The ancient monsters who had lived for over four thousand years without dying brought incomparable, overwhelming pressure upon the Jiang family — half-human, half-ghost, persisting endlessly in this world. Who could possibly suppress them?

The atmosphere deep within the underground palace was suffocating. Every member of the Jiang family wore an expression of grave solemnity, their gazes fixed tensely on the terrifying figures outside.

The thirteen Saint-level figures stepped aside, their expressions cold and indifferent, their presence as deep as an abyss and utterly unfathomable. Each was a dominant lord in their own right, and even when facing three terrifying living dead, they showed no fear.

The three ancient monsters moved forward, black mist periodically seeping from their bodies. The thick stench of death made hearts tremble, and the reek of decay was nauseating.

Crack!

One of them struck out as a test, his withered hand nearly rotten, slamming into the void. A surge of black mist poured out; the power of the underworld flowed and began eroding the formation inscriptions.

Hum!

Another ancient monster was even more terrifying — from within his hollow, empty eyes, two rays of sickly green light shot out, piercing through the void and beginning to erase the Emperor-level formation inscriptions in the air.

The two beams of green light seemed to shoot forth from the depths of the Nine Underworld Hells, chilling and flickering, carrying a current of deathly power, like the Yellow Springs surging and roiling.

Everyone else’s expressions changed. Even the powerful cultivator Jiang Yun was shocked, saying, “What an incredibly powerful spiritual sense!”

They all knew that the three ancient monsters had not yet truly unleashed their full strength — for now, they were merely probing. If they were to launch a thunderous strike, it would surely be even more terrifying.

“The Emperor-level formation inscriptions are truly incomprehensible. Even in their incomplete state, they are this earth-shaking!”

“If they were slightly more complete, no one in this world would be able to break them — but unfortunately, they are merely a fragment, far too incomplete.”

The three living dead lamented this together. Even with their unparalleled spiritual sense, they could not possibly comprehend anything from the inscriptions; they could only destroy them through brute force.

Like a raging storm howling, like ten thousand horses thundering forward — the three heaven-defying ancient monsters suddenly unleashed a thick surge of black mist, submerging themselves entirely, as though the gates of hell had been thrown open. A fierce and murderous energy blanketed the sky and covered the earth.

Boom!

Suddenly, from their skulls erupted surging, ocean-like waves of force that shook the entire sacred city — three streams of supremely powerful and terrifying spiritual sense, like a tsunami reaching to the heavens.

Crack!

The vast underground palace instantly crumbled. Shattered rocks broke through the clouds and flew up into the high sky, and the Dragon Transformation Pool was exposed beneath the starry heavens.

Vast stretches of underground palace across countless levels all turned to powder, and a terrifying abyss appeared in their place — this was the dreadful spiritual sense of the three ancient monsters.

Pouring out with utter abandon, it instantly caused consequences this horrifying — unbelievable, almost impossible to fathom.

Four thousand years without dying — this was not an empty reputation. Anyone who witnessed such a scene would feel their scalp crawl. Their spiritual sense surged like a tide, crashing outward, grinding away everything that stood in its path.

This made every single person feel ice-cold from head to toe, the hair all over their bodies standing on end. The Jiang family members felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar. How could they possibly resist?

The thirteen Saint-level figures also involuntarily stepped back, distancing themselves from the three ancient monsters, their hearts filled with immense wariness. These three figures were too terrifying — bone-chilling to behold.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Three divine flames blazed to life, rising hundreds of zhang high, thick as mountain peaks, utterly terrifying — representing cold, slaughter, and death!

The three ancient monsters were born from fire, wreathed in horrifying flames. One of them was scarlet red as blood — his life’s divine flame, spreading through the sky like rosy clouds, more like a volcanic eruption.

Another blazed with emerald fire that pierced straight through his body and shot up into the high sky, scorching the night green to a height of a thousand zhang — like a vast, green mountain swaying.

The third ancient monster’s entire being was pitch-black as ink; black flames soared to the heavens, seemingly pulling together the Nine Underworlds and the Nine Heavens, piercing through both sky and earth.

The scarlet fire, emerald fire, and black fire matched the colors of their decaying bodies, representing bloodshed, cold slaughter, and death.

“Strike!”

The three ancient monsters let out low roars. From their skulls erupted terrifying, soul-shaking waves of spiritual sense that slammed into the Emperor-level formation inscriptions, even rending the void to shreds as they continuously devoured and eroded those inscription lines.

“This is bad — stop them!” Many elders of the Jiang family could sit still no longer. They charged forward, fighting back.

The three living dead were far too powerful. At this rate, perhaps in little more than an hour they would be able to destroy the incomplete Emperor-level formation inscriptions. Their spiritual sense was unparalleled, putting even the sun and moon to shame.

Yet although these elders were Grand Supreme Elders of the Jiang family, they were utterly insufficient before three ancient monsters who had lived for over four thousand years — the gap was simply too vast.

Their weapons had barely been launched before they were blocked by the tangible spiritual sense, shattering piece by piece and turning to flying ash — a true case of throwing eggs against a rock, falling apart in an instant.

“These three living dead…”

Not far away, the thirteen Saint-level figures all drew sharp breaths. People who had lived for over four thousand years were truly terrifyingly powerful — far beyond the modest self-assessment the three had offered. These three living dead could absolutely pose a threat to even them. Their physical bodies may have rotted, but their spiritual sense was like a vast ocean — who could withstand it?

A group of Jiang family elders joined hands, the vital energy throughout their bodies surging and nearly combusting as they walked forward, collectively offering up dozens of divine weapons, sending them out beyond the formation inscriptions.

“How dare the light of a firefly compete with the brilliance of the bright moon?”

One of them sneered coldly and struck out alone. His entire body was scarlet red as blood, and his powerful spiritual sense swept out like a sea of blood, dyeing the entire underground world crimson.

Bang!

This one person alone erased all the divine weapons the group of Jiang family elders had sent out with everything they had, reducing them to flying ash. At the same time, his incomparable spiritual sense surged forward — his consciousness power, like a sea of blood, actually pierced through the incomplete formation inscriptions and rushed in, like a blood-red executioner’s blade swinging.

Spit— spit—

Six elders in succession were pierced through by the blood-red spiritual sense and were torn apart on the spot — bones shattered, flesh rotted, reduced to puddles of blood on the ground, dying miserably where they stood.

All of these were important figures of the Jiang family, yet before the spiritual sense of a heaven-defying ancient monster who had not died in four thousand years, they were like newborn infants, unable to withstand even a single strike.

Hum!

Jiang Yun’s expression changed. He moved swiftly, reaching out a great hand to pull the remaining elders back. Otherwise, not a single one of them would have survived.

Even so, it was still a little too late — the blood-red spiritual sense was fast as lightning, and it pierced through two more people’s bodies, turning them into pools of bloody pus.

How could this be resisted?

The living dead were of the same era as Jiang Taixu himself. Though their physical bodies had lost power, this spiritual sense alone was enough to roam unchallenged across the Eastern Wilderness. How many could possibly suppress them?

Outside, the thirteen powerful cultivators all felt a chill rising in their hearts. They grew increasingly wary, guarding against the three ancient monsters whose age was staggering.

Four thousand years ago, these three living dead were already powerful masters. So much time had passed since then — and even though they could not cultivate their physical bodies, their spiritual seas were awe-inspiring.

“Truly worthy of being senior masters who entered the Deathless Mountain and walked out alive!”

Jiang Yun, atop his plain and unadorned ancient pagoda, wielding a battle spear flickering with black metallic luster, strode forward in great steps to obstruct the three ancient monsters from destroying the formation inscriptions.

“Little Jiang child, are you coming here to die? When we were crossing blades with your great ancestor Jiang Taixu, your grandfather didn’t even know where he was yet.” One of the ancient monsters sneered coldly.

Yet they did not stop — unwilling to give Jiang Taixu too much time, they continuously used their spiritual sense to erode the formation inscriptions.

Jiang Yun wielded the Celestial Spear, shaking the ancient pagoda, striking toward the three living dead — his body swift as lightning.

Whoosh— whoosh— whoosh—

Streams of spiritual sense drove into the formation inscriptions. Though weakened and unable to advance far, they remained terrifyingly powerful, like a net of death enveloping Jiang Yun.

Under the three killing-intent forces of black, scarlet, and emerald, Jiang Yun was struck as if by lightning. The ancient pagoda atop his head was pierced through, the battle spear in his hand snapped, and he quickly fell back, retreating.

What was to be done? Who could stop the three ancient monsters?

The Jiang family members were nearly in despair. No matter how powerful the Jiang family was, here and now they had absolutely no options. Who could have imagined that even the Cosmic Sacred Cauldron had been restrained?

Were it not for that, the Emperor-level sacred weapon, once produced, would have been unstoppable — any enemy, no matter how powerful, would have met a bitter end.

“We cannot let them in!” A group of Jiang family elders, risking their lives without hesitation, charged forward again in a near-suicidal attempt to obstruct.

Unfortunately, their courage was admirable, but they truly could not compare with ancient monsters who had lived four thousand years. Even though some of them were Grand Supreme Elders of the Jiang family, they were utterly insufficient.

Spit— spit—

More than ten figures in succession were pounded into pulp by the three ancient monsters — all instant kills. The gap in strength was too great, like a chasm and a natural moat between them.

“Even a grain of millet dares to shine?”

One ancient monster sneered coldly. Green light shot from between his brows in rapid succession, piercing through elder after elder, causing them to die unnatural deaths.

“Jiang Taixu, I will exterminate your descendants and put an end to your line here and now!” The three living dead continued to strike.

“Stand back!” Jiang Yun bellowed at the others, ordering them to retreat to the front of the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Before the incomplete Emperor-level formation inscriptions, a ground covered in blood and mud had formed — all the remains of senior Jiang family members. Lamentable indeed: they had commanded the winds and clouds for an entire lifetime, yet in their twilight years, trying to protect their ancestral patriarch, they met such an end.

The time had not been long, yet the Jiang family had already lost many important figures. Every Jiang family member present felt deep grief.

Crack!

The three terrifying living dead erased one innate inscription line after another. At this rate, it would not take even two hours.

“Which of the three rotting corpses out there dares to fight me?” Ye Fan suddenly spoke up, striding forward in great steps and stopping only when he was close to the range of the ancient monsters’ attacks.

“A little pup still reeking of mother’s milk — even if your master’s master’s master came back to life, they would not dare speak to us like this.” The three ancient monsters glanced at Ye Fan with contempt, too lazy even to bother striking at him.

“Young friend, come back quickly!” Jiang Yun called out in a low voice; the other elders also transmitted their voices, wanting to forcibly bring him back.

“Let me try!” Ye Fan transmitted his voice privately and did not retreat.

In truth, he was also beating his drum internally — he had not a shred of confidence. He slowly drew out the Divine Scourge Whip, holding it in his hand, hoping this whip would be able to produce divine might.

“You three corpses up front — if you’re not convinced, try striking at me. I could drown you all with a single spit.” Ye Fan taunted them, standing within the safe range, not daring to cross that line by half a step.

One of the ancient monsters let out a cold snort. He had no desire to waste words on such a junior — he struck directly. A streak of black spiritual sense pierced the void, like a black tide surging and roiling, impossibly terrifying, arriving before them in an instant.

Hum!

Ye Fan swung the Divine Scourge Whip forward with great force. The wooden whip was ancient and unassuming, no different from an ordinary wooden stick — yet it was not destroyed within the black tide.

Moreover, it cleaved open the crashing black waves, sending the ocean-like black spiritual sense that surged forward reeling back, shattering a great portion of it.

But this force was ultimately far too great. Even though it had not struck Ye Fan’s body, it still sent him flying out, like a fallen leaf in a vast ocean, blown by a great wave hundreds of zhang away, landing before the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Yet he was not injured — only his steps were somewhat unsteady.

On the other side, the ancient monster let out a strange cry and stumbled backward, his body swaying and nearly toppling over.

Everyone was stunned. How terrifying the three living dead were — all had seen it with their own eyes — yet just now they had suffered a serious disadvantage!

“The Divine Scourge Whip — it has actually appeared?!” One ancient monster gaped in astonishment, his eyes wide open.

Ye Fan felt his head swim. How did he know this was the Divine Scourge Whip? It was a weapon from the other end of the starry sky, brought here by pre-Qin qi refiners — could it be that he had seen it before and understood its secrets?