The snoring rose and fell in waves, a rhythmic cadence that spoke of deep, blissful slumber.
But what was the current situation? After a fierce battle, Void Land lay in ruins, two Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators were watching like tigers crouching in ambush, and this turtle-backed elder who had appeared out of thin air was actually... asleep?
Everyone's eyelids twitched slightly.
The Sword Wielder let out a cold snort: "The old master certainly carries himself with great prestige!" He was an Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivator after all, a figure of some renown throughout the entire Thirty Thousand Worlds, yet this turtle-backed elder chose this very moment to doze off — as if he wasn't worth a single glance. Even if you were a Sacred Spirit, you couldn't be this dismissive of others!
The turtle-backed elder jolted awake with a start, and said rapidly: "Aiya, I'm getting old, can't match you young people for energy. But you little rascals, if you have some grudge, just settle it amongst yourselves — why go jumping about over my head, disturbing an old man's peaceful dreams? That's simply not right!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of the two Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators darkened considerably. Yang Kai, however, suddenly felt a wave of relief.
Before, he hadn't understood why Zhu Jiuyin had deliberately chosen Void Land as the battlefield, leaving it in such disarray with numerous Spirit Peaks razed flat. Even during her clash with those two Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators, she had kept shaking the ground. Now it all made sense — Zhu Jiuyin must have long sensed this turtle-backed elder's presence, and had deliberately been trying to rouse him, which was why she had insisted on fighting within Void Land!
This turtle-backed elder was a Sacred Spirit, and so was Zhu Jiuyin. Though they weren't of the same lineage, they were both Sacred Spirits, so it shouldn't have been difficult for Zhu Jiuyin to detect his presence.
However, judging from Zhu Jiuyin's earlier actions, she hadn't been able to pinpoint where the turtle-backed elder was hiding — she could only keep shifting the battlefield and creating disturbances.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something Zhu Jiuyin had told him not long ago: that Void Land was somewhat extraordinary, and that he should explore it more thoroughly when he had the chance.
At the time, Yang Kai had spent over ten days inspecting all of Void Land inside and out, finding nothing. Now it seemed what Zhu Jiuyin had been referring to was this Sacred Spirit hidden within Void Land! The reason he hadn't been able to find him was simply that his strength was insufficient — if even Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators couldn't detect this person, how could he possibly have succeeded?
Had it not been for Zhu Jiuyin's deliberate actions today, this turtle-backed elder would likely have continued hiding indefinitely.
Yang Kai couldn't help but feel a chill of lingering fear. To think that such a powerful figure had been concealed within Void Land all this time, and he had been completely oblivious. If this person had harbored any ill intent, Void Land would have suffered devastating losses.
But from the turtle-backed elder's words and demeanor, this didn't seem to be a vicious individual. He actually appeared quite agreeable.
Yang Kai thought of Seven Folds Land...
Void Land had once been known as Seven Folds Land, and its previous occupants certainly hadn't known of this turtle-backed elder's existence either — otherwise, they would have sought his help when they were being wiped out.
It seemed this old man had been hiding here for an untold number of years. With his aged tone, even Zhu Jiuyin, a Sacred Spirit, and the two Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators had become "young ones" in his mouth — no one could guess just how old he truly was.
"You old fossil, hiding behind your age — do you really think this lord will be afraid of you just because you're a Sacred Spirit?" The Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivator from the Myriad Demons Heaven had a terrible temper. They had been on the verge of victory when this elder had disrupted everything. After restraining himself for a while, he finally could hold back no longer. He leapt forward, leveled his long spear, and thrust it straight at the turtle-backed elder.
A Seventh-Rank Open Heaven cultivator's strike was awe-inspiring, its power unparalleled. The immense force of Heaven and Earth rippled outward, and Yang Kai and the others felt as though mountains were pressing down on them, their chests churning with blood.
And this was merely the aftershock — one could only imagine what tremendous pressure the turtle-backed elder directly targeted by the blow was enduring.
Though it was a single thrust, the sky was filled with an infinity of spear shadows bearing down, each one containing a lethal blow from a Seventh-Rank Open Heaven cultivator.
The turtle-backed elder's face went pale with alarm. He stumbled backward, shouting: "Let's talk this out nicely — why resort to violence? Young people should respect their elders!"
He staggered, lost his footing, and went tumbling headlong into the ground.
In one fluid motion, he tucked his limbs in like a turtle, his entire body vanishing into the thick shell on his back. His frame was already small, and the turtle shell was incredibly robust — once he retracted into it, not a single part of him was exposed.
Boom boom boom...
Spear light rained down one after another, all striking the turtle shell. The ground shook violently, and space itself trembled.
When the spear light dissipated, everyone stared and drew sharp breaths.
The turtle shell lay upon the ground completely unscathed — there wasn't so much as a single scratch on its surface. Whether the old man hidden inside had been shaken to death was the only question.
The Myriad Demons Heaven expert's eyes narrowed. His earlier strike had been launched in haste without using full force, but his Seventh-Rank foundation was undeniable. Even a fellow Seventh-Rank cultivator wouldn't have fared well against that blow — yet he hadn't been able to leave even a single mark on this shell?
Just how powerful was the defense of this turtle shell?
He was about to strike again when the Sword Wielder raised a hand to stop him, glancing warily at Zhu Jiuyin. Today's events were something he could never have anticipated. It was one thing for the Hundred Sects Alliance led by the Heavenly Sword Alliance to be completely annihilated — but for him and the Myriad Demons Heaven's Open Heaven cultivators to be blocked together by others? This little Void Land was far too unpredictable.
The Heavenly Moon Demonic Spider had been troublesome enough, and now this turtle-backed elder had suddenly popped out of nowhere. The Sword Wielder was genuinely wary. If they truly forced this elder to join forces with the Heavenly Moon Demonic Spider, their only option would be to flee for their lives.