Chapter 1096: 245: I am Tianyuan True Monarch, hurry up! (3)

“Hehehe

The red-haired figure suddenly laid eyes on Lu Changsheng. Its hollow, soulless gaze shot out twin beams of blood-red light, accompanied by a low, eerie laugh.

Even with his Taiyi Divine Soul and Third Rank Middle Stage Body Refinement, Lu Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine, his Qi-blood boiling and surging uncontrollably.

“Cough, cough, cough

Clutched in Lu Changsheng’s arms, Chu Qingyi shuddered at the sound of the ghastly laughter. Her internal organs trembled, and she coughed up blood violently, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

“Daoist, beware!”

Although Spirit Peak True Person didn’t recognize Lu Changsheng, the current dire situation made it clear that Lu Changsheng wasn’t an evildoer. Hoping to join forces, she called out to ward off the red-haired figure.

“Boom!”

The red-haired figure arrived before Lu Changsheng in an instant. He felt as though the heavens and earth were sealed, trapping him in a suffocating quagmire, rendering him immobile.

“Could this really be a Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivator!?”

Shock coursed through Lu Changsheng’s heart.

To his knowledge, only a Nascent Soul True Lord possessed the ability to suppress the void and lock down the heavens with a mere wave of the hand.

“Seven Luminaries Star Sword Formation!”

Without a moment to think further, he unleashed multiple spells in succession. The “Seven Luminaries Star Sword” began vibrating furiously, instantly splitting into sixty-four identical magical swords. Sword light burst forth, weaving and spinning madly, as if summoning the Seven Luminaries Stars from the cosmos.

“Boom!”

But before Lu Changsheng’s sword formation could fully take shape, the massive red-haired hand swatted it away like a fragile glass sculpture. The sword light shattered instantly, and the hand reached straight for him.

With Chu Qingyi secured in one arm, Lu Changsheng clenched his fist with the other. Divine radiance flowed across his knuckles as he struck back with full force.

“Bang

That one punch felt like hitting an ancient divine mountain forged from Immortal Gold. It didn’t budge an inch, leaving Lu Changsheng’s fist and arm numb with pain. His whole body was flung sideways through the air.

“What is this monstrosity!?”

Terror clawed at Lu Changsheng’s heart as he realized that unless he activated every trump card he had, there was no way he could match this red-haired figure.

“Come here... Come to me, or else... It will kill you both... I can’t hold on much longer...”

At that moment, the weathered voice Lu Changsheng had heard earlier echoed once again in his mind.

“Hehehe

The red-haired figure had previously attacked whoever was nearest—like when Venerable Huxiao was swatted away, and the figure then turned to target Chu Qingyi.

When Chu Qingyi was out of reach, it attacked Spirit Peak True Person instead.

But now, it seemed oddly fixated on Lu Changsheng. Seeing him sent flying, it pursued relentlessly.

“Hmm!?”

From the distance, Spirit Peak True Person, Venerable Huxiao, and the Luoxia Sect cultivators watched the scene, surprise flashing across their faces.

However, there was no time to dwell on questions. They promptly launched attacks to suppress the red-haired figure and ease Lu Changsheng’s plight.

“Boom, boom, boom

Countless mana attacks struck the red-haired figure, but they only managed to slow its steps momentarily, ultimately failing to inflict any real damage.

“Damn it.”

Lu Changsheng cursed under his breath at the sight. Glancing down at Chu Qingyi in his arms—her weak aura and faint breath announcing an impending demise—his expression darkened and shifted unpredictably.

He didn’t have too much to worry about himself;

escaping was still within reach.

But with Chu Qingyi in her current state, she wouldn’t last much longer.

“Come to me, and I can help you save her...”

The weathered voice rang out in his mind once more. This time, it carried an urgency, a panicked desperation absent before.

Weighing the voice’s words, Lu Changsheng cast a glance at the red-haired figure ahead. A storm of thoughts churned within him.

Mindful of his Life-Substitute Talisman and other contingency measures, he gritted his teeth and made a split-second decision. Clutching Chu Qingyi tightly, he bolted at full speed toward the direction of the Heavenly Monument.

“Daoist!?”

Spirit Peak True Person and the others froze, stunned by Lu Changsheng’s sudden retreat with Chu Qingyi toward the depths of the secret realm. Their expressions bore a mix of bewilderment and apprehension.

“Roar!”

The red-haired figure bellowed as Lu Changsheng dashed past, surging forward with a killing intent that made the surrounding space feel as though it was collapsing.

“Boom!”

The Nine Treasures Ruyi Bone on Lu Changsheng’s chest flared with radiant brilliance, unleashing a massive, surging force that partially broke the oppressive binding. Transforming into a streak of sword light, Lu Changsheng vanished instantly from the scene.

Before long...

Lu Changsheng arrived at the site where the Heavenly Monument had previously collapsed.

Beneath him loomed a deep pit, with interwoven array patterns emanating soft, mystic auras.

A translucent, azure-blue lotus, entwined in profound energies, shimmered faintly into view.

“That’s... Tianyuan Treasure Emperor Lotus!?”

Lu Changsheng’s brows furrowed slightly at the sight of the familiar yet enigmatic lotus. He immediately recognized it as the Fourth Rank Tianyuan Treasure Emperor Lotus!

To think that beneath the Heavenly Monument, such a treasure existed!

“Senior!?”

Rather than seizing the Tianyuan Treasure Emperor Lotus, Lu Changsheng called out aloud.

He had already sensed that the one who sent him the telepathic messages was right here.

“Buzz!”

The azure-blue Tianyuan Treasure Emperor Lotus swayed gently, its patterns flowing as radiant light surged around it. Rays of divine brilliance intertwined, embodying an ethereal presence of dao and reason.

Ripples of spatial energy collected and swirled to form a small vortex, as though connecting to another world.

Lu Changsheng’s sharp eyes glimmered with golden light, attempting to peer beyond the vortex into what lay beyond.

“So, when the Tianyuan Supreme Lotus grows into the Tianyuan Treasure Emperor Lotus, it evolves from a Void Treasure into a Cave Heaven Treasure?”

Lu Changsheng’s gaze deepened, catching glimpses of what appeared to be a cave heaven spanning several square miles beyond the vortex.

Without hesitation, he released a puppet to venture into the vortex first.

After confirming the absence of immediate danger, Lu Changsheng, with Chu Qingyi in tow, leaped into the vortex within the Tianyuan Treasure Emperor Lotus.