Volume 9, Chapter 641 – The Immortal Stele Is Not an Imperial Decree (Part 5)

The commotion stirred up by the Immortal Stele was not small, but Hua Man and her disciple had long since arranged a large formation around the plaza to block out all perception. Coupled with the fact that it was deep into the night, no one noticed a thing.

Of course, equally expectant were Xue Jing and the others hiding within the spatial rings.

‘If Qi Huang truly manages to survive beneath the might of the Immortal Stele, that would mean she really has mastered a method to resist its power. If I can secretly learn it, then from now on I’ll never again have to fear those immortal clan men who slaughter first and explain later.’

This was the thought of every woman in the spatial rings. They understood the need to plan ahead. Even if they could somehow escape the claws of the Lü family, there was no guarantee they could avoid the grasp of other immortal heirs. They had to master this miraculous method.

Meanwhile, Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling, the ones at the center of it all, were already on full alert, ready to dive into the spatial rings at a moment’s notice.

Just after midnight, Qi Huang suddenly noticed a strange commotion around her. Countless birds and beasts were fleeing in panic, as though the end of days had come.

“This is… they’ve sensed danger!”

Qi Huang instantly reacted. Before she could say more, the thick clouds overhead collapsed inward. A formidable surge of Divine Sense twisted the space itself, forming a vast “waterfall” that came crashing down. Every bird beneath it was instantly annihilated. Even before the “waterfall” landed, the oppressive force and violent wind crushed the earth below. Trees snapped, flowers and grass bent low, mountain spirits and wild beasts all fell to their knees.

Qi Huang braced to resist, then suddenly realized she felt no pressure at all.

“No… this is the Immortal Might of Huarong Sect!”

Cheng Hongling immediately recognized it. Her guess was correct. The terrifying power of this Immortal Might did not bring about great destruction. As it neared the ground, it dispersed, forming a dense shield that enveloped a radius of a hundred zhang, continuously reinforcing itself.

“It seems Huarong Sect’s Immortal Stele sensed that we were in danger, so it arrived in advance to protect us.”

Cheng Hongling’s cheeks flushed faintly, a glimmer of hidden excitement flashing in her beautiful eyes. Her chest rose and fell slightly.

“Yes… perhaps it’s because we’re closer to Huarong Sect. That’s why it was able to arrive first. If this were in Central Continent or the Western Radiance Dynasty…”

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Qi Huang trailed off, her hair standing on end.

“Indeed. Luckily, we didn’t choose the wrong place. You should know that the Lü family’s Immortal Stele is at a higher level than Huarong Sect’s. Its Immortal Might travels faster. If their distances to us weren’t much different, then tonight we’d already be dead and gone!”

Cheng Hongling made her deduction.

“That also indirectly proves one thing: though the two sects’ steles differ in strength, their speed at sensing danger should be about the same.”

Qi Huang ventured her own bold guess.

“I just wonder what determines that sensing speed?”

Cheng Hongling frowned slightly, thoughtful.

At that very moment, another section of clouds above suddenly collapsed. A surge of Divine Sense, even stronger than before, came crashing down. If the Huarong Sect’s power had been like a calm “waterfall”, then this was a raging “great river”; violent, ferocious, and incomparably swift. The space it swept through cracked open like parched earth, filled with the aura of utter destruction.

“Not good!”

Qi Huang knew at once, it was the Lü family’s Immortal Might. Without hesitation, she immediately pulled herself and her main body into a spatial ring.

With its support gone, the ring clattered to the ground.

BOOM!

The Lü family’s Immortal Might slammed into the protective shield. In that instant, it was as though a massive hammer in a smithy struck down upon an anvil. The earth quaked violently, the shield caved in, and the surrounding soil and rocks shot into the sky, spreading out in a terrifying shockwave that leveled everything: mountains, rivers, trees, flowers, all reduced to flat land.

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Beneath the shield was no less chaotic. The ground erupted upward, sending the spatial ring flying like a kite with a snapped string, bouncing about uncontrollably.

Worse still, where the two immortal forces collided, space itself collapsed. Cracks spread outward like a vast spiderweb, birthing endless torrents of chaotic space currents; thin as threads yet sharper than blades, shredding everything in their path. Not even lonely souls or wandering ghosts could escape.

SHING!

One such spatial current swept across the ring, slicing it neatly in half. Yet Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling were nowhere to be seen, only another ring remained.

The current struck again, cutting that ring as well, only to reveal yet another within, still with no sign of the two women.

Qi Huang was no fool. She knew that the reason Mu Ruoyi and the others had survived before was because they’d been on the edge of the Immortal Might’s suppression, so the impact had been limited. But this time, she and Cheng Hongling were the direct targets. One or two rings were far from enough.

Because of this, after pulling her main body into one ring, she immediately dove into another, then another. Layer after layer, like a silkworm spinning its cocoon.

By now, Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling had reached the sixth ring. Though she was quick, the space currents were quicker. Soon, the two could hear the crisp, metallic sounds of rings shattering one after another behind them, mixed with terrifying vibrations, their rings being destroyed layer by layer.

Qi Huang hadn’t expected the collision of two Immortal Steles to be so overwhelmingly powerful. She had no time to think, only gathering all her Divine Sense to sweep up her main body and rush into the next ring, over and over again. Yet behind them, the sound of destruction drew ever closer.

Sweat beaded on Qi Huang’s forehead. These rings were only enduring the aftershocks of two Immortal Steles colliding. If they were struck directly, even a hundred layers of rings would not save her and her main body. They would be annihilated in an instant. Such was the gap between mortals and immortals.

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Meanwhile, at the Lü family estate, the guests were still marveling at the display of the Immortal Stele, reverence written across their faces.

“Magnificent! Truly magnificent! This trip to the Lü household was not in vain!”

“Yes, this is far more spectacular than some wedding ceremony! Even if my congratulatory gift isn’t returned, I’ll still be satisfied tonight.”

“After this, everyone ought to burn some paper offerings for that Cheng Hongling. If not for her, we might never have witnessed such a grand sight!”

The guests’ voices rose in amazement.

But the Lü clan members themselves were growing uneasy, especially the patriarch, Lü Dao, who knew the Stele best.

“This isn’t right… why hasn’t it stopped yet?”

Lü Dao muttered.

“Exactly. Suppressing some countryside wench shouldn’t require this much Immortal Might. What in the world is going on?”

Lü Gao also could not understand.

Moments later, Lü Dao’s expression darkened. “This won’t do. If the Stele doesn’t stop, it’ll drain its Immortal Might completely!”

“But this was triggered passively, not by us. We can’t stop it.”

Lü Gao frowned deeply.

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It was true. The Stele’s activation came in two forms: active and passive. Active use required the blood of an immortal’s descendant. Yet such attacks were weak, could only target fixed locations, and could not lock onto specific enemies. If the opponent was fast or strong enough, they could easily escape. That was why, in the last assault by the Cao family on Huarong Sect, the damage had been minimal.

“Damn it! If suppressing some backwater girl drains the Stele’s Immortal Might, then we’ve basically used a cannon to kill a mosquito. How utterly wasteful!”

Lü Dao gnashed his teeth.

“Exactly. Once it’s depleted, it’ll take nearly ten years before it can be used again.”

Lü Gao muttered gravely.

By now, Qi Huang had pulled her main body into the final ring. With nowhere left to retreat, the two women clutched hands tightly, praying for the chaos outside to subside.

But fate was cruel. Another metallic shattering echoed from beyond. Cracks spread across the inner walls of their ring, faint light leaking in, their sanctuary on the verge of collapse.

“Endless, is it? Fine, I’ll fight you to the death!”

Qi Huang’s fury boiled over. She gathered all her Divine Sense, bursting out of the ring, prepared for a desperate battle. She was, after all, a great master of the seventh layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, not some lamb waiting for slaughter.