Ancient God Land, Mountain of Restrictions.
Duanmu Ji stared at the restriction before him, his aged cheeks creased with anger. "What I hate most are these convoluted restrictions."
"I broke through here once a thousand years ago, and now I have to do it all over again. It's enough to give me a splitting headache!"
Duanmu Ji crushed the spirit stone in his hand, turned to look at the restrictions all around him, and raised an eyebrow. "The energy in these restrictions has actually been increased... Only someone as cruel and vicious as that little brat, Devil Lord Six Desires, would pull a stunt like this."
"Once I catch you, I'll make sure you die after experiencing every torture in the world!"
Duanmu Ji strode forward, then suddenly sensed something amiss. He had just started to stop when he triggered the Wind-Thunder Restriction here.
"The Wind-Thunder Restriction?"
Duanmu Ji let out a cold laugh and casually flicked his sleeve. A thick shield of spiritual power surged around him.
"These are nothing but crude Wind-Thunder Restrictions. I could break them with my bare hands a thousand years ago. With this little power, you think you can stop me?"
Purple lightning and cyan wind blades struck the shield in quick succession, raising a few ripples before vanishing without a trace.
Duanmu Ji walked on with his hands behind his back, never slowing his pace. He treated the restriction as no more than a child's game.
But the instant he stepped into the restriction's core, the temperature around him plunged. Bone-piercing cold seeped through gaps in his spiritual shield and instantly wrapped around his limbs.
"Hm?"
Duanmu Ji's expression shifted. Only then did he realize that ice crystals had already formed across the ground, and countless icicles were shooting toward him from every direction.
"Not good."
Duanmu Ji froze for a moment, then hurriedly formed a hand seal and activated the bronze gourd hanging at his waist. Rolling waves of heat poured from its mouth, meant to melt the ice—but he hadn't expected a frigid, profound force to lie hidden beneath it.
The moment the heat struck the icicles, it froze solid. A tremendous force sent the gourd flying, and a hairline crack appeared in midair. With a sharp snap, it broke in two.
"My Zhenyuan Gourd!" Duanmu Ji stared at the fragments scattered across the ground. His aged face twisted, and fury blazed in his eyes.
Duanmu Ji jerked his head toward the depths of the restrictions. His voice rasped with rage. "You little brat, Devil Lord Six Desires! You dare destroy my magical treasure? This hatred can never be reconciled! Today, even if I have to tear down the Mountain of Restrictions, I'll grind your bones to dust!"
Luo Chuan, who was nearest to Duanmu Ji, also heard the commotion behind him. He turned around with an easy smile and said:
"Looks like that old bastard Duanmu Ji has caught up. Perfect. We can use him to deal with the barriers and formations that little brat Six Desires left ahead."
To make Duanmu Ji even angrier, Luo Chuan had increased the energy of the restrictions here. Anyone who so much as stepped into the area would face restriction attacks beyond imagination.
A Spirit Severing Realm expert could get through with relative ease, but it would still cost a great many magical treasures and spirit stones. This trick of redirecting the disaster would definitely make Devil Lord Six Desires so happy he'd want to fly.
As time passed, Duanmu Ji caught up with Luo Chuan. But he had long since lost the bearing of a Spirit Severing Realm expert; he came stumbling forward in a thoroughly battered state.
Duanmu Ji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes blazed with fury as he ground out, "Damn bastard... You little brat, Devil Lord Six Desires! I'll tear you limb from limb!"
Xu Liguo, hidden in the shadows, looked toward Duanmu Ji, then cautiously turned around and sent a voice transmission:
"Master, with your strength, why not just kill these people? Then no one could stand in our way."
Luo Chuan gave a cool smile. "It's even better when someone clears the road ahead for us."
"Besides, neither Duanmu Ji nor Devil Lord Six Desires is any good. Let them wear down each other's magical treasures, and we'll have enough time to break the final restriction."
Hearing this, Xu Liguo raised an eyebrow. He still had no idea what Luo Chuan was planning, but he could tell that this fellow was redirecting the disaster.
By now, Duanmu Ji was in a wretched state as he reached the final restriction plaza. Seeing Devil Lord Six Desires still seated cross-legged, he let out a sharp shout.
"You little brat, Devil Lord Six Desires! I really must thank you for your hospitality along the way!"
Duanmu Ji didn't hesitate. He summoned his magical treasure and sent it hurtling straight at Devil Lord Six Desires, intent on killing him right there.
Devil Lord Six Desires frowned and moved his fingers. A strange barrier appeared, easily blocking Duanmu Ji's attack.
"You old bastard, have you fucking lost your mind? If you damage the restrictions here, we'll all die!"
Duanmu Ji didn't care. His fingers moved rapidly, and several strange flags appeared around them, trapping Devil Lord Six Desires securely inside.
"You little brat, I found this trump-card treasure in a Level 5 Cultivation Country. You can consider it a worthy death if you die by its hand!"
Seeing Duanmu Ji attack without holding back, Devil Lord Six Desires' face turned livid. He could only rise, unwillingly, and command the puppet beside him to attack.
Devil Lord Six Desires formed hand seals with both hands and barked, "Abdominal Desire!"
A yellow aura swiftly poured from the young man's seven orifices, forming a flying sword that collided with the spiritual light Duanmu Ji spat out.
A ripple of spiritual power immediately spread out, triggering several nearby restrictions. Waves of pressure poured from within them.
Duanmu Ji's eyes flashed with hatred. He had no time to continue attacking, and instead rushed straight to one of the restrictions, doing everything he could to stop it from activating.
Devil Lord Six Desires did the same. After working together to contain them, they finally managed to gradually settle the restrictions stirred by the fluctuations of spiritual power. His face was now pale as he stared at Duanmu Ji and snarled:
"Old Duanmu, if you want to die, go straight into the restrictions!"
"Even if it costs me my soul, I'll refine you to death, you freakish bastard!"
The two clashed again and again. Surging waves of force spread outward like raging seas, distorting the air wherever they passed.
Duanmu Ji gripped his magical treasure and said coldly, "You little brat, for a thousand years I've watched you slaughter countless formation sects and throw the Demon Cultivation Sea into chaos. All so you could refine these damned restrictions!"
"Today, I'll show you that all these so-called convoluted formations are ultimately just external things!"
Devil Lord Six Desires clenched his fists and said icily, "Old bastard, my restrictions aren't yours to criticize as you please! Even if I die today, I'll make sure you have no burial place!"
"Enough blather! When you set up these chain formations, did you ever think this day would come? Even if I have to blow myself up, I'll make sure your soul is scattered to the winds!"