Three majestic divine bodies shattered violently, but the remaining divine skeletons still writhed; the Great Enemy, the Lord of the Three Aspects, had not yet perished.
After all, Rank 10 Root Existences possessed no weaknesses. Even though Chi Yan, using her own abilities and the authority of slaughter, had conjured weaknesses out of thin air for him and then shattered them, it only served to heavily wound the Lord of the Three Aspects.
Only continuous, relentless onslaught had the potential to kill a Rank 10 existence.
Chi Yan ceased her assault.
To wound, but not to kill, that was her objective.
An Jianyou stepped forward. While the Lord of the Three Aspects' resistance was weakened, she unfurled her Underworld, devouring these divine skeletons, which contained the will and true spirit of this Great Enemy, one by one, and sealing them.
Sealing was the objective!
Killing the Lord of the Three Aspects was not impossibly difficult; Chi Yan merely needed to unleash the full power of her Golden Authority to obliterate his divine body with overwhelming force.
But what then?
A Rank 10 'Roller' like the Lord of the Three Aspects would quickly revive from the vast Black River and continue to pose a grave threat to the defense line.
It was far better to seal him, thus eliminating a formidable enemy in a short span of time.
After the Lord of the Three Aspects fell, Yin Luoxi, Xing Jinglei, Xidina, and others, unwilling to be outdone, struck out, dispatching the attendants and heavily wounding more troublesome 'Rollers' for An Jianyou to seal.
The situation in this combat zone had reversed.
Many ancient beings, who had sustained considerable injuries, let out sighs of relief, preparing to quickly return to the healing sanctuary provided by the Hearthfire to mend their divine bodies. Only then would they possess sufficient strength to face the next wave of enemies.
At this moment, the Elder of Myriad Phenomena let out a surprised sound, his eyes fixed intently on the small, blood-soaked figure standing atop the divine skeletons.
Not a few ancient beings were gazing at that figure.
This was because that individual's power was too astonishing.
In less than a blink of an eye, she had heavily wounded the Lord of the Three Aspects, a foe who had made the Lord of the Earth cry out in agony!
(Lord of the Earth: ???)
However, what surprised the Elder of Myriad Phenomena was not her power, but rather… this blood-soaked back. He felt it was somewhat familiar.
Had he encountered this Hearthfire powerhouse before?
Yet, this powerful being had no prior renown; even now, these ancient beings were unaware of her true name.
He hadn't seen her recently, but rather a very, very long time ago, in the early days of the Mysterious Era.
"Chi Tianzhu!"
He blurted out.
"If it is Chi Tianzhu… no wonder this adult's power is so formidable."
Noticing the confusion on the faces of the ancient beings around him, the Elder of Myriad Phenomena lightly shook his head. This was the consequence of not reading; unlike him, who had studied all sorts of history.
"The Kandela Empire had ten supreme powerhouses: the Glorious Emperor and the Nine Heavenly Pillars. Chi Tianzhu was the Ninth Heavenly Pillar."
"She was ranked ninth simply because she was too young, only receiving the Heavenly Pillar title on the eve of the Kandela Empire's demise. However, in truth, this Chi Tianzhu was the most exceptionally gifted human prodigy since the founding of the Kandela Empire… these are not my words, but the widely acknowledged opinion of many Kandela powerhouses, and clearly recorded in some ancient texts."
"However, before Chi Tianzhu could reach her peak, she perished along with the fall of the Kandela Empire."
"The Kandela Empire was cursed by evil gods, and all its citizens who flowed with the imperial blood perished overnight… but it now seems this Chi Tianzhu did not perish in the battle against the gods. Given her talent, it is reasonable for her to have cultivated diligently over the long years and possess strength far surpassing that of the Lord of the Earth."
Lord of the Earth: "???"
However, after the Elder of Myriad Phenomena's explanation, he also vaguely recalled the situation of the Kandela Empire.
The Martial Heavenly Pillar was proficient in all martial arts, entering the Root through martial arts, while Chi Tianzhu was the most prodigious in slaughter; there were rumors that even the God of Slaughter was killed by her.
A formidable being worthy of respect!
If it weren't for the current great catastrophe, the Lord of the Earth would have invited Chi Tianzhu to a duel… ah, wait. The image of the Lord of the Three Aspects being dismembered flashed in the Lord of the Earth's mind. He felt that sparring with that Chi Tianzhu might, perhaps, possibly, not be a good idea.
It was possible that in the eyes of that Chi Tianzhu, there was no such thing as sparring, only the most ruthless and brutal means of eliminating enemies.
He couldn't afford to provoke her, couldn't afford to provoke her.
On the other hand…
The human warrior, who had manifested a colossal divine body in the distance, shirtless with stubble, struck the Lord of the Earth as a perfect match.
He enjoyed combat.
He enjoyed combat where fists met flesh even more.
"After the great catastrophe ends and the world is at peace, I can freely enjoy combat."
"...If we can survive the great catastrophe."
...
The ancient beings busied themselves returning to the oasis for rest, and An Jianyou had no intention of lingering for pleasantries.
Her mentor's instructions were to preserve combat power as much as possible unless absolutely necessary.
Now was indeed a time when action was required, but she also had to be swift, precise, and decisive, conserving as much strength as possible. Otherwise, how would she face the unspeakable evil gods?
An Jianyou's rescue team immediately proceeded to the next location.
There were still many oasis fortresses in critical condition.
Battlefield One, located at the very forefront of the oasis city walls, bore the greatest pressure. Naturally, this combat zone was garrisoned by the largest number of powerful beings.
Among the ancient beings, the Great Sun Divine Venerable and the Moon Lord were stationed here, along with the invincible powerhouses of the Hearthfire, the man who had slain countless enemies with his sword techniques.
These three were like an unshakeable pillar.
However, Root Existences also grew weary, and divine power was far from infinite.
The Great Sun Divine Venerable was currently resisting the bombardment of two corrupted Great Powerhouses. He could still hold on, but…
"Until when will this battle last?"
"A day? Ten days? A month? Eventually, I will be exhausted and the defenses will be breached."
The Great Sun Divine Venerable regretted not leaving decisively before the great catastrophe arrived.
He looked at the Moon Lord and sighed again.
It was also his own lack of firm conviction, still holding onto a sliver of hope. But then again, they had no knowledge of the world beyond the universe; perhaps the outside world was also a dead end.
"Young man, what exactly is your mentor's plan?"
He looked at Liu Feng.
A golden river of swordsmanship pierced through the sky, slaying high-level abominations and evil god attendants one after another, like slicing through vegetables.
"Quite formidable, not below this Venerable's level," he mused inwardly. And it was evident that the leader of the Hearthfire was even stronger.
This at least gave the Great Sun Divine Venerable a sliver of confidence, even if it was only a tiny sliver.
Liu Feng retracted his sword aura and said, "My teacher's plan is to slay the evil gods. It's just that the time is not yet right."
He could see the battle above the gray fog.
The light of the red moon was occupying more and more of the extreme night space. Perhaps, before long, it would be time to act.
'And can I wound an evil god? I definitely can!'
'This sword I've nurtured for hundreds of years exists precisely to heavily wound an evil god!'
Facing the surging tide, the sword in his heart yearned to be unsheathed, to cleave open the bright dawn. Liu Feng had to divert some of his attention to suppress it, which resulted in not being able to kill enough enemies.
"The time is fast approaching."
Rumble—
Before his words had even fallen, countless drops of blood on the battlefield rapidly converged, forming a vast expanse of blood comparable to tens of worlds.
The Lord of the Blood Lake—Filius!
"Hehehe, I have returned."
Above the crimson expanse, a figure clad in a bright red formal suit manifested.
He gazed down at the Hearthfire oasis, which he 'dreamt of,' and let out a hearty laugh.
Slash—
The golden river of swordsmanship swept through, slaying and annihilating the Lord of the Blood Lake before he could finish his boast, and then continued its momentum, crushing several attendants.
"Whoosh—"
On the crimson expanse, the Lord of the Blood Lake's body manifested once more, his expression somewhat grim.
But he also exuded an invincible aura.
He was not what he used to be.
He might not wield many authorities, but he had received special rewards from the Mother God, which had expanded his blood sea a hundredfold.
"As long as the blood sea does not dry up, this Lord will not perish."
"You lot cannot kill me."
Liu Feng couldn't stand anyone showing off in front of him. He raised his right hand, and thousands upon thousands of swords appeared behind him. These swords shot out like arrows, converging into a golden torrent resembling a divine dragon, which fiercely pierced into the crimson expanse.
Golden Rainbow Pierces Blood Sea!
Sizzle—
The golden river of swordsmanship washed away one-tenth of the crimson expanse before its power dissipated.
The Lord of the Blood Lake was startled at first, then let out a sinister laugh.
"The Mother God has granted me power, I am an invincible being!"
The damaged crimson expanse quickly recovered with the replenishment of the surrounding rich blood.
This was his home ground!
Moreover, under the manipulation of the Lord of the Blood Lake, the crimson expanse slowly advanced, and the enemies within the red moon faction, hiding inside, brought more trouble to the defending forces.
The Great Sun Divine Venerable and Liu Feng exchanged opponents. He ascended into the sky, transforming into a golden-red sun.
Endless light and heat radiated outwards.
The Authorities of Light and Fire were held in his hands. The Great Sun Divine Venerable, driving the resplendent sun, descended fiercely.
Boom—
The crimson expanse boiled, and large sections vanished.
By the time the golden-red sun's power was almost depleted, two-tenths of the crimson expanse had already evaporated.
"Stronger than Liu Feng Sword God."
The Great Sun Divine Venerable nodded slightly, his mood lifting. A man's joy could sometimes be this simple.
However, upon seeing the rapidly recovering crimson expanse, his mood plummeted again.
"This is not good."
"Even if the two of us, along with the Moon Lord, attacked simultaneously, we couldn't obliterate the Blood Lake in an instant."
Moreover, they could not attack the Lord of the Blood Lake simultaneously.
There were still other Red Moon faction powerhouses eyeing them menacingly.
"No, we have a chance," Liu Feng said. "Reinforcements have arrived."
Spatial gates opened.
An Jianyou, Yin Luoxi, Xing Jinglei, and others emerged.
Furthermore, a fortress as vast as a world slowly flew out from the spatial gates.
It was the Skyworld Fortress!
To deal with the immortal Blood Lake, Liu Feng had summoned this ultimate firepower weapon.
The firepower of the Skyworld Fortress began to pour down.
Its instantaneous output was not as great as Liu Feng's or the Great Sun Divine Venerable's, but its advantage lay in its continuous nature.
Under the suppression of firepower, the scale of the crimson expanse was actually shrinking bit by bit.
It was just slow.
...
Before arriving at this Battlefield One, the An Jianyou mobile team had already traversed three battlefields. However, they focused their firepower on ambushing and instantly killing the enemy faction's powerhouses, so the battles ended extremely quickly, and their own consumption was minimal.
"Flame-based abilities are more effective at annihilating this crimson expanse."
Liu Feng quickly stated the intelligence and invited the Great Sun Divine Venerable to join forces.
"The other evil god 'Rollers' can be handled by Xing Jinglei and the others."
The Great Sun Divine Venerable looked at Xing Jinglei, Qian Qiu, Xidina, and the others, who appeared unremarkable, and hesitated before nodding.
The primary enemy at present was the Lord of the Blood Lake.
Even if they couldn't intercept the other evil god 'Rollers,' they wouldn't be able to break through the fortress's rituals anytime soon.
Fight!
The Great Sun Divine Venerable was accumulating power. As his peripheral vision glanced downwards, he witnessed a one-sided slaughter.
A young man in a blue robe, with a single glance, had annihilated more than ten attendants.
A burly man with chiseled muscles manifested a colossal divine body and violently tore apart a 'Roller.'
A short-haired golden woman's body erupted with scorching white flames, standing alone against a myriad of enemies, annihilating countless foes.
These three, in the eyes of the ancient beings, were merely 'transparent' figures. But in just half a day, after traversing several battlefields, their names were deeply etched into the hearts of the ancient beings.
Cracking Fist Martial Saint—Xing Jinglei!
Illusion Eye—Qian Qiu!
Sacred Flame War God—Xidina!
These were the names of Hearthfire powerhouses. Regardless of what thoughts they had harbored previously, now, facing these top-tier powerhouses, the ancient beings offered their highest respect. Some ancient beings even felt fortunate that they hadn't impulsively attacked Hearthfire's assets back then.
No wonder the Lord of the Nine Seas and the strong individuals of the Paradise perished so easily.
In the face of these Great Powerhouses, the Lord of the Nine Seas died without any injustice!
"Good!"
The Great Sun Divine Venerable praised loudly.
The Moon Lord also freed up her hands.
The Light Authority of the two beings resonated, unleashing even more brilliant divine radiance. Wherever it shone, the crimson expanse melted away in large patches.
Simultaneously, Liu Feng and Yin Luoxi attacked.
Especially Yin Luoxi; while her comprehensive combat strength might not surpass that of Dean Liu Feng, in terms of firepower coverage, no one was stronger than her, not even her mentor!
This was her most proficient domain.
The Lord of the Blood Lake ran into her; he died without injustice!
One hundred, one thousand, ten thousand… seemingly endless spatial gates opened behind Yin Luoxi, unleashing the roar of flame dragons.
This was the Burning Sky Flame—Yin Luoxi!
Although already a renowned Hearthfire powerhouse earlier, seeing her in person today, this Burning Sky Flame was even stronger than the rumors suggested.
These were four Great Powerhouses! Any one of them was likely not much weaker than the Lord of the Nine Seas.
And this was not all that Hearthfire possessed.
The ancient beings, for a moment, felt a sense of melancholy, as if they had been eliminated by the times.
Endless light, endless heat, infinite swords…
The firepower of these three, along with the Skyworld Fortress, continued to pour down on the crimson expanse. The crimson sea, comparable to tens of worlds, rapidly disappeared.
The Lord of the Blood Lake also began to panic.
He did not fear death, but he feared perishing on the battlefield before even breaching the oasis city walls.
He would not allow it!
He devoured the hundreds of millions of abominations and minions within the crimson expanse to unleash even stronger recovery.
But at the same time, An Jianyou also made her move.
Fire was not her specialty, but among her main abominations, there were those who commanded fire.
"It's decided, you, the Crucible Golem."
This abomination, which had followed her from early on, had now reached Rank 10.
Naturally born abominations could only reach the High-level at most, but her abomination babies could continuously advance through cultivation and with a little of her help.
The Crucible Golem, which was once only hundreds of meters tall, now exceeded thirty thousand meters in height, surpassing Xing Jinglei.
Fierce, dark blue flames burned on the Crucible Golem's body, and a mark of authority was even etched on its forehead.
It was an abomination that wielded authority!
However, it was still not strong enough; the flames it unleashed were like fireflies compared to Yin Luoxi's.
"Roar—"
An Jianyou knew that Little Crucible needed power.
She reached out and drew power, like great rivers and vast oceans, from her magnificent Underworld and poured it into the Crucible Golem.
Black fog erupted, viscous like black flames.
The Crucible Golem roared towards the sky.
Its already terrifyingly colossal body continued to grow.
Forty thousand meters! Sixty thousand meters! One hundred thousand meters!
Its body far surpassed that of an ordinary world.
It looked down upon the vast expanse of the blood lake.
It ignited its entire body, and with its furnace demon flames, which were dark blue, it crashed into the blood lake.
Instantly, the blood lake was blasted apart. The scattered blood water was entangled by the dark blue flames, burning relentlessly like a persistent curse, and was then stomped down heavily by the hundred-thousand-meter-tall Crucible Golem.
With each stomp, the great domain trembled.
The Great Sun Divine Venerable looked up at this colossal silhouette, then glanced at the black-haired girl standing behind it.
"This is the power of the Lord of the Underworld—An Jianyou."