Lord of the Earth

"Who goes there? How dare you cause trouble in my Taiping Dao Divine City!"

Thunder surged across Zhang Liang's beard and hair as he glared angrily at the elder of the Tai Xuan Sect!

"Two deities at the third level of the Heavenly Realm actually managed to withstand an attack from me? They do have some skill..."

The supreme deity of the Tai Xuan Sect was slightly surprised that his "divine lightning" had been blocked.

"By order of the Ancestral Master, we are to eradicate the heretics. You mortal heretics, why do you not kneel down? How dare you resist?"

With a cold laugh, he waved his hand, and even more powerful "thunder" gathered, transforming into a chain stretching for thousands of miles, encircling the two "Second Heaven Gods" in an attempt to capture them...

"presumptuous!"

"Rokko Thunder God!"

Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao did not dodge or avoid the attack.

Six talismans flew out from Zhang Bao's hand and stuck above "Zhang Liang". The "thunder patterns" around the latter shone brightly, transforming into a "deity" three hundred miles tall, with lightning dancing on his armor and surrounded by nine raging thunder serpents!
The power of faith from millions of believers in the divine city surged in like a warm current, making the aura of this Thunder Armor General even more majestic! Wielding a "Thunder God's Chisel," he forcefully clashed against the lightning chains, shattering them inch by inch...

Although their cultivation levels were only at the peak of the second level of the Divine Realm.

However, relying on the geographical advantage of Huangtian City, the faith of millions of believers of Taiping Dao, and the combined formation of brothers, their combat power can be completely comparable to "Triple Heaven"!
After severing the "Thunder Shackles", it launched a direct counterattack, with the massive "Thunder Armor General" swinging the "Thunder God Chisel" towards the figure of the "Tai Xuan Sect Elder"!
"what!"

The elder of the Tai Xuan Sect's expression changed, and he hastily activated his divine power to transform it into a lightning shield that was hundreds of miles high.

Bang!
The Thunder God's Chisel slammed into the Thunder Shield, the deafening roar shaking the universe and causing the elders of the Tai Xuan Sect to tremble. They were filled with shock and anger: "How dare you, you brat!"

I never expected that the attack led by just two second-level gods would be so fierce!
"Anyone who dares to cause trouble in my 'Huangtian City' will be captured, even if they are a supreme deity!"

Zhang Bao roared, and more talismans flew out from his hands, forming a powerful "Thunder Dragon" that bared its fangs and claws and coiled around the Tai Xuan Sect elder, attempting to trap him!

Boom!

Zhang Liang, meanwhile, controlled the Thunder Armor God General to press his advantage, and the Thunder God's Chisel, carrying a sky full of lightning, struck down once more.

The elder of Tai Xuan Sect hurriedly tried to dodge, but was entangled by the "thunder dragon" and was a beat too slow. His shoulder was still struck by the lightning, his protective robe was torn to shreds on the spot, and his skin was charred black!
"A mere mortal deity dared to injure me..."

The elders of the Tai Xuan Sect were both shocked and furious.

Normally, a supreme deity would never be so pathetic... However, as a reclusive sect, they usually hide in the "secret realm" left behind by the former human true god, so they don't have to worry about being hunted down by alien races!

In particular, after a long period of "seclusion," they have long forgotten the means of fighting and killing others!

Now, he was being forced into a very sorry state by two "gods" of low level... and the third Thunder God's Chisel of the Thunder Armor General was already close at hand, with the power to destroy the world, making this supreme god even feel a fatal crisis!

"waste!"

In the vast divine kingdom.

Ancestor Xuanqiong's indifferent voice rang out.

He didn't make any move, but his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Boom!

A "Sword of Thunder Punishment," purely driven by will and only as thick as an arm, yet seemingly containing the might of the Thunder Pool of the Nine Heavens, ignored space and instantly appeared above Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao's heads, slashing down!
This sword strike transcended ordinary techniques, instantly locking onto the souls of the two individuals with the authority of the "Thunder Dao Fruit" held by a quasi-true god!
"Oh no! It's a quasi-god!"

Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao's expressions changed drastically. They felt their thunder magic and talisman power being suppressed, as if they had encountered a natural enemy... Even their attempts to manipulate the rules of heaven and earth were greatly restricted!

"May Heaven protect us!"

"Thirty-six commanders, quickly come to my aid!"

At the critical moment of life and death, the two let out a fierce roar, and a thick "yellow light" suddenly appeared above their heads, which actually blocked the "thunderous strike" and slowed down its speed!

Immediately afterwards, thirty-six beams of light shot into the sky from Huangtian City. Each beam represented the power of a "commander" who had stepped into the Divine Realm and the elite Dao soldiers under his command who were at the Saint Realm, and they frantically converged on Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao.

Their auras surged once more. Zhang Liang transformed into a thunder giant, his hands supporting the sky; Zhang Bao, on the other hand, merged with the primordial earth energy, transforming into an immortal mountain phantom.

The brothers joined forces once again to fight against the power of the sword strike from a quasi-god!
boom--! ! !
Amidst a deafening roar, the Thunder Punishment Sword faded away...

The thunder giant and mountain phantom formed by Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao were covered with cracks before collapsing with a roar.

Both of them coughed up blood and flew backward, their faces pale and their breath weak, clearly suffering serious injuries. If it weren't for the "Yellow Heaven" formation covering the entire city and the support of the thirty-six commanders, they would have been able to escape.

This one sword strike was enough to annihilate them, body and soul!
"Hmm? These 'believers' wearing yellow turbans are actually 'Dao soldiers'! Two top-level deities used the great formation to block a sword strike with 20% of my power?"

Ancestor Xuanqiong raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone finally showing a hint of seriousness.

But more than anything, it was the displeasure of having one's heel blocked from pressing down by an ant that was originally intended to be crushed!
"Hmph, formations and faith are nothing but power built up from unorthodox methods. How dare you show off in front of me?"

His figure stepped out of the divine kingdom, and the pressure of a quasi-true god was like the sky collapsing. He looked down at the injured Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao and the Taiping Daoists who were on high alert. His voice was cold and full of oppression!
"Listen up, all of you! I am Xuanqiong, the founder of the Tai Xuan Sect in the Upper Realm. This Emperor of Qianxia has acted perversely and overthrown the lineage of my Dao in the Lower Realm. If your Taiping Dao is wise enough to recognize the times, immediately break away from Qianxia, ​​surrender your entire city to my Tai Xuan Sect, and recognize my lineage as the legitimate one. Perhaps I, out of consideration for our shared humanity, will spare your lives and even bestow upon you the true path to immortality!"

"Otherwise, let's change the 'sky' of Huangtian City today."

Inside the city, Zhang Liang braced himself with his thunder staff, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes wide with rage.

"Our Taiping Dao only honors the Great Virtuous Teacher and follows the Righteous Path of the Yellow Heaven! You treat mortals like weeds, how dare you call yourselves the righteous path of humanity? If you want war, then let's fight, why waste words!"

Zhang Bao sneered repeatedly, crushing a pill to restore his own magic power. He had already quietly grasped a purple-gold natal talisman in his hand, a desperate move bestowed by Huang Tian!

However, the gap between a top-tier deity and a quasi-god is like an insurmountable chasm... Even if they fought to the death, they probably wouldn't be able to harm the other in the slightest!

"Stubborn."

The initial "recruiting" intention that Tai Xuan Ancestor had in mind because of the strength displayed by the two faded away, and after his patience ran out, his killing intent turned chilling.

"Then... let it all vanish into thin air."

The whisk, formed from the power of thunder, was gently raised, and three thousand strands of lightning moved without wind, each one flashing with destructive lightning that could change the color of heaven and earth!

"Supreme Profound Annihilation, Myriad Transformations Divine Thunder!"

With a flick of the whisk, the world lost its color in an instant!
Every thread of the Thunder Dust Brush transformed into countless eerie lightning snakes, as black as ink yet edged with deathly white, densely packed and covering the sky, as if turning the entire sky into an ocean of lightning!
Each lightning bolt contained the power of the law to annihilate all things, weaving into a net that not only covered Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, but also enveloped the entire Huangtian City, sealing off all escape space, aiming to "erasure" all living beings and buildings!
This was a devastating killing technique seriously executed by a "quasi-true god" standing at the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm. Its power was completely incomparable to his previous casual attacks! "This is... a world-destroying move..."

Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao looked on in despair. Even with the support of the entire city, they knew there was no way they could withstand this attack. Countless "Yellow Turban Warriors" at the Saint Realm level in the city couldn't even stand up under this world-destroying pressure...

Just as the thousands of lightning serpents were about to devour the "City of Yellow Heaven"—when the countless black lightning serpents that fell from the sky, enough to annihilate all things, were still a hundred feet away from the dome of the tallest building in the City of Yellow Heaven—the Taiping Taoist Temple.

"Buzz!"

A sudden change occurred!

Within the entire city, a vast and boundless "Sea of ​​Xuanhuang" suddenly appeared.

sizzle...

Under the yellow light, the countless violent, annihilating lightning snakes seemed to sink into the sea, their speed suddenly reduced... What was even more surprising was that these "lightning snakes" seemed to be attracted by an invisible force, and they deviated from their original trajectory, flowing towards the "Taoist temple" in strands, like rivers flowing into the sea!
"Um……"

Even the remaining lightning that was lingering on the "Mysterious Sky" whisk in the sky began to peel away and flow away uncontrollably... In just two breaths, the world-destroying sea of ​​"Myriad Transformations Divine Lightning" disappeared without a trace!
A figure had quietly appeared on the eaves of the Taoist temple, unnoticed by anyone.

He wore a simple apricot-yellow Taoist robe, a nine-sectioned turban on his head, and held a nine-sectioned talisman staff that was neither gold nor wood. His face was thin and slender, and his eyes seemed to hold the birth and death of thunder, as if they also bore the weight of the earth's primordial chaos.

It was none other than Zhang Jiao, the founder of the Way of Great Peace and the Great Teacher of Wisdom!
Three inches above his head, a nascent "Dao Fruit" was slowly rotating, its form a mixture of reality and illusion, and was condensing!
This "prototype of the Dao Fruit" is half deep purple, with countless miniature thunder dragons and lightning snakes swimming and roaring inside; the other half is dark yellow, thick and boundless, like a miniature primordial land, or like the void that can encompass everything!

The overwhelming lightning power that was drawn in was resisted by the power of rules emanating from the yellow half of the Dao Fruit.

Then, it was easily devoured and absorbed by the purple half of the Dao Fruit, just like breathing, making this "prototype of Dao Fruit" clearer and more complete!
"What! A quasi-true god actually used my power to condense a 'prototype of the Dao Fruit'?"

Even the "Ancestor of the Tai Xuan Sect" high in the sky showed some surprise.

"Big brother!"

Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, on the other hand, looked extremely excited!

Indeed, this newly appeared figure is none other than the "Great Teacher of Virtue," Zhang Jiao!
Zhang Jiao had indeed stepped into the realm of "quasi-true gods," a fact that was both surprising and yet perfectly reasonable.

After all, the Great Teacher of Virtue is a figure with considerable "fame" and "popularity" throughout the history of humankind. He is positioned as a relatively top-tier figure, or even a half-step "prodigy," similar to Qi Jiguang!

"You... are the master of this lineage?"

Above the clear sky, the founder of the Tai Xuan Sect suppressed his shock and spoke in a deep voice from his high vantage point.

"You do have some skill. But as a fellow beginner, do you really think you can withstand the millennia-old foundation of my Tai Xuan Sect? That was merely a small test!"

"A foundation built over millennia?"

Zhang Jiao shook his head slightly and lightly tapped the void with his nine-section talisman.

"From the moment you tore through space to descend, your divine kingdom's might oppressed the entire city, to your ruthless attack and relentless pressure, all you've done is try to overpower me, corrupt my Dao heart, and destroy my city."

"But little did you know that from the moment you stepped into the territory of Huangtian City, every wisp of lightning you stirred up and every bit of aura you emitted were all within the perception of my 'Huangtian Dao Domain'."

"My second and third brothers led the resistance not to seek victory, but to 'measuring' you. To measure the depth of your thunder magic, to weigh the strength of your Dao heart, and to gather the faith of the entire city, to stimulate the response of the dragon vein of this land, so that my Dao fruit can be 'condensed' more thoroughly!"

Zhang Jiao's robes fluttered, and a faint yet profound smile curved his lips.

"Your final strike, 'Myriad Transformations Divine Thunder,' was indeed powerful, but it was also the best 'fuel' to help my Thunder Law Dao Fruit be tempered to pure Yang, removing the dross and retaining the essence, and finally completely condensing into the 'Yellow Extreme Heavenly Thunder Dao Fruit'... Speaking of which, I must thank you for your 'gift'!"

"Humph!"

Xuan Qiong's face turned ashen upon hearing this!
As a "veteran quasi-true god," he was actually outmaneuvered by a "top god" and became the other party's "tool" for refining his Dao fruit.
"Well done! What a daring scheme!"

Xuan Qiong laughed in extreme anger, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Even if you have condensed the rudimentary form of the Dao Fruit, today I will shatter your Dao Fruit to uphold the dignity of my Tai Xuan Sect... Tai Xuan Divine Kingdom, suppress!"

Although he spoke of it with great disdain, his actions showed no sign of such disdain!
From the perspective of a "quasi-god," the newly formed "prototype of the Dao Fruit" above this person's head appeared perfectly round and substantial, as if it were one with the earth beneath his feet, the city, and the beliefs of the millions of believers.

The solidity of his foundation seemed to surpass even that of himself, a veteran "quasi-god"!
He dared not hold back in the slightest and fully activated the divine kingdom stretching for thousands of miles behind him!

The divine kingdom trembled violently, and countless illusory images of celestial palaces, jade towers, and cascading waterfalls appeared. The immense power of incense offerings and the accumulated spiritual energy of immortals over millennia materialized, condensing into an illusory image of an ancient divine mountain inscribed with the words "Tai Xuan," carrying the supreme power to suppress eternity and shatter the universe.

They pressed down fiercely on Zhang Jiao and the entire Yellow Heaven City!
This was a powerful strike combining his Dao Fruit and Divine Kingdom, far surpassing the power of his previous thunder technique!

"The Tai Xuan Divine Kingdom? A secluded divine kingdom that is detached from all living beings and cannot protect the human race, does it even deserve to talk about the word 'majesty'?"

Faced with this terrifying blow that seemed capable of crushing the heavens.

Zhang Jiao, however, remained calm and composed. The fused Dao Fruit above his head shone brightly and slowly rose!

"Heaven is inherently impartial, and Earth inherently sustains all things. My Way of Peace is not to defy Heaven, but to follow the nurturing virtue of Heaven and Earth and cleanse the world of its impurities. Thunder is not merely a tool for execution, but also a whip of life; Earth is not merely a vessel, but also the foundation of creation."

"Today, I invite fellow Daoists to appreciate the image of my Taiping Dao: 'Yellow Heaven Suppresses the World, Thunder Gives Birth to All Things'."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Jiao pointed his nine-section staff towards the sky.

Within the Dao Fruit, half of the Xuanhuang suddenly expanded, and the heavy earth virtue and mysterious spatial power spread out, instantly evolving into a boundless and solid "Xuanhuang Sky Curtain" above Huangtian City. This sky curtain, seemingly thin, steadily supported the illusory image of the Taixuan Divine Mountain that was suppressing it!
No matter how the sacred mountain trembled, or how it burst forth with dazzling divine light and destructive ripples, it could not sink even an inch further!
Boom!

Immediately afterwards, half of the purple lightning magic within the Dao Fruit subsided and transformed into a vibrant azure color. Endless, fine as hair yet containing boundless vitality, "Azure Lightning" poured down from the Dao Fruit, like a gentle spring rain, silently nourishing and merging into the Yellow Heaven City below.

hum!
The formations that had been damaged under the pressure of the quasi-gods were quickly repaired and even reinforced; the believers who were injured by the impact experienced their pain disappear, their injuries healed, and they were refreshed...

The entire "City of Yellow Heaven" seemed to be infused with the most primal vitality of life. The pillar of faith became thicker and more solid, completely integrated with Zhang Jiao's aura and the Xuanhuang sky, forming a perfect whole, as solid as a rock!
"This person has actually completely mastered the way of destruction and life of lightning... How could such a genius exist in a human kingdom from the lower realm!"

Xuanqiong's mind was greatly shaken.

He felt that he was not facing a newly ascended "quasi-god" at all.

Rather, it is a formidable opponent who is constantly improving himself and has even come close to becoming a "true god".

The opponent's understanding and application of the laws of heaven and earth, namely "thunder" and "earth," has reached a perfect state of yin and yang in harmony, creating endless vitality. The quality of this "Dao Fruit" far surpasses the "World-Destroying Thunder Dao Fruit" he himself has condensed! (End of this chapter)