Chapter 329

The opening of the Chaos Immortal Palace gates was like dropping a massive stone into a silent deep pool, instantly stirring up towering waves!

The ancient Chaos aura that spread out was, to the various powerful beings lurking in the Qingming Heavenly Domain, no different than the most tempting bait.

The masters of the five terrifying auras arrived in an instant, forming a semicircle that vaguely surrounded Wang Ping and his three companions along with the Chaos gate.

They were not of one mind, maintaining a clear vigilant distance from each other, but at this moment, their greedy gazes all focused on the Chaos gate and Wang Ping and his companions.

The first to speak was the figure with blood-soaring killing intent, exactly the blood-robed old man who had once pursued and tried to kill Wang Ping on the Immortal Fall Battlefield. He licked his crimson lips, his voice hoarse:

"Tsk tsk, a few little brats, your luck is not bad—you actually managed to gather the keys.

I am 'Blood River Senior'; since you opened the door with merit, hand over all the keys, cripple your cultivation, and you can avoid the suffering of having your souls extracted and refined!"

Blood light surged around him, vaguely revealing countless phantom vengeful spirits wailing, the overwhelming pressure of his Nascent Soul late-stage peak unleashed without restraint, crushing over.

"Hmph, Blood River old ghost, you sure know how to pick up easy gains."

A gloomy, chilling voice sounded, coming from an old man shrouded in gray-black mist, his form hunched like a skeleton, with ghostly green flames jumping in his eye sockets.

"The souls of these juniors are rich in blood and vital energy—excellent material for soul refinement.

Especially that girl; the soul of the Fallen Immortal Clan is a rare treasure.

I am 'Ghost Skull Senior', from the outskirts of the 'Unintermittent Demon Realm'; I also want a share of these keys and souls!"

"A lonely soul and wild ghost from the Unintermittent Demon Realm dares to act recklessly before me?"

A cold snort rang out like metal striking metal, coming from a burly man clad in dark-gold battle armor, with a single horn on his head and a rugged face.

He stood nearly ten feet tall, his muscles knotted like dragons, exuding a savage and ferocious aura, holding in his hand a giant axe as large as a door plank: "I am the 'Golden Horn Demon King', from the 'Ten Thousand Beast Ridge' of the 'Heavenly Demon Realm'!

The Chaos Immortal Palace belongs to the virtuous; strength speaks, so how can we allow you sneaky schemers to covet it?" His aura was indeed also Nascent Soul late-stage peak, and his demonic qi was pure and vast, clearly indicating an extraordinary bloodline.

"Hehe, the Demon King elder brother speaks correctly." A voice soft and enticing to the bone rang out, yet it came from a bewitching woman wearing revealing attire, with a fiery figure and a pair of colorful butterfly wings growing from her back.

Her eyes flowed like they bore hooks; as she lightly flapped her wings, pink miasma spread, "I am the 'Phantom Butterfly Fairy', from the 'Rakshasa Sea'. With such liveliness, how could I be absent?

I see these young gentlemen are handsome; why not follow elder sister? Elder sister will ensure your enjoyment and can even bring you into the Immortal Palace~" Though her smile bloomed like a flower, her aura was strange and elusive, equally late Nascent Soul.

The last person was a silent black-robed cultivator, his entire body shrouded in shadow, his aura icy and deathly still, somewhat resembling the Netherworld Clan Wang Ping had once encountered, yet different—purer and colder.

He simply stood still, yet gave the sensation of a poisonous snake, indeed a powerful one from another lineage of the 'Great Netherworld Realm', calling himself 'Netherbone'.

These five individuals: Blood River Senior (heretical cultivator of the Spirit Realm), Ghost Skull Senior (Unintermittent Demon Realm), Golden Horn Demon King (Heavenly Demon Realm), Phantom Butterfly Fairy (Rakshasa Sea), Netherbone (Great Netherworld Realm).

Representing the Spirit Realm and several other powerful or strange worldly forces beyond it, all are late Nascent Soul or even peak old monsters, rarely seen in ordinary times, yet now they have all appeared together due to the Chaos Immortal Palace.

"Hahaha!" Blood River Senior laughed wildly upon hearing this, "Golden Horn, you this brute also dare to speak of 'virtue'?

Back in the Heavenly Demon Realm, when you slaughtered three tribes of your own kin in the struggle for the 'Barbarian God's Essence Blood', did you forget so quickly?

And Phantom Butterfly, you wretch, the vengeful spirits of those lovers you drained of essence in the Rakshasa Sea could probably fill this Sinking Star Plains!"

Golden Horn Demon King flew into a rage, his giant axe pausing as the ground split: "Blood River old ghost, how do you justify your crime of refining the 'Blood River Banner' using the lives of billions of mortals?"

Phantom Butterfly Fairy's smile remained unchanged, but a cold light flashed in her eyes: "Ghost Skull old man, did you really think the Rakshasa Sea is unaware of your secret capture and soul-refinement of our low-ranking disciples from the Unintermittent Demon Realm?

And Netherbone, the 'Bone-Crushing Division' of your Great Netherworld Realm—just recently, a few Spirit Realm juniors slew one of your members on the Immortal Fall Battlefield; how is it that now you only dare to send a sewer rat like you to pick up scraps?"

Netherbone finally spoke, his voice dry as bone rubbing on bone: "The Bone-Crushing Division's trash—death is no loss. But the treasures of the Chaos Immortal Palace, my Netherworld Realm will surely obtain.

Phantom Butterfly, your Rakshasa Sea's squabbles with the Unintermittent Demon Realm are none of my concern. Blood River, Golden Horn, your old grudges—stop making noise here. In fifteen minutes, the gate will close.

Either join forces to clear the field first, seize the keys and gate control, then each enter by ability; or……keep exposing each other's shortcomings, wait for the gate to close, and everyone will draw water with a bamboo basket—all for naught!"

Upon these words, the scene hesitated slightly. Yes, though the Chaos gate has opened, the fluctuations it emits are gradually weakening, obviously unable to be sustained long. Time is urgent!

"Netherbone Daoist speaks reason." Ghost Skull Senior chuckled darkly, "First deal with these juniors and the keys, then discuss distribution! Otherwise, they might sneak in through the gate while we're distracted!"

The five individuals' gazes once again locked in unison onto Wang Ping and his four companions, killing intent intense, temporarily setting aside their mutual conflicts.

Wang Ping and his four companions stood back-to-back, facing five old monsters at least late Nascent Soul, pressure like a mountain. Yet their eyes held no fear, only boiling battle intent and resolve.

"Gentlemen, it seems an unavoidable fierce battle is upon us." The Azure Profound Star Sword Intent surged into the heavens, the sharp aura of the Law Sword cutting through the heavy air around them.

"The gate can only be maintained for fifteen minutes, and the number of people who can pass through is certainly limited. We must hold our ground, at least to earn the right to enter!"

"Form the array, hold fast!" Yu Liuli shouted clearly, the Immortal Sound Bell hovering above her head, seven-colored sound waves spreading like a tangible light shield, enveloping the four within; as the sound waves flowed, they had the effects of calming the mind, resisting evil thoughts, and deflecting attacks.

The shadowy figure of Youying fluctuated faintly in the shadow behind Wang Ping's side-rear, as if it might vanish at any moment, yet also as if it were everywhere; a thread of bone-chilling killing intent had already locked onto the most elusive and hard-to-defend aura in the enemy camp—the Phantom Butterfly Fairy.

Wang Ping stood at the forefront, facing the direction of greatest pressure. He drew a deep breath, the Chaos Nascent Infant in his dantian blazing with light, the phantom of the Yin-Yang Twin Keys on his chest and the Fusang Tree seed responding simultaneously.

"Five Phases Turn, Chaos Domain—Open!"

With the low shout, a expanse of grayish mist, seeming able to contain all things, centered on Wang Ping, suddenly burst outward!

This domain differed from before: not only was its range greater (enveloping our four companions and the surrounding ten zhang), but within it, faint five-colored light flowed like wandering dragons without cease, emitting a strange Dao rhythm that both transforms all things and restrains the Five Phases.

This was his fusion of the 'Five Phases Divine Light' technique with his own Chaos Nascent Infant, evolving into a more powerful domain form—the Five Phases Chaos Domain!

At the instant the domain unfolded, the five opposing old monsters simultaneously felt a hint of discomfort. Their cultivated arts and controlled energies, to varying degrees, were related to the Five Phases.

Blood Qi belonged to fire-water transformation, ghostly Qi to yin-earth, demonic Qi mixed the Five Phases, illusionary techniques involved water-wood, and Netherworld deathly Qi belonged to yin-water, etc.

Within this Chaos Domain, there was actually a faint sensation of being restrained, assimilated, and disturbed!

"Attack! Delay brings change!" Blood River Senior, the most violent, struck first! A blood-colored small banner appeared in his hand, which he flicked in the wind, instantly becoming several zhang in size; the banner's surface rolled with blood waves, countless ferocious blood shadows howling forth.

Carrying a pungent stench and soul-eroding resentment, it transformed into a sea of blood, sweeping toward Wang Ping and his four companions—exactly his famed treasure, the 'Blood River Banner'!

"Ten Thousand Souls Devour Heart!" Ghost Skull Senior almost simultaneously struck, his withered palm slapping a tattered pouch at his waist, instantly releasing countless gray-white vengeful spirits that emitted shrill, piercing cries—these spirits were more solid and ferocious than those on the Immortal Fall Battlefield, directly rushing at the four, specifically targeting their souls!

Golden Horn Demon King roared, his body suddenly swelling slightly, he lifted his giant axe, and a dark-gold axe light, like splitting mountains and cleaving earth, tore through the void, relying purely on strength and sharpness, he ferociously slashed at Wang Ping! He intended to overcome skill with force, brutally breaking that strange-looking domain!

Phantom Butterfly Fairy laughed coquettishly, her butterfly wings behind her flapping rapidly, filling the sky with pink pollen miasma that spread outward; this miasma could not only cause hallucinations but also silently erode spiritual power and dissolve shields, utterly vicious.

At the same time, she flicked her fingertips, sending out countless seven-colored, hair-fine poison needles, hidden within the miasma, rushing toward Yu Liuli and Youying.

Netherbone was the most strange: his body did not move, he merely lifted a pallid hand, lightly grasping toward the direction where Wang Ping and his four companions stood.

Instantly, the shadows around the four seemed to come alive, transforming into countless icy, slippery black tendrils that extended from the ground and from the void, wrapping around their ankles and wrists, carrying the freezing of blood and erosion of vitality—Netherworld deathly Qi!

Five great experts struck simultaneously! Their offensive covered physical, energy, soul, deadly poison, and strange control aspects; though their coordination was not perfect, the superimposed power was enough to instantly tear apart the defenses of any mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, and even late Nascent Soul would be flustered!

However, Wang Ping's Five Phases Chaos Domain, at this moment, displayed its utterly tyrannical and peerless aspect!

Facing the surging sea of blood, within Wang Ping's domain, the black-red light representing 'water' and 'fire' power suddenly blazed, and the domain's edge seemed to manifest an invisible vortex.

The surging blood-slaughter power rushed into the domain's range, and actually like mud ox entering the sea, its speed suddenly dropped, its power was layer by layer weakened and differentiated, and the resentment and erosive power contained within it were even more rapidly assimilated and annihilated by the chaotic airflow!

Although it could not be completely neutralized, at least it weakened three or four tenths of its power!

Facing the sky-full of resentful ghosts wailing, Wang Ping's mind moved, and the source of the Yi Wood Divine Thunder within the domain was stirred, countless tiny azure-green lightning snakes leapt and flickered at the domain's edge, the aura of utmost yang and righteous thunder permeated, those resentful ghosts seemed to have met their natural enemy, they screamed shrilly and dared not approach too closely, even if they rushed in, they were quickly purified by the lightning snakes!

Facing the pure and violent axe-light of the Golden Horn Demon King, Wang Ping's eyes turned stern, within the domain the Geng Metal white light and Wu Earth yellow light intertwined, forming a solid and heavy chaotic shield wall, which he actively met!

"Boom—!!!"

The tremendous sound shook the heavens! The axe-light fiercely chopped onto the chaotic shield wall, the shield wall violently trembled, cracks appeared on its surface, but ultimately it did not shatter! Wang Ping's figure swayed slightly, his qi and blood surged, but he firmly withstood this blow! The Golden Horn Demon King's eyes flashed with astonishment, this axe of his, even ordinary late Nascent Soul cultivators would not dare to take head-on!

As for the Phantom Butterfly Fairy's pollen miasma and poisonous needles, once they entered the Five Elements Chaotic Domain, they were stirred and diluted by the ceaselessly circulating Five Elements power within the domain, those poisonous needles were even more deflected in trajectory by the domain's power, most shot wide, the few that came close were also blocked by the soundwave shield of Jade Liuli and the shadow power of Youying.

When Ming Gu's strange shadow tendrils wrapped around the bodies of Wang Ping and the four, they felt a "slippery and ungraspable" sensation. The chaotic domain disturbed the stable structure of the shadows, and moreover a force that was both inclusive and repulsive pushed those tendrils slowly apart, wearing them down. Although not completely eliminated, their power was greatly restricted.

"Five Elements Chaotic Domain……truly profound!" Cang Xuan's eyes blazed with sharp light, although he stood behind Wang Ping, he could clearly sense the exquisite changes and formidable defense of that domain when resisting attacks from multiple sides. He no longer hesitated, seizing the brief respite created by Wang Ping, he pointed his sword finger!

"Sword of Laws——Parting Light and Fleeting Shadow!"

Countless strands of sword qi, as fine as hair yet containing the power of spatial cutting and stellar piercing, like a sudden storm, shot out from within the domain, not aiming at the strongest Golden Horn Demon King or Xue He Shangren, but precisely shooting at the resentful ghosts released by Gui Ku Shangren and the weak points in the Phantom Butterfly Fairy's pervasive toxic miasma! He wanted to share Wang Ping's pressure, while simultaneously weakening the enemy's auxiliary and control methods.

Jade Liuli's celestial music suddenly shifted to a lofty and impassioned tone, like a battlefield horn, the sound waves condensed into substantial seven-colored sound blades, coordinating with Cang Xuan's sword qi, they strangled resentful ghosts, dispersed toxic miasma, and formed ring after ring of protective sound halos, reinforcing their side's defense, while that purifying celestial music continuously cleansed everyone's minds, resisting the erosion of blood-slaughter resentment and the Phantom Butterfly's enchanting arts.

Youying then completely disappeared. Not hiding, but his movement technique in the shadows and at the domain's edge had reached the utmost, like a ghost weaving through.

His target was not the frontal strong ones, but rather in the enemy's camp, someone who had quietly circled to the rear flank, attempting a sneak attack on Jade Liuli—the

A cultivator who had at some unknown time lurked nearby, his whole body shrouded in gray mist, his aura similar to the Yin-Ming tribe but even more sinister!

This person was obviously a companion following Gui Ku Shangren or Ming Gu, skilled in sneak attacks.

Just as that gray-mist cultivator condensed a dark-green poisonous blade, about to stab Jade Liuli in the back of the heart, a sword light darker than shadow and colder than icy wind thrust out from the void behind his neck without any omen!

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless! Containing the utmost intent of armor-piercing, life-extinguishing, and ice-cold!

"Pfft!"

The gray-mist cultivator's whole body stiffened, the shock and malice in his eyes not yet fully surfaced, his head already shot up into the sky!

Even before a Nascent Soul could escape, he was torn apart by the destructive power contained in the sword light! His corpse fell to the ground, quickly annihilated by the chaotic energy remnants.

Youying struck once and immediately retreated, merging again into the shadows, as if he had never appeared.

But this fierce assassination instantly deterred the other restless petty ones who wanted to take advantage, and also made the five old monsters on the front line feel a chill in their hearts, they no longer dared to slight these four seemingly young juniors in the slightest.

"Damn it!" Gui Ku Shangren saw his companion killed, he roared angrily, more resentful ghosts and several bronze ancient corpses emitting a foul stench were summoned by him, rushing toward Wang Ping's domain.

"Junior, you have some skill! Take another axe of mine!" The Golden Horn Demon King was provoked into ferocity, his body swelled again, demonic aura shot to the heavens, his giant axe chopped repeatedly, axe-lights like golden waves, continuous and unending!

Xue He Shangren, Phantom Butterfly Fairy, and Ming Gu also all tightened their offensives, various bottom-box arts, treasures, poison gu, and netherworld secret techniques emerged in layers.

Wang Ping's pressure suddenly increased, the Five Elements Chaotic Domain under the frantic assault of the five strong ones and their subordinates, plus some originally hidden cultivators who now saw an opportunity and joined the attack—other early to mid Nascent Soul cultivators—violently fluctuated, its light dimming and brightening unpredictably.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his spiritual power poured out like opening a floodgate. But his eyes remained calm, the chaotic Nascent Soul madly operated, the weak vitality and spatial stabilizing power emitted by the Jianmu seed also supported the domain.

He no longer merely defended, he began to counterattack!

"Five Elements Divine Light——Swipe!"

Seizing a gap in the enemy's attack wave, Wang Ping gathered most of the power within the domain, and fiercely "swiped" toward the area where attacks were most dense and energy attributes most mixed! A broad, grayish haze of divine light like a silk ribbon swept over!

In that instant, the scene of that area became strange. Part of the blood waves transformed from the Xue He Banner directly faded and disappeared; the corpse aura and runes on the surfaces of several bronze ancient corpses dimmed.

Part of the Phantom Butterfly Fairy's toxic miasma was erased from empty space; the shadow tendrils extended by Ming Gu broke and vanished; even one axe-light of the Golden Horn Demon King's edge was "swiped" into blurriness by a few degrees!

Although this "swipe" could not completely shatter any single person's attack, it forcibly weakened and dissolved, in an almost unreasonable way, all the Five Elements attribute spiritual power in that area! It created an excellent counterattack opportunity for Cang Xuan and Jade Liuli!

"Good opportunity!" Cang Xuan long howled, his sword fingers joined, a strand of sword silk condensed to the utmost, seeming able to sever laws——"Breaking Delusion"——followed the gap opened by the Five Elements Divine Light swipe, straight thrusting at Gui Ku Shangren's true body!

Jade Liuli then swiftly waved her bare hands, the celestial music bell light blazed forth, a sound wave tip condensed like a diamond drill, coordinating with several strands of seven-colored sound blades, it attacked the Phantom Butterfly Fairy's butterfly wings and vital points!

Gui Ku Shangren hurriedly recalled resentful ghosts and ancient corpses for defense, still the "Breaking Delusion" sword silk brushed past his shoulder, drawing up a streak of black blood and shattered bone fragments, he let out a pained groan. The Phantom Butterfly Fairy was even more pale-faced, her wings frantically fanned, scattering large amounts of scale powder to form a shield, simultaneously her figure hastily retreated, before barely blocking the soundwave attack, but her wings were also damaged, her breath became disordered.

The melee battle fully erupted! Above the Chen Xing Plains, various colored lights violently collided, energy storms raged.

Wang Ping and the four backed against the Chaotic Gate, forming a tight battle formation, with Wang Ping's Five Elements Chaotic Domain as the core defense and counterattack fulcrum, Cang Xuan's Sword of Laws main attack for slaughter, Jade Liuli's celestial music assisting in control and defense, Youying appearing and disappearing mysteriously to fill gaps and plug leaks, assassinating vital points.

Surprisingly, under the siege of five late Nascent Soul great perfection old monsters and over ten Nascent Soul cultivators from various sides, they tenaciously held on, and repeatedly counterattacked, wounding the enemy!

Time passed, minute by minute. The light of the Chaotic Gate was visibly fading at a speed discernible to the naked eye, the gate's edges also began to slightly blur and fluctuate.

"The gate is closing! At most another hundred breaths!" A keen-eyed cultivator exclaimed in alarm.

This made the besieging crowd even more frenzied! Everyone knew, once the gate closed, they would likely need to gather the five keys again to reopen it, who knows how many years and months that would take!

"All-out attack! First blast open those juniors' turtle shells!" Xue He Shangren roared, he spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Xue He Banner, the banner's blood waves surged heaven-high, transforming into a ferocious blood-colored giant python, roaring as it charged toward the Five Elements Chaotic Domain!

The Golden Horn Demon King also fully revealed part of his demonic form, the golden horn on his forehead blazed with light ten thousand zhang tall, each axe heavier than the last, almost wanting to cleave space!

Gui Ku Shangren, Phantom Butterfly Fairy, and Ming Gu also all unleashed their bottom-box methods, ghostly wails and godly howls, toxic miasma filling the sky, shadows like a prison!

Wang Ping and the four's pressure reached its peak! The Five Elements Chaotic Domain violently trembled, appearing damaged in multiple places, Wang Ping coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, his face deathly pale as paper. Cang Xuan's sword qi crisscrossed, yet his clothes were also stained with blood.

Jade Liuli's celestial music already carried a hint of sorrow and harshness, her gauze attire damaged. Youying, though not directly confronting head-on, in such a dense energy storm, concealment also became extremely difficult, several times he narrowly escaped danger.

Just at this critical moment, another change occurred!

In the distant horizon, again came several powerful auras! One of them, cold and aloof, carrying an indifferent and ruthless chill; another, netherworldly deathly still, yet even more pure and domineering!

"Jueqing Palace!"

"Great Netherworld Realm Bone-Eroding Department reinforcements!"

Everyone's hearts sank.

Only to see several strands of moon-white evasion light and pitch-black netherworld evasion light almost simultaneously arrive at the battlefield's edge.

The Jueqing Palace side, indeed three women, the leader's aura was stronger than that of the jade ruyi-wielding woman Cang Xuan had repelled in the Sea of Laws before, already reached Nascent Soul great perfection, her gaze ice-cold as she swept over the battlefield, especially pausing for a moment on Cang Xuan, killing intent palpable.

And the Great Netherworld Realm side, then two figures shrouded in thick deathly aura, one of them actually had an aura that had reached the threshold of the Divine Transformation stage, although not yet fully broken through, but his pressure far surpassed all Nascent Soul cultivators present!

"Hand over the Geng Metal Key and the murderer of my palace disciples!" The great perfection woman of Jueqing Palace coldly shouted.

"Those who killed my Bone-Eroding tribesmen, die!" That near-Divine Transformation netherworld powerhouse, his voice like the icy wind of the Nine Underworlds, his gaze directly locked onto Wang Ping!

The addition of this new force made the already chaotic battlefield situation even more bizarre and complex, and completely shattered the temporary balance.

Ultimately, the melee battle and the struggle to enter the Chaotic Immortal Palace entered the most tragic and unpredictable moment! The gate's stability had already entered a countdown!

The arrival of reinforcements from the Absolute Emotion Palace and the Bone-Corroding Department of the Great Netherworld Realm was like pouring two ladles of cold water into a boiling oil pot, instantly making the situation on the Chenxing Plains even more chaotic and dangerous.

The woman leading the Absolute Emotion Palace was tall and strikingly beautiful, yet her face was icy cold like ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, her entire body radiating a solitary sword intent that severed the seven emotions and six desires; her aura had clearly reached the peak of Nascent Soul Grand Perfection, surpassing even the previous "Soul-Shattering Blood Scythe" Mengka by three parts.

The two female cultivators behind her, one holding an ice-crystal longsword and the other cradling a Profound Ice Dharma Canon, were also both late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators; their gazes were like icy blades, locked firmly onto Cangxuan and the Geng Metal Key hovering beside him.

On the side of the Great Netherworld Realm, the two Netherworld cultivators were both shrouded in thick, inseparable black death qi, their faces indiscernible.

The leader was not tall in stature, but the icy, deathly still aura emanating from him, as if connected to the source of the Nine Netherworlds, caused all Nascent Soul cultivators present to feel their hearts tighten—that was the pressure of a half-step into God Transformation!

Although seemingly limited by the rules of the Azure Void Heavenly Domain or his own condition, unable to fully break through, his true combat power absolutely far surpassed that of an ordinary Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivator.

The other Netherworld cultivator at his side also had an aura in the late Nascent Soul stage, holding in his hand a strange chain forged from countless tiny skulls pieced together.

"Hand over the Geng Metal Key, and the murderer who killed our Absolute Emotion Palace disciples, and you may leave intact corpses."

The Nascent Soul Grand Perfection woman of the Absolute Emotion Palace, named "Ice Soul Fairy" Leng Ningfeng, spoke with a voice devoid of fluctuation, yet carrying an undeniable air of judgment.