Life and Death Escape, The Entrance to the Secret Realm

Cang Hai and Sang Tian had already used up all their healing spells and their mana was running low, both of them sweating lightly from the effort.

"This sword is called Dingguang—a top-tier magic weapon," Jian Ziyuan said, standing tall, his expression full of arrogance. He didn't seem in any rush at all, casually spinning the sword around, then holding it horizontally in front of him, gently brushing his hand over it. As if he were giving a lecture in the Sect's Dao Lecture Hall, he began explaining, "When a magic weapon is top-tier, it transcends its original class. Even if you're holding high-grade magic weapons, it's no match for this one."

Tong Xin pressed her lips together, and one after another, beams of light shot from her hands, casting various spells. "If defense doesn't work, then we'll just keep attacking. Are we really going to sit here and wait for death?" Du Chen and Xiao Yue had been suppressed by Jian Ziyuan's overwhelming presence, but now, the words from Tong Xin woke them up. They immediately summoned all their magic weapons and started throwing talismans left and right. Although Jian Ziyuan deflected most of them with a few sword strikes, it still slowed his attacks.

"How can he be this strong? High attack, high defense? He's supposed to be a level 20 elite boss. It doesn't make sense that we've been fighting for so long, and he's barely lost any health from all these debuffs!" Du Chen said, his frustration building as they saw their attacks barely making a dent.

"The only explanation is that his armor is also a top-tier magic weapon," Cang Hai said, panting slightly, sweat dripping down his forehead. His constant spell-casting was starting to drain his stamina.

"I don't believe there's an unbeatable boss! High attack, high defense—sure, but his health can't regenerate like this. And that top-tier sword he's holding—does it not consume spiritual energy to use?" Du Chen gritted his teeth and quickly ordered the team to tighten their formation. He and Xiao Yue began rotating their control spells while the two healers stayed back to restore their energy.

At this point, Du Chen and the others had managed to take control of the pace of the battle, and Jian Ziyuan found himself at a disadvantage. He'd thought he'd overwhelmed them with his aura, but to his surprise, they recovered quickly.

Jian Ziyuan's frustration grew. He couldn't understand where these people came from, and what strange magic they were using. Every now and then, he'd feel an inexplicable fear creeping in, and even his body would act on its own, wanting to retreat. His body would freeze up, unable to fight back, and it was only through sheer willpower that he could push through. If this continued, his spiritual energy would run out before he could maintain his defensive armor.

I can't let them control me like this. Taking advantage of a brief moment when his body returned to normal, Jian Ziyuan pulled out a Swift Movement Talisman and pressed it to his body. Instantly, he was pushed back a long distance. Seeing that Du Chen and the demon cultivator could no longer use their strange magic, Jian Ziyuan threw several more talismans in different directions. He then popped two Big Rejuvenation Pills into his mouth, preparing for his biggest attack yet.

The group could tell from his posture that the boss was gearing up for his ultimate move. When facing a boss's big move in a game, there are usually a few ways to handle it:

1. Interrupt the charging process — But Jian Ziyuan was too far away (over 40 yards), and they couldn't use any skills at this range. Running up to close the distance? They'd be dead before even reaching him.

2. Run away — The boss didn't seem to need to stay in one place while casting. If they split up, Jian Ziyuan's talismans would track them down and pick them off one by one. That was a dead end.

3. Tank it — Looks like that was the only option left.

With mages ready to cast their Frost Shield and warriors with their Shield Wall standing at the front, the defensive magic weapons lined up in front. Just then, Li Tonghan spoke up, "Since it's also a top-tier magic weapon, maybe my Qiankun Sun-Moon Furnace can block one of his hits." He swallowed two Big Rejuvenation Pills himself and struggled to control the Qiankun Sun-Moon Furnace, which began to expand slowly from the size of a palm into something much larger, as if someone had blown air into it.

The sky suddenly darkened as swirling black clouds gathered together. The clouds clashed and rubbed against each other, creating a low rumbling that echoed through the air. Tiny sparks of fire danced sporadically through the atmosphere.

Jian Ziyuan stood tall, his sword pointed at the sky. Suddenly, a violet lightning bolt tore through the heavens, resembling a mighty dragon plummeting toward the earth. With both hands gripping the Dingguang Sword, Jian Ziyuan swung it down with all his might, and the electric dragon roared toward the group of six.

The blinding light in front of Du Chen and the others forced them to shut their eyes. Each of them could feel the electricity coursing through their bodies, their hair standing on end, and the faint smell of grass in the air—an unmistakable ozone scent, the result of the air being ionized. Only when a deafening thunderclap rang in their ears did the world seem to fall silent. They weren't sure if it was the ringing in their ears or the prelude to death, but it felt ominous.

When Cang Hai's vision finally returned, he immediately began casting healing spells on himself and the others. Everyone was left with barely any health, but they were fortunate enough to have survived. After witnessing the sheer might of nature, their initial confusion began to shift into fear that slowly crept into their hearts.

Looking at Li Tonghan, who had collapsed on the ground, they finally understood why they had lived through the attack. The Qiankun Sun-Moon Furnace had absorbed most of the damage. Now, the furnace was dim, rotating slowly as it shrank down to the size of a palm before gently landing beside Li Tonghan.

"You're not bad. I didn't really want to kill you," Jian Ziyuan's icy voice rang out again, cold as death.

Their eyes turned toward him, but the sky above them was still veiled by dark clouds. Jian Ziyuan raised his sword once more. "How many more times can you block this?"

Just as the next wave of thunder approached, Li Tonghan, still lying on the ground, suddenly strained to push himself up. With great effort, he cast a faint gray light toward Jian Ziyuan.

The light was weak, no bigger than a candle flame, and seemed ready to extinguish with the slightest breeze. It drifted slowly through the air, but in the blink of an eye, it was in front of Jian Ziyuan. Jian Ziyuan frowned, unsure of what this was, and swung his sword to destroy it. But to his surprise, the gray light passed over the blade like a living thing, quickly wrapping around his arm.

A scream of pure agony ripped through the air. Jian Ziyuan dropped his sword with a loud clang, his muscles twitching uncontrollably. His eyes bulged, veins popped from his neck, and he hunched over, rolling on the ground in pain, letting out tortured cries.

Du Chen and the others watched in horror as Jian Ziyuan's screams grew quieter, his struggles slowing down until, in a few moments, he lay still, unmoving.

Is he... dead?

The group stood frozen in disbelief. Just when the boss had the upper hand and they were bracing for their inevitable wipe, he suddenly went down, defeated by a tiny, strange spark? What kind of plot twist was this?

Unsure of what had happened, they cautiously approached and examined him. There were no visible wounds on Jian Ziyuan's body. His eyes were closed, his expression serene, as though he were sleeping. However, the system interface clearly indicated that he was "Dead."

Li Tonghan's face was ashen. With great difficulty, he popped a pill into his mouth and struggled to stand. He seemed to have exhausted all his strength as he dragged himself toward Jian Ziyuan's lifeless body, kneeling beside him.

"What... was that spell?" Du Chen asked, voicing the question that everyone was thinking.

Li Tonghan lowered his eyes, his voice muffled as he spoke: "This was the fire sealed within the Qiankun Sun-Moon Furnace. I don't even know what it is. When I took control of the furnace, it just... became mine. My master once told me this was a life-saving move, something to be used only when absolutely necessary. This is the first time... I didn't know it would be so powerful…"

The group of survivors exchanged glances, not knowing what to say.

"Go," Li Tonghan said suddenly after a long silence. "Don't tell me where you're headed. Just leave, quickly."

"What about you? Aren't you coming with us?" Du Chen asked.

Li Tonghan shook his head numbly. "This is my debt to Jian Shixiong. I will repay him. Don't worry about me. Go now."

Cang Hai tried to persuade him, "You came out with us. Someone must have seen you. Now you've caused such a disaster... do you really want to go back? It's a dead end."

But Li Tonghan shook his head resolutely. "I have my plans. You must leave quickly. Master has Jian Shixiong's soul tablet. If he learns of his death, he'll come after me soon. If you don't leave now, it will be too late."

Seeing Du Chen and Cang Hai still trying to argue, Li Tonghan didn't say another word. He bent down to pick up Jian Ziyuan's body, summoned his flying sword, and, without another glance, flew toward the direction of the Nanxi Sect.

The situation was absurd. The young man, who had risked his life to help his friends, ended up accidentally killing his senior brother, who was a candidate to become the sect leader, and now, he was going to turn himself in? What were they supposed to do? Should they follow him or not? Should they just let him go and shoulder the blame alone? The group hesitated.

At that moment, the emperor's voice, from the back of Xiao Yue, rang out: "He might not die, but you have already been reported for colluding with the demon cultivators. You're doomed."

With that warning, the group bit their lips and made up their minds. They mounted their flying swords and headed north, fleeing as quickly as possible.

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Tianshan, Stargazing Platform

A young cultivator sat immobile on a cushion, his eyes barely closed, palms facing upward. His youthful face had a healthy, rosy complexion, yet the white eyebrows on his forehead were a stark contrast. Suddenly, his brows twitched. His eyes shot open, and his deep gaze seemed to pierce the sky itself.

The young cultivator sighed softly and muttered to himself, "The guest star flickers uncertainly, and the guiding star is dim... is this the will of heaven?"

He rose and opened the door, calling to the attendant outside. "When is the Demon Slaying Conference scheduled?"

The attendant stood at attention and replied, "Replying to the Supreme Elder, it will be held on the 18th of next month, at the Cangtianmen."

The Supreme Elder nodded slightly. He raised his right hand, tracing a circle in the air, and spoke to the glowing circle, "I wish to meet a few old friends. I will go first."

With a gentle push, the light circle flew off.

The white-browed cultivator took a step back, his body slowly becoming transparent. It was as though he was melting into the air, and within moments, he completely disappeared from view.

The attendant stood frozen, mouth agape, before suddenly snapping to attention and rushing off to inform the others.