Chapter 1229 - Brink of Death

Jasmine had once mentioned that the Heretic God’s fifth gate “Hell Monarch” was the final realm left behind by the memory imprinted within the Heretic God’s Indestructible Blood. This realm was also the very limit humanity could bear.

As for the unknown sixth and seventh realms, they were definitely not something humans could touch. Even the peak realm humans who were able to attain—the Divine Master Realm—were unable to handle it.

Yun Che forcibly opening “Hell Monarch” was completely staking his own life… even if it was just a split second activation.

He did not know what consequences he would face after forcibly opening “Hell Monarch”; perhaps he would die on the spot, or perhaps instantly become crippled. However, he had no other choice after being forced to such a state by Luo Changsheng.

Boom————

The instant “Hell Monarch” opened, a strong, bloody light fiercely exploded from Yun Che’s body and an energy wave which was beyond terrifying broke out. Beneath this energy wave, the windstorm on Luo Changsheng’s body and the power he had just gathered were instantly blown away. As though he had been struck by a heavy hammer, he was sent flying amidst a scream.

This sudden change of events left the audience pale with horror and even the various Realm Kings present had startled expressions… This was because what accompanied the bloody light was a berserk aura so undeniably terrifying that it left them disbelieving.

The flesh of Yun Che’s arms protruded as numerous cracks of scarlet burst open on his body. In the instant “Hell Monarch” was activated, an explosion occured within his body and the depths of his soul. He felt his body, internal organs, and even his soul get instantly split open by the assault of the frenzied increase in power. The world in his consciousness had also become an endless blood red. He was unable to sense pain, unable to sense Luo Changsheng… or the existence of any other lifeform.

Only the last vestige of his willpower remained, prompting a frontward sword blast full of a desperation similar to a Devil God awakening.

Boom————

A bloody sword beam blasted out from the Heaven Smiting Sword, instantly piercing through space. Colliding with the barrier atop the edges of the Conferred God Stage, it left a five hundred meter mark in the space above the Conferred God Stage.

Wherever the bloody sword beam went, an intense distortion appeared in space before it collapsed in layers.

This was space within the God Realm yet under this sword strike, it crumbled like tissue… This was also the first time Yun Che had truly destroyed space upon his arrival in the God Realm. Unfortunately, he was currently unable to personally witness a sight he yearned for previously.

Although this had happened, the moment Yun Che activated “Hell Monarch”, his consciousness had also instantly crumbled. The strike he fought for using his life at stake had completely missed its mark.

Only a blood colored residual wave lightly brushed Luo Changsheng’s body.

“Uwaaaaah!!”

A cry filled with endless pain, which seemed to have come from an abyss of despair, resounded above the Conferred God Stage. The moment the bloody residual wave touched Luo Changsheng’s body, it was as if he had become a bag of blood that had suddenly exploded. Blood splattered and filled the sky as he was sent flying upwards...

Clang!

The Heaven Smiting Sword fell from Yun Che’s grasp, heavily dropping onto the ground.

Yun Che’s body briefly froze in the air, before the bloody light that came out from his body for a short instant, completely disappeared with all his profound energy. Only his eyes were still filled with an abnormal bloody color… though they lacked both spirit and focus.

Then, as if he had become an empty shell of a puppet, he fell straight down from the sky, smashing onto the ground.

Can’t… can’t… lose consciousness...

Else… it’ll be judged as loss...

I’m… still alive… I still… feel pain… Can’t… lose consciousness… Must… wake up...

The spectator stands were deathly silent. Everyone watching this battle at this time were unable to believe their eyes and spirit senses.

“W-what… was that… just now?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Yun Che actually… then suddenly… sss… That scary power from before… Luo Changsheng… can’t be dead, right?”

“Look at Yun Che… that just now was so scary, but it’s obvious that its price was extremely terrible… Good lord! What in the world happened just now? Sect Master, you too… have no idea?”

“What kind of a monster is Yun Che!?”

The Snow Song Realm, the Flame God Realm, the Holy Eaves Realm… all had deathly white faces and clenched hearts. They stared, dumbstruck, speechless and breathless.

Honorable Qu Hui’s brows continuously twitched. However, he absolutely had not forgotten his duty as his aura still locked onto Yun Che and Luo Changsheng like it had from the very start. When Yun Che fell, just as he was about to go confirm whether or not Yun Che had lost consciousness, he discovered that Yun Che’s body was faintly trembling within his pool of blood. Yun Che’s fingers incessantly struggled to bend and the tight clutching of his wrists at the ground afterwards made it clear that he was desperately trying to feel the existence of the world, desperately trying to remain conscious. 

Honorable Qu Hui, “...”

A whizzing sound suddenly came from up above. Luo Changsheng who had been blasted a few kilometers high finally began his descent. Followed by a vast expanse of thick bloody rain, he heavily smashed onto the Conferred God Stage.

Clang!!

The Dragon Compassion Blade also fell from the sky, coincidentally falling beside his hand.

“Chang... sheng…”

Luo Guxie swayed, a morbid paleness appearing on her face. Those two syllables shuddered so fiercely that they were nearly inaudible.

Luo Changsheng originally sustained heavy injuries but now they were indescribably tragic. His entire body was completely broken, resembling a corpse that had been hacked by a thousand blades, and fished up from a pool of blood after being thrown in there.

If this appearance were to be on an ordinary profound practitioner, they would’ve died long ago. However, Honorable Qu Hui was able to see Luo Changsheng’s body faintly twitching, and even weakly moan.

He did not die, and even retained his consciousness.

The smell of blood quickly spread throughout the Conferred God Stage as the spectator stands became ever more silent. All eyes firmly fixed on the two blood colored human figures, which laid on the ground, not daring to blink.

The two bodies did their best to twitch, neither willing to go still. Their remaining willpower told them that the first person to lose consciousness would lose.

Yun Che’s palm made a slight grabbing gesture… he sensed Luo Changsheng’s aura.

Luo Changsheng… shouldn’t… why is he still alive… why… His life force is still strong to the point that even I, in my current state, can sense it...

Did… that strike from before… not hit him...

The power erupted from Yun Che’s forcefully activating “Hell Monarch” far surpassed both their levels. Since Luo Changsheng was already heavy injuried, if he were to get hit by the attack from before, he would absolutely get blasted into smithereens even if he had a divine body tempered by the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning.

In the hard fought battle between him and Luo Changsheng thus far, if he were to kill Luo Changsheng after invoking a life threatening move under desperate straits, it wouldn’t be considered an act of “malice” and would have a ninety percent chance of not being deemed a violation of the rules… Luo Changsheng’s death would mean there was no need to have another match, and that he would immediately seize the title of champion.

As for the consequences of killing Luo Changsheng… compared to his “promise” with Jasmine, it was completely insignificant.

Fate, however, was cruel. The one strike he had used his life in exchange for had missed due to the collapse of his consciousness.

“Uh... rghh… ghh…”

A painful dry groan, which seemed to have come from a despairing beast at the end of its life, sounded as the twitching of Luo Changsheng’s body intensified, then suddenly stopped.

Right when Honorable Qu Hui believed that he had finally lost consciousness, he discovered that Luo Changsheng’s hand moved, then… slowly he lifted his head. Luo Changsheng’s eyes, which were pasted with blood, slowly opened bit by bit.

His bloody arm also slowly raised, stretching toward the nearby Dragon Compassion Blade. After a bout of groping around, his quaking hand grasped onto the blade’s handle.

“Ahhh!” Huo Poyun shouted in terror.

It was just that no matter how much effort Luo Changsheng made, the Dragon Compassion Blade moved nary an inch. It was already a miracle that he was still alive in his current state, so how could he possibly wield the Dragon Compassion Blade?

His hands finally left the Dragon Compassion Blade. With his eyes oozing blood and completely blurry vision, he was still able to lock onto Yun Che’s position. Then, his hand slowly pushed himself up, bit by bit… It was comparably slow and difficult, yet he managed to stand up.

“Ah… Aaah…” The hearts of the disciples from the Snow Song and Flame God Realms seemed to have been tightly bound by steel wires as their throats emitted sounds of alarm.

Luo Changsheng advanced forward, swaying and sprinkling blood with every step as he closed in on Yun Che. He was obviously weak to the point of near death yet the baleful aura on his body was heavy to the point that it made even Honorable Qu Hui feel deep apprehension.

Then, right at this moment, Yun Che, who had been lying in a pool of blood also used his hands to support himself up, swaying as he stood up.

The moment he sensed Luo Changsheng’s life force and sensed that he had stood up, his willpower propelled his body to stand up… He never expected that he would be able to stand, yet he had to.

The Dragon God Marrow he had sole possession of allowed his bones to be extremely tough. Otherwise, they would’ve completely shattered from the power brought about by “Hell Monarch” which he was unable to bear. If that were to happen, even if his willpower was a hundred times more tenacious, he wouldn’t have been able to stand up.

Perhaps it was a final instant of lucidity before death, the outbreak of his cornered willpower, or the recovery brought about by the continued existence of the Great Way of the Buddha, he stood up… Furthermore, he actually felt as though he still had a weak sliver of power remaining.

The two combatants were drenched in blood, their bodies utterly tattered, resembling two ghouls that had crawled out from a pool of blood. This kind of scene and that faintly discernible and scary, fiendish aura caused many to deepy feel ice cold palpitations.

The two figures faced each other for a brief moment in silence. Then, in the next instant, they pounced at the same time.

Bang!

Bang!

The fists of both combatants simultaneously struck their opponent’s face. However, the power contained within them was not even on par with someone who had just entered the Divine Origin Realm… No, it wasn’t even on par with a profound practitioner in the mortal way. Even if it were to be taken in ten million times, this kind of power would normally not harm a single hair on either one’s head.

But at this time, both of them bled from all seven orifices and stumbled.

Only to then immediately yell out strangely and pounce over again. They struck again, desperately squeezing out all the power from their bodies and willpower.

Bang… Bang… Bang...

Both the sound and power of fists hitting the body were weak to the point of being laughable, resembling an infant's scuffle in the eyes of these profound practitioners in the divine way. However, not a single profound practitioner in the entire Eastern Divine Region could laugh out loud. Their eyes trembled and their souls shuddered.

Covered in blood from head to toe with similar statuses, if one were to only use their eyesight to look upon this scene, it was fundamentally impossible to differentiate between the two combatants. The injuries on their bodies were scary to the point that it frightened experts in the profound way with a single glance. Following their wild battering, large areas of bloody imprints spread atop the Conferred God Stage, causing many to doubt whether or not the blood in the punching duo’s bodies would run out.

However, Yun Che and Luo Changsheng disregarded all that. 

These two people, who were obviously treading on the brink of death, completely disregarded their lives. All they sought was to use their all to push their opponent into the abyss of death first.

Yun Che’s thirst for victory and Luo Changsheng’s abnormal attachment to staying undefeated gave birth to two savage beasts that tore at each other even though they were near death with blurry consciousnesses.