Decisive Battle in the Ancient Cave Heaven

The Tai Chi Pattern in Ren Xiaoyao's palm became increasingly solid. The golden and silver light resembled two intertwined serpents, their scale-like radiance swirling and dancing within his palm. Each touch released tiny specks of spiritual light—like fragments of falling meteorites—that landed on the White Jade Stone surrounding his palm, dissipating into pale golden mist before touching the ground, gradually weaving into a ring of light about a foot wide. The edges of the halo shimmered with a warm, flowing light, carrying an irresistible Purifying Power that cleansed the surrounding ink-black hue. The demonic energy tore open gaps half an inch wide. The torn demonic energy instantly lost its power to coalesce, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating into the air, leaving not even a trace of coldness, only a brief clear space around the halo. The stagnant Spiritual Qi in the Cave Heaven flowed slightly during this moment of clarity, brushing against his plain-colored robes, causing them to flutter slightly. The fine demonic energy clinging to the fabric also turned into green smoke the moment the Spiritual Qi touched it, and even the dark patterns embroidered on the hem of his robes faintly glowed due to the nourishment of the Spiritual Qi.

He lightly touched the White Jade Stone ground with his toes, unleashing his Cloud Treading Steps Technique. His figure was like a willow catkin swaying in the spring breeze, so light it seemed weightless. His shoes left only a faint imprint of spiritual light upon contact with the ground, instantly transforming into three pale golden afterimages—one streaking towards the Daoist statue holding a whisk, the whisk's silver strands trembling slightly from the air currents created by the afterimage, dropping a few specks of accumulated dust mixed with fine particles of Spiritual Qi; another disappearing behind the seated Buddha statue, its robes brushing against the Green Moss at the Immortal Statue Pedestal, leaving no trace, only a few specks of light on the Green Moss. The dewdrops rolled gently down, leaving a small patch of water on the ground; the last one circled around to the side of the warrior statue holding a spear, almost overlapping with the spear shaft in the statue's hand. Even the cloud patterns carved on the spear shaft faintly echoed the outline of the afterimage. If one did not look closely, it would be difficult to distinguish between the human figure and the spear shadow. Although he had not yet mastered this footwork, he could already use the statue as a cover to make it difficult for his Incarnation to lock onto his true form. Only three faint traces of spiritual light remained on the ground, slowly spreading like ripples in water, and were smoothed out by the Spiritual Qi within the Cave Heaven in the blink of an eye, as if no one had ever passed by.

The Creation Spear twirled in his hand, creating a silvery-white spear flower. The "Extinction" pattern on the spear tip echoed the Tai Chi symbol on his palm—the pattern, originally dark silver, now shimmered with a faint golden light under the glow of the Tai Chi. The originally chilling, piercing silver-white lightning gradually absorbed a warm silver light, like a gentle moonlight enveloping the fierce thunder. As the spear cut through the air, it no longer made a sharp, whistling sound, but rather a smooth, flowing motion. Even the surrounding demonic energy was stirred by this flow, forming tiny vortices. At the center of the vortex, a faint, purified Golden Spiritual Energy still emanated. His gaze was piercing, penetrating the swirling demonic energy, fixed on the flaw in the Incarnation on the left—during the earlier struggle, this Incarnation's remnant soul had been invaded by Yin Power, and a fist-sized area on the left shoulder of the black mist body had always been unable to fully solidify. At this moment, it was rippled slightly, like ripples on the surface of water stirred by the wind. Each rise and fall revealed the disorder of the remnant soul inside, and even the surrounding demonic energy fluctuated in strength, rising and falling like the breath of a dying person.

"Now!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, his voice carrying an undeniable determination, like a thunderclap exploding in the silent Cave Heaven, causing ripples in the surrounding demonic energy. Even the thick dust accumulated on the heads of the distant immortal statues fell, piling up in a small clump on the ground. His true form, hidden behind the warrior statue on the left, suddenly appeared. The Creation Spear shot out like an arrow, its tip carrying the Yin and Yang Energy —the pale Yang Power transforming into a sharp aura, like a peerless sword drawn from its sheath, its sharpness aimed directly at the weak point of the Incarnation. Wherever the aura passed, the demonic energy was instantly burned away, and even the air was slightly distorted by the high temperature; the silvery-white Yin Power formed a thin veil-like barrier around the spear, with fine ice patterns on its surface, protecting the spear from the Demonic Qi Erosion and penetrating the enemy's body upon contact, disrupting the condensation of their remnant soul.

The Incarnation on the left sensed the danger too late, hastily raising its Demon Blade, glowing with a ghostly green poisonous light, to parry. The poisonous light on the Demon Blade was even more intense than before, like jade coated with deadly poison, exceptionally dazzling in the dim Cave Heaven. Black venom even dripped from the blade's tip—the venom landed on the White Jade Stone on the ground, instantly corroding tiny black spots, around which faint black lines spread like a spiderweb. But the moment the Demon Blade touched the spear tip, pale Yang Power spread along the blade like raging fire, producing a crisp "sizzle." The eerie green poisonous light on the Demon Blade was instantly burned away, leaving the blade itself charred and emitting a pungent odor similar to burnt cloth, mixed with a hint of fishy smell, which made the surrounding air murky. The spear tip, still possessing momentum, pierced straight into the weak point of the Incarnation mist body. Silvery-white Yin Power, like icy stream water, surged rapidly into the spear tip, spreading within the black mist. Wherever it passed, the black mist condensed into tiny Ice Crystals Ice Crystals, which turned into black smoke upon landing and dissipated without leaving a trace.

The black mist's body, like frozen ink, instantly ceased its churning. The twisted remnant soul within its Incarnation, sensing the corrosive power of Yin Power, let out a silent roar—though inaudible, it could be sensed from the violent fluctuations of the surrounding demonic energy. Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the remnant soul, like shattered glass, and under the influence of Yin Power, it began to slowly dissipate. It emitted a piercing shriek, the sound like a rusty iron saw scraping against rock, so sharp it hurt the eardrums, filled with pain and disbelief. The shriek even caused the surrounding celestial statues to tremble slightly. It tried to mobilize the demonic energy to cultivate... The regenerated body was intertwined with the Yin and Yang Energy — the Yang Power constantly burned the newly condensed demonic energy, preventing the black mist from taking shape; each attempt to condense was turned into black smoke by the Yang Power. The Yin Power, on the other hand, tightly bound the remnant soul, like invisible chains, making it difficult for it even to muster the thought of self-destruction. In just a few breaths, the black mist body of this Incarnation disintegrated by more than half, leaving only a fist-sized wisp of black mist trembling in place, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. Even the surrounding demonic energy refused to gather around it, as if it were repelling this dissipating remnant soul.

"Impossible! You're just a Incarnation who's Initial Immortal Power Insight, how could you possibly break through my true demonic energy!" Seeing his companion fall to such a state in an instant, the black mist around the avatar churned even more violently, like boiling black water. The previously blurry outline revealed a hideous ghost face. Eerie green flames danced in the ghost face's eye sockets, like two flickering will-o'-the-wisps, interspersed with tiny black Mars Mars turned into small black marks upon hitting the ground. An exaggerated grin stretched across its mouth, revealing sharp fangs, from which even Black Liquid fangs dripped. The Black Liquid, falling to the ground, caused the White Jade Stone to develop black rust stains, as if it wanted to tear everything in front of it apart. In its understanding, even if Ren Xiaoyao had comprehended the Yin-Yang Immortal Power, he should have been suppressed by the Origin Demonic Qi of the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm. However, the scene before it was like a heavy hammer, completely shattering its understanding and causing it to feel an uncontrollable panic. Even the demonic energy around it became chaotic, with black Mars occasionally splashing out from the black mist, leaving small black marks on the ground. These black marks were also slowly eroding the texture of the White Jade Stone.

The Incarnation on the right also stopped moving, and several arm-thick Demonic Threads extended from the black mist. The Demonic Threads gleamed with an oily sheen, waving in the air like living things. The Demonic Runes on the threads shimmered with a dark purple light, each flash emanating a chilling aura—an aura that lowered the surrounding air temperature, even causing a thin layer of frost to form on the White Jade Stone ground, with tiny Black Demonic Markings condensing on its surface. It was clearly also intimidated by Ren Xiaoyao's strength; the speed at which the Demonic Threads threads swung gradually slowed, losing its previous arrogance. In fact, when approaching the clear airspace around Ren Xiaoyao, it would subconsciously... The Demonic Threads recoiled, as if fearing the Purifying Power of that area. The moment the tips of the demonic threads touched the clear air, they emitted faint black smoke, curling up as if scorched by flames. The three Incarnation stared at each other, their black mist bodies trembling slightly. Though expressionless, one could sense their resolve from the churning demonic energy— Ren Xiaoyao had comprehended the secret of the Yin-Yang cycle. If he were allowed to leave this Ancient Cave Heaven alive today, he would inevitably become a major threat to the Demon Realm realm, and might even threaten the Ninth Ancestor ' true forms. This was an outcome they could not tolerate; even if it meant mutual destruction, they would nip this threat in the bud.

"Since I can't kill you, let's perish together!" The Incarnation on the right suddenly roared, its voice filled with madness, like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair. The roar was mixed with wisps of demonic energy, causing the surrounding air to tremble and even the distant celestial statues to hum. The black mist around it began to surge wildly, converging towards its center like boiling black water. Its originally two-zhang-tall body visibly shrank, the black mist continuously compressing, its density increasing, and its color changing from deep black to an almost inky dark purple, even the surrounding light was pierced by its power. It devoured the energy, gradually condensing into a black sphere the size of a fist. The Demonic Runes on the surface of the black sphere seemed to come alive, rapidly flashing with dazzling red light, even dyeing the surrounding air a dark red. A destructive pressure spread outwards. The temperature within the Cave Heaven dropped sharply, and tiny Ice Crystals began to condense on the White Jade Stone ground, each Ice Crystals containing black demonic energy. Even the Spiritual Qi floating in the air became stagnant, as if frozen, each flow accompanied by a subtle "crackling" sound, like the sound of ice breaking, making one's heart tighten.

Without hesitation, the central Incarnation and the remaining remnant soul on the left also mobilized all their demonic energy. The black mist of the central Incarnation contracted even faster, and the surface of the black sphere even showed subtle spatial folds, like crumpled paper, with faint black voids visible through the folds—voids that seemed capable of devouring everything, even distorting the surrounding light, as if they might Sky-Rending Strike at any moment to form a small Black Hole; the remnant soul on the left, though only half a wisp of black mist remained, also compressed it with all its might, the black mist constantly condensing, like a squeezed sponge, the squeezed black mist being reabsorbed before it could dissipate, finally transforming into a black sphere the size of a grain of rice, the Demonic Runes on the surface of the black sphere flashing a faint but firm red light, flying towards the other two black spheres like a shooting star, the three collided in the air, instantly merging together without making a sound, only an even more terrifying pressure spreading out, causing the glowing crystal at the top of the Cave Heaven to shake violently, and even small cracks to appear on the surface of the crystal.

The three black spheres collided and instantly merged into a massive Black Vortex, about ten feet in diameter. Inside the vortex, Demonic Runes intertwined, like a giant Demonic Net, drawing in all the surrounding demonic energy with a hissing sound—a sound like countless venomous snakes simultaneously flicking their tongues, mixed with subtle spatial distortions, sending chills down one's spine. The chilling aura emanating from it caused three inches of White Frost to form on the White Jade Stone floor of the Cave Heaven, spreading White Frost along the base of the immortal statue, freezing even the statue's surface and robbing it of its former luster; the whisk in the immortal's hand was even frozen into an ice sculpture, the Ice Crystals still containing lingering demonic energy. Black water seeped continuously from the surface of the ice sculpture; White Frost accumulated in the folds of the Buddha statue's robes, making its originally compassionate face appear colder, even the lines on its eyebrows were covered by frost. The luminous crystal suspended at the top dimmed abruptly, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, as if it might be extinguished at any moment. The rainbow light refracted by the crystal also became dim, like faded silk, casting blurry shadows in the air, and even the faint light illuminating the Cave Heaven became intermittent. Even more terrifying, the space around the vortex began to distort slightly, overlapping like shattered mirrors, as if it would completely collapse at any moment, splitting open an abyss that would devour everything and engulf the entire Cave Heaven.

Ren Xiaoyao's expression changed drastically. His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and even his breathing became heavy—each inhale carried an icy chill that stung his throat, making his lungs feel as if they were about to freeze, and even his exhaled breath carried a white mist. He could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within the vortex—the self-destruction power of the three Incarnation burning their remnant souls and Origin Demonic Qi. The power was far beyond his imagination; even the Tai Chi halo in his palm trembled slightly under this pressure, and the spiritual light at the edge of the halo even began to flicker, like a candle in the wind. Not to mention that his immortal power had not yet fully recovered, even if he were at his peak, he might not be able to withstand it head-on. This power was enough to raze the entire Ancient Cave Heaven to the ground, leaving him no chance to escape and forcing him to take this fatal blow head-on.

Without the slightest hesitation, his left hand swiftly reached into his robes and retrieved the <Ancient Immortal Scripture> he kept close to his body. The ancient book's cover was made of an unknown animal hide, gleaming with a faint spiritual light. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, like jade, and seemed to sense its owner's impending danger, trembling slightly. A faint hum even emanated from between the pages—a hum like Ancient Incantations, as if responding to his summons. The Ancient Runes beneath the animal hide cover also began to glow faintly, their light resonating with the Tai Chi halo in his palm. A faint golden halo formed. Ren Xiaoyao formed hand seals, his fingertips tracing the yellowed pages of the book. His nails rubbed against the pages, leaving faint marks of spiritual light. Following the "Heaven and Earth Protection" method recorded in the immortal scripture, he mobilized all the remaining Yin-Yang Immortal Power in his dantian, channeling it into the ancient book through his fingertips. The moment the immortal power surged in, the humming sound of the ancient book became clearer, and the words on the pages seemed to come alive, beginning to flow rapidly. A faint Golden Mist seeped from between the words, enveloping his hands.

The immortal scripture instantly shone with a dazzling golden light, the radiance piercing through the pages and illuminating the entire Cave Heaven as if it were daytime. The golden light carried a warm aura, even dispelling some of the chilling aura emanating from the Black Vortex. The White Frost on the ground began to melt visibly, turning into tiny water droplets that flowed along the patterns of the White Jade Stone. The pages turned automatically, making a rustling sound, as crisp as flowing water. Each page turn released countless Golden Runes, which danced in the air like butterflies, carrying a faint Sandalwood Incense. This Sandalwood Incense contained Purifying Power, making the surrounding area... The demonic energy began to slowly dissipate. The runes floated out of the book, intertwining and swirling in the air, gradually transforming into a massive light shield three zhang high and two zhang wide. The surface of the light shield was covered with intricate Primordial Patterns, resembling the clouds and mist at the Beginning of Heaven and Earth, containing an endless aura of life, firmly protecting Ren Xiaoyao within, preventing even a trace of demonic energy from penetrating; a faint Spiritual Qi barrier even formed around the light shield, making the surrounding air fresher, and the previously condensed White Frost began to slowly melt, turning into tiny water droplets that fell to the ground carrying a faint Spiritual Qi.

"Boom--!"

The instant the light shield was fully formed, the Black Vortex exploded with a deafening roar. A black shockwave swept outwards like a tsunami, instantly shattering everything in its path. The head of the Daoist statue separated from its torso; the ice sculpture of its whisk shattered into countless small pieces on the ground; the arm of the Buddha statue broke off, crashing into the ground and creating a deep crater; the spear shaft of the warrior statue bent and deformed, eventually breaking into several pieces. Debris carrying dense demonic energy flew everywhere, striking the White Jade Stone ground with muffled thuds, creating craters of varying depths. The debris and demonic energy mixed together, forming plumes of black dust, like miniature... A tornado raged through the Cave Heaven, whipping up dust and Ice Crystals, creating utter chaos. Even more terrifying, several enormous fissures, each several meters wide, split open in the ground, their depths unfathomable. Something seemed to writhe in the darkness, occasionally oozing black mist with a pungent, fishy stench. Even the Spirit Gathering Formation patterns hidden in the cracks were completely destroyed, rendered powerless. The once flowing pale golden Spiritual Qi vanished, leaving only charred marks, as if scorched by fire. Where the shockwave swept past, the space rippled subtly, like crumpled paper, as if an abyss might burst open at any moment, swallowing the entire Cave Heaven.

The black shockwave slammed into the Golden Light Shield, creating a deafening roar. The sound was like thunder exploding in his ears, causing Ren Xiaoyao's eardrums to throb with pain, and his soul to tremble violently as if it were about to be shattered. His vision even went black for a brief moment, and all he could hear was a buzzing sound; he couldn't even hear his own breathing clearly. The Primordial Patterns on the surface of the light shield flickered violently, and the golden light dimmed at a visible speed. Tiny cracks even appeared on the originally smooth surface of the light shield, spreading like a spider web. Each crack weakened the shield's protective power. Golden spiritual light overflowed from the cracks, dripping down like water, turning into specks of Light Spots that dissipated on the ground. Where the Light Spots disappeared, the demonic energy also vanished.

The shockwave's recoil caused Ren Xiaoyao's blood to surge, a sweet taste rising in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the light shield, staining a patch of Golden Runes. The stained runes flickered a few times before losing their luster, turning into specks of spiritual light and dissipating into the air, along with some of the Spiritual Qi within his body. Yet he dared not relax in the slightest, clenching his teeth tightly until they ached slightly and even bled, a faint trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth; his hands gripped the immortal scripture so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood that mingled with the cool aura of the Evil Suppressing Pendant in his palms, forming a faint red and white mist—a mist carrying a trace of Purifying Power. He used his Purifying Power to slowly dispel the remaining demonic energy around him, even purifying the demonic energy clinging to his own body. He did his best to maintain the stability of the light shield, and could clearly feel that the light shield was rapidly consuming his immortal power. The Spiritual Qi that was originally abundant in his dantian was rapidly decreasing as if it had been emptied, leaving only a faint trace to sustain him. Even his meridians were aching from the rapid loss of Spiritual Qi. At the same time, he was also resisting the erosion of the self-destruction power. Every tremor of the light shield caused his meridians to tear apart with pain, as if countless small knives were cutting his blood vessels at the same time. Even his dantian was stinging, as if it were being repeatedly pierced by ice picks, making him tremble uncontrollably.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or perhaps just a few breaths—the black shockwave finally dissipated. The Cave Heaven was a scene of utter devastation, the ground littered with rubble and gaping fissures. Dense demonic energy intertwined with the remaining Spiritual Qi, forming a faint Gray Mist —a mist mixed with rubble and dust, making it difficult to breathe. Each inhalation carried a pungent odor, as if inhaling tiny blades, causing a sharp pain in the throat and a dull ache in the chest. Every breath tore at the internal organs, bringing unbearable agony, causing him to bend over and cough, his cough spurting slightly blood.

With a "crack," the Golden Light Shield's surface split open with several spiderweb-like cracks. Then, the golden light completely dissipated, transforming into specks of spiritual light that merged into the air, like shattered stars leaving brief shadows. Where the light fell, subtle fluctuations of Spiritual Qi could still be seen. The <Ancient Immortal Scripture> lost its luster, its cover turned gray, and even its edges showed minor tears. The once luminous runes had dimmed, as if it had lost all life...