Countless eyes witnessed that moment.

Given Yun Xiao's strength in defeating Yang Yang and Liu Liu, it wasn't surprising that he could slay the 20 Thunder Devils, especially with the Thunder Punisher Star Barrier aiding him.

But Yun Xiao had accomplished it with the grace of a snowboarder, carefree between heaven and earth, turning killing into an art—a spectacle to behold. As he left the Thunder Punisher Star with hands clasped behind his back, many felt a sudden chill crawl up their spines.

A celestial slave, who was made out to be a laughingstock, had done more than just prove them wrong.

From the moment Yun Xiao struck, even though his opponents weren't exceptionally strong, his killing skills, combat style, personal demeanor, and effortless details all pointed to one conclusion. The stronger the observer, the deeper their frown.

It was an innate sense of supremacy, unhidden and unabashed. Even though Yun Xiao's cultivation seemed infantile in the eyes of the elders, the slight smile of this youth was enough to send a cold shiver through the hearts of the keen.

Si Ji had watched this display up close. As Yun Xiao passed her, he even glanced her way and smiled. Her heart trembled. She had concealed herself so well. Yet, this boy saw her!

She knew her own strength better than anyone. What was going on here?

"Yu Ji has the Ice Spirit Eye; she must have seen something I couldn't. Does this slave truly possess something special?" Si Ji muttered to herself. Then, she shook her head and sighed.

"He's indeed beyond handsome. If not for his status as a celestial slave, he'd probably be captivating millions of young girls in the MIllion Starlight Palace right now..."

No one knew better than Si Ji how striking Yun Xiao was. His beauty seemed to transcend species; even if she were a donkey, she'd find him the epitome of perfection, surpassing gender itself.

So, sometimes, those strange feelings in her heart were justified. But the label of

celestial slave

was like a fly landing on a perfect flower, leaving a bitter taste.

However, Yun Xiao had no idea her heart was in such turmoil. He was studying the Thunder Punisher Parent Flag.

After a while, he wrote a sentence on the Parent Flag with his finger.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

「

Attack the Wind Pool Valley disciples around you.

」

The words transformed into lightning and were absorbed by the Parent Flag.

"Interesting." Yun Xiao smiled, lifting his gaze while standing upon his Sovereign Sword, the star map of the Grand Assembly Arena in his hand. He looked up at the endless stars before him, his heart ablaze. "With murderous intent swallowing the stellar river, I alone roam carefree through the cosmos."

▬ι══🪦✧⚰

Back on the Extreme Yin Star, a battle fueled by generations of hatred had reached its most intense and perilous moment.

As blood flowed, tempers flared hotter than ever.

Wan Ji's seven daughters stood with their backs against the Extreme Yin Star Barrier. Facing opponents several times their number, they huddled back to back around the Extreme Yin Parent Flag, defending it with their lives.

By now, wounds marked each of them. But they were Martial Immortals of the Sea Lineage, possessing the Vast Sea Physique—the most resilient of all. They could endure punishment better than anyone, and none had fallen; they would fight to the death here.

Since Feng Yao began the slaughter, there was no room for mercy in this battle.

Chi Shenshen led the geniuses of Wind Pool Valley and Thunder Devils in a frenzied assault. Organized and fierce, they pressed Wan Ji's daughters to the brink of life and death with arrogant ferocity.

Their numbers advantage was slowly starting to overwhelm the seven sisters.

Sadly, Feng Yao couldn't provide support, with Lei Ting keeping her locked down.

Lei Ting's violet hair whipped around him, electric serpents dancing in his eyes. He stood like a god of thunder and lightning, looking down with an air of absolute confidence over Feng Yao.

"Resistance is futile," Lei Ting said coldly. "You are a devil. You share no blood ties with these snake women from the Harmony Divine Palace. Your future lies with the Southern Divine Dragon Realm. You'll become a cherished treasure, carefully protected by all of the Dragon Devil Clan. There's no need to risk your life for those destined for death. Destruction is the fate of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm!"

Lei Ting held himself arrogantly. Knowing Chi Shenshen had the upper hand, victory seemed certain. As soon as one of Wan Ji's seven daughters fell in battle, the balance would be broken, and the rest would be doomed.

Afterwards, Chi Shenshen and the others could seize the Extreme Yin Parent Flag, neutralizing the threat of Yun Xiao snatching their stars.

Feng Yao's face remained cold. She ignored Lei Ting completely. Instead, she turned and loosed an arrow. The speeding shaft pierced through a Thunder Devil's back in an instant, just in time to save Hai Ying, who was on the verge of falling.

She continued to shoot!

"You're a fool who doesn't understand the times," Lei Ting snarled. "Don't you get it? If all you had was your boundless talent, you'd still be fated to die. It's the Supreme Yin Cauldron that truly saves your status!" Lei Ting exclaimed.

Suddenly, a flash of crimson light closed in on him, nearly striking his mouth.

"You!" Lei Ting roared in fury, unable to tolerate it any longer. "I'm giving you a chance, and you really think I can't defeat you?"

His eyes burst with lightning. Thunder roared around his body as he suddenly expanded, transforming into a berserk thunder devil just like his younger brother. But after his transformation, he stood a full ten feet tall, as high as the Young Dragon Lord. Yet his frame was twice that of the Young Dragon Lord. His arms alone measured over three feet in width!

His hair stood on end, exploding outward. His skin, like crocodile hide, turned into iron armor, with thousands of thunderbolts coursing over it. His arms transformed into claws sharp as scimitars. At this moment, Lei Ting was a true fiend of thunder and lightning!

This was Lei Ting's true strength.

"Don't blame me for getting rough!" He bellowed, lunging at Feng Yao with his berserk form. Several thick lightning bolts, like serpents, erupted from his body, illuminating the entire battlefield.

Facing such a genius, Feng Yao merely sneered.

She once again bent her bow to its fullest, unafraid of the strain. The Sanguine Spirit Dragon above her head fully merged into the Heaven Devourer Arrow, transforming it into a crimson divine dragon.

BOOM!

The arrow exploded forth, emitting a heaven-shaking roar. It collided with Lei Ting, blood and thunder clashing violently. With a deafening shockwave, he cried out in pain—one of his arms pierced through, a chunk of his shoulder torn away!

THUD!

He crashed heavily to the ground, blood gushing from his eyes. He roared in rage, unable to accept that even at full strength, he was suppressed by Feng Yao.

"No matter how strong you are, it won't change their deaths!"

Unable to defeat her, he could only continue to entangle and delay, waiting for Hai Qing and the others to fall.

Wan Ji's seven daughters were indeed in dire peril.

Feng Yao was furious.

"You worthless scum, you insist on provoking me..." She hadn't intended to kill so ruthlessly, but seeing Chi Shenshen's group overwhelming the seven sisters with superior numbers ignited her fury.

"Yeah? And what are you gonna do about it!?" Lei Ting laughed maniacally.

As if hearing the commotion, Chi Shenshen in the distance also giggled, victory apparent, needing only to wrap things up.

"Kill them! String together the heads of these seven women!" Chi Shenshen sneered.

"Don't rush; these pure maidens of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm—we should have some fun first!" a Thunder Devil laughed.

Before his words faded, the Thunder Devil suddenly froze.

On his forehead, the green identity mark began to shine, projecting a line of words before his eyes:

"A-attack the Wind Pool Valley disciples around you…!"

Not just him—all the frenzied Thunder Devils saw it.

Lei Ting was about to continue locking Feng Yao down when this command startled him.

Below the message was a timer. Starting from ten, it slowly decreased—a countdown.

Lei Ting's body trembled, his face turning ashen. He exclaimed shakily, "The Thunder Punisher Parent Flag has been taken!"

They knew all too well what this meant.

Lei Ting had anticipated that Yun Xiao might succeed, but how did it happen so quickly?

"Brother Ting, the countdown is almost over!" the Thunder Devils cried out in alarm.

If they didn't execute the Parent Flag's command before the countdown ended, they would be eliminated from the trial, losing any chance for revenge.

Lei Ting suddenly glanced over at Chi Shenshen and the others.

Chi Shenshen, who had been sneering moments before, abruptly changed her expression. With a face as cold as ice, she snapped, "So what if you're kicked out! Leave the rest to us!"

Seeing the countdown nearing zero, Lei Ting roared on the spot, "No! I'm sorry!"

They cared more about their ranking than the Blazing Yang Sect and Wind Pool Valley—especially Lei Ting. He couldn't just inexplicably admit defeat; otherwise, how would any Thunder Devil respect him in the future?

As long as the Southern Divine Dragon Realm could take down the Extreme Yin Star, Lei Ting could regain his freedom and still have a chance.

So at this critical moment, all the Thunder Devils gritted their teeth, turned around, and attacked the disciples of Wind Pool Valley!

This astonishing turn of events was deeply felt by Feng Yao and Wan Ji's daughters, who had just been teetering on the brink of death.

From the edge of life and death to a dramatic reversal—it happened in an instant.

"Yun Xiao has taken down the Thunder Punisher Star!"

At that moment, Hai Qing and the others' eyes reddened, nearly moved to tears.

They had thought his solo departure was an act of escape. But right at the outset, he had taken down two high ranking celestial sects!

Capturing the Thunder Punisher Star was nothing short of a monumental turnaround for the situation on the Extreme Yin Star.

Seeing the Thunder Devils attacking Wind Pool Valley, Wan Ji's seven daughters, along with Feng Yao, immediately sprang into action.

"Chi Shenshen, go to hell!" Hai Qing roared, leading her sisters. The seven Martial Immortals charged into the fray, launching a fierce counterattack.

The Thunder Devils were merely going through the motions, not daring to truly harm the Wind Pool Valley disciples, but they were different—they fought to kill!

Even more ruthless was Feng Yao.

Even without the Thunder Devils' betrayal, the geniuses of the Harmony Divine Palace could have easily slaughtered Wind Pool Valley's forces.

One by one, the disciples of Wind Pool Valley were cut down before they could utter a word—some slain by the sword, others felled by arrows.

"Feng Yao! Show some restraint! Don't kill them!" Lei Ting's face twisted as he feigned attacking Wind Pool Valley's disciples, shouting anxiously.

"Restraint? In your dreams!" Feng Yao brushed past him, diving straight into the crowd. At close range, she unleashed a flurry of arrows, wielding her bow in one hand and arrows in the other, smashing and stabbing—bodies fell and blood splattered everywhere.

Chi Shenshen was finally terrified. She screamed and wailed, fleeing in panic.

"You think you can escape?" Feng Yao sneered, bending her bow and shooting toward the sky. A streak of crimson light shot out, and the already severely wounded Chi Shenshen was pierced from bottom to top by the Heaven Devourer Arrow on the spot!

This time, Chi Shenshen was truly sent soaring—pierced straight into the heavens!

In just a short while, all the disciples of Wind Pool Valley had fallen here, every last one dead.

The remaining Thunder Devils huddled together, swallowing nervously as they looked at Feng Yao and her group, their scalps tingling with fear.

JustLivingJL's Thoughts