Chapter 155: The Enigmatic God

“Sky-Splitting Technique!”

Jiang Ming erupted with fury.

The axe light tore through the heavens, cleaving the cosmos in two. This technique was the path of creation, embodying the ultimate destruction of established rules.

It wielded terrifying restraint and lethality over the world, realms, space, and more.

“Golden Domain, Supreme Suppression.”

Pino Emperor’s heart raced wildly, sensing an immense threat. He activated his divine art, pushing the domain’s power to its peak. Space itself seemed to freeze; the principles of law withered.

Yet still, he could not withstand this blow. The domain was split in two, a sliver of sky rent open. But Pino Emperor dodged the fatal strike.

Jiang Ming’s heart sank.

Since mastering the Sky-Splitting Technique, this was the first time he had failed to kill or even severely wound his enemy.

“Ran Xin!”

Jiang Ming shouted.

Ran Xin, who had been lurking quietly behind the group, ready to strike opportunistically and create openings for her comrades, heard the call and without hesitation unleashed her psychic power on Pino Emperor.

Her thoughts raced swiftly; she knew this battle would determine the entire outcome, so she unleashed her full might.

Her face turned pale.

The psychic force, invisible and intangible, struck directly at Pino Emperor’s mind. Even someone as powerful as he was staggered momentarily.

“Sky-Splitting Technique!”

Jiang Ming seized the perfect opportunity, swinging his mountain-cleaving axe a second time. The firmament was split, the chains of order shattered inch by inch.

Pino Emperor reacted swiftly; the counterforce was so intense that Ran Xin spat blood, immediately collapsing in weakness.

“Not good!”

Seeing the axe light descending overhead, carrying overwhelming oppression, he was shocked.

Golden blood blazed within him, power surging forth. He barely managed to dodge some of the strike, but his left shoulder and entire arm were cleaved.

Ignoring his grievous injury, he transformed into a stream of light and rapidly retreated a thousand meters.

“Die!”

Jiang Ming teleported instantly, striking again with his axe. Forewarned, Pino Emperor easily evaded.

The axe light descended, splitting the earth in two.

“What kind of divine art is this?” Pino Emperor’s expression darkened. He activated the Golden Domain once more, but Jiang Ming had already teleported away, escaping its grip.

His face grew grimmer, and Jiang Ming’s even more so.

The path of the flesh, the Sky-Splitting Technique, even with Ran Xin’s assistance, still couldn’t bring down the enemy.

Jiang Ming noticed that the severed arm was regenerating at an astonishing speed, and Pino Emperor’s aura had barely diminished.

“If I can’t kill you, then I’ll kill your subordinates!”

Jiang Ming teleported beside one of the Pik Kings and cleaved him in two with a single axe stroke, then vanished again.

His speed was overwhelming, and his attacks carried a crushing weight—there was no escape.

Against ordinary eighth realm experts, Jiang Ming’s power was utterly overwhelming.

It was essentially instant execution.

Within moments, he had slain three.

This stunned Chen Bei and the others, and left Pino Emperor terrified. Killing ordinary Pik warriors was as easy as slicing melons, but even with Ran Xin’s help, they couldn’t take down Pino Emperor.

The gap was immense.

“Damn it! Stop right there!”

Seeing this, Pino Emperor ignored his still-unhealed left arm and charged forward, bellowing, “If you dare kill my people, I’ll slaughter your family and friends!”

But he didn’t target Jiang Ming directly; instead, he aimed at the weakened Ran Xin, sensing the threat she posed.

Threats to him must be eliminated first.

“Thousand Worlds, Myriad Phenomena!”

Beside them, Liu Ruyan immediately activated her divine art, weaving illusions and reality together as if twisting the laws themselves, forming countless strange and surreal visions.

The scene was terrifying.

It resembled multiple worlds fused together in layers, but Pino Emperor’s Golden Domain surged forth and shattered the illusions.

At this moment, Luo Feng struck.

His psychic weapon howled through the sky, tearing the air and forming an ultimate assault.

“Icebound World!”

Bai Bing unleashed her divine art; the air instantly froze, sealing space, law, and order alike in ice. The extreme cold could easily freeze and annihilate a seventh realm expert, snuffing out all vitality.

“Reincarnation Descends!”

Above Chen Bei appeared the shadow of a world, descending to crush Pino Emperor.

The three of them struck together to hold him back, buying Jiang Ming time to hunt the remaining eighth realm Pik warriors.

The clash of their powers was unparalleled, ripping the heavens and twisting the laws. Nothing could withstand it; their strength was truly at its peak, threatening to shatter the very world itself.

Yet Pino Emperor was too strong—beyond normal comprehension.

The icebound power was instantly shattered, and another punch sent Luo Feng’s psychic weapon, the Sky Escape Shuttle, flying. It was powerful and invincible, but facing the descending world shadow from Chen Bei, Luo Feng’s expression turned grave.

“Break it!”

Though his remaining arm had not fully recovered, Pino Emperor’s vitality was unmatched, his strength boundless. With a roar, he unleashed a punch to the heavens, aiming to shatter the firmament.

Rumble…

His fist’s might was invincible; the world shadow trembled but held firm for a moment.

Yet in the end, it faltered, distorted, and vanished.

By then, Jiang Ming had slain all the remaining eighth realm Pik warriors, leaving none alive.

“Damn humans! You’ve killed all my kings—damn you all to hell!”

Pino Emperor’s rage ignited. He howled to the sky, his voice like thunder, shattering the firmament.

His fury was absolute.

“They die, so will you!”

Jiang Ming appeared opposite him, face cold as ice.

“Just a pig, kill it and cook it for the feast!” Ye Bai stood at Jiang Ming’s left, holy blood boiling, power surging to the skies, his might like a roaring river crashing against the shore.

“Kill!” Chen Bei stood at Jiang Ming’s right.

Wang Qiutong arrived as well, her eyes icy and merciless. She raised her hand and shouted, “Disperse!”

As if the heavens obeyed her command, the surrounding spiritual energy vanished in an instant, cutting off the source of Pino Emperor’s power.

This was a terrifying ability born from her innate Dao body.

An innate Dao body was by no means inferior to a sacred body.

Behind Jun Qiye appeared a shadow, writhing endlessly and exuding an ominous aura. Then he roared, “Underworld Phantoms, Soul Imprisonment!”

The shadow behind him suddenly became intangible, striking Pino Emperor’s protective divine light and descending into his consciousness, forming an ultimate soul technique.

“Reincarnation descends, subjugate!”

Chen Bei took a deep breath and forced the vast power within him to manifest again, projecting the world shadow to descend.

It was like a real heaven and earth pressing down, its power overwhelming beyond ordinary imagination.

Had it not been to confront Pino Emperor, he would never have unleashed it—his realm was too low, and the forced manifestation came at a great cost.

This was one of his ultimate techniques.

“Sacred Blood Covers the Sky, Great Wilderness Prison!”

Ye Bai erupted, evolving a divine art from his sacred blood. A giant hand appeared in the sky and instantly grasped Pino Emperor, forming a special binding technique.

The three struck in unison, all using restrictive arts. No matter how strong Pino Emperor was, he couldn’t break free.

His body trembled, power surging.

Even the blood within him ignited with flames, forming golden firelight outside his body, shattering Ye Bai’s giant hand first.

But Jiang Ming’s attack had already arrived.

Though they hadn’t fought together for years, their coordination was perfect.

Knowing Jiang Ming’s overwhelming power, Ye Bai and the others deliberately used binding arts to create openings for him.

Now that the opportunity had come...

“Sky-Splitting Form!”

Jiang Ming roared, his mountain-cleaving axe tearing through the void, slicing Pino Emperor in two from left shoulder to right waist.

The wound’s residual axe light surged with destructive shock, yet it couldn’t extinguish Pino Emperor’s vitality. His life force was too strong; even muscles twitched, flesh rapidly grew, and bones extended and regenerated.

Unfortunately, this injury was too severe—he no longer had the strength to fight back.

“Chen Bei!”

Jiang Ming called.

“Thank you!”

Chen Bei replied joyfully. The world shadow swirled like a vortex, swallowing Pino Emperor’s bisected body.

“I overexerted using forbidden arts just now, but with Pino Emperor, hehe, maybe I can break through.” Chen Bei beamed and immediately sat cross-legged to cultivate. “Everyone, I’ll digest this first.”

He noticed no Golden Pik warriors appeared in the space rift anymore, somewhat relieved.

“You focus here, try to break through as soon as possible,” Jiang Ming said, then evolved wooden true qi, surging into Ran Xin’s body to heal her wounds.

But her injury was mental—this helped little.

His mind stirred; the yin spirit trembled, transforming into a yin-yang Dharma image emitting osmanthus fragrance, merging into her consciousness. Ran Xin’s heart shook, delighted: “So fragrant! Brother Jiang, from now on you’re my milk dad!”

“I’m the milk dad!” Jiang Ming muttered, smirking faintly, then ignored her and moved to the space rift. Ye Bai followed.

The others also turned their gaze, all wearing solemn expressions.

“The calamity tied to this space rift should be over. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense,” Wang Qiutong’s eyes glowed as if she could peer into the other side.

Zhou Tian nodded: “This great calamity was clearly prepared for us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t each have to slay an eighth realm warrior alone and remain here for ten years. One Pino Emperor is terrifying enough; if another appeared, it wouldn’t be a test—it would be a death sentence.”

Just then, everyone noticed the space rift shrinking. Within a breath, the space healed, and the rift vanished completely.

“Is it really over now?” Bai Bing frowned. “If so, I suspect these Golden Piks were either enslaved or artificially created.”

Silence fell.

Jiang Ming lifted his head, gazing toward the sky above Chang’an of the Great Tang, his expression shifting, deeply grave.

He sensed an incomparably terrifying aura.

“I see Master!” Wang Qiutong also looked that way, her pupils shrinking in shock. “I see Master making a move. He’s manifesting a space rift at least a thousand meters above the Nine Heavens, and beside it is a giant octopus hundreds of meters long, with eight tentacles spanning the sky, covered in eyes. This is bad—ah…”

Wang Qiutong screamed, blood tears flowing from her eyes, trembling as she cried, “It looked at me, and I felt... I felt ominousness, death, curses, decay, despair... all crashing down. I’m falling into an abyss of despair, my soul tearing asunder and plunging into endless hell.”

“Terrifying, absolutely terrifying!”

“It’s a hundred times more frightening than Pino Emperor!”

Her voice trembled.

“What did you say? An octopus with eight tentacles covered in eyes, hiding in the void? Just one glance wounded you?” Luo Feng hurried to her side, anxiously asking.

Jiang Ming waved his hand, channeling wood-attribute true qi into her body to aid healing.

Wang Qiutong nodded.

“It’s over!” Luo Feng’s face darkened severely.

“Luo Feng, what’s going on? Is this race very strong?” Bai Bing asked.

All eyes turned to him.

Luo Feng was low-key but powerful—undoubtedly strong.

In terms of combat prowess, he was likely comparable to Ye Bai, who even looked uneasy and despairing just now, so the octopus Wang Qiutong saw must be extraordinary.

“In the Ten Thousand Worlds Battlefield, there’s a mysterious, elusive species representing ill omens. Their appearance often signals death and unimaginable power. They’re called ‘The Deceptive,’ ‘Deceptive Gods,’ or ‘Aberrations.’ Their forms vary, but often resemble octopuses with tentacles covered in eyes. They can hide within the void; without special abilities, they’re invisible and undetectable.”

“To the weak, they’re unseen, imperceptible, unknowable, and carry an innate curse. Once seen, you suffer the curse. They command terrifying chaotic domains; getting close causes mental chaos, madness, bloodlust, and frenzy. Few races can match them at their level. For instance, if Pino Emperor met a Deceptive Octopus King, he’d be toyed with like a child facing an adult.”

“Or rather, they possess stronger bloodlines, more fearsome divine arts, powerful souls, and mighty flesh. I’ve heard some races in the outer battlefield treat these aberrations as taboo.”

“I never imagined such creatures would appear in our training secret realm.”

“That’s why I said it’s over.”

Luo Feng smiled bitterly.

Everyone fell silent.

Pino Emperor’s strength was already undeniable—they barely managed to kill him with combined efforts. But the Deceptive Octopus King?

It could bury them all.

“Hopefully, Master can quell it!” Zhou Tian whispered.

At that moment, they all sensed the terrifying fluctuations from that side, chilling their hearts.

Wang Qiutong blinked.

She had recovered.

After all, the distance was great, and she only suffered mild backlash.

“The one battling Master should be the Deceptive Octopus King; otherwise, we’re truly doomed,” Wang Qiutong took a deep breath, steeling herself. “I’ll take another look.”

“Wait a moment!” Jiang Ming hurriedly stopped her. “Let me form a protective barrier first, just in case.”

In the next instant, he summoned his Martial Domain, enveloping the area. It was intangible and invisible, yet a solid defense.

Wang Qiutong smiled at Jiang Ming and looked again.

Her brow twitched in disbelief. “Master is locked in fierce combat, seemingly evenly matched.”

“Senior Master Jun Mo is also fighting.”

“And a white-clad man, sword intent like a mighty river, like the Milky Way falling from the Ninth Heaven—probably Sword Saint Liu Bai.”

“Also Li Chunfeng, Yuan Tiangang.”

“Academy’s Third Senior Sister Yu Lian!”

“Too many strong fighters, yet they can’t suppress the Deceptive Octopus pouring from the space rift. Many have vanished into the void.”

“This is trouble!”

Wang Qiutong’s scalp tingled, then she screamed again: “No, it found me again!”

Immediately, Jiang Ming felt a strange power seeping from the void, shaking his Martial Domain violently.

Fortunately, it held.

“So strong!” Jiang Ming was moved, even shocked.

If he faced the Deceptive Octopus King alone, death would be certain.

Wang Qiutong exhaled in relief. “The battle with Master has moved above the Nine Heavens, maybe beyond the atmosphere. Too strong, too terrifying.”

“Master can’t suppress it decisively!” Zhou Tian’s expression was complicated.

Bai Bing and the others looked grim.

“With Master occupied, trouble will only grow. For us, the best plan is to rapidly increase our strength and aim to enter the eighth realm as soon as possible,” Jiang Ming said, turning to Chen Bei.

Chen Bei’s aura surged dramatically.

(End of chapter)