Chapter Twenty-five: The Southern Descent Battles the Black Lands (Part One)

The pitch-black domain of the Nether Serpent Killing Array.

A pillar of cerulean light and a pillar of darkness surged skyward, cleaving the night into two opposing realms, each confronting the other. The blue pillar’s territory collided with the domain of darkness, twisting the space at their boundary. As time passed, the warped space propagated from their border, gradually spreading across the entire night-shrouded field.

Nanluo and Heidi, naturally, cared little for the distortions that could effortlessly annihilate any divine king. Yet this omnipresent force of distortion tormented the Nether Serpent divine kings, such as the Seventh Elder, mercilessly. With their strength, they could not withstand the pervasive power twisting the space around them. Still, none dared retreat without permission, fearing the wrath of the Grand Elder.

Thus, the Seventh Elder and his peers were forced to form a miniature Nether Serpent Killing Array, barely resisting the omnipresent distortion. Then, a voice both commanding and calm, belonging to Heidi, sounded in the Seventh Elder’s ear: “Take your followers and assist the Ninth Elder in maintaining the grand array. You must secure the formation; Nanluo must not escape. Should there be another mistake, you know the consequences.”

Upon hearing this, the Seventh Elder’s heart chilled, and he hurriedly replied with utmost respect, “I will defend the array to the death, and not let Nanluo escape.”

“Go,” came Heidi’s ageless and unwavering voice once more.

The Seventh Elder quickly gathered his subordinates, transforming into dozens of streaks of black light that sped toward the Ninth Elder, who was overseeing the grand array.

These Nether Serpent divine kings had long ceased wishing to await their doom here. Only the Grand Elder’s authority kept them from fleeing. Now, granted permission, each raced faster than the last.

Upon seeing the Seventh Elder, the Ninth Elder, who had received the Grand Elder’s message, hurried forward, lamenting, “You’ve finally arrived. We can barely hold out any longer.”

“Is it truly so dire?” the Seventh Elder asked in surprise.

The Ninth Elder pointed to the void, revealing the Nether Serpent battle flag suspended in the air. The flag, rivaling the highest-grade spiritual treasures, was already marred with cracks.

“The Grand Elder and Nanluo are simply too powerful. They haven’t even begun fighting; just the collision of their divine domains is already close to tearing apart the grand array. If they actually start, I fear the array will be destroyed instantly,” the Ninth Elder said to the Seventh Elder, helplessly.

“No wonder the Grand Elder ordered me to reinforce the array with my followers. Without our support, even the aftermath of their clash might obliterate it,” thought the Seventh Elder.

He pondered further, astonished by Nanluo’s might. “I never imagined Nanluo would be so formidable, able to stand evenly against the Grand Elder, who has slain divine lords.”

Nanluo’s strength repeatedly shattered the Seventh Elder’s expectations.

“Rest assured, Ninth Elder. With us here, Nanluo will never escape the array,” the Seventh Elder said confidently, gesturing to the nearly hundred divine kings behind him.

With their addition, the power of the Nether Serpent Killing Array surged. The domain’s twisted space was smoothed, restoring stability.

Heidi, seeing the space within the array settle, showed a hint of satisfaction and slowly withdrew the pillar of darkness into his body.

Nanluo, observing Heidi retract the dark pillar, changed his expression and likewise drew the cerulean pillar into himself.

“Are you ready?” Nanluo asked, expressionless.

Heidi smiled slightly. “Ready. We can begin our battle. And you? Have you suppressed the law of destruction within you?”

The true terror of the God-Slaying Arrow lay not in its ability to penetrate divine bodies, but in the law of destruction imbued in its tip. When Nanluo was struck, the arrow pierced his divine form, sending the law of destruction into his body. Once inside, it transformed into a black arrow, aiming for his law core.

Nanluo summoned all his divine power and law, forming a vast blue shield around his law core, blocking the black arrow. Yet the destructive arrow split into countless black threads, entwining the blue shield and slowly corroding it.

Faced with the urgent situation, Nanluo, in his true form as the God-Demon of Water, managed to suppress the destructive black threads with his immense power and law, postponing their resolution.

His expression unchanged, Nanluo replied calmly, “Such trifling laws of destruction cannot trouble me. I have already eliminated them.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Heidi feigned surprise, then asked, feigning curiosity, “Then, how long can you maintain your God-Demon form of water?”

As an innate divine being, favored by the heavens, one could choose their God-Demon form at birth. Once transformed, their power increased tenfold. However, those below the Divine Lord rank could only maintain the form for a limited time.

Only Divine Lord-level innate gods could sustain their God-Demon form indefinitely.

The exalted Primordial God-Demons, of course, differed from ordinary innate gods. They had no time limits on their transformation, but required sufficient divine power to maintain it. If their power waned, the form would dissipate.

After transforming, Nanluo’s power tripled, but suppressing the law of destruction and healing his wounds consumed much of it. Heidi, having not attacked immediately, intended for the law of destruction to drain Nanluo’s strength further.

Now, Nanluo’s divine power was only half of its peak.

Nanluo pointed to the incense below Heidi and sneered, “At least until your incense burns out.”

The black incense, a yard high, had already burned a third of the way.

Heidi had not descended in person, but sent his will through the incense. When it burned out, he would be forced to depart.

Nanluo’s words touched upon Heidi’s sore point.

As the Grand Elder of the Xuanming Black Serpent clan, Heidi could not simply appear in person. Should he do so, he would risk being discovered by other powerful beings, such as the Grand Elder of the Kirin clan, attracting unwanted attention.

Thus, Heidi resorted to this roundabout method, descending his will through the invocation incense to subdue Nanluo personally.

Heidi’s face darkened, and he sneered, “It seems we must begin.”

“Come then!” Nanluo raised his twelve-yard-long Water Command Halberd, pointing it at Heidi, his voice cold.