In the eastern part of the Celestial Flame Dynasty, deep within the endless Canglan Mountain Range.

Whoosh.

At this moment, a figure swiftly flew across the sky above the mountains, moving as fast as lightning.

This was an elderly man with black hair, shrouded in powerful Celestial Spirits, his physique remarkably strong, like a majestic and domineering Divine Lion.

This person was Ouyang Zhong.

"Hmm? A purple aura across the sky, indeed a celestial phenomenon." At this moment, Ouyang Zhong's body trembled suddenly, his eyes fixed on the sky ahead, a mix of shock and excitement in his expression.

In the sky ahead, a vast amount of purple aura was rolling, stretching for dozens of miles.

This kind of celestial phenomenon usually appears when an Immortal Secret Realm is about to emerge into the world.

In other words, in the area ahead, it's indeed highly likely that an Immortal Secret Realm is hidden.

"Immortal Secret Realms are usually concealed by arrays, and with the power of us mere mortals, we absolutely cannot break these arrays, so we can only wait patiently," Ouyang Zhong muttered to himself.

His cultivation had always been stuck at the Peak of Celestial Spirit Realm, and if nothing unexpected happened, he had no hope of becoming an Immortal in this lifetime.

However, the Immortal Secret Realm undoubtedly gave him a glimmer of hope.

However, the entrance to the Immortal Secret Realm is unlikely to open anytime soon, and being anxious won't help Ouyang Zhong.

"The celestial phenomenon here is too obvious; it won't be long before experts from other dynasties notice it. By then, it won't be easy for me to get the creation within the Immortal Secret Realm!" Ouyang Zhong couldn't help but sigh.

Even in the Celestial Flame Dynasty, his strength was not the strongest.

People like the Celestial Flame Peak Master and Duanmu Ying were much more powerful than him.

And in other dynasties, there were many terrifying beings even stronger than the Celestial Flame Peak Master.

Therefore, he really wasn't confident in competing with these people.

"Forget it, if it is meant to be, it will be mine; I can't force things that don't belong to me. I should head back," Ouyang Zhong lingered for a moment before preparing to return.

He didn't know when the entrance to the Immortal Secret Realm would appear, so staying here was a pure waste of time.

Whoosh.

In the next moment, Ouyang Zhong activated the Celestial Spirits within him, transforming into a stream of light, flying rapidly towards the outside of the Canglan Mountain Range.

"It's Duanmu Ying; I didn't expect her to get the news so quickly." After flying four or five hundred miles, Ouyang Zhong's brows suddenly furrowed.

He noticed a graceful figure floating in the sky ahead, blocking his path.

That figure was undoubtedly Duanmu Ying.

Although her actual age was over fifty, she looked like she was in her thirties, still extremely beautiful, exuding a sense of enduring charm.

"Ouyang Zhong, it seems you've also heard the news of the Immortal Secret Realm's emergence. Why, are you rushing back because you didn't find the Immortal Secret Realm?" Duanmu Ying sneered coldly, her lips curled with a thick mocking expression.

"Master of Profound Sword Peak, I have already found the Immortal Secret Realm, but it might be some time before it fully opens. Going now is pointless," Ouyang Zhong said flatly.

Although he was extremely averse to Duanmu Ying because of the matter with Ye Chen, he hadn't completely fallen out with her.

After all, they were both high-ranking members of the Celestial Flame Academy, frequently encountering each other.

"Is that so? Then you go ahead; I will go and see for myself," Duanmu Ying said calmly, though a trace of an unnoticeable cold glimmer flashed deep in her eyes.

"Then I take my leave." Ouyang Zhong nodded and continued flying forward, driven by the Celestial Spirits within him.

"Old dog, die for me." Just as Ouyang Zhong was within ten feet of Duanmu Ying, an extremely terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Duanmu Ying, making souls tremble involuntarily.

Whoosh.

In the next moment, a snow-white Sword Qi roared out from the depths of Duanmu Ying's Dantian, carrying the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, shooting directly at Ouyang Zhong's brow.

Though this Sword Qi seemed small, only the size of an infant's arm, its contained power was incredibly immense, causing the air to explode, generating countless snow-white waves.

"Not good." Ouyang Zhong's expression changed drastically, his whole body involuntarily covered in goosebumps.

At this moment, he could deeply feel a strong sense of death threat emanating from the white Sword Qi.

If he was carelessly hit by this white Sword Qi, even with his extremely strong physical body, he would inevitably die.

"Vajra Bell." In this critical moment, a palm-sized Golden Divine Bell suddenly flew out from Ouyang Zhong's body, emitting brilliantly dazzling divine light, transforming into a massive protective shield, enveloping Ouyang Zhong's body inside.

Psst.

Unfortunately, Ouyang Zhong was still a step too late.

The snow-white Sword Qi was too fast, piercing into Ouyang Zhong's body before the protective shield fully formed, leaving a huge bloody hole in his chest, with blood gushing out like a fountain.

What's even more terrifying is that the sword qi also contained an extremely cold chill, penetrating into Ouyang Zhong's body, freezing his internal organs and meridians.

Had it not been for Ouyang Zhong's cultivation of the Body Refining Technique, which made his physical body far stronger than that of Duanmu Ying and the others, he would have perished on the spot.

"Why? Duanmu Ying, why are you doing this? We are both high-ranking members of the Celestial Flame Academy, why are you going for the kill?" Blood continuously spurted from Ouyang Zhong's mouth; his expression was filled with intense pain as he roared angrily at Duanmu Ying.

He truly never expected Duanmu Ying would assault him.

Otherwise, with the Vajra Bell, that half-step magical artifact, he wouldn't have been so severely injured.

It's important to know, the Vajra Bell was left by their War King Hall's founding ancestor, Ouyang Fu, and already possessed a thread of a magical artifact's power.

Even a strong expert at the Peak of Celestial Spirit Realm would find it difficult to break its defense.

However, to activate the Vajra Bell, it also requires some time.

Just a moment ago, Ouyang Zhong took too long to activate the Vajra Bell, allowing Duanmu Ying to launch a successful sneak attack.

"Ha! Ouyang Zhong, you've been obstructing me from acquiring the cultivation resources of War King Hall; don't you think you deserve to die? And that little bastard Ye Chen killed my nephew, yet you still shield him. Who gave you the courage?" Duanmu Ying's lips curled into a cold, cruel smile, her entire being exuding a terrifying aura of murderous intent, sending chills down one's spine.

"Duanmu Ying, aren't you afraid of retribution from Azure Sky Immortal Sect's experts for doing this?" Ouyang Zhong's eyes turned blood-red, filled with intense anger as he spoke.

The Celestial Flame Academy has been under the jurisdiction of the Azure Sky Immortal Sect since ancient times.

Azure Sky Immortal Sect has a strict rule that forbids mutual slaughter among Celestial Flame Academy's high-ranking members, with the punishment being execution if found.

Yet now, Duanmu Ying audaciously dared to attack Ouyang Zhong, the Grand Elder of the War King Hall.

If discovered by Azure Sky Immortal Sect, she would undeniably face death.

"Afraid! Of course I'm afraid! But who will know that it was me who killed you?" Duanmu Ying couldn't help but sneer, her lips filled with an amused expression.

This place is deep within the Canglan Mountain Range, almost deserted.

Even if she killed Ouyang Zhong, no one would know it was her.

That's why she acted without fear.

"You venomous woman, to have such a sinister heart, but I shall not let you succeed." Ouyang Zhong's eyes were filled with intense anger and a deep sense of unwillingness.

Swish.

The next moment, he activated the Celestial Spirits within him, trying to escape this place.

If he can endure until reaching the Celestial Flame Academy, he might have a chance to survive.

"Duanmu Ying, you've done well; leave the rest to me, I'll personally crush this old dog." At this moment, a cold voice suddenly echoed from the Ancient Forest below.

Swish.

Soon after, a black-robed elder flew rapidly from the depths of the Ancient Forest, instantly blocking Ouyang Zhong's path.

"It's you! Xiahou Shi, now I understand, it must have been you that lured Duanmu Ying to kill me." Ouyang Zhong's face turned ashen.

"Ha! I never expected you to possess the Vajra Bell, that half-step magical artifact; if it weren't for the Master of Profound Sword Peak, killing you would have taken quite some effort!" The black-robed elder couldn't help sneering, his lips filled with teasing amusement.

"We are merely taking what we need." Duanmu Ying said expressionlessly.

"Ouyang Zhong, you've endured severe injuries, and even with the Vajra Bell, you can't hold on for much longer, stop struggling and face death!" Xiahou Shi's eyes suddenly emitted a terrifying killing intent, looking at Ouyang Zhong as if he was already a dead man.

Swish.

The next moment, a dazzling sword qi surged forth from Xiahou Shi's body, slashing fiercely toward the protective shield around Ouyang Zhong.

Bang!

It's undeniable that the Vajra Bell's defense is truly formidable; not even Xiahou Shi's killing technique could break it, leaving only a small crack.

Yet, Ouyang Zhong's body was still shaken, retreating with blood spurting from his mouth.

If he hadn't been severely wounded, it would've been difficult for Duanmu Ying and Xiahou Shi to kill him, even if they joined forces.

But now, he can't hold on much longer.

"Ouyang Zhong, blame the Ouyang Family's ancestor for offending our Xiahou Family's ancestor; don't worry, after your death, our Xiahou Family will flatten the entire Ouyang Family, sending them to accompany you." Xiahou Shi's expression turned ferocious.

"No, I can't die here, Nine Revolutions Profound Pill." Ouyang Zhong's eyes showed a deep unwillingness; without hesitation, he took out a purple-golden elixir and swallowed it.

Buzz!

The next moment, his wounds rapidly healed to a degree visible to the naked eye, and even the aura emanating from him became several times stronger.

Soon after, his body transformed into a stream of light, swiftly flying toward the edge of the Canglan Mountain Range.

Even Duanmu Ying and Xiahou Shi were left behind in an instant.

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