Ember Yang raised her eyebrows as Elena Dreamer walked up, curious. "What's going on?" she asked.
"No idea. Just now they were chasing me, but suddenly all disappeared." said Ember Yang. Elena Dreamer swept her Divine Sense around, finding the silence unsettling—never a good sign.
Ember Yang also noticed how eerily quiet it was—she couldn't spot a single person. Elena Dreamer knew this meant trouble and told Ember, "Retreat!"
Though Ember liked to play around, she knew this wasn't the time. She flashed after Elena Dreamer, ready to withdraw. But suddenly, a faint glow spread out, enveloping all seventy-two side halls and the main hall of Golden Heaven Temple.
"What's going on?" Ember Yang exclaimed, shocked.
Elena Dreamer frowned. "Looks like there's a trap here."
Just then, a voice echoed from inside one of the halls: "Haha, Golden Heaven Temple's defensive array isn't something you can come and go from as you please!"
"Is this the Golden Heaven Temple Grand Formation?" Elena Dreamer called toward the source of the voice.
"That's right. How is it? Pretty impressive, huh? This is just the beginning—soon you'll see results you can't even imagine," Trevor Tao laughed.
Elena Dreamer drew the Doomsday Divine Bow and fired a powerful shot at the sky. The blast shook the array but didn't break it. Trevor Tao was stunned for a moment, then sneered, "So your divine bow isn't all that after all."
Miles Mu, who had escaped, was now hiding in a cave, trying to heal both his hands before Evan Yang arrived.
After about a quarter hour, Miles Mu's hands recovered, but he was drenched in sweat—he'd used up a lot of strength. He took out a box containing two rare pills.
"Damn it, I never thought I'd have to use one of my divine pills now," Miles Mu muttered, looking at the two pills. He'd gotten them from the sect master long ago, meant for breakthroughs, but now had to use one just to recover his strength after healing his hands.
Reluctantly, he swallowed one. Soon, his strength surged within him.
With renewed energy, Miles Mu's confidence soared. He believed his earlier defeat was just due to carelessness—now, if he used the terrain here, he could defeat Evan Yang.
Evan Yang walked through the maze; walls surrounded him everywhere, and they were reinforced so earth-escape techniques wouldn't work. He had to search the passageways by hand.
He saw the divine artifacts marked on the Tracking Mirror, but to reach them he had to wind through the maze, making him grudgingly respect Golden Heaven Temple's careful design.
Just as Evan Yang wondered whether to speed up, he sensed Miles Mu's aura nearby.
"Still trying to hide? Hmph, watch this," Evan Yang said, producing a flying needle and planning to strike Miles Mu when he appeared.
Miles Mu didn't know what was happening, only that Evan Yang was walking down a tunnel. He waited for a chance to ambush him, hoping to succeed. As Evan Yang neared, pretending not to notice, Miles Mu suddenly flashed out, appearing before Evan and unleashing a blast of powerful flame at his face.
"Let's see if you can survive this!" Miles Mu sneered, seeing Evan Yang so close.
"Tsk, so full of yourself," Evan Yang chuckled, ignoring the flames and flicking his wrist—a flying needle instantly blinded Miles Mu in one eye.
"Aah!" Miles Mu screamed. Losing his sight was even more agonizing than his injured hands. He finally realized Evan Yang had only been pretending, luring him close on purpose.
Tormented by Evan Yang, Miles Mu's fury exploded. He shouted, "Damn it, I'm going to kill you!"
"You're blind now. Still want to take me on?" Evan Yang teased.
"Blind eyes, but not a blind heart!" Miles Mu roared, his aura surging. Seeing this, Evan Yang smirked, "You really plan to burn your cultivation just to take me down?"
"That's right!" Miles Mu was ready to burn his own power—a desperate move, but he believed that as long as he defeated Evan Yang and became vice sect master, anything was possible.
So Miles Mu chose this reckless method to fight Evan Yang.
Evan Yang drew the Limitless Spear, gripping it tightly. Watching Miles Mu burn his life away, he sighed, "If you're so eager to throw your life away, let me send you off myself."
Miles Mu didn't know what was happening, only that Evan Yang was walking down a tunnel. He waited for a chance to ambush him, hoping to succeed. As Evan Yang neared, pretending not to notice, Miles Mu suddenly flashed out, appearing before Evan and unleashing a blast of powerful flame at his face.
Evan Yang's spear technique erupted, and in an instant, Miles Mu's body was riddled with holes. The force he'd gathered scattered, dealing him a heavy blow. Furious, Miles Mu roared, "I'll kill you!" He grabbed his last remaining pill and swallowed it.
Seeing Miles Mu's aura surge again, Evan Yang almost admired his tenacity. He sighed, "I thought you'd be tougher than Leon Li, but you're even more foolish. At least he had plenty of treasures—while you keep attacking me head-on, never using your own advantages."
With a sigh, Evan Yang unleashed Ice-fire Sacred Flame through the Limitless Spear, instantly suppressing Miles Mu's fiery aura. Miles Mu refused to give up, intensifying his flames as the two clashed fiercely.
Far outside the Chaos World, the sky was dark and thick. Beyond the Golden Heaven Temple world-realm, the ten Nether Sky Kings each led thirty thousand elite soldiers—three hundred thousand experts encircled the entire realm.
"Boss Nether, are you sure they'll both suffer heavy losses?" Lewis Yates asked anxiously.
"Golden Heaven Temple is full of experts, and that guy is no slouch either. I heard he recently stole the Coldlight Jade Bracelet, enraging the Temple so much they gathered everything into the famed Heaven-Shaker Tower—one of their divine artifacts, though no one can move it," Boss Nether laughed.
"Heaven-Shaker Tower? So that's the famous tower of Golden Heaven Temple," the others exclaimed, shocked.
"I've already sent people to monitor Golden Heaven Temple. Once they start fighting in earnest and both sides are exhausted, we'll surround the realm and launch a full attack. Whether it's Golden Heaven Temple or those other guys, we'll take them all," Boss Nether declared.
Everyone nodded. Boss Nether gazed at the realm, secretly sneering, "Just wait. You let me go but sealed part of my power. I won't let you off easy, and Dream Deity—I'll wipe you out along with them this time!"
Golden Heaven Temple was focused on besieging Evan Yang, Ember Yang, and the others, completely unaware of the situation outside the realm. No one was paying attention to the looming crisis beyond.
Meanwhile, the Nether Sky Realm forces were waiting, ready to launch a full assault at any moment. Three hundred thousand elite soldiers formed a dark mass, tightly surrounding the entire realm.
Inside the tower, as Miles Mu's burning strength reached its peak, Evan Yang seized the moment. With a final thrust, his spear pierced through Miles Mu's body, and the Soul-Devouring Divine Sword captured his soul.
"You can join your fellow vice sect masters," Evan Yang said with a cold smile.
"You—" Miles Mu didn't even have time to curse before the Soul-Devouring Divine Sword absorbed him. When he saw Leon Li and the others inside, he was shocked, and they were just as surprised to see him.
"Miles Mu, how did you end up here too?" Leon Li asked.
"Don't ask. Vice Sect Master, that guy is terrifying. He stole the Coldlight Jade Bracelet, and the sect master gathered all the treasures in the Heaven-Shaker Tower to deal with him, but I was still defeated and injured," Miles Mu sighed.
"What? That guy really came to Golden Heaven Temple? And even made it to the Heaven-Shaker Tower?" Leon Li exclaimed, shocked.
"That's right. Now, let's hope the sect master can handle him. Otherwise, Golden Heaven Temple might really fall this time," Miles Mu sighed.
"Don't worry. Even if the sect master falls, there are others behind him. Did you really think Golden Heaven Temple only has the sect master? The most terrifying figures are still in the shadows," Leon Li said, as a vice sect master who knew the Temple's secrets.
"Really? That's great! Why haven't we ever heard about them?" Miles Mu said in surprise.
"They're true experts. How could they just show themselves? They're all cultivating in the Shattered Sky region of the Chaos World," Leon Li explained.
"Shattered Sky? Isn't that a place only those who have reached Heavenly Dao and transcended the Human Dao can go? Does Golden Heaven Temple have that many Heavenly Dao-realm experts?" Miles Mu was shocked, and the others looked at Leon Li with curiosity.