86: Fierce battle on the front lines, a secret maneuver

At the foot of Meteorite Mountain, the atmosphere was as solemn as iron. The Jade Pool Saintess, Meng Liuli, stood side by side with Senior Sister Zixia at the front of the Formation, followed by nearly twenty prodigies from various regions with impressive auras. The seven-colored radiance and various spiritual lights intertwined, converging into a sharp aura that could not be underestimated, pointing directly at the dark-red surging, ghost-qi-filled Star Guiding Grand Array ahead.

Outside the grand array, dozens of Nether Pavilion Disciples were already waiting in battle array. Under the command of two green-robed elders, the Left Envoy and the Right Envoy, they formed a Formation. Cold ghost qi mixed with violent stellar Evil Qi, forming a suffocating gray-black wall of mist.

“Nether Pavilion heretics, acting against the natural order, seeking to draw upon forbidden powers to bring chaos to the Remnant Realm! Today, we shall act on behalf of Heaven to destroy your evil Formation!” Meng Liuli's cold voice, bolstered by spiritual power, resounded at the foot of the mountain, carrying a sense of awe-inspiring righteousness.

“Jie jie jie, a bunch of ignorant brats dare to pluck the tiger's whiskers of my Nether Pavilion?” The Left Envoy laughed sinisterly, shaking a Soul-Calling Flag in his hand. “Since you've come, don't even think about leaving! We'll use your essence, blood, and Souls to sacrifice to my Formation's flag! Kill!”

“Kill!” the Nether Pavilion Disciples shouted in unison. The gray-black mist wall surged forward, and countless phantoms of vengeful Souls and malevolent ghosts pounced out, baring their fangs and claws, carrying a bone-chilling cold and the power to corrode the Divine Soul as they swept toward them!

“Form the Formation! Yaoguang Radiance!” With a wave of her delicate hand, the Yaochi Female Disciples behind Meng Liuli quickly formed the "Seven-Colored Jade Radiance Formation." Seven-colored radiance soared into the sky, turning into a hazy and gorgeous cloud of light that enveloped the pouncing ghost shadows. Wherever the radiance reached, the ghost shadows let out shrill screams and quickly dissolved and purified, like snow meeting the morning sun.

Senior Sister Zixia joined her fingers like a sword, and a sharp purple sword light, like a rainbow piercing the sun, stabbed straight at the Left Envoy's face! Her cultivation had already reached the Late Stage of the Divine Power Realm, and her sword light contained the "Zixia Sword Qi"—a secret Yaochi teaching that was extremely pure and yang, the perfect nemesis for ghost paths!

The Left Envoy did not dare to be careless. He shook the Soul-Calling Flag rapidly, and ghost qi as thick as ink surged from the flag's surface, turning into a massive ghost-faced shield to block the purple sword light. The two collided, producing a sizzling sound of corrosion.

On the other side, Ye Lingyun, Blazing Fierce, Bright Wisdom, Blue Tide, and others were also fighting the Right Envoy and the Nether Pavilion elites. Ye Lingyun's sword light was like a dragon, sharp and peerless; every strike carried an evil-breaking Sword Intent, causing the pouncing ghosts to have their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. Blazing Fierce's fire techniques were overwhelming; wherever the flames passed, the ghost qi evaporated, and the scorching heat waves forced the Nether Pavilion Disciples to retreat repeatedly. Bright Wisdom recited Buddhist scriptures, and Buddhist light shone everywhere, forming a peaceful pure land that greatly weakened the ghost qi and Divine Soul attacks. Blue Tide controlled Profound Water, turning it into layers of water curtains and ice spikes, integrating offense and defense to trap and kill the enemy.

The frontal battlefield instantly fell into a white-hot melee. Radiance, Sword Qi, Buddhist light, flames, Profound Water, and the sky-filling ghost qi collided frantically. Energy shockwaves exploded continuously, making the already broken ground at the foot of Meteorite Mountain even more of a mess.

And just at this moment, when the fierce battle was at its Peak and had attracted almost all attention, another small team was using the chaotic energy fluctuations and terrain as cover to quietly circle around to the side and rear of the grand array.

Lin Fan took the lead, with his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils fully active, accurately avoiding all sentries, hidden posts, and warning Formations along the way. Behind him followed Ye Lingyun, Blazing Fierce, Bright Wisdom, Blue Tide, and two Prodigy Loose Cultivators from the Western Region who excelled in earth escape and Formation breaking.

The seven were like ghosts in the dark night, their auras restrained to the limit as they moved quickly through burning star remains, distorted spatial folds, and violent energy turbulence. The black star-patterned key in Lin Fan's hand was now emitting a faint warmth; the closer they got to the core of the grand array, the clearer the sensation became.

“A hundred feet ahead, there are three hidden posts: two in the Early Stage of the Divine Power Realm and one at the Peak of the Condensing Spirit Realm, arranged in a triangle,” Lin Fan transmitted. Simultaneously, he tapped the air with his right hand, and three threads of star-light, so thin they were almost imperceptible, shot out silently, accurately entering the hidden Acupoints on the back of the three sentries' necks. The Seal Dao Rhyme contained within the star-light erupted instantly, and the three fell softly to the ground without even a groan, falling unconscious as their auras were temporarily sealed.

This was his newly comprehended "Star-Light Acupoint Sealing" technique, which fused the precision of the Power of the Stars with the restriction of the Seal Dao Rhyme. Against enemies of the same level or slightly weaker, it was truly silent and invisible.

The team continued to sneak forward and soon reached the edge of the grand array's energy barrier. The light shield here was dark red, with countless malevolent ghost runes moving on its surface, emitting a powerful repulsive and corrosive force. Any ordinary method of contact would immediately alert the guards.

“Fellow Daoist Lin, it's up to you,” the Loose Cultivator skilled in Formations whispered.

Lin Fan nodded and took out the black key. As soon as the key appeared, as if receiving some kind of summons, the patterns on its surface automatically lit up with a faint dark-gold light. He gently pressed the key against the light shield.

Sizzle! Where the key touched, the dark red light shield seemed to have met its nemesis, silently dissolving a gap just large enough for one person to pass! Dark-gold patterns spread around the edges of the gap, temporarily maintaining the stability of the passage.

“It really works! Get in quickly!” Lin Fan barked in a low voice and was the first to flash inside. The other six followed closely behind.

As soon as they entered the grand array, the environment changed instantly. The violent and chaotic Power of the Stars from the outside was filtered and transformed by the array, becoming dense and orderly, yet filled with a cold and evil undertone. A faint smell of blood and the lingering echoes of Souls wailing permeated the air. Even more complex and precise Formation runes were carved into the ground, with dark red energy streams flowing like blood vessels toward the central altar.

On the central altar, the dark red star source core throbbed even more violently, its connection to the sky's vortex almost condensing into a solid dark red beam of light. Ghost Star Elder was still sitting cross-legged below the altar, but now ghost qi was churning around him, and his hands were constantly forming hand Seals. He was clearly controlling the grand array with all his might to make the final connection. He didn't seem to notice the few people who had sneaked in from the rear, or perhaps he was confident that the defenses inside the grand array were impregnable and that the frontal battlefield had drawn all attention.

“That is the Formation eye core!” Lin Fan transmitted, pointing to the dark red crystal above the altar. “We must destroy it or cut off its connection with the vortex in the sky! Senior Brother Bright Wisdom, Miss Blue Tide, and you two Fellow Daoists, stay here to set up interference and destruction Formations to create chaos and draw the attention of the remaining guards. Brother Ye, Brother Blazing, follow me straight for the altar!”

“Alright!” Everyone took their orders and immediately split up.

Bright Wisdom and the two Loose Cultivators quickly set up the Buddhist "Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation" and several hidden Formation Flags to disrupt energy flow. Blue Tide channeled the power of Profound Water, quietly infiltrating several secondary Formation nodes, ready to detonate them at any time to create chaos.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan, Ye Lingyun, and Blazing Fierce were like three arrows shot from a bow, increasing their speed to the limit. Using the complex terrain and energy flows within the Formation as cover, they shot toward the altar!

However, just as the three were less than fifty feet from the altar, a sudden change occurred!

The seemingly flat ground around the altar suddenly split into several cracks! Eight skeleton warriors wearing tattered armor, holding rusted weapons, and with eerie green ghost fires flickering in their eyes crawled out from underground! Their auras were cold and deathly, each emitting fluctuations no weaker than the Early Stage of the Divine Power Realm, and carrying the tragic Killing Intent of a hundred battles!

“Ancient Starfall War Puppets?!” Ye Lingyun's eyes narrowed. These war puppets were clearly guardians left behind by the ancient star civilization, awakened and controlled by the Nether Pavilion's evil methods. Although they no longer possessed their former power, their physical bodies were sturdy, they were fearless of pain, and they were extremely difficult to deal with.

“I'll deal with them! Brother Lin, Brother Blazing, keep charging!” Ye Lingyun shouted. His sword light surged, turning into a sky full of green sword shadows that covered the eight war puppets like a storm, trapping them firmly.

Lin Fan and Blazing Fierce exchanged a look and, without hesitation, increased their speed by another thirty percent, bypassing the battle and rushing straight for the altar!

“Hmm?” Ghost Star Elder finally noticed the abnormality from the rear. He snapped his eyes open, with miserable green ghost fire flickering within them, as he looked at the rapidly approaching Lin Fan and Blazing Fierce. “Two little mice actually managed to sneak in here? I underestimated you! However, it ends here!”

He did not stand up, but simply extended a finger as withered as a stick and pointed lightly in the direction of Lin Fan and Blazing Fierce.

“Nether Finger!” A streak of gray-black finger light, condensed to the extreme, arrived silently through the air! Wherever the finger light passed, space seemed to be frozen and corroded, carrying a Death Concept that caused all things to wither!

Blazing Fierce let out a wild roar, and the flames around him boiled, turning into a massive fire shield in front of him. At the same time, he threw both fists out, and two fire dragons as blazing as lava roared to meet the finger light!

However, that Nether Finger light actually treated the flames as if they were nothing, easily piercing through the fire dragons and fire shield. Its remaining momentum undiminished, it still shot toward the two! Blazing Fierce's expression changed, and he hurriedly dodged to the side, but he was still grazed by the edge of the finger light on his left shoulder. Instantly, a surge of cold Death Qi invaded, and his left arm immediately lost all sensation as the flesh at the wound rapidly withered and turned black!

“Brother Blazing!” Lin Fan's eyes sharpened as he stepped forward, blocking in front of Blazing Fierce. He clenched his right hand into a fist, and golden light and star radiance erupted simultaneously!

“Star-Crushing Void-Rending Fist!” He threw a punch, but it was not for destruction; instead, it was the "Suppress" character Seal, which fused the Seal Dao Rhyme with the suppression power of the star pagoda! In front of his fist, layers of space were reinforced and solidified, attempting to imprison that all-corroding Nether Finger light!

Puff! The Nether Finger light shot into the solidified space, and its speed indeed decreased greatly, but the deathly withering power it contained continued to corrode and wear down the spatial barrier. After a moment of stalemate, the finger light finally pierced through and struck Lin Fan's fist!

Lin Fan's entire body shook violently. A bone-chilling cold and corrosive pain came from his fist. The spiritual power circulation in his entire right arm stagnated for a moment, and gray-black death spots appeared on the surface of his skin! However, he also successfully weakened more than half of the finger light's power!

“Hmm? You actually blocked thirty percent of my Nether Finger's power?” The surprise in Ghost Star Elder's eyes deepened, which then turned into cold Killing Intent. “It seems I cannot let you live!”

He did not move his body, but the ghost qi around him suddenly boiled. A shadow of the myriad ghost banner appeared behind him, about to launch an even more terrifying attack.

However, at this very moment, boom! Boom! Boom! Several places on the periphery of the grand array suddenly erupted with violent energy chaos! Buddhist light shone, Profound Water exploded, and Formation runes distorted! It was the interference methods set up by Bright Wisdom, Blue Tide, and the others being activated simultaneously! Although they failed to cause fundamental damage to the grand array, they successfully triggered energy backlashes in parts of the Formation and drew the attention of the Nether Pavilion Disciples who were originally guarding other nodes, causing them to rush over to investigate and suppress the chaos.

The entire Star Guiding Grand Array experienced a moment of turbulence! The dark red light beam connecting to the sky's vortex also fluctuated.

Now was the time!

“Brother Blazing, do it!” Lin Fan shouted, enduring the discomfort and corrosion in his right arm. At the same time, he joined his left fingers like a sword. The power of the space-time harmony fragments within his body surged frantically, pushing the destruction and Seal Dao Rhyme to their limits. An unprecedented "Star Vortex Finger" condensed. The star vortex at his fingertip spun rapidly, and within it, miniature spaces seemed to be constantly born and destroyed, carrying a strange fluctuation of intertwined destruction and creation as it shot straight toward the throbbing dark red crystal on the altar!

Blazing Fierce also let out a roar. Ignoring the injury to his left arm, he poured all of his fire spiritual power into his right fist. On his fist, the crimson-gold flames condensed into a lifelike phantom of a Three-Legged Golden Crow. Carrying a terrifying high temperature that could burn the heavens and boil the seas, it followed closely behind Lin Fan's finger power and smashed toward the crystal!

“You dare?!” Ghost Star Elder's expression finally changed! He had not expected these two to be so decisive and ruthless, nor had he expected them to be able to trigger a local disturbance in the grand array! At this moment, if he distracted himself to intercept them, the connection of the Formation's core might be interrupted, and all his previous efforts would be in vain! But if he didn't stop them, that dark red crystal might not be able to withstand those two powerful attacks!

In the blink of an eye, he made a decision!

“Myriad Ghosts Protecting the Master!” he growled. The shadow of the myriad ghost banner behind him suddenly expanded, and countless malevolent ghosts and vengeful Souls howled out, turning into layers of ghost qi barriers that blocked the front of the dark red crystal! Simultaneously, his withered hands rapidly formed Seals, intending to forcibly stabilize the grand array and complete the final connection.

Lin Fan's "Star Vortex Finger" and Blazing Fierce's "Golden Crow Fist" struck the ghost qi barrier almost simultaneously!

Sizzle—! Boom—! The strange spatial annihilation power and the extreme high-temperature flames frantically corroded the ghost qi barrier! The barrier fluctuated violently, and a large number of malevolent ghosts and vengeful Souls were wiped out under the finger power and flames! However, the myriad ghost banner was, after all, a treasure close to being a Sacred Artifact, with a profound Origin. Although the barrier was teetering, it still stubbornly held on!

Seeing that the attack was about to be blocked, a flash of determination crossed Lin Fan's eyes. With a thought, the star pagoda that had been silent in his Dantian suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant star radiance! Within the first floor of the pagoda, the phantom of the Ancient Stele Forest, evolved from the "Fragmented Space-Time Star Map," seemed to be triggered, creating a strong resonance with the black key in his hand!

“Using the key as a guide, Star Map Positioning, Space Shattering!” He threw the black key violently at the ghost qi barrier, while simultaneously drawing upon the power of the Ancient Stele Forest phantom within the star pagoda and all of his own spatial insights!

The moment the key touched the barrier, it was not bounced away. Instead, as if it had found its home, the patterns on its surface shone brightly, actually "dissolving" a tiny, unstable spatial channel through the barrier! Inside the channel, the scene of the shattered space of the Ancient Stele Forest was faintly visible!

The remaining power of Lin Fan's nearly exhausted "Star Vortex Finger" followed this tiny spatial channel as if it had found a vent. It instantly pierced through, bypassing most of the ghost qi barrier, and accurately struck the throbbing dark red crystal behind it!

Puff! A faint sound, like a bubble bursting, rang out.

A tiny crack that pierced through the core appeared on the surface of the dark red crystal! Its throbbing rhythm suddenly became chaotic, and the dark red light beam connecting to the sky's vortex flickered violently, becoming extremely unstable!

“No!!!” Ghost Star Elder let out a roar of mad fury! He had not expected the opponent to have such a bizarre method that could briefly break through the defense of the myriad ghost banner!

A fatal flaw had appeared in the grand array! At this moment, on the frontal battlefield, Meng Liuli and the others, sensing the abnormality in the core area, also launched an even more violent offensive. The entire foot of Meteorite Mountain was filled with the sound of killing, and energy surged wildly, turning into a complete mess!

The true climax of the final battle had arrived!