Chapter 407: The Abyssal Demon Shadow Descends from the Moon

Jingsha's battle cry resounded through the sky, and billions of impacting fists swept across the battlefield. The god's all-out attack wiped out nearly 70% of the foreign forces on the spot.

The light within the Gospel Kingdom dimmed, countless flames extinguished, leaving dry debris like countless ashes falling to the earth. The Courtyard's Madonna trembled in agony, her pain revealing her true form: a terrifying colossus, as vast as the heavens and earth, like the terrifying true form of Vansalar from the past. Anyone who saw her for even a second would be reduced to a glowing corpse within the Gospel Kingdom with a particle size below 6.

The old thorn robe then grew enormous, using its divine power to shield the citizens and warriors as they battled the Virgin, whose true form had been revealed. Their battle was obscured by a radiant light, and behind it, vast shadows crisscrossed, forming a "night" that came and went across the secret realm. People could no longer distinguish time, or perhaps the changes in the world were actually a battle between the gods. They prayed in awe, then summoned the courage to confront the heretics. Behind them, a tsunami surged, and a sacred tree and a giant wolf clashed on the surface.

"What a magnificent scene! It's like a myth unfolding before our eyes," Mingwu exclaimed. "Seeing this scene makes me feel like my trip to this battlefield was not in vain."

Ji Qiufeng was slightly surprised. "You're also moved by the war between gods? I thought you were used to it."

In the chaos of battle, direction was lost. From the moment Jingsha rose up, the allied soldiers gradually lost their coordinates. To ensure their retreat, they had no choice but to reunite with their nearest comrades. Ji Qiufeng had been fighting the Scourge in the western battlefield, but due to the battlefield convergence, he reunited with the Canxin troops in the south.

He led his troops in the ambush and slew of a Void Angel, who, gravely wounded, vanished into the mists of history. The "Decadent" also led his army into the fog. The enemy shrouded their forces in a gloomy gray fog, seemingly plotting to divide and conquer, then ambush from the shadows. Yet, the warriors remained calm, for their commander remained composed. General Wushuang stood at the front, halberd in hand, like a crimson beacon. General Mingwu sat casually on the ground, and seeing the enemy eluding him, he even picked up his gourd and poured wine for his juniors.

There is nothing to be afraid of following such a leader into battle, because you know that they are powerful enough to defeat any conspiracy.

"Experience and knowledge are different," Mingwu sighed. "When the war began, I was just a coward. For a long time, I stood behind my brother and the Master of Destiny, watching them charge onto the battlefield. I've witnessed Master of Destiny fight many times, but ultimately, I lacked the power. Back then, I was just like everyone else on the battlefield now, admiring the gods' fierce struggle, unaware of the terrifying nature of their enemies."

"It wasn't until my brother's death that I began to grow, and it wasn't until the very end of the war that I crossed the Second Abyss... But that was already the very end. Even the Master of Fate didn't have time to prevent the birth of the Heavenly Prison. We simply watched everything fall into its destined fate." Mingwu shook his head, "So, until now, I haven't really witnessed many divine wars."

Ji Qiufeng understood vaguely and nodded, "You probably don't want to let regret happen again."

"When I had no power, I watched the Knight Nation fall into hell. Now that I have power, I see the city-state transformed into a demon. What's the point of this power?" Mingwu laughed. "Since there is hope, we must fight with all our might!"

The two chatted and laughed freely, but their brows were still furrowed. Qing Ye, holding the wine gourd beside them, guessed they were all in a bad mood, as the wine in their glasses hadn't been touched yet. Only she hadn't noticed their expressions and drank three glasses of wine. Only when she occasionally glanced at the charcoal-like face of the clan leader behind her did she realize her mistake.

She mustered up the courage to ask, "Could it be that the Jingsha Sacred Tree's struggle this time is a last gasp of glory?"

Ji Qiufeng was stunned. "In my humble opinion, Jingsha has managed to survive this near-death experience and has successfully absorbed some of the Duai ideology. This is definitely a huge step forward... Could there still be hidden dangers that I'm unaware of?"

"I didn't see it? Qingye, do you have any other information that you haven't told me?" Mingwu also frowned.

Qing Ye was startled and almost trembled: "No, no, that's not it! I'm just worried because the situation on the battlefield is very good, but you two are still worried..."

Mingwu burst out laughing, then remembered to drink the wine in his glass. Qingye bravely asked, "Could it be the Empire?"

Mingwu smiled faintly: "You also know that the imperial army is extremely powerful, why didn't you seem worried before?"

Qingye quickly replied, "Because I believe that joining the war at this time is of little use to the Empire. If the Jingsha city-state were to fall, the Empire would undoubtedly mobilize its entire forces to eliminate this threat. But now that the city-state has recovered its strength, we have a significant advantage on the battlefield, and the Empire's troops will struggle to completely wipe them out. If the Warmaster's strength were to rashly join the battlefield, the risk of escalating the localized conflict into a full-scale conflict would be disproportionate to the rewards."

"There's something else you haven't told me." Mingwu glanced at her sideways.

"Also..." Qing Ye stammered, "We also made some... last resort plans against the empire before..."

"You're going to drag the heretics to death with you, huh?" Mingwu roared with laughter. "You're quite courageous! You even dare to come up with such a heinous idea!"

Qingye shrank back, bracing herself for punishment, but Mingwu ignored her. Ji Qiufeng, standing nearby, smiled and said, "As you know, the Empire of Truth is a purely rational outsider. While powerful, its actions are unpredictable. If the situation is clear, the Empire won't fight an unprofitable battle. Therefore, Lord Wu Zun and I are not overly worried."

"What we're really worried about are those unpredictable forces," Mingwu said. "Hasn't Black Moon's spokesperson been found yet?"

Ji Qiufeng shook his head. "We've notified two fleets to begin searching, but there's been no response yet. I think Hengkong is battling it somewhere on the battlefield, but the divine war is so widespread, and the Black Moon illusion is masking the chaos, making it difficult to discern."

Ming Wu put aside his useless worries. Seeing that Qing Ye still seemed to understand, he asked, "Qing Ye, where is the threat posed by the Fallen Ones?"

Qingye answered reflexively, "Yes! The danger of the Fallen lies in their omnipresence. The appearance of a Fallen often signifies a large number of Black Moon believers. Their rituals can easily summon Fallen of high quality, so even a bastard can summon a god if he has the time... Ah!"

Her face paled as she suddenly realized the reason for their worry. Ji Qiufeng sighed, "Unlike real machines, they're unpredictable. This is the difficulty of dealing with the Fallen, because you never know how much love a Fallen has placed on them from their 'parents.'"

"In the past, there was a bastard from the Shuoyue clan in my Huilong City who took advantage of Youyou and I being seriously injured and attempted to perform a ritual. It was only after a bloody battle between Hengkong and Huaisu that their plot was thwarted. However, it wasn't until I was cleaning up the battlefield that I learned that the medium the bastard summoned was actually the old man's portrait!"

Qing Ye gasped. Ji Qiufeng smiled bitterly and said, "That was the most painful lesson I've received since leaving the mountain. A bastard could even call upon an old man. And now, hiding on the battlefield is the Son of the Black Moon. How much 'parental' love does it carry?"

"It will be heavy enough to crush the battlefield." Mingwu put down his wine glass. "But it doesn't matter. We also have brave men who have broken through the Heavenly Prison. Since we have no time to worry about them right now, I trust that they are ready."

Dark shadows surged through the mists of history, and a new wave of attacks from the outsiders arrived. Ji Qiufeng, brandishing his halberd, plunged headfirst into the mist, while Guang Shimingwu, using light as his blade, slashed with swift force.

In a flash, the war resumed and the battlefield was once again engulfed in chaos.

Swords clashed, thunder and lightning tore through the air, and from gods beyond time to civilians fighting in groups, nearly everyone was consumed by the endless slaughter. In the bloody battle, there was no end in sight, and perseverance replaced the objective laws of time, as everyone fought desperately to persevere until the end of the battle.

The clash of powers between the Gospel Nation and the Thorns nearly cracked the sky, while fog and heavy rain obscured all directions. In this chaotic battlefield where up and down were indistinguishable, no one had the energy to look up.

Thus, no one noticed that, where the city-state once stood, above the large hole where the seawater had flowed back, there existed a pinprick-like black spot. The hole was fixed in the air, unmoved by any battle, because it had no volume, only "depth."

It was like a needle gently poking through the paper called the world. Beyond the hole led to endless darkness. The needle hole was gradually expanding, and if one put their consciousness into it, they could hear the wind-like slashing sound.

As mournful as the howling of ghosts.

The slash flashed by, reducing many moon beasts to dust. The killer took a step, and ripples spread out from his footsteps, like a stone dropped into a lake. The dark liquid surface surged, and his will spread along the ripples, burning the traces of the moon beasts' former existence, but obliterating them with the opposing ripples.

Another figure stepped forward simultaneously, with perfect timing and force, clutching a blade forged from black blood. The two assassins simultaneously launched their Iai attacks, their attacks mirroring each other. The black-haired assassin swung his blade back in defense, while the white-haired assassin, using the repulsive force, leaped up and swung backward, its laughter echoing through the darkness.

"How interesting, my friend! Once we battled fiercely in the dark side of Earth society, and now we're fighting on the dark side of the battlefield. It seems we're destined never to become famous. No matter what, we always fight in secret, deciding the fate of all living things!"

Chu Hengkong sneered: "Don't you think it's too arrogant? It's just a rotten game board. How can a private fight between two outsiders be worthy of affecting all living beings!"

"Since when did you develop the habit of self-deprecation?" Wang Quan tilted his head. "No, Chu Hengkong is not that kind of person. Quickly bring out your self-righteous attitude, my friend! I am the center of the world, and everything revolves around me!"

"Will talking shit do anything for me?"

"No, no, I really mean it. Isn't that the kind of person you want to be? Otherwise, why would you seek power in the Shendong Realm?" Wang Quan chuckled, "Face the reality, my good friend. You know you have to stop me. After all, I'm not a naive guy like Parriman. If you lose here, I will easily destroy everything you have accumulated."

He took the initiative to sheath his long sword, and Chu Hengkong was happy to delay. The later Wang Quan attacked, the greater his chances of victory on the battlefield outside. He had no doubt about Wang Quan's methods. Although Wang Quan seemed only slightly stronger than the Crescent Moon Chosen from his aura, strength on paper meant nothing to someone like Wang Quan.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Chu Hengkong narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to play your game? Or do you want to 'save' Jingsha? Do you want me to support you? Or do you want me to defeat you?"

Wang Quan smirked: "I hope you can like me!"

Chu Hengkong wordlessly slashed out with a sword wind, but Wang Quan casually swatted it away. "Just kidding, just kidding. You can guess my identity, right? I am the son of Dark Moon. I came into the world with a mission bestowed by the gods. I must save the city-state. Before the love of the gods, everything else is secondary."

"The city-state has won a great victory, so why does it need your rescue?"

Wang Quan lowered his eyes and chuckled silently.

"Friend, have you ever tried to take a longer-term view? Even for just a moment?"

Chu Hengkong raised his knife cautiously: "No. I can only stare at the man in front of me."

"Yes, you are always like this." Wang Quan shrugged. "You are never interested in the future, so you turn a blind eye to the impending threats..."

"So you don't understand. No matter what the outcome of the current battle is, destruction is inevitable in the future."

Chu Hengkong became alert because Wang Quan's aura gradually changed. He was no longer the hypocritical "friend" who chatted and laughed with him, but a mortal enemy who fought on the battlefield.

It released its weapon and raised its finger to point to the sky, causing the dark space to vibrate. Endless black water surged and shrank, turning into the invisible point at the tip of Wang Quan's finger.

"I've talked too much. It's almost time to complete my mission. Don't worry, it will be over soon."

He raised his scarlet eyes and chanted softly.

"Darkest Moon, cradle of beginnings, first forgotten abyss. I offer you my true love, may you answer my prayer and save the world."

"Dark Moon Divine Art: Abyss Descent."

(End of this chapter)