Faced with Hu Xuefei's provocation, the burly man showed no concern. Instead, he stared straight at her with an aggressive gaze, his tone filled with arrogance as he said, "If you haven't tried, how would you know it won't work? A heart-bewitching fox demon... tsk tsk, I've long wanted to get a taste of what that's like."

Hu Xuefei giggled as she threw the burly man a flirtatious glance. "Hehe... I'll be waiting for you. Men of the Lei Family may be trash, but their physiques are indeed better than those other useless fools."

"Then let's do it!" The burly man grinned as dazzling lightning burst from his body. His figure flickered, and he vanished instantly.

Hu Xuefei watched him with a coquettish smile, not dodging at all, her eyes brimming with allure.

Bang!

A terrifying boom rang out. The burly man appeared before Hu Xuefei in an instant and threw a punch, yet his fist passed straight through her chest.

"Hehe!" Laughter echoed from afar as Hu Xuefei's alluring figure gradually solidified. "Little brother, come catch me."

"Hmph, impressive trick!" the burly man snorted, though his grin widened even further.

Even though he had seen many beauties, Hu Xuefei's enchanting charm still stirred something in him. He wanted to seize her and pull her fiercely into his embrace.

"Shameless woman!" The woman beside Yao Shuang snorted coldly as she watched Hu Xuefei's utterly provocative manner.

"Ignore her," Yao Shuang said after a glance, then paid no further attention.

Her brows knit slightly as she looked toward another direction where battle aftershocks were coming from. More and more experts were appearing. Though the shockwaves of their clashes seemed intense, most were merely probing strikes. It was not yet time for a true life-and-death battle.

A violent surge of demonic qi swept up fierce winds, howling through the lifeless darkness. Cultivators continued to arrive from the outside, hoping to seize this rare opportunity. As long as one could obtain a fragment of rules by chance, one could defy fate and rise in a single leap.

Within the darkness, three shadowy figures came to a halt.

"We can't go any further," Lei Yunshu said with a frown.

She sensed the intense energy fluctuations ahead. This location was already not far from the depths of the demon god barrier, close to the space-time rift near the space-time node. As time passed and the moment of collision and fusion between the two worlds approached, more and more prodigies gathered here. Not only human cultivators, but also barbarians, ancient yaos, members of evil sects, and even sea clans from the east had arrived. Treasures like rule fragments were not useful only to human cultivators.

Any being born in this world had a chance to obtain rule fragments and gain immense benefits from them. For Lei Yunshu, Lei Yunhan, and Lei Yunzhi, reaching this point was already their limit. Though all three were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, there were still differences in strength within that level.

Among those at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, the truly monstrous geniuses could even dare to challenge Golden Core realm experts. Now, within this demon god barrier, elites from all major factions and races had gathered. The number of geniuses here was immense. While Lei Yunshu and her companions were considered strong among their peers, among this group of prodigies, they were at the bottom tier.

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Xiao has regrouped with Ji Zitong and the others," Lei Yunhan said slowly as she gazed into the dark void.

"He probably went. This kind of opportunity is too rare," Lei Yunzhi said.

Lei Yunshu also stared into the darkness, but said nothing. In her mind, memories surfaced of the time she spent with Lin Zheyu in another demon god barrier. Though he had been strange, in hindsight, those days were rather interesting.

Brother Xiao, good luck! Lei Yunshu thought.

With her strength, this was as far as she could go. Even if she had other intentions, she lacked the power to help.

***

With so many geniuses gathered, conflicts kept breaking out. Waves of battle rippled through the darkness, and the already lifeless, ruined demon god barrier grew even more battered and broken.

Another thunderous roar rang out as a burly figure crackling with brilliant arcs of lightning slammed down from the void. His massive body struck heavily beside the demonic lake, causing its waters to tremble violently.

"Tsk tsk... Nice. I like them like this, wild and fiery. That's what makes it fun."

The burly man's eyes burned with aggression as he stared at the woman twisting her graceful body in the air. His right hand clenched, and from nothing, a lightning spear condensed in his palm.

"Oh? The Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear... Hehe, just a replica. You nearly scared me." Hu Xuefei's expression flickered with surprise before returning to its usual seductive charm.

The Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear was a family-protecting dharma treasure of the Lei Family, with terrifying power. If this brute had truly brought the genuine weapon, Hu Xuefei would have fled at once. It was something she could not possibly withstand in her current state.

The Lei Family has really gone all out this time! It seemed they'd also realized the world was about to change, thought Hu Xuefei.

She looked at the spear in the man's hand. Though she appeared dismissive, inwardly she was wary. Even a replica of the Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear was not to be underestimated. A crude imitation would not deserve such a name. Only those that carried even a trace of the original's essence and power could truly be called replicas.

Lei Yongtao saw the disdain in Hu Xuefei's eyes and felt humiliated. As a genius of the Lei Family, he had intended to toy with this Heart-Enchanting Fox Yao. Instead, he was the one being toyed with. The humiliation stirred him to reveal a bit of his trump card.

"Get down here!" Lei Yongtao shouted as his muscles swelled. The lightning spear in his hand shot out with a crackle, its speed beyond belief.

The spear streaked through the air like lightning, erupting into dazzling radiance that spread into a vast curtain of thunder.

"Hmph, idiot!" Hu Xuefei muttered in irritation.

The rule fragments had yet to appear, and this fool was already intent on a life-and-death clash. To her, it was utterly idiotic. If she had known, she would not have provoked such brainless brutes. With a sharp cry, Hu Xuefei retreated swiftly as a strange pink glow burst from her body.

Bang!

As the spear flew out, Lei Yongtao stomped forward and transformed into a bolt of lightning, charging in alongside it. As they fought, their tempers flared. Though it had not yet become a fight to the death, the aftershocks were already terrifying.

The violent energy waves ravaged the area around the demonic lake, leaving devastation in their wake. The ground began to collapse, revealing several tunnels leading deep underground.

Lin Zheyu, who had been cultivating in seclusion below, was caught in this unexpected disaster. Having just awakened from his Origin Force enhancement, he found himself buried.

Feeling the intense energy fluctuations from outside, Lin Zheyu was filled with confusion.

What the hell? Have the rules begun to shatter, and the rule fragments started descending? Why didn't I feel anything?

Lin Zheyu was a little slow to react. No matter what, he needed to get out first. In any case, his Primordial Golden Body had just reached the Perfection of the second stage. It was time to head out and see what was happening outside.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 14]

[Skills: Primordial Concealment Technique (Perfection), Primordial Golden Body (Second Stage: 100%)]

14 units of Origin Force left. That should be enough to deal with what comes next, Lin Zheyu thought as he looked at the data in his consciousness.

With a thought, his aura quickly diminished. Next, Lin Zheyu planned to regroup with Ji Zitong and the others. He could not approach them in his yao form. The brilliant golden runes on his skin vanished instantly, and the perfected golden body totem receded along with them.

Once ready, Lin Zheyu moved and burst through the soil, charging toward the surface. He did not know any earth escape techniques, but his immense strength made the compact demon-tainted soil feel like paper. In moments, he broke through and emerged above ground.

The moment he surfaced, Lin Zheyu heard an angry shout, "Got you! Get down there!"

Blinding lightning burst from the dark void. A graceful figure cried out as she was seized by the lightning and slammed down toward the ground. The direction of impact was precisely where Lin Zheyu stood. Though Hu Xuefei and Lei Yongtao had grown heated, it had not escalated into a life-and-death battle.

Even in battle, they remained alert to their surroundings, wary of others reaping the benefits. Thus, the moment Lin Zheyu appeared, both noticed him. That was why Lei Yongtao had thrown Hu Xuefei in his direction. He wanted to use her to test this newcomer who dared intrude, to see what Lin Zheyu was capable of.

"Ah! Young master, save me!" Hu Xuefei's pitiful voice echoed directly in Lin Zheyu's mind, followed by her alluring body hurtling toward him.

A trace of dazed fascination flickered in Lin Zheyu's eyes before they instantly returned to calm clarity.

"What a remarkable soul secret art."

At the instant that pitiful voice sounded, he sensed a strange fluctuation invading his mind and entering his sea of consciousness. Fortunately, his sea of consciousness was filled with golden energy, which directly blocked the peculiar mental attack.

This surprised Lin Zheyu. He had not expected the golden energy to not only resist the erosion of demonic qi but also defend against soul attacks. It was a pleasant surprise.

The thought passed in an instant. Lin Zheyu's body swayed as if out of control, lunging toward Hu Xuefei. Seeing this, a trace of disdain appeared in her alluring expression.

With such pathetic strength, he dared come to the depths of the demon god barrier to snatch opportunities from geniuses like us? He's truly ignorant of his own limits...

"Uh..."

The disdain in her heart vanished in an instant as Hu Xuefei suddenly realized that the dazed look on Lin Zheyu's face had disappeared.

In its place was a faint sneer. Her neck, without her noticing, had already been firmly seized by a powerful hand. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Eh?" Hu Xuefei let out a soft exclamation. There was no fear on her face, only ripples of charm in her eyes.

"Hehe. Young master, you're quite strong. I like that." Hu Xuefei's coquettish voice echoed in Lin Zheyu's mind.

Lin Zheyu felt the body in his grasp turn boneless. Hu Xuefei's neck suddenly became slippery, slipping free from his hand in a bizarre manner.

"Oh?" This time, it was Lin Zheyu who felt a flicker of surprise.