422: Chapter 422 Stalemate

In the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Miasma Demon Forest.

In the deepest part of the Demon Forest, the ancient trees ceased to exist, and in the center of the ground lay a massive black hole.

The opening was hundreds of zhang in diameter, and the rocks at the edge were charred black. The abyss was bottomless, with only a dull roar echoing from below, like the heartbeat of an ancient beast, or perhaps something struggling and roaring.

Thick erosion qi surged upward like a red tide, corroding the surrounding ancient trees and rocks until they were riddled with holes, while the air was filled with a nauseating, putrid, and fishy sweetness.

A towering, cyan-gray shadow of a cauldron hovered directly above the opening. The body of the cauldron was engraved with layered mountain and river patterns, as if real landscapes were slowly shifting within it.

Eight phantom images of sub-cauldrons rotated slowly around the main cauldron. Each sub-cauldron was imprinted with different rivers, lakes, seas, mountains, and forests, radiating an ancient and majestic power of suppression.

They echoed each other, resembling a miniature Seal of Heaven and Earth.

The shadow of the cauldron dyed half the sky a deep cyan-gray, its presence as heavy as a mountain, yet it faintly revealed a precarious fragility.

A twelve-year-old girl stood suspended in the air. Her moon-white dress fluttered noisily in the erosion qi, and the cuffs and collar were several sizes too large, making her appear exceptionally small and adrift within them.

Yue Xinlan gazed at this scene, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.

"This Seal… cannot hold for much longer."

Three figures slowly emerged from the edge of the abyss, their gazes simultaneously locking onto Yue Xinlan.

"Human Race!"

Yin Lan shouted first, her voice exploding like thunder, "You dare to come here to die?!"

She swung a claw, and the Law of Shadow instantly transformed into a sky full of blades, tearing through the Void Realm and heading straight for Yue Xinlan.

Yue Xinlan dodged sideways and said in a deep voice, "It is me."

Xuan Ji's vertical pupils narrowed. She stared at Yue Xinlan for a moment, half-doubting, "Supreme Baiyan? You… is it really you? How did you become like this?"

Yue Xinlan took a deep breath and said.

"I have come today to fulfill the covenant of that year, to protect the descendants of the three races and help you stabilize the Seal."

Upon hearing this, Yin Lan sneered like a blade:

"In ancient times, the three of us destroyed the earth veins of White Rock Province to reach the Mahayana Stage, but our three races also paid the price in the covenant."

"In the covenant, Xuan Ji, Fei Yan, and I fused with the rock cauldron to suppress the main root, and you were to ensure the continuation of our three races. But what was the result? A hundred years ago, your Human Race first invaded the Ten Thousand Miasma Demon Forest on a large scale, and later sent people to infiltrate the Demon Forest to destroy the altars!"

"My Yao Race suffered countless casualties, and the Seal developed fatal loopholes because of it! Now that the main root is about to break the Seal, you still have the face to mention the covenant?"

Yue Xinlan shook her head and said:

"This has nothing to do with me! I was also ambushed, which forced me into Reincarnation. These two instances of destruction must have been the work of traitors within the Human Race!"

Xuan Ji's voice was bone-chillingly cold:

"I don't care what relationship you have with that Niding Alliance! But the person who destroyed the altar clearly used the 'White Rock Profound Water Sutra' Cultivation Technique from your White Rock Holy Land!"

Hearing this, Yue Xinlan's eyes widened slightly.

"What?!"

Fei Yan sighed:

"Regardless of whether you are sincere or insincere now, Supreme Baiyan, unless you can restore your full strength, otherwise…"

"This Seal only has half a year left. You should leave…"

Yue Xinlan took a step forward,

"Impossible! I must see if…"

"Don't even think about coming over!"

Yin Lan shouted, and the Law of Shadow erupted again.

The sky full of blades condensed into a pitch-black giant shadow tiger, roaring as it lunged at Yue Xinlan, tearing cracks into the Void Realm wherever it passed.

Xuan Ji attacked at the same time.

The Law of Water transformed into a monstrous python, pressing down upon her with a chill that could freeze all things.

Fei Yan tapped her brow, unleashing an invisible mental shock, while countless vines erupted from the ground like living things from all directions, wrapping around Yue Xinlan.

The joint attack of the three manifestations of the Dao changed the color of the world!

Yue Xinlan gritted her teeth and formed a Seal with her hands.

The Law of Earth erupted, condensing into a massive mountain in front of her.

The Law of Water transformed into flexible azure silk ribbons, spreading out in layers behind the shield, using softness to overcome hardness and neutralizing the impact.

However… having undergone Reincarnation, and having just awakened, Yue Xinlan was far from having restored her full strength.

Although the three Yao Ancestors had seen their cultivation drop to the third level of the Mahayana Stage due to driving the suppression and passing on their power to the three little ones, their combined power of the Dao was far beyond the limits of her current second level of the Mahayana Stage.

The giant shadow tiger tore through the mountain, the icy python ripped through the silk ribbons, and the mental shock took advantage of the opening.

Boom!

Yue Xinlan was knocked back dozens of zhang, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

She steadied herself and quickly calculated in her mind.

Whatever she said now, they probably wouldn't believe her. She couldn't fight head-on; she had to retreat first!

Return to the White Rock Holy Land and see if Xiao Yu is still there. If she is still there…

Yue Xinlan turned and transformed into a streak of light, fleeing toward the outside of the Demon Forest.

"Trying to escape?!" Yin Lan roared, giving chase at high speed.

Xuan Ji and Fei Yan followed closely behind.

However, after chasing for only a few dozen li, the three of them suddenly came to a halt.

An invisible force came from the direction of the rock cauldron, pulling them back firmly.

This was the price of their Fusion with the rock cauldron. They could not leave the rock cauldron too far, or the power of the Seal would weaken, and the main root would immediately break free.

"Damn it!"

Yin Lan gritted her teeth and stopped in frustration.

Just as Xuan Ji was about to speak, suddenly—she sensed something, and her expression changed drastically.

"Not good! Someone is trying to break into the Forbidden Abyss!"

She turned abruptly and rushed back frantically.

Yin Lan and Fei Yan also sensed the situation simultaneously.

Someone had taken advantage of their absence to attempt to break into the Forbidden Abyss!

"Cunning Human Race!"

Yin Lan gritted her teeth, transforming into a shadow as she shot back.

Yue Xinlan had fled over a hundred li and, noticing that the pursuers behind her had stopped, was about to heave a sigh of relief when she suddenly sensed violent spiritual energy fluctuations and faint angry shouts coming from the center.

"It's you! The scum who infiltrated the Demon Forest a hundred years ago, destroyed the altars, and caused the loopholes in the Seal!"

Yue Xinlan's heart shook.

Who was it? She gritted her teeth, turned around, and also rushed back at high speed. She also wanted to know who exactly had done it!

At the edge of the Forbidden Abyss.

Three against two.

Yue Xinlan descended from the sky and landed to the side.

Her fiery red dress swaying, Liu Ruyan gently waved a round fan, standing in mid-air with a charming smile.

Beside her, Ji Xuanming shrank back slightly, his gaze fixed complexly on the girl who had just landed.

The Reincarnation of Supreme Baiyan? Wouldn't that make her the Ancestral Master of the Ancestral Masters…

Yue Xinlan's gaze first landed on Liu Ruyan, her brows furrowed tightly:

"You are from the Niding Alliance!"

Looking at Ji Xuanming next, she instantly caught the familiar aura of a Cultivation Technique on him and said coldly:

"The 'White Rock Profound Water Sutra' of the White Rock Holy Land? You are from the Holy Land!"

Xuan Ji sneered, her vertical pupils full of mockery.

"Supreme Baiyan, you still say it has nothing to do with you? I think you just wanted to lure us away so they could succeed!"

The three Yao Ancestors' anger toward Yue Xinlan instantly intensified, and their killing intent surged like a tide.

Yin Lan growled impatiently, the Law of Shadow surging around her:

"How about we just release the Seal and all die together!"

Xuan Ji immediately shouted via telepathy:

"No! The seeds of our three races have not yet completely escaped the Demon Forest…"

Liu Ruyan maintained her smile, but a trace of nervousness flashed in her peach-blossom eyes.

If the Seal were to be broken now and the main root emerged, she would be nearby and would definitely die. Although she wanted to release the Ancient Banyan main root, she had to ensure her own safety.

Ji Xuanming's heart pounded wildly. If the Seal shattered and the rock cauldron went out of control, his plan to control the rock cauldron and use it to take revenge on Ling Hao would be completely ruined.

"No!"

Yue Xinlan shouted to stop them.

Once the Seal was lifted, life would be devastated, and White Rock Province would completely become a dead land.

For a moment, the three parties—Yue Xinlan, Liu Ruyan and Ji Xuanming, and the three Yao Ancestors—each stood their ground, neither daring to move first.

The atmosphere fell into an eerie stalemate.