Chapter 592: No Matter How Long It's Been, You're Always Like This

By the time Xiao Mo came back to himself.

That formation diagram had already been completely etched into his mind.

He understood completely the drawing of this array, its underlying principles, and the way it operated, as though he had learned it himself many years ago, whenever that may have been.

Xiao Mo held his long sword, slicing through the vine piercing his own body in a single stroke, pulling the severed vine from his flesh, then channeling an incantation to mend his wound.

Seeing that Xiao Mo had actually broken free from the vine, everyone present could not help but feel a jolt of shock.

Yuan and the other divine spirits, too, furrowed their brows.

"Xiao Mo... are you all right?"

Gui Junmeng, having forcibly broken free from Nian, came to Xiao Mo's side, looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine, just a few extra holes in my body, that's all." Xiao Mo shook his head, smiling. "But I think I might have a way to deal with these divine spirits now."

"You have a way?" Gui Junmeng blinked, puzzled.

Time was short, and Xiao Mo did not answer in detail, instead transmitting his voice to Gui Ning, Daoist Master Yun Xi, and the others, “Everyone, please buy me the time of one incense stick! These gods, perhaps, can be dealt with!"

Without waiting for anyone's response, Xiao Mo flew forward, slicing open his own wrist.

Using his blood as ink, Xiao Mo began drawing a formation array in the air.

Though Gui Junmeng did not know exactly what this array Xiao Mo was drawing might be, whatever Xiao Mo did, she trusted and supported him unconditionally.

Gui Junmeng continued holding Nian at bay.

Likewise, Yun Xi and the others shifted from outright combat with the divine spirits to a strategy of stalling and containment.

Though Xiao Mo was still only an Immortal realm cultivator.

Yun Xi knew that Xiao Mo had always been steady and prudent, never one to act without purpose and Xiao Mo had, just moments ago, broken free from that vine's encroachment.

This only further suggested that Xiao Mo might genuinely possess a way to counter these divine spirits.

In an instant, inscription after inscription of the array was drawn by Xiao Mo's hand.

With every stroke Xiao Mo made, the spiritual energy and great Dao of all heaven and earth trembled in response.

As though this great array Xiao Mo was drawing meant to extract the very laws of heaven and earth itself.

Once Xiao Mo had completed a small portion of the diagram.

Nian and the other divine spirits' brows furrowed, a look of caution surfacing in their eyes for the first time.

How could they possibly fail to recognize what this formation array Xiao Mo was drawing truly was?

This was the deicide array of the ancient era.

An array created by that very being for the purpose of slaying the gods.

What left Yuan utterly bewildered was that this array should, by rights, have been lost to history long ago.

If Xiao Mo had known of the deicide array from the start, he should have used it right away, rather than delaying until now.

"Could it be?"

Suddenly, as though struck by a realization, Yuan's eyes lit up sharply.

Could it be that this array had been hidden away within the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet itself?

That whenever Xiao Mo faced death at the hands of a divine spirit's attack, the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet would automatically reveal it?

"Stop him!"

Elsewhere, Shou called out to Yuan and Nian.

Shou did not know how Xiao Mo had come to learn the deicide array, but that no longer mattered. This array absolutely could not be completed!

In truth, there was no need for Shou to say so at all, Yuan and Nian had already begun charging at Xiao Mo.

Seeing the tension in these three divine spirits, Gui Ning and the others felt their hearts settle somewhat.

At the very least, this proved that the array Xiao Mo was now drawing posed a genuine, real threat to them!

Daoist Master Yun Xi shielded Xiao Mo, chanting an incantation, the stars of the night sky growing ever more brilliant, strands of starlight ceaselessly weaving together, at last converging into five formation diagrams.

Right after, Daoist Master Yun Xi drew from her sleeve five colored pellets, representing the five elements.

She tossed the pellets upward, each passing through one of the five diagrams.

Warriors, tall as mountains, stepped forth through the empty air, charging together toward Shou.

Shou showed not the slightest hint of alarm, drawing her bowstring once more, loosing arrow feathers at these warriors as though hunting prey.

The arrow feathers shattered the weapons in their hands, piercing through their arms and bodies.

Shou stepped forward once more into the air, a single golden arrow feather piercing through the very heavens.

Right after, countless golden arrows rained down toward Xiao Mo.

"Roar!"

Gui Ning, having transformed into his fearsome true form, let out a furious howl.

Every arrow feather was shattered, dissolving into golden light in the air.

"Go!"

Yuan issued her command through the Moon Spirit Tree.

The five remaining Upper Three Realms elders of the Tushan clan charged together at Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo raised his head, his long sword slashing out, the sword-qi carrying the icy chill of the River of Yin, severing one arm from that elder.

Icy cold condensed continuously upon that Jade Simplicity realm elder's body, until this Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox elder was transformed into an ice sculpture, falling straight from the sky, shattering into fragments of ice and when another Immortal realm cultivator charged at Xiao Mo, the yin-yang fish diagram swirled within his eyes.

That Immortal realm elder's expression froze, as though falling into some kind of illusion, and he suddenly lunged at Yuan instead.

"Useless!"

Yuan swept a hand, and the Moon Spirit Tree's vines pierced through that elder, wrapping around him, hanging him high upon the treetop like a cocoon.

"Xiao Mo, focus on drawing your array. Leave everything else to us."

Cun Caiguang shielded Xiao Mo, warding off attacks on his behalf.

"My thanks, Dean."

Xiao Mo nodded, no longer allowing himself to be distracted, only earnestly continuing to draw the formation array.

The sounds of combat, explosions, clashing blades, and the anguished cries of fox clan cultivators rang out ceaselessly around Xiao Mo.

As the array Xiao Mo drew with his own blood grew ever more complete, Yuan and the others' assault grew ever fiercer, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth grew ever more intense.

Yuan and the others each manifested their golden divine forms.

A pressure originating from the very moment of primordial chaos bore down heavily upon everyone's hearts.

Even Yun Xi and the other Ascension realm cultivators felt their hearts racing uncontrollably, that instinctive terror rooted deep in their blood causing cold sweat to break out on their foreheads, as though they were rabbits facing down a true dragon.

Throughout the Tushan clan's lands, no small number of demon cultivators found themselves collapsing to their knees, prostrate upon the ground but Xiao Mo and the others quickly managed to master this fear, steadying their minds.

Xiao Mo continued drawing the array, while Yun Xi and the other cultivators continued their assault against Yuan and the others.

An incense stick's time later, the Serpent clan's chieftain, Kongsheng, was kicked down from the sky by Yuan, crashing through three mountain peaks in succession.

Just as Kongsheng tried to climb back up, five golden arrow feathers pierced through his wings, head, abdomen, and tail respectively.

Kongsheng tried to stand but Shou planted a foot atop his head.

"I am willing to submit to the great divine spirit, to honor you as my master, to serve you as a loyal hound." Knowing he was about to die, Kongsheng hurriedly spoke up. "I am an Ascension realm cultivator, and moreover, chieftain of the Serpent clan. When you reclaim the world in the future, you will need someone to serve as your vanguard!"

Hearing Kongsheng's words, Shou's expression hardened, her eyes betraying not the slightest pity or intent to spare him, only disgust.

"Look at this... this is the very myriad race you're trying to save. While you fight to the death against us, they beg for mercy, just as they did back then, without a shred of dignity left, truly pathetic!" Shou raised her head, looking toward Xiao Mo, still drawing his array, speaking softly, as though to herself and the moment Shou's words fell, the Moon Spirit Tree's vines had already pierced through Kongsheng's body.

Kongsheng was forced back into human form, hung upon the treetop by the Moon Spirit Tree.

With another Ascension realm cultivator now dead, the Moon Spirit Tree's branches trembled ceaselessly, and those enormous flower buds seemed on the verge of blooming, one or two petals already unfurling.

Seeing Kongsheng fall, Yun Xi and the others' hearts sank.

Though their positions had differed, regardless, as an Ascension realm cultivator, he could have contributed no small amount of strength and now, as these divine spirits' strength grew ever stronger, their own side's combat power was steadily weakening. If this continued, matters would take a very bad turn indeed!

But at that very moment, Xiao Mo's formation array was finally complete.

Drawing this array had very nearly exhausted all of Xiao Mo's essence blood and remaining lifespan.

His hair, once black, had now turned entirely white.

"Fall!"

At Xiao Mo's single thought, the array plunged down at tremendous speed, at last enveloping the Moon Spirit Tree entirely.

"Xiao Mo..."

Seeing Xiao Mo's hair turned entirely white, Gui Junmeng bit her lip tightly.

"Little girl, remember, you mustn't let your mind wander while battling another."

Nian flicked her fingers gently, tens of thousands of petals transforming into a massive dragon, lunging at Gui Junmeng.

Gui Junmeng dodged that dragon ceaselessly through the air.

Obscure inscribed patterns gradually appeared within Nian's eyes, her pupils shifting ceaselessly like a kaleidoscope and wherever Nian's gaze fell, blossoms bloomed one after another before Gui Junmeng, then exploded violently but Gui Junmeng paid none of this any mind.

She flew recklessly toward Xiao Mo, heedless of everything else.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Standing within the array, Xiao Mo coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, wiping at the corner of his mouth.

"Not quite... still lacking something..."

Xiao Mo looked at the array he had drawn, his expression grave.

Though this formation array had been fully drawn, to truly activate it, his own cultivation level was far from sufficient.

"Unless..."

Xiao Mo's expression grew tense, a thought rising in his mind.

Unless he offered himself as a blood sacrifice, then drew upon the life essence and blood of Ascension realm cultivators, could this array truly be activated.

Xiao Mo raised his head, looking toward Gui Ning and the others.

At the same moment, Gui Ning and the others, too, looked toward the great array.

Though Gui Ning and the others could not comprehend the array Xiao Mo had drawn.

They sensed that this array of Xiao Mo's seemed to contain within it the very principles of heaven and earth and for an array such as this to be activated, the cultivation level of its primary caster had to be extraordinarily high. If that level was insufficient, some other price would have to be paid to make up the difference.

"Clang!"

In the distance, Nian, wielding a long sword condensed from petals, struck against Gui Junmeng's whisk, sweeping her aside in a single blow.

The two of them stood ten zhang apart, gazing at one another.

Blood dripped ceaselessly from the tips of Gui Junmeng's fingers.

At first, Gui Junmeng had still managed to trade blows evenly with her opponent, but before long, she found herself increasingly unable to hold her ground.

Nian looked at Gui Junmeng, tilting her head. "I've seen the memories of this little girl called Tushan Jingci. The two of you were originally one and the same person, only your bloodlines were separated from one another."

"It's a pity that some techniques have been lost to this world, otherwise, the two of you could have broken through into that supreme third realm."

"Though it's not too late even now."

The moment Nian's words fell, she took a step forward.

In an instant, centered upon her, a sea of blossoms bloomed across the sky.

Sensing danger, Gui Junmeng tried to dodge but blooming vines had already begun creeping upward from her feet.

Just as the Moon Spirit Tree was about to pierce through Gui Junmeng's body, Xiao Mo arrived just in time, channeling the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet, severing the vine with a single stroke of his sword, then immediately gathering Gui Junmeng in his arms and flying toward the deicide array.

"The three of you, Seniors, I need you to hold the four directions of the array together with me, and activate it together, but the price will be enormous. Not to mention your lifespans, Seniors, even your very lives may well be at risk."

Xiao Mo transmitted his voice to Yun Xi and the other two, telling them the truth plainly.

"No matter."

"A small thing."

"This old man will lend you a hand!"

Hearing Xiao Mo's message, Daoist Master Yun Xi and Gui Ning all three agreed readily.

After all, to their minds, they had no other choice left.

These three divine spirits' strength grew ever stronger, and they themselves were steadily falling into an inferior position, not to mention that the corpses of every fallen Upper Three Realms cultivator now hung from the Moon Spirit Tree's branches.

Perhaps these very corpses were meant to serve as vessels for those ancient remnant souls of the divine spirits yet to be revived.

If this continued, never mind their own group dying here, the entire world itself might well descend into chaos.

Following Xiao Mo's instructions transmitted by voice, Yun Xi and the other two took up positions at three points of the formation array.

At the same time, Xiao Mo, too, took his place at the very core of the array.

The moment the array activated.

An overwhelmingly violent spiritual energy shook the skies above the Tushan clan's lands.

Yuan and Shou tried to stop it, but some invisible pulling force dragged them ceaselessly toward the array.

Right after, chain after chain emerged from within the array, binding the hands and feet of Yuan, Shou, and Nian, dragging them into the array.

Yuan felt an intense humiliation.

This deicide array had been used by the myriad races of the ancient era against lesser divine spirits.

Had she not only just arrived in this world, without even a proper divine form, her divine power still weak.

Otherwise, how could such an array possibly have any effect on her!

"Are you certain?"

Trapped within the array, Nian looked at Xiao Mo, speaking calmly.

"Can you truly bring yourself to kill me? Don't forget, her soul, too, is within this array. Both her body and soul will die along with mine. Can you truly bring yourself to do this?"

Hearing Nian's words, Xiao Mo did not answer, only continuing to chant his incantation, the god-binding chains within the array tightening around them further.

"Junmeng, there's something I need to ask of you." Xiao Mo turned his head, speaking to Gui Junmeng beside him.

"Mm." Gui Junmeng nodded obediently, her eyes full of heartache as she looked at Xiao Mo.

"Right now, I need to complete one final step to activate the array, but this array's core requires someone to anchor it." Xiao Mo looked earnestly at Gui Junmeng. "Our great paths have long since fused into one. All you need do is consume my Dao pill, and you can help me anchor this core. Can you help me?"

"Little girl, you'd best think this through carefully. Do you know what the final step of this array truly is?"

Just as Gui Junmeng was about to agree, Nian spoke to her.

"Xiao Mo's cultivation level is currently insufficient, even with these three Ascension realm cultivators anchoring it. He intends to offer his own life as the final blood sacrifice, his body and soul destroyed entirely from this moment forward, never to be reincarnated."

As she spoke, Nian looked toward Xiao Mo, a flicker of melancholy passing through her eyes.

"But..."

"This truly is just like you..."

"No matter how much time passes, you're always like this, never once considering yourself..."