Chapter 1373
Chapter 1373 (Raw 1364):
"Little Brother Xiao Chen, we really misunderstood you last time."
The Vice Sect Master Fang Baiyu came forward, feeling very embarrassed. Xiao Chen had been sincere and spoken bluntly. However, because Fang Baiyu felt uncomfortable about it, he ended up misunderstanding him, not even giving him a chance to speak.
However, now, during the crisis, Xiao Chen was the first to lead a group of people to rescue them, not caring about the wrong he suffered previously.
"Vice Sect Master is exaggerating. This is a matter of vital importance; we should retreat first."
Xiao Chen smiled. He did not take the previous matter to heart in the first place. Why would he bother with it now?
Jiang Chuan, the Fiend Race Greater Heavenly Martial Emperor, said, "Come with us. As long as we retreat to the sixth layer of formations, we can reorganize our troops and slowly recover."
As long as they activated the sixth layer of formations and were prepared to focus entirely on defense, the Deity Dao Union would absolutely not be able to break through quickly.
This was because the closer they were to Supreme Sky City, the stronger the defenses of the formations that layered over each other.
Xiao Chen shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that I cannot go with you. Someone needs to remain behind as the rearguard. Otherwise, the Deity Dao Union will be able to keep chasing. The casualty rate would be even worse."
Fang Baiyu and the other Greater Heavenly Martial Emperors looked back and saw the hundreds of Respected Deities, which had been attacking the surging pillar of fire previously, slowly massing.
At an even farther location, Di Wuque was currently dealing with the chaos from the aftermath of the huge Deity Race warship's destruction. Once these two groups met up, they would definitely be a great force.
If the Deity Dao Union truly gave chase, at least half of the more than two hundred people here would not be able to return.
The three Greater Heavenly Martial Emperors withdrew their expressions of joy at surviving this calamity. They knew that this was just the beginning. They still did not know whether they could flee from the Respected Deities, Di Wuque, and the other experts of the Deity Dao Union.
Xiao Chen was right. Someone did need to serve as a rearguard. However, this person could not be Xiao Chen.
Fang Baiyu and the other two Greater Heavenly Martial Emperors exchanged glances. They immediately understood each other's thoughts. Fang Baiyu said, "That's right. Someone does need to remain behind. However, the people responsible for this will be we three. Xiao Chen, you are in charge of leading the retreat."
Xiao Chen still shook his head and said softly, "No. Di Wuque's intent to kill me already reached the peak. Even if you want to block him, he will not bother with you. If I lead them, I will only end up harming them."
"What did you do?" Mo Chen asked out of curiosity.
Xiao Chen thought back to the scene of the Divine Daughter suffering the rebound of the divine tribulation. Then he murmured, "Perhaps I might have accidentally killed the Divine Daughter, Tian Youxi."
Although Xiao Chen spoke softly, the ripples that his words caused were no less than those of a bomb going off in deep waters.
"Ah!"
Everyone who heard him was startled. Everyone in the Kunlun Realm knew about the relationship between Di Wuque and Tian Youxi. If Xiao Chen really killed Tian Youxi, Di Wuque would definitely go crazy.
The three Greater Heavenly Martial Emperors did not know what to say; they could not react at all.
Xiao Chen said softly, "All of you should go. I planned to remain behind and guard the rear anyway. There is no deviation from my plan."
There was only a slight deviation from Xiao Chen's plan: he had not intended to kill the Divine Daughter.
However, it did not matter. Di Wuque wanted to fight with him to compete for Luck's favor. The two of them were like fire and water—unable to coexist with each other and becoming mortal enemies. Back in the Heavenly Starry Ocean, the Divine Daughter even got the Five Poison Sect's elder to try to kill Xiao Chen.
Today, she tried to use the World Exterminating Divine Tribulation to kill Xiao Chen. Even if Tian Youxi really died, Xiao Chen's mental state would not be too affected by it.
One made their own decisions in life, but their fate was decided by heaven. On the path of cultivation, death was very normal.
Right now, time was of the essence. The earlier they left, the greater their chances of survival.
Naturally, Fang Baiyu understood this principle. He shook his head helplessly. "Come back alive. This time, the three of us owe you too much."
The group did not say anything more, quickly setting off in the direction of Supreme Sky City at lightning speed.
Mo Chen, Yue Bingyun, and the other girls looked back as they left. When they saw Xiao Chen's solitary figure, they almost could not resist remaining. However, they knew Xiao Chen's temper. If they stayed, Xiao Chen would definitely tell them to leave.
At this moment, being able to love was somewhat of a luxury. All they wished now was for Xiao Chen to come back safely.
Suddenly, yellow sand flew up and filled the air in front. Pillars of divine light soared up into the sky from the dense cloud of yellow sand, turning into a surging battle intent spreading in the sky and materializing many mysterious phenomena roiling together with the clouds.
When Xiao Chen looked up, the mysterious phenomena materialized into many ancient war banners of the Deity Race.
These war banners gathered glory and faith as well as boundless killing intent.
When Xiao Chen saw this scene, he understood. Now he knew why Meteor Trail City had fallen so fast.
One or even just a few Respected Deities were nothing. However, when they all worked together, the force that they could burst forth with would be something that even Sovereign Martial Emperors would not dare to clash with.
Very strong. However, Xiao Chen did not feel much fear.
He slowly extended his right hand. Then, a Buddhist lamp appeared on his palm. A śarīra floated above the Buddhist lamp. The śarīra gave off layers of light, and the image of the Maheśvara Buddha chanted scriptures in the light.
This śarīra immediately amplified the effects of the Buddhist lamp dramatically.
The Heavenly Snow Divine Flame being nourishing in the Buddhist lamp had already advanced from Rank 1 to Rank 2, where it could kill peak Sixth Heaven Martial Emperors.
Xiao Chen opened its mouth and sucked, drawing the Heavenly Snow Divine Flame into his mouth and sending it to the Heart of an Emperor in his dantian.
After that, he put away the Buddhist lamp and śarīra. He took out a flask of wine and sat down cross-legged. He looked at the yellow sand in the distance and started drinking alone.
Xiao Chen's vision reached past the countless Deity Race Respected Deities in the cloud of yellow sand to the very center where Di Wuque hugged Tian Youxi, who showed faint signs of life, her breath feeble. Di Wuque's face filled with grief and self-reproach, his eyes flashing with tears.
The guilt in Di Wuque's heart could not be described with words.
Earlier, Di Wuque spoke cockily, not wanting to give up the rare chance to kill Xiao Chen. However, with his intelligence, he should have figured out that since Xiao Chen dared to charge over, Xiao Chen naturally had his own trump cards.
Di Wuque could only blame himself from being overconfident, thinking that with the many experts on the huge Deity Race warship, Xiao Chen would be helpless.
However, when Xiao Chen really took out his trump card, everything was over. The huge Deity Race warship could not withstand even one strike before the Dharmic World that Xiao Chen executed.
The warship shattered immediately, and the Divine Might formation broke. The divine tribulation rebounded. The World Exterminating Divine Tribulation, which was supposed to strike Xiao Chen, rebounded and injured Tian Youxi.
"Wuque, don't cry. You are the Divine Son. In the future, you will be the one favored by all of the Kunlun Realm's Luck. How can you cry?!"
The frail Tian Youxi somehow found the strength to hold Di Wuque's hand tightly. Then, she stretched her hand towards Di Wuque's face, looking like she wanted to wipe Di Wuque's tears away and not let them fall.
However, she only stretched her hand halfway before it fell weakly. It was like a flower bud blooming halfway before withering and losing its color.
Di Wuque's heart sank. He quickly grabbed Tian Youxi's hand and brought it to his face. He said hoarsely, "I won't cry. I won't cry. Tian Youxi, wake up. You'd better wake up!"
The surroundings were quiet; no one spoke. Everyone could feel the grief and pain in Di Wuque's tone.
"Tian Youxi, look at me. I'm not crying. I'm not crying!"
However, that flower-like, pure face had already lost all signs of life. No matter how loudly Di Wuque shouted, she did not wake up.
The World Exterminating Divine Tribulation was a powerful technique that could instantly kill a Greater Heavenly Martial Emperor. How could Tian Youxi endure the might of its rebound?
Di Wuque's eyes clouded up. His tears had long since spilled over. However, he still kept calling out, "I'm not crying! I'm not crying!
"Xiao Chen! I, Di Wuque, cannot share the same sky with you in this life. I will not be able to ease the hatred in my heart if I do not kill you!"
Xiao Chen, who was drinking, heard a hoarse roar filled with pain and killing intent from that cloud of yellow sand.
After that, the ground and sky shook. A loud sound boomed out. Heavy footsteps came from the cloud of yellow sand. With every step, the ground rumbled as Di Wuque headed for Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen's expression changed slightly as he guessed something. Tian Youxi had really died.
He stood up and poured the remaining unconsumed wine to the ground. Then, he muttered, "You protected him for your whole life. It was worth it to be able to get a promise like that. Even though our Dao are different, I still offer you this half flask of wine in respect. Go in peace!"
[TL Note: The Chinese offer wine to the dead by pouring the wine on the ground, usually in front of altars or graves.]
"Pa!"
Xiao Chen let go, and the exquisite wine flask made of jade fell to the ground and shattered like the Divine Daughter, Tian Youxi, dying—the death of a pretty woman.