443: Chapter 443 Sitting and Guarding

As soon as the words fell, a deafening explosion erupted outside the Formation.

The handsome Great Demon struck out with another palm. The light screen of the Sancai Formation instantly buckled inward violently, like thin ice being crushed by a giant boulder, and the Formation's coverage area shrank significantly once more.

Elder Fu no longer hesitated. With trembling fingers pressed against the Talisman, he frantically poured the vast majority of his remaining internal spiritual energy into it.

In an instant, the golden light surged abruptly like the blazing sun breaking through the clouds, enveloping the entire Sancai Formation. Runes flowed and interlaced rapidly in the air, transforming into a brilliant cocoon of light that wrapped around the Disciples of the Ten Thousand Formations Sect and forcibly tore through the spatial barrier of the Secret Realm, fleeing far away toward the outside.

The four Great Demons outside the Formation sensed something was wrong and all moved to intercept, but they were ultimately a step too late.

The cocoon of light turned into a meteor, vanishing in the blink of an eye and leaving only a faint spatial ripple behind.

The leading Great Demon clicked his tongue twice. "To think this group actually hid such a life-saving method. How interesting."

Beside him, an elegant Great Demon dressed in green robes and holding a folding fan slowly closed his fan. "Let's go. Lord Sea-Overturning Dragon Venerable just sent an order. There's another force to the west waiting for us to hunt down. Don't waste time here."

The figures of the four Great Demons flickered, turning into four streaks of light that sped off toward the west.

After an unknown amount of time, a hunched figure slowly stepped out from an ice crevice behind an inconspicuous glacier.

It was none other than Daoist Zhenyue.

He raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and his tense body finally relaxed slightly. The clothes on his back had long been soaked with cold sweat, sticking to him with a bone-chilling coldness.

The several Talismans in his palm were dim and lusterless, clearly having exhausted their power.

“As Fellow Daoist Xu said, this Secret Realm is not some land of Opportunity at all; it is actually the ruins of an ancient battlefield, and there are even existences at the level of Immortal Venerable guarding it,” Daoist Zhenyue muttered to himself.

If not for relying on these Talismans, he would likely have met the end of his path in death by now.

He looked up at the grey sky of the Secret Realm, where the clouds were as thick as ink. “I wonder if those two successfully crossed the three tribulations of wind, fire, and lightning to successfully board the guixu immortal ferry boat...”

...

In the great desert, yellow sand filled the air.

The group from the Wansheng Dao Court stood on the highest sand dune, their black Daoist robes flapping loudly in the fierce wind.

The Fifth Elder stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the nearby Penglai Pavilion Cultivators who were being slaughtered by the Yao Race, and spoke slowly:

“Now that the Formation is complete, we can leave.”

Beside him, Li Xuantong paused for a moment and cupped his hands. “Fifth Elder, I wish to handle some trivial matters and will return to the Sect on my own later.”

The Fifth Elder slowly turned his head, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s as it swept over Li Xuantong's slightly unnatural expression. “Trivial matters? You plan to go find the people from the Dao Seeking Sect, don't you?”

His thoughts having been seen through, a flash of embarrassment crossed Li Xuantong's face. He could only give a sheepish smile and did not deny it.

The Fifth Elder pondered for a moment and warned, “That person's cultivation base is profound, and he even possesses a God-Tier Divine Ability. He is no easy target and is far beyond someone you can handle.”

“Don't worry, Fifth Elder.”

Li Xuantong straightened his back and said confidently, “I am not some fool who only knows how to use brute force. I have my own strategy and will not force the issue. If I truly cannot win, I will retreat immediately.”

“In any case, that man surnamed Chen is already doomed since he is in the Secret Realm. I simply want to personally see him off on his way.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a surge of spiritual energy suddenly came from behind a distant sand dune.

Several figures grew from small to large as more than ten Cultivators from the Fentian Palace ran over in a wretched state. Behind them, three Great Demons were clearly playing a game of cat and mouse.

“Fellow Daoists, save us!”

Duan Yi, the Third Elder of the Fentian Palace, ran at the very front. His left arm was severed at the elbow, and blood gushed down from the stump. Seeing the people from the Wansheng Dao Court, they were like drowning men grasping at a final straw, their faces instantly filling with joy.

“I am Duan Yi, the Third Elder of the Fentian Palace. I beg the Senior to lend a hand. There will surely be a great reward in the future!”

The Fifth Elder's face remained expressionless. He raised a hand toward the approaching Fentian Palace Cultivators and spoke in a gentle voice:

“Fellow Daoists, you may rest easy.”

“With us here, we naturally won't let these Yao Race members act willfully.”

Hearing this, Duan Yi and the others finally relaxed their brows. The weight in their hearts dropped, and they couldn't help but speed up again to reach the Fifth Elder's side.

He was just about to warn them that those beasts were not simple and that the Senior shouldn't be careless when—

“Pfft—”

Blood sprayed out. Duan Yi's smile froze on his face. He looked down at the bloody hole in his abdomen, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock.

He struggled to lift his head and look at the Fifth Elder. His lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but he only spat out a mouthful of bloody foam. His body slumped down, the life in his eyes fading rapidly.

The Fifth Elder slowly withdrew his hand from Duan Yi's abdomen and swept his gaze toward the others.

The Fentian Palace Cultivators were instantly stunned, their footsteps coming to a dead stop as the hope on their faces froze into terror. This turn of events was too bizarre—the Senior who had said he would help a second ago had ruthlessly killed their Elder the next!

The One-Horned Demonic Rhinoceros behind them stopped and laughed, “Fellow Daoist has good methods.”

“What are you standing there for? Leave none alive,” the Fifth Elder ordered coldly.

The Disciples of the Wansheng Dao Court were long accustomed to the Elder's style of doing things. Upon hearing the order, they immediately summoned their Magic Treasures and charged at the remaining Fentian Palace Cultivators.

Sword light flashed and Divine Abilities erupted. The already battered Fentian Palace Cultivators had no strength to resist. Screams rose and fell, and they soon collapsed in pools of blood.

Having dealt with the Fentian Palace Cultivators, the Fifth Elder slowly turned around and cupped his hands in a salute to the three One-Horned Demonic Rhinoceroses before him:

“I am Li Zhuo, the Fifth Elder of the Wansheng Dao Court. There is a force in this Secret Realm called the Dao Seeking Sect. Their actions run contrary to my Dao Court, and they have hindered our plans many times. I ask you all to help us eliminate them.”

“Fine, we accept this task,” the leading One-Horned Demonic Rhinoceros said in a heavy voice.

“Do you know where the people of the Dao Seeking Sect are? We will head there now.”

Beside him, Li Xuantong's eyes suddenly lit up, and a look of wild joy appeared on his face.

How could he not understand that this was the assistance being found for him? With this, success was even more guaranteed.

“Thank you, Uncle!”

After the Fifth Elder gave a few more instructions, he led the rest of the group toward the exit of the Secret Realm at high speed.

In a short while, a distorted spatial rift appeared at the end of their vision—that was the only exit connecting the Secret Realm to the outside world.

Stepping into the rift, they left the Secret Realm.

The scene outside changed abruptly. The Demon Race Army was waiting there in unison, a dark mass that stretched as far as the eye could see.

In the surrounding mid-air, more than ten heads were being held up by invisible force, slowly floating and rotating.

The smell of fresh blood permeated the air, making one feel nauseous.

The Fifth Elder's gaze swept over the heads and soon discovered one or two familiar people. Han Chen of the Ten Thousand Formations Sect and Ruan Chuan of the Qingxiao Sword Sect were both among them.

His gaze finally settled on two people on a nearby mountain peak.

He bowed to the Little girl with pigtails. “I am Li Zhuo, the Fifth Elder of the Wansheng Dao Court. Greetings to the two Seniors. As entrusted by Great Love Immortal Venerable, the Formations within the Secret Realm have been properly arranged.”

The Little girl with pigtails tilted her head, her large dark eyes studying him as she asked in a crisp voice:

“Oh? So you're one of our own.”

“Where's the proof?”

On the back of his hand, the skin squirmed slightly, and a complex, eerie black mark emitting a faint, ghostly light slowly emerged.

It was precisely a Slave Seal.