Chapter Eighty-Two: The Battle Never Ends!

The divine spear thrust out once more, tearing through the cosmos, aiming straight for the ancient ship where Zhou Tian stood. The spear tip was indestructible. Yet, the master of the black-gold mech within the colossal mechanical war Buddha was not without sense—he knew his success depended entirely on Zhou Tian’s mystical powers. Without hesitation, the massive mechanical Buddha rumbled forward, a gigantic hand reaching out. Its shoulder split open, revealing a vast exhaust port from which violet flames erupted.

Boom!

The giant hand moved with astonishing speed. At the fingertips, five clear, blue gems were unveiled, radiating a mysterious fluctuation that locked tightly onto the spear-wielding figure.

Sensing the sharp, overwhelming power, the Dao Lord could only withdraw his spear and counter.

Clang!

A terrifying shockwave burst forth as the spear tip struck the center of the giant palm. The void was annihilated, and a dazzling brilliance surged from the point of impact.

Sizzle!

The five gems on the mechanical Buddha’s palm sparked with arcs of electricity, releasing five thick bolts of lightning that struck the Dao Lord’s face directly. The chaotic mist shrouding his face was dispelled, revealing a grim visage. His snow-white hair hung loose down his back—now slightly singed and curled. He wore violet armor, shaped in the image of a strange beast never before seen, its head emblazoned upon his chest exuding a mysterious might.

“Courting death!” he roared, his body swelling to ten thousand feet tall, matching the mechanical Buddha in height. The divine spear in his hand grew as well, as massive as a pillar holding up the heavens.

He unleashed combat sacred arts, closing in. The divine spear slashed down like a blade, obliterating a swath of space.

Yet the mechanical war Buddha was extraordinary, a crystallization of the Machine Nation’s wisdom. The nine orbs on its back spun and combined, forming a massive shield. It solidly blocked the spear’s blow. Then, the center of the shield parted—boom! A gigantic purple energy cannon fired. The Dao Lord’s mystical power surged as the beast head on his chest armor came alive, swallowing the energy beam whole.

Man and mechanical Buddha clashed fiercely, their shadows flitting everywhere, divine power waves raging, chaos roiling and splitting open great fissures, carving out new worlds.

The mechanical Buddha’s body was covered in cracks, countless bolts of lightning coiled about it—a cataclysmic thunder calamity, chaotic lightning woven densely together.

The Dao Lord manifested the divine art of three heads and six arms, multiplying his combat strength.

In response, the mechanical Buddha assembled a thousand arms, its energy core thrumming, beams of energy shooting in all directions.

In this life-and-death battle, both combatants unleashed their full powers, fighting desperately. Erto and Bakari could only watch from the sidelines, unable to intervene—should they draw near, the aftershocks would tear them apart.

“Your body is nearing its limits—how much longer can you keep going?” the Dao Lord intoned, wings unfurling behind him, wreathed in flames—a mighty divine ability enhancing both speed and lethality. With a slight tremor, two fire dragons roared forth, nearly true dragons in form, yet unmistakably different.

“Heaven’s Gate is close to discovering our anomaly—how much longer can you last?” came the reply from within the mechanical Buddha. The black-gold mech’s master was already drenched in blood, crimson seeping from his eyes, ears, and nostrils. The mechanical war Buddha was a Dao Lord’s ultimate battle armor; its every move tore his body apart. Already gravely wounded, he was only holding on by sheer will—his body breaking apart with every instant, yet he could not retreat a single step.

In his hand, the giant lightning hammer morphed in an instant into an ice crystal hand-cannon. Two blasts of frigid energy shot out, freezing and shattering the two fire dragons.

Crack—crack—crack! The ice crystal cannon dissolved into a shower of parts, electromagnetic force surging, then instantly reassembling into a massive six-barreled machine gun. The mechanical Buddha hefted the gun, its head gleaming.

Rat-tat-tat!

The muzzle flashed blue, energy bullets pouring forth in a torrential downpour, each carrying the power of thunder.

The Dao Lord’s fire wings swept out, surging flames engulfing him, the wings wrapping around to serve as a shield against the hail of bullets.

While the two titans battled overhead, Bakari and his group were not idle. Though unable to participate in the high-level fight, they could still torment the tortoise-shell formation of the eight ancient ships.

The golden formation trembled incessantly, holy flames blazing, countless wailing souls reaching out with skeletal hands to claw at the formation. Thick bolts of lightning and shadow power corroded it.

Though formidable—a formation of the Heavenly King class—it shook under the combined assault of four such kings.

Wei Chuan’s grandfather, the violet-robed Daoist, and the white-clad assassin were all gravely wounded, barely able to care for themselves, much less offer aid.

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!

Four missiles, each exuding a terrifying aura, streaked toward Bakari’s group. The mechanical Buddha, noticing their plight, lent a hand.

Yet before joy could show on their faces, a bronze divine spear swept across the void—

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

All four missiles were struck and exploded. The Dao Lord snatched the returning spear, snorting coldly, fire wings flaring as he charged in.

“You’d best worry about yourself first!” On the deck, Zhou Xunchuan’s brow was deeply furrowed. Cracks had appeared in the formation; collapse was only a matter of time.

He glanced at the Godforsaken Land looming so near, then back at the endless storm of the void behind them, and said in a low voice, “We can only enter the Godforsaken Land now. The road home is long, and Heaven’s Gate has yet to notice anything amiss. Delay any longer, and we’ll only be courting death!”

“We have no choice but to gamble. We’ve prepared for a long time on the Godforsaken Land; we still have resources there to fight with!” Zhou Ying agreed. This time, they had set themselves as bait with thorough preparations—eight Saint-king level experts in escort, virtually foolproof. Yet they hadn’t expected the Godspawn to enlist the help of the Star Realm. Who knew what price they’d paid, but they’d managed to bring two Heavenly Venerables into action and smuggle a Dao Lord into the Nine Provinces, even bringing a formation capable of concealing them from Heaven’s Gate’s detection. Clearly, that force had expended much of its foundation.

No sooner said than done. Zhou Xunchuan notified the others on the ancient ships of his plan. The rest, all proud geniuses, quickly came to the same conclusion.

Zhou Xunchuan traced a few runes with his fingers; the ancient ship shuddered as three beast-hide sails erupted in golden flames—sacrificing materials for speed. The other ships activated their own means.

Boom!

The eight ancient ships moved as one, surging forth with unmatched speed. The myriad divine chains binding their formation shattered, and they broke free, heading for the Godforsaken Land.

“How dare you!” Bakari roared, his six pairs of wings flaring, feathers drifting down. A crown of interwoven branches appeared in his hand—simple twigs with a few green leaves, yet exuding a holiness that forced the Shadow God, Sadok, to retreat a step.

Bakari donned the crown slowly, sacred hymns resounding as countless angels appeared at his sides. A figure in white robes manifested behind him, arms spread wide, embracing all creation.

Oh, mighty ones, I’m just a short, stout man with a chest full of hair—don’t ask me such strange questions; I don’t know how to sing...