Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

As Jiuyou wielded [Ten Thousand Controls] to shatter attack after attack, his voice boomed like thunder, each word piercing the heart:

"Hmph! I hit the nail on the head, so you're angry and want a quick victory?"

Did the Song family's attempt to establish a mining alliance and conduct large-scale mining of jade cross the line for your Tianming Palace?

Just like when we dealt with the Demon Spear Cult?

Your Heavenly Nether Palace also started from the demonic path, climbing up through bloody means. Now that you've secured your position, you've begun to frantically suppress other promising Foundation Establishment families and sects...

Especially those forces with late-stage Foundation Establishment or Perfected cultivators, which can threaten your rule, are thorns in your side!

Your high-sounding words about maintaining order are nothing but a fig leaf for your Heavenly Underworld Palace to eliminate dissidents! You and I are no different!

These words, like a thunderclap, resounded once again in everyone's hearts!

These unspoken rules are actually understood by many of the old folks present who have lived for decades or even centuries.

But who would dare to say it out loud under normal circumstances?

Only the young cultivators who were new to the world and had come to broaden their horizons showed changing expressions and fluctuating thoughts.

"I...I think what Jiuyou said might not be without merit..."

A cultivator hiding behind the ruins whispered to his companion, "If True Immortal Qingming received a distress call, how could a Core Formation cultivator's escape speed have delayed until now? Unless..."

"Be careful!"

His companion turned pale with fright, quickly covered his mouth, and nervously looked up at the sky.

On the other side, an elder of a small family gazed at the devastation and sighed deeply, his voice filled with a sense of vicissitude and helplessness:

"The Song family... is still too hasty. Even if they report to the Heavenly Underworld Palace and make annual tributes, establishing a mining alliance is still an overreach."

This is tantamount to establishing one's own small circle within the larger order of the Heavenly Underworld Palace… seemingly powerful, but in reality, a path to destruction.”

Upon hearing this, the family members beside him were terrified and immediately shouted in a low, stern voice:

"Shut up! Do you want my Li family to be dragged down with me?! How dare you utter such malicious words?!"

"...What's there to be afraid of? We're just a small Qi Refining family. Who would bother to destroy us..."

True.

Under a Core Formation faction, if the Foundation Establishment factions below them develop to a certain level and want to go further, they will inevitably have to reach this step.

The difference lies in whether their methods are covert and clever enough...

If successful, it will bring about a complete change of fortune or an equal footing.

If one is defeated, one will die and one's cultivation will be wiped out, and one will be removed from the world of cultivation.

The Demon Spear Cult serves as a cautionary tale, but the Song family failed to learn from it and simply repeated the same cycle. However, today they've done it with the help of the Nine Netherworlds...

Even going back several hundred years—

Isn't the now-lofty Tianming Palace also a 'successful' challenger?

Song Xuanming slumped in the ruins, gazing at the battle in the sky, his face filled with endless regret and despair.

Even if he knew in his heart that Tianming Palace might be plotting to kill someone with a borrowed knife and deliberately condoning it, so what?

The Song family's centuries-old foundation has collapsed, the patriarch has perished, the elders are almost all dead or wounded, and only one in ten of the elite disciples remains...

Even if he knew the truth, what could a Foundation Establishment cultivator with only one arm do? Seek revenge?

That's just wishful thinking.

He slowly closed his eyes, his heart withered and desolate, unable to even ignite the last spark of revenge.

Above the Tianqing River.

Master Qingming, wielding the [Breath of Gentle Breeze], moved like a ghost, completely merging into the surrounding winds of heaven and earth.

He no longer tried to confront Jiuyou head-on, but instead made full use of the advantage of Core Formation cultivators controlling a portion of the power of heaven and earth.

"Whoosh—whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"

The endless azure gale transformed into hundreds of enormous pale blue wind blades, like living wind spirits.

From all directions and from all sorts of tricky angles, they relentlessly attacked the massive Dharma body of the Nine Netherworld.

These wind blades are not simply fierce; sometimes they condense like drills, attempting to break through the defenses.

Sometimes it disperses like silk, entangling and slowing its movements;

It further stirred the river water, transforming it into water dragons that entangled and bound it...

Qingming Zhenren's figure was elusive, like a feather fluttering in the wind, always maintaining an absolutely safe distance from Jiuyou.

A cold smile played on his lips, his voice carried on the wind, laced with a knowing smirk:

"Nine Netherworlds! No matter how strong you are, you are still a crude physical cultivator who does not understand the mysteries of the laws!"

Last time in the Black Miasma Forest, I was caught off guard and your close-range attack nearly cost me my life. This time, I will not give you another chance.

His gaze was sharp, fixed intently on the changes in the Nine Netherworld Dharma Body.

"Your [Law of Heaven and Earth] supernatural power is indeed terrifying, but the consumption is also astronomical!"

"I'd like to see how long you can hold out! When your supernatural powers dissipate and your vital energy declines, that will be the time for your execution!"

He was determined to exhaust Jiu You to death by using the spiritual power reserves of a Core Formation cultivator far exceeding those of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, as well as his ability to borrow the power of heaven and earth!

This is precisely the most classic and unsolvable tactic used by Dharma cultivators when dealing with powerful physical cultivators...

Nine Nether roared repeatedly, wielding the hundred-foot-long demonic sword [Ten Thousand Controls] with its four arms. Each slash unleashed terrifying power, annihilating swathes of incoming wind blades and water dragons.

He stirred up the river, causing it to churn violently, and rocks on both banks kept collapsing!

However, Master Qingming's figure was like a slippery fish.

He always managed to dodge the sword's edge at the last second, leaving him with the power to shake mountains but unable to actually use it...

"Hahaha!"

As Jiuyou brandished his sword, he let out a deafening laugh.

"Old man Qingming! You are a Core Formation cultivator, yet you resort to such a shameless kite-flying tactic to beat me, a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

If word gets out, aren't you afraid of being laughed at by your fellow travelers in the Northern Airspace?

Where is your Core Formation appearance?!

Having said that, he seemed to be completely enraged, and his attack became even more ferocious.

The demonic sword was wielded with impenetrable force, its burning energy like a furnace, directly evaporating large swaths of wind blades!

Their momentum was unparalleled!

A hint of triumph flashed in Qingming Zhenren's eyes.

The more agitated the opponent is, the more disordered their mind is, and the faster their vital energy and supernatural power are consumed!

He sneered:

"A naive attempt to provoke! How about Core Formation? How about Foundation Establishment?"

Those empty titles will only disturb my Dao heart!

In this battle, I have only one objective: to kill you!

His voice was cold, revealing the pragmatism and ruthlessness unique to those in the demonic path, completely abandoning any pretense of status and unmoved by external things.

Moreover, he was clearly prepared in advance.

With a flick of his sleeve, a lantern with an ancient design and a faint green glow appeared out of thin air.

Inside the lantern, it seemed as if countless tormented and struggling ghosts and demons were imprisoned, emitting chilling roars and wails!

"Erosion Lamp! Go!"

As the voice fell, the soul lamp shone brightly with green light, and countless twisted and venomous soul shockwaves ignored physical defenses and directly eroded Jiu You's soul sea of ​​consciousness!

"Ugh—!"

The massive body of the Nine Netherworld trembled violently and let out a painful groan!

While physical cultivation may result in unparalleled physical strength, spiritual cultivation is generally a weak point.

This vicious magic weapon, specifically designed to target the soul, was prepared by True Immortal Qingming for the Nine Netherworlds after learning from the lessons of the Black Miasma Forest!

A splitting headache!

It felt like a million steel needles were churning in my mind!

Jiuyou is sustained entirely by his powerful fighting spirit!

His Dharma body shone brightly, becoming flickering and uncertain. The wounds on his body caused by the wind blades were now bleeding profusely, flowing down like scarlet rivers!

The healing power has also been greatly reduced...

That towering, eighty-one-zhang-tall Dharma body began to shrink and become illusory at a speed visible to the naked eye!