While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 216 Turning the tide, I, the old man, wield the Heavenly Fire!

The northern region of Zhongzhou.

Tianmu Mountains.

Since the Lingbao Pavilion Master killed the Soul Palace's Nine Heavens Venerable Mo Yu with a single sword strike in the Northwest a few months ago, the Lingbao Pavilion's prestige has soared. With unstoppable momentum, it has risen to become the undisputed overlord of this northern region, with no other force able to rival it.

With the continuous sale of its unique pills, Lingbao Pavilion's overall strength expanded rapidly like a snowball. Its reputation not only soared in the Northern Region, but it also became a top-tier force that could not be ignored in the entire Central State.

However, faced with the powerful rise of Lingbao Pavilion, the Soul Palace, which had suffered a hidden loss, unexpectedly remained silent for a long time.

But this eerie calm only made everyone with discerning eyes feel a huge weight on their minds.

Everyone knows this is not a retreat, but the calm before the storm. The Soul Palace's revenge may be delayed, but it will never be absent.

On this day, the peace was suddenly shattered!
At the summit of Tianmu Mountain, where the headquarters of Lingbao Pavilion is located, space was suddenly torn open like a fragile piece of cloth, leaving a huge gap!

A chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine swept out first, followed by a cold shout filled with boundless killing intent, like a biting wind from the depths of hell, booming across the land:
"Lingbao Pavilion, hand over Lu Yu and the method for refining the Spirit-Nourishing Powder! Otherwise, not a single chicken or dog will be spared here today!"

"boom!"

The terrifying sound waves contained in the shout shook the mountains, and countless disciples inside and outside the Lingbao Pavilion turned pale instantly.

On the top floor of the pavilion, Venerable Heavenly Fire, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and his fighting spirit surged uncontrollably around him.

He slowly rose, took a step, and was already in the void outside the building. His gaze was extremely solemn as he looked at the spatial rift: "What was bound to come has finally come... Soul Palace!"

Before the words were finished, a swarm of dark figures emerged from the spatial rift like locusts, instantly blocking out most of the light above the Lingbao Pavilion.

The three leading figures, merely standing still in the void, exuded a powerful aura that was like a towering mountain, enveloping the entire Tianmu Mountain Range.

Under such pressure, even a Dou Zong expert would find it difficult to breathe and experience sluggish circulation of Dou Qi within their body.

Countless horrified gazes focused on the three figures. The one in the center was shrouded in a blinding crimson—blood robes, blood hair, blood eyebrows, even his pupils were scarlet, and he was surrounded by an intense, overwhelming aura of blood, as if he were a god of slaughter who had emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

He looked down indifferently at the Lingbao Pavilion below, his hoarse voice devoid of any emotion:

"I am Blood River, one of the Four Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Palace."

To his left, a gaunt, skeletal figure in black robes let out a sinister laugh; it was none other than the Fifth Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Palace.

The person on the right remained silent, but distorted ripples constantly rippled around him; he was the Sixth Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Palace.

The fact that three Celestial Venerables were dispatched in succession clearly indicates that the Soul Palace came prepared this time.

"Activate the protective array!" Venerable Heavenly Fire shouted without hesitation.

Upon receiving the order, Cai Lin and Xiao Yi Xian, who were already on high alert, immediately poured their powerful battle qi into the array's various points.

In an instant, brilliant pillars of light erupted simultaneously from nine directions atop Tianmu Mountain. These pillars intertwined in the sky, transforming into an enormous and complex array. The array slowly rotated, casting down beams of energy that enveloped the entire Lingbao Pavilion!
Nine Locks Heavenly Array, activate!
Once this formation was activated, it immediately isolated most of the external pressure, and the disciples in the pavilion finally felt a relief from the pressure.

However, faced with this seemingly solid defense, Blood River Celestial Venerable merely raised his eyelids, a cruel smile curving his scarlet lips: "An ant trying to shake a tree."

He didn't personally make a move; he simply waved his sleeve casually. Instantly, a monstrous sea of ​​blood surged forth from the void behind him, its stench filling the heavens and earth. The sea of ​​blood seemed to possess extremely strong corrosive properties, instantly staining the dazzling array's light screen with a layer of filthy dark red.

It is his signature technique – the Blood Transformation Technique!

"Zizi..."

Under the constant erosion of the sea of ​​blood, the Nine Locks Heavenly Illusion Array, which was strong enough to withstand high-level Dou Zun, quickly became dim, and the array diagram rotated more and more slowly. In just a dozen breaths, it shattered with a mournful cry!

The formation was broken, and the backlash caused both Cai Lin and Little Fairy Doctor to groan and turn slightly pale.

"Kill! Leave no one alive!" Blood River Celestial Venerable coldly ordered.

"Heh heh, I didn't expect the Spirit Treasure Pavilion to have someone like you. Let me, the guardian of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, have a go!"

The Five Heavenly Venerables laughed strangely, and together with the Sixth Heavenly Venerable, they formed a triangular formation around the Heavenly Fire Venerable.

Blood River Celestial Venerable stood with his hands behind his back, his aura firmly locked onto Heavenly Fire Venerable. Although he did not directly attack, he brought the greatest pressure.

Venerable Tianhuo's expression was extremely solemn. All three opponents were at the peak of Dou Zun cultivation, and Xuehe, like him, had stepped into the realm of a first-stage Dou Zun!

He had almost no chance of winning against three opponents.

At the same time, two more figures from the Soul Palace camp slowly stepped out from the spatial rift.

The man on the left was emaciated, wrapped in a large black robe, with a sinister face and a venomous, greedy glint in his deep-set eyes. A faint medicinal fragrance emanated from him, clearly indicating that he was a skilled alchemist.

On the right, an old man had an unhealthy pale complexion and icy eyes. He was also dressed in the Soul Hall's standard black robe, and the most conspicuous thing was the gleaming badge on his chest—representing the noble status of an eighth-grade alchemist.

Both of them are eighth-grade alchemists from the Soul Palace. They came here for the valuable alchemist inheritance of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.

"There are actually two Dou Zun experts?!"

As the Soul Palace sent reinforcements again, the terrifying pressure descended like dark clouds, causing many Lingbao Pavilion disciples to turn pale instantly, their eyes filled with despair.

However, among the crowd, there was a group of young faces who showed no fear, but instead gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes as resolute as iron.

These people are the orphans that Lingbao Pavilion adopted and trained in the Northwest Continent. They are currently the most loyal direct descendants of the Pavilion.

"Humph!"

A clear, low shout broke the heavy atmosphere. Little Fairy Doctor's white robes fluttered as she darted out like a ghost, taking the initiative to meet a Soul Palace Dou Zun.

A ghostly green flame rose around her, intertwining poisonous gas and intense heat, emitting a strange yet powerful energy fluctuation, attempting to alleviate the pressure on those behind her.

"Strange fire?!"

"Such pure poison gas...is it Netherworld Poison Fire?!"

The gaunt man in black robes had eyes as sharp as lightning, instantly recognizing the rare and strange fire. His eyes blazed with uncontrollable greed and ecstasy: "Hahaha! This is truly heaven's help! I never expected to encounter such an opportunity in this remote northern region! This fire should rightfully belong to me!"

He could no longer care about anything else. His withered hand curled into a claw shape, carrying a sharp wind that could tear through space. He directly abandoned his original target and fiercely grabbed at Little Fairy Doctor, intending to forcibly seize the fire.

"Mu Gu! Don't even think about taking it all for yourself!" The Soul Palace Elder on the other side shouted sharply, clearly also coveting the Netherworld Poison Fire. He shot out and was about to join the fight.

However, the moment he moved, a streak of seven-colored light pierced through the air with lightning speed, carrying a heart-palpitating pressure!
The Elder of the Soul Palace was shocked and hurriedly stopped his charge. He looked closely and saw a huge snake with a massive body and a seven-colored radiance blocking his way. Its cold snake eyes were fixed on him.

It was none other than the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python, Xiao Cai, who had already advanced to the eighth-tier magical beast!

On the snake's head, the girl in the green dress stood proudly. Her once gentle face was now covered with frost, and her emerald green eyes were filled with murderous intent. Gone was her usual gentleness. She said coldly, "Your opponent is me!"

On the other side, a cold glint flashed in Cai Lin's beautiful eyes, her elegant and noble face filled with a murderous aura, and her clear, cold voice resounded throughout the entire venue: "All elders and disciples of the Lingbao Pavilion, heed my command! Form an array and defend against the enemy!"

Before she finished speaking, she took the lead and darted out, her graceful figure like a purple swan, leading the elders and core disciples to bravely meet the remaining large number of guardians of the Soul Palace.

Rumble!
Above the sky, the battle was fierce. Venerable Heavenly Fire fought against two opponents, his body surrounded by invisible flames. He moved freely amidst the attacks of the Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables, not only holding his own but also forcing them into perilous situations.

The Heavenly Fire Venerable's palm prints flew, each fiery palm print forcing the Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables to expend a great deal of battle energy to resist the heart fire that scorched their souls and meridians. They fought extremely suffocatingly, their figures constantly retreating, looking utterly disheveled.

"Damn it! How does this old bastard possess a strange fire?!"

The Fifth Heavenly Venerable was so angry he almost vomited blood. He and the Sixth Heavenly Venerable exchanged a glance and both saw the shock, anger and displeasure in each other's eyes.

As Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Palace, they were usually incredibly powerful. When the two of them joined forces, they could even put up a fight against a First-Rank Dou Zun. But today, they were being suppressed by one person, which was a complete loss of face.

If it weren't for the fact that their cultivation techniques were of a cold and yin nature, which was countered by the strange fire, they would never have let this old man gain such an advantage!

"Thanks to the Pavilion Master..."

A hint of relief and gratitude flashed in Venerable Tianhuo's eyes.

After establishing a stable spatial channel between Lingbao Pavilion and the Northwest Continent, Lu Yu strongly advocated that he retrieve the Fallen Heart Flame, which had been nurtured in the Three Yang Celestial Phenomenon Array in his early years and was now fully mature.

Although at the peak of the Dou Zun level, ordinary strange flames no longer significantly improve one's strength, the Fallen Heart Flame, which has been with him for hundreds of years and with which he has long been of one mind, allows him to unleash his combat power to the fullest, making him even more formidable.

Even a 10% increase is a crucial advantage in a life-or-death battle like this!
In the distance, Blood River Celestial Venerable stood with his hands behind his back, his scarlet eyes coldly watching the battle, his bloodthirsty aura surging around him, yet he did not make a move.

He was waiting, waiting for the Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables to further deplete the Heavenly Fire Venerable's fighting spirit, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill him with a single blow.

Bang bang bang!
In the midst of the fierce battle, Venerable Heavenly Fire's hand seals flew, and the scorching flames from his palms forced the Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables to retreat steadily. Suddenly, he stopped, and invisible flames erupted around him, unleashing two incredibly powerful fiery palms!

"Burning Sky Palm!"

With a low shout, two extremely condensed, almost transparent, giant flame palm prints instantly coalesced and slammed into the Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables with lightning speed!

"Boom! Boom!"

The palm print struck the two men squarely in the chest. With a muffled thud, the Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables flew backward like kites with broken strings, spitting out blood and their auras instantly weakening, clearly suffering from serious internal injuries.

Just as the old forces had dissipated and the new forces had not yet arisen, the Blood River Celestial Venerable, who had been holding back all along, finally made his move!
His figure transformed into a streak of blood, moving at incredible speed. He appeared behind Venerable Heavenly Fire like a ghost, and a hand enveloped in viscous blood light, carrying a terrifying power that corroded space, ruthlessly struck Venerable Heavenly Fire's vital back!

"Watch out!" Little Fairy Doctor, who was fighting Elder Mu Gu below, caught sight of this scene and cried out in alarm.

"Oh!"

A dull thud resounded, and Venerable Heavenly Fire trembled violently. He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly paled, and he staggered forward several steps.

"Hahaha! Lord Blood River is mighty!" The injured Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables, disregarding their injuries, exclaimed with wild joy upon seeing this.

However, the seemingly severely injured Heavenly Fire Venerable, after regaining his footing, merely wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. He slowly turned around, his gaze calmly meeting the smug Blood River Heavenly Venerable's, his voice, though soft, clearly echoing across the battlefield:

"Blood River, I have been waiting for you to step into this position for a very long time."

"Could it be that this old fellow was driven mad by Lord Blood River?"

The Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with mockery and incomprehension. In their view, the Heavenly Fire Venerable was clearly at his limit, and his words at this moment were nothing but bluff.

But Blood River Celestial Venerable, who had just successfully launched a sneak attack, suddenly changed his expression as a chilling sense of crisis suddenly surged from his feet!

He looked down and his pupils contracted sharply—he saw that five huge and complex spirit arrays had appeared in the void where he had just stood. The array patterns were intertwined and were emitting energy fluctuations that made his heart palpitate!
Five level-five spirit arrays! This kind of move was clearly premeditated!
"Not good!" Blood River Celestial Venerable's expression changed drastically. He tried to retreat, but it was too late!
"burst!"

Venerable Tianhuo's eyes sharpened, and he activated his will.

Do you really think he's wasted his hundreds of years of life?
Blood River was waiting for the right moment, and so was Heavenly Fire, who was also waiting for the moment to lure the enemy into the trap.
boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The five spirit arrays exploded simultaneously like five blazing suns, and the destructive energy storm instantly engulfed Blood River Celestial Venerable. Even a First-Rank Dou Zun would suffer severe damage from such an attack if caught off guard!

"what--!"

A piercing scream echoed from the storm, sending chills down the spines of all who heard it. As the light faded, Blood River Celestial Venerable was seen flying backward, his body charred black, his blood-stained robe tattered, and his aura even weaker than that of the Fifth or Sixth Celestial Venerables, clearly having suffered a devastating blow!

This sudden and astonishing reversal plunged the entire battlefield into a deathly silence.

On the Lingbao Pavilion side, the tense crowd was stunned, then burst into thunderous cheers.

On the Soul Palace's side, everyone was deathly pale, staring in disbelief at the scene before them. The Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables were even more dumbfounded, their mocking expressions replaced by terror.

Who would have thought that this seemingly upright and righteous old man with thick eyebrows and big eyes could have set up such an intricate and deadly trap!

Under the gaze of countless shocked eyes, Venerable Tianhuo slowly straightened his spine, and his originally slightly weak aura suddenly became vast and boundless!
His hair and beard moved without wind, and with each step he took, ripples spread across the void beneath his feet, as if the entire world was yielding to him.

"I, the old man, unleash the Heavenly Flame!"

His voice, booming like a bell, carried an aged yet majestic rhythm, clearly reaching every corner of the battlefield. His gaze, sharp as a torch, slowly swept over the members of the Soul Palace. All those whose eyes met his were shaken to their core, instinctively taking a half-step back.

"By order of the Pavilion Master, I am to guard the Lingbao Pavilion."

"Those who offend my sacred treasure,"

"Kill without mercy!"

The last three words were uttered like a thunderclap, accompanied by an overwhelming killing intent that swept outwards!

At this moment, he was no longer the gentle old man of the past, but a top expert who held the power of life and death in place of the Pavilion Master and had dominated the Central Plains for hundreds of years.

Heavenly Fire Venerable, Radiant Heavenly Fire!
(End of this chapter)