32: deterrence

Yue Shan's earthy yellow giant palm was as heavy as a mountain, containing the power of the Earth Law of the Great Perfection of the Heaven Comprehension Realm, enough to easily crush a small mountain.

The Fiend Spirit General's jet-black blade radiance was sinister and ruthless, condensing the pure Evil Qi and death intent from the depths of the Black Fiend Abyss; wherever it passed, the ground corroded, and all life was severed.

Two powerful attacks, one from the left and one from the right, slammed into the edge of the Wither and Flourish Domain almost simultaneously!

However, the violent collision and energy explosion that had been anticipated did not occur.

The surging Qi of Life and Death acted like a sentient Taiji vortex, and the light at the edge of the Domain flickered violently, as if transforming into an invisible millstone.

When the earthy yellow giant palm struck into it, that immense earth-type spiritual power was like a clay ox entering the sea; it was eroded and decomposed layer by layer by the rapidly circulating Qi of Life and Death. The majestic power was greedily absorbed and converted by the Domain, actually replenishing the Domain's consumption. The giant palm shrank and dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually only stirring up a large ripple before dissipating completely.

On the other side, the jet-black Evil Qi blade radiance slashed into the Domain. The sharp death intent clashed violently with the Domain's death origin power, emitting a harsh "chi-chi" sound. However, the life force of the Domain surged up immediately, like a blazing sun melting snow, constantly neutralizing and purifying the incoming ferocious Evil Qi and Death Qi.

The blade radiance penetrated much faster than the earthy yellow giant palm, slicing dozens of feet into the Domain, but its power was also drastically weakened, its color becoming thin. Finally, it was violently lashed by several willow branches entwined with starlight and Death Qi, shattering completely, and the escaping Evil Qi was likewise absorbed and devoured by the Domain.

For this first probe, Liu Qingtian had not even moved his main trunk; he had easily resolved it relying solely on the autonomous operation and fine-tuning of the Wither and Flourish Domain!

"What?!" Yue Shan's pupils constricted, his face filled with disbelief. His Mountain-Opening Palm had been resolved and absorbed so nonchalantly? This Demon Willow's Domain was actually this bizarre!

The soul fire in the Fiend Spirit General's eye sockets also jumped violently; it sensed that its power had been easily countered and converted by the opponent, and the death aura within that Domain was actually purer and more ancient than its own accumulated, aged evil aura!

The spectating Cultivators were in an uproar, the sound of gasping cold air rising one after another. Only now did they understand where this Demon Willow's confidence came from! This Domain was simply a terrifying fortress that integrated offense and defense, and could even devour the enemy's power to replenish itself!

"You are merely relying on the advantage of your Domain!" Yue Shan, embarrassed and angry, roared, his hands forming seals. "Watch me break your turtle shell! Earth Vein Tremor!"

He stomped on the ground, communicating with the earth veins, attempting to channel the power of the earth to strike Liu Qingtian's root system from below, disintegrating the Foundation of his Domain.

However, Liu Qingtian's Myriad World Roots had long since penetrated deep underground, even piercing through the Realm wall, and their stability far exceeded Yue Shan's imagination. That slight earth vein tremor arrived like a gentle breeze brushing over a hillside, unable to shake it in the slightest; instead, the roots took advantage of the momentum to absorb a trace of the earth's essence.

"Futile effort." Liu Qingtian's cold consciousness sounded again. "If this is all the ability you have, then get lost!"

Before the words had even faded, he launched an active attack!

Aimed at Yue Shan, over a dozen emerald green, vibrant willow branches thrust out like divine spears, their speed astonishingly fast. They instantly crossed the Domain, stabbing straight at Yue Shan's face. What was contained on the willow branches was not destruction, but a life force so extremely condensed and majestic that it was suffocating!

"Wither and Flourish Finger · Flourish!"

Yue Shan sensed the terrifying power contained within that life force, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly sacrificed an ancient shield Magic Treasure to block in front of him.

The willow branch tapped on the shield, and majestic life force poured in frantically. The shield, which had been refined from earth-type spiritual materials, actually groaned under the unbearable burden, and countless moss and vines instantly grew on its surface, even causing it to crack! Too much of a good thing is bad; extreme life force, for non-living objects or even Cultivators practicing specific Cultivation Techniques, is equally a terrifying poison!

Yue Shan retreated in terror, frantically circulating his spiritual power to expel the foreign life force that had invaded his body, feeling his Qi and blood churning, feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

At the same time, aimed at the Fiend Spirit General, Liu Qingtian swung over a dozen gray and withered, death-aura-laden willow branches. "Wither and Flourish Finger · Wither!"

These willow branches were entwined with pure, deathly stillness, pointing silently toward the Fiend Spirit General. The Fiend Spirit General roared, its giant blade slashing horizontally, wanting to chop off the willow branches.

However, the deathly still willow branches were exceptionally tough, emitting the sound of clashing metal when colliding with the giant blade, and the Return to Void death intent attached to them bypassed the giant blade to directly erode its soul body!

The Fiend Spirit General let out a painful hiss, feeling its own Evil Qi soul source rapidly dissipating and annihilating, as if it had encountered its natural nemesis! The skeletal warhorse it was riding let out a mournful cry and disintegrated directly into bone powder! It retreated in a sorry state, its soul fire dimming significantly.

With one blow, he simultaneously forced back two Great Perfection of the Heaven Comprehension Realm experts!

Although neither had suffered heavy injuries, the difference in skill was immediately apparent! Under the augmentation of his own Domain, Liu Qingtian displayed overwhelming strength and control!

All the onlookers felt their scalps tingle; this Demon Willow's Divine Ability was too bizarre and unpredictable, actually being able to manipulate the Qi of Life and Death simultaneously, and both had been cultivated to such a shocking degree!

"I cannot hold back anymore!" Yue Shan roared, completely putting away his contempt, his internal spiritual power erupting without reservation, preparing to unleash his trump card Divine Ability.

The Fiend Spirit General also condensed monstrous Evil Qi, and the phalanx of ghost soldiers behind it roared in unison, pouring their power into it.

Just at the moment when the two were about to launch a stronger attack, the leaf at the center of Liu Qingtian's crown, which nurtured the "willow leaf grotto-heaven", trembled slightly.

The remains and essence of the Wutian Realm demonic Cultivator and the large number of low-level Cultivators and Yao Beasts that had been killed previously had long been devoured by the roots, but the purest part of their energy cores had been stored here. After being refined by the spiritual ripple vortex, it had merged with that newly comprehended "Return to Void" true meaning.

At this moment, Liu Qingtian locked onto a Loose Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Wutian Realm who had been clamoring the loudest on the periphery and had several times attempted to sneak close to the edge of the Domain—a burly man with a face full of scars and fierce eyes.

"Noisy fly, I shall use you to test my new technique."

Liu Qingtian's consciousness was cold, and a willow branch that looked unremarkable and dull in color quietly extended out of the Domain, pointing silently toward the scar-faced man like a ghost.

The burly man was focusing intently on Yue Shan and the Fiend Spirit General, expecting them to erupt and break the stalemate so he could take advantage of the opportunity to reap benefits; he had never expected that a terrifying attack would suddenly descend upon his own head!

By the time he sensed the crisis, that dull willow branch had already reached before his protective spiritual light.

"What the hell?!" He hurriedly activated his defensive Magic Treasure, and a ghost-head blade slashed out against the wind.

However, the moment the willow branch made contact with the ghost-head blade, there was no loud noise, no explosion.

That ghost-head blade of decent quality, along with the protective spiritual light the burly man had hurriedly raised, were like being erased by an invisible eraser; starting from the point of contact, they instantly turned into the finest particles of nothingness and disappeared completely!

Immediately following that, the willow branch tapped on the burly man's forehead.

The ferocity on the burly man's face instantly turned into extreme fear and confusion. His body, starting from his head, also collapsed and dissipated silently like a sand sculpture, leaving no traces behind; no flesh and blood flew, no Primordial Spirit escaped, as if he had never existed in this world.

Return to Void!

Pushing "extinction" to the extreme, causing the target to return to "nothingness" from the level of "existence"!

Although the range is currently very small and the consumption is huge, for single-target sniping, the power is shocking!

In an instant, the entire battlefield was dead silent.

All sounds disappeared.

Yue Shan's half-condensed Divine Ability was abruptly interrupted. He gazed in terror at the place where the burly man had disappeared, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The Evil Qi around the Fiend Spirit General stagnated abruptly, its soul fire trembling violently, as if it had seen the most terrifying thing.

Those spectating Cultivators were even more scared, their souls flying away and spirits scattering, screaming and retreating frantically, withdrawing like a tide, instantly pulling back a distance of several miles! Each one was pale, trembling all over.

One-shot kill! A true one-shot kill!

A Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Wutian Realm, without even being able to react or scream, had completely turned into nothingness!

What kind of terrifying Divine Ability is this?!

Even the Divine Thought of those at the Golden Body Realm high above the sky showed violent fluctuations, revealing the shock of their owners.

"That... what kind of Law is that?!"

"It can actually directly erase existence?! Touching upon the Dao of original extinction?!"

"This Demon Willow... is actually this terrifying!"

Liu Qingtian slowly retracted that slightly dimmed willow branch, the spiritual ripple vortex accelerating its operation, absorbing the Origin of both realms to quickly replenish his consumption.

His grand consciousness enveloped the entire scene again, carrying a trace of faint fatigue, yet appearing even more majestic and inviolable: "Now, who else wants to try?"

"Although I do not wish to create more killing karma, I also do not hesitate to send those seeking death—to the Return to Void!"

The last two words, like a death sentence, slammed heavily into the hearts of every living being.

Yue Shan's face was deathly pale. His lips moved, but in the end, he did not dare to utter a single word. He only looked with extreme wariness at the willow branch that had just been retracted, and glanced at the burying netherworld that remained silent but possessed monstrous ferocity, slowly and extremely unwillingly retreating another distance.

The Fiend Spirit General also silently restrained all its Evil Qi, and with the phalanx of ghost soldiers, likewise retreated, assuming a defensive posture.

Killing the chicken to warn the monkey; the effect was remarkable.

After this blow, no one dared to step forward lightly again.

The momentum of the siege by the various experts had actually been forced into a stalemate by Liu Qingtian using thunderous means!

However, deep within Liu Qingtian's tree soul, he did not relax. He knew that this only temporarily suppressed them. The Golden Body Realm experts in the dark, the experts of the various heavens in the distance, and that lurking Annihilation Beast... the real storm was still to come.