Book 07 Chapter 201: Houqing Disappoints
Gu Hai’s group flew straight into outer space. As they ascended, vast Void Energy invaded the flawed immortal firmament, visibly flooding in as dark bands. The group dodged while ascending.
“The ritual array I have is called the Primal Essence Five Elements Ritual Array,” Long Wanyu explained. “I originally prepared it for the five divine envoys to perform, but they are now… Regardless, five people at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm can execute it. This is the ritual array diagram. The five individuals will stand at each position, forming a five-element formation. Their combined energy will slow the rate of exhaustion, allowing us to hold on for at least ten years.”
She waved her hand, conjuring an image of the ritual array diagram with her energy.
“Kong Xuan, Wanqing, Houtu, Houqing, Mao Tianyun, you five are all at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm,” Gu Hai said. “You should set up the ritual array; what do you think?”
“I have no problem!” Long Wanqing immediately responded.
Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement. Gu Hai displayed Long Wanyu’s ritual array diagram to them.
The five took their positions instantly and waved.
Boom!
Five different types of energy in the void collided at a specific frequency and formed a small spherical barrier that enclosed everyone.
Everyone’s face turned grim at the sight of the rolling, pitch-black Void Energy.
“Go!”
The spherical barrier, enveloping everyone, plunged into the darkness of the void.
Buzz!
The barrier shook. It sounded like drops of water had fallen onto a hot iron, making sizzling sounds. The energy seemed to evaporate, and once evaporated, it disappeared.
The void was consuming the energy of the barrier, which, in turn, drained the energy of the five consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators. Once their energy was depleted, the barrier would shatter, as there was no energy replenishment in the void.
“We’ve done it. This consumes hundreds of times less than when I entered the void alone!” Lady Houtu suddenly said, her eyes lighting up.
“Of course!” Long Wanyu said complacently.
“Quick, look at the flawed immortal firmament!” Kong Xuan exclaimed, wide-eyed.
From the void, they could see two forces colliding within the flawed immortal firmament.
One black and one white—they were the Six Paths Immortal and Essence Genesis.
Boom!
The force from each collision struck the entire immortal firmament like a blade. After a few instances, the flawed immortal firmament had broken into two.
“The Six Paths Immortal and Essence Genesis are formidable!” Kong Xuan said in awe.
Despite being at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm, he had not imagined that their strength could shatter an entire world.
“You’re overthinking,” Lady Houtu said, shaking her head.
“Huh?”
“The world did not break because of the heavy blows from Essence Genesis and the Six Paths Immortal. They don’t possess such immense power. The world is collapsing because of extensive internal damage accumulated over time. The flawed immortal firmament would crumble, regardless. Now, it is crumbling even faster with the invasion of Void Energy. Essence Genesis and Six Paths’s battle is merely a catalyst, simply speeding up the collapse—the last straw that breaks the camel’s back!” Lady Houtu declared.
“Oh?” Kong Xuan was slightly taken aback.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The flawed immortal firmament shattered into large and small pieces, resembling an exploded planet. The grand spectacle left Gu Hai and the others profoundly shocked.
The Void Energy rapidly eroded these fragments. The larger fragments needed more time, but the smaller ones vanished instantly.
One could vaguely see many tree-like images pulling on the remaining large fragments, apparently trying to fuse the fragments. However, nothing could withstand the Void Energy eroding the fragments.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battle between Essence Genesis and the Six Paths Immortal had not ended. The entire flawed immortal firmament had shattered, but their battle continued into the void. Accompanying them was Hetu, which possessed the golden dragon.
“Why am I so unlucky?!” Hetu screamed in despair before disappearing into the void with the two combatants.
“They’re gone! Let’s go back and take a look!” Gu Hai suggested.
Whoosh!
The barrier raced towards the shattered, flawed immortal firmament, carrying everyone. However, they could no longer distinguish their location. The Yellow Springs Road had disappeared as well.
“What do we do now that the Yellow Springs Road is gone?” Houqing asked anxiously.
Gu Hai glanced at the numerous tree images and the remaining fragments of the flawed immortal firmament. His eyes narrowed.
“Be careful. I’m going to collect these into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament!” Gu Hai announced.
“What?” Everyone was slightly startled.
“Just make a small opening in the barrier!” Gu Hai instructed.
“No, you’ll accelerate our destruction!” Houqing screamed in panic.
“Yes!” Kong Xuan readily agreed.
Buzz!
Kong Xuan made a small opening in the barrier.
“Don’t! Do you want us to die with you?” Houqing shouted, aghast.
“Shut up!” Kong Xuan snapped, glaring at him. Long Wanqing also glared at Houqing. Houtu and Mao Tianyun remained silent.
Everyone watched as Gu Hai waved his hand at the small opening in the barrier.
The Gu’s Immortal Firmament opened like a gaping mouth and swallowed a fragment tens of millions of kilometers wide.
Whoosh!
The gigantic fragment instantly entered the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
The Gu’s Immortal Firmament went on to swallow the tree images. Gu Hai recognized them as Great Dao struggling against the void.
In the Six Paths Immortal Firmament, the three thousand Great Dao were an integrated system, forming a perfect world. Thus, they did not fear the invasion of Void Energy. However, in the flawed immortal firmament, these Great Dao struggled to support themselves. With the flawed immortal firmament shattered, this was their final struggle.
It was akin to a drowning person suddenly spotting a lifeline. The Gu’s Immortal Firmament was these Great Dao’s lifeline, so they naturally rushed to it.
All the struggling Great Dao continuously entered the Gu’s Immortal Firmament, dragging massive pieces of the flawed immortal firmament along.
Rumble…!
When the Great Dao entered the Gu’s Immortal Firmament, they instantly registered in the Death and Life Register, forming Great Dao patterns and integrating into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament. The fragments of the flawed immortal firmament filled the Great Dao swiftly as though they were the energy of the Great Dao.
Previously, Gu Hai used countless spirit stones to shape a single Go Dao. Now, they were directly using a world to mend a world. This was a source of Great Dao nourishment more perfect than spirit stones. Where else could they find such a thing?
Rumble…! Rumble…!
With the integration of the Great Dao, the Gu’s Immortal Firmament expanded rapidly. Simultaneously, massive tree images seemed to sprout throughout the world as the Great Dao took root within the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
“Is this the old fogey’s immortal firmament?” Long Wanyu asked in surprise.
In the void, the Void Energy and the Gu’s Immortal Firmament were competing in consuming the flawed immortal firmament’s fragments. Fortunately, the Great Dao of the flawed immortal firmament preferred the Gu’s Immortal Firmament. Thus, most of the fragments entered the Gu’s Immortal Firmament, enlarging it.
This time, there was no need for energy or spatial energy, as everything came built-in in these fragments. The lifeforms inside the Gu’s Immortal Firmament watched as the entire world underwent dramatic changes.
One Great Dao, ten Great Dao, a hundred Great Dao. Gu’s Immortal Firmament was constantly expanding, and the Spiritual Energy kept rising.
While everyone inside was in awe, outside, Houqing’s expression changed dramatically.
“Gu Hai, don’t overdo things!” Houqing exclaimed in anger.
Houqing already held a grudge against Gu Hai and saw him reaping great benefits. Now, Houqing’s envy was even more apparent. At the same time, the small hole Kong Xuan had made in the barrier inflicted a considerable energy drain on everyone.
Previously, the barrier could have held for ten years. Now, they wondered if it could last a year. Everything outside was deadly territory.
“How audacious!” Kong Xuan snapped at Houqing with a glare.
“Houqing, this is not the time for arguing!” Long Wanqing chided sternly.
“What do you mean, not the time for arguing? Kong Xuan is Gu Hai’s subject. Long Wanqing, you are Gu Hai’s woman. Of course, you side with him. He is causing a ruckus here, and we are supposed to accompany him to our deaths? We don’t even know where the Six Paths Immortal Firmament is, and we can’t afford to waste any energy now. Playing his game might kill us all. Elder Sister, don’t you agree? Mao Tianyun, do you want to die?” Houqing said coldly.
Mao Tianyun and Houtu frowned slightly, not saying a word, clearly hesitant.
“Humph! Who says so? I know the way to our immortal firmament; we can get there soon. I’m calculating how much energy my brother-in-law is consuming. If it gets too dangerous, we will return to our immortal firmament right away!” Long Wanyu said angrily.
The Gu’s Immortal Firmament did not block the voices of Long Wanyu and others.
“You were Heaven Cang in your previous life, and I respected you. But now, you are Gu Hai’s sister-in-law. Don’t think I don’t know about it. You are siding with Gu Hai and leading us to our deaths!” Houqing snarled, scowling.
“Presumptuous! Houqing, mind your language!” Houtu rebuked.
“Elder Sister! The Heaven Cang of the past is dead. This is not Heaven Cang anymore; she just has the memories of Heaven Cang. Her character is not the same at all!” Houqing protested angrily.
“You are not allowed to talk nonsense!” Houtu glared back.
“Regardless, I don’t care. If you can find our immortal firmament, then go find it and tell me!” Houqing snarled.
Long Wanyu was also infuriated. “Fine, you don’t believe me? Alright, I will forge a Void Seeing Eye. You can see for yourself!”
With that, Long Wanyu immediately waved her hand, condensing an eye-shaped enchanted treasure with a technique.
Buzz!
When she gently activated the eye-shaped enchanted treasure, it created a 3D map, showing the void in most of the screen. Suddenly, a ray of light appeared, revealing the Six Paths Immortal Firmament.
“Is that the place?” The eyes of everyone present lit up.
“Just follow the direction of this Void Seeing Eye, and we can get back. What’s there to worry about?” Long Wanyu stated.
“Then let’s get back quickly!” Houqing said, clearly delighted.
“No, my brother-in-law hasn’t finished yet. We’ll leave after he’s done!” Long Wanyu promptly declared.
“If you guys don’t go, I will. Elder Sister, Mao Tianyun, don’t you want to get back immediately?” Houqing suggested enticingly.
“Houqing, shut up! Listen to Long Wanyu!” Houtu ordered sternly.
“No, I must go back. I don’t trust them. If you guys don’t go, I will!” Houqing insisted.
“You’re leaving? What about our ritual array?” Long Wanqing demanded, her eyes wide.
“If it scatters, so be it. I have to leave. Elder Sister, Mao Tianyun, do you really not want to leave?” Houqing turned to the two.
If the two of them left with him, the Primal Essence Five Elements Ritual Array would scatter, and Gu Hai could not linger in this void anymore. That way, Gu Hai would not gain any more benefits.
“Meow! Houqing, I was fooled by you once. Do you think I would listen to you again?” Mao Tianyun retorted coldly.
It was clear that Mao Tianyun sided with Long Wanyu.
“Houqing, you disappoint me too much!” Lady Houtu showed a face of dissatisfaction.
“Humph! If you guys don’t want to leave, that’s fine. However, let me remind you, although the Unborn Man fought me, Kong Xuan, and Mao Tianyun, he is not at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. He just used his means as a lifespan cultivator. Once I leave, your Primal Essence Five Elements Ritual Array will also be broken, and you won’t be able to stay much longer!” Houqing sneered, looking at Gu Hai.
With that, Houqing made to step away from the ritual array.
“Houqing, you!” Everyone glared at him.
They needed five individuals at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. Losing even one was not acceptable. But now, with Houqing planning to leave…
“I will fill the gap!”
Suddenly, the skeleton Gu Hai stepped out of the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.