The sight of Wenshu being annihilated by a divine light startled everyone. What kind of divine ability was this? He had already manifested the Pangu True Body; how could he possess such an overwhelmingly potent power? Annihilation of Reincarnation? Did entering the cycle of reincarnation truly lead to absolute destruction?

Having dispatched Wenshu with a single blow, Ye Jingyu felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. Yet, remembering the tragic demise of Dugu Bachan, his gaze shifted once more to that spectral phantom. Others might not know who he was, but Ye Jingyu certainly did.

Who exactly was Xuanyuan Ruoxing, who emerged from the illusory world, possessing such immense divine power to drag someone whose soul was scattered into nothingness out of the phantom realm? It could be said that this shadow was not the original Xuanyuan Ruoxing; that Xuanyuan Ruoxing was long gone, his soul dissipated. This phantom was merely his projection from the illusory world, much like a person's shadow—devoid of a soul or a physical form, yet possessing all of Xuanyuan Ruoxing's memories and divine abilities. His current body must have been forged through some mighty power, a form existing simultaneously in the illusory and real worlds. This explained how he managed to evade Ye Jingyu’s perception and arrive behind him.

The Eye of Reincarnation at his brow flickered, releasing another beam of golden light that enveloped Xuanyuan Ruoxing's ephemeral body. Xuanyuan Ruoxing, who had been attempting to flee, froze instantly. "Annihilation of Reincarnation, go!" Ye Jingyu's voice sounded again, a low murmur. Immediately, the golden light flashed, and only then did the onlookers sense an overwhelmingly powerful force contained within it, slamming violently into the shadow. It was only at this moment they understood why Wenshu had been instantly killed.

Almost instantaneously, the shadow's body vanished, seemingly obliterated by that strike. While others erupted in elation, no joy touched Ye Jingyu's face. Only he sensed that Xuanyuan Ruoxing had vanished on his own accord; his physical form had disappeared from the real world, not eradicated by him.

An illusory body—was it truly impossible to destroy with powers manifest in the real world? Xuanyuan Ruoxing, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, even if you escape into the illusory world, I will never let you go. To others, the illusory world might be alien, but Ye Jingyu had experienced that realm of shifting reality and illusion firsthand.

Suppressing the rage boiling within him, Ye Jingyu strode toward Ksitigarbha. With a sweep of his palm, another tremendous ray of light erupted from the sky, as if a massive fissure had torn open the heavens. Ksitigarbha’s heart lurched violently; his expression was as grim as it could possibly be. Despite his profound cultivation and astonishing combat power, faced with Ye Jingyu’s absolute strike, he harbored no thought of resistance. He was not Amitabha; he did not possess the strength to contend with the Pangu True Body.

With a loud smack, Ksitigarbha’s crown of the head was smashed to pieces by the palm strike. Golden blood sprayed outwards, and his body shattered like a wax figure struck by a sledgehammer. Even his soul was pulverized under that single blow.

Soul scattered, utterly destroyed. The majestic Ksitigarbha had been reduced to fragments by that one palm. The scene was once again plunged into shock as they felt the overwhelming, world-destroying power of the Pangu True Body once more.

Jue’s face had turned deathly pale. His cultivation was respectable, but he was confident he was not as powerful as Ksitigarbha or Wenshu, both of whom were figures renowned for many years, far surpassing him in both experience and cultivation. If these two could not withstand a single blow from the True Body’s might, what hope did he have? Even with the Nine Nether Lotus Platform protecting him, could he really endure that strike?

At this moment, the Four Swords of Zhu Xian sliced through the air. Jue had already recalled the twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls, transforming them into the Twenty-Four Heavens World, tightly shielding himself.

Ye Jingyu had nearly exhausted his internal power after shattering Ksitigarbha with one palm. Seeing Jue already fleeing far away, he ignored the creeping weakness, suddenly taking another step forward, raising his colossal hand once more, and brought it down in another strike.

Crack, crack, crack, crack... Twenty-four sharp sounds followed in succession. The Twenty-Four Heavens World formed by the twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls shattered as if made of mere paper. While the sheer destructive force of the blow was immense, the fact that Jue could not fully exert the power of the twenty-four pearls was also a contributing factor. The residual power from that palm hammered fiercely against the blood-red light formed by the Nine Nether Lotus Platform. That light, already dimmed by the piercing strikes of the Zhu Xian Swords, had no chance of resisting such a blow; it burst apart like a soap bubble.

At this juncture, Liang Xiaoke’s body lunged directly toward Jue, extending his razor-sharp claws towards Jue’s heart.

Jue was reeling from the shock of Ye Jingyu’s ferocious power, unable to react calmly to the grab. He managed only to twist his body aside, but the Four Swords of Zhu Xian darted out simultaneously, one piercing his sole, one skewering his left knee, one lodging in his lower abdomen, and one pinning his right shoulder bone. As he was thus nailed in place, Liang Xiaoke’s sharp claws tore through his chest armor, grasping his heart.

"Die for me!" a roar erupted, and Liang Xiaoke squeezed his claw, crushing the heart to dust. The Four Swords of Zhu Xian simultaneously unleashed fierce sword energies, shredding Jue's body into powder.

His physical form and soul were intimately fused; the destruction of the body naturally meant the shattering of the soul. His remains exploded into a mist of gore and bloody vapor, which Liang Xiaoke promptly opened his great maw and swallowed whole.

The Ninth-Rank Lotus Platform dissolved into a streak of blood-red light and vanished. The Taiji Diagram and the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Pagoda also disappeared as two beams of light. Only the twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls, the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, the Kongtong Seal, and the Five Directional Banners remained suspended in the void.

Ye Jingyu exerted himself to the extreme; his body went limp into Luo Ling’er’s embrace. Yueyao and Jiu Feng stood beside him, helping to support him. Gongsun Xiangyi pulled out handfuls of spiritual elixirs from her robes and stuffed them into Ye Jingyu’s mouth, trying to help him recover his strength quickly.

After completely devouring Jue’s vital essence, Liang Xiaoke let out a satisfied burp and reached out to snatch the artifacts hovering in mid-air.

Just as he was about to seize the twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls and the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, a figure materialized instantly before him—a figure radiating coldness. Liang Xiaoke hadn't fully regained his composure when the figure unleashed a punch, striking him squarely in the chest before he could react. Liang Xiaoke immediately felt a colossal force slam into his sternum; his body shot backward like a kite with a broken string, spewing blood from his mouth. Inside him, a series of sharp cracking sounds echoed—the sound of his bones shattering. This figure’s speed and agility were so astonishing that even the Four Swords of Zhu Xian couldn't react in time.

"Big Brother..." Seeing Liang Xiaoke ambushed, Ye Jingyu cried out in alarm, but he lacked the strength to fight further. At that moment, Chi Yixiu stepped forward and caught Liang Xiaoke as he flew backward. His chest was visibly caved in, and a faint, black vortex appeared there, constantly draining his strength.

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone. In the sky above, two more figures emerged: one clad in a fiery-red Daoist robe, and the other, the Golden Armored, Second God Erlang Yang Jian.

The appearance of these two formidable foes surprised the onlookers. They had managed to kill the major experts due to the invincibility of Ye Jingyu's Pangu True Body. But now, Ye Jingyu's power was depleted, making it impossible for him to manifest the True Body again. And Liang Xiaoke was severely wounded by that cold figure's punch, completely incapacitated for battle.

Among their ranks, only three had broken through the final layer: Ye Jingyu, Liang Xiaoke, and Luo Ruofeng. With Luo Ruofeng guarding Yunjing, and both Liang Xiaoke and Ye Jingyu unable to fight, how could they possibly face a powerhouse like Erlang Shen Yang Jian now?

Jiu Feng’s Chi You Banner unfurled, instantly setting up the Twelve Heavenly Witches Extinction Array. The shadows of the twelve Heavenly Witches materialized in the void, and dark clouds spread out, enveloping the entire sky.

Xi Yang held the Eastern Emperor Bell above his head; Hei Ming Shixuan wielded the Purple Moon Blade; Luo Ling’er held the Nine Tripods; and Gongsun Xiangyi and Yueyao Huyan Meng also deployed their respective magical treasures. They formed a protective circle around Ye Jingyu. For all his continuous fighting on their behalf, it was now their turn to shield him.

Chi Yixiu, grasping his massive axe in one hand and Liang Xiaoke in the other, stared coldly at the six-crowned figure, Yang Jian, and the one who injured Liang Xiaoke in the sky. His expression was grim.

As for the other warriors, they all merged into the Twelve Heavenly Witches Extinction Array. Only under the array's cover did they have a chance to trap and kill their enemies.

Seeing the twelve gigantic phantoms, Yang Jian remained silent, his face showing no emotion. In contrast, Lu Ya revealed a faint smile, his gaze fixed on Zhurong, and he spoke with a lighthearted tone: "Disciple Chongli, are you going to oppose your master as well?"

The entire assembly gasped at these words... Not only Ye Jingyu and his allies, but even the other eleven Heavenly Witches looked shocked. Chongli was Zhurong's true name. Zhurong was the progenitor of fire manipulation; how could this person claim to be Zhurong's master? It seemed impossible!

"Chongli is dead. Now, there is only Zhurong!" Zhurong stepped forward slightly, speaking in an even tone, yet the flames emanating from him began to surge outwards at that very moment...