Chapter 1538: Guarding Humanity

He looked up at Jiang Wuya, who was above him.

The dusky star on his forehead slowly began to spin.

At this moment, Jiang Wuya's face was slightly pale. Less than a tenth of his divine transformation power remained.

The divine power consumed to maintain the barrier was enormous. Moreover, his struggle with the Sand Giant King was an endless drain. This was partly due to Jiang Fan, who, by earning them great merit in the battle of the Myriad Demon State, had allowed Jiang Wuya to receive numerous rewards, making his foundation as deep as that of a seasoned Divine Transformation Venerable. Otherwise, with his relatively new Divine Transformation foundation, he wouldn't have been able to withstand ten blows from the Sand Giant King.

However, he had no intention of giving up. If he could just hold on a little longer, the forbidden zone would completely annihilate three battle groups! That was a full thirty percent of the Ancient Giants' combat strength! Furthermore, it would buy Jiang Fan time to eliminate the Gold Battle Group and the Fire Battle Group. In doing so, half of the Ancient Giants' forces would be wiped out. Whether Taicang State could decide the fate of the war in one battle depended on this move!

Suddenly, however, a chill ran through him. The hairs on his body involuntarily stood on end. Goosebumps erupted all over his skin. An intense warning of danger surged within him. It was a premonition of death!

For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he should teleport away. But then he immediately discarded all distracting thoughts and swiftly placed the Divine Water of Heavenly Robes, gifted by Jiang Fan, into his mouth. It barely entered his mouth when an unimaginable, tearing pain surged through his soul. A dusky, semi-transparent arrow pierced his head. It struck squarely between his brows, the arrowhead embedding itself deep within his skull.

It caused no physical injury; not a single drop of blood flowed. Yet, it was lodged within Jiang Wuya's soul. This was a Soul Arrow. It was the innate power of the Soul Giant King, designed to destroy souls! Among the giants of the Black Sun Royal Court, only the Five-Star Giant Kings could withstand this Soul Arrow; none of the other Giant Kings could. Jiang Wuya was no exception.

With a crisp crack, Jiang Wuya's soul shattered, turning into shimmering motes of light that passed through his skull and slowly drifted outwards. The Divine Water of Heavenly Robes he held in his mouth transformed into a green liquid, attempting to nourish his soul. But it had no effect. The Divine Water of Heavenly Robes only healed physical injuries; it was useless against soul wounds.

Jiang Wuya's vision went black, and he collapsed, slumping onto the barrier. His consciousness rapidly blurred, sliding towards an eternal abyss.

“Is this it? Am I dying?” he murmured inwardly. Although he had anticipated falling in battle, this moment had come too suddenly. With difficulty, he recalled his life: his youthful spiritedness; his youth as a dazzling sword-fighting genius, admired by all; his middle age, when he was expected to ascend but became a madman trapped at the Nine Aperture Nascent Soul stage, unable to achieve enlightenment. Finally, Jiang Fan's words had awakened him, allowing him to become a Divine Transformation Venerable, shouldering the mission of protecting the common people of Taicang State. Now, he carried the key to victory or defeat in the great war.

Thinking of this, his consciousness suddenly sharpened. “I cannot fall yet…”

“I am Jiang Wuya, Jiang Wuya who eradicates evil and guards the righteous path…”

“Grand righteousness, eternal in heaven and earth…”

“Slay evil, annihilate demons, may the righteous path forever flourish…”

Inside the forbidden zone, the star on the Soul Giant King's forehead stopped spinning, and he said blandly, “It’s over.”

The Fire Giant King felt a shiver down his spine. Only the Soul Giant King could achieve a one-hit kill on a human Divine Transformation Venerable. Sensing Jiang Wuya's rapidly dissipating aura, he let out a long breath of relief. Without a word, he once again manipulated the sand, forming a hundred-zhang giant that slammed into the barrier.

At this point, the Ancient Giants were already rotting. If they delayed any longer, they would all perish here. The barrier shook violently, covered in cracks. One more strike, and the barrier would be completely shattered.

But the Soul Giant King seemed to sense something. He suddenly looked up at Jiang Wuya, who was above him, and exclaimed in surprise, “How is this possible?”

For there, Jiang Wuya, whose aura was almost completely extinguished and whose soul had been utterly shredded, had opened his eyes! With great difficulty, he moved his fingers, extracting a long, sharp, black needle from his spatial storage device and thrusting it into the barrier.

The Soul Giant King said in disbelief, “His soul is shattered, yet he still has consciousness?”

“Terrifying willpower.” Astonishment surged in his massive vertical eyes.

The Fire Giant King exclaimed in shock, “What is he doing?” Watching Jiang Wuya's actions, he felt a bad premonition and quickly commanded the giant to punch the barrier again.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wuya let out an indiscernible roar from his throat. With his life force almost extinguished, he mustered willpower beyond human imagination to move his body. He painstakingly raised his chest, then kicked with his feet. He threw himself onto the black steel needle. The steel needle plunged into his abdomen, piercing the source of his divine transformation power. An immense amount of divine transformation power was drawn out along the needle and infused into the barrier.

The barrier, riddled with cracks, instantly repaired itself. The hundred-zhang giant's punch ultimately failed to break it.

And with that, Jiang Wuya's last breath vanished. His final mote of soul light also flew from his body, disappearing into nothingness.

Taicang State's first Divine Transformation Venerable had fallen. It was the Sword King of his generation, Jiang Wuya. It was Jiang Wuya, who was dedicated to upholding the righteous path.

The Heart Demon Venerable, locked in fierce combat; the Evil Crow Venerable, observing from the sidelines; the Heavenly Listening Bodhisattva, fighting in the distance; Fayin, who had temporarily entered the Divine Transformation Realm; and Jiang Fan, who was currently slaughtering Ancient Giants—all of them felt a sudden pang in their hearts. They all simultaneously looked towards the top of the barrier, where Jiang Wuya's lifeless body, completely devoid of life force, met their gaze.

Jiang Fan froze. His eyes lost focus, and his mind went blank. “That… is Jiang Wuya?” He couldn’t believe it. He refused to accept it. How could it be Jiang Wuya? How could it be the Jiang Wuya from the Ancient Road to Heaven, who, even when mad, never forgot to protect the weak, killed man-eating blood monsters, and even imparted his sword intent to Jiang Fan? Why him?

“No!!!” Jiang Fan’s eyes instantly turned red. He lunged forward, intending to rush over and save him. Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he had to save him.

However, a fragmented remnant thought echoed in his mind. It was Jiang Wuya’s voice. His final thought in this world was left for Jiang Fan.

“Sworn brother… I cannot fight with you until the end…”

“For me… protect… this world…”

Tears instantly welled up in Jiang Fan's eyes and streamed down. “Brother Jiang!!!”

But he stopped, no longer rushing forward. With surging killing intent in his eyes, he cast a glance at the two Giant Kings in the forbidden zone. Then, he turned his head and plunged back into the battlefield. Gazing at the swarms of Ancient Giants, his killing intent reached its peak.

“You! All of you deserve to die!!!”

“Nine Phoenixes Offering the Dao Hairpin!”

Five phoenixes flew from the phoenix tree, transforming into reapers of death, each attacking an Ancient Giant. Jiang Fan, holding Purple Lightning and with bloodshot eyes, charged into their midst.

Now, he had only one thought: Kill them all! Leave none alive!!!