Chapter 636: Creation Divine Ring
Tần Mục stared blankly at the giant fish swimming among the ancient undersea ruins—each one with three heads and six fins—his mind shaken, and he blurted out: "You mean to say these fish are gods and demons from the Xích Minh era?"
"Not just fish—there are other sea beasts too!"
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng looked toward other areas, where giant sea monsters also swam, likewise with three heads and six arms, with enormous webbed membranes stretching between arm and arm. When they swam, the membranes flapped up and down, propelling them at incredible speed, extremely agile in the water.
Besides these sea beasts, there were also three-headed, six-armed sea serpent demons—some with male heads, some with female heads—sporting arms and flat serpent tails, also swimming toward these ruins.
Tần Mục also spotted walking plants, resembling coral or other undersea trees, each bearing three crowns, while the branches splitting from their trunks were inevitably six in number.
And in the water drifted strange things like sea anemones and jellyfish, also three-headed and six-armed. Some jellyfish even bore faces!
Their root-like tendrils undulated as if they had heard some barely perceptible call, swimming toward the undersea ruins.
"They haven't retained their intelligence?" Tần Mục asked in surprise.
These strange sea beasts and giant fish paid them no heed, merely drifting aimlessly through the ruins, emitting calls that were either deep and melodious or short and fierce.
They did not treat Tần Mục and the First Ancestor as intruders. They presumably had not awakened their intelligence, remaining muddled and confused, simply following the summons to come here.
"They have no intelligence."
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng led him before a giant fish. That great fish, dazed and confused, examined the two tiny figures before it with its enormous eyes, quickly lost interest, and swam away with a flick of its tail.
"It is only this way that they can avoid the Heavenly Court's detection and pursuit."
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng sighed softly, saying: "It seems they suffered the same catastrophic defeat as the Khai Hoàng era—utterly routed, with no strength to resist. So they took the initiative to transform themselves into mindless sea beasts and monsters, showing the Heavenly Court they posed no threat. That was how they escaped disaster."
The gods and demons of the Xích Minh era had altered their physical forms, and their primordial spirits should also have been sealed, turning them into creatures of the sea. Without their divine power and divine abilities, they naturally posed no threat.
They managed to survive.
Another group of Xích Minh era gods and demons had traveled far away, seeking a place to dwell and multiply.
"The one who summoned them here is Xích Khê—he has come to this place! Could he possess some means to restore these Xích Minh era beasts to their true forms, awakening their consciousness once more?"
Tần Mục mused: "No wonder he kept saying he had to return to his ancestral land. If all these giant beasts are gods and demons, then Xích Khê the Divine Man could instantly gather an army of tens of thousands of gods and demons! And then Diên Khang..."
He couldn't help but shiver.
More and more strange creatures gathered in the sea, of every conceivable kind. If all these colossal sea creatures transformed into three-headed, six-armed gods and demons and came ashore, the first place they would strike would be Diên Khang!
Diên Khang also had quite a few gods and demons, but because the nation had developed for such a short time, they likely numbered fewer than twenty. At this moment, most of those gods and demons were in Thái Hoàng Thiên, locked in battle with the demon race. One could well imagine that when the Xích Minh era gods and demons came ashore, Emperor Diên Phong would be wailing and beating his chest in despair.
Suddenly, beams of light erupted from the center of these ruins.
Hmm—
A sphere of light expanded, carrying seawater that slammed into Tần Mục and the First Ancestor. Tần Mục vaguely felt as though the light had sifted through him finely, his vital energy, primordial spirit, limbs, and bones all vibrating. The vibration was extremely subtle, yet profound, as if even the tiniest particles of his flesh were being excited into ceaseless trembling, sending a tingling numbness through both body and soul.
Hmm, hmm, hmm!
Sphere after sphere of light expanded from the heart of the ruins, sweeping over them one after another. The seawater surged, pushed aside by these rings of light. The light spheres supported an enormous barrier, and within these ruins, not even a trace of moisture could be seen—even the ground was dry!
Thud, thud, thud—one giant beast after another plummeted from the air, crashing into the ruins. Some smashed onto palaces, others tumbled into streets. The scene was utter chaos.
There was no air inside the light spheres. These giant beasts opened their mouths wide, trying desperately to breathe, but inhaled nothing. Some three-headed, six-finned fish thrashed their heads and tails, crawling outward on their fins. Many sea trees and plants also moved their roots, trying to charge out of the ruins—though the sea beasts were faster.
Just then, a pillar of light shot up from the place where the light had erupted, piercing through the ocean above, opening a passage. Gale-force winds howled in, flooding into this undersea divine city.
The giant beasts finally caught their breath, though the great fish still could not breathe and kept crawling outward.
At that moment, Tần Mục and the First Ancestor saw the ground at the source of the light pillar suddenly tremble. An enormous circular wheel slowly rose into the air. Then cracking sounds came from the wheel as a second ring appeared within it, followed by a third, a fourth...
Each ring bore exquisitely intricate runic structures. The three-headed, six-armed divine man Xích Khê stood at the center of the rings, his six arms spread in all directions.
The rings began to rotate, with Xích Khê the Divine Man at their center. Ring after ring spun, and the runes upon them lit up, bright runic symbols flying out, reflecting in every direction!
Tần Mục immediately saw a rune land on a three-headed, six-armed sea beast. A runic mark appeared on the beast's body as well—a mark like an impossibly complex, interlocking chain of locks, clearly a seal. When the runes from the rings shone upon this seal, the locks began opening layer by layer!
"Not good! He's planning to unseal these Xích Minh era gods and demons, restoring them to their true forms!"
Tần Mục made a snap decision. He patted his tham thực bag, and mirrors flew out—the mirrors he normally used to tidy his appearance. There weren't many, only five or six.
Tần Mục also produced his sword orb. The orb expanded, and with a hum, eight thousand swords assembled into a single enormous mirror, gleaming brightly.
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng quickly stopped him, puzzled: "What are you doing?"
"Breaking the spell!"
Tần Mục said rapidly: "Xích Khê the Divine Man uses the runes on the rings to illuminate and unlock the seals on these giant beasts, returning them to their divine forms. I only need to reflect those runes off the mirrors—the reflected runes will be reversed, and then he won't be able to unseal these sealed gods and demons!"
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng stared wide-eyed in astonishment. After a moment, he praised: "This divine weapon of Xích Khê the Divine Man is a Creation divine weapon, its runes impossibly complex. Even I would have to go to great lengths to break it. I never imagined you could think of such a simple method to counter it. You are not only a Tyrant Body—you also have an incredibly clever Tyrant Brain. However, you needn't go to all this trouble. Let him unseal them."
Tần Mục shook his head, extremely tense: "Impossible! The gods and demons of the Xích Minh era are fierce and battle-hardened, and from Xích Khê the Divine Man's behavior, this man stops at nothing. If the Xích Minh era gods and demons are unsealed and restored to their true forms, it would be a catastrophe for Diên Khang! The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend—he could also be my enemy! He would never join forces with us, so I must destroy..."
"It's no longer necessary. You speak from the standpoint of race, but I speak from the standpoint of the Dao and divine abilities."
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng showed a trace of pity, shaking his head: "Three hundred and fifty thousand years. Xích Khê probably never imagined that the gods and demons of his era, after three hundred and fifty thousand years of transformation, would have primordial spirits that are no longer what they once were, and souls that are no longer what they once were."
Tần Mục was stunned for a moment, then put away his small mirrors, though he kept the great mirror formed from the sword orb, saying: "You mean to say that the primordial spirits of these sea beasts and giant fish can never change back?"
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng nodded: "Too much time has passed. Their primordial spirits and souls have already been warped. The Xích Minh era's mastery of souls and primordial spirits was probably not as advanced as the Khai Hoàng era. They forcibly used Creation divine abilities to alter the physical structure and the structure of primordial spirits and souls of the gods and demons. If they had changed them back at the time, they could have awakened. But after three hundred and fifty thousand years of such mutation, how many primordial spirits and souls could possibly awaken? Very few, I suspect. Whoever gave them this idea likely bore ill intentions."
Tần Mục's heart shook violently, and he said in disbelief: "You mean to say that the person who came up with this idea back then did so deliberately—turning the Xích Minh era gods and demons into sea beasts and monsters from which they could never return?"
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng nodded gently: "It's possible that this person had already defected to the Heavenly Court, and thus set a trap for the Xích Minh era gods and demons."
Tần Mục shivered several times: "No wonder the Village Chief and Blind Grandpa and the others said I was too naive, not cunning enough. I really am too naive."
The rings continued to rotate, countless runic marks reflecting at tremendous speed. More seals appeared on the bodies of those sea beasts, giant fish, sea monsters, and sea trees. The seals kept unlocking, and their bodies began to transform continuously.
By the time the rings slowly ground to a halt, all across this magnificent undersea divine city lay naked gods and demons, each with three heads and six arms, their bodies branded with the unique patterns of the Xích Minh era.
Their physical forms were incomparably powerful—the strongest battle bodies!
And yet, these gods and demons lay on the ground, writhing continuously, as if they were still giant fish or sea monsters. Some stood up, spreading their six arms, as if they were still sea trees.
Tần Mục even saw one Xích Minh era god and demon wiggling his toes against the ground, presumably having returned from a jellyfish state to human form, still imagining he had tentacles. He blinked frantically, as if trying to glow like a jellyfish.
"Awaken! My people! I have returned!"
Xích Khê the Divine Man's voice thundered through this divine city, echoing with overwhelming emotion, three voices overlapping: "The Xích Minh era has returned! The battle is not yet over—the Divine Son of the Xích Minh era still awaits your news! Awaken!"
The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng dispersed his hand seals, landed on the ground, and walked forward following the sound of Xích Khê's voice, saying: "Let's go over."
Tần Mục followed him. Xích Khê's voice came again, this time tinged with confusion and terror: "What is wrong with you? Why have you not awakened? Wake up! Have you forgotten the glory of three hundred and fifty thousand years ago?"
His voice grew more and more panicked. He could not understand why these Xích Minh era gods and demons had not awakened as he had expected. Once more he activated the rings. The rings spun, runes flying in all directions, but they had no effect whatsoever on these gods and demons.
Soon, Tần Mục and the First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng arrived beneath the rings. Xích Khê the Divine Man sensed their presence. The rings stopped spinning, and this executioner of the old era turned all three heads at once, staring at them coldly.
"Giáo chủ Tần!"
Suddenly a familiar voice called out. Tần Mục followed the sound and saw Ban Công Thác standing atop a tall tower, looking at him with excitement.
Tần Mục was overjoyed and waved: "Đại Tôn! How did you end up here too?"
Ban Công Thác burst into laughter. His body shook, and his form abruptly changed, revealing the three-headed, six-armed body. He charged down from the tall tower at full speed, his three heads shouting: "I have searched for you for a long time! Now at last I can avenge my humiliation! Watch my Vô Lậu Đấu Chiến Thần Công!"
His feet pounded against the tower as he rushed straight down, six arms flailing up and down, six palm seals shifting unpredictably, punching the air with thunderous booms. Lightning crackled through the air, bolts striking wildly!
The Vô Lậu Đấu Chiến Thần Công's seals were terrifyingly powerful. Combined with his many arms, there was no opening before, behind, above, or below—his attack speed was vastly increased. And this technique was not merely without flaws; it could also devour others' vital energy to strengthen itself, keeping him at his peak at all times!
Tần Mục looked up. Before Ban Công Thác even descended, the wind pressed down upon him like a mountain. The ground around Tần Mục was sinking continuously—one could imagine the terrifying pressure he was enduring!
Ban Công Thác laughed loudly, descending from the sky, the full power of the Vô Lậu Đấu Chiến Thần Công exploding outward!
Rumble—
Ban Công Thác's body shuddered violently and flew backward, slamming into the wall of a great hall. The smiles on his three faces had not yet fully faded.
"Overlapping Palms!"
Tần Mục placed his right hand in front, left hand behind, palms pressed together, and thrust both palms toward Ban Công Thác through the air. The power of the Âm Dương Phiên Thiên Thủ stacked and erupted. Another thunderous crash—stones flew everywhere, the wall collapsed, and Ban Công Thác, along with the palace wall, was buried deep inside the great hall.
Tần Mục pushed dozens of times in succession, dozens of thunderous booms echoing from within the hall, before he finally stopped.
"He ran fast."
Tần Mục shook his head, praising: "Truly worthy of the Đại Tôn. His cultivation has improved so astonishingly—he must be close to the Sinh Tử realm. The Đại Tôn is still so durable, and so clever too."
Behind Xích Khê the Divine Man, Ban Công Thác's figure suddenly appeared, drenched in blood. Five of his six arms were severed, two of his three necks were broken, two heads hung limply, and his body swayed unsteadily before he suddenly pitched forward, convulsing.
"Tần, you..." Ban Công Thác spat out a mouthful of blood.
Tần Mục turned around, as if he had done something utterly trivial, and saluted Xích Khê: "Senior Xích Khê, we meet again. The Xích Minh era is truly remarkable—are these runes inscribed on the rings the runes of Creation divine abilities? Would Senior be willing to explain them?"
His two eyes sparkled with brilliance, a look of eager anticipation on his face, humbly seeking instruction.
"That expression—exactly like a silly deer..." The First Ancestor Nhân Hoàng's forehead bulged with veins, thinking to himself.
————The butcher sharpens his knife, a pig tied up beside him. The butcher rubs his thumb against the blade, glancing sideways at the pig: "If I can't get monthly votes, what use are you? Today we slaughter the pig and serve it at the table!"