The moment Chen Xuan appeared, Luan Yi did not hold back in the slightest.
With a wave of her hand, the black banner unfurled behind her. Thousands of ferocious spirits sealed within it let out shrill, bloodcurdling howls, their voices overlapping into a terrifying chorus that seemed capable of shaking one’s soul.
As the countless wails gathered together, a beam of black light rapidly condensed before the banner.
Then, carrying the hatred and resentment of innumerable souls, it shot straight toward Chen Xuan.
The aura it exuded far surpassed the chains she had previously summoned. This was the true power of the Myriad Souls Banner.
Luan Yi had clearly made up her mind.
Compared to letting Chen Xuan "leave her", she would much rather destroy his body and capture his soul, keeping him by her side forever.
Faced with the black beam, whose power had long surpassed the Nascent Soul realm, Chen Xuan would have been extremely cautious in the past.
Even at his peak, he would have needed to employ his strongest spells while making full use of every treasure in his possession to withstand such an attack.
Yet now, he remained completely calm.
He did not draw the Common Saber, nor did he summon Honglan’s true body.
Instead, he simply raised a finger.
On the surface, nothing happened, as though his spell had failed before it was even cast.
Yet within his body, the newly forged Immortal Law Mark quietly lit up.
Its power descended upon reality.
Under Luan Yi’s astonished gaze, the incoming beam began to collapse.
It was as though an invisible force had enveloped it, grinding every strand of Spiritual Energy into nothingness. Inch by inch, the overwhelming attack disintegrated before finally vanishing without leaving behind even a ripple.
Luan Yi stood frozen.
She simply could not understand what had happened.
Only minutes ago, Chen Xuan would have been utterly powerless against such an attack.
Now, he had erased it with a single finger?
How was this possible?
’Could Brother Chen have been hiding his strength all along?’ she wondered.
But that explanation made little sense.
Had he truly possessed such power, he could have escaped before the formation sealed the garden instead of allowing himself to be trapped.
Ultimately, Luan Yi did not dwell on these thoughts for long.
The instant her first attack disappeared, another immediately followed.
The countless wails echoed once more as the ferocious spirits imprisoned within the Myriad Souls Banner poured out in an endless stream.
Like a vast ghostly army, they marched across the ruined garden.
The temperature plummeted wherever they passed, while lingering resentment filled the air.
Yet the army advanced only a short distance.
Under Luan Yi’s command, every spirit abruptly stopped before rushing toward one another.
Their bodies overlapped, fused, and compressed.
Within moments, the countless ghosts had disappeared. In their place stood a single monstrous spirit, formed from the fusion of every soul within the banner.
The mournful cries did not diminish. If anything, they became even more deafening.
More importantly, none of the ghosts’ strength had been lost. Instead, all of their power had been condensed into a single existence.
"Roar!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the monster.
Standing several hundred feet tall, it resembled an evil deity descending upon the mortal world.
Its speed matched its terrifying appearance.
One moment, it stood beside Luan Yi. The next, it had already appeared before Chen Xuan, swinging a colossal claw downward.
The air along its path shattered.
Even before the attack landed, the pressure alone forced the ground below to cave inward, leaving behind a giant crater.
Enveloped beneath the creature’s shadow, Chen Xuan finally felt a trace of pressure.
Despite this, he didn’t panic. The Immortal Law Mark circulated once again.
Black-and-white Spiritual Energy surged along his arm before transforming into a two-colored dragon that roared as it charged forward.
A moment later...
Bang!
A deafening explosion shook the entire garden.
The giant claw collided with the Yin-Yang dragon, producing a violent shockwave that swept in every direction and blasted countless rocks into the sky.
The fused evil spirit was forced several steps backward, each leaving behind massive craters.
Meanwhile, Chen Xuan remained rooted to his original position.
His spotless white robes fluttered gently in the lingering wind, showing no signs that he had just exchanged blows with such a terrifying existence.
Watching the evil spirit struggle to regain its balance, Chen Xuan narrowed his eyes.
His aura surged as Spiritual Energy burst out of his Dantian. He intended to take advantage of this opening immediately.
But at that very moment, his expression changed.
Without hesitation, he spun around and raised his arm.
Black-and-white scales instantly spread across it, each scale gleaming with a metallic luster.
At first glance, it appeared as though he were defending against empty air.
Only a split second later, however, a delicate jade-like palm emerged from the void and struck him.
At the same time, the Luan Yi standing in the distance shattered like a reflection upon water.
Boom!
The palm slammed against the scales.
A faint white handprint briefly appeared before rapidly fading away.
Chen Xuan remained unharmed. Yet the mere fact that Luan Yi’s strike had managed to leave a trace on his body spoke volumes.
Shockingly, Luan Yi’s physical strength had actually surpassed even that of the monstrous spirit summoned by the Myriad Souls Banner.
Had he reacted a fraction of a second slower, that palm alone would most likely have severely wounded him.
Suppressing the force surging through his body, Chen Xuan looked toward the beautiful woman before him with an increasingly strange expression.
No one would have imagined that this seemingly delicate beauty possessed physical strength rivaling that of an ancient mythological beast.
In Chen Xuan’s estimation, even beasts of the same realm would struggle to match her in a contest of raw power.
What made her truly frightening, however, was that this overwhelming physique was merely one of her many methods.
"Brother Chen... you’re even stronger than Yi’er imagined." Luan Yi smiled gently.
"It seems my guess was correct."
"You’ve been hiding your strength this whole time. I think... I finally understand why."
The more she spoke, the brighter her smile became.
"You... You must have wanted to stay with Yi’er too."
"This struggle... all of it... was only to hide your true feelings. But, Brother Chen... you don’t need to hide anymore."
"Yi’er will make sure our boundless love lasts forever."
The moment those words left her lips, her body shattered once again.
This time, however, it did not become a single clone. Hundreds of identical Luan Yis appeared throughout the ruined garden.
At the same time, the colossal evil spirit finally steadied itself and fixed its blood-red gaze upon Chen Xuan once more.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Xuan found himself surrounded from every direction.
Although his divine sense spread, trying to find any clues about Luan Yi’s many incarnations, he failed to find any useful information.
He didn’t know if these incarnations were illusions or actual bodies, much less whether they possessed Luan Yi’s own strength.
Although he had a few suspicions, Chen Xuan had no intention of gambling with his life to verify them.
"It seems I can only go all out..." Chen Xuan sighed and shook his head, seemingly regretful.
Despite his seemingly helpless tone, his movements were decisive.
A plain saber appeared in his hand.
At first glance, it looked completely ordinary, no different from a mortal weapon.
Yet the moment Chen Xuan poured his Spiritual Energy into it, the Common Saber finally revealed the dignity of a true Holy Weapon.
An overwhelming aura burst forth.
Its plain appearance disappeared entirely.
Like rough jade shedding its outer shell, the blade transformed completely.
Its edge became a deep azure, resembling the endless depths of the ocean, while the silver blade shone with a cold brilliance that illuminated the ruined battlefield.
Only now, after stepping into the Soul Formation realm, could Chen Xuan truly unleash a Holy Weapon’s power.
Previously, he had relied solely on its unmatched sharpness and durability. Now, he could finally wield it as it was meant to be wielded.
Feeling the vast power flowing through the saber, Chen Xuan no longer suppressed his instincts.
With a single motion, he slashed forward.
Countless silver saber lights erupted outward with Chen Xuan at their center, instantly sweeping across the entire garden.
Wherever the lights passed, space itself seemed to split apart.
Several breaths later, the dazzling radiance gradually faded, allowing him to take a look at the aftermath.
The hundreds of Luan Yi clones had disappeared.
Only countless fragments, like shattered mirrors, drifted silently through the air.
As for the gigantic evil spirit, it had reverted back into the Myriad Souls Banner. This time, however, countless cracks covered its surface, as though it could shatter at any moment.
Chen Xuan paid attention to neither. He only briefly glanced over them before his figure blurred, reappearing several miles away.
There, a single figure knelt upon the ruined earth. Its robes were stained with blood, making it difficult to discern its true appearance.
But Chen Xuan instantly recognized her.