Chapter 200 - 168: Main Storyline Character Goes Offline

Chapter 200: Chapter 168: Main Storyline Character Goes Offline

"Brother, fly carefully," Yan Jiulin warned Zhang Ji, carefully avoiding the mist of Blood Malevolence himself. "Even though the Blood Chief is controlling the Living Monolith, that thing goes berserk easily and is hard to control with any precision. If you get tainted by the Blood Malevolence, you’ll be in for a world of trouble. It’s not a problem you can solve just by cutting off a piece of flesh."

Even Divinity Transformation Powers feared this stuff. Though he had his own set of trump cards and his strength was off the charts, touching it was a death sentence. It was far more serious than just losing a layer of skin.

Zhang Ji was also extremely cautious, keeping his Spirit Particles contained.

He understood even better than Yan Jiulin what the Living Monolith’s Blood Malevolence meant.

Resentful energy, corpse miasma, poisonous gas... In short, it was a vile concoction of all sorts of filth.

There was no specific counter to it.

Once tainted, it spread and contaminated with terrifying speed. You’d have to be quick about sacrificing a limb to minimize the damage.

True Solar Flame coiled around Zhang Ji’s body. This yang-attribute energy offered some resistance to such foul, yin-aligned substances. If he accidentally touched it, at least he wouldn’t die instantly.

One after the other, Zhang Ji and Yan Jiulin entered Celestial Secret City.

Entering with them were many other members of the Ascetic Order.

The Nine Stars Xuan Shu Calculation Array was already failing.

The cultivators of Celestial Secret City were retreating.

The deterrent power of the Living Monolith was too strong.

It was as if someone had dropped a dirty bomb, making the area uninhabitable.

They didn’t dare to stay for another moment.

They had no intention of fighting the Ascetic Order. Most didn’t even bother resisting. Only a few law-enforcement Spirit Puppets and unmanned flying swords offered token resistance, but it was pointless. They were quickly overwhelmed.

For the Ascetic Order’s cultivators to pull a stunt like this... it was disgusting, utterly shameless and without principle.

But this would be the only time.

An aura of Blood Malevolence covering such a vast area couldn’t be accumulated in a single day.

Nor was it something that could be created from the deaths of several million people.

From a certain perspective, the Celestial Dao Alliance had sown the seeds for this, and now they were reaping the consequences.

Ling Xuzi’s expression was grave. The Living Monolith also had a mind of its own.

Demon Artifacts were not so easy to control.

His Spirit was being influenced by the vast sea of curses and resentful thoughts. Even with his iron will, he could only maintain control for thirty minutes at most.

This was the time limit he had set for the Ascetic Order members.

If they couldn’t destroy the Nine-Turned Quantum Furnace within thirty minutes, the mission would be a failure.

Zhang Ji and Yan Jiulin quickly reached the vicinity of the Nine-Turned Quantum Furnace, each responsible for a portion of the demolition task.

"Let’s split up!"

With that, Yan Jiulin led his men upward, while Zhang Ji flew down alone.

Once out of sight of the other Ascetic Order members, his Spirit Particles suddenly reached into the Void Illusion Realm.

"Give me the location," Zhang Ji said curtly.

"Southeast. Coordinates are... Hurry, he’s dismantling the array core," Taiyi-Zero replied instantly.

Zhang Ji pushed his speed to the limit, transforming into a bolt of lightning. Since acquiring the Mystic Rhinoceros Skill, his attributes had risen once more, and both his elementalization and his control over his own energy had grown stronger. His body flickered through the void, and after just a few flashes, he arrived at the core of the Nine Stars Xuan Shu Calculation Array.

From the outside, the place looked like a massive cleanroom facility. It was connected to one of the Spiritual Power relays for the Nine-Turned Quantum Furnace. A tremendous amount of Spiritual Power surged forth, gathering and being absorbed by a semi-elliptical device at the very center.

That was where the chip of the Nine Stars Xuan Shu Calculation Array was located.

Though called a chip, it was actually the [Concordant Dao Jade Slip].

A quasi-Myth grade item.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, an SSS-grade Immortal recorded the operational principles of the Celestial Essence Realm onto a jade slip.

It expounded upon the fundamental truths of the Celestial Essence Realm. To comprehend it was to understand all principles of existence, enabling one to steer the very workings of the world. With enough power, one could even use it to create a new Celestial Essence Realm.

That Immortal had long foreseen the current End of the Dharma Era, but chose to trust in future generations, leaving behind this wisdom so they could forge their own path.

Who would have thought that their descendants would miss the forest for the trees, using it as a mere computational chip?

Such a monstrous waste.

At this very moment, in front of the core of the Nine Stars Xuan Shu Calculation Array, a group of cultivators were hurriedly dismantling it.

"Senior Brother Xuanji, faster! The Blood Malevolence is about to reach us!"

Huang Ran urged Zhuge Xuanji, his face fraught with anxiety.

Zhuge Xuanji, however, remained perfectly calm. He didn’t answer, merely continuing the disassembly in silence.

It was layered with numerous safeguards. Even with the secret key, a non-destructive disassembly required dozens of steps and would take at least ten minutes.

Soon, the disassembly was complete.

He looked back at his fellow sect members and said, "Alright, let’s go. We’ll rendezvous with Master and the others..."

His voice trailed off as he realized his fellow sect members were gone.

All that remained was a man whose aura was completely restrained, showing no fluctuations of Spiritual Power whatsoever.

His figure was slender, not particularly burly, but he inexplicably gave Zhuge Xuanji a terrifying, oppressive sense of threat, as if he were facing a Divinity Transformation Venerable.

"Hand over the item. I haven’t killed them. But if I don’t get what I came for, they really will die."

Zhang Ji gestured to a group of cultivators he had subdued, turned into ’imbeciles’ with his [Merciful Salvation] Palm Skill.

With his increased Spirit Attribute, the effects of this Palm Skill had become quite potent.

A single palm strike could silently shatter a person’s spiritual defenses, break their will to resist, and seal the flow of energy in their body.

They were subdued in an instant.

"Who are you?" Zhuge Xuanji asked, putting away the Concordant Dao Jade Slip.

"Sigh," Zhang Ji said. "I figured you had a few tricks up your sleeve, so I was hoping to avoid a fight. But it looks like I have no choice."

Zhuge Xuanji was about to ask another question when a flash of lightning tore through the air. The sound barrier shattered as a fist of terrifying power shot toward him.

An endless stream of data flashed through his eyes, his body reacting a split second before his mind.

In an instant, several Spiritual Artifacts activated.

Among them were a bagua shield, a great bell, a Heart-Protecting Mirror, and a celestial robe’s Shield... all of them top-grade Tier Four Spiritual Artifacts.

But under this one punch, these Spiritual Artifacts were like paper, instantly shattering, their Spirit Patterns disintegrating.

VMMMM~!

A sky-blue light enveloped Zhuge Xuanji, nullifying most of the punch’s force, but he was still sent flying backward.

BANG~!

RUMBLE~!

Zhuge Xuanji, wrapped in the blue Energy Shield, smashed through the buildings on the surface.

He was unharmed, but his mind reeled in shock.

’A character of this caliber shouldn’t be unknown.’

But for all his vast knowledge, he couldn’t find a corresponding Body Cultivator in his memory.

’Wait, there are no Spiritual Power fluctuations!’

SWOOSH~!

BANG~!!

Another punch descended.

This time, Zhuge Xuanji didn’t just stand there and take the beating.

He mobilized the sky-blue light.

In the void, innumerable fine particles linked together.

[Circulation Calculation Array Plate].

A Spiritual Artifact constructed from trillions of interconnected Spiritual Particle Chips.

While it couldn’t compare to Zhuge Mingyuan’s [Profound Origin Quantum Array Body]—his own body modified into a Spiritual Artifact—it was still a bona fide Tier Five Spiritual Artifact.

Moreover, it was designed and manufactured solely by Zhuge Xuanji.

Its greatest function was to assist in real-time deduction and calculation, mobilizing vast amounts of Spiritual Power to construct Spirit Skill models and then cast them.

As this punch descended, the Circulation Calculation Array Plate constructed a new Tier Five defensive Spirit Skill and cast it.

The violent physical impact was neutralized by the sky-blue light and transferred to the ground below.

RUMBLE~!

Zhuge Xuanji’s figure didn’t move, but the ground beneath him collapsed and caved in, forming a huge crater several hundred meters in diameter.

"I’ve never heard of a Body Cultivator like you in the Celestial Essence Realm," Zhuge Xuanji said. "It seems your cultivation system is different from ours."

However, what awaited him was a continuous bombardment of one punch after another.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM~!

The ground was collapsing, and the Spiritual Power of the Circulation Calculation Array Plate was being rapidly consumed.

Zhuge Xuanji was calculating the possibility of a counterattack.

’Opponent’s physical defense: Tier Four Peak... Energy defense: Tier Four Peak... Spirit defense: Tier Four Peak... Reaction speed: Tier Four Peak... Perception Power: Tier Five... Movement speed: Tier Five... Clothing is not a Spiritual Artifact, protection level Tier Two... Subconsciously protects the head, weak point judged to be the head... Calculating probability of simultaneously piercing all defenses and landing a fatal blow...’

Countless data points were being processed as a new Spirit Skill took form.

’This is no ordinary cultivator. I only have one chance.’

BOOM~!

With this punch, the sky-blue light dimmed.

Many of the Spiritual Particle Chips of the Circulation Calculation Array Plate were destroyed.

But that Spirit Skill was also complete.

With almost no Spiritual Power fluctuation, a massive amount of Spiritual Power converged on a single point, focused to the thinness of a hair.

This single point of light could pierce through almost any material.

Zhuge Xuanji released the point of concentrated Spiritual Power.

Zhang Ji’s powerful spiritual perception gave him a prescient warning. He twisted to avoid a fatal blow, circulating his Origin Qi and Spirit Particles to form a barrier.

PFFT~!

Although Zhang Ji dodged the spiritual light aimed at his head, it still broke through his layers of defenses and entered his abdomen.

Then it was triggered.

The point of light, containing forty percent of the Circulation Calculation Array Plate’s Spiritual Power, detonated inside Zhang Ji’s body.

BANG~!

More than half of Zhang Ji’s body disintegrated into particles, leaving not even a scrap of flesh behind.

A fan-shaped trail of destruction formed behind him, spreading for several kilometers.

However, that was all.

At least, for Zhang Ji, that was all there was to it. Thanks to his timely evasion and defenses, only the part of his body below the chest had been obliterated.

The True Solar Flame was burning, the Celestial Silkworm Origin was reshaping his physical body.

In less than a breath, he returned to his original appearance.

A wide, savage grin appeared on his face.

A sense of dread washed over Zhuge Xuanji.

The next instant, a palm slammed down heavily onto his sky-blue Energy Shield. [I Alone Am Supreme]!

From Zhang Ji’s palm, Origin Qi poured out as if it were infinite.

BOOM~! BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG~!

Zhuge Xuanji was slammed deep into the ground by Zhang Ji’s palm, punching through the foundations of Celestial Secret City and landing directly on the alloy base of the Xuanji Array of Ten Thousand Transformations.

His last attack had consumed too much Spiritual Power, and the Circulation Calculation Array Plate could no longer form an effective shield. The palm strike destroyed most of the Array Plate’s Spiritual Particles and left him gravely wounded.

Zhuge Xuanji climbed to his feet, stood with difficulty, and looked at the approaching Zhang Ji, seemingly about to say something.

However, before he could open his mouth, Zhang Ji raised his hand and threw a punch.

BANG~! SPLAT~!

This punch blasted through his chest and abdomen, leaving a bloody hole. It directly shattered his Nascent Soul, giving him no chance to leave any last words.

The number two figure of Celestial Secret City; the Direct Disciple whom Zhuge Mingyuan had adopted and raised from childhood; the lead designer of the Xuanji Array of Ten Thousand Transformations; the chief architect of the Nine Stars Xuan Shu Calculation Array; a genius of super-arrays; a beyond-spec, Nascent Soul Peak main story character... taken offline!!!

Zhang Ji’s Spirit Particles retrieved the jade box engraved with a bagua pattern and brought it to his hand.

Inside were the Dunjia Array Box and the Concordant Dao Jade Slip.

Zhuge Xuanji’s Divine Soul fluctuations faded away. From his Consciousness Communicator, another message was coming through.

"Xuanji?"

Zhuge Mingyuan’s call received no answer.

Zhang Ji added a finishing touch. Engulfed in True Solar Flame, Zhuge Xuanji’s corpse burned to ash.

After doing all this, Zhang Ji turned and left without a second glance.

A short while later, another burst of fire sent Zhuge Xuanji’s sect members on their way to meet him in the afterlife.

’I was hoping to use them for a trade, to get the item without a fight. I really didn’t want to brawl with a guy whose true strength was hard to gauge. But in the end, I had to fight him anyway. What a waste of time.’