122: Abandoned by both humans and gods, the golden phoenix spreads its wings

Just as he despaired, the demonic vertical eye in his glabella suddenly captured an extremely hidden and unstable spatial node at the End of the World! That was his last chance at survival!

He burned his last Demonic Power, frantically rushing towards that node, attempting to force it open and escape into the unknown Lower Realm.

However, at this very moment—

“Screech—!”

A clear yet infinitely enraged and murderous Phoenix cry, like thunder from the Nine Heavens, tore through the chaotic space and descended with a roar!

A dazzling, golden figure with wings that blotted out the sky appeared like a blazing sun above the End of the World! Its wings were magnificent, flowing with Dao runes, and its tail feathers were woven like a rainbow, exuding the supreme majesty of a True Spirit! It was precisely the True Spirit, Golden Phoenix, who had traveled through myriad realms and happened to be passing by this place!

“Demonic evil! Don't you dare run!” The Golden Phoenix spoke human words, its Phoenix eyes burning with an ingrained hatred for Devilish Qi! “Your Devilish Qi is nauseating! To dare collude with Outer Heaven Devils is an unforgivable crime!”

It had personally witnessed the devastation wrought by Outer Heaven Devils on numerous realms and would show no mercy to the Demon Race and their accomplices!

The Golden Phoenix opened its mouth and spat out a stream of pure, ultimate Nirvana True Flame, capable of purifying all evil, instantly sealing off all of Garuda's escape routes!

Garuda let out a desperate and unwilling roar, struggling to resist. But he was at the end of his rope; how could he be a match for the True Spirit Golden Phoenix? The Nirvana True Flame scorched his Demonic Soul, making sizzling sounds and inflicting unimaginable pain.

“Since there's nowhere to run, then let's all be destroyed together!” Garuda went completely mad, no longer defending, and frantically poured all his power, along with the Origin of his Demonic Technique, into that unstable spatial node, intending to detonate it completely!

The Golden Phoenix's eyes narrowed: “Delusional!”

It unhesitatingly burned a portion of its True Spirit Origin, and from its Phoenix beak, a supremely condensed True Spirit Origin Pearl, containing its lifelong cultivation and fury, materialized. Like a meteor, it fiercely struck Garuda and the node!

Boom!!!!!!!!!!

An indescribable explosion occurred!

Space completely collapsed like shattered glass! Golden light, Devilish Qi, and spatial turbulence raged wildly! Forming a destructive vortex that devoured everything!

Garuda's Physical Body instantly turned to ashes, leaving only a wisp of his most secret True Soul, carrying the Origin of his royal Bloodline and the core of his Demonic Technique. In the last moment of the explosion, relying on the Three-Eyed Race's secret art and his last shred of spatial perception, he narrowly escaped into the depths of the completely shattered, soon-to-be-annihilated node passage.

And the Golden Phoenix was also severely wounded by this self-destructive counterattack and the power of the collapsing space. Its dazzling feathers dimmed and shattered, letting out a mournful cry. Its massive True Spirit body was uncontrollably swept into the chaotic spatial turbulence, and ultimately… fell…

…

Thoughts returned to the present.

“And Your Excellency's most secret wisp of True Soul, relying on the Three-Eyed Race's final life-saving Divine Ability, hid within the core of the Secret Realm, merging with this altar, constantly absorbing the Secret Realm's energy, devouring creatures that mistakenly entered this place, attempting to recover… until today.”

Great Master Ku Zhu's story finished, and the plaza was dead silent.

Everyone was so shocked by this ancient secret that they couldn't speak! Spirit Realm, royal family, betrayal, True Spirit, the Origin of the Secret Realm… all of this far exceeded their scope of understanding, as if they were listening to a distant myth!

And the black shadow, after a brief period of violent fluctuation, calmed down instead. It no longer denied, but merely let out an even colder, more venomous laugh: “Hehehe… Little monk, you know quite a lot. Did the remaining will of that dead bird tell you? Or did the Ancestral Master of your lineage also participate in besieging this Venerable One back then?”

It suddenly “gazed” at Great Master Ku Zhu, murderous intent surging out like a tangible entity: “Too bad, you know too much! And you even dared to ruin this Venerable One's grand plan for recovery! Today, I shall use your Buddha blood and Divine Soul to compensate this Venerable One for my losses!”

Before its words even fell, the black shadow suddenly raised its hand—that arm, entirely composed of pure Devilish Qi, instantly swelled, transforming into a colossal, pitch-black Demonic Claw that blotted out the sky. Its five fingers were sharp as hooks, entwined with destructive dark red lightning, and with a terrifying might that tore space and devoured everything, it clawed down at Great Master Ku Zhu!

This strike was far from its previous playful methods, but rather contained the terrifying power of its status as a Spirit Realm royal, even if only a wisp of its True Soul remained! Wherever the Demonic Claw passed, space let out a strained, twisting sound, and the plaza ground cracked inch by inch!

“Amitabha.”

Facing this world-destroying strike, Great Master Ku Zhu's face showed no joy or sorrow, only a low chant of a Buddhist name. He did not dodge, but instead, suddenly tossed the string of ebony prayer beads in his hand upwards!

“Om, Mani, Padme, Hum!”

The Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra resonated through heaven and earth like a great bell! The seemingly ordinary string of ebony prayer beads instantly erupted with ten thousand rays of soft yet incomparably tough golden Buddha light! Each bead seemed to transform into a tiny sun, upon which countless minute Buddha phantoms appeared, sitting cross-legged and chanting scriptures!

The Buddha light condensed, forming a giant golden canopy inscribed with swastika runes, hovering steadily above Great Master Ku Zhu's head!

Boom—!!!!

The pitch-black Demonic Claw savagely struck the golden canopy!

A harsh, teeth-grinding tearing sound exploded! Golden Buddha light and pitch-black Devilish Qi furiously eroded and collided! The Buddha light continuously rippled and flickered, as if it would shatter at any moment, yet it resisted this terrifying claw with extraordinary tenacity! The scattered energy shockwaves once again sent the surrounding Cultivators flying!

“Hmm? Interesting! I underestimated you, bald donkey!” The black shadow showed slight surprise, then snorted coldly, increasing the power on its Demonic Claw! Dark red lightning roared, attempting to tear apart the Buddha light canopy!

Great Master Ku Zhu's body trembled slightly, a trace of golden blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained calm. He pressed his palms together, chanting the scriptures faster and faster, pure Buddha Power radiating from his entire body, continuously pouring into the canopy above his head. At the same time, his footwork moved with profound mystery, and in the nick of time, he skillfully deflected some of the force.

“Devil Head, your sins are monstrous, and you are stubbornly unrepentant. This poor monk today shall emulate the ancient sages and perform the act of subduing demons!” Great Master Ku Zhu's voice suddenly became majestic and grand!

He pointed two fingers like a sword at the Void Realm!

“Great Compassionate Thousand-Leaf Hand!”

In an instant, beneath the Buddha light canopy, countless golden palms, condensed from pure Buddha Power, appeared out of thin air! These palms, whether open, clenched, or pointed, carried endless compassionate intent, yet also contained the fierce power to subdue all evil demons, striking at the giant pitch-black Demonic Claw and the black shadow behind it like a torrential storm from all directions!

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Dense collision sounds were like rain hitting banana leaves! Buddha Power and Devilish Qi furiously consumed each other! Every golden palm that struck purified a trace of Devilish Qi, and although the palm itself dissipated afterward, their numbers seemed endless!

“Petty tricks!” The black shadow roared, its Demonic Claw suddenly shaking, shattering a large area of golden palms. At the same time, its other arm also transformed into a Demonic Claw, and both claws struck out together, frantically tearing at the Buddha light canopy and grabbing at the golden palms!

One Buddha and one Demon, on this eerie altar plaza, engaged in a fierce magical battle far beyond everyone's imagination!

Buddha light shone universally, Demonic Qi surged sky-high! Golden Sanskrit characters and pitch-black demonic runes continuously collided and annihilated in the air! Roaring, tearing, chanting, and demonic howling sounds intertwined! The entire plaza trembled violently, and the eight Vicious Beast statues also seemed to be affected, letting out uneasy whines!

Lin Feng, mixed in the crowd, fully circulated the Ming Wang Purgatory Skill to resist the aftershocks of the battle, his heart already churning with stormy waves. This monk's strength was definitely far beyond that of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator! And that black shadow, even if it was only a wisp of a remnant soul, its methods and power level were completely incomprehensible to Foundation Establishment Cultivators!