Chapter 732: The Gritting Battle

The tip of the long, golden spear pierced through the air like a serpent baring its fangs. It stabbed at Meng Qi like how Du Gushi himself would with unforgiving speed and malice, unlike the blows of a common duel.

Meng Qi spontaneously parried the blows from the spear with the Saber of the Shattered Jade in his right hand. With his maneuvers, he tried to deflect the strokes away from himself while he, with the Flowing Fire, summoned auric blade-like flames that shot from the tip of his sword, splitting into multitudes of threads of fire that formed fiery nets that acted as a shield.

The heaviness of Meng Qi’s strokes warped the fabric of Space. Imbued with energies of Nature, the blow hit the golden spear an inch below its tip. Meng Qi did not feel any force rebounding from the clashing steels. The golden spear accelerated, instantly brushing past his saber and snapped at him!

“Damn!” Meng Qi cursed, instantly noticing a force erupting from the golden spear. The radial motion of the spear had masked the concealed energy so that if it was parried or deflected, the hidden energy would spur the golden spear into a sudden burst of speed!

“Bang!” The charge of the golden spear was much faster than the sound caused by the explosion of its reserved energy. Its tip passed through the net of flames before the weaving was completed, losing only a fraction of its strength.

Despite glowing faintly in gold, Meng Qi could feel the cold and callous will of its wielder emanating from the tip of the spear. At the same time, he suspected that not even the power of his Kunlun Taoist Robe could withstand the strength of the spear. Such was the power that could be unleashed by a warrior at the peak of the Exterior Realm!

Even though Meng Qi and his enemy were both at the Second Celestial Ladder and were evenly adept in harnessing the Dharma and Logos of Nature, the blow of the golden spear truly showed him the depth of his opponent’s skills and his grasp and control of his powers.

In spite of his exhaustion from his assault up the steps of the altar, the spear that Du Gushi hurled had put Meng Qi in a tight spot, proving that Du Gushi deserved his much-acclaimed sobriquet as the “Martial Monarch”!

In mortal danger, Meng Qi summoned two additional limbs. One held the Heaven Inflicted Pain while the other grasped the Sword of the Mystic Turtle. The former bore the weight with sheer force that could distort the very continuum of Space while the latter shone with a blinding radiance that illuminated everything around him.

Unlike the usual Destruction of Stars technique he performed, the weapons he brandished did not clash halfway in the space between them. This time, the blows clashed directly in front of him.

Unleashing the Destruction of Stars directly in front of him was a double-edged sword. There was no way he could completely shield himself from the backlash of the technique being unleashed so close to him. However, he was forced to do so to prevent the spear from reaching him because he was unsure if he and the defensive properties of his robes could withstand the strength of the spear!

“Boom!”

A flash of white sparked and expanded rapidly with a burst of blazing heat. The terrifying explosion burst with rippling waves that poured toward the golden spear.

A third hidden force erupted from the golden spear. Its tip trembled hungrily as it stabbed at the point where the incinerating heat had come from. However, the waves of scorching heat from the Destruction of Stars technique swept forth with the force of a falling mountain, engulfing the spear whole.

Despite plowing relentlessly through the waves of boiling incandescence, the spear began to slow down and its force slowly faltered. Meng Qi himself felt the “folly” of unleashing the Destruction of Stars technique just in front of him. The heat burned and threatened to melt his flesh, and the shockwaves lashed furiously at him that he nearly cried in agony.

The Kunlun Taoist Robe shone faintly with gold, its defensive abilities activated to protect its user as Meng Qi leaped backward, propelled by the shockwave, in order to evade the stroke of the golden spear!

“Clang!”

The golden spear missed Meng Qi and hit the altar, leaving a pale whitish mark on the sturdy surface of its structure before clattering harmlessly. Feeling his blood boiling, Meng Qi struggled to remain standing. Most of his power was spent even though his defenses had saved him from injury. The enchantment of the Law Phenomenon and the conjuration of his additional limbs had reached the end of their duration and promptly diminished.

The true danger was only beginning!

On the ninth level of the altar, Shen Yunqing completed the sacrificial rituals of the offerings he had prepared. The flesh and blood of the dead warriors vanished as if consumed by the altar itself. This was part of the reason Meng Qi had severed the additional limbs he had conjured so that the magic of the altar would not consume him but the enemies he encountered on his way up instead.

The entire structure of the altar shook as rays of crimson light, dark and red as blood, appeared and shot to the topmost levels. One by one, the runic script-filled talismans scattered around the ninth level began to burst into flames. The ritual for the Heavenly Passage would be fully concluded once the talismans were all burned!

With his role completed, Shen Yunqing looked with a wicked grin at Meng Qi who was not far away. The latter had been zigzagging his way to the top that Shen Yunqing was hardly able to lock on to him with his Divine Weapon. But the spear thrown by the Martial Monarch from afar had forced Meng Qi back a few steps, slowing his pace. The opportunity for Shen Yunqing to deal the deathblow had presented itself!

“His very existence has caused things to be so dire and caused our imperial forces to suffer heavy losses!”

The thought sparked rage and anger and fueled his malice. Shen Yunqing lifted the Saber of the Emperor. With all his might and the forces of Heaven and Earth, he summoned the Divine Weapon. The blade of the saber shone brightly, illuminating the skies around them and dispelling the gloom that plagued the surface of the Nu River. A silhouette appeared in the sky—a golden dragon that snaked through the air. Its monstrous and majestic presence sent shivers of fear into Zhu Shou and his men, causing them to freeze momentarily.

Meng Qi had barely steadied himself when once again sensed imminent danger. He projected his spiritual senses frantically, feeling not the presence of Shen Yunqing but a saber that radiated the strong flow of mortal energies and its immeasurable power.

“A Divine Weapon!

“It has locked on to me!”

Meng Qi felt did not break out in sweat because his body and mind were trembling and frozen with fear as if he was trapped in ice! He had difficulty thinking and moving.

“This cannot be my end!” He exclaimed, summoning his Dharmic Forms. The Form of a huge golden Buddha appeared, with one finger pointing to the air and the other onto the ground. The “I, the Unique and Righteous” technique! Mustering his last sliver of hope and determination, he conjured the Immortal Primogenitor Form and was about to cast the Nature-involving Knack. In his desperation, he unleashed all that he could to force a break in the clouds and weather the onslaught of the Divine Weapon!

“It’s a pity that the Supreme-wisdom Tree’s palate does not include Divine Weapons!” He thought suddenly.

Just as Shen Yunqing was about to deal a Deathblow, a monstrous figure emerged behind him. With a human head and a serpent’s torso, the blood-red creature had six limbs, all of which were ready to strike him with rancor and hate. It was another Qi Zhengyan or his doppelganger!

Qi Zhengyan had once again displayed his mysterious ability to separate himself from his Dharmic Form and attack on different fronts. He had first shown this aptitude during their quest at the Southern Heavenly Door!

With his actual physical self-holding down Du Gushi with the help of Immortal Wanshi, Qi Zhengyan had quietly set loose his Dharmic Form to the top level of the altar! Since Shen Yunqing had already activated his Divine Weapon, the Dharmic Form had finally found the opportunity to attack!

With his perpetually deadpan expression, Qi Zhengyan waved his arm that held the blood-red beads. The Dharmic Form leaped and strike at Shen Yunqing precisely just as his Divine Weapon attacked!

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Shen Yunqing was instantly hit, the blow threw him off his feet and the flesh on his back was badly mutilated. His aura took a precipitous fall as he lost control of his Divine Weapon, causing it to be thrown off course and shoot up into the sky aimlessly.

The golden silhouette of the vicious dragon spiraled around the golden blade as it sped up into the clouds, splitting the clouds and revealing the radiance of the sun above. Golden shafts of sunlight shone down upon the lapping waters of the river as the sky grew clear.

Meng Qi heard his heart thump—he had almost tasted Death. Thankfully, the mysterious techniques of Senior Brother Qi and his unusual methods had saved him and had created an opportunity for them to retaliate!

The skills imparted by the Devil Lord were powerful and strong indeed!

Seven talismans still remained around the ninth level of the altar. There was still time for them to undo its magic!

Just then, Meng Qi heard the roar of a dragon thundering ferociously from afar. It was not a conjuration of Ruan Yushu and her magic, for its roars were majestic and holy like the kings and lords of the mortal realm, the rulers of all lives under the Heavens.

“Damn!” Meng Qi had a foreboding. A magnificent saber hovered over the ninth level of the altar, emanating mortal energy that swirled around callously, sweeping away the fumes of the battle and the stench of blood and flesh that lingered. Witnessing the sight, Miao Hu, Liu Tui and the rest of the men stood back.

“The Divine Weapon is protecting its wielder! No, wait! It is defending the altar!”

With hardly any change in his expression, the six strong arms of Qi Zhengyan’s Dharmic Form immediately smote furiously at the altar as he tried to destroy it before the Divine Weapon could truly awaken its awareness!

“Crack!”

A loud cracking noise was heard above the din of war as the magical barrier of the altar’s ninth level was broken, revealing the yellow talismans with bloody runic scripts. There were still six more that were yet to burst into flames.

The Saber of the Emperor suddenly turned in mid-air as if feeling a wrath of its own. The blade slashed through the sky with terrible deadliness and instantly destroyed Qi Zhengyan’s Dharmic Form, leaving only vestiges of blood and aura in its wake.

Behind the actual physical self of Qi Zhengyan, who was still embroiled in combat with Du Gushi, his Dharmic Form reformed itself, melding back with his physical body.

His face suddenly turned green and pale as he spat out a mouthful of poisoned blood.

Despite being evading the blow, he was nevertheless severely injured by the Divine Weapon.

Qi Zhengyan turned to look calmly at Du Huaishang, his eyes deep and distant with a knowing gaze.

“Clang!”

Crying out like a mournful howl of a dragon, a sword emerged from the midst of the battle raging below and pierced through the air, heading straight for the altar. The Saber of the Emperor, with its awakened sentience, rose to meet it.

The Sword of Divine Mandate had sprung into action!

Sensing the aura of the Saber of the Emperor, the Sword had been biding its time, waiting to be released to meet its nemesis. As Du Huaishang communicated with it and with Qi Zhengyan’s invocation, it escaped from its scabbard to do its job!

The Divine Weapons fought furiously in mid-air, their steel biting fiercely into each other as sparks broke forth as they clashed. The shockwaves struck even the rest of the battling hosts on that ground, causing many to fall dead instantly. Even Du Huaishang himself retreated back to the flagship. The Sword of Divine Mandate had been fighting and defending the warriors on its side vehemently, otherwise, even Ruan Yushu and Zhao Heng would have been badly wounded, if not dead.

Meng Qi rallied once more, swallowing an Immortality Elixir of East Pole. He had noticed that there were still four more talismans that were unburned. With his health and condition rapidly restoring, he opted not to use the Law Phenomenon technique. Instead, he snaked his way swiftly to the ninth level of the altar, evading all blows trained upon him with insurmountable agility.

This could only be done by using the footwork he had learned from the Heavenly Golden Scripture and by fully activating the divination ability of the Eight Nine Mysteries.

Slithering forward quickly, Meng Qi evaded, ducked and slipped through the remaining defenses of the minions above. The Saber of the Emperor tried to thwart his footsteps when he was close to reaching the ninth level, but the Sword of Divine Mandate kept it at bay!

Just then, another talismanic strip burst into flames. There was only one last talisman left, Meng Qi noticed. Without enough time to perform the Law Phenomenon enchantment, he immediately unleashed the Big Bang Technique with the Saber of the Shattered Jade!

Light gleamed, dazzling with the colors of the rainbow, piercing through the gloom around him. It slashed forward at neck-breaking speed toward the final talisman.

“Finally! I have made it!” Meng Qi screamed in his mind, jubilant with triumph. Following right behind the blow from his saber, the sword in his left hand instinctively stabbed forward!

The aura of his blade had nearly struck the talisman when a tremor shook the entire altar. Shafts of light shot from around the altar, illuminating a message.

“The shades of Heaven and Earth and the continuum of Space and Time!”

“Crack!”

Another saber radiance destroyed most of the talismans’ runic scripts, but a final piece burst into flames and was swiftly consumed by the magic of the altar just before Meng Qi was able to strike it with his sword!

The runic scripts shone with a bloody glow. A vague shadow seemed to appear in the midst of the crimson glow as the once-familiar voice of the Blood Sea Rakshasa entered their ears from distant lands with a vengeful and venomous sneer.

“Your death is at hand.”

The light engulfed the entire altar and then shot into the sky as a huge column of light and burrowed into the ground like a huge pillar!

Meng Qi could not help but feel the sudden chill of fear.