Chapter 199: Chapter 88: Out-of-Control Star God

A blurry figure emerged from the green halos. It was surrounded by circular patterns resembling Array Runes, but they were incredibly faint.

"Something’s not right with him..."

Shang Ge returned to Wang Ping’s left side and held out his right hand. A speck of green light clung to the surface of a black, spherical object in his palm. The green halo seemed to be devouring the surrounding energy at an incredible speed.

Wang Ping used his Wood Spirit to sense it. This mass of green light possessed a potent corrosive ability. Even the Wood Spirit he sent to probe it was instantly corroded. He had the feeling that this green light was the natural enemy of all physical matter.

"A Wood Spirit, an Artifact Cultivator, and a half-dead Demon Soldier."

A neutral voice emanated from the green halo. Then, the ground became covered in even more of the green light. The earth itself seemed unable to withstand its corrosion; the soil melted away rapidly, like ice exposed to intense heat.

"It’s corrosion!"

Sun Shulin’s tone was grave. "The best way to deal with it is the Yuqing Sect’s Thunder Technique, especially Yang Thunder. Failing that, only the flames of the True Yang Sect can incinerate it... Besides, it seems to be evolving. We’re no match for it."

Shang Ge tossed aside the contaminated black sphere. Staring at the entity muttering to itself below, he said, "But its brain doesn’t seem to be working right..."

The moment he finished speaking, two rays of green light shot up from the ground, aimed directly at Wang Ping. The trio immediately used their techniques to dodge. The rays streaked across the sky, illuminating the night. The flashing green light looked like a precious jade that had materialized out of thin air.

It was a beautiful sight, one that would make any mortal stop and stare in awe.

But the next moment, the "beautiful sight" in the sky began to plummet toward the earth, and the ground instantly erupted in wails of agony. All Wang Ping and his companions could do was dodge, as any technique they tried to use would be corroded.

Wang Ping raised an eyebrow and quickly assessed the situation...

The half-mad Star God stood its ground, firing off corrosive beams like an anti-aircraft gun. The other two Gold Cultivators showed no intention of helping, perhaps knowing they would become targets if they approached.

"It’s creating this corrosion by absorbing the spiritual essence of the world..."

Yu Lian was coiled around Wang Ping’s left wrist, her slitted pupils peering through the pitch-black night sky toward outer space. "It’s a substance from above the clouds, very peculiar. Similar to the magic Little Qianqian cultivates, it’s drawing upon the Majestic Power of Heaven and Earth."

"Use Power Pills on it!"

Yu Lian offered a tentative solution.

Wang Ping agreed. Just then, Yu Lian glanced at the approaching Sun Shulin and ducked back into Wang Ping’s sleeve. It wasn’t that she was shy; Wang Ping was deliberately concealing her presence.

As Yu Lian hid, a handful of Power Pills appeared in Wang Ping’s hand. He quickly activated them and, using a current of Wood Spirit Qi, hurled them into the green halo below. Just then, another corrosive beam shot at him, and he deliberately dodged in a direction away from Sun Shulin.

A few moments later, flashes of white mist continuously erupted from below.

"You... you bunch of wretched rats! I’m going to turn you into cosmic garbage!"

After being hit by the Power Pills, the entity within the green halo below became even more frenzied. The green substance on the ground grew chaotic, spreading toward the array. Seeing this, the two spectating Gold Cultivators immediately jumped inside the array. They summoned a dark purple Treasure Tower, which formed a Protective Shield that seemed to isolate the space within, blocking the surging green light.

"Rats, rats, cockroaches, bugs..." As the entity within the green halo grew more enraged, it fired an increasing number of rays into the sky, though most of them were wild and untargeted.

"Were those Power Pills you just used?" Sun Shulin asked.

"It seems to be pinned down by something, unable to move," Shang Ge remarked.

"Yes, the Power Pills can hit it, but they aren’t lethal," Wang Ping said quickly. "I’ll keep it pinned down. You two go for the Holy Heart Grass. If you can’t get it, destroy it. Either way, our mission will be complete."

"No problem. Destruction is my specialty."

Without another word, Shang Ge descended first, heading toward the array. Sun Shulin hesitated for only a moment before summoning his Magical Artifact and following close behind.

After the two left, Yu Lian peeked out from his sleeve again. "Their minds were racing," she said. "They’re definitely scheming something. You need to be careful."

"Mm!"

Wang Ping took out another dozen or so Power Pills, activated them, and hurled them down. Then, his hands formed a spell seal, connecting to the Wood Spirit Qi. Through it, he communicated with the plants that had sprouted from the seeds he’d scattered earlier...

At that moment, Biyou Mountain was in utter chaos. The tens of thousands of mortals, Qi Cultivators, and members of the Demon Race who had gathered there had been almost completely wiped out in less than fifteen minutes. Only a small number of individuals with exceptional wits and luck survived.

"Bugs, bugs, bugs..."

The entity within the green halo below had gone completely berserk, its spirit-soul darting about wildly within the viridian light.

Wang Ping tossed down several dozen more Power Pills. This time, the resulting white mist engulfed most of the green halo, cutting off the corrosive beams shooting into the sky. It looked as if this attack had killed the crazed Star God below.

"Its aura has strangely converged into a single point," Yu Lian warned. "I think we should back off."

Wang Ping had absolute faith in Yu Lian’s warnings. Forgetting all about the mission, he immediately submerged his body into the Wood Spirit Qi and vanished from the battlefield in an instant.

At the same time, the four people who had been fighting inside the array also suddenly retreated, each in a different direction. Unlike Wang Ping, they weren’t fleeing from the crazed Star God; their haste suggested they had snatched the treasure and were making a run for it.

"Until we meet again."

Sun Shulin even called out a farewell to Wang Ping as he left.

Yu Lian said, "They probably split the Holy Heart Grass among themselves..."

Wang Ping thought so too. Just as Yu Lian communicated this thought, the entity in the green halo on the ground seemed to be provoked, letting out an ear-piercing shriek. In the shriek’s wake, Wang Ping felt corrosive green halos materialize out of thin air all around him.

’This feeling of suppression is almost on par with the Third Realm!’

Countless thoughts flashed through Wang Ping’s mind. He decisively materialized a Spirit Communication Talisman, converting the surrounding Spiritual Qi into Wood Spirit Qi. At that moment, he saw one of the four unlucky souls who had just fled get overtaken by the green light in the distant sky.

"Don’t stop!"

Yu Lian’s voice was urgent. As she spoke, she connected to Wang Ping’s Qi Sea and pushed the Spirit Gathering Array to its peak efficiency.

Of course Wang Ping didn’t stop. He cloaked his aura with Wood Spirit Qi while descending until he was level with the swamp below. Using the Water Spirit Aura channeled by Yu Lian, he submerged his physical body, concealing it beneath the water.

This was an escape method he and Yu Lian had rehearsed several times for dangerous situations.

About ten seconds later, after Wang Ping had followed the swamp’s waterways into a wide river, the pressure at his back finally vanished. He shot out of the water and looked back. The sky and earth in the region he’d just left were completely consumed by flowing green light.

"To lose control that easily... I suspect someone tampered with it," Yu Lian voiced her suspicion.