"The Gate of Stillness has been stolen?" Hearing this from Houn Yuan Tian, the three thin elders' faces instantly grew profoundly gloomy, with one of them erupting in anger, shouting, "Houn Yuan Tian! We've meticulously planned and cultivated for years to finally forge four Gates of Stillness. How could you have lost them so suddenly?" Houn Yuan Tian's expression remained uncertain, his heart filled with fury. He hadn't anticipated that such a minor oversight would allow Xiao Yan to seize the initiative. The array they had formed was once renowned among the Central Plains' most formidable defenses—only by constructing the four Gates of Stillness could they create a realm of perpetual death. Anyone entering would be enveloped in endless deathly energies, gradually succumbing even if they were at the peak of a Seven- or Eight-Star Battle Saint. If this array had been successfully activated, the allied forces would have suffered devastating losses. Yet no one had expected such a dramatic turn of events at this crucial moment. "That youngster has actually reached the Emperor's Soul Realm—something I never expected him to achieve so swiftly. He not only located my soul stone hidden within the Gate of Stillness, but also erased my soul imprint." Houn Yuan Tian gritted his teeth, expressing his deep dissatisfaction. "Now, what should we do? Our vital energies are dwindling, and the reserves we've accumulated through this confrontation will be completely depleted. We'll need at least some time to recover before we can act again. During that recovery period, if another major battle erupts, we simply won't be able to intervene!" A thin, elderly man glared at Houn Yuan Tian before turning to the other two, saying, "The cost has already been paid—we cannot afford to waste our efforts. First, let's deploy our great array and inflict heavy damage on the allied forces. As long as our clan can identify and open the ancient Emperor Tuo She's sanctuary, the clan leader will ascend to the legendary Emperor of Combat realm. At that point, even if we need to be resurrected, it will no longer be a difficult task." "A wan, gaunt elder with flickering eyes suddenly spoke with a stern tone. "Hm." At this, the other two also nodded, for now, there was little else they could do. "The Spirit Core Heaven—has it not returned to its place? Had I known this would happen, I would never have sent you to rescue Feng Huan at the outset. Now, not only have you failed to save him, but you've delayed our entire clan's affairs. If you were not one of our senior elders, I would have dispatched you for immediate execution right now!" The elder turned sharply, addressing Huan Yuan Tian with sharp words. Clearly realizing the severity of the mishap, Huan Yuan Tian, though his face was grim, said nothing further and merely sighed, turning away. With a swift movement, he appeared on one side of the sky, and a thick surge of deathly energy erupted from his palms, instantly connecting with the three gates of stillness. Immediately, a realm of darkness enveloped the entire mountain range, its deathly aura seeping into and consuming every living being within. "Xiao Yan, after I've captured you, I'll make sure you can neither live nor die!" A surging tide of death energy poured forth from Hongyuan Tian's body, and his face grew cruel and fierce. ... The overwhelming death aura spread throughout, drawing the entire allied army together, their eyes alert and watchful of the surrounding black mist. They could feel the death energy seeping into their bodies, penetrating without fail—whether through the use of qi or spiritual power, it remained unimpeded. "This is the legendary 'Realm of Death' array. I never thought even the Houn Clan could summon it." "Lei Ying, Yan Jin, and numerous other powerful figures from the Ancient Clan stared solemnly at the pervasive death aura filling the heavens and earth, their hearts growing increasingly uneasy. Though they—these elite warriors—could withstand it, the weaker members of the ranks would suffer severe losses, losses that their forces simply could not afford. "We must act swiftly and break through," said King He Li of Black Yen, his voice grave. Earlier, he had been blocked by two warriors from the Spirit Clan, both at the level of Seven-Star Soul Saint, whose fierce battle had been nothing short of dramatic. As for the three Spirit Clan warriors whose individual strengths rivaled even the Four Holy Saints of the Spirit Clan—He Li had never heard of them before. Clearly, these were forces the Spirit Clan had carefully concealed over the years. Their strength far surpassed that of the Ancient Clan. Should it not be for the alliance with the Lightning and Thunder Clans, as well as the Celestial Palace Alliance, the Ancient Clan alone would likely find it impossible to stand against the Spirit Clan." "It's difficult. Here, a vast expanse of death has already been established, and these death energies can block the detection of souls. If we wander aimlessly, we'll actually consume our strength even more rapidly..." Yin Jin spoke in a steady tone. "Yet staying here is equally perilous." Guo Dao, one of the three ancient immortals of the Ancient Clan, offered a weary smile. It seemed now that they were truly caught between a rock and a hard place. "I suspect Guo Yuan, the Clan Elder, has also been held in check by the Spirit Emperor. If he wishes to act, it may prove exceedingly difficult," the fire immortal maiden of the Inland Clan added, her graceful features now serious. Her aura was slightly labored, clearly having sustained injuries during the earlier battle. The group fell into a quiet silence, none of them having anticipated that the situation, which had seemed promising, would suddenly deteriorate so dramatically. "Ssshh—" As the crowd struggled to know what to do, a subtle rustling sound suddenly broke through the pervasive atmosphere of death. Immediately, numerous black spears, thick with the essence of death, burst forth from all around. The sudden assault left the allied forces momentarily disoriented. The spears carried an intense aura of death, rendering even their aura defenses ineffective. Several seasoned allies were pierced through the body, collapsing instantly into piles of dry bones, from which black vapors seeped out,丝丝. "Damn it!" Seeing the allied forces caught on the defensive, Lei Ying and the others grew increasingly grim. Yet, as they prepared to force their way through this realm of death, the atmosphere of death ahead suddenly surged and rippled, and then, a massive black gate materialized. "Don't move—it's me!" "Seeing something identical to the three massive gates they had encountered earlier, the allied forces were immediately startled. Yet before they could launch an attack, a familiar voice resonated from the great gate. 'Xiao Yan?!' Hearing this, Lei Ying and the others were overjoyed, turning their gaze toward the apex of the black giant gate, where a young figure stood—none other than Xiao Yan. 'Follow me,' Xiao Yan said, gazing down at the numerous allied warriors with calm authority. 'Though this Death Realm is strange, the gates of stillness they used to construct their array have been taken from them—thus, the array is not yet fully complete. We will break through at its weakest point!' Upon hearing this, Lei Ying and the others were beaming with excitement. However, the situation was urgent, and there was no time for further questions. With a wave of his hand, a large number of warriors swiftly ascended into the air. 'Move!' Xiao Yan murmured solemnly, then snapped his fingers—immediately, the immense gate of stillness floated upward, hovering above the army. A surge of suction erupted, drawing in all the deathly essences that had approached, absorbing them completely. Without the lingering erosion of deathly energy, the allied forces instantly felt the pressure ease, and the previously sluggish qi within them swiftly returned to normal. "This young man truly has some skill—he managed to secure this gate of stillness!" Seeing this, Lei Ying, Yan Jin, Gu Li, and the others were overjoyed, deeply relieved. They had been fortunate that Xiao Yan had seized the gate; otherwise, once the array reached its full perfection, the allied forces would have suffered devastating losses. Indeed, in ancient times, there were numerous accounts of sects and clans being utterly wiped out by such a decisive array. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" As the allied forces swiftly surged toward the Death Realm, it seemed the stronger members of the Soul Clan had also sensed the shift. The pervasive death aura surged violently throughout the heavens, eventually coalescing into a colossal death hand stretching thousands of li in width, which then thundered down upon the allied forces with a resounding blow. As Xiao Yan changed his hand seal, a colossal figure of a thousand zhang once again emerged on his body's surface. With a single opening of his mouth, a thunderous soul-wave surged forth, transforming into a storm that violently swept across the space. Under the force of this soul-wave, the pervasive death aura diffused and receded. In its place, a slightly dimmed, intangible spatial barrier appeared several hundred paces ahead of the allied forces. Behind this barrier, a figure seemed to hover—clearly the Houn Yuan Tian. "Leying, Chief of the Yan Jin Clan, join in and break through this space!" Xiao Yan roared, his voice sharp and commanding. Upon hearing Xiao Yan's command, Leying and the others swiftly nodded. Instantly, the heavens and earth surged with battle energy, and several devastating attacks erupted simultaneously, striking powerfully against the barrier. The barrier trembled under the impact, and Houn Yuan Tian's face turned pale. "Boom!" "Facing the relentless barrage from several top-tier warriors, the intangible barrier顿时 trembled violently, eventually giving way with a sound of strained resistance—cracking open in a clear, resonant explosion... As the barrier dissolved, the pervasive deathly atmosphere swiftly dispersed, and the warm sunlight once again poured down from the sky. 'Pfft!' "