Chapter 902
Chapter 902
"The second group, led by Junior Nephew Liu, Fairy Lanxin, and Jian Qi, will set up a 'Purifying Evil Array' on the outer perimeter to suppress the evil energy of Burial God Valley and provide support for Fellow Daoist Lu."
"The third route is for Fellow Daoist Lu to infiltrate the deepest part of the Burial God Abyss alone, and when the time comes, attempt to communicate with the pure origin of the 'Qi Shu' to coordinate from the inside and outside."
"Now, let's go!"
The crowd responded in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.
Fu Shaoping changed into the "Starry Sky Robe" specially bestowed upon him by Xing Yanzi. This robe has extremely strong concealment and protection effects, and can temporarily withstand attacks from Nascent Soul level cultivators. He then checked his pills, talismans, and most importantly—the two fragments of the "Contract Token."
"Junior Brother Lu, take care." Liu Rushuang walked to his side and handed him a jade talisman. "This is the 'Star Fate Talisman.' If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush it and you can teleport a hundred miles away. But it can only be used once."
Fu Shaoping accepted it and carefully put it away: "Thank you, Senior Sister Liu. Please be careful too."
The group was transported in batches to the designated assembly point outside the Valley of Burial Gods via the secret teleportation array at the Star Observatory.
It was already afternoon, and the colorful mist above Burial Valley was thicker than ever before. Deep rumbling sounds echoed from within the valley, as if a giant beast was writhing in the abyss.
The Wanqi Alliance had already arrived. At the valley entrance, a dark mass of over five hundred cultivators stood in formation, more than thirty of them possessing the aura of Golden Core, with three particularly profound auras, all clearly late-stage Golden Core cultivators! They surrounded a massive, sinister altar made of bones and black stones, with blood-red light flickering on it, clearly preparing some kind of evil ritual.
"As expected, they've come out in full force." Xingyanzi's gaze turned icy. "Prepare for battle!"
Neither side exchanged any words and launched their attacks almost simultaneously!
"kill!"
"For the eternal covenant!"
The light of magic, the sharp whistling of sword energy, and the roar of magical artifacts instantly turned the entrance to the Valley of Burial Gods into a bloody battlefield!
As the battle erupted, Fu Shaoping used the "Shadow Step" and the Contract Concealment Technique to blend into the shadows, bypassing the main battlefield and diving into the depths of the Burial God Abyss.
Along the way, he encountered several patrolling groups of Wanqi Alliance cultivators, all of whom he dealt with swiftly and silently. The deeper he went, the denser the malevolent energy became, and the more spatial rifts appeared, forcing him to proceed with extreme caution.
An hour later, he finally arrived at the edge of the Burial God Abyss.
Looking down from here, the abyss is bottomless, and the seven-colored mist churns like a boiling ocean. At the bottom of the abyss, the aura of the massive and sinister "Qi Shu" altar emanates in waves like a heartbeat.
Fu Shaoping took a deep breath and jumped down!
During his descent, he constantly adjusted his posture, dodging the malevolent tentacles that suddenly emerged from the mist and the spatial rifts. After falling a full thousand feet, the view suddenly opened up before him—he had arrived at the enormous underground space that his spiritual sense had previously "seen"!
In the center of the space, the incomplete nine-layered contract altar floated silently. At the top of the altar, the dark golden crystal was more unstable than before, with more cracks on its surface and the confrontation between the golden light and black energy inside was more intense.
Below the altar, hundreds of cultivators from the Myriad Contracts Alliance had gathered! They were walking around the altar with a strange, sinister gait, chanting distorted incantations, and constantly scattering black talismans and foul-smelling blood. These filthy substances landed on the altar and were absorbed by the dark patterns, making the evil energy even more active!
"They're pushing the ceremony forward!" Fu Shaoping's heart sank.
The three late-stage Golden Core cultivators stood at three different points on the altar, each holding a malevolent artifact: a soul banner, a blood mirror, and a bone book. They simultaneously sprayed their blood essence onto the artifacts, causing them to radiate brilliant light and shoot out three jet-black beams that flowed into the crystal at the top of the altar!
The crystal trembled violently, and the dark evil energy inside expanded rapidly as if injected with a stimulant, beginning to frantically erode the remaining golden light!
"We can't wait any longer!" Fu Shaoping knew that once the golden light was completely eroded, it would be too late.
He no longer hid, his figure bursting out of the shadows and flying directly towards the top of the altar!
"Who goes there?!"
"Stop him!"
The cultivators of the Myriad Contracts Alliance were shocked and immediately launched their attacks. Dozens of spells and magical artifacts bombarded Fu Shaoping!
"Contract Protection - Star Shield!" Fu Shaoping shouted, and his Starry Robe shone brightly, forming a dazzling starlight shield around him in conjunction with the power of the contract, temporarily blocking all attacks.
He didn't slow down and continued rushing towards the crystal.
The three late-stage Golden Core cultivators also noticed him. The one holding the Soul Banner sneered, "You're courting death! Soul Banner - Ten Thousand Ghosts Devour the Heart!"
The soul banner fluttered, and countless vengeful spirits surged out, transforming into a giant ghost face that opened its mouth to bite Fu Shaoping!
Fu Shaoping's eyes flashed with golden light, and two fragments of the "Contract Order" flew out from in front of him at the same time!
"Double Whirlwind of the Contract - Purification Judgment!"
The dark gold fragments emitted pure golden light, transforming into purifying rain that showered the ghost face and the evil cultivators below; the pitch-black fragments transformed into a dark purple stream of light, shooting directly at the crystal, attempting to interfere with the Myriad Contracts Alliance's ritual with the same source of evil contract power!
The ghostly face wailed and melted away in the purifying rain of light, while many low-level evil cultivators below were also burned by the golden light.
However, the attack of the black fragments was blocked by the evil energy barrier on the surface of the crystal, and the force of the rebound caused Fu Shaoping's blood to surge.
"So it was you! The bearer of the 'Contract Order'!" The cultivator wielding the blood mirror grinned maliciously. "You've come at the perfect time! With your blood, sacrificing for the 'Contract Pivot' will surely accelerate your control!"
Three attacks from late-stage Golden Core cultivators descended simultaneously! Soul Banner Ghost Howl, Blood Mirror Blood Light, Bone Script Incantation—each strike was enough to severely injure an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator!
Fu Shaoping gritted his teeth, channeling all his power into the Starry Sky Robe and the Contract Protection, enduring the attack head-on!
"Boom boom boom!"
The shield flickered violently before shattering! Fu Shaoping spat out a mouthful of blood, was blasted dozens of feet away, and crashed heavily into the rock wall.
But he also took this opportunity to get within ten feet of the crystal!
"Now!" Fu Shaoping endured his injuries, formed hand seals, and his source core circulated wildly. Two fragments of the "Contract Order" spun above his head, forming a communication bridge!
"Using the contract as a guide, call my true name... Fu Shaoping, I request the pure essence of the 'Contract Pivot' to respond! The way of the contract should not be tainted by evil!"
He no longer concealed his true name and, using the very essence of his contract, issued the most direct call!
Seemingly sensing the call from the same bloodline (source core) and the fragment of the "contract", the pure golden light that had been struggling to maintain its position inside the crystal suddenly shone brightly!
A faint but incredibly pure golden ray of light shot out from the crystal and connected with the fragment of the "Contract Order" above Fu Shaoping's head!
Instantly, Fu Shaoping felt his power of contract resonate with the pure essence within the crystal! Countless ancient contract knowledge and insights into rules flooded into his mind. At the same time, he also felt the pain, struggle, and... faint hope of the pure essence within the crystal!
"Help me...purify...the seal..." A weak but firm thought entered Fu Shaoping's mind.
"What should I do?" Fu Shaoping responded telepathically.
"Connect your contract essence... with mine... activate the power of order within the 'Contract Decree'... coordinate with the 'Purification Array' in the outside world... temporarily suppress the evil energy... then... using the fragments of the 'Contract Decree' as a medium... activate the 'Final Contract Seal' at the bottom of the altar..."
outside world.
At the entrance to Burial Valley, the battle has reached its climax.
The three late-stage Golden Core cultivators, Xing Yanzi, Gu Hongzi, and Elder Tianxuan, fought against the three late-stage Golden Core leaders of the Wanqi Alliance, causing mountains to collapse and the earth to shatter.
Liu Rushuang, Fairy Lanxin, Jian Qi, and others had already set up the "Purifying Evil Array" on the outer perimeter. Now that the array was complete, countless purification runes lit up, turning into a rain of light that showered down on Burial God Valley, significantly suppressing the evil energy within. "Now! Activate the array with all your might to support Fellow Daoist Lu!" Liu Rushuang shouted.
The Purification Array shone brightly, and a thick beam of purification light, ignoring spatial barriers, shot directly into the depths of the Burial God Abyss, slamming into the evil energy barrier of the altar!
The barrier trembled violently!
Bottom of the abyss.
Fu Shaoping seized the opportunity and channeled all the power of the contract's origin into the crystal along the golden light thread!
At the same time, he manipulated the two "contract" fragments. The dark gold fragment fully emitted the light of order purification, while the pitch-black fragment was forcibly reversed by him, turning the evil contract power within it into a temporary "sealing shackle" that wrapped around the evil energy on the surface of the crystal!
A pincer attack from both inside and outside!
The pure golden light inside the crystal received support and launched a fierce counterattack! With the suppression of the evil-purifying array outside and the assistance of Fu Shaoping's contract origin and "contract token" fragments inside, the dark evil energy was finally temporarily suppressed and forced back!
The cracks on the surface of the crystal have begun to heal slowly!
"No—!" The three late-stage Golden Core cultivators from the Myriad Alliance were furious and attacked Fu Shaoping. However, Fu Shaoping was connected to the crystal's origin and protected by its power. Their attacks were blocked by a light golden barrier.
"Quickly! Activate the 'Final Contract Seal'!" urged the pure source's will.
Fu Shaoping followed instructions and manipulated the two fragments of the "Contract Order" to fly to the bottom of the altar.
There were nine dim grooves there, corresponding to nine contract rules. Among them, the grooves for "Order", "Guardian", "Judgment" and "End" still retained a faint golden light.
The fragment of the "Contract" hovered above the grooves. Guided by Fu Shaoping, the dark gold fragment shot out four beams of golden light, which were injected into the four grooves that still had golden light. The pitch-black fragment shot out five dark purple chains, which temporarily locked the five grooves that had been corrupted by evil energy.
"In the name of the contract, let us open the seal of the final contract!"
All nine slots lit up simultaneously! The entire altar began to slowly rotate, and ancient, majestic, all-ending contract runes emerged from the bottom of the altar, spreading upwards and finally enveloping and sealing the entire altar, along with the crystal at the top!
A massive spherical seal, composed of countless chains of contracts, completely sealed the altar! The surface of the seal shimmered with a blend of dark gold and dark purple light, temporarily balancing the purity and evil within.
"Success... It's temporarily sealed..." Fu Shaoping collapsed to the ground, exhausted, his breath weak.
The pure essence within the crystal transmitted its final thought: "Thank you... young contractor... the seal can only last for a hundred years... within a hundred years... find a way to completely purify the 'Spirit of Contract'... otherwise... the evil energy will break free... at that time... there will be no turning back..."
With the dissipation of its intent, the crystal fell into complete silence, sealed within the chains of the contract.
The dark patterns around the altar temporarily disappeared. The Wanqi Alliance's ritual was completely interrupted, and three late-stage Golden Core cultivators suffered a backlash, vomiting blood and sustaining serious injuries.
"Retreat!" Knowing that the situation was hopeless, they glared at Fu Shaoping and fled in panic with their remaining troops.
Unable to pursue, Fu Shaoping took a pill and barely managed to regulate his breathing.
A moment later, Liu Rushuang, Xing Yanzi and the others arrived at the bottom of the abyss. Seeing the sealed altar and the weakened Fu Shaoping, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, you did it!" Xing Yanzi helped Fu Shaoping up, his eyes full of admiration.
Fu Shaoping smiled weakly: "It's only a temporary seal... We must find a way to completely purify it within a hundred years..."
Liu Rushuang nodded: "A hundred years is enough. The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion will do its utmost to find a purification method. You should rest well first."
The group cleaned up the battlefield and treated the wounded.
In this battle, the Wanqi Alliance suffered heavy losses. Three late-stage Golden Core cultivators were seriously injured, more than ten Golden Core cultivators perished, and countless Foundation Establishment cultivators died or were injured. They are no longer able to organize large-scale operations in the short term.
On the other hand, the Righteous Alliance also paid a heavy price, with several Golden Core cultivators seriously injured and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators killed or wounded.
But in the end, they succeeded in preventing the complete corruption of the "Spirit of the Covenant," buying the North a century of time.
Three days later, at the observatory.
Fu Shaoping's injuries have stabilized, and his cultivation has actually improved even more due to this extreme push, approaching the peak of the early Golden Core stage.
On behalf of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, Xing Yanzi formally invited Fu Shaoping to become the "Guest Elder" of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, a position equivalent to that of the heads of the various halls. He would have access to some of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's resources and would be free to act as he pleased.
After considering it, Fu Shaoping accepted the invitation. He needed the resources and connections of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion to find a way to purify the "Pillar of Contracts" and to deal with the future counterattack of the Dark Contract Organization.
Chu Hongxiu and Bai Wuyai also stated that Tingyulou and Hanyue Sanren's faction would form a permanent alliance with Fu Shaoping.
"What are your plans next?" Liu Rushuang asked.
Fu Shaoping looked into the distance: "I need to travel far and wide to find clues to purify the 'Qi Shu' and improve my strength at the same time. A hundred years is neither a long nor a short time."
Xing Yanzi said, "The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion will continue to monitor the sealing status of 'Qi Shu' and collect relevant ancient books and secret techniques. If there are any clues, we will notify you immediately."
Fu Shaoping nodded: "Thank you. Also, although the Dark Pact organization has suffered heavy losses, its foundation remains. We need to be careful of their secret retaliation."
"Don't worry, we will increase security."
After resting for several more days, Fu Shaoping bid farewell to everyone and left the observatory alone.
He had no specific destination; he simply followed a vague feeling and headed further north into the North.
In his arms, the fragments of the "Contract Order" floated quietly, radiating a warm glow along with the Source Core.
A century-long promise, a path to purification.
His approach to contracts will continue.
Ahead lies a wider world, deeper mysteries, and... even greater challenges.
But Fu Shaoping's steps were firm, fearless and undaunted.
Because the contract has been etched into his soul.
The path lies right beneath your feet. (End of Chapter)