At the age of one hundred, I inquired about the Dao, awakening the supreme spiritual root that shatt

The interior of the ancestral hall was utterly destroyed by those demonic forces; all the enshrined spirit tablets were blown to pieces, and half of the wall collapsed with a deafening roar.

Outside the main hall, the massive seven-colored divine light shield of the Nine Heavens Mystic Palace was also being impacted by tremendous force from within, and it was shattering inch by inch.

A series of explosions rose and fell, the divine light flickered dimly, and then shattered with a deafening roar.

"Look! The Seven-Colored Divine Light Shield has shattered!"

"Charge in!"

"The barrier of the Nine Heavens Mystic Palace has finally been broken!"

In an instant, all the cultivators who had been working together to attack the formation outside rushed forward, running wildly towards the steps of the white jade hall.

The crowd cheered and gathered here from all directions.

But when they rushed to the gates of the white jade palace, what rushed towards them was not the expected celestial aura and spiritual energy, but a surging, overwhelming demonic aura.

The demonic energy spread across the sky and swept in all directions, encircling the crowd layer by layer.

One after another, ferocious claws, like weapons capable of crushing everything, reached straight for the crowd.

"What's going on? It's demonic energy!"

"Help!"

"Get out of the way!"

In the blink of an eye, many cultivators were invaded by demonic energy, their hands frantically scratching their faces, their appearance ferocious and terrifying.

The sudden surge of demonic energy caught everyone off guard, and some were even torn apart by the demonic claws.

The scene instantly descended into chaos, with piercing screams echoing throughout the heavens and earth.

Ling Xiu was at the center of the demonic energy vortex and immediately sensed that something was terribly wrong.

He immediately summoned the Blood Shadow Sword and slashed at the giant demonic claw with all his might.

He narrowly dodged to the side, his face turning deathly pale, a terrifying fear rising in his heart.

"That gilded gourd... it was actually used to suppress such terrifying demonic energy? I've really messed up this time!"

There's no time for regrets; saving your life is the top priority right now.

Ling Xiu activated the Nine Dragons Heavenly Shield to block the rampaging demonic energy, and at the same time used the Flying Swallow Step, his figure like a swallow soaring through the air, rapidly retreating backward.

boom!

Click!

Where he had just stood, a demonic claw slammed down, leaving several deep, dark claw marks on the wall.

The violent impact was transmitted through the Nine Dragons Heavenly Shield, causing him to stagger back several steps before regaining his footing, his blood and qi surging violently within him.

He dared not linger for even a moment, fleeing with all his might, throwing out several talismans in succession to block the demonic energy and claws during his retreat.

After rushing out of the main hall of the ancestral temple, they sped through areas where demonic energy was scarce.

The entire Nine Heavens Mystic Palace was in complete chaos at this moment, with demonic energy raging everywhere and corrupting all cultivators.

Everyone panicked and fled, desperate to survive.

Those with low cultivation levels were quickly corrupted by demonic energy, transforming into half-demons who then frantically attacked their companions.

No one could have predicted that the treasure hunt in the secret realm would turn into such a tragic situation.

One after another, figures died tragically, their bodies torn in two by demonic claws.

The demonic energy is formless and intangible, making it impossible to dodge.

The demonic energy seemed to be drawn by some strange force, constantly churning and spreading outwards.

Everything it touched was corrupted, even the pure spiritual energy that had accumulated in the Xuan Palace over the years was polluted, and the roars of demons echoed everywhere.

Countless cultivators felt despair. Could it be that the destruction of the Nine Heavens Profound Sun Sect back then was due to this demonic calamity?

The sounds of space trembling and exploding were incessant, and the world was filled with wails, screams, and the deep, hoarse roars of demons.

The entire Xuan Palace was on the verge of collapse, and countless cultivators would likely perish here, becoming its victims.

"We must find an exit as soon as possible, but where exactly is it?"

Ling Xiu lost his composure for a moment. The passage he had come through had been destroyed, and the passage to the main hall was completely filled with demonic energy. Along the way, cultivators kept falling to the ground, their faces black and foaming at the mouth.

Several demonic claws lunged at him one after another, and he barely managed to dodge them only thanks to his exquisite Flying Swallow Step technique.

"Innate Five Elements Escape!"

Swish!

Ling Xiu disappeared into the stone wall, but the demonic energy was everywhere, constantly seeping in through the cracks in the stone wall.

He managed to dodge several rounds of attacks using this method.

With a sudden, loud bang, he was slammed to the ground by a powerful, demonic claw.

It felt as if all the bones in my body were out of place, and excruciating pain swept over my entire body.

Simply dodging is not a long-term solution.

Just as he crashed heavily to the ground, he suddenly heard a soft mechanical whirring sound in his ear.

"Um?"

Ling Xiu immediately spread his divine sense to investigate and quickly sensed a faint restriction emanating from beneath the white jade floor tiles.

There seemed to be a formation hidden below; although the fluctuations were faint, he was able to detect them precisely.

This barrier is not an exit to the outside world, but rather connects to an extremely vast, hidden space—a forbidden area deliberately concealed.

"There might be a glimmer of hope underground!"

Trapped in a desperate situation, Ling Xiu refused to let go of any chance to survive. Without saying a word, he summoned the Blood Shadow Sword and thrust it straight at the restriction node.

laugh!

The underground spatial restriction was easily pierced, leaving a small gap.

The floor tiles were indeed hollow underneath, not solid rock.

When divine sense probed in, it was pitch black below, so dark that it sent chills down one's spine.

This place seemed to be a sealed chamber that had been sealed for thousands of years, but a wisp of pure spiritual energy wafted out from it, giving Ling Xiu an instant glimmer of hope.

Clearly, this underground space was not polluted by demonic energy; the spiritual energy was pure and abundant.

Without delay, Ling Xiu swung his sword to tear and widen the gap, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he leaped into the ground.

As soon as he entered this pitch-black space, the entrance that had just been opened above his head closed on its own, completely shutting out the rampant demonic energy outside.

Ling Xiu landed, crushing several skeletons beneath his feet. His tense heart relaxed slightly, and he looked around.

This is a huge, enclosed stone chamber with walls made entirely of hard stone bricks. Although it is damaged in many places, its entire appearance can still be seen.

The room was neatly arranged with rows of shelves and tables, with objects scattered on the floor, most of them rotten and broken, long since rendered useless.

Scattered bones lay on the ground, and the stone walls were covered with mottled marks from sword cuts and magical weapon attacks.

It is obvious that a fierce battle took place here, leaving behind a scene of devastation.

Even the slightest step stirred up a cloud of dust, filling the room with a desolate and deathly silence.

"This must have been the private chamber of some powerful figure in the palace back then, and these broken items are all his collections."

Ling Xiu secretly speculated that although the stone chamber was spacious, it was far inferior to the orthodox treasure hall of a major sect.

But the battle back then must have been terrifying, as can be seen from the fighting marks left on the walls.

Although the treasures here have long been looted, the remaining restrictive formations are still powerful, firmly isolating the demonic energy from the outside world.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have found this temporary place to stay.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, sat down cross-legged on the spot, and began to practice his internal energy cultivation to regulate his breathing and heal his injuries.

Before half an incense stick had burned, Ling Xiu suddenly opened his eyes.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as his powerful divine sense detected two powerful and imposing auras approaching the space where he was located.

The other party was not in the main hall above, but less than ten feet away from here.

Ling Xiu instantly became extremely vigilant, gripped the Blood Shadow Sword tightly, and slowly walked towards the source of the aura.