Outside, in the direction of the Jialan clan.
The ghost cultivators from the Ghost Realm, who had been lingering like a persistent shadow, simultaneously cried out in surprise as they witnessed the scene unfolding in the Jade Pond Wonderland.
"I sense endless malevolent energy, surging straight for the heavens. This must be the legendary 'Hell'!"
"Indeed, only in Hell would such terrifying malevolent energy exist. I never imagined that the space Zhou Erji could connect to would be so monstrous, reaching hellish levels. Besides malevolent energy, it's likely filled with an infinite number of powerful vengeful spirits!"
"Those aren't just vengeful spirits, they are fierce ghosts. If they were released, it would be a catastrophe for the mortal world!"
The cultivators of the Ghost Realm chatted amongst themselves about Zhou Erji's extraordinary ability. The "Hell" they spoke of was naturally the space summoned by Zhou Erji's power.
This was a unique classification system for their clan's ghost cultivators, the Jialan clan. Due to being born in the Ghost Realm under a curse, every Jialan clansman awakened such abilities from birth.
These abilities were divided into nine major tiers, each more ferocious and powerful than the last. The highest tier was "Hell," an ability of this level was extremely rare even within the entire Ghost Realm, with only three individuals having awakened it.
"I never thought that brat would force Zhou Erji to use this move. He deserves to die." In the Jialan clan, an old man radiating an incredibly terrifying Yin aura spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Yes, Zhou Erji's ability is too high-tier. If it were me, I could at most unleash the next level down, 'Yanluo,' and the effect would be greatly diminished. I might not be able to defeat that Xu Mu."
A middle-aged man spoke with a solemn expression.
He was the patriarch of the Jialan clan. Jialan Lou was his son, and the cause of his son's death remained unknown, but he strongly suspected it was related to Xu Mu.
And now, Xu Mu was being dragged into Hell by Zhou Erji and was about to die, which filled the man with great joy.
"It's just a shame. This move was originally meant for Chen Changkong and Zuo Mingqiu. Using it now will consume too much energy, and they likely won't be able to secure first place afterward."
The man shook his head and sighed, a cold glint in his eyes. He had never doubted Zhou Erji's strength. The hellish-level ability was truly like hell itself, capable of dragging a person into another dimension.
Within that space, Zhou Erji could draw upon countless amounts of malevolent energy and Yin spirits, wielding their weapons and armor from their past lives, fighting and killing opponents a full realm higher with ease. Moreover, Xu Mu was only one minor realm above him.
How long he would last was merely a matter of time.
…
Inside and outside the Jade Pond Wonderland, everyone was focused, their eyes fixed on the dark red rift created by Zhou Erji.
The tremors and fluctuations emanating from within could be sensed, allowing those outside to speculate on the unfolding battle.
Then, after a series of violent explosions, a terrifying aura surged out from the rift, an aura that instilled a sense of boundless dread.
Even the Domain Lord realm powerhouses from the Hundred Tribes' territory outside the Jade Pond trembled uncontrollably the moment they sensed that terrifying aura, their very souls quaking.
"What a terrifying aura! Is it a fierce ghost from the abyss? Can Zhou Erji control beings of that level!"
Within the Jialan clan, an elder in the fourth stage asked with a trembling voice, his expression filled with shock.
The terrifying aura made him tremble from the inside out, from his dantian to his hair follicles, as if an unawakened beast were seeing a mythical dragon and had no choice but to prostrate itself.
His own ability was almost identical to Zhou Erji's, also an independent space, but the tier difference was three levels. And even now, he couldn't control the strongest ghost within it.
But even the aura emanating from that strongest ghost was not as terrifying as the one from Zhou Erji's manifestation, which was why he was so stunned.
"Hell-tier abilities are this terrifying. Zhou Erji is currently only in the second stage. If he breaks through to the Hua Cai realm, even Ji Chang of that year wouldn't be his match!"
"More than Ji Chang, if this momentum continues, Zhou Erji will achieve great things in the future. Our Jialan clan might finally have a Human King realm cultivator!"
Within the Jialan clan, people couldn't help but exclaim, clearly believing that the terrifying aura originated from Zhou Erji's power.
Of course, the Jialan clan's ancestor also believed this, but for some reason, his expression was not one of joy but of extreme solemnity.
He had a bad premonition, but he couldn't pinpoint its origin or what kind of change it would bring.
"Xiao Zi, prepare yourself. If something unexpected happens to Zhou Erji, we need to provide immediate medical treatment."
Jialan Tusu said, giving instructions to a woman beside him. She was momentarily taken aback before cupping her hands and retreating to make preparations.
Beside the old man, the middle-aged patriarch of the Jialan clan did not understand his intentions and asked, "Old Ancestor, why is this so? Do you believe Zhou Erji will lose?"
"I don't know," Jialan Tusu shook his head, his aged face etched with seriousness. "I just feel that although Zhou Erji's strength is great, it shouldn't be to this extent yet."
"I worry that the terrifying aura is not under his control and an accident has occurred."
Hearing the old man's words, the middle-aged man's expression also turned grave. Indeed, they had only focused on Zhou Erji's ability and overlooked his current realm, which shouldn't allow him to control such a powerfully oppressive fierce ghost.
However, if it couldn't be controlled, why hadn't Zhou Erji retreated immediately?
The Jialan ancestor shook his head and sighed, "We will know the outcome in a while, so preparing treatment now can't be a bad thing."
"Our Jialan clan cannot be without Zhou Erji."
"Indeed, Father, your foresight is commendable." The man cupped his hands in flattery, his eyes fixed on the dark red rift in the Jade Pond Wonderland, eagerly awaiting Zhou Erji's figure to emerge.
A moment passed, and the terrifying aura between the cracks gradually dissipated, along with any tremors. Everyone knew that the battle must have concluded.
Hum—
"He's out!"
With a cry of surprise, two blurry figures emerged from the rift one after another. The first figure to appear was bloody and mangled, falling onto the battle stage like a corpse, with only its fingers still able to twitch slightly.
The person who emerged afterward also had a lot of blood, so much so that their features were unrecognizable. However, based on their upright posture, it was evident that the blood was definitely not their own.
Nangong Huaitian looked at the person who had fallen on the battle stage and instinctively assumed it was Xu Mu, his entire face turning ashen.
On the other side, everyone's eyes were filled with disbelief, and their speech was tinged with astonishment.
He couldn't believe that someone like Xu Mu would fall here.
But the next second, his gaze became understanding.
This was because he spotted a knife at the waist of the person who was still standing.
It was Xu Mu's hunting knife.
…