In the secret realm, just a few breaths after the "Voice-Falling Jade" was sent out, a heaven-shaking long howl tore through the sky from the horizon. Everyone looked up in the direction of the howl. At first, it was just a black dot on the horizon. In the blink of an eye, a mass of dark gray qi that seemed to have condensed into a solid, iron-like substance came pressing down from all directions. An unprecedented pressure bore down directly on the crowd. At once, all the human cultivators here felt their breathing catch, a thousand-jin boulder pressing on their chests. Even the Golden Core cultivators' faces paled, and they all immediately circulated their power to resist. As for the lower-cultivation Qi Condensation cultivators, some even sprayed a mouthful of blood directly.
Li Yan felt as if he had been hit hard in the chest. The blood in his body instantly boiled, uncontrollably surging toward the outside. His face was extremely pale. The True Scripture of Gui Water in his body circulated madly. Beside him, Gong Chenying was not much better off. Even with her Foundation Establishment cultivation, her jade-like face was flushed red, and large beads of sweat dripped continuously from her forehead. She had been standing near Li Yan and the others from Elder Peng's group, very close to him. The moment the pressure arrived, as a warning rose in her heart, she had wanted to walk over and help Li Yan. But she had only taken one step when layers of sweat beaded on her forehead, and she couldn't take a second step no matter what. Li Yan saw all of this, and his heart trembled. It was clear that Gong Chenying's action was a subconscious one, not an act.
At this moment, the eight elders from Elder Peng's group shouted in unison. A pale blue light shield rose directly from their eight hands, instantly covering the entire mountaintop. The moment the pale blue light shield enveloped them, Li Yan and the others felt the pressure on them ease, and that pressure immediately vanished without a trace. But the faces of Elder Peng's group of eight were deathly pale, sweat streaming down their foreheads like small streams, continuously flowing down from their temples. It was clear they couldn't hold on for long either. But Yin Congfeng , who was inside the light shield, stood with his hands behind his back and did not help. When the overwhelming pressure had descended earlier, it hadn't affected him at all. It was clear that this soul-shaking pressure had completely bypassed all the demonic cultivators.
Besides the demonic cultivators' peak, the same was true for the three peaks of the Ten-Pace Courtyard , the Supreme Mystery Teachings , and the Pure Land Sect . Xiahuà and Immortal Elder Hangwu had long since flashed back to their peaks, leaving only the two demons, Yan Motian and Lin Mingyu , still standing in the air, coldly watching everything.
After Xiahuà and Immortal Elder Hangwu returned, they also propped up protective shields. On the other side, Great Master Yisong had long led his group of Buddhas to sit cross-legged on the ground. Waves of resounding Buddhist Dharma sound echoed through the heavens and earth. These Buddhist sounds formed a dazzling, circular Buddhist light above the Pure Land Sect , which was emitting a golden light, enveloping all the monks of the Pure Land Sect within. But as this powerful, seemingly invincible pressure approached, the Buddhist sounds became denser, and the circle of golden Buddhist light grew smaller. The faces of Great Master Yisong and the other Buddhas were already red as blood, their red kasayas rustling loudly, and wisps of mist rose from their heads. The situation on the other side with the Ten-Pace Courtyard and the Supreme Mystery Teachings was the same. The protective shields they had each propped up also looked on the verge of collapse.
Although the number of Golden Core cultivators from their three sects was greater than that of the Malevolent Spirit Sect this time, looking at the strained expressions of the Golden Core cultivators from the three sects, it was clear they couldn't hold on for more than ten breaths.
Just as everyone was struggling to hold on, a cold snort sounded. It was like a clap of thunder in the minds of the Golden Core cultivators of the four sects. Whether it was Great Master Yisong , Yihuo, and the other Buddhas of the Pure Land Sect , or the dozen or so sword kings of the Ten-Pace Courtyard like Sword King Xiahuà, or the group of Golden Core cultivators from the Supreme Mystery Teachings led by Immortal Elder Hangwu , they all spat out blood and fell to the ground, their propped-up protective shields shattering one after another.
On the Malevolent Spirit Sect's side, apart from the pale blue light shield shattering, the eight Golden Core elders only staggered back, but no one vomited blood. With the shattering of the protective shields of the four sects, that overwhelming pressure also vanished, and a breath of fresh air blew onto everyone's faces, making everyone feel as if they had been reborn.
Li Yan looked at the shattered light shield. He didn't feel the endless pressure that he had imagined would follow, crushing him and everything around him into dust. Only then did he let out a long breath. He turned to look at Gong Chenying, who had been biting her lower lip and looking at him. He managed a smile at the young woman. Seeing that Li Yan was fine, Gong Chenying finally nodded slightly.
Just now, Li Yan felt that the person releasing this pressure could turn him into dust with just a thought, without even having to act. The thought of it still made his heart pound with fear. He turned to look at Li Wuyi's side. Li Wuyi , Li Changting , and Zhao Min were standing together. The three of them were also pale at this moment. Seeing Li Yan look over, they just nodded and then all turned their gazes to the sky.
Li Yan immediately looked up at the sky as well. The sky, which had just been sunny and clear for thousands of li, was now covered by a vast expanse of churning gray qi that seemed almost solid, nearly blotting out the sun and sky. Gusts of cold air howled past the various peaks, and for a moment, sand and stones flew, and demonic qi filled the air.
"I hear someone caused trouble in this trial, a despicable act that resulted in heavy losses for my secret realm. Is that so? Hmm?" Just as everyone was looking at the sky, from within that vast expanse of churning gray qi, a sonorous voice came out, its sound shaking the heavens for ten thousand li. Especially that last "Hmm?" It seemed to contain a divine ability, shaking the figures of all the cultivators below, making their heads swell, as if their souls were uncontrollably trying to fly out of their bodies.
The lower-cultivation cultivators were better off; many of them fainted directly. But those who were conscious were pale-faced as they circulated their power to resist. Especially the Ten-Pace Courtyard , the Supreme Mystery Teachings , and the Pure Land Sect , who bore the brunt of it. Even the Golden Core grand cultivators in front, after their protective shields shattered earlier, now, under this single "Hmm," all spat out another mouthful of blood, their figures swaying precariously.
This was clearly the demon deliberately targeting them. It seemed Yin Congfeng had already explained the situation in the "Voice-Falling Jade." After this demon arrived, it didn't say a word, but directly suppressed them with its power.
"Senior, we..." That Great Master Yisong's cultivation art was truly outstanding, to still be able to speak under such circumstances.
"Shut up! There's nothing to say. I'll check myself." Before Great Master Yisong could finish, that rolling, thunderous voice directly interrupted him. A sound wave spread directly toward the Pure Land Sect . Great Master Yisong, bearing the brunt of it, let out a "wah" and sprayed a large mouthful of blood, his aura instantly becoming listless. The people behind him all fell back, continuously coughing up blood mist.
This made the cultivators from the other sects, who had wanted to speak, fall silent like cicadas in winter.
At the same time as Great Master Yisong spat out blood, the vast gray qi in the sky suddenly churned even more violently. As everyone's minds were reeling, a huge hand dozens of yards large materialized from the gray qi. It swept across, passing over the peaks where the four sects were located one by one. With just a scoop of that gray hand, several people who had been eager to speak just now—Yihuo, Xiàchí, Hang Zhi—were scooped up. Amidst everyone's exclamations, even that short, dark, middle-aged elder from the Malevolent Spirit Sect's Four Symbols Peak was scooped into the palm of the hand with a terrified expression. And those like Qiu Jiuzhen and her eight Qi Condensation disciples, as well as the unconscious Wang Lang, were not spared either. They were swept away with a single wave, directly taken into the churning gray qi.
"Senior!"
"Senior, you can't..."
"..."
Amidst the exclamations from all the peaks except the demonic cultivators', Elder Peng and the other seven Golden Core elders also had anxious expressions. They looked at the sky, then sharply turned their heads to look at Yin Congfeng beside them.
"Brother Peng, I advise you not to speak again. A clear conscience is its own shield," Yin Congfeng said with a slight smile. Hearing this, Elder Peng and the others looked extremely troubled.
As for the other three sects, amidst the cries, Xiahuà, Great Master Yisong, and Immortal Elder Hangwu had long since lost their tough attitude. They all looked pleadingly at Yan Motian and Lin Mingyu in the sky, who were watching the show as if it had nothing to do with them. The two demons acted as if they hadn't noticed at all, instead turning their gazes to the giant gray hand that was retracting into the sky.
"Don't be noisy, or I'll keep all of you." The moment the giant gray hand retracted into the gray qi, a cold voice came from the clouds. The area below instantly fell silent. For a time, no one dared to make a sound.
Li Yan stood in the crowd with an uncertain expression, watching everything from beginning to end. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'This is strength. The cultivation world is truly a place where the weak are prey for the strong, and the powerful are revered. The one who came didn't even show his face, and he decided everything, even the life and death of others, based solely on his own whim.'
Because of what Pingtu had said before, he wasn't worried about his own safety. But if he really had to rely on Pingtu's power to leave here, how could Gong Chenying, Li Wuyi , and the others be left behind? He was rapidly thinking about how to propose conditions to Pingtu. It was clear that the few people captured by the old monster were likely to meet a bad end; otherwise, Elder Peng and the others wouldn't be so anxious.
Just as Li Yan was thinking, he suddenly heard a blood-curdling scream from the sky above. Listening to the voice, it was Yihuo, the Buddha from the Pure Land Sect .
Below, everyone, especially Great Master Yisong of the Pure Land Sect , whose aura was already weak, heard this sound. His face, which had been relatively calm, was now filled with extreme fear. Not just him, but most of the cultivators who heard this sound had their faces twisted and deformed, as if they had become completely different people. It was an expression of fear reaching its limit. Many people were already trembling all over, whispering, "Soul-Searching Art."
When Li Yan heard that blood-curdling, inhuman sound, he was also shocked. But before he could react, he heard Gong Chenying's trembling whisper beside him. "It's Soul-Searching Art. He actually used Soul-Searching Art." Hearing this, Li Yan's whole body trembled, and he looked at Gong Chenying. At this moment, Gong Chenying's perpetually unchanging expression had been replaced by one of absolute horror, her eyes filled with a rare look of fear. Not just her, but all the cultivators around Li Yan who knew what was happening had expressions of terror and panic. Some even collapsed directly to the ground. Elder Peng and his group of Golden Core cultivators also had ashen faces, their auras fluctuating unstably.
Li Yan had previously thought that the demonic cultivator side would only use methods like hypnosis or illusion to question them. Who knew that this vicious beast that had arrived from the sky would directly resort to such an extreme method? After learning this, Li Yan felt even more fear in his heart. 'No matter what, I have to get Senior Pingtu to take as many people away as possible.'
The Soul-Searching Art , an immortal art that only cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above could perform, could search out anything a person had thought or experienced in their memory. And it was all real; there was almost no possibility of being deceived. The reason it was "almost" was that if a person's memories had been altered by a high-level cultivator, and the one who performed the memory alteration was at least two great realms higher than the one performing the soul-search, it might be possible to deceive the soul-searcher. Otherwise, nothing could be hidden.
The Soul-Searching Art was extremely vicious. The person subjected to the art would be in so much pain they would wish for death. That kind of pain penetrated deep into the soul, and it was simply not something that could be resisted with willpower. No matter how heroic you were in your daily life, with bones like iron and a tenacious will, after being subjected to this art, you would become a complete and utter idiot. It was an extremely vicious immortal art, but it was undeniable that it was the most effective and quickest way to know the truth.
The greater the difference in realm between the caster and the subject, the easier it was to cast the spell. And if the caster's power was exceptionally high, they could also bypass some of the forbidden areas in the Divine Sense , preventing the person from becoming a complete idiot.
That Yihuo's blood-curdling screams lasted for more than a dozen breaths, with no sign of stopping. These dozen or so breaths made the crowd below listen with their hearts and gallbladders turning cold, as if every scream was striking deep into their own souls.
After ten breaths, the sound abruptly stopped. It was unknown whether this Buddha Yihuo had fainted or had already died.
Just as the crowd below was at a loss and worried, an even shriller, blood-curdling sound once again echoed through the heavens and earth. The Daoist nun Hang Zhi. But at this moment, it was impossible to connect this sharp, inhuman sound with that feisty, attractively-figured Daoist nun in any way.
Listening to this sound, the faces of Immortal Elder Hangwu and the others from the Supreme Mystery Teachings twisted, their fists clenched tightly, but no one dared to fly toward that gray mist. They were even holding back from making the slightest sound.
Even Lin Mingyu , who had been standing in mid-air with a calm and composed air, now showed a pained expression. He actually paced back and forth in the air for a few steps, looked at the gray mist in the sky, his face changing several times before finally stopping where he was.
But this time, it only lasted for about six breaths. Then came the pig-like squeals of Xiàchí. He no longer had the demeanor of a Golden Core grand cultivator. On the Ten-Pace Courtyard's side, their faces showed sorrow and indignation. From both the sword cases on their backs and the Niwan Palaces on their heads, the sound of swords whimpered and cried in grief.
In this way, after another six or seven breaths, Xiàchí's ghost-like screams also stopped. Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to the Malevolent Spirit Sect . Everyone knew that next up was the Golden Core cultivator from the Malevolent Spirit Sect .
The peak master of Four Symbols Peak , Elder Yi, had his face twitching at this moment. The black-robed middle-aged elder who had been captured was one of the top formation masters of Four Symbols Peak . He had entered here this time precisely to join forces to resist the strange attacks in the secret realm. He had never thought he would end up in such a state. After being soul-searched, this person would be crippled.
Thinking of this, Elder Yi's heart was bleeding. 'After I return, I will definitely report this to the sect's old ancestors and demand an explanation from the secret realm. This matter was the fault of the three sects in the first place, so how did it involve my sect?'
Just as everyone was worried, after a full two breaths, no sound came from the gray clouds in the sky. This change initially puzzled everyone. Then, in this dead silence, the atmosphere became extremely heavy.
Some people were already even more afraid in their hearts. 'I heard this Ironback Copper-Ghost beast is so ferocious it's horrifying. Could there be a divine ability even more vicious than the 'Soul-Searching Art'?'
Especially the members of the Supreme Mystery Teachings , they thought more. Thinking of Qiu Jiuzhen's stunning figure and Hang Zhi's voluptuous posture, they couldn't help but think more, and they grew more and more worried.