That familiar sensation returned.
Lin Moyu still remembered that back in the Great World, he had once comprehended the Power Dao, and at that time his flesh body gained a special ability: against power that struck him again and again, his flesh body would adapt. Only later, that ability grew weaker and weaker until it vanished completely. He never expected it to appear again now.
He had thought it was because the Power Dao had reached its limit, but it seemed that was not the case. The Power Dao was only an aid. The true root lay in his own flesh body. Back then, the Power Dao had only accidentally activated this special ability of his body. Later, for reasons unknown, the ability hid itself again. Now, with spirit and flesh fully fused, both flesh body and soul perfected, the ability reappeared.
Yet this ability seemed useless against the annihilating power of the Life-Forbidden Zone.
Zijin Emperor's power seemed stronger than annihilating power, and yet Lin Moyu could adapt to his power. That meant annihilating power was not as simple as it looked on the surface, and perhaps there were deeper principles within it.
All these thoughts flashed through Lin Moyu's mind in an instant.
Through the lightning, Lin Moyu looked at Zijin Emperor. Seeing that Lin Moyu was fine, Zijin Emperor lost his composure again. His face showed profound shock, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.
At this moment, Zijin Emperor was also bathed in lightning. The Zijin Thunder Pagoda in his hand, while attacking Lin Moyu, was also attacking him. Relying on the treasure robe on his body, he neutralized most of it, but the remaining lightning still hurt without truly injuring him, and it was far from pleasant.
"How can you be fine?"
Zijin Emperor's tone revealed his Dao heart. His Dao heart had been shaken.
Lin Moyu knew that from this moment on, Zijin Emperor no longer had absolute certainty of victory against him. Everything had exceeded his expectations.
But this was only the beginning.
Lin Moyu's voice was calm. "You truly have many treasures, Emperor. Now it is time to see Lin's treasures."
The square Chess of All Living Beings appeared in his palm, blooming with dazzling radiance and releasing an unusual aura. The unique rules of a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth spread through the void. Thin threads emerged on their own, covering hundreds of millions of li and weaving into a棋board.
Zijin Emperor exclaimed, "This supreme treasure is actually in your hands!"
Lin Moyu smiled. "So the Emperor recognizes it."
Zijin Emperor snorted. "Even if it is in your hands, so what? With you, you still think you can refine it..."
His words cut off.
The game had already formed. It manifested within the Life-Forbidden Zone, covering all directions, enclosing both him and Lin Moyu within it. Vast rules rose and fell inside the game, telling him everything: Lin Moyu had already fully refined this treasure.
"Impossible. This is impossible! A Hongmeng supreme treasure is not something you can refine! Even this Emperor finds it difficult to fully refine it!"
Zijin Emperor's Dao heart took another blow. Lin Moyu had done what even he could not.
Lin Moyu smiled. "Whether it is possible or not, Emperor, please experience it personally."
"The Chess of All Living Beings activates. I invite the Emperor into the game."
The game roared to life. Zijin Emperor instantly became one of its pieces.
The terrifying rules within the Chess of All Living Beings suppressed Zijin Emperor's Thunder Pagoda. Both were Hongmeng supreme treasures, yet the Chess of All Living Beings was clearly superior. Moreover, it had been fully refined and controlled by Lin Moyu and could unleash its full power, while the Zijin Thunder Pagoda could not. It had not been fully refined and could not unleash its full power.
With one rising and the other falling, the Zijin Thunder Pagoda was immediately suppressed. Its lightning weakened drastically and shrank within the pagoda, unable to be released.
Zijin Emperor's expression turned grim. Within the game, a world existed of its own, with its own rules. Entering the game was equivalent to entering a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth with a master. Inside this game, he would be extremely passive. He had to break the game and escape.
Thinking so, he spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Zijin Thunder Pagoda. He used essence blood to drive it, using a Hongmeng supreme treasure to resist the Chess of All Living Beings.
As the master of the Chess of All Living Beings, Lin Moyu controlled the game and saw every reaction of Zijin Emperor clearly.
Break the game? In your dreams.
He waved his hand. "All living beings are pieces. I am the master of the game. Suppress."
Rules surged within the game. Vast rules turned into invisible pressure, as if an entire heaven-and-earth were bearing down, forcefully suppressing Zijin Emperor.
Zijin Emperor suffered an invisible heavy blow and spat blood. The purple aura around him scattered in large amounts and his face turned pale. The Zijin Thunder Pagoda was also suppressed. The lightning that had just risen was forced back down again.
The Chess of All Living Beings was unlike ordinary Hongmeng supreme treasures. It was forged with a Hongmeng supreme treasure as the foundation, then fused with an entire Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth and countless living beings, and finally refined with everything belonging to a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth's supreme powerhouse. Its power was unimaginably great.
Lin Moyu spoke heavenly words: "Within the Chess of All Living Beings, all living beings are equal, all are pieces. The game is open. War begins."
In an instant, countless troops appeared within the Chess of All Living Beings, and the war began.
Zijin Emperor suddenly discovered that he had gained a troop force under his command, around a million in number, and his aura dropped at this moment. These troops were all transformed from his power. The Chess of All Living Beings forcibly turned a portion of his power into troops.
At the same time, Zijin Emperor became a bystander. He could not participate in his troops' battles, only watch.
A murderous aura surged from all directions. Then came an ear-grating grinding sound.
Countless Undying Spirit Soldiers charged out. Their bones collided and scraped violently, producing an unpleasant noise. The number of Undying Spirit Soldiers was in the trillions, dense beyond measure, blotting out the sky and covering the earth, stretching layer upon layer so far that no end could be seen.
As the master of the game, Lin Moyu directly let the Undying Spirit Soldiers enter the game to fight for him.
This was bullying.
That sentence could not help but arise in Zijin Emperor's heart. How could his million troops possibly stand against a trillion Undying Spirit Soldiers? Against them, his million troops were like a single drop of water thrown into the sea, utterly insignificant, instantly swallowed.
Zijin Emperor suffered a heavy blow and spat blood again. His troops were slain, and all the damage was borne by him. Moreover, all the power consumed was absorbed by the game. Not only was he injured, his power also dropped drastically.
Lin Moyu's voice sounded again. "Second round of war, begin."
Vast rules descended again, giving Zijin Emperor no choice. Another portion of his power transformed into a million troops, but his opponent was still a trillion Undying Spirit Soldiers.
The million troops were doomed to defeat, and he was doomed to be injured again. That power would also be stripped and absorbed by the Chess of All Living Beings. If this continued, it would not take many rounds for Zijin Emperor to be drained dry, left with no power to resist.
Zijin Emperor also understood his situation. If he could not break the game, he would die.
"This Emperor underestimated you."
Zijin Emperor took out a small basin. Clean white water rippled inside it, emitting a completely different aura.
"Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, spacetime reversal."
He tilted the basin downward. The water poured out. The white instantly turned pitch-black. The falling water was black-and-white interwoven, strangely eerie.
The rules of the Chess of All Living Beings were dispersed by the water-vapor. Within that vapor, spacetime was chaotic. Worlds appeared one after another, endless in number. In those worlds were countless powerhouses, and now they charged out of the chaotic spacetime to join the game.
Lin Moyu sneered. As expected, you still have methods. Then let us see who wins.
Lin Moyu did not know what this treasure was called, but he roughly understood its function. It looked like a water basin, and the water within contained spacetime power, reflecting worlds in all directions. Zijin Emperor had lived through two Great Annihilation eras, and this Great Annihilation era was the third. Across three Great Annihilations, there were countless worlds and countless powerhouses. The worlds reflected in the basin now crossed spacetime into the game, becoming Zijin Emperor's subordinates.
They attacked strongly and battled the trillion Undying Spirit Soldiers. The fight was extremely fierce. Among these powerhouses were many true supreme powerhouses. When the Undying Spirit Soldiers met true supreme powerhouses, they were slaughtered in large numbers instantly. No matter how many the Undying Spirit Soldiers were, they could not do anything to true supreme powerhouses.
Lin Moyu tapped a finger, controlling the Chess of All Living Beings, and spoke heavenly words: "All living beings are equal."
The rules of the Chess of All Living Beings abruptly changed. Vast rules turned into invisible force and descended. Everyone's aura dropped, whether true supreme powerhouse or Supreme, all fell to the realm of Dao Venerable. The Undying Spirit Soldiers were no exception and also fell to Dao Venerable.
Within the game, all living beings were equal. But the resurrection ability of the Undying Spirit Soldiers was unaffected in the slightest. They could be killed and revive again, endless to slay, impossible to wipe out.
As for Zijin Emperor's troops, once they died, they truly died. Their spacetime imprints dissipated. From the basin, wisps of light smoke continuously rose. Each wisp represented the fall of a spacetime imprint. The water in the basin also decreased accordingly.
Zijin Emperor's expression became extremely ugly. The power of the Chess of All Living Beings, and the strangeness of Lin Moyu's methods, far exceeded his imagination. He knew that if this continued and he could not break the game, things would only worsen.
The battle raged. Both sides suffered casualties, but if one looked closely, the number of Undying Spirit Soldiers never seemed to decrease. In the past, Lin Moyu would hold back and rarely deploy all his summons, but this opponent was different. He had to fight with everything.
Killing intent surged in Zijin Emperor's eyes. His side's forces were gradually dwindling. He knew he had to break the game, or he would be exhausted to death.
He took out a pill the size of a fist and crushed it.
In an instant, the Chess of All Living Beings rumbled, as if an entire heaven-and-earth had shattered. The pill transformed into a heaven-and-earth projection, then flowed like water into Zijin Emperor's body.
Zijin Emperor's aura soared sharply, instantly returning to its peak. Then it broke beyond that peak, becoming stronger than when he arrived.
Lin Moyu saw all of it.
What a powerful pill. Even at this level it could still elevate someone. It was likely also a Hongmeng-tier pill.
Judging by Zijin Emperor's appearance, he seemed heartbroken. This pill was not easy to obtain. He likely did not have many, perhaps even only this one.
Zijin Emperor's aura stabilized at last, at least three tenths stronger than at the very beginning. Even his appearance changed, becoming younger and brimming with vitality.
Lin Moyu realized this pill did not push him beyond the limit, but restored Zijin Emperor to his absolute peak state. A Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth that had endured two Great Annihilations was already severely damaged, and with it Zijin Emperor's strength had been damaged as well. He had long ceased to be at his peak. That was precisely why Zijin Emperor slept, to slow his consumption and preserve his battle power as much as possible. If his consumption became too great, perhaps he would not even be able to cross the Life-Forbidden Zone, let alone change heaven and earth.
With Zijin Emperor restored to his peak, his aura was terrifyingly strong. The entire Chess of All Living Beings trembled. The rules within it faintly struggled to suppress him. It was not that the Chess of All Living Beings was not strong enough, but that Lin Moyu, who operated it, still fell short.
Now Lin Moyu was a true supreme powerhouse of the Nine-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth, and spirit and flesh fused, able to walk freely within the Life-Forbidden Zone. But in terms of realm and cultivation, compared to peak Zijin Emperor, he still lagged by quite a bit.
The Chess of All Living Beings was a Hongmeng supreme treasure. Without a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth backing him, even if he had fully refined it, he still could not unleash one hundred percent of its power.
Zijin Emperor, restored to peak, resisted with full force. The rules of the Chess of All Living Beings suffered violent impacts.
"Break for this Emperor!"
With a roar, Zijin Emperor's aura exploded to the utmost. From the basin-shaped Hongmeng supreme treasure in his hand surged a torrent of strange black-and-white water, turning into mist. Wherever it went, spacetime became chaotic, disrupting the rules within the Chess of All Living Beings.
At the same time, Zijin Emperor took out the Zijin Thunder Pagoda again. Lightning roared. With his support, the power of this Hongmeng supreme treasure increased significantly. Lightning swept within the Chess of All Living Beings, forcefully contending with the game's rules.
Even so, the Chess of All Living Beings remained firm and unextinguished.
"Break!"
Zijin Emperor's eyes widened. He spat essence blood, using it to fully drive the two Hongmeng supreme treasures.
Behind him, a heaven-and-earth projection slowly appeared, precisely his Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
He mobilized the power of his Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, and with his essence blood as the catalyst, drove the two Hongmeng supreme treasures in his hands to their limit.
Boom!
Thunder resounded through the Life-Forbidden Zone. Finally, lightning pierced through the Chess of All Living Beings and burst out. Then the lightning swelled, and the Chess of All Living Beings was shattered.
With a thought, Lin Moyu retrieved the Undying Spirit Soldiers and the Chess of All Living Beings.
Zijin Emperor's long hair danced wildly. Cracks had appeared on the Zijin Thunder Pagoda in his hand. This Hongmeng supreme treasure was damaged. But Hongmeng supreme treasures could repair themselves. Given some time, it would recover.
The basin treasure did not have a single drop of water left and could not be used for now.
Zijin Emperor broke free. But before he could feel joy for even a second, Lin Moyu pointed with a finger.
"Heaven burst, earth裂."
A booming sound erupted. The projection of Zijin Emperor's Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth behind him trembled violently.
Zijin Emperor's expression changed sharply. He spat blood again.
In Lin Moyu's hand, several pagodas that represented heaven-and-earth cores turned into nothingness.
This was something Lin Moyu had long prepared for this day. For this battle, he had prepared more than ten heaven-and-earth cores. Although these heaven-and-earth cores were only from Six-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth, once detonated their power was astonishing. A peak Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth would not fear this, but Zijin Emperor's Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth was already in a state of collapse. If it was struck from within, it would certainly be damaged.
"What did you do!"
Zijin Emperor roared.
He could not understand it. Another method he could not comprehend. He faintly felt fear.
Lin Moyu had hidden too many methods, strange and powerful. This opponent was too hard to deal with.
Lin Moyu sneered. "You will not understand."
He pointed again.
"Heaven burst, earth裂."
The remaining heaven-and-earth cores were detonated at the same time and vanished into dust. Within the projection of the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, violent explosions could be faintly seen. The heaven-and-earth shook even more violently.
Zijin Emperor spat blood once more. The aura he had raised with the pill dropped rapidly. His strength plummeted.
Lin Moyu did not waste words. He stepped forward and arrived before him. The Calamity Scepter swung with the motion.
Zijin Emperor raised a great sword and swept it through the void.
A thunderous bang. The Calamity Scepter was knocked back, and Zijin Emperor's great sword shattered on the spot.
Lin Moyu gripped the Calamity Scepter and charged in again, smashing down from above.
Zijin Emperor held up the Thunder Pagoda and pointed with a finger.
"Godslaying Thunder."
Boom!
Lin Moyu was blasted back. But Zijin Emperor did not have it easy either, also thrown back by the immense force. In particular, the Thunder Pagoda was further damaged in the clash with the Calamity Scepter. A few more hits and it might collapse.
Zijin Emperor glared. "This Emperor will镇殺 you!"
He took out several treasures, all at the level of a true supreme powerhouse, and hurled them at Lin Moyu.
The Calamity Scepter swept through. Those true supreme powerhouse-level treasures shattered instantly.
Lin Moyu drove the Calamity Scepter with full force, easily sweeping away treasures of that level. As with cultivation, if you were one tier lower, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
After sweeping away the treasures, Lin Moyu swung the Calamity Scepter again. A massive phantom flashed in the void. On the Calamity Scepter, the Domain Gemstone shone brilliantly. Projections of domains appeared one after another, endlessly forming and perishing. In their cycle of birth and destruction, they erupted with astonishing power, forming a牢 cage that bound Zijin Emperor.
Zijin Emperor roared. A pitch-black great bow suddenly appeared in his hand. He drew it to a full moon, and an arrow appeared on the bow. Black qi rose from the bow, and within the black qi countless runes emerged. The runes automatically fell into the arrow, and the arrow became even darker, several times darker than the Life-Forbidden Zone itself. All surrounding radiance was absorbed by this arrow.
Lin Moyu's expression changed. A danger warning came from his soul.
This bow was extremely dangerous.
Zijin Emperor's foundation truly ran deep.
Lin Moyu retreated rapidly, but it was too late.
"Die."
Zijin Emperor's face was gloomy. He spat essence blood onto the bow.
"Soul-Slaying Arrow."
The pitch-black arrow pierced through the void, giving Lin Moyu no time to react, and it had already entered Lin Moyu's body.
Lin Moyu froze on the spot, as if he had lost all sensation. Countless wounds suddenly tore open across his body. Faintly, blood seemed to flow. His aura plummeted sharply. His soul seemed to be dispersing.
Zijin Emperor sneered repeatedly. "Soul-Slaying Arrow. One arrow slays the soul, slaying all true supreme powerhouses. If the price were not too great, this Emperor would not have waited until now to use it."
His face was pale. This arrow cost him greatly as well.
The Soul-Slaying Arrow used the soul itself, not soul power. It slew the enemy and slew the caster. Hurt the enemy a thousand, self-damage eight hundred.
Relying on the strength of his own soul, Zijin Emperor paid three tenths of his soul as the price to slay Lin Moyu's soul.
Lin Moyu's soul aura kept dropping, as if it would scatter at any moment.
Yet Zijin Emperor felt something was wrong. The aura fell, but it did not disperse. Lin Moyu's soul was like a bottomless pit, never reaching the bottom.
After only three breaths, a far more vast soul aura surged up from within Lin Moyu. His wounds healed instantly. Lin Moyu returned to peak and looked at Zijin Emperor with a smile.
"This method is not bad."
Zijin Emperor's expression froze on the spot. He shouted in shock, "Impossible! How can you be fine!"
Lin Moyu smiled. "You have not comprehended real and empty within the soul. Even if I told you, you would not understand. The Soul-Slaying Arrow can slay souls, but it can only slay a few souls."
Lin Moyu's soul had long been fused as real and empty. He had countless split souls integrated into every corner of his body. The Soul-Slaying Arrow had only slain a few before it was exhausted. It did no real harm to Lin Moyu.
The reason Lin Moyu waited three breaths was because he was studying the Soul-Slaying Arrow. The Soul-Slaying Arrow was not a treasure, but a powerful technique: paying one's own soul as the price to slay the opponent's soul.
This arrow cost others dearly, but to him it was like no cost at all. If the soul was insufficient, simply self-destruct and be reborn. Moreover, he had endless soul particles, and each soul particle had absorbed vast heaven-and-earth power. Using these soul particles as the base, even if the first arrow emptied one soul particle, he could release countless arrows in an instant.
What was more, this arrow could be powered not only by the soul, but by other things as well.
This Soul-Slaying Arrow technique was not particularly profound. To Lin Moyu, mastering it was not difficult at all.
He had been worrying about how to kill this fellow. This was truly a pillow delivered right when he was drowsy.
Many thanks.
Lin Moyu laughed inwardly. While Zijin Emperor was still in shock, Lin Moyu's fingers danced. His soul roared, forming a pitch-black great bow. The bow was smaller than Zijin Emperor's, but it was enough. He drew it fully, and a pitch-black Soul-Slaying Arrow formed instantly.
A sharp pain tore through his soul as a portion was forcibly cut away. Lin Moyu was used to dying. This level of pain was less than an itch. He generously cut away seven tenths of his soul,凝聚 it into a Soul-Slaying Arrow.
"Soul-Slaying Arrow."
Zijin Emperor jolted awake. "How can you use Soul-Slaying Arrow!"
Lin Moyu chuckled. "Such a simple technique, one glance and I learned it."
Zijin Emperor cried out, "Impossible!"
Lin Moyu smiled. "Then watch."
Black qi also rose from the bow, dense with runes. The runes fell onto the arrow body. The Soul-Slaying Arrow formed rapidly. The process was exactly the same as before.
The essence of this technique lay in those runes. And anything involving runes, in Lin Moyu's eyes, was something he could learn with one glance. If one glance was not enough, then he would simply look a few more times.
"Have a taste."
The Soul-Slaying Arrow shot out and vanished into the void.
Zijin Emperor also could not avoid it. He was hit instantly.
A惨 scream rang out. The Soul-Slaying Arrow was purely about slaying the soul, with no tricks. Its power was utterly terrifying. This was a mutual-destruction technique, ruthless and poisonous, ruthless to the enemy and even more ruthless to oneself.
Zijin Emperor's soul aura plummeted sharply. His soul suffered a grievous blow.
He took out another pill and crushed it. A heaven-and-earth projection appeared. Zijin Emperor's aura stopped falling and began to surge sharply upward.
His eyes were full of pain as he stared at Lin Moyu. "Soul-Slaying Arrow slays others only by slaying oneself first. You must be heavily injured too..."
Before he could finish, Lin Moyu's aura shifted and he was already back at peak.
Lin Moyu had fused spirit and flesh. Within his flesh body were countless soul particles. Each soul particle could be seen as a miniature soul. Now, only one soul particle merged into his soul. The heaven-and-earth power absorbed within that particle erupted, instantly healing Lin Moyu completely.
Lin Moyu smiled. "Heavily injured? That does not exist."
He tapped a finger again. Another great bow appeared. He drew it to a full moon. A Soul-Slaying Arrow formed and shot out.
Zijin Emperor's face changed drastically. He took out a mirror and instantly drilled into it. The Soul-Slaying Arrow followed and also entered the mirror. The scene within the mirror shifted. The Soul-Slaying Arrow abruptly appeared in the void hundreds of millions of li away, flying off into the distance, having lost its target.
Lin Moyu was slightly startled. There was such a treasure?
The Soul-Slaying Arrow locked onto the soul. There was no escape. Yet this mirror could evade the Soul-Slaying Arrow.
Regardless of this mirror's tier, its function was extremely special.
But then again.
The Calamity Scepter swept out.
You can dodge the Soul-Slaying Arrow, but can you dodge the Calamity Scepter?
As the Calamity Scepter swept out, another great bow formed. A Soul-Slaying Arrow was poised. If Zijin Emperor dared to come out, Lin Moyu would shoot him immediately. If he did not come out, then the Calamity Scepter would smash the mirror.
Zijin Emperor did not come out.
The Calamity Scepter struck the mirror head-on. The mirror shattered at once.
At the moment it shattered, a vast heaven-and-earth suddenly appeared. The annihilating power of the Life-Forbidden Zone surged in, trying to crush this heaven-and-earth. Heaven-and-earth and annihilating power violently clashed. The void thundered and shook without ceasing. The space of the Life-Forbidden Zone shattered.
The space of the Life-Forbidden Zone was extremely solid, but once it began to break, it collapsed like an avalanche, impossible to stop.
Lin Moyu was swept into it at once and could not break free for a time.
Zijin Emperor also rushed into the shattered space and vanished.