Your Spell Version is Too Low!

In the mountain stream, the atmosphere was solemn.

The True Cultivators of the Holy Sect each took out the fruits of their mission.

There were Vein-locating Talismans flickering with faint light, Memory Jade Scrolls recording defensive layouts, and Beast Hide Map Scrolls marking the positions of powerful cultivators...

All the intelligence ultimately converged in the hands of the team leader, Yuan Zong.

Yuan Zong’s sallow face showed no emotion. He first quickly checked the authenticity and completeness of all the intelligence, then gave a slight nod after confirming there were no issues.

He then sat down cross-legged and formed a strange Dharma Seal with his hands in front of his chest.

The Dharma Seal was shaped like a vertical pupil, exuding a hint of malevolence.

The next instant, he opened his mouth and spat out a small glob of bright red essence blood.

The essence blood didn’t disperse. Instead, guided by his Dharma Seal, it floated in the air, writhing slowly as if it were alive.

Yuan Zong slowly altered the spell with his hands.

He drove the Vein-locating Talismans, each one recording the most critical coordinate data, into the glob of essence blood.

A strange scene unfolded.

Like a sponge, the essence blood "swallowed" all the Magic Talismans.

Its surface began to show a web of fine, constantly shifting, dark-red patterns, faintly forming a miniature map of the void’s ley lines corresponding to the distant Ghost Wail Collection and its surrounding area!

"The Netherworld has its paths, guided by heart’s blood;

The void has no borders, a secret message to the gods!

Go!"

Yuan Zong let out a low cry and executed the final step of the spell.

The glob of essence blood, carrying all the coordinate data, trembled violently. Then, like a phantom bubble, it turned from solid to ethereal, its color fading.

Finally, it completely transformed into a formless, intangible phantom.

It shot back toward the Holy Sect’s Magic Cultivators at a speed far exceeding any ordinary Communication Talisman!

...

In a valley shrouded by a Concealing Array.

Dozens of Magic Cultivators in the robes of the Wuji Holy Sect, their auras deep and heavy, sat cross-legged atop a temporarily constructed high platform etched with countless complex Gathering Spirit and Amplification Runes.

Holy Sect Magic Cultivators!

Most of these Cultivators were at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and some had even reached the Eighth Layer.

But because they had failed to enter the Inner Mansion within the ten-year limit,

they were denied the status of Inner Mansion True Cultivators.

They could only serve the Holy Sect on various missions in exchange for rewards, hoping to one day achieve the lofty Foundation Establishment Position.

At this moment, these Holy Sect Magic Cultivators were gathered around a huge, shimmering Void Mirror Image.

The mirror clearly reflected the trajectory of the strange, coordinate-bearing ripple sent by Yuan Zong as it traveled through the void.

The white-haired old woman at the head of the group suddenly snapped her eyes open, a sharp light bursting from them.

"The coordinates have arrived! Disciples, hear my command—activate the array, lock on to the targets, and cast [Little Five Elements Destruction Divine Light]!"

At her command, the dozens of long-prepared Holy Sect Magic Cultivators surrounding the high platform simultaneously channeled their power, and a vast amount of True Essence poured into the Array beneath their feet.

The entire platform instantly lit up with a blinding light as countless Magic Patterns flowed across its surface.

The light converged on the Void Mirror Image.

Within the mirror, the coordinates representing several key nodes in the Ghost Wail Collection—the Xun, Kan, and Li positions—suddenly magnified and solidified, as if pinned firmly in the void by an invisible hand!

"Condense the light! Fire!"

The white-haired old woman formed a sword finger and jabbed it fiercely toward the locked targets in the mirror.

Instantly, above the high platform, nature’s spiritual energy gathered in a frenzy!

Five-colored splendors—gold, cyan, blue, crimson, and yellow—were forcibly extracted from the void, compressed, and fused.

They finally formed a scorching-white pillar of light a hundred zhang thick, condensed to the absolute limit, within which countless tiny halos seemed to be born and die in an endless cycle!

[Little Five Elements Destruction Divine Light]

The pillar of light vanished into the void without a sound.

The next moment, as if teleporting, it appeared out of thin air above the Ghost Wail Collection.

Then, it plummeted down!!!

...

The moment before the terrifying beam of light descended, the remaining Yellow Springs Netherworld Cultivators in the Ghost Wail Collection felt its horrifying, bone-chilling killing intent and the immense fluctuations in the fabric of Heaven and Earth!

"Enemy attack! It’s a Long-Range Technique!

Quick, raise the Ten Thousand Ghosts Nether Banner!!"

The Steward with the highest Cultivation let out a shrill roar and desperately activated the core Array Disc that controlled the marketplace’s Grand Array!

VMMMM—!

An enormous phantom of a black banner, woven from countless wailing, tormented soul-shadows, shot up from the center of the Ghost Wail Collection. It grew with the wind, attempting to envelop the entire marketplace.

On the banner, Ten Thousand Ghosts wailed, and Yin Qi surged to the heavens, forming a thick Netherworld barrier.

Almost at the very instant the Netherworld barrier formed—

CHSSSSS!!!

The chaos-colored [Little Five Elements Destruction Divine Light] had already slammed into it!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a bizarre, teeth-grating sound, as if space itself was being forcibly torn apart and the very structure of matter was rapidly disintegrating!

The Divine Light and the Netherworld barrier collided violently!

The five-colored Power of Destruction and the Yin Sha Evil Qi of ten thousand roaring ghosts frantically eroded and annihilated one another.

The Five Elements Divine Light, like the sharpest hot knife, stubbornly and steadily cut into the thick Netherworld barrier.

Wherever it passed, soul-shadows wailed and dissipated, and the Yin Qi was forcibly broken down into the most fundamental Primordial Qi!

But the Ten Thousand Ghosts Nether Banner was indeed extraordinary.

Countless soul-shadows surged forward in waves, sacrificing themselves to constantly wear down and slow the Divine Light’s advance.

For a moment, a strange and shocking scene appeared in the sky.

A condensed pillar of chaos-colored light was locked in a death grip with a churning, roaring Netherworld Ghost Realm, the void at their intersection boiling and erupting with countless tiny auroras.

It illuminated the terrified, ash-pale faces of the Yellow Springs Netherworld Cultivators below.

After a stalemate of about three breaths, the [Little Five Elements Destruction Divine Light] gradually exhausted its power and slowly dissipated into the air.

The phantom of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Nether Banner also curled into a ball of black shadow and completely dispersed.

Though it had barely blocked the attack, a huge gap had been torn in the Ghost Wail Collection’s defensive system.

And in the mountain stream, Yuan Zong slowly opened his eyes, a cruel smile touching the corners of his mouth.

"The barrier is broken. Junior Brothers, it’s our turn to take the stage."

...

"Kill!"

More than ten powerful, ferocious auras, like long-suppressed volcanoes, erupted from the distant mountain stream. Wreathed in overwhelming Evil Qi and bone-chilling killing intent, they shot into the semi-ruined Ghost Wail Collection like falling stars!

"It’s those bastards from the Wuji Holy Sect!!"

"They’ve broken in!

Quick, stop them!"

The remaining Yellow Springs Netherworld Cultivators let out shrieks of terror and despair.

After suffering relentless, insane destruction from the Fierce Demon Situ Huaji from within, and then being precisely struck by a Super Long-Range Technique, any master in the marketplace with even a shred of reputation was either dead or injured.

Those who were lucky enough to survive had their auras weakened and their strength greatly diminished.

At this point, most of those who could still stand were ordinary disciples whose Cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Fourth and Fifth Layers, or even lower.

How could they possibly resist this pack of wolf-like Holy Sect True Cultivators, who had been resting and building up their strength for a long time?

It was a tiger let loose in a flock of sheep!

In an instant, the entire Ghost Wail Collection turned into a bloody hunting ground.

The Holy Sect True Cultivators spread out like phantoms.

Yuan Zong transformed into a stream of viscous black smoke; wherever he passed, the disciples of the Yellow Springs Netherworld turned dark-faced as their flesh and blood melted into pus.

Zhu Liang traveled underground, periodically thrusting huge rock spikes up from below or dragging enemies into the earth to be buried alive.

One True Cultivator summoned a Hundred Souls Banner, fighting with the remnants of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Nether Banner over the Yin Souls; another played a demonic melody to disrupt their enemies’ minds; another brandished a White Bone Longsword, Sword Qi crisscrossing the battlefield...

Panic spread like a plague among the survivors, and their resistance collapsed almost a moment after it began.

Compared to the dazzling displays of his fellow disciples, Qi Yun was much more low-key at the moment.

He didn’t rush into the fray, but advanced steadily.

Black sand roiled around him. The Abyssal Iron Sand moved automatically, as if alive, forming a constantly shifting, pitch-black shield around his body.

The Evil Poison Techniques and Poisoned Flying Needles launched by several Yellow Springs Netherworld disciples attempting a sneak attack from the side only produced a dense shower of "DING DING DANG" sounds and tiny sparks upon hitting the Iron Sand Shield. They were easily repelled and shattered, unable to get close at all.

His gaze calmly swept the battlefield, locking onto a target.

A Yellow Springs Netherworld Steward at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer was using a ruined bone tower for cover, directing several disciples to form an array and put up a stubborn resistance.

Qi Yun’s hands quickly formed a seal. He softly chanted an ancient curse as a yellow-green light flowed at his fingertips.

[Wood Element Command Technique - Dragon-Binding Shackles]

VMM!

Above the Steward’s head, Spiritual Qi suddenly converged. The phantom of a giant wooden stake, shaped like a set of shackles and entwined with countless ancient, cyan Magic Patterns, condensed out of thin air.

It carried a profound Daoist Intent of weight, binding, and absolute suppression.

It crashed down from the sky!

The Steward looked up in horror, feeling the very air around him thicken as if it were a mountain, making it difficult to move.

The Cold True Qi circulating in his body felt like it was stuck in a swamp, sluggish and unresponsive!

He desperately activated his protective magical artifact, and a gray Ghostly Light Shield had just lit up.

BOOM!!!

The Dragon-Binding Shackles had already smashed down!

The Ghostly Light Shield shattered instantly, as if it were made of paper!

The Steward couldn’t even let out a full scream before the terrifying pressure slammed him directly into the ground, crushing his bones and turning his flesh to pulp.

Even the ruined bone tower he had been standing by collapsed halfway from the shockwave.

All that remained was a deep pit and the spreading stench of blood.

A one-hit kill!

Immediately after, Qi Yun’s spell changed again, a cyan glow pulsing between his five fingers.

"Wood Element Command Technique: Void-Piercing Cone!"

SHWIP! SHWIP! SHWIP!

A sharp whistle of tearing air rang out!

Several Peach Wood Awls—pointed at the top and square at the bottom, covered in mystical Magic Patterns, and shimmering with flowing light—shot out at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

As if teleporting, they appeared directly behind several other disciples who were trying to flee!

These Peach Wood Awls had a natural sensitivity to Yin Evil Qi.

No matter how you tried to dodge, they would lock onto you relentlessly!

"Ah!"

"No!"

The Peach Wood Awls easily pierced their Protective Yin Qi and drilled into their bodies!

The Power of Breaking Evil contained within them erupted, instantly destroying their life force and even jarring their fragile souls to the point of near collapse.

No blood flowed from the wounds.

Instead, they gave off the burnt smell of being scorched and purified.

Whenever an enemy was killed, a White Bone Skeleton head, burning with Glowing Green Ghost Fire, would cackle and pounce. It would hover over the corpse, the Ghost Fire in its eye sockets flaring as it emitted an invisible suction.

WHOOSH—

Wisps of pure, blood-colored Life Essence Qi were forcibly extracted from the corpses as if drawn by a tether, forming streams of red that flowed ceaselessly into the skull’s mouth.

Finally, through a mystical connection, it was fed back into Qi Yun’s body.

The [Devouring Essence] divine ability, activated at full power!

Qi Yun could clearly feel the True Qi he had consumed being rapidly replenished.

And the "True Essence," which normally required painstaking effort to accumulate over time, was also growing at a slow but tangible rate.

This thrill of plundering life to nourish himself made the look in his eyes grow even colder.

Sand Iron for defense, Wood Skills for offense, and a skull to devour essence!

Soon, he arrived in the depths of the Ghost Wail Collection.

...