As the eerie laughter echoed through the heavens and earth, a thick cloud of black mist suddenly condensed in the void directly in front of the three of them.
As the black mist rose, Xiao Yan's contemplative expression instantly changed, his eyes darkening and turning grim. His gaze, filled with icy killing intent, fixed on the black mist in the void above, and he said chillingly:
" Ghost Fiend Gate?"
"Hehehe... You could say that, but I am not like those incompetent Gui Xing and Ghost Gui Duo, merely a fugitive villain. I haven't been able to bring you back all these years, and you've even grown to this level. Now, I have to personally take action."
As a hoarse voice fell, the eerie black mist gradually transformed into a human form, from which a rather powerful aura emanated. The black mist dispersed, revealing a withered and aged face, as dry and rotten as wood.
When Xiao Yan sensed the aura emanating from this person, his expression changed drastically. This person was a genuine Yuan Zun expert, whose terrifying aura was so strong that even Xiao Yan's current soul perception could not penetrate it, demonstrating that this person's cultivation was far beyond that of an ordinary Yuan Zun Venerable.
"Hmph, Green Demon, so it's you."
Upon seeing that withered, brittle face, Xiao Ming uttered a chilling remark, followed by a cold sneer:
"You want to mess with Xiao Yan? Did you even ask for the Xiao Clan's permission?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ming took a step forward without hesitation. Instantly, a murderous aura swept forward, and snowflakes flew everywhere, seemingly forming a high wall of aura that pressed down on the Green Demon.
"Buzz!"
Unfazed, Green Demon swung his sleeve, which was formed from black mist, and as the black energy swept through, it dissipated along with the oncoming oppressive aura.
"Hehe, I never expected that Xiao Yan would have you escorting him all this way. But since you're here today, I might as well take your life as well, Fourth Elder of the Xiao Clan. This will be quite an achievement when the news gets back to the sect, hehe..."
Gazing at Xiao Ming's ashen face, Green Demon's lips slowly curled into a sinister smile. As his words fell, an overwhelming aura suddenly erupted from his body. His deep-set old eyes stared intently at Xiao Ming, and he grinned menacingly:
" Xiao Ming, I've been quite curious about your strange petrification ability since the beginning, but unfortunately I haven't had the chance. Today, I'll give you a good test!"
"You? You don't deserve it!"
Upon hearing this, a rare sneer appeared on Xiao Ming's usually indifferent face. He scoffed, then with a thought, mobilized his vast Origin Qi and coldly shouted:
"Hmph, you were such a piece of trash back then, unable to even withstand a single sword strike from my second brother. All these years have passed, I'd like to see how much stronger you've become!"
"Bang!"
The two clashed in the blink of an eye, their fists and palms colliding. The surrounding void was shattered instantly, and a strong gust of wind surged out like a circular storm. Xiao Ming and the Green Demon both trembled and staggered back dozens of steps.
" Five-Star Yuan Zun, it seems you haven't improved at all over the years; you're still a piece of trash."
Xiao Ming clenched his fist lightly, and grayish-white Origin Qi flowed out from his palm, then coiled around his arm, quickly solidifying into a pair of hard rock gauntlets.
Hearing these mocking words, the Green Demon's expression also turned ugly. He hadn't expected that Xiao Ming had actually advanced to the Six-Star Yuan Zun. With such strength, coupled with his strange Origin Qi, if they were to fight one-on-one, he was afraid that even if he used all his strength, he might not be confident of defeating Xiao Ming.
"Hehehe, Xiao Ming, don't get too cocky. Your combat strength is not weak, but I never said that I was the only one here today..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Green Demon clenched his withered hand tightly, black energy swirling around it, and then hurled it into the sky. The moment the black mist exploded, three more surging black mists suddenly condensed in the sky. In the blink of an eye, three astonishing auras belonging to Yuan Zun experts quickly enveloped the world.
"Three more Yuan Zun experts!"
The moment these three appeared, Xiao Yan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. He quickly exchanged a glance with Xiao Siyu, and both of them saw a deep sense of solemnity in each other's eyes. Four Yuan Zun level experts in a row—such a lineup was enough to make them invincible even in the Central Region!
It seems these inhuman creatures intend to take them all down today!
Seeing the lineup before him, even with Xiao Ming's indifferent nature, he couldn't help but frown. If the opponent were only two or three Yuan Zun experts, he might be able to stop them today even if he risked everything. But if there were four, it would be very difficult.
" Xiao Ming, today, this Twin Saint Mountain will be your burial ground!"
Green Demon let out a hoarse shout. As soon as the command fell, the other three Yuan Zun experts immediately dispersed and surrounded Xiao Yan and his companions from different directions. As their auras exploded outward, the atmosphere in this world suddenly became tense.
His greyish-white eyes quickly swept over the scattered Green Demon and the others. Xiao Ming's hands clenched involuntarily beneath his sleeves as his thoughts raced. Then, he looked at Xiao Yan and Xiao Siyu beside him and whispered:
"I'll do my best to hold them off later. You two find an opportunity to sneak into this mountain range. With those poisonous creatures outside, even these guys won't dare to easily break in."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Siyu's expression changed instantly. The implication of his words was self-evident, but just as she was about to speak, Xiao Yan slowly shook his head and decisively said:
"Fourth Elder, I understand your intentions, but these guys are the kind of people who will never give up until they achieve their goal. Even if we escape into this poisonous barrier, we may not be able to escape their pursuit..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Yan flicked his finger again, and a flash of black light appeared beside him, revealing the figure of the Northern King, who then said:
"Therefore, rather than aimlessly running away and waiting to die, it's better to fight with our backs to the wall!"
These words, once spoken, even surprised Xiao Ming. He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to have such courage, showing no intention of backing down even when facing Yuan Zun Venerable.
Even Xiao Siyu nodded emphatically after hearing this. As a descendant of the Xiao Clan, she naturally possessed the pride that a member of the Xiao Clan should have. Moreover, with their methods, even when facing Yuan Zun Venerable, they might not be without the strength to fight back if they went all out.
Seeing the resolute expressions on Xiao Yan and Xiao Ming's faces, Xiao Ming could only nod silently. Then, his gaze unconsciously drifted to the Northern King beside Xiao Yan. While feeling quite strange, a strange intuition also quietly crept into his heart.
Perhaps, as Xiao Yan said, only by fighting with their backs to the wall can they find a glimmer of hope!