Chapter 1473: Millennia-Old Grudge

Da Yu’s face was indifferent. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"You know perfectly well whether you understand or not," Gonggong said grimly. "I thought you had truly achieved transcendence and eternal life, but it seems you are merely a wisp of remnant soul. Do you truly believe this single wisp of soul can contend with me?"

Before Da Yu could answer, a faint voice spoke up from beside them: "Xiangliu just said something similar, and the result was..."

Gonggong suddenly turned around, his empty eye sockets staring intently at Zu'an: "What was the result?"

"He was defeated in one move," Zu'an replied.

Zu'an was unsure about Da Yu. Various conspiracy theories flashed through his mind. He feared that if Gonggong was careless, Da Yu might easily defeat him, leaving Zu'an to face the unfathomable Da Yu alone, which would be a huge problem.

He couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Not long ago, he had desperately wished for Gonggong to be eliminated, but now he found himself worrying for him. Truly, life was full of unexpected turns.

"You killed him?" Gonggong glared at Da Yu. Xiangliu was his most trusted subordinate, holding an exceptionally high status in his heart.

Da Yu did not answer, but instead said directly, "Gonggong, after all this time, it's time for our grievances to be settled."

As he spoke, he slowly walked forward, emanating an incredibly pure aura of royalty. His eyes showed no trace of earthly concerns; instead, they seemed like the cosmos reopening, with sun, moon, and stars flowing within them, interwoven with countless profound principles and laws.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue had been stuck in their respective cultivation levels for many years. Now, just by looking into his eyes, they felt their hearts tremble. Many long-standing cultivation problems immediately loosened considerably, and countless inspirations flooded their minds. They had a faint feeling that if they maintained this state for a while longer, they would soon achieve enlightenment.

Yu Yanluo's cultivation was not as advanced as theirs, but her method of advancement was inherently different from that of ordinary humans.

The Sacred Spirit Pearl within her body vibrated inexplicably, and she felt her Medusa bloodline seemed to be subtly awakening further.

Zu'an, meanwhile, was pondering another issue. Previously, influenced by Shun, he had subconsciously regarded Da Yu as a villain.

Yet, the Da Yu before him was so natural and harmonious in his every movement, lacking any sense of frightening oppression. Instead, he evoked a feeling of closeness and a profound sense of admiration.

This aura was infinitely more comfortable than the chilling presence of Gonggong. Could such a person truly be the big boss he had imagined?

No, he couldn't judge by appearances. Hadn't he forgotten about people like Yue Buqun and Zhuge Shenhou, who concealed their true depths?

At this moment, Gonggong let out a cold snort, clearly uncomfortable with the other's aura. He raised both hands, and countless black mists condensed into the shapes of ferocious evil spirits and monstrous beasts, surging towards Da Yu.

Although these forms were merely illusions made of black mist, each emanated a terrifying power more fearsome than a dragon. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue privately wondered if they could even withstand one of these dark creatures.

However, as these terrifying entities approached within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) of Da Yu, they seemed like residual ice encountering the blazing sun, rapidly dissolving into nothingness.

"Da Yu, your cultivation seems to have advanced another level," Gonggong's expression changed.

Zu'an inwardly complained, "This guy is just a skull, yet he can show such a rich array of expressions. That's something else."

A hint of melancholy appeared in Da Yu's eyes: "Becoming the Lord of Huaxia back then, revered by countless people, and with the augmentation of faith power, truly allowed me to comprehend a different realm."

"Faith power?" Gonggong shrieked. "That faith power should have been mine! You stole what belonged to me!"

A trace of pity entered Da Yu's gaze as he looked at him: "I know your Yan Emperor lineage has always resented losing the world to the Yellow Emperor lineage, from the early Shennong to later Chiyou, the first Gonggong, and now you. Generation after generation, you resisted, and generation after generation, you failed. Haven't you awakened yet?"

"Stop lecturing me!" Gonggong roared with fury. "I admit that you wield faith power. In terms of peak strength, I might not have been your equal back then. But now, you are merely a wisp of remnant soul. What are you so proud of?!"

"Why do you think I left this remnant soul?" Da Yu asked, looking at him with an inscrutable expression.

"It can't be so you can talk to me after I've broken the seal, can it?" Gonggong said coldly.

"I didn't expect that after being sealed for ten thousand years, you'd learn humor," Da Yu smiled faintly. "The reason I left this wisp of remnant soul back then was to prevent you from unsealing yourself and bringing disaster upon the world."

"Hahahaha!" Gonggong burst into laughter, shaking the entire mausoleum. After a long moment, he finally reined in his smile. "Let me first destroy this remnant soul of yours, then you'll see who's telling jokes!"

With that, he held his hands level, and the entire mausoleum began to shake violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

Yan Xuehen quickly warned, "Everyone be careful! This mausoleum has a defensive array that dissipates force, yet it's still shaking so violently. Clearly, something major is about to happen."

No sooner had she spoken than the surrounding walls suddenly cracked open, and jets of water shot out. Then, more and more areas burst, and torrents of floodwaters rushed forth.

Only then did Zu'an remember that Gonggong was known as the God of Water. He quickly used the Blue Duck's skill to create a space in the water, bringing the three women inside.

Gonggong looked over with a hint of confusion, clearly puzzled by Zu'an's high affinity for water.

However, his target this time was Da Yu, so he couldn't be bothered with such minor details.

The surging floodwaters quickly filled the entire mausoleum space. The array patterns around the mausoleum could no longer withstand the pressure and shattered piece by piece. Soon after, the entire mausoleum was utterly destroyed.

Not only that, but as the mausoleum collapsed, the entire mountain also rumbled and completely crumbled down.

Zu'an's heart jolted with alarm. He quickly fled outside with the three women. Fortunately, Yu Yanluo was skilled in earth elements, and with their combined efforts, they finally managed to rush out before the entire mountain collapsed.

Watching the terrifying power of the entire mountain collapsing from close range, all of them paled slightly.

Yun Jianyue, however, was puzzled: "Gonggong's move is indeed powerful, but this kind of skill is more suitable for large-scale area attacks, isn't it? How could it possibly harm Da Yu?"

Zu'an replied, "You forgot Da Yu is an earth element cultivator. The mountain and mausoleum were actually his home ground. Gonggong flooded everything with water precisely to destroy his advantage and create his own."

"Well done, little Anzi! Your insight really isn't like someone who just entered the Grandmaster realm," Yun Jianyue's eyes lit up.

Even Yan Xuehen looked at him with surprise, clearly sharing the same sentiment.

Zu'an secretly sighed. The reason he immediately understood was that he realized with the collapse of this mountain range, he could no longer summon dragon qi for his own use. An earth-element cultivator like Da Yu would likely be even more affected.

At that moment, a figure wreathed in black mist stood upon the water, staring intently at the ruins of the collapsed mountain in the water nearby.

A green light flashed, and Da Yu's figure slowly emerged from within, now enveloped by a semi-transparent shield.

Zu'an focused his gaze and realized: Weren't those his Nine Cauldrons?

However, they had been magnified countless times and become transparent, enveloping Da Yu. The surrounding waters raged, but could not harm him in the slightest.