Slaughtered to the Last, Crisis Descends

Xuanyuan Che's icy gaze, like a tangible blade, instantly pierced through the disguise of the shadows.

The hidden group of people was shaken to their core, realizing their whereabouts had long been exposed! Leading them was a young man with a sinister face and a black robe. A flicker of horror and ruthlessness flashed in his eyes as he decisively commanded, "We're exposed! Retreat!"

They had originally intended to reap the benefits, never expecting this suddenly appearing four-person team to possess such terrifying strength. Especially the youngest and most handsome-looking youth, who was simply unfathomable! Instantly killing a Corrupt Swamp Evil Spirit with such a move was far beyond their capabilities!

However, it was already too late to leave.

"You come and go as you please? Did you ask my grandpa Shi first?!" Thunder Roar Ravine roared. He was in the heat of battle, how could he let these sneaky fellows escape? He abandoned the Three-headed Demon Ape, whose bones were broken and was on the verge of death, and his body erupted with lightning, like a god of thunder, directly charging towards the group attempting to flee!

"Form ranks! Block him!" the sinister youth shouted. The remaining five immediately formed hand seals, and a sinister, murky black energy converged, forming a shield carved with grotesque faces, blocking Thunder Roar Ravine's path.

This formation was quite bizarre, cold and viscous, and could actually absorb and weaken the power of lightning to a certain extent.

Thunder Roar Ravine's lightning fist slammed heavily onto the ghost-faced shield. The shield vibrated violently, black energy surged, but it did not shatter immediately. Instead, sounds of ghostly wails and howls echoed, impacting the mind.

"Hmph! Heretical arts!" Mu Qingxue snorted coldly, drawing the Wuchen Sword completely! The sword body was like autumn water, flowing with a dim, annihilating gray light. She moved with her sword, transforming into a gray sword rainbow that tore through the sky, directly piercing the core of the formation!

Guixu Sword Intent—Dispelling Illusions!

Where the sword rainbow passed, the sinister black energy dispersed and dissolved as if encountering its nemesis! The ferocious ghost faces on the ghost-faced shield let out shrill screams and instantly became blurred!

"Now!" Yun Mengyao's voice sounded clear and cold. She formed seals with both hands, and a pure, flawless rune, as if condensed from moonlight, instantly took shape and silently imprinted itself on the node of the formation that was about to dissipate!

"Pure Moon Seal Demon!"

The moonlight-like rune blazed with light. The already precarious evil formation, like snow doused with boiling oil, instantly collapsed! The five who were maintaining the formation suffered a backlash, spitting out black blood simultaneously, staggering backward.

"Die!" Thunder Roar Ravine seized the opportunity, his massive lightning fist raining down like a storm!

Crack! Splatter!

The sounds of cracking bones and shattering flesh were incessant! The five evil cultivators had no time to react before they were turned into charcoal under the violent lightning power, their forms and souls utterly annihilated!

Only the sinister youth, at the moment the formation shattered, conjured a black talisman covered in cracks. The talisman burned, turning into a black mist that enveloped him. He actually withstood Thunder Roar Ravine's punch and, using the recoil, fled into the distance like a stray dog!

"Where do you think you're going!" Mu Qingxue's sword stance shifted, about to pursue.

"No need." Xuanyuan Che said lightly. He didn't even look back, merely flicked his finger casually.

A subtle, almost invisible sword light, as if teleporting, crossed space, arriving after the fact, and precisely pierced into the fleeing black mist.

"Argh—!"

A short, shrill scream came from the black mist, followed by the dissipation of the mist. A shriveled, twisted corpse fell from the air, its life completely extinguished, its very soul annihilated by that wisp of Chaos Qi.

In the blink of an eye, this team of evil cultivators, who had attempted to ambush them, was completely wiped out!

From Xuanyuan Che's initial move to instantly kill the Corrupt Swamp Evil Spirit, to Thunder Roar Ravine, Mu Qingxue, and Yun Mengyao's coordinated efforts to deal with the Three-headed Demon Ape, the Thousand Soul Skeleton Demon, and this group of evil cultivators, the entire process took only a few short breaths!

Zhou Qiankun and the others from the True Martial Academy were completely stunned, standing frozen like statues.

The three Transcendent Realm alien races that they had struggled to resist, plus a team of evil cultivators ambushing them from the shadows with considerable strength, were like clay chickens and pottery dogs before these four, swept away with overwhelming force!

What kind of monstrous talents were they?! That Xing Yuan Realm youth... what kind of monster was he?!

Zhou Qiankun took a deep breath, quickly suppressing the storm in his heart. He stepped forward a few paces and clasped his fists solemnly at Xuanyuan Che and the other three, his tone extremely sincere, "I am Zhou Qiankun from the True Martial Academy of the Central Continent. Thank you, four fellow Daoists, for your righteous intervention! The True Martial Academy will never forget this kindness! May I ask for your esteemed names and which academy you hail from?"

His attitude was extremely humble, devoid of the arrogance of a Central Continent Prodigy. In a world where strength reigned supreme, the power displayed by Xuanyuan Che and the other three had earned their absolute respect.

Moreover, Xuanyuan Che and the other three had saved their lives; this kindness was immense!

Xuanyuan Che clapped his hands, dusting off his clothes, and smiled, "You're too kind. Eastern Wasteland Domain, Eastern Xuan Academy, Xuanyuan Che." He gestured behind him, "This is my Second Senior Sister Yun Mengyao, Third Senior Brother Thunder Roar Ravine, and this is Senior Sister Mu Qingxue from Heavenly Sword Peak."

"Eastern Xuan Academy..." Zhou Qiankun tried to recall, but he had no impression of the academies in the Eastern Wasteland Domain. However, he deeply imprinted the name in his heart at that moment. "So it's Brother Xuanyuan, Fairy Yun, Brother Lei, and Fairy Mu! If it weren't for the four of you today, we would have been in grave danger!"

"It was nothing." Xuanyuan Che waved his hand, his gaze already fixed on the altar deep within the ancient battlefield ruins. "Brother Zhou, are you also here for that altar?"

It felt strange for this burly man to call such a handsome youth "brother."

Zhou Qiankun followed his gaze and gave a wry smile. "To be honest, we were being pursued by those three alien races and stumbled into this place. We then discovered that the altar seemed extraordinary. Before we could investigate, we were caught in a fierce battle." He paused, his expression serious, and warned, "Brother Xuanyuan, the altar gives me a peculiar feeling, seeming both sacred and dangerous. Moreover, it's too close to the Abyss of Annihilation, so there might be unfathomable risks. Please be careful."

"Risks and opportunities coexist." Xuanyuan Che smiled dismissively. "Brother Zhou, you are all seriously injured. Why don't you rest here first? We'll go and see what mysteries that altar holds."

Zhou Qiankun also knew that their condition was not good and that they would only be a burden if they went along. He nodded, "Very well. We will stand guard here for you four Daoists. If you need anything, just ask!"

Xuanyuan Che nodded, then led Yun Mengyao, Thunder Roar Ravine, and Mu Qingxue towards the half-collapsed ancient altar.

The closer they got to the altar, the clearer the pure and sacred energy fluctuations became. However, at the same time, the dead, corrosive energy from the direction of the Abyss of Annihilation grew more intense. Two diametrically opposed forces intertwined here, forming an extremely peculiar balance.

The altar was built from an unknown white jade stone. Although most of it had collapsed, the main structure remained, covered with ancient and complex runes, most of which were already blurred. In the center of the altar, a crystal ball, about the size of a baby's fist, was enshrined. It was crystal clear, with a milky white light flowing within.

The pure and sacred energy fluctuations emanated from this crystal ball.

"Is this... Sacred Heart Crystal?!" Yun Mengyao recognized it after a moment, a flicker of surprise in her clear eyes. "It is said that this item contains extremely pure holy light energy. It is a supreme treasure for cultivators who practice light and purification-type techniques. It can also nourish the soul, resist inner demons, and even purify the deathly aura of annihilation to a certain extent! No wonder it could be preserved here."

"Sacred Heart Crystal? That's a good thing!" Thunder Roar Ravine's eyes lit up. "It'll definitely sell for a lot of Spirit Stones!" His thinking was as direct as ever.

Xuanyuan Che's gaze, however, was not entirely fixed on the Sacred Heart Crystal. His senses scanned the entire altar more deeply. Suddenly, he let out a soft "Oh," and crouched down, his fingers brushing away some of the gravel and dust at the base of the altar.

On the back of the altar's base, a simple mural and a few lines of ancient divine script were carved.

The mural depicted a simple scene: a group of tiny human figures kneeling in worship before a small, entirely black tree whose leaves shone with starlight. And that small tree was growing on the edge of a bottomless abyss!

The ancient divine script was obscure and difficult to understand, carrying an extremely ancient aura.

Yun Mengyao also crouched down, carefully deciphering the divine script. After a moment, she slowly read, "...Annihilation... nurture... extreme of life... star... god..."

Her physique had a special sensitivity to such ancient information. Although she could not decipher it completely, she grasped a few key points.

"Nirvana gives birth to the extreme of life? Star God?" Xuanyuan Che's brows twitched slightly, a flicker of thought in his eyes. "Does this mean that in the deepest part of the Cang Mo Abyss, there is actually some divine object representing the pinnacle of life? Related to the stars? Is this altar for sacrificing that little tree? Or... sacrificing that so-called Star God?"

This discovery was far more valuable than a Sacred Heart Crystal! It might involve deeper secrets of the Myriad Races Battlefield and even the Cang Mo Abyss!

Just as Xuanyuan Che was trying to decipher more information, the guest elder token of the Mysterious Yellow Pavilion in his hand suddenly grew warm again, and an extremely urgent, warning message was transmitted!

The message came from Lu Guan, with only a short sentence:

"Be careful! The Netherworld Clan has infiltrated the battlefield! Their target is suspected to be... Abyss treasures! They might possess means to track Cang Mo's aura!"

Almost at the same time!

Rumble--!

The ground beneath their feet suddenly shook violently! As if some colossal being was awakening from the depths of the Cang Mo Abyss!

The altar began to shake intensely, and the Sacred Heart Crystal shone brightly, seemingly resisting some power from the abyss below!

An aura several times more terrifying than that of the Corrupt Swamp Evil Spirits surged up from the bottomless rift!

"Not good!" Yun Mengyao's expression changed, her Heavenly Heart Dao Body sending a strong premonition of danger. White light enveloped the four of them. "Something is coming up! Let's retreat!"

Xuanyuan Che had achieved his goal and didn't hesitate. With a wave of his hand, he swept up the Sacred Heart Crystal and the entire base of the altar.

"Go!"

The four reacted extremely quickly, instantly turning into streams of light and retreating rapidly!

Zhou Qiankun and the others were also startled by the sudden turn of events. Without time to recover, they desperately flew backward!

The second they left their original positions.

A colossal claw, made entirely of bone-white skeletons, suddenly emerged from the abyss rift and slammed down fiercely where the altar had been!

Boom!!!

The earth cracked, and debris flew everywhere! A terrifying wave of death energy swept outwards!