vncnus Chapter 58 The Three Phases of Dark Magic
Chapter 58 The Three Phases of Dark Magic
Outside the asteroid belt, the battlefield between the northern universe and the three upper races has long since lost its original appearance in the starry sky.
Within tens of thousands of miles, fragments of stars were reduced to dust in the aftershocks of the holy energy, and the once brilliant star field was forcibly transformed into a desolate blank. In the vacuum, three figures stood facing each other in a tripod formation. With each flow of their aura, fine cracks appeared in the space within tens of thousands of miles around, as if it would collapse into chaos at any moment.
Jiang Tianfang's dark black robe fluttered in the wind, and the evil Netherworld Heavenly Dao rules around him surged like waves of ink. In front of him, Huang Xianlu held a Heavenly Chessboard, his scholar's robe fluttering, and his brows revealed a calm sharpness; on the other side, Xuan Gang Buddha Emperor wore a kasaya, and the rusty broadsword in his hand radiated a majestic Buddhist light that made the cultivators of the Netherworld tremble.
"A decisive move in the game!"
With a low shout, Huang Xianlu unfurled the Heavenly Chessboard, instantly transforming it into a chess world encompassing heaven and earth. Black and white pieces floated and sank within it, resembling the movement of stars. He flicked his finger, and a black piece landed on the center point. In an instant, the rules of chess transformed into invisible shackles, layer upon layer enveloping all around. Jiang Tianfang felt the space around him suddenly freeze, as if bound by billions of invisible threads, his body unable to move an inch, even the flow of his holy power was slowed down.
This is the profound mystery of Confucian and Taoist chess: using heaven and earth as the board and all living beings as pieces, the placement of a piece determines the outcome.
"The Buddha's wrath subdues the demon!"
How could the Xuan Gang Buddha Emperor miss such a golden opportunity? A sudden burst of Sanskrit chants erupted from his lips, the Buddhist mantra resounding throughout the void. His previously peaceful face instantly transformed into one of blazing fury. A thousand-foot-tall golden Buddhist light burst forth from his body, and a phantom image of an ancient Buddha, tens of thousands of miles tall, materialized behind him. Wherever the Buddhist light shone, the dark forces receded.
With a swift, decisive strike, the broadsword in his hand lacked any flashy techniques, yet carried an overwhelming resolve capable of shattering all laws. The sword energy surged forth, transforming into a boundless golden tide, carrying the demon-subduing power of the ancient Buddha's phantom, and crashed down upon Jiang Tianfang like a raging sea. This strike, imbued with over one percent of the profound essence of swordsmanship, far surpassed the power of ordinary high-level sacred arts of the Supreme Realm.
Jiang Tian was shocked and hastily activated his Styx Dharma Image. The endless, winding illusory Styx River appeared before him, its dark waters churning with a murderous aura that could devour everything, attempting to resist the world-destroying blade light.
However, as the blade flashed, the Styx Dharma Image was not completely able to withstand it and was annihilated by the blade energy.
"Sizzle—"
With a piercing tearing sound, Jiang Tianfang's Netherworld Robe was ripped open by the blade's energy, revealing a golden inner armor engraved with divine runes. Several wounds of varying depths appeared on his body, and blood slid down his holy body, congealing into beads in the vacuum before being instantly devoured by the evil Netherworld power.
A chill ran through Jiang Tian's heart. He had thought Huang Xianlu's chess skills were already troublesome, but he never expected that this seemingly withered monk would possess such terrifying combat power. The sword intent emanating from that rusty knife could actually break through his supreme physical body, which he had painstakingly cultivated for many years.
"It seems I underestimated you."
Jiang Tianfang's voice was icy cold, and his aura suddenly surged. He no longer held back, and countless evil and dark heavenly rules surged out like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire blank star field.
Three strange phenomena appeared one after another between heaven and earth.
First, there was a winding, endless, illusory River Styx, its waters as black as ink, exuding an aura of annihilation, stretching to the edge of the starry sky; on the banks of the River Styx, a phantom city of the underworld slowly materialized, its walls inscribed with ancient underworld inscriptions, radiating a majestic aura of suppressing the underworld; finally, a phantom figure of the Underworld Ancestor, dressed in imperial robes, stepped out from the depths of the city of the underworld, his feet treading the River Styx, his gaze indifferently overlooking the battlefield.
"The Three Phases of the Underworld!"
This is a demonstration of Jiang Tianfang's profound mastery of the three books of the Underworld, and it is also his strongest trump card at this moment.
The illusory figure of the Nether Ancestor raised his hand, wielding a sword alongside Jiang Tianfang. The blade trembled slightly, countless evil Netherworld rules gathering upon it. With a single slash, space itself was annihilated. The vast chessboard world was instantly torn apart by this sword strike, all the black and white chess pieces shattering. The illusory Netherworld city, like an ancient divine mountain, crashed down with a deafening roar.
Huang Xianlu and Xuan Gang Buddha Emperor were both injured. The pressure from the illusory image of the Underworld City forced them to retreat repeatedly, and countless cracks appeared on their holy bodies. Blood gushed from their mouths, staining the starry sky in front of them red.
Jiang Tianfang pressed his advantage relentlessly, changing his sword techniques once more, and the evil and dark heavenly rules surrounding him grew increasingly dense.
"The Sigh of Amo, the Ancestor of the Gods of the Underworld!"
He chanted the secret incantations of the Netherworld, and countless evil Netherworld rules materialized. The illusory figure of the Netherworld Ancestor emerged from the Netherworld City, seemingly traversing countless ages, and let out a long sigh. Within this sigh lay the most insidious curse power in the world.
With a single sword strike, endless darkness swept across the surroundings, interspersed with wisps of gray mist—the Amo Curse, which struck fear into the hearts of powerful beings throughout the heavens.
"Be careful!" Huang Xianlu's expression changed drastically; he was all too familiar with this. He was afflicted with two great curses, especially the eighth layer, the Amo Curse, which even a false god would find difficult to suppress. He was only managing to hold on by relying on his Confucian and Taoist righteousness and powerful spiritual strength. Seeing Jiang Tianfang unleash such a curse-based divine power, he immediately issued a stern warning.
Xuan Gang Buddha Emperor's body surged with Buddhist light, and he felt a chill in his heart as he sensed the deadly threat within the viscous darkness. He dared not be careless in the slightest and immediately activated the Dragon Elephant Prajna Palm, which had reached its perfect state, causing ten illusory images of dragons and elephants to appear around his body.
"The Dragon and Elephant Will Destroy the World!"
With a single palm strike, the palm print resembled a rising sun, its golden light illuminating the universe. Pure Yang energy surged forth, colliding violently with the power of darkness. In an instant, a deafening roar erupted in the vacuum, the power of darkness was shattered, and the Amo Curse was temporarily repelled by the Buddhist light.
Seeing this, Jiang Tianfang curled his lips into a disdainful smile: "It's nothing more than an ordinary Supreme Realm Saint Technique, yet you dare to show off your meager skills before me? Today, I will let you witness the true divine power of my Netherworld Clan's supreme technique, the 'Netherworld Book'!"
Before he finished speaking, his swordplay changed once more. The rules of the Heavenly Dao of the Countless Evil Underworld merged perfectly with the rules of the sword, transforming into a jet-black sword aura that tore through the starry sky.
"Buried in the River Styx!"
As the sword technique was executed, the illusory image of the Styx River meandered and swirled in the starry sky, with endless dark power spreading wildly from its waters. A sun formed from pure dark power slowly sank into the Styx River.
"Boom!"
As the sun entered the river of the dead, an extreme destructive power suddenly erupted. The pitch-black River Styx surged and roared, the sun of the dead radiating a light that devoured everything, and the starry sky was easily torn apart like tofu before this power.
This terrifying, world-altering divine power caused both Huang Xianlu and Xuan Gang Buddha Emperor to feel an extreme sense of death pressure. Neither dared to hold back any longer, and they both unleashed their most powerful, innate divine abilities.
"The chessboard transforms the universe!"
Huang Xianlu raised the Heavenly Chessboard above his head, perfectly blending the righteous spirit of Confucianism and Taoism with the rules of chess. On the chessboard, the game evolved, no longer a simple world of chess, but a real, vast world. Heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, sun, moon and stars, were all contained within the game, slowly rotating, resisting the falling sun of the underworld.
"Buddha has compassion on all living beings!"
The Xuan Gang Buddha Emperor swung his broadsword once more, but this time, the strike lacked the previous furious demon-slaying power; instead, it radiated boundless compassion. A path of golden light opened up, revealing the compassionate face of the ancient Buddha, whose chanting resounded throughout heaven and earth, while golden lotuses bloomed and faded amidst the starry sky.
A boundless love that embraces all living beings spread outwards, leaving an indelible mark on the starry sky with the intent of the blade. The blade energy swept across the eight directions, carrying the great power to save all living beings, and slashed directly at the winding and tortuous Dharma image of the River Styx.
However, Jiang Tianfang was already prepared. The Netherworld City Dharma Image behind him suddenly activated, and the illusory Netherworld City's overwhelming power merged with the illusory image of the Netherworld Ancestor and the Nether River Dharma Image. Under the blessing of the Netherworld City's power, the evil sun swelled tenfold in size, and its light became even more dazzling.
"Click~"
Huang Xianlu's grand chess game collapsed first, its board riddled with cracks. Xuan Gang Buddha Emperor's compassionate sword energy also gradually dissipated under the combined power of the Styx River and the Styx Sun.
"Thump!"
The two were once again thrown back, coughing up blood. The cracks on their sacred bodies became even more dense, and their auras instantly weakened by more than half.
Above the meteorite belt, Wen Zhiren, the Lord of the Underworld Palace, stood in the void, looking at Jiang Tianfang on the battlefield. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips, and his voice carried a hint of relief: "The eight volumes of the 'Underworld Book' have been mastered by Tianfang to such an extent as to the Underworld Ancestor Scroll, the Underworld River Scroll, and the Underworld City Scroll. It is no wonder that I passed on the profound mysteries of the Evil Underworld Heavenly Dao to him."
The Book of the Underworld, as the supreme technique of the Underworld Clan, is renowned throughout the heavens. Legend has it that this book consists of eight volumes, each of which, taken alone, is a first-rate divine technique. Currently, the Dark Temple possesses four volumes, while the Underworld Temple has only inherited three.
"Oh no! Sect Leader Huang and the others are in trouble!"
In the distance, several streaks of light rapidly approached; they were Bai Kuotian and his group from the Primordial Realm. They had just reached the edge of the battlefield when they witnessed Jiang Tianfang defeating Huang and Xuan. They immediately roared in anger and prepared to rush into the battlefield to provide assistance.
"Do you think you can bully the weak with numbers, that you think there's no one in the Hell Realm?" A furious shout rang out from the Hell Realm's camp. A Supreme Saint of the Death Clan stepped forward, his body exuding a chilling aura of death, followed by several other Saints from the other three races, instantly blocking Bai Kuotian and the others.
As their holy powers clashed, dozens of Great Saints from the Hell Realm were blasted back by Bai Kuotian's punch, causing ripples to spread across the void.
"Hmph!" Bai Kuotian snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. "Great Sage Zhenjue, now that we are gathered together, and with the assistance of powerful figures from the Northern Universe, what do we have to fear from the three races of the Hell Realm? You lead the group to form the Ten Absolute Formations; today, you will surely leave behind a group of Great Sages from the Hell Realm!"
The Great Sage Taiji Dao Zhenjue gazed intently at the chaotic battlefield, his mind already made up. The Asura Clan had managed to gather their entire power to annihilate the Demon God Realm's forces; if their Primordial Realm could also destroy the Hell Realm Clan in this battle, they could elevate the Primordial Realm's ranking on the Myriad Realms Merit List below all the other eternally immortal worlds, thus displaying their might throughout the heavens!
"Alright!" Great Sage Zhenjue immediately responded, "Everyone, form the Ten Absolute Formations! Chief Bai, you all go and support Sect Leader Huang!"
As soon as the words fell, ten Supreme Saints from the Primordial Realm stepped forward simultaneously, each holding a strange artifact. A golden mirror, a bronze furnace, a long sail, a wind bag... each of the ten artifacts was a supreme saint-level array plate, the core of the Ten Absolute Array.
At the same time, Bai Kuotian unleashed his spatial true domain, causing thousands of miles of void to collapse under his punch. He led Qiu Cangyu and the other two, breaking through the obstruction of the Great Sage of the Hell Realm, and charged straight into the core battlefield.
Upon seeing this, the Prince of Anjing from the Imperial World's Great World's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. He immediately raised his arm and shouted, "Gentlemen! Reinforcements have arrived! Follow me and charge! Wipe out these bastards from the Hell Realm!"
He unleashed the full power of his supreme artifact, its holy energy surging, and charged towards the allied forces of the three races of the Hell Realm. Seeing this, the Great Saints of the Imperial Dao Great World no longer hesitated, leading hundreds of Great Saints to join the battle against the cultivators of the Hell Realm.
Seeing that the two great worlds had taken the lead, the cultivators from the Myriad Ruins Realm and the True Martial Realm were also spurred on by this fighting spirit and joined the battle.
In an instant, the battlefield was completely out of control.
What began as a one-on-one duel escalated into a grand finale. Tens of thousands of Great Saints clashed in the starry sky, the light from their colliding holy arts illuminating the entire star field. Hundreds of thousands of miles of space were torn into chaos by the Great Saints' rules, with turbulent currents of time and space surging everywhere, resembling the end of the world.
In the Heavenly Court's main camp, the Flame Thunder God of the Myriad Ruins Realm stood outside the command tent, watching the chaotic battle in the starry sky with a furrowed brow. He wore a crimson battle robe, surrounded by lightning, and spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction: "True Universe God, your Great Saints of the Primordial Realm are certainly impatient. You started fighting as soon as you arrived. The allied forces of the three races of the Hell Realm have more than 15,000 Great Saints, while my Northern Universe Realms have only sent more than 10,000. At this rate, my Heavenly Court's Great Saints will suffer heavy casualties again."
Zhenyu Divine Lord stood to the side, and upon hearing this, he merely smiled faintly, toying with a jade talisman in his hand, and said calmly, "Yanting Divine Lord, do not panic. Since the Great Sage of the Primordial Realm dares to make a move, he naturally has the confidence to win."
Just as Zhenyu said, the saints of the primordial world on the battlefield did not scatter after the chaotic battle, but quickly gathered together.
Ten Supreme Saints simultaneously unleashed their array plates, which soared into the air and instantly burst forth with dazzling light. Each array plate manifested a vast world with its own unique laws, reflecting golden light, spewing divine flames, casting souls on long sails, and releasing wind through wind bags... Ten top-tier demigod-level arrays unfolded at the same time.
The power of the grand formation intertwined, instantly dividing the chaotic battlefield into ten parts. The Great Saints of the Hell Realm were separated, unable to support each other, and immediately found themselves on the defensive.
"Ten top-tier demigod-level formations!"
Upon seeing this, Yan Wuque, the Palace Master of the Heavenly Realm Array Annihilation Palace, was also shocked. He was a renowned array master in all the heavens, and he could see the mystery of these ten arrays at a glance. They were only one step away from transforming into true divine arrays. If they were presided over by an array master, even a true god might not be able to destroy them.
Yan Wuque turned to look at Zhenyu Divine Lord, a meaningful smile on his face: "Zhenyu, if you have time, you might as well introduce this array master to me. I would like to have a good exchange of ideas on array techniques with this fellow Daoist."
Upon hearing this, Zhenyu Shenjun simply smiled without saying a word. He knew in his heart that Yan Wuque was ambitious and no good person, and was someone he would have to eliminate sooner or later.