Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1022 I'll Die for You
However, now is not the time to explore these matters.

For her, it was actually a good thing that Xu Xuan was unlikely to be cursed to death under the current circumstances.

If you're going to die, you should wait until after the tribulation of severing emotions, otherwise you'll have to wait for him to reincarnate in the next life.
Seeing that his "big brother" was analyzing the situation so confidently, Xu Xuan was completely relieved. It seemed that he had been born with a talent for curse resistance, a passive skill.

"In that case, let's just wait for the other party to pay the price and collapse on their own."

Indeed, there are people in the Liang Prince's mansion who are on the verge of collapse.

Li Gongfeng felt like he was fighting against thin air!

They paid such a heavy price, even sacrificing their own flesh and blood, but the target seemed to have vanished without a trace, without any decent feedback whatsoever!
He already knew in his heart that the enemy's strength was probably unbelievable. Either their cultivation was unfathomable, or... their heart was pure and flawless, impervious to all evil.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to remain unharmed under his Yin Fire Soul Burning Curse!
Despair, like a cold tide, began to engulf my mind.

But since things have come to this point, there's no point in going back on my word; I'll just have to go through with this final bow.

The ritual must not be interrupted, otherwise the backlash will be immediate.

and……

What if?
What if we just need that one last push to succeed?
A gambler's mentality, a sense of侥幸 (a lucky break), sustained his trembling body.

Ignoring everything, it forcibly extracted the remaining power from all the offerings around the altar, leaving the spiritually drained offerings lying on the ground to utter weak and venomous curses.

Without hesitation, he poured all his last hope and madness into this final bow!
拜！
The moment the straw man bowed down, a phantom-shaped greatsword with a ghost head, formed entirely from pitch-black resentment, dissipated spirituality, and the power of blood sacrifice, suddenly appeared above the straw man!
The blade was wrapped with countless contorted faces in agony, radiating an ominous aura that seemed to sever all life.

This is the ultimate evil weapon, refined and sublimated!
"Qiang——!"

As if from the deepest hell, the metal trembled, and the Ghost Head Blade, with unwavering determination, slashed fiercely at the straw man's neck!
At the same time, Xu Xuan on the Ebo Terrace did feel a slight chill on the back of his neck, as if someone had blown a cold breath on him.

I subconsciously reached out and touched my neck...

...There was nothing there.

Not even a white mark was left.

"Tsk, this last move wasn't even as good as the first two." Xu Xuan was even a little disappointed, and couldn't help but give his opponent's "performance" a score in his mind:
First time: Mana surge, accompanied by a demonic attack. The effect is acceptable; it's a classic combination of curses, making it difficult to defend against. I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

The second time: Yin Fire Burns the Soul, scorching the three souls and seven spirits. The method is ruthless, imitating the Yin Fire Calamity among the Three Calamities. It is very creative and powerful. Giving it 8.5 points is not an exaggeration.

Third time: Condensing a demonic blade to sever the physical body? Too foolish! A complete failure!

Shaking his head helplessly, Xu Xuan had successfully transformed from an "ordinary" cultivator skilled in various military strategies into a "King of Fighters" officially certified by the Buddhist sect two and a half years ago!
With the Golden Body buff stacked up to almost the limit and physical defense maxed out, how could it possibly fear these mere phantom weapons condensed from soul energy?
But on second thought, it's quite remarkable that the opponent was able to launch two decent offensives with incomplete information.

Sensing the "persistence" and "unwillingness" that emanated from Li Gongfeng across the void, Xu Xuan could only sigh softly with a trace of pity:
"Little villain, you've already... done your best."

"I... I tried my best..."

Li Gongfeng felt as if all his strength had been drained in an instant. He stared blankly at the starry sky in the direction of Ebotai, unconsciously repeating the same phrase.

Why? Why did I fail? Why did years of planning and such a sacrifice ultimately fail at the last moment? Why...?

In just a few days, he went from a "master" who was in charge of top-level conspiracies and had the potential to climb to a higher level with the help of the Prince's Mansion to a "powerless roadside repairman" who couldn't even touch the hem of his enemy's clothes and whose methods were like child's play.
Is this... the will of Heaven?
Just as he lost his composure and muttered to himself, the straw figure on the altar bearing the final curse was the first to succumb to the backlash, slowly turning into ashes and disappearing without a trace.

The curse ritual failed completely, and the terrifying backlash was like a flood that had burst its banks, requiring all those who participated in the ritual to share the burden!

Those offerings, whose spirituality had long been drained and who lay limp on the ground, didn't even have the strength to utter a final curse before dying silently on the spot!

The remaining few, those with slightly deeper cultivation or those standing a little further away, were also barely breathing and their souls were shattered; they clearly wouldn't survive either.

Li Gongfeng's "glorious" achievements after a night of hard work have finally become clear.

A solo kill on an ally, or a total wipeout.

Then, a chain reaction began!

With a loud crash, the eerie altar beneath their feet shattered completely, turning into a pile of debris!
The numerous evil magical artifacts displayed on it exploded one after another, scattering fragments everywhere!
Freed from the constraints of the altar, the thousands of rampaging soldiers who were fighting with the monks instantly went out of control. Some were purified by the Buddha's light, while many more let out wild howls and began to attack everything around them indiscriminately, even devouring each other!

The immense karma, like black shackles, instantly bound his soul, making him feel as if he had fallen into an infernal hell!
Even the earth's spiritual energy that supported this place was completely destroyed by the violent energy shock and the pollution of evil energy!
Of course, these were all "minor matters" to Li Gongfeng.

The truly earth-shattering event occurred in the small house not far away that imprisoned the stars' destiny!

"Bang—Crack!!!"

The countless illusory chains binding the fate of the Great Star finally groaned under the impact of the internal stellar power and the guidance of the external rituals, and then crumbled inch by inch!
Xiao Song, who had been kept under control for so long, has finally been completely "ignited"!

A massive, blood-red phantom star rose fiercely from the core area of ​​the Liang Prince's Mansion!

The illusory yet magnificent starlight, like mercury spilling onto the ground, instantly swept across the entire territory of the Liang Kingdom!
The immense power of the rising star easily shattered all the remaining protective formations inside and outside the palace. Soaring into the sky, it crashed into the "Canopy of Fortune" above the Liang Prince's Palace, a symbol of power and protection, with an unstoppable momentum!
"boom--!"

A deafening roar, like shattered glass, echoed through the soul!
The canopy, which embodied the national destiny of the Liang Kingdom and the royal aura of the Sima family, was smashed open with a huge hole!

The humanitarian spirit representing order and protection violently cancels out and annihilates the evil spirit of the agricultural stars representing the fire calendar!
The fortune was greatly diminished, and the canopy was pierced.

For a vassal state, that would truly be the end of the world!
Without the protection of humanity and good fortune, divine punishment has no further obstacles!
A crimson fire, as red as blood and imbued with pure destructive intent, suddenly fell from the night sky like a meteor, striking precisely the core area of ​​the Liang Prince's Mansion!

Rumble——!
A third of the magnificent palace, along with its pavilions, towers, rare treasures, and countless servants and guards who were unable to escape, was engulfed in a raging inferno in an instant!

Fueled by the lingering power of the celestial fire, the flames spread wildly in all directions, devouring everything that could burn. Li Gongfeng stood frozen, his gaze fixed blankly on the corpses of his comrades scattered across the ground, on the inferno that transformed the royal palace into a living hell, his ears filled with the deafening roar of collapsing buildings and the agonizing screams of dying humans…

Among them, the terrified screams of the "God of War of the North" were particularly loud and piercing.

The entire population of Suiyang saw the bright flames shooting into the sky from the direction of the Prince's Mansion and heard the deafening roar that sounded like the end of the world. The city was instantly plunged into chaos and panic.

"what."

Li Gongfeng let out a dry, strange chuckle.

"Ha!" The sound grew louder, carrying a chilling undertone.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

Finally, he looked up and let out a hysterical laugh, a laugh filled with endless despair and madness.

"It's all gone... everything's gone..."

He laughed, but tears mingled with the blood streaming down his face. "Your Highness! Your destiny is gone! Your royal palace is gone! Your empire... haha, all gone!"

"I'm going to die too..."

The auspicious canopy of fortune, shattered by the clash of destiny, could no longer protect him, the culprit.

A cold, majestic, and irresistible will has locked onto him. This is the final response from Heaven to the use of evil magic to imprison a star's destiny and disrupt the natural order—a harbinger of death!

As the aura of death drew ever closer, it felt like a cold rope tightening around my neck.

Li Gongfeng eventually... went completely insane.

Her disheveled hair danced wildly in the sweltering heat and howling wind, and her once magnificent robes had long since lost their spiritual essence, torn into tattered strips.

Illuminated by the towering flames, that face, which once exuded an air of otherworldly grace and majesty, now appeared exceptionally aged, distorted, and hideously ugly.

But even in this desperate situation, a final, fierce glint of unwillingness suddenly burst forth in his eyes!

"But I refuse to accept my fate!!! I refuse to accept it—!!!"

Suddenly, he leaped into the air, using the last of his remaining magic power to throw his magic sword, which he had carried with him for many years, into the air. Man and sword became one, transforming into a streak of light, and he sped off towards the east without regard for anything else!

The wind howled in his ears, dark clouds gathered above his head, and below him raging flames devoured everything. Dense death energy, like maggots clinging to his bones, clung tightly to him...

This Taoist priest, who was determined to die but unwilling to be beheaded, launched his last and most desperate charge on his path of cultivation against the will of Heaven!
Bearing the brunt of countless calamities for all living beings, he assists the king in reigniting the flames of heaven. The Dao collapses, demons rise, mountains and rivers shatter, swords break, jade shatters, and the sun and moon hang suspended in the air.

I vow to ignite the flames of karma with my withered body, and dare to mend the broken path with my blood and bones. Let us journey together to the Yellow Springs, where there is no return, and together let us erase the unresolved grievances in the Azure Heaven.

Xu Xuan! Xu Xuan! Xu Xuan—!!!
Even if I die, I will... I will make sure you never have peace! At least I will make you witness how I...!
He roared madly in his heart, burning with the last of his soul and life, and forcefully broke through the thick clouds covering Suiyang City!

The next moment, I saw it.

He saw the monks of Linji Temple radiating Buddhist light, purifying and subduing the out-of-control soldiers; he saw the woman in white, with a peerless beauty, holding the blazing, blood-red "Great Fire Star Life" with focused attention, as if trying to soothe her; he saw Xu Xuan, whom he hated to the core, standing beside the woman, seemingly turning his head to say something to her.

Then, Xu Xuan turned his head with a slightly surprised expression to look at himself emerging from the clouds, his face still showing a hint of... astonishment?
Would you be surprised?!
You ominous star! A scourge! The source of all disasters! You…!
The curses and angry outbursts in my heart have not yet been fully released.

*Snap!*

The purple-white lightning, condensed from the power of Heavenly Punishment, seemed to have been waiting for a long time, and struck down from the sky without warning!
Its light was so intense that it instantly illuminated the entire night sky!

It struck the stream of light that Li Gongfeng had transformed into with perfect accuracy!

No screaming, no struggle.

Under the blazing thunder, a symbol of divine retribution, the Taoist priest, along with the magic sword beneath his feet and the remnant soul and resentment it carried, were instantly vaporized and incinerated. The vast majority of his body and soul vanished on the spot, his soul and spirit completely scattered.

Only a few wisps of insignificant smoke drifted away symbolically before being purified away completely.

Not everyone can survive divine retribution.

On the Ebo Terrace, Bai Suzhen, holding the Star Fate, frowned slightly, looking in the direction where the lightning dissipated, her tone tinged with confusion:
"Is this the mastermind behind it all?" He seemed to find it unbelievable. "Are people these days... so reckless? Carrying such heavy divine retribution, instead of finding a place to hide or commit suicide, they're running around aimlessly?"

After a moment's thought, he offered a guess that even he himself found unlikely:
"Or is it that they are unwilling to accept defeat, so they chased after the Great Fire Star here, hoping to lock the star's destiny back in time?"

Finally, she gently shook her head, expressing her confusion:
"I really don't understand the world anymore."

Xu Xuan, standing to the side, watched as the Li Gongfeng, along with the heavenly lightning, vanished like fireworks. He stroked his chin, equally puzzled.
"To be honest... I don't understand what this guy was trying to do when he rushed over at the end."

"Could it be... that he just wanted to rush up to me and die in front of me?"

A man and a woman continue to follow the fate of Mars.

What Li Gongfeng is, is completely unimportant.

(End of this chapter)