Chapter 678
The Victory is Decided
In the vast starry sky, at the center of a shattered battlefield, lies a chaotic zone utterly distorted by terrifying energy, where time and space have lost their original order.
This is the exclusive arena for two top-tier half-step immortal experts—the Eastern Emperor and the Heavenly Punishment God.
The battle between the two sides has long since entered a fierce, life-or-death stage.
The Eastern Emperor was clad in a tattered crimson-gold imperial robe, and the illusory image of the Purple Star Domain flickered around him, adding to his fierce fighting spirit.
The crimson spear in his hand burst forth with a sharp light that pierced the universe. With each thrust of the spear tip, it was as if a star was ignited and accelerated before falling with destructive force!
Thousands of spear shadows transformed into a burning meteor shower, carrying the determination to incinerate the eight wastelands and pierce through eternity, completely sealing off all escape space around the Heavenly Punishment God Lord!
The evil god form that the Heavenly Punishment God Lord transformed into is now in a dilapidated state, with three of its six arms broken off and the remaining three arms covered with charred gunshot wounds and cracks.
But the madness and violence in his eyes only increased.
Facing the meteor shower that covered the heavens and the earth, he neither dodged nor avoided it. He clenched his remaining three arms into fists, and on the edge of his fists, six different destructive Daoist auras were forcibly merged, transforming into a more chaotic and primordial Kung Fu that seemed capable of returning all the heavens and myriad worlds to nothingness!
Three punches were thrown at once, directly clashing with the meteor shower!
"Boom! Boom!!"
The spear's edge and the fist's shadow collided countless times, each collision like a supernova explosion, bursting open bursts of energy storms that devoured light.
The shattered fragments of spear intent and the disintegrating runes of destruction scattered and flew everywhere, making the already chaotic void even more chaotic.
The two figures flickered and intertwined in the center of the explosion. Each close contact was accompanied by muffled sounds of flesh being torn apart and bones being shattered, as well as even more frenzied roars and howls!
Blood, including imperial blood that was crimson gold with starlight, and divine blood that flowed with destructive demonic power, was splashed in the void.
Both of their wounds were increasing.
The Eastern Emperor's left rib was grazed by a destructive fist force, his imperial robe was torn, several ribs were broken, and his internal organs were shaken. His right shoulder was hit by a fragment of a shattered river of destruction, leaving a deep hole that exposed bone, from which starlight-like blood continued to seep out.
The Heavenly Punishment God was in an even worse state. His chest was pierced twice by the divine spear. Although he managed to heal himself through his powerful divine body and secret techniques, he was left with two grotesque scars the size of bowls, still wreathed in the burning intent of the spear. One of his legs was mostly shredded by the spear's light, and he was only able to support himself by forcefully gathering his Daoist energy.
However, the physical wounds and pain did not diminish their fighting spirit; on the contrary, they were like hot oil poured on a raging fire, making them fight even more frantically and selflessly!
At this level, at this critical juncture, the contest of will and the application of one's understanding of the Great Dao are more important than the depth of one's cultivation!
They only had eyes for each other, and only the obsession to kill each other.
All the noise from the outside world seemed to be temporarily shut out.
However, this extreme focus also means a temporary closure of one's perception of the overall battle situation.
until--
A mental wave, like a tsunami, swept in, mixed with fear, despair, and defeat.
And those powerful auras belonging to the evil god clan were extinguished one after another like candles in the wind, like cold steel needles, piercing into the extremely tense soul of the Heavenly Punishment God Lord!
The auras of the twelve divine lords... are rapidly diminishing!
"No...impossible!!"
The God of Heavenly Punishment was shaken to his core, as if a heavy hammer had struck the depths of his soul!
The shock and disbelief of that moment caused an extremely subtle yet fatal crack to appear in his flawless fighting rhythm and mental defense!
For a seasoned and powerful figure like the Eastern Emperor, this was nothing short of a beacon in the darkness!
"Now!"
The Eastern Emperor's eyes flashed with a sharp light, like a peerless ferocious bird that had caught a weakness in its prey!
He almost didn't think at all; all his fighting instincts and profound understanding of the Dao were poured into the "divine spear" in his hand that was connected to his mind and soul!
He did not use any fancy or complicated marksmanship, but instead returned to simplicity, concentrating all his power and will, and even all the starlight remaining in the illusory image of the Purple Star Domain behind him, into a single point on the tip of his spear!
"Om-!"
The divine spear emitted a clear and resonant tremor, its crimson light receding, except for the tip, which shone with an indescribable, dazzling, and chilling light that seemed capable of piercing the membranes of the universe!
This cold glint contained the essence of the Eastern Emperor's lifelong spear technique, the supreme majesty of the Purple Star Emperor's rule over all directions, and the indomitable killing intent honed in this bloody battle!
"kill!"
With a roar, the Eastern Emperor merged with his spear, transforming into a crimson rainbow faster than lightning, swifter than a meteor, and seemingly capable of reversing time!
This dazzling light ignored the chaotic energy turbulence between the two, ignored the destructive fist intent and protective demonic light that the Heavenly Punishment God Lord had hastily reassembled, and pierced through the Heavenly Punishment God Lord's chest with incredible precision at an unbelievable angle and speed!
"Pfft—!!!"
The dull sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and bone seemed so clear and so jarring at this moment!
The crimson divine spear pierced through the back of the evil god's avatar and protruded through its chest!
At the tip of the spear, the condensed extreme cold light suddenly erupted, transforming into countless fine spear energies carrying the power of the Purple Star and the true meaning of destruction, which raged and exploded wildly inside the divine body of the Heavenly Punishment God Lord!
"Ugh—!!!"
The Heavenly Punishment God Lord let out a painful, twisted scream, and the tall, broken evil god's avatar suddenly froze!
He looked down, staring in disbelief at the crimson spear tip protruding from his chest, feeling the pain of his life force being madly strangled by the domineering spear intent!
This shot not only severely damaged his divine body, but also seriously harmed his Dao origin and divine soul!
"Heavenly Punishment! Your end has come!"
The Eastern Emperor, having gained the upper hand, was relentless. His eyes burned with murderous intent, and he suddenly exerted force with both hands gripping the gun barrel, sending terrifying power surging into the gun!
"burst!"
"BOOM—!!!"
The divine spear, inserted into the body of the Heavenly Punishment God, shone with an even brighter crimson light once more, like a ignited powder keg, unleashing a second, even more violent explosion from within!
"puff--!!"
The Heavenly Punishment God could no longer hold back, and he vomited out mouthfuls of divine blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs. His aura rapidly declined and weakened like an avalanche!
The broken form of the evil god could no longer be maintained and collapsed like a bubble, revealing his true form, which was also covered with scars and had a terrifying transparent hole in his chest!
For a powerhouse at the half-step immortal level, the physical body is indeed no longer an absolutely fatal weakness.
Blood can be reborn, limbs can be reattached; as long as the soul remains and the origin of the Great Dao is still intact, there is a possibility of recovery.
At the critical moment of life and death, the ruthlessness and survival instinct inherent in the Heavenly Punishment God were brought to their extreme!
"Dongji! Gu Qingfeng! I will remember this grudge!!!"
He let out a venomous roar, a resolute glint in his eyes.
The next moment, he deliberately detonated his already severely injured lower half of his divine body!
"Bang--!!!"
The terrifying force of the self-destruction not only loosened and shifted the Wildfire Spear embedded in his body, but also generated a violent, blood-red escape light carrying his remaining essence and part of his divine soul. At several times the normal speed, it shot like a burning comet towards the most chaotic and unfathomable void beyond the battlefield! He actually imitated a gecko severing its tail, sacrificing most of his physical body and part of his essence to use a forbidden escape technique that damaged his foundation, all for the sake of seeking a sliver of life!
All these changes, from the Eastern Emperor seizing the opening and severely injuring Tianji with a single shot, to Tianji God Lord decisively self-destructing half of his body to use Blood Escape, were all as fast as lightning, taking less than a breath!
Although the Eastern Emperor was surprised by the opponent's ruthlessness, he reacted very quickly. He shook his spear and was about to pursue, while simultaneously using the power of the Purple Star to seal off the void.
However, the crimson light was too fast and contained the power of the Heavenly Punishment God Lord burning his origin. In an instant, it was about to break through the blockade and disappear into the chaos.
At that very moment—
"laugh--!"
A blade of icy, dark light, seemingly capable of freezing time and space and ending all things, suddenly slashed out from the side of the void without warning!
The blade of light appeared too abruptly, and the timing was perfect, hitting the blood-red escape light just as it was about to completely escape and its defense was at its lowest point due to self-destruction and burning!
The blade's edge was silent, yet it carried an ultimate meaning that brought all things to nothingness!
"No—!!!" From within the crimson light, came the horrified and terrified scream of the Heavenly Punishment God Lord!
He sensed the terrifying power contained within that strike!
This was an attack powerful enough to truly threaten his remaining soul and sever his last chance at life!
He desperately urged his remaining power to try to deflect the escape light, and even wanted to self-destruct part of his soul again to resist.
But it was too late!
"boom--!!!"
The dark, annihilating blade light struck the hastily fleeing crimson light squarely!
It was like a hot knife cutting into semi-solidified grease.
The burning essence and demonic energy on the outer layer of the escape light were easily cut through and annihilated!
The blade's edge pierced straight through to the core, precisely striking the last remaining remnant soul of the Heavenly Punishment God Lord, which was fused with the core of the escape light!
"what--!!!"
A piercing scream, so shrill it defied description, seemed to come from the deepest recesses of the soul, echoed through the void before abruptly ceasing!
As the blade flashed past, the crimson escape light dimmed and dissipated abruptly, like a flame being extinguished!
The immense essence and energy contained within were completely shredded and purified by the sword intent!
The remaining half of the Heavenly Punishment God's soul was so severed by this ultimate annihilation that it couldn't even struggle for a moment longer before most of its spirituality and consciousness were destroyed.
Only a small fragment of the remnant soul remained, carrying with it the last bit of survival instinct. Following the gap slashed open by the blade and the aftershocks of the explosion, it drifted into the depths of chaos in an almost disintegrating manner, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Although this strike failed to completely annihilate the Heavenly Punishment God, it was almost equivalent to killing him by 99%!
As for the remaining wisp of soul, while it's not entirely impossible for the other party to recover it, the probability is extremely low.
"call……"
The Eastern Emperor sheathed his spear and stood there, watching the dissipating crimson light and the faint soul energy disappearing into the chaos, and let out a long sigh of relief.
He then turned his head and looked at Gu Qingfeng, whose figure slowly appeared in the void beside him.
At this moment, Gu Qingfeng's black imperial robe was stained with blood. Although his aura was somewhat fluctuating, his eyes remained deep and unfathomable, with a hint of regret in their calm.
"Emperor Gu!"
The Eastern Emperor cupped his hands in greeting, his tone filled with heartfelt gratitude and admiration.
"Thank you for your help! If it weren't for Emperor Gu's strike, that fiend Tianji might have escaped, causing endless trouble!"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the direction where the remnant soul of the Heavenly Punishment God Lord had disappeared, and said softly, "Your Majesty is too kind. Joining forces to fight the enemy is our duty."
Unfortunately, he ultimately managed to escape with only a wisp of his soul, preventing him from achieving his goal completely.
He did have some regrets.
If he were outside, with his full power unleashed, the Heavenly Punishment God Lord would have absolutely no chance of escape.
However, under the suppression of the rules here, after he unleashed that strike with all his might, he was temporarily unable to make a more precise follow-up attack or pursue the enemy. He could only watch helplessly as the most crucial fragment of the remnant soul vanished into the chaos.
However, he also knew that after this battle, the Heavenly Punishment God was basically crippled and no longer a threat.
Upon hearing this, the Eastern Emperor laughed loudly and said boldly, "Why should Emperor Gu regret it? Your strike has already severely injured him to such an extent that only a wisp of his ignorant and mindless remnant soul remains to eke out a living. What difference is there between that and his complete demise?"
"Want to recover? Hmph, that's probably ten times harder than achieving immortality!"
He paused, looked around at the gradually clearing battlefield, and his face showed excitement: "After this battle, the top forces of the Evil God Clan that infiltrated this secret realm have been completely defeated!"
The Heavenly Punishment God Lord was nearly destroyed, and most of the twelve God Lords perished. The remaining army of evil gods was leaderless and their morale collapsed!
"Our human race—victory is assured!"
In this battle, if Gu Qingfeng hadn't decisively defeated the combined forces of the twelve Divine Lords with his invincible prowess, reversing the balance of power at the highest level, the human race would have had to pay a tenfold or even a hundredfold price to win, and the outcome would have been uncertain.
The Eastern Emperor looked at Gu Qingfeng with even greater admiration.
He asked himself, if he were in Gu Qingfeng's position, facing twelve evil gods who were at least at the peak of the Ninth Tribulation, including several who were half-step Immortal, how long could he hold out under the suppression of the Immortal Rules?
Can they turn the tables and win?
The answer is probably not optimistic.
Gu Qingfeng's strength has exceeded his previous understanding of the half-step immortal realm, reaching an unbelievable level.
Now that the highest level of combat power of the evil god race has collapsed, the situation on the battlefield has become completely clear.
Without the leadership and deterrence of the top god, the evil gods, who were originally fighting fiercely and entangled with the human army, began to experience widespread chaos and panic.
They sensed the disappearance and collapse of the gods' aura, saw the annihilating blade light symbolizing destruction and death, and heard the desperate wails and cries for escape of their own kind...
Morale crumbled like an avalanche!
The Lord of Heavenly Punishment has been defeated!
"Run! Run now!"
"Humanity is invincible! Gu Qingfeng is invincible!"
Terrified cries echoed throughout the ranks of the evil god.
Many evil gods began to abandon their opponents and flee in panic.
The once-solid formation instantly crumbled, turning into a disorganized mess.
On the other hand, the human race was in high spirits and their blood was boiling! (End of Chapter)