Chapter 41: Fierce Battle
“Demon, do you truly believe that relying on a seventh-grade grand formation makes you invincible?”
Ouyang Haoze sneered coldly at Lü Yang through the formation's light screen: “Formations are ultimately lifeless constructs; for us cultivators, cultivation realm is paramount!”
“In the end, it's all about proving oneself in combat.”
Lü Yang's heart was alarmed, but his expression remained calm: “If you have confidence, fellow Daoist, feel free to enter the formation and fight. Otherwise, it's best to retreat obediently.”
“Courting death!”
Ouyang Haoze let out a sinister smile, then took a step forward and exhaled forcefully. A thunderous sound erupted as a powerful sonic wave burst from his throat.
This was a superior divine ability of the Divine Martial Sect, known as “Thousand-Mile Shattering Divine Sound.” It involved a secret method of absorbing and exhaling the world's spiritual energy, enhanced by the sect's unique third-grade true qi “Divine Martial True Yang Art,” and then unleashed in a single roar.
The resulting sound wave would pulverize everything within a thousand miles, friend or foe alike.
In an instant, the intense divine sound surged into the formation.
Numerous formation patterns shattered, revealing skeletal soldiers of various appearances.
The massive formation was forcibly blasted open, creating a breach!
Immediately after, Ouyang Haoze produced a round mirror.
“Requesting assistance from Lord Taixiao.”
He formed a hand seal and pointed, offering the mirror into the air. A grand beam of light projected downward, solidifying the void and forcibly stabilizing the breach in the formation!
The marketplace trembled violently!
Many cultivators retreated, not daring to approach the formation's edge, their faces filled with panic.
Fairy Feixia turned pale, then suddenly looked at the strangely behaving Lu Yuanchun and shouted sharply: “Stay here! You're not allowed to go anywhere!”
Having been deceived before, Fairy Feixia no longer trusted Lu Yuanchun. Her beautiful face even showed a hint of ferocity: “If it weren't for Junior Brother Lü, you'd already be dead outside the marketplace. If you dare to escape amidst the chaos again, I'll kill you without hesitation!”
“Fairy Feixia, you've misunderstood.”
Lu Yuanchun forced a smile.
Seeing her menacing demeanor, he felt apprehensive and suppressed the sinister thoughts that had just arisen.
With the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators maintaining order, the chaos in the marketplace quickly subsided.
Of course, everyone knew this was only temporary.
The outcome between Lü Yang and Ouyang Haoze would be the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Therefore, Fairy Feixia could only place her trust in Lü Yang now.
She believed he could create a miracle.
“Is that... a spiritual treasure?”
Lü Yang looked at the round mirror in the sky, his expression changing dramatically: “And it restrains the Earth Fiend Yin Qi, specifically designed to counter the 'Hundred Skeletons Returning to True Grand Formation'—a supreme Yang spiritual treasure!?”
Ouyang Haoze laughed triumphantly: “The 'Hundred Skeletons Returning to True Grand Formation' has stood on Skeleton Mountain for many years. Since our Divine Martial Sect dared to make a move, how could we not have prepared a method to break the formation in advance?”
“With the 'Taixiao Mirror' here, you're doomed today!”
This spiritual treasure didn't belong to him but was specially crafted by a Foundation Establishment True Person of the Divine Martial Sect to counter the 'Hundred Skeletons Returning to True Grand Formation.' Its power was self-evident.
In the sky above the marketplace, Lü Yang's expression was grim. Without a word, he turned and fled.
“Hmph! Trying to escape?”
Ouyang Haoze didn't hesitate.
He leaped forward and unleashed another divine sound, instantly shattering the surrounding skeletal soldiers, then pursued Lü Yang.
However, at that moment, an unexpected change occurred!
As Ouyang Haoze stepped into the formation, his expression changed. He instinctively tried to retreat, but when he looked back, he saw only a sea of crimson formation patterns.
“Didn't expect you'd actually dare to enter...”
Lü Yang stopped fleeing and turned to look at Ouyang Haoze.
The panic from earlier vanished, replaced by a sinister smile.
“This can't be!”
Ouyang Haoze's eye twitched, filled with doubt: “The 'Hundred Skeletons Returning to True Grand Formation' was clearly stabilized by my 'Taixiao Mirror.' Why are formation patterns still appearing? Is there a second formation in the marketplace? Where did it come from? Why didn't I detect any signs of its setup beforehand?”
“Because I didn't need to set it up at all.”
Lü Yang sneered inwardly. His Heaven-Slashing Blood River Sword Formation relied entirely on the Blood Sun Sword Pill as its formation treasure.
With a mere thought, the formation was established, leaving no trace!
In the next moment, Lü Yang held a fluttering flag in his hand.
Innate True Qi Myriad Spirits Banner!
As the banner waved, countless banner spirits flew out, landing on various formation nodes of the Heaven-Slashing Blood River Sword Formation, moving autonomously.
When designing this formation, Lü Yang had already incorporated the Innate True Qi Myriad Spirits Banner. Now, over Myriad souls within the banner arranged themselves, occupying the formation nodes and revealing profound mysteries. In an instant, the world turned crimson, and a torrential blood river flowed from south to north, crashing down upon Ouyang Haoze!
Ouyang Haoze groaned and staggered.
Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light!
Within the formation, Ouyang Haoze couldn't evade the divine light's power. He felt his once-mighty blood and qi rapidly draining from his body like a breached dam.
In the next moment, he shouted: “Lord Tianguang, save me!”
Golden-scaled armor gleamed like the sun, enveloping Ouyang Haoze in layers of protective light. For a moment, it actually halted the devouring effect of the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light.
Spiritual treasure, Celestial Radiance Helmet!
This treasure was forged using “Demon-Subduing Heavenly Light” and had properties opposing the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light. When the two collided, they neutralized each other.
Only then did Ouyang Haoze barely catch his breath.
After all, he hadn't expected that, despite his cultivation level and the preparation of both the Taixiao Mirror and Celestial Radiance Helmet, he would still nearly suffer a setback.
“At this point, there's no escape...”
Ouyang Haoze's eyes turned blood-red. Instead of fleeing, he looked toward Lü Yang deep within the formation, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
“Only by counterattacking!”
As a true disciple, his will was unyielding. He understood the principle that “in a narrow path, the brave wins.” He knew that if he focused solely on escaping now, Lü Yang would toy with him to death. To break the formation, he had to seek life in death and find a way to kill Lü Yang. Once Lü Yang died, the formation would naturally collapse!
Boom!
In the next moment, under the protection of the Celestial Radiance Helmet, Ouyang Haoze charged toward Lü Yang. His unparalleled spear pointed directly at the Innate True Qi Myriad Spirits Banner in Lü Yang's hand!
“That banner seems to be the core of the formation. If I can't kill Lü Yang, destroying it might offer a way out...”
“Good timing!”
Lü Yang raised the banner, and a figure appeared—it was Liu Xin. His face was filled with confusion, seemingly not yet fully conscious.
In the next moment—
“Explode!”
Boom!
A loud explosion! Liu Xin involuntarily opened his mouth and shouted “Kill,” unleashing the Killing Curse designed for mutual destruction!
In Lü Yang's view, Liu Xin's use of the Innate True Qi Myriad Spirits Banner was too superficial.
After all, banner spirits were immortal. Even if temporarily destroyed, as long as their true spirits remained, they could be resummoned by expending mana. Since that was the case, why let them fight conventionally?
They should be taught self-destructive killing moves!
Since they could revive, having them unleash techniques that killed a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of their own lives upon appearance was the correct usage!
In an instant, the spiritual tide swept everything.
When the dust settled, Liu Xin had vanished, and Ouyang Haoze was forcibly halted mid-air, his expression extremely grim.
So far, he had employed numerous methods.
Divine abilities, spiritual treasures, and cultivation suppression—dealing with a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator should have been effortless.
Who would have thought that none of them succeeded?
Instead, his mana was greatly depleted.
“If this continues, I might truly die here...”
Thinking of this, a ruthless glint flashed across Ouyang Haoze's face. He formed a hand seal, and the Celestial Radiance Helmet on his body suddenly emitted a mournful sound.
“This is... not good!”
Lü Yang's expression changed drastically. He flashed and instantly moved behind the Blood Sun Sword Pill, then summoned the sword pill's blood shadow to shield himself.
Boom!!!
The spiritual treasure Celestial Radiance Helmet self-destructed!
The resulting spiritual light resembled the scene previously created by Xiao Shiye, sweeping in all directions and instantly shattering Lü Yang's sword formation diagram, revealing the clear sky.
Although Lü Yang reacted swiftly and quickly reassembled the formation, Ouyang Haoze was even faster.
At the critical moment, he broke free from the formation's encirclement. Lü Yang only managed to unleash the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light, draining another thirty percent of his blood and qi, leaving him looking like skin and bones.
“You destroyed my treasure. If I don't tear you to pieces, I won't be satisfied!”
Standing outside the marketplace, Ouyang Haoze's face twisted with rage. He poured his remaining mana into another spiritual treasure, the Taixiao Mirror, causing it to emit a mournful sound.
“Even if I have to sacrifice all my spiritual treasures today, let's see if you can produce a third grand formation!”