Grand Marshal Black Wind felt a powerful surge of righteous energy instantly flood his body, corroding his meridians and soul. He spat out a mouthful of black blood, and his body flew backward involuntarily, crashing heavily into the boulder behind him. The boulder shattered instantly, and his commander's robe was also shattered by the power of the Buddhist seal, revealing the black armor underneath. Huge cracks appeared on the armor, and his aura became extremely weak.
The Shaolin Sect abbot was also in bad shape. Forcibly activating his ultimate technique had depleted a large amount of his vital energy. He staggered a few steps, spat out another mouthful of blood, and his breath became extremely weak. However, a victorious smile appeared in his eyes. He knew that Grand Marshal Black Wind was seriously injured and could no longer stop their advance.
"General!" The surrounding Underworld soldiers and demons, seeing that Grand Marshal Black Wind was seriously injured, roared in terror. Their morale plummeted, and they lost all their previous arrogance, scattering and fleeing in all directions.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Daoist Kunlun shouted coldly, brandishing his longsword. Streams of white sword energy bombarded the fleeing Underworld soldiers and demons, each strike capable of slaying a swarm of them. The Wudang Sect leader and Shaolin Sect disciples also launched a pursuit, slaughtering the fleeing Underworld soldiers and demons to avenge their fallen comrades.
Grand Marshal Black Wind lay on the ground, watching his fleeing subordinates, a flicker of despair and resentment in his eyes. He hadn't expected to be defeated by the Shaolin Sect Abbot, and so utterly so. He knew he could no longer complete the task given to him by the Great Emperor Fengdu, and that he would likely have little chance of leaving this place alive. But he was unwilling to accept defeat. He used the last vestige of his sinister energy to charge towards the Shaolin Sect Abbot, his black spear, carrying its final force, thrusting towards the Shaolin Sect's chest, intending to perish together with the Shaolin Sect.
"Abbot, be careful!" Daoist Kunlun noticed Grand Marshal Black Wind's actions and shouted, thrusting his long sword toward Grand Marshal Black Wind's back in an attempt to stop him.
The Shaolin Sect abbot remained calm. He had already sensed Grand Marshal Black Wind's actions. He slowly raised his hand, and the prayer beads in his hand emitted another golden Buddhist light, striking Grand Marshal Black Wind. The Buddhist light struck Grand Marshal Black Wind's chest, and Grand Marshal Black Wind let out a shrill roar. His body was instantly engulfed by the Buddhist light, turning into a pool of black water, his soul scattered. The black spear in his hand also fell to the ground, losing all its luster.
With the death of Grand Marshal Black Wind, the remaining Underworld soldiers and demons were all slain by the righteous disciples, and the battle halfway up Broken Soul-Severing Peak finally came to an end. Although the righteous disciples won this battle, they paid a heavy price, with more than twenty disciples sacrificing their lives, and many others seriously injured and weakened.
Daoist Kunlun walked to the abbot of the Shaolin Sect, helped him up, and asked with concern, "Abbot, how are you? Is your injury serious?"
The abbot of the Shaolin Sect shook his head, a weary smile on his face, " Amitabha Buddha, thank you for your concern, Daoist Master. I am fine, but I have exhausted too much of my vital energy. I will recover after a period of rest. However, the price we paid was too high." He looked at the bodies of his fallen disciples around him, his eyes filled with grief.
The leader of the Wudang Sect also approached, sighed, and said, "Yes, the evil forces of the Underworld are too cunning and powerful. Although we won this battle, we suffered heavy losses. However, we also successfully broke through the Underworld's ambush and took another step towards Mount Hua of the Western Peak. As long as we can find the White Tiger Token and collect all three ancient treasures, we can completely destroy the Underworld's conspiracy, avenge our fallen comrades, and protect all living beings."
Daoist Kunlun nodded and said, "The sect leader is right. We cannot wallow in grief. We must recover our strength as soon as possible and continue our journey to Mount Hua of the Western Peak. Abbot, please rest for a while. We will arrange for the disciples to clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded, and then we will continue our journey."
"Alright." The abbot of the Shaolin Sect nodded, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate the remaining righteous energy within his body to restore his strength.
The Daoist Kunlun and the Wudang Sect leader began to arrange for their disciples to clean up the battlefield, properly bury the bodies of the fallen disciples, and treat the wounded disciples, giving them elixirs to restore their injuries and spiritual energy. While resting, everyone vigilantly observed the surrounding movements to prevent the people from the Underworld from launching another sneak attack.
About two hours later, the abbot of the Shaolin Sect finally recovered some of his strength, and his righteous energy had recovered to about 50%. His injuries had also begun to heal. The disciples had also rested enough, and the injured disciples had their injuries relieved and were able to continue.
"Alright, let's set off. Continue towards Mount Hua of the Western Peak. We must speed up and find the White Tiger Token before the people of the Underworld," Daoist Kunlun said to the group, his tone firm.
"Yes!" the disciples responded in unison, quickly tidying their belongings and following behind the Daoist Kunlun, the Shaolin Sect Abbot, and the Wudang Sect Leader, heading towards the summit of Soul-Severing Peak and continuing their journey towards Mount Hua of the Western Peak in the west. They knew the road ahead would be even more arduous, and the people of the Underworld would surely set up ambushes along the way, but they would not back down. No matter what dangers they encountered, they would do their utmost to find the White Tiger Token, gather the three ancient treasures, and completely thwart the Underworld's conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Snow Empress and Qingyunzi, leading the righteous disciples, had already left Netherworld Valley and were speeding towards the East Sea Dragon Palace. They proceeded cautiously, closely monitoring their surroundings. Qingyunzi walked at the head of the group, wielding a cyan longsword to survey the road ahead, while Snow Empress walked in the middle, manipulating the Ziwei Emperor Bell to protect everyone and remain vigilant against any ambushes from the Underworld.
After a day's journey, the group arrived at a vast wasteland called the " Deathly Silent Wasteland." The wasteland was barren, filled with yellow sand and howling winds. Moreover, a faint, sinister aura permeated the air, indicating that the forces of the Underworld were active here.
"Holy Maiden, this is the Deathly Silent Wasteland. Legend has it that many Underworld soldiers and demons lurk within this wasteland, and the terrain is complex, making it easy to lose one's way. We must be extremely careful," Qingyunzi said with a frown and a solemn tone. He had once heard his master say that the Deathly Silent Wasteland was one of the Underworld's important strongholds in the human world, hiding many powerful evil entities. Moreover, the terrain was complex, with yellow sand filling the sky and extremely low visibility, making it easy to fall into an ambush.
Snow Empress nodded, her expression grave. "Yes, you're right. This wasteland is indeed not simple. The air is filled with sinister energy, and the terrain is complex, making it easy to fall into an ambush from the Underworld. Everyone, be vigilant and stay close to the group. Do not act rashly. Qingyunzi, you continue to scout ahead. If you discover anything unusual, notify everyone immediately."