Time flew, and nearly four years had passed since Jia Ren had entered Wang Fugui's Cave.

Apart from the time spent refining the Xuan Gui Shield, he devoted all other time to cultivating and enhancing his Divine Skills' proficiency level.

With the cultivation paradise and Yellow Dragon Spirit Pills, his cultivation speed advanced by leaps and bounds. He was rapidly approaching the Late Golden Core Stage. In two to three months at most, he would reach the peak of his current cultivation, allowing a smooth breakthrough to the Late Golden Core Stage.

After finishing his cultivation, he practiced the Star God Art as usual. Practicing the Star God Art didn't consume Spiritual Power, which conveniently alleviated meridian fatigue and prevented irreparable damage.

Jia Ren's mind sank into his sea of consciousness. There, he could see a Star River formed from countless Starsands, flowing slowly. The number of Starsands within it increased each time the art circulated. When the Star River transformed into a Star Sea, he would reach the fourth layer of the Star God Art.

He entered a state of deep meditation, becoming detached from himself and his surroundings.

"Senior, please uphold justice for our Arctic Palace!"

At this moment, a distant Sound Transmission Talisman arrived, carrying a voice filled with pleading.

Outside the Cave, a pale-faced middle-aged man knelt on the ground. Blood flowed continuously from the many gruesome, crisscrossing wounds on his body. Worst of all, he clutched his own severed right hand with his left.

An Arctic Palace Cultivator? Was this a survivor who escaped from the hands of Bizarre Alliance Cultivators?! It has been five or six years since the Bizarre Alliance annihilated the Arctic Palace. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn't only now be arriving to seek help. What's more... the one who escaped is a Golden Core Cultivator.

Jia Ren had a general understanding of the forces dispatched by the Bizarre Alliance: at least two Bizarre Alliance Emissaries and a considerable number of Bizarre Persons.

Nascent Soul Cultivators might have a chance to escape, but Golden Core Cultivators probably couldn't.

"Wang Fugui is not here!"

"Can you let me in to take refuge?"

"Bizarre Alliance Cultivators are hunting me down..."

"After fleeing for a long time, all my life-saving and healing Elixirs are exhausted..."

The man's wounds had festered, turning into rotting flesh—a miserable sight.

Jia Ren couldn't help frowning, feeling that something was off. Let someone in? Impossible!

"Go to the Wang Family for help. They can provide you with healing Elixirs."

How could Jia Ren recklessly allow a cultivator of unknown origin into his Cave? Safety was paramount.

"COUGH!"

The man coughed twice, and before he could continue speaking, he collapsed, unconscious.

"HEH HEH, a remnant of the Arctic Palace, yet you dream of escaping the Bizarre Alliance's grasp?!"

In the distance, several streaks of Escape Light flew in, and a flying sword slashed toward the man's neck.

An unfathomable light glinted in Jia Ren's eyes as he gazed intently at the collapsed Arctic Palace Cultivator.

He had always had a nagging feeling that something was amiss. He couldn't help but use the Heavenly Vision to scan the man.

The man appeared to be the same one, but the strength he now revealed was inconsistent. He was not a Golden Core Cultivator, but a genuine Nascent Soul Cultivator! His true condition was vastly different from his feigned appearance; he bore no signs of injury. Everything... was a disguise! All just to feign misery and trick me into leaving the Cave! Those who flew in from the distance were definitely his accomplices. They made their move when they saw no help was offered.

Jia Ren had been silently observing, watching from the sidelines.

The attacking flying sword halted three inches from the collapsed cultivator's neck, advancing no further.

The cultivator who had feigned unconsciousness slowly opened his eyes. They glinted with a black light as he stared at the distant Cave.

"Fellow Daoist is truly cold-hearted!" he sneered. "Where is the trust between people in the Cultivation World? You all present a façade of virtue, but you're nothing but a bunch of cold-blooded beasts!"

His tone was full of sarcasm.

Indeed, just as I suspected. Their actions were all a ploy to deceive me into leaving the Cave so they could strike a deadly blow.

"This trust?" Jia Ren retorted from within the Cave. "Wasn't it ruined by shameless people like you?! The damage Wang Fugui inflicted on your Bizarre Alliance must have been significant, right? Are you that desperate for revenge that you'd come knocking on his door?!"

It had been nearly four years since I gave Wang Fugui the intelligence on the Bizarre Alliance in the Northern Desolation Region. Wang Fugui couldn't have sat idly by. He must have inflicted substantial damage on the Bizarre Alliance's strongholds in the Northern Desolation Region. It was only natural for the Bizarre Alliance to seek revenge. The Bizarre Alliance has vast influence and deep networks, with spies everywhere. It's not surprising they know the location of Wang Fugui's Cave.

"You must be the one Wang Fugui favors!" the man outside declared. "First, we'll slaughter the Wang Family members, then breach your Formation and settle the score with you!"

The Bizarre Alliance also had spies within the Wang Family and knew that someone other than Wang Fugui resided in the Cave. A Divine Transformation Cultivator's Cave is difficult to breach, so they resorted to a pity play, hoping to lure him out and kill him. Unfortunately, Jia Ren was too cautious and didn't fall for it.

"Kill them all!"

With the order given, the Bizarre Alliance Cultivators scattered, charging toward the Wang Family Cultivators.

The Wang Family isn't strong, with only one Golden Core Cultivator. Even if the Bizarre Alliance's Nascent Soul Cultivator doesn't act, they can't withstand the other Bizarre Alliance Cultivators. Thus, the Wang Family is doomed to annihilation. I owe Wang Fugui many favors. I don't know if the Wang Family has any blood ties to him, but I can't just stand by and watch. The invading Bizarre Alliance force includes one Nascent Soul Cultivator and five Golden Core Cultivators—truly a power that ordinary Sect forces couldn't contend with. But... they are no match for me!

"Why must you people force my hand?!" Jia Ren's voice boomed. "Dispose of them!"

The Formation activated, and four Yakshas suddenly flew out. They had all reached a level comparable to the Mid Nascent Soul Stage, possessing formidable combat power.

Zhang Peng Peng used Wind Escape, transforming and merging into the wind. Only the sound of wind was heard as several Golden Core Cultivators, still airborne, were decapitated one after another.

Three Yakshas burrowed into the earth, while three Corpse Fire Ghosts unleashed their ghostly hands, striking at the sole Nascent Soul Cultivator.

"Four Yakshas?!" The Bizarre Alliance Cultivator hadn't expected the enemy to be so terrifying; his expression changed drastically. "And they're Yakshas comparable to the Mid Nascent Soul Stage?! What in the world is his relationship with Wang Fugui? To be willing to give him four Yakshas of such formidable strength?!"

Without a moment's hesitation, he decisively transformed into an Escape Light and fled into the distance. This opponent is tough; best to flee immediately!

They transformed into streaks of Escape Light, scattering and fleeing at high speed. Zhang Peng Peng pursued the Golden Core Cultivators, and the three Yakshas closely followed the Nascent Soul Cultivator.

"I'll remember this grudge!"

Their figures receded into the distance; the pursuit had already covered over a thousand li.

Could the crisis of annihilation have been resolved so effortlessly?! Things weren't that simple!

Jia Ren's gaze locked onto an inconspicuous severed hand outside the Formation. This item is extraordinary, not something a Bizarre Alliance Cultivator would carelessly discard. It's enveloped in dense Bizarre Qi.

Before long, the severed hand, which had appeared to be an inanimate object thrown aside, suddenly twitched as if alive, and a cold voice emanated from within.

"You really are a cautious one! Still hiding in your Turtle Shell and refusing to come out?! Couldn't you have just played along with my performance?!"

The voice of the Bizarre Alliance Cultivator emanated from the severed hand, tinged with more than a little exasperation.

I thought that after what just happened, the fellow inside would relax his guard, assume the situation was resolved, and leave the Formation. Then the severed hand could launch a sneak attack and kill him in one strike. But it's as if he saw through my plan from the start and never intended to show himself. Instead, I'm the one who looks like a jumping clown, hopping all over the place.

"Thousand Hands Hell!"

The fleeing Bizarre Alliance Nascent Soul Cultivator's expression turned grim. He halted his Escape Light and, turning back, unleashed thousands of descending hands with a shout. These were not hands formed from aggregated Spiritual Power but real, physical hands.

Bizarre People! Jia Ren wasn't surprised by this. Even Golden Core Cultivators were eligible to transform into Bizarre People, let alone Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Bizarre Alliance.

Zhang Peng Peng acted the fastest, transforming into Wind Escape first and vanishing without a trace. One Yaksha dove, its Escape Light vanishing into the earth as it burrowed underground. The other two Yakshas each spat black Thousand Year Corpse Flame at the thousands of demonic hands.

The Thousand Year Corpse Flame, usually so potent against foes, was as ineffective as if facing a Hair Bizarre; it couldn't contaminate or burn the target hands, proving utterly futile. The two Yakshas were overwhelmed by the thousands of hands and vanished.

Without treasures that can restrain Bizarre Demons, it's difficult to harm them. This is their most troublesome aspect!

"HEH HEH, this is just the beginning!" the Nascent Soul Cultivator cackled. "Everyone is going to die!"

The thousands of hands flew with undiminished momentum toward the Wang Family's location. Just then, a gigantic Xuan Gui Shield appeared, blocking their path. Banishing Evil Talismans activated, and the Xuan Gui Shield became enveloped in a layer of Wicked Flame that clung to its surface. The Wicked Flame only affected Bizarre Demons and bizarre powers; it wouldn't burn Magic Artifacts or Magical Treasures. The Xuan Gui Shield, now wreathed in Wicked Flame, transformed into a colossal flaming shield nearly a thousand zhang high in the sky, blocking the advance of the thousand demonic hands.

"HMPH!" The Devil Hand Soberer sneered. "You think an ordinary defensive Magical Treasure can stop my Thousand Hands Hell? Wishful thinking!"

With one slap, the Xuan Gui Shield crumpled like paper-mâché, easily torn to shreds. Thousands of Demonic Palms rampaged through the Wang Family, crushing countless despairing people into pulp.

"You've gone too far!" Jia Ren, within the Formation, could no longer sit still. He shouted, stepping out of the Formation to confront him.

"Overestimating your own abilities!"

The thousands of hands suppressed him effortlessly.

Too weak! I expected a formidable enemy, but this one was so fragile, suppressed with such ease. So he was just a nobody after all. His real strength was entirely in those four Yakshas.

After the battle, a sliver of reason returned to the Devil Hand Soberer.

Something's not right. Wasn't this fellow extremely cautious before? Why would he suddenly jump out to court death?! He would have been safer staying in his Cave; I would have found it difficult to breach the Cave's Formation...

More and more doubts flooded his mind, but before he could react, his body incinerated into ash.

This was all from the perspective of the Devil Hand Soberer. Unfortunately, his perception had long been distorted by Jia Ren's Mirror Flower, Dark Moon technique, misleading his senses.

「The truth was...」

The thousands of demonic hands struck the Xuan Gui Shield. On the verge of advancing to the God Transformation Level, the shield was as solid and immovable as a mountain. Even at the full force of the Thousand Hands Hell, they couldn't budge the Xuan Gui Shield an inch. It protected the Wang Family Cultivators behind it, who remained as steady as Mount Tai.

Not only that, but the Xuan Gui Shield also possessed the power to counterattack, reflecting all damage inflicted back onto the Devil Hand Soberer himself. Ordinary attacks might have been one thing, but since the Xuan Gui Shield was enhanced with Wicked Flame, the reflected force also carried the power of the Wicked Flame.

The harder the Devil Hand Soberer struck, the faster his own demise approached.

Before he could even realize what was happening, he was killed by the Xuan Gui Shield's counterattack and the Wicked Flame. In contrast, the Xuan Gui Shield remained unscathed; the Devil Hand Soberer had been unable to breach its defense from start to finish...

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