The newcomer was none other than the true ruler of the Underworld — the Great Emperor Fengdu. His cultivation was unfathomable, at least at the Peak of Dragon Transformation Nine Changes, or even higher. His gaze fell on the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant in the Snow Empress's hand, and a hint of greed flashed in his eyes.
" Snow Empress, I have been waiting for you for a long time." The Great Emperor Fengdu spoke calmly, his voice filled with boundless majesty. "Hand over the three ancient treasures, and I may spare your lives. Otherwise, you will all die here."
The Snow Empress gripped the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant tightly, a resolute glint in her eyes. "Don't even think about it! Great Emperor Fengdu, your scheme will never succeed! Even if we risk our lives, we will not let you obtain these three supreme treasures!"
"Is that so?" The Great Emperor Fengdu sneered, "Then I will grant your wish!"
As he spoke, the Great Emperor Fengdu raised his hand and waved it. A black palm print, Shrouding the Heavens, crashed down on the crowd. The palm print contained a world-destroying power. Wherever it passed, the air was torn apart and cracks appeared in space.
"Everyone, get out of the way!" the Snow Empress shouted, activating the Ziwei Emperor Bell and the White Tiger Token to create a protective barrier in an attempt to block the palm strike. However, the power of the Great Emperor Fengdu was simply too great, and the barrier shattered after only one breath.
"Puff--!"
Snow Empress coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the wall, her aura instantly weakening to the extreme.
"Holy Maiden!" Qingyunzi exclaimed in shock and rushed over to help Snow Empress up.
The Daoist Kunlun and the Wudang Sect leader also made their moves to try and block the Great Emperor Fengdu's attack, but they couldn't even withstand a single move from the Great Emperor Fengdu and were shocked to the point of spitting blood and suffering serious injuries.
The disciples were even more helpless; the mere pressure from the Great Emperor Fengdu rendered them immobile, leaving them utterly powerless to resist.
"A bunch of ants, daring to oppose this Emperor?" The Great Emperor Fengdu sneered, walking step by step towards the Snow Empress. " Snow Empress, hand over the three supreme treasures, and I will grant you a quick death. Otherwise, I will make you wish you were dead."
Snow Empress gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with determination, "Don't even think about it! Even if it means death, I will not let you obtain the three supreme treasures!"
"Then you shall die!" A murderous glint flashed in the eyes of the Great Emperor Fengdu. He raised his hand and struck the Snow Empress on the head.
At this critical moment, a golden Buddhist light suddenly descended from the sky, blocking the Snow Empress and forcefully intercepting the Great Emperor Fengdu's palm strike.
" Amitabha Buddha! Great Emperor Fengdu, your sins have been too great; it's time to stop."
An aged yet majestic voice echoed throughout the Dragon Palace. Immediately afterward, an old monk dressed in a golden robe, radiating boundless Buddhist light, appeared before everyone.
"Abbot...?" The Daoist Kunlun and the Wudang Sect leader stared wide-eyed at the old monk in disbelief. "You... you weren't already..."
"Sacrificed?" The old monk smiled slightly. "This humble monk has indeed passed away, but my Buddhist heart remains in this world. Sensing your distress, I have come to offer my assistance."
It turns out that this old monk was the abbot of the Shaolin Sect who had sacrificed himself in the battle against the Netherworld Lord. Although he had no physical body, his Buddhist heart contained powerful Buddhist energy, enough to fight against the Great Emperor Fengdu.
"Hmph! A dead old monk dares to interfere with my business?" The Great Emperor Fengdu sneered, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Since you're courting death, then I'll grant your wish and make sure your soul is completely annihilated!"
After saying this, the Great Emperor Fengdu attacked again, engaging in battle with Abbot Foxin of Shaolin.
"Hurry!" The Shaolin abbot shouted to Snow Empress and the others while fighting the Great Emperor Fengdu. "This humble monk cannot hold out much longer. You must quickly take the three supreme treasures and leave this place. Find a safe place to fuse the power of the three supreme treasures. Only in that way can you completely defeat the Great Emperor Fengdu!"
A hint of hesitation flashed in Snow Empress's eyes, "But, Abbot, you..."
"Forget about this humble monk!" the Shaolin abbot roared. "This humble monk is already a dead man, his death is nothing to regret, but you bear the hopes of all living beings on your shoulders. You cannot die here! Go!"
Snow Empress gritted her teeth and finally made up her mind, "Let's go!"
After saying that, with Qingyunzi's help, she led the group out of the Dragon Palace.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" The Great Emperor Fengdu was furious and wanted to give chase, but he was held back by the Abbot of Shaolin.
" Amitabha Buddha! Great Emperor Fengdu, your opponent is this humble monk!" The abbot of Shaolin shouted, and a great burst of Buddhist light trapped Great Emperor Fengdu in place.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Snow Empress and the others escaped from the East Sea Dragon Palace and swam towards the surface of the sea. Behind them, from within the Dragon Palace, came bursts of violent explosions and roars, clearly indicating that the battle between the Shaolin Abbot and the Great Emperor Fengdu had reached its climax.
With all their might, the group finally swam to the surface and reached the East Sea. Looking back, they saw that the East Sea was surging with waves and the seawater was churning, as if the entire East Sea was trembling.
"Abbot..." Daoist Kunlun's eyes were filled with grief, "He sacrificed the last vestige of his Buddhist heart to save us..."
"We will never forget the Abbot's great kindness," the Snow Empress said in a deep voice. "But now is not the time for grief. We must find a safe place as soon as possible, fuse the power of the three supreme treasures, and then return to defeat the Great Emperor Fengdu and avenge the Abbot!"
"Yes! Avenge the abbot!" the disciples shouted in unison, their eyes filled with anger and determination.
"I Dao Yi place," Qingyunzi suddenly said. "On the coast of the East Sea, there is a small island called Penglai Immortal Island. It is a secret realm of our Daoism, extremely hidden, and protected by a powerful array. The people of the Underworld will never find it. We can go to Penglai Immortal Island and fuse the power of the three supreme treasures."
"Alright! Let's go to Penglai Immortal Island!" Snow Empress nodded and led everyone towards the shore of the East Sea.
Along the way, no one dared to stop for a moment, flying with all their might. After about three hours, they finally arrived at the shore of the East Sea and found Penglai Immortal Island.
Penglai Immortal Island truly lives up to its name. The island is shrouded in ethereal mist, filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers, and teeming with exotic plants, rare birds, and exotic animals. In the center of the island stands a massive Daoist temple, within which is an ancient altar. Intricate runes are inscribed on the altar, radiating a powerful array of energy.
"This is it," Qingyunzi said, pointing to the altar. "This altar was left by our Daoist ancestors and possesses powerful sealing energy, capable of isolating us from all external detection. We can fuse the power of three supreme treasures on the altar, Great Emperor Fengdu will definitely not discover us."
The Snow Empress nodded, walked to the center of the altar, and placed the Ziwei Emperor Bell, the White Tiger Token, and the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant on the altar one by one. The three treasures seemed to sense each other's presence and began to emit a faint light, echoing each other.