Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 512 Shattering Stars and Breaking Through Darkness, Flowing Clouds in Sleeves; Gourd Contains Heaven and Earth, Proving the Great Clarity (Part 2, Please Donate and Subscribe!)

The dwarf Jie Xiu was already barely suppressing Jin Sha Yu and gaining the upper hand. With Lu Cheng, such a ruthless character, suddenly joining the fray, how could his evil magic possibly withstand the combined power of the two?
Seeing the seven-headed strange bird's demonic spirit shattered by the Zhenyue Divine Stone, the demon was terrified. With a fierce roar, it unleashed several blood-red, sinister magical treasures to block the calamity and take its place. Several Nascent Soul cultivators under its control were also forced to fly up like puppets to block the sword.

"Hey!"

Five sword lights, like dragons and snakes, twisted and killed. As Lu Cheng's hand gestures changed, five-colored lightning bolts shot out. Before those Nascent Soul cultivators could even scream, they were turned into ashes in the Purple Gang Profound Fiend Lightning.

With a flash of golden light, Jin Shayu had already broken free from the influence of the Soul-Seducing Demonic Sound. His face flushed red, and the Vermilion Bird Divine Flame surged again, transforming into a stream of crimson gold fire that burned away the remaining evil treasures and went straight for the face of the dwarf cultivator.

"Crack!"

The bone shield shattered with a mournful cry, and the vengeful black crystals vanished like smoke.

The crimson flames, now unimpeded, instantly engulfed the dwarf cultivator.

The dwarf writhed and screamed in the Vermilion Bird's blazing flames, and was burned to ashes in the blink of an eye. His primordial spirit was also refined into nothingness by the true meaning of the divine fire.

Demonic primordial spirits, acting against the natural order, are not favored by Heaven. They are often clouded by calamity and lack the ability of righteous cultivators to act on impulse. However, they often master the art of seizing bodies and transferring calamities. Unless there is a special talisman to restrain them, even if they encounter a death calamity, their primordial spirits can escape, making them difficult to capture and kill directly.

However, this technique of possession by a cultivator can usually only be used once in a lifetime.

The demonic primordial spirits that Lu Cheng had previously killed and the ones that Jin Shayu had refined were clearly the result of the possession and tribulation technique, but their fates were too heavy to escape.

At this moment, An Xiaoyue had already punched and severely injured the withered old demon who was raising the demon. Seeing that the situation was not right, the old demon immediately withdrew and fled.

An Xiaoyue did not pursue them. The three of them merged together, and together with the Shattered Starship warriors behind them, they attacked the cultivators in the area from both inside and outside.

They quickly charged into the vicinity of the Baoshun Chamber of Commerce's spirit ship, their eyes sweeping across the remaining Tribulation Cultivators who had been blasted apart by the main cannon of the Shattered Star Ship and were being slaughtered by the cultivators on board.

Just as An Xiaoyue was about to suggest eliminating the remaining remnants, a sudden change occurred!

Without warning, it was as if an invisible poisonous fog had been sprinkled into the void.

The hundreds of cultivators who were frantically attacking the Baoshun merchant ship or stubbornly resisting under the fire of the Shattered Starship, whether they were at the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stage, or even a few early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who were fighting against the Taiqing Sect's guardian cultivators, all froze at once!
Then, a terrifying scene unfolded.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud…

The bodies of the dozens or even hundreds of cultivators burst open suddenly, like earthenware pots filled with boiling water, without any resistance.

Instead of the carnage of flying flesh and blood, what emerged was a surging, boundless swarm of dark blue insects!
Each exploded body quickly transformed into a humanoid insect hive!
In an instant, the battlefield, which was originally filled with magical light and the roar of magical artifacts, was completely submerged by this strange, dark blue wave.

These Gu worms are as small as stardust, yet they carry an indescribable sense of evil and filth.

Ignoring the vacuum, they emitted high-frequency hissing sounds, converging into a viscous "tide" that obscured the light of the stars and isolated cultivators from sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Wherever the swarm of insects passed, whether it was the dissipated blood energy, the broken magical artifact's spiritual light, or even the magical barrier emitted by Master He's spirit ship, it was all like metal being thrown into strong acid, hissing and being quickly eroded, devoured, and assimilated!
The void seemed to be draped with a writhing, greedy, and corrosive magic carpet.

"Hiss—Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Spirit! It's an Insect Demon!" On the Baoshun Merchant Ship, a late-stage Nascent Soul elder who had survived the initial attack by the Tribulation Cultivators suddenly shrank his pupils and let out a horrified roar.

He recognized the origin of this terrifying venomous insect: the Devouring Netherworld Moth.

Legend has it that this insect is born deep within the dark vortex of the void, feeding exclusively on the spiritual essence of laws. It can corrupt magical treasures, devour true essence, and erode the soul. It is the signature technique of an old demon who was skilled in Gu insect techniques at the Returning to the Void realm!
Putting aside everything else, just this opening move alone—killing over a hundred of his own cultivators to sacrifice to the Gu worms and increase his ferocity—deserves him the title of a demon.

"Our three true disciples of the Taiqing Sect are too powerful and their magical abilities are too strong. That old monster, the Insect Demon, can no longer sit still!"

Inside the cardinal hall of the Shattered Starship, Mr. He's gaze was intense, and his usually composed face was now filled with solemnity.

He instantly understood the other party's methods. Those low-level Tribulation cultivators, and even some Nascent Soul cultivators, had been secretly implanted with Gu seeds, serving as "nests" to erupt at crucial moments.

The successive deaths of three Nascent Soul cultivators—two dead and one seriously injured—finally forced the Void Returning Demon, who had been lurking in the shadows, to reveal his trump card.

The moment the swarm of insects formed, two immense wills that distorted even the void descended!

Two blurry phantoms, exuding overwhelming demonic energy, coalesced deep within the surging, azure swarm of insects.

The one on the left is shrouded in thick, filthy, purplish-black demonic energy. Countless twisted and tormented vengeful spirits can be vaguely seen wailing and floating on his robes. His aura is evil and eerie, yet he is an old demon who has cultivated a vicious demonic art.

The one on the right was even more terrifying. His body seemed not to be substantial, but rather composed of countless tiny, constantly mutating Gu worms, densely packed and endlessly wriggling and combining. His eyes were two deep wormhole vortexes, revealing a cold, greedy, and indifferent will towards all life—it was the Void Returning Insect Demon!
The moment the two Void Returning Demonic Powers appeared, the atmosphere of the entire Void Battlefield instantly froze.

A Nascent Soul cultivator is considered a master in the Earthly Immortal Realm, while a Void Return cultivator is considered a great power.

I wonder what kind of precious goods the Baoshun Chamber of Commerce was transporting this time, that it could provoke two Void Returning Old Demons to disregard their dignity and try to snatch them.

The oppressive force of the laws descended like a bottomless abyss, seemingly turning even the air into lead and mercury.

The cultivators on the Baoshun merchant ship, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, along with Jin Shayu and An Xiaoyue, all felt a chill run down their spines and straight to the top of their heads. Their primordial spirits swayed, and the circulation of their own magical power became difficult and cumbersome!
"Hmph! You mere rats dare to offend the might of the Taiqing Sect! Do you not know what death is?" Master He's voice boomed like a great bell, instantly dispelling the suffocating feeling brought by the two powerful demonic forces.

"Starbreakers—Activate!"

hum! ! !
The entire massive Star Shattering Spirit Ship, as large as a small landmass, erupted with unprecedentedly dazzling spiritual light, and countless mysterious runes on its hull flowed wildly, converging towards the Cardinal Hall at the top of the bridge.

The vast, ocean-like magical energy surged and roared, and the ship emitted a deep, powerful hum, as if a sleeping giant of the star field had been fully awakened.

Mr. He's figure became illusory and magnified in the core of the Cardinal Hall. His hair and beard were all white, his face was solemn, and his hands moved like wheels, as if he were manipulating the warp and weft of heaven and earth.

The Starshattering Ship's super protective array, the "Zhou Tian Xing Yuan Gang Sha Array," was fully activated. Countless illusory stars spun and flickered outside the ship's exterior, condensing into a star barrier tens of thousands of feet thick!
The muzzle of the ship's main gun, the "Shattering Void Divine Light Cannon," was rapidly converging with a destructive beam of energy, its target aimed directly at the core of the surging swarm of insects!

At the same time, Mr. He himself had merged with the massive Star Shattering Ship. With the help of the immense power accumulated by the spirit ship, his aura rose steadily, the wind and clouds roared around him, and his sleeves moved without wind, exuding a terrifying power that could shake the starry sky.

He unleashed the full power of the Void Returning level combat force without reservation.

Most human cultivators who have returned to the Void stage would probably be wary of these two old demons who have returned to the Void stage, after all, cultivators who have undergone tribulation have rich experience in fighting, and demon cultivators have unpredictable and ever-changing methods.

However, the Taiqing Sect was once the number one sect of the human race. Its seventh-tier top-level Shattered Starship, combined with a Nascent Soul cultivator who had completed his cultivation and the escorting cultivators, was a true Void Returning battle force!
Mr. He and his clansmen will never leave the Shattered Starship in their entire lives. These sect-protecting ships are the source of the Taiqing Sect's confidence that, despite not having any Mahayana cultivators for ten thousand years, no one dares to lightly challenge their majesty.

"Hehehe... What a seventh-tier spirit ship! Just the right amount to swallow the ship and its crew together, enough for my children's advancement!" The insect demon, whose form was constantly changing, let out a piercing laugh that sounded like millions of insects rubbing together.

He ignored the "sweet treat" of the Baoshun merchant ship, his cold and greedy gaze fixed on the Taiqing Sect's Shattered Star Warship, which was radiating spiritual light.

Another Void Returning Demonic Cultivator said in a sinister tone, "Having killed so many of my disciples and followers, today I will sacrifice your spirit ship in blood to pay for this blood debt! Old bug, come at me together!"

Having said that, the two Void Returning Demon Cultivators no longer hesitated, and their terrifying magical power shook the starry sky.

The Void Returning Demon Cultivator on the left let out a fierce roar, and his demonic energy surged, condensing into a dark purple-black demonic claw that blotted out the sky!
The claws are entwined with the laws of filth, exuding the aura of decay and corruption. The void is annihilated inch by inch under the demonic claws. This is the Myriad Filth Destroying God Claw!

It grabbed straight at the star shield of the Star Shatterer and began to frantically erode it from the level of laws.

The Returning Void Insect Demon was chanting incantations, the dark and profound spells seeming to emanate from the depths of the Netherworld.

The surging, almost half-occupying sea of ​​azure insects suddenly contracted and condensed. The boundless "Devouring Netherworld Beetles" abandoned their erosion of other targets and frantically gathered together, as if being kneaded and shaped by an invisible hand.

In an instant, a phantom of an ancient demonic insect, tens of thousands of feet long and composed entirely of dark blue Gu worms, roared out!

This illusory demonic insect had mouthparts like black holes and compound eyes composed of countless ghostly insect pupils. Its icy intent swept over it, freezing and devouring even starlight!
Its enormous body twisted violently, its massive tail tearing through the void with terrifying power capable of shattering stars, and with a strange divine ability that devoured all laws and spiritual essences, it slammed fiercely towards the star shield of the Star Shattering Ship. This was the Myriad Gu Transformation - Primordial Ferocious Moth Dharma Body!
Boom! Boom!
A series of earth-shattering explosions echoed in the void.

The purplish-black demonic claws slammed into the stellar barrier, the ear-piercing friction and annihilation sounds tearing at the eardrums. The corrupting laws seeped in frantically, causing the stellar barrier to tremble violently, and large swathes of stellar phantoms instantly dimmed and dissolved.

Immediately afterwards, the giant tail of the Primordial Ferocious Moth crashed down with the force of splitting the heavens and earth!
Snap, snap——!
The incredibly sturdy Zhou Tian Xing Yuan Gang Sha shield groaned under the strain. In the core area struck by the giant tail, tiny but alarming cracks appeared in the star barrier, which was harder than black iron.

The endless stream of Devouring Netherworld Fiends seemed to have found an outlet, frantically surging into the ship's interior along the cracks, causing the ship's shields to dim at a visible speed.

The cardinal hall of the Shattered Starship trembled violently, and Mr. He's expression changed slightly, letting out a muffled groan.

The opponent's two combined forces, one focused on filth and corrosion, and the other on devouring laws and physical attacks, worked together seamlessly, making it extremely dangerous.

He activated the power of his spirit ship with all his might, and the wind and cloud energies swirled around him like a tornado, frantically repairing the damaged shield nodes and fighting against the invading swarm of insects and the filthy demonic energy.

The Shattering Void Divine Light Cannon at the bow of the ship finally condensed, and a beam of destructive light as thick as a mountain roared out, shooting straight at the insect demon's main body.

However, the insect demon let out a strange laugh, and the enormous mandibles of the Primordial Ferocious Moth opened, swallowing the destructive divine light that was enough to severely injure someone returning to the Void like a whale!
The eerie light inside the insect's body flickered and shifted violently, as if it were digesting and decomposing this terrifying energy. Although it dimmed the phantom slightly, it did not completely destroy it.

"Such a sturdy tortoise shell! Such delicious starlight magic! Let's see how many rounds you can last!" The insect demon chuckled, urging the illusory image of the ferocious moth to gather power once more. The Void Returning Demon Cultivator beside him also grinned maliciously, gathering an even more powerful wave of corrupting magic.

Although these two old demons are both in the early stage of the Void Returning Realm, they are from the Tribulation Cultivation Realm, have rich experience in combat, possess numerous magical treasures, and are wealthy. Even ordinary Void Returning Realm mid-stage ancestors might not be able to defeat the two demons working together.

However, Mr. He's expression remained indifferent at this moment.

This journey was actually all part of the Taiqing Sect's plan, including the attack on the Baoshun Chamber of Commerce and the actions of the Filthy Demon and the Insect Demon.

Otherwise, how can we reasonably injure and repel the two demons, and deter those petty people who are eyeing the Taiqing Sect from the shadows?

If the tiger doesn't fall, then those jackals and vicious dogs that were just watching from the sidelines will really pounce and tear it apart.

If you are surrounded by wolves and vicious dogs, even if you are not weak, you will encounter a lot of trouble.

'I don't want to use these two divine pills until the very last moment. If I do, they will at least ruin my thousand years of hard-earned cultivation.'

These two demons are merely cultivators undergoing tribulation; they may not even trust each other. As long as I can unleash enough powerful magic to severely injure them, I can force them to retreat, without needing a fight to the death…

The situation on the field seemed to have taken a sharp turn for the worse!

The combined power of the two Void Returning Demon Cultivators far exceeded that of ordinary Void Returning Demon Cultivators. Although the Shattered Starship was strong, Master He alone had to withstand two old demons of equal combat power and with strange methods, while the endless Devouring Law Netherworld was constantly eroding him.

They were already struggling to keep up and were gradually falling into a disadvantageous position.

Under sustained attacks, the shields cracked more and more, and the warship's hum began to carry a mournful tone. It seemed that once the shields completely collapsed, the ship would be destroyed and everyone on board would perish in an instant.

At the edge of the battlefield, Lu Cheng, Jin Shayu, and An Xiaoyue stood back to back, suspended in mid-air.

The demonic pressure at the Void Returning level assaulted their minds like a tidal wave. Although there was no direct invasion from the surrounding insect sea, the residual waves had already made them feel as if they were in a quagmire, and they were separated from the other Star Shattering Ship warriors.

Witnessing the spirit ship's shield teetering on the brink of collapse, and with those two terrifying beings, both godlike and demonic, preparing for another deadly attack, a heavy shadow fell over the hearts of the three.

An Xiaoyue did her best to stabilize the array force field protecting the three of them. Circles of light expanded and circulated around her body, while Jin Shayu focused on regulating his breathing, trying to recover the mana he had lost as soon as possible.

As Lu Cheng gazed at the churning sea of ​​insects, the filthy demonic claws, and the overwhelming Void Returning Will in the cosmic starry sky, an unprecedentedly brilliant golden light suddenly ignited in his eyes.

The once spacious and luxurious deck of the Baoshun Chamber of Commerce's spirit ship has now become a bloody inferno.

The explosion had just caused hundreds of Tribulation Cultivator remains, internal organs, and foul-smelling blood to splatter everywhere. The intense deathly blood aura mixed with the eerie force field left by the Netherworld Dragon made the air thick and suffocating. Those with weaker souls would feel nauseous and dizzy if they got close.

The area ravaged by the robbers was left in ruins, with crackling sounds coming from the broken defensive formations, and scattered fragments of goods and broken magical artifacts everywhere.

Although Lu Cheng, Jin Shayu, and An Xiaoyue were protected by An Xiaoyue's array force field, they were like three solid reefs. However, the surging remnants of the Tribulation Cultivators from all sides were like countless bloodthirsty sharks that smelled blood.

"Kill them! This will be the greatest achievement in reclaiming the spirit ship for our ancestor!"

"Kill these dogs of the Taiqing Sect!"

"...Boss, leave his head to me, I want to eat his head!"

The shrieks, the roars of spells, and the hisses of the remaining insect swarms intertwined, creating a soul-shaking symphony of death.

Dozens of Nascent Soul stage cultivators, led by several late Nascent Soul stage leaders and even Deity Transformation stage cultivators, attacked from all directions!

These people were all extremely fierce and battle-hardened. Although they had no unified command, they relied on the tacit understanding formed during their plundering careers to block all escape routes. Spells, magical artifacts, poisonous smoke, and flying needles poured down on An Xiaoyue's crumbling array light shield like a tidal wave.

An Xiaoyue's face was pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She gritted her teeth, pressed her arms down, and the array patterns beneath her feet swirled wildly as she tried her best to maintain the "Nine Mountains Stabilizing the Earth Rock Array" that enveloped the three of them.

The illusory mountain formed by the array pattern flickered with light on her body, enduring wave after wave of enormous impacts.

Jin Shayu sat cross-legged behind An Xiaoyue, closed his eyes and concentrated, and the "Primordial Qi Secret Technique" in his body was circulating at an unprecedented speed.

The Burning Dust Cauldron hovered above his head, forcibly extracting strands of pure fire elemental energy, which then flowed into his parched dantian.

He had just been near the outbreak of the insect swarm and had to use all his strength to activate the Fire Feather Token to escape, which resulted in a huge loss of mana. At this moment, a tearing pain was spreading through his meridians.

Jin Shayu was now almost unable to use any powerful spells and had to race against time to recover. Without hesitation, he swallowed a precious Rejuvenation Pill to accelerate the gathering of his magical power.

"Give me ten more breaths! No, five breaths will do!" he roared inwardly, his anxiety palpable. Jin Shayu could clearly feel the oppressive killing intent emanating from all around him. Given his nature, he was even less inclined to be under the protection of others, yet at this moment he dared not be distracted in the slightest.

Lu Cheng stood in front of the three, facing the side where the attack was most intense.

His body stood tall and straight like a pine tree, yet his current state was extremely strange—more than 90% of his mind, like invisible tentacles, had already penetrated the noisy battlefield and the shattered ship, expanding in all directions.

"Roar!" A roar that shook the deck resounded, and a white-haired Nascent Soul stage cultivator leader with bulging muscles like rocks and his body burning with dark red blood flames leaped high into the air like a meteorite.

The giant hammer in his hand transformed into the size of a small mountain, carrying a terrifying force capable of shattering mountains and rivers, and imbued with a dense aura of bloodlust, as it slammed fiercely into the weakest point of An Xiaoyue's array shield!
This is pure physical strength mixed with unorthodox supernatural abilities, which is quite effective against protective shields.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!" At the same time, three sinister cultivators hidden in the shadows of the broken masts darted out like ghosts. Their figures were blurry, and their speed was so fast that they left only afterimages. The dark blue poisoned water-splitting spikes in their hands silently and with perfect precision pierced towards Lu Cheng's eyes, Jin Shayu's throat, and An Xiaoyue's back!

The angle was cunning and ruthless, clearly indicating a master of assassination. Taking advantage of Lu Cheng's most vulnerable moment, when his defenses were at their strongest and his mind was "off," the assassin launched a fatal attack.

"Not good!" An Xiaoyue caught a glimpse of the colossal hammer that blotted out the sky out of the corner of her eye, and a warning screamed in her heart!
She used most of her magic power to maintain the stability of the core of the formation. If she were to forcibly divert her attention to block it now, the entire formation would probably collapse immediately. Jin Shayu was at a critical point in her recovery. If she were to be attacked suddenly, she probably wouldn't have time to make a move.

Lu Cheng didn't seem to turn around, nor did he look at the poisonous thorn that was so close at hand, and his face didn't even show the slightest ripple.

His eyes were still "looking up" at the battle of returning to the void in the void, and his sharp gaze seemed to penetrate the boundary of matter, reflecting the supreme power of the churning sea of ​​insects and the tearing of the sky by the demonic claws.

however--

"Buzz!"

A clear and melodious sword cry suddenly rang out, not originating from reality, but from the invisible sword intent flowing around Lu Cheng!
Centered on his body, several extremely refined and pure five-colored sword energies burst forth without warning.

The golden sword flashed like lightning, carrying a sharpness that could tear through the void. It struck first despite being behind, precisely piercing the central node through which the white-haired cultivator's giant hammer transmitted power.

The hammer, brimming with destructive power, seemed to have its bones and tendons removed. The bloodthirsty aura suddenly dissipated, and the mountain-like hammer shadow paused abruptly in mid-air before shrinking with a mournful cry, its power diminished by more than half! The smug grin on the white-haired cultivator's face instantly turned into astonishment.

The four colors of sword energy—green, red, white, and yellow—intertwined like a net, not directly attacking the three assassins, but precisely targeting each of them at the core of their attack trajectory, where their power was most concentrated and explosive!
puff!puff!puff!
Three beams of eerie blue light, like the spitting tongues of venomous snakes, collided with the sword's edge. Like fine snow meeting the blazing sun, they vanished without a sound, not even uttering a clash of metal.

All that remained were three muffled groans of utter terror, rang out almost simultaneously, as the three assassins were sent flying back at an even faster speed than when they arrived, vomiting foul blood with a chilling aura in mid-air, their magical artifacts already shattered into pieces.

Lu Cheng didn't even change his stance. He casually waved his right hand to the side, the movement was minimal, yet it contained an indescribable, exquisite trajectory.

A highly refined crimson sword beam appeared as if by teleportation in front of the white-haired tribulation cultivator leader, whose immense power had been broken and whose momentum had dissipated.

"Slash!" A soft shout rang out, seemingly ethereal and coming from beyond the heavens.

The white-haired leader had barely managed to stabilize his hammer strike when, before he could change his move, he felt a scorching heat, enough to burn away his very soul, instantly penetrate his body.

He wanted to roar and desperately urge his essence blood, but the violent blood demon power in his body evaporated instantly, like ice and snow thrown into a furnace!
His massive body froze in mid-air. Looking down, he saw a charred hole in his chest, which had been completely burned to ashes by the raging sword energy that could incinerate anything.

Only the massive warhammer, still scorching hot, crashed onto the deck with a resounding clang.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye!

From the moment the leader of the bandits leaped up and the assassin launched a sneak attack, to the moment the swords flashed across Lu City and the leader died, it was only a matter of two or three breaths!
The other cultivators who had come to attack were stunned by this unbelievable sight!

As they looked at the tall, seemingly otherworldly Taoist priest who effortlessly slew powerful enemies, a chill that penetrated to the bone instantly swept through their bodies.

Fear, more than any formation or power, could slow the advance of these desperate men! The surging offensive on the deck faltered slightly.

After this extremely brief moment of hesitation, Jin Shayu suddenly opened his eyes, two clusters of Vermilion Bird Divine Flames leaping and burning deep within them!

"He's recovered enough, now it's my turn!"

He stood up, the Burning Dust Cauldron above his head shining brightly, his hands forming a mudra, and the cauldron's mouth opened wide.

"Vermilion Bird Flames, cleanse the demonic aura! Burn!"

The Burning Dust Cauldron trembled violently, and a torrent of crimson-gold flames, purely condensed from the power of incineration, swept out with a loud roar, like the divine flames spewed out by the awakened Vermilion Bird!

This torrent of flames did not spread randomly, but was precisely controlled by Jin Shayu, avoiding the formations of his own side and An Xiaoyue. As if it had a life of its own, it fiercely pounced on the most densely packed, still-shaken group of tribulation cultivators on the left wing of the deck.

Wherever the flames passed, whether it was a vicious magical artifact, a strange poisonous mist, or a hastily erected defensive shield, they all melted away as quickly as boiling water poured on snow.

The Nascent Soul cultivators, whose cultivation was slightly weaker, didn't even have time to scream before their protective spiritual light was burned to ashes.

The few bandit leaders who were at the late Nascent Soul stage were also burned and retreated in a sorry state, and the formation of the robber cultivators was instantly thrown into chaos!
At the same time, An Xiaoyue's pressure decreased significantly, and she was greatly encouraged. Seeing that the threat on the left had been taken over by Jin Shayu, she immediately transferred some of the magic power that was maintaining the shield to the control array.

"Suppress the Kun Seal!"

She raised her hands slightly and recited mantras.

The array phantom surrounding the three suddenly solidified, and several thick, earth-yellow mystic lights, like giant millstones, thunderously flew out from her array diagram, slamming hard into the group of traitors on the right who intended to take advantage of the chaos to rush forward and destroy the ship's key nodes.

Although this power of suppressing mountains lacked the fierce killing power of the Golden Sand Feather Flame, it was more profound and majestic. Every ray of profound light that fell had the effect of imprisonment and delay, making those tribulation cultivators feel as if they were trapped in a quagmire, unable to fully display their cultivation, and their offensive rhythm was shattered.

Lu Cheng remained standing in the same spot, not even turning back to look at Jin Shayu and An Xiaoyue's achievements. After killing the white-haired leader, the invisible sword intent surrounding him did not dissipate; instead, it became even more restrained and concentrated.

Occasionally, a spell or stray arrow from a cultivator would recklessly crash into him, but before it could even get within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) of him, it would be precisely shattered and annihilated by a tiny, silent burst of Five Elements sword energy.

It was as if an absolute sword domain had naturally formed around him, leaving no room for error.

His heart, his eyes, and his spirit are almost entirely focused on the core of the Void Return Battlefield in the Nine Heavens!

His gaze pierced through all material barriers, locking onto the Shattered Starship Array, whose core rule nodes were being frantically attacked by the Devouring Netherworld Tide, its light flickering erratically yet desperately trying to maintain its operation.

Om-!
Fiery Eyes! Push it to its limit!

In an instant, within Lu Cheng's field of vision, the noisy and chaotic battlefield suddenly filtered out all the meaningless colors.

The flow of magical power transformed into clear patterns, and the collision of laws evolved into light traces forming geometric structures.

The colossal, suffocating phantom of the ancient ferocious moth, the filthy, corrosive purplish-black demonic claws, the core nodes of the internal power flow, the subtle gaps connecting the various magical powers, the fluctuations in the intensity of energy resonance... all were clearly visible under the gaze of the Fiery Eyes.

The true form of the Insect Demon's ferocious moth appears to be a single entity, but it is actually composed of billions of Devouring Law Moths. Its enormous power is not perfectly integrated. At the moment of exerting force at the tail, the power will be briefly concentrated in one corner, causing a momentary power void and law stagnation in some of the "insect array nodes" that support its form!

Before each attack, the Void Returning Demon Cultivator needed to draw a massive amount of filthy resentment from the sea of ​​insects below to replenish his Myriad Filth Eradication Claw. The brief conversion point between the filthy demonic energy and the energy of the sea of ​​insects was the most imperceptible obstruction point in the flow of his laws!

The two Void Returning Techniques seemed to work seamlessly together, but under Lu Cheng's "Wonderful Transformation and Eye Cleansing Qi" refined fiery golden eyes, he clearly "saw" this fleeting, less than one ten-thousandth of a second flaw!

That gap was formed the moment when the attacks of the two great demons and the power of the swarm of insects merged and transformed once again!

This is the moment!

"Junior Sister An, protect me!" Lu Cheng's voice was like the clang of metal, resolute and without the slightest hesitation.

Without hesitation, An Xiaoyue let out a sharp cry, and the array patterns within her body shone brightly.

An incredibly refined "Nine Mountains Stabilizing the Universe Rock Formation" instantly enveloped Lu Cheng, isolating him from the violent external magical power and gale-force winds.

Lu Cheng swung his hands swiftly, leaving afterimages in his wake.

Five sword lights of distinct colors—platinum, cyan, black water, crimson fire, and yellow earth—rose from his body, not to attack the enemy, but to circulate around himself. The five elements interacted and evolved, eventually condensing into a chaotic and hazy five-colored wheel that enveloped him.

The innate divine power of the Nascent Soul Realm is the Five Elements Immortal Light, which can transfer and shift all magical power, causing it to self-destruct and break down on its own.

Because of the partial possession of the Five Elements Thunder of the Mysterious Heaven Divine Skill, this move of external incarnation can be partially used, but to achieve a certain level of power, it requires a considerable period of preparation.

As time went by, the five-colored radiance around Lu Cheng gradually surged, pushing his understanding of "force" and "law" based on the Five Elements Law to an unprecedented peak.

Then, Lu Cheng pointed his fingers like a sword at the core node where the two Void Returning Powers were about to merge and collide.

There was no earth-shattering sword cry, no dazzling sword light.

A five-colored divine light, as hazy as the morning sun yet containing the profound principles of the five elements' birth and death, was silently swiped out from Lu Cheng's fingertips!

This divine light was not a physical flying sword, but the pure power of the Five Elements Laws!
This is Lu Cheng's higher-level control over the "Five Elements Immortal Light" supernatural power, achieved by comprehending Kong Ji's Five-Colored Divine Light and integrating the Five Elements Flying Sword.

With a single swipe, all laws within the Five Elements vanish, not annihilated, but stirred, drawn, and deflected! It is like an incredibly precise invisible lever, gently tugging at the most opportune moment, the most tricky angle, and the most crucial juncture.

Even in Lu Cheng's battles of magic and swordsmanship during this period, he often used this move to shift all techniques and use skill to overcome force.

Divine light draws forth all laws, causing all forces to become skewed!
A strange scene happened!

The Void Returning Demon Cultivator, who was wielding his other, more powerful and ready-to-go Myriad Filth Destroyer Claw to bombard the Star Barrier, suddenly trembled.

He felt as if the resentful, filthy, and demonic energy supplied by the swarm of insects below had been suddenly pulled by something, causing a barely perceptible shift in its trajectory.

Although it was only a fraction of a billionth of a deviation, given the immense power of the Void Returning level, this slight deviation was like an undercurrent mixed into a giant wave. His demonic claw, which should have struck the crack in the Star Shield, involuntarily veered slightly, its trajectory… precisely hitting a "support node" of the Primordial Ferocious Phantom that was preparing its tail strike.

boom--! ! !
The Law of Filth and the Law of Devouring clashed violently!
*Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!*

It was as if strong acid had been poured into boiling oil; the two completely different Void-Returning level magic powers clashed violently and annihilated each other.

"Roar!!!"

The illusory image of the Primordial Ferocious Moth let out a painful hiss. The power gathered at its tail was instantly interrupted, and the collapse of the supporting node caused its massive body to shake violently. Hundreds of millions of azure Gu worms let out piercing screams, and order was thrown into chaos.

"What happened?" The Void Returning Demon Cultivator was both shocked and furious. He never expected that his sure-fire attack would be deflected and hit his "ally" instead!
"Damn it!!! Long Su, what are you doing?" The Insect Demon was even more furious. The stability of the ferocious moth phantom was disrupted, and the backlash made it difficult for him to control it.

The two Void Returning Techniques instantly attacked and clashed with each other, their coordination completely disrupted, and they even briefly hindered each other.

An opportunity! Lu Cheng used his Dharma Eyes to see through the secrets of heaven and used the Five-Colored Divine Light to guide the laws, causing the two Void Returning Realms to break down on their own in an instant.

But Lu Cheng still felt it wasn't enough. If he couldn't create enough space for Mr. He in this short moment, and those two old demons noticed him, he would be in trouble.

Lu Cheng knew that the other party was, after all, a Void Returning cultivator with a profound foundation in Dao techniques, and they would be able to quickly recover from this backlash and confusion.

"Purple gourd, devour the heavens!" Lu Cheng shouted, his divine sense surging into the purple gourd hanging at his waist like a tide.

Om-!
The purple gourd suddenly detached from Lu Cheng's waist, grew rapidly in the wind, and instantly transformed into a hundred-zhang-tall behemoth!
The gourd's mouth was aimed at the vast sea of ​​insects that had become chaotic due to the collision of the two Void Returning Forces and had lost the precise control of the Insect Demon.

An overwhelming and terrifying suction force erupted, which did not act on physical objects, but on space itself.

The void collapsed and twisted violently like ripples on water! A gigantic, all-consuming spatial vortex formed at the mouth of the purple gourd!

Swish swish swish swish—!
The azure sea of ​​insects, struggling and flying due to the chaos of the insect array, was like a floating duckweed caught in a turbulent current, unable to resist the immense spatial suction force.

Regardless of size or strength, the billions of Devouring Netherworld Moths, along with their filthy demonic energy, insect blood, and broken carapaces, burst forth like a river bursting its banks, transforming into a vast, azure torrent that was swallowed up by the gigantic spatial vortex!

"You dare, junior!" The insect demon was in excruciating pain, his eyes wide with fury!

The Devouring Netherworld Moth was the foundation of its Daoist cultivation, which it had painstakingly nurtured. It desperately made hand seals, trying to stabilize the insect formation and gather the swarm of insects.

But Lu Cheng would never give him that chance.

Just as the massive swarm of insects was being frantically sucked into the purple gourd space, Lu Cheng's mind had already connected with another treasure gourd at his waist—the Crimson Fire Gourd!

"Red gourd, burn it!" Lu Cheng transmitted the cold command through his divine sense.

The billions of azure insects sucked into the purple gourd's space had not yet recovered from the dizziness of the spatial transformation when they were suddenly confronted by a terrifying existence capable of incinerating everything in heaven and earth!
Within the fiery inner space of the Crimson Fire Gourd, a single, blazing white core suddenly lit up—a True Fire Seed of the Returning to Emptiness level, refined over countless years!
Boom! ! !

A single spark fell, and in an instant, a devastating storm of fire ignited amidst the endless swarm of insects!

"Heaven and Earth shift, pure Yang refines evil!"

The purple gourd, which was devouring a massive amount of filthy and poisonous insects, suddenly closed its lid. Immediately afterward, the purple aura around it suddenly blazed brightly before disappearing.

A vast spatial energy and a trace of the mystery of creation violently vibrated and pulled within it.

At the same time, the red-skinned fire gourd suddenly burst forth with a divine light that stretched for thousands of feet!

It was no ordinary flame, but a dazzling white flame that contained the laws of burning and purification—the True Fire of Returning to Emptiness!
Lu Cheng's Samadhi True Fire Divine Power had always been improving and had never fallen behind. However, over the years, he had mostly used the True Fire to refine himself, enhance his Dharma Body, and forge an indestructible body. If it weren't for the primordial fire seed that he had obtained from the Aurora Island in the outer heavens and painstakingly nurtured in the gourd, Lu Cheng would never have used this True Fire Divine Power so easily, because each time he used it, he would have to spend many years of hard work, which was no different from losing his Dao power.

The billions of filthy poisonous insects that had been swallowed by the purple gourd and had not yet been decomposed by its internal source power, along with the terrifying curses, blood plague laws, and the cold and violent divine imprint of the insect demon they carried, were compressed and transmitted by the purple gourd through a sliver of opportunity and directly poured into the red fire gourd!

Using all kinds of evil poisons as fuel, we refine the pure Yang of heaven and earth!
At this moment, the heavens and the universe seemed to have become a furnace. The light bursting from the crimson fire gourd illuminated this dark star field as if a supernova had exploded!
The blazing white true fire seemed to have a life of its own, transforming into a magnificent and sacred pure white fire dragon, carrying the great light, great majesty, and great judgment to purify all the filth in the world. It crashed into the Void Returning Insect Demon who was controlling the swarm of insects and trying to break through the purple gourd's devouring power, as well as the other Void Returning Old Demon beside him who had been hiding his aura and had just manifested a mountain-like demonic body to attack Master He from both sides.

"Roar—!" The True Fire Dragon roared, its voice shaking the galaxy.

The blazing fire distorted and warped the space itself. The nauseating curse aura and the chilling poisonous energy hissed and melted away as soon as they came into contact with the flames, like snow being poured into boiling water.

Countless subsequent Gu worms that were forcibly activated were instantly reduced to ashes in the aftershocks of the flames.

For the first time, the insect demon's withered face showed a look of utter horror. The flames contained not only destructive energy, but also a great restraint on his cultivation laws!

The enormous dark gold beetle beneath him let out a mournful cry, opening its hundreds of compound eyes to spew out filthy demonic light in a desperate attempt to resist.

Beside him stood the towering Void Returning Old Demon, clearly specializing in demonic power, his physical body comparable to a seventh-tier demonic treasure. However, when faced with the Void Returning True Fire source that scorched the heavens and boiled the seas, he too was scorched by demonic energy, his demonic scales, harder than refined steel, charred and curled, emitting painful groans. His massive demonic body was knocked back, and most of his condensed, earth-shattering demonic palm was burned away.

"Excellent! Brilliant!" On the bridge, Mr. He roared like a dragon, his eyes blazing with divine light. He was in a state of perfect harmony with the ship, his power accumulating to its peak.

Lu Cheng's stroke of genius, using the two gourds in combination and cleverly borrowing the power of evil to refine pure yang true fire, truly created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him!

"Flowing Clouds and Universe Sleeves!"

Mr. He stretched out his arms, as if embracing the sun, moon, and stars. His wide, flowing sleeves suddenly extended infinitely into the boundless void!
The left sleeve draws in the wind, and the celestial gale transforms into countless cyan blades that slice through space; the right sleeve gathers clouds, and boundless stardust and mist condense into a colossal, ancient palm that has covered the ages.

The winds and clouds were no longer two separate laws. Driven by his Void Returning level magic power and empowered by the immense star power of the Shattered Starship, they separated Yin and Yang, and determined the purity and turbidity!

Wind represents movement, cutting, and change; clouds represent gathering, bearing, and vastness! The combined power is so great that even the boundless void cannot contain its might!

With a single wave of his sleeve, he can unleash the power to shape the world!
What appeared to be merely a graceful waving of the wide sleeves of a Taoist robe actually triggered an unimaginable void storm and spatial folds.

Wherever the sleeves covered, the laws were in chaos and space was collapsing! The wind blades were invisible yet severed the lock of divine sense, and the cloud palms were vast yet contained the power to capture stars.

The wounded and retreating Void Returning Giant Demon was the first to be hit. He roared in terror, burning his essence and demonic energy to summon a banner of wailing souls in an attempt to defend himself. However, with a flick of his flowing sleeve, the banner shattered like paper! His massive demonic body was struck by the seemingly soft yet incredibly sharp sleeve, sending him hurtling backward like a meteor, crashing through several meteorites along the way. His body was torn apart, half of it a bloody mess, demonic blood spraying into the void, and his aura instantly weakened by nearly half!
At this moment, the Insect Demon abandoned the giant dark gold beetle beneath him and used a teleportation technique to disperse and flee!
However, the remaining power of the flowing clouds did not dissipate; instead, it swept towards the terrified tribulation cultivators in the rear like a living thing.

The wreckage of warships, fragments of magical artifacts, and the Gu worms, evil aura, and spiritual light of those tribulation cultivators and insect demons were all swept into an invisible, enormous vortex, kneaded and crushed in the void, and then turned into the finest cosmic dust in a blinding flash of space!
With a single strike, one of the two Void Returning Giant Demons was severely injured and the other fled. Cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage were annihilated like ants.

The outcome is decided!

"Clear out the remaining rebels and rescue the merchant ships!" Master He's illusory Dharma image returned to the Shattered Star Warship, his voice weak yet containing terrifying majesty that resounded throughout the universe.

The naval guns roared again, this time with even greater composure, precisely eliminating the remaining scattered targets.

A large number of Taiqing Sect cultivators flew out of the warship in their escape light and rushed towards the Baoshun Merchant Guild Cloud Pattern Treasure Ship, which had been besieged by the robbers for a long time, and whose spiritual light had long since dimmed and whose magic array was damaged in many places.

With naval cannons clearing the way, three Taiqing warriors overseeing the operation, and the formidable Void Returning Realm combat power of Master He, the remaining Tribulation Cultivators had no will to fight. They were either killed on the spot or fled in terror, scattering like birds and beasts in an instant.

"If the host here had even a little knowledge of human relationships and customs, he would certainly not have let us leave empty-handed."

Jin Shayu's face was still pale, but he had already stood up and stood tall in the void, pointing at the Baoshun merchant ship and laughing.

"You'd better get a few good pills, otherwise you'll miss the sword duel at the Immortal Pool. I wonder if you'll still be able to laugh then."

An Xiaoyue was still suppressing Jin Shayu, but after this battle, the three of them were obviously much closer. They had fought side by side, back to back, and slew demons together. This kind of friendship was different from that of ordinary sect brothers.

(End of this chapter)