At this moment, the乌芒 around him flashed vigorously, striving to resist the entangling red filaments. Yet these red filaments, whatever they were, remained unyielding—no matter how intense the black glow pulsed, they could not be dislodged at all. Seeing this, the old master frowned severely and slowly advanced toward the white-browed youth. At that very instant, several sharp cries echoed from within the city, and suddenly, several streaks of differently colored light surged upward, racing directly toward the scene. Upon witnessing this, the white-browed youth, who had not yet realized that other shadow clan members had arrived, instantly registered shock, then roared aloud. As his black glow surged and spun rapidly, his form swelled dramatically, and a pair of dark iron wings rose from his back. With a swift motion of his hands, he further transformed his palms into bright iron claws. Perceiving the situation to be dire, he instantly assumed a half-divine form, displaying a clear determination to fight to the end. For the spirit clan, their true strength naturally lay in their own formidable bodies. And since the Xuan Ying clan ranks among the Seven Immortal Clans, they are no ordinary beings. With a mere flick of their talons, a streak of black light several cun long burst forth from the tip of each claw. As they swept left and right, the deep black light passed through, causing the crimson threads encircling the youth to snap one by one. The black light proved astonishingly sharp. Upon witnessing this, the white-browed young man was filled with exhilaration. He had full confidence that as long as he severed all the crimson threads, he could activate the unique flight technique of the Xuan Ying clan and escape. Yet, before he could continue wielding his talons, a sudden development left him pale—his face drained of all color. The severed crimson threads flashed and then swiftly reconnected, restoring themselves to their original state. The elder smiled with a look of scorn, his form becoming hazy as he mysteriously materialized before the young man. Then, with a single hand movement to his back, a fresh red silhouette slowly emerged. "Chì Yǐng—you are indeed a member of the Shadow Clan!" Upon seeing the crimson shadow, the white-browed youth was utterly despairing. The crimson shadow was equivalent to a Liangxu-level immortal in the human realm—how could a mere Huashen-level immortal feline cultivator possibly stand against it? "You've already known that. Your physical form is solid; I'll take that. Rest assured, none of your companions will escape. Soon, they'll all descend to the depths to join you." The old Taoist's eyes flashed with red light, and a sharp, unusually unfamiliar voice echoed out. Then, the crimson shadow on his head surged, charging fiercely toward the youth. At the same time, the red silk that had been wrapping the white-browed youth pierced through his protective black aura, tightly ensnaring him. Despite the youth's immense strength, he could not move an inch, only watching helplessly as the crimson shadow closed in. "You won't get away with it!" The young disciple's heart had sunk to its deepest roots, knowing that escape was now impossible. Suddenly, a surge of wild determination surged through him. He bit down hard on his tongue, severing half of it, then opened his mouth to expel a jet of black blood mingled with a black orb the size of a thumb. As soon as the orb detached, the young man's eyes dimmed instantly, and his skin shriveled and contracted, transforming him into an elderly man with a full head of white hair. This orb was the immortal essence—the fabled spirit-organ—cultivated through years of rigorous practice by the young disciple. The orb, now floating in the black blood, radiated an intense, turbulent energy, swelled and contracted briefly before suddenly exploding. The old Taoist was startled; not only did the crimson glow above his head snap and recoil like a snake or scorpion, but he also swiftly shifted his feet, his body twisting and reversing as he shot backward. A thunderous roar echoed, and suddenly a black glow, the size of a clenched fist, materialized in mid-air. After a brief shimmer, it expanded to span over ten zhang, relentlessly spreading outward. Then, a fierce gale surged, carrying yellow dust into the sky, forming several towering yellow wind dragons. The spectral figure flickered, and the old Taoist halted at a distance of over ten zhang, his eyes briefly narrowing. The black glow, however, pursued him relentlessly, like a persistent shadow. His expression darkened, and he suddenly emitted an unfamiliar, strange cry. "Whoosh!" A massive red streak burst forth from the nearby void with no prior sign or warning, plunging straight into the black glow and then instantly retracting. An eerie scene unfolded! The yellow wind dragons instantly dissolved, and the black glow, along with the white-browed young man, vanished completely—disappearing as if they had never been there at all. Only then did the old Taoist exhale in relief, but a flicker of annoyance quickly appeared on his face. To his surprise, the young disciple, under the constraints of his seal, was still able to self-explode his immortal essence—something he had not anticipated at all. At that moment, several streaks of light spiraled into the sky and materialized eight cultivators—men and women—nearby. "There have been some unexpected developments; they didn't fall into the trap. It seems we've got a bit of trouble, though I've secretly released a trace of shadow incense, which has lightly affected all of them. This should sustain them for one full hour. I'll personally pursue the one who disrupted my plans with the celestial beast. You take your departure and eliminate the other three." The elder monk issued his solemn instructions. "Yes, Master!" The eight cultivators bowed in response and then transformed into three waves of light, swiftly heading toward their respective directions. Meanwhile, the elder monk did not immediately take flight. Instead, he opened his mouth and unleashed a continuous series of deep, resonant roars, shaking the air around him with such force that it vibrated throughout the sky, reaching all the way to the heavens. Then, he raised his hand once more toward the city gate. At once,十余 gray shadows shot out from the bodies of the Foundation-level cultivators at the city gate, vanishing instantly into them. The cultivators themselves immediately collapsed to the ground. A soft "pffft!" sound, and the golden serpent's head opened, spewing out a skeletal remains. The young white-haired youth's self-explosion of the immortal essence and his own body had both been swallowed whole by this creature. The entire small town and most of its ordinary people, as well as the majority of the cultivators, had been transformed into this very strange beast. The young woman took a deep breath, then lightly tapped the jade finger against the orb. With a crisp "pop," the orb instantly transformed into a fine white powder and vanished. Immediately, she drew her jade plaque close, and as a radiant red glow emanated from her body, her speed of flight increased by an additional third. However, half an hour later, her expression changed suddenly, and she turned sharply around. At the far horizon behind her, a flash of light appeared, revealing two streaks of flight that moved side by side, joined together. When the two merged, their speed was clearly faster than the young woman's—by no small margin. The young woman's face grew increasingly troubled, watching as the pursuing streaks closed in steadily. A flash of cold determination passed through her eyes, and she gently withdrew her glow, halting her flight and suspending herself motionless in the air. As a result, the two pursuing streaks, after a few quick movements, suddenly materialized several dozen zhang away from her, and as their light shimmered, revealed a man and a woman. The two were young—the man handsome and dignified, the woman vibrant and floral—and remarkably similar in appearance, yet both displayed an expression of stillness and detachment. Knowing that they were puppets inhabited by the Shadow Clan, the young wife paid little attention to their beauty, merely casting them a cold, icy glance before decisively pressing her palms together. Suddenly, two black flames erupted from the folds of her sleeves, morphing into two fiery phoenixes that surged straight toward the two figures across from her. This bird is uniformly sleek and jet-black, with a warm brown spiritual crown atop its head and luminous, emerald eyes. Clearly, it is a black phoenix measuring three to four zhang in length. Upon seeing this, the couple facing it were momentarily startled, yet after exchanging a glance, both reached up to their heads and instantly sent two shimmering green shadows rushing forth, directly toward the black phoenix. For a brief moment, the atmosphere surged with vibrant energy, and a series of thunderous sounds erupted. At the same time, in a different direction, in Longdong, two cultivators were pursued by those trailing behind. Facing the two green forms that had detached from their physical bodies and revealed their true forms, he displayed a subtle air of contempt. A flash of yellow light passed over his body, revealing the yellow bronze armor he had previously used once. Then, as his back broadened with a radiant glow, a large bronze wing stretching a zhang in length brightened, and with a simple gesture of his hands, a strange, crimson-long sword resembling blood suddenly materialized in his grasp. The sword measured three chi in length, with a dragon's head and phoenix's body, its entire surface pulsing with blood-like light, as though formed entirely The vibrant crimson spot on Longdong's lips now glistened with fresh blood, his expression solemn as he gently swept his long sword forward, aiming at the two swift green silhouettes charging in. Silent—yet utterly effective! At the same moment, the green figures cried out in agony, countless white filaments erupting across their bodies. A flash of luminous light, and they instantly shattered into countless fragments. Longdong, the young man with the crimson spot, moved his sword once more. The white filaments shimmered again, and within the interwoven strands of light, the fragments dissolved completely, vanishing without trace. (First chapter!