128: Holy might is like a prison, a glimmer of light in the most desperate situation.

That aura was not an intentionally flaunted pressure, but a natural existence, as if it were inherently part of the rules of this world. Its arrival caused the sky and earth, ravaged and scarred from the recent great battle, to fall into an even deeper stagnation.

The wind stopped, the clouds settled, and even the scattered energy fragments and dust floating in the air seemed to be frozen by an invisible force. All sounds, whether the gasps of those who survived the calamity, the groans of the wounded, or the noise within Pill City in the distance, vanished completely at this moment.

Between heaven and earth, there remained only an absolute "stillness," and that "sense of presence" which approached from afar, beating like the drums of fate deep within everyone's Soul.

Dou Sheng!

A true Dou Sheng expert! An existence that surpassed the mundane, standing at the very peak of the pyramid on the Fighting Qi Continent! Though separated from a Half-Saint by only one word, the difference was like heaven and earth—a fundamental leap in the level of life!

The Pill Tower Master's aged face showed unprecedented solemnity, even carrying a hint of despair. As an Advanced Half-Saint, he could best appreciate the terror of the newcomer. Before that aura, he felt that his vast Fighting Qi, cultivated over hundreds of years, was pitifully insignificant, like a firefly next to a bright moon. The opponent didn't even need to attack; merely relying on this 'momentum' that enveloped the world was enough to crush the will of most Dou Venerates!

"In the end... he still came..." he muttered bitterly, yet the Fighting Qi within him began to circulate recklessly. Even though he knew it was futile, the dignity of the Pill Tower would not allow him to surrender and await death.

Medusa pressed her red lips tightly, slightly tightening her grip on Li Ao's arm. She sensed the weakness of the man in her arms and also felt the overwhelming, suffocating Saintly might. In her enchanting purple eyes, there was no fear, only a cold determination. If anyone wanted to harm him, they would have to step over her corpse first.

Li Ao's face was pale. The backlash from forcefully activating the Nirvana Origin was far more severe than he had imagined; his Soul felt a tearing agony, his Fighting Qi was nearly depleted, and his Meridians transmitted sharp, needle-like stabs of pain. But his eyes, which had regained their clarity, were fixed intently on the direction from which the aura came. Deep within his pupils, there was no despair, only a rock-like calmness, and a trace of... barely perceptible madness.

"Finally... a Dou Sheng has been forced out..." he murmured inwardly. The conflict with the Hall of Souls, escalating step by step from the Black-Corner Region to the Central Plains, had long made him anticipate the day he would face a Dou Sheng. He just hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly, so suddenly.

At the edge of the sky, space rippled like water. There was no earth-shattering commotion, no violent tearing of space; a figure simply stepped out silently, appearing above the Pill Domain.

The newcomer wore a simple black robe, devoid of any Hall of Souls markings, yet a gloom that seemed capable of swallowing light faintly flowed across it. His appearance was quite ordinary, seeming middle-aged, and his eyes were as calm as an ancient well. He looked upon the Pill Domain below, upon the Pill Tower Master, upon Li Ao and Medusa, as if they were no different from roadside pebbles or dust.

That was the look of true disregard for all living beings, an absolute indifference cultivated by standing high above the clouds and looking down upon the mortal world for a long time.

He merely stood there, and the sky above the entire Pill Domain seemed to darken by several shades. Sunlight could not penetrate the invisible force field surrounding him. The protective barrier over Pill City below groaned under the pressure of this silent Saintly might, its light rapidly dimming, as if it might collapse at any moment.

"Soul Mie Sheng, is dead?"

The Black Robed Man spoke, his voice flat and devoid of emotional fluctuation, yet it exploded like thunder in everyone's ears, carrying a chill that pierced the Soul.

The Pill Tower Master took a deep breath, stepped forward, subtly shielding Li Ao and Medusa behind him, and said gravely: "Your Excellency, who are you? The Heavenly Venerate of the Hall of Souls trespassed upon our Pill Domain, intending to commit acts of extermination, and was repelled by us. Soul Mie Sheng was outmatched and has been executed!"

He deliberately emphasized "repelled" and "outmatched," attempting to establish a moral high ground, though he knew that reason was often pale and powerless before a Dou Sheng.

"Repelled? Executed?" The Black Robed Man's gaze finally landed on the Pill Tower Master. That gaze felt substantial, causing the latter to feel the space around him solidify, and the circulation of his Fighting Qi instantly became sluggish and difficult.

"this saint, Hun Qianmo." He stated his name plainly, yet it instantly turned the faces of the Pill Tower Master and the few Pill Tower Elders struggling to maintain formation in the distance, ashen white!

Hun Qianmo! One of the core Elders of the Hun Clan! A true One-Star Dou Sheng! An ancient monster who had lived for countless years! His fierce reputation circulated among the ancient clans and was far beyond comparison to a Half-Saint like Soul Mie Sheng!

"A mere Pill Tower, a land of ants, dares to kill a Heavenly Venerate of my Hall of Souls?" Hun Qianmo's gaze swept past the Pill Tower Master and finally settled on Li Ao, whom he was shielding. "It is the aura of that power on your body... Very interesting. Even this saint feels a slight... stirring."

A faint ripple finally appeared in his eyes. It was curiosity, scrutiny, and even the interest one reserves for rare prey.

"Hand over this child, and the secrets he holds. The Pill Tower will be spared the disaster of annihilation." Hun Qianmo's tone was as if stating a predetermined fact, allowing no doubt or rebuttal.

The terrifying Saintly might suddenly intensified with his words, like a burden weighing millions of tons, crushing down hard on everyone's hearts!

"Thud!" "Thud!"

In Pill City below, countless weaker individuals immediately collapsed onto their knees under this Saintly might, unable even to raise their heads. Even some Dou Zongs and low-level Dou Venerate Elders had flushed faces, their bones cracking, struggling with all their might just to remain standing.

The Pill Tower Master's body trembled violently, and a trace of blood spilled from his lips, but he still stood rigidly straight, refusing to yield an inch: "Hun Qianmo! Though your Hall of Souls is powerful, our Pill Tower is not something to be slaughtered at will! If you want to take someone here, step over this old man's corpse first!"

"Stubborn." Hun Qianmo shook his head slightly, seemingly having lost patience. He slowly raised his right hand, fingers slightly spread, and gently pressed down toward the Pill Tower Master, Li Ao, and Medusa below.

There was no dazzling Dou Technique light, no deafening explosion.

There was only a profound darkness, spreading silently like the descent of night, or perhaps a Universe black hole. Wherever it passed, space did not shatter, but simply... vanished! Turning into a swath of absolute Void Realm!

The power of a Dou Sheng controls space, their word is law—a single strike erases existence!

The Pill Tower Master's pupils contracted sharply. He roared, and the seven-colored flame within him surged out frantically, transforming into a massive flame barrier, attempting to block the spreading Void Realm darkness. Medusa also acted without hesitation, forcibly raising her last reserves of Fighting Qi, with seven-colored snake shadows swirling to form a defense.

However, before the strike of a true Dou Sheng, all of this seemed so futile.

The flame barrier touched the darkness and was silently annihilated, like melting ice and snow. The seven-colored snake shadows let out a mournful cry and fractured inch by inch.

The aura of death was clearer than ever before!

A fierce light flashed in Li Ao's eyes. Ignoring the agony in his Soul, he was about to forcefully communicate with the deep-seated black iron and the Nirvana Origin again! Even if he perished and his Dao was extinguished, he would absolutely not allow the opponent to succeed so easily!

It was at this critical moment—

"Alas..."

A faint sigh, as if coming from an extremely distant space-time, yet also sounding right in everyone's hearts.

Immediately following, a soft and warm point of white light appeared without warning right before the darkness that threatened to consume everything.

That light was not dazzling, but it carried an indescribable vitality and Power of Purification, seemingly capable of dispelling all darkness and filth in the world.

When the white light met the darkness, there was no explosion, no impact. The Void Realm darkness, which was sufficient to annihilate a Half-Saint, rapidly melted away and retreated as if meeting its nemesis, eventually vanishing completely.

Simultaneously, the terrifying Saintly might that enveloped the world was quietly neutralized by a gentle yet majestic force, causing everyone to feel instantly lighter, as if they had regained the right to breathe.

Hun Qianmo's ancient-well-like face showed obvious emotion for the first time. He withdrew his palm and looked sharply toward a certain point in the Void Realm:

"The aura of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame? No... It is the guardian of a remnant map... containing a wisp of its Origin Power?"

"What kind of divine being are you, hiding your identity?"

Following his questioning, the space beside Li Ao slightly fluctuated, and a translucent figure slowly materialized. It was the phantom of an old man whose face could not be clearly seen, surrounded by a faint white halo. In his hand, he seemed to hold a corner of a tattered ancient map, which emitted profound and mysterious fluctuations.

The phantom ignored Hun Qianmo, instead turning to the astonished Li Ao, his aged voice carrying a hint of complexity and urgency:

"Little fellow, a Dou Sheng is not someone you can currently contend with. Leave quickly! This old man, using the power of this remnant map combined with the Pill Tower's Ten Thousand Flames Great Formation, might be able to hold him off for a moment!"

"Crush this talisman to be teleported to a safe location!"

A jade talisman shimmering with spatial fluctuations was flicked out by the phantom and landed in Li Ao's hand.

Amidst the despair, a sliver of light finally appeared! The hope of survival!