Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The moment the golden imperial light pierced through the ancient fog, the deathly silence of the entire Qingwu Ancient Plain was utterly shattered.

The various murderous intentions that had been lurking deep in the fog, enduring for so long, were no longer concealed in the slightest.

Boom boom boom—!

From all directions, dozens of powerful torrents of spiritual energy suddenly burst through the gray-white mist, and dazzling spiritual light of various colors shot into the sky, forcefully dispersing the stagnant and heavy miasma surrounding them. The long-hidden Wang clan collateral branches, the Hao clan hidden lineage assassins, and a group of rogue cultivators who possessed ancient jade fragments and bypassed the competition to sneak into the secret realm all revealed themselves and surrounded the area.

They had been patiently waiting their turn, using the Laoshan team to clear a path and avoid the formation's key points. Now, as they approached the core of the altar and the formation's mechanisms were much less dense, they finally stopped holding back and made their move.

The imperial light descends upon the road ahead, and opportunity is within reach.

No one was willing to continue to endure; everyone wanted to seize the ancient altar as soon as possible and claim the eternal fortune left behind by the Shaohao Emperor Ruins.

"Finally willing to come out?"

Lin Yan stood at the very front of the group, his posture as upright as a pine tree. Facing the crowd of heroes who were closing in from all directions, his expression remained calm and composed, his eyes revealing only a serene and cold demeanor.

He had already seen through everyone's thoughts.

The foggy sea is a treacherous place, teeming with killing formations. Only by following closely behind can one safely reach the core. This group had been tailing him all along, observing the situation and using him to avoid certain death. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, they immediately bared their fangs, attempting to seize control and reap the benefits.

Despicable, greedy, yet realistic enough.

On the left, swirling mist rose as Wang clan disciples stood in neat formation, their white robes billowing and spiritual energy condensing into frost. Dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators locked onto the group from Laoshan. Leading them was Wang Yashi, a core member of the Wang clan, who walked out slowly with her sword on her back. Her face was gentle, but her eyes concealed a sinister ambition.

"Junior Brother Lin Yan is exceptionally talented. He understands the formations and is not afraid of miasma. He has protected everyone along the way, which has been truly hard work."

Wang Yashi's voice was calm and seemingly gentle, but every word was sharp: "Now that we have arrived at the altar, the road ahead is unobstructed. The competition for the next opportunity will no longer be solely for Laoshan. The creation of the Imperial Ruins belongs to the virtuous and the powerful."

As soon as the words fell, the Wang family disciples stepped forward in unison, their spiritual energy resonating and array formations unfolding, subtly sealing off all escape routes on the left.

From the thick fog on the right, the Hao clan members exuded a murderous aura, all wielding ancient blades and covered in blood from their previous charge into the formation, their malevolent energy reaching the heavens.

The leader of the Hao family was Hao Lie, a powerful member of the Hao clan. His physical body was formidable, and his temperament ruthless. His tiger-like eyes were fixed on the imperial light ahead, and he sneered, "Following you to avoid your formation and save yourselves has already been more than generous. The opportunities in this secret realm are for the strong to contend for! You youngsters from Laoshan, if you know what's good for you, step aside immediately and clear the path. Otherwise, today, I'll bury you all in this Qingwu Ancient Plain!"

Arrogant words echoed through the misty sea, their killing intent chilling and menacing.

Aside from the two major clan forces, more than ten lone cultivators who had trespassed into the secret realm with ancient jade also slowly gathered around from the surrounding mist.

These people, unrestrained by any sect or bound by the rules of the Grand Competition, forcibly tore open the barrier of the secret realm with the aid of ancient fragments of jade, acting recklessly and ruthlessly. Their cultivation levels varied, but each of them had experienced fierce battles and possessed insidious methods, lying low until now, all for the sake of seizing a sliver of heaven-defying opportunity.

For a time, the imperial light of the altar was in front, powerful enemies surrounded it from behind, and the Wang clan on the left, the Hao clan on the right, and wild cultivators from all sides were eyeing it covetously.

The three teams from Laoshan, Shuiyue Pavilion, and Qingyun Sect were completely surrounded and trapped.

Many disciples in the team turned pale, a chill creeping into their hearts.

Having just fought their way through the miasma and broken through the formations, everyone's spirits and souls were greatly depleted and they had not yet fully recovered. Now, suddenly being surrounded by multiple powerful enemies, the situation instantly deteriorated to the extreme.

Chen Dagang strode forward, fists clenched, his body erupting with powerful spiritual energy. He stood in front of the crowd, his eyes wide with fury: "A bunch of cowardly followers! Hiding in the shadows to pick up scraps, yet you dare to spout such nonsense! If you want any opportunities, you'll have to get past me, Chen Dagang, first!"

Yunxi held the Shuiyun Sword horizontally before her chest, its cool sword intent permeating her entire being. The sword's edge trembled slightly, and wisps of sharp, penetrating energy quietly gathered. Her figure was as serene and aloof as the moon as she stood on the other side of the group, silently protecting the Shuiyue Pavilion's junior sisters, on guard without a sound.

Qingyao's gaze was solemn, her fingertips swirling with spiritual energy, water-based spiritual power swirling around her, ready to draw upon the power of clouds and water to defend against enemies and break through any predicament.

Disciples from the three sects quickly gathered together and formed a defensive formation, back to back, guarding against all sides. Even though they were in dire straits, not one of them retreated.

A foggy sea rises, and a murderous intent fills the sky.

Wang Yashi coldly swept her gaze over the tense and vigilant crowd, a cold, indifferent smile playing on her lips: "Stubborn resistance is pointless. In terms of numbers, resources, and combat strength, you have already fallen far behind. I'm giving you one last chance: retreat from the altar, relinquish your opportunity, and you can escape unscathed."

"If you remain obstinate, today's Fog Sea will be your burial ground."

Hao Lie roared impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense! Just attack! Slaughter these junior sect members and seize the opportunity in the Imperial Ruins!"

hum!

Before the words were even finished, Hao's elite troops launched the first attack!

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Hao clan unleashed their physical power, imbued with violent and savage spiritual energy, wielding heavy battle blades, and charged straight at the right flank of the group. The blade wind tore through the thick fog, carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, its murderous aura rolling, its domineering presence unparalleled.

These clan cultivators do not practice fancy spells; they specialize in physical combat and are extremely fierce in close-quarters fighting.

"Well done!"

Chen Dagang charged forward fiercely, his fists meeting the blade head-on!

Bang!

A deafening roar, like the clash of metal, suddenly erupted, the energy surging and the mist exploding. Chen Dagang, with his formidable physique, forcefully withstood several fierce attacks. The force of his punches rebounded, directly causing the arms of two Hao family disciples to go numb and forcing them to retreat repeatedly.

However, the Hao family had a large and powerful force, and their subsequent attacks were relentless, overwhelming the enemy layer by layer.

At the same moment, the Wang family's formation was activated!

Countless pale white threads of spiritual energy spread out from the thick fog, crisscrossing and sealing off space, transforming into a fine net that descended upon the people of Laoshan, attempting to imprison their bodies and seal their spiritual energy. The Wang family was skilled in trapping formations and control techniques, their methods subtle, unpredictable, and impossible to defend against.

The lone cultivators around also took advantage of the chaos to make their move!

Hidden weapons, poisons, and stealth attacks were all used, and a sinister killing intent permeated the entire field, specifically targeting disciples with weak formations and unstable minds for sneak attacks.

In the blink of an eye, the great battle erupted!

Within the ancient, misty sea, spiritual light exploded, powerful energy roared, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

Various magical lights pierced through the thick gray-white fog, illuminating this ancient, desolate ruin in a way that was both dazzling and tragic.

The sect disciples fought back tenaciously, desperately blocking attacks from all sides, but the disparity between them and the enemy was obvious to the naked eye.

Wang's control of the formation was relentless, Hao's physical strength was fierce and domineering, and the wild cultivator's sneak attacks were insidious and unsolvable. In just a few breaths, several disciples of Qingyun Sect and Shuiyue Pavilion were injured and forced to retreat, their formations were on the verge of collapse, and the situation was extremely precarious.

"Hold on! Don't panic!"

Chen Dagang fought valiantly, his fists flying, managing to withstand Hao's fierce attacks head-on. However, one person's strength was ultimately insufficient to cover the entire battlefield, and his body was already slashed by the battle blade, leaving several bloody marks of varying depths.

Yunxi's sword flashed, her cold sword energy sweeping across the land, severing the countless spiritual energy nets and forcing back the approaching rogue cultivators, protecting a region with her exquisite swordsmanship. However, the number of her opponents was too great, and their attacks were endless; her shallow breathing had become slightly rapid.

Everyone is fighting to the death, everyone is holding on.

The defeat was only a matter of time.

Wang Yashi stood at the rear watching the battle, her expression indifferent, but her eyes were full of confidence: "Without the shackles of the array's killing intent, these junior sect members are no match for us. Taking down the altar will be a piece of cake."

Just as the battle raged across the field and the situation completely tilted.

A clear, calm voice steadily drowned out the cacophony of killing intent, resounding throughout the entire sea of ​​fog.

"Following others to steal profits, and bullying the weak."

"You are not worthy to compete for the opportunity of the Imperial Ruins."

Lin Yan slowly stepped out of the ranks and stood in the center of the battlefield.

There was no violent burst of spiritual energy around him, nor any sharp killing intent revealed. His demeanor remained calm and composed, as if the earth-shattering battles around him and the powerful enemies surrounding him were nothing more than dust and weeds, not worth mentioning.

But as he stepped down, the Dingyuan Pearl in his sleeve dimmed, the inkstone circulated with clear energy, and the fragment of the Emperor's Heart Jade Disc quietly heated up.

The three treasures resonated, and pure energy descended, steadily enveloping everyone on their side.

The lingering miasma and toxins, along with the stagnation of their spirits, were instantly cleansed. The depleted spirits of the group quickly recovered, their tense minds suddenly calmed, and the stagnant spiritual energy within their bodies flowed smoothly once more.

The previously precarious formation instantly became as solid as a mountain!

Immediately afterwards, Lin Yan raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the Wang and Hao clans who were fighting wildly, as well as the lone cultivators lurking in the shadows.

"They lent me shelter from the enemy all the way, allowing me to survive until now."

"Instead of being grateful, they repay kindness with enmity."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lightly made a hand seal in the air with one hand.

The ancient array mechanism that had been dormant underground for countless ages was suddenly activated by the Daoist charm of the Emperor's Heart Jade!

Om-!

On the entire ancient plain, countless array eyes that had been buried deep underground and had just fallen silent suddenly lit up with a scarlet blood light!

The remnants of the Heaven-Sealing Array, which had previously been obscured by the thick fog and could not be touched by anyone, were now all at Lin Yan's disposal!

The stone patterns beneath the feet of the Hao family disciples, who were charging forward, suddenly lit up, and the void blade wind suddenly erupted without warning!

Several of Hao's elite soldiers at the front didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were instantly torn apart by invisible blade energy, spraying out blood mist and instantly disappearing into the thick fog.

The Wang clan cultivators, who were setting up a trapping formation, had their ground-based array mechanisms activated simultaneously!

The reverse force of the array that had been imprisoning spiritual energy suddenly backfired, shattering the white netting that filled the sky. Several cultivators who had set up the array were injured in their internal organs by the force, bleeding from their mouths and flying backward in a sorry state.

As the lone cultivator lurked in the shadows, murderous patterns lit up beneath his feet, and countless tiny blades of wind exploded everywhere, forcing everyone to flee in a panic.

The numerical and offensive advantages that the heroes relied on were instantly shattered by the remnants of the ancient formation!

Everyone who was fighting froze, their faces filled with horror and their eyes with shock.

They never dreamed that this ancient killing formation, which was deadly and feared by everyone, would obey only Lin Yan!

Wang Yashi's composure shattered completely. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she exclaimed in shock, "Impossible! How can you control the remnants of the ancient imperial ruins array?!"

Lin Yan stepped forward, his back straight, standing amidst the blood-red mist, his eyes as cold and clear as an ancient, icy pool.

"Every blade of grass, every stone, every machine, and every device on this ancient plain originally belonged to the Imperial Ruins."

"I control the origin of the Imperial Ruins; the formations follow my heart, and the opportunities follow my will."

"You lowly villains, how dare you raise your weapons and challenge me?"

The golden light of the imperial altar shone down from in front, falling entirely upon the young man.

At this moment, he stood alone among the heroes, single-handedly suppressing the murderous intent that filled the arena.