Ruan Zheng, the second disciple of Qi Shuming, the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect, was born with a pair of distinctive phoenix eyes and was exceptionally handsome. He, along with Qi Shuming's senior disciple, Shen Tuhong, the senior disciple of the Ascetic Monk, He Pingzi, and the senior disciple of Xuan Zhenzi, Zhuge Jingwo, all belonged to the Three Immortals of the East Sea and spent years following their master in cultivating at Fishing Rock in the East Sea, developing an inseparable relationship.

Decades ago, a group of Emei disciples mistakenly killed an Independent Immortal from overseas. They were captured by the Dragon Slayer using the Mile Cloth Bag and sent to Qi Shuming at Fishing Rock to be disciplined according to the family rules. Qi Shuming expelled the leading disciples, Shen Tuhong and Ruan Zheng, from the sect for eighty-one years. During this period, they were to undergo reincarnation three times before they could return to the sect.

He Pingzi was also sentenced to reincarnation, but as an accessory, he only died once. After being reborn, he was taken back to the sect by the Ascetic Monk and later became the most detestable laughing monk.

During the process, Zhuge Jingwo mainly played the role of a mediator and was less complicit, thus receiving the lightest punishment.

Now, Ruan Zheng and Shen Tuhong had already undergone two reincarnations. In this life, Ruan Zheng had befriended Qian Kang. Coincidentally, Qian Kang sent a Flying Sword Transmission asking for his help. Also, the reincarnated Zhuge Jingwo, who had been harmed by the Demon Dragon using Jiaotai incense and lost his Yuan Yang, had a vendetta to settle. Hence, Ruan Zheng, along with Zhuge Jingwo and Shen Tuhong, whom they encountered on their way, rushed to Outer Heaven Divine Mountain to slay the dragon and exorcise demons.

On their way, they encountered a hermit who bestowed upon them a Divine Talisman. He advised them to use this talisman to cast a spell, triggering the Aurora Fire to break the Guardian Immortal Formation. They had succeeded and had dissolved the Divine Talisman, returning the Aurora Fire to its rightful place to avoid an uncontrollable catastrophe.

Qian Kang, along with his wife and disciples, flew up to meet Ruan Zheng. Ruan Zheng introduced Shen Tuhong and Zhuge Jingwo to him.

Upon meeting, Qian Kang thanked Ruan Zheng for coming a long way to help. Ruan Zheng did not mention that Zhuge Jingwo was also there for revenge, as it was disgraceful to spread the news that a disciple of Emei was tricked into losing his virginity. He simply stated it was a coincidence and that he had been pulled in to help.

They chatted casually here, and no one suggested hurrying to charge in.

Qian Kang feared there were other formidable ambushes within the Bright Realm and wanted the opportunists who were rushing in to act as cannon fodder. Then, he would move in to finish off.

Ruan Zheng and his companions received guidance from the hermit on their way, stating that the Black Dragon was skilled in manipulating Gua Xiang, disturbing Yin Yang, and shifting variables, creating a deathtrap to mislead others into calculating his inevitable death within three days. A true master, upon seeing such predictions, would sense the anomaly in the Gua Xiang and harbor doubts, unsure of the real Gua Xiang, thereby seeing it as a tactic of deception. Foolish men and women, believing the dragon's death was certain, would rush in to seek advantages.

The hermit also mentioned that the Nine Layers Immortal Formation set by the Demon Dragon was intricate, with the external six layers requiring treasures like the Aurora Fire and the Cosmic Spirit Shuttle to break. Even he would spend a considerable amount of time. The remaining three layers were also formidable. They were advised not to charge rashly and wait for those greedy for the Demon Dragon Core and Demon Beasts, as well as people from the Forty-Seven Islands, to trigger the traps. Only then should they move in and slay the Demon Dragon, observing the changes and assessing the reality.

Both parties shared similar thoughts, merely chatting in the sky and not taking immediate action.

They were in no hurry. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of the Demon Clan below grew impatient. They all knew that the Five Palaces of the Bright Realm housed treasures and the Black Dragon Core, featuring Spiritual Medicine that took thousands of years to cultivate. Storming in offered a chance to partake. Even if they failed to obtain these treasures, devouring those who sided with the Five Palaces, including humans and demons, and absorbing their inner cores and souls would be tremendously beneficial.

Massive numbers of Demon Beasts swarmed, constantly nearing the Five Palaces.

In the Western Continent of Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, the highest peak of Central Earth, Jade Peak, divided the continent into north and south. The Five Palaces built by Shi Feiyang were situated in the north. The Western Continent was mountainous, and the flattest area was here, spanning just over three thousand miles in circumference; the rest were rugged mountains. The southern part was even more rugged with continuous peaks, numerous ravines, and valleys, harboring countless Demon Beasts and peculiar species emerging from the dense forests and moving steadily northward.

The sea harbored even more monstrous creatures with bizarre forms, such as the giant whales born with a hundred eyes and the octopuses covered with countless claws, stirring giant waves with sparkling scales, their tentacles and claws flying all around. At a glance, the sea was filled with various monsters riding the winds and waves.

The Crystal Palace housed over thirty thousand peculiar species. Faced with such a grand spectacle, all harbored a sense of dread. Shen Gu did not possess the cunning and tactics of tortoises and snakes, but he had Yuan Tuo here, ranked second among all the beasts and peculiar species of Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, second only to the deceased Cold Centipede. Since the Cold Centipede's death, he was the mightiest. After pledging allegiance to Shi Feiyang, he not only learned the Sun Refining Great Technique but also gained a personalized cultivation technique and several spells crafted specifically for him by Shi Feiyang. Over the years, he had refined his Dragon Ball with Gui Water Essence, making it perfectly round and crystal clear, with most impurities removed, significantly enhancing his mana.

He swam away with his body stretching over a hundred yards, two large and two small wings extending from his sides, releasing a mountain-like, terrifying pressure that made the thirty thousand members of the Water Clan tremble in fear. "Since you have submitted to the king, you are the king's servants! Whatever the king tells you to do, you must do, and what he forbids, you must not do! Now that there are foreign enemies invading, you all must fight with me to defend the king. Anyone who dares to fear death, surrender, or collude with the enemy, I will personally tear him to pieces!"

The Demon Clan shouted in unison, "We swear to defend the king! We swear to defend the king! We swear..."

Before they could finish shouting, the enemy demons had already charged over. Yuan Meng roared furiously, emitting a roar that shook the seas, and rushed forward to meet them first. He opened his mouth and fiercely sucked in tons of seawater, merging it with his Dan Qi to condense into countless bowl-sized water bubbles. He spat them out like a giant shotgun, tens of thousands of bubbles swarming out, all of them filled with Gui Water Divine Thunder, spraying and hitting the wave-riding demon troops.

These invading demons were mostly soft-bodied aquatic types, with thousands of feet and eyes, thousands of arms and heads, either densely covered in sharp spines or with enormously thick whiskers, mostly highly poisonous, and all having various aquatic strategies. Many could also launch Gui Water Divine Thunder, but at most one or two at a time—how could they compare to Yuan Meng who could spray tens of thousands at once!

Countless Thunder Pearls struck into the dense crowd of aquatic demons, exploding violently and boiling the entire water area. Countless shattered octopus whiskers and squid claws flew chaotically with the waves!

With this first barrage of dense Thunder Pearls, the grand battle officially commenced. The demons of the Crystal Palace, led by Yuan Meng and God Kun, charged out to engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat with the enemy hordes outside. They entangled each other with tentacles, gnawed with sharp teeth, stabbed with poisonous spines, whipped with tails, some sprayed water, others spewed thunder, created whirlpools, produced illusions, rammed headlong, and dodged and darted... Soon the seawater was dyed red, with countless severed limbs and scales churning in the waves, even turning the foam into a crimson red.

On land, the demon creatures began to advance northward. They charged past the Crystal Jade Arch of the Bright Realm and aimed to invade the front courtyard of the Shenzhe Palace. Red Snake and Xuan Turtle, who had earlier rallied the Demon Clan, were waiting there, flashing their fangs and claws and engaging in a bloodbath that was no less ferocious than the one in the sea!

As the species clashed in a bloodbath, the people from various palaces watched from a distance. Some were too far away, or their view was blocked, but they could still hear the dense thunder and see occasional flames bursting through the air.

Xiong Man held onto the Dragon Sparrow Ring tightly and said, "Those beast species might not be reliable, and even if they were, our numbers are far fewer than the enemy's. I fear... should we go and help?"

Deng Bagu said, "Master has his plans, our fight is not with those demons, but with the Demon Humans."

Xiong Man worriedly said, "Where are the Demon Humans? Shouldn't we go to Qianling Mountain and protect Master?"

"Master has just shown a message on my talisman, instructing me to do something, and Tianrui Palace still needs you to guard it," Deng Bagu said, then shook her body, becoming invisible and leaving.

Contents also appeared on Xiong Man's talisman, instructing her to stay here and not to go anywhere. She turned her head towards the direction of Qianling Mountain, her face filled with worry.

Meanwhile, outside the Aurora Fire near the Polar Circle, there were many islands, among which the most famous Forty-Seven Islands lay close together, the nearest being just a few hundred miles apart. These islands were home to many unorthodox practitioners. Previously having antagonized Purple Cloud Palace and having the Mountain Treasure Red Cloud Pestle stolen by Jiang Dachuan, Gang Chen, the Island Master of Black Sand Island, was among them.

However, these scattered immortals on the Forty-Seven Islands, with varying levels of mana, often got into trouble like Gang Chen, facing annihilation or being robbed and merged in fire by other formidable islanders. Continuously, people from Central Earth or other places came here for cultivation for various reasons, so the inhabitants of the islands often changed.

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