The Battle at the Immortal Hall

At that moment, in the heart of the raging demonic flames, a massive bronze fragment—its jagged edges spanning a full zhang—hung motionless in the air, like a mysterious star abandoned in purgatory. Deep, restrained dark-gold light flowed over its surface, as though it had gathered the oldest and purest power in heaven and earth. Countless ancient runes, profound and complex, were carved into it, each seeming to contain the ultimate truths of the cosmos and tell a long-buried legend from the distant past. It was this fragment that had unleashed the pillar of light piercing heaven and earth, like a sharp sword stabbing straight into the clouds!

Though its resplendent immortal radiance had withdrawn, it stubbornly held open a realm of its own, keeping the churning, surging Chaos Demon Flame—roaring like a demon—at bay, as if guarding some inviolable mystery.

You Lao's figure appeared like a ghost at the edge of the demonic-flame domain. The terrifying heat, enough to incinerate a Dou Zong powerhouse, attacked the black soul mist covering his body like a pack of ravenous beasts, making it seethe and evaporate as it steadily wore away. Yet at that moment, he had eyes only for the bronze fragment within reach. Greedy desire flared like a blazing fire, utterly smothering the fear in his heart.

"The Immortal Hall's core... is mine!" You Lao shrieked, his voice feverish and twisted, like a curse from the depths of hell. His withered claw shot out again like lightning. This time, he held nothing back! The sickly green soulflame atop the Skull Bone Staff instantly merged into his claw, as if beginning some wicked ritual. A colossal ghostly claw, formed from pure soul power and sickly green soulflame, burned with his Soul Origin, which he was willing to sacrifice at any cost. With an aura that could destroy heaven and earth, it lunged at the bronze fragment guarded by immortal light, determined to force its way through and seize it!

Szzzt—!!!

The ghostly claw slammed into the dark-gold immortal light. A piercing sound of dissolution rang out like ten thousand vengeful ghosts wailing at once, raising gooseflesh as it echoed through the air. The soul power and flame forming the claw rapidly dissolved and evaporated beneath the immortal radiance, like the last snow of spring melting under the blazing sun. You Lao groaned in agony, his soul body shaking violently as though countless steel needles had pierced it at once. But the madness in his eyes only deepened, as if he had plunged into an inescapable frenzy. He burned his Soul Origin without restraint, clamping his ghostly claw onto the barrier of light like a rabid beast trying to tear it apart, refusing to stop until he got what he wanted!

Hummm—!!!

In an instant, it was as if an ancient roar exploded between heaven and earth. The bronze fragment seemed enraged by You Lao's blasphemous act! Its once-restrained dark-gold radiance surged like an erupting volcano, dazzling enough to illuminate the entire world. Countless swirling runes converged like rivers flowing into the sea, becoming a concentrated beam of dark-gold light. It seemed to embody the supreme law of purification itself, carrying an inviolable, sacred majesty. Like a sword of divine punishment, it swept forth with the power to destroy heaven and earth, slashing at the ghostly claw gripping the barrier!

"No—!!!" You Lao screamed in utter despair, the wail seeming to be torn from the depths of his soul. He felt the lethal threat in that dark-gold beam as clearly as if the Reaper were approaching with his scythe.

Boom—!!!

The dark-gold beam flashed past like lightning, cutting through the ghostly claw so quickly that no one could react.

Pfft!

The sound was as crisp and clean as a hot knife slicing through wax. The ghostly claw, formed from the soul power and flame of a Peak Dou Zong, was as flimsy as paper before the dark-gold beam, which contained the Immortal Hall's law of purification. It was severed and annihilated in an instant, dissolving into countless specks of light.

"Argh—!!" You Lao let out a shriek so savage it warped into a howl from hell. The backlash from the destruction of his claw struck his Soul Origin like a hammer, leaving him in unbearable agony. His gaunt, stooped figure flew backward like a kite with its strings cut, tracing a ragged arc through the air. His soul body dimmed by more than half in an instant. The once-dense soul mist grew thin and faint, his aura sinking to the brink of collapse, as if a passing breeze could scatter him. His hood was blasted away, revealing a phantom face made entirely of twisted soul power, its surface webbed with cracks of pain that spread like a spiderweb, as though it might shatter at any moment.

Yet fate's wheel did not stop turning. The instant You Lao was struck down and sent flying—

After severing the ghostly claw, the dark-gold beam kept going, driving forward with unstoppable force and slamming into the violently trembling barrier of immortal light below.

Crack—!!!

A clear, yet heart-stopping sound of shattering rang out, as if the gates of fate had been forcibly pried open. It echoed through the world, chilling everyone to the bone.

Already shaking violently under You Lao's reckless assault, the barrier of immortal light now took the full impact of the beam that had suddenly erupted from within. Like an ancient city wall on the verge of collapse, it was forcibly split by a tiny but deadly crack. Though small, the fissure was like an ant hole quietly appearing in a dam—seemingly insignificant, yet concealing a ruinous threat.

Rumble—!!!

In an instant, the Chaos Demon Flame that had accumulated for countless millennia atop the demonic peak roared awake like a long-dormant volcano. Thick as if it were solid, the flame surged with the terrifying force of a sea-boiling inferno. It rushed through the tiny crack into the barrier like floodwaters bursting through a broken dike. Everywhere it passed, the air warped and twisted from the heat. Carrying the power to burn all things and defile everything, the demonic flames swarmed like frenzied beasts, scorching and corroding the bronze fragment suspended within.

Szzzt, szzzt, szzzt—!!!

Piercing sounds of scorching and corrosion erupted at once, like ten thousand wronged souls wailing together. The brilliant immortal light bursting from the bronze fragment flickered violently like a candle in the wind, brightening and dimming as if it might go out at any moment. The dark-gold sheen flowing across the fragment's surface faded at a visible speed, like a star slowly losing its light. Countless profound runes blurred and twisted under the demonic flames, then began to crumble, as though a beautiful painting were being torn apart without mercy. A mournful tremor, like the groan of a wounded beast, came faintly from the fragment—its Origin had been damaged.

The core fragment was being mercilessly corroded by the demonic flames!

"No—!!!" Xiao Yan, who had just recovered from some of his injuries and struggled up to the mountainside, watched with bloodshot eyes. It seemed fire might burst from his gaze. He could clearly feel the pain and peril coming from the fragment, and the agony pierced his soul like a needle. That was the hope of awakening his teacher! The key to unraveling an ancient mystery! Yet now it teetered on the brink of destruction beneath the raging flames. It felt as if an invisible hand had clenched his heart, squeezing it in unbearable pain.

"Heh heh heh... So this is fate! A stroke of heaven's perfect design!" Seeing the bronze fragment being corroded by the demonic flames, You Lao—who had been gravely wounded and left in a wretched state—did not show the slightest despair. Instead, he gave a crazed, triumphant cackle. It was sharp and piercing, like an owl's screech in the night, and reeked of madness. "Destroy it! Destroy that damned fragment once and for all! If I can't have it, then no one will!"

"You old dog! You're asking for death!!!" Just then, a roar like an ancient Dragon Phoenix crying as one, packed with fury enough to incinerate the Nine Hells, exploded from the abyss beneath the demonic peak like a thunderbolt that could destroy the world. In that roar, rage surged like a mighty river, killing intent cut like a bitter wind, and the will to protect stood firm as a rock.

Boom—!!!

A figure wreathed in blazing red-gold flames burst through the churning demonic flames and poisonous miasma below, wrapped in an aura terrifying enough to shatter the void. Like a blazing sun falling from the heavens, he barreled upward. The demonic flames and poisonous miasma crumpled before him like thin paper and scattered in an instant. Carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth, the figure slammed into You Lao as he flew backward. It was Xiao Zhan, rushing there at full speed!

His eyes were blood-red, like two burning fires, filled with boundless rage. The Nirvana Extinction Residual Poison between his brows throbbed faintly in his fury, like an evil eye. The wound in his left shoulder split open, spraying pale-gold blood mixed with bluish-black shards of deathly ice, but he paid it no mind, as if the pain did not exist. All his anger, killing intent, and will to protect converged like powder ignited by a spark in his right fist, ablaze with Dragon-Phoenix Dou Qi and the Green Lotus Core Flame!

Space crumbled inch by inch wherever his fist passed, as if an invisible hand were crushing it to pieces. His target was the heart of You Lao's phantom soul body, as if he meant to destroy the source of all evil once and for all.

"Dragon Phoenix Tyrant Body! Burning Saint!!!" Xiao Zhan roared, his voice booming like a great bell and resounding between heaven and earth.

"What?! Xiao Zhan—!!" Boundless terror flooded You Lao's phantom face like a rising tide. His soul body was gravely wounded, his Origin damaged; he was like a crumbling tower on the verge of collapse. Faced with this enraged strike, powerful enough to incinerate the Eight Desolations, he did not even have time to use a soul-escape art. Like a lamb awaiting slaughter, he could only watch death descend.

The shadow of death, like a ferocious beast, instantly enveloped You Lao. A thick air of despair spread around him.

A flash of madness sparked in his eyes amid his despair, like a burning flame fueled by a determination to die together. He abruptly detonated the battered Skull Bone Staff in his hand, as though it bore the weight of countless sins, and screamed, "Let's die together! Soul Explosion—!!!"

Boom—!!!!

In an instant, an indescribable, terrifying explosion erupted! This was no simple physical blast, but a storm of pure soul destruction, like a demon bursting from the depths of hell, carrying boundless terror and madness.

The Skull Bone Staff was like a soul bomb compressed to its limit. The moment it detonated, it burst apart completely! Countless black soul-shadows, pained and twisted, filled with boundless venom, poured out like a horde of demons imprisoned for ages. Mixed with the last of You Lao's detonated soul body and Origin, they became a destructive tide of soul power that swept across heaven and earth, crashing toward Xiao Zhan's Burning Saint fist with the force to destroy all creation!

Rumble—!!!!

The red-gold Burning Saint Fist Seal and the black tide of destructive souls collided like two stars hurtling toward each other from different orbits!

This time, the collision was soundless! The instant sound was born, it was mercilessly annihilated by the extreme violence of the energy. Only a pure energy storm remained, expanding from the point of impact like a supernova and sweeping outward. Space twisted wherever it passed, and time itself seemed to stop.

The red-gold Dragon-Phoenix Dou Qi blazed like fire, frantically incinerating the black vengeful souls and turning them into wisps of smoke. The black tide of soul power, meanwhile, surged like an icy current, corroding and freezing the red-gold flames as it tried to snuff them out. Two destructive forces representing opposite extremes clashed in the narrow space in the most primal and violent battle of annihilation, like two ferocious beasts tearing into each other.

A stalemate! For just an instant!

Yet the red-gold Burning Saint Fist Seal ultimately contained Xiao Zhan's enraged Dragon Phoenix Origin will and the annihilating power of the Green Lotus Core Flame. His will was as unyielding as steel, and his power as scorching as the sun. Though the fist seal shuddered violently and its light dimmed under the onslaught of the destructive soul tide, it plowed forward like a mighty ship breaking through waves. With unstoppable force, it tore through the tide and slammed into the heart of You Lao's phantom, dim soul body, flickering like a candle in the wind!

"No—!!!" You Lao's despairing cry was short and shrill, like an owl's final wail in the darkness. The violent energy storm swallowed it in an instant.

Szzzt—!!!

The red-gold fist seal was like a red-hot brand driven fiercely into You Lao's phantom soul body, like a bolt of lightning ripping through the night, carrying the power to incinerate everything. Its annihilating force erupted like an exploding volcano, unleashing endless heat and destruction.

You Lao's phantom soul body twisted and struggled wildly in the red-gold flames like a paper effigy set alight. His contortions were the soul's final struggle in an abyss of pain; his silent screams were more heart-wrenching than any sound. The soul power that made up his body quickly burned away and evaporated like the last snow of spring melting beneath the sun. The two points of ghostly green soulflame that had once symbolized You Lao's wicked soul now flickered wildly like candles in the wind. At last, they went out completely and were annihilated, leaving only wisps of smoke drifting slowly through the air.

You Lao, a clone of one of the Nether Duo of the Soul Hall, was utterly annihilated. His body and soul were destroyed, like a shooting star that blazed briefly across the night sky before vanishing into the endless darkness.

Boom!!!

The Burning Saint Fist Seal carried on, like a falling star, and slammed into the hard skeletal mountainside below. The enormous bones, harder than tempered steel, cracked apart inch by inch under the impact, then shattered like brittle biscuits. A vast crater, blazing with red-gold flames, appeared in an instant—a wound torn into the earth, radiating heat and destruction.

The blast's shockwave, mixed with fragments of annihilating soul power, swept across the summit of the demonic peak like a destructive hurricane. Wherever it passed, even the churning Chaos Demon Flame was temporarily forced back, as though a pack of ferocious beasts had been cowed by a greater force.

Xiao Zhan's figure gradually emerged from the storm of energy. He gasped heavily, each breath weighed down with exhaustion. The wound in his left shoulder poured blood from the strain of that forced outburst. Pale-gold blood ran down his arm and dripped onto the ground with a "drip, drip." His aura wavered violently like a candle in a raging wind, threatening to go out at any moment. But he had no time to care about his injuries. His bloodstained gaze snapped toward the summit, filled with anxiety and worry.

The barrier of dark-gold immortal light, now breached by the demonic flames, was tottering under the combined impact of You Lao's Soul Explosion and Xiao Zhan's fist seal, like a camel crushed beneath its final straw.

Crack! Crack! Crack—!

A barrage of cracks rang through the air like a death knell. Spiderweb-like fissures spread across the barrier, sinister tendrils creeping outward and widening. The tiny crack through which the demonic flames had entered widened in an instant, like a demon gaping its bloody maw to swallow everything.

Boom—!!!

In an instant, as if heaven and earth had collapsed, the entire barrier of immortal light exploded under the violent impact like a delicate yet fragile dome of colored glass. Countless dark-gold motes scattered like startled fireflies, tracing beautiful, fleeting arcs across the dim sky.

With the barrier's sturdy protection gone, the bronze core fragment, a full zhang across, lay completely exposed to the thick, violent Chaos Demon Flame, which clawed at it like a savage beast.

Szzzt, szzzt, szzzt—!!!

The sound was like a red-hot brand driven fiercely into a bank of snow, sharp and piercing. The Chaos Demon Flame carried the terrifying power to burn all things and defile everything. Like a horde of long-starved demons, it swallowed the fragment whole in an instant. The dark-gold sheen flowing over its surface turned ashen and dim at a visible speed beneath the flames, like a flower slowly withering in the cold. Countless profound runes blurred and crumbled beneath the demonic flames' licking tongues, like ancient script eroded by time, then dissolved into wisps of smoke.

At the fragment's core, a faint point of dark-gold light flickered like a candle in the wind, stubborn yet desperate beneath the demonic flames' relentless corrosion. Its flickers were like its frail final cries, a plea to live and a refusal to accept its destruction. Yet in the end, nothing could be done. The light went out completely, like a fallen star vanishing into the endless darkness.

The brilliant immortal radiance vanished for good, like the final curtain falling on a dazzling fireworks display, leaving only silence and darkness.

A mournful ripple of a shattered Origin, like an invisible wave, swept across the entire Demon Peak of Bones from the fragment. It carried endless grief and despair, as if heaven and earth themselves were lamenting the core fragment's destruction. Even Xiao Yan, who had just reached the edge of the summit, clearly felt that sorrow from the depths of his soul, as if all creation grieved with him. The icy tide of grief closed over him, leaving him almost unable to breathe.

The third core fragment of the Bronze Immortal Palace had been subjected to the Chaos Demon Flame's frenzied corrosion and repeated impacts from outside. Its Origin... shattered, like a beautiful dream mercilessly torn apart, leaving only scattered ruins and endless regret.