Chapter 861: Wood Character Formation Space

"This is one of my most powerful ghost-replication techniques. Just as you might imagine, this ghost possesses an aura identical to yours, meaning its overall strength is equivalent to 80% of your own soul's power. I'd like to see how easily you can annihilate this ghost of mine."

As the elder spoke, he paid no further attention to what was happening on the main battlefield. He summoned his shovel again and began digging pits on the spot. Each new pit he dug caused a fresh tombstone to appear beside him. In a short time, it was unclear what this fellow was planning. However, Xu Yang understood clearly that the elder was preparing his ultimate profound technique, a final measure even more potent than the ability to replicate another's soul.

"It's been a long time since I've tried to spar with myself." Xu Yang was in no rush to immediately destroy the ghost infused with his own soul. He began exchanging peaceful blows with it, continuing for hundreds of rounds before finally stopping. With a gentle wave of his hand, Xu Yang summoned his Phoenix Feather Cosmos Bow once more and shot an arrow into the air towards the ghost before him. In an instant, the ghost's glabella proved to be its sole weakness. This was the only flaw Xu Yang had discovered in the ghost while exchanging blows with it earlier. Where the sword gleam passed, the ghost was completely pierced through its core, and it rapidly disintegrated in a very short time.

The elder clearly had not anticipated that Xu Yang could find the ghost's sole weakness in such a short time. He looked up and gave Xu Yang a sinister smile. "Heh, your strength has already exceeded my estimation. But unfortunately, no matter how powerful you are, you are destined to fall here today! Come, choose your favorite tombstone, and let yourself sleep here forever. How about that?"

Xu Yang chuckled lightly and gave the elder before him the middle finger. "It seems you're still lost in your own delusion. Do you truly believe that with your limited power, you can suppress me?"

The elder before him, however, completely disagreed: "You probably don't quite understand this ultimate profound technique of mine. It doesn't rely on my own power to slay you. Each tombstone can actually summon the corresponding power from any tombstone within the Western Emperor's Tomb outside. This means that when I activate these five tombstones simultaneously, your true form will endure the most terrifying suppressive force of the entire Five Elements Grand Array."

Xu Yang seemed to realize something: "From what you're saying, if I can withstand this move of yours, it would be equivalent to being able to destroy the entire Western King's Tomb, wouldn't it?"

The elder shook his head dismissively: "Not quite that much. After all, the Five Elements power I can control is still limited. However, it should be enough to suppress you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the elder gradually sank deep into the ground. A chilling smile remained on his face throughout, until his head finally disappeared beneath the surface, and his physical outline was no longer visible. The very moment the elder completely vanished, all the surrounding tombstones began emitting incredibly powerful murderous auras. Each aura transformed into a streak of light, rushing from its direction towards Xu Yang's true form. The five tombstones ignited simultaneously, meaning the five intertwining auras unleashed a sealing power comparable to that of the entire Five Elements Grand Array.

As expected, these five auras rapidly converged above Xu Yang's head. The nascent form of the Five Elements Grand Array began to descend from the void, pressing down little by little towards Xu Yang's position on the ground. The closer it got, the more intense the pressure became.

"Heh, then I'll use the most powerful force of light to awaken you from your slumber!" As soon as Xu Yang finished speaking, the Law of Light suddenly manifested, and at that very moment, for the first time, angelic wings emerged from his back. This was the first time Xu Yang had displayed his inherited angelic power since entering Yingzhou Continent.

Indeed, as the angelic wings descended and brilliant golden light illuminated every corner of the inner space, the Five Elements Grand Array above rapidly began to crack, eventually vanishing before Xu Yang. With the premature shattering of the Five Elements Grand Array, the elder, who had just hidden deep underground, forcibly re-emerged. However, this time, Xu Yang stomped on the old fellow's head, effectively preventing his body from fully re-emerging from the ground.

"Heh, don't you old coots love staying underground? This time, I'll make you sleep forever in your own grave!" As Xu Yang's words fell, he stomped down forcefully, forcibly trampling the elder, who had half-emerged, back into the ground. Then, he forcibly closed the ground fissure. Xu Yang's hand moved swiftly, conjuring a powerful sealing array that completely sealed all the tombstones within this inner space. Without Xu Yang's permission, or unless the old fellow's power exceeded its limits, the old man should never be able to emerge from beneath these tombstones.

"You brat, let me out immediately! If you dare to fight me head-on, undo this seal at once!" Xu Yang could even detect a hint of a crying tone in the old man's voice and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"I'm just indulging your hobby, there's no need to be so agitated. If you still want to get out of here, wait a few thousand or tens of thousands of years. If I'm in a good mood, or if I haven't forgotten you, I might come back here and release you. Of course, the chances of that are extremely slim, because it's highly probable that soon the entire Yingzhou Continent will no longer bear my footprint."

As Xu Yang finished speaking, he confidently strode out of the area, leaving the miserable old man alone, confined to the deepest part of the underground, to endure his solitude.

After exiting the inner space again, Xu Yang returned to the plains of the Western Emperor's Tomb. Turning around, he finally noticed that the core of the Five Elements Grand Tomb, corresponding to the 'Metal' position, was emitting brilliant golden light. Xu Yang waved his palm, integrating the totem of the golden light barrier into his palm. This marked his acquisition of the first key, corresponding to this array core, to unlock the Western Emperor's Tomb's ultimate domain.

"My heavens, this young man truly has some tricks up his sleeve! He actually suppressed that grave-digging old fellow permanently underground! Heh, such methods are indeed quite interesting."

Unbeknownst to him, this voice emanated from the direction of the Five Elements Grand Array's second portal. As soon as it appeared, Xu Yang immediately pinpointed its exact location. Xu Yang transformed into a streak of light and soon appeared before the tombstone of the second 'Wood' array core. He shattered the corresponding tombstone with a single palm strike, and just as expected, another light blue independent spatial gate materialized.