The Divine Court seeks accountability, and the Legion descends.

Black Wind Desert, edge of the Soul-Devouring Dark Vortex, temporary Nidao Alliance stronghold.

The spoils from annihilating the Black Wind Branch had packed the warehouse of this newly established stronghold to the brim.

Mountains of origin crystal piled up, various rare Ore and Materials shimmered with alluring light, and the confiscated Divine Court standard-issue Magic Treasure and armor were undergoing preliminary processing, with Nidao Alliance Artifact Refiner attempting to modify or smelt them.

Even more precious were the Cultivation Technique Jade Slips and Legacy fragments scavenged from the treasury and from Chu Li and his men, which were being carefully selected and categorized as important resources for future merit-based rewards.

The entire interior of the stronghold was permeated with a sense of post-victory excitement and busyness.

But all core members knew that this victory was by no means the end, but rather a prelude to an even more dangerous situation.

In the command room at the deepest part of the stronghold, Nightmare sat cross-legged, with three Jade Slips of different lights floating before him.

One came from 'Ghost Thorn' of the resistance coalition, who had once mingled on the periphery of the Divine Court. It contained scattered information about the 'Hongmeng Divine Court Enforcement Legion': The Enforcement Legion, directly under the jurisdiction of the Divine Court headquarters, was specifically tasked with handling internal rebellions, foreign invasions, and major malicious incidents above the branch level.

Its members required at least the Celestial Venerable Realm, squad leaders were at least in the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm, and commanders needed the cultivation of the Hongmeng Celestial Venerable Realm!

Dispatching the Enforcement Legion meant that the incident had attracted the high attention of headquarters and had been classified as a serious provocation that must be wiped out with thunderous force.

One was a fragment of encrypted communication records, not completely destroyed, salvaged from the wreckage of the Black Wind Branch's 'Star Monitoring Hall'.

Through violent decryption using Reverse Dao Power, the remaining information showed that at the very moment before the core of Black Wind Star's earth vein was destroyed, an extremely weak but highly authorized automatic warning signal seemed to have pierced through the chaotic energy field and was sent towards a pre-set deep space coordinate.

Although the signal was incomplete, it was enough for headquarters to know that something big, a devastating event, had happened to the Black Wind Branch.

The last one was Nightmare's own calculation based on the vague sensing of the Reverse Path stele imprint and the observation of energy flows in the High Universe Domain, combined with the previous two pieces of intelligence: the reaction speed of the Divine Court headquarters and the approximate time window when the Enforcement Legion might arrive.

"Seven days at the latest." Nightmare opened his eyes, the faint light of the Jade Slips reflecting in his Chaos-colored pupils, "And what comes will definitely not be small fry. At the very least, it will be led by someone in the Late Stage of the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm, and there might even be a Hongmeng Celestial Venerable Realm existence."

His voice was calm, without a hint of tension, as if he were stating something unrelated to himself.

The leaders standing below, such as Blood Fang, Iron Rock, and Ghost Thorn, all wore grave expressions.

Late Stage of the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm? Hongmeng Celestial Venerable Realm? For them, who had just stepped onto the edge of the High Universe Domain, these were almost legendary existences!

Although the Alliance Master was powerful and could kill Chu Li of the Middle Stage across Ranks, did he still have a chance of winning against the Late Stage, or even higher-level Hongmeng Celestial Venerable Realm experts?

"Alliance Master, should we... temporarily avoid the sharp edge? The Black Wind Desert is vast and chaotic; if we break into smaller units and hide, even the Enforcement Legion will need time to find us..." Iron Rock suggested in a muffled voice. He was originally a brave man, but facing an absolute gap in strength, he had to consider survival.

"Avoid? Where can we avoid to?" Nightmare looked at him, his gaze like a knife, "We destroyed the Black Wind Branch, we killed Chu Li, and we robbed the treasury. The Divine Court's dignity has been trampled under our feet; will they just let it go? Breaking into smaller units may seem to disperse the risk, but it also disperses our power, making it easier to be defeated one by one. Once a clue is found, it will be a disaster."

He stood up and walked to the sand table in the center of the command room, where the detailed terrain around the Soul-Devouring Dark Vortex had already been marked.

"Since we can't avoid it, we won't." Nightmare pointed his finger at an area on the sand table where the terrain was extremely complex and Grandmist turbulence intertwined like a labyrinth, "Here, the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial', is one of the areas with the most violent energy and most chaotic space within the Soul-Devouring Dark Vortex. It has countless natural Restrictions, and even ordinary Celestial Venerable Realm experts risk falling if they go deep."

"We will wait for them here."

"Ghost Thorn."

"Subordinate is here!" Ghost Thorn, whose figure was as thin as a ghost shadow, immediately stepped forward.

"Take all the brothers who are good at concealment, stealth, and Formation, and head to the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial' immediately. I want you to set up a super-large 'Reverse Path Spirit-Confusing Formation' within three days, using the plundered Divine Court resources as bait, combined with the natural turbulence there."

"This Formation does not need to kill the enemy; it only needs to achieve two points: first, extreme concealment and interference, making it difficult for the outside world to investigate the reality inside; second, extreme Chaos and misdirection, making intruders feel like they are stuck in a quagmire, unable to distinguish directions or gather their strength."

Nightmare handed a prepared Jade Slip containing the core essence of the Formation to Ghost Thorn: "I will personally set up the Formation eye. You just need to complete the outer framework."

"Yes! Subordinate will definitely not disappoint you!" Ghost Thorn took the Jade Slip, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Blood Fang, Iron Rock."

"Here!"

"Integrate all combat power, distribute resources, and conduct final pre-battle strengthening and coordination. Tell everyone that the next battle will be ten times more dangerous than the Black Wind Star battle."

"Those who fear battle can leave now; I will not pursue it. But if you choose to stay, those who flee in the face of battle or have ulterior motives—" Nightmare's tone turned cold, "Kill without mercy, exterminate the entire clan!"

"Yes!"

Orders were issued one by one, and the entire Nidao Alliance stronghold operated at high speed again like a precise war machine.

Three days passed in a flash.

Deep within the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial', on a secret platform built relying on several huge broken star remnants, Nightmare slowly withdrew his palm from the core of the Formation.

In the center of the platform, a 'Reverse Dao Demonic Core' smelted from Chaos Nirvana Demonic Flame and a large amount of Divine Court High Universe Domain origin crystals was slowly rotating, emitting obscure and powerful fluctuations, echoing with countless Reverse Path runes cleverly embedded in the surrounding natural turbulence nodes.

The entire 'Reverse Path Spirit-Confusing Formation' had taken shape. From the outside, this area was no different from the violent Chaos elsewhere in the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial', and was even more dangerous and unpredictable.

But being at the core of the Formation eye, one could faintly perceive the veins and power of the Formation.

Nightmare looked up at the Void Realm. His Divine Thought was more condensed and powerful than before, faintly able to penetrate part of the Formation's cover and perceive the heart-palpitating murderous Aura and coercion coming from the distant starry sky.

"They are here."

Almost at the same time his voice fell.

On the periphery of the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial', the originally eternally chaotic starry sky was suddenly torn apart by a vast silver light!

That was not the light of stars, but the brilliance of a legion gathered from more than two hundred and fifty powerful Auras!

A giant war starship, entirely silver-white, shaped like a giant sword, and over ten thousand feet long, slowly drove out of the ripples of space jumping, escorted by seventy medium-sized frigates, and hovered at the edge of the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial'.

On the bow of the starship, a huge 'Law' emblem, exuding an inviolable Aura, shone brightly.

Hongmeng Divine Court, Enforcement Legion!

The main cannon of the giant starship slowly turned, locking onto the seemingly chaotic and disordered 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial' ahead. A cold, magnificent Divine Soul transmission, containing supreme majesty, roared through this Star Domain like a Heavenly Dao decree:

"Reverse Path outcasts, Nightmare and his party, listen to the order!"

"You have wantonly killed Divine Court Cultivators, annihilated Divine Court Branches, and plundered Divine Court resources. Your sins are monstrous and cannot be fully recorded!"

"Now, by the highest decree of the Divine Court, this seat—Third Commander of the Seventh Enforcement Legion, 'Penal Celestial Venerable' Ao Huang, specially leads the Enforcement Legion to come and execute Divine Court judgment!"

"You are ordered to remove all concealment, bind your own cultivation, and kneel before the Formation to accept death within three breaths!"

"Otherwise, where the legion arrives, not a blade of grass will remain! Everyone belonging to you, regardless of old or young, regardless of kinship, will be exterminated, and your Divine Souls will be forever suppressed in Purgatory!"

The sound waves rolled, and the terrifying coercion of the Late Stage of the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm contained within them, like a substantial primeval sacred mountain, pressed fiercely towards the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial'!

Even with the dual weakening of natural turbulence and the Formation, it still made many Nidao Alliance Cultivators within the Formation have their blood and Qi churn, and their faces turn pale.

In front of the legion, a figure stepped out from the silver giant ship. It was a middle-aged man wearing dark silver ferocious armor, with a cold face like iron stone and eyes looking down like a falcon.

He was not very burly, but standing there, he seemed to be the core of the entire legion, and the Evil Qi and majesty around him almost solidified. He was exactly the 'Penal Celestial Venerable' Ao Huang, who was in the Late Stage of the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm!

Behind him, five more figures appeared. Although their Auras were slightly inferior to Ao Huang, they had all reached the Early Stage of the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm!

Behind them were two hundred elite Cultivators of the Enforcement Legion with at least Celestial Venerable Realm cultivation, wearing bright armor and soaring Killing Intent! They formed a strict battle array, their Auras connected, like a moving metal storm of slaughter!

Such a lineup was enough to easily flatten several strongholds like the Black Wind Branch!

Facing this terrifying legion that was enough to make any force despair, Nightmare's figure slowly emerged from the depths of the 'Thousand Vortex Labyrinth Burial'.

He was still in black, standing alone on a floating star remnant, facing the huge legion across the air.

"Divine Court judgment?" Nightmare looked up at Ao Huang, with no expression on his face, his voice as plain as if he were asking what the weather was like today, "Just by you?"

Ao Huang's eyes turned cold, and his Killing Intent surged: "Ignorant thing! It seems you have chosen to have your form and spirit destroyed! Very well, this seat will take you down personally, extract your soul and refine your spirit, to warn others!"

He stopped talking nonsense, raised his right hand, and grabbed into the air towards the direction where Nightmare was!

"Divine Court Secret Technique—Heavenly Net Dragon-Capturing Hand!"

A giant hand covering ten thousand feet, entirely composed of silver Law chains, appeared out of thin air. Each chain was imprinted with runes of suppression and imprisonment, exuding terrifying power that made the space solidify, and grabbed fiercely towards Nightmare!

This grab contained the Law comprehension and vast Origin of the Late Stage of the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm, which was definitely not comparable to the likes of Chu Li!

However, at the very instant the silver giant hand was about to touch the edge of the "Thousand Vortex Maze"—

Hum—!!!

The entire "Thousand Vortex Maze" region suddenly shook violently!

Countless Reverse Path runes, originally hidden within the violent turbulent flows, suddenly lit up, blooming with a chaotic, gloomy light!

These lights quickly intertwined, forming an incomparably huge and extremely complex three-dimensional network, enveloping the entire "Thousand Vortex Maze" within it!

The silver giant hand grabbed onto the Formation light net, erupting with blinding light and a deafening roar!

But the scene of the Formation shattering as imagined did not appear; that light net, composed of countless Reverse Path runes, was like incredibly tough rubber, sinking and twisting violently, yet it stubbornly held firm against the giant hand's grip!

Furthermore, a chaotic, inverted, and highly corrosive force spread up along the giant hand, attempting to disintegrate the Divine Court Law contained within it!

"Hmm? A Formation?" Ao Huang frowned, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

To think the opponent could set up a Formation of this scale and even withstand his strike?

"Insignificant trick! Break for me!" Ao Huang snorted coldly, his Late Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm Origin surging wildly within him, the silver giant hand shining brightly, its power soaring as he pressed down fiercely!

Crackle... The Formation light net emitted an unbearable groan, its light rapidly dimming, and some runes began to shatter!

However, at this moment, Nightmare moved.

He took a step forward, actually taking the initiative to pass through the crumbling Formation light net and appearing before the silver giant hand!

"Your opponent is me."

Before the words fell, the evolved Hongmeng Chaos Nirvana Anti-Dao Demon Star Flame erupted from Nightmare's entire body!

It was no longer a simple flame form, but transformed into a flowing "Tide of Nothingness" that seemed capable of devouring everything, meeting the descending silver giant hand!

Sizzle—!

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

The moment the Tide of Nothingness, formed by the Chaos Nirvana Demonic Flame, made contact with the silver giant hand, the brilliant Law runes on the giant hand dimmed and melted at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The silver chains constituting the giant hand also emitted "sizzling" wails under the erosion of the Demonic Flame, rapidly becoming rusted and fragile!

"What?!" Ao Huang's pupils shrank suddenly.

His "Heavenly Net Dragon-Capturing Hand" was so easily eroded by the opponent's flames?

He made a prompt decision, violently retracting the giant hand, while his figure moved like lightning, actually rushing towards Nightmare himself!

In his hand, he had somehow produced a dark purple long mace with an ancient design, wrapped entirely in lightning!

"Reverse Path demonic fire, it truly is evil! Today, I will use the 'Thunder Prison Demon-Suppressing Divine Mace' to break your evil arts and suppress your Divine Soul!"

Ao Huang roared, swinging the long mace, invoking the lightning of the Nine Heavens, transforming it into a ten-thousand-foot lightning dragon, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, carrying the magnificent Heavenly Might to purify everything as it struck towards Nightmare!

"Bring it on!"

Nightmare's Battle Intent rose in his eyes; he did not dodge or evade, but gripped the air with his right hand, and a pitch-black long blade formed entirely from Chaos Nirvana Demonic Flame instantly took shape—the Reverse Path Hunyuan Blade!

On the blade, that streak of ultimate Nirvana grey light flowed ceaselessly.

He swung the blade, slashing towards the lightning dragon!

The blade light was pitch black, silent and soundless.

The lightning dragon was brilliant, its roar shaking the heavens.

One black and one purple, two forces representing completely different and diametrically opposed powers, collided violently at the edge of the "Thousand Vortex Maze"!

Boom—!!!!!!

An indescribable, terrifying energy storm exploded!

The chaotic Demonic Flame and purple lightning crazily intertwined, annihilated, and devoured each other!

Space cracked into pieces like a shattered mirror, revealing the pitch-black Void Realm turbulence behind it!

The "Thousand Vortex Maze" below was turned upside down by this shockwave, countless turbulent flows were detonated, forming an even more violent energy tide!

At the center of the storm, the figures of Nightmare and Ao Huang both trembled, each retreating several steps!

The first exchange was actually an even match!

For the first time, a look of solemnity appeared on Ao Huang's face.

His Late Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm cultivation, combined with the Divine Court's secret lightning Divine Mace, was actually blocked head-on by a guy who had just broken through to the Early Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm not long ago?

This Reverse Dao Power is indeed strange and domineering!

As for Nightmare, although his arms were slightly numb and his blood and Qi were surging within him, the light in his eyes grew even brighter.

Late Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm is not invincible!

"Kill—!"

Just then, the five Early Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm commanders behind Ao Huang shouted in unison, leading two hundred elites of the Law Enforcement Legion, like a silver torrent, bypassing the core area where the two leaders were fighting, and charged fiercely into the "Thousand Vortex Maze"!

They wanted to first purge Nightmare's cohorts and destroy the Foundation of the Formation!

However, what awaited them was not a rabble fleeing in panic.

"Nidao Alliance, engage the enemy!"

Blood Fang's roar echoed from the depths of the Formation!

The Nidao Vanguard Army and the resistance coalition, already waiting in full battle array, emerged like ghosts from various turbulent nodes under the cover and guidance of the Formation!

They split into several small teams, either using the power of the Formation to hide and ambush, or forming small battle arrays to engage head-on, fiercely fighting with the Law Enforcement Legion Cultivators who had rushed into the Formation!

For a time, within the "Thousand Vortex Maze", the sounds of killing shook the heavens, and the light of energy explosions rose and fell!

And at the core of the Formation, Nightmare and Ao Huang were once again locked in battle.

The Thunder Prison Divine Mace unleashed a sky full of lightning storms, each strike containing the true meaning of the Laws of purification and suppression.

The Reverse Path Hunyuan Blade slashed out Nirvana blade light, each strike carrying the domineering will of subversion and termination.

The two fought all the way from the edge of the "Thousand Vortex Maze" to the core area; wherever they passed, space collapsed, turbulent flows were annihilated, as if two ancient gods and demons were slaughtering each other!

The more Ao Huang fought, the more alarmed he became; he discovered that his cultivation advantage of the Late Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm was greatly weakened in the face of the opponent's strange Demonic Flame and Reverse Dao true meaning!

That Demonic Flame could not only erode his lightning power but could also faintly trigger a trace of restlessness in the Divine Court Origin within his body!

And the opponent's combat intuition and the ruthlessness and sophistication of his blade technique also far exceeded his expectations!

"Cannot let this drag on!" A fierce look flashed in Ao Huang's eyes, and he finally decided to use his trump card.

He violently threw the Thunder Prison Divine Mace into the high sky, his hands rapidly forming seals, chanting incantations, and a terrifying Aura far exceeding the previous one began to condense within his body!

"Divine Court Forbidden Art—Nine Heavens Thunder God True Body!"

Boom! Lightning light erupted from Ao Huang's body, his figure rapidly expanding, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a lightning giant a thousand feet tall, composed entirely of brilliant lightning, with three heads and six arms, wielding various lightning weapons!

The terrifying pressure swept out like a tsunami, even the surrounding violent Hongmeng turbulent flows were forcibly pushed away and suppressed!

This was the true strength of a Late Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm Cultivator!

"Ant, feel the Divine Court's Heavenly Might!"

The lightning giant's six arms swung simultaneously, and six destructive lightning pillars of different colors, like spears of Heaven's Punishment, tore through the Void Realm and shot violently towards Nightmare!

The power of each lightning pillar was comparable to a full-strength strike of the previous "Heavenly Net Dragon-Capturing Hand"!

Facing this world-destroying strike, Nightmare took a deep breath, the Chaos nebulae in his eyes spinning crazily.

He gripped the Reverse Path Hunyuan Blade with both hands, pouring all the power within his body—his Early Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm cultivation, the resonance power of the three dao reversal keys, the Origin of the Hongmeng Chaos Nirvana Anti-Dao Demon Star Flame, and even a trace of his comprehension of "Return to Ruins" and "Nirvana"—into the blade without reservation!

On the blade, that streak of Nirvana grey light suddenly surged, dyeing the entire blade into an absolute pitch-black that devoured everything!

"Reverse Path—Nirvana Slash!"

Nightmare roared low, swinging his blade to meet those six Heavenly Punishment lightning pillars!

A pitch-black blade light, more condensed and profound than any time before, as if capable of cutting the entire "Thousand Vortex Maze" in two with a single strike, shot into the sky!

The blade light and the lightning pillars collided violently above the core of the Formation!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The next moment—

An indescribable, terrifying energy storm erupted from the center of the collision point!

The entire "Thousand Vortex Maze" seemed to be groaning and trembling under this power!

Countless natural turbulent flows were detonated, and the Formation runes flashed and shattered crazily!

At the center of the storm, the lightning giant let out a muffled groan mixed with pain and shock, three of the six lightning pillars were forcibly shattered by the pitch-black blade light!

The remaining three also had their power greatly reduced, 轟ing onto the Chaos Demonic Flame shield that rose around Nightmare, stirring up a sky full of firelight, but failing to completely pierce through it!

Nightmare was also shaken by the recoil force, his blood and Qi surging, and a wisp of dark golden blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but his figure remained as steady as a rock, his eyes sharp as a blade!

The first exchange using trump cards was still... an even match!

In the eyes of the lightning giant transformed by Ao Huang, there finally appeared disbelief and a trace of... fear.

The opponent could actually, with Early Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm cultivation, withstand his "Nine Heavens Thunder God True Body" head-on?!

And just as the two leaders were locked in a fierce and inextricable battle, the situation in the chaotic battle within the Formation below began to quietly tilt.

Relying on the geographical advantage of the "Reverse Path Chaos-Confusing Maze Formation" and a certain degree of restraint against the Divine Court Cultivation Technique, the Nidao Alliance side, although at a disadvantage in numbers and average cultivation, fought impressively, with casualties far lower than the Law Enforcement Legion.

Especially leaders like Blood Fang and Iron Rock, with the assistance of the Formation, fought back and forth with the opponent's Early Stage Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm commanders, and even gradually gained the upper hand!

Ao Huang glanced at the increasingly unfavorable battle situation below, then looked at Nightmare, whose Aura had not diminished at all and whose Battle Intent in his eyes was becoming even more intense, and his heart slowly sank.

He realized that he... seemed to have underestimated this "Reverse Dao Practitioner" who had fought his way up from the Lower Realm.

Nightmare slowly wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, the Reverse Path Hunyuan Blade in his hand raised again, pointing at the lightning giant.

"Warm-up over." His cold voice, piercing through the roar of the energy storm, clearly reached Ao Huang's ears.

"Next, it's time to send you on your way."