Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The Crimson Fire Reef Islands are covered with scorched earth and fiery rocks, with flames erupting from the fissures, wave after wave of fire sweeping across the land, leaving nothing but barren land. Since the three sects joined forces to annihilate the Burning Heaven Sect, this sea area has become even more desolate, with not a trace of life to be found.

The charred reefs shattered in the churning sea, repeatedly battered and ground by the waves. Only the salty stench of the sea and the lingering smell of blood remained in the air. The entrance to the secret realm lay within the belly of the tallest reef in the very center of the archipelago. The reef itself was a deep crimson, like a branding iron, its walls etched with ancient fire-patterned restrictions from the Burning Heaven Sect. Earth fire surged forth from the cave entrance, the heat oppressive; ordinary cultivators who approached would have their spiritual energy disrupted.

Lin Yan's body was filled with the calm and cool sea energy, creating a cool domain around him. The group stood in mid-air above the giant reef, completely unafraid of the scorching waves.

Behind him stood Yun Xi, Gu Azhu, Chen Dagang, and Ye Qing, side by side; to his left were Qing Yao from Shuiyue Pavilion and four beautiful female disciples, while to his right was Shen Qinghan, the vice sect leader of Qingyun Sect, with four burly elite disciples. The three groups were well-organized, their auras calm, subtly forming a defensive and offensive posture.

The appearance of this secret realm is truly a great blessing.

Firstly, the Burning Heaven Sect has been destroyed, and most of the treasure caves, cultivation manuals, alchemy materials, and weapon-making relics accumulated by the sect over the generations are hidden in the islands, reefs, caves, and secret chambers in the mountains. Secondly, this secret realm has been sealed for a long time, and the allure of what kind of rare treasures and ancient opportunities are hidden inside is enough to make everyone present feel excited.

"The inkstone is acting strangely."

Lin Yan's gaze narrowed slightly, and he gently tapped the storage ring on his ring finger.

With a soft hum, two beams of spiritual light, the ancient inkstone and the azure Dingyuan Pearl, instantly shot out and hovered steadily in mid-air in front of him, coming into everyone's view.

The inkstone spontaneously emitted a warm, lustrous ink light, while the Dingyuan Pearl cascaded down, revealing the clear, ocean-like hue. The two magical treasures resonated across the void, with two beams of spiritual light, one black and one blue, intertwining and swirling to form a slowly rotating vortex of spiritual light that pointed directly at the scorching, steaming entrance to the secret realm ahead. Even the surrounding heat waves were slightly suppressed by this unique resonance.

At the same time, a faint spiritual light flickered in Lin Yan's sleeve, and another simple and honest aura quietly emerged. The long-dormant spirit turtle seemed to sense the spiritual energy in the sea and the opportunity of the secret realm, and it poked out its head on its own. Its body was surrounded by warm and gentle water-based spiritual light, and its aura was thick and long.

Yunxi stepped across the sea, the water vapor condensing into a crystal lotus platform. Her cool gaze swept over the surroundings: "There is no residual aura of the Burning Heaven Sect, but there is a strong aura of bloodlust. It seems that the Blood Fiend Sect has also sent people to snatch this opportunity."

Su Lingyue raised her hand and swept it across, the long sword in her hand gleaming. She glanced at Yun Xi sideways, her tone carrying a hint of competition: "They're just some scattered rabble. Let's just clear them out while we're at it, so as not to delay our search for the secret treasure."

Before the words were even finished, patches of scarlet blood light suddenly erupted from the crevices of the surrounding rocks!

Dozens of elite Blood Fiend Sect members charged out fiercely, wielding blood-stained evil blades, their bodies radiating murderous aura, their eyes gleaming with malice. Clearly, they were lying in ambush, intending to intercept and kill the disciples of the three sects.

"act recklessly."

Lin Yan shouted coldly and made the first move.

The Azure Sea Emperor Technique was activated at full power, and the seawater around him suddenly boiled. Giant waves several meters high condensed out of thin air, transforming into towering water blades that swept out and struck the Blood Fiend disciple.

Before the other disciples could make their full move, a flash of spiritual light appeared on Lin Yan's shoulder, and the spirit tortoise slowly stepped out. As it landed, a thick water-ripple barrier suddenly appeared on the ground, directly blocking the attacks of most of the Blood Fiend disciples! This tortoise was born with innate water-based spiritual energy, and its shell was indestructible, possessing its own defensive restrictions. It could also draw upon the power of the sea veins. It raised its head and let out a soft roar, and several water columns suddenly shot out from beneath the sea surface, crashing down on the Blood Fiend enemies like giant pillars. The impact was immense, instantly knocking over several people.

"This is... Little cutie, yet it possesses such power!" The Laoshan disciples were filled with astonishment upon seeing this.

The spirit tortoise is not only incredibly strong in defense, but also has a steady and domineering offensive. Wherever its claws strike, the bloodthirsty aura dissipates, and the evil blade shatters upon touching its shell, firmly protecting everyone behind it.

The disciples of Laoshan simultaneously activated their water-based techniques, their water swords crisscrossing to create a temporary water array; the disciples of Qingyun Sect rode their swords through the air, their azure-gold sword energy unstoppable, shattering the oncoming bloodthirsty aura with a single strike; the female cultivators of Shuiyue Pavilion raised their hands in unison, their moonlight as pure and clear as silk, specifically designed to counter bloodthirsty evil arts, dissolving all evil and filth wherever it passed.

With their energy linked and the spirit turtle in charge, the fifteen people coordinated perfectly, and their attack surged like a tidal wave!

Although these Blood Fiend Sect ambushers were fierce, they were no match for the combined attack of the top disciples of the three sects and the Spirit Turtle. In just a few moments, they suffered heavy casualties. The remaining Blood Fiend disciples attempted to self-destruct their essence blood in retaliation, but Lin Yan raised his hand in mid-air, and the Ink Inkstone spun up. The ink light and the blue light of the Dingyuan Pearl completely merged, and a spiritual light as deep as the sea crashed down, directly crushing the remaining blood shadows into ashes, leaving not even a trace of fiendish energy behind.

After clearing out the ambush, the spirit turtle slowly crawled back to Lin Yan's side, nuzzled his sleeve with its head, and then looked towards the direction of the secret realm rift, emitting a low warning sound, as if it had sensed the hidden danger deep within.

Lin Yan raised his hand and gently stroked the spirit tortoise's shell, gazing at the distant horizon. There, the deafening roar of colliding spiritual energy and towering waves clearly indicated that the great battle between the three sects' powerful figures and the Blood Fiend Sect's main force had reached its climax.

The scene shifts to Lingxian Grass Valley, where the sky changes color and the wind and clouds swirl.

Elder Guanhai of Laoshan, Jian Wuhen, the law enforcement elder of Qingyun Sect, and Su Wanbi of Shuiyue Pavilion, three powerful figures from the three sects, stood in mid-air and jointly set up the Three Talents Extinguishing Fiend Formation. The golden light, blue light, and moonlight intertwined to form a boundless light curtain, which tightly surrounded the main force of the Blood Fiend Sect led by Mo Tu and Li Guichou in the center.

The Blood Fiend Sect came out in full force this time, hoping to take advantage of the destruction of the Burning Heaven Sect and the fact that some of the three sects went to the Crimson Fire Reef Islands to search for treasures, thinking that they could pick up the scraps and seize territory and resources. However, they did not expect that the three sects' combined forces were so powerful that there was no room for maneuver at all.

"Old Daoist Guanhai, Sword Without Trace, do you insist on driving us to extinction?"

The Poison Heart Rakshasa's beard and hair stood on end, and blood mist churned around him. He summoned his natal treasure, the Poison Blood River Banner. The banner fluttered, and torrents of poisonous blood poured out. Countless wronged souls roared and howled, and a stench filled the sky, attempting to break through the great formation with their evil power.

Li Guichou followed closely behind, raising his hand to summon thousands of yin spirits and ghostly shadows. The wailing and howling of ghosts were ear-piercing, and the yin energy frantically attacked the array base, trying to tear open a gap for escape.

Faced with the Blood Fiend Sect's desperate counterattack, the three powerful figures remained calm, yet their attacks were thunderous.

Elder Guanhai, wielding the Mysterious Water Jade Ruler, his long sleeves fluttering, drew water from the vast North Sea into the air, transforming it into several hundred-foot-long water dragons. Their roars shook the heavens, surging straight into the Poison Blood River and forcefully suppressing the surging poisonous blood energy! "You heretics and evil spirits dare to be so insolent before my three sects! Today, we will annihilate your bloodlust!"

Jian Wuhen rode his sword through the air, his azure blade pointing straight to the sky. Thousands of azure sword energies condensed into a sword pillar, its sharp light piercing the clouds. With a single strike, he cleaved the Poison Blood River in two. The remaining power of the sword energy pressed directly against Mo Tu, forcing him to retreat repeatedly and cough up blood.

Su Wanbi held up the Clear Radiance Mirror, and the moonlight on the mirror surged. The purest and clearest light shone down, and the ghosts and shadows scattered upon encountering it. The Blood Fiend Evil Art was instantly suppressed, and the ghost shadows around Li Guichou were completely dissolved. He was seriously injured on the spot, and his aura weakened.

The three powerful sects joined forces, and their offensive was utterly devastating!

The Three Talents Formation continued to shrink, and Blood Fiend Sect disciples fell in droves, the formation completely collapsing. Cries and screams were drowned out by the waves and sword energy. Poison Heart Rakshasa was surrounded by Elder Guanhai and Sword Without Trace, struggling to defend himself, and his magic weapon, the Blood River Banner, was slashed several times by the sword energy; Vengeful Ghost Sorrow collapsed on the sea, powerless to resist.

Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the main force of the Blood Fiend Sect suffered a complete rout. Poison Heart Rakshasa was captured, and countless disciples were killed or wounded. The remaining members abandoned their armor and fled in all directions, but they could not escape the encirclement of the three sects and were all wiped out.

The deafening roar reverberated throughout the Red Fire Reef area, the towering waves gradually subsided, and the three-colored spiritual light illuminated the sea surface. The powerful aura of the three great victories spread to every corner of the archipelago.

Deep within the reef island, Lin Yan and his group clearly sensed the aura of great victory, and their spirits were lifted.

"The main force of the Blood Fiend Sect has been defeated."

Lin Yan withdrew his gaze, looked at the spirit turtle beside him, and then at the hidden rift pointed to by the resonance of the magic weapon, a trace of certainty flashing in his eyes.

With the spirit turtle guarding the area, exploring the secret realm is much safer, and the hidden treasures left behind by the Burning Heaven Sect are within reach. Meanwhile, deep within the Ruins of Return, a faint, chilling demonic aura quietly drifted with the sea breeze towards this sea area where the war had just ended, causing the spirit turtle's spiritual light to suddenly tighten, revealing a look of vigilance.