Chapter 787: Sealing the Yuan Qi Shen, Erasing the Temple of Essence

A figure as burly as a god or demon appeared behind Yuan Qi Shen, no one knew when; it was none other than Haotian Jinguang.

Qi and Blood surged throughout Haotian Jinguang's body, rising like mountains and seas, towering like a giant pillar that connected heaven and earth, as if it were about to pierce through the firmament of the Dragon Graveyard and enter the endless chaotic void.

Every acupuncture point on his body transformed into starlight, and his thick, dense fist intent vibrated and pierced through, gradually approaching materialization.

The world was a vast expanse of white, and over forty thousand indifferent-looking gods erupted with infinite power, lifting a massive wheel seal that spanned across heaven and earth.

——Heavens Life and Death Wheel!

At this moment, Haotian Jinguang became the God King who ruled over all living beings; those who submitted lived, those who resisted died.

Every life within the entire Dragon Graveyard, including the dragon girl Ao Luan and Xing Yuxian, could not help but feel that their life and death were no longer in their own control. It was as if the moment that giant wheel turned, it could grind their flesh and bodies into powder, their life and death no longer their own.

With a movement of his fist, the Heavens Life and Death Wheel smashed toward Yuan Qi Shen.

Yuan Qi Shen's thoughts flew out, forming a thick wall.

Boom!

However, after blocking for only a fleeting moment, this wall was smashed and annihilated by the Heavens Life and Death Wheel. The Heavens Life and Death Wheel exerted pressure in all directions, whistling toward Yuan Qi Shen once more. Amidst a wild roar, Yuan Qi Shen shook his arm, surging with wave-like force within his body, and struck out across the air like a flood dragon emerging from the sea.

Bang!!

The next moment, the atmosphere let out an unbearable groan, and the space seemed to crack with fissures, emitting a vibrating sound.

Yuan Qi Shen's arm twisted and deformed, and under the assault of the violent and fierce force, the entire arm exploded, bursting into countless sprays of blood.

Although it was the embodiment of the faith of countless living beings in the Western Regions, it was indeed a body of flesh and blood. Every drop could easily collapse a small hill, containing terrifying power.

But now, it was being scattered about as if it were worthless.

Then, the Life and Death Wheel broke through the defense and smashed into Yuan Qi Shen's body.

Yuan Qi Shen was sent flying, his entire body seemingly deformed by the impact.

However, before Yuan Qi Shen could adjust his state, Yu Liancheng, holding the Pan Emperor Life-Spirit Sword, slashed out with a single sword strike. It was a simple strike, yet it transformed into an ocean of sword light, with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of sword lights flowing continuously. Each strand of sword light had the power to split gold and break jade. In every instant, hundreds of sword lights slashed onto Yuan Qi Shen's body, leaving wounds upon him.

A single drop of blood hitting the ground created a pit.

Haotian Jinguang stepped forward, crossing a distance of a hundred feet, clenching his fist like a god or demon, his punch tilting mountains and rivers. Without the slightest reservation, he unleashed power that was nearly approaching the materialization of fist intent.

Under the siege of Yu Liancheng and Haotian Jinguang, Yuan Qi Shen was stifled to the extreme.

His strength was barely enough to contend with one of them, and coupled with the previous sacrifice of the Heaven-Mixing Yuan Qi Relic and the continuous use of the Three Realms Yuan Qi Cannon, he was heavily depleted; how could he possibly withstand the combined forces of Yu Liancheng and Haotian Jinguang, being suppressed in every aspect.

Boom, boom, boom!!

In the blink of an eye, the three parties had exchanged thousands of attacks.

Yuan Qi Shen's remaining arm and both feet were also shattered by Yu Liancheng. This high and mighty God was now left with only his torso and head.

Of course, with such injuries, given Yuan Qi Shen's strength, he could recover in the blink of an eye. Even with massive consumption and severe injuries, he could still easily crush any expert below the Fivefold Lightning Tribulation.

However, as infinite black Qi surged and the Darkness Mandala Womb Realm Great Barrier was deployed, the weakened Yuan Qi Shen was sealed without any power to resist.

Looking at the small black mandala crystal in his hand, Yu Liancheng finally let out a sigh of relief.

Yuan Qi Shen was an existence standing at the peak of the cultivation world; as long as he was not completely sealed, a change in the situation could occur at any time.

At this moment, the dragon girl Ao Luan and her disciple Xing Yuxian arrived.

Ao Luan looked at Yu Liancheng in astonishment, her expression filled with disbelief: "You, you actually emerged unscathed from the bombardment of the eight Great Yuan Qi Cannons."

"No matter how strong an attack is, as long as it doesn't hit, one naturally won't be injured," Yu Liancheng said with a faint smile.

"But, but under the simultaneous bombardment of eight Yuan Qi Cannons, the space was in chaos; even the ancient Rakshasa Gate couldn't break through the void, so how did you escape?"

Regarding this question, Yu Liancheng only smiled slightly and did not answer, merely waving his hand to beckon the two women to continue looting the Ancient Dragon Graveyard.

As for the true reason he was able to remain unscathed.

The ancient Rakshasa Gate could not break through the void.

But the Stone Gate could.

Possessing the Stone Gate, as long as the opponent could not kill him instantly, Yu Liancheng could summon the Stone Gate with a single thought, enter other worlds, and then return.

……

After further looting the Ancient Dragon Graveyard, Yu Liancheng began to organize his gains from this trip.

In reality, apart from the Dragon Tooth Rice, the greatest gain was capturing Yuan Qi Shen.

This ancient God was himself a condensation of faith; if he were smashed and thrown to the Moon Goddess, the Moon Goddess would surely be able to steadily enter the realm of the Creator, at most taking some time. And since Yuan Qi Shen stood at the peak of cultivation, his memory contained countless Daoist techniques and martial arts; he was simply a living treasure vault with infinite experience.

Moreover, the battle with Yuan Qi Shen also gave him many insights that needed to be well digested.

Time flew by, and a month passed.

During this month, Yu Liancheng continuously supplemented himself with Dragon Tooth Rice and various heavenly treasures, progressing rapidly.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and golden light seemed to shoot out from them, piercing the firmament.

The next moment, he stood up, his Qi and Blood rolling like a gale, and also like a long golden dragon, spanning ten miles of sky.

Then, he threw a punch.

Under this punch, heaven and earth lost their color, and the sun and moon lost their light.

The vast fist intent, under Yu Liancheng's will, actually condensed into substance, merging with his Qi and Blood, becoming even more magnificent and unstoppable.

In the distance, Ao Luan, who saw this scene, had a complex look in her eyes.

"Materialized fist intent; he has actually broken through the peak of Human Immortal and reached the level of materialized fist intent. This level is equivalent to the Eighth Lightning Tribulation. It is rumored that the number one person in the world, Meng Shenji, is only at the Seventh Lightning Tribulation. Doesn't that mean he has replaced Meng Shenji and become the number one person in the world?" At this moment, the shock in Ao Luan's heart was simply unimaginable.

"Let's go, it's time for us to leave."

Not long after, in the deep reaches of Yunmeng Guo, lay the Heavenly Dragon Sect's Heavenly Dragon Dao Field.

"Little Dragon Girl, let us part ways here. Little Yuxian, you stay with your master, and in a while, return to the Champion Houfu on your own," Yu Liancheng waved his hand, tapped his foot lightly, and broke through the air to leave.

"Marquis, take care on your journey," Xing Yuxian waved her hand.

"Forget it, it's others who should be careful when they meet him," the dragon girl Ao Luan said expressionlessly.

Xing Yuxian grabbed Ao Luan's hand and said with a flowery smile: "Master, why don't you join me in defecting to the Marquis?"

"You, are you trying to sell me off just like that?" Ao Luan tapped Xing Yuxian's forehead with her slender finger.

"Hee hee, how can this be called selling? The Marquis has said that this era is coming to an end. Before the era ends, it is a brilliant great age; countless experts are emerging, children of Luck are appearing one after another, and the human order is being reformed. Although you are strong, Master, you still need a backer to stand firm in this torrent."

"Enough, stop acting as a lobbyist for the Champion Marquis. Go find your father; he has been very worried about you these days."

"I know, see you later, Master."

Xing Yuxian also flew away.

Ao Luan stood atop the mountain peak, watching the back of Xing Yuxian as she left, then glanced in the direction Yu Liancheng had previously departed. Her red lips parted slightly, and she muttered to herself, "Champion Marquis..."

She had to admit that at such a young age, he had cultivated to the level of materializing his fist intent, and even possessed a Human Immortal clone that was not at all weaker than his true self. This fellow's future was boundless; he might even reach the Shattering the Vacuum realm in the future...

And such a person was naturally the most suitable one to rely upon.

Recalling the days spent with him, Ao Luan could not help but subconsciously touch the dragon horns on her forehead.

During these days, she had also gained many benefits in the Ancient Dragon Tomb. The Heavenly Dragon bloodline within her had become increasingly pure and dense, and her physique was now no less than that of a Human Immortal expert. One of the most prominent features was that her dragon horns had grown much longer than before, and they were suffused with a shimmering luster; anyone could see that they contained astonishing power.

The pity was that Yu Liancheng had not handed the Ancestor Dragon's corpse over to her.

She naturally understood Yu Liancheng's thoughts as well.

Perhaps...

It was time to make a decision.

Western Regions.

On the border of Shazhou.

Huge military stations, houses, and massive city walls over thirty zhang high and several zhang thick, towering and majestic, stood along the long border line.

In a prosperous large town, there were yellow sands, camels, desert poplars, adventurers, soldiers... all kinds of people and things, forming a landscape with a distinct frontier flavor.

This town was called "Shenwei Town." Though called a town, it was actually larger than a provincial capital, because the Wang Mansion of Yang Tuo, the Divine Might King of Great Gan who commanded eight hundred thousand troops and held a prestigious reputation, was located in this town.

The Divine Might Wang Mansion was far more massive than any Wang Mansion in Yujing City.

The Wang Mansion had star-gazing platforms, altars, and towers; it looked as if it had been built to resemble the Imperial Palace of Yujing City. Rather than calling it the Shenwei Prince Mansion, it was more like a huge palace in the desert, magnificent and beautiful, displaying the wealth and power of the Shenwei Prince, as well as his boundless kingly demeanor.

"Is there still no movement from the Champion Marquis?" At the very center of the Shenwei Prince Mansion was a grand and magnificent hall. The architecture did not resemble that of the Central Plains, but was somewhat closer to the style of the Western Regions. The floor was covered with gorgeous, colorful carpets. The surroundings were dazzling and filled with jewels and treasures.

At this moment, the entire hall was very quiet.

In the silence, there was only a somewhat sweet and soft voice.

This voice did not come from a woman, but from a middle-aged man wearing a red-gold crown and a white Confucian robe, holding a scroll of books in his hand. His appearance was refined, looking at first glance like a scholar-official from the Imperial Court.

Yet, this person was none other than Yang Tuo, the Shenwei Prince who had commanded eight hundred thousand brave troops and guarded the frontier for twenty years.

At this moment, a person wrapped entirely in black cloth was kneeling on one knee before the Shenwei Prince Yang Tuo.

"That is correct, Your Highness. The Champion Houfu currently has absolutely no intention of mobilizing troops."

"Good, I understand."

Yang Tuo waved his hand, signaling for the person to leave, and then fell into deep thought.

The army of the Western Regions' Huoluo Kingdom was pressing on the border, numbering in the millions. Even though he had guarded the frontier in the Western Regions for many years, he was still somewhat worried.

And the fact that the Emperor Yang Pan had issued an imperial decree for the Champion Marquis to provide reinforcements was, on one hand, indeed able to reduce the pressure, but on the other hand, how could it not add to his worries?

He had long since managed the Western Regions as his own territory; how could he let others get their hands on it?

He had already thought of a strategy to deal with the Champion Marquis.

He would only let the other party send troops and exert effort, without delegating any real power to them.

But more than a month had passed, and yet the other party had shown absolutely no movement.

Could it be that they wanted to defy the imperial decree?

Just then, Yang Tuo suddenly heard footsteps. He frowned slightly; without his orders, who would dare to trespass?

But when he looked up, he couldn't help but be startled: "Champion Marquis?"

Indeed, the person walking into the hall was none other than the Champion Marquis, Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng smiled and cupped his hands: "It has been two years, and the Shenwei Prince's demeanor remains the same." The two had met once two years ago.

"Why have you come?"

The Shenwei Prince Yang Tuo frowned slightly. The other party had broken into the Prince Mansion abruptly without being announced, which inevitably made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Hehe, since the Emperor ordered me to reinforce the Western Regions, I naturally cannot defy the imperial decree." Yu Liancheng smiled slightly: "Look, I have brought troops here now."

The Shenwei Prince's expression turned stern: "Oh, and I wonder how many soldiers the Champion Marquis has brought?" He had clearly just received news that the Champion Marquis's army was completely motionless and had not left their garrison.

"One." Yu Liancheng smiled and held up a finger.

"One?" The Shenwei Prince frowned.

"That is correct." Yu Liancheng smiled: "Troops should be elite rather than numerous; I believe Your Highness understands this principle."

"!?" The Shenwei Prince looked at Yu Liancheng in confusion.

He naturally understood this principle, but could this one soldier of yours really block a million-strong army alone?

"Come in." Yu Liancheng said calmly.

Bang!

Amidst the sound of footsteps, the Shenwei Prince saw a tall figure.

With long, crimson hair disheveled, he was like a God or a Demon, filled with an intense sense of oppression.

Even the Shenwei Prince, a Peak Martial Saint, felt a strong sense of threat and suppression at this moment.

"One is already enough." Yu Liancheng smiled slightly: "Although the number of troops invading from the Western Regions' Huoluo Kingdom is large, you and I both know that on the battlefield, ordinary soldiers are not even worth as much as ants; they are just a group of cannon fodder, and they cannot decide the outcome of a battle. The Huoluo Kingdom is a theocracy; the true masters of the Huoluo Kingdom are not the princes and nobles of the Huoluo Kingdom, but the Essence Temple."

"I wonder what the Champion Marquis actually means?"

Looking at the Vast Heaven Golden Chapter, the Shenwei Prince's expression became increasingly serious, and his tone toward Yu Liancheng became much more polite. He was one of the three Peak Martial Saints of the Great Qian Dynasty; if someone could make even him feel suppressed, it could only be a Human Immortal.

"Is this not obvious enough?"

Yu Liancheng made a throat-slitting gesture and grinned: "As long as the Essence Temple is wiped out, the Huoluo Kingdom will have no choice but to retreat."

……