Chapter 145 Slaying Gods and Seizing Treasure

The dark red lotus flames descended from above, causing the air throughout the entire main hall to distort.

Qi Huan's face was deathly pale; although he was not facing the red lotus directly, a needle-like stinging pain already radiated from his Divine Soul.

The surrounding Yin Soldiers were also trembling, instinctively retreating, not daring to approach even an inch.

"Chen Mu, retreat quickly!"

Qi Huan roared hoarsely. Just as he was about to step forward, he was held back by several Yin Soldiers and could not break free for the moment.

Chen Mu's pupils constricted, and his body trembled involuntarily. The red lotus before him was not a purely physical or energy attack; it struck directly at the Karma of the human heart.

This was the ultimate judgment of the Divine Dao's authority upon the world.

Retreat? Where could he retreat to?

The red lotus had locked onto the aura of his Divine Soul. Under the guidance of the moment, even with the Divine Void Step, it was difficult to evade completely.

Chen Mu's thoughts raced as he used the Soul-Loss Art to stabilize his Soul Sea, his Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body's Protective Aura spreading across his entire body.

He held the soul-slaying blade horizontally before his chest, its black light flickering unsteadily.

Yet, his intuition told him this would likely not be enough.

A grim smile appeared on the City God's face. His large red official robe fluttered loudly as he pressed his hands down in the air and shouted sharply.

"Burn!"

The red lotus of Karma Fire suddenly bloomed.

There were no scorching flames, nor the roar of an explosion; there was only a dark red ray of light, silent and soundless, shooting straight toward the center of Chen Mu's brow.

Chen Mu felt his Sea of Consciousness shake violently as all the events of his past surfaced at this very moment.

The killings of Li Feiyu, the White Tiger, the Cat Demon...

Each act of slaughter transformed into a wisp of relentless Karma, ignited by that red light.

Pain—indescribable pain.

It was not physical pain, but the extreme torture of having one's Soul roasted upon the fires of Karma, with one's own Karma being forcibly incinerated.

Chen Mu groaned, blood seeping from his seven orifices. His figure swayed, and unable to remain standing, he dropped to one knee.

"Chen Mu!"

Qi Huan's eyes were wide with fury. Risking a slash from a Yin Soldier, he forcibly broke free from his opponent and tried to rush over.

"Don't come over!"

Chen Mu supported himself with one hand while raising the other to stop Qi Huan. He knew clearly that if Qi Huan were caught in this Karma fire, his Divine Soul would likely shatter in an instant.

The City God laughed wildly toward the sky, looking at Chen Mu as if he were merely an ant.

"How dare a mere mortal attempt to slay a God? Today, I will ensure your Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and your true spirit shall fall forever!"

In an instant, the light of the red lotus intensified. Chen Mu felt his consciousness being stripped away and incinerated bit by bit.

Even his Hunyuan Astral Qi could not block this fire that acted directly upon the Karma of his own existence.

Chen Mu's body convulsed in pain, yet he still gritted his teeth tightly.

Was he truly destined to die here today?

How could he be willing to accept this!

Suddenly, the ancient demon seal in his palm vibrated violently, and a burst of violent, unyielding Yao Race Luck erupted.

"Awoo──"

It was not the roar of a Dragon, but rather the roar of a Vicious Beast from the primordial era, bursting forth from within Chen Mu's body.

What was sealed within that demon seal was not merely Luck, but also the arrogant Battle Intent of an ancient great Yao facing heaven and earth, facing all the gods and Buddhas.

At the same time, a domineering shade of black-gold suddenly infused the dark red light of the Karma fire.

Chen Mu's eyes were crimson; the ferocity in them had completely faded, replaced by a raw, instinctive viciousness.

He no longer attempted to defend against or resist the burning Karma fire. Instead, he poured all his mental energy and strength—including the violent Luck unleashed by the demon seal—entirely into the soul-slaying blade.

The blade hummed, and its black light surged, faintly overpowering the red glow of the Karma fire.

"Slash!"

Chen Mu took a step forward, the paving stones beneath his feet turning to dust, and swung his hands violently.

The blade light rose, and the Karma fire dimmed.

That demonic red lotus was cleaved right down the center by this single strike!

"No!"

The City God immediately let out a shrill scream. The red lotus was the manifestation of his authority and Origin; with the lotus shattered, his godhood was wounded.

In an instant, the Divine Power around him roiled like boiling water and dissipated.

His large red official robe rapidly dimmed, and his face aged at a speed visible to the naked eye.

However, the blade light did not cease. After piercing through the red lotus, it struck straight toward the City God's heart.

The City God's movements froze abruptly. He looked down to see a thin, dense black line spreading across his chest.

There was no blood, only wisps of gray-white Divine Power constantly pouring out and dissipating into the air.

"I... I am the Yunmeng City God... ordained by the Imperial Court... enjoying a century of incense... how could this be..."

His voice cut off abruptly.

Immediately afterward, the City God's tall body disintegrated inch by inch, finally turning into a pile of ashes.

Almost simultaneously, a fissure suddenly split open at the center of the brow of the mud-sculpted golden statue, which stood over a zhang tall.

A point of strange golden light slowly emerged from the fissure, radiating the aura of majestic incense Power Of Will and ancient authority.

The divine cache!

Chen Mu forced himself to endure his physical exhaustion. Without hesitation, he pulled the spirit-absorbing mysterious iron box from his robes, aimed it at the golden light, and frantically injected the remaining Protective Aura within his body.

The runes inscribed on the surface of the iron box lit up in sequence, and the golden light, as if drawn by an invisible force, instantly shot into the iron box.

The lid closed automatically, and the surface light quickly faded, returning the box to its inconspicuous, dark appearance.

[Slayed Yunmeng City God, plundered Martial Dao Lifespan: 1,823 years.]

The cold, mechanical voice rang out, and Chen Mu's pupils constricted slightly.

Slaying a god could also plunder Lifespan? And such a massive amount at that!

This discovery sent a jolt through him, but he had no time to dwell on it now.

With the City God slain, the remaining Yin Soldiers in the main hall were stunned for a moment, then let out shrill, ghostly shrieks.

Their attacks became even more frenzied, and Qi Huan's pressure increased dramatically.

Worse yet, the sound of footsteps and shouts outside the hall drew closer; clearly, the Yin Soldiers and ghost officials from other parts of the temple were swarming in.

"End this quickly!"

Chen Mu let out a low shout, stood back-to-back with Qi Huan, and faced the incoming Yin Soldiers.

Most of these Yin Soldiers were at the Early to Middle Stage of the Dao Entry Realm; one-on-one, they were no match for Chen Mu.

However, they were numerous and had formed a battle formation, coordinating with each other, and for a time, they managed to pin the two down.

Chen Mu's blade light was like lightning; with every slash, a Yin Soldier would scream and vanish into nothingness.

[Slayed Dao Entry Realm Yin Soldier, plundered Martial Dao Lifespan: 125 years.]

[Slayed Dao Entry Realm Yin Soldier, plundered Martial Dao Lifespan: 96 years.]

...

A series of System notifications rang in his mind.

Although they did not compare to the City God—most ranging from a few decades to over a hundred years—the accumulation was still a significant harvest.

Although Qi Huan's injuries had flared up and his breathing was unstable, he deployed the Five Cloud Hands, his palm strikes balancing hardness and softness, successfully holding back several Yin Soldiers.

The two fought as they retreated, gradually moving toward the back window of the main hall.

According to their original plan, once they succeeded, they were to retreat through the back window, enter the bamboo forest, and then escape through the alleyway.

However, just as Chen Mu slashed down the last Yin Soldier blocking his path and was only three steps away from the back window, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

Outside the back window, in the bamboo forest that should have been empty, a lean figure quietly emerged like a ghost.

It was none other than Nie Feng.

He had been lurking in the shadows the entire time. Seeing that Chen Mu had truly slain the City God, he had circled around to the bamboo forest to watch Chen Mu grapple with the Yin Soldiers.

He was waiting—waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And now, the moment had arrived.

Chen Mu had fought the City God, Zhao Qinghe, and numerous Yin Soldiers in succession.

Although he relied on the powerful recovery capabilities of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body to hold on, his consumption had been immense; he was wounded, and his aura was no longer at its Peak.

Qi Huan was even more of a spent force and was no longer a concern.

Now was the perfect time to strike—the moment for the fisherman to profit while the snipe and clam battled!