Chapter 432: Does Chen Guo Have No One Left to Defend It? (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Inside the Sumeru Palace, Palace Master Luo Xian looked slightly anxious.

A day ago, he received a series of devastating news, one after another, each worse than the last.

First, his disciple Qiao Shen was killed in battle, and his Nascent Soul was very likely captured.

He was slain by a little-known disciple of the Chen Guo Dao Academy named Qi Tian Sheng.

Second, his other disciple Liu Ju was also eliminated by the fifth trial of the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

As for these two pieces of bad news, he could still accept them.

Disciples aren't children; to a large extent, they're expendable—lose one, train another.

As for the Seven Kill Legacy, failing to obtain it wasn't a major blow.

But when these two pieces of news combined, they formed a loss he could not tolerate.

No disciple of the Sumeru Palace had entered the sixth trial of the Seven Kill Secret Realm—meaning, the Divine Dao Truth bestowed upon him by the Ancestor through the Seven Kill Secret Realm was now unattainable!

This was utterly critical.

It was the key to his breakthrough to the ninth realm in the short term.

Palace Master Luo was truly desperate.

There was nothing more he could do inside the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

The only way Palace Master Luo could think of to compensate for the loss was one word: seize!

Seize the Divine Dao Truths others had brought out of the Seven Kill Secret Realm, and take them for himself.

Whether or not it was a Spatial Divine Dao Truth, seize one first—trade it, exchange it, there's still a chance.

But the problem was: how to seize it.

There were seven known Star Gates of the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

How many could he guard alone?

Though difficult, the Divine Dao Truth was too vital—he would never give up lightly.

Within the shortest time, Palace Master Luo made his arrangements.

Aside from leaving one eighth-rank expert to hold the Sumeru Palace, all other capable seventh- and eighth-rank experts of the Sumeru Palace were dispatched to the seven Star Gates.

Guard them.

Then observe the elites emerging from each.

Strike when the opportunity arose.

Roughly three to four experts were assigned to each Star Gate, mostly seventh-rank.

Of course, if he detected any sign of a Divine Dao Truth, he would act immediately—especially at the Star Gate within the manifested world.

Just half an hour ago, Hou Ziang, a seventh-rank elite disciple of the Mu Ling Palace, suddenly appeared outside a Star Gate on the border of the Da Chu Empire—he had returned from the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

By timing, Hou Ziang had penetrated the sixth trial of the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

He might have obtained a Divine Dao Truth.

His three disciples had already arrived and were pursuing him.

Now, he waited anxiously for results.

Suddenly, Palace Master Luo received a starlight message; after reading it, his brows instantly knitted tight.

【Master, just as we were about to surround and kill Hou Ziang, reinforcements from the Mu Ling Palace arrived and rescued him. But as he left, Hou Ziang claimed he himself obtained no Divine Dao Truth—yet the Chen Guo Dao Academy seemed to have acquired one, linked to their disciple Qi Tian Sheng.】

After reading the message, Palace Master Luo's brows remained tightly furrowed.

Qi Tian Sheng.

Again, Qi Tian Sheng.

Where the hell had this Qi Tian Sheng come from?

Why does his shadow appear everywhere?

Fifth realm, third layer?

First, he directly slew my seventh-rank disciple Qiao Shen, then stole a Divine Dao Truth.

Is he this strong?

In the next instant, Palace Master Luo issued a secret command to his three disciples stationed at the Seven Kill Star Gate within Chen Guo territory: from this moment on, intercept and kill any disciple emerging from the Chen Guo Dao Academy.

One eighth-rank, two seventh-ranks—enough!

But should he go himself?

After long deliberation, Palace Master Luo Xian remained stationed in the Sumeru Palace, not traveling to the Seven Kill Star Gate in Chen Guo territory.

The reason was simple.

Was Hou Ziang's statement necessarily true?

The Sumeru Palace and Mu Ling Palace had decent relations—but only when there was no conflict of interest.

For instance, my disciples attacking Hou Ziang of Mu Ling Palace created a conflict of interest.

So, Hou Ziang's words could be believed, and preliminary arrangements could be made.

But they couldn't be fully trusted.

Mu Ling Palace might deliberately mislead him in this matter.

Especially under conditions of conflict.

Right now, he would hold the Sumeru Palace and wait for confirmed intelligence—only then would he rush there immediately!

Spatial distance?

A major problem for all others.

But not for him.

He was Palace Master of the Sumeru Palace—the supreme master of Spatial Star Arts.

At the same moment, the Mu Ling Palace Master, having received confirmed intelligence, was racing toward the Seven Kill Star Gate deep within the Da Qing Mountains of Chen Guo.

He moved with extreme speed, but faced many restrictions.

First, he could not use the Zhai Xing Tower to teleport directly!

Not because he couldn't—but because using it would immediately alert Chen Guo, or Da Hong, or Da Chu, to the movement of a top-tier eighth-rank expert.

In this world, events that could trigger such a reaction from top-tier eighth-ranks were exceedingly rare!

Instantly, the attention of all major powers would be drawn.

So he could only fly there physically, while concealing his aura.

This was the helplessness.

This was also why Mu Ling Palace was eager to expand.

If they could acquire territory in the manifested world and establish their own Zhai Xing Tower,

Then direct teleportation would be convenient and carry strategic deterrence.

Unfortunately, so far, Mu Ling Palace had made zero progress in acquiring territory in the manifested world.

Outside the Seven Kill Star Gate, deep within the Da Qing Mountains.

Over a hundred people guarded the Star Gate.

Most were sixth- and fifth-rank elites previously eliminated.

All belonged to Chen Guo and Tian Yang Star Temple forces.

These people were not lying in wait.

They were ordered to receive and escort returning combatants.

They were merely the overt reception team.

How many covert agents existed? No one knew.

These hundred had fought desperately within the Seven Kill Secret Realm, eyes red with bloodlust.

Yet now, they split into two factions, coexisting peacefully.

Each had their own mission.

Each had their own thoughts.

After all, one only has one life.

This wasn't the Seven Kill Secret Realm, where everyone had a chance at a substitute body.

Liu Qing Zhu, a high-ranking and powerful figure, was also here guarding.

Suddenly, a streak of starlight shot out from within the Seven Kill Star Gate.

Instantly, every heart tightened.

Anyone eliminated at this point had entered the sixth trial of the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

That meant—something concerning a Divine Dao Truth!

As the starlight landed, Dong Zhao's figure appeared; the moment his feet touched ground, Liu Qing Zhu and a group of Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples surrounded him.

Liu Qing Zhu looked at Dong Zhao with eager anticipation and smiled, "Senior Dong, what's the result?"

Dong Zhao returned a bitter smile and shook his head, "I was eliminated—got nothing!"

Dong Zhao played his part, releasing a signal to mislead the Tian Yang Star Temple members.

Indeed, the Tian Yang Star Temple experts immediately perked up, listening intently; upon hearing Dong Zhao had obtained nothing, they all exhaled in relief.

"Alright, keep guarding and receiving others. Qing Zhu, you and a few others accompany me back—I've sustained some injuries and need your protection." Dong Zhao smiled.

"Understood." Liu Qing Zhu agreed at once.

Then Dong Zhao and Liu Qing Zhu, accompanied by a dozen others, departed from the Seven Kill Star Gate deep in the Da Qing Mountains and swiftly flew toward Jin Shan County.

Once they reached Jin Shan County, they would be safe.

The group had only flown for half a minute, a few hundred li, when suddenly Dong Zhao and Liu Qingzhu's expressions changed at once.

Three immense auras were closing in from different directions.

The others were still confused, but Dong Zhao immediately signaled Liu Qingzhu.

"I'm going ahead!"

With a loud roar, Dong Zhao crushed the space-translocation rune given to him by Xu Jin and vanished from the spot.

The other Chen Guo elites were stunned, but only Liu Qingzhu, who had been forewarned by Dong Zhao, remained calm.

She directed the group to form a formation and wait.

Two seventh-rank and one eighth-rank assailants were coming.

These three were undoubtedly targeting Dong Zhao.

According to Dong Zhao's instructions, once he was gone, they would be safe!

Dong Zhao himself was deeply surprised.

He hadn't expected to be targeted the moment he returned.

The struggle for the Divine Dao's true essence was far more intense than he'd imagined!

Zhuang Zhifei, the Second Elder of Xumi Palace, instantly turned pale.

He had brought two seventh-rank disciples, ordered by the Palace Master to capture or assassinate any elite emerging from the Star Gate—those individuals might carry the Divine Dao's true essence.

Whether they did or not, they were to judge for themselves.

But Dong Zhao's actions at this moment made them believe his likelihood of carrying the Divine Dao's true essence had skyrocketed.

"Elder, should we notify the Palace Master?"

"Not yet certain! First, let's locate Dong Zhao's trail. He just used our Xumi Palace's sixth-rank inferior space-translocation rune, Luankong—its range won't exceed two hundred li."

"You two handle the southeast, I'll take northwest. Once found, send the signal." Said Xumi Palace's Second Elder Zhuang Zhifei.

They knew their own sixth-rank inferior Luankong runes better than anyone.

Instantly translocating two hundred li.

It could save his life.

But within two hundred li, search was still easy.

Especially since Xumi Palace disciples possessed a secret technique to sense residual spatial fluctuations.

After using Luankong, the spatial disturbance lingered for over half a minute—plenty of time to search.

This was essentially a secret within Xumi Palace—or rather, a backdoor built into the Luankong rune meant for escape.

That's why he wasn't panicked at all.

Within two hundred li, with good luck, they'd find Dong Zhao in dozens of breaths; with bad luck, half a minute.

Using a Luankong rune to flee from Xumi Palace? It was practically begging for death.

Less than half a minute later, Zhuang Zhifei, flying overhead from the north, suddenly beamed with joy.

He sensed it!

He sensed the lingering spatial fluctuation.

He instantly stepped down from the stars.

The vast divine sense and star force of the eighth-rank expert spread instantly in all directions, searching for Dong Zhao.

After thirty breaths, Zhuang Zhifei frowned.

He had scoured ten thousand meters in every direction but found no trace of Dong Zhao's aura.

That wasn't possible!

From high above, there was no starlight.

During the search, no star force fluctuations had been detected anywhere.

Meaning Dong Zhao hadn't fled at high speed!

Then why couldn't he be found?

Had he hidden his aura?

In this world, the Lingji Star Temple had sealed its halls long ago—where could such a sophisticated concealment technique come from?

Yet Dong Zhao had genuinely vanished.

Ten breaths later, the other two seventh-rank disciples arrived.

"Every direction, above and below—no star force fluctuations at all. I swear, Dong Zhao is hiding right here! Bomb it! Use the crudest method—blast one patch of land after another!"

"No matter how advanced the invisibility technique, it won't hold against star force strikes!" Zhuang Zhifei roared.

In the next instant, Zhuang Zhifei and his two disciples unleashed the least energy-consuming yet widest-area star techniques, blasting all around.

The moment they did, their star force fluctuations blazed like lanterns across the heavens.

Almost simultaneously, Guoshi Cheng Yuexiao, speeding toward the deep Qingshan's Seven Kill Secret Realm Star Gate, sensed the disturbance.

Sensing something amiss, he instantly turned and flew toward the source.

He surged like a meteor!

Over ten li away, Dong Zhao watched the three Xumi Palace experts begin their crude search and grew frantic.

In his hand, he already gripped another space-translocation rune and an invisibility talisman.

Fortunately, he had Xu Jin's invisibility talisman—otherwise, he'd already been exposed.

He had no time to ponder how Xumi Palace had located him so quickly.

His only concern now: how to escape once they found him.

He still had two space runes—one his own, one given by Xu Jin.

The one he'd used was the sixth-rank one; now both were fifth-rank.

Their range: one hundred li.

That distance was even more dangerous!

Especially with an eighth-rank opponent.

But now, he could only stall.

Hoping to hold out until the Grand Guoshi arrived.

At that exact moment, Zhuang Zhifei, who was blasting the surroundings to force Dong Zhao out, suddenly turned his head, his expression turning utterly horrified.

A streak of blue starlight was hurtling toward him.

As it flew, it trailed a long, fiery tail, like a comet slicing through the sky.

Barely had he seen it when it was nearly upon him.

"Worse! It's the Chen Guo Guoshi! Summon the Palace Master!" Zhuang Zhifei shouted.

Zhuang Zhifei had seen combat before.

Previously in Chen Guo's Wan Yi, the Chen Guo Guoshi had fought six opponents alone and slain two.

Though he had home-field advantage, two Palace Masters had been among his foes!

How could an ordinary eighth-rank like him stand against the Chen Guo Guoshi?

At the same moment, Dong Zhao, hidden nearby, also sensed the Guoshi Cheng Yuexiao's aura.

Without hesitation, Dong Zhao shot straight upward, heading toward the Guoshi.

Zhuang Zhifei and his two disciples, seeing Dong Zhao suddenly appear, were stunned, furious, and filled with regret.

Dong Zhao had been right before their eyes—and they hadn't seen him!

One disciple instantly crushed a space-mark rune, sending a signal to the Xumi Palace Master.

The other seventh-rank, seeing Dong Zhao dart past at a distance, eager for glory and certain the Palace Master would arrive within five breaths, suddenly charged toward Dong Zhao.

A massive spatial fluctuation surged.

"Bold!"

From the sky came a thunderous roar.

The blue meteor's fiery tail instantly twisted into a bolt of lightning, crashing down.

The moment the spatial fluctuation struck Dong Zhao, purple-black lightning slammed down upon the seventh-rank, sixth-layer Xumi disciple.

Zhuang Zhifei, who had been fleeing, had no choice but to join battle with the remaining disciple.

Now, he only hoped they could hold for five breaths!

After five breaths, the Palace Master would arrive.

No matter what, they'd escape alive!

Hmph!

"An eighth-rank sneaking into my Chen Guo territory—truly ignorant of death!"

Cheng Yuexiao roared. The Nine Sheng Bells floated above his head; five-colored meteors instantly slammed toward Zhuang Zhifei, while his entire body plummeted like a meteor toward the disciple already grievously wounded by his lightning.

As he fell, earth-yellow starlight enveloped the ground; a star pavilion swayed, and stars glittered in the sky.

In an instant, the Guoshi Cheng Yuexiao descended like a mountain.

Boom!

The mountain formed by Cheng Yuexiao crashed down upon the seventh-rank, sixth-layer disciple's head, then slammed into the earth.

A full seventh-rank expert was instantly shattered like a watermelon!

Dead on the spot!

Boom!

Beneath the five-colored meteors, the eighth-rank, early-stage Xumi Elder was blasted backward, spewing blood, his protective spirit armor and layered starlight shields shattering, blood gushing from his mouth.

One strike, and he was severely wounded on the spot.

But Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao of Chen Guo, his killing intent undiminished, shot skyward in an instant, shaking the Nine Sheng Bells once more.

Five-colored meteors blasted forth again, and he himself surged forward like a meteor chasing the moon, hurtling toward Zhuang Zhifei.

Zhuang Zhifei, the eighth-rank powerhouse of Xumí Palace, was utterly terrified!

He couldn't even withstand a single blow!

He, an eighth-rank master, couldn't block even one strike from the Grand Master of Chen Guo.

A single strike, and he was grievously injured.

This Grand Master of Chen Guo is even more terrifying than legend claimed!

He knew it was time to fight for his life.

If he didn't fight now, he wouldn't survive until the Palace Master arrived.

In an instant, the Star Tower materialized, rising from earth to heaven; at that very moment, three stars in the sky swayed and poured down torrents of stellar radiance.

At the brink of death, Zhuang Zhifei activated his Lifespan Star Tower outright.

No matter the damage.

Save his life first!

BOOM!

The five-colored meteor struck, and Zhuang Zhifei's Star Tower shuddered violently.

Cracks spread across its eighteen layers; the tower's stellar light dimmed.

The three resonating stars above also saw their stellar radiance scatter.

In the next instant, as Zhuang Zhifei spat blood furiously, he gritted his teeth and launched three layers of his Star Tower, which exploded into a torrent of stellar light, rushing toward Cheng Yuexiao.

The five-colored meteor came again.

This time, the five meteors surged like a tidal wave, shattering Zhuang Zhifei's stellar torrent and striking his Star Tower's core once more.

BOOM!

Zhuang Zhifei's Star Tower instantly withered, trembling violently, on the verge of shattering.

"Grand Master Cheng, spare me!"

As Zhuang Zhifei spat blood uncontrollably, he helplessly watched the terrifying lightning descend from the heavens, utterly obliterating his Star Tower.

In the next instant, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao, wreathed in stellar radiance, descended like a mountain, crushing Zhuang Zhifei's body as if it were a watermelon, bursting it open!

A Nascent Soul instantly rose.

At that very moment, a vast spatial disturbance spread, and the figure of Xumí Palace's Palace Master, Luo Xian, appeared.

"Palace Master, save—"

The instant Zhuang Zhifei's Nascent Soul cried for help, Cheng Yuexiao's stellar hand seized it, silencing his plea mid-shout!

"Palace Master Luo, your eighth-rank disciple has repeatedly violated Chen Guo!"

Do you think Chen Guo has no one?

Do you think Chen Guo has no wrath?"

In the next instant, as Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao roared, lightning surged from his palm, drenching Zhuang Zhifei's Nascent Soul.

"Grand Master Cheng, wait—"

Palace Master Luo Xian's cry cut off abruptly.

For Zhuang Zhifei's Nascent Soul had already been extinguished by the lightning pouring from Cheng Yuexiao's palm!

Second Elder Zhuang Zhifei of Xumí Palace, dead!

(End of Chapter)