134: The battle of Yuanying, a chance to die

The ecstatic yet venomous laughter, like poisoned steel needles, pierced deep into the Sea of Consciousness of every Nascent Soul Old Monster present.

"Thirty thousand years! A full thirty thousand years!"

The voice echoed, carrying the scent of decaying ages and the boundless madness of breaking free from shackles.

"This Lord... has finally emerged!"

Boom!

The pitch-black Devilish Qi light pillar, which had pierced through Heaven and Earth, suddenly contracted inwards.

Immediately after, it exploded with an even more terrifying intensity.

Under the horrified gazes of all the Nascent Soul Old Monsters, a hundred-zhang tall, completely black demonic shadow, formed purely from twisted, wailing demonic thoughts, slowly rose from the core of the shattered space.

It had no specific facial features.

On its colossal face were billions of agonizing, twisted visages, silently roaring, pressing, fusing, and then splitting apart, forming a terrifying countenance that would cause one's Divine Soul to go awry with a single glance.

It had no substantial flesh and blood.

The hundred-zhang tall demonic body was condensed from sticky, ink-like Devilish Qi, with countless barbed, pitch-black tentacles slowly writhing on its surface; each sway caused ripples of unbearable strain in the surrounding space.

This was an Outer Heavenly Demon.

A Clone that had merely descended upon this Realm.

Yet, the demonic might it exuded had already surpassed the limits of the Nascent Soul Realm, carrying a hint of a higher-level Law, belonging to "pollution" and "devouring."

The entire Secret Realm of Souls let out a wail the moment this demonic shadow stood up.

The earth was cracking, space was twisting, and even the gray sky seemed about to be crushed by this pure evil.

"The World-Destroying Demonic Embryo... it has truly taken shape!"

Daoist Master Tianyi, the old man in the Eight Trigrams Daoist robe from Tianji Pavilion, spoke with a dry voice, his face devoid of any trace of his former immortal demeanor, leaving only an unyielding solemnity.

"Fellow Daoists, if this demon is born, the entire Eastern Barrens—no, the entire Cultivation World—will be plunged into misery!"

On Old Ancestor Chiyang's face, greed had long been replaced by fear.

"Form the array! Quickly form the array!"

However, the demon's movements were faster than their reactions.

The hundred-zhang demonic shadow slowly raised a massive arm, composed of countless wailing faces.

It didn't even use any earth-shattering Divine Ability.

It merely pointed a finger at a Nascent Soul Cultivator closest to it.

That was an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator from a second-rate Sect; he had just activated his Lifebound Treasure, a precious shield emitting a heavy, earthy yellow glow, attempting to protect himself.

Hiss.

A soft sound.

The precious shield, capable of withstanding the relentless bombardment of several Cultivators of the same Realm, failed to hold up for even a moment under that single finger.

The earthy yellow glow, like a painting splashed with corrosive acid, instantly melted and dimmed.

The main body of the precious shield let out a mournful cry, its spirituality completely lost, and it plummeted from the air.

The Nascent Soul Cultivator's pupils suddenly constricted to pinprick size.

He wanted to flee.

But his body seemed to be frozen in place, unable to move.

A wisp of black Qi, thinner than a strand of hair, ignored all his protective spiritual light and directly plunged into his glabella.

There was no explosion.

No scream.

The Nascent Soul Cultivator's body merely trembled slightly.

The next second.

He suddenly looked up.

His eyes, which had originally held extreme terror, were now completely black, hollow, and devoid of any emotion belonging to a living being.

Strange black demonic patterns, like living things, spread from his glabella, quickly crawling over his cheeks, neck, and even his entire body.

The spiritual energy fluctuations around him instantly underwent a twisted mutation.

It was no longer peaceful Spiritual Qi, but aggressive, polluting Devilish Qi.

"Hehehe..."

A strange, inhuman laugh escaped his throat.

He suddenly turned around and, without hesitation, launched the most vicious attack on a Fellow Daoist who had just been fighting alongside him nearby.

"Fellow Daoist Wang! Are you mad!"

The attacked Cultivator was greatly alarmed and hastily activated his Flying Sword to defend.

But it was too late.

Fellow Daoist Wang, transformed into a Demonic Puppet, had adopted an incredibly bizarre attack style, every move aimed at the vital points of the Divine Soul.

In just one exchange, the Cultivator was pierced through the chest by a claw, and pure Devilish Qi instantly surged in, following in Fellow Daoist Wang's footsteps.

This terrifying scene sent chills down the spines of all the arrogant Nascent Soul Old Monsters present.

This was not a battle of the same magnitude at all.

The opponent didn't even need to act personally; with just a thought, it could pollute them and transform them into its Puppets.

"Damn it!"

The Azure Mystery Sect Master roared, no longer holding anything back.

"Azure Mystery Immortal Slaying Sword!"

A dazzling, ultimate blue Sword Light shot into the sky.

Within that Sword Light, a fierce killing intent, seemingly capable of extinguishing all life, surged, carrying the might to tear Heaven and Earth apart, and fiercely slashed towards the Heavenly Demon's head.

Facing this sword, which was capable of threatening a Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.

The Heavenly Demon's huge head slowly turned.

It opened its "mouth," composed of billions of faces.

Whoosh—

A pure black storm, formed from Divine Soul curses and resentments, erupted from its mouth.

The blue Sword Light, upon contact with the black storm, dimmed rapidly at a visible speed.

The fierce Sword Intent attached to the Sword Light, like something thrown into mud, was quickly polluted and dissolved.

Finally, that once stunning Sword Light completely collapsed about ten zhang away from the Heavenly Demon, turning into countless specks of light.

"Pfft!"

The Azure Mystery Sect Master was hit hard, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face instantly turning three shades paler.

The damage to his Lifebound Flying Sword caused him a significant backlash.

"Join forces!"

Daoist Master Tianyi's aged voice carried a hint of determination.

"Otherwise, we shall all perish here today!"

No more words were needed.

Under the threat of death, all calculations and estrangements were temporarily cast aside.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Old Ancestor Chiyang's monstrous sea of fire.

Immortal Aunt Wanmiao's sky-filling flower rain.

The ultimate Divine Abilities and Magic Treasures of dozens of other Nascent Soul Old Monsters.

At this moment, nothing was held back, transforming into a brilliant and deadly torrent of energy, sweeping from all directions towards the hundred-zhang demonic shadow in the center.

A world-shaking Nascent Soul-level battle thus fully erupted.

The entire Secret Realm of Souls, under the aftershocks of this great battle, resembled the end of the world.

The earth was torn up in large swaths, turning into nothingness.

Space was ripped open with pitch-black cracks that lingered, unable to heal.

And on the edge of the battlefield, in a small blind spot formed by a collapsed rock wall.

Lin Fan tightly shielded Su Meier in front of him, his gaze unbelievably calm.

The energy storm outside, capable of destroying everything, presented a different scene in his eyes.

He could clearly "see."

Old Ancestor Chiyang's flames were woven from countless violent fire-elemental Law threads.

The Azure Mystery Sect Master's Sword Qi was a highly condensed and cutting Fusion of metal and wind-elemental Laws.

The Heavenly Demon's Devilish Qi, however, was a higher-dimensional power; it was not resisting, but "dissolving," "polluting" these Mortal Laws.

This battlefield, which was Hell for others.

For Lin Fan at this moment, it was an unprecedented, top-tier live lesson on the application of Laws.

Deep within his Divine Soul, the Domain Seed, which had fused with the "Immortal Dao Aura," was spinning frantically at an incredible speed.

Like the most voracious sponge, it absorbed, analyzed, and then assimilated the fighting styles and Law insights of these Nascent Soul Old Monsters, as well as the essence of the Heavenly Demon's Divine Abilities, in meticulous detail.

Every second.

Lin Fan's understanding of combat and his knowledge of Laws were growing exponentially.

He even had an illusion.

Given enough time, he could perfectly replicate the ultimate Divine Abilities of these Nascent Soul Old Monsters, and even do them better.

"Its weakness is the Divine Soul."

Lin Fan's gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, locking onto the Heavenly Demon.

He saw it more thoroughly than all the Nascent Soul Old Monsters.

The Heavenly Demon's attack was, in essence, a pollution at the Divine Soul level.

And it itself was an aggregate formed from pure Divine Soul resentment.

As long as its core demonic thought could be annihilated at its source, this seemingly invincible demonic shadow would instantly crumble.

And the wisp of "Immortal Dao Aura" within him happened to be the ultimate bane of this demonic thought.

An incredibly crazy, incredibly bold, but equally incredibly rewarding plan quickly formed in his mind.

What he wanted was not just to survive.

What he wanted was the biggest piece of cake in this feast.

He wanted to claim the head of this "Heavenly Demon" with a Mortal body.

To exchange it for a truly super-mythical death reward.

He needed a perfect timing, and he also needed a... guardian who could let him have no worries.

In the corner of the Immortal Cave, the space was so confined that their chests were almost pressed against each other's backs.

Su Meier could clearly feel Lin Fan's steady, powerful heartbeat, and she could also smell his unique scent that made her feel incredibly safe.

Outside was a scene of doomsday, but in this small corner, in Lin Fan's embrace, her fear was unbelievably soothed little by little.

Just then, she felt Lin Fan's body in front of her stir slightly.

He turned his head.

In this small space, alternately lit by the light of Spells and the Devilish Qi, Su Meier saw his eyes.

In those eyes, there was no trace of fear towards the terrifying battle outside.

Nor was there any coldness of calculation.

What was there was only a kind of burning, almost frantic intensity she had never seen before.

"Meier."

Lin Fan's voice was very soft, yet it clearly entered her ears, overriding all the roar outside.

Su Meier stared at him blankly.

"I'm going to do something very dangerous."

Lin Fan gazed into her eyes, speaking each word distinctly.

"Just like last time, or even ten thousand times more dangerous than last time."

"I might... die a very, very miserable death."

Su Meier's body trembled uncontrollably; she instinctively clutched Lin Fan's clothes.

She wanted to say, "Don't go."

But when she saw the undeniable resolve in Lin Fan's eyes, she swallowed those two words.

She remembered what he had said before.

She remembered the truth of this world.

She remembered their unavoidable, desperate fate.

She suddenly understood.

This was his Dao.

A Dao unique to him, one that embraced death to seek life, and seized power from desperation.

She could not become his obstacle.

"But."

Lin Fan's voice sounded again, with a strange tenderness.

"I will definitely return."

He reached out and gently caressed Su Meier's cheek, which was cold from tension.

"After I return, perhaps we can have peace for a long time."

"So, until I 'return,' this place is entrusted to you."

Su Meier's eyes instantly reddened.

Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

But she held back, not letting the tears fall.

She looked at Lin Fan, at his face, so close, filled with trust and entrustment.

She knew he didn't need tears, nor dissuasion.

What he needed was a promise that would allow him to have no worries.

She took a deep breath, nodded, her voice choked with an uncontrollable sob, yet incredibly firm.

"I'll wait for you to come back."

She paused, then raised her peach blossom eyes, which had turned completely red, looked at him, and, word by word, completed the latter half of her sentence.

"For you, I will be your Protector when you form your Nascent Soul."

Lin Fan smiled.

That smile, against the backdrop of this doomsday-like battlefield, appeared incredibly brilliant.

He said no more.

He simply leaned down and gently pressed a warm kiss on her forehead.

Then, he turned around.

The tenderness unique to Su Meier instantly vanished.

In its place was the cold, focused gaze of a hunter spotting its prey.

He pulled Su Meier, using the perfect stealth effect of the "Immortal Dao Aura," and like a ghost on the battlefield, silently moved along the chaotic edges of the battlefield.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the perfect moment to rush to the center stage in the most spectacular manner.

In the center of the battlefield.

The battle had entered a white-hot stage.

The combined assault of dozens of Nascent Soul Old Monsters indeed caused considerable trouble for the Heavenly Demon.

Huge gaps were blasted into its hundred-zhang demonic body, and countless Devilish Qi escaped.

But the Heavenly Demon seemed to feel no pain; those wounds were filled with more Devilish Qi and restored to their original state within a few breaths.

On the other hand, the Nascent Soul Old Monsters' side was already showing signs of decline.

They not only had to expend massive amounts of Spiritual Qi to maintain their attacks, but also had to divide their attention to resist the pervasive erosion of demonic thoughts.

Seven or eight Nascent Soul Cultivators had already been polluted in their Divine Souls, lost control of their minds, and were transformed into new Demonic Puppets, making the battle even more chaotic.

"We can't drag this out any longer!"

Daoist Master Tianyi's hair flew wildly; he glanced at the Cultivators around him, all wounded and weak in aura, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoists, lend me a hand!"

He fiercely bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of pure Lifebound Essence Blood.

The essence blood transformed into an incredibly profound golden Talisman in the air.

"Heavenly Dao as guide, Law as cage!"

"Seal!"

He formed hand seals and pushed forward fiercely.

Old Ancestor Chiyang, the Azure Mystery Sect Master, and others immediately understood, unhesitatingly pouring their remaining spiritual energy into the golden Talisman.

Buzz—!

The golden Talisman glowed brightly, instantly expanding into a colossal golden net that covered the sky.

On the giant net, countless Law runes circulated, exuding a terrifying aura that suppressed all things.

It appeared directly above the Heavenly Demon's head with a speed that defied space, then crashed down.

"Roar—!"

The Heavenly Demon let out an extremely angry roar.

It frantically waved its countless tentacles, striking the golden giant net.

The golden net trembled violently, its surface light flickering, as if it could shatter at any moment.

But it was, after all, a forbidden Spell activated by dozens of Nascent Soul Old Monsters, plus Daoist Master Tianyi burning his essence blood.

It forcibly confined the terrifying Heavenly Demon in place.

"Only three breaths of time!"

After doing all this, Daoist Master Tianyi seemed to have aged several hundred years in an instant, his face ashen, his aura weakened to the extreme.

He had created a unique opportunity for everyone to attack the core of the Heavenly Demon's main body.

But at the same time, he had also completely exposed himself to the most dangerous situation.

Opportunity!

Lin Fan, hidden in the shadows, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Now is the time!