Chapter 1248: Battle with True God

Chapter 1248: Battle Against a True God

This was not the first time Xu Qing had seen a true god!

But it was the first time he had encountered a true god in the fullest sense of the word!

The previous Pain God, Bimosi, had been in the midst of returning—fragmented and incomplete—and thus many details had never fully manifested.

Such as the temple, the deity within it, the divine essence…

“That god within the temple—that is this one’s true form. Nearly broken at the waist, clearly struck by Ling Ke Immortal Lord. This god… has already suffered grievous wounds!”

Xu Qing abruptly retreated, his eyes sharp with piercing light, locking onto the temple.

All the other Ascendants around him likewise erupted with their cultivation, each reacting in kind.

At that moment, the temple thundered, radiating brilliant golden light.

Though largely ruined, the divine might emanating from the god within surged forth like an ocean, exploding outward as the deity stepped out into the world.

That power rolled like mountains collapsing and seas overturning, carrying an unstoppable force, forming a storm of divine aura that swept across all directions.

The starry sky twisted; the void shattered. Xu Qing and his companions felt their minds churn violently.

An instinctive tremor—deep in their very souls—arose uncontrollably, planting seeds of fear deep within their consciousness.

Then came the divine voice, echoing through the cosmos:

“Fear!”

With those words, the seeds instantly sprouted, bloomed, and bore fruit, spreading terror throughout their bodies.

In the next instant, they all spat blood—and grotesque transformations began.

Scales erupted across their skin; arms elongated unnaturally; faces contorted; fangs sprouted from their mouths…

Their appearances were forcibly reshaped into the image of that god!

And within their minds, as fear blossomed and fruited, dread swelled like a tidal wave, threatening to drown even their souls—

to corrupt them utterly.

Once complete, though they would not be annihilated body and soul, the difference would be negligible.

For what remained would no longer be themselves—

but mere vessels and devotees of that true god!

Such was the terrifying might of a true god.

Yet clearly, the grievous injuries inflicted by Ling Ke Immortal Lord, coupled with the suppressing force of immortal essence, had left this god in dire straits—barely holding on.

Had He faced ordinary cultivators, His weakness might not have shown so plainly.

But Xu Qing and his companions—none among them were ordinary.

Thus, the moment the god’s power erupted outward, each of them unleashed their ultimate techniques.

Whether it was Li Mengtu’s lethal poisons honed after ascending to quasi-immortal status, Xie Lingzi’s mysterious broken blade, or Zhou Zhengli’s prophetic eye—

all now manifested in perfect defensive harmony.

Likewise, Xing Huanzi, Yuan Shan Su, and Qian Jun Bi Yi—all gave their utmost,

suppressing the grotesque mutations within themselves.

Moreover, their formation remained unshaken—orderly, disciplined—arrayed in a ring around Xu Qing.

Their ultimate defenses did not merely shield themselves alone.

Instead, they expanded outward, layering upon one another, nearly merging into a single unified barrier—

completely enveloping Xu Qing at its heart!

Like concentric walls erected around his body!

Within that protective shell, Xu Qing needed not worry about defense at all.

His sole task… was to attack!

This was precisely the battle strategy they had agreed upon during their journey.

As the strongest among them, Xu Qing was their core—

and their role was to empower him.

So in the next instant, even as their bodies warped, their souls teetered on corruption, and fear flooded their minds—

they still poured every ounce of strength into maintaining their defenses.

And Xu Qing—within that sanctuary—summoned his immortal embryo with a thunderous roar.

A colossal form of the immortal embryo instantly spread across the surrounding void, towering amidst the stars.

Inside it, the Aurora Immortal Palace shimmered brilliantly.

The hand of the immortal embryo rose—and descended suddenly toward the temple.

The starry sky trembled; oppressive might surged anew.

That immense hand plummeted with terrifying speed—but just before it struck the temple, the true god emerged.

Its twisted frame, nearly snapped at the waist, was grotesquely unnatural.

One slender arm lifted—and with a single finger pointed toward the descending immortal hand.

True divine power erupted once more.

At that gesture, Xu Qing’s immortal embryo shuddered violently, its form blurring as alien corruption seeped in, rapidly unraveling its structure—

collapsing entirely before it could land its blow.

The backlash and damage surged toward Xu Qing—but was immediately shared among his companions.

Blood sprayed from their mouths; their auras churned wildly.

Xu Qing’s eyes filled with bloodshot veins as he gathered his immortal embryo once again.

Meanwhile, the true god’s body flickered—and vanished.

It reappeared abruptly before the group, its long finger pressing forward.

Fear surged anew—

and the god’s overwhelming presence descended like a mountain poised to crush them all.

Thunderous booms echoed instantly.

Xu Qing and the others grew deathly pale, blood staining their lips, their bodies withering, their souls twisting under intense corruption.

Every layer of defense began dissolving.

Li Mengtu’s poison thinned steadily.

Zhou Zhengli’s prophetic eye had already shattered.

Xing Huanzi’s iron chains continued crumbling.

Qian Jun Bi Yi let out agonized cries.

Two Ascendants had reached their limits—their life flames flickering near extinction.

Yet they refused to yield.

They activated secret arts at great cost, forcing themselves to endure.

Even the true god frowned at this sight.

Already in wretched condition, each prior exertion had been a strain.

Though these opponents were not full immortals, they were all quasi-immortals—each extraordinary in their own right.

Especially the one they protected—his display of immortal embryo power, insignificant in the god’s prime, now carried a palpable threat in His weakened state.

Moreover, time weighed heavily upon Him.

This battle had to end swiftly.

Thus, the true god’s gaze swept outward—

locking onto the Divine Maiden who had watched the entire conflict from afar.

Not a single error, not a single verse, not a single shot, not a single inner thought, not a single tolerance—not even a single glance spared!

“Luanxia, together!”

Upon hearing this, Xing Mo lifted his foot—but just as it was about to descend, an eerie glimmer flickered in his eyes. Though the step did fall, it was not forward—it retreated instead, by a measured span.

Beneath his feet, a faint teleportation divine array began to manifest.

And now—it activated!

His gaze settled upon Xu Qing, the one who stirred in him the deepest unease, and he spoke abruptly:

“This array will complete in twenty breaths!”

At those words, Xu Qing’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the goddess’s resolve.

It was not only him. Zhou Zhengli, Xing Huanzi, and the others—amidst mutation, agony, soul-corruption, and sheer, desperate endurance—all raised their heads, brows furrowed in grim realization.

Xu Qing sighed softly. Among them, all save Qian Jun Bi Yi felt profound regret.

For on their journey here, they had already forged a plan—a coordinated strike, their ultimate trump card, their deadliest secret technique!

A killing blow—but usable only once!

Thus, the ideal course of this battle, for them, would have been for the goddess to join forces with that True God.

Only then could they avoid wasting this supreme strike.

Yet the goddess proved so resolute—even though their current state made it clear: if she merely aided the True God, annihilation would be instantaneous.

But… she still refused!

And their condition was no pretense—they truly could endure no longer…

In that instant, Xu Qing’s heart hardened with resolve.

Murderous intent erupted from his eyes.

His shattered Immortal Embryo surged anew with churning cultivation—this time, within it gleamed not only the Radiant Palace of Polar Light, but also a single iron skewer!

From within the palace radiated a piercing sharpness!

Beyond that, there was also the Covenant of All!

Xing Huanzi’s Order and Balance, fused with Heavenly Principle, all poured into the skewer.

Zhou Zhengli’s Eye of Foresight became streaks of light, coiling around it.

Li Mengtu, Yuan Shan Su, Xie Lingzi—and every other Ascendant—each contributed their unique Covenant, transforming into luminous streams that spiraled together in unison.

Even Qian Jun Bi Yi transformed into an immortal sword, merging with the skewer.

Gathering the might of all quasi-immortals, the iron skewer blazed with a radiance so fierce it illuminated the very stars.

Further empowered by Xu Qing’s nurturing Immortal Embryo, its power became terrifyingly immense.

And still—it was not finished.

In the next heartbeat, Xu Qing’s Space-Time Covenant overlapped outward. With thunderous rumbling, scenes from countless timelines all projected the same image: the skewer gathering momentum.

Thus, gazing outward, one saw iron skewers manifesting in every surrounding timeline—hundreds of them!

As Xu Qing’s murderous intent intensified, he raised his hand and swept it forward.

Instantly, each skewer pierced through its own timeline, converging onto the battlefield as one!

Hundreds of skewers fused into a single nail!

Then, this nail—imbued with supreme might, the combined strength of all, nineteen Covenants, the force of Polar Light, and the authority of Azure Heaven—shot forth toward the True God!

Speed could not describe it—for the moment the nail launched, what the others saw was merely the afterimage of a past event.

What occurred in the present and future was this: the nail had already struck the True God!

It pierced the very spot where He was already grievously wounded—His nearly broken waist!

Driving in with brutal force!

A shriek of agony tore through the heavens.

The True God trembled; all divine power within His body instantly spiraled into chaos. His temple collapsed, His divine core dimmed in an instant.

Divine blood gushed forth.

Yet He remained a True God. Even this ultimate strike—forged from Xu Qing and his companions—could not slay Him outright, not even in His severely weakened, wounded state.

Unless, like the God of Agony, He was in the midst of Return—because only by shattering that Return could victory be achieved.

Thus, though the nail exploded with devastating force, it did not bring about the True God’s demise.

But… it shattered His True God state!

His aura plummeted sharply; His realm collapsed!

Consequently, the terror of His divine arts waned drastically, causing the anomalies afflicting the group to reverse instantly.

Though this sequence seems long in telling, in truth it unfolded in the blink of an eye. Now, as the shriek echoed, the fallen elder god’s eyes blazed with murderous fury—he prepared to retaliate.

But at that very moment, His pupils contracted violently, and His body recoiled abruptly.

For… from the distant starfield, waves of cultivator auras were rushing closer at terrifying speed.

They were the Nianlin Army, responding to the message Xu Qing’s group had sent earlier.

They were arriving!

Seeing this, the elder god turned immediately toward the goddess’s teleportation array—but almost the instant He retreated, Xing Mo, standing within the array, suddenly spoke in a cold, sharp voice:

“Detonate yourself. Slay this being!”

“Your resurrection shall surely be your own—and my Father God Himself will personally guide you back!”

“This is my oath to you, sworn upon my own bloodline!”

Xing Mo raised his hand—and pointed directly at Xu Qing!

The elder god’s body froze mid-motion.