Hearing the cold, commanding voice of Huang Tian, the expression of Yao Ming gradually darkened. It seemed today’s matter would surely not end well. Once Huang Tian’s voice fell, he said not a single word more, and the space around him rippled as his form surged directly toward the Nine-Yuan Yellow Spring at the heart of the Nine-Yuan Earth-Mortar Serpent’s headquarters. Seeing Huang Tian so bold and determined to press on, many elders of the Nine-Yuan Earth-Mortar Serpent clan grew visibly irritated—this was a direct blow to their dignity, delivered right before countless witnesses. "Huang Tian, you cannot go on like this! This is our very own territory!" As the clan leader, Yao Ming had to step forward now. With a swift movement, he appeared before Huang Tian, his face stern, and shouted in anger. "Yao Ming, you have secretly allied with Xiao Yan to strike our strong members within the clan. This matter I shall keep in mind. Should you dare to obstruct me once again today, then do not expect me to remember our past goodwill!" Phoenix Tian's expression remained calm, his pair of golden eyes coldly fixed upon Yao Ming, then his figure flashed forward, intent on passing him by. "I have long heard that Phoenix Tian is of exceptional prowess. Today, I shall come to learn from you, Yao Ming!" Yao Ming's gaze hardened. At this moment, he no longer cared about the vast gap between himself and Phoenix Tian. With a sharp command, he launched a palm strike infused with a terrifying gust of wind, accompanied by a series of deep sonic booms, charging directly at Phoenix Tian. "A mantis blocking a chariot—ungrateful!" Upon seeing Yao Ming dare to engage, Phoenix Tian's expression turned utterly frosty. With a simple flick of his long fingers, a streak of golden feathers burst forth and swiftly collided with Yao Ming's fierce palm wind. "Shhh—" The two collided, and the fierce gust of wind from Feng Tian's palm nearly shattered upon first contact. That golden-feathered blade, as sharp as a divine weapon capable of cleaving through iron, not only effortlessly tore through the powerful gust of wind from Yao Ming, but also left a half-inch-long wound of blood on the palm—so hard that it rivaled stone. Surprised, Yao Ming's expression changed as he felt the injury; the golden energy surged like venom, spreading rapidly and causing his muscles to grow numb. "I shall kill you," Feng Tian said, his form appearing like a ghost before Yao Ming. With a cold, golden gaze, he simply glanced at him, then swept his sleeve—immediately, a tremendous force struck Yao Ming, who was sent flying backward with a loud 'thud,' crashing into a mountain and causing it to crumble and split in two. "Chief!" "Seeing that Yao Ming was no mere match for Huang Tian's strength, the elders of the Nine-Youth Earth-Ming Serpents' clan grew visibly startled, their faces soon turning stormy with outrage—Huang Tian's actions were nothing short of humiliating to their entire lineage! 'Let's fight them!' some of the more fiery elders immediately stormed upward, only to be swiftly silenced before they could launch an attack. With a cold, dismissive wave of his sleeve, Huang Tian sent a devastating wave of golden light sweeping across the heavens, effortlessly knocking all of them off their feet. 'Who else? Next time, I won't spare a single one." "Huang Tian stood alone in the sky, golden light swirling around him like a rushing windwheel. Across the entire heavens, only he could stand firm—no other warrior from the Nine-Deep Earth-Ming Dragon Clan could even approach within a hundred paces of his body. His formidable power at the late stage of Five-Star Battle Saint was unmistakable... Hearing the calm voice from above, many elders of the Nine-Deep Earth-Ming Dragon Clan turned crimson with embarrassment, feeling deeply humiliated—Huang Tian was openly belittling them! 'Crack!' Aoying struggled out of the shattered stones on the mountain peak, ignoring the blood dripping from his mouth. His eyes blazing with rage, he fixed his gaze on Huang Tian's form in the sky, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked. 'Form the array!' A voice as cold as a blade emerged from the crevices of his teeth, instantly filling the air with an overwhelming sense of murderous intent. 'Yes!' Hearing Yao Ming's words, all the elders of the Nine-Youth Earth-Ming Serpent Clan turned pale and responded in unison, immediately followed by a series of gusts of wind as no less than a hundred figures soared into the sky, their movements subtly imbued with an air of profound elegance. "The Coiling Serpent Array!" As the elders roared in unison, radiant pillars of light surged forth from their bodies and interwove with one another, forming within less than a minute a vast array stretching over a thousand zhang in scale. The overwhelming pressure emanating from the array caused several observers to slightly pale. "The Coiling Serpent Array," murmured Tian Huang, his brow furrowed. He had certainly heard of this array before—back when the Nine-Youth Earth-Ming Serpent Clan had relied upon it to defeat numerous powerful champions. "The array itself is impressive, yet none of the array's focal points are particularly compelling." "Xiang Tian spoke calmly, his gaze drifting toward the yao Ming who had plunged into the center of the great array. "Shh!" While Xiang Tian spoke, Yao Ming remained cold-faced, deliberately ignoring him. He swiftly changed his hand seals, and a beam of light shot forth from his body, entering the array. Instantly, the entire array began to tremble with thunderous rumblings, its energy radiance twisting and coalescing into a colossal serpent stretching thousands of zhang in length. The serpent exuded an ancient aura, radiating immense power and majesty. "Sealing the Heavenly Phoenix Ancient Array!" As the great serpent materialized, the numerous elite warriors of the Tian Yao Phoenix Clan in the distant sky swiftly dispersed. Then, in unison, they roared with a single, resounding cry, and a thunderous, celestial cry echoed throughout the heavens. With that cry echoing, a colossal phoenix no less in stature than the great serpent vibrated its thousand-zhang wings, emerging with a sky- and earth-obscuring presence, and immediately confronting the serpent. Witnessing this dramatic standoff in the heavens, the countless eyes surrounding the earth's veins drew in sharp breaths—clearly unprepared for the fact that both formidable champions had summoned their respective clan-defining arrays. In the sky, the phoenix, Tian, calmly surveyed the great serpent standing steadfast before him, then moved with a flash of rainbow light, swiftly heading toward the Nine-Deep Yellow Spring. "Kill!" Seeing this, the yao Ming roared in fury. The celestial giant serpent, formed by the collective effort of numerous senior monks, swung its massive tail, and the space around it burst violently in a series of thunderous cracks. Faced with this overwhelming assault, Phoenix Tian only slightly raised his brow, making no move to counterattack. Instead, he continued his swift advance toward the Nine-Deep Yellow Spring. Just as the serpent's tail was about to strike him, a sharp, resonant cry suddenly erupted from the rear sky. A colossal wing, forged of golden light, surged through the space and collided with the serpent. "Boom!" A powerful wave of air surged outward. Phoenix Tian flickered several times in mid-air, and under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers, materialized directly above the Nine-Deep Yellow Spring. "Damn it!" "Seeing that the Phoenix Tian had managed to pass through unscathed, the Yin Ming was instantly furious. Just as he prepared to command the giant serpent to shift its attack, the colossal phoenix forged from the opposing array surged forward, launching a fierce assault that forced him to quickly focus his attention and defend. While Yin Ming and his companions were being held at bay by the powerful members of the Phoenix Clan, Phoenix Tian's calm gaze turned downward toward the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs. Now, the surface of the spring water had transformed into thick, solid layers of ice, releasing a continuous stream of intensely cold and penetrating chill. "This Xiao Yan's woman is no ordinary one—she's clearly able to practice cultivation here," remarked Phoenix Tian, his eyes flashing with surprise. Though he could move freely within the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs, he had never dared to stay there and train. "Let's first secure her." Huang Tian's eyes flashed as he extended his hand and firmly grasped the nine-abyss yellow spring below. The thick, solid pyrite ice on the lake surface cracked in segments, eventually exploding into misty clumps with a series of resonant booms. As the ice shattered, fresh waves of the nine-abyss yellow spring surged upward once more. Huang Tian's eyes narrowed slightly, as if sensing an unusual pressure seeping forth from the depths of the spring. "Come out!" With no hesitation, Huang Tian's gaze glowed with cold intensity. He swept his hand, and the nine-abyss yellow spring surged like a storm, water columns being drawn upward by his power. In an instant, dozens of towering water jets rose into the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle. Yao Ming gazed upon the Nine Shades of the Yellow Springs, now utterly upended by Feng Tian's actions, his heart filled with furious indignation. Yet he remained utterly immobile, helpless, and could only pray that Cai Lin would not be disturbed. Though he knew this was nothing but a distant dream—given how Feng Tian was handling things, it was certain that eventually, Cai Lin would be pulled out from the very depths of the Yellow Springs. Gazing at that faint, elusive figure, Huang Tian once again extended his palm, the suction force in his palm surging violently. Yet as he reached to pull that figure from the depths of the Yellow Springs, his arm suddenly trembled, and he sharply lifted his head—only to see a figure streaking across the sky like a thunderbolt, accompanied by a colossal, ethereal form stretching a thousand li in height, soaring through the air.