188: Chapter 188 Forceful Suppression

Looking at Patriarch Tian Yuanzi again—

He did not even turn his head to look at Yan Ling; he remained standing with his hands behind his back, as if that so-called Tai Miao Ancestral Witches was merely an insignificant speck of dust by the roadside.

However, those eyes, originally peaceful and gentle, reflected a terrifying vision in an instant!

Billions of stars were born and underwent Reincarnation within them, and brilliant galaxies surged and reversed along chaotic trajectories!

Black holes devoured light, nebulae bloomed with radiant glows, supernovae erupted in extinction, and dark matter surged in the Void Realm—it was as if the birth and extinction of the entire Universe were compressed within those pupils of his.

This scene made everyone who witnessed it tremble in their hearts, their breathing stopping involuntarily!

It was as if they were being choked by an invisible hand, and they dared not even let their hearts beat too strongly!

"Pfft—!"

A muffled sound of blood exploding suddenly rang out!

Yan Ling, this top-tier expert who could make a faction tremble just by stamping his foot in the Southern Region, and who could summon flames to burn mountains and boil seas with a wave of his hand, could not even let out a complete grunt!

His face, originally filled with arrogance, instantly turned as pale as paper!

Immediately after, a mouthful of blood mixed with golden Vital Essence spewed wildly from his mouth, splashing onto the bluestone floor and instantly steaming with white smoke that carried a burnt smell—that was his True Fire of Life, which could melt even refined steel, yet now it could only leave a shocking pool of blood on the ground!

What was even more heart-wrenching was—

The layer of flaming Dao essence that perpetually surrounded him, capable of melting refined steel into molten iron, was, in the face of this pressure, like boiling water poured onto ten-thousand-year-old black ice; with a "hiss," it was completely extinguished and dissipated!

Not even a spark remained!

His entire body felt as if it had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer containing the weight of stars, and his knees emitted a crisp, unbearable cracking sound—

Then, with a loud "thud," he knelt heavily on the ground!

The hard bluestone floor tiles were shattered into spiderweb-like cracks by this kneeling, with gravel scattering everywhere; one could see how terrifying the force he endured was!

Elder Yan Ling's eyes were filled with unbelievable horror!

He frantically drove the spiritual power within his body, attempting to break free from this restraint!

The witch runes all over his body lit up with a blinding scarlet light, his essence blood burned violently in his Meridians, and even his hair stood on end due to the violent spiritual power—

However!

The heavy pressure exerted on his Soul and Physical Body was like a divine mountain weighing millions of tons, immovable!

No matter how he struggled, he could not shake it in the slightest! He could only maintain the humiliating kneeling posture, without even the strength to lift his head to look at Patriarch Tian Yuanzi!

The entire scene was deathly silent!

You could hear a pin drop!

The Martial Arts Arena, which had been bustling with noise just moments ago, was now so quiet that one could hear the sound of everyone's hearts pounding wildly!

One could hear the faint sound of cold sweat sliding down foreheads and hitting the ground!

Everyone was stunned and frozen in place by this sudden scene, their gazes locked tightly on the kneeling, blood-vomiting Elder Yan Ling, and then fearfully turned to Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, who remained calm and unruffled not far away—

The latter acted as if he had just brushed a speck of dust off his sleeve, with not a ripple of emotion on his face.

However, that invisible deterrent force made everyone present feel a chill deep in their bones!

It was as if they had been inadvertently glanced at by a sleeping ancient True Dragon—merely "inadvertently" was enough to make one's Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

Emperor Wu Tianba's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, almost breaking through the restraint of his ribs!

He asked himself if he could defeat Elder Yan Ling with his own strength, but if it were like this—

To make the opponent have no power to resist and kneel on the ground vomiting blood with just a glance?

This completely exceeded his understanding of an "expert"!

What kind of terrifying Realm had this seemingly ordinary Elder reached?

Could it be that he had already touched the legendary Realm of "Domain Master"? Or... even higher?

Just as everyone was immersed in shock and unable to extricate themselves, Patriarch Tian Yuanzi's calm voice slowly sounded.

The voice was not loud, but it exploded deep within everyone's Divine Soul like thunder from the Nine Heavens, making their eardrums buzz and their Dao Foundation tremble:

"With my ability to determine your life and death in a single thought—"

"Is that enough?"

From beginning to end, he did not release even a shred of Killing Intent.

However, that absolute power, which towered above all living beings, made everyone feel cold in their hearts, unable to even conceive a thought of resistance!

The so-called Sect dignity and personal arrogance appeared so pale and ridiculous in the face of this absolute strength!

It was like ants discussing their territory in front of a giant Dragon—absurd and comical!

"Fellow Daoist, calm your anger!"

A trace of a smile of success flashed quickly in the depths of Ancestor Witch Xuanyuzi's eyes, and he immediately stepped forward, bowing to Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, his tone respectful to the point of being humble:

"Fellow Daoist, Elder Yan Ling was impulsive for a moment and spoke without thinking, offending you. I hope you, Fellow Daoist, have a large heart and will be magnanimous! We, Tai Miao Ancestral Witches... are willing to obey your decree, Fellow Daoist, and jointly activate the Formation to help Senior find the traces of the Secret Realm!"

As these words of concession from Ancestor Witch Xuanyuzi fell, the entire space, which had solidified like an ice lake, finally loosened—

Although it had not completely broken the ice, invisible ripples had already begun to spread.

Those faction leaders who were originally watching instantly became active, and their gazes toward Patriarch Tian Yuanzi contained a few more points of genuine awe—no longer perfunctory, but fear and submission from the marrow of their bones!

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi's gaze swept calmly over Ancestor Witch Xuanyuzi.

Deep within those eyes, the vision of galaxies being born and dying had long since receded, leaving only a profoundness as still as an ancient well, as if it could pierce through the deepest calculations of the human heart and see through the hidden agendas behind every smiling face.

He did not speak, but just nodded slightly to Ancestor Witch Xuanyuzi.

The action was simple, yet carried unquestionable majesty.

However—

It was this simple action that caused the terrifying pressure enveloping Elder Yan Ling to quietly dissipate like a receding tide!

"Cough... cough cough!"

Elder Yan Ling took a sharp breath of air filled with the scent of blood, then erupted into violent coughing. Each cough tugged at the injuries on his chest, bringing out specks of dark red blood foam!

He tried to struggle to his feet, but his legs were as weak as if they had been filled with lead. He could only barely support himself on the ground with his hands, maintaining a wretched half-kneeling posture.

The witch robe, which originally symbolized the majesty of the Tai Miao Ancestral Witches and was as blazing as fire, was now dull and lusterless, its edges stained with dust and blood, making his deathly pale face look even worse.

He kept his head bowed tightly, his hair hanging down over his forehead, covering his face.

No one could see the surging emotions in his eyes—

Horror, resentment, and that trace of bone-deep fear!

That was the feeling of powerlessness born from the depths of the Soul after being crushed by absolute power! It was the despair that only ants would have when looking up at the firmament!

Emperor Wu Tianba took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the palpitations in his heart—he knew that there was no turning back now.

He stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice, which was several degrees lower than usual, carrying a hint of imperceptible awe:

"Since Ancestor Witch Xuanyuzi Senior also says so, we should naturally prioritize the safety of the trapped Disciples and put the overall situation first. We will follow Senior's words and jointly activate the 'Zhou Tian Star Formation'."

As a leading figure in the Southern Region's martial cultivation world, he was the first to state his position!

Behind him, several Sect leaders who were on good terms with him, or who were equally thoroughly shocked by Patriarch Tian Yuanzi's methods, also echoed him:

"Good. This matter concerns the lives of countless Disciples, and it should be so."

"We are willing to obey Senior's orders, without any objections."

"As long as we can find the Secret Realm and rescue the Disciples, our Sect is willing to fully cooperate."

The situation is stronger than the people.

A figure who could suppress a top-tier expert of the Southern Region with just a glance—his Realm had already exceeded the scope of their cognition.

In front of such an existence, the so-called Sect dignity and personal arrogance had become ridiculous embellishments.

Only power is the only truth.

The smile on Ancestor Witch Xuanyuzi's face remained gentle, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart—

He knew that this move by Patriarch Tian Yuanzi had completely crushed the fluke mentality in everyone's hearts.

At the same time, he had a deeper assessment of Patriarch Tian Yuanzi's strength: this person was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface, and perhaps he could really use the Formation to find the Secret Realm.

He turned to Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, lowering his posture further, his tone respectful:

"Since the Fellow Daoists have no objections, I wonder how Senior will set up the Formation eye? We can prepare in advance."

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi finally spoke again, his voice still calm, but carrying unquestionable authority:

"The Formation eye is here."

"Everyone, stand according to the star positions under your feet and inject your spiritual power."

As the words fell—

He flicked his sleeve lightly!

The movement was smooth and flowing, without any deliberation.

The next second—

"Boom—!!!"

The ground under everyone's feet suddenly bloomed with brilliant radiance!

Countless incredibly complex lines, shimmering with pale silver starlight, appeared out of thin air, rapidly moving and sketching on the ground like living silver snakes!

In just an instant, a huge Formation map covering the entire Martial Arts Arena plaza appeared brilliantly!

Within the Formation map—

Three hundred and sixty-five main light points precisely corresponded to the positions of the Zhou Tian stars!

Each light point shone brightly, emitting a vast and ancient aura!

It was as if the entire starry sky had been moved to the ground!

Galaxies flowed, and the handle of the Dipper pointed east!

The projections of the heavens' stars shone upon each other in this Formation map, as if ancient gods from billions of years ago had used heaven and earth as paper and stars as ink to paint this shocking, world-class masterpiece!

This magnificent scene made everyone who witnessed it surge with emotion, involuntarily giving rise to a deep awe for the Dao of Heaven and Earth!

As if the next moment—

This Formation would be able to tear through the Void Realm and reach the disappeared Secret Realm directly!

Elder Yan Ling's voice, filled with contempt, had not yet dissipated in the wind when an invisible traction force originating from the ancient galaxy suddenly descended like an oracle!

That traction force was precisely branded on the center of the eyebrows of every Sect Master and Elder; it was not an ordinary directional guide, but more like a destiny brand that resonated with the Zhou Tian stars—

Carrying an irresistible majesty, it was deeply engraved in everyone's Sea of Consciousness!

In an instant—

The robes of everyone present moved without wind, snapping loudly!

The shock and panic that had arisen earlier due to the disappearance of the Secret Realm were completely suppressed by a heavy determination!