Chapter 617 - 347: Bloody Purge

Deep within the Immortal Palace, a great battle was raging.

Tens of thousands of Cultivators, arranged in formations of all sizes, were locked in a deadly battle. A constant barrage of light from various Magical Treasures and powerful Divine Techniques illuminated half the Celestial Vault.

"...Surrender the treasure, and you may live!"

A cold and imperious voice echoed across the battlefield.

A disdainful sneer rang out. "This is the Qingming Continent. What gives you Cultivators from the Qingchen Divine Dynasty the right to be so arrogant? You should be more concerned with whether you’ll make it back home alive."

"Hmph! And you Cultivators from Shenxiao Que are any different? We are claiming this prize today, and that’s final!"

The Divine Emperor Ji Xuanchen sneered, ordering the Elders to intensify their assault. The light from a myriad of Divine Techniques nearly flooded the entire battlefield.

A little over an hour ago, the Cultivators of Shenxiao Que had discovered a stone chamber in this area. It contained over a hundred Jade Scrolls and Dao Scriptures—all of them lost ancient Cultivation Method Scriptures, secret Artifact Refining techniques, and Pill Formulas.

Just as they had finally managed to break the stone chamber’s Restriction and claim everything inside, the Cultivators of the Qingchen Divine Dynasty had descended upon them in force.

Clearly, Shenxiao Que had a mole from the Qingchen Divine Dynasty in its ranks; otherwise, their enemies could not have arrived so punctually.

Neither side was willing to back down, so a massive battle was the only logical outcome.

Ji Xuanchen silently gritted his teeth. ’Even if it means a river of blood must flow, I have to wipe them all out today. I can’t risk letting a tiger grow into a future menace.’

’There are far too many powers on the Qingchen Continent as it is,’ he thought. ’Shenxiao Que has always been at odds with the Qingchen Divine Dynasty. I might as well take this chance to annihilate them completely.’

Just as the Cultivators from both sides were locked in an inseparable struggle, the weather in the high Celestial Vault suddenly shifted. Boundless black clouds appeared from nowhere, blanketing the sky and pressing down in heavy layers.

"What’s going on..."

Puzzled, Ji Xuanchen was just about to consult with the Royal Family Elder beside him when a sudden, violent change occurred.

From deep within the black clouds, myriads of blood-red lightning bolts, each ten feet thick and radiating an aura of utter destruction, rained down in a furious torrent, shattering the Defenses of most Cultivators on the field with irresistible force.

"Damn it! What... what is happening?"

Ji Xuanchen, his face pale, roared in anger, a faint tremble in his voice.

The power of the cataclysm unfolding before him was so terrifying that it far surpassed even the most dreadful Heavenly Tribulation; not even the several Heavy Artifacts in his hands could withstand it.

An endless stream of horrified screams echoed between heaven and earth. The Cultivators from the two factions had no time to react as the ocean of lightning annihilated their physical bodies and shattered their Divine Souls.

Several crimson-gold Big Banners worked in concert, raising a thick curtain of light that temporarily held the destructive sea of lightning at bay, protecting the Divine Emperor and his several hundred trusted followers.

However, under the relentless barrage of the blood-red lightning, the light barrier dimmed at a rate visible to the naked eye. It clearly wouldn’t last much longer.

"Your Majesty,"

A Void Refinement Realm Clan Elder said urgently, his expression pained, "This place is too dangerous. We have to retreat, don’t we?"

"Retreat?"

Ji Xuanchen’s face was grim as he surveyed their surroundings. The Cultivators from Shenxiao Que had been completely submerged in the depths of the blood-red sea of lightning. It was impossible that any of them had survived.

If he didn’t make a decision now, he and this elite group from the Qingchen Divine Dynasty would meet the same fate.

"So be it. We retreat!"

Ji Xuanchen sighed, giving the order with extreme reluctance.

A brilliant light erupted. A great ball of golden radiance enveloped the Divine Emperor, along with the hundred or so trusted Cultivators by his side, broke through the blockade of the lightning sea, and vanished over the horizon.

"...They got away?"

In Star Lord Hall, Ling Changqing looked slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Ji Xuanchen to have such a life-saving trump card up his sleeve.

He was currently seated before a massive sand table made of projected Magical Power, with Bai Qingyi, Immortal Venerable Doumu, Xue Qingtan, and Meng Feiyu gathered around him.

The sand table of projected Magical Power was a hundred feet across and clearly displayed scenes from different regions of the Immortal Palace. Any area could be magnified at will, revealing every last detail with perfect clarity.

"Forget it. He only had a handful of people with him. Let them run," said Xue Qingtan with a smile, looking dazzlingly beautiful in her snow-white dress. "Wiping out most of the Qingchen Divine Dynasty’s Cultivators is a huge win already."

Ling Changqing nodded slightly and said to Immortal Venerable Doumu, "Send the Daoist Soldier Puppets to clean up the battlefield. We’ll deal with the Cultivators in the other regions."

"Yes, Husband."

Immortal Venerable Doumu agreed and performed a few Spirit Techniques. In an instant, the clouds over that region parted and the sky cleared, the sea of blood-red lightning vanishing without a trace.

All that remained were the bloodstained corpses of countless Cultivators, along with fragments of various Magical Treasures and Storage Magical Artifacts.

With the sound of soft footsteps, numerous washbasin-sized, silver-glowing spider Puppets emerged, converging from all directions. They began to clear away the Cultivators’ remains while collecting all the Magical Treasures, Artifacts, and Storage Pouches.

...

Meanwhile, deep within another secluded valley, the Cultivators of the Li Huo Divine Palace had just clashed with those from the Vast Sea Immortal Alliance, suffering casualties among their Disciples in the thousands.

"...We’ll rest for three hours, then set off again..."

Elder Sect Leader Qin Tianyang had not yet finished speaking when the clear sky above them suddenly darkened. Boundless black clouds rolled in, and the air temperature plummeted to the freezing point.

Before he and the other senior members could react, the sea of blood-red lightning poured down and submerged everything.

Cursing profusely, Qin Tianyang was enveloped in a ten-foot-wide ball of cyan light and shot through the air, making a swift escape.

When the dust settled, aside from Qin Tianyang who had managed a narrow escape, not a single other Cultivator in the valley remained alive.

And so, under the direction of Ling Changqing and Immortal Venerable Doumu, region after region was cleared out. Nearly all the Cultivators within were annihilated, body and soul. Only a handful had the trump cards needed to escape with their lives.

...

Amid a sea of vibrant, colorful flowers, the many Female Cultivators of Nixiang Palace were taking a brief rest.

Ji Minghui, noble, poised, and incomparably beautiful, was gathered with her Elders, discussing their next move.

"Huh? Why is the sky getting dark?"

An elegant and gentle beauty looked up by chance, a startled expression on her face.

"This could be dangerous. Form the array at once!"

Ji Minghui’s expression grew grave.

At the Elders’ command, a large group of beautiful young Female Cultivators gathered. One by one, Array Banners and ritual archways were unfurled, and a thick, cyan light barrier rapidly took shape.

Beneath the clouds, the thousand-foot-tall, slender and graceful illusion of a beautiful woman slowly materialized. Her features were indistinct, but her cool, melodious voice rang out across the world:

"Fellow Daoists, I have taken control of the Ancient Immortal Mansion’s core hub Array! From this day forward, this place is my personal domain. I must ask you all to withdraw at once!"

"I will open the Immortal Mansion’s Array Restrictions. You have fifteen minutes to leave. If you linger, then you will have no one to blame but me when I show no mercy!"

Ji Minghui was speechless.

Instantly, the color drained from the faces of the surrounding Nixiang Palace Elders.

’We fought tooth and nail, painstakingly breaking through Array Restrictions, and only managed to get this far after immense difficulty. And now, just because someone else got here first, all our efforts are for naught?’

"Palace Master, what should we do?"

Several of the beautiful women asked with furrowed brows. They were all deeply unwilling to give up so easily.

Although Ji Minghui was also furious, the Great Power quickly weighed the pros and cons before speaking.

"Then we will withdraw! If that person turns on us, I fear few of the Disciples who came with us will be able to escape alive!"

Having been imprisoned in the Hongmeng Divine Hall for several hundred years, this Great Power had learned to let things go. Recognizing that the situation was hopeless, she decisively chose to retreat.

...

Before a majestic and magnificent palace.

"...Not... not again? This is infuriating!"

Xia Qingying, the Goddess Empress of the Yu Province Da Xia Divine Dynasty, looked livid. Her beautiful eyes stared at the illusory woman who had just appeared in midair.

The last time, in the Hongmeng Divine Hall, some bastard had beaten everyone to the punch, seizing control of the core hub Array and forcing the Cultivators from all other factions to retreat in disappointment.

She never thought she would encounter the exact same outcome again, making her entire trip a waste!

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

Beside her, several stately beauties from the Royal Family asked in low voices.

They had specifically followed Xia Qingying on this journey for the legendary Child of Destiny. But now, not only had they failed to see him, they were also being forced to withdraw from the Ancient Immortal Mansion. It was simply...

Although they had reaped some rewards along the way, those gains were nothing compared to meeting the Child of Destiny.

"Forget it. We’re leaving!"

Xia Qingying gritted her teeth, but after a moment’s thought, she still made the sensible choice.

’Hmm, Ling Changqing was the one who seized control of the Hongmeng Divine Hall,’ she mused. ’Could it be that this time... he’s the one who’ll have the last laugh again?’

The thought suddenly surfaced in Xia Qingying’s mind, and she instinctively felt her guess was correct.

’After all, with Ling Changqing’s terrifying luck, there probably isn’t anyone who can truly compete with him.’

...

"...Huh? Our husband has already succeeded?"

In a primeval forest of towering ancient trees that blotted out the sky, Meng Qingyu, looking holy and dignified in a pale gold Feathered Robe, gazed at the Communication Jade Talisman in her hand with a look of utter delight.

Ling Changqing had just sent her a secret message, telling her that he was now the master of the Immortal Palace and that she should lead her Disciples away quickly to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"I bet all those other factions are doomed. Not a single one of them will get away!" said the voluptuous and enchanting Ye Xinglan, her beauty both radiant and grand. She had also received Ling Changqing’s message.

"So, shall we leave now? We shouldn’t cause our husband any trouble," said Ye Binghua, a peerless beauty as magnificent as a lush peony.

"Alright, let’s go together!"

Meng Qingyu nodded and gave the order to withdraw.

Unlike last time, Ling Changqing chose not to inform all the Cultivators in the Immortal Palace. With the exception of the allied Female Cultivators, he decided to eliminate all the remaining factions.

This was especially true for the eight Male Cultivator factions from the Qingming Continent. Not a single one of their members could be allowed to escape.

Only by doing so could he guarantee the safety of the Female Cultivators from Xuannü Palace and the Ye Family.

After today, having been bled dry, those factions would have no choice but to lie low for the next century, slowly recovering their strength.

Meanwhile, Xuannü Palace and the Ye Family could seize this opportunity to grow stronger and once again become one of the most powerful forces on the Qingming Continent.

After a day and a night, the bloody purge finally came to a close.

On the Qingming Continent, eight Male Cultivator factions, including the Chiying Demon Sect and the Li Huo Divine Palace, each lost over ten thousand Cultivators in the Immortal Palace. Many famous and powerful figures were among the dead.

As for the Loose Cultivators and the factions from other continents, it went without saying that every last one of them suffered devastating losses.