Chapter 602 81: Song Changsheng vs. Zhang Hongguang (2)

The battle raged outside the mountain, but Wang Yuesong hurried to a Bronze Gate in the back mountains.

He lifted the hem of his robes, knelt, and touched his forehead to the ground. "Wang Yuesong respectfully requests the Sect Leader to emerge from seclusion!" he announced loudly.

His voice echoed through the mountains, but within the secret chamber, Zhang Hongguang remained unmoved.

But Wang Yuesong didn't give up. He continued to kowtow. "The Sect is in peril! I implore you, Sect Leader, to emerge and take command!"

Still, there was no response. It was as if he were facing nothing but a cold Bronze Gate.

"The Elders are leading the disciples in a bloody battle! I beg you, Sect Leader, emerge from seclusion!"

Wang Yuesong continued to kowtow. As long as Zhang Hongguang refused to emerge, he would keep going.

Time ticked by, second by second. The only sounds in the mountains were the dull thuds of his head hitting the ground and Wang Yuesong's anguished cries.

Eventually, the stone before him cracked, and his forehead was bloodied—an unimaginable state for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Finally, Zhang Hongguang's hoarse voice drifted from within the Bronze Gate.

"Go away. I am but a broken shell now, unfit for the great duty of protecting the Sect. Just let me pass my final moments here in peace."

Zhang Hongguang's voice was filled with desolation. His heart was already dead. Dying on Celestial Yang Peak was the last shred of dignity he could preserve for himself.

He was merely waiting for the Grand Array to be broken. Then, he would sever his own heart meridian, collapse the secret chamber, and bury himself within.

"Sect Leader! Are you going to stand by and watch as the Sect bleeds dry? How can you face the ancestral masters of our Sect by doing this!?"

Wang Yuesong bellowed, his voice sharp. Everyone from the elders to the children of the Sect had joined the battle. As the Sect's strongest member, what right did he have to cower here in his shell!

"Then surrender. Leave some seeds behind for the Sect." Zhang Hongguang remained unmoved.

A surge of fury erupted in Wang Yuesong's chest. He struck out with a palm, and the Bronze Gate instantly shattered into fragments.

He strode inside, but the scene before him made him freeze in astonishment.

Zhang Hongguang, who should have been in the prime of his life, had somehow become a decrepit old man with graying hair and a wizened face, his entire body exuding a heavy aura of decay.

If not for the faint resemblance, Wang Yuesong would never have believed his own eyes.

"Sect Leader..." Wang Yuesong's voice trembled slightly.

"Junior Brother, you tell me. In this state, what can I possibly do? What am I even capable of?"

"That junior's sword strike from back then still torments me to this day. My spirit is exhausted, and I don't have long to live. Just let me walk this final path in peace, won't you?"

A plea shone in Zhang Hongguang's clouded eyes.

Song Qingxing's sword strike had seemed like the lightest of injuries, but in truth, his Sword Qi had been infused with the Power of Law, gained by absorbing the Law Essence from the Abyss.

It was a power completely beyond Zhang Hongguang's comprehension, one he was utterly unable to dispel. Like poison seeping into his very bones, it relentlessly eroded his heart meridian, reducing him to this ghostly, inhuman state in a short period.

Not only was his Source heavily damaged, but it had also consumed a great deal of his spirit.

"Senior Brother, do you really want to die in such a pathetic way? Why not risk it all in one final battle? Even if you die, make your death worthwhile!"

"Senior Brother, must I beg you with my own life?"

Seeing the resolve in Wang Yuesong's eyes, Zhang Hongguang let out a deep sigh. "Fine, fine. It's death either way."

By the time Zhang Hongguang emerged, the battle outside had reached a fever pitch. Song Changsheng had discovered a major flaw in the Grand Array and was launching a furious assault with Song Xianming and Yuann Tianshu. They nearly broke through several times, only to be repelled by Huang Liqun, who had consecutively unleashed Celestial Fire Meteor three times.

Just as Song Changsheng was debating whether to use a Celestial Shaking Thunder, Zhang Hongguang appeared in the sky below, bellowing, "Song Changsheng, your opponent is me!"

'So you finally dare to show yourself!' A cold glint flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes.

"Go. Leave this to us!" Song Xianming said grimly.

"Alright!"

Song Changsheng nodded, transforming into a streak of light that shot into the sky to face Zhang Hongguang.

Even Song Changsheng was taken aback by Zhang Hongguang's current state.

"To battle!" Zhang Hongguang roared. A layer of scarlet light abruptly flared around him—he had begun to burn his own Source directly.

In his current state, he would undoubtedly die after this battle, win or lose.

Empowered by the Grand Array and the burning of his Source, Zhang Hongguang's aura surged to an incredible level, completely eclipsing Song Changsheng's.

"Be suppressed!"

Song Changsheng remained fearless. With a wave of his hand, the Five Elements Creation Seal shot forth, shimmering with five-colored light as it bore down on Zhang Hongguang.

"Break!"

A powerful aura erupted. Wielding a gleaming silver great saber, Zhang Hongguang slashed with all his might. The strike was as dazzling as a river of falling stars.

BOOM—

A massive shockwave rippled through the air. Instead of retreating, both men advanced, transforming into two streaks of light that clashed relentlessly in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of blows.

"Little Divine Technique, Mountain-Flipping Seal!"

"Little Divine Technique, Soul-Slaying Golden Saber!"

"Little Divine Technique, Celestial Spirit Shield!"

Song Changsheng's arsenal of techniques seemed endless. He gradually seized the upper hand, completely suppressing the grievously wounded Zhang Hongguang.

The stabbing pain in his chest grew more pronounced. Zhang Hongguang knew his Source was about to burn out completely. He was running out of time!

"Little Divine Technique, Celestial Yang Finger!"

A crimson glow gathered at Zhang Hongguang's fingertip and shot toward the space between Song Changsheng's eyebrows.

Song Changsheng flipped his hand to reveal the Spirit-Slaying Gourd and shouted coldly, "I beseech thee, Gourd, slay the spirit!"

SHING—

The crimson glow grazed past Song Changsheng's ear, carving a bloody groove so deep that bone was visible.

The Spirit-Slaying Flying Knife carved an arc through the air, slicing off a large chunk of flesh from Zhang Hongguang's left shoulder and simultaneously throwing his already fragile Sea of Consciousness into chaos.

"AHHH—"

Veins bulged on Zhang Hongguang's forehead as cold sweat streamed down his temples.

Only now did he finally understand how Hex Tai must have felt. Song Changsheng's power defied all common sense. Even if he weren't grievously wounded, he knew that even at his peak, he would have been no match for Song Changsheng.

However, he still had one last trump card—one that could only be played with his life as the key.

With a wretched smile, Zhang Hongguang suddenly dropped all his defenses. The surrounding Spiritual Qi surged into his body at a visible rate.

His once-gaunt body rapidly swelled like a balloon.

"This is bad! He's going to self-destruct! Changsheng, get away!"

Below, Song Xianming, who had been watching the battle intently, paled in shock and shouted a frantic warning.

A Purple Mansion Cultivator's self-detonation required the sacrifice of their entire being. Even their True Spirit would be obliterated, leaving no chance for reincarnation.

Its power was even greater than that produced by the self-detonation of a Magical Artifact.

Most people would never have the audacity.

But Zhang Hongguang did.

At such a close distance, it was too late for Song Changsheng to escape, even if he tried to flee with all his might.

Realizing this, Song Changsheng abandoned any thought of escape. His eyes abruptly turned a pure, stark black and white.

A pair of enormous eyes materialized behind him, majestic and desolate. Yin Yang Qi washed down, painting Zhang Hongguang's world in sharply divided shades of black and white.

Zhang Hongguang discovered in terror that the power he had just absorbed was rapidly dissipating, and no matter how he tried, he could not stop it.

He didn't know that this Innate Divine Technique of Song Changsheng's was born from the Yin Yang Dao itself. It exerted an immense suppressive force on anyone caught within it, rendering even self-detonation impossible.

"Yin Yang Annihilation." Song Changsheng's voice seemed to crawl up from the nine hells as it reached Zhang Hongguang's ears.

At that same moment, the eyes behind Song Changsheng snapped open—hollow, merciless, and brimming with destructive power.

Two different forces tore viciously at Zhang Hongguang's body. Utterly spent, he had no strength left to resist. In a flash, his body was ripped to shreds, and not even his Divine Soul was spared.

The last Sect Leader of the Lieyang Sect had fallen.

...

PS:

"Fragrant rice dumplings fill the air as a thousand boats race; / Mugwort and yellow wine ward off evil's trace."

Chuxin here, wishing all my fellow Daoist friends a happy Dragon Boat Festival! I hope you're all healthy, safe, and that everything goes your way~

There will be an extra chapter later!