Chapter 248

Chapter 248: Inversion

Boom!

With a sweep of his large hand, Semi-Immortal Pan Ao’s sleeves billowed, blotting out the sky as they instantly devoured the void. He attempted to trap everyone using the swallowing path.

“Second Brother,” Heavenly Talisman Old Man called out.

Nine Palaces Emperor Venerable understood immediately. Tapping a treasure pouch at his waist, he summoned a great banner that unfurled into the air. Divine patterns of countless bizarre designs adorned it—Ye Xu spotted at least eighty distinct varieties in a single glance.

“The Hunyuan Treasure Banner!” Great Emperor Ziwei gasped in astonishment. This was one of Uncle Master Two’s proudest creations, embedding a hundred Great Daos. Once unleashed, it could even contend with a Semi-Immortal.

Swoosh!

The Hunyuan Treasure Banner expanded: Five Elements, Yin-Yang, Lightning Thunder, Wind Cloud…

The power of a hundred Great Daos erupted simultaneously, coalescing into an apocalyptic formation that surged toward the swallowing path.

Boom!

In an instant, the Hunyuan Treasure Banner shattered the swallowing path. Semi-Immortal Pan Ao trembled as the shockwave hurled him backward.

“What a formidable treasure,” remarked the woman of the Zhuque Divine Clan, her pupils contracting sharply.

“There’s no need to waste time with them here,” Qin Fei Yan declared. “If they breach the Hunyuan Treasure Banner, we’ll deal with them inside the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land.”

“Well said,” the usually silent chess enthusiast nodded in agreement.

Holding the secrets of the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land, once inside, they would maneuver like fish in water, leveraging its power to subdue the Emperor Venerables of the four divine clans.

“Go,” Heavenly Talisman Old Man concluded decisively, stepping into the chaos.

Nine Palaces Emperor Venerable gazed longingly at the Hunyuan Treasure Banner, a pained expression on his face. This was one of his most cherished treasures; abandoning it so suddenly felt like tearing a piece of his heart.

“Uncle Master Two, the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land teems with treasures,” Great Emperor Ziwei chuckled. “Surely you’ll earn back your losses?”

“True enough,” Nine Palaces Emperor Venerable replied, his spirits lifting with anticipation.

“Escaped, just like that?” The elder of the Yinglong Divine Clan scowled.

A single Hunyuan Treasure Banner, drawing power from a hundred Great Daos to weave a grand formation, was more than enough to stall them briefly.

In the blink of an eye, the group vanished.

“Dear friends, hold nothing back now,” Semi-Immortal Pan Ao growled, his expression dark as water. “Any longer, and we won’t even taste the dregs.”

Boom!

Dozens of Emperor Venerables struck at once. Their domains of the Great Dao bloomed open, hammering the Hunyuan Treasure Banner in unison.

Within moments, the banner was covered in cracks. Countless divine patterns crumbled away, leaving it teetering on the brink as the formation verged on collapse.

“The formation is about to break,” Nine Palaces Emperor Venerable sensed it keenly, his expression tightening.

“Good,” Su Mu chuckled lightly. “I feared they wouldn’t breach it.”

Heavenly Talisman Old Man looked at Su Mu in surprise. “Daoist friend, do you already know how to handle them?”

Su Mu nodded.

As the reincarnation of the Immortal King, Su Mu possessed extraordinary insight.

Being in the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land could be described as exceptionally advantageous.

If he couldn’t devise a solution after such a long time, that would be utterly incompetent.

Ye Xu showed no expression on his face. Entrusting the matter of using the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land to deal with the four divine clans to Su Mu, he could rest completely assured.

Above the great path, the chaotic energy was immense. Everyone’s Divine Sense was suppressed; even Su Mu and Ye Xu could only extend their Divine Sense to a distance of a hundred zhang.

"Daoist brother, truly you foresee things like a god, the domain of the innate gods is indeed extraordinary," Su Mu said solemnly. "With Divine Sense unable to extend, it’s as if we’re blind and must be extra careful."

"It’s said that Innate Divine Beings can shield heavenly secrets, but the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion can calculate everything," the Heavenly Talisman Old Man said with deep understanding and emotion. "The art of inference of the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is truly admirable."

"Of course it is," Great Emperor Ziwei expressed utmost admiration.

In his eyes, the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was his idol.

At this moment, pieces of land masses appeared before their eyes.

But strangely, the lands were suspended above their heads, while clouds were under their feet. The sky and earth seemed completely inverted, incredibly wondrous.

"This should be the power of the Chaos Great Dao, affecting the rules of heaven and earth," Qin Fei Yan said.

Su Mu shook his head.

"This is the true form of the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land: heaven and earth inverted, the five elements confused."

"One more step forward means we set foot into the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land, our cultivation will inevitably be affected by the Chaos Great Dao."

Whoosh!

Ye Xu stepped out. The moment he entered the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land, with a sudden boom, his cultivation became utterly chaotic; he felt top-heavy, and his entire body seemed about to be forcibly inverted.

Even though he had long known about the peculiarities of the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land, he was still extremely astonished.

However, Ye Xu did not resist the power of the Chaos Great Dao but followed its laws. His body slowly rotated and ultimately inverted.

"Brother Ye, how does it feel being upside down?" Great Emperor Ziwei said teasingly.

"Why don’t you try it and find out."

Ye Xu was not bothered.

Following his example, the others also set foot into the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land, and the bodies of the nine individuals gradually inverted.

"It really isn’t comfortable," Great Emperor Ziwei said with a laugh.

But uncomfortable or not, they had to get used to it.

According to the jade slip’s records, the power of the Innate Chaos Great Dao was something they, with their cultivation levels, could not resist. Once they used their cultivation to resist, they would inevitably be subdued by the Chaos Great Dao.

This was also why Ye Xu had proactively inverted his body.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Sounds of breaking through the air were heard as the Emperor Venerables of the four divine clans arrived to kill.

"Huh? Why are they so strange?" asked an Emperor Venerable of the Kunpeng divine clan in surprise.

An old man of the Yinglong Divine Clan snorted coldly, "Kill them first, then seize the treasures."

Boom!

He activated his divine ability. A bronze seal flew out from his sleeve, rapidly expanding violently to become a bronze mountain as tall as a hundred thousand zhang, with divine patterns flowing, and it smashed down towards the ten people with a boom.

However, as the copper mountain smashed into the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land, it was immediately bound by the power of the Chaos Great Dao. It began to twist violently and ultimately exploded into fragments.

"This… what’s going on?" The old man stared in astonishment. This grand yellow seal was forged from celestial gold! Though it hadn’t reached the grade of an immortal artifact, it still surpassed ordinary Emperor Venerable’s magical treasures. Yet, it had been destroyed.

"There’s something strange about this place."

Semi-Immortal Pan Ao said solemnly.

The Various Emperor Venerables shot him a look. Wasn’t he just stating the obvious?

Even a fool would know something was extremely strange here after seeing that.

However, Ye Xu and the others did not linger. Following the route marked on the jade slip, they swiftly departed.

"We cannot let them escape." Semi-Immortal Pan Ao’s expression darkened. "The information in their hands is the most crucial thing. Without it, we cannot venture deeper into this Secret Realm."

He was no fool. Information from the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion absolutely wouldn’t be false.

Since this was a Secret Realm, it surely contained arrays or similar mechanisms. It couldn’t possibly house only treasures. One wrong step could lead to death right here.

The Emperor Venerables from the four divine clans immediately descended into the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land.

"How do I… I can’t control my body?"

"Why is my spiritual energy reversing?"

"Retreat quickly! This place is too bizarre!"

One by one, the Emperor Venerables paled in shock. They tried to withdraw.

But how could it be under their control?

Semi-Immortal Pan Ao and the old man from the Yinglong Divine Clan both frowned deeply. "The Chaos Great Dao!"

They instantly understood. "Do not use any spiritual energy! Do not resist the rules of this land!"

But it was already too late.

The four Emperor Venerables from the Kunpeng divine clan mobilized all their strength, desperately trying to defy the Chaos Great Dao. Yet, the more they resisted, the faster the Chaos Great Dao invaded, and the more terrifying its power became.

Bang!

The spiritual energy of the four Emperor Venerables collapsed into utter chaos. Their physical bodies disintegrated, and their primordial spirits were subdued, vanishing without a trace.

Not just them—another eight Emperor Venerables from the Zhuque Divine Clan, Pan Ao Divine Clan, and Yinglong Divine Clan instinctively resisted the Chaos Great Dao, sinking deeper and deeper into its grasp.

It wasn’t long before these eight met the same fate.

After Semi-Immortal Pan Ao issued the order, the remaining Emperor Venerables ceased their resistance, allowing the power of the Chaos Great Dao to turn their bodies upside down.

As expected, no further tragedies occurred.

The expressions of the survivors were extremely dark, so gloomy they looked like they could drip water.

They had barely entered the Secret Realm, yet the four divine clans had already lost twelve Emperor Venerables. This place’s strangeness was terrifying.

Thoughts of retreat began to surface in many hearts.

"The more dangerous the place, the more precious the treasures it conceals." Semi-Immortal Pan Ao said coldly. "Since we have come, we must not leave empty-handed."

"Exactly."

"Wealth is found amid peril! Those who fear death can leave right now!" another Emperor Venerable spoke up.

"Without the Secret Realm’s information, pushing deeper is practically suicide," the woman of the Zhuque Divine Clan said, her brow deeply furrowed. "It’s better to stay outside and lie in ambush. Wait for them to come out."

"That… is indeed a viable method," the old man said thoughtfully.

"Failing to intercept them outside the Secret Realm cost us our best chance. Though their strength isn’t remarkable, they possess all the crucial information. We are stumbling in the dark. It’s too easy to step into a trap and die for nothing."

Many nodded in agreement. This reasoning made perfect sense.

"Those at the peak of the Emperor Venerable Realm, follow me deeper." Semi-Immortal Pan Ao declared authoritatively. "If we encounter danger, withdraw immediately!"

"With our strength, retreating shouldn’t be an issue. No one should be able to stop us. What do you three think?"

He looked at the leaders of the Kunpeng divine clan, Yinglong Divine Clan, and Zhuque Divine Clan.

"Agreed."

The three exchanged glances and slowly nodded.

These lords possessed great skill and boldness, unafraid of the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital, Ye Xu, or his companions.

After all, in their eyes, only the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital deserved any caution. Su Mu and Ye Xu were mere youths, their cultivation mediocre, unworthy of fear.