Clearing obstacles on the return journey, a decisive space attack.

Spatial turbulence, boundless and infinite.

Here, there was no up, down, left, or right, and no tangible sense of time passing. There was only the violent and surging Chaos energy, sufficient to instantly shred refined gold into nothingness, along with occasional flashes of shattered Law light that vanished as quickly as they appeared. This was the gap between worlds, an absolute forbidden zone outside of stable space. For an ordinary Undergoing Tribulation Cultivator, stepping into this place without a special treasure for protection or precise coordinates for guidance meant certain death.

A streak of dark red light, however, traversed this desolate land steadily and swiftly.

Nightmare was enveloped in a thin layer of dark red Demonic Flame. The properties of the Dao Reversal Demonic Star Flame ensured that the violent spatial energy around him not only failed to harm him in the slightest but was instead continuously absorbed and converted, becoming part of the power maintaining his journey. The two dao reversal keys within his body resonated faintly, while the star dao fruit acted like the most precise compass, guiding him toward the Mortal Realm.

Suddenly, the starlight guidance from the star dao fruit fluctuated slightly.

Almost at the same moment, from deep within the churning Chaos energy ahead, several sharp and well-ordered powerful auras suddenly lit up like beacons in the night. Carrying clear hostility and a locked-on sensation, they rapidly approached him!

"They're here." There was no surprise in Nightmare's eyes, only a cold realization.

The reaction of the immortal realm heavenly dao was a few moments faster than he had anticipated. This interception force was likely the so-called "Sky Patrol Guard" vanguard sent by the owner of those Immortal Eyes mentioned at the end of Chapter 329.

The dark red light's speed did not decrease but instead increased, charging straight toward those auras!

Boom!

The Chaos ahead was forcibly pushed aside, and seven figures clad in brilliant silver armor, with pure Immortal Realm spiritual light and Heavenly Dao majesty flowing around them, abruptly blocked the path. Their positions formed a certain formation, faintly sealing off this relatively "calm" area of turbulence.

The two leaders had auras as deep as an abyss, their silver armor covered in runes. Both were at the Late Tribulation Crossing stage, their gazes sharp as lightning as they locked onto Nightmare. The five behind them were at the Early Tribulation Crossing Stage, holding standard Immortal Artifacts with cold expressions, looking at him as if he were a prisoner about to be captured.

"Reverse Path remnant, Nightmare!" The silver-armored Late Tribulation Crossing stage Cultivator on the left spoke, his voice sounding like the clashing of metal as it echoed through the turbulence. "By the decree of the Immortal Venerable, we are here to capture you! Immediately hand over the stolen dao reversal key and surrender, and perhaps you can be spared the pain of Divine Soul refinement!"

The Cultivator on the right added in an even colder tone, "This is the 'Locking Space Domain.' Your spatial movement has been restricted; don't even think about escaping again!"

Nightmare came to a halt, standing within the turbulence, his black robes remaining motionless under the onslaught of energy. He looked up, scanning the seven Immortal Realm Cultivators, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at stones by the roadside.

"Two Late Stages, five Early Stages... has the immortal realm heavenly dao only sent this bit of small fry to their deaths?" he spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the howling of the spatial turbulence.

"Arrogant!" the Cultivator on the left roared in fury, seemingly never having been so slighted by a Lower Realm Cultivator. "Form the array! Immortal Punishment Divine Chains, bind the Reverse Path!"

The seven moved simultaneously, their hands forming profound immortal seals as they chanted obscure syllables. Boundless immortal realm heavenly dao Origin power surged from their bodies—not the cluttered order-based power of the Spirit Realm Heavenly Dao, but a more refined, superior, and terrifying force that carried the intent of "executing punishment on behalf of Heaven!"

Seven silver-white streams of Heavenly Dao Origin intertwined and condensed in the air, instantly transforming into seven massive divine chains inscribed with countless immortal characters for "Seal," "Forbid," "Suppress," and "Punish"! The divine chains rattled as if they were alive, coiling toward Nightmare from all directions. Wherever they passed, even the violent spatial turbulence was temporarily "tamed" and "fixed"!

These "Immortal Punishment Divine Chains" were clearly a highly advanced joint immortal technique, specifically created to capture and suppress rebels and those of divergent paths. It had an extremely strong sealing effect on spatial power and foreign energies. With the seven of them working together, its power was multiplied, enough to trap and kill an ordinary Late Tribulation Crossing stage Peak!

Facing this blockade that would make any Cultivator of the same rank pale, Nightmare simply raised his right hand.

His palm faced upward, fingers slightly spread.

A wisp of dark red ignited from his fingertips. It wasn't exactly fire, but more like a wisp of the concept of "Destruction" condensed to the extreme, devouring all light and heat.

"Immortal Punishment? Heavenly Dao?" A cold arc curled on Nightmare's lips. "Before me, the Reverse Path..."

He suddenly clenched his fingers into a fist!

"All are vanity!"

BOOM—!!!

Centering on his fist, the dark red Dao Reversal Demonic Star Flame exploded like a supernova! It was no longer gentle ripples, but an extremely violent tide of destruction!

The flames appeared as a strange interweaving of dark red and pitch black, with phantom images of the birth and death of stars and the disorder of the Great Dao flashing within. What they contained was the Reverse Path Law, which was diametrically opposed to and fundamentally denied all "Order" and "Heavenly Dao"!

The moment those seven whistling "Immortal Punishment Divine Chains" came into contact with this dark red tide—

Sizzle—!!!

It was like a red-hot iron plunging into snow!

The brilliant silver, rune-shimmering divine chains dimmed and dissolved at a visible rate! The immortal script inscribed upon them let out overburdened wails and shattered one after another! The pure immortal realm heavenly dao Origin power appeared incredibly fragile before this Nidao Demonic Flame, being easily eroded, dismantled, and swallowed in reverse!

"What?!" "This is impossible!"

The seven Immortal Realm Cultivators turned pale with shock simultaneously, especially the two Late Tribulation Crossing stage leaders. They knew better than anyone the power of these "Immortal Punishment Divine Chains," which were one of the signature techniques of the Sky Patrol Guard, specifically designed to counter all sorts of evil and heterodox paths. They had never seen a scene where they were so easily broken!

Their shock lasted only for an instant.

This was because the dark red tide, after melting the Immortal Punishment Divine Chains, did not lose its momentum in the slightest. Instead, it split into countless dark red blades, thin as hair but fast as lightning, shooting toward them in a world-covering barrage!

"Careful!" "Defend!"

Amidst the cries of alarm, the five Early Tribulation Crossing Stage Cultivators hastily propped up immortal light shields and sacrificed their defensive Immortal Artifacts.

It was useless.

Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff—!

Five soft sounds rang out, almost as one. The dark red blades treated the immortal light shields and low-grade Immortal Artifacts as if they were nothing, easily piercing through and accurately sinking into the foreheads, Dantians, and other vital points of the five men.

The movements of the five instantly froze, the light in their eyes rapidly dissipating as their protective immortal light collapsed. Their life force was instantly severed under the erosion of the Reverse Dao Power. Subsequently, Nidao Demonic Flame erupted from within them, incinerating the five Undergoing Tribulation immortal bodies along with their Divine Souls into five sparks that flared up and quickly died out, eventually vanishing into the spatial turbulence without a trace remaining.

Instant kill!

"Bastard!" The two Late Tribulation Crossing stage Cultivators' eyes nearly burst with rage and fear. The instantaneous death of their companions made them completely cast aside their contempt, but it also provoked their ferocity.

"The Immortal Venerable will not let you go! The Heavenly Dao is magnificent; how can it allow the Reverse Path to run rampant!" the Cultivator on the left roared, exchanging a look with his companion on the right as they instantly reached a consensus.

They could no longer hold back!

Both of them bit the tips of their tongues simultaneously and spat out a mouthful of essence blood, merging it into their life-bound Immortal Artifacts. An immortal sword and a treasure seal immediately erupted with brilliant light, emitting terrifying fluctuations far exceeding before, faintly drawing in the surrounding spatial turbulence to form two massive energy vortices!

"Twin Star Demon Suppression! Kill!"

The sword light was like the Milky Way pouring backward, and the seal's shadow was like a divine mountain pressing down! Burning their essence blood, the two activated their strongest joint secret technique, its power so terrifying it could heavily injure or even kill those of the same rank!

Facing this world-shaking joint attack, Nightmare finally moved.

He did not dodge, nor did he block.

He took a step forward, his figure appearing as if by teleportation directly in front of the core point where the two attacks converged! It was as if that terrifying power, enough to suppress and kill a Late Tribulation Crossing stage Cultivator, was merely a gentle breeze on his face.

Then, he simply threw a punch.

There were no fancy lights or earth-shattering sounds. There was only the Nidao Demonic Flame condensed to the extreme on the surface of his fist, seemingly able to punch through space itself, and the brief black trail left behind as his fist moved—a void where all energy and Laws had been completely expelled and reduced to "nothingness."

Dao Reversal Demonic Star Heaven-Shattering Punch!

BOOM-CRACK—!!!

First came an extremely muffled sound of impact, as if two worlds had collided.

Immediately following was the tooth-aching sound of something completely shattering.

The sword light, as brilliant as the Milky Way, shattered.

The seal shadow, as heavy as a divine mountain, also shattered.

The life-bound Immortal Artifacts of the two Late Tribulation Crossing stage Cultivators simultaneously let out shrill wails, countless cracks appearing on their surfaces as their spiritual light instantly dimmed, having suffered heavy damage!

Puff! Puff!

The two Cultivators were struck as if by a ten-thousand-jun giant hammer, simultaneously coughing up blood. Their protective Dao Charms were forcibly pierced and disrupted by the Reverse Path rules contained within the punch strength. The Immortal Essence within their bodies went out of control, their Meridians and internal organs were severely damaged, and their auras plummeted!

"You...!" The Cultivator on the left, his mouth full of blood, finally showed unbelievable terror in his eyes. His hand trembled as he tried to crush an emergency transmission Jade Slip engraved with profound runes—an emergency measure directly linked to a certain place in the Immortal Realm to call for help from higher levels.

His fingers had just touched the Jade Slip.

A hand covered in Nidao Demonic Flame had already gripped his wrist like a ghost.

Crack.

The crisp sound of bone breaking. His wrist was easily crushed.

Nightmare's cold gaze looked at him, while his other hand had already taken the transmission Jade Slip from the man's robes.

"Calling for help?" Nightmare applied a slight pressure with his fingers.

Snap.

The Jade Slip turned into a handful of crystalline powder, drifting away through the gaps in his fingers before being swept away by the turbulence and vanishing without a trace.

"No... please..." The Cultivator on the right showed a look of despair, attempting to struggle and retreat.

Nightmare gave them no chance. The left hand that had crushed the Jade Slip reached out, the Demonic Flame flickering like two streaks of dark red lightning as it instantly pierced through their chests, accurately crushing their beating Immortal Hearts. Simultaneously, Nidao Demonic Flame surged in, imprisoning and incinerating the Nascent Souls and Divine Souls within their Purple Mansions that were attempting to escape!

The light in their eyes completely faded, and their bodies rapidly carbonized and disintegrated within the Demonic Flame, eventually turning into fly ash.

Nightmare withdrew his hands, and the Demonic Flame swept over, collecting the remaining Storage Rings and the remnants of the two damaged life-bound Immortal Artifacts. The wealth of Immortal Realm Cultivators, especially Sky Patrol Guards like these, should be much richer than those in the Spirit Realm.

After finishing all this, he did not leave immediately. He turned his gaze toward the direction where this interception force had first appeared, where a relatively stable energy vein, different from the natural turbulence, faintly extended through the void.

"A temporary spatial channel..." Nightmare snorted coldly. This was likely a temporary channel node forcibly opened between the fragile barriers of the two realms by the immortal realm heavenly dao to quickly send people down for interception.

Leaving it would only make it easier for more Immortal Realm forces to pour into the Spirit Realm, and it might even affect the Mortal Realm.

Nightmare raised his hand again. This time, within his palm, Nidao Demonic Flame intertwined with a wisp of deep, pitch-black Evil Qi—power from the lingyuan reverse key. The Fusion of two types of Reverse Dao Power transformed into a solid light shuttle, barely a foot long, yet emitting an aura that made the surrounding space tremble and collapse.

"Go."

He flicked his finger.

The light shuttle shot out silently, following that energy vein and vanishing into the depths of the spatial turbulence in an instant.

A few breaths later.

"Hum... BOOM!!!"

From the depths of the far-off turbulence came a muffled roar, as if the very Foundation of the world was trembling! A terrifying fluctuation, mixed with spatial collapse, the breaking of Heavenly Dao order, and the rampaging of Reverse Path aura, surged like a tsunami from afar, even causing the area where Nightmare stood to vibrate violently for a moment.

The node of that temporary spatial channel was completely destroyed. At least for a short time, it would not be so easy for the Immortal Realm to send a large number of people down again.

"Obstacles cleared."

Nightmare took one last look in the direction the fluctuation had come from and stayed no longer. The Demonic Flame rose again, enveloping his body as he transformed into a streak of light, traversing toward the direction of the Mortal Realm at an even faster speed.

The loose ends in the Spirit Realm had been severed, and the obstacles on the return trip were cleared. Next, it was time to go back and see how his "old home" had been managed by that group of subordinates during the time he was away.

Mortal Realm, Ten Thousand Demon Valley. It was time to return.