Chapter 1475: East Wind Night Blooms a Thousand Trees

"What is this?" The Demon Emperor's eyes narrowed. Having roamed the world for countless years, he had witnessed every conceivable sight. Yet, the scene before him was truly unprecedented.

The object in his opponent's hand appeared to be some kind of artifact. It was clearly not a divine or immortal-grade weapon, nor even a heaven-grade one, yet it emanated a chilling killing intent that surpassed many renowned magical treasures. Not only the Demon Emperor, but even Yan Xuehen and the two other women stared at him with wide, beautiful eyes. Though they had fought beside him for a long time, they had never seen him use this particular weapon.

A peculiar light flickered in Zu An's eyes as he slowly intoned, "Namo Gatling Bodhisattva, six pure depleted uranium rounds, thirty-six hundred rotations per breath, great compassion to deliver the world."

The Demon Emperor and the women, including Yan Xuehen, were perplexed. As their world included Daoist sects, the existence of monks was natural, and they understood what a Bodhisattva was. However, they couldn't fathom how the object before them was connected to one. They, of course, had no idea this was a meme Zu An had encountered on online forums in his previous life, where the only thing comparable to the life-saving Gatling was the miraculous Maxim.

Previously, Zu An was limited by the small number of high-tier weapons he had witnessed in this world, meaning he couldn't conjure enough to inflict significant damage on the Demon Emperor. The phrase "insufficient firepower" naturally brought to mind the combatants from the battlefields of his previous life. Yet, that was a technological world, while this was a cultivation civilization. Zu An wasn't sure if he could successfully conjure it, but a brief attempt proved him wrong; it truly materialized.

Gripping the Gatling machine gun, Zu An instantly felt his posture straighten. "Demon Emperor," he taunted, "you were quite arrogant just now."

Hearing his flippant tone, the Demon Emperor's face darkened. "Do you truly believe a mere black, unsightly fire poker can be my match?"

"Fire poker?" A peculiar expression crossed Zu An's face. "Then let's see what this 'fire poker' can do."

Without further ado, he aimed directly at the Demon Emperor and pulled the trigger. From the dark muzzles, blue flames erupted, accompanied by a deafening roar, as countless bullets streamed forth. The Demon Emperor's initial dismissive expression vanished instantly.

What were these projectiles? Arrows? No, they were much smaller, almost like mere arrowheads. Moreover, their speed was astonishing, so rapid that he barely had time to react. Each projectile possessed power comparable to a sharp sword qi strike. As it was his first encounter, he dared not meet them head-on, hastily employing his previously demonstrated exquisite footwork to evade. Unfortunately, the Gatling machine gun was designed for saturation fire, creating a dense network of bullets far more concentrated than the dozen or so heaven-grade weapons Zu An had previously conjured. No matter how he dodged, some bullets inevitably found their mark.

In desperation, golden wings suddenly appeared behind him, their feathers transforming into streaks of golden sword qi. As the wings folded, these golden sword qi intercepted every incoming bullet. Zu An secretly admired him. The Demon Emperor was truly formidable; he managed to block every single one of the Gatling's incredibly dense, high-velocity bullets.

At this moment, Yan Xuehen and the other women were even more astonished than Zu An. While the Demon Emperor's power was expected, and his golden sword qi formidable, they were merely defensive. This scene before them showed Zu An overwhelming the Demon Emperor! If news of this spread, wouldn't it shock the entire world speechless? Furthermore, this peculiar weapon in his hand seemed capable of inflicting immense casualties on armies. Unless military formations could establish defensive magical arrays in advance, facing this device would be like being mowed down.

The Demon Emperor was utterly frustrated. He had initially hesitated to teleport away, wanting to test the weapon's power, but now it was too late to escape through space. While he could normally teleport in an extremely short time, the firing interval of these projectiles was even briefer! Each projectile released had considerable power, though for true top-tier masters, it wasn't necessarily fatal. After all, they could casually destroy a mountain with a single strike, so the power of these projectiles was still somewhat deficient. However, the sheer density of these projectiles was overwhelming. While he believed his personal defense could withstand a hundred or so without significant issue, this device unleashed thousands in a single breath! Should he relax even slightly, he could easily be riddled with holes like a beehive. After all, compared to various offensive techniques, cultivators' defenses were noticeably weaker. This was usually not an issue, as they possessed numerous methods to evade or block, never being foolish enough to take hits directly with their bodies. He had never anticipated such intense saturation fire in this world, forcing him into a frustratingly defensive posture.

While the golden sword qi formed by his feathers was significantly more powerful than a single projectile, its quantity and frequency were inferior. This meant one sword qi strike would only neutralize one or a few projectiles, placing him at a considerable disadvantage. If these projectiles were endless, he might well be worn down and perish here, despite his far superior cultivation. However, he showed no panic. He didn't believe that projectiles of such immense power could be infinite.

As expected, after a short while, the previously black barrel in Zu An's hand glowed red-hot before bursting with a loud bang. Given Zu An's current physical fortitude, such a minor explosion couldn't harm him. He inwardly regretted it; this conjured Gatling was indeed less durable than a genuine one, and by rights, it shouldn't have malfunctioned so quickly. A dizzying sensation then swept through his mind, startling him. "I was only firing bullets just now," he mused, "why do I feel so drained?" His heart tightened. It seemed that deploying the "Divine Rune Weapon Chart" came at a cost; it must be consuming his vital energy. Fortunately, he cultivated several divine arts, ensuring a continuous flow of vital energy. An ordinary Grandmaster, after conjuring so many heaven-grade weapons and the Gatling, would likely have been completely drained.

Just then, a figure appeared beside him. Clearly, the Demon Emperor was unwilling to grant him another opportunity. At that moment, Yan, Yun, and Yu cried out. They had been closely observing Zu An, aware that he might be in a weakened state, and preemptively moved to protect him. The Changxin Palace Lantern was immediately activated, and the New Moon Wheel transformed into a crescent moon. Instead of attacking, it emitted tranquil moonlight, combining with the Changxin Palace Lantern to enhance their control capabilities. Yu Yanluo's eyes glowed with a supreme brownish-yellow light. With the Holy Spirit Pearl and the Nine Transformations of Dragon and Snake, her use of this power would not cause her body to collapse. Yan Xuehen, meanwhile, shimmered with runic brilliance, her entire being enveloped in a maelstrom of wind and snow as she surged forward. After numerous life-and-death crises, the three women's coordination had long since become seamless.

The Demon Emperor's body showed faint signs of petrification, and under the combined illumination of the Changxin Palace Lantern and the moonlight, his movements were considerably slower than normal. Coupled with Yan Xuehen's sudden explosive strike, even though the Demon Emperor's cultivation greatly surpassed theirs, he gained no advantage from his full-power attack due to their complementary strengths. Naturally, the three women were severely jolted by the terrifying qi wave, their internal qi and blood churning violently, making it impossible for them to intercept a second strike. Fortunately, Zu An had recovered his breath by then and pulled the three women back.

The Demon Emperor sneered, "Do you think you can outrun me?" The speed of any single one of them couldn't match his, let alone all of them together? But in the next second, his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Zu An simply waved his hand, and a golden war chariot suddenly materialized before him. After they boarded, the chariot instantly sped off, soaring into the sky.

"Isn't that the Golden Crow clan's golden chariot?" For a fleeting moment, the Demon Emperor questioned reality. Due to his dwindling lifespan and impending succession, he had already passed the golden chariot, along with the Sun-Shooting Bow, to his son. Could Zu An have stolen his son's chariot, and his son hadn't dared to inform him? However, he quickly shook his head. While the chariot indeed resembled the Golden Crow clan's golden war chariot, a closer look revealed differences. His own chariot was drawn by six 'chi' dragons, whereas this one was pulled by six true dragons, suggesting a higher status.

What Zu An had conjured this time was the chariot he had once seen Xi He use, which was naturally more advanced than the one belonging to the Demon Emperor and his son. The chariot's speed was sufficient to evade the Demon Emperor for a while. Zu An mused that now, with the Demon Emperor on guard, the Gatling would likely struggle to inflict further harm. Perhaps a "Dongfeng Express" was in order?

"The east wind at night unleashes a thousand trees of blossoms, scattering them like a rain of stars!"