Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

The blades flashed, and demonic energy surged.

The battle between Di Yun and Jiu Mo had reached a fever pitch.

The two figures collided violently in mid-air, each clash causing the surrounding air to explode.

Di Yun swept his longsword horizontally, unleashing a "Sky-Splitting Slash" accompanied by a fierce blade wind.

It cleaved straight at the face of the demon, the blade tearing through the void and accompanied by a piercing whistle.

The demonic thief hastily parried with his sword, black energy surging on the blade, barely managing to block the attack.

He was so shocked that he staggered backward, a metallic taste rising in his throat.

He then realized that he had fought Xiao Yan for dozens of rounds, and his shoulder had already been injured by Xiao Yan's spiritual power, and most of his spiritual energy had been consumed.

The Di Yun before him, though a level lower in cultivation (late Nirvana stage), was...

His attacks were ruthless and cunning, with no hesitation between moves, making him even more difficult to deal with than when he was at his peak.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

After three more hard clashes, the demon's arm trembled violently, his tiger's mouth split open, and blood trickled down the demonic blade.

"Die, you demon!"

Di Yun's eyes flashed with cold light. He spun his longsword and unleashed a powerful "Mountain-Splitting Strike," the blade's light slashing towards Jiu Mo's waist and abdomen like a bolt of lightning.

Unable to dodge in time, the demon could only try to block with its left arm, and a crisp "crack" was heard.

The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible, and a deep, bone-revealing knife wound appeared on his left arm.

"puff--"

The demon spat out a mouthful of black blood, and his face instantly turned ashen.

He gritted his teeth and frantically channeled the remaining spiritual energy within his body to barely stabilize himself, but the fear in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

In just a few dozen moves, his body was covered in wounds, each one deep enough to expose bone, and his spiritual energy was waning, clearly indicating that he was at his last gasp.

The other battlefield was equally perilous.

The demon's bone-corroding claws, shrouded in poisonous mist, unleashed a "Bone-Eating Claw" attack, its stench filling the air, aimed for Linghu Chong's chest.

The claws gleamed with a dark green light, and the air seemed to hiss wherever they passed.

Linghu Chong swayed his body like a gentle breeze, dodging the attack, and twirled his longsword in a delicate flourish.

"Hahaha! I thought I'd get you to warm up with me! But this is it..."

The "Star Chasing Sword" technique, launched after the opponent's attack, arrived first, its tip piercing straight into the demon's heart.

The demon was startled and quickly dodged to the side, but he was too slow.

The longsword grazed his ribs, leaving a trail of blood, and the dark green poison gas was instantly dispersed by the sword energy.

Seeing that Shenmo had dodged, Linghu Chong's swordplay became even more ferocious, his longsword flashing.

The sword strike "Falling Geese Returning Snow" left a trail of sword shadows, completely enveloping the vital points of the demon's body.

The Demon Protector was struggling to cope, and the Corrupting Bone Claws moved slower and slower, while the wounds on his body multiplied.

Finally, Linghu Chong seized an opening and thrust his longsword out, striking the Demon Protector's shoulder squarely!

"ah--!"

The demon let out a shrill scream as it was thrown away by the immense force, crashing heavily to the ground and spitting out blood.

On the other side of the battlefield, Xiao Yan clutched his severed arm, blood still gushing out uncontrollably, his face ashen white.

He watched as the demon Jiu Mo retreated in defeat, and the demon Shen Mo was even beaten so badly that he was on the verge of death.

Looking down at his side, he saw that the Right Envoy of the Shadow Guard had blackened arms, the poison having spread to his chest, and he could barely stand.

The remaining guards were all wounded and barely breathing.

In the surrounding dense forest, powerful figures from various factions were eyeing the severed arm at Jiu Mo's waist with greedy gleam.

Xiao Yan's heart sank to the bottom.

He knew that trying to reclaim the Glass Fruit today was a pipe dream.

"withdraw!"

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse like a broken gong. He turned to look at the Right Envoy of the Shadow Guard, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Forget about the Glass Fruit for now, survival is the priority!"

"It's too late to send a message to the imperial court. If we delay any longer, we'll all die here!"

The Right Envoy of the Shadow Guard gave a bitter smile, nodded, and said, "Yes, Your Excellency the Prime Minister."

He knew the Prime Minister was right: as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

Supporting each other, the two, along with their few remaining guards, took advantage of the chaos of the battlefield...

Silently, it slipped into the depths of the dense forest, its figure quickly disappearing behind layers of leaves.

From the void above, Yuan Tiangang took in the entire scene.

His gaze swept over the direction where Xiao Yan had disappeared, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

Yongyetian is still weak and it's not the right time for them to break ties with the imperial court. Letting them go is fine.

Just then, a mournful cry for help came from the ground.

"Demon! Save me! Save me!"

The demon lay sprawled on the ground, watching Linghu Chong approach step by step with his long sword in hand. His eyes were filled with fear, and his voice trembled.

Upon hearing this, Jiu Mo turned around abruptly and saw Shen Mo's miserable state, which alarmed him.

But just as he was about to pull away, Di Yun's longsword came slashing down like a shadow, its blade aimed straight at his back.

"You're asking for it! You think you can save people?!"

Di Yun roared angrily, his sword strikes becoming even fiercer.

The demon was forced to retreat repeatedly and couldn't spare any time to come to the rescue.

He looked at Di Yun, who was closing in, and then at Shen Mo, who was about to die by his sword. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, but he was also filled with helplessness.

He himself was also in grave danger and could hardly protect himself!

On the outskirts of the dense forest, the powerful figures from various factions watching the battle were already in an uproar, with exclamations and gasps of astonishment rising and falling.

All eyes were fixed on the two masked figures in the arena, filled with horror and fear.

The crowd began to discuss it.

"That man's swordsmanship was domineering and fierce, with each move aimed directly at vital points, and he was able to suppress the Nirvana Peak Jiu Mo!"

Who is Jiu Mo? A protector of the Demonic Sect, who has dominated the Eastern Region for centuries, has he ever suffered such a loss?

"It's not just the swordsmanship of the person who fought against the Demon King!"

"The swordsmanship of the man who fought the Demon was exquisite, flowing like clouds and water."

"A longsword wielded with impenetrable skill, completely manipulating the demon with ease!"

"The Demon's Bone-Rotting Claws are extremely poisonous, killing instantly upon contact, yet in his presence, one cannot even get close!"

"Something's not right! Something's really wrong! These two are clearly only at the late Nirvana stage, yet their combat power is comparable to the peak Nirvana stage!"

"More importantly, I've never seen their fighting style before!"

"It's neither the legacy of a righteous sect nor the path of a demonic or evil sect; it faintly exudes an aura of... domineering ruthlessness!"

"The organization capable of cultivating such a figure is no ordinary force!"

"To dare to snatch food from the jaws of death between the imperial court and the Nine Nether Demon Sect—such courage and strength are rare indeed, with only a handful of people capable of doing so throughout the entire Eastern Region!"

"Isn't that right?"

"If it were me, let alone trying to steal it, I'd think twice before even standing here watching!"

The discussions rose and fell, and everyone's gaze was filled with awe when it fell on Di Yun and Linghu Chong.

Everyone understands that today's chaotic battle has not only made the ownership of the Glass Fruit uncertain,

This has subtly and irreversibly altered the power structure of the Eastern Region.