"Who goes there... pretending to be a ghost!"

Ao Ying fixed her gaze on the distant Sand Mountain, a trace of Killing Intent surging in her heart.

In her view.

This was nothing more than a Divine Power Technique she hadn’t seen before.

As for the opponent.

Perhaps their Divine Soul Realm was above hers, but could they really be a Great Divine Ability User?

In any case, in the Ruins, a place devoid of Primordial Energy, recklessly displaying divine skills is an extremely foolish act.

Shua!

Ao Ying acted immediately, raising two fingers and pointing them together at her opponent.

A streak of blood shot out swiftly!

The wind and sand shattered.

The dim world was pierced by this thick blood light.

The figure standing like a stake at the foot of the mountain was pierced by the blood light and exploded on the spot.

"Did it succeed?"

Ao Ying squinted her eyes, her Heart Lake filled with uncertainty.

"No... something’s not right!"

The next moment.

The mountain was suddenly inundated by shadows, sweeping in like a tide.

All around, were piercing black lights, and the talisman formation set by Ao Ying held only for three breaths before it was breached, and talismans flew through the air with the sand and stone. Scores, even hundreds of dark shadows came pouring in, Ao Ying’s expression turned grim, ignoring the fact that this was the Ruins, she hurriedly displayed divine skills, sacrificing fresh blood to summon the dharma, a massive Dragon Head appeared floating above her!

"Roar!"

Ao Ying formed a hand seal.

The massive Dragon Head suddenly opened its mouth to spew forth blazing Dragon Flame!

Boom boom boom——

The overwhelming Dragon Flame surged even more strongly than the shadowy tide, sweeping out in an instant, clearing a spotless path hundreds of meters long, like cannonballs. Ao Ying turned her head, causing the massive Dragon Head to turn with her, as the rolling Dragon Flame, bearing immense pressure, formed an enormous fan shape. It was a truly shocking sight; wherever the Dragon Flame passed, the shadowy tide was annihilated, screams continuously echoed out.

This divine skill’s power was incredibly formidable, truly a "touch and die" capability!

The "shadow tide" that had previously annihilated an entire scout team from Jiayong Pass was now being forcefully suppressed by Ao Ying’s Dragon Descendant Divine Power.

Yet.

Ao Ying grew more troubled in expression.

She had no desire for slaughter; this display of skill was only to see whom exactly the opponent was... What mystery lay within this strange "Puppetry Technique"...

After all.

She had already prepared to leave the Ruins.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances.

This could be a Great Practitioner sent from some Holy Land to hunt her down.

This being their first encounter.

The next time they met, she hoped to discern the opponent’s Bottom Card.

"This guy... doesn’t seem like a normal cultivator."

The Dragon Flame spewed for ten breaths.

Ao Ying’s Primordial Lake depleted quickly.

She extinguished countless shadow tides, yet couldn’t uncover the mastermind behind them; the figure she had marked with the Dragon Blood Divine Power earlier wasn’t the "true body," and these swarming shadows weren’t either. A wild thought suddenly emerged in Ao Ying’s Heart Lake... could it be that these bizarre shadows weren’t puppets at all?

The "true body" she wished to meet didn’t even exist?

"No Primordial Energy, no Divine Soul..."

Ao Ying clenched her teeth.

Looking at the surrounding shadows closing in, her Heart Lake was filled with growing uncertainty.

Finally.

She could only regard this scene as a daytime ghost encounter.

After all, the Ruins was an Ancient Battlefield, where Great Divine Ability Users had died. Who knows what strange occurrences had ensued. Having stayed here for three years, encountering unexplained oddities could be considered reasonable.

"Escape!"

As soon as the thought arose.

Ao Ying extended two fingers, touching her brow without hesitation!

The sandstorm raged, a scarlet eye light shot out.

The Feng Mou had awakened...

At Ao Ying’s brow, a peculiar vertical pupil, pulsating like a heart, appeared.

As Essence Blood was infused.

The vertical pupil slowly opened, its gaze becoming as tangible as a blade, sweeping across, the shadow tide exploded into vivid blood mists one after another!

As soon as the Feng Mou opened up, its natural power rivaled the Dragon Flame.

Ao Ying infused it with Essence Blood.

Her Divine Thought expanded sharply, enveloping dozens of miles around; after three years of seclusion practice in the Ruins, she had begun to master the Feng Mou.

At least...

During her escape, she had the right to choose her path.

"Northward or southward?"

Ao Ying knitted her brows, the unease in her Heart Lake mounting strongly.

She knew, how she chose to flee next would be an important issue.

Faced with Chiling City’s pursuit back then.

Ao Ying was forced to flee southwards, preferring to invade the Northern Border Great Wall Territory than be caught by Prince Jiu.

Now... circumstances had changed.

The Holy Empress was dead.

On the other side of the Northern Border Great Wall, there were Divine Power Users of the Human Race guarding vigilantly, if she went south again, she might stumble into figures far more powerful than herself. On the Human Race side, let alone "Chong Kan," even an ordinary Yang God could end her life.

"Head north... I must head north..."

In just a brief moment.

Ao Ying made her decision.

She chose to leave from the northern side of the Ruins, fearing the Divine Power Users of the Human Race even more than Chiling City’s pursuit this time.

"Boom boom boom!"

Using the range granted by the Secret Treasure’s Divine Thought, Ao Ying locked onto an isolated spot at the northern edge of the Ruins.

With her Heart Thought resolved.

The Feng Mou, nourished by abundant blood, started to operate.

Amidst the sea of sand and wind.

Thunder began to rumble.

The pervasive "shadow tide" suddenly halted, and the dark figures filling the mountains and plains stood still, silently gazing at Ao Ying’s location.

Then, the void suddenly fractured.

A vast blood light enveloped Ao Ying.

This Ancient Saint Secret Treasure, sacrificing blood, forcibly facilitated a void traversal for its owner limited to the Eleventh Realm.

"..."

The world remained dark and bleak.

The multitude of silhouettes converged, attempting to squeeze through the void crack torn by the Feng Mou.

The void slowly closed.

These puppet-like, emaciated figures, upon entering, were instantly shredded.

Yet...

They showed no fear of death, proceeding one after another.

Bang bang bang bang.

Explosions resounded within the void.

"Are they still chasing?"

"They can still chase!!"

Ao Ying glanced back at the terrifying scene, her face pale.

At this moment.

She truly believed she had provoked something unclean.

Perhaps.

Within the Ruins, there really existed a Grotto Heaven, and due to the Great Tribulation back then, it had given rise to a Great Dao independent of the six-path Reincarnation. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

These beings could ignore the "iron law of Life and Death."

Yet.

The thing Ao Ying feared most didn’t manifest.

This voyage through the void was something only Great Divine Powers could accomplish, and a very few with Great Perfection could forcibly traverse using Perfect Dao Intent and Perfect Flesh Body.

Although these beings were fearless, they ultimately couldn’t withstand the tearing of the Void Torrent.

Under the Feng Mou’s protection.

Ao Ying’s speed increased rapidly.

Within dozens of breaths.

The eerie black shadows were long gone from her sight.