Chapter 2149: Song of the Moon Part 3
To say that Dian Jiuzhi's fist attack was powerful would be a vast understatement.
The Divine Might of the Divine Kingdom's cultivators was something that outsiders could never hope to compare to.
And among them, the Divine Might of the Divine Children—the prodigies carefully cultivated and strengthened by their Kingdom's most powerful figures—was on an entirely different level.
Dian Jiuzhi was the peak example of this.
Every breakthrough he achieved after becoming a Divine Son was not merely his own.
His father, the Boundless Divine Regent, had personally fortified his body, refining and enhancing his cultivation foundation to unimaginable heights.
With every step Dian Jiuzhi took toward power, his father paved the path for him—ensuring that his strength would always stand above others.
If a cultivator from outside the Divine Kingdoms—even one at the Divine Limited Realm—had taken that strike head-on, they wouldn't have simply been injured.
They would have been crippled—or worse, reduced to nothing.
That was the sheer dominance of a Divine Son.
And Dian Jiuzhi was no ordinary Divine Son.
He was one who stood at the peak.
"Qingyue… if you are willing to become the Moon God Emperor, then take this Imperial Moon Glazed Pearl…"
A voice echoed within her consciousness—soft, yet filled with a solemn weight.
A voice both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
"Qingyue, I hope that your life will not be fraught with indecision, perplexity, and a constant desire to have the best of both worlds... you should live for yourself..."
In the midst of her half-conscious state, Shen Wuyi felt as though she were floating in an endless void.
The pain from Dian Jiuzhi's devastating attack had reached deep—not just into her body, but into her very soul.
And from within that soul, something was stirring.
Flashes of memory surged forward.
They came in fragments—blurred and scattered, like shards of a broken mirror desperately trying to piece themselves back together.
One by one, they intertwined—creating a web of stories that felt both distant and intimately close.
The voice echoed again.
A hand—smooth and pale—was offering something.
A pearl.
The Imperial Moon Glazed Pearl.
Its luster was like the full moon hanging over an eternal night.
She could feel it—the weight of responsibility, the weight of fate.
But who was speaking to her?
Who was she—before she became Shen Wuyi?
The answers felt just within reach, yet every time she grasped for them, they slipped away like flowing water.
A battle raged outside.
Her body was still on the battlefield, battered and broken.
Yet her soul—her very being—was awakening.
The dust storm scattered across the battlefield, swirling in the air like remnants of a shattered world. Through the thick haze, the sound of labored breathing and choking gasps echoed, followed by the wet splatter of blood hitting the scorched earth.
"Cough… cough… puke—"
A sharp, guttural cough tore through the silence, the unmistakable metallic tang of blood thick in the air.
Dian Jiuzhi, standing tall amidst the devastation, gazed down at the scene with a cruel smile.
"You wouldn't have had to suffer this much… if you had simply submitted."
His voice was smooth, almost gentle—yet his words cut like a blade, as cold and merciless as the force he had just unleashed.
Beneath him, from within the shattered remains of the battlefield, a figure began to rise.
Bloodied and broken, Shen Wuyi stood.
Every movement sent waves of pain coursing through her body, threatening to drag her back into the abyss of unconsciousness. Yet, she did not fall.
With agonizing effort, she straightened her back, her delicate yet battered frame trembling under the weight of her injuries. Even though her vision blurred, even though her wounds burned, her spirit remained unyielding.
She lifted her chin.
She had never bowed before, and she would not start now.
Her defiance burned brighter than her wounds.
As she steadied herself, memories flashed through her mind—not of the past she could not recall, but of the journey she had endured since awakening in this cruel world.
She had been found half-dead, without a name, without an identity. The Eternal Night Divine Regent had taken her in, had told her of her immense potential.
She had listened. She had learned.
She had rebuilt herself from nothing.
And now—now she was here, standing against a force that should have crushed her, yet she refused to break.
Her hands clenched into blood-soaked fists.
She knew the truth.
The strong did not rise to the pinnacle by being kind. The world did not bow to those who pretended to be righteous.
And Dian Jiuzhi—
He was the worst kind of pretender.
He played the role of a gentleman, speaking of admiration and respect—yet his fists told a different story.
Shen Wuyi had fought him before. She knew his strength.
She knew his limits.
And yet, this time…
Something was off.
The Vein of Great Rage was powerful, but not uncontrollable—
Not this early.
For it to overtake him so quickly?
No.
This wasn't a mistake.
This was intentional.
Her eyes flickered toward a certain direction, sweeping over the Divine Regents, the High Priests, the Monarch…
She had already figured it out.
"That's it…"
Dian Jiuzhi, who had once stood proudly as the strongest Divine Son, had been dethroned.
The title he had held so dearly, the pride he had carried as an unshakable genius—
All of it had been shattered by the arrival of Meng Jianyuan.
His pride had been wounded.
And now, he was desperate to prove himself—
Desperate to show everyone that he was still the strongest.
"He's not out of control… He's putting on a show!"
Shen Wuyi's gaze hardened.
Dian Jiuzhi wasn't just fighting her.
He was fighting for his pride.
For his lost throne.
It was disgusting.
The pain in her body became secondary, fading beneath the quiet fury brewing in her heart.
Her gaze locked onto Dian Jiuzhi's golden silhouette, the embodiment of boundless arrogance.
She slowly exhaled.
Then, she took one step forward.
Dian Jiuzhi's eyes flickered, his brows lifting slightly in amusement as he watched her struggle to move.
"Still standing? Impressive," he mused, almost as if he found her defiance entertaining. "But pointless."
Shen Wuyi talent was unrivaled, her will indomitable, and her schemes unmatched—yet none of it mattered.
Not in the face of absolute power.
Not when, despite all she had accomplished, she was still at the mercy of another's decision.
A single decree from the Abyssal Monarch and the Lightless Divine Regent, and just like that, her fate had been sealed.
If she lost, she would become Dian Jiuzhi's fiancée.
All because her Divine Regent wanted the Primordial Flame Crystal!
"What a joke"
The very thought of it sent a surge of fury through her veins, igniting something far greater than mere indignation—a silent, consuming fire.
She would not allow it.
She would not be reduced to a prize.
She would not bow.
She would never yield. Not when the past was slowly opening up to her!
Her broken body screamed in protest, but she ignored it.
The sword that had been cast away in the chaos trembled on the ground, as if resonating with her determination.
With a single motion, she raised her hand.
The blade tore through the air, answering her call.
From his stance, Dian Jiuzhi watched.
The Vein of Great Rage coursed through his body, its violent energy surging uncontrollably. His strength was still climbing, approaching the Peak of the Divine Extinction Realm.
His handsome features twisted, his once proud smile warping into something cruel, something monstrous.
"Fairy Wuyi, how about I let you attack me again? I won't even move this time!" Dian Jiuzhi's voice rang across the battlefield, filled with unshakable arrogance.
He stood tall, his golden aura burning like a divine sun, his eyes brimming with contemptuous amusement.
The crowd's reaction was immediate.
Murderous glares shot toward him from the Eternal Night's seating area.
Disgust. Hatred. Boiling fury.
Even among the other Divine Kingdoms, many were frowning.
To mock his opponent this blatantly—
To humiliate her even further after she was already battered and bloodied—
Was this still the same gentleman who had spoken of admiration and respect at the start of the match?
Dian Jiuzhi didn't care.
Not about the glares.
Not about the hatred.
Not about the fact that he had long abandoned his original purpose for this battle.
Because right now, he was high on power.
And the Vein of Great Rage was whispering in his mind, its influence growing stronger with every moment he remained in this heightened state.
His cultivation was now pressing against the peak of the Divine Extinction Realm, his body surging with boundless strength.
But the cost?
The rage inside him was no longer entirely his own.
The more power he unleashed, the more control he lost.
Still, true to his word, he did not move.
He let Shen Wuyi gather her strength.
He let her power up her attack.
Because he wanted this.
He wanted to show the world.
He wanted to prove it to them all.
"I am the strongest!"
Defeating Shen Wuyi was only the first step.
Once he won this battle, she would be his fiancée.
And with the month of rest before the next match, he only needed one night.
One night to take everything from her.
The Nine Profound Exquisite Body was a heavenly gift—one that he would claim for himself.
Through dual cultivation, he would absorb her talent, seize her innate gifts—and with it, his power would ascend to unprecedented heights.
The Vein of Great Rage, combined with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, would allow him to surpass even that damn Meng Jianyuan!
This was his true plan!
He knew better than anyone that, given enough time, she would surpass him.
In a few years, perhaps even less, he would no longer be her match.
But this was not that time. Fate is cruel! Time stop for no one!
Right now, his strength stood at the very peak of the Divine Extinction Realm—the absolute limit before reaching the Divine Limited Realm.
Right now, she was nothing more than a struggling moth flying into a golden sun.
Just like their first battle.
Had he not lost his focus back then, she would have never won.
And this time, he would not make the same mistake.
Dian Jiuzhi clenched his fists, his golden aura expanding, bursting through the battlefield like a divine tempest.
"Come," he roared.
"SCREEEEEEEEECHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
A deafening roar tore through the battlefield as a colossal Vermillion Bird materialized in the sky above Shen Wuyi.
At first, it was nothing more than a flickering ethereal image, a shadow of its true form, wavering amidst the scorching flames that surrounded her.
But then—
It became real.
Life. Soul. Power.
The moment it fully manifested, its presence rippled through the battlefield like an unstoppable tidal wave.
Its golden-crimson feathers burned with divine fire, its eyes radiated primordial wisdom, and its wings stretched across the heavens—a beast of myth, reborn into reality.
"!!!!!!!!!!!"
In the spectator seats, Yun Che's eyes widened.
He had seen this before.
Back during the Profound God Convention, when he used Profound Handle—God Manifestation, the feeling had been the same.
A projection of divine will. A soul given form. Not just an illusion, not just energy—but something that truly existed.
And Shen Wuyi had done it.
On the highest platform, High Priest Ling Xian narrowed her eyes, gazing at the divine beast that loomed over the battlefield.
"God Manifestation."
She murmured the words softly, but her voice carried weight.
The other High Priests, the Divine Regents, and even the Abyssal Monarch turned their focus toward her.
"It seems," she continued, her tone thoughtful, "they have given away all of their reserved Vermillion Bird's Divine Blood to that girl… Wuyi."
Her words made waves.
Several Divine Regents exchanged silent glances, their expressions unreadable.
The entire reserves of Vermillion Bird Divine Blood…?
To one person?
It was unheard of.
Among the Eternal Night elders, a few exchanged uncertain glances, their expressions dark.
"She has reached the eighth level of the Vermillion Bird's Divine Art in just over twenty years... and able to use God Manifestation..." One of the oldest elders muttered under his breath. "A feat no one—not even the Divine Regent herself—has accomplished, yet… we are throwing her away?"
Hearing those words, many people from the other Divine Kingdoms were stunned.
Why were the people of Eternal Night speaking as if Shen Wuyi would lose herself to Dian Jiuzhi once she became his fiancée?
Wouldn't she still be the next Divine Regent of the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom?
This didn't make sense.
A few of the younger prodigies exchanged uncertain glances, unable to comprehend the underlying meaning behind those words.
"You must be confused as to why they're saying that, aren't you, Caili?"
Hua Qingying's voice carried a subtle weight, drawing Hua Caili's attention.
Then, with a small smirk, she added—
"Do you remember what we talked about back in the Fog Sea?"
!!!!!!!!
Like a missing piece snapping into place, Hua Caili's eyes widened in realization.
Her sudden reaction sent waves of curiosity rippling through the other spectators who were still in the dark.
"What did she just realize?"
"Why did she look so shocked?"
The murmurs grew as more people began turning toward the Divine Regents and Elders, hoping for an explanation.
Seeing the growing confusion, Meng Jianze furrowed his brows. Unlike the Divine Sons, he wasn't privy to all the secrets known only to the top figures of the Divine Kingdoms.
"Lord God Father… what exactly is going on?" he finally asked, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.
Meng Kongchan, who had remained quiet, finally turned his gaze toward his son. His expression carried a rare trace of solemnity as he responded—
"If this were any other woman, it wouldn't matter much. But unfortunately… Shen Wuyi possesses the Nine Profound Exquisite Body."
As soon as those words were spoken, an audible gasp echoed throughout the arena.
Meng Kongchan continued, his voice steady but heavy—
"If someone were to dual cultivate with her… they wouldn't just gain power. They would gain control over her special physique—effectively stripping her of her talents. That physique of hers is a blessing from the heavens… but also a curse."
A chilling silence followed.
Control over her physique.
Stripping her of her talents.
It was at that moment that the true weight of the situation crashed upon them like a tidal wave.
Shen Wuyi wasn't just going to become Dian Jiuzhi's fiancée.
If he won, he would have the right to forcefully take away the very thing that made her who she was.
This wasn't about a mere marriage agreement.
It was enslavement.
"Qingyue..."
Yun Che clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
Pain surged through his chest—a suffocating agony.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!"
A torrent of flames erupted, engulfing the battlefield in an ocean of scarlet fire.
Above Shen Wuyi, the Vermillion Bird burned brighter than ever, its divine blood fully ignited, merging into its life and soul.
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHHH!!!"
Its beastly roar shook the heavens, carrying a power that surged toward the ninth level of the Divine Extinction Realm!
Yet, in the Eternal Night seating area…
The elders watched solemnly.
They marveled at her power, her will, her monstrous growth…
But still—
"It won't be enough to defeat Dian Jiuzhi."
Shen Wuyi knew this too.
Even with her divine flame fully ignited, even with the Vermillion Bird at its peak strength, she could feel the difference between her and Dian Jiuzhi.
His power was still a world apart.
Her body ached, her soul trembled, but her will remained unyielding.
The Vermillion Bird's form flickered, its massive wings beginning to dissolve into trails of fading flame.
The divine aura that had once shaken the heavens was now slowly dissipating.
"!!!!!!"
Gasps echoed through the arena as disbelief spread among the spectators.
"Is she… giving up?"
The murmur of countless voices filled the battlefield as they watched Shen Wuyi's expression remain eerily calm.
Even the High Priests narrowed their eyes, observing the situation with caution.
The God Manifestation, an ability that granted a cultivator the power of an Ancient Divine Beast, was a technique that required an enormous amount of energy. Once summoned, the divine beast could fight alongside its master, unleashing untold destruction—but it would also drain its user beyond limits.
And yet… she dismissed it?
To many, her actions seemed absurd.
Dian Jiuzhi, his golden aura still burning violently, let out a mocking laugh.
"Hahahaha!"
His lips curled into a cruel smirk, his eyes glinting with arrogance.
"I told you, Fairy Wuyi—no matter what you do, it won't be enough. Why don't you just surrender?"
His words boomed across the battlefield, filled with mockery and satisfaction.
To him, her decision was proof of her weakness.
She had realized the gap between them.
She had accepted her inferiority.
She was finally resigning herself to fate.
But then—
Shen Wuyi look at the sword in her hand.
Her stance was steady, her eyes as cold as the eternal night itself.
Her aura, though no longer flaring with raging flames, did not weaken in the slightest.
Rather—
It sharpened.
A sense of clarity, focus, and absolute stillness surrounded her.
The memories came again—fragments, whispers, shadows of another life.
She didn't remember much.
But—
It was enough!
Her energy flowed in a way that felt instinctual, as if something deep within her soul had been waiting for this moment.
The sword trembled—not in rejection, but in excitement.
A power long buried was beginning to resurface.
Then—
A deep, rich purple—like the color of a boundless night sky, shimmering with celestial brilliance.