Chapter 41: Fierce Battle

"Demon, do you truly believe that relying on a single seventh-grade grand array makes you invincible?"

Ouyang Haoze sneered at Lyu Yang through the array's light curtain. "Arrays are ultimately inanimate objects. For us cultivators, our cultivation realm is what matters most!"

"In the end, it all comes down to a display of true strength."

Lyu Yang's heart raced with alarm, but his expression remained composed. "If Fellow Daoist has such confidence, feel free to enter the array and fight. Otherwise, you had best retreat obediently."

"You seek death!"

Ouyang Haoze gave a grim smile and actually took a step forward. He drew a breath and let out a roar; a thunderous sound erupted from his throat like a clap of lightning.

This was a high-level divine ability of the Shenwu Sect called the "Thousand-Mile Void-Shattering Divine Sound." It utilized a secret method to swallow and exhale the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, augmenting the Shenwu Sect's unique third-grade true qi, the "Shenwu True Astral Qi," before releasing it in a single breath. As the sound waves passed, they would pulverize everything within a thousand miles, regardless of friend or foe.

In an instant, the fierce divine sound surged into the array.

Array patterns shattered one after another, revealing various skeletal soldiers. The massive array was actually forcibly blasted open, creating a gaping hole!

Immediately after, Ouyang Haoze produced a circular mirror.

"I summon the Taixiao Lord!"

With a finger gesture, he sacrificed the circular mirror into the air. A magnificent beam of mirror light projected downward, freezing the void and forcibly stabilizing the breach in the array!

In an instant, the market shook violently!

A large number of cultivators scrambled backward, not daring to approach the edge of the array, their faces filled with panic.

Fairy Feixia's face turned pale. A second later, she snapped her head toward the strangely-looking Lu Yuanchun and shouted sternly, "Stay here! Do not go anywhere!"

Having been tricked before, Fairy Feixia naturally no longer trusted Lu Yuanchun. At this moment, her beautiful face even showed a hint of ferocity. "If it weren't for Junior Brother Lyu, you would be dead outside the market by now! If you dare try to escape in the chaos again, I will kill you regardless of the consequences!"

"Junior Sister Feixia, you misunderstand..."

Lu Yuanchun gave a sheepish smile. Seeing Fairy Feixia's murderous gaze, he felt a sense of dread and had no choice but to suppress the many sinister thoughts that had just arisen.

With the two late-stage Qi Refinement experts not causing chaos, the turmoil within the market quickly subsided.

Of course, everyone knew this was only temporary.

The outcome of the battle between Lyu Yang and Ouyang Haoze was the final straw that would break the camel's back. Therefore, Fairy Feixia could only place her trust in Lyu Yang.

She believed he could create a miracle.

"Is this... a spiritual treasure?"

Lyu Yang's expression changed drastically as he looked at the circular mirror in the sky. "An extremely yang spiritual treasure specifically designed to counter the 'Hundred Skeleton Truth-Returning Grand Array' by suppressing Earthly Fiend Yin Qi!?"

Ouyang Haoze laughed toward the sky, brimming with confidence.

"The Hundred Skeleton Truth-Returning Grand Array has stood on Skeleton Mountain for many years. Since my Shenwu Sect dared to plot against it, how could we not have prepared methods to break it in advance?"

"With the 'Taixiao Mirror' here, you are doomed today!"

This spiritual treasure did not belong to him personally; it had been specially refined by the Foundation Establishment True Persons of the Shenwu Sect to deal with the Hundred Skeleton Truth-Returning Grand Array. Its power was self-evident.

Above the market, Lyu Yang's expression turned grim. Without a word, he turned and fled.

"Hmph! You think you can run?"

Without hesitation, Ouyang Haoze lunged forward. Simultaneously, he unleashed another divine sound, instantly pulverizing the surrounding skeletal soldiers before chasing after Lyu Yang.

However, at that moment, an unexpected change occurred!

Just as Ouyang Haoze's foot stepped into the array, his expression shifted. He instinctively tried to retreat, but when he looked back, he saw nothing but a sea of crimson array patterns.

"I didn't expect you to actually dare to enter..."

Lyu Yang stopped running and turned to look at Ouyang Haoze. His previous panic seemed as if it had never existed, replaced by a chilling smile.

"This is impossible!"

Ouyang Haoze's eyes twitched in shock and suspicion. "The Hundred Skeleton Truth-Returning Grand Array was clearly stabilized by my Taixiao Mirror. Why is another array appearing? Is there a second array within the market? Where did it come from? Why did I not detect any trace of array formation beforehand?"

"Because I didn't need to set up an array at all..."

Lyu Yang sneered inwardly. His "Blood-Washed Heavenly River Sword Array Map" relied entirely on the Blood-Sun Sword Pill, an array treasure. It could be manifested simply by thought, so naturally, there would be no traces!

In the next second, a fluttering banner appeared in Lyu Yang's hand.

The Primordial One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner!

As the banner swayed, countless banner spirits flew out, landing on the various array nodes of the Blood-Washed Heavenly River Sword Array Map, moving of their own accord.

When designing this array, Lyu Yang had already taken the Primordial One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner into account. Now, tens of thousands of souls within the banner lined up at the array nodes, manifesting profound mysteries. In an instant, the world turned crimson, and a surging river of blood cascaded from the heavens toward Ouyang Haoze!

Ouyang Haoze let out a muffled groan, his body staggering.

The Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light!

Being inside the array, Ouyang Haoze could not escape the power of the divine light. He felt his once-vast blood essence leaking out of his body like a bursting dam.

In the next second, he shouted urgently, "Lord Tianguang, save me!"

As golden scales facing the sun opened, layers of precious light enveloped Ouyang Haoze. For a moment, it actually managed to halt the consumption of the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light.

The spiritual treasure, the Tianguang Armor!

This treasure was refined from "Heavenly Demon-Subduing Light." Its properties were diametrically opposed to the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light, resulting in a stalemate between the two.

Only then did Ouyang Haoze manage to breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, he had not expected that even with his cultivation and the preparation of two spiritual treasures—the Taixiao Mirror and the Tianguang Armor—he would still nearly fail.

"At this point, I cannot flee..."

Ouyang Haoze's eyes turned blood-red. Instead of planning to escape, he looked toward Lyu Yang deep within the array, a suffocating killing intent appearing in his eyes.

"...I can only counterattack!"

As a true disciple, his willpower was certainly not weak. He understood the principle that "in a narrow path, the brave prevail." He knew that if he focused solely on fleeing now, Lyu Yang would toy with him until he died. To break the array, he had to seek life within death; he had to find a way to kill Lyu Yang. Once Lyu Yang died, the array would dissolve!

*Rumble!*

In the next second, protected by the Tianguang Armor, Ouyang Haoze charged toward Lyu Yang, his peerless spear tip pointing directly at the Primordial One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner in Lyu Yang's hand!

"That banner seems to be the core of this array. If I can't kill Lyu Yang, destroying it might provide a way out..."

"Come then!"

Lyu Yang raised his banner, and a figure emerged—it was Liu Xin. His face was filled with confusion, as if he had not yet regained consciousness.

The next second—

"Explode!"

With a massive boom! Liu Xin's mouth opened involuntarily, shouting a single word: "Kill!" It was the Life-Ending Curse, specifically used for mutual destruction!

In Lyu Yang's view, Liu Xin's use of the Primordial One Qi Myriad Spirit Banner was far too shallow. After all, the banner spirits were immortal; even if destroyed in a short time, they could be re-summoned by consuming mana as long as their true spirits remained. Since that was the case, why have them fight in an orderly fashion?

They should learn the killing move of mutual destruction!

Since they could be resurrected anyway, letting them use such "kill a thousand to lose eight hundred" divine abilities to self-detonate and kill the enemy was the correct way to use them!

In an instant, a spiritual tide swept through everything.

When the dust settled, Liu Xin had vanished, and Ouyang Haoze had been forcibly halted mid-air, his expression grim to the extreme.

Up to this point, he had used many methods.

Divine abilities, spiritual treasures, and cultivation suppression—dealing with a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator should have been effortless. Who could have imagined that not a single one would succeed?

Instead, his mana consumption was enormous.

"If this continues, I might truly die here..."

Thinking of this, a ruthless look flashed across Ouyang Haoze's face. He performed a hand seal, and immediately, his Tianguang Armor let out a sudden, mournful cry.

"This is... Oh no!"

Lyu Yang's expression changed drastically. He flickered his movement, instantly shifting behind the Blood-Sun Sword Pill, then summoned the sword pill's blood shadow to protect himself.

*BOOM!!!*

The spiritual treasure, the Tianguang Armor, self-detonated!

The exploding spiritual light was just like the scene previously created by Xiao Shiye, sweeping in all directions and instantly shattering Lyu Yang's sword array map, revealing the clear blue sky.

Although Lyu Yang reacted extremely quickly and rapidly closed the array, Ouyang Haoze was faster. At the critical moment, he burst through the encirclement of the array map. Lyu Yang only had time to cast the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light, which stripped away another thirty percent of his blood essence, leaving him looking like a mere skeleton covered in skin.

"You destroyed my treasure! If I do not tear you into ten thousand pieces, my hatred will never be appeased!"

Standing outside the market, Ouyang Haoze's expression was hideous. He actually poured his remaining mana into his other spiritual treasure, the Taixiao Mirror, causing it to emit a mournful cry as well.

"At worst, I will sacrifice all my spiritual treasures today! Let's see if you can still produce a third grand array!"