687: Nine Netherworld Purgatory Soul-Destroying Array

She moved with lotus steps, walking toward that magnificent, massive cauldron.

Her figure appeared exceptionally petite and weak against the backdrop of the giant cauldron; many Cultivators secretly shook their heads, holding no hope at all.

"Sigh, Late Nascent Soul Stage... going up is just going through the motions."

"Indeed, even Yao Delong and Azure Dragon failed..."

"It seems no one can obtain this qiankun refining heaven furnace today..."

Amidst these discussions, Liu Ruyan, carrying her devotion to the Dao of Alchemy and a sense of affinity toward that vast aura,

reached out her fair, slender palm and gently touched the icy leg of the cauldron.

The moment Liu Ruyan's palm touched the cauldron's leg!

Buzz—!!!

The entire qiankun refining heaven furnace erupted with an unprecedented, brilliant divine light!

This time, the light was no longer a single color, but a seven-colored radiance like the dawn of Chaos!

A majestic aura that was gentle, vast, all-encompassing, and life-nurturing burst forth!

All the Dao patterns on the cauldron's body—sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, fish, and insects—were completely revived at this moment!

Their light intertwined and flowed, as if evolving a complete Small World!

Even more astonishingly!

A hazy, gentle female figure, condensed from pure medicinal fragrance and the Dao principles of creation, slowly rose from within the cauldron!

She was dressed in an ancient alchemy robe, her face blurred yet carrying an aura of compassion for all beings; she was precisely the artifact spirit of the qiankun refining heaven furnace!

The artifact spirit's gaze fell upon Liu Ruyan, and that blurred face actually revealed a smile that was incredibly gentle, as if they were reuniting after lifetimes apart.

Without the slightest hesitation, her illusory figure transformed into a streak of seven-colored light and instantly submerged into Liu Ruyan's brow!

Simultaneously, a vast and gentle power enveloped Liu Ruyan.

Buzz!

Liu Ruyan's delicate body trembled slightly, and an extremely profound cyan mark, composed of countless minute herbal runes, emerged at the center of her brow!

An indescribable, strange fluctuation that seemed able to communicate with all the herbal spirits in heaven and earth uncontrollably diffused from her body!

Though weak, it was incredibly pure! Incredibly primal!

"Medicine Spirit Dao Body?!" A sharp light flashed in the Pill Venerable Phantom's eyes as he muttered to himself, audible only to him,

"As expected! Born close to the Dao, with an affinity for all medicines... no wonder Liantian chose this way. This young girl's Opportunity was actually here."

This phenomenon lasted only a flash, and the cyan mark also quickly faded away.

The crowd only saw the artifact spirit actively merging into Liu Ruyan's body, and that sudden explosion

of medicinal fragrance that refreshed the mind, yet no one could see through the mystery of the Medicine Spirit Dao Body.

"The... the artifact spirit actively recognized a master?!"

"Heavens! It's that female Nascent Soul Cultivator?!"

"What... what exactly did she do?!"

The entire square fell into absolute stagnation! Everyone's mind went blank, shocked by this earth-shattering reversal!

Even Yao Delong gazed intently at the dao rhyme that had not yet fully dissipated from Liu Ruyan's brow, his eyes filled with surprise and deep inquiry.

He faintly felt that his Senior Sister seemed to be hiding a massive secret that even he hadn't noticed!

But mostly, he felt happy for his Senior Sister!

"Good!" The Pill Venerable Phantom looked at Liu Ruyan, who was enveloped in seven-colored radiance and undergoing her initial baptism.

He nodded with gratification, then looked toward the crowd, his grand voice carrying a trace of relief from a fulfilled wish:

"The Legacy trial is finished; all Karma has been settled. All of you, depart!"

"Go!" The Sky-Splitting Demon King and Tu Wanxiong exchanged a glance, both seeing the undisguised greed and killing intent in each other's eyes!

They didn't even have time to take another look at Liu Ruyan and the Qiankun Furnace as their figures transformed into two streaks of light, shooting toward the Secret Realm exit at maximum speed!

Their goal was clear—get out! Set up an inescapable net! They must not let anyone who obtained an Opportunity leave alive!

The nine aperture spirit nurturing pill! Herbal Path Comprehension! Especially that half-step creation dao artifact, the qiankun refining heaven furnace! All would be theirs for the taking!

The Cultivators from other forces on the square also woke up as if from a dream, their eyes flickering as they one after another took to their escape lights and rushed toward the exit, each harboring their own sinister designs.

A bloodbath surrounding the Alchemy Legacy and the peerless Dao Artifact was now inevitable!

The Pill Venerable Phantom's gaze fell upon Yao Delong, Liu Ruyan, Han Yun, and the other Yin Yang Sect Disciples, carrying a trace of insight into the world's affairs:

"Vile characters have already set up a soul-locking grand array outside, and killing intent lurks everywhere. Since you two are fated with this old man and carry my Alchemy Legacy, I shall send you on your way."

Yao Delong understood instantly and bowed deeply to the Pill Venerable Phantom, his tone sincere: "This Junior thanks Senior for your great kindness!"

He was anxious, knowing that Senior Sister Han Yun and the others also needed to leave together.

The Pill Venerable Phantom laughed heartily, his voice filled with expectation and free-spiritedness:

"Boy, the Dao of Alchemy is boundless. Cultivate well and do not fail this talent of yours! Now that matters here are concluded, this old man's remnant consciousness should also completely return to heaven and earth."

As his voice fell, he gently waved his illusory sleeve toward Yao Delong, Liu Ruyan, Han Yun, and the several other Yin Yang Sect Disciples.

A flash of light!

The people from the Yin Yang Sect instantly vanished from the spot!

Meanwhile, outside the Secret Realm, it was already a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood—a living purgatory!

Just as the Pill Venerable Phantom had said!

Vice Sect Master Ye Wushang of the Nine Nether Sect personally presided, with dozens of Soul Transformation elites as the array foundation, and the 'Nine Nether Purgatory Soul-Extinguishing Grand Array' they had set up was fully activated!

Ghoulish winds howled, and ghosts wailed and gods howled!

Countless hideous black chains extended from the void array, coiling like venomous snakes toward the Cultivators who had just rushed out of the Secret Realm and hadn't yet had time to react!

Once entangled, their Primordial Spirits would be forcibly dragged, torn, and swallowed! Screams of agony were heard incessantly!

The Sky-Splitting Demon King even revealed part of his true form, transforming into a hundred-zhang-tall Blood-Colored Giant Hou, incredibly violent!

Every time his massive sharp claws swung down, they brought a storm of blood! Led by him, the Yao Race elites pounced and killed frantically!

"Form the array! Myriad Swords Return to Origin!" Hall Master Li of Myriad Sword Valley had his hair and beard flared, his eyes bloodshot!

The long sword in his hand had long been stained red with blood, and the dozen or so remaining Myriad Sword Valley Disciples behind him formed a broken sword array,

desperately resisting the siege of the Yao Race and the Nine Nether Sect. Sword Qi crisscrossed, yet they were in a precarious situation!

"Old Ghost Li! A deathbed struggle! Hand over the Herbal Path Comprehension Jade Slip, and I'll give you a quick death!"

Tu Wanxiong' cold voice echoed in the ghostly mist as he moved like a venomous snake, waiting for an Opportunity to deal Hall Master Li a fatal blow.

"Bullshit! You want the treasure? Step over my corpse!"

Hall Master Li roared, forcibly severing several Soul-Locking Chains that came coiling toward him, but he was struck on the shoulder by the Sky-Splitting Demon King's claw in that moment,

leaving it a bloody mess with his left arm nearly severed! He spat out a mouthful of blood, yet he still fought to the death without retreating!

On the ground, severed limbs and broken arms could be seen everywhere, and the smell of blood rose to the sky.

Cultivators were constantly falling, their Primordial Spirits ground and absorbed by the chains, becoming nourishment for the grand array.

Those Loose Cultivators and small forces who originally wanted to pick up some bargains were now like lambs to the slaughter, being ruthlessly massacred!

This was no treasure-hunting ground; it was clearly an Asura killing field!

The Yin Yang Sect members had now been transported to a safe valley a hundred miles away from the battlefield.

They could even see the soaring blood-light and terrifying energy fluctuations at the Secret Realm exit from afar!

Yao Delong's eyes were cold as ten-thousand-year ice, his killing intent reaching the heavens: "Nine Nether Sect! Sky-Splitting Demon King!"

He looked at Liu Ruyan, whose aura was currently undergoing a transformation but who was still somewhat weak,

and at Han Yun and the others, whose faces were pale with the shock of surviving a disaster, and said in a heavy voice:

"Senior Sister Han, stay here and protect Senior Sister Liu while she stabilizes her Realm! I will go first to assist Hall Master Li! The Sect's reinforcements should be arriving soon!"