"Really dead?"

Compared to those low-rank Meridian Refining Masters and young talents, Qingmu Wu and Qian Sanyuan exchanged an excited glance, though it carried a hint of disbelief.

After all, these two had personally experienced Wu Zhukong’s extraordinary strength just moments ago. He was a genuine Peak of Lingyun Realm expert, an entity that seven-to-one couldn’t defeat.

Even though Yun Xiao had now broken through to the Floating Life Realm Peak and possessed the Refining Treasure Hall as a powerful weapon, it likely wouldn’t be easy to take down an opponent a full Great Rank higher.

But while Qian Sanyuan and Qingmu Wu knew Yun Xiao and Wu Zhukong, they didn’t understand the Refining Treasure Hall, a Space Divine Artifact that had existed on Lianyun Mountain for years; they only knew a little about it.

This Space Divine Artifact left to Yun Xiao by Yun Changtian, after so many years of energy accumulation, far exceeded what Qian Sanyuan and others could imagine.

Perhaps only Yun Xiao himself knew that to suppress Wu Zhukong, the Peak of Lingyun Realm expert, the Refining Treasure Hall had exhausted its accumulated attack power entirely.

To unleash such tremendous power again, who knows how many years it would take.

Of course, to quickly restore the Refining Treasure Hall’s powerful might, one could search for various High Rank Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for the Array Core to devour, possibly shortening this time.

However, at least on the Tenglong Continent, finding such Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures is no longer easy, and some Heavenly Rank treasures could barely restore much to the Refining Treasure Hall.

Nevertheless, at this moment, Yun Xiao was exceptionally excited; after all, it was a Peak of Lingyun Realm expert, just suppressed and absorbed by the Refining Treasure Hall like that.

In the eyes of outsiders, Wu Zhukong was suppressed by the Refining Treasure Hall, either crushed beneath the ground or into a bloody pulp. Only Yun Xiao knew that when the Refining Treasure Hall pressed hard, it directly absorbed Wu Zhukong into the hall.

The Refining Treasure Hall, now under Yun Xiao’s control as a Space Divine Artifact, ensured that Wu Zhukong, even with immense skills, couldn’t stir anything further.

This was the utmost capacity after depleting the Refining Treasure Hall’s attack power; if there were another Peak of Lingyun Realm opponent, Yun Xiao might have to flee in disarray.

Luckily, apart from the highest-end battle in the sky, the remaining strongmen of Wuyan Palace, even Lian Yuluo at the Floating Life Realm Peak, were no longer a concern for Yun Xiao without using the Refining Treasure Hall.

The massive palace stood on the exit plaza of the Meridian Refining Master Association, exuding an unpredictable might. Everyone stared dazedly at where Wu Zhukong had vanished without a trace.

When the white-clothed youth appeared calmly, everyone recognized the truth: Wu Zhukong, the contemporary Palace Master of Wuyan Palace at the Peak of Lingyun Realm, was truly defeated.

A mere twenty-year-old boy against a long-famous leader of one of the four top forces, the third strongest on the Sky List—no one on the Tenglong Continent had ever compared the two before.

Though Yun Xiao had achieved many great feats, even showcasing formidable power at the Slaughter Spirit Battlefield and having killed Douling Commerce’s Vice President Lu Tianrun, in everyone’s minds, he was still far from Wu Zhukong’s level.

In the Heavenly Rank Third Realm, every small realm was worlds apart, let alone the gap between Great Ranks. In the past, no one imagined Yun Xiao could face someone like Wu Zhukong so soon.

Unexpectedly, that day arrived so early and suddenly, with an outcome completely different from their expectations—the one defeated was the Peak of Lingyun Realm superior, Wu Zhukong.

Because of Wuyan Palace’s ruthless ambition to eradicate both Xuanyin Hall and the Meridian Refining Master Association, everyone, even non-cultivators of Lianyun Mountain, despised their wolfish ambitions.

This led to their shock, yet they welcomed this result; with Wuyan Palace’s second strongest, Wu Zhukong’s defeat and uncertain life, the remaining members posed no further threat.

Moreover, Yun Xiao had that unpredictable Palace Divine Artifact. In the eyes of witnessing cultivators, once the artifact appeared, no one would dare confront it.

However, what they didn’t know was that Yun Xiao could only use the Refining Treasure Hall’s attack method once. Now, it was no different from an ordinary hall, at most retractable by Yun Xiao.

Thus, contrary to everyone’s imagination, when Yun Xiao turned his gaze from the hall, he didn’t use even a shred of the mysterious palace. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Heh, heh, perhaps it’s time to settle certain grudges once and for all!"

Yun Xiao’s gaze first skimmed over the battle high in the sky, and then shifted to two certain figures. There, the Vice Palace Master of Wuyan Palace, Fu Lingxue, and Fire Cloud Rat Chi Yan were engaged in a life-and-death battle.

However, after all, Fu Lingxue was a strong cultivator at the peak of the Floating Life Realm, while Chi Yan had only recently broken through to the rank of Intermediate Silver Grade Sky Demon. Even with the bloodline of the Fiery Holy Rat, the gap in realm at the Heavenly Rank level made it difficult for him to hold on.

As the tides shifted, after hundreds of exchanges, the disparity between the two gradually became apparent. At that moment, Chi Yan could only counter one or two moves out of every ten.

Moreover, this situation worsened with time. It seemed that soon Chi Yan would be unable to counterattack and would be defeated by this Vice Palace Master of Wuyan Palace.

Yet at this moment, Fu Lingxue’s expression was somewhat grim, because despite holding the upper hand, she had sensed the outcome of the battle earlier — her once most confident Palace Master had already been defeated by the young man named Yun Xiao.

Fu Lingxue was certainly not unfamiliar with Yun Xiao. During their time on Impermanence Island, she had even attacked Yun Xiao together with Lu Tianrun. Unfortunately, the outcome turned out to be quite miserable.

Lu Tianrun, needless to say, ultimately vanished without a trace, and Fu Lingxue had half of her face ruined by Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire, transforming from a great beauty into a hideous monster.

Women love beauty, particularly when she sensed Wu Zhukong’s cold treatment towards her over this time. Fu Lingxue was filled with hatred for Yun Xiao, wishing nothing more than to tear him apart to relieve her heart’s hatred.

But Yun Xiao was under the protection of Lianyun Mountain and held in high regard by Xuanyin Hall, so even if Fu Lingxue wanted revenge, she hadn’t found the opportunity until the previous Palace Master, Mu Shiyi, returned to Wuyan Palace.

In this attempt to annihilate Xuanyin Hall, and then chasing Lian Yuluo and Xue Ningxiang to the Meridian Refining Master Association, Fu Lingxue felt her opportunity had finally arrived. The boy named Yun Xiao couldn’t escape Wuyan Palace’s grasp forever.

Who knew that the boy, once he finally appeared, would give Fu Lingxue such a huge "surprise." Even the Peak Expert of Lingyun Realm, the Palace Master, was suppressed by him using a mysterious palace.

"I can’t let that boy swagger around like this; I must find a way!"

Sensing Yun Xiao’s gaze seemingly locked on her, Fu Lingxue’s heart trembled. Even with her confidence, she knew she couldn’t compare to the Hall Master. If that boy made a move against her, perhaps she wouldn’t be able to withstand even a few moves.

At this moment, Fu Lingxue’s eyes turned, and then she decided on using her opponent as a strategy. She believed that Yun Xiao, with his honorable nature, if she could control this mouse-shaped Vein Demon, it would certainly make him hesitant.

By the time the old Palace Master defeated Lu Yanji, everything would still be in Wuyan Palace’s control. The more Fu Lingxue thought about it, the better this method seemed, so she increased the force in her hands a bit more.

Chi Yan, already at a disadvantage, felt even more pressured when Fu Lingxue increased her force, so much so that he didn’t even have a chance to counter.

It’s just that Fu Lingxue had already figured out Chi Yan’s combat capabilities, yet underestimated Yun Xiao’s speed and strength. Merely two breaths later, she felt a trace of icy cold aura approaching her back.

To the onlookers, all they saw was a silver-grey line streaking through the sky, and only some Meridian Refining Masters with strong soul power could see it was Yun Xiao with Thunderous Wings on his back.

At this moment, Yun Xiao didn’t use the great weapon everyone thought of, the palace that once suppressed Wu Zhukong, but merely relied on the speed of Thunder Dragon’s Wings and the enhancement of Wind Power.

Perhaps Yun Xiao knew that even if Chi Yan was at a disadvantage, Fu Lingxue wouldn’t be able to completely defeat him without dozens of moves, so he wasn’t too worried.

With the speed of Thunder Dragon’s Wings and the power of wind, Yun Xiao moved as swift as lightning. As soon as he approached Fu Lingxue’s back, he unleashed the Ice Cold Ancestor Vein Power with his left arm.

Fu Lingxue, despite the ’snow’ in her name, indeed cultivated a Fire Attribute Technique, with a temperament just as fiery.

So when Yun Xiao sensed her fire attribute, he decisively used the Ice Cold Ancestral Vein, believing that this Ancestral Vein Power of his could certainly suppress Fu Lingxue thoroughly.

All this benefited from Yun Xiao now having broken through to the peak of the Floating Life Realm. In battles of the same level, he had never feared anyone, even if the person was the Vice Palace Master of Wuyan Palace.

Faced with Wu Zhukong at the peak of Lingyun Realm, Yun Xiao was somewhat restrained, but against Fu Lingxue, also at the peak of the Floating Life Realm, he didn’t even consider using other methods.

So at this moment, how could Fu Lingxue have the mind to capture Chi Yan?

In her perception, if she didn’t dodge the attack from behind, her fate would inevitably be death and annihilation.