"Can’t delay any longer!"

Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable gritted his teeth, a hint of retreat flashing in his eyes.

He felt his condition rapidly deteriorating; if this consumption continued, he might not need his opponent to act, as he himself would first be drained by this seal.

"Must retreat within the sect’s remnant array, use the terrain to hold, and plan from there!" He made up his mind and prepared to feint and withdraw.

However, at the moment when his mind relaxed, and mana within him became slightly sluggish due to prolonged battle and pushing his limits, even unnoticed by himself.

Nine Nether Elder took action.

On one hand, he sensed Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s intent to retreat.

On the other hand, the golden seal had absorbed enough of his primordial qi and blood essence.

"Soul Devour Break Primordial, Turnback Owner!"

At this moment, the ghostly light in Nine Nether Elder’s deep eye sockets suddenly burst forth with a piercing light.

With a pinch of his withered hands forming the magic technique, a ghostly dharma seal similar to the golden seal condensed in the void.

Buzz!

In an instant, a silent dark ripple emanated from the ghostly dharma seal, enveloping Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable and the golden seal.

"What?"

Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s fierceness and retreat momentarily froze, replaced by boundless shock and disbelief.

He felt his connection with the golden seal, once like an extension of his own arm, forcibly altered and reverse-controlled in an instant.

The emperor’s might and terrifying force, originally directed at Xu Ping and Nine Nether Elder, seemed to be forcibly redirected.

Returning with even more ferocity and violence, targeting—himself.

"No!"

Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s eyes bulged in rage, yet he was unable to respond.

The golden seal, infused with most of his primordial qi, blood essence, and mana, crashed onto his own chest with earth-shattering power.

Boom!

Like a star exploding!

The golden emperor’s might clashed fiercely and brutally with Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s protective divine light and Divinity Transformation Body.

His pale white Dao robe instantly turned to ash, and the Divinity Transformation body akin to Fourth Rank Middle Grade, like fragile porcelain, began spider-webbing cracks from his chest.

Then, amidst a string of bone-cracking sounds that grated the teeth, it shattered with a roar.

Golden blood sprayed like torrential rain.

"Pfft!"

Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable spewed more blood mixed with internal organ fragments, his breath plummeting like an avalanche.

He gazed at Nine Nether Elder, his eyes filled with horror.

"How is it possible...how did you gain Emperor Xuan’s Treasure Control Technique?"

Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s shattered throat emitted a hoarse sound, filled with incomprehensible fear.

Xu Ping, witnessing this astonishing reversal in the blink of an eye, couldn’t help but shrink his eyes violently, sucking in a cold breath even with his current mentality.

The trump card upon which Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable relied to turn the tide, could actually...be manipulated by Nine Nether Elder?

Moreover, Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable mentioned Emperor Xuan’s Treasure Control Technique.

Was this also Nine Nether Elder’s contingency plan?

However, the battlefield permitted no hesitation.

"Strike when he’s vulnerable, to ensure demise!"

Xu Ping suppressed the raging waves in his heart, his eyes exuding tangible murderous intent.

The mana within him burned like a vast river of stars.

The Canghua Divine Wood Sword in his hand let out a resounding sword hum that echoed through the skies, its body intertwined with green and purple light, Thunder Dragon, and wood lines seemed to materialize.

"Slash!!"

No fancy transformations, no complex routes, just a sword light galaxy, pure to the extreme, condensed to the extreme, brimming with endless destruction and rebirth Dao intent.

This sword light galaxy spanned the heavens and earth, as if splitting the space in two.

Where it passed, all things returned to the void, instantly encircling the physically shattered, at the weakest state Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable completely.

"No—!! Ancestor!!"

"Celestial Venerable!!"

Below, all remaining Heaven-Suppressing Sect cultivators, whether Nascent Soul elders or low-rank disciples, all cried out in despair.

They watched helplessly as their ancestor’s body crumbled and dissipated under that sword, like ice and snow under sunlight.

Even the Divinity Transformation Nascent Soul, filled with cracks and attempting escape, was struck by the destructive Sword Qi at the edge of the sword light galaxy, let out an extreme tragic scream, its light dimming to almost complete extinction.

The sky had truly fallen!

However, Xu Ping seized the opportunity relentlessly.

His figure moved like lightning, about to close in and deliver the final blow, obliterating the Nanchuan Realm’s hegemon, eradicating future threats!

Yet, just as his sword force was about to release—

A shadow emerged like a phantom, even faster than him, suddenly appearing beside the dying, about to dissipate Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s Nascent Soul!

It was Nine Nether Elder!

His desiccated hand extended, his fingers entwined with numerous fine, life-like ghostly chains, effortlessly piercing through the weak defense surrounding Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s Nascent Soul.

Then, Nine Nether Elder caught it like a chick, firmly grasping it in his palm.

Simultaneously, Nine Nether Elder attempted to intercept Xu Ping’s inevitable strike.

His sleeve billowed, the pure ghostly aura instantly condensed into an exceedingly thick spectral barrier.

Yet, the sword light galaxy’s power clearly exceeded Nine Nether Elder’s expectations.

"Whoosh—!"

Like a hot knife cutting through solidified butter, the seemingly impregnable spectral barrier, before the sword light galaxy, sustained less than a single breath, emitted a mournful sound incapable of bearing the weight, and shattered with a roar.