In over a month, many Five Elements Sect Cultivators who hadn't passed the Foundation Establishment Life-and-Death Three Passes impatiently started the war.

Isn't this a bit too hasty?

Jia Ren ignored the battle that broke out in the Market, summoned his Spirit Insects to stand guard, and continued his cultivation peacefully.

Hundreds of mosquitoes with mysterious patterns flew out, each emitting a ferocious aura. They were the product of Exotic Black Mosquitoes consuming the Ancestral Return Pill, transforming into unrecognizable Demon Mosquitoes that were even stronger than before. After this ancestral transformation, besides being adept at nullifying spiritual light and sucking blood, they also gained a special sonic talent, operating silently and making them harder to defend against. Jia Ren named this new breed the Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes, which possessed even greater lethality. With them guarding him, he felt secure.

RING!

At that moment, the Hundred-Mile Sound-Transmitting Bell vibrated, and Yang Bingzhi's voice rang out.

"Daoist Jia, the Five Elements Sect has joined forces with the Black Soul Sect, seeking to retake the Market. Be careful and avoid being caught in the battle."

"The Five Elements Sect is well-prepared; both the Great Wilderness Market and the Spirit Stone Vein will return to its possession."

Jia Ren still had many doubts, but Yang Bingzhi's message helped him understand the situation better.

The Five Elements Sect is acting a bit too hastily in launching this attack…

The number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Five Elements Sect has increased, raising their chances of recapturing the Market and the Spirit Stone Vein. So why the rush?

Sect warfare was no trivial matter; a single mistake could determine the fate of countless people and the war's direction. Carelessness was not an option. Jia Ren didn't understand what was compelling the Five Elements Sect to act so hastily and avariciously.

Yang Bingzhi fell silent for a moment, then his voice slowly came through, "The Five Elements Sect planted spies within the Spirit Stone Vein and just received intelligence... Superior Grade Spirit Stones have been discovered within the vein."

Superior Grade Spirit Stones?!

Jia Ren was stunned, then a sense of understanding washed over him.

The scale of the Spirit Stone Vein was beyond expectation, so it wasn't entirely incomprehensible that Superior Grade Spirit Stones would be discovered after such a long period of mining without exhausting it. What was truly unexpected was how deeply hidden the Superior Grade Spirit Stones were. The Five Elements Sect had dug for months without finding them, but after the vein changed hands, it ended up benefiting the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Yuding Sect.

Superior Grade Spirit Stones were exceedingly precious—even Golden Core Ancestors would go mad for them. No wonder the Five Elements Sect was so eager to attack. Regardless of the Spirit Stone Vein's overall size, the quantity of Superior Grade Spirit Stones would certainly be limited. If they were even a step too late, the Heavenly Sword Sect and Yuding Sect would have already mined the scarce Superior Grade Spirit Stones, leaving none for the Five Elements Sect.

Yang Bingzhi continued, "It's rumored within the Sect that the Five Elements Ancestor possesses a secret technique that can help him break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, and this method requires a significant amount of Superior Grade Spirit Stones…"

Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage?!

The Five Elements Ancestor didn't have much lifespan remaining, and having used a forbidden technique not long ago, it was uncertain how much longer he could endure. Once the Five Elements Ancestor fell, other Sects would undoubtedly move to annihilate the Five Elements Sect. If they could seize enough Superior Grade Spirit Stones, allowing their Ancestor to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, his lifespan would skyrocket. The Five Elements Sect would not only survive but could even reach an unprecedented peak of glory. At that time, controlling the entire Barren Extreme Land would not be an issue. With so little time left, the Five Elements Sect's desperation was understandable.

"Just be careful and don't act rashly for the sake of personal achievement," Yang Bingzhi advised.

Jia Ren replied briefly. The clamor of war starting could now be heard from beyond the Hundred-Mile Sound-Transmitting Bell.

The Great Wilderness Market's Protective Great Formation activated, forming a light curtain that shielded the Market. Aboard dozens of Flying Boats, thousands of cultivators from the Five Elements Sect and Black Soul Sect frantically attacked the Formation. Inside the Market, a group of Loose Cultivators rioted. These were spies planted by the Five Elements Sect, who seized the opportunity to sabotage the Formation from within and sow chaos.

Deep in the Great Wilderness, several terrifying auras soared into the sky like rising suns. Torrents of Sword Qi Spiritual Light shook the wilderness. Four such auras converged, their clash resembling colliding comets. The battle for the Great Wilderness Market was merely an appetizer; the true main event was the clash between Golden Core Cultivators. Compared to that, the fighting in the Market seemed like child's play.

After an hour of battle, the Great Wilderness Market's Protective Great Formation was breached, and cultivators from the Five Elements Sect and Black Soul Sect stormed into the Market. The Five Elements Sect had numerous elites, and combined with the Black Soul Sect, their strength surpassed that of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Pill Cauldron Sect.

"Form the Ten Thousand Swords Great Array!"

The Heavenly Sword Sect cultivators were not weak. Hundreds of Sword Cultivators gathered, their Sword Light fanning out to cover every inch of the sky. Tens of thousands of sword gleams swarmed like a tide of fish, weaving into a colossal dragon of light that surged towards the Five Elements Sect cultivators.

"Reversed Five Elements Array!"

The Five Elements Sect cultivators reacted swiftly. The powers of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—intertwined, coalescing into a five-colored light curtain that rotated ceaselessly. The dragon of light continuously 'gnawed' at it, relentlessly striking the five-colored light curtain. The Reversed Five Elements Array's defensive power was astonishing; its five-colored light regenerated endlessly, seeming inexhaustible. The dragon of light, after 'chewing' through countless layers of the light curtain, finally disintegrated, its components reverting to individual Magic Swords that flew back to their wielders.

"KILL!"

Since the Ten Thousand Swords Great Array failed to breach the Reversed Five Elements Array, their defeat was sealed. The cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect and Yuding Sect were routed, retreating into the distance. The Five Elements Sect, having staged a comeback, reclaimed the Great Wilderness Market.

"No one can take away the Great Wilderness Market!" a Five Elements Sect cultivator roared.

Having triumphantly reclaimed the Great Wilderness Market, the Five Elements Sect members were exultant, finally able to vent their long-suppressed fury. They relentlessly pursued the fleeing Heavenly Sword Sect and Yuding Sect cultivators, intending to slaughter them all.

However, the victory in the Market was not the main point; the core of the conflict was the battle raging deep within the Great Wilderness. The Golden Core Cultivators, as the ultimate fighting strength, held the key to a Sect's prosperity or decline. Only if the Five Elements Ancestor could decisively defeat his enemies would their victory truly be secured.

"We've just received news: black blood has been dug out from the Spirit Stone Vein!"

Black blood?

Just as the Five Elements Sect was exulting, this peculiar piece of news reached everyone's ears.

How could there be black blood inside the Spirit Stone Vein? What creature's blood was it? Magical Beasts?

Before the higher-ups of the Five Elements Sect could react, the battle deep within the Great Wilderness had already concluded.

The Five Elements Ancestor, allied with the recovered Black Soul Sect's Golden Core Cultivator, was steadily pushing back the Heavenly Sword Ancestor and the Yuding Sect's Golden Core Cultivator. Then, a Golden Core Cultivator from Thousand Beasts Mountain suddenly intervened. Whatever benefits the Heavenly Sword Sect and Yuding Sect had promised him, the battle shifted to a three-versus-two. Even so, the Five Elements Ancestor still held the absolute advantage.

Suddenly, the Five Elements Ancestor roared, "Black Soul whelp, you dare ambush me! Don't you want the life-souls of those three Golden Cores anymore?!"

The Five Elements Ancestor's protective Magical Treasure had been tainted. At a critical moment, it malfunctioned, allowing the Heavenly Sword Ancestor's sword to lunge forward and pierce the Five Elements Ancestor's Dantian.

"You old monster, you've lived far too long," one of the attackers sneered.

"If we gave you a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, we'd stand no chance against you, even united. The Barren Extreme Land would truly become the Five Elements Sect's domain."

"If your breakthrough failed, given your temperament, you'd try to drag one of us Golden Core Cultivators down with you."

"Rather than live in constant fear, you're better off dead. That would give us greater peace of mind."

The Black Soul Sect's Golden Core Cultivator added with a chilling smile, "Besides... their life-souls combined aren't worth as much as yours, Ancestor."

The four Golden Core Cultivators attacked the Five Elements Ancestor simultaneously from all directions. The Black Soul Sect's Golden Core Cultivator had launched a sneak attack, tainting the Five Elements Ancestor's life-bound Magic Artifact. With four Golden Core Cultivators now united against him, the Five Elements Ancestor was powerless to reverse his fate.

A flash of sword light decapitated him, and the Five Elements Ancestor was dead.

The turn of events was sudden and utterly unexpected. One moment, the Five Elements Sect was immersed in joy; the next, they were struck by this devastating news. Black Soul Sect cultivators launched surprise attacks on their erstwhile allies. The Sect that had been their 'brother-in-arms' moments before now turned on them with lethal intent. The fleeing cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect and Yuding Sect regrouped, joining forces with the Black Soul Sect to attack the Five Elements Sect cultivators.

This was a conspiracy! A conspiracy specifically targeting the Five Elements Sect! The four other Sects had colluded, their aim to annihilate the Five Elements Sect. The Black Soul Sect had feigned an alliance with the Five Elements Sect, all to lull the Five Elements Ancestor into a false sense of security. The news about Superior Grade Spirit Stones was likely a fabrication, all part of an elaborate scheme to lure them into a trap.

The four Sects' plot had succeeded! With the Five Elements Ancestor dead, the Five Elements Sect lost its pillar of support and had no hope of recovery. Its cultivators scattered and fled; the Sect's annihilation was now only a matter of time. The tide had irrevocably turned…

"Kill them all!"

The remaining Five Elements Sect cultivators hastily reformed the Reversed Five Elements Array to resist the encirclement by the cultivators of the three pursuing Sects. Individually, none of these Sects could match the Five Elements Sect, but the combined might of the three Great Sects was overwhelming. What plunged the Five Elements Sect cultivators into utter despair was the realization that the battle in the depths of the Great Wilderness had concluded. The four victorious Golden Core Cultivators were now free, like unstoppable grim reapers, to hunt them down. They could see no glimmer of hope for survival, let alone a reversal of fortune.

The four Golden Core Cultivators had slain the Five Elements Ancestor, and the Black Soul Banner had already collected his dissipating soul, ensuring he had no chance for a desperate last stand or posthumous revenge. Their smiles were radiant; each had reaped substantial rewards, but most importantly, a major threat had been eliminated, bringing them immense relief and peace of mind.

"There's something strange in the Spirit Stone Vein! Ancestors, save us!" miners cried out for help as black blood began to seep from the ground.

The Spirit Stone Vein was of immense importance; it could not be lost. More black blood welled up from below, steadily rising and filling every inch of the subterranean mine shafts. Deeper within, intricate Formation patterns seemed to be interwoven with the Spirit Stone Vein and the very earth, forming a unique sealing restriction.

But now... that restriction had been destroyed.

An entity long buried deep underground had broken its shackles and regained its freedom.

"Is that the aura of Bizarre Demons?" one of the Golden Core Cultivators exclaimed, his face paling.

"Could the Spirit Stone Vein actually be a sealing Formation?!" another wondered aloud in shock.

"What an audacious plan! Using an entire Spirit Stone Vein to seal Bizarre Demons?!"

The four Golden Core Cultivators' expressions grew grim. Their hearts pounded with a sudden, shared premonition of disaster. Using a Large Spirit Stone Vein to seal Bizarre Demons was a concept so grand it was beyond their imagination. Any Bizarre Demon requiring such measures to seal it would undoubtedly be an entity of terrifying power. This was likely a problem far beyond their ability to handle.

All four Golden Core Ancestors, recognizing the dire situation, decisively began to lead their elite forces away from the area. Nothing involving Bizarre Demons could ever be treated lightly.

The Golden Core Ancestors reacted quickly. However, the Evil Warding Artifacts and Talismans on all four of them shattered simultaneously. They felt their blood begin to boil violently within them, as if trying to tear their bodies apart from the inside. Even with their Golden Core cultivation, they couldn't suppress this internal turmoil. Despite their desperate efforts, they couldn't stop their rampaging blood from destroying and tainting their Dantians.

One by one, they collapsed as their blood was forcibly drawn from their bodies, flowing towards the pool of black blood at the Spirit Stone Vein. Their remnant souls, commanding the Black Soul Banner, the Purple Sword, the Copper Cauldron, and the Jade Seal, attempted to flee. These were what remained of the four Golden Core Ancestors, their physical bodies destroyed in an instant by the unknown, terrifying power.

But before these remnant souls could escape with their Magical Treasures, the four artifacts, now streaking through the distant sky, abruptly froze. Then, as if devoid of their own will, they turned and flew back towards the Spirit Stone Vein, plunging into the ever-growing pool of black blood. After they plunged into the pool, all was silent.

Not one of the four Golden Core Cultivators escaped; all perished horrifically in the Great Wilderness.

It was as if the Bizarre Demon was demonstrating to all cultivators, with undeniable power… who truly ruled the Great Wilderness!

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