Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
The corrosive power slithered like venomous snakes, rapidly spreading across the massive arm that had pierced through the spatial tunnel.
With a gentle pat, the corrosion erupted like a bursting dam, flooding out uncontrollably.
It rotted!
Bit by bit, it decayed!
Lu Changkong's hand, as smooth and green as jade, lightly tapped the arm of this immortal-level god-demon from the ancient starry sky, causing the flesh on the arm to corrode and melt away at an alarming speed!
Little Yinglong suddenly felt the pressure lift; the terrifying oppression from the arm vanished in an instant.
He collapsed into the void, his mountain-like body shrinking rapidly until he was no bigger than a small ball.
Blood seeped from every scale on his body as he panted heavily.
Ni Yu rushed over, grabbing a handful of pills and stuffing them roughly into Little Yinglong's mouth.
Originally, the chrysanthemum divine herb that Lu Changkong had given him earlier was already working its magic, swiftly aiding his recovery.
So, at this moment, Little Yinglong only looked battered on the surface.
His actual injuries weren't that severe.
But Little Yinglong kept quiet about it, savoring the pills Ni Yu was feeding him—after all, the medicine couldn't stop now.
Everyone around was stunned.
No one could have imagined such a dramatic turnaround.
Who was this farmer-like old man?!
In truth, very few in the world truly knew Lu Changkong; he was an extremely low-key cultivator.
But the cultivators from Five Phoenixes, who had grown with it from low martial to now, erupted in joyful exclamations.
"City Lord Lu..."
"Hahaha... Young Master Lu's own father!"
"Poison Emperor? When did City Lord Lu become the Poison Emperor? Isn't he the Divine Farmer, the supreme alchemist who specializes in nurturing divine herbs?"
The crowd burst into laughter.
Zhu Long seized the opportunity to focus her mind on breaking through to the sixth turn of Golden Immortal. A vast surge of fate enveloped her body, making her appear increasingly ethereal.
Lu Changkong chuckled lightly.
The massive immortal-level god-demon arm trembled violently.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As if scalded by boiling water, it retracted at lightning speed.
The intense burning sensation made even this immortal-level god-demon from the ancient starry sky feel the corrosion deeply.
If it continued, even the bones would likely dissolve.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The arm pulled back with enormous force.
The void seemed on the verge of exploding from the motion.
Fierce winds howled, and finally, the gigantic immortal-level god-demon arm withdrew from the spatial tunnel.
As it retreated,
The arm had been corroded down to bare white bones.
The onlookers' laughter faded.
So... so toxic!
Damn, that's insanely poisonous!
This old farmer looked so plain and unassuming—how could he harbor such deadly poison?!
The flesh of an immortal-level god-demon was incredibly tough, comparable to divine weapons, yet it had been reduced to bare bones in mere moments.
Now, not just the god-demons, but even the cultivators felt a chill run down their spines.
If Old Man Lu gently patted someone's head, that person... would probably vanish in an instant.
In the distance,
Gu Mangran's mouth twitched.
Mr. Lu...
He had actually emerged from the ancient tomb?
Moreover, Gu Mangran could sense that Lu Changkong's cultivation had reached the Golden Immortal level, comparable to a novice emperor.
At the novice emperor realm, his poison was already this terrifying.
But Gu Mangran wasn't surprised; even when Lu Changkong's cultivation was weak, his toxicity was extreme. Now, having stepped into Golden Immortal, his supreme poison body had likely reached its pinnacle.
Besides, Lu Changkong was Young Master Lu's father—it wouldn't be hard for the young master to acquire deadly poisons to enhance his father's constitution.
With one move,
He corroded the flesh of an immortal-level god-demon.
Worthy of Mr. Lu, worthy of Old Man Lu.
From today onward, tales of the Poison Emperor Old Man Lu would spread throughout Five Phoenixes.
Roar!
A terrifying bellow echoed from beyond the tunnel.
The high-tier god-demons battling Lu Jiulian and the others seemed provoked.
Their fighting spirit grew even more frenzied.
One high-tier god-demon even charged madly toward Lu Changkong.
Clearly under the control of the immortal-level god-demon's will from outside the tunnel.
Lu Changkong narrowed his eyes.
What he truly excelled at was his poison alone.
If it came to actual combat, he might not be able to defeat a high-tier god-demon with his novice emperor strength.
"My son is Lu Ping'an. Think carefully before you act."
Lu Changkong clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly.
His face didn't flush, his heart didn't race—not a hint of panic.
The high-tier god-demon transformed into a bolt of lightning, ignoring Lu Changkong's words entirely.
Who was Lu Ping'an?
This god-demon didn't know him!
Surging energy erupted from its body, and in the instant Lu Changkong's words fell, it struck with deadly speed.
Whoosh!
A blue lotus bloomed.
Lu Jiulian's figure blocked the path in front of Lu Changkong.
She hurled an angry lotus, which exploded suddenly. The terrifying blast sent the high-tier god-demon flying sideways.
But after the dust settled,
The high-tier god-demon charged back again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At the tunnel entrance, the self-detonations of novice-tier god-demons intensified, tearing the opening wider and wider.
Faintly, an even more terrifying aura seemed to be closing in.
The abyss had long turned into a horrific battlefield, with powerful fluctuations exploding everywhere.
"Not bad."
Looking at Lu Jiulian shielding him,
Lu Changkong nodded slightly with his hands behind his back.
He appeared calm and composed, though the back of his coarse cloth shirt was already soaked with sweat.
With a casual toss,
A chrysanthemum divine herb flew toward Lu Jiulian.
She caught it.
Meanwhile, Lu Changkong stepped forward unhurriedly.
He raised his hand, revealing a crossbow in the other.
It was the exquisite crossbow he had commissioned from Gongshu Yu long ago.
Lu Changkong smiled, loaded an arrow onto it.
"Jiulian, keep him occupied."
Lu Changkong said.
Lu Jiulian paused, then nodded slightly.
In the next moment, energy surged wildly from her body, her domain enveloping the area.
Lotus flowers bloomed one after another, allowing Lu Jiulian to teleport and shift positions constantly across space.
She held the high-tier god-demon at bay.
Lu Changkong raised the crossbow leisurely, bit his finger with one upright digit.
Spurt.
Crimson blood beaded from the wound on his fingertip.
He smeared the blood on the crossbow arrow, then sucked his finger clean. On the other side, he aimed the crossbow at the high-tier god-demon and pulled the trigger.
Whoosh!
The crossbow bolt shot out.
It turned into a black streak, hurtling toward the high-tier god-demon.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The speed... wasn't particularly fast.
In the time Lu Jiulian teleported, she could have crushed such a bolt hundreds of times over.
Moreover, the bolt's penetrating power wouldn't even pierce a novice-tier god-demon's flesh and defenses, let alone a high-tier one.
Little Yinglong and Ni Yu stood behind Lu Changkong, watching in utter confusion.
Everyone else was fighting with earth-shattering moves.
Every attack and technique could destroy heavens and earth.
Yet the old man was using this flimsy little arrow... it was like a breath of fresh air in this cataclysmic battle.
Just like the young master—unconventional in every way.
Utterly out of sync with the world.
After firing the bolt, Lu Changkong seemed quite relaxed.
He turned his head to glance at Little Yinglong with a kindly smile, pulled out another chrysanthemum divine herb, and handed it over.
Little Yinglong opened his mouth wide and chomped down.
The taste of the divine herb... was amazing!
Even better than Ni Yu's pills.
Crunch, crunch... like biting into a crisp radish.
On the other side,
The bolt wobbled its way toward the high-tier god-demon.
The high-tier god-demon, entangled by Lu Jiulian, was furious beyond measure—how could it not be?
In its eyes, Lu Jiulian's strength wasn't impressive, but... she was incredibly tricky to deal with.
It naturally sensed the incoming bolt from Lu Changkong.
But...
Did it care?
Was this even an attack?
This thing wouldn't even qualify as a toothpick for it.
Boom!
The high-tier god-demon opened its massive maw and let out a heaven-shaking roar. Terrifying shockwaves blasted from its mouth.
Aiming to blow the bolt away.
However...
To everyone's surprise, the bolt withstood the fierce winds and lightly pierced the roof of the high-tier god-demon's open mouth.
Huh?
Lu Jiulian was stunned.
Because she noticed the high-tier god-demon's movements had frozen.
Around them, many powerhouses shifted their gazes over, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
Sizzle... sizzle... sizzle...
Steam suddenly rose from the high-tier god-demon's body.
Everyone's pupils constricted as they watched its form twist, melting from the inside out...
Its formidable scales and flesh offered no resistance.
After twisting, it dissolved into a pool of black, viscous liquid on the ground.
In the void, only bare white bones remained.
The high-tier god-demon's prized body had been poisoned away by a single bolt...
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
In the abyss,
All the powerhouses gasped in shock. This Poison Emperor... was too terrifying?!
The greatest emperor of all time—poison anyone, and they die!
Lu Jiulian's expression stiffened slightly.
But her assault didn't weaken.
With one strike, she shattered the high-tier god-demon's bare bones into nothingness.
A high-tier god-demon... had fallen.
Under the surge of fate, it flowed into both Lu Jiulian and Lu Changkong's bodies.
Yet Lu Jiulian's face grew even stiffer.
She glanced at the chrysanthemum divine herb in her hand.
Suddenly, it felt a bit too hot to hold.
Little Yinglong, who had been chewing the herb like a white radish, gradually stopped...
He looked at the high-tier god-demon reduced to a puddle of unknown liquid.
His nostrils flared slightly, and inexplicably, he felt a burning sensation inside.
This chrysanthemum divine herb...
Suddenly didn't seem so appealing.
"Ugh..."
Little Yinglong's eyes nearly teared up.
In the distance,
Gu Mangran felt a chill too. He was lucky to have survived eating so many of Old Man Lu's divine herbs.
The key was, he never thought about paying them back.
What if one day Lu Changkong got upset...
Wouldn't Gu Mangran die without even knowing how?
A streak of light darted into the abyss battlefield.
It was Bu Nanxing, who had been hiding like a pro. He finally stepped out from Five Phoenixes, cheering for Old Man Lu at this moment.
"Old Man Lu is invincible! Poison Emperor is mighty!"
Bu Nanxing's shout shook the heavens, his neck flushed red from the effort.
This was Old Man Lu—his ultimate backer!
The surrounding crowd snapped out of it.
In the next moment, many subconsciously joined the cheers.
Lu Changkong smiled and waved it off.
"Nothing special."
"My son Lu Ping'an is the truly strong one."
In the abyss,
With the bizarre fall of a high-tier god-demon,
The innate god-demons' momentum took a heavy hit, even causing a brief lull in the bombardments at the tunnel entrance.
Behind the tunnel entrance, enormous eyeballs rolled, their gaze shifting sharply to lock onto Lu Changkong.
A furious roar exploded.
Cutting off the crowd's congratulations.
Reminding everyone that celebrations were premature.
Lu Changkong narrowed his eyes, wrinkles crinkling at the corners. With hands behind his back, he floated in the void, staring at the massive eyeballs beyond the tunnel entrance.
The black beams projected from the eyeballs were soul-seizing.
But Lu Changkong remained unfazed.
"Not convinced?"
As the words fell, the corners of Lu Changkong's mouth curled up.
One hand behind his back, the other extended slowly.
He beckoned toward the tunnel entrance with a curl of his fingers.
"Come at me, then?!"
Roar!
Sensing Lu Changkong's provocation, the immortal-level god-demon beyond the tunnel flew into a rage. A heaven-shaking roar erupted.
Swarms of novice-tier god-demons, under its deadly command, self-detonated madly, ripping the tunnel entrance wider.
Buzz...
Behind Lu Changkong,
Zhu Long completed her breakthrough. The sea of fate churned, turning six times, her aura achieving a massive leap.
Her innate yin-yang energies grew even more solid.
Zhu Long stood up, as serene as an autumn leaf. She released a terrifying, oppressive aura.
With the yin-yang millstone above her head, eyes closed, she transformed into a streak of light and shot forward.
Tantai Xuan and Micah were bloodied from battling high-tier god-demons, but as mere third-turn Golden Immortals, they struggled against them.
And now, Zhu Long arrived.
The moment she opened her eyes, her black-and-white pupils unleashed an extreme divine ability.
Even at third-turn Golden Immortal, Zhu Long's divine ability had immense suppressive power.
Let alone now, at sixth-turn Golden Immortal.
"Da da da da da da..."
The world lost all other colors, shifting between black and white with each blink of Zhu Long's eyes.
Explosive cracks erupted from the two high-tier god-demons' bodies. The terrifying blasts drained all color from heaven and earth.
When everything cleared,
Tantai Xuan and Micah's opponents
Had been blown into endless chunks of flesh, devoid of life.
"So strong!"
Tantai Xuan and Micah drew deep breaths.
Their eyes sparkled with awe.
Zhu Long swung the millstone single-handedly, stepping forward with her slender frame. Soon, she alone blocked the tunnel entrance.
High-tier god-demons tried to force their way through, but Zhu Long suppressed them all back single-handedly.
The battles in the abyss were gradually quelled by the Five Phoenixes cultivators.
Many were breaking through, their auras climbing steadily.
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor, wrapped in black robes, took a deep breath. He hadn't expected Five Phoenixes to actually turn the tide.
Even with an immortal-level god-demon intervening, they held on—and even counterattacked.
Watching the slender girl sitting withered before the tunnel,
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor was suddenly overcome with emotion, recalling his own past circumstances.
But behind the slender Zhu Long, figures began to appear one by one, unknowingly.
Lu Changkong with hands behind his back, the unassuming Lu Jiulian, Micah and Tantai Xuan grinning widely, Sima Qingshan, Bai Qingniao, the Overlord, Tang Yimo...
One figure after another emerged behind Zhu Long.
She wasn't alone.
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor sighed softly.
This was completely different from his own situation back then.
Not the same—we're not the same.
Suddenly, the reminiscing Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor's expression changed slightly.
A familiar aura made his scalp tingle.
He turned to look, spotting an unremarkable corner of the abyss with no fluctuations—a wisp of flame shot out like a meteor.
The moment he saw the flame, his gaze sharpened.
...
The Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor watched the battle in the void abyss in speechless astonishment.
When the immortal-level god-demon's arm pierced through the tunnel, he thought Five Phoenixes was doomed.
All the Five Phoenixes cultivators in this abyss battlefield would die.
However, what he hadn't anticipated...
Was the sudden appearance of Lu Changkong.
This self-proclaimed Poison Emperor of Five Phoenixes gently stroked the immortal-level god-demon's arm, causing its incredibly powerful immortal flesh to corrode and slough off...
Was this poison?!
Of course, that alone didn't worry the Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor too much. After all, the tunnel wasn't fully open, and the immortal-level god-demon's arm, probing in, faced immense pressure from spatial forces.
Thus, much of its power was dissipated, making the retreat unsurprising.
But next, Lu Changkong's bolt striking a high-tier god-demon and melting its flesh made the Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor, who had planned a dramatic entrance to suppress Five Phoenixes, shudder in horror.
If that bolt pierced him,
Could he withstand it?
His body was weaker than a high-tier god-demon's. Even they were reduced to bones—if it hit him, he probably wouldn't last seconds.
Five Phoenixes... truly hid experts!
"Like father, like son..."
"Lu Ping'an is cunning and treacherous, and his father... is even more venomously insidious!"
The Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor's expression grew grave.
Forcing his way into the abyss would likely leave him without a corpse.
After all, Zhu Long, now at sixth-turn Golden Immortal and able to easily suppress high-tier god-demons, matched him in raw power. If he charged in, even with the Ninth Heaven Heavenly Dao empowering him, pushing his strength near extreme emperor level.
But...
His goal in entering Five Phoenixes wasn't to tangle with these cultivators.
His objective was... the transforming Heavenly Dao of Five Phoenixes!
The Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor's eyes flickered.
He consulted the Ninth Heaven Heavenly Dao for a plan.
"The Five Phoenixes Heavenly Dao is currently in transformation, its sensory abilities essentially null."
The Ninth Heaven Heavenly Dao relayed.
Then, the Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor's eyes gleamed. Under the Heavenly Dao's cover, he transformed into a wisp of flame, tore through the abyss rift, and slipped inside.
...
In the origin space.
At this moment, Lu had no mind to spare for the situation in the abyss battlefield.
His entire focus was on the chessboard before him.
The push toward Immortal Martial had reached a critical juncture.
The game had become profoundly intricate. Before Lu's eyes, it seemed as if endless immortal qi steamed up, as if boundless forces assaulted his mind.
The once vast heaven and earth before him transformed into chaos.
And he was playing chess within that chaos.
His opponent was unknown.
In the chaos, a hand condensed, picking up pieces and placing them down relentlessly.
Lu sat upright on the Thousand Blades Chair, his white robes flowing, facing off against this abrupt hand.
The game was perilously tight; this hand seemed like the hand of heaven, omniscient, treating all beings as pieces.
Each move against it felt like walking the edge of collapse.
But Lu soon grew calm, his placements becoming more orderly.
His five senses seemed stripped away, leaving only the floating chessboard.
Tap, tap...
The crisp sound of pieces landing on the board echoed, as if contending with mighty forces for dominance.
The Heavenly Dao star shone brilliantly, its cries resounding.
The phoenix within spread its wings repeatedly, charging at the star barrier time and again, intent on shattering it.
As if breaking free from a cage to soar the nine heavens.
Immortals are unbound, and Immortal Martial... should be unbound as well.
Dao reserves continuously released from the phoenix. The Five Phoenixes Heavenly Dao could now generate them autonomously.
Each dao reserve turned into a shockwave.
Causing spiderweb cracks to spread across the star barrier.
The origin space had long shattered.
Utterly destroyed.
Like a great cataclysm had swept through in utter devastation.
Between placements, beams of light shot skyward.
As Lu steadied his heart, withdrawing his attention from the void abyss battlefield and focusing entirely on the game against the blurry hand, the momentum shifted from near collapse to gradual balance.
Lu's mind grew even steadier.
He had faith in Five Phoenixes.
Looking back, from low martial, growing through mid martial, high martial...
To now Immortal Martial.
What hardships hadn't they faced? Five Phoenixes wasn't born with a silver spoon; it had clawed its way to this point step by step.
So, Lu believed the immortal source phoenix within the Five Phoenixes Heavenly Dao would surely break free, soar the nine heavens, and escape the heavenly cage.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Finally,
As Lu placed another piece,
Cracks suddenly covered the chessboard's surface.
Crack!
In the next moment, a massive shatter—the board fragmented, countless pieces exploding upward like detonating stars.
And in that instant,
Lu's five senses returned.
He lifted his head.
He seemed to merge with the phoenix in the Heavenly Dao star.
Surrounded by the hazy star barrier, riddled with cracks.
The phoenix spread its wings, radiance dazzling.
Launching the final charge.
Crack!
The origin space fell abruptly silent.
As the first fragment fell from the Heavenly Dao star, it was like shattering glass, breaking free from restraints.
The collapse continued without end.
Like a massive boulder smashing into a calm pond, sending water splashing sky-high.
Lu's eyes shone brightly. In white robes flowing, he sat atop the phoenix's back, bursting free!
A powerful fluctuation spread, shattering the star barrier into pieces.
The heavenly cage seemed utterly broken in this moment.
Like a colossal whale leaping from beneath the sea.
The sea is vast for the fish to leap, the sky high for the bird to fly!
Boom!
Suddenly, above the firmament, clouds churned and rain poured.
Abruptly, a purple giant hand slapped down from above the origin space.
Like the hand of heaven, intent on obliterating everything.
Lu rode the phoenix—this was Five Phoenixes' immortal source.
Facing this descending palm,
The silver blades beneath Lu clanged and stacked instantly. He stood tall, his body turning golden.
Indestructible Golden Demon Body!
Thud!
The heavenly hand descended.
Lu raised both arms, propping up this piece of heaven.
The phoenix cried out, flapping its wings madly.
Golden lightning arced across Lu's body, his power erupting to the limit.
Yet, inch by inch, he was pressed down by the purple hand.
If this continued,
The Five Phoenixes immortal source, just escaped from the heavenly cage, would be slapped back.
The Immortal Martial breakthrough would inevitably fail!
Lu gritted his teeth, energy surging within him. He pulled out a fishing rod—the innate spiritual treasure he had just acquired.
Whipping it repeatedly at the heavenly hand.
But it still fell short.
He needed just a little boost, even a tiny bit...
If only the Heaven-Stealing Tower were here, but... he had lent it to aid the Five Phoenixes masses.
Recalling it now would be too late.
"Just a little..."
Suddenly, Lu remembered something.
Boom!
Spiritual qi shackles around him shattered one after another.
The strand of innate purple qi gifted by the Daoist in the Immortal Martial world memory fragment had been sealed with spiritual qi shackles all this time.
Now was the perfect moment to use it.
As if fated by destiny.
Boom!
A wisp of purple qi coiled around the golden Lu like a divine dragon.
Gold and purple intertwined.
Lu suddenly felt boundless strength!
Inch by inch, he pushed back the descending heavenly hand!
Thud!
Finally, the purple heavenly hand crumbled, dissolving into rolling waves of energy.
The immortal source phoenix soared into the clouds, bathing in the purple energy.
Lu sat cross-legged on the phoenix's back.
His indestructible demon body dissipated, and the innate purple qi vanished abruptly.
In white robes fluttering, his black hair vigorous.
Gazing at the shattered origin space, his eyes gleamed.
Destruction leads to rebirth.
The destruction was done; now for the rebirth.
Lu opened his eyes, raised his hand, and pointed distantly.
The phoenix spread its wings suddenly. Hazy purple qi surged forth, sweeping every corner of the origin space.
In an instant, the origin space reformed, countless stars twinkling like a vast universe.
From the once barren and narrow origin space to this boundless cosmic expanse now.
Lu couldn't help but chuckle softly.
With a mere gesture, in a single thought, Five Phoenixes ascends to Immortal Martial!
