After hearing this, Yang Lu’s expression changed drastically. His eyes swept around, but all he could see was a faint black haze of Yin Qi, and his spiritual sense could only cover a range of about ten miles. There was no way to tell if anyone was truly lying in ambush further away.
“Don’t worry. Didn’t we already anticipate that the powerful beings of this continent would act this way? This suits my intentions perfectly. Once we wipe them all out, no one in the entire Spirit Realm will dare to defy me again.” Ma Liang sneered coldly.
“Master, you should still be cautious. From what I know, the Helian Merchant Alliance in the Spirit Realm is truly formidable. If they were to unleash their full potential, they might have quite a few hidden trump cards.” Yang Lu cautiously reminded him.
“Hidden trump cards? What kind of threat could a mere lower realm faction pose to me? Even if they know how to utilize the Chains of Law, it won’t work against me this time.” Ma Liang yawned, appearing indifferent.
Seeing Ma Liang’s confidence, Yang Lu could only murmur an obedient “Yes” and dared not say more.
At that moment, the surging Blood River and the glazed flying boat ahead plunged deep into the howling Yin Qi zone.
Suddenly, the flying boat ahead blurred and vanished mid-flight as if it had never existed.
Ma Liang’s pupils constricted. With a flick of his sleeve, the entire Blood River came to an abrupt halt, freezing mid-air.
Yang Lu tensed, a flash of yellow light enveloping his body as a thick yellow battle armor materialized around him.
At the same time, a thunderclap echoed through the sky. The entire world seemed to flip upside down in an instant. Deafening roars erupted from all directions as thick black Yin Qi surged forth. Countless banners densely emerged in the void, swelling in the wind until they transformed into towering structures over a hundred zhang tall, resembling colossal trees that trapped the entire Blood River within them.
Simultaneously, a blue full moon silently appeared in the sky. Over a dozen figures stood upon it, their expressions varied as they gazed down at the Blood River.
Among them were the likes of Ming Zun and Yin Gangzi—Great Ascension cultivators—and even the previously vanished Six-Winged Frost Phoenix, now standing among them with a pale face.
Ma Liang remained unfazed, merely sweeping his gaze over the giant banners before suddenly thrusting his palm toward a certain direction.
A deafening explosion!
The Blood River churned violently, conjuring a blood-red palm the size of an acre that slammed down in the same direction.
“Boom!”
Nearly a hundred banners shimmered with radiant light, converging to form an enormous five-colored mirror.
The blood-red palm struck the mirror and vanished into it without a sound.
At the same time, in a remote corner of the howling Yin Qi zone, the blood-red palm surged out of thin air and smashed into the empty ground.
A tremor like an earthquake shook the land as the ground collapsed, forming a crater several miles wide.
“Oh? Spatial displacement! This formation seems to be…” Ma Liang let out a surprised murmur.
But at that moment, the remaining banners buzzed loudly, each forming identical five-colored mirrors.
In an instant, the area around the Blood River was filled with dazzling light, illusory figures of people, beasts, and structures flickering into existence. A single glance could ensnare one’s mind, making them lose themselves in the illusions.
Ma Liang’s expression darkened. With a single-handed seal, black and white Qi surged behind him, coalescing into an ancient mirror with a yin-yang pattern.
The mirror was initially no larger than a palm, but under Ma Liang’s incantation, it spun rapidly, expanding to the size of a basin. As a black-and-white Taiji symbol appeared on its surface, a beam of black-and-white light shot forth.
The air tore with a series of violent rips as the five-colored mirrors around the Blood River were instantly pierced and shattered by the beam, dispersing into motes of spiritual light.
The Great Ascension cultivators atop the blue moon all paled at the sight. The bald giant turned to Ming Zun and asked directly:
“Brother Ming, you spoke so highly of this Twofold Dust Annihilation Formation, yet it was broken with a single strike?”
“A casual strike? If I’m not mistaken, that black-and-white mirror is a treasure no less powerful than a Profound Heaven Artifact. Do you really think an ordinary attack could break the formation’s illusions? But if he thinks this is enough to dismantle the formation, he’s sorely mistaken.” Ming Zun replied without turning his head, his gaze fixed on the Blood River below.
“Is that so?” The bald giant seemed unconvinced.
The others exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of doubt and belief.
However, as if to confirm Ming Zun’s words, the moment the five-colored mirrors were destroyed, tiny white runes the size of rice grains began appearing around the Blood River. At first sparse, they soon fell like snowflakes from the sky.
Simultaneously, a force of law enveloped the entire Blood River.
Ma Liang, standing within the river, suddenly felt a chill as the air around him thickened. His expression changed as he quickly circulated his internal mana, only to find that over thirty percent of his power had become sluggish and unresponsive.
Beside him, Yang Lu fared even worse. The moment the law’s power took effect, his body felt as heavy as a mountain, and most of his mana became immobile. A trace of panic flashed across his face.
“Even I am affected—this must be an immortal realm formation. You’ve gone to great lengths to set this up in the lower realm. Pity it’s incomplete. Breaking it won’t be too difficult.” Ma Liang took a deep breath before bursting into laughter.
He then opened his mouth and spat out a small, emerald-green parasol. With a flick of his finger, it shot into the air above the Blood River, expanding to cover an area of about a li before slowly unfurling.
A green curtain of light descended from the parasol, enveloping the entire Blood River.
The law’s power that had affected the surrounding space weakened by seventy to eighty percent under the green light.
Yang Lu, who had been severely hindered, immediately felt his body lighten as eighty to ninety percent of his mana regained its fluidity.
As for Ma Liang, he seemed completely freed from the restraints. With a sinister laugh, he stomped on the blood dragon beneath him.
A deafening dragon roar erupted!
Eight five-clawed blood dragons surged from the river, arcs of silver lightning coiling around their bodies as they exuded the terrifying aura of Great Ascension cultivators, charging straight toward Ming Zun and the others on the blue moon.
“Attack now! He’s simultaneously resisting the immortal formation’s restrictions and controlling the Blood River against us. He won’t last long. I’ll summon the Four True Spirits to assist you.”
Ming Zun wasted no time. With a shout, he reached into the void and pulled out a purple-red token, tossing it forward.
A thunderclap boomed across the clear sky!
The token trembled before transforming into a fist-sized purple-red rune.
“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Four spatial fluctuations erupted at the corners of the Blood River as four towering black platforms materialized, each bearing a ferocious, pitch-black beast.
The four beasts were identical—each over ten zhang long, with dragon heads and lion bodies. The moment they appeared, their closed eyes snapped open, and they rose to their feet, letting out tiger-like roars.
“Black Qilin Beasts—four of them at once! Haha, Brother Ming, you’ve kept this from us! With their help, victory is assured!” Yin Gangzi exclaimed in delight.
The others, including Lady Wu Ling, were equally overjoyed.
The Black Qilin Beasts ranked close to the highest-tier True Spirits like the Heavenly Dragons and Phoenixes, rivaling even the various Kirin True Spirits. With four appearing at once, everyone’s confidence soared.
As the four Black Qilin Beasts shook their bodies, summoning eerie black winds to charge toward the Blood River, the Great Ascension cultivators wasted no time. Some activated their divine abilities, others unleashed treasures, all rushing to intercept the eight blood dragons.
In an instant, the sky was filled with swirling lights, churning blood mist, and deafening explosions.
But just as the four Black Qilin Beasts neared the Blood River, Ma Liang smirked darkly and formed a hand seal.
A chilling wind rose from the river as the blood churned violently, coalescing into four hundred-zhang-tall blood giants—bald, clad in crimson armor skirts—who swung their massive fists at the beasts.
Before the fists even landed, waves of nauseating blood stench swept forward.
The four Black Qilin Beasts dodged the blood Qi with a “whoosh,” teleporting behind the giants. Their forelimbs lashed out, black blade-like flashes severing the giants’ heads in an instant.
Without pause, the beasts twisted their bodies, preparing to dive into the Blood River.
But at that moment, Ma Liang uttered a cold command: “Suppress!”
The four Black Qilin Beasts felt a thunderous “boom” in their heads, their movements slowing abruptly.
“Thwack!”
Over a dozen blood-red tentacles lashed out from behind, striking the beasts with lightning speed.
The beasts barely managed a low growl before half their black Qi was dispersed, sending them flying dozens of zhang away. Crimson flames erupted over their bodies.
A moment later, furious roars erupted from the flames as four black tornadoes shot skyward, scattering the blood flames. From within emerged four Black Qilin Beasts, now several times larger than before.
Meanwhile, the four supposedly decapitated blood giants stood unharmed, their heads intact. From their backs sprouted writhing blood tentacles, their emotionless eyes fixed on the four black beasts.
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