"Buzz!"

As his withered finger made a stroke, three layers of light barriers instantly unfolded, encasing him layer by layer.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The crowd's attacks arrived instantly, but in front of the tri-colored barriers, they all scattered, merely stirring up ripples.

"This old guy is certainly well-prepared!" Sikong Yan frowned. "Keep attacking!"

Nobody dared to dawdle, unleashing various Divine Techniques in succession.

Ripples continued on the light barriers, but they could never be breached.

At this moment, Zhou Qing finally made his way over, feeling utterly exhausted inside.

Clearly, the distance wasn't far, but all the Peak Masters and the Supreme Elders would just push him back whenever they saw him get in front of them, as if afraid he might encounter danger.

Little did they know, they were protecting the strongest person here!

But with time pressing, he couldn't afford to delay. Instantly, Double Pupils appeared in his eyes, meticulously inspecting the turtle shell before him.

Five members of the Liu Family, including two Supreme Elders from the Lei Family, had all died at the hands of this Lei Wuji.

If this dragged on any longer, something unexpected might happen.

Soon, his eyes lit up, and he swiftly used Spiritual Power to draw a light circle on the array's surface: "Attack here!"

There was no hesitation from the Taiqing Sect crowd, who attacked with full force.

The Supreme Elders from the Cangyan Daoist Palace hesitated for a moment, exchanging startled glances.

They suddenly remembered this rising talent who had once given them headaches seemed to have gone to the White Jade Taixu Courtyard of Lingyun Mansion, following the three-star Array Master Lin Daochen for advanced studies for a few years.

Sikong Yan also turned his head at this moment, looking at Zhou Qing with interest, then chuckled lightly as a dark blue flame shot out from his sleeve, hitting the mark with precision.

"Boom!"

More than thirty Great Perfection cultivators simultaneously attacked, with all attacks continually hitting the spot marked by the light circle!

"Crack——"

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a crisp cracking sound was heard, and the first barrier shattered accordingly!

The Taiqing Sect members wore expressions of pride since they had all been present when Zhou Qing advanced to a third-level Array Master.

Fortunately, besides them, outsiders were unaware that Zhou Qing had become the fourth and youngest third-level Array Master of the Holy Martial Dynasty.

At this moment, the others from Cangyan Daoist Palace looked at Zhou Qing in surprise.

"Interesting..." Sikong Yan caressed his chin, murmuring softly.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qing used Double Pupils, his gaze penetrating layers of light to continue searching for weaknesses in the countless runes of the second barrier's Restriction.

He even used Daily Reflection for assistance.

Simultaneously, inside the array!

Lei Wuji tossed the shriveled corpse of the Great Elder aside, spreading his arms. His decaying body trembled violently as purple-black lightning scurried frantically beneath his skin.

"Power... an unprecedented sensation..."

He laughed maniacally at the sky, but his voice suddenly twisted and altered, as if two different voices screamed simultaneously.

In this craze, his whole body shivered, the oil-green pupils suddenly contracted.

"Is this... the barrier of the Spirit Severing Realm?"

Mysteriously, he sensed a realm barrier like never before.

The barrier seemed both illusory and real, emitting an aura that made him tremble and yearn.

"Spirit Severing! This is Spirit Severing!"

Lei Wuji shivered with excitement, stretching his withered hand forward. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Just as his fingertip touched the void—

"Shwish!"

The scene before him shattered abruptly!

In a flurry of snow, he suddenly reverted to that frail boy curled up in the corner of a woodshed.

The revelry of main family disciples echoed from afar, and amidst the clinking and toasting, someone sneered, "How could that trash be worthy of learning Thunder Skills?"

"Is this... my Obsession Spirit?" Lei Wuji stood bewildered. "These... I should have forgotten long ago..."

Before he could think deeply, the scene shifted again—

He knelt at the master's door for three days and nights, the snow piled up to his knees.

What he got in return was merely an incomplete Thunder Skills manual.

His trembling hand poured poison into his senior brother's cup; the other's eyes filled with disbelief before dying.

In the Secret Realm ruins, his Dao companion pushed him towards a beast's mouth, only to be torn apart themselves.

At the Core Formation ceremony, the master's meaningful gaze: "This child will ultimately amount to nothing."

…

Countless memories that had long been sealed surged like a barrage of needles piercing his mind!

"Get out! Get out of my head!"

Lei Wuji frantically tore at his own hair, splitting open the decayed scalp to reveal the pale white skull beneath.

More terrifyingly, countless illusions appeared in rapid succession in his sea of consciousness.

The senior brother who bullied him in childhood was now whipping his Primordial Spirit with a lightning whip.

The disciples he had killed turned into blood-soaked Corpse Puppets, enclosing him.

The most terrifying was the apparition of his Dao companion, bleeding from orifices, holding a throbbing heart: "This is what you gave me back then... now returning it to you..."

"No! It's not like this!"

Lei Wuji's Spiritual Power began to backfire, and his previously healed body once again decayed.

Purple-black lightning rampaged within his meridians, scorching his organs with charred marks.

"I'm at Spirit Severing, as long as I succeed in crossing this step, I will reach the lofty Spirit Severing Realm!"

Lei Wuji roared, more aware of what he was encountering now.

"Sever—"

He roared, condensing the Primordial Spirit Blade, fiercely slicing at the most fragile obsession—the young, recognition-seeking self.

The blade's light flashed, and the child in the snow vanished into blue smoke.

But in the next moment, more Obsession Spirits launched a frenzied counterattack!

"Sever! Sever! Sever!"

More blade lights crisscrossed, tearing countless illusions.

But the apparition of his Dao companion grew increasingly solid, her cold fingers caressing his decaying cheek:

"Do you truly... wish to forget me?"

Her voice, gentle as ever, caused Lei Wuji's Primordial Spirit Blade to tremble violently.