I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Wu... Fellow Daoist Wu!"

Tian Wuzi was the first to react. He forced a smile that looked worse than crying, his voice trembling, and bowed deeply to Zhou Yuan.

"Misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! We...we had no idea that Qian Feng was such a despicable person! How dare he secretly plot against Fellow Daoist Wu! Well done, Fellow Daoist! Well done! Such a vile scoundrel deserves to die!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Old Man Li also realized what was happening, and suppressing his overwhelming fear, he quickly echoed.

His face was full of righteous indignation!

"Fellow Daoist Wu, please see the truth! It was all because Qian Feng coveted your treasures and harbored evil intentions!"

We...we were also deceived by him! We have absolutely no intention of being enemies with you, fellow Daoist!

The two were speaking incoherently.

They desperately wanted to distance themselves from the situation.

They shifted all the blame onto the deceased Qianfeng Shangren, displaying a very humble attitude.

Faced with the infamous "Ancestor of Extreme Yin," who could kill Master Qianfeng in a single move, they now only wanted to appease him and save their own lives...

"Yeah?"

A mocking smile curled at the corner of Zhou Yuan's lips.

His eyes were like ice that had stood for ages.

"The three of you were just plotting in the side hall, intending to use poisonous snakes to ambush me, activate the protective barrier to surround and kill me, and divide my wealth among yourselves..."

"Were these also Qianfeng's intentions alone?"

"How...how did you know?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Laoguai and Tian Wuzi were struck dumb, their faces drained of color instantly, and their eyes were filled with boundless horror.

They clearly activated the soundproofing barrier!

How did they find out?!

Could it be... could it be that he saw through their tricks all along and had been playing along with them all along?

"It's too late."

Zhou Yuan was too lazy to waste any more words with them. To be merciful to the enemy is to be cruel to oneself. Since these two had already decided to kill, they couldn't be allowed to live!

Before he finished speaking, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes!

The Twelve Stabs of the Divine Court!

Twelve invisible and intangible sharp spikes, yet imbued with Zhou Yuan's immense divine power, pierced into the consciousness of the more powerful Li Laoguai instantly, as if teleporting, disregarding spatial distance!

"ah--!!!"

Caught off guard, Li Laoguai let out a shrill scream that was so mournful it was inhuman!

He felt as if twelve red-hot iron spikes were being pierced and stirred into his head!

The excruciating pain pierced his soul, his consciousness instantly went blank and chaotic, his body stiffened, his eyes glazed over, and all thoughts of defense and counterattack vanished in that instant!

This is the terrifying suppressive power of a divine sense attack on cultivators of the same level; it is impossible to defend against!

Take advantage of his illness and kill him!

Zhou Yuan moved with lightning speed, raising his right hand and pointing his fingers like a sword, slashing through the air at the stunned Old Monster Li!

"Clang!"

A longsword radiating a sharp, metallic aura moved faster than lightning, aiming straight for Old Monster Li's neck!

At this moment, Old Man Li lost his composure, and the protective aura around him dimmed and dissipated.

Faced with this lightning-fast and incomparably sharp sword strike, there was simply no way to defend against it!

"Pfft!"

With a soft sound, blood splattered.

Old Man Li's head, filled with terror and bewilderment, flew high into the air and separated from his body.

The headless corpse swayed and collapsed to the ground with a thud. A miniature nascent soul fled in panic, only to be crushed by Zhou Yuan's prepared divine sense hand, following in the footsteps of Master Qianfeng.

In the blink of an eye, another mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator has fallen!

"No--!!"

All of this happened too fast. From Zhou Yuan launching his spiritual attack to Li Laoguai being beheaded, it was only a matter of breaths.

Tian Wuzi, who had just caught his breath, witnessed the tragic death of Li Laoguai and was so frightened that he was terrified and his liver and gallbladder were shattered!

He could no longer muster the slightest thought of resistance. With a strange cry, his apricot-yellow Taoist robe shone brightly, and he transformed into a pale golden streak of light, desperately rushing towards a hidden side door at the rear of the main hall!

That's the key to controlling the restrictions in the main hall! He needs to activate the restrictions to trap this evil star; perhaps then there's still a glimmer of hope!

However, he was fast, but Zhou Yuan was even faster!

Just as Tian Wuzi moved, a pair of purplish-blue wings suddenly unfolded behind Zhou Yuan—the Wind and Thunder Wings!

"Crack!"

A soft rumble of thunder sounded, and Zhou Yuan's figure suddenly blurred and disappeared from the spot!

The next moment, a flash of lightning appeared.

Zhou Yuan's figure appeared out of thin air in front of Tian Wuzi, blocking him from the side door!

With wind and thunder wings, it can travel hundreds of feet in an instant.

They came from behind but surpassed others!

"you……!"

Tian Wuzi was terrified. Seeing that his way out was blocked, his instinct for survival drove him crazy.

He slapped the back of his head and spat out a square gold seal, gleaming with a bagua pattern, which swelled in the wind.

It quickly grew to the size of a house.

With immense force, it crashed down on Zhou Yuan's head!

At the same time, he quickly formed hand seals, his apricot-yellow Taoist robe billowed, and golden talismans appeared, forming a solid protective shield.

These are his most treasured magical artifacts, the "Mountain-Suppressing Seal" and his defensive divine power, the "Golden Light Rune Armor"!

"A mere trick." Zhou Yuan's eyes were indifferent. Facing the massive golden seal that crashed down, he neither dodged nor avoided it, but simply moved his mind.

"Clang clang clang—!"

A clear, resonant, and chilling sword cry suddenly echoed throughout the hall!

Thirty-six golden streaks shot out from Zhou Yuan's dantian, instantly transforming into thirty-six ancient-style flying swords with flowing golden light and an imposing sharpness—these were the thirty-six Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords infused with Geng essence!

Sword shadows split into beams, the Great Geng Sword Formation!

Zhou Yuan made a hand seal, and thirty-six flying swords spun in mid-air, their blades trembling.

In an instant, hundreds of incredibly solid, indistinguishable golden sword lights emerged!

These sword lights were not illusions; each one contained a considerable amount of Geng metal sword energy, darting about rapidly along some mysterious trajectory.

In an instant, a chilling golden net of swords appeared in the air above the main hall!

"go!"

Hundreds of golden sword lights converged into a golden torrent, rushing upwards to meet the "Mountain-Suppressing Seal" that was pressing down!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!!"

Countless golden sword lights rained down on the giant golden seal, creating a dense, metallic clang like raindrops hitting banana leaves!

The indestructible nature of the Gengjin sword energy was brought to its fullest potential!

The seemingly mighty "Mountain-Suppressing Seal" could only withstand the frenzied attack of hundreds of sword lights containing Geng metal energy for less than a breath before its surface began to flicker violently and it emitted a mournful cry of unbearable strain.

Then, with a "crack," it was forcefully pierced and torn apart, turning into countless golden fragments, losing all its spirituality!

With his natal magic weapon destroyed, Tian Wuzi's mind and spirit were connected, and he felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer.

His breath instantly went limp.

The golden torrent of sword light slowed down slightly after shattering the "Mountain-Suppressing Seal".

But it still carried a terrifying sharpness as it swept towards Tian Wuzi!

Tian Wuzi was terrified and frantically activated his "Golden Light Rune Armor," unleashing a burst of golden light from the runes in an attempt to defend himself.

"Sizzle—!"

A sound like tearing silk.

The seemingly solid golden shield was as fragile as paper in the face of the sword light containing the energy of Geng metal, and was easily torn and pierced!

"No--!"

With a desperate and unwilling scream, Tian Wuzi's body was engulfed and pierced by hundreds of golden sword lights!

In an instant, he was shredded into a cloud of blood mist, and his fleeing nascent soul was also pulverized by the sharp sword energy, his body and soul destroyed!

Silence returned to the main hall.

Only the lingering stench of blood in the air, the splattered blood, the shattered fragments of magical artifacts, and the three gradually cooling corpses silently recounted the brief yet terrifying massacre that had just taken place.

Zhou Yuan waved his hand and retrieved the thirty-six Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords. The swords' brilliance was restrained, and not a drop of blood stained them.

He remained calm, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

He first walked to the body of Master Qianfeng, picked up the piece of Gengjing that had fallen to the ground and was still shimmering with golden light, examined it carefully, confirmed that it was genuine, and put it away with satisfaction.

Then, he collected all three people's storage bags.

After doing all this, he took the three corpses away, leaving only traces of the fight and fragments of magical artifacts.

Then, he activated his profound power, and his face changed again, reverting to the pale and sinister appearance of the "Extreme Yin Ancestor" from the Void Heaven Palace.

At the same time, he simulated the cold, demonic energy unique to the "Mysterious Yin Scripture" to imbue his entire body with aura.

With everything ready, he blurred into a streak of pitch-black light, crashing through the glazed tiles on the roof of the main hall. He shot into the sky, leaving a trail of black smoke, and sped off towards the outer edge of the island without stopping!

"Who goes there?!"

"In that main hall just now..."

"Such strong spiritual energy fluctuations and the stench of blood!"

The commotion of Zhou Yuan bursting out of the hall, along with the brief but intense fighting that had taken place inside, had already alerted the Reverse Star Alliance cultivators patrolling and stationed on the island.

Dozens of streaks of light rose from all over the island, looking in surprise and uncertainty toward the main hall, and then toward the black streak of light that was rapidly disappearing into the distance.

"That's... the Supreme Yin Ancestor?!"

A late-stage Core Formation demonic cultivator who had seen the portrait or the true form of the "Extreme Yin Ancestor" from afar saw the pale, sinister figure in the black light and couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"What?! The Extreme Yin Ancestor? What's he doing here?"

"The commotion in the main hall just now... Elder Li, Elder Qianfeng, Elder Tianwuzi, and the others..."

"Could it be...?"

An ominous premonition enveloped all the monks who had rushed over.

Several of the bolder Core Formation cultivators, suppressing their heart palpitations, cautiously approached the main hall and peered inside through the gap in the roof.

The hall was in complete disarray, with crisscrossing sword marks and burn marks on the floor and walls, as well as lingering sharp sword energy and chilling demonic aura.

The three guardian elders, along with the visiting "Master Huangshi," have all vanished!

Thinking back to the "Ancestor of Extreme Yin" who just soared into the sky...

"Could it be... that Elder Li and the others... were all killed by the Extreme Yin Ancestor?!"

A Core Formation cultivator, his voice trembling, voiced the most terrifying suspicion in everyone's hearts.

"It's over... three Nascent Soul elders... the alliance has suffered a huge loss!"

"What will happen to the defenses of Dark Star Island... now that there's no one in charge?"

"Quickly! Send this message back to the main alliance!"

Chaos erupted on the island, and panic spread rapidly.

Soon after.

A piece of news that shocked the entire inner sea of ​​the Chaotic Star Sea spread like wildfire:

The infamous demonic overlord, "Ancestor of Extreme Yin," infiltrated the heavily guarded Mingxing Island of the Reverse Star Alliance alone. In the island lord's main hall, he made a ruthless move, swiftly killing the three Nascent Soul elders who were stationed on the island, including a mid-stage cultivator, before leaving triumphantly.

When the news spread, the world was shocked!

The Reverse Star Alliance was furious, while the Star Palace was filled with surprise and a hint of schadenfreude.

All the cultivators who heard the news gasped in shock, gaining a completely new and even more terrifying understanding of the "Extreme Yin Ancestor's" cruelty and power.

One person single-handedly ventured into the Dragon Pool and killed three Nascent Soul cultivators, including two mid-stage cultivators. What terrifying strength is that?

Could it be that the rumors that he could contend with the Six Paths Supreme Saint were not unfounded?

The entire cultivation world of the Star Sea was shaken by this earth-shattering battle.

The name of "Ancestor of Extreme Yin" once again resounded throughout the heavens, even more fearsome than that of the Void Heaven Palace.

After this battle, the Reverse Star Alliance lost face, suffered heavy losses, and was also shocked.

They quickly revised the defense regulations for key outposts:

From now on, any unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivator who has not undergone rigorous verification is strictly prohibited from landing on the island!

Even Nascent Soul Elders of this alliance must possess specially made, difficult-to-forge identity tokens and keepsakes that undergo multiple verifications before they can be recognized.

After all, the root cause of this tragedy was that a dangerous enemy like the "Extreme Yin Ancestor" easily entered the core of the defense!

If the island had been protected by numerous restrictions, even if the three elders were no match for the enemy, they would not have been defeated so quickly and so completely.

A few days later, the news reached Tianxing City.

In the headquarters of the Six-Tier Hall, in a quiet room with elegant furnishings and a spiritual atmosphere.

Alone on a snowy night, I sat by the window.

She held a newly received communication talisman in her hand, which detailed the changes on Dark Star Island.

Her stunningly beautiful face now displayed an extremely complex expression.

First came astonishment, then realization, followed by disbelief, and finally a profound shock and... a strange flutter of emotion.

Everyone believed that the "Ancestor of Extreme Yin" who had disappeared for many years had reappeared.

This bloody massacre was perpetrated.

Only she knows the truth.

What "Ancestor of Extreme Yin"?

That's clearly Zhou Yuan!

It was the person she had just told about Geng Jing's whereabouts not long ago!

He actually went!

Moreover, it's not about making a transaction.

They went to Pluto Island to kill and plunder!

Finally, he perfectly shifted the blame to the already "dead" Yin Ancestor, and then vanished without a trace...

This strength, this courage, this cunning...

Xueye's hand, holding the jade slip, trembled slightly.

She realized that she seemed to have never truly seen through this mysterious "Master Zhou".

He was like a bottomless, icy pool, calm on the surface but containing a terrifying power capable of overturning everything.

"Just how strong is he...?"

Gazing at the starlight peeking through the window on a snowy night, he murmured softly, his eyes shifting with uncertain emotions.