We were currently near the southeastern end of the passage, facing a vast hall ahead. The surrounding walls were adorned with immense bas-reliefs, seemingly depicting an ancient mythological saga, though they were too far off for me to make out any clear details.

Along the walls, at intervals of about twenty meters, stood colossal stone pillars, each as thick as a man, topped with a cauldron-like brazier. Within these cauldrons roared fierce flames, brilliantly illuminating the entire subterranean palace.

These were the magical ever-burning lamps unique to the underground palaces of the Marfa world, fueled by the surrounding dense magical energy. Legend held that the Illusionary Realm itself was composed of potent magic, which explained why these lamps had burned for millennia without extinguishing. It forced me to marvel at the wondrous magic of Marfa.

In the very center of the hall lay a glowing barrier, a pale blue hemisphere about ten square meters in size, shaped like a vast, inverted bowl tightly sealed to the floor. Through the faint blue light-wall, we could discern a hexagonal circular array inscribed on the ground within; nestled inside were six ancient characters. I didn't recognize the script, but they appeared to be some form of talisman or totem. The air around it carried an unusual sense of mystery and solemnity. At the four symmetrical corners stood four square stone altars, each as large as four cubic meters, likely ancient sacrificial platforms used by priests of old to welcome and appease the gods.

The entire luminous screen wavered like wisps of pale blue mist. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless shimmering specks of light dancing around the perimeter of the barrier, like swarms of fireflies. This was the tangible manifestation of accumulated, dense magical elements, a clear indicator that this was a place where elemental activity was exceptionally vigorous.

“Such potent magical fluctuations,” Yun Ju exclaimed in awe.

“Is this the Woma Barrier?” Yun Peng asked, his voice grave.

“Indeed. This is the Woma Barrier that guards the Woma Altar,” Jian Li stated. “Ordinary attacks won't be enough to breach it.” As he spoke, Jian Li instinctively glanced toward the mages of the Demon-Sealing Brotherhood.

“Let us witness the extraordinary skills of the elite mages from the Demon-Sealing Brotherhood,” Jian Qiu added, his expression filled with curiosity.

In the formation of mages, Mo Ling stared intently at the blue barrier, clearly deep in thought.

The Woma Barrier, which had surrounded the altar for a thousand years, was legendary across the continent for its formidable defense. To challenge the Woma Cult Leader, one first had to shatter the barrier enveloping the Woma Altar.

Certainly, the Woma Barrier had been breached several times throughout history. Despite its formidable defense, a barrier was ultimately a static object; with sufficient magical accumulation, its destruction was not an impossible feat. However, historical records indicated that in every previous demon-extermination campaign, it took at least a thousand mages to accomplish this.

Although the Demon-Sealing mages were considered the continent's most accomplished spellcasters, only one hundred were present for this operation, and they were all from the younger generation. I was intensely curious to see how they intended to break the barrier.

Of course, everyone understood that destroying the Woma Barrier was merely the prelude. The true opponent lay within the barrier: the Woma Cult Leader. Only by defeating it could one access the passage leading to the fourth layer of the Illusionary Realm, located beneath the altar’s array.

The Woma Cult Leader!

All attention shifted to the imposing figure standing upon the six-ringed circular array inside the barrier. Through the pale blue light-wall, we could clearly see a creature standing nearly four meters tall, entirely covered in inky green skin. Its face was long and pointed, strongly resembling that of a goat, topped with two sharp horns. Two long tendrils hung from its jowls, and a goatee trailed from its lower jaw.

This was the legendary "Goatee," but seeing this visage up close, it held no trace of the vulgarity its name might imply. On the contrary, even from this distance, I felt waves of profound, sky-scraping killing intent radiating from it.

The pair of massive wings on its back lent an air of sinister, chilling majesty, like a demon god from the netherworld, stirring an urge to kneel in homage.

“It’s the Woma Cult Leader!” the young mages gasped.

“That is the Woma Cult Leader,” Yun Peng murmured beside me. “One of the ten great abominations of the Marfa continent.”

Everyone was gripped by intense tension, for we were about to engage in the decisive battle against this infamous, ancient fiend.

“Mages!” Nalan Qiushui commanded sharply. “Shatter the barrier.”

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“Yes,” Mo Ling replied. Even her face, usually as immutable and icy as millennia-old glacier, showed a flicker of uncommon tension. “Concentrated attack. Lightning Bolt.” Mo Ling lightly raised the ancient jade talisman in her hand, and a bolt of lightning instantly struck the blue barrier.

Crack! Thunder roared! Ripples of distortion spread across the barrier’s surface, like pebbles tossed into a placid lake. The deep magical hum enveloping the entire palace immediately grew turbulent.

“Lightning Bolt!” The elite mages of the Demon-Sealing contingent simultaneously unleashed their spell. Countless arcs of lightning converged in the air, forming a single, massive bolt resembling a gigantic, heaven-piercing sword, which drove down precisely where Mo Ling’s first strike had landed.

The terrifying magical power shook the immense barrier violently.

“Magnificent technique,” Yun Ju marveled. “Focusing the power of every attack onto a single point—even the sturdiest barrier cannot withstand that.”

“Only the mages of the Demon-Sealing continent could command such precise magical striking ability,” Yun Peng sighed with admiration.

“Worthy of being the strongest mage legion in the Ranger world,” Jian Qiu exclaimed in surprise.

The massive bolt of lightning seemed unending, maintaining its strange twisting and pulsing, like a high-powered drill furiously impacting the barrier's layer.

It emitted sharp, indistinct crackling sounds! The blue barrier appeared wrapped in countless electrical arcs; the dazzling blue light flowed rapidly across its surface, a truly shocking sight.

Everyone stared tensely at the barrier, simultaneously taking up their fighting stances. They knew clearly that the moment the barrier shattered, the true battle of life and death would commence.

Ten minutes later!

With a final thud, the blue barrier exploded like a punctured balloon, scattering countless blue-glowing fragments like shrapnel.

“Mages, retreat quickly!” Nalan Qiushui roared.

“Withdraw,” Mo Ling commanded without hesitation the instant the barrier blew. The one hundred young elite mages pulled back swiftly, like an ebbing tide, toward the passage they had entered.

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Boom! A roar! Almost simultaneously with the barrier’s rupture, an inky green figure shot forth like a cannonball leaving the muzzle. Its astonishing speed caused its massive form to appear strangely blurred and distorted in the air.

“Intercept!” Nalan Qiushui shouted wildly. “Wall of the Black Tortoise!” The hexagram formation formed by the six elders of the Black Tortoise Alliance, positioned at the very front, suddenly burst forth with a burst of dazzling golden light.

A terrifying wave of energy surged outward like a tidal surge!

Ah! Such powerful energy! I was greatly startled. While it didn't match the abnormally perverse energy levels I felt within the Thunder Array back then, it still exceeded my expectations. For only six individuals to elevate their energy to this extent was truly unbelievable. Was this the profound skill of the Nalan family of the Black Tortoise Alliance—the Great Black Tortoise Array?

Whoosh! A colossal crescent-shaped bolt of lightning erupted from the golden light formation, shooting directly toward the massive figure hurtling rapidly toward us in the air.

Clash! A deafening explosion ripped the air, and a brilliant flash erupted overhead. The gigantic crescent struck the Woma Cult Leader’s massive silhouette in mid-air, twenty meters away, with the precision of a sniper rifle’s bullet.

Roar! Struck so hard, even the Woma Cult Leader, one of the ten great abominations, was thrown back over ten meters.

However, that was all the Black Tortoise Alliance elders could manage. Having landed their blow, the six instantly disengaged and retreated. They had successfully intercepted the Cult Leader’s close-range pursuit.

The next task fell to the Azure Dragon Gang.

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Roar! The Woma Cult Leader, thrown backward in the air, flapped its huge wings violently. Its straight trajectory suddenly veered, slamming it against the left wall. Thump! The Cult Leader braced its legs against the wall, not only using it to stabilize its retreat caused by the powerful impact but also pushing off forcefully with both feet. Its enormous wings flapped again several times. The inky green figure darted toward us like a phantom.

What astonishing adaptability! I could hardly believe such a massive body could move with such agility. If I hadn't witnessed it, I wouldn't have believed it. In the blink of an eye, the colossal form was within twenty meters.

“Azure Dragon Emerges from the Sea!” The six elders of the Azure Dragon Gang, who had been waiting in formation, roared in unison. Their hexagram formation instantly exploded in a dazzling display of blue light, releasing terrifying energy that surged outward like a massive quantity of TNT detonating.

Swish! A azure light dragon, like a meteor slicing through the void, shot toward the Woma Cult Leader’s spectral figure in the air.

Roar! Perhaps having learned from its previous encounter, the Woma Cult Leader’s massive wings flashed instantly. The huge body executed a miraculous aerial change of direction, tracing an eerie S-shaped arc through the sky.

Such incredible reflexes! Just as I thought the azure light dragon had missed, the dragon seemed to come alive. As the Woma Cult Leader changed course, the straight path of the azure light dragon bent into a C-shaped arc, like a homing missile, slamming heavily into the Cult Leader’s enormous mass.

Impact! A thunderous roar followed, and another brilliant blue flash erupted in the sky. The Cult Leader’s phantom form could not evade the aerial interception by the azure light dragon. Like a fighter jet struck by a missile, the Woma Cult Leader was once again violently thrown back, though this time it plummeted straight toward the ground.

“Retreat!” Without hesitation, almost the moment their strike landed, the six elders of the Azure Dragon Gang pulled back. Everyone understood clearly: with our current strength, killing the Woma Cult Leader was impossible. Merely preventing it from closing the distance was our utmost limit.

Almost as the Azure Dragon elders retreated, the Woma Cult Leader, falling toward the ground, suddenly flared its enormous wings. The inky green form once again dissolved into a C-shaped afterimage. It pushed off the left wall with its legs.

Thump! The dark green figure rebounded back into the air, its back wings beating rapidly! The massive body shot forward like lightning once more.

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“White Tiger Howls at Heaven!” Luo Xiao and the others, who were ready, dared not be careless. Their hexagram formation instantly erupted in a dazzling white explosion of light. An equally astonishing wave of energy, like surging tides, rushed outward. Those of us standing closer, including Jian Li and myself, were involuntarily forced back several steps.

Whoosh! A massive beam of white light, like a colossal celestial sword, slashed fiercely toward the lightning-fast figure in the air.

Roar! Having been intercepted repeatedly, the Woma Cult Leader was already incandescent with rage. A circular arc of green light suddenly burst from its body, resembling countless lightning bolts coiling around it. This time, the Woma Cult Leader made no attempt to evade, instead crashing directly into the massive light sword.

It was clearly intending to force its way through the interception launched by the White Tiger Alliance.

Clang! Amidst a world-shattering booming noise, it seemed as if the entire environment was being pulverized. Everyone felt a surge of blood churning in their chests, nearly spitting blood. Yet, the Woma Cult Leader’s huge silhouette in the air was not repelled; it only paused momentarily.

“Oh no!” The faces of the White Tiger Alliance elders all changed drastically. They were unable to launch subsequent attacks, as that strike represented their very strongest blow.

“This is bad!” I immediately sensed the danger. The White Tiger elders’ attack had failed to push the Woma Cult Leader back. If it seized this opportunity to close the distance, none of us would escape death.

“Attack!” Master Jian Li immediately initiated his assault.

Every seasoned expert present reacted in the span of a lightning flash. At this distance, if the Woma Cult Leader accelerated its charge again, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Under the effect of the Eye of Death’s Desire, I instantly locked onto the Woma Cult Leader’s massive form in the air. Almost simultaneously, as the Cult Leader flapped its wings, I channeled my Thunder Battle Qi—pushed to its absolute limit—into the Dragon Shadow Sword and sliced out electrically.

Whoosh! A streak of seven-colored light, swift as lightning, cut through the air with a whistling sound. This was the strongest Battle Qi attack I could muster—the enhanced version of Myriad Miles Soul Pursuit, honed in the Demon Dragon World.

But while I was fast, four rays of light were faster than mine. Although the difference seemed marginal, under the state of the Eye of Death’s Desire, I clearly saw that the fastest light was a golden dragon shadow—that was Master Jian Li’s Dragon Shadow Slash. Slightly behind him was another purple sword energy, unmistakably the Myriad Miles Soul Pursuit unleashed by Elder Feng Yuanming of the Feng family.

Two other streaks, almost simultaneously—one white and one red, both crescent-shaped sword energies—were launched by Bi Yan of Flowing Cloud Manor and Gao Jing of Scarlet Moon Manor, respectively. Three sword energies and one dragon shadow, each possessing astonishing power.

Adding mine, the five beams of light sped toward the airborne Woma Cult Leader first, followed closely by over a dozen beams of multi-colored light. These were the other elders and masters launching their attacks—Ice Roar, Lightning Bolt, Assassination Sword Qi, Half Moon Scimitar—each unleashing their most powerful killing moves.

In just a brief moment, our fourth interception formation struck. Although we lacked the specialized formations of the Azure Dragon Gang, White Tiger Alliance, or Black Tortoise Alliance, our strength lay in numbers.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The dozen or so beams struck the Woma Cult Leader almost simultaneously, yet they failed to push it back even half a step; they only managed to briefly stall its forward momentum.

Roar! With a furious cry, the Woma Cult Leader flapped its enormous wings again. Its slightly halted form seemed poised to accelerate anew.

“Ah!” Everyone’s faces paled with terror. If it managed to accelerate again at this range, there would be no chance to escape.

“Damn it,” Jian Li and the others instinctively urged their Battle Qi, preparing to launch follow-up attacks. While everyone knew that given the Cult Leader’s speed, there was no chance for a second round of attacks, they had no other choice.

But at that very moment, the wings the Woma Cult Leader was flapping suddenly went limp. The anticipated surge in speed never materialized. The Cult Leader’s previously vigorous posture appeared strangely unnatural, its body seemingly out of control as it veered toward the left wall. Though it was only for an instant, none of us missed the opportunity. We quickly backed away.

Just before colliding with the wall, the Woma Cult Leader flapped its huge wings again. Its awkward form instantly became incredibly agile, sweeping toward us like the wind.

But at that precise moment, a massive Mystic Ice Dragon materialized across the sky!

Thud! It slammed the Woma Cult Leader’s huge figure and sent it flying far back. It was the mages, who had previously retreated, launching a magic attack, successfully halting the Woma Cult Leader’s charge at this critical juncture.

Taking advantage of this opening, we had already retreated over fifty meters.

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We were saved! We had finally endured the most grueling opening fifteen seconds. The mages behind us had finally completed their formation and launched magic attacks to cover our retreat. Even so, the repelled Woma Cult Leader pursued us relentlessly.

However, it immediately ran into the powerful sniping fire from the six elders of the Black Tortoise Alliance, who were already arrayed and waiting.

The situation was now under our control. The Woma Cult Leader’s speed had been reduced, and more importantly, our mages had locked onto its position. Countless Ice Roars converged in the air, forming a terrifying Mystic Ice Storm that enveloped the Woma Cult Leader.

Yet, even this could not harm the creature; it only significantly slowed its forward momentum.

This, however, allowed our withdrawal to be far more composed than before.

The Ice Roars unleashed by over a hundred mages, while incapable of inflicting damage, possessed the inherent slowing and freezing effect characteristic of the spell. This reduced the Woma Cult Leader’s speed to its lowest point and forced it down from the air to the ground. The enraged Woma Cult Leader roared repeatedly, using all four limbs to charge across the ground, but it was constantly pushed back by our wave-like chain interception formation and the relentless bombardment from the mages, unable to close within our fifty-meter safety perimeter.

Although the situation was under control as anticipated, no one dared to let down their guard. Under the mages’ cover, we maintained a fighting withdrawal over a distance of five hundred meters. Far ahead, we could see the mages waiting in formation at the far end of the passage.

We were finally nearing the end. Just another hundred meters, and we could lure the Woma Cult Leader into the firing range of the mages positioned outside. Then, victory would be ours.

The true trump card was about to be unveiled!