Chapter 586 - 582: Seven Star War God

"No!"

Staring at the palm descending upon his head, the Divine General's eyes looked ready to split.

He felt despair. He felt the aura of death drawing ever closer, enveloping him completely.

He tried to circulate his Profound Skill to resist Hong Yu's attack.

"ROAR!"

The Vajra phantom solidified once more. Though it lacked consciousness, it still let out a low roar.

This was the Mystical Technique itself sensing a threat.

The Vajra abruptly raised its iron pillar-like arms, blocking in front of itself as if forging a great wall.

But as Hong Yu's palm struck, the Divine Patterns on his Venerable Golden Bone spun, like a mighty golden ancient dragon swooping down for the kill.

It brutally shredded the Vajra phantom's arms.

Energy scattered, blasting outward.

The expert, renowned for his Fist Technique, let out a wretched scream. His only remaining arm exploded from the shoulder down, showering the air with flesh and blood in a gruesome spectacle.

"Time to die!"

The words slipped from Hong Yu's lips with a smirk.

His Thunder Emperor's Divine Eyes unleashed a violet flash of lightning. The purple light swept across, looking as if it had torn the very sky asunder.

Accompanied by a piercing thunder storm, it instantly engulfed the Divine General.

"BOOM! CRACKLE!"

The lightning wreaked havoc.

The smell of roasting flesh filled the air. The expert's supreme physical body was blasted into a gory mess, with bone visible deep within the wounds. Even the lightest injuries were torn-open gashes of flesh reeking of a thick, charred stench.

"No!"

He let out a fierce-looking but inwardly terrified scream.

How powerful were the Thunder Emperor's Divine Eyes?

They had long since sealed his spiritual senses, rendering him immobile. He could only watch helplessly as the Thunder Power scorched and bombarded his body, completely annihilating everything below his neck, leaving not even a single hair behind.

Another Divine General had fallen.

"HISS!"

The spectators were all utterly shocked and stunned.

"GULP!"

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi swallowed hard.

He could sense the power of the ten Divine Generals. Even at his full strength, he could only hope to fight on par with the weakest among them.

Just moments ago, when the Divine Generals were bombarding Hong Yu, he had felt that Hong Yu was doomed. That was why he hadn't supported the Hong Alliance in their fight.

But now...

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi's throat felt dry and scratchy, as if it were smoking. He dazedly turned his stiff neck to look at Xiao Shilang. "Old Xiao... I-I'm getting the feeling we made the wrong choice again."

"Sigh!"

Xiao Shilang gave a bitter smile.

He too had a feeling he had misjudged yet again.

Shaking his head with a wry laugh, he muttered to himself, "Who could have imagined that Hong Yu's strength would skyrocket like this in just a few days? Now I finally understand why the Fifth Prince went to such lengths to befriend him. This kid's power and talent are truly terrifying!"

Emperor Xiahuang Wudi nodded, his eyes filled with bewilderment and his conviction shaken. 'Such a genius actually came from a remote place like the Southern Ten Nations? Even the most acclaimed Celestial Pride Sons of the Imperial Capital are like ants and dogs before him. How is this possible? Shouldn't all the strongest geniuses come from the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom?'

For the first time, the steadfast belief in his heart wavered.

The gaze he fixed on Hong Yu was no longer hostile, but a complex mix of admiration, astonishment, and disbelief.

Their conversation naturally reached Mang Kun's ears.

His face alternated between green and white, his features twisting into an extremely ugly expression, as if he'd been trampled by a stampede of ten thousand beasts.

Just now, Emperor Xiahuang Wudi and his companion had merely failed to support the Hong Alliance, but they hadn't kicked them while they were down.

But he was different!

Not only had he kicked them while they were down, he had directly betrayed Hong Yu and the Hong Alliance, leading to the tragic deaths of three of its members.

If Hong Yu won this battle, given his protective nature toward his own, what awaited Mang Kun and his War Race was sure to be a retaliatory strike as swift and violent as a thunderstorm.

'Impossible. These Divine Generals are incredibly powerful experts from the Four Great Divine Cities. They have powerful trump cards and methods. There's no way Hong Yu can win. That's right, Hong Yu will definitely die!' Mang Kun clenched his fists, muttering to himself as a hopeful glint appeared in his eyes.

「Meanwhile.」

Hong Yu's slaying of the Divine Fist General had caught the other seven Divine Generals completely off guard.

The seven of them retreated and exchanged glances, their cold eyes now holding a trace of gravity. "This guy is stronger than we imagined. If we keep facing him one-on-one, he might pick us off one by one. Only by joining forces can we kill him!"

"That's right, we must join forces!"

"Does this mean we have to use the Seven Stars Dragon Slaying Array?"

Someone asked hesitantly.

The others were also hesitant.

The Seven Stars Dragon Slaying Array—as its name implies, combining into this array to attack an enemy would result in a massive boost to their combat power, enough to even slay a dragon!

This was an inheritance that the mighty City Lord of the Eastern Divine City had obtained from an ancient land.

Once upon a time, it had given rise to a Dragon Slayer Legion that dominated in Ancient Times.

Although what had been passed down to the present was only a fragmented scroll, its power was still terrifying.

However, it came with significant side effects, which was why none of them wanted to use it lightly. But now, the situation forced their hand, leaving them no room for further hesitation.

"Let's do it!"

"We'll use the Seven Stars Dragon Slaying Array. Hong Yu is worthy of us taking this risk!"

The seven men looked at each other and nodded, agreeing with the speaker.

"I will be the Array Hub, positioned at Tian Shu!"

"The two of us will be on the left and right, in charge of defense!"

"The four of us will be in charge of offense!"

Their roles were clearly defined and executed with immense skill. They had practiced and coordinated this countless times, their teamwork seamless.

"RUMBLE!"

The seven men took their positions in the formation of the Big Dipper.

The moment the array manifested, the heavens themselves seemed to tremble. Waves of Star Power descended, piercing through the barrier of the earth to land upon them.

Seven pillars of starlight shot straight into the sky.

Under the array's operation, the seven became a single entity, guided by the central Array Hub at the Tian Shu position.

"Seven Stars condense, Divine General manifest!"

At the center was Wang Qiong.

He held his feather fan, his hair standing on end. His eyes shone with a sharp, stellar brilliance, as if they contained the sun and moon.

A terrifying Energy Aura surged around him.

"BUZZ! BUZZ!"

Powerful waves of energy surged from the bodies of all seven men at once, like ripples of water circling them before gathering above their heads.

It was a white radiance, as pure and bright as starlight.

"BOOM!"

With the coordination of the seven stars, the starlight swirled and condensed into the phantom of a deity clad in Seven-Star Battle Armor.

This was a War God.

It was incredibly fearsome. Its eyes were like the bright moon and stars, its feet trod upon the void, and its Battle Armor was covered in the scars of ages. It radiated a sacred and immense Divine Power, as if it had once fought in the ancient wars of the void.

With every gesture, terrifying power surged.

"Sword, come!"

A deep, ancient voice suddenly thundered.

A ray of starlight descended from the sky. The white radiance condensed in its hand to form a Battle Sword, adorned with seven stars. It contained unimaginable power, with starlight flowing along its blade.

It seemed sharp enough to slice through the very stars.

"Shield, come!"

This voice was the result of all seven men roaring in unison.

Amidst the wandering starlight, a shield materialized out of thin air.

This was the Seven-Star Shield, a supreme weapon for warring across the starry heavens, just like the Seven-star Divine Sword.

"Seven Stars, return to your positions!"

Wang Qiong's eyes blazed as he roared.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

Seven balls of flame suddenly descended from the sky, slamming into the Giant Shield one after another. Billowing green smoke rose as seven fiery red points of starlight spread across it, forming the pattern of the seven stars.

This set of supreme weapons was finally assembled.

Although it was merely a phantom condensed from starlight, it was still incomparably powerful. The immense pressure it radiated sent a chill down the spine of even an Unparalleled Genius like Emperor Xiahuang Wudi.

He was dumbfounded. "What a terrifying Array! It feels even stronger and more unbelievable than the most powerful military formation of my Ancient Kingdom. To think it can communicate with the stars!"

"It is indeed formidable. I wonder if Hong Yu can withstand it this time," Xiao Shilang said, his expression complex.

He didn't want the former True Dragons to win, yet he also didn't want Hong Yu to display his overwhelming power. It was a very awkward line of thought.

Mang Kun, on the other hand, burst into laughter, wild and triumphant. He grinned and said, "This old man truly has a discerning eye! These War God experts from the core regions are truly extraordinary. An wondrous Array like this is in no way inferior to my War Race's own inherited Ancient Array. It's more than enough to kill Hong Yu!"

He couldn't help but glance over at Yeban, Xuantian, and the others, who were currently healing.

A cold and sinister light flickered in his eyes as he muttered to himself, 'When Hong Yu is on the brink of death, I'll make my move. I'll capture them and hand them over to the Divine Generals.'

The War Race may be Bloodthirsty, warlike, and unyielding.

But for the sake of survival, they were also willing to selectively abandon certain things.

Things like integrity, backbone, and dignity.

After all...

An expert like Mang Kun, who had experienced both the glorious peak and the crushing nadir of his race, understood the importance of survival better than anyone. He would always choose the most advantageous path for himself, even if it meant bowing and scraping, becoming nothing more than a lapdog.

But that is a matter for another time.

The moment the Seven Stars Dragon Slaying Array was formed, Wang Qiong charged impatiently toward Hong Yu.

He wanted to stain the Seven-Star Sword red with Hong Yu's blood and shatter Hong Yu's bones with the Seven-Star Shield.

He wanted to rip out Hong Yu's very soul, to refine and torture it with Yin Yang Dual Fire, to subject him to a fate worse than death, where he could neither live nor die!

"Seven-Star Slash!"

The hundred-meter-tall Seven Star War God stepped forward and slashed down with its sword.

Seven-Star light enveloped the blade, which flowed with the terrifying light of Runes. It was as if seven stars were orbiting the Sword Edge, rotating like circling satellites.

"BOOM!"

The sword slash carried the power to tear through the void.

The void itself boomed and trembled. The ground, unable to withstand such a terrifying onslaught, began to crack and splinter with a series of "CRACK! CRACK!" sounds.

The hundred-meter-high mountain peak where Hong Yu stood shattered from the middle with a "BOOM" under the pressure of this single slash. It split in two as sand and stones flew, revealing the full extent of the terrifying power.

'The Seven Stars Dragon Slaying Array? To think it can channel Star Power. Truly remarkable... but...'

Hong Yu took a deep breath.

His eyes burned like two bright flames. They were a brilliant, searing light. The 'Peeping Essence' skill activated instantly.

Blue light flickered, analyzing the structure of this Grand Array.

Combined with his insights from the 'Initial Understanding of the Dao of Artifacts', he found the array nodes—the so-called weaknesses—of the seemingly invincible Seven Stars Dragon Slaying Array!

'So that's where it is!'

A flicker of understanding crossed Hong Yu's eyes.

With a "SWOOSH," the Divine Demon Wings appeared behind him. Their wingspan was terrifying, easily exceeding ten meters. As they beat, black light flowed over them like roaring black lightning.

"BZZZT!"

A layer of red light appeared around him as a suit of Battle Armor enveloped his body.

It was the Fire Cloud Divine Armor, gifted to him by the Fire Cloud Venerable. Although it had been damaged in that battle, it still possessed the defensive power of a Seventh Grade Battle Armor.

The red light emanating from the Fire Cloud Divine Armor condensed into a Flame Phoenix, wrapping Hong Yu within it. Combined with the beating of his Divine Demon Wings, he looked like a six-winged deity.

As the Godslaying Spear twirled in his hand, a pillar of golden light shot into the sky with a roar.

A deafening blast of energy bombarded the heavens, erupting into an extremely terrifying energy riot. It was followed by Hong Yu's commanding and confident roar...

"Now watch how I break your array!"