"Is this Evil Qi?" Jiang Yun carefully observed the wisp of black gas in his hand. The moment he touched it, he felt both a sense of intimacy and resistance within him.
The intimacy was because he could absorb it for cultivation, while the resistance was an instinctive reaction from the Dou Qi within his Dou Qi Continent body.
"Someone from the Evil Clan has been here before!" Jiang Yun was surprised, not expecting that after Qing Ming had just sensed a familiar aura, he would encounter it so soon.
From this, it seems the Dou Qi Continent indeed suffered an invasion from the Fiend Clan, or rather, a great battle once erupted here. It's said that Dou Emperors on the Dou Qi Continent were once countless, but they all mysteriously disappeared before ancient times.
A clear thought formed in Jiang Yun's mind: perhaps they didn't ascend to the Great Thousand World, but instead, died in battle?
"There's still something good in here; what made me feel extraordinary just now wasn't this." At this moment, Qing Ming's voice rang out in Jiang Yun's mind.
"Not?" Jiang Yun was a little confused. Could there be some treasure left behind here?
"Xiao Yun—"
Just then, Zi Yan's anxious voice came. Jiang Yun's eyes flashed like lightning, and he swiftly retreated using profound footwork. At the same time, white flames appeared in his palm, and a lifelike little white tiger quickly condensed.
"Boom—" A loud bang resounded. Where Jiang Yun had just been, a huge deep pit appeared, and a terrifying force swept out, directly tearing a crack in the ground.
Beneath that crack, a hideous demonic monster, completely black and covered in sharp black spines, revealed its bloody giant eyes.
"Courting death!"
A soft shout came, and a figure appeared like a ghost in front of Jiang Yun. Immediately, her fist rapidly shot out, and an invisible surge of energy burst forth.
"Bang—"
Under Zi Yan's punch, the ground directly collapsed. At the bottom of the pit, the monster lay motionless.
Seeing Zi Yan, who had already dealt with the opponent, Jiang Yun slowly dispersed the white tiger in his palm. Just as he was about to thank Zi Yan, he saw her scolding him fiercely.
"Xiao Yun, what's wrong with you? Before we came in, you told me to be careful, careful, and even more careful, but then you got distracted! If I hadn't reminded you, you would have been injured."
Jiang Yun looked at Zi Yan gently. Although he wouldn't have been injured without Zi Yan's reminder, he heard the anxiety in her tone and didn't try to argue. Instead, he repeatedly promised that there wouldn't be a next time.
"Sigh—, really, it's always like this. What would you do without me?"
In the end, Zi Yan sighed helplessly and shook her head.
"Alright, stop chattering. Let's go quickly, or all the good stuff will really be taken by others!"
Jiang Yun and Zi Yan set off again. Not far ahead, there was a small mountain range with many tall trees Jiang Yun had never seen before.
Vaguely, the highest peak was in the middle of the mountain range, where another pillar of light, identical to the one outside, stood.
That should be the center of the relic. Judging by the powerful auras coming from inside, those Dou Kings and Dou Emperors had all gone there.
Indeed, along the way, Jiang Yun had basically confirmed that this was an ancient battlefield, filled with demonic energy everywhere. It would be a miracle if any heavenly treasures could grow here.
So, now they could only try their luck at the center of the relic.
"Xiao Yun, it seems there's some movement ahead?" While flying, Zi Yan's large eyes suddenly gazed into the distance, asking with a hint of curiosity.
"Mm."
Jiang Yun nodded. He had also sensed at the same time that in the distant front, several powerful auras were intertwined, and a unique fluctuation seemed to spread from within them. Amidst that fluctuation, there even seemed to be a faint, vigorous vitality.
"Be careful."
Jiang Yun turned his head and reminded Zi Yan, while his soul power quietly extended, enveloping both of them to lower their presence.
Whoosh—
Jiang Yun and Zi Yan transformed into streaks of rainbow light, soaring across the sky. After a short while, their figures slowly stopped, and their gazes, with a hint of astonishment, looked at the scene before them.
It was a colossal mountain peak, towering like a giant, spanning this world. Most importantly, six enormous skeletons stood silently on the mountain peak.
Their forms were somewhat strange. After some thought, Jiang Yun realized that the six figures had died together after a brutal struggle, forming these poses.
At this moment, in the center of their skeletons, grew a giant pitch-black tree. On the tree were six emerald green fruits, from which circles of green light patterns emanated. The rich life essence indicated the extraordinary nature of these fruits.
"Bang bang bang—"
Deafening sounds of air being torn echoed. Three figures were fiercely battling in the sky: Su Mei, Yuan Yi, and Fan Lao. As for their subordinates, they were nowhere to be seen.
"Xiao Yun, what kind of fruit is that?" Zi Yan secretly swallowed, moving close to Jiang Yun's ear and asking in a low voice.
"Those are Life and Death Profound Fruits. They only have a one-in-a-thousand chance of growing in places with dense death energy. They can be used to refine a sixth-grade Life-Restoring Pill and a seventh-grade Resurrection Pill." Jiang Yun softly explained, secretly pondering how to fish in troubled waters and get these fruits.
Hmm. Those few corpses shouldn't be missed either. Corpses that can produce Life and Death Profound Fruits must have belonged to at least Dou Zuns in their lifetime. And, if Jiang Yun wasn't mistaken, one of those corpses should be from the Evil Clan.
"Xiao Yun!" By the end, Zi Yan could barely stop her drooling. She looked at Jiang Yun, her meaning self-evident.
"Later, I'll hold them off, and you go take the Life and Death Profound Fruits and those few corpses." Jiang Yun softly instructed Zi Yan.
"No, you're only a Dou Spirit, your strength is too weak. I'll go hold them off!" Zi Yan immediately rejected Jiang Yun's plan. How could a Dou Spirit Jiang Yun possibly restrain Dou Emperors?
"Trust me!" Jiang Yun didn't say much, just firmly stated, "Trust me!"
"Alright!" Zi Yan knew this wasn't the time to hesitate and nodded with difficulty. "However, if I see you start to falter, I will definitely come to save you. By then, neither of us will be able to escape. So, Xiao Yun, for our sake, don't lie to me, okay?"
Jiang Yun wore a confident smile. After cultivating in this world for a few years, it was time to test his limits.
Suddenly, Zi Yan noticed Jiang Yun's aura had changed. Jiang Yun seemed to have become part of the world. If one relied on perception, they wouldn't even detect Jiang Yun's presence, even if he stood right in front of them.
In fact, it was true. At this moment, in Jiang Yun's eyes, the outside world seemed to be stripped away from him. Any movement could not disturb him. In his heart, there were only the intricate and complex array patterns being outlined.
That's right, this was the Spirit Array path of the Great Thousand World. Jiang Yun had also dabbled in arrays during his time in the Demonic Spirit Clan, but due to his cultivation, he hadn't had time to experiment.
After coming to the Dou Qi Continent, he gradually began to research it. Fortunately, his talent was good, and he could now set up a Level Four Spirit Array, even touching upon the state of a Heart Array. This was his confidence in dealing with Dou Emperors.
Under the boost of the Heart Array state, soon, Jiang Yun's body was covered in shimmering spirit seals. The number was nearly a hundred!
And at this moment, the three people battling were still completely unaware!
"Bang—"
After Fan Lao forced Yuan Yi back with a claw, he turned to avoid Su Mei's attack. He was immediately enraged and said coldly, "Su Mei, Yuan Yi, if the three of us continue like this, we won't be able to determine a winner anytime soon. By then, the opportunities and Dou Zun treasures inside will have nothing to do with us."
Upon hearing this, Su Mei and Yuan Yi immediately pondered. Ultimately, the Dou Zun inheritance was more tempting, and both nodded in agreement.
"Fan Lao, what you said makes sense. There are many good things inside; we can't waste time here."
"Coincidentally, there are six Life and Death Profound Fruits here. The three of us will take two each."
"Mm!"
"Okay!"
The three temporarily reached an agreement. Small impatience would ruin a great plan. Since they couldn't monopolize the treasure, the best outcome was to divide it equally and then reconsider.
"I'm afraid a few of you might not get your wish!" Just then, a faint voice came, and as the voice arrived, the hundred spirit seals that had previously condensed around Jiang Yun had quietly appeared in the space around the three of them.
"Not good—"
The three immediately changed their expressions. Although they didn't know what these were, the intense threat was undeniable. They immediately used their movement techniques and sped towards Jiang Yun's direction.
"You little bastard, how dare you ambush me!" While flying, Fan Lao's expression was sinister, and the killing intent in his eyes was so thick it was almost tangible.
"A guy who doesn't know his place, a mere Dou Spirit, daring to ambush three Dou Emperors?" Yuan Yi also sneered, as the energy of heaven and earth condensed in his palm, and a giant three-headed dog slowly took shape.
"Hehehe, little brother, if you do this, big sister will be very unhappy!" Su Mei chuckled charmingly, but her movements were not slow either. In a few flashes, she closed the distance between them.
"Don't you think it's too late for you to react now?" Facing the sudden attack of the three Dou Emperors, Jiang Yun remained calm as still water. With a raised hand, the last spirit seal fell into place.
"This array was inspired by the Four Symbols Seal. It's the initial creation of the Four Symbols Grand Array. I invite the three of you to appraise it!"
"Four Symbols Grand Array, White Tiger Killing Array!"
"Buzz—"
As the last word fell, behind Jiang Yun, the space suddenly erupted with a strong white light. The white light expanded and contracted, then, under the shocked gazes of the few, transformed into an incredibly complex white array pattern.
"Roar—"
The aura of battle and killing permeated the air. Vaguely, a giant white tiger slowly walked towards the three, emitting a terrifying murderous aura that sent chills down one's spine.
As soon as the White Tiger appeared, several golden light slashes shot out, perfectly intercepting the attacks launched by the three.
"Rumble—"
In the sky, the violent Dou Qi fluctuated wildly. However, when the energy storm dissipated, the pupils of the three all contracted, because the giant White Tiger protecting Jiang Yun was completely unharmed.
However, Jiang Yun's palm trembled slightly as he stabilized the grand array. This subtle movement indicated that his body was not at ease.
Although a Level Four Spirit Array could unleash the power of a Dou Emperor, and even, with prior preparation, trap and kill a Dou Emperor, there were, after all, three Dou Emperors here, and his own strength was still too weak.
The consumption for Jiang Yun was still very significant. If it weren't for the powerful Crimson Fire Treasure Mirror, he would have been drained dry by now.
And at this moment, a faint purple figure silently plucked a Life and Death Profound Fruit.
"Heh—, although I don't know where you got this array, a Dou Spirit trapping Dou Emperors, the consumption must be considerable, right?" Fan Lao looked at the giant White Tiger above his head with a grim expression, then gave Jiang Yun a cold smile.
"Kid, I have to say your courage is great. You dare to ambush three Dou Emperors with an unknown array. Now, let me show you that Dou Emperors cannot be stopped by these unorthodox methods."
"Blood Soul Great Handprint!"
Fan Lao roared, and a powerful, crimson Dou Qi surged out. On his palm, chilling bloody Dou Qi rapidly condensed.
"Chii!"
Blood light swept across the sky, and as it descended, it condensed into a hundred-zhang bloody handprint.
"White Tiger Annihilation Kill!"
Facing the full power of a Dou Emperor, Jiang Yun quickly formed hand seals. Immediately, white flames began to burn on the White Tiger's body. To deal with Fan Lao's blood-attributed yin-cold Dou Qi, the ultimate yang and rigid exotic flames were the best choice.
"Roar—"
The giant flaming White Tiger, carrying a heaven-shaking white glow, streaked across the sky with extreme speed, directly crashing towards Fan Lao.
Light and flame swirled in the White Tiger's mouth. The entire world seemed to gradually dim at this moment, and the Dou Qi between heaven and earth surged overwhelmingly towards the White Tiger.
"Boom—"
The sky seemed to tremble for an instant. Two massive energies collided. A white pillar of light and a bloody palm print intertwined, annihilating each other.
"You bastards, do you take us for nothing?" Yuan Yi roared, forming hand seals, and a massive attack descended towards the White Tiger.
"Hehe, little brother, Big Sister is really angry this time!" Su Mei smiled coldly, flicking a long whip. In an instant, countless whip shadows danced, causing his array to shake precariously.
Watching the grand array begin to show signs of breaking under the attacks of the three, a flash of lightning flickered in Jiang Yun's eyes. His hand seals changed, and suddenly the energy in the world began to stir restlessly.
"Not good—"
"Explode—" Accompanied by Jiang Yun's soft shout, the grand array suddenly shattered, and the terrifying energy impact even shattered the giant mountain below.
"You little bastard, where do you think you're going!" An enraged roar came. Three disheveled figures burst out of the energy vortex, rushing towards Jiang Yun, their eyes filled with murderous intent, as if they wanted to devour him.
"Three of you, until we meet again!"
Jiang Yun chuckled. The space behind him suddenly tore open a spatial rift. He stepped into it without hesitation, and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared from here, while the spatial rift remained quietly before the three, waiting for the world to automatically heal.
"Spatial Teleportation!!!"