Chapter 699: My Past You Cannot Imagine

The moment thoughts arose, a colossal blood-red hand, connecting heaven and earth, roared towards everyone across the moonlit sea. Its astonishing speed meant it swept over everything in the blink of an eye, closing in on the Prince and the others. Meanwhile, the captain's ex-wife, whom he had mentioned, had still not arrived.

Witnessing this scene from outside the door, Xu Qing's eyes gleamed with resolve. He didn't know what would happen once the image within the purple crystal manifested, but seeing the Prince and the others seemingly unable to resist, he felt he had to do everything in his power to help. Yet, just as the purple crystal inside Xu Qing began to glow, the Prince and the others unleashed their respective trump cards, causing ancient auras to erupt from their bodies.

"Father!" the Prince roared, a sound echoed by Princess Mingmei and the others.

Immediately, the statue of Sovereign Li Zihua, standing beneath the Red Moon, began to tremble violently. Its awakening intent grew stronger, with the statue's eyelids even quivering as if about to open. Its breath emanated from its mouth, swiftly engulfing the Red Moon and surging into the Moon Palace, seemingly to bless its descendants. Inside the Moon Palace, time shimmered, laws descended, and sword light soared. The combined power of the Prince and the others converged to form six shadowy worlds, which then collided with the blood-red hand.

An earth-shattering roar erupted with a cataclysmic force. The six great worlds, one by one, withered away. The Prince coughed up blood, Princess Mingmei's armor shattered, Old Eight's body became a mangled mess, and Old Nine's sword repeatedly broke, causing blood to trickle from his mouth. However, their spilled blood did not disperse; instead, it converged, merging with the Sovereign's breath that had surged into the area, forming a colossal illusory finger.

This finger emanated a terrifying aura as it pressed forcefully against the approaching hand. The Red Moon trembled, and the Moon Palace swayed. The blood-red hand abruptly halted, and the Reverse Moon Mirror embedded within it began to crack. With echoing snaps and pops, the mirror completely shattered, fragmenting into countless shards that dispersed in all directions.

The mirror's destruction affected the Red Moon hand. This colossal hand also disintegrated; its five fingers were torn apart by the sharp mirror fragments, falling piece by piece to the ground with booming sounds, reforming into a sea of blood. The palm itself was ripped apart in an instant. As its pieces fell, the world within the Moon Palace became covered by countless shattered mirror fragments. These fragments floated in all directions, a shocking sight.

The Prince and the others were utterly exhausted, their faces pale. In the distance, Zhang Siyun's two fingers, inserted into his neck, had finally grasped the last thread and were slowly extracting it.

Witnessing this, Old Nine took a deep breath. His eyes sharpened instantly, a chilling aura rose from him, and he stood ramrod straight, like a drawn sword. His gaze fixed on Zhang Siyun, Old Nine slowly raised his right hand. The surrounding Reverse Moon Mirror fragments, now under his control, began to rotate in the air, each reflecting his image from a different angle. In an instant, countless images of Old Nine appeared on every single mirror fragment bathed in moonlight.

Each of the myriad Old Nines, with their raised right hands, manifested images of the sun, moon, and stars, along with threads of law. At the same moment, light shimmered on his shoulders, forming two vast worlds. The worlds resting on his shoulders began to burn the moment they appeared. As the boundless flames spread, all living beings within these two worlds could be seen raising their right hands, each grasping a sword. Their sword energy converged, filling the worlds and then Old Nine's entire being, ultimately coalescing into a single sword in his right hand!

When this sword emerged, the very heavens and earth seemed to shift. There was not just one Old Nine; every single one of the countless Reverse Moon Mirror fragments reflected his sword-wielding figure. All of them now raised their swords, turned their heads, and stared at Zhang Siyun.

Zhang Siyun's fingers, which were still inside his neck, paused. He lifted his head, a solemn expression on his face, and looked at Old Nine. The instant their eyes met, Zhang Siyun waved his left hand, and the moonlit sea surged once more, reforming into the blood-red hand, which then struck towards Old Nine. At that moment, Old Nine spoke in a low voice.

"Strike!"

With that single word, his sword descended, followed by the swords of all beings in the worlds on his shoulders, and simultaneously, the figures in all the Reverse Moon Mirrors also struck. One sword shook the heavens, ten thousand swords astonished the gods. From every Reverse Moon Mirror fragment, a burst of sword light emanated, converging to form a colossal sword that shook heaven and earth. This brilliantly gleaming sword, imbued with supreme power, swiftly slashed towards Zhang Siyun.

Winds surged, the world roared, and the void collapsed. This was Old Nine's most powerful sword, its might amplified by the shattered Reverse Moon Mirror fragments. With a fierce whistle, it directly collided with the blood-red hand. The hand roared and trembled violently, its five fingers curling as if to crush the great sword. But in the next instant, its palm could no longer withstand the force; it exploded, raining blood. The five fingers were also affected, shattering into fragments that roared as they vaporized, forming a violently churning blood mist that billowed outwards.

The sword's power did not dissipate. After shattering the hand, it continued with unstoppable momentum, closing in on Zhang Siyun. As it descended, Zhang Siyun reeled backward, and the Nirvana Flowers beneath his feet rapidly bloomed, forming a barrier in front of him.

A thunderous roar echoed through the Moon Palace and across the Red Moon. Even the eerie blood-red Nirvana Flowers couldn't withstand the sword's power; upon contact, they immediately shattered, shredded by the sword's gleam. Nevertheless, it absorbed some of the sword's might. As the fragments scattered, the sword's gleam struck before Zhang Siyun. He raised his left hand and pressed forward.

With that press, his entire body trembled, his clothes ripped apart, his hair splayed out, and the void behind him collapsed. He reeled backward, step after step, until cracks even appeared on his palm, and drops of golden blood splattered forth. After retreating five steps, Zhang Siyun's body finally halted, and he lifted his head.

"That sword was truly remarkable."

As he spoke softly, the sword light before his palm dimmed, gradually vanishing from their sight. Everyone fell silent, their gazes dimming along with the sword's fading light. Slaying a god truly seemed like a joke.

After speaking, Zhang Siyun slowly withdrew his right hand from his neck, holding a single thread between two fingers. This was the last thread within him. As he extracted it, he gently squeezed it between his fingers, causing it to instantly crumble into dust and dissipate.

Zhang Siyun's expression returned to calm as he looked at everyone. With a wave of his hand, the shattered Nirvana Flowers around him returned, settling onto his clothes like embroidered totems. Then, he took a step forward. That single step was unstoppable. Even as the Prince and the others rapidly retreated, they couldn't evade him. In an instant, Zhang Siyun appeared before the Fifth Princess. His finger descended.

The Fifth Princess grimaced. Just then, the severely wounded Old Eight let out a pained laugh, his emotions shattering. His seven emotions and six desires erupted from him, forming a five-colored light as he unleashed a bizarre technique. In the exact moment Zhang Siyun's finger descended, he swapped places with the Fifth Princess. In a flash, the Fifth Princess vanished, and Old Eight's figure appeared in her place. As he glared furiously at Zhang Siyun, Zhang Siyun's finger touched Old Eight's brow.

A light touch.

Old Eight's body convulsed, then burst into a cloud of blood mist with a muffled thud. Old Eight's death filled the Prince and the others with grief and rage; they tried to intervene, but Zhang Siyun was unshakeable. He flickered, ignoring all obstacles, and reappeared before the Fifth Princess.

"Because a deity was sealed in the future, she cannot die under this irreversible circumstance. However... I am also a deity." Zhang Siyun spoke softly, his finger descending once more.

The Prince roared in sorrow, Princess Mingmei's face twisted in agony, and Old Nine pressed his right hand to his brow, then yanked out the very last sword of his life. The three of them teleported, closing in on Zhang Siyun. Zhang Siyun's expression remained unchanged. His head suddenly rotated half a circle on his neck, and he calmly looked at the three approaching figures, speaking softly.

"One... two... three."

The moment the words left his lips, an enormous, invisible binding force enveloped them. The Prince and the other two paused, unable to move. Only Old Nine, bleeding from all seven orifices, managed to barely lunge forward, but Zhang Siyun's finger had already descended, touching the Fifth Princess's brow.

Just then, Zhang Siyun's brow furrowed slightly, his right hand instantly recoiled, and his body abruptly retreated. The moment he retreated, the Fifth Princess's figure blurred and transformed into a black cloak. It was the hidden Ancient Spirit Emperor. The Ancient Spirit Emperor was extremely wary of the Red Mother, which was why he had remained hidden, even after Zhang Siyun was wounded by Old Nine's sword. Yet, now he had finally acted. He understood the Fifth Princess's significance and the implication of Zhang Siyun's intent to kill her. Therefore, he couldn't allow it to continue. This wasn't to help the Prince; it was to ensure he could truly consume the Red Mother.

So, upon appearing, deep mouths grew within its eyes, and it lunged forward to fiercely swallow the retreating Zhang Siyun. With a snap, the vast mouth bit into empty air. But it wasn't over. The black cloak instantly shot out, ignoring Zhang Siyun's divine might and status, suddenly rising to engulf him entirely. Simultaneously, freed from Zhang Siyun's unwavering gaze, the Prince and the others broke their restraints and, along with Old Nine, charged at Zhang Siyun.

But swiftly, the Prince and Princess Mingmei were forced back, their bodies covered in blood. Old Nine's sword also cracked, and he too retreated. As for Zhang Siyun… Engulfed by the black cloak, his entire body glowed with blood-red light nine times consecutively. A piercing scream emanated from the cloak, which visibly turned blood-red.

The eyes within the cloak rapidly ascended, trying to escape, but as a gulping sound echoed, Zhang Siyun's voice changed tone, reverberating in all directions. "I caught your scent just now. I didn't expect you to be so patient, only revealing yourself now."

The Ancient Spirit Emperor's eyes narrowed. The next instant, a thorny ring appeared above him. All the faces within it simultaneously opened their eyes, expressions mixing pain and anticipation, as they stared at the Ancient Spirit Emperor's eye. It pressed downwards. The Ancient Spirit Emperor's eyes immediately blurred. Having once unified the Wanggu Continent, he showed no panic in the face of this crisis. After a profound glance at Zhang Siyun, he self-destructed with a boom, transforming into flesh and blood.

The moment the Ancient Spirit Emperor disintegrated, Zhang Siyun's body also underwent a change. The wound on his neck, which had seemingly healed, ripped open, spreading across half his body. Simultaneously, the scar on his right hand from blocking Old Nine's sword also erupted, extending across the other half of his body. Consequently, Zhang Siyun was now drenched in blood, his injuries appearing severe, as if he were on the verge of shattering.

This was the Ancient Spirit Emperor's divine authority! Under his gaze, all minor wounds would become grave injuries, and all grave injuries would lead to death. His status was high enough that even Zhang Siyun couldn't suppress it immediately upon encountering it. From a distance, Zhang Siyun appeared utterly disheveled and severely wounded. Yet, saliva still uncontrollably drooled from his mouth as he looked into the distant void and smiled.

"You must be delicious."

As he spoke, the battered Zhang Siyun suddenly turned his head to look at Princess Mingmei. Behind Princess Mingmei, the void twisted, and the River of Time was forcibly revealed. The Fifth Princess's figure could be seen within it, and the deceased Old Eight was currently resurrecting under her blessing.

"So, you hid her here. It doesn't matter. Now, you are all gathered."

As Zhang Siyun spoke, he withdrew his gaze, and his broken body ascended. He raised his fractured half-arm, placing a finger on his own brow. With a single touch, countless overlapping images immediately appeared behind Zhang Siyun. These images were unmistakably his past! They weren't of the Red Mother, but of Zhang Siyun himself. The images began with his birth, and Xu Qing even spotted Yao Yunhui within them. This was Zhang Siyun's entire life. The images didn't end in the present; they concluded with the sky above the Immortal Forbidden Land in Fenghai County, at the exact moment the Red Mother descended from the crimson heavens! From that moment on, Zhang Siyun's fate had been altered; he no longer belonged to himself.

Sensing his own past, Zhang Siyun's expression remained placid. He raised his hand, grasped the last image from his memories, pulled it forth, and placed it before him. The image depicted a blood-red sky and the Red Mother's finger—a shocking sight. Gazing at these, Zhang Siyun gave a slight wave of his arm. The image trembled, then rapidly expanded, reaching its colossal maximum in a thunderous instant. It replaced the sky, engulfed the sea, and enveloped the entire world!

The sky became an endless crimson, and the land... a desolate ruin. It was as if they had returned to the Immortal Forbidden Land in Fenghai County. Even Xu Qing and the captain, standing outside the door, were enveloped. Their minds reeled, and their expressions shifted as they gazed upon the familiar surroundings. Xu Qing could never forget; this was where he had first truly seen the Red Mother. At that time, Zhang Siyun, possessed by the Red Mother, had battled the Fishbone God of the Immortal Forbidden. Or, more precisely, it wasn't a battle but a feeding. As she neared completion, the Fishbone God had summoned its master, the Nine Nether High God. And then... the Red Mother's true form descended.

Now, this scene re-formed here. The heavens fluctuated, and as crimson spread, countless fissures appeared. These fissures then merged, transforming into innumerable shimmering runes. The entire firmament, at this moment, turned deep red and began to rotate, faster and faster, ultimately coalescing into a blood-red vortex. A moon faintly emerged within the vortex. It was the Red Moon! This scene was utterly bizarre. Xu Qing and the others were clearly *on* the Red Moon, yet when they looked up, the swirling vortex they saw also contained a moon.

On the Red Moon stood a kneeling statue, its hands covering its eyes. At this moment, the statue's hands slowly lowered. Its lips curled upwards, revealing a hint of greed. This was the Red Mother's true form!

The world roared. Within Zhang Siyun's memory projection, the Red Mother of the past slowly rose, stepping out from the vortex. As she emerged, an endless torrent of blood poured from the vortex, far surpassing Zhang Siyun's divine might, descending from the heavens in an overwhelmingly vast deluge. In her presence, even Hidden Gods had no right to act. The Prince and the others' bodies resonated, and the mere touch of her aura forced them to recoil.

At this moment, death enveloped everything. Decay became eternal. Putrefaction was irreversible. There was no resisting, no stopping it.

At this critical juncture, the captain suddenly laughed, a ferocious grin on his face, madness in his eyes. "Damn it, my ex-wife is useless! I still have to rely on myself!"

As he spoke, blue light shimmered across the captain's body. Faces nested within his eyes, and countless mouths sprouted across his skin. While looking utterly bizarre, his body simultaneously rose into the air. He spread his arms wide, enduring the Red Mother's divine might as his body continuously decayed. The more he suffered, the more his body decayed, the more intense the madness in the captain's eyes became. Now, opening all his mouths, he let out a roar.

"Past Life!"

His voice reverberated, causing thunder to erupt. Blue light exploded, forming a dazzling sea of light, and from within this light, a corpse emerged. This was the body of the Temple Emperor, which had been covered and fused with the captain's past life, ultimately forming this entity. The moment it appeared, the captain's expression was grim, and he let out a low growl.

"Little junior brother, I'm giving it my all!"

With that, his body flickered, and he completely merged into his past life's form. In the next instant, the past life's eyes snapped open, unleashing the overwhelming cultivation of a Hidden God. Terrifying fluctuations surged from within, and a colossal, shadowy mosquito faintly appeared behind it. This mosquito exuded malevolence, its blue eyes glinting with greed.

Once formed, the captain's past life suddenly lunged forward, charging towards the Red Mother emerging from the sky vortex. Wherever it passed, an earth-shattering chill spread, and ice gathered to cover its entire body and the shadowy figure behind it. In the blink of an eye, an ice sculpture of a mosquito formed in the sky, plunging into the vortex and rushing towards the Red Mother. This sight caused the Prince and the others' expressions to shift dramatically.

However... the captain's past life had failed in its previous confrontation with the Red Mother. Even with this burst of power, there was still a significant gap. So, in the next instant, as the Red Mother's gaze fell upon it, the ice sculpture of the mosquito, formed by the captain's past life, instantly shattered. Nevertheless, the captain's past life, driven by his current self, naturally possessed other abilities. In the blink of an eye, the captain's past life form disintegrated. It transformed into countless blue worms.

Each of these worms sprouted mosquito wings, possessing not only mosquito mouthparts but also ferocious jaws. They swarmed madly towards the Red Mother in mid-air. Furthermore, some of the worms rapidly spun silk, forming a single strand of hair. They then spread along this hair, forming the shape of a doorframe. An ancient wooden door was forcibly conjured into existence. Subsequently, the worms ferociously gnawed at the door. The wooden door shattered in an instant, and angry growls emanated from within.

While this sounds like a lengthy description, all these events unfolded simultaneously in a flash. Some blue worms charged at the Red Mother, others formed the wooden door, and a portion began to devour it. All of this finally made the Red Mother in the past memory halt her steps. But it was only a momentary pause. As she took another step, heaven and earth transformed, and everything dissipated in her presence! The approaching blue worms let out piercing cries before turning to dust. The worms forming the wooden door met the same fate, yet the wooden door itself persisted. The low growls from within it became the new thunder of this world, erupting with booming force. However, the entity within the door did not emerge. In this confrontation, it actively chose to hide, and the entire wooden door rapidly blurred as if trying to disappear.

And just then, a cataclysmic shift, one capable of shaking the heavens, making all deities tremble, and causing the entire Wanggu Continent to roar, began to brew within Xu Qing's heart! At that moment, he was insignificant, standing on the ground in an inconspicuous corner. But within his heart, a storm was gathering!

The moment Senior Brother declared he was going all out, Xu Qing plunged his divine consciousness into the purple crystal, integrating it into the first image. That image depicted the remnant face of a deity opening its eyes. He didn't know what would happen if he revealed it, but at that moment, Xu Qing's resolve was firm. As his divine consciousness merged and he gained control over the purple crystal, the image grew increasingly clear.

Gradually, the image completely filled the purple crystal, then spread throughout Xu Qing's body, until... it manifested outside his physical form! The moment it appeared, a gust of wind swept through the area. A sound like wind chimes drifted through the shattered world. The space, enveloped by Zhang Siyun's past memory, trembled violently in the wind, and the ground instantly transformed. The ruins of the Immortal Forbidden shattered like paper, turning into a desolate wasteland with the wind's passage. This was no longer the Immortal Forbidden, but a small, desolate city, steeped in death and silence.

The sky also shifted in the wind. Blood-red raindrops fell, one by one, though they bore no connection to the Red Moon's authority. The world blurred and twisted. All things withered.

The Red Mother's steps faltered; she was trembling. The door, which had sought to depart, froze in that moment. The roars from within ceased, and it too trembled. On the ground, the Prince and the others also trembled. Furthermore, a tremor echoed from the void. This sound came from Zhang Siyun.

The source of all this trembling... was in the sky. There, a supreme entity, revered even by deities, stood, suppressing all of Wanggu. It was a remnant face. A vast human face that overshadowed the world and all beings within it. The remnant face remained closed-eyed and aloof, high above, with only wisps of withered, curled hair hanging down. As if beneath its gaze, all beings were mere ants; the very phenomena of life and growth were influenced by its presence, compelled to change as if by the awakening of spring.

And at this moment, it... opened its eyes.