C973 A Chaotic Battle

Dawn was breaking as the last traces of the wandering figures faded, and a faint light began to twinkle where they had vanished.

Within the shimmer, one could barely make out the space teleportation array, now diminished to a fraction of its original size.

The light swelled abruptly, and with it, time and space churned tumultuously. From this maelstrom emerged a bald elder.

The elder was short in stature, his body broad and muscular, exuding extraordinary strength.

His arms, reminiscent of the Old Ape's, hung down to his knees as he stood suspended in the void, grinning at the colossal figure in the sky that had transformed into a golden-armored giant elephant.

The overwhelming aura of his fist intent radiated out from him, filling the entire space.

His burly, imposing form underwent a sudden transformation, revealing his Dharma Idol.

Numerous massive fist imprints, dazzling in their brilliance, orbited his Dharma Idol, each one seemingly imbued with the mysteries of time and space.

"Zhongli Da磐!"

Yu Yuan's face lit up with excitement at the sight of the Ancient Desolate Sect's new sect master emerging from the minuscule array.

Zhongli Da磐's arrival was an auspicious omen!

His presence signified that the array Zhou You had taken into the alternate dimension was still operational, ready to transport reinforcements to the forbidden area at a moment's notice.

"In the Boundless Land, there are many allies of the Divine Soul Sect, including the Desolate God!"

Yu Yuan's mind involuntarily conjured images of the Desolate God's mighty demons from the Desolate Swamp, stepping through the teleportation array into the forbidden land.

The legions of great demons loyal to the Desolate God were numerous. Should they heed the Desolate God's call, their odds of victory would surge!

All signs pointed to a longstanding, deep-seated friendship between the Desolate God and the Divine Soul Sect. With the return of the sect's formidable experts, would the Desolate God extend a helping hand?

This was the question that preoccupied Yu Yuan's thoughts.

Then, following Zhongli's hearty laughter, he manifested his towering Dharma Idol and positioned himself above the head of the Golden Elephant Ancient God.

The fist imprints, radiant and resplendent like a meteor shower, bore down with a fearsome force that threatened to fracture space and slow time, raining down upon the Golden Elephant Ancient God.

In response, the deity once again assumed his mighty elephant form to withstand the assault, his entire being awash in a flowing golden radiance.

As each punch landed, even the once-mighty Demon God couldn't bear it. The forces of time and space within the imprints hammered him down with such ferocity that he plummeted.

The bald elder burst into laughter once more, straddling the elephant's back and delivering a direct punch to its head. Each blow he landed erupted with a thunderous boom akin to a realm shattering.

"Zhongli Big Bo!"

Mo Baichuan, Fenng Pu, Van Heqing, and the other Unrestrained Stage cultivators glared at him furiously. Zhongli Big Bo, whose punch intent could warp space-time itself, dominated with his Qi and blood. As he landed a heavy blow on the Golden Elephant Ancient God, he retorted without missing a beat, "What's this? I've languished in Sword Prison for years, all thanks to the machinations of the three upper sects? Nie Qingtian, aren't you always their sharpest blade?"

"Who are you to eternally dictate what's just and what's evil?"

"I was meant to be the current patriarch of the Ancient Desolate Sect! But no, because I'm too wild and defiant, unwilling to bend the knee, you chose him instead. You propped up Han Yue because I'm too rough around the edges, and he's got no spine. You backed Elder Lingxu to divide us, causing our sect to fall to the lowest ranks!"

With each word, Zhongli's rage intensified.

Roar!

The Golden Elephant Ancient God, mounted by his Dharma Idol, bellowed as he conjured the golden mountains from the heavens. The moment they touched his colossal form, golden blades capable of slicing through the realm's void burst forth from his neck.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Zhongli's Dharma Idol was suddenly riddled with over a dozen holes, oozing golden lava.

"Haha, Golden Elephant, don't be so mad. You know how I am. I may oppose the Demon Palace, but I've got no quarrel with you." Zhongli's towering Dharma Idol rose into the air, and with a mere circulation of the Desolate True Spell, the gashes sealed as if they never existed.

"Yu Yuan, let me have a little fun with this old Golden Elephant," Zhongli announced, then shot a challenging look at Ghost King Tianzang, "If you'd fully commit, you could restrain him too."

Tianzang turned a deaf ear and kept up his assault on Lingxu and the Illusionist, wielding the Aura Altar and the Muddy Devil Embryo.

"Tianzang, if you assist me in eliminating Ling Xu the Elder, I'll reward you with an extraordinary surprise," Zhongli declared.

Yet, the Ghost King Tianzang remained unmoved.

"Tianzang..."

Yu Yuan let out a soft hum.

He grasped Zhongli's hint: Tianzang, the Ghost King who evolved from an Outland Devaputra, appeared to be holding back, never revealing his full capabilities.

Tianzang had assured Yu Yuan that if he could handle the Golden Elephant Ancient God, there would be no retreat to Horror Land mid-battle.

But it was evident that Tianzang was the most formidable adversary for the Golden Elephant Ancient God...

"Young Master!"

At the rim of a vast pit, Qin Yun's Azure Yang Arrows detonated in a series of explosions.

A man and a woman, both Soul Wandering Stage practitioners from the Fiend Sect, were pressing the attack on the loyal servant who had served Yu Yuan for many years. With a fan and a black brush, they inflicted numerous wounds on Qin Yun.

Both assailants were in the middle phase of the Soul Wandering Stage, wielding their weapons with a prowess that clearly surpassed Qin Yun's.

Another Yang God cultivator, adorned in the regalia of the Ghoul Glyph Sect, perched a green Pixiu on his shoulder, casting talismans and curses upon Qi Yunhong with a taunting smile.

Qi Yunhong's eyes, wild with frenzy, began to betray a deranged and sickly state, akin to a bloodthirsty beast.

The green Pixiu's eyes sparkled with two luminous points, within which were the soul shadows of Qi Yunhong.

This alien creature, leveraging the Ghoul Glyph Sect's arcane incantations, seemed to be exploiting Qi Yunhong's disorientation to extract two strands of his soul, grinding them down with its demonic essence, tormenting his spirit.

Elsewhere.

Shi Yuxuan, the incumbent leader of the Medicine Sect, was engulfed in tendrils of dark green mist, his breath growing labored and the gleam in his eyes slowly fading.

Lulu, bearing the Dark Elfkind lineage, was tirelessly invoking the Bloodline Secret Technique between Shi Yuxuan, Qi Yunhong, and Qin Yun.

A verdant life force from her bloodline streamed into each of them, aiding in the mending of their wounds and mitigating the toxins afflicting their systems.

"The Fiend Sect, Voodoo Cult, Ghoul Glyph Sect..."

Yu Yuan gave them a cursory glance and let out a cold snort. He commanded the black crone, Rend Armor, Silver Lock, and Yellow Light Demon to spring into action and gave the Blood Moon its orders: "You have my permission to consume the blood and refine it!"

Whoosh!

The large black cauldron that had been hovering above his head departed, making its way toward the area where Shi Yuxuan and the others were gathered.

In an instant, a horde of menacing demons poured forth from the cauldron's maw.

"Disciples of the Thunder Sect! Engage those demons!"

An elder, his body radiating a chilling, icy aura, bellowed the command. In a flash, he positioned himself before Yu Yuan and the Ice Concubine.

"I am Ruan Fu, the Great Elder of the Cold Yin Sect. Your survival is quite the surprise."

His expression was dark. While he spoke to Yu Yuan, his covetous eyes occasionally flickered toward the Ice Concubine, as if he longed to devour her in one gulp, savoring each bite before swallowing.

"Cold Yin Sect's Great Elder Ruan Fu! Your reputation precedes you!"

Yu Yuan couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Indeed, your name resonates like thunder! Years ago, you were the nightmare that sent shivers down my spine at the mere mention."

This Great Elder of the Cold Yin Sect had once coveted his betrothed, Lim Zhuyun, intending to take her into the sect.

It was also he who, upon learning of Lim Zhuyun's engagement to someone like Yu Yuan, feared that Tang Cann would take issue with it in the future. Thus, he instructed Lim Hanyu and Yinn Jue to ensure Yu Yuan met an untimely, 'natural' death.

With his death, the engagement would be void.

And after Yinn Jue's demise, this same man ordered other Cold Yin Sect powerhouses to pursue Yu Yuan's death and eradicate the Yu family entirely, to eliminate any future threat.

Upon hearing his name, a flood of new and old resentments surged within Yu Yuan, his urge for vengeance stronger than ever before!

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