Chapter 1047: Departing Separately

Mo Qing True Monarch, who had escaped underground using earth-shifting techniques, had only managed to flee a short distance before the violent explosion disrupted his magic.

The ground in the valley and its surroundings undulated like ripples on water, constantly heaving up and down.

The immense pressure of the earth and rocks underground forcefully ejected Mo Qing True Monarch's body from the ground.

Once his body left the ground, Mo Qing True Monarch tumbled through the air a few times before finally stabilizing.

In the brief span of this moment, Mo Qing True Monarch suffered injuries that were neither light nor severe.

Had he not sensed the danger keenly and responded quickly, fleeing the core of the explosion's most powerful force, his injuries would have been far more serious.

Shou Zheng's true self and Ouyang Jian, who had been engaged in combat near the valley, had become so focused on outmatching each other that they didn't react promptly.

Fortunately, despite the massive explosion, its threat was still limited for beings of their level.

Within the force of the explosion, the two separated from each other and temporarily moved away from the valley, braving the explosive power.

Both had incurred injuries that were neither minor nor severe, but these wounds didn't hinder their ability to continue fighting.

However, the significance of their ongoing battle was diminished after the explosion occurred.

At this point, even a blind person should have discerned the source of the explosion.

At the last moment, the innate Ghost Deity had chosen to self-detonate its colossal divine form.

The powerful explosion had reduced the divine form to mere dust and obliterated its soul.

As for Ouyang Huajin and Shou Zheng's wisp of soul, they too were annihilated within the blast.

With the target of their contention gone, their battle had become meaningless.

Shou Zheng's true self had a grim expression. The last message transmitted to him by the wisp of soul indicated that the soul of the innate Ghost Deity was on the brink of being obliterated by Ouyang Huajin.

The wisp of soul had entered the innate Ghost Deity's body in an attempt to prevent Ouyang Huajin's Primordial Spirit from seizing the divine form.

Right at that moment, however, the innate Ghost Deity had chosen to self-detonate.

Having spent years in the Netherworld, Shou Zheng had encountered innate Ghost Deities before and had even witnessed them being hunted down.

In dire situations, innate Ghost Deities were generally inflexible and extremely resolute, often preferring to be shattered to pieces rather than surrender completely.

Shou Zheng had witnessed innate Ghost Deities self-detonate before.

But now, to have the innate Ghost Deity he had been targeting explode in such a manner, even though he understood it, he couldn't truly accept it.

Without this divine form, his hopes of breaking free from the constraints of a postnatal Ghost Deity were diminished.

Ouyang Jian's life was nearing its end, yet he had still betrayed the Dali Dynasty just to obtain this innate Ghost Deity's divine form.

After planning for so many years and investing so much effort, to end up empty-handed left him feeling utterly unacceptable.

Following the self-detonation of the innate Ghost Deity, Shou Zheng's true self ignored his entanglement with Meng Zhang and, despite the lingering shockwaves, immediately flew into the valley to conduct a thorough inspection.

Observing Ouyang Jian's seemingly insane behavior, Mo Qing True Monarch couldn't help but sigh.

He remembered that prior to their actions, he had Lu Gangfeng, a Diviner, specially divine the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of the situation.

There was no need to mention his own discovery of the pursuers dispatched by Ba Wudi.

However, he hadn't predicted Meng Zhang's and the Ghost Deity's interference or the self-detonation of the innate Ghost Deity.

It was unclear whether the cause was Lu Gangfeng's negligence or if the intricacies of the situation obscured the heavenly mechanism's revelations.

Perhaps both reasons were at play.

Mo Qing True Monarch decided that after returning to the mortal world, he would have a serious discussion with Lu Gangfeng.

Ouyang Jian meticulously searched the area around the valley that had already been thoroughly destroyed by the explosion. However, he found nothing of value.

It seemed that the divine form had truly been annihilated in the explosion.

Unable to establish contact with his wisp of soul, Shou Zheng's true self carefully surveyed his surroundings and reached the same conclusion as Ouyang Jian.

Although his heart was filled with deep regret, he had no choice but to give up.

Shou Zheng gave Meng Zhang a nod, and together, they departed from the scene.

Mo Qing True Monarch was far calmer than Ouyang Jian. With the situation irreversibly lost, he approached Ouyang Jian and urged him to leave.

Of course, before departing, they made an effort to tidy up the scene as much as possible. While they couldn't completely erase all traces, they aimed to eliminate any clues related to themselves.

After Meng Zhang and Shou Zheng left the area and flew a considerable distance away, Shou Zheng briefly instructed Meng Zhang before disappearing.

One major advantage that a Ghost Deity had over a Primordial Spirit True Monarch was the ability to create more than one wisp of soul. Apart from sending a wisp of soul to participate in this operation, Shou Zheng had other wisp of souls remaining in his lair. Now that there was nothing else to do here, one of those wisp of souls, through a special connection with Shou Zheng's true self, executed a secret technique to summon him back to his lair.

Meng Zhang stayed in place for a moment on his own before setting out on his journey, heading back to Yin Capital.

Although Meng Zhang and Ouyang Jian hadn't discussed it, there was an unspoken understanding between them. The matter absolutely couldn't be disclosed to anyone, and utmost secrecy was required.

Even if Meng Zhang's intention to help Shou Zheng obtain the divine form hadn't been exposed, his mere presence at the scene could easily bring retribution upon him. This divine form was of immense importance to the Dali Dynasty and Yin Capital.

Once news of the divine form's complete destruction through self-detonation spread, the anger from both the Dali Dynasty and Yin Capital could effortlessly consume Meng Zhang and his companions.

As for Ouyang Jian and his group, as the instigators of this matter and the culprits behind the innate Ghost Deity's self-detonation, if the information leaked out, the Dali Dynasty would unquestionably treat them as mortal enemies, seeking to eliminate them.

In this matter, regardless of how unwilling both sides were, Meng Zhang and Ouyang Jian's group had become like grasshoppers on a string.

Drawing from his experience in the journey here, Meng Zhang expended significant effort to safely depart from the Ghost Weep Mountains.

Meng Zhang swiftly traversed the plains and returned to Yin Capital.

While he maintained a façade of composure on the surface, deep within, Meng Zhang felt guilty. Upon returning to Yin Capital, he spent most of his time at the Soul's Rest Inn and rarely ventured outside.

Of course, when Princess Chunyu had spare time to come see him, he had to put in the effort to handle her without raising suspicion. Especially when Princess Chunyu casually inquired about his reason for leaving Yin Capital, Meng Zhang provided the excuse he had prepared in advance.

He claimed that he was going to the vicinity of the Ghost Weep Mountains to utilize the unique environment there for practicing a Great Divine Ability.

In reality, as a practitioner of the Yin Yang Grand Dao, Meng Zhang had gained a deeper understanding of it due to the distinct rules of the Netherworld compared to the mortal world. Given Princess Chunyu's status, she had long been aware of Meng Zhang's proficiency in the Yin Yang Grand Dao, so she easily believed his explanation.