Divine Root Bone

Ling Xuanyuan severely injured You Shayuan with a single palm strike and casually sent Tu Jin flying. The cultivators present were still immersed in the overwhelming power of the Foundation Establishment Peak expert, and their hearts were still shaken when a furious roar that shattered the mountains suddenly exploded from the depths of Duan Yun Canyon!

"Ling Xuanyuan, you old scoundrel! Do you really think my Black Fiend Sect has no one to bully your disciples at will?!"

Before the words were even finished, a dense, almost tangible, pitch-black aura surged into the sky, its oppressive force sweeping across the entire battlefield. This aura was powerful and domineering, several times stronger than You Sha Yuan, who was at the late stage of the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, or Tu Jin, who was at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment. The Dao Foundation's flowing light stretched across the sky like a long, black river, truly indicating the peak of Foundation Establishment cultivation!

Everyone turned sharply to look at the source of the black mist, their hair standing on end.

An old man clad in a long, black robe with bone patterns stepped out of the air. His solidified and perfected Dao foundation surged endlessly, and dark, blood-red spiritual lotus patterns appeared beneath his feet. Within a ten-mile radius, all vegetation withered and died, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was forcibly repelled by the malevolent power. This contrasted sharply with the golden lotus patterns beneath Ling Xuanyuan's feet, which drew all spirits to worship. This was none other than You Guiwang, the reclusive patriarch of the Black Fiend Demonic Sect, who had been living in seclusion for three hundred years.

The crowd was utterly shocked. Even the seven seriously injured Qingyun elders struggled to sit up, their eyes filled with disbelief.

No one could have predicted that the two opposing sects in the Southern Region each possessed a Foundation Establishment Peak Ancestor, who would appear in the world today. A shocking battle between people of the same realm is now unavoidable!

The two opposing peak powers of Dao collided with a deafening roar.

Golden lotus patterns spread across Ling Xuanyuan's body, and righteous spiritual energy spontaneously paid homage; the Demonic Sect's patriarch, You Guiwang, was surrounded by churning black lotus aura, his sinister foundation tearing through the air. Layer upon layer of the unique, overwhelming pressure of the third level of Foundation Establishment spread wildly, forcing lower-level cultivators to the ground, their blood and qi in disarray, their spiritual power completely locked. Even the spiritual fields supported by cultivators in the middle of the Foundation Establishment stage trembled inch by inch, on the verge of collapse, under the clash of these two peak forces. The entire battlefield was completely captivated by the duel between the two patriarchs in mid-air, leaving no energy to attend to anything else.

On the side of the battlefield, Zhang Yang, who had been severely injured by the demonic energy of the Netherworld Abyss, was kneeling on the ground, silently circulating his spiritual power to regulate the surging blood energy within his body. He glanced at the two high-ranking members of the Demonic Sect lying on the ground not far away, and his gaze suddenly stopped.

Tu Jin's bones were shattered, and he vomited mouthfuls of black blood, lying paralyzed on the ground, barely alive and already incapacitated. Beside him, You Sha Yuan's Dao foundation had collapsed, and his meridians were damaged, making it impossible for him to even lift a hand. The two had just been severely injured by Ling Xuan Yuan, their black robes torn and tattered, and the storage bags tied around their waists had slid loosely to the ground beside them, their openings slightly open, revealing a faint glimmer of spiritual light within.

Zhang Yang's mind immediately stirred with ideas.

At this moment, all eyes were focused on the fierce battle between the two peak patriarchs in mid-air. No one paid attention to their side. If they could take these two storage bags, they might find high-level magic weapons, a large amount of spirit stones, or rare cultivation treasures inside. If they missed today, they would never have such a golden opportunity again.

The subtle movements hidden in his eyes were precisely observed by Su Qingyao, who was positioned on the right flank of the Yunlan Sect's position.

As the personal disciple of the sect leader of Biyue Yunlan, Su Qingyao was at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. She was meticulous and perceptive. Following Zhang Yang's gaze to the two demonic sect members who had fallen to the ground, she instantly guessed his plan. Her lips twitched slightly, and she secretly had the idea of ​​helping him.

In mid-air, Ling Xuanyuan and the Demonic Sect Ancestor were already locked in combat. Golden and black spiritual lights exploded continuously, and two streams of Dao Foundation light at the peak of Foundation Establishment collided wildly. Terrifying shockwaves swept across the earth one after another, making everyone dizzy and uneasy.

The fallen Tu Jin and You Sha Yuan were only concerned about whether their ancestor could suppress the Qingyun Ancestor. They were certain that the two peak cultivators were about the same level, so they had no time to notice the lost storage bag beside them. They did not care about this material possession and relaxed all their vigilance.

Now is the time!

Zhang Yang timed the moment when the oppressive aura erupted and everyone's attention was focused on the air. Using the smoke and rocks as cover, he crouched low and quietly slipped towards the storage bag. Su Qingyao followed closely behind, walking slowly beside him. She deliberately dispersed her own cloud and water spiritual energy, using the soft mist to shield others from view, silently providing cover for him.

The two squatted side by side by the muddy ground, their fingers flying as they quickly collected all three storage bags that Tu Jin and You Sha Yuan had dropped. As they passed each other, they subconsciously exchanged a glance, each filled with curiosity.

Zhang Yang caught a glimpse of her elegant cloud and water patterned Daoist robe and instantly recognized it as the attire of the Azure Cloud Sect. He had often heard of the two sects' long-standing friendship when he was in the Azure Cloud Sect, so he knew that she was a disciple of the Cloud Sect. Su Qingyao also carefully examined this genius young man who had broken through three realms in a short period of time, her heart filled with doubt and curiosity. She couldn't understand what kind of heaven-defying talent he possessed that made his breakthrough speed so outrageous.

In just a few breaths, the two of them collected all the scattered storage bags. Taking advantage of the renewed burst of pressure on the field and the moment when everyone's mind was shaken and distracted, they turned around in tacit agreement and quickly retreated to a secluded corner of the mountain forest in the Qingyun Sect's defensive line.

Tu Jin and You Sha Yuan were seriously injured and unconscious, unaware that their storage bags had long since disappeared.

Hiding behind the dense forest and rocks, the two stood side by side, clutching three storage bags tightly in their arms. They hadn't yet had time to open them and check the treasures inside. The resounding crash of the two Foundation Establishment Peak experts colliding in mid-air still echoed in their ears. They were just waiting for the battle to ease up a bit before carefully examining the spoils of war they had unexpectedly obtained.

Just as the two were about to look down and search the storage bag, several cold, sharp shouts suddenly erupted from the dense forest behind them!

"Halt! Leave the sect leader and elders' storage bags behind, don't run away!"

It turned out that four low-level cultivators remaining from the Demonic Sect happened to have circled around to this place. The leader was at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, followed by three disciples at the late stage of the seventh level of Qi Refining. They had just seen the two picking up the storage bag from afar, and immediately shouted angrily and quickly caught up.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang's heart tightened. Without time to explain, he snatched all the storage bags from Su Qingyao's hands, hugged them to his chest, and turned to run wildly towards the desolate mountain forest in the lower left of the battlefield.

The immense power emanating from the clash between the two peak Foundation Establishment cultivators in mid-air swept across the entire valley. According to the suppression rules of the three levels of Heavenly Power after Foundation Establishment, all Qi Refining cultivators within the area were bound by this heavy pressure, their spiritual energy stagnating, their blood churning, and their limbs feeling heavy. The four demonic disciples chasing behind had only taken a few steps when they were firmly restrained by the clashing power of the two peak cultivators. Their spiritual energy nearly stagnated, their steps felt as heavy as if filled with molten lead, and their running speed was drastically reduced, making it impossible for them to give their all in pursuit.

The two cultivators watching the battle saw everything clearly, but they were powerless to do anything about it. They were also bound by the oppressive aura, and their low-level cultivation would only result in their deaths if they rashly intervened. They could only watch helplessly as the group chased and fled.

Zhang Yang alone possessed top-grade divine-grade innate bones, and his physical body, soul, and meridians had resistance far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators. The binding force of the Foundation Establishment pressure on him was greatly weakened. Although he could still feel the heavy pressure, he could still freely mobilize his spiritual power to run wildly, and his speed did not decrease at all.

Seeing this, Su Qingyao panicked instantly, two thoughts forming in her mind:

Firstly, the three storage bags were obtained during her adventure with Zhang Yang, so how could she allow him to take them away and keep them for himself?

Secondly, the other side consisted of four demonic cultivators, while Zhang Yang was alone. He would be caught sooner or later, and she felt a pang of pity for him, unwilling to see the young man alone in danger.

With a change of heart, Su Qingyao no longer hesitated. She lifted her skirt, circulated her cloud and water spiritual power, and resolutely followed Zhang Yang after him.

The two fled one after the other towards the desolate forest to the lower left, running blindly and without thinking. Unbeknownst to them, the road beneath their feet became increasingly barren, with withered bones scattered all around and miasma permeating the air—this was the chaotic burial valley mentioned earlier.

When Zhang Yang broke through to the next level in seclusion, the mysterious barrier deep in this secluded valley had trembled slightly, revealing strange and unknown movements. Now, the two of them, along with the four demon disciples behind them, rushed towards this dangerous forbidden area.