Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Further away, in a mountain valley shrouded by a natural illusion array, more than a dozen figures clad in crimson spirit armor and exuding intense auras lay in wait. The leader, with red hair and eyebrows and a dignified face, with flames flickering around him, was none other than the Great Elder of the Blazing Sun Sect—Fire Cloud True Man!

Unlike the Heavenly Sword Sect, he did not directly intervene in the battle, but instead observed from the shadows. At this moment, he gazed in the direction of Burial Soul Valley, his brows furrowed, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, seemingly calculating something.

"Shen Mo... Qingyun Sect... truly hidden deep indeed. Such a heavenly tribulation, such methods... that legendary ancient Qingyun lineage is probably not false." Huoyun Zhenren muttered to himself, his tone complex. "That fool Jian Wuhui has probably kicked a hornet's nest. The Xuan Yin Sect's trash is indeed unreliable... It seems my plan needs to be changed."

He turned and whispered to a trusted aide behind him, "Send a message back to the sect: the plan has changed. The 'Crimson Sun Burning Heaven Formation' will be temporarily suspended. Have our people continue to lie in wait; they must not act without my orders. Also, send someone to 'make contact' with the Hundred Herbs Sect and the Green Wood Temple. Perhaps... we can find a different way to cooperate."

"Yes!" The trusted aide accepted the order and quietly withdrew.

Master Huoyun turned his gaze back to Burial Valley, his eyes deep and thoughtful: "Shen Mo, oh Shen Mo, let you fight to the death with the Heavenly Sword Sect and this evil formation first. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The final winner of this Southern Region's chess game is still unknown..."

In the valley.

After successively "sending away" Blood Soul and Yin Nightmare, Shen Mo's aura not only did not weaken, but instead, under the tempering of the nine Purple Heaven Divine Lightnings and the enhancement of a certain "momentum" brought about by the two counterattacks, it became even more magnificent and vast, faintly having a strange feeling of surpassing the Golden Core, yet not being completely perfect.

The charred blackening on his skin was visibly fading, revealing new, smooth, jade-like skin with subtle, flowing lines resembling lightning bolts. Beneath his tattered robes, his muscles were defined, exuding explosive power.

He slowly raised his head and looked up at the thick tribulation clouds above him, which seemed even more "angry" because he had "utilized" the heavenly tribulation one after another, and the momentum of the one undergoing the tribulation had not weakened but increased. The lightning was gathering faster and the pressure was even more terrifying.

The third wave of "Three Talents God-Slaying Thunder" unexpectedly killed Yin Yan, but the heavenly tribulation was far from over. He could sense that something even more terrifying was brewing deep within the clouds. And the rupture of the golden core in his dantian was also at its final moment.

His gaze swept over the skeletal giants below, who seemed somewhat lost and hesitant due to the fall of Yin Yan and the fear of Bone Fiend. He then glanced at the direction of the altar, and finally looked towards the western night sky, where the people of the Heavenly Sword Sect had temporarily retreated, but their killing intent had not subsided.

"Bone Fiend." Shen Mo's voice rang out calmly, yet carried an invisible majesty, clearly reaching the ears of Elder Bone Fiend and every cultivator in the valley. "Blood Soul and Yin Nightmare are gone. The road to the Yellow Springs is long. Do you... wish to travel with them?"

Elder Bone Fiend's body trembled, and the skeletal giant he controlled even shook. He looked up and met Shen Mo's eyes, which were like the primordial chaos, seemingly able to see through all illusions. He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something harsh, but found his throat dry and unable to utter a complete sound. Although Shen Mo in front of him had not truly stepped into the Nascent Soul stage, his aura, especially the terrifying power that seemed to be in harmony with the Heavenly Tribulation and act as if he were acting on behalf of Heaven, had already made even a Golden Core Perfection cultivator like himself, with a vicious heart, feel a suffocating pressure.

Escape? Where to escape to? The heavenly tribulation locked onto Shen Mo, and also subtly enveloped the entire altar area. Fight? The lessons of Blood Soul and Yin Nightmare were right before their eyes! This person was simply a monster, able to "guide" the heavenly tribulation to a certain extent! How could they possibly fight?!

Just as Elder Bone Fiend's mind was in turmoil and he was caught in a dilemma—

"Buzz—!!!"

At the top of the altar, the three dark red banners seemed to sense the successive falls of the presiding figures and the immense threat and interference brought by the heavenly tribulation. They finally ceased merely passively pulsating and transmitting evil energy. The evil will that had been subtly awakening suddenly became clear and violent!

The banners moved without wind, fluttering wildly, and the twisted demonic shadows on the banners emitted silent yet piercingly sharp roars!

A dark red torrent of evil energy, far purer and more powerful than when Elder Blood Soul received the "Holy Power Infusion," filled with endless chaos, destruction, and greedy desires, erupted from the three banners like a volcanic eruption. Instead of being poured into anyone below, it gathered, twisted, and deformed wildly in the air!

In the hazy outline, a terrifying demonic figure appeared, hundreds of feet tall, with curved horns on its head, tattered fleshy wings on its back, and an indistinct face, except for two swirling, dark red vortexes in the place of its eyes that seemed to devour all light...

This demonic shadow is not a physical entity, but rather a "manifestation of will" or "projection of power" that has crossed the endless void. However, the evil pressure it exudes can faintly rival the might of the raging heavenly tribulation in the sky!

"It's the Holy Lord! The projection of the Holy Lord's will!" Elder Bone Fiend was stunned at first, then trembled with excitement, prostrating himself on the ground and shouting fanatically, "Welcome the Holy Lord's arrival! Please, Holy Lord, slay this fiend and clear away the obstacle!"

"It's the Holy Lord! The projection of the Holy Lord's will!" Elder Bone Fiend was stunned at first, then trembled with excitement, prostrating himself on the ground and shouting fanatically, "Welcome the Holy Lord's arrival! Please, Holy Lord, slay this fiend and clear away the obstacle!"

The dark red demonic shadow slowly "lowered its head," and its two vortex-like "eyes" seemed to pierce through the barriers of space and lightning, landing on Shen Mo.

A vast, chaotic, and seemingly superimposed evil thought, resounding directly in the depths of everyone's hearts, descended with a deafening roar:

"Insects... you obstruct my holy path... you shall be slain..."

As this evil thought descended, the bloodthirsty and malevolent energy of the entire Burial Soul Valley frantically converged towards the demonic shadow. The blood in the nine blood pools surged upwards and merged into the demonic shadow, making it even more solid!

A terrifying evil energy that could change the color of heaven and earth frantically condensed in the demonic shadow's palm, transforming into a dark red giant spear that seemed to be made of congealed filth and endless vengeful spirits, tens of feet long, with the spear tip pointing directly at Shen Mo!

The tribulation clouds in the sky seemed to sense the complete manifestation and provocation of this "strange object." The roar reached its peak, and countless bolts of lightning of various colors frantically converged towards the center of the clouds. An aura of destruction, even more terrifying than the previous "Three Talents God-Slaying Lightning" and seemingly containing the wrath of the Heavenly Dao, was rapidly taking shape!

The fourth wave of the Heavenly Tribulation, along with the projection of the will of the extraterrestrial demon, locked onto Shen Mo almost simultaneously!

Before them came divine punishment and after them the wrath of evil spirits!

The real showdown reached its climax at this moment!

Shen Mo looked up at the sky where lightning was gathering, as if it would strike down with world-destroying lightning at any moment, and then looked at the terrifying demonic figure holding a dark red giant spear, exuding endless malice.

He suddenly laughed.

His smile was calm, even carrying a hint of relieved nonchalance.

"Finally... a decent one has arrived."

He slowly raised his right hand, palm up, fingers loosely clenched, as if grasping something invisible. In his sea of ​​consciousness, the Radiant Pearl of Myriad Laws shone with unprecedented brilliance, and the jade slip in his arms was burning hot.

Within the dantian, the golden core, covered in Dao patterns, emitted a final, crisp sound, like the first cry of a fledgling phoenix... a cracking sound.

"So..."

He murmured to himself, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp as a sword that could cleave the heavens. A brand new, more vast, more profound aura, as if it had broken free of some shackles and resonated more deeply with this world, burst forth from his body like the rising sun!