Possessed by my father, I was reborn and became the supreme ruler.

Ye Yunjian stood tall in front of the crowd like a javelin, his deep gaze fixed on the ever-widening crack, as if trying to see through the endless darkness.

His heartbeat was unusually steady and strong, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere around him.

A sense of impending doom enveloped everyone; the air seemed to freeze, making it suffocating.

Suddenly, a beam of earthy yellow light shot out from the depths of the crack, piercing the darkness and stinging everyone's eyes.

A tall figure slowly rose up and hovered in mid-air.

He was enveloped in an earthy yellow light, obscuring his face; only a pair of cold, razor-sharp eyes could be seen, indifferently scanning the crowd.

"Anyone who trespasses on this forbidden area shall die!" A deep and authoritative voice rang out from the Earth Spirit Envoy, like a resounding bell from ancient times, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

A powerful pressure filled the air, making it hard for everyone to breathe.

Elder Xuanfeng stepped forward, his powerful true energy surrounding him, resisting the immense pressure.

"Your Excellency, we did not mean to offend you. We were chased here by that monster. Please understand!" Xuanfeng's voice was old but full of power, neither humble nor arrogant.

The Earth Spirit Envoy's gaze fell upon Xuan Feng. "How dare you mortals set foot in the territory of underground creatures? Leave immediately, or you will be killed without mercy!"

“We…” Lingxi was about to explain when Ye Yunjian stopped her.

He stepped forward, met the gaze of the Earth Spirit Envoy, and showed no fear in his eyes.

"You keep saying this place is forbidden, but have you ever considered that the people above ground also consider the underground a forbidden place? Now that the monster has broken out of the ground and is hurting our compatriots, how can we sit idly by?"

The Earth Spirit Master snorted coldly, and a powerful aura erupted from his body, blasting away the surrounding rocks.

"Ignorant humans! What business is it of yours to interfere in the affairs of the underworld?"

Gu Ying stood at the back of the crowd, watching this scene unfold before her, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with greed...

He quietly reached into his robes and tightly grasped a faintly glowing stone.

When Gu Ying saw the Earth Spirit Envoy appear, he showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he rubbed his hands together with a grin, took a few steps forward, and bowed respectfully. His fawning demeanor was completely different from his usual cunning.

"This must be the renowned Earth Spirit Master! I've heard so much about you! I am Gu Ying, and I have prepared a small gift, which I hope you will accept." With that, he took out a seemingly ordinary gray stone from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

Everyone was stunned, not understanding what Gu Ying was up to.

Ye Yunjian frowned slightly. This Gu Ying was always cunning and treacherous, and his current unusual behavior must mean he had something on his mind.

Lingxi gripped Ye Yunjian's sleeve tightly, her eyes filled with worry.

The Earth Spirit Master glanced down at the stone in Gu Ying's hand. His cold eyes slowly reached out and took the stone. When his fingertips touched the surface of the stone, a strange energy fluctuation spread throughout his body.

He gripped the stone tightly, and a burning sensation came from his palm, giving him a strange sense of excitement.

Just as everyone was wondering, the Earth Spirit Envoy suddenly made his move!

A flash of yellow light appeared in his hand, and a sharp earthen spike materialized out of thin air, piercing straight into Murong Feng's chest!

Murong Feng was shocked and quickly dodged to the side. The earth spikes grazed his clothes and flew past, creating a gust of wind.

He swung his sword backhand, the sharp sword energy aimed directly at the Earth Spirit Envoy's face.

The Earth Spirit Master snorted coldly, and a thick earthen wall instantly rose in front of him, blocking all the sword energy.

Immediately afterwards, he slapped the ground with both hands, and the ground rumbled as dozens of earthen golems burst out of the ground, surging towards the crowd like a tide.

Seeing this, Elder Xuanfeng shouted, "Mystic Fire Spreads Across the Plains!" Raging flames erupted from his hands, burning the earth golems at the forefront to ashes.

However, the number of earth golems was so large that they seemed endless, one after another.

Everyone unleashed their magical weapons and engaged in fierce battle with the earth golems.

The spirit girl let out a delicate shout, brandishing her spirit staff. Beams of green light shot out, striking the earth golem and slowing its movements.

Murong Feng, wielding a long sword, moved nimbly among the earthen golems, his sword flashing as he continuously cleaved them into pieces.

Ye Yunjian, holding a long sword, stood protectively in front of Lingxi, calmly observing the battle.

The battle intensified, dust billowed, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

Just then, Gu Ying silently retreated to the edge of the crowd, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He muttered to himself, "The show is just beginning..." He looked at the other stone in his hand again, his eyes gleaming with greed.

"Ah!" A child's innocent cry pierced the chaos of the battlefield...

A child's innocent cry, like a sharp needle, pierced the clamor of the battlefield.

A frail Elven child was violently knocked away by an earth golem and crashed heavily to the ground.

His small body was curled up in a ball, his tender face was covered with tears, and he was whimpering intermittently, which was heartbreaking.

Upon seeing this, the elder of the Spirit Clan was furious.

He swung his scepter with all his might, smashing the clay golem in front of him, trying to rush over to protect the child.

Unfortunately, the earthen golems were numerous and fearless, surging up in layers and entangling him tightly.

Anxiety and worry burned within him like a raging fire. He roared, but he couldn't get close to the crying child. He could only watch helplessly as the child was exposed to danger.

The oppressive atmosphere, like the calm before a storm with dark clouds gathering, was almost suffocating.

Everyone was filled with anger and anxiety, but they were powerless to do anything about it.

The earth golems' attacks poured down like a storm, and everyone was too exhausted to deal with them all to spare any effort to help the helpless child.

The air was filled with a strong, nauseating smell of earth and blood.

At this critical moment, Ye Yunjian made his move.

He took a deep breath, and the power of the Xuanhuo (mysterious fire) burned fiercely in his eyes, like two leaping flames.

He gathered all his Xuanhuo power into the longsword in his hand, and the sword emitted a dazzling red light, illuminating the dim battlefield.

"Mysterious Fire Shatters the Sky!" Ye Yunjian roared, and swung his longsword out fiercely.

A massive flame, like a roaring fire dragon, rushed towards the Earth Spirit Envoy with an aura of annihilation.

The blazing flames distorted the surrounding air, creating crackling and popping sounds.

In a hurry, the Earth Spirit condensed earth elements to form a thick earth shield.

However, faced with the overwhelming power of "Mysterious Fire Breaks the Sky," the earth shield was as fragile as paper and was instantly shattered.

The flames continued their relentless advance, slamming violently into the Earth Spirit Envoy.

"Ah!" The Earth Spirit Master let out a scream as he was thrown backward by the flames and crashed heavily to the ground.

The earthy yellow light emanating from him had dimmed considerably, and his once invincible aura had vanished.

Seeing Ye Yunjian's powerful attack, the crowd's morale soared, and they cheered.

They wielded their weapons with even greater force, slicing the earthen golems into pieces.

“You…” The Earth Spirit Envoy struggled to his feet, pointing at Ye Yunjian. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t get the words out.

Seeing this, Gu Ying's smile deepened.

He gripped the other stone tightly in his hand, a greedy glint in his eyes, and muttered to himself, "It seems the time has come..."

The spirit girl's gaze followed Ye Yunjian's figure the whole time, watching him defeat the powerful enemy like a god descending to earth, her eyes shining with admiration.

At this moment, the secret feelings in her heart could no longer be suppressed.

Taking advantage of a brief lull in the fighting, she rushed to Ye Yunjian's side, took out a clean white handkerchief from her bosom, and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The girl's fingertips inadvertently brushed against Ye Yunjian's cheek, bringing a tingling sensation.

Her eyes were gentle and tender, filled with affection, which seemed especially warm on the tense battlefield.

Feeling the girl's thoughtfulness, Ye Yunjian felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He smiled slightly and gently patted the girl's shoulder to express his gratitude.

This brief moment of warmth only made Gu Ying, who was not far away, even more impatient.

He paced back and forth anxiously, glancing at the stone in his hand from time to time, as if urging something.

His greedy gaze swept over the Earth Spirit Envoy, then looked at Ye Yunjian, a sinister smile curving his lips.

The defeated Earth Spirit wielder scrambled to his feet, his earthen-yellow aura dimmed considerably. He glared angrily at Ye Yunjian, then abruptly turned and shouted at the bottomless crevice in a strange language.

His voice was sharp and piercing, like the cry of an owl, sending chills down one's spine.

As the Earth Spirit called out, a low roar came from the depths of the rift.

The voice, like that of an ancient beast, was full of majesty and anger, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The sound grew closer and clearer, as if some terrifying being was slowly awakening from the depths of the earth.

Everyone stared intently into the depths of the crack, gripping their weapons even tighter; the atmosphere was oppressively suffocating.

The air was thick with the earthy smell and a nauseating stench of decay, making it almost impossible to breathe.

An excited smile spread across Gu Ying's face. He gripped the stone tightly in his hand and muttered to himself, "It's here..."

"Prepare to welcome..."

Everyone stared intently into the depths of the crevice, as the deep roar grew ever closer, like the drums of death beating.

A sense of savage oppression swept over us, mixed with the stench of earth and decay, pressing heavily on everyone's chest.

Ye Yunjian gripped his longsword tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. His gaze was as firm as a rock, yet a hint of worry was also faintly visible.

The tense atmosphere, like a frozen night, swallowed everything around, making one feel as if the end of the world had arrived.

The group unconsciously huddled together, back to back, trying to draw a sense of security from each other.

"Boom——"

With a loud bang, the ground trembled violently, and rocks at the edge of the crack fell down in a flurry.

A massive figure slowly emerged from the depths of the earth.

It was a colossal beast covered in dark, iron-like scales that gleamed with a cold, eerie light.

Its body was as thick as a mountain, and every step it took seemed to tread on the heart of the earth, causing the ground to tremble.

It opened its blood-red maw, revealing its interlocking fangs, and let out a deafening roar that seemed to tear people's eardrums apart.

A strong gust of air, carrying a foul stench, hit me, sending chills down my spine.

"Scatter your attacks!" Xuan Feng roared, his voice booming like thunder in everyone's ears.

He was the first to leap into the air, drawing his fiery red longsword and thrusting it fiercely towards the giant beast's head.

Murong Feng followed closely behind, brandishing his spear and aiming straight for the beast's lower abdomen.

The others also sprang into action, each employing their own methods. Sword energy, talismans, and spells intertwined to create a dazzling display of light, which poured towards the giant beast.

However, these attacks, when they landed on the behemoth, were like tickles, having no real effect whatsoever.

Its scales are incredibly hard; when swords and blades strike them, they only produce sparks.

The giant beast was not harmed at all; instead, it became even more enraged, pawing the ground with its hooves and roaring to the sky, making everyone's eardrums ring.

Its enormous tail, like a steel whip, swept out, sending several cultivators who couldn't dodge in time flying. They crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out blood.

The enormous disparity in strength filled everyone with despair.

They tried their best, but couldn't budge the beast an inch.

It was like a battle they had no chance of winning; faced with absolute power, they appeared so small and helpless.

Just then, a petite figure suddenly rushed out from the crowd, like a moth drawn to a flame, heading towards the feet of the giant beast.

That petite figure was Lingxi.

Before anyone could react, they could only watch helplessly as the figure drew ever closer to the giant beast's massive foot.

Lingxi suddenly ran to the feet of the giant beast, and everyone thought she was going to be trampled to death.

Without hesitation, she pulled a small, crystal-clear bottle from her bosom, filled with a liquid that emitted a strange fragrance.

To everyone's astonishment, Lingxi poured all the liquid from the bottle onto the giant beast's feet.

The liquid sizzled upon contact with the giant beast's scales, and a pungent plume of blue smoke rose up.

The behemoth let out a painful roar, its massive body trembled violently, and it raised its huge feet, which were covered in liquid, and rubbed them restlessly on the ground.

On its thick legs, the once hard scales were now beginning to corrode, revealing the bright red flesh beneath.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, and a glimmer of hope appeared amidst the tense atmosphere.

The giant beast in the cave was completely enraged. It roared to the sky, and its deafening roar echoed throughout the entire cave. A foul stench swept over, making people nauseous.

It swung its enormous claws, striking the spirit rhinoceros with overwhelming force.

At the critical moment, Ye Yunjian's figure flashed by like lightning. The long sword in his hand was burning with raging black fire, and the intense heat distorted the surrounding air.

He poured all his spiritual power into the sword, managing to block the beast's potentially fatal blow.

With a loud "boom", Ye Yunjian was shaken back several steps, his tiger's mouth was split open, and blood flowed down the hilt of the sword.

Murong Feng seized the opportunity, leaped onto the back of the giant beast, and thrust his spear, like a venomous snake, straight at the back of the beast's neck.

However, the beast's hide was exceptionally tough, and the spear could only pierce a little bit of its fur before it could not penetrate any further.