657: Cracked Space, New Nest of Evil

The Interstitial Space between the Lingxu Realm and the Xuanhuang Realm is a land of Chaos where the Spiritual Qi of the two realms is torn apart and Yin and Yang are reversed. There is no rotation of sun or moon here; the sky is eternally gray and hazy, and the earth is cracked like a spiderweb. One half glows with the emerald green spiritual light of the Lingxu Realm, while the other half exudes the fierce Huaxia Battle Qi of the Xuanhuang Realm. The two types of Spiritual Qi collide and consume each other, eventually weaving into a violent and turbulent airflow mixed with an inseparable, thick, and sinister evil energy that cuts into one's body with knife-like pain.

Li Fan, Zhao Hu, and Su Miao stepped into this space following the map from the Tree Spirit Elder. As soon as they landed, they felt a strong spatial tearing force. The surrounding evil energy lunged at them like hungry wolves, attempting to drill into their bodies and corrode their Dao Heart. The War Immortal Battle Qi around Li Fan's body surged instantly, and his Golden Core Stage second-level aura was steady and heavy. The Grandmist Shield expanded into a layer of warm white light, protecting the two behind him. Dragon Vein Righteous Qi dissipated from his War Immortal Battle Qi, and wherever the awe-inspiring righteousness passed, the evil energy receded like melting snow.

"This gods-forsaken place is too bizarre! The Spiritual Qi is a mess like a pot of porridge, and the evil energy is so intense!" Zhao Hu circulated the Dragon Vein Battle Qi of the Huaxia Battle Qi Art - Final Chapter, condensing a thick protective light shield, gritting his teeth to resist the spatial tearing force. "The Fiends chose to build their nest here, likely wanting to use the chaotic Spiritual Qi of the two realms to refine even more powerful Demonic Weapons!"

Su Miao's face was pale, yet she calmly took out dual realm grass seeds and scattered them at their feet. "The dual realm grass can adapt to the Spiritual Qi of both realms. I will use the Dual Realm Grass Cultivation Art to make it take root quickly and form a simple Stable Spirit Barrier, which can block part of the spatial tearing and evil energy corrosion." She formed hand seals, and emerald green Spirit Plant Spiritual Qi surged into the seeds. The grass sprouts instantly broke through the soil, growing into a dense patch of Spiritual Plants that emitted a soft spiritual light, forming a stable small barrier that finally allowed the three to steady themselves.

The hongmeng fragment on Li Fan's chest vibrated violently, and the purifying spiritual light it emitted collided with the surrounding chaotic airflow, unexpectedly allowing him to faintly see through the spatial mist. He circulated the Dragon Vein Sensing Technique, piercing through the dense evil energy, and clearly sensed a massive Fiend aura a hundred miles ahead—the location of the Fiend's New Nest. "The Fiend nest is just ahead. Everyone, be careful. The evil energy here can twist the mind; do not be careless!"

The three moved forward following the aura. Along the way, there were nothing but twisted, strange rocks and withered cross-realm Spiritual Plants. Occasionally, they saw low-level Fiends that had lost their sanity due to evil energy corrosion. Their forms were mutated, and they roared as they lunged, but all were killed by the trio's coordinated efforts. Zhao Hu's fierce Battle Qi was responsible for frontal kills, Su Miao's Spirit Plant Spiritual Qi purified the residual evil energy, and Li Fan used the Light Body Technique to scout the path. They proceeded without hindrance and soon reached the Fiend's New Nest.

The Fiend nest before them was essentially a small fortress built from the rubble of the black-gray boundary walls. The walls were covered in eerie evil talismans, constantly absorbing the violent Spiritual Qi of the two realms and converting it into thick, black evil baleful energy. In the center of the nest, a massive black furnace burned fiercely, with a black-red liquid—a Fusion of the two realms' Spiritual Qi and evil baleful energy—boiling inside. Dozens of Evil Cultivators were chanting evil incantations around the furnace, and spiked Fiend Battle Weapons were faintly condensing within the liquid, emitting a heart-palpitating aura of destruction. These were the Fiend Battle Weapons refined by the Fiends using the Spiritual Qi of the two realms!

"These beasts are actually using the Spiritual Qi of two realms to refine Demonic Weapons! If they succeed, who knows how many living beings will suffer!" Zhao Hu was furious, his body burning with crimson-gold Battle Qi as he prepared to charge, but Li Fan held him back.

"The Fiend nest is protected by a Gathering Evil Formation; a frontal assault will be disadvantageous!" Li Fan's eyes were sharp as he quickly scanned the layout of the Fiend nest. "The Spiritual Qi in this Interstitial Space is turbulent, making it difficult to deploy ordinary Formations. I will use the Lingxu War Immortal Convergence Art to set up a Fusion Formation of the War Immortal Formation and the Spirit Plant Formation. I will be the primary attacker, leading the War Immortal Battle Qi to strike the core of the furnace. Zhao Hu, you will pin down the Evil Cultivators from the front and use your Dragon Vein Battle Qi to disrupt their incantations. Su Miao, you will place Purification Nodes at the formation eyes to absorb the evil baleful energy, while simultaneously using the Spirit Plant Technique to entwine the furnace and stop the refinement of the Demonic Weapons!"

This was a lethal tactic that combined the strengths of the three, utilizing the evil-breaking power of Li Fan's War Immortal Battle Qi, Zhao Hu's fierce battlefield control, and maximizing Su Miao's purification power. it was perfectly adapted to the environment of the Interstitial Space.

"Alright!" the two responded in unison.

Li Fan formed hand seals, and the war immortal golden core within his Dantian spun frantically. The Golden Core Stage Battle Qi Fusion Technique and the Lingxu War Immortal Convergence Art were activated simultaneously. War Immortal Battle Qi, Dragon Vein Righteous Qi, and Hongmeng Spiritual Qi wove together into a brilliant golden Formation pattern that instantly spread out. Simultaneously, Su Miao channeled her Spirit Plant Spiritual Qi, causing the dual realm grass to grow rapidly and weave into an emerald green Spirit Plant Formation pattern. This perfectly interlaced with the golden War Immortal Formation pattern, forming a dual-colored Fusion Formation that enveloped the entire Fiend nest!

The moment the Formation was activated, the golden War Immortal spiritual light took charge of attacking and breaking the evil, while the emerald green Spirit Plant spiritual light handled purification and defense. The two lights intertwined to form an indestructible offensive and defensive barrier. The evil baleful energy within the Fiend nest was rapidly absorbed, and the power of the Gathering Evil Formation instantly plummeted.

"Move!" Li Fan shouted low. He leaped into the Formation, his War Immortal Battle Qi condensing into a ten-foot-long golden battle spear. The spear tip was wreathed in Hongmeng Spiritual Qi and Dragon Vein Righteous Qi, letting out a sharp whistle that tore through space as it went straight for the furnace core. Seeing this, the surrounding Evil Cultivators brandished their Demonic Weapons to block him, but as soon as they touched the awe-inspiring righteousness on the spear, their Demonic Weapons shattered instantly. They were sent flying, spitting black blood and losing their combat effectiveness immediately.

Zhao Hu was like a tiger descending a mountain, his crimson-gold Battle Qi surging. He pushed the fierce Battle Qi of the Huaxia Battle Qi Art - Final Chapter to its limit, his fists striking out like a violent storm. Each punch carried Dragon Vein Righteous Qi, which specifically countered Fiends, knocking the Evil Cultivators around the furnace into disarray. Their incantation chanting was completely interrupted, and the rhythm of the Demonic Weapon refinement instantly stalled.

Su Miao placed several Purification Nodes at the formation eyes. The Spirit Vines of the dual realm grass spread along the ground, entwining the massive black furnace. The Purification Spirit Flowers on the Spirit Vines frantically absorbed the evil baleful energy from the furnace while injecting Vitality Spiritual Qi into it, attempting to destroy the Foundation of the Demonic Weapon refinement. She also occasionally channeled Spirit Plant Spiritual Qi to form Spirit Vine shields, blocking stray Demonic Weapon attacks for Li Fan and Zhao Hu, providing perfectly timed support.

The three cooperated seamlessly, and the power of the Fusion Formation was utilized to its fullest. The Evil Cultivators within the Formation were like lambs to the slaughter, unable to resist at all. In just the time it takes to burn an incense stick, dozens of Evil Cultivators had been entirely wiped out, leaving only the black-robed Fiend Leader by the furnace. With a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivation and a sinister aura, his body was encased in black armor condensed from evil baleful energy. In his hand, he held a half-refined Fiend Battle Blade, his eyes filled with madness and malice.

"You destroyed my Demonic Weapons and broke my Fiend nest. This venerable one will have you buried with them!" the Fiend Leader roared, channeling all his evil baleful energy. The Fiend blade erupted with black-red light, carrying an aura of destruction as it slashed toward Li Fan. The power of this strike far exceeded that of an ordinary Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, as it utilized the chaotic Spiritual Qi of the Interstitial Space to double its power.

Li Fan remained undaunted, his War Immortal battle spear sweeping out. The golden spiritual light collided with the black-red evil light with a loud bang. The evil light was shattered, and the Fiend Leader was knocked back repeatedly, a crack appearing on his black armor. Li Fan pressed his advantage, his battle spear striking out like a spirit snake, accurately piercing the crack in the Fiend Leader's armor. Hongmeng Spiritual Qi surged through the spear tip, instantly purifying a portion of the evil baleful energy within his body.

Zhao Hu took the opportunity to charge forward, throwing a heavy strike that concentrated all his strength. His Dragon Vein Battle Qi slammed hard into the Fiend Leader's back, and the black armor shattered. The Fiend Leader spat out a mouthful of black blood, his aura instantly withering. Su Miao then channeled her Spirit Vines to tightly bind the Fiend Leader's limbs, while the Purification Spirit Flowers clung to him, frantically absorbing the remaining evil baleful energy.

"No—!" The Fiend Leader went completely mad, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes as he actually prepared to burn his Golden Core and detonate the entire Fiend nest. "What this venerable one cannot have, you shall not have either! Let the Interstitial Space collapse, and we shall all die together!"

Li Fan's eyes narrowed; how could he give him the chance! He activated the prototype of the Interstitial Space Fiend Eradication Art, and his War Immortal battle spear condensed all his power, piercing fiercely into the Fiend Leader's Dantian. The War Immortal Battle Qi erupted instantly, shattering his Golden Core prototype and preventing the self-detonation.

With the Fiend nest's core destroyed, the furnace collapsed with a roar, and the Spiritual Qi of the two realms lost control, dissipating wildly. At that moment, two crisp clattering sounds rang out as two Jade Slips fell from the chaotic Spiritual Qi.

The first Jade Slip was entirely gray-black, carved with patterns of space and Fiends intertwined. It was the Interstitial Space Fiend Eradication Art (High Grade Medium Grade Cultivation Technique)! This technique could adapt to the chaotic environment of the Interstitial Space, allowing Battle Qi to carry spatial tearing power, specifically countering the Fiends of the Interstitial Space and doubling the killing efficiency.

The second Jade Slip was as black as ink, with the words Fiend Nest Destruction Art (High Grade Medium Grade Cultivation Technique) written on it! It recorded the structural weaknesses and destruction techniques for various Fiend nests, allowing for the precise destruction of a Fiend nest's energy-gathering formation eyes and core facilities, preventing the Fiends from making a comeback. It was a trump card method for clearing out Fiend nests!

Li Fan was overjoyed. Just as he picked up the two Jade Slips, the dying Fiend Leader's eyes flashed with a hint of malice. He detonated the last wisp of evil baleful energy in his body, and a spiked black fragment shot out from him—it was the core fragment of that unrefined Fiend Battle Weapon. The fragment was wreathed in pure evil baleful Annihilation Power and headed straight for Li Fan's face!

"Watch out!" Zhao Hu and Su Miao's expressions changed drastically, but it was too late to stop it.

Li Fan's eyes turned sharp. Instead of retreating, he circulated the Evil Energy Conversion Art, and the Grandmist Shield actively opened a small gap, sucking the Fiend weapon fragment inside. The Hongmeng Spiritual Qi and Dragon Vein Righteous Qi within the shield erupted instantly, rapidly purifying and converting the violent evil baleful energy on the fragment, leaving only the purest Annihilation Power to merge into his war immortal golden core.

The war immortal golden core suddenly erupted with a burst of brilliant golden light. A layer of fine black patterns appeared on the surface of the Golden Core, with Annihilation Power swirling between the patterns. The Golden Core had officially evolved! Now, the war immortal golden core not only retained the Dragon Vein Righteous Qi and Hongmeng purification power but could also add Fiend Annihilation Power. When attacking, it could directly tear through a Fiend's Dao Foundation, causing its power to skyrocket!

At the moment of evolution, a crisp clattering sound rang out as a black-gold Jade Slip dropped—the Demonic Weapon Fragment Fusion Art (High Grade Medium Grade Cultivation Technique)! This technique could fuse purified Demonic Weapon fragments into a Golden Core or Magical Artifact, augmenting Annihilation Power and even allowing for the refinement of exclusive evil-breaking Magical Artifacts. It was another trump card for Li Fan!

Just as the three thought the crisis was over, the boundary wall of the Interstitial Space suddenly vibrated violently. A massive crack appeared in the Void Realm, and a cold aura far exceeding all previous Fiends dissipated from the crack—it was pure void qi, the exact opposite of Hongmeng Spiritual Qi, carrying a terrifying might that could devour everything.

A faint wisp of Void Residual Qi floated out from the crack, heading straight for the hongmeng fragment on Li Fan's chest. As soon as the residual qi touched the fragment, a burst of blinding white light erupted. The residual qi was instantly purified by the fragment, but before dissipating, it left behind a blurry thought that echoed in the minds of the three like a cold curse: "Void Evil Master... not destroyed... within Grandmist... shall eventually sink..."

The thought dissipated, and the boundary wall crack slowly closed, leaving only a faint, lingering void qi permeating the Interstitial Space.

Li Fan gripped the hongmeng fragment on his chest, his heart surging with shock. The Void Evil Master! That was the very Origin of the Fiends that had been wiped out by Ancestral Master Huang Xiaolong! It turned out the Evil Lord had not completely died; his remnant soul had fled beyond the Grandmist, and now he actually wanted to use the boundary wall cracks of the Interstitial Space to reinvade the interior of the Grandmist!

Zhao Hu and Su Miao also looked solemn. Although they did not know the terror of the Void Evil Master, they could feel a suffocating pressure from that wisp of residual qi and thought.

"It seems things are far more serious than we imagined. This is not just an ordinary Fiend remnant, but the vanguard forces of the Void Evil Master!" Li Fan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "We must return to the Lingxu Realm as soon as possible to inform the Tree Spirit Elder and the Huaxia Alliance of this matter and prepare in advance!"

The three did not linger. They quickly cleaned up the battlefield, picked up the scattered Demonic Weapon fragments and spiritual materials, and turned to speed toward the Lingxu Realm. The wind of the Interstitial Space remained violent, yet it could not blow away the solemnity in their hearts. The shadow of the undestroyed Void Evil Master loomed over their hearts like a dark cloud; a war to protect all the worlds within and without the Grandmist had quietly begun.