"Fellow Daoist Gongsun, what do you mean?" Xu Xue asked, but Gongsun Rui didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at Wang Haiwen with a meaningful expression before speaking.

"The Evil Ghost Dream has nine hundred and seventy-six evil ghosts as far as I know." He started, and several grand elders narrowed their eyes.

After all, Meng Quan’s ghost banner was his natal weapon, and it was difficult for outsiders to know all its secrets.

However, from the sound of it, Gongsun Rui knew the specific number of evil ghosts within the banner and didn’t need to estimate as everyone else did.

’As expected of a hidden clan.’ Xuanyuan Feng thought but didn’t say anything.

"Of the nine hundred and seventy-six, nine hundred and fifty-four are level five, level six, and level seven, while the rest are level eight." Gongsun Rui revealed, and several people gasped.

"The Evil Ghost Dream has twenty-two level eight evil ghosts?" Someone asked, looking at Wang Haiwen for confirmation.

However, Wang Haiwen didn’t answer but instead looked smug, implicitly confirming Gongsun Rui’s information.

"Even an early-stage tribulation transcending realm cultivator may not be able to deal with twenty-two level-eight evil ghosts." Zhao Yufeng observed, but Xu Xue shook her head.

"The situation is not so simple." She said and quickly continued.

"It’s not difficult for the Evil Ghost Dream to deploy hundreds of low-level evil ghosts, but it’s not the same for level eight ghosts. He may not be able to use all twenty-two ghosts at the same time."

"I agree with fellow Daoist Xu, but the little beauty is a fusion stage realm cultivator, after all. Although his reserves are impressive, his qi and soul power may not be able to withstand so much consumption. Also, he is inherently at a disadvantage because he requires more effort to deal with the ghosts than the Evil Ghost Dream needs to release them."

"There is also the blood essence. Don’t forget that the Evil Ghost Dream has just used his blood essence to strengthen the ghost banner." Su Bingbing observed with a worried expression.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, what are your thoughts on the blood essence?" Luo Jianfeng asked, but his question was met with mocking laughter and a smug look.

"It wasn’t easy for your Tianxuan sect to recruit two geniuses. Unfortunately, neither will be able to leave this Golden Rock Island." The man said in a matter-of-fact voice.

Hearing this, Luo Jianfeng narrowed his eyes, and several Tianxuan sect tribulation transcending realm elders frowned in discomfort.

From the moment he decided to draw attention to Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan, Luo Jianfeng expected that the two disciples might fall at the Golden Rock Island.

However, it was still uncomfortable to hear the enemy talking about it in such a nonchalant voice.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you." Luo Jianfeng started, his lips curled in a mysterious smile.

"Those two brats have always been unbelievably lucky. No one who has gone against them has ever been able to gain an advantage." He said and frowned, recalling the lightning that had randomly struck Ancestor Song when the man was trying to force Zhen Yuan into being his disciple.

’I still need to distance myself from this matter.’ He thought.

On one hand, he was afraid of the two people’s background, and on the other, he was worried about Heaven’s intervention.

’Let’s hope I didn’t make a mistake when I chose to protect the Tianxuan sect by diverting attention to the two boys.’ He thought.

.....

While the grand elders and other spectators were speculating, Shen Xu had begun to directly attack Meng Quan, forcing the person to retreat time and again.

’Isn’t this little beauty an alchemist? Why is he so powerful?’ Meng Quan wondered while dodging Shen Xu’s hammer.

Unfortunately, he managed to dodge the first wave but couldn’t avoid the following two hits. Simultaneously, his protective clothing ripped into pieces, and his outer armour cracked.

"You broke my level eight armour." He roared in anger, swinging his sword towards Shen Xu.

Meng Quan was not a swordsman.

However, he had learned several sword techniques and often used them as a complement to his ghost refining art.

At this time, a greyish-white sword crescent flew towards Shen Xu, and the double raised his hammer to meet it.

A moment later, a loud bang resounded in the area, and Meng Quan was uncontrollably pushed back.

"How is this possible?" He muttered in a shocked voice.

After all, he was a Mahayana realm cultivator and had used a considerable amount of qi in the previous attack.

Logically, Shen Xu’s hammer attack should have been destroyed, and the double should have been seriously injured, if not directly killed.

However, the opposite had happened.

Not only was Shen Xu uninjured, but the attack didn’t even force the double to retreat.

"Are you a body refiner?" He questioned, but Shen Xu sneered and raised his hammer.

Soon after, a hammer shadow flew towards Meng Quan, and the man hastily raised a shield to block it. As a result, the shield broke, and Meng Quan was forced to retreat ten metres.

However, Shen Xu didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath.

Before Meng Quan could react, the double arrived in front of him, raised his hand, and a large palm fell from the sky towards the person.

Seeing this, Meng Quan narrowed his eyes and also used a palm technique, wanting to neutralise Shen Xu’s attack.

Unfortunately, Shen Xu was using his body refining martial art- the four-star body art.

Since Shen Xu’s body cultivation was higher than his opponent’s qi cultivation, Meng Quan’s attack was directly neutralised when the palms met, and the remaining power fell towards him.

Thankfully, the remaining power was only a small faction, and Meng Quan parried it with his sword before retreating several metres away.

’I didn’t expect the little beauty to be so troublesome. However, ....’ Meng Quan thought, smirked, and waved his ghost banner.

Soon after, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy and eerie screeches filled the air.