On the massive gate veiled in dark mist, Xiao Yan sat in meditation, his gaze scornful as he watched Hún Yuán Tiān's eyes turn blood-red. If Hún Yuán Tiān had chosen to engage him directly upon entering the gate and being captured, perhaps he truly would have been subdued. Yet instead, he had remained indifferent, overconfident that merely the deathly atmosphere within the gate would gradually erode Xiao Yan's strength. Unbeknownst to him, that very atmosphere was not only repelled by the pure lotus妖fire, but even the soul stones hidden within the gate—objects Hún Yuán Tiān considered deeply concealed—had been fully detected by Xiao Yan. These soul stones were nearly the most vital components of the gate itself, and Hún Yuán Tiān had always believed they were well hidden. Yet he had forgotten that Xiao Yan, now a Sovereign-level soul cultivator, could, with a mere thought, perceive the entire spatial expanse of the gate. No matter how well concealed the soul stones were, they could not escape Xiao Yan's penetrating senses. And with the Soul Stone found, coupled with Xiao Yan's soul power far surpassing that of Hun Yuan Tian, erasing the soul imprint that had been left upon it was nothing short of a simple matter. This, indeed, was one of the drawbacks of the Stillness Gate. Yet, how many in the cosmos had achieved an Imperial-level soul? Even Hun Yuan Tian himself had committed a rather foolish mistake—this very error had ultimately led to his loss of control over the Stillness Gate. "Xiao Yan, I'm going to crush you to dust!" Hun Yuan Tian gritted his teeth, lifting his arm suddenly, black energy rapidly coalescing in his palm. A pungent, bone-chilling odor swiftly spread throughout the air, searing the very souls of onlookers. "Hmph!" Witnessing this, Xiao Yan merely sneered, rising swiftly and shifting his hand seals. Instantly, a colossal phantom figure, stretching a thousand zhang in height, formed around him, radiating soul waves like a surging tide, crashing forth in waves. "Anger of the Yellow Springs Heaven!" "Now that the Yellow Springs Heavenly Fury is being unleashed, that vast form has almost ceased to be a mere silhouette, for upon its immense frame, ripples of light now flow, and the originally ethereal body has grown remarkably solid. It stands like a giant towering between heaven and earth, radiating an aura of sovereign dominion over souls. This aura surges forth across the battlefield, and all the strong warriors within its reach—save for a few exceptions—immediately grow pale, hastily retreating with astonishment. Under this overwhelming pressure, they feel an irresistible urge to kneel, one that spreads from their very souls. 'Moo!' A figure a thousand zhang tall emerged from the mist. As the giant opened his mouth, the heavens and earth seemed to fall utterly silent—only the soul-wave pulses, tangible as if solid, surged forth from his mouth with overwhelming force, traveling faster than light and crashing directly onto the body of Hounyuan Tian, whose eyes gleamed with awe. "Pfft!" With no time to raise a defense, Hounyuan Tian was already bleeding from both ears as soon as he reacted. The explosive impact then detonated across his body like a barrage of cannon shells, sending a geyser of blood erupting from his mouth. His face turned as pale as paper, and his soul was severely wounded at that very moment. In the sky, wherever the soul's impact had passed, the space appeared nearly blank—thus, the once chaotic battlefield experienced moments of stillness. Regardless of which side, when gazing upon the giant standing between heaven and earth, all eyes were filled with profound astonishment. The black clouds drifting across the sky surged violently, and subtly, a thick aura of death began to spread outward. ... "Boom!" Somewhere in the sky, three vast energies suddenly collided with tremendous force. At that instant, the black flame erupted violently, shooting out in all directions. Two figures, slightly disheveled, rebounded backward. Only when both had steadied themselves did the others realize—they were Lei Ying and Yan Jin. Clearly, their opponents were the Void Devouring Flame. Yet, despite their combined efforts, it seemed they were still unable to gain the upper hand against the Void Devouring Flame. Indeed, the Nine-Star Battle Saint was no mere title. Moreover, the Void Devouring Flame's prowess could not be measured against ordinary Nine-Star Battle Saints. His formidable devouring power alone was capable of defeating opponents of the same rank. Lei Ying, taking advantage of a lull, quickly scanned the battlefield. He saw many strong members of the Lei Clan fall, though his heart ached, he could do nothing but accept it—this was the very nature of war. Yan Jin also nodded slightly. Given the current situation, it was clear that a fierce and costly battle was inevitable. No matter the price, they had to secure some of the ancient jade back, for they all knew that once the Hun Clan activated the ancient hall of Duo She Emperor and unlocked the secret of ascending to the Battle Emperor rank, even just one such figure could wipe out the three clans. That would truly be a crisis of extinction. "We cannot give up!" The two exchanged glances, each reading a fierce determination in the other's eyes. No matter how惨, at least for now, they still held a numerical advantage. "The Hun Clan has meticulously planned and gathered the ancient jade over hundreds, even thousands of years. If they are to be so easily defeated by you, that would indeed be an extraordinary feat." "Void Devouring Flame stepped into the void once more, appearing before the two again, and coldly chuckled. Liang Lei and Yan Jin's faces flashed with a glint of frost as they prepared to move. Just then, a slightly urgent voice suddenly rang out in their ears: "Retreat—things have changed!" The unexpected voice startled them; upon realizing it was Gu Yuan's, they grew alarmed—what could have happened to make even he so urgent? "The hum grew increasingly urgent, while several chilling, almost unbearable energies gradually emerged from within the black clouds. Amidst this sudden upheaval, every soldier on the battlefield raised their heads, eyes filled with wonder and alertness, fixed upon the dark clouds. Staring at those three figures, Lei Ying and Yan Jin both had their pupils suddenly constrict, their faces filled with sheer astonishment. Their ranks within the Huan Clan were even higher than that of Huan Tian Emperor—figures who had already been gradually fading and passing away years ago. How could they possibly reappear now? The undead, akin to puppets yet more refined—these beings are revived through a unique method that restores the life of those who have already passed, though the revival conditions are exceptionally strict and the success rate quite low. Thus, such efforts are rare, as true强者 are typically safeguarded by their families or sects, and no one would wish for their ancestors' bodies to be damaged after death. Clearly, the Huan clan has employed some secret technique to transform their already-deceased Huan clan masters into the undead, enabling them to once again fight. Is this the hidden strength of the Huan clan? With the addition of Huan Yuan Tian, the Huan clan now boasts four Eight-Star Battle Saints—power sufficient to shift the balance of the war decisively. In the sky, the three figures suddenly opened their mouths, and three beams of light shot forth, eventually transforming into three colossal black gates, each stretching a thousand zhang in height. Within these gates, a dense aura of death permeated—these were indeed three gates of stillness and death! Standing at three points in the sky, the gates surged with deathly energy, enveloping the entire realm. Under the influence of this aura, the allied forces' warriors were stunned to find that their vital energies were gradually fading away. The three gates formed a grand array, completely encircling all the allied troops. It was clear they intended to deliver a devastating blow to the alliance. "Retreat!" Liui and Yanjin's faces grew pale, recognizing immediately the ancient, fearsome array. They urgently commanded. "Hun Yuan Tian, return to formation! Summon the gates of stillness and death, complete the array!" As the allied forces began to retreat, one of the three—this elderly, thin figure—spoke with sharp authority. "Retreat now!" "Heard the elder's shout, Liui and Yanjin felt their hearts surge with intense excitement—should the great array be completed, today's losses would indeed become severe!" "Whoosh!"