Crimson Flame Chaos, First Battle in the Remnant Realm

A cold, restrictive force surged like a tide. The four Eshi Yue Cultivators connected their auras, forming a formation that seemed to freeze the surrounding space.

The leader, a Middle Golden Core Cultivator codenamed "Ice Ghost," had already raised his dark blue curved blade. Before the blade even arrived, the bone-chilling cold that pierced the Divine Soul had already dimmed the fiery sword light surrounding Mo Li.

"Newbie, stick close to me!" Mo Li commanded sharply. Facing a desperate situation, there was no fear in her eyes, only rising Battle Intent.

The fiery longsword in her hand suddenly erupted with blinding crimson light. Her sword stance shifted, transforming into layers of flaming lotus flowers that shielded both herself and Nightmare in the center. She had adopted a defensive posture, attempting to withstand this first wave of combined attacks!

She knew well the difficulty of the "Ice Ghost" squad, especially their expertise in combined attacks and Divine Soul freezing. Rashly breaking out would only lead to a faster death.

Only by holding her ground and waiting for a chance to counterattack could she find a glimmer of hope. Entrusting her back to this newly met, strangely-auraed newcomer was a helpless move, but also a gamble based on intuition.

Nightmare's mind was as calm as an ancient, deep pool. Being besieged by four Golden Core Cultivators, one of whom was a Middle Stage, placed far greater pressure on him than the encounter in the Ghost Market.

However, the Chaos Seed deep within his mind began to spin at an unprecedented speed under the stimulation of this desperate situation, frantically absorbing the chaotic and violent energy in the air of the Jiu You Remnant Realm.

Wisps of pure chaos qi flow were generated; though not enough to immediately turn the tide of battle, they kept his spiritual platform clear at all times.

He saw Mo Li's intention and instantly discerned the weakness in the formation before them—the Middle Golden Core Cultivator was the core, but there was a slight stagnation in the flow of auras between the other three Early Stage Cultivators due to attribute differences!

Especially the Cultivator on the left holding the ghost soul chain; his aura was the most frigid and not completely homologous with Ice Ghost's ultimate ice, instead forming a subtle repulsion!

The opportunity lay in this thin margin!

"Left, the chain!" Nightmare's voice was low and swift as it reached Mo Li's ears.

Although Mo Li did not understand why, her combat instincts made her act without hesitation.

Almost the instant Nightmare's voice fell, the flaming lotus flowers protecting her suddenly retracted inward, condensing at the tip of her sword.

Immediately, a crimson sword aura, condensed to the extreme and only as thick as an arm, tore through the pervasive icy mist like the light of dawn, stabbing straight at the Eshi Yue Cultivator on the left holding the chain!

This sword strike abandoned defense for offense, concentrating all her power into a single point!

"Courting death!" Ice Ghost snorted coldly. His dark blue curved blade drew a bleak arc, arriving later but striking first, slashing towards that crimson sword aura in an attempt to intercept it.

The other two Golden Core Early Stage Cultivators also simultaneously activated their attacks, with a pitch-black poisonous miasma and several ice cones striking at Mo Li's exposed back!

However, just as Ice Ghost's blade aura was about to touch the crimson sword aura—

Nightmare moved!

He did not help Mo Li defend her back. Instead, he channeled his mind to the Chaos Seed, merging all the chaos qi flow he had just condensed, along with his preliminary understanding of the chaotic rules of this Remnant Realm, entirely into his right fist!

On his fist, the gray, misty energy was no longer simple consumption or annihilation, but evolved into a chaotic nuance that seemed capable of disrupting Yin and Yang and reversing order!

Chaos—Reversing Yin and Yang!

He threw a punch. The target was not any of the Eshi Yue Cultivators, but the invisible rule node between Ice Ghost and the chain-wielding Cultivator on the left, created by the difference in energy attributes!

Hum!

Where the fist force passed, space let out an unbearable wail! The rules in that area seemed to be briefly stirred and twisted!

The blade aura slashed out by Ice Ghost and the energy channeled by the chain-wielding Cultivator, under this sudden rule disturbance, actually exhibited an extremely subtle, uncontrollable deflection and conflict!

It was this insignificant deflection!

Swish!

Mo Li's crimson sword aura, condensed to the extreme, narrowly grazed the edge of Ice Ghost's deflected blade aura, increasing its speed by another thirty percent. In the horrified eyes of the chain-wielding Cultivator, it instantly pierced through his protective ghost light and struck his glabella!

"Pfft!"

Blood mixed with ice shards exploded! That Early Golden Core Stage Eshi Yue Cultivator, along with his life force, was instantly annihilated by this extremely sharp and scorching sword strike! The chain in his hand fell limply.

The combined attack formation, broken!

"Fourth brother!" The other two Golden Core Early Stage Cultivators were livid.

Ice Ghost was both shocked and angry. He hadn't expected the opponent to be so cunning, nor had he expected this newcomer's methods to be so bizarre, capable of directly affecting the rules!

He fiercely locked onto Nightmare, his dark blue curved blade carrying monstrous murderous intent, transforming into a blue ice river spanning the void, sweeping over! He wanted to completely eradicate this variable!

Meanwhile, the attacks from the two Golden Core Early Stage Cultivators had also arrived; the poisonous miasma and ice cones were about to engulf Mo Li!

Although the formation was broken, the crisis was not resolved!

Nightmare's face turned pale; forcibly disturbing the rules placed a huge burden on his mind. Facing Ice Ghost's full-force attack fueled by anger, he channeled his mind, spreading all the remaining chaos qi flow in front of him, turning it into a constantly generating and decaying Chaos shield, while simultaneously retreating rapidly!

After killing one enemy with her sword, Mo Li's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen. Facing the attacks coming from behind, she was already unable to return to defend!

Just at this critical moment, deep within her, a natal sword talisman that had been nurtured all along suddenly lit up!

Boom!

A more magnificent, scorching, and supreme majestic crimson-gold Sword Intent phantom surged from within her body into the sky, like a volcanic eruption, instantly vaporizing the incoming poisonous miasma and ice cones! The aftermath of the Sword Intent even sent the two Golden Core Early Stage Cultivators staggering backward!

But this sword talisman clearly had a huge cost; Mo Li spat out a mouthful of blood, and her aura instantly withered.

Nightmare's Chaos shield also vibrated violently under the impact of Ice Ghost's blue ice river, covered in cracks, and finally shattered with a bang! Nightmare was hit hard, his body flying backward, crashing into a huge beast bone, blood staining his chest.

However, he also used this impact force to reunite with Mo Li.

Ice Ghost looked gloomily at Mo Li, whose aura was withered but whose eyes remained sharp, and at Nightmare, who was injured but had an unfathomably strange aura. He glanced at the corpse of his subordinate on the ground, his expression a mix of murderous intent and apprehension.

Mo Li's life-saving Sword Intent made him wary. And Nightmare's bizarre methods made him even more unsure of the bottom line. If they continued to fight, even if they could take down these two, his side would likely have to pay a heavy price. Blackstone Camp was right in front of them, and reinforcements from the Sky Patrol Alliance could arrive at any moment.

"Retreat!" Ice Ghost made a prompt decision, swept up his subordinate's corpse, and with the other two unwilling team members, his figure turned into three streaks of ghost light, quickly disappearing behind the pale bone mounds.

The threat was temporarily gone.

Mo Li forcefully held her breath, leaning on her longsword, and looked at Nightmare, who was panting and regulating his breath beside her, her eyes complex. If it hadn't been for that bizarre punch from this person that disrupted the battle, she would have had no chance to kill the enemy instantly and force back Ice Ghost.

"What kind of method was that?" She couldn't help but ask, her voice filled with weakness and curiosity.

Nightmare wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, introspecting his Chaos Seed which was slowly repairing his injuries, and said calmly: "Just a small trick for self-preservation."

He looked up at the dilapidated Blackstone Camp.

"It seems this Jiu You Remnant Realm is even more interesting than I imagined."