Chapter Eighteen: The Hall of the War God

With the aid of the formation, Wu Shu and the others arrived directly at the summit. The peak was vast, dominated by a grand and imposing hall that occupied nearly half the area. At this moment, on the plaza before the hall, masters of both the human and demon clans were fiercely engaged in combat.

The battle on the plaza was intense. A scruffy, bearded demon warrior let out a booming laugh after delivering a powerful punch. “Ha ha… Li Zhaoyun, you’re old now. You can’t handle the fists of youth anymore.”

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the white-haired Li Zhaoyun retorted coldly, “Old Demon Head, in the end, you’ve become exactly what you yourself despise. As a denizen of the Hou Tu continent, a life-and-death battle without a proper warm-up—how can that even be called a true fight to the death?”

“Bah! You old immortal, still so sharp-tongued,” the demon grunted.

Li Zhaoyun sneered, “That defeated loser from ten years ago looks a lot like you.”

The verbal sparring continued until the old demon growled in anger, “Li Zhaoyun, prepare to meet your end.”

Then, the old demon and Li Zhaoyun exchanged palm strikes and fists relentlessly, the sounds of flesh striking flesh, bones cracking, shaking the very soul.

Watching the combat on the plaza, Wu Shu couldn’t help but wonder what level of cultivation these warriors possessed.

At that moment, a fierce roar echoed across the battlefield. “You despicable demons dare invade the land of Kun Kingdom today! As a guardian general of Kun, if I cannot slay you here, how can I face my king? Soldiers of Kun, obey my command—retreat swiftly! Today, I, Liu Zongyun, shall execute divine justice and personally eradicate these demon scoundrels!”

“Flame Eagle Bloodline, activate!”

“Burning Spirit Palm Technique!”

As Liu Zongyun unleashed the power of his bloodline, the temperature across the plaza rose intensely, suffusing the air with scorching heat.

Wu Shu and the others had just arrived at the summit, and the battle seemed to be reaching a fever pitch. Seeing Liu Zongyun activate his bloodline and use the Burning Spirit Palm, Li Jianfeng frowned. “Burning Spirit Palm? General Liu is willing to burn his life force to fight the demons to the death. The situation atop the peak is more complicated than I imagined.”

At this point, Xiao Lan caught up, casually remarking, “Nothing impressive, just a light drizzle!”

Turning to Xiao Lan, the Stele Spirit Xiao Ling questioned, “Xiao Lan, why have you come up here? Shouldn’t you be guarding your Chaos Sword Peak?”

Rolling her eyes at Xiao Ling, Jiutian Youlan replied disdainfully, “Lord Xiao Ling, how long has it been since you last visited the War God Hall? I now possess a spiritual form. Is gatekeeping a task befitting a spiritual lord of my status?”

Jiutian Youlan’s words were accurate. According to the War God Hall’s rules, any being with a spiritual form is recognized as a spiritual lord. Spiritual lords hold a prestigious position within the hall, and unless they choose a master or spiritual weapon to bond with, they are exempt from any formation restrictions in the core area.

Though this was the rule, Xiao Ling retorted, “Ah… what a pity. You finally became a spiritual lord, but you will forever remain unclaimed. Those three old masters should not have died so early.”

Xiao Ling’s jab brought tears to Jiutian Youlan’s eyes. Xiao Ling spoke truly—those spiritual creatures entering the War God Hall did so voluntarily, hoping to become the spirit of a peerless divine weapon. To fail in this was a betrayal of their original intent.

The three grand refining masters had long since passed away. Although Jiutian Youlan possessed a spiritual form, she could no longer become the spirit of a divine weapon. She indeed owed much to the masters’ nurturing in life.

The conversation between Xiao Ling and Xiao Lan gave Wu Shu a headache. He wondered if these two were out of their minds, bickering at such a critical moment. The battle before them shook mountains and rivers, yet they showed no fear. How had they survived in the brutal Giant Elephant Mountains?

Thinking that Wu Shu and Li Jianfeng might come from the Wu family, Jiutian Youlan gathered her spirits and stepped forward. “Two young brothers, you carry yourselves with such distinction. You must come from an extraordinary lineage, perhaps sharing the surname Wu?”

Suddenly, a massive and unprecedented lightning bolt shot from the War God Hall, followed by a huge crack visibly appearing on the formation high above in the sky.

Ignoring Jiutian Youlan, Wu Shu frowned. “Brother Li, let’s go. The situation inside the War God Hall is urgent.”

The battle’s shockwaves battered the plaza. If not for the spirit stones etched with holy runes absorbing most of the attacks, Li Jianfeng would have struggled to stand. Hearing Wu Shu’s intent to enter the hall, he hesitated, “Brother Wu, the dangers are overwhelming. We may not be able to advance an inch.”

Among the two, the Wu-named youth immediately caught Jiutian Youlan’s attention. She enthusiastically said, “Brother Wu, you want to enter the War God Hall? Xiao Lan can help. Just follow behind me; I’ll ensure no harm comes to you.”

Jiutian Youlan truly possessed a spiritual form now. To the Stele Spirit Xiao Ling, it was impossible for Xiao Lan to shield Wu Shu and the others from such a powerful shockwave. Unexpectedly, as Xiao Ling prepared to mock Jiutian Youlan again, a gentle energy field enveloped the group. The chubby Jiutian Youlan happily told Wu Shu, “Brother Wu, stick close to Xiao Lan. I’ll lead you safely into the War God Hall.”

Jiutian Youlan was borrowing the power of the Burning Sacrifice spiritual form to protect Wu Shu. If she overexerted herself, she might lose both body and soul. The Stele Spirit Xiao Ling, who had mocked her countless times, found itself unwilling to jeer now.

Spiritual beings aspired to become the spirits of divine weapons or artifacts to strengthen themselves through their masters’ growth.

All things possess spirit. Those lacking innate talent would seldom choose this path.

Today, merely because Wu Shu bore the surname Wu, Jiutian Youlan dared risk her very existence to protect him. She regarded him as her last lifeline on her cultivation journey. Such resolve—was this the same naive boy she had known?

With Jiutian Youlan’s intervention, an eerie scene unfolded on the plaza. Amidst the fierce human-demon battle, a group of seemingly unaffected youths strode calmly toward the War God Hall. The warriors of both clans doubted their own senses—were they dreaming? Were they made of paper? Such intense combat pressure failed to harm these children at all.

Under Jiutian Youlan’s protection, Wu Shu and the others entered the War God Hall.

Inside, a colossal black giant ape fought fiercely against a towering golden giant elephant. Behind these behemoths stood several formidable masters, poised to strike at any moment.

The arrival of Wu Shu, Li Jianfeng, and the others immediately drew the attention of both factions.

The Stele Spirit Xiao Ling casually addressed the giant elephant, “Little Elephant, what’s going on with that old demon ape? Wasn’t it chained in the backyard? Why are you fighting?”

In the past, Xiao Ling often mocked both the giant ape and elephant. Both beasts roared angrily at Xiao Ling, “You little bastard, shut up!”

Upon locking eyes with the blood-red gaze of the black giant ape, Xiao Ling shuddered. “Heavens! I’d forgotten—you are the Devouring Heaven Demon Ape, the mount of that old fellow. If those three old masters hadn’t known you were a demon beast, they would have absorbed you into the artifact furnace long ago.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. Didn’t those three old masters say that although the Devouring Heaven Giant Ape originated from the demon clan, it has a deep bond with our human race? When the masters were alive, you weren’t like this. Devouring Heaven Giant Ape, your betrayal is truly extraordinary.”

Infuriated by Xiao Ling’s words, the Devouring Heaven Giant Ape roared, “You’re talking nonsense! I’m a demon. I don’t care about your human affairs. That stupid elephant’s soul is possessed by demons, but it’s none of my concern. I’m going back to the backyard.”

The ape retreated, turning toward the rear courtyard of the War God Hall, leaving the human warriors bewildered.

Without the Devouring Heaven Giant Ape’s powerful support, the demons would become reckless in their attempt to seize the hall. The human warriors wished only to beat Xiao Ling with sticks. What hope remained for victory against the demons was now utterly lost, all because of a random stone spouting nonsense.

Suddenly becoming the center of attention from both sides, Wu Shu felt crushed inside. When the demons looked at them, their eyes were like those of family members. The humans, on the other hand, regarded them with hostile glares sharp enough to kill.

Xiao Ling was truly a troublemaker. If not for his own weakness, Wu Shu would have smashed the stele to pieces.

Just as the demons believed victory was imminent, the Devouring Heaven Giant Ape’s voice echoed from the courtyard, “Brats, go back where you came from! The Divine Stele has descended, and all evil shall retreat. This is my final warning to the descendants of the great master.”

The ape’s words were directed at the demon warriors, much to the surprise of the humans. The Divine Stele had descended? Where was it? Could that unremarkable little stone truly be the Divine Stele? Only after hearing it speak did they realize the stele might indeed be extraordinary.

The golden giant elephant’s soul was possessed. The Stele Spirit, skilled in mental attacks, had many ways to resolve such problems. Seeing the stele’s imminent intervention, Wu Shu calmly urged, “Xiao Ling, if you have a way to break the deadlock, stop wasting time and act!”

Xiao Ling had wanted to boast and preen but was cut off by Wu Shu’s directness.

With a sigh, Xiao Ling growled, “Damn demon brats, kneel before me!”

In the blink of an eye, the stele appeared above the golden elephant’s head. Instantly, it soared to a terrifying height, and with a thunderous roar, the golden elephant was pinned beneath the stele, unable to move.

The sudden shift in the situation stunned the demon warriors, who had been confident of victory.

Someone urgently shouted, “Let’s strike together to break the stele and rescue the trapped soul and our ancestor. Otherwise, none of us will leave today!”

The human warriors braced themselves like men possessed, ready to respond at any moment.

At that instant, an overwhelming pressure poured upward from beneath the War God Hall. A cold, imposing voice resonated throughout the hall: “Not bad, not bad. The younger generation is formidable indeed. To have a talent like you among our clan’s descendants is truly a blessing from the Great Demon God.”

Following this, the golden giant elephant trapped beneath the stele exuded dense black energy. Sensing impending danger, Xiao Ling nervously warned, “Boss, hurry and help me! The old demon is using a demonic mind-transfer technique to attack the little elephant. If the little elephant’s mind is fully possessed, the humans in the core area will be wiped out instantly.”