Though Gu Li's methods could not match the profundity of Tang Ru's karmic power, they were even more... intolerable.
Most crucially, no matter how hard they tried to suppress this bizarre power, as long as their cultivation had not reached the Ascension realm with its independent laws of reality, it was virtually impossible to keep under control.
Cultivators at the late Tribulation Transcendence realm could barely suppress it, preventing the life inside them from absorbing any more soul power. But this was no long-term solution—the escaping energy would still cause the infant to grow...
At this rate, in less than four hours, every single one of them would have to give birth!!
Men and women alike would have to give birth...
The mere thought of such a nightmare drove everyone mad.
In an instant, chilling killing intent enveloped Gu Li, and many cultivators lunged straight at him.
Cao Yan's gaze turned fierce. With a blast from both fists, he threw back the enemies before him and teleported to Gu Li's side!
In that split second, Gu Li hurled out dozens of inscribed talismans.
The blazing firelight flickered, illuminating Cao Yan's face with crystal clarity.
"Third Brother, protect me!!"
Cao Yan said nothing. Feeling the boundless energy of the inscribed talismans pouring steadily into his body, he felt a surging, inexhaustible power.
Running his cultivation technique, he let that formidable might expand outward.
Bai Su finally arrived as well, tardy to the fray.
Yet whether intentional or not, Gu Li instantly shifted a hundred zhang away together with Cao Yan, maintaining a delicate distance from Bai Su.
To Bai Su, however, the maneuver appeared entirely ordinary—he assumed Gu Li had simply whisked Cao Yan away to dodge enemy strikes.
Meanwhile, Xiao Chen roared with laughter at the sky full of swollen-bellied cultivators.
Yet even as he laughed mockingly, a glance from the corner of his eye swept across Gu Li and Bai Su's direction.
An imperceptible gleam flashed deep within his eyes, and he gave an almost invisible nod.
The battlefield was locked in fierce stalemate, both sides fighting for their lives.
At a time like this, anyone who held back risked dying on the spot.
Every cultivator unleashed everything they had, revealing one trump card after another.
"Great Sky Inscription: Dragon-Ensnaring Heaven Jail!!!"
*Boom!!*
Nine inscribed talismans, each a zhang tall, deployed in all directions as nine colossal dragon phantoms roared in unison!
A terrifying wave of suppression and dread washed outward.
"Break through these talismans!!"
"Kill that bastard! He's a talisman master who has already attained the Dao!!"
By now, the Immortal Realm cultivators considered the threat posed by Tang Ru and Gu Li nearly on par with the Four Kings!!
In an instant, the pressure bearing down on Cao Yan and Gu Li mounted tenfold.
Thankfully, Gu Li had more than enough inscribed talismans!
Talismans shimmering with a golden glow circled him like chains.
Even more hovered around Cao Yan as Gu Li split his focus, manipulating the talismans to aid Cao Yan in combat.
*Boom! Boom!!*
*Screeech—!*
A longsword slashed toward Cao Yan's head.
A dark-gold inscribed talisman materialized beside Cao Yan's ear out of thin air.
When the blade struck it, a screeching metallic scrape rang out.
Cao Yan's eyes hardened. He punched the blade aside, then drove an elbow strike into his opponent's shoulder.
*Crack!*
"Aaaargh!!!!"
A blood-curdling shriek erupted as the man's shoulder instantly collapsed, the clavicle and shoulder bones pulverized into splinters.
Killing intent flashed in Cao Yan's eyes as he reached for the man's throat.
But just then, two sharp sword beams cleaved toward his arms.
The moment the sword beams appeared, two inscribed talismans flashed into being beside the two attackers!
Terrified, the two young men scrambled backward.
Gu Li sneered.
"Too late!"
*Boom!!!*
The talismans detonated with horrific force comparable to the self-detonation of an early Tribulation Transcendence cultivator!!
*Rumble!*
The ferocious shockwave blew even Cao Yan hundreds of zhang away. He looked toward the blast in shock.
Two blood-soaked figures stumbled out from the fire, their bodies half-mangled and bloody.
"Aaaagh! The pain! It hurts so much!!"
"Curse you!! How can an inscribed talisman be so terrifying?!"
Before the words had completely left their mouths, a golden spear came hurtling through the air from afar!!!!
The spear shook the heavens; its spear beam pierced through the void and obliterated one cultivator's head in an instant.
A tiger's roar sounded as a snow-white tiger claw slammed down, crushing the other's head to pulp.
Bai Su stood in place, his gaze toward Gu Li unreadable.
Long Hou wielded his golden spear, fighting off enemies with everything he had!
By this point, Long Hou's armor was battered and cracked, and blood-soaked strands of hair clung to his cheeks.
Cao Yan, too, was beginning to run low on breath and strength.
He pulled back beside Gu Li, the two of them standing back-to-back, supporting each other.
Meng Wanshu and Xiao Chen both noticed the plight of Cao Yan and Gu Li.
Yet each faced at least two enemies of their own; their battles were fraught with peril, leaving them hard-pressed just to defend themselves.
Even wishing to reinforce their allies, they lacked the strength to spare.
Fortunately, Long Hou was drawing pressure from a distance.
As for Bai Su, the moment he stepped in, the immortals mobbed him as well.
The battlefield was fractured once more, and casualties on the Seventh Domain's side mounted steadily.
Qin Wushang, Xu Junlin, and the others could only skirt the fringes of the clash, struggling even to preserve their own lives.
A man fought valiantly, his sword strikes fierce and unrelenting. With a sharp flick of his blade, he cast off the blood clinging to the steel.
As a corpse plummeted from the sky, Ye Xuan had barely exhaled a breath of relief when a piercing shriek suddenly whistled past his ear!!
His heart lurched. From the distance, Qin Xiao's furious roar tore through the din.
"Old Ye, watch your back!!!"
A ferocious-looking Qin Xiao took a wound to trade a life, forcibly disengaging from his battle. Stepping forward, he twisted his waist and hurled his sword with all his might!!!!
*Whew—!*
Like lightning, the sword beam bridged a thousand zhang in an instant, streaking toward Ye Xuan's back.
Ye Xuan was alarmed. Snapping his wrist around, he thrust his sword backward with explosive force!!
*Clang!!!*
A silver shield blocked the blade cold. A white-haired elder hurled out a golden chain that bound Ye Xuan tightly in place.
Ye Xuan was horrified to find the primal energy and divine sense within his body sealed in an instant.
The pendant around his neck shattered at once, forcibly breaking the suppressing shackles and allowing him to channel his primal energy to shatter the chain!!
With a loud bang, the golden chain exploded into countless flying shards.
Yet that split second of delay proved fatal.
Facing the incoming sword beam hurtling toward him, the elder sneered.
Ducking low as he turned, he allowed the sword beam to tear an ugly gash across his back, while his own sword thrust forward with vicious precision!!
*Squirt—!*
Ye Xuan's sword was a mere inch from the elder's throat.
Yet across that single inch, he could advance no farther, no matter how hard he tried.
"Old Ye!!!!!"
"I'll kill your fucking mother!!!!"
Qin Xiao roared in blinding fury as he charged, willing his flying sword to wheel around and strike at the old man!!
Yet the elder slipped into the void like an eel, dodging the strike.
*Boom!! Squirt—!*
A terrifyingly dreadful sword intent fused into a beam of sword light and erupted from the void.
Ye Mohan leapt out from the emptiness, dangling the elder's severed head in his grip.
Casting the head aside, he caught Ye Xuan with both hands as the man plummeted toward the void.
He shoved medicinal pills into Ye Xuan's mouth one after another, but the sword qi that had shredded Ye Xuan's heart raged uncontrollably within his body.
No pill could stem the drain of his fleeting life force...
Qin Xiao rushed to Ye Xuan's side. Ye Xuan's consciousness was already fading into the final verge of death.
Blood poured profusely from his mouth, yet he gripped Qin Xiao's hand with every ounce of strength left in him.
"Old Qin... take care... of my daughter..."
Tears filled Qin Xiao's eyes. Clasping Ye Xuan's hand tightly, he nodded heavily.
"I will!! I will!! I swear I'll take good care of her! You... you rest easy..."
A faint smile touched the corners of Ye Xuan's lips. He turned his head to gaze at the flashing spiritual lights across the extraterritorial void.
Gathering his very last breath, he murmured softly,
"The Great Dao... lies ahead... yet I... shall never behold it..."
His hands fell limp.
Ye Xuan, Sect Master of the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect, fell in battle!
Chapter 1533