168: You call this a sacrificial offering?

That giant hand, condensed from pure Devilish Qi, obscured the entire underground cavern.

Pressure, like physical seawater, squeezed in from all directions.

Gongsun Yan's face instantly lost all color.

The immortal essence within her body almost froze under this aura of Profound Immortal Perfection.

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

She cried out in alarm.

Ye Chenfeng stood in front of her.

His figure was as straight as a sword.

The pressure, enough to crush a True Immortal, fell upon him like a gentle breeze brushing over a mountain ridge.

The Chaos Sword Body operated on its own, devouring all the invading Devilish Qi.

"A bit interesting."

Ye Chenfeng spoke calmly as he looked at the giant hand.

"Pill Dao Saint Body. Chaos Sword Body."

"The taste of your Divine Soul and essence blood must be wonderful."

The humanoid shadow on the altar let out a satisfied sigh.

"Don't struggle anymore."

"It is your honor to become a part of this seat."

The giant hand crashed down.

Under this grasp, space itself let out an overburdened groan.

Gongsun Yan did not hesitate.

Her hands formed seals, and a soft emerald brilliance bloomed from her palms.

"In my name, let all things be restored."

A majestic aura of life soared into the sky.

It transformed into an emerald light barrier, protecting the two of them.

She knew her combat strength wasn't high.

But her Dao was life.

It was the most natural nemesis of this deathly silent world.

"Boom!"

The giant hand of Devilish Qi collided violently with the barrier of life.

The light barrier trembled violently, its glow dimming at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Gongsun Yan let out a muffled groan, a trail of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

The gap in their Realms was too vast.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a carriage."

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele let out a disdainful sneer.

The power of the giant hand of Devilish Qi grew even stronger, seemingly about to crush the barrier completely.

"Clang!"

The chime of a sword.

Clear and resonant.

High-pitched.

Ye Chenfeng drew his sword.

There was no world-shaking sword light.

Nor was there a world-destroying sword momentum.

He simply thrust his sword forward.

One Sword to Open the Heavens.

A greyish Sword Qi erupted from the tip of the blade.

Meeting the giant hand of Devilish Qi that covered the sky.

"A mere grain of rice dares to compete with the bright moon?"

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele's laughter was full of mockery.

A single strike from an Early Stage Heavenly Immortal.

He actually thought he could shake its Divine Ability of Profound Immortal Perfection?

Foolish dreams.

In the next instant.

Its laughter came to an abrupt halt.

That seemingly unremarkable grey Sword Qi.

The moment it contacted the giant hand of Devilish Qi.

It wasn't crushed.

Nor was it devoured.

Instead, it was like a red-hot iron branding into snow.

Silently.

Right in the center of the massive palm.

It melted through a hole.

"What?!"

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele let out an incredulous scream.

Its Divine Ability had actually been broken.

Although it was only a tiny point.

But that was a Divine Ability containing the power of Law.

How could it be pierced through by a Heavenly Immortal's Sword Qi?

"Your Dao is a chaotic mess."

Ye Chenfeng stood with his sword, his voice indifferent.

"Stealing the power of ten thousand resentful souls and forcibly piecing them together."

"It looks powerful, but it's actually hollow inside."

"A pile of loose sand."

His Chaos Sword Pupils had long since seen through the essence of this Divine Ability.

"You're looking for death!"

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele was poked in its sore spot and became completely enraged.

It no longer condensed Divine Abilities.

The Devilish Qi in the entire underground cavern began to boil.

It transformed into billions of pitch-black arrows of Devilish Qi.

They rained down upon the two of them from all directions.

This was an indiscriminate saturation attack.

It wanted to use absolute power to completely drown these two damned sacrifices.

"Eldest Senior Brother, its power comes from that heart!"

Gongsun Yan urgently reminded him.

She saw that every arrow of Devilish Qi had a faint, indistinct connection to the giant demonic heart on the altar.

"Too late!"

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele laughed wildly.

"So what if you know!"

"In my world, I am invincible!"

"Is that so?"

There was not a trace of panic on Ye Chenfeng's face.

He even put away his sword.

He looked at the rain of Devilish Qi arrows shooting from all over the sky.

His eyes were as calm as an ancient well.

"Fifth Junior Sister, close your eyes."

Gongsun Yan didn't understand why, but she still obediently closed her eyes.

Ye Chenfeng took a deep breath.

The Chaos Sword Scripture within his body operated frantically.

Within his Sea of Consciousness.

That grey Chaos Millstone began to turn slowly.

"Revered Master once said."

"Chaos is the end and also the beginning."

"It devours everything and also evolves everything."

"I only understood devouring before."

The corner of Ye Chenfeng's mouth curled into an arc.

"Now, I seem to understand something else."

He opened his arms.

Giving up all defenses.

Allowing those billions of Devilish Qi arrows.

To shoot into his body.

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

Gongsun Yan, sensing this crazy action, could no longer remain calm.

"Hahaha! Stupid brat! You're actually seeking death on your own!"

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele's laughter was full of wild joy and confusion.

It had never seen such a foolish opponent.

However.

Its laughter soon froze once again.

Those Devilish Qi that surged into Ye Chenfeng's body.

Did not tear his body apart.

Instead, it was like mud entering the sea.

Disappearing without a trace.

Ye Chenfeng's body seemed to transform into a bottomless black hole.

A Return to the Void that devoured all things.

Not only did his aura not weaken.

On the contrary.

At a terrifying speed.

It climbed step by step.

"No! This is impossible!"

"What did you do!"

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele felt fear.

It found that it had lost contact with those Devilish Qi.

No.

It wasn't losing contact.

Its power was being forcibly...

Plundered by the opponent.

"You call this a sacrifice?"

Ye Chenfeng opened his eyes.

Within his eyes.

One side was life.

The other side was death.

Between life and death was the Chaos that evolved all things.

He reached out his hand toward the altar.

And gently clenched it.

"Now."

"It's my turn."

"One Sword · Return to the Void."

There was no sword.

Yet there was Sword Intent.

A grey vortex invisible to the naked eye.

Erupted outward with Ye Chenfeng as the center.

Within that vortex.

Contained the overbearing Law of devouring everything.

The Devilish Qi of the entire underground cavern were wailing.

And trembling.

They surged uncontrollably toward Ye Chenfeng.

And were completely devoured by that grey vortex.

"No! Stop! Stop it right now!"

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele was horrified.

It found that its condensed body was being forcibly decomposed.

Its Origin was frantically draining away.

It had become the sacrifice.

It had become the food in the opponent's mouth.

"Mercy! Senior, have mercy!"

It began to beg for mercy frantically.

"I am willing to submit! I am willing to offer the Origin of the demonic stele! I only ask Senior to spare my life!"

"Too late."

Ye Chenfeng's voice was cold.

"Thank you for the treat."

The grey vortex suddenly contracted.

Completely enveloping that humanoid shadow.

"Ah—!"

A shrill, unwilling scream echoed through the cavern.

Then.

Everything returned to silence.

The Spirit of the Demonic Stele of Profound Immortal Perfection.

Was swallowed.

Ye Chenfeng slowly landed.

The aura on his body had already climbed to the peak of Early Stage Heavenly Immortal.

Just one step away from entering the Middle Stage.

He digested the Origin of the Spirit of the Demonic Stele.

Countless memories regarding this world flooded into his mind.

He understood.

This Spirit of the Demonic Stele was merely a divided soul separated by Old Demon Black Flame.

Used to preside over the sacrificial formation.

And that giant beating heart.

Was the true core of the formation.

Named the "myriad soul demonic heart".

It was created by Old Demon Black Flame over ten thousand years of painstaking effort.

Nourished by the resentment and essence blood of billions of living souls.

Once the formation was activated.

All living beings entering the Demon Tablet World.

Would be devoured by the demonic heart.

Becoming resources for Old Demon Black Flame to break through to the Immortal King Realm.

"What a vicious method."

Gongsun Yan opened her eyes and looked at the giant beating heart.

A look of disgust flashed in her eyes.

"Eldest Senior Brother, let's destroy it."

"No." Ye Chenfeng shook his head.

"It would be a pity to destroy it."

He walked up to the massive demonic heart.

Reached out his hand.

And pressed it against it.

The Chaos Sword Essence operated once more.

This time, it wasn't devouring.

But.

Analyzing.

Tampering.

Within the core formation patterns of that demonic heart.

He left behind.

A Chaos Sword Seal of his own.

After finishing all this.

He withdrew his hand.

A smile appeared on his face.

"Now."

"This great gift can be considered ready."

"Let's go."

The two of them soared into the sky.

Flying toward the entrance they came from.

Just as they were about to fly out of the cave entrance.

"Boom!"

The entire underground cavern shook violently.

That giant demonic heart, which Ye Chenfeng had tampered with.

Began to beat wildly out of control.

Violent bursts of Devilish Qi surged everywhere.

The entire Myriad Souls Cave.

Was about to collapse.

"Boom!"

The two of them burst out of the ground.

Before they could steady themselves.

They saw at the other end of the basin.

A domineering golden figure.

Carrying a massive dragon emperor halberd.

Madly slaughtering dozens of strangely shaped demonic creatures.

It was Zhao Wuyou.

"Fourth Martial Brother!"

Gongsun Yan shouted in pleasant surprise.

Zhao Wuyou heard the voice and turned his head.

Seeing Ye Chenfeng and Gongsun Yan.

His golden eyes lit up.

With one sweep of his halberd, he turned the demonic creatures in front of him into a rain of blood.

He arrived before them in a few leaps.

Looking at the collapsing Myriad Souls Cave behind them.

And then looking at Ye Chenfeng.

He frowned.

"I'm late."

"Not late."

Ye Chenfeng looked at him.

"The good show."

"Has only just begun."