Chapter 1797: Divine Fire's Heavenly Fall

"What if pests develop a higher tolerance to pesticides?" Bai Ziqi sighed inwardly. "Either we increase the dosage and toxicity, or... we have to switch pesticides, or change the method of extermination."

There was also bad news: the divine gazes planted on the Illusion Sect disciples and the cave spider queen lost their connection after crossing the lake. This world's resistance to divine magic was truly thorough; Qianhuan must have intended it.

Fortunately, an insect demon flew close at that moment, whispering in Bai Ziqi's ear, "Lord Commander, we've found it."

Bai Ziqi was overjoyed. "Good! As expected, demonic arts still work here."

If divine magic didn't work, then demonic arts would. Qianhuan's world resisted divine magic, but it was impossible for it to reject all demonic arts.

"Follow them closely. We're playing the long game to catch a big fish; they'll definitely go looking for Qianhuan!" Bai Ziqi's eyes glinted. "There's no need to rush our move. We need to strike true with one blow!"

Now was not yet the right moment. They were inside the True Eye's barrier, so Qianhuan couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation, but Bai Ziqi remained very cautious.

The Heavenly Palace army hurried along, with an open field directly ahead. In this season, the wheat seedlings were vibrant green, farmhouses dotted the landscape, and a village with flowing water could be seen nearby.

Suddenly, a few shrill horn blasts echoed from the front, like the wailing of a hundred ghosts. A large army surged out from the villages and forests, flowing like a tide towards the Heavenly Palace forces. They mercilessly trampled the wheat fields they had cultivated not long ago, their eyes filled with deep hatred for the invaders.

This vast army was so dense it seemed endless. The Heavenly Palace troops looked around, but all they could see were fierce ghost masks.

Several tribal leaders under Bai Ziqi were trying to boost their subordinates' morale, though they were secretly nervous themselves. Could a force of less than a thousand truly withstand the charge of hundreds of thousands of spectral warriors? If this army hadn't fought the Yaksha for a long time in the previous illusionary realm, gaining courage and experience, any regular army facing this situation would have been scared into dropping their armor and abandoning their posts.

"These are the armies from the great city to the north," Bai Ziqi told Miaozhantian. "Their uniforms are different from ordinary spectral warriors."

As they spoke, several powerful ghost soldiers from the opposing ranks suddenly grabbed their comrades and violently sucked them in! Their faint soul fires were absorbed into their bodies. Within two or three breaths, their figures grew larger. These entities could even strengthen themselves by devouring their own kind! In an instant, the ghost soldiers devoured seventeen or eighteen comrades. Their average height exceeded ten feet, and though their forms varied – some gaunt, some with bulging muscles – an aura of "I am not to be trifled with" emanated from them all.

They transformed from ghost soldiers into ghost generals. The short, stout ghost general leading the charge immediately sent a large group of Heavenly Palace soldiers flying. The hearts of the Heavenly Palace members sank. Ordinary ghost soldiers were numerous and difficult enough to fight, but now their enemies could even upgrade on the battlefield!

And just as everyone expected, they charged wildly after entering the True Eye's barrier. Although the intense violet light made them steam, seemingly about to dissolve into water, they ultimately held their ground! They injured several people but did not melt into water under the True Eye's illumination! This was a terrifying signal for Miaozhantian and the Heavenly Palace army, meaning Qianhuan had once again cracked Miaozhantian's laws!

If the two powerful beings continued to play this game, Miaozhantian would have to increase his investment. This strange battle of laws would quickly turn into an escalating exchange between both sides, until one could no longer bear the cost. Undoubtedly, Miaozhantian was at a greater disadvantage. Was it necessary to expend an astronomical amount of divine power to eliminate these petty ghost armies? Every Celestial God was a master of precise calculation. In such a protracted battle, being continuously worn down by an unseen opponent was simply not cost-effective. Once the duration was prolonged, the probability of defeat would increase.

"So, Qianhuan, that old fellow, refuses to show his face, does he?" Miaozhantian understood. The old schemer wanted to hide behind the scenes, subtly calculating against him. Miaozhantian sneered, "Fine, then don't come out. Watch me utterly shatter its world!"

Miaozhantian had previously scanned the entire island with the True Eye and generally knew the gathering places of the ghost inhabitants. "The spectral warriors of Silver Pearl Island have finally been mobilized; we can act now."

From somewhere, Miaozhantian produced an iron lotus pedestal, moved the candle inside it aside, and asked Bai Ziqi, "Do you know why I specifically borrowed this body from Saint Lingxu?"

Bai Ziqi could only shake his head, indicating his ignorance. He was an ancient figure from thousands of years ago; it was already remarkable that Bai Ziqi had even heard his name.

"Many, many years ago, before Qianhuan became a True Immortal, he suffered a minor setback at the hands of True Monarch Zangxi."

At first glance, the object in Miaozhantian's hand appeared to be an ordinary lotus lamp. Its petals were exquisitely lifelike, and the lamp contained dozens of orifices, but only about twenty iron lotus seeds. One of them was deep purple, though it was not noticeable without close inspection.

Knowing that Miaozhantian was about to cast a spell, Bai Ziqi quickly asked a question, "Revered Deity, how exactly did Mitian defeat True Master Qianhuan back then?"

"I didn't witness it personally, but Mitian told me afterward that he had to force it out of its hiding place; otherwise, it would be impossible to catch it."

Miaozhantian murmured, holding the lotus lamp, as if reciting a long, tongue-twisting incantation. With his cultivation, sweat subtly beaded on his forehead within twenty breaths. Bai Ziqi knew this meant Miaozhantian was preparing a major technique. Previously, Miaozhantian had cast every divine ability with effortless ease, without such intensity.

The lamp gradually turned red, and those nearby could feel waves of heat washing over them. Even Bai Ziqi retreated five steps, lest his hair be scorched first. "Retreat quickly!" he immediately ordered. "Everyone, move back at least fifty feet!" This command was not easy to execute, as the area where they stood was limited, and the ghost soldiers and generals outside the barrier were still trying to push forward.

The iron lotus seeds inside the lamp floated slightly, rolling on their own like dumplings boiling in soup. With each revolution, the light and heat intensified. After another ten breaths, the iron lotus seeds became fiery red, as if being refined in a steel furnace. After another ten breaths, onlookers could no longer look directly at them, as they emitted incredibly dazzling white light, far surpassing the blazing sun in the sky. The lotus lamp itself must have had a barrier, containing the light and heat within, yet everyone still felt the surrounding temperature rapidly rise, reaching peak summer heat in less than ten seconds. Indeed, no one could stand within fifty feet of True Monarch Zangxi. Bai Shi, Bai Qi, and others exchanged glances in horror, for they could distinctly smell a strange, burnt aroma.

Miaozhantian's incantation ceased abruptly, and he himself vanished from his spot. In the sky, the True Eye suddenly shone with immense brilliance. Bai Ziqi instinctively looked up, discovering that the True Eye had ascended to ten thousand feet into the sky, almost transforming into a celestial star, virtually invisible from the ground.

He quickly checked the sand table. Fortunately, it was surprisingly clearly represented on the sand table: True Monarch Zangxi, possessed by Miaozhantian, stood directly behind the True Eye! He hovered there, stable in the sky, gripping the lamp with immense force, as if holding not a lamp but an entire mountain. Then he opened his eyes, solemnly raised the lamp, and poured its contents towards the True Eye—

A dozen or so iron lotus seeds were flung out, with only a few remaining. They pierced through the True Eye's phantom image, becoming imbued with intense golden and violet light, then fell freely. As they descended, they tumbled and grew in size. They expanded tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold! "Divine Fire Meteor Shower!"

Each iron lotus seed fell towards a different location, but their collective target was, astonishingly, the entire Silver Pearl Island! Bai Ziqi looked at the large chests beside him. These were treasure chests filled with mystic crystals; six of them were already empty. This single divine ability had almost completely depleted the high-grade mystic crystals Wu Shidao had obtained from the Immortal Light Cave. Not only were the Heavenly Palace members utterly awestruck, but even Bai Ziqi, as the Cloud Emissary of the Heavenly Palace—who normally spent mystic crystals lavishly, far beyond ordinary imagination—was witnessing such an extravagant use for the very first time. Tens of thousands of catties of high-grade mystic crystals could sustain the orderly operation of the entire Upper City of Beijia for a long time. Yet, in Miaozhantian's hands, they could only support a single divine ability! Just how formidable was the power of this "Divine Fire Meteor Shower"?

With a flicker, Miaozhantian reappeared beside Bai Ziqi, still holding the lamp. A few lotus seeds remained in the iron lotus pedestal, including the purple one. Bai Ziqi noticed that both of Miaozhantian's palms were severely scorched, black and red – black from charred flesh, red from large blood blisters, with red threads still moving within the wounds—the fire poison was difficult to eliminate.

It was somewhat incredible. To wield these dozen or so iron lotus seeds, even a former High God of Lingxu and a dignified True Immortal of antiquity, was injured like this by the backlash? Immortals possessed indestructible bodies, and the resilience of a True Immortal's body far surpassed that of ordinary immortals.

Noticing his gaze, Miaozhantian covered his palms with the iron lotus lamp, and slowly began to explain: "Tens of thousands of years ago, a massive star fell into the Great Thousand World. The explosion caused by its impact destroyed several mountain ranges and created a colossal deep pit where it landed. Later, seawater poured in, forming the Frost Sea that now stretches between Beijia and the northern part of Mou Kingdom. After this impact, the star itself was depleted, leaving only a few fragments of its hardest core. These fragments, when they collided with this realm, absorbed astonishing energy which remained stored within, unreleased. Furthermore, they had actually burrowed into the earth's core, enduring tens of thousands of years of tempering by telluric fire there. The inherent power of heaven and earth within them requires even True Master Zangxi to use them with extreme caution."

Bai Ziqi saw faint red light from Miaozhantian's palm transmit into the iron lotus lamp, then vanish. Ten breaths later, Miaozhantian turned his palm over; the lingering fire poison had been purged, and the wounds healed with astonishing speed. Within a dozen or so breaths, the flesh had mended, and the skin was restored to its original state. An immortal's regenerative ability was indeed legendary.