Chapter 157: A Divine Palm Descends from the Heavens; The Entire City of East Beach is Annihilated

The primal energy of heaven and earth cascaded down like a waterfall, shrouding the entire Dali Mountain.

Blood Qi, primordial energy, and divine powers intertwined within the mountain, generating a terrifying force that tore through everything as it completely strangled the will of the Kunpeng demon ghost.

Yet this will surged with a peculiar majesty. Only by exerting his full strength could Baili Feihong manage to grind away a shred of that majestic aura.

By this time, the Kunpeng demon ghost had already condensed into a cluster of runes taking the shape of a Kunpeng.

Looking through time, traversing endless history, the oppressive might weighed heavily on Baili Feihong’s heart.

It felt as though, at this moment, he was not dealing with this mere Kunpeng demon ghost.

Rather, he was confronting the very bloodline source of the Kunpeng.

The legendary Kunpeng ancestor of antiquity.

"Having been dead for so long, the majesty transmitted through the bloodline alone still evokes a sense of utter helplessness in me."

Baili Feihong abandoned the idea of rapidly refining the Kunpeng’s will.

Instead, he directly wrenched it out and tossed it into the Qiankun Cauldron, leaving the cauldron to refine it slowly.

"It is finally over."

Hearing Baili Feihong recount how the Yellow Springs Seal had been snatched away by the ancient profound ice maiden, Hansu, Gongyang Yan did not show any worry; instead, she smiled happily.

With a charming smile, her face was as pretty as peach blossoms.

Influenced by Gongyang Yan’s smile, Baili Feihong also smiled cheerfully.

"With the greatest crisis in Dongbin City resolved, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Crossing his arms, Baili Feihong stood at the edge of the rooftop, gazing out at Dongbin City.

A flourishing place, yet the area where he lived was currently shrouded in sorrow.

The Demon Suppressing Bureau had already issued its latest official announcement stating that the underworld disturbance had been resolved.

The people of Dongbin City finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Those with the means could escape Dongbin, but many had lived in Dongbin their entire lives, and everything they possessed was tied to the city by an unseverable bond. If they left Dongbin, they would be leaving their roots behind.

Flee?

Where could they flee to?

His heart was torn between sorrow and joy.

He felt lost and sorrowful for the hundreds of thousands who had perished. If only he had returned a little sooner—at the very first sign of the demon god’s skin appearing—he could have resolved this bizarre object.

Then hundreds of thousands of lives would not have been lost in vain.

The other half was joy, feeling glad for those who survived.

Their fates were originally destined to be consumed by the prophecy, but now that they were still alive, it was equivalent to Baili Feihong saving more than two million people.

Having regained their lives, he was naturally happy for them.

"Lord Gongyang, what are your plans for the future?"

Baili Feihong asked casually.

"Find a peaceful place, live in seclusion for a few years, and hone my blade technique."

"The God-Piercing Blade?"

"The God-Piercing Blade is only one of the blade daos mastered by the Gongyang family."

Gongyang Yan stopped talking mid-sentence. Thousands of thoughts tumbled through her mind, but in the end, she left them unsaid.

Perhaps she was not suited to practice this blade technique.

The Emotion-Forgetful Heavenly Blade!

The most terrifying blade technique of the Gongyang family.

Even their ancestor had never fully comprehended it.

Yet, relying on this blade technique, the Gongyang ancestor could lose an arm and still rank among the top five of the Heavenly Dragon Board.

He had never fallen from that position.

This was not a blade technique meant for humans.

It was a blade technique created by a demon god.

Acquired by Gongyang Jue.

To this day, the Gongyang ancestor has still not truly achieved emotional detachment.

There were still flaws in his blade dao.

And it was precisely this flaw that the second-generation Grand Monitor had perceived, resulting in his arm being severed.

The martial intent lingering on the severed arm was the reason why Gongyang Jue had been unable to recover from his injuries to this day.

One could imagine just how terrifying the second-generation Grand Monitor had been back then.

The path of sorcery he forged had already surpassed humanity, touching upon the realm of immortals.

"Living in seclusion in the mountains, carefree and unfettered. Such a pleasant life, truly enviable."

Baili Feihong closed his eyes, as if experiencing those peaceful days of tranquil life, his face filled with yearning.

"Actually, you too can let go of everything and pursue your own dao in tranquility."

Gongyang Yan’s gaze was burning hot.

"I..."

A wave of palpitation surged into his heart.

His soul experienced a sense of desperate despair in the face of unprecedented death.

His blood was boiling and sounding warnings.

Before he had even time to think further, Baili Feihong subconsciously grabbed Gongyang Yan’s hand.

Executing the Kunpeng Escapist Technique, his figure vanished directly from the rooftop.

The sky split open, and a hand covering the firmament descended from the heavens. Dongbin City was instantly erased...

"My prophecies never make mistakes."

A haughty voice drifted down from the sky, echoing between heaven and earth.

"Look, it begins with a prophecy, and Dongbin is destroyed."

"Hahaha..."

Accompanied by a satisfied laugh, the voice gradually faded away without a trace.

The territory of the Dayuan Empire was permanently reduced by one part, while the area of the ocean expanded.

Having fled Dongbin City, Baili Feihong released Gongyang Yan’s hand. His eyes were bloodshot, his face distorted and hideously terrifying.

"How could this be? How could this be?..."

He muttered these words over and over again.

Gongyang Yan opened her mouth, her peerlessly beautiful face as pale as paper, devoid of all color.

A certain memory flashed through her mind.

"Someone like her, a taboo existence, once she discovers a prophecy has been altered, she will even step down into the world personally?"

She struggled to recall this phrase from her chaotic memories.

Finally, Jiang Dongliu’s face surfaced in her mind.

It was he who had known of the prophecy and had once mentioned this to her.

At the time, Gongyang Yan had not taken it to heart.

But today, she had indeed taken action.

"The prophet, who on earth is she?"

Baili Feihong let out a roar like a beast.

Along his journey, aided by the Book of Skills, everything had been smooth sailing.

This single blow shattered all his pride.

The moment danger descended, he had run away.

Although he knew in his heart that even if he used all his skill points to raise his realm, he would still find it difficult to withstand this blow and would have met the same end of annihilation.

Yet at this moment, Baili Feihong was consumed by remorse for his own flight.

His hoarse voice emitted a low roar.

It was mostly impotent fury, used even to mask his internal remorse.

No one answered him.

Gongyang Yan had already plunged into deep self-blame.

If she had brought it up this morning, when Baili Feihong proposed the plan to relocate the people of Dongbin, and she had insisted on executing it, at least the more than two million commoners in the city, along with all the demon suppressors of Dongbin, would not have had to die.

Countless mixed emotions rolled within her heart—self-reproach, regret, sorrow, and grief surged into her mind, dragging Gongyang Yan’s soul down into the ocean floor.

An endless dark abyss devoured her heart.

Baili Feihong forcibly suppressed his internal anger and regret. He forcefully tamped down the chaos within, regained his composure, and looked at Gongyang Yan.

But seeing Gongyang Yan’s completely lifeless, peerlessly beautiful face—empty, devoid of the slightest trace of emotion, and deathly still—

A bucket of cold water jolted him awake.

Compared to Gongyang Yan, the guardian who had protected this place, he was merely a transmigration traveler who had taken over this body midway.

He was mostly just enraged by the prophetic madwoman.

"Lord Gongyang, Gongyang, Sister Yan..."

Baili Feihong called out several times before finally pulling her back from the endless dark abyss.

"The prophet's name, I do not know. I only know that she is very mysterious and extremely ancient. She does not walk the same path as us, yet she commands a power that even Martial Saints dread."

Gongyang Yan’s tone was cold, flat, and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

The destruction of Dongbin City meant the destruction of all her achievements for Gongyang Yan.

It even shattered her martial dao will.

Pushing her state of mind to the brink of collapse.

She had thought she could change fate, but when she discovered she had altered fate, fate played a cruel joke on her.

Only now did she realize that she herself was the biggest joke of all.

All her persistence, all her hard work, and all the effort she had invested turned into nothingness under the single palm strike of this taboo prophet.

"Lord Gongyang..."

"I am leaving. Dongbin City has been destroyed, and my mission has ended. From now on, I belong only to myself."

Gongyang Yan waved her hand. Recalling the dark abyss she had just experienced in her heart, she never wanted to go through it again.

The feeling of being mocked by someone who controlled one's destiny was agonizing.

Her mind was made up; there would not be a next time.

Gongyang Yan flew away without a trace of hesitation, never glancing back at the location of Dongbin City again.

Baili Feihong did not try to persuade her to stay, nor did he offer any comfort.

The trivial bits of life from the three years he spent in Dongbin City flooded his mind. Although bitter at times, it remained the place where he first lived in this world, the memory where he set off anew, and the genesis of his second life.

"Regardless of who you are, what background you have, or how powerful you are, you must bear the wicked consequences of destroying Dongbin City this time."

"Although I am grateful to you for slapping me awake with that single palm."

Baili Feihong stood on the original site of Dongbin City.

Seawater surged in, filling this place and burying Dongbin City beneath the waves.

He struggled to recall, engraving the most beautiful scenery he had ever seen of Dongbin City deep within his soul.

He turned and left the territory of Dongbin City.

Negative emotions such as sorrow, anger, and remorse had already been cleared from his mind.

It was not that he had forgotten, but rather that they were buried deep within his memories alongside the recollections of Dongbin City.

The only good news was that his senior brother Zhang Qianshan had already left Dongbin City.

Yan Ruyu was also no longer in Dongbin City.

Yet the bad news was even greater: once-familiar faces had perished along with Dongbin City.

He departed quietly.

Outsiders had no way of knowing whether he was still alive or had been buried together with Dongbin City.

Dongbin City had been destroyed!

The garrison commander of Nanshan County uploaded this news to the Supreme Demon Suppressing Headquarters.

The entire Supreme Demon Suppressing Headquarters was shocked by the news.

Even the five great demon suppressors, who were in seclusion and rarely showed themselves, were startled.

For a time, rumors flew everywhere.

It was not until Gongyang Yan appeared in the imperial capital, resigned from her post as a demon suppressor, and submitted her duty report that all the secrets were finally unveiled.

Over on Feiyuan Island, rumors were likewise rampant.

However, with the return of Baili Feihong, Feiyuan Island instantly returned to peace and tranquility.

In the imperial capital, at the Heavenly Guard Commander's Mansion.

Lei Yu, the Heavenly Guard General who had returned to the imperial capital earlier, was summoned by the commander.

"Subordinate Lei Yu pays respects to Lord Commander."

A faint smile hung on Lei Yu’s face.

Yet the Heavenly Guard Commander standing opposite him wore a gloomy expression as he asked, "What on earth happened in Dongbin City?"

Heavenly Guard General Lei Yu replied, "Although there were some ripples, the crisis has been resolved. It's just that the Yellow Springs Seal was snatched away by the ancient profound ice maiden, Hansu."

"Crisis resolved? Dongbin City has been destroyed."

The Heavenly Guard Commander sighed.

He knew Heavenly Guard General Lei Yu would not lie to him, which meant this incident had occurred after Lei Yu's departure.

"Impossible! Unless a Martial Saint takes action, no one can destroy Dongbin City."

Lei Yu’s tone was firm.

Heavenly Guard Commander Guliang Qing looked deeply at him and said, "You know the identity of the prophet. She has never been wrong."

Hearing this, Heavenly Guard General Lei Yu was struck as if by lightning. In an instant, powerful purple-black lightning surged across his body.

"That old witch made a move? Shameless, utterly shameless, despicable..."

"Is cursing any use?"

Guliang Qing asked coldly.

"No, but I feel choked with frustration. Just because of her prophecy, over three million people died in Dongbin City! These were all subjects of Dayuan."

Lei Yu’s eyes were red and moist.

"Gongyang Yan's duty report has already been submitted to the five great demon suppressors. Furthermore, Gongyang Yan has left the Demon Suppressing Bureau and returned to the Gongyang family. I do not wish for the Gongyang family to interfere too deeply in the struggle for the imperial throne. With only a few days left, the imperial capital must not suffer any ripples."

Heavenly Guard Commander Guliang Qing stared into Lei Yu’s eyes and said very earnestly.

He was the commander of the Heavenly Guard Generals, but also a member of the Guliang Imperial Clan's ancestral house.

His stance represented the stance of the imperial family.

"Lord Commander, why not strike at this old witch and imprison her within the Demon Suppressing Pagoda?"

Lei Yu did not heed the warning and instead questioned Heavenly Guard Commander Guliang Qing.

"There are not that many 'whys'. Her prophecies are unfathomable. Even when the three elders of the Divine Monitoring Bureau take action, they cannot deduce her location. And even if they did deduce it, what awaits us is merely a trap."

Guliang Qing now understood Lei Yu’s temperament and explained why neither the Demon Suppressing Bureau nor the imperial family had moved against this prophet.

They looked for her, but could not find her.

The opponent could always act a step ahead, set up a trap, and slip away cleanly.

You could never catch her.

"Besides, we have a more important mission."

"She has spread the prophecy far and wide. All the sects and worldly factions are now reveling in it."

"The sect forces that we have suppressed for so long are bound to emerge and wreak havoc upon the world, destroying Dayuan's realm and returning us to the chaotic era of rival sects."

Hearing this, Heavenly Guard General Lei Yu fell silent.

Gongyang Yan did not return to her family, instead heading straight into the Hengduan Mountains.

This was the most dangerous mountain range in the Dayuan Empire.

She wanted to practice the Emotion-Forgetful Heavenly Blade.

She intended to use this blade to cleave that madwoman in two.

With her mind consumed by obsession, she entered the Hengduan Mountains and began cultivating her blade dao.

The stronger the obsession, the greater one could become once that obsession was eventually severed.

Jiang Dongliu received a classified intelligence report.

Looking at the contents of the report, although he had already anticipated it in his heart, when the news was finally transmitted, it still left him deeply solemn and simultaneously furious.

Ancient texts of the Yin-Yang Heavenly Sect recorded the prophecies of this taboo existence and just how shameless her methods of operating were.

To ensure her prophecies manifested, she had manipulated many major historical events from behind the scenes.

Dongbin City would by no means be the last place she personally stepped into to test a prophecy.

He had once warned Gongyang, but the ending could not be changed.

She styled herself as the master of destiny, and destiny would never permit anyone to alter it.

"She has personally stepped into the arena to destroy Dayuan."

"No, her opponent this time will not fear her."

"When two titans clash, the fishermen reap the profits, yet it is the common people of the world who suffer."

"The trend of upheaval in the world will not alter because of a few changes; the ultimate outcome has already been decided."

Yin-Yang Qi circulated within his eyes, as if piercing through the profound mysteries of Yin and Yang transformations. The chaos of the world was already evident.

Neither the Guliang imperial family nor she were good things.

Let them bite each other like dogs.
Jiang Dongliu continued heading east; he needed a place of supreme Yin-Yang wonder to cultivate his Dharma Idol.

Coincidentally, he knew of an opportunity in the eastern part of Dayuan's territory that was very suitable for him.

Even though it would be extremely dangerous.

Inside Feiyuan Island.

Baili Feihong went to work as usual, but as soon as off-duty hours arrived, he would vanish.

Every single night, he would disappear from Feiyuan Island and head toward the Devil's Sea.

"Since the Martial Saints cannot deal with you, let me be the one to pass judgment on your end."