Gaze and you will become stronger: starting from Doupo

These words were like a spark igniting a powder keg; the already gloomy face of the Immortal Venerable instantly turned as cold as ice. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, and the black and white energies around him suddenly surged wildly, condensing into a gigantic yin-yang fish phantom behind him, its eyes flashing with a world-destroying ferocity. "Come and fight!" The two words were squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling killing intent, as if he wanted to tear Jiang Han to pieces.

"Judging from your current aura, you don't even have the qualifications to fight me." Jiang Han tilted his head slightly, carefully sensing the aura of the Immortal Venerable. His smiling expression remained unchanged, as if the person standing opposite him was not a giant who dominated the eight domains, but a newly initiated cultivator. "I suppose you dare to so arrogantly trespass into the Desolate Domain, you must have something to rely on, right? Is it the foundation of the Immortal Mountain behind you, or some ancient treasure you're hiding in your sleeve?"

"Fight, and you'll know!" The Immortal Venerable said no more, letting out a cold snort. His figure suddenly rose dozens of feet into the air, and he slammed his right palm down towards the sky. With a deafening crack, the void shattered like a broken mirror, revealing the deep and boundless outer space. The black-winged tiger beneath his feet roared, its three pairs of bone wings unfurling simultaneously, stirring up a raging black wind, carrying its master into that chaotic land.

In the outer battlefield, a magnificent arena woven from countless ancient runes floated in the starry sky. Around the arena, raging cosmic storms roared like mad dragons, and colossal stars, like chess pieces, slowly rotated along mysterious trajectories, radiating a cold and majestic light. When the Immortal Venerable descended onto the arena, a terrifying aura capable of changing the very fabric of the world erupted—a bizarre power that fused the laws of time and life. His flesh and blood emitted a dazzling red light at that moment, each drop of blood seemingly containing boundless vitality and destructive power, like a true dragon dormant for millennia about to awaken.

"He has become even more terrifying. Even without the enhancement of his battle armor, he is still beyond our reach." Chaos True Man gazed at the figure on the outer arena and couldn't help but sigh. The Black Gold Sparrow Venerable beside him nodded vigorously, his dark pupils filled with solemnity: "Look at the blood energy around him; it has actually condensed to the point of being materialized. He is probably not far from the realm of 'rebirth from a drop of blood.'" The other giants also looked solemn. They could sense that the Immortal Venerable's power at this moment had increased by at least 30% compared to when he was in the Profound Domain half a month ago.

Just then, a composed figure stepped into the extraterrestrial battlefield. With each step Jiang Han took, golden lotuses formed from Dao runes appeared beneath his feet, each step causing ripples in the surrounding starry sky. "Why didn't you send your mount to test me first this time?" A mocking smile remained on his lips as his gaze swept over the black-winged tiger beneath the Immortal Venerable's feet. "Were you afraid it would suffer the same fate as that bird? Last time, that divine bird's soul was crushed by a single finger of mine. Tsk tsk, the scene was truly pitiful."

"Die!" The Immortal Venerable could no longer suppress his rage, his killing intent soaring to the heavens like a tangible force. His eyes suddenly erupted with blinding light, and two silver-white beams shot out from his pupils. The beams rapidly transformed in the air, becoming two lifelike silver phoenixes, each a thousand feet in size, their wings burning with raging white flames—the "Nine Heavens Soul-Destroying Flame," capable of incinerating even the soul. The two silver phoenixes let out clear phoenix cries, flapping their fiery wings, and swooped down towards Jiang Han. Wherever they passed, space was annihilated inch by inch, leaving behind trails of pitch-black cracks.

This sudden and terrifying attack caused the assembled giants watching the battle to pale in shock. "The power of the Heavenly Phoenix! He actually cultivated the power of the Heavenly Phoenix to such a level!" the ancient woman with double pupils exclaimed in disbelief. Her third eye on her forehead twitched violently, reflecting the vast and boundless life energy within the silver phoenix. The Thunder Punishment Venerable clenched his fist tightly, purple lightning crackling and exploding at his fingertips: "No wonder he dared to venture into the desolate region alone; he had such a trump card all along!"

Faced with an attack powerful enough to make even the giants of the Upper Realm tremble, Jiang Han remained calm and composed. He flicked two fingers together, pointing them forward. Instantly, the entire outer battlefield trembled violently, and a thunderclap, seemingly from the heavens, exploded, causing the ears of all the spectators from the eight domains to ring uncontrollably, and some with lower cultivation levels even bled from their seven orifices. Immediately afterward, two golden divine chains, each ten thousand feet long, shot out from Jiang Han's fingertips. The chains were covered with profound runes, and every inch of them radiated a terrifying pressure that could suppress eternity, like two golden dragons, carrying the power to tear the sky apart, piercing towards the eyes of the Immortal Venerable.

Wherever the divine chains passed, the void rippled like the surface of a lake tossed with pebbles. These ripples transformed into golden leaves, pouring down like a torrential rain. Each leaf contained unparalleled power of the Great Dao, annihilating the white flames that filled the sky. Seeing this, the Immortal Venerable frowned deeply, his eyes revealing dense patterns, like ancient arrays slowly turning. He suddenly glared, his gaze blazing again, and a phantom of a snow-white phoenix materialized before him. The phoenix flapped its wings, meeting the two golden chains head-on.

"Boom!" The divine chains collided violently with the illusory phoenix, unleashing a deafening roar. The runes on the golden chains flickered wildly, radiating a power that suppressed all things, while the snow-white phoenix flapped its wings, spewing out even more intense white flames. The two were locked in a stalemate, forming a massive energy vortex in the void, swallowing the light of countless stars and making them appear dim and lifeless.

Just then, the Immortal Venerable suddenly let out a deafening roar. His body underwent a bizarre transformation in an instant—his skin cracked open inch by inch, revealing flesh and blood burning with raging flames beneath, and he transformed into a celestial phoenix that blotted out the sky! This celestial phoenix was pure white, its wings inlaid with countless golden runes, each feather like the sharpest divine spear, radiating an aura of invincibility. It let out a piercing cry that could shatter metal and split stone, and with a flap of its wings, boundless, blinding white light erupted, and towering silver flames swept towards Jiang Han like a tsunami.

"This is the Heavenly Phoenix Technique! The Heavenly Phoenix Technique, renowned throughout the Upper Realm!" the Crimson Flame Demon exclaimed in shock, his eyes filled with envy and apprehension. This technique was a closely guarded secret of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix clan. It was said that when cultivated to its peak, one could transform into a true Heavenly Phoenix divine bird, soaring through the nine heavens, capable of burning mountains and boiling seas. Yet the Immortal Venerable had actually cultivated it to its highest level, and now, when he unleashed it, it truly possessed the power to incinerate all the heavens.

As the Heavenly Phoenix Technique was activated, time and space seemed to be frozen in the entire extraterrestrial battlefield. Stars ceased their rotation, storms froze in mid-air, and everything became deathly silent, save for the enormous Heavenly Phoenix emanating a suffocatingly terrifying aura. Above the Medicine Capital, the five great giants, along with the ancient woman with double pupils, held their breath, their eyes fixed on the extraterrestrial battlefield, afraid to miss a single detail. The billions of cultivators in the Eight Domains were even more tense, countless eyes staring unblinkingly at the image projected in the sky, their palms sweating profusely.

The renowned Heavenly Phoenix Technique from the Immortal Ancient Era shone with unprecedented brilliance in the hands of the Immortal Venerable. That full-force strike seemed poised to ignite the entire universe, shake the sun and moon, and reverse the flow of galaxies. However, facing this world-destroying attack, Jiang Han's expression remained unchanged, even bearing a faint smile. "This technique is rather interesting," he said softly, his voice not loud, yet clearly carrying throughout the entire outer battlefield, "but in your hands, it still lacks a certain refinement."

Just as the Heavenly Phoenix, carrying the flames of world destruction, was about to strike Jiang Han, ripples suddenly appeared in the void around him. These ripples rapidly evolved, eventually coalescing into a five-clawed divine dragon that blotted out the sky before him! This divine dragon was entirely golden, with azure innate energy flowing across its scales. Its body was entwined with the primordial and yellow energies, and with each swipe of its tail, it unleashed boundless divine power, emitting a dragon roar that shook the universe.

"Boom!"

The Celestial Phoenix and the Divine Dragon collided with a deafening roar above the outer arena, a scene far more terrifying than the previous clash between the Divine Chains and the Celestial Phoenix's phantom. Violent energy spread like a tsunami, golden dragon might intertwining with silver phoenix fire to form a massive energy sphere. Within the sphere, lightning flashed and runes danced in the air, as if a miniature universe was being born and destroyed. The dark outer starry sky was now a deathly white, illuminated by this terrifying energy collision. The spectators from the eight domains felt a sharp pain in their eyes, as if struck by a thousand divine rays. Many couldn't help but close their eyes, and some with lower cultivation levels were even shaken so badly by the aftershocks that they coughed up blood. Above the Medicine Capital, the five great powers unleashed their natal magic treasures, erecting defensive shields. Even so, they could still feel the tremor of that world-destroying power.

"The phoenix's cry shakes the nine heavens!"

"The divine dragon soars straight up ninety thousand miles!"

The battle between two supreme ferocious divine beasts conjured countless terrifying phenomena in the starry sky. Spectators seemed to transcend the barriers of time and space, returning to the primordial, ancient era. In the scene, savage beasts roamed the heavens and earth, divine birds blotting out the sun; they roared, fought, tore apart the barriers of the universe, shattered colossal stars, and the entire world trembled beneath their feet.

"Bang!!"

After an unknown amount of time, a deafening explosion resounded throughout the universe. The blinding white light finally began to dissipate, and the enormous celestial phoenix let out a miserable cry, flying away like a kite with a broken string, tracing a long arc in the air before crashing heavily into the edge of the outer battlefield, creating a huge crater in the void there. As the light faded, the celestial phoenix reverted to its form as the Immortal Venerable, its face ashen, its chest heaving violently. With a "pfft," it spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with countless tiny silver feathers, clearly indicating that its celestial phoenix technique had been broken and it had suffered severe injuries.

The Immortal Venerable, suppressing the surging blood and qi within him, steadied himself and hovered in the shattered void. He stared intently at Jiang Han, his eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and a chilling killing intent. He couldn't believe that his Heavenly Phoenix Technique, which he had cultivated to its peak, had actually been defeated so decisively in their clash.

The divine dragon that Jiang Han had manifested let out a triumphant roar, which echoed through the outer starry sky, even piercing the barriers of space and time, clearly reaching the ears of every cultivator in the eight domains. Then, the divine dragon transformed into specks of golden light, dissipating into the void like countless stars, leaving only a faint trace of dragon might that lingered for a long time.

"Even after mastering the Heavenly Phoenix Technique, he still fell into a disadvantageous position!" Thunder Punishment Venerable of the Thunder Domain exclaimed in shock, the Thunder Punishment Scepter in his hand clattering to the ground, but he was completely unaware of it.

"Supreme! He actually stepped into this realm!" Chaos True Man's eyes widened suddenly, his face filled with horror. In the understanding of the Eight Domains, only by reaching the "Supreme" realm could one possess such world-destroying power and gain an absolute advantage in such an exquisite duel of magical techniques.

"Fortunately, I managed to refrain from attacking him when he obtained his first spiritual root," the Black Gold Sparrow Venerable patted his chest with lingering fear, a faint trace of dread still remaining on his black feathers. "Otherwise, we might really be stuck in this lower realm forever."

“Since ancient times, the Supreme Ones have always had a glorious reputation, so why have I never heard of this Ancestor Hongjun!” The ancient woman with double pupils frowned, her third eye on her forehead swirling rapidly, trying to see through Jiang Han’s origins, but she only saw a chaotic void, as if the other party was born from nothingness.

The terrifying duel ended in the defeat of the Immortal Venerable, leaving the faces of the giants from the Eight Domains filled with disbelief. Their gazes towards Jiang Han now held not only shock but also a deep sense of apprehension and fear. This Hongjun Ancestor, who had suddenly risen to prominence in the Desolate Domain, was actually a legendary supreme powerhouse who ruled over heaven and earth! Only a supreme being could so easily defeat the Immortal Venerable, who had cultivated the Heavenly Phoenix Technique to its peak.

"Do you still have hope?" Jiang Han's voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of mockery. He looked at the pale-faced Immortal Venerable in the distance and said slowly, "Don't hesitate any longer. My patience is limited. Let me see what you have to rely on after traveling thousands of miles to the Desolate Region."

His words struck the Immortal Venerable's heart like a heavy hammer. The Immortal Venerable took a deep breath, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, a resolute glint in his eyes. He knew he had no way out. If he didn't reveal his true trump card, he might truly perish on this desolate battlefield beyond the domain. With a sudden wave of his hand, he retrieved a jet-black ancient bell from his storage ring. The bell was covered in twisted runes, emanating a sinister and eerie aura.

"This is... the supreme treasure of Immortal Mountain, the 'Bell of Reversing Fate'!" Chaos True Man recognized the magical artifact at a glance, his face instantly turning extremely ugly. "Legend has it that this bell can reverse fate and invert cause and effect. Could it be that he intends to..." (End of Chapter)