Chapter 26: Cataclysm

Ji Ning in white robes and Ji Ning in black Daoist robes stood side by side, gazing into the distance toward the direction of the Non-Abiding Gate. Although the Non-Abiding Gate was retreating, Ji Ning's heartforce still rippled outward like concentric rings, carefully probing every movement. At a time like this, no amount of caution was excessive, for the enemy camp included the Lord of All Demons!

"Hmm?" Ji Ning frowned slightly.

Just now, there seemed to be some fluctuation, but it was too subtle—he couldn't fully detect it.

Ji Ning glanced around in confusion and became even more cautious.

"Boom~~~" Suddenly, surging flames and endless waves of water drew upon the power of heaven and earth, rapidly manifesting and directly engulfing the armies of the Nuwa camp and the mighty cultivators of the Non-Abiding Gate.

"Fuxi, what are you doing!" The Three Purities, Tathagata, Shennong, and the others were greatly startled.

"No—"

The unsuspecting Celestial Immortals and True Immortals of the Nuwa camp had initially paid it no mind, because Fuxi was on their side. Previously, when he manipulated the 'Water-Fire Annihilation Formation,' the water and fire would automatically avoid their own side. But this time, the water and fire directly descended upon these Celestial Immortals and True Immortals. By the time they sensed something was wrong, it was already too late.

"Why."

"No."

"Fuxi!" Amid various anguished cries, countless immortals and demons perished under the raging, endless water and fire.

"Whoosh~~~"

Suddenly, streams of icy cold air swirled around, fiercely resisting the Water-Fire Annihilation Formation, blocking and holding back the water and fire. Snow lotuses floated in the void, and vast amounts of cold air completely held the Water-Fire Annihilation Formation at bay! Ji Ning, after all, was driving his power as a first-class Ancestral Immortal, while Fuxi was merely a third-class Ancestral Immortal.

Even though Fuxi's formation was more formidable, Ji Ning was still able to block it.

"How could this be..." Although Ji Ning had blocked it, he was still stunned and incredulous. He had become even more cautious after detecting that subtle fluctuation earlier, but when Fuxi struck, he was still shocked. Even though he had stopped it as quickly as possible, a great number of Celestial Immortals and True Immortals had already died.

"Senior apprentice-brother Jiang Jun, Senior apprentice-brother Jun Wu..." Ji Ning's heart ached, and he was dazed.

In that brief instant,

Under the terrifying Undying Flame and Lunar Dark Water... over thirty thousand Celestial Immortals and True Immortals died—far more than in the previous successive battles. Many of Ji Ning's friends, those he had met while traveling the Three Realms, with whom he had drunk and discussed the Dao, had died. Even many disciples of the Mount Fangcun lineage had perished.

"Hoo hoo hoo~~~" Thirty-six All-Heaven Snow Lotuses floated, with streams of cold air swirling around the armies of the Nuwa camp, while outside surged the towering Water-Fire Annihilation Formation.

Everyone in the Nuwa camp was stunned.

The death of so many Celestial Immortals and True Immortals left them dumbfounded.

And that the attacker was Fuxi left them even more dumbfounded.

"Gonggong!" A mournful cry rang out. Shennong stared incredulously at Gonggong beside him. Gonggong's eyes were icy cold, and his right hand had already pierced through Shennong's chest.

"Boom." Shennong's entire divine body annihilated. But before dying, there was grief and sorrow in Shennong's eyes. He uttered his final whisper: "Gonggong is dead..."

"Die." Gonggong said coldly.

"Kill."

"Kuafu, you..."

"It was Leishen who struck first."

"Kill."

A large-scale disturbance also suddenly erupted among the mighty cultivators of the Nuwa camp, with frenzied fighting.

All of this came too suddenly! Ji Ning, Buddha Tathagata, the Three Purities, Buddha Jueming, Houyi—each of them was stunned. First, Fuxi suddenly unleashed the 'Water-Fire Annihilation Formation,' as if intending to slaughter all Celestial Immortals and True Immortals with incomparably cruel extermination. Then, Ancestral God Gonggong and some other mighty cultivators suddenly launched sneak attacks!

"Stop."

"Cease."

Ji Ning, Buddha Jueming, the Three Purities, Buddha Tathagata, and others all moved. They had been observing their surroundings, so they knew exactly which mighty cultivators had struck first. They charged straight at those who had initiated the attacks.

"Go."

"Retreat."

Having launched their sneak attacks, these mighty cultivators immediately began to retreat swiftly.

"Stop." Ancestral God Gonggong stood in the void, his divine body transformed into a million li in size, surging waves of water swirling around him. His palm swept out, unleashing endless torrents.

"Boom."

The translucent golden divine sword formed by Ji Ning's Three Absolute Sword Formation collided with the towering waves, rumbling loudly, and was actually blocked.

"Gonggong is this strong?" Ji Ning was shocked. Earlier, Gonggong had fought with Old Man Yuan for so long, and in Ji Ning's eyes, Gonggong's strength didn't seem too great—probably weaker than himself. But now, Gonggong's power was clearly at the pinnacle of the Ancestral God level, and no one on either side of the Void battlefield dared claim to be stronger than Gonggong.

Only the deceased Heartforce Lord could be absolutely stronger than Gonggong.

Houyi, after all, was severely wounded and could no longer kill an Ancestral God.

…

"Mo Zhu." Lord Huanshu stared incredulously at the distant Ink Bamboo Daolord. "You, you…"

"Deep enough in hiding." Ink Bamboo Daolord shot him a cold glance, then turned and fled.

"Kill."

"Senior apprentice-brother, you…"

Among the mighty cultivators of the Unbound Gate, sudden betrayal and slaughter left even the Lord of All Demons stunned.

"Chase." The Lord of All Demons quickly recovered, his eyes filled with madness and murderous intent as he directly pursued the mighty cultivators who had struck first.

"Stop." Old Man Yuan, standing in the Unbound Gate camp, spoke softly and waved his horsetail whisk.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—countless white strands of the whisk danced like surging waves, momentarily blotting out the sky and shielding the large group of betraying mighty cultivators.

"Die." The Lord of All Demons' eyes blazed with killing intent. Holding a long shuttle, he had never wanted to kill anyone so badly. In the earlier battle between the two camps, only a few mighty cultivators had died, but this sudden ambush had cost them over twenty mighty cultivators! The loss drove the Lord of All Demons mad.

And Old Man Yuan, who protected these traitors, made the Lord of All Demons want to kill him even more.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh. The white strands of the whisk rolled and surged; no matter how the Lord of All Demons tried to break through, he couldn't advance a step.

The Lord of All Demons finally stopped, because the traitors on his side had all slipped away. He stared coldly at Old Man Yuan in the distance, who held his whisk and blocked everything. The traitors from the Unbound Gate and the Nuwa Camp, one by one, ran to Old Man Yuan like children to their parents.

…

The entire Void battlefield fell silent.

The Nuwa Camp had suffered heavy losses: over thirty thousand Celestial Immortals and True Immortals dead, and over twenty mighty cultivators slain. Fortunately, Ji Ning had blocked the 'Water and Fire World-Destroying Formation,' or the losses would have been even greater.

As for the Unbound Gate, although their Celestial Immortals and True Immortals had been collected early by their mighty cultivators, over twenty of those mighty cultivators had died. Since the Unbound Gate had fewer mighty cultivators than the Nuwa Camp, proportionally they lost more. With the mighty cultivators dead, the Celestial Immortals and True Immortals they had collected were taken away by the traitors—the outcome was predictable.

Both camps glared into the distance.

In the distance…

Old Man Yuan held his whisk, a smile on his face. Behind him stood a group of towering mighty cultivators: Gonggong, Fuxi, Ink Bamboo Daolord, and over thirty other True Gods and Daolords.

For a moment, the force under Old Man Yuan's command was no weaker than either of the two camps.

"Your Nuwa Camp lost over thirty thousand Celestial Immortals and True Immortals," Old Man Yuan said with a smile. "To be fair, children, release the Unbound Gate's Celestial Immortals and True Immortals."

"Yes."

Immediately, the traitorous mighty cultivators from the Unbound Gate released a large number of Celestial Immortals and True Immortals.

The Unbound Gate had lost over twenty mighty cultivators killed, and more than ten had turned traitor, so the number of Celestial Immortals and True Immortals released was nearly thirty thousand! Given that the Unbound Gate had already suffered heavy losses in the earlier battle, thirty thousand represented the majority of their Celestial Immortals and True Immortals.

"All die." Old Man Yuan smiled calmly. The white strands of his whisk had long since coiled around every Celestial Immortal and True Immortal. Before they could react, sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle—they were all crushed to death.

"No."

"Stop."

Lord Huanshu, the Lord of All Demons, and the others all had bloodshot eyes, but it was useless. Nearly thirty thousand Celestial Immortals and True Immortals were annihilated.

…

Slaughtering nearly thirty thousand Celestial Immortals and True Immortals so casually chilled and enraged both the Unbound Gate and the Nuwa Camp. They all stared at Old Man Yuan in the distance and the large group of mighty cultivators behind him.

"They are all dead." Buddha Tathagata spoke with pain in his voice. "These traitors, they are all dead."