While slaying first and seizing treasure second was the rule, wouldn't it be ideal to snatch such a supreme treasure the moment it appeared?

At the instant the monk collapsed, Liang Xiaoke spat out three mouthfuls of vital blood, each the size of a sea bowl, nearly fainting dead away.

These two clones were formed from his own nascent spirit and vital essence, each possessing one-third of his spirit and power. Their destruction naturally wounded his spirit. It was fortunate he hadn't divided his soul's origin, or the destruction of even one clone could have obliterated his true body.

The others, seeing the two bodies vanish, knew their chance was slim. They sullenly redoubled their assault on Liang Xiaoke.

The Daoist wielding the golden brick could not withstand the onslaught of so many masters. He held on for only a few breaths before his body was shattered, and the golden brick fell directly into Hua Wuhui’s grasp.

Seeing the golden brick seized, the remaining figures lunged again at Liang Xiaoke and Gongsun Lu. However, perhaps because Gongsun Lu possessed no powerful artifacts, beyond being swept aside, they inflicted little actual damage upon her.

By now, Liang Xiaoke was utterly listless. Two-thirds of his internal power had vanished, his cultivation realm had regressed to the twelfth level of the Corpse Emperor, and his nascent spirit was grievously wounded. He was no match for these few assailants.

While everyone engaged Liang Xiaoke in a fierce battle, several tens of thousands of miles away, atop a solitary peak, Feng Yan sat cross-legged. The jade pendant resting on his chest pulsed with a continuous green light, drawing in the surrounding Wind Elemental Energy frantically.

His brow was deeply furrowed. Logically, Ye Jingyu should have been instantly shredded by the storms within the jade pendant the moment he was absorbed. But why hadn't he died after all this time? Moreover, the Wind Elemental Energy inside the pendant seemed to be diminishing.

Could he be absorbing the Wind Elemental Energy from the pendant? The thought made Feng Yan’s expression shift violently.

"I refuse to believe I can't kill you!" he snarled, biting his tongue until blood beaded, spraying a mouthful of vital essence. With one hand, he traced complex patterns in the void, launching sequence after sequence of hand seals onto the jade pendant. Immediately, the pendant flared with a brilliant cyan light, and faint shadows of green dragons flickered within it.

Inside the pendant, Ye Jingyu was desperately absorbing the thick, almost substantive Wind Elemental Energy. The moment the auras of Zhurong and Hanba suddenly appeared in his mind, a sense of profound unease washed over him.

He had initially assumed the jade pendant was merely a spatial artifact, containing its own pocket dimension, yet still tied to the void he inhabited. But when Hanba and Zhurong manifested within his sea of consciousness, he realized this pendant was more than just a space; it was an entire realm, a world utterly disconnected from his own plane.

Without Zhurong and Hanba holding sway, who knew what those seven Patriarchs of the Guhua Continent might attempt? Ye Jingyu couldn't even command Hanba to use the Blood Curse to control the Boundless Sea of Blood.

He immediately sought to escape, but despite his utmost efforts, he could not breach the space. Zhurong had informed him that this was a World of Wind; unless one's inherent power surpassed this entire expanse, breaking the barrier was impossible.

Having no other choice, he could only strive desperately to absorb the Wind Elemental Energy—both to advance his own cultivation and to deplete the power of this domain.

He exerted himself almost to the point of collapse, maximizing the speed at which he absorbed the energy. Yet, the Wind Elemental Energy in this world was simply too vast. As his Wind Core slowly took shape, his absorption rate inevitably slowed.

Just as he neared the completion of his Wind Core, he suddenly felt the force of the gale intensify even further. His physical body strained under the pressure, feeling as though it might be torn apart.

This sensation grew stronger and stronger; the power of the rushing winds escalated ceaselessly.

"This is bad. If this continues, I won't be able to hold out!" Ye Jingyu’s heart seized with dread. Was this truly where he would perish?

"Quick, summon the Great Array!" Hanba's voice echoed in his sea of consciousness. Ye Jingyu dared not hesitate, instantly manifesting the Twelve Heavenly Witches Extinction Great Array. Although the array's power had been significantly weakened by the self-destruction of those puppets, it was still a Grand Array, immensely more potent than Ye Jingyu alone.

Instantly, the ferocity of the gale diminished. But listening to the howling wind and feeling countless wind blades strike the array, Ye Jingyu understood that this defensive formation would not last forever.

He hovered in mid-air, continuing to frantically absorb the surging influx of Wind Elemental Energy. He had to seize every second for his cultivation.

Soon, as the Wind Elemental Energy continuously condensed, a verdant golden core slowly began to form at the center of the Wind Aperture beneath his left foot. As the Wind Core materialized, a brilliant green light erupted from his body. Streams of violent wind manifested before him, only to be instantly shredded by the incoming wind blades.

This shattered the slight confidence Ye Jingyu had managed to build. Even after forming the Wind Core, was he still incapable of resisting the raging winds of this space?

At that precise moment, an ethereal shadow stepped forth from the Great Array. The figure moved its fingers rapidly, conjuring strange runes that caused the surrounding gale to converge toward it at top speed.

"My dear little brother, do not worry. With Tianwu here, all this Wind Elemental Energy is merely sustenance for him," Hanba’s alluring voice purred beside Ye Jingyu’s ear. Her graceful figure appeared at his side, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder, still finding time to entice him even at this critical juncture.

Tianwu? The ancient Wind God Tianwu? The legendary Feng Bo, Tianwu? Ye Jingyu was ecstatic. He had never dreamed that the Twelve Heavenly Witches Extinction Great Array contained such a presence. With this ancestor who controlled the wind present, what did he have to fear?

He did not move away from Hanba’s tempting form, focusing instead on regulating the newly formed Wind Core within him while watching the ethereal figure slowly solidify. As more wind power poured in, Tianwu’s body became clearer—a colossal figure with the face of eight beasts, the body of a tiger, and ten tails. As Ye Jingyu watched the figure transition from blurred to sharp, from illusion to substance, a faint smile bloomed on his face. This time, he had not only condensed the Wind Core, elevating his cultivation to the mid-level of the Celestial Immortal realm, but he had also summoned Feng Bo Tianwu. How much would his fighting strength increase?

However, before his smile could fully unfurl, it froze solid, owing entirely to Feng Bo’s single sentence…

"It won't do. The Wind Elemental Energy here is too dense. With my current strength, I cannot fully command it. My apologies…"

Apologies? An apology was all he offered? Ye Jingyu, and even Hanba, were left staring in stunned disbelief.

(Brothers and sisters, little Ye and little Ke are in deep trouble, and I, Starry, am also in trouble! The Dragon and Phoenix Ranking is about to overtake us! Please, bombard me with golden bricks, recommendation votes, and don't forget to collect! I'm off to eat now, and I’ll return this afternoon for a massive writing burst—however much I write, I’ll release! I need nourishment, I need motivation, I need the light of the stars!)

【Ti: Dear reader, this chapter has reached the final page of this book】