Countless golden characters the size of rice grains flickered ceaselessly across the surface of the golden talisman, its entire form swelling and contracting without pause, twisting and swaying between his fingers as though it possessed a will of its own.
Ma Liang's brow furrowed deeply as he pondered for a good while longer before a look of resolve finally crossed his face. He gave the golden talisman a slight shake.
A soft "poof" rang out.
The talisman flashed once, then transformed into a golden arc several zhang in length that shot into the sky, circling around Ma Liang in ceaseless loops above and below.
At the same time, Ma Liang's hands began forming seals with blinding speed, his mouth chanting some obscure incantation.
Twin streams of black and white qi flickered across his body, and the black-robed youth began emanating an aura of terrifying intensity that grew madly by the second. In the blink of an eye, even the surrounding void groaned and hummed under the pressure of this aura.
Such overwhelming power should never have appeared in the Spirit World.
Outside the Blood River, Yin Gangzi was commanding over a hundred silver shuttle-shaped treasures, each roughly a foot in length, which had just torn through a blood dragon opposite him, riddling it with countless holes before it detonated into fragments. A hint of smug satisfaction showed on his face.
But the very next instant, his expression changed abruptly. A sharp light flashed through his eyes as he hurriedly turned his gaze toward the Blood River.
The other Mahayana cultivators likewise sensed the horrifying aura within the Blood River. All of them were startled, their attacks faltering as they likewise diverted their attention to the strange transformation occurring at the Blood River.
As for Ming Zun, who stood upon the disc overseeing the entire battlefield, he did not show any sign of panic upon sensing the formidable aura. Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of anticipation barely visible in their depths.
With a resounding "bang," a luminous formation materialized within the disc. As the radiance dimmed, the gray-robed man known as Xuan Jiuling appeared, his face deathly pale.
"What happened? You look like you've taken quite a beating. Did you manage to slay that spirit creature?" Ming Zun turned his head for a glance, and upon noticing that nearly half his companion's body had been obliterated into nothingness, he asked with mild alarm.
"It's nothing. That spirit creature turned out to be the legendary Sacred Beast of the Flames. Fortunately, its sentience was gone — it was merely a puppet — which is why I managed to return alive. But rest assured, I've destroyed it. The formation eye over there is secure as well and won't jeopardize your grand design." Xuan Jiuling exhaled lightly before answering.
"The Sacred Beast of the Flames! No wonder, then. As expected of someone from the Immortal Realm — to carry such a powerful spirit beast with him. You didn't happen to use the Nine Tribulations Spirit Annihilation Art, did you?" Ming Zun's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, but he quickly recalled something and pressed further.
"Relax. That technique is my one and only chance to kill that True Immortal. Do you think I'd use it so lightly? If I had, I wouldn't be looking like this right now." A muscle in Xuan Jiuling's face twitched as he replied.
"Good. That True Immortal seems to have started breaking his seal as well, preparing to restore his full power. You'll need to act before long. Take this Water Origin Pill quickly, circulate your energy to dissolve it — it should help with your injuries." Ming Zun's expression relaxed somewhat, but with a flick of his sleeve, a blue-glowing pill shot toward the gray-robed man.
"My thanks. The Water Origin Pill should be quite effective for my current condition." Xuan Jiuling made no polite refusal. He caught the blue pill, tossed it straight into his mouth, and swallowed it down. Then, with great composure, he sat cross-legged right where he was, closed his eyes, and began circulating his energy to heal his wounds.
The next moment, a faint blue luminescence emerged over his injuries. Wherever it passed, the charred blackness was gradually cleansed away, while countless threads of fresh blood rapidly wove together, crisscrossing densely to reform chunks of flesh.
Ming Zun gave a slight nod at the sight, then turned his head, his gaze falling once more upon the distant Blood River.
At this moment, the Blood River was emitting a thunderous roar. All the blood-water had begun surging wildly, rising into one towering crimson wave after another.
The eight blood dragons and four blood giants, stimulated by the chaos, experienced a dramatic surge in their power. Under this boost, they managed to hold their ground for a time against the attacks of the four Black Ni Beasts and the assembled Mahayana cultivators.
The horrifying aura from within the Blood River had already grown so powerful that anyone who sensed it was overcome with dread.
High above, a thunderclap rang out through the clear sky. A cloud of seven-colored radiance materialized from thin air, completely ignoring the restrictions of the Two Polarities Dust Microcosm Formation. It expanded with frenzied speed, and in the blink of an eye had blanketed the entire Mingsha Territory beneath it.
Without warning, the seven-colored cloud began to rotate, and the rumble of thunder sounded from within as flashes of purple-gold lightning appeared and vanished intermittently.
Inside the Blood River, Ma Liang still held a hand seal with one hand, but his eyes had closed.
Within the twisted void surrounding him, dense clusters of purple-gold runes suddenly flashed into existence. They spun in rapid circles before separating into seven or eight long chains of purple-gold light. With a slight tremor, the chains lashed outward, wrapping around Ma Liang's body.
A muffled "boom" resounded.
The golden talisman that had been orbiting Ma Liang suddenly detonated. Countless golden threads of light erupted from within, and in a single flash, they spread outward like a net, engulfing all of the nearby purple-gold chains.
A clear, ringing cry pierced the air!
The crown of Ma Liang's head split open, and a small golden figure emerged from within.
The tiny figure wore an expressionless face. It raised one hand and beckoned toward the purple-gold chains that had been ensnared by the golden threads.
Immediately, "poof, poof" sounds rang out in succession!