Chapter 439 Impossible! How can you control the river of chaos? - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

The aura of the Astral Sea. The aura of Astral City—exactly the same as those people. Su Miao glanced beyond the domain and immediately determined the origin of the three outsiders who were at level nine. Level nine... Previously, encountering them might have been extremely tricky, perhaps even injurious, but now, she could kill them. Indeed, given the countless years the Astral Sea has existed, the presence of level nine powerhouses within was entirely normal. It might even resemble Astral City, with numerous level sevens, fewer level eights, and exceptionally rare level nines. Relatively speaking, within the better-resourced Astral Sea, it was very possible that level eights roamed freely and level nines were ubiquitous. Their divine essences were of considerable research value. ... "A tributary of the River of Chaos appearing here? How could that be possible?" Emperor Xuan Tian Gu approached the chaotic vortex, staring at the terrifying sight that stayed his approach. With the Astral Sea's existence, this place should never have played host to the River of Chaos. If the River of Chaos surged towards the Astral Sea, the consequences would be unimaginable. But to stop the River of Chaos? What a joke. Even as a level nine, without absolute preparation, he dared not approach, let alone halt it. "Hey old man, you're here too? I thought you had long since perished." Emperor Shi Shui Gu emerged from the chaos, standing safely at a distance as he spoke. Emperor Tian Wu Gu glanced at both Emperor Xuan Tian Gu and Emperor Shi Shui Gu without uttering a word. After all, on their journey here, Emperor Shi Shui Gu had introduced him; no matter the ridicule on people's tongues, Emperor Xuan Tian Gu had once been a force to be reckoned with in the Astral Sea. Emperor Xuan Tian Gu said, "So it’s you. I haven't seen you for years, and you've matured a lot. I didn't expect to run into you here." Emperor Shi Shui Gu gave a cold smile. This old man’s words were clearly mocking him for being dispatched here. However, he had no retort for it. Damn it. Emperor Tian Wu Gu looked at the two, then the chaotic vortex, and deliberately took a step back, opting not to intervene. Suddenly, the chaotic vortex exploded, with the River of Chaos sweeping across the expanse. If there were any nearby universes affected by the magnitude of this explosion, they would undoubtedly rupture and collapse. The defense of the distant Astral Sea instinctively engaged, a terrifying wave of law surging forth. Emperor Xuan Tian Gu, Emperor Shi Shui Gu, and Emperor Tian Wu Gu’s expressions shifted as they all withdrew. Emperor Shi Shui Gu cast a glance at Emperor Tian Wu Gu, coldly huffing in his heart—he underestimated this one. Typically, two level nines traveling together would stand side by side to indicate equal status. Yet Emperor Tian Wu Gu had voluntarily stepped back half a pace. This seemed like giving him face, but in reality, it was using him as a shield. Emperor Tian Wu Gu must have seen something in that chaotic vortex that prompted such a cautious move, while he himself had seen nothing. At that moment, chaos erupted. Emperor Xuan Tian Gu, Emperor Shi Shui Gu, and Emperor Tian Wu Gu retreated again, resisting the aftershocks of the chaotic explosion. "What on earth is happening?" The three of them wore grave expressions as they gazed at the source of the explosion. There, they sensed a distinct aura; someone emerged unscathed from the exploding chaotic vortex. Long pink hair and a robe crafted from nano materials engraved with intricate laws. A witch! Emperor Xuan Tian Gu's expression changed. Emperor Shi Shui Gu and Emperor Tian Wu Gu each summoned their life-bound artifacts, poised to strike at any moment. Though the witch appeared ordinary, emerging intact from such a chaotic vortex explosion was anything but ordinary. Could the previous anomalies have been entirely her doing? If so, how terrifying. "Witch, it really is you!" Emperor Xuan Tian Gu declared, "You caused a cataclysm in the chaos, intending to destroy the Astral Sea?" First, cast a large accusation, directing the battle towards Emperor Shi Shui Gu and Emperor Tian Wu Gu, and then observe. Su Miao replied, "Are you the old codger who placed a bounty on me in the Astral Palace? You're right." Emperor Xuan Tian Gu was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected Su Miao to straightforwardly admit it. Destroy the Astral Sea? How dared this witch. He laughed, "Witch, you are too arrogant. With your newly ascended level nine strength, do you think to destroy the Astral Sea? Many have attempted before and all have perished. You're not the first and won't be the last." Emperor Shi Shui Gu had no time for Emperor Xuan Tian Gu's schemes. Because if the witch before them truly intended to destroy the Astral Sea, regardless of Emperor Xuan Tian Gu's meddling, he and Emperor Tian Wu Gu must intervene. Yet, Su Miao acted before they could. Stellar Domain. With a wave of her Starshine Staff, a flash of light followed. Emperor Xuan Tian Gu, Emperor Shi Shui Gu, and Emperor Tian Wu Gu found themselves suddenly within the Stellar Domain. Here, stars shone brilliantly, and the vast cosmos seemed boundless. Seeing this, the three level nines felt nothing unusual, but their expressions changed at the sight of chaos beyond the infinite cosmos. Was this domain the witch's, touching upon chaos, or had chaos been integrated into the domain? Either was supremely terrifying. Su Miao elegantly observed the three level nines; their arrival was timely, perfect for testing the new domain's strength, as well as their divine essences contributing to the Astral Sea's destruction. "Together!" Feeling an intense peril emanating from Su Miao, Emperor Shi Shui Gu declared, "Eternal Waters!" He spread his arms wide, special laws expanding to make the stars tremble, an overwhelming sound of flowing water echoing. Su Miao glanced into the void; a chromatic river spanned the cosmos. This river was a simplified version of the River of Time, incorporating some characteristics of the River of Chaos and filled with profoundly complex laws. The instant it appeared, it obliterated star systems along its path, heading straight for Su Miao. Eternal Waters? Su Miao, intrigued, watched the river, the first time she had seen a level nine simulate the River of Time and River of Chaos. Emperor Shi Shui Gu's manipulation, simulation methods, and law application were immensely valuable. With just a glance, Su Miao grasped numerous mysteries and marveled at Emperor Shi Shui Gu's intelligence and acumen. "So powerful!" Emperor Xuan Tian Gu marveled at the force from Emperor Shi Shui Gu's grasp, about to fall upon the witch Su Miao—a testament to his strength. Indeed, a new generation supplants the old. He had to acknowledge that the youth he once regarded would bow to him now matched his peak. However, as an experienced level nine, he wasn't to be underestimated. The earlier anomalies of the chaotic vortex included the presence of the River of Chaos. The witch, Su Miao, might escape Emperor Shi Shui Gu's control; he had to fill this gap and suppress the witch. "Xuan Tian Seal!" He grasped toward the cosmos, tens of thousands of galaxies shrinking visibly, forming a massive seal under the laws' guidance, pressing towards Su Miao. Emperor Tian Wu Gu clenched his swords, making no extra movements, executing a single slash to cut through ages. He aimed not only to eliminate the witch but also to break this cosmic domain. Instantly, the cosmos seemed cleaved apart by the slash. Facing a tripartite lethal attack, Su Miao gracefully swung her Starshine Staff, layers of magical barriers emerged in the cosmos. These barriers had completely upgraded into space law barriers—solid, mighty, explosive. "So adept at space laws, yet it's useless." Emperor Xuan Tian Gu snorted, imposing the Xuan Tian Seal. In an instant, the space law barriers Su Miao erected shattered, the triple lethal assault closing in. Unfazed, as their attack neared, Su Miao stepped atop the Eternal Waters. Emperor Shi Shui Gu was delighted, "Witch, you've chosen your end." He had never seen anyone willingly step into the Eternal Waters. His waters might appear buoyant, but any who entered became corpses within. Yet, an astonishing sight—Su Miao was atop the waters, unconstrained. Moreover, the waters began transforming into chaos, seemingly into the River of Chaos, escaping Emperor Shi Shui Gu's control. How was this possible? Abruptly deprived of command over the waters, Emperor Shi Shui Gu vomited blood. The waters were his foundation for reaching level nine; now unseated and influenced by the "River of Chaos," he suffered unprecedented backlash, his divine essence fractured. Hmm? Realizing the anomaly, Emperor Xuan Tian Gu intensified the Xuan Tian Seal's force. But before it could descend, the "River of Chaos" surged upward like a devastating flood, its tide dismantling the seal at once. "Impossible! How can you control the River of Chaos?" "Pfft!" Emperor Xuan Tian Gu spat a mouthful of blood. His control over the Xuan Tian Seal was disrupted by the impact of the River of Chaos, directly affecting the essence of his soul and reviving an ancient injury he had nursed for a million years. The compounded injuries left him completely crippled. As for the sword energy from Emperor Tian Wu Gu, Su Miao manipulated the River of Chaos to meet it head-on, curious to see if his ancient-sundering strike could sever the River of Chaos. Boom! The sword strike cut fifteen meters into the River of Chaos before dissipating, unable to advance further. The supposed ancient-sundering strike was a façade. Moreover, the stability of the new domain proved resilient. While the trio of level nines had unleashed their strongest attacks, aside from some damage to the stellar landscape within the domain, she detected no signs of imminent collapse. In fact, their assaults hadn't even disturbed the chaos she had intentionally left at the edge of the cosmos. In a sense, despite being level nine themselves, Xuan Tian Gu Di, Shi Shui Gu Di, and Tian Wu Gu Di were far inferior to the magical girl Xin Miao Miao. To think she had braced herself for a strenuous battle. Switching her Starshine Staff for the God-Slaying Silver Sword, Su Miao took a step forward, appearing before Emperor Tian Wu Gu, and unleashed a magnificent, law-infused strike. Emperor Tian Wu Gu remained in shock, unable to fathom how anyone could wield control over the River of Chaos, much less use it in such a manner. Peering into the void for the source of this chaotic river yielded nothing. Just how powerful was this pink-haired witch? In that brief moment of shock, Su Miao's sword stroke descended. [How dare the witch wield a sword in my presence?!] [No, that's not right, how many laws are contained within this strike? This is impossible!] Burning his vital essence and soul, Emperor Tian Wu Gu grasped his sword tightly, risking everything with another swing. Though hurried, he knew this strike surpassed the last; however, the witch's attack was too swift for him to gather more strength. He no longer cared about the grave injuries this strike might inflict on him. His only thought was to withstand the witch's attack. "Your sword is too slow," Su Miao remarked coolly. The God-Slaying Silver Sword clashed with Emperor Tian Wu Gu's strike, exploding into an obliteration of countless galaxies, the impact transforming the battlefield into chaos. For the first time, Su Miao's new domain felt a minor ripple under the assault, but nothing more. "Kill!" Emperor Tian Wu Gu struggled desperately, sustaining his sword with his very life force. Yet all was in vain. Despair enveloped him as the myriad laws paused but an instant before severing all resistance. The sword he’d staked his life on shattered, followed by his body and soul being torn asunder. At the explosion’s heart, his divine essence, harboring a remnant soul, attempted to flee amidst the turmoil. Yet a massive hand descended from the void, seizing his divine essence. "Don't kill…" His remnant soul pleaded for mercy. The hand in the void, however, emitted radiant starlight, eradicating his remnant soul completely. A level nine divine essence acquired. Sensing the vast law energy contained within, Su Miao contentedly stored the divine essence in her magic space. Shi Shui Gu Di and Xuan Tian Gu Di watched in shock as Su Miao, the witch, stood before them. In the Astral Sea, though wars had erupted numerous times, never had a level nine perished so rapidly. This event greatly exceeded their understanding. No, unless... A wildly improbable thought crossed Shi Shui Gu Di and Xuan Tian Gu Di's minds. They had studied such formidable beings before; otherwise, the Astral Sea wouldn’t have instituted rules like "[Magical girls are not allowed in the Astral Sea]." They thought magical girls were already beyond reason, but this pink-haired witch defied those limits further. Without intervention from a supreme figure within the Astral Sea, their survival seemed impossible. "Your Highness, I offer my soul, please spare this old life," Despite his severe injuries, Xuan Tian Gu Di knelt, beseeching, "I've faced marginalization, oppression, and betrayal within the Astral Sea, leading to my exile as a gatekeeper for millions of years—a grudge as deep as blood, chaos cannot wash it away." "I am willing to serve as your vanguard against the Astral Sea. I would brave any peril at your command." Coughing blood with sincerity and tearful earnestness, he laid bare his grievances. Su Miao replied, "Very well, do not resist." A glimmer of hope flickered in Xuan Tian Gu Di's eyes. "Thank you, Your Highness!" Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest; the God-Slaying Silver Sword had pierced him, extracting his divine essence. "Your Highness, you..." Eyes wide, Xuan Tian Gu Di realized the sword's laws were wreaking havoc within him, rendering him immobile. "Wh...why?" "Did I say I wouldn't kill you?" Su Miao erased the remnant soul from the divine essence. Acknowledging his lack of resistance, she added, "Rest assured, your divine essence will contribute greatly to the destruction of the Astral Sea." Boom! Xuan Tian Gu Di's body exploded into a cascade of starlight, leaving no trace of his remnant soul on the battlefield. Terrified, Shi Shui Gu Di looked to Su Miao, the witch—he had nearly decided to kneel and plead as well... (End of Chapter)