Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, relentlessly baking the earth below.

But at this moment, what's hotter than the sun is fear and despair.

Looking from the cave entrance halfway up the mountain, the once majestic and ancient "Mysterious Cave Heaven" stone gate, bathed in rosy light, has long since disappeared.

Instead, there was a huge crater with a diameter of over a hundred feet and a bottomless depth!

At the edge of the pit, the ground was an eerie charred black, and wisps of black smoke were still rising from it.

The Gobi Desert surrounding the pit, spanning several miles, has been transformed into a bloody inferno!

Countless thick, jet-black bloodthirsty vines, dripping with dark red viscous fluid, emerged wildly from the ground and from the pits, like tentacles from hell, waving, intertwining, and weaving a death net that covered the heavens and the earth!

They appeared even more ferocious and terrifying in the sunlight, their suckers opening and emitting a silent, greedy hiss.

Among the demonic vines, countless cultivators struggled, fled, and fought.

There were lucky or unlucky people who escaped from various exits, as well as the follow-up teams who were originally guarding the perimeter but had not yet had time to enter the cave.

The white elephant at Dairin-ji Temple was entangled by vines, collapsed with a mournful cry, and was instantly sucked dry into a dried corpse;

The flying boat of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion was forcibly pulled down from the sky by several thick vines and exploded into a fireball;

The sword formation of Qingyun Temple struggled to hold on amidst the sea of ​​vines, and the sword light quickly dimmed.

The forces of the Rift Mountain Sect, the Shadow Pavilion, and other forces, large and small, were all caught in a desperate struggle, fighting their own battles!

Screams, explosions, the clash of weapons, the whistling of vines tearing through the air... all mixed with an overwhelming stench of blood and decay, soaring straight into the sky!

What's even more terrifying is that the hoarse, greedy voice no longer confined to the mind, but echoed throughout the entire world like muffled thunder:

"Not enough... still not enough... more... fresh blood and energy... to help me... make a complete comeback!"

With its roar, the earth trembled, and more magical vines burst forth from the ground!

In the sky, dark red blood clouds, exuding an ominous aura, even began to gather!

Within the blood-red clouds, a distorted and pained face vaguely appeared—the wailing of the remnant souls of those who had been devoured!

"What...what kind of monster is this?" Shadow Eight's face was deathly pale, and his teeth were chattering.

The experience inside the cave was terrifying enough, but the outside world was even more hellish!

Shadow Seven gripped the token tightly; it was so hot he could barely hold it, conveying an extremely dangerous warning.

He looked at Shangguan Yunque.

Shangguan Yunque stood at the cave entrance, his silver armor reflecting a dazzling light in the sunlight.

The previous languor or murderous intent was gone from his face; in its place was an extreme solemnity, and even... a rare hint of surprise.

"Not a remnant soul...not an ordinary evil entity..."

He muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the center of the pit, where the demonic vines were densest, and an evil aura that sent chills down one's spine was rapidly gathering and growing stronger.

"Is it the Corpse-Dissolving Immortal? No... it's something far more vicious... using a cave as a furnace, and the life force of cultivators as fuel, attempting to reverse life and death, and seize another's body for rebirth? Xuanjizi... you're a fucking madman!"

He swore, clearly indicating that the situation was more complicated than expected.

"Sir, what should we do?"

Captain Zhao asked urgently.

The area below the mountain has become a dead end. Although they are temporarily safe, it is only a matter of time before the Demon Vine discovers them.

Shangguan Yunque quickly calmed down: "We can't fight head-on. This thing is rapidly expanding its power by taking advantage of the cave's ley lines and the blood it has devoured. I can't protect so many of you by myself."

He glanced at the cultivators below the mountain, who were scurrying about like headless flies, constantly being devoured by the demonic vines, and a hint of indifference flashed in his eyes.

"Everyone run for their lives, run as far as you can. I'll try my best to attract its attention."

After saying that, he was about to leap down, deliberately provoking the terrifying being to buy time for the others to escape.

"My lord!" Shadow Seven couldn't help but shout.

Just then—

"Buzz!"

The Bad Guys' exclusive token in Shangguan Yunque's arms suddenly began to vibrate violently!

It wasn't a warning, but rather... it was as if we were receiving some kind of signal?

Immediately afterwards, a faint yet clear mental fluctuation with a unique rhythm entered Shangguan Yunque's mind.

This fluctuation was extremely subtle; if Shangguan Yunque's divine soul had not been so powerful, it would have been almost impossible to detect.

The message was simple, just a few words, but it made Shangguan Yunque, who was about to leap out, suddenly stop, his face showing astonishment, followed by a strange expression of relief.

"Star Lord, temporarily evade their attack and remain calm. Reinforcements will arrive soon. — Mirror Heart Demon"

Mirror Heart Demon?

Why would he send a message? And at a time like this?

How did he know about the situation here? Reinforcements? Where would reinforcements come from?

Who else could be in this godforsaken place besides that group of unlucky souls who are about to be drained dry?

A series of questions flashed through his mind, but Shangguan Yunque still knew a little about Jing Xinmo, that cunning and calculating fellow.

That guy wouldn't make things up without reason.

"Everyone, retreat back into the cave! Quickly!"

Shangguan Yunque made a decisive change to the order.

Although Captain Zhao and the others were puzzled, they obeyed Shangguan Yunque's orders without question. They immediately protected Shadow Seven, Shadow Eight, and the other survivors and retreated back into the narrow passage, leaving only Shangguan Yunque to guard the cave entrance.

Down the mountain, the hellish scene continues.

The demonic vines seemed to have sensed the gathering point of the stragglers halfway up the mountain, and began to send out dozens of thick vines, which snaked and rushed towards the cave entrance halfway up the mountain like giant pythons!

Shangguan Yunque's eyes turned cold, and he was about to make a move.

suddenly!

"Snap—!!!"

A terrifying, deafening roar, as if porcelain were shattering or space itself were being torn apart, exploded without warning over the Gobi Desert!

The sound was so loud and so sharp that it instantly drowned out all the fighting, screams, and the howls of the demonic vines!

Everyone felt a piercing pain in their eardrums and their hearts stopped!

Everyone, whether they were struggling cultivators, wildly dancing demonic vines, or even the terrifying will gathering in the center of the pit, involuntarily looked up at the direction from which the sound came—the sky!

All that could be seen was the sky shrouded in blood and ominousness, and at its highest point, a point of extreme darkness appeared without warning!

Immediately, that patch of darkness, like ink dropped into clear water, suddenly spread, twisted, and stretched!

It actually tore open a spatial rift that was hundreds of feet long, pitch black and deep, with twisted lightning flowing along its edges!

A violent spatial turbulence surged out of the crack, accompanied by a hurricane-like howl!

The sunlight was swallowed up in that area, casting huge, irregular shadows!

"What...what is that?" someone screamed, their voice distorted by extreme fear.

"A spatial rift? How is that possible? Who possesses such power?"

"A terrestrial immortal! He must be a terrestrial immortal!"

Under the gaze of countless eyes filled with fear, horror, or disbelief, a calm, reserved figure, seemingly imbued with the weight and majesty of the entire earth, stepped out from that terrifying spatial rift!

The newcomer was dressed in an inconspicuous dark gray cloth robe, with an ordinary face and a calm demeanor, just like any other middle-aged accountant you might see anywhere.

But he stood there in mid-air, with roaring spatial turbulence beneath his feet and a massive rift behind him that swallowed up light, yet he gave the illusion of being as stable as Mount Tai and as imposing as a deep abyss.

The moment he appeared, the rampant Bloodthirsty Vines below, which seemed capable of devouring everything, all froze in their tracks!

Even the evil will that was gathering in the center of the pit let out a startled and uncertain hiss!

Because an indescribable, overwhelming pressure, seemingly resonating with the entire world, like an invisible tsunami, slowly spread out from the gray figure at its center!

The pressure wasn't sharp, but it was incredibly heavy. Wherever it passed, even the air seemed to freeze. The menacing demonic vines were like being trapped in viscous amber, their struggles becoming sluggish and difficult.

All the surviving cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level or which faction they came from, felt a sense of awe and insignificance stemming from their very life force under this oppressive aura!

It's like an ant gazing up at a mountain, or a mayfly facing the vast ocean!

"A terrestrial immortal... truly a terrestrial immortal!"

The long-bearded old Taoist priest of Qingyun Temple trembled, and he could barely hold onto the whisk in his hand.

"The Bad Guys...that's...that's the person who used to be with Yuan Tiangang!"

Some sharp-eyed individuals recognized the newcomer's unremarkable yet memorable appearance, and the distinctive attire of a member of the "Bad Guys." They cried out in alarm, "It's a member of the Bad Guys!"

The Bad Guys again! And the one who came was actually a legendary terrestrial immortal!

This person is none other than the Bad Guy—Sanzenin!

At this moment, the leaders and disciples of all the various factions—Dalun Temple, Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion, Qingyun Temple, and Dark Shadow Pavilion—felt a surge of overwhelming emotions, along with an indescribable sense of absurdity and powerlessness.

They're fighting tooth and nail here, scrambling for every drop of elixir and immortal milk, and then the Bad Guys... they just randomly send out land-based immortals? How are we supposed to compete like this?

At the cave entrance halfway up the mountain, Shangguan Yunque looked up at the gray figure in the sky, her peach blossom eyes curving into crescents. She patted her chest and said sweetly, "Oh dear, you've finally arrived~ If you'd been any later, my little heart would have been terrified~"

Shadow Seven, Shadow Eight, and the others crowded at the cave entrance, utterly shocked by the figure in the sky that looked like a god descending.

Is this the true power of the Bad Guys? Tearing through the void, a terrestrial immortal!

No wonder Lord Shangguan is so fearless!

Sanzenin stood in the void, his gaze calmly sweeping over the hellish scene below. His eyes lingered briefly in the center of the pit, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Using the lifeblood of living beings as sacrifices, reversing yin and yang, plotting to seize bodies... this is an evil path."

His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the surrounding area, with an unquestionable sense of judgment.

"Playing tricks! It's nothing but a wisp of stronger blood essence! By devouring you, I can instantly rebuild my immortal body!"

In the center of the pit, the hoarse voice erupted with a greedy and frenzied roar, and more demonic vines soared into the sky like angry dragons, strangling towards the Sanzenin Temple in the sky!

Blood clouds churned and coalesced into a gigantic, blood-dripping ghostly claw, which followed closely behind!

Faced with this attack that would make any Celestial Realm expert tremble, Sanzenin simply raised his right hand slowly.

His movements were slow and steady, as if he were not fighting against a world-destroying monster, but rather writing a piece of calligraphy or brewing a pot of tea.

Then, gently press down on the towering, dark vines and ghostly claws below.

There was no dazzling light, no earth-shattering sound.

There was only an indescribable heaviness, as if the will of the entire earth were bearing down on it!

"boom--!!!"

All the demonic vines that had soared into the sky suddenly stopped when they were still a hundred feet away from Sanzenin!

It felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on us!

The incredibly resilient vine groaned under the strain, bending, deforming, and then—shattering at an astonishing speed!

It turned into a sky full of black and dark red dust!

That filthy, blood-stained claw melted and evaporated instantly, just like ice and snow under the sun!

One strike, just one press!

The ocean of demonic vines that had driven countless cultivators to despair was cleared out in large quantities!

The scorched earth and piles of white bones below were exposed!

"puff!"

From the center of the pit came a muffled groan like a broken bellows; the evil will had clearly been damaged, and its aura became disordered.

"Cough...Who are you?" The hoarse voice was filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.

Sanzenin did not answer. His gaze fell on the deepest part of the pit, where a fragmented skeleton, wrapped in layers of demonic vines and soaked in a pool of viscous blood, could be vaguely seen. Inside the skeleton's skull, a faint, flickering ghostly green soul fire emanated.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Since they are gone, why try to hold on to them, only to add to our sins?"

His tone was flat, as if he were stating a simple fact.

He formed a mudra with his hands in front of his chest, and a complex, ancient, earth-yellow rune, seemingly composed of patterns of mountains and rivers, slowly condensed in his palms.

The moment the runes appeared, the entire Tiannan Desert seemed to resonate slightly!

Endless energy from the earth's veins was drawn in and converged toward that rune!

A terrifying power, even heavier and more vast than before, seemingly capable of bearing and burying all things, was brewing within that tiny rune!

The evil will within the pit let out a desperate and unwilling scream: "No! I was just one step away! Just one step away! The Mysterious Cave Heaven is mine! This power of rebirth is mine! You ants, you should all become my stepping stones!"

It frantically urged all the remaining demonic vines to draw blood and qi from the pool, and even began to burn the eerie green soul fire essence!

I want to make one last desperate attempt!

However, all these struggles seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the rune in Sanzenin's palm that had drawn upon the power of the entire earth's veins.

"town."

Sanzenin gently uttered a single word and pushed the earthen-yellow rune towards the center of the pit.

The rune flew out of his hand and swelled in the wind, instantly transforming into a thick, earthen-yellow light shield that enveloped the entire pit, slowly pressing down.

Wherever the light shield passed, the demonic vines snapped, withered, and turned to dust! The blood pool evaporated and dried up!

The mutilated skeleton made a "crack" sound as it shattered!

That wisp of eerie green soul fire let out a final, mournful shriek before being completely engulfed and purified by the earthen-yellow light...

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a profound and silent burial.

When the earthen-yellow light shield finally disappeared completely into the pit and merged with the earth, the evil will, the bloody aura, and the endless blood-devouring demonic vines that permeated the world all vanished completely.

All that remains is a huge, filled-in pit covered with a layer of fresh soil, and a desolate Gobi desert surrounded by dust and a faint smell of burning.

The sunlight once again streamed down without obstruction, illuminating this land that had just experienced hell and miracles.

Everything has settled down.

In the sky, the gray figure, Sanzenin, slowly withdrew his hand, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

His gaze swept over the cave entrance halfway up the mountain, he nodded slightly to Shangguan Yunque inside, then took a step out, his figure disappearing into the slowly healing spatial rift behind him.

From beginning to end, he only said two sentences and made two moves.

Yet, with overwhelming force, it brought an end to a terrifying catastrophe that was poised to spread.

Left behind on the Gobi Desert below, countless cultivators who had survived the calamity but seemed to have lost their souls stood frozen in place, staring at the sky, unable to recover for a long time.

Bad Guys, Sanzenin, Land Immortals...

These words, like a red-hot branding iron, are deeply imprinted in the hearts of every survivor, and will surely spread rapidly throughout the world through their mouths.

Halfway up the mountain, Shangguan Yunque stretched, reverting to his usual languid demeanor: "Alright, the show's over, and the trouble's resolved. Let's go home~"

Shadow Seven, Shadow Eight, and the others seemed to awaken from a dream. Looking down at the peaceful Gobi Desert below, and then at the leader beside them who seemed to have anticipated everything, they gained a new and almost awe-inspiring understanding of the weight of the three words "Bad People".

Following an organization like this seems to offer... a truly limitless future?

But what did Xuanjizi, the owner of the cave, or rather the evil entity that possessed his remains, mean when it cried out, "Xuanji Cave Heaven belongs to me"? Could this cave be hiding other secrets?

These questions remain unanswered for the time being.

Filled with shock, lingering fear, and a mix of immense gains and lingering unease, the group embarked on their journey back to their base.

The endless yellow sand gradually conceals today's bloodshed and miracles.

Only the wind howled past, as if telling a story about greed, madness, and absolute power.