"Impossible! How could you withstand this strike! Fake, fake!"

The Great Immortal Shenzu was incredibly shocked. He had practiced cultivation for so long, and his Ancient God Ant Tread Technique had never failed, until today!

Throughout his life, he had seen countless umbrella-like magical treasures, but none could compare with this one.

An unnamed umbrella actually blocked his strongest strike; is this even possible?

The overwhelming shock caused the Great Immortal Shenzu to fall into a brief distraction. Almost instantly, Ning Fan’s escape light flashed, appearing ten feet next to him, and pointed two fingers at him!

Dark!

With one finger, the power of Dark Yin Yang was activated, and boundless darkness suddenly descended, covering the Great Immortal Shenzu’s eyes and divine sense!

Fix!

With another finger, the power of Heaven Sealing Art activated, binding the Great Immortal Shenzu in place, making him unable to move or defend!

Kill!

The power of Slaughter Yin-Yang imbued in the True Martial Broken Sword, causing the sword’s edge to gain some armor-piercing effects!

A target ten feet away that’s immobilized, the True Martial Broken Sword had no reason to miss.

Almost as Ning Fan unleashed the True Martial Broken Sword, blood blossoms flew from the Great Immortal Shenzu’s chest, wounded by the blade.

The wounds were only half an inch deep! Too shallow!

With the True Martial Broken Sword’s power akin to a top-grade Innate Treasure, along with some armor-piercing effects, attacking an unguarded Great Immortal Shenzu surprisingly could only make a half-inch wound, showing his terrifying physical body strength!

"Mere darkness binding, trying to trap me! Begone, begone, begone!"

The Great Immortal Shenzu received two sword strikes; though the wounds weren’t deep, the pain was severe. Enraged, he roared, using his Ancient God brute force to shatter the darkness and Heaven Sealing Art’s binding, restoring his senses and mobility.

"This is the power of a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint..." Ning Fan’s expression was somewhat moved. This strike, he had taken advantage of the Great Immortal Shenzu’s distraction, employing various means to slash down the True Martial Broken Sword when the opponent was unguarded.

Had it been a First Order Quasi-Saint attacked like this by Ning Fan, though not killed instantly, they would at least suffer serious injuries.

Yet the Great Immortal Shenzu was only lightly wounded, proving his tough and durable skin.

"Daring to leave a wound on my perfect body, you shall die!"

The Great Immortal Shenzu was consumed by fury!

In his rage, he didn’t care to ponder the umbrella’s might; no matter what, he intended to make Ning Fan pay!

"This isn’t good... With his personality, if unable to strike successfully, he’ll undoubtedly retreat far and refuse to fight. This time, failing the Ancient God Ant Tread Technique, he’s clearly hesitant, planning to retreat. But Ning Fan injuring his body touched his reverse scale, driving him into madness, losing all reason... This battle is inevitable."

Fish Master withdrew from the Fishbone Manifestation, eyes solemn. Ready to join the battle, Ning Fan telepathically stopped him.

"No need!"

Ning Fan didn’t want Fish Master to involve himself in the battle for two reasons!

Firstly, Fish Master was already severely depleted, unfit to fight.

Secondly, with the Merit Umbrella in hand, Ning Fan stood innately in an undefeated position, even against a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint.

Without the danger of defeat, he could use the Great Immortal Shenzu to measure his gap with a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint!

In his previous battles atop Position Sky Map, he’d faced Second-Grade Quasi-Saints too, but those were merely divine senses, not as powerful as a true Second-Grade Quasi-Saint.

The Great Immortal Shenzu before him was real, giving him a sense of pressure and highlighting the difference between Second and First Order.

"Ancient God Meteor Strike!"

The furious Great Immortal Shenzu shook his form, growing three heads and eight arms on his manifestation, each holding infinite starlight. He hurled the starlight fiercely, transforming into countless Cultivation Stars, a celestial shower straight towards Ning Fan.

"A Second-Grade Quasi-Saint’s casual strike carries such power..."

Ning Fan raised the Merit Umbrella, the merit golden light spreading across the heavens and the earth, pulverizing all the meteors, rendering them harmless to Ning Fan.

"Second Stage True Body, appear! Earth Giant Hound Divine Spear, manifest!"

The Great Immortal Shenzu transformed into the figure of the Second Stage True Body.

He was no longer a bizarre foot creature, but a mighty god with a hound head and human body holding a spear. Shimmering with azure ancient god light, three-headed and eight-armed, supremely dignified.

"Ancient God’s Lost Technique, pierce the heavens!"

Bang!

The Earth Giant Hound Divine Spear carried the power to penetrate the heavens, roaring towards Ning Fan, and just the aftermath of this strike almost shattered the Blood Transformation Formation. Yet...

A power capable of piercing the heavens was again dispersed by the Merit Umbrella. The massive recoil nearly made the Great Immortal Shenzu drop his spear...

"Still useless! Damn it!" The Great Immortal Shenzu clenched his teeth in rage.

Hiss hiss!

Ning Fan finally retaliated!

He once more wielded the True Martial Broken Sword. The snake sword edge roared out, hitting the Great Immortal Shenzu accurately, but this time, the sword couldn’t wound him, merely clashing like metal, and got repelled by his brute force.

When the Great Immortal Shenzu consciously reinforced his body’s defenses, the True Martial Broken Sword couldn’t even pierce his skin!

"Foolish! If not for the sneak attack success, would you think you could harm me in the slightest with your power! I admit your umbrella’s defense is formidable, but that’s all there is! Your attack is too weak, it doesn’t even scratch me!"

The Great Immortal Shenzu spoke arrogantly.

Yet the next moment, he was struck from the heavens by the Ant Lord Tao Mountain, spitting blood, flying backwards.

This is what they call instant karma.

The Great Immortal Shenzu’s supposedly invincible body still couldn’t withstand the damage from the Saintly Dao Mountain, suffering large bruises!

"This is... the Saintly Dao Mountain!" The Great Immortal Shenzu’s face changed drastically; his physical strength wasn’t enough to contend with the saintly Dao.

He didn’t understand!

Couldn’t understand!

Why Ning Fan possessed so many treasures! Clearly, he had a defensively miraculous umbrella, yet also had a Saintly Dao Mountain!

Even more incomprehensible was how Ning Fan, just a beginner of the Second Step, could wield a Saintly Dao Mountain! Even an Ancient Great Cultivator couldn’t accomplish such a feat; only a Saint could!

He wasn’t a Saint! How could he!

Boom!

Ning Fan didn’t give the Great Immortal Shenzu a break, the Ant Lord Tao Mountain smashed down again.

The Great Immortal Shenzu vomited blood violently, smashed flying once more, his body’s bruises multiplying.

Seeing his body increasingly damaged, the Great Immortal Shenzu nearly went berserk. As the Ant Lord Tao Mountain hammered down again, the Great Immortal Shenzu roared, azure ancient god flames burst from him, like a man of fire, like a meteor, charging headlong towards the Saintly Dao Mountain!

With this charge, the Great Immortal Shenzu’s head was bloodied!

With this charge, he forcibly pushed the Ant Lord Tao Mountain back half a step!

The Great Immortal Shenzu’s behavior enraged the Ant Lord Tao Mountain! The dignified Saintly Dao Mountain had never been defied by a mere Second Step junior. The furious Ant Lord Tao Mountain unleashed infinite saintly Dao, overwhelming the Great Immortal Shenzu, suppressing him under the mountain.

Pain, it hurts!

Curse it, curse it, curse it! A lifetime of cultivation, it’s the first time he was suppressed by someone, this feeling... truly humiliating!

"I am the grand Earth Giant Ancient God, no one can suppress me! Not even a Saint can! Ah ah ah ah ah!"

A shocking scene unfolded!

The Great Immortal Shenzu, crushed under the Dao Mountain, relied on brute force, sheer will, slowly lifted the mountain off his back!

One inch, two inches, three inches...

Facing the saintly Dao, the Great Immortal Shenzu didn’t submit like others but chose defiance!

Finally, the Great Immortal Shenzu created enough space under the mountain. He roared, transforming into a burst of fierce blue light, rushing out from under the Dao Mountain!

To achieve this is remarkable!

Even the Ant Lord was slightly surprised.

"It’s a pity this person was born in the Dreamland Realm. A Second-Grade Quasi-Saint is his limit; had he been born in the Real Realm, received guidance from a renowned teacher, he might have had a chance to become a Saint."

"Hmm. This person dares to defy the Path of Saints, truly remarkable. If it were me, I wouldn’t dare to crash my head into the Saintly Dao Mountain’s..."

Ning Fan’s dissatisfaction subsided.

He was originally quite unhappy with the Great Immortal Shenzu because this person had left a dirty footprint on the Merit Umbrella.

However, he decided not to pursue the matter now.

The opponent is a true Ancient God Warrior, and he cannot face the battle with a frivolous attitude.

The greatest respect he could give was to end this battle in his strongest form!

"You are very strong. I could rely on the strength of the Saintly Dao Mountain to slowly crush you, but I don’t plan to do that now."

Ning Fan put away the Ant Lord Tao Mountain, as well as the Merit Umbrella.

He transformed into his Eternal True Body, openly revealing the ancient deity aura of his Golden Flame True Body, like a golden storm engulfing the entire Blood Transformation Formation!

The Great Immortal Shenzu was an ancient god, and furthermore, an ancient god from the Earth Giant Clan. He always believed his bloodline to be the noblest of the Era of Decline.

Yet, in the face of Ning Fan’s divine aura, he felt humble, felt a tremor deep within his bloodline!

The so-called ancient god is merely an imitation of true deities by later cultivators!

In front of a true deity, an ancient god... is but dust.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! My legs are trembling! I’m actually feeling fear! Wanting to bow, wanting to submit! Not daring to resist, not daring to oppose! Was I previously thinking of consuming such an existence... Just from the desire to devour this person, even the ancient god blood within me is showing signs of collapse! Stand straight, stand straight for me! I will not bow to anyone! Never, never!!!"

The Great Immortal Shenzu gritted his teeth, stubbornly holding his ground against the boundless divine pressure, standing upright, but the cost was great, as his kneecaps crackled and shattered little by little, the price of defiance!

Ning Fan’s true form underwent further transformation!

The Golden Flame True Body gradually advanced into the Tree Devil True Body, its color no longer golden but turning into an extreme black.

That is the color of the abyss of the Devil Dao!

This is Ning Fan’s Second Stage True Body, which can only be activated under specific conditions, that specific condition being Ancient Demon Ancestral Reversion!

Two demonic tails sprouted from Ning Fan’s Tree Devil True Body!

At this moment, Ning Fan was surrounded by not only overwhelming divine pressure but also the oppressive aura of devil spirits!

In two-tailed form, Ning Fan’s mana was comparable to that of a true Second-Grade Quasi-Saint!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

With a thought from Ning Fan, countless godhood giant trees exuding black aura burst from the ground, and in the blink of an eye, the entire Blood Transformation Formation became a world of trees!

The Great Immortal Shenzu was unable to dodge and was pierced by some of the giant trees that emerged from nowhere. Even the True Martial Broken Sword could not penetrate his skin, yet these mysterious woods effortlessly pierced his flesh.

The reason the True Martial Broken Sword could not harm him was because he had reinforced his physical defense using the power of the Dao Source.

However, the Dao method he comprehended was rendered useless in front of the giant trees, piercing through with a single strike! These giant trees absolutely possess a power of a higher level than the Dao Source Stream!

Could this be the power of the Taoist tradition?!

"What kind of monster are you! Ancient God or Ancient Demon! With the Taoist tradition of wood, why are you still at the Second Step of cultivation!" trembled the Great Immortal Shenzu.

"Sorry, no comment."

The response to the Great Immortal Shenzu was the overwhelming descent of giant trees, leaving no way to escape...

...

Reverse Ten Absolute Formation, Red Water Formation!

Beihai True Lord, Changsang Daoist, Earth Mansion Star Lord, and the Immortal Stone, all four sat cross-legged atop the Red Water Formation’s Rain Tower, their expressions like stoic water.

Particularly Beihai True Lord, whose expression was the most grim. He had initially thought that by sacrificing the Reverse Ten Absolute Formation, he could securely annihilate Ning Fan, but unexpectedly in just a short time, Ning Fan had broken eight formations.

Changsang Daoist suffered a heavy blow to his Spirit by Ning Fan!

Earth Mansion Star Lord had an arm severed by Ning Fan!

The Puppet Immortal Stone had half its body shattered by Ning Fan!

The Three Elders of the Boundary Clan all perished!

The fate of the Extreme Ice Immortal and the Lingzhi Immortal remains uncertain...

"I wonder how the Blood Transformation Formation is faring. With the power of Daoist Friend Shen Zu’s Ant Tread Technique, it should theoretically be enough to destroy the Blood Transformation Formation with one stomp, but why hasn’t it been destroyed? Could it be that Daoist Friend Shen Zu heeded my advice and held back his Divine Skills at the last moment? I suppose that’s the case. Unfortunately, within this Reverse Ten Absolute Formation, there are Real Realms Zong Ze’s talisman methods interfering, even I, the array operator, cannot sense too far. I hope Daoist Friend Shen Zu is alright!"

The Northern Sea True Lord was somewhat worried.

At this moment, in the Blood Transformation Formation, there’s more than just Ning Fan; there’s also Fish Master, a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint. If Ning Fan and Fish Master join forces to besiege Great Immortal Shen Zu, it’s likely Great Immortal Shen Zu would suffer greatly...

He had transmitted messages several times, hoping Great Immortal Shen Zu would quickly abandon the Blood Transformation Formation and come to the Red Water Formation to join forces. But why hasn’t Shen Zu responded?

Could it be Shen Zu’s stubborn old habit resurfacing? Insisting on facing both Ning Fan and Fish Master simultaneously to test their abilities? Ah, his character is truly troublesome.

"Cough cough cough... Daoist Friend Chang Sang, my injuries seem to be worsening, quickly help me suppress them a bit." The Earth Mansion Star Lord said weakly, clutching his severed arm.

The Earth Inferno Formation that he was guarding was broken by Ning Fan in a few moves, and he himself was severely injured by Ning Fan, losing an arm.

Fortunately, he still managed to escape from the Earth Inferno Formation; perhaps Ning Fan was too careless to stop him.

"Master Chang Sang, please also help me treat my puppet body. Ning Fan was too ruthless, nearly costing me my life." Immortal Stone weakly pleaded.

He was also quite lucky, managing to escape from Ning Fan’s hands and reach the Red Water Formation.

"Cough cough cough... I will help you with the treatment... hiss!" Daoist Chang Sang attempted to summon the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree to heal his companions, but he himself was also severely injured by Ning Fan. As soon as he tried to use his Divine Skills, it triggered the injury of his primordial spirit, causing him to gasp in pain.

"I can’t... my primordial spirit injury is too severe, I can’t control the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree, I’ll have to rely on Daoist Beihai for help." Daoist Chang Sang said with a bitter smile.

"This matter started because of me, causing Daoist Friend to suffer heavy injuries. I will take responsibility for healing you all!"

The Northern Sea True Lord nodded and took over the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree from Daoist Chang Sang to heal the three.

The healing effect of the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree is indeed marvelous, but it has a drawback: it consumes a significant amount of Mana.

With Daoist Chang Sang’s First Order cultivation, he can only heal one severely injured Quasi-Saint at a time; attempting to heal more would be overwhelming.

Fortunately, the Northern Sea True Lord is a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint, with cultivation higher than Chang Sang’s, allowing him to control the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree and heal three severely injured Quasi-Saints simultaneously.

"Alas, the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree consumes Mana too fast. Could it be that Ning Fan deliberately spared these three to deplete my Mana? No, the possibility is low for this."

The Northern Sea True Lord shook his head. Why leave an opponent’s force alive instead of eliminating them? That would be foolish.

No, incorrect!

"Could it be that this child truly intends to do this! He deliberately left three severely injured companions for me to drag down my pace, preventing me from assisting the Blood Transformation Formation while further depleting my Mana. He then takes the chance to join forces with Fish Master to eliminate Daoist Friend Shen Zu..."

The Northern Sea True Lord’s gaze suddenly turned extremely grim.

Then he shook his head again.

He has great confidence in Great Immortal Shen Zu. He worries about Shen Zu being besieged by Ning Fan and Fish Master, fearing significant losses, but even if things go bad, Shen Zu shouldn’t perish.

How could a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint be easily killed!

Even Earth Mansion and Immortal Stone managed to escape Ning Fan’s grasp; even if Shen Zu had no escape, he could flee to the Red Water Formation and join forces!

"Perhaps I was worrying too much... It was only the breaking of eight formations by Ning Fan; I seem to be overly nervous. Isn’t there still the Red Water Formation? Unlike other formations, as long as this formation stands..."

The Northern Sea True Lord’s expression suddenly changed.

For at this moment, the sound of collapse came from the direction of the Blood Transformation Formation.

"Not good! Even the Blood Transformation Formation has been broken!" Chang Sang exclaimed.

"I wonder how Daoist Friend Shen Zu is doing. With his Second-Grade Quasi-Saint cultivation, even if the formation breaks, he shouldn’t suffer much, right..." The Earth Mansion Star Lord’s voice trailed off just as intense spatial tremors emanated from the Red Water Formation.

Afterward, a Hexagonal Demon Gate appeared out of thin air. Almost simultaneously with its appearance, Ning Fan walked out from within the gate carrying a bloody head.

That was the head of Great Immortal Shen Zu!

That was... the head of a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint!

"This-this is impossible! A dignified Second-Grade Quasi-Saint, how could, how could..." The Earth Mansion Star Lord was terrified and devoid of color.

"You actually killed Daoist Friend Shen Zu! This can’t be, how is this possible!" The Northern Sea True Lord felt a chilling sensation in his spine. If Ning Fan could kill Shen Zu, doesn’t that mean he also has the capability to kill him!

"Master, this child cannot be confronted head-on; we should make a strategic retreat," Immortal Stone said in fear.

"Thinking of retreating now, don’t you think it’s too late!"

Ning Fan put away Shen Zu’s head, his fingers rapidly forming seals, and instantly, the entire Red Water Formation was filled with Netherworld Ghost Flowers.

Eternal Corpse Puppet King, Eternal Soul-Devouring Tree, Eternal Ink Qilin, Eternal Dragon King of Ten Thousand Saints! The four eternal ghost soldiers let out eerie cries, charging towards Beihai and the others.

"Where is the Rain Dragon? Block these ghost soldiers for me!"

Beihai True Lord summoned five Rain Dragons, attempting to use their power to hold off the four eternal ghost soldiers.

"So forgetful! Since you wish to give me the Rain Dragons, I’ll take all of them!" Ning Fan recited incantations, and the next moment, numerous giant trees grew within the Red Water Formation. These trees seemed alive; once they appeared, they turned into wooden ropes, binding the five Rain Dragons.

Roar!

The Rain Dragons let out furious roars, trying to smash the giant trees but to no avail.

These giant trees were transformations of the Godhood of Wood and couldn’t be broken easily.

In almost a blink of an eye, a Rain Dragon was bound by the trees! It tried to struggle, but its strength was being voraciously devoured by the trees. In the Five Elements, water creates wood, and with its power, it couldn’t break free from the wood formed by divine power. Its strength grew weaker, its body shrinking rapidly due to the sudden loss of power; meanwhile, the trees began to grow rapidly by absorbing its water elemental strength, eventually forming a divine wood cage, imprisoning the shrunken Rain Dragon!

Soon, the remaining four Rain Dragons followed the fate of the first one, all caged by the giant trees.

"How dare you!"

Seeing all five dragons captured, Beihai True Lord was furious, stepping through the overwhelming rain to rescue the dragons.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t save the dragons; he himself was blocked by the four eternal ghost soldiers, who surrounded him.

Given Beihai True Lord’s Taoist cultivation, even if surrounded by four eternal ghost soldiers, he wouldn’t be in danger. But they still managed to stall his footsteps!

Seeing this, Chang Sang and the others wanted to assist Beihai True Lord but were intercepted by Ning Fan alone.

"Your opponents are me."

Ning Fan raised his hand, and the True Martial Broken Sword flew towards Earth Mansion Star Lord, scaring him pale—as it had previously wounded him severely!

Next, he summoned Ant Lord Tao Mountain, which smashed into Puppet Immortal Stone, rendering it unable to escape.

As for Ning Fan himself, he charged towards Changsang Daoist. Seeing Ning Fan’s fierce approach, Changsang Daoist quickly tried to summon Three Mulberry Ancient Tree for protection.

Unfortunately...

Using wooden treasures against Ning Fan is simply laughable.

Ning Fan possessed the Godhood of Wood and wouldn’t fear any Three Mulberry Ancient Tree. With a wave of his long sleeves, he directly took the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree into his sleeve.

Seeing his treasure seized so easily, Changsang Daoist was shocked, his face pale, "Impossible! When you were defending the Golden Light Formation, you couldn’t do anything to my Three Mulberry Ancient Tree. But now...now I understand, you were pretending! You intentionally wounded us without killing, you, you, you..."

"It’s too late to realize now!" Ning Fan said coldly.

"Curse you! Even without the Three Mulberry Ancient Tree, I am still a Quasi-Saint with the title of Plague God! Today, I’ll show you the power of plague..."

Before Changsang Daoist could finish his words, he saw myriad rays of golden light rushing towards him.

He tried to dodge, but the golden light was exceptionally powerful; just one encounter forcefully pulled him away, leaving his whereabouts unknown.

It turned out that Ning Fan had summoned the Merit Umbrella, using its power to forcefully capture Changsang Daoist.

"Your Plague God title isn’t of interest to me..."

"Three more!"

After capturing Changsang Daoist, Ning Fan flew towards Earth Mansion Star Lord.

Earth Mansion Star Lord was terrified, his soul leaping out in panic, unwilling to be captured by the Merit Umbrella. In a desperate attempt to flee, he ignored defending against the True Martial Broken Sword and took its attack head-on with his corporeal body, trying to escape despite his injuries.

He wanted to escape!

He no longer wished to be caught in this struggle!

He planned to abandon Beihai and the others, fleeing solo!

But the problem was, he couldn’t escape!

The Merit Umbrella was a Third Step treasure, and in the hands of a Saint, subduing ancient cultivators would be effortless.

Although Ning Fan wasn’t a Saint, he could still capture a First Order Quasi-Saint with this umbrella.

Mighty rays of merit light fell, and Earth Mansion Star Lord couldn’t resist, being pulled into the Merit Umbrella’s inner world, sealed away.

"And there are two more."

Ning Fan retracted the True Martial Broken Sword and walked towards the Puppet Immortal Stone suppressed under the mountain of Dao.

This wasn’t the first time he had clashed with the Immortal Stone. Previously, he had captured the Immortal Stone, intending to refine ghost soldiers with it, but it escaped using some unknown means.

This time, he wondered if the puppet could still escape from his grasp.

"Take it!"

The Merit Umbrella’s golden light withdrew, sealing the Immortal Stone within.

Thus, the only one left to deal with in the entire Red Water Formation was Northern Sea True Lord.

"Old Northern Sea, now it’s just you and me here. We can finally settle the karma of this encounter."

"Hmph! Who says there are only you and me left in this formation! Where are the formation soldiers in this formation? Show yourselves quickly, what are you waiting for!" Northern Sea True Lord ordered coldly.

At his command, two Yuxu Talisman Soldiers guarding the Red Water Formation immediately appeared and attacked Ning Fan.

But when they saw the umbrella Ning Fan held, their originally fierce expressions changed, and they bowed their heads.

"Disciple Wang Bian, pays respects to Martial Uncle!"

"Disciple Qingxu, pays respects to Martial Uncle!"

"The two of us are ordered to guard the Red Water Formation, acting against our will. If we’ve offended, we hope Martial Uncle will forgive us!"

After speaking, the two talisman soldiers were about to rise and fight Ning Fan.

"So it’s Wang Bian and Qingxu... You two don’t need to speak further, just wait in my umbrella for a moment, and I’ll grant you freedom once I destroy the Rain Tower here."

Pushing through towers and capturing talisman soldiers along the way, Ning Fan had become quite experienced in handling talisman soldiers. He immediately summoned the Merit Umbrella, enclosing the two talisman soldiers within.

In this way, even though he hadn’t yet demolished the Rain Tower, the talisman soldiers inside the umbrella, separated by the Merit Umbrella, wouldn’t be able to trouble him.

"Hmph! Now it truly is just us two. This umbrella is truly formidable, capable of suppressing First Order Quasi-Saints, and its defense seems unique, too. Old me has a question: what exactly have you refined the Sky-Dueling Jade Umbrella into?"

With allies lost and even the last resort — the talisman soldiers of the Red Water Formation — suppressed by Ning Fan’s mere gesture, Northern Sea True Lord could hardly conceal his greed, despite being in such a dire predicament. He desired the umbrella too much!

"What I’ve refined this umbrella into, what does it have to do with you?"

"It does, it matters a lot! After all, once you’re dead, this umbrella will be mine, so how can I not know its origins!" Northern Sea True Lord said greedily.

"Given the situation, you still think you can kill me? Truly arrogant!" Ning Fan said disdainfully.

"Hehe, whether I can or not, you’ll find out soon! Red Water, protect me!"

At Northern Sea True Lord’s command, the Red Water Formation immediately transformed into a vast ocean. The seawater seemed to be made of human blood, and anything touching this red water would be assimilated into blood water.

The Eternal Ghost Soldiers who originally besieged Northern Sea True Lord were instantly transformed into pools of blood water as the Red Sea surged through them. Yet due to their undying nature, the four Eternal Ghost Soldiers quickly regenerated, but each gazed at the Red Sea with inherent fear, not daring to approach.

With the protection of the Red Sea, Northern Sea True Lord easily broke free from the siege of the Eternal Ghost Soldiers.

"Hehe, how about this Red Sea, could it kill you?" Northern Sea True Lord laughed coldly.

"Not much! It’s merely hiding a fragment of Saint Pattern Formation at the original base of the Red Water Formation." Ning Fan’s eyes gleamed with Tianren Green Light, easily uncovering all its secrets.

"You actually know a Saint Pattern Formation is set in this formation?!" Northern Sea True Lord’s expression changed.

"If it weren’t for interference from the Saint Pattern Formation, I could destroy all ten formations by just stepping with the Momentum Character Secret. Since the Momentum Character Secret can’t be used, there must be a higher-level power preventing it."

"Hahaha! You know, you really know everything! But you’re too arrogant! Knowing old me still has the Saint Pattern Formation to rely on, you dared to step into the Red Water Formation! Since you’re courting death, I’ll grant you a swift end!"

"Saint Pattern Formation, activate!"

At Northern Sea True Lord’s command, fierce gales blew through the Red Water Formation.

Those weren’t winds flowing, but Qi!

It’s Qi left by some saintly existence. As soon as this Qi appeared, countless Taoist methods condensed into pattern formations emerged upon the Red Sea.

An ancient chanting voice further emanated from above the Red Sea!

"Primordial Chaos Initial Jade Empty Honor..."

Numerous Jade Clear patterns rose from the sea, congregating and finally transforming into a massive stone statue. Since the statue was formed from pattern formations, it naturally contained boundless formation power, making it a rare humanoid formation! As for the statue’s face, it couldn’t be discerned.

"Refining the division of the three religions of the Divine Land..."

The stone statue’s face was indistinct, yet a pair of sacred eyes slowly opened. With their opening, it seemed as if two beams of jade-like light pierced through heaven and earth, carrying an unparalleled might!

This overwhelming force transformed into a gale that none could withstand. Even the mighty Beihai True Lord was blown away under its pressure.

Even Ning Fan had to release all his divine and devil spirit pressure to barely withstand that sacred pressure without retreating.

"Proclaim the Tao and promote the True Doctrine Master..."

The stone statue suddenly lifted its right hand, and with a fierce grip towards the heaven and earth, it seemed to grasp the entire Red Water Formation and the entire path of the Northern Heaven!

"Six mountains and three seas held within the palm..."

The tightly clenched fist of the stone statue slowly unfurled, revealing in its palm six mountains and three seas of reincarnation reversed, with countless and boundless living beings in between!

Danger!

At the moment the stone statue unfurled its palm, an unprecedented sense of crisis spread throughout Ning Fan’s body. Instinctively, he expanded the defense of the Merit Umbrella to the maximum.

Almost simultaneously with the sensation of danger in Ning Fan’s mind, the stone statue’s open palm suddenly flipped over and struck downward!

This strike targeted Ning Fan, yet it implicated the entire Red Water Formation and the entire Reverse Ten Absolute Formation!

Ning Fan, protected by the Merit Umbrella, was not hurt by the stone statue’s strike but was sent flying by it!

Indeed, Ning Fan was struck and sent flying by the stone statue; just a single strike sent him into spatial turbulence!

Though unscathed, Ning Fan could feel, upon being struck into spatial turbulence by the statue, that he was flying far, far away, almost out of the entire Northern Heaven!

"Is this the power of a Saint’s corner formation pattern? Without the protection of the Merit Umbrella, with my current cultivation, even if I gave it my all, it would be hard to block this strike unless the God-Extinguishing Shield was still there..."

Ning Fan was blasted away by the stone statue.

The same happened to Beihai True Lord!

Beihai True Lord was dumbfounded, as it was his first time using the Saint formation pattern of the Reverse Ten Absolute Formation; he had no idea beforehand that this Saint formation pattern would indiscriminately attack everyone within the formation!

True enough, the majority of the statue’s attack focused on Ning Fan, and he was sent flying by just a fraction of its force.

The issue was that unlike Ning Fan, he did not have a Merit Umbrella for protection!

While Ning Fan, possessing the Merit Umbrella, could emerge unscathed even against ninety percent of the formation pattern’s power, he would only appear somewhat disheveled when struck away.

Beihai True Lord was not so lucky!

Without Ning Fan’s terrifying defense, just ten percent of the formation pattern’s power was enough to reduce his physical body to pulp in almost an instant!

Fortunately, it was only ten percent of the pattern’s power, so although his physical body was destroyed, his spirit survived. Carried by the pattern’s force, his spirit was likewise flung into spatial turbulence over a great distance.

"Damn it! Why didn’t the eight ancestors tell me that this Saint formation pattern would also attack the formation’s master! Cursed it be! These spatial turbulences are too dangerous! I must escape from here, or else..."

Beihai True Lord tried to escape the spatial turbulence but struggled in vain, being quickly overwhelmed by it.

Grievously injured, unconscious...

...

"Where is this place..."

Ning Fan gazed at the treasure trove before him, somewhat speechless.

Wasn’t he just knocked away by the Saint formation pattern? How did he end up flying straight into a treasure trove?

Where is this treasure trove located?

Did he fly so far that he was still in the Northern Heaven, or had he reached somewhere else altogether?

Well, when in doubt...

Ning Fan’s gaze swept over the treasures piled like mountains within the trove. Casually picking up a Dao Crystal, he asked.

"May I ask, Dao Crystal brother, where is this place?"

[Northern Boundary River, Ziwei North Pole Palace; Northern Boundary River, Ziwei North Pole Palace...]

"Northern Boundary River? It seems I am still within the Northern Heaven’s bounds, that’s good. If I had flown out of the Northern Heaven, I would indeed be vexed. As for Ziwei North Pole Palace... what manner of place is this?"

Ning Fan wanted to ask more, but unfortunately, the Dao Crystal’s ability to answer questions was extremely limited and couldn’t explain what the Ziwei North Pole Palace was.

Alright then, he better leave this place... the Northern Boundary River is the territory of the Northern Heaven Exotic Clans, and staying here is not safe.

Ning Fan wanted to leave the treasure chamber, but he soon felt shocked.

His entry into the treasure chamber was an accident, propelled here by the Saint Pattern Formation.

He wanted to leave the treasure chamber, but even with Mana comparable to that of a Quasi-Saint, he couldn’t do it!

The door of the treasure chamber wouldn’t open!

He didn’t have the key, so he thought of using brute force to open the door. However, as soon as he exerted brute force, the treasure chamber’s door suddenly glowed with intense purple light. This purple light was far beyond Ning Fan’s understanding. With just a slight shock, Ning Fan was forced to retreat dozens of steps, barely stabilizing his footing.

The hand he used for the forceful push was charred by the purple light. With Ning Fan’s physical recovery abilities, he couldn’t heal the injury in a short time!

"Why does the treasure chamber’s door have a Fourth Step Seal! Where have I been transported to?"

...

Boom!

On this day, within the territory of the Fengnu Clan by the Northern Boundary River, a suddenly large eruption of purple lightning appeared, with rolling thunder.

At the sight of the purple lightning phenomenon, the entire Fengnu Clan fell into a panic.

"Not good! Your Majesty! There are intruders, someone has trespassed into the North Pole Palace and triggered the palace’s restriction, causing the purple lightning phenomenon!" reported a female guard hastily.

"Intruders? Intruders again, every year there are intruders, but who can really break into that treasure chamber? Without the Immortal Emperor’s permission, even if someone has the key to the treasure chamber, outsiders still can’t enter. Tell me, is it the Great Kun from the North Sea, or that old undying Lie Yukou... or perhaps it’s those demons from Demon-Sealing Peak still eyeing the North Pole Palace..." A purple-clad woman on the throne lazily opened her eyes, her icy visage untainted by any dust.

She was the king of the Fengnu Clan and also an Immortal King of the Four Tribulations.

"No, none of them. The culprit who broke into the treasure chamber should have already been caught... this person is gravely injured, the physical body is destroyed, leaving only the Spirit, probably severely injured due to the failed attempt to break into the treasure chamber and the Immortal Emperor’s seal. Upon investigation, this person does not seem to belong to the Demon-Sealing Peak but is a Beitian Cultivator." The female guard respectfully replied.

"A Beitian Cultivator? Haha, year after year, there are Beitian Cultivators who covet our clan’s treasure chamber, how audacious! He deserves to be killed!" Hearing that the intruder was a Beitian Cultivator, the purple-clad woman immediately showed a look of disdain.

"Pass my command! Sentence this Beitian Cultivator to the Abyssal Water Punishment, and kill without pardon!"

"This... this matter is somewhat troublesome. If it’s only the Abyssal Water Punishment, it might not kill this Beitian Cultivator, even if he is now just a severely injured, weakened Spirit." The female guard hesitated.

"Oh? Could it be the North Heavenly Immortal Emperor?" The purple-clad woman was slightly surprised.

"Not just the Immortal Emperor... If the judgment of the Garrison Department sisters is correct, this person should be a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint! Currently, this person is held in the Abyssal Prison, and it took four hundred of the Seal Department sisters to barely seal part of his primordial spirit... he’s too strong! With the strength of our Fengnu Clan, it’s wishful thinking to say even to fully seal him, let alone kill him! This person can be held in our prison only because of his severe injuries and weakness; once he slightly recovers, he will surely escape the prison, bringing catastrophic disaster to our clan! Your Majesty, this person must be dealt with early and cannot be left for long!"

"What! The other party is actually a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint? How could a well-standing Second-Grade Quasi-Saint be foolish enough to forcefully intrude the North Pole Palace and be gravely injured as a result? With this person’s cultivation and experience, it’s impossible that he doesn’t know the terrors of the North Pole Palace, there’s no reason to be a moth to the flame! This matter seems suspicious. Have we interrogated this person’s identity!" The purple-clad woman asked seriously.

"He claims to be the Water Sect Master..."

"What, it’s... him again!" Hearing that the one imprisoned was the Beihai True Lord, the purple-clad woman immediately showed a look of hatred.

"This person slaughtered half of our clan back in the day, even killed my father and mother, using their Demon Souls for Alchemy. I vowed before my parents’ spirits that whoever kills this enemy for me and refines his Spirit into expensive pills, I would give my entire clan, offer women as concubines, and men as slaves... in my name, relay the message to the Myriad Clans of the Boundary River. That I want to recruit Alchemists to concoct a pill for me. I vow to make the North Sea old thief into a pill, offering it to my parents’ spirits, regardless of... the cost!"

...

Fengnu Clan, Abyssal Prison.

At this moment, in the deepest part of the prison, as many as four hundred True Immortal realm sealers were jointly sealing a Spirit.

The sealed Spirit was none other than the unfortunate Beihai True Lord.

Same fate, different outcome!

He and Ning Fan were both hurled into spatial turbulence; he was left half-dead, while Ning Fan remained unscathed; Ning Fan was thrown into the treasure chamber of the Fengnu Clan, whereas he was thrown into the Fengnu Clan’s prison.

Fengnu Clan, mere ants!

If the Beihai True Lord was at his peak, he wouldn’t fear the cultivators of this clan in the slightest; in the past, when he sought their demon souls for alchemy, he brutally massacred here, none of their cultivators could threaten him in the slightest.

The problem is, he is now in a severely injured state...

"Just four hundred True Immortals, and they think they can seal me, truly wishful thinking! The Fengnu Clan is not worth mentioning, the real problem is that when they see they can’t kill me, they will surely invite other race powerhouses to come and eliminate me."

"I must escape before the real powerhouses of the different race arrive!"

"Where is Ning Fan! Where is Ning Fan! That kid took on ninety percent of the Saint Pattern Formation, must have died, maybe his body was even turned to ash! I wonder where his treasures were swept by the spatial turbulence. Sky-Dueling Jade Umbrella! No matter what, I must retrieve the Sky-Dueling Jade Umbrella that kid carried! If luck is on my side, perhaps I can also rescue the fellow Daoists’ Spirits that were seized..."