BOOM!

The immense, powerful fist force collided with the white Inner Core, kicking up a terrifying storm. The lake’s surface sank by ten feet, and waves rolled out in all directions.

The nearby Cultivators and Demon Beasts were sent flying.

"Exhilarating!"

The Five-Colored Armor shattered, and a figure was thrown back several dozen yards. He stabilized himself and let out a long cry to the heavens.

To think someone could clash head-on with a Tier Three Flood Dragon using only their physical body and come out only slightly disadvantaged.

Master Ge Cang’s figure appeared, a trace of an unnatural flush on his face.

He took out an Elixir and swallowed it. His complexion changed, and the Five-Colored Armor reformed and reappeared.

The Flood Dragon roared and retracted its Inner Core.

’This two-legged beast across from me is clearly of a lower Realm, yet I can feel a threat.’

The Flood Dragon’s head swayed, and the lake water behind it churned wildly, forming a monstrous torrent.

"It really is a Tier Three Top-Grade Flood Dragon... Junior Brother Ge, use the Ancestor’s heirloom! Don’t give it a chance to self-destruct its Demon Pill!"

A gentle breeze blew past, and a gaunt, thin old man appeared like a ghost. Thirty-six Array Banners from his hand fell into the lake.

Thirty-six pillars of light shot toward the sky, slicing this area of water into layers and creating a fragmented, disjointed sensation.

The Cultivators caught inside were instantly teleported out.

The next moment, countless sharp blades of light surged within the Array, grinding the Demon Beasts caught inside to dust.

Among them were three unlucky Tier Two Demon Beasts, which also failed to last more than a moment before being obliterated, not even bones remaining.

As the only Tier Three Array Master in the Qingfeng Sect, Master Yangg had focused his mind entirely on the path of Arrays after his hopes for the Great Dao were dashed.

In recent years, he had even mastered a Divine Technique for instantaneous Array Formation.

The Geng Xin Golden Saber Formation, a Quasi-Third Tier Grand Array, was his masterpiece.

Of course, it was wishful thinking to kill a Tier Three Top-Grade Flood Dragon with this Array; its main purpose was to isolate the area and prevent the battle’s aftershocks from affecting the pioneering army.

At the same time, it could warp space and create a barrier if the Flood Dragon tried to escape.

Otherwise, if a Flood Dragon like this were to escape, the war to claim Feiyue Lake could hardly be considered a complete success, even if they won.

As for whether they could win, he had complete confidence in his Junior Brother Ge, whose talent was said to be the greatest in the Qingfeng Sect since its founding Ancestor.

With his Celestial Spiritual Root, his Cultivation progress was astonishing, and he had encountered almost no bottlenecks before Core Formation.

No matter what Cultivation Technique he practiced, his path was smooth, and he could even innovate upon the foundations laid by his predecessors.

He had even cultivated the bafflingly esoteric Body Refining Technique, the Five Crystal Glaze Body, to the third layer early on.

He was already advancing toward the Fourth Layer Realm, a level only the founding Ancestor had ever reached.

His own fortune and opportunities were also remarkable. Before Core Formation, he had stumbled into an Ancient Secret Realm and obtained a Core Formation Spiritual Object and the legacy of a set of Tier Three Puppets.

After Core Formation, he obtained the legacy of the Primordial Yang Divine Thunder, becoming the bane of the Demon Path, feared by all cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect.

’With a junior brother like him, Nascent Soul is within reach. Even if I don’t have much time left, I don’t have to worry about the Qingfeng Sect’s future after I pass on.’

"Absorb!"

After setting up the Array, Master Yangg summoned a golden bowl and absorbed most of the monstrous torrent stirred up by the Flood Dragon.

Master Ge Cang, on the other hand, took out a small Purple Gourd and bowed to it reverently.

The Purple Gourd grew in the wind, spraying out a cloud of Divine Sand that arranged itself in the air like a constellation of stars, enveloping the Flood Dragon from every direction.

The Flood Dragon twisted its body uneasily, sensing a heart-palpitating power from the grains of Divine Sand.

It dove under the water, wanting to use its home-field advantage to change position.

The Flood Dragon itself was a Water Element Tier Three Demon Beast. Having been born in Feiyue Lake, it knew the underwater currents and caves like the back of its hand.

As long as it hid at the bottom of the lake, even three or five opponents of the same tier couldn’t take it down.

BANG!

The surface of the lake was like a solid lid, repelling the Flood Dragon.

Master Yangg held a Top-Grade Spirit Stone in one hand, converting its Spiritual Power into True Essence.

The Geng Xin Golden Saber Formation activated at full power. The thirty-six Array Banners shared the burden of the Flood Dragon’s attacks, sealing the entire area of water.

But the amount of True Essence required every moment was taxing even for a Core Formation Ancestor like Master Yangg. The True Essence in his Qi Sea was draining away madly.

He could only use Top-Grade Spirit Stones to luxuriously replenish his True Essence.

The Flood Dragon, momentarily blocked by the Array, was caught by the Divine Sand. Two grains slammed into its head and exploded on impact.

In the face of the Divine Sand, the powerful body of a Tier Three Demon King could offer only slight resistance.

It pierced straight through the Flood Dragon’s scales, drilled into its body like a bit, and blasted open a wound so deep the bone was visible.

And there were a full seventy-two grains of this Divine Sand, all refined by the Qingfeng Sect’s founding Ancestor from the Earth Spirit collected in the depths of the Earth Veins.

After being refined, they were placed in the Purple Gourd, a Spiritual Object, to be nourished day and night. Once unleashed, their power was earth-shattering.

After the founding Ancestor passed on, this Exotic Treasure was kept and nurtured in the Sect’s secret land with the purest Spiritual Qi.

Untouched for a thousand years, no one knew how powerful the seventy-two grains of Earth God Sand had become.

Each grain of Earth God Sand, because it contained Earth Spirit tempered to the extreme, not only possessed terrifying destructive power but could also stir the Earth Veins.

When one exploded, a circle of invisible force would ripple out, causing the Flood Dragon to wail repeatedly. Several of its Lifebound Divine Techniques were disrupted by a powerful gravitational pull the moment it tried to use them, rendering them useless.

After one volley, the Flood Dragon already had five or six holes in its body, and one of its lantern-sized vertical pupils was blind.

The Flood Dragon writhed madly in pain on the ground, its blood staining the lake surface red.

"Senior Brother Yangg, why don’t you let me take this beast’s life with the Divine Thunder Net?"

Master Ge Cang waved his hands, and one after another, spheres of Divine Thunder gathered power in the surroundings, holding back without being unleashed. This was his signature Divine Technique, the Primordial Yang Divine Thunder.

Don’t be fooled by the calm appearance of the lightning now; with a single thought, it would transform into the most violent Thunder Radiance.

The arcs of lightning would spread out and link together, and the area of effect and power of each Divine Thunder would increase exponentially. This was the highest realm of the Primordial Yang Divine Thunder: the Qiantian Primordial Yang Divine Thunder Net.

According to the founding Ancestor’s notes, the Earth God Sand carried the essence of the earth; it was heavy, powerful, and unstoppable.

Furthermore, the gravity from the Earth Veins had the wondrous effect of interrupting casting and was a clear counter to self-destruction techniques.

Back then, a late-stage Core Formation Demon Cultivator, unable to defeat the Qingfeng Sect’s founding Ancestor, had become desperate and tried to self-destruct his Golden Core to drag the Ancestor down to the Yellow Springs with him.

It was the Earth God Sand that interrupted his self-destruction process, causing him to die full of resentment.

Master Ge Cang was confident enough in his own strength, but if a Tier Three Top-Grade Demon Beast self-destructed its Inner Core, he feared no one below the rank of Nascent Soul True Monarch could escape unscathed.

Now, the miraculous power of the Earth God Sand far exceeded the two True Men’s expectations, and Master Ge Cang began to feel a pang of heartache.

There were seventy-two grains of Earth God Sand, and each one used was one less forever. Neither of the two Core Formation Ancestors had the ability to refine more.

"Don’t. The Earth God Sand is just an external object. It’s not worth it to save a few grains and risk giving the Flood Dragon a chance to self-destruct." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Master Yangg’s Cultivation was not as high as Master Ge Cang’s, but his age spoke for itself.

When Master Ge Cang had just become a disciple of the Qingfeng Sect, Ancestor Yangg was already the Sect’s Sea-Spanning Golden Beam.

He respected this senior brother immensely and followed his words almost without question.

Hearing this, Master Ge Cang nodded slightly, pointed at the Purple Gold Gourd, and two more grains of Earth God Sand exploded.

At the same time, all the Primordial Yang Divine Thunder in the air blasted out. Endless electric light surged, and plasma erupted as if a Celestial Tribulation had descended.

The entire sky darkened. Leaping arcs of electricity were visible everywhere, and a thick layer of Water Beast corpses piled up on the lake’s surface.

All had been caught in the aftershocks of the Qiantian Primordial Yang Divine Thunder Net, suffering an undeserved disaster.

The Flood Dragon struggled to raise its head, feeling utterly aggrieved that it hadn’t been able to use any of its powerful Water Element Divine Techniques.

It spat out its Demon Pill. Power from the deepest part of its bloodline inheritance emerged as all its Essence Blood gathered, coalescing into a small blood-red dragon from within the Demon Pill.

The small blood dragon had five claws, long whiskers, and two horns. The moment it appeared, a monstrous Evil Qi swept over the area, making everyone tremble.

"Not good! It’s going to burn all its Essence Blood and flesh to fuel the Blood Dragon!"

Master Yangg’s expression changed drastically. It wasn’t that he feared the Flood Dragon’s desperate struggle—with Master Ge Cang here, the Demon King couldn’t turn the tables.

But this Bloodline Divine Technique was clearly activated by drawing on its own flesh and blood.

In the blink of an eye, the Flood Dragon’s Essence Blood was almost completely burned away. Its body was rapidly shriveling and shrinking, and more and more white bone was exposed in its wounds.

The flesh and blood of every Tier Three Demon King was a treasure, enough to tempt even a Core Formation True Man.

What’s more, this Flood Dragon possessed the bloodline of the Dragon Race, making its value a cut above other Demon Beasts of the same tier.

If the Blood Dragon ended up draining all its flesh and blood, leaving only a skeleton, the profits from this battle at Feiyue Lake would be greatly diminished.

Master Yangg clapped his hands together, and dozens of blades appeared within the Array, slashing toward the Flood Dragon’s vital spot.

The countless Dragon Scales that had been shattered by the Primordial Yang Divine Thunder actually managed to block all the golden blades of light. Only a few scales were broken, and its body wasn’t even wounded.

Even though he knew Junior Brother Ge’s strength was far superior to his own, seeing the gap between his Geng Xin Golden Saber Formation and the Qiantian Primordial Yang Divine Thunder Net still made Master Yangg feel a little embarrassed.

He spat out a Small Banner, shook it in his hand to unfurl it, and a beam of black Divine Light flew out, landing on the Flood Dragon with extreme slowness.

It was as if a mountain of immense weight had pressed down. The already heavily injured Flood Dragon was firmly suppressed. Its powerful Demon Beast physique couldn’t bear the load, and the crisp sound of breaking bones could be heard.

"Senior Brother’s Primordial Magnetic Divine Light is getting more and more powerful..."

Master Ge Cang praised.

This was Master Yangg’s Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Primordial Magnetic Demon-Breaking Banner. It held a beam of Primordial Magnetic Divine Light that he had accidentally obtained two hundred years ago.

Although he didn’t have the Magic Technique to control the Primordial Magnetic Divine Light, he had commissioned an Artifact Refining Master to specially create this Magical Treasure to capture the Divine Light. By nurturing it into his Lifebound Magical Treasure, he could indirectly control it to some extent.

The Primordial Magnetic Divine Light harnesses the power of the two magnetic poles, counters all Five Elements in the world, and is one of the top-ranked Great Divine Techniques in the Cultivation Realm.

Master Yangg’s beam of Primordial Magnetic Divine Light couldn’t be enhanced through Cultivation, nor could he command it as easily as his own arm, but in terms of pure power, it was still boundlessly mighty.

It was just extremely difficult to activate. After nurturing it for nearly two hundred years, he could only barely manage to control it.

No living creature could possibly be hit by this snail-paced Primordial Magnetic Divine Light.

But against an immobilized target, it was like a fish in water—perfectly suited for the task.

Master Ge Cang spat another mouthful of his Lifebound Pill Qi onto the Primordial Yang Divine Thunder. The Divine Thunder split from one into three, and from three into countless more. The intertwining arcs and flashes of lightning directly enveloped the small blood dragon.

The small blood dragon charged left and right, but whenever it touched the lightning arcs, it would emit a puff of green smoke and rapidly retreat.

After a few tries, the small blood dragon had shrunk by another size.

A quarter of an hour later, the small blood dragon finally let out a venomous draconic roar under the Qiantian Primordial Yang Divine Thunder Net’s relentless assault, then dissipated into green smoke and vanished completely.

The Tier Three Top-Grade Flood Dragon, suppressed by the Primordial Magnetic Divine Light and hit by two more grains of Earth God Sand, weakly closed its one remaining golden vertical pupil as its Demon Pill fell straight down.

"Hmph! Thinking you can escape with your Soul in front of us!"

Master Yangg snorted coldly. A miniature version of the Flood Dragon was forced out, showing a human-like expression of panic before being sucked directly into a jade purification bottle.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother. With this Flood Dragon’s Essence, you can refine another Tier Three Array Banner."

Master Ge Cang reached out and grabbed. The entire Flood Dragon was lifted by a giant five-colored hand and stuffed into the Brocade Bag at his waist.

Master Yangg put away the thirty-six Array Banners. He glanced at the fierce battlefield outside, a faint smile on his lips. "First, let’s help the juniors clean up these Demon Beasts. We can discuss how to use the Flood Dragon’s materials later."