Chapter 476: A terrifying Domain

Just as the Imperial City was being assaulted by the fallout of the giant sun pillar falling on the Everlasting Earth Palace, Cao Yun and the young alchemists were protected beneath the barrier created by Hua Fenfei. However, they could see all the damage. In the distance, clouds of dust and loud explosions were everywhere. Some other array formations were protecting some parts of the Imperial City of course, but they were not enough to completely cancel the violence of the attack. Even if the Everlasting Earth Palace stood firm, this would exert a huge toll on the Hongchen Kingdom.

Indeed, the families of many officials were living there. This was convenient for the Imperial Palace as they could both use them as hostage and teach them as they saw fit at the same time. Having a way of pressuring the officials while educating the next generation of officials was too convenient to pass on. But that also meant that an attack on the Imperial City could cripple the Hongchen Kingdom. On the other hand, this would unite all the officials in their desire for vengeance. Even the provinces who were far from the borders would want to go to war after such an aggression.

Cao Yun and the other alchemists were still helping Hongyu absorb the medicinal essence of the Frozen Fire pill. Unlike Cao Yun, she would not keep it inside her to slowly absorb it. Indeed, as a human, Cao Yun couldn't simply absorb all of the medicinal essence in one go or his Middle Dantian could be damaged. Although he wanted to progress fast and risks were necessary to take from time to time, he wasn't going to be reckless. The medicinal essence of the Frozen Fire pill was still trapped within his Chamber of the Mysterious Elixir. Along his meditations, he would absorb the Fire Qi within bit by bit, slowly filling his Middle Dantian and breaking through to 5th-grade Mortal Warrior. After that, he would need to use both his Water Qi and his Fire Qi to temper his meridians, just like he had done to his Five Prodigious Gates. Considering his blood and his experience, those grades would be easy. In fact, apart from the Lesser Tribulation, his cultivation would sail smoothly until he became a Spirit Warrior.

On the other hand, Hongyu had something humans and even demons didn't have, she had cores. Instead of pouring all of the medicinal essence within her body which couldn't take it all like Cao Yun, he had decided to help her absorb it in her fifth core. Along the pill he had used his blood and was currently pouring as much of his intent into her fifth core and her blood to help her. This fifth core would be a Wrath Core, containing all the properties of the Drop of Wrath. Since he was fully controlling it, he could perform such a feat. Of course, this Wrath Core wouldn't be as powerful as the actual Drop of Wrath. However, Cao Yun was focusing on making it able to balance out Evil Qi. Once this Wrath Core was formed, Hongyu would be able to not only resist her evil core, but even use the Evil Qi within without suffering from it.

Helping with this, the other alchemists had understood Cao Yun's goal. Obviously, they didn't know about his Drop of Wrath, but they could see that he was trying to help her form her fifth core. Thus, they were assisting him with that. Right now, they had nothing else to do. Leaving the protection of Hua Fenfei would be way too risky. But at the same time, they were all ready to leave if need be. Indeed, they sadly had to admit that their masters could lose. In that case, the Imperial City might really fall. Then, they would have to escape as fast as they could.

To be perfectly honest, they were even harboring the hope that Hongyu would become fast enough for them to escape successfully. Of course, they were not helping her just with this ulterior motive in mind. But they did have it in a corner of their thoughts. The only one who wasn't thinking about this was Cao Yun. Indeed, the only thing on his mind was Yong Ke. He was so close to finally getting all the answers he had always desired. And if the defenses of the Everlasting Earth Palace broke, he might get them all. Thus, he had no intention of leaving. Hopefully, with his 'Ashen Feather Seal', he might be able to go unnoticed amid all this chaos.

Just as he was thinking about Huang Liyue's technique, he saw her soar through the sky. She was coming from outside of the Imperial City. Most likely, she had sent her family's alchemist Huang Yiren away. But she had still decided to take part in the fights. On her way she had been almost invisible. But now that she was ready to attack, she revealed herself fully. Above her, high in the sky was a peacock wheel made out of hundreds of feathers. Each feather was made out of a different flame. Like Xiao Xuefeng, Huang Liyue was a 8th-grade Spirit Warrior and Cao Yun had seen what she could do as a 6th-grade Spirit Warrior.

'Wheel of Searing Beauty'!

From the wheel of fire, many blazing feathers flew toward the weaker Spirit Warriors. Some were disintegrated in an instant as they were just too weak to do anything while others tried to resist. A few middle Spirit Warriors combined their strength to push back against this assault. At the same time, Huang Liyue was more interested in helping the two Spirit Masters take down that black lens in the sky.

'Feng and Huang Dominate All Under the Sky'!

Beneath the clouds, the image of a burning mountain appeared. All of a sudden, the peaks turned into a cloud of fiery birds. They all went straight toward the black lens above the Demon King. With the assault of the 1st Imperial Brocade Brigade, the two Spirit Masters and now Huang Liyue herself, the demonic cultivators seemed to be in a terrible position. The 2nd and 3rd Imperial Brocade Guards were also taking care of many demonic cultivators. Although the Imperial City was a weak point of the Hongchen Kingdom's administration, it was well protected as well. Huang Liyue's fiery birds were met with the demonic cultivator wielding whips. Just like with the white cranes, he sent hundreds of whips against them.

They were covered in black energy. Cao Yun would have immediately recognized Death Energy in this whip. Xiao Xuefeng was too focused on destroying the black eye in the sky to notice. But Huang Liyue had spent enough time in the Yellow Death World to recognize it in an instant.

'Fenghuang Soars From Kunlun'!

Her entire body got covered in flames. From her spatial ring, she took out her 'Ironclad Wheel' iron fans. Throwing them toward the whipping man, they turned into a powerful True Fiery Fenghuang. On the ground, Hongyu was invigorated by this Qi Manifestation. The bloodline within Huang Liyue was resonating with them. And the 8th-grade Spirit Warrior was also feeling it in her veins. Her seven True Fiery Drops were burning with great intensity. Since she had spent some time with Hongyu when she was still very weak, she recognized this sensation. But it was way more intense because Hongyu wasn't weak at all and was even forming her fifth core right now. Of course, it didn't improve Huang Liyue's strength by much, but she was happy to get any advantage she could.

That was all-out war in the sky and utter chaos on the ground. Finally, something different happened and this gave rise to another opportunity for Cao Yun.

All around the Everlasting Earth Palace, the defenses began to crack. The pillar of sun was too powerful and there were no late Spirit Warriors left to manage the array formations. Although they were powerful, fighting off such an assault required a lot of energy. Even the Imperial Palace had its limits. If it had been thousands of years ago, they would have resisted longer, but everything was falling apart in the Forsaken Dao Era. Since there was no one who could become a Sage, there was no array formation expert who could completely repair Spirit or even God array formations.

Saint Duan Huang had personally set up those defenses. If he had been alive and present now, he would have been able to resist this attack. In fact, he would have probably been able to protect the entire Imperial City and use the array formations in it to destroy the Demon King and his forces. Unfortunately, he was no more. And it had been too long since anyone had reached his talent.

Just as the array formations were crumbling, a powerful aura spread all over the Imperial Palace. Cao Yun was immediately shocked. Just like with Yong Ke, he felt something familiar in this aura. However, it was also very different It was as though something familiar to him had been distorted and perverted. Contrary to what he felt with Yong Ke, this sensation was absolutely appalling and disgusting. But even now, he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

All around the Imperial City, a voice resounded as thunder.

"Traitor who fancies himself a king, all those who forsook mankind for power deserve only death!"

Before the beam of light could completely pierce through the crumbling defenses, a golden character appeared in the air. It was the character for 'Death'. Everyone in the Imperial City, even the demonic cultivators, felt something deep within their souls. This golden character had been drawn by Emperor Nuwa's hand. It wasn't an array formation or a weapon. Just like Cao Yun's Spirit Condensation Barrier, a tiny part of Emperor Nuwa's soul was within this seemingly ordinary character. Right now, it was as though Emperor Nuwa was back on the Piaolu planet.

The mere suppression from the 'Death' character was enough to disturb the techniques of the demonic cultivators. Even the black eye in the sky was faltering. On the other hand, the orthodox cultivators loyal to Emperor Nuwa's ideal were invigorated. They had never felt as powerful as that. Xiao Xuefeng could tell that it was an illusion within her soul created by Emperor Nuwa's aura. However, she didn't think too much about it and instead reveled in that sensation.

Finally, the combined assault of all those Spirit Warriors bore fruit. The eye in the sky exploded in fire, shadow and blood. Suddenly, the light of the sky was dispersed in all directions instead of being focused on a single point. There were strange lights in the sky as it happened. It almost looked like a rainbow but diluted over a large area. Such a show was simply incredible. However, the fight wasn't over at all. The defenses of the Everlasting Earth Palace had fallen and the demonic cultivators were still alive. Fortunately though, the orthodox cultivators were outnumbering them a little. The late Spirit Warriors were twelve among the demonic cultivators while the orthodox had fourteen of them including Huang Liyue and Xiao Xuefeng. Hua Fenfei was still only a middle Spirit Warrior, but her combination with Xiao Xuefeng were making the two of them more powerful.

On the other hand, there was now a 9th-grade Spirit Warrior, even a half-step Sage, ready to fight against the Demon King.

Indeed, Emperor Weide had appeared in person. He was floating above the Everlasting Earth Palace. Emperor Weide was wearing the same clothes as his body double. However, he was very different. Physically, his face was more wrinkled. Despite being a thousand and five hundred years old, Emperor Weide should have appeared younger than that. That was a clear sign that he had suffered a lot recently. Besides, his hair had many white locks in them. And even his black hair had lost its brilliance. The same was true for his beard. It wasn't completely white or gray, but several patches of it had changed color already. Clearly, the recent events had taken a toll on him.

Obviously, Cao Yun and Xiao Xuefeng knew exactly what had happened to him. The Demon King knew as well, but firsthand.

"I see that you're still alive, old man! Let's rectify that! Unlike you, I fully recovered from my injuries. Since you were not able to fully digest that soul, you should have stayed holed up in your little palace. Now, die!"

The twelve bat wings behind the Demon King fully opened. From them, a rain of blood fell upon Emperor Weide. Without even moving, Emperor Weide swung his sleeve and the bloody rain completely disappeared in the air.

"Brat, you underestimated me back then, you underestimate me now! Your little assassination failed and now your great betrayal will fail as well! I am the Hongchen Kingdom! Defying me is defying all of mankind as well as Emperor Nuwa herself!"

The aura of Emperor Nuwa filled the entire Imperial City. It was as though she had fully come back in the flesh. Of course, that aura was way weaker than the real deal, but for the humans who had been under attack, it felt as though their goddess was back to save them. Besides, they could hear Emperor Weide's thunderous voice. Despite his apparent weakness, he was full of vigor.

'Domain of the Three Confluences'!

All around Emperor Weide, a powerful energy erupted. It felt like space around him had been altered. He was now the omnipotent ruler of that small area of space. Although there was nothing visible, Cao Yun could feel it deep within himself. After witnessing what Sect Leader Xuan had done in the Wubei Sect, there was no doubt in his mind. What Emperor Weide had just unleashed was a form of Domain. Although it wasn't as powerful as a true Domain, it was still incredible. Most likely, just like Sect Leader Xuan, he could only use it in that particular place.

Unlike Sect Leader Xuan though, he wasn't using array formations, he was drawing upon the aura of Emperor Nuwa present in the Imperial Palace. But in the end, the pseudo-Domain came from him. However, Cao Yun was not in awe like other cultivators, he was beyond enraged!