Chapter 108: The Fall of Bilu

The crowd wore grim expressions; their previous attacks had achieved nothing, leaving them no choice but to proceed with their original plan. Chen Mu, Rou'er, and Xuetian—a human, a spirit, and a demon—exchanged glances. Having reached a silent understanding, they each unleashed the techniques they had previously discussed.

Xuetian immediately stirred the blood energy within Zhong Tianyao, attempting to incapacitate him. Zhong Tianyao struggled violently, his veins bulging and thickening as he resisted. Rou'er transformed into her two-meter-tall dragon-fox form, recklessly draining her cultivation to unleash her innate supernatural ability: the Phantom World Immortal-Slaying Incantation. As the technique took hold, Zhong Tianyao was instantly plunged into a swirl of desire and illusion, his primordial spirit becoming sluggish.

Chen Mu did not hesitate; he sent his Soul-Suppressing Pagoda flying, its light shining upon Zhong Tianyao to intensify the suppression of his spirit. With the trio’s combined efforts underway, Chen Mu shouted to Chihuo and Xiahou Longchen, who were still standing by: "Quick! We must strike together! We have to cut Zhong Tianyao down here!"

Chihuo and Xiahou Longchen galvanized their strongest killer moves against Zhong Tianyao. Chen Mu pushed his Blood-Burning Transformation to its absolute limit, manifesting the phantom of a thunder dragon that drove the final strike of his Sunset Style, "Day Without Sun," directly at their foe.

A blow approaching the power of the Primordial Spirit Realm descended silently. Sensing the threat of death, Zhong Tianyao’s dazed body suddenly twitched, struggling to break free. The control exerted by Rou'er and Xuetian began to falter. Zhong Tianyao let out a trembling, furious roar: "You... you will not... control me!"

Rou'er’s spirit was shaken, and her aura instantly withered. Xuetian suffered a backlash, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, while Chen Mu’s Soul-Suppressing Pagoda dimmed and fell to the ground.

Zhong Tianyao had broken free. He roared, attempting to deflect Chen Mu’s attack, but it was too late. The flickering thunder dragon phantom slammed into him, its violent arcs of lightning ravaging every inch of his body. The crackling of the electricity drowned out his screams, the sound sharp and piercing like a thousand birds shrieking in unison.

To ensure Zhong Tianyao’s total defeat, Chen Mu not only collided the thunder dragon with him but also detonated the phantom, guaranteeing the enemy would suffer catastrophic damage.

Chen Mu was in no better state. The detonation caused a severe backlash, and having already exhausted his elemental energy, he spat out a mouthful of blood, rolled his eyes back, and collapsed into unconsciousness.

This was a "thousand-damage-to-the-enemy, eight-hundred-to-oneself" strategy. Chen Mu was unconscious, and both Rou'er and Xuetian were injured; only Chihuo and Xiahou Longchen remained unscathed. Xiahou Longchen watched the devastating scene in a trance. The core buildings of the Biluo Dao Sect had been razed, replaced by a massive crater. Chen Mu had been blasted far away; had his physical body not been so resilient, he would likely have been vaporized by the shockwave. Xiahou Longchen, having retreated just in time, realized he had underestimated Chen Mu’s terrifying final strike.

The group watched the crater, which was still shrouded in smoke. The impact had also decimated the disciples of the Biluo Dao Sect, and with the explosion of the thunder dragon, all fighting ceased. Gu Daozhen stood frozen, watching in disbelief. Was this the same minor Yuan-Pulse realm cultivator he remembered? Had he really grown to such a terrifying level?

He stared intensely at the mist-covered crater, praying that his ancestor, Zhong Tianyao, had survived. If the ancestor fell, the Biluo Dao Sect would lose its greatest pillar and face total annihilation.

Both sides remained still. Chen Mu’s allies hoped for Zhong Tianyao’s death, while the sect members prayed for his survival. As the minutes passed and the mist dissipated, Zhong Tianyao’s body was revealed—broken beyond recognition. His arms had been blasted away into nothingness, his skin charred black, and his clothes incinerated. His body was a cratered ruin, clearly pierced through by lightning, yet strangely, there was no blood; the intense heat had likely evaporated it instantly.

Seeing the charcoal-like remains of Zhong Tianyao, Chen Mu’s side finally breathed a sigh of relief, while the Biluo Dao Sect members turned deathly pale. It seemed heaven had decreed the end of their sect.

Yet, just then, the charred body twitched. Rou'er, Xuetian, Xiahou Longchen, and the other demons tensed up. How could he still move? Seeing the movement, the sect members felt a flicker of hope. Zhong Tianyao’s body trembled as he tried to stand, but as he put weight on one leg, it crumbled into a pile of charred fragments. He collapsed, twitched once, and returned to silence.

Seeing he no longer moved, Chen Mu’s party relaxed but remained vigilant. While his body was ruined, he remained a threat as long as he lived. Xiahou Longchen stepped forward and unleashed several spells to finish him off. This drew angry glares from the sect members, who tried to rush forward, only to be crushed into pulp by the strikes of Zongyu and Yuanshan.

Chihuo moved to guard Chen Mu, not only from the sect members but also from Xiahou Longchen and Xuetian, whom he did not trust, knowing their relationship with his master was purely one of mutual exploitation.

The Biluo Dao Sect was in despair. Though the battle could have resumed, their will to fight was gone. The disciples scattered, but Gu Daozhen was surrounded by the demons. He was beaten severely by Yuanshan and the others, but they spared his life, intending to leave him for Chen Mu to judge.

Suddenly, the remains of Zhong Tianyao exploded, and a glimmer of light shot out, streaking toward Chen Mu. Chihuo immediately unleashed a torrent of fire to intercept it. Forced to change course, the light darted toward the fleeing disciples and vanished. Chihuo broke into a cold sweat; had he not acted, the light might have done something to Chen Mu.

Xuetian, weak and gasping, muttered, "That must have been the primordial spirit of that Zhong fellow. His Nascent Soul was destroyed by Chen Mu’s strike, so he had no choice but to flee and attempt to possess Chen Mu. But your tiger drove him away. Had he possessed a Nascent Soul, he could have lingered, but as a lone primordial spirit, he is likely doomed. Even if he possesses someone else, he will have to start his cultivation from scratch. He poses no threat to us now."

The containment formation had dissipated; Gu Daozhen had deactivated it when Zhong Tianyao was reduced to charcoal, hoping to escape. He never expected to be specifically targeted by the demons the moment the battle ended. After a brutal thrashing, Gu Daozhen was left unable to fight back.

Xiahou Longchen and Xuetian slumped to the ground, catching their breath. Xiahou Longchen glanced secretly at the unconscious Chen Mu, lost in thought. Chihuo noticed his gaze and glared coldly, forcing Xiahou Longchen to offer a sheepish smile and look away.

After the remaining disciples fled, Chihuo carried Chen Mu, accompanied by the shrunken dragon-fox Rou'er, while ordering Yuanshan and Zongyu to drag Gu Daozhen along. The fleeing disciples were soon hunted down or captured by the Great Xia Imperial Army.

Xuetian had vanished without a trace, much to the frustration of Xiahou Longchen, who had intended to eliminate him as a threat to the continent. With no other choice, he let it go. Since the demons did not trust him, they escorted Chen Mu away from the Biluo Dao Sect toward the newly established Star-Gazing Valley.

With Rou'er’s aura extremely weak and Chen Mu unconscious, their situation was precarious. After a long, halting journey, they finally reached the valley. When the Chen family and Gu Xingyuan learned that Chen Mu had killed Zhong Tianyao but had collapsed as a result, they were filled with worry.

They placed Chen Mu in a cottage, hoping for his recovery. Days turned into weeks; nearly half a month passed, and Chen Mu had yet to wake. If not for the faint rhythm of his breathing, they would have assumed he was dead.

The dragon-fox Rou'er had recovered to her peak state. She spent her time curled up beside Chen Mu, keeping watch. She had not expected Chen Mu to suffer such a backlash; the detonation of the thunder dragon phantom must have caused severe spiritual damage. She felt a tinge of resentment at his reckless disregard for his own life. While killing Zhong Tianyao had been necessary for their survival, such self-destructive combat left her with a headache.

She decided that when he finally woke up, she would give him a proper lecture.