Chapter 908
Chapter 908
However, the moment his spiritual sense invaded, a pitch-black evil contract restriction suddenly erupted from the depths of the opponent's sea of consciousness, backlashing against Fu Shaoping's spiritual sense and destroying the cultivator's soul along with his memories!
"Pfft!" Fu Shaoping groaned, withdrawing his spiritual sense, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. The opponent's soul had been completely annihilated, leaving only some extremely fragmented and incoherent images and information.
He quickly organized:
The Wanqi Alliance's operation was led by a Nascent Soul stage cultivator codenamed "Shadow Elder," with their target being a complete "Origin Stone."
The "Contract Source Stone" is not a simple treasure, but a materialized crystallization of the ancient "Contract Origin," containing fragments of the most primitive contract rules, and may even be related to the birth of the "Contract Pivot." The Myriad Contracts Alliance wants to obtain it to improve their "Evil Contract System," or to find a shortcut to control the "Contract Pivot."
They located a fragment of the Origin Stone (the one on the altar) using some ancient secret method, and used it as the core to set up a "traction array" and a "resonance ritual" in an attempt to draw out the complete Origin Stone hidden in the deep spatial turbulence of the rift valley when the spatial tides arrive.
The ritual needs to be conducted simultaneously at two locations: this is the "Traction Array," and the other is the "Resonance Point," which is personally overseen by Elder Ying. Only when the two arrays resonate can a temporary passage to the "Source Space" where the Origin Stone is located be opened.
The spatial tide will arrive in... half an hour!
"Half a quarter of an hour!" Fu Shaoping's expression changed. He looked at the altar. Although the three main array masters were dead, the array was nearly complete and was absorbing surrounding energy on its own. And that "resonance point"...
From fragmented memories, he learned that the "Resonance Point" was located in the ruins of an ancient "Qixiu Temple" deeper within this underground plain. Elder Shadow was there.
"We must destroy the traction array, or at least disrupt it, to prevent it from successfully connecting with the resonance point!" Fu Shaoping's gaze fell on the fragment of the Origin Stone in the center of the altar.
He rushed forward, attempting to remove the fragment. However, the fragment was firmly held by the array, and the surrounding area was filled with evil restrictions; forcibly removing it might trigger an explosion of the array or spatial disorder.
“There’s no time to slowly decipher it…” Fu Shaoping’s eyes sharpened, and he formed hand seals, causing the Source Core and the “Contract Command” dual cores to resonate simultaneously!
"The Origin of the Contract: Erosion and Transformation!"
This is a secret contract technique he created by combining the "Frost Soul Codex" with his own insights. Using his own pure contract essence as a guide, he forcibly erodes and transforms other contract structures, "polluting" or "rewriting" them!
The pale golden power of the contract's origin flowed into the evil runes of the altar like water. Wherever the gold passed, the twisted black runes melted and changed color rapidly, like snow being doused with hot water; their structure was forcibly rewritten!
The entire altar trembled violently, and the vengeful spirits on the soul banners let out mournful howls before dissipating. The fragments of the Origin Stone in the center also began to flicker erratically.
"Who goes there?! How dare you ruin the grand plans of my Myriad Contracts Alliance!" An angry roar, like thunder, echoed from the depths of the plains! Immediately afterward, a vast, boundless divine sense, filled with an eerie and oppressive aura, swept across and locked onto Fu Shaoping!
Nascent Soul Intimidation!
"Elder Ying!" Fu Shaoping's heart sank, knowing that the other party had been alerted. He accelerated his erosion speed while retreating rapidly!
"You junior, you're courting death!" Elder Ying's divine sense transformed into a giant, pitch-black hand, which slammed down from dozens of miles away towards the stone forest where Fu Shaoping was located! Wherever it passed, space distorted, and rocks flew everywhere!
Feeling threatened with death, Fu Shaoping did not hesitate to activate the "Star Destiny Talisman" given to him by Liu Rushuang!
"Buzz!"
A silver light enveloped his entire body, and the power of space surged!
"Trying to run?!" Elder Shadow roared, his massive black hand slamming down even faster!
Just as the giant hand was about to touch the silver light, Fu Shaoping's figure suddenly disappeared!
"BOOM—!!!"
Where the stone forest stood, a giant crater a hundred feet in diameter was created, and dust billowed into the sky! The altar, along with the fragment of the Origin Stone, was reduced to ashes by the Nascent Soul's attack!
A hundred miles away, amidst a pile of rocks, a flash of silver light appeared, and Fu Shaoping emerged, looking somewhat disheveled. His face was pale; although the Star Fate Talisman had dodged the attack, the pressure and aftershocks of the Nascent Soul cultivator still caused his blood to churn.
“The traction array is destroyed, but Elder Shadow is still here. He will definitely do everything in his power to activate the 'Resonance Point' ritual and try to forcefully open the passage!” Fu Shaoping looked into the depths of the plain. “We must stop him! Otherwise, once he obtains the complete Origin Stone, the consequences will be unimaginable!”
He swallowed a few pills, regulated his breathing slightly, and then stealthily headed towards the "resonance point" in his memory—the ancient Qixiu sacrificial temple.
This time, he will face a true Nascent Soul cultivator.
But there is no turning back when it comes to contracts.
Deep within the Heavenly Abyss Rift, an even greater storm is about to arrive.
The Battle of Nascent Souls and the Origin Space
The ancient Qixiu Temple is located beneath the deepest rock strata of the underground plain.
When Fu Shaoping arrived quietly, the scene before him shocked him.
It was an ancient building almost entirely embedded in the rock face, constructed entirely of a strange, dark golden metal, its surface covered with dense, ever-flowing contract runes. The palace doors stood ten feet tall and were tightly shut, but eerie light flickered through the cracks, accompanied by a low, rhythmic buzzing sound, as if countless contract rules were whispering.
Three figures stood outside the palace gate.
The man in the center, clad in a black robe, had a withered face and sunken eyes, with two points of eerie green soul fire flickering in their sockets. He stood with his hands behind his back, his aura as deep and unfathomable as the ocean; he was none other than Elder Shadow of the Myriad Contracts Alliance, a cultivator at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm! Behind him stood two elderly men in dark purple robes, both at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, presumably Elder Shadow's trusted subordinates.
At this moment, Elder Ying's face was gloomy, clearly having already learned of the destruction of the traction array and the deaths of his subordinates.
"Useless!" he cursed under his breath, his voice hoarse. "With the traction array destroyed and the spatial resonance weakened, the risk of forcibly opening the 'Source Space' has increased by 30%! Once this is over, we'll definitely find out which fool was responsible!"
"Elder Ying, please calm down," said an elder in the late Golden Core stage. "The 'Resonance Array' is ready. Although the traction array was destroyed, the three of us working together, combined with the resonance amplification of the 'Contract Cultivation Temple' itself, still have a 70% chance of opening the passage. As long as we get the 'Contract Source Stone,' all the losses will be worthwhile."
Elder Ying snorted coldly: "Let's begin. You two will protect me, and I will personally activate the great formation!"
Two late-stage Golden Core elders stood on either side of the hall entrance, each taking out an array flag and infusing it with their true essence. The runes flowing on the hall entrance shone brightly, resonating with the array flags and emitting an even louder hum.
Elder Ying walked to the palace gate, bit his fingertip, and used his blood essence to inscribe an extremely complex evil contract rune in the air. Once the rune was complete, he slammed it into the center of the palace gate!
"In the name of the myriad contracts, I summon the breath of origin! Origin Space... open!" The evil contract runes entered the temple gate, and the entire sacrificial hall trembled violently! In the center of the temple gate, a crack slowly opened, and a seven-colored, unpredictable light shone through the crack—the pure yet chaotic light of the contract's origin!
An indescribable, vast, ancient pressure, seemingly the very source of all things, emanated from the cracks! The two late-stage Golden Core elders behind Elder Ying groaned, their faces pale, clearly enduring immense pressure. Even Elder Ying himself swayed slightly, the green flames in his eyes flickering even more intensely.
"The passage is opening! Increase the power!" Elder Shadow roared.
Right now!
"Frost Soul Pact Slash - Ice Soul Return to Origin!"
A clear, cold shout, accompanied by earth-shattering icy blue sword energy, erupted from the shadows! The sword energy surged like a reversed Milky Way, carrying the extreme chill that could freeze the soul and the resolute intent to sever the contract, directly slashing at Elder Shadow who was opening the passage!
This sword strike was the fourth form of "Frost Soul Pact Slash," which Fu Shaoping had mastered during his three years of seclusion. It combined his complete understanding of ice-type contracts and the Way of Purification, making it far more powerful than the previous three forms! It was also a full-scale sneak attack that he had been preparing for a long time!
Elder Ying's expression changed drastically! He had been completely focused on keeping the passage open and never expected that someone would sneak up so close and completely evade his divine sense detection!
In the rush, he could only barely turn to the side, and with a flick of his sleeve, a pitch-black ghost-faced shield appeared beside him!
"boom--!!!"
The icy blue sword energy slammed into the ghost-faced shield! The shield groaned under the strain, its surface instantly covered in frost, cracks spreading outwards! Terrifying cold and the power of the contractual slash pierced through the shield, impacting Elder Shadow!
Elder Ying groaned, his black robe ripped, revealing his withered body beneath. A deep, bone-revealing wound, torn from his left shoulder to his chest by sword energy, lay there, frost forming and preventing flesh regeneration! Furthermore, a cunning force of contract-severing energy invaded his meridians, interfering with the flow of his true energy!
"Junior! It's you!" Elder Ying recognized the attacker as the young man from the memory fragment who had destroyed the traction array and possessed the "Contract Token" fragment. He was instantly enraged. "A mere late-stage Golden Core cultivator dares to injure me? You're courting death!"
The green flames in his eyes surged, and the terrifying pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator erupted without reservation! The space itself seemed to freeze, and his two late-stage Golden Core subordinates were directly forced to their knees, blood gushing from their mouths and noses.
Having landed a successful blow, Fu Shaoping didn't linger and retreated rapidly! At the same time, he flicked his hands, sending several pale golden contract runes towards the crack in the palace gate!
"Contract Interference - Disorder!"
The runes disappeared into the crack, and the channel that was steadily opening suddenly fluctuated violently, with seven-colored light flashing chaotically, and even showing a tendency to close!
"You!" Elder Ying was furious. He couldn't care less about chasing Fu Shaoping. He quickly turned around, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood essence, which transformed into evil contract runes and entered the crack, barely stabilizing the passage. "You two, go and kill that junior! Take the 'Contract Token' fragment from his body!"
"Yes!" The two late-stage Golden Core elders, as if granted a pardon, broke free from the oppressive aura and pounced on Fu Shaoping with murderous intent.
Fu Shaoping sneered and instead of retreating, he advanced to meet the two of them.
If he were still in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, facing two late-stage Golden Core cultivators attacking him, he might have had to put in some effort. But now, having reached the peak of the late-stage Golden Core realm and possessing multiple top-tier inheritances and the dual core of the "Contract Token," his strength is vastly different from what it used to be.
"Contract Guardian - Star Shield!"
"Frost Soul Pact Slash - Frost Condensation! Soul Lock!"
The Starry Robe shone brightly, and with the help of the protective contract, it withstood the first wave of attacks from the two. Simultaneously, the icy blue sword energy split into countless forms, some freezing space to slow down the opponents, others transforming into soul locks to specifically target the soul!
Although the two elders were also in the late Golden Core stage, their cultivation techniques, magical treasures, and knowledge were far inferior to Fu Shaoping's. In particular, Fu Shaoping's contract power had a natural restraint on their evil cultivation techniques, and the Soul Lock caused them severe pain in their souls, preventing them from exerting even 70% of their full strength.
After only ten rounds of fighting, Fu Shaoping seized an opening in one of the elders' defenses and used a "Contract Slash" to break through his defenses, beheading him instantly! The other elder was terrified and turned to flee, but Fu Shaoping blocked his path with a "Contract Projection" clone, while his main body pierced his heart from behind with a sword!
In the blink of an eye, two late-stage Golden Core cultivators perished!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Elder Ying had barely managed to stabilize the passage when he turned around and saw his subordinates dead. The shock and anger in his heart were beyond words.
"Good! Good! Good!" Elder Ying laughed in fury, forcibly expelling the frost from his wounds with his evil power, causing the flesh to writhe and heal. "To be able to instantly kill someone of the same level at the late Golden Core stage, and to possess the 'Contract Token' inheritance, you are indeed a genius! It's a pity you shouldn't have made an enemy of my Myriad Contracts Alliance! Today, I will show you just how vast the gap is between the Golden Core and the Nascent Soul stage!"
No longer caring about the stability of the passage, he took a step forward, and his figure disappeared from the spot like a ghost. The next moment, he appeared above Fu Shaoping's head, and his withered palm, carrying a thick, ink-like evil power, slammed down!
"Ten Thousand Souls Corroding Bone Palm!"
Before the palm strike even arrived, an evil intent that eroded his soul and corrupted his true essence had already enveloped Fu Shaoping! The surrounding space seemed to turn into a viscous swamp, making it difficult for him to move.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator... truly terrifying!" Fu Shaoping felt unprecedented pressure. But his eyes remained resolute, and instead of retreating, he advanced!
"Dual-Core Contract - Resonance!"
"Contract Protection - Ascension!"
"Frost Soul Pact Slash - Ultimate Form... Pact Source Judgment!"
The two fragments of the "Contract" within his body simultaneously erupted with dazzling light! Under the harmonization of the Source Core, the dark gold and dark purple forces attempted a deeper resonance and fusion for the first time! A contract power that surpassed the Golden Core level and faintly touched the edge of the Nascent Soul stage suddenly erupted!
The Starry Robe merged with the Contract Guardian, transforming into a pale golden Contract Armor covering his entire body! At the same time, a phantom longsword made of pure Contract power, interwoven with gold and purple, materialized in his hand, and he slashed upwards against the descending dark palm!
This sword strike was the most powerful one he had ever made, condensing his lifelong understanding of contracts, triggering the resonance of the two cores of the "Contract Order", based on the "Frost Soul Contract Codex", and combining the true meaning of purification and judgment!
"BOOM—!!!"
When the sword and palm clashed, there was no earth-shattering explosion, only two completely different rules of power, both related to the origin of the contract, clashing and annihilating each other!
Golden, purple, and black lights intertwined and flashed, illuminating the entire underground space in a bizarre and fantastical light! Violent energy turbulence swept through, tearing countless cracks into the surrounding rock walls! (End of Chapter)