Within the streak of light was a nail seven and a half inches long, covered in overlapping talismanic inscriptions, seemingly proclaiming the glory of heavenly Dao.
It emitted brilliant rays, flames dazzling, and in an instant reached Meng Qi’s back.
Bang!
With a crisp sound, Meng Qi’s protective qi collapsed like paper, effortlessly pierced. A large hole appeared on his back as the nail pierced through his heart and flew out from his chest, spurting blood. The wound burst into raging flames from inside outward, locking his soul and sealing his vitality.
Yet Meng Qi’s body suddenly exploded, not scattering flesh and blood, but transforming into streams of energy that carried away the flames and deflected the nail.
At a distance of one foot, Meng Qi’s figure slowly reappeared, ash drifting from his chest as the “Jiuwei Avoidance Talisman” he had obtained at dusk shattered.
Crack! The nail, having lost its target, shattered on its own.
“Drilling Heart Nail…” Meng Qi’s eyes darkened as he immediately recognized the attacker.
That medicine discard of Jiutian Lei Shen!
If not for the “Jiuwei Avoidance Talisman,” he might have died without hope of revival. Moreover, the secret treasure “Drilling Heart Nail” exceeded the talisman’s endurance limit. Fortunately, he cultivated the Eight-Nine Profound Art, allowing him to avoid serious injury.
It seems he has decided to kill me without mercy… Meng Qi’s list of mortal enemies gained another formidable name. This is no longer just a matter of revenge; even without retaliation, he won’t spare me!
As the thought arose, purple lightning soared into the sky, half the sky shimmering with golden light, triggering the grand formation of the capital.
“How ruthless!” Meng Qi’s pupils constricted as he understood Jiutian Lei Shen’s intent.
He intended to trigger the formation and escape. However, the battle was ongoing, making immediate escape difficult. Once the Six Doors and aristocratic families’ experts arrived, Luo Sect and Xian Ji would be surrounded and annihilated here!
Truly, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, with ruthless cunning beyond words.
No wonder he hid his tracks for days without any movement; he was waiting for an opportunity!
In this way, Xian Ji would lose a major general, greatly benefiting the Myth faction. Luo Sect and the Su Nu Sect were already hostile, with the Xuan Nu Sect’s heir having died at Gu Xiao Sang’s hands. Jiutian Lei Shen could achieve two major feats at once!
The purple lightning failed to reach the clouds. At a hundred zhang above ground, clouds gathered, golden light rippling outward in circles from the center like a Buddha’s halo.
Inside the Zhu Yi Mansion, Sima Shi was sitting in meditation, with Qi Wang Zhao Wu Yan beside him.
Suddenly, golden light in front of him condensed into a water curtain. His eyes opened, revealing chaotic pupils. His right hand formed a fist, plain yet ancient, striking toward the curtain.
The water curtain rippled as the fist sank into it.
In the dark forest, golden ripples spread from the center of the clouds, a giant fist descending from the sky!
This fist was powerful with five fingers, white as jade, profound and restrained, surrounded by golden light. The void turned dim and dark, as if returning to chaos.
Rocks disintegrated, soil vanished, the fist silently dissolving whatever it targeted—precisely the strongest among them, Dou Mu Yuan Jun!
Dou Mu Yuan Jun’s right palm, originally striking Gu Xiao Sang, turned strangely to meet the fist. Her body’s acupoints opened, brilliant stars rising into the sky, their trajectories connected, revolving and interacting, breathtakingly beautiful.
She seemed to carry a vast universe, herself as its center, the mother of all stars. With every movement, the starry sky surged, scattering light particles.
This was her Dharma manifestation, the Dou Mu Form.
At this point, it was naturally time to unleash full strength for a chance to escape!
Star after star streaked across the sky, plunging the area prematurely into night, as mysterious trajectories entwined around her right palm.
Boom!
A terrifying shockwave exploded, directly sending the outer experts like Gu Xiao Sang flying. Meng Qi, using the force to ascend, still couldn’t avoid the blast, golden light flickering, spitting blood from his mouth.
Stars scattered, a pit over ten zhang deep formed on the ground, underground river water gushing out to fill it.
Without the capital’s grand formation suppressing them, without their attacks being focused, that single strike alone could have destroyed half the city. Without being an outer expert, one might have been reduced to chaos.
The powerful white fist was blocked by the star-formed palm, and Dou Mu Yuan Jun twisted her body, trying to break free and vanish into the void.
Hmph! An aged voice sounded. A hand also extended from the golden clouds, nine golden dragons entwining to form a net, blocking Dou Mu.
Gu Xiao Sang and the other outer experts, using the force of being thrown to flee in all directions, couldn’t wait for Sima Shi and Zhao Wu Yan to finish, nor for the divine enforcers to arrive.
Meng Qi had landed at the forest edge, at the battlefield’s periphery. Seeing Gu Xiao Sang fleeing directly toward him, his pupils constricted. Enduring his injuries, he slashed with a blade, attacking as defense.
Gu Xiao Sang’s aura suddenly concealed itself, changing direction into the forest, vanishing without a trace, leaving only a faint laugh:
“Husband can’t bear to see this concubine leave?”
“After settling matters here, we shall be together forever.”
Her voice was like silver bells, clear and sweet, seemingly joyful at escaping disaster, with a hint of satisfaction.
“She feels satisfied…” Meng Qi frowned, unable to comprehend the demoness’s thoughts.
Meanwhile, during Dou Mu’s clash with Sima, Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun disengaged from his entanglement with the “Patriarch of the Yujia Family” and the coachman. Riding the wind with shifting forms, he gathered primordial energy and intertwined the principles of the Dao. His body suddenly expanded to a towering height of ten zhang, nearly reaching the heavens and supporting the earth. With four arms wielding a three-pointed double-edged blade and a long staff, he struck at the nine golden dragons with an overwhelming force like a tidal wave.
The head of the Yu family and the coachman chose not to take advantage of the situation. Without even turning their heads, they swiftly exited the battlefield, employing their respective escape techniques as they fled in opposite directions.
Bang! The three-pointed, double-edged blade clashed with the long staff right on the golden dragon, sending sparks flying in all directions. The sky suddenly darkened mid-air, as if the heavens themselves had been shattered by the impact.
Nine golden dragons coiled around his palm as he flicked his fingers, causing the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive and the long staff to reverberate instantly. A faint golden glow emerged around the True Lord of Purity and Wonder, as if he were momentarily paralyzed.
The disparity in strength was too great. Even though he employed the Heaven and Earth Manifestation technique and transformed into a two-headed, four-armed form, he still couldn’t withstand Zhao Wuyan’s effortless flick of a finger.
The nine golden dragons dimmed slightly, yet they still formed a net with the palm, closing in on Doumu to cut off her escape. In just a moment, when the grand formation fully activates, she will find no path to heaven nor earth—nowhere left to flee!
On one side was Sima Shi’s fierce assault, and on the other was Zhao Wuyan’s staunch defense, leaving the Doumu Yuanjun in imminent peril.
They seemed to simultaneously choose to take down the most dangerous enemy first.
At that moment, Doumu Yuanjun adjusted her ancient crown, and a dazzling crimson glow swept out, scorching and blinding, engulfing Sima Shi’s fist.
Inside the Zhuyi Tower, crimson clouds surged past golden light, rushing toward Sima Shi.
Sima Shi was enveloped in a chaotic glow, blocking the crimson radiance, while Zhao Wuyan’s net still descended!
Doumu Yuanjun gritted her teeth, and an object appeared in her hand—it was half of the Sacred Emperor’s Demon Token, studded with numerous gemstones. She carried it with her at all times, intending to use it as a lure for enemies in critical situations.
The Holy Emperor’s Demon Order was flung through the air, heading straight for the direction of the Jade Family’s patriarch. Zhao Wuyan paused briefly before extending his left hand as well, summoning the token from a distance.
Distracted, the power in his right hand naturally weakened. The stars swirling around the Doumu Yuanjun reversed direction, transforming into a Milky Way, and with a punch, he struck towards it.
Boom! Nine golden dragons exploded, transforming into a fine drizzle as Zhao Wuyan’s right hand recoiled backward.
Doumu Yuanjun immediately stepped forward, merging into the void.
At this moment, Sima Shi blocked Chi Xia with his right hand while his left hand emerged from the mist, pointing directly at Doumu Yuanjun’s back.
This single finger encompasses infinite transformations, as if chaos itself has descended. If struck by it, one would surely meet a dire fate.
Suddenly, a burst of crimson sand materialized out of thin air, striking Sima Shi’s left hand.
This change was actually within Meng Qi’s expectations. The forces of the Immortal Trace were clearly not fully revealed—he knew there was still the presence of the Guangcheng Heavenly Venerate.
Sima Shi did not dodge, allowing the red sand to strike his body. The pristine white faded, revealing flesh and blood, yet his finger remained unwavering.
At this very moment, streaks of mysterious yellow dragons began to coalesce within the swirling clouds.
Doumu Yuanjun gritted her teeth, stretched her left hand backward with a shimmer of starlight, and forcefully blocked Sima Shi’s finger strike with her palm, all while maintaining her fleeing momentum.
Silent and soundless, the void seemed to collapse. Doumu Yuanjun let out a muffled groan, using the momentum to flee, vanishing into the darkness.
The subsequent clash took place in mid-air, and as the grand formation was nearly activated, the ground suffered relatively little impact. Meng Qi and the others could still barely hold on, but they could only watch helplessly as the surrounding dark forest turned into barren wasteland.
When Doumu Yuanjun fled, the unattended Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun continuously transformed, first into a swimming fish, then vanished without a trace, breaking free from the lock.
As Zhao Wuyan grasped the half-piece of the Sacred Emperor’s Demon Token, the Divine Constables finally arrived with the aid of their formation.
First, of course, was the nearest Su Yue, his face ashen, his eyes gleaming with golden light, as if he couldn’t believe such a change had occurred.
This place was neither too far nor too close to the Su family’s villa. Since everyone had been suppressing their energy fluctuations earlier, he naturally hadn’t noticed anything.
After Su Yue arrived, Liu Shengming and Ke Yuzhang also hurried over, accompanied by two other divine constables. One appeared youthful with a profound aura, a long sword and a four-clawed dragon hanging at his waist. The other was tall with jet-black hair streaked with silver, carrying a medium-length blade and a blood-red fang at his side.
They are none other than the “Soaring Dragon Constable” and the “Blood Fang Constable” among the Eight Great Constables. The former is a master from the Zhao family, named Zhao Mingche, while the latter is Yuan Lihuo, a supreme expert at the Sixth Heaven level.
Due to the Qionghua Banquet, only three divine constables were patrolling various regions to suppress unlawful activities.
“It’s the Immortal’s Trace and the Luo Sect, chase them!” Sima Shi gave the order. “Members of the Su family, return to your residence and await questioning.”
Su Yue stayed behind and silently led Meng Qi, Su Zihua, and the awakened Su Ziyue back home. Halfway there, he finally asked, “What exactly happened?”
Meng Qi spoke frankly: “The Yu family is the public identity of the Luo Sect. Somehow, the Immortal Trace found out and came to seize the token.”
“Did you do it?” Su Yue pondered.
“Yes, the Great Luo Witch has appeared, and the situation is urgent. If we don’t act now, we might be silenced,” Meng Qi said, clearing himself of any suspicion of secretly aiding the Immortal Trace.
Walking slowly back to the residence, Old Lady Bai and Ke Weilan had already received the news, their expressions grim. Su Li, with his hands clasped behind his back, paced back and forth. Seeing Meng Qi and the others return, he nodded slightly and said, “It was my oversight that led to this trouble. However, the Yu family’s legacy has been passed down for generations, yet no one knew of it. It’s only natural that we were unaware as well. There’s no need to worry too much. Just cooperate fully with the interrogation later.”
He restrained his emotions, leaving Meng Qi unable to discern any clues. Meng Qi could only use the excuse of recuperating from injuries to find a quiet place to rest first.
Exiting the hall and turning toward the side courtyard, something caught Meng Qi’s peripheral vision, causing his pupils to instantly constrict.
This is the secret signal of the Immortal Trace. There are members hiding inside the mansion, requesting assistance.
Meng Qi remained expressionless. As he passed by, he swept his palm over the surface, causing stone fragments to fall and the hidden mark to vanish.
He dismissed the servants, observed briefly, and quietly approached the woodshed.
Before pushing the door open, he whispered softly, “Xianji Fang.”
Creak—the firewood shed door swung open, and from the shadows emerged a figure—tall and slender, with long legs, jet-black hair, and a face concealed behind the mask of “Doumu Yuanjun.”
“I’m seriously injured,” she said calmly.
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