Even if I can't kill you, blasting you apart should be achievable, right? Once again, he directed the ancient sword with his divine sense, sending it hurtling toward Ye Jingyu.

The bloody hole in Ye Jingyu's chest had yet to fully mend, and seeing the ancient sword fly toward him again, he knew that even with the protection of the Donghuang Bell, his spirit would eventually shatter from the vibrations. A wave of anxiety washed over him—could he really not even deal with a mere Xuanyuan Ruoxing?

Just as he was at a loss, a stream of information flowed from the Donghuang Bell into his mind. The moment Ye Jingyu absorbed this memory, his heart soared with ecstasy, for it contained the true method for utilizing the Donghuang Bell's power.

Even if only one function was accessible now, and even if only a minuscule fraction of that function's power could be deployed, that tiny fraction was enough to offer Ye Jingyu immense assistance.

"Pangu creates heaven and earth, Donghuang stabilizes the cosmos—hold them still for me!" Ye Jingyu roared, then pointed a finger forward. The Overlord Origin Power within him surged madly into the Donghuang Bell. The bell, which had been emitting only a faint azure glow, instantly blazed with brilliant light, its body spinning rapidly while humming resonantly. Suddenly, a streak of azure light shot out, striking the fast-approaching ancient sword directly.

The ancient sword, previously moving with lightning speed, faster even than light itself, was abruptly frozen in place, suspended in mid-air.

However, the sword began to lash out with beams of black light, its fierce aura continuously erupting as if attempting to cleave through the azure radiance.

"Take it for me..." Ye Jingyu shouted, and the azure light intensified, directly severing the connection between the ancient sword and Xuanyuan Ruoxing, snatching the sword into itself before it swiftly retreated into Ye Jingyu's Sea of Consciousness.

Xuanyuan Ruoxing instantly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face contorted in horror. He truly hadn't expected Ye Jingyu's ancient bell to be so terrifying, directly severing his link to the sword. Even though he hadn't fully refined it, it shouldn't have been this easy!

At this moment, the ancient sword within Ye Jingyu's Sea of Consciousness unleashed powerful sword qi, still attempting to break free.

The Donghuang Bell seemed to have met its match, continuously spraying forth streams of azure light, tightly locking down the ancient sword and resolutely preventing it from escaping.

Meanwhile, the Fantian Seal, which had been resting and recovering in Ye Jingyu's Sea of Consciousness, immediately retreated far away the instant the ancient sword entered, apparently fearful of this blade.

Ye Jingyu was greatly surprised. What kind of sword was this that even the Fantian Seal, which had already developed sentience, was afraid of it? And the Donghuang Bell seemed to have found a true rival.

Amidst his astonishment, a message emanated from the Donghuang Bell: I'm busy suppressing this thing right now, no time to help you. Solve your own problems!

After this message, the bell ignored all of Ye Jingyu's summons, focusing entirely on battling the ancient sword.

Sensing the deeply humanized message from the Donghuang Bell, Ye Jingyu felt a throbbing headache. Why was this thing as willful as a child?

Without the Donghuang Bell's aid, how could he possibly contend with Xuanyuan Ruoxing's Haotian Pagoda? That was the artifact of Emperor Haotian!

Forget it, forget it. Can the young master accomplish nothing without you? I refuse to believe I can’t kill that bastard without you.

Ye Jingyu shook his head, dismissing the thought of continuing to rely on the Donghuang Bell. He still had the Fantian Seal. Although this treasure wasn't completely repaired, it could still be used for the occasional smash. At worst, he still had the Chi You Banner. If he could summon the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Grand Array, even if he couldn't breach the Haotian Pagoda, he could certainly wear him down. He didn't believe one person's strength, Xuanyuan Ruoxing's, could stand against an entire grand formation.

Glancing coldly at Xuanyuan Ruoxing in the sky, Ye Jingyu's body suddenly transformed into a streak of light and shot forward. In almost an instant, he appeared before Xuanyuan Ruoxing, gathering all his Overlord Origin Power into his right fist, smashing toward Xuanyuan Ruoxing like lightning.

Xuanyuan Ruoxing was aghast and hastily brought forth the Haotian Pagoda, sending down streaks of white light that formed shields before him. Ye Jingyu seemed not to see them, continuing his assault.

"Rumble... rumble..." Several loud impacts followed in succession. The white lights were instantly shattered, and the massive recoil threw Ye Jingyu backward, leaving his arm numb. Xuanyuan Ruoxing was also shaken to his core, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth.

However, Ye Jingyu's physical body was simply too formidable. Despite the numbness, he quickly regained his composure. Silver light flickered beneath his feet, and he charged toward Xuanyuan Ruoxing once more, his fists now radiating arcs of silver brilliance.

Fist of Starlight...

A silver fist-light flashed, striking the Haotian Pagoda directly. The pagoda once again emitted waves of white light, shielding Xuanyuan Ruoxing entirely, yet he was still left dizzy, blood streaming from his nostrils.

Seeing the sheer power in Ye Jingyu’s single punch, Xuanyuan Ruoxing grew increasingly horrified. He knew that if this continued, his spirit would eventually be damaged, though Ye Jingyu wouldn't escape unscathed either, right?

As Ye Jingyu charged at him again, Xuanyuan Ruoxing let out a cold snort. The Haotian Pearl, suspended above the Haotian Pagoda, suddenly shot forth, aiming directly for Ye Jingyu.

This was the artifact Emperor Haotian used to decree the rules of the Heavenly Dao; Xuanyuan Ruoxing doubted Ye Jingyu's physical body could withstand an attack from the Haotian Pearl.

Seeing the Haotian Pearl hurtling toward him, faintly shimmering with lightning and fire, Ye Jingyu's expression shifted slightly. He knew the energy contained within the Haotian Pearl was enough to burst his current physical body. If he took a direct hit, the consequences would be severe. Abandoning all restraint in this situation, he summoned the Chi You Banner with one hand. The twelve bone skewers plunged into the void, and immediately, eleven phantom figures emerged. Having absorbed so much vital essence in the Demon Realm, these Heavenly Witches were much more distinct, and Zhurong even showed signs of condensing toward his true form.

Facing the rapidly approaching Haotian Pearl, the Chi You Banner in Ye Jingyu's hand shot forward to meet it, managing to firmly wrap around the pearl...

The Chi You Banner was not fully repaired, and the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Grand Array was incomplete; Hanba had not yet returned, meaning its power was less than one ten-thousandth of its peak. The Haotian Pearl, however, contained years of accumulated power. Even if Xuanyuan Ruoxing couldn't exert its full strength, the current Chi You Banner couldn't possibly contain it. Yet, Zhurong, who was inside the banner, instantly rushed to the front, using his illusory form to press down fiercely upon the Haotian Pearl. Not only him, but the other ten phantom figures also converged, and the Chi You Banner itself erupted with dark light, tightly binding the Haotian Pearl...

Seeing that the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Grand Array could only barely suppress a single Haotian Pearl, both Ye Jingyu and Xuanyuan Ruoxing’s expressions changed. The Grand Array had helped Ye Jingyu repel countless enemies and aided him immeasurably; now, it could only manage to suppress one Haotian Pearl—how could this not shock him?

Xuanyuan Ruoxing was even more alarmed. He considered the Haotian Pearl his most complete and potent artifact at the moment, yet it was now enveloped by the formation Ye Jingyu had summoned. Without the Haotian Pearl providing a continuous supply of power, the Haotian Pagoda’s might and defense were severely diminished. Most importantly, he could no longer launch active attacks, as conventional magical assaults were nearly useless against Ye Jingyu!

However, noticing that Ye Jingyu also seemed unable to deploy the Grand Array alongside the azure ancient bell, Xuanyuan Ruoxing felt a slight easing of tension. He still possessed the Haotian Pagoda, while Ye Jingyu had no artifacts left to counter him. Why should he be afraid? Even if he couldn't kill him immediately, he still had them. Thinking of the promises made to him, Xuanyuan Ruoxing’s face once again broke into a smile. He then crushed two jade slips in his hand. In mere moments, two figures appeared in the void—two experts whose strength was absolutely at the Venerable level...

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