Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

Bloodshed and carnage at the Qingzhou Guard camp

The explosive sound of Wang Cheng's fist colliding with the faceless dagger had not yet dissipated when the air suddenly became as thick as solidified amber! A chilling, bone-piercing, and soul-piercing will, like an invisible, ancient ice, instantly enveloped the entire chaotic camp.

Injured and lying on the ground, Shi Poshan felt as if his soul was about to be torn apart. His body was stiff as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and even breathing was painfully frozen.

"Soul-Locking Old Ghost!" Wang Cheng roared, his domineering blood chaotic domain expanding dramatically, his crimson-gold blood and chaotic gray energy intertwining and churning, forcefully pushing aside the terrifying soul pressure.

He stared intently at a certain point in the void, like a wounded lion.

There, space silently twisted and collapsed, and a gaunt figure, draped in a wide black robe, slowly stepped out.

He held in his hand a strange object that was neither a banner nor a staff—the Nine Nether Soul-Suppressing Banner.
The banner was pitch black, as if it had swallowed all light. Countless twisted and tormented phantoms of souls howled silently within it. A mere glance at them was enough to cause even low-level cultivators to be annihilated.

Within the nine pale white skull eye sockets embedded at the top of the banner, eerie green flames flickered, each flash bringing a nauseating tremor to the soul.

The Soul-Locking Elder grinned silently, revealing his jet-black teeth: "Overlord Body... Chaos... Heh heh, the Sect Master was right after all. The gifts from the Ancient Ruins of the Burial Gods are indeed so generous. Boy, offer me your body and your secrets!" Before he finished speaking, the Nine Nether Soul-Suppressing Banner swayed slightly!
"Ugh——!"

It wasn't a sound, but a piercing scream that struck directly into the depths of the soul! A "Soul-Slaying Thorn," condensed to the extreme and compressed from pure vengeful spirits and the laws of the underworld, silently and without regard to spatial distance, pierced straight into Wang Cheng's brow and sea of ​​consciousness! Its speed was extreme, and its ruthlessness was extreme!

Wang Cheng's pupils constricted sharply, his domineering blood boiling to its peak. His right fist was instantly enveloped in a tangible crimson-gold chaotic light. Without dodging or avoiding, he unleashed a punch directly at the invisible Soul-Slaying Thorn! Domineering Blood Chaos - Soul Breaker! The fist intent was no longer pure power, but carried a chaotic will that could shatter illusions and suppress all evil!

"Boom!"

A violent explosion on the spiritual level! Wang Cheng groaned, fine beads of blood instantly seeping from his seven orifices. He was sent flying backward as if struck by a heavy hammer, crashing into half of the camp wall. The Tyrant Blood Chaos Domain trembled violently, flickering unpredictably. Although the Soul-Slaying Thorn was mostly shattered by the fist intent, its remaining insidious soul power still clung to him like a maggot, frantically eroding his sea of ​​consciousness and bringing excruciating pain as if tearing his soul apart.

Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Faceless transformed into a shadow that barely touched the ground. His dagger, carrying a sharp edge that seemed to pierce through the void, aimed straight for Wang Cheng's heart! Swift! Ruthless! Precise! This strike was a fatal blow!

"Don't even think about it!" Shi Poshan's eyes were bloodshot with rage. Ignoring his serious injuries, he forcefully activated the Returning Void Sword Intent bestowed upon him by Yu Changsheng! A hazy, annihilating sword aura struck first, slashing towards the faceless man's dagger-wielding arm! He didn't seek to harm the enemy, but only to delay him for a moment!
The faceless dagger's trajectory shifted dramatically, easily deflecting the weakened sword energy, its movement only momentarily paused. But that fleeting pause was enough! A fierce glint flashed in Wang Cheng's eyes; the intense pain in his mind only fueled the deeper ferocity within his Overlord Body. He ignored the incoming dagger, his left hand flashing out like a golden pincer, aimed straight for the faceless dagger's throat! A life for a life!

A hint of surprise finally flashed in the faceless man's eyes; he clearly hadn't expected Wang Cheng to be so fierce. He spun his dagger swiftly to parry Wang Cheng's iron claws.

"Clang!" Sparks flew! Wang Cheng's palm was slashed open by the dagger, leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash, but the impact also made Wumian's arm go numb. Wumian used the force to retreat quickly, his figure disappearing back into the shadows.

“A dying struggle.” The Soul-Locking Elder’s hoarse voice carried the cruelty of a cat playing with a mouse. The Nine Nether Soul-Suppressing Banner was raised again. This time, the ghostly fire in the eye sockets of the nine skulls on the banner surged and detached from the banner, transforming into nine “Soul-Devouring Yin Skulls” with pale green tail flames. With a shrill shriek, they pounced on Wang Cheng and Shi Poshan, who were struggling to get up, from all directions!

Each Yin Skull exuded a terrifying soul aura capable of severely injuring a peak-stage Nascent Soul cultivator! The remaining Qingzhou Guards in the camp, under the impact of this soul aura, clutched their heads and howled in agony, their souls unstable and on the verge of collapse.

Meanwhile, deep beneath the ruins of the Zhao family, the struggle between Yu Changsheng and the ancient, lingering cocoon had reached a fever pitch!

"Roar!" The roar of the Chaos Xuan Turtle echoed deep within the earth's veins, shaking the entire northern part of Qingzhou.

The enormous phantom of the Xuan Turtle solidified as if it were real, its four legs like giant pillars supporting the sky, and it stepped deep into the churning Xuanhuang earth vein dragon energy.

Countless chains of primordial yellow, formed from the earth's magnetic energy, extended from the tortoise shell, coiling like giant pythons toward the frantically throbbing, decaying core deep underground—the ancient, filthy pupa!
On the surface of the withered pupa, countless gray "withered" divine runes lit up, like the pulse of a living being. Where the chains were bound, a hissing sound rang out!

The rich life force of the earth veins on the Xuanhuang chains was being frantically absorbed, devoured, and withered by those gray divine patterns!
The once gleaming golden chains visibly darkened and weakened, as if eroded by millions of years. Countless eerie roots, exuding a thick aura of decay, like grayish-white serpents of death, split from the remnant pupa, spreading rapidly in all directions along the chains and the earth's veins!
Wherever they passed, the earth rapidly turned to sand, rocks crumbled into ash, vegetation withered instantly into dust, and even the thin spiritual energy in the air was drained and polluted, turning into patches of desolate gray-white areas, like ugly corpse spots growing on the earth!

"Hmph!" Yu Changsheng, who was sitting cross-legged on the core of the Xuan Turtle's phantom shell, had a solemn and iron-like expression. He formed hand seals, and chaotic divine patterns flowed around his body, like the stars in the sky.

The vast and boundless primordial energy, like a golden torrent, continuously poured into the illusory Xuan Turtle beneath him. Through the Xuan Turtle's four legs and chains, it engaged in the most primitive and dangerous law-based battle against the corrosive withering power!
Chaos encompasses all things, and it can also break them down!

Golden chaotic primordial energy clashed and annihilated withered, gray laws deep within the earth's veins. Each clash triggered a muffled, thunderous roar from the depths, causing the ground to tremble violently and crack open into bottomless, jagged ravines. Yu Changsheng clearly sensed that the "devouring" and "withering" laws of this ancient, decaying pupa were of an extremely high level, nearly reaching the very essence of the rules of heaven and earth, far from being an ordinary evil entity.
It was like a ravenous beast that had been asleep for countless eons and was extremely thirsty, greedily devouring all energy, especially life and chaos!

"Xue Qing!" Yu Changsheng sent a divine thought piercing through the earth, carrying an undeniable urgency, "Lian Lu! Quickly!"

Outside Qingmu Manor, the ancient road, once teeming with spiritual plants, was now filled with an ominous, deathly silence.

Chen Xueqing transformed into a streak of emerald light, pushing her speed to its limit. She tightly protected a jade bottle carved from a life gem in her arms. Inside the bottle was a drop of pure, flawless liquid that shimmered with a soft blue glow and seven-colored light. It was the original lotus dew of the Pure World Lotus!

The surging life force and purifying Daoist essence emanated even through the jade bottle, causing the withered plants and trees around it to show signs of revival.

However, just as she was about to rush out of the ancient road and approach the range of the imperial city's defensive array, the void in front of her suddenly twisted and folded!
Three figures, completely blending into the shadows and exuding an almost ethereal aura, appeared out of thin air like ghosts, surrounding her in a triangular formation! Not a trace of killing intent leaked out, yet it was more chilling than any overwhelming killing intent.

The leader, whose aura was as dark as an abyss, was none other than Shadow Nine, another assassin under Elder Lock Soul!
"Leave the lotus dew, or leave your life." Ying Jiu's voice was flat and emotionless, like the scraping of cold metal.

The other two shadow guards silently thrust out their jet-black daggers! There was no dazzling light, only pure, extreme speed and penetrating power, aimed directly at Chen Xueqing's hands and vital points protecting the jade bottle!

The air was torn apart, yet strangely, no sound was made!

Chen Xueqing's pupils contracted, and a warning screamed in her heart.

She was prepared!
In the instant the other person's figure twisted, a vibrant green vine bracelet on her left wrist suddenly lit up!

"Om-!"

A verdant light barrier instantly expanded, and countless tiny blue lotus phantoms spun and bloomed on it, radiating a pure life force and powerful purifying power!
The shadow guard's dagger pierced the light shield, producing a piercing cutting sound. The emerald light rippled violently, and the illusory image of the blue lotus kept shattering and regenerating, barely managing to block this fatal blow!
However, this protective barrier was also severely depleting Chen Xueqing's magical power. She knew she couldn't afford to linger, so she joined her right fingers like a sword, and a purified divine light, condensed to its extreme, shone from her fingertip—it was the secret technique she had comprehended by combining the laws of life with the profound mysteries of the Void passed down by Yu Changsheng: "Azure Lotus Return to the Void Finger"!
The divine light appeared silently, not aimed at the shadow guard, but at the seemingly empty void between the three!

"Boom!"

A soft sound, like popping an invisible bubble.

That space suddenly collapsed inward, forming a miniature purification vortex! A terrifying suction force suddenly erupted, not devouring matter, but specifically targeting energy, filth, and especially the power of the Yin and Yang attributes!

The shadow magic energy swirling around the three shadow guards instantly boiled and dissolved violently, like water droplets thrown into boiling oil! Their stealth was forcibly broken, their figures staggered, and for the first time, a look of horror appeared on their faces.

Taking advantage of this moment, Chen Xueqing did not hesitate to crush a "Void Teleportation Talisman" given to her by Yu Changsheng!
"Want to leave?!"

Ying Jiu shouted sharply, forcibly stabilizing his body, and threw out a black bone nail engraved with countless twisted runes—the "Void-Piercing Soul-Binding Nail"! The bone nail transformed into a streak of dark light, ignoring spatial distance, and shot straight at Chen Xueqing's back!

This nail is specifically designed to break through teleportation in the void, and it also contains a malevolent power to imprison souls!

The shifting silver light had already illuminated Chen Xueqing's body, and she was about to teleport away. However, the dark bone nail struck first, embedding itself firmly into the edge of the still-forming silver light shield!
"Crack!" The silver light shattered! The teleportation was forcibly interrupted! Chen Xueqing felt as if she had been struck by a heavy blow; her face turned pale, she groaned, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. Furthermore, a chilling, binding force, following the interrupted spatial fluctuations, attempted to invade her consciousness!
"Die!" Shadow Nine and the other two Shadow Guards pounced again, their daggers flashing with deathly light! Life and death were decided in an instant!

In the center of the imperial city, where the earth's veins converge, Mo Heng sat cross-legged at the core of an ancient array plate that was constantly generating profound runes, veins bulging on his forehead and sweat pouring down his face.

He was fully focused on controlling the newly formed "Chaos Returning to the Void City Protection Array".

The light on the array plate flowed, and the rune area representing the northern ley lines was now fluctuating violently, flickering and displaying a glaring gray color! That was the withering power of the ancient, corrupted pupa frantically eroding and polluting the foundation of the ley lines!
"Stabilize the earth's veins... Stabilize them!"

Mo Heng roared angrily, his hands flashing with magical hand seals as he poured his spiritual power and the power of the array into that desolate area without regard to cost.

Golden networks formed from chaotic magnetic energy struggled to unfold deep within the earth's veins, attempting to halt the spread of the withered roots and repair the polluted vein nodes. Each impact of the withering energy sent shivers down his spine, as if countless needles were piercing his soul.

"Master Yu... Lord Xuan Turtle... Hold on!"

Mo Heng gritted his teeth, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He could clearly feel the immense pressure emanating from the ground and the solemnity transmitted by Yu Changsheng through the great formation.

At the same time, the intense energy fluctuations and soul-destroying aura emanating from the Qingzhou Guard camp acted like alarm bells, pounding in his mind. The Soul-Locking Old Ghost had made his move!
Wang Cheng and his brothers, along with Shi Poshan... are in grave danger!
Both fronts are in dire straits! The entire Qingzhou is like sitting atop a volcano about to erupt!
The Qingzhou Guard camp had become a battlefield of carnage. Nine Soul-Devouring Skulls tore through the air, their chilling howls freezing souls, completely engulfing Wang Cheng and Shi Poshan!

A howling wind raged, and ghostly shadows loomed. The dense, almost solidified, dark green, viscous soul energy relentlessly eroded Wang Cheng's crumbling Blood Chaos Domain. Shi Poshan was no longer able to fight. He could only barely protect his mind with the protective talisman given to him by Yu Changsheng. He struggled to hold on under the onslaught of the soul energy, bleeding from his seven orifices and his consciousness fading.

The Soul-Locking Elder hovered in mid-air, the Nine Nether Soul-Suppressing Banner fluttering in the wind, his withered face bearing an indifferent air of absolute control. The Faceless One, on the other hand, was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment when Wang Cheng's defenses would completely collapse and reveal a fatal flaw.

Under immense pressure, the Chaos Origin Imprint bestowed upon Wang Cheng by Yu Changsheng in his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly became brighter than ever before!
A vast, ancient, all-encompassing chaotic primordial force, like a dormant volcano awakened, surged and poured into his almost depleted meridians and sea of ​​consciousness! This power was not a gentle replenishment, but rather carried a violent, resolute will to destroy and rebuild!

"Ugh—!" Wang Cheng let out a roar that was not human, and his eyes were instantly filled with chaotic gray-gold light! The wounds on his body that had burst open no longer flowed blood, but instead spewed out flames that were as hot as magma, a mixture of crimson blood and chaotic gray energy!

Under the combined impact of this near-death experience and the chaotic source power, some kind of constraint within him shattered!

The Tyrant Blood Chaos Domain contracted violently, not disintegrating, but collapsing and condensing inward!
A more refined, more domineering, and nascent domain—the Overlord Blood Chaos Burning Heaven Domain—suddenly took shape! Within the domain, crimson-gold blood flames burned fiercely, within which countless tiny chaotic runes leaped, space distorted, and the temperature soared!
The nine Soul-Devouring Yin Skeletons crashed into the newly formed Burning Heaven Domain, emitting a piercing "hissing" sound. The soul energy on their surface was frantically burned and purified by the chaotic flames, and the process was noticeably slowed down!

"what?!"

Elder Soul Lock's indifferent expression finally changed. (End of Chapter)