At that moment, Huang Ji made her move. She clasped her hands, summoning the Great Wilderness Illusion Sea, and the giant python fell into its depths. When the illusion sea dispersed, the enormous python had been hacked into countless pieces that now lay scattered on the ground. Huang Ji had also lost track of Ye Fan.

She thought Ye Fan had fled far away, but in the darkness, he raised his Yuanhong Sword and launched a new assault.

This was a strike Ye Fan had been gathering his power for—a killing blow. Even though Huang Ji possesses an unparalleled beauty, it doesn’t matter. No matter how exquisite the skin, it’s just a mask for a pile of bones in the end. Besides, we are enemies. When it’s time to kill, I will not hesitate.

With overwhelming force, his sword streaked toward Huang Ji’s throat, as fast as lightning. However, just as the blade was about to reach her, he was once again plunged into the Great Wilderness Illusion Sea.

The strike missed its mark. In a swift motion, he snatched Huang Ji’s mask, getting a clear look at her face for the first time.

"Whoa, a real stunner!" Ye Fan almost drooled.

Her fair and delicate features were like a masterpiece of jade carved by the heavens themselves. Her beautiful, limpid eyes constantly shimmered with a purple light.

Ye Fan landed on a tree branch and said to the enraged Huang Ji, "Truly a peerless beauty. I doubt any man could see you and not be captivated!"

He brought the mask to his nose. "Mmm, it smells so good!" The act, however, was rather creepy.

Huang Ji grew even more incensed. She swung her sword and lunged at Ye Fan, who quickly tossed the mask back toward her. Her sword strike hit only the empty branch, which exploded on impact.

Ye Fan had already vanished without a trace, leaving only the mask lying in the grass. A complicated expression crossed Huang Ji’s face.

Ye Fan didn’t press the engagement. Killing Huang Ji won’t be easy. That Great Wilderness Illusion Sea alone is a huge headache, not to mention her other abilities. I have to find a way to break her Great Wilderness Illusion Sea. As long as it exists, it’s a massive threat to me. If she teams up with Fu Hu... I don’t even want to think about the consequences. Even if I were to defy the heavens, I couldn’t possibly be a match for two supreme geniuses working together.

「Meanwhile」

The sun was high in the sky. Wu Fa and Mu Chen Dong sat on a large rock, drained by the blazing heat. They were listless, having spent the entire previous day searching for Ye Fan.

They hadn’t found so much as a single hair, let alone Ye Fan himself. They knew their situation was perilous. Any misstep could alert their enemies, so they had been moving with extreme caution, not daring to reveal their presence. Among all the geniuses who had entered, their strength was the lowest.

At that moment, Wu Fa said, "Junior Uncle can’t be far from us. Should we turn back and look again?"

Mu Chen Dong replied, "I’m afraid that’s not a good idea. If we turn back, we might run into the geniuses from the Righteous Divine Lineage."

"What’s there to fear? At worst, we’ll take them down with us!" Wu Fa roared, true to his explosive temper.

But Mu Chen Dong shot him a scornful look. "Let’s be realistic. Do you really think you can take on Fu Hu and Huang Ji?"

His words deflated Wu Fa. For all his fiery temper, he knew he was no match for those two.

Just then, a wave of killing intent washed over them. The two instantly grew vigilant, only to discover their attackers were Bai Ya and Zuofa. A sense of foreboding struck them. Although their strengths were roughly equal, their opponents’ brazen attitude suggested they had come well-prepared. Wu Fa and Mu Chen Dong immediately prepared to fight.

"My, my, Fellow Daoists, you certainly know how to live," Zuofa sneered. "Basking in the sun in broad daylight. How relaxing. Unfortunately, we can’t afford such luxuries."

"We still have to dig your graves, after all! Would you say that’s treating you with proper respect?"

Mu Chen Dong shouted back, "Enough with the big talk! Defeat us first if you can!"

"Is that so?" Bai Ya attacked instantly, unleashing his signature move: Eagle Strike from the Skies. A massive eagle formed and swooped down on the two of them.

"Break!" Mu Chen Dong countered, shattering the Eagle Strike. He and Wu Fa attacked in perfect coordination, but they were still a step too late.

Zuofa had already trapped the area within a powerful Array, which now bound their movements.

Zuofa said mockingly, "Gentlemen, what do you think of the Array I so painstakingly prepared for you? Is it to your satisfaction? If not, I have others!"

"You’re courting death!" The two charged at Zuofa but found they couldn’t get near him. His Array was exceptional; after all, his father was the Farlan Main God, a scion of the Divine Domain’s foremost Array sect.

Bai Ya then attacked fiercely, forcing them to join forces to fend him off. They managed to knock Bai Ya back, but with Zuofa constantly interfering, they couldn’t gain any real advantage. They knew they couldn’t let this drag on.

Zuofa manipulated the Array. An attack that should have landed on Bai Ya was blocked by the formation. Instead, a palm strike from Bai Ya sent them flying. They crashed to the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

Indignant but weakened, they stood back to back, guarding against their two assailants.

Just then, Mu Chen Dong said to Wu Fa, "Do you remember that move we created together when we were kids?"

"You mean...?" Wu Fa’s eyes lit up in realization. He and Mu Chen Dong had been as close as brothers since they were children. They had even created a combination attack technique together. However, the Evil Punishment Main God and the Red Sand Main God had scorned and criticized it, so they had shelved the move. The memory now filled them with a deep sense of nostalgia.

"Exactly!" Mu Chen Dong nodded. "Our enemies are too strong. If we don’t use this, they’ll wear us down and kill us inside this Array. Zuofa and his formation are our biggest obstacle. We have to kill him to have any chance of survival. We have to use that move!"

"Alright!" Wu Fa agreed without hesitation. It was the only option they had left.

Mu Chen Dong stood his ground, as firm as a boulder. Wu Fa used him as a base, leaping up to stand on his shoulders. Each began to channel their respective arts, combining the Red Sand Power and the Evil Punishment Power.

"Peerless!" Wu Fa shouted.

"Unrivaled!" Mu Chen Dong added coldly.

"BWAHAHAHA!" Zuofa and Bai Ya erupted in laughter. They had seen their share of oddballs, but they had never met a pair as ridiculous as this. To actually name their technique ’Peerless Unrivaled’... they couldn’t imagine what other absurdities these two were capable of. The scene was so comical it was hard to know whether to laugh or cry.

At that very moment, however, the Red Sand Power flowed from Mu Chen Dong, converging on Wu Fa. Gathering his partner’s strength, Wu Fa unleashed it all in a devastating blast aimed at Zuofa, striking with the speed of a thunderclap.

Zuofa scoffed, "A pathetic little trick!" He tried to use his Array to block the attack, but he realized too late that Wu Fa’s strike had already pierced straight through it.