Gazing at the majestic Breaking Sky Sword, the gathered cultivators from various sects were awestruck. Meanwhile, Wushi's members compared the sword to their own Dao Treasures.
They realized that although this sword was more powerful, it lacked the Grand Dao Intent that their Dao Treasures possessed.
The reason their Dao Treasures were not as strong as Breaking Sky Sword was simply due to their insufficient cultivation.
If they had the same level of cultivation as Elder Fu Chun of the Dao Court, their Dao Treasures would undoubtedly surpass the Breaking Sky Sword in might.
As they continued to stare at the Breaking Sky Sword, they imagined what their own Dao Treasures would look like at their peak form, radiating absolute dominance.
Tian Hao also summoned his three Dao Treasures—Divine Punishment, Heavenly Punishment, and Immortal Punishment. The three spears floated around him, each exuding a dazzling brilliance.
Blood Prison Saint glanced at him, his eyes full of envy.
It was said that these three Dao Treasures could even form a formation together, making them one of the most fearsome offensive artifacts among all Dao Treasures.
But Blood Prison Saint could only admire them in his heart. He knew that he was not on Tian Hao's level, but he believed that one day, he would surpass him.
Tian Hao had already established himself as a powerhouse. Judging by his trajectory, he would rarely return to Wushi Dao Field in the future. Although his relationship with Gu An would not be severed, there was no doubt that he would eventually drift apart from him.
This situation was something Blood Prison Saint had witnessed before.
An Hao, Yang Jian, Long Qing—each of them had once been proud and unmatched, but after leaving Gu An, they either perished or faded into mediocrity.
Meanwhile, Blood Prison Saint had always remained by Gu An's side, and now he had reached the Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal Realm, wielding his own unique Dao Treasure.
Through his investigations, he discovered that anyone who reached the Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal Realm within a million years was considered a rare genius with immense fortune. Yet, he had done so in less than one hundred thousand years.
If not for Tian Hao, he would have been considered the fastest cultivator in history.
Thinking of this, Blood Prison Saint smirked. He no longer envied Tian Hao, and instead, a sense of eager anticipation welled up in his heart.
Would Tian Hao one day regret his choices?
By then, he would surely view immortals and gods as mere ants beneath his feet!
As his thoughts grew wilder, Blood Prison Saint became so excited that he even forgot to pay attention to the ice lake.
The Breaking Sky Sword continued to descend. The surface of the ice lake suddenly erupted with icy flames, resembling a massive, spectral hand attempting to block the sword's descent.
Standing atop the Breaking Sky Sword, Elder Fu Chun narrowed his eyes coldly. An immeasurable aura burst forth from within him, causing the Breaking Sky Sword to radiate blinding sword light.
Boom!
The Breaking Sky Sword trembled before plunging downward with tremendous force, smashing into the lake's surface. The terrifying shockwave forced all the gathered cultivators to retreat in unison, hastily channeling their magic to shield themselves.
Those who had made it this far were at least at the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm, capable of soaring into the heavens, yet in the face of the Breaking Sky Sword's power, they felt as insignificant as ants.
The Breaking Sky Sword paused for a brief moment before abruptly piercing through the ice lake.
At that moment, Tian Yao'er felt as if the very fabric of the world had shattered before her eyes.
She blinked instinctively. When she opened her eyes again, the Breaking Sky Sword had already disappeared.
She then saw countless cultivators from the Dao Court descending like a torrential flood, diving into the ice lake one after another.
Looking down, she saw that the surface of the ice lake had completely collapsed, leaving behind a massive, gaping abyss. Within the darkness, crimson lightning flickered, resembling the entrance to hell. Just a single glance was enough to make one's heart tremble.
From beside her, Blood Prison Saint spoke, "We're going in as well. Standing guard in the rear doesn't suit Wushi's style!"
With those words, he was the first to dive in.
Lu Xian, Chen Chuan, and An Shengtian followed closely behind.
Tian Yao'er quickly snapped out of her daze and joined the others as they descended into the abyss.
From afar, Tian Hao glanced toward the Qiankun Sect.
Gu Chengdao met his gaze and nodded slightly. Without hesitation, Tian Hao turned and followed Wushi's members into the darkness of the ice lake.
After passing through a region of utter darkness, Tian Yao'er suddenly felt the world spin around her.
She fell from the sky, landing in a dim, desolate land.
The earth beneath her feet was scorched red, devoid of any vegetation. Countless skeletal remains littered the ground like patches of snow.
In the distance, towering mountains spewed molten lava into the sky, and above them, rolling black clouds churned, exuding an unbearable sense of oppression.
Above her, the black abyss from which they had entered loomed ominously, like a massive hole torn in the fabric of the heavens.
"We should stick together. Something is off about this place," said Jiang Shi, his voice steady.
No one objected, and they all gathered closer.
Over the course of thousands of years, Jiang Shi's strength was no longer at the top of their group. However, his steady nature and sharp insight had made him the backbone of their actions.
Chen Chuan gazed into the distance, watching as the cultivators of the Dao Court surged forward like a mighty dragon, disappearing into the boundless darkness ahead. His sword-like brows furrowed slightly.
For some reason, ever since entering this world, he had felt an inexplicable sense of dread, an unease that he could not suppress.
Tian Bai asked cautiously, "Do you all feel like someone is watching us?"
An Shengtian scanned his surroundings before replying, "Indeed. Stay alert. Don't assume that just because we have Dao Treasures, we can afford to be careless."
"I'll take the lead. Follow me!"
Blood Prison Saint spoke with authority and immediately flew off in a different direction, diverging from the main Dao Court forces.
The others followed closely behind, each gripping their Dao Treasures tightly.
Not long after, while they were still mid-flight, a terrifying force erupted in the distance, overwhelming everything in its path. The sheer intensity of it forced them to halt abruptly.
"Ignorant mortals, daring to trespass into hell itself—you are courting death!"
A chilling voice echoed through the heavens.
In the next instant, a crimson light slashed across the sky, shaking the boundless sea of clouds. The Dao Treasures held by the Wushi disciples instantly activated their defensive auras, forming protective barriers to withstand the shockwave.
Even with these defenses, the group still felt the intense reverberations.
Jiang Shi, Tian Qing, and Tian Bai coughed up blood, their faces pale with horror.
Lu Xian reacted immediately, raising the Twelve Extreme Heaven Suppression Beads into the air. The twelve orbs rapidly expanded, radiating dazzling brilliance as they formed layer upon layer of Dao Light, each of a different hue. The overlapping layers merged into the towering silhouette of an enormous pagoda, each tier reflecting a different aspect of the heavens and earth.
Tian Qing lifted the Azure Swan Exquisite Pagoda, while Tian Bai held the White Spirit Exquisite Pagoda, his hands forming seals.
From within the twin pagodas, two divine birds soared forth—one azure, one white. They circled each other in midair before spreading their wings wide. Their massive forms shielded the illusory pagoda, forming a second layer of protection.
Before anyone could utter a word, a deafening roar erupted from the distance.
A monstrous battle aura swept across the skies, sending shivers down their spines.
"What level of power is this?" An Shengtian exclaimed, eyes widening in disbelief.
He was reminded of the end of the previous era, when the mysterious extraterrestrial demons descended upon the world, casting their suffocating presence over all living beings.
That same unfathomable, unconquerable aura now loomed before them!
Lu Xian was about to speak when a violent storm suddenly swept through the area.
A blinding radiance surged forward, drowning the world in brilliance and erasing all color from existence.
—
At the same time.
Beside a vast river, Jindong's Seventy-Two Immortals continued their march.
At the forefront, Purple Dragon Star Lord strode ahead, staring at his right palm. Suspended in his palm was a blood bead, within which a battle scene was unfolding.
Within the blood bead, a great war raged—Tian Hao was among the combatants.
Tens of thousands of Dao Court cultivators were besieging an ancient Congenital Human Race Fiend, a being of unparalleled evil.
Yet, despite their numbers, the vast majority of them were only capable of maintaining the grand formation, unable to directly engage in combat.
Within Purple Dragon Star Lord's eyes, Tian Hao's figure was reflected.
A golden-armored youth floated beside him, hovering in midair as he curiously examined the blood bead.
"This guy called Tian Hao has an utterly unremarkable Fate, but given his age, his cultivation level is anything but ordinary," the golden-armored youth remarked, clicking his tongue in surprise.
As an Immortal God, a single glance was enough for him to discern Tian Hao's origins.
Purple Dragon Star Lord remained expressionless. "With such talent, there is no way his Fate is mediocre. Someone must have deliberately concealed it."
"Oh? Then could he be the one we're searching for? Could this be the work of Heavenly Spirit Immortal Sovereign?" The golden-armored youth asked, intrigued.
Purple Dragon Star Lord replied calmly, "We will find out soon enough."
He raised his left hand, conjuring a raging flame at his fingertips. Within seconds, the soul of Golden Extreme God materialized from the fire.
Golden Extreme God lifted his gaze towards Purple Dragon Star Lord, his eyes filled with terror.
Without another word, Purple Dragon Star Lord tossed his soul into the blood bead.
The golden-armored youth chuckled. "There's no need for Golden Extreme God to act. That world harbors a Vast Heaven Free Immortal, more than enough to flush out the hidden forces at play."
Purple Dragon Star Lord murmured softly, "I am not trying to force out Heavenly Spirit Immortal Sovereign, nor Sword Master of the Dao… I want Xuan Su Immortal Lord to emerge."
The golden-armored youth was momentarily stunned before breaking into an excited grin.
Turning to face the Jindong Immortals behind him, he shouted, "Hey! We're about to fight Xuan Su Immortal Lord!"
The expressions of the Jindong Immortals varied—some, like the golden-armored youth, were thrilled, while others frowned with concern.
Yet none spoke against it.
Instead, they all turned their gazes toward Purple Dragon Star Lord, waiting for his next move.