Chapter 976: Like a God Descending to Earth

Throughout his life, Xu Qing has been intimately familiar with slaughter.

From childhood, it became his instinct. Living in a world where the strong prey on the weak, he faced countless evils and dangers. To survive... only slaughter would suffice.

Eliminating those who harbored malice against him was the only way to ensure his safety.

From the slums and scavenger camps to the Seven Blood Eyes, Yinghuang Prefecture, Fenghai County, Jiyue Domain, the Human Imperial Capital, and Yanyue Domain... he had traversed this entire journey.

He had long lost count of how many he had slain; bamboo slips would never be enough to record them all. Perhaps only the chilling wind, an embodiment of the death messenger accompanying his kills, retained the precise tally. For that wind had swept through every place Xu Qing had ever been.

Now, this cold wind had transformed into a surging undercurrent, spreading across the seabed. It made no sound, yet the killing intent it held was more potent than any roar. Like the purple moon rising now, its lavender light was a barrage of sharp blades. The moment one perceived it, it would pierce the heart, seeking out one's vulnerabilities and shattering them.

The minds of the six remaining guardians and the Son of Fuxie, whom they protected in the center, were once again profoundly shaken. Around them, the moonlight pulsed, tearing through the seawater and slicing through the void, leaving a terrifying chill in its wake. It was also like the spreading mist of deadly toxins, transforming the anomalous seawater into the very body of the death messenger, enveloping all living things. Poison annihilated all beings, curses destroyed all matter. Across a thousand miles of seabed, the Netherworld had descended.

And so... the moon sought its targets. The poison infiltrated.

The moment these individuals sensed the moonlight, their bodies thrummed with activity. The sharp blades of moonlight created a soul storm, prying open their memories and sweeping through their entire lives. One towering man let out a piercing shriek as the unspeakable secrets hidden within his soul were exposed by the moonlight, transforming into his greatest vulnerability and erupting violently. His grand world instantly turned purple, and at that very moment, the poison spread precisely, guided by the moonlight, erupting within his body. In the blink of an eye, the man's body completely rotted and dissolved into a pool of blood as he wailed.

This entire spectacle caused the expressions of the cultivators from the Heretic Life Sacred Land to shift dramatically, as they sensed an even more intense life-or-death crisis. This was especially true since this thousand-mile area was clearly sealed, blocking all their external communications. Adding to this, four of their companions had already died, casting a dark pall over the hearts of the remaining cultivators. When they had first encountered Xu Qing, they believed they could easily defeat him, but now... their assessment had completely changed.

However, as prodigies, even in such a perilous situation, their resolve only wavered momentarily before stabilizing. The Son of Fuxie, despite his seemingly extravagant demeanor, possessed a mindset befitting his status. Even when confronted with the deaths of four guardians, his killing intent surged, and he remained rational.

"This sea region is his battleground. We should leave first and report this matter to the Sacred Land once we are outside," he said. "At that point, even if this individual holds a high status, his unprovoked attack on us means it is not our Sacred Land that has violated any agreements!"

The Son of Fuxie spoke slowly and directly, without using a sound transmission spell. He knew Xu Qing could hear him, and indeed, he wanted Xu Qing to hear. Following this, he and the surrounding guardians rapidly retreated. While attempting to exit the area, he simultaneously manipulated the needle bestowed by the Great Emperor. He kept it from flying too far, instead using it to mend causality, shatter moonlight, and sever the toxic restrictions in the vicinity. It constantly maintained a lock, ensuring that the moment Xu Qing appeared, the needle would instantly detect him. The other five guardians, too, unleashed their ultimate techniques, fully activating their most cherished organs or limbs, their entire focus honed on that needle. They were prepared to unleash a full-force attack at any moment.

Thus, time flowed onward.

An incense stick's time later, as they retreated several hundred miles, the needle suddenly flashed brilliantly, changing direction and darting sharply to the right. Wherever it passed, the seawater immediately churned.

"Attack."

The Son of Fuxie let out a low cry, formed a hand seal, and pointed. His third eye, located on his glabella, suddenly opened, emitting a crimson beam that pierced through the seawater, instantly striking the area indicated by the needle. Simultaneously, the five guardians surrounding him, their focus absolute, unleashed their attacks without the slightest hesitation. As one looked on, the five guardians' auras surged, forming a world-destroying storm. Within it, one transformed into a colossal salamander, while another's single hand expanded monstrously, revealing a partial physical form. Another guardian was even more bizarre, transforming into a flesh-and-blood spear that whistled through the water. Though each was different, their destructive power was uniformly terrifying.

The attacks landed instantly, causing that section of the sea to explode, creating a momentary vacuum. The ensuing shockwaves and residual power were incredibly sharp. However, as the divine abilities swept through, nothing was revealed in that area. As for the Great Emperor's needle, it returned at that very moment. On its tip, there was a single drop of fresh blood.

The Son of Fuxie's eyes gleamed as he observed the blood. After sensing it and confirming it was harmless, he tossed it to a nearby guardian. "Curse him with this blood."

The guardian did not hesitate. Upon catching the drop of blood, he immediately formed a hand seal. Several grand worlds materialized around him, and all living beings within those worlds felt the will of their World Lord. All knelt within their respective worlds, offering their thoughts to form a powerful curse.

"I curse your body, may your vitality be severed.""I curse your soul, may your spiritual void be shattered.""I curse your origin, may your form and spirit be utterly destroyed."

As countless voices echoed, the drop of fresh blood immediately pulsed violently, turning pitch black in an instant, as if being cursed, and in turn affecting the source of flesh and blood. But just then, the guardian casting the curse suddenly twisted his face, which contorted dramatically. The moment his eyes opened, they revealed an unprecedented terror and shock, and his entire being exploded with a thunderous sound! He let out a shriek of utter agony, his voice trembling uncontrollably, as if he had experienced an indescribable terror.

"The source of this blood is..."

Before he could finish speaking, his entire body trembled and instantly turned pitch black, as if invaded by an alien substance, as if he had witnessed something forbidden, or cursed a source that should never be cursed. His entire body slackened and then exploded. His vitality was severed. His spiritual void shattered. His form and spirit were utterly destroyed.

This scene was clearly a backlash, sending shivers down everyone's spines. Even their previously unshakeable resolve began to waver violently. The events unfolding today instilled in the survivors a bizarre feeling, as if they were confronting a deity. This unsettling sensation surged uncontrollably as the cultivator who had cursed Xu Qing died from the backlash.

Simultaneously, seven lamps ignited in the murky depths of the sea. They were seven lamps of spectral fire. Their appearance was like the eyes of the Underworld God, staring directly at them. The next moment, these seven lamps began to flicker, and then... all extinguished simultaneously.

While the four guardians merely felt a roaring in their minds, the Son of Fuxie's expression instantly changed drastically. A sensation of impending death washed over him like a furious wave. In this critical moment, he unhesitatingly spat out fresh blood and manipulated the needle. He linked his own karma and destiny with a guardian standing nearby. Instantly, the sensation of impending death vanished from him. However, the guardian beside him faltered, as the curse of the seven spectral fire lamps erupted, tearing open his personal world. At the same time, the moonlight landed in his heart, finding the vulnerabilities of his soul, and the toxic restrictions spread. He died a tragic death.

His death finally tolled the bell of fear, extinguishing any desire for continued combat in the Son of Fuxie and the three remaining guardians. They were terrified. Throughout their lives, they had faced numerous powerful adversaries, from other sacred lands to star-spanning races. Thus, slaughter was no stranger to them. Yet, they had never before encountered such bizarre and unsettling slaughter as this. The sound-based attacks were already astonishing, followed by the moonlit assault, the toxic restraints, the curse's backlash, and now the spectral fire's deadly touch! From beginning to end, they had only glimpsed Xu Qing at the very start. Since then, they hadn't seen him again, yet six of their members had already fallen.

In a flash, they each unleashed their utmost speed, fleeing rapidly into the distance. However, in the waters opposite to their direction, seven spectral fires reappeared, flickering as if about to extinguish. Witnessing this, the Son of Fuxie gritted his teeth fiercely, raised his right hand, and formed a hand seal. This seal carried no offensive power but was a command bound by an oath. The moment they became guardians, they swore an oath to the will of their clan: to protect without regard for cost or life, until their very demise. Now, the moment had arrived for this oath's command to be fulfilled.

The three guardians fell silent, their bodies halting. Their eyes revealed resolve and utter determination. Instead of fleeing, they turned and charged directly towards the location of the seven spectral fire lamps. Meanwhile, the Son of Fuxie's heart was aching. These nine guardians were his direct lineage, who had accompanied him for many years, but now... six of them had been slain by Xu Qing. The fate of the remaining three was also sealed.

"Xu Qing, I will make you pay a ten thousandfold for this!" Regret and ferocity filled the Son of Fuxie, ultimately transforming into an inner roar of his heart.

Behind him, seven lamps flickered out, and one cultivator fell. Then a dragon's roar echoed, and Jiuli appeared, manifesting as the body of the Wu Ancestor. In conjunction with the toxic restrictions and moonlight, as Xu Qing's figure flashed past, another cultivator fell.

Half an incense stick's time later, nearing the edge of this thousand-mile Netherworld domain, the Son of Fuxie's eyes were bloodshot and he was utterly disheveled. He frantically sped forward, simultaneously manipulating the needle to shatter the moonlight and toxic restrictions. He was getting closer and closer to the boundary. The hope in his heart swelled. He was confident that once he reached the boundary, his needle would allow him to shatter the seal and escape. Once outside, he could send a message to the Sacred Land. He believed both his father and his ancestor would arrive without delay. He accelerated his pace even further.

But just as he was less than a thousand zhang from the boundary, a voice calmly reached his ears.

"Now, only you remain!"

Along with the voice, a cold, ethereal figure, clad in a purple robe with flowing purple hair, as handsome as an immortal, carrying a severed head, walked step by step into the Son of Fuxie's line of sight. A dark undercurrent materialized, as if bestowing the very authority of death. This made the approaching figure appear like the God of Death himself. It struck the Son of Fuxie's mind, shaking his entire world. The figure stood between him and the boundary.