Chapter 886: Advancing into the Forbidden Zone

"This is bad. This is a diversionary tactic. If my judgment is correct, at this very moment, the Five Great Clans have led the warriors from the Five Forbidden Zones in a full-scale assault on all major alliance forces across the Eastern Domain!"

No sooner had Xu Yang finished speaking than Karl, who was standing before him, let out an unbridled, mocking laugh. "You're truly too clever, Lord Xu Yang. But what does it matter? Alone, no matter how powerful you are, you can't withstand the curses of the Forbidden Zone clans! Once struck by this cursed power, warriors whose souls are tainted will be completely under our control! Ordinary people cursed will gain a certain degree of offensive ability. Earth-level cultivators cursed face the danger of falling, and even Heaven-level cultivators like yourselves will see their strength significantly reduced after being threatened by a curse! This way, we can quickly gain the support of the largest fighting force in the entire Eastern Domain, turning you high-and-mighty leaders into commanders without armies. We'll see how you can still resist us then!"

It must be said that Karl certainly made his presence felt, single-handedly boasting on behalf of all Five Forbidden Zones. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was a legendary god.

"Alright, we've heard everything we need to know. Since you are the new spokesperson for the Five Forbidden Zones, please go back and tell their organizational department that we accept this catastrophe on the Eastern Domain battlefield! From this moment on, our two factions will use the entire Eastern Domain as our battleground. We'll see whether your Five Forbidden Zones will have the last laugh, or if the forces of our Eastern Domain Alliance will utterly wipe you out!"

As Xu Yang finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand lightly towards the void. Countless sword-lights from all directions pressed down furiously. However, Xu Yang had no intention of killing Karl on the spot; instead, he delivered a powerful warning.

Sure enough, the moment Xu Yang raised his hand and the endless sword-lights appeared in the void, Karl, almost paralyzed with fear, transformed into a green streak of light, quickly dissipated into the battlefield's void, and fled. He didn't possess an ounce of courage to face Xu Yang's power!

With his departure, the ultimate showdown between the two major factions of the Eastern Domain officially began.

"Lord Xu Yang, do you have a good emergency plan? These cursed powers are truly terrifying; it will be very difficult to turn the tide of battle with just our individual strengths."

Xu Yang, however, gave a cold smirk. "Don't worry. As the saying goes, 'whoever tied the bell on the tiger must untie it.' I believe the true secret to overcoming this curse lies within the headquarters of the Five Forbidden Zones. All of you, return to your respective territories and proceed with caution. I will personally go to the headquarters of the Five Forbidden Zones. If I can kill them, I'll take out a wave first. If not, I'll look for the core method to overcome this cursed power! Once I make any progress, I will share it with you immediately. After all, for us right now, preventing the release of the curses is the key to solving the problem. As for killing the powerhouses of the Five Forbidden Zones, there will be plenty of opportunities; there's no rush."

Following Xu Yang's series of commands, the leaders of the various forces across the Eastern Domain decisively decided that the main battlefield's strategy would be primarily defensive. Their sole task was to withstand the initial waves of cursed power and await Xu Yang's victorious return.

As for the guardianship of the Western Emperor's Domain, Xu Yang directly entrusted it to Ling Yao, which was also a clear statement to the allied forces in front of all the leaders.

After discussing the countermeasures, the leaders departed, and Xu Yang, accompanied by Big Dog, the Winter Goddess, and Yun Xiao, soared north towards the Five Forbidden Zones in the far northern Eastern Domain.

By now, Big Dog and the Winter Goddess had naturally fulfilled their promises, becoming Xu Yang's most capable lieutenants and assistants in the Eastern Domain. Both of them possessed formidable Heaven-level strength, and with Yun Xiao, the Third Princess, the strongest temporary four-person combat team was thus formed.

"I never imagined that the one causing such turmoil would be that good-for-nothing, the Spirit Chant Caller! If we had known he was so ambitious, we would never have let him leave the Western King's Tomb alive." The Winter Goddess couldn't help but sigh about the Spirit Chant Caller, but Xu Yang genuinely didn't care about the issue.

"Actually, I think his actions are quite beneficial for the development of the entire Eastern Domain! Keeping the Five Forbidden Zones around would eventually become a fatal threat. We never fully understood their foundations. If we had waited until later, a surprise attack when we were unprepared could have had far more severe consequences than now. Discovering and solving problems early is by no means a bad thing for the entire Eastern Domain! What's important is that our bandit forces and alliance forces have just formed an alliance, and what we need is precisely this kind of strong, cohesive combination. This sudden calamity from the Five Forbidden Zones might even turn out to be a blessing in disguise for us, and it will certainly help the people of the Eastern Domain understand the importance of unity and cooperation."

Big Dog wasn't one to flatter Xu Yang, but he genuinely nodded in agreement with Xu Yang's philosophy.

"I believe that under your leadership, the entire Eastern Domain will return to a path of rapid development in the shortest possible time. Lord Xu Yang's wisdom is unmatched by any other leader." Princess Yun Xiao was quite skilled; even her flattery made Xu Yang feel at ease. However, her words were mostly rooted in her deep admiration for Xu Yang; every compliment she gave him was heartfelt.

Guided by Xu Yang's unique cultivation technique, the four-person group traveled with remarkable speed through the air. In less than three hours, they had already reached the outer perimeter of the mountain forest region where the headquarters of the Five Forbidden Zones were located.

It seemed the Five Forbidden Zones had already devised a complete plan before their actions. Thus, the outer mountain forest now had a completely different level of defense compared to when Karl entered it. Currently, even the outer forest areas were filled with all sorts of terrifying array formations.

"By the way, Lord Xu Yang, what are your thoughts on the power of curses?" Hearing Yun Xiao's question, Xu Yang pondered for a moment before speaking gravely. "I don't have much knowledge of curses themselves, but I once encountered similar self-curse mark powers outside this domain! These involve sealing elemental attributes and concentrated power into containers, much like a brand mark, using specific methods. Then, by activating these curse marks, energy is released for attack! The cultivation system of the curse mark lineage is almost entirely geared towards traditional combat. However, the most significant difference between curses and this type of energy manifestation is that curses specifically target the soul of the intended victim."

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao and the others all wore thoughtful expressions. "It seems then that if we can find a way to enhance soul strength, that might also be a direction for breaking the curses." No sooner had Yun Xiao finished speaking than Xu Yang immediately raised his hand to stop the three. "Something's below! Hold your breath, concentrate, and look for weaknesses!"

Big Dog's gaze was incredibly sharp; he immediately looked in the direction Xu Yang was focused on. Then, with a fierce wave of his staff, a powerful fiery aura rapidly erupted. Large swathes of soul flames began to take effect below, instantly destroying the array patterns of the curse formations hidden deep within the jungle through Big Dog's soul-burning technique. "Damn, these guys are truly insidious. If we had stepped in there, we would have triggered those dormant array mechanisms, and the consequences would have been unimaginable!"