Nine Venoms Sect Founder

Chapter 109: If Only Ifs Could Remake the World

At the border of the Dark Stone country, the terrible clash between the Serpent Totem and the top three Gods raged on. The 9 remaining deities considered joining the battle dance, but realized early...the pointlessness of such a move. 

Expansive clouds of dark-green smoke encircled the Flame Spirit King, Armored Bull Commander, and Uncorrupted Crane Mistress. One after the other, the elite soldiers they marshaled across the sky turned into bone debris—following the demise of their Door Gods. As long as the invoker breathed, Door Gods and the Divine Hosts couldn't perish. However, without extraordinary means, it could take years, if not decades, for a Door God to reform, restore the lost troops, and again lead his divine master's army. 

Knowing this, the Serpent Totem merged with the Hundred Insect Formation, and targeted the Door Gods first—they couldn't resist its might. "No matter how destructive, fists are fists. As long as the beast remains in this intangible state...how can we strike it down?" The bystanding deities asked one another. Meantime, the three leaders' proud faces twitched uncontrollably. This wasn't a fight, but an insulting proof of their own helplessness. If this went on, it wouldn't be long before they lost all their forces. Knowing they still had benefits to fight for and faction wars to win, the three couldn't let this show go on. 

The Uncorrupted Crane mistress was the first to withdraw her troops, and tapping her cosmic pouch, she summoned a black-white, feathered fan, and waved at the misty formation. Great wind squalls took off, blowing the green smoke clouds out of the way—only for them to reform a second afterward. Her slanted eyes narrowed, and as her grip unknowingly hardened around the fan, veins bulged across her arms and temple.josei

Not wasting energy and treasures attempting to get rid of the formation, the two others merely sent their troops back into the gates, and with a dignified look, stared at the noxious formation. Even without direct contact, the more time they spent here, the weaker they got. Toxic fumes of unknown composition seeped into their bodies, dulling their senses bits by bits. Worse, the Serpent Totem sometimes regained his physical shape to assault them at unpredictable angles—like now.

A far-reaching serpentine tail sprang out of the smoke clouds, smashing into the Crane Mistress' left side. With her focus ruined by her suppressed anger, the Uncorrupted Crane didn't react in time—eating the blow head-on. 

BANG! 

By the time the Armored Bull Commander and Flame Spirit King caught the serpent's trail. The Crane Mistress had flown past them, heading straight into the noxious clouds' embrace. An indignant cry left the sect mistress' lips, and assuming her true form, she turned into a mammoth-sized crane, and whirled into the sky instead. There, the serpent and its dropping claws lay already—welcoming the Crane Mistress by tearing bloody gashes through her splendid, feathered skin. 

Seizing this opportunity, the Armored Bull Commander shot at the Serpent Totem, and at several times the speed of sound, smashed his war hammer right into the totem's forehead—again hitting a puff of noxious smoke. Realizing he leaped straight into death's embrace, the Bull Commander pushed his cultivation base to the limit, diving fast enough to avoid a lethal strike. The Serpent Totem's tail pierced through the Armored Bull Commander's left shoulder, and while the bull gritted his teeth to silence the pain, the serpent's body reappeared at the Crane Mistress' back. 

Opening its maw, the Totem released the World Devouring Serpent clan's signature skill—Divine Power: Devouring. 

"No...no...nooo!" Irresistible suction force trapped the Uncorrupted Crane Mistress. Unleashing every bit of her cultivation base, she thrashed against force, but the poison and wounds she suffered from reduced her strength drastically—making failures out of all her attempts. Maintaining a cold, apathetic gaze, the Totem grabbed the goddess' wings and with one yank…tore them off!

"AAAAAAAAARGH!" A shrill, mournful cry flew out of her beak. But to her complete horror, the Totem didn't stop, opened its maw, and sank its jagged teeth into her slender neck—ripping her head off! 

"MISTRESS!" In the distance, the Celestial Knight disciples of the Uncorrupted Crane Sect roared at their mistress' gory end. Several rushed forward, too late, too weak, yet eager to alter fate. The totem, barbarous and relentless, gave them no opportunity and spat on their vain attempt by spitting the crane mistress' head out. At that time, the Flame Spirit King became a flaming red sword meteor, and sparing not one bit of his cultivation, stabbed into the Armored Bull Commander!

Even as the Flame Spirit King pierced through his heart and reappeared at his back, even as his body burned to ashes and his soul broke down, the Armored Bull Commander couldn't understand why the ally of an instant...became the sword that claimed his life. Unfazed by this development, the Serpent Totem yanked its tail out of the roasted bull's shoulder and swept it at the desperate crane disciples instead.

Patted like fleas, three cratered amidst the awestruck mortals, their lives and death uncertain. A fourth was less fortunate and landed right in the totem's claws. Knowing she couldn't survive, the fairy didn't struggle, and cast a last, defiant stare at the totem's eyes. But chilled to the bone by the crushing coldness she found within...she couldn't articulate. "W-without that formation...i-if m-mistress fought y-you head on...she wouldn't...l-lose," Loyal to the end, she still blurted those words out.

"If only ifs could remake the world," the totem started in a rare show of acknowledgment. In that instant, the fairy saw an endless pit of rage concealed underneath the mask of coldness. "You and I wouldn't be here." The beast's massive claws tightened around the fairy, squashing her into blood and gore. 

A silence of confusion fell on the scene. The Serpent Totem turned to face the Flame Spirit King, who met it with a broad grin. "Heaven blesses you. If not for your help, I couldn't have gotten rid of those pesky two fellows so easily. But I'm confused. Why aren't you surprised?" The Flame Spirit King crossed his arms behind his back and asked in a jovial tone. From the start, he restrained his true abilities, waiting for a single opportunity to clean his rivals. As long as those two were out of the way, the mine plan could carry on without hindrances. 

"Because I ate Sangar," the totem leisurely replied. The Flame Spirit King's face turned livid, and the serpent's tail stabbed at his neck.

Surprise shifted back to amusement as the Flame Spirit King turned into a blaze that soared upward—breaking free of the formation to reappear before the bystanding Gods. Nine white rays shot from his forehead, piercing through the Gods' Sea of Consciousness to take control of their bodies. Too late to resist, all instantly turned into the Flame Spirit King's puppets. 

"Sangar? Good lad. My Diljem Blood Crows made much progress under his leadership. As his father, I have no regrets. A pity that in this era, juniors do not have the time to grow. Only those capable of wrestling extraordinary opportunities can come out on top. Failures need not be mourned. That said..." the Flame Spirit King started, then cast his Divine Sense beyond the Dark Stone City—locking on the Obsidian Soul Stone mine.

"I have opportunities to wrestle."

Blood-red chains shot out of his back, stabbing into the hundreds of Celestial Knights to channel their strength. Armed to the teeth, the Flame Spirit King became an unstoppable shaft of light, dragging those celestials like rag dolls as he rushed into the Obsidian Soul Stone mine.