31: The rise and fall of dynasties established their authority, causing the powerful to hesitate.

Liu Qingtian's cold and vast intent, like a cold current from the Nine Heavens, instantly extinguished the greed that had just surged in the area.

Combined with the suddenly expanding, life-and-death rotating Wither and Flourish Domain, and the purple-black halberd exuding a fierce aura that froze the Soul, he single-handedly intimidated all the covetous ones, including two at the Great Perfection of the Heaven Comprehension Realm, on the spot!

"Submit? Hmph, how can one easily believe the words of a demon!" The Earth Spirit Sect Sect Master, Yue Shan, looked livid. Suppressing the instinctive fear of the fierce halberd in his heart, he shouted sharply, "Extraordinary treasures are created by heaven; they belong to those capable! You, a mere Demon Willow, what virtue and ability do you have to occupy such a divine object? It is merely temporarily entrusted to you!"

Although he said this, he did not step forward. Instead, spiritual power surged within him, and a thick, earthy-yellow phantom armor appeared faintly on his body, putting him in a full defensive posture.

His gaze was fixed on the burying netherworld. The Annihilation Qi permeating the halberd made his Dao Heart tremble. Intuition told him that thing was extremely dangerous, far exceeding the Demon Willow itself.

"Hiss-ka—!" The Fiend Spirit General of the Black Fiend Abyss also let out a sharp spiritual screech. The skeletal warhorse pawed the ground uneasily, and the ghostly blue Soul fire in its eye sockets jumped violently. "Forcibly occupying... starlight object... Death Qi... also craving... hand it over... otherwise... the army will trample... this place!"

It felt the power radiating from the star key, which was vast but distinct from the death origin. That power made it instinctively disgusted, yet it contained unimaginable attraction.

But it was also wary of the pure Death Qi flowing around the Demon Willow, which even surpassed the bottom layers of the Black Fiend Abyss, and the terrifying Fierce Weapon that almost extinguished its Soul fire.

The surrounding Cultivators at the Penetrating Seclusion and Spirit Refining Realm were so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe, retreating hundreds of feet, fearing they would be affected by the impending shocking battle.

They finally realized that this Demon Willow, which could trigger visions of the heavens, was by no means the soft persimmon they had initially imagined it to be.

Facing the questioning and threats, Liu Qingtian's tree body remained unmoved. Thousands of willow branches brushed lightly, scattering bits of starlight and Qi of Life and Death, his intent carrying a trace of cold mockery:

"Whether you believe it or not is your business."

"Although I am not invincible in this world, I am confident that I am more than enough to kill the first few idiots who rush up."

His intent deliberately slowed down, striking the heart of every creature like a heavy hammer:

"Who is willing to go all out, betting their life and Dao cultivation, to make wedding clothes for those who come later? Who is willing to be severely injured and dying just to let others seize the treasure easily?"

"Sect Master Yue Shan? Your Earth Spirit Sect is the closest to here. If you are severely injured or even fall on your Dao, do you think your Earth Spirit Sect's ten-thousand-year foundation can be preserved? There is more than just the Black Fiend Abyss eyeing you covetously from the surroundings."

"And you, General of the Black Fiend Abyss. If your Yin soldiers and Fiend Spirits suffer too many losses here, will the other leaders in the depths of the Black Fiend Abyss avenge you, or... take the Opportunity to annex your territory and Soul source?"

Every word struck the heart!

Liu Qingtian accurately poked at the greatest concerns of the two strongest present—they were not alone, and both had forces behind them that needed protection. In this Borderland, crises lurked everywhere. Once their own strength was greatly damaged, they would immediately attract wolves, and years of management could be lost in one day.

Yue Shan's expression became even uglier, his eyes flickering. Liu Qingtian's words undoubtedly touched his sore spot. The Earth Spirit Sect was not monolithic; there were factional struggles internally, and externally, other Sects coveted the resources of the Borderland.

If something happened to him, the Sect would be in danger of collapse in an instant. Was it worth betting everything for an extraordinary treasure that had not yet been obtained and was extremely difficult to seize?

The Evil Qi around the Fiend Spirit General also churned violently, showing its intense inner struggle. The competition within the Black Fiend Abyss was far more cruel than the outside world imagined; survival of the fittest was the only Law. If its power waned, it would be immediately devoured by other powerful Fiend Spirits or even more terrifying existences.

For a moment, the scene fell into an even stranger silence. Greed and fear engaged in a crazy tug-of-war in the heart of every Cultivator.

Liu Qingtian struck while the iron was hot. The star key imprint on his head flashed slightly, drawing in the weak Star Power from the heavens and integrating it into the Wither and Flourish Domain, making the life-and-death rotating force field even more profound and mysterious. He continued to convey his intent, this time including all onlookers:

"You Loose Cultivators, you might as well think clearly. Is it worth becoming cannon fodder to scout the way for Sect Master Yue or this General by charging into my Domain first for a glimmer of hope, or... patiently waiting, perhaps you can be the fisherman who gains after the snipe and clam fight?"

"Or," Liu Qingtian's intent suddenly turned cold, "leave immediately, and you can still preserve your lives and continue your cultivation. Those who insist on staying must be prepared to die and have their cultivation become nourishment for my Domain."

"How you choose, you—choose wisely!"

The last four words rang out like a thunderclap, carrying spiritual intimidation.

Some Loose Cultivators with weak minds and lower cultivation immediately turned pale, the greed in their eyes faded and was replaced by fear. They quietly retreated a distance, and a few had even begun to think of retreating, quietly turning into Escape Light and fleeing into the distance. Treasures are good, but one must be alive to take them.

Yue Shan and the Fiend Spirit General saw all this, their expressions becoming even gloomier. Liu Qingtian's words not only shook their resolve but also disintegrated the morale of the already unreliable "temporary Alliance."

They had no doubt that if they were the first to act, those Loose Cultivators would definitely not dare to follow the charge, but would only watch from afar, waiting for them and the Demon Willow to both suffer. And between them, there was absolutely no possibility of joining forces; they would only guard against each other and even secretly trip each other up.

Stalemate. A suffocating stalemate.

And high above this area, several powerful Divine Thoughts were communicating implicitly. The owners of these Divine Thoughts had aura far exceeding the Wutian Realm; they were powerhouses of the Golden Body Realm!

"That kid Yue Shan is usually decisive. Why is he so timid today?" An old Divine Thought sounded, with a trace of dissatisfaction.

"Hmph, Old Monster Qi, standing and talking doesn't hurt your back. If it were you down there, facing that strange Demon Willow and that Fierce Weapon, would you dare to act easily? That fierce halberd... even I feel heart palpitations; it is definitely not an ordinary Dao Artifact!" Another Divine Thought retorted, appearing quite solemn.

"Old Ghost Mo of the Earth Spirit Sect also has no movement. It seems he has made up his mind not to come out of seclusion and let Yue Shan decide for himself. He is calm enough; is he not afraid that Yue Shan will fall here and break the future of his Earth Spirit Sect?"

"That Demon Willow has good means, stalling the situation in a few words. It seems to be able to mobilize part of the power of that star key... It seems the talk of submission may not be false."

"Even so, the star key must never fall into the hands of a demon for a long time! Although our true bodies cannot descend directly due to the suppression of the Realm wall and the constraints of the Sects, how can we sit idly by?"

"Don't be impatient. Letting them guard against each other and consume each other is a good thing right now. Yue Shan and that Fiend Spirit will not give up; they will test it sooner or later."

"We just need to wait and see, block the surrounding airspace, and prevent anyone from fishing in troubled waters, or the Demon Willow from escaping. When they test the bottom line of the Demon Willow, or the Realm wall loosens again, that will be the time for you and me to act."

"Good!"

The powerhouses of the Golden Body Realm reached a tacit understanding. Like hawks hanging high in the sky, they coldly watched the stalemate below. Their existence itself was a kind of invisible pressure, which not only intimidated everyone in the field but also restricted each other, forming a subtle balance.

Below, Yue Shan's eyes changed several times, and finally he took a deep breath, seemingly having made up his mind.

He couldn't just be scared away like this; otherwise, where would the prestige of the Earth Spirit Sect be? He had to test it!

He suddenly raised his hand, and a condensed earthy-yellow giant palm appeared out of thin air. It did not hit Liu Qingtian directly, but carried the power of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, booming towards the edge of the Wither and Flourish Domain! He wanted to test the quality of this Domain, and even more, to test the reaction of that fierce halberd!

Almost at the same time, the Fiend Spirit General also moved. It swung its giant blade, and a hundred-foot-long pitch-black Evil Qi blade light tore through the earth, slashing towards the Domain from another direction!

The probing attack had finally come!

Liu Qingtian's tree soul was calm, and thousands of willow branches danced like mad snakes.

"Well come! It's just right to use you to sacrifice my newly comprehended method!"

The Wither and Flourish Domain fluctuated violently, and the Qi of Life and Death turned into a monstrous wave, greeting the two powerful attacks.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out!