“…”

At this moment, the entire Extreme Domain, from the edge wastelands to the Eight Directions Yama Palace, fell into an eerie silence. People almost couldn’t believe their ears, suspecting they had heard wrong.

Arrogant!

Simply too arrogant!

She had clearly just been ambushed while fighting Sima Languan and was already heavily injured, seemingly about to lose all ability to resist. Even with the Four Symbols White Jade Crown, this undefeated royal crown’s enhancement, she wanted to simultaneously battle both Sima Languan and Shang Lu?

This had to be a joke!

They were both long-renowned existences among the Extreme Domain’s new generation, having fought their way to the eighteenth layer of hell today. Their strength was unquestionable.

Jian Chou was simply being provocative, simply seeking death!

Many people thought she would definitely fail, but many others felt something was wrong.

Not even mentioning the Four Symbols White Jade Crown, just the sword she now held in her hand—even sensing its aura remotely through the dark rings would make one’s heart turn cold and tremble involuntarily!

Just by observing its form, they had no impression of it. Among the famous magical artifacts in the Extreme Domain, none seemed to look like this.

People were temporarily confused, only knowing this female cultivator had extraordinary origins.

Throughout this journey, everyone knew she handled matters calmly, had the ability to control the overall situation, and was definitely not impulsive. On the contrary, she was quite restrained.

Would such a person casually seek death and speak wildly?

Absolutely not!

They believed that if Jian Chou dared to speak, she must still have trump cards!

Sima Languan and Shang Lu in the field were naturally not simple-minded people either.

Sima Languan, originally wearing a grim expression, heard these words and saw that Four Symbols White Jade Crown and Mountain River Human Emperor Sword. Though not knowing their power, his originally grim face became even darker.

Shang Lu, watching from afar, furrowed his brows even tighter. Seeing Jian Chou’s composed demeanor, that subtle feeling of unease in his heart grew increasingly serious.

Did she really still have trump cards, or was she bluffing?

They didn’t know.

But the moment Jian Chou spoke these words, the two seemed to sense something and looked at each other across the distance: Though they had never met before, at this moment, they both understood each other’s thoughts.

This battle was inevitable!

This cauldron competition was more brutal than previous ones, relatively speaking producing many masters. Jian Chou’s companions were still stuck on the seventeenth layer, but no one knew when they might come down.

If they dragged this out and some unexpected change occurred…

The thinking lasted only an instant!

With just this one exchange of glances, the two unhesitatingly flew up together!

—If not now, when?!

Those subtle fears and unease in their hearts had long been forcibly cast aside.

Whether she had trump cards or not didn’t matter!

They only sought to accomplish everything in one strike, to put Jian Chou to death!

“Since you seek death so eagerly, we two shall fulfill your wish!”

Sima Languan was originally closest to Jian Chou. Carrying that snow-white human skin lantern, swift as wind, his figure flickered and in the blink of an eye vanished into the Buddha light without a trace.

Behind him, Shang Lu cultivated the Kumarajiva Dharma Body, capable of infinite transformations.

At this moment, he raised both arms, and towering dark blue light emanated from his body. In the blink of an eye, layer upon layer of phantoms surrounded him, making his true appearance continuously shift between male and female, old and young.

This was clearly getting serious, activating his cultivation technique.

Shang Lu’s speed was actually half again faster than when he had previously battled Jian Chou!

How astounding was this?

But seeing this, Jian Chou ahead didn’t even blink, let alone show any change in her perfectly composed expression.

Those who could enter the eighteenth layer were no mediocrities.

Sima Languan had crossed hands with her multiple times, displaying brilliant moves; Shang Lu had only truly fought her fiercely once, remaining unruffled from beginning to end, terrifyingly composed, obviously not using his full strength.

So at this moment, his speed suddenly increasing didn’t surprise Jian Chou at all.

Simultaneously battling two people was a rare experience for Jian Chou.

Obviously, compared to single combat, fighting two would be much more difficult and dangerous. When two opponents attacked simultaneously, she might be unable to defend against them all.

But she actually had no other choice.

Sima Languan and Shang Lu wanted to quickly eliminate her to prevent her reinforcements from arriving and causing complications; she also wanted a quick decisive battle, lest those coming later weren’t reinforcements, making things backfire!

It could be said that at this moment, both sides in battle had exactly the same thoughts.

Fast!

Must be fast!

Seeing Sima Languan disappear into light, she immediately thought of his previously unpredictable sneak attack, alarm bells ringing in her heart. But having fought him before, she was already prepared this time.

Sima Languan could use light and shadow to conceal himself—she also had the Dao Seal “Riding Wind”!

The Four Symbols White Jade Crown suspended above her head, the Human Emperor Sword’s sharp aura radiating in all directions, sword intent crisscrossing. Jian Chou’s momentum, enhanced by these two items, nearly reached the peak of her current realm.

The Four Symbols referred to the spirits of four directions: Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird.

The phantoms of these four directional divine beings now vaguely appeared on the white jade crown. Streams of flowing light poured from these Four Symbols, covering her body like royal robes.

This body simultaneously filled with soul power and spiritual power!

This was Jian Chou’s greatest trump card!

With a thought, her eyes flashed with brilliance. Her left hand, not holding the sword, formed a hand seal, and her entire being seemed to step on wind, her figure becoming ethereal and elusive.

“Whoosh!”

Sima Languan’s figure suddenly appeared right in front of her.

His face was full of frost, almost expressionless. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and manipulated the golden Buddha light around him, condensing it into a golden beam of light striking toward Jian Chou.

But unexpectedly, Jian Chou, originally in front of him, happened to shift sideways through thin air at this very moment!

Five inches!

Just five inches, yet perfectly avoiding his strike without the slightest damage.

At this moment, the two were extremely close.

Jian Chou could clearly see Sima Languan’s half-divine, half-demonic face, and Sima Languan could also see her beautiful features containing some sternness.

He frowned, thinking she simply had very fast reactions.

Since she was right before his eyes, naturally there was no reason not to act. One strike failing, he shook his human skin lantern, and countless golden lights shone forth, with several pale blue rays of light emerging from the lantern mixed among them, shooting toward Jian Chou for the second time.

But the ghostly thing happened again!

Jian Chou’s figure vanished without warning at that instant. What countless golden lights and those pale blue rays struck was only the afterimage she left behind!

Sima Languan was greatly shocked, his spirit nearly lost control.

At this moment, he heard what seemed like wind by his ear, an unprecedented sense of crisis rising in his heart. Before he could think much, he instinctively dodged sideways, raising his human skin lantern to block!

“Clang!”

A snow-white palm holding that three-foot azure blade Human Emperor Sword directly scraped past his neck! The sword edge ground against the thin handle of the human skin lantern he used to block, leaving a deep mark!

Somehow, Jian Chou had already appeared at his side!

Brushing shoulders with death!

Sima Languan almost couldn’t believe it, feeling Jian Chou’s strength seemed to have suddenly surged greatly, her concealment skills no different from his own!

Was the Four Symbols White Jade Crown this powerful?

Layer upon layer of doubts arose in his heart.

But the current critical situation didn’t allow him to think further.

Once distracted, what awaited him might be death!

Sima Languan’s expression tensed, teeth clenched, and he once again disappeared into light and shadow, still waiting for opportunities to attack Jian Chou.

The battle at this moment immediately became jaw-dropping.

Inside and outside the Extreme Domain, regardless of cultivation level, not a single person could sit still.

In midair, afterimages flickered, layer upon layer, all left by Jian Chou and Sima Languan!

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

…

Move after move, fast attack following fast attack!

One could clearly see Sima Languan was on the offensive, constantly attacking during gaps while using light and shadow concealment; Jian Chou was on the defensive, looking somewhat unfavorable.

But at every critical moment, she could precisely avoid attacks, and occasionally had unexpected “surprise attacks” that could catch Sima Languan off guard.

As if she had a giant net around her that could detect the opponent’s every movement.

In just one or two breaths, the two had already exchanged dozens of moves, yet neither gained advantage over the other.

Shang Lu, rapidly approaching from the distance, naturally witnessed this exchange.

He guessed Jian Chou also had some method of concealment, allowing her to remain undefeated against Sima Languan’s light and shadow techniques.

Continuing to fight like this wouldn’t work.

With a flash of thought and furrowed brow, Shang Lu had already silently approached.

He carried himself with dignity, handsome features, entirely a graceful gentleman like jade. With one reach, a willow branch like green jade appeared in his hand.

Originally bearing three willow leaves, now only one remained.

One leaf had been used to trap Jian Chou on the seventeenth layer of hell, another to bind Li Han and others, thus enabling his entry to the eighteenth layer.

At this time, only the last leaf remained on the slender branch.

Though Shang Lu felt some heartache, when he extended his slender fingers to pluck this final leaf, he showed no hesitation.

Positioned to the side, he aimed for the instant when Jian Chou suddenly appeared and flicked his finger!

“Whoosh!”

The originally finger-length slender willow leaf flew from his fingers and grew with the wind. In the blink of an eye, it became a huge green banner that unfurled and, as if conscious, rolled toward Jian Chou’s figure!

Jian Chou possessed the Riding Wind Dao Seal and could travel with the wind.

Moreover, having previously fought Xie Buchen in the Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm and witnessed his “Hermit Sword Intent,” being of the Tianxu Constitution, she could learn from observation at any moment, thus imitating its form and learning some superficial aspects.

The Hermit Sword Intent was obscure and could conceal aura. Combined with the Riding Wind Dao Seal, it was perfectly suited.

She actually couldn’t constantly use wind sensing to determine Sima Languan’s position. Once he disappeared into light and shadow, she lost track of him.

But when Sima Languan wanted to attack her, he had to emerge from the light and shadow.

Thus, the “wind” she sensed would provide his location to her for evasion.

This was why she had remained on the defensive in previous battles.

But Shang Lu had no concealment techniques.

The moment he rushed over and approached her, Jian Chou had already sensed it. Moreover, having previously fought Shang Lu and witnessed this willow leaf’s power, she immediately withdrew the Human Emperor Sword originally aimed at Sima Languan and urgently tried to avoid it.

Who would have thought this willow leaf was even more powerful than the one in the seventeenth layer’s Prison Bureau.

As it flew and rolled toward Jian Chou, layer upon layer of restrictive power emanated from the leaf. Instantly, the space around her was locked, everything within except light and shadow was bound and motionless!

This feeling was unexpectedly somewhat familiar.

Jian Chou immediately remembered the “Drawing Ground as Prison” technique Xie Buchen had used in the battle atop Buddha Peak. Though Shang Lu’s current move differed, the principle was the same.

If truly trapped within this leaf banner, the consequences would be unthinkable.

But with space locked and no wind flowing, Riding Wind could no longer be used. For her to avoid Shang Lu’s lightning-fast strike with sword control speed alone would be impossible!

What to do?

At this moment, Jian Chou’s mind raced, but halfway through, she was too lazy to continue: Since she couldn’t avoid it, then face it head-on!

In the Extreme Domain, due to limited time, what she had learned was truly limited, and what she could use wasn’t much—she could only rely on external objects. But at this moment, she stood near the Heaven-Releasing Creation Array, spiritual power in her body gradually filling, and the trajectories of each Dao Seal were like stars in the Milky Way, circling in her heart!

What did she have to fear?

Ropes bind me—break them with force;

Cages imprison me—shatter them with force!

A thousand words couldn’t match one battle!

In this dangerous situation, not only did she show no retreat, but her fighting spirit surged, eyes fixed ahead with flames seeming to burn in her pupils.

Shang Lu, just meeting this gaze, felt his heart chill.

This was definitely not the gaze of a weakling!

Before he could react, Jian Chou ahead, who had originally withdrawn her sword preparing to retreat, actually stopped her momentum directly. With a clear shout, her straight right leg swept directly forward!

Swift as lightning!

This was completely uncharacteristic of a delicate woman—hard and fierce!

Long-missed—

Heaven-Flipping Seal!

“Buzz!”

At this moment, from behind Jian Chou, across that vast wasteland approaching the edge, a trembling sound suddenly exploded.

From the crisscrossing thousands of ravines and gullies, a magnificent force, as if attracted by Jian Chou, poured forth like flowing springs!

This was a completely unfamiliar power.

Different from earth force and yin essence, yet seeming to share some similarity. Mysteriously indescribable. But neither Shang Lu, who was casting techniques in the field, nor Sima Languan, who was preparing to deliver a finishing blow, had ever seen such a thing.

Both were simultaneously stunned.

But after just a moment’s thought, this magnificent force had already completely gathered behind the airborne Jian Chou!

Accompanying her leg sweep, all power swept forth like a violent waterfall!

A tremendous “boom” shook heaven and earth!

As if the entire space was stirred and trembling by this terrifying leg strike, one could see that mass of terrifying power, without the slightest pause, crashing toward the green willow leaf banner about to close in!

There was none of the expected “rip” of tearing fabric, but rather the crisp sound of glass colliding, like stone striking egg.

After an instant came silence terrifyingly complete!

The green willow leaf that had been showing off and nearly covering the sky was completely shattered to pieces the moment it contacted this power, unable to withstand it!

Beneath the Great Vow Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s huge golden phantom, scattered rich green immediately added to the scene.

Shang Lu, positioned behind the willow leaf, how could he have anticipated this strike’s power would be so fierce?

In his hasty evasion, he was still swept by this strike on his shoulder and back. Pale white blood immediately splattered everywhere, and he could no longer stand steady, falling from midair!

Yet the strike’s remaining force still hadn’t dissipated, continuing downward.

“Rumble…”

Where the Heaven-Flipping Seal passed, the ruins that had already collapsed in one area immediately lost all remaining bricks and tiles, everything prostrated by its terrifying power!

Looking over, it was like a horrifying ravine had been carved through this ancient ruined city!

Inside and outside the eighteenth layer of hell, who could have imagined this scene, who could have expected such developments?

Countless people were shocked until their scalps went numb, startled enough to nearly bite off their tongues. Even within the Eight Directions Yama Palace, there was suddenly an eerie silence!

Jian Chou knew she was probably not far from exposure, but surprisingly couldn’t generate much worry, because at this moment her heart was filled with satisfaction and exhilaration!

Who cared about consequences?

One Heaven-Flipping Seal had released her long-accumulated suppression and madness—

Today there was already no path of retreat; either fight or die!

Robes flying, her brows and eyes were like a painting, yet firm and cold.

Where her sword pointed, where her figure headed, she actually pursued the falling Shang Lu straight down, wanting to seize this opportunity to take his life!

Author’s Note: I am from Yashan.