Miscalculation.

"Regarding the Trivial Matter of a Formidable Enemy's Fists and Feet Having Inherent Skill-Breaking and Stunning Special Effects."

On the ground, Wu Wang's figure was embedded in the solid rock layer. The area for tens of miles around had just been shattered and sunk by a powerful force; this place was about to become a lake.

Wu Wang lay at the epicenter of the power explosion, intense waves of dizziness assaulting his head.

Dammit.

A common name for various types of plants.

Before the battle began, he had seriously assessed the Gold God's current oppressive aura and consulted Yun Zhongjun about how much strength the Gold God could currently muster.

Yun Zhongjun had also given him a pertinent and conservative suggestion—

"This is indeed an opportunity to measure yourself against a top-tier expert."

The Gold God had plundered the Divine Power of that Wood-attribute Innate God, restoring twenty to thirty percent of her own power, yet she still bore grave injuries.

Against the Gold God in such a state, Wu Wang and Fire Plume joining forces should have been able to hold her back. They just needed to wait for the Ming Snake's return; if the Gold God didn't fight to the death, she would inevitably have to retreat on her own.

Moreover, this was the southwestern region of the Great Wilderness, no longer the territory of Central Mountain.

This location wasn't too far from the Human Domain but was a considerable distance from Central Mountain. By any calculation, the Human Domain's reinforcements should arrive here first.

Not to mention, the venerable Senior Shen Nong had already sensed his Yan Emperor's command token.

With all these calculations, he was essentially in an unbeatable position.

Why wouldn't he dare to fight?

Earlier, when he saw the Gold God lying on the lava lake, Wu Wang had hesitated, not attacking her directly, fearing he might push her into a desperate counterattack.

Now, it was merely a matter of stalling for time; the Gold God certainly wouldn't easily resort to her ultimate life-preserving trump cards.

Every move, every exchange, had to be calculated.

Wu Wang had actually considered the crucial issue—the Gold God was a woman.

So, he had enveloped his body with Divine Power, wrapped himself in Yin Yang Qi, then invoked the power of the Stars to cover his entire being, and even fashioned an invisible set of Dao Weapon Armor for himself.

Even if the Gold God's Weapons touch me, they couldn't possibly trigger the curse of the God of Fortune, could they?

So, the difficult part was merely to withstand the Gold God's intense oppressive aura... right?

But Wu Wang had never anticipated this!

Although the Gold God's oppressive aura was strong, he had mentally prepared himself, allowing his body to relax as much as possible, which didn't affect his ability to execute moves and counter hers.

However, all the preparations he had made around himself were utterly demolished within two rounds of their direct clash!

A Duel of this caliber quickly devolved into a pure confrontation of power versus power.

At this moment, Wu Wang's strongest asset was this Demigod body, which had absorbed the Divine Power of several minor gods from the Western Wilderness and had undergone multiple transformations.

Thus, the contest between them swiftly became a collision of divine body against Dao Body!

And so, what should have been the most thrilling battle Wu Wang had ever experienced became...

I'm sorry, Fire Plume, for holding you back!

Humiliation!

What utter humiliation!

Wu Wang was so furious he almost coughed up blood!

Just how formidable was the Gold God?

She was a veteran of countless battles, standing at the apex of Innate Gods. At her peak, she could annihilate an ordinary Transcendent with a single strike, withstand the siege of seven peak Human Domain cultivators, and even when the latter were desperately attempting to self-destruct, she could tear open Heaven and Earth to escape the battlefield.

How could she overlook such an obvious flaw in Wu Wang?

The Gold God instantly retracted one Divine Weapon, the phantoms of Divine Weapons on her back fiercely slashing towards Fire Plume, while a punch and two kicks targeted Wu Wang.

Whenever Wu Wang got close, the Gold God would simply "welcome the fledgling into her embrace," effortlessly beating him until he vomited blood repeatedly!

After no more than a dozen rounds, Wu Wang was slammed into the earth by a single palm strike from the Gold God.

All the Human Domain cultivators fell silent.

Xu Mu covered his face with one hand, resisting the urge to go and help Wu Wang up.

Doesn't Wu Wang care about his pride at all? He was so imposing just moments ago, who would have thought he'd falter after just a few rounds? I absolutely must pretend I didn't see that!

Lying on the ground, Wu Wang couldn't help but spray out a mouthful of blood, the intense dizziness making him wish for death.

How could he possibly fight this!

Before he reached the Transcendent Dao Realm and broke the God of Fortune's seal, was he really doomed to endure such vexing powerlessness against a female Innate God?

At this moment, Wu Wang truly wanted to shout a classic advertising slogan from his previous life.

"'If you're a real bro, come and get me!'"

What skill was there in competing with bare fists and feet? Bring on the swords and blades!

BANG!

Wu Wang slammed his hands on the ground and leaped up again. Looking up at the fierce battle between Fire Plume and the Gold God in the sky, he retrieved his Golden Dragon Armor from his Magic Treasure—an armor he hadn't used for many years.

He donned the treasured Armor and activated its golden scales!

Bloodline, activate!

Wu Wang lowered his head and roared, the phantom of a five-clawed Golden Dragon appearing around him.

The phantom of the five-clawed Golden Dragon was not an inherent feature of the Star God's bloodline.

It was an image from the depths of Wu Wang's heart, the form his subconscious chose for transformation during his moments of greatest agony.

A dragon's roar echoed from the ground, and a Golden Dragon over a hundred feet long soared into the sky.

The cultivators, who had fallen silent, were once again stirred with excitement. The tide of the aerial battle shifted in an instant.

Wu Wang forcefully inserted himself between the two combatants, his movements as swift as a phantom. The Golden Dragon phantom struck out at the Gold God with a palm that concealed dozens of fist shadows, enveloping all her vital points.

The Gold God's expression was stern. After forcing Fire Plume back, she immediately turned and charged towards Wu Wang.

Divine Weapons reversed, fists and feet met. A faint smile touched the corners of the Gold God's lips, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

A thunderous boom erupted in the sky.

The Gold God and Wu Wang exchanged blows, barely a few feet apart. Their fight was so fierce that Immortal Light scattered wildly. Though both stood their ground, every punch and kick landed squarely on their opponent.

In an instant, a hundred punches had been thrown, their fists clashing over a dozen times!

Wu Wang grunted, his figure sent flying backward.

The Gold God leaned back. She retreated half a step but immediately stabilized herself, her gaze burning as she watched Wu Wang.

Before she could pursue, a spear of fire attacked from the side. Fire Plume was already upon her, forcing the Gold God to dodge repeatedly, yet several blossoms of blood still erupted from her shoulder.

Wu Wang was sent flying for tens of miles before he managed to steady himself again.

His Golden Dragon Armor was now covered in fist imprints, and his gauntlets were riddled with spiderweb-like cracks.

Wu Wang raised his hand and flicked it lightly. The gauntlets shattered, revealing the mangled flesh of his hands.

Without hesitation, he drew a broad-bladed Immortal Sword, snapped it, and bound the pieces to the outside of his fists with Yin Yang Qi. Taking a deep breath, he soared into the sky.

A few breaths later, meteors rained down from high above, hurtling towards the Gold God.

Ignoring her injuries, Fire Plume pressed her assault fiercely, pinning the Gold God in place. Wu Wang struck with all his might, the Azure Dragon phantom surrounding him appearing almost tangible!

The spectators only saw the Golden Dragon swoop down, snatching the Gold God from the sky with one claw. Their hearts surged, and they cried out Wu Wang's name.

Wu Wang and Fire Plume dove down swiftly!

The Gold God laughed heartily several times, then actually ripped up a section of rock layer with a radius of over a thousand feet and casually tossed it into the air, disrupting Wu Wang and Fire Plume's attack.

The two sides engaged in a tangled fight in mid-air, Wu Wang constantly replacing the weapon fragments shattered around his fists.

These Weapons, forged by the hands of Human Domain craftsmen, were originally meant to split mountains and cleave the earth, possessing extraordinary quality. Any weapon that reached Wu Wang's hands could not be an ordinary item.

But now, these Weapons could only withstand the Gold God's fists and feet for a mere two to four hours.

And Wu Wang's Golden Dragon Armor was nearly totaled in a short amount of time.

Currently, Fire Plume was bearing nearly seventy percent of the Gold God's attacks. Although Wu Wang's offensive was fierce, he was too restricted and could never truly unleash his full power.

"Wu Wangzi! You're not bad at all!"

The Gold God laughed heartily, her figure somewhat ethereal, leaving jagged trails in the sky.

Suddenly changing her previous battle tactics, she became nimble and agile. After just a few exchanges, she had already forced both Wu Wang and Fire Plume onto the defensive.

Looking up from the ground, one could see the Gold God moving faster than the naked eye could follow. Her afterimages were like clones, and in the blink of an eye, she could scatter a sky full of golden light.

"Be careful."

Fire Plume took the initiative to move forward, intending to shield Wu Wang behind her.

But just as she moved, Wu Wang had already advanced a few feet, the Star Sword in his hand, scattering starlight across the sky.

In an instant, it was as if great rivers had surged forth.

Like the master of the Star Sea, Wu Wang wielded his sword, soaring through the starry expanse. He constructed an impenetrable defensive line, occasionally launching sharp, cold glints of light.

Forcibly increasing the speed of one's attacks inevitably meant sacrificing their power.

This was a principle understood by all Human Domain cultivators.

The Gold God, by abandoning her fierce assault and switching to this evasive fighting style, was already showing signs of wanting to retreat. Meanwhile, Wu Wang, by manifesting the Star Dao he had comprehended, bolstered by his Star God's bloodline, managed to barely hold off the Gold God on his own for a short while.

Fire Plume said nothing more, closing her eyes to concentrate, searching for an opening to attack.

Suddenly, the Gold God's voice pierced Wu Wang's ears:

"The Star God has invested quite a bit of effort in you. Divine Power, bloodline, Great Dao—she treats you almost like her own child. It seems the rumors of the Star God barely holding on aren't false.

"Wu Wangzi, if I were to capture you and take you as my child, would she drag her broken body here to fight me to the death?

"HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA!

"What I despise most is stagnation. This Heaven and Earth has decayed, fallen silent. It needs to liven up!

"Wu Wangzi, become my son!

"I, the Gold God, will lead you to carve out a new world!"

Wu Wang: ...

You dare say that out loud? I bet an Ancient Goddess will appear today to fight you to the death!

"Get lost!"

Wu Wang bellowed. The starlight around him erupted, blooming into a sky full of cold light that pierced through the Gold God's myriad illusions.

"Hm?"

The Gold God's light laughter suddenly sounded.

Wu Wang looked up abruptly, only to see that the Gold God's figure had, at some unknown point, appeared high in the sky, perfectly aligned with the blazing sun.

In that instant, a cold smirk played on the Gold God's lips. Her left hand drew an arc, and spots of light appeared around her.

The light spots blotted out the sky, obscuring the sun like dark clouds. From within them, hundreds, even thousands, of ancient Divine Weapons slowly emerged. Golden lightning crackled wildly, and the figures of dozens of metallic beasts materialized in the void, roaring furiously at Wu Wang and Fire Plume.

Illuminated by the arcs of golden lightning, the smile on the Gold God's lips was chillingly vicious.

Wu Wang suddenly realized something was wrong.

He whipped his head around, looking towards the ground, and saw the eight hundred Human Domain cultivators who still hadn't comprehended what was happening in the sky.

He and Fire Plume were positioned directly on the line between the Gold God and those eight hundred cultivators...

It was a trap!

Wu Wang immediately tried to lunge at the Gold God, but the golden cloud surrounding her had already unleashed hundreds of lightning bolts!

Each bolt, wrapped around a Divine Weapon, shot towards Wu Wang, Fire Plume, and those eight hundred cultivators!

High above, the Gold God's eyes were filled with savage delight.

Wu Wang's eyes filled with resolve. Without hesitation, he flew towards the diagonally falling lightning.

But just as he moved, a loud shout came from behind him:

"Everyone, fall back!"

The moment Wu Wang had stepped forward, Fire Plume, who had been closing her eyes to recuperate, suddenly snapped them open.

Her figure leaped past Wu Wang, erupting with a momentum no less than her usual peak. Her long spear held high, its tip traced a semicircular shield of fiery red light.

This fire, this light, soared to cover the sky!

This was the product of combat experience and intuition. The moment the Gold God changed her tactics, Fire Plume had anticipated such a scenario.

Those eight hundred cultivators were a trump card the Gold God could use at any moment!

The Yan Emperor's command token on Fire Plume's forehead pulsed with brilliant fiery light. She clenched her teeth, her eyes shot with blood.

But she only let out a muffled grunt:

"Save them!"

Wu Wang's figure dove downwards, transforming into a Golden Dragon. He swept powerful gusts of wind towards the cultivators below, dragon roars erupting from the Golden Dragon's mouth.

The fiery umbrella shielded half the sky.

Bolts of golden lightning crashed down, causing the fiery umbrella to tremble violently.

Fire Plume gripped her long spear tightly, even hugging it to her chest, shouldering it. The intense impacts transmitted from the spear tip vibrated through her Dao Body.

Most of the cultivators snapped to their senses, but before they could say anything, they were already being swept away by the descending blasts of wind.

PFFT! PFFT!

Light, piercing sounds came from behind him. Wu Wang didn't have time to look back. His Immortal Consciousness swept out, and he saw that the "fiery umbrella" Fire Plume had deployed had been breached!

The Gold God's Divine Weapon formation had only been held off for a few moments.

Below, only about a hundred figures remained!

Wu Wang clenched his jaw. His diving figure reversed direction, soaring upwards. His Golden Dragon body suddenly expanded!

The Golden Dragon's eyes blazed with fierce fighting spirit. Stars twinkled in the sky, and streaks of white lightning suddenly crashed down!

In a flash, the Golden Dragon shot past Fire Plume, positioning its body beneath the fiery umbrella!

Wu Wang felt as if his neck and back were being bombarded by hundreds of Transcendent-level Heavenly Tribulation lightning bolts.

Coughing up blood was a distant luxury; at this moment, he could even feel death approaching.

He threw his head back and roared!

"All! Stars—"

A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him.

Wu Wang's Spiritual mind trembled. If he fainted now, his life and death would be out of his control.

All previous efforts would be wasted—completely wasted!

His eyes were bloodshot, appearing terrifyingly fierce as he forcibly resisted the power dragging him towards unconsciousness. He felt an arm grip his tightly. Suddenly, his vision went dark, and his Primordial Spirit felt as if it had suffered a heavy blow.

It was... it was Fire Plume...

As Wu Wang's figure drifted down from the sky, it was as if he could see the scene beyond his closed eyelids.

Fire Plume was forcefully pulling him backward. The Golden Dragon incarnation shattered, and another flaming circular shield unfurled in the air.

He was sheltered by Fire Plume's outstretched arms, held in her embrace.

Without any extraneous thoughts, without a trace of worldly feelings, Wu Wang only felt his mind go blank. He could only watch this scene unfold, rendered powerless by the curse.

Golden lightning raged.

Flames coalesced from firelight danced.

The woman embracing him had become like a fiery red brand, yet she radiated no warmth, feeling instead somewhat ice-cold.

She seemed to be gazing at Wu Wang; Wu Wang felt her unwavering gaze.

Fire Plume…

"My lord, you are hope."

A somewhat stiff, yet incredibly gentle smile touched Fire Plume's lips.

The Divine Spirits in the sky laughed.

The figures on the ground fled for their lives.

A Fire Phoenix lay upon the Golden Dragon's body, its wings spread wide, shielding against the Divine Weapons and sharp blades raining down from above.

More silver-white lightning plummeted madly from the high heavens…

Wu Wang's back slammed onto the ground.

The figure covering him used the last of her strength to push herself up. Fire Plume sat up, trying to move aside, but her body seemed devoid of energy. Her eyes slowly closed. The flame on her forehead gradually separated from her, and the mark of the Fire Phoenix had long since faded.

Suddenly, a mangled, bloody hand rose and grasped Fire Plume's wrist.

Wu Wang's eyes were tightly shut, but he still raised his hand. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his entire body trembled.

Curse, curse, curse! Everything was because of this damned curse!

Wu Wang existed in a pale, empty void, yet he could faintly discern a figure ahead—it was Fire Plume's figure…

*All forces, heed my command! Protect Hall Master Wu Wangzi of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion's Punishment Hall!*

*My lord, are you skilled at commanding troops?*

*Not very.*

*Mm.*

*Xia Official Zhu Rong, Fire Plume.*

"My lord, you... you are hope..."

CLANG—

Wu Wang's eyes snapped open. His left hand, which had been on the verge of weakly letting go, clamped down tightly on Fire Plume's wrist.

His eyes were filled with bewilderment, his pupils unfocused. He stared blankly at the silver-white lightning exploding in the sky, feeling his mother's rage.

But then, flames ignited.

Two globes of fire erupted from his eyes!

His body slowly floated upwards. A pale blue light converged on his forehead, coalescing into a single tear.

Hissing, roaring, Wu Wang's Primordial Spirit howled in fury, madly charging at the finally manifested blue light.

The tear on his forehead trembled.

The Gold God in the sky looked down at this spot. Despite being continually forced back by the silver-white lightning, her expression suddenly changed.

Was that... the God of Fortune?!

"AAARGH!"

Wu Wang suddenly roared. The tear on his forehead exploded, blasting a finger-thick bloody hole through the outer layer of his skull!

And Wu Wang, drenched in blood, stood up straight. Divine Light flashed in his eyes. He pulled Fire Plume into his arms, a torrent of pure Divine Power surging into her.

"Stay alive…"

"You must stay alive!"

A faint light flickered in Fire Plume's dimming eyes, but she could hold on no longer and slowly closed them.

Wu Wang snatched the flame from her forehead and grasped her long spear, which had fallen nearby.

Star God's Dao. I fully accept you from this moment. Dao of Fuel and Fire. Please lend me more of your strength!

"Gold God."

Wu Wang murmured, his head bowed. Layers of white flame appeared on his forehead. The entire world suddenly transformed into a brilliant starry sky. Strands of incomparably profound Dao rhyme entered Wu Wang's body, enveloping and nourishing him.

The sound of ancient chanting echoed between Heaven and Earth. Vast Divine Power swept across the void, engulfing Wu Wang.

From this day forth, Wu Wang belonged to the Star God's Dao, the first subordinate god under the Star God!

He abandoned his long-held principles, abandoned his own Star Dao, adding another fetter to the future path he would forge for himself.

Not for anything else.

Not for any other reason.

Wu Wang looked up at the Divine Spirit in the sky. The fiery red long spear in his hand shot out an incandescent light.

Bending his legs, he leaped.

Fire Plume's body was enveloped in warm immortal power. The ascending figure carried with it boundless starlight and a tsunami-like wave of fire!

"To battle!"