"The wandering spirits on the seventh level of Hell are too difficult to handle. Our cultivators are locked in a bitter struggle. That ferocious ghost has already broken into the city, and the Small Nether Realm's ghost soldier arrays have been destroyed." "When will artillery support arrive?" "Around fifteen minutes." "What can we do right now?" "Latest video feed has connected. Network sync complete," an elder from the research institute muttered. Most of the on-site personnel fell silent. Everyone immediately turned to the main screen, but the new overhead drone footage brought no better news. At the edge of the frame, Qing Yanzi and the ancient devil were locked in a fierce midair battle. It was unclear who had the upper hand. The giant ferocious ghost had smashed through the main gate of Fengdu City. A horde of black-skinned, fierce spirits flooded into the city, both fleeing in panic and drawn by the aura of living humans. They converged on the eleven cultivators locked in a difficult fight on the streets. "Where are the ghost soldiers?" "They've run out of time," Shen Sui'an replied in a low tone. He then fell into thought. The eleven cultivators had already slain about a third of the wandering spirits, yet they were still unable to break free. The old monk sitting on a jade lotus suddenly unleashed a burst of Buddhist light, instantly vaporizing over a dozen nearby wandering spirits. The rest let out sinister, screeching laughter and scattered in all directions. Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Zikuang and Yan Zhengnan simultaneously broke from the defensive circle. Zhang Zikuang tossed over a dozen talismans to Yan Zhengnan, turned, and shouted something. The two then split off in opposite directions and charged toward the incoming spirits, deliberately drawing away the spirits at that crucial moment. The remaining nine quickly regrouped and sprinted toward the western city wall. The giant ghost was chasing and devouring the spirits. As long as they could lure the spirits away, the giant ghost would follow, buying time for the others. Even though the footage only showed an unclear overhead view, everyone in the command center instinctively imagined Zhang Zikuang's shout as grim and resolute. "You guys break through first! Leave the rear to us!" However, what Zhang Zikuang actually shouted just minutes ago was, "Take out the spirits quickly! We'll buy some time! If we die, just go! If we don't, remember to come save us! Hahaha!" It wasn't solemn in the slightest.. The two Golden Core Realm instructors flew three meters above ground toward the giant ghost. Dozens of wandering spirits pursued them. Talismans and spells were unleashed. The two weaved through the streets, covering each other with practiced ease. They had clearly trained for this. In moments, they slew numerous fierce spirits, leaving chaos in their wake. However, the number of fierce spirits exceeded that of the wandering ones. Even though they had cut down dozens, the streets and rooftops were soon filled with black-skinned fierce spirits. They burst from the main street. After skimming past rooftops, Yan Zhengnan sliced open the back of his own hand, sprinkling fresh blood. The scent of blood locked the spirits onto them. The grotesque, twisted faces trembled violently and roared in unison. Fierce spirits leaped and bounded, smashing centuries-old rooftops of the ancient underworld city to chase the two instructors. Yan Zhengnan muttered a code phrase, and Zhang Zikuang abruptly turned mid-flight. The talismans that had been swirling around Zhang Zikuang like blades flew toward the horde of pursuing spirits. Yan Zhengnan then grabbed Zhang Zikuang by the belt and cast a spell to push back the incoming wandering spirits, keeping them in the air. The fierce and wandering spirits were roughly as strong as Illusory Core Realm cultivators. The fierce spirits had powerful bodies, while the wandering spirits had strong spiritual consciousness. Nevertheless, Zhang Zikuang's talismans made them seem as fragile as clay figures. Their limbs were sent flying as they exploded into black smoke. The giant ghost that had entered the city changed directions, chasing and devouring the fleeing spirits. Zhang Zikuang burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! This is exhilarating!" At his full strength, even the fierce spirits struggled to keep up with him. "This is bad!" Yan Zhengnan shouted. "That big bastard has locked on to us!" "Mm?" Zhang Zikuang looked up and couldn't help but curse. The giant ferocious ghost was charging straight at them. It demolished every building in its way and trampled countless black-skinned spirits into black mist. From within the devilish qi that enveloped it, dozens of greedy eyes seemingly locked onto Zhang Zikuang and Yan Zhengnan, making the pressure spike dramatically. Their plan had worked, though. They still flew faster than the ghost's stride. At least for the moment, there was no real danger. The ground began to tremble violently as the giant ghost broke into a sprint. Zhang Zikuang gulped. Though he had a pretty strong mental fortitude and Dao heart, his expression still darkened. "Old Yan! We gotta fly higher! Now!" Yan Zhengnan swung Zhang Zikuang upward by the belt. In turn, Zhang Zikuang counter-pulled him with a burst of enchanted power, sending them both skyward. However, it was already too late. The devilish qi around the giant ghost surged. Thick black streams coalesced into "black meteors" that blotted out the sky and rained down on them. The two instructors dodged relentlessly. Although they had already reached the Golden Core Realm, they still could not dare take a direct hit from the devilish blasts. The ghost's charge disrupted their flight and left them no time to gain altitude. Now, they found themselves cornered. Gritting their teeth, they still attempted to lure the giant ghost away from Fengdu City. Just a minute earlier, they had been roaring with confidence. Now, they were teetering on the edge of disaster. This ghost was anything but clumsy, and it had endless techniques in its arsenal. There was no avoiding it. Eventually, it caught up to Zhang Zikuang and Yan Zhengnan. It reached out with its left arm, which was covered in purple scales as large as a car door. It then spread its massive, nearly eight-meter-wide claws open to grab them. "Zikuang!" Yan Zhengnan shouted. The two Golden Core Realm instructors slammed their palms together, releasing a shockwave that forced them apart. They narrowly slipped to the sides of the claws. Unfortunately, the rolling devilish qi that followed smashed into them, knocking them upward. The ghost's oppressive aura descended upon them as it swung its other claws sideways. Zhang Zikuang and Yan Zhengnan channeled their enchanted power into their daggers and narrowly dodged again. Though they were running out of room to maneuver, the ghost's devilish qi had thinned from all the running. "Screw it! I'm going all in!" Zhang Zikuang roared. His camouflaged battle suit surged with power as he charged straight at the ghost. At close range, he could clearly see the ghost's hideous face and the many smaller ghost faces pulsing on its forehead. Determination and fury filled his gaze. Behind him, a blood-red talisman appeared, intricate runes rapidly forming. It was one of the most advanced talismans from the Celestial Master's Secret Scroll of the Longhu Mountains. Only cultivators at the Golden Core Realm could use it, and even they could only use it twice or thrice in a lifetime. After all, it used the caster's body as the talisman paper, the runes written with their own vital essence. In exchange for halving one's lifespan, it granted power that rivaled the self-detonation of a Golden Core Realm cultivator. Before Zhang Zikuang could finish casting, the ferocious ghost opened its bloody maw and lunged, making him turn pale. Its speed far surpassed the pace of his talisman creation. A sharp whistle pierced the air as a green talisman bird shot in from the side and crashed into Zhang Zikuang, knocking him away. The ghost ended up swallowing the bird whole. The impact broke Zhang Zikuang's concentration, causing him to cough up blood. Though injured, it was far better than if the talisman had detonated. Before he could recover, the ghost swung its claws down again, but the Daoist master from the Shu Mountains soared in on a flying sword. He scooped up Zhang Zikuang and veered away with expert sword control, narrowly avoiding the claw. Turning back, Zhang Zikuang saw a coordinated assault peppering the ferocious ghost. It seemed the Daoist masters and high monks who were supposed to have retreated had returned. The Daoist from the Shu Mountains tossed Zhang Zikuang aside and flew off again to distract the ghost. He howled deeply to keep its attention instead of making any unnecessary attacks. Behind the ghost, a brawny monk stood on a wooden plank, a monk's spade in hand. Meanwhile, the old monk seated on the jade lotus glowed with radiant Buddhist light, which slowly dissolved the surrounding devilish qi. Bolts of lightning rained down from above. Above the ghost's head, Qian Cheng swung his mahogany sword like a shaman, summoning lightning from the underworld. In the distance, the two elders of the Hidden Earth Sect, wielding Black and White Ghost Banners, had somehow commanded hundreds of wandering spirits to battle one another in midair. Other Golden Core Realm Daoists stood beyond the devilish qi on rooftops. They simultaneously cast spells, activated talismans, and used artifacts, targeting the ghost's left ankle. "Fairy Bu Yu! Now!" the Daoist from the Shu Mountains shouted. "Mm," Mu Wanxuan calmly replied from behind Zhang Zikuang. Before he could turn, someone pulled him backward and flung him aside. Mu Wanxuan, the one recognized as the most insightful and exceptional female cultivator in the Hua Republic's cultivation world, then flew past him. The only younger-generation cultivator in the top twenty of the Heavenly Rankings stood atop Ice Crystal, her Soaring Celestial Dress flowing as she shot forward and stopped precisely thirty meters in front of the ghost. Her long hair and dress fluttered. With her eyes closed, she began to move her slender hands in a fluid pattern, swiftly yet appearing slow. Just as Zhang Zikuang steadied himself, he saw immense power gathering around Mu Wanxuan. Two Tai Chi diagrams took shape before her, quickly expanding as they drew in the primal qi from all over Fengdu City. In the blink of an eye, one of the Tai Chi diagrams rose into the air and hovered above the ghost's head. The other sank underground, then emerged beneath its feet. The two diagrams resonated with each other. Strands of yin-yang qi surged between them like countless chains, binding every part of the massive ghost. Mu Wanxuan opened her eyes, unleashing a brilliant rainbow flash. Her dress and hair flowed backward. With her delicate hands, she began pressing the two hundred-meter-wide Tai Chi diagrams toward each other. Yin-Yang Annihilation: Heaven-Earth Millstone!