Da Jin, Yuhua City.

The sky was densely covered with dark clouds as torrential rain poured down, washing the bloodstains away from the earth and the bodies of the Cultivators.

The behemoth from the Southern Border roared as it charged into the enemy ranks, its toes matted with who knows how many remnants of flesh and blood, and thick, spiny vines like grinding wheels occasionally burst from the ground, coiling toward the crowd.

In the sky, seven Flying Boats from the East Sea thundered in unison, with pillars of dazzling spirit light erupting from their prows, plowing dozens of ravines into the ranks of the Wu Yue Sect's army.

Similar scenes played out here and there, with countless Cultivators battling in the heavens and the earth. The sounds of combat and cries of anguish intertwined, only to be crushed by the booming noises.

Faced with the fierce resistance of the Cloud Desolation Alliance, the Wu Yue Sect steadily pressed on without any rush or impatience.

Behind the army formation, nine love witches circled around a majestic purple cauldron, their hands forming rings of spells and chants unceasing, summoning dozens of Core Formation Evil Spirits from within the cauldron to wildly attack the Flying Boats in the sky.

Another group of Cultivators dressed as sacrificers erected over a hundred ashen Stone Pillars on the ground. From beneath these pillars, skeletal Exotic Beasts broke through the soil, rushing towards the giant beast from the Southern Border that was under siege by many.

Compared to the Nine Yin Venerable, Ni Mu's command style was more steady and conservative.

This made every battle between the Wu Yue Sect and Cloud Desolation Alliance inconclusive, with neither a decisive victory nor a catastrophic defeat, leading to a deadlocked situation where neither side could gain the upper hand.

But when the outcomes of all the battles were tallied, the Cloud Desolation Alliance was astonished to find that their defense line was being steadily eroded, as their defending Cultivators were forced to retreat time and again. Almost imperceptibly, they had lost most of their territory.

Once the upper echelons of the Cloud Desolation Alliance realized this, they immediately organized a counterattack, attempting to recapture several key strongholds from the Wu Yue Sect.

However, for every attack launched by the Cloud Desolation Alliance, the Wu Yue Sect seemed to have anticipated it, always having measures in place to counteract. And just like before, the Cloud Desolation Alliance neither achieved a great victory nor suffered a great defeat. Many of their dispatched Cultivators returned unscathed, but the goals they aimed to achieve were never met.

Gradually, a sense of powerlessness began to grow in the hearts of many Nascent Soul cultivators of the Cloud Desolation Alliance. They couldn't find any breakthrough that could change the tide of the battle. It seemed as if being crushed step by step by the Wu Yue Sect was their only inevitable outcome.

However, Tian Jizi did not reveal his stance on the matter, simply instructing everyone to continue holding their position and suggesting that they could abandon their defenses if necessary to preserve their strength as the priority.

The members of the alliance did not know where his confidence came from, but at that moment, they had no choice but to trust the judgment of their Alliance Hierarch.

Finally, after a whole day and night of fierce battle, the Cloud Desolation Alliance's first line of defense officially fell, and everyone retreated to Yuhua City to prepare for the continued defense against the Wu Yue Sect's onslaught.

At the same time, in the camp of the Wu Yue Sect army, Ni Mu and others were discussing their next strategies.

"Our losses in this attack are not great, but we have been engaged in battle for so long. And compared to those temporarily built Stone Castles, Yuhua City will certainly be harder to attack. I think it would be best to call our troops to rest for a day," Xi Zheng analyzed.

"I was thinking the same," Ni Mu nodded in agreement.

On the side, the Free Venerable, as usual, was lost in Divine Travel, completely oblivious to their discussion.

Just then, a Nascent Soul cultivator hurriedly approached the tent from outside.

"Heavenly Puppet Venerable, there's a message from Black Witch Mountain," said the messenger, presenting a wooden box enveloped in a black mist with both hands.

At this news, both Ni Mu and Xi Zheng were startled, and the Free Venerable suddenly snapped back to reality, his expression becoming much more serious.

Ni Mu didn't hesitate, immediately standing up to take the wooden box. As soon as he opened it, a faint golden thread flew out.

Ni Mu immediately recognized that the thread had been extracted from an Exotic Beast by the Nine Yin Venerable using his power, its effect akin to a Sound Transmission Talisman that disregarded distance. Because they were so rare, they were only used to communicate with the Cultivators left behind at Black Witch Mountain.

As Ni Mu channeled Mana into the thread, a vast expanse of black fog surged upon it, coalescing into a large mouth mid-air.

"Reporting to the Venerable, there's trouble at Black Witch Mountain..."

After hearing the words transmitted through the thread, the hearts of the three sank.

"A Body Cultivation of the Tongqiao Body realm... Could it be someone from the Western Region?" Xi Zheng pondered aloud.

"Impossible, the situation in the Western Region is set by me. Even if the Cloud Desolation Alliance sent reinforcements, the Vajra Sect couldn't possibly break free at this time. Moreover, not many are aware of Black Witch Mountain's location. Even if they broke free, how did they find it?" the Free Venerable shook his head.

Hearing this, Xi Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and an unsettling suspicion arose in his mind. He fell silent, no longer speaking.

"Let's not bother about these details right now. This matter is not for us to decide. I will go report to the Wu Yue God right away and ask for his decision," Ni Mu cut off the discussion.

The Free Venerable and Xi Zheng both nodded, and then Ni Mu went alone to the black hall, approaching the sarcophagus.

"Wu Yue God, there's a message from Black Witch Mountain. An unidentified Body Cultivator is attacking the mountain, seemingly immune to Soul Cultivation Divine Powers. I seek your guidance on how to respond," Ni Mu said, bowing respectfully.

"Transmit my command, release the eight Shura and slay them," after a brief silence, the voice of Wu Yue God resounded throughout the palace.

"Yes." This text was acquired from *.

Ni Mu immediately obeyed the order, directly taking out another golden thread and passing Wu Yue God's command to the Nascent Soul left in charge.

"Also, accelerate the attack, there's no need for caution, before nightfall, take down Yuhua City," but then Wu Yue God spoke again, his voice tinged with a hint of reproof.

"My Lord, forgive me, I will relay the order immediately, but our troops are understaffed, and after a day of fierce battle, everyone is wounded. Moreover, with Yuhua City's defense formation intact, it will be difficult to conquer before darkness falls. Please grant us a few more days," Ni Mu's face stiffened as he bravely spoke up.

"...Understood." Surprisingly, Wu Yue God did not blame Ni Mu but simply responded softly.

While Ni Mu was still puzzled, the next instant he suddenly heard an almost imperceptible strange sound and looked up to see that the coffin in front of him had slightly opened a crack.

In that moment, Ni Mu felt that something invisible in the darkness seemed to surge out from the coffin, brushing past him.

At the same time, Ni Mu suddenly felt a steep drop in temperature around him; black winds attacked from all directions, seemingly chasing after the entity that had emerged from the coffin, swirling and wandering around the great hall with it.

Even though Ni Mu was not the target of the black wind's attack, he still felt a bone-chilling coldness, as if even his Nascent Soul were about to be frozen.

Even so, Ni Mu did not move an inch, nor did he dare to summon the Tongchen Puppet to protect his body.

"Go, open the palace doors. My Divine Power will surely help you take the city," Wu Yue God spoke indifferently.

Relieved, Ni Mu nodded vigorously and quickly retreated to the front of the palace doors, using his spells to open them.

The next instant, fierce winds howled, and the icy air pushed Ni Mu forward, but with each step, another layer of frost formed on him.

Ni Mu couldn't even contemplate his action at this point; survival instincts compelled him to summon the Tongchen Puppet to cover his entire body, which saved him from being turned into an ice sculpture by the cold black wind.

And the black wind was not meant for him; after circling around him, it shot straight out the doors and flew towards the sky.

Outside the great hall, the rain was dense like a curtain, but as the black wind rushed out of the hall, the ceaseless rain turned into snow, spreading rapidly outward from the hall.

In an instant, everyone was stunned by the sudden change in the weather, also feeling a chill originating from their hearts that spread unchecked through their Sea of Consciousness, disregarding all Protective Body measures.

But all this was just an appetizer; in the blink of an eye, the cultivators of the Cloud Desolation Alliance felt an immense and terrifying pressure descending from the sky, crushing all, regardless of friend or foe, pushing everyone below the clouds, pinning them to the ground.

Then, a black palm as large as a mountain burst through the layers of dense clouds and pressed down on Yuhua City.

The sky, already darkened by clouds, but as the palm parted the mist, a dim moonlight filtered through the edges, as if casting a halo that belonged solely to the divine over the palm—a terrifying sight, yet with an indescribable purity.

Inside Yuhua City, Xi Ying looked up at the colossal black palm and immediately recognized it as the Great Black Sky God Palm.

However, such a display was not only ten times stronger than when cultivated by Yuan Ming and the Six Desires Venerable; it also seemed to bear a different kind of power.

Seeing the palm descending, nearly everyone in Yuhua City trembled in fear, but Tianyinzi, sitting at the center of the city, flashed a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. He then bit his finger, using blood in lieu of ink, coagulating it in mid-air, and wrote a rune exuding an ancient aura.

The next moment, a blue-white spirit light ignited in various parts of Yuhua City. From a bird's-eye view, these lights interconnected, forming an extremely huge Formation with Tianyinzi standing at its core.

"ZzZzZ"

Accompanied by the spirit light, countless currents of electricity rose from every building in Yuhua City. These were guided by the Formation, and in the blink of an eye, they all converged above Tianyinzi's head.

At the same time, Tianyinzi completed the final stroke of the rune; the blood-colored rune flickered, and then it too rose above his head.

Simultaneously, the currents and the thunderbolt, as if receiving a command, also flowed towards the blood-colored rune. In an instant, a thick blood-colored Thunder Spear appeared in the skies above Yuhua City, shooting straight towards the descending black palm.

Everyone heard a booming sound as a dazzling white light exploded in the sky, forcing all to squint their eyes, and when the light dissipated, they looked up to see the black palm shattered by the Thunder Spear, turning into several indistinct Black Snakes that surged toward Yuhua City.

Tianyinzi snorted coldly, his right hand quickly forming spells and striking the ground beneath him. In an instant, silver arcs of electricity burst forth, swiftly creating a tight net of lightning that completely enveloped Yuhua City.

But when the Black Snakes reached the electric net, the arcs, as if sentient, slid aside, creating a pathway, allowing the Black Snakes to effortlessly penetrate inside.

Seeing this, Tianyinzi's expression changed dramatically; he quickly changed the spells in his hand, trying to control the Formation and rectify the situation.

However, at that moment, the arcs of electricity that had just avoided the Black Snakes turned in unison and struck directly at Tianyinzi.