blazing torches; along its winding body, scales shimmered with a ghostly cold luster, each scale seeming to contain boundless power of deathly stillness capable of corroding heaven and earth.

A terrifying pressure from the peak of the King realm crashed down, like an ancient demon god from the deepest depths of the Nine Nether, looking down upon all living beings with icy indifference.

The moment the long dragon appeared, the temperature within the entire Five-Directions Great Formation plummeted to freezing.

Even the scorching heat of the fire lotus that had been boiling the seas and burning the sky visibly waned several degrees before this extreme Nether chill.

From the ferocious emergence of the ink-green dragon to the myriad Nine Nether creatures wailing in the Nether River's raging waves until they vanished, only the blink of an eye passed.

This horrifying scene left not only the Nine Nether creatures and mortal cultivators watching outside the formation dumbfounded, but even the few surviving Nine Nether beings inside, such as Gui Che, felt a chill crawl up their spines to the napes of their necks.

Outside the great formation, the various powers of the Nine Nether boiled over.

Flames of fanaticism blazed in their eyes as they grew wildly excited.

They had not expected Cang Ming to harbor such a trump card as an avatar of the Lord of the Nether River; with this, he might truly be able to slay in one stroke that famously formidable Hall Master of Lingguang Hall.

On the walls of Duimen Pass, however, the hearts of the mortal cultivators sank to the bottom. Gazing at the ink-green long dragon that blocked out the sun and sky, their faces were grave and heavy with worry.

"Roar~"

The ink-green long dragon raised its head and roared at the heavens, its voice shaking the nine firmaments; that sound carried the boundless pressure of a peak King realm, as if it would tear the firmament apart.

Wrapping itself in the heaven-destroying power of the Nether River, the long dragon lunged fiercely at Hua Changxi, who hovered atop the fire lotus.

As its dragon claws swept, the void collapsed, tearing open streaks of pitch-black spatial rifts; as its dragon tail swept across, it whipped up towering Nether waves, as if to utterly submerge Hua Changxi along with that crimson fire lotus.

Atop the fire lotus, facing the terrifying assault screaming toward her, Hua Changxi's expression remained indifferent; there was not a trace of fear in her eyes, only a spark of fiercely burning battle intent.

Her gaze shifted slightly, sweeping over the fire-attribute banner pole standing erect within the Five-Directions Great Formation, and a decision formed in her heart.

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

Boom!

Crimson light, like a midday sun, suddenly illuminated the entire Five-Directions Great Formation, forcing back the Nether River mist carried by the ink-green long dragon by three parts.

The terrifying physical strength of someone who had stepped into the eighth layer of Body Refinement was, in this moment, displayed without any reservation.

Then, before the horrified eyes of everyone, Hua Changxi's body suddenly expanded; in the blink of an eye, she transformed into a giant standing between heaven and earth!

This giant stood a thousand zhang tall, her entire form circulating with crimson divine radiance, her whole being brimming with explosive power.

The giant-sized Hua Changxi was like an ancient war god descending, looking down upon the ink-green long dragon that charged at her.

The colossal dragon, invincible in the eyes of outsiders, now appeared as tiny as an insect in Hua Changxi's eyes.

"Hmph."

Hua Changxi snorted coldly; her giant hand shot out like Mount Taishan pressing down, carrying a terrifying momentum that crushed the void, and seized fiercely at the dragon head of the ink-green long dragon.

"Boom!!!"

The giant hand and the dragon head collided violently, releasing an earth-shattering, sky-rending roar.

Terrifying shockwaves spread outward like a tsunami; the Five-Directions Great Formation trembled violently, and the five banner poles were shaken so hard they rocked wildly.

Outside the formation, whether Nine Nether creatures or mortal cultivators, everyone's eyes widened in utter horror.

The battle between the two was simply like a clash of deities, far beyond their expectations!

"Thump~"

Though the long dragon soared swiftly, it ultimately could not escape that sun-obscuring giant hand.

Hua Changxi closed her five fingers, gripping the dragon's neck as tightly as an iron clamp.

Then, exerting force with both arms, she actually swung that thousand-zhang-long ink-green dragon like a massive hammer, whirling it around to smash it viciously into the fire-attribute banner pole!

Under the giant hand's grip, the ink-green long dragon struggled frantically, spewing rolling waters of the Nether River from its maw in an attempt to corrode the giant hand.

However, five golden "swastika" runes suddenly manifested upon Hua Changxi's giant hand.

The runes circulated with sacred and solemn golden Buddhist light, forming an impregnable defense that completely dissolved the Nether River waters capable of corroding all things.

"What?!"

The "swastika" runes on her fingers made Cang Ming's pupils constrict sharply, his face filled with disbelief.

Not only him; every living being inside and outside the great formation was so shaken by this scene that they were speechless.

Besides the Law of Heaven and Earth Manifestation, Hua Changxi had actually unleashed the Divine Ability of the Buddha Realm in Her Palm!

To wield two divine abilities simultaneously—the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall's physical body was so formidable it was heart-stopping!

At this moment, the various Nine Nether powers that had been clamoring before fell silent.

"Thump thump thump~"

Dull yet terrifying impacts exploded in succession, as if war drums were being beaten.

Under the giant palm's clamp, the ink-green long dragon struggled in vain; each time it was violently slammed into the fire-attribute banner pole, a heart-trembling thud rang out.

The ink-green scales on its thousand-zhang dragon body constantly cracked and peeled away, turning into specks of ghostly light that dissipated into the air, while the entire dragon body grew increasingly illusory.

Finally, after another mountain-collapsing, earth-splitting impact, the fire-attribute banner pole at last emitted a creak of unbearable strain and began to shake and loosen violently.

As the banner pole loosened, the five-colored light curtain shrouding heaven and earth rippled violently like a lake into which a massive stone had been thrown; instantly, spiderweb-like cracks crawled across the previously stable formation barrier.

"Break... for me!"

Hua Changxi suddenly exerted tremendous force with both arms; crimson divine radiance surged like an erupting volcano, and the thousand-zhang dragon body in her hand became a heavy ink-green divine whip that, carrying devastating momentum, lashed viciously at the fire-attribute banner pole!

At the same time, a giant axe blazing with fierce flames suddenly appeared; following the momentum of the dragon body and bearing the might to sever mountains and rivers, it hacked savagely at the banner pole!

"Crack~"

A crisp sound of snapping rang out across the entire battlefield.

That indestructible fire-attribute banner pole was actually smashed and chopped cleanly in two.

With the banner pole broken, the five-colored light curtain that had separated heaven from earth was blasted open, leaving a huge hole!!!