Chapter 698

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

The moment Zhu Rong descended, Zhuge Sa felt a horrific agony as black flames burrowed into the depths of his brain, incinerating it in an instant.

Tzzzzzt!

Severe burns erupted across Zhuge Sa's entire body, his flesh melting like liquid. Even as the hellish flames carbonized his bones, he grinned wickedly. It was exactly as he had anticipated.

I knew it would be like this.

Having studied and mastered tens of thousands of spells and incantations, Zhuge Sa had instinctively known the moment he received the Zhu Rong Summoning Ritual from Zhuanxu of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors that reciting this incantation would mean death.

There was no way the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would hand a summoning ritual to a mortal that could be used straightforwardly. Summoning such a powerful being already risked the residual power overwhelming the summoner's mind, and without proper control of the aftermath, the summoner would naturally perish. Preventing that would require consideration from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors themselves—fat chance, when they viewed humans as mere insects.

In fact, this incantation lacked any magical runes or ritual circuits for protecting the summoner. That made it require no summoning conditions or offerings and remarkably simple for a grand summoning spell, but that was solely for the convenience of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. In reality, it forced the summoner to offer their own body as the sacrifice, eliminating the need for additional tribute.

He who summons Zhu Rong shall burn to death in the flames of the Flame God.

It went without saying that this incantation was nearly meaningless even if taught to Baek Woong after his return. There were ways to use it, but in the current situation, it was utterly pointless. Better to wreak havoc in other ways.

Yet Zhuge Sa was content with this.

Because he was not Baek Woong. With his abilities, even a summoning ritual full of flaws could be put to good use.

I'm burning to death.

Zhuge Sa captured the moment his soul began to detach from his body as he reached the brink of death. His vital functions had ceased before his body even melted. Normally, a living being loses rationality at this point, becoming a feeble soul, but one who had mastered the Soul Separation Grand Method to its pinnacle could retain consciousness after death and freely manipulate their soul.

Zhuge Sa formed hand seals with his soul, activating the highest secret technique of the Soul Separation Grand Method. Having reached its apex, he possessed the special ability to wield sorcery even in soul form.

Soul Transfer and Calamity Seizure!

Flash!

In the next instant, Zhuge Sa's vision shifted to an entirely different location. He knew he had successfully transferred to the spare body he had prepared in the underground of his hideout.

This was the ability unique to those who had reached the pinnacle of the Soul Separation Grand Method: Soul Transfer and Calamity Seizure.

The ultimate technique allowing instant transfer of the soul to a pre-prepared body after death!

If Zhuge Sa's attainment grew even higher, he could cross dimensional barriers to another world and possess a body there, but that would require demonic power on the level of a Great Demon King. Still, there was no doubt that as a human, he had mastered the Soul Separation Grand Method more perfectly than anyone in history. Even those who reached great success had a 30% failure rate.

Of course, Zhuge Yulong could do something similar, but in his case, it was possible because he had reached the pinnacle of the Eight Trigrams Divination. The two brothers had become masters in their respective fields, allowing their extremes to connect. The underlying principles differed from Soul Transfer and Calamity Seizure, and Zhuge Yulong's method was less efficient and more difficult. No sorcery in the world was as specialized in soul control as the Soul Separation Grand Method.

Zhuge Sa staggered to his feet, reeling from the pain of his body burning moments ago. He gave a bitter smile at the side effect that had inevitably struck him.

'I can't see.'

He had lost the Demon King's eye, and his vision was pitch black. The eavesdropping spell had temporarily lost its focal point and collapsed, leaving him immensely inconvenienced. Since the sight had been taken by contract, it wouldn't recover even after soul transfer.

Zhuge Sa quickly chanted a spell.

"Come forth and become my eyes."

He temporarily regained his sight by summoning a familiar, but this was merely a stopgap. Familiars continuously consumed mana while summoned, so they couldn't be maintained for long. In about half a shichen, all the familiars deployed across Xinshi would simultaneously be released.

Drip.

Tears of blood flowed from Zhuge Sa's eyes. The phantom pain of full-body burns stimulated his cerebral cortex, delivering blows to his body as if they were real. His head throbbed as if it might split open, making him want to carve out his temples with a knife, yet he chuckled.

"Heh heh."

A dry laugh echoed through the quiet hideout from Zhuge Sa.

As if his plan was far from over.

The Yaksha of the Eightfold Divine Army deformed her body while bellowing.

[Damn it!!]

Crunch!

Her body remained human, but only her arms had transformed into those of a beast.

She strained with all her might, but she couldn't revert to her true form in short order.

The Eightfold Divine Army originally received Changhil's blessings. That allowed them to fight at full strength immediately after resurrection. The problem was that the fatal wound from their battle with the Twelve Rhythm Lords had been inflicted by the Seven Luminaries. Having died to the Seven Luminaries, their resurrection time was delayed, and even after reviving, drawing on their true power felt like dragging shackles across their bodies.

Worse still was that the being being summoned was none other than Zhu Rong. For some reason, confronting Zhu Rong was an enormous burden for the Eightfold Divine Army. She desperately wanted to flee, but she couldn't.

Because Gin Nara and Geon Dalpa had yet to resurrect. If they revived in human form while Zhu Rong was summoned, a horrific catastrophe would unfold. No matter what else, she couldn't abandon her comrades in the Eightfold Divine Army to torture.

'Damn human bastard!!'

Why had things gone so wrong?

They had surely proceeded with utmost caution. They thought even fighting scattered one by one would be manageable, yet Gin Nara had deliberately grouped up. Moreover, they hadn't let their guard down and had immediately transformed into true forms to fight. And yet, this was the result!

Only then did the Yaksha realize their mistake. They had assumed the Twelve Rhythm Lords, no matter how strong, were at most at the Double Immortal level, leading to this disaster. They hadn't even considered that a mere human wielding the Seven Luminaries could become so powerful.

'This situation is dangerous, regardless.'

No matter how strong an incarnation of the Fury King was, she was confident she could somehow defeat it. The same went for incarnations of other [Ancient Rulers]. As long as they weren't the true bodies, incarnations or apostles were all the same.

The Eightfold Divine Army had a special reason they absolutely could not lose here.

It was the blessing of Changhil, planned since ancient times—no exaggeration to call it that very blessing itself.

But Zhu Rong was different.

Zhu Rong must never be confronted.

The Yaksha bit her lip and made a rational decision. She swung her scythe wide, broadcasting her voice loudly.

[Zhu Rong has come!! Don't help us—everyone else, flee!]

She would make the remaining three of the Eightfold Divine Army retreat while she stayed to buy time for the resurrected Gin Nara and Geon Dalpa to escape. She had no idea how far she could go in human form, but she had no choice.

Whirrr.

Her Shadow Scythe vibrated, emitting a resonant hum. The Yaksha raised it high and activated her sorcery.

Ten Great Hells

Knife Mountain Hell

Summon!

Rumble rumble rumble.

The surrounding landscape suddenly changed. Her Shadow Scythe had been forged by the underworld's master smith and was destined for the King of Hell, but granted to her through Changhil's dealings. As a treasure of the underworld, it could draw upon the power of hell.

In an instant, everything within a five-li radius transformed into a hell of blade mountains, dense with countless sword forests. The Yaksha floated in the air, extending her hand forward. Hundreds of thousands of blades rose from the knife mountain forest, hurtling toward the pitch-black heavenly cross scar.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh.

In a flash, the sword forest of Knife Mountain Hell rained down like an inverted shower.

Hummm.

Chaos warped.

[Urk...]

But the pitch-black heavenly cross swallowed the mass of blades unscathed. The Yaksha despaired as an attack that even worked on Great Immortal Lords had no effect whatsoever—but the true despair came right after.

Splat!!

The Yaksha smashed into a wall and burst without even screaming. What killed her was the finger of a pitch-black giant that ignored space-time to appear out of nowhere, wrapped in spiraling azure flames.

Before long, the summoned giant's bored voice echoed through the chamber.

[One down first.]

As the finger slowly withdrew from the wreckage of the altar, chunks of the Yaksha's gore fell like those of a fly.

Flash!

At that moment, Gin Nara and Geon Dalpa materialized in the air. Revived by Changhil's power, they panicked at the sudden Knife Mountain Hell, then grasped what had happened upon seeing the azure-flamed giant and the Yaksha's corpse.

"No way?"

Geon Dalpa cried out in shock. He had seen that azure-flamed giant endlessly in the Mythic Era, impossible to forget, a nightmare to them.

"Zhu, Zhu Rong!? Why?!"

Gin Nara's face drained of color.

"This can't be... It's impossible!!"

"We have to run."

They immediately tried to muster power through their bodies and transform into true forms, but it wouldn't work. Gin Nara was bewildered.

"No... could it be the wounds from the Seven Luminaries resonance."

It was then.

Zhu Rong, extending a finger to catch another insect, paused and showed interest.

[Hoh... Seven Luminaries...? What's that?]

"......"

The two Eightfold Divine Army members panicked. Transforming into true forms might allow escape somehow, but in human form, even that was hopeless. They couldn't tell if Zhu Rong taking interest in the Seven Luminaries was good or bad.

Geon Dalpa left everything to Gin Nara, the strategist, and looked at him. Gin Nara racked his brains for a while before speaking to Zhu Rong.

"O Zhu Rong! We possess the Sun Luminary and Wood Luminary."

[Oh?]

"What do you mean, 'oh'?"

Boom.

The azure-flamed giant slowly sat down. Using the shattered altar as a chair, Zhu Rong propped his chin, exuding boundless arrogance.

[So what do you want me to do about it, you vermin?]

"Urk. You bastard..."

Gin Nara seemed furious but quickly calmed himself and said,

"We'll hand over the Seven Luminaries to you, so let us go."

Zhu Rong didn't respond directly and changed the subject.

[Oh, right—you're Gin Nara, aren't you?]

"You know me?"

[Changhil bragged about you quite a bit. Said he subjugated the greatest sage soul from Tianzhu under him... I've heard about the other Eightfold Divine Army members once or twice too.]

"......"

Indeed. Zhu Rong was originally an existence on par with or above Changhil. It was only natural for him to look down on the Eightfold Divine Army in terms of status. Surprised that Zhu Rong knew of him, Gin Nara took it as a favorable sign and hurriedly continued.

"Please. We'll transfer ownership of the Seven Luminaries, so let us..."

[Fine.]

"You're granting my request?"

Color returned to Gin Nara's face. Geon Dalpa felt the same. With zero chance of victory in a fight, they had to escape somehow—could Zhu Rong really let them go?

Splat.

But in the next moment, Gin Nara's rotund body burst into a mass of blood. Zhu Rong's mana-extended finger had crushed his human form.

Geon Dalpa realized things had gone south and immediately unleashed the Drunken Eight Universes Step to flee.

Drunken Eight Universes Step!

The divine technique of a former Open Faction Leader, renowned in the martial world, sent his form flitting through Knife Mountain Hell like scattering petals. In the blink of an eye, he covered three li. But Zhu Rong stood, glanced at him, and casually swung his hand.

Crack.

"Kuhuk...!!"

It was bizarre. Zhu Rong hadn't pursued; he merely swung at the air. Yet Geon Dalpa's body was caught in Zhu Rong's grasp. Of course, Geon Dalpa knew exactly what had happened.

Zhu Rong was a supreme deity.

Manipulating space-time to seize a mortal was child's play!

Human martial arts were futile against it; only revealing his true form to resist the mana could make it a fight. Even then, Zhu Rong was beyond handling, but Geon Dalpa regretted battling the Twelve Rhythm Lords.

'Had we at least fought together...'

Zhu Rong grinned, eyeing Geon Dalpa in his hand.

[Truth be told, every time Changhil talked about you lot, it twisted my guts. You vermin acting like you could match me...]

"Kuh... Hek... Urk."

Crunch crunch.

Geon Dalpa couldn't speak or protest. Zhu Rong's grip was so strong that even with his protective aura, his bones and flesh were separating. As he dangled, he endured hellish torment on the path to death.

Zhu Rong met Geon Dalpa's eyes and said,

[Been a while since I came to the mortal world... I'm hungry.]

Hunger gleamed in his eyes.

"...!!!"

Geon Dalpa's eyes bulged. His body slowly neared Zhu Rong's mouth. Guessing what was coming, he thrashed with his last strength.

"Urk... Urk."

But he could do nothing, and moments later, he was swallowed into pitch darkness, enduring unspeakable agony.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Munch munch.

After savoring the delicacy for a while, Zhu Rong felt satisfied.

[Hmm... No Seven Luminaries after all. Sounded like bullshit, and it was.]

He chuckled at the Eightfold Divine Army members flying toward him in true forms.

[Hahaha! A feast fit for a king today.]

The demonic god Zhu Rong, who once nearly incinerated the world, had truly descended.