Chapter 564: Fierce Star Melts the Sun and Shatters the Sky (part 1)
Because of the Heavenfire Sea, and the hot environment it created, there weren’t many species that occupied the eastern part of the Moonrite Region. The Mirrorlings and Skyfaces were essentially the dominant species.
However, because the heavenfire crystals from the Heavenfire Sea were one of the many items required by the Red Moon Cathedral for sacrificial offerings, it wasn’t uncommon for species from other areas to come to harvest the crystals. In order to defend against such invaders, the two species had banded together and formed their alliance.
Together, they occupied Holy City. That city had stood for a thousand years already, and was a safe haven for countless members of the two species during the Heavenfire Skycrossing. Although some of the buildings had been destroyed recently, they had already been rebuilt. To the two species, this city had profound significance. They believed that the city was a testament to the long history of their alliance, and proof that it would last far into the future.
In contrast, that city was a place of despair to all the lesser species in the Heavenfire Sea area. Whether it was humans or other species, they were like prey, living in lands full of death and evil. In fact, there were actually more nonhumans who had died here than had been given as offerings to the Red Moon Cathedral. Brutality was built into the very bones of the two species. Living in despair in the Moonrite Region, they loved seeing the looks of even greater despair in the eyes of their victims. That was the only way for them to feel superior, and thus, they turned it into a joy of life.
Although the city was filled with the sound of laughter and rejoicing, mixed into that was weeping and wailing. The sounds of whips, screams, and sadistic brutality also echoed in every corner. The city ran red with blood; each and every household had corpses piled outside the main entrance. Their food didn’t just consist of humans.
Whenever the big harvest came, the first goal was to meet the quota provided by the Red Moon Cathedral. Anything beyond the quota was given out as food and playthings.
Members of the Twofold Alliance could purchase the captive members of the lesser species. The latter would live lives worse than death, and would suffer horrific torment. But most would end up giving their lives in pain so that the members of the two species could survive.
On this day, a great rumbling sound was building on the horizon. Within the brutal city, the reveling members of the Twofold Alliance suddenly began to quiet down. Stunned, they looked off into the distance. On the horizon was a 50-kilometer sandstorm, like a huge shadow getting closer and closer to them. It filled the sky as it pulsed with shocking energy. The size of the sandstorm wasn’t the only impressive thing about it. Countless lightning bolts danced within it, sending out deafening crashing sounds, and shaking the earth so much that dust floated up into the air. The dark sky rippled and distorted as a powerful mutagen spread out. Everything turned even darker, making the atmosphere horrifying.
It was possible to spot a figure within the sandstorm. A person in a black robe screamed through the air, as if the ambassador of death had heard the curses of the living beings here, and had descended into the mortal world in response.
The scene attracted the attention of many of the members of the Twofold Alliance. Gradually, the city went quiet.
The royal preceptor of the Mirrorlings, who was still in the middle of assimilating Duanmu Zang, suddenly looked up. Turning in the direction of the horizon, he sent out terrified fluctuations of divine sense. Rumbling sounds filled the dome of heaven as he appeared in projected form over the city, in a form just as massive as the black-cloaked old woman in the sandstorm.
“Halt!” he said, his voice resounding like heavenly thunder.
At the same time, three streams of divine sense shot out from Holy City. All of them were in the same level of strength as the preceptor. As they manifested above the city, they stared coldly at the sandstorm. There were four of them, and all emitted the fluctuations of Spirit Trove. Though none had developed heavenly daos, the strength of the dao begetting and dawnstar raising phase was still formidable.
Duanmu Zang, who was wracked with pain and hovering on the brink of death, looked up. When he saw that huge figure in the sandstorm, he could just barely make out someone on top of its head. And that figure wasn’t human! It had gray skin, a large head, and spikes for hair. It was a Nightshade!
As the majestic sandstorm got closer to Holy City, the members of the Twofold Alliance were increasingly shaken. However, the storm stopped about 5 kilometers away from the city. That distance wasn’t enough to reduce the deafening sound of the storm. Nor was it enough to prevent the spread of taboo poison. As billowing miasma spread like a hazy fog, it covered Holy City, causing the defensive spell formations to sizzle as they melted. Deafening booms rang out.
“He’s just trying to pull a fast one!” the Mirrorling royal preceptor growled. He waved his right hand. The fog of miasma that had been building in the city was sent swirling off to the side. However, it didn’t dissipate. In fact, after it was sent to the side, it just slowly drifted back to its original place.
Seeing that caused the Mirrorling royal preceptor’s heart to sink. Frowning, he looked out of the city. Five kilometers away was the sandstorm formed from taboo poison miasma. The spirit cruiser, shaped like an old woman, stepped out of it. Standing on the head was Xu Qing. His face was expressionless as he looked at Holy City for a moment. Then he sent some divine will into D-132.
“You’re really not going to eat?” he asked the god’s finger.
“Nope, I’m not,” the finger replied with conviction. “I’m definitely not eating! These are freaking sacrificial offerings to Crimson Mother! I wouldn’t dare eat them. They’re cursed! Eat them, and it’ll turn you rotten. Are you gonna eat?”
Xu Qing ignored the finger. Along the way here, he had consumed one of the shadeheaven demonmoon pills that he and the captain had acquired from the Holytides. That pill, coupled with some other medicines Xu Qing had on hand, had transformed him into a Nightshade.
Keeping his eyes on Holy City, he raised his hand toward the canopy of heaven and pointed out with his index finger. The sky trembled as a violet moon suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. When the violet moon came, everything transformed. The entire city became covered in the color violet. It was the same with heaven and earth. The whole city, as far as the eye could see, was violet!
Godly might spread out, filled with the authority of Crimson Mother, in a way that surpassed even the godheralds. It was as if a godchild had arrived, and it caused the entire city to distort so dramatically it became blurry. Mutagen flourished in the city, rising up in the buildings and exploding into the members of the Twofold Alliance. Gasps, shrieks, and cries of astonishment erupted from countless mouths. Individuals from both species were visibly astonished.
At the same time, it was a familiar feeling, causing many of the Twofold Alliance cultivators to drop and kowtow.
Equally stunned were the four Spirit Trove experts, including the royal preceptors. They were trembling violently, and couldn’t prevent their facial expression from revealing their shock. All living beings in the Moonrite Region had the curse of the red moon in them. It was passed down by blood from generation to generation, and made it impossible for any native species to leave the region. What was more, it also made it possible for them to feel the majestic pressure of a god when they dealt with the Red Moon Cathedral. Granted, the curse was usually dormant. It would only activate if they tried to flee the Moonrite Region.
Yet right now, the Spirit Trove experts as well as all the other members of their two species could feel that curse waking up within them. The curse wasn’t fully awake. But they could sense it, as faint as the vibration of the strings on a musical instrument before it was played. And it was like a death knell in their minds.
Five kilometers away, Xu Qing stood atop the spirit cruiser and looked down at everything below. Then he said one single thing.
“All Spirit Trove cultivators from the Twofold Alliance will step forward immediately to receive me!”
As the words left his mouth, violet light flared, and the godly might grew more intense. Heaven and earth rippled and distorted, and everything trembled. Some mortals from the two species couldn’t handle the pressure, and screamed in agony. Some of them began to mutate as the curse in their blood went out of control. They shrieked miserably as they withered up.
Everyone in the Twofold Alliance trembled in terror. Meanwhile, the royal preceptor and the other three Spirit Trove experts instinctively flew out toward Xu Qing.
In the two royal palaces in the city, there were two sets of fluctuations that surpassed the other four Spirit Trove experts. They came from the two chancellors, who were also called patriarchs. They were shocked, but also a bit suspicious. There were obviously some differences between this violet moon and the red moon they were used to. That said, the aura and godly might was exactly the same. Regardless, they didn’t dare to do anything offensive. They joined the other four Spirit Trove cultivators, except they didn’t dare to get too close to Xu Qing. They stopped about 3,000 meters away.
“Greetings, Godherald!” the two patriarchs said in unison, clasping hands and bowing.
Xu Qing’s expression didn’t change. This was actually playing perfectly into the plan he had come up with along the way. All six of them were in one place! It hadn’t been hard to make that happen. All he had to do was call on the authority of the cathedral.
The first step was complete. As all of them bowed, the violet moon in the sky rumbled as it floated into position above the six Spirit Trove experts. Then it started weighing down on them. This was step two.
Xu Qing knew that Spirit Trove cultivators couldn’t possibly be idiots. It would be especially important not to underestimate the patriarchs. It wouldn’t take them long to see through his disguise, and it was hard to say what would happen after that. Therefore, he couldn’t afford to draw things out. He needed to take advantage of their shock to resolve the situation in the shortest time possible.
Step two required the power of the violet moon to suppress them and leave them a bit dazed. As the pressure of the violet moon weighed down, the six Spirit Trove experts reacted with visible surprise. Within them, the power of the curse stirred even more dramatically. However, their cultivation bases allowed them to have some control, and prevent the curse from exploding out of control.
As they began to grumble angrily, Xu Qing unhesitatingly pulled the gnomons out from all five of his sundials. This was step three. The daze created in step two wasn’t enough. Step three had to be added for step four to work properly!