Chapter 420: The Final Echo in the Darkness

The Great Ruins in the dark were both tranquil and bustling. They were tranquil for those who lacked the power to hide in scattered villages and ruins, but if one possessed formidable strength, the nights in the Great Ruins would be extraordinarily lively.

Walking through the dark Great Ruins, one could witness all sorts of bizarre sights and encounter countless mysterious and unpredictable events. If fortunate, one might even enter wondrous worlds, though whether one could return alive remained an unknown.

That night, the Great Ruins were exceptionally enchanting. The blizzard had just stopped, and where there was light, thick clumps of snow still clung to tree branches and leaves, adorning the landscape in silver.

The sky suddenly became incredibly bright. Many creatures in the Great Ruins looked up, as the dark sky was suddenly filled with vibrant, luminous colors.

These colors were not normal light, but rather the brilliant radiance formed by the eruption of magnificent divine powers, illuminating the darkness in bursts.

The darkness seemed almost substantial; though pushed back by these lights, it would surge back after each retreat, filling the empty spaces.

The lights shifted, becoming increasingly bizarre. The creatures of the Great Ruins watched as stars moved rapidly, vying and battling against each other in the sky.

The movement of the stars in the sky was peculiar: eighteen stars in front, with two stars trailing behind. The front stars kept moving, while the two behind pursued them, constantly harassing.

Whenever the eighteen stars paused, preparing to encircle them, the two stars would flee to the west. If the eighteen stars didn't pursue, the two would return to harass them. But if the eighteen stars gave chase, the two would flee with all their might.

This repeated pattern held back the eighteen stars, preventing them from truly gaining speed.

By the bonfire in the ruins below, the Dharma Protector Elder looked up at this scene, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart. The Heavenly Devil Patriarch and Daoist Lingjing were clearly trying to delay the Gods of the High Heavens, not engaging them in direct combat. This approach might offer a chance at survival.

Suddenly, the stars in the sky dimmed one by one, vanishing from view.

The Dharma Protector Elder's heart sank. The Gods of the High Heavens had hidden their traces, luring the Heavenly Devil Patriarch and Daoist Lingjing to search for them. If they did, they would surely fall into an encirclement.

“Don't go…” The Dharma Protector Elder grew tense, clutching his collar as if gripping his own heart, and stared intently at the two moving stars in the sky.

“Don't get close, don't get close! Run!” The two stars moved, seemingly with some hesitation. Then, suddenly, they too dimmed, emitting not a single ray of light.

The sky became completely dark again as they all concealed their presence.

The Dharma Protector Elder's eyelids twitched, and his heart pounded, each beat more violent than the last, filled with extreme tension.

Everyone had hidden their tracks, fumbling and searching in the darkness; this was the most perilous moment. The Heavenly Devil Patriarch and Daoist Lingjing certainly didn't have the same patience as their adversaries, who could afford to wait or leave. But the Heavenly Devil Patriarch and Daoist Lingjing absolutely couldn't wait too long; they had to confirm whether their opponents had truly departed!

Finally, a single star flickered to life, emitting a faint light.

The next moment, the sky suddenly erupted in a flurry of activity as all sorts of bizarre divine powers burst forth, engulfing that single star. Flying dragons, soaring phoenixes, bell towers, cauldrons, pagodas, and other strange, dazzling forms filled the air.

The eruption of these divine powers added streaks of brightness to the dark sky, instantly dispelling the surrounding gloom. In the air, faintly visible were eighteen colossal divine devils, their faces either sacred or ferocious. Their robust limbs were illuminated by the light of the divine powers, revealing various runes and patterns.

At the center of their encirclement was Daoist Lingjing; the Heavenly Devil Patriarch was not among them.

“Daoist Lingjing is the bait!” The Dharma Protector Elder's heart jolted. As bait, Daoist Lingjing was surely doomed; no one could survive the encirclement of eighteen divine devils.

Daoist Lingjing's purpose was to lure out the eighteen Gods of the High Heavens through his own sacrifice!

The eighteen gods were being drawn out to provide the Heavenly Devil Patriarch an opportunity to ambush them!

Daoist Lingjing possessed immense power, having been a formidable figure in his time. He even dared to contend with the Village Chief for the title of 'number one under heaven,' only losing a finger in his defeat.

However, when it came to the art of ambush, he was not proficient.

The Heavenly Devil Cult's teleportation robes and flags were the optimal tools for an ambush. If he drew out these eighteen gods, the Heavenly Devil Patriarch could seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, potentially severely wounding them!

“Lingjing Eight Methods!” A thunderous, earth-shaking cry resonated through the air, startling everyone: “Forever gone!”

The Dharma Protector Elder looked up and witnessed Daoist Lingjing's final moments. His Lingjing Eight Methods were no less impressive than the Village Chief's Sword Diagram, yet they were ultimately useless against the attacks of the eighteen gods.

He simply unleashed his most cherished ultimate techniques, like a painter freely splashing ink to display his talent, or a scholar pouring all his ability into writing an essay. He sought to leave his mark, his shadow, upon this world.

At the same time, a large flag unfurled, and the Heavenly Devil Patriarch's figure appeared behind the divine devils, mercilessly striking them down.

As the large flag unfurled, his figure seemed to appear simultaneously beside all the gods, attacking them all at once. In just an instant, he wounded over a dozen divine devils.

Thunder rumbled in the sky. By the time the sounds of divine powers erupting reached them, countless attacks had already taken place. The ripples of divine power made the air alternately warm and bone-chillingly cold. Hurricanes swept down from above, quickly melting the ice and snow, only for the landscape to become a frozen wasteland again just as swiftly.

The Heavenly Devil Patriarch's teleportation flag was shattered, destroyed by the terrifying divine power fluctuations. He still had his teleportation robes.

The Dharma Protector Elder looked up. Blood rain was falling from the sky, a light drizzle that gradually grew heavier.

Of the twenty constantly moving stars in the sky, one dimmed, then swayed precariously. Suddenly, in a violent impact, that star extinguished and plummeted from the sky.

Daoist Lingjing was dead. The Dharma Protector Elder felt dejected; only the Heavenly Devil Patriarch remained, still fighting. Even though he had mastered the seven chapters of creation from the Grand Heavenly Devil Scripture, it would be difficult to change the outcome of this battle.

In the ruins, the Dharma Protector Elder did not look up at the battle in the sky. Instead, he stared blankly at the flames by the bonfire, unconsciously adding firewood to the blaze.

The flames grew higher and the fire intensified, yet he remained completely oblivious.

“Why is this winter so cold…” He shivered from the cold, unconsciously adding firewood. “What's wrong with this fire? Why does it feel so cold no matter how much it burns, no matter how much wood I add…”

In the sky, another star dimmed. Then, suddenly, it erupted again, shining so brilliantly that it illuminated the entire sky.

“The Creator concentrates divine splendor, Yin and Yang cleave twilight from dawn!” A cry that tore through the darkness echoed, so invigorating and shocking.

Dong— A prolonged bell toll resonated through the air, its sound surging in all directions. Then, the bell's chime faded into silence; “The Creator concentrates divine splendor” had become a dying echo.

The light in the sky gradually dissipated, and after the burst of brilliance, darkness slowly encroached once more.

Finally, this star fell.

The Dharma Protector Elder bowed his head, saying nothing more.

He was waiting for dawn to collect the bodies of the two elders.

In the sky, the eighteen stars paused for a moment, then continued directly eastward.

The Great Ruins, Divine Severance Mountain Range.

On the snow-covered peaks, the mountain range stood sharp as a knife, blanketed in white. Lines of flood dragons were rapidly approaching from the sky.

The wind was strong, blowing the flood dragons' whiskers and manes backward.

Next to Qin Mu, Si Yunxiang was diligently using her scrying mirror to contact the young patriarch. The Saintess of the Heavenly Devil Cult, lost in thought, suddenly blurted out to Qin Mu, “Patriarch says he's not coming back. He says you don't need to miss him.”

Qin Mu paused, stunned. Grandma Si turned her head and quietly wiped her eyes.

“That old fellow, he left earlier than us,” the Village Chief said, stunned, then sighed, “He's still so impatient.”

The Divine Severance Mountain Range ahead grew closer. Beyond it lay the Great Ruins, shrouded in darkness.

There, streaks of starlight moved across the sky, approaching their location.

“Mu'er, stop on the mountain!” the Village Chief suddenly commanded.

At Qin Mu's command, the flood dragons slowed their pace, relaxed their bodies, and hooked their claws onto the knife-like mountain range, coming to a halt. Their dragon manes fluttered, and their agile bodies crushed the profound crossbows embedded in the mountainside.

The snow was white and the mountains black, yet the flood dragons themselves were diverse in color: some white, some black, others red, sapphire blue, and various other hues. A precious light emanated from their bodies, the radiance bursting forth as the natural runic marks of the dragon race circulated, casting the snow in shifting colors.

“Let this battle be here,” the Village Chief said, looking around. “What do you all think of this place?”

King Kun looked around and replied, “Very good, though it's a bit cold.”

Earth Element Peak jumped off the dragon's back, tightened his clothes, and mumbled, “This damned place is still so cold. It's so much warmer underground. Emperor Qin, if you were to visit our Earth Element Tribe's underground world, you would be truly amazed. Our underground world is covered in jade-colored glazed glass, and the ceilings are adorned with thick crystals—hexagonal, octagonal, clustered together like bouquets. The firelight from the magma illuminates them beautifully. There are also many plants that grow within the magma underground; they taste excellent, like fiery, strong wine when you consume them—burning the throat but with a long, lingering aftertaste…”

“Stop talking,” the Teng Snake on Xuan Shengwu's shoulder swallowed hard, saying, “You're making my mouth water.”

Earth Element Peak looked up at the rapidly approaching stars, grabbed his pointed great hammer, and mumbled, “I wonder if I'll ever have a chance to go back underground and have another bite. Our underground world also has Fire Flame Fruits, fruits born from geomagnetic elemental power—the taste…”

The Village Chief looked at Qin Mu and said, “Mu'er, take these dragons and your companion down the mountain. There's nothing left for you here. Just remember to come collect the bodies tomorrow.”

Qin Mu nodded, summoned the flood dragons, and led Si Yunxiang, Hu Ling'er, and Yan Jingjing down the mountain. In the air, the stars drew closer and closer.

“Are we just going to watch them fight for Yankang?” Si Yunxiang asked, somewhat unwilling. “What can we do? Can we truly do nothing?”

“We can go to the Great Ruins!” Qin Mu's eyes gleamed. “We can go find the Sun Boat and the Moon Boat! The only problem now is that this darkness blocks our path! However, we still have a great bodyguard. Where is the Flood River Dragon King?”

“The Dragon King is here!” Below the Divine Severance Mountain Range, the river water churned, and from the darkness, a colossal dragon rose from the water, coiling on the river's surface. It lowered its massive head and asked, “What are your commands, my lord?”