Battle of the Immortal Palace

At this moment, in the center of the raging Chaos Demon Flame, a massive Bronze Fragment, jagged at the edges and roughly a zhang square, hovered silently like a mysterious star abandoned in purgatory. The fragment's entire body flowed with a deep, restrained dark-gold luster, as if it had gathered the most ancient and pure power between heaven and earth. Its surface was inscribed with countless profound and complex ancient runes that seemed to contain the ultimate truths of the universe, each one appearing to recount a long-sealed ancient legend. It was this very fragment that had erupted with the pillar of light piercing the heavens, standing like a sharp sword thrust into the clouds!

Though the brilliant immortal light had retracted, it still stubbornly maintained a unique domain, repelling the surrounding roiling Chaos Demon Flame—which roared like a demon—as if guarding some inviolable mystery.

You Lao's figure appeared at the edge of the demon flame domain like a ghost. The terrifying high temperature, capable of incinerating a Dou Zong powerhouse, acted like ferocious beasts, crazily gnawing at the pitch-black soul mist on his body, causing it to steam violently and deplete rapidly. Yet, at this moment, he had eyes only for the Bronze Fragment within arm's reach; his greedy desire was like a scorching fire, completely overwhelming the fear in his heart.

"The core of the Immortal Hall... it is mine!" You Lao let out a fanatical, twisted roar, the sound like a curse emanating from the abyss of hell. His withered claws reached out again like lightning, and this time, he held nothing back! The sickly green soul flame at the tip of his Skull Bone Staff instantly merged into his claws, as if performing an evil ritual. A massive ghost claw, composed of pure soul power and sickly green soul fire, burned with his desperate soul origin. Carrying the momentum to destroy the heavens and earth, it struck fiercely toward the Bronze Fragment guarded by the immortal light, determined to forcibly shatter the barrier and seize it!

Sssss—!!!

The ghost claw slammed violently against the dark-gold immortal light, the ear-piercing sound of dissolution echoing in the air like the wailing of ten thousand vengeful spirits, making one's skin crawl. The soul power and soul fire constituting the ghost claw dissolved and evaporated crazily under the illumination of the immortal light, like residual snow in spring vanishing rapidly under the scorching sun. You Lao let out a painful muffled groan, his soul body trembling violently as if pierced by countless steel needles simultaneously. Yet, the madness in his eyes only intensified, as if he had fallen into an inescapable state of delirium. He burned his soul origin recklessly, his ghost claw gripping the immortal light barrier tightly like a crazed beast, attempting to tear it apart, vowing not to stop until his goal was achieved!

Hum—!!!

In an instant, a roar from the ancient past seemed to explode between heaven and earth; the Bronze Fragment appeared thoroughly enraged by You Lao's act of desecration! The previously restrained dark-gold immortal light erupted like a volcanic explosion, dazzling and brilliant, as if to illuminate this entire world. Countless flying, swirling runes instantly converged like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, transforming into a dark-gold beam condensed to the extreme. This beam seemed to contain the supreme rule of "purification" itself, carrying a sacred and inviolable majesty. Like a sword of divine punishment, it struck fiercely toward the ghost claw that You Lao had clamped onto the barrier with the momentum to destroy everything!

"No—!!!" You Lao let out a scream of absolute despair, the sound like a wail squeezed from the depths of his soul. He clearly felt the lethal threat contained within that dark-gold beam, as if the Grim Reaper were swinging his scythe toward him.

Boom—!!!

The dark-gold beam flashed like lightning, cutting through the ghost claw without the slightest obstruction, its speed too fast for anyone to react.

Puff!

The sound was as crisp and clean as a hot knife slicing through a candle. That ghost claw, condensed from the soul power and soul fire of a peak Dou Zong, was as fragile as paper before the dark-gold beam containing the purification rules of the Immortal Hall; it was instantly severed, annihilated, and transformed into countless fine specks of light that dissipated into the air.

"Ah—!!" You Lao let out a shrill, distorted howl, the sound like a lament from hell. The backlash from the destruction of his ghost claw struck his soul origin like a heavy hammer, causing him excruciating pain. His withered, hunched figure flew backward uncontrollably like a kite with a broken string, tracing a pathetic arc through the air. His soul body dimmed by more than half in an instant, the once-dense soul mist becoming thin and faint, his aura withered to the extreme, as if a gentle breeze could blow him away. His hood was blown off, revealing a phantom face composed entirely of twisted soul power and covered in painful cracks; the cracks spread like a spiderweb, as if it might shatter at any moment.

However, the wheels of fate did not stop there. At the very instant You Lao was heavily injured and sent flying!

After severing the ghost claw, the dark-gold beam did not lose its momentum; carrying an unstoppable force, it struck fiercely against the violently vibrating immortal light barrier below.

Crack—!!!

A crisp yet heart-shattering sound of shattering rang out, as if the gate of fate had been forcibly pried open, echoing through this world and sending a chill down one's spine.

The immortal light barrier, already vibrating violently due to You Lao's reckless attack, now faced the fierce impact of the beam erupting from within. Like an ancient city wall on the verge of collapse, it was forcibly split by a tiny yet fatal crack. Though small, this crack was like an ant hole quietly appearing in a dam—seemingly insignificant, yet harboring a destructive crisis.

Rumble—!!!

In an instant, the Chaos Demon Flame that had accumulated for countless millennia at the peak of the Demon Mountain suddenly awakened like a long-dormant volcano. The viscous, tangible demon flame, carrying the terrifying power to burn the heavens and boil the seas, instantly surged into the immortal light barrier like a bursting flood through that tiny crack. Wherever the demon flame passed, the air was scorched and distorted. Carrying the terrifying power to incinerate all things and defile everything, it acted like a pack of crazed beasts, fiercely scorching and eroding the Bronze Fragment suspended within.

Sss-sss-sss—!!!

Ear-piercing sounds of scorching and erosion erupted instantly, like ten thousand wronged souls wailing in unison. The brilliant immortal light emitted by the Bronze Fragment flickered violently like a candle in the wind, dim and uncertain, as if it might extinguish at any moment. The dark-gold luster flowing on the fragment's surface dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, like a star gradually losing its radiance. Countless profound runes became blurred and distorted under the scorching of the demon flame, even beginning to disintegrate, as if a beautiful painting were being ruthlessly torn apart. A mournful vibration of damaged origin emanated faintly from the fragment, like the low moan of an injured beast, heart-wrenching to behold.

The core fragment was being ruthlessly eroded by the demon flame!

"No—!!!" Xiao Yan, who had just repaired some of his injuries and was struggling to crawl to the mountainside of the Demon Mountain, watched this scene with eyes about to split, his eyes bloodshot as if they were about to spew fire. He could clearly feel the pain and crisis emanating from the fragment; that pain stung his soul like needles. That was the hope for his teacher's awakening! It was the key to uncovering the mysteries of the ancient past! Yet now, it was in dire straits under the ravages of the demon flame. His heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, causing him unbearable agony.

"Hehehe... this is heaven's will! A marvelous arrangement bestowed by the heavens!" You Lao, battered and in a wretched state, saw the Bronze Fragment being eroded by the demon flame. Far from being dejected, he let out a crazed and gleeful cackle. The laughter sounded like the cry of an owl, sharp and ear-piercing, filled with endless delirium. "Destroy it! Destroy this damned fragment completely! Since I cannot have it, then no one shall!"

"Old dog! You are courting death!!!" Just then, a roar like the simultaneous cry of an ancient Dragon Phoenix, containing the fury to burn the Nine Netherworlds, exploded from the abyss beneath the Demon Mountain like a world-ending thunderclap. In this roar, anger surged like a rushing river, killing intent was like biting frost, and the will to protect was as firm as a rock.

Boom—!!!

A figure burning with crimson-gold flames, carrying the terrifying momentum to shatter the vacuum, rushed through the roiling demon flame and poisonous miasma below like a falling, scorching sun. Before this figure, the demon flame and poisonous miasma were as fragile as thin paper, instantly dispersed. Carrying the power to destroy the heavens and earth, the figure slammed fiercely into the retreating You Lao! It was Xiao Zhan, who had arrived at full speed!

His eyes were blood-red, like two burning flames, within which endless fury blazed. The Nirvana Extinction Residual Poison at the center of his brow pulsed faintly due to his rage, like an evil eye. The wound on his left shoulder burst open, pale-gold blood splattering out mixed with cyan-black ice shards of deathly silence, but he paid no heed, as if these pains did not exist. All his fury, killing intent, and the will to protect were like ignited gunpowder, condensed upon his right fist, which burned with Dragon-Phoenix Dou Qi and Green Lotus Core Flame!

Where the fist edge passed, space annihilated inch by inch, as if being ruthlessly crushed by an invisible hand. The target was aimed directly at the core of You Lao's phantom soul body, as if to completely destroy this source of evil.

"Dragon Phoenix Tyrant Body! Burning Saint!!!" Xiao Zhan roared, his voice like a great bell, resounding through the heavens and earth.

"What?! Xiao Zhan—!!" You Lao's phantom face was instantly filled with boundless fear, the terror drowning him like a tide. His soul body was heavily injured, his origin damaged; he was like a crumbling, dangerous building. Facing this angry strike that could burn the eight wildernesses, he did not even have time to perform a soul-escape technique. Like a lamb waiting for slaughter, he could only watch as death descended.

The shadow of death, like a ferocious beast, instantly enveloped You Lao tightly, and a heavy aura of despair permeated his surroundings.

A flash of madness erupted from his despair, the madness like a burning fire, carrying the resolve to perish together. Suddenly, he detonated the broken Skull Bone Staff in his hand, which seemed to carry countless sins, and roared hoarsely: "Let's all die! Soul Explosion—!!!"

Boom—!!!!

In an instant, a terrifying explosion beyond description erupted! This was not a simple impact on the material level, but a destructive storm on a purely spiritual level, like a demon rushing out from the abyss of hell, carrying endless terror and madness.

The Skull Bone Staff acted like a soul bomb compressed to the extreme, exploding completely the moment it was detonated! Countless pitch-black soul shadows, full of pain, distortion, and endless resentment, surged out crazily like a group of long-imprisoned evil ghosts. They merged with the soul origin You Lao had detonated, transforming into a destructive soul-power tide that swept across the heavens and earth, slamming fiercely into the Burning Saint Fist Xiao Zhan had unleashed!

Rumble—!!!!

The crimson-gold Burning Saint Fist Seal and the pitch-black destructive soul tide collided fiercely like two stars rushing from different orbits!

This collision was silent! Because the sound was ruthlessly annihilated by the extremely violent energy the moment it was born. Only a purely extreme energy storm, like a supernova explosion, expanded instantly from the point of collision, sweeping outward. Where the storm passed, space distorted, and time seemed to stagnate.

The crimson-gold Dragon-Phoenix Dou Qi burned like a raging flame, crazily incinerating the pitch-black vengeful spirits and turning them into wisps of blue smoke; meanwhile, the pitch-black soul-power tide acted like a cold current, crazily eroding and freezing the crimson-gold flames, attempting to extinguish them. These two destructive forces, representing different extremes, engaged in the most primitive and intense battle of annihilation within the narrow space, like two ferocious beasts tearing at each other.

A stalemate! For only an instant!

However, the crimson-gold Burning Saint Fist Seal ultimately contained the Dragon Phoenix Origin will and the incinerating power of the Green Lotus Core Flame, unleashed by Xiao Zhan in his fury. That will was as firm as steel, and that incinerating power was as scorching as the sun. Under the fierce impact of the destructive soul tide, the fist seal vibrated violently and its light dimmed, yet like a giant ship forging through the waves, it tore through the obstruction of the soul tide with unstoppable momentum and slammed fiercely into the core of You Lao's phantom, dim soul body, which was like a candle in the wind!

"No—!!!" You Lao's desperate wail, short and shrill, like the final cry of an owl in the darkness, was instantly swallowed by the violent energy storm.

Sss—!!!

The crimson-gold fist seal, like a red-hot branding iron, plunged fiercely into You Lao's phantom soul body, and like a bolt of lightning cutting through the night sky, it carried the power to burn everything. The incinerating power contained within erupted like an erupting volcano, pouring out endless heat and destruction.

You Lao's phantom soul body instantly twisted and struggled crazily in the crimson-gold flames, like a paper doll being ignited. The distorted posture seemed like the final struggle of a soul in the abyss of pain; the silent scream was more heart-wrenching than any sound. The soul power constituting the soul body was rapidly incinerated and evaporated, like residual snow in spring melting under the scorching sun. Those two points of sickly green soul fire, once the symbol of You Lao's evil soul, flickered crazily like a candle in the wind, finally extinguishing and annihilating completely, leaving only wisps of blue smoke drifting slowly in the air.

You Lao (clone) of the Soul Hall's Nether Duo had thus completely perished, body and soul destroyed, like a meteor streaking across the night sky—brief and dazzling, before vanishing into the endless darkness.

Boom!!!

The remaining momentum of the Burning Saint Fist Seal, like a falling star, slammed fiercely into the hard, skeletal mountain body of the Demon Peak of Bones below. That massive skeleton, harder than refined steel, cracked and shattered inch by inch under the impact of the fist seal as if it were fragile biscuit. A colossal, deep crater burning with crimson-gold flames suddenly appeared, resembling a jagged wound torn into the earth, radiating an aura of scorching heat and destruction.

The aftermath of the explosion, mixed with fragments of incinerated soul power, swept across the summit of the Demon Peak like a destructive hurricane. Wherever that gale passed, the roiling Chaos Demon Flame was temporarily forced back, as if a pack of ferocious beasts had been cowed by a more formidable power.

Xiao Zhan's figure gradually emerged within the energy storm; he was panting heavily, each breath laden with weight and exhaustion. The wound on his left shoulder bled profusely from the forced exertion, pale golden blood streaming down his arm and dripping onto the ground with a rhythmic "drip, drip" sound. His aura fluctuated violently, like a candle flame in a gale, ready to be extinguished at any moment. Yet, he paid no heed to his own pain, his blood-stained gaze instantly locking onto the summit of the Demon Peak, filled with anxiety and concern.

He saw that the dark-gold immortal light barrier, invaded by the Demon Flame, was teetering on the brink of collapse under the dual impact of You Lao's soul explosion and Xiao Zhan's fist seal, like a camel crushed by the final straw.

Crack! Crack! Crack—!

The dense sound of shattering echoed through the air like a funeral knell. The barrier was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, which spread and widened like evil tentacles. The tiny fissure where the Demon Flame had surged in expanded instantly, as if a demon had opened its blood-red maw, ready to devour everything.

BOOM—!!!

In an instant, as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth rending, the entire immortal light barrier shattered with a roar under the impact of the violent force, resembling an exquisite yet fragile glass dome. Countless dark-gold specks of light scattered like startled Fire Fly, tracing poignant and fleeting trajectories across the dim horizon.

Having lost the sturdy protection of the barrier, the zhang-sized fragment of the Bronze Immortal Palace core was left completely exposed, like a treasure stripped of its shell, to the viscous, violent Chaos Demon Flame that clawed and snarled like a vicious beast.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!!!

The sound was sharp and piercing, akin to a red-hot branding iron being plunged into a snowbank. The Chaos Demon Flame, carrying the terrifying power to incinerate all things and defile everything, instantly engulfed the fragment like a pack of long-starved ghouls. Under the ravages of the Demon Flame, the dark-gold luster flowing across the surface of the fragment grew gray and dim at a speed visible to the naked eye, like a flower gradually withering in a cold wind. Countless profound runes, like ancient characters eroded by time, blurred and disintegrated under the licking flames, dissolving into wisps of blue smoke in the air.

At the core of the fragment, a faint glimmer of dark-gold light flickered stubbornly yet desperately against the frantic erosion of the Demon Flame, like a candle in the wind. That flickering seemed to be a weak cry emitted in its final moments—a longing for survival, an unwillingness to be destroyed. Yet, it was ultimately beyond saving, and it flickered out completely, vanishing into the endless darkness like a falling star in the night sky.

The brilliant immortal light dissipated entirely, as if a magnificent firework display had reached its finale, leaving behind only deathly silence and darkness.

A sorrowful ripple of shattered origin, like an invisible wave, swept instantly across the entire Demon Peak of Bones with the fragment at its center. The fluctuation carried endless grief and despair, as if the heavens themselves were lamenting the broken core fragment. Even Xiao Yan, who had just arrived at the edge of the peak below, clearly felt that sorrow emanating from the depths of his soul, as if the world were mourning in unison. That grief, like a cold tide, submerged him completely, leaving him almost unable to breathe.

The third core fragment of the Bronze Immortal Palace, under the frantic erosion of the Chaos Demon Flame and the heavy impact of external forces, had its origin... shattered, like a beautiful dream ruthlessly torn apart, leaving behind only a field of wreckage and endless regret.