Chapter 746: The Calamity Guard
The enormous drum descended wreathed in terrifying demonic flame, slamming into the volcanic torrent with full force under countless watching eyes.
Thud!
At the moment of impact, visible shockwaves rolled outward like a flood.
The stone plaza buckled like an ocean in a storm, layer after layer collapsing with sharp cracks.
Jagged fissures tore across the ground, racing outward in all directions.
The many figures who had originally filled the square were sent flying back in haste, desperate to escape the devastating blast.
"Raging Volcano Collapse!"
Within the Volcanic Law Body, Li Chi's face twisted in a feral grimace as spiritual power poured from his body like a mad river, surging into the giant volcano he had formed.
Boom!
In an instant, streams of molten lava burst violently from the volcano of energy.
The temperature of the world around them skyrocketed.
It was like a true volcanic eruption, exuding murderous might enough to end worlds.
A sense of impending apocalypse swept across the battlefield.
Ever since fusing with a true volcano, Li Chi's spiritual power had carried the savage ferocity of magma, far more violent than ordinary energy.
He had relied on this advantage to defeat countless opponents in the past.
But this time, it failed him.
Lin Langtian's spiritual power had not only fused with evil energy, but now contained eight combined attributes.
Its sheer dominance completely eclipsed the lava-infused power Li Chi wielded.
As the volcano exploded, the flaming drum only grew brighter.
Demonic fire rolled out in waves, and wherever it touched the raging magma energy, thick white steam burst forth as the red torrent rapidly dissolved.
"How is this possible?!"
Li Chi's expression changed drastically, disbelief filling his eyes.
He had never imagined that the power he took such pride in would crumble so completely in a direct clash.
Boom!
Lin Langtian gave him no time to recover. The flaming drum crashed down, smashing into the massive body of the Volcanic Law Body.
Thud!
The ground collapsed as the fiery giant was driven deep into the earth.
The vast plaza sank in an instant like an earthquake of the highest magnitude had struck.
Above, the demonic flames slowly cleared.
The titanic, demon-like Law Body stood upon the air, looking down at the battlefield below like a god gazing upon insects.
As the dust settled, all eyes turned at once to the enormous crater.
A chorus of gasps soon followed.
The Volcanic Law Body staggered within the ruined pit, its giant form fractured and fading, chaotic spiritual power rippling around it.
In only a few breaths, the Law Body thinned and turned transparent, then vanished completely.
A ragged figure tumbled from the dissipating light and crashed heavily into the ruins.
Li Chi staggered, nearly falling as he landed, his face deathly pale and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
With his Volcanic Law Body shattered, he had taken a heavy blow.
"Li Chi's Volcanic Law Body has been broken!"
Shock rippled through the crowd.
With his peak Third Grade Sovereign cultivation and unique Law Body, Li Chi was all but invincible among his peers.
Yet now, a mere Second Grade Sovereign had shattered that body head-on.
No one had seen that coming.
The city lords hovering nearby felt their eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
This new Commander of Silver Mist Palace was far more terrifying than they had imagined.
Could it be that Silver Mist Palace truly was on the rise?
Behind them, the White Deer and Cold Frost city lords looked particularly grim.
They had been caught off guard earlier, leaving Lin Langtian free to focus solely on Li Chi.
High above, the Myriad Aspects Demon Body towered over all.
Lin Langtian stood upon its crown, his dark eyes looking down at Li Chi with icy indifference.
"With this level of strength, you dare stand in Silver Mist Palace's way? You overestimate yourself."
Li Chi's face turned almost black with rage, but his voice came out as a cold laugh.
He turned to glare at the White Deer and Cold Frost city lords.
"Lord Calamity King made himself clear—we cannot allow Silver Mist Palace to run rampant. Have you seen enough?" he barked.
Their expressions tightened. After a brief hesitation, both grit their teeth and stepped forward.
Behind them, five more figures rose into the air.
These five had long been closely tied to Calamity Palace and were considered its lackeys.
There was no way they would sit still and allow Lin Langtian to do as he pleased.
The seven of them surrounded the Myriad Aspects Demon Body, boxing it in from all sides.
Spiritual power surged around them, stirring violent winds over the city.
A murmur rippled through the watching crowds.
Li Chi and seven others were joining forces to fight Lin Langtian alone.
"Lin Langtian, I'll admit you're strong. But do you really think you can stand alone against all eight of us?" Li Chi sneered as he rose back into the air, eyes full of cold pride.
"Shameless," Mu Honglian spat, unable to hold back any longer.
The Myriad Aspects Demon Body glowed with black light as Lin Langtian emerged atop its head.
He stared calmly at the eight men, lips curving in a faint, mocking smile.
In his eyes, they were little more than ants.
"Lin Langtian, I'll give you one last chance. Leave now, and we'll let you go," Li Chi said coldly.
Lin Langtian ignored the offer and instead turned his gaze to the other city lords who had yet to move.
"Anyone else?" he asked.
There was a quiet beat of silence.
Many eyes flickered, but no one spoke or stepped forward.
To them, there was little difference between serving Silver Mist Palace or Calamity Palace.
Better to watch for now and throw their lot in with the final victor.
"So it's just the eight of you, then."
Lin Langtian nodded, satisfied.
As long as he crushed these eight, the rest would fall in line.
Li Chi snorted, crossing his arms as he glared at Lin Langtian. "If you reject the step I offered you, don't blame me for what happens next."
"Is that so?"
Lin Langtian smiled faintly.
With a thought, the eight drums behind the Myriad Aspects Demon Body began to quake.
Thoom!
Their thunderous beat shook the heavens as killing intent crashed upward like a torrent.
In that instant, flames, lightning, ice, darkness, devouring force, wild might, life and death, and even space itself surged from the drums like tidal waves.
Each drum radiated a different attribute, spinning furiously like the engines of some demonic titan.
Gasps of shock and fear rose across the city.
Just one fiery drum had shattered Li Chi.
Now all eight were active.
No wonder Lin Langtian had been so fearless—his power was on a different level entirely.
Thoom.
Thoom.
Thoom…
The drums' pounding grew louder and louder, slamming into the hearts of Li Chi and his allies.
Even he felt his courage waver as he stared at those eight blazing wheels, a chill of mortality creeping into his bones.
Boom!
The drums halted as Lin Langtian's eyes flashed with cold light.
His sleeve swept out, and the eight black drums shot into the sky like colossal meteors.
Each brimmed with demonic fire, lightning, ice, and other destructive forces, all driven by Lin Langtian's will.
They were unstoppable.
Boom!
Fear washed over the eight city lords as the drums roared toward them.
They shouted in panic, unleashing all their power at once as eight giant spiritual shields sprang up before them like massive shells.
The translucent barriers fell around them like protective domes.
Thud!
The drums smashed into the shields one after another, their power detonating in bursts of black light.
Cracks raced across the barriers in an instant.
One by one, the shields shattered like thin glass.
Eight city lords' combined defense proved as fragile as paper.
"Urgh!"
Blood sprayed from eight mouths as they were hurled backward, slamming down hard upon the ruined plaza.
Boom!
They wobbled to their feet, faces pale and eyes full of terror.
The drums had not stopped.
After tearing through the shields, they had continued on, bearing down on the eight like falling mountains.
A cold dread seized their hearts.
This new Commander of Silver Mist Palace was merciless—he wasn't even leaving them a chance to surrender.
This was a slaughter meant to set an example.
Whoosh!
The eight drums hurtled down and loomed over them in the space of a breath.
Boiling demonic fire, bone-deep frost, and roaring thunder filled their sights as fear swamped their hearts.
Under such crushing pressure, even the thought of begging for mercy died in their throats.
Murmurs of panic rose throughout the city as the other lords watched.
It was obvious that Lin Langtian intended to kill to make his point.
"We're finished!"
In the last instant, as the drums descended, despair settled on the eight faces below.
But just as doom closed in, a harsh shout rang through the air.
"Halt!"
A streak of black light ripped through the sky like a spear and smashed into the falling drums.
Thud!
The collision unleashed another furious storm.
The blast swept over all eight men, sending them tumbling like rag dolls across the shattered plaza.
Lin Langtian narrowed his eyes into the raging storm and turned his head.
The sky over the city was turning black.
Dark clouds rolled in at terrifying speed, covering the sun.
Within moments, they hung over Chiyang City like a heavy shroud.
As the black radiance faded, a new army appeared in the air.
They were clad in black armor and wielded black blades, their bodies radiating a suffocating killing intent.
Above them, black battle will gathered into a roiling cloud, within which a massive figure stood silently.
"That's… the Calamity Guard!"
"And the Calamity Palace's Commander, Dong Kui! They've finally shown themselves!"
"Even the Calamity Guard has been mobilized…"
Voices rose across the city as recognition spread.
The expressions of many turned complicated.
Silver Mist Palace and Calamity Palace had truly torn the veil away if they were willing to bring their elite troops into the open like this.
Mu Honglian's face paled slightly as she flashed to Lin Langtian's side.
"That's the Calamity Guard," she said quietly.
He nodded, eyes fixed on the figure standing above the black army, and smiled faintly.
"A defeated dog like him still dares to show his face?"
Dong Kui glared down at Lin Langtian, his face carved from ice.
Their careful plans in Chiyang City had been meant to humiliate Lin Langtian beyond redemption.
Yet somehow, the opposite had occurred.
Lin Langtian had made them look like fools.
If he did not appear now, Calamity Palace's name would be ruined.
Anger flared in his eyes as he snarled, "Such arrogance. Do you really think I can't touch you?"
"Calamity Guard!"
At his roar, the black-armored soldiers below let out a thunderous shout.
Killing intent erupted like a volcano as their battle will surged, filling the sky with an oppressive darkness.
Faces blanched throughout the city.
The Calamity Guard was infamous for its brutal discipline.
In past campaigns, they had not hesitated to slaughter entire cities.
Their reputation within the Universe Sect was steeped in blood.
Dong Kui stood upon the roiling black cloud, his eyes burning with hatred as his voice thundered out.
"You may have bested me once, but this time I've brought my army.
"If you don't crawl away now, you'll never leave this place alive."
Lin Langtian met his fury with calm indifference, hands clasped behind his back as he smiled faintly.
"A man beaten once remains beaten for life.
"If you think you can make me retreat…you're not nearly enough."
(END CHAPTER)