In less than the span of a single breath, Ma Qian was crippled. Even the Ring of Radiance bestowed upon him by the Immortal Dynasty was forcibly ripped from his Purple Mansion by Gu Qingfeng.
No one present could understand. Gu Qingfeng had clearly failed his Golden Core formation, so why was the power of his true form still so terrifyingly formidable?
Could it be that he hadn't failed?
No!
Impossible!
His entire body showed no trace of spiritual aura, and his cultivation was utterly lost. How could he not have failed?
Could it be that even after failing, he hadn't suffered severe injuries?
No!
That was also impossible!
Everyone could sense Gu Qingfeng's aura was extremely weak. How could he be uninjured?
In that case, why was the power of his true form still this overwhelmingly strong?
They did not know.
No one knew. Not even Su Hua, who had lived two lives and was hailed as one who understood celestial fate above and earthly geomancy below, was completely baffled.
Gu Qingfeng stood on the ground, fury churning in his brow and eyes. His snow-white robe was especially conspicuous in the night, like frigid frost.
Ma Qian knelt on the ground, covered in blood. With his Primordial Spirit extinguished, his cultivation crippled, and now bereft of the Ring of Radiance's protection, he was already half-dead.
"Before your father's spirit in heaven, kowtow for me!"
Gu Qingfeng's voice rang out, ancient and tyrannical, as if it came from the Nine Heavens or the Nine Netherworlds, chilling the soul and inspiring fear.
"Kowtow in gratitude for your father's gift of life!"
Bang!
Gu Qingfeng slapped him, and Ma Qian's head smashed viciously against the ground, splitting open and bleeding.
"Kowtow again for your father's gift of upbringing!"
Bang!
Another slap. Ma Qian's head smashed against the ground once more, his hair tearing loose.
"Kowtow a third time for your father's gift of education!"
Bang!
Ma Qian's head struck the ground, his skin splitting, his meridians shattering!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Gu Qingfeng slapped him again and again. Ma Qian's head smashed against the ground time after time, until he was beaten out of human shape, until he had only breath entering his body and none leaving it. Faintly, it seemed one could hear his cries for help...
"Great Lord...
Save me...
Elder...
Kill...
him..." Though Ma Qian's voice was weak, many were using their divine senses to scan the area and could hear his pleas clearly.
People couldn't help but look up, gazing at the twelve Royal Lords and twenty-four Virtuous Dao Venerables in the sky. Their faces were all exceptionally grim. This included even Jing Yun, hailed as the First among the Kings Above, and Daozun Bai Xuan, who was said to have survived five Lifespan Tribulations and one Transformation Tribulation.
Whether it was due to sensing the crowd's doubtful gazes or simply because of his own pride, the expression on Jing Yun's handsome face fluctuated violently, alternating between pale and flushed. He shouted, "Gu Qingfeng! Stop this at once!"
No one paid him any heed.
Gu Qingfeng continued smashing Ma Qian's head.
"I! Order! You! To! Stop!"
Jing Yun roared each word with concentrated force.
It was useless.
Gu Qingfeng acted as if he hadn't heard.
"Stop!"
Whoosh!
With a mighty shout from Jing Yun, thunderclaps exploded in the heavens.
A vast, rolling wave of sonic might swept forth.
Yet.
It was still useless.
Gu Qingfeng was completely unaffected.
"Great Lord, Gu Qingfeng is mysterious and bizarre, no ordinary foe. You must not act rashly..." Beside him, Daozun Bai Xuan, worried that Jing Yun might impulsively attack Gu Qingfeng, began to advise him, but before he could finish, Jing Yun's figure had already vanished. By the time Bai Xuan reacted, Jing Yun had appeared directly above Gu Qingfeng.
"Stop!"
Whoosh!
Brilliant light erupted from Jing Yun's body!
The might of his Primordial Spirit!
The might of his Treasure Body!
The might of his Heritage!
The might of the Great Mystery!
The might of Radiance!
...
Jing Yun summoned every ounce of his seven or eight types of Fortune, attempting to suppress Gu Qingfeng.
For a moment, various Fortunes erupted wildly. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, wind and rain raged, the Five Elements evolved. The seventy-two-fold might of the Great Natural Order's chromatic spirits once again swept forth.
Yet.
It was equally ineffective!
Gu Qingfeng didn't even spare him a glance, couldn't be bothered to acknowledge him, and continued smashing Ma Qian's head. Jing Yun's full display of Fortune's power couldn't even suppress Gu Qingfeng, couldn't even stir the hem of his robe or a single strand of his hair.
Ineffective meant ineffective!
No matter how profound your Fortune, it was useless!
If one attempt failed!
Even a billion attempts would fail!
Jing Yun was the First of the Twelve Royal Lords and the eldest disciple of the Nine-Hua Alliance's Chief. With this status, even the reincarnated powerhouses lying dormant within the Nine-Hua Alliance dared not disrespect him. Relying on his various Fortunes, none in the Four Great Regions dared provoke him. Even Primal Soul old monsters couldn't withstand his seventy-two-fold might of the Great Natural Order. He had never imagined that after summoning all his Fortunes and the might of the Great Natural Order, employing every trick in his arsenal, he still couldn't budge a cripple who had failed his Golden Core formation and was severely injured!
His arrogance would not allow it!
His self-respect would not allow it!
His face would not allow it even more!
"Gu Qingfeng! I refuse to believe I can't shake you!"
Enraged, Jing Yun leaped into the air, summoning a white jade halberd. As he raised it with both hands, it seemed as if the wind and clouds changed color!
Boom!
—Crack!
Tens of millions of purple-gold lightning bolts descended, all gathering within that white jade halberd.
Ziyang and the other twelve Chixiao People knew this move of Jing Yun's was exceptionally formidable. They instantly flashed to appear around Gu Qingfeng, preparing for any mishap. Blood-Killing Aura and Dragon-Elephant Spirits erupted instantly.
"Attack!"
Seeing this, Daozun Bai Xuan hesitated no longer. He knew if anything happened to Jing Yun, he himself would not survive.
He knew, and the other twenty-four Virtuous Dao Venerables knew as well. They all moved to attack.
"Kill! Everyone, attack and kill the demon surnamed Gu!"
"Kill!"
The sect masters of the various major factions had long been unable to restrain themselves. Seeing the Nine-Hua Alliance's Twelve Royal Lords and Twenty-Four Virtuous Dao Venerables all taking action, they too roared, unleashing their spiritual power and casting immortal arts.
A great battle was about to erupt!
At this moment.
Gu Qingfeng paid no attention, continuing to smash Ma Qian's skull until, before his father's spirit in heaven, he had forced eighty-one kowtows. Only then did he stop. But Ma Qian was no longer Ma Qian; he had long ceased to resemble a human.
Was it over?
No!
Gu Qingfeng delivered another slap and roared, "You will kowtow for every day you have lived. If you don't kowtow enough, even if you want to die today, I won't give you that chance. Kowtow!"
Bang!
Another palm strike. Ma Qian continued to kowtow!
At that moment, a furious roar came from the sky: "Gu Qingfeng! Go to hell!"
Jing Yun, with all his Fortunes erupting, radiating ten-thousand-zhang brilliance, the seventy-two-fold chromatic spirits evolving through the Five Elements, wielding the white jade halberd that gathered tens of millions of purple-gold lightning bolts, descended from above amidst rolling dark clouds. Like a Thunder God of War, he charged directly at Gu Qingfeng.
"With just you, you dare dream of killing me?"
Gu Qingfeng stood on the ground with his hands behind his back, glanced up at Jing Yun—but it was only a glance—and suddenly roared, "Get down here!"
The might of that single shout was like divine thunder from the Nine Heavens, shaking the firmament, making thunderous echoes roll.
It was also like a demonic howl from the Nine Netherworlds, shaking the earth, causing the Great Natural Order to undergo abnormal changes.
Like the roar of Purgatory from the depths of the Abyssal Hell, it shattered Jing Yun's robes, split his skin, shattered his meridians, and made blood flow from all seven orifices!
It was also like the tyrannical fury from ancient times, its overwhelming might scattering Jing Yun's Primordial Spirit, shattering his Purple Mansion, ruining his foundation, dispersing his Great Mystery, extinguishing his Radiance. All his Fortunes were shattered and scattered by the shockwave. He plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground. Jing Yun was no longer the arrogantly self-assured First of the Twelve Royal Lords.
(Agh, I only realized after waking up this morning that yesterday's scheduled auto-update was wrong! ! ! ! , my sincere apologies! ! )