Chapter 649: Cutting the Chu Xuan Hu (Eight Thousand Characters for the Warm Sun Silver Alliance)

In a quiet chamber of Ward City No. 13.

Xu Jin sat cross-legged; the yuan spirit of Yang Yun, former Emperor of Da Hong, floated before him, his brow and eyes filled with tension.

"I swear, this secret is worth more than you can imagine—and it's vital to you. I ask for nothing else but a path to survival," the released yuan spirit of Yang Yun pleaded urgently.

After being captured and controlled, Yang Yun still clung to hope, planning to find an opportunity to destroy his own yuan spirit and be reborn.

Unexpectedly, after Cheng Cheng Yuexiao interrogated him, he directly sealed Yang Yun's yuan spirit inside the Great Chen National Seal.

The Great Chen National Seal had nearly been destroyed two years ago and has only slightly recovered; it lacks much power, but suppressing yuan spirits under control poses no issue whatsoever.

Even more terrifying is that, due to its unique forging, the Great Chen National Seal is nourished by the national fortune of Chen Guo—no external energy is needed. As long as Chen Guo endures, it can suppress them eternally.

Meanwhile, the blood-drip divine runes they had secretly planted across hidden locations for rebirth lack celestial and terrestrial nourishment; even with layers of seals protecting them, the power within slowly leaks away.

In as little as thirty years, at most sixty, the blood-drip divine runes they planted in hidden places will naturally dissipate.

By then, even if they survive decades and their yuan spirits happen to avoid annihilation, they will have no chance of rebirth.

They will die utterly.

Even more terrifying is that, these past days, his yuan spirit and those of the Blood God Sect's high-level leaders, including the sect master, have been imprisoned within the National Seal—its desolation, darkness, and silence are horrifying.

More terrifying than imprisonment.

Even more terrifying than death!

If confined there for a long time, even if rebirth becomes possible, he fears he would go mad.

"Then tell me—what is this secret?" Xu Jin smiled.

To be honest, he no longer had much interest in whether it was a secret or not.

What secret could it possibly be?

Secrets of the Blood God Sect regarding the Blood God, and some hidden truths of Da Hong Empire.

But even if Da Hong truly possessed hidden treasures, or even stored eight- or nine-star spiritual treasures, their allure to Xu Jin had greatly diminished.

Xu Jin already possessed one nine-star spiritual treasure.

"Marshal Zhenyu, swear a Great Dao Oath, and only then will I speak," Yang Yun demanded.

"Pathetic!"

Xu Jin suddenly sneered, "If you won't speak, then return to the National Seal."

With a flick of his back Lei Yi, Xu Jin vanished from the chamber, heading straight to the National Teacher's mansion to hand the fellow back for continued suppression—he had no interest in wasting more time.

"Wait! There truly is a great secret!"

"A great secret of Kunling Domain."

"It was passed down by the Lord Tianyang Star Hall."

Xu Jin's form didn't pause at all—he had already flown above the commander's mansion. Upon hearing this, he turned with a cold laugh, "How could you know the Lord Tianyang Star Hall's deepest secrets?"

Did the Lord Tianyang Star Jun tell you?

Or did your spy overhear it?

Would the Lord Tianyang Star Jun ever let you know such a secret?

If he did let you know, it would be a bait!

Pathetic!

"None of those. In my Da Hong imperial lineage, someone once served as Star Jun of the Lord Tianyang Star Hall."

Xu Jin's form froze instantly above the commander's mansion, his gaze returning to the yuan spirit of the former Da Hong Emperor.

The latter saw hope.

"I swear this is true—historical records confirm it! My Da Hong Taizong Emperor, with peerless talent, over a thousand three hundred years ago, simultaneously held the positions of Da Hong Emperor and Lord Tianyang Star Hall Star Jun, and learned this secret."

"This secret was originally known only to successive Star Jun of the Lord Tianyang Star Hall."

"But later, subsequent imperial descendants lacked the talent to govern the Star Hall, yet this secret was preserved as an imperial taboo, passed down through generations," said the former Da Hong Emperor Yang Yun.

Xu Jin frowned.

He sent a starlight message to Peng Lao, inquiring about the matter.

Peng Lao, in charge of the Danxia Guard of the Great Chen State Academy, bore the heavy responsibility of intelligence gathering; moreover, his age made him the most convenient person to consult.

Soon, Peng Lao gave a definitive answer.

Throughout Da Hong Empire's history, two Star Jun of the Lord Tianyang Star Hall had emerged.

The first was Emperor Taizong himself; the second was forcibly installed by that brilliant Taizong Emperor—but afterward, imperial descendants could no longer compete with the Star Hall's prodigies.

Not even the ordinary disciples could match them.

The Star Jun position could not be propped up by bloodline alone.

This was normal: the Star Hall gathered top talents from across the world.

It was natural for one generation of the imperial family to produce a genius—but not generation after generation.

Conversely, generation after generation of mediocrity, with occasional geniuses, was the norm.

Later, the Lord Tianyang Star Hall's succession continued, and the Star Jun position eventually passed into the hands of the current Lord Tianyang Star Jun, Zhu Zhen.

But the hereditary Emperor position remained firmly in the hands of the Da Hong Yang clan.

Thus, what the former Da Hong Emperor Yang Yun said was true.

In the next instant, Xu Jin's back Lei Yi flashed, and he instantly returned to the quiet chamber.

"Verified, haven't I? What I said is absolutely true!

If you swear a Great Dao Oath to release me, I'll speak immediately—and answer any question you have!" said the former Da Hong Emperor Yang Yun.

Xu Jin hesitated.

If he released this man, he might become another menace.

But this secret had genuinely piqued his interest.

After a few breaths, Xu Jin suddenly made his decision.

Why agonize? Release him.

Even if he is reborn, under the current tide of events, if Yang Yun is smart enough to hide and cultivate, and if he stirs up trouble, even if he regains ninth-rank power in the future, he need not wait for the National Teacher—others like Peng Lao, Ning Ning Yuchan, or Dong Zhao can kill him.

Aside from the Blood God Sect master, the other high-level leaders of the Blood God Sect, though powerful in cultivation base, are truly weak in combat.

Now, Xu Jin swore the relevant Great Dao Oath.

"Alright, speak."

"It's about Xia Yao," Yang Yun said.

"Xia Yao? What does that mean?"

"I don't fully understand, but the secret archives left by Taizong state that the celestial and terrestrial authority of Kunling Domain is actually a Xia Yao—those who obtain the Xia Yao can easily become a True Person, and have a chance at becoming an Emperor."

"Successive Star Jun have pursued the collection of Kunling Domain's celestial and terrestrial authority as their goal."

"It is precisely because of this that wars have never ceased in Kunling Domain, with the Four Star Halls constantly fighting each other," said Yang Yun.

"Xia Yao? That's all?"

"For instance, how exactly does one achieve 'True Person easily, Emperor possible'? Did it explain?" Xu Jin frowned.

"No, Taizong's secret archives only contained this much: future descendants with talent and opportunity should collect all of Kunling Domain's celestial and terrestrial authority, and then they may have hope for eternity.

But if they lack that ability, they must never force it—otherwise, it will bring annihilation to their clan."

"Over these past thousand years, how much of the celestial and terrestrial authority have the various Star Halls collected?" Xu Jin asked.

"I don't know, but the imperial secret archives previously stated that the Lord Tianyang Star Hall controlled only one and a half tenths of the celestial and terrestrial authority," Yang Yun said.

Xu Jin nodded—he now understood.

The Lord Tianyang Star Jun's current control over celestial and terrestrial authority likely did not exceed two tenths; if it did, the Lord Tianyang Star Jun would not be acting as he currently does.

"How much do you know about the Blood God of the Blood God Sect?" Xu Jin asked.

In fact, previously in Wen Meng, Xu Jin had interrogated this very question, but gained little.

By comparison, Wen Meng's interrogation yielded more direct answers, typically lacking speculative or abstract responses—hence this follow-up question.

Because Xu Jin had sworn the Great Dao Oath, the former Da Hong Emperor Yang Yun answered with exceptional enthusiasm.

He repeated the answers given during Wen Meng's interrogation, then paused for a few breaths and added, "The Blood God likely truly exists—perhaps an existence beyond an Emperor—but the Blood God worshipped by our sect may be in an abnormal state.

The sect master once mentioned that if they endure another thirty years, after that time, the Blood God will be able to leave behind a portion of divine pearl essence; then, the Blood God Sect will truly flourish."

This answer aligned with the outcome of Xu Jin's destruction of the Blood God statue.

It was precisely the point that puzzled him.

For instance, the leader of the Worship of Stars Sect had divine pearl essence and even used it once, nearly severely injuring Xu Jin.

But the Blood God Sect had nothing of the sort.

It seems the Blood God worshipped by the Blood God Sect differs somewhat from the Star Deities worshipped by the Worship of Stars Sect.

Xu Jin asked this precisely to prepare for confronting the Worship of Stars Sect.

He was not afraid of the Worship of Stars Sect's leader, Sima Qu.

But he feared their worshipped Star Deity.

Previously, the Blood God Sect master's invocation of the Blood God's power had caused Xu Jin immense trouble, nearly costing him the battle.

He had only prevailed thanks to the assistance of his master's master, Uncle Youyu Tianyang Zhenjun.

Thus, regarding the Star Deity, Xu Jin must prepare carefully.

Afterwards, Xu Jin asked the former Da Hong Emperor Yang Yun many more secrets—about the Lord Tianyang Star Hall, about Da Hong Empire.

This Yang Yun, desperate to survive, answered everything without reservation.

Xu Jin learned many secrets previously unknown from Wen Meng's interrogations.

It was well worth it!

"Hope you'll think carefully!"

After questioning him, Xu Jin honored his promise; a flash of lightning in his palm turned Yang Yun's yuan spirit to ash.

This fool's Vast Space had long been seized by Xu Jin; even after his rebirth through blood, his situation hadn't improved.

If he was unlucky and reborn in a star region controlled by Da Chen, that was simply his fate.

After seeing off the Great Hong Emperor, Xu Jin sat cross-legged on the ground; as he stirred his Dao Embryo, the starlight of the Linghuang Star Realm flickered faintly in the heavens, becoming crystal clear in his perception—eight star palaces of distinct styles instantly materialized.

Amidst the flickering starlight, Xu Jin had already activated the High-Grade Seven Kill Sword Heart and begun practicing the Star-Slaying Art.

Three days remain until the battle plan begins; the Star-Slaying Art can still be refined further.

Vast Palace Minor World.

After swearing the Great Dao Oath, the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun obtained the Vast Palace inheritance as promised, including the complete set of spatial star patterns; after confirming their authenticity and meditating for a day, he also gained control of the Vast Palace's Vast Secret Realm.

The Vast Secret Realm is the Vast Palace's inheritance secret realm.

Spatial Star Arts are difficult to master at the beginner stage, and even harder to advance after the beginner stage; the Vast Secret Realm helps disciples accelerate their comprehension.

This is also the key to the Vast Palace's survival for thousands of years without decline.

At this moment, the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun entered the Vast Secret Realm precisely to rapidly comprehend the spatial star patterns.

Comprehending spatial star patterns is extremely obscure and arduous, but as a ninth-rank powerhouse, his experience and vision were entirely different—he progressed at an astonishing speed.

Yet amid this great upheaval, the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun wanted to move even faster.

This was the fundamental reason he sought control of the Vast Secret Realm.

Within the Vast Palace, as the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun briefly departed into the Vast Secret Realm, Deputy Palace Master Zhang Fei finally relaxed his tense nerves after days of strain.

As for the young palace master, Haoyue, after days of drastic trials, he was growing at an astonishing pace.

He did not cry; instead, he directly sent a voice message to Deputy Palace Master Zhang Fei: "Uncle Zhang, I recall our Vast Palace and the Wood Spirit Palace have long maintained mutual aid and possess special methods of requesting aid, correct?"

"Correct."

"Uncle Zhang, quickly send a plea for aid to the Wood Spirit Palace Master—ask him to come immediately to deal with the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun."

"Young Master, no." Zhang Fei refused at once.

"Why, Uncle Zhang?" Haoyue, inexperienced in worldly affairs, could not understand.

"Haoyue, the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun's strength is beyond what the Wood Spirit Palace Master can handle. Moreover, he now holds three-tenths of the celestial authority of our Vast Minor World—here, his combat power will only grow stronger. If the Wood Spirit Palace Master comes, he won't save us; he'll likely die too."

"Then… are we just going to do nothing?"

"We need time!"

"The Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun clearly seeks to refine spatial star arts to strengthen himself, and his foundation lies in the mortal realm, in the Sunlight Star Palace—he won't stay here long. Once his cultivation ends, he will surely leave."

"After he departs, we can then seek aid from the Wood Spirit Palace—only then can we plan carefully, and even have ample time to ask the Wood Spirit Palace Master to bring in experts to deal with the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun," Zhang Fei said.

"If even the Wood Spirit Palace Master can't defeat the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun, others probably won't help us," Haoyue asked doubtfully.

"Others won't help us fight the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun, but the Grand Minister of Da Chen and the Domain-Warden will surely intervene—if we have enough time, they will come," Zhang Fei said.

"Who is the Domain-Warden?"

Zhang Fei paused, then smiled. "The Domain-Warden? He's a human prodigy—Xu Jin, from the Da Chen National Dao Academy."

"Wait—Uncle Zhang, isn't Xu Jin, the legendary genius of the Da Chen National Dao Academy, dead?" Haoyue exclaimed.

"You didn't know? It was a legendary tale—he faked his death under pressure from two star palaces, then returned to life after growing stronger," Zhang Fei said. As he spoke, Princess Haoyue immediately pulled out the Star-Picking Token, eager to contact the great sage in her heart.

But the Star-Picking Token was unusable.

The Star-Picking Tower's authority had been seized by the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun, who had shut down the Vast Palace's Star-Picking Tower entirely.

Instantly, her face darkened with sorrow.

The frontline army's full-scale mobilization took longer than Xu Jin expected—eight full days were needed to prepare.

On the seventeenth day of the ninth month, under the command of Star River Grand Marshal Xu Jin, the elite forces of Da Chen, the allied armies of Da Chu and the Cangming Star Palace, the barbarian tribes, and the Wood Spirit Palace marched in disciplined formations through six passage fortresses and surged toward the Eight Wilderness Continent.

They chose only five directions.

Because among the current mortal human forces, only five individuals could confront ninth-rank power.

They were Xu Jin, Cheng Cheng Yuexiao, the Cangming Tianyang Xingjun, the Domain-Quelling Tianyang Xingjun, and the Wood Spirit Palace Master.

Of course, Peng Lao, Ning Ning Yuchan, Dong Zhao, and others could also handle ninth-rank foes—but it would be far too risky.

Moreover, this choice of attack strategy was tied to the fundamental purpose of this campaign.

Cheng Cheng Yuexiao, the Domain-Quelling Tianyang Xingjun, and others called this operation a full-scale offensive.

But Xu Jin called it a fishing operation.

There are many fish—but only one fisher: Xu Jin!

All the attacking armies are bait.

Which side bites depends on their luck.

Because Xu Jin now held supreme command, he directly issued the Mandarin Duck Seal to every commander of the offensive fronts, making communication between the armies once they entered the Eight Wilderness Continent extremely convenient.

Previously, entering the Eight Wilderness Continent required cumbersome special communication methods.

Soon, all units reported to Xu Jin that they had breached the Eight Wilderness Continent.

As for the fisher, Xu Jin, he appeared above the No. 1 Passage Fortress, guarded by the Great Hong Empire's army, amid a ripple of spatial distortion.

The moment he released his star-force spiritual sense, the Great Hong commander Xia Hou Shen and the Sunlight Star Palace's Grand Elder Wang Kan detected him and instantly soared upward to meet him.

"Your Excellency, Grand Marshal."

Regardless of the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun's attitude, Xu Jin's current strength and reputation were undeniable—Xia Hou Shen and Wang Kan dared not show disrespect, let alone ignore his arrival.

"Gentlemen, you've surely received intelligence on the movements of the other forces?" Xu Jin asked.

Xia Hou Shen and Wang Kan exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.

If they couldn't even manage that, the Great Hong Empire was already doomed.

Looking at the two, Xu Jin's Dao Embryo aura stirred slightly; his powerful spiritual force locked onto them for only two breaths—yet both men broke into cold sweat, trembling with tension.

"This war concerns the grand destiny of our human race! Your Great Hong and Sunlight Star Palace refusing to fight is your right—I won't say a word!"

"But if you dare to slack off, if you dare to sabotage this campaign!"

"If any problem arises at the passage fortress you guard, I won't touch anyone else—but your families, the Xia Hou and Wang clans, I will personally come and exterminate every last member!"

Xu Jin's thunderous roar shook them to their core; they immediately pledged their loyalty.

"Grand Marshal, rest assured—our Great Hong (Sunlight Star Palace) fortress will let not a single barbarian pass, and not a single problem will arise!"

"If any problem occurs, behead me!" Xia Hou Shen declared firmly.

"Hmph—if anything goes wrong, I'll exterminate your nine clans!"

Xu Jin turned his gaze to Wang Kan, who immediately nodded.

The next instant, Xu Jin stepped forward—and vanished into thin air.

Xia Hou Shen and Wang Kan exchanged glances, wiping the sweat from their brows. The Star River Grand Marshal's elusive star arts were terrifying.

As for not fighting, Xia Hou Shen wanted to join—he felt he'd miss something crucial.

But the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun had issued strict orders; they had no choice.

"If they do fight, no matter the outcome, we must report it to His Majesty immediately," Grand Elder Wang Kan said.

A dozen breaths later, they received the Sunlight Tianyang Xingjun's latest orders.

They were commanded to scout the latest battlefield developments and report any changes immediately.

On the Eight Wilderness Continent, Xu Jin teleported only once to catch up with the Uncle Chu Xuan Hu Army, then suppressed his aura and concealed himself among their ranks, silently following as the army advanced, waiting for the fish to bite.

Under normal circumstances, Xu Jin could have slain Envoy Ju Zhang, Chu Xuan Hu, or even the Master of the Worshiping Stars, Sima Qu, alone.

Yet he ultimately chose the fishing strategy.

It was due to his caution toward the Star Dipper True God of the Worshiping Stars Sect.

If Sima Qu sensed danger and retreated to the White Tiger Star City to invoke the True God's divine power, it would become troublesome.

And then there was Envoy Ju Zhang, the King of the Eight Wilderness.

Xu Jin had long learned Envoy Ju Zhang's background from various sources.

His father was the Jin Shuo True Person.

A eleventh-rank True Person.

Theoretically, Jin Shuo True Person had no possibility of entering the Kunling Domain.

But star arts were mysterious—who knew if some method of borrowing power existed?

So Xu Jin devised this fishing strategy: if they dared to emerge, he would strike with lightning speed and kill them.

Once they were dead, no matter how many hidden tricks they had, they'd be useless.

The same applied to Master Sima Qu.

With the armies pressing forward, the Eight Wilderness side had four ninth-rank beings—they would surely act.

The question was only when.

War most tests a man's patience.

During this time, Xu Jin frequently contacted his master, Qi Qi Shanye, and his uncle, Mo Ji.

But clearly, Master Sima Qu of the Worshiping Stars Sect was far harder to track than the Blood God Sect's leader.

Especially since he didn't usually reside in Blood Moon City.

Yet after the last battle, where Xu Jin had displayed overwhelming power, the ninth-rank beings of the Eight Wilderness had become extremely cautious.

Many tactics could be analyzed afterward.

For instance, Xu Jin's mastery of spatial star arts.

Looking broadly at this current offensive by the mortal human forces:

Five armies attacked simultaneously, yet the distance between each army never exceeded fifteen hundred li.

At this distance, for Xu Jin in the center, it was a matter of a thought away—any call, and he could arrive instantly.

Envoy Ju Zhang and his group were far more cautious than Xu Jin had imagined.

For a full day after entering the Eight Wilderness Continent, there was no movement at all.

By the next day, the main force had advanced four thousand li into the Eight Wilderness Continent, yet the elite armies of the Eight Wilderness still retreated while fighting.

As for the eighth-rank, not a single one was to be seen.

To go deeper would mean truly penetrating the heartland of the Eight Wilderness Continent—but not a single fish had taken the bait.

"Order all armies to build fortresses on the spot! I don't believe they won't come out just because we're building!" Xu Jin sneered.

Once the human race established military strongholds on the Eight Wilderness Continent, it would be like driving a nail deep into its core—once anchored, removing them would be nearly impossible.

This was truly the Eight Wilderness race's Achilles' heel.

Theoretically, the Eight Wilderness barbarians would never allow the human race to successfully build military strongholds on their continent.

Almost the instant the order was given, Xu Jin instantly activated the celestial authority of the Eight Wilderness Continent and stirred the Mingji Star Pattern, his viewpoint soaring infinitely upward, his gaze of oversight spreading instantly in all directions.

Previously, Xu Jin's oversight gaze had covered only a six-thousand-li radius.

But now, with his spiritual soul cultivation reaching the mid-stage of the Sixth-Rank Dao Embryo, and the Mingji Star Pattern advanced to the mid-stage of the Ninth-Rank, the star-art's power had surged dramatically.

Though the celestial authority remained unchanged, the range of his oversight gaze expanded violently to a nine-thousand-li radius.

Within this range, Xu Jin's position lay precisely at the center of the five armies, instantly granting him full awareness of all movements around them.

The qi signatures of sixth- and seventh-rank cultivators were too numerous to track, but the high-end forces of eighth- and ninth-rank were instantly clear.

With this glance, Xu Jin immediately discerned something.

Four ninth-rank qi signatures were now advancing from two directions toward the barbarian army led by Zhen'e Star Jun.

Seven thousand li from Xu Jin, still over four thousand li from Zhen'e Star Jun's army.

"Trying to surround and ambush our ninth-rank with four ninth-ranks? That's a clever plan."

A cold sneer surfaced in Xu Jin's eyes—he saw it all clearly.

The ninth-rank late-stage and mid-stage qi signatures were naturally Envoy Ju Zhang and Chu Xuan Hu, the two together.

The ninth-rank mid-stage and early-stage qi signatures were naturally the Master of the Worship of Stars, Sima Qu, and his subordinate ninth-rank.

This time, all four ninth-ranks had moved out—and in pairs!

With a thought, Xu Jin immediately sent orders to the State Tutor Cheng Cheng Yuexiao and Cangming Star Jun, commanding them to move toward Zhen'e Star Jun's direction.

Xu Jin then retracted his oversight gaze.

After sending a warning to Ning Ning Yuchan to remain vigilant, a spatial ripple rose, and he vanished instantly from his spot.

Above the Eight Wilderness Continent, Envoy Ju Zhang and Chu Xuan Hu concealed their qi signatures as they flew toward the location of Zhen'e Star Jun's barbarian army, constantly reviewing battlefield intelligence from their reconnaissance units.

Currently, the human armies had begun establishing fortresses, but no high-level cultivators had gathered.

"Chu Xuan Hu, once we reach the battlefield, if that fellow appears, you're the strongest—activate that spiritual treasure to suppress the space and strike. We'll join forces with the Master of the Worship of Stars to kill the Seventh Killing Heir."

"Master, rest assured—I've fully subjugated the space-suppressing spiritual treasure!"

"Then—"

As they spoke, Envoy Ju Zhang's expression suddenly changed—a massive spatial ripple erupted abruptly ahead.

"No good! He's here! Suppress the space immediately—I'll send an emergency signal!"

The instant the cry arose, Xu Jin stepped forth from the void.

The moment he appeared, he spurred his mind—and the celestial body star, Linghuang, instantly emitted a dozen faint beams of starlight, swaying down in an instant.

Gathering into a river of starlight, the beams coalesced into a blade of light, slashing instantly toward Chu Xuan Hu.

At the same instant, a tiny black speck shot skyward, descending like a lid over Envoy Ju Zhang's head.

It was the moment Xu Jin struck—he unleashed his full power, and the Celestial Cloud Tower also emerged.

Envoy Ju Zhang's face darkened instantly—he had witnessed the power of that mysterious cloud tower before.

Instantly, Envoy Ju Zhang unleashed all his strength, activating the Golden Serpent Thunder and the Eight Wilderness Golden Seal; his golden horn on the forehead radiated terrifying starlight, slamming toward the tower.

Simultaneously, he sent an emergency signal via the Eight Wilderness Golden Token to the Master of the Worship of Stars, ordering him to rush to his aid!

Last time, he had used precisely this method to withstand the Seventh Killing Heir's mysterious cloud tower.

But to Envoy Ju Zhang's utter shock, the golden light, writhing like dragons and serpents, failed to halt the falling tower.

His dragon-serpent golden light shattered like rotten straw, crushed under the descending tower.

"How could it be this strong?"

In a single thought, the Celestial Cloud Tower had already descended above him, nearly crushing him on the spot.

Envoy Ju Zhang's heart trembled in shock!

How could it have grown this powerful in so little time?

At that very same instant, Chu Xuan Hu's cry of alarm came from the other side.

Chu Xuan Hu, having obeyed Envoy Ju Zhang's order, activated the lower-grade ninth-star space spiritual treasure from the Ancestral Realm—ripples spread across all directions, barely sealing the space—when suddenly, terror flashed in his eyes.

The qi of this sword was far, far more terrifying than he had imagined!

And he, having just set up his defense, had only fully activated the space treasure!

BOOM!

The Star-Slaying Sword descended!

The twelve beams of starlight, drawn from his celestial body and forged into the blade, pierced straight into Chu Xuan Hu's body.

The defensive starlight on his surface shattered instantly; before the blade struck, an eighth-star spiritual armor surfaced, blocking the fatal blow.

But he was flung backward, spewing blood uncontrollably.

Xu Jin did not pause—he stepped forward again, taking advantage of Envoy Ju Zhang's momentary immobilization by the Celestial Cloud Tower, and starlight swayed down once more.

The Star-Slaying Sword struck again!

Chu Xuan Hu's eyes widened—he barely raised his protective starlight, still unsteady, when the blade came again!

BOOM!

The eighth-star spiritual armor shattered; fine scales emerged across Chu Xuan Hu's body—this layer saved his life.

But the scales themselves were shattered into fragments.

On the other side, Envoy Ju Zhang also sensed the danger—he spat a mouthful of blood onto the Eight Wilderness Golden Seal, causing a faint golden horn phantom to appear upon it, just as he prepared to activate it—when thunder from within the Celestial Cloud Tower rained down.

Each bolt of lightning carried terrifying spiritual soul power; each strike shook Envoy Ju Zhang's body with chaotic lightning, and shattered his spiritual soul's essence, leaving him momentarily unable to activate the Golden Seal.

At the same moment, Xu Jin unleashed his third Star-Slaying Sword in rapid succession.

Starlight surged like a vast river—Chu Xuan Hu's newly raised protective starlight vanished instantly; the star tower that had just emerged was crushed back into his body.

PUFF!

Chu Xuan Hu's physical body shattered instantly into pieces.

A Dao Embryo, less than a foot tall, fled outward.

The instant it escaped, the Nine Heavens Thunder Lord Seal, already hovering above Xu Jin's head, blasted forth a five-colored thunderbolt.

BOOM!

Chu Xuan Hu's Dao Embryo vanished in an instant, reduced to a wisp of smoke.

"Uncle Chu Xuan Hu!" Envoy Ju Zhang screamed in rage and terror.

(End of Chapter)