Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s inquiry, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon was speechless for a moment: "Foolish boy! That’s not energy gathering, it’s clearly the revival of the True Spirit of the Innate Water God."
"The True Spirit of the Innate Water God resides within all the bloodline of the Shen Family. To evade the tribulations of Heaven and Earth, it hid its Primordial Spirit in the bloodline of the Shen Family. However, because its True Spirit is too powerful, it had to disperse among all the descendants of the Shen Family. The more descendants, the more dispersed its power, the deeper it’s hidden, the easier to evade the scrutiny of the great Heaven and Earth. But now, the Shen Family faces annihilation, and its hiding place is about to be overturned by the Yellow Heaven Dao, forcing its True Spirit to come out and confront. Hence, it allows the disciples of the Shen Family to be slaughtered, aiding its True Spirit power to gather and reach utmost sublimation," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon explained to Zhang Chen.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s complexion drastically changed, with a hint of horror in his eyes: ’No wonder there is only the flesh of the Innate Water God in the mausoleum without a soul. It separated its soul from the body to avoid resonance with the great Heaven and Earth. The mausoleum is only to preserve its body, while its soul is hidden within mortal bloodlines, preserved in such a manner. Truly an unbelievable measure!’
Zhang Chen glimpsed part of the truth, not only about the Shen Family but also about the truth of bloodline noble families throughout the world.
As thoughts swirled endlessly in Zhang Chen’s mind, at this moment, Shen Liang’s Qi Mechanism sublimated to the utmost, stepping into the eleventh tier after gathering enough soul origin.
"You ants dare to ruin my grand plan, you must die!" Shen Liang floated in the void, vast divine power swirling around him. The next moment, he extended his palm, seemingly encompassing the entire void, covering dozens of miles, enveloping the entire battlefield of the Shen Family.
That palm appeared water-blue, imbued with vast Divine Power, as though a heavy Celestial Punishment was descending, startling Zhang Chen: "He’s about to kill everyone indiscriminately!"
Hu Li the Immortal grabbed Zhang Chen and Tushan Qing, transforming into a divine light that pierced through the palm’s blockade, breaking through the pressured void by that hand, escaping out of its encasement.
Zhou Qiucheng and the White Lotus Sect’s Chen Zhifei were still under that palm’s cover. Chen Zhifei, though a ninth tier powerhouse with the Profound Yuan Water Control Banner, had limited offensive power and could not escape the blockade of that eleventh-tier giant hand.
At this moment, behind Zhou Qiucheng, a phantom flickered, evolving into a Treasure Tower. The tower emitted a strong suppressing power, resisting the Great Hand Seal between Heaven and Earth: "Shen Liang! You must not commit this massacre! Under your palm are many innocent citizens of Jinling, I will not allow those citizens to die by your hand."
"No one can stop me!" Shen Liang’s voice was strong and domineering.
Then a brilliant divine light rose, a battle erupted immediately, with Zhou Qiucheng and Chen Zhifei, covered by that hand, joining forces to resist vigorously.
"That’s the aura of the Innate Divine! The Shen Family actually has an Innate Divine reincarnated? Could it be the True Spirit of the Innate Water God? We divided the Innate Water God’s body; we should hurry and flee before the Innate Water God finds us!" Hu Li the Immortal sensed something amiss, having guessed the origin of that Innate Divine, he said to Zhang Chen and Tushan Qing:
"Our main goal has been achieved, now it’s time to hide and digest our gains. Let’s part ways here!"
Hu Li the Immortal didn’t want to entangle with the Innate Divine, having noticed that Shen Liang had become a different person altogether, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit entirely replaced by another’s.
This is the True Spirit of the Innate Water God, continuing its revival would at least be a twelfth-tier powerhouse.
Who would have thought that the True Spirit of the Innate Water God would reincarnate in the Shen Family?
He doesn’t want to oppose an Innate Divine!
So after speaking, Hu Li the Immortal turned and ran without another word, his current state unable to break through to the twelfth tier. However, as long as the Shen Family’s bloodline continues to perish, the recovery of the twelfth-tier power by the Innate Water God seems to be a natural course.
At that time, how could he contend?
After explaining the pros and cons to Zhang Chen, Hu Li the Immortal added: "Tonight, the True Spirit of the Innate Water God will surely recover to the twelfth tier. At that time, I won’t be able to protect you. You better find a place to hide in advance, and make sure not to let the Innate Water God sense the aura of your flesh and blood. If he discovers your trail, don’t call out to me as I am definitely no match for him! You should remain quiet for a while and avoid making trouble!"
After speaking, Hu Li the Immortal transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into the void, breaking through the Yellow Heaven Dao’s grand array, leaving no trace.
"Ancestor, take me with you!!!" Tushan Qing shouted after seeing Hu Li the Immortal escape, only to be left staring at his distant silhouette. But where was any trace of Hu Li the Immortal?
Seeing no hope in depending upon Hu Li the Immortal, Tushan Qing turned to Zhang Chen: "Zhang, what should we do? Being targeted by a twelfth-tier powerhouse is probably dire! If found, our only end is certain death."
Zhang Chen pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then took out a Sealing Rune from his sleeve and handed it to Tushan Qing. The Sealing Rune possessed power beyond the twelfth tier, capable of suppressing all laws, divine techniques, and auras.
"Wear this talisman, and you’ll be able to conceal your celestial secrets and fate. The Exquisite Tower of Chongzheng Academy is an eleventh-tier mystery, possessing suppressive power. Coupled with my Sealing Rune, as long as we’re careful, the Innate Water God won’t find us." After saying this, Zhang Chen turned and ran. He had no intention of getting involved with the Shen family’s affairs. Although the corpses of countless divine spirits tempted him, he knew his limits. If the Innate Water God set eyes on him, he had no means of resistance.
Zhang Chen dared not take advantage any further. Now, the Innate Water God, driven mad by killing, had slain not only members of the Five Great Families but also members of the Shen family.
The opponent was now on a killing spree, sparing no one regardless of their identity.
Seeing the grave situation, Zhang Chen used an escape technique to flee. Tushan Qing directly clung onto Zhang Chen’s leg, then with a flicker, followed Zhang Chen back to Chongzheng Academy.
The two returned to Chongzheng Academy, where Zhang Chen revealed his presence in front of the Exquisite Tower. At that moment, the tower emitted a white light, illuminating the night before them.
A powerful suppressive force spread out, covering the entire Chongzheng Academy, preventing Zhang Chen from employing his escape technique and causing him to fall from the void.
At this moment, countless students from Chongzheng Academy stood in front of their dormitories, gazing toward the heavens above Jinling City, where a vast intertwining of divine light evoked a sense of excitement in their eyes.
Zhang Chen turned his head to see Dean Zhou Qiucheng in a state of extreme sublimation, joining forces with the unfortunate Chen Zhifei to battle the Innate Water God. For a time, blue, white, and deep blue interwoven beams clashed intensely in the night sky. The Eight Gates Locking Gold Array covering Jinling City shattered directly, torn apart by waves of terrifying energy reverberation.
The divine spirits of the Yellow Heaven Dao fled, like lost dogs, abandoning their plot for the grand tomb. Faced with that terrifying divine light, brushing against it meant death, and encountering it meant destruction—who would dare remain in place?
The eighth-tier and ninth-tier divine spirits of the Yellow Heaven Dao fled in panic, even disregarding Zhang Xiaohua.
At this point, the Innate Water God’s aura grew increasingly formidable, and despite Zhou Qiucheng and Chen Zhifei’s combined might, they still couldn’t withstand it.
"Shen Liang, cease your divine techniques immediately! Do you intend to bring ruin upon Jinling City?" Zhou Qiucheng’s voice echoed through the night sky.
"You lowly ants dare to offend me and ruin my grand plan. So what if it’s destroyed?" Shen Liang’s voice was filled with indifference, his divinity overshadowing all trace of human emotion.
"No matter how powerful you become, can you surpass the three twelfth-tier mysteries of the Great Victory Dynasty? If you cause significant damage to Jinling City today, the Great Victory Court will not spare you. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, the Great Victory Court will never let you go!" Zhou Qiucheng continued to persuade.
"So what? Even if I can’t contend with the mysteries of the Great Victory Dynasty, if I intend to evade, no one can stop me!" Shen Liang’s voice was filled with disdain.
He had already recovered to the eleventh tier. If he did not wish to fight to the death and chose to escape, even the twelfth-tier mysteries would be of no hindrance.
As terrifying energy waves surged, Jinling City trembled as if in an earthquake. At the epicenter, the Shen household’s grounds began to crack. The innate grand array of the Shen Family Mausoleum twisted under the shock of the terrible energies, revealing flaws in its operation.
"Hmm?"
At the moment the array of the Shen Family Mausoleum was torn apart, the Innate Water God’s expression changed. He suddenly realized that he could no longer sense his own physical body. His body’s aura seemed to have vanished.
At this time, an indescribable premonition struck him, and a foreboding feeling surged within. Ignoring his entanglement with Zhou Qiucheng and Chen Zhifei, he flashed into the mausoleum and crossed the Weak Water to the altar. Seeing the hollowed altar, the removed coffin, the vanished physical body, and the blood left behind, the Innate Water God felt his head boil, a buzz like a spinning top enveloping his mind with dizziness.
"Who did this! Who stole my physical body!" the Innate Water God let out a mournful howl akin to a wounded tiger. His cries spread throughout Jinling City and further across the heavens and earth.
"Who stole my physical body! If none of you can explain this to me today, I will destroy Jinling City! I will make every soul in the entire Jinling City a burial offering! Everyone must die!" the Innate Water God howled mournfully, his voice reverberating through the firmament. The sky roiled with layers of black clouds, and lightning darted through the clouds like a divine dragon.
A fierce wind swept through the heavens and earth, the black clouds gathering swiftly, growing denser and pressing ever lower. Countless bolts of lightning struck down from the dark clouds, targeting all creatures roaming outside.