DD Spiritual Sword [596-598] (Patreon)

Chapter 596: The Deep Sea Demon Whale King Dies; Ice Sky Snow Maiden's Ninth Ring

"That divine light that kept blocking my attacks came from this avatar, right? In that case, I'll get rid of her first." The Deep Sea Demon Whale King, in human form, moved with astonishing speed.

That speed applied not just to movement, but to attacks as well.

Nine Treasures Invincible Divine Light still had three blocks left, but the Demon Whale King could unleash three attacks in a single second, each strong enough to cancel a block.

If it were ordinary skills, he could even strike hundreds or thousands of times in an instant.

At this moment, the Ice Sky Snow Maiden and the Snow Demon did not come to assist. The Snow Maiden was charging up, preparing a fatal blow for the Demon Whale King, while the Snow Demon protected her.

But the Demon Whale King didn't care. Without that invincible divine light, these two were no match for him.

Boom boom boom!

The Demon Whale King raised his right hand, condensing in the blink of an eye three purple spheres a hundred meters in diameter, slamming them all onto the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda. The triple strike completely dispersed the avatar's pagoda.

Smirking coldly, he gathered power again—still the same orbs, now much smaller in diameter, but numbering in the tens of thousands. The vast energy ripples dyed the sky purple and even distorted space itself.

A shrill tearing of the air rang out. From condensing to release took but a single breath; then those myriad purple orbs fell like a meteor shower toward Ning Rongrong, the Ice Sky Snow Maiden, and the Snow Demon. It was a wide-area, full-party attack, so fast it could only be described as lightning-quick.

Three parts water, seven parts lightning—that was the attribute of this move. Each purple orb was a fusion of two energies, a composite-attribute attack.

They were like beads of thunder: on impact they exploded with terrifying force. With such a large-area, locking attack, dodging was impossible.

But Ning Rongrong had no intention of dodging. It was only an avatar anyway. After unleashing this move, the Demon Whale King's body would be in a brief empty state—prime time for a counterattack.

Ning Rongrong drove the avatar straight at the Demon Whale King. He didn't even deign to look. His physical defense might have been weakened, but as his body shrank, his energy grew more condensed; the energy armor he formed was in no way inferior to that of his true body.

Under the bombardment of the thunder beads, Ning Rongrong's amethyst avatar dispersed. The Snow Demon, who had used her own body as a shield for the Snow Maiden, was also blasted apart by the Demon Whale King and needed time to re-form.

"Heh. The Sea God's successor—so that's all."

Just as the Demon Whale King reveled, a fearsome sword aura lanced out from within the smoke—from the very spot where the amethyst avatar had just vanished.

In the final second before the avatar dissipated, Ning Rongrong had used the talisman left by Tianlin: Demonic Flame Flashing Void Slash.

The terrifying sword light streaked toward the Demon Whale King like a meteor. He was unfazed, hardening his energy armor even further.

Unfortunately for him, no armor could avail. Forged by the Demon Sword, the Demonic Flame Flashing Void Slash fully inherited the sword's properties—every strike dealt true damage.

Before the Demon Whale King's disbelieving eyes, his energy armor was pierced in an instant; along with it, his heart.

"How is this possible?" He clutched the gaping wound in his chest. Even the Sea God's Trident couldn't pierce his energy armor—yet a single sword aura had shattered it outright.

Worse, he could feel that sword aura rampaging within him, wreaking havoc throughout his body.

An Ultimate Douluo? No—this was divine. The power of this strike had fully reached the godly level.

At that moment, another trident stabbed through his chest—the Ice Sky Snow Maiden, who had been charging all along.

Gone and Not to Return—one of the Golden Thirteen Tridents. This was the form Ning Rongrong had practiced the most diligently; with charge-up, its power was astonishing. Perhaps it could not have broken the energy armor before, but after the armor had been shattered by the Demon Sword's true-damage sword aura, piercing the human-form body was child's play.

The Snow Maiden's body gradually faded, revealing Ning Rongrong's true self—brown hair and green dress. The final blow, of course, had to be delivered by her own hand.

"Deep Sea Demon Whale King, this battle—I win!" Ning Rongrong channeled all the divine power of the trident and ripped it free in one pull.

At last, the mighty million-year soul beast could no longer support his body. Three meters tall, bleeding, he fell from the sky toward the sea.

Deprived of energy, he could no longer maintain human form. While still midair, he reverted to his whale body, two hundred meters long, and crashed into the ocean with a thunderous impact, a massive wound yawning in the middle of his torso.

As the colossal body plunged into the water, the sea was instantly dyed red with his blood. A surging wave of energy burst out, spawning yet another tsunami.

"Yes, you win. I lose." The Demon Whale King showed a strange smile. He looked utterly dead; even his soul ring and bone, bearing nine golden lines, had begun to surface.

Ning Rongrong only smiled calmly. "Senior Demon Whale King, to trick a young girl like this—you're not worried about losing face?"

She didn't rush to absorb the soul ring. She first pulled in the soul bone, and at the same time, employed the power of Ultimate Ice.

Freezing matter with light was nothing. True absolute zero could freeze even formless things like time and space. Ning Rongrong couldn't reach that level yet, but freezing a damaged soul was child's play.

Hidden within the soul bone, a pitch-black soul was frozen in a block of ice and forcibly yanked out by Ning Rongrong—the Demon Whale King's soul.

He was filled with despair, but frozen as he was, he couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing this, the Ice Empress sighed from the heart. "Wow, Rongrong, your husband really is a prophet. He even anticipated the Demon Whale King hiding his soul and waiting to possess you when you absorbed the bone, to usurp the Sea God's position."

Ning Rongrong grinned proudly. "Of course. My Sword Brother is the best!"

"All right, Rongrong, now isn't the time to brag about your husband. Shatter that soul, then absorb the ring and bone," the Snow Empress urged.

"Okay." Ning Rongrong gathered soul power and struck with one palm, shattering the ice into a rain of crystals. This time, the Demon Whale King was dead beyond all doubt.

Ning Rongrong descended to the sea, drew over the ninety-plus-thousand-year ring, and began to absorb the Ice Sky Snow Maiden's ninth ring.

With this ring, and later the bone, Ning Rongrong's level would be at least 97–98. The higher her rank before sacrificial apotheosis, the more divine power she could receive, and the stronger she would become.

Chapter 597: Bibi Dong Becomes a God; Interception and Ascension to the God Realm

The Demon Whale King's soul ring and bone were extraordinarily powerful. It took Ning Rongrong a full day and night to finish absorption. Next, she needed only pass a test of heart to inherit the Sea God's position.

Compared to the Demon Whale King, that trial was not so difficult. Ning Rongrong was confident she would pass.

"Sword Brother, wait a little longer for me. I'll be right back." She glanced toward the continent, then flashed away toward Sea God Island.

Her speed now actually surpassed Xiao Bai in the sea. In actual combat, she was not much inferior to an Ultimate Douluo.

Several inheritors had reached the final step at the same time, but fully bearing a godhood still required some time. One person was faster than the rest—Rakshasa God Bibi Dong.

…

"Hahaha, finally done."

In a mountain valley, a sky-scraping evil aura surged out. Bibi Dong's Devour-Soul Spider Emperor spirit had become nine red rings and one dark gold.

Originally, she had wanted to bear the godhood with her Death Spider Emperor—the latter's evil attribute was stronger. But that martial soul had been shattered by the Silver Dragon King, so she had to settle for second-best.

Still, that was fine. The Devour-Soul Spider Emperor's ring configuration had always been higher than the Death Spider Emperor's: black, black, black, black, black, black, red, black, black—with each ring above fifty thousand years. Now with a godhood's boost, each gained another fifty thousand years, becoming today's nine-red-one-gold top-tier setup—extremely powerful.

However, the bit of self-will Bibi Dong had once retained was now gone. Having inherited the Rakshasa godhood, her entire being was wrapped in evil divine power. Yet, all evil thoughts in the world were under the control of the Evil Sword Immortal; she was completely reduced to his puppet.

"All right, Bibi Dong, let's go straight to the God Realm. As for the mortal world—once we become the strongest gods, we'll come back and destroy it. Let Jun Tianlin and the others live a little longer." The Evil Sword Immortal's voice transmitted from within the Evil Spirit Pearl.

A single first-tier god's strength was not enough for him. There were two first-tier gods on the Douluo Continent now, both righteous. His power to devour evil thoughts was useless against them. He couldn't win two-on-one.

He had to go to the God Realm first, devour the Seven Deadly Sins gods—ideally the Evil God King as well—then he would become truly invincible.

Without hesitation, the Evil Sword Immortal had Bibi Dong invoke divine power to contact the God Realm. Sensing a first-tier god in the lower realm preparing to ascend, the God Realm Core automatically opened an entrance.

…

In Spirit City, Chen Xin, who was continuing to cultivate the sword, and Qian Renxue, who was keeping Tianlin's parents company, suddenly stood up, faces changing.

"What's wrong, Xue'er?" Mo Lan asked, puzzled. This second daughter-in-law was usually calm and wise.

"It's nothing, don't worry. I have something to take care of. I'll be right back." Qian Renxue soothed Mo Lan, then soared into the sky.

At the same time, Chen Xin turned into a beam of sword light and rushed over.

"Qian Renxue, you sensed it too, didn't you? The passage to the God Realm has opened—someone is about to ascend."

Qian Renxue nodded. "Master, if I'm not mistaken, that person must be my mother."

Tianlin, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Huan Yin had not yet become gods, and neither she nor Chen Xin intended to go to the God Realm right now. Thus, the only one who would open the passage at this time had to be Bibi Dong.

"We have to intercept and kill her. Can you bring yourself to do it?" Chen Xin asked.

Qian Renxue hesitated for a moment, then recalled what Tianlin had told her that night. Her hesitation hardened into resolve. "Don't worry, Master. I can."

"Good. Then let's go."

They became twin beams of light, streaking toward the place where the passage had opened. At their first-tier-god speed, crossing the continent would take no time; reaching the valley would take less than a minute.

Bibi Dong had just fully opened the passage and was heading toward it.

"Angel Hexagram!"

"Heavenly Sword!"

A giant hexagram and a golden greatsword hurtled toward her.

As if anticipating it, Bibi Dong—or rather, the Evil Sword Immortal—showed no fear. The massive purple-black scythe in her hand swung lightly. Purple radiance swept down with the scythe's arc, condensing into a hundreds-meter-long purple blade of light.

In a single move, she blocked attacks from two first-tier gods. The Rakshasa Scythe alone couldn't do that; it was only possible with the Evil Spirit Pearl's amplification still on Bibi Dong.

"Hehe, so you've come at last. My good daughter, to strike so hard at your mother—how unfilial." The Evil Sword Immortal's voice was full of mad desire, stirring the seven emotions.

If she were her old self, Qian Renxue would have been unsettled by that power. But now, after Tianlin's guidance, and with no interference from that Sea God, she had undergone the true Angel God seven-emotions trial, even killing Bibi Dong once in the illusion space. Her heart was now firm. She attacked without the slightest hesitation.

"Mother, to save you, I must kill you first. Only by crossing life and death and redeeming your sins can we reunite as mother and daughter." Qian Renxue's gaze was steadfast. "So my answer is: Angel Fire Dragon Formation!"

The strongest formation attached to the Angel Domain, drawing on the true power of the sun to burn all things—it now firmly blocked the passage to the God Realm.

Bibi Dong frowned. She hadn't expected Qian Renxue to be completely free of familial shackles and so decisive—or rather, to grasp what true kinship meant. Letting Bibi Dong sink deeper into darkness was the true foolishness. A moment's hesitation here would not only doom Bibi Dong but might drag the world into ruin.

"Death's Reaping." Bibi Dong's Rakshasa Scythe carved a blood blade that tore a channel through the Fire Dragon Formation.

"Seven Kill Sword Formation!" At that instant, a sword formation overlaid the fire formation. Under the twin arrays, Bibi Dong could not ascend.

Inside the Evil Spirit Pearl, the Evil Sword Immortal grew anxious. He hadn't expected Qian Renxue to have no mental weak point and to attack Bibi Dong without wavering. Joined with Chen Xin, they were too much for Bibi Dong alone.

He wanted to use the Evil Spirit Pearl's power, but he meant to save it for the gods of the God Realm, not waste it on mere Qian Renxue and Chen Xin.

Yet as things were, without it, Bibi Dong couldn't even break their blockade, let alone reach the God Realm.

Just as he readied his hand, someone moved first. From the God Realm's portal, a purple-black thunderbolt shot out, instantly shattering Qian Renxue's fire formation and Chen Xin's sword formation, opening the way wide for Bibi Dong.

Chapter 598: The Original Sin Grand Array; Refining the Evil Spirit Pearl

"What was that?" Chen Xin and Qian Renxue were shocked. That strike had instantly broken the arrays of two first-tier gods.

Clearly, only a God King possessed such power.

They were both newly minted first-tier gods, far from a peak first-tier like Sea God Poseidon. Even together, they could not match a God King. Blocked by that power, they could only watch as Bibi Dong entered the God Realm.

They wouldn't give up, though. Once the purple thunderbolt passed, they pushed their speed and gave chase.

…

At the God Realm's Heavenly Gate, the Asura God looked at the God of Destruction. "Destruction, must you do this? You used Annihilation God Thunder against the newly ascended Angel God and Sword God just to let the new Rakshasa come up."

"Hmph. My attack only stopped them; it didn't harm them. This concerns my plan to expand the God Realm. For our future, we need greater power. No one will stop me!" the God of Destruction said stubbornly.

He might not be a bad person, but in the matter of expansion his fixation was too deep—already a heart demon. Unless the God Realm completed expansion or was utterly destroyed, he would not turn back.

The Asura God had no solution. It was a joint decision of the Council. Moreover, his Asura godhood had begun its transfer. Though Tianlin hadn't fully inherited it yet, the authority kept flowing to him.

As Tianlin grew stronger, the Asura God weakened. He had been Asura for many years; even after giving up the godhood, he wouldn't drop below God King level. But he no longer had the Asura Demon Sword—an Super-artifact—making him the weakest of the five God Kings.

Super-artifacts provided a staggering boost to a God King's strength. In the original, Huo Yuhao broke through to God King after his third eye evolved from artifact to Super-artifact by absorbing chaotic qi.

"Asura, when did you become so timid? Back then even the supreme Dragon God died by your hand. You think this filthy thing can be stronger than the Dragon God?" the Evil God King scoffed.

The Asura God was helpless. He couldn't exactly say that he and the Dragon God had planned it, that the Dragon God died on purpose, and that he intentionally let the Silver Dragon King go.

Back then, in the God Realm war, if it had kept raging, even the Dragon God couldn't have saved the soul beasts from extinction under the five God Kings and numerous first-tier gods. The Asura God and Dragon God had a decent rapport. He wouldn't betray his side; he would stand with the human gods. The Dragon God could only ensure a sliver of survival for soul beasts by making such a pact with him.

"Destruction, Evil—you two do everything to the extreme. I may oversee law, but I know that law does not run counter to human feeling. I hope you won't regret this," the Asura God said gravely.

Just then, a gloomy laugh came from the portal.

"Haha, so this is the God Realm? Strong holy aura and evil taint too. A place both delightful and disgusting. Since I'm here, let me make some changes."

"That's the new Rakshasa? Heh. A first-tier god with all divine sense sealed, reduced to a puppet. Pathetic trash," the Evil God King sneered. As a God King, he saw Bibi Dong's state at a glance. He felt contempt—Rakshasa was under him; having such a useless subordinate was shameful.

"Seven Deadly Sins, deploy the Original Sin Grand Array," the God of Destruction ordered. The seven sin gods, long prepared, immediately surrounded Bibi Dong.

"Oh? You're the Seven Deadly Sins. And the Evil God King is here too. Haha, splendid. You're exactly who I was looking for," the Evil Sword Immortal rejoiced. The God Realm's masters of evil thoughts—he already had Rakshasa's power. If he devoured the rest, he would be invincible.

"Devour us? Dream on. Original Sin Array, rise!" said Pride, the head of the Seven Sins, coldly.

The seven-in-one array instantly enclosed Bibi Dong's body.

A dim spirit pearl flew from her arms, beyond her control, and was locked with her at the array's core. From within the Evil Spirit Pearl, evil aura surged out, then was converted by the array.

The five God Kings—Asura, Destruction, Life, Kindness, and Evil—plus the former Rakshasa God flew into the array's eye and began absorbing the converted power.

Even though the former Rakshasa had passed on his godhood, his tens of thousands of years of cultivation let him still wield some authority over evil thoughts. His strength hadn't fallen much; he remained first-tier and could use evil thoughts to strengthen the array. He was about to leave the God Realm. If he could break through to God King before departing, he could explore farther in the cosmos.

"Rakshasa, you dare betray me!" the Evil Sword Immortal feigned anger.

The former Rakshasa sneered. "Heh. Your power could help me break through, yes. But if the Original Sin Array lets us refine you and that Super-artifact Evil Spirit Pearl, I might gain even more. The choice is obvious."

"Hehe, worthy of you, Rakshasa. I should have known—one who becomes a god by evil thoughts would never keep promises. This time, I, Evil Sword Immortal, will concede." He chuckled coldly and, as if giving up, had Bibi Dong sit cross-legged at the array's core.

To the God of Destruction and Evil God King, this was normal. How could a mere first-tier god face eight first-tier gods and five God Kings?

Moreover, the Original Sin Grand Array was one of the God Realm's Three Great Arrays. In war, it had earth-shaking might; in support, it could convert any evil power to strengthen others. Even God Kings and Super-artifacts could be refined within it.

But they overlooked one point: all of that held only if the Evil Spirit Pearl truly was merely an Super-artifact. Before, Bibi Dong's strength had been insufficient, so the Pearl's power seemed only slightly above Super-artifact, not fully beyond. At god level, she could fully unleash it. This grand array was exactly what the Evil Sword Immortal wanted—a perfect setup.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Just then, two streaks of light rushed over—Chen Xin and Qian Renxue.

Seeing Bibi Dong apparently trapped at the array's core, they moved to strike again—but were blocked by a burly man.

"Angel God, Sword God—I am the God of Destruction's first-tier subordinate, the God of Strength. You may call me the Strength God. By order of the God King of Destruction, withdraw immediately."

This God of Strength was not Zhou Weiqing, but his predecessor. His cultivation was no weaker than Sea God Poseidon, famed as the strongest first-tier god.

"God of Strength, why stop us? Can't you feel the Pearl's evil aura? Now is the time to destroy it," Qian Renxue demanded.

He shook his head. "Not my concern. This is the God Kings' joint order. Angel God, just follow orders."

"And since you've come to the God Realm, you can no longer return to the mortal world. Go to the Angel Palace and the Sword God's Mountain. They will be your cultivation grounds henceforth."