A tidal wave of crushing astral force slammed down on the Five-Prisons King Cauldron, as if determined to flatten this prized treasure of the Great Heaven Demon King into a sheet of scrap metal.
After swallowing the Mad Demon Lifespan-Burning Pill, the three True Disciples of the Taiyi Sect—Yao Dian, Xia You, and Yu Fen—had their power skyrocket past the limit of ten thousand horsepower. Their aura surged violently, a relentless assault no one could hope to withstand. Only disciples of Taiyi would dare something so extravagant—burning away a century of their own lifespan just to win a fight.
Any ordinary True Disciple of the Feather Transformation Gate—like Cang Baizi—would die outright from such a pill, their lifespan squeezed dry and their bodies ruined. Even if they somehow survived, they would age into a withered husk, unable to cultivate ever again.
But these three were different. From the moment Fang Han first saw them, he knew their bodies were abnormally tough, tempered through some forbidden body-refining method. They had clearly taken longevity-enhancing elixirs before; losing a hundred years was heavy, but not fatal. If slaying the Demon Commander earned them immense "merit" within the sect, the gamble was worth it.
As for Fang Han's group—they didn't even consider them a threat. Crushing them would be trivial.
Buzz… buzz… buzz…
Although Fang Han, Long Xuan, and the Witch barely escaped into the King Cauldron, it was far from safe. The overwhelming astral pressure hammered repeatedly against the cauldron, tearing into its protective formation. The roar of the celestial lion—embedded within the Taiyi astral qi—penetrated the interior, shaking the Witch and Long Xuan so violently that their spiritual power nearly collapsed.
They had no choice but to sit cross-legged, forcing all their strength into preserving their minds from shattering.
Fang Han attempted several times to activate the Spatial Shift Array hidden within the cauldron, but the entire artifact felt as though it had been cemented deep into a quagmire by the astral qi—frozen, unable to move an inch.
Even his Five-Flame Divine Thunder fizzled out the moment it touched the Taiyi Celestial Lion Qi, dispersing like smoke.
The instant his Wood Emperor True Qi extended beyond the cauldron, a paralyzing jolt shot through his entire body—his skull felt like it might explode. He wasn't even close to being a match.
Outside, dense astral qi pressed in from every direction, like metal plates clamping down with no gaps whatsoever. Snake-like tendrils seeped through fissures in the outer formations, corroding the defensive arrays around the cauldron.
The Five-Prisons King Cauldron had several protective layers, and each one was being steadily dissolved. Fang Han had no strength to counter—it was like defending a fortress with a few thousand soldiers against a hundred thousand attackers. Geography and fortifications only helped so much.
At this rate, the cauldron would eventually fall into the enemy's hands.
"Yan, what do we do!?"
"This is an extreme crisis!" Yan's voice grew sharp. "Their strength far exceeds ours. All we can do is hold out—don't strike back yet. Wait and see the outcome of their battle with the Demon Commander. Now—Yellow Springs True Qi… Corrupting Immortal Art!"
A flood of murky yellow vapor surged out from Yan, forming countless bubbles—like toxic blisters rising from a swamp. These bubbles drifted into the breached formations; the moment they touched the Celestial Lion Qi, the once-pure astral power stained black, as if someone had splashed soy sauce over fresh snow.
"What technique is that?" Fang Han was stunned by how easily Yan's art corroded the invaders' qi.
"The Corrupting Immortal Art is another application of true qi. Once you reach the Heaven-Human Realm, learn several divine abilities, and master the Black Emperor Water Fist, you'll be able to use it too—after absorbing Forgetting-Emotion Water." Yan's voice wavered; the strain was immense. "But I can't hold out for long. Stay calm—once an opening appears, we escape."
"Understood."
Fang Han steadied his breath.
High above, the three Taiyi True Disciples' astral qi crashed violently against the Demon Commander as their clash reached a fever pitch.
"Senior brother, my astral qi's been tainted. I can't refine the cauldron for the moment," Xia You warned.
"Doesn't matter. They're turtles in a jar—they can't run. Focus our qi. Prepare the treasures. We kill the Demon Commander first. If he escapes again, we lose everything. A century of lifespan and permanent damage from the pill—if we don't eliminate him, we'll never reach the Heaven-Human Realm."
"You think giving up a hundred years will let you kill me? How naïve." The Demon Commander sneered. "Prepare to die."
A white bone relic floated behind his skull, blooming into lotus after lotus of skeletal petals. Not even the furious Celestial Lion Qi could penetrate them.
His next step shook heaven and earth; bone lotuses bloomed beneath his feet. A blast of pale demonic light shot forth—three colossal Bone Demon Gods formed instantly, lunging straight at the trio.
Their roars shredded the sky. In a blink, all three were upon Yao Dian, Yu Fen, and Xia You.
"Innate Bone God Technique!"
Yao Dian's face drained. These were no mere conjurations; they were condensed from pure innate bone astral qi, infused with countless demonic essences. Anything they touched would be devoured—no corpse left behind.
He gritted his teeth and hurled his treasure forward—a five-spoked spinning wheel that shot sparks with every rotation.
The Golden Crystal Treasure Wheel.
As expected of Taiyi's elite—every True Disciple had a treasure artifact, often more than one.
At the same time, Xia You unleashed his own treasure—a flawless white jade bottle. Six flying daggers soared out of it, each with tiny wings and humanoid features. Their killing aura chilled the soul.
"The Six-Qi Soul-Destroying Blade Array!"
The daggers flickered faster than sound, slicing a Bone Demon God to pieces. Each blade was a treasure in its own right.
Yu Fen raised his own artifact—a massive banner swirling with storm sigils and lightning orbs.
"Wind and Thunder Banner!"
A hurricane wrapped in thunder exploded outward, shaking the heavens.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The three Bone Demon Gods were annihilated. Their three treasures shot straight toward the Demon Commander.
"Impressive toys," the Demon Commander murmured. Then—"Great Collapse."
With those two words, he tapped forward. His innate bone qi vibrated in a mysterious rhythm—aligning with heaven and earth, resonating like an extinction bell.
Where his finger pointed, everything shattered—Celestial Lion Qi, artifacts, all of it.
The first to fall were the six flying daggers. They disintegrated instantly, their internal formation collapsing into nothingness.
"The Great Collapse Technique! You actually mastered it!?" Yao Dian roared in terror.
"Retreat! We can't subdue him!" Xia You's voice cracked.
"Now!"
Fang Han felt the opening. He triggered the Spatial Shift Array once more. This time—the cauldron lurched downward, breaking through the weakened astral pressure, plunging straight into the sea below.