When Xu Yang and the others saw the teams from Bright Mirror Grotto Heaven and the Five Elements Celestial Realm, the other side noticed them as well.

Beneath the eerie black walls, the experts of the Five Elements Celestial Realm, the Jun Family, Star Nebula Infinite Sea, Cloud Dream Soul Sect, and other factions were all astir.

"How is this possible?"

"Damn it, how can they still have so many people?"

"They’ve lost nearly half, but there are still over a hundred left!"

This number was only slightly less than the total of the four major forces combined.

Jun Baimu gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly, "That bastard’s luck is really tough—he’s still not dead!"

Men Long grasped her jade-like hand, her eyes full of suspicion and shock. "How did they survive under Lord Gou Mu’s arrangements?"

It was simply inconceivable!

Hatred flashed in her eyes, gone as quickly as it appeared. She sneered coldly, "It’s fine if they live. In the end, I’ll make sure to personally torture them to death!"

On the other side, Yun Zheng, Saint Monarch Nantian, and Jun Wuji subconsciously looked toward Gou Mu in unison.

Gou Mu’s face instantly darkened, his brows furrowed, and he did not directly respond to the three Celestials.

In the next moment—

The palm hidden in his sleeve trembled and, with a twist of his fingers, formed a seal. Immortal radiance flickered.

Swoosh!

A faint streak of flowing light shot up from beneath the earth like lightning, ghostlike as it plunged into his sleeve.

It was precisely that golden bone-blade Immortal Artifact!

"Damn it!"

Feeling the turmoil within the Immortal Artifact, Gou Mu cursed to himself and, staring at the trio, said in a muffled voice, "An accident occurred—they actually resisted the Immortal’s residual shadow and the storm’s impact."

"Only about a hundred fell, and the refined essence it devoured is still not enough to meet the sacrifice requirements and fully awaken the power of the Immortal Artifact!"

"Didn’t you say there was no way this could fail?"

Saint Monarch Nantian suddenly pressed the attack.

Gou Mu’s gaze turned icy as he said grimly, "This Immortal indeed said so, but in a place like this, anything can happen."

"Without me, you’d have accomplished nothing!"

"Why, do you want to make a move against me?"

Saint Monarch Nantian looked Gou Mu in the eye, was silent for three breaths, then abruptly chuckled, "I wouldn’t dare!"

"Hmph!"

Gou Mu snorted coldly and said indifferently, "The Immortal Artifact has absorbed the original essence of only about a hundred people, and most of it is still weak—not enough!"

He turned to glance behind him at the endless, heaven-reaching black Storm Sea, and a trace of dread and fear flashed in his eyes. "If we want to cross, the Immortal Artifact is our only hope."

Upon hearing this, the three Celestial experts exchanged glances, their eyes flashing.

"What if killing them still isn’t enough?" Jun Wuji suddenly said.

Gou Mu grinned, "Then there’s nothing to be done!"

"By the way, I never guaranteed it would definitely work!"

"After all, this is the Calamity Ghost Wind, and this Immortal Artifact is damaged and incomplete!"

At those words, the faces of the three Celestials looked rather ugly.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!

In the distance, figures raced toward them at top speed.

At last, before the annihilating storm behind could catch up, they reached the area beneath the Calamity Ghost Wind.

This region was flat and unscarred, showing not a single mark of devastation.

And when the storm of the collapsing ancient continent reached the edge, as if it sensed the terror of the Calamity Ghost Wind, it strangely stalled, unable to move forward another inch.

Xu Yang looked back at the devastation raging behind in awe.

Everything was collapsing and being destroyed!

Immortal light exploded forth, boundless and wild, unimaginably terrifying—yet mesmerizing to the eye.

The immortal energy contained within was clearly of an astonishing magnitude!

But unfortunately, merged into the world itself, it could not be extracted at all!

Now exposed in the open only due to destruction, it was absolutely impossible to safely acquire any immortal energy amidst it.

"What a pity."

Xu Yang sighed and looked ahead, shocked, at the motionless storm.

It was as if there were forbidden laws at work, not allowing the storm to advance a single step.

"Impressive techniques, Yunzheng."

Can Sutian gazed at Yun Zheng, sneering coldly.

Yun Zheng chuckled, "Your Majesty, I do not understand what you mean."

Can Sutian let out a cold snort but did not rip the pretense apart.

The two sides’ teams stood apart, confronting each other across the divide.

"Bright Mirror Grotto Heaven has joined their side."

Gu Jun said in a low voice.

Xu Yang nodded slightly—he could see it, too.

The Bright Mirror Grotto Heaven’s team was now grouped together with the four major forces like the Five Elements Celestial Realm.

However, the Profound Jade Saint Monarch of Bright Mirror Grotto Heaven had not yet been fully accepted by the enemy and stood alone within the ranks, whereas the other three congregated together around Gou Mu.

Boom Rumble!!

The earth-shattering scene unfolded in grand waves—though wasteland and destruction, it was resplendent, blazing, magnificent and unmatched, shaking the soul.

It was as if this heaven and earth, burning, was pouring out all its power in a final gasp.

A few hundred feet before the Calamity Ghost Wind, the ground was like a purified land, untouched by any attack.

For a while, everyone forgot everything else, utterly shaken.

Even Yun Zheng, Saint Monarch Nantian, Gou Mu, and the others could not keep calm, and gazed dazedly upon the scene.

After a long while—

The once vast ancient land was utterly gone, seemingly merging with the original abyss.

Darkness stretched to infinity, emptiness spreading, rolling in viscous, ink-black waves that filled all who gazed upon it with dread.

Xu Yang took a deep breath, forcing down his inner shock, and slowly turned to stare at the towering storm before them.

That was no mere wall.

It was the gathered might of a vast black storm.

It looked dead and still, without a ripple, but in truth had already surpassed anything his perception could reach.

The invisible might it radiated repelled even world-destroying waves—its power was unimaginable!

"What is that thing?"

Shi Feng gazed at the storm and called out in a deep voice.

Yun Zheng gave a brisk smile and said calmly, "The Calamity Ghost Wind Sea! A terrifying demonic wind at a level of the Immortal Way: without enough power, setting foot within means being torn apart, one’s blood and essence devoured by the ghost wind, until those who enter become part of it—body and soul wiped out!"

"With our current strength, there’s no way we can break through by force!"

"According to Lord Gou Mu, this ghost wind was controlled by the magic immortals here. After that great war, those demon immortals must have made a final arrangement before dying."

"Therefore, if we can cross this Calamity Ghost Wind Sea, we may obtain the true treasures and opportunities left behind by the magic immortals!"

"How do we get through?"

As Shi Feng’s voice rang out again—

All eyes fixed on Yun Zheng and Gou Mu.

Yun Zheng merely smiled and stayed silent.

Gou Mu took a step forward, palm raised to the heavens.

Whoosh!

The golden bone-blade shot out from his palm, shimmering with traces of immortal radiance.

"Immortal Artifact!"

The crowd cried out in shock.

Xu Yang’s pupil shrank, and a familiar sensation surged up within him.

"The faint ripple I sensed before through the Immortal Artifact came from this very blade!"

"Hiss—that looks completely intact, its aura frightening!"

Xu Yang clicked his tongue inwardly.

This man actually still wields such an Immortal Artifact!

Gou Mu grinned, "Our only hope lies in this partially intact, yet mostly preserved, Immortal Artifact in my hands."

"But unfortunately, to unleash its power now, there must be a sacrifice!"

"Earlier, it didn’t manage to devour enough original essence!"

As he finished, a cruel light filled Gou Mu’s eyes, and he barked a chilling command: "Go!"

The shout thundered across the heavens and earth.

The golden bone-blade in his hand shot out with a hum, straight as a bolt of golden lightning toward Can Sutian’s group.