"Demonic cultivator, do you truly think you're untouchable just because you possess a seventh-grade formation?" Ouyang Haoze looked at Lü Yang through the shimmering barrier with a cold sneer. "Formations are ultimately inanimate objects. For us cultivators, realm is paramount!"
"In the end, it comes down to skill."
Lü Yang's heart was on high alert, but his expression remained calm. "If you're so confident, you're welcome to enter the formation and fight. Otherwise, retreat obediently."
"Seeking death!"
Ouyang Haoze grinned sinisterly, then took a step forward. He took a deep breath, and a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from his throat.
This was a superior divine ability of the Divine Martial Sect—the "Thousand-Mile Shattering Void Divine Sound." It absorbed and exhaled the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, empowering the sect's unique third-grade true qi, "Divine Martial True Qi," before blasting it forth. Wherever the sound waves passed, friend and foe alike were reduced to dust.
In an instant, the fierce divine sound rushed into the formation.
Formation patterns shattered, revealing skeletal soldiers of various shapes and sizes. The massive formation had been blasted open!
Immediately after, Ouyang Haoze produced a round mirror.
"Lord Taixiao, I implore your intervention."
He formed a hand seal and raised the mirror into the air. A magnificent beam of light shone down, freezing in the void and firmly securing the breach in the formation!
Instantly, the market trembled violently!
Many cultivators retreated, afraid to approach the formation's edge, their faces filled with panic.
Fairy Feixia's face turned deathly pale, but the next moment she suddenly glared at Lu Yuanchun, whose expression was shifting strangely. "Stay here! Don't you dare move!"
Having been tricked once, Fairy Feixia naturally wouldn't trust Lu Yuanchun again. At this moment, even a hint of ferocity appeared on her beautiful face. "If it weren't for Junior Brother Lü, you'd already be dead outside the market. If you dare try to escape in the chaos again, I'll kill you without hesitation!"
"Junior Sister Feixia, you misunderstand." Lu Yuanchun smiled awkwardly. Seeing the murderous intent in Fairy Feixia's eyes, he grew wary and had to suppress the many sinister thoughts that had just arisen.
With the two late-stage Qi Refining experts remaining calm, the chaos in the market quickly subsided.
Of course, everyone knew this was only temporary.
The outcome of the battle between Lü Yang and Ouyang Haoze was the final deciding factor. At this moment, Fairy Feixia could only place her trust in Lü Yang.
She believed he could create a miracle.
"This is… a spiritual treasure?" Lü Yang's expression changed drastically as he looked at the round mirror in the sky. "And a supremely Yang spiritual treasure that suppresses earthly Yin energy, specifically designed to counter the 'Hundred Bones Rejuvenation Formation'?!"
Ouyang Haoze laughed heartily, brimming with pride. "The Hundred Bones Rejuvenation Formation has stood on Skull Mountain for years. Since my Divine Martial Sect dared to plot against it, how could we not have prepared a way to break it?"
"With the 'Taixiao Mirror,' you will surely die today!"
This spiritual treasure did not belong to him but was specially crafted by a Foundation Establishment elder of the Divine Martial Sect to deal with the Hundred Bones Rejuvenation Formation. Its power was self-evident.
Above the market, Lü Yang's expression darkened. Without a word, he turned and fled.
"Hmph! Trying to run?" Ouyang Haoze didn't hesitate. He leaped forward, simultaneously unleashing another divine sound that instantly shattered the surrounding skeletal soldiers, then chased after Lü Yang.
However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred!
The moment Ouyang Haoze stepped into the formation, his expression changed. He instinctively tried to retreat, only to see a scarlet array pattern when he turned.
"I didn't expect you to actually dare to come in."
Lü Yang halted his escape, turned to look at Ouyang Haoze, his previous panic nowhere to be seen. Instead, a sinister smile appeared on his face.
"This is impossible!" Ouyang Haoze's eyes twitched, filled with doubt and shock. "The Hundred Bones True Formation was clearly fixed by my Taixiao Mirror. How can there be another formation inside the market? Where did it come from? Why didn't I detect any traces of it being set up beforehand?"
"Because I didn't need to set up a formation at all." Lü Yang sneered inwardly. His Blood Washing Heavenly River Sword Formation Diagram relied entirely on the Blood Sun Sword Pill, a treasured array weapon. A single thought was enough to manifest the formation, leaving no traces!
In the next instant, a banner fluttering in the wind appeared in Lü Yang's hand.
The Primordial Qi Myriad Spirits Banner!
The banners fluttered, and countless banner spirits instantly flew out, landing at the various array nodes of the Blood Washing Heavenly River Sword Formation. They began to move involuntarily.
Long ago, when designing this formation, Lü Yang had considered the Primordial Qi Myriad Spirit Banner. Now, tens of thousands of souls within the banners were arranged, stationed at the array nodes, revealing their mysteries. In an instant, the world turned crimson. A surging river of blood flowed from south to north, crashing down upon Ouyang Haoze!
Ouyang Haoze let out a muffled groan and staggered.
The Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light!
Within the formation, Ouyang Haoze couldn't escape the divine light's power. He felt his once abundant blood and qi rapidly draining from his body like a burst dam.
The next moment, he hurriedly shouted, "Heavenly Light Lord, save me!"
His armor shimmered like golden scales under the sun. Layers of precious light enveloped Ouyang Haoze, instantly halting the devouring power of the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light.
A spiritual treasure—the Heavenly Light Armor!
This treasure was forged from "Demon-Subduing Heavenly Light," which clashed with the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light, resulting in a stalemate.
Only then did Ouyang Haoze manage to catch his breath.
After all, he hadn't expected that with his cultivation, two spiritual treasures—the Taixiao Mirror and the Heavenly Light Armor—and such thorough preparations, he would still almost fail.
"Now that things have come to this, there's no escape."
Ouyang Haoze's eyes were bloodshot. Instead of fleeing, he looked at Lü Yang deep within the formation, his gaze filled with suffocating killing intent.
"Only a counterattack remains!"
As a true disciple, his will was ironclad. He understood the principle that "the brave win when paths cross." He knew that if he tried to escape now, Lü Yang would toy with him and kill him. To break the formation, he had to fight to the death and find a way to kill Lü Yang. Once Lü Yang died, the formation would dissolve!
Rumble!
The next second, under the protection of the Heavenly Light Armor, Ouyang Haoze charged toward Lü Yang, his unparalleled spear aimed directly at the Primordial Qi Myriad Spirit Banner in Lü Yang's hand!
"That banner seems to be the core of this formation. If I can't kill Lü Yang, destroying it might offer a way out."
"Good!"
Lü Yang raised the banner. A figure appeared—it was Liu Xin. His face was filled with confusion, as if he hadn't yet regained his senses.
In the next instant—
"Explode!"
With a loud bang!, Liu Xin involuntarily opened his mouth and uttered a single word: "Die!" A killing curse specifically designed for mutual destruction!
In Lü Yang's view, Liu Xin's use of the Primordial Qi Myriad Spirit Banner was far too superficial. After all, the banner spirits were immortal; even if temporarily destroyed, they could be summoned again by consuming magic power as long as their true spirits remained. Why force them into conventional battles?
They should be taught suicidal killing moves!
Since they could revive anyway, let them unleash those self-destructive divine abilities from the moment they appear—killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred themselves. That was the correct way to use them!
In an instant, a spiritual tide swept through everything.
When the dust settled, Liu Xin had vanished, while Ouyang Haoze was forcibly halted mid-air, his expression extremely grim.
So far, he had used many methods—divine abilities, spiritual treasures, and cultivation suppression—to deal with a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. It should have been effortless. Who would have thought none would be effective?
On the contrary, his magic power was greatly depleted.
"If this continues, I'm afraid I'll really die here."
At this thought, a ruthless gleam flashed in Ouyang Haoze's eyes. He formed a hand seal, and the Heavenly Light Armor on his body suddenly let out a mournful cry.
"This is… not good!"
Seeing this, Lü Yang's expression changed drastically. He flashed and instantly moved behind the Blood Sun Sword Pill, then summoned the blood shadow of the sword pill to protect himself.
Boom!!!
The spiritual treasure, the Heavenly Light Armor, self-destructed!
The exploding spiritual light mirrored the scene Xiao Shiye had once created, sweeping in all directions and instantly shattering Lü Yang's sword formation diagram, revealing the clear blue sky.
Although Lü Yang reacted extremely quickly and promptly closed the formation, Ouyang Haoze was even faster. At the critical moment, he broke out of the formation's encirclement. Lü Yang only had time to use the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light, stripping him of another 30% of his vital energy and blood, leaving him looking like nothing but skin and bones.
"You destroyed my magic treasure! I won't rest until I tear you to pieces!"
Ouyang Haoze stood outside the market, his expression ferocious. He poured his remaining magic power into the other spiritual treasure, the Taixiao Mirror, causing it to emit a mournful cry.
"At worst, I'll sacrifice all my spiritual treasures today! Let's see if you can produce a third great formation!"