"Mr. Liou is only at the Qi Cultivation Realm yet has such array expertise; his future is limitless."

It is precisely because Tuoba Xin has extensive knowledge that he clearly understands the status a powerful Array Master holds within the Cultivation Realm.

Any Array Master capable of arranging a formidable Foundation Establishment Array is welcomed by all sects.

Liou Yuan is only at the Qi Cultivation Realm, and once he breaks through to Foundation Establishment, arranging a Foundation Establishment Array is a certainty.

Little did he know, Liou Yuan was using nearly self-destructive methods to operate the array, just to help Tuoba Xin hold off the Purifying Dark Demon for ten breaths.

The energy infused into the array’s patterns had pushed the power of the Refined Gold Breaking Mountain Array to its limit.

But the array itself was clearly unable to withstand this force.

The 840 array patterns began to crack and expand over time.

Liou Yuan now only hopes the ten breaths pass quickly, as he’s unsure if the array can last another ten breaths.

"Seven breaths!" Liou Yuan mentally counted the time.

"Roar!" An intense shriek oscillated from the brightest gold light of the Refined Gold Breaking Mountain Array.

Boom! Then, Liou Yuan saw a streak of blue light explode in the midst of the golden ocean.

It was the flame of the Purifying Dark Demon.

The extreme heat forced open a vacuum zone within the array’s energy.

In the center of that void, the massive body of the Purifying Dark Demon had disappeared.

Through his Evil Eyes, Liou Yuan saw a tall, burly humanoid figure.

He stood over two meters tall, each inch of muscle exuding strength, his skin a unique blue, radiating a cold and mysterious glow.

His hair danced like blue flames, standing upright as if alive, each strand flickering with blue fire, resonating with the blue flames burning on his body, appearing as a massive blue ball of fire from a distance, emitting a fearful aura.

"Not good!" Liou Yuan shouted in a bad omen.

"This Purifying Dark Demon can shape-shift already."

The Purifying Dark Demon belongs to the Star Erosion category.

According to ancient records, Star Erosions at the Foundation Establishment Realm can take human form.

Apparently, this Half-Step Foundation Establishment Purifying Dark Demon not only has Half-Step Foundation Establishment powers, but fear of the Earth Erosion Seal has kept its cultivation suppressed.

Sensing Half-Step Foundation Establishment failed to break the stalemate, it lifted its limitations.

The Purifying Dark Demon standing at the center of the array is now a genuine Foundation Establishment Star Erosion.

"No wonder the Fixed Star Compass offered such tempting rewards."

"It’s over."

Seeing this, Liou Yuan abandoned any thoughts of confronting the Purifying Dark Demon.

He shouted at Tuoba Xin, still conjuring magic in the void: "Mr. Tuoba, retreat quickly, we are not its match."

Just as the words fell.

The humanoid Purifying Dark Demon gazed through the array at Liou Yuan.

Its eyes were deep and cold like two blue gems, flames burning in the depths of the pupils.

With just a glance, Liou Yuan’s spiritual power became chaotic, difficult to mobilize, forcing him to step back uncontrollably.

"This is Foundation Establishment!" Though Liou Yuan had seen many Foundation Establishment cultivators, facing one directly was a first, his heart astonished.

The Purifying Dark Demon seemed to see Liou Yuan as the array’s controlling manipulator.

After a glance, it aimed a finger towards Liou Yuan’s position in the air.

Bang!

A blue flame column shot from its fingertip, piercing the Refined Gold Breaking Mountain Array’s barrier.

This array, pushed to the brink of collapse by Liou Yuan, was penetrated by the Purifying Dark Demon’s flame before it could collapse on its own.

With the Purifying Dark Demon’s cold gaze, the piercing flame column did not halt but cut towards Liou Yuan.

Slash slash slash!

The flame sliced like a knife, cleaving through the canyon walls like tofu, causing a cliff to crumble, sending down countless boulders.

"It’s over! Can’t escape." The flame column was too fast, leaving Liou Yuan with no time to react.

The flame was about to touch his body, mere inches away.

At such close proximity, the searing heat from the flame started engulfing Liou Yuan, making him feel like he was roasting in a furnace, his hair and clothes igniting instantly.

"Fight!" At life’s end, Liou Yuan’s dull gaze sharpened, eyes fierce, activating his Evil Eye.

Bang! Purple spiritual power burst inside him.

It surged into the Cold Star Bracelet he wore on his wrist.

Buzz! A magical artifact shield erected a light screen before him.

At the same time, he activated his blood energy.

The Blood Absorption Skill manifested, swiftly enveloping Liou Yuan in a blood-colored veil.

This was Liou Yuan’s strongest defense.

"Life or death, it’s up to fate." This thought had barely fallen.

An unexpected situation occurred, catching Liou Yuan and Tuoba Xin off guard once more.

As the Purifying Dark Demon unleashed its Foundation Establishment might, having just shattered the Refined Gold Breaking Mountain Array, a fiery column sought to strike Liou Yuan in an instant.

The seal suspended above Erosion Land descended a verdant glow.

That glow wasn’t imposing, merely thumb-sized.

Insignificant compared to the blue flames entwined around the Purifying Dark Demon.

Yet this tiny glow struck the Purifying Dark Demon’s body, causing the blue flames engulfing him to collapse instantly.

The power of the fiery column attacking Liou Yuan was also reduced by seventy to eighty percent.

Even with only twenty to thirty percent left, it was still a Foundation Establishment strike, pounding on Liou Yuan’s defense barrier activated by the Cold Star Bracelet.

Crack, crack, crack! Liou Yuan heard the sound of something as fragile as an eggshell shattering, as the defensive barrier in front of him rapidly collapsed.

It lasted just under a breath, breaking amidst a sound of helplessness, as the scorching fire energy struck Liou Yuan’s chest, condensed by the Blood Absorption Skill.

The burning sensation swept over him, spreading through Liou Yuan’s entire body.

From Tuoba Xin’s perspective, a blue flame exploded at Liou Yuan’s location, engulfing him.

"Mr. Liou is probably no more," Tuoba Xin expressed regret, yet his hands didn’t cease moving.

He turned his gaze to the Purifying Dark Demon.

Under the assault of the Earth Erosion Seal, the robust body instantly shattered with cracks like ceramic.

Green glow burst from those cracks, as if a force was squeezing through its body, threatening to crush it.

In extreme agony, the Purifying Dark Demon let out unwilling cries, roaring with hatred and questioning the heavenly lantern above: "Five thousand years have passed; your lingering power weakens each day. How much longer can you suppress us?"

The Purifying Dark Demon spoke, its voice filled with boundless fury.

At this moment, ten breaths had passed.

Tuoba Xin’s spell culmination took ten breaths.

"Spirit Wind Breaking Spell!" Tuoba Xin’s expression was solemn, as he opened his sealing hand, his spiritual power condensed in his palm into a green-colored awl.

The wind turbulence filling the entire canyon area fell silent once the green awl was exposed to the air.

It seemed all the wind was absorbed by that green awl.

Swoosh! In an instant.

The awl vanished from Tuoba Xin’s hand.

When it reappeared, it pierced the already crack-ridden body of the Purifying Dark Demon.

Its body was on the verge of collapse, battered by the Earth Erosion Seal.

The green awl was like the last straw, touching its body lightly.

Boom!

The Purifying Dark Demon’s body detonated, transforming into a dazzling blue flame, scattering within the remnants of the Refined Gold Breaking Mountain Array.

Seething waves swept across, sparing no corner.

Even Tuoba Xin couldn’t evade, carried by the blue fiery wave, blown to the other side of the canyon, disappearing from view.

At the spot where the Purifying Dark Demon had attacked Liou Yuan with fire, the disheveled Liou Yuan had just crawled out of a deep pit.

"Pah!" He spat out a mouthful of blood-speckled saliva, his eyes gleaming with pride.

The Purifying Dark Demon’s fire attack had already been diminished by the Earth Erosion Seal by seventy to eighty percent, and the remaining twenty to thirty percent was further halved by the Cold Star Bracelet’s defense.

The actual power falling on him was minimal, which he endured using the Blood Absorption Skill.

"I’ve actually survived an encounter with Foundation Establishment,"

But before his cocky demeanor could last long, the Purifying Dark Demon’s final burst of might spread again as it died.

Seeing the scorching wave approaching swiftly,

"Damn it," Liou Yuan cursed fiercely, hastily raised the Cold Star Bracelet’s defense shield and the Blood Absorption Skill once again.

The Purifying Dark Demon, being a Foundation Establishment level, still had formidable residual energy even after death.

After a while, the turmoil subsided.

At the place where it died, there lay a pit over five hundred meters wide.

The ground around the pit appeared charcoal-like, emitting a pungent sulfur smell.

Swoosh! Deep within the canyon the Spirit Wind blew, carrying Tuoba Xin’s form back once more.

Though he was caught in the aftermath of the Purifying Dark Demon’s explosion, apart from appearing somewhat disheveled, he bore no injuries.

His gaze roamed over the destruction area caused by the Purifying Dark Demon, seemingly searching for something.

Muttering incessantly: "It’s over, Mr. Liou might really be dead this time."

When Liou Tao of the Five-Star Star Acupoint died, Tuoba Xin didn’t feel remorse, but losing a potential future Array Master made even Tuoba Xin regret deeply.

"If the Sect Leader finds out I’ve offed a future Array Master, I won’t escape a scolding."

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Tuoba Xin found a clue, his eyes lit up, focusing on a battlefield wreck area.

Suddenly, he saw a hand wrapped in blood-colored radiance emerge from the scorched earth.

Soon followed by Liou Yuan’s pitch-black head poking out.

His hair was almost burnt away by the Purifying Dark Demon’s blast, leaving a smooth bald head.

His clothes had been entirely burned away, leaving him bare.

Luckily, being entirely blackened now, he didn’t have to cover sensitive parts.