Chapter 797
Chen 94: Hehe, didn't expect I had a backup plan, did you?
The majestic power of the heavens, as vast as the sun, meant that the battle on Luoxingdun was no longer just a battle between Chen Jiu Si and Zhu Chong Ba, but a great battle between two human emperors. It was the second time in five or six thousand years that two human emperors had been able to clash, and Chen Jie and Zhu Chong Ba were merely their representatives.
From a distance, the main peak of Luoxingdun looked as if it were undergoing divine punishment.
Two enormous martial arts phantoms are clashing with terrifying power, each unleashing their strongest abilities, testing their endurance and their understanding of the Dao.
At this moment, the illusory image of Shennong stretched out his hand, and with his left hand, he conjured the Creation Furnace, in which countless illusory life forms were born and died, while with his right hand, he conjured the Wheel of Life and Death, in which yin and yang reversed and life and death were interchanged as the wheel turned.
Every time he raised his hand, the whole world responded—the grass and trees grew wildly and withered instantly, the tides rose and dried up suddenly, and even the clouds in the sky changed shape wildly, as if he were the god who controlled the creation of heaven and earth at this moment!
Meanwhile, the illusory image of the Yellow Emperor on the opposite side remained as steady as Mount Tai!
Above his head hung a map depicting the vast landscape, spread out like a chessboard, with every mountain, river, and field arranged and operating according to some supreme "order".
With each strike of the sword of law in his hand, an eternal "principle" was etched into the void—the living should live, the dead should die, spring should be for sowing, autumn for harvesting, and all things should be in their proper place, without transgression.
Shennong, the divine power you wield should be inferior to mine!
town!
Xuanyuan slashed at Shennong with his sword. Upon seeing this, Shennong raised his hand and unleashed the boundless power of life creation. Life is the origin. Your power of order, how dare you suppress my power of origin? Break!
After Shennong finished speaking, he blasted towards Xuanyuan.
Two completely opposite forces of Heaven collided fiercely above Falling Star Mound.
Each collision no longer produced a deafening roar, but instead tore open "Dao wounds" in the void. These were not spatial rifts, but wounds inflicted by the "laws" themselves.
There was a place imbued with the vitality of Shennong, where time flowed a hundred times faster, and a water plant instantly completed the cycle of growth, flowering, fruiting, and withering.
Another place was locked by Xuanyuan's order, where everything froze, even the light was frozen into eternal spots of light.
Chen Jie and Zhu Chongba had both reached their limits.
Summoning the phantom of the Human Emperor consumes not only his Qi, but also his "Dao Foundation"—the Dao Fruits of Heaven and Earth that they swallowed in the Fusion God Realm are the outward manifestations of their Dao Foundation.
For example, if the foundation of the Way is a high platform, then the fruits of the Way are the bricks and tiles used to build that platform!
This includes their understanding of martial arts, the universe, and civilization; it is their resonance with their own lineage. Every breath they take consumes their essence, energy, spirit, and even their lifespan.
Chen Jie began to bleed from his seven orifices. The blood was not red, but pale blue, with a fresh scent of grass and trees—a sign that he had deeply integrated his Dao foundation with the Shennong Staff, and his body was beginning to "become like grass and trees."
His skin showed the grain of wood, his hair sprouted new buds, and even his every breath carried the scent of earth and dew.
Zhu Chongba was equally miserable. His body was covered in golden blood that had soaked through his red robe. The drops of golden blood that fell onto the rocks turned into tiny “golden beans”. On the beans, ancient characters such as “heaven, earth, and all people” faintly appeared. This was the blood of the human emperor, a symbol of the bloodline returning to its ancestral form when the Xuanyuan Technique was cultivated to its extreme.
But with each drop of blood he shed, his aura weakened, and the phantom of Xuanyuan behind him dimmed accordingly.
The battle lasted for one or two hours.
The phantom of Shennong first showed unusual behavior.
Suddenly, the Furnace of Creation he held in his left hand cracked open with a "crack." The myriad illusory figures of life within the furnace began to dissipate and vanish uncontrollably. The Wheel of Life and Death in his right hand also became sluggish, no longer rotating smoothly and freely.
This is a phenomenon where Shennong's power has been overdrawn and is beginning to backfire.
"Ok!"
Chen Jie grunted, spitting another mouthful of pale blue blood onto the Shennong Staff. The staff shone brightly, forcibly stabilizing the illusory image, but anyone with discerning eyes could see that it was already at its last gasp.
Xuanyuan Xuying is also having a hard time.
The illusory image of the vast landscape above began to appear "misaligned"—mountains that should have been in the south had moved to the north; rivers that should have flowed were broken into several sections.
The engravings of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and plants on the Xuanyuan Sword in his hand have become mostly blurred, and in some places they have even disappeared completely.
Zhu Chongba knelt on one knee, supporting his body with the Xuanyuan Sword. His hand holding the sword trembled violently, his tiger's mouth split open, and golden blood flowed down the sword, brightening the dim engravings again, but they quickly dimmed again.
Both illusory figures were fading at a speed visible to the naked eye.
From its initial solid form to its current semi-transparent state, and then to near nothingness.
The clash between them is no longer a confrontation between the laws of nature, but has degenerated into a primitive energy clash—vitality against order, creation against laws, but its power is less than 30% of its peak.
Chen Jie stared at Zhu Chongba, then suddenly laughed, his laughter hoarse and tinged with blood: "Hehehe... Zhu Chongba... your Xuanyuan Technique is ultimately lacking. If you were truly destined for greatness, the Xuanyuan Phantom shouldn't be so weak."
Zhu Chongba also laughed, a calm laugh: "Chen Jiu Si, your Four Seasons Celestial Phenomena Technique, isn't it just a superficial understanding of Shennong's teachings? If you truly possessed the true essence of creation, all things should be flourishing right now, not like this... a death throes. Hehe..."
The two stared at each other, then smiled bitterly. They both saw their life force waning in each other's eyes; they were no longer able to sustain the terrifying illusory image of the Ancestor of Humanity in their battle.
After all, they are just human beings, not gods!
The two men laughed bitterly, but Chen Jie then chuckled and said, "Zhu Chongba, cough cough, five thousand years ago, my ancestor Shennong was defeated in the Battle of Banquan, but today I cannot repeat the defeat of the past. I still have a backup plan, and I hope you do too!"
"A backup plan?"
Zhu Chongba's expression changed.
Chen Jie ignored him and suddenly released the Shennong staff in his hand.
The Shennong Staff did not fall from his hand, but hovered quietly in mid-air with its tip pointing downwards, slowly rotating. Chen Jie then sat cross-legged, his hands forming a mudra on his knees, and closed his eyes to concentrate.
"What is he doing?" In the distance, Xu Da and his generals felt a sense of foreboding.
Zhu Chongba frowned at this moment. What was he going to do?
The answer was quickly revealed.
The emerald green light at the tip of Shennong's staff suddenly "came to life".
It detached from the tip of the staff and slowly rotated in the air, absorbing a portion of the vitality of heaven and earth with each rotation—not only the vitality of plants and trees, but the vitality of all things.
The lake water is losing its vitality and becoming murky; the clouds in the sky are losing their liveliness and becoming stagnant; even the wounds of the injured soldiers in the distance are healing more slowly.
All life was swallowed up by that emerald green light.
Then, the light returned to the tip of the staff.
The Shennong Staff trembled violently, and the patterns of mountains, rivers, plants, insects, and fish on its surface began to "flow".
It wasn't the flow of light and shadow, but the flow of real matter—the patterns detached from the staff and recombined in the void, transforming into a huge, slowly rotating "Four Seasons Celestial Image Array".
The Azure Dragon coils in the east, its eyes reflecting the image of Jumang, the god of spring. The Vermilion Bird spreads its wings in the south, its feathers adorned with the flames of Zhurong, the god of summer.
The White Tiger of the West sits in a crouching position, with the mark of the Autumn God Houtu on its forehead.
The Black Tortoise of the North is coiled around, and its back armor is covered with frost patterns resembling those of the winter god Xuanming.
The four elements are in their proper places, and the magic array is complete.
"The four seasons revolve, and creation returns to its origin!"
Chen Jie suddenly opened his eyes, slowly stretched out his hands, and held them up to the sky.
The Four Symbols Formation began to operate with a roar: the Azure Dragon spewed spring thunder, the Vermilion Bird breathed out true fire, the White Tiger roared with golden wind, and the Black Tortoise surged with cold tide.
Four distinct celestial forces converged, collided, and merged at the center of the magic array, ultimately transforming into a chaotic torrent that poured into Chen Jie's crown chakra.
Chen Jie's aura began to recover at an alarming rate.
The bleeding from his seven orifices ceased, the wood-like texture of his skin faded, and the tender buds at the tips of his hair withered back. His depleted internal energy, essence, and even lifespan were being rapidly replenished by this chaotic torrent. Not only were they replenished, but they were also enhancing him—his aura surged, directly elevating him to his peak state!
"This is... the power to turn the tide?" Zhu Chongba's pupils shrank suddenly.
He recalled the record of the Shennong Staff in the Xuanyuan Manual—this staff came from the heavens and was said to have been transformed from a seed of the Jianmu tree. One of its powerful functions was to absorb and store the user's internal energy, which could then be re-infused into the user's body during a life-or-death battle to help the user quickly recover their strength.
In other words, Chen Jiu Si, who possesses the Shennong Staff, has two chances to win completely. I just used up one chance, and he still has one more chance to win completely.
Shennong, indeed terrifying.
Zhu Chongba was secretly alarmed!
At this moment, as the Shennong Staff infused its power into Chen Jie's body, the [Four Seasons Celestial Phenomenon Array] that Chen Jie used to activate the Shennong Staff began to disintegrate.
In the sky, the four dim phantom images of the four gods let out a shout the instant the magic array activated. Their figures began to disintegrate, transforming into the purest primordial power, which merged into the magic array and became nourishment for the power to restore heaven.
The great formation was destroyed, in exchange for Chen Jie's... rebirth.
To use it again, one must wait for the Shennong Staff to recover, and it will take twenty years before it can be recharged and used again!
Having absorbed the stored power, Chen Jie's condition returned to its peak. At this moment, Chen Jie grabbed the Shennong Staff and looked at Zhu Chongba, who was exhausted.
"It's over, Brother Zhu Chongba! The outcome is decided!" Chen Jie slowly raised his hand. The tip of the Shennong Staff no longer shone with emerald light, but turned into a chaotic color. That was the ultimate form after the fusion of the Four Gods' origins and the power of creation. "This move is called the Four Gods Return to the Void. It is formed by the fusion of the divine power of the gods of the four seasons. You cannot withstand it in your current state!"
After speaking, Chen Jie raised his staff and gently tapped it forward.
There was no fanfare, no extraordinary phenomena, just a simple point.
But as this began to emerge, the space around Zhu Chongba began to "return to nothingness"—not collapse, but "return to its origin." The mountain beneath his feet transformed into the most primitive particles of earth and stone; the air around him decomposed into the most basic five elements of spiritual energy; even the phantom of the Xuanyuan Sword in his hand began to tremble, blur, and almost dissipate.
This blow could be fatal; Zhu Chongba could feel death approaching!
Is it going to be a defeat? Is it really going to be a defeat?
My whole life! Zhu Chongba's mind immediately conjured up his entire life story, from a cowherd to a beggar monk, from a Zoroastrian soldier to the King of Wu who now reigns supreme in the southeast. In this life, he had encountered the greedy landlord Liu, the harsh and vicious monk, his father-in-law who used him as a pawn, his brothers who fought alongside him to conquer the world, and Xiuying! Sister!
"No, I can't lose. I still have my sister. She's waiting for me to come back!" He looked down at the trembling Xuanyuan Sword in his hand, at the dim patterns on the blade.
"What, you also think it's wrong to die like this?"
"If that's the case, then let's fight! Let's fight one more time!"
"Ha ha……"
He smiled, a calm yet resolute smile.
"Chen Jiu Si, you're right. I didn't expect you to have this miraculous ability, but I, Zhu Chong Ba, am never one to give up easily!" He slowly raised his head, looking at Chen Jie, his eyes now devoid of emotion. "But the Xuanyuan Sword is never just for defense!"
After saying this, he grasped the Xuanyuan Sword, slowly stood up, and looked at Chen Jiu Si!
"Xuanyuan Technique: Supporting the Heavens Style. When the human race is about to perish, I will burn my Xuanyuan essence and blood to exchange for the power to defy the heavens. I offer my blood to Xuanyuan!" His voice was very soft, but every word clearly entered Chen Jie's ears. "This style is called 'Save the Sky from Collapse'."
"My body may perish, but my principles will endure. My soul may vanish, but my will will never die. This world may exist without Zhu Chongba, but it will never be without the indomitable Xuanyuan!"
"I will exchange my lifeblood for divine power, and my Dao foundation for the might of Heaven!"
"puff!"
Zhu Chongba spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the Xuanyuan Sword. The next moment, the Xuanyuan Sword emitted countless golden rays of light, each ray depicting a scene from an epic tale of humanity. These scenes converged and merged in the air, ultimately transforming into a new phantom—
It was not the Yellow Emperor.
It was a blurry, indistinct humanoid figure.
He had no crown, no sword, no armor; he simply stood there, as if bearing all the suffering, struggle, resilience, and hope of humanity.
This is the embodiment of the "human will," a civilizational soul that transcends any individual and any era.
The illusory figure raised its hand and gently pushed towards Chen Jie and that bit of "Return to Nothingness" power.
There was no confrontation, no collision.
It's just "coverage".
The power of the Void melted silently the moment it touched the soul of civilization, like ice and snow meeting the sun.
It's not that they are offset, but that they are "inclusive"—in the face of five thousand years of human civilization's suffering and glory, the life and death of one or two people, the birth and death of one or two forces, all seem... insignificant.
Chen Jie's "Four Gods Return to the Void" technique has been broken.
However, Chen Jiu Si did not panic when he saw this. He looked at Zhu Chong Ba and said, "Zhu Chong Ba, you want to save the world from collapse, and I want to save the lives of all people. Let's see who is the true ruler of this world!"
After speaking, Chen Jie mobilized all the power of creation, and the phantom of Shennong reappeared to fight Zhu Chongba.
Boom, boom, boom!
The battle continued, and the two fleets that had fled dozens of miles away were filled with shock in their eyes. Were these people even human?
How can he fight another round after such an intense battle? Is the power of the Human Emperor that abnormal?
However, both sides' leaders were in a heavy mood at this time. On Xu Da's side, Xu Da and his generals were furious, their lives hanging by a thread as they fought for their positions!
Meanwhile, Zhang Dingbian gritted his teeth. Zhu Chongba was risking his life, and their lord was likely to be in grave danger as well! (End of Chapter)