DD Spiritual Sword [609-612] (Patreon)

Chapter 609: The Divine Guard Legion Annihilated — God of Destruction and the Golden Dragon King

If over four hundred level-100 powerhouses gathered and combined their strength to resist the music, they might just manage it—but two hundred were far from enough.

Ning Fengzhi had anticipated Qian Xunji's tactics, which was why he made his move as soon as the enemy split into two separate forces.

He'd even prepared follow-up plans. If it were him commanding, he wouldn't have split the troops evenly; he'd have sent only fifty to scatter.

In that case, Ning Fengzhi could only have the Guqin Spirit Master Corps appear in waves: first control fifty enemies, then draw a portion of the remaining three hundred-plus over and fight a positional battle.

He hadn't expected that the dull-witted Qian Xunji would split his force into two equal halves. Ning Fengzhi immediately concluded he was finished; the battle was already decided.

"Entire army, hear my command: at any cost, slaughter the Divine Guard Legion controlled by the Evil Sword Immortal!"

At Ning Fengzhi's order, thousands of spirit masters shifted their tune to an exalted, fierce battle anthem—an order forcing the controlled divine attendants to charge, a suicide assault.

Countless divine attendants ignited their divine power and rushed toward those not yet controlled in the center of the battlefield, each one as deathless as Tang Chen detonating nine rings at once.

They were all level-100 powerhouses. Even with thousands of spirit masters amplifying Huan Yin's melody, they couldn't be controlled for long. Better to send them all to their deaths now—dragging their comrades with them—than let them break free later.

Boom, boom, boom!!!

 Explosions of self-detonation thundered in the sky. Such frenzied attacks couldn't be stopped even by an eight-winged angel at the God-King level. In moments, charred corpses rained from above.

Four hundred divine attendants—annihilated!

 "Good. Hongjun, Rongrong, assist Uncle Sword and Senior God of Lust. Encircle Qian Xunji on all sides. New Emperor Battle Team, seven-in-one fusion skill. Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan—unleash Ice-Fire Thunder Dragon. Huan Yin, mass support!" Ning Fengzhi commanded.

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

Though most of those under Ning Fengzhi's command now far surpassed him in strength, none hesitated. They obeyed him wholeheartedly.

Qian Xunji was boxed in on all four sides by first-rank gods; above him, the Ice-Fire Thunder Dragon at true god level; below, Shui Bing'er as Ice Phoenix, barely reaching god-level threshold under the seven-in-one fusion.

"How is this possible?" Qian Xunji was shocked. A worshiper of raw power, he always looked down on the weak—but now, four hundred level-100 powerhouses had been maneuvered into total annihilation by a support-type Titled Douluo in the nineties.

And he himself was now sealed off on all six sides with no gaps. The Ice-Fire Thunder Dragon and Ice Phoenix might be weaker than him, but under Huan Yin's Yaoguang Score not far off, their power was surging while his was suppressed. He'd need at least two moves to decisively defeat them.

But in this situation, the four first-rank gods wouldn't give him a second move.

Break out? Impossible. Force it? He couldn't beat so many god-level foes. Chen Xin alone matched his offensive power.

"This is our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect master, Ning Fengzhi. Qian Xunji, when it comes to strategy, you're leagues beneath our Fengzhi," Chen Xin said with a faint smile.

More furious than Qian Xunji at this moment was the Evil Sword Immortal. He hadn't expected so many obstacles to a plan he thought would be easy.

First, Qian Renxue's rule-type divine technique kept the gods who had surrendered to him from leaving the God Realm, ruining ninety percent of his plan. Now this ant, Ning Fengzhi, had wrecked his army through sheer stratagem.

He only wanted to reclaim his missing seventh of the Seven Deadly Sins. Why was it so hard?

In both strength and influence, he clearly had the advantage.

"In that case, don't blame me for getting rough. Even if I have to destroy Douluo Continent ahead of schedule, I will reclaim the God of Lust," the Evil Sword Immortal snarled.

He still had two cards left, though neither was entirely controllable, which was why he'd avoided using them. But now, without them, he couldn't take back the God of Lust. He hadn't fully seized the God Realm's core, so he couldn't act personally either.

"Heh, ready to send me and that other guy?" a bold male voice sounded behind him.

A massive golden dragon appeared, its scales gleaming with gorgeous light. Each diamond-shaped scale had a raised center where two diagonal lines crossed, forming four ridges—thick, solid, and razor-sharp.

The number of scales was incalculable. Great wings spread from its back. From its head and jaw sprouted spikes; those on the head continued down the spine to the tail. The tail was long and bristled with spikes, like a gigantic spiked mace.

This terrifying dragon was nearly a thousand zhang long. Its eyes were ruby-red, filled with ferocity and rage.

"Golden Dragon King, I've broken your seal. It's time you repaid me," the Evil Sword Immortal said.

"Heh, fine—can't beat you anyway. And I sense the Silver Dragon King is on that continent. I'm going to devour her," the Golden Dragon King replied. As the embodiment of the Dragon God's evil side, he didn't care about gratitude. He obeyed because the Evil Sword Immortal was strong—and because he desired to avenge himself against the God Realm and devour the Silver Dragon King to become the new Dragon God.

The Golden Dragon King turned and flew toward the God Realm passage. As for the "other guy" he mentioned, that one had already headed to Douluo Continent.

…

Above Seven Treasure Mountain, the fierce battle had become one-sided suppression. Qian Xunji was besieged by seven god-level powerhouses, including four first-rank gods—he was no match.

Crucially, all four first-rank gods wielded divine weapons; Ning Rongrong's Sea God Trident was even a super-artifact. Without an artifact himself, he could only use body and divine power to clash, taking heavier and heavier injuries.

If not for his current God-King-level divine power, Chen Xin would have taken his head long ago.

Just then, a bolt of purple-black lightning slashed down from the sky toward Huan Yin, the strongest support who wasn't directly fighting.

"They're here," Ning Fengzhi said coolly. "Huan Yin, Heavenly Sound Formation."

He'd anticipated this scene and warned Huan Yin to prepare for a sneak attack. Huan Yin deployed the Heavenly Sound Formation and, using four tonal avatars, blocked the strike.

"Lord God of Destruction, please show yourself," Ning Fengzhi called.

A man in purple robes descended, his expression complicated. "Human, it seems you knew I would come."

"Yes. From the God of Lust I learned the temperaments of the five God Kings. The Evil God King is dead; the Asura God is likely wishing for death; the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Kindness would never aid the Evil Sword Immortal. Only you—you care too much for the God Realm. With him controlling the God Realm's core, one word from him can decide the fate of the realm. For the God Realm, you have no choice but to comply," Ning Fengzhi explained.

The God of Destruction was not a human ascendant, but a god born in the God Realm. To him, the realm was home; he could not watch it perish.

"You do understand my predicament. Forgive me, human. I cannot allow the God Realm to be destroyed—so your lower world must be sacrificed," the God of Destruction said coldly.

Chapter 610: A Desperate Situation — Three God Kings

"In that case, please make your move, Lord God of Destruction. We won't hold back either," Ning Fengzhi said with steady gaze. His bearing already surpassed many gods; faced with a God-King, he showed no fear.

Or rather, he trusted his family. He was support—his confidence rose with the strength of those he supported. And his confidence was, as always, his lifelong trust in the sword path of Chen Xin.

"Don't rush. If not for the sake of the God Realm, I wouldn't want to kill you. Live a little longer—someone else is coming," the God of Destruction said helplessly.

Strangely, the usual power-obsessed god was willing to converse with a mere Titled Douluo ant.

"Someone else?" Ning Fengzhi frowned. Even as smart as he was, foreseeing the Evil Sword Immortal's move and the God of Destruction's arrival was already his limit. He couldn't imagine who else could come now.

Under Qian Renxue's God-King-level rule seal, even first-rank gods couldn't descend. Only God Kings could. Could the Goddess of Kindness and the Goddess of Life have defected?

That contradicted their natures. They weren't the sort to value the God Realm over all living things.

A sky-blotting shadow answered him: a colossal golden dragon, larger than Seven Treasure Mountain by orders of magnitude, nearly a thousand zhang long, with ruby eyes brimming with savagery.

Its oppressive aura was no weaker than the God of Destruction's.

Seeing it, Chen Xin and the others ceased fighting; the God of Lust's pupils shrank in fear. "The Golden Dragon King. That bastard Evil Sword Immortal even released him."

The Golden Dragon King inherited the Dragon God's mighty physique—immense strength, impervious to blades, speed unmatched. It was said even space-time turbulence that could threaten a God King could not harm it. It wielded the power of annihilation, commanding world-ending might. Cocooned as a dragon chrysalis for years, it had absorbed the God Realm's divine power. Though far from the original Dragon God, it was at least equal to a God King—and thus could break Qian Renxue's seal.

"Heh, God of Destruction, long time no see. Didn't expect you to become someone else's lapdog," the Golden Dragon King taunted, ignoring the others. Of the five God Kings, the one it disliked most was this old stick-in-the-mud.

"Golden Dragon King, you're no better—didn't you also submit to the Evil Sword Immortal?" the God of Destruction shot back. The two never saw eye to eye.

"Hmph. I'm not like you. I'm making a deal," the Golden Dragon King snorted, its draconic gaze locking onto Seven Treasure City within the mountain. It roared, "Silver Dragon King, come out. I know you are there. Merge with me. Let me devour you, and we can restore the Dragon God's power."

…

"It's the Golden Dragon King!" In a secret chamber in Seven Treasure City, Gu Yuena felt his aura. She wanted to go out and subdue him, but Tianlin was in deep meditation at the most critical juncture of his breakthrough. Nothing could go wrong.

"Lord, don't worry. Before entering trance, Tianlin said to leave everything to his master, father-in-law, wife, and little brother. With them here, the Golden Dragon King won't break in. We keep guarding Xiaotian," the Skydream Ice Silkworm said earnestly, without his usual levity.

With Tianlin inheriting the Asura God's position, he and the Silver Dragon King could reshape bodies as divine beasts—but there was no time. Even so, their spiritual cultivation had recovered to the peak. Especially the Silver Dragon King: having offered herself to the Holy Spirit Pearl, she was now its guardian divine beast and could wield part of its power.

Now, with soul alone, she could cast seven-element immortal arts of wind, fire, water, earth, thunder, yin, and yang. In actual combat, she was no weaker than the Golden Dragon King—hence she had to be Tianlin's most crucial bodyguard.

Her silence enraged the already irascible Golden Dragon King. Its dragon might burst forth.

On aura alone, the king of soul beasts smashed the Ice-Fire Thunder Dragon and Ice Phoenix from the sky.

Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Shui Bing'er, and the other Emperor Team members understood: the Golden Dragon King's combat power was nothing like Qian Xunji's. They couldn't take part in what came next.

The four first-rank gods resisted the dragon might, but its violent pressure shook their hearts. They dared not act rashly, only keep watch.

Now the enemy had three God-King-level beings, while they had only four first-rank gods. The situation had completely reversed, and most hearts sank into despair.

"Ugh!"

Elsewhere, Bibi Dong clutched her head and halted her battle with Qian Renxue. In truth, she'd been off ever since the Mind-Control Melody began.

Her soul was sealed deep within; her soul defense was weak. The melody had affected her somewhat.

"Could Mother's soul be trying to retake her body because of that melody?" Qian Renxue murmured.

"Qian Renxue, take your mother away from the battlefield—to where she can be saved," Chen Xin urged.

"But, Master, here—" Qian Renxue looked over, worried. They were facing three God Kings. If her God-King power left, how could they hope to win?

"Do not worry. We will win. We must," Chen Xin said. He had fought a lifetime without fear—and today was no different.

Perhaps his undefeated record inspired faith. Qian Renxue nodded, grabbed Bibi Dong, and flew away.

The God of Destruction and the Golden Dragon King had no interest in Bibi Dong. Qian Xunji wanted to pursue, but recalling the Evil Sword Immortal's orders, he dared not; he'd be punished. He didn't believe Qian Renxue could save Bibi Dong anyway. He'd capture the mother and daughter later.

"Hey, God of Destruction—and you, scum—attack together and finish them. Make it quick," the Golden Dragon King said to Qian Xunji and the God of Destruction.

He wasn't about fairness or honor; he prized results. In the original story, facing the greatly weakened Tang San and company, he hadn't hesitated to strike when they were down.

"Fine. Give them a swift end," the God of Destruction closed his eyes, gathering annihilating lightning. He didn't want to kill them, but for the God Realm's safety, there was no other way. He'd at least spare them suffering—a final mercy.

As for Qian Xunji, the bully didn't dare contradict the Golden Dragon King at all.

Chapter 611: Three vs. Three — A Fair Fight?

Three God-King-level beings advanced, their aura terrifying.

"I'll leave the rest to you," Ning Fengzhi said. If it were only the God of Destruction, his plan had a hundred percent chance. The Golden Dragon King's sudden appearance ruined that, cutting odds below fifty percent.

No matter. Against three God Kings, having nearly a fifty-percent chance was remarkable.

"Don't worry, Father," Ning Rongrong said, Sea God Trident in hand at the front, with Ma Hongjun and the God of Lust at her sides.

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin couldn't help a pang of worry and guilt. As father and grandfather, they were letting their child stand in front to face overwhelming foes. But the greater cause mattered most. For victory, there was no other way.

Ning Fengzhi's gaze firmed. His nine spirit rings spun around him and fused.

The three God Kings didn't wait; they moved as he prepared.

"Golden Dragon Shock Burst."

"Annihilating Divine Thunder."

"Fallen Angel's Radiance!"

A golden shockwave, a bolt of purple-black lightning, and a beam of pitch-black light lanced toward Seven Treasure Mountain.

If they hit, not only the mountain—everything within thousands of miles would be razed, life extinguished.

"Fire God Spear Technique—Divine Blaze Wildfire, Nothing Unburned."

"Original Sin—Dance of Lustful Heavenly Demon."

"Golden Thirteen Halberds—Man and Halberd as One, Stars Shift."

The three first-rank gods knew well the power gap. To block those moves, they could only fight with their lives and unleash their strongest techniques.

Ma Hongjun faced the Golden Dragon King. In the Douluo world, phoenixes never surpassed dragons. At first clash, the gap was colossal; the Divine Artifact Fire God Spear couldn't even compete with the Golden Dragon King's flesh.

"Hmph. A phoenix? Trash," the Golden Dragon King snorted, increasing power. The spear's tip cracked.

The God of Lust faced her former master, the God of Destruction. Since reuniting, neither had spoken. The God of Lust had no idea what to say; the God of Destruction didn't moralize her into sacrificing herself. He knew she wasn't his match. Better to kill her himself than let the Evil Sword Immortal devour her. The Evil Sword Immortal only wanted the god position's power; the God of Lust's death would return it to the core, awaiting a new inheritor.

"Forgive me, God of Lust. This is all I can do for you," he sighed, his thunder swelling.

"Ugh!"

With twin cries, two figures were hurled back. Even staking everything, Ma Hongjun and the God of Lust were no match for the Golden Dragon King and the God of Destruction. Both were heavily injured, unable to continue. But their all-out strikes did block the Golden Dragon Shock Burst and Annihilating Divine Thunder—not a pointless sacrifice.

Only Ning Rongrong, wielding a super-artifact, fought Qian Xunji to a draw with the last form of the Golden Thirteen Halberds.

"Not bad. You blocked our attacks even without your lives," the Golden Dragon King said approvingly. It seldom recognized humans; their resolve was worthy—worthy to die by its hand.

"By comparison, we have a useless one," the God of Destruction glanced at Qian Xunji. "A God King who can't handle a newly minted first-rank goddess."

"Laughable indeed. If the first Fallen Angel God, Lucifer, knew his successor became such a useless waste, he'd jump out of his coffin," the Golden Dragon King jeered.

Qian Xunji's face darkened. As the most exalted Pope of the continent in his day, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? But he couldn't fight the two who mocked him.

He could only vent on Ning Rongrong, gathering divine power to strike again—this time to kill the girl.

Ning Rongrong raised her trident, refusing to back down even alone.

"Rongrong, fall back. The rest is on us three," Chen Xin called.

Ning Rongrong looked back at the three stalwart figures—her guardians since childhood: Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong, and Chen Xin. Even as a goddess now, standing behind them, she still felt utterly safe.

The three shielded her. Ning Fengzhi smiled. "All preparations are complete. Three versus three—fair enough."

Fair? The three enemies were baffled. They were three God Kings; their opponents were two Titled Douluo and a first-rank goddess. How was this fair?

Qian Xunji burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Ning Fengzhi, you're ignorant. To deal with you three, I alone am enough."

"Is that so? Come try," Chen Xin said, not even sparing him a glance, sword aura suppressed, fearless before three God Kings.

His disdain enraged Qian Xunji. This resurrected version held only negative emotions—another fatal flaw. At least the original could remain rational in battle to fully wield his strength.

Now, goaded by a few words, he lost control, turning into a streak of black light toward Chen Xin.

"Idiot, get back!" the Golden Dragon King roared. "Can't you read the situation? That man feels no less dangerous than the Evil Sword Immortal."

Too late. Qian Xunji had already charged. In the next instant, Chen Xin's gaze sharpened. Before Qian Xunji could react, four of his eight wings were severed, and a sword mark split his abdomen. He staggered back—had God-King-level power not protected him, he'd be dead.

"He hasn't even drawn his sword. Mere stray sword aura dealt such a grievous wound. What offense power—far beyond a God King's. How is this possible? How did he do it?" the God of Destruction was aghast. A Sword God's offense was known to be strong—but not like this. If the Sword God were this powerful, the God Committee seats would have changed ages ago.

"I saw it—just now. That man fused all his spirit rings, then detonated them—raising himself to god level in one breath—and used the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to buff Chen Xin," the Golden Dragon King said. As a beast, his senses were sharper; he alone had caught it.

Chapter 612: Seven Treasure Glazed Sword-Bone Combo — Chen Xin Seconds Qian Xunji

Half a minute earlier, as Ning Rongrong and the others blocked the three God Kings' attacks, Ning Fengzhi used the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's ring-fusion talent to merge his nine rings.

This talent was considered the least useful for the Pagoda. After fusing, only one skill could be used, losing the Pagoda's hallmark of full-stat support—fusion was usually a detriment.

But everything exists for a reason. No talent is useless; it depends on how it's used.

Across generations, Seven Treasure sect masters had tried countless methods—from rings and bones to secret arts—to evolve the Pagoda. All failed, but left vast knowledge.

The Soul-Guiding Bone-Tempering Method was one of them. If it spread, it would violate Heaven's order, so only Ning Fengzhi and Tianlin knew it.

There were other extreme techniques sealed away. One sect master once wondered: what if the Seven Treasure's ring fusion combined with the Clear Sky Sect's ring detonation? What would happen?

Would the instant burst augmentation transform the martial soul?

That sect master—Ning Fengzhi's grandfather—went to Clear Sky and asked then-sect master Tang Chen. Tang Chen refused to pass on Clear Sky secrets, though he demonstrated ring detonation as a courtesy.

The sect master immediately grasped the essence: unleash a ring's power in an instant, turning it into your own and fusing it into an attack, yielding strength far beyond your norm. The higher the ring's quality, the better the effect.

He returned and studied, leaving notes—but learning such profundity from a glance was impossible.

Not long ago, Ning Fengzhi revisited those notes and sought Tang Xiao. This time Tang Xiao did not hold back. Though he couldn't use Great Sumeru Hammer or ring detonation himself, he knew much by osmosis.

Together they forged a stronger profundity: Ring Burst.

 It combined fusion and detonation: first fuse nine rings, then explode them, pouring all ring power into self-augmentation. The flaw: detonated rings could recover; burst-fused ones could not. Not only the rings—afterward, the martial soul itself would shatter. A complete cripple.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime, all-or-nothing divine art—usable only by those with fusion talent.

But its effect was staggering, the instant burst eclipsing normal detonation many times over. After Ring Burst, Ning Fengzhi's life level rose to god tier.

The Pagoda's greatest strength is this: as long as the life level matches, it can provide support, and the support magnitude remains unchanged.

This is crucial. Other support spirits—like the famed Ruyi Disk—offer similar boosts at equal levels, but they all share a flaw: if the supporter's level is far below the recipient's, the boost diminishes.

A rank-10, one-ring Ruyi Disk might boost another rank-10 by 10%, but supporting a Titled Douluo it might be only 1%, and for an Extreme Douluo, fractions of a percent.

The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, however, gives a fixed 20% boost from a one-ring to a rank-99 Extreme Douluo, increasing by 10% per ring. That's its terror.

Once Ning Fengzhi reached god level—even the weakest tier—his life level matched a first-rank god, so the Pagoda could be used again. And after Ring Burst, he no longer suffered fusion's single-skill limit, and all skills doubled in potency.

In other words, Chen Xin's strength, defense, speed, and divine power were boosted by 200%—tripled. His offense, with the dual augments of the Fifth "Attack" and Sixth "Increase," rose by 400%—fivefold.

A Sword God's offense at fivefold. What does that mean? Qian Xunji should be grateful he was hit only by stray sword aura. Had Chen Xin drawn his blade, God King or not, he'd be dead.

"It's not over. Nine Treasures has a name—Ninth Light, Immortality!"

From the Pagoda's spire, two beams shot forth. With all skills doubled, the immortality beam that once covered only one now covered two, bathing Chen Xin and Gu Rong.

Ning Fengzhi's "immortality" prevents those of the same life level from killing the target. When he was mortal, even Extreme Douluo Qian Daoliu couldn't kill Chen Xin—because Qian Daoliu was mortal too.

Now, with Ning Fengzhi briefly a god, any attack—from divine guards to supreme God Kings—of the same life level could not kill Chen Xin or Gu Rong.

Gu Rong used his Ninth Skill, Bone-Dragon Apotheosis, becoming a massive bone dragon to cocoon Ning Fengzhi.

Gu Rong could not die. He might suffer under a God King's blow, but he wouldn't retreat—because Ning Fengzhi was the key to victory.

Chen Xin knew Ning Fengzhi's buff wouldn't last—three to four minutes at most. He couldn't waste a second.

"Sword Dao—Destruction!"

Chen Xin invoked Destruction under immortality once more.

Now, Destruction quintupled all base attributes. Sadly, it stacks additively, not multiplicatively, with the Pagoda buffs—else he'd dare behead the Evil Sword Immortal himself.

Even so, Chen Xin's strength, defense, speed, and divine power were now eight times a first-rank god's. His offense was ten times a God King's.

What does that mean?

Chen Xin opened sword-bright eyes; his gaze alone blasted Qian Xunji back and etched dozens of sword scars across him. The once sleek eight black wings now looked like a molting black chicken—ragged and pathetic.

"Sword Dao Chen Xin, I'll kill you!!!" Qian Xunji roared, gathering all power, curling into a ball—like the prelude to the Angel's ultimate edict that Qian Renxue once used.

Chen Xin would never allow it. He flickered forward—so fast even the Golden Dragon King and God of Destruction barely tracked him—piercing the glowing ring around Qian Xunji.

First, a punch to the abdomen shattered his gathered divine power. Then Seven Kill Sword flashed—one stroke to take the head. The annihilating sword intent reduced body and soul to dust.

The Fallen Angel God King—fallen!

 Chen Xin turned to the Golden Dragon King and God of Destruction. "One down. Two to go," he said calmly.

"Is… this something humans can do?" the Golden Dragon King felt fear for the first time—and the first true respect for humans he had scorned.

Ning Fengzhi had used wisdom to amplify Chen Xin, a first-rank god, to such terrible heights. In this world, it wasn't only power that freed one from being an ant—wisdom could, too.