Chapter 1045: End Gao He, Contain the Black Pine Envoy, Obtain Ink-Stained Mountains and Rivers
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A kind-hearted man cannot command troops, a righteous man cannot manage wealth—the lessons handed down by the ancestors still hold some truth sometimes.
As Lu Ding's voice rang out.
In an instant.
The clamor of battle shook the heavens.
On one side, a torrent of demons surged like a flood; on the other, investigators charged in formation, colliding head-on.
The two sides clashed, and a great war erupted.
Severed limbs and broken bodies flew everywhere.
Some belonged to the goblins of Zhutai, others to the investigators under Lu Ding's command.
Both sides held the conviction of fighting to the death.
It was a contest of who was more ruthless.
Lu Ding controlled the battlefield; his investigators losing an arm or a leg didn't matter, as long as they didn't die easily.
Lost limbs could be saved—later, they could be reattached or regrown.
But if they died, that was truly the end.
Lu Ding still couldn't bring a dead person back to life.
Even with his Life-and-Death Dao Fruit, it wasn't enough.
Manipulating life and death was still too reliant on precise operation and stats.
Lu Ding still fell short.
But his battlefield control was more than enough.
The Water Dao System was simply a tool for dominance.
It lacked the drawbacks of other spells and divine abilities—power so overwhelming it couldn't tell friend from foe—yet possessed the advantage that other spells didn't: the ability to control the blood inside an enemy's body.
He could instantly coagulate the blood within an enemy's body, constricting meridians, muscles, and bones, causing instant paralysis.
This directly compensated for Lu Ding's shortage of manpower and his lack of mid-tier combat strength.
Combined with the Dinghai Pearls moving like a dragon through the battlefield.
With Lu Ding planted there like a fortress guarding the crystal, protecting his investigators, they went all out in their attacks.
In that moment.
The demons of Zhutai Sacred Land suffered heavy casualties.
Gao He rushed out from the sacred hall of Zhutai Sacred Land, saw the situation, and immediately formed hand seals to launch an attack.
"Lu Ding, as a strong person, attacking the weak tarnishes your reputation! Watch my move—Five Mountains Great Escape!!!"
To be fair, Gao He was a rather straightforward man.
He even warned his opponent before attacking.
Spiritual Energy outlined ancient mountain peaks in the air, towering into the clouds, crashing and enveloping Lu Ding from all directions.
While controlling the battlefield, Lu Ding raised his hand and swept it.
The Way of the Jinche's Slash Attack erupted, cleaving through the five mountains, shattering them instantly.
Gao He had long heard of the power of Lu Ding's signature Slash Attack, but experiencing it firsthand today left him deeply shaken.
It wasn't flashy, it wasn't brilliant, it had no excessive force—just a simple cut that could sever anything, brimming with lethal danger.
At that moment, Gao He thought to himself.
I must never take his Slash Attack head-on!!!
The next second.
Lu Ding, who had teleported in using Celestial Shift, proved with his actions that there was no need to worry about that—because he never planned to tear Gao He to pieces!
The high mobility of Celestial Shift, combined with the high stats of Human King's Loose Hands, caught Gao He completely off guard.
A fleshy palm clamped down on his face.
Lu Ding unleashed tremendous force with Quake Mountains and Shake Lands, forcibly slamming Gao He down, robbing him of all control over his body balance.
A voice rang out like a divine hymn: "Make your exit with a bang!!!!"
In an instant.
Heaven and earth transformed.
Darkness rose all around, stars hung suspended, and countless ferocious, crazed faces emitted delirious laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha........."
"The world will have no more Sacred Lord of Zhutai, hahaha........."
"Your spirit deserves respect, but your methods are too weak, hahaha......."
"A decent opponent after all—now go... to hell!!!!!"
An Anomalous Phenomenon, like a finishing animation, enveloped the entire world.
Bringing forth the ultimate finishing move with special effects that Lu Ding hadn't used many times.
Heaven of Great Desire and Madness!
Plant no good causes, cultivate no good fruits; indulge desire as self, be rampant as heaven!!!!
Under the gaze of those delirious faces, Lu Ding pressed Gao He down and plowed him across the ground, smashing through mountain peaks, splitting open earth fissures. Thick magma, red as blood, erupted from the cracks, continuously scouring Gao He's body.
Crushing his flesh to pieces.
Until he was broken and incomplete.
The magma exploded completely!!!!!
A massive column of magma shot Gao He's severely wounded body skyward.
Lu Ding stood upright on the spot.
He opened his hands wide.
Flower buds sprouted from Gao He's body, which was being launched into the sky by the magma pillar.
Mist clouded his vision.
In a daze, Gao He seemed to return to his youth, to the days when he first ventured out into the world.
He had left the mountain as a youth, seeking knowledge.
In March, under the willow branches, with drizzling rain, he first attained youthful ambition. Taking spring as his companion, he traveled south, seeking the Way and asking about the path to immortality.
He returned in middle age, having achieved success.
In August, with osmanthus fragrance and autumn winds bringing coolness, he was filled with the heart of one who had left home. Following the wind, he traveled north, his chest brimming with soaring ambition.
In that moment.
Gao He seemed to see that year of departure, that rain, that spring—and the day of return, that wind, that silhouette.
Going forth was slow, measured in years, meeting spring along the way, taking in the scenery.
Returning was fast, measured in days, meeting autumn with the wind, eager to go home.
Gao He smiled.
The bloodstains on his face couldn't hide the spirit he had as a youth seeking knowledge; they couldn't hide the boldness he had as a successful middle-aged man.
"At least... it was worth it........."
The flower buds bloomed.
A flower tree shot into the sky.
Flower coffins gathered.
Bang!!!!
They exploded into countless petals scattering down, a rain of drifting blossoms—each petal was a part of Gao He's irretrievable life, experiences, youth.......
Gao He had sought knowledge in spring, sweated through summer, achieved success in autumn, and finally died in winter.
Lu Ding raised his hand and caught one of the petals.
His gaze fixed.
"What I promised, I fulfilled."
Lu Ding turned, his field of vision expanding with his gaze.
The demons covering the mountains and the investigators were all distracted by the splendor of that moment.
He died with a bang, under the gaze of thousands.
Lu Ding hadn't broken his promise on that.
For opponents he deemed worthy, Lu Ding never stinted on his methods or his gentleness, but he also never held back or showed mercy.
Gao He—who worked hard, broke through poverty with his fists, and protected his disciples until his death—deserved respect.
But Gao He, who had colluded with the Baoji Kingdom in hybrid experiments, also had to die without a complete corpse!
Lu Ding clenched the petal in his hand, crushing it to powder.
He activated the Water Dao System with his movement.
Lu Ding addressed the demons covering the mountain: "The fuck are you looking at?"
The demons covering the mountain felt as if struck by thunder. Under the precise targeting of the Qi of the Ticket Wind, the Water Dao System unleashed its most terrifying power!!
With just one move.
The blood within the bodies of all the demons on the mountain burst out, breaking through their flesh.
It converged in the air, forming a suspended river of blood.
Lu Ding pressed down with his palm.
The river of blood rained down blood, solidifying in the air as it fell, smashing into the demons covering the mountain, riddling their bodies with holes.
They were all gravely wounded en masse.
Lu Ding waved his hand: "Pack them up, register them, tie them up, and bring them back to Black Phoenix Gathering."
[Contained Monster: Black Pine Envoy]
[Containment Reward: Ink-Stained Mountains and Rivers]
[Ink-Stained Mountains and Rivers: Hold the brush to sketch the mountains and rivers of the realm, put brush to paper to judge life and death, wield ink to paint the four seasons, leave a name to determine all things in the world.]
A smile spread across Lu Ding's face.
His Anomalous Phenomenon, Rivers and Mountains, Society and Millet Painting, would finally be of great use!!!!
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There was an error in the earlier part about True Samadhi Fire—it's been corrected. Thank you to the dear readers for the reminder!