Chapter 41: Fierce Battle
"Demon head, do you really think a seventh-rank Great Formation makes you fearless?"
Ouyang Haoze looked at Lu Yang through the Formation light screen, sneering, "Formations are ultimately inanimate objects. For us Cultivators, cultivation Realm is paramount!"
"Ultimately, it comes down to a true test of strength."
Lu Yang's internal alarm blared, but his expression remained calm: "Fellow Daoist, if you are confident, you are welcome to enter the Formation and fight. Otherwise, you should obediently retreat."
"Courting death!"
Ouyang Haoze smiled sinisterly, then actually took a step forward, exhaling with a thunderous sound as a mighty roar erupted from his throat.
This was a high-grade Divine Ability of Divine Martial Sect, named Thousand Miles Void Shattering Divine Sound. It involved secretly absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, empowering it with Divine Martial Sect's unique third-rank True Qi, Divine Martial True Qi, and then roaring it out in one breath. Wherever the sound wave passed, everything within a thousand miles, regardless of friend or foe, would be shattered into dust.
In an instant, the intensely powerful Divine Sound surged into the Formation.
Lines of Formation runes shattered, revealing various forms of skeletal soldiers, and the massive Formation was actually blasted open with a gaping hole!
Immediately after, Ouyang Haoze took out a round mirror.
"Please, Grandmaster Heavenly Mirror, make your move."
He formed a hand seal and pointed, sacrificing the round mirror into the air. A magnificent mirror light projected downwards, solidifying the Void Realm and actually freezing the Formation's opening!
In an instant, the market town shook violently!
Many Cultivators retreated, not daring to approach the edge of the Formation, their faces filled with panic.
Fei Xia's face was pale, but the next second, she suddenly looked at Lu Yuanchun, whose expression was strange, and sternly said, "Stay here! You are not allowed to go anywhere!"
Having been tricked before, Fei Xia naturally no longer trusted Lu Yuanchun. At this moment, her beautiful face even showed a hint of ferocity: "If it weren't for Junior Brother Lu, you would already be dead outside the market town. If you dare to try and escape in the chaos again, I will kill you first, no matter the cost!"
"Junior Sister Fei Xia misunderstands…"
Lu Yuanchun gave an awkward smile, seeing Fei Xia's menacing appearance, he felt some apprehension and had to suppress the many sinister thoughts that had just arisen.
And with the two Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators remaining calm, the chaos within the market town quickly subsided.
Of course, everyone knew this was only temporary.
The outcome between Lu Yang and Ouyang Haoze was the last straw that would break the camel's back, so Fei Xia could only trust Lu Yang at this moment.
She believed he could create a miracle.
"This is… a Spirit Treasure?"
Lu Yang looked at the round mirror in the air, his expression drastically changing: "And it's a supreme Yang Spirit Treasure specifically designed to counter earthly Yin Qi, used to deal with the Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation!?"
Ouyang Haoze laughed uproariously, feeling triumphant:
"The Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation has stood on Skull Mountain for many years. Since my Divine Martial Sect dared to scheme against it, how could we not prepare a method to break the Formation in advance?"
"With the Heavenly Mirror, you are sure to die today!"
This Spirit Treasure was not his own; it was specially refined by a Foundation Establishment Immortal Master of Divine Martial Sect to counter the Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation, so its power was self-evident.
Above the market town, Lu Yang's expression was grim. Without a word, he turned and ran.
"Hmph! Trying to leave?"
Without hesitation, Ouyang Haoze leaped up, simultaneously unleashing another Divine Sound, instantly pulverizing the surrounding skeletal soldiers, then pursued Lu Yang.
However, at this moment, an unexpected change occurred!
The moment Ouyang Haoze stepped into the Formation, his expression changed, and he instinctively wanted to retreat, but when he turned back, he only saw a expanse of crimson Formation runes.
"I didn't expect you would actually dare to come in…"
Lu Yang stopped running, turning to look at Ouyang Haoze, his previous panicked appearance as if it had never existed, revealing a sinister smile.
"This is impossible!"
Ouyang Haoze's eyelids twitched, both surprised and uncertain: "The Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation was clearly frozen by my Heavenly Mirror, so why are there still Formations appearing? Is there a second Formation within the market town? Where did it come from? Why didn't I detect any traces of its setup beforehand?"
"Because I don't need to set up a Formation at all…"
Lu Yang sneered inwardly; his Blood Wash Heavenly River Sword Formation Diagram relied entirely on the Blood Sun Sword Pill, a Formation Treasure. It formed a Formation with a thought, so naturally, there would be no traces!
The next second, a banner, fluttering in the wind, appeared in Lu Yang's hand.
Innate One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner!
As the banner swayed, countless Banner Spirits flew out in an instant, landing in various Formation eyes of the Blood Wash Heavenly River Sword Formation Diagram, moving involuntarily.
As early as when he designed this Formation, Lu Yang had taken the Innate One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner into account. At this moment, tens of thousands of souls within the banner arrayed themselves, occupying the Formation eyes and manifesting profound mysteries. In an instant, the world turned crimson, and a surging river of blood descended from south to north, falling directly onto Ouyang Haoze!
Ouyang Haoze immediately grunted, his body swaying.
Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light!
Trapped within the Formation, Ouyang Haoze couldn't evade the power of the Divine Light. He only felt his originally surging Qi and blood rapidly draining from his body like a breached dam.
The next second, he quickly shouted, "Lord Heaven Light Armor, save me!"
As the armor light shone on the sun, golden scales opened. Layers of precious light enveloped Ouyang Haoze, and for a moment, it actually stopped the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light's absorption.
Spirit Treasure, Heaven Light Armor!
This Treasure was refined from "Demon Subduing Heaven Light," and its nature clashed with the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light. The result of their collision was a mutual stalemate.
Only then did Ouyang Haoze finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, he hadn't expected that with his cultivation, combined with the Heavenly Mirror and the Heaven Light Armor, and with such complete preparations, he would still nearly suffer a reversal.
"At this point, I cannot escape…"
Ouyang Haoze's eyes were bloodshot. Not only did he not intend to escape, but he instead looked at Lu Yang, deep within the Formation, a suffocating killing intent appearing in his eyes.
"…Only counterattack!"
As a True Disciple of a sect, his willpower was by no means weak. He also understood the principle that "when rivals meet, the brave one wins." He knew that if he were to focus solely on escaping now, he would be played to death by Lu Yang. To break the Formation, he had to seek survival in death, find a way to kill Lu Yang. Once Lu Yang died, the Formation would naturally dissolve!
Rumble!
The next second, under the protection of the Heaven Light Armor, Ouyang Haoze charged towards Lu Yang, his unparalleled spear tip pointing directly at the Innate One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner in Lu Yang's hand!
"That banner seems to be the core of this Formation. If I can't kill Lu Yang, perhaps destroying it will also provide a way out…"
"Good timing!"
Lu Yang raised the banner, and a figure emerged. It was Liu Xin, whose face was filled with bewilderment, as if he hadn't fully woken up yet.
The next second—
"Explode!"
With a loud bang! Liu Xin involuntarily opened his mouth and shouted the word 'kill,' revealing a killing curse specifically designed for mutual destruction!
In Lu Yang's view, Liu Xin's use of the Innate One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner was too superficial. After all, Banner Spirits were immortal; even if temporarily destroyed, as long as their True Spirit didn't dissipate, they could be resummoned by expending magical power. Given this, why make them fight in a conventional manner?
They should be taught self-destructive killing moves!
Since they could be resurrected, letting them unleash those Divine Abilities that kill a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of one's own, and self-detonate to kill enemies—this was the correct usage!
In an instant, the Spiritual Qi surged and engulfed everything.
When the dust settled, Liu Xin was gone, and Ouyang Haoze was forcibly halted in mid-air, his expression extremely grim.
Up to this point, he had used many methods.
Divine Abilities, Spirit Treasures, and cultivation suppression—dealing with a Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivator should have been effortless, but who would have thought that none of them succeeded?
Instead, his magical power was greatly depleted.
"If this continues, I'm afraid I really will die here…"
As Ouyang Haoze thought of this, a ruthless look flashed across his face. He formed a hand seal, and then the Heaven Light Armor on his body suddenly let out a mournful cry.
"This is… not good!"
Lu Yang's expression changed drastically at the sight. His body flickered, instantly shifting behind the Blood Sun Sword Pill, and then he summoned the Sword Pill's blood shadow to protect himself.
Boom!!!
The Spirit Treasure, Heaven Light Armor, self-destructed!
The exploding spiritual light, just like the scene Xiao Shiye had created in the past, swept in all directions, instantly shattering Lu Yang's Sword Formation Diagram and revealing the clear blue sky.
Although Lu Yang reacted extremely quickly, swiftly closing the Formation, Ouyang Haoze was even faster, rushing out of the Formation diagram's encirclement at the last moment. Lu Yang only had time to cast the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light, which stripped another thirty percent of Qi and blood from him, leaving him looking like nothing but skin and bones.
"You destroyed my Magic Treasure! If I don't tear you into ten thousand pieces, this hatred will not be appeased!"
Ouyang Haoze stood outside the market town, his expression ferocious. He actually injected his remaining magical power into another Spirit Treasure, the Heavenly Mirror, causing it to also emit a mournful cry.
"At worst, I'll sacrifice all my Spirit Treasures today. Let's see if you can still produce a third Great Formation!"