From the fake emperor to the concubine

"Mountain-Shaking Cauldron!" Lie Huo then summoned another magical artifact. He bit his finger and smeared his blood on the cauldron's handle. The bronze cauldron immediately emitted a deep hum, and ancient mountain patterns appeared on its body.

The ancient and intricate patterns on the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron shimmered with golden light, flying out from the cauldron to form a semi-circular shield that completely enveloped him and Qiu Miaoyin.

As the golden light swirled, the illusory images of mountains and rivers could be vaguely seen floating within, exuding a profound aura.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Yi immediately hid inside the shield without saying a word.

His movements were astonishingly fast; he practically grazed the aftershock of the red-light explosion as he slipped in, his clothes scorched with several blackened holes.

Meng Feiyang and Jian Shisan, who were dodging the attack, exchanged a glance upon seeing that the defensive magic artifact could cover such a large area. Both of them saw surprise and delight in each other's eyes.

Naturally, they stopped trying to defend themselves and took the opportunity to slip into the protective range of the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron.

Meng Feiyang staggered as soon as he entered the protective barrier, and another drop of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Jian Shisan supported his shoulder and whispered, "Hold on."

The next moment, the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron was engulfed by a series of explosions, blocking out the sunlight and turning it so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

A burst of red light flashed outside the shield, and each explosion caused the golden shield to tremble violently, emitting a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

The dense explosions combined, deafening and incredibly irritating. Qiu Miaoyin frowned, her slender fingers digging into her palms.

She was a student of music and was extremely sensitive to sound. At this moment, the continuous explosions felt like thousands of steel needles piercing her eardrums.

After struggling to hold out for half an incense stick's time, Liehuo hurriedly roared, "You bunch of bastards, don't just stand there watching, come and help me! I can't hold on much longer!"

His face had turned bright red, and veins were bulging on his forehead, clearly indicating that he had reached his limit. The golden light on the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron began to flicker, as if it might go out at any moment.

Jian Shisan made the first move, placing his palm on Liehuo's back. The pure sword energy was transformed into spiritual power and injected, which immediately stabilized the protective shield.

But soon, his expression turned to pain. His already pale face became even more ashen, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

After all, neither of them was in top form after a series of bloody battles.

Jian Shisan could feel that the spiritual energy in his dantian was almost depleted, and each time he channeled it, it felt like he was squeezing out his life essence.

Without hesitation, Qiu Miaoyin gently placed her slender hand against Liehuo's back to help him share the burden. Her spiritual power was as pure as a clear spring, and it surprisingly blended harmoniously with Liehuo's raging fire-attribute spiritual power, forming a wondrous balance within the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron.

At times like these, what's most needed is to work together in solidarity. If someone tries anything underhanded, you'll probably die along with them. There's no need to worry about anyone making any underhanded moves.

After hiding inside the Shaking Mountain Cauldron, Meng Feiyang, who had been healing himself, couldn't care less about continuing his healing and came over to help.

Although he was the most seriously injured, the sword cultivator's spiritual power was the purest, and as soon as he channeled it in, the golden light of the protective shield became even brighter.

Zheng Yi did not act immediately, but stood aside to guard against any eventuality. His eyes were always on the situation outside the protective barrier, and his longsword was ready to deal with any red light that might break through the defense.

Soon, pain appeared on everyone's faces. Although the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron was powerful, resisting an attack of the Eye Demon's level required an endless drain on spiritual energy.

The protective shield began to show tiny cracks, which were then repaired by the spiritual energy that everyone desperately channeled into it.

The attack from the Eye Demon was more powerful than they had anticipated.

Even with four people working together to replenish the spiritual energy of the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron, they were still struggling to resist. The ground outside the protective barrier had been blasted into countless holes, and the original forests had long since turned into scorched earth.

Under these circumstances, Zheng Yi naturally could not continue to stand idly by.

He took a deep breath, placed his hand on Jian Shisan's back, and began to replenish the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron with spiritual energy along with them. Surprisingly, as soon as his spiritual energy was injected, the protective barrier became noticeably more stable.

Although Zheng Yi's cultivation level was not the strongest among them, everyone was surprised to find that Zheng Yi's spiritual energy seemed to be inexhaustible.

The spiritual energy carried a peculiar aura, neither violent nor feminine, yet it unexpectedly blended perfectly with everyone's spiritual energy.

Even though the spiritual energy was being rapidly consumed by the Eye Demon, the spiritual energy transmitted from Zheng Yi never decreased.

Jian Shisan even felt that his depleted meridians were slowly recovering under the nourishment of this spiritual energy.

The group took the opportunity to slightly reduce the supply of spiritual energy to ensure its circulation and prevent it from being quickly depleted.

This subtle adjustment greatly reduced the pressure on everyone, and the golden light of the protective shield became solid again.

Even if their condition was not at its peak due to repeated hard battles and serious injuries.

However, I was still extremely shocked by the abundance of Zheng Yi's spiritual energy.

Jian Shisan's eyes gleamed, as if he was plotting something.

Liehuo then asked directly, "You kid, your spiritual power... is strange."

Zheng Yi smiled faintly and remained silent.

Liehuo, having received no reply from Zheng Yi, simply stopped asking.

As the head of a sect, it's perfectly normal for him to have hidden trump cards.

A full incense stick's time passed before the Eye Demon's relentless attacks finally ceased.

The roaring sound in everyone's ears gradually faded away, replaced by an eerie silence, as if even the sound of the wind had disappeared.

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the obscured light was finally restored.

Golden sunlight pierced through the dust, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Everyone instinctively squinted; their pupils, momentarily unaccustomed to the prolonged darkness, were momentarily disoriented.

When everyone saw what was happening before them, they all stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Meng Feiyang even forgot to breathe; his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, but he couldn't utter a sound.

The scene before me was like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Under the attack of the Eye Demon, the terrain around the Joyful Union Sect was completely altered. The originally undulating mountains were forcibly flattened, and the ground was filled with bottomless pits, with remnants of molten rock at the edges, emitting a dark red glow.

The air was thick with the smell of burning, mixed with a pungent, sulfurous odor. Many small hills, even one protected by the Hehuan Sect's protective array, had vanished under the attack.

The light barrier of the mountain-protecting formation had become as thin as gauze, covered with spiderweb-like cracks, seemingly on the verge of complete collapse. Although the buildings within the formation were still relatively intact, most of them had also collapsed.

If it weren't for Qingming Silong and Biyao taking care of them, who knows how many more people would have been buried alive.

The original vegetation, rocks, and even the edge of the forest were all reduced to dust under the attack of the Eye Demon.

Fine dust particles hovered in the air, shimmering faintly in the sunlight, like a snow that would never fall. In the distance, the once lush forest was now reduced to a few charred tree trunks, standing forlornly at the edge of the horizon.

The area around them had almost turned into a barren Gobi desert.

Every grain of sand on the ground gleamed with an eerie glassy luster, a trace of being instantly melted and solidified by extreme heat.

The only thing visible in sight was the already crumbling protective array of the Hehuan Sect.

Only one small house remained, reflecting a dazzling golden light under the sunlight. The house was small, but it exuded a reassuring spiritual energy, remaining completely unharmed despite such a devastating attack.

The small golden house rapidly shrank and returned to Feng Tianji's hand. His face was extremely pale, and his hand holding the magic weapon trembled slightly. The small house transformed into an exquisite golden seal in his palm, its spiritual light already dimmed by more than half.

Feng Tianji's current condition is far from good; his face is as pale as paper, and he looks like he could fall at any moment.

He forced a pill into his mouth to steady himself, but the exhaustion in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Master Zhenjing, on the other hand, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. His monk's robe was covered in dust, and the prayer beads in his hand had broken and were scattered all over the ground.

Although his face was pale, the old monk's expression was unusually calm, with only the slight rise and fall of his chest proving that he was still alive.

Liehuo quickly retrieved the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron. When the bronze cauldron was retracted into his palm, its surface was covered with fine cracks, clearly indicating severe damage.

He stroked the cauldron tenderly, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes. This magical artifact, which had been with him for many years, would probably take a very long time to repair.

He had already made up his mind that if the Eye Demon launched such an attack again, he would never use the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron to defend against it again.

He suffered a huge loss this time; he'll definitely make those old guys compensate him when he gets back.

"The Eye Demon!" Zheng Yi remained unmoved by the changes around him. His voice, though hoarse, was still firm and powerful, exceptionally clear amidst the silent ruins.

The moment after Fiery Flame retrieved the Mountain-Shaking Cauldron, he shouted at the Eye Demon in the sky, "Have you really thought this through? Is it really worth it to kill us and bear the consequences of the destruction of the Eastern Wilderness?"

The large eyeball of the Eye Demon's main body, as well as the smaller eyes on its body, were all blood red at this moment.

A violent light gleamed in their pupils, as if blood might drip from them at any moment. Those eyes all turned, fixed intently on Zheng Yi, and an invisible pressure made the ground sink even deeper.

"Humans, stop trying to deceive me. To kill you, I don't need to destroy the entire Eastern Wilderness." The Eye Demon's voice was like a thousand swords rubbing together, sending chills down one's spine.

The clouds in the sky twisted and deformed as it spoke, spinning rapidly, gathering, and scattering.

"It's just a small fragment of this world being destroyed. This level of cause and effect is nothing to me!" As it spoke, a bottomless crack suddenly appeared in the ground, with scorching magma churning inside, emitting a foul stench of sulfur.

Zheng Yi laughed loudly and said, "But don't forget, everyone here is the strongest expert in the Eastern Wilderness. If we join forces, ordinary methods won't be able to harm us in the slightest."

The Eye Demon appeared unchanged, yet its gaze grew increasingly sharp. Its tiny pupils contracted simultaneously, revealing a hint of hesitation.

The dust floating in the sky suddenly stopped, as if time had frozen at that moment.

Seeing his expression, Zheng Yi knew he had guessed correctly. He suppressed his joy and continued to maintain a calm and composed demeanor.

The hands behind his back clenched tightly, clearly not as relaxed as they appeared. This psychological battle allowed no room for error.

Before the Heavenly Demon could even begin to agonize, Zheng Yi continued his deception, "Didn't you just test how much power you can use without affecting this world?"

He pointed to the scorched earth around him. "And what was the result? There was nothing they could do about it."

"To the Source of Chaos, the existence of the Eastern Wilderness is utterly insignificant. There's no need for you to let a personal grudge affect you, is there?" Zheng Yi deliberately emphasized the words "Source of Chaos" while secretly observing the Eye Demon's reaction.

"Since you can't do anything to us anyway, and neither of us can do anything to the other right now, why don't you just back down?"

At this point, Zheng Yi's voice suddenly softened, taking on a coaxing tone: "This is a good thing for both of us, isn't it?"

The giant eye in the sky narrowed slightly, its tiny pupils opening and closing repeatedly, as if performing complex calculations. The clouds began to slowly rotate, forming a massive vortex. Everyone held their breath, awaiting the Eye Demon's decision.

At that moment, even the wind stopped blowing.

While the Eye Demon was pondering, Zheng Yi kept adding fuel to the fire: "Lord Eye Demon, you should know better than me what the Source of Chaos looks like."

He deliberately lowered his voice, which carried a seductive tone, while secretly observing the Eye Demon's reaction.

The giant eye in the sky trembled slightly, its tiny pupils involuntarily contracting. The clouds slowed their rotation noticeably, indicating that it was seriously considering Zheng Yi's words.

“You extraterrestrial demons have no so-called partners or relatives, and you never care about the life or death of any other creature besides yourselves.”

As Zheng Yi spoke, he walked slowly forward, each step landing on the scorched earth with a soft rustling sound. His robes swayed gently in the breeze, giving him an air of composure.

“For you, there is only one meaning to survival—to devour.” He deliberately drew out the word, letting it echo in the air.

"Whether it's a stronger creature, a stronger force, or something else."

"As long as you can devour me, as long as it increases your power, you won't care about anything else, will you?"

The demon's enormous pupils contracted sharply, and the surrounding clouds churned violently. This subtle change did not escape Zheng Yi's notice; he knew his words had had an effect.

"Your power, even within the source of chaos, is among the most formidable." Zheng Yi offered a timely compliment, while discreetly wiping the sweat from his palms. (End of Chapter)