Chapter 6431 - 6440

At the same moment, within Freedom Valley, night had completely fallen.

The world was dark and gloomy, the evening wind biting coldly.

It carried the stench of blood from the wasteland, permeating every corner of the valley.

The atmosphere was oppressive and somber.

Kai, carefully supported by those around him, struggled step by step into the valley entrance.

His body was wracked with pain; every step he took aggravated his injuries.

His brow furrowed in agony, cold sweat constantly seeping from his forehead.

His injuries were extremely severe; a large area of ​​blood had pooled in his chest, blocking his meridians.

His breathing was short and labored; each inhale felt like countless ice needles piercing his lungs.

The pain was excruciating.

His left arm was broken and dislocated, hanging limply at his side, utterly useless.

Even the slightest movement caused excruciating pain.

Dried bloodstains at the corners of his mouth had congealed; his face was as pale as paper, his lips devoid of color.

Covered in blood, his clothes tattered, he was utterly wretched.

Even with excruciating pain and utter exhaustion, he gritted his teeth and persevered.

He refused to let anyone carry or support him.

He was strong-willed; he was the backbone of Freedom Valley, the hope of everyone.

Even with his broken body, he could not fall, could not show the slightest weakness.

He moved forward slowly and steadily, step by step. His

footprints were heavy, each step stained with blood, on the bluestone path of Freedom Valley.

Every step weighed down with endless fatigue and hidden worries.

Jiang Xuelan quietly accompanied him.

Her white dress was mostly soaked with blood, the hem torn.

Strands of hair clung to her pale cheeks, her face haggard and weak.

Her vital energy was extremely depleted.

The backlash from forcibly activating the Ice God’s ultimate sword technique

was constantly eroding her soul and depleting her essence.

Her meridians throbbed and numbed, her spiritual energy was exhausted and difficult to gather.

Yet her eyes remained clear and firm, without the slightest sign of weakness or retreat.

He leaned his Ice God Sword diagonally on the ground, using it as a crutch to support his weakened body.

The sword tip grazed the ground, leaving a thin, long, continuous shallow mark,

silently telling of the battle’s ferocity and hardship.

At the valley entrance, Zhao Tieshan still stood quietly, waiting, not moving an inch. He had waited

from daylight to night, from dawn to moonlight.

His legs were already numb, stiff, and aching.

His crutch was deeply embedded in the soil, creating a deep crater,

a testament to the length of his wait and the intensity of his worry.

His gaze was fixed on the direction of their return journey outside the valley, his eyes filled with anxiety and unease. His heart

had been hanging in suspense, unable to sit still.

He feared receiving bad news, feared seeing corpses.

When he saw Kai, Jiang Xuelan, and their group appear, when he

saw them covered in blood and returning in a sorry state,

the tension that had been building up for days suddenly eased.

The worry and fear that had accumulated for so long instantly turned into hot tears.

Tears welled up uncontrollably, streaming down his aged, wrinkled face.

“They’re back…they’re all back safe and sound…”

His voice choked with emotion, his steps faltering as he hurried forward.

His body trembled slightly with excitement, his words incoherent, filled only with overwhelming relief.

Kai turned to the old patriarch, managing a weak smile, and softly reassured him.

“Old patriarch, don’t worry. I always keep my word.”

“They will definitely return safely, protecting Free Valley.”

Zhao Tieshan nodded emphatically, tears blurring his vision, his throat choked with emotion.

A thousand words remained stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

He could only wipe away the hot tears from his eyes, filled with relief.

Lin Yuan dared not delay, immediately making orderly arrangements.

He ordered his men to quickly set up temporary healing tents,

properly accommodate the seriously injured cultivators, and count the casualties.

He also treated the wounded and sick brought back from the battlefield.

Meanwhile, he personally directed the relocation of the Demon-Suppressing Tower to the center of the plaza.

Stabilize the tower and open the healing secret realm within.

The time flow within the Demon-Suppressing Tower is uniquely fast; one day outside is equivalent to a hundred days inside.

It is the only treasured secret realm in Free Valley capable of rapidly repairing severe injuries, nourishing one’s essence, and stabilizing cultivation.

Kai and Jiang Xuelan suffered the most severe injuries and the greatest loss of their essence.

Their souls, meridians, and bodies were all severely damaged.

Without further ado, they immediately stepped into the depths of the Demon-Suppressing Tower.

Each found a secluded corner, sat cross-legged, closed their eyes, and concentrated.

They immediately began to regulate their breathing and heal their injuries, repairing their broken bodies and calming their damaged souls.

Kai calmed his mind and focused his breath, mobilizing the meager chaotic power remaining within his body.

He slowly circulated it throughout his meridians, repairing his damaged flesh inch by inch.

He reconnected misaligned bones and flushed away accumulated blood stasis.

He could even fight off the remaining pure Yang domineering power within his body.

Like countless tiny steel needles, it densely rooted itself deep within his meridians,

wandering and colliding, constantly pricking his spiritual veins and hindering the flow of spiritual energy.

The burning pain in his dantian was relentless, a dull ache that was difficult to completely eradicate.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating agony, his resolve unwavering. He

slowly absorbed, transformed, refined, and expelled the remaining pure yang energy, daring not to slacken his efforts even slightly . Not far away, Jiang Xuelan sat silently, her breath faint. The Ice God Armor’s spiritual light had dimmed, almost dissipating . Her protective spiritual shield was as thin as a cicada’s wing, offering no real protection. The Ice God Sword lay across her knees, its ancient runes having lost their luster. It lay motionless, devoid of its former chilling aura. She calmly activated the remaining Ice God essence, slowly nourishing her damaged soul. She repaired the meridians of her consciousness, eroded by the power of illusion and slaughter. She soothed her restless mind, gradually warming her body and restoring her spiritual foundation.

Time passed silently within the tower,

isolated from all external disturbances and anxieties.

While only three days passed outside,

three hundred days of arduous cultivation and recuperation had already taken place within the tower.

The time difference was exceptionally favorable, making the healing process twice as efficient.

After three hundred days of secluded cultivation, Kai’s severe injuries were completely healed.

The fracture in his left arm was perfectly repaired, and the blood stasis in his chest cavity was completely cleared.

The remaining pure Yang energy in his meridians was thoroughly refined and expelled.

The chaotic vortex in his dantian operated smoothly, its origin intact.

Although his cultivation did not break through to the next level, it remained firmly at the third rank of True Immortal.

However, his chaotic power became increasingly refined and mellow, circulating more smoothly and freely.

His understanding of the origin of heaven and earth and the laws of the void became increasingly profound and clear.

His foundation steadily improved, and his state of mind became increasingly calm and resilient.

Jiang Xuelan also recovered most of her combat strength, her blood and qi returning

to normal. Her spiritual energy was abundant, and her damaged soul was fully repaired.

The Ice God Armor once again shone with a cool, spiritual light, its protective resilience restored to its original state. The runes on

the Ice God Sword revived and flowed, its chilling aura returning to the blade.

Its killing power returned in full .

His cultivation steadily solidified into the mid-to-late stage of the ninth rank of True Immortal Realm.

He was only a hair’s breadth away from the peak of the ninth rank.

His combat strength had fully recovered; he remained a top-tier killing expert.
The two opened their eyes at the same moment, their gazes meeting across the void.

Without a word,

they saw the same heavy worry deep within each other’s eyes.

They saw the lingering shadow of the road ahead, the life-or-death crisis weighing on their hearts.

The Divine Alliance, two Supreme Elders who had been in seclusion for many years,

were reaching the final stage of their assault on the Golden Immortal realm.

They could break through at any moment and ascend to the Golden Immortal status.

Once a Golden Immortal appeared, True Immortals would be nothing but ants.

The chasm was insurmountable.

Kai slowly rose, his steps steady as he walked out of the Demon Suppression Tower.

His gaze swept across the entire Free Valley Square.

On the square, all the cultivators were training with all their might, daring not to slacken in the slightest.

Elder Qingxuan personally led three hundred elite Spirit Clan warriors,

traveling day and night between the Demon Suppression Tower and the valley.

Utilizing the time difference within the tower, they diligently cultivated and accumulated strength, their spiritual power growing richer day by day.

Their battle formations became increasingly coordinated, their vitality and spiritual energy filling their bodies, their combat power steadily increasing.

Lin Yuan directed the human resistance army, training them day and night in combat formations.

They honed their fighting skills, strengthened offensive and defensive coordination, and tempered their will and courage.

Discipline was strict, formations were orderly, and morale was decent.

They were determined to defend Freedom Valley to the death.

Everyone was desperately trying to become stronger, desperately preparing for war.

They wanted to protect their homeland, to preserve their hard-won peace.

But Kai knew perfectly well that these efforts were far from enough, a drop in the ocean, futile.

No matter how many cultivators there were, how skilled their formations, or how abundant their spiritual power,

before a true Golden Immortal, they were like ants and dust, utterly vulnerable.

Numbers, tactics, weapons, secret techniques—everything

was insufficient to bridge the chasm between True Immortals and Golden Immortals.

He stood alone atop the city wall, facing the wind,

gazing towards the direction of the Northern Frontier Divine Alliance.

The distant sky was dark and oppressive, a faint aura of killing intent emanating from it.

He stood silently for a long time, his heart churning with helplessness, resentment, and despair.

“We have no choice but to gamble,” he murmured to himself.

His voice was low and hoarse, filled with exhaustion and bewilderment. “I’m

betting that those two Supreme Elders will fail in their attempt to break through to the Golden Immortal realm, that they’ll fall short.”

“I’m betting that they’ll stumble during their seclusion and suffer severe backlash.”

“I’m betting that we can break through the heart of the Divine Alliance before they succeed.”

“I’m betting to end this war sooner. There’s no other way out.”

Lin Yuan slowly walked up the city wall to Kai’s side.

Hearing this whisper, Kai’s heart sank, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

He was filled with sorrow.

“Gamble? All our lives, the safety of everyone in Freedom Valley.”

“The survival of tens of thousands of our people, all staked on a single gamble?”

“Do we have any way out?”

Kai didn’t turn around, didn’t answer.

He was speechless, seeing no light at the end of the tunnel.

He couldn’t find a foolproof plan.

A formidable enemy was approaching, a dead end was inevitable, and there was no choice but to gamble.

A sense of powerlessness, like a cold tide, slowly engulfed his heart, suffocating him.

Several days passed quickly, arriving in the blink of an eye.

That morning, the sky was a hazy gray.

Thick, dark clouds piled up, pressing low over the horizon, obscuring the sun and the breeze.

The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on everyone, making their chests feel tight and their minds uneasy. A

nameless restlessness arose, as if a great calamity was about to befall the world.

In Free Valley, the cultivators practiced as usual.

The clanging of swords echoed throughout the valley, a sound that was usually commonplace and peaceful.

But today, everyone felt a vague sense of unease.

They were restless and uneasy, unaware of the impending danger.

Kai stood atop the city wall, gazing at the distant horizon.

His unease grew stronger, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

A chill crept in.

The next second, he clearly sensed it.

Two vast, boundless, and terrifying auras, overwhelming the heavens and earth,

roared into the sky from the distant heartland of the Divine Alliance.

They tore through the clouds and shook the surrounding landscape.

They didn’t rise slowly, nor did they progress gradually.

Instead, they erupted like a volcanic eruption, a cataclysmic

event, violently surging into the heavens and earth, traversing the entire world.

The entire world trembled violently; mountains shook, and valleys roared.

The earth cracked, and spiritual energy surged wildly out of control.

Thick, dark clouds were instantly ripped apart by the terrifying pressure, collapsing layer by layer.

Light managed to filter through the gaps in the clouds, but it was

icy cold, chilling to the bone.

The aura of Golden Immortals.

Two, undeniably powerful Golden Immortal auras, domineering and overlooking all living beings.

Kai’s pupils suddenly contracted sharply, his heart sinking.

His entire body turned ice-cold; an extreme chill shot from his feet to the top of his head, chilling every limb and bone.

The chaotic power within their bodies surged uncontrollably and wildly.

Instinctively, they wanted to rise and resist the terrifying pressure that crushed the heavens and earth.

But the difference in their levels was too vast; they were insignificant and powerless.

Even with its inherent domineering power and exceptional talent, the chaotic power

was humble and insignificant before the laws of the Golden Immortal Great Dao, trembling involuntarily.

This wasn’t cowardice, nor fear.

It was the instinctive awe and helplessness of a lower-level cultivator facing a higher-level Great Dao expert.

Within Free Valley, all the cultivators instantly stopped what they were doing.

They all looked up at the distant horizon.

Their faces turned deathly pale, their legs went weak, and their bodies trembled with cold.

Some people’s legs buckled, and they collapsed to the ground, their eyes glazed

over, filled with despair. Others’ hands, gripping their weapons, trembled violently, nearly slipping from their grasp, their spirits breaking.

Some stopped breathing, their faces ashen, their bodies stiff, unable to move.

Panic, like a plague, swept through the entire valley in an instant, despair spreading to every corner.

Lin Yuan, his face deathly pale, rushed out of the council hall without hesitation.

He strode up the city wall, gazing at the terrifying aura tearing through the sky in the distance.

His voice trembled, his eyes filled with despair.

“Golden Immortals… really Golden Immortals… and two of them… Heaven is going to destroy my Freedom Valley…”

Elder Qingxuan also hurried out of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, his aged face filled with bitter sorrow.

He sighed deeply, utterly powerless, “Eight thousand years… the two Supreme Elders of the Divine Race have finally broken through and ascended to the Golden Immortal realm.”

“The natural barrier of the Northern Frontier is no longer there; our fate is sealed, there’s no turning back…”

Jiang Xuelan moved swiftly, instantly appearing beside Kai.

The Ice God Sword was instantly drawn to protect her, its icy blue divine light flowing across her body. She

forcefully withstood the onslaught of the Golden Immortal’s oppressive aura. She didn’t retreat a single step, nor did she show any fear. Yet, her body trembled uncontrollably, a chill running down her spine. Knowing their fate was sealed, she still resolved to stand shoulder to shoulder, through life and death. Kai took a deep breath of cold, turbid air, suppressing the despair and helplessness surging within him. He forced himself to steady his mind. His gaze swept over every cultivator in the valley, over their terrified, helpless, and despairing faces. His heart felt as if a boulder had crushed it, suffocating him with pain. It was too late; there was no turning back. With the Golden Immortal pressing in, annihilation was imminent. Staying meant certain death, leaving no trace, and Free Valley would be utterly destroyed. Only by scattering and escaping could they preserve a spark, a sliver of hope.
“Everyone, heed my command.” Kai’s voice was unusually calm.

So calm it sent a chill down one’s spine, revealing not a trace of emotion.

Yet it carried an unyielding resolve.

“Immediately lay down your weapons, abandon your packs and supplies, and disperse to leave Freedom Valley.”

“Do not travel in groups, do not huddle together, do not look back.”

“Do not linger on your homeland. Escape as far as you can, conceal your whereabouts, and lie low in seclusion.”

“Never return to Freedom Valley. Go now, depart immediately!”

Old Zhao was the first to rush forward, his eyes red and his voice choked with emotion. “Mr. Chen! What do you mean by this? Are you telling us to abandon you and flee alone?”

“We won’t leave! We’ll fight together, we’ll die together! We will never live alone!”

“Go.” Kai’s gaze was firm, his tone leaving no room for argument, each word heavy.

“The power of a Golden Immortal is beyond our ability to contend with. Staying means certain death.”

“Not a single one will survive. There is no chance of victory, no hope of turning the tide.”

“Only if you escape can Freedom Valley have a spark, a future.”

The tall, thin man’s folding fan suddenly fell to the ground, untouched.

His eyes dimmed completely, filled with despair and hopelessness.

The middle-aged woman’s twin swords fell from her hands, landing with a sharp, jarring sound.

She stood frozen,

bewildered and helpless. Old Xu’s hand, stroking his beard, abruptly stopped. His face turned ashen, and he sighed deeply, utterly powerless.

Everyone was stunned, panicked, and overwhelmed by the despair of death.

Zhao Tieshan, leaning on his cane, shakily and laboriously stepped forward, his aged body swaying precariously. His voice was hoarse as he said, “Mr. Chen, let’s go together. My old bones are nothing.”

“You can’t stay here to die. If we escape together, we can survive.”

Kai gently shook his head, a sorrowful smile appearing on his face. “I won’t leave. You must leave. I’ll stay and hold off the two Golden Immortals.”

“Hold off the Divine Clan army, buying you time to escape.”

“Only if I don’t leave will you have a chance to escape.”

“If I leave, the Golden Immortals’ pressure will lock onto everyone; no one will escape, and we will all be annihilated.”

His gaze swept across the entire area; his voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear, reaching everyone’s ears.

“The roots of Freedom Valley have never been on this land.”

“The roots are in your hearts, in the living.”

“As long as you live, Freedom Valley is not dead, and hope remains.”

“No need for sorrow, no need to linger, go quickly.”

Elder Qingxuan remained silent for a long time, giving Kai a deep look.

His eyes were filled with admiration, guilt, and sorrow as he solemnly clasped his hands in a salute.

“Fellow Daoist Kai, your righteousness is boundless; you sacrificed yourself to protect your entire clan.”

“The entire Spirit Clan will never forget this great kindness.”

“We will not be a burden; we will immediately lead our men to retreat and live well.”

“We will await the day when we can avenge this blood feud.”

Having said this, he didn’t hesitate any longer, turning and waving his hand.

Leading three hundred Spirit Clan warriors, he transformed into streaks of azure light, soaring into the sky.

They quickly dissipated into the horizon, not daring to look back, their hearts filled with tragic grandeur.

Lin Yuan’s eyes were red, tears welling up, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to shed a tear.

“I won’t leave! I want to stay and fight alongside you, what does death matter!”

“Go!” Kai’s voice suddenly became more forceful, carrying an unyielding authority.

“Take everyone and evacuate immediately. Don’t be a burden to me.”

“Don’t betray my willingness to sacrifice myself to cover our retreat.”

“The gods won’t immediately pursue those who flee; you still have a chance to survive.”

“Go quickly, as far as possible! Live on and protect the flame of Freedom Valley for me!”

Lin Yuan’s tears finally streamed down his face as he hugged Kai tightly.

Suppressing his grief, he turned and roared his orders.

“Everyone, listen up! Evacuate Freedom Valley immediately and scatter!”

“Live on! You must live on!”

Old Zhao, the tall, thin man, the middle-aged woman, Old Xu—

all the Freedom Valley warriors, their eyes red, forced back tears, gritted their teeth, and turned away.

They followed Lin Yuan, running frantically outwards.

No one looked back, not because they were reluctant, not because they didn’t care.

But because they dared not look back; if they did, they would never be able to leave again.

They would willingly stay and die.

Zhao Tieshan was the last to move, leaning on his broken cane.

He trudged step by step toward the valley entrance.

Reaching the edge of the valley, he stopped, never looking back.

He simply mustered all his strength and shouted hoarsely,

“Mr. Chen, you must live! We’re waiting for you to come back!”

His mournful cry echoed through the valley.

With that, he resolutely strode away and disappeared beyond the valley’s edge.

In an instant, the crowd dispersed, footsteps faded, and shouts vanished.

The once bustling and vibrant Freedom Valley instantly became empty, desolate, and lifeless.

Not a trace of life remained.

In the vast valley, amidst the ruins and cold wind,

only Kai and Jiang Xuelan stood side-by-side atop the city wall, facing

the impending doom of the Golden Immortals. Isolated and helpless, surrounded by despair.

At midday, the sunlight was blindingly white, offering no warmth.

Wei Pengkun personally led the way, accompanying the two newly promoted Golden Immortal elders.

They descended slowly into the air above Freedom Valley.

A powerful pressure enveloped the entire valley; heaven and earth were deathly silent, and all things were still.

Two Golden Immortals hovered in the void,

surrounded by a faint, transparent halo of law.

The holy light wasn’t blazing, yet it carried the majesty of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

Sunlight, falling upon them, was repelled by the halo of law, daring not to approach.

Looking down at the valley below, their eyes were indifferent and cold.

Like mortals looking down at ants beneath their feet, they showed no pity, no emotion whatsoever.

The one on the left, the Crimson Flame Venerable, was tall and ancient, with white hair.

A figure in a pristine white robe fluttered slightly in the wind, surrounded by blazing holy light.

A wave of heat swept across the air, distorting and scorching the void.

Deep within his golden eyes, an inextinguishable holy fire seemed to burn fiercely.

His gaze carried the power to incinerate all things.

To the right stood the Venerable Han Yuan, his figure lean and sinister, his hair dry and gray.

His black robe was solemn and chilling, surrounded by the power of extreme cold and shadow.

A chill descended upon all directions, freezing the air and the earth.

Deep within his silver eyes, ancient ice seemed to have solidified.

A single glance from him froze the mind and chilled the soul.

One fire, one ice; one heat, one cold—the two Golden Immortals stood side by side.

One on the left, one on the right, they suppressed the entire天地气机 (the energy of heaven and earth)

, sealing off all escape routes, locking in a deadly situation.

Wei Pengkun stood behind them, his golden robe billowing in the wind.

He was full of vigor, his smile arrogant and triumphant.

His gaze swept across the empty Freedom Valley, his brow furrowing slightly before a cold smile appeared.

“They ran fast, a bunch of ants, cowardly and afraid of death, scattering in all directions.”

“Too bad, they can only escape for so long, not forever. ”

His gaze shifted, precisely locking onto two solitary figures atop the city wall. Kai and Jiang Xuelan stood alone, neither fleeing nor retreating. Wei Pengkun laughed loudly, “Kai, all your henchmen have fled, your clansmen scattered and fled.” “Betrayed by everyone, all alone, still trying to maintain appearances?” “So loyal, willing to stay and die alone, laughable and pathetic.”

Kai remained silent, his face calm and expressionless.

Yet, a deep sorrow and resentment weighed on his heart.

He drew his sword, the Dragon-Slaying Sword gleaming coldly, its purple chaotic flames raging fiercely.

He defied the odds, facing the oppressive aura of a Golden Immortal, refusing to bow his head or kneel.

Jiang Xuelan stood beside him, the Ice God Sword firmly in her hand.

Ice-blue divine light protected her body, her face pale and weak.

Yet, her sword-wielding hand was as steady as a rock, her eyes resolute, her resolve unwavering, her commitment to life and death.

Wei Pengkun bowed respectfully, requesting instructions.

“Two Supreme Elders, these two are the culprits who wreaked havoc in the Northern Frontier.”

“The culprits who destroyed my three Heavenly Prisons and killed two of my Divine Race’s generals.”

“We beg the Elders to act and execute them on the spot, to uphold divine authority and deter all.”

The Crimson Flame Venerable glanced at them indifferently, his gaze casual and detached.

As if examining an insignificant object, his tone languid.

“True Immortal Realm, Third Grade, with meager Chaos Power, it does bear a resemblance to the ancient origin.”

“Barely passable. Unfortunately, the realm is too low; merely an ant.”

Venerable Hanyuan’s lips curled into a contemptuous smile as he coldly stated.

“No matter how rare Chaos Power is, no matter how outstanding one’s talent, it ultimately cannot overcome the chasm of realm.”

“A True Immortal ant, worthy to be presumptuous before a Golden Immortal? I could crush him with a flick of my wrist.”

Kai turned to look at Jiang Xuelan, his voice extremely low.

With a final plea, “You go too. Before the great battle begins, before the oppressive aura is locked, immediately break through the void and escape.”

“If you stay, you’ll only face death; it’s meaningless.”

“Live on, and see what the future holds for me.”

Jiang Xuelan gently shook her head, her eyes resolute and unwavering.

“I won’t leave. You’re alone; you can’t withstand the combined attack of two Golden Immortals.”

“If you die, my life is meaningless. We live together, we die together.”

Kai’s throat tightened, a thousand words stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

He couldn’t persuade him, nor could he bear to.

After a moment of silence, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and he whispered,

“Alright. Then let’s fight together, let’s battle together, let’s defend the last stretch of Freedom Valley together.”

Crimson Flame Venerable didn’t want to waste any more time and took the lead in raising his hand.

It was effortless, without any sense of exertion.

A ball of extremely pure golden holy fire condensed in his palm.

The flames were blazing and scorching, burning the void, and the surrounding air was completely burned and distorted.

Ripples spread across the void, the temperature terrifying beyond compare.

With a gentle push, the golden holy fire condensed into a fire dragon, roaring and howling.

With the power to burn mountains and boil seas, it directly crushed down, heading straight for Kai.

A Golden Immortal’s attack, no need for charging, no need for techniques.

Simply put, it contained world-destroying power.

Kai refused to dodge, unwilling to retreat.

Gritting his teeth, he fully activated the last remaining chaotic power within his body.

The chaotic flames of the Dragon-Slaying Sword surged, and purple fire soared into the sky. He

head-on clashed with the golden fire dragon, using his mortal body to resist a Golden Immortal, defying the heavens with his meager strength.

Boom—!

The disparity in strength was immense, like heaven and earth.

The purple chaotic flames only lasted for a fleeting moment

before being instantly engulfed and incinerated by the golden holy fire dragon.

He had no power to resist.

The terrifying residual force pressed down, slamming heavily onto Kai’s body.

Kai was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He crashed

heavily into the thick city wall.

With a deafening roar, the city wall collapsed and shattered.

Rocks flew everywhere, dust filled the sky, and most of his body was buried under the rubble.

He was in excruciating pain, his blood surging and flowing backward, and he spat out a mouthful of golden essence blood.

His old injuries flared up again, and the fracture in his left arm worsened.

Large, charred gashes burned his chest, the flesh festering.

The pain nearly made him faint.

He endured the agony, struggling to crawl out of the rubble.

Covered in blood and filth, he was a pathetic sight, his strength rapidly fading, his body utterly powerless.

“Is that all you’ve got?” The Crimson Flame Venerable shook his head and sneered, his face filled with disappointment.

“Chaotic power, all talk and no action, utterly useless.”

On the other side, the Cold Abyss Venerable simultaneously raised his hand, expressionless.

A silver, icy glint shot from his fingertip, silently piercing the air.

It aimed directly at Jiang Xuelan’s vitals

, sealing off all escape routes. Jiang Xuelan gritted her teeth and focused her mind, activating all of her Ice God essence.

The Ice God Armor shone brightly, the Ice God Sword held horizontally before her, desperately blocking the Golden Immortal’s attack.

The icy blue light and the silver glint collided violently.

Crack—

the Ice God Sword’s light dimmed instantly, its blade trembling and humming, all the runes on its surface shattering.

The Ice God Armor was covered in dense spiderweb-like cracks, its spiritual light dissipating.

Its protective power shattered instantly.

Jiang Xuelan was violently thrown back by the lingering chill .

Her blood and qi surged backward, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

She crashed heavily onto the cold ground.

Her body was stiff and cold, her spiritual energy nearly frozen and depleted. She

couldn’t even lift her hand to push herself up.

Kai witnessed Jiang Xuelan’s severe injuries and weak breath.

A surge of anger instantly burned through his internal organs, a mixture of grief and indignation.

Ignoring everything, he endured the excruciating pain and desperately struggled to his feet.

From his storage ring, he retrieved his most treasured ancient divine weapon—the God King Bow.

This was his last trump card.

He exhausted all his Daoist energy, channeling it into the bow, drawing the bowstring taut.

A refined purple divine arrow pierced the air.

The arrow moved with the speed of a meteor, its killing intent chilling, aiming straight for the Crimson Flame Venerable’s brow.

The Crimson Flame Venerable didn’t even lift an eyelid.

With a casual wave of his hand, golden holy fire filled the sky.

The purple divine arrow was instantly incinerated into nothingness.

Not even a ripple was stirred. His trump card had failed, all his efforts in vain.

Kai refused to accept his fate and took out his protective treasure, the Dragon Pattern Bell.

He fully activated his primal spiritual power, the golden bell hovering around him.

Golden dragon patterns coiled around it, their roars shaking the heavens, protecting him and

withstanding the oppressive attack of the Golden Immortal.

Venerable Han Yuan casually pointed, a silver glint of light striking the Dragon Pattern Bell precisely.

With a crisp crack, the protective treasure shattered.

Golden fragments scattered everywhere, completely destroyed.

The terrifying shockwave pierced through the wreckage, striking Kai’s chest and abdomen.

Kai coughed up blood, flying backward to the ground.

Multiple meridians throughout his body were broken, his dantian trembled, and his very essence was damaged.

His injuries instantly worsened several times over, leaving him on the verge of exhaustion.

The Divine King Bow shattered, the Dragon Pattern Bell destroyed, his spiritual power depleted.

His physical body was broken, his soul exhausted.

All his trump cards were used up, all his combat power overdrawn.

Before two Golden Immortals, all struggles, all resistance, all trump cards

were insignificant and laughable, utterly worthless.

Kai felt that his most powerful Divine King Bow and his sturdy Dragon Pattern Bell were completely useless before the Golden Immortals.

The Golden Immortal, this truly extraordinary realm, was indeed not so easy to deal with.
The Crimson Flame Venerable landed slowly in mid-air, standing before Kai.

Looking down at him, he coldly surveyed the heavily wounded man lying on the ground.

His eyes held no pity, only indifference.

“A True Immortal Realm Third Grade, possessing two ancient divine weapons—that’s quite an achievement.”

“Unfortunately, today is your death day. Even the finest weapons are beyond your reach.”

He slowly raised his hand, golden holy fire condensing once more in his palm.

It was even more intense and violent than before, incinerating everything.

He prepared to end Kai’s life with a single blow, concluding this battle.

Kai lay amidst the blood-soaked ruins, utterly powerless, struggling to move. He

looked up with difficulty at Jiang Xuelan not far away.

She lay quietly on the ground, her breath faint, her white robes stained with blood, motionless.

The Ice God Sword was stuck diagonally beside her, dim and lifeless.

“Go…go quickly…” Kai’s voice was hoarse and broken, almost inaudible.

He whispered with his last strength, filled with reluctance and guilt.

Jiang Xuelan struggled to lift her eyes to look at him, tears finally streaming down her cheeks, soaking the dust.

She wanted to get up, to protect him, to fight alongside him again.

But her body was no longer under her control; her spiritual power was frozen, her meridians severely injured, and she was powerless.

She gently shook her head, her lips slightly moving, silently saying—I won’t leave, I’ll stay with you until the end.

Kai closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with resentment and grief.

He was unwilling to lose like this, unwilling to die like this.

Unwilling to see Freedom Valley destroyed.

Unwilling to see his people flee everywhere, displaced and homeless. But what could he do? He

was powerless to change fate, and destiny was inescapable.

The golden sacred fire dragon had already taken shape, roaring and swooping down, heading straight for Kai.

Death was imminent.

In this desperate situation, Jiang Xuelan suddenly unleashed her last bit of primal power from somewhere.

She suddenly pushed herself up and staggered forward.

The Ice God Sword slashed out with all its might, the icy blue sword light forcefully blocking the fire dragon.

The sword’s edge severed half of the fire dragon, but it was powerless to stop the remaining flames.

Golden holy fire instantly engulfed Jiang Xuelan’s body.

Her white robes burned, her armor shattered, and the chill dissipated.

Enveloped in flames, she was thrown heavily to the ground, silent and motionless.

“Xuelan—!!!”

Kai roared, his voice tearing through the sky,

filled with unbearable grief. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his heart overflowing with sorrow and anger.

He disregarded everything, burning all his essence, soul, and lifespan.

He forcibly reversed his meridians, igniting the chaotic vortex in his dantian.

The chaotic fire around him instantly turned from purple to black, violent and terrifying.

His aura surged, rising from the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth ranks…

all the way to the peak of the sixth rank of the True Immortal Realm before finally stopping.

A final burst of energy, burning away his life force, briefly boosting his combat power.

The price was the complete annihilation of his physical body and soul after the battle; certain death was inevitable.

Ignoring the excruciating pain of his flesh shattering, he forced himself to his feet.

Black chaotic flames enveloped the Dragon-Slaying Sword,

and he took a step forward. He slashed against the Crimson Flame Venerable, fighting to the death, a desperate gamble.

The Crimson Flame Venerable frowned slightly, somewhat surprised.

“Burning your essence, fighting to the death? You have some backbone, but unfortunately, it’s still useless.”

Sword and fire clashed, the black flames briefly engulfing the golden holy fire, a stalemate.

But the difference in their levels was ultimately insurmountable; the Golden Immortal’s laws crushed his essence.

The black flames retreated rapidly, the backlash engulfing Kai.

Seeing this, the Cold Abyss Venerable, unwilling to delay, struck.

A beam of extreme silver light struck Kai’s body.

Kai’s body instantly froze, countless cracks appearing on his skin.

Golden blood seeped from the cracks, flesh shattered, excruciating pain coursing through his bones.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the agonizing pain, disregarding life and death, and once again swung his sword at the Cold Abyss Venerable.

He was determined to die.

The Venerable Hanyuan’s eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand, striking out with a palm.

A silver, cold light condensed into a giant palm, slamming it hard into Kai’s chest.

Kai, like a kite with a broken string, crashed heavily into the deep pit.

His bones were shattered, his flesh a mangled mess, his left arm broken, his right leg fractured.

A gaping hole pierced his chest; he was on the verge of death, clinging to his last breath.

He lay at the bottom of the pit, gazing up at the gray sky.

The clouds were broken, the sunlight a ghastly white.

Countless figures flashed through his mind.

Friends and relatives, his clansmen, his comrades-in-arms.

The peaceful smoke of Free Valley flashed by.

Finally, his gaze settled on Jiang Xuelan’s pale, blood-stained face.

Tears streamed down her face, mingling with blood, her heart filled with sorrow and regret.

Just then, on the distant horizon,

Lin Yuan, unable to bear the thought of leaving, led the remaining soldiers of Free Valley back.

Knowing they would die, he returned to die alongside Kai, without regret.

“Kill! Fight to the death, protect Mr. Chen!” Lin Yuan roared as he charged forward.

The remaining soldiers followed closely behind, knowing it was a futile effort, yet still fearless.

Wei Pengkun coldly waved his hand, and the elite of the Divine Race swarmed forward.

Holy light filled the sky, swords clashed, and a bloody battle instantly erupted.

The remaining soldiers, outnumbered and outmatched, fell in droves, their blood staining the valley.

Old Zhao, his battle axe slashing down several enemies, finally succumbed to exhaustion, several longswords piercing his heart.

He fell to the ground, his eyes wide open, dying with unfulfilled grievances.

The tall, thin man, wielding a folding fan, killed two men, a spear piercing his chest from behind.

He lay motionless in a pool of blood.

The middle-aged woman, wielding twin swords, fought valiantly, her body severely wounded.

Finally, a sword pierced her heart, and she slid against the wall, dying silently.

Old Xu fought desperately, but was slain when exhausted; his head rolled off, his white hair stained with blood.

Lin Yuan, covered in blood, his longsword broken, charged forward with his life.

He was pierced through the chest by Wei Pengkun’s golden sword, nailed to the ground, his eyes filled with resentment, and died with bitterness in his heart.

Zhao Tieshan rushed forward to help, only to be kicked to the ground by a Divine Clan cultivator.

His crutch broke, and he lay on the ground, unable to rise, crying out in despair and helplessness.

Kai used his last bit of strength, bracing himself with his elbows.

He crawled out of the deep pit, leaving a long trail of blood.

He struggled to reach Jiang Xuelan’s side, wanting to see her one last time,

to protect her one last time.

The Crimson Flame Venerable’s holy fire flared up again, crashing down and engulfing Kai’s body.

Flesh, bones, and meridians were all burned to ashes.

Only a wisp of his soul remained, firmly bound by the chains of holy fire, unable to dissipate.

“Spare the woman’s life; she will be useful. Seal this man

‘s soul into a Soul-Suppressing Pearl.” “Take him back to the Alliance and refine his soul into a Soul Pearl,”

the Cold Abyss Venerable ordered in a deep voice.

A black Soul-Suppressing Pearl flew out, absorbing Kai’s remnant soul and sealing it within.

Endless darkness, eternal damnation, unable to be reborn.

The valley was deathly silent, corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like a river.

The tattered eagle banner fluttered in the wind, half burned, yet still standing tall against the wind.

The cold wind howled, like the heavens and earth weeping.

A low murmur of mourning for Freedom Valley, for Kai, for all those who died in battle.

The setting sun, like blood, stained the vast, desolate wilderness of the Sixteenth Heaven.

The outline of Freedom Valley gradually shrank and faded at the edge of the field of vision, with lingering smoke and the acrid smell of blood still clinging to the broken walls and ruins.

The collapsed main peak was piled with rubble; the once formidable anti-god fortress, teeming with cultivators and heavily fortified, was now nothing but a desolate ruin, with scattered mangled corpses and broken weapons of resistance cultivators.

The wind swept through the tattered armor and rags, stirring up blood and dust. The valley, which once echoed with the clash of techniques and battle cries, was now only filled with the wailing of the dead, desolate and bleak.

A gleaming armored, fiercely protective army of the gods was steadily marching across the wasteland outside the valley, heading towards the main hall of the God Alliance.

The ranks stood solemn and disciplined, their golden armor reflecting the setting sun’s afterglow, radiating a chilling, holy light. Each cultivator was enveloped in pure, domineering divine spiritual power, their eyes arrogant, their steps resounding, displaying the overwhelming power of conquerors.

Wei Pengkun, clad in a gilded purple-gold robe with a dragon-patterned jade belt, walked steadily at the very front of the column,

his aura vast and imposing. He was tall and imposing, his brows furrowed with undisguised smugness, a smug, calculating smile playing on his lips.

The battle was over, the outcome was decided, and all major threats had been eliminated.

Among his personal guards were two crucial “spoils of war,” heavily guarded and escorted with absolute precision, not daring to let anything slip.

One was Jiang Xuelan, on the verge of death.

A specially forged, enclosed cage made of extraterrestrial cold iron floated in the middle of the formation, its four corners engraved with triple-layered god-locking runes. The runes shimmered with golden light, tightly sealing off the surrounding spiritual energy.

Inside the cage, Jiang Xuelan’s limbs were pierced by god-locking chains forged from millennia-old black iron, penetrating her shoulder bones, ankles, and wrists. The cold chains were deeply embedded in her flesh and muscle, sealing off all her meridians and acupoints.

Her top-tier ice-type spiritual power was completely sealed, unable to be mobilized in the slightest.

Her usually pure and elegant, pristine white ice silk dress had long been shattered by the holy fire of the final battle in Freedom Valley.

The hem of the dress was charred and curled, large sections of the fabric melted and torn, revealing large areas of red, swollen, ulcerated, and carbonized skin underneath.

Her close-fitting ice god armor was crumbling inch by inch, sharp fragments of armor deeply embedded in her flesh.

The edges of the wound were already inflamed and blackened, with dark red blood seeping out along the lines of her skin, forming a shallow pool of blood at the bottom of the cage—a horrifying sight.

The Golden Immortal’s attack was executed with extreme precision; the flames engulfed her body without damaging her vital essence, and the severed soul did not sever her life force, keeping her alive with her last breath.

Jiang Xuelan’s eyes were tightly closed, the icy primordial light between her brows completely dimmed, and the rise and fall of her chest was so weak as to be almost imperceptible.

Her breathing was as thin as a whisper, like a candle flickering in a gale in the dead of winter, on the verge of being extinguished at any moment.

Before the battle, the Crimson Flame Venerable had specifically instructed in a deep voice, each word firm and brooking no argument: “Leave this woman alive, leave her with a last breath; she will be of great use in the future. Anyone who dares to harm her vital essence will be killed without exception.”

Wei Pengkun understood perfectly, strictly controlling his subordinates throughout the entire process, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Their only wish was to bring this legitimate heir of the Ice God lineage back to the temple unharmed, to serve as leverage against the alien races of the heavens and to control the remaining rebellious forces.

It was precisely these words from the Crimson Flame Venerable that allowed Jiang Xuelan to maintain her purity; otherwise, with her beauty, countless divine cultivators would have been eager to take advantage of her.

At that time, the entire divine alliance army would be lining up for dual cultivation, and no matter how powerful Jiang Xuelan was, she wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

Secondly, there was a palm-sized, pitch-black Soul-Suppressing Pearl, enveloped in a chilling aura.

The pearl was only the size of a thumb, thick and warm in texture, with intricate and ancient dark golden holy fire patterns circulating on its surface. The pressure of divine fire subtly leaked out, isolating it from all divine soul probing.

Concentrating and looking through the dense pearl’s walls, one could see a faint, swaying ball of purple light, rising and falling within the sealed darkness of the pearl’s core, its light dim and unpredictable.

That was Kai’s entire divine soul essence.

His physical body had long since crumbled and annihilated under the combined attack of the Golden Immortals, his soul and spirit on the verge of extinction. Only this wisp of divine soul remained, forcibly sealed and suppressed.

The Soul-Suppressing Pearl contained its own soul-locking restriction, suppressing the origin of the divine soul layer by layer, gradually eroding the vitality of consciousness. That ball of purple light withered to its extreme, like a firefly in the wind, ready to completely dissipate and vanish into the world at any moment.

Wei Pengkun walked while glancing back, his gaze sweeping over the cage and the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, a surge of pleasure welling up within him, difficult to calm.

Freedom Valley was completely destroyed, reduced to scorched earth and ruins;

Kai’s physical body was destroyed, his divine soul sealed tightly, with no possibility of recovery;

the inheritor of the Ice God was reduced to a prisoner, powerless to resist;

the resistance army of the heavens was leaderless, its remnants scattered and fleeing, countless killed, exiled, or hidden, no longer able to coalesce into a force to contend with the gods.

Having entrenched itself in the Sixteenth Heaven for many years, repeatedly challenging the authority of the Divine Race and hindering their unification and hegemony, this long-standing threat has been completely eradicated today, leaving no hidden danger.

From this day forward, within the Sixteenth Heaven, the Divine Race Alliance will reign supreme, and no other force will dare to provoke them.

In the latter half of the procession, two figures walked heavily, closely following the army. Their aura was low, devoid of any fighting spirit, a stark contrast to the jubilant Divine Race elites around them.

These were the Mighty Warrior and the Wise Warrior.

Their injuries had not yet healed, making even movement difficult.

The Mighty Warrior bore a deep, bone-revealing burn across his chest, his skin charred and necrotic. Thick layers of healing bandages wrapped around him, yet they could not stop the stinging pain from the overflowing spiritual energy.

Every step aggravated his wounds, causing him to sway slightly. The very essence of his once invincible Pure Yang Body, which had dominated the battlefield, was severely damaged, his combat power plummeting by more than half, no longer possessing its peak divine might.

Zhi Zhan’s right arm was broken and dislocated, hanging limply. It could only be secured to his neck with a specially made spiritual cotton rope. His natal whisk, which he relied on to break formations and defend against enemies, had already been broken into pieces and turned to ashes during the fierce attack.

Now he could only temporarily wear an ordinary fine iron longsword to serve as a soldier, and his top-notch array formation skills could not be fully utilized.

The two men’s faces were gloomy and solemn, without any joy of victory, their eyes filled with heavy gloom.

It was not that they were dissatisfied with the great victory, but the tragic scene of the bloody battle in the Northern Underworld Prison kept replaying in their minds, lingering there.

That young cultivator, despite the huge difference in cultivation level, had always been fearless of death, fighting with his life against technique and his soul against the gods. Even when his body was shattered and his soul was injured, he never bowed his head to beg for mercy, never retreated even half a step.

Such resolute spirit and such indomitable will, even as enemy soldiers, instilled awe in the two veteran generals, making it difficult for them to let go.

Having won the great battle and quelled the chaos, I felt no joy, only a deep sense of regret and heavy oppression. High in the sky, two figures hovered, their robes fluttering slightly in the wind, unhurriedly following the army, always looking down upon the myriad lives below.

The Crimson Flame Venerable, clad in fiery red robes, had golden-red holy flames subtly flowing around him, radiating a scorching pressure;

the Cold Abyss Venerable, in silver robes like frost, had icy, indifferent eyes, his body exuding a chilling aura that froze the

surrounding void. These two Golden Immortal powerhouses possessed calm and vast auras, their realm’s pressure sweeping across all directions, every gesture accompanied by the grand scheme of heaven and earth.

In their eyes, the battles and clashes of the Sixteenth Heaven, the desperate resistance of True Immortal cultivators, were nothing more than ants fighting each other, dust rising and falling, utterly insignificant.

The Golden Immortal realm had long transcended the shackles of the mortal realm, looking down upon countless beings, crushing ordinary cultivators as easily as crushing ants, without a ripple.

The army sped along unimpeded, quickly entering the heavily fortified and imposing heart of the Divine Alliance’s temple complex, reaching its deepest forbidden area.

This place was off-limits to ordinary divine cultivators, heavily guarded year-round, with layers upon layers of restrictions preventing any spying or investigation.

A thousand feet beneath the temple, a top-secret chamber lay hidden, isolated from the world, utterly silent.

The chamber’s walls were forged from a mixture of extraterrestrial meteorite iron and divine metal, three feet thick and incredibly hard, impervious to ordinary immortal weapons and divine artifacts.

The walls were densely engraved with ancient, blood-red sealing runes passed down through the divine race, interwoven to form a vast, inescapable net.

This net could both imprison the soul and prevent the leakage of spiritual energy, as well as shield the secrets of heaven and conceal all auras and movements. Even top-tier experts passing through would find it impossible to detect anything unusual about the chamber.

In the very center of the secret chamber, a simple and heavy black stone platform stood firmly. Its surface

, weathered and marked by time, clearly bore the marks of countless ages. Engraved upon the platform was an ancient, intricately complex soul-refining array, its patterns deeply embedded in the stone, connecting with the Yin energy of heaven and earth. This array

was specifically designed to refine the souls of powerful cultivators, stripping away impurities and obsessions, purifying their primordial soul power, and ultimately condensing it into a pure soul bead. This bead was then absorbed by top-tier experts to rapidly break through cultivation barriers and comprehend the fundamental laws.

The Crimson Flame Venerable slowly landed before the platform, gently lifting the jet-black soul-suppressing bead in his palm. His fingertips caressed the cool surface of the bead, his gaze fixed intently on the swaying purple divine soul light within its core.

A long silence followed, and the secret chamber fell into a deathly stillness, broken only by the faint sound of flowing spiritual energy.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice low and thoughtful, breaking the silence: “Han Yuan, do we truly intend to refine this child’s soul? Once this is done, there will be no turning back.”

Venerable Han Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his silver eyes empty and devoid of emotion, his tone cold and flat, utterly unwavering.

“This child possesses the power of innate primordial chaos, a supreme source preserved from the beginning of heaven and earth, a rare find, occurring only once every ten thousand years, extremely rare throughout the myriad realms.

If we can purify and refine it using the Soul Refining Array, condensing a Chaos Soul Pearl, and then we both consume it, we can break through our current Golden Immortal barriers, deeply comprehend the fundamental laws of heaven and earth, and take a crucial step towards a higher realm.

Such a tremendous opportunity, such an unparalleled temptation, are we willing to give it up and let it slip away?” Venerable Han Yuan’s eyes were filled with greed.

Venerable Chi Yan did not immediately respond, but he already understood.

He naturally could not bear to part with it.

The power of chaos, surpassing ordinary immortal and divine power, is the foundation of all things and the basis of the Great Dao.

In ancient times, the gods had encountered peerless geniuses with chaotic physiques, but unfortunately, their luck was too shallow. Before they could capture them, their souls dissipated and their origins vanished, leaving them with nothing but regret.

Now, Kai’s soul has fallen completely intact into their palm, and his chaotic origins are perfectly sealed without any loss. Such a heaven-sent opportunity is extremely rare, and if missed, there will be no second chance in this life.

“There is no time to lose, activate the formation immediately.”

Venerable Crimson Flame no longer hesitated, raising his hand to precisely place the Soul-Suppressing Pearl on the core of the Soul-Refining Formation on the stone platform, the position was perfect.

Venerable Cold Abyss immediately moved to the other side of the stone platform, his palms flying rapidly, forming ancient and profound divine hand seals, and pure and fierce Golden Immortal icy spiritual power continuously poured into the formation’s patterns.

In an instant, golden array patterns lit up one by one along the veins of the stone surface, the light gradually intensifying, spreading out layer upon layer, illuminating the entire dark chamber as bright as day. Simultaneously,

Venerable Crimson Flame raised his hand to cast a spell, a torrent of golden-red inextinguishable holy fire surging from his palm. The holy fire was scorching and domineering, carrying the pressure of a Golden Immortal’s essence, precisely injecting into the four corners of the array’s base, enhancing its power.

The next instant, the entire ancient Soul Refining Array roared into full operation, an invisible and intangible vast power of soul locking instantly enveloping the entire area, firmly binding the central Soul-Suppressing Pearl.

Under the array’s pressure, the hard, dense pearl wall softened, melted, and disintegrated little by little, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun, quickly dissipating without a trace.

The Soul-Suppressing Pearl completely dissolved, Kai’s weak, flickering purple divine soul light ball was exposed without cover in the center of the array, isolated and helpless, at the mercy of others.

A raging fire of soul-refining energy rose from the depths of the great formation, pure golden flames, burning the soul and refining the will, without a trace of warmth or warmth.

Only excruciating, soul-burning pain remained, firmly enveloping and binding the purple divine soul orb, scorching and tempering it from top to bottom.

The pain of refining the divine soul was far beyond physical injury; it was the ultimate torture of the heavens.

The flames not only burned the very fabric of the divine soul but also followed its meridians, directly attacking the memories, obsessions, emotions, desires, and entanglements deep within the soul.

Layer by layer, it peeled away fragments of the past, inch by inch burning away emotional imprints, gradually smoothing out obsessions and temperament, forcibly purifying the most primal and coldest essence of the divine soul, obliterating all vibrant consciousness.

Kai’s dormant consciousness was instantly awakened by the excruciating pain. A tearing, extreme pain came from the depths of his divine soul, piercing to the bone and stabbing to the core, a thousand times more terrible than the shattering of the body and the breaking of bones. Boundless darkness, accompanied by the agony, completely enveloped him.

Scenes etched into his very being flashed uncontrollably through his soul, crystal clear and undiminished.

Su Yuqi’s lonely figure as she turned away, her gentle eyes filled with longing;

Yunxi’s bright smile amidst the mountains, lively and warm;

Jiang Xuelan’s desperate moment as she withstood a Golden Immortal’s attack to protect her companions, collapsing with a devastating crash;

the horrific scene of the Free Valley’s gates shattered, flames soaring into the sky, innocent cultivators bleeding profusely, corpses strewn across the ground…

All the cherished attachments, obsessions, tenderness, and hatred were brutally torn from his heart by the Soul-Refining Fire, burned in public, inch by inch, obliterated.

Each piece of memory stripped away felt like a sharp knife stabbing into his heart, piercing his very soul, causing unbearable agony.Kai’s soul trembled violently, the purple light flickering wildly. He instinctively wanted to roar and howl, to break free of his confinement.

But the Soul Refining Array locked away all sounds from his soul, sealing off all channels for his consciousness to leak out. He could

only grit his teeth and endure the boundless pain, refusing to show the slightest weakness or utter a single plea for mercy. With an indomitable spirit,

he stubbornly persevered. Inside the secret chamber, the fire blazed, and the array roared. No one knew the extreme torment his soul was enduring.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Under such intense Soul Refining Fire, the souls of ordinary True Immortal cultivators would have long since disintegrated, turning into pure primordial soul liquid, about to condense into beads.

But Kai’s purple soul remained firmly condensed into a human form. Although the purple light gradually dimmed and weakened, it remained as steadfast as ever, showing no signs of disintegration or collapse. Its resilience was beyond comprehension.

Crimson Flame Venerable’s brows furrowed sharply, his eyes filled with astonishment and doubt. He murmured, “Strange. This boy’s soul is unusually peculiar, its resilience far exceeding that of other cultivators of the same level. It’s completely illogical.”

Cold Abyss Venerable’s gaze grew even colder, his tone devoid of any emotion. He coldly ordered, “No hesitation! Go all out! Increase the intensity! Force the tempering!”

The two Golden Immortals no longer held back, simultaneously channeling their primordial spiritual power into the Soul Refining Array without reservation.

The array’s light surged, its color rapidly transforming from pure gold to a more domineering and scorching white-gold. Terrifying heat instantly engulfed the entire secret chamber.

The hard black stone platform was scorched red by the intense heat, its surface slightly warm and soft. The

meteorite iron walls surrounding the chamber churned with heat waves, the sealing runes flashing rapidly, desperately resisting the leaking heat.

The free spiritual energy in the chamber’s air was instantly ignited, crackling and exploding, sparks flying everywhere. The entire chamber resembled a scorching furnace, its oppressive power terrifying beyond measure.

Another full hour of extreme burning and tempering followed.

The smoke and dust dissipated, and the flames subsided slightly.

Kai’s divine soul remained stable and condensed, its humanoid outline clearly visible, only the purple light was weaker, showing no sign of collapse or dissipation.

The Crimson Flame Venerable’s expression darkened completely, his brows furrowed with solemn apprehension.

He had lived for tens of thousands of years, holding the high position of a Golden Immortal, refining countless powerful enemy souls, and witnessing countless geniuses, yet he had never seen such a resilient and powerful True Immortal realm divine soul, completely defying the common sense of cultivation throughout the heavens.

How could a mere True Immortal realm third-grade cultivator, without roots or support, without the blessing of a top-tier bloodline, possess a divine soul strong enough to withstand a Golden Immortal’s Soul Refining Array?

This matter was strange in every way, far from an ordinary phenomenon.

“Something’s not right, something’s very suspicious.”

The Crimson Flame Venerable slowly withdrew most of his spiritual power, walked slowly to the edge of the stone platform, focused his mind, and leaned down to carefully examine the swaying purple divine soul, his eyes sharp as knives, trying to see through its hidden secrets.

Through layers of flowing purple light, he vaguely glimpsed a strange object silently floating at the very core of his divine soul.

It was a book entirely gilded, its pages ancient and thick, surrounded by a warm yet powerful golden light. The light was restrained and unassuming, yet it possessed an unyielding, majestic, and supreme aura.

The raging white-gold soul-refining fire, once it approached within half an inch of the gilded book, was blocked by an invisible and intangible golden barrier, unable to get any closer, much less damage the book or the core of his divine soul.

“What is that?”

Venerable Hanyuan also moved closer, and after seeing the strange phenomenon, his silver pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with shock, and his tone carried a hint of emotion for the first time. Venerable Chiyan

, with a tentative heart, activated his peak Golden Immortal divine sense, cautiously extending a wisp of divine thought, wanting to penetrate the purple divine soul aura and investigate the true origin and details of the golden book.

The instant his divine sense touched the purple soul barrier, a terrifying, boundless backlash originating from the very source of the Great Dao suddenly erupted, crashing down upon him. Its

power was incomparably formidable, far exceeding the limits of a Golden Immortal’s endurance, instantly repelling his divine sense and numbing his soul, causing his blood to surge.

The Crimson Flame Venerable’s body trembled violently, a sweet taste rising in his throat, and a wisp of pure golden divine blood uncontrollably spilled from the corner of his mouth, slowly dripping down his chin and landing on the stone platform, a strikingly conspicuous sight.

“A soul defense barrier at the Golden Immortal level?”

Venerable Hanyuan’s expression changed drastically, his face becoming completely solemn. “How could a True Immortal cultivator from the lower realm possess such a heaven-defying treasure within his soul? This is entirely against the rules of Heaven.”

Venerable Chiyan wiped the golden blood from the corner of his mouth, his face as gloomy as a deep, cold pool. His tone was extremely grave: “It wasn’t his own cultivation that propelled the power; it was this golden book that possessed its own primordial divine might, protecting the foundation of his soul.

This object’s aura is ancient and vast, its age far exceeding our cultivation years, its power surpassing that of a Golden Immortal, even… transcending the realm of Golden Immortal cultivation.”

The two locked eyes, silently staring at each other for a moment. No words were needed; both saw deep, heartfelt apprehension in each other’s eyes.

Unbeknownst to anyone, deep within Kai’s dormant sea of ​​consciousness, a strange change had already quietly occurred.

Since the beginning of his cultivation, the Great Luo Golden Scripture, which had been silently protecting him, finally awakened completely under the stimulation of the ultimate Soul Refining Fire, no longer lying dormant.

Without any dazzling fluctuations or violent roars, his entire sea of ​​consciousness trembled violently, the power of the laws of heaven and earth surging wildly.

The next second, a vast and gentle golden primordial light surged forth from the pages of the Great Luo Golden Scripture, like a surging tide, instantly sweeping across every corner of his sea of ​​consciousness, leaving no blind spots.

The golden light was gentle and soft, possessing no aggression whatsoever, yet it carried the supreme primordial power of the beginning of heaven and earth, impervious to all laws, and inherently possessed an absolute protective law. The

Soul Refining Fire that surged in from the outside, once it touched the golden barrier of his sea of ​​consciousness, was like the sun melting ice and snow, silently and rapidly annihilated, unable to penetrate his sea of ​​consciousness in the slightest, let alone harm Kai’s soul.

Meanwhile, the nearly shattered, teetering ice-blue sphere of light in the corner of his consciousness was also steadily enveloped and properly protected by the golden light emanating from the Great Luo Golden Scripture.

That was the remnant soul of the ancient Ice God, Bei Mingyuan, which had previously been scorched by the Soul Refining Fire, its essence damaged, its consciousness blurred, and it on the verge of dissipation.

Now, under the nourishment and repair of the golden light, the remnant soul’s essence rapidly stabilized, its dim luster gradually warmed and revived, and the fragmented structure of its divine soul was pieced back together.

Bei Mingyuan’s dormant consciousness slowly awakened, his divine soul’s perception gradually returned, and he clearly felt the warm, profound, stable, and reliable supreme power surrounding him. A monstrous wave surged within him, filled with utter shock.

As the ancestor of the ancient Ice God lineage, he had traversed countless ages, witnessing countless rare treasures and supreme divine abilities, yet he had never seen such a pure and fundamental protective power.

Without attack or destruction, without war or killing, solely for protecting the divine soul and nourishing its essence, it was the most supreme power of the Great Dao’s essence. The Great Luo Golden Scripture not only forcibly protected Kai’s soul, but also repaired and nourished the damaged soul’s structure in real time.

The fragments of his soul, previously torn apart and scattered by the Soul Refining Fire, were precisely gathered, pieced together, adhered, and reshaped by the golden light, returning steadily to their rightful place.

Those memories, obsessions, tender past experiences, and deep-seated hatreds that had been forcibly stripped away and were on the verge of being erased were all completely retrieved, firmly engraved deep within his soul, never to be erased.

The boundless pain quickly subsided, and his chaotic consciousness gradually cleared. Kai slowly regained his soul’s perception and clearly “saw” the entire scene within his sea of ​​consciousness.

In the center floated the ancient, gilded Great Luo Golden Scripture, surrounded by golden light; in the corner, an ice-blue orb of light lay dormant, its aura incredibly familiar.

He immediately summoned his remaining, faint divine sense and whispered, “Bei Mingyuan, is that you?”

Bei Mingyuan’s weak but thankful voice responded instantly, filled with the relief of surviving a calamity: “It’s me, Kai. Your soul is still intact, you’re extremely fortunate.”

“What exactly is the situation outside? My soul is in excruciating pain, almost collapsing.” Kai suppressed his doubts and asked in a deep voice.

“It was this golden tome deep within your soul that saved our lives.”

Bei Mingyuan quickly explained through telepathy, his tone full of awe, “The Golden Immortal Soul Refining Array and the Soul Burning Sacred Fire couldn’t break through the tome’s defenses, nor could they harm your soul in the slightest.

This thing has an unfathomable origin and boundless power; it is your supreme life-saving opportunity.”

Kai silently focused his mind, carefully summoning his divine sense and gently touching the Great Luo Golden Tome floating in the center.

The tome remained stable and silent, neither agitated nor still, only quietly emitting golden light, protecting his soul, silently guarding it, steady and reliable.

Inside the secret chamber, the two Golden Immortals remained relentless, launching wave after wave of attacks.

They pushed the Soul Refining Array to its limits, squeezing out every last drop of its primal power;

they personally unleashed their Golden Immortal primal sacred fire, directly scorching the soul barrier at close range;

they even sacrificed their own cultivation foundation, forcibly mobilizing their divine sense to violently tear apart the golden light and destroy the core scripture…

They exhausted every means,

yet the outcome remained the same. All their attacks and all their power were firmly blocked by the golden protective barrier derived from the Great Luo Golden Scripture, unable to penetrate it even slightly, achieving absolutely no result.

The two Golden Immortal powerhouses, standing at the pinnacle of the sixteenth heaven, joined forces and exhausted all their methods, yet they could not overcome a silent, ancient scripture. They lost face, their hearts filled with resentment and helplessness.

Crimson Flame Venerable’s face was extremely grim. He spoke in a low voice, full of apprehension: “This is no ordinary object. Its level far surpasses our cultivation realm.

It is definitely not an ordinary divine weapon or sacred artifact, and may even transcend the category of Xuanxian spiritual treasures… This object is suspected of carrying the primordial Dao of Heaven and Earth; it is a vessel of the Dao.”

Cold Abyss Venerable’s eyes flickered slightly, and he repeated in a low voice: “A vessel of the Dao?” ”

The power of chaos is a wisp of the primordial Dao’s manifestation, and this book is the true vessel of the primordial Dao.”

Crimson Flame Venerable’s voice was extremely low, full of awe. “It has already autonomously recognized Kai as its master, and the Dao has blessed it. We mortal Golden Immortals are powerless to shake it in the slightest.”

“Then what should we do with this person’s soul now?” Cold Abyss Venerable asked, looking up, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Crimson Flame Venerable remained silent for a long time, filled with resentment and unwillingness, yet helpless. He could only slowly withdraw all his spiritual power, and the light of the Soul Refining Array gradually dimmed, and the raging Soul Refining Fire was completely extinguished.

Kai’s purple divine soul re-levitated in mid-air above the stone platform, its purple light even brighter than before the refinement. The golden luster of the Great Luo Golden Scripture shone faintly through the texture of his divine soul, mysterious and unfathomable.

“Refining it is hopeless, destroying it is powerless.”

Venerable Crimson Flame’s tone was somber, filled with resentment. “Leaving it here will only create constant fear, and it will become a major threat sooner or later; forcibly suppressing it will inevitably lead to unforeseen changes and endless troubles. Both are potential dangers, and it’s a difficult choice.”

Venerable Cold Abyss pondered for a moment, his gaze firm, and suggested in a deep voice, “Send it to the Seventeenth Heaven.”

Venerable Crimson Flame looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

“Both of us have reached the pinnacle of cultivation, breaking through the shackles of the Golden Immortal realm. According to regulations, we should be heading to the central hub of the Seventeenth Heaven soon to report for duty,”

Venerable Hanyuan explained clearly and calmly. “The Seventeenth Heaven is teeming with powerful figures, countless veteran Golden Immortals, and many more hidden talents and extraordinary individuals cultivating in seclusion.

There must be powerful beings there who can discern the secrets of heaven and identify supreme treasures. They can either decipher the hidden secrets of the Golden Scriptures or forcibly refine Kai’s chaotic soul.

If we remain in the Sixteenth Heaven, we will be helpless; sending him to the Seventeenth Heaven, with the help of high-level powerful beings, will surely lead to a solution and eliminate future troubles.”

Venerable Chiyan pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, and slowly nodded in agreement: “This makes sense. We will proceed as you say and depart for the Seventeenth Heaven immediately.”

He raised his hand and condensed a thick, pure shell of Golden Immortal primordial spiritual power, carefully sealing Kai’s soul back into the Soul-Suppressing Pearl.

No more soul-refining restrictions were added; only basic sealing was performed to avoid needlessly stimulating the Great Dao scriptures and inviting unknown disasters.

“First, imprison that Ice God Jiang Xuelan strictly, lock her in the Heavenly Prison Secret Realm, and seal her layer by layer. After you and I return from reporting to the Seventeenth Heaven, we will deal with her carefully and extract all her value.”

Venerable Crimson Flame put away the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, turned around, and strode towards the door of the secret chamber.

Venerable Cold Abyss followed closely behind and left together.

The heavy meteorite iron secret chamber door slowly closed, the mechanism locked, and darkness once again swallowed the entire secret chamber.

The residual heat on the stone platform had not dissipated, and the air was filled with a faint acrid smell of burnt souls, silent and concealing secrets.

Inside the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, Kai’s soul was extremely exhausted and slowly fell into a deep sleep to recuperate and deplete his source.

The Great Luo Golden Scripture withdrew most of its outward golden light, leaving only a thin layer of source barrier, firmly protecting the core of his soul, safe and sound.

The remnant soul of Bei Mingyuan, nourished by the warmth, lay dormant, resting peacefully and awaiting its opportune moment.

The road ahead was long and arduous, the void a barrier, the Seventeenth Heaven unpredictable, countless unknown dangers and supreme experts waiting silently in the distance.

Meanwhile, throughout the Sixteenth Heaven, killing intent surged, and war reignited.

Wei Pengkun dared not delay. Taking advantage of the momentum of his great victory, the imprisonment of Kai, the destruction of Freedom Valley, and the leaderless state of the Heavenly Resistance Army, he swiftly mobilized the elite forces of the entire Divine Clan Alliance, preparing for battle, sharpening their swords.

Tens of thousands of elite Divine Clan cultivators, clad in armor and wielding weapons, their spiritual power surging, their killing intent soaring, gathered at the reviewing stand outside the Divine Temple, their ranks impregnable, their fighting spirit fierce.

Clad in full battle armor, bathed in divine light, Wei Pengkun stood atop the high platform, his sharp gaze sweeping over the army below. His voice boomed, echoing across the land, each word ringing with conviction: “The Spirit Race is obstinate and unrepentant, disregarding the divine might of the God Race, openly colluding with the traitor Kai.

They have allied with the Valley of Freedom to oppose the orthodox God Race, disrupting the order of the Sixteen Heavens. This is a heinous crime punishable by extermination, unforgivable!”

“Today, I will personally lead the army, divided into three routes, straight to the Ancient Forest of Ten Thousand Spirits! We will raze the Spirit Race’s ancestral land to the ground, annihilate their core members, slaughter the old, weak, women, and children, eradicating them completely, ensuring no future threat!”

“Let all the alien races of the heavens witness that those who oppose the gods and defy their authority will only face death, with no chance of survival!”

Tens of thousands of divine cultivators roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth, their murderous aura soaring into the sky, causing the earth to tremble slightly, their power terrifying beyond measure. Despite their injuries, the powerful warriors and the strategist generals accompanied the army on the expedition, daring not to disobey orders.

The powerful warrior, whose Pure Yang Undying Body was severely damaged, had only 30% of his peak combat power remaining, yet he still wielded his divine weapon, charging ahead to intimidate the enemy. The strategist general,

whose whisk was broken, had his formation strength greatly reduced, but he remained clear-headed, responsible for the overall command of the army, marching and deploying troops, breaking through formations and attacking strongholds, and controlling the overall battle situation.

Three thousand elite vanguard cavalry launched a frontal assault on the Misty Forest, tearing apart the outer defenses;

two thousand left-wing cultivators quietly bypassed the northern mountains and forests, flanking and cutting off the retreat route;

two thousand right-wing cultivators rushed to the southern pass to prevent escape and encircle and intercept them;

the remaining three thousand elite central troops, personally led by Wei Pengkun, advanced to the rear, heading straight for the core of the Myriad Spirits Ancient Forest, determined to annihilate the entire clan in one fell swoop.

Beyond the Misty Forest, the ancient spirit race’s protective barrier, which had operated for millennia, shone with boundless spiritual light and possessed an impenetrable fortress. However, under the relentless onslaught of the divine army, the overwhelming holy light and relentless bombardment of the array rapidly eroded the barrier, leaving it cracked and on the verge of collapse.

Zhi Zhan, shrewd and strategic, surveyed the area from a high vantage point, instantly discerning the flaws in the barrier’s formation. He pinpointed the weakest point and loudly ordered the cultivators to concentrate their firepower for a targeted assault.

Golden light surged continuously, relentlessly bombarding the single point. In less than half a day, the millennia-old protective barrier shattered, dust billowing, and the defensive line completely breached.

Elder Qingxuan personally led three hundred elite spirit race warriors, holding the frontline pass to the death, refusing to retreat an inch.

Three hundred against ten thousand—a vast disparity in strength, a difference as vast as heaven and earth. Even with the exceptional talent and formidable physiques of each spirit race cultivator, they could not withstand the overwhelming onslaught of the divine army.

Even more deadly was the fact that the pure holy light spiritual power of the gods naturally countered the wood-based spiritual power of the spirit race.

The spirit race’s defensive techniques—vine bindings, piercing spikes, poisonous spores, and plant mazes—were greatly weakened under the overwhelming holy light, rapidly dissolving and becoming utterly vulnerable.

“Hold the pass to the death! Protect the ancient forest clan! Don’t retreat a single step!”

Elder Qingxuan roared, his hair and beard bristling. His azure spiritual light surged, and thousands of thick vines burst from the earth, coiling and binding a group of charging gods, attempting to annihilate them.

But the next second, scorching holy light swept in, instantly burning the vines to ashes, reducing them to nothingness.

Bing Xue’er stood atop a thousand-year-old tree, her white robes fluttering, her ice whip lashing wildly, a chilling mist spreading. Each strike could freeze several gods into solid ice sculptures, demonstrating her formidable combat prowess.

The divine cultivators poured in relentlessly, wave after wave, while her spiritual energy was rapidly depleted. In moments, her face paled, her breath became weak, and she was utterly exhausted.

Bing Fenghan stood guard beside her, wielding an ice spear, fighting fiercely, the spear tip stained with divine blood as he slashed down enemies. His shoulders and back were repeatedly scorched by holy light, the wounds gaping open, blood soaking through his heavy robes, his injuries worsening.

These members of the Ice God lineage had followed the Spirit Clan to safety, but now they faced death once more.

In just one hour of bloody battle, the outer defenses collapsed completely. More than half of the three hundred elite Spirit Clan soldiers were killed or wounded; corpses littered the battlefield, blood flowed like rivers, and the pass was a scene of utter devastation.

Elder Qingxuan’s eyes were red-rimmed as he watched his kinsmen and descendants, who had been with him day and night, fall one after another, dying on the battlefield. His heart was torn apart, filled with unbearable pain.

These elites were the future hope of the Spirit Clan, the backbone protecting their ancestral land, yet now they were all bleeding on the battlefield, powerless to reverse the tide.

“Retreat across the board! Retreat to the heart of the ancient forest and hold out to the death, relying on the terrain!” With no

other choice, Elder Qingxuan gritted his teeth and ordered the retreat, tears streaming down his face.

The remaining Spirit Clan cultivators fought and retreated, suffering defeat after defeat, finally reaching the depths of the Myriad Spirits Ancient Forest.

Wei Pengkun’s army followed closely behind, relentlessly pursuing them. Their iron cavalry trampled through vegetation, their holy light scorching the forest. They burned

, killed, and looted along the way, committing countless atrocities. The flames of war quickly spread throughout the entire ancient forest. Deep within the forest, ancient trees, some ten thousand years old, burned fiercely in the holy light and flames, billowing thick smoke. Their

trunks charred and broken, collapsing with a deafening roar. Newly awakened spiritual plants were uprooted and trampled, their life force extinguished.

Spirit Clan villages were forcibly breached; the elderly, women, and children had nowhere to escape and were all surrounded. Despair enveloped the entire ancient forest.

Chief Qingmu stood atop the high platform before the Qingmu Palace, gazing at the raging flames and billowing smoke, listening to the cries of his people and the battle cries of their own. His face was ashen and his heart ached.

His natal spirit wood staff trembled slightly, and his azure primordial light flowed ceaselessly around him.

He had reached the ninth rank of the True Immortal Realm, making him the strongest among the Spirit Race. Yet, facing tens of thousands of elite Divine Race soldiers, and two wounded but still formidable Divine Race generals, he knew in his heart that the odds of victory were slim, and the situation was hopeless.

Several elderly elders rushed forward, knelt, and kowtowed, tears streaming down their faces, their voices hoarse with despair: “Clan Chief, the tide has turned, there’s no turning back!

Immediately surrender the city to the Divine Race, hand over all spiritual vein resources and inherited cultivation techniques, and perhaps we can preserve the remaining bloodline of the Spirit Race, leaving a glimmer of hope. Do not resist to the end, lest you destroy the entire clan!”

Another elder, filled with regret, sobbed softly, “We shouldn’t have been soft-hearted and formed an alliance, we shouldn’t have helped Kai, we shouldn’t have gotten involved in the mess of Freedom Valley! If we had

just lived peacefully in the Ancient Forest, why would we have brought about this catastrophe? Kai is now barely able to protect himself, his soul sealed, why should our Spirit Race be buried with him?”

More and more clansmen knelt and begged, their cries, regrets, and complaints mingling together, filling the valley, the atmosphere of despair growing ever heavier.

Panic gripped the hearts of the people, the morale of the army crumbled, and the shadow of annihilation loomed over every member of the Spirit Race.

Clan Chief Qingmu slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the air thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and countless memories flashed through his mind.

For a thousand years, the Ancient Forest of Myriad Spirits had been peaceful, its inhabitants living in harmony and contentment, undisturbed by worldly strife.

Then, Kai ventured alone into the forest, exhausting his cultivation to repair the depleted spiritual veins and save the entire clan.

Elder Qingxuan led his elite troops into battle, his resolute figure, full of vigor and determined to protect his clan to the death… Scene after scene vividly flashed before his eyes, unforgettable.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze resolute, without the slightest hesitation. His wooden staff slammed heavily onto the bluestone ground, a dull thud echoing throughout the valley, drowning out all cries of sorrow and complaint.

“Fellow clansmen, rise!”

His voice was not loud, yet it was authoritative and profound, striking straight to the heart: “Our Spirit Clan has dwelled in the Ancient Forest of Ten Thousand Spirits for generations, guarding the mountains and protecting the spiritual veins, living in peace with the world, owing nothing to anyone in the heavens.

In the past, when the spiritual veins were depleted and the entire clan was on the verge of extinction, it was Kai who devoted himself to helping, repairing the spiritual veins, continuing the foundation of our Spirit Clan for ten thousand years, and saving the lives of all the young and old.

This life-saving grace will be remembered by the Spirit Clan for generations to come, and will never be forgotten. How can we betray this righteousness and forget our gratitude in times of crisis?”

“The Divine Race’s massive invasion today is not because we aided Kai.”

The Greenwood Clan Chief’s tone grew increasingly resolute, his gaze sweeping over all the clansmen present, each word powerful. “The Divine Race is ambitious, desiring to unify the Sixteen Heavens, enslave all other races, and claim supremacy solely for our Divine Race!

Today they destroy the Valley of Freedom, tomorrow they slaughter our Spirit Race, and the day after they will conquer the rest of the weaker races! Even if we shut ourselves in, bow our heads in submission, and sue for peace, we will still not escape the calamity of annihilation and enslavement in the future!”

“Today’s battle is not for Kai, nor for outside aid, but for the survival of the Spirit Clan’s bloodline! It’s so that our descendants will not be slaves to the God Clan! It’s to defend our ancestral homeland, to uphold the dignity of our race!”

“Rather than kneeling and groveling, living a life of humiliation, we would rather stand tall, fight to the death, and die standing!” As

the words fell, their spirits soared.

The kneeling clansmen rose, wiping away tears, gripping their weapons and staffs tightly. The fear in their eyes faded, replaced by a burning fighting spirit, their bloodlust fully rekindled.

“We are willing to follow our chieftain and defend the ancient forest to the death!”

“We would rather die standing than live kneeling!”

“We will fight to the bitter end, we will never surrender!”

Hundreds of remaining soldiers roared in unison, their voices powerful and resounding, facing the tens of thousands of God Clan soldiers without fear.