Xu Yang seized the immortal marrow with a single palm, his blade flashing as he rose into the air.

BOOM!

CLANG!

Blade and sword collided, unleashing a thunderous roar, waves surging as violently as a deluge or tidal surge.

"The gap between him and me grows ever smaller."

Xu Yang’s body shuddered; a ray of brilliance flashed in his eyes. Borrowing the terrifying force, he floated away with exquisite ease.

SWISH!

He retreated far back, his figure flickering, then darted straight toward the War King Clan’s ranks.

Xiao Ming’s body trembled, battered by immense power, forcing him several steps back, his eyes filled with horror.

"That bastard... How is his power improving so quickly?"

Xiao Ming was utterly shaken.

He knew—this time, he’d held absolutely nothing back.

Even tricks like the ’Immortal Bridge’ had been unleashed, yet he still couldn’t suppress Xu Yang.

And was instead forced several steps back by Xu Yang’s assault.

It was utterly unbelievable!

Watching as Xu Yang swiftly merged into the War King Clan’s party, Xiao Ming gnashed his teeth with fury. He hadn’t captured him, but had even lost the immortal marrow—such a result was intolerable.

Yet, he could not continue his pursuit.

The War King Clan’s force was simply too great.

Nearby, Jun Baimu stared in complete disbelief, utterly stunned!

Xu Yang had actually escaped Xiao Ming’s grasp, and what’s more, seemed to do so effortlessly—he even forced Xiao Ming back.

And had stolen the immortal marrow!

This was Xiao Ming!

Undisputed first prodigy of the Spirit Realm... Was this legend about to be broken by Xu Yang?

"Impossible."

"Xiao Ming was just careless this time!"

Jun Baimu shook his head fiercely, inwardly defending Xiao Ming.

Glaring at Xu Yang’s figure as it gradually faded from view, Jun Baimu’s eyes grew vicious: "You got lucky this time; next chance, Xiao Ming will definitely cut you down!"

"Xu Yang, are you all right?"

An elder cast a glance at Xiao Ming in the distance.

Xu Yang shook his head lightly: "No harm done, Elder. Don’t mind me—hurry and gather the immortal qi. Here, they dare not approach."

Seeing Xu Yang completely unharmed, the elder nodded subtly, but inside he was secretly astonished.

To escape from Xiao Ming so easily—Xu Yang had grown stronger than before, and the gap between them was ever shrinking.

Without question, this was deeply inspiring to all.

Xu Yang surveyed the surrounding tumult of the team, but did not press on further.

Amidst the chaotic scramble, just in this short moment, the immortal qi was almost entirely depleted.

The immortal qi he’d seized was already astonishing in quantity.

And with that strand of immortal marrow, he’d gained more than most top Shenxiao Realm experts.

Xu Yang darted onto the bone vessel, sitting cross-legged, inspecting the immortal marrow in hand.

Just the swirl of immortal qi surrounding the marrow’s surface was impressive.

He examined it carefully.

Within, the immortal marrow was crystal-bright and translucent, like a miniature immortal vein hidden among the streams of qi.

The immortal qi within it—truly terrifying.

"If I want to refine this immortal marrow into purest essence qi, it will probably take nearly ten days."

Xu Yang licked his lips, his excitement barely contained.

Snatching treasure from Xiao Ming’s grip—what bliss!

With a thought, Xu Yang flipped his palm and tossed the immortal marrow into the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod, then raised his head to watch the retreating Xiao Ming: "You missed your chance this time. When next we meet, the gap between us will only continue to close."

Heaven Locking intent had directly sealed away Xiao Ming’s special technique—proving the fruits of his recent cultivation.

Absorbing the divine chains from the Tripod of Heaven and Earth’s surface—it had greatly advanced his Heaven Locking intent.

Just then, Xue Ming and the trio—Shi Hu, Stone Jade—returned together to the bone boat, faces flushed with excitement, brimming with joy.

"How did you fare?"

Xu Yang asked casually.

"Heh, pretty damn good!"

"This was a free gift of fortune. The training tower’s gone, but there’s this kind of windfall."

"I snagged nearly fifty clusters, and even slew two Jun Family bastards."

...

As the immortal qi faded, martial artists of all factions returned to their bone vessels.

Compared to before, they were now short by several dozen.

Yet, all forces seemed to tacitly ignore the events, as if nothing had happened at all.

The crossing continued onward.

On every bone ship, the air was alight, charged with excitement and anticipation.

The martial artists were greedily devouring immortal qi, strengthening their foundations.

On the foremost bone vessel of the Five Elements Celestial Realm—

Yun Zheng, Saint Monarch Nantian, Jun Wuji, as well as Xiao Ming and Gou Mu.

"Lord Gou Mu, after we reach the true Ancient Land battlefield, will everything that happened back then also be manifested?" Xiao Ming asked with awe.

"Of course."

Gou Mu replied with steely certainty, voice flat: "And there, you will truly fall if you die."

At these words, Xiao Ming and the others all turned to glance at the many bone ships astern.

"Those of little importance—abandon them as you must."

"The more that perish, the more thoroughly this ancient immortal artifact can be ritually awakened and revived."

Gou Mu revealed a golden bone blade in his palm, but it glimmered dull and lifeless, utterly devoid of aura.

"This immortal’s memory is incomplete—I only recall that after that war, though the devil immortals here were exterminated, the ancient immortals were also almost wiped out."

"This place is a stronghold of the devil immortals. There must be supreme treasures here. Though the devil immortals fell, perhaps some secret techniques remain; when this ancient immortal weapon awakens, it will be our greatest support!"

Finishing, Gou Mu swept an indifferent gaze across those standing aboard the bone boat.

Yun Zheng, Saint Monarch Nantian, and Jun Wuji exchanged glances, their expressions shifting with uncertainty.

"Rest assured, my lord. We understand what must be done!"

Yun Zheng suddenly chuckled low.

...

Time slipped by in silence.

Aboard the bone ship, Shi Feng, Xue Ming, and others absorbed the immortal qi.

As for Xu Yang—he was refining the Heaven-Locking Divine Chain.

The immortal qi, meanwhile, was still being transformed inside the Divine Tripod into purest essence qi.

Above the abyss, deathly stillness reigned.

Beneath unbroken calm, the bone ships bore countless martial artists steadily onward.

No one knew how much time had passed.

Suddenly, at the end of the void, land appeared.

Drawing near, violent commotions rose from the land beyond.

The earth quaked and mountains trembled; heaven and earth turned upside down.

Like wild beasts stampeding—or legions charging in battle.

BOOM!

BANG!

And the harsh, piercing cacophony of blades crashing and armor smashing.

Fragments of immortal light and swirling haze, furious as tidal waves, burst forth, flooding the heavens and earth.

The astonishing noise snapped everyone from their cultivation.

"Land!"

"The true ancient land!"

"Hiss—what’s causing that uproar? Is there battle raging above?"

...

A tumult ensued as one figure after another sprang up, gazing toward the land ahead.

Xu Yang’s eyes glittered—if everything in the abyss below was a manifestation, then this true ancient land battlefield surely would be, too.

"Go!"

Shi Feng called out in a low voice, leaping forth.

The masses surged up as one, soaring toward the land.

Reaching level with the land, all of them gasped in shock, stunned as if in a dream.

GULP!

Xu Yang couldn’t help but swallow hard, his face pale as paper.

On the vast, mottled expanse, colossal peaks lay shattered, mountains split, ruins everywhere!

At this moment, myriad immortal lights illuminated the scene.

Bands of light and shadow intertwined and clashed in fierce battle.

Scarlet shrouded all, with blood staining the firmament, slaughter sweeping across the wilds!

At a single glance, swarms of immortals could be seen arrayed in every region, stretching far beyond sight.

The battlefields were everywhere.

Mad fighting ruled—immortal might flooding all!

Even if only an illusion, the aura of slaughter and destruction suffocated the crowd, making the scalp tingle and the mind tremble!