Taishu Yan struck first, a colossal Fire Vulture soaring from within his body, letting loose a piercing shriek from its beak as it hurtled toward the mass of flame.

"Boom!"

The Chaos Celestial Fire, enveloping the Jade Tablet, slammed violently into the Fire Vulture.

The next moment, the Fire Vulture, condensed from the power of the Dharma Manifestation, ignited fiercely, transforming into a massive fireball that barreled toward Taishu Yan opposite him. The scorching firelight nearly saturated the entire passage.

Seeing the Celestial Fire bearing down, Taishu Yan’s expression drastically changed.

This flame seemed almost impossible for mortal power to withstand; it actually burned the power of the Dharma Manifestation. Even at a distance of two or three meters, Taishu Yan felt as if he were about to be reduced to ash.

"Retreat!"

That single word flashed instantly through his mind, and Taishu Yan’s figure shot backward. The "Chaos Celestial Fire" did not pause in the least, chasing him like a shadow.

Wuhou let out a cold snort, his gaunt figure forcefully interposing itself between Taishu Yan and the Celestial Fire.

A vermillion medicinal cauldron materialized out of thin air!

This was Wuhou’s Dharma Manifestation, though now that he had ascended to the Spirit God realm, the energy used to condense it was Divine Fire Power. The cauldron spun abruptly, and a massive crimson vortex spun out from its mouth. A suction of the utmost magnitude generated from within the vortex, sealing off the entire passage.

The Chaos Celestial Fire did not retreat; instead, it charged into the medicinal cauldron against the pull of the suction, moving even faster.

"Let's see where you can flee now, old man!"

Wuhou flipped his left palm, and the cauldron lid sealed the mouth with a sharp kacha. A cold smile touched the corner of his lips as his pair of dark eyes slowly closed and opened.

Hiss! Hiss...

A strange sound emanated from inside the medicinal cauldron. The cold smile on Wuhou’s lips instantly froze, as a searing heat capable of melting metal radiated through the cauldron's body.

"Senior Brother, let go!" Zhuang Yu shouted upon sensing the anomaly. Wuhou’s face also changed dramatically; with a heave of his palms, the cauldron he held shot forward.

"Whoosh!"

After traveling only ten-odd meters down the passage, flames began to spill from the cauldron's body. When they had retreated forty to fifty meters deep into the passage, the entire medicinal cauldron was ablaze, and a larger fireball manifested. Within this fireball, the shadow of the "Chaos Jade Tablet" began to flicker faintly once more.

Hah! The Chaos Celestial Fire swept toward them again!

"Heavenly Pill Seal God Formation!"

Wuhou’s face grew grave as a few characters leaped from his lips.

The instant he spoke, a fiery red elixir shot out from between his fingers. Almost simultaneously, Zhuang Yu and Taishu Yan each shot out a red elixir from their hands. The three streaks of crimson light formed a triangle and charged toward the mass of "Chaos Celestial Fire," exploding when they were about ten meters apart.

A dim, hazy crimson aura spread rapidly like smoke.

Ssssh! Ssssh! Ssssh...

Wuhou and Zhuang Yu’s ten fingers rapidly traced patterns in the void at an astonishing speed, their forms blurring. Strands of divine power shot from their fingertips, merging into the crimson aura. Taishu Yan had positioned himself between Wuhou and Zhuang Yu, these two Spirit Gods, and was equally busy, launching pellet after pellet of elixirs like meteors, which then burst apart.

Three or four seconds later, Wuhou and Zhuang Yu had completed thousands of gestures, while Taishu Yan had fired off a hundred elixirs.

At this moment, the field of crimson aura seemed to suddenly gain sentience. It separated into fine, slender threads that crisscrossed the void, weaving a net that actually enveloped the "Chaos Celestial Fire" that had just charged forward. Seeing this, the three did not stop their actions, though a sense of relief faintly washed over their faces.

This "Heavenly Pill Seal God Formation" was created by the fifth-generation Sect Master of the Pill Immortal Sect, now the "Heavenly Pill God Venerable" of the Grand Reverence Realm. Utilizing the power of a ninth-grade elixir, it could confine a powerful expert; provided there were three ninth-tier Illusionary Spirit Masters, this formation could be executed, trapping even Spirit God realm experts.

With two Spirit Gods among the three people in the passage now, executing the "Heavenly Pill Seal God Formation" was naturally smoother and infinitely faster.

"Hiss!"

Suddenly, after a sharp burst of sound, slender wisps of flame broke through the dense netting.

At this moment, not just Taishu Yan, but Wuhou and Zhuang Yu felt their hearts turn cold. This "Chaos Celestial Fire" was raging to such an extreme degree; perhaps even the "Heavenly Pill Seal God Formation" could not subdue it!

"Heavenly Eye Devouring Heart!"

Wuhou’s hair and beard bristled; his eyes snapped wide open, and two solid beams of crimson light shot out from his pupils, flashing like lightning to stab into the net. These crimson beams actually pierced through the outer layer of raging flames and struck the "Chaos Jade Tablet"...

...

"Hmph!"

In the pavilion atop Divine Show Peak, Nie Kong groaned softly. Wuhou was actually employing his spirit sense to forcibly penetrate the Celestial Fire, attempting to attack the fire’s consciousness. Although the Celestial Fire possessed sentience, it had not yet fully formed a spirit, so Wuhou’s efforts were ultimately in vain—though not entirely pointless.

The instant Wuhou’s spirit sense focused on the Jade Tablet, the spirit sense he had affixed to the tablet was almost shattered by the backlash.

This was not a good sign!

Currently, the aura emanating from Tai Yan was growing increasingly intense, on the verge of breaking free from the constraints of the Dharma Manifestation power and unleashing itself completely within Divine Show Peak.

Nie Kong had to make the Celestial Fire break through the efforts of the three Wuhou figures as quickly as possible.

"Buzz!"

The Spirit God Acupoint trembled violently, and the mass of Chaos Divine Power suspended within it suddenly burst into flame.

In that instant, the "Chaos Jade Tablet" in the passage opened completely, all the Celestial Fire surging out. Almost every section of the surrounding net erupted with flames.

"Watch out!"

Wuhou’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he shouted loudly.

The moment his voice faded, the formation collapsed. The great net confining the Celestial Fire burned away entirely, rushing toward the three figures with a series of deafening explosions.

"Retreat!"

Wuhou, Zhuang Yu, and Taishu Yan had no time to intercept. Their figures shot backward like streaks of light, retreating rapidly toward the exit. If they remained in the passage, once the "Chaos Celestial Fire" surged past them, they risked being incinerated. The countless lives lost over millennia by those who tried to absorb the Celestial Fire served as a stark warning.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The three burst out of the cave entrance and scattered instantly as the "Chaos Celestial Fire" roared out behind them. Immediately, intense heat billowed outward, the ground blackened, and wooden pillars turned to ash. After the Celestial Fire surged out of the hall doors, Wuhou, Zhuang Yu, and Taishu Yan flashed out right behind it. The Thousand Mechanisms Hall behind them had already transformed into an ocean of fire.

Outside the Thousand Mechanisms Hall, nearly a hundred ninth-tier experts had gathered, having rushed over after sensing the commotion.

However, they had already received Wuhou’s command transmitted via spirit sense and watched with wide eyes as the mass of fire hurtled toward the sky, refraining from any attempt to block it.

The terrifying heat instantly spread across the entirety of Divine Firmament Peak, causing everyone’s expression to change in horror.

"Whoosh!"

Wuhou’s body soared into the air, maintaining a tight watch about dozens of meters behind the flames. Zhuang Yu and Taishu Yan, their faces grim, followed without hesitation. The nearly one hundred ninth-tier experts seemed to awaken from a trance, and figures shot skyward, leaving only a dozen or so to guard the hall entrance.

As they flew, everyone was astonished to discover where the mass of flame was headed—

Divine Show Peak!

A thread of doubt arose in everyone's heart. Luan Yexin, who was following closely beside Wuhou, also widened her beautiful eyes in astonishment. Why would the "Chaos Celestial Fire" head for Divine Show Peak instead of fleeing?

Recalling the siblings Tai Shuang and Tai Yan who were on Divine Show Peak, Luan Yexin knitted her delicate brows with worry. Tai Shuang had just absorbed some Celestial Fire; could it have returned for revenge?

...

...RO