Chapter 657: Group of Chickens Dancing in Chaos

This was a strike born of the Crown Prince's Essence God Realm cultivation!

It contained the Way of Rules, the Art of Laws, and the blessings of the ancient Heavenly Dao, capable of suppressing all things in heaven and earth, dissolving all resistance, and shattering boundless wills. Furthermore, the power of authority filled all directions, able to alter the perceptions of all beings and deceive the heavens. When manifested through divine abilities, it was utterly tyrannical, absolute and unyielding. Wherever it passed, the heavens collapsed, the earth cracked, all things withered, and all beings were terrified.

In a flash, the finger landed on the forehead of the blood-colored face that was attempting to follow the Fourth Palace Master's flying boat into the desert storm. The face violently trembled, its eyes wide with fury, and a low growl escaped its mouth as it tried to resist. However, a wave of black ripples spread from the forehead where the finger touched, engulfing the entire gigantic face. Without delay, the face caved in, cracked, and then disintegrated into countless fragments, scattering in all directions with a thunderous collapse. It also stirred up a storm that surged violently towards the direction of the Red Moon Divine Hall. The roaring sound at this moment was deafening, as if an invisible hand had transformed into crashing waves against the shore. Looking on, the Red Moon Divine Hall's side immediately fell into disarray, retreating in confusion.

The Essence God strike possessed overwhelming divine might. The Fourth Palace Master and others, who had rushed into the desert, were all deeply shaken after witnessing this scene, each gasping. They knew very well that among the Red Moon Divine Hall forces pursuing them, there were powerful individuals at the fourth stage of the Return to Void Realm, just like the Fourth Palace Master himself. Under the tidal influence of the Red Moon Star, divine envoys of this cultivation level would receive a terrifying boost to their combat power. Combined with the replication abilities of others, they could exhibit a power akin to a quasi-Essence God. The gigantic face from before was an example of this. Yet, now, this face seemed to be made of paper, incredibly fragile and easily shattered.

However, as the supreme will of the Moon-Sacrificing Grand Domain, the Red Moon Divine Hall naturally would not be limited to just these few tricks. At this moment, as crimson light shone, the blood-colored glow erupted once more within the retreating organ-like divine temples. Then, streaks of blood shadows shot out from within, rushing towards the desert storm, seizing the moment when Xu Qing's jade slip shattered and the Crown Prince's strike dissipated. There were thousands of them. The cultivators within were unique, lacking a physical form; they resembled blood souls, traversing through the void directly into the desert. The instant they rushed in, they each unleashed their own power of the Scarlet Mother, deploying divine arts, as if to pollute the edge of the desert and allow the Scarlet Mother's divine might to invade the area.

Seeing this, the Fourth Palace Master immediately issued an order. The flying boats that had entered the desert swiftly changed direction, and the cultivators within surged out. Some went to assist fellow cultivators, while others began to intercept the blood shadows. Old Ancestor Mogui also immediately gave commands. The desert cultivators stationed there all took action, and the Wind Guardians clan among them activated their racial divine abilities, making the storm even fiercer and howling in all directions.

At the same time, Xu Qing, with a cold gaze, spoke calmly, "The chance to atone for your sins and gain merit has arrived." As soon as he spoke, he formed a hand seal and pointed at the little chicks behind him. Immediately, the chicks emitted sharp cries, their bodies radiated cultivation fluctuations, and their sizes rapidly expanded. Just like the large chicken under Xu Qing's feet, these little chicks transformed into large chickens in the blink of an eye. Each of them had a fierce expression, their eyes showing a desperate will as they lunged forward. To gain merit, to avoid being eaten, or perhaps to appear more diligent than the other chicks, they had no choice but to go mad. In a flash, the flock of chickens soared into the sky, approaching the blood shadows, and a chaotic battle abruptly began.

For a time, the sounds here were immense, echoes constantly reverberating, and as explosions erupted in all directions, the storm also became more ferocious than before. Even as more and more blood shadows from the Red Moon Divine Hall surged in, and the crimson light gradually encroached upon the desert wind, the counterattacks from the resistance army were equally sharp. Particularly striking among them were the large chickens. Each of them was over ten zhang in size, and their desperate, fearless momentum caused their combat power to surge to varying degrees, making them incredibly fierce. Wherever they passed, the blood shadows were devoured frantically like insects. Their swallowing movements were incredibly skilled, as if they had become instinctual. Casualties were inevitable, but an even stranger phenomenon occurred: when the large chickens reached a certain level of injury, their bodies surprisingly emitted white light, and in an instant, they all recovered completely. This was the power of authority of Fifth Grandmother. Xu Qing mused, if the Red Moon cultivators gained the Scarlet Mother's divine might by being blessed due to their faith in her, then these little chicks, unknowingly, had begun to believe in Fifth Grandmother, and thus also acquired some of her abilities. However, this ability was not absolute, so deaths still occurred.

But perhaps what the Fourth Palace Master had once said was correct, or perhaps it was due to caution against the Essence God cultivation; thus, the Red Moon Divine Hall forces outside the desert did not truly go all out. After releasing a large number of blood shadows and noticing their continuous collapse, they chose to withdraw. As the crimson light receded, the rescue operation finally concluded, thanks to everyone's cooperation and the protective barrier of the sandy desert.

The resistance army of the Fourth Palace Master's faction, having survived this ordeal, felt a surge of emotions—a mix of relief and profound emotion. At the same time, they all looked towards the desert cultivators. Their attention particularly fell on the large chickens, which had been incredibly valiant and fierce in battle. Consequently, Xu Qing, standing atop the largest chicken, appeared especially prominent and drew even more attention. In fact, the Red Moon side had also noticed him earlier, as it was Xu Qing who had activated the Essence God jade slip. However, after leaving the God-Slaying Platform, Xu Qing had re-disguised his appearance with the help of the Crown Prince and others to avoid attracting too much attention. After all, what he did at the God-Slaying Platform was monumental. So, in the eyes of the Red Moon cultivators at this moment, although Xu Qing looked rather handsome, he could not be associated with the person who had once shaken the hearts of all beings. The Anti-Moon Palace resistance army, aligned with the Fourth Palace Master, also held this view. Xu Qing's expression remained calm. He patted the large chicken beneath his feet and walked towards the Fourth Palace Master and his group.

At this moment, the Fourth Palace Master gazed at Xu Qing approaching from a distance, and turning to Old Ancestor Mogui who had arrived beside him, asked a question: "Fellow Daoist Mogui, who is this young man?" As the Fourth Palace Master spoke, Master Shengluo, who was beside him, also looked over. Old Ancestor Mogui's heart stirred. He was only at the first stage of the Return to Void Realm, while the person before him was at the fourth stage, not only a Vice Palace Master of the Anti-Moon Palace but also a significant figure in the entire Moon-Sacrificing Grand Domain. If he hadn't joined the medicinal shop, he would have been extremely nervous facing this person, given the vast difference in status. But now, it was different. He could tell as much from the other party's address, so he spoke with a smile: "That is my Young Master."

The Fourth Palace Master nodded slightly upon hearing this. From the term "Young Master" and the fact that the young man could activate the Essence God jade slip, he understood the relationship between this young man and the Crown Prince. Master Shengluo, who was beside him, also looked at Xu Qing several more times due to the "Young Master" title, feeling a sense of deep emotion. Then, as if remembering something, he clasped his fists towards Old Ancestor Mogui: "Fellow Daoist Mogui, I have something I'd like to inquire about." "Please speak, Master Shengluo," Old Ancestor Mogui said with a smile. Although he wasn't a cultivator of the Anti-Moon Palace, there were Anti-Moon Palace cultivators around him, and from their previous conversations, he knew their identities, so he was well aware that Master Shengluo was also a significant figure. "I wonder if there are any powerful alchemy masters here in the desert? Have you ever heard of Master Dan Jiu?"

When Master Shengluo's words reached him, Xu Qing was already close. Upon hearing the question, his gaze fell upon the speaker, noticing a middle-aged man whose cultivation was impressive, and who also carried the scent of medicinal pills. Evidently, this was someone who had practiced alchemy for many years. Old Ancestor Mogui shook his head upon hearing this, not revealing that Xu Qing knew alchemy. Having lived for so long, he deeply understood that loose lips sink ships, and they were not familiar with each other. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Xu Qing approaching, so he first greeted him, and then answered Shengluo's question: "Although there are alchemists among our desert cultivators, those with profound attainments seem rare... As for Master Dan Jiu, I have heard of this person. Master Shengluo, do you mean that Master Dan Jiu is here in our desert?" Hearing this, Xu Qing glanced at the alchemist, and in his mind, the image of Master Shengluo's statue overlapped with the man before him. He recalled the past incident when the other party had competed in alchemy with his Anti-Moon Palace.

Master Shengluo sighed, perceiving Mogui's perfunctory response and realizing he had been rash. He then nodded to Xu Qing, and the Fourth Palace Master also fixed his gaze on Xu Qing. "Greetings, seniors," Xu Qing said, clasping his fists. "This junior has come on the Crown Prince's orders to assist. The Green Sand Desert welcomes you all." Looking at the Fourth Palace Master, Xu Qing's first sensation was an inexplicable familiarity. Then, the regular messages the Fourth Palace Master sent to his temple every few days came to mind. But it was clear his concealment had always been impeccable, so the other party couldn't possibly know he was Dan Jiu. Indeed, the Fourth Palace Master, though possessing profound cultivation, was not omniscient. Neither he nor Shengluo could have possibly imagined that Dan Jiu, whom they had long wished to visit, was right before them. However, this did not hinder their polite exchanges. Even with the Return to Void cultivation, Xu Qing represented the Crown Prince and had arrived in the desert, so their conversation was very harmonious.

Thus, at Xu Qing's invitation, the group set off majestically towards the Bitter Life Mountain Range. The wind howled through the sand. Xu Qing and Old Ancestor Mogui stood on the Fourth Palace Master's flying boat. Xu Qing spoke little; Old Ancestor Mogui did most of the talking, introducing the desert, naturally mentioning the grey wind and the desert's sacred medicinal shop... The moment the God-Slaying scene in everyone's minds ended was when the desert's grey winds formed. This fact, months later, was no longer a secret. This was actually why outsiders speculated that the collective vision of all beings was related to the Crown Prince. However, after hearing Old Ancestor Mogui's introduction firsthand, the Fourth Palace Master still glanced at Xu Qing and suddenly spoke: "Young man, the figure on the God-Slaying Platform in the collective vision... that was you, wasn't it?" Master Shengluo, who was nearby, was not focused on the God-Slaying Platform, but on the medicinal shop. At this moment, he also looked at Xu Qing and couldn't help but ask: "Young friend, did you open the medicinal shop? Do you practice alchemy?"