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Chapter 501: Chapter 497: Purgatory
"Sizzle!"
The thunder roared!
Gu Jinlai immediately activated the "Child of the Stars" state, constantly sensing how the City Protection Array was manipulating the Spirit Mechanism within Wind and Rain City.
Although the utilization of energy was much more ingenious than the Heavenly Balance Scripture he had acquired from the Yellow Sky Sect, it could still have some impact on Wind and Rain City.
If the Spirit Mechanism was overused, Wind and Rain City could eventually become a barren wasteland like Yan State or the Black and White Sand Sea, and the impact on cultivators would be significant.
Especially for the intelligence of newborns, the effect would be greatly detrimental.
It would be nearly impossible for Wind and Rain City to produce any "genius" individuals in the future.
"As I suspected, however, I cannot let you squander the Spirit Mechanism and the life potential of billions of Wind and Rain City’s citizens."
Gu Jinlai, sensing the approaching Saints and Martial Saints, strengthened the connection between Child of the Stars and the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism while employing the Thunder Light Dragon Transformation.
Under this Escape Skill, he could often appear a kilometer away in a single flash.
This was even as his own power was suppressed by the Spirit Mechanism.
Otherwise, with a Perfection-level Thunder Light Domain, he could have crossed five to six li in an instant.
"Stop him! Don’t let him escape!"
Cao Wudao’s Divine Thought surged.
"Don’t worry, he won’t get away."
The voice of Jin Fantian sounded.
As he raised a token in his hand, a rumbling erupted from the Demon-slaying Hall that spanned dozens of li. Above the hall, a protective light shield shaped like an irregular rhomboid crystal cast countless golden lights, like chains bounding towards Gu Jinlai.
This was the Demon-binding Array of the Demon-slaying Hall.
Once the Formation was activated, not even a Peak Demon Emperor could escape.
Disturbed by these golden chains, Gu Jinlai had to stimulate the Thunder Light Domain to strike continuously with thunder, significantly slowing his movements.
Duanmu Shan, from behind, saw this scene and did not hesitate to activate the City Protection Array’s power, drawing in the Spirit Mechanism and channeling it into the Demon-binding Array of the Demon-slaying Hall.
Instantly, the golden light flourished, and the power of the Demon-binding Array increased several times over!
"Good."
Joy flickered in Jin Fantian’s eyes: "This time, he won’t be able to escape."
He controlled the Demon-slaying Hall’s Formation with all his might, with hundreds of golden lights forming a net of heaven and earth, ready to envelope Gu Jinlai.
But at that moment, Gu Jinlai suddenly said, "About time."
The next instant, he made a casual gesture with his empty hand.
The Spirit Mechanism, originally drawn out by the City Protection Array, dissipated as soon as the Child of the Stars’ trait interfered with the external environment.
Without the infusion of the Spirit Mechanism, the brilliantly glowing Demon-binding Array quickly dimmed.
The net of heaven and earth became a tattered fishing net.
Moreover, as the Spirit Mechanism dispersed, the oppressive force of the City Protection Array on Gu Jinlai was completely removed, and with the operation of the Chaotic Star Light Body, the power of the Thunder Light Domain surged. Amidst a violent roar, countless lightning bolts spread recklessly in all directions, striking the Demon-binding Array and instantly shattering the layers of golden chains.
"What’s going on!?"
Duanmu Shan was the first to sense something amiss, her expression changing abruptly: "I’ve almost lost control of the City Protection Array."
Meanwhile, Cao Wudao, Fang Yan, Mu Changsheng, and the others also felt the support from the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism rapidly fading, and with Gu Jinlai’s Thunder Light Domain erupting, the weaker Martial Saints were starting to panic.
"Could it be that Zhao Hua has seized control of the City Protection Array!?"
Fang Yan said urgently.
"In terms of authority over the City Protection Array, members of our Imperial Family rank above any City Lord..."
Duanmu Shan said.
The true means of controlling the Spirit Mechanism were something the royalty from the Six Great Grotto Heavens would never entrust to others.
"The City Protection Array hasn’t been completely shut down, the defensive barrier is still there, proving the Array’s authority is still in Her Highness’s hands, and Zhao Hua... he can’t take away the Array’s authority from Her Highness, but having operated within Wind and Rain City for so many years, he has a thorough understanding of the City Protection Array. Causing us trouble at a critical moment isn’t out of the question."
Jin Fantian quickly realized something and transmitted his Divine Thought with urgency: "We circumvented him, the City Lord of Wind and Rain City, and directly took control of the City Protection Array, and have already touched his sensitive core. Now he’s disrupting Her Highness’s control of the Formation... this is clearly a ploy to use others as a blade, to use Gu Jinlai’s power to annihilate us all in one fell swoop, so he can settle the situation in the end and reap the benefits of the fisherman!"
At this revelation, everyone’s expression changed at once, including Duanmu Shan’s.
The City Protection Array was the foundation for the control of the Holy Dynasty over cities and territories, and not an easy thing for a Void Immortal, even from the Six Great Grotto Heavens, to shake, let alone Gu Jinlai, an outsider who had been in the Holy Dynasty for less than a year!
With this anomaly occurring in the City Protection Array...
Apart from Zhao Hua interfering, she could think of no other explanation.
"Quick! Send word to City Lord Zhao. Without the enhancement of the Array, who among us can withstand Gu Jinlai!? He is a Level 8 Saint, after all!"
"Your Highness, issue the order to Zhao Hua now, or we all may face mortal danger!"
Fang Yan and Cao Wudao urged simultaneously.
They had come to realize the strength of Gu Jinlai from their brief skirmish, and without the Array’s amplification and the suppression over Gu Jinlai...
A chill was already rising in their hearts.
Even Fang Yan began to regret.
Why did he listen to Jin Fantian’s instigation and come to seek revenge on Gu Jinlai?
It was just a daughter...
He didn’t have just one, after all.
If she died, he could simply have another. Why should he risk his life to avenge her?
"I will send the order to Zhao Hua this instant."
Duanmu Shan also understood the potential consequences of facing Gu Jinlai without the power of the Array.
"Rumble!"
Just at that moment, bolts of lightning suddenly tore through the constraints of the Demon-binding Array, converging into a beam of sword light, which then transformed into a bolt that ripped through the sky dome, shooting towards Jin Fantian in an instant.
"Hall Master Jin, be careful!"
A cry of alarm came from behind Jin Fantian.
However, there was no need for the warning; the fully vigilant Jin Fantian instantly mobilized the power of the Demon-binding Array, as dozens of golden chains descended from the sky and lashed towards the Thunder Sword.
When the golden light collided with the thunder, a massive amount of lightning spread along the golden light onto Jin Fantian’s body. Although it failed to paralyze him for even half a second, as he clashed with the Thunder Sword, a wildly fierce and violent power began to rise slowly within Gu Jinlai.
"It looks like this is all you’ve got."
Gu Jinlai, operating the Eternal Furnace, raised his right hand as if he were lifting up a blazingly intense sun.
"Well then, game over."
No!
There’s no need to lift it up!
With just a thought, the energy released from the Eternal Furnace was like a real Fierce Sun, tearing through all the haze between heaven and earth in an instant. Like being equipped with a Curvature Engine, it crossed the void and appeared next to Jin Fantian in a blink...
"Such intense brilliance!?"
Jin Fantian’s complexion dramatically changed.
It made him suddenly think of the scenes he had seen in the Heavenly Light Instrument.
"Not good!"
Jin Fantian suddenly awoke from his shock and hurriedly started operating the Dao Artifact and releasing Divine Skills, striving to defend himself.
But the paralysis, which couldn’t even last half a second, caused the circulation of power within him to slow down a fraction.
"Defend!"
In the midst of the shouts from Cao Wudao, who also realized what was happening, a dazzling and splendid brilliance mixed with terrifying heat was suddenly released, and in a flash, the blinding white light engulfed the entire interior space of the Demon-slaying Hall.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
The middle-aged man named Gu Siliang immediately used a Dao Artifact resembling a Golden Bell to envelop both him and Duanmu Shan.
"Buzz, buzz!"
The endless light, as if containing an unrivaled power, struck Jin Fantian of the Demon-slaying Hall with the force of a decaying tree meeting a mighty stroke.
This top saint, who thought he could use the Sixth Princess’s power to overthrow Zhao Hua and take the throne of city lord during this opportunity, failed to fully deploy his defensive Divine Skills in time, ultimately watching in horror as the terrifying heat ignited and charred his Saint Body in an instant, before being pulverized by the subsequent shockwave.
Until his death, his face still held the remnants of unfathomable horror that hadn’t fully unfolded.
But, this was just the beginning.
While the glare of the bright light hadn’t fully dissipated, and even...
Before the other Martial Saints could recover from the shock of Jin Fantian’s demise, the same brilliance reappeared.
Even if the palaces of the Demon-slaying Hall were built to be extremely sturdy.
Even if, besides the Demon-binding Array, other key locations were also protected by formations.
Even if there were still some Devas and Martial Kings in the Demon-slaying Hall, lurking around to prevent Gu Jinlai from escaping.
Right now...
All of that had become meaningless.
Fierce flames, intense light.
Everything was crushed to powder.
Just like a small wooden house swept up by a tsunami, without the slightest chance to resist, it was torn into nothingness.
At this moment, Gu Jinlai had no intention to restrain the energy release of the Eternal Furnace. He unleashed the intense, wild brilliance and fierce flames throughout the Demon-slaying Hall’s center with reckless abandon, using the transmission trait and the Thunder Light Domain.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"
Once, twice, thrice, six times...
Mu Changsheng, Yue Qushan, Emperor Bai, Su Yi, Cao Wudao...
Single Kill! Single Kill! Single Kill!
The power of the Eternal Furnace inside Gu Jinlai continued to release, targeting these Martial Saints and Saints one after another, leaving none unmarked.
Sometimes, he didn’t even need to specifically focus on any one of them.
The continuous release and layering of nuclear fusion energy directly turned the Demon-slaying Hall into a true Molten Rock Purgatory.
The light flickered incessantly, madly flashing.
The earth melted!
The void burned!
Everything within a dozen miles of the Demon-slaying Hall, no matter the material, could not survive.
The terrifying heat, bright light, and rays swept through the area, eradicating all life within.
As strong as the Martial Saints were, almost each capable of regenerating from a severed limb, they could only scream as their flesh melted away in such attacks.
Among the chaos, Gu Jinlai heard the screams of a Martial Saint.
"Spare me, Ancient Martial Saint, I’ll stop seeking revenge for my daughter..."
Unfortunately, the release of power from Gu Jinlai’s Eternal Furnace showed no signs of abatement.
And he generously sent him to reunite with his beloved daughter.
Even Cao Wudao, a pinnacle saint, fared no better.
He relied on his Saint Body to withstand the aftermath of the nuclear fusion energy, but he was one of Gu Jinlai’s primary targets.
Several rounds of continuous release of nuclear fusion energy left even the strongest Sacred Body collapsing on the spot.
Only when the Demon-slaying Hall was razed to the ground and the Demon-binding Array that was embedded in the City Protection Array was about to collapse did Gu Jinlai finally stop the Eternal Furnace.
Before his eyes, everything was purgatory.
