The Central Altar, a Three-Sided Encirclement
Chen Changqing continued forward along the Black-Blood Deep Valley.
The closer you get to the center of the deep valley, the denser the spatial rifts become.
Some cracks meander along the ground, silently disappearing wherever they pass.
Some cracks hang in mid-air, from which the sounds of ancient battlefield Principle emanate.
Chen Changqing did not force his way in.
He slowed down, using his Divine Sense to lock onto the movement trajectory of each spatial rift, and constantly changed positions using the Drunken Immortal Moon-Gazing Step.
The journey of three hundred li took a full quarter of an hour.
A heavy impact sound came from ahead.
Boom!
A black bone mountain rose abruptly from the deep valley.
In the center of the bone mountain, a dilapidated altar hangs in mid-air.
Nine stone pillars stand around the altar, each engraved with ancient Ghost Script.
Three Netherworld Command Banner were planted in the center of the altar.
The flag moved without wind, emitting three gray-white beams of light that led directly to the three crescent moons.
Below the altar, a skeletal beast hundreds of feet tall lay prostrate on the blood-red earth.
Its body was covered in dark red bone armor, and it had six long bones growing from its back.
With each breath, the surrounding space briefly distorts.
That is the Archaic Bone Fiend guarding the altar.
At this moment, nine figures were already standing around the altar.
The three White Bone Territory occupy the east.
Gu Li stood at the very front, with two Half-Step Heavenly Monarch guarding his left and right sides respectively.
The three people at Myriad Poison Ridge were located on the west side.
The Poison Boy sat on the back of a bluish-black Poison Scorpion, with two old men in black robes beside him holding Poison Cauldrons.
The three from Rakshasa City stood to the south.
Three Asura Battle Cultivator wielding a blood-red halberd, exuded Sha Qi that coalesced into a blood-red cloud.
They had obviously arrived some time ago.
However, none of the three parties rashly approached the altar.
More than a dozen mutilated skeletons lay on the ground.
The owners of those skeletons were clearly those who had previously tried to seize the command flag.
"It seems there really is no one left in Dark Moon City."
Gu Li turned to look at Chen Changqing.
"Send a Late True Lord Stage to his death."
The Poison Boy licked his lips and let out a piercing laugh.
"Human Race from the outside world, you arrived quickly."
"Unfortunately, the other two from the Dark Moon Ghost City have already been stopped by us on the road."
"You're the only one left here now."
The young Asura leader from Rakshasa City remained silent.
He gripped his halberd and stared at Chen Changqing for a moment.
"Late True Lord Stage."
"With this level of strength, even if they entered the Central Altar, they would only become food for the Bone Baleful Intent."
Chen Changqing scanned the three groups of people, and finally fixed his gaze on the three command flags on the altar.
The First Ghost General said that Gu Li and Poison Boy had already arrived ahead of him.
It now appears that the people of Rakshasa City are also waiting for an opportunity.
They dared not make the first move, for a very simple reason.
The Bone Baleful Intent has not yet been killed.
Although the three command flags were suspended in the center of the altar, they were blocked by the nine stone pillars and the Sha Qi of the bone spirit.
To retrieve the flag, the altar's restrictions must first be broken.
Whoever strikes first will become the common target of Bone Baleful Intent and the other two parties.
How long have you been standing here waiting?
Chen Changqing asked.
Gu Li sneered.
"It's none of your business."
"Since you're here, leave your lives behind first."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Li raised his hand and released a white bone talisman.
The command token exploded in mid-air.
The two White Bone Commanders attacked simultaneously, their longswords flashing with hundreds of feet of light as they slashed at Chen Changqing from the left and right.
At the same time, two black-robed elders beside the Poison Boy opened the Poison Cauldron.
The purplish-black poisonous mist spread silently, sealing off the space behind it.
Although the three Xiuzhan from Rakshasa City did not make a move, they all retreated simultaneously, clearly intending to watch the two sides clash.
Chen Changqing stood still.
The blade flashed first from the left.
He raised his hand, clenched his fist, and slammed it down to meet the blade.
Bang!
The longsword made of white bone shattered on the spot.
The Fist Force flowed down the blade and into the chest of the White Bone Commander.
The heavy armor on the Half-Step Heavenly Monarch exploded, and his body flew backward, crashing into the distant mountain of bones.
A flash of blade followed closely from the right.
Chen Changqing dodged the blade by sidestepping it and gripped the other man's wrist with his five fingers.
"Roll."
He flicked his arm.
The second White Bone Commander was slammed directly into the bloody ground outside the altar, half of his body embedded in the ground.
The poisonous fog is approaching.
Chen Changqing raised his hand and struck out with a palm.
Pure Yang Qi and Blood rush out of the body.
The poisonous mist was forcibly suppressed, and the two black-robed elders simultaneously spat out black blood, cracks appearing in the Poison Cauldrons in their hands.
How is that possible?
The smile on Poison Boy's face vanished.
Although these two old men were only Half-Step Heavenly Monarch, they had cultivated the Combined Poison Art of Myriad Poison Ridge.
When the two joined forces, even the Early Heavenly Monarch Stage was unwilling to confront them directly.
However, Chen Changqing suppressed the poisonous fog using only his physical body Qi and Blood.
Gu Li did not make another move.
He stared at Chen Changqing, finally abandoning his contempt.
"You are no ordinary True Lord."
"Of course not."
Chen Changqing strode forward.
"It's a pity we only realized it now; it's too late."
He landed in one step, his figure covering a distance of dozens of feet.
The first White Bone Commander had just crawled out of the bone mountain when Chen Changqing's fist landed in front of him.
The fist landed.
The protective Principle White Bone Commander shattered instantly.
His head, along with his Primordial Spirit, turned into a bloody mist.
Just as the second White Bone Commander was about to flee, Chen Changqing slammed his palm into the ground.
The golden halo of the Human Emperor Heaven-Suppressing Seal spread out.
The entire blood-soaked ground suddenly sank.
The White Bone Commander's legs sank into the ground, his body pressed down by an invisible force.
Chen Changqing lifted his foot and stepped down.
The ground shook.
The skeletal body of that Half-Step Heavenly Monarch began to shatter from the chest, and his Primordial Spirit was crushed into ashes by the overwhelming force of humanity.
In just a few breaths, both White Bone Commanders perished.
Gu Li's expression finally changed.
He originally planned to use Chen Changqing to test Bone Baleful Intent, but White Bone Territory.
"You dare kill someone from White Bone Territory?"
"Once inside the Secret Realm, life and death are left to fate."
Chen Changqing looked at him.
"You yourselves said that."
Gu Li did not respond.
He raised his hand and crushed a white bone Jade Talisman.
The moment the Jade Talisman shattered, a sharp tremor reverberated through the surrounding space.
The Archaic Bone Fiend beneath the altar raised its head.
Two dark red flames ignited in its eye sockets.
Gu Li turned and charged toward the altar.
"The Bone Baleful Intent has awakened."
"Gentlemen, whoever manages to retrieve the command flag alive will have to prove their abilities!"
Poison Boy reacted extremely quickly, immediately riding his Poison Scorpion to catch up.
The three from Rakshasa City also set out at the same time.
Chen Changqing stood there, watching the Bone Baleful Intent rise from the ground.
The next moment, all six arms of the Bone Baleful Intent moved simultaneously.
Root Bone arms slammed into the Gu Li.
The other Root Bone arms slammed down on the Poison Boy.
The remaining Root Bone arms swept directly towards the three people from Rakshasa City.
The ground collapsed instantly.
All four forces attacked simultaneously to defend against the attack.
A White Bone Throne rose behind Gu Li, and tens of thousands of bone spikes flew towards his bone arm.
The Poison Boy opened its mouth and spewed out a burst of purple-green flames.
The three warriors from Rakshasa City thrust out their halberds simultaneously, their crimson halberd light converging in the air.
Six forces struck the Bone Baleful Intent.
The Bone Baleful Intent's body swayed slightly.
The next moment, it opened its mouth and let out an ancient roar.
The sound spread.
The nine stone pillars lit up simultaneously.
A beam of light flew out from the three command flags on the altar and landed on the three groups of people.
The Xiuzhan, led by Gu Li, Poison Boy, and Rakshasa City, all simultaneously displayed an ancient symbol on their bodies.
The same symbol also appeared on Chen Changqing's body.
A system notification then sounded.
"Residual rules from the Primordial Battlefield have been detected."
The Central Altar is now open for battle.
"You cannot leave Black-Blood Deep Valley until you obtain the command flag."
"The flag bearer will be hunted down by the Bone Baleful Intent until he leaves the Lightless Forbidden Land."
Chen Changqing looked towards the center of the altar.
Three command flags are slowly being raised.
"I see."
He finally understood that the three parties' reluctance to make the first move was not merely due to their fear of the Bone Baleful Intent.
They were all waiting for the altar rules to be fully activated.
The real battle has only just begun.
The Bone Baleful Intent raised its Root Bone arms.
Each Root Bone arm is wrapped with the Deathly Stillness Laws left behind by the Ancient Battlefield.
Gu Li was the first to be locked on.
White Bone Throne stood before him, and dozens of layers of bone shields unfolded one after another.
The Bone Baleful Intent slammed down with one arm.
The first layer of protective shield shattered immediately.
The second protective layer then shattered.
Gu Li his teeth, unleashing all the Law Power Half-Step Heavenly Monarch within his body, causing the White Bone Throne to radiate a powerful light.
"Stop them!"
Boom!
The bone arm falls.
Gu Li was smashed into the ground along with the throne.
The Bone Baleful Intent didn't stop; a second Root Bone arm swept in.
The Poison Scorpion beneath the Poison Boy opened its mouth and spewed out a swarm of poison, which transformed into a hundred-foot-tall wall of poison, blocking his way.
The moment the bony arm made contact with the poison wall, a huge gap was punched through it.
Using the momentum, the Poison Boy retreated, his body transforming into dozens of afterimages as he dodged the subsequent attacks.
The three Xiuzhan from Rakshasa City cooperated most closely.
The three halberds formed the Asura Killing Formation, and the crimson Principle converged along the tips of the halberds, forcefully blocking the attack of the Bone Baleful Intent.
However, the ground beneath their feet sank simultaneously.
The leading Asura youth spoke up, "The power of this Bone Baleful Intent is close to that of the Middle Heavenly Monarch Stage."
"We can't keep blocking."
"Seize the command flag first!"
Everyone looked toward the center of the altar.
The three command flags have already been raised to mid-air.
One of them was closest to Chen Changqing.
Without hesitation, Chen Changqing took a step forward and rushed towards the command flag.
Upon seeing this, Gu Li immediately burst forth from underground.
Stop him!
Without hesitation, the remaining young master of the White Bone Territory unleashed his two bone blades simultaneously.
The two bone blades crossed in mid-air, slashing towards the back of Chen Changqing's neck.
Chen Changqing did not turn around.
The Immortal Execution Sword was drawn.
The Sword Light flashed across the void.
Both bone blades broke on the spot.
Gu Li let out a muffled groan as his hands split open, blood trickling down between his fingers.
Chen Changqing had already arrived in front of the command flag.
He reached out and grabbed the flagpole.
At that moment, a purplish-black hand reached out from below and grabbed Chen Changqing's ankle.
That's the Poison Boy.
His body had shrunk into a ball, using the poisonous fog to hide beneath the altar.
"Stay here, boy!"
The Poison Boy spread his five fingers, his palms covered with fine, poisonous lines.
Chen Changqing lifted his foot and stepped down.
The power of the Human Emperor Heaven-Suppressing Seal erupted from beneath his feet.
The Poison Boy's palm was pressed down by the Golden Light, and his five fingers were broken inch by inch.
He let out a scream and quickly backed away.
"You think you can ambush me with this kind of trick?"
Chen Changqing grasped the command flag.
The gray-white light on the flag suddenly contracted, and the entire altar trembled.
The first Netherworld Command Banner recognized its master.
An ancient symbol landed between Chen Changqing's eyebrows.
"Flag captured successfully."
Current holder: Chen Changqing.
"The Bone Baleful Intent has changed its target."
All six of Bone Baleful Intent's eyes turned towards Chen Changqing simultaneously.
Chen Changqing looked up.
The aura of the Bone Baleful Intent rose again.
It was already close to the Middle Heavenly Monarch Stage, and now, empowered by the altar's rules, Root Bone arms ignited with dark red flames.
The next moment, the Bone Baleful Intent strode forward.
With each step, the Black-Blood Deep Valley trembled.
Chen Changqing put away the command flag, gripped the Immortal Execution Sword, and charged forward.
Boom!
A person and a skeleton collide head-on in front of the altar.
The Immortal Execution Sword struck Bone Baleful Intent in the chest, its blade embedding three inches into his bone armor.
The Bone Baleful Intent raised its arm and slammed down.
Chen Changqing parried with his sword.
The sword struck the bone arm with a loud bang.
The ground beneath Chen Changqing's feet continued to collapse.
He was completely pressed into the blood-soaked soil.
The Bone Baleful Intent possesses immense power.
Its body is composed of bones left over from Primordial Battlefield, and some ancient divine Gods and Devils Principle remain within its bone armor.
The Immortal Execution Sword could break through its defenses, but it couldn't sever its vital core with a single strike.
Chen Changqing burst out of the ground.
He didn't continue the direct confrontation; instead, he unleashed the Drunken Immortal Moon-Gazing Step, constantly moving around the Bone Baleful Intent.
The six arms of the Bone Baleful Intent struck down in turn.
Each attack can pierce through space.
But Chen Changqing always managed to dodge the boned arm before it reached him.
In the distance, Gu Li and Poison Boy had already begun vying for the second command flag.
The three from Rakshasa City simultaneously charged toward the third side.
They did not continue their attack on the Bone Baleful Intent.
Now that the Bone Baleful Intent are only chasing Chen Changqing, it's their chance to seize the flag.
"Senior brother, Chen Changqing has already restrained the Bone Baleful Intent."
A Xiuzhan from Rakshasa City said in a low voice.
"Retreat immediately after receiving the command flag."
The young Asura leader nodded.
"Secure the qualification first, then wait until they both suffer heavy losses."
The three formed a killing formation, forcing back the Bone Baleful Intent's afterimage that was guarding the third command flag.
Poison Boy also noticed this scene.
He suddenly burst into laughter.
"Gu Li, what are you still arguing with me about?"
"Those three idiots from Rakshasa City are going to get the third command flag."
Gu Li looked up and glanced at it.
The Xiuzhan, led by Rakshasa City, have already reached out and touched the flagpole.
A murderous glint flashed in Gu Li's eyes.
He abruptly abandoned the second command flag and turned to charge towards the Rakshasa City.
"Dream on!"
The bone blade materialized once more.
A beam of white bone light traversed hundreds of feet, slashing directly at the three people from Rakshasa City.
The Xiuzhan led by Rakshasa City had barely touched the flagpole when they sensed murderous intent behind them.
He turned and brandished his halberd.
The crimson halberd clashed with the bone blade.
A tremendous force came.
The first Xiuzhan was shaken back, his hand detaching from the flagpole.
The other two Xiuzhan attacked simultaneously, their blood-red killing arrays enveloping Gu Li.
"Gu Li, are you going to break the contract?"
The agreement was made before entering the altar.
Gu Li's expression was gloomy.
"There are only three command flags available now; whoever gets one keeps it."
"If your Rakshasa City has the ability, then take it back from me."
The three factions immediately clashed.
Law Power intertwined around the altar.
Chen Changqing cleaved the Bone Baleful Intent's right shoulder with a single sword strike, but the Bone Baleful Intent raised its other Root Bone arm, forcing him back from mid-air.
He looked at the chaotic altar.
The situation has now changed.
Gu Li was unwilling to let Rakshasa City obtain the command flag.
The Poison Boy was also secretly accumulating poisonous power.
Although the three from Rakshasa City were besieged, they never left the vicinity of the third command flag.
If they are given another chance, the third command flag will fall into their hands.
Chen Changqing withdrew his gaze, and the gray-white Sword Qi on the Immortal Execution Sword condensed once more.
"The core of this Bone Baleful Intent is not in the chest."
He had already noticed this during their exchange.
Although the bone armor on the Bone Baleful Intent's chest is hard, it is not the source of its power.
After each heavy blow, the nine stone pillars of the altar would transfer a portion of the rules into its body.
The true core should be connected to the nine stone pillars.
"Since the altar is its source of power, let's destroy the altar first."
Chen Changqing's figure swayed.
He stopped engaging the Bone Baleful Intent head-on and instead charged towards the stone pillar on his right.
The Bone Baleful Intent sensed his intention, and Root Bone arms turned simultaneously.
Chen Changqing raised his hand to form a hand seal.
"The Three Extremes Origin Seal."
The Mountain Seal, Water Seal, and Fire Seal appear simultaneously.
The three Law Seals overlapped, transforming into a giant golden seal, which pressed down upon the six arms of the Bone Baleful Intent.
The six arms of the Bone Baleful Intent were suppressed by the giant seal.
Chen Changqing took a step forward, Immortal Execution Sword slashed towards the stone pillar on the right.
The Sword Light flashed.
Dense, Ghost Script appeared on the surface of the stone pillar.
A layer of Deathly Stillness Law blocked the sword's edge.
Chen Changqing did not stop.