Soul-Slaying Maiden: Master Of Ancient Divine Weapons

Life and death hung in the balance.

Han Zhen's consciousness was on the verge of being completely eroded, falling into madness.

Before his awareness faded entirely, he urgently asked one last question.

"Turning illusion into reality requires consuming spiritual energy, those black mists, right?"

Opposite him, Li Changhao, his stomach bloated, wearing a deathly expression, opened his mouth. Unable to form coherent words, he merely nodded weakly.

Receiving confirmation, Han Zhen's mind felt as if a splash of icy water had been poured into it. For one fleeting moment, unparalleled clarity dawned upon him, and he conceived a way to break free.

"Let's gamble! Life or death hinges on this move."

"FUXI ZITHER, REMNANT SUN OF ANTIQUITY FORMATION, RISE FOR ME!"

With a roar fueled by all his strength, a pitch-black formation emerged beneath Han Zhen's feet. An ancient aura radiated outward.

The vast black formation encompassed a significant portion of Deep Blue City.

From an aerial perspective, one could see an enormous, intricate circular array instantly take shape.

Its patterns were ancient and complex, flickering faintly as they were drawn.

"Where are the battle spirits?"

WOOM—WOOM—

A resonant horn sound echoed from an unknown source, making the air feel heavier.

In the silent darkness, faint white spiritual lights began appearing within the pitch-black formation.

One, two, three...

Hundreds, thousands, millions.

The billions of Izanagi juvenile serpents slaughtered by Han Zhen and Gongyang Jin during the Izanagi battle materialized as battle spirits within the Remnant Sun of Antiquity Formation.

The appearance of such an overwhelming number of battle spirits instantly filled the previously vast and empty barrier to its limits.

Moreover, these battle spirits, upon being summoned, also began to mutate. Some bodies exploded, others sprouted black fur all over, and some grew multiple heads.

Yet, at the same time, the mutations affecting Han Zhen and Li Changhao abruptly halted.

Li Changhao, who had resigned himself to despair, incredulously watched as his bloated stomach deflated. He looked at Han Zhen with disbelief.

"What have you done? How did you cancel the effects of Samsara World on us? That's impossible."

The itch at the back of Han Zhen's neck vanished, and he wiped the cold sweat from his brow with lingering fear.

He knew he had gambled correctly.

"I simply expanded the number of targets the red moon's black mist was trying to mutate. When the number grew vast enough, the pollution per individual target became negligible."

"There are billions of first-tier battle spirits within the Remnant Sun of Antiquity Formation."

If the black mist of the red moon was akin to a tank of pitch-black ink poured into a pool of clear water, it would easily pollute and darken the entire pool.

But if that same ink were poured into an entire ocean, would it even have the slightest effect?

This was Han Zhen's line of thought.

Han Zhen's explanation left Li Changhao momentarily stunned. He took a serious look at the "opponent" who had once thoroughly beaten him.

As the most gifted member of the Li family's younger generation, Li Changhao had grown under the family's complete support, with exclusive guidance from renowned mentors. Han Zhen, however, was different.

From awakening as a spirit contractor to successfully reaching the fourth-tier and breaking through three levels of Eight Locks Fists, Han Zhen had achieved this within three months.

If it were just exceptional talent in cultivation, it might have been acceptable. Even the most gifted individual in cultivation, no matter how strong, was still just a brute with no brains. But now, Han Zhen had revealed his quick-witted determination and unyielding nature.

These combined qualities meant Han Zhen's potential achievements were immeasurable.

Li Changhao had encountered many true prodigies, whether it was "Monster" Zero, cultivated by Longevity Corporation with massive funds and manpower, or the genius inventor Shang Jianhe from CanShang Technologies.

These true prodigies, capable of defining an era, all shared similar traits—traits identical to those seen in Han Zhen.

Now, Li Changhao understood why his grandfather, Li Shutong, chose Han Zhen as his ninth disciple.

"What are you spacing out for?",Han Zhen waved a hand in front of Li Changhao's face.

Although the mutation had been diluted, subtle abnormalities remained within Han Zhen. His face was pale, and his words came with labored breaths.

"Hey, I'm asking you. Since you know that tool is called Samsara World, do you know where its core lies? How can we break this barrier?"

"I…"

Li Changhao snapped back to reality. At Han Zhen's question, he thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"I don't know."

"The tool Samsara World is rarely used even by the Ninth-Tier Zerg Emperor. There isn't much information about it."

The little that was known had been exchanged for the lives of high-tier awakeners. Li Changhao mentally added this note.

Without locating the core, they couldn't escape or dismantle the barrier.

———

Between mountains and waters, within a mirrored world.

Li Shutong sat cross-legged on the surface of a lake, his gaze lowered, without joy or sorrow.

Opposite him sat a shadowy figure wrapped in black mist, clad in a black robe.

"It's been an hour. Guess what's happened to your beloved student and granddaughter by now?"

A voice indistinguishable in gender emerged from the black mist, coarse and raspy, like sandpaper scraping against rough paper. The sound alone was enough to unsettle anyone.

Li Shutong slowly opened his eyes, looking at his opponent. Two words escaped his lips. "Unharmed."

"Oh? You have such faith in them? This is Samsara World, a supreme treasure I obtained from the ruins. Do you really think they have the ability to break through the barrier created by it?"

Li Shutong's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this.

"If they had died, you wouldn't be here wasting words with me."

"If they had died, you wouldn't live either."

Two sentences, spoken by Li Shutong, each carried dual meanings.

Within the black mist, the humanoid form of the Ninth-Tier Zerg Emperor furrowed its brows.

"Your composure is like still water, unshaken and unwavering. Truly worthy of being called the War God of Daxia. I am inferior to you."

The Zerg Emperor's tone was candid, but then it shifted. "But I don't need to defeat you. This time, my attack is merely part of a transaction. If I can stall you, my task is complete."

Li Shutong's brows twitched slightly.

Beneath him, the still lake surface rippled faintly in an instant.

A transparent chain, colorless and formless, emerged from the lake and coiled around Li Shutong.

Across from him, the Zerg Emperor, slightly startled, suddenly burst into laughter.

"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"

"Li Shutong, the mighty War God of Daxia, never imagined he'd be stabbed in the back, did he? Hahaha!"

"Li Shutong, your composure has faltered."

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