Within the ruined palace, most of the Yang Clan warriors had already retreated toward the Meteorite Formation. Only four remained outside now: Yang Mu, Yang Ke, Li Feng'er, and Shi Yan.

On Cao Zhilan and Pan Zhe’s side, there were nearly a hundred warriors. Among them, Pan Zhe, Cao Zhilan, Xie Kui, Qu Yanqing, and Gu Linglong were all elites listed on the Battle Rankings, capable of overpowering Shi Yan and his companions even without the aid of the lesser-ranked warriors behind them.

In an unguarded moment, Shi Yan was enveloped by the surging, tidal power unleashed by Cao Zhilan. Yang Mu rushed in to save him and was pulled into the fray.

Then, Yang Ke and Li Feng'er, knowing the danger of staying behind, halted their retreat, turned back, and joined Yang Mu. In this dire situation, Shi Yan finally activated the second stage of his berserk martial art—fusing the immense negative energy churning within his vital acupoints with his own blood.

In that instant, the power surging through Shi Yan’s body doubled once more! At the peak of the Hundred Calamities realm, the power radiating from him continued to swell.

Under the refinement of the rolling negative forces, the terrifying, malevolent impact force that instantly materialized actually pushed back the pervasive energy Cao Zhilan had stealthily sent his way. And Shi Yan himself began to advance, step by step, toward Cao Zhilan.

Hatred, terror, despair, bloodlust, violence, and other evil forces erupted wildly from Shi Yan’s flesh. This surge of dark power spiraled upward like a whirlwind.

As Shi Yan walked, this ceaseless flow of malevolence condensed, eventually forming three demonic specters, gray shadows as majestic as mountains. These three phantom demons, forged from concentrated negative energy and imprinted with Shi Yan’s spirit, carried waves of oppressive negative emotion.

The demonic apparitions hung ethereally above Shi Yan’s head, their forms indistinct yet radiating an aura of profound horror. Shi Yan glared coldly at Cao Zhilan, his eyes blazing crimson.

As a killing intent sparked within him, the three colossal demonic phantoms simultaneously launched forward. Their enormous claws descended like oppressive storm clouds, bearing down directly upon Cao Zhilan.

Everyone present gasped, their expressions suddenly shifting. Shi Yan’s power had exploded instantaneously, and three colossal demonic phantoms had materialized above him.

Though they appeared ethereal, they carried intensely violent and evil energy fluctuations. Anyone could see that being struck by these phantoms would be no less devastating than Shi Yan’s full-force strike.

“Little Yanzi! You really have some tricks up your sleeve!” Yang Mu roared with laughter from the side, raising his greatsword and sweeping it toward the sky.

The greatsword felt weightless in his hands as he carved an elegant arc in the air. A brilliant stream of silver light shot out, forcing the advancing Pan Zhe back with a single blow.

Qu Yanqing frowned, let out a sharp cry, and instantly teleported, appearing directly behind Yang Mu. The jade hairpin on her head suddenly shot out, splitting into three mid-air.

They formed a triangle, deftly sealing off the blind spot behind Yang Mu. Simultaneously, Pan Zhe and Xie Kui surged forward again, flanking Yang Mu on the left and right.

Yang Mu was immediately trapped in a precarious situation. Yang Ke and Li Feng’er tried to charge in, but they were ensnared by the Seven Divine Mirrors emanating from Gu Linglong’s body.

More high-ranking warriors joined the fray, unleashing a bewildering barrage of attacks that converged on Yang Ke and Li Feng’er. The situation for Yang Mu and his two companions became perilous.

Swish, swish, swish! Suddenly, Yang Xue, Kama, Jiang Huquan, and others emerged from the Meteorite Formation.

These Yang Clan warriors, who had entered the formation earlier, realized that Yang Mu and the others had failed to follow and must be in peril, prompting their return. The timely arrival of Yang Xue and the other Yang Clan reinforcements temporarily neutralized the offensive targeting the trio, allowing Yang Mu, Yang Ke, and Li Feng’er a moment to breathe.

“Hoo, hoo, hoo!” Driven by Shi Yan’s intent to kill, the three gigantic demonic phantoms lunged furiously at Cao Zhilan. Purely condensed from the negative energy within his acupoints, these spectral figures were immune to blade or sword attacks; conventional sharp weapons could not sever these incorporeal beings.

Under the relentless assault of the three demonic phantoms, Cao Zhilan’s expression grew grave. Amidst the encirclement of the three massive phantoms, Cao Zhilan gently swayed her slender hands.

Waves of energy fluctuations, clearly distinct from her vital essence, streamed from her palms. These strange ripples spread out like concentric circles in water.

The fluctuations coalesced into a subtle barrier, invisible to the naked eye, yet possessing extraordinary defensive capabilities. Under the furious bombardment of the three great demonic phantoms, the strange barrier twisted continuously but refused to break.

Drops of perspiration appeared on Cao Zhilan’s delicate cheeks. It was clear that even relying on the profound mystery of her martial arts to withstand the phantoms, she had still expended considerable energy.

“Seal of Life and Death!” Shi Yan roared. The markings on both his hands suddenly blazed with dazzling light.

Seven hand seals, stacked two by two, slammed toward Cao Zhilan. “Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!” Seven dull, violent explosions resonated from the barrier Cao Zhilan had conjured.

That almost invisible, strange barrier scattered into a swarm of firefly-like motes of light across the sky under the relentless bombardment of the Seal of Life and Death. Cao Zhilan’s pretty face flickered, and she softly cried out, “Change of Things and Stars!” The scattered motes of light rapidly coalesced, forming a smooth mirror directly in front of Cao Zhilan.

At the very moment the mirror formed, the three massive demonic phantoms descended upon her, their claws clawing fiercely toward her. Miraculously, as the three gigantic demonic phantoms passed through the mirror’s surface, they vanished without a trace.

Right before Cao Zhilan’s eyes, the three phantoms seemed to evaporate into thin air, leaving behind no residue. A flicker of astonishment crossed Shi Yan’s crimson eyes.

With a thought, using his spiritual sense, he discovered that the three colossal demonic phantoms had not been destroyed but had reappeared outside the palace, three li away from their current position. Cao Zhilan had used an arcane martial art to forcibly displace the phantoms condensed from negative energy, easily neutralizing his potentially fatal attack.

“You indeed possess some skill. To force me to use such defensive techniques with only the cultivation of the Hundred Calamities realm—you have cause to be proud,” Cao Zhilan sighed softly, shaking her head with a hint of regret.

“I originally intended to capture you alive, but your performance has been too remarkable. It seems I must kill you first, and then I can slowly unravel the secrets you hold.” As she spoke, subtle, strange glints appeared in Cao Zhilan’s deep, beautiful eyes.

These glints revolved in a specific pattern within her pupils, mimicking the profound, immeasurable movements of celestial bodies guided by the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. Simultaneously, streams of energy signatures, each with a different attribute, flowed rapidly through the various meridians of Cao Zhilan’s delicate body.

Five colors—red, yellow, green, blue, and cyan—began to subtly manifest within her form, growing ever clearer. Each divine light appeared to be a distinct energy signature, entirely separate from vital essence.

“Five-Colored Divine Light!” Yang Mu’s expression turned extremely grave, and he roared suddenly, “Shi Yan, he is unstoppable! Retreat immediately!” Shi Yan looked at Cao Zhilan with cold, crimson eyes.

At this most perilous moment, he closed his eyes! Yang Xue, Yang Ke, Li Feng’er, and the others turned pale, shouting together, urging Shi Yan to flee and evade the attack.

The Five-Colored Divine Light was a Saint-level martial art of the Cao Clan, notoriously difficult to master. It required one to first cultivate five distinct martial arts that condensed different types of energy, and then integrate those five arts until the body housed five different elemental energies before one could truly begin cultivating the Five-Colored Divine Light.

Due to its difficulty, few in the Cao Clan ever succeeded in mastering it, but its power was rumored to be astonishing. The moment Yang Mu and the others saw the five colors radiating from Cao Zhilan’s body, they immediately recognized this legendary martial art and urgently pleaded with Shi Yan to evade it.

Yet, at this critical juncture, Shi Yan closed his eyes! After their initial cries of alarm, Yang Mu, Yang Xue, and Li Feng’er grew intensely anxious, desperate to help Shi Yan, but they were held back by their immediate opponents, rendering them incapable of intervening elsewhere.

“I know those three huge demonic phantoms are rapidly approaching, but I suspect you won't live long enough to receive their aid,” Cao Zhilan said, the Five-Colored Divine Light emanating from her body, projecting an extremely dangerous aura. The light suddenly converged over her full chest.

The five streams of divine light rapidly condensed into a single column, as thick as a colossal stone pillar, blasting outward with world-shattering energy fluctuations. The target was Shi Yan!

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!” The massive column of five-colored light shot through the void at a speed the naked eye could no longer track. Shi Yan stood motionless on the spot.

“Whoosh!” The five-colored divine light pierced right through his body, continuing its trajectory like an arrow, shattering a towering stone pillar behind him and then obliterating another palace structure as it swept onward. “Little Yanzi!” Yang Mu screamed in anguish.

“Hm?” Strange glints flickered in Cao Zhilan’s beautiful eyes, and a touch of surprise touched her face. She murmured, “Another illusion.

You’ve escaped this time, but will you be so lucky next time?” Amidst the swirling gray dust and debris, another figure of Shi Yan slowly materialized. Utilizing the Ethereal Flash and Phantom Shift techniques, and empowered by the miraculous state of his second-stage berserk cultivation, Shi Yan had anticipated the speed and trajectory of the divine light just in time, successfully evading the fatal strike.

“This time, I won’t dodge,” Shi Yan stated calmly, his tone devoid of emotion as he looked at Cao Zhilan with his crimson eyes. Threads of searing flame power secretly flowed out from his Blood Pattern Ring.

As this power swept through his meridians, wisps of fire escaped from Shi Yan’s nostrils and the corners of his eyes. His physical condition was incredibly bizarre.

At the crucial moment, the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Fire offered its assistance once more, injecting its world-consuming, scorching energy into his body!