Chapter 979

An Elder of the Alchemy Cauldron Sect, the news that Ziyangzi's soul lamp had extinguished, quickly spread throughout the sect.

As one of the three Grand Dao Elders of the Alchemy Cauldron Sect, Ziyangzi had wide connections and close ties with many sects; his demise immediately caused an uproar.

"Huiwu Yanluo..." the Sect Master of the Alchemy Cauldron Sect, Xuandanzi, had a grim expression, pinching a shattered fate tablet in his hand, on which a wisp of gray mist lingered.

"Junior Brother Ziyang, before his death, used a secret method to transmit a message. The one who killed him is none other than the demon cultivator who slaughtered Wanxian Island three years ago, practicing the Desire Dao—Huiwu Yanluo!"

Inside the hall, several Grand Dao Elders wore solemn expressions.

"This scoundrel specifically targets lone cultivators, his methods are vicious; now he dares to act against our Alchemy Cauldron Sect—he must be exterminated!"

"His cultivation is likely at the mid Grand Dao stage, possibly even higher; with just us, we may not be able to keep him."

Xuandanzi snorted coldly: "Ziyangjunior brother made friends with no fewer than ten Grand Dao cultivators in his lifetime, among whom were not lacking late-stage Grand Dao experts. I have already issued the 'Exterminate Demons' order, inviting fellow Daoists from all sides to jointly exterminate this demon!"

Three days later, above the Shattered Star Archipelago, several powerful auras converged.

Seven Grand Dao cultivators, each controlling their magic artifacts, hovered in the clouds.

"The last place Huiwu Yanluo appeared is this sea area." an old man in a star-robed garment holding a compass said in a deep voice.

"Hmph, just a lowly demon cultivator, and he dares to be so arrogant?" a stern-faced man with a longsword on his back sneered: "Today, I will bury him here!"

"Don't be careless." Xuandanzi shook his head: "This person is sinister and cunning, skilled at concealment and ambush; we must lay a net of heaven and earth, leaving him nowhere to escape!"

The crowd discussed briefly and quickly reached agreement.

Blockade the entire sea area, force him to reveal himself!

Yan Buji sat cross-legged inside a cave dwelling on a desolate island, the Swallow Desire Pot hovering before him, the purple-gold patterns on its surface slowly flowing as if alive, inhaling and exhaling mist.

Suddenly, he frowned and snapped his eyes open.

"Someone is deducing my position?"

He extended his divine sense, instantly sensing several powerful divine senses sweeping the sea area, one of which faintly locked onto his direction!

"Not good!"

Yan Buji hesitated not, his form turning into gray mist and instantly bursting out of the cave dwelling; however, just as he had left the desolate island—

Boom!

A brilliant sword light descended from the heavens, directly cleaving the entire desolate island in half!

"Yan Buji! Today you cannot escape even with wings!" a cold voice echoed between sea and sky.

Yan Buji looked up and saw seven figures already surrounding him on all sides.

Seven Grand Dao cultivators!

Among them, there was even a late-stage Grand Dao expert!

"Alchemy Cauldron Sect..." Yan Buji's eyes turned grim, instantly understanding the reason.

Ziyangzi's death ultimately brought retribution!

"Fellow Daoists, why go to such great lengths?" he curled the corner of his mouth, revealing a faintly chilling smile: "I merely killed an old man whose lifespan was nearly exhausted; is it worth your mobilizing forces?"

"Arrogant!" Xuandanzi shouted angrily, summoning a crimson Alchemical Furnace whose mouth spewed torrential flames: "Today, I will scatter your soul and spirit!"

"Kill!"

The seven Grand Dao cultivators attacked simultaneously!

Sword light, thunder techniques, alchemical fire, talismans... countless killing techniques poured down like a storm toward Yan Buji!

Yan Buji's eyes flashed with cold light; the Swallow Desire Pot instantly expanded several times, its mouth spewing endless gray mist that formed a barrier to block the attacks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The terrifying explosion shook the entire sea area, seawater evaporated, islands collapsed!

"Pfft!" a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of Yan Buji's mouth, his face turning slightly pale.

Fighting seven alone was ultimately too much of a strain!

"He can't hold on! Keep attacking, don't give him a chance to breathe!" the star-robed elder shouted sternly.

Yan Buji's eyes turned gloomy, his mind quickly calculating.

"A head-on clash means death; I must break out!"

He fiercely bit his tongue tip, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the Swallow Desire Pot!

"Desire Sea Rages!"

Boom!

The Swallow Desire Pot shuddered violently; countless distorted faces on its body simultaneously emitted shrill wails; in an instant, the entire sea area was shrouded in gray mist, countless resentful spirits surging out of the pot and wildly lunging at the seven Grand Dao cultivators!

"Be careful! These resentful spirits can corrode divine sense!"

Everyone hastily produced protective artifacts to block them, while Yan Buji seized the instant, turning into a gray shadow and fleeing toward the depths of the sea area!

"You think you can escape?" the late-stage Grand Dao sword cultivator snorted coldly, a golden light shooting from his sleeve.

"Heaven-Locking Talisman!"

The golden light transformed into a heaven-and-earth net, instantly sealing a radius of a thousand li!

Yan Buji's movement stalled, actually being forced to a halt!

"Damn it!" a flash of ferocity crossed his eyes as he fiercely turned, aiming the Swallow Desire Pot at the nearest early-stage Grand Dao cultivator!

"Since I can't escape, I'll kill one first!"

Boom!

Gray mist like a dragon instantly pierced that cultivator's protective spiritual light!

"Ah!" amid his miserable scream, that cultivator's flesh withered at visible speed, his cultivation and desires being frenziedly devoured by the Swallow Desire Pot!

"Demon fiend seeks death!" the remaining six flew into a rage, their attacks becoming even more violent!

Yan Buji laughed maniacally, his form flickering incessantly amid the attacks, each dodge barely avoiding danger.

He knew that if he could not break out today, death was certain!

"Pfft!" A sword light pierced Yan Buji's shoulder, fresh blood spraying.

He let out a muffled groan, the blood in his eyes growing darker.

"Not enough……"

"I still need……more desire!"

He fiercely slapped the Swallow Desire Pot, and the one hundred thousand cultivators' desires stored inside surged wildly into his body!

Boom!

His aura rose steadily, and he forcibly struck at the late Unity Dao stage even in desperation!

"Oh no! He's about to break through! Stop him!" Xuan Danzi's face changed drastically.

The six simultaneously unleashed their ultimate killing moves, however.....

"Too late." Yan Buji gave a sinister laugh, the grey mist around his body suddenly contracting, then erupting with a boom!

In an instant, his form dissipated, turning into countless strands of grey mist that merged with heaven and earth!

"What?!"

The six Unity Dao cultivators' divine senses frantically swept, yet they could no longer detect Yan Buji's aura!

"He...... fled?"

"No, it's the Universe Dao Divine Ability?"

"Impossible, we've already laid down an immortal formation to seal this sea area—how could he still be able to use the Universe Dao Divine Ability?!"

The Universe Dao Divine Ability is not invincible; moreover, cultivators at this level, when planning to ambush someone, will definitely make the corresponding preparations.

But what they didn't know was that Yan Buji wasn't using the Universe Dao Divine Ability to force a breakthrough; instead, he employed the Way of the Universe Divine Ability to instantly stretch his form at extreme speed, and combined with the Heavenly Gang Divine Ability Upright Standing No Shadow, he remained undetected by them for a short time.

As for the traces of the Universe Dao Divine Ability they detected, those were deliberately left by Yan Buji as a flaw.

So it is with the "darkness under the lamp"—in fact, Yan Buji hadn't fled far at all; rather, he was right on the seabed.

"No……" the late Unity Dao sword cultivator's face darkened: "He hasn't succeeded in breaking through yet; he's merely concealed himself temporarily. He must still be nearby!"

"Search! Even if we have to comb the entire sea area, we must find him!"