A World Worth Protecting

by Stayrr

By the year 3029 CE, Earth’s technology has developed rapidly, borders no longer exist, and Earth has been unified, marking the beginning of the era of the Federation. At that time, a huge sword flew from the heavens, piercing the sun and causing a huge sensation on Earth. Perhaps because the scabbard of the sword was already in tatters, countless shards have broken off from it f

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Chapter 631: A Call for Help!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The vast battleship—formed from three disks that seemed to hold within them three worlds—had risen from the Sea of Fire inside the sword body, charged forward with the force of a mighty sword, and sped towards the sword handle. On the main Vast Expanse Dao Palace island, Li Wuchen and Zhou Mei's wedding ceremony continued.

Following Wang Baole's and Feng Qiuran's blessings, the cultivators from the Dao Palace and the Federation had all begun cheering loudly. The Dao Palace was a sea of joyous celebration. Those who had not attended the ceremony could also hear laughter from the public square on the main peak.

Everything seemed so perfect at that moment. The Hyacinthus Tree swayed slightly in the breeze as the Vast Expanse Dao Palace basked in peace and happiness.

The Federation cultivators had partially assimilated themselves with the Dao Palace. The establishment of the Spirit Internet and the introduction of a financial credit system, as well as numerous other new initiatives, had allowed the Vast Expanse Dao Palace disciples to grow used to the ways of the Federation. Their attitudes towards the Federation cultivators had also changed drastically.

Wang Baole's status also played an important role. Save for exceptional situations, his authority was unshakable in the highly regulated and stringent Dao Palace.

If the current situation were to continue, within a decade, numerous intermarriages would have taken place, and the next generation would be born. The assimilation would have been completed, and the Federation and the Dao Palace would have been completely inseparable by then. The agreement between Feng Qiuran and Li Xingwen would have been realized.

The alliance would have allowed the Federation civilization to develop adequately and speed up the latter's progress. The Federation civilization would have been able to advance further…

This was what the Federation had hoped for, and what Wang Baole had hoped to achieve as well. That was why Wang Baole's blessings for Li Wuchen and Zhou Mei's union had been sincere, and his smile hopeful. Of course, there was still regret on his part.

He was also a young man who was still unmarried and without a partner. His gaze swept uncontrollably across the crowd and landed on Zhao Yameng.

Zhao Yameng was smiling, her eyes bright with joy and blessing for the newly wedded couple. There seemed to be a hint of envy on her face as well. She seemed to sense Wang Baole's eyes on her. Zhao Yameng pushed locks of her hair—loosened by the slight breeze—behind her ear as her bright eyes met Wang Baole's.

Zhao Yameng smiled as their eyes met. Wang Baole didn't know why his heart started racing suddenly. He instinctively rubbed his tummy…

The sudden gesture instantly broke the spell, rendering Zhao Yameng speechless. Wang Baole seemed embarrassed as well. He was just about to approach Zhao Yameng to say a few words to her when Zhou Mei and Li Wuchen, who had been exchanging drinks with the crowd, suddenly appeared before Wang Baole.

"Dean…" Zhou Mei had drank quite a bit, so her cheeks were flushed as she stared at Wang Baole with respect and deference. There was also gratitude. She bowed and then presented a wine cup to Wang Baole.

Li Wuchen stood at one side. His feelings towards Wang Baole remained mixed, but he was similarly grateful to Wang Baole for his decisiveness and support for their love. He took a deep breath and filled the cup to the brim.

Wang Baole stopped in his tracks and looked at the couple in front of him before his eyes fell on Zhou Mei. Memories of her being a young girl from the Dao Mountain Mist Academy appeared in his mind. He turned towards Li Wuchen, heart filled with congratulatory joy and comfort. He took the wine cup, then said teasingly, "Mei'er, you can address me as your master."

Zhou Mei lifted her head and looked at Wang Baole with excitement bright in her eyes. She had long considered Wang Baole as her master. In fact, she wasn't the only one. The original batch of students who had been taught personally by Wang Baole all felt the same way. Even the batches after who hadn't received lessons from Wang Baole continued to look up to him. This was true of every pupil who had graduated from the Dao Mountain Mist Academy since Wang Baole's deanship.

She took a deep breath excitedly and greeted Wang Baole once again.

"Greetings to Master!"

The Federation and the Dao Palace witnessed Zhou Mei greet Wang Baole, and the greeting changed the way they saw her. The Dao Palace placed great importance on tradition. Zhou Mei addressing Wang Baole as master meant that her status and identity in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace had now been transformed.

In fact, she would now be considered as a personal disciple in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. She would also be known as Wang Baole's first personal disciple!

This was extremely important!

Wang Baole smiled at Li Wuchen amidst the crowd's shock and envy. Li Wuchen knew what this meant to Zhou Mei, and even though his feelings towards Wang Baole were still mixed and tainted with their past conflicts, these soon vanished as he looked back at Wang Baole. He took a deep breath, then mirrored Zhou Mei's deep bow.

Wang Baole smiled. He drank the wine and placed his cup down. He was about to speak when suddenly… something happened!

The clear skies that had been conjured up by array formations transformed as a deafening thunder erupted in the skies above the Dao Palace!

Boom!

The thunder shook the heavens and earth. Wang Baole shook as well, and alarm colored Feng Qiuran's face. The disciples around them widened their eyes. Confusion colored their faces as uneasiness began to unfurl inside them. They had a bad feeling about this.

"What's that noise?"

"What happened?"

Shouts of shock and alarm rang out. The heavens began to warp and distort, and a series of thunderous booms, each one louder than the previous one, erupted. The lands quaked, the Dao Palace shook, and the Sea of Fire boiled!

The skies and the lands had transformed. The winds howled, and the clouds rolled back.

The Dao Palace descended into shock as they witnessed the sight. Many cultivators who hadn't attended the wedding ceremony hastily flew out from their cave abodes and stared at what was happening around them in shock. Mie Liezi appeared as well, and there was incredulity in his eyes as he turned abruptly towards the sword body and stared!

Wang Baole's breathing quickened. He could sense that something wasn't right as he looked around. Suddenly… a tornado appeared in the skies out of nowhere. It seemed to have come from the sword body, whipping up waves in the Sea of Fire as it blew past, creating a series of explosions in its wake. The loud thunderous explosions erupted in the distance and drew nearer as the tornado swept away everything in its path, stirring a storm in the Sea of Fire and creating a fury of noises that struck terror into everyone's hearts!

Alarm colored everyone's faces. Before they could do anything, the voice of someone very, very old, came echoing from the distance. It seemed to have traveled with the winds as it swept past the Dao Palace!

"Save me… save me…"

The voice rang throughout the entire Dao Palace. Feng Qiuran, who had been alarmed by the sight before her, heard it. She suddenly shook violently. She had a look on her face that no one had ever seen before. It seemed as if she was on the verge of a mental breakdown as she cried out in shock!

"Father?"

Feng Qiuran knew that voice all too well. It was her father, an elder of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace who had died in battle while the ancient greenish-bronze sword had been traveling through space. He had perished in the fight against the Never-Ending Clan!

"Uncle Master?" Mie Liezi recognized the voice as well. Shock surged through him as he turned and looked at Feng Qiuran. They saw the look of disbelief and shock mirrored in each other's eyes.

Feng Qiuran's breathing quickened. Without any hesitation, she dashed out and raced in the direction in which the voice had come from.

"Elder Feng, please wait!" Mie Liezi and Feng Qiuran might have their differences, but his loyalty towards the Dao Palace was undisputed. Feng Qiuran had just acted irrationally. He couldn't stop her in time though. He gritted his teeth and decided to follow her!

Daoist You Ran had also appeared with a solemn look on his face. He too went after the two elders, charging towards the distance!

Everything happened too quickly. Before the crowd could recover from their shock and react, the three Soul Conduit realm cultivators had disappeared into the horizon.

A myriad of emotions flashed across Wang Baole's face. Sect Lord Xu, the giant tree, and the other cultivators of the Dao Palace and the Federation shared the same experience. Everyone had the same feeling… something big was about to happen!

At the border separating the sword body and the sword handle, thunderous explosions continued to rise to the skies. The vast battleship finally broke free from the barrier. Half of its body appeared on the side of the sword handle as a crack appeared in the barrier. It didn't shatter immediately, but sounds of its cracking hinted at its eventual and soon-to-happen collapse.

The battleship chose to stop its advancement at that moment. It stopped, hovering within the barrier, straddling between the sword body and the sword handle. A raspy, weak, and old voice continued to travel out from inside the battleship.

"Save me… save me…"

The voice echoed in the air. The crack in the barrier created tornadoes in the sky around the battleship. The tornadoes began to travel further into the sword handle…

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Chapter 632: A First Look!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The entire Dao Palace descended into an uproar. Fear and uneasiness weighed down on everyone's hearts as the three Soul Conduit realm elders left.

Li Wuchen and Zhou Mei's wedding ceremony ended abruptly. While the rest of the Dao Palace was swimming in anxiety and fear, Wang Baole summoned Zhao Yameng, Sect Lord Xu, and the giant tree to discuss what had just happened.

They concluded that Sect Lord Xu and the giant tree were to prepare for the worst. They were to evacuate everyone using the teleportation array formation that Sect Lord Xu had secretly set up should the situation call for it.

They had to carry out the preparations in secret while being prepared to evacuate at any moment. Sect Lord Xu, as well as the giant tree and Zhao Yameng, who had just found out about the second teleportation array formation, all treated the matter with extreme care.

The three left with their hearts heavy and their minds plagued with worry after the meeting. Wang Baole stood alone in the highest tower of his palace, gazing into the distant sky and Sea of Fire. His heart was heavy too.

It might have been just a singular cry for help, but it had been clear—perhaps even to Feng Qiuran—that something hadn't been right. However, sometimes, emotions triumphed over reason. That had been why Feng Qiuran had chosen to journey out and investigate the matter.

Wang Baole understood why she had done that, which was precisely why he had a bad feeling about this. The premonition grew stronger, and a strong wind began to rise, whipping at Wang Baole's clothes as he shut his eyes.

"There's a storm coming…" he murmured to himself. He looked down at the bottom of the mountain, at the cultivators bustling around in the Dao Palace and at the world around him. After a long while, Wang Baole sat down and began his cultivation.

The high officials' autobiographies had mentioned before that no matter what the future held, one could only try to seize the present moment.

Time passed steadily as Wang Baole continued his cultivation, and the sect continued its discussion. In that manner, five days went by.

On the fifth day, as the sun began to set, the thing that worried Wang Baole the most didn't happen. Feng Qiuran and the other two elders returned, their spirits low and a myriad of emotions on their faces.

Wang Baole received an invitation as soon as the elders returned to the sect, so he went to Feng Qiuran's palace. The three Soul Conduit realm cultivators were already inside, silently waiting.

Daoist You Ran nodded and smiled at Wang Baole. Mie Liezi, who usually greeted him with an icy look or avoided him altogether, had a look of bewilderment in his eyes. He wasn't his usual fierce self.

Feng Qiuran had a lost look on her face, and no one knew what she was thinking.

Wang Baole observed the expressions on their faces as the gears in his head spun furiously. He didn't speak and simply sat on the fourth chair in the grand hall, turning his eyes towards Feng Qiuran.

After a long while, Feng Qiuran shut her eyes, and the hall descended into silence. A long bout of silence passed… Feng Qiuran suddenly opened her eyes. They were bright with determination. It was then that Mie Liezi suddenly spoke.

"We must save him!

"It doesn't matter if this is a trap. As long as there's a chance that Uncle Master is still alive, we can't ignore this. We must do something!"

Wang Baole kept quiet as he listened to Mie Liezi. Feng Qiuran trembled, then started to speak. Bitterness colored her words.

"We've identified the source. It's an Never-Ending Clan battleship. We kept our distance and didn't perform a close inspection, but we know that there were fewer than ten ships of such scale and size during the last galactic battle. We don't know what lies inside the battleship or why it has reappeared. We don't even know what the remnants of the Never-Ending Clan are planning… To enter the battleship would be to risk the fate of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace!" Feng Qiuran shook her head as she spoke. Her heart ached, and she wanted to save her father as well, but she couldn't put the Dao Palace at risk. That was why she planned to enter the battleship alone.

"The Vast Expanse Dao Palace has fallen to a state where there's nothing left for us to lose. But if we can't even save our own elders, what point is there for our continued existence? Mere hope?"

"If that's the case, I, Mie Liezi, would rather go down in a fight!" Mie Liezi argued. There was determination in his eyes. He saw Feng Qiuran prepared to retort and immediately turned towards Daoist You Ran and Wang Baole.

"What do you think?"

Daoist You Ran contemplated for a moment, then nodded.

"I agree with Mie Liezi's suggestion. The battleship's appearance is suspicious. However, even if there are surviving Never-Ending Clan members after the war, their level of cultivation shouldn't be very high. Otherwise, they wouldn't choose to reappear now. I believe we should strike!"

Upon hearing Daoist You Ran's words, Mie Liezi turned and stared at Wang Baole. Feng Qiuran did the same. They waited for Wang Baole's reply.

Wang Baole thought silently. Both Mie Liezi and Daoist You Ran had reached an agreement on this matter. Feng Qiuran might say otherwise, but this matter concerned her father. Her views on the matter required no vocalization on her part.

They might have given him a choice, but Wang Baole knew that he had only one option he could choose.

Wang Baole maintained his silence, and a decision was made. All Nascent Soul realm cultivators and a great majority of Core Formation realm cultivators from the Vast Expanse Dao Palace would participate in the mission. They would be split into three teams, led by the three Soul Conduit realm cultivators, in a mission to infiltrate and investigate the battleship!

The size of the battleship demanded such a big group of people to search the ship. That would enable them to conduct a swift rescue. The three Soul Conduit realm cultivators also informed the entire Dao Palace about the cries of help, as well as the appearance of the battleship at the border between the sword body and the sword handle. The news sent the entire sect into an uproar.

The Dao Palace prepared sufficiently for the mission. They activated the array formation that kept its treasures under lock and key and retrieved a few Explosive Teleportation Talismans. Everyone was also given a Teleportation Talisman, which could be used anytime to teleport away.

The prices of several Dharmic treasures and pills were also lowered so that everyone could stock up on both quickly.

Finally, Mie Liezi announced that they would leave in seven days. Everyone participating in the mission went into short-term seclusion in order to maintain their condition at peak performance.

Seven days passed. The Dao Palace bustled with commotion as an array formation was activated. Hundreds of cultivators flew into the sky, transforming into rainbows that charged furiously towards the battleship!

Amongst them were the personal disciples of Feng Qiuran and Daoist You Ran. However, there were also familiar faces absent in the crowd, such as Dugu Lin, Zhuo Yifan, the giant tree, and Sect Lord Xu. The Sect Lord was the only Nascent Soul realm cultivator who wasn't participating in the mission. Wang Baole had fought hard for him to stay out of the mission. The only other Federation cultivators joining Wang Baole on the mission were Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao.

They had to take part because they had acquired official Dao Palace discipleships. Their names had been recorded in the Dao Plate, and they were able to establish resonance with the ancient greenish-bronze sword's array formation. They were the contact points between the cultivators inside and outside the battleship once the mission party boarded the ship.

If Wang Baole and the others had been traveling on their own for this mission, they would have required multiple teleportations in order to cover the distance. The time required would be immense. However, with the entire Dao Palace activated and with array formations supporting the mission, everyone's speed was augmented to an incredible degree. It took them a mere two days before they saw… the enormous battleship straddling the border!

Wang Baole was shaken to the core at the sight of the battleship, left gasping. It was enormous. The three disks that formed the body of the battleship were like planets, and they each seemed to harbor a world.

Power emanated from the battleship. The Core Formation realm cultivators shook, fear instinctively rising inside them.

Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao were similarly affected. However, they had the protection of their Dao Palace discipleship status. They were better able to acclimate themselves to being inside the ancient greenish-bronze sword's array formation as compared to the others. Even so, their faces still looked slightly pale.

The Nascent Soul realm cultivators weren't faring much better. Only the three Soul Conduit realm cultivators and Wang Baole seemed unaffected. The Soul Conduit realm cultivators were powerful enough and already on the verge of a breakthrough to the next level of cultivation. Wang Baole, on the other hand, was an adopted disciple. He was able to fight against the suppressive force after his cultivation was augmented by the array formation.

"As planned, we will split three-ways here and attempt to infiltrate the battleship. Our priority is rescue, but should things go south, activate your Teleportation Talisman immediately and evacuate!" Feng Qiuran took a deep breath and gazed at everyone. She outlined the details of the mission solemnly. Wang Baole nodded, and the group began to divide into their smaller teams.

They were split into their respective factions, with the three cultivators from the Federation joining Feng Qiuran's team. After the teams had been split, they were ready to move. Before the teams dashed off in their separate directions, Daoist You Ran reminded everyone solemnly.

"Everyone should be mentally prepared. Technically speaking, the talismans should work inside the battleship, but we can't guarantee that they will. Based on what I've found out in the past few days, it is challenging to enter an Never-Ending Clan battleship. There were accounts of intruders who successfully entered but then were teleported out again.

"This is the Never-Ending Clan battleship's defense mechanism. That's why should you fail and be teleported out, gather here first. We will regroup and discuss how to proceed next."

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Chapter 633: I Can't Get In!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Everyone nodded after listening to Daoist You Ran and immediately split ways. Wang Baole, Zhao Yameng, and Kong Dao followed Feng Qiuran and raced towards one of the three disks.

Wang Baole slowed down slightly so that Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao could keep pace with him. In his opinion, he was simply carrying out his obligations to the sect and to Feng Qiuran by taking part in this mission. It wasn't truly part of his responsibilities. What he was concerned for were Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao.

"Yameng, Kong Dao, stay close to me. If anything goes wrong… we'll leave immediately!" Wang Baole knew his priorities. He communicated via his voice transmission ring, through the designated, region-restricted Federation channel. There was no worry of anyone else listening in on them.

Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao were of the same view as well. The three of them exchanged looks. They didn't say a single word, but it was clear that they intended to advance as a team and leave together.

The team traveled amidst anxiety and wariness, approaching their targeted disk steadily. The disk had looked extremely impressive from afar. Now that they were nearer it, it looked vast and infinite, stretching for miles into the horizon without an end in sight. It was impossible to take it all in with one's eyes.

The disk's appearance became more distinct as they approached. They couldn't discern the landscape. The surface appeared liquid-like, and there were ripples, making them feel as if they were approaching a vast ocean.

The suppressive force emanating from the disk intensified as the group drew nearer. Despite the defensive barrier of their array formation and Feng Qiuran unleashing her cultivation to shield everyone, the Core Formation realm cultivators' heads began to buzz as the group approached the disk. Their minds began to turn fuzzy. Only the Nascent Soul realm cultivators managed to barely retain clear minds. Wang Baole, with his impressive cultivation and unique status, managed to keep clear-headed as well. However, his breathing began to quicken, and his heart had started racing uncontrollably.

Fortunately, they didn't have to suffer this for long. Under Feng Qiuran's protection, the team picked up speed and finally got within a thousand feet of the disk's water-like surface. A sharp light flashed across Feng Qiuran's eyes as the Nascent Soul realm cultivators unleashed their cultivation. Everyone joined forces and gathered together, transforming into a shooting star that charged straight at the disk.

They arrived almost instantly. Just as they were about to collide with the disk's surface, Feng Qiuran pulled out an ancient talisman without hesitation. It was a talisman that had been created by the true Vast Expanse Dao Palace, used to slice open a battleship's outer surface and enter the battleship — an Explosive Teleportation Talisman!

A thunderous boom resounded in the air as the talisman exploded. Ripples broke the surface of the disk, and a near-imperceptible opening was revealed. Feng Qiuran and the others activated their cultivation simultaneously and unleashed a sudden burst of speed, dashing straight towards the opening!

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the opening. They were just about to slip through and enter the world within the disk when suddenly, the rising energies of teleportation exploded before their eyes, sweeping outwards and sending everyone's heads buzzing.

Wang Baole felt that too. He was only one step away from entering the world within the disk and could even smell the flowers inside that world. Regardless, they had failed. Everyone began to disappear in the teleportation storm, only to reappear… in the skies a hundred thousand feet away from the battleship!

"What's going on?"

"I thought we got in!"

"It's true that the battleship is being protected by a defense mechanism that teleports all intruders away!"

The expressions on Zhao Yameng's and Kong Dao's faces were dark. Many cultivators around them began to whisper furiously to one another. Feng Qiuran grimaced, and as she gazed at the battleship, a myriad of emotions burned bright in her eyes. Wang Baole, on the other hand, let loose a sigh of relief secretly.

He hadn't approved of gathering such a large party of people to infiltrate the battleship, but Mie Liezi and Daoist You Ran had both agreed to the idea. Feng Qiuran had also wished it so, and Wang Baole had been unable to voice his disagreement.

This isn't bad either. Elder Feng Qiuran should know deep in her heart that her father is likely dead. She couldn't help but hope. Wang Baole sighed. He lifted his head and studied the battleship before him. He could see the light from teleportations appearing nearby. Mie Liezi's and Daoist You Ran's factions had both been teleported away.

Everyone had a dark look on their faces. After some discussion amongst the four elders, they decided to make another attempt. It ended once again with their teleportation. They weren't able to enter the battleship. It was then that Mie Liezi came up with an idea.

"We have to make use of the power from the ancient greenish-bronze sword's array formation to create interference in order to resist being teleported away and successfully infiltrate the battleship. I propose that we return to the Dao Palace first and gather the strength of the three factions. We need to make preparations to ensure nothing goes wrong the next time!"

Wang Baole agreed readily with Mie Liezi's proposal. After a moment of silence, Daoist You Ran nodded in agreement as well. Feng Qiuran seemed to release a sigh of relief. Her spirits seemed low, but she agreed with their decision as well. The party comprised of hundreds of people, who had come charging fiercely, decided to leave without achieving anything.

Those left guarding the Dao Palace, including Federation cultivators, were surprised by their return. Nothing much had changed in the Dao Palace since their return, except for the appearance of the battleship and their initial failure at infiltration weighing down more heavily on them.

Life still had to go on. The appearance of a battleship wasn't going to drastically transform the lives of those in the Dao Palace within such a short period of time. A few days later, the Dao Palace discovered that the battleship had returned to the sword body and hadn't continued its departure. Wang Baole and Feng Qiuran expressed their suspicions and uneasiness during discussions. However, a great many of the Dao Palace disciples had let loose a sigh of relief upon receiving the news.

The assimilation between the Federation and the Dao Palace continued. After a few days of peace and quiet, Wang Baole returned to his cultivation. It didn't last though. Jin Duoming came visiting one night.

Jin Duoming smiled wryly as he cupped his fists and greeted Wang Baole.

"Baole, I know something huge happened a while ago, and I can sense that we have been growing apart. I'm here to discuss something openly with you.

"I, Jin Duoming, really have no wish to fight for the Federation presidency with you. I don't care that it's the mission that Duan Muque, that old man, has tasked me with. I know what I want. I want to play a part in the assimilation between the Federation and the Dao Palace. I also want to establish a Trilunaris Corporation that is independent of my family clan!"

"Baole, will you help me?" Jin Duoming sounded sincere. His eyes were clear and honest, without secrets, as he stared at Wang Baole.

Wang Baole rubbed his forehead. He had been thinking a lot after the battleship's appearance. He hadn't really grown apart from Jin Duoming; they had continued to keep in touch throughout the years. He spent some time easing Jin Duoming's mind, then asked.

"I'll help where I can. You mentioned you ran into some trouble?"

"It's nothing difficult, Baole. I know that what I'm about to ask may result in some misunderstanding, but… I'll just speak my mind. I wish to exchange a portion of my shares in the Spirit Internet for a portion of your shares in the game." Jin Duoming ducked his head sheepishly as he said that.

Wang Baole rubbed at his forehead again. This wasn't a problem at all, in his opinion. However, it also wasn't something he could unilaterally decide. After some thought, Wang Baole said tactfully, "Duoming, you should discuss this with Xie Haiyang."

"Baole, I've gone looking for Xie Haiyang. I went to his cave abode, but there was no one there. His cave abode was empty as well. I heard that he disappeared the same day the battleship appeared. He hasn't returned yet…" Jin Duoming sighed and said with great exasperation.

"He's gone, and his cave abode is empty? He's gone missing again?" Wang Baole froze. He immediately pulled out his voice transmission ring and sent a voice transmission to Xie Haiyang. It was like a rock sinking into the ocean—there was no reply.

Jin Duoming saw that, and an imperceptible light flickered in his eyes. He lowered his head and sighed.

"Yes, this fellow keeps disappearing. This is the second time he's gone missing."

Wang Baole's head began to throb slightly. He couldn't help but wonder at the strange timing of Xie Haiyang's disappearance. This seemed like something he should look into. He comforted Jin Duoming again.

"Duoming, you don't have to worry about this. Xie Haiyang's a guy filled with mysteries. Maybe he just has something he needs to attend to. I'll go look for him. You'll have your answer soon. How about that?"

Jin Duoming smiled wryly and nodded. He chatted with Wang Baole for a while longer, then left.

Having sent Jin Duoming off, Wang Baole sat back down in his palace, and a crease appeared on his forehead. As he wondered about Xie Haiyang's disappearance, he suddenly lifted his head and looked outside, in the direction that Jin Duoming had left. Suspicion gradually colored his eyes. After some thought, he realized that his suspicions were a result of what Jin Duoming had said about Xie Haiyang.

"He's gone, and his cave abode is empty? He's gone missing again?"

"Yes, this fellow keeps disappearing. This is the second time he's gone missing."

The exchange played in Wang Baole's mind, and the crease in his forehead deepened. Assuming that Jin Duoming wasn't aware that Xie Haiyang had done a disappearing act before, he should have been surprised upon hearing what Wang Baole had said. He should have questioned Wang Baole about Xie Haiyang's habit of disappearing.

But from Jin Duoming's reply, Wang Baole could sense that he seemed to know that Xie Haiyang had done a disappearing act before.

Something wasn't right there. Jin Duoming shouldn't know about Xie Haiyang's stay in the Ethereal Dao College. He had asked about Xie Haiyang before, but Wang Baole hadn't revealed such information to him then. Even if Jin Duoming had decided to do a background check on Xie Haiyang, there wasn't much of a chance of him finding out the truth. They were on the ancient greenish-bronze sword, not in the Federation.

Besides, he had warned Jin Duoming not to offend Xie Haiyang. Wang Baole still remembered the expression Jin Duoming had on his face. Based on his understanding of Jin Duoming's character, Jin Duoming had taken that advice to heart. He was a smart guy, so he wouldn't have gone ahead and investigated Xie Haiyang secretly. There was a high likelihood that Jin Duoming had always assumed that Xie Haiyang was a native disciple of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace.

Wang Baole began to suspect something was going on. But then, Jin Duoming might have also done some asking around. Wang Baole wasn't the only person who was from the Ethereal Dao College.

Maybe I'm being too paranoid. Wang Baole rubbed his forehead and decided to set this matter aside. He thought about Xie Haiyang's disappearance again, and an indescribable irritation rose inside him. He instinctively called out for Little Missy, but she didn't reply.

Is she asleep again? Wang Baole rose to his feet. The skies had darkened. The strange irritable feeling began to grow stronger inside him, so he pulled out the jade slip containing the game Descend. He intended to enter and play the game for a while to rid himself of this bizarre irritation he was feeling.

However, no matter how many times he tried, it was as if the game server had crashed. He… couldn't log on!

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Chapter 634: A Floral Scent!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

I can't log on? Wang Baole shook. His breathing stopped as a thought surfaced in his mind.

Xie Haiyang, that fellow. Did he just grab everything and run away? Wang Baole began to panic. He took out his voice transmission ring and tried contacting Xie Haiyang again, but he received no reply. Simmering with frustration, Wang Baole sat down and began to think.

Xie Haiyang doesn't seem like the type to resort to such despicable tricks… Wang Baole thought. Finally, he sighed and turned on the Federation communication channel on his voice transmission ring. The Federation cultivators were talking about the battleship. After a long moment, Wang Baole shook his head and set aside his worries about Xie Haiyang. He shut his eyes and began to meditate.

However, it didn't take long before Wang Baole suddenly opened his eyes. There was a strange, contemplative light in his eyes. Even though he had decided to stop thinking about Xie Haiyang, somewhere inside him was a voice telling him that something… was very wrong!

"Jin Duoming suddenly paying a house visit, Xie Haiyang being uncontactable, and me not being able to log on to the game…" Wang Baole muttered. The three things seemed to be related to one another, but he couldn't tell what the problem was. He was no longer in the mood for cultivation. Wang Baole had a feeling that… he wouldn't be able to rest easy if he didn't figure this out.

He mused silently, recalling his interactions with Jin Duoming and Xie Haiyang. Then, his eyes widened. His breathing quickened as he remembered asking if the game would suddenly crash. Xie Haiyang had answered him then.

"The game won't crash unless you're dreaming!"

Those words were like bolts of lightning exploding inside Wang Baole's head. He began to tremble, and waves of emotions surged inside him.

A terrible light flickered in Wang Baole's eyes, and he was silent for a long while. Then, his right hand reached into his clothes and began rummaging. He pulled out the mask in which Little Missy resided.

He could feel the mask in his hands, but he couldn't see it at all. Wang Baole's face darkened instantly. There seemed to be something in the air, a whiff of something floral.

That floral scent again… Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He remembered the first time he had smelled that, it was the instant he had been teleported away by the battleship.

He sat there silently. The voice transmission jade slip in his storage bag started vibrating suddenly. He lowered his head, narrowed his eyes, and pulled out the jade slip. As his Spirit Qi flowed into the jade slip, he heard Feng Qiuran's tired voice.

"Baole, come to the cave abode, I have something very important to tell you."

Wang Baole's face was devoid of emotions as he shut his eyes. After a long while, he finally opened them again. There were no signs of anything having gone wrong shown on his face. He rose to his feet, left his palace, and headed straight for Feng Qiuran's cave abode. He observed his surroundings along the way. There were numerous Dao Palace disciples and Federation cultivators running about. Everyone—Sect Lord Xu, the giant tree, and all the rest—were all acting normally. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

There are no loopholes…

There was a slightly lost look in Wang Baole's eyes as he finally arrived at the entrance of Feng Qiuran's cave abode. He stopped and stood there, staring at the gates.

"Baole, come in." The gates slid open slowly as soon as Wang Baole arrived. Feng Qiuran's raspy voice rang out. She sounded tired, both physically and emotionally. Even her voice sounded weak and sorrowful. It was as if she had lost all hope.

"Still no loopholes…" Wang Baole muttered to himself as he listened to Feng Qiuran's voice and sensed her listlessness. He didn't enter the cave abode immediately. Instead, he stood outside and pulled out the mask again. It was still invisible. Wang Baole took a deep breath and knew that the mask had been why he had managed to discover that he had been in an illusion during the Ethereal Dao College's preliminary trial. The mask was invisible now because an illusion had no way of materializing it.

Am I in an illusion now… Wang Baole looked to his sides, then to the skies, and finally to the ground. He observed everything around him. The immense realness of his surroundings led him into another bout of silence. However, the mask's invisibility was clear proof that everything was an illusion.

If that were the case, Wang Baole could now reasonably guess the reasons behind Jin Duoming's house visit and Xie Haiyang's disappearance.

If this were truly an illusion, perhaps it means that the illusion isn't able to conjure Xie Haiyang either. That was why Jin Duoming had paid me a visit under the guise of buying shares. His true purpose was to let me know that Xie Haiyang had disappeared. Once I believed him, this would have erased the final loophole. Wang Baole sighed. He might have viewed a single incident as a coincidence, but Jin Duoming's strange behavior had been followed by Xie Haiyang's disappearance, his own inability to log on to the game, and finally the mask's invisibility.

A determined look appeared in Wang Baole's eyes as he thought through the series of incidents that had occurred.

"Who cares if it's a dream or an illusion, I just have to dispel it!" As he muttered to himself, Wang Baole lifted his head and stared at the cave abode before him. As Feng Qiuran's questioning voice rang out from the cave abode, Wang Baole raised his right hand abruptly and unleashed his full cultivation at the cave abode. The Thearch Armor appeared instantly on him. His aura rose to the skies, and he sent his fist flying forward!

The punch unleashed the full power of the Flame Snatch Thearch Armor and Wang Baole's will. It contained the determination to break through all barriers, summoning a tornado that swept into the cave abode, howling. Feng Qiuran's cave abode quaked and began to show signs of caving in. Feng Qiuran darted out, her steps stumbling as if she had yet to recover from serious injury. Her face was alit with shock and fury, and she yelled at Wang Baole as soon as she appeared.

"Wang Baole, what are you doing? Have you been hit with the Never-Ending Clan's bewitchment as well, like Mie Liezi?"

bewitchment? Wang Baole's face darkened. He charged at Feng Qiuran, his right hand tightened into a fist. A Divine Armament's power erupted from his armor's right arm—the melded arm of the Dao Disciple. A power that even Wang Baole found terrifying exploded from his arm. It transformed into a huge, illusory skeletal hand that emanated death and destruction. It seemed capable of destroying everything in its path—even the great abyss. The skeletal hand made a grab at Feng Qiuran!

Alarm flashed across Feng Qiuran's face. There was fury and incomprehension in her eyes as she raised her right hand. Her Soul Conduit realm cultivation rose to the skies, forming an incredible power that seemed to blanket the entire world. It surged towards Wang Baole, and it was clear that her power vastly surpassed Wang Baole's. However, her seemingly serious injuries disallowed her from maintaining her strong show of strength. She didn't seem to want to kill Wang Baole. Having held him down with her power, she shouted yet again.

"Wang Baole, fight against the Never-Ending Clan's bewitchment! Wake up!"

Wang Baole shook at the display of Feng Qiuran's power and her words. His hair flew, and his clothes whipped in the strong winds. His body was prickling with pain. Everything felt so real, and uncertainty ate at him, but the thought of the mask's invisibility, as well as Jin Duoming's and Xie Haiyang's bizarre behaviors, made Wang Baole's eyes flash with an icy glint. He roared, and his illusory skeletal arm slammed down on Feng Qiuran!

A thunderous boom resonated in the air. Feng Qiuran's smile was laced with pain. She had been injured too heavily. The cultivation that she had unleashed earlier dissipated, and her earlier attack seemed to have worsened her injury. When Wang Baole's Divine Armament came slamming down, she was swept aside like paper. She shook violently and spat out a mouthful of blood. As she fell to the ground, she looked at Wang Baole with bitterness in her eyes. Her voice was weak and faint as she murmured.

"Mie Liezi's been enchanted, and now you as well… Wang Baole, please, come to your senses. This is reality, it's not an illusion!"

"So, an bewitchment…" Wang Baole fell silent. He looked at the fallen Feng Qiuran and could tell that his easy victory had been because Feng Qiuran had already been seriously injured. She had urged him to wake up. Everything seemed so logical and reasonable.

There was a reason for her injury. She had mentioned it. It was because… Mie Liezi had also suffered the Never-Ending Clan's bewitchment like he was. He had suspected that everything had been an illusion.

"This is the Never-Ending Clan's bewitchment. Can you smell a strange floral scent? That's a symptom. It means that you've fallen to an bewitchment before the teleportation!" Feng Qiuran's breathing grew uneven. Her eyes were bright with anxiety, and she seemed desperate to convince Wang Baole that this wasn't an illusion.

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Chapter 635: Parting the Clouds!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Many cultivators in the Dao Palace had noticed the commotion and rushed over. They kept a distance, but Wang Baole could see the shock and disbelief on their faces as well as hear their heavy breathing.

"Baole, you…"

"Wang Baole, what are you doing?"

Wang Baole didn't turn around as he listened to the gasps of shock. He could hear the approaching footsteps of Sect Lord Xu, Zhao Yameng, and the others. He stared at the weakened Feng Qiuran silently, then slowly narrowed his eyes. Then, he suddenly raised his right hand and pointed lightning-quick. A lash of wind whipped out and pierced through Feng Qiuran's forehead.

Feng Qiuran froze, and her eyes widened as bitterness, and a whole array of emotions, shone in her eyes. She stared unblinkingly at Wang Baole before finally dying!

"Has it been dispelled…" Wang Baole muttered to himself as he stared at Feng Qiuran's corpse. He turned and saw the looks of shock and disbelief coloring the faces of the Dao Palace and Federation cultivators around him.

"Wang Baole, you've gone mad!"

"Baole!"

"He killed Elder Feng Qiuran!"

Gasps of shock exploded in the crowd. Some looked bewildered, others were shaking, and some went mad. The situation seemed like it was about to spiral out of control. It was then that Sect Lord Xu suddenly unleashed his cultivation and roared.

"Federation cultivators, I command you to protect Elder Wang Baole. We are to leave this place now!"

As his words rang out, the lost and bewildered Federation cultivators shook. Despite the mixed feelings clear on their faces, they swiftly followed Sect Lord Xu and raced towards Wang Baole, with the intention of surrounding him in a protective circle.

The Dao Palace cultivators went mad. There was no way they would allow that to happen. They immediately tried to stop the Federation cultivators, and battle broke out between the two sides. Death and destruction spread like wildfire. As sounds of battling rose to the skies, numerous Nascent Soul realm cultivators could be seen charging towards them from the distance, fury and alarm in their eyes.

"Baole, I believe you had a reason for doing whatever you just did, but this isn't the time to think. Hurry, get to the teleportation array formation. We need to leave this place and return to the Federation!" Sect Lord Xu shouted at Wang Baole frantically. Both Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao were pale in the face. Regardless, they immediately came to Wang Baole.

They reached his side and held him up as he stared in confusion at Feng Qiuran's corpse. Then, they began to pull him along as they raced towards the teleportation array formation.

The sounds of battling, of howling, of deafening explosions, and the light from spells, flooded the Dao Palace. Wang Baole remained quiet as Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao escorted him towards the teleportation array formation. They were about to reach the array formation when Wang Baole suddenly rooted himself to the ground and muttered.

"I believe…"

"What are you muttering? Baole, quick, enter the teleportation array formation!" Zhao Yameng said frantically. She tried to pull Wang Baole into the teleportation array formation, but he wouldn't budge. She froze and turned back. What she saw wasn't a bewildered-looking Wang Baole. Instead, the confusion in his eyes had faded away and was replaced instead with a fierce determination!

"I said that I believe in Little Missy. I believe in my own judgment, and in my own instincts!" Wang Baole said quietly. Having experienced a Dark Dream, he had done some reading up on the subject. He knew that if this were indeed a dream or an illusion, he would have to locate its source in order to dispel it.

Only by locating the source and destroying it could he then dispel this illusion. What he had learned in his Dark Dream taught him that such sources were often hidden in a living entity.

The first candidate he had thought of was Feng Qiuran. She was a familiar face and had a high level of cultivation. There had been a great chance of her being the source of the illusion. However, nothing had changed after her death.

I'm right… I just haven't found the source! Everything seems frighteningly real. Such a level of realism can only be done… by gathering everyone's memories. That is the only way for there to be no loopholes or flaws revealed when I converse with anyone!

In that case, everyone's memories, including mine, are the basis of this illusion. But… they are only memories. None of these people are real. They may possess the original person's memories, but they won't have their reasoning and their instincts. Wang Baole suddenly turned and looked at Zhao Yameng, who was looking at him with anxiety in her eyes.

"Yameng, you are well-versed in teleportation array formations. Help me perform a calculation. Let's assume that the number of Federation cultivators that we are sending back is a prime number. When taking into account the capabilities of each Federation cultivator as an individual and as a whole, as well as the Dao Palace cultivators' determination to stop us, how many teleportations and how many groups of cultivators should we split them up into in order to send back as many cultivators as possible? Is there any way to send back more cultivators? In addition, what is this prime number that you have assumed?"

Wang Baole's sudden question stumped Zhao Yameng. Nervousness flashed across her eyes as she retorted hastily.

"This is no time to joke around. Baole, what are you doing? Quick, enter the teleportation array formation!"

"Yameng, please help perform the calculations?" Wang Baole stared at Zhao Yameng and implored softly.

"Baole, the most important thing now is to leave…" Kong Dao said hurriedly as well. Before he was done speaking, Wang Baole sighed. He had seen the flash of fear in Zhao Yameng's eyes and had his answer. He raised his right hand, and Zhao Yameng shook instantly as a bloody cut appeared on her neck. Blood spurted out. She stared at Wang Baole, confused, then collapsed to the ground.

Kong Dao was stunned at the scene that had just unfolded before him. His breathing quickened as he staggered backwards. There was confusion and disbelief in his eyes as he stared dumbly at Wang Baole. It was as if he was looking at a complete stranger.

"Kong Dao, I'll just call you Kong Dao now. Can you do me a favor? Ambush that person," Wang Baole said, then casually pointed at a Dao Palace Core Formation realm cultivator engaged in battle in the distance.

"I…" Kong Dao stumbled backwards. His breathing grew uneven. He might not realize it, but his eyes were wild and frantic. Wang Baole sighed with relief.

Fortunately, everything isn't real. He sighed, then waved his right hand. His blade flashed, leaving a gaping hole in Kong Dao's chest. Kong Dao's dead body fell to the ground as Wang Baole muttered to himself again.

"Still not dispelled? The source of the bewitchment… isn't on Feng Qiuran or anyone close to me. Where… could it possibly be?" Wang Baole stood next to the teleportation array formation. An indescribable frustration and sense of danger ate at him. He knew that if he didn't dispel the bewitchment soon, he might not… have a chance to do so.

His eyes swept across the battling masses. He saw Zhuo Yifan, Li Yi, and Jin Duoming. Finally, his eyes landed on the top of the mountain… on the Hyacinthus Tree!

Wang Baole shook violently as soon as his eyes landed on the tree. He could smell the strange floral scent again. His gut was telling him, in fact, there was a voice shouting inside him and trying to tell him that the source of it all… was that tree!

He didn't hesitate. Wang Baole dashed towards the Hyacinthus Tree. Everyone around him—Sect Lord Xu, Zhuo Yifan, the Federation cultivators, and the Dao Palace disciples—all turned towards him simultaneously and stared unblinkingly at him. They rushed out and tried to stop him!

But it was too late!

Wang Baole unleashed his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. His cultivation surged inside him as a Divine Armament's aura emanated from his arm—stronger than it had ever been. It rose to the skies. Hovering in mid-air, Wang Baole's body seemed to have melded perfectly with the Divine Armament. They were like a shooting star, dashing across the heavens and slashing at the Hyacinthus Tree.

The blow landed, and a pained shriek rang out. The Hyacinthus Tree shook violently and toppled. The skies thundered, and the world was transformed. The cultivators from the Federation and the Dao Palace turned into mere shades, then faded away as if wiped out of existence. The Sea of Fire around the Dao Palace roared and caved in. It was as if a veil had been lifted by a strong wind following the cave-in, exposing the countless corpses lying all around him!

In the distance, blood pooled together and formed a vast river that flowed into the horizon, with no end in sight. Former islands, upon the lifting of the veil, revealed their true form!

They were mountains formed from countless piles of corpses!

The piles of corpses stretched into the distance. Countless huge, red flowers could be seen on those corpses, some in blossom, others not. A familiar floral scent enveloped the entire world.

The skies had transformed as well. They were no longer the skies of the Dao Palace. An enormous sun hung in the heavens. Upon a closer look, one could see that this sun was actually the corpse of a gigantic beast. The light it gave off was a false warmth that transformed into a dim glow of death as soon as it landed on anything.

This wasn't the Vast Expanse Dao Palace!

This was the battleship of the Never-Ending Clan!

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Chapter 636: The Demonic Green Poria Flower!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Hyacinthus Tree's destruction seemed to unveil the layer of illusion. Even though Wang Baole had been mentally prepared for the reveal, he was still shocked by the sight before him.

He had thought that this was going to be the case, but he still couldn't calm himself down!

"So… I didn't return to the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. Instead, I entered the battleship!" Wang Baole muttered. Ten steps ahead of him… was a gigantic red flower!

It towered a hundred feet tall and had buds like pillars that blossomed skyward. Its huge petals gave off a strange, eerie light. There was a strange fragrance that filled this world. It was a scent… that Wang Baole was familiar with. He had smelled it the moment he had boarded the battleship and while deep in the illusion.

The scent was clearly what had drawn him into an illusion. Numerous fruits hung under the gigantic red flower. Each one was the size of a person. Cracks lined the fruits, and within the cracks grew rows of sharp teeth. It was a terrifying sight.

Viscous fluids dripped from the cracks, hissing as they landed on the ground. The fruit nearest Wang Baole had clearly dried up and died.

That wasn't all. As Wang Baole lifted his head and looked at the flowers around him, he saw a dim demonic glow lighting the sky and the land filled with corpses and flowers. Familiar figures stood before the flowers around him!

He saw Feng Qiuran, Zhao Yameng, Kong Dao, and many others who had entered the battleship together. Some of them stood before a fruit hanging under each flower, some were walking towards a flower, and some were crawling into the fruit.

A few people were clearly missing. Wang Baole realized where they had gone when he saw a few fruits hanging ripe and heavy under some flowers. They had been swallowed whole by the fruits.

The expressions on Feng Qiuran's and the others' faces varied. Some had a silly grin on their faces, others a look of confusion. Some looked agitated, others furious. Some were obviously struggling… There were also a few who had pulled out the innards from the corpses on the ground and stuffed them into their mouths; they looked like they were in heaven, as if they had just tasted ambrosia.

The heavens were colored with a demonic light, and the land was littered with red flowers in full bloom. The sight before Wang Baole shocked him to the core. His breathing quickened as he raced towards Zhao Yameng!

Zhao Yameng was blushing, her eyes dreamy. She was about to be swallowed whole by the fruit before her and already had half an arm extended into the fruit. It was as if there was someone inside the fruit that Wang Baole couldn't see who was holding hands with her and was trying to pull her into his arms!

She was about to step right into the fruit. It was then that Wang Baole arrived next to her and grabbed her arm. He yanked fiercely, and a shriek that seemed to tear at the soul escaped from the fruit. It sounded mad with fury and was clearly unwilling to part with its prey. A force erupted inside the fruit and merged with its violent lust. The fruit swelled up and tried to swallow Wang Baole whole!

Wang Baole retaliated with a punch from his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. The fruit shook violently, and a scream rang out from within. It exploded upon contact, its juices splattering everywhere. Wang Baole pulled Zhao Yameng away. However, there were no signs of Zhao Yameng awakening from her illusion. Wang Baole grew frantic. He raised his right hand and pointed at her forehead.

"Wake up!"

His voice was like thunder, booming in the air. It seemed to reach Zhao Yameng as well, causing her to tremble. Her eyes became clear, and as she saw Wang Baole, she murmured.

"Baole, I had a dream. I dreamed that we were…" Her words trailed off as Zhao Yameng's head finally cleared, and she noticed her surroundings. Her pupils contracted instantly, and alarm and shock colored her face.

Upon seeing Zhao Yameng recover her senses, Wang Baole sighed with relief. There was no time to comfort her though. He turned and dashed towards the rest. It was then that the gigantic flower before Feng Qiuran started trembling. That lasted a few moments before it collapsed. Its petals were ripped apart, its stem and fruits exploded. A powerful Spirit Qi, one that belonged to a Soul Conduit realm cultivator, erupted from Feng Qiuran's person.

"The Green Poria dream realm!" Feng Qiuran had a dark look on her face. As her eyes slowly opened, she saw Wang Baole and a slightly weakened Zhao Yameng. The latter had clearly just been rescued from her illusion. As for the former… Feng Qiuran was caught by surprise. She had known that Wang Baole wasn't someone to be trifled with, but she hadn't expected him to be the first person to break free from his illusion.

Wang Baole watched Feng Qiuran break free from the illusion and finally was able to set his mind at ease. They looked at each other. There was no need for words to be exchanged. They dashed out and began to rescue the others. There were still a few Nascent Soul realm cultivators who were trapped in the dream realm. However, they had clearly sensed something was amiss and were fighting against the illusion. It was clear from the expressions on their faces.

Many of them would perish without help, but some might have been able to free themselves without help. With Feng Qiuran and Wang Baole's help, they would awaken more quickly from the dream realm.

It didn't take long for the two, as well as those rescued, to free the cultivators who hadn't been swallowed whole. They had all been trapped in their individual, drastically different illusions. Everyone had been shocked when they had awakened. They had stared at one another with a myriad of emotions in their eyes. No one had wanted to speak about what they had dreamed of. The heaviness in their hearts and the fear they had towards this strange place didn't fade away with their release from their illusions.

They had seen a few companions who had been swallowed alive by the fruits, or at least, the bare bones that had been left behind after they had sliced those fruits open. Everyone had descended into silence then.

Wang Baole himself was in low spirits. It had been a dangerous and strange experience since their entering this battleship. Everyone was deeply worried about their current situation.

"Baole, guard these people for me. I'll go destroy the Demonic Green Poria Flowers in the area!" Feng Qiuran had a dark look on her face. Their first entry into the battleship had been fraught with danger. Her concern about her father led to her uneasiness as well. She was just about to rise to the sky and inspect the area.

However, as soon as Feng Qiuran said that and Wang Baole nodded his head solemnly, the dozens of demonic flowers around them suddenly shook and let loose a series of loud explosions. In that instant, they seemed to use up all their vitality and expelled whatever floral scent that was housed within them!

The floral scent appeared in a gaseous state when seen from afar. Up close though, it was crimson red pollen that formed a blood-colored mist and spread outwards, blanketing the surrounding area spanning thousands of feet!

The flowers dried up as soon as they expelled the pollen. Within the blink of an eye, they withered and fell to the ground. The mist that had been formed from their pollen, on the other hand, had been unleashed and was spreading further outwards, instigating a sudden transformation!

The pollen fell on the corpses piled across the thousands of feet of land. These corpses began to twitch. Waves of mindless howling sounded in the air as hordes of dead bodies began to crawl to their feet. Some of them were human-shaped, the others beasts. There were also some species that Wang Baole had never come across before. They had all gotten to their feet and were now charging towards Wang Baole and the surviving cultivators!

The aura of death followed these creatures, the air all around them reeking of it. The skies became drained of all color as the winds howled and the clouds boiled. Fortunately, even though the dead numbered many, most of them had died a long time ago. What remained of them was pure instinct. Core Formation realm cultivators might find them a challenge, but Nascent Soul realm cultivators didn't find these creatures particularly difficult to slay or avoid.

A Soul Conduit realm cultivator would find these easy targets. As the corpses charged towards them, a flash of hard light flickered in an anxious Feng Qiuran's eyes. She raised her right hand and slammed it hard onto the ground!

Heaven and earth thundered as a gigantic illusory hand spanning thousands of feet appeared above their heads and slammed down onto the ground. Winds howled wildly while everyone's hair and clothes whipped wildly in the air. As everyone stood, shocked, the gigantic hand passed through their bodies without harming them and landed on the ground!

A deafening boom resonated in the air, and the earth thundered as the palm hit it. All of the corpses charging towards them disintegrated immediately and turned to dust!

The illusory hand vanished, and the area regained calm once more. Everyone gasped. Even Wang Baole stopped breathing for a second. There was a solemn look in his eyes when he turned towards Feng Qiuran. Feng Qiuran had never displayed such power in the past. That had been why many had viewed her as less powerful than Mie Liezi.

However, she had just now shown a power befitting her status!

"The red flowers are called Demonic Green Poria Flowers. Their fragrance can imprison one in an illusion," Feng Qiuran said slowly. She raised her right hand and made a grab through the air, plucking strands of pistils from the withered flowers and placing them before everyone.

"Hold on to this. It can help fight against the illusory power of the demonic flowers."

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Chapter 637: Pulling a Log!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole took the pistils quietly. He understood Feng Qiuran's desperation to save her father and Mie Liezi's devotion to the sect. Both of them would risk everything to save an elder of the sect. He also understood Daoist You Ran's loyalty to the sect. However, he continued to remain wary of the latter. Daoist You Ran had been the one who had mentioned the battleship's defense mechanism. That had been part of the reason why everyone had so easily fallen into an illusion.

Regardless, even though he might understand their motivations, he still disapproved of this mission. It might not have been so bad if there had been fewer people involved. However, this mission comprised of all the sect's Nascent Soul realm cultivators and a great portion of their Core Formation realm cultivators. These hundreds of cultivators formed the remaining elite fighting force of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace.

If something were to happen to them, it would create a lasting impact on the Vast Expanse Dao Palace that the latter might never recover from. The Federation wouldn't be affected in the short term, but it would also suffer the consequences in the long run.

Regardless, he was an outsider who was in no place to disagree with their decision. He could only exclude Federation cultivators from participating in this mission. Zhao Yameng's and Kong Dao's statuses in the sect were different though, and they had no choice but to join the mission.

That was why Wang Baole knew that his main responsibility was to ensure their safety while finding Feng Qiuran's father was a secondary concern. He sighed secretly. He went to Kong Dao and Zhao Yameng. They hadn't suffered any injury, but the series of dangers they had just survived had shaken them. However, neither Kong Dao nor Zhao Yameng were weaklings. They quickly set aside their fears, their eyes once again shining with a fierce intensity.

"Kong Dao, try activating your Teleportation Talisman," Wang Baole said quietly after he walked near the two.

Kong Dao shook his head.

"I tried earlier… it didn't work."

Wang Baole wasn't the only one who had thoughts of leaving. There were a few amongst them who shared the same thoughts. Even though Feng Qiuran was with them, they had tried activating the teleportation talisman secretly. The teleportation had failed though, which further dampened their spirits.

When Feng Qiuran realized what was going on, bitterness flooded her heart as she sighed secretly. Then, with a solemn look, she bowed deeply towards everyone.

"Perhaps I've made the wrong move this time… but please believe me. I will do all I can to lead everyone out!"

Feng Qiuran's character didn't allow her to be as forceful as Mie Liezi. However, as a woman, her malleable character and lack of temper were to her advantage.

As she bowed towards everyone and made her promise, her eyes filled with apology, everyone also returned the bow silently. They had all chosen to believe her. That was because they knew her character. They knew that Feng Qiuran… wasn't someone who would leave them to die in times of danger.

"Elder Feng, there is no need for an apology. As Dao Palace cultivators, it's our obligation to save our elder. Besides, we have chosen the path of cultivation. Why should we now fear death? If we did, we shouldn't have chosen this path in the first place!" Chi Lin said with his raspy voice as he stood amidst the crowd. His eyes were fierce as they scanned the crowd.

"Since teleportation is out of the question, we have only one option left to us, and that is to advance!"

"Elder Feng, we don't have the rights to access many of the records concerning the Never-Ending Clan. Since you know of this Demonic Green Poria Flower, do you also know of anything else that is strange that we should look out for on the battleship?" As the Nascent Soul realm cultivators began to speak up, the Core Formation realm cultivators began to quieten down. Wang Baole lifted his head and looked at Feng Qiuran.

Feng Qiuran took a deep breath and pushed aside her anxieties. She knew that she couldn't afford to panic. If she did, she would really be leading everyone to their deaths. She would become a sinner of the Dao Palace.

"I, Mie Liezi, and You Ran have made an error in our judgment. Now that I've seen the corpses and the Demonic Green Poria Flowers, I'm reminded of something that I've heard of before… a special Never-Ending Clan battleship!

"This special battleship appears no different from other Never-Ending Clan battleships. However, its function is different. They are known as Sacrificial Palaces!

"Sacrificial Palaces are essentially sacrificial altars. Every time the Never-Ending Clan conquers a galaxy, they would capture hordes of cultivators and throw their corpses into the Sacrificial Palaces. These cultivators' blood, flesh, and vitality are sacrificed to the battleships and used to aid Never-Ending Clan members' healing!

"I suspect that this battleship is a Sacrificial Palace. The bodies here belong to cultivators from numerous cultivations that were destroyed by this battleship!

"If that is indeed the case, then there should be a minor sacrificial altar in each world contained within each disk. These three minor sacrificial altars should be connected to one another on another lower level, where the main sacrificial altar is located!"

"If we want to leave this place, we'll have to enter the main sacrificial altar… where we can then unlock the exit and find a way out!" Feng Qiuran shared her analysis honestly. The crowd fell silent.

Wang Baole sighed secretly. He pulled out some Dharmic treasures and pills from his storage bag, alongside a few puppets, and handed them over to Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao.

He knew that the journey ahead of them… would be extremely difficult.

Feng Qiuran didn't look at the other cultivators. Instead, she looked around them. Besides the thousands of feet around them that had been cleared of Demonic Green Poria Flowers, this land of corpses was still littered with countless demonic flowers.

Fortunately, most of the flowers in the distance were all flower buds, unlike the flowers that had been in full bloom and had surrounded them earlier.

"Let's all rest for a while. We shall move in thirty minutes!" After a long moment, Feng Qiuran retracted her gaze and spoke softly. Chi Lin and the others sat down. They all began to activate their cultivation in silence, ensuring that they remained in peak condition. They had also put away the Demonic Green Poria Flower's pistils.

Time passed steadily. The end of the thirty-minute break soon arrived. Most of them had recovered their strength and were prepared to continue the mission. It was then that… the ground started to tremble!

The trembling wasn't violent. Regardless, it still sent alarm flashing across everyone's faces. They got to their feet, the looks on their faces solemn. The trembling intensified as loud stomping sounded in the distance. It sounded like a giant was making its way towards them!

Next was a loud panting, like the howling of a furious wind. It was punctuated by loud clanking. Alarm colored the faces of Wang Baole, Feng Qiuran, as well as the Nascent Soul realm cultivators. There was no need for words. Many of them instantly took to the skies and stared in the direction the commotion was coming from.

They kept looking. Then, suddenly, their eyes widened, and a few of them even gasped out loud.

"That is…"

"What is that?"

The commotion in the distance grew louder. The winds grew wilder, and their howling fiercer. A towering figure that seemed to connect the sky and the land… gradually appeared in their sight!

At first, they could only hear it. Then, they saw its silhouette. Next, the silhouette grew distinct, and an image imprinted clearly in the eyes of Wang Baole and the other cultivators. It was a gigantic, monstrous beast that was beyond description!

It was similar to the Diamond Ape but clearly many times larger. Its body was covered in a messy layer of fur, with patches of black bone exposed to the air. A reeking stench of something rotting accompanied its approach.

Heavy chains weighed it down and pierced through its body. They bound it to a huge wooden log that hung suspended in mid-air behind the beast!

The log… was hundreds of thousands of feet thick. An ordinary cultivator would appear as an ant before the log. However, next to the beast, the log's size was made less obvious!

What was most shocking about the log wasn't its width but its length… It seemed to go on forever. The beast was bound to one end of the log while the other end of the log couldn't be seen at all. The suspended log of wood seemed to stretch all the way back into the distant sky. It was as if it were connected to the other end of the world!

This enormous beast was like a mule, dragging the log behind it, one step at a time, moving forward with great difficulty!

If it were to slow down even one bit, the chains on the beast would suddenly shine with the light of a rune, which would then transform into numerous fine strands, whipping at the beast and drawing cries of pain from it. The beast was forced to advance without slowing down or stopping under the threat of the whipping.

It didn't seem to notice or care about Wang Baole and the other cultivators. The sounds of clanking and stomping resonated in the air. The sounds of panting gradually drew near. Tens of thousands of feet away from them, the towering figure of a monster trudged forward, one step at a one, dragging behind it a wooden log. Then, it gradually retreated into the distance!

Every step it landed on the ground sent the earth shaking. Every step it lifted off the ground stirred up storms. The entire world thundered and the winds howled as it came and then departed!

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Chapter 638: A Mass Attack!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"What was that!" Wang Baole muttered to himself as everyone around him gasped. Feng Qiuran was shaken as well. The power that had emanated from the beast had been overwhelming and had blanketed the entire world.

What had been incredible was how such a powerful beast had been chained up like a slave and made to serve as a mule, dragging the log forward!

The sight had shaken everyone to the core. They stared at the other end of the log, which stretched into the horizon without an end in sight. They couldn't help but guess where it led to.

"The other end of the log must lead to… the minor sacrificial altar of this world!" Feng Qiuran said suddenly. The look on her face changed immediately. Everyone grew solemn then as well.

What made their expressions darken was what they had seen as the gigantic beast trudged past them. Its heavy steps had shaken the earth. The red flowers that were not yet in bloom had trembled. As they continued to shake, some of these flowers had begun to show signs of blossoming!

The sight of that had alarmed everyone. One could easily imagine the hordes of corpses that would rise from the ground with such a great number of Demonic Green Poria Flowers suddenly blossoming!

"We have to go now!" Alarm flashed across Feng Qiuran's face as she lifted her right hand and waved. A sudden surge of power lifted everyone off the ground and began to push them away.

There was no need for her warning. The Nascent Soul realm cultivators around her had all begun to panic and dash off. Wang Baole did the same. He made use of the push from Feng Qiuran and dragged Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao along as he dashed off.

It was still too late!

Perhaps it might be more accurate to say that they had lost their window of opportunity of leaving this place the moment the beast had appeared. The land had stopped quaking, but loud bangs began to ring out incessantly in the air!

Each bang was the sound of a Demonic Green Poria Flower bursting into full bloom. Each flower bud was the size of a fist, and they were exploding from a fist into an outstretched palm. It was a shocking sight. From afar, it looked as if countless palms were waving at them in the distance!

All of the demonic flowers that were in their line of vision bloomed in that instant. Vast clouds of pollen spewed into the air, forming crimson mists that gathered and then… blanketed the skies!

All around them—to their left and their right, before and behind them, in the distance—they were surrounded by a sea of flowers and crimson mists!

The corpses that were caught in the radius of the crimson mist began to twitch. Furious howls rang out in the air as the dead bodies began to crawl to their feet. Their eyes were burning with red flames as they roared and charged at the cultivators!

Amongst the horde were beasts missing half their bodies and humans missing limbs. There were skeletons bare of flesh and blood. There were also those whose bodies looked seemingly intact and gave off an evil, black aura!

There were even many man-sized bugs gathered in dark masses, charging towards them as they roared!

The stench of death hovered in the air and blanketed the area. It was like death's cape, sweeping the air and covering everything as it harvested the blood and flesh of the living!

Feng Qiuran might be at the Soul Conduit realm, but if she were to be trapped within the attacking hordes of these living dead, she would soon exhaust herself trying to fight her way out and eventually perish!

She was still a living, breathing being. These corpses, on the other hand, were dead. Their howls resonated in the air as crimson mist enveloped the sky and furious roars thundered. There was no time for anyone to think, as the nearest corpse had already lunged at them.

The sounds of battling immediately rang out. Feng Qiuran formed a rapid series of hand seals, summoning a tornado that surged outwards. The rest realized the danger they were in and gathered together. With Feng Qiuran in the lead, they unleashed their attacks while charging ahead!

Wang Baole flanked the team on the right, and behind him were Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao. The latter needed no protection from Wang Baole. Zhao Yameng, especially, was in her element as her array formations found their use in large-scale battles. With a series of hand seals, she unleashed wave after wave of array formations. With every ninth array formation, the accumulated array formations would trigger an explosive attack, wiping out vast legions of corpses and creating a backlash that damaged numerous other enemies.

Kong Dao was equally lethal. His beast-like instincts were fully unleashed in battle. The violent streak hidden deep inside him revealed itself as he deftly avoided lethal blows and retaliated viciously in kind.

Wang Baole, having witnessed his friends holding their own in the fight, stopped worrying. With a series of hand seals, he summoned a sea of lightning bolts, an explosion of electricity that generated wave upon wave of electricity that then surged outwards and wiped out hordes of corpses.

His Flame Snatch Thearch Armor was a weapon more suitable for a one-on-one battle. In the face of the mass of enemies, the first thing Wang Baole thought of using was the Dark Art. However, he soon realized that the Dark Art was useless in such a battle. They had no souls. In fact, the corpses had been transformed into some kind of flesh-and-blood puppets!

His lightning bolts had become the most effective weapon he possessed. He also unleashed armies of flying swords, which shot out from his storage bracelet and dashed about in the air. It was literally raining swords.

The rest had also unleashed their own powerful spells and techniques. Feng Qiuran continued to forge a path open for them, charging ahead amidst the battle. However, there were simply too many beasts and too many corpses. They surged forward, no end in sight. Flying beasts appeared in the skies, and in the distance, they could see zombies in black robes!

One might say there weren't many of these black-robed zombies, but there were still hundreds of them! Every one of them was cloaked in a black fog that shone with lethal-looking runes. The fog shot towards the cultivators, roaring!

Each blow landed with an explosion. Its power was so great that it was as if they were receiving a blow from a Nascent Soul realm cultivator!

They weren't the most dangerous thing the cultivators faced. The greatest danger was being trapped in a fight without an escape. As the pollen continued to spread further, it might awaken more dangerous corpses or draw more corpses to them!

Feng Qiuran began to panic. She pulled out a ruler and waved it in the air as her voice rang out.

"A thousand feet!"

As soon as she said that, the land within a thousand feet from her began to shake. An invisible power seemed to have gathered itself out of nowhere and crushed all corpses within the thousand-foot radius. They instantly turned to dust!

The attack was incredibly powerful but of little help. There were simply too many corpses. The thousand feet of space cleared was flooded instantly with new corpses. Black fog began crowding in menacingly.

Chi Lin and the others attacked as well, and their attacks gave Feng Qiuran time to prepare her next round of attack. After a few moments, an icy glint flickered in Feng Qiuran's eyes as she roared.

"Ten thousand feet!"

Zhao Yameng's eyes flashed as soon as Feng Qiuran unleashed her attack. With a series of hand seals, she unleashed ninety-nine array runes, creating an array formation that spanned ten thousand feet in all directions!

The attack from Feng Qiuran's ruler exploded the exact moment the array formation appeared!

Boom, boom, boom!

The lands shook, and the heavens seemed drained of all color as everything within ten thousand feet turned to dust. The power within the ruler seemed to have been augmented by some other source of power. It surged outwards, sending aftershocks of the attack another twenty thousand feet into the distance!

The aftershocks might not have been as powerful as the original attack, growing weaker the further it went, but they were sufficient in wiping out the corpses!

The battlefield was instantly cleared of all enemies. However, they didn't have to go far before another army of corpses appeared on the horizon!

Because of the earlier battle, everyone had come to realize the power of Zhao Yameng's array formations. Wang Baole had been surprised as well. He had known all along how incredible Zhao Yameng's array formations were, but he had no idea that they could augment the power of a Soul Conduit realm cultivator!

Amidst her panic, Feng Qiuran realized the power of Zhao Yameng's array formations. Her eyes flashed. She appeared next to Zhao Yameng in the next moment, having the intention of keeping her by her side. Wang Baole appeared next to Zhao Yameng at the same time. He stood next to her and stared at Feng Qiuran.

"Baole, I will ensure Zhao Yameng's safety. I swear it on my life!"

She spoke bluntly without mincing her words. Wang Baole stared at Zhao Yameng silently. He wasn't in the position to make a decision for her. Zhao Yameng only considered it for a few moments before smiling gently at Wang Baole. Then, she nodded and followed Feng Qiuran. They rose to the skies with the intention of replicating the earlier attack in the air.

A sudden, indescribable worry unfurled inside Wang Baole as he watched the two rise to the skies. He was about to say something when… suddenly, the ground began to shake violently!

The land before them caved in, and a hundred-foot long, partially-rotting python emerged from the ground and charged out, flinging mud and shattered rock into the sky as it collided with the group of cultivators!

Wang Baole had no time to consider the worry he had felt earlier amidst the deafening sounds of battle. He sped away with the rest to avoid the attack. Behind them, the ground collapsed once again as another giant python flew out!

Patches of land around them began to cave in, one after another. A third, fourth, and fifth python emerged… More than forty giant pythons charged out, roaring, at the group of cultivators. Black fire spewed out from their gaping maws!

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Chapter 639: Separation!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

A few Core Formation realm cultivators hadn't managed to dodge the giant pythons' charging and were instantly swallowed alive. Muffled screams of pain were drowned amidst the corpses' furious howling. The group of cultivators had no choice but to scatter under the attacks of the giant pythons.

Wang Baole did just that as he retreated hastily. A giant python came charging at him from his right, roaring. It seemed like he was going to be swallowed alive. But Wang Baole's strength was akin to that of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. The Flame Snatch Thearch Armor appeared on him instantly, and his eyes flashed with an icy cold glint as he surged forward instead of retreating, charging straight into the giant python!

The deafening sound of a collision rang out in the air as Wang Baole's Divine Armament arm pierced through the giant python's body upon their collision. He slid around the giant python, then leaped into the air. The giant python's head fell to the ground with a deafening thud.

The python's body continued to wriggle despite the loss of its head, thrashing at Wang Baole. Wang Baole formed a series of hand seals. His tri-colored flying sword came dashing through the air, slicing the python into multiple chunks. Then, the sword came flying back, buzzing as it circled Wang Baole and slashed apart the corpses that came charging at him.

Wang Baole paid no attention to the corpses around him. Instead, he looked around him with a dark expression on his face.

The giant pythons had separated the battlefield into multiple, smaller battlefields. Battle cries continued to rise into the air. Many of the pythons had already been slain by other Nascent Soul realm cultivators. However, there were still some wreaking havoc on the field, and more than a dozen cultivators had since perished.

A fish-scale armor had appeared on Kong Dao. It seemed to have augmented his speed and gifted him semi-transparency. Kong Dao dashed about on the battlefield, fighting alongside a Nascent Soul realm cultivator and slaying another giant python!

We can't keep this up forever. No one's going to make their way out of this alive if we don't do something! Wang Baole's breathing quickened slightly. He approached a few Core Formation realm cultivators and, with a wave of his hand, put down a giant python. Then, he lifted his head abruptly to the sky and stared.

In the skies above, Feng Qiuran and Zhao Yameng were currently surrounded by countless winged beasts. The pair shone with a dazzling light that continued to grow even more blinding. Feng Qiuran suddenly raised the ruler in her hand into the air. Her eyes shone with an intense light as she yelled, "A hundred thousand feet!"

Feng Qiuran's right hand forcibly slammed the ruler downwards, towards the ground. Zhao Yameng formed a series of hand seals at the same time, unleashing the power of nine hundred and ninety-nine array runes that she had accumulated earlier!

The heavens rumbled, and the earth quaked. Winds howled, and the clouds rolled back. Within a hundred thousand feet of Feng Qiuran, all corpses and beasts, including pythons and black-robed zombies alike, shook violently. It was as if a sudden incredible force had descended from the heavens and crushed everything in sight!

Within the hundred thousand feet of land, explosions rumbled, and everything turned to dust. Everything living was wiped out. Zhao Yameng's array formation intensified the attack and pushed the shock waves further outwards, reaching nearly three hundred thousand feet. It was as if a gigantic hand had reached out from the cracks in the earth and wiped out everything!

The monsters in the sky were Feng Qiuran's and Zhao Yameng's primary targets. The area of attack spread much further in the air!

"Quick, go!" The lands rumbled, and everything turned to dust. Feng Qiuran grabbed Zhao Yameng and raced off into the distance as she shouted frantically.

The rest needed no reminder from Feng Qiuran. They had witnessed their attack earlier, and everyone had been on high alert and ready to run. With the sudden opening presented, as well as the appearance of the next horde of enemies in the horizon hundreds of thousands of feet away—already charging towards them—they dashed out immediately and sped off.

Wang Baole did the same. He leaped into the air and pulled Kong Dao along with him. The group was about to make use of the cleared battlefield to make an escape when suddenly, another rumbling roar rang out from the caved-in ground, where the dozens of giant pythons had emerged.

The ground sank further in before it erupted. A huge crevice appeared in the earth, and a fierce howl, striking terror in everyone's hearts, rang out from its depths.

The howling was accompanied by the sound of chains clanking. An enormous blank hound, partially decomposed, charged out from the crevice rapidly. It appeared in mid-air in the next instant and snapped its jaws shut, catching and gobbling up a Nascent Soul realm and three other Core Formation realm cultivators instantly!

Horror and alarm flashed across everyone's faces. Their nightmare had just begun. Similar crevices started to appear in the ground. Black hounds dashed out, howling furiously and leaping into the air!

Fortunately, they were all chained to the ground and couldn't run too far. Regardless, they numbered in the dozens and posed a significant threat, especially… due to their unique physique. Spells were useless against them. It was like throwing a pebble into the vast ocean—they weren't affected at all. Only physical attacks inflicted on the flesh affected them!

"Nascent Soul realm cultivators, spread out. Core Formation realm cultivators, gather around me. We'll make a run for it and assemble at the end of the wooden log!" Feng Qiuran's face was pale as she barked out her order hastily. She wanted to attack, but she could sense a horrifying power rumbling deep underground. It was moving rapidly and headed their way!

They had but thirty seconds before it emerged above ground!

With danger so close at hand, she had no time to map out a detailed plan. She raised her right hand, and with a wave, she gathered a few Core Formation realm cultivators around her. Afterwards, she led Zhao Yameng and the others into the distance!

Chi Lin and the other Nascent Soul realm cultivators, whose faces were pale, had all spread out. Wang Baole had done the same. He had intended to follow Feng Qiuran, but just as he made a move, the ground below him began to rumble. A black hound roared and charged at him, blocking his path and intending to swallow him whole!

A vicious glint flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. The Flame Snatch Thearch Armor was activated immediately, and incredible power gathered in his Divine Armament arm. He unleashed a sudden punch towards the black hound!

The blow whipped up a tornado and landed squarely on the hound's head, causing a loud boom to erupt in the air. The hound whined in pain and stumbled back, while Wang Baole shook from the backlash of the blow. His armor creaked, and he was sent flying backwards from the force of his punch, like a puppet cut from its strings.

As he was flung backwards, the skies were once again crowded with newly amassed corpses. The fearsome creatures were slaughtered before they could draw near by flying swords that had appeared around Wang Baole. Wang Baole's breathing quickened as he steadied himself. He looked around and saw only torn and maimed limbs of several Dao Palace cultivators. Chi Lin and the others had long scattered to the winds.

The corpses had all separated and gone after the cultivators.

We shouldn't have come to this damned place! Wang Baole ground his teeth. He retreated without hesitation, chose a random direction, and started running. Just as he was about to dash off, the ground a hundred thousand feet away from him began to rumble. An enormous, partially decomposed, Kun Peng heaved from the ground, as if breaking the surface of the ocean, and leaped into the air!

The beast emanated a black Qi. Waves of energy surged from its decomposing form, striking fear in Wang Baole's heart. His cultivation began to grow unstable. It was a sensation that he had experienced before when he had crossed paths with a Star Fang Beast. He knew that the monster before him was at least… at the Planet realm!

The Planet realm! Wang Baole's scalp went numb. He saw the chains on the Kun Peng, which were like those that were on the black hounds. There were more chains though. There was no time for further thought. He fled hastily without turning his head back.

He unleashed everything he had on him. His Dharmic Armament bell enveloped his Thearch Armor while his tri-colored flying sword flew protective circles around him. After boosting his defenses, he let loose a sudden burst of speed, transforming into a shooting star that dashed across the heavens, smashing through winged beasts that dared stand in his path!

Death and dust were left in his wake as he smashed his way through mindlessly. Wang Baole's senses had heightened to the extremes. He swerved in another direction as soon as he sensed something amiss. He managed to survive several dangerous encounters that way. The pollen's effect might have been wearing off after all this time, as the corpses had started to stiffen. Soon, most of them slowed down to a complete standstill. Wang Baole finally made his way out of the crimson mist and the land of the living dead!

He was panting, his clothes drenched in sweat. He quickly pulled out a few pills and swallowed them whole. Then, he turned back and stared at the battlefield behind him, residual terror still lingering in his eyes.

The Kun Peng was chained, so it can't come after me now that I'm so far away. Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao are with Feng Qiuran. They should be safe. Wang Baole's heart was still racing. However, he knew that there was no use in panicking. He took a few gulps of air, shoved down the unease inside him, and looked around him with a grave expression on his face. His gaze settled on a direction. The land looked sparse and empty of threats, so he began running in that direction.

What's most important now is locating the direction of the other end of the wooden log, where the sacrificial altar is located…

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Chapter 640: A Summoning!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The skies were dark. Even though the huge beast's corpse in the sky continued to shine like the sun, it seemed to struggle to light up the entire land. Wang Baole saw the lands before him dimly lit while others in the distance were in complete darkness.

However, a cultivator could see clearly as long as he allowed spirit energy to flow to his eyes. The Demonic Green Poria Flowers scattered across the lands helped too. Their red flowers gave off a faint light that cast a dim glow on the lands around it.

The sight before him would look drastically different without the endless piles of corpses. Their presence filled the world with an aura of endless death.

Wang Baole might be a Dark Child, but he hadn't grown so accustomed to such scenes of death. The Dark Sect might rule over death, but its responsibility was the ferrying of souls. The corpses in this world that had died eons ago were no different from blood-and-flesh puppets.

The power that controlled these puppets was something that Wang Baole hadn't seen before. He was confused and lost, and at the same time, in awe of what he had seen in this world.

"The Never-Ending Clan might be terrorizing the galaxies, but one cannot deny that they are a powerful entity. That is what gives them the power to run wild and not have to answer to anyone else!" Wang Baole muttered to himself. He didn't slow down as he raced forward in the air, holding the pistils of the Demonic Green Poria Flower close to his chest. Its strange power ensured that he didn't fall prey to further illusions during his journey.

The demonic flowers seemed less prone to sudden blossoming without any sudden agitation as well. This meant that Wang Baole's journey after fleeing the crimson mist had remained relatively smooth and danger-free.

However, what he saw continued to shock him to an ever greater degree. The corpses on this land spanned countless species, and most of them seemed to belong to creatures that Wang Baole had never seen or heard of.

He saw creatures with animal bodies and human heads, corpses formed from rocks, enormous bodies covered with horns, as well as many other bizarre-looking corpses. There were those with two heads as well as those whose bodies resembled five fingers and had no eyes.

There were also corpses the shape of enormous cubes that seemed like they had been pieced together. It didn't seem possible that these entities could have been alive and living in any way in the past. But as far as Wang Baole could tell, they were corpses.

The sights shook Wang Baole to the core. Then, he discovered familiar-looking corpses, such as… the natives from the Black Wind Planet, tiny black men with their large feet.

The aura that continued to emanate from those corpses even after their deaths remained terrifying. Wang Baole instinctively knew that he shouldn't stray too near. He might trigger an accidental backlash if he came into contact with them!

Wang Baole passed the corpses of the Black Wind Planet natives. Thirty minutes passed before he paused in mid-air and lowered his gaze. There was a strange look on his face. He stared at the ground, at the corpse resting atop a pile of other corpses.

Save its slightly elongated ears and extremely slim build, the corpse looked almost like a human. Its death didn't diminish its extraordinary beauty. Wang Baole had only come across such a species in the game Descend.

"That game…" Wang Baole muttered. He might have stared too long at the corpse, as the finger of the slender figure on the mountain of corpses began to twitch. Wang Baole immediately turned wary. He didn't hesitate and immediately picked up speed and dashed off.

As he faded into the distance, the finger finally stilled. The lands remained quiet and peaceful.

I can't linger too long anywhere. Everything here seems really strange! Wang Baole took a deep breath. He looked around him as he advanced forward, trying to determine which way to go. He knew that the quickest and simplest way to find the sacrificial altar was to locate the enormous beast that they had seen earlier.

He would then be able to follow the beast and find the sacrificial altar.

Time passed steadily. Days went by. Wang Baole continued his flight across this world filled with corpses, searching without rest. However, he saw only more corpses. The enormous beast was nowhere to be found. Then, one day, while Wang Baole sped through the skies, feeling slightly anxious, his pupils suddenly contracted!

A strange feeling surged inside him, and his Dark Fire began to stir uncontrollably. It surged outwards and appeared outside his body, transforming into black, icy flames!

"Hmm?" Something flashed in Wang Baole's eyes. He could sense a force tugging at him and the Dark Fire inside his body. It was resonating with his Dark Fire!

It felt familiar. It was… the aura of the Dark Sect!

Could there be Dark Sect members hiding here? Wang Baole's breathing quickened slightly. He extended his senses and began surveying the area carefully. He tilted his head to the right. The familiar aura, belonging to the Dark Sect, was coming from that direction!

Wang Baole fell into deep thought. Then, he whipped out Little Missy's mask. Even though Little Missy hadn't responded to his calls the entire time he had been here, the mask still served as an important item that allowed Wang Baole to discern reality from illusion!

The mask showed no inklings of turning invisible at the moment. Wang Baole inspected the pistils, then looked around him. His mind finally set at ease that this wasn't yet another illusion, he pondered for some time before switching directions and dashing off in the direction the Dark Sect aura was coming from!

He maintained a regular speed while remaining wary of his surroundings. Thirty minutes passed. The nagging sense of familiarity intensified, and the Dark Fire inside Wang Baole began to stir with a seeming hunger, which erupted from his body without stop. From afar, Wang Baole's body could no longer be seen. Instead, one could only see a fiery ball of black fire. It was then that Wang Baole finally… reached the place where the Dark Sect aura had originated from!

It was… a city resting at the bottom of a mountain!

This was the first city that Wang Baole had come across in this world. It wasn't a large city, its size only that of Ethereal City. However, it was still an impressive sight in the land filled with corpses!

After all, he had seen nothing but corpses and demonic flowers along the way. There had been no other architecture. The city's mere presence spoke of something extremely important. Wang Baole's breathing grew uneven at the thought of it.

He was confident that… the presence of the city meant that there had been lifeforms present here!

That was why it didn't matter that the city was nothing but ruins now, with most of its buildings damaged and partially collapsed. Wang Baole's spirits still soared at the sight of it. His eyes began to widen as he approached the city. He flew forward and hovered above the city ruins. Gazing downwards, his head began to buzz loudly. There was a silent implosion inside his head.

This place… Wang Baole was shaken. Waves of emotions roared inside him as the Dark Fires outside his body wavered violently.

From where he stood… he saw not only the city ruins… but something else as well!

The city hadn't been built on land, it had been built on a huge skull. One could imagine how large the skull must be. The skull wasn't resting on a mountain but connected to an arm!

Perhaps it might be more accurate to call it one half of a humerus. It was as if a giant had sat there in meditation sometime in the past and had received a slash diagonally downwards from one shoulder, cleaving the giant's body into two halves. One half of its body had clearly turned to dust, which was why what had remained was the other collapsed half!

Wang Baole's breathing froze as he gazed at the sight before him silently. He could sense the Dark Sect aura emanating from the bones. Wisps of a similar aura rose from the city resting above the bones as well.

The sight sent Wang Baole into a long bout of silence. He descended slowly and landed on the top of the skull. He stood inside the city, looking at everything around him. The realization had come upon him a moment ago. It wasn't as he had expected. He had thought someone had built a city here.

Instead… the city had been a part of this giant. Perhaps the city had rested atop its head when the giant had still been alive!

The city's architectural style reminded Wang Baole of his Dark Dream. He could tell clearly that it hailed from a period similar to what he had experienced in the Dark Dream.

"Survivors after the fall of the Dark Sect, maybe…" Wang Baole muttered to himself, a myriad of emotions flashing across his eyes.

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Chapter 641: Divine Consciousness!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole set aside the inner turmoil he felt as he surveyed his surroundings. He lifted his right hand. With a sudden wave, a dozen puppets appeared and spread out. As they searched the city ruins, Wang Baole began to wander around the city as well. He stared at the buildings and made his way towards the area that gave off the strongest Dark Sect aura.

He could tell that the city had housed quite a number of residents. A careful inspection of the clues left around him indicated that the city's residents had been prepared for the calamity that had befallen them. However, it was clear that they had still been powerless in the face of such a catastrophe. Everyone had perished. Even the giant had been cleaved into two.

A sense of loss unfurled inside Wang Baole. He shook his head and approached the center of the city ruins. Wang Baole took but a few steps before he suddenly froze in his tracks. There was a solemn look in his eyes.

One of the dozen puppets he had let out earlier had just severed its connection with him without any prior warning.

Wang Baole immediately went on high alert. He headed swiftly towards the last known location of that puppet. As he neared it, he caught sight of the puppet lying motionlessly in a corner.

Wang Baole didn't approach the puppet immediately. He narrowed his eyes, then raised his right hand and waved. A flying sword dashed through the air towards the puppet. As it drew near, the puppet suddenly jerked and flipped itself over. A red light shot out under it, evading the flying sword as it shrieked and headed straight for Wang Baole's face.

It seemed to sense the Dark Fire outside Wang Baole's body as soon as it approached. The red light shrunk back hastily as if it was trying to escape.

It was fast, but Wang Baole had his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor on. He lifted his right hand and, with a grab, caught the red light.

The red light turned out to be some kind of worm. It wasn't a corpse but an actual living creature. It wriggled in Wang Baole's hand continuously. There was a huge opening on its head, from which fluids continued to escape. Black teeth lined the opening. It roared and bared its teeth at Wang Baole as it struggled violently to break free from Wang Baole's grip.

But its trembling body gave away its fear. The creature had shrunk away from Wang Baole earlier, a clear indication of its fear of fire!

Wang Baole fell into a deep contemplation. His eyes landed on the puppet's back, and he noticed a nick. The puppet must have been attacked by the worm while searching the area. The worm had pierced straight through its body and broken its core.

It doesn't seem very strong, Wang Baole thought, then pinched tightly with his armored hand. The worm shrieked, but its body wasn't crushed instantly. Wang Baole's pupils contracted, and a thought flickered in his head. His Dark Fire drew near the worm, which caused the creature to begin to scream more loudly. It started to burn as soon as the Dark Fire enveloped it, turning to dust within Wang Baole's armored palm.

The cries that the worm had made before its final breath echoed in the silence. The earth trembled slightly when it turned to dust. Even the buildings around Wang Baole shook. Within a blink of an eye—from every nook and cranny of every building, from the ground, and from the long meandering mountain-like skeletal arm in the distance—masses of red worms started to appear!

Some of them were as tiny as the one that he had caught, while others were hundreds of feet long. The most terrifying one came from the distant mountain. It was a thousand feet long and roared as it dug its way out. It stared straight at Wang Baole.

One could hardly see the city ruins and the corpses. Instead, they had been replaced with countless worms. They were like hair sprouting out from the giant's body, wriggling without stop and covering everything on land.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes as he stared at the countless red worms surrounding him. He felt the connection he had with the puppets he had released earlier snap, one by one.

"These red worms look like… body hair?" Wang Baole shook his head. He knew nothing about these creatures, but he wasn't bothered. He had seen evidence of his Dark Fire's power over these worms. He took a deep breath, then allowed the Dark Fire inside his body to spread outwards. The black fires rumbled as they surged outwards, growing wilder and fiercer, and they exuded an iciness that turned the ground to frost.

The Dark Fire proved effective against the worms. All around him, the worms began to shriek and retreat. Even the largest worm on the giant's arm in the distance shivered and recoiled.

Having once again ascertained the effectiveness of the Dark Fire, Wang Baole began to march forward. None of the worms dared draw near them. They shrank back, clearing a path for Wang Baole, allowing him to reach the center of the city smoothly.

There was… a huge public square that was sunken in!

It might not be appropriate to refer to the area as a public square. Instead, it resembled a sacrificial altar. A dozen or so partially damaged statues stood around it. Based on his estimates, the center of this sacrificial altar appeared to be the center of the top of the giant's skull!

This was also where the Dark Sect aura was the strongest.

Wang Baole eyed the damaged statues around him. Their features were mostly indistinguishable due to the severe damage to the statues. However, Wang Baole had a feeling that these statues had been of the once-powerful figures of the past Dark Sect. They had been the pillars of the entire Dark Sect, the spiritual leaders who had the awe and respect of every Dark Sect disciple—regardless of their faction!

Every one of them represented an era of glory!

Wang Baole's eyes landed on one statue. He suddenly shivered before he made his way towards it slowly.

He stared at it for a very long time. The statue was missing its head. However, the clothes it had on and the familiar feeling it gave off made Wang Baole's breathing quicken. He knew who this was.

"Master…" Wang Baole murmured to himself after a long bout of silence. An indescribable sorrow rose within his heart. He bowed deeply towards the statue and only lifted his head after a very long time. He stored the statue inside his storage bracelet.

Then, he looked towards the center of the sunken area. After some thought, Wang Baole tried making his way towards the center, stepping onto the center of the giant's skull. He could feel the Dark Sect aura and his Dark Fire flaring to life as he stood there.

Something's not right. After taking a few steps, Wang Baole stopped, stared at his feet, then retraced his steps back to where he had originally stood.

There's no doubt that the Dark Fire becomes most active when I stand here! After some thought, his eyes flashed. His hands came together to form a series of hand seals. The Dark Fire inside him flared up again with greater agitation. He sat down, shut his eyes, and allowed his mind to become one with the Dark Fire. He tried to meld his mind with the skull.

Just as his mind became one with the Dark Fire and slipped into the skull beneath his feet, his body suddenly shook violently. He could hear an ancient voice in his mind, stirring ripples across his soul.

"Soul guiding, dream spinning, rebirth severing, ten thousand tribulations, a thousand lives, five punishments!"

The voice seemed to have traveled across thousands of years. It sounded as if it had come from the world of the dead, its echoes now lingering in the world of the living and ringing loudly in Wang Baole's head. Wang Baole thought he saw six faintly glowing spheres of light.

This is…

His body shook suddenly. Wang Baole opened his eyes, then lowered his head violently as he heaved. He stared at the skull beneath him as the aged voice continued to ring in his head. The spheres of light remained glowing dimly in his mind, and his eyes began to shine with an intense light!

"The six spheres of light look very similar… to the divine consciousness that I came across in the past, the divine consciousness that is essential for the crafting of a Dharmic Armament!" Wang Baole whispered. As a Dark Child, and with his proficiency in Dharmic Armaments, he was quite confident that beneath this skull hid six remnant wisps of a soul that were weak and on the verge of disappearing completely!

In fact, they resembled the remnant consciousness of a certain being. Their essence was similar to the divine consciousness that was required for refining a Dharmic Armament!

Wang Baole's eyes sparkled at the discovery. He melded his mind with the Dark Fire repeatedly. The repeated attempts strengthened his belief that there were indeed six weakening divine consciousness remnants resting beneath the skull. If they were left there untouched, they would likely vanish within a few decades, never to be recovered.

There were many ways to ensure they continued to live forever. However, there was only one that Wang Baole was capable of achieving… and that was to fuse the six divine consciousnesses remnants into a Dharmic Armament and transform them into Artifact Souls!

That was the only way to preserve the six divine consciousnesses!

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Chapter 642: Six Divine Powers!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Anyone other than Wang Baole might not have been able to accomplish that, but Wang Baole had been steeped in the discipline of the Dharmic Armament since he had first come into contact with cultivation. He had started his roots in Dharmic Armaments, progressed to the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, then continued his research and learning when he had been on Mars. His skill and knowledge in the area had become exemplary.

He was now capable of refining a true eighth-grade Dharmic Armament. He was confident of fusing the six divine consciousnesses into a Dharmic Armament.

The only concern is how weak these divine consciousnesses are. The slightest mistake or any slight resistance that occurs during the fusion with the Dharmic Armament might result in a backlash that further damages them. They could disintegrate entirely, Wang Baole thought. He lowered his head and rummaged through his storage bracelet. He managed to find plenty of materials as well as incomplete artifacts.

They were all eliminated as viable options. If the divine consciousnesses were vibrant, he wouldn't have to worry so much about damaging them during the refinement process. Any of the incomplete artifacts could have been used for refinement. However, there was always an element of resistance during the refinement of a Dharmic Armament.

Resistance occurred when there was instability during the fusion of a Dharmic Armament's preliminary form and the divine consciousness. Typically, both would suffer a degree of damage before a certain balance was achieved, thus forming the final Dharmic Armament.

Dharmic Armament cultivators weren't often concerned with such issues. Divine consciousnesses that could be used as Artifact Souls and fused with a Dharmic Armament were often specially selected. That guaranteed their successful fusion even after a degree of damage during the refinement process.

At present, though, Wang Baole was forced to consider this problem. He abandoned the idea of using his incomplete artifacts. There was a flicker of light in his eyes as he stared at the exposed part of the skull.

Wang Baole ran through the idea in his head. It took some time. Then, he rose to his feet and bowed at the skull he was standing on.

"Esteemed senior, I, Wang Baole, student of Ming Kunzi, happened to pass by and sense the remnants of your spirit here. In order to preserve these remnants of your spirit, I will have to turn them into Artifact Spirits. In order to do that, I will have to make use of your bones to refine the artifact that will house the Artifact Spirit. I seek your understanding for my actions!" The expression on Wang Baole's face was serious. He took a deep breath, then began searching the city as well as the mountain, the area where the bones rested.

Not all bones were suitable for the refinement of Dharmic Armaments. Wang Baole was looking for a piece that possessed a certain degree of vitality and life. It also had to have a certain extent of malleability.

There were still quite a few bones that met those requirements. However, the most important criterion was that the bone had to have melded with the spirit in the past!

In simple terms, it meant that prior to the giant's death, perhaps during certain emotionally charged moments, the bone had to have unknowingly absorbed the emotions and spirit energy during said moments. Such a requirement ensured the extreme rarity of such bones!

Even though the skeleton was enormous, Wang Baole only managed to find a dozen bones that fit the bill. He had some difficulty digging them out as well. He considered the possibility of fusing his own Thearch Armor but realized that was out of the question. That, in fact, further proved how incredible Li Wuchen's previous self had been.

Left with no other choice, Wang Baole activated his armor's right hand, gathered the power of the Divine Armament, and attempted to excavate the bone without expending his own energy!

The Divine Armament was sharp, but the bone was extremely hard. Wang Baole used up quite a bit of his strength, unleashing the full force of his cultivation multiple times, and only then did he manage to slowly dig up the eleven pieces of bone.

Each piece was the length of one's palm. Pieced together, they looked rather large. However, they were small compared to the whole skeleton.

In his past life, Li Wuchen must have practiced some incredible spell or come across some rare opportunity. Else, there is no way his body could have turned into a Divine Armament. This senior from the Dark Sect must be some amazingly powerful figure as well. But even though his bone is hard, it still can't beat a Divine Armament. Wang Baole lowered his head and stared at the right arm of his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor thoughtfully.

He set his thoughts aside and sat back down. He got his puppets out again to guard him, then released his Dark Fires in the open as well before he finally settled his mind. His hands came together to form a series of hand seals, and he began refining the eleven pieces of bone!

He intended to use the giant's bones to form the kernel for the Dharmic treasure. This would ensure a smooth, flawless fusion with the divine consciousness.

It would be a challenge, but Wang Baole was sufficiently skilled in Dharmic Armaments, especially on the calculations required and the inscriptions to be included during the refinement. That was why he was fairly confident in his success.

Time passed steadily as Wang Baole began refinement. His experience in both the area of inscription and refining the core was rich. This meant that speed wasn't compromised even though he took great care during the process. With the added strength of his cultivation, the eleven bones began to shrink steadily in size. Of course, minor failures were still unavoidable during the refinement process.

Each mistake would result in a bone breaking and turning to dust. It was also a lesson to Wang Baole. Days passed. When Wang Baole finally stopped, exhaustion was bright in his eyes, and he was left with seven beads refined from seven bones!

The beads glimmered with an ash-gray light and shimmered with a mysterious energy hidden within. Contained within each bead were a terrifying number of inscriptions. Even without an Artifact Soul, each bead was the equal of a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament.

Due to the materials involved in its making, it was difficult to rate its performance against an enemy during battle. It had its advantages and disadvantages in a fight. Regardless, without fusion with a divine consciousness, the experience that Wang Baole had earned from this refinement told him that bone-based materials weren't the most suitable types of materials for refining a Dharmic Armament.

He had completed the crafting of the beads and had the artifacts ready for fusion. Wang Baole didn't begin the fusion immediately though. Instead, he shut his eyes and meditated for two hours. Only when he had recovered his strength, and the feeling of exhaustion had left him, did he open his eyes again. They shone brightly with determination. He formed a series of hand seals, then pressed his hands on the skull.

His Dark Fire and his consciousness flowed into the skull. He tried to draw the six divine consciousnesses out from the skull slowly. They appeared as colorful lights, spread out in the skull like glowing spheres of vibrant colors. The blood-colored worms that had been watching him carefully began to tremble. They lowered their bodies to the ground in what resembled a kowtow.

A voice that seemed to have traveled through a vast expanse of time and space from the world of the dead echoed once more in Wang Baole's head. It was an old voice, stirring endless ripples in his mind.

"Soul guiding, dream spinning, rebirth severing, ten thousand tribulations, a thousand lives, five punishments!"

As the voice rippled outwards, the six faintly glowing spheres finally drifted out from the skull and floated before Wang Baole. Save the seventh bead, each glowing sphere entered a bead and lit the bead with a blinding light. Waves of energy exploded from each bead, which began to shake violently and whose shape began to transform. Four beads slowly turned into star-shaped beads with five uneven points!

They gradually settled into their forms, exuding terrifying power. The other two beads continued their transformation!

They continued to shake violently. Their Artifact Souls appeared to be too powerful—they couldn't be contained within these beads. Even though the beads shared the same source, it seemed that it was still not enough for them to contain the latter. The beads looked as if they might explode at any moment. The waves of energy emanating from the last two Artifact Souls were clearly much stronger than those given off by the previous four Artifact Souls!

Wang Baole teetered at the edge of frustration. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He had experienced similar challenges in the past with his scabbard. After calming himself down, he immediately unleashed the Divine Armament arm of his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. The power of the arm weighed down forcefully on the two beads, enveloping them and boxing them in. This lasted for a long stretch of time before sounds of cracking rang out in the air. The cracks on the beads increased. There were more than a dozen of them on each bead. It looked as if the beads might shatter at any moment. Without hesitation, Wang Baole took the seventh bead and fused it together with the two beads.

The fusion of the seventh bead stabilized the two beads. It took great pains and perseverance on Wang Baole's part… before the two beads, seemingly on the verge of shattering, finally accepted the fusion of the divine consciousness!

They ended up with vastly different forms. One was shaped like a flat circle and the other a crescent moon!

Upon the full acceptance of the divine consciousness and the resonance achieved amongst the six beads, the beads floated into the air and began rotating as they were drawn to one another. A black thread materialized, like a thin rope, threading the beads together and stringing the beads together like a bracelet!

"The circular one looks like the sun, and the crescent one looks like the moon. The rest are like stars… I'll call this Dharmic Armament the Baole Bracelet!" Wang Baole muttered to himself. That sounded like a great name. He raised his right hand in the air, and the bracelet dashed over immediately and strung itself around his wrist.

Waves of energy erupted from the bracelet. A Dharmic Armament's power was unleashed in that instant, and it resonated loudly in Wang Baole's mind!

The faint voice that had traveled across time and space, crossing the border between life and death, rang out clearly in his head!

"Soul Guiding, Dream Spinning, Rebirth Severing, Ten Thousand Tribulations, A Thousand Lives, Five Punishments!"

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Chapter 643: Another Dark Art!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The short string of words wasn't some silly poem, they represented six divine powers!

Divine powers weren't like ordinary spells, they made use of nomological laws and the powers that governed the universe. That was why only powerful cultivators could harness the power of divine powers. In addition, that was also why every divine power passed down the generations was so powerful.

It should have been impossible for Wang Baole to grasp or master the six divine powers through the remnant divine consciousness. This was similar to what he had experienced in the Dark Dream. He had read up on many spells and several divine powers. However, his level of cultivation then had prevented him from mastering them. That had been his greatest limitation.

Such limitations still existed. However, Wang Baole had found a way around them through Dharmic Armaments. By fusing the six divine consciousness remnants successfully into Artifact Souls, he had managed to seal six divine powers into the respective six beads. These beads served as a medium through which he could overcome the limitations of his cultivation. With the beads as a medium and the Artifact Souls as a catalyst, he could now expend less of his cultivation to unleash the power of these divine powers!

Of course, the reduction in cultivation expended was relative. To an extremely powerful cultivator, it was insignificant. To Wang Baole, it was still a sizable degree of cultivation. Nevertheless, it was still within the realm of reason!

Emotions flashed across his face as he lowered his head and studied the bracelet around his wrist. He could feel the power nestled within them as well as the six Artifact Souls resting inside his head. A strange light flickered in his eyes.

Each bead contains a divine power!

Wang Baole had not expected that. No matter how one looked at it, this was a perfect refinement. Wang Baole knew very well the significance behind the bracelet. His knowledge of Dharmic Armaments, as well as his personal hand in refining the item, had led him to that awareness. The bracelet's significance wasn't in allowing him to unleash the six divine powers. If that had been its sole benefit, it would be useless after the first few usages. The beads would slowly crack and turn to dust after repeated use, the divine powers lost to the winds.

The value of this bracelet lies in the opportunity it's given me to understand the divine powers it contains. I can do that repeatedly until I master the divine powers and make them truly mine!

Wang Baole took a deep breath and then looked around. The red worms were all hovering around, swaying. However, ever since he had put on the bracelet, their hostility had lessened significantly. They seemed to submit to a certain aura present on his person.

Wang Baole realized that this place might be one of the rare safe harbors in this world filled with corpses.

He let loose a sigh of relief secretly. He didn't hasten to leave. Instead, he looked at the bracelet again, then shut his eyes. His mind drifted away. Led by the Dark Fire, it entered the first star-shaped bead.

His vision blurred instantly. When it cleared, he saw the skies transformed into a starlit night. Hanging in the heavens was a gigantic planet.

A battle had just erupted on the planet, and he seemed to be able to see everything happening on the planet. The planet belonged to the Dark Sect. Countless Never-Ending Clan members were engaged in a fierce battle with the disciples of the Dark Sect!

Beyond the planet, in the pitch-black night sky, an enormous hand slowly materialized. It was covered with inscriptions. Each of its five fingers seemed to be a prison for a fearsome demon, with an appearance that was gruesome beyond measure. The enormous hand stretched across the heavens and made a grab for the planet!

The planet rumbled and shook violently. The Never-Ending Clan members on the planet froze instantly, their physical forms immobilized as their souls were yanked out from their bodies. The spirits gathered and formed a Dark River that rushed towards the heavens, into space, and towards the gigantic hand!

That was Soul Guiding!

Wang Baole was shaken to the core. His jolted awake, and his breath quickened as he stared at the star-shaped bead that contained Soul Guiding. He couldn't stop the racing of his heart. This Soul Guiding technique was another version of the Soul Guidance Glove. In fact, it seemed to be what the Soul Guidance Glove was capable of when pushed to the extreme.

He had read of the various ways of maximizing the impact of the Soul Guidance Glove in various records in the Dark Dream, but Soul Guiding hadn't been one of them. Wang Baole suddenly realized that even though each faction in the Dark Sect might originate from the same essence, every single one of them had developed divine powers unique to their own faction.

This Soul Guiding technique was a divine power that had belonged to another Dark Sect faction!

Wang Baole contemplated that thought silently for a long moment. Then, he allowed his consciousness to meld with the second star-shaped bead. The divine power contained within the bead was called… Dream Spinning!

He pondered the meaning of its name. When Wang Baole opened his eyes a while later, thus ending his experiencing the Dream Spinning technique, he was left with a similar conclusion as the one he had gathered with Soul Guiding. Dream Spinning was another version of the Dark Dream.

It's not as all-encompassing as the Dark Dream, but it's more detailed and precise—especially when used during battle. It can allow someone to enter a dream immediately. The person won't be able to differentiate dream from reality. At the same time, he would become a puppet, to be controlled by others!

Light flickered in Wang Baole's eyes before his mind entered the final two star-shaped beads. They contained the Ten Thousand Tribulations and A Thousand Lives techniques. Both were powerful techniques that struck terror into his heart. The former Ten Thousand Tribulations, especially, seemed to serve as a curse that was to be cast prior to battle!

The cursed would be viewed as an enemy by all living creatures for a fixed period of time. He might be crushed by falling boulders while taking a stroll or spiral into madness while meditating.

That was Ten Thousand Tribulations—to suffer the trials and tribulations that came from everything around one!

The latter technique, A Thousand Lives, served a purpose as indicated by its name. It was the complete opposite of Ten Thousand Tribulations and the only divine power that could be used on himself. It served as a boost, giving him the potential vitality of a thousand lives during a fight. Theoretically speaking, it could protect him from a thousand lethal blows. Results might vary in reality though, depending on the circumstances.

Nothing is set in stone. If that were the case, the mighty senior from the Dark Sect wouldn't have been cleaved into halves… Wang Baole lowered his head and stared at the skull he was sitting on. He set aside the excitement he had from his discovery of A Thousand Lives and calmed down. Then, he began his exploration of the sun-shaped and moon-shaped beads and the divine powers contained within—Rebirth Severing and Five Punishments!

Wang Baole soon found himself having to abandon his attempts. The two divine powers vastly surpassed the last four. The challenge he had faced in crafting them attested to that. Wang Baole wasn't yet ready to try and understand the workings of these two techniques. He wasn't able to sense anything from the last two beads.

After a bout of silence, Wang Baole finally sighed and ended his second attempt at the last two beads. He looked around him. Even though this was a safe spot, he still decided to leave the city ruins.

Before he left, Wang Baole gave a deep bow to the skull and the city ruins that sat above the skeletal remains. Countless red worms continued to sway in the air as he leaped into the sky and raced off.

His mission remained unchanged. He continued to search for the sacrificial altar of this world. His luck seemed to have taken a turn for the better. After racing through this world for a few days, Wang Baole suddenly froze in his tracks. He hovered in the dusk-lit skies, his head turned abruptly towards the distance. He could sense the tremors in the earth and hear the clanking of chains ringing. There was a heavy panting in the air, loud like the howling of a tornado. It was coming from the horizon, gushing in like fierce waves.

Wang Baole didn't hesitate. The Flame Snatch Thearch Armor materialized over him immediately. He retreated a considerable distance, then gazed into the distance again. The tremors grew stronger. The sounds of chains hitting each other became clearer. Tornadoes raged in the sky. Finally, he saw the emergence of a towering, vast figure in the distant horizon!

It wasn't the beast he had seen previously. The figure that appeared in Wang Baole's vision was round, growing clearer as it approached. Wang Baole's eyes widened when he finally saw clearly what it was.

A Star Fang Beast!

It was an extremely enormous Star Fang Beast that was larger than the Beast King Wang Baole had come across in the past. Death exuded from its body. He had no idea how long it had been dead, but the flames on its body were still burning. The air around it warped as it advanced. Everywhere it went, it brought with it the stench of death as well as a sudden hike in temperature!

It was covered in chains, just like the giant ape. The chains ended in a bound, wooden log. It dragged the log forward like a mule. If it slowed down in the slightest, punishment descended in the form of invisible whips!

Wang Baole stopped breathing. He was forced to fall back in the face of such scorching heat. His eyes stayed on the log behind the Star Fang Beast. It stretched on endlessly into the distance. He knew that there was a great chance that at the other end of the log… he was going to find the sacrificial altar!

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Chapter 644: A Millstone That Grinds Flesh and Blood!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

I've searched in that direction before! The Star Fang Beast steadily approached, sending the surrounding temperatures spiking upwards. It looked like an enormous burning fireball from afar, ready to turn everything in its path to ash.

Wang Baole was forced to retreat as the gears in his head spun furiously. He knew that he had gone in the direction the beast had come from earlier and had traveled quite far in that direction. However, he hadn't discovered anything then. This meant that either he really hadn't gone far enough… or that the sacrificial altar couldn't be found in the conventional manner—by simply pursuing a single direction!

If it were the former, Wang Baole could make another attempt. If it were the latter though, he wouldn't be able to risk everything he had on it. There was really only one way of him locating the sacrificial altar if it were the latter!

Get on the log and walk down the thing. That is the only way… to prevent myself from getting lost. No matter where the sacrificial altar is located, as long as I walk down the log, I'll be able to reach it! Wang Baole narrowed his eyes as thoughts sped through his head. The scorching heat the Star Fang Beast was giving off made it difficult for him to approach though. The possibility of him getting on that log was slight.

It's not impossible, though… Wang Baole watched the rumbling Star Fang Beast as it made its way past him in the distance. After some thought, he pulled out the Star Fang Beast core from his storage bracelet and held one close to his chest. He tried approaching the beast. The heat might be incredible, but its source was similar to that of Wang Baole's Star Fang Beast core. Wang Baole soon found that the beast core in his arms gave him partial resistance against the heat.

Wang Baole's spirits soared at that discovery, and determination flashed in his eyes. He increased his speed without hesitation and dashed together with the Star Fang Beast, the beast core in his arms!

Scorching heat waves surged towards him as he approached. The power of the Star Fang Beast core enveloped Wang Baole in a defensive barrier. Wang Baole ran faster, approaching the Star Fang Beast rapidly like a speeding rainbow.

His hair showed signs of burning when he reached a thousand feet of the beast, and his body was drying up. It was as if his body could no longer retain water inside. Water was evaporating from his body rapidly. An alarming sense of danger descended upon Wang Baole. He realized that the protection offered by one Star Fang Beast core was simply not enough. If he continued to draw near, both his body and soul might be destroyed as soon as he stepped within a thousand feet of the monster.

I still have another one! Without any hesitation, Wang Baole pulled out the second Star Fang Beast core and held it close to his chest. He broke through the thousand-foot radius with the aid of the two beast cores and instantly appeared before the Star Fang Beast that was burning up like the sun.

Once again, the threat of death loomed over Wang Baole. His heart raced with terror. At this juncture, though, he had no choice but to get on the log. The alternative was to wait for another beast to come along, but it was clear that his chances at success were greater with the Star Fang Beast, what with two Star Fang Beast cores in his possession.

Just wing it! Wang Baole clenched his jaw and then pulled out both Star Fang Beast corpses from his storage bracelet. He placed them before him, then leaped towards the approaching Star Fang Beast. There was a rumbling in the sky as waves of melting heat rose to the heavens. After pulling out every trick in the book, Wang Baole finally got on the moving Star Fang Beast.

His heart pumped with adrenaline as the beast continued to sway violently beneath him. He didn't slow down and continued leaping across the monster's back, ignoring the prickling heat and the burning agony, which so unbearable that he howled and unleashed the full power of his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. His cultivation started churning, and he summoned his Dharmic Armaments in an attempt to buy more time for himself. Finally, with one last leap, he landed on the chain binding the beast and the gigantic log behind it!

The chain was like a long, huge bridge. Wang Baole's breathing quickened as soon as he landed. Alarm bells rang in his head. The overwhelming danger rose like waves and threatened to pull him under. The threat of death surged in from all directions, boxing him in. Wang Baole didn't stop to think. He instinctively summoned his Dark Fire and sent it flowing into his bracelet… into the star-shaped, A Thousand Lives bead!

This time, he wasn't trying to get a sense of the technique but activating the technique immediately!

The star-shaped bead burst into a dazzling light instantly as numerous inscriptions materialized. They appeared ancient, circling Wang Baole and darting into his body swiftly, vanishing without a trace.

Wang Baole didn't feel much of a change, save the sudden warmth inside his body that seemed to emanate from deep inside his bones, inside his soul. It was as if he was being protected.

That's it? Wang Baole was surprised. He didn't have much time to dwell on it though. He gritted his teeth as the warmth settled inside his body, then sped down the chain. The Star Fang Beast's forward charge made the chains sway violently. That didn't slow Wang Baole down. He soon realized that every time his foot landed on the chain, images would appear around it.

The images appeared to be that of swords. They weren't causing him any harm though. They seemed safe as long as he didn't step on them. What was most bizarre was how Wang Baole's body knew instinctively where to land his feet. Regardless of how fast he ran, he never landed on any one of those images…

In one instance, Wang Baole had seen a sword-like image appear on the chain where his foot had been supposed to land. However, the image had gone away as soon as his foot had stepped on the chain, leaving only a blank emptiness beneath his foot.

In another instance, Wang Baole had found himself surrounded by these images all around him, with no place for his feet. The Star Fang Beast had suddenly leapt into the air then, sending such a huge force through the chains that Wang Baole had been flung forward thousands of feet. He had landed on a spot without any images.

Wang Baole had been shaken to the core then. He realized then that the warmth inside him had been gradually fading away during his trip down the chains…

Wang Baole finally crossed the entire chain just before the last residual trace of warmth left his body. He leaped and landed on the wooden log. It was enormous. Despite the speed that it was moving at, the log appeared to be relatively stable.

That was easy? Wang Baole looked around him, then turned around and stared at the Star Fang Beast racing ahead as well as the chains binding the beast and the log. Out of curiosity, he pulled out a puppet and steered it onto the chain.

As soon as the puppet stepped onto the chain, a sword-like image appeared beneath its feet. Countless Sword Qi erupted around it and rose to the heavens!

The sudden eruption of spirit energy shook the land and enveloped a full hundred feet around the puppet. Hundreds of thousands of Sword Qi converged at one point instantly. Wang Baole's puppet was disintegrated immediately and turned to dust…

Wang Baole shivered at the sight. His heart raced as he stared at the bead containing A Thousand Lives. He could still remember the earlier warmth. He was certain that his smooth progress—so smooth it bordered on supernatural—was all due to this divine power.

This defies all laws of nature! Wang Baole gasped. Then, he saw a tiny crack on the bead, which proved what he had guessed earlier. The bracelet… could only be used a limited number of times. Its primary purpose was to aid him in grasping the six divine powers held within the beads.

But those were matters to be dealt with in the future. Wang Baole rubbed his finger against the crack, then set his thoughts aside as he turned and raced down the log.

The trip down the log wasn't completely without obstacle. Whatever obstacles he encountered were easily dealt with though. The log seemed to possess the ability to gather spirits, and hordes of spirits would materialize before Wang Baole as he traveled down the log. Others might have required some effort to deal with such problems. In fact, without the appropriate artifact, they might not have been able to move an inch. To Wang Baole, however, this was a piece of cake.

He even let loose a sigh of relief at the sight of these spirits. They were the sort of threat that he found the least concerning. He unleashed the Dark Fire inside him and charged ahead without stopping, racing further and further into the distance!

Seven days passed. Wang Baole kept moving without rest or sleep. Exhaustion began to creep in, but he was about to reach the end of the log. It was then that he heard a thunderous boom in the distance.

Wang Baole shook violently at the sound. He didn't act recklessly. Instead, he sat down and pulled out some pills, then began to practice his cultivation. Two hours later, having reached peak condition, he opened his eyes. There was an intense light shining in them as he rose to his feet and dashed forward!

The thundering booms grew louder as he approached, until… Wang Baole stepped onto the last segment of the log and froze in his tracks. His eyes widened, and a loud buzz exploded in his head. Before his eyes was… the sacrificial altar!

Sitting at the end of the log, even larger than the log itself, was an incredibly huge millstone!

There were nine handles on the millstone that stretched endlessly into the distance, and one of those handles… was the log that Wang Baole was standing on!

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Chapter 645: The Sacrificial Altar!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The sight affirmed what Wang Baole had guessed previously, but seeing it with his own eyes still shook him to the core. He couldn't help but gulp.

The millstone was enormous. It was comprised of two plates, the lower piece unmoving while the upper piece was connected to nine handles and continuously rotated and ground against the lower plate. The grinding made a loud rumbling. It seemed as if nothing could escape being crushed if it fell between the two plates. Wang Baole recalled both towering beasts he had seen while on this world. He concluded, without much difficulty, that there must be some sort of power in this world that was compelling nine towering dead beasts into pulling the millstone's nine enormous handles. The beasts were forced into running around in circles in order to keep the millstone turning!

Each beast was undoubtedly chained. Even the slightest decrease in speed would trigger the runes on the chains, transforming said runes into invisible whips that would whip the beasts into movement. It was an endless cycle of slavery and pain.

Such scale was truly shocking!

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes instinctively. He knelt on the log as he stared at the millstone in the distance. He could see countless bones piled up into numerous mountains under the millstone, and shriveled up puppets moved swiftly as they dragged and flung skeletons into the millstone.

The millstone continued its grinding, and the skeletons thrown in were instantly crushed and ground to fine dust. Blackened blood and minced flesh dripped down the walls of the millstone, but most ended up lost in the millstone, as if devoured.

Wang Baole's distaste towards the Never-Ending Clan grew at the sight, and it took him some time before he was able to calm himself down. Once he had, he inched forward carefully, and the rumbling grew louder as he approached the millstone. It was then that Wang Baole saw a sunken depression in the middle of the millstone.

Within it sat a figure!

It appeared insignificant compared to the enormous millstone. That was why Wang Baole hadn't noticed it until he had drawn nearer and gotten a closer look. It was a figure of an Never-Ending Clan cultivator!

He couldn't tell if he was dead or alive. The eyes on all three of the cultivator's heads were shut, his six arms limp by his side. He might be meditating, or he might have died in that position. There was an absence of vitality on the person. Dark, postmortem bruises could be seen all over the cultivator's body.

Wang Baole studied the Never-Ending Clan cultivator before him instead of acting rashly. He was worried about Zhao Yameng and the rest, as well as the danger involved in the current mission. He had no idea how he was going to escape. Regardless, he knew that there was no point in panicking now that he was already here.

He clenched his teeth and forced himself to shove his anxieties aside, an icy calm settling in his eyes. He knelt there and continued to observe the millstone as it continued its grinding. He wanted to observe the situation for a while longer so that he might discover any loopholes or faults.

Time passed slowly as Wang Baole continued watching patiently. Seven days went by.

In those seven days, he noticed that it took the log exactly seven days to go one full circle around the millstone. He even noted the rate at which the millstone ground the skeletons, though the information proved to be of little use. The millstone was like an extremely fine-tuned and powerful machine that continued turning without pause during those seven days.

The puppets shifting the skeletons and the Never-Ending Clan cultivator sitting on the millstone were identical in that regard. It was as if they had become immortalized in time.

There's no way I can get closer if nothing changes. I have no way of destroying the sacrificial altar… Wang Baole frowned. He shoved down his feelings of anxiety and unease and continued to wait. He didn't have to wait as long this time. After three days, something changed.

It wasn't the millstone or the puppets but the entire world that changed. Wang Baole was perched on an elevated position, which gave him a greater field of vision. He could see the distant skies turning crimson red. It was as if a red mist was rapidly racing towards him!

Loud rumbling came from all directions, growing louder by the moment. Wang Baole could see a black mass in the distance, charging towards him!

That's… Wang Baole's pupils contracted. He was familiar with this sight. The red mist was formed from the pollen expelled from Demonic Green Poria Flowers. It wasn't hard to figure out that the black masses on land… were countless skeletons headed this way!

Is it possible that the sacrificial altar summons a storm of sorts at a fixed interval, attracting skeletons that have risen under the demonic flowers' spell and drawing them to it? Alarm flashed across Wang Baole's face. He stared at the mountains of bones under the millstone, then turned towards the distant horizon. Panic gradually rose inside him as the sight before him proved his guesses right.

The lands shook, and the terrifying stench of death came rushing from afar, bursting out from the ground. A huge crocodile, with its rotten flesh, emerged and joined the approaching army of the dead.

The crocodile wasn't the only powerful creature in this world of the dead. Death cast an alarming shadow as more such creatures made their presence known!

A strange power was churning in this world. Every Demonic Green Poria Flower blossomed and released their pollen, forming crimson mists that drove the corpses around them towards the sacrificial altar.

Wang Baole could no longer sit and wait as danger approached. He crouched down and began crawling towards the sacrificial altar. Once the corpses under the influence of the red mist gathered, they were bound to discover his presence. He would be trapped in a sea of zombies again, like what had happened before.

His chances of survival would be slim then. His only way out now was to head for the sacrificial altar. It was dangerous, but it was also Wang Baole's only option.

I shouldn't have come here! Wang Baole had a dark look on his face as he hurried forward. Then, suddenly, something flashed across his face. He stared at the mountains of bones under the log. The puppets moving the bones seemed oblivious to the fact that there were more than forty figures on one of those mountains approaching the sacrificial altar cautiously!

They were familiar faces—Feng Qiuran, Zhao Yameng, Kong Dao, Xu Ming, Lu Yun, as well as a couple of other Nascent Soul realm cultivators.

How long have they been hiding there? Wang Baole paused in his tracks. His eyes swept past the group and stopped on the five-colored, glowing jewel in Feng Qiuran's hand. He appeared deep in thought. Feng Qiuran was obviously the leader of the group. She had somehow used some means unknown to him that could hide the group from view and avoid the puppets' detection.

They must have arrived quite some time ago and decided to observe the situation, just like me. The sudden mass release of pollen must have forced them to take action! Wang Baole came to an immediate conclusion while keeping his eyes on Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao.

He released a sigh of relief when he saw that they were unharmed. Some of the cultivators looked weakened, but none of them were injured. Their journey here must have been filled with obstacles. However, they had managed to emerge relatively unscathed under the protection of Feng Qiuran's Soul Conduit realm cultivation. The overwhelming power emanating from the log, as well as Wang Baole's unexpected hiding place, meant that he was able to discover their hiding place while he remained hidden from their view.

Everyone was advancing cautiously. It wasn't the right moment for Wang Baole to reveal himself. He kept a watchful eye on Feng Qiuran and the others while making his way slowly towards the altar.

Both parties approached the sacrificial altar from their respective positions as pollen continued to be released into the air in explosive bursts. The lands trembled violently as the countless corpses approached them. Finally, they reached the edge of the altar at the same time!

The stench of blood hit them in their faces. There was an overwhelming power in the air that seemed to forbid them from entering. It weighed down on everyone, sending many cultivators shaking despite still being protected by Feng Qiuran's cultivation. It was an instinctive terror, and Wang Baole was affected as well. He threw a look at Feng Qiuran and the others again.

He saw Feng Qiuran raising her hand to form a series of hand seals, then pointing her finger suddenly. A talisman giving off a blinding light emerged from her storage bag. It felt extremely old and looked as if it had survived the passing of millennia. An incredible aura emanated from it. Wang Baole felt as if he were staring a powerful Planet realm cultivator in the face, which caused his breathing to quicken.

Feng Qiuran bit the tip of her tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood, and as the blood touched the talisman, flames appeared instantly. A firebird emerged from within the fire, its body formed of flames. It shrieked, then flew towards the millstone!

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Chapter 646: Sealed In!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole's pupils contracted as he stared unblinkingly at the firebird. He readied himself to take action at a moment's notice, body crouched forward like a cheetah ready to take the leap!

A cheetah with a slightly bulging tummy, perhaps… but that didn't hinder Wang Baole's movements in the slightest. The slightly chubby tummy might even be a sign of greater flexibility.

Wang Baole focused his concentration and prepared himself. The firebird flew around the millstone, in the opposite direction that it was turning, and smashed into it. A thunderous boom rang out, rippling outwards. The firebird unleashed its full strength with its attack, then disintegrated into dust. The millstone wasn't damaged. It did, however, stop for a moment when the firebird collided with it!

The millstone stopped turning for a second, its nine handles jerking violently. In the distance, nine towering beasts in nine different directions let loose furious roars.

Everything happened in the single moment when the millstone stopped. Feng Qiuran seemed to be waiting for this moment. She dashed forward and slipped into the gap between the two plates!

Following close behind her were Zhao Yameng and the others. They let loose a sudden burst of speed, approaching the millstone and making their way into the same opening. Mirroring their actions was Wang Baole!

He was extremely swift, stepping into the gap immediately after the rest had exploited the sudden pause in the millstone's rotation and burrowed their way into the slight opening.

His sudden appearance was quite a shock to some of the cultivators, but they released a sigh of relief upon realizing that it was Wang Baole. Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao were delighted to see him, while Feng Qiuran froze in surprise before nodding at him.

This wasn't the time for conversation though. They kept their pace as they made their way through the gaps revealed with the plates' sudden stop.

The stench of blood rushed to meet them, and crushed bones and flesh surrounded them—it was a horrifying sight to behold. Some almost wanted to throw up, but there was no time for disgust. No one wanted to die here, so they shoved down all discomfort and advanced frantically!

They were well aware… that they were traveling between two plates. If they didn't escape out of the area before the millstone started moving again, they would end up sharing the fates of those skeletons thrown in the millstone—crushed to bits!

Everyone was racing forward madly. Fortunately, even though the millstone was enormous and heavy, the force of the firebird's collision had been extremely powerful as well. Nobody spared any effort or wasted any time as they ran madly between the plates. They finally dashed out of the danger zone before the millstone started turning again, arriving at the center of the millstone!

The center was hollowed out. Before them was a huge hole that connected the upper and lower plates, and the hole was filled with howling winds.

While a great many of the party had managed to escape from the gap between the two plates, there were a few who were too slow. The millstone started moving before they could get out, and an irresistible suction force yanked them back in, pulling them back between the plates. The rumbling of the turning plates and their screams of pain sent shivers down the surviving cultivators' spines.

"We'll make a run for it. This is the only way into the second level. We have to disrupt the sacrificial altar in order to activate a teleportation!" Feng Qiuran had a dark look on her face and was dashing down the hole even as she spoke!

Her cultivation continued to shelter Zhao Yameng, Kong Dao, and her two personal disciples. The rest stayed near her as well as they raced down the hole. As for Wang Baole, he kept close to the other Nascent Soul realm cultivators.

Stress weighed down on everyone's hearts as they continued running down the hole. If not for their resilience, they would have broken down in tears, having navigated multiple failed attempts at escape without an end in sight.

The hole was like a dark cave, a gaping wide maw that felt suffocating. The continuous turning of the millstone created a suction force that continued to draw them upwards, preventing them from speeding up.

There was also the terrible stench of blood that permeated the hole. They might be cultivators who had nourished their bodies with Spirit Qi and developed extraordinary constitutions, but the stench was simply too much for them. Their heads were beginning to feel dizzy. They wanted to throw up!

Such intense discomfort could be tolerated and overcome, but that was not the end of their struggles. As the group continued their descent, the force emanating from the hole intensified exponentially, boxing them in from all directions. Ten seconds into the descent, an early-stage Core Formation realm cultivator's face went from a pale white to a ruddy red, then a dark purple. His eyes widened, then rolled up, and his body exploded under the extreme pressure.

Wang Baole's breathing quickened. He summoned his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor to protect him against the increasing pressure. Together with Chi Lin and a few other cultivators, they tried to aid the other Core Formation realm cultivators in fighting against the growing pressure. There was only so much that they could do. Soon, a second Core Formation realm cultivator perished as his body exploded!

He was followed by the third, then the fourth explosion. Two other Core Formation realm cultivators finally broke down. They howled, terror and despair bright in their eyes, and started ascending instead of descending.

"Come back!" Feng Qiuran shouted frantically after them, but her words were lost to the wind. They seemed to run even faster upwards. They vanished into the distance with the aid of the suction force, disappearing into the other end of the hole.

Two screams of pain pierced through the darkness then. They were followed by a low grinding, as if the two cultivators were being forcefully ground down into pulp. Their screams echoed in the air as a sudden sense of danger surged downwards from the top end of the hole.

Wang Baole thought his soul was about to be ripped apart. There was no time to think. He activated A Thousand Lives on his bracelet!

An overpowering stench of something rotten rushed down through the hole at the exact moment he activated the divine power. It was as if a huge beast was charging through the hole towards them.

Before the creature could approach, Feng Qiuran bit the tip of her tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood. Her hands came together in a flurry of hand seals. The blood she had spat out turned a glaring red and transformed into a vast red-colored net that sealed the hole behind Wang Baole and the other Nascent Soul realm cultivators, preventing the creature's approach.

A deafening roar rang out. The blood-colored net pulsated brightly. As they descended further, Wang Baole could see a huge, festering palm the size of the hole claw at the net. The net seemed to be holding it back, but it was a temporary measure. It was already fading right before their eyes.

It was going to be ripped apart at any time, and then there was going to be nothing between them and the monstrous hand. It was then that an opening finally appeared at the bottom of the hole. A soft glow emanated from the opening as the group raced madly towards it.

It seemed as if the opening was unwilling to let them leave. It was sealing itself shut. They had but a dozen or so seconds before they were completely sealed in!

Wang Baole's heart pumped rapidly at the sight of escape. He unleashed a sudden burst of speed. It was then that the blood-colored net collapsed completely. The festering hand seemed to realize that they were about to slip through its fingers. It shook and suddenly sped up, whipping up sudden winds that stank of decay as it caught up with the cultivators and… made a sudden grab for them!

Most of the cultivators managed to dodge the attack, but there were six to seven of them, including a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, who failed to evade the monstrous hand. They were caught and crushed instantly when the hand tightened into a fist!

Wang Baole had been within the monstrous hand's range as well, but he had bizarrely managed to slip through its fingers. A sudden wind then sent him knocking into the walls of the hole. Blood seeped from Wang Baole's lips. The devouring seed started churning inside him, pulling him against the wall. He climbed down rapidly and sneaked into a crack in the wall.

The enormous hand began swiping the air madly just as he wormed into the crack. Deafening booms and screams of pain filled the air. Sudden winds rushed past him. It was a long time before silence took over.

Pale and terrified, Wang Baole waited a long while before he finally released a puppet out from the crack to survey the area. The opening had been sealed shut, and its surroundings were tainted with smashed bits of flesh and blood. Wang Baole grew silent.

He had no idea if Feng Qiuran, Zhao Yameng, Kong Dao, and the others had managed to successfully escape through the opening before it had sealed shut. However, he was certain that many had perished during the earlier clash with the monstrous hand.

If not for his divine power, A Thousand Lives, which had allowed him to evade the blows mysteriously and led him to fall inside this crack, there was a great chance that he wouldn't have survived either.

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Chapter 647: The Interior!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole's heart was still racing when the puppet he had released suddenly shattered without any warning. It was as if a sudden force had given it a squeeze, crushing it and turning it into dust!

Following that was a strange force that latched onto the connection between the puppet and Wang Baole and followed it back to Wang Baole, to his hiding place in the crack. Wang Baole retreated immediately. When the warmth in his body finally cooled down, and 'A Thousand Lives' effects finally faded away, Wang Baole had vanished into the distance and successfully evaded the pursuing destructive force.

It was only when he was sure that the destructive force had ceased pursuit that Wang Baole finally leaned against the wall. He was panting, his heart racing wildly. The danger here was beyond what he had expected. From the initial encounter with the hallucinogenic pollen to everything he had encountered, which included the most recent attack, he had been bombarded with danger at every corner!

To think that I'm still only on the first level… this battleship is really impressive. It must be a piece of cake for it to destroy the current Dao Palace. But it doesn't make sense as well… if it's so powerful, why did it release a cry for help? Wang Baole frowned. Feng Qiuran and the rest from the Dao Palace might have been fooled by that due to sentiment, but Wang Baole didn't know the person who had called out for their help. After thinking through everything that had happened to them, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes thoughtfully.

The cries for help are meant to draw others to it. In that case, it might be possible… that the battleship only appears to be incredibly powerful and able to commandeer extremely powerful monsters. However, in reality, many limitations restrict it as well. There's a possibility that the creatures on the battleship are trapped inside this world and cannot leave. Another possibility is that the battleship requires certain special fuel to power it! Wang Baole had limited information on hand. He could only guess so much. Even though these might be vague guesses, he had a feeling that he was on the right track.

If it's the former, then the mastermind drawing everyone to the battleship must be doing so in order to destroy the most powerful cultivators in the Dao Palace. If it's the latter, then he's using us for some sort of sacrifice. He means to kill us or to have us under his control! The expression on Wang Baole's face was dark. He was silent for a long while before he surveyed his surroundings.

He was now inside the millstone. The millstone must have been around for a very long time. Its unceasing grinding had resulted in many small cracks appearing across the entire millstone. The cracks were insignificant to the millstone's continual grinding, but to Wang Baole, they were numerous passageways that led to the unknown.

Wang Baole forcibly set aside his worries over Zhao Yameng's and Kong Dao's safety and studied the passageway before him. He took a deep breath, then carefully inched forward amidst the deafening sounds of grinding around him. He was going to find out if the other end of the passageway was a way out.

Time passed steadily as Wang Baole walked down the passageway. He was met with a dead-end multiple times and had to turn back and attempt another passageway. He remained cautious throughout, releasing a puppet to survey the passageway ahead of him should he sense any potential danger. He eventually released a horde of puppets and got them to check out multiple passageways concurrently. That was how he managed to single out the best route to take.

Nearly a week passed by. It was noon when Wang Baole finally paused in his tracks. His pupils contracted, and his face turned pale. He had just glimpsed something through the eyes of one of his puppets.

The puppet was in a passageway not so far away from his. There was a huge lake at the end of that passageway. Above the lake was a large flower!

It was purple and grew from the ceiling. It hung downwards and was in full blossom, spanning a hundred feet and giving off an eerie, demonic glow. Purple fluid was slowly dripping from the flower into the lake beneath it!

Dozens of figures sat cross-legged on the lake. They had three heads and six arms and emanated a powerful aura. They were absent of any life, but they also showed no signs of being dead. It was as if they had been sealed in a void and were deep in slumber.

Terrifying injuries covered their bodies. The liquid in the lake seemed to possess certain healing properties though, as their injuries appeared to be healing slowly as their bodies remained soaked in the lake!

They were healing at a sluggish pace, but there was no doubt that they were indeed recovering!

Wang Baole was instantly seized by anxiety at the sight. His wariness grew after he sensed the powerful waves of spirit energy emanating from these Never-Ending Clan cultivators. Even the weakest of these cultivators was a match for Mie Liezi.

Wang Baole didn't act rashly. Instead, he maneuvered his puppet into retreating carefully. He continued searching the other cracks nervously. A long time passed, and a solemn-looking Wang Baole discovered more than twenty such lakes inside the millstone!

Wang Baole had no idea how many more lakes remained undiscovered. He found that each lake would always have a huge purple flower hanging over it. Its fluids would drip into the lake and help heal the Never-Ending Clan cultivators!

Wang Baole's heart began racing with fear. Fortunately, he had an army of puppets with him. He became more careful with his selection of passageways to explore as he grew more mindful of these flowers. His search led to his discovery of the flowers' stems and branches!

The stem of each purple flower was buried deeply into the stone ceiling. In addition, they all led back to a huge vein!

Wang Baole continued to deploy his puppets in a wider search. After a few days, he finally located the huge vein at the end of a passageway. Its diameter was a thousand feet long. It was soft to the touch and had a translucent outer layer. Upon a closer look, one could see masses of blood and flesh—mushy like pulp—traveling down the vein!

Wang Baole gasped at the sight. His mind began conjuring images of a massive millstone crushing the skeletons into a fleshy pulp and sending said pulp into such veins. The veins would branch off into stems, which were connected to separate chambers. A purple flower would blossom in the ceiling of such a chamber and would produce fluids with healing properties.

Based on the size of the millstone, we can conclude that there must be more than one such veins in the millstone. If there's only one of them, we could simply locate its source and dump some poison in, killing this thing once and for all… Wang Baole sighed as he stared at the vein before him. Of course, he wasn't in possession of such a poison. In addition, trying to locate the source—even if there were only one vein—would be challenging. The slightest oversight might lead to these Never-Ending Clan members waking up. That would really be the end of him then.

Wang Baole sighed and abandoned the idea. He tried to ignore the discomfort he was feeling as he studied the vein before him. After a long moment, he clenched his jaw. He knew that the vein was likely his only chance of finding a way out.

He would be able to reach the deepest part of the millstone by traveling down the vein. Only then would he be able to find a way out of the battleship. This was the only solution he could come up with, having spent two weeks in this damned place.

Wang Baole's eyes shone with grim determination. He approached the vein and slowly pressed his body into it. It was soft. He pressed harder and sank into the vein. His body was now buried inside its outer layer. He hadn't yet crossed over and entered the vein, but he could feel the smashed up blood and flesh moving inside the vein, and he could smell the heavy stench of blood.

He wasn't someone who was easily cowed though. Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. Without any hesitation, he began climbing down the vein, sinking further into the vein when he came across any protruding rocks. He moved carefully and steadily downwards without encountering any danger.

Wang Baole didn't know how far he walked. He must have walked for three days before he finally saw the end of the tunnel. It seemed to lead into a new world—one that was lit.

Wang Baole grew excited when he saw the light. His breathing quickened as he picked up the pace. Just as he was about to reach the end of the tunnel, he slowed down and released a puppet to inspect the area first. He was able to clearly see the lit area that the tunnel led to through his puppet's eyes!

Wang Baole's eyes widened at the sight before him.

What is this place?

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Chapter 648: The Third Level!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The lit area below was another new world altogether!

It looked creepy and was drastically different from all the worlds that Wang Baole had seen. Even the Vast Expanse Dao Palace Main Star that had been annexed by the Never-Ending Clan hadn't been as shocking a sight as this place!

The skies of this world were black. In fact, they were covered by a thick fog that was black. Thick veins woven from flesh and blood extended from the fog, running downwards towards the land!

There were thousands of such veins in this world. They cluttered the skies and converged at a single point on land!

The convergence stood on pitch-black land… an incredible, towering and sturdy pillar that spanned a hundred thousand feet wide!

The pillar was similarly formed from flesh and blood, and contractions traveled slowly down the pillar. Thousands of veins connected to it and each contraction seemed to suck the blood and flesh pulp inside the thousands of connected veins!

One could see the top of this round pillar but not how deep it went underground. Beyond the pillar were black soil and countless fleshy lumps, and within each lump was nested a fetus. They didn't seem to be fetuses of Never-Ending Clan members but of a breed of monsters!

There were clear signs that the world had been reformed. The veins were a terrifying sight to behold. There was a protective sheen of light a hundred thousand feet around the huge pillar that radiated a blue glow and seemed to serve as a defensive barrier against intruders.

A similar blue sheen could be found around every vein. The veins, alongside the pillar, seemed to form a world onto themselves. Another world seemed to exist outside the blue defensive barrier.

Rumbling sounds continued to resonate in the air. Wang Baole's heart raced at the sights and sounds assaulting his senses. After a long while, he took a deep breath and fell into a thoughtful silence. He clenched his jaw and began climbing down the vein. He passed through the clouds and finally saw the world with his own eyes.

The entire world seemed to revolve around the pillar. The glowing blue barrier protected the pillar, and anything beyond couldn't enter. Wang Baole had somehow been lucky enough to locate a vein inside the millstone and climbed his way into the world. He had ended up on the right side of the blue barrier!

His heart raced, and his breathing grew uneven. He sprawled inside the vein and looked around. In his eyes, the pillar resembled a silk larva that was sucking nutrients that came from the millstone. The things that Wang Baole had seen inside the millstone led to his conclusion that there was a great likelihood that another world existed on the other side of this pillar, underground!

If the corpses formed the first level, then this is the second level… Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. The image of the battleship surfaced in his mind. He remembered it was formed from three huge circular disks.

There was a fourth disk connecting the three disks, which was likely the battleship's main body. It was layered under the other three intersecting disks and sat in the center of the disks.

Going by that logic, if the fourth disk is the second level, then both Mie Liezi and Daoist You Ran should be here! Wang Baole rubbed at his forehead as he stared into the distance. The world was so vast that Wang Baole couldn't see its end.

He pondered for a while before abandoning the thought of crossing over to the other side of the blue defensive barrier. Since he had already found himself on the inside of the barrier, he should now be many steps ahead of the rest. This might seem dangerous, but it might also be a safer place for him to be.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes at that thought. He raced down the vein, took a sudden leap, and landed. He went to the edge of the blue barrier and released a puppet. He discovered that, while there were difficulties in crossing the barrier, it wasn't an impossible feat. However, it was nearly impossible for the puppet to return to the inside of the barrier. Having concluded that, he then turned towards the gigantic pillar before him.

Wang Baole studied the pillar for a while before circling it. His eyes flashed with an intense light after he returned to his original position. He pulled out his puppet and allowed it to approach the pillar. He wanted to know if the puppet could sink in and emerge on the inside of the pillar then make its way down into what he believed was the third level of the battleship.

The pillar might display some malleability through its constant contractions, but it was far hardier than the veins. There was no way one could force his way inside without peeling the outer layer and drilling a hole into its insides.

Wang Baole could feel an oncoming headache. He had a gut feeling that something must be going on down there. It could be secrets about the battleship or a chance to escape. However, it was clear that he wasn't going to be able to enter the pillar without encountering any dangers.

Wang Baole wasn't willing to just give up though. He narrowed his eyes as he considered his options. He decided he was going to test the pillar with his puppet. Having made up his mind, he took a deep breath and assessed the hardiness of the pillar again. Then, he narrowed his eyes. The Flame Snatch Thearch Armor appeared over him amidst deafening thunder, blood-colored meridians weaving themselves into a gruesome armor as his skeletal Divine Armament arm shone with a lethal light.

There was no hesitation as Wang Baole fell back a hundred feet, stomped his right foot on the ground violently, gathered strength, and then shot forward like an arrow. He darted towards the pillar, his skeletal Divine Armament arm pointed forward.

His charge broke the sound barrier. As he approached the pillar, he raised his right fist and sent a punch flying out. Augmented by the power of the Thearch Armor, his own cultivation, as well as his initial charge, the punch was the strongest that Wang Baole had unleashed yet. It unleashed the power of the Divine Armament and exploded in a deafening thunder. It punched straight through the pillar!

The hole that was made wasn't large, it was the size of his fist. It didn't trigger a backlash from the pillar either. Such a wound was akin to a minute cut on the human body—utterly insignificant.

The blow had caused a muted bang to ring out in the air. Purple fluids flowed out from the hole. However, as soon as Wang Baole pulled out his fist, the wound began to heal rapidly, right before his eyes!

There wasn't time for Wang Baole to enlarge the hole and send in his puppet. As the hole was about to seal itself completely shut, grim determination flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. His physical body blurred as his avatar materialized and separated from him. It transformed into a bolt of lightning that darted through the hole before it sealed shut completely.

Wang Baole's body shook slightly. He pulled out his puppet to stand guard as he found a discreet spot where he could sit down. His attention was split as he kept watch on his surroundings while steering his avatar into descending down the pillar filled with purple fluids.

His avatar immediately experienced the terrifying corrosive properties of the purple fluids as it came into contact with the latter inside the pillar. His true flesh and blood form would have been eaten away by the fluids instantly.

His puppets wouldn't have been able to withstand the corrosion either. Wang Baole's avatar, on the other hand, was formed from lightning instead of flesh and blood. That was why it could temporarily withstand the corrosive purple fluid. However, it was clear that it wouldn't be able to survive prolonged exposure. He needed it to descend as quickly as possible underground and locate the third level.

However… the purple fluid wasn't the only danger present inside the pillar. There appeared to be other unknown dangers. Wang Baole's avatar descended a hundred feet before there was a sudden flash of golden light. He didn't manage to catch what happened before his avatar collapsed and turned into electricity that then sank into the purple fluid.

On the second level, Wang Baole's eyes opened suddenly. He studied the pillar before him, then summoned a second avatar. He burst a hole open in the pillar again and sent the avatar in. He was more cautious this time. He equipped the avatar with a defensive, eight-grade Dharmic Armament.

That proved to be useful. When the golden light flared this time, it was followed by an additional thunderous boom. That was the sound of the unknown golden entity colliding with and breaking apart his Dharmic Armament. His avatar exploded in the next moment. This time, Wang Baole was finally able to catch a good look at the source of the attack!

It was a golden, broken finger!

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Chapter 649: Battle Robes!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

It didn't contain the presence of a Divine Armament. It was a mere finger emanating waves of energy that almost stopped Wang Baole's breathing. It was as if a single touch from the broken finger could turn him into dust!

Wang Baole's heart raced as worry gripped him. He sat there, deep in thought, a dark look in his eyes. He was prepared to open another hole and release his avatar.

The avatar started running as soon as it entered the pillar. It didn't descend as its previous forms had, but ran upwards. It tried its best to keep to the center of the pillar while bathed in purple fluids. It created a centrifugal force, and purple fluids began to splash outwards.

The commotion quickly attracted those terrifying entities resting inside the pillar. A dozen golden beams charged towards the puppet.

They're not as reactive as I expected… Wang Baole narrowed his eyes as he thought. The approaching golden beams that locked onto Wang Baole's avatar reached the latter and pierced through its body instantly. Wang Baole was able to identify the beams with the help of the avatar before it was completely destroyed. They were all broken limbs and body parts!

They were all, without exception, golden!

They didn't all originate from the same body. The beams of golden light were able to leave after destroying Wang Baole's avatar. Wang Baole had been ready for this though and released another avatar into the pillar again without hesitation.

"Let's try again and test their reaction time!" Wang Baole muttered to himself, then focused on his avatar.

As soon as his avatar sneaked into the pillar, it unleashed a sudden burst of speed and started running upwards. It attempted to create a greater commotion while keeping itself in the center of the pillar. It didn't take long… before this avatar was destroyed as well.

The golden limbs have no mind of their own. They're attacking based on instinct… even though they're powerful, they can be exploited. After some thought, Wang Baole continued his attempts without stopping.

He continued trying. Once, twice, thrice… seven, eight, nine times… he had to consume multiple pills in order to keep up with the rate his cultivation was being expended. He released numerous avatars without rest. They were like a sacrificial tribute, racing to their deaths.

His avatars had become bait, attacking the same spot and luring his prey into gathering together in one place!

The purposeful luring got many more of those golden entities surging in from all directions. This went on for a long while, and a pale-faced Wang Baole witnessed his avatar destroyed yet another time. It was as if his body was being hollowed out. He released yet another avatar and, with a wave of his hand, summoned a flying sword and hid it inside the avatar. When the avatar entered the pillar this time, it didn't race upwards. Instead, it charged downwards in the opposite direction!

It swiftly raced past the deepest part past avatars had reached. The golden entities had been gathered in the upper part of the pillar. That meant that the avatar had an easier time as it charged down the pillar.

The avatar went past the second level and arrived at an unknown area before the broken, golden body parts managed to realize what was going on!

Wang Baole thought he saw something shining outside the pillar. Before he had time to examine it further, broken golden body parts came racing towards him in the purple fluid. Just as they were about to swarm his avatar and destroy it yet again, his avatar opened its mouth, and out flew a red flying sword!

It was the most powerful of the tri-colored flying swords, which rivaled a ninth-grade Dharmic Armament, that Wang Baole had.

His avatar gave the sword a boost. Bolts of lightning appeared around the sword as it unleashed an incredible speed and power, charging at the walls of the pillar. The walls might be sturdy and might heal fast, but the attack still managed to create a tiny opening in the pillar!

The opening was no wider than an inch. It was barely a cut to such an enormous pillar. No man or puppet could have slipped through the opening, but the avatar was formed from lightning. It followed the sword, transformed itself into a bolt of lightning, and snaked through the opening within the blink of an eye!

The red flying sword couldn't do that as easily though. The opening sealed up immediately after Wang Baole's avatar escaped, and the sword was left trapped inside the pillar.

Wang Baole ached for the loss of his sword, but this was no time for mourning. His avatar stood outside the pillar and surveyed its surroundings.

The sight sent both his avatar and his true form reeling back and gasping in shock!

The space under the second level shouldn't be described as another world. It wasn't as big. It appeared less like a separate world and more like an enormous cavern!

The end of the pillar could finally be seen on the ceiling of the cavern. It hovered in the air instead of reaching all the way to the ground. It looked like a tunnel that had been drilled into the second level.

Countless tentacles grew on the pillar, some short and some long. They looked like whiskers swaying gently in the wind. What Wang Baole found extremely creepy were the heads that grew on the ends of the tentacles!

There were heads of both men and women, old and young. It was as if these heads had been chopped off then attached to the ends of the tentacles. It was a horrifying sight to behold. Wang Baole's breathing stopped as he discovered, upon closer look, that their eyes were all shut. No matter how strongly the tentacles swayed, they showed no signs of waking up. Some of these tentacles had drooped to the ground and dipped into the lake!

It was a golden lake, and its surface was as calm as a mirror. In the center of the lake, which lay squarely below the pillar, sat someone!

He was from the Never-Ending Clan, with three heads and six arms. He looked strong and well-built, and he emanated an incredible power that blanketed the area.

The cultivator's body seemed to contain an ocean of spirit energy. There was a gaping hole in his forehead, and it seemed to be healing as the lake nourished the body while tearing itself further apart. Its full recovery appeared to be impossible.

The eyes of Wang Baole's avatar contracted at the sight. It stood, immobile, for a very long time. Nothing came at it though. That was when Wang Baole began to study the body in the middle of the lake carefully.

His brow furrowed after a while. He took a few steps forward, then continued watching from afar.

No signs of life or death. They look like flesh and blood bodies, and yet they give off a feeling… that resembles a Dharmic treasure. Wang Baole couldn't pinpoint his exact feelings towards the body in the lake, but the more he observed it, the more it resembled a set of… clothes!

In fact, one might even call it… an armor!

"It seems to be a… Spirit Stone at the same time? Some sort of container for Spirit Qi?" Wang Baole narrowed his eyes as he muttered to himself. He was about to enter the lake and inspect it up close. He prepared for the worst. Should anything happen, he'd immediately terminate the connection between his avatar and his true form.

Just as Wang Baole was about to rush forward, suddenly… one of the heads attached to the tentacles hanging above him—one belonging to an old man—opened his eyes!

The elder had a head of white hair and a face lined with wrinkles. There was confusion in his eyes, and his voice was hoarse.

"Save me… save me…"

Wang Baole's scalp went numb when he heard that voice. He retreated hurriedly, then lifted his head up. Shock gripped him. The elder who had spoken was clearly dead. There was a darkness in his eyes. However, his voice rang out clearly in the air. It seemed to possess a certain power, a clarity that pierced through the cavern and the battleship and resonated across space itself.

It was a voice that Wang Baole was familiar with. It had come drifting with the wind, echoing in the Dao Palace as it cried out for help. This was… the voice of Feng Qiuran's father, whom she had been desperately seeking, the voice of Mie Liezi's uncle master, who had once been a powerful cultivator of the Dao Palace!

There's nothing I can do here now… I need to let Elder Feng Qiuran and the others know what's going on as soon as possible! Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He hadn't yet given up on examining the body of the Never-Ending Clan member. His true form would leave this place and seek out Feng Qiuran and the others.

Just as Wang Baole was about to take action, suddenly… Little Missy, who had been silent all this while, spoke in his head!

"That's what is controlling this battleship… the battle robes!"

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Chapter 650: The Death Dao!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole whipped out the mask as soon as he heard the voice. It wasn't invisible. This wasn't another illusion. Ever since he had entered the battleship, he had grown increasingly paranoid.

"Stop looking. It's your fault for sneaking into this wretched place. I've been suppressed since you entered the battleship and had to hide myself. I've even had to go back to sleep in order to prevent myself from being devoured. I can't stay awake for long either!" Little Missy said in an annoyed voice when she saw what Wang Baole did.

"Devoured?" Wang Baole's mind was set at ease when he realized that Little Missy was alright and her usual self. He had perked up until he heard what Little Missy had said.

"Youngsters these days, each one bolder than the next. Feng Qiuran's like that, and so is that Mie Liezi. Even You Ran. They've all gone mad. You too, fatty! Do you know where you are? This is the Never-Ending Clan's Death Dao Battleship!" Little Missy sounded tired. If one could see her actual form now, they would be able to see her rubbing her forehead while pointing an accusatory finger at the chubby cultivator standing in front of her.

"The Death Dao? Isn't this a Sacrificial Palace?" This was the first time Wang Baole had heard about the Death Dao.

"During the war between the Never-Ending Clan and the Dark Sect, the Never-Ending Clan destroyed the Heavenly Dao and changed the nomological laws. They used the fallen Heavenly Dao and space as the cauldron, and stars as their materials, to create ninety thousand Death Dao Battleships. The first nine hundred battleships were as powerful as a Star Domain realm cultivators, the next nine thousand battleships as powerful as Eternal Star realm cultivators, and the remaining battleships as powerful as Planet realm cultivators. The battleship that you are currently in might have been severely damaged, but it is still at the Spirit Immortal realm!

"Death Dao Battleships prohibit the entry of the living. Any living person on board would be contaminated by the environment and drained of all life. That is because shards of the Heavenly Dao have been buried in the battleship. The corpses of that past great war are also buried here. The laws governing this place ensures that it will continue running, without ever stopping, and the source of it all are the battle robes before you!

"The one who puts on those robes will seize control over this battleship. He will also be able to commandeer the countless dead in this ship!"

Wang Baole's widened when he heard that. He jerked his head towards the battle robes, hunger burning in his eyes. Before he could say anything though, Little Missy spoke again, irritation clear in her voice.

"The only way to get the robes on is to sacrifice one's blood and flesh and set fire to one's soul. Just as the soul is about to turn to nothingness, he will then meld with the battle robes and become one with the robes. He'll be able to commandeer the Death Dao Battleship then. From that point onwards, you and the battleship will be one and the same. You wanna give that a try, fatty?"

"Ah?" Wang Baole didn't realize that was what Little Missy was leading to. He hesitated.

"It's not bad, actually. You can still continue your cultivation after you've turned into the battleship. You might even meet a female battleship one day and start a relationship," Little Missy said, her tone casual. The words she was speaking made Wang Baole's hair stand, though. He shook his head hastily.

"You'll find it a challenging feat even if you do want to try it. The battle robes have been damaged. The last entity who fused his soul with it was slain by someone else, and the wound on his forehead remains on the battle robes. The only way to heal that wound is through sacrificing the living. My guess is that you've all been lured here. They want your living flesh and blood!

"Your flesh and blood will form nutrients that can be absorbed by the battle robes. It won't help the mastermind in seizing control over the armies of the dead on board this battleship, but he'll be able to take over the steering of the battleship. He can head towards the Dao Palace then. If the living there aren't enough, he can charge into the Federation and lay waste to every living creature in the Federation. The scale of that blood sacrifice should be sufficient for it to recover a significant extent of its power.

"The Never-Ending Clan is fixated on assigning missions. If I'm not wrong, the mastermind behind this entire conspiracy accepted the mission to stop the ancient greenish-bronze sword in flight, and the mission is still in progress. The punishment he will have to face will be great if he fails. That is why he won't call for help unless he has to. Some other things might also have happened that resulted in him being unable to transmit his location back to the Never-Ending Clan. That could be another reason why he hasn't sought reinforcements. In fact, this person is likely thinking about the great rewards he'll be receiving should he manage to complete the mission. The incentive is sufficiently enticing that he's willing to gamble!"

Little Missy laid out her thoughts meticulously. She spoke in a mellow voice that was low but absent of heaviness. Wang Baole blinked. He agreed with Little Missy's assessment, but he also knew Little Missy's character. Since she had shared so much with him, she must have a solution. He coughed, then threw a few casual praises at her before asking anxiously for a way out of their current situation.

"Simple. Just call for your senior brother. He'll solve this for you with a single blade." Little Missy snorted. She clearly found Wang Baole's flattery unsatisfactory.

Wang Baole was rendered speechless. He knew that was indeed the easiest way out of this. However, he had no idea how to get his senior brother's attention. He sighed, then suddenly said.

"Wait, what if I try to scare the mastermind? I'll tell him that my senior brother is the first Divine King and that killing me would be suicide. Would that work?"

Little Missy began to regret her earlier attempt at mockery. Wang Baole's idea had caught her by surprise, and it seemed like a reasonable plan. She felt so exhausted and hurriedly said, "Stop wasting time on wild ideas. Your enemy might want to kill you more if you declare who you really are. What you have before you is a rare opportunity. You might not be able to put on those robes, but you can drain it of its power. Activate your devouring seed and suck it dry. You might just get yourself and everyone else out of danger."

That didn't sound right at all. Wang Baole was about to question Little Missy further on the details, but she stopped responding altogether. He didn't know if she had truly fallen back into slumber or if she was just faking it.

Wang Baole sighed. He deliberated for a moment before determination once again flashed in his eyes. Announcing his identity was a risky bet, a plan riddled with too much uncertainty. He wasn't prepared to try that unless it was the last resort. Perhaps draining the battle robes dry was really the best solution he had at this moment.

Wang Baole didn't hesitate. His avatar stepped onto the golden lake, raced forward, and arrived before the battle robes. He inspected the robes and confirmed that nothing was amiss before he shut his eyes and formed a series of hand seals. His true form on the second level set aside his storage bracelet before forming a series of hand seals as well. His avatar and his true form switched places instantly as the Lightning Immortal Transformation worked its magic. It was like instant teleportation!

His avatar was now on the second level, within the protective blue barrier, while his true form was now in the middle of the golden lake in the cavern. Wang Baole sat down as soon as he appeared next to the battle robes. The devouring seed flared to life and began draining all of the energy from the battle robes through the open wound on the battle robes' forehead!

The battle robes began to tremble as its energy was drained from it. Vast quantities of Spirit Qi gushed out from the wound on its forehead and rushed inside Wang Baole's body!

It was like a flood of Spirit Qi, and the devouring seed seemed excited as it continued sucking madly, sending Spirit Qi into every part of Wang Baole's body. The scabbard inside him began to stir, and it started absorbing the Spirit Qi as well.

The battle robes started to resist the draining fiercely. This slowed Wang Baole down, but with enough time, he could still suck the battle robes dry!

On the second level, Wang Baole's avatar picked up the storage bracelet next to it. Then, without any hesitation, it charged towards the blue defensive barrier. It was going to break free, locate the others, and let them know everything Wang Baole had just found out.

Breaking out from the inside of the blue defensive barrier wasn't an easy feat, but it was still within the realm of possibility. That was especially so when compared to trying to break in from the outside. Besides, the avatar had a storage bracelet filled with Dharmic Armaments. It might lack Wang Baole's physical strength, but its cultivation was at the same level as Wang Baole. It could do it.

A black pike appeared in its hands, and with a deafening roar, Wang Baole's avatar transformed into an ocean of lightning that then enveloped the pike. The pike pierced right through the barrier. There was some damage caused to the avatar in the process, but it was something he could deal with. The avatar transformed back into an exact image of Wang Baole after breaking free. Lightning bolts ran wild around it, guiding the black pike as it raced into the distance without pause or rest, in search of the others.

There were limits to what Wang Baole was capable of though. The land was too vast. Even with his elevated level of cultivation, there were still limits to how far the avatar could travel from him. Wang Baole's avatar had to keep its search within a certain area.

That was why he decided to release whatever puppets he had. He sent them out into the open, searching. At the same time, the avatar continued its search speedily, traveling as far as it could go.

His puppets had gone through multiple rounds of upgrades and enhancements. He had fine-tuned his control over them. The efficiency that the search party of puppets achieved was definitely greater than what Wang Baole was capable of should he have gone on alone.

Time passed steadily. Days went by. Wang Baole's true form continued to drain the Spirit Qi in the battle robes, and his avatar continued the search with the aid of his puppets. Finally, one puppet managed to find residual energies from collisions between array formations and spells in one area. They were signs of a battle having taken place there!

The puppet found bloodstains, still fresh, and pieces of tattered clothing as well. Alarm flashed across Wang Baole's face when he saw those through his avatar's eyes!

"Yameng!"

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Chapter 651: The Fearsome Zhao Yameng!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lightning lit Wang Baole's eyes as he dashed out and raced towards the bloodstains and tattered clothes. He summoned the puppets around him and ordered them to search the area.

As Wang Baole conducted a frantic search, Zhao Yameng was in a valley fifty kilometers away from him. She had just spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face was ashen, and her hair loose. She clutched a compass tightly in her hands.

The compass gave off a brilliant light that formed a defensive barrier, sheltering Zhao Yameng within. The light was growing weaker. It looked as if it wasn't going to last much longer.

Blue fire burned outside the barrier, trapping her within. There were numerous faces in the fire that repeatedly slammed into the barrier while howling at Zhao Yameng.

The defensive barrier kept them at bay for now, but its light was growing weaker. The surrounding temperature rose as the blue flames continued burning, and an elder stood inside the fire. He wore the robes of the Dao Palace and was a Nascent Soul realm cultivator in Mie Liezi's faction. There was an intense light in his eyes as he stared at Zhao Yameng, who was trapped inside her defensive barrier, laughing hoarsely.

"You think you can run when I'm here?" He raised his right hand as he spoke and pressed it against the defensive barrier. The barrier began to creak, and it looked as if it was about to cave in. It was a miracle that it was still standing.

"Interesting. You have quite a few lifesavers up your sleeve." The elder laughed. He didn't seem troubled by that. His eyes lingered on Zhao Yameng, assessing, with unconcealed hunger.

"Little girl, I've noticed how special you are during the trial for the Hyacinthus Tree leaves. You're not just a natural numinous being, all of your seven orifices are open. Not bad at all. You'll be a superior-grade material for refining Spirit Orifice Pills. A rare find!" The elder smiled, and the hunger in his eyes intensified. He brought both hands together to form a series of hand seals, causing the flames around Zhao Yameng to grow stronger. They licked at her defensive barrier. He continued with another series of hand seals as he circled Zhao Yameng and imprinted seals on the ground.

Multiple runic imprints surrounded Zhao Yameng, and the flames rose higher with their appearance. Zhao Yameng trembled and spat out a mouthful of blood. Her arms trembled, and the compass almost slipped from her fingers.

She didn't try to wipe the blood from her lips. Instead, Zhao Yameng lifted her head and leveled a cold stare at the smiling elder. The look in his eyes looked more terrifying with each moment's passing. He had pursued her for days. She hadn't found anyone else since she had awoken. She had traveled with extreme caution without encountering much danger—until she crossed paths with the elder.

Her opponent had a clear goal. He seemed to have known her location all along, attacking her as soon as he appeared. If not for the extremely valuable artifact that her father had given her, which had helped in fighting off what should have been a lethal blow, she would have been dead.

Even with such an artifact in her possession, she was still trapped. She knew that the elder had no intentions of killing her immediately. He wanted to use her to refine a Spirit Orifice Pill!

Zhao Yameng bit her lips. She wasn't angry, and she wasn't about to say anything to the elder. Her cultivation continued churning inside her body. She was nearly drained dry, but that didn't stop her from pouring her energy into the compass. The compass was an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament that she had brought along from the Federation. It was something that was meant to save her life. She had created a seal after acquiring the Ecang Ancient Array Formation and imprinted that on the compass, which had further boosted the compass' power.

The compass was fully activated now. With the joint power from the pendant hanging on her neck, she had managed to resist the attacks of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. However, she knew that the pendant's power was waning. Once it was completely depleted, she wouldn't be able to maintain her defense for long with only the array formation at her disposal.

She had done what she could to send signals for help. For the past three days, she had left traces of her blood and tattered bits of her clothes behind while fleeing her enemy. They were meant to be calls for help. Yet, she hadn't seen a third person in this world. Her morale was beginning to suffer, despite her stoicism.

However, she hadn't lost all hope!

She wasn't a weakling. She had her ambitions, her dreams, and her beliefs. Hidden beneath her calm exterior was a burning fire. She would either burn others or herself!

Zhao Yameng realized at this point that no one was likely going to come to her aid. Determination colored her eyes as she deliberately projected her intentions and ensured the elder saw her form a series of hand seals. The compass, which should have held on for longer, suddenly shook violently and exploded!

The explosion caused by an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament wasn't something to be underestimated. Zhao Yameng had imprinted a seal of the Ecang Ancient Array Formation on the compass, which further strengthened the force of the explosion. A thunderous boom erupted, whipping up a howling hurricane that surged outwards in all directions.

The blue fire shrank and wavered, almost to the point of extinguishing. Mountains moaned and caved in. The attack would have injured a Nascent Soul realm cultivator if it had been unexpected, but the grim determination in Zhao Yameng's eyes had been too obvious to miss. Her enemy had sensed her attack, and mocking laughter rang in the air as he retreated and avoided the shock waves sparked by the hurricane. He lifted his right hand and made a grab through the air. The blue flames, which had been weakened, erupted once again with renewed vigor. They transformed into a gigantic burning hand that stretched towards Zhao Yameng!

Zhao Yameng appeared calm in the face of a failed attempt that hadn't only been evaded but had landed herself in greater danger. However, there was a flicker of panic and despair in her eyes as she retreated and unleashed her full cultivation. There was no way she could've evaded capture with her Core Formation realm cultivation and her injuries. The gigantic hand caught her almost immediately. With a swift yank, it pulled her back and held her before the Nascent Soul realm cultivator.

"Little girl, your schemes are too childish…" The elder smiled. He raised his right hand abruptly as he spoke, grabbing the pendant on Zhao Yameng's neck and flinging it aside. The pendant exploded, sending forth a series of shock waves stronger than the ones after the compass' explosion that surged outwards. Zhao Yameng's face paled instantly.

"The earlier explosion was to lure me into complacency so that the second one with the pendant might work. Little girl, you're still too…" The elder was interrupted by Zhao Yameng, who suddenly shot a flying needle out of her mouth while the expression on her pale face remained unchanged!

"Childish tactics!" The elder had a look of disdain in his eyes. He raised his left hand and caught the needle that had been aiming for his forehead. The look on his face turned from one of mockery to something else as soon as he touched the needle. It disintegrated, turning into a gray mist that dashed towards his eyes!

The elder shut his eyes instinctively as the needle approached. Zhao Yameng's face was still pale, but the panic and despair in her eyes had vanished, replaced with ferocity. She lifted her right hand. Her index finger touched her thumb, then pressed firmly downwards!

Something extremely small appeared to be planted in her thumb. It was activated with the firm press. Two beams of light exploded from her thumb—one red and the other white!

The white light curled around Zhao Yameng and transformed into a protective air bubble, while the red light rushed towards the Nascent Soul realm elder. If one were to take a really close look at the red light, he might see a tiny, grain-sized crystal that had clearly been compressed numerous times!

A terrifying wave of energy erupted from the crystal and hit the elder before he could react, triggering an explosion!

A barrier materialized at the same instant. It seemed to target one's Spirit Qi, sealing the target's cultivation. The strong backlash against Spirit Qi created a fist-sized black hole that seemed capable of tearing apart and consuming everything!

This was… the fusion of the Federation's most advanced technology and spirit energy… the Anti-Spirit Bomb!

The elder let loose a pained scream amidst the thunderous explosion, his physical form turning to pulp as he fell back. Zhao Yameng retreated under the defensive barrier of the white light, though her injuries were severe. The defensive barrier didn't prevent her from spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her body was extremely weak at this moment, but the fierce light in her eyes didn't waver. One wouldn't find any weakness or despair in her eyes.

It hadn't been inexperience that had led to her intentional display of grim determination or panic. Blowing up the compass and the pendant had been an attempt at lowering the elder's guard. She needed him to feel confident of his success. That was when she would strike and unleash her most powerful attack on him!

She knew that she only had one chance, which was why she had to exercise extreme caution!

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Chapter 652: You're Courting Death!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

She had left the Anti-Spirit Bomb that her father had given her as her true last resort. Deafening thunder boomed in the air as the Anti-Spirit Bomb exploded. The Nascent Soul realm elder retreated frantically, throwing spells and artifacts in the air as defense. But he had stood too close to Zhao Yameng.

No matter how quickly he reacted, even if he were to teleport himself away, he would still have been a moment too late. The Anti-Spirit Bomb was the most powerful weapon the Federation had invented. The black hole that had been created from the explosion and the sealing properties it had towards one's cultivation drew a furious cry from the elder as his body was torn apart right before Zhao Yameng's eyes.

Bones protruded from his chest. A powerful force swept across his face, mashing his features into a bloody pulp, which pulled apart rapidly to expose bones that were then smashed to bits!

Everything happened within a single moment. Screams of pain pierced the air as the elder's body was broken down into parts and torn to bits. Even his bones were smashed. Anyone else would have died on the spot, but the elder was still stumbling back, a blinding red light shining inside his body. It was emanating from his bones!

Six arms burst out from his maimed and mutilated body, tearing new holes in his flesh. There were also two fleshy lumps on each side of his neck, which bulged outwards and burst out into two heads!

It was as if there had been another body hidden inside the elder all along. What had appeared to be a Dao Palace cultivator had simply been a layer of clothes. His true form was a member of the Never-Ending Clan!

The Never-Ending Clan cultivator emerged violently from the elder's old body, staggering backwards. Zhao Yameng's breathing quickened as shock gripped her mind. The Never-Ending Clan elder grabbed hold of the ground as he stumbled, tightened his grip, and finally froze in place. He lifted his heads. Blood spilled from his lips, he was panting, and his body was covered with gaping wounds. Despite the protection offered by his Dao Palace cultivator's body, his true form hadn't emerged unscathed from the powerful attack!

He had a scowl on his face, and his red eyes were colored with wariness as he stared viciously at Zhao Yameng.

"You almost managed to kill me… For a mere Core Formation realm cultivator to do that, it looks like I've underestimated you!" the Never-Ending Clan elder said hoarsely, speaking in the language of the Dao Palace. Zhao Yameng staggered backwards, her breathing uneven as she remained silent.

A sense of regret rose inside her. This was the extent of what she was capable of. She hadn't exactly failed. If her opponent weren't of the Never-Ending Clan but a true Dao Palace cultivator, he would have been destroyed in both body and soul.

Perhaps this is my fate… Zhao Yameng took a deep breath. There was bitterness in her heart, but not despair. She accepted her fate. Zhao Yameng narrowed her eyes. Her right hand lifted and then raced towards her forehead.

If there was no way for her to win this fight, then she would rather end her own life than be refined into a pill that would strengthen her enemy. She would rather die than submit!

The Never-Ending Clan elder rushed forward just as Zhao Yameng raised her right hand, appearing before her. With an almost nonchalant wave of his right hand, he slapped Zhao Yameng's arm away with an explosive blow. Zhao Yameng was flung into the air and thrown into a stone wall.

Blood spilled from Zhao Yameng's lips as her vision turned blurry. She clenched her jaw and refused to allow any sound to escape from her lips. She struggled to open her eyes, then stared unblinkingly as the Never-Ending Clan elder approached her slowly.

"I admire your character, but you don't get to choose whether you live or die. I won't allow you to blow yourself up! Only refining a living person will improve a pill's quality. That pill will allow me a full recovery to the former peak of my cultivation. That will be your fate."

The Never-Ending Clan elder narrowed his eyes, his tone full of absolute authority. He took a step forward and was about to approach Zhao Yameng when he suddenly frowned. One of his arms formed a series of hand seals, then pushed abruptly to its right.

At that exact moment, a figure dashed out from his right like a bolt of lightning. The Never-Ending Clan elder was quicker though and caught it with his right hand as it charged out!

It was a puppet!

It exploded as soon as it came into contact with the elder, doing so before he could crush it with his bare hands. The loud explosion erupted in the air. The elder frowned, then saw seven to eight puppets charging at him from different directions.

Zhao Yameng's breathing grew uneven when she saw those puppets, and her eyes sharpened as life returned to them.

"Minor tricks!" Disdain flickered in the elder's eyes. He had suffered grievous injuries in the past, and his recovery was incomplete, leaving him at the early-stage Nascent Soul realm at the moment. In fact, his cultivation had fallen to the Core Formation realm after suffering the attack from the Anti-Spirit Bomb. However, his confidence in himself remained unwavering!

As the puppets came charging at him, he crouched down, tightened all six hands into fists, and punched them into the ground.

Waves of spirit energy swept outwards, roaring and forming visible ripples in the air that crushed the incoming puppets.

The Never-Ending Clan elder leaped into the air and raced towards Zhao Yameng. His hands formed a series of hand seals, causing flames to burst into life. He was planning to forcibly refine her. It was then that a howl—tinged with madness, fury, and violence—rang out behind him, like a rush of thunder whipping through the air!

"You're courting death!"

The thunderous roar rose to the skies as a sharp shrill whistled through the air and materialized as a black beam of light. It dashed forward like a shooting star, a blur of black light that screamed incredible power. Alarm flashed across the Never-Ending Clan elder's eyes a second time. The first time had been when Zhao Yameng had blown up an Anti-Spirit Bomb in his face.

He didn't hesitate, not even having time to pull Zhao Yameng in front of him as a human shield. His body blurred as he teleported a hundred feet away. The black beam of light swerved sharply the moment he vanished into thin air, twisting itself in front of Zhao Yameng without slowing down in the slightest. It seemed to have locked on to the Never-Ending Clan elder, continuing to charge towards the elder!

The light was the black pike. It looked as if it were slicing through emptiness, moving so quickly that the Never-Ending Clan elder, who was impeded by his original injuries, couldn't teleport away a second time. The pike landed a direct hit.

The elder's breathing grew uneven. His six palms came together to form a flurry of hand seals. Palms pressed against palms, and six black lines came together to form an image of a demonic face.

The image collided with the black pike, and a deafening boom resonated in the air. The black pike finally paused in its pursuit, and a black lightning bolt snaked out from the pike during the momentary pause, expanding in size rapidly. A figure stepped out from the lightning, grew from the size of an open palm to that of a human, and then flung out its fist!

The punch hadn't been boosted by the Flame Snatch Thearch Armor, but it was still the strongest punch to be thrown by Wang Baole's avatar. It unleashed the full power of the Lightning Immortal Transformation as well as the Supernova. Lightning erupted all around the fist when it landed, and it swelled and transformed into a gigantic ball of lightning that then exploded in the Never-Ending Clan elder's face!

Countless lightning bolts surged across the cracked ground. The Never-Ending Clan elder had sustained significant injuries from Zhao Yameng's Anti-Spirit Bomb, so the unexpected hit from Wang Baole sent him stumbling back and spitting blood from his mouth.

With his retreat, he could no longer hold the black pike at bay, and it charged forward. The elder's mind buzzed as he twisted his body and barely avoided being stabbed somewhere vital. Instead, the pike stabbed his shoulder and went right through!

Blood splattered everywhere as the elder beat a hasty retreat, roaring furiously.

"Wang Baole, you…"

Wang Baole caught up with him before he was done cursing, reappearing like a bolt of lightning. He was going to force his avatar into the elder's body and blow it up from the inside!

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Chapter 653: Refinement Through Lightning!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole's avatar arrived before the elder within a flash. There was violence in his eyes and murder in his heart. Wang Baole couldn't control his urge to kill after seeing Zhao Yameng being grievously injured before his eyes. The Never-Ending Clan elder's breathing quickened as he sensed Wang Baole's murderous aura. Terror struck him dumb.

Wang Baole and the threat of death loomed over him heavily. The Never-Ending Clan elder bit the tip of his tongue suddenly and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The blood transformed into a blood fog, which then spread out and formed a wall that stopped Wang Baole's approach. Wang Baole's true form could have smashed it to bits with a single punch from his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor.

His avatar wasn't as powerful as his true form, but it possessed advantages the latter didn't have as well, and that was… its body of lightning that could take on all forms and none at all!

Wang Baole's avatar melted away as soon as the crimson wall appeared in its path. It transformed into a sea of lightning that spread out and went straight through the wall. Instead of gathering together, it flooded over the elder and snaked into his body from every pore!

The elder cried out in pain. The sensation he had was of being struck by lightning. His flesh was being ripped apart, and his insides were burning while his organs spasmed in agony. The pain was worse than the worst form of torture as his entire body was flooded with electricity. He felt as if a large ball of electricity was gathering inside his body, and that it was going to explode and blow him up!

Blood seeped from his orifices without stop, and terror enveloped him. The elder cried out in pain. Then, he gritted his teeth. His eyes shone with madness as he smacked his head on the right violently!

"Get out!"

The head exploded loudly in a mist of blood and flesh. The blood mist formed an illusory bloody hand in the air and made a grab at his own body!

The lightning surging through his body froze instantly. Numerous bolts wormed out of his body, as if yanked out by the illusory bloody hand.

This would have been a simple feat at the height of his power, but it was clear that he was struggling with his current level of cultivation. After all, he had suffered an attack from Zhao Yameng's Anti-Spirit Bomb, which had sent his gradually recovering cultivation plunging from the early-stage Nascent Soul realm to the perfected Core Formation realm. That might still have made him a fearsome foe for any other Core Formation realm cultivators, but that level of cultivation was clearly not enough when it came to fighting Wang Baole!

The lightning bolts that had wormed out of his body gathered together and formed Wang Baole's face. His eyes glimmered with a murderous light as he howled at the bloody hand!

Waves of spirit energy surged out and froze the illusory bloody hand in its path. Strength drained from the hand, and the lightning bolts that had snaked out from the elder's body reentered it.

Before they reentered his body, countless lightning bolts had enveloped one of his arms and turned it into dust.

The elder was about to go raving mad with terror. He could feel his organs being ripped into pieces by lightning. Madness colored his eyes as he raised his hand and smashed his left head!

That was the mystic technique that allowed the Never-Ending Clan to unleash sudden bursts of power. The destruction of one head gave him an additional life, and he had done that consecutively, giving him a greater boost in strength. A second illusory, bloody hand materialized and grabbed through the air again.

The combined forces of the two bloody hands finally produced enough power to yank the lightning out of his body and keep them out!

"Get out!" The elder roared. His remaining four arms pressed heavily into his chest. A loud boom erupted from inside his body as another two arms burst into dust amidst lightning. He finally managed to force the lightning bolts out from his body!

The mass of lightning bolts gathered and formed Wang Baole's face!

It was a bizarre sight to behold. He had finally managed to force Wang Baole out, but the elder's intense fear didn't wane. He knew that he was still in danger. He retreated hastily, eyes bright with madness, and ignored the ache in his heart as he yelled.

"Explode!"

The two illusory bloody hands begin shining with a blinding, red light instantly. They caved in and exploded!

The explosion swept outwards, hitting the lightning bolts that had formed Wang Baole's face and disintegrating them instantly. What had been Wang Baole's face turned into a mass of shapeless, formless lightning that fell to the ground.

The elder felt no joy in seeing that. His face was still pale. He continued to retreat quickly, not daring to linger. He knew that Wang Baole could switch places with his avatar with a single thought. He was now weak, his cultivation had fallen to the early-stage Core Formation realm!

The destruction of the two illusory hands, which had been his two heads, had wounded him at the core. He might have been able to reabsorb the spirit energy he had expended and grown back those two heads if he hadn't blown them up, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

Just give me some time. I'm going to eat him alive! The elder thought furiously. Just as he was about to retreat further, an icy voice rang out behind him.

"You old wretched thing, I've been wanting to ask you this question. Who gave you the guts to touch my people?"

The scattered lightning bolts on the ground rose into the air and gathered together again, transforming into Wang Baole's avatar. It was like watching someone being born from lightning. Stray lightning bolts hovered in the air around the avatar, painting a terrifying sight.

The Never-Ending Clan elder's face turned pale as he retreated even more quickly. Wang Baole's attacks had clearly struck terror in his heart. He used his remaining pair of hands to form a series of hand seals as he continued fleeing. He was going to sacrifice them in order to escape with his life.

He was fast, but Wang Baole's avatar was formed from lightning. With a single step, countless black lightning bolts shot through the air, roaring towards the elder. Some of them landed on the black pike lying in the distance, yanking it up and then guiding it towards the elder from the opposite direction. The remaining two swords of the tri-colored flying swords flew alongside a swarm of lightning bolts, approaching speedily.

The elder might have attained an extremely high level of cultivation in the past, but he had since fallen to the early-stage Core Formation realm after suffering numerous blows. At this moment, he didn't even stand a chance of retaliating against Wang Baole!

He was swamped by lightning bolts almost instantly. As lightning pierced his spasming body, the black pike came whistling by, skewering him through the stomach and nailing him to the ground. Two flying swords followed, pinning his arms to the ground. He was completely immobilized!

Cries of pain echoed in the air. Wang Baole didn't tear the elder apart immediately from the inside. Instead, he released bolts of lightning out in the open, which hovered in mid-air and transformed into his avatar. Lightning snaked around Wang Baole's body. The lightning bolts still bound him to the screaming elderly. At that moment, Wang Baole looked like a god of lightning!

Wang Baole didn't spare the pathetic looking elder a single glance. He turned towards Zhao Yameng instead.

"Yameng, did this old wretched creature tell you why he wanted to kill you? What was he planning to do with you?"

Wang Baole asked. He had noticed that Zhao Yameng's injuries had come from the draining of her cultivation. They weren't life-threatening, which was why he had allowed himself to focus on capturing the elder instead of tending to her.

Zhao Yameng might be drained at the moment, but her character had always been strong. She had forced herself to stay strong when she saw Wang Baole appear. Weakness was gradually eating at her, but when she looked at Wang Baole, she could feel a sense of security. It made her feel less weak. Her heart was set at ease. Zhao Yameng turned towards the equally weakened elder when she heard Wang Baole's question and replied forcefully, "He was going to refine me into a pill!"

Wang Baole's solemn face darkened further. He lowered his head and glanced at the trembling elder, then nodded.

"Then we'll turn him into a pill instead." Having said that, he raised his right hand and pressed his palm on the elder. Lightning bolts erupted from his person and enveloped the elder instantly. He was going to refine the man with lightning!

Screams of agony rang out in the air!

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Chapter 654: The Sky Collapses!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Refining a pill required materials, heat, as well as the know-how. However, he was a master of refining artifacts. He trapped the elder with his lightning and continuously sent electricity into the Never-Ending Clan elder's body. He was burning and refining his flesh and blood like he would an artifact!

The brutality of his method rivaled that of refining a living person into a pill.

Wang Baole was furious, but he had not yet lost his reason because of his anger. He was refining only the elder's physical body. When the elder's physical form had been turned to ashes by his terrifying lightning, Wang Baole's right hand, formed from lightning, made a grab at the pile of ashes. It returned with a Nascent Soul in its grasp!

The Nascent Soul was the elder's, severely weakened and infused with the elder's soul, ready to dissipate any moment!

His current level of cultivation wasn't powerful enough for him to search the soul. However, with the Dark Art's secret techniques, he was confident of being able to force some information out of the soul. That being said, he would be doing so with his avatar instead of his true self, which posed a degree of difficulty.

The Never-Ending Clan elder might be weak, but the hatred and resignation in his eyes indicated clearly that he wasn't going to spill anything to Wang Baole easily.

Wang Baole's right hand crackled with lightning, and he conducted a round of interrogation without any results to show for it. After that, he didn't waste any more time on the elder. He sealed the elder with his Lightning Immortal Transformation and flung the sealed soul to Zhao Yameng.

Zhao Yameng had recovered partially after taking a few pills and some rest. She formed a series of hand seals and imprinted a few runes on the soul before storing it away in her storage bag.

Then, they looked at each other. They could see the solemnity in each others' eyes.

"I got separated from Elder Feng Qiuran and the others when the unexpected happened inside the millstone. I didn't manage to locate them…" Zhao Yameng said softly. She looked at Wang Baole. She clearly had many questions on her mind, especially about why Wang Baole was only here in the form of an avatar.

"I was hidden inside one of the millstone's cracks…" Wang Baole took a deep breath, looked around cautiously, then told Zhao Yameng everything that had happened to him as well as why his avatar was here.

Zhao Yameng listened to his discovery about the third level and the huge pillar that existed underground with a grave expression on her face. It was clear that she was reeling with shock. What was even more shocking was Wang Baole's sharing of the Never-Ending Clan battle robes and his discovery that they were on a Death Dao Battleship!

The discovery was beyond anything Zhao Yameng had imagined. Her face turned pale, though her eye remained clear and untainted by confusion or bewilderment. She took a deep breath, and a flicker of light flashed across her eyes before words rushed out from her lips.

"Baole, you have to find Feng Qiuran and let her know the truth!

"It's clear that there are Never-Ending Clan cultivators hidden in the Dao Palace. The elder was just one of them… this is an extremely serious matter. It's going to affect the entire Dao Palace… as well as the Federation!"

"Baole, if my guess is correct, a war between the Never-Ending Clan and the Federation… is going to happen soon! The Federation is completely unaware of this threat. That will be its greatest disadvantage!" Zhao Yameng's face was completely drained of color at that point. Wang Baole had a dark look on his face as well. He shared her views. In fact, his understanding of their situation might be more well-informed.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes after hearing her out. Then, he said, "Yameng, you're good with array formations. If I can weaken the interference that this place is transmitting, will you be able to make use of that and activate a teleportation?

"If you can do that, then we must immediately seize the opportunity and escape back to the Dao Palace. We have to inform Sect Lord Xu and the others and get them to return to the Federation as soon as possible. The Federation has to be notified immediately so that they can prepare themselves!"

Zhao Yameng knew the gravity of the situation. She considered his words, then nodded.

"I've inherited the Ecang Ancient Array Formation. I can use that and the teleportation talisman as the foundation of a short-distance teleportation array formation. Its ability to fight against interference will be boosted. However, you must be able to weaken the interference in the first place for me to do that!"

Wang Baole was confident in his ability to do that. His true form was now at the third level, and its progress with absorbing the battle robes' energy was sluggish but steady. The steady weakening of the battle robes, which was the core of this Death Dao Battleship, would also result in the weakening of the battleship's ability to disrupt any teleportations.

That being said, he needed some time before things progressed to a stage where Zhao Yameng could activate a teleportation.

They ironed out the details before setting off together in search of Feng Qiuran. They kept a lookout for Kong Dao as well. They needed to find Feng Qiuran to let her know what was going on, while they needed to find the latter so that the three of them could leave together.

The second level was a vast world, though. Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng searched for days without finding any trace of Feng Qiuran or any of the others. They couldn't advertise their presence loudly either, as their earlier encounter with the Never-Ending Clan elder proved how dangerous this place was. They were wary of everyone else.

Even though there was little progress with their search, they were still blessed with good news in other areas. Wang Baole's progress with absorbing the energy of the battle robes was proceeding well. The battleship's ability to disrupt and interfere with teleportation was gradually weakening.

Zhao Yameng had been testing the effectiveness of her teleportation talisman every once in a while during the past few days. The talisman had been shining more brightly and emanating more powerful waves of energy.

"Based on my calculations, if things go smoothly, I'll be able to forcibly activate the teleportation talisman in a week's time and get us out of this place!" The shining teleportation talisman gave Zhao Yameng and Wang Baole hope. They had discussed earlier. If they still couldn't manage to locate Feng Qiuran by then, they would hide and teleport themselves away once the interference had been sufficiently weakened.

If given a choice between the lives of those in the Dao Palace and the safety of the Federation, both of them would choose the latter.

Time passed steadily, and another three days went by. Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng found no traces of anyone else during those three days. They sighed and were prepared to give up. They were about to find a hiding place for themselves when suddenly… due to the gradual draining of energy or some other unknown reason, a loud rumbling thundered in the skies!

It rang across the vast world and was louder than thunder. It sounded like the heavens themselves were splitting apart. The roaring thunder resonated across the entire world. Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng were stunned by the unexpected sound. They lifted their faces skywards. In the distant skyline, as an even louder rumble shook the heavens, a sudden gaping rift appeared in the sky!

Black winds ripped through the rift and appeared in the second level. As the thundering continued, a second rift, followed by a third rift, appeared. The entire sky was ripped apart within a span of ten seconds!

Deafening rumbling shook the entire world. Earth and rock fell through the rifts, ripping the rifts wider. Large chunks of the sky began to collapse!

The sky formed the earth of the first level of this world. As it caved in and black winds emerged through the rifts, the howls of skeletons from the first level could also be heard ringing in the distance.

The sight sent Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng reeling back in shock. Alarm flashed across their faces. Wang Baole immediately caught the sudden flash of a figure darting through the collapsing sky in the distance. It sped past like a shooting star, as if fleeing from pursuit. It was… Mie Liezi!

He wasn't headed towards Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng, he was heading somewhere near them. His clothes were tattered, and he seemed to be in a bad state, his face pale and eyes bright with fury. Blood flowed from his mouth without stop.

Another figure flew out from the same rift in close pursuit. He was dressed in a Daoist robe and emanating an ethereal aura. He was… Daoist You Ran!

"Mie Liezi, do you really think you can escape? You have only one option, and that is… to join us." Daoist You Ran smiled. As he stepped out from the rift, a dozen figures dashed out behind him and descended upon this world!

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Chapter 655: I Will Never Submit!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Mie Liezi and Daoist You Ran's appearance stunned Wang Baole. His shock grew when he saw the dozen figures lined behind Daoist You Ran in the next moment!

They were all familiar faces. Most of them were Nascent Soul realm cultivators who belonged to both You Ran's and Mie Liezi's factions. Daoist You Ran's disciples Zhou Chudao and Huang Yunshan appeared amongst them!

Their faces were dark with solemnity. Most were pale as if suffering from heavy blood loss. Their spirits seemed suppressed. However, they were all standing behind Daoist You Ran, in support of him!

Wang Baole recalled whatever he knew about Daoist You Ran, as well as his instinctive wariness towards the man. The scene before him confirmed his guesses—the truth was right before his eyes!

Daoist You Ran had betrayed the Dao Palace!

The thought surfaced in Wang Baole's mind as he witnessed Mie Liezi forming a series of hand seals and pushing as he continued running. The resultant explosion blocked an invisible attack that had been aimed at his retreating back. He was clearly grievously injured. Even though he managed to fight off the attack, blood still found its way out from his mouth. He staggered, then began to laugh almost manically.

"You Ran, why are you doing this?"

Daoist You Ran stood in mid-air, then laughed out loud when he heard that. His laughter was tinged with something dark and unfathomable. He didn't unleash a second attack. Instead, he replied coolly.

"Mie Liezi, why are you still playing at ignorance? You should've known the answer the moment I ambushed you. Why else would you unleash your most powerful attack in your injured state just so you could escape to the second level… Do you really think that I don't know you're trying to draw Feng Qiuran over and join forces with her?"

"We've been friends for so long. You can just let me know if you're thinking of stalling for time. I'll let you do it, too." Daoist You Ran smiled and told Mie Liezi.

The pained and haggard look on Mie Liezi's face was replaced with something dark when he heard what Daoist You Ran said. The latter had guessed right. He had known the answer when Daoist You Ran had ambushed him. Daoist You Ran had betrayed the Dao Palace. He had immediately thought about the techniques the Never-Ending Clan had possessed in enslaving their opponents when he had witnessed how Daoist You Ran seized control over the majority of Dao Palace cultivators with a strange spell.

That was why he had fought with tooth and nail to rip the earth apart and flee to the second level. His goal had been to find Feng Qiuran, join forces with her, and overpower Daoist You Ran. Daoist You Ran had chosen to ambush him instead of engaging in an open battle with him. That meant that he wasn't so powerful as to be completely invincible!

There was still hope!

However, Daoist You Ran had just exposed Mie Liezi's intentions. His nonchalance was beginning to make Mie Liezi panic.

Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng were hidden at a nearby mountain while Mie Liezi and Daoist You Ran hovered in mid-air. They observed the battle with shock and alarm. Having heard what Wang Baole had discovered on the third level, Zhao Yameng quickly came to a conclusion.

There was a great likelihood that Daoist You Ran was involved in the battleship's appearance. In fact, he was likely the mastermind behind this entire thing. The appearance of the earlier Never-Ending Clan elder made it easy to guess Daoist You Ran's true identity.

Wang Baole had come to the same conclusion and panicked silently. His true form was frantically trying to suck the battle robes dry. It didn't matter how much spirit fat he was accumulating—nothing mattered as long as he could speed up his absorption of the battle robes' spirit energy!

Wang Baole secretly sped up his absorption rate. In the skies, Mie Liezi's eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce light. He stared at Daoist You Ran, then asked suddenly, "Where's Feng Qiuran?"

"I like your straightforward questions," Daoist You Ran smiled and said as he shook his head slightly.

"Feng Qiuran isn't dead. How can I bear letting both of you die? But there's no chance of her arriving in time to help you. She's trapped in an array formation that I've prepared specially for her. Besides…" Daoist You Ran's eyes narrowed as he took a sudden step forward. Mie Liezi retreated immediately.

However, Mie Liezi was clearly injured seriously. He had reacted swiftly but was still caught up to by Daoist You Ran. Explosions rumbled in the air as the two engaged in an aerial battle.

The battle was short-lived. Daoist You Ran's skin was suddenly torn apart by the emergence of an additional four arms, and his six hands came together to form a series of hand seals. A black mist materialized and transformed into a huge cauldron that smashed into Mie Liezi.

Amidst a loud boom, Mie Liezi spat out a mouthful of blood. He stumbled and was flung straight into the mountains, which caved in under the sudden force. As Mie Liezi struggled to his feet, the huge cauldron turned into countless thin threads that forced themselves into Mie Liezi's body.

Mie Liezi shook violently at the intrusion and spat out another mouthful of blood. His chest began to cave in while one of his arms snapped. He laughed bitterly and fought to lift his head. His eyes were fixed on Daoist You Ran.

The expression on Daoist You Ran's face remained unchanged. He stretched his six arms as he got used to them, then smiled.

"It's been a while since I revealed my true form. The bodies of Dao Palace cultivators might be much more convenient, but… they're too weak!" He shook his head as he gazed into the distance, eyes sweeping the horizon. He had noticed the hidden Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng.

They were of no importance. Be it Zhao Yameng or Wang Baole, they were all mere insects to him. The latter might be an adopted disciple and the fourth Grand Supreme Elder, but that meant nothing at all. What mattered was one's cultivation!

At this moment, he only cared about Mie Liezi. With a wave of his hand, dozens of silhouettes appeared behind him. They surrounded the grievously injured Mie Liezi in a blink of an eye. Daoist You Ran walked towards Mie Liezi slowly.

It was clear from Wang Baole's eyes that he was struggling to control himself. However, a look of determination soon settled in his eyes. He pulled Zhao Yameng along as he retreated hastily.

Mie Liezi had noticed their presence, but he didn't spare them a single glance. His eyes remained fierce, but bitterness darkened his heart. He didn't begrudge Wang Baole's hasty departure. If he had been in Wang Baole's place, with only a Core Formation realm cultivation, he would have escaped without hesitation as well.

He was bitter because if he hadn't been ambushed and suffered serious injuries, he wouldn't be reduced to such a pathetic state. Daoist You Ran had hidden the depths of his cultivation well, and Mie Liezi wasn't his match. As he despaired, a fierce light suddenly flashed across Mie Liezi's eyes.

Daoist You Ran shook his head and made a hand seal. Black threads burst out from Mie Liezi's body and bound him tightly!

Mie Liezi shook violently, and the veins on his forehead pulsated. He tried to struggle out of his binds but to no avail. He could only watch as Daoist You Ran strolled leisurely towards him.

"Mie Liezi, I admire your character. That is why I'm giving you a chance so that you can remain free… Everything you achieved will be for naught if I imprint the slave's seal on you. Your mind will be severely damaged. You know that. Besides, the Dao Palace has fallen. There is no hope of it ever rising again… Kneel before me, and I will allow you to become my warrior servant. I promise to replace your physical body after a century has passed so that you may become a true member of the Never-Ending Clan!" There was a cold light in Daoist You Ran's eyes as he said that.

He wasn't lying to Mie Liezi. There were two people in the entire Dao Palace that he viewed favorably. One was Mie Liezi, and the other was his disciple, Dugu Lin!

They were the only two people whom he felt deserved a chance to join the Never-Ending Clan. He had nothing but disdain for the rest—even Feng Qiuran, who was at the Soul Conduit realm. She was soft-hearted and thus, weak!

"Kneel to the Never-Ending Clan?" Mie Liezi burst out into laughter. It didn't matter that he was currently bound so tightly that pain laced through his body and made him shake uncontrollably with agony. His laughter went on and grew louder.

"I, Mie Liezi, may not be a good man, but I'm a disciple of the Dao Palace. I kneel only to the heavens and the earth and to my Dao Palace ancestors. I kneel to no one else!"

"Who do you think you are? Who does the Never-Ending Clan think they are to believe themselves worthy of me falling to my knees before them?" There was mockery in Mie Liezi's eyes. He spoke the truth. He wasn't a good man by any standards, but he had his principles. His loyalty belonged to the Dao Palace!

His hands might be drenched in blood. He might have thought about sacrificing the entire Federation for his goals. But… everything he did, he did for the Dao Palace. His loyalty and devotion to the Dao Palace would never waver!

As Mie Liezi's voice resonated in the heavens, something flickered in Wang Baole's eyes. He didn't like Mie Liezi at all, but he could sense the resolve in Mie Liezi's words.

Mie Liezi was trying to anger Daoist You Ran into killing him!

Daoist You Ran stared at Mie Liezi, then narrowed his eyes. He yanked his right hand upwards. The black cloud that was imprisoning Mie Liezi suddenly transformed into countless black runes that seared themselves into Mie Liezi's body. Mie Liezi jerked. He suddenly stopped laughing. All life began to drain from his body.

Daoist You Ran formed a series of hand seals. Mie Liezi, who had been drained of all life, suddenly lifted his head. His eyes… were absent of all consciousness.

"Since that's the case, you'll simply have to become a slave."

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Chapter 656: Something's Wrong!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole glimpsed the scene while escaping with Zhao Yameng, and it caused something indescribable to rise inside him. He looked at Mie Liezi after the latter raised his head and knew that the real Mie Liezi was gone.

He might not be dead, but the chances of him awakening again were close to zero.

"We have to leave this place now!" Madness colored Wang Baole's eyes. His true self, hidden away on the third level, continued draining the battle robes madly. His body began to balloon rapidly.

Wang Baole no longer cared about that. Zhao Yameng was aware of the danger they were in. She kept quiet as she activated an array formation that augmented both hers and Wang Baole's speed.

Even so, they were no match for Daoist You Ran. What made things worse was the many other enslaved cultivators around him. While he didn't go after them personally, with a wave of his arm, seven to eight cultivators immediately began chasing after them!

"I want them captured alive!" Daoist You Ran said coolly. He was about to inspect Mie Liezi's storage bag when a loud rumbling erupted in the distant sky. It sounded like thunder resonating in the air. The entire second level shook as a strong force rippled through the air.

The earth trembled, and the trees and grass shook. Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng trembled as well as wild winds lashed at their faces. Their pursuers experienced the same wild and strong attack.

As the blasts surged through the world, a figure appeared in the distant sky. It approached with startling speed, a ruler circling it and giving off a bright light. It was Feng Qiuran!

She seemed to be in a state as bad as Mie Liezi had been when he had first appeared on the second level. Her face was pale, and her lips were stained with blood. If Daoist You Ran had spoken the truth and had imprisoned her within an array formation, she must have paid a terrible price escaping its hold. The earlier shock wave must have been caused by the collapse of the array formation.

She had been too late, Mie Liezi hadn't managed to last until her arrival. As she approached, she saw the unfocused and expressionless look on Mie Liezi's face, as well as the smiling Daoist You Ran, who was standing beside Mie Liezi.

No questions were required. The scene before her, along with her past suspicions about Never-Ending Clan members hidden in the Dao Palace, answered her doubts. Fierce determination flashed across her eyes. She was going to kill You Ran even if that killed her too. With that thought in mind, she charged fearlessly at Daoist You Ran!

"You managed to destroy my array formation. Feng Qiuran… I've underestimated you." Daoist You Ran smiled faintly. With a wave of his arm, a vast black cloud emerged from his body and blanketed the skies. He dashed towards Feng Qiuran.

The two were enveloped in a black mist. Loud explosions erupted continuously from within the mist, resonating in the air. Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng were trapped in a similarly perilous situation. The enslaved cultivators who hadn't received any orders, remained standing still. But those who had received orders to pursue them continued racing after Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng even while You Ran and Feng Qiuran engaged in a fierce battle.

Of the eight cultivators, four were at the Nascent Soul realm, and the remaining four were at the Core Formation realm. One of them… was Zhou Chudao!

Wang Baole would have found it difficult to fight all eight of them, even with his true form. His chances of winning were next to none with only his avatar. Determination flashed across Wang Baole's eyes as he hurriedly said.

"Yameng, you have to leave first. Find a place and hide, wait for the interference to weaken, and then teleport away immediately!"

Zhao Yameng was no ordinary woman. She gave Wang Baole a long, unfathomable look when she heard what Wang Baole said. Then, without saying anything, she nodded silently. She knew they had no other choice. She raised her right hand to her hair, and, with a wave, cut off a lock of her hair. She handed that to Wang Baole, then turned and sped off.

Wang Baole's heart flooded with emotions as he held onto Zhao Yameng's lock of hair. He put it away in his storage bracelet, then turned around. A thunderous roar rose to the skies as a sea of lightning erupted around him. His avatar transformed into a vast web of electricity that threw itself over the enslaved cultivators hot on his trail.

It ensnared the eight cultivators instantly, and explosions erupted in the air as the fight commenced!

Wang Baole's avatar was no match for these eight cultivators. The web that he had formed was instantly torn apart, disintegrating into stray lightning bolts that gathered and transformed into a second electrical web. It didn't shine as brightly as the first, but it was still just as quick as it cast itself over the eight cultivators!

Loud thunderous booms rang out continuously on the land and in the air!

The battle between Feng Qiuran and Daoist You Ran was reaching a pivotal moment. Feng Qiuran might have her ruler, but she had suffered some backlash from destroying the array formation earlier. In addition, while her cultivation might surpass that of Mie Liezi, she was still slightly less powerful than Daoist You Ran, who had taken great pains to hide his true strength.

Daoist You Ran was slowly gaining the upper hand in the fight… the battle on land was being lost as well. The electrical web that was formed from Wang Baole's avatar had been ripped apart three times within a matter of seconds. Wang Baole still had many other Dharmic treasures up his sleeve though. Another loud thunderous boom erupted in the air as eight towering bells appeared over the eight cultivators and trapped them within.

It was but a temporary prison. The four Nascent Soul realm cultivators unleashed their full cultivation and flung the bell off them effortlessly. However, just as they were about to charge out, a black pike came rushing towards them. Flying swords also rained down like a storm, trapping them in another fight.

Wang Baole threw everything he had at them. His avatar managed to hold the eight cultivators off, giving Zhao Yameng the time she needed to escape.

As the battle took place, Wang Baole's true form continued to sit inside the golden lake on the third level. He had grown extremely fat at this point, but the rate at which he was draining the battle robes didn't slow down. In fact, it sped up. He continued draining the battle robes madly even though it was clear his physical form could no longer absorb any more spirit energy.

The draining away of spirit energy had reached a point where it triggered an intense backlash. The battling cultivators felt the battleship quake suddenly!

The quaking clearly weakened the interference in the battleship significantly. It wasn't significant enough that Zhao Yameng could activate the teleportation now, but it was only a matter of time before she could do it.

In addition, the battleship's quaking seemed to trigger a chain effect. The first level and second level of the world began to shake as well. Daoist You Ran had been gaining an edge over Feng Qiuran, who had been forced back while blood continued to spill from her lips. He had just waved his hand and was about to seize control over and enslave Feng Qiuran's mind when he suddenly felt the heavens and earth sway and the interference on the battleship fade. Alarm flashed across his face!

"Something's wrong!" An overpowering sense of unease rose inside Daoist You Ran at that moment. He retreated hurriedly, forming a series of hand seals and extending his senses outward. A few moments later, his eyes widened. His connection with the battleship finally led to his realization of what was happening on the third level!

"Wang Baole!" Daoist You Ran's breathing quickened, and blood filled his eyes as he let loose a furious howl. He was no longer interested in the severely injured Feng Qiuran. He turned and charged furiously towards Wang Baole's avatar.

Wang Baole, who was engaged in a fierce battle with a few Nascent Soul realm cultivators, had no time to react at all. A destructive force descended upon him, and his avatar was blown apart in a deafening explosion!

Daoist You Ran looked murderous after destroying Wang Baole's avatar. With a wave of his hand, he sent a horde of enslaved cultivators after Feng Qiuran. Thunder boomed as lightning lit the skies around him. Tears began appearing, rips in space that opened into the abyss. Seven to eight Never-Ending Clan cultivators stepped out of the tears. They were covered with wounds from a past battle, which had not fully healed. Still, their partial recovery placed them at the level of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator.

They knew the gravity of the situation, charging at Feng Qiuran as soon as they appeared. Daoist You Ran burned with anxiety. He unleashed his full speed, racing towards land and heading straight for… the third level!

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Chapter 657: You Ran's Fury!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As Daoist You Ran left in a hurry, a pale-faced Feng Qiuran gritted her teeth and retreated hastily as Never-Ending Clan cultivators and enslaved Dao Palace cultivators charged at her. Her hands came together to form a series of hand seals, and she bit the tip of her tongue and spat out a mouthful of lifeblood.

It transformed into a blood mist that surged towards the charging cultivators and stopped them momentarily in their tracks. Immediately after, Feng Qiuran frantically raised her right hand and grabbed through the air, snatching the storage bracelet that had been left behind by Wang Baole's destroyed avatar. Daoist You Ran normally wouldn't leave such things lying behind, but his panic had led to his oversight.

Having secured the storage bracelet, Feng Qiuran retreated without hesitation. The second level might be vast, but she was still filled with despair and weighed down by a heavy heart. She didn't know where she could go and had no idea how to fix this.

She turned her head back and stared at the figures of the Never-Ending Clan members behind her. She looked at them and saw the horrible battle scenes that had taken place on the ancient sword during the historic great battle. Her mind was filled with the familiar faces of Dao Palace cultivators who had been enslaved and lost a sense of their self. Bitterness engulfed her. She felt like a sinner.

Everything… is a result of us infiltrating the battleship even though we knew that it was going to be a trap… Feng Qiuran grimaced. It was then that she realized how much she had failed at being a leader. She had been overly emotional and had ignored reason.

Daoist You Ran! An icy glint glimmered in her eyes. She wanted to right the wrongs that she had committed and undo all that had been done, but she was powerless. The bitterness in her only grew as she stared at the cultivators pursuing her. Mie Liezi was one of them.

There's still hope! Feng Qiuran tried to stay strong amidst her bitterness. The battleship's ability to interfere with teleportation had been weakened earlier due to reasons unknown, and Daoist You Ran had reacted violently to it. Feng Qiuran saw a glimmer of hope in that. It was a feeble hope, but hope nevertheless.

While Feng Qiuran continued fleeing, Zhao Yameng was hidden on a mountain in another part of the world, trying her best to form and activate array runes to conceal her presence. At the same time, her hands held tightly onto the teleportation talisman. She calmed her breathing while her eyes shone brightly with determination. She was waiting for the right moment.

She was worried about Wang Baole, but she knew that with her level of cultivation, she would only serve as a distraction instead of an aid to him. She also knew her mission. She had to inform the Federation about everything that was going on here!

"Baole…" Zhao Yameng murmured to herself, then sighed. She shut her eyes and waited patiently.

Feng Qiuran wasn't the only one engaged in battle on the second level. The cultivators from her faction had been separated when they had entered the second level. Most had perished due to a variety of reasons, while a few had been imprisoned and sealed. You Ran wasn't the only one of the Never-Ending Clan on the battleship.

The trap had long been set, and the hunt by the Never-Ending Clan had begun the moment they had boarded the battleship. Many like Chi Lin had either been imprisoned or sacrificed to the millstone.

Most of the Core Formation realm cultivators had perished. This was clearly a much more dangerous place to Core Formation realm cultivators than their more powerful comrades. They had been no match for their enemies. A few though, like Zhao Yameng, had sensed the threat and gone into hiding.

Kong Dao had been one of them. He was skilled at ambushes and concealing himself. Despite the dangers that hid at every corner on the battleship, he had his own way of surviving them. He was someone who had managed to survive the Martian wilderness when he had only been at the Ancient Martial realm.

He was currently on the second level but not on the surface. He had found a cavern. There was no golden lake in the cavern, and it was clearly not where Wang Baole's true form was. However, it possessed a few artifacts that resembled evacuation pods. Many were damaged, but there were a couple that were still functional.

Kong Dao hadn't been able to find an exit. Left with no other option, he gritted his teeth and hidden inside one of those evacuation pods to escape pursuit.

Everyone was on the run. On the third level, where the battle robes were located, a deafening sound suddenly erupted and rose to the skies. A shockingly fat Wang Baole sat in the middle of a golden lake. Every part of his body was wobbling, and his eyes shone madly as the devouring seed inside him continued to churn.

Faster! Wang Baole shouted inwardly. He was panicking. There was an incredible well of Spirit Qi contained inside the battle robes. Even with both the devouring seed and his scabbard hard at work, it was still an incredible amount of Spirit Qi to absorb. Wang Baole was only at the perfected Core Formation realm, so there was a limit to how much he could absorb. With danger looming, he didn't have the time to attempt a breakthrough either. In order to break through from the Core Formation realm to the Nascent Soul realm, he needed a safe environment, one free of disturbance in which he could retreat into seclusion.

What made things worse was how his progress at draining the battle robes began to slow down as time passed.

The battle robes' resistance continued to interfere with Wang Baole's draining of its spirit energy. This seemed to be the battle robes' natural defense mechanism. Even though Wang Baole had fully unleashed his devouring seed, that didn't improve the speed in which he was draining the battle robes.

Caught in a bind, Wang Baole frantically formed a series of hand seals and summoned his avatar. His avatar separated from his person and charged upwards into the pillar.

Wang Baole's Flame Snatch Thearch Armor materialized. His body had clearly reached its limits, so he was going to get his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor to continue the draining!

The armor was like Wang Baole's second body. It joined forces with the devouring seed, and even though it couldn't increase the speed of absorption, it managed to create a balance that allowed vast quantities of Spirit Qi to continue flowing into the armor. The light emanating from the armor began to grow brighter.

Wang Baole just needed a little more time. It wasn't going to take long, maybe another two hours. If he continued absorbing the battle robes' spirit energy at this rate, the interference from the battleship was going to weaken more considerably. Wang Baole didn't know if it would weaken to a point where teleportation was possible again, but he knew that as long as he kept absorbing the battle robes' spirit energy and weakening the battleship's interference, Zhao Yameng's chances of succeeding would increase!

However… the weakening of the battleship's strength had attracted Daoist You Ran's notice. He was now cleaving through everything in his path as he raced towards the third level. Wang Baole's armor had only begun absorbing the battle robes' spirit energy for twenty seconds when the walls of the cavern burst open!

Dirt and stone spewed everywhere, and a furious Daoist You Ran emerged in the cave. His eyes shot towards the golden lake, where his precious battle robes were, and to the space beside it, where a ballooned up Wang Baole, covered in his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor, sat!

The Death Dao Battle Robes' glow had faded considerably. Its skin looked creased, and one of its arms was nothing but drooping skin. Not to mention, Wang Baole was still draining the battle robes' Spirit Qi madly.

Daoist You Ran flew into a mad rage at the sight. His plan to lure the Dao Palace cultivators into the battleship and enslave them had been to ensure that he could carry out a blood sacrifice with minimal damage. There was no doubt that he was at the Soul Conduit realm and that he had other Never-Ending Clan members reporting to him on the battleship.

However, they were all still recovering from their respective injuries. They might be able to survive and win a battle, but prolonged fighting was out of the question. In addition, the battleship lacked the necessary components to meld successfully with the battle robes. It was unable to unleash its full power.

The array formation protecting the Dao Palace, as well as Mie Liezi's and Feng Qiuran's strength, meant that Daoist You Ran hadn't been confident of his victory. Most importantly, he hadn't been prepared to pay a heavy price for victory.

That was why he had laid a trap. He had planned to first enslave them all and then to use the energy harvested from blood sacrifices as fuel for the battleship. In that manner, he would be able to meld with the battle robes any time he wanted.

He would be able to steer the Death Dao Battleship and invade the Federation, then continue harvesting everyone in the Federation for his sacrifices. Once he had sacrificed the entire Federation to the battleship, he would be able to truly become one with the Death Dao Battleship!

His plan had been coming along smoothly. To find out that the Death Dao Battle Robes, which his strategy was centered around, had been drained to such a great extent, was like amputating a limb. The loss was driving him mad with rage!

Damn it, how did he get in here? Daoist You Ran's eyes turned red, and his head was about to explode. He howled in fury.

"Wang Baole!"

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Chapter 658: Ten Thousand Tribulations and a Thousand Lives!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The furious howl was louder than thunder. It exploded inside the cave and resonated in the air, causing the walls all around to shake violently and the pillar in the ceiling to spasm. Wild winds whipped across the surface of the golden lake, sending violent waves across the surface. It all sent Wang Baole's heart racing with fear.

A red-eyed, crazed-looking Daoist You Ran charged at Wang Baole like a bolt of lightning. He raised his right hand and gathered his Soul Conduit realm cultivation, forming an incredible power that seemed ready to smash into Wang Baole, drain him dry of all his Spirit Qi, and return it back to where it had come from once it crushed the life out of him!

The threat of death exploded in Wang Baole's head.

Wang Baole's eyes widened. He could feel his avatar entering the pillar, heading straight for the second level. He needed only a single thought to exchange places with his avatar and leave this godforsaken place.

But Wang Baole knew that even if he was to escape this time, as long as the battleship's interference continued to disrupt all attempts at teleportation, he wouldn't be able to run away from his eventual death!

There was only one way to leave this place, and that was to disrupt the interference from the battleship. The interference had to be severe enough that both Zhao Yameng and he could activate their teleportation talismans and leave!

That wouldn't be plausible unless his avatar could locate Zhao Yameng quickly. Time wasn't on his side. These thoughts flashed across Wang Baole's mind before a determined look settled on his face. He didn't hesitate. When the raging Daoist You Ran approached, Wang Baole yelled suddenly. His Flame Snatch Thearch Armor continued draining the battle robes while the spirit fat inside his body began to burn itself up frantically.

This was something Wang Baole had first thought of during his battle with Dugu Lin, when his devouring seed had mutated and started sucking madly. He had tried to replicate this move several times but hadn't been able to fully unleash it because he had been too slim.

With the sudden accumulation of spirit fat in his body, he had grown so fat that standing had become a challenge. This time, when he unleashed this move, the spirit fat inside his body began to burn, and waves of powerful spirit energy emanated from his body!

If someone were to calculate the Spirit Qi he was giving off right now, they would find that it had surpassed that possessed by a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. In fact, it rivaled that of Daoist You Ran at the moment. However… this wasn't Spirit Qi that had been acquired through cultivation but something that was stored in his fat.

The quantity was there, but the quality was lacking. If one were to describe Daoist You Ran's Spirit Qi as ice, Wang Baole's would be akin to fog!

Regardless of how thick fog got, it remained something that was permeable. Only when transformed into water could it become a form of defense. When transformed into ice, it could even become an offensive measure!

Besides that, there was also a difference in degrees of control. Daoist You Ran was able to wield the Soul Conduit realm cultivation inside him flawlessly, allowing his Spirit Qi to take up all shapes and forms. Wang Baole, on the other hand, faced difficulty with fine-tuned controls of the Spirit Qi he was releasing. It was impossible for him to shape his Spirit Qi smoothly.

Wang Baole knew that, which was why he was simply releasing the vast quantities of Spirit Qi he got from burning his spirit fat. He wasn't trying to channel it towards any spells or using it to stop Daoist You Ran's approach.

He only did one thing, and that was to direct the vast Spirit Qi… into his bracelet, into the six beads around his wrist!

As Spirit Qi surged into them, four of the six beads began sucking said Spirit Qi hungrily like starving vortexes. They shone with a blinding light, each in a different color—red, blue, black and gold!

Overwhelming power erupted in the air!

The bracelet's beads housed six divine powers. They were Wang Baole's trump card. Even though he couldn't master the control over his Spirit Qi and use it against his enemy, he could channel it into his bracelet and unleash the divine powers housed inside!

Divine powers… were sealed inside this bracelet. This meant that… the level of cultivation of its wielder determined how powerful each divine power unleashed was.

It served as a medium that absorbed the vast ocean of Spirit Qi that had formed from Wang Baole burning his spirit fat, which would allow it to unleash even greater power. It was akin to absorbing fog, compressing and distilling it, then turning it into ice blades!

This was the only way Wang Baole could think of to defend himself against Daoist You Ran at the moment. He did his best to burn all his spirit fat, then channel the Spirit Qi into the bracelet. All the while, Daoist You Ran was charging towards him, bringing down on Wang Baole the full extent of his fury and the full weight of his Soul Conduit realm cultivation. He was ready to smash Wang Baole into dust.

It was then that Wang Baole lifted his head suddenly and spoke!

"Ten Thousand Tribulations!"

As soon as the words left Wang Baole's mouth, one of the star-shaped beads threaded around his right wrist, which had been glowing black, flared brightly. Out flew a black dove!

It expanded to the size of the Thearch Armor, casting a shadow over everything and charging towards the approaching Daoist You Ran!

The raging, charging Daoist You Ran hadn't considered Wang Baole a worthy foe at all. At that moment though, he couldn't help but shiver when he saw the black dove!

He felt as if his soul had been immobilized, and he couldn't move or evade the attack. He was powerless to fight it. This feeling of helplessness surged inside him, alongside a chill whose origin he couldn't explain.

He didn't hesitate as he formed a series of hand seals and pointed his finger forward. Black Qi materialized in the air before him, transforming into a statue of a Never-Ending Clan cultivator that attempted to crush the black dove. A bizarre sight happened next. Upon collision, the black dove vanished into thin air, without signs of having been injured. But… just as it disappeared, the imprint of a black dove appeared on Daoist You Ran's forehead!

It didn't hurt or itch at all, but Daoist You Ran was still shocked by its appearance. He felt an indescribable sense of danger emanating from the imprint. What came along with that was a sudden resistance that unexpectedly rose from inside the golden lake, inside the pillar, from the walls around him, and even the Death Dao Battle Robes that were still being drained by Wang Baole!

The hostile force erupted, ignoring Wang Baole and flooding Daoist You Ran. Everything within this cavern suddenly saw Daoist You Ran as an enemy!

The golden lake suddenly exploded, and broken limbs flew out, charging at Daoist You Ran. The pillar spasmed, and countless broken fingers darted out and headed for Daoist You Ran as well.

That wasn't the end of it all. The walls around began to peel and crack, fragmenting into rocks that flung themselves at Daoist You Ran!

Daoist You Ran reeled back in shock from the sudden danger and the bizarre and ridiculous situation he found himself in.

He unleashed his full cultivation. With a wave of his arms, he transformed himself into a black tornado that flung the approaching broken limbs, broken fingers, and shattered stone away. Then, he continued his charge towards Wang Baole.

His actions seemed to have angered the manifestation of the Ten Thousand Tribulations technique. The black dove on his forehead shone and opened its eyes suddenly. The retaliatory force surrounding him intensified and erupted, and a sudden force erupted from the battle robes and swept across the cavern. Daoist You Ran shuddered, disbelief and shock coloring his face as he stumbled back from the invisible attack.

This was Wang Baole's first attempt at activating Ten Thousand Tribulations. He was shocked at the sight before him. Without hesitation, he unleashed the divine power in the second bead!

"A Thousand Lives!"

The second star-shaped bead flared with a brilliant light. A familiar warmth surged throughout Wang Baole's body as a dove-shaped print appeared on his forehead, a sign of how much more powerful this particular unleashing of the technique was compared to its past activations!

Wang Baole felt warm all over, and a sense of acceptance and benevolence surrounded him.

The change was most startling where the Death Dao Battle Robes were concerned. Just a while earlier, Wang Baole had experienced resistance as it had tried to prohibit him from draining it dry. Wang Baole had to activate his devouring seed and forcibly absorb its spirit energy. Now though… the resistance had vanished completely. It didn't seem hostile at all, and it was instead welcoming towards Wang Baole!

The transformation shocked Wang Baole. He was overcome with mad joy the next instant. Excitement colored his eyes, and his spirits soared as surprise and delight overwhelmed him!

"Little You-You, know what this place is? You're… in your daddy's house now. Watch how I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

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Chapter 659: Soul Guiding and Dream Spinning!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The activation of both Ten Thousand Tribulations and A Thousand Lives made Daoist You Ran feel unprecedented hostility coming from everywhere in the cavern!

Enmity radiated from the broken fingers streaming out from the pillar and from the rocks that always seemed to smash into him. It radiated from the battle robes' overwhelming aura that didn't seem to differentiate friend from foe.

Daoist You Ran was completely confounded. He could sense the exact opposite that was happening to Wang Baole. The entire cavern seemed to revolve around Wang Baole now. Be it the pillar, the golden lake, or even the battle robes—which had stopped resisting and began to release Spirit Qi and direct its Spirit Qi into Wang Baole's Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. He found it all incredulous and bizarre.

That wasn't the worst of it. Wang Baole had the nerve to give him a derogatory nickname that left a bad taste in his mouth. He had even called himself his daddy. Daoist You Ran's eyes turned red. He was about to go crazy. He howled furiously, unleashed his full Soul Conduit realm cultivation, and crashed head-on with the surrounding hostile forces. He seemed fixed on battling the hostile will inside the cavern and charged towards Wang Baole again.

Daoist You Ran was of the Never-Ending Clan and possessed incredibly powerful cultivation. It was clear that he had been even more powerful in the past. The aura that exuded from his person grew murderous amidst the Ten Thousand Tribulations technique's attacks.

Wang Baole's pupils contracted. He formed a series of hand seals and pointed at Daoist You Ran again.

"Soul Guiding!"

Daoist You Ran had cleaved a path clear to Wang Baole, sweeping aside all obstacles and fighting against the resistance of the battle robes to arrive hundreds of feet before Wang Baole. Simmering with rage and frustration, he had raised his right hand with the full intention of turning Wang Baole into pulp. It was then that Wang Baole said those two words…

His voice echoed in the cavern. The Soul Guiding bead on his wrist shone brightly, and a wisp of black smoke emerged from the bead before it expanded to become a gigantic palm spanning hundreds of feet wide!

Five gruesome-looking demons were attached to the hand's five fingers. They howled furiously as the hand snatched at Daoist You Ran. It went through empty air. However, Wang Baole could clearly see another shadow overlaid on Daoist You Ran's person. It was his soul, the one that had been fused with his Nascent Soul!

It had remained fused with his Nascent Soul for countless years and seemed almost inseparable. The gigantic hand managed to pluck it out, separating it from Daoist You Ran's body. For a few moments, it was torn half a human body's length from Daoist You Ran!

His soul was a blur, but his facial features remained distinguishable. The look of shock on his face was clear for all to see. He hadn't expected Wang Baole to possess such an incredible and shocking mystic technique!

If Wang Baole's cultivation had been at a higher level, and he didn't require the beads to unleash these techniques but had instead activated them with his own will, he would without a doubt pose a threat to You Ran. He would be dangerous even if his cultivation wasn't as powerful as You Ran's.

Now though… he still had some way to go. With danger looming over his head, Daoist You Ran ignored the injury caused to himself as he fought to move his body and bite his own tongue. His eyes shone a blood-red as he used the pain and the blood in his mouth to unleash some form of mystic technique.

His entire body turned red, and fearsome waves of spirit energy erupted from his body as a huge vortex materialized inside his body. It tugged at and gradually dragged his soul back into his body.

Just as his soul was about to return to his body and achieve a somewhat unstable fusion with his Nascent Soul and physical body, a murderous glint flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. He howled and formed a series of hand seals!

"Dream Spinning!"

Soul Guiding to shock one's soul and Dream Spinning to draw one's spirit!

The final star-shaped bead around his wrist began to spark brightly as soon as he shouted the two words. A force that seemed all-encompassing, that was present all around them in the universe, suddenly stirred!

It seemed to originate from the essence of all life and came from a mysterious place hidden in the depths of one's soul. Wang Baole didn't really understand what was going on. The Federation had proven the mysterious power of dreams before the Spirit Inception Era. Since the beginning of time, many people had the same experience of deja vu, where he or she had felt as if something that had just happened had also taken place in their dreams.

They had only managed to arrive at a vague and indistinct answer to this mystery after they had entered the Spirit Inception Era. There was a mysterious power in this universe that was all around them. It resonated with a place deep inside every living creature's soul and resulted in a strange echoic effect.

If someone were able to wield this power, he or she would be able to achieve Dao via dreams. He or she would be able to control the essence of dreams. He or she would be able to unleash a power similar to that of the Dark Dream!

Dream Spinning gave one similar power. It couldn't compete on a macro-scale, but it had the edge on a micro-scale. Its principles revolved around drawing the mysterious power found within the dreamscape and circling the bespelled, forming a ring around the person's body!

A single ring represented a dream, while two rings represented a dream within a dream. When fully unleashed, one could form nine rings, nine dreams within dreams. One could seize control of the essence of all dreams and kill someone within a dream!

However, with Wang Baole's current level of cultivation, even if he were to channel all that vast Spirit Qi into the bead, he wouldn't be able to unleash the full powers of Dream Spinning. He was only capable of summoning a single ring now!

As the technique was activated, countless shades of crystal appeared around Daoist You Ran soundlessly. They seemed illusory, yet upon closer look, appeared to possess physical form. They formed a ring around Daoist You Ran!

He didn't seem to notice as the ring of shards closed around him. This was because he was struggling to regain his soul, and also because of how powerful the Dream Spinning technique was!

Within the blink of an eye, the crystal shards formed a complete circle around him. Daoist You Ran jerked suddenly, then fell limp. He hovered in mid-air, unmoving. His spell that was meant to stabilize his soul faded away. It was as if he had just been forcibly yanked into a dream.

Wang Baole had no idea what sort of dream it was, as he wasn't yet capable of entering Daoist You Ran's dream at this moment. But, he knew that this was his chance!

Wang Baole's eyes flashed as he looked at the Death Dao Battle Robes. He had drained one of its arms dry, and now, its remaining arm was showing signs of drooping as the Thearch Armor continued to absorb its spirit energy.

Wang Baole could use the chance that the Dream Spinning had given him to continue draining the battle robes, but he wasn't certain how long the Dream Spinning technique would last. He didn't like leaving his fate to chance.

If he had a choice, he would rather be the master of his own fate!

There was a determined look in his eyes as he stopped draining the Death Dao Battle Robes decisively and leaped into the air. His Thearch Armor glimmered as his right hand tightened into a fist. As his cultivation churned, unimaginable power erupted from his skeletal Divine Armament and surged outwards. He blurred in the air with a sudden burst of speed and appeared next to Daoist You Ran, his fist headed straight for the latter's head, which was held immobile in mid-air!

A flying sword with a lethal glint dashed out from the pillar, moving as swiftly as Wang Baole, and headed towards Daoist You Ran's dantian!

Wang Baole had lost all connection with the sword when he had entered the third level and fallen inside the pillar. He had ached for the loss of the artifact despite his attempt at retrieving it.

The connection with the flying sword had been re-established after he had unleashed Ten Thousand Tribulations and A Thousand Lives, and after he had triggered a flood of broken fingers streaming out of the pillar. He hadn't activated it then, waiting until now to unleash its full power!

"Die!"

Wang Baole gritted his teeth as he unleashed the full power of his Thearch Armor and channeled it into his Divine Armament. A blow from his Divine Armament would be enough to kill an early-stage or even mid-stage Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Daoist You Ran might be at the Soul Conduit realm, but Wang Baole was confident of his ability to inflict a grievous injury on the former if he coupled the attack with his flying sword!

Wang Baole darted out. It was then that Daoist You Ran's eyes began showing signs of struggle. He was about to awaken!

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Chapter 660: I'm Not Playing Anymore!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The cultivation of Daoist You Ran—or the Never-Ending Clan member who was using Daoist You Ran's body, to be more specific—at his peak had clearly surpassed the Soul Conduit realm!

He might have been at the Spirit Immortal realm, or perhaps even at the Planet realm. The past war had left him severely injured, and his recovery since then had been slow, which was why the strength he was able to unleash now was only at the Soul Conduit realm.

That was why even though Wang Baole had unleashed Soul Guiding, Dream Spinning, Ten Thousand Tribulations, and A Thousand Lives and earned himself a small window of opportunity, he still couldn't underestimate Daoist You Ran's fighting instincts when placed in such grave danger.

Daoist You Ran's eyes were showing signs of struggle and awakening, causing the look of determination in Wang Baole's own eyes to grow stronger. He didn't waver and consider retreat. Instead, he moved more quickly and more decisively. His cultivation churned more fiercely, and he seemed to be unleashing his full potential. He was like a shooting star encircled by lightning bolts, approaching Daoist You Ran instantly!

In the blink of an eye, Wang Baole and his flying sword appeared next to Daoist You Ran. The skeletal fist of his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor was about to land on Daoist You Ran's head when the latter suddenly exploded!

The deafening explosion resonated in the air as Wang Baole's flying sword pierced through Daoist You Ran's dantian from his back. Blood splattered in the air!

There was no joy on Wang Baole's face. Instead, alarm flickered in his eyes as the threat of danger rose inside him. His entire body was screaming for him to get away immediately. He gritted his teeth and raised his right fist again, his cultivation erupting. He planned to drive a second punch into Daoist You Ran!

It was too late… Wang Baole's earlier fist might have appeared to have landed on Daoist You Ran's head, but he knew that Daoist You Ran's head had exploded on its own when his fist was a mere inch away from it!

He wasn't the one who had blown it up. Daoist You Ran had blown his own head up!

Daoist You Ran, who hadn't managed to awaken in time to save himself, had decided to blow a part of his body up instead. He had chosen to blow up a part of his host body!

He made use of the sudden explosion to defend himself against Wang Baole's punch, saving himself from death. Wang Baole still managed to injure Daoist You Ran though. His flying sword had come out of nowhere, and Daoist You Ran hadn't expected it at all. There was no way he could have expected a flying sword shooting out from the pillar at such a critical moment.

That was why… even though he made use of his own physical body as a defense against Wang Baole's punch, he was still injured by the flying sword that had pierced his dantian from the back.

However… even though this might be considered quite a serious injury where Daoist You Ran was concerned, Wang Baole obviously hadn't thought it grievous enough. The sense of danger had exploded inside his head, and he wanted to unleash a second attack. But three lumps of flesh had appeared on the bloodied stump where Daoist You Ran's head had been!

There were no facial features on the two lumps on each side. They looked like featureless piles of flesh that were both gruesome and a fearsome sight to behold. The lump in the middle looked slightly more palatable, as it had a pair of eyes on it. However, it was skinless, and its mouth was mere bone. It looked terrifying.

This was Daoist You Ran's true form. Four arms burst out from his body at the same time the three fleshy lumps appeared. One arm shot forward in a blur and caught Wang Baole's flying sword, while the remaining arms came together to form a flurry of hand seals before throwing their hands towards Wang Baole!

An incredible force of destruction at the Soul Conduit realm erupted at that moment. It transformed into a powerful hurricane that seemed capable of destroying everything in its path and swept towards Wang Baole.

The hurricane resembled a black, spinning sphere. It expanded to the size of Wang Baole's Flame Snatch Thearch Armor in the blink of an eye and seemed about to swallow the later whole.

Wang Baole's head buzzed, and his mind turned blank. He dared not allow any thoughts to enter his mind. The first thought that did would arise from pure instinct, and he would immediately switch places with his avatar.

But that would only delay his eventual death. It might not even give him that much more time. He would have maybe another ten seconds before death caught up with him, and he would also lose any chance of teleporting away. Daoist You Ran would be able to seize control and continue with his evil plans.

He had no choice… Wang Baole's eyes had turned completely red. The destructive and violent hurricane was on the verge of tearing his Thearch Armor apart, and his own body was being squeezed to the point of implosion. He howled and once again unleashed a self-destructive mystic technique!

It was a reversal of his absorption of Spirit Qi, the breaking down of his spirit fat. Typically, Wang Baole wouldn't replicate such a technique within such a short span of time. However, there was no time to think of another solution. His fat shook as he howled. It burned and vanished within the blink of an eye, the Spirit Qi housed within it erupting and surging into the Thearch Armor. He pulled back his fist and raised his other arm to block Daoist You Ran's attack!

The spherical hurricane surged forward like a raging tsunami, rushing at Wang Baole and unleashing its full force at him. Cracks appeared on Wang Baole's armor instantly. In the next moment, the armor, as well as Wang Baole's inner protective clothing, shattered. He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body was flung backwards. But… he had successfully survived the attack!

More than half of the armor was shattered, his inner protective clothing was completely destroyed, and he suffered severe injuries. However, his unleashing of his mystic technique and his Spirit Qi, as well as the buffer provided by the Divine Armament arm, had allowed him to survive the blow. In addition, Daoist You Ran had been severely injured by his flying sword. This attack had been made hastily, and it hadn't been his most powerful.

Wang Baole's body was flung backwards. He landed next to the battle robes in the middle of the lake, blood flowing from his lips. He was still alive, but he could fight no longer. There was only one option left to him, he had to switch places with his avatar. This would allow him to stay alive for a few moments longer!

The difference in power between them was too great. It had been a miracle that Wang Baole had even managed to hold his ground for so long, forcing Daoist You Ran to blow his body up and injuring the latter with his flying sword… If someone were to find out about this, they would be utterly shocked. It would be completely unbelievable!

Daoist You Ran had a cause to be so infuriated. His rage was beyond measure, and he was beside himself with fury. It was simply unimaginable that his plans had been thwarted by Wang Baole. The battle robes had been drained to the point of losing two arms, and he himself had had to maim his host body and had suffered additional injuries. When he finally regained his mind again, the fury in his eyes seemed almost tangible. He howled at Wang Baole and made a grab for him.

"Wang Baole, I'm not going to give you an easy death. I'll extract your soul and make you bear witness to the destruction of your lowly civilization. I'll…" Daoist You Ran promised as he made a grab for Wang Baole. It was then that Wang Baole, panting and with blood still flowing from his lips, shouted in a shrill voice.

"You dare kill me?"

"My senior brother is Chen Qing, the first Divine King of the Never-Ending Clan. I am his only junior brother. My senior brother won't let you off if you kill me. It doesn't matter how far you run or where you run to, he'll find you. When he does, you're dead!"

Wang Baole's voice was shrill. He wasn't even doing it on purpose. He didn't even think about the people who had uttered similar threats to him before he had killed them. It was as if this ability had been hidden inside him all along. His words didn't feel strange on his lips at all. They rolled easily off his tongue.

"You Ran, I'm here because of some shitty training my senior brother wanted me to undergo. To think that someone as important as me is having my ass kicked by someone like you. I'm not playing anymore. I'm the junior brother of a Divine King. I must be nuts, fighting to the death with someone like you!"

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Chapter 661: Save Me, Senior Brother!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole's eyes were wide, and blood flowed from his mouth non-stop, but his presence remained overpowering. In fact, it grew stronger as he kept talking.

"This isn't fun at all. When I was in the Mi Luo Forest, I rode on Star Fang Beasts and had everything I wanted. I wouldn't be here if not for my senior brother ordering me to train here!" Wang Baole sat up and pulled out two Star Fang Beast cores as he spoke. He started sucking at one to heal himself while using the other to rub his wounds.

He had left his storage bracelet with his avatar, but it was mainly used to store his Dharmic Armaments. Other precious materials had been split across his various storage bags. Wang Baole had learned his lesson, one could never have too many storage bags.

He sucked at the beast core after pulling it out and stared angrily at Daoist You Ran.

"You a*. I must have knocked myself on the head too hard. There are so many planets I could have ended up on and had fun on. Why did I choose the Vast Expanse Dao Palace!"

Wang Baole glared at You Ran while sucking hard on the Star Fang Beast core in his hand. His words echoed in the cavern. Daoist You Ran, who had been charging at Wang Baole, suddenly stopped in his tracks after hearing what Wang Baole had just said. His eyes widened. It was as if he had just seen a ghost!

He reported to the second Divine King and clearly knew of the first Divine King of the Never-Ending Clan. He knew how terrifying and powerful the man was. His heart had skipped a beat when he had first heard "first Divine King" come out of Wang Baole's mouth.

After recovering from the initial shock, his first reaction was that of disbelief. He didn't rank high in the Never-Ending Clan's hierarchy. He only knew of the first Divine King and not the latter's true name. Wang Baole might have been able to put together a somewhat convincing lie, but someone from the Federation shouldn't have been able to evoke the name of Mi Luo Forest. Wang Baole had said it so easily.

He had pulled out his Star Fang Beast cores just as easily. That had shocked Daoist You Ran as well. He immediately recognized those as beast cores belonging to beasts at the Spirit Immortal realm.

Such cores were priceless. Mi Luo Forest was renowned for being protective of its kind, but Wang Baole had been able to pull out two such cores, one to suck on and the other to rub against his injuries. The flagrant display of wealth sent Daoist You Ran reeling back. However, he still wasn't fully convinced.

Then, Wang Baole's eyes suddenly flashed sharply. He started to speak in the tongue of the Never-Ending Clan. It was the pure language of the Dark Sect. As soon as he spoke, waves of shock rose inside Daoist You Ran and threatened to drag him under!

"Let me tell you. My senior brother has sealed a blessing on me, and he'll lock on to this place if I die. With his powers, he'll be back to go back in time and find out what happened. Even if you have some means of evading the blessing, you'll still be dead. You stupid a, try it if you don't believe it. See if my senior brother doesn't rush here!" Wang Baole almost shouted out his last few words.

Daoist You Ran was immediately overwhelmed with panic. There were people in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace who spoke the Never-Ending Clan's language, but they wouldn't have been able to speak it so fluently. There should have been some accent. Wang Baole had no accent at all. He spoke it as if it were his native language. Alarm flashed across Daoist You Ran's face, and he couldn't help but question Wang Baole.

"You have anything to prove it?"

Daoist You Ran seemed slightly cowed, causing Wang Baole to release a sigh of relief secretly. He kept a fierce look on his face as he struggled to his feet and shouted.

"Proof? My senior brother didn't give me anything like that. He only told me to announce the name he went by in the Never-Ending Clan. No one in this part of the universe was going to harm me if I did that! You Ran, I demand an answer for what you've done today. I don't care about what you're planning with the Dao Palace, but the Federation is where I'm undergoing my training. You're just a pathetic foot soldier of the second Divine King in the Never-Ending Clan. How dare you interfere with my training!"

Wang Baole knew the Vast Expanse Dao Palace had been destroyed by the second Divine King. He naturally guessed correctly that the Never-Ending Clan members coming after the Dao Palace on the ancient sword reported to the second Divine King.

"I want an apology from you, right now! Then, compensation. I won't tell my senior brother about this. You can scram with your Death Dao Battleship!"

Wang Baole huffed, puffing himself up, his tone of voice extremely hostile. He knew that he could do things another way. He could've tried getting Daoist You Ran on his side by using his senior brother's name. He could've also tempted him with promises of sweet deals. He could've even eased the way towards a more cordial negotiation. But he had abandoned such ideas after some thought. They were all beneath him.

His senior brother, Chen Qing, was the first Divine King. From what Little Missy had shared about his senior brother and what he had seen in the Mi Luo Forest and learned in his Dark Dream, his senior brother was a decisive man who had no qualms about killing others and was arrogant to the point of being unreasonable. Such a man naturally always had his way. As his junior brother, he couldn't be seen as someone soft, as that would draw suspicions.

His judgment had been right. Daoist You Ran found Wang Baole's arrogance infuriating, but he didn't question such an attitude. He might have found it even more suspicious if Wang Baole hadn't acted in such a manner. His haughtiness angered Daoist You Ran, but it also planted doubts in Daoist You Ran's mind.

Wang Baole had deviously mentioned terms that others wouldn't have known as he spoke. His mentioning of the Death Dao Battleship and the second Divine King had seemed casual and almost conversational. It was precisely these details that had given Daoist You Ran a shock.

He wasn't willing to just let it all go though. His plan had been to sacrifice the entire Federation, then meld with the Death Dao Battleship and become one with the latter. He had planned to use that to regain his Planet realm cultivation. He would have been able to advance in his cultivation in his new and different form.

Things would have been easier if the first Divine King had made his presence known. He would have yielded to the Divine King unquestionably and fallen to his shaking knees. Whom he faced instead was a mere Core Formation realm cultivator. He might call himself the junior brother of the first Divine King, and might even make quite a bit of sense, but Daoist You Ran just couldn't believe him. He didn't want to.

He was clearly struggling internally. Then, a sharp glint flashed across his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking, but he suddenly stirred and appeared above Wang Baole. He raised one hand, unleashed his Soul Conduit realm cultivation, and gathered a terrifying, destructive force in his hand, sending it charging towards Wang Baole.

He seemed intent on killing and silencing Wang Baole!

He lifted his hand and was about to slam it down when Wang Baole's eyes suddenly flashed with a vicious light. He had been prepared for that. He started muttering the sutra in his heart, the first few words flying off the top of his head as he shouted.

"Save me, Senior Brother!"

Wang Baole yelled as he secretly mouthed the sutra in his heart. At that moment, the heavens rumbled, the Death Dao Battleship shook, the Vast Expanse Dao Palace trembled, and the ancient sword quaked. A power rose from the depths of distant space, crossed the expanse of the universe, descended upon the Solar System, upon the sun, and landed on the ancient sword. It appeared… inside the cavern on the battleship!

Boom!

It was a power terrifying beyond measure. Wang Baole thought he heard an indistinct snort. He trembled, wondering fearfully if the mysterious presence had truly awakened…

This was no place for him to consider that too deeply though. Based on his experience, this aura appeared and vanished within an instant. It was the best instrument to strike fear in his enemies' hearts, one perfect for his current predicament.

He had guessed correctly. Daoist You Ran almost lost his wits, the mysterious force that had been unleashed by Wang Baole's sutra sending him reeling back. The backlash forced a mouthful of blood to his lips, and shock colored his eyes. He didn't retreat though. Instead, there was a madness in his eyes as he charged towards Wang Baole, attacking!

"Wang Baole, if you truly are the first Divine King's junior brother, you would have a trump card up your sleeve. The aura you have unleashed is terrifying, but… I'm not convinced by it. Come, as long as you can survive this attack of mine, I will turn around and leave!"

"If you can't… then you're just lying!" Daoist You Ran had clearly gone mad. He was almost convinced. The sutra's power had him quaking in his boots, and there was a voice in his head screaming for him to run away immediately before he got himself killed!

But he had to attack. He had been planning this for too long and wasn't going to just give it all up. That was why… he was going to try his luck. If the fates willed it so, he would die without regret!

"You're like a dog with a bone!" Wang Baole simmered in frustration. He thought his performance had been flawless. He had even whipped out his sutra. He hadn't expected Daoist You Ran to be out of his mind.

There wasn't enough time for him to think of another plan. As the threat of death approached, and as his entire body shook in fear, a flash of madness crossed Wang Baole's eyes!

Let's wing it!

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He had to wing it, there was no way around it!

Wang Baole wasn't a coward. This had been proven time and again from the various encounters he had survived in the Federation. Hidden beneath his mild exterior was a character that was brutal to his enemies and even harsher to himself!

Wang Baole's eyes were filled with madness as he watched Daoist You Ran unleash his attack at him. He knew that with his current level of cultivation, there was no way he could fully unleash the Rebirth Severing and Five Punishments techniques, even after absorbing the spirit energy from the Death Dao Battle Robes.

It was impossible to unleash them here and use them as his final trump card, so he had only one option left!

It was… the Flame Snatch Thearch Armor!

His armor might have shattered, but Wang Baole still had one ultimate technique that was his trump card. It was his greatest gain since his arrival on the ancient sword!

That was… the Thearch Collapse!

It wasn't as simple as blowing his armor up but a technique inherent in the Thearch Armor inheritance. The practitioner was to sacrifice the Thearch Armor that he had painstakingly cultivated, compress said cultivation using a special method, and unleash a terrifying power that was beyond imaginable.

This power would shake the heavens and unleash an indescribable force against both the caster and the target. Wang Baole wouldn't have resorted to such madness in normal circumstances, but he was left with no other options.

Death was inevitable if he tried to run. If he wasn't going to wing it and fight for his life now… when then was he going to do it?

These thoughts flashed past Wang Baole's mind as he sent all his cultivation into the Flame Snatch Thearch Armor without hesitation. He also activated the full power contained within the armor itself!

He sent his will into the armor, unleashing his full cultivation and his full potential. His body, which had slimmed down, shrank to skin and bones rapidly!

The light in his eyes grew brighter all this while, as did the light emanating from his armor—it shone like a star. As Daoist You Ran drew closer, Wang Baole shouted!

"Armor Removal!"

The roar thundered and sent the entire cavern shaking. The brightly shining armor on Wang Baole separated from his body and reassembled into a huge cube made of flesh and blood meridians before him!

It looked like a box made of ligaments and tendons. Blood-colored meridians circled inside, forming a sphere that wrapped around the Divine Armament skeletal arm. The appearance of the cube sent the abyss surrounding it shattering into pieces as waves of terrifying spirit energy surged outwards.

The waves of spirit energy were so powerful that even Daoist You Ran was taken aback. His pupils contracted, and his heart raced. He abandoned all thought of testing Wang Baole, retreating hurriedly and evading the brilliant light.

He clearly felt threatened by the waves of spirit energy emanating from Wang Baole's Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. They felt different from the earlier spirit energy that had been released. Less powerful, but more real.

It was as if… one was distant and the other up close and personal. One was the invisible explosion of a star while the other, the collapse of the ground beneath one's feet!

Both made his heart race fearfully. The latter left a greater impact due to the visual shock!

Daoist You Ran retreated almost instinctively. It was too late though. He had forced Wang Baole into a corner, and Wang Baole wasn't going to let him go so easily. Besides, Wang Baole knew that this was the only chance he was going to get!

A vicious light flashed across Wang Baole's eyes as he shouted.

"Body Possession!"

Daoist You Ran reeled back with shock and retreated hastily when he heard those words. The cube-shaped Flame Snatch Thearch Armor exploded. It didn't erupt. Instead, it seemed to have dissected itself and transformed into dozens of pieces that then surrounded Daoist You Ran. It all happened in a blur, disrupting whatever laws were set in place on the battleship. The disassembled armor locked on to Daoist You Ran. No matter how fast he retreated, they continued to surround him!

Within the blink of an eye, the dismantled pieces had appeared all around Daoist You Ran—above him, under him, in front and behind him, to his left, and to his right. They closed in and trapped him!

Everything happened extremely quickly. From the moment Daoist You Ran abandoned the idea of testing Wang Baole, to Wang Baole's relentless and vicious retaliation, they ended up in their current situation in the blink of an eye. Daoist You Ran seemed to have reached the limits of his shock. He didn't hesitate. Once he saw that he couldn't escape the disassembled armor segments, he bit the tip of his tongue. His left and right heads exploded at the same time!

This was one of the Never-Ending Clan's techniques. It wasn't the first time Wang Baole was witnessing it. Despite that, he had no way of stopping You Ran. The violence in his eyes intensified as he unleashed the second final step of the Thearch Armor inheritance's ultimate technique!

"Nine Folds!"

As soon as Wang Baole shouted those two words, the cube that had surrounded Daoist You Ran suddenly folded itself, transforming itself from a three-dimensional entity into something two-dimensional, then into a one-dimensional plane!

The sight was beyond bizarre. Daoist You Ran appeared to be imprinted onto that one-dimensional paper-like plane, and his body showed signs of disappearing. Wang Baole wasn't done yet. The paper bent then folded itself again!

Signs of Daoist You Ran's destruction grew clearer. Just as the piece of paper tried to fold itself again, a sudden thundering sound exploded. The paper was blown apart from the inside by an incredible force. Daoist You Ran had blown up both his heads and forced his way out of the sealed space, narrowly escaping with his life.

Wang Baole spat out a mouthful of blood. He was obviously reluctant to accept Daoist You Ran's successful escape, but he had no choice. The chasm of power separating them was too vast. He might possess numerous incredible mystic techniques that had caught Daoist You Ran by surprise, but in the end, he could only injure the latter further. Killing him remained a challenge!

If that's the case… Wang Baole watched as the one-dimensional plane exploded and Daoist You Ran fought his way out. He decided to simply wing it. He shouted again, doing so before the mystic technique was complete.

"Thearch Collapse!"

An indescribably powerful force erupted from the folded piece of paper that had been in the midst of being ripped apart. The explosion was so powerful it formed waves of energy that surged outwards and flooded everything in the area!

Rumbling erupted in the cavern, like thunder that seemed never-ending. It sounded like the furious roars of a heavenly beast. Wang Baole shuddered violently and spat out a mouthful of blood as he stumbled backwards. Waves of spirit energy ripped outwards and rushed over him. A pale-faced Wang Baole immediately activated the spell that allowed him to switch places with his avatar!

It was then that a bloodied hand shot out from the center of the Thearch Armor and made a grab for Wang Baole. A soft, gentle light appeared just as the hand approached. Little Missy materialized. She lifted her hand and pointed, and a white light suddenly emerged from within the Thearch Collapse. It dashed out and appeared between Little Missy and the gigantic bloody hand. It was… the skeletal Divine Armament arm that had been joined to Wang Baole's Thearch Armor!

Little Missy and the gigantic bloody hand were instantly connected via the skeletal hand. A deafening thunder rose to the skies as a blinding light erupted from the Divine Armament arm. There was a muted grunt inside the Thearch Collapse, while Little Missy's face paled. She exhaled a wisp of green air, and her materialized body trembled and turned several shades fainter. She stepped back, drawing the skeletal Divine Armament arm to Wang Baole's side.

Her appearance and attack gave Wang Baole the time to switch places with his avatar, and he disappeared in the next moment, his avatar reappearing in his place!

The backlash from the Thearch Collapse rushed towards the avatar almost immediately after its appearance. Wang Baole had no time to react at all. The avatar was pulled under instantly, disintegrated and turned to dust!

That wasn't the end of the attack. Amidst the howling storm that resembled the roars of a heavenly beast, the golden lake was turned into tumultuous waves that evaporated when exposed to the air. The cavern walls stood no chance at all and turned to dust instantly. The enormous pillar that hung in the ceiling, though extremely malleable and gifted with an incredible recovery rate, was also destroyed. It collapsed almost immediately, triggering a chain reaction that traveled up the flesh-lined pathway and resulted in an explosive force that surged outwards!

The entire cavern was decimated. The destruction spread for at least a hundred feet. Only the Death Dao Battle Robes remained seated and immobile as the ceilings crashed down. It seemed relatively impervious to the destruction around it. The only damage was the crack on its forehead, which grew a slight bit wider.

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