Ascending to Godhood: I Can Foresee All Futures

Chapter 474: Chapter 240: Conclusion of the Great Battle

However, the seemingly terrifying offensive failed to shake the Golden Bell in the slightest, let alone harm Chen Sheng who stood behind it.

For the current Chen Sheng, an attack from an ordinary early-stage Profound Mastery expert could no longer pose a substantial threat.

DONG—!!!

A much grander, deeper peal of the bell suddenly rang out.

The sound waves transformed into faint golden ripples visible to the naked eye, instantly sweeping over a thousand-zhang radius.

The True Inheritors of Qingfeng Temple, who were desperately treading on water to flee, were caught by the bell’s chime, which was imbued with a Mental Realm. They felt as if their minds had been struck by a heavy hammer. Their vision went black, and their qi and blood flowed in reverse.

One by one, they let out miserable groans and fell from midair, SPLASHING into the icy lake water.

Seeing this, Elder Wang’s pupils contracted. Utterly horrified, he instinctively tried to change his attack.

However, in the split second between his old force being spent and new force yet to be generated, Chen Sheng, who had been standing perfectly still, finally moved.

His movement was the epitome of simplicity.

Chen Sheng merely raised a hand and grasped the hilt of the Dragon Roar Blade at his waist.

Then, he drew.

A dark gleam of the blade was instantly reflected in Elder Wang’s rapidly shrinking pupils.

Fast!

Impossibly fast!

In Elder Wang’s perception, time seemed to stretch infinitely, frozen in that single moment.

He clearly saw the dark gleam rise from its sheath, carving a profound, unpredictable, and heart-stoppingly beautiful arc toward his neck.

He wanted to dodge, to block, to activate his Protective Gang Qi, but the moment the thought formed, his body felt as if it were bound by invisible shackles, unable to react in time.

’I...’

The vague thought had yet to fully form.

In the next instant, the world spun.

Elder Wang saw a familiar, headless torso, blood fountaining from the neck as it tilted back limply, crashing toward the water below.

’Those Daoist Robes... they’re mine!’

This was Elder Wang’s final thought.

SPLASH!

Elder Wang’s consciousness sank into eternal darkness.

Chen Sheng slowly sheathed his blade, his movements fluid and natural, as if he had just done something utterly insignificant.

Without even a glance at the falling corpse, his gaze shifted to the True Inheritors of Qingfeng Temple who were either struggling in the water or staring at him in terror. He raised his right hand and flicked his index finger.

TSS!

TSS!

TSS!

A dozen or so crimson threads of fire, as thin as hairs, shot silently from his fingertip, precisely entering the brows or hearts of every Qingfeng Temple disciple in the water.

There were no earth-shattering explosions, no shrill screams.

The disciples’ bodies merely stiffened, the light in their eyes rapidly dimmed, and then, crimson flames silently ignited from within their bodies.

In the space of a few breaths, the dozen or so people, along with their clothes and weapons, were reduced to small piles of ash that scattered on the wind and vanished into the lake, leaving no trace.

On the deck, only Zhang Daoming remained.

Chen Sheng’s figure drifted down, his toes tapping lightly on the gunwale of the black-canopied boat, the hem of his robes stirring in the breeze.

He looked at the pale-faced Zhang Daoming, who nonetheless kept his spine ramrod straight, and said faintly:

”Not making a move? This might be your last chance.”

Zhang Daoming gave a bitter smile, one filled with self-mockery and despair.

”Is there any point?”

’The gap is too vast.’

’So vast that the stunning strike that had just annihilated Elder Wang had utterly crushed even his courage to draw his own sword.’

’Even throwing an egg against a rock requires a sliver of desperate courage, but at this moment, even that had frozen within him.’

”Give me the item.”

Chen Sheng said no more, simply holding out his hand.

”I’ll grant you a whole corpse.”

Zhang Daoming was silent for a moment, giving Chen Sheng a complicated look. Finally, he slowly removed the simple, ancient-looking black ring from his finger and, without hesitation, tossed it to Chen Sheng.

’It wasn’t that he didn’t want to resist, that he didn’t want revenge.’

’On the contrary, his hatred for Chen Sheng and the Government Office was already carved into his very bones.’

’But in the face of such an absolute disparity in strength, any futile struggle was simply laughable.’

’He didn’t even have the right to take his opponent down with him.’

Chen Sheng caught the ring, confirmed it was the right one, and put it away.

”Qingfeng Temple...”

Zhang Daoming’s voice was hoarse, tinged with a final trace of indignation.

”In the end... how many people will be left alive?”

”Not a single one.”

Chen Sheng’s reply was cold and blunt.

”Why?!”

Zhang Daoming snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot and his voice trembling with emotion.

”Qingfeng Temple has no deep-seated hatred for you! Why must you... why must you wipe us out completely?!”

”I gave you your chances.”

Chen Sheng shook his head, his tone as flat as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

”More than once. Unfortunately, you failed to grasp any of them.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the vast expanse where the water met the sky in the distance, and continued,

”As for grudges... Heh. Only children obsess over right and wrong. Adults only see pros and cons. When Qingfeng Temple chose to oppose me, it was after weighing the benefits and drawbacks.

Today, my extermination of Qingfeng Temple is also a matter of weighing the benefits and drawbacks. That is all.”

”Aren’t you afraid of Dragon Tiger Mountain? Afraid that Celestial Dragon Temple will come to settle the score one day?!” Zhang Daoming roared.

”If I dared to do it, then naturally, I have no fear.”

Chen Sheng’s answer was short and certain.

He stopped looking at the churning hatred and despair in Zhang Daoming’s eyes and asked,

”Will you kill yourself, or do you need me to help?”

Hearing this, Zhang Daoming actually calmed down.

He straightened his slightly disheveled, coarse martial robe, looked up at the gloomy sky, and suddenly smiled with detached acceptance.

”I’ve heard that your Red Flame Divine Techniques, Chen, possess the power to incinerate all things, that nothing is immune to its flames. I... would like to witness it for myself.”

Chen Sheng watched him for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

”Fellow Daoist Zhang, I wish you a safe journey.”

As his words fell, there was no vision of a raging inferno.

Only a few wisps of flame, crimson with dark undertones, silently ignited at Zhang Daoming’s feet, instantly spreading over his entire body.

There were no screams, no struggle.

Zhang Daoming just stood there quietly, allowing the flames to consume him.

The flames burned silently, reducing him and the small black-canopied boat to ashes, which scattered on the wind, leaving no trace behind.

Chen Sheng stood upon the waves, silently watching the gradually calming water and the empty space for a moment. Then he turned, transforming into a streak of light that shot toward Qingfeng Temple.

’A difference in stance makes one a mortal enemy.’

’It’s not about right or wrong, only survival.’

’Leaving survivors means leaving endless future troubles.’

’Chen Sheng understood this principle better than anyone.’

.....

By the time Chen Sheng returned to Qingfeng Temple, the great battle there had already concluded. According to Li Qianzhou, on the verge of death, Elder Yu of Qingfeng Temple had unleashed his Divine Techniques in a desperate attempt to take Nie Xuanfeng down with him.

However, surrounded as he was, he did not succeed.

He still managed to inflict heavy injuries on Nie Xuanfeng, who had already returned to the Jingwu Bureau to recuperate.

As for the other Qingfeng Temple disciples, under Chen Sheng’s orders, not a single one survived; all perished in the melee.

At this moment, a large contingent of government soldiers had officially taken control of Qingfeng Temple. They were securing the spoils and tallying their own casualties. But Li Qianzhou explained with some confusion:

”However, the Qingfeng Temple treasury is much emptier than expected. Many precious treasures are missing. I suspect they were taken by the remnant faction of Qingfeng Temple that escaped earlier. Should we issue a prefecture-wide warrant for their arrest?”

As he spoke, Li Qianzhou was discreetly observing Chen Sheng’s expression for any changes.

Chen Sheng’s sudden departure without any explanation had made him a little suspicious. However, he was only testing the waters with these words and didn’t dare to show his true thoughts.

It was no exaggeration to say that even if Chen Sheng admitted the treasures were in his possession, they wouldn’t dare to question it.

The reason was simple.

Whether it was the battle at Golden Spring Temple or the one at Qingfeng Temple,

the greatest credit belonged to Chen Sheng.

Even if he took the lion’s share of the resources, no one would have any objections.

Because without Chen Sheng, this battle might not even have been fought at all.

Not to mention, the current Chen Sheng’s authority now surpassed all of theirs.

”Of course. All remnants must be eliminated!”

Chen Sheng replied faintly,

”Furthermore, the factions that were on good terms with Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple must also be dealt with. However, this official is kind-hearted and can’t bear to see too many people die. If they know what’s good for them, they need only offer up half of their assets. There is no need to annihilate their clans.”

”Will that cause any problems?”

Li Qianzhou asked with some hesitation.

Within Ning’an Prefecture, Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple had a great many affiliated powers.

”Perhaps before, but now... there won’t be.”

Chen Sheng said faintly, looking at the wreckage of Qingfeng Temple.

The other factions relied on Qingfeng Temple and Golden Spring Temple for backing.

But now, with these two major powers exterminated in a single day, what confidence would the remaining smaller factions have to continue opposing the Government Office?

If any still did, one could only say they were courting death.

”Understood.”

Li Qianzhou nodded.

Chen Sheng gave a few more instructions before turning to walk toward the main hall of Qingfeng Temple.

After today’s bitter battles, he too was somewhat exhausted.

But thankfully, the result was good. The curtain had now officially fallen on Qingfeng Temple and Golden Spring Temple, the two overlords of the Ning’an Martial World.

And next, Ning’an Prefecture would usher in a new Chapter, one led by him, Chen Sheng!

————