Peerless Martial God Chapter 2493
Previously on Peerless Martial God...
Chapter 2493: The New Situation of the Continent of the Nine Clouds
Edited by RED
Icefire burst onto the scene, crushed Lin Feng in combat, and compelled every Shrine to swear fealty to him. The upheaval rippled across the entire continent.
Lin Feng along with his comrades suffered defeat in that crucial showdown, while Icefire claimed victory. Through their grasp of yin and yang, the Fire Shrine and Ice and Snow Shrine Leaders merged into one.
Just one day later, Icefire declared himself ruler over the Continent of the Nine Clouds. Even the Supreme Animal World trembled in fear.
Both the Roc Clan and Dragon Clan joined the fateful battle. Without Lin Feng's stand against Icefire, countless lives would have been lost, unable to flee.
Yet Icefire's terror gripped nearly everyone across the Continent of the Nine Clouds. Word spread far and wide that the Fortune Shrine had vanished into seclusion. All recognized their desperate plight. Facing a mad supreme powerhouse like Icefire, resistance proved futile for those refusing submission.
By the fifth day, leaders of the Earth Shrine and Celestial Sound Shrine journeyed to the Fire Shrine, pledging loyalty to Icefire.
On the sixth day, reports circulated through the Continent of the Nine Clouds that Icefire had reclaimed dominance over the Fire Shrine. His ambition burned to elevate it as the mightiest Shrine worldwide.
Come the seventh day, major powers throughout the Continent of the Nine Clouds hunted down World Clan members, seizing a supreme Saint and uniting to slay him. Yet all knew Icefire's true obsession lay with eliminating Lin Feng above all. He commanded captures of anyone tied to Lin Feng to lure him forth. No cost deterred his ruthless pursuit.
Chaos erupted in battles across the Continent of the Nine Clouds. Shrines lingered only in title, their followers clashing relentlessly. Dominant factions waged war to seize lands and grow their might.
Such trivial skirmishes held no interest for Icefire; his sole drive was supremacy as the world's top cultivator. None dared strike his followers. Though ancient battles faded from memory, the clash that crowned Icefire the Continent of the Nine Clouds' strongest lingered vividly: the King of the Continent of the Nine Clouds!
Burning with boundless ambition, Icefire demanded submission from the Buddha Shrine, Demon Shrine, and Life Shrine. Resistance was impossible. He founded the Supreme Shrine, erecting its grand palace. Atop a thousand-step staircase, he held a ceremony, towering over the masses and Shrine Leaders below.
“I am not the King of the Continent of the Nine Clouds. That’s the destiny of the continent! I will become a real god!” Icefire bellowed magnificently, his spirits soaring.
The throng roared in response, “Congratulations, supreme cultivator Icefire!”
“No need to be polite,” Icefire replied with a wave and a grin. Abruptly, his face darkened as he thundered, “Why has the Demon Shrine Leader not arrived?”
Murmurs of confusion swept the crowd. The Demon Shrine Leader was absent?
Icefire reigned at his zenith; defiance seemed inconceivable!
A figure ascended slowly into the sky, clad in demon robes. Gazing at Icefire, he declared steadily, “Today, the Demon Shrine Leader has formally acknowledged his master! He extends invitations to all for congratulations! With everyone gathered, all may attend! Supreme Cultivator Icefire, you are welcome too if you choose!”
“Insolent!” a voice raged. Yet the speaker's composure held firm.
Icefire's brow furrowed. “The Demon Shrine Leader acts oddly. Who else but I could claim his allegiance? I am eager to witness anyone rivaling me in the Continent of the Nine Clouds!”
“Summon those captives first,” Icefire ordered icily. Two figures were dragged forward from the Divine Wrath Shrine, including Zi Zhu.
“First, you die today, then I'll visit the Demon Shrine myself,” Icefire stated, eyeing Zi Zhu coldly.
Zi Zhu met Icefire's gaze fearlessly, retorting coldly, “Do you dare strike me down? Do you know who my teacher is?”
“Eh?” Zi Zhu's words stunned the onlookers, sparking intrigue. As a Divine Wrath Shrine member, once leader of the Black Bamboo Alliance in the Three Great Alliances, did he have a teacher? How formidable was that master?
“Who?” Icefire demanded indifferently.
“Master Icefire, do you truly believe yourself the Continent of the Nine Clouds' king? How amusing,” Zi Zhu countered coolly. “For years, Shrines dominated the Continent of the Nine Clouds, yet you've all overlooked Sealed Imprint Mountain in the Lost Country?”
“Feng Mo the supreme cultivator!” whispers rippled through the crowd. Sealed Imprint Mountain harbored ancient powerhouses of legend. Few grasped Feng Mo's true might.
“I am Zi Zhu, disciple of Feng Mo! If a king were needed for the Continent of the Nine Clouds, my teacher would have emerged long ago—you're no match for him! He simply cared not to interfere!
“But now, the moment draws near! My teacher sent me forth as a god's selection looms. He may appear too. You hunt Lin Feng relentlessly, seeking to slay the Forbidden Body, unaware Teacher Feng Mo backs Lin Feng? He aided his rise! Once strong enough, their true clash awaits! Are you worthy to challenge my teacher?” Zi Zhu pressed calmly.
Shivers ran through the assembly. Just how mighty was Feng Mo?
“I've mastered the yin and yang godly transformation skill—how could your teacher rival me?” Icefire boasted defiantly.
“My teacher seals gods and demons alike! He wields the strength of ten thousand creations. None know his myriad bodies scattered worldwide! Do you believe the Continent of the Nine Clouds' top cultivators were merely those who fought? Had I not emerged, who would know of me?” Zi Zhu scoffed. “If I perish today, my teacher will raze the Supreme Shrine!”
Icefire paused briefly before responding. “Very well, I spare you. Since your teacher plans his return, I'll await him. Escort him away!”
Zi Zhu's survival stunned all. No one anticipated such revelations. Lin Feng's ascent, Icefire's rise, the Demon Shrine Leader's new master, Feng Mo's impending arrival... the Forbidden Body drew extraordinary forces. Icefire's conquest proved premature. The outcome hung undecided!
Icefire stared into the horizon, eyes gleaming as he murmured distantly, “Off to the Demon Shrine I go!”
He vanished in a blur, outpacing sight. The crowd lingered not, yet all pondered... what fate awaited at the Demon Shrine?
———
Days dragged on as the crowd awaited news. Finally, Icefire descended alone from the heavens, his face stern and remote, a chilling smile forming. “It seems my path to godhood won't lack worthy foes!”
With a flick of his sleeves, he departed swiftly once more.
All grasped that the Demon Shrine Leader's master rivaled Icefire in strength.
———
Seven days passed, and the Demon Shrine hosted a grand banquet, summoning all. None dared refuse, so they hurried over. Tension weighed heavy, particularly on Shrine Leaders. Once exalted, they now endured humiliation helplessly. Swallowing pride became their lot. This fueled their hatred for the Forbidden Person's survival!
Though the Forbidden Person lacked full power, Icefire and the Demon Shrine Leader already vied fiercely!
———
A month on, Feng Mo from the Lost Country's Sealed Imprint Mountain arrived at the Continent of the Nine Clouds' Imperial Court. He stormed the Supreme Shrine, reclaiming Zi Zhu. Shockwaves rocked the continent anew. Three rival kings now contended for the Continent of the Nine Clouds!
Simultaneously, the hunt for Lin Feng intensified, led by Icefire. He must eliminate the Forbidden Person!
The Demon Shrine sought Lin Feng too.
Feng Mo dispatched seekers after Lin Feng!
Yet Lin Feng had vanished utterly...
———
Atop a mountain peak stood two figures. One inquired, “No sign of him yet?”
“None—he's vanished completely.”
“Any response from the jade talisman?”
“Nothing.”
“His allies stay hopeful.” The speaker advanced onward.
Perched atop stairs, Icefire demanded coldly, “No trace of him at all?”
“Supreme Cultivator, nothing whatsoever. Lin Feng excels at disguise, slipping into others' identities effortlessly.”
“No rush. During our clash, my yin and yang Qi eroded his body—he won't heal swiftly. Still, only his death brings me peace,” Icefire stated evenly. The subordinate bowed, retreating backward.
———
Soon after, the reclusive Life Shrine fell to ruin for defying submission. Their Leader perished. Sorrow gripped many, some weeping openly at the loss.
———
Time flowed relentlessly. Another century slipped away. In a desolate stretch of the Continent of the Nine Clouds, a form suddenly enveloped in reincarnation strength vanished swiftly.
A striking man emerged—Hou Qing Lin, now a peerless Saint. Pursuers hounded him relentlessly; one lay slain moments ago. Icefire targeted him and all ex-Fortune Shrine survivors.
“Eh?” Surprise flickered across Hou Qing Lin's face. He drew a jade talisman, eyes gleaming. Then he soared skyward.