Chapter 914: Blue Ox Riding the Wind

Blood mist churned, and under the vast, unending sky, lightning flickered across a thousand-mile expanse. Bolts of electricity writhed around them like crimson serpents. Thunder rumbled ominously, as if the very heavens were roaring, shaking the earth and sky.

Beneath the blood mist, the land felt incredibly suppressed. Surrounding rocks trembled and were even pulled into the air in clusters, seemingly drawn by an unseen force. It was as if a world-shattering malevolence lurked within the mist, manipulating all living things with an indescribable pull. Even the low mountain where Xu Qing and the Captain stood began to sway under the blood mist's influence. The sight was truly unnerving.

From within the blood mist, a man and a woman emerged, exuding an aura of absolute power, like lords of heaven and earth. Their overwhelming presence was terrifying. The man was as tall and burly as a mountain, radiating an oppressive presence. His face was resolute and cold, and his deep-set eyes gleamed with a cruel, ruthless light. The woman was as beautiful as a celestial being, her long hair fluttering in the blood-tinged wind. Her waist was as slender as a willow branch, accentuating her captivating figure and curves that would make anyone’s heart quicken at a mere glance.

These two were not human. Although both were extraordinarily beautiful, they each had wings on their backs and three eyes on their brows. Their identical attire consisted of black mystical robes embroidered with gold threads that shimmered, creating illusions around them. Wherever they moved, fine, alarming cracks tore through the surrounding space.

It was the young man named Feng and his companion, Lan Yao. As they appeared, Lan Yao cast a half-smile glance down at Xu Qing and the Captain. Her gaze lingered on Xu Qing for a moment longer. The young man named Feng, however, remained impassive, looking down from above as he spoke indifferently.

"You insignificant weeds, are you no longer fleeing?"

Xu Qing and the Captain's faces were grim, yet their hearts were calm, filled instead with an intense fighting spirit. Since their pursuers were relentless, even without prior acquaintance or hatred, the appearance of killing intent necessitated a counter. Neither of them questioned this, understanding it was simply the nature of a cruel era, a world where actions weren't confined to hatred or conflict. The fact that their opponents were performing a blood sacrifice in this region, and they had stumbled upon it, was clearly motive enough for an attack.

Faced with such arrogance, Xu Qing remained silent. It was his nature not to engage in verbal sparring; all his actions were aimed at annihilation. His gaze swept across the airborne figures. As he assessed their race, he also scrutinized them for vulnerabilities, focusing intently on their necks.

However, the Captain wouldn't be outdone verbally. He sneered, "So, you grew a couple of chicken wings and now you think you're bird people? Three-eyed little chicks, show some respect when you speak to your grandpa."

At the Captain's words, Lan Yao's delicate brows furrowed, and her gaze turned even colder. The young man named Feng's expression darkened as he suddenly glanced around Xu Qing and the Captain.

"So, you've laid out arrangements here, and some crude restrictions. No wonder you dared to remain and provoke me with words!" Feng spoke calmly. "Nevertheless, mere cultivators of the Guixu Realm, even with some tricks, are but frogs in a well, oblivious to the vastness of the heavens."

As he spoke, Feng took a step towards Xu Qing and the Captain. With that single step, the blood mist in the sky roared and pressed downwards, while the earth itself trembled violently. The floating rocks shattered simultaneously as a terrifying pressure surged forth. Instantly, the entire area seemed to be imprisoned. All rules and laws within it gained an instantaneous will – the will of Feng. As this will descended upon Xu Qing and the Captain, their expressions shifted. They immediately circulated their cultivation, feigning a stance of full resistance.

Feng's expression remained indifferent, and his steps did not falter. After his first stride, the sky seemed to crack, and the ground convulsed. The low mountain where Xu Qing and the Captain stood simply could not withstand the force and promptly collapsed. As the rubble ascended, Feng raised his right hand and pressed it downwards. Immediately, an immense oppressive force violently converged from all directions, crushing everything in its path. It surged forth like a tempest sweeping away fallen leaves, intending to obliterate everything.

The collapsing stones of the low mountain instantly turned to dust. Even the void seemed to crumple, as if the entire area were a folded piece of fabric, completely engulfing Xu Qing and the Captain. A thunderous roar erupted. Xu Qing and the Captain's forms were shattered, their flesh and blood scattering. Feng's expression remained utterly unchanged, as if obliterating two Guixu cultivators with a single strike was merely an expected outcome for him.

He was about to depart, but in the next instant, his expression subtly shifted, and his gaze returned to the spot where he had just attacked. The moment he looked, countless runes, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, suddenly blazed into existence from the surrounding void. They hadn't appeared out of thin air; instead, they had burst forth from the dust of the shattered rocks Feng had just obliterated. Instantly, they enveloped him – these were the restrictions Xu Qing had set up earlier. Upon their manifestation, these hundreds of thousands of restriction runes rapidly flickered, then abruptly detonated. A deafening roar erupted as the combined power of hundreds of thousands of restrictions suddenly formed a colossal storm, directly engulfing Feng.

Yet, Feng's expression remained unchanged. His mystical robe emitted golden ripples that expanded, astonishingly deflecting all the restriction power. A hint of mockery appeared in his eyes as he prepared to raise his hand. But the next instant, a sight that changed his expression emerged: within the storm of restrictions, hundreds of grotesque faces abruptly appeared. These faces were hideous, their eyes gleaming with greed, and their mouths split into chilling grins, revealing numerous razor-sharp teeth. They were extraordinarily eerie. Each one exuded a terrifying aura. They had previously been concealed within the restriction storm, but now, detected by Feng, they all roared simultaneously and charged directly at him.

Their speed was astonishingly swift, and they gleamed with a peculiar blue light that allowed them to pass directly through the protective ripples emanating from Feng's robe. In an instant, they closed in, tearing and devouring him with frenzied abandon.

"What in the world are these things?"

Feng's heart jolted. He immediately formed hand seals, and his Spirit-Nurturing cultivation erupted. A mercury-like substance swiftly appeared all over his body, flowing across him, intending to cover and suppress those faces. But just then, Xu Qing's figure appeared instantaneously in the air outside the storm. The moment he materialized, seven lamps glowed within him – the Seven Lamp Ghost Fire Curse, specifically targeting the soul. In the same instant they shone, all seven lamps extinguished. The curse of "lamps extinguished, life extinguished" instantly activated, landing on Feng.

Feng was first obstructed by the restriction storm, then entangled by the Captain's grotesque faces. Although his own formidable strength was rapidly obliterating these faces, Xu Qing's timing and coordination with the Captain were absolutely perfect. As the Ghost Fire Curse erupted, Feng's expression drastically changed. A destructive force, like a sharp thorn, pierced directly through his body and into his soul. As excruciating pain surfaced, a sensation of wilting followed immediately. Even his suppression of the grotesque faces outside his body involuntarily slackened.

The Captain's grotesque faces seized the opportunity, their eyes blazing with madness, and all chose to instantly self-detonate. A world-shaking series of explosions erupted. The dual assault on both his physical body and soul left Feng momentarily disoriented. However, hailing from a Sacred Land and possessing numerous techniques, what would be a fatal blow to others was insufficient to truly defeat him.

Just as he was about to retaliate, Xu Qing and the Captain's killing blows continued, far from over. The next instant, Xu Qing's figure rapidly closed in, his body radiating light as a terrifying aura surged from him. He clenched his right hand into a fist and delivered a punch. This single punch shattered the void, pierced through heaven and earth, embodied an undying physique and the will of indestructibility, and was exceptionally tyrannical. It was Yan Xuanzi's Indestructible Emperor's Fist. If Yan Xuanzi were present, he would undoubtedly be astonished by this sight. During his battle with Yan Xuanzi, Xu Qing had keenly observed this divine ability, simulating it mid-fight and continuously comprehending it afterward. Now, he finally unleashed it with magnificent power. With this punch, Feng's expression shifted once more, but Xu Qing and the Captain's ultimate attacks were far from over.

Xu Qing had learned ferocity from the Captain, and the Captain, in turn, had learned from Xu Qing. The Captain had learned Xu Qing's style: when he struck, he did so with full power, always aiming for a single, decisive killing blow. Thus, the instant Xu Qing's Indestructible Emperor's Fist surged forth, a blue skeletal hand tore through the void, appearing behind Feng and grasping fiercely towards his heart with absolute resolve. The blue bone hand was profoundly eerie, as if from another realm. Having broken through dimensions, it emitted countless piercing howls that rattled the mind and stirred emotions. It instinctively inspired an uncontainable fear and dread, causing both body and soul to tremble. An aura of decay also erupted. It was as if the bone hand belonged to the god of death himself; to touch it would surely bring ill fortune.

In a blink of an eye, the blue skeletal hand pierced through all defenses, unleashing a soul-destroying, annihilating power alongside Xu Qing. Though described slowly, all this unfolded in a mere instant. For Feng, one moment he had been confident of victory, but the next, he faced a true life-or-death crisis. The sudden shift left him breathless. The skeletal hand at his back, in particular, made his hair stand on end. However, his combat experience was incredibly vast, and his involvement in this Sacred Land plan meant he was no ordinary individual within the Sacred Land itself. In this dire situation, he decisively opened his mouth and spat out an object.

This object, initially only an inch in size, rapidly expanded to over ten feet as it met the wind. It was a black shield, ancient and heavy, devoid of any runes or carvings, appearing utterly unremarkable. Yet, it exuded an ancient, weathered aura, as if it had been steeped in the endless river of time. The moment it materialized, it instantly flickered, generating multiple shields that protected him from all directions. It directly countered Xu Qing's Indestructible Emperor's Fist, the Captain's blue skeletal hand, the surrounding storm, the self-detonation of the grotesque faces, and the eruption of the Ghost Fire Curse.

A deafening roar erupted. As heaven and earth changed hue, a violent force exploded outwards. Xu Qing and the Captain both staggered, recoiling dozens of feet before finally stopping. Simultaneously, a blinding crimson light flashed where Feng stood. A bloody silhouette surged out, rapidly fleeing over a hundred feet away. As it escaped, countless red lights also scattered outwards, obstructing everything in their path.

Xu Qing's expression was chilling, while the Captain was frenzied, both staring fixedly at Feng, who had emerged from the crimson light a hundred feet away. In the final moments, Feng had not only deployed his potent shield but had also activated a secret technique, which allowed him to repel Xu Qing and the Captain and escape. However, he had paid a significant price for his escape. He rejoined his companion, though he kept a distance of several dozen feet. His body churned, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face was pale, his expression grim, clearly showing signs of depleted vitality.

"Daoist Feng, how could you fail to suppress even two Guixu cultivators?" Lan Yao, who had remained dozens of feet away and had not intervened, now flickered her gaze, suppressing the shock in her heart, and spoke slowly.

"Hmph, Daoist Lan, why ask what you already know? You've seen these two youngsters' attacks; they're no ordinary cultivators, and they're especially skilled at coordinated strikes! Your words are nothing more than a provocation, an attempt to gauge my hidden techniques! Such petty tricks are unnecessary." Feng responded grimly.

Lan Yao chuckled at his words. "Daoist Feng, you're too suspicious again. I merely spoke casually. Our cooperation isn't over; why would I act in such a manner?"

Feng snorted coldly and said nothing further. He wasn't particularly surprised that Lan Yao hadn't offered assistance earlier. Their relationship was, after all, merely a cooperative one. However, given his current discomfited state and her continued mockery and provocation, his recent words had become rather impolite. Nevertheless, he now regarded Xu Qing and the Captain with extreme seriousness. Previously, as a cultivator from a Sacred Land, with Spirit-Nurturing cultivation, even though his power was sealed upon descending to this location, allowing him to display only the strength of two realms, he had still believed that any Guixu cultivator, no matter their hidden techniques, could be easily annihilated with a mere flick of his hand. But now, things were different.

Naturally, his companion had held a similar view earlier, which was why Lan Yao had merely observed, not joining the attack. Clearly, at that moment, she too had believed Feng could easily suppress opponents of this caliber. It was understandable why they acted this way. If facing powerful Wanggu Spirit-Nurturing experts, they wouldn't have been so dismissive. Yet, Xu Qing and the Captain's cultivation appeared, by all accounts, to be merely at the first stage of Guixu. As such, while not exactly underestimating the enemy, they certainly hadn't taken them seriously. However, the scene unfolding before their eyes sent powerful ripples through their minds.

"These two are certainly not simple individuals in the Wanggu Continent... even in the Sacred Land, they would be considered prodigies. Daoist Lan, don't you particularly enjoy stifling prodigies? Why don't we attack together?" Feng's eyes flickered as he met Xu Qing's gaze, then suddenly transmitted a message to Lan Yao.

"They are human. It's not surprising for humans to possess such prodigies." Lan Yao smiled. "As for attacking together, these two were targets Daoist Feng personally wanted to intercept and kill; they have nothing to do with me. But considering our cooperation, I can offer assistance at an opportune moment."

Feng's eyes flashed as he looked back at Xu Qing and the Captain. Suddenly, he raised his right hand and, with a flick, a loud buzzing immediately erupted around him. Clusters of black clouds materialized, revealed to be comprised of arm-sized black centipedes, each bearing a ghastly totemic face on its back. Each centipede was ferociously brutal, their collective hissing a piercing shriek that grated on Xu Qing's ears and caused the Captain to focus intently. Their numbers were in the tens of thousands.

Upon their appearance, with a wave of Feng's hand, they swarmed forward in vast hordes, overwhelmingly descending upon Xu Qing and the Captain. Their vast shadows stretched across the ground, and a palpable sense of oppression arose. Their momentum was astonishing, a truly spectacular sight, but the instant they charged, the Captain suddenly raised his hand, and the hidden blue light around him abruptly flared from all directions, surging skyward. Wherever it passed, an icy power erupted, freezing the heavens and earth and sealing all things in frost.

The formidable ghost centipedes bore the brunt, instantly slowing down. Yet, their ferocity didn't diminish; instead, it intensified. With hisses, they spewed flames that swept across the surroundings. Although the icy power was potent, it was relatively sparse, and the sheer number of ghost centipedes meant their expelled flames became a sea of fire. But in the very instant of their confrontation, countless black shadows spread directly from the ground towards their targets. These were worm shadows formed by the centipedes, and a possession technique erupted simultaneously.

The next instant, Xu Qing and the Captain moved abruptly! They shot forth, one from the left and one from the right, directly at Feng in mid-air. Having suffered a setback, Feng clearly began to treat Xu Qing and the Captain as cultivators of his own rank. Thus, even as he unleashed the ghost centipedes, his cultivation surged forth within him. Two clusters of black flames erupted directly from his shoulders. Within each flame, a vast world flickered, radiating a terrifying aura that permeated the surroundings. Even more astonishingly, three additional clusters of black flames appeared on his arms and above his head. These three flames, however, were very dim, as if shrouded by a layer of mist, seemingly sealed. The great worlds within them were similarly obscured.

"Five Spirit-Nurturing Realms!" Xu Qing inhaled sharply. "Three realms sealed... but why?"

The Captain's heart also jolted, but doubt quickly arose. He exchanged a glance with Xu Qing, and their speed remained undiminished. As they charged, both unleashed their divine abilities. The Captain's entire body glowed with an unprecedented, brilliant blue light, vaguely resembling a vast world itself. Meanwhile, forty million soul threads erupted from Xu Qing, swiftly forming the colossal world he had manifested during his battle with Yan Xuanzi. This world was colossal, with a hundred illusory divine pillars supporting its sky and three extraordinary divine authority powers. The might of the world was fully unveiled. Together with the Captain, he unleashed a devastating assault on Feng.

Witnessing this, Lan Yao's expression in the distance became even graver than before. Feng reacted similarly, his pupils contracting, but the killing intent in his eyes intensified. Prodigies of the Guixu Realm, capable of manifesting Spirit-Nurturing Realms!

"Very well. Let me show you the consequences of insubordination." As he spoke, the two great worlds on Feng's shoulders roared, directly manifesting externally and pressing down upon Xu Qing and the Captain. Simultaneously, he took a deep breath, and a silver light erupted from his mouth, rapidly spreading across his face. In the next instant, it engulfed his entire body, transforming him into a silver figure. Then, the silver light surged violently, scattering in all directions like sharp blades. A terrifying, world-shaking pressure emanated from his form. Wherever it passed, the colossal world formed by Xu Qing's soul threads rumbled, showing signs of disintegration under the silver light. The Captain's blue light world reacted similarly. The power of this light was truly astonishing.

"Light of the Sacred Land! Junior Brother, we must retreat quickly!" The Captain's eyes sharply narrowed, and he gasped in shock, retreating rapidly.

Xu Qing's expression also changed upon hearing those four words. Although he didn't know what they signified, the term "Sacred Land" carried immense weight. Still, a sense of unease lingered in his heart regarding the Captain's sudden exclamation. Based on his understanding of the Captain, such a reaction was uncharacteristic. After all, they still possessed many trump cards, the most crucial being the Emperor Corpse. "Senior Brother likely has something in mind..." Xu Qing pondered this, but outwardly he feigned terror and retreated just as hastily.

"You actually know of the Light of the Sacred Land. Interesting!" The silver-clad Feng sneered at the remark, his body vanishing in an instant. He reappeared directly before the Captain, delivering a swift palm strike. The blue light around the Captain's body instantly shattered, and his form seemed to be erased, vanishing from sight. "Hmm?" Feng's eyes flashed, and he vanished once more. This time, however, he reappeared directly in front of the rapidly retreating Xu Qing, delivering another palm strike.

Xu Qing's entire body was overwhelmed by pressure. The great world of soul threads before him shattered, and the palm strike inexplicably pierced through all defenses, landing directly on his chest. With a resounding boom, Xu Qing was sent flying hundreds of feet. His face was ashen, yet he sustained no further injuries. The Great Profound Heavenly Armor on his body was now radiating light, complemented by the enveloping Nine Li and the formidable body of the Witch Ancestor. Furthermore, the physical augmentation derived from Xu Qing's simulated Indestructible Emperor's Fist of Yan Xuanzi contributed, cumulatively elevating his physical defenses to an extraordinarily formidable level. This time, Feng was genuinely stunned.

"Such defense... very well, let's see if the very laws of this world can harm you." Feng snorted coldly, raised his hand, and made a grabbing motion towards the sky. Instantly, countless dense threads materialized around him, forming a vast net. This net was a manifestation of fundamental laws. The next instant, each thread turned silver within the radiating light, then sharply expanded in all directions. Wherever it passed, it sliced through everything.

Xu Qing circulated his full cultivation, pushing his defensive power to the extreme. In an instant, it clashed with the great net. A tearing sound ripped through the air. His physical strength managed to put up resistance, yet his body was still forced to retreat. Not far from Feng, as the vast net swept over, the Captain's figure, which had previously dissipated and concealed itself in the void, was forced to reappear. The moment he reappeared, his body instantly detonated, transforming into countless blue worms that swarmed around the skeletal hand. With astonishing speed, they surged directly towards Feng. Its speed was immense, its momentum powerful. The icy chill, seemingly born from all its combined might and the bone itself, actually pierced through the silver light. As it neared Feng, the skeletal hand clamped down fiercely, and all the worms simultaneously opened their mouths, spewing forth chilling air.

In the blink of an eye, seeing his Sacred Land's Light breached, Feng's expression shifted once more. While he managed to block the skeletal hand's direct strike, he was unable to ward off the overwhelming, all-encompassing cold air. The endless cold directly enveloped him, causing his figure to momentarily freeze.

Killing intent flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. In that instant, he unhesitatingly raised his right hand. A blood-red dagger appeared, its blade manifesting a hideous face. He then forcefully slashed the dagger forward. A sharp tearing sound. The net of laws was severed by the dagger. In a flash, Xu Qing appeared behind Feng, brutally slashing the dagger at his neck. Feng's expression utterly transformed.

Just then, Lan Yao, who had been observing the battle, narrowed her eyes. She suddenly raised her hand, and instantly, petals began to materialize around the area where Xu Qing and the two were clashing. Lan Yao herself took a step, swaying, preparing to join the fray. But Xu Qing and the Captain were already on guard against Lan Yao. Almost the instant Lan Yao made her move, a blue spinal column abruptly materialized before her, whipping fiercely towards her. Simultaneously, the ghost centipedes in the distance, which had been spitting fire at the blue light, suddenly ceased their assault, changed direction, and charged directly at Lan Yao. They were now under the control of Little Shadow, and the blue light, at that very moment, surged skyward, forming a barrier that enveloped Lan Yao.