Chapter 564: Doom Divine Power

A vortex continuously spun in the dim sky, yet it remained confined to a specific area. It only enveloped the holy city, not spreading widely. Within the holy cities of both races, a new catastrophe erupted amidst the vortex's roar.

Countless members of both races within the city were in a horrific state, having endured the resurgence of curses within their bodies, the lethal poison, and the scorching heavenly fire. Just as hope began to stir in their hearts, the immediate descent of a divine being instantly shattered it. Despair permeated the entire city, shared by the five remaining Spirit Treasures in the sky. Three of these Spirit Treasures were so overwhelmed by the might of the God's Finger that their minds became dazed and lost all resistance, consumed by extreme terror, their thoughts a blank. However, the kings of the two races, as cultivators with a single Spirit Treasure, had developed their own Heavenly Dao within their secret treasures. Though the curses had somewhat revived, they managed to retain a degree of mental clarity.

It was this very clarity that filled them with terror and horror, cementing an even profounder sense of despair. Ultimately, they possessed only one secret treasure. If they had managed to attain five secret treasures, reaching the Grand Completion of the Spirit Treasure realm, they might have had a slim chance of survival at this moment. Lacking this attainment, they could only watch helplessly as the thirty-zhang tall colossal figure, having just devoured the Mirror Shadow Imperial Preceptor, advanced towards them. It was like a fierce tiger approaching a trembling antelope.

In an instant, the God's Finger appeared before a Spirit Treasure of the Heavenly Face race. The Spirit Treasure, with a bewildered expression and trembling body, allowed the God's Finger to approach and place its large hand on its head. "He is Xu Qing, he is Xu Qing, I'm eating Xu Qing!" the God's Finger inwardly roared. Its massive hand emanated a terrifying suction force, and in an instant, the Way-Nourishing cultivator's body withered and turned to dust.

A dense white mist was absorbed into the God's Finger's belly, transforming into intense nausea. This caused the God's Finger's sorrow and indignation to surge anew, making it dry heave uncontrollably.

Seizing this opportunity, the two kings, currently acting as prey, erupted with powerful fluctuations from their bodies. After a desperate struggle, they finally revealed their secret treasures. With no time to cast spells, they could only resort to the most direct and brutal method: violently hurling their secret treasures at the God's Finger. Furthermore, their respective Heavenly Daos ascended within their secret treasures, hurtling directly towards the God's Finger.

"Explode!"

With bloodshot eyes, the two kings roared in frenzy, recoiling sharply and throwing everything into their escape. In the next instant, the secret treasures they had hurled at the God's Finger emitted horrifying fluctuations, developed numerous cracks, and then suddenly collapsed and exploded. Simultaneously, the other two Way-Nourishing Spirit Treasures, their minds somewhat recovered, trembled as they unleashed their own secret treasures that nurtured the Heavenly Dao, slamming them towards the God's Finger. A thunderous roar immediately shook the heavens, and intense fluctuations erupted as the two real and two illusory secret treasures simultaneously self-destructed around the God's Finger, unleashing an astonishingly powerful force. The continuous explosions enveloped Xu Qing's colossal thirty-zhang tall body.

Immediately afterwards, these four Spirit Treasures from the two-race alliance, without a moment's hesitation, all fled into the distance. Their minds trembling, their thoughts no longer concerned the survival of their races, but only how each of them could escape with their lives. In the blink of an eye, the four figures transformed into four streaks of light, shooting towards the horizon.

However, a bizarre scene suddenly unfolded at this very moment. The first to exhibit an anomaly was the Heavenly Face Imperial Preceptor. This Spirit Treasure, in the Way-Nourishing stage, quickly retrieved a treasure after flying a thousand zhang away from the collapsing secret treasure's fluctuations. This extraordinary item was likely a potent treasure he carried; it could not only enhance his speed but also enable large-scale displacement, far surpassing the range of teleportation talismans or his own instant movement. Upon retrieving it, he activated it without hesitation. Yet, this treasure, usually infallible, failed to activate, as if his extreme panic and the secret treasure's self-destruction had disrupted his internal magical power. If that were all, it wouldn't be particularly strange. What truly sent his mind into turmoil was the fact that the treasure actually shattered after its activation failed. In the next instant, it exploded with a thunderous bang. While its self-destruction alone would have been notable, the truly alarming part was that multiple treasures on the Imperial Preceptor's neck and body were affected and all simultaneously self-destructed. The resulting deafening roar and intense fluctuations were incredibly violent, directly engulfing his figure. As a scream echoed, he plummeted to the ground, severely wounded and stumbling. His body, already weakened by the secret treasure's self-destruction, was now further ravaged by the explosion of all his treasures, compounding his injuries. Amidst his shock and confusion, he could only struggle.

Yet, he wasn't the strangest case. At that moment, the Grand Marshal of the Mirror Shadow race, while rapidly fleeing across the sky, inexplicably turned back and headed directly towards the area engulfed by the secret treasure's self-destruction. Possessing the same cultivation level as the Imperial Preceptor, he moved with incredible speed, plunging into the zone in the blink of an eye.

However, compared to those two, the bizarre occurrences afflicting the Heavenly Face King currently in the sky were truly astounding. He was frantically speeding across the sky when, in an instant, a patch of heavenly fire suddenly appeared in the dim firmament. It was well known that the heavenly fire's passage had concluded over a month ago. While residual flames might occasionally appear, they typically wouldn't cause significant disasters or spread widely. Especially in a vast region like the Moon Sacrifice Domain, the probability of these residual heavenly fires coincidentally landing on inhabited areas was extremely low. Yet now, the heavenly fire that appeared in the sky manifested directly above the Heavenly Face Imperial Preceptor, instantly plummeting down. The immense power of the heavenly fire descended with an astonishing roar.

The Heavenly Face King, having surprisingly retained most of his combat power even after his secret treasure's self-destruction, surged out amidst heart palpitations. Though he was still slightly affected, his body burning and emitting groans, he ultimately managed a narrow escape. As the Heavenly Face King watched the descending heavenly fire with astonishment and doubt, the bizarre events afflicting him did not cease. Within the firmament, countless bolts of heavenly lightning inexplicably appeared, thundering towards him. There were tens of thousands of them, an occurrence virtually impossible, with an extremely low probability, yet it was undeniably happening now. The Heavenly Face King's pupils constricted as he resisted frantically. Amidst a series of thunderous roars, he spat blood, his body staggered, and he finally escaped the lightning's range.

Before he could even catch his breath, his body abruptly froze in mid-air. His face contorted, his eyes glazed over, and as he slowly looked down, his body rapidly withered. The curse, which had been suppressed within his body, now suddenly erupted with all its subsequent fluctuations due to the secret treasure's self-destruction, engulfing his entire being. In the next instant, under the Red Mother's curse, his body was inevitably doomed. As he withered, he turned to dust. Before his demise, he glanced at the others, who seemed unharmed.

This sight intensified the terror and horror in the struggling Heavenly Face Imperial Preceptor on the ground to an extreme level.

"Bad luck!" The moment his voice echoed, teleportation power radiated in one direction at the zenith of the sky. It was the Mirror Shadow King. He defied the notion of misfortune by his actions, inexplicably crushing a long-distance teleportation talisman and vanishing from the sky in an instant.

After all this, the God's Finger, radiating divine power, emerged from the fluctuations of the four self-destructed secret treasures. Its thirty-zhang tall body appeared entirely unchanged to the naked eye, still gleaming with golden light and completely unscathed, as if the destruction of those four secret treasures were nothing more than tiny sparks to it. In reality, however, the God's Finger's true form was now shriveled. To protect its current body, it had to expend its divine power, which left the already hungry deity ravenous, its eyes glinting with a desire to devour.

"Hungry, hungry, hungry! Anomaly! Vanish!" The God's Finger, body swaying and uncontrollably salivating, sped towards the struggling Spirit Treasure on the distant ground. Amidst the Heavenly Face Imperial Preceptor's despair, the God's Finger abruptly closed in and devoured it whole.

The sensation of hunger, however, remained intense, and the shriveling sound emanating from its true form rumbled like thunder. The God's Finger abruptly turned, its eyes fierce, and looked at the holy city of the two races, a flicker of struggle visible in its expression. Yet, even the most unpalatable food was preferable to the extreme hunger it felt. So, the divine being suddenly swayed and went directly.

It appeared above the holy city. Amidst the despair of the two races' people, it opened its mouth wide and inhaled sharply. Immediately, the vortex above its head roared downwards, engulfing the city. Countless wails and piercing screams, unlike anything before, erupted and spread. Large numbers of tribespeople were seen, their bodies pulled into and devoured by the vortex. The process was swift; within approximately half an incense stick's time, the city of the two races was virtually empty.

"Disgusting, disgusting, truly disgusting!" the God's Finger wailed, its mournful voice echoing in all directions as the sky churned.

Duanmu Zang, standing at the plaza altar, stared at the figure in mid-air, unable to believe what he was witnessing. "Are the humans outside truly this powerful?" Even though Duanmu Zang knew this interpretation was flawed, he couldn't help but entertain the thought. Fortunately, the God's Finger retained some semblance of reason and didn't devour him. After its roar, the divine being suddenly became aware, looking up and opening its mouth wide as if anticipating something.

Soon, a wave of teleportation spread, and a figure suddenly appeared before the God's Finger. It was the escaped Mirror Shadow King, but at this moment, his body was in an utterly wretched state: more than half of his body was gone, parasitic fragments scattered, and the mirrors of his true form were extensively shattered, revealing a face etched with despair. He had indeed successfully teleported, but found himself beneath a sea of heavenly fire. At great cost, he attempted to escape, only to encounter strange beasts within the fiery depths. In desperation, even though he knew ill fortune awaited him, he could only seek another opportunity to teleport to survive. His second teleportation brought him to this location.

As despair and indignation surged within him, the God's Finger's massive mouth directly bit him, and with a single inhalation, he turned to dust. Immediately afterwards, the God's Finger bent over, continuing to dry heave, its expression filled with indignation.

It then began to walk towards the empty city below. With each step, its body gradually shrunk, from a hundred zhang to thirty, then to ten, until it finally assumed the size of a normal person. The golden radiance across its body vanished, and the golden light in its eyes faded.

Xu Qing regained control of his body, his eyes calm, and walked towards the plaza. Within his Sea of Consciousness, the God's Finger was now emitting a dense aura of curses, roaring resentfully. "Every food in this Moon Sacrifice Domain is marked! Whether you kill or eat them, you'll bear their Red Mother's curse, just like karma!" "I told you not to eat them!" "Now we're doomed! Once the Red Mother awakens, we'll be the first to be devoured!" "I want to sleep, I want to sleep! This time, no matter how you call me, I won't wake up!"

Xu Qing inwardly tried to placate the petulant finger, but the God's Finger completely ignored him, heading straight for Ding Yi San Er and rapidly falling asleep. Seeing this, Xu Qing had no choice but to ignore it. He walked to the plaza and looked at Duanmu Zang. Duanmu Zang instinctively took a few steps back, but quickly regained his composure and offered a wry smile.

"Are you... still yourself?"

Xu Qing nodded, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. This holy city was largely empty. While a few might remain, with the poison prohibition in their bodies, they wouldn't survive much longer. Duanmu Zang felt somewhat disoriented. He had once contemplated eradicating the cities of both races but was unable to achieve it. Witnessing it now with his own eyes, he found it surreal.

After a considerable pause, Duanmu Zang finally took a deep breath, and a sharp glint returned to his eyes. As the lord of a small human kingdom, having endured much, he understood that the immediate priority was how to manage the aftermath. "Xu Qing, we need this city! Can you help me clear it out?" "Then I'll bring our people here." Duanmu Zang looked at Xu Qing.

"Yes," Xu Qing nodded, providing the location. After a brief thought, he asked, "What about the Red Moon Temple...?"

Duanmu Zang stood up, a peculiar light in his eyes. Having completely suppressed his shock, he began to analyze the subsequent events. Upon hearing the question, he shook his head. "The Red Moon Temple is far above such trivial matters; they won't care about the demise of two minor races. Their sole concern is the completion of sacrifices, so we must prepare them as quickly as possible." "Only the elite of these two races could reside in the holy city. Many more tribespeople, over five hundred thousand, remain outside." "Leave this matter to me. They are currently unaware of what transpired here. I will handle it; these are our sacrifices!"

Duanmu Zang took a deep breath, assessing his internal cultivation. Xu Qing also passed over the elixirs from his storage bag. After receiving the elixirs, Duanmu Zang grinned and glanced around. "No time to lose!" "Xu Qing, I'm leaving this place in your hands!" With that, Duanmu Zang swallowed the elixir, swayed, and shot directly into the sky.

Xu Qing watched Duanmu Zang depart, then stood silently in the plaza for a long time. Xu Qing didn't need to concern himself with how Duanmu Zang would manage; to establish a sanctuary in such a harsh environment and cultivate to his level, Duanmu Zang undoubtedly possessed exceptional qualities.

After a moment, Xu Qing gazed at the empty city and began to walk forward. With each step, the residual poison prohibitions and the strange matter lingering in the air converged from all directions, continuously merging into his body. Along the way, he encountered a few members of the two races who had miraculously escaped being devoured but were now struggling under the effects of the poison. Before Xu Qing could even act against them, the Adamant Sect Patriarch would sweep by, instantly striking them down.

Two days later, this city, having endured catastrophe, was purged of evil. Though desolate, Xu Qing, sitting atop the royal palace and gazing at the horizon, felt a long-lost tranquility. His cultivation had improved considerably. Although the God's Finger ultimately consumed everything, and Xu Qing didn't gain much directly from it, his previous acts of killing and absorption had unconsciously elevated all the nascent souls within his body to a state nearing their second life tribulation.

"Soon," Xu Qing murmured.

It was night, and the sky was moonless. In the pitch-black world, Xu Qing sat silently. He thought of the tribespeople who had been reduced to pulp, and he thought of Pan Yan. After a long while, he took out a purple flute, placed it to his lips, and played the melody Zixuan had taught him. The wailing flute melody echoed through the empty city, lingering for a long time.

Time slowly passed.

Ten days later, the human race arrived. The moment over a hundred thousand people entered Xu Qing's view, a white light whistled from the distance. It was a female figure, rushing directly towards Xu Qing. She approached in an instant.

"Brother Xu Qing!"

Ling'er rushed forward and embraced Xu Qing tightly. Xu Qing gently stroked Ling'er's head, a smile appearing on his usually expressionless face. He also noticed Shadow, the stone lion, and Head, who had returned with Ling'er. Before Head could even speak, Xu Qing waved his hand, sending them into Ding Yi San Er. Shadow, meanwhile, obediently merged into the ground beneath Xu Qing's feet.

"Come, let's go greet them," Xu Qing said softly, walking towards the crowd.

In the days that followed, everything returned to normal. The arrival of over a hundred thousand tribespeople revitalized the city. Grief was tucked away in their memories, and hope for the future began to blossom like seeds in their hearts. Collapsed buildings were systematically restored, and sections of fallen city walls were meticulously repaired. Gradually, laughter began to fill the city, and cheerful sounds gradually rose from its streets.

Duanmu Zang returned a month later. It's unknown how he managed it, but upon his return, he was accompanied by thousands of massive cages, packed like cargo with members of the two races. Due to the large stature of the Heavenly Face race, there were quite a few cages. However, in total, the number of sacrifices exceeded five hundred thousand. Their expressions were despairing, their gazes vacant, mirroring exactly the humans they had once consumed as food. Xu Qing felt no pity for these members of the two races. They were simply left outside the city, awaiting their fate.

Duanmu Zang's return accelerated the city's recovery. Gradually, the formation arrays were simply repaired and reactivated. As the protective barrier enveloped them, over a hundred thousand humans cheered, and Ling'er, among them, was equally elated. For humans who had lived in abandoned mines, enduring poverty and constantly facing the threat of becoming food, this was a long-lost sense of security.

Observing them, Xu Qing, seated atop the city wall, felt a sense of blessing in his heart. Then, he looked towards the distant horizon; it was time for him to leave. "Unfortunately, I still haven't found a way to lift their curse." As Xu Qing murmured to himself, he turned his head to look beside him.

Duanmu Zang's blurred figure materialized beside him, gradually becoming clearer. He tossed Xu Qing a flask of wine, sat down, and gazed at the crowd, an expression of profound emotion on his face.

"Xu Qing, thank you," he said softly, after a moment, looking at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing shook his head and drank the wine from the flask. "It's what I should do."

Duanmu Zang's gaze was profound. He glanced at Xu Qing, but didn't pursue the topic or inquire about what he had witnessed that day. He had consciously chosen to forget those events. He knew everyone had their secrets, and some things were best left unasked and unexplored.

"Oh, by the way, I've gathered information about the Disciples for you. Most of them are currently congregating in the central eastern region, which is where the Red Moon Temple awaits sacrifices from various races." Duanmu Zang took a sip of wine and continued. "After all, for the Disciples, this period marks their peak business season."

Xu Qing nodded. He had previously asked Duanmu Zang about large-scale teleportation arrays, as he wished to travel to Tianniu Mountain, located in the southern part of the Moon Sacrifice Domain. It was incredibly far from their current location. Since arriving at the Sea of Heavenly Fire, Xu Qing had never encountered a teleportation array like those in Fenghai County. Even this holy city lacked one; there were only some unorganized teleportation talismans and similar items. He had inquired with Duanmu Zang, who explained that within the Moon Sacrifice Domain, only major clans possessed fixed teleportation arrays. Generally, to teleport, one needed to rely on the Disciples.

The Disciples were a unique race. Each member was born with a gate, and the race had no fixed residence. Upon reaching adulthood, every Disciple would leave, traveling across the Great Domain. Their racial talent allowed them to imprint visited locations onto their personal gates, which others could then use for teleportation. The range of these teleportations varied depending on the Disciple's cultivation level. This was their livelihood; whenever the Red Moon Temple began collecting sacrifices, tribes lacking teleportation arrays became the Disciples' customers.

"Therefore, you can accompany me to the east. I'm also departing soon to deliver those sacrifices outside to the temple."

Xu Qing pondered this. Without a teleportation array, the journey from here to Tianniu Mountain would be exceedingly long, and unknown complications could arise along the way. Furthermore, the agreed-upon time with his senior brother had already passed. Since they couldn't contact each other, Xu Qing, after some thought, sensed the purple moon within him. Recalling that the temple hadn't detected him earlier, he nodded in agreement.

Thus, three mornings later, Xu Qing, Ling'er, Duanmu Zang, and the convoy of cages set off together. The moment they departed the city, over a hundred thousand inhabitants spontaneously emerged and knelt in the distance, facing Xu Qing. Their eyes conveyed blessings, and they prayed for Xu Qing's safe journey.

Xu Qing turned back, gazed behind him, and with a heartfelt emotion, clasped his fists and bowed. The sky was dim, and swirling sand obscured their vision, yet it could not extinguish the hope rising within the city. Xu Qing turned and departed with the convoy.

Carried by the strong wind, Duanmu Zang's hoarse voice reached him. "Xu Qing, there's a legend in the Moon Sacrifice Domain: due to the existence of curses, the souls of all deceased beings do not enter reincarnation, but instead return to the Red Moon Temple." "Only after the Red Mother arrives and consumes the sacrifices do these souls get reborn as seeds."