Yi Tianxing saw that with every step Jiang Ni took, a clear footprint was left behind. These footprints shimmered with divine light, seemingly imbued with mysterious Daoist rhythms, and when linked together, they formed an intricate formation.
The aura surrounding him surged at a speed visible to the naked eye.
It wasn't a rise in cultivation, but rather the gathering of heaven and earth's momentum, converging onto his body, emanating a powerful presence.
As he took one final step,that vast momentum instantly condensed into his form, and in that fleeting instant, his entire body transformed into a streak of starlight. Within that light, a crimson monkey appeared behind him, waving its claws. With a casual swipe in the void, it tore through the darkness, forming a rift. In the blink of an eye, Jiang Ni stepped into it—and disappeared.
"Yu Step—Treading the Dipper and Walking the Stars!!"
Yi Tianxing's pupils narrowed, and he couldn't help but murmur.
The footwork Jiang Ni had just used was not ordinary. Yi Tianxing remembered it clearly—this was a supreme Daoist movement technique known as Yu Step.
Yu Step is a traditional movement used by Daoist priests during ritual prayers, said to have been created by Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty. It is called so because its movements align with the positions of the Big Dipper, as if walking across the stars themselves—thus also known as "Treading the Dipper."
There are said to be seventy-two types of Gang Steps (罡步) within the Yu Step, such as:
Grinding Step (推磨罡),
Eightfold Step (八字罡),
Kneeling Step (跪拜罡),
Hall-Circling Step (绕堂罡),
Big Dipper Step (北斗七星罡),
Heavenly Gate Altar Step (天门步坛罡),
Nine Provinces Tread (踩九州),
Cross Step (十字罡),
Ding-Step (丁字罡),
Five-Step Ghost-Repelling Step (五步拜鬼罡).
All Gang Steps originate from the fundamental "Three Steps, Nine Marks"—that is the foundation of Yu Step. First, the left foot is raised—one small step, one large—forward and backward, yin and yang alternating, beginning and ending in sync. The feet align horizontally and vertically, forming a "丁" shape, symbolizing the unity of yin and yang and the secrets of heaven and earth. Since its creation, the Yu Step has been refined across generations, producing many variations, each with unique effects.
If he wasn't mistaken, Jiang Ni had used the most famous of the Gang Steps, the Big Dipper Seven-Star Step, and had also blended in the Heavenly Gate Altar Step. The fusion of these two produced a divine technique: harnessing the power of the Big Dipper to form a star gate, stepping through it as if traversing dimensions.
The profundity of it was breathtaking.
"That's no ordinary Yu Step. As expected, no geomancer is simple. Jiang Ni's hand is full of hidden cards. He hasn't made a single move this whole time, and the moment he does, it's this celestial footwork. Borrowing heaven and earth's power, geomancers can do what others cannot. Connecting Gang Steps with heaven and earth gives them limitless might."
Being able to escape from this mysterious space clearly proved that Jiang Ni's strength was far beyond what he had shown. Whatever trump cards he held, no one could say. Even just this move was unexpected—likely something he would never reveal in public.
"But it seems he only had confidence in escaping himself. This darkness still affects him greatly. He probably didn't even see me or the Unrivaled Ghosts."
Yi Tianxing speculated silently.
It was merely a guess—not necessarily true.
Clearly, Jiang Ni had used an escape method—one Yi Tianxing did not possess. He didn't know Yu Step or any of the Gang Steps.
"I don't know Treading the Dipper, nor Yu Step, but when has Yi Tianxing ever been the kind to take a beating without striking back? If someone trapped me in this space to suppress me—then I'll just destroy this place completely, so it can never bind me again!"
A cold gleam flickered in Yi Tianxing's eyes as he sneered.
"No matter how strong the space, it will crumble before absolute force. Let's see how many of my attacks this place can endure."
With a resolute shout, Yi Tianxing stepped down.
Boom!!
A tremendous roar rang out from beneath his feet. His boundless vital blood erupted outward. In that instant, his body blazed like a burning blood sun. Any refined iron nearby would've instantly melted into molten slag under the force of his blood energy.
Faintly, two mysterious ancient cauldrons could be seen floating in the blood light—one black, one white—both constantly absorbing and refining his blood essence.
A beam of golden light flew out of the black cauldron—falling into Yi Tianxing's hand.
It was a golden seal, inscribed with two ancient characters in seal script:
"Prison Suppression (镇狱)!"
As soon as he held the Prison Suppression Seal, the darkness surrounding him exploded like boiling water. The seal radiated boundless golden light.
Roar!!
A domineering roar erupted from the seal. Within the golden glow, it was as if a primordial Dragon-Elephant had crossed time itself and descended. The terrifying pressure and the invincible will to suppress all things shattered the stillness of the dark space.
Ding ding ding!!
His blood energy surged like blades. In the blink of an eye, he became a scarlet sun, incinerating the darkness. The oppressive black veil around him crumbled, distorted, and dissipated.
Under the influence of the Prison Suppression Seal, even his blood turned golden.
"Not good!!"
A startled cry rang out from within the darkness.
The voice's source was untraceable. Whoever it was hadn't expected someone to disperse the darkness with such ferocity, shaking the very foundation of this void. Yi Tianxing now looked more like a god or demon, his entire being brimming with divine might.
Just his emitted aura twisted and disintegrated the surrounding darkness.
"Queen of Jingjue, even if you are ruler of the ancient city, you are not my king. You want to trap me in this void and control my fate? Dream on."
"I stand on earth, my head reaches the heavens. Even the gods must take my strike. Even the sky cannot blind my eyes."
"Kill!!"
Raising his eyes, he stared at the swirling void. With black hair billowing wildly behind him, he enunciated each word with unwavering battle will.
"If you stand against me, I'll crush your space with one strike—destroy your world."
He didn't care who or what was roaring in the void. He would crush it first, ask questions later.
Rumble—!!
The Prison Suppression Seal expanded in the golden light, drawing upon his vital blood and true essence without reservation. Upon its surface, the phantom of a golden Vajra Dragon-Elephant appeared—roaring as if ready to suppress the heavens.
Two vivid stars shimmered on the seal—this was its grade. One star doubled its power; two stars tripled it.
Now, with two stars blazing, the seal's power soared beyond a million catties—enough to move mountains and sever rivers.
"Break!!"
With a mighty shout, Yi Tianxing hurled the massive golden seal forward, smashing directly into the darkness.
Wherever the seal passed, the space warped, froze, and exploded like boiling oil. The very fabric of reality cracked like brittle glass.
When the seal struck the void, the resulting collision couldn't even be described—it was as if a golden dragon-elephant had descended from beyond the stars and stepped into the void.
Then—
The void shattered.
The seal, possessing the power to suppress hell and annihilate all, obliterated the void with overwhelming might.
The darkness disappeared.
The space collapsed entirely.
Unrivaled Ghost and Song Yuting, who had also been trapped in darkness, suddenly saw a flash of golden light as the darkness dispersed. The world around them was revealed once more.
"Lord, what just happened?"Unrivaled Ghost quickly asked upon seeing Yi Tianxing standing in the air, surrounded by shattered void.
"Where is this? Wait—watch out!"Song Yuting cried out in alarm, scanning her surroundings.
"You damn insect! You dared to injure my eye? I'll kill you today!!"
A bone-chilling roar rang out.
In this eerie void, a monstrous ghost god appeared—towering and grotesque, its muscular body covered in bulging blue veins. Its face was savage, tusked, and most horrifying of all—its massive eyes were entirely black, without whites. One eye, however—the left—was shattered, oozing black blood.
The scene was terrifying to behold.
The ghost god was over dozens of meters tall, like a towering giant. Upon seeing Yi Tianxing, it snarled with fury and raised one leg to stomp down.
Its massive limb, tipped with savage claws, gleamed with cold black light like a mountain collapsing.
Its speed was incredible—it was already above them in the blink of an eye.