Chapter 728: Formation of Heavenly Punishment (Three chapters, 9,200 words, requesting monthly tickets)

Chapter 728: The Heavenly Execution Plot (A mega-chapter of over 9,200 words, voting tokens requested)

Zhang Yu knew that Perfected Lord Taihao spoke the truth.

At least until his magical energy ran dry, and before his adversaries could unravel his "Kunlun within the Palm," the more foes that swarmed him, the more formidable his combat prowess became.

Throughout his clash with Taihao and the twenty-one other Nascent Soul experts, Zhang Yu continuously used the technique to expand and contract the surrounding space, warping the enemy offenses so they clashed and interfered with one another, or—stealthily—drawing them into the dimension forged by the immortal's descendant.

As his magical energy drained rapidly, the attacks Zhang Yu funneled into that pocket dimension grew increasingly numerous.

Ten exchanges... twenty exchanges... thirty exchanges...

By the time Zhang Yu's magical energy dipped below ten thousand units, the dimension of the immortal's descendant had already bottled up over a hundred offenses from the likes of Perfected Lord Liujin and Perfected Lord Huanqie.

Raging, tempestuous forces surged and roared within, yet the pocket dimension held firm like an indestructible cage, ruthlessly compressing that destructive power further... and further... and further...

Until this very moment, like a nuclear payload being detonated, Zhang Yu threw open the threshold to the immortal's descendant's space, unleashing the trapped fury within...

The heavily compressed energy burst forth like a broken dam, howling out in an instant with a cataclysmic, world-ending momentum.

The horrifying force immediately engulfed Zhang Yu's nearby silhouette, before expanding rapidly like a rising sun, swallowing the surrounding Nascent Soul lords one by one.

"What is this..."

In that split second, Perfected Lord Tianzhang's eyes locked onto the front, discerning the overlapping elements of earthly fire, wind, water, sword-qi thunderclaps, and lightning-fire astral fiend-qi... a chaotic medley of disparate, unrelated, and even contradictory forces erupting simultaneously.

Warning: Fatal threat detected ahead, evacuate immediately.

Warning: Spiritual realm signal decaying abnormally, please initiate self-diagnostic.

Warning: High concentration of fiend-qi pollution detected in the air.

A screen full of various danger warnings flashed before Tianzhang's eyes, continuously blaring the imminent peril ahead.

At the same time, the magical armor encasing Tianzhang's body operated at full capacity, and amidst a reverse gale of wind, he retreated frantically into the distance.

If Tianzhang, who had not even entered the primary blast zone, felt such a dire threat, what of the Nascent Soul lords bearing the brunt of it?

"Run!"

That was the last cry Perfected Lord Liujin heard in the combat communication channel.

In the next instant, he felt an aura erupt from Zhang Yu that resembled the combined might of over a hundred Nascent Soul lords.

In that flash of time, it felt as though more than a hundred Nascent Soul masters had struck simultaneously, unleashing a continuous cascade of earth-shattering, lethal techniques upon him.

Roar!

With a desperate bellow, Liujin, like a dying beast in its final throes, burned his cultivation to its absolute limit; his magical energy, Dao-heart, and physical durability plummeted drastically.

His Nascent Soul, which had already assumed the form of an infant, underwent a strange regression, as if trying to revert to its prenatal state.

Yet even so, he could feel his body fracturing, his meridians snapping inch by inch, as he marched step by step toward demise.

A roar still echoed in his mind, urging him to persevere.

"Hold on!"

Though he knew not how Zhang Yu had achieved this, Liujin could sense that Zhang Yu had released the exact techniques they had used to besiege him, all in a single breath.

"Zhang Yu himself is being attacked! Positioned at the very epicenter of the blast, he must be suffering the greatest damage! Moreover, according to our calculations, his magical energy is nearly spent. If we can just outlast him..."

But in the next heartbeat, to Liujin's absolute horror, a figure emerged from the blazing radiance and gripped his head tightly.

Staring at Zhang Yu, who had shed his armor, and noting only minor scuffs upon his body, Liujin's mind filled with disbelief: "How is this possible?! Why is he so lightly wounded?"

As for his own condition, Zhang Yu felt no surprise at all. Under the augmentation of his physical divine ability formed by the thirteen layers of Dao foundations, suffering similar attacks in a short period only heightened his adaptability, granting him targeted defensive enhancements.

During the prior battle, Zhang Yu had intentionally controlled the tempo, occasionally allowing his physical body to take minor hits to stack these specific defenses.

"Absorbing their attacks while stacking defenses tailored against those very strikes..."

Zhang Yu mused internally: "Thus, when I release the energy from the pocket dimension all at once, my resistance to these forces is already incredibly high, naturally suppressing the damage to a minimum."

Furthermore, the effect of his Level 3 Green Lotus Sword Embryo allowed him to continuously siphon a portion of the incoming energy to mend his bodily injuries, ensuring an extra layer of safety.

The Level 3 Deep Freeze Dharma Meridian served as his ultimate insurance, instantly freezing any excessively damaged areas before accelerating their recovery.

Ordinary injuries were mended by the bodily vitalization of the Crippled Ox Sacrificial Mind Sutra.

Of course, had he not feared damaging the Heaven-Rending War God Armor and taken it off, Zhang Yu believed his defense would have been even higher, allowing him to navigate the explosion with greater ease.

Reflecting on this, Zhang Yu could not help but sigh inwardly: "Absorbing attacks, shifting attacks, deflecting attacks, stacking defense, converting damage to healing, coupled with self-regeneration and self-mending... To be honest, I wouldn't even want to fight myself."

At this moment, Liujin stared at Zhang Yu, sensing a flash of pity in the youth's eyes.

In the next breath, a blistering frost surged from Zhang Yu's palm, pouring directly into Liujin's body and gradually freezing his form solid.

Naturally, Zhang Yu merely used the Deep Freeze Dharma Meridian to immobilize the foe's body, offering no healing. Simultaneously, Zhang Yu swept his gaze across the area, noting several other Nascent Soul lords who had been blasted to death on the spot, thinking to himself: "Consider yourselves lucky to have escaped."

Zhang Yu understood that for the Righteous Qi Alliance, which possessed methods of resurrection, dying on the battlefield still left hope for a revival, whereas being captured meant an absolute loss of any chance to turn the tables.

Thus, after casually suppressing Liujin, Zhang Yu dashed like lightning toward another heavily wounded Nascent Soul lord.

Perfected Lord Taihao watched as Zhang Yu systematically suppressed four severely injured Nascent Soul lords, watched the remaining ten or so wounded masters scatter and flee in all directions, and watched Tianzhang and the others on the periphery close in to intercept them.

Taihao knew that in this battle... he had lost once more.

Taihao's mind continuously replayed the events of the clash from start to finish.

"To deal with Zhang Yu, a coordinated siege is absolutely the worst choice."

"From the very beginning, we shouldn't have tried to surround and kill him. He possesses little inherent destructive power; we should have treated him as non-existent. After I alone held him at bay, the others should have gone together to slaughter those impoverished wretches below."

"Even if he dragged us back with his 'Kunlun within the Palm,' we should have kept charging outward, letting him waste his magical energy for nothing..."

The more he analyzed it, the more regret consumed Taihao. He realized their strategy had been flawed from the outset, leading them into an increasingly passive and disadvantaged position.

"If only I were given another chance, next time I will definitely..."

Just as the thought surfaced, Taihao assessed his current state and knew that everything was beyond redemption.

During Zhang Yu's recent onslaught, Taihao, who had been positioned near Zhang Yu's other hand, had likewise suffered catastrophic injuries. Had it not been for Zhang Yu's deliberate restraint, he likely would have perished entirely in the blast.

Yet to Taihao, dying outright might have been a mercy.

Unlike now, where after being severely incapacitated, his entire body was completely frozen by wisps of frost, leaving him incapable of doing anything except think.

With a soft thud, Taihao, still frozen in a kneeling posture, plummeted to the earth below.

Chang Buxiu and several departing vocational college students looked in astonishment at the kneeling Taihao who had fallen right before them.

The next moment, Zhang Yu's words were projected before them.

Zhang Yu: Drop him off downstairs for me on your way out. Someone will pick him up later.

Zhang Yu: [1 Spirit Coin]

"True Lord Zhuyi transferred money to me!"

Upon receiving Zhang Yu's transfer, Chang Buxiu and the others immediately grew excited, swiftly surrounding the kneeling Taihao.

Watching these vocational students stand before him, and even begin taking photos and videos of his kneeling form, a sense of profound sorrow washed over Taihao's heart.

"To think that I, Taihao, have knelt to Golden Cores, knelt to Nascent Souls, knelt to Soul Formations, knelt to principals, and knelt to disciples of immortals throughout my life—all of whom were favored children of heaven and geniuses of the immortal path—only to kneel before this bunch of immortal dregs today."

...

On the other side, after Perfected Lord Tianzhang and his companions suppressed several more Nascent Soul lords, the remaining enemies had completely retreated.

Lord Tianzhang approached Zhang Yu with a deeply respectful expression and asked, “My lord, how shall we deal with these people?”

In Lord Tianzhang’s eyes, the Zhang Yu standing before him was no longer the penniless, powerless, and talentless civil engineering student he once knew—but rather a super-wealthy magnate far richer, more influential, and mightier than himself.

Zhang Yu replied casually, “Just lock them up following standard procedure. You all go ahead with your duties—I don’t need any attention.”

As he spoke, Zhang Yu activated his Tai Xu Cloud Vault, summoning forth once more the Heaven-Shattering War God Armor.

A flash of black light erupted, and a suit of armor materialized before him, swiftly encasing his body and transforming him into a towering giant.

This armor served as a personal combat platform: it seamlessly interfaced with Zhang Yu’s physical form and his arcane skeletal frame, while also allowing him to dynamically reshape its external plating—such as exposing his palms at will—to better channel the powers inherited from celestial ancestors.

Meanwhile, the pearl containing Fu Ji pulsed ever more violently, urgently urging, “I can barely suppress the call from the Heretical God Codex anymore—we must respond immediately!”

“Hurry! Find some secluded spot where no one can detect our connection to the Shadow Spirit Realm…”

Donning the armor anew, Zhang Yu shot forward in a blur of motion, arriving within moments at an isolated corner of the battlefield.

…

Within the Shadow Spirit Realm, Bao Shen had finally received a reply from Fu Shen.

Fu Shen: What is it?

Bao Shen: Fu Shen, why haven’t you responded until now?

Fu Shen: I’ve been busy. I’m not some idle servant waiting around for your orders all day.

Bao Shen: Then where are you right now?

Fu Shen: Asking such a private question outright? Is that polite?

Fu Shen: Just tell me—what do you actually need?

Reading Fu Shen’s response, Bao Shen wasn’t surprised. After all, it was common practice among heretical gods never to reveal their real-world locations lightly.

Bao Shen: The Ten Academies are searching for the outer array nodes of the Grand Formation. These nodes are critical to the formation’s operation—have your followers assist in defending them as much as possible.

At that moment, the information before Bao Shen shifted again.

“From the exact instant Fu Shen replied… it means she couldn’t respond safely just before that moment—but by the next, she no longer feared exposure…”

Using this timestamp as a reference point, Bao Shen filtered through all combatants on the battlefield who had concluded their fights shortly before or after that precise moment.

One by one, avatars appeared—and among them were Lord Tianzhang, Lord Taihao, and Zhang Yu himself.

…

Elsewhere, Fu Ji and Zhang Yu both exhaled in relief after ending their communication with Bao Shen.

Zhang Yu thought inwardly, “This Heretical God Codex is too troublesome. If it keeps summoning us mid-battle, I can’t possibly let Fu Ji openly communicate with the Shadow Spirit Realm in front of everyone—it’d be far too easy to get caught.”

At that thought, an idea began forming in his mind: “Perhaps… I should entrust Fu Ji to A Zhen—or maybe to Yu Xinghan.”

In Zhang Yu’s view, Fu Ji currently had three believers: himself, Bai Zhenzhen, and Yu Xinghan. Aside from himself, Bai Zhenzhen possessed the strongest capacity for self-preservation.

With that settled in his thoughts, Zhang Yu resolved to hand Fu Ji over to Yu Xinghan, who would then pass her directly into Bai Zhenzhen’s care for temporary safekeeping.

Fu Ji naturally had no objections—in fact, she felt a surge of eager anticipation: “Finally! I’m finally escaping Zhang Yu’s side!”

In the next instant, Zhang Yu vanished in a streak of light, hurtling toward the location prearranged with Yu Xinghan.

Simultaneously, intelligence regarding the current battle unfolded within his ocular implants.

On the fifth battlefield layer, the conflict had split cleanly into two distinct theaters: inner and outer.

Inside the Zhou Tian Milky Way Grand Formation lay a pure Nascent Soul battlefield. However, due to Fu Xian Tian’s interference via the *Hell-Soul Purification Sutra*, over half of the Ten Academies’ Nascent Soul cultivators had suffered severe power suppression. Now, under the leadership of Magnetic Pole Divine Lord and Greenwood Divine Lord, they were steadily retreating.

Outside the Zhou Tian Milky Way Grand Formation raged the domain of Foundation Establishment Lords—the Yuan Ying True Lords of both factions fiercely contended across 360 formation nodes scattered throughout the vast battlefield.

“According to observations by Master Magnetic Pole and the others,” Zhang Yu mused, “these 360 nodes are the key to breaking the grand formation. Seizing control of them would halt its operation entirely.”

“And judging by Bao Shen’s instruction to occupy those nodes, it seems that’s indeed the case.”

Yet as Zhang Yu studied the intelligence on the 360 formation nodes, a sense of foreboding crept into his heart.

For shortly after the Ten Academies’ Yuan Ying cultivators began searching for these nodes, they discovered—to their astonishment—that the nodes’ positions had started shifting, moving unpredictably.

“If the nodes keep relocating, we’ll have to scatter our forces even further to track them down—making it impossible to concentrate strength and break them one by one.”

Zhang Yu thought grimly, “This will only drag out the battle.”

Gazing toward the interior of the Zhou Tian Milky Way Grand Formation, he watched as the divine radiance of the Ten Academies’ Nascent Soul cultivators dimmed steadily. He knew time worked against them—they had to shatter the formation as soon as possible.

If another wave of Nascent Soul cultivators fell, even breaking the formation might come too late.

Just then, crimson characters projected across the sky announced the death of yet another Nascent Soul cultivator from the Ten Academies—a sight that weighed heavily upon the hearts of countless allied cultivators.

Zhang Yu thought quietly, “Only thirty-one left…”

Moments later, Zhang Yu met Yu Xinghan and handed over Fu Ji, now transformed into a black pearl.

“Xinghan,” he said gravely, “you must personally deliver ‘her’ into A Zhen’s hands. Under no circumstances should you reveal ‘her’ existence to anyone else.”

“And don’t believe a single word she says. If she shows even the slightest sign of mischief… don’t hesitate—destroy the pearl immediately.”

Hearing Zhang Yu’s warning, Fu Ji understood clearly: he was cautioning her not to recklessly grant wishes to believers.

She pouted inwardly, muttering to herself, “Tch. After all I’ve done for you, you still don’t trust me? Do I look like the kind of heretical god who’d rashly grant wishes?”

Yu Xinghan nodded solemnly. He fully grasped the gravity of the situation—the pearl in his hand was none other than a heretical deity incarnate.

“I give you my word,” he declared, “as long as I draw breath, I won’t let ‘her’ cause any trouble.”

After repeatedly emphasizing his instructions to Yu Xinghan and watching him depart, Zhang Yu turned his gaze once more toward the Zhou Tian Milky Way Grand Formation.

But he didn’t rush into action. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began restoring his spiritual energy.

Around him, cultivators swiftly gathered, tending to his armor and arcane skeleton, delivering arrays of magical treasures into his Tai Xu Cloud Vault.

Zhang Yu understood well: whether it was his arcane skeleton or his armor—anything material would suffer wear and tear, especially in such brutal combat.

Though his recent clash with Lord Taihao hadn’t inflicted severe damage, Zhang Yu knew he needed to maintain peak condition for the battles ahead.

Meanwhile, fresh intelligence about the formation nodes continuously streamed into his vision. As numerous Yuan Ying True Lords scouted, fought, and investigated ahead, they gradually uncovered patterns governing the nodes’ movements.

“If we can decipher these patterns quickly,” Zhang Yu reflected, “we won’t waste precious time searching blindly—the pace of seizing the nodes will accelerate dramatically…”

Just as this thought crossed his mind, someone he hadn’t seen in a long while contacted him.

“Master Xinghuo?” Zhang Yu asked in surprise, staring at the projection before him. “Have you already broken through to Yuan Ying?”

True Lord Xinghuo nodded casually. “I obtained my Yuan Ying certification from Qingmu. Don’t worry—I didn’t break through illegally.”

After briefly displaying his official certification, True Lord Xinghuo continued, “According to my investigation, this Zhou Tian Milky Way Grand Formation is actually a nested array—a dual-layered formation with inner and outer components intrinsically linked.”

“The inner array is the Zhou Tian Milky Way Grand Formation itself, designed to trap the Nascent Soul Divine Lords of both sects.”

“The outer array is the hidden Myriad Stars Grand Formation—the true key to unlocking the inner array.”

His expression tinged with nostalgia, True Lord Xinghuo added, “Back when I stood guard as a security officer at the sect, I studied this Myriad Stars Grand Formation.”

“This celestial array appears to have 360 formation nodes—but only one is genuine, known as the Array Eye. The remaining 359 are all decoys, utterly useless.”

“To break this formation, you must locate that single true Array Eye.”

“Moreover, not only do all 360 nodes shift constantly—the Array Eye itself jumps unpredictably among them. Any one of the 360 could be real; any could be false. Only by entering each node can you discern its authenticity…”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu’s brow furrowed sharply. Though True Lord Xinghuo had delivered crucial new intelligence, it only deepened Zhang Yu’s realization of just how formidable—and vexing—this outer formation truly was.

Zhang Yu said, “Doesn’t that mean, in the worst-case scenario, we’d have to inspect all 360 array nodes thoroughly and leave detection mechanisms at each one before we could possibly locate the true core?”

After revealing all he knew to Zhang Yu, Starfire True Lord continued, “Precisely. That is precisely what makes the Grand Stellar Array so vexing.”

“Given your current standing, you’ll lend far more credibility if you release this intelligence yourself. As for how best to use it—that’s entirely up to you.”

Once his conversation with Zhang Yu ended, Starfire True Lord gazed at the array node before him and thought silently, “Something still feels off. It’s as though… I’ve overlooked some crucial detail.”

…

Meanwhile, on another front, Zhang Yu uploaded the intelligence received from Starfire True Lord to the Ten Great Academies.

After deliberation, the academies began transporting detection talismans from their rear bases, intending to search for array nodes while simultaneously planting these devices to continuously verify whether any given node was the true core.

While Zhang Yu rested and conferred with leaders from various institutions, another message arrived—from Zhang Pianpian.

Zhang Pianpian: Meet me at the usual place.

Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered; he immediately headed for the Supreme Clarity Realm.

As the realm’s twentyfold time acceleration activated, Zhang Yu turned to the projection of Zhang Pianpian before him and asked, “Sister, what’s happened?”

Zhang Pianpian regarded him calmly, then lightly tapped her fingertip. A blueprint instantly flew forth.

Not long after the heavens had split open, Zhang Pianpian had harnessed the computational might of the Divine Power Network, synthesizing every scrap of intelligence available in the Spirit Realm to simulate unfolding developments.

Upon recognizing the Ten Great Academies’ current disadvantage, she swiftly accessed all surviving data from the fifth stratum of Kunxu.

Though the orthodox deities had vanished without a trace, the Divine Power Network across the entire fifth stratum remained ceaselessly active.

Surveillance systems, detection arrays, weather regulators—all crafted through divine power—operated day and night without pause.

By tapping into this vast reservoir of data, Zhang Pianpian reconstructed the construction timelines of both the Celestial River Grand Array and the Grand Stellar Array by the Righteous Qi Alliance.

Then, leveraging the network’s immense processing power, she extrapolated the shifting trajectories of the Grand Stellar Array’s 360 nodes across the land.

“I’ve included my full simulation of the nodes’ movements,” Zhang Pianpian said. “This map should significantly accelerate your search.”

Gazing at the array diagram she’d sent, Zhang Yu’s heart leapt with hope. “Sister, can we now pinpoint the core using this chart?”

Zhang Pianpian frowned slightly. “The core?”

Zhang Yu promptly relayed Starfire True Lord’s intelligence.

Zhang Pianpian shook her head. “I only deduced the current movement patterns of the array nodes based on the Righteous Qi Alliance’s construction records. But once the array activates, the rules governing its core’s behavior—only the one who laid the array would know that.”

Zhang Yu sighed. Though they couldn’t directly locate the core, confirming the nodes’ shifting paths was still valuable.

Just then, Zhang Pianpian suddenly asked, “Brother, have you ever considered temporarily abandoning the fifth stratum?”

Zhang Yu blinked in surprise, then replied firmly, “Unless absolutely unavoidable, I won’t take that step.”

Zhang Pianpian smiled faintly—his answer was exactly as she’d expected.

She said nothing further, merely nodding and urging him to stay cautious.

As his projection faded away, Zhang Pianpian turned back and reactivated the Divine Power Network’s Chaotic Mandate Algorithm.

Countless streams of information and intelligence, combined with observations of fate-lines and causal karmic calculations, yielded no clear sequence—but produced a consistent, albeit hazy, outcome.

An outcome she’d already computed over ten thousand times, always arriving at the same result.

A verdict worse than “Great Calamity” or “Utter Doom.”

“Heaven’s Judgment…”

Zhang Pianpian exhaled deeply. In her eyes, the fifth stratum of Kunxu was already a realm of certain death, thick with miasmic qi.

“Though the Chaotic Mandate Algorithm offers only vague conclusions, its accuracy has never been low.”

“Heaven’s Judgment… Even Fu Xian Tian’s proposed plan to detonate the entire fifth stratum likely wouldn’t trigger such a fate.”

“In fact, nothing within strata two through five should possess the power to invoke Heaven’s Judgment.”

“So… it must have been brought down from above.”

“No wonder a Greater Deity personally intervened.”

“What… exactly did that man bring down from above?”

With that thought, Zhang Pianpian’s eyes once again filled with torrents of data from the fifth stratum. She resolved to comb through every fragment of information stored in the Divine Power Network over the past year and more—to uncover precisely what Fu Xian Tian had done.

…

Once Zhang Yu released the array map, the Nascent Soul True Lords of the Ten Great Academies sprang into action immediately, scattering in all directions toward different nodes, racing to identify the true core as swiftly as possible.

Zhang Yu, however, did not rush. He waited until his artifact-body and armor were fully maintained, his stamina and spiritual energy restored to peak condition, and his supply of talismans replenished—only then did he set out.

His ocular implants flickered, and the entire map of Kunxu’s fifth stratum materialized before him.

Three hundred and sixty moving dots dotted the landscape—some black, indicating undiscovered nodes; others red, marking those already found but confirmed not to be the core.

Additionally, he could see the names of individual Nascent Soul True Lords moving across the map, along with the nodes they were investigating, locations of ongoing battles, and probable positions of hostile Nascent Soul cultivators.

“Those closest to me…”

Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened. “Tianxiang True Lord and Tuntian True Lord—locked in combat at a nearby array node?”

He recalled Qingmu God-Lord mentioning Tianxiang True Lord—he’d been one of the examiners when Zhang Yu obtained his Military Civil Engineering Certification, and had supported him at the time.

In the next instant, clad in his Sky-Shattering War God Armor, Zhang Yu shot skyward like a bolt of black lightning, cleaving the heavens as he raced toward the battlefield.

…

With a thunderous explosion,

Tianxiang True Lord was flung outward like a meteor, smashing through several mountain peaks before barely halting midair.

But scarcely had he steadied himself when an enormous fist slammed down upon his skull, hammering him earthward like a falling star and triggering tremors akin to an 8.0-magnitude earthquake.

Boom!

Shaking off shattered rock and debris, Tianxiang True Lord lifted his head—and saw Tuntian True Lord descending slowly from above.

His expression grim, Tianxiang True Lord demanded, “Who are you? How do you know so many of our academy’s martial techniques?”

He wasn’t unfamiliar with Tuntian True Lord’s name.

After all, the latter’s reputation in the Shadow Spirit Realm was colossal—rumored to master more cultivation arts than any other Nascent Soul in this age. It was said he knew every discipline from all Ten Great Academies inside and out, and that the copyright infringement fines calculated against him alone could buy half of Kunxu’s fifth stratum.

Such fame had even spilled beyond the Shadow Spirit Realm, becoming common lore among spirit-born races throughout the Spirit Realm.

Tianxiang True Lord had always dismissed these tales as exaggerations.

In his view, no matter how gifted a cultivator might be, or how rapid their progress, it was impossible to truly master techniques from every school and lineage.

Thus, he’d assumed it was mere propaganda by the Righteous Qi Alliance.

Until just moments ago—when Tuntian True Lord unleashed over a dozen military-grade martial arts from Heavenly Demon University in rapid succession, overwhelming him completely and leaving him utterly defenseless.

Now, hearing Tianxiang True Lord’s question, Tuntian True Lord sneered. From his simian maw, twin fangs erupted, crackling with traces of chaotic, malevolent energy as he declared, “I am the direct disciple of the Great Sage himself—the new generation’s Demon Sage. You may call me Tuntian True Lord… or address me as Tuntian Great Sage.”

Tianxiang True Lord retorted sharply, “Still hiding behind masks? If you never studied at Heavenly Demon University, how could you possibly have learned so many of our techniques?”

At this, Tuntian True Lord snorted coldly. His tail lashed the air with a sharp crack.

With haughty disdain, he proclaimed, “Are Heavenly Demon University’s martial arts truly so difficult? They’re nothing but cheap imitations of the Great Sage’s original teachings. A few glances were enough for me to master them.”

With those words, Tuntian True Lord moved—plunging from the sky like a sun-piercing comet, hurtling straight toward Tianxiang True Lord.

A thunderous explosion roared as their bodies collided, shaking the mountains for hundreds of miles into violent undulations.

Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord cried out in shock, “The Sumeru Mountain King Scripture? You actually know this martial art too?!”

The Sumeru Mountain King Scripture was the signature military-grade cultivation technique of the Civil Engineering Department at Tianyao University.

Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord clearly didn’t recall anyone like this figure existing within the Civil Engineering Circle—but the way his opponent wielded the Sumeru Mountain King Scripture was masterful beyond measure. Every punch and kick unleashed torrents of overwhelming force that pinned him down, while all recoil energy was seamlessly redirected into the emerging mountain ranges, shattering entire chains of peaks into dust—yet leaving his assailant utterly unscathed.

Bang!

Swallowing Heaven True Lord seized Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord by the throat and, with a savage bite, tore off a huge chunk of flesh from his body.

Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord roared in fury, thrashing violently—but he could only feel his captor’s strength surge endlessly, crushing him without mercy before tearing away a second hunk of meat in short order.

In mere moments, Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord was reduced to a bloodied, mangled wreck—fully one-third devoured alive by Swallowing Heaven True Lord.

With a wretched howl, he snarled, “You keep prattling on about being the Great Sage’s heir, some so-called Demon Saint—yet now you devour your own kind?”

Swallowing Heaven True Lord’s fangs pierced through a massive slab of flesh from Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord’s chest as a low growl rumbled from his throat: “My own kind?”

“Don’t get it twisted, demon scum.”

“In my eyes, you may rank slightly above human trash—but you’re still just edible units. Especially filth like you who’ve sold out to the Ten Academies and willingly serve as Heaven’s lapdogs.”

“All demons were born from the Great Sage. By consuming you now, I merely return your life to him—to its origin…”

With those words, Swallowing Heaven True Lord bit down again, ripping another great mouthful from Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord’s chest.

Just as Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord lay gasping on the brink of death, a shadow shot forth like black lightning.

Sensing imminent danger, Swallowing Heaven Great Sage’s fur bristled violently. He jerked up his blood-drenched face, beastly pupils locking onto the incoming figure.

Snap!

The newcomer clasped his hands together—and darkness instantly swallowed everything around them, dragging Swallowing Heaven True Lord into an abyss of endless night.

At that very instant, Swallowing Heaven True Lord felt his grip lighten—the mangled remains of Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord had vanished from his grasp.

“Candleflame!”

Roaring furiously within the absolute dark, Swallowing Heaven True Lord instinctively lashed out with a devastating right hook.

Boom!

As light returned, Swallowing Heaven True Lord’s colossal fist clashed squarely against Zhang Yu’s palm. A cataclysmic shockwave erupted from their collision, whipping up gales that churned the pulverized mountains into a sandstorm-like maelstrom.

Swallowing Heaven True Lord’s fangs lengthened menacingly as he glared at Zhang Yu—who had not only blocked his punch but also rescued Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord with his other hand.

Their powers locked in fierce contest, Swallowing Heaven True Lord sneered, “So you want a bite too? Just say so—but don’t go stealing.”

Zhang Yu replied coldly, “I’m human. Not some beast that eats indiscriminately.”

Hearing this, Swallowing Heaven True Lord’s eyes flashed with rage. “You’re asking for death!”

He immediately launched another brutal punch straight at Zhang Yu.

Empowered by his 333 Platinum Sovereign Artifacts, the Sky-Shattering War God Armor, and his formidable physical cultivations, Zhang Yu firmly caught the second blow—but his body still staggered backward a step.

Yet Swallowing Heaven True Lord gave him no reprieve. Fist, palm, kick, finger—even his tail lashed like a steel whip or iron staff—as he unleashed a storm of military-grade martial arts, threatening to engulf Zhang Yu entirely.

“This demon monkey…” Zhang Yu realized instantly: in close-quarters combat, he stood no chance. His opponent’s techniques overwhelmed him completely, and his raw physical output surpassed even Zhang Yu’s artifact-enhanced might.

“No need to match him in melee…”

With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Yu tossed Heavenly Phenomenon True Lord clear of the battlefield and activated Palm-Zhong Kunlun.

Space warped violently—and the once-frenzied Swallowing Heaven True Lord shrank instantly into a monkey no larger than an egg, cradled helplessly in Zhang Yu’s palm.

But in the next heartbeat, Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened.

Within his palm, Swallowing Heaven True Lord clenched his fists—and waves of earth-shattering gravitational force erupted forth.

“The Heaven-Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Strength?” Zhang Yu stared in surprise; he hadn’t expected the demon to have mastered even this military-grade art.

At that very moment, as Zhang Yu held Swallowing Heaven True Lord aloft—

The earth trembled. Countless tons of stone, animated by both Heaven-Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Strength and the Sumeru Mountain King Scripture, coalesced into a titanic stone monkey whose city-sized hand gently reached toward Zhang Yu.

Its maw gaped wide, shaking heaven and earth, as Swallowing Heaven True Lord’s mocking laughter echoed forth: “Now then—who’s really in whose hands?”

(End of Chapter)