320: Chapter 320: Self-Destruction

Li Changsheng stood on the city wall, his white robes fluttering, his expression cold and stern.

In his hand, the law seed glowed with a swirling violet-gold light.

The light was warm and peaceful, yet carried an irresistible majesty.

On the city wall, the Righteous Path Cultivators looked at his back, their eyes filled with reverence.

Some knelt and wept bitterly, some roared to the heavens, and others prayed silently.

For in their despair, they had finally seen a glimmer of hope.

Standing atop the head of the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor, Xiao Ran looked down upon Li Changsheng.

A cold sneer played at the corner of his mouth.

"Li Changsheng, you've finally decided to show yourself?"

"I thought you had died in the Far North Land."

Xiao Ran's voice was laced with sarcasm.

Li Changsheng said indifferently, "Thanks to you, I am far from dead."

"On the other hand, Xiao Ran, you destroyed the Seven Demon Sects, slaughtered the Great Qian Dynasty, and now you want to destroy the Supreme Dao Palace. What exactly do you want?"

Xiao Ran laughed wantonly.

"What do I want? I want to unify the Northern Region."

"The Righteous Path, the Demonic Path, and the Yao Race shall all be used by me."

"Li Changsheng, if you know what's good for you, lead the Supreme Dao Palace to submit to me, and I will guarantee you a lifetime of glory."

Li Changsheng shook his head.

"Wishful thinking!"

"Xiao Ran, you have a law seed, and so do I."

"Did you think you were the only one who mastered the power of the Mahayana Stage?"

Violet-gold light burst from the seed, and the aura of the Mahayana Stage enveloped heaven and earth.

In the sky, the winds surged, clouds churned, and the sun and moon lost their luster.

An invisible pressure erupted from Li Changsheng, vast as the mountains and seas, standing as an equal rival to Xiao Ran's aura.

The two Mahayana Stage auras clashed above the Dao Palace, exploding into a blinding light.

The ground trembled, more and more cracks appeared on the city walls, and debris rained down.

The spiritual energy in the air grew violent, making it difficult for the Cultivators to even breathe.

Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes, staring at the law seed in Li Changsheng's hand.

"You have one too?"

There was a hint of "surprise" in his voice.

Li Changsheng said calmly, "I obtained it in the ruins of the Far North Land. Xiao Ran, your era is over."

Xiao Ran sneered.

"Over? Li Changsheng, aren't you being too naive?"

"Even if you have a law seed, so what? Your cultivation is only at the Middle Stage of Body Integration, while I am already at the Late Stage of Body Integration. What do you have to fight against me?"

Li Changsheng did not answer.

He merely stared at Xiao Ran silently, his eyes as calm as still water.

"Then let's try."

Li Changsheng took a step forward, his figure transforming into a streak of white light as he charged straight at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran did not retreat.

He also took a step forward, his grayish-black escape light rising to meet him.

Boom!

The two pillars of light collided in mid-air, erupting with an earth-shattering roar.

The entire Dao Palace trembled, and the Cultivators on the city walls were knocked to the ground by the blast wave.

In the sky, the grayish-black and violet-gold lights intertwined, like two giant Dragons locked in combat.

Xiao Ran struck out with a palm, and the Guixu Vortex condensed in his hand, turning into a massive black hole that swept toward Li Changsheng.

Instead of retreating, Li Changsheng advanced. The law seed lit up, shooting a violet-gold pillar of light toward the black hole.

The black hole and the pillar of light collided, devouring and neutralizing each other.

Both men retreated several steps simultaneously, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

"Not bad!"

"Li Changsheng, you are stronger than I imagined."

Li Changsheng said indifferently, "You aren't weak either."

The two charged at each other once more.

Fists, palms, swords, and Laws—all kinds of attacks intertwined, turning the sky and earth dark.

Xiao Ran's Guixu Vortex devoured everything, while Li Changsheng's law seed suppressed all.

They traded blows back and forth, neither able to gain the upper hand over the other.

"Xiao Ran, didn't you want to unify the Northern Region? How is it that you can't even defeat me?"

There was a hint of sarcasm in Li Changsheng's voice.

Xiao Ran sneered.

"Can't defeat you? Li Changsheng, aren't you being a bit too confident?"

He raised his hand, and three Grand Elder Puppets charged at Li Changsheng simultaneously.

Li Changsheng did not panic.

With a thought, the law seed lit up, and a violet-gold pillar of light forced the three Puppets back.

Although the Puppets were strong, the law seed possessed the power of the Mahayana Stage, and they dared not draw close.

"Xiao Ran, no matter how many Puppets you have, they cannot withstand the power of the law seed,"

Li Changsheng said calmly.

Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes.

"Then let's try."

He charged at Li Changsheng once more, and the three Puppets surrounded him as well.

Facing four opponents at once, Li Changsheng was forced back step by step.

Yet there was no fear in his eyes, only Battle Intent.

Meanwhile, on the city wall, the chaotic battle between the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path had also reached a fever pitch.

The Yellow Spring Army surged onto the city walls, clashing fiercely with the Righteous Path Cultivators.

Two thousand corpses of the Void Refinement Stage felt no pain, feared no death, and knew no fatigue.

Their Long Halberds pierced the bodies of one Righteous Path Cultivator after another, causing blood to spray everywhere.

But the Righteous Path Cultivators did not retreat.

They knew that retreating meant death.

Gritting their teeth, they swung their swords and hacked away. When one fell, another would take their place.

"Kill! Killing one breaks even, killing two is a profit!"

A young Disciple roared, charging into the horde of corpses.

With one sword strike, he shattered the skull of a corpse, but behind him, another corpse's Long Halberd pierced his back.

Spitting blood, he tightly embraced the corpse and detonated his Golden Core.

Boom!

The power of the Golden Core's self-detonation blew several surrounding corpses to pieces.

Nothing remained of the young Disciple's body, but his sacrifice bought a slim chance of survival for his companions.

"Junior Brother!"

Another Disciple, with bloodshot eyes, slashed his sword at that corpse.

His sword struck the corpse, leaving only a white mark.

With a backhand swing of its halberd, the corpse pierced his chest.

As he fell, his eyes remained wide open, unable to rest in peace.

Such scenes were playing out on every corner of the city wall.

The Righteous Path Cultivators used their own lives to trade for the lives of the Demonic Path army.

One for one, two for one, three for one.

They knew they might not be able to hold them off, but they wanted to make the Demonic Path pay a heavy price.

"Righteous Path Disciples would rather die than surrender!"

Daoist Master Qingxu struggled to his feet, sweeping his fly-whisk to grind several corpses into fragments.

His left arm was already severed and dripping with blood, yet there was no fear in his eyes.

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi also stood up. His chest had been pierced by the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's pillar of light, and his aura was extremely weak.

Yet he did not fall.

Leaning on his staff, a grayish pillar of light shot from his palm, blasting the corpses into fragments one by one.

Fairy Xuanbing slumped on the ground, her right leg crushed and unable to move.

But pushing off with her remaining left leg, she swung her longsword, and a silvery-white sword light froze the lunging corpses into ice sculptures.

This scene was playing out everywhere.

However, just as the Righteous Path Cultivators were about to collapse, a green light suddenly lit up on the distant horizon.

Within the light, a middle-aged man in green robes came flying at high speed, leading dozens of Cultivators.

Shangguan Yunhe.

"Patriarch Shangguan! Patriarch Shangguan is here!"

Cheers erupted from the Cultivators on the city wall.

Shangguan Yunhe landed on the city wall. Looking at the devastated Dao Palace, his face turned ashen.

"Xiao Ran, you go too far!"

He raised his hand, and green spiritual energy transformed into countless tiny wind blades, shredding the lunging corpses into pieces.

The dozens of Cultivators from the Shangguan Family he had brought along also joined the battle.

The pressure on the Righteous Path eased slightly, but it was still not enough.

The Yellow Spring Army was simply too numerous to be wiped out.

Moreover, there were still the Disciples of the Six Great Demonic Sects and the army of Yao Beasts.

"Daoist Master Qingxu, I have arrived late!"

Shangguan Yunhe rushed to Daoist Master Qingxu's side and supported him.

Daoist Master Qingxu shook his head.

"Not late, we can still fight."

Shangguan Yunhe looked at the corpses covering the ground, his eyes filled with grief.

"How much longer can we hold out?"

Daoist Master Qingxu fell silent for a moment.

"I don't know. But we will hold out for as long as we can."

The battle continued for another half an hour.

The casualties of the Righteous Path grew heavier and heavier.

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi's injuries worsened. His chest had been pierced, and his spiritual energy was draining rapidly.

He leaned against the city wall, gasping heavily, his face as pale as paper.

"Grand Elder, please go down and rest."

A Disciple stepped forward to support him.

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi pushed him away and struggled to stand up.

"No need, this old man can still fight."

He raised his head, looking at Li Changsheng who was locked in a fierce battle with Xiao Ran in the sky, and then at the corpses of the Righteous Path Cultivators covering the ground. A flash of determination crossed his eyes.

"Daoist Master Qingxu."

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi spoke.

Daoist Master Qingxu walked to his side.

"Grand Elder, please speak."

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi looked at the distant Demonic Path army.

"This old man has lived for thousands of years; it has been a worthy life."

"Today, let this old man do one last thing for the Supreme Dao Palace."

Daoist Master Qingxu's expression changed drastically.

"Grand Elder, what do you intend to do?"

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi did not answer.

He turned and walked toward the Demonic Path army.

His steps were slow but steady.

With every step he took, his aura grew a fraction stronger.

His body began to glow, the grayish light growing brighter and more intense.

"Grand Elder! No!"

Someone tried to rush forward to stop him, but was held back by Daoist Master Qingxu.

"Let him go."

"He is the Grand Elder of the Supreme Dao Palace. He has his pride."

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi walked into the center of the Demonic Path army, and the surrounding Demonic Path Disciples retreated one after another.

They felt the terrifying aura emanating from him.

It was the aura of self-detonation.

The self-detonation of a Peak Integration Stage Cultivator was enough to destroy everything within a hundred-mile radius.

"Xiao Ran, this old man will fight you to the death!"

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi roared, and his body exploded.