Blazing flames swallowed the entire area.

The nearby abyssal demons, whether of ordinary rank or king rank, all turned to ash in an instant, leaving not even a core behind.

The clash of celestial forces was too intense—the rules of the Star River Road were strong, otherwise the world would have been torn apart long ago.

Miao Shan fought against two celestial beings alone. Despite being hit in the confrontation, it was not fatal, and he could ignore it.

But he dared not relax, as long as it was only Donghua Sect’s and Canglan Sect’s mighty figures, even if he couldn’t win, he wouldn’t have to worry about his life.

What he feared most was the powerful shadow master who had yet to really make a move.

He was the biggest threat because if he made a move, it could mean death.

It is well-known that shadows specialize in assassination, and the number of celestial beings assassinated is not small.

Thus, while battling the two great powers, Miao Shan had to divide his attention to guard against a potential strike from the shadow master at any moment.

He was indeed the most troublesome figure.

At this moment, although the shadow master had not acted, just his presence posed a great threat to Miao Shan. Donghua Sect’s and Canglan Sect’s mighty figures knew this, which gave them confidence that they could end Miao Shan’s threat here.

Miao Shan had previously killed people from their sects numerous times, but frustratingly, Miao Shan was wily and always managed to escape from the jaws of death.

Moreover, the ancestral land was vast, allowing him to easily hide within the universe, making it extremely difficult to locate Miao Shan.

But the Star River Road was different. Strictly speaking, it was an enclosed small world.

Even if Miao Shan wanted to hide, serious investigation would reveal some traces.

Because of this, Miao Shan couldn’t shake them off and kept going in circles.

"Miao Shan, accept your fate. With the three of us targeting you, there’s no way you’ll leave here alive. Blame yourself for taking an Earth native as a disciple and stepping into the Star River Road, courting death yourself," said the Donghua Sect’s mighty figure with a sneer.

"Your disciple fell into the cosmic abyss and likely met his end at the mouth of an abyssal demon. What a pity for Ge Tian’s treasure. Perhaps you, too, as his master, should go down to accompany your disciple. Otherwise, your disciple will be so lonely in the cosmic abyss," added the Canglan Sect’s mighty figure.

"You want to kill me? Even if I die, I’ll take one of you down with me," said Miao Shan fiercely.

A cornered rabbit will bite, let alone a human.

Hearing this, both the Donghua and Canglan Sect’s mighty figures’ expressions subtly changed; no one wanted to be the one perishing together with him.

They’ve lived this long only wanting to keep living well; nobody wished for an early death.

The longer you live, the more you fear death—this fate is inescapable, even for celestial beings.

"Miao Shan, I admit your strength is impressive, even Elder Huang from Hunyuan Sect fell by your hand. But remember, we are three while you are one, and even if you wish to perish together, we won’t give you the opportunity," said the Donghua Sect’s mighty figure.

Miao Shan’s gaze turned ghostly—Elder Huang was not killed by him, but it no longer mattered, let them think what they want.

"Fight if you want to fight. If you’re trying to use words to make me despair, I advise you to give up that hope," Miao Shan said firmly. Though delaying slightly allows his power to recover a little, it allows them to do the same, and they have three people; the longer this drags on, the weaker he becomes.

"You wish to die sooner, we’ll grant you that."

"Kill!"

The two struck again; the sound of the clash echoed throughout the heavens and earth, almost reaching the distant Star River ancient city.

On the ground, the battle among the three was intense, their figures indistinguishable, the sites of explosions marking their engagements.

The shadow master had waited patiently for a significant time; finding the optimal moment to strike wasn’t easy, requiring immense patience and intense focus.

Gradually, the shadow master’s body began to tense up, like a bow half-bent, signaling his pending move.

Miao Shan, amidst battle, suddenly felt a sense of premonition, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and the next second, he sensed a murderous aura surrounding him.

Oh no!

The shadow master’s narrow eyes glinted with coldness. He straightened his bow-like bent body, ready to launch an assault.

Just then, a foot suddenly stomped on the shadow master’s head, shattering the gathered momentum instantly, shoving his head into the dirt with overwhelming force.

Already in motion to attack, how did a foot come from nowhere and stomp him down?

The shadow master was dumbfounded.

Then came fear, for someone whose life was the art of assassination, to have another silently lurking nearby without his knowledge.

The foot’s appearance at such a crucial moment disrupted his momentum.

For an assassin about to strike, it was akin to having their life pressure points pinched, crippling their ability to continue the assault.

The owner of that foot was undoubtedly Ye Qiu. With one stomp, he wasn’t finished—even if facing a celestial-level being, one stomp couldn’t kill a person, not even if aimed at the head.

Next, Ye Qiu wielded his exclusive weapon, the Taihuang Bell, viciously smashing it down.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Ye Qiu assaulted relentlessly, affording the shadow master no time to recover.

Each strike infused with imperial-level power against the demonic body; remember, it was the Taihuang Bell that previously crushed Elder Huang to death.

This time, Ye Qiu used the same tactic, deploying his most potent weapon at the start to eradicate the shadow master directly.

Gone!

Miao Shan had felt impending danger a moment ago, but after a while, he realized the shadow master hadn’t attacked.

The Donghua and Canglan Sect’s mighty figures frowned. If the shadow master’s stealth attack succeeded, Miao Shan’s threat would be instantly neutralized—even if it didn’t kill him, it would’ve severely wounded him.

At that point, Miao Shan’s fate would evade death no more.

Instinctively, the three paused, all looked in one direction, where a frenzied battering spectacle unfolded.

The sight of an abyssal demon wielding a pitch-black object, repeatedly striking a person, rendered the three stupefied.

What was with this abyssal demon?

Could it be the shadow master was suddenly stopped because of an ambush by this abyssal demon?

In the eyes of the three, the scene before them was undoubtedly bizarre.