The instantaneous collapse they had expected did not occur.
No one knew what material the Ancient Reception Hall had been forged from, but it was unimaginably hard. Dark runes on its surface flashed madly, forming an incomparably tenacious protective light screen that actually withstood, by sheer force, this terrifying siege powerful enough to blow apart an entire starfield!
The light screen rippled violently, flickering in and out. The ancient hall itself let out an overburdened rumble, and fine cracks appeared across its body, but it did not disintegrate!
“Hmph! Troublesome indeed! Again!”
Xi Huang roared, and the True Solar Fire burned even more fiercely.
The Sword Sect Immortal King changed his sword momentum once more, turning his chop into a thrust. Sword light condensed into a single point, attempting to pierce through the light screen.
The Panshi Immortal King’s fists were like beating war drums, hammering down in an endless barrage.
Ao Lin’s immortal dragon tail swept sideways, lashing the void until it exploded.
Lu Xuan’s gaze was sharp as he captured the minute fluctuations and the patterns of law circulation produced within the protective light screen under the continuous assault.
He circulated the method of severing the Three Corpses to its limit. The intentions of Good, Evil, and Self flowed in turn—at times, he used the destructive will of the Evil Corpse to forcefully attack a single point.
At times, he used the purifying Dao resonance of the Good Corpse to erode the runes; at times, he used the detached perspective of the Self Corpse to perceive its core nodes.
“Fellow Daoists, concentrate your strength and attack the third rotating dark-purple rune on the upper left!”
Lu Xuan suddenly transmitted his voice in a shout.
That was a relatively weak energy node within the defensive system that he had discerned!
Though the several giants were somewhat surprised, out of trust in the strength and insight Lu Xuan had displayed earlier, they shifted their attacks without hesitation!
Golden Crow divine fire, the Sword Sect’s sharp edge, Panshi’s colossal strength, the true dragon’s heaven-rending power, chaotic battle intent…
Five forces capable of destroying heaven and earth struck that dark-purple rune at the same time!
“Crack—!”
A crisp sound rang out!
That rune shattered in response!
Immediately after, like a domino effect, the circulation of the entire protective light screen abruptly froze. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across it, and finally, with a mournful cry, it collapsed with a thunderous crash!
The protection had been broken!
“Kill our way in!”
Golden light burst from Xi Huang’s eyes. Taking the lead, he transformed into a streak of golden light and charged straight toward the wide-open doors of the ancient hall! The Sword Sect Immortal King and the others followed close behind!
Lu Xuan was just about to rush in as well when his heart suddenly lurched. An extremely intense sense of danger came from behind him!
After the shattered protective light screen dispersed, the ancient hall’s true body was revealed. The engraved dark runes had not dimmed at all; instead, they turned scarlet, as though engorged with blood!
An even more ancient and terrifying will awakened from within the hall!
“Buzz—!”
From within the doors of the ancient hall, endless darkness surged out like a tide, instantly swallowing Xi Huang, who had charged at the very front!
That darkness was not a simple substance, but a bizarre power that corroded the divine soul and twisted the mind!
“Xi Huang, be careful!”
The Sword Sect Immortal King’s sword light swelled as he tried to cut open the darkness and rescue him.
However, from within that darkness, a giant claw formed entirely from dark laws suddenly reached out, carrying eerie whispers that seized the heart and soul as it grabbed toward Xi Huang!
The might of this claw far surpassed that of the previous dark beings. It had already reached the level of a peak giant!
Xi Huang roared, burning his Sun Dao Fire to the utmost as he clashed with it head-on!
“Boom!”
An energy storm exploded. Xi Huang was actually shaken back several steps, and even the Sun Dao Fire around him dimmed somewhat. A trace of horror flashed through his eyes!
At the same time, in other directions around the ancient hall, several figures with equally terrifying auras appeared. Some were twisted demonic shadows, some were rotting ancient corpses, and some were pure aggregates of dark energy… All of them exuded auras no weaker than Immortal King giants. Clearly, they were the true guardians of this ancient hall!
“As expected, there was an ambush!”
The Panshi Immortal King said in a deep voice, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ao Lin Immortal King as they blocked the attacks of two other dark giants.
The situation reversed in an instant!
Not only had they failed to swiftly break into the ancient hall, they had instead fallen into the predicament of being attacked from both inside and outside!
Lu Xuan’s eyes were icy. He knew he could no longer hold back.
This ancient hall was far more dangerous than they had anticipated!
He let out a long cry and stopped suppressing himself!
“Chaos Battle Immortal Domain, open!”
With him as the center, a hazy domain interwoven with blood-gold battle intent and chaotic qi suddenly unfurled, instantly enveloping an area of ten thousand li!
Within this domain, his aura soared, and his control over laws was greatly strengthened, while those dark beings were clearly suppressed, their movements becoming sluggish!
He struck out with both claws at once. With his left hand, he evolved the Nirvana Sun Fist, utmost yang and utmost hardness, blasting toward the dark giant claw that was grabbing at Xi Huang.
With his right hand, he brought his fingers together and unleashed the Three-Corpses Immortal-Slaying Finger. The intentions of Good, Evil, and Self fused as it stabbed straight into the core consciousness of that giant claw!
“Bang!”
The dark giant claw was struck by the utmost yang fist intent until its black qi collapsed, and then its core was hit by the finger radiance that specialized in slaughtering divine souls. It let out a soundless, miserable howl and abruptly withdrew into the darkness deep within the ancient hall.
Lu Xuan took a step forward and arrived beside Xi Huang, the power of the Chaos Battle Immortal Domain reinforcing him. “Ancestor, let us join hands and slay one first!”
Xi Huang’s spirit was greatly roused. Feeling the amplification brought by Lu Xuan’s domain, he shouted, “Good!”
One old and one young, two Immortal Kings of the Golden Crow lineage, erupted at this moment with astonishing tacit understanding.
Xi Huang took the main offensive role, his Sun Dao Fire burning the heavens and boiling the seas as he pinned down another dark demonic shadow that had pounced over.
Lu Xuan, meanwhile, was like a ghost. Relying on the concealment and extreme speed of the Chaos Battle Immortal Domain, he shuttled across the battlefield.
He specialized in attacking the enemy’s weak points. The Dao resonance of the Three Corpses flowed—at times, he weakened the opponent with purifying power; at times, he attacked with destructive will; at times, he stood detached from all things, searching for a chance to kill in a single strike!
With Lu Xuan’s assistance, Xi Huang finally seized an opportunity. A Solar Emperor Fist fused with his lifelong cultivation smashed viciously into the head of that dark demonic shadow!
“No—!”
The demonic shadow let out a shrill spiritual scream, and its body disintegrated inch by inch within the utmost yang Dao fire!
A dark giant had fallen!
At the same time, the Sword Sect Immortal King and the others each stabilized their footing, engaging the remaining dark giants in fierce slaughter.
With the pressure slightly reduced, Lu Xuan swept his gaze across the battlefield, finally fixing it on the ancient hall itself, which was still radiating eerie red light.
His goal was not merely to repel the guards, but… to bring down this ancient hall!
“Ancestor, fellow Daoists, lend me your strength! I will forcibly refine the core of this hall!”
Lu Xuan shouted through voice transmission. At the same time, regardless of the consumption, he contracted the Chaos Battle Immortal Domain and used all his strength to envelop the Ancient Reception Hall!
He intended to use his own Dao to forcibly erode and suppress this dark creation!
When Xi Huang and the others heard this, though they felt it was risky, seeing Lu Xuan’s resolute will—and convinced by the strength and methods he had just displayed—they all erupted with power, tightly entangling their respective opponents to create an opportunity for Lu Xuan!
Lu Xuan sat cross-legged above the ancient hall. Chaos Battle Immortal power poured down like a waterfall, scouring the hall.
The scarlet runes on the hall’s body resisted violently, erupting with powerful impacts of dark will as they attempted to erode Lu Xuan’s divine soul.
Lu Xuan guarded his original heart. The illusory forms of the Three Corpses rose and fell behind him, dissolving all negative assaults.
His divine sense was like the finest of tendrils, penetrating deep into the ancient hall’s interior, exploring its core structure and searching for the “central hub” that controlled everything!
This was a contest of will and Dao cultivation, and the danger involved was in no way inferior to the battle of giants outside!