Chapter 489 Is There Still a Future? Sword River Venerable!

In its human form, the Sky-Devouring Rat had long white whiskers, a short stature, and a somewhat hunched posture, with a face full of wrinkles and age spots typical of the elderly.

These are actually signs of the body reaching its limits, resulting in changes in physical appearance.

At first glance, it gives the impression that it is about to die.

In reality, he speaks with great force.

After making the promise, his figure transformed into a white streak of light. Unlike everyone else who tried to escape the vortex of the giant cauldron, he actively rushed into the vortex following the suction force.

With its already astonishing speed, coupled with the immense suction force, it plunged headfirst into the Azure Cloud Cauldron before the Seven Elders of Caiyun could even react.

The old men looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What...what's going on?"

"One of their Great Perfection cultivators committed suicide?"

Ancestor Lan Yun frowned deeply.

"This old man looks somewhat familiar..."

These words were spoken.

This immediately triggered a memory from some obscure corner of Huang Yun's mind, and he exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh no! Stop activating the magical treasure immediately! That little dwarf is a Sky-Devouring Rat!"

Obviously.

As a demon king who once dominated the world, there are always a few old men who remember his past, his extremely glorious past, and his powerful past that even sparked local wars.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

"—The Devouring Heaven Technique!"

The moment it passed through the vortex, the Devouring Rat's body seemed to transform into a pitch-black shadow, proof that even light had been swallowed up!

His innate divine ability, the Devouring Heaven Technique, transformed him into a second source of devouring power. Together with the Azure Cloud Heaven Cauldron, the devouring vortex emitted two completely opposite suction forces.

The original spatial strangulation originated from the power of the spiritual treasure.

Now, the two suction forces have transformed into a millstone, twisting all the living and dead things sucked in into pieces, and as the amount of things being devoured increases...

The black sphere that the Devouring Rat has transformed into is constantly growing larger.

Once the suction force of the Azure Sky and Jade Cloud Cauldron is exceeded, the two will become unbalanced, releasing an extremely powerful chaotic force field storm. At the same time, the spiritual treasure itself will be impacted and temporarily lose its spirituality.

Just like when a person is unconscious, it is difficult to react.

By the time the Seven Elders of Caiyun realized what was happening, it was too late. What's worse, they couldn't stop outputting their magic power at will, otherwise the Devouring Orb would grow even faster.

Once you withdraw, the point of imbalance will arrive much earlier.

Similarly.

If they can maintain their magical output and keep the Azure Sky and Jade Cloud Cauldron suppressing the Devouring King, they can naturally resolve the crisis when the opponent reaches the limit of expansion.

Furthermore, because this is a fifth-tier spiritual treasure, it is extremely difficult for the Devouring King to contend with it. The upper limit of his own endurance may not even be able to overcome the spiritual treasure itself.

That's also a possibility.

But regardless of the outcome, the Devouring King has achieved his goal: to delay the unleashing of the Azure Cloud Cauldron's power.

The Five-Colored Holy Lord and the others are not dead.

His strategic objective was achieved, and since the magical treasure failed to unleash its overwhelming single-target destructive power, his plan was already a success.

"—Make your move!"

Upon realizing that the Devouring Rat had succeeded, the Five-Colored Holy Lord was the first to react. Immediately, the phantom of the Five-Colored Deer stood up behind him, and the five-colored divine light emanating from its antlers shone down on him.

It directly granted the Seven Elders of Caiyun a saintly state of mind, where they wanted to do nothing, had no desires, and floated away as if they were one with the heavens.

Life and property have become less important.

When used by a strong person, this [Five Colors and Five Virtues Tranquil Mind Light] can not only assist in enlightenment, but also, like a mind-destroying aura, cause the target to lose their reverence for life.

They no longer value their own lives!

The danger lies in this: among the stunned Seven Elders of Caiyun, the first to recover were Huang Yun and Hong Yun, both Great Perfection cultivators.

But just as they realized the problem, Bishop Youpeng, in the form of a half-orc with a human body and a bird's head, rushed in front of them.

The Yin Beast Dao cultivator's secret technique of merging human and beast is best suited for combat in this alien form, as it is both flexible and versatile, and grants a powerful physical body and Netherworld supernatural abilities.

At that moment, he suddenly advanced, his foot like a bird hook.

It viciously shoved into their faces, and if viewed from a third-person perspective, it gave the bizarre feeling of Bishop Youpeng feeding them bird heads.

He reached for it with his legs spread apart.

Red Cloud and Yellow Cloud wouldn't be so easily damaged. At the critical moment, they forcibly regained their senses, and two special clouds, one red and one yellow, flew out from their sleeves.

It transformed into a formless barrier, like cotton, completely dissolving Bishop Youpeng's brute force and Netherworld demonic energy, its power circling once within the cloud-shaped treasure.

With minimal effort, they deflected the attack back completely.

Bishop Youpeng was thrown back by his own brute force. While still in mid-air, a small Xuan Yin sword flew swiftly, turning into a thin black line and slicing towards the necks of the two men.

This is his natal magic weapon, the Netherworld Curse Sword!

Specializing in sneak attacks and sudden bursts of power, Hongyun is well-versed in dealing with this treasure, after all, it wasn't the first time he had fought against Bishop Youpeng. Huangyun Ancestor is slightly less experienced.

However, it wouldn't necessarily lead to their immediate demise.

Bishop Youpeng's attacks were relentless, and within a few short moves, he had them pinned down and unable to concentrate. At the same time, the Five-Colored Holy Lord's attack had already arrived.

His target is none other than himself.

It was the weakest of the Seven Elders of Caiyun, the Purple Cloud Ancestor. With the second tactical objective achieved and the two strongest being held back by Youpeng, he was going to reduce their numbers!

This allows the Devouring Heaven Technique to reach its full potential, causing the Azure Sky and Jade Cloud Cauldron to completely shut down for a period of time.

This period of inactivity.

This is the key to whether they can take over the Caiyun Mountains.

The Five-Colored Holy Lord's natal magic weapon was unexpectedly ferocious; it was actually a typical demonic magic weapon—the Demon Lord!

The so-called "demon head" is a special magical artifact made by refining the heads of living beings with the help of living souls and evil souls. It was very popular in ancient times, but it is rarely seen nowadays.

This is because this kind of magical artifact consumes living beings even more than the Myriad Soul Banner.

The number of living beings required to refine a demon is already astronomical, and with growth, nurturing, and advancement... even more lives are needed.

The conditions for the mass birth of "demons" are no longer met by Chi Yuan.

It's possible in Taihu Lake, but the Sword Sect has very strict control over it, so there's basically no chance for such a magic weapon to appear. No one would have thought that the Five-Colored Holy Lord, whose reputation is based on benevolence, would possess this type of natal magic weapon.

This means he is also a demonic cultivator... a demonic cultivator from the demon race!

It's strange that this point has never been noticed.

Wang Yu's consciousness attached itself to the Ice Soul Fairy's shoulder, making full use of the "camera function" to transmit images from different perspectives to his main body.

This allowed him to observe the battle with peace of mind and reflect on the various pieces of intelligence that had been revealed.

This demon head should be the head of some kind of ancient ferocious beast.

Its lower jaw protrudes outward, with fangs and sharp teeth. Behind its forehead are two spiral horns like those of a argali sheep. Its facial features are human-like but sharper, with no flesh or blood on them, while its bones are blood-red.

Strands of white hair grew from his bones, radiating a crystal-clear, chilling light, while two pale gray flames burned in his dark eye sockets.

Emerging from the Five-Colored Saint Lord's Qi Sea, it quickly grew to the size of a house and swallowed the Purple Cloud Ancestor, who was completely bewildered by the Five-Colored Divine Light, in one gulp.

The demonic aura was chilling; the demon's head swelled up for a moment, then suddenly shrank back.

After repeating this several times, there was basically no further activity.

The demon's magical artifacts are typically used in conjunction with a secret technique called the "Spirit Devouring Technique," which can refine almost any living being devoured by the demon and transform it into resources for the artifact's growth.

Since Patriarch Ziyun failed to escape, he must have perished. His death was so swift that no one could have predicted it.

During this brief respite, Hongyun and Huangyun, two Great Perfection experts, finally broke free from Bishop Youpeng's entanglement and, along with their remaining four companions, retreated several dozen feet.

From the edge of the cauldron, move towards the area near the ear.

They exchanged surprised and uncertain glances, then realized the problem and said almost simultaneously, "Ziyun is gone."

The Five-Colored Holy Lord truly deserves the title of Holy Lord.

He effortlessly killed a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, thanks to his meticulous planning step by step until the enemy stepped into a death trap.

Lan Yun, who was ranked sixth, suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. He realized that Zi Yun was gone, and that he, at the eighth level of the Nascent Soul stage, was the weakest.

He lost his sense of security very quickly, especially after Ziyun gave him a very vulnerable feedback, which made him subconsciously believe that the Five-Colored Holy Lord was stronger than Hongyun and Huangyun.

They are still much stronger. After all, these two couldn't kill Ziyun in one go. Even slaughtering a pig wouldn't be that easy.

This is indeed the case. However, due to his racial bloodline, the Five-Colored Holy Lord is not as skilled in combat as people imagine. His combat ability is not weak, but it is also limited.

His greatest strengths lie in his design and intelligence-gathering abilities.

Tianpeng King's actual combat strength is stronger than his, but he cannot outsmart him and will always lose in a duel. If he suddenly encounters a new opponent, his weaknesses will be exposed.

Unfortunately, no one can create such an opportunity.

Even Wang Yu, who was observing from the shadows, was shocked by this power. The late-stage Grand Cultivator who had reached the pinnacle of cultivation was gone in an instant.

This impact was comparable to the oppressive feeling brought by a Nascent Soul cultivator, and the Five-Colored Saint Lord made good use of this.

Remaining silent.

Just by staring at the remaining six elders of Caiyun with icy eyes, the cultivators felt a chill run down their spines.

"The situation is dire. Without Ziyun's magical power, the Azure Sky Cloud Cauldron's power will be greatly reduced. If the Devouring Rat continues..."

The words were not finished, but the meaning was very clear.

If the chaotic force field were to erupt, the air throughout the Rainbow Cloud Mountains would be filled with all sorts of tearing forces, making it easy for the plane to suddenly change direction as if it had been pulled by someone.

Losing a chance to fight is a small matter; being caught out of a position is a big one!

This problem is still difficult to solve. During a brief moment of thought, Old Ancestor Green Cloud suddenly said, "Oh no, where is King Tianpeng? He disappeared as soon as the fight started."

Yes, where is King Tianpeng?!

The enemy clearly had four Great Perfection experts, but one of them was missing during the fight, and they didn't even notice it immediately. This shows how powerful the Five-Colored Divine Light's brain-depressing effect is.

This is actually related to the intense battle they just had to fight. When people are highly focused, it is easy to ignore things outside of their target.

King Tianpeng was thus overlooked.

Less than a few breaths later, a deafening explosion came from beneath everyone's feet, due to the enormous size of the Azure Sky and Jade Cloud Cauldron.

It almost completely obscured the main gate of the Biyun Sect.

Without using one's divine sense to observe, it's impossible to perceive the situation below, and in such a state, who would dare to be distracted? Thus, the bizarre scene of darkness beneath one's own light was created.

At that time.

The entire gate of the Biyun Sect was blown apart, the protective spirit array of the sect was rendered ineffective, and the mountain was like a blooming lotus flower, revealing a deep and bottomless pit.

A complex and intricate web of ideas was constantly swirling within.

All of these are the essence of the vast spiritual energy condensed from the spiritual veins. The screams of the Biyun Sect disciples and cultivators have become very weak. How long has it been?

It turned out that the Heavenly Roc King was about to be slaughtered to extinction.

A sense of despair enveloped the hearts of all the ancestors.

Even the most resistant Old Ancestor Hongyun lost his determination to fight to the end. In this state... how can he possibly win?

Whether it's a contest of strength or numbers, it's about who's the best.

They were far behind, and could only rely on the sect's most powerful treasure. However, the Azure Sky and Jade Cloud Cauldron suffered a major defeat and could no longer exert its full power.

Further resistance is futile and will only increase casualties.

As you can see, the foundation and future of the Biyun Sect have been completely destroyed. Those nearly one hundred Nascent Soul experts are no pushovers; they have already taken all the treasures they could during this time.

They also cooperated with Tianpeng King to quickly slaughter those cultivators.

It's incredibly efficient.

"what to do?"

"Since Venerable Jianhe has not yet arrived, if we retreat rashly, will the Sword Sect take advantage of this and demand an even higher price?"

Seeing that they were still considering the price at a time like this, Huang Yun, the old ancestor, couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. He barely suppressed his rage and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"At a time like this, you're still discussing this?"

"With all the disciples of the sect dead, the Azure Cloud Sect is now merely a name without substance. What use are a few old fogies like us? After such a crushing defeat, who among the truly gifted will come to join the sect?!"

Without geniuses, it is difficult to cultivate new Nascent Souls.

Those affiliated families and sects will not contribute any geniuses to the Biyun Sect, and the future situation of a lack of successors is already a foregone conclusion.

Moreover... does the Biyun Sect even have a future?

Just when the Six Elders of Caiyun were in trouble.

Just as the Five-Colored Holy Lord and the others were preparing to launch a decisive battle, a loud crash suddenly came from the clouds above.

Water splashes broke through the layers of clouds and white mist, and the concept of the Milky Way materialized in an instant!

The mighty river flows from the west.

As it makes its way through the sky, the waves in front of it keep crashing, and on the crest of the wave, a small boat rests quietly, with an old man in a straw raincoat holding a slender, straight fishing rod.

He looked down at the crowd with an air of nonchalance.

He sighed.

"We're too late. The demons are still vicious."

The Five-Colored Holy Lord's expression was solemn as he murmured.

"We were still a step too late. Looks like we need to prepare for a major financial blow."

Tianpeng King swiftly teleported to the side of the Five-Colored Holy Lord and transmitted his voice.

"retreat?"

"No, we still have a trump card up our sleeve."

The old man in the straw raincoat was clearly the reinforcement invited by the Biyun Sect, a Venerable of the Sword Sect with the title "Sword River". Bishop Youpeng had detailed information about him.

He immediately relayed this message to the Five-Colored Holy Lord.

The intelligence was so detailed that even the shrewd Five-Colored Holy Lord was momentarily moved, though he didn't know where Bishop Youpeng had obtained it from.

With this intelligence, his confidence increased even more.

He directly activated a token in his storage ring before bowing respectfully to Venerable Sword River.

"Greetings, Venerable One."

The old man in the straw raincoat shook his head.

“Five-Colored Holy Lord, you have overstepped your bounds. Even when the Azure Dragon was at its peak, it dared not break the agreement. You, young man, have quite the audacity.”

"No, that's not how it works."

"This is an invitation from the Demon Lords. The Demon Lords were present when the human and demon races made the treaty. How can they treat the demon race as outsiders?"

The implication is that he's a mercenary!

The Northern Demon Clan will not take the blame for this!

However, Venerable Jianhe was not a person who followed the rules, and his gentle expression gradually turned cold.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! How can your sophistry change the agreement between our two tribes? Kneel down!"

(End of this chapter)