Even though he was the spell caster, he only glanced slightly and felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, a surge of nausea, hastily shutting his eyes, not daring to look again, while his hand pointed forward, driving the Five Yin Phosphorus Fire, swaying towards the Forbidden Array.

Zhang Yan, being the person in charge of the array, naturally could see the movements outside. As soon as the Treasure Coffin appeared, he immediately sensed an anomaly in the Qi Mechanism. He glanced at the location slightly, and suddenly felt a bit dizzy upon seeing the fire. At this moment, a flash of sword light in the brow mind aperture immediately slashed through the invading Evil Qi, clearing his vision.

He felt slightly surprised in his heart and thought, "This Qi is indeed unique; even through the Prohibition, it can confuse one’s mind. I shall take a closer look later."

Duan Xiangzhou, not seeing the scholar make a move for a long time, also sensed something amiss. He couldn’t help but turn half his body aside, secretly looking back. However, he saw the scenery several miles away was blurry, unclear, as if separated by a thin veil, his face changed unconsciously, only then understanding his tricks had been seen through.

His gaze flickered slightly, suddenly shook his hand slightly, making an extremely covert motion. In an instant, a sinister long flying nail shot towards Zhang Yan.

This nail was over a foot long, with a skull as its cap, cyan flames spewing from the eye sockets, tangled with wraiths around the nail body, eerie light flickering, as it flew, the ominous evil spirit rushed towards the face.

This nail, named "Slaughter Cry," was refined by him mimicking a Supreme Treasure from the sect. If a cultivator’s Protective Treasure Light is hit, it can adhere to it, difficult to remove in a hurry, waiting for the opponent to relax slightly, it would immediately penetrate, killing the life.

This nail is very insidious and malicious, making it impossible to guard against. Even those with higher cultivation than him, if unaware of its nature, can easily fall victim.

Seeing this object coming, Zhang Yan smiled faintly, without showing any action. Suddenly, a brilliance flew up from his front, seemingly surging like a mighty tide. The flying nail rushed into it like a pebble into the sea, disappearing without a trace in the silence.

Duan Xiangzhou involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air. Since fleeing after the Mountain Gate was breached, he had fought with many cultivators and considered himself to have seen quite a few formidable figures. Yet, he had never seen someone like Zhang Yan who could easily take care of the Slaughter Cry nail.

Just from this point, it was evident that this opponent was not easy to deal with, not to mention capturing him for refining corpses; carelessness might lead to a burial here.

Thinking of this, he regretted deeply in his heart, but at this moment, he was already riding a tiger, impossible to dismount. Since he had made a move, he didn’t believe the opponent would let him go, only death fight to the end.

His figure violently retreated, creating distance from Zhang Yan. At the same time, two Gang Clouds above shook, and suddenly over ten Evil Smokes rose to the sky, reaching a hundred feet high, rotating and moving, condensing into a fierce wind within moments. Hundreds and thousands of thin white bone blades moved with the wind, sometimes dispersing, sometimes gathering, despite their vast numbers, not touching each other even slightly, appearing from afar like a grey-white cocoon breathing.

This was his cultivated "White Bone Extinguishing Gang Wind," one of the Protective Divine Skills of the Corpse Pride Sect, able to attack and defend, refined to the Great Success Realm can, during combat, scrape away the opponent’s flesh and blood, turning them into a pile of dry bones. But at present, it was merely used to protect the body.

His mind was clear; two joining forces were more certain than one fighting alone. His junior brother had the "Lifeless Treasure Coffin" in hand, breaking the Prohibition was easy as turning over the palm. Waiting for him to enter, attacking together wouldn’t be late.

Zhang Yan saw him employing such Daoist Skill, squinting his eyes and pondering inwardly: "From the ways of these two, presumably, they are evil sect cultivators of this continent. It is said their actions rely solely on personal likes and dislikes, never considering consequences, somewhat similar to Demon Sect disciples. After practicing that Divine Skill, I have yet to use it in fighting. It wouldn’t hurt to test it on these two."

As this thought turned, his expression became solemn, displaying some majesty on his face. At this moment, three Gang Clouds above simultaneously shook, transforming into a stream of Purple Qi, shooting towards the sky. Rumbling thunder sounds came from the Heavenly Vault, initially intermittent, barely audible, then booming in waves, shaking mountains and rivers, transforming into a grand sound, resonating throughout the sky.

The scholar outside was controlling fire to break the prohibition. Initially, in a little while, he could burn through the Prohibition. Suddenly, upon hearing this sound, it was as if someone took an iron hammer and struck his heart. His face turned pale as sheet, involuntarily spewing out a mouthful of blood. The cluster of Five Yin Phosphorus Fire, losing his control, swayed twice, suddenly drilling into the ground, disappearing from sight.

Duan Xiangzhou couldn’t understand what was happening. As soon as the sound occurred, he felt as if his breath was stifled, his head spinning, looking up again at the sky, seeing purple Qi filling the sky, covering a radius of a hundred miles. He was extremely horrified, unable to see that the opponent was using mighty Divine Skills. Such power, he feared, couldn’t be easily blocked.

He originally wanted to attack Zhang Yan, but as the thunder sound drew closer, his chest felt as if it was pressed by a ten-thousand-pound boulder, his body stiff, attempting to stabilize his figure but in vain, knowing there’s no chance, he abandoned this thought. Urging his mind, he flew from the Gang Cloud, a white fire lantern suspended above.

With difficulty, he lifted a hand, tremblingly grasped a spell, and suddenly the eerie wind blew, twelve Daoist figures appeared around, seemingly hidden and unpredictable, fluttering uncertainly. This was the "Shadowless Corpse Lord," recorded in the sect secret scroll "Ten Thousand Corpses Scroll," not only able to resist weapons and fire but also to devour thunder and lightning, often used to guard against Thunder Attribute Magical Treasure and Skills.

At this moment, Zhang Yan had already brewed the spell to its peak, suddenly shouted loudly, pointed downward. In an instant, it seemed heaven and earth reversed, mountains crumbled, thousands of Thunder Radiance burst forth with ten thousand zhang’s brilliance, crashing down from the Heavenly Vault!

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)