Chapter 136: Divine Moon

Donggong Qianxue possesses a pure Divine Phoenix bloodline. Although her cultivation is only at the second stage of the Polar Realm, she is capable of contending with experts in the early stage of the Round Dao Realm. Even after consuming the Furious Ape Divine Pill, which doubled his strength, Mo Yinyue was still no match for her.

The primary threat to Donggong Qianxue, however, came from the Maitreya Buddha. The hundred-meter-tall phantom of the Maitreya appeared like an ancient Buddha descending upon the world, casting an aura of endless oppression. The phantom hovered perpetually above Donggong Qianxue’s head, an inescapable specter, its mouth continuously emitting a sinister, bell-like laughter:

"Hahahaha...!"

The demonic power contained within that sinister laughter seeped incessantly into Donggong Qianxue’s body, causing her Divine Phoenix form to swell uncontrollably. By now, her body had nearly doubled in size, and the terrifying force of this expansion caused her extreme agony. The seven-colored brilliance radiating from her Divine Phoenix form was so dazzling that it bathed the entire vast arena in a dreamlike, spectacular glow. She unleashed her full strength, engaging Mo Yinyue in a ferocious battle that darkened the heavens. Despite his ten-meter stature after taking the Forbidden Furious Ape Pill, Mo Yinyue remained on the defensive, his body covered in wounds.

Sitting in the spectator stands, Chen Changsheng secretly asked the Blood Demon Ancestor, "Old Demon, do you think Princess Qianxue can hold out until the end?"

The Blood Demon Ancestor mused, "Young Master Chen, it is hard to say. Mo Yinyue’s Maitreya Buddha poses too great a threat to the Princess. Unfortunately, that Buddha is linked to Mo Yinyue’s own heart and soul; only by defeating him can it be destroyed. If the Princess were not being assaulted by that sinister laughter, Mo Yinyue would already be a corpse."

"Understood." Chen Changsheng nodded, then said, "Old Demon, let's watch for now. If you see the Princess faltering, take action and kill that bird-man for me."

"No problem," the Blood Demon Ancestor chuckled softly. "Killing is what I love most, hehe."

His primary motivation for killing, of course, was to absorb blood essence. The more he absorbed, the faster his strength would recover.

The vast arena was deathly silent; the million-strong crowd made not a sound. Everyone watched the intense battle in the center with wide, unblinking eyes, as if fearing that a single blink might cause them to miss a spectacular moment. Beside Chen Changsheng, Bing Mu'er, Nalan Ruoshui, Mu Wanqing, and Huangfu Meng, along with the Holy Empress, Donggong Fu, and others, were all watching intently, though their expressions remained calm. They knew Donggong Qianxue was a piece in Chen Changsheng’s game; he would certainly not let her die.

For Donggong Qianxue, this final assessment was inconsequential; she was merely fighting on behalf of Princess Murong Lan of the Holy Moon Empire. In the stands of the Holy Moon Empire, the Holy Emperor, a sturdy middle-aged man named Murong Zhenhai, and his entourage were visibly tense, beads of sweat forming on Murong Zhenhai’s brow.

In the stands of the Molou Empire, Empress Lou Meisha, hailed as the greatest beauty of the Western Regions, stared fixedly at the center of the arena with burning eyes. Her heart was in turmoil, and her chest heaved. The Princess of the Chunqiu Empire was truly worthy of her Divine Phoenix bloodline; even with the power boost from the Furious Ape Divine Pill, Mo Yinyue was still no match for her. It was only thanks to the Maitreya Buddha that the outcome was not already decided. Her entourage also gripped their fists tightly, their nerves stretched to the limit. They did not know that their prince had long since been ruined by the Ancient Emperor and his son; even if he were to defeat Donggong Qianxue and win this assessment, he would be left a fool, easily dealt with by Gu Shaobai.

On the stands belonging to the Cangxue Empire, the Holy Emperor Xiahou Batian—a fat, dark-skinned man with stubble and a rugged appearance—was so nervous that his very flesh trembled.

In the center of the arena, Princess Murong Lan of the Holy Moon Empire had fallen into a desperate situation. Six demonic gates hovered around her as Xiahou Liang launched a frantic assault. The threat of these six gates was immense; Xiahou Liang would vanish into one and emerge from any of the other five in an instant, with zero time delay. His speed was beyond description, leaving onlookers dazzled. Murong Lan had already suffered multiple sword wounds from Xiahou Liang, blood gushing from them, making her look truly tragic. With Xiahou Liang constantly emerging from the six gates, it was as if six versions of him were battling her at once. No matter how fast her reflexes were, she could not evade every strike.

"Ya—!"

The bloodied Murong Lan suddenly let out a furious cry, and a crescent moon suddenly manifested on her forehead. It grew rapidly, shining with dazzling radiance.

"The Divine Moon!"

The crowd let out a cry of shock. The Princess of the Holy Moon Empire truly had a trump card, and it was none other than the Divine Moon itself.

"What? The Princess has summoned the Divine Moon!"

In the Holy Moon Empire’s stands, Murong Zhenhai and his experts cried out in shock, their expressions changing instantly. The Divine Moon was the Holy Soul of their empire, akin to a national treasure, containing a drop of blood essence from each of the five generations of their ancestors. It had always been nurtured within Murong Lan’s body; in a sense, she was the embodiment of the Holy Soul.

Murong Lan grasped a large silver bow and stepped onto the Divine Moon.

*Hum...*

The moon beneath her feet trembled violently, and five residual shadows surged from it, hovering around her. They were blood-red phantoms, their faces indistinguishable. Clearly, these were the blood essences left by the five ancestors of the Holy Moon Empire.

"First Ancestor of the Divine Moon, come!" Murong Lan shouted, pulling the silver bow to its full extent.

A blood-red phantom whistled through the air and merged into the bow. In the blink of an eye, the silver weapon turned blood-red, and an endless crimson glow surged into the sky, staining the firmament with the color of blood.

*Whoosh...*

Threads of white spiritual energy became visible to the naked eye, converging on Murong Lan from all directions. The aura emanating from her wounded body became ferociously intense; her eyes turned scarlet, and even her hair became blood-red. Her clothes fluttered wildly, and her three thousand strands of blood-red hair danced in the wind. The space within thirty meters of her began to twist and distort under the weight of her terrifying pressure. Standing upon the Divine Moon with her bow drawn, she looked like a celestial deity, leaving all who watched with an urge to kneel and worship.