Wang Chen's betrayal changed nothing; the Blood Sea Shura Array continued its relentless expansion eastward.
The surging Blood Sea roared forth, with countless Shuras within it charging forward in endless waves. As long as Ren Zun remained, the Blood Sea was an invincible myth.
Even before the blood waves reached them, the stench of blood was overwhelming. Those with lower cultivation levels immediately felt dizzy.
The Four Symbols Array couldn't hold back the Blood Sea Shura Array. What would they do next?
At the West Gate of Lingxiao Heavenly Court, Yi Yan waved his banner, and the army made way because the Feng Shui Array prepared by the Clay Bodhisattva was complete.
Suddenly, a massive rift tore open in the ground, and a blinding golden light shot up into the sky.
Soon, everyone saw what it was.
A colossal fireball, unimaginably large, with a diameter of nearly ten thousand miles. What kind of fireball was this? It was clearly a sun!
The emerging sun couldn't rise into the sky; it could only roll along the ground. The earth around it was instantly melted into endless magma.
The sun rolled towards the Blood Sea Shura Array, turning the ground it touched into a sea of magma. The rolling magma, led by the sun, surged towards the Blood Sea Shura Array.
The Dazhen army was already horrified. The terrifying 'sun,' even from a distance, felt like it could burn their clothes to ashes.
Under the command of their leaders, the entire army quickly retreated to both sides.
The terrifying sea of magma rushed towards the Blood Sea.
The Blood Sea was vast, even a sun with a diameter of ten thousand miles seemed insignificant in comparison. However, the sun had one advantage: its extreme heat. As soon as the Blood Sea got close, it was instantly evaporated, and the Shuras were incinerated before they could even advance. The previous method of self-detonation against the Four Symbols Array was completely ineffective.
"One Sun Burning Heaven Array?" Kong Xuan at Suimo City squinted his eyes.
"One Sun Burning Heaven Array? Master, this array is a secret formation in the Great Thousand World, how could it appear here?" Kong Lietian exclaimed.
"After tens of thousands of years, I finally see that this Small Thousand World is truly extraordinary," Kong Xuan said solemnly.
"Ancestor, can the Blood Sea Shura Array handle this?" Shenya Daojun asked.
"The Blood Sea Shura Array is not so easily broken. It was created by a Saint. Breaking it? Hmph!" Kong Xuan shook his head.
Kong Xuan looked around and muttered to himself, "Zhong Shan indeed came prepared. The east is filled with various arrays: Feng Shui Arrays, Silence Arrays, Battle Arrays. I wonder if there are Fate Manipulators too. Hmph, if I were at my peak, a single sweep of my Five-colored Divine Light would cleanse even a billion arrays."
The vast magma finally touched the Blood Sea. The Blood Sea steamed, sending endless blood mist skyward, turning the entire sky blood red.
The magma gradually solidified under the Blood Sea. Above the vast Blood Sea, a golden sun kept rising and falling, constantly moving.
The Blood Sea tried to extinguish the sun, while the sun attempted to evaporate the Blood Sea. For a time, the two strange phenomena were at a stalemate.
Countless soldiers were already stunned. Was this a war? It was purely a clash of two monstrous weapons.
Lingxiao Heavenly Court, West Gate.
"Your Majesty, the Clay Bodhisattva is in that sun, will he be alright?" Yi Yan asked with a frown.
"The Clay Bodhisattva started setting up this array ten years ago. Don't worry, he will be fine," Zhong Shan said solemnly.
"Yes!"
At the center of the battlefield, it was a showdown between the Clay Bodhisattva and Ren Zun. Their Feng Shui battle was an elusive one, difficult for outsiders to grasp. It seemed intangible, yet it had tangible effects, creating a bewildering spectacle.
The Blood Sea grew larger and stronger, expanding endlessly. Inside, the sun continued to evaporate the sea, but it seemed there was always more water to boil away.
An entire day passed without a clear victor.
"The One Sun Burning Heaven Array, is that all it can do?" Ren Zun's voice suddenly echoed from within the Blood Sea.
At that moment, something strange occurred.
"Boom!" The entire surface of the Blood Sea burst into towering flames, instantly covering the entire sea. The immense fire caused rapid evaporation, causing the Blood Sea to recede quickly.
"Whoosh!"
"Boom!" The raging fire suddenly condensed into another fireball, another sun.
The new sun appeared and immediately hurled itself towards a specific spot with a massive explosion, sending towering waves into the sky.
"Aaah!" A shrill scream echoed from the center of the blood waves.
As the new sun disappeared, the entire Blood Sea sank by ten feet.
A yellow-robed corpse suddenly floated to the surface of the Blood Sea.
"Ren Zun? Ren Zun is dead?" Kong Lietian at Suimo City exclaimed in shock.
"There's no sign of life!" Shenya Daojun squinted his eyes.
The yellow-robed corpse was swiftly incinerated by the massive flames. However, the Blood Sea did not recede.
"What's going on? Why is the Blood Sea still there?" Kong Lietian frowned.
"The Blood Sea Shura Array, once its master dies, his soul is corrupted by the array, transforming into a Shura within it, ensuring mutual destruction with the enemy. That's when the array is truly terrifying," Kong Xuan said solemnly.
"Uh, the person dies, and the array continues?" Kong Lietian was astonished.
"This is a Feng Shui array, different from ordinary arrays. Many Feng Shui arrays use the dead as their foundation," Kong Xuan explained.
Ren Zun is dead? Did the array become stronger due to his death?
Kong Lietian's subordinates exchanged confused glances but none dared to speak.
"How long will the array last?" Kong Lietian asked.
"Unless it's broken, it should last seven days. Until the seventh day after his death," Kong Xuan replied gravely.
"Then we wait for seven days," Kong Lietian said firmly.
Ren Zun is dead? Zhong Shan, atop Lingxiao Heavenly Court, had a look of disbelief. But the corpse had surfaced and was completely destroyed by the Clay Bodhisattva. Could it be false?
Only the Clay Bodhisattva would know for sure. He had experienced it firsthand. We'll wait and see.
The Blood Sea Shura Array grew even more violent, locked in an unending struggle with the Clay Bodhisattva's sun.
In the southern camp of the Dazhen army.
Wang Chen had been waiting for a day, his mind racing with countless thoughts, leaving him exhausted.
With a sense of dread, Wang Chen looked towards Zhong Shan at the West Gate.
"Roar!" Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the camp. Ren Zun is dead?
Seeing Ren Zun's corpse being burned to ashes by the Clay Bodhisattva, Wang Chen felt a sense of unreality.
"Ren Zun is dead? Impossible, he still has many trump cards left!" "He possesses the Chaos Bell, and he has transcended the tribulation; he is an Earth Immortal now. How could he possibly be dead?" "Could it be for this reason?"
Wang Chen's mind suddenly cleared, as if he had grasped something. He clenched his fists and took a deep look at Zhong Shan in the distance before retreating back into the hall.
One incense stick later, Yin Luo arrived. After a thorough inspection inside the hall, he frowned deeply.
As Yin Luo prepared to leave the hall, he suddenly saw Zhong Shan, or rather, Zhong Shan's avatar, standing at the entrance.
"Your Majesty, Wang Chen is missing!" Yin Luo immediately reported.
Zhong Shan took a deep breath, glanced around the hall, and sighed slightly. He ignored Yin Luo and disappeared from the hall.
In a southern valley, Wang Chen left the southern camp, determined his direction, and a blood mark on his forehead began to emit a brilliant blood-red light.
The blood light enveloped Wang Chen entirely, transforming him into what looked like a massive blood sphere.
"Blood Light Escape Technique, activate!"
With a loud shout from within the blood sphere, it flashed and vanished into the sky at an astonishing speed.
After the blood sphere disappeared, Zhong Shan's avatar suddenly appeared in the valley.
Watching the blood sphere disappear into the distance, Zhong Shan sighed deeply before stepping away and vanishing into thin air.
Seven days later, outside the Longevity Realm.
In a valley, several temporary palaces stood. Each palace housed some powerful beings. Inside one palace, there were three individuals: Shui Jing, Mr. Corpse, and Tian Lao.
"Mr. Shui Jing, His Majesty has entrusted you with the command of the mission in the Longevity Realm. When shall we begin?" Tian Lao asked.
"This time is different from the last. Our goals are different, and Kong Xuan will certainly be prepared. His Majesty's plan is to wait until he engages Kong Xuan directly. When Kong Xuan is too occupied to split his attention, we will strike. We are the 'weaklings' that Kong Xuan disregards. Let us, these so-called weaklings, utterly destroy the Longevity Realm," Shui Jing smiled.
"Then we wait for Yi Yan's signal," Tian Lao nodded.
"Indeed."
At that moment, a red-clad woman, Jian Hong, flew over.
"Sir!" Jian Hong called out.
"What is it?" Shui Jing frowned.
"At the entrance of the Longevity Realm, a person has arrived, bearing a mysterious yellow bell on his head. It seems he has ill intentions. Jian Hong did not dare to alarm him and came to report," Jian Hong said.
"A mysterious yellow bell?" Tian Lao raised an eyebrow.
"Boom!"
As everyone frowned, a thunderous sound echoed through the sky, causing the valley to shake violently and rocks to collapse.
"The Chaos Bell?" Tian Lao's eyes lit up.
The Chaos Bell? The owner of the Chaos Bell has appeared? The group exchanged serious glances and stepped out of the palace.