The nighttime barren world flashed out of existence and travelled increasingly far away.
Meanwhile, the Phase Realm in front of Gu Qing Shan was approaching and would soon envelop him.
But everything paused right at this very moment.
—–everything had stopped right at the border between the two worlds.
An old man with a wrinkled face appeared directly in front of Gu Qing Shan.
He observed Gu Qing Shan and suddenly asked: 「 I know it was you who killed the old man in the Gloomy City 」
“It was me, and you are——-?” Gu Qing Shan admitted.
The old man followed up: 「 In the past, I had actually fled to the Dusty World together with him. He was too weak, but I am not the same 」
The old man became increasingly hysterical as he talked: 「 I know that you know the Sacrificial Dance. Originally, I had no intentions of doing anything to you and would have just let you go, but very unfortunately, you committed a mistake that you shouldn’t have 」
Gu Qing Shan looked at him and asked with a smile: “What’s that?”
「 You shouldn’t have converted yourself into a spirit within my world system 」the old man declared.
“Oh? What’s wrong with that?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
「 The ironclad rule of the Dusty World——- no one is allowed to interfere with someone else’s world system, especially not during a war between spirits within the same world system 」
「 And I have already issued a declaration of a spirit realm war! 」
The old man’s murky eyes were filled with greed.
「 From this point on, even if I kill you, it would still adhere perfectly to the Dusty World’s ironclad rules, no one and nothing would be able to hold me responsible! 」
Gu Qing Shan shrugged: “I’m only here to experience the power of a spirit. There’s no conflict between us, so how about we just call a truce?”
「 Naïve! 」
The old man laughed: 「 You’re going to die very soon—— I will devour you, taking your everything for myself! 」
He began to chant an incantation.
A large clock suddenly appeared behind him.
Lines of glowing text quickly scrolled across Gu Qing Shan’s eyes:
[The other party had given up the use of all other Spirit Arts to perform the exclusive Spirit Art: Imprisonment of Myriad Spirits]
[The other party had placed a seal upon your soul, temporarily restricting the use of several abilities]
[Attention: your opponent had chosen a total of 12 abilities to seal away]
The old man pointed at Gu Qing Shan continuously from the distance while continuing his monologue: 「 Even the bigshots of the Dusty World don’t come to mess with me, do you know why that is? 」
Gu Qing Shan felt something disappearing from his body.
Several lines of glowing text swiftly appeared:
[Your ‘Realm Spirit Descent’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Living Being Sacrificial Dance’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Conquer’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Mountain Wraith’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Fog Realm Descent’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Causeless Sword’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Manipulator of Song and Dance’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Ethereal’ fist techniques have been sealed]
[Your ‘Forgetting River Severance’ has been sealed]
[Your ‘Rahu’s Eclipse of Sun and Moon’ has been sealed]
[Your dragon hexes have been sealed]
[Finally, your acting skills have been sealed]
The old man looked closely at Gu Qing Shan, wanting to see some sort of shocked expression from him.
But Gu Qing Shan simply stared coldly back at him.
—-it couldn’t be helped, his acting skills have been sealed.
“Are we really going to do this?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
The old man grinned to reveal his mouth full of rotting teeth and laughed: 「 You can only use the power of mortals now, and I’ve sealed even the few exceptionally powerful mortal abilities you possess 」
“But you also can’t use Spirit Arts” Gu Qing Shan shrugged.
The old man replied: 「 But I have a clock tower base! As well as numerous subordinates! I don’t need to act by myself at all, they can simply do it all for me, and so—– 」
「 ——say your last prayers, because you’re going to die 」
After saying that, the old man disappeared.
At the very next moment, the Phase Realm fully enveloped Gu Qing Shan.
…
A zone of complete darkness.
Gu Qing Shan found himself hovering in the air, so he silently examined his current state.
I’m currently a spirit.
What’s the significance of a spirit to the world?
Lines of glowing text appeared on the War God UI:
[Attention, your opponent has declared a spirit realm war]
[The victor in this war will inherit this entire jurisdiction world, the loser will be completely at the victor’s mercy]
Gu Qing Shan didn’t care about that at all.
He simply touched the ring on his finger and randomly selected a suit of armor inside.
This suit of armor was crimson red, which instantly separated into numerous components before donning itself onto Gu Qing Shan’s body.
——-this was one of the many Divine Artifact-grade suits of armor that the Bramble Bird Empress Laura had in her personal collection.
Gu Qing Shan landed on the ground and stood still.
Numerous monsters charged forward to attack him——-
Gu Qing Shan grasped the twin swords Heaven and Earth tightly.
A strange power followed his hands to enter his swords.
Some notifications appeared on the War God UI:
[You cannot perform the two Spirit Arts that you possess]
[However, your attacks will be imbued with Realm Force, as this is the most basic characteristic of being a spirit]
[The Realm Force utilized during this spirit realm war originates from the current world system]
Gu Qing Shan silently nodded.
——-it seems the primary means of combat after becoming a spirit was through using Realm Force.
The reason why I couldn’t do anything to the old man in the Gloomy City, in the beginning, was because the other party was using Realm Force.
And now I’ve become a similar existence.
From all around him, numerous monsters charged at him from every direction.
Suddenly——-
A gust of wind manifested from the ground.
The intense gust of wind rampaged and howled as it instantly flew all the way to the sky before vanishing without a trace.
A large chunk of the horde monsters had been erased, leaving the empty ground behind.
Gu Qing Shan stood in the middle of the empty field, the armor on his body had been completely broken as it fell to the ground in pieces.
From the faraway clock tower, the old man’s hysterical laughter could be heard again:
「 Fool, you’re a spirit, how could mortal armor endure the force of a spirit realm war? 」
Gu Qing Shan wholeheartedly agreed and nodded: “That’s true, it only managed to shield me for a single second before being completely broken”
He completely ignored armor and let go of his swords, allowing them to disappear behind himself.
More monsters were rushing towards him——-
But Gu Qing Shan simply stood there.
He seemed to be silently examining the power of a spirit.
The monsters surrounded him once again——
Four swords appeared from behind Gu Qing Shan and scattered to protect him from every direction.
Slash!
Blinding sword phantoms erupted out of nowhere, leaving terrifying gashes of light on the ground.
Gu Qing Shan clasped his hands behind his back while casually strolling forward.
Slash slash slash slash slash slash slash!
Every weapon, every monster was like paper in front of him.
He was like a deity walking through the darkness while eradicating all wickedness from the world.
「 NO! YOUR ABILITIES SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN SEALED! 」the old man angrily howled.
Gu Qing Shan casually replied: “You’ve sealed away a lot of my abilities, but very unfortunately, my old expertise was killing enemies on a battlefield”
「 Don’t act high and mighty with me, I have a weapon of war! 」the old man scoffed, then placed his hand against the walls of the clock tower and shouted: 「 Tolling Bell of The End, awaken! 」
Boong——–
A loud chime rang out from the clock tower.
Seeing that, Gu Qing Shan instantly vanished.
By the time he reappeared, he was already at the bottom of the clock tower.
He was now also wearing a pure-white mask.
—–the Samsara Wicked Mask.
Lightly placing his hand on the clock tower, he said:
“Want to rampage? That’s not going to happen”
Instantly, numerous patterns of various colors appeared all over the white mask, depicting a wicked mask of Occultism.
Cracks started to form all over the clock tower, which rapidly climbed up to fill the entire structure.
[Jade Cultivation Profound Shadow]!
The clock tower’s abilities had been absorbed by the Samsara Wicked Mask and upgraded by one step.
Gu Qing Shan reached his hand out and waved.
The Earth sword flew out from the horde of monsters and landed in his hand, asking with a mountainous heavy voice:
「 Crush? 」
“Crush” Gu Qing Shan replied.
Wielding the sword with both hands, he heavily slashed the clock tower a single time before retreating several dozen meters away.
Baam——-
The entire clock tower was completely destroyed and fell to ruins.
Numerous glowing souls emerged from the clock tower, crying loud tears of joy.
These souls drifted for a few moments before they started to fly into the sky as if they sensed something.
The old man appeared in front of the clock tower ruins.
He stared with his dead eyes towards Gu Qing Shan and questioned with a hoarse voice: 「 How many abilities do you actually have? 」
Gu Qing Shan sighed and replied: “There’s no such ability, I simply enjoy such scenes of bloody carnage”
「 Such scenes of bloody carnage? And you like them? 」 the old man exclaimed in disbelief.
“That’s right. I’ve always had to face enemies that are overwhelmingly powerful, so I’ve come to particularly enjoy these normal battle scenes”
After saying that, Gu Qing Shan casually brandished his sword and approached the old man.
