Hundreds of divine sense wisps were activated simultaneously.
In the void, light orbs lit up one after another, and from each orb, a figure emerged. These wisps of divine sense retained the combat instincts of their original masters and the full essence of the talents they represented.
Nearly a hundred figures stood in the void, their combined auras merging into a single, overwhelming pressure that made the air itself tremble.
“Is he crazy?!” Zhaoye was terrified. “He activated all the divine sense wisps at once? Didn't he only master three talents?!”
Xuandu also stared intently at the hundreds of figures in the void, his brow furrowed deeply.
Something was wrong.
The light orbs that were activated were not limited to three. Each orb represented a completely different talent, and every talent corresponded to a wisp of divine sense.
“Zhaoye,” Xuandu’s voice was somewhat dry. “He didn't master just three talents.”
“Huh?” Zhaoye turned to look at him. “Not three? Then how many?”
Xuandu raised his hand, and a dark green light glowed at his fingertip as he tapped the void.
A light screen unfolded, displaying the list of talents Chen Zhou had just mastered.
Zhaoye leaned in to look.
First line: Vajra Iron Bone.
Second line: Evil-Slaying Sword Manual.
Third line: Pill Fire Heart Sutra.
...
Zhaoye’s eyes grew wider and wider. The list was as long as an old woman’s foot-binding wrap, line after line, with no end in sight.
“How—how many? Tell me how many he mastered?!”
Xuandu took a deep breath and said, “Ninety-seven.”
“Impossible!” Zhaoye almost roared. “In just two incense sticks, he mastered ninety-seven talents?!”
The hall fell silent, with only the sound of Zhaoye’s heavy breathing remaining.
Ninety-seven talents in the time of two incense sticks.
What kind of concept was that?
Zhaoye felt his brain failing him. “What exactly is he trying to do?”
Xuandu didn't know either. He could only keep his eyes fixed on Chen Zhou in the void, his fingers clenched tightly behind his back.
Hundreds of divine sense wisps surrounded Chen Zhou, each one possessing a sharp and powerful aura.
Although they were only wisps of remnant souls left behind by their original masters, their combat instincts and the essence of their talents remained. Together, they were enough to crush anyone of the same stage and could even kill enemies at a higher stage.
Even Xuandu himself, if suppressed to the cultivation of a seventh-stage fifth symbiosis contract, would not dare claim a guaranteed victory against the combined assault of hundreds of genius divine sense wisps.
But Chen Zhou’s face showed no sign of tension.
He even found the time to crack his neck and rotate his wrists, as if performing some warm-up exercises.
Then, he raised his right hand, fingers splayed and palm facing upward.
A sinister wave rippled out from his palm in an instant.
【Festering Calamity】.
Chen Zhou directly unleashed the domain skill enhanced by his festering divinity. The eerie wave swept across the entire void, and every wisp of divine sense stiffened. A pitch-black brand was forcibly etched onto the forehead of each figure.
It could not be dispelled or purified.
The brand would continuously devour the target's vitality, spiritual power, and fortune, converting it all into death qi for Chen Zhou.
Nearly a hundred targets provided Chen Zhou with a never-ending supply of death qi, like a river surging into a flood.
As long as the death qi remained, the evil spirit would never perish.
Unperturbed, Chen Zhou took out the Zhaoye Ghost Decree and consumed one Source of Divine Power.
The Source of Divine Power turned into points of golden light, merging into his body. Then, through the transformation of the Zhaoye Ghost Decree, it became a gentle yet majestic force.
Chen Zhou’s consciousness instantly connected with the souls of all his Devout Believers and those of higher rank.
Among the tens of millions of believers, he quickly found a familiar aura.
Saint Plague Rat.
【Zhaoye Ghost Decree activated!】
【You have temporarily borrowed the ability of your believer "Plague Rat" — Great Plague Heaven.】
【This ability has been temporarily upgraded to the level of a divine technique.】
The corners of Chen Zhou’s mouth curled up slightly.
Great Plague Heaven at the divine technique level was, like Festering Calamity, a large-scale area-of-effect skill. It was perfectly suited for a group battle where a quick resolution was needed.
What would happen when two large-scale area-of-effect skills were stacked together?
Chen Zhou soon found out.
His Ghost Domain expanded, and a grey-white mist enveloped a hundred-zhang radius. Within the mist, the hundreds of divine sense wisps were simultaneously covered by both powers.
The Festering Brand clung to the forehead of each divine sense wisp like a parasite, madly devouring their power.
The poisonous fog of Great Plague Heaven seeped deep into the souls of every wisp, causing their bodies to fester, their reactions to slow, and the light of their divine sense to dim.
Meanwhile, the death qi within Chen Zhou’s body surged to a terrifying degree. A black river roared within him, nearly overflowing from his body.
Refreshingly good!
Chen Zhou took a deep breath, feeling the death qi within him that was so powerful it felt like it might explode. The curve of his smile widened.
This was what it meant to sustain oneself through combat.
The more enemies there were, the stronger he became.
Although the hundreds of divine sense wisps were weakened, they still retained their combat instincts. They struck simultaneously, their colorful attacks like a grand fireworks display, illuminating the entire void.
Chen Zhou raised his right hand. The Hatred Fire that ignored defenses leapt from his palm, expanding as it met the wind and turning into a black sea of fire that swept out in all directions.
When the divine sense attacks collided with the sea of fire, some were burnt through directly, while others were completely corroded. Some managed to pass through the fire and strike at Chen Zhou, only to be blocked three feet away by the dark red light screen rising from the Eternal Calamity Karma-Fire robe.
Only a few with higher cultivation could penetrate the protection of the Eternal Calamity Karma-Fire, but even then, their attacks on Chen Zhou’s body had little effect.
The surging death qi could instantly repair the minor, insignificant damage he sustained.
Chen Zhou stood in the center of the sea of fire, the dark red light screen of karma-fire flowing endlessly around him. The black Hatred Fire beneath his feet bloomed into a great black lotus.
Festering and decay took effect continuously, and the passive effects of Withering Venom stacked layer upon layer, seeping into every divine sense wisp through the gaps burnt by the Hatred Fire.
The weaker divine sense wisps had already been corroded into dregs. It was time for the harvest.
Chen Zhou raised his right hand, fingers pointing toward the sky, and suddenly clenched his fist.
The sky split open.
A thick bolt of lightning crashed down from the rift, slamming into the cluster of divine sense wisps and exploding into a sea of lightning.
Immediately after, Chen Zhou formed a hand seal with his left hand, and hundreds of sword qis emerged around him.
The sword qis hovered behind him, like Myriad Swords Returning to Ancestor.
Hundreds of sword qis shot out simultaneously like a torrential downpour, slashing densely at the festering divine sense wisps.
At the same time, Chen Zhou stomped his right foot heavily.
Nine Underworlds Cold Domain activated, and cold qi spread out from him in all directions, freezing even the air wherever it passed.
Chen Zhou took a deep breath and spat out a stream of fire.
Incinerating Heaven Fire Sea.
The black Hatred Fire and the crimson incinerating fire intertwined, turning into a black-and-red sea of fire that set the entire void ablaze.
The sea of lightning was above, the sea of fire was below.
In between, ten thousand sword qis crisscrossed.
The divine sense wisps were frozen in place by the Nine Underworlds Cold Domain, unable to move. They could only endure the baptism of these four layers of area-of-effect attacks, and they quickly dissipated into nothingness.
Only a few slightly stronger individuals were still putting up a desperate struggle, but their bodies were already stacked with nearly ten thousand layers of lethal poison.
Chen Zhou snapped his fingers, detonating the poisons one by one to finish them off.
Boom—!
With a world-shaking roar, the entire void trembled.
The final remaining divine sense wisps were blown to pieces simultaneously, turning into a shower of fragments that drifted down through the air.
Zhaoye Ghost Emperor stood below the high platform, staring in dumbfounded shock.
He couldn't even manage a complete sentence, as if he were struggling to process the scene before his eyes.
Xuandu stood beside him, his expression equally stunned.
He had seen countless geniuses attempt the third trial and many monsters challenge the divine sense wisps, but he had never seen anyone pass the trial in such a manner.
Activating all the divine sense wisps at once and then crushing them from start to finish with large-scale area-of-effect skills.
Was this even a trial? It was a massacre.
“Zhaoye,” Xuandu suddenly spoke, his voice somewhat dry.
“Hmm?”
“The Zhaoye Ghost Decree you gave him... he’s using it quite proficiently.”
Zhaoye’s mouth twitched. “Now I understand why he dared to activate so many divine sense wisps at once.”
Xuandu was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “I understand too.”
The two of them could more or less see the logic behind it. With Festering Calamity, the more enemies there were, the stronger he became.
Combined with the Zhaoye Ghost Decree, these two things meant that whether it was hundreds of divine sense wisps or a thousand, it was just a matter of spending a little more time.
In the void, the third incense stick had already burnt through more than half.
Incense ash fell, and blue smoke curled upward.
Chen Zhou stood in the center of the sea of fire, watching as the last wisp of divine sense completely dissipated under the baptism of sword qi, lightning, and fire after being shattered by the venom burst.
The trial was over.
Chen Zhou withdrew the Hatred Fire, dismissed the Ghost Domain, and reined in his death qi.
All the light orbs in the void went out, and the space became quiet once again.
He turned around, stepped out of the void, and landed back on the floor of the hall.
The Eternal Calamity Karma-Fire robe drifted gently behind him, the dark red calamity patterns slowly flowing across the black fabric.
Zhaoye and Xuandu looked at him, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
Being stared at by the two of them made Chen Zhou feel a bit uneasy. “What’s wrong?”
Zhaoye’s mouth opened and closed before he finally managed a few words: “You little monster.”
Xuandu smiled and shook his head. Then, he raised his right hand, and a dark green light flew out from his sleeve.
The light landed in front of Chen Zhou and transformed into a token. The token was the size of a palm, entirely green, with the character ‘Xuan’ engraved on the front and intricate tree patterns on the back.
【You have gained the favor of Xuandu Ghost Emperor.】
【You have obtained the inheritance of Xuandu Ghost Emperor — Xuandu Ghost Decree.】
【Talent is what heaven and earth favor. Some are born with knowledge, some learn and comprehend, and some break through through hardship.】
【The holder of this decree can consume one Source of Divine Power to steal any one ability from a hostile target, up to the level of a divine technique.】
【Upon successful theft, the original owner will lose that ability. The stolen ability will last for a period of time, depending on the original owner’s mastery of their own ability and the status gap between the two parties.】
【Note: Only one ability can be stolen at a time. The target of theft must be within the field of vision, and the target ability cannot exceed the holder's own status limit.】
【You have received the gifts of Zhaoye Ghost Emperor and Xuandu Ghost Emperor. You have obtained 5 Sources of Divine Power. Current: 6/10.】
Chen Zhou looked at the description on the system panel, his eyebrows rising slightly.
Ability theft?
This effect was somewhat similar to the Zhaoye Ghost Decree, but not entirely the same.
The Zhaoye Ghost Decree was for borrowing the abilities of believers. Its advantage lay in the fact that the targets were his own followers, whom he knew well and could use at any time, and the cost was relatively small—only one Source of Divine Power.
The Xuandu Ghost Decree, on the other hand, was for stealing the abilities of hostile targets, which both harmed the enemy and benefited himself.
Chen Zhou put away the token and said solemnly, “Thank you, senior.”
Xuandu waved his hand. “There is no need to thank me. You earned this.”
Zhaoye watched from the side with envy, chuckling. “How about it, kid? I didn't lie to you, did I?”
“Don't listen to this old ghost’s nonchalant tone. This Xuandu Ghost Decree is his lifeblood.”
“When the Great Emperor bestowed the Five Direction Ghost Decrees, each one was the core inheritance of a Ghost Emperor. He held onto it for hundreds of thousands of years and never once thought about giving it away.”
Chen Zhou turned to look at Xuandu. Xuandu had already returned to his usual cold expression, but his earlobes seemed to turn slightly red.
“Zhaoye, you talk too much,” Xuandu said coldly.
“So what if I talk too much? I’m happy!” Zhaoye said righteously. “How long has the Great Emperor's Palace been silent? It’s been over a hundred thousand years since anyone came! Finally, a decent little brat shows up, and I can't say a few words?”
He turned to Chen Zhou, the smile on his face fading slightly, replaced by a more serious tone.
“Kid, don't you go thinking we two old ghosts are stingy.”
“The Great Emperor's Palace fell an eon ago. The Wanchuan River has mostly dried up, leaving only a few small ponds.”
“The believers of the past have all aged, faded away, and been reincarnated as time passed. With the world changing, the new living beings do not know of the Northern Great Emperor, the Six Paths of Reincarnation, or the Five Direction Ghost Emperors.”
“After the Great Emperor’s death, we old ghosts could no longer fulfill our divine duties. Without divine duties, there is no new income of Sources of Divine Power.”
Zhaoye sighed, his blurred face looking somewhat desolate under the lamplight.
“In the current Great Emperor's Palace, Sources of Divine Power are rare items. Every one used is one fewer remaining.”
“The five you received now were squeezed out from between the teeth of us two old fellows. It truly is a bit meager.”
“If the Great Emperor were still alive, let alone five, even five hundred or five thousand would be but a drop in the bucket.”
Xuandu added, “But as it stands, we truly cannot produce any more.”
The tone of both men was calm, with no intention of complaining; they simply hoped Chen Zhou would not look down on the gift.
Chen Zhou certainly didn't. The stingy system only gave one or two at a time. Having lived a frugal life, five Sources of Divine Power were practically a luxury.
Chen Zhou performed a solemn bow.
“I will keep the gifts from both seniors in my heart.”
He truly did not mind the small amount. Seeing his sincere expression, Zhaoye’s smile returned.
“It’s good that you don't mind.” He patted Chen Zhou’s shoulder. “Actually, we two old ghosts giving you these things also has a selfish motive.”
“The Great Emperor's Palace has been silent for too long. The Great Emperor’s inheritance cannot be broken in our hands. If you can make it to the end, reach the peak of the Great Emperor's Palace, reopen the Six Paths, and take charge of the Wanchuan River, then we old ghosts will not have stood guard all these years in vain.”
Xuandu nodded. “What Zhaoye said is also my thought.”
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