Chapter 823 - Abandonment and the Ending
The flowing light shot like an arrow and reached its target in an instant.
Boom!
A noise which was way louder than that of a rammed-into warship's explosion rang out.
Two beams of flowing light, both of which emitted a boundless aura, made contact within the windstorms and immediately exploded. A stretch of the firmament, several kilometers in circumference, was dyed golden and interspersed with fine black rays of light. The Void, too, was rocked until several waves appeared on it.
More astonishingly, a huge hole of nothingness emerged within the chaotic windstorms.
This kind of collision force was simply too scary.
Among the two camps, most experts could not look directly at the brilliance that ensued from the explosion. Even the majority of the Immortal Step realm experts had to muster all their strength to withstand the bombardment force which diffused all around.
"Dammit... how is this possible?"
Manipulating the [Black Evil Soul-Locking Knife] from the warship, Elder Wang suddenly realized something which caused him to reveal a horrified expression. His palms wobbled as he performed a seal so as to make the life weapon return to him.
However, it was all too late.
"Puff..." As he spurted a mouthful of blood, his face discolored and became as white as paper.
In the midst of the chaotic windstorms.
The [Cloud Top Cauldron] spun slowly, its dark-yellow brilliance flickering.
Standing within a halo, Ye Qingyu's white clothes fluttered and his black hair drooped down like a waterfall. Fine streams of blood flowed from his eyes, suggesting that the collision force had also inflicted significant injuries on him.
However, his eyes still contained a the arrogance of a fiendgod which could make the world submit to and worship him.
As for the [Black Evil Soul-Locking Knife], which had devoured the evil qi of countless experts' specters over millions of years, it became unable to withstand the terrifying power from the giant cauldron after repeated collisions, and soon broke into innumerable fragments which were swept away by the chaotic windstorms.
Once the weapon fragmented, the fragments lost all divinity and found it difficult to resist the chaotic windstorms' power. They turned into tiny flames and were eventually destroyed, becoming nothingness.
The sight of this scene shocked the Black Moon Divine Palace experts onboard the remaining two warships so badly that their eyes nearly ruptured.
What?!
Elder Wang's life weapon has been shattered?!
How can this happen?
That copper cauldron... what exactly is it? It's too damn frightening!
All of the experts on the warships revealed horrified and fearful expressions when they saw Elder Wang suffering a side-effect and the [Black Evil Soul-Locking Knife] being pulverized in the windstorms.
In the blue splendor on the other side of the chaotic windstorms.
Nearly a thousand members of the Heaven Wasteland envoy mission, too, saw this scene from behind the energy shield of the blue splendor. Their hearts had been filled with suspense since the beginning, but when they saw that Ye Qingyu had claimed a huge advantage, every one of them felt the blood in their chest burning.
As they watched Ye Qingyu's invincible figure, their eyes became fiery, their blood burned, their battle intent soared, and their morale was greatly boosted. It felt like the moment when valiant soldiers stood united on a battlefield, bathing in blood as they killed the enemies.
"Fight!"
Someone was first to roar.
It seemed as if only this word could express the scorching feeling in everyone's hearts.
Shortly after, more and more inspiring voices were heard.
"Fight!"
"Fight!!"
"Fight!!!"
The wave of voices was teeming with heartening passion, its boundless vigor indistinctly shaking the Void all around.
Standing tall in the windstorms, Ye Qingyu also heard these roars.
The bursts of voices sounded like the beating of an ancient war drum.
Ye Qingyu's face revealed a hint of resolve.
"Brothers, I came a little late. Your battle is already over. You can now watch me fight on your behalf."
After adjusting his breath for a moment, showing no regard for his injuries, Ye Qingyu darted madly in the direction of the warships.
On the deck of the command warship.
"This is not good... Retreat, quick!" Elder Wang hastily ordered. Although his life weapon had been destroyed and his injuries were significant, being a Great Saint after all, he was able to quickly readjust himself, albeit his countenance still looked rather pale.
The two warships retreated at full speed in the same direction.
However, being hindered by the chaotic windstorms, the speed of these massive objects certainly could not match that of Ye Qingyu, who gave chase like a flowing light arrow.
A moment later.
Ye Qingyu's repeated strikes caused the ripples on the two warships' protective shields to grow even bigger until the shields nearly broke.
"Dammit, these warships don't seem to have much hope. Who exactly have we provoked this time? I'd never imagined we would suffer such terrible losses. Looks like we have to abandon ship... No, that won't do. Onboard these two warships are several young geniuses which we have painstakingly unearthed and trained. I have to protect them no matter what!" Elder Wang made his decision.
He took out a full-moon-shaped fluorescent lapis ring and chanted an ancient incantation, following which a protective shield which flickered with a moonlight brilliance appeared and shielded him within.
As a pinnacle Great Saint, escaping from the chaotic windstorms was naturally something he could do, albeit with some difficulty. The strong resistance he had been putting up was meant to protect those ancient Black Moon warships to the best of his abilities.
Now that the remaining two warships were on the verge of being destroyed by the endless collisions, he naturally chose to abandon ship and protect his own life.
"You all, follow me!" As he swept his vision across, the commanders and the near-hundred Black Moon Divine Palace disciples whose strength were at the pinnacle of the Immortal Step realm promptly dashed from the two remaining warships into the light shield.
The next moment, the [Cold Moon Shield] enclosed these people within. Elder Wang gave a loud shout, working up all of his body's power, and with a flash, he caused the [Cold Moon Shield] to plunge into the midst of the chaotic windstorms, where it turned into flowing light before rapidly retreating.
"Elder Wang, save me..."
"Nooo, what should we do?"
"We... have been abandoned."
The remaining Black Moon Divine Palace disciples who were abandoned on the warships turned pale with fear and went into total panic. They knew that they had been given up upon, and the only thing they could do now was to await death.
"Let's try this!"
"In my next life, I'll certainly not enter the Black Moon Divine Palace."
A portion of them revealed despairing faces yet did not want to sit around awaiting death. These people burned their origin power and jumped out of the warships, intending to rush out of the chaotic windstorms. However, it took only a moment for them to turn into ashes and dissipate.
As the other disciples stood on the deck watching this, their feelings became even more messed up than before, and they did not dare to act rashly. Despair and fear showed visibly on their faces.
In the midst of the chaotic windstorms.
Ye Qingyu gradually slowed his speed and did not give chase to that beam of cold-moon flowing light.
He knew very well that his overwhelming advantage over that pinnacle Saint on the command warship was because the latter wanted to preserve the warships and the disciples' lives and thus needed to be careful.
Besides, if a fight broke out within the chaotic windstorms, all it would take was a moment of carelessness for one to be torn apart by the windstorms, regardless of how strong one's physical cultivation was. Having painstakingly cultivated to the pinnacle of the Great Saint level, that elder naturally did not want to take such a risk.
"It's just that... to abandon these two warships within the chaotic windstorms is quite a pity..."
As he glanced at the two massive objects abandoned among the windstorms, Ye Qingyu's eyes suddenly glimmered.
He was not too sure how much space there was in the [Cloud Top Cauldron].
However, he had felt the might contained within these two ancient warships during the collisions.
It would be kinda good If I can keep them as my own.
With that, he silently chanted an ancient word.
Above his head, the slowly-spinning [Cloud Top Cauldron] grew bigger and bigger. From a size which needed four or five people to hug around, it rapidly inflated until nearly a hundred people were needed to hug around it.
A tremendous power which seemed like it could instantly absorb the entire world into itself suddenly diffused from the top of the cauldron.
Buzz!
A huge blare rang out.
As if being towed by an extremely mysterious and ancient power, the two incomparably-massive warships began to move on their own, and at a speed many times faster than when they were trying to escape.
No more than ten breaths later.
The two divine-mountain-like warships were absorbed into the copper cauldron.
They actually... managed to fit in!
A pleasant surprise flashed across Ye Qingyu's eyes as he continued gazing at the slowly-spinning cauldron.
...
A day later.
In the eastern part of Inferno City.
In the Phoenix Race's station.
The Heaven Wasteland envoy mission members pitched their tents on a square in front of the station, officially receiving the protection of the Phoenix Race.
In the tent of the Water Demon Race.
Dragon Turtle Big Demon had been rescued from the jaws of death and was currently lying on a bed. Although he looked as feeble as a haggard old man, there was still a very weak aura emanating from him.
The other injured members were also treated in time, and were resting and readjusting in separate tents.
As for the other members whose injuries were lighter, they were currently gathered at the depths of the station, in front of an extremely secluded and unconventional courtyard. Anxiety could more or less be made out on their faces, as if they were waiting for something.
In a pavilion on the north side of the secluded courtyard.
Two female figures sat facing each other beside a stone table, seemingly having a chat.
The female on the left side was dressed in a soft-silk-gauze purple dress which drooped windingly on to the floor. Looking elegantly simple yet pure and noble, her lavender-colored long hair gently swayed in the wind, while a mild crisp fragrance lingered around her. A faint gloss circulated around the Phoenix mask on her face, from which a genuine Phoenix aura emanated indistinctly. Although her looks could not be seen, her ice-cold and watery eyes seemed like they could see through everything.
Words like "mystical", "powerful, and "haughty" were inadequate to describe the current temperament and vigor of this Celestial Phoenix Maiden, who seemed as though she simply did not belong to this world.
On the other side of the stone table, a crystal-clear and bright pair of eyes flickered gently, as if curiously checking out the Celestial Phoenix Maiden. They belonged to no one but the first female emperor of the Heaven Wasteland Dynasty, Yu Xiaoxing.
After washing up and getting dressed, Yu Xiaoxing's complexion was still a little pale, and she did not put on any makeup. Nevertheless, she looked exceptionally pretty. Her jet-black long hair scattered like a waterfall and hung down under her seat, while the bare skin around her ears and neck were as smooth as fine white tallow jade. From among her jade bones and icy skin, wisps of imperial qi emanated vaguely.