The boundary was still there, which meant Uncle and the Grand Marshal had run into enemies and couldn't spare a hand to help. Was it Ling Tuo and the Southern Sect's leader? Zhang Yuanqing reached out to feel forward. Just like Xiahou Aotian, his hand passed straight through the barrier, grasping nothing at all. The Red Dancing Shoes had activated their tracking ability—a rule—allowing them to make contact with the boundary's presence.
For anyone unable to touch the boundary, it was as good as nonexistent.
Sophia tried as well, and upon discovering she couldn't touch the boundary, she spoke up immediately: "Call Vice President Panxi for help. He's from the Void class, so most barriers can't stop him, even rule-based ones."
If they couldn't even touch the boundary, how could they hope to break it?
To her mind, this revenge battle by Return of the Dead could already be written off as a failure. Although they had successfully slain a Nihilist, four Dominators on their own side were now trapped. If they didn't seek help from a higher-up, they would likely lose them all.
Trading four for one was a crushing defeat!
The Lord of Taiyin truly was a demigod. Even though their guild leader had planned and schemed with all his might, he still couldn't gain an advantage over him.
In this situation, having Vice President Panxi intervene was the quickest and most reliable approach. Level-9 Dominators were already capable of touching rules—or rather, they were practically rules themselves.
Hearing this, Deng Jingguo and Xiahou Aotian nodded in silence. The latter pulled out his phone. "I have his contact info saved."
"Why do you have his contact info?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, baffled.
"Merchants are massive material suppliers, so of course I keep in touch. As the company CEO, I worry myself sick over our business," Xiahou Aotian said. "Unlike you, an absentee boss without a shred of responsibility."
*If you do business with him, our company will go bankrupt sooner or later,* Zhang Yuanqing roasted internally. He pushed down the protagonist's phone and smiled. "My sense of responsibility isn't on the company. It's on..."
He suddenly sprang into the air. The brand-new, exquisite dancing shoes automatically transformed into a dim red shimmer, strapping onto his feet.
Midair, Zhang Yuanqing flipped, bent his knee, and drove a heavy, powerful side kick into the invisible boundary.
*Bang!*
With a muffled boom akin to a firecracker detonating underwater, a rift was violently kicked open in the boundary. The crack spread and widened rapidly before vanishing into the darkness.
Zhang Yuanqing grinned. "Right here."
Xiahou Aotian, Deng Jingguo, and Sophia turned to look at Yuanshi Tianzun in unison, suddenly realizing that their guild leader's planning and scheming were far more reliable than they had assumed.
***
Inside the Cloud Dream Divine Realm.
"Yuanshi Tianzun, did you think advancing to Day Wanderer meant you could play chess against our leader?" The Dark Night Rose's Sixth Elder flickered between left and right, constantly shifting positions under cover of the pouring rain.
As she spawned pathogens, she taunted her foes to wear down their will to fight, facilitating Sect Master Chunyang's emotional manipulation and making the drumbeats' influence even more effective.
"Did you think gathering multiple Dominators with a demigod backing you would be enough to exact revenge on the Southern Sect? Heh, our leader is a demigod. With his standing, even demigods of the same level fall within his gaze. He foresaw long ago that your target would be the Third Elder." The Sixth Protector sneered repeatedly. "Your true body isn't here, is it? From the start until now, you haven't used a single prop, which proves you're merely an avatar. You intentionally gathered Dominators who share karmic ties with our leader while your true body went after the Southern Sect's other executives. Such a clumsy trick doesn't even require Stargazing to see through.
"Care to guess what trump cards the Southern Sect's elders hold?"
Her words successfully sowed worry and irritation in the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, Lady JoJo, Xiao Yuan, and the Demon Eye Heavenly King, because Yuanshi's layout had indeed been structured this way.
By now, the drumbeats shook repeatedly, layering atop one another. Lady JoJo had completely lost her combat ability, arching her back with bristling fur like a startled bird. Xiao Yuan was barely hanging on as well.
The Palace Master was a Musician, so she was in slightly better shape.
The Demon Eye Heavenly King possessed iron will. Aside from losing his fighting spirit, he had not suffered much, but an Ancient Wargod who lost his will to fight had practically lost his soul.
He had basically become Miejue's punching bag. Were it not for the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter's Demon Refining Pot pouring out Source of Life liquid from time to time to heal him, he would have returned to the Spirit Realm long ago.
Drawing a large golden bow, Zhang Yuanqing loosed an arrow that forced back Sect Master Chunyang, who was assaulting Lady JoJo. Tracking the erratic movements of the Sixth Protector, he asked, "Then did your leader calculate who my true body was dealing with? Did he foresee how quickly my true body would wrap up that battle? Could he predict how many helpers I had who bore no karmic ties to him... and my true body's true combat strength?"
As his voice fell, the sheet of rain suddenly rippled. An invisible wave spread across the night sky, as though the Mirror World had shed an unseen layer of clothing.
Both sides locked in combat halted simultaneously, lifting their heads to look around.
The Dark Night Rose's Sixth Protector underwent a drastic shift in tone: "The rules of the Cloud Dream Divine Realm have been broken."
The rules were broken? The Southern Sect's Third Elder stopped beating the drum, while Sect Master Chunyang and Heavenly King Miejue's expressions darkened.
Zhang Yuanqing's avatar cast off his earlier solemnity, smiling quite casually. "He couldn't calculate the true state of an Illusion God item, couldn't calculate who I was truly dealing with, and even less could he calculate the specifics of those who hold no karma with him."
He raised a hand and snapped his fingers with a crisp *crack*. "Come forth! I choose you, my true body!"
Amid his shout, a glittering golden five-clawed divine dragon broke through the night, slicing through the rain screen to crash straight toward the Third Elder.
The Third Elder instantly raised the bone leg of stark white, about to strike the drumhead, when he suddenly saw the golden dragon shut its eyes, plummet headfirst, and snore thunderously.
The four Dominators on the dragon's back stumbled and vaulted into the air, narrowly avoiding a catastrophic wipeout.
*This thing ruins my cool factor too easily. I'm never using it for an entrance again...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately engaged the combo of Sunrise and Blazing Sun Wargod, drawing the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade, and darted toward the Third Elder like a streak of flowing light.
The true body and avatar shared a soul. Once the boundary was breached, connection between the two was restored, and everything that had transpired within the Cloud Dream Divine Realm had fed back to him through the avatar.
That drum was the key deciding victory or defeat; without neutralizing it, their side could hardly win this battle.
*Dong!*
The Third Elder struck the beast-hide drum.
In mid-dive, Zhang Yuanqing activated the Illusion God's Heart at once, attempting to nullify the spiritual power or rules contained within the drum sound into nothingness.
Yet he failed. Undeterred, the drumbeats echoed into his ears and flooded his mind. In an instant, a surging tide of fear and submission overwhelmed him.
He involuntarily veered away from the Third Elder and, just like the five-clawed golden dragon a moment earlier, plunged headfirst into a nearby building, triggering a dramatic collapse.
Zhang Yuanqing burst out of the ruins, activated Soul Siphon on the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade, and made a clawing motion toward the Third Elder, only for the drumming ringing in his ears to throw his mind into a panic, disrupting the skill.
*As long as the drumming doesn't stop, no one can lay a hand on the drummer...* Zhang Yuanqing called out loudly at once: "Seal the drum first!"
Xiahou Aotian opened his inventory, summoned a metal obelisk over a meter tall, and hurled it fiercely at the Third Elder.
At the same time, steel parts shot out from his inventory and attached to his body, outfitting him into a three-meter-tall mech.
The mech's left hand fired beams of light while its right launched armor-piercing crossbow bolts, spraying down upon Sect Master Chunyang, the Sixth Protector, and Heavenly King Miejue, pinning down three Dominators by his own power alone.
*Dong! Dong! Dong!*
The Southern Sect's Third Elder struck the drum in rapid succession. Sound waves heavy as a collapsing mountain filled the Mirror World.
The Dominators of Return of the Dead froze as one, faces pale. Terrified, the mecha-clad Xiahou Aotian involuntarily retracted his weapons and erected an energy barrier, switching from offense to defense.
Yet the metal obelisk he had thrown ignored the sound waves, flying unflinchingly toward the beast-hide drum.
As a Scholar-class prop and a Forbidden Artifact designed specifically for sealing other props, it naturally possessed immunity to prop attacks.
*Hum!*
The inscriptions on the metal obelisk lit up one after another as sealing runes were activated, sending invisible ripples undulating outward.
*Dong! Dong! Dong...*
The Southern Sect's Third Elder drummed continuously, but the beats grew noticeably sluggish and muffled.
Heavenly King Miejue kicked Demon Eye away, ignored the armor-piercing crossbow bolts, and flashed to the Third Elder's side, eight palms grabbing for the metal obelisk.
Zhang Yuanqing donned his Purple Gold Suit, rammed straight into Miejue's chest, mounted her, and swung his fists relentlessly.
*Bang! Bang!* Under the immense force of resonance, Miejue's lower jaw fractured, sending several bloody molars flying.
*Dong!*
The slightly sluggish drumbeat sounded once more. Zhang Yuanqing stiffened, his Purple Gold Armor showing signs of melting as if encountering its natural predator.
Miejue landed a punch square on his face, splashing purple-gold liquid and sending him tilting to one side, while her six arms holding blades, spears, swords, and halberds thrust out their weapons in unison.
Right at that moment, the five-clawed golden dragon finally woke from the drumbeats. Seeing its master in peril, it hurried over and coiled tightly around his right arm.
A golden round shield suddenly popped into existence.
Miejue's weapons slashed and stabbed against the golden shield, but despite their innate armor-piercing property, they failed to breach its defense.
She instantly withdrew her weapons, switched to shield bash, and hammered all eight fists against Zhang Yuanqing's chest.
Zhang Yuanqing's brain buzzed, and he lost consciousness as the sheer power of the blow sent him flying.
Just as Heavenly King Miejue was about to pursue and finish him off, Sophia gathered a wind blade dozens of zhang long with both hands in midair and slashed downward.
*Clang!*
The wind blade cleaved into Miejue's crown, sending blinding sparks scattering. While it did not pierce the Ancient Wargod's copper skin and iron bones, the tremendous impact left her dizzy.
Riddled with wounds, the Demon Eye Heavenly King turned himself into a cannonball, headbutting the dazed Miejue and knocking her flying.
*Dong!*
The drum sounded once more, disrupting the combat rhythm of Return of the Dead's members.
In the air, Sophia suddenly began coughing violently. Her forehead burned with fever, and her limbs turned limp. The physically fragile Wind Mage had become a breeding ground for pathogens.
The Sixth Elder appeared silently behind her, holding the Dominator-class prop "Water Blade," and stabbed toward the back of Sophia's heart.
*Rumble!*
Thunder roared abruptly as a branching lightning bolt crashed down from above, scoring a direct hit on the Sixth Elder.
While Water Ghosts could ignore physical attacks, they could not withstand lightning strikes. Billowing green smoke, she screamed and plummeted.
Zhang Yuanqing and the Demon Eye Heavenly King advanced wave upon wave, surrounding Heavenly King Miejue.
"Is this woman really this fierce? One punch nearly hammered last night's dinner out of me," Zhang Yuanqing said.
"Level-8 Ancient Wargod—you tell me," Demon Eye Heavenly King replied.
Taking advantage of the enemy Dominators being tied down, Xiao Yuan reached out, and a palm-sized chipped copper coin appeared between her fingertips. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled it at the beast-hide drum.
Right at that moment, starlight rose before her, accompanied by a frenzied shriek.
Her mind buzzed with split-second agony, and blood gushed from her nostrils. Through the starlight, she saw Sect Master Chunyang emerge; she saw his figure tower into an indomitable giant.
She was merely an ant in his palms. If he lightly closed his hands, she would surely perish.
Just as she was on the verge of giving up in despair, a warm current surged into her sea of consciousness, stabilizing her spirit and placating her fear.
The giant that Sect Master Chunyang had manifested abruptly turned into starlight and fled.
"Acting like I don't exist?" Zhang Yuanqing's avatar sneered, not bothering to pursue.
Like Deng Jingguo, his duty was to assist in battle and protect teammates, going wherever he was needed.
Just now, he had soothed Xiao Yuan's emotions and attempted a sneak attack on Sect Master Chunyang. Unfortunately, the old scoundrel was sharp and evaded it.
The old crook had been hiding via Night Wander, only seizing the moment to ambush Xiao Yuan; upon failing, he instantly used Star Escape to flee. The combination of Illusionist and Night Wanderer was truly troublesome to kill.
Xiao Yuan took a deep breath, composed herself, locked onto the beast-hide drum, and cast the copper coin.
As she did, her hands formed a mudra while she closed her eyes in prayer, performing a simple Fortune Blessing.
*Ding!* The copper coin bounced back once again, failing to hit the drum. Even in its weakened state, the beast-hide drum's standing remained higher than that of the Falling Treasure Gold Coin.
Just then, dense red strings darted over, wrapping around the coin. After a flash of red light, the red strings swung the coin and flung it at the drum.
The gold coin whistled through the air, its chipped edge restored. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter had utilized the authority of the Demon Refining Pot to temporarily mend the coin, restoring it to peak condition.
Surrounding rainwater suddenly coalesced into a water wall blocking the coin's path, but in the next second, the water wall's spirituality dissolved into nothingness, collapsing with a loud splash.
*Ding!*
The coin struck the drum body squarely, leaving behind an inky black speck. The dot expanded at breakneck speed, exuding a foul, corrupt aura that washed over the entire drum.
When the Third Elder's bone leg struck the surface, it could no longer produce any soul-shaking beats.
This high-grade Dominator-class prop was finally sealed.
Demon Eye Heavenly King and the others felt a surge of energy; the guillotine dangling over their heads was finally dismantled.
In that instant, over a dozen skills—lightning pillars, wind blades, red strings, golden arrows, armor-piercing crossbow bolts, laser beams, Fortune Diminishment, Mental Strike, wrapping vines, purple ball lightning—converged upon the Third Elder at once.
A wall of water rose, only to vanish into nothingness in the blink of an eye.
His face pale with horror, the Third Elder donned an ochre robe. The defensive barrier had barely formed before it shattered instantly.
No one could survive the focused fire of this many Dominators—not even a Level-8 Dominator.
Amid despair, the Third Elder was engulfed by lightning pillars, shredded by wind blades, and pierced by arrows. His physical body was pulverized into dust, and his primordial spirit suffered catastrophic damage. A wisp of remnant soul struggled free from the concentrated onslaught, attempting to flee.
"Hehehe..."
A figure barred his way—not an enemy, but Sect Master Chunyang, grinning with gloomy malice.
Having seemingly waited for a long time, the moment the Third Elder's primordial spirit separated from his flesh, Sect Master Chunyang intercepted him.
"You..."
The Third Elder sensed Sect Master Chunyang's malice.
"Your primordial spirit is critically wounded, and your body is destroyed. Even if you survive, your strength will be severely impaired. No, you won't survive—Yuanshi Tianzun won't let you off. In that case, why not fulfill me? I'll avenge you."
Viscous, pitch-black energy surged in Sect Master Chunyang's eye sockets. He opened his mouth, inhaled, and swallowed the Third Elder's remnant soul whole.
Zhang Yuanqing did not immediately pursue the Third Elder's remnant soul, because he had chosen to secure his spoils of war—he chose the drum.
Chapter 826