Chapter 1966: The Greatest Power
This droplet of Oblivion River Water was much stronger than the river Zu An had previously seen, almost like the difference between a pirated copy and an official copy. Could this be the real river leading to the Netherworld?
Upon hearing Ji Dengtu’s words, the War Priest’s right head burst into laughter, exclaiming, “Indeed! I didn’t expect the ants here to be so knowledgeable. Yes, this is the Oblivion River Water I obtained by a stroke of coincidence. It’s invulnerable to all attacks, and if you get the slightest bit of it on you, you’ll immediately have your memories and abilities washed away just like the wandering ghosts in it. I’ll consider sparing your life if you kowtow a hundred times to me right now.”
Zu An’s expression turned grim. There was no way he would kneel down and beg for mercy. He flashed through the air to avoid the Oblivion River Water while trying different means to suppress it. His many years of life-and-death battles had taught him not to easily believe his opponent’s words.
And yet, no matter what he tried, the skills he unleashed on the Oblivion River Water vanished as soon they came into contact with it. He immediately lost his connection to the surges of ki he used. He even brought out the heaven-grade weapon he had acquired from Chi Wen to see if it could suppress the Oblivion River Water; the moment he tossed out the golden brick, it expanded to the size of a mountain.
However, as soon as the brick came into contact with the Oblivion River Water, the golden light shrouding it immediately darkened, and it swiftly contracted in size until it was merely a dead brick. No matter how Zu An tried to call it, he was unable to summon it back to his side. The golden brick was no longer a heaven-grade weapon, but an ordinary brick.
Zu An had already been prepared for this outcome when he tossed the golden brick out, so he wasn’t too surprised. When the raging river charged at him again, he performed another instantaneous movement to dodge it.
Watching the events unfold, Ji Xiaoxi got nervous. She anxiously tugged Ji Dengtu’s arm and pleaded, “Father, we need to help big brother Zu! Do you have any ideas in mind?”
Ji Dengtu gulped down his saliva. Should I escape with Xiaoxi now? It might be too late if we continue dawdling. But how should I explain it to Xiaoxi?
Meanwhile, the War Priest’s heads began discussing among themselves.
“The ant moves rather fast.”
“It seems to be an instantaneous movement law. I didn’t think someone from this puny world could grasp such a law.”
“Hmph! An ant is still an ant no matter how quickly it moves.”
The right head waved its hand, and the raging river suddenly morphed into a towering tsunami that enveloped a radius of three kilometers around them. There was no way for Zu An to dodge the Oblivion River Water no matter where he teleported to. Even if he did find a way to evade the tsunami, it was only a matter of time before he came into contact with the Oblivion River Water, since the surroundings would be soaked in it. Furthermore, Zu An’s companions were in the attack radius too. Even if he could escape, his companions were unlikely to be able to do the same.
Zu An saw through the War Priest’s malicious intentions, and he felt a sharp squeeze in his heart. If a heaven-grade weapon doesn’t work, maybe it’s time for me to bring out the Human Emperor Seal. The Sun Slaying Bow wasn't suitable for the current situation, and he didn’t dare to risk the Tai’e Sword since Mi Li’s soul was resting there. His only choice was the Human Emperor Seal.
Just then, he heard Mi Li’s voice say, “Use your Brilliant Glass Bead.”
Zu An jolted in shock. He had already treated Mi Li’s soul with all kinds of treasures, but she still spent most of her time sleeping. He had asked her why that was the case, but she'd refused to give a proper reply. As a result, he was always startled by her random appearances.
“The Brilliant Glass Bead? I don’t think it can deal with the Oblivion River Water,” he said, hesitant to follow through with Mi Li’s instruction. He had never found anything special about the Brilliant Glass Bead other than its massive storage space, though that was enough. So far, he hadn’t found anything else with such a huge storage space, and it had made things very convenient for him over the years. The Brilliant Glass Bead was much more important to him than the golden brick. He would be heartbroken if the Oblivion River Water erased its ability.
“Trust me,” Mi Li urged. The tsunami was about to crash down on Zu An.
Ji Dengtu watched in despair as the Oblivion River Water fell upon them. He had tried escaping with his daughter, but no matter where he fled, he couldn’t escape the tsunami’s encirclement. He muttered, “It’s over. I knew I should have fled with Xiaoxi right away.”
Zu An was nervous too, but he decided to trust Mi Li and bring out the Brilliant Glass Bead. The artifact immediately emanated a primordial light, as if it had sensed something. Zu An was taken aback, as such a situation had never happened in the past.
Before he could figure out what was going on, the Brilliant Glass Bead flew into the air on its own accord. With a loud whir, it began revolving as its light intensified. The surrounding Oblivion River Water began flowing toward it. In the blink of an eye, the Brilliant Glass Bead completely sucked up the towering tsunami spanning over three kilometers.
Zu An, Ji Dengtu, and the War Priest were speechless.
Only Ji Xiaoxi yelped in delight and clapped her hands, crying out, “Big brother Zu is amazing!”
Ji Dengtu stared at Zu An with a conflicted look.
How did that brat obtain so many formidable artifacts? Not to mention that his cultivation level is ridiculously high despite his young age; his suaveness is almost catching up with me too. Now that I think about it, Xiaoxi has nothing to lose being with him. The only problem is that he has too many women by his side, and someone capable of writing a book like Teacher Bai has to be depraved down to his core. How can I allow my innocent Xiaoxi to be defiled by him?
The War Priest’s right head bellowed in anger, “Return my Oblivion River Water to me!”
You have successfully trolled the War Priest for +877 +877 +877…
“You mocked my Soul Summoning Banner, but look at what happened. My Soul Summoning Banner might be injured, but at least it wasn’t taken away by the enemy. What about you? You donated your artifact to the enemy! I’m going to laugh my head off!” the left head gloated.
“Shut up!” the right head roared in anger. It looked as if it wanted to bite off the left head.
You have successfully trolled the War Priest for +888 +888 +888…
Zu An chuckled, retorting, “Do you think I’d return it to you?”
He took back the Brilliant Glass Bead before inspecting it with his divine sense. He noticed that a unique space had been carved out inside it, and the Oblivion River Water quietly rested there. Its content was still a bloody yellow, but it emanated a hint of holiness… He was no less shocked than the War Priest, as he hadn’t expected the Brilliant Glass Bead to have such a function. He quickly asked Mi Li what was going on, but she didn’t answer.
Just then, the War Priest’s middle head stared intently at the Brilliant Glass Bead and murmured uncertainly, “Sea Pacifying Divine Pearl?”
Zu An turned to Mi Li once more to ask about the Sea Pacifying Divine Pearl. He had heard about a similar artifact from a novel in his previous life, Investiture of the Gods. There, Zhao Gongming had defeated the twelve Golden Immortals of the Kunlun Sect with twelve Sea Pacifying Pearls. However, the Burning Lamp Daoist had stolen the Sea Pacifying Pearls and used them to ascend as the Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha of the Western Sect. However, that was the setting of a fictional novel. He dared not take it seriously.
Mi Li couldn’t stand his pestering anymore and replied, “It’s just a different name. It might have other names in other worlds too. I just sensed something from the pearl earlier, as if something was summoning it, so I advised you to give it a try. I don’t know the details either.”
Zu An was speechless. Like hell I’d believe that. He was certain that Mi Li was hiding many secrets from him, but she refused to answer no matter how he probed.
“Who could have thought there was such a formidable artifact in a lower world? It was worth the effort descending upon this world,” the War Priest’s middle head said.
Zu An smiled and said, “You talk big, but you've been relying on artifacts all this time. If you’re truly as strong as you claim, why don’t we have a proper battle?”
His mindset had changed after meeting those terrifying beings in the tomb. As intimidating as the War Priest was, perhaps due to the restrictions of this world’s laws, the aura it emanated was at most on par with Zhao Han’s. He wasn't the same man as he used to be, so he didn’t fear it. However, there was no denying the War Priest’s artifacts were a threat to him. He could be disadvantaged if one of them happened to curb him. He didn’t think he would be so lucky as to find something to curb their artifact every single time. In particular, the middle head appeared to be the strongest of the three, so its artifact was likely to be mosre formidable than the two before it.
“You want to have a proper fight with me?” the middle head exclaimed, laughing deafeningly. “Do you know why I’m known as the War Priest?”
“Because you’re a con artist?” Zu An asked. That was his impression of priests.
The War Priest spluttered, “…War! The focus here is war!”
You have successfully trolled the War Priest for +999 +999 +999…
The world turned dark.
Tok tok tok!
War drums echoed as an air of desolation seeped into the surroundings. The scenery changed. The purple fog, Copper Gong Mountain, and Shadowmoon Lake vanished into thin air, replaced by an ancient battlefield. The earth began trembling as a black wave appeared in the distance.
Ji Dengtu had to rub his eyes before he could make out what the black wave was. It was a massive army of soldiers standing in a neat formation. Those at the forefront carried tower shields, and directly behind them were spear bearers. At the back of the formation were archers riding on war chariots, and heavy weapons such as cannons. Charging cavalrymen were positioned at the flanks, giving off an air of unstoppable momentum.
They were far off in the distance when Zu An and the others first saw them, but in the blink of an eye, they were already standing beneath the War Priest. Their presence felt suffocating despite not making a single sound.
The War Priest looked proudly at the army beneath it and said, “This is my greatest power. No matter how powerful an expert is, they’re bound to be helpless before the might of an entire army!”