Myth Beyond Heaven

Lan Qinghe's eyes narrowed into icy slits. Gu Buxiu's words dripped with a twisted ambition, a hunger for power that defied the natural order.

"Ascend beyond the limitations?" she said calmly. "You call this existence life? You defile the very essence of cultivation with your heretical practices. True ascension lies not in conquering death, but in embracing the natural cycle."

Gu Buxiu's skeletal grin faltered for a moment, a flicker of annoyance crossing his dark visage. "Naive woman," he retorted, his voice dripping with condescension. "As a True God yourself, do you not understand the limitations of this mortal coil? The endless cycle of birth and death is a cruel joke! My methods offer liberation, a chance to break free from the shackles of this decaying world!"

He gestured towards the pulsating tubes once more. "With the power of these fallen deities, I will transcend the boundaries of this realm, achieve a state beyond even the comprehension of the Primal Chaos! I will become a god amongst men, a being of pure power!"

Lan Qinghe simply shook her head. Arguing with him seemed pointless. True, a True God's lifespan was immense, perhaps even eternal in a practical sense. However, even their existence had a cycle. Inevitably, even a True God would face their end. It was an inescapable law of nature.

Gu Buxiu's actions, in Lan Qinghe's eyes, were ultimately futile. There was no true eternal life.

Gu Buxiu swept his gaze over everyone and said coldly. "Alright. That's enough for a small chat. It's time to send all of you to the eternal slumber."

Rumble—

With a snap of his skeletal fingers, the chamber floor shuddered violently. Four hulking figures emerged from the metallic platform, their bodies composed of a grotesque patchwork of flesh and bone. Their eyes, glowing with an eerie blue light, locked onto Yun Lintian and his companions.

Lan Qinghe remained unfazed. Her ethereal form glowed with an inner light as several dozen delicate purple orchids materialized around her, their petals imbued with otherworldly energy.

"These," she declared, her voice ringing with quiet power, "are nothing but mere puppets animated by a false god."

"Really? Let's see then," Gu Buxiu grinned and the corpse puppets immediately moved forward.

As the corpse puppets charged, each leaving a trail of putrid miasma in their wake, Lan Qinghe raised a hand. The orchids around her swirled, forming a shimmering vortex. Bolts of pure orchid energy shot from the vortex, striking the lumbering bodies with pinpoint accuracy.

"Grahhhh!"

The puppets shrieked in a cacophony of discordant sounds as the orchid energy burned away at their flesh. Yet, their resilience was undeniable. They lumbered forward, their decaying forms slowly regenerating from the horrific wounds.

Meanwhile, Li Shan, his silver spear gleaming, danced a deadly ballet as he deflected the attacks of the closest puppet. Each strike of his spear was infused with powerful energy, cleaving through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter.

Yun Lintian and the others retreated to the entrance of the chamber, observing the battle between True Gods. It was too powerful for them to intervene.

Buzz—

With a flick of her wrist, several dozen delicate purple orchids materialized around Lan Qinghe. These weren't just ordinary flowers, but deadly weapons, infused with godly essence. They shimmered with an otherworldly energy, vibrant against the dark, metallic chamber.

Gu Buxiu scoffed. "Orchid flowers? Against me? Pathetic." He raised a skeletal hand, darkness swirling around it, ready to swat away the seemingly harmless flowers.

But Lan Qinghe was faster. With a silent command, the orchids swirled, forming a mesmerizing vortex around her. From the heart of the vortex, a beam of concentrated orchid energy shot towards Gu Buxiu.

Seeing this, Gu Buxiu's dismissive smirk vanished. He was forced to raise his hand to block the beam.

Boom!

The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber, the metallic platform groaning in protest.

Gu Buxiu stumbled back, a flicker of surprise crossing his skeletal face. "What kind of law is this?"

Lan Qinghe, her ethereal form radiating calm resolve, spoke. "What else do you have?"

Gu Buxiu narrowed his eyes. He had to admit that the woman in front of him was a tough bone. It could not be swallowed easily.

"Very well," he said, a chilling gleam flickering in the darkness that filled his eye sockets. "How about this?"

With a wave of his skeletal hand, the metallic platform pulsed with a malevolent light. Runes, glowing a sickly green, snaked across the surface, binding Lan Qinghe within an invisible cage of energy.

Lan Qinghe frowned, a flicker of surprise crossing her face as she attempted to move. Her ethereal form shimmered and rippled against the invisible barrier, unable to break free.

"Surprised?" Gu Buxiu cackled, the sound echoing through the chamber. "These runes are imbued with the power of the fallen deities you see here. They are potent enough to restrain even a powerful True God like yourself."

Li Shan glanced at Lan Qinghe briefly but he was too busy to deal with the four corpse puppets in front of him.

"Lintian?" Han Bingling looked at Yun Lintian with concerns.

"There should be more puppets in his hand," Yun Lintian said with a frown. "Wait for a moment."

The True God energy he detected previously was exactly the same as the one before him. It was indeed the power Gu Buxiu borrowed from the remains of the fallen gods here.

Buzz—

At this moment, Lan Qinghe closed her eyes, focusing on her essence. The orchid blossoms around her pulsed, their ethereal light intensifying in defiance. Though trapped, her spirit remained unbroken.

Gu Buxiu grinned coldly. His skeletal hand once again gestured towards the pulsating tubes containing the dormant True God energy. With renewed urgency, he began manipulating the complex runes etched upon the metallic platform.

The cage around Lan Qinghe grew stronger and the four corpse puppets had also unleashed an explosive aura.

Li Shan's expression changed drastically. The aura from the corpse puppets was clearly on par with a living True God.

With a flick of his wrist, Li Shan brought the glowing silver spear forward. His energy surged, producing a metallic echo.

BANG!

The silver spear slammed onto the puppets and sent them flying to a far distance.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Shan bolted towards Lan Qinghe, intent on freeing her from the restraints.

"Stay there," Gu Buxiu's cold voice rang out.

A second energy cage materialized around Li Shan with a snap, imprisoning him instantly…