Chapter 665: Spirit Mirror Reflection

Impenetrably thick blood-red malevolent energy, like viscous blood, instantly erupted from Ning Zhuo's body. The scarlet light, imbued with intense battle intent, pierced through layers of black clouds and struck the invisible nexus marked by the snow-light.

Direct and brutal! Defying all logic, overcoming ingenuity with brute force!

Time seemed to pause for a ten-thousandth of a second. Then—chaos erupted!

A thunderous roar—

The entire black cloud space, as if a bottomless abyss had been struck by millions of thunderbolts, unleashed an unprecedented, terrifying roar. It was deafening! It wasn't a single sound, but a destructive symphony: the collapse of countless wards, the distortion of spatial structures, the tearing of innumerable talismans, and the clashing, out-of-control torrents of energy.

Ning Zhuo's vision suddenly became distorted and surreal. With the invisible nexus as its core, snow-light energy shot forth, blood malevolence boiled, and spatial ripples interwoven with pitch-black and ghastly white spread out in circles. Wherever they reached, all nexuses, whether discovered by Ning Zhuo or not, were completely exposed. Like fragile soap bubbles, they silently burst one after another! The released energy, transforming into snow-light, was instantly swallowed and distorted by the violent spatial ripples before it could even spread.

The space wrinkled, then tore apart! Spatial cracks appeared one after another, like hideous scars, spreading across the entire view! Countless chaotic energy torrents, like wild horses broken free, frantically clashed, annihilated, and exploded within these cracks and wrinkles! The entire grand array collapsed in an unstoppable chain reaction!

Ning Zhuo, however, was unaffected; his position was like the eye of a hurricane. Outside was a natural disaster, but inside, it was as calm as a lake.

The youth's expression was as solemn as his mood. He stared intently at the invisible nexus before him, to his surprise discovering that although it had suffered a severe impact, distorting and deforming, and causing the entire grand array to tear and collapse, the nexus itself was resilient and robust, absorbing the impact and rapidly restoring itself.

"The invisible nexus!" A bolt of lightning seemed to strike Ning Zhuo's mind. In that instant, he had a flash of insight, understanding without prior teaching a huge advantage of the invisible nexus—it was invisible! It could avoid many conventional means of destruction! It was like the moon on the water's surface; Ning Zhuo had merely stirred the water. Although the moon's reflection was completely distorted as a result, as soon as the water stilled, it would revert to its previous reflection of the full moon. As for the tangible nexuses, even if they were utterly destroyed, as long as the invisible main nexus remained, the true foundation of the grand array would not be jeopardized; at most, it would merely be severely damaged.

Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth. His mastery of array formations was far inferior to that of the Monarch of Wangchuan, so he naturally couldn't directly break the invisible nexus. He could only put forth all his strength, unleashing military aura, while also empowering himself with military might. The blood-red military aura, as if ignited, exploded with a roar, transforming into vast swathes of blood-red light flames that swept over the invisible nexus. The military force contributed by the Qingjiao Army now empowered Ning Zhuo alone, making him even more formidable, like adding wings to a tiger.

The military aura Ning Zhuo had painstakingly accumulated was frantically consumed without reservation, rapidly depleting. But the invisible nexus remained, not truly damaged!

"Could it be—I made a wrong choice?" Ning Zhuo's resolve couldn't help but waver. "Hm? What's that?!"

Amidst the endless black cloud surges, within the tattered spatial storm, he suddenly noticed a gigantic silvery-gray sphere. It was a branch of the River of Oblivion.

The Monarch of Wangchuan's heart sank. Ning Zhuo didn't know what that silvery-gray sphere was, but how could *he* not know? It was the result of him casting the Profound Nether Water Dragon spell, having to produce his Monarch's Seal, and ultimately succeeding in sealing the illusory figure of the Nirvanic Buddha. Originally, he had hidden this silvery-gray sphere very deeply, but now that the grand array was severely disrupted by Ning Zhuo, swaying like willow branches in a gale, the silvery-gray sphere was naturally exposed as well.

"I hope this child doesn't notice this spot," the Monarch of Wangchuan thought, just as he saw Ning Zhuo suddenly raise his head, his hawk-like gaze fixed on the silvery-gray sphere, his expression a blend of surprise and doubt, yet unable to conceal its sharpness.

The Monarch of Wangchuan's heart twitched again at that moment. He had never imagined such a moment: he, a majestic Soul Transformation Realm cultivator, the Ruler of the Underworld, akin to a national monarch, actually being so concerned about a mere Foundation Establishment stage cultivator!

"But destiny..." The Monarch of Wangchuan almost sighed to the sky. At the same time, the ominous feeling in his heart intensified. Suddenly, his pupils contracted to pinpricks as he thought of another crucial point. The Guixu Black Sphere! This was also the Silent Ghost Monk's masterpiece. The Silent Ghost Monk mainly cultivated the *Nirvanic Zen Scripture*, and this move was one of the terrifying killing techniques within it—the Guixu Finger! To counter the killing move caused by the Guixu Finger, the Monarch of Wangchuan had spared no effort, activating a branch of the River of Oblivion and employing extreme power. Yet, he could only maintain a stalemate and engage in a war of attrition. To truly destroy the Guixu Black Sphere was certainly not something that could be accomplished overnight.

Therefore, the Monarch of Wangchuan activated the River of Oblivion's soul currents, pushing both the Guixu Black Sphere and the Profound Nether Silver Sphere away from the altar, deep into layers of gloomy clouds, concealing them deep within the grand array.

"The Profound Nether Water Dragon coils, combined with my Monarch's Seal, sealed the illusory figure of the Nirvanic Buddha—this was formed from the Silent Ghost Monk's vital Buddha Wheel."

"But the Guixu Black Sphere is also the Silent Ghost Monk's work. Once the two are drawn together by their qi, it will inevitably lead to dire consequences!"

The Monarch of Wangchuan could already imagine the scenario: the two spheres colliding, the Guixu Finger dissolving and devouring the power of the surface seal, and releasing the Buddha's illusory figure. This must not be allowed to happen!

The Monarch of Wangchuan gritted his teeth. At this moment, besides himself, he could only rely on his clones. But his clones were inextricably fighting Luo Si, and more importantly, they were closely linked to the Earth Form Array, making them unable to control the Heavenly Form Array. The grand array outside the altar constituted the majority of the Heavenly Form Array. Therefore, the Monarch of Wangchuan had no choice but to act with his main body! He had still hoped to seize the opportunity to risk falling into slumber, catching his breath and accumulating more combat strength. The current situation, however, left him no choice but to exert his full mental effort to control the Heavenly Form Array.

The silvery-gray sphere was already exposed, but the Guixu Black Sphere was not. He had to try his best to hide this black sphere, and even with all his might, he could not allow these two spheres to meet. After just a few breaths of trying to control the Heavenly Form Array, the Monarch of Wangchuan's face already showed signs of exhaustion. This was too difficult! Ning Zhuo was wreaking havoc on the invisible nexus, and the entire Heavenly Form Array was like a runaway carriage. The Monarch of Wangchuan had to try his best to maintain its balance. He felt as weak as an infant. His mental energy was severely depleted! At this moment, the Monarch of Wangchuan tapped into his deepest reserves, displaying his vast experience, far surpassing Ning Zhuo's. He actually managed to temporarily stabilize the situation and successfully hide the black sphere. This was incredibly difficult! It was like walking a tightrope on the edge of a cliff, and encountering a fierce storm at the same time.

Ning Zhuo was completely unaware of all this. He didn't know that he was, in a subtle way, arm-wrestling with a Soul Transformation Realm existence, the ruler of a domain. How could he know about any Guixu Black Sphere? Even for the silvery-gray sphere appearing before him, he didn't know its true nature.

Ning Zhuo, however, stared at the silvery-gray sphere, his mind racing. "The guest star should shine upon the northern cultural nexus—North? Does that mean 'north' here refers to a place even further north of the invisible nexus?" At this moment, the silvery-gray sphere was directly north of the invisible nexus. Ning Zhuo didn't know if this conjecture was the standard interpretation of the prophecy poem, but even if he wanted to act against this silvery-gray sphere now, he was powerless. The reason was simple. He was currently at the invisible nexus, in the eye of the hurricane. The surroundings were incredibly perilous, but his location was quite stable. For Ning Zhuo to approach the silvery-gray sphere, he would have to traverse the hurricane-like battlefield, which was no different from actively seeking death.

A remote attack? Ning Zhuo decided to try. He maintained the Confucian Art "Scholar Meets Soldiers" while simultaneously activating Five Elements spells. Fortunately, the "Scholar Meets Soldiers" Confucian Art was relatively simple, allowing Ning Zhuo to perform multiple tasks at once. However, his normally effective Five Elements spells, even with the enhancement of the Five Viscera Shrine Spirit God Art and military might, were destroyed midway, with no hope of reaching the silvery-gray sphere.

The Monarch of Wangchuan saw this scene and sneered inwardly: "This brat still wants to launch a remote attack and try to break the seal? Hmph, what a pipe dream."

After a few attempts, Ning Zhuo immediately stopped. His spiritual power was not abundant enough, and multitasking while simultaneously casting spells also caused intense mental exhaustion. This was not the time for indiscriminate bombardment; his Foundation Establishment cultivation was already insufficient, and each ounce of power should be used sparingly.

"What should I do?!" Ning Zhuo knew he couldn't act recklessly, so he racked his brains, desperately trying to find a way to break the deadlock.

"The guest star should shine upon the northern cultural nexus—""The guest star should shine upon the northern cultural nexus—""North, north...""Shine?""Shine?!"

In that instant, a flash of inspiration struck him, illuminating his mind like a lightning bolt and clearing the confusion in his heart. His eyes sparkled, and his spirit was instantly revitalized!

Seeing Ning Zhuo's change in expression, the Monarch of Wangchuan's heart twitched once more, and the ominous feeling intensified accordingly.

"So, the character 'shine' in this poem has a second layer of meaning.""I understand!"

Ning Zhuo took out a treasured automaton mirror. This was his Natal Magic Treasure—the Spirit-Communicating Mirror! Forged using precious materials such as cold iron, flowing cloud sand, essence of Grand White Gold, celestial crystal, and thick earth, and with the help of an automaton pedestal, Ning Zhuo finally refined it by inscribing his Spirit-Communicating Mirror spell runes onto its core. The Spirit-Communicating Mirror could be used to project people and objects. Back then, when Sun Lingtong was trapped in the Dragon Spring Hidden Scale Daoist Sanctuary, Ning Zhuo used a two-pronged approach, utilizing the Human Life Hanging Thread and the Spirit-Communicating Mirror to rescue her. Projecting Sun Lingtong was somewhat unsuitable, but projecting automaton constructs was perfectly appropriate. This was not surprising. This was because the Spirit-Communicating Mirror, a Natal Magic Treasure, originated from the Mirror Platform Spirit-Communicating Art. This art was one of the three great supreme arts and was originally one of the world's top-tier automaton cultivation techniques.

While performing the Confucian Art "Scholar Meets Soldiers," Ning Zhuo took out the Spirit-Communicating Mirror and held it with one hand. He aimed the mirror's surface at the silvery-gray sphere but held back from unleashing it. This simple action alone made the Monarch of Wangchuan's heart pound with apprehension.

Ning Zhuo quietly waited for the right moment. When he saw a moment where the path was relatively stable, he abruptly activated the Spirit-Communicating Mirror, projecting a beam of mirror light. The mirror light, like a pillar, although encountering attacks midway, still had half of its beam land on the silvery-gray sphere.

The next moment, Shadow Edge: Night Tiger materialized out of thin air and clung to the silvery-gray sphere. This was the new Meng Yehu! After the great war between the Two Zhu States, Ning Zhuo realized that he needed to replace Meng Yehu's materials with entirely new ones. The current Meng Yehu was 30% sturdier than before, but even so, compared to the silvery-gray sphere before him, the majestic and burly Meng Yehu was like a small mouse at an elephant's foot.

Automaton—Nether Slaughter Claws! Dull, lightless sharp claws suddenly extended from Meng Yehu's hands, then fiercely stabbed towards the silvery-gray sphere before it. Clang, clang, clang—first, sparks flew in all directions, then the Nether Slaughter Claws all broke off. Ning Zhuo's pupils contracted in surprise at how powerful the silvery-gray sphere's defense was. One should know that the Meng Yehu, after its materials were replaced, was entirely magic treasure-grade! It was because Ning Zhuo had made a fortune from the war between the Two Zhu States. Even so, the Nether Slaughter Claws only created some scratches on the surface of the silvery-gray sphere.

"That's it?" The Monarch of Wangchuan raised an eyebrow slightly, then immediately composed himself. "Was I perhaps overreacting just now?"

But the next moment, a crack suddenly opened on the surface of the silvery-gray sphere, and a puff of water vapor spewed forth from it. The water vapor was mixed with a wisp of desolate Buddha light. The cause of this result was naturally not the Nether Slaughter Claws, but the tumultuous and tearing array space. However, under Ning Zhuo's expectant gaze, the crack on the silvery-gray sphere quickly healed itself. The main force sealing the illusory figure of the Nirvanic Buddha was the Monarch's Seal, a national artifact! With several Profound Nether Water Dragons also assisting, the sealing power itself was exceedingly potent.

The Monarch of Wangchuan felt slightly relieved. Ning Zhuo, however, saw through the situation and directly activated the Spirit-Communicating Mirror, recalling Meng Yehu.

"This is the power of the water element; it's beyond my current capabilities. In that case, I can only rely on the fire seed!"

Wood-in-Fire! When it was time to make a decision, Ning Zhuo never hesitated. He took out the fire seed, cast a spell, and placed it into Meng Yehu's mouth. This scene made the Monarch of Wangchuan tense up again.

"This brat is clearly only at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he actually possesses a fire seed?!""Wood-in-Fire!""By itself, it can't break through the Profound Nether Water Dragon's blockade.""But what kind of fire element spell is he casting?" This question was crucial!

Essentially, spells are methods of utilizing power. This power could be a cultivator's own spiritual power, a type of precious material, or a type of magical tool or treasure. Although Wood-in-Fire cannot directly counter the Water Dragon Seal, if there's a specifically targeted spell, it could still achieve this. This was the wisdom of cultivation.

"How could this brat have learned a spell specifically targeting my Profound Nether Water Dragon?" The Monarch of Wangchuan tried to console himself, but it was in vain; he only grew more nervous. His opponent was the Human Tribulation, chosen by the Heavenly Fate of the mortal realm! How many times had strange and peculiar things happened to him already? What the Monarch of Wangchuan didn't know was that Ning Zhuo hadn't learned any targeted spells. But the truth was even worse than he imagined: Ning Zhuo's own Five Elements cultivation realm was extremely profound, and he had created a spell on the spot!

The Spirit-Communicating Mirror flashed, projecting Meng Yehu onto the silvery-gray sphere once more. It moved with full force, climbing to the crack, opening its mouth, and spitting out a ball of fire that shot directly into the interior of the silver sphere. The fire element spell, released with the fire seed as its core, possessed infinite might!