Xuanyuan Haotian!

Xu Qingyang opened his palm, and a golden Dragon Orb appeared, with dragon patterns faintly flickering across it.

"A Dragon Orb?"

When Xu Qingying saw the Dragon Orb in Xu Qingyang's hand, surprise flashed in her eyes. Deeply astonished, she asked, "Brother, is this your gift to me?"

"Yes!"

Xu Qingyang smiled.

Then Xu Qingyang handed the Dragon Orb to Xu Qingying and said slowly, "Qingying, with this Dragon Orb helping you cultivate from now on, your cultivation will advance even faster!"

"Mm!"

At his words, Xu Qingying accepted the Dragon Orb he offered and nodded. "I won't let you down!"

Xu Qingyang smiled.

If Yi Qiushui of the Hundred Flowers Palace saw Xu Qingyang simply giving Xu Qingying the Dragon Orb she regarded as a supreme treasure, she would have been so furious that she questioned her very existence.

"Qingying, work hard on your cultivation. I'm leaving!"

With that, Xu Qingyang turned and left.

Watching Xu Qingyang, a strange light flickered in Xu Qingying's eyes. She murmured to herself, "Now that Brother has returned from the Boundless Mountains, I can feel that his aura has grown stronger again!"

"Ever since Brother's Sword Martial Soul awakened and disappeared the day before yesterday, I've felt that he's been a little different!"

Then Xu Qingying continued cultivating with the Cold Nether True Art. This time, however, she incorporated the Dragon Orb, and a surge of power from its dragon patterns immediately enveloped her delicate body.

A few breaths later.

Intense excitement spread over Xu Qingying's snow-white face, and she exclaimed, "Brother was absolutely right!"

"With this Dragon Orb helping me, my cultivation really is advancing much faster!"

Xu Qingyang returned to his pavilion, sat cross-legged on the floor, and swallowed the heavenly treasures he had obtained in the Boundless Mountains.

He immediately circulated the Great Dao Primordial Chaos Art. The heavenly treasures inside him turned into abundant streams of spiritual energy that surged through his limbs and bones.

I hope I can break through to the late Golden Core realm this time!

That was what Xu Qingyang thought to himself.

Four hours later.

Xu Qingyang opened his eyes and gave a bitter smile. "This immovable Wisdom King divine body of mine is far too overbearing. I used up nearly eighty or ninety percent of my heavenly treasures, yet I still couldn't break through to the late Golden Core realm!"

"Although I didn't break through, my combat strength has reached the early Spirit Transformation realm!"

Then Xu Qingyang's consciousness entered the Desolate Tower's inner space, with the Azure Lotus Demonflame in his hand.

Whoosh!

A woman in a long white dress instantly appeared before him.

Xu Qingyang looked at the woman in white, and she said, "Little fellow, now that you've obtained the Azure Lotus Demonflame, do you want to test its power and see whether it can stabilize the Heavenly Abyss on the Desolate Tower's first floor?"

"Senior!"

At her words, Xu Qingyang smiled wryly. "I really can't hide these little thoughts of mine from you!"

The woman in white lightly raised her delicate hand and chuckled. "Little fellow, you can give it a try!"

"Mm!"

Xu Qingyang nodded.

"Azure Lotus Demonflame!"

His eyes blazing like torches, Xu Qingyang took a step forward. The phantom of a gigantic scarlet dragon instantly appeared above his head, bathed in scarlet firelight.

"Roar!"

The scarlet dragon phantom threw back its head and roared furiously, then spewed several streams of fire toward the Formation in the Heavenly Abyss.

In an instant, the inner space of the Desolate Tower's first floor stabilized.

However, the Formation suppressing the many forbidden beings within the Heavenly Abyss fell into disarray.

Boom!

As the rumbling rang out, a radiant glow rose and transformed into a projection of a middle-aged man dressed in scholarly robes, a terrifying aura emanating from him.

"I am Xuanyuan Haotian. Where is the master of the Desolate Tower?"

Xu Qingyang looked at the middle-aged man and felt even his soul trembling. Clearly, Xuanyuan Haotian filled him with a fear unlike anything he had ever experienced.

This middle-aged man is Xuanyuan Haotian, imprisoned inside the Heavenly Abyss. He's truly terrifying!

Just then, the woman in white appeared beside Xu Qingyang. "Little fellow, don't be afraid. This is only a projection of Xuanyuan Haotian!"

"Only a projection?"

Hearing that, Xu Qingyang was overwhelmed with shock.

Heavens!

A single projection is already this terrifying.

If his true body appeared, wouldn't he be terrifying beyond anything I've ever seen?

Xu Qingyang drew a deep breath and looked at the woman in white. "Senior, what should we do now?"

The woman in white said, "Little fellow, my holding back those invincible forbidden beings in the Heavenly Abyss is only a stopgap measure!"

"There is only one way to resolve this problem completely: you must take control of the divine formation inside the Heavenly Abyss!"

A divine formation?

I'm supposed to control it?

Is this senior joking with me? Only deities who have attained godhood can control a divine formation...

Xu Qingyang thought to himself.

The woman in white glanced at Xu Qingyang. "For anyone else, controlling a divine formation would require reaching the level of a Deity!"

"But for you, Xu Qingyang, it needn't be so troublesome. You only have to release the Vermilion Bird fire of your Vermilion Bird martial soul and the immovable Wisdom King phantom of your immovable Wisdom King divine body to control the divine formation!"

"Is it really that simple?"

Xu Qingyang sounded doubtful.

"Yes!"

The woman in white spoke calmly.

Xu Qingyang sighed. Since the woman in white had said so, she surely would not deceive him.

"Vermilion Bird martial soul!"

Xu Qingyang stood in midair. With a thought, a cry rang out, and a streak of fire instantly flew from his body, transforming into a fiery-red Vermilion Bird that breathed flames.

"Vermilion Bird fire!"

The Vermilion Bird immediately beat its fiery-red wings and spewed countless flames into the Heavenly Abyss's Formation.

"Immovable Wisdom King divine body!"

As his voice rang out, an immovable Wisdom King phantom instantly emerged, unleashing an aura comparable to that of a Deity.

Boom!

At that instant, the immovable Wisdom King phantom transformed into a beam of light and charged into the Heavenly Abyss's Formation.

"The divine formation is mine to command!"

Xu Qingyang roared. A bond of control formed between him and the divine formation within the Heavenly Abyss, and countless divine patterns immediately flooded his sea of consciousness.

"These are the divine formation's divine patterns?"

Unable to conceal his excitement, Xu Qingyang said, "I've successfully taken control of the divine formation in the Heavenly Abyss?"

"Little fellow, you can suppress Xuanyuan Haotian's projection now!"

The woman in white's voice rang out.

A brilliant light blazed in Xu Qingyang's eyes. He appeared opposite Xuanyuan Haotian, clasped his hands behind his back, and smiled. "Xuanyuan Haotian, I am the master of the Desolate Tower. Did you send out your projection to challenge me?"

"You're the master of the Desolate Tower?"

Xuanyuan Haotian stared at Xu Qingyang, disdain and contempt in his eyes, and sneered.