Standing ten thousand feet high in the sky, looking down at the land and the fearful faces within Fengmo City, Wu Ji savored the moment.
He surveyed Xi Xia Mountain Villa like an emperor, awaiting Du Mu to kneel and beg for mercy.
Then, he would make an example of Xi Xia Mountain Villa, showing the world the consequences of opposing the Ten Lakes Stronghold.
However.
Du Mu showed no reaction, as calm as an old dog.
Instead, his great-grandson, Wu Qian, received a slap that distorted his face.
This slap felt as if it landed on Wu Ji's own face.
It signified that Xi Xia Mountain Villa did not regard him, Wu Ji, with any respect.
"They've gone mad. Not only did Xi Xia Mountain not back down, but they dared to provoke us openly. This posture suggests they are inviting their own destruction."
"Run! Wu Ji is notoriously brutal. If he gets angry, he might slaughter us all as well."
Many observing cultivators, terrified, began to flee Fengmo City, putting as much distance between themselves and the city as possible.
Wu Ji's eyes turned crimson, his beard and hair bristling with rage. He had been in seclusion for years to slow his aging, rarely venturing out.
It seemed some people had forgotten his reputation for ferocity and cruelty in his younger days.
How dare the insignificant Xi Xia Mountain Villa humiliate him like this.
Today, he would unleash a massacre, leaving no one alive in Xi Xia Mountain Villa.
"Du Mu, you have immense courage. Aren't you afraid of annihilation?"
Wu Ji's face was as dark as a pot bottom, his eyes about to spew fire.
"In terms of courage, I naturally cannot compare to you."
Du Mu looked up at the sky and said indifferently, "Of all the vile deeds you've committed, which one wasn't audacious? You even attempted to harm the Ning clan and set your sights on the Demon Realm's Gate. You old piece of trash, what face do you have to live? End yourself quickly to avoid further disgrace."
Wu Ji's entire old face turned black as a pot bottom. He had roamed the Western Regions for so many years, yet no one had ever dared to speak to him in such a manner, to reprimand and humiliate him in front of everyone.
His anger surged, and the surrounding leaden clouds churned with his emotions.
Dark clouds rolled in like waves, pressing down on Fengmo City.
The terrifying aura enveloped the surroundings, causing cultivators of lesser strength to collapse onto the ground, trembling.
"Great-grandfather, kill them all, slaughter Xi Xia Mountain Villa… Ah…"
Wu Qian shouted loudly, but before he could finish, he let out an incredibly piercing scream, his face completely contorted.
It turned out that "Oli Ge" was a demon true to his word, and he had indeed followed through, directly performing a "monkey steals the peach" move, snapping that little toothpick with a "crack."
The pain was indescribable.
Wu Qian's mouth stretched into a wide "o" shape, large enough to fit a fist.
He collapsed on the ground, his body convulsing, his face ashen.
"Die, all of you, die."
Wu Ji's robes fluttered like a raptor's dive, the vast dark clouds behind him pressing down on Xi Xia Mountain Villa.
Before the attack even landed, a suffocating pressure descended, as if a colossal black mountain was plummeting from the sky, intending to crush everything.
"Old dog Wu, today I will tell you that times have changed. The era of the ninth level of the Mortal Immortal Realm dominating the world is over."
Du Mu stomped his foot, directly activating the guardian formation.
Countless lines lit up, the earth trembled, and a terrifying surge of energy erupted.
Chiu…
A resplendent giant eagle appeared, formed by the formation's power. Its wings flapped, and it soared into the sky, diving straight for Wu Ji.
The dark clouds were torn asunder. Wu Ji felt immense pressure, his expression grave. He never imagined that the small Xi Xia Mountain Villa possessed such a formidable formation.
He let out a long roar and unleashed a barrage of punches. The sky filled with fist energy like a boiling galaxy, each strike like a falling meteor.
A massive explosion occurred mid-air, runes shattering. The aftermath of the battle cascaded down, shaking the ground and causing numerous houses to collapse.
Wu Ji was at a disadvantage. His clothes were torn to shreds by the giant eagle, his hair disheveled, his body covered in bloody wounds, utterly disheveled.
"My cultivation has reached the peak of the ninth level of the Mortal Immortal Realm, just one step away from becoming an immortal. I am invincible in the Profound Spirit Realm, how could I be inferior to a mere formation?"
He roared to the heavens.
He had intended to show off in front of the world and destroy Xi Xia Mountain Villa with his invincible might.
Who would have thought things would turn out so unexpectedly? He had stumbled in the gutter, being suppressed by Du Mu, who controlled the formation, leaving him incredibly frustrated.
Wu Ji's blood energy surged wildly. Behind him, a phantom lake appeared, its waves crashing, seeming to engulf everything in the world.
Enraged, he activated his strongest combat form. His body glowed with a faint golden light, surrounded by dozens of strands of immortal spiritual energy, like a true immortal descending.
Wu Ji reached out and grabbed the void. The dark clouds converged, forming a black giant blade thousands of meters long.
The giant blade emitted a blinding dark light, like lightning streaking across the sky. It slashed towards Xi Xia Mountain Villa, intending to slice everything within the villa into pieces.
Wu Qian was instantly terrified. Had his great-grandfather lost his mind? He intended to cleave him to death as well.
"Invincible? Heh!"
Du Mu chuckled. After his recent actions, he knew that Ji Mo's improved formation was unimaginably powerful, and dealing with a mere Wu Ji was not a problem.
He moved his hands, fully activating the guardian formation.
The formation fully awakened, countless beams of light shot into the sky, causing the void to resonate.
In an instant.
Wu Ji's giant blade could no longer withstand the force. Large cracks appeared, and it shattered inch by inch as it slashed forward.
His body tumbled through the void, struck repeatedly by dozens of light beams. Puffs of blood splattered out as he suffered severe injuries.
Wu Ji's old face was filled with terror, his complexion ashen. What level of formation was this?
"Escape!"
He immediately unleashed several magical artifacts, shielding himself layer by layer, and fled the scene in a panic.
"Wu Ji, where do you think you're going?"
Du Mu roared, wanting to keep Wu Ji there. However, the formation had limitations. Once a target moved beyond a certain range, it could no longer attack.
"Don't be arrogant. When I return as an immortal, I will turn your Xi Xia Mountain Villa to ashes."
Wu Ji's old face was flushed red, feeling the burning sensation on his cheeks. He uttered a defiant threat and charged towards the distant ruins of the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield.
At this point, his only option was to enter the Demon Realm and undergo tribulation to become an immortal.
Once immortal, he would return to deal with these scoundrels.
"Wu Ji actually lost?"
All the inhabitants of Fengmo City couldn't believe it. Du Mu, using the formation, had dominated Wu Ji. This meant Xi Xia Mountain Villa could now look down upon the world, fearless of any force.
In other words, from this day forward, Xi Xia Mountain Villa had become the top power in the Profound Spirit Realm, with limitless potential.
Those who had abandoned Xi Xia Mountain Villa, the turncoats, were filled with regret.
They regretted their actions immensely and wished to return, but Du Mu would not give them another chance.
Deep within the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield.
The Gate of the Demon Realm.
Ning Wenjing, holding the small stone statue carved for her by Ji Mo, intended to enter the Demon Realm to find Ji Mo.
She couldn't bear her clan treating Ji Mo as a demon and a liar. She wanted to go to the Demon Realm to find evidence and clear Ji Mo's name.
How could a hero of the human race, a savior of the world, suffer such injustice? She could not tolerate Ji Mo enduring such a grievance.
"Jingjing, stop fooling around. Entering the Demon Realm with your strength is suicidal."
Ning Yi stopped her, preventing this seemingly reckless act.
Ning Wenjing said with utmost seriousness, "Uncle, this is a stone statue Mr. Ji carved for me. He can kill Mortal Immortals as easily as cutting vegetables. No one can harm me. Let me enter the Demon Realm. I will retrieve the evidence to prove you all wrong."
"Jingjing, you're possessed. This is just an ordinary statue, with no energy fluctuations, utterly unremarkable. How could it possibly kill a Mortal Immortal? Go back to the village obediently. If you continue to act out, don't blame your uncle for locking you up."
Ning Yi did not believe her, thinking Ning Wenjing had been brainwashed by Ji Mo.
He sternly lectured, "If this statue can kill Mortal Immortals, then I…"
As he spoke, the statue in Ning Wenjing's arms suddenly opened its eyes, as if it had come alive.