Chapter 574: Cliff Bottom Seven Giant Demons

Shi Lingyun nodded seriously, adhering to Xu Yang's guidance.

"Don't worry, boss, I will! This thing probably has other uses yet to be developed; I'll need to study it slowly."

No sooner had Shi Lingyun finished speaking than the valley plain battlefield was rocked by another violent tremor, seemingly even more powerful than before.

"It's surprising how much trouble you ants can cause," a voice began. "But I'd like to see how long you can keep flailing about."

This voice belonged to a spiritual projection of the Guard Commander, aiming to intimidate Xu Yang's team. However, the awkward truth was that Xu Yang's team feared threats least of all.

"Stop spouting nonsense!" Long Kun shouted. "If you think you're so capable, come down and fight us! Stop hiding outside and blabbering!"

Long Kun flipped a middle finger at the faint spiritual projection in the sky, a gesture of contempt. The Guard Commander merely sneered and said nothing more, only to add: "I'd like to see how long your arrogance lasts. Although Kals has died by your hands, you must understand that he was merely an appetizer. If you can survive the Seven Ancient Demons of this underground palace, *that* would be a true miracle!

Unfortunately, such a miracle is utterly impossible, because the owner of that angel skull you just acquired was exiled into the depths of this underground palace as a criminal by the Leader himself back then, ultimately perishing at the hands of the Seven Ancient Demons."

The Guard Commander's words were not empty threats; they were true! When that angel was exiled to this underground palace years ago, the Guard Commander was merely a junior subordinate, but he happened to be in the escorting party, witnessing the true angel being led into the underground palace, never to emerge alive again.

Xu Yang scoffed, waving a hand at the void. A powerful mental pressure instantly dispersed the Guard Commander's spiritual energy fluctuations, reducing them to nothingness.

However, despite Xu Yang's actions, the tremors on the earth's surface did not cease in the slightest. The female envoy, who was wielding the Great Emperor's Law, remained unaffected by Xu Yang's power.

"Oh no! Boss, if this continues, the ground beneath us will collapse! Below is a bottomless abyss!"

Long Kun wasn't exactly worried, but being continuously constrained like this, how long would it take them to find the Angel Soul Pillars? It would be an eternity!

"No worries! This underground palace, no matter how much it shakes, is only so large. As long as we maintain our general direction, we won't have any safety issues. Sooner or later, we will find the person we're looking for."

No sooner had Xu Yang spoken than the ground beneath their feet began to crackle and shatter. Countless rubble fragments rapidly sank, and the area remained sealed by an incredibly powerful suction force, preventing Xu Yang and the others from escaping.

They eventually plummeted into the abyss's depths, one by one landing in the water. Fortunately, there were no special destructive measures awaiting them in the waters at the bottom of the chasm.

The reason was simple: this place was too deep. Even the female envoy's mental energy could not reach such a distant location.

In other words, this was the maximum distance at which Xu Yang's team could be externally interfered with by those two individuals. This was actually a good thing for Xu Yang's team, as they could finally calm their minds and fully concentrate on facing their immediate opponents without the risk of being attacked from both sides.

Bang!

Just then, without any warning, countless massive boulders, dozens of meters in diameter, began to tumble down from above the four, crashing down the cliff face from the very top!

"Well, I'll be," Long Kun exclaimed, "they actually thought of this method! If their mental power can't reach us, they'll just throw rocks. What deep-seated hatred do they have for us, anyway?"

"Quickly activate your defenses and get out of here!"

Xu Yang roared, and the Asura Divine Sword shot skyward, releasing dazzling sword energy that pierced through the nearest boulder. However, such massive rocks falling from such a height generated an impact force that Xu Yang alone could not entirely withstand.

More importantly, the smaller fragments created when these large rocks shattered were also incredibly powerful. A single misstep could result in them being impaled by the debris.

Fortunately, the scepter embedded with the crystal skull in Shi Lingyun's hand finally came into play. Powerful purple light erupted, swiftly enveloping Xu Yang and the others in a purple spiritual energy barrier. This materialized protective shield immediately safeguarded them, preventing anyone from being struck by the destructive force.

"Relocate!"

As countless boulders continued to fall, Xu Yang, even amidst the chaos, immediately found a gap in the rockfall. He led his team members into the air, using the Law of Earth to alter the trajectory of the surrounding engulfing aura, finally breaking free from the restraining force.

Xu Yang spread his hands helplessly: "As the saying goes, 'An innocent man is guilty only when he possesses treasure!' I've already mastered the Qiankun Sleeve ability and most of the inherited content of the Law of Earth. They must have sensed it long ago and will certainly not let us leave easily. More importantly, once we break free from here and go directly to meet the leader of the Glacier Kingdom, the female envoy and her group won't gain anything!"

"Alright, it's true what they say: 'Men die for wealth, and birds die for food!'"

Time ticked by, minute by minute. Relying on their formidable cultivation foundations and the protection of the Sea Demon Lord, the king of the sea, Xu Yang and the other three finally returned to the shore at the very bottom of the cliff.

"Whew... Damn it, we almost got tricked by those two! If we had struggled for so long only to be crushed by those boulders, what a pathetic end that would have been for us who started so great!"

Ling Yao, however, merely snorted a laugh and continued her usual bickering with Long Kun.

"With our boss here, what are you afraid of? Even if those boulders exerted immense pressure, if the Law of Earth were applied with peak mastery, it could even alter the boulders' form and structure out of thin air. If I'm not mistaken, the boss didn't immediately cast spells on those boulders because he wanted to put those two malicious individuals at ease."

At Ling Yao's words, a faint smile finally appeared on Xu Yang's face.

"You truly are a clever girl; you've completely outsmarted Long Kun! If I had directly counterattacked those boulders, I worried those two might have had another trick up their sleeve. Once we encounter the so-called Seven Ancient Demons, being attacked from both front and back, our pressure would be immense!"

Xu Yang's greatest characteristic was his combination of boldness and meticulousness, knowing when to be assertive and when to be restrained.

Even with heaven-defying abilities, he never left the slightest opening for his opponents, and his strategic planning was exceptionally thorough.

Because he knew very well that if real danger arose, he could withdraw safely with his strength, but his companions might very well be in peril. As a qualified leader, he had to consider every single person.

Perhaps this was Xu Yang's greatest strength, the fundamental reason for his current progress and achievements, and why powerful individuals from all walks of life were willing to follow him wholeheartedly.

With Xu Yang present, even if only he remained of the team, its banner would never easily fall!