King of Creation Chapter 1765 - 1750: Closing the Doors, Shutting the Hall

Sima Yan has been vanquished! Even Sima Yan was defeated by Ye Zhen! Without a doubt, Sima Yan represented the final shred of dignity for their War Soul Hall. If even he was defeated, then the chances of their foremost expert in the Moon Priest path, Qi Bing, triumphing over Ye Zhen seemed exceedingly slim. Qi Bing’s strength lay in his resilience, whereas Sima Yan excelled in fierce combat, seamlessly blending offense and defense. Observing Ye Zhen’s recent string of battles, they were all remarkably swift and decisive. If Sima Yan couldn’t succeed, Qi Bing would surely fare even worse. Moreover, Sima Yan had barely managed to trouble Ye Zhen at all! Had it not been for Sima Yan’s initial overwhelming assault and a subsequent miraculous counterattack that managed to wound Ye Zhen, their War Soul Hall would have been utterly disgraced. In reality, though, the War Soul Hall had already lost all semblance of honor. Ye Zhen had already inflicted a profound humiliation upon them before such a vast crowd. There was no question that Ye Zhen had reached the Ninth Stage of the Divine Communication Realm. And Sima Yan, he was none other than the War Soul Hall’s paramount Moon Priest. Of course, it wasn’t as though the War Soul Hall lacked priests capable of handling Ye Zhen. They possessed quite a few! However, the priests who were confident enough to contend with Ye Zhen were all Day Priests from the Dao Realm of their War Soul Hall. To deploy their top-tier, most formidable Moon Priest against Ye Zhen would mean their War Soul Hall gained no glory even in victory; it would merely be a desperate attempt to salvage their reputation. Yet, if the Day Priests of the Dao Realm were to intervene, the outcome, win or lose, would be nothing short of laughable! Furthermore, the Hall Master, Bi Ze, wouldn’t possess the gall to personally step into the fray! Bi Ze was so incensed he felt the urge to spew blood! It was truly ignominious! "The nineteenth one!" Ye Zhen chuckled, addressing the War Soul Hall Master Bi Ze. With a flourish, he produced another flagpole and planted it firmly in the ground. He inscribed in bold letters: "On June 7th, Ye Zhen consecutively defeated nineteen Moon Priests of the War Soul Hall, including Sima Yan, the First Killing Spear!" The onlookers, priests from various factions, observed without much thought, merely sensing the War Soul Hall's decline. But the priests of the War Soul Hall, from their Master downwards, felt as though those bold characters were colossal slaps across their faces! The sensation was agonizing and utterly humiliating! "Hall Master Bi, are you sending forth more combatants? If not, I shall select someone at random for a challenge!" Ye Zhen declared with a laugh. "Or perhaps, you mean to imply that your esteemed War Soul Hall has run out of warriors?" Ye Zhen's derisive tone reverberated. "Silence!" The recently defeated Sima Yan, forcing himself to stand despite his injuries, shouted, "I have not yet conceded!" The veins on Sima Yan’s forehead bulged, his face flushed crimson with rage, and he glared daggers at Ye Zhen, clearly incensed by the latter’s taunts. "You haven't conceded?" Ye Zhen surveyed Sima Yan from head to toe, his expression conveying unspoken judgment. "Your Spear Dao is commendable, but it still falls somewhat short!" "However, if you remain unconvinced, then by all means, face me again. I shall fight until you are utterly subdued!" "Very well, you have spoken!" Wiping the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Sima Yan retrieved the Blood-tassel Spear and slowly advanced towards Ye Zhen, causing the War Soul Hall Master Bi Ze’s expression to stiffen. "Return at once!" Sima Yan, however, seemed to disregard Hall Master Bi Ze’s command. He slowly closed his eyes, dipped his fingers into his own vital blood, formed an intricate hand seal, and then pressed it against his forehead. Instantly, an unnervingly eerie aura emanated from Sima Yan’s very being. "Possession!" "He is assuming the mantle of an inheritor, invoking the War Soul Possession!" a voice exclaimed amidst the assembled priests. "Remarkable, to confront Ye Zhen's challenge, the War Soul Hall's First Killing Spear invokes the War Soul Possession." The War Soul Hall Master Bi Ze's countenance shifted subtly. Engaging the War Soul Possession could be construed as receiving external aid. However, to a degree, Sima Yan's ability to manifest the War Soul Possession was itself a testament to his capabilities, and it could be employed in this critical juncture. Although admitting this felt mortifying, at this precise moment, there were genuinely no more Moon Priests left within his War Soul Hall to dispatch, compelling him to tacitly approve Sima Yan's desperate measure. "War Soul Possession, is it?" A mocking smile gradually spread across Ye Zhen's lips. Just then, an inexplicable surge of energy coursed through Sima Yan, causing his entire body to convulse violently before he abruptly opened his eyes. The very instant his gaze fell upon Ye Zhen, Ye Zhen found his breath catching in his throat, as if plunged into an icy abyss! In that fleeting moment, Ye Zhen felt as though he was confronting an army of a thousand charging soldiers, an overwhelming force poised to tear him asunder at any second. Under that piercing gaze, Ye Zhen felt utterly insignificant, as if he were already a dead man in his opponent's eyes! This was undeniably the terrifying presence of someone who had clawed their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Previously, Sima Yan's spear intent with the Blood-tassel Spear was merely sensed by Ye Zhen. However, now, the mere act of Sima Yan opening his eyes and glancing at Ye Zhen exerted immense pressure.

Facing this, Ye Zhen finally understood.

"The First Killing Spear?"

"Is it you?"

Sima Yan, transformed as if a different person, cast a frigid gaze upon Ye Zhen, his eyes resembling those of a dead object, completely devoid of emotion.

With a slight nudge of his toe against the base of the Blood-tassel Spear,

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed as the Blood-tassel Spear vibrated, unleashing a torrent of Spear Light that seemed poised to engulf Ye Zhen.

Employing his Divine Sense, Ye Zhen vanished in an instant, reappearing before Sima Yan. Yet, Sima Yan's spear momentum executed a bewildering pivot, changing its trajectory mid-flight. Like a phantom, it lunged towards Ye Zhen's new position.

"Sky Killing!"

A guttural exclamation accompanied Sima Yan's spear momentum as it surged with ferocious speed.

It was the same Sky Killing Spear technique Sima Yan had used before.

However, the power it now possessed was vastly different from the previous instance.

Previously, Sima Yan's Sky Killing Spear was incredibly swift, but Ye Zhen could still evade it with his own speed.

But the Sky Killing Spear, empowered by the invocation of the First Killing Spear's War Soul, was an entirely different beast.

Not only was the spear momentum faster, but Ye Zhen felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness against it.

It was an instinctual certainty: no matter his speed or the marvel of his movement techniques, he could not dodge this spear!

Recognizing the inevitability of the strike, Ye Zhen still retreated directly backward!

"You... cannot escape!" Sima Yan's voice dropped to an unnervingly low register, each word resonating like a demonic chant, a 'Sound Spear' that boomed into Ye Zhen's mind.

It had to be acknowledged, the First Killing Spear was truly formidable.

A single move had pushed Ye Zhen into such a desperate situation.

The spear's momentum, locked onto Ye Zhen, even caused the observing priests to recoil in shock. Priests with cultivation below the Realm King Realm were unable to withstand the residual power of the spear's momentum, losing their resolve and plummeting from the sky, their bones and tendons fractured!

"Escape?" A peculiar smile touched Ye Zhen's lips. "You believe I am escaping? To be frank, if the First Killing Spear had manifested with both body and soul, I might have felt a greater apprehension towards you.

But with mere possession, it amounts to merely..."

Rumble!

As Ye Zhen's mocking words trailed off, an ominous, crimson Evil Punishing Divine Thunder erupted from the Acquired Spirit Treasure Thunder Light Whip, which had materialized above Ye Zhen's head. It cascaded down, directly onto Sima Yan's Blood-tassel Spear.

Sima Yan, now a vessel for the First Killing Spear, was initially taken aback, his expression then shifting dramatically!

He attempted to disengage, but the Evil Punishing Divine Thunder had already surged up his body via the connection with the Thunder Light Whip.

In an instant, Sima Yan's surrounding aura fluctuated wildly, oscillating between potent strength and palpable weakness!

Witnessing this, Ye Zhen smirked again. The Thunder Light Whip above his forehead pulsed repeatedly, unleashing further waves of Evil Punishing Divine Thunder.

Under the fierce entanglement of the thunderous light, Sima Yan's physical form began to tremble uncontrollably. Strangely, under the onslaught of so much Evil Punishing Divine Thunder, which under normal circumstances would have reduced his body to ash or at least severely scorched it, his flesh remained entirely unharmed!

Suddenly, Sima Yan, influenced by the First Killing Spear, emitted a pained groan, causing his body to convulse violently.

The terrifying aura, which had previously felt like a vast army or an ocean of fallen soldiers, dissipated abruptly. The familiar presence of Sima Yan re-emerged.

However, Sima Yan's eyes, now devoid of their prior composure and chilling coldness, reflected sheer shock as he stared at Ye Zhen.

Without even a backward glance this time, Ye Zhen blurred into motion, delivering a precise kick that sent Sima Yan hurtling from the sky like a falling meteor.

Bang!

The impact of Sima Yan's landing was tremendous, pulverizing the ground and sending rocks flying. He lay sprawled in the dirt, leaving a significant crater.

He remained completely still.

Naturally, such a fall would not be fatal to someone as powerful as Sima Yan, residing at the Early Stage of the Ninth Stage Realm King Realm.

Sima Yan found himself unable to rise, overcome by a profound sense of shame that prevented him from facing anyone.

Having been defeated by Ye Zhen once was humiliating enough.

Later, unwilling to endure further humiliation from Ye Zhen towards the War Soul Hall, he had engaged in battle once more. Shamelessly, he had invoked the possession of the War Soul's First Killing Spear, hoping to vanquish Ye Zhen through its formidable might.

After all, though the First Killing Spear's possession did not augment his cultivation base directly, it provided an immense boost to his spear techniques and willpower.

He had experienced the War Soul’s possession before, a phenomenon that could cause Martial Artists at the Unique Xuangong Realm and even several from the Divine Communication Realm to faint upon sight.

Of course, he didn’t truly expect Ye Zhen to be frightened into unconsciousness by the First Killing Spear’s formidable will. Instead, his hope was to leverage its terrifying battle intent and spear techniques to vanquish Ye Zhen, thereby preserving some modicum of dignity for the War Soul Hall.

Alas, he had lost again!

Hiss!

Sharp inhalations echoed from all around, rapidly coalescing into a torrent of gasps that bespoke utter astonishment!

"Victory once more!"

"Even the War Soul’s possession was insufficient! Just how formidable is Ye Zhen?"

"Truly, he is too powerful. If one hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, it would be difficult to believe it was real!"

The disposition of the War Soul Hall Master, standing at the threshold, was beyond description, consumed by a profound sense of unease...

The world seemed to plunge into deepening gloom.

Sima Yan’s desperate plea for the soul’s possession had failed to overcome Ye Zhen.

Within the Moon Priest’s ceremony hosted by the War Soul Hall, no one appeared capable of challenging Ye Zhen!

Even though he recognized that Ye Zhen’s triumph stemmed from the Evil Punishing Divine Thunder’s inherent ability to counteract such possessions.

It wasn't a genuine defeat of Sima Yan while possessed by the First Killing Spear!

But in the grand scheme of things, what real difference did that make?

If you are suppressed by Ye Zhen, that is entirely your own failing!

Frankly speaking, the outcome might have been more favorable had Sima Yan abstained from fighting after his initial defeat.

He had invoked the War Soul’s possession and still emerged victorious.

Such profound disgrace and utter failure.

Naturally, this does not imply that the War Soul Hall’s combat spirits lack either power or efficacy.

Ye Zhen himself had elucidated that had the true embodiment of the First Killing Spear manifested, his victory would not have been achieved so effortlessly.

The pivotal factor was Ye Zhen’s Thunder Technique, the Evil Punishing Divine Thunder, which serves as the ultimate nemesis to all malevolent entities.

The War Souls, existing as Yin Spirits, were indeed susceptible to Ye Zhen’s Evil Punishing Divine Thunder. However, the War Soul, by inheriting the battle intent and killing Qi of countless soldiers, embodied the most resilient element known.

Consequently, Ye Zhen’s Thunder Technique could only restrain the War Soul to a limited degree, unlike its significantly more potent effect against Princess Changle’s Yin Spirit.

When Sima Yan invoked the possession, it was merely a sliver of the First Killing Spear’s spirit; after possession, the War Soul acted more akin to an intrusive evil spirit upon Sima Yan.

Yet, Ye Zhen’s Evil Punishing Divine Thunder exerted a miraculous influence on such spirits that invade the divine souls of others!

As a result, even through his own volition, it successfully repelled the ‘evil spirit’ that had possessed Sima Yan.

With the First Killing Spear’s War Soul support retracted, Sima Yan reverted to his natural state and was swiftly defeated by Ye Zhen before he could even process what had happened!

Furthermore, Ye Zhen’s victory was not merely a product of fortune.

He had previously engaged in discussions regarding the War Soul Hall’s diverse combat methodologies with Princess Changle, ensuring he was well-prepared and fully cognizant that his Thunder Technique represented the ultimate countermeasure to such possessions.

Therefore, when Sima Yan summoned the War Soul’s First Killing Spear, Ye Zhen felt absolutely no apprehension!

At this juncture, Ye Zhen solemnly resumed his writing, producing a flag and inscribing another line.

"On June 7th, Ye Zhen once again confronted the War Soul Hall’s First Killing Spear, Sima Yan. Sima Yan, possessed by the First Killing Spear’s True Soul of War, was defeated by Ye Zhen in a mere three moves!

The War Soul Hall has now amassed twenty consecutive defeats!"

Upon observing the words Ye Zhen had penned, Sima Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he spewed a mouthful of Essence Blood in sheer agitation.

"You!"

This action was akin to metaphorically crucifying Sima Yan upon a pillar of public shame!

Witnessing this spectacle, the War Soul Hall Master, Bi Ze, felt a surge of internal turmoil, his mouth suddenly tasting the coppery tang of blood.

"Hall Master Bi, are you perhaps sending another challenger forth, or shall I assume the War Soul Hall has no one else to offer? If not, I shall proceed to challenge any individual I encounter within the War Soul Hall!" Ye Zhen declared, directing his gaze towards Bi Ze.

The War Soul Hall Master, Bi Ze, experienced violent heaving in his chest, veins on his forehead throbbing intensely. Despite his esteemed position, he harbored an intense desire to personally administer a lesson to Ye Zhen.

However, to act on such an impulse would undoubtedly invite widespread mockery.

Fixing his gaze upon Ye Zhen’s provoking demeanor, Bi Ze drew a deep breath, recognizing the precarious situation – he could neither afford to provoke Ye Zhen nor completely disregard him.

"All priests of the War Soul Hall, return to your respective chambers; the War Soul Hall shall be closed for the remainder of the day!" The War Soul Hall Master proclaimed, turning on his heel and retreating back inside.

Exclamations of sheer astonishment erupted from every corner. Since the very inception of the Ancestor God Temple, the War Soul Hall had rarely, if ever, closed its doors – instances so few they could be counted on a single hand, certainly not requiring the use of both hands and feet.

Yet today, Ye Zhen, a mere cultivator from the Divine Communication Realm, had managed to compel the War Soul Hall to cease its operations.

"Closing the hall?"

Observing this development, Ye Zhen let out a loud, derisive scoff. "Hall Master Bi, I shall patiently await your decision until nightfall to issue my challenge!

Furthermore, I shall return tomorrow with the intention of repeating my challenge!

"If you possess the audacity, then keep your hall shut every single day!"

Master Bi Ze, having just entered the hall, stumbled upon hearing these words, his anger igniting.

At that very moment, Ye Zhen's voice echoed once more.

This time, Ye Zhen's declaration was aimed at the vast multitude of priests from the Ancestor God Temple who were observing the unfolding events.

"Esteemed fellow cultivators, tomorrow I, Ye Zhen, shall resume my challenge against the Moon Priests of the War Soul Hall. If you find yourselves with spare time, do come and witness the spectacle.

Furthermore, I, Ye Zhen, have prepared a modest token, a surprise for all those who grace us with their presence tomorrow. Your attendance would be most appreciated!"

Upon hearing Ye Zhen's words, the priests who had begun to disperse expressed their delight, "Chief Priest Ye, what nature do this small gift and surprise possess?"

"Haha, you shall discover it when the time comes tomorrow! I, Ye Zhen, always uphold my word. The value of this gift is no less than fifty thousand High-Grade Spiritual Stones!" Ye Zhen announced confidently.

"Fifty thousand High-Grade Spiritual Stones? Such a treasure, we shall undoubtedly attend tomorrow!" Immediately, a multitude of responses flooded in, with many agreeing to return.

Silently retreating, the Master of the War Soul Hall, Bi Ze, overheard this exchange and felt his vision momentarily darken, nearly causing him to collapse from sheer fury.

This was an outright act of bullying against the War Soul Hall!

Ye Zhen was utterly malicious, seeking to tarnish the War Soul Hall's reputation into nothingness!