98: Decay awakens, the three gods reunite

The instant the altar's blood light collided with the Chaos Sword Light, the entire Starry Sky seemed to be torn in half.

The scarlet and gray energy storm swept across a hundred thousand miles, reducing countless meteorites to dust. Even the coalition forces battling below were forced to retreat. The eighteen grand formations on the surface of Broken Blade Star shattered layer by layer, and the star's surface cracked into bottomless ravines, with magma spewing out like blood.

"Slash!"

Lu Qingxuan roared, and the Chaos Heaven-Opening Sword Domain compressed once more. The giant sword spanning the Starry Sky solidified, and bronze-colored Void Suppression Dao Runes appeared on its edge.

Crack—!

The massive blood-colored shield finally couldn't bear the force, showing countless cracks before bursting apart with a crash!

The Sword Light, its momentum undiminished, fiercely struck the body of the altar!

Boom!!!

The altar shook violently, and countless agonizing faces on its surface shrieked simultaneously as dark red liquid gushed out like a fountain. The Shadow of the Ruined Market shrieked frantically, the gray mist surging wildly to repair the altar. However, the Bronze Void Suppression Power contained within the Sword Light penetrated the cracks like a maggot in the bone, causing the blood light to dim and the altar's structure to begin disintegrating wherever it passed.

"No—!" the Shadow of the Ruined Market screamed.

Lu Qingxuan seized the opportunity, extending his hand. The Chaos Qi transformed into a giant palm, forcibly thrusting into the altar's core and snatching out the key fragment that had expanded to three zhang in size!

The fragment felt as heavy as a star in his hand, and the pulsating blood vessels on its surface were still struggling madly, attempting to devour Lu Qingxuan's flesh and blood. But the Chaos Ancient God Dao Body burst forth with light, and Dao Runes coiled around the fragment like chains, suppressing it completely.

[Obtained: Key Fragment (3)]

[Sacrificial Grand Formation Completion: 85%

→ 90%!]

[Warning! Due to the core fragment being seized, the Grand Formation's operation is chaotic, but the remaining energy is still sufficient to forcibly complete the final 10% within three hours!]

"It's not enough..." Lu Qingxuan's eyes were cold. He sealed and put away the fragment, his gaze falling upon the collapsing altar.

The Shadow of the Ruined Market's gray mist had shrunk to ten zhang in size, and its aura was extremely weak, but the scarlet eyes hidden in the mist held a maniacal smile.

"You took the fragment... but it's too late..." Its voice was hoarse. "The Formation Diagram is ninety percent complete... Yin Your Majesty's will... has already begun to penetrate the Seal..."

As if to confirm its words—

Buzz!

Across the entire Eastern Star Domain, all living beings simultaneously felt an indescribable tremor in their hearts.

It was an instinctive shudder that transcended fear, as if some incomprehensible and irresistible existence was slowly "gazing" over from the boundless depths of the Ruined Market.

The corrupted coalition forces on the battlefield suddenly roared in unison, their bodies bursting apart and turning into thicker blood mist that merged into the Formation Diagram. Meanwhile, among the Eastern Star Domain coalition forces, many lower-cultivation Disciples suddenly bled from their seven orifices, clutching their heads and screaming as they collapsed—their Divine Souls were being eroded by that invisible will!

"Guard your minds!" Elder Vajra's Buddhist light surged, and the sound of chanting resonated across the battlefield, opening up a pure land for the surrounding Disciples.

The Snow Maiden Ice Spirit Guards formed an Extreme Cold Domain, freezing the fluctuations of the Divine Souls.

Ling Tian unleashed ten thousand swords simultaneously, his Sword Intent slicing through the invisible erosion.

But still, tens of thousands of Disciples withered away amidst their wails, their Qi and blood drained, turning into streaks of blood light flying toward the Formation Diagram in the sky.

Lu Qingxuan's expression was grim.

Yin's will... had already started actively harvesting!

"I must destroy the core of the Formation Diagram immediately!" His Divine Sense swept over the Star Map, locking onto the three "Formation Eye Nodes" of the triangular Formation Diagram—the exact locations where the three Apostles first descended.

But the Shadow of the Ruined Market clearly wouldn't let him leave easily.

"Your opponent... is still me..." The gray mist suddenly ignited, and the Shadow of the Ruined Market's aura rose instead of falling, briefly soaring back to the Peak of the Undergoing Tribulation Late Stage. "With my remaining body... I will clear the way... for Yin Your Majesty!"

It completely abandoned defense and evasion. The gray mist transformed into a giant spear piercing the Starry Sky, its tip condensing the Aura of Annihilation from the Guixu Sea Eye, stabbing straight at Lu Qingxuan!

This was a blow that burned its Origin and aimed for mutual destruction!

Lu Qingxuan's eyes were serious. The Chaos Sword God Body operated at full power, preparing to meet the strike head-on—

Suddenly!

A gray-white beam of light shot forth from the boundless depths of the Starry Sky, ignoring spatial distance and directly hitting the giant spear formed by the Shadow of the Ruined Market!

Hiss—!

There was no explosion, no impact.

The instant the giant spear touched the gray-white beam, it seemed to undergo eons of erosion. Its surface developed dense mold spots, and then its structure "decayed," crumbling inch by inch like dried mud.

The Shadow of the Ruined Market didn't even have time to scream before the gray mist completely dispersed, leaving only a dim Key Fragment suspended in place.

[Apostle, Shadow of the Ruined Market, has died]

[Obtained: Key Fragment (4)]

[Sacrificial Grand Formation Completion: 90%

→ 92%!]

Lu Qingxuan's pupils contracted sharply.

It wasn't his doing.

Who was it?

He suddenly turned his head, looking in the direction the gray-white beam had shot from—the edge of the Eastern Domain, where a star marked "dead silent" on the Star Map was located.

At this moment, that star had vanished, replaced by a slowly rotating gray-white vortex.

In the center of the vortex, a figure clad in tattered gray robes and covered in mold spots quietly floated. Its face was indistinct, save for a pair of eyes—those eyes had no pupils, only endless gray-white, the color of all things ending.

The moment their eyes met, Lu Qingxuan's Divine Soul trembled violently, and the Chaos Ancient God Dao Body within him spontaneously erupted with an unprecedented warning!

[Warning! Supreme Threat Detected!]

[Target: ??? (Suspected Ancient God Rank existence)]

[Law Attribute: Decay]

[Threat Rank: Exceeds current Realm cognition]

[Suggestion: Retreat Immediately!]

The System notifications flashed frantically.

"Finally... we meet..." The figure in gray robes spoke slowly, its voice hoarse like decaying wood rubbing together. "The Chaos Sword Master's Legacy inheritor... the last hope of the Tomb Keeper lineage..."

With every word it spoke, the surrounding Starry Sky "aged" slightly. Star light dimmed, Spiritual Qi withered, and even the flow of time became sluggish.

"Are you... Decay?" Lu Qingxuan gripped the Chaos Sword, his surrounding Domain shrinking to the extreme, fully resisting the invisible Decay erosion.

"Indeed." Decay's gray-white eyes swept over the battlefield. "This farce... should end."

It raised its hand and lightly tapped the scarlet Formation Diagram in the sky.

Buzz—!

The Formation Diagram suddenly froze. The triangular light barrier, which had been rapidly shrinking, stopped operating. Even the surging blood and soul energy within it became still, like insects trapped in amber.

The entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

"You..." Lu Qingxuan's mind trembled. "You can control the Sacrificial Grand Formation?"

"Control? No." Decay shook its head. "This Formation Diagram was originally one of the backup plans I left behind back then. Heavenly Fate Child alters fate, Taotie commands Devour, and I... am responsible for Decay."

Its gaze turned toward the Guixu Sea Eye, a hint of complex emotion showing in its gray-white eyes.

"Yin... old friend... you have slept for too long; it's time for you to truly awaken."

As its voice fell, it made a grasping motion with its five fingers.

The static Formation Diagram suddenly reversed!

The Blood and Soul Energy that had been converging toward the center of the triangle now flowed backward, injecting into the bodies of the corrupted coalition forces that hadn't completely died yet! Those monsters swelled and twisted, then burst apart simultaneously, turning into pure dark energy that surged toward Decay like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!

Its aura began to climb.

It wasn't an increase in cultivation, but a "return" to some kind of essence—as if an Ancient God who had slept for a million years was reclaiming Its own authority.

"You are absorbing the Formation Diagram's energy... accelerating your own recovery!" Lu Qingxuan instantly understood.

"Clever." Decay's tone was indifferent. "Sacrificing the Eastern Domain could indeed make Yin awaken early, but an awakened Him like that... would just be a mad beast. I need Him to maintain the last shred of consciousness... at least before we devour Him."

It looked at Lu Qingxuan, a hint of "appreciation" actually flashing in its gray-white eyes.

"Your rate of growth exceeded Our expectations. That old fellow, the Chaos Sword Master, chose a good successor. Unfortunately... today, you must die here."

Decay raised Its hand again.

This time, It pointed at Lu Qingxuan.

There was no radiance, no fluctuation.

But the Chaos Heaven-Opening Sword Domain surrounding Lu Qingxuan began to "rust."

Yes, rust.

Bronze-colored Dao Runes developed brown spots, the gray Sword Intent became dim, and even the Chaos Ancient God Dao Body within him transmitted the subtle sound of bones "aging."

The Law of Decay—eroding all things, exempting neither Chaos nor Sword Intent!

"System, activate highest priority defense, consume all Dao Rhyme Points!"

[Dao Rhyme Points: 21 million

→ 0]

[Temporarily Generated: Chaos Undying Barrier (Duration: ten breaths)]

A gray light barrier expanded from within Lu Qingxuan, barely resisting the erosion of Decay power, but cracks appeared on the surface of the barrier at a visible speed.

Ten breaths, he only had ten breaths of time!

And Decay didn't seem anxious, merely watching quietly, as if appreciating the prey's final struggle.

Right at this moment—

Two supreme wills descended upon the battlefield simultaneously!

One came from the boundless depths of the Starry Sky, transforming into a golden eye reflecting the stars of the heavens—The Seventh Seat of the Star Alliance Council, Ancient God of Fate, Heavenly Fate Child!

One rose from the very bottom layer of the Void Abyss, condensing into a black hole phantom that devoured all things—Dominator of the Abyss, Ancient God of Devour, Taotie!

"Decay, you awakened early." Heavenly Fate Child's voice was cold and emotionless.

"If I didn't come now, this kid might ruin things." Taotie's voice rumbled like thunder. The black hole phantom spun, and tens of thousands of coalition forces on the edge of the battlefield were forcibly devoured by an invisible power, turning into nothingness without even letting out a scream.

The three traitor Ancient Gods converged once more in the Eastern Starry Sky after a million years!

Although they were only Will Projections, the moment the three appeared simultaneously, the Laws of the entire Eastern Star Domain began to collapse, space shattered like colored glaze, and countless stars flickered erratically.

"A quick fight." Heavenly Fate Child's golden eye swept over Lu Qingxuan. "This child carries the dual Legacies of the Chaos Sword Master and the Tomb Keeper; he has become a variable. He must be eliminated before he fully matures."

"I'll do it." Taotie's black hole spun, and a massive claw covered in black scales reached out from the Void Realm. The center of the claw was a constantly rotating Devour Vortex, which swallowed even light wherever it passed.

Decay's gray-white beam condensed again.

The three Ancient God Projections actually attacked simultaneously!

Lu Qingxuan's pupils contracted to the extreme.

Seven breaths out of ten had passed, and the Chaos Undying Barrier was about to shatter.

Facing the attacks of three Ancient God Rank existences, even if they were only projections, it was definitely not something he could resist now.

A certain death situation?

Right at this moment—

In his Dantian, the "Chaos Sword Seed" left by the First Generation Chaos Sword Master suddenly trembled violently!

A vast, ancient Sword Intent, seemingly existing since the beginning of creation, awakened from the depths of the Sword Seed.

Immediately after, in the direction of the Hall of Rebirth, the Fate Mark on Su Linger's brow suddenly exploded. The Purple Firmament Sovereign Lord phantom burned its last remnant will, transforming into a purple light bridge that spanned the Starry Sky and connected to Lu Qingxuan.

At the end of the light bridge, the reincarnation sapling grew madly. A fragmented Star Map actually appeared among its branches and leaves—it was the final contingency left by the four Ancient Gods who did not betray them back then!

On the Star Map, three coordinates lit up simultaneously.

One pointed toward the depths of the Guixu Sea Eye.

One pointed toward the very bottom layer of the Void Abyss.

One pointed toward... the core of the Star Alliance Council!

The Purple Firmament Sovereign Lord's final voice rang out in Lu Qingxuan's consciousness:

"Child... go to these three coordinates... there are... the God-Slaying Artifacts... left by us..."

As the voice faded, the Prime Sovereign phantom completely dissipated.

And the attacks of the three Ancient Gods had arrived before him!

Lu Qingxuan's eyes were resolute. He abruptly crushed the Chaos Sword Seed inside his Dantian.

"Using the Sword Seed as a guide... summon the First Generation's... Heaven-Opening Sword Strike!"

The Sword Seed burst, and boundless Sword Intent poured into his entire body.

Ignoring the attacks about to strike his body, he slashed out the strongest sword strike of his life toward the three coordinates indicated by the Purple Firmament Sovereign Lord—

The Sword Light split into three, tearing through the Starry Sky and vanishing into the boundless Void Realm.

As for himself, he was completely engulfed by the attacks of the three Ancient Gods.