Chapter 456: Extinction-Level Disaster

In the dark ocean water, the Hades Demon in its divine kingdom suddenly looked up. Its narrow, pointed eyes reflected the image of the woman in the red dress holding the long river.

It was her...

The Hades Demon suddenly remembered her.

A strong wind blew against her, making her red dress flutter. The young woman's long hair danced behind her, like black flames.

The goddess who had ravaged the Luo River thousands of years ago seemed to overlap with her image.

Blood still trickled down the young woman's cheeks. Her crimson lips and pure white eyes exuded an indifferent divinity. Between her forehead and brows, the runes of the Luoshen clan faintly emerged.

Si Li, standing in the dark, embracing waters, finally smiled.

Little Li is truly amazing...

She turned her head, her fiery eyes piercing through the seawater once more, gazing directly at the Hades Demon's divine kingdom.

Shao Xiaoli said nothing, her boot tips lightly treading through the void. The divine whip in her hand cut through the sky as she swung it at the colossal peak beneath the sea!

Clang!

Lightning simultaneously streaked across the sky, and torrential rain poured down with fierce abandon.

The long whip, condensed from Luo River water, did not merge with the sea. Instead, the immense force of its strike parted the water, sending it crashing to either side. Bathed in the lightning's glow, the whip resembled a true azure dragon, crossing the dark blue sea and slamming into the hard walls of the divine kingdom!

The four walls of the Hades Demon's divine kingdom instantly became covered in cracks.

The peaks beneath the divine kingdom began to collapse, and seawater poured through the cracks in its walls. These currents acted like invisible giant hands, tearing the divine kingdom's walls apart.

From the Hades Demon's perspective, countless waterfalls appeared like sharp swords, thrusting towards it.

The Hades Demon's greyish-blue body arched, and between its sharp fangs, it seemed to hold a ball of light.

The colors within the light orb continuously collapsed inward, while conversely, the light it emitted grew brighter, and its contained energy visibly intensified.

That was a catastrophe!

The Hades Demon was not disturbed by these developments and thus didn't prematurely unleash its authority. It continued to chant, building its power, intent on unleashing a true world-ending catastrophe. Only if the disaster was immense enough could it hope to hide within it and survive.

Shao Xiaoli and Si Li understood this clearly and certainly wouldn't give him the chance. They, too, were racing against time!

Si Li had already charged into the divine kingdom. Floating grey Kuns surged forward like iron chains, blocking her path. Si Li drew the heaviest war blade from her weapon box; the flame-engulfed blade was nearly twice the size of the petite young woman. Yet, Si Li wielded it effortlessly, cleaving against the current.

The defensive line formed by the grey Kuns quickly crumbled under Si Li's war blade, their shattered remains sinking to the bottom of the divine kingdom.

On the other side, the Luo River's long whip swept through with sweeping power, annihilating vast numbers of creatures within the divine kingdom, turning them back into spiritual energy.

Shao Xiaoli, with her awakened Luoshen bloodline and boosted martial arts physique, fought with exhilarating freedom in every movement.

Their assault into the divine kingdom was unstoppable; they were about to confront the Hades Demon directly!

The Hades Demon, holding the light orb condensed from its authority, stared at them indifferently. A low growl from its throat seemed to rebuke them for their recklessness.

They, too, were fighting with bloodshot eyes, having cast aside all regard for life and death.

For a long time, even after Shao Xiaoli learned she was the reincarnation of Luoshen and awakened many memories from her past life, she still didn't truly feel like *her*. When speaking of her past life, her attitude was often detached.

It wasn't until this moment, as she held the Luo River in her hand, that a flood of complete memories rushed over her. Only then did she understand that she *was* Luoshen, and even if she didn't identify with the Luoshen's identity, she couldn't evade the Luoshen's mission.

This was a burden she was destined to carry, both in this life and her previous one.

Shao Xiaoli swept through the divine kingdom's vast armies, finally coming face-to-face with the Hades Demon.

The Hades Demon was among the strongest of the God Lords, and in terms of destructive power alone, it was arguably the most powerful of the twelve.

There was still a significant gap in cultivation between Shao Xiaoli and it, but she showed no fear.

The divine palace was unhesitatingly shattered by Si Li and Shao Xiaoli. The two young women entered the hall, directly facing the Hades Demon's mythical body with their divine eyes. From left and right, they wielded their weapons, attacking in tandem!

The Hades Demon's sharp teeth were tightly closed, holding the light orb in its mouth. Its pupils turned scarlet, and it bared its claws, lunging at the two young women with martial arts bodies.

Clanging sounds continued to reverberate.

Lightning occasionally tore through the sky, and towering waves had already surged on the ocean's surface. The breaking waves, like monsters with mouths full of steel teeth, relentlessly gnawed at the Black Cliff, smashing through colossal rocks.

It was after midnight, with dawn still far off. Catastrophe was brewing in the great sea, and on the other side of the Central Land, a golden line cut through the sky. A white-clad young man with burning golden eyes exerted his full power, riding his sword towards the Northern Abyss.

Ning Changjiu didn't know if he would arrive in time.

Even though they had made extensive preparations before the Hades Demon's divine kingdom opened, they still made miscalculations.

No one had imagined that the world's tallest mountain lay within the sea.

Back then, the Sin Lord had expressed disgust towards the sea, but at that time, they mistakenly believed the God Lord in the ocean was Quanlin, who had emerged from the Underworld.

The Three Thousand Worlds couldn't cross directly from the Western Kingdom to the Northern Abyss in such a short time. Only Ning Changjiu could ultimately stop all of this!

The Silver Sword tore through the night, slicing forward. Ning Changjiu's nostrils vaguely caught a hint of desolate mist.

"Little Li..."

Ning Changjiu's pupils contracted slightly; he sensed something.

He was still some distance from the Northern Abyss, yet the sound of crashing waves faintly reached his ears.

In his memory, in that unremarkable village, rain fell in continuous threads beneath the long corridor of a wooden house.

A woman in a classical long dress, with long hair, walked away in the distance, holding a zither. He sat at a table covered with talisman ash, watching her depart, a mountain peach blossom in a porcelain vase beside his sleeve.

The Luoshen, carrying her zither, walked into the fine rain. He suddenly rose, grabbed an umbrella, and chased after her.

"Let me escort you back, Master."

He opened the umbrella, shielding them from the fine rain above.

Luoshen quietly watched ahead, smiling without a word, merely pressing her finger to a string, as if a slight shift in her thoughts resonated into a clear, melodious zither tune.

They walked together along the stone-paved path; there was no one around.

He could vaguely smell a faint fragrance, unsure if it came from the flowering trees along the path or from the woman beside him.

"When is your next lesson, Master?" he asked softly.

"Zither skills are ultimately for cultivating one's character. Your main focus should be techniques for slaying demons and devils," Luoshen said gently. "Listening to zither music occasionally is fine, but if you become too infatuated, it will inevitably wear down your will, and they might blame me."

He hummed in acknowledgment and said, "Don't worry, I won't tell them."

Luoshen smiled and said, "Do you want to visit your fiancée on the way? I hear she's very beautiful."

He shook his head and said, "I don't know what I should say when we meet."

Luoshen looked at him, her words slightly teasing: "Do you want Master to teach you?"

The young man looked a bit flustered: "N-no, thank you."

Luoshen chuckled softly.

The two walked through the misty drizzle and reached the bridge.

Luoshen's house was nearby, an elegant small cottage with neatly trimmed flowering trees on either side. After the rain, fallen red petals covered the ground like a carpet.

"Let's stop here," Luoshen said. "If we go inside and someone sees us, it will surely lead to gossip."

The young man obediently stopped.

The light rain happened to stop at that moment.

"Here, take this."

He handed over the umbrella.

Luoshen's dark eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I'm already home. What would I do with this umbrella?" she asked.

He said, "If I give you the umbrella, you can come back and return it to me next time."

Luoshen paused for a moment at his words, then chuckled, "Where did you learn that?"

Despite her teasing, she still took the umbrella the young man offered.

The hazy mist and rain blurred the scene.

Ning Changjiu returned to his senses from the memory.

These were just ordinary, peaceful days. He didn't know why he was remembering them now.

Was this a premonition of parting ways, of life and death?

Ning Changjiu's throat tightened slightly, filled with worry. He closed his eyes, and in his memory, the mountain peach blossoms in the porcelain vase quietly bloomed, as if they would never wither.

He rode his sword with all his might.

Finally, hundreds of lightning bolts simultaneously striking in the distance appeared in his sight.

Walls of ocean waves had already risen high, surging towards the shore.

The land appeared fragile under the ocean's might, threatening to crumble at any moment.

The Northern Abyss was finally close at hand.

The smell of blood also drifted from afar.

The battle within the Hades Demon's divine kingdom was on the verge of erupting.

The greyish-blue, wolf-like deity unleashed immense divine power. Each swipe of its sharp claws was like a peerless sword intent, launching attacks with a force that threatened to destroy both friend and foe.

Most of the Hades Demon's divine palace was destroyed by the Hades Demon itself.

Its lightning-fast figure flickered through the divine palace, like an assassin.

During the fierce battle, Shao Xiaoli was responsible for containing the Hades Demon. Her Luo River whip was cut into several pieces by the Hades Demon. Before it could reassemble, it turned into a torrent that swept past.

The Hades Demon charged through the flood as if on dry land, vowing to tear apart the young woman who dared to obstruct its plan.

But Shao Xiaoli wasn't fighting alone.

Si Li also moved through the great hall. The might of the Fire God blazed. Her past life was Zhurong, who in many folk myths was depicted as a muscular, brawny man. This discrepancy mainly stemmed from the Fire God's destructive power during the age of deities.

No one could have imagined that the one who once wielded the Fire God's authority and sat on the throne of flames was actually a petite, beautiful young girl!

At this moment, Si Li, now unrestricted, had rediscovered the feeling of dominating the world from her past life.

As fire met water, a vast amount of mist formed. Within the mist, the fiery silhouette of the young woman, wielding her weapon, charged towards the Hades Demon to intercept it.

Had it been any other God Lord, they might truly have been stalled by the onslaught of their unleashed primal power.

But the Hades Demon was the strongest among the existing God Lords.

With a single thought, it could part water and extinguish fire; with a single breath, it could bring all things to silence.

The water and fire could not truly harm it; instead, its sharp claws casually tore through their attacks, each strike precisely clashing with Si Li's weapons.

Divine weapons forged from steel were like scrap metal under its claws, destroyed one after another.

Si Li showed no mercy, exerting her full power, pulling out divine weapons one after another, allowing the Hades Demon to destroy these weapons that had accompanied her for countless years.

In the furious exchange of blows, Si Li's hand reached behind her, her heart chilling as she found her weapon box empty.

The greyish-blue monster's sharp claws ripped towards her face. If she failed to dodge, her physical body would likely be torn into several pieces.

Si Li immediately pulled off her weapon box, using it as a shield to block.

Amidst shattering metal, the two exchanged blows. Si Li, lacking the strength, was knocked backward, crashing through several water walls before finally stopping. Blood seeped from her clothes, dripping, and then was swiftly evaporated by her flames.

If senior sister was here, it would surely be dead... No, even without senior sister acting personally, if I could truly reach my past life's realm, this wicked wolf could be torn limb from limb by Little Li and me, working together!

Si Li gritted her teeth, vexed by her own lack of skill.

She didn't know where senior sister was at this moment... She was probably still with the two senior brothers, conducting tests on the back mountain, completely unaware of what was happening here.

She propped herself up, twisting her right hand to gather the shattered iron fragments, intending to temporarily forge them into a blade.

Shao Xiaoli stepped in front of her, blocking the Hades Demon's pursuit.

Shao Xiaoli's offensive was equally desperate. External injuries and internal backlash surged together, and her red dress was already drenched in blood. The young woman forcefully suppressed the pain with her Daoist magic, wielding the Luo River whip to attack.

She believed that even if she died, her master and grandmaster would surely find a way to save her. Although she was a bit afraid of pain, if she died fast enough, the pain wouldn't have time to register, right?

In the Hades Demon's eyes, they were already at the end of their rope.

And its own world-ending catastrophe was also ready.

It opened its mouth, revealing fearsome fangs and the bright ball of light.

With no need to divert its attention to activate its authority, the Hades Demon's power surged. It effortlessly tore apart the Luo River and charged at Shao Xiaoli.

"Little Li, be careful!"

Behind her, Si Li let out a hoarse cry.

Shao Xiaoli's eyes widened as she watched the grey wolf lunging at her. Her spiritual power was depleted, and she could no longer suppress the pain. In an instant, a sensation like being cut into a thousand pieces paralyzed her mind. Her pupils constricted. The Hades Demon's bloodthirsty face was mere inches away; she could almost smell the stench of blood between its fangs.

Her Dao Heart screamed warnings, but her body was too slow to react.

Even at her peak, Luoshen was no match for the Hades Demon. Now, with the Hades Demon attacking with full force to kill her, how could she possibly defend herself?

To have fought until this moment, she had already done enough to be proud of.

This moment became incredibly long; everything seemed to freeze.

Everything slowed down, and then past scenes flickered like a revolving lantern in her Sea of Consciousness.

Is this what death feels like?

In this life, she still hadn't waited for him...

Feelings of regret accumulated in her heart.

Then, Shao Xiaoli realized that the slowing of time wasn't merely an illusion of impending death. Time... it had truly slowed down!

The green-faced, fanged face before her also stopped.

Then, a golden light flashed past her, and time began to flow again.

The Hades Demon's unstoppable body was actually slammed back into the great hall by an enormous force.

A golden arrow was embedded in the center of its body!

Immediately after, several more golden arrows whistled through the air, pushing the Hades Demon's attempts to rise back down.

Where the arrows arrived, so did the person.

The Silver Sword streaked through the air, striking the Hades Demon's mythical body like a meteor!

The loud impact was deafening.

"Boss..."

Even in her daze, Shao Xiaoli understood what had happened. Her body completely relaxed, and then she found herself enveloped in an embrace.

Just like in Broken Realm City, it was Si Ming's embrace.

"I'm not 'boss,' I'm your Rainbow Sister," Si Ming said, looking at her face, her tense heartstring finally relaxing slightly.

Ning Changjiu's golden pupils blazed. Liu Xiyuan instantly appeared beside him, transforming into the silver sharp blade in his hand, striking at the Hades Demon's indestructible body.

Lu Jiajia likewise summoned thousands of sword intents, firing them at the Hades Demon like arrows from a military formation.

Si Li struggled up from the flames, shouting, "Attack its mouth!"

The light orb, condensed from the Hades Demon's authority, was hidden in its mouth!

Si Li's shout was drowned out by other louder noises.

"Too late."

The Hades Demon's sinister laugh echoed through the shattered divine palace. The world-ending catastrophe had already been unleashed. Amidst the ruins, it opened its mouth wide, letting out an earth-shattering roar, and the light orb rapidly expanded with its fury!

Ning Changjiu and Liu Xiyuan, united in thought, unleashed a sword strike at the Hades Demon's jaw.

The Hades Demon's jaw was instantly destroyed by their full-force sword strike, but the authority of catastrophe had still been activated.

The Hades Demon's mythical body lost its vitality, dissolving into the catastrophe amidst its wild, unbridled laughter.

Ning Changjiu looked up.

On the vast sea of the Northern Abyss, rain poured ceaselessly. Ten-thousand-foot waves had truly risen, making the nearby cities appear tiny, like pellets.

In the mountains of the Northern Kingdom, many snow-covered volcanoes had also awakened.

As the earth trembled, thick smoke began to billow from the volcano craters.

The Hades Demon's soul drifted through the various calamities, as if truly immortal, dancing madly.

Not only the Northern Kingdom, but the authority of catastrophe had spread to nearly the entire world.

This was a worldwide disaster!

"We... still arrived too late," Lu Jiajia said, looking at the Hades Demon's discarded physical body. She plunged her sword into it fiercely, cutting it to pieces.

Ning Changjiu nodded.

The spiritual form of Liu Xiyuan also opened her eyes and asked, "What do we do now? How can we possibly run all over the world?"

Ning Changjiu's heart was pounding, but the closer disaster loomed, the calmer one needed to be.

He looked at everyone and said, "We were indeed a step late, but what's done is done... Let's go. We must stop the impending disasters. We'll shatter the tsunamis, block the avalanches, clear the floods, and push all the magma back underground! This is what we must do next."

Si Ming, holding Shao Xiaoli, walked to his side, worriedly asking, "But how can we possibly make it in time?"

Ning Changjiu looked at her and said seriously, "In this world, we are not alone."

After the disaster struck, the Three Thousand Worlds, Sword Pavilion, Four Towers and Eight Divine Sects, and countless large and small sects across the human realm must have also begun to act. Cultivators live in this world; in the face of natural calamities, how could they stand by idly?

Shao Xiaoli looked at Ning Changjiu. Her mouth was full of blood, unable to speak a word, she could only manage a difficult smile.

Ning Changjiu leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Wait for me one more time, just one last time."

Shao Xiaoli could no longer move. Si Ming supported the back of Little Li's head, helping her nod.

Time flowed ceaselessly. Across the entire world, all those who wielded power were racing along this lifeline.

By the Northern Abyss's shore, a ten-thousand-foot tsunami surged towards the towns and villages with an all-consuming force. The lights of the human realm flickered faintly like fireflies beneath the colossal wave.

Before the giant wave, Lu Jiajia, clad in white, held the divine sword passed down from ancient times. At the critical moment, she unleashed a burst of sword energy. Instantly, thousands of sword intents pierced through the unstoppable flood beast. It seemed to accept an irreversible command, disintegrating under the white-clad woman's sword, leaving only a heavy rain when it finally reached the human realm.

At the Black Cliff, Lu Jiajia stood firm, sword in hand, watching wave after wave surge towards her.

Si Li quickly healed her injuries and also surged out of the sea, heading towards the volcanoes awaiting eruption, using the Fire God's power to prevent the disaster.

Si Ming cared for Shao Xiaoli, helping her recover from her injuries. They did not go ashore but instead went together into the deep sea, averting potential disasters that might erupt within the ocean.

Ning Changjiu moved through the gradually crumbling human realm, with Liu Xiyuan's spiritual form circling him.

He arrived at a high mountain, drawing his divine bow once more, activating his Taiyin Eyes. He fired several arrows in quick succession, shattering several hurricanes that had surged from the sea, threatening to tear apart the land. After temporarily dispelling the hurricanes, his figure descended. Seeing the chaotic fissures appearing across the land, he extended his hand, using the power of his supreme authority to counteract the vibrations of the earth veins.

Liu Xiyuan was also busy. She closed her eyes and unleashed sword qi, clearing river channels that might experience flooding, preventing the impact of floods in advance.

Disasters occurred simultaneously across the world. No matter how powerful an individual's strength, it ultimately had its limits.

Within the Unobservable Monastery, Ye Changong also withdrew her gaze from the entire world.

Blood spread out in the lotus pond.

The woman closed her eyes, and blood-red tears flowed from beneath her eyelashes, tracing paths down her cheeks.

After continuously observing the world for several months, her spiritual and mental energy were severely depleted, leaving her weak and nearly blind. Only when the disaster struck did she fully regain her senses.

She had no extra strength to prevent anything from happening.

The doors of the Daoist Hall opened.

The latest to enter was the Second Senior Brother.

Before the Second Senior Brother could speak, the Master raised her hand and said, "No need for many words. Just go to the human realm."

The Second Senior Brother let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, Master."

Ye Changong slightly raised her elegant head and asked, "Where is the Divine Controller?"

"Senior Sister has already left without a word," the Second Senior Brother said with a helpless smile. "When the sky collapsed and left a hole, Senior Sister brought everyone back. I presume she can do the same this time."

Ye Changong felt a little relieved. "Be careful in everything."

The Second Senior Brother, also carrying a large greatblade on his back, accepted the command and departed.

Today, the monastery gates of the Unobservable Monastery also opened exceptionally. Moonlight, reaching to the heavens, fell upon Tianzhu Peak. Many townsfolk from Dahe Town also followed the moonlight to the human realm, joining the disaster relief efforts.

Dawn had not yet arrived, but the world had already awakened.

The land was ravaged, and the sudden disaster claimed many lives. People cried in fear, yet equally, many rode their swords into the night, organizing more people to collectively combat the impending catastrophe, building walls of defense.

Ning Changjiu stood atop a high mountain, surveying the land that resembled a battlefield engulfed in smoke signals. He gritted his teeth and roared its name.

Liu Xiyuan flew back to his side.

"Where do we go next?" she asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, "Kill the Hades Demon."

Liu Xiyuan asked, puzzled, "Isn't the Hades Demon already..."

"It's hiding within the disaster," Ning Changjiu stated firmly. "Only by truly killing it can we quell the catastrophe. Otherwise, once it rebuilds its body, it will surely unleash a second and third disaster! We must kill it before the Empty Hunt Divine Kingdom arrives!"

He gripped the Silver Sword tightly, gazing at the restless night sky, and slowly, enunciating each word, said, "You cannot escape."