Within Chengyuan Gorge, the Xuanmen cultivators, including Ying Ya Daoist, were gathered on Qingdan Peak, waiting with heavy expressions.

After Elder Shen returned, they learned that the current situation was extremely unfavorable for Xuanmen. Unexpectedly, Feng Haiyang was so formidable, having achieved the Nascent Soul Third Realm within the Star Stone, defeating Xuanmen members one by one. Now that the Yuxiao Sect had already withdrawn, if the Mingcang Sect and the Shaoqing Sect were also defeated, this swordfight would be a loss for Xuanmen.

After Zhong Muqing returned, they wanted to inquire about the situation, but he remained in seclusion, so the specifics were unknown.

If the situation were favorable, he wouldn’t ignore them, which only added a layer of gloom over their hearts.

Ying Ya Daoist couldn’t help but sigh, "I wonder how things are going now?"

There was silence all around, with no one speaking.

After waiting for another hour, Elder Liu of Bu Tian Pavilion suddenly twitched his frosty eyebrows and said, "A fellow Daoist is coming down."

Everyone also sensed it and looked up, seeing a golden light falling from the Gang Cloud above the heavy sky.

Ying Ya Daoist followed it with his eyes and saw it land on the Shaoqing Sect peak, exclaiming, "It’s Master Xun from Shaoqing Sect."

Someone exclaimed, "Could it be that Master Xun was also defeated?"

Everyone’s hearts sank; with even the Shaoqing Killing Sword defeated, only three people remained above the clouds, how could they possibly compete with Feng Haiyang?

A Xuanmen elder forced a smile and said, "Fellow Daoists, don’t be anxious, let’s ask how Master Xun fared, perhaps there is still a turning point?"

Everyone knew in their hearts that this was just self-deception.

Those who went to the swordfight were not ordinary; if they weren’t forced, they wouldn’t have easily retreated from the Star Stone, having cultivated there for three years.

Not long after the golden light passed, there was movement from outside again, two streaks of golden light shooting down from the clouds one after another, this time landing on the Mingcang Sect peak.

"It must be True Master Huo and Master Luo." Ying Ya Daoist sighed, "I didn’t expect even these two to retreat, it seems no one can contend with Feng Haiyang for the Junyang Essence."

Saying this, he shook his head despondently. He had thought that Xuanmen would surely win this swordfight, but he didn’t expect the Essence to be taken by the Demon Sect. The thought of the Demon Tribulation lasting a thousand years weighed heavy on his heart. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Elder Liu suddenly said, "No, there’s still someone who hasn’t come down!"

Ying Ya Daoist was taken aback, he thought for a moment, and said, "Could it be True Master Zhang?"

A Xuanmen elder from Nanhua Sect said, "Even if True Master Zhang is unharmed, what can he do? How can he alone be a match for Feng Haiyang?"

Elder Liu, however, looked intently at the sky, and slowly said, "Not necessarily."

On the Mingcang Sect peak, two streaks of light fell, turning into golden specks, as Huo Xuan and Luo Qingyu appeared together. Zhong Muqing, who had been waiting for a long time, came up to greet them, asking with concern, "Brother Huo, Junior Luo, how did it go?"

Huo Xuan returned the gesture with a smile, saying, "Thanks to Junior Brother’s brilliant plan, the Junyang Essence is now in hand."

Zhong Muqing visibly relaxed, a slight smile appearing on his face as he looked at the Heavenly Vault, questioning, "Where is Junior Brother Zhang?"

Luo Qingyu was taken aback and said, "What, hasn’t Junior Brother Zhang come down yet?"

Zhong Muqing, hearing this, flickered his eyes but slowly shook his head.

Luo Qingyu, doubtful, said, "Could it be that Junior Brother couldn’t escape?"

Huo Xuan pondered for a while, then said, "With Junior Brother Zhang’s ability, if he wanted to leave, he might have come out by now. The only reason he didn’t exit the Star Stone..."

He hadn’t finished speaking when an earth-shattering noise suddenly came from the blue sky above, rumbling incessantly, as ten thousand mountains and waters within the gorge echoed, leaving them unsure of what had happened.

Luo Qingyu took a while to get back to his senses and asked, "Brother, what do you think Junior Brother Zhang wants to do?"

Huo Xuan looked up at the sky, his eyes shining, and said, "He perhaps wants to stay behind and have a life-and-death showdown with Feng Haiyang!"

Inside the Star Stone, as Zhang Yan stepped forward, his whole body’s bones made cracking sounds, emitting a series of explosions, his figure continuously rising, ten feet, twenty feet, thirty feet... An overwhelming, vigorous aura soared to the sky.

When he reached a height of sixty feet, that force finally halted, as he clenched his fists, the Star Stone emitted a resonant tremor.

At this moment, his appearance had changed, his pupils glowed with a mysterious hue, his gaze fierce and stern, eyebrows of crimson purple blending into his hair, appearing to dance like flames. Behind him, clouds of black smoke and flames surged, like a whirlwind of fire surrounding him. In the center of his brows, the Nine Capturing Demon Scroll silently stayed, emitting gentle tremors and rainbow-colored sounds and light, projecting a canopy. From a distance, he looked like a Demon God.