Tang Dynasty: Inherit the Evil Sword Immortal and destroy gods and demons with one thought!
Chapter 28 - The Great Battle Looms! All Transformed Beyond Recognition!

Chapter 28: The Great Battle Looms! All Transformed Beyond Recognition!

In Chang’an’s Taiji Palace, within the royal garden, a refined young man sat before the altar—Li Zhi, the Wood Virtue Star. Gentle in demeanour and loyal at heart, Li Zhi’s unassuming strength endeared him to all, basking in boundless affection. Before Li Shimin’s rise to emperor, when he resided in the Prince of Qin’s mansion, a month-old Li Zhi was once lifted by “a certain someone,” triggering wails of distress. Li Shimin’s face had darkened, barring that person from nearing Li Zhi again, even constructing a private courtyard to shield his son. Such was his devotion.

At the Immortal-Gazing Terrace, Li Shimin watched Li Zhi’s silhouette, his heart tightening. Beside him, Zhangsun Wuji, Star of Heavenly Kui, chuckled. “Your Majesty, His Highness the Wood Virtue Star is blessed, favoured by Ancestral God Gou Mang. His renown will soon quake the realm!” Among the princes, Zhangsun cherished Li Zhi’s earnest nature, his joy palpable. Li Shimin nodded, smiling warmly. “Zhi’er has always been sensible. This is heaven’s will…”

At the altar, Gou Mang’s divine power began to flow. A verdant curtain enveloped the site, the god’s vibrant aura spilling forth, saturating Chang’an with life’s essence. Garden flora surged wildly, vines and blooms erupting in a frenzy. Though the transformation within was veiled, the spectacle fueled anticipation among onlookers. For three hours, the phenomenon held, captivating Chang’an’s citizens and drawing eyes from beyond the Mortal Realm.

At last, the curtain parted, and a jade-green beam pierced the heavens. Chirp! A sparrow’s cry echoed as Li Zhi soared from the emerald glow, his toes grazing the void, a single step spanning a kilometre. Myriad jade sparrows, born of divine power, swirled around him. Suspended midair, his body wreathed in verdant energy, black hair dancing in the breeze, Li Zhi summoned a withered branch that sprouted anew. Birds flocked, and the earth pulsed with vitality; even Chang’an’s stone ramparts seemed to bow. In that moment, Li Zhi wielded the power of creation, a deity of life’s renewal, embodying Gou Mang’s fearsome legacy.

From the terrace, Li Shimin nodded fervently, pride swelling. “Splendid! Worthy of Tang’s royal blood!” Zhangsun Wuji and the Star Ministers shared his fervour, sensing Li Zhi’s power now eclipsed theirs, ascending to a higher plane. Chang’an’s citizens gaped, seeing a god incarnate. Distant realms took note. A celestial envoy sighed, “Gou Mang’s remnant spark forges a titan with a mere gesture. Li Zhi, born of stellar fate and now god-blessed, holds boundless potential—pity he’s bound to Tang.” In the Demon Realm, Chong Lou’s divine wisp observed. “Gou Mang… I await the day your heir rivals you.” Though Li Zhi was no match now, his potential stirred the Demon Lord’s interest.

Li Shimin swept his sleeve, his voice resounding. “Zhi’er, with Gou Mang’s power yours, wield it well. A Demon King ravages Yangzhou’s Xisha Ridge—go, slay the demon and uphold justice!” Li Zhi’s youthful face lit with confidence. “I won’t fail you, Father!” With a flourish, he rode a tide of emerald light eastward. Li Shimin’s heart raced with hope; Li Zhi’s might surely outmatched the demon. Turning to the altar, he smiled. “Ministers, let us thank Gou Mang.” As they approached, Gou Mang’s ancient voice drifted. “No need. This is my final gift here. Depart.” His form faded.

Li Shimin paused, sensing Gou Mang’s desire for solitude, and led his retinue away. In their absence, a sigh whispered through the garden. “Was my choice right or wrong? The seed I planted… bears a twisted fruit.”

In Yangzhou’s Xisha Ridge, over two thousand Shu Mountain disciples stood arrayed in a sword formation, their blades glinting under the desolate sky. At the forefront was Xu Changqing, Shu Mountain’s premier disciple. Mentored by Taibai Jinxing, Xu had transcended his former self, his aura ethereal, as if he were a true immortal. His cultivation had surged, remoulded to a higher plane. Gripping his Jianyan Sword, brows furrowed, he scanned the horizon, sensing Huang Mei Demon King’s presence pulsing nearby.

Rumble! The earth shuddered violently. From a deep pit, tendrils of demonic qi seeped upward, coiling like venomous marsh fumes, chilling the air. “Prepare for battle!” Xu Changqing’s command cut through the tension, his eyes darting across the field. One pit radiated an overwhelming demonic aura—the epicentre. Before he could react, a volcanic eruption of qi exploded skyward, piercing the clouds.

“Hahaha!” Huang Mei’s maniacal laughter thundered, grating like claws on a coffin. “Following the Demon Ancestor was my destiny! The Earth Spirit Pearl’s power—it’s as if it was forged for me!” Below, Shu Mountain disciples paled, their hearts quaking at three words that haunted their minds: “Earth… Spirit… Pearl!?” The revelation struck like lightning. A Five Elements Pearl, embodiment of primal elemental force, could elevate any being to godlike might. The Nether Realm’s Fire Ghost King, once a trivial demon, had risen to rival the Heavenly Ghost Emperor with the Fire Spirit Pearl. Huang Mei’s possession of its earthen kin spelt catastrophe.

Xu Changqing’s shock ran deeper. Having narrowly lost to Huang Mei before, he’d honed his skills under Taibai’s guidance, expecting to turn the tables. Yet Huang Mei’s ascent outpaced his own, a cruel twist. Above, the Demon King loomed, his form grotesquely magnified. His ochre body, etched with molten fire scars, sprouted bat-like wings spanning a hundred zhang, his claws gleamed like steel scythes, and his eyes burned like blood-charged rivers. The infernal scars across his torso pulsed with the geocentric flame’s wrath.

“Xu Changqing, you’re stunned, aren’t you?” Huang Mei jeered. “Destiny isn’t reserved for your righteous ilk! With the Demon Ancestor’s guidance, I am invincible!” His wings unfurled, casting a shadow that swallowed the ridge. Xu Changqing’s gaze hardened. “Form the array!” he barked. Instantly, two thousand swords launched skyward, a shimmering torrent aimed at Huang Mei.

The Demon King’s bloodshot eyes flared. With a single wingbeat, whoosh!, a sandstorm roared across Xisha Ridge, shredding the swords mid-flight into jagged scrap. Then, with a guttural snort, he sundered the earth. A thousand razor-sharp earthen spikes erupted, impaling scores of disciples too slow to flee, their screams piercing the chaos. Xu Changqing, sword poised, felt a chill at his back. “Die!” Huang Mei’s voice hissed.

Clang! Xu spun, Jianyan Sword parrying a lethal strike. The blade quivered, bending near breaking point, then snap!—it shattered. A claw tore into Xu’s chest, hurling him backwards. Blood spluttered in the air as he crashed into the dust.