Chapter 212

Chapter 212: Yellow Springs Three Fingers

Roar!

Demon Emperor Yinghuo roared, her voice resembling both a dragon’s cry and a tiger’s roar—strange and ear-splitting, piercing through metal and shattering stones. It echoed far and wide, forcing cultivators in Linglong City to wail in agony.

She charged toward Great Emperor Ziwei, their two supreme physiques exchanging blow after devastating blow.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

In the blink of an eye, they had already clashed thousands of times. Afterimages blanketed the void, lingering long after each strike.

Gradually, Great Emperor Ziwei fell into a disadvantage.

Bang!

With a flap of her wings, Demon Emperor Yinghuo unleashed Celestial Demon True Fire that engulfed the heavens and drowned the earth. It instantly shattered Great Emperor Ziwei’s offense, and with her fist wreathed in flame, she blasted him away.

The longer the battle raged, the deeper Demon Emperor Yinghuo’s demonic transformation became.

But she had no choice.

"Huff… Huff…"

Great Emperor Ziwei gasped for breath like an exhausted ox, his body riddled with cracks and his aura rapidly fading.

"Both are unleashing their true abilities now," Great Emperor Lingbao remarked, his eyes gleaming. "The pure power of Daoist Ziwei’s Rising Dragon Dominance is formidable, yet its profound essence falls short to the Celestial Demon form from her bloodline."

"If he fights on, he will inevitably suffer lasting injuries."

Both the power of the Path of Oblivion and the swallowing path actively corroded Great Emperor Ziwei’s foundation. If not eliminated quickly, they would permanently wound his cultivation path.

"Brother Yu, you’ve lost."

Just then, Ye Xu spoke up.

The blazing battle spirit within Great Emperor Ziwei instantly cooled, replaced by a dazed expression as he turned his head toward Ye Xu.

"You’ve lost," Ye Xu repeated.

The Celestial Demon form was undying and indestructible—something beyond Great Emperor Ziwei’s capacity to break. Meanwhile, her power of the Great Dao relentlessly gnawed at his Rising Dragon Dominance. The outcome was already sealed.

Of course, if Great Emperor Ziwei fought to mutual destruction, Demon Emperor Yinghuo wouldn’t emerge unscathed either. Their strength was always balanced on a knife’s edge.

Great Emperor Leize, Great Emperor Senluo, and Han Jiuxiao all wore stormy expressions. Ye Xu’s interruption had ruined their anticipation of watching tigers fight.

"Prioritize healing first," Ye Xu advised.

"Understood."

Great Emperor Ziwei’s face twisted bitterly. He placed deep trust in "Ye Qing Xuan"—they had survived life-and-death trials in the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest together, after all. Moreover, as the top-ranked cultivator on the Great Emperor Golden List, "Ye Qing Xuan’s" words carried undeniable weight.

"Daoist friend Yinghuo, I admit my defeat," Great Emperor Ziwei conceded, clasping his fists in acknowledgment before retreating from the domain of the Great Dao. He sat suspended in the void, channeling his spiritual energy to mend his wounds.

Demon Emperor Yinghuo’s eyes gradually regained their clarity.

As her magic power circulated, her Celestial Demon form gradually receded, transforming her back into a peerless empress, bewitching and alluring.

Demon Emperor Yinghuo’s gaze swept over Ye Xu, and she gave him a slight nod.

This nod also held a touch of gratitude.

Had it not been for Ye Xu’s words, Great Emperor Ziwei would have inevitably continued the fierce battle. Even if she could have won, it would have come at an immense cost.

"Han Jiuxiao, you boasted shamelessly about proving the authenticity of the Great Emperor Golden List. Now that Yu Ziwei has fallen beneath my hand, it’s your turn to make your move."

Demon Emperor Yinghuo snorted coldly.

"I know my limits," Han Jiuxiao replied, his gaze turning cold as he looked towards Ji Tianjue of the Three Thousand Immortal Islands. "The Three Thousand Immortal Islands are renowned throughout the Heavens. Since you, Daoist friend, hail from there and are ranked eighth on the Great Emperor Golden List, I wish to test my skills against yours."

"Daoist friend Han, the eighth rank on the Great Emperor Golden List is but a meaningless title. If you desire it, you can have it," Ji Tianjue forced a bitter smile.

"That’s not for you to decide."

Han Jiuxiao let out a low roar. Scarlet flesh wings sprouted from his left arm, muscles bulging and rippling as bloody light surged. He blasted a fist strike straight towards Ji Tianjue.

Boom!

Ji Tianjue had been prepared. A purple curtain of light materialized before him.

Bang!

Ji Tianjue was blasted into the domain of the Great Dao by a single punch.

Han Jiuxiao stepped forward and actively entered the domain of the Great Dao, locking in fierce combat with Ji Tianjue.

Han Jiuxiao’s magical techniques were all killing moves, purely aimed at taking life. Though ranked ninth, he pressed Ji Tianjue, who held the eighth rank, firmly on the defensive.

"My senior," Ye Hongchen asked puzzledly, "why isn’t Senior Ji fighting back?"

Right from the start, Ji Tianjue had prioritized defense. Yet, Han Jiuxiao’s attacks grew increasingly ferocious, showing no signs of weakening. If Ji Tianjue continued like this, he was likely only delaying the inevitable.

Lin Qianmo remarked, "I’ve met Ji Tianjue a few times. His skills are formidable, but he simply doesn’t want to display them openly in front of such a large audience."

"His opponent is Han Jiuxiao. Hiding his true power simply won’t be possible," Great Emperor Lingbao chuckled.

"Han Jiuxiao is an absolute madman through and through."

Feng Suiyuan chimed in agreement.

Great Emperor Senluo and Great Emperor Leize sneered contemptuously. "It just shows the Haiba Divine Clan outsmarted themselves, driving a prodigious talent to abandon the clans!"

Back then, Han Jiuxiao, in his fury, massacred the entire branch of his own lineage – millions upon millions of his own clansmen.

That act earned Han Jiuxiao the additional epithet of the "God of Slaughter".

From that day forth, Han Jiuxiao remained relentlessly hunted by the Haiba Divine Clan. Yet, he survived tenaciously, his strength only growing – a true monstrosity.

Boom!

Suddenly, the domain of the Great Dao trembled. Ji Tianjue formed a Daoist seal with his hands.

RUMBLE!

In the next instant, Ji Tianjue pointed downward. The yellow springs surged forth, ghost soldiers marched along the path, and endless wailing souls flooded into Han Jiuxiao’s Purple Palace, tearing and biting at his primordial spirit.

"AHHH—!"

Han Jiuxiao let out a piercing shriek, instantly urging his techniques into motion. His Dao fruit churned as the Great Dao of Slaughter erupted, obliterating the endless tormented souls completely.

"Spirit Prison!"

Ji Tianjue’s second finger descended.

In that split second, a domain of the Great Dao descended upon them. Demons raged wildly, trapping Han Jiuxiao within a cage-like prison where countless fiendish shadows gnawed and tore savagely at his body, leaving him covered in wounds.

"Is this… the legendary ‘Yellow Springs Three Fingers’?"

Great Emperor Lingbao and the others watched the scene unfold with chills in their hearts.

The Yellow Springs Three Fingers wasn’t created by Ji Tianjue himself, but rather a supreme divine technique devised by the elusive master of the immortal island. Its first form specialized in attacking the primordial spirit.

As for the second form, it allowed Ji Tianjue—despite being at merely the peak Great Emperor realm—to unleash a domain of the Great Dao that belonged to the Emperor Venerable Realm. It was a feat that could only be called breathtakingly brilliant.

The third form was something even those present had never witnessed.

Even Lin Qianmo had only heard rumors.

Roar!

Han Jiuxiao activated his bloodline power. A monstrous figure appeared—crimson-haired, face an eerie green, with razor-sharp tusks and its entire body covered in thorny protrusions. Han Jiuxiao endured the biting of ten thousand fiends, yet his defenses remained utterly unbroken.

This was the true form of the Drought Fiend—supremely invulnerable and indestructible.

"So, we’re back to serious moves again," Ye Xu muttered, shaking his head.

When would it finally be his turn?

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Han Jiuxiao’s Drought Fiend bloodline fully erupted, pushing him almost to the level of ancestral purity. With raw physical might, he rammed into Ji Tianjue’s domain of the Great Dao and violently shattered the second form of the divine technique.

A flicker of surprise crossed Ji Tianjue’s face. His domain had already touched the threshold of the Emperor Venerable Realm. For Han Jiuxiao to break it spoke volumes—his strength had clearly reached that same level.

Great Emperor Ziwei gritted his teeth as he healed his wounds while observing the battle, his mind raging inwardly.

"Dammit! These damn bastards all hid their true capabilities so deeply, waiting for me to be their sacrificial probing stone. Thank heavens Brother Ye woke me up in time. Otherwise, I’d have been sold without even knowing it."

At this moment, Great Emperor Ziwei had completely abandoned any notion of competing for the top ten spots on the Great Emperor Golden List. He wouldn’t dare question its authority for even a second.

Rumble!

Han Jiuxiao, wielding the Great Dao of Slaughter, tore through the Spirit Prison and annihilated the legion of fiends before barreling straight toward Ji Tianjue.

"Return to the Burial!"

A cold light flickered in Ji Tianjue’s eyes.

His ten fingers danced, leaving trails of light like fleeting afterimages as he traced intricate seals across the void.

An immensely mysterious and profound aura began to emanate from Ji Tianjue’s body.

"Is he about to unleash the third divine technique?"

Great Emperor Lingbao’s expression grew grave.

Feng Suiyuan frowned, deep in thought. How exactly was Ji Tianjue connected to the master of the Three Thousand Immortal Islands to have mastered these three divine techniques?

"This power…"

Lin Qianmo fixed her gaze intensely on Ji Tianjue. As she sensed the aura radiating from his gathering technique, her complexion abruptly shifted.

"This divine technique… How could its exploding power feel so utterly similar to the Burial Soil?"