61: A void rift, beneath the surface, a surge of dark currents.

The collision of the Nirvana Finger and the Return to Chaos Palm did not produce an earth-shattering explosion, nor did it create dazzling light.

Their encounter was like a drop of water merging into an ink pool, leaving only a deeper, more complete 'nothingness' rapidly expanding.

In that area, light was swallowed, sound was annihilated, and even the sense of existence of space itself became blurred, as if an invisible hand had forcibly erased it from the canvas of reality, leaving only a constantly wriggling, expanding, absolute Void that made one's Soul freeze at the sight of it!

There was no energy impact, no surging Qi waves.

But that terrifying scene of 'existence' being 'erased' was more heart-stopping than any violent explosion!

On the square, everyone held their breath, as if even their heartbeats had stopped.

They could only see the continuously expanding Void, and the violently twisting spatial structure at the edge of the Void, as if it could completely collapse at any moment!

Yun Shan's pupils constricted, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face!

He felt that the power within his 'Nirvana Finger,' which condensed the power of mountains and the secret techniques of the Hall of Souls, was being assimilated, decomposed, and ultimately returned to Void by the opponent's Chaos Palm Seal in a more fundamental and thorough manner!

That was not a contest of energy, but a ... covering and devouring at the Rule level!

The opponent's 'Nirvana' was actually purer, closer to the Origin, than the 'Nirvana' he had mastered, which was bestowed by the Hall of Souls?!

"This is impossible!!!" Yun Shan roared in shock and anger in his heart.

Just as this strange silence and Void expansion continued, another change occurred!

"Crack—!!!"

A clear and distinct sound, as if a cornerstone supporting the world had shattered, suddenly emanated from the center of that Void!

Immediately after, at the edge of that chaotic Void, a thick, serpentine, pitch-black spatial rift suddenly tore open without warning!

Within the rift, there was not just simple darkness, but extremely violent spatial turbulence, raging Void storms, and a kind of ... cold, dead, and eerie aura, as if from another world!

This was not a direct result of the collision of Li Ao and Yun Shan's powers, but rather the combined 'Nirvana' power of the two, especially Li Ao's 'Return to Chaos' Intent, which was closer to the Origin, exceeding the limit that this space could bear, accidentally ... tearing open a spatial barrier that was already fragile!

"Spatial rift?! How is that possible?!" Yun Shan turned pale with fright; he knew better than anyone what it meant for stable space to be torn apart!

Especially in this special place, Yun Lan Mountain!

Li Ao's heart also trembled; he could feel the spatial fluctuations emanating from the rift, which were of the same Origin as the Soul Burial Ravine and the Snake-People Clan ruins, yet grander and more dangerous!

Could it be ... that a complete 'door' was truly hidden beneath Yun Lan Mountain? And their battle had accidentally shaken it?!

Just as both their minds were captivated by the spatial rift—

"Buzz!"

A subtle yet solidified gray-black Soul spike shot out from a shadow in the rear mountain of the Cloud Mist Sect without warning, at a speed that surpassed thought!

Its target was not Li Ao, but ... Medusa, who had just set up a defense for Xiao Yan, whose aura had not fully recovered, and whose attention was also drawn by the spatial rift!

The timing was extremely cunning and vicious!

It was precisely the moment when old strength had just left, new strength had not yet emerged, and the mind was shaken!

"Be careful!" Li Ao's pupils sharply constricted, and he roared out, his body instinctively about to turn to assist!

However, how could Yun Shan give him a chance?

"Your opponent is me!" Yun Shan sneered.

Although he was equally shocked by the appearance of the spatial rift, his battle instinct made him immediately seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

He forcibly suppressed his surging Qi and blood, once again activated the power of the mountains, and a condensed gray-black palm print slammed towards Li Ao, firmly entangling him!

Medusa's seven-colored eyes flared with cold light, hastily mobilizing her remaining Dou Qi and Soul Power to condense a defense in front of her!

But that Soul spike was too condensed and malicious, clearly a long-planned attack!

"Puff!"

The defense only lasted for an instant before being pierced through!

The Soul spike fiercely plunged into Medusa's glabella!

"Hmm!" Medusa let out a painful groan, her delicate body trembled violently, her recently stabilized aura instantly dissipated again, the spatial crack on her forehead, which Li Ao had originally reinforced, suddenly expanded, the seven-colored light in her eyes instantly dimmed, and she fell powerlessly from the sky like a broken-winged butterfly!

"Medusa!" Li Ao's eyes were splitting with rage, his Qi and blood and Annihilation Rule within him surged wildly due to extreme anger!

He endured a palm strike from Yun Shan, used the force to forcibly turn around, and rushed towards Medusa's falling direction regardless of everything!

"Where are you going!" Yun Shan, having gained the upper hand, pressed his attack even more fiercely, trying to completely stop Li Ao!

The situation instantly took a sharp turn for the worse!

And that suddenly appearing spatial rift was still slowly expanding, the strange aura emanating from it growing stronger and stronger, as if something was about to emerge from it...

The Hall of Souls' people hidden in the dark finally bared their fangs!

Their target, from the very beginning, was not just Li Ao, but also Medusa, whose condition had not yet recovered!

And this unexpectedly appearing spatial rift made the situation incredibly bizarre and complex!

"Hehehehe... It worked! As expected of Protector Wu's contingency plan..." In the shadows of the rear mountain, a blurry black figure let out a hoarse, strange laugh, then disappeared.

"Your Majesty!!!" Below, Elder Yin Shi and the other Snake-People roared in grief and anger as they saw Medusa injured and falling, but they were powerless to intervene in the battle in the sky.

Xiao Yan struggled to raise his head, watching this rapidly changing, world-shaking battle, watching Medusa, who had fallen heavily injured to save him, and watching Li Ao, who disregarded his own safety to confront Yun Shan and rush towards Medusa, his fists clenched tightly, fingernails digging deep into his palms, bleeding.

A sense of powerlessness gnawed at his heart like a poisonous snake.

He was too weak!

In this level of confrontation, he barely even qualified to watch!

Li Ao endured Yun Shan's storm-like attacks, suffering several more wounds on his body, and finally rushed to Medusa's side, pulling her cold, delicate body into his arms.

Feeling her rapidly decaying aura and the wounds to her Soul, the silver-gray flames in Li Ao's eyes almost burst forth!

He suddenly looked up, staring intently at Yun Shan, who was closely pursuing him, then glanced at the continuously expanding spatial rift emanating an ominous aura, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes!

He couldn't continue fighting!

Medusa was severely injured and needed immediate treatment!

Moreover, that spatial rift gave him a very bad premonition!

"Yun Shan! And you Hall of Souls rats! I, Li Ao, will remember what you've given me today!

I will repay it a hundredfold another day!"

A cold vow full of killing intent echoed in the sky.

Li Ao no longer hesitated, fully activating the void-luminous seven-colored crystal, and a seven-colored light gate, even more condensed than when he arrived, instantly formed in front of him!

He stepped into the light gate, holding Medusa!

"Trying to leave? Stay!" Yun Shan roared, and a huge spatial palm print slammed towards the light gate!

However, just as the palm print was about to hit the light gate, Li Ao swung his Saber in a counter-attack!

It was not aimed at Yun Shan, but at ... the continuously expanding spatial rift!

A condensed Nirvana Saber Intent plunged into the edge of the rift!

"Boom—!!!"

The already extremely unstable spatial rift, stimulated by external Rule power, suddenly erupted!

Even more violent spatial turbulence surged out like a breached dam, instantly engulfing that airspace, swallowing and shattering the palm print Yun Shan had unleashed, and also obstructing his pursuit!

Seizing this opportunity, the seven-colored light gate suddenly contracted and completely disappeared.

Only Yun Shan's furious roar remained, and the spatial rift, still raging and seemingly connected to unknown horrors, like a giant scar, imprinted in the sky above Yun Lan Mountain.

The Peak confrontation ended abruptly in such an unexpected way.

But everyone knew that this storm, sweeping across the Empire and even wider heavens, had just begun.

Li Ao's departure was by no means the end, but the prelude to even greater turmoil.

The shadow of the Hall of Souls, the mysterious spatial rift, and the severely injured Queen Medusa... everything indicated that a true era of Chaos was about to arrive.

At this moment, far away near the Snake-People Clan's royal city in the desert, a seven-colored light gate flashed, and Li Ao stepped out, holding the dying Medusa, his face as grim as water.

He had to treat Medusa immediately, and then... become stronger as quickly as possible!