Chapter 42: Heavenly Might
A star — so immense it defied description, so resplendent it surpassed all imagination — revealed one ten-billionth of its true form within the consciousness space.
The Flood Dragon's vast phantom, beneath that colossal sun, was so insignificant it could not even be called a speck of dust.
Never mind that it was merely a Flood Dragon of diluted bloodline — even a true dragon in the flesh would be utterly inconsequential before that blazing sun.
It was like a figure in a painting coming face to face with the artist who held the brush, like a marionette catching sight of the puppeteer pulling its strings from behind the curtain.
This was a dimensional gulf that could never be bridged.
"……!!!"
Absolute terror seized every part of it, and the remnant soul began to tremble on pure instinct.
It had roamed freely throughout its life, devouring countless living beings, fancying itself to have touched the very edge of the Dao Laws of heaven and earth — yet only now, in this moment, did it truly understand what it meant to face…
Heavenly Might.
How could something like this be hidden in the depths of consciousness of a mere Foundation Establishment Stage human…?!
"You… you… just what are you?!"
It seemed to want to shriek something more, to demand answers.
But it was already too late.
That blazing, magnificent sun had done nothing more than allow the faintest, most negligible trace of its natural pressure to leak out from its very existence…
And with the lightest of sweeps across the Flood Dragon's remnant soul, it set in motion an irreversible collapse under the weight of that presence…
"No——!!!"
The Flood Dragon let out one final shriek — desperate, defiant, and utterly hopeless.
The resentment it had accumulated over untold years, its wild ambition to be reborn, and every last shred of its consciousness — all of it was utterly annihilated in that single instant.
……………
In the consciousness space, only Si Chen remained, along with that colossal sun as it slowly faded from view.
Si Chen stood where he was, his expression a little… speechless.
He blinked, staring at the spot where the Flood Dragon's remnant soul had vanished.
"That's… it?" he muttered under his breath. He hadn't actually intended to kill it.
He had still wanted to ask the old Flood Dragon about the secrets deeper within the Dragon's Fall, or perhaps news of the Yang Thunder.
He hadn't expected the other party to be so… fragile.
He had barely switched the "lamp" on, hadn't even gotten a clear look at anything, and the other party had already burned away to nothing.
"Still… it's been a long time," Si Chen glanced back at the colossal sun as it gradually disappeared, a faint sense of nostalgia rising in his heart.
Constrained by this human body, even he himself did not dare let his consciousness fully immerse itself in this primordial origin space without care.
The burden it placed on the body was simply too great — one misstep, and this physical form might collapse first.
Fortunately, the old Flood Dragon had barged in on its own, and in doing so had unwittingly absorbed the vast majority of the pressure and impact on his behalf, allowing him this brief, fleeting glimpse.
Did that count as… a delivery to the door?
Si Chen shook his head and cast those stray thoughts aside.
He checked on his physical body in the outside world — there was still some strain, but it seemed nothing serious.
"It seems this body still needs a great deal more tempering."
The radiance of the colossal sun faded completely, and the consciousness space returned to stillness. Every last trace of the Flood Dragon's foul aura was cleansed away.
Si Chen did not dare linger any longer in the depths of his consciousness. With a single thought, the scene before him receded like a withdrawing tide.
……………
Back in the real world, within the blood pool.
Si Chen's eyes snapped open. A faint golden gleam seemed to linger in his pupils for just a moment before swiftly vanishing.
He immediately surveyed his surroundings.
The people and demons who had been frantically attacking him and the thunder-lightning net earlier now stood frozen in place.
The savagery on their faces and the crimson in their eyes remained, but it had grown hollow and vacant.
Clearly, with the complete annihilation of the Flood Dragon's remnant soul, its control over the blood pool and those submerged within it had dissolved along with it.
This was not a chance to be missed!
Without further hesitation, he drew a deep breath and, using the same method as before, poured every last bit of his remaining wood-element vitality unreservedly into the blood pool beneath his feet!
Hummm——!
This time, with no interference from the Flood Dragon's remnant soul, the process went remarkably smoothly.
A radiant emerald-green light spread outward from him as its center, rapidly reaching every corner of the blood pool.
In just a few breaths, the color of the entire vast blood pool had completely transformed, and the violent, malevolent aura vanished along with it.
When it was all done, Si Chen let out a long breath, his complexion slightly pale — the Spiritual Energy expenditure had indeed been enormous.
But he did not rest.
Thunder Smite Flash activated once more!
His figure became a ghostly bolt of lightning, weaving between the still-dazed, sluggish madmen and Demon Beasts.
Bang!
He sent one still-howling cultivator flying into the purified blood pool with a kick.
Bang!
Another kick, and a wolf-shaped Demon Beast was sent in after him.
Then came Heishan and Chifeng.
Mustering his full strength, he planted a kick squarely on Heishan's fluffy rear end.
Splash!
The mountain-like Heishan tumbled into the pool, sending a great wave of water flying.
Next was Chifeng — Si Chen used the same method, sending it into the pool as well.
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
Like dropping dumplings into a pot, the remaining dazed madmen and Demon Beasts were all unceremoniously kicked into the purified blood pool by Si Chen, one by one.
Something remarkable happened.
The moment they entered the warm, reddish pool water, their bodies immediately began emitting thick plumes of black smoke with a sizzle!
The black smoke carried a nauseating, bloody stench — it seemed to be the source of the corruption being purified and expelled from their bodies.
As the black smoke rose, the heart-chilling crimson in their eyes began to rapidly recede.
"Cough, cough… I… what happened to me?" one cultivator clutched his forehead, staring blankly at his surroundings.
"I remember now — it was the blood pool! Something was wrong with the blood pool!" Another cultivator looked at the dried blood on his own hands, his face ashen, clearly recalling what he had done in his frenzied state.
Then came Heishan and Chifeng.
Heishan shook its massive head, and the crimson in its bear eyes cleared, returning to their usual sharpness. It looked at the pool water, then at Si Chen on the bank, a little dazed: "I… did I just…"
Chifeng shook the water from its drenched fur and looked at Si Chen with apologetic eyes. "Brother, we just…"
Si Chen waved a hand. "It's fine. I know that wasn't your intention."
The other human cultivators and demon-race members gradually came to their senses as well. After a brief moment of confusion came relief at having survived, followed by waves of lingering fear.
They looked at one another, at the blood not yet dried on their bodies, and all understood what had just transpired.
An older cultivator was the first to bow deeply toward Si Chen, his voice still carrying a slight tremor: "Many thanks to Fellow Daoist for saving our lives! Had it not been for you, we would all have been reduced to mindless killing machines today, slaughtering until we collapsed from exhaustion…"
"Indeed, thank you, Fellow Daoist!"
"This kindness shall never be forgotten!"
Voices of gratitude rose one after another. Whether human or demon, all of them were now wholeheartedly convinced of Si Chen's worth.
At this point, Heishan fully came to its senses. It surged up from the pool with a great splash, its bear face trembling with rage as it erupted in a torrent of curses:
"Holy shit, you sneaky old bastard Flood Dragon! Can't even rest in peace after you're dead! Setting a trap this rotten and underhanded! Fuck your ancestors eighteen generations back!"
It cursed with flying spittle and a string of crude words, but every single one of them hit home for everyone present.
Wasn't that right? Fuck his ancestors eighteen generations back, the rotten piece of work!
"Chirp!"
At that moment, Red Bean descended from the air, reverting to its small, dainty form. Somewhat weary, it landed on Si Chen's shoulder and nuzzled its little head against his cheek.
But the look it directed at Heishan and Chifeng was one of obvious displeasure — it was clearly still holding a grudge over the two big fellows chasing it around earlier.
Heishan felt a little embarrassed under Red Bean's tiny glare, let out a couple of awkward laughs, and quickly tried to change the subject.
"Ahem… that old scoundrel Lü Ci actually dared to seal off our path! Watch me smash it open!"
With that, it charged forward, and its bear paw slammed into the pile of rubble blocking the cave entrance with all the force of pent-up fury!
Rumble!
With a thunderous crash, rubble scattered in all directions. A third-rank Demon Beast's furious strike blasted a gaping hole straight through the passage.
"Let's go! Time to settle accounts with that old scoundrel!" Heishan roared and made to charge out.
At that moment, a group of the newly recovered demon-race members noticed that Si Chen's complexion was still a little pale and his aura somewhat unsteady, and they immediately stirred.
"Little Brother Si Chen is tired! Let me carry him!" The bull demon who had greeted him earlier bellowed in a booming voice, already trying to push through.
A giant leopard beside him was having none of it, gently blocking the bull demon with its body: "Old Bull, step aside — your back is hard as a board, it'd be uncomfortable. Let the little brother ride on me; I run smoothly!"
"Roar! Your frame isn't wide enough. My back is the best!" Another pig demon squeezed in as well, eagerly trying to show off its broad back.
In no time, several Demon Beasts of sufficient size — those known for their speed and steadiness — had crowded around, each competing to have Si Chen rest on their back.
Their gratitude was written plainly on their faces. To them, being able to carry the little brother who had saved their lives was the greatest of honors.
Chifeng looked at the squabbling bunch, let out a disgruntled low growl, and stepped in front of Si Chen.
"Enough, all of you."
"My brother is used to riding on my back, and he's most used to my pace. All of you, step aside."
Si Chen watched the scene unfold before him, finding it all rather novel.
He did indeed feel somewhat fatigued — purifying the blood pool had taken a considerable toll, and after all that turmoil within the consciousness space, his soul was weary as well.
He fished out one of his "household staple medicines" and popped it into his mouth, then without declining, gave a nod to the Demon Beasts around him who had shown their concern — a silent thanks for their goodwill.
Then he lightly leapt onto Chifeng's warm, broad back.
Red Bean obediently settled back onto his shoulder, though it still occasionally shot sidelong glances with its little black-bead eyes at Heishan, who stood nearby looking rather sheepish, letting out small huffs of displeasure.
Heishan squirmed under its gaze and could only grumble in a muffled voice: "Let's go, let's go! Time to go give that old scoundrel some grief!"
With that, it took the lead and plunged into the blasted-open passage.
Chifeng carried Si Chen and followed close behind at a steady pace.
The survivors — human and demon alike — fell in after them, grumbling and cursing, yet carrying with them the easy lightness of those who had come back from the brink.