Chapter 298: Slaughtering Canglang, Fighting a Nascent Soul

"It wasn't you?"

A look of surprise flashed across Bingqian's face, but the attacks from his hands did not stop. The petals of the Ice Flame Lotus transformed into a flurry of sharp blades and swept forward.

True Lord Heavenly Wolf activated a mid-grade defensive magic treasure in his hand, completely blocking all the lotus petals.

However, frost condensed and spread across the light screen.

'Such overbearing power!'

True Lord Heavenly Wolf thought to himself. Then, his mana surged, shattering the ice.

"Could it be that person named Tianluo?"

"Exactly. If Daoist Friend Bingqian has the skill, feel free to fight Elder Tianluo."

Bingqian's expression turned ugly.

It was evident that the gap between them was massive.

Against him, Bingqian estimated that he would not even be able to run away and would likely be killed in just a few moves.

Xu Chuan's green robes fluttered wildly. His toes tapped lightly against the jagged mountain rocks, his figure transforming into a streak of azure light that shot directly into the vast mountain range.

A thousand feet behind him, a gray shadow pursued relentlessly. It was none other than True Lord Canglang.

True Lord Canglang had repeatedly caused trouble for the Xu family and for him. Regardless of who was instructing him, he had already been etched into Xu Chuan's black book.

Now was the time to settle the score.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them, one fleeing and one pursuing, arrived in the Boundless Forest hundreds of miles away.

Here, ancient trees reached into the sky, blotting out the sun. The massive tree trunks required several people to encircle them, and their branches and leaves intertwined like a net. Thick mist swirled through the forest, exuding a chilling, sinister aura.

The occasional roar of a beast or cry of a bird only accentuated the profound seclusion.

Xu Chuan tapped his toes against the void, his green robes snapping in the wind as his figure suddenly halted. He stood upon the twisted branch of a thousand-year-old ancient cypress, gazing at True Lord Canglang who arrived closely behind.

True Lord Canglang surveyed the surroundings, his dark green eyes gleaming with pure malice. "Is this the graveyard you chose for yourself?"

Hearing this, a cold sneer curled the corner of Xu Chuan's mouth. "I truly do not know how someone with your temperament has managed to survive until now. Did you never stop to think why I lured you away from the battlefield?"

The smile faded from True Lord Canglang's face, replaced by a flash of wariness, which was then swiftly overtaken by ruthless cruelty. "I know you have a trump card! But no matter how many tricks you possess, today you will find inescapable death!"

He suddenly threw his head back and roared, his voice shaking the rolling mist. "To deal with you, this True Lord has also mastered a secret art, more than enough to bury you here!"

Before his voice faded, True Lord Canglang violently bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of essence blood as black as ink. The essence blood morphed into a bizarre rune in midair and shot straight between his eyebrows.

With a soft buzz, the rune merged into his glabella.

A majestic surge of demonic energy instantly erupted from his body, and a wolf-shaped phantom condensed above his head.

A moment later.

The phantom sank into his body.

True Lord Canglang's eyes instantly turned as red as blood. The muscles beneath his robes bulged wildly, and his physical frame grew to over ten feet tall.

His skin split apart into bloody fissures, and black energy spewed from the cracks. His entire person transformed into a half-man, half-wolf monster, radiating an overbearing aura that was utterly suffocating.

"Xu Chuan," True Lord Canglang spoke, his voice no longer sounding human, layered with a harsh, grating static.

"This is the Demonification Secret Art, a forbidden secret art of my cultivation method. Every time it is used, it leaves behind irreversible side effects.

"However, it elevates my physical body to near the level of a Tier 3 Demonic Beast, drastically increasing my physical strength and raising my cultivation to Golden Core Perfection. The power of my divine abilities will also double, rivaling perfection-level divine abilities.

"This secret art can be used a total of three times. After the third time, the caster will thoroughly undergo demonification and permanently lose their sanity.

"To kill you, this True Lord steeled a great deal of resolve to cultivate this secret art!

"Now, you can die in peace!"

"I truly must thank Daoist Friend Canglang for your patient explanation," Xu Chuan said with a faint smile.

Although True Lord Canglang's aura had climbed to Golden Core Perfection, there was not the slightest trace of fear on Xu Chuan's face.

"Why aren't you afraid?! Why aren't you afraid?!"

Seeing Xu Chuan's composure, True Lord Canglang gradually lost his reason. His fingernails extended into sharp wolf claws, and his entire body shot forward like a cannonball.

Xu Chuan immediately leaped down to the ground.

Crash!

The ancient cypress Xu Chuan had been standing on was cleaved cleanly in half by True Lord Canglang's sharp claws.

"You make a fine opponent to test my strength!"

Xu Chuan smiled lightly and swept his hand over his Yin Corpse Pouch. Swish! Five bloody shadows burst forth from the bag.

Upon landing, they materialized into five hideous blood corpses. All of them sported green faces and protruding fangs, wore armor, and were enshrouded in dense corpse qi.

They autonomously formed the Five Spirits Blood Corpse Formation. The corpse qi and power from four of the blood corpses surged like a tide into the central one, a blood corpse at the peak of the initial third tier.

This central corpse's body violently expanded. Its muscles knotted like iron, and its skin took on a dark red glow. Its aura abruptly skyrocketed, becoming comparable to the late-stage Golden Core.

"Roar—"

The empowered blood corpse threw its head back and unleashed a deafening roar. Its corpse qi blasted the surrounding mist apart and made the branches and leaves of the ancient trees tremble wildly.

Its eyes, red as blood, locked firmly onto the lunging True Lord Canglang. Pushing off the ground on all fours, sending rotten leaves and rocks flying, it roared and charged to meet him like an artillery shell.

Clang!

The ringing sound of clashing metal echoed through the deep forest, sending sparks flying. The blood corpse did not dodge or evade, using its bloody claws to meet True Lord Canglang's attack head-on.

The blood corpse was forced back three steps by the impact, but this only incited its ferocity.

With another furious hiss, its sharp claws tore through the air with a piercing shriek, slashing toward True Lord Canglang's chest.

Three bloody gashes, deep enough to show bone, were ripped into True Lord Canglang's chest.

The blood corpse's attacks carried a blood toxin capable of corroding flesh and blood.

However, True Lord Canglang's physical body was incredibly formidable at this moment, allowing him to resist it.

'The blood corpse shouldn't be a match for True Lord Canglang as he is now.'

Xu Chuan stood hundreds of feet away, his gaze sharp as a torch. He instantly perceived the advantages and disadvantages of the battlefield, but there was no panic on his face. Instead, a cold smirk curled his lips.

His left hand fluidly swept across the storage ring on his waist.

With a flash of spiritual light, a bone-chilling yin wind abruptly swept through the deep forest, churning the mist and sending fallen leaves swirling. A pitch-black banner appeared in his hand out of thin air.

With a flick of his wrist, the Soul-Gathering Banner forcefully unfurled, the runes on its fabric instantly lighting up.

Accompanied by the horrifying sound of ghostly wails, a mass of black and red ghost mist surged out, sweeping toward True Lord Canglang.

True Lord Canglang condensed a divine ability with one hand. A dense pack of wolf phantoms transformed into a green torrent, violently crashing into the black and red ghost mist.

With a loud bang, the ghost mist and the wolf phantoms intertwined. The shrieks of countless remnant souls mixed with howling wolves, shaking the forest trees and sending leaves scattering.

The wolf phantoms were unparalleled in sharpness, tearing through the ghost mist like sharp blades. Streaks of black and red mist were scattered and obliterated, dissipating into the air.

Just as the ghost mist was collapsing, a towering figure abruptly revealed itself from within.

It was a Blood Fiend Ghost King, twenty to thirty feet tall!

Its entire body was covered in dark red scales, its face was utterly grotesque, its eyes burned as red as blood, and two curved black horns grew from the top of its head.

Enshrouded in thick blood fiend qi, it gripped a Ghost Claw Long Saber condensed from remnant souls. Its aura was ferocious and tyrannical, exuding a presence no weaker than the peak of the mid-stage Golden Core.

The combat strength of the Blood Fiend Ghost King was not much different from an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

However, because it was a ghostly creature, without methods to counter it, ordinary attacks would find it very difficult to destroy. At most, they could heavily injure it.

Furthermore, the most terrifying aspect of such creatures lay in the corrosion of their yin qi on others, as well as their Ghost Howl Sonic Wave, which was an innate divine sense secret method.

It was enough to make a person's head split with pain, and combined with the corrosion of yin qi, it could even cause them to lose their sanity.

For someone like True Lord Canglang, who only had half of his sanity remaining, this was a double dose of suffering!

Shriek!

Following the blast of a Ghost Howl Sonic Wave.

True Lord Canglang felt an agonizing splitting headache.

Although his strength had violently surged to Golden Core Perfection, his divine soul remained at the late-stage Golden Core and had not undergone any metamorphosis.

Therefore, the ghost howl from a peak mid-stage third-tier Blood Fiend Ghost King affected him significantly.

The blood corpse took the opportunity to close in, its sharp claws tearing several long wounds into his back, causing blood to flow endlessly.

However, immediately afterward, True Lord Canglang struck back like a madman, tearing a large chunk of flesh from the blood corpse's body.

Perhaps it was his wolf nature acting up.

Unfortunately for him, blood corpses were special creations of corpse refining with incredibly strong regenerative abilities. As long as its core corpse crystal was not shattered, it could not be considered truly dead.

Blood corpses were notoriously difficult to deal with. That was exactly why Blood-Robed Ancestor had such a fierce reputation in Greedy Wolf Prefecture back then.

An initial third-tier blood corpse was far more troublesome than an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.

The same was true for those who practiced the Ghost Dao.

Their personal combat strength might not be considered overwhelmingly strong, perhaps only possessing some bizarre secret arts. However, their ability to refine corpses and create ghostly creatures made countless cultivators dread them.

"Xu Chuan! Xu Chuan! If you have the skill, fight me head-on!"

Facing the joint assault of the blood corpse and the Ghost King, True Lord Canglang was gradually falling into a disadvantage. His body was already riddled with wounds.

If these two trump cards were used against a True Lord-level expert at Golden Core Perfection like True Lord Heavenly Wolf, they might not achieve such devastating results.

But against True Lord Canglang, they were more than enough.

Fifteen minutes later.

True Lord Canglang's power gradually faded, and his physical defenses plummeted.

Xu Chuan continued to let the Ghost King and the blood corpse wear him down.

Until the Demonification Secret Art completely dissipated.

Xu Chuan launched a divine sense secret method, instantly heavily injuring his divine soul, and then effortlessly crippled his dantian.

Looking at True Lord Canglang lying miserably on the ground, Xu Chuan recalled how arrogant and unrestrained he had been during his initial appearance.

"Daoist Friend Canglang, the grudges between you and me will be compensated with your flesh, blood, and divine soul. Once the Blood Fiend Ghost King refines your divine soul, it will surely break through to the late stage of the third tier soon."

"No!"

"Xu Chuan, spare me, spare me! I will tell you a massive secret, one concerning the key to this War of the Two Prefectures!"

Beyond life and death, nothing else mattered.

In the end, True Lord Canglang swallowed his dignity and begged his former enemy.

Hearing this, the corners of Xu Chuan's lips lifted slightly. "A secret?"

"Are you talking about the fact that Elder Tianluo of your sect was possessed by an Ancient True Demon? If he forms a Nascent Soul, his strength will far surpass that of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

"If my guess is correct, he might even be able to rival a Great Nascent Soul Cultivator, right?"

"You... how could you..."

Before he could finish, Xu Chuan struck directly, sealing his divine soul, and then activated the Soul-Gathering Banner to drag his divine soul into the banner's space.

The Blood Fiend Ghost King transformed into a cloud of dark red mist and rushed into the banner's fabric to enjoy its feast.

Xu Chuan tallied his gains, then tossed the corpse into the Xu Clan's Grotto-heaven.

"Finally, another enemy dealt with."

Xu Chuan stored away the blood corpses, feeling his mind become a bit clearer and untangled.

He took a slow step forward. With one stride, the airflow around him suddenly stagnated.

As his second step landed, his black hair moved without wind. Every strand rapidly shed its dark color at a visible rate, turning as gray and white as frost and snow.

When his third step settled, his two eyebrows suddenly grew wildly, drooping down like willow branches. In an instant, they hung down to his chest, snow-white and crystalline, each strand distinctly moving gently with the breeze.

At the same time, the fine hairs beneath his jaw also grew rapidly, transforming into a bushy white beard.

Immediately after, wisps of yin qi and corpse qi began lingering around him.

The initially immortal-like white-browed Daoist transformed into a white-browed old demon.

His facial features contorted slightly, making him look like an eccentric old man.

Even if Xu Mingxian and the others appeared before him right now, they likely wouldn't recognize him.

Xu Chuan did not intend to return just yet. Instead, he planned to roam and explore Greedy Wolf Prefecture.

He executed evasion divine abilities several times in succession, putting thousands of miles between him and the forest. Then, using spiritual sense probing, he discovered two Golden Core stage cultivators flying toward the Greedy Wolf Sect.

Sensing someone spying on them, the two immediately stopped and looked around.

"Who is it?! Come out!" one of them, a black-haired middle-aged man, shouted.

Perhaps due to Heavenly Azure Prefecture's invasion, the two were quite tense.

Xu Chuan flew over from a distance, stroking his beard with a faint smile. "I am Daoist White Brow. Greetings, fellow Daoist friends. May I ask where you two are heading in such a hurry?"

"Daoist White Brow?"

The black-haired middle-aged man and a gray-haired old man exchanged a glance, mutually confirming that neither had ever heard of this name.

"Are you a rogue cultivator of our Greedy Wolf Prefecture?" the gray-haired old man asked.

"Not at all. I hail from Profound Moon Prefecture and have been roaming through Greedy Wolf Prefecture recently."

"From Profound Moon Prefecture?" Both men remained cautious, refusing to blindly trust a stranger.

After all, the sudden appearance of an unknown rogue cultivator at a time like this would inevitably arouse suspicion.

"How should I address you two Daoist friends?"

"Roaming around at the early stage of the Golden Core—Daoist Friend must be very confident in his strength. Why don't we exchange a few moves so I, Shao, can test you?"

The black-haired middle-aged man wore black tight-fitting attire. His face was resolute, and his eyes flashed like lightning.

Before he even finished speaking, he flipped his right hand, and a Dark Green Long Banner appeared in his grasp.

The banner was covered in dense insect patterns, faintly exuding a foul, putrid stench.

With a gentle wave, a thick green cloud abruptly spewed from the top of the banner. The green cloud surged like a tide, carrying a massive expanse of poisonous miasma as it swept overwhelmingly toward Xu Chuan.

In an instant, it enveloped a space of several dozen feet in front of him, blotting out the sky.

Xu Chuan's eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he advanced. His left hand swept past the Yin Corpse Pouch at his waist as he shouted, "Out!"

A bloody figure burst through the air.

"A Tier 3 blood corpse?!"

Shock appeared on the faces of both the black-haired middle-aged man and the gray-haired old man.

They watched as the Profound Yin Blood Corpse roared and rammed headfirst into the green cloud.

The sound of tearing echoed all around.

The green cloud was forcefully ripped open, dispersing the poisonous miasma to reveal three peak Tier 2 venomous insects.

Each of them possessed a hideous form.

There was a black-striped venomous scorpion the size of a bowl, its tail stinger glinting with a cold, deep blue light.

There was an emerald-green spirit-devouring locust with mouthparts as sharp as blades, and an armored dark iron venomous centipede moving its dozens of long legs as its venom glands secreted a dark green liquid.

The Profound Yin Blood Corpse was fierce and unafraid of death. Even fighting one against three, it still held the upper hand.

These three types of spirit insects were all highly venomous. Even if a Golden Core stage cultivator was struck by them, it would be extremely troublesome, as ordinary detoxification pills could not cure the poison.

However, the Profound Yin Blood Corpse was a refined corpse creation to begin with, and its own attacks contained blood toxin. Unless it was confronted with the highly lethal poison of certain Tier 3 demonic beasts, making it display symptoms of poisoning would be incredibly difficult.

The black-haired middle-aged man knew his three venomous insects were no match for the blood corpse. He waved his Dark Green Long Banner again, and a dark purple shadow darted out.

It was a Purple-Striped Black-Ringed Hook Snake, seventy or eighty feet long.

The snake's entire body was as black as ink, with rough, hard scales that had serrated edges. As they rubbed together, they produced a fine hissing sound, much like a sharp blade slicing through silk.

Embedded in the center of every black scale was an eerie purple stripe, trailing longitudinally along the snake's spine.

A loud hiss rang out, sending sonic waves rippling in all directions.

Its aura reached the initial third tier.

'An initial third-tier demonic beast!' Xu Chuan's pupils shrank slightly, inwardly startled.

'For this man named Shao to be able to control a highly venomous demonic beast of this realm, he is definitely not a simple character.'

'They are all highly venomous demonic beasts and spirit insects. What kind of cultivation method is this person practicing? It shouldn't be the orthodox path of beast taming, right?'

Xu Chuan pondered.

Orthodox beast tamers emphasized a mental connection and mutual symbiosis with their demonic beasts. However, the spirit insects and the Hook Snake before him were savage, cruel, and had very low intelligence. They must have been refined using a Demonic Dao secret method.

This made them easier to control.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Xu Chuan's left hand brushed past his Yin Corpse Pouch again, and two bloody streaks shot into the air.

Two more Profound Yin Blood Corpses!

The moment they appeared, they flanked the Purple-Striped Black-Ringed Hook Snake from the left and right, firmly entangling it to prevent it from interfering with the ongoing battle between the first blood corpse and the three venomous insects.

Although this Purple-Striped Black-Ringed Hook Snake had a formidable aura, its defenses were not considered robust.

The two corpses attacked in tandem, their sharp claws ripping off large patches of black scales with every strike.

Hiss—

The Hook Snake felt the pain and let out a sharp hiss, the killing intent in its purple eyes blazing brighter.

It violently twisted its massive body, sweeping it out like a steel whip, and ferociously smashed the Profound Yin Blood Corpse in front of it, sending it flying.

But the Profound Yin Blood Corpse merely shook its head and roared as it charged forward again, its sinister and cold aura undiminished.

Seeing this, the Hook Snake grew even more frantic. It attempted to coil around one of the blood corpses to crush it.

However, just as it wrapped around the waist of the Profound Yin Blood Corpse on the left, the blood corpse on the right seized the opportunity to attack, thrusting its sharp claws viciously toward its seven-inch spot—its vital weak point.

The Hook Snake was forced to loosen its coils and turn back to defend itself.

Yet it was sneak-attacked by the other Profound Yin Blood Corpse from behind. A massive chunk of scales was torn from its back, and blood mixed with purple venom gushed forth.

Aside from coiling, whipping, and biting, the Hook Snake's sprayed venom was also a major ultimate move, capable of corroding the mana shields of mid-stage Golden Core cultivators and making them deeply fearful.

But when it landed on the blood corpses, it had very little effect.

Their sense of pain was suppressed to the absolute minimum, and their intelligence was even lower than the spirit insects and Hook Snake controlled by Cultivator Shao.

Of course, as they grew, their intelligence would gradually increase. If their master could not control them, there was a risk of backlash.

Seeing that his spirit insects and Hook Snake were at risk of dying, Cultivator Shao immediately said, "Daoist Friend White Brow, I admit defeat! Please make your blood corpses stop at once."

"Daoist Friend Shao, you were the one who provoked this spar. Shouldn't it be up to this humble Daoist to decide when it ends?!"

Seeing this, Cultivator Shao turned and cast a pleading look at the gray-haired old man.

The gray-haired old man sighed softly and took a step forward. A pressure belonging to a late-stage Golden Core cultivator fully erupted, permeating the surroundings.

"Daoist Friend White Brow, on behalf of my face, how about sparing Daoist Friend Shao this time? There is a reason for this situation; normally, he would not be this reckless."

"How should I address Daoist Friend?" Xu Chuan asked.

"I cultivate in seclusion at Lesser Azure Mountain in Greedy Wolf Prefecture. Many fellow Daoists call me Perfected Cangshan, and you may address me as such.

"This is Shao Wuping, the ancestor of the Shao Clan in Greedy Wolf Prefecture."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly, then said plainly, "Return!"

The three Profound Yin Blood Corpses immediately returned to Xu Chuan's side and were retrieved back into his Yin Corpse Pouch.

Shao Wuping let out a long breath. Looking at the miserable state of his spirit insects and Hook Snake, a flash of heartbreak crossed his eyes. He then formed hand seals, recalling them into his Dark Green Long Banner to recuperate.

Next, he clasped his fists toward Xu Chuan. "Thank you for holding back, Daoist Friend White Brow."

Perfected Cangshan stroked his beard and smiled faintly. "Daoist Friend White Brow's methods are similar to those of our Greedy Wolf Prefecture's former Blood-Robed Ancestor. Could it be that you also practice a certain Blood Demon Dao cultivation method?"

"Not at all. This humble Daoist only stumbled upon a corpse refining secret method by chance. Out of curiosity, I refined a few blood corpses to play around with. However, to think that Greedy Wolf Prefecture actually has someone with the same methods as me.

"If the opportunity arises, I must definitely meet him."

"You are a bit late, Daoist Friend White Brow. If you had arrived a few years earlier, you might have been able to exchange pointers with Daoist Friend Blood Robe, but he has already perished."

"Was he very weak?"

"No, Daoist Friend Blood Robe's realm was the same as mine, the seventh layer of the Golden Core. With three blood corpses at the peak of the initial third tier, even cultivators at the eighth or ninth layer of the Golden Core were extremely wary of him."

"Then how did he perish? Don't tell me a Nascent Soul expert took action?"

"It is a long story. Come along with us, Daoist Friend, and I will slowly tell you on the way."

"Alright."

Perfected Cangshan briefly recounted the affairs between Greedy Wolf Prefecture and Heavenly Azure Prefecture.

Xu Chuan revealed an astonished expression and muttered, "A conflict between two prefectures. It seems I chose a poor time to travel here."

"Would Daoist Friend White Brow be willing to lend our Greedy Wolf Sect a hand? If you can kill a Golden Core cultivator from Heavenly Azure Prefecture, the Greedy Wolf Sect will definitely offer numerous rewards."

"I am a free spirit who doesn't wish to get easily involved. However, this is my first time seeing such a large-scale war. I wouldn't mind going to broaden my horizons."

Xu Chuan's refusal paradoxically made the two of them trust him a bit more.

Any foreign Golden Core stage cultivator would prioritize self-preservation and absolutely never arbitrarily meddle in this kind of war.

After all, one careless mistake could draw disastrous consequences upon oneself.

"Fair enough. In that case, Daoist Friend White Brow should keep your distance to avoid being caught in the crossfire."

Half an hour later.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Chuan had changed identities and returned to the battlefield.

With Perfected Cangshan and the Shao Clan's ancestor vouching for him, none of the Greedy Wolf Prefecture cultivators attacked him without reason, and he also kept a safe distance.

He genuinely just watched from afar.

As time passed, more Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived from various parts of Greedy Wolf Prefecture.

Heavenly Azure Prefecture's advantage was gradually diminishing.

Xu Chuan looked up at the terrifying shockwaves above the clouds.

'Xi Daoyun and Mo Wentian should realize by now that Heavenly Azure Prefecture cannot win this war.'

In reality, the true crux of the battle lay in the fight between Mo Wentian and Tianluo.

However, after the massacre last time, Tianluo had absorbed a massive amount of cultivators' essence blood, elevating his demonic physique to the late stage of the third tier. Unless it was a fight to the death, he would not reveal his true demonic form.

Yet, just the physical defense of the late third tier and the bonus to his strength gave him the actual capital to contend with an initial-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

The main issue was that Mo Wentian's mana had not yet fully converted into Nascent Soul-level mana.

After breaking into the Nascent Soul realm, one needed at least several years of consolidation before they could be considered a true early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

'How can there be such a powerful Golden Core stage cultivator?'

Mo Wentian's heart was filled with confusion. 'Late third-tier physical defense and strength, perfect-level offensive and defensive divine abilities, and divine sense power at the Nascent Soul level.

'Even if his mana is lacking, his strength is completely on par with an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

'What kind of immense fortune could produce such an unparalleled figure?!'

Mo Wentian would occasionally observe the battle below. He knew that if the Nascent Soul combatants did not decide a victor soon, the battle below was in danger of being reversed.

He transmitted a message to Xi Daoyun. "Daoist Friend Xi, you miscalculated this time."

"I have only just entered the Nascent Soul realm and my foundation is still shallow. I have already given my all, but I cannot take this person down in a short time."

"But if we don't kill him now, given his foundation, once he forms his Nascent Soul, you'll be even less of a match for him, won't you?"

Hearing this, a trace of displeasure rose in Mo Wentian's heart. "Daoist Friend Xi, I only agreed to deal with him. I never agreed to throw my life away for this.

"If you have the capability, fight one against two yourself and kill this person."

"Please don't be angry, Daoist Friend Mo," Xi Daoyun's voice softened. "How about this? I recall you recently acquired a high-grade defensive magic treasure. Blocking a single move from Qi Tianxiong shouldn't be difficult.

"Leave Tianluo to me.

"If my full-powered strike fails to kill him, we retreat.

"What do you think?"

Mo Wentian pondered for a long moment and ultimately agreed.

The sea of clouds churned, and astral winds howled.

A brilliant light flared in Xi Daoyun's eyes. He abruptly flipped his right hand, and the storage pouch at his waist flashed. A flying sword, entirely dark gold, suddenly tore through the air.

The sword was over three feet long, its blade engraved with complex runes. Its name was "Golden Absolute."

He had obtained this sword from a certain ancient grotto-residence hundreds of years ago. It was a top-tier ancient magic treasure with immense power that perfectly suited his cultivation method. He considered it his ultimate trump card.

Seven crests marked the domain of top-tier magic treasures, but the might of this flying sword almost reached the level of eight crests.

"Absolute Edge Slash!"

Xi Daoyun gave a clear shout, pouring his early-stage Nascent Soul mana unreservedly into the flying sword. Layers upon layers of golden sword shadows materialized around him.

"Bring it on!" Qi Tianxiong laughed loudly, entirely unafraid as he also unleashed a full-powered attack.

Yet in the next moment.

Xi Daoyun's figure flashed and completely vanished from his original spot.

He appeared a thousand feet in front of Tianluo.

Meanwhile, Mo Wentian appeared in front of Qi Tianxiong, taking Xi Daoyun's place.

"Despicable!"

It was too late for Qi Tianxiong to attack Xi Daoyun now. Thus, he swung his battle saber, launching a blade light hundreds of feet long down upon Mo Wentian.

He believed that with Tianluo's capabilities, he could still handle a single strike from Xi Daoyun.

After that, he would absolutely never give Xi Daoyun another chance.

Mo Wentian was well aware of how terrifying Qi Tianxiong was and did not dare slack off in the slightest. With a flick of his sleeve robe, a black tortoise shield about ten feet in diameter materialized out of thin air with a humming sound.

The surface of the shield was carved with profound tortoiseshell runes, and its edges were surrounded by a heavy, earthen yellow spiritual light. It was precisely the high-grade magic treasure he had obtained from the Heavenly Plume Sect.

Mo Wentian pushed his mana to the limit, causing the Black Tortoise Shield to instantly expand to twenty feet in size, blocking his front.

"You court death!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Qi Tianxiong's eyes. The black blade light carried overwhelming force as it crashed heavily into the Black Tortoise Shield.

Bang!

A deafening explosion echoed as the black blade light violently clashed with the earthen yellow shield light. Terrifying shockwaves of energy rippled outward, making the sea of clouds boil and forcing the astral winds to reverse direction.

The defensive light screen projected by the Black Tortoise Shield shattered instantly.

The blade light struck the Black Tortoise Shield, instantly dimming most of its runes and causing faint cracks to spiderweb across the tortoiseshell surface.

Mo Wentian looked as if he had suffered a heavy blow. The massive impact sent him flying as he spat out a huge mouthful of blood, dyeing the robes on his chest red.

His aura fell into chaos, and his face became as pale as paper. He flew backward for hundreds of feet before barely managing to stabilize himself. Evidently, he was severely injured, and the flow of his spirit power became sluggish.

On the other side.

Seeing Xi Daoyun's sword light thrusting toward him, Tianluo's expression grew solemn.

His entire being was locked on by the opponent's qi. Dodging was completely impossible.

Roar!

He let out an inhuman roar. The demonic energy around him skyrocketed, his black robes billowing without wind. The black energy churned like a tide, instantly condensing into a ten-foot-tall phantom to protect his body.

Then, holding his high-grade magic treasure, he swung out with all his might.

Countless golden sword lights bombarded him like a torrential downpour, shattering his axe light in an instant. The streaks of sword light struck the demonic phantom.

Golden sword light and black demonic energy clashed, erupting in ear-piercing sounds of clashing metal.

The demonic phantom was instantly ripped apart, and the remaining force of the sword light mercilessly slashed into Tianluo's chest.

Pfft!

Blood splattered.

Tianluo's defensive divine ability had been broken, and his third-tier physical body couldn't block the blow either.

A massive, foot-long gash was carved into his chest by the flying sword, deep enough to expose bone. Black demonic energy gushed out alongside dark red blood, sprinkling across the peak of the clouds.

Tianluo halted his momentum in the air. The demonic energy around him rapidly waned, and his previously tyrannical aura plummeted until not even ten percent remained.

'He actually managed to block my full-powered attack!'

Xi Daoyun was shocked in his heart. He was about to follow up with another attack, but a black flash streaked past, and Qi Tianxiong appeared beside Tianluo.

"Old Ghost Xi, it seems you are dead set on fighting to the bitter end with this Sect Master today?"

Mo Wentian also flew to Xi Daoyun's side, his aura equally sluggish.

A look of hesitation surfaced on Xi Daoyun's face.

While he wasn't afraid of Qi Tianxiong, if it came down to a desperate fight to the death, Qi Tianxiong was still slightly stronger than him.

"Elder Tianluo, return to the sect to recuperate first. Leave this place to me."

"Thank you, Sect Master."

Tianluo clasped his fists, then looked at Xi Daoyun and said indifferently, "I've noted down today's debt. I will definitely settle it with you in the future!"

With that, he turned and flew toward the Greedy Wolf Sect's grand array.

Xi Daoyun flicked his wrist, and a sword light shot toward Tianluo's back.

But Qi Tianxiong had long been guarding against this. With a raise of his hand, a high-grade defensive magic treasure flew out and intercepted the sword light. He sneered, "Trying to kill my sect's elder right in front of me? Keep dreaming!"

Xi Daoyun and Qi Tianxiong clashed fiercely once again.

Mo Wentian didn't have much mana left and was heavily wounded, so naturally, he did not join the fray.

If he wasn't careful and got sold out, he might die a miserable death right here.

However, a look of unease still surfaced between his brows. 'Once Tianluo forms his Nascent Soul, he will likely not be any weaker than a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Heavenly Azure Prefecture is in grave danger.'

Another half hour passed.

Xi Daoyun's aura was chaotic as he returned to Mo Wentian's side. With an ashen face, he said, "Daoist Friend Mo, let's go!"

Mo Wentian nodded and immediately transmitted his voice, "Everyone, retreat!"

If the Nascent Soul cultivators were preparing to leave, there was naturally no reason for the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators to stay.

The Golden Core cultivators in charge of the magic skiffs quickly summoned them.

The large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't hesitate. After shaking off their opponents, they immediately boarded the magic skiffs.

The Golden Core cultivators provided cover.

Soon, the Heavenly Azure Prefecture army began a fighting retreat.

It was only after they were hundreds of miles away from the Greedy Wolf Sect that the Greedy Wolf Prefecture cultivators gave up the pursuit.

"Let them go! The monk can run, but the temple can't!"

"Heavenly Wolf, gather people to set up high-grade Tier 3 grand arrays in the Thousand Stone Forest, Grand Harmony Lake, and Thousand Gates Pass. At the borders of the Black Wind Mountain Range, dispatch Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment disciples to patrol every fifty miles.

"The same goes for Bewildering Tracks Valley.

"From this moment on, I want everyone from Heavenly Azure Prefecture trapped to death."

"Yes, Sect Master."

"Right, where is Canglang? Why haven't I sensed his aura?"