From the end of the world

Chapter 656 Take action
A huge hole appeared in the white light barrier, and nearby monsters roared with bloodlust, charging towards the hole like chariots kicking up sand.

At that moment, a white figure shot out of the hole at high speed, and as it landed on the ground, it fired out beams of sword energy like a machine gun. The main body of these sword energy was composed of white light, mixed with some orange-red flames.

Massive amounts of sword energy rippled outwards in different directions, cleaving the charging monsters into pieces like a meat grinder. The severed limbs and remains, swirling in the air, were ignited by the orange-red flames mixed with the sword energy, falling onto the monsters trying to charge forward, turning them into a continuous bonfire. The monsters' agonizing screams echoed endlessly.

This orange-red flame power has a similar fluctuation to my magical power. Its nature is similar to the "Zhuangcheng Blade" used by the missionaries of Peach Blossom Village in the past, which is to bring down the power of my Great Impermanence Body. However, unlike the spirit summoning achieved through runic weapons, that white figure is of the same kind as Jiao Shu beside me, relying purely on the channel of faith.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that the white figure was a handsome young man around fourteen years old, with snow-white hair and a white ancient-style robe, making him look like a young swordsman who had stepped out of an ancient martial arts drama.

The weapon he held in his hand was a longsword, similar in shape to the Impermanence Sword, but entirely black in color, as if carved from coal ore, with uneven details, giving it a primitive and rugged feel.

That was the "Slag Impermanence Sword" created based on my exclusive weapon—the Slag Impermanence Divine Sword.

"A disciple of the Divination Master?" Jiao Shunian asked.

The boy who leaped out of the hole in the white light barrier was Dongche.

He's actually in this city too? Come to think of it, Dongche is indeed one of my followers, and he can even summon my fire power using his outstanding talent and faith. Could it be that one of the dozen or so Zhuangcheng followers that Jiao Shu mentioned infiltrating this city is him?

Judging from his clothing and position, the man who had broken the white light barrier was clearly a Great Completion stage cultivator belonging to the Peach Blossom Village faction. Upon seeing Dongche appear, the Peach Blossom Village Great Completion stage cultivator made a gesture. The monsters, seemingly oblivious to life and death, ceased their relentless charge and began to growl, drooling and drooling towards the hole.

"Leave from there," the Great Completion cultivator said calmly. "We don't want to be enemies with the Divination Master, and we'll be lenient with you. As long as you don't stop us, we can safely escort you out of this city on your own."

Facing an enemy far stronger than himself, Dongche revealed a look of unwavering resolve and said, "I am not standing here as my master's disciple, but as a follower of Zhuangcheng, the Great Impermanence. You worry that killing me will offend my master, but aren't you afraid of offending Zhuangcheng?"

"Da Wuchang Zhuangcheng has always been an irreconcilable enemy of our deity, the Lord of Peach Blossom Village. Now there's no need to discuss whether we'll provoke him." The Great Completion cultivator looked at the exhibition hall behind the winter car. "Whether you move aside or not, the hundreds of survivors and dozens of cultivators there must all be integrated into the Dream Network here today."

"Afterwards, they will enjoy unparalleled joy and happiness in their 'Shangri-La.' But from your perspective, that should be no different from death. I have no intention of wasting time clarifying that foolish misunderstanding. Since you really think that way, then let's say it from your perspective—I advise you to be pragmatic. Rather than going down with them and being wiped out, you should save your still-young life."

Without a word, Dongche raised the Slag Impermanence Sword, substituting his words for a response with his actions.

"You are a promising and talented cultivator, but in terms of overestimating your abilities, you are no different from many foolish mortals." The Great Completion cultivator commented arrogantly. "Never mind, anyway, the 'Shangri-La' will be created in the near future. We are destined to be enemies of all the Great Impermanence. You will be glad that you did not leave today, because you will have the privilege of entering our 'Shangri-La' ahead of time."

Those who die at the hands of the cultivators of Peach Blossom Village will have their souls merged into "Peach Blossom Village".

The Great Completion cultivator clearly intended to harvest Dongche's soul. I had to intervene and stop him.

"Wait...you're not planning to step in, are you?" Jiao Shu asked in a low voice.

Because I had killed many monsters along the way, Jiao Shu could roughly estimate how much power I could currently mobilize. She couldn't comprehend the domain of the Great Impermanence, and perhaps in her eyes, I might not be a match for that Great Completion cultivator. Actually, I couldn't say I was 100% certain. If I encountered an ordinary Great Completion cultivator, I was confident I could suppress them, but "ordinary Great Completion cultivator," like "ordinary Great Impermanence," is a definition that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. In reality, there is no such thing as an ordinary Great Completion cultivator.

At the Great Completion level, there are even characters who can rival the Great Impermanence in certain aspects, such as the Water Master Xuanwu, Silver Moon, and Yuchi... If I were to encounter a super Great Completion level character now, I would probably be defeated without any doubt.

The cultivator opposite him, who had reached the Great Completion stage, wasn't that powerful. Judging from the fluctuations in his magical power, his strength was comparable to that of the past Chenlong, and he was probably also the type who reached the Great Completion stage through the Seed of the Heart. His strength was only average within the same level range.

However, he possesses a unique quality that Chenlong lacks, and it happens to be the one that counters me. This unique quality lies in the fact that I discovered the "power of a secluded paradise" permeating the city—that is, the omnipresent resistance against "foreign invaders"—was exceptionally dense around his body.

I can also analyze the reason. It is because he used the power of faith to bring the power of "Shangri-La" into himself, which is essentially the same as the practice of believers such as Jiao Shu and Dong Che.

Logically, he should be worshipping Meng Zhang, the lord of Peach Blossom Village, yet he's drawn to "Peach Blossom Spring," making one wonder whether he's worshipping Meng Zhang or "Peach Blossom Spring itself." However, most believers in Peach Blossom Village are attracted by the idyllic image of "Peach Blossom Spring," so it's not surprising that they actually worship the latter. Moreover, in their minds, Meng Zhang and "Peach Blossom Spring" might be indistinguishable.

In Europe and America, people's belief in Jesus Christ does not conflict with their belief in God. This is because they see Jesus and God as unified, a manifestation of the Trinity. Since Meng Zhang, the master of Peach Blossom Village, plans to become the head of "Shangri-La," both are likely objects of actual faith and worship for the monks of Peach Blossom Village. "Shangri-La" is the divine entity that the deity will soon take control of.

The problem is that such high-density resistance means I can hardly get close to the Great Completion cultivator in the distance. This isn't a problem I can overcome simply by relying on the density level of the Great Impermanence, since I'm not actually facing the power of a Great Completion cultivator, but rather the power of a higher realm. In this home field shrouded by the power of "Shangri-La," with "Shangri-La" as its backing, that Great Completion cultivator possesses a significant advantage.

Just getting close to him requires me to exert tremendous effort to maintain my own density of existence, otherwise I would be unable to even maintain the most basic structure and would vanish in an instant. In that situation, there would be no point in talking about the density of attack and defense. Furthermore, because that resistance also has the effect of shielding mental perception, I cannot summon my flames directly inside the opponent's body as I did when dealing with that high-level Peach Blossom Spring cultivator before.

What should we do?
A second later, I figured out the fighting style I should use.

Meanwhile, the Great Completion cultivator from Peach Blossom Village also made his own attack move towards Dong Che.

He stretched out his palm towards the direction of the winter chariot, seemingly about to unleash some kind of magic, but then he swung it down forcefully, and a bolt of blue lightning crashed down from the sky, threatening to shatter the winter chariot into pieces.

The cultivators of Peach Blossom Spring, from the initial to the advanced levels, seem to favor using this lightning power, which appears to be derived from wood-elemental magic. High speed, scorching heat, and immense power—lightning is indeed a very suitable force for actual combat, a natural enemy of living beings, and can easily create a one-hit kill effect.

Dongche was not fooled by the opponent's feint. He possessed an innate and powerful sense of perception, and made a dodge move just before the attack landed. Unfortunately, the difference in strength between the two was too great. The reaction speed of a level-one cultivator was far inferior to that of a level-two cultivator. Even though he made a move in advance, it was all seen by the level-two cultivator opposite him. The angle of the lightning strike seemed to be slightly adjusted at the same time, and it looked like it was about to strike Dongche.

I temporarily abandoned the scorching heat beside me, took a step forward, and instantly traversed a spatial distance of two or three hundred meters. At the same time as the lightning strikes, I arrived behind Dongche, grabbed Dongche's arm, and pulled him backward.

Caught off guard, the winter car was pulled a short distance away by me. At the same time, a pillar of lightning, more than ten meters wide, slammed into the ground. The concrete floor instantly melted and vaporized, and after the lightning disappeared, a bottomless, enormous cave appeared in its place.

Dongche seemed startled by the sudden turn of events. He first glanced at the large hole with lingering fear, then looked at me in astonishment.

Then, when he saw my face clearly, his eyes widened and he showed an extremely excited expression.

(End of this chapter)