136: In front of the ancient site, each displayed their unique abilities.

The barrier-breaking talisman was destroyed, and the Grand Elder's eyes were splitting with rage; the most critical part of his plan had been interrupted!

However, a hideous expression flashed across his face, and he shouted sternly: "Activate the backup plan! Force a Breakthrough of the Ancient Demon Sealing Site Seal! Holy Sect envoys, if not now, when!"

As his voice fell, amidst the chaos on the sacrificial platform, several cold auras that had been deliberately suppressed suddenly erupted!

These were precisely the ones Gongsun Yu had pointed out earlier, along with several other Guixu Cult Cultivators hiding even deeper!

They no longer hid themselves, transforming into several streaks of black smoke, rushing recklessly toward the back mountain of Qingyun Peak, in the direction of the Ancient Demon Sealing Site!

Their goal was clear—even without the barrier-breaking talisman, they had to rely on brute force and secret techniques to attempt to tear open the Seal of the Ancient Demon Sealing Site!

Even if they could only open a tiny gap, it might be enough for them!

"Stop them!" Lin Xuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, forcibly suppressing the churning Qi within his body, and shouted to Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan.

He himself raised his sword once more, locking onto the enraged Grand Elder. He knew that someone had to block this strongest Nascent Soul Cultivator; otherwise, no one could pursue them with peace of mind.

"Wanqing understands!" Su Wanqing's icy eyes contained a murderous intent as her frost silence sword pointed toward a fleeing Late Golden Core Stage Guixu Cultist, her body turning into a stream of light as she gave chase.

She unleashed her Grand Yin Origin sword domain, and frost spread wherever she passed; her speed was actually a few points faster than that black smoke!

"Giggle, want to run? Have you asked this big sister?" Qu Feiyan giggled, her figure dissipating on the spot like a ghost. The next moment, several indistinguishable blood-colored phantoms appeared on the escape route of the other Guixu Cultists, and her crimson serpent whip lashed out like a venomous snake, entangling and striking to create layers of obstacles.

Gongsun Yu was anxious watching from the pavilion, but she kept her duty in mind, forcefully suppressing the urge to rush down. She spread her spiritual sense to its full extent, like the most precise radar, constantly transmitting the position changes of the escapees and any potential ambushes to Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing.

"Junior, you've ruined my great undertaking, pay with your life!" The Grand Elder was consumed by rage, releasing his Nascent Soul Stage cultivation without reservation. He formed Seals with both hands, and a giant palm print condensed with terrifying spiritual power descended upon Lin Xuan like a mountain!

He wanted to use absolute strength to crush this ant that had repeatedly ruined his plans!

Facing this strike filled with rage, Lin Xuan felt unprecedented pressure. But his eyes were as sharp as knives; instead of retreating, he pushed the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art to its limit. His crimson-gold Qi and blood soared into the sky like wolf smoke, the sin-severing sword in his hand emitted a resonant hum, and his War Intent of the Thunder Emperor was completely ignited!

"Slash!"

He roared, his body following his sword, and instead of dodging or evading, he charged straight up to meet the massive palm print!

On the sword's edge, Qi, blood, thunder, and a trace of icy coldness originating from the Grand Yin Origin (thanks to the spiritual resonance and communion with Su Wanqing) fused strangely together, transforming into a brilliant Sword Gang that tore through the sky!

"Boom—!!!"

The second direct clash! This collision was even more intense than before! An energy storm exploded with the two of them as the center; the hard ground of the sacrificial platform cracked inch by inch, and the nearby Cultivators were directly blown away.

Lin Xuan spat out another mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He slammed heavily onto the ground dozens of zhang away, his bones feeling as if they were falling apart, and the light on his sin-severing sword dimmed slightly.

The gap in Realms was, after all, difficult to fully bridge.

However, the Grand Elder did not fare well either. The War Intent of the Thunder Emperor contained within the sin-severing sword had an Innate suppression against demonic paths. Although it failed to heavily injure him, it felt like a red-hot branding iron, scorching his Divine Soul and causing his aura to become disordered, and the palm print dissipated as a result.

He looked at the rusty broken sword in shock, for the first time showing a look of dread in his eyes.

Taking advantage of this gap, Su Wanqing had already caught up to that Late Golden Core Stage Guixu Cultist.

"Ice Prison Lotus!"

She let out a clear shout, and the frost silence sword danced. Countless ice lotuses bloomed in the Void Realm, instantly freezing the cultist along with the black smoke surrounding him! Then, a flash of sword light occurred, and the ice lotus along with the figure inside shattered, turning into powder!

On the other side, Qu Feiyan's phantoms and her crimson serpent whip worked in perfect coordination. Although she couldn't instantly kill all targets, she successfully entangled the other three Guixu Cultists, preventing them from escaping smoothly.

However, there was still one streak of black smoke that was the most hidden and the fastest. Relying on some kind of bizarre escape technique, it broke through the interception of Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan, like a maggot on a tarsal bone, rushing straight to the back mountain!

"Not good! There is one more!" Gongsun Yu's anxious voice rang out in Lin Xuan's mind.

Lin Xuan forced himself to stand up. He looked at the streak of black smoke about to disappear into the forest of the back mountain, then glanced at the Grand Elder who had locked onto him again, his thoughts racing.

"Luo Li!" He silently recited in his heart, sending out the second agreed-upon signal!

Almost at the same time he sent the signal—

"Hum!"

The entire Qingyun Peak, especially the area leading to the back mountain's Ancient Demon Sealing Site, seemed to have its space freeze for an instant. A massive, invisible power originating from the earth veins was triggered, forming a short-lived but incredibly tough spiritual barrier that just happened to block the path of that black smoke!

The foundation of the Mountain Guard Lineage was finally revealed!

The black smoke collided with the barrier, emitting a muffled sound. Its speed plummeted, revealing a figure shrouded in a wide black robe.

Now is the time!

A sharp light burst from Lin Xuan's eyes. Ignoring his own injuries, he poured all his remaining magic power into the sin-severing sword and slashed at the blocked black-robed figure from a distance!

"Thunder Emperor… Judgment!"

A purple-gold thunder sword light, condensed to the extreme and containing the will of judgment and destruction, crossed the space and instantly struck in front of the black-robed figure!

The Black-Robed Figures clearly did not expect this turn of events and hastily sacrificed a bone shield to defend.

"Crack!"

The bone shield shattered upon impact under the sword light containing the War Intent of the Thunder Emperor! The sword light continued unabated, fiercely striking his chest!

"Pfft!"

The black robe burst open, revealing a pale, twisted face covered in eerie patterns underneath. He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with black Qi, his aura instantly withering, but the madness in his eyes grew even more intense. Ignoring his severe injuries, he used the impact of the sword light to transform into a much dimmer streak of black smoke again, forcibly breaking through the obstruction of the spiritual barrier and disappearing into the depths of the back mountain!

"He still got in…" Lin Xuan's heart sank. He knelt on one knee, leaning on his sword, breathing heavily. He was at the end of his rope.

Seeing that the last envoy had finally rushed into the back mountain, the Grand Elder's face showed a hideous smile. No longer paying attention to Lin Xuan, he moved, intending to rush to the Ancient Demon Sealing Site as well.

However, a figure, cold and peerless but carrying boundless murderous intent, blocked his path.

Su Wanqing had returned, her frost silence sword pointing at the Grand Elder, her icy eyes containing only coldness and determination.

"Your opponent hasn't changed yet."

Qu Feiyan also finished off the entangled opponents, joined up with Gongsun Yu, and came to Lin Xuan's side, guarding him vigilantly.

The situation was temporarily deadlocked. But everyone knew that the real crisis had already entered its countdown with that Guixu Cult envoy breaking into the Ancient Demon Sealing Site!