Chapter 1197: Hell

Shrouding the Heavens, Chapter 1198: Hell

The stone dragon's head rolled off, and its robust body shattered, exploding in all directions. Saint-level power diffused, like a sword cleaving the sky, causing hundreds of mountains to crumble and thousands of hills to turn to ash.

The Killer Saint Qiluo sliced the void with a finger, creating a vast black fissure that channeled all the destructive power, preventing those present from being impacted.

People from the various Sacred Lands gasped in astonishment; the three Emperor-level figures had just destroyed a Saint-level puppet on the spot. What did this signify? It meant they could now slay true Saints!

"Dong..." The bronze bell resonated, its sound echoing for hundreds of miles. The entire Divine Spirit Minor World became a killing field, crisscrossed by countless streams of sword qi that soared and cleaved towards their direction.

"Poof!" A war chariot from the Purple Mansion Sacred Land instantly disintegrated into dust, and several grand masters inside were instantaneously reduced to blood mist.

Kaleidoscopic sword qi stirred up a storm, with streams of multi-colored light streaking across the sky. Even from a distance, they caused physical pain and made one's hair stand on end, then fall out.

For tens of thousands of years, no outsiders had ever breached this place. It was a realm of slaughter, once the dwelling of Hell's ancient Saints.

Though its glory had faded, it remained an astonishing place, brimming with killing intent. No matter who dared to attack, they would find it impossible to advance without paying a bloody price.

A massive surge of sword qi, resembling a black mountain peak, swept across, instantly cleaving over a dozen members of the Jade Lake into bloody foam. This provoked a gasp of alarm, and the remaining individuals swiftly retreated.

The Yaoguang Sacred Land suffered a severe blow as a colossal sword descended from the sky, mincing over a dozen renowned elders into pulp.

This was a tribulation of slaughter. Sky-piercing sword qi, thick as mountains and nearly reaching Saint-level power, soared into the air. It was unclear whether they were manifestations of an ancient formation or conjured by human hands.

Qiluo let out a long roar, his voice, like tidal waves, swept forward, blocking all incoming sword qi. He held the line, cautiously observing the depths of the Profound Realm, guarding against the most formidable enemies.

The large black dog, irritated, quickly set up a row of array platforms. This was the incomplete 'Wushi Killing Formation,' which immediately erupted with auspicious energy and an overwhelming killing intent that spread for thousands of miles.

Dust and smoke billowed skyward ahead. A stretch of mountainous terrain was leveled, yet the relentless sword qi continued its assault.

"Kill!" The Saint Prince let out a long roar, covering several miles in a single leap. He charged into the sword light, wielding a large black staff, striking east and west, south and north, sweeping in all directions.

Boom! The colossal mountains were as fragile as paper, unable to withstand a single blow. They either disintegrated into ash or were sent flying like straw, as he forcibly obliterated large sections of their inherent Dao patterns.

Ji Zi stepped forward, traversing through the void. With a lift of his hand, he hurled dozens of mountain ridges into the depths of Hell, dismantling their offensive.

Ye Fan's body, like divine glass, shimmered with colorful light. With each step, he phased in and out of existence, conjuring a golden gate from which an endless stream of weapons flew forth, sweeping everything before them.

The clang of swords shook the heavens, tearing through the fabric of the world. The lingering bell tolls reverberated with sky-shattering force, their ripples devastating everything in their path. Pagodas emerged and receded, obliterating Dao marks and extinguishing killing intent.

The Saint Prince, Ji Zi, and Ye Fan advanced in unison, coordinating with the Black Emperor's killing formation, to forcibly carve out a path. Blood splattered as over a hundred members of the Killer Divine Dynasty were killed or wounded, and vast areas of formidable restrictions were shattered.

"Those who trespass into Hell shall never return; they will sink here, never to be reborn," a chilling voice echoed.

"A joke!" sneered a Grand Elder from the Jiang family. "Hell has already been exposed. What significance does it hold now? Its destruction is imminent, yet it still dares to threaten us!"

"In the past, the various Sacred Lands feared you because your lair was unknown and you were impossible to guard against," shouted a living fossil from the Great Evolution Sacred Land. "But now, we are thoroughly sweeping your nest; not a single one of you will escape!"

"Divine spirits, please open your eyes and devour the blood of all," the grim voice intoned once more. "The sacrifices are now ready; indulge yourselves to the fullest."

The tone was peculiar and extremely cold, genuinely instilling a sense of horror and causing goosebumps on their skin.

"You're just playing tricks!" roared the Black Emperor. "Before Dao techniques that can cleave the cosmos, everything is but an illusion! Hell's destruction is imminent today!"

The Black Emperor roared, spitting out three hundred and sixty-five large flags that blotted out the sky and sun. Smoke billowed forth, and an endless killing intent swept across the land.

Amidst tremendous roars and fierce confrontation, various killing lights erupted, transforming the area ahead into scorched earth. Even chaotic qi was blasted into existence.

It must be said that Hell's defenses were astonishing. The outer regions alone incorporated ancient Saint-level formations, displaying boundless terror.

Periodically, sky-rending killing energy streaked in, prompting exclamations from the Sacred Lands. In an instant, dozens had their bodies severed, collapsing into pools of blood.

Everyone's face was ashen. Even at this final juncture, with their millennia-hidden lair now exposed to the world, Hell's inhabitants were still fiercely resisting.

If this continued, even if they succeeded in conquering this Divine Spirit Minor World, the cost in casualties would likely be severe.

After breaking through another layer of restrictions, the group advanced over the shattered mountainous terrain. This Divine Spirit Minor World was incredibly sturdy, covered everywhere with dense array patterns that held boundless killing intent.

"Deploy the cosmic mothership and destroy this place!" Ye Fan declared.

Heavenly Village possessed three motherships, but due to the limited and perilous space, only one, piloted by Li Heishui, had followed them in.

"Boom!" Vast streams of light erupted, engulfing the area ahead, intending to completely annihilate it. Blazing runes were etched into the void.

This was the mothership's Dao weapon, unleashing formidable power. Like a sharp sword cutting through grass, a single sweep annihilated entire areas, and various restrictions rapidly disintegrated.

Ye Fan and his companions successively breached eight layers of perilous ground. However, at the ninth layer, they found themselves unable to advance further. They could clearly discern the shadowy figures of the Killer Divine Dynasty members but were powerless to reach them.

In the mountainous terrain, black mist curled and dark clouds gathered, as if the gates of Hell had opened, unleashing an overwhelming aura of death.

"A complete ancient formation laid by a Saint King!" The Black Emperor exclaimed in shock, its large, bell-like eyes widening and sparkling with brilliance.

Everyone found themselves in deep trouble. This ancient formation, having persisted for hundreds of thousands of years, had only a minor portion damaged, rendering it incredibly difficult to breach.

"Hand me the Divine Maiden Furnace!" commanded the Killer Saint. Litian promptly passed it to him.

Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Saint Prince stepped forward. Together with Qiluo, they activated the ancient Great Saint's top-tier artifact, unleashing its power towards the front.

"Attack there!" the Black Emperor directed, a slit opening in its forehead revealing a vertical eye that could pierce through formations to identify their weaknesses and flaws.

"Boom!" The might of the ancient Great Saint emanated, fire essence surged sky-high, reaching the pinnacle of domineering power. The Divine Maiden Furnace, crystal clear, pressed forward like a colossal mountain.

"Crack!" A horrifying sound reverberated. They had forcibly cleaved a massive fissure into the Saint King's formation, obliterating the Dao marks within.

The Divine Maiden Furnace's flames surged, as if to refine the entire world. It pierced through the defenses, carving out a path to safety.

Undoubtedly, activating an ancient Great Saint's artifact consumed immense energy; had anyone else unleashed such a powerful assault, they would likely have been drained dry. Yet, Ye Fan and the others slowly regained their normal complexions as they breathed, suffering no serious harm. They continued their advance.

"Ah..." Screams erupted in succession as people from the Sacred Lands surged in, mercilessly striking down members of the Hell Divine Dynasty.

In this area, the power of the array patterns and Dao marks had sharply diminished. The weakened defenses allowed everyone to pass through and pursue the assassins.

"Huh, something's wrong!" Ye Fan's hair stood on end, a bad premonition seizing him. They had reached the deepest part of Hell, yet the legendary White Bone Palace was nowhere to be seen.

"We've broken in, but where are Hell's Killer Saints? Why is the most powerful presence only that Great Accomplishment King we initially encountered? And that puppet stone dragon? Where are Hell's true magnates?"

"Quick, retreat!""This is bad. We might be in trouble."

Everyone's expression changed. Ahead lay an open expanse, as if a large ancient structure had been uprooted, leaving only faint traces behind.

Evidently, that should have been the most ancient hall, but it was now gone. The entire Divine Spirit Minor World appeared to be abandoned, with none of Hell's magnates having shown themselves.

"Go!" The Dragon Horse was the first to deploy an array platform and open a domain gate, intent on escaping. Without the full obstruction of the Saint King's formation, departure should not be an issue.

However, it was immediately stunned. The domain gate, barely opened, silently vanished again, trapping them.

The others encountered the same problem.

"What's happening!?" Although not numerous, the combined forces from the various Sacred Lands, numbering five to six hundred, erupted into a great commotion.

"I never imagined my Hell would witness such a day, with even the ancestral land of divine spirits breached," a withered figure lamented. "Indeed, there is no eternal divine dynasty, no immortal lineage; everything has an end. The cycle of rise and fall is an unchanging truth."

A withered figure appeared, sighing softly. Ghost-like, he had just evaded everyone's divine sense.

"It's a Killer Saint from Hell's divine dynasty!" someone cried out.

Qiluo's eyes flashed, and the Blood Transformation Saber in his hand instantly swelled, reaching to pierce the sky, poised to strike at any moment. However, after a careful look, he halted.

The ghost-like Killer Saint murmured to himself, "In the end, my Hell has indeed declined. Had this been during our glorious prime before the Ancient Era, even without our full foundation, ten ancient Saints might not have been able to conquer it!"

"It's merely a shadow," Ye Fan stated, confident he could shatter this illusion left by the Killer Saint with a single punch.

"Heh heh... you all might as well just be on your way," the Killer Saint chuckled eerily. "I never imagined you could actually find this place—the first time in millennia. Being cautious always leads to a long life, but all of you, prepare to die!"

The Hell Killer Saint's gaze was terrifying. The surrounding world instantly shifted, pressing inward as Dao flames blazed fiercely, transforming into a cage that threatened to refine everyone into ash.

"Ah..." Screams immediately erupted in waves. People from the Sacred Lands suffered heavy casualties in an instant, unable to resist, and were reduced to ashes.

"Ancient Great Saint array patterns!" the Black Emperor exclaimed in alarm. Hearing this, everyone's face turned ashen.

The Divine Spirit Minor World was being compressed, now imprinted with Great Saint-level Dao patterns. The entire Profound Realm had transformed into a colossal killing formation!

"What a pity," the skeletal Hell Killer Saint said grimly. "It would have been better if seven or eight Saints had entered; that would have truly been worth it. Still, three Emperor-level figures are sufficient."

"You're truly willing to go to such lengths," said a living fossil from the Great Evolution Sacred Land, his expression anxious, seeing no way to escape. "Operating an ancient Great Saint's formation like this will cause this rare Divine Spirit Minor World to disintegrate."

"The Divine Spirit Minor World spawned a World Stone, which we extracted," the illusory Hell Killer Saint roared. "That is its essence; we can use it to reopen a Profound Realm in the future. Now, all of you, perish." With that, he merged into the formation, unleashing terrifying killing intent.

The people from the various Sacred Lands were gripped by terror. Some had brought Saint artifacts, which, though not inherited sacred weapons, possessed astonishing power. They struck with all their might, but could not break open this realm.

"Ah..." Screams erupted in waves.

Lives were extinguished; hundreds of people were killed or wounded in an instant, more than half. Blood flowed freely. Before the ancient Great Saint formation, cultivators were as feeble as ants, falling in rows as if they were wheat being harvested.

"Boom!" Yan Yixi let out a clear roar, activating the Divine Maiden Furnace. He opened its lid, swallowing Litian, the Dragon Horse, the Black Emperor, and the mothership, along with all other storable individuals and artifacts, to offer protection.

This was a tribulation of slaughter!

The Divine Maiden Furnace could withstand the assault of the Great Saint ancient formation. However, even after everyone fell inside, they were not out of danger. Energy boiled, the Great Saint artifact vibrated, and though the divine furnace itself remained unharmed, its contents could not bear the turmoil; many inside were reduced to bloody pulp.

Ye Fan's expression turned cold. He took out the green cauldron, holding it in his hand, and placed it before everyone as a shield.

When the Great Saint-level fluctuations surged, the green cauldron finally emitted a hazy immortal light, blocking the overwhelming energy.

"Boom!" The Divine Spirit Minor World could no longer withstand the activation power of the Great Saint formation and finally disintegrated. Divine light enveloped the survivors as they burst forth.

The Black Emperor broke free from the divine light, covered in blood, and crashed to the ground, roaring, "This Emperor's meticulously prepared world-shaking killing formation hasn't even been deployed yet, and I was nearly killed first!"

Ye Fan's expression was grim. "I knew ancient divine dynasties were difficult to extinguish," he said. "Even if they're no longer in their prime, they remain exceedingly dangerous. Nevertheless, they cannot escape this tribulation!"