Looking down from high above, the yellow wind wall had transformed into a rolling yellow curtain, enveloping the entire desert.
Xiao Ming sat cross-legged in the distance, slowly closing his eyes while maintaining hand seals, silently activating the scroll before him.
Inside the golden tower, the images on the light screen had also turned into a storm of yellow sand, obscuring any view of the desert.
The woman clad in a multicolored robe frowned at the sight and finally spoke:
“Brother Yu, the treasure Xiao Ming is using must be the Yellow Wind Map, the Blood Bone Sect’s sacred artifact. I’ve long heard that even among the Xuantian Treasures of the Spirit Realm, its rank is quite high. Now that it’s been activated, it even blocks the Heavenly Mirror’s observation—truly living up to its reputation. But isn’t it a bit early to deploy such a treasure? Xiao Ming seems overly cautious.”
The hawk-eyed man in a blood-red robe chuckled. “Indeed, what Xiao Ming wields is the famed Yellow Wind Map. Normally, it’s enshrined in the Blood Bone Sect’s Ancestral Hall and only brought out by the sect’s elders when facing formidable enemies. In truth, this treasure was already prepared in advance—the desert where the fiend resides is an illusion conjured by the map. Now, it’s merely being fully activated. As for whether Xiao Ming is being too cautious, I believe decisively unleashing this treasure is a prudent move. After all, that fiend’s powers are extraordinary. Only by trapping it within both the Heaven-Earth Formation and the Yellow Wind Map can we ensure absolute safety. What do you think, Brother Bi? Hmm? Brother Bi, you look unwell—is something troubling you?”
Bi Ying’s eyes remained fixed on the light screen, his expression unusually grim. Only when addressed did he withdraw his gaze and force a smile. “It’s nothing. For some reason, the moment I saw that fiend’s true form, I felt an inexplicable sense of dread.”
The hawk-eyed man’s expression shifted. “Oh? At our level of cultivation, we sometimes sense impending danger. Fellow Daoist He, Lady Lingyun, have either of you felt anything similar?”
“I have not,” the woman replied.
“Nor have I,” the scholarly-robed man added with a faint smile. “Perhaps Brother Bi’s premonition is mistaken?”
Bi Ying’s face twitched. “Whether it’s a false alarm or not, I’ve decided to leave immediately. Regardless of the battle’s outcome, Brother Yu can inform our alliance later.”
His abrupt declaration stunned the others.
The hawk-eyed man laughed. “Brother Bi, isn’t this excessive caution? Even if danger arises, the four of us together can handle anything. Why not wait until—”
Before he could finish, the light screen suddenly blazed with blinding golden light, piercing through the yellow storm and dyeing the entire display gold.
“What’s this—?”
“Disaster! The Heavenly Mirror is about to shatter!”
With a tremor, the screen exploded into golden fragments, sending shockwaves rippling outward. The four Mahayana cultivators dispersed the force with a flick of their sleeves or a flash of light.
Where the screen had been, only a shattered ancient mirror remained.
Lady Lingyun’s expression darkened. “How could the Heavenly Mirror explode? Brother Yu, since you refined this treasure, you must know the reason.”
The hawk-eyed man stared at the broken mirror, his face shifting between emotions. “For the mirror to shatter from such a distance… it seems something catastrophic has happened.”
Fellow Daoist He frowned. “From the last image, it appeared an overwhelming force erupted from within the Yellow Wind Map, exceeding its capacity. Could Brother Bi’s premonition have been accurate?”
Lady Lingyun murmured, “The Yellow Wind Map is a Xuantian Treasure, reinforced by the Heaven-Earth Formation and twelve Mahayana cultivators. How could the fiend break free with such power?”
Bi Ying stood silent, his expression dark.
The hawk-eyed man finally composed himself. “No matter. I’ll send a message to Xiao Ming and inquire about the situation.”
He produced a white jade array disk, tapped it swiftly, and watched as silver characters flickered and vanished.
After a long silence with no response, his face grew grim. “It seems disaster has struck. Even Xiao Ming, stationed at the periphery, is unreachable.”
Fellow Daoist He exhaled heavily. “Then we must prepare. If the others have fallen, the fiend may come for us next. Given Brother Bi’s earlier premonition, it’s highly likely this calamity stems from that demon.”
The hawk-eyed man turned to Bi Ying. “Brother Bi, do you still intend to leave?”
Bi Ying’s eyes gleamed coldly. “No. I’ve realized that if this fiend is my destined trial, fleeing will only delay the inevitable. The only way forward is to face it head-on.”
“Good. Though we are only four Mahayana cultivators here, the city’s defenses and ten thousand disciples can bolster our strength. That fiend cannot have emerged unscathed from the earlier battle,” the hawk-eyed man declared firmly.
The others agreed, knowing retreat would only invite disaster.
Confident in their combined might—far surpassing the twelve Mahayana cultivators who had fallen—they set to work, mobilizing their forces.
Meanwhile, the desert had transformed into a world of golden flames.
Massive golden volcanoes, thousands of feet tall, erupted from the ground, shattering the grand formation and spewing fiery clouds. At their bases lay charred, fragmented bones.
High above, the giant mirror of light was encased in dark blue ice, rendered motionless.
At the heart of the volcanic expanse stood a golden giant, a thousand feet tall, its body etched with glowing sigils. Its face resembled the black-robed youth’s, but its eyes blazed with golden fire and icy blue mist.
In one hand, it clutched a crimson toad, its body half-torn and barely alive. The giant’s other hand pressed against the toad’s skull, golden threads extracting information.
After a moment, the giant snorted. “Impressive, locking away most of your soul to resist my intrusion. But what I’ve gleaned is enough. The Blood Path sects and the Helian Commerce Alliance—the strongest of the Blood Sky—are gathered. Convenient. I’ll wipe them all out at once.”
With a thunderclap, violet-gold chains materialized from the void, coiling around the giant before vanishing into its body.
The giant grunted, releasing the toad, which crumbled to ash. Its form shrank rapidly, reverting to the black-robed youth.
The youth coughed up two mouthfuls of golden blood, his face paling further. Below, the golden volcanoes faded like illusions.
He raised a hand, and a golden talisman shot from his brow into his palm.
“Exerting my full power and manifesting my domain is taxing. Fortunately, the earlier blood sacrifice and this Golden Substitute Immortal Talisman from our ancestor offset the backlash. Otherwise, the realm’s pressure alone would have crushed me. This talisman allows two more transformations—enough to eradicate these insects. With their fate as an example, none in the Spirit Realm will dare oppose me. Though those two rats fled before I could act, the soul seeds I planted ensure they’ll never escape.”
A cold smile played on his lips as he examined the talisman.
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