The small, dark Crystal Man raised his head, indifferently watching the two rapidly boiling Silver Winged Sky Cannons. Just as they were about to touch his body, the dark Crystal Man let out a low growl, and a layer of black flame suddenly ignited around him. A few faint afterimages flickered in the air; even Peng Hua, whose physical prowess was the strongest among those present, couldn't discern the dark Crystal Man's movement before the chests of the two Silver Winged Angels were suddenly pierced by heavy fists. Their massive bodies disintegrated into specks of silver light amidst a roaring explosion.

"So strong!" Peng Hua stared, his eyes wide with astonishment. He grabbed his communicator and whispered urgently, "Big Beard, prepare to lock onto this guy; we might not be able to handle him!"

The leader of the Big Beard contingent had been grinning ear to ear aboard the hunting vessel. Back then, when Gu Xiechen fused with that black Kristal sphere, it had always been a deep grievance for him. But now, another dark Crystal Man had appeared before him. The Big Beard leader immediately resolved that if there was any possibility, he would claim that sphere for himself.

Peng Hua and the Big Beard leader were harboring the same thought. Peng Hua exclaimed excitedly, "Big Beard, this black Kristal sphere is what Peng Hua the Great has his eye on! If you let him get away, I won't spare you!"

The Big Beard leader was furious—frustratedly furious. He almost ordered all hunting vessel main cannons to cease locking onto the dark Crystal Man. But then, remembering the Corpse Emperor standing behind Peng Hua, the Big Beard leader managed a cordial smile. "Of course, besides you, Peng Hua, who else is worthy of this black Kristal sphere!" While sweetly flattering Peng Hua, the Big Beard leader coarsely flashed two thick middle fingers.

"Heh heh heh!" The dark Crystal Man let out a laugh indistinguishable from a normal human. He nodded lightly. "There is a youngster on the altar above about to achieve a breakthrough. Was it when he left for his advancement ritual that you discovered the path leading here? In the past, you scoundrels could never have found this place. You are quite lucky this time, actually finding a direct passage to the Ancestral God Temple. However, this is also your misfortune. Leave your lives here!"

Peng Hua poked his head out from the massive formation. A large head abruptly appeared in the swirling white mist. This bizarre sight caused the Crystal Men to step back in unison. He gave the dark Crystal Man the middle finger and mockingly cursed, "Stone-head, you speak foreign languages too? Hmm, your oral skills are quite slick! Uh, youngster, don't be so self-assured. Does being black make you amazing? A long time ago, we captured another guy as dark as you."

The dark Crystal Man stomped his foot hard, his sole colliding violently with the ground, spitting out a shower of sparks. The dark Crystal Man roared fiercely, "I know about that! The guardian of the Eleventh Altar was captured by you! Damn it. If it weren't for protecting the Ancestral Serpent left by the Ancestor in the Divine Lake beneath the Eleventh Altar, why would he have been captured by you?"

Little Daoist Zhang nodded. He said softly, "The passage we descended through leads above the Fifth Altar. Since he mentioned the Eleventh Altar, the Divine Lake, and the Divine Serpent, it seems there are many such passages!"

The dark Crystal Man pointed at Peng Hua and shouted harshly, "I am different from the Eleventh Divine Guard you captured. My advancement time is three times his entire lifespan; my strength is ten times his!"

With a massive roar, the dark Crystal Man drove a fist toward Peng Hua's head, which was exposed outside the white mist.

Peng Hua's eyes narrowed. He stared intently at the approaching fist of the dark Crystal Man, then suddenly jerked his head sideways, dodging the heavy blow. His arms coiled around the dark Crystal Man's arm like pythons, pulling him forcefully into the grand formation. The dark Crystal Man’s body was heavy, and the moment he stepped into the formation, he stabilized. Instinctively, he tried to flee backward, but Peng Hua, gritting his teeth, held onto his upper arm with all his might and refused to let go.

The dark Crystal Man exploded in rage. He leaned his body forward heavily, slamming his mass into Peng Hua's chest. A rapid series of bone-shattering sounds followed. Peng Hua’s ribs across his chest were completely pulverized. He cried out as he was sent flying dozens of meters away by the dark Crystal Man's strike, crashing into a platform used to set up the formation. From the side, a swirl of white mist rushed over and swept Peng Hua deep into the formation.

A fierce wind rose from the ground. Black quicksand began to wrap around rapidly beneath the earth. The dark Crystal Man’s body slowly sank into the quicksand. A small patch of purple cloud formed above his head, and lightning bolts as thick as water casks rained down, causing electrical flickers all over the dark Crystal Man's body, yet failing to cause any damage to him.

"Indeed a long-cultivated demon!" Zhao Yi’s gaze darkened, and he swung the Golden Dragon Bronze Halberd fiercely.

The Dao Alliance disciples lining the flanks of the Immortal Severing Formation shouted in unison. They waved their flags simultaneously, and two streams of white mist, like the wings of a white crane, swept out, perfectly enveloping the purple and blue Crystal Men who were momentarily disorganized due to the loss of their leader. The formation shifted, and these Crystal Men all fell into the formation's core. Countless bolts of lightning roared down upon them.

The dark Crystal Man calmly assessed his surroundings. Above him, purple mist continually rained down lightning, but the electricity could not harm his body; he feared the lightning attacks not at all. Beneath his feet was black quicksand, radiating intense heat capable of melting ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators into slag. But the dark Crystal Man's body was extremely resilient; he did not fear this slight temperature. Surrounding him was a vast expanse of white, misty clouds—a rarity for him, as mist was something unattainable on Pluto.

After analyzing his situation, two beams of intense light suddenly shot out from beneath the dark Crystal Man’s feet, causing the black quicksand on the ground to collapse and melt. A gap suddenly tore open in the grand formation. The dark Crystal Man’s body shot upward, and he fixed his gaze on a figure that flashed briefly in the white mist ahead, slamming a heavy punch toward that silhouette.

"Clang!" With a loud crash, a purple Crystal Man, swept before the dark Crystal Man by the formation, had his body pierced through by the punch. The dark Crystal Man's fist was so heavy that the purple Crystal Man instantly exploded into countless fragments that sprayed in all directions. The Kristal sphere within his body, his energy core, was completely pulverized by that single blow.

"Despicable!" The dark Crystal Man was enraged, having killed one of his own kin with his own hands—this made him somewhat embarrassed and furious.

"So what if I'm despicable? Bite me!" Peng Hua, whose vitality was impossibly strong, had already healed the injuries on his chest. His leg shot out from a patch of white mist that suddenly appeared behind the dark Crystal Man, delivering a vicious upward kick straight to the dark Crystal Man's groin.

"Thud." With a dull thud, the dark Crystal Man remained rooted to the spot. Peng Hua's lower leg twisted unnaturally, and he let out screeching cries as streams of bloody tears spurted from the corners of his eyes. Hopping on one leg, he fled back into the white mist behind him. Peng Hua screamed in agony, "Damn it, these Kristal Men don't have those organs, how do they breed children?"

To all comrades, all brothers and sisters! During the period of double recommendation votes, everything depends on your support! The first few days of the month basically set the tone for half of this month! (To be continued)