Chapter 29: Only for the Flower to Bloom

“Bodhi, are you truly certain?”

“Even if the formation can be broken in a short time, Source Elder has a group of subordinates, and his own strength is unfathomable.” One after another, they questioned.

Bodhi, standing on the clouds in the Slanting Moon Great World, suddenly split his divine body into two Bodhis: “I am certain.”

It was not that he had confidence in himself.

It was that he had confidence in Shennong! Shennong had said that even a Ancestral God would have his soul scattered and his true spirit extinguished.

“Good.” Huanmu Master transmitted, “Old friend Bodhi, I trust you. I never thought we would fight side by side again.”

“I trust you.”

“There’s no other way.”

“Tell me, how do we break the Black Lotus Grand Formation?”

The several leader-level mighty ones conversed via transmission.

Houyi, who had been silent all along, suddenly transmitted: “I need your help. All of you attack the Black Lotus Formation with full force! Let the Black Lotus Formation suffer enough pressure, and then I will execute my archery skill… and break the formation in one strike.”

Hearing Houyi say this, Ji Ning and the others were all startled.

They trusted Houyi greatly, because it was Houyi who had killed the Heartforce Lord before! But Houyi was clearly already severely wounded.

“This arrow is my strongest arrow… far stronger than the one that killed the Heartforce Lord.” Houyi added.

“Good, let’s do it.”

“Good.”

The several leader-level mighty ones quickly made their decision.

…

“Everyone, we have no path of retreat.” Buddha Tathagata gave a low shout. The great host of heavenly gods around him looked at the Black Lotus Formation in the distance, which was charging toward the No-Birth camp, their eyes filled with hatred. Then, the power of heaven and earth surged, and quickly, with Buddha Tathagata as the core, they formed the Pangu Creation Formation.

“Hahaha… we’ve been pushed to this point. Fellow Daoists, let us fight together.” Lord Sanqing laughed, and the Pure Yang True Immortals around him quickly formed the Nuwa Mending Heaven Formation.

“Brothers of the Yao race, let us kill that Source Daoist, and then we’ll drink big bowls of wine and eat big chunks of meat together.” Sun Wukong shouted loudly. The great host of Yao celestial beings following him all howled, and then they formed a Pangu Creation Formation. Sun Wukong transformed into Pangu, a million zhang tall, and stepped through the void, charging forward.

“Source Daoist, today you deserve to die.” Amitabha also commanded a Nuwa Mending Heaven Formation…

Kuafu…

Yuding Daoist…

Maitreya Buddha…

One after another, beings close to the leader level commanded formations. The heavenly gods and true immortals within the formations were not afraid; each followed the mighty ones without fear, charging forward.

“Amitabha. To fight alongside all of you is my fortune, Jueming.” Buddha Jueming smiled, stepping through the void and flying directly toward the Black Lotus Formation.

“Brightmoon.” At this moment, what appeared in Ji Ning’s mind was his daughter Brightmoon.

“No one can hurt you.”

“No one.”

A black electric serpent flashed across the void, charging toward the Black Lotus Formation.

…

Watching the mighty ones of the Three Realms in the distance charge one after another toward the Black Lotus Formation, the Great Demon Cixiu, who had left only an avatar to observe from afar, was stunned. He couldn’t help recalling the past and murmured softly: “Although I feel these natives are foolish—how can their hearts and spirits match his?—yet seeing them like this, I can’t help hoping they win. Just as I once hoped my homeland would win. But in this world, in the end, the strong prevail.”

…

“Kill, kill, kill.”

Source Elder showed no mercy. The black lotus leaves spun and struck like meat grinders. Soon, mighty ones died, formations collapsed.

Ji Ning, Buddha Jueming, Huanmu Master, and Wanmo charged at the very front, doing their best to help the other mighty ones… Some relied on their powerful divine bodies, others on their formidable defensive techniques. They fought in the most dangerous front lines, reducing their own losses, and furiously attacked the Black Lotus Grand Formation.

The Three Absolute Sword Formation, the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, and other sword lights, green lights, and blood lights—all were Chaos divine weapons—slashed toward the formation.

The two camps besieged desperately; none retreated.

In the distance.

Houyi watched from afar: “Everyone, Houyi will not disappoint you.” He drew his bowstring.

This scene made Source Elder, who had been calmly facing everything within the Black Lotus Formation, change expression. He stared at Houyi. He knew well the power of a ‘heartforce cultivator.’ Although Houyi had figured out his techniques on his own, hadn’t he just used his self-discovered techniques to kill the Heartforce Lord? He dared not underestimate him. That was also why he had long ago taken control of Chang’e—to influence Houyi and stop him.

“Houyi.” With a thought from Source Elder, Chang’e flew to directly in front of him.

“If you want to deal with me, kill Chang’e first.” Although Source Elder was confident he could take this arrow, he was still very cautious.

…

“Houyi.”

As he drew the bowstring, Houyi seemed to return to the distant past, the most beautiful memories of his life.

“Yi, try this. Is it good?”

“Of course it’s good, since Chang’e made it.”

Although what happened later saddened him, those beautiful memories never faded. Houyi smiled as he drew the arrow.

“Boom——” The void shook, chaos surged, and endless chaos power flowed in, pouring into the divine bow.

“Hum.”

The bowstring of the divine bow vibrated faintly.

Houyi’s divine body transformed into a dazzling light, and then that dazzling light completely poured into that arrow.

Using endless chaos power as the bow, heartforce as the string, and his own life as the arrow…

This was an arrow Houyi had comprehended during the endless years of his sorrow—an arrow paid for with his life…

“Whoosh.”

The string sounded.

The arrow flew.

The divine bow left in the void seemed to weep.

The arrow streaked across the sky. Endless chaos power and the power of heaven and earth poured in, making this arrow like a meteor streaking across the sky, growing ever brighter. At this moment, the entire void seemed to fall silent. All the mighty ones, all the heavenly gods and true immortals, watched this arrow. They had fought desperately, attacking the Black Lotus Formation, all for this arrow.

They understood that Houyi had given his life to shoot this arrow.

Though saddened, they still hoped, hoping it would succeed. If it were them, they too would not hesitate to give their lives.

“A life-staking arrow.” Source Elder, standing on the Black Lotus Formation, frowned. “This Houyi is truly mad. A native, extremely talented in heartforce, but the techniques he comprehends are all life-risking? Killing the Heartforce Lord was already a risk. Now this move is completely suicidal.”

The arrow was too fast.

There was no dodging.

“These madmen.” Source Elder frowned. The entire formation was under frenzied siege from both camps. Although each was relatively weak, when they joined forces, even the Heartforce Lord would find it hard to withstand. The Black Lotus Formation was indeed under great pressure.

“Boom!”

The arrow, now like a giant meteor, struck the Black Lotus Formation. The formation boomed loudly. Already under immense pressure, it could no longer hold. With a bang, it shattered. The lotus leaves collapsed. The meteor dimmed, revealing the arrow within, which shot directly toward Source Elder.

Source Elder stood there, holding a horsetail whisk, layers of whisk strands swirling around him, while also having Chang’e block in front.

“Pfft.”

The arrow flashed past.

It pierced through Chang’e’s body, through the layers of whisk strands. Source Elder struck out with a palm, hitting the arrow——

“Boom——”

Source Elder retreated several steps on the lotus heart, blood at the corner of his mouth, but he laughed: “Breaking the formation has exhausted its momentum. It only cost me a little divine power.” His greatest fear was Houyi.

Chang’e knelt there, clutching her chest.

“Whoosh——” A hazy silhouette appeared, the image of Houyi—his true spirit.

“Chang’e.” Houyi’s silhouette looked at Chang’e. He gently reached out to touch her face. How long had it been since he had looked at Chang’e so closely? Houyi whispered, “I… have never hated you.”

Chang’e looked at him, her eyes still cold.

Only… two lines of tears silently fell. Her heart ached. She knew everything happening around her, but she could do nothing.

Seeing the two lines of tears on Chang’e’s face, Houyi’s silhouette smiled.

“Whoosh——” The silhouette dissipated.

…

“Having shot the life-staking arrow, his true spirit actually lingered for a moment due to obsession.” Source Elder coldly watched Chang’e, who was collapsing and whose breath was fading. Pierced by that terrible arrow, how could Chang’e survive?

“Hmph.” Source Elder waved his hand. A surge of divine power struck Chang’e’s corpse, turning it to ashes that vanished.

And at that moment.

“Eh?” Source Elder’s expression changed. Beside him, a white-haired, white-bearded Daoist elder in a robe appeared.

A flower, extremely bright and delicate, flew from Bodhi’s hand and bloomed. Petal after petal unfolded—the most beautiful sight of a flower blooming in the Three Realms.

At this moment, Ji Ning, Buddha Jueming, Lord Sanqing, Buddha Tathagata, Lord Wanmo, Huanmu Master, as well as Kuafu, Sun Wukong, Jidian, Yuding, Maitreya Buddha, Amitabha—each mighty one watched that flower bloom. They had given everything, even Houyi had given his life, all for this moment of the flower blooming.