However, Nether River Daoist was fighting relentlessly, refusing to retreat or die, and this filled Master Baoxu’s heart with anxiety and extreme disgust.

Below, the cultivators of the Golden Palace Sect suffered heavy losses. Despite being the Supreme Elder, he was trapped in one place, unable to intervene, helplessly watching the strength of the Golden Palace Sect being continuously depleted, his anger boiling as if a barrel of oil had been poured onto it, almost ready to explode.

Yet, the Blood Robe Daoist before him, despite being far less powerful, could transform into a peculiar Blood River and trap him in place—an irksome adversary indeed.

Just as Master Baoxu was vexed, he was startled by the voice of Zhao Dian, a Purple Mansion Cultivator.

As he focused his gaze below, his expression changed.

Originally, there were four Purple Mansion Cultivators, but now only two from the Golden Palace Sect remained, while those from the Star-devouring Demon Sect and Barbaric Beast Sect had met untimely deaths.

From the terrified expressions of his fellow sect members, Master Baoxu sensed something and his eyes showed a trace of fear, followed by him shouting loudly.

"Young one, how dare you!"

The furious roar was like terrifying thunder, radiating around, resounding through the heavens and earth, echoing in the ears of countless beings, causing many cultivators’ ears to bleed and eardrums to shatter.

Facing the roar seemingly right next to his ears, Zheng Yi remained expressionless, the Chaos Cyan Gourd in his hand pulsating, surrounded by Yin Yang Qi, the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd once again raised, a silver figure glowing more brilliantly, two silver glimmers shining forth, Zheng Yi’s gaze resolute, he softly called out.

"Treasure, turn around!"

Instantly, two streams of Yin Yang Qi, like roaring Celestial Dragons, surged forward, piercing through heaven and earth.

The fearsome forbidden power immediately solidified that piece of sky, akin to endless chains in the void, binding the bodies of the two Purple Mansion Cultivators completely, even their powerful bodies unable to struggle free momentarily.

With a ’swish’, as Zheng Yi’s voice fell, the silver figure with its back and wings in the gourd mouth transformed into a scorching beam of light.

A ray of white light shot from the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd mouth, like lightning traversing heaven and earth, straightly slashing toward that space in the void.

"Ancestor, save..."

In an instant, the two Purple Mansion Cultivators of the Golden Palace Sect felt an unimaginably sharp sensation quickly slicing across their necks.

They exerted all their effort to mobilize their body’s magical power, causing tremors throughout their bodies, yet only able to move half an inch slightly, and although they could break free from the bind in the next second, this momentary restraint was already enough to decide life and death.

They could only watch helplessly as the white light flickered, appearing before their eyes.

Thunk!

Thunk!

Two crisp slicing sounds echoed, not loud, yet in the deathly silent heavens and earth, like thunderous booms.

Before Master Baoxu could speak again, he saw through tear-filled eyes the heads of his two sect members soar high, with blood painting the shattered sky with an eerie and sinister crimson.

Subsequently, the white light returned, with the Divine Souls of the two Purple Mansion Cultivators of the Golden Palace Sect disappearing without a trace.

Only two blood-spattered bodies remained there, starkly real.

Between life and death, it is fair to everyone.

Even those ordinarily high above, such as Purple Mansion Cultivators, in the face of death, it’s merely a matter of breath.

Then, life vanishes.

The entire process seemed to occur in just a moment, yet it felt like a century had passed for the Supreme Elder of the Golden Palace Sect, Master Baoxu, chest aching, as if bleeding from his heart.

"Young one, you have pushed me too far..."

Master Baoxu could only watch helplessly as the two Purple Mansion fellow sect members died before his eyes, causing him to see black, almost fainting.

The Golden Palace Sect had flourished for hundreds of years; could it really fall into decline under his leadership?

Thinking about this, the heart-wrenching pain made him unable to resist crying out, roaring with anger like a thunderous wounded beast, with immeasurable hatred amidst the agony.

Unlike other High-Tier Cultivators, as Master Baoxu’s lifespan approached its end, unable to break through further, he set his heart on reviving the sect during his tenure.

Acting as the elder devoted to sect revival, personally directing this war, hoping to find the culprit who destroyed the Qin Family and reclaim ’Taibai Divine Gold’, that could forge the Yin Yang Dual Swords, thus elevating the Golden Palace Sect’s status.

However, the situation developed completely beyond his expectations. Although the perpetrator who seized the ’Taibai Divine Gold’ was found, the progression of events was unexpected.

Originally, the army had cruised to what seemed like final victory but reversed too quickly.

The Daluo Alliance Leader, chased like a stray dog last time, returned with enhanced strength, possessing such terrifying magical artifacts, not only destroying the elite alliance army but also slaying the four Purple Mansion Cultivators one by one.

Leaving only him alone.

The losses of the Star-devouring Demon City and Barbaric Beast Sect were of no concern to him.

But he couldn’t bear the fall of Zhao Dian and Zhang Luan, two Purple Mansion Cultivators of the Golden Palace Sect, even as the Supreme Elder of the sect.

Even if the ’Taibai Divine Gold’ were reclaimed this time, the loss of over fifty percent of elite disciples, including two of the strongest Purple Mansion Cultivators, directly demolished over half of the sect’s strength—merely one ’Taibai Divine Gold’ couldn’t compensate for such grave losses.

The Golden Palace Sect’s strength would certainly decline significantly, facing accountability from the Star-devouring Demon City and Barbaric Beast Sect. Without substantial compensation, calming these two sects would be improbable.

Then, the Golden Palace Sect would continuously decrease in power amidst internal and external threats, inevitably plunging into decline despite controlling expansive territories.

In this region dominated by survival of the fittest, once weakened, hordes of hungry predators would swarm, foreshadowing inevitable dangerous encounters.

"Young one, a fight to the death and beyond!"

Like a long-repressed volcano about to erupt with world-consuming fury, Master Baoxu’s eyes burned as he glared at Zheng Yi, gritting his teeth.

An unprecedented malice descended upon him, raising alarms within his Divine Soul, yet Zheng Yi, facing Master Baoxu’s fiery eyes, remained expressionless, his gaze carrying provocation. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The more furious his opponent became, the less affected his demeanor appeared.

Since the confrontation began, neither side had an escape route.

Golden Palace Sect dared to besiege the Daluo Alliance’s base, so he would mercilessly sever the claws reaching forth.

Taking a deep breath, Zheng Yi also felt the severe deficit within him; leveraging the advantage of the Little Five Elements Yin Yang Dao Embryo, the terrifying Five Elements Primordial Qi circulated, enveloping his body in mist, the Dao Embryo in his abdomen smoothing the flow, calming the agitated magical power.

Using the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd drained substantial Divine Soul Power and Magical Power; deploying it twice consecutively to slay three Purple Mansion Cultivators taxed Zheng Yi’s reserves greatly, depleting Divine Soul Power considerably, and inducing a shortage of magical power within him.

This was with him bearing the Little Five Elements Yin Yang Dao Embryo and Body Refining being accomplished.

Otherwise, if any Early or Middle Stage Purple Mansion Cultivator attempted to wield the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd once, it might directly exhaust them.

Fortunately, Zheng Yi had just recently advanced, his Divine Soul strength reaching the Late Stage of the Purple Mansion level, while his internal magical power, under the effect of the Little Five Elements Yin Yang Dao Embryo, transformed into Origin Qi of Yin and Yang.

Moreover, under the innate function of the Blood Talisman Body, Blood Qi Power ceaselessly circulated throughout his body, stabilizing the agitated magical power, supporting the body’s resilience until now.

Yet now, he had nearly reached his body’s limit.

Outsiders saw him as fierce and valiant.

But in reality, he knew his household’s condition, strong on the outside but weak within.

Brilliant on the outside, rotten within.

"One more to go!"

Yet, Zheng Yi was never one to have a good temper; some matters were to be either unhandled or to be executed thoroughly.

As revenge, he unhesitatingly buried the entire alliance army of Golden Palace Sect, letting everyone know that this land belonged to the Daluo Alliance.

Anyone or any force trying to extend their claws here would have to reckon with whether Zheng Yi’s blade was sharp enough.

Whether they could accept, while paying a sufficiently heavy price.

And now, it was the Golden Palace Sect’s moment to bear a severe price.

...