Chapter 1855: Mutual Destruction

"It's over, Miaozhantian will become even more powerful any moment now!" The creature was still reeling in shock. "Let's go, quickly! Even if we escape the Sea of Consciousness, Miaozhantian might not be able to catch us in the Upside-Down Sea!"

"The mechanism!" He Lingchuan gritted his teeth, reminding the creature. "Open it, quickly!"

From his perspective, Miaozhantian's body completely blocked the wall mechanism, making it impossible for him to reach.

But the four-legged snake hesitated.

"You..." Xiao Wencheng had barely uttered a word when Miaozhantian, still chewing on the Blood Fiend's limb, lunged at him and twisted off his arm!

Just as He Lingchuan would snap the leg off a beggar's chicken, Miaozhantian twisted off Xiao Wencheng's arm with the same sickening crunch.

Xiao Wencheng trembled with pain, his eyes fixed on the Great Sky Fiend. His left hand suddenly gripped He Lingchuan's arm. "The Soul Pact! Remember..."

A blue chain bracelet was on his wrist. He Lingchuan had one too.

This was the Soul Pact they had established before entering the mirror, a pact that stood as long as they lived: if both survived the battle, they would go their separate ways and not bother each other; if one died in Solitary Dragon City, the survivor would look after the other's people.

At that moment, Miaozhantian finally moved from its spot. He Lingchuan grabbed a nearby torch and threw it through the gate's bars towards the mechanism on the wall.

The Great Sky Fiend's tail twitched, but it did not stop him, a glint of cunning cruelty in its eyes.

It had to give Xiao Wencheng some hope, otherwise these immortals might use powerful self-destructive moves to take them all down together.

Devouring the Blood Fiend's body was a timely blessing for Miaozhantian. Long-lost power surged from deep within it. Even as it gnawed on Xiao Wencheng's arm, its severed limbs were already regenerating.

Its injuries would recover quickly anyway, making it virtually invincible.

The situation had been reversed. What was there to rush, it thought.

Hmm, it would kill He Lingchuan first.

He Lingchuan's thrown torch accurately struck the mechanism, and the gate clicked open.

He swung his blade again, a cold light like a bolt of silk.

Miaozhantian dodged backward. He Lingchuan then threw two small white flowers to Xiao Wencheng. "Eat them!"

They were now grasshoppers on a single rope; if one died, all died. He Lingchuan no longer held back.

Immediately, He Lingchuan charged two steps forward, launching a series of attacks at Miaozhantian's neck, but it parried them both.

He could feel it: his opponent's power had grown!

He Lingchuan had witnessed Miaozhantian devouring its own sister in the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, knowing it was how it replenished its soul power.

The Blood Fiend's soul power was no less than that of a Great Immortal, and for Miaozhantian at this moment, it was undoubtedly a great replenishment!

A moment ago, it was three against one, and their opponent, Miaozhantian, was riddled with holes, yet they struggled immensely. Now, the Blood Fiend's body had been consumed, He Lingchuan's side was down by one person, and Xiao Wencheng, their main force against the Sky Fiend, was severely wounded!

No matter how one looked at it, their chances of victory had suddenly become slim.

He Lingchuan glanced at Xiao Wencheng. The other man had just swallowed the Juluo Flowers, struggling to stand, his body riddled with holes, his face ashen.

Xiao Wencheng fully grasped the severity of the situation.

"Today, I will definitely keep Miaozhantian here!" He Lingchuan's voice, resolute and clear, cut through his mask. "Sect Master Xiao, remember our Soul Pact!"

Before the Great Sky Fiend could fully digest and enhance itself, in this precious, fleeting window of time, they had to defeat Miaozhantian, by any means, at any cost!

Otherwise, there would be no future.

Not for them, nor for their companions or disciples.

The calmness and resolve in his words moved Xiao Wencheng.

Half an hour ago, He Lingchuan had said the same thing when facing Bai Ziqi's surrender plea. Xiao Wencheng had always thought He Lingchuan had ulterior motives, only appearing so impassioned on the surface.

But here, with the three of them in an extremely disadvantageous position, He Lingchuan reiterated his words.

Still so resolute, as if this was a goal he absolutely had to achieve.

Recalling now, He Lingchuan had actually fulfilled everything he promised, and had done so far better than the elders of the Illusion Sect.

This person was ruthless, sinister, and calculating, but he kept his word!

And he was human, firmly on the side against the Sky Gods.

Xiao Wencheng hated him to the bone, yet—

But if only one person could leave Solitary Dragon City alive, between Miaozhantian and He Lingchuan, his choice required no hesitation at all!

Dong Rui, in front of the mirror, exclaimed, "Wait, wait, wait! What does he mean by the Soul Pact?!"

Earlier, He Lingchuan had reassured Granny Zhu, saying he had a trump card before entering Solitary Dragon City. Could it be...?

He Lingchuan took a deep breath. His next strike was faster, fiercer, and more incisive.

Disregarding his own safety, he no longer held back.

The Great Sky Fiend was unprepared for his sudden change of speed. His long blade was parried aside, but He Lingchuan closed in, and the Floating Life Blade pierced through its breastplate, stabbing into its chest.

Miaozhantian's other arm had not yet regenerated, but its reaction was extremely fast. It raised its tail and swept him away with force.

It had heard He Lingchuan's words.

Something was wrong. It absolutely couldn't give him a chance to get close!

However, after a series of battles, Miaozhantian's armor was also battered. With a "clang," the piece of breastplate caught on the Floating Life Blade and was torn away.

He Lingchuan had two ribs broken by the blow, but he didn't utter a sound. He turned and lunged forward, a faint red glow emanating from his body.

At that moment, a golden flash appeared beside him. The Gou Mang Sword flew past He Lingchuan, aiming directly for Miaozhantian's heart.

It was Xiao Wencheng who had retrieved his weapon and thrown it again with a backhand motion.

With a fleeting movement, Xiao Wencheng struck He Lingchuan from the side, sending him several meters away. While Miaozhantian raised its blade to parry the Gou Mang Sword, he slammed headfirst into its chest.

It was a resolute move, like a comet striking the earth, abandoning all defense and without any dodge.

Just then, a sentence softly drifted into He Lingchuan's ear:

"You're not worthy, get lost!"

A mere cultivator thinks he can blow up a Great Sky Fiend? Ha, how ridiculous.

After all, he was the second most important figure among the Illusion Sect immortals, with formidable soul power. Xiao Wencheng gave it his all; the burst of power and speed in that instant sent Miaozhantian flying back several meters, tumbling down the steps!

He then used his single arm to desperately grip the Great Sky Fiend, maintaining zero-distance contact.

Miaozhantian was shocked and enraged, not expecting him to suddenly go mad. It quickly lowered its head to bite his head. Xiao Wencheng was completely defenseless now; if it could just get a bite first, the crisis would be immediately resolved.

In its memory, throughout history, Xiao Wencheng preferred to hide behind others, never daring to make such a sacrifice!

However, just as its mouth opened, Xiao Wencheng, who was holding it tightly, suddenly erupted in blinding white light—

There was only one chance, and he seized it.

The entire South Gate Tower shook violently, and dust billowed.

But this time, the impact came from within the city wall.

The Haoyuan Golden Mirror also flared with intense light. The audience instinctively averted their eyes, but in the next second, they quickly looked back.

W-what happened?

Everyone's palms were sweaty.

With Xiao Wencheng's suicidal attack, He Lingchuan only had time to cover his head with his hands. He was then blasted several meters down the passage, his back hitting walls and debris seven or eight times, and his mind went blank when he landed.

Fortunately, this state didn't last for more than a few seconds, as he was woken by the blood coughing up his throat.

He wobbled to his feet, his body nearly falling apart. His left arm was also blown off, hanging limply by his side, completely unable to lift.

When Xiao Wencheng self-detonated, he was over ten meters away from He Lingchuan and below the steps. Even so, it still blew away most of He Lingchuan's life.

The other half was saved by the full power of the Qiang Dragon Armor.

He disregarded everything else, staggering forward. The section of the passage where Xiao Wencheng self-detonated had been opened up like a skylight, and a large hole appeared in the ground. Sunlight poured in, illuminating the widespread devastation.

Xiao Wencheng had vanished, leaving nothing behind but the destructive power of his soul's self-detonation.

No, the Gou Mang Sword was still stuck in the wall, reflecting the faint light from above, clear and flawless.

He Lingchuan's face became solemn. He bowed deeply to it in salute.

"Sect Master Xiao's righteousness is something I, He, deeply admire! We had a pact, and I, He, will certainly uphold it!"

Xiao Wencheng's choice surprised him.

It was precisely because it was unexpected that he admired it even more.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Gou Mang Sword dissolved into smoke, inch by inch.

In front of the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, the crowd was silent.

Wang Fubao suddenly pointed to the edge of the mirror. "Look, he... he..."

Xiao Wencheng's soul had entered the mirror, so his body had been sitting cross-legged beside the Haoyuan Golden Mirror. After He Lingchuan's bow, his posture remained unchanged, but his head suddenly dropped, and two lines of jade-like fluid slowly streamed from his nostrils.

He had passed away.

Four thousand years of illusory gains, in a single morning, enlightened.

Meanwhile, inside Solitary Dragon City, He Lingchuan spat out another mouthful of blood. Enduring the dizziness, he popped two small white flowers into his mouth, and began searching through the ruins.

Xiao Wencheng could not have died in vain; their mission absolutely had to be completed.

But he walked around the area, where there was deathly silence all around, and found no trace of Miaozhantian.

Had it been completely annihilated by the blast?

Most likely.

The South Gate Tower shook again, and the surrounding walls began to crack and disintegrate!

He Lingchuan pressed his hand against the wall, feeling its mournful groan.

This old comrade had endured for decades, but finally could hold on no longer.

He took two steps, about to jump through the broken opening onto the city gate tower, when his collar suddenly felt warm—

The Divine Bone Necklace was reacting.

As if afraid He Lingchuan hadn't noticed, it trembled twice.

He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat, and his steps halted. He turned and walked two steps, and the Divine Bone Necklace grew even hotter.

As he bent down, the Divine Bone Necklace pulsed twice more.

Could it be?

He Lingchuan held his breath, suddenly raised the Floating Life Blade, and thrust it fiercely into the wall!

The South Gate Tower was collapsing entirely, and this area had been hit by Xiao Wencheng's soul detonation, so the wall was no longer solid.

A painful scream came from the other side of the wall, familiar but brief.

He Lingchuan immediately kicked down the wall and jumped over, only to see someone sitting on the ground.

Miaozhantian.

Its chest had been blown open with a large hole, revealing not only bare bones but also a messy ruin of internal organs.

Its face and nose were blown off, and it was missing an eye.

The magnificent Great Sky Fiend had been blasted into a bloody mess. The only thing shining was the half-broken blade tip lodged in its forehead!

It turned out that Xiao Wencheng's sacrifice still hadn't killed it. That Miaozhantian, so grievously wounded, could still crawl out of the ruins and hide behind the wall; its soul power was so resilient it astonished everyone.

If it could have hidden from He Lingchuan, it might have been able to return to reality after Solitary Dragon City collapsed, and then find a way to escape with its life.

Alas, it ultimately couldn't escape the detection of the Vast Sky Divine Bone Necklace, and its efforts fell short at the final step.

He Lingchuan lowered his head, contemplating its unseeing eyes.

He still had many questions about the Great Sky Fiend, the Sky Fiend Realm, and the past history of Dragon City, but Miaozhantian could no longer provide the answers.

As he watched, Miaozhantian's body likewise turned into a wisp of yellow mist and dissipated.

The Great Sky God Miaozhantian of Lingxu had fallen.

The Divine Bone Necklace finally stopped emitting heat.