Chapter 387: Marsh Dragon's Domain and the Divine Prison Calamity

The entire world was engulfed in the sounds of mountains collapsing, the earth shattering, and the heavens seemingly falling apart. Roars, gales, and the waves of spiritual energy rippling through the air tore at eardrums and souls alike. Rocks shattered and debris flew, while dust and black smoke transformed the sky into a shadowy night.

Yet, through the darkness, a streak of five-colored divine light pierced the gloom.

Amidst the chaos, the fox demon turned to Song You and said, “Leave the old marsh Dragon Lord to us.”

Song You ignored her, his eyes closed as he formed hand seals with calm precision, completely indifferent to the surrounding destruction.

Gales swirled around him, lifting his robes and hair. Runes faintly appeared in the air, shimmering, while streams of spiritual energy darted like flowing light.

The mountain-like white rhinoceros had already begun its charge.

Song You opened his eyes and, with one hand, struck the ground.

“

Boom

!”

The gale slammed into the earth, propelling him skyward.

“

Crash

!”

The massive horn of the white rhinoceros plunged deep into the mountain. With a powerful upward thrust, it sent fragments of the mountaintop flying, shattering it as if it were made of brittle clay.

The strength of the great demon was truly boundless.

At the same time, the other white rhinoceros, transformed into a giant, extended its massive left hand, reaching toward the Daoist in midair, its fingers spread wide like a net. Behind it, the giant’s other fist was poised, ready to strike.

That single swipe could have easily covered an entire palace.

“

Whoosh

!”

The Daoist, shrouded in wind, seemed to transform into the wind itself, flowing with the currents created by the giant’s sweeping hand. In the blink of an eye, he had moved dozens of zhang away, narrowly evading the grasp.

The subsequent punch also missed its mark, crashing into the summit of Mount Ye instead.

“

Boom

!”

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The sound was indistinguishable from thunder or the roar of collapsing mountains.

Hovering in the sky, the Daoist formed a seal with his hands and pointed toward the heavens. Streams of light, like stars moving in reverse, shot upward into the darkened sky, now shrouded in black smoke.

In an instant—

Countless bolts of massive purple-red lightning, twisted and intertwined, descended from the heavens, carrying the overwhelming might of divine punishment.

“

Roar

!”

The marsh dragon below reared up, its body like that of a true ancient dragon. Standing on its hind legs, it leaped skyward with a deafening roar, its massive jaws wide open, as though it intended to devour the Daoist in one bite. Instead, it collided head-on with the descending lightning.

“

Crackle

!”

In a blinding flash, lightning illuminated the scene, sparks flying everywhere.

The sky seemed to explode with fiery blossoms, scattering fragments of light like glowing fireflies.

It was impossible to tell whether the lightning struck the marsh dragon, or if the dragon consumed the lightning itself. Either way, the thunderous bolt dissipated, leaving only a fading streak in the sky.

The marsh dragon, scorched and battered, fell back to the earth, crashing into the mountains with a deafening impact. Its massive form vanished into the thick black smoke and darkness, with only occasional glimpses of its head emerging above the haze, its fierce eyes glowing faintly in the shadows.

The Daoist, carried by the wind as if supported by the heavens themselves, stood atop the sky, resembling a divine figure.

He looked into the distance and waved his hand.

“

Whoosh

!”

A colossal force shot downward. Its target was the State Preceptor.

This force seemed to be made of wind—formless and invisible—its presence revealed only by the sand and black smoke it swept up, which outlined its immense shape and speed as it descended.

“

Smack

!”

A massive white rhinoceros instantly moved to shield the State Preceptor. Despite its incredibly thick hide, like natural armor, the impact sent ripples coursing through its body, wave after wave of visible shock.

“Hmph...”

Song You showed no concern. He waved his hand again.

This time, flames roared forth like a dragon, the fire so vast that it seemed capable of incinerating half a county in a single strike. The blaze streaked toward one of the marsh dragons, which had been lying motionless.

A deafening explosion followed as the fire spread, engulfing the entire mountain the marsh dragon rested upon. The flames disrupted the spiritual energy and sound waves the creature had been emitting.

Another marsh dragon, perched on a nearby peak, continued spewing thick black smoke skyward, as though trying to obscure the heavens. Its unending plume darkened the skies, making it unclear what it was attempting to accomplish. However, an invisible force soon slammed into its head.

“

Smack

!”

The impact reverberated, momentarily halting the marsh dragon’s actions.

The marsh dragon's massive head was struck to the side, and the black smoke it spewed followed suit, tilting as if a towering pillar of the heavens was beginning to collapse.

However, the two marsh dragons, with their thick, armor-like hides, were not so easily shaken by a single strike.

They merely shook their enormous heads, adjusted their postures, and continued their actions as if unaffected—one remained perched atop the mountain, emitting rippling waves of spiritual energy, while the other kept its head raised, endlessly spewing black smoke into the heavens.

Song You prepared to strike again, but the great demons’ assault had already arrived.

This time, he did not evade.

A giant humanoid demon charged across the mountains like a scene from an ancient myth, its massive fist smashing down with unstoppable force.

“Rise, mountain!”

As the words left his mouth, a colossal stone pillar erupted from the ground, ascending with astonishing speed to meet the giant demon's fist head-on.

Meanwhile, the white rhinoceros charged from another direction.

The Daoist began chanting and forming seals with his fingers before pointing decisively.

“Shift the mountains, move the stones.”

Instantly, a boulder over a hundred zhang wide was wrenched from the mountain and hurled toward the white rhinoceros, its immense mass and force making it a catastrophic projectile.

“

Boom

!”

The white rhinoceros, an unstoppable force in its own right, smashed through the massive boulder as if it were nothing. Its horn struck the rock first, shattering it into countless fragments of varying sizes. In the next instant, its massive figure surged through the debris.

The shattered stones scattered in all directions, cascading along the rhino’s powerful frame as it charged forward.

The Daoist, riding the wind once more, ascended into the sky. His expression was solemn as he gazed down below.

With a sweep of his hand, he called out, “Split the mountain!”

Streams of radiant light shot forth from his body.

“

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh

...”

The streaks of light descended, striking Mount Ye.

Already crumbling and unstable, the mountain quaked violently under the assault. In an instant, it split apart entirely.

Inside Mount Ye lay the Ghost City.

Within, countless spirits had already been trembling in terror. When the mountain split open, they poured out in a panic. Looking upward, they were greeted by the sight of a celestial figure battling great demons, and their fear deepened. Remembering the Daoist's earlier warning, they scattered, fleeing as quickly as they could.

The great demons paid them no mind. Neither did the State Preceptor, who even seemed to deliberately allow their escape.

The State Preceptor needed these souls for his alchemical ambitions, so he had no desire to see them obliterated. Likewise, the marsh dragons and white rhinoceroses, who sought positions in the underworld, depended on the presence of these spirits to hasten the formation of the underworld through the laws of heaven and earth.

Song You, on the other hand, sought only to ensure their survival.

Seeing the spirits escaping, he withdrew his gaze, satisfied.

At the same time—

The marsh dragon, perched atop another mountain, continued to spew dense black smoke into the sky. The smoke transformed into thick clouds, blotting out the heavens in an impenetrable canopy. Far off in the distance, the smoke cascaded down like a dark curtain, descending to the ground and pooling together.

Slowly, the smoke began to converge toward the center, as though sealing off the entirety of Mount Ye, turning it into a domain of their own making.

By now, there was almost no light left in the world.

“

Rumble... Whoosh, whoosh...

”

A mysterious sound of rushing water echoed, as if a mighty river was surging through the land.

“Bright moon of tomorrow, grant me celestial light.” The Daoist’s voice was calm yet carried across the heavens.

Without warning, light began to suffuse the world. It came silently, not from any one direction, but seemingly from every inch of the air itself. Yet, this celestial light appeared to be under some suppression, faint and dim.

By the faint glow, the scene became clearer. In the distance, a mighty river surged between two mountains, its waters rushing with unstoppable force.

The torrent swept away boulders, eroded mountain sides, and snapped ancient trees as it roared forward. The river soon reached Mount Ye, flooding the valleys and ravines between the surrounding mountains.

What had once been a rugged, desolate landscape around Mount Ye was now transformed into a vast lake. The lowlands were entirely submerged, leaving only the peaks of the taller mountains visible above the water’s surface.

On this vast expanse of water, a thick black mist spread out, shrouding everything in darkness.

In an instant, the very landscape had been utterly transformed.

“You dare to sever the rivers and gather water into a lake!” Song You’s voice thundered from above, filled with stern authority.

The three marsh dragons glanced at Song You but offered no response. Instead, they each took two casual steps to the side and slipped effortlessly into the vast lake. Once submerged, the marsh dragons seemed to revel in the water, moving freely and comfortably. The murky waters, now veiled by a dense layer of black mist, obscured their massive forms entirely.

The light between heaven and earth continued to dim.

Song You could feel his spiritual power weakening.

“Be cautious, Daoist Master. This is the marsh dragon’s domain, the unique territory of the marsh dragons of Yuezhou. Within this domain, cloaked in black mist, their forms vanish, and no matter how great your skills, it’s nearly impossible to harm them.”

Gradually, the world sank into complete darkness once again.

This darkness was absolute. No light could penetrate it.

Even creatures with the keenest night vision would be unable to discern anything within this pitch-black void.

Impressive.

No wonder so many great demon lineages from antiquity had been lost over the ages. Despite the marsh dragons’s stubbornness and seemingly simple nature, they had managed to endure since ancient times.

They truly had considerable power. This was going to be troublesome.

“Leave it to us!”

Suddenly, a radiant five-colored light flared in the distance.

Song You turned his head and glanced over lightly—

He saw the enormous eight-tailed fox demon, locked in combat with the old marsh Dragon Lord. In a fluid motion, the fox leapt high into the air, its fur billowing like waves in the wind. With a graceful tilt of its head, it opened its mouth and spat out a brilliant orb, glowing with dazzling light.

The orb, radiating five-colored light, ascended steadily into the sky. The higher it rose, the brighter its light became.

Meanwhile, the great demons moved under the cover of darkness.

In the pitch-black realm, several bursts of firelight and lightning exploded simultaneously, accompanied by deep, resounding booms.

But the two white rhinoceroses and three marsh dragons were formidable opponents. After only a brief exchange, one of the marsh dragons leapt from the water, only to be struck by a bolt of lightning and sent crashing back into the black mist-covered lake. Despite the blow, it swung its enormous tail through the water, aiming directly at the Daoist.

“

Buzz

!”

A white light surrounded Song You.

“

Bang

!”

The marsh dragon’s massive tail struck the white light, shattering it instantly and sending both the shield and the Daoist hurtling backward, embedding him into the mountainside.

The other marsh dragons and the white rhinoceroses wasted no time. In an instant, they surged toward him.

The white rhinoceros giant reached him first, its entire body brimming with force. It swung a massive fist directly at the mountainside where Song You was embedded. From the opposite direction, the other white rhinoceros, in its original colossal form, charged forward with unstoppable momentum, its glowing horn aimed to pierce straight through the mountain.

At the same time, the orb reached the zenith of the sky and transformed into a radiant full moon, illuminating the entire landscape. However, this moon did not cast ordinary moonlight—instead, it bathed the world below in shimmering five-colored light, revealing the chaotic battlefield in stark detail.

“

Boom! Boom!

”

The resounding impacts echoed across the valley as the mountain trembled under the onslaught.

Two earth-shaking booms reverberated through the heavens.

Dust and sand filled the air, but under the radiant divine light, they transformed into multicolored auspicious clouds.

On a distant mountaintop, a colossal figure, draped in a Daoist robe and towering over a hundred zhang tall, sat cross-legged. One massive hand stretched out, catching the white rhinoceros giant’s earth-shattering punch, while the other extended in the opposite direction, pressing firmly against the charging white rhinoceros’s glowing horn.

The figure appeared almost ethereal, shimmering with divine light.

Countless runes circled the figure, orbiting it in an intricate dance.

At the points where its hands met the giant’s fist and the rhino’s horn, the light grew blinding, flaring with bursts of brilliance.

“

Splash

!”

Suddenly, from the black mist and watery depths below, an ancient marsh dragon leapt forth like a crocodile ambushing its prey, scattering water droplets across the sky.

“

Boom

!”

From the figure’s waist, two additional arms emerged, reaching out to grab the marsh dragon’s upper and lower jaws, holding them apart. The beast couldn’t close its mouth, nor move any closer.

“Titan's Ascension?”

A booming voice rang out from the distance.

High above the colossal figure, another silhouette rose slowly into the air—a human figure.

“Not quite?”

The gathered great demons, stunned, could not immediately identify what they were witnessing.

Song You offered no explanation.

He stood silent and steady, letting his actions speak louder than words.

Song You observed the spirits that had once been trapped within Mount Ye, now fleeing farther and farther away. Only after ensuring their safety did he shift his focus back to the gathered great demons.

“

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh

...”

Countless streaks of radiant light erupted from his body. If the fox demon's inner core resembled a bright full moon, then these streaks were like a galaxy of stars, their brilliance in no way dimmer than the moon. The streams of light scattered in all directions.

Some shot directly into the heavens, summoning a sky filled with thunder and lightning.

The divine thunder crackled with an awe-inspiring, suffocating power, carrying the might of celestial judgment. Such lightning, if it struck Mount Ye, would obliterate any remaining spirits within the mountain in an instant.

Others spread through the air, creating a blazing inferno.

The flames roared with unimaginable heat, imbued with pure yang energy and unyielding spiritual force. These flames would not only incinerate all worldly objects but also annihilate souls and extinguish ghostly energies. Even mortals or minor spirits standing at a great distance would likely perish, either from the scorching heat or the intense blaze.

“Divine Prison Calamity.” Song You's voice rang out, calm and steady.

“Let’s see which is stronger—marsh dragons' domain or Divine Prison Calamity.”