Man Tianqing was unconcerned as he punched downward.

A black fist mark descended, and waves of energy surged up, quickly expanding to a size of a thousand feet, resembling a great mountain. The overwhelming power caused the blood-red ground to instantly sink.

Inside the demon nest, Li Sheng focused intently. Although Man Tianqing's strike appeared casual, the fist mark emanated a profound wave, an irresistible force that suggested certain death upon contact.

"Don't stare!"

The Demon Sister pulled Li Sheng back, and the oppressive feeling vanished, as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest.

"This is the true essence of martial arts... just a casual movement can wear down one's will. If I were to face it head-on, I'd probably have no spirit to resist..."Li Sheng thought in shock.

"If one cannot discard the influence of the true essence, even the greatest masters would be like ants in front of him..."This was his first encounter with a grandmaster in action.

Watching Man Tianqing's probing strike, Yu Jinsheng remained silent, quietly observing.

As the mountain-like fist mark fell, the blood-red ground trembled violently. A chilling demonic aura surged skyward, forming a black barrier.

The black fist mark silently fell into the barrier, creating not a single ripple. As the barrier dissipated, the blood-red ground swiftly healed, as if nothing had happened.

"What...?"

Man Tianqing's expression changed. That seemingly casual attack contained a hint of true martial essence, something only a grandmaster could resist. Yet this bizarre ground had effortlessly neutralized his attack.

"That aura from Elder Yu earlier... it could rival a first-class master, right?"Yi Feixue asked, her expression serious.

Yu Jinsheng's dark eyes flickered with an enigmatic light, as if peering through the blood-red ground. "It's not just first-class, but rather beyond it. This demonic aura feels like floating duckweed, more like a method of arrangement than a living entity."

Hearing Yu Jinsheng's words, the group couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; the earlier aura had been too overwhelming.

"Could it be that any attack on this blood-red ground will trigger that strange barrier?"Man Tianqing asked, noting Yu Jinsheng's calm demeanor.

"Indeed. To destroy it, we may need to start from within. That's why I sought your assistance!"Yu Jinsheng explained softly.

"Elder Yu, you're in charge!"

Man Tianqing and Yi Feixue didn't hesitate. With over twenty thousand demon nests at stake, allowing them to go unchecked would lead to the destruction of the Xuantian continent. Personal grievances and interests paled in comparison.

"Just give your orders, and we'll risk our lives to comply!"The group, including Yan Shengjing, spoke solemnly.

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"Then, Little Man and Feixue, follow me down. This place suppresses mental perception, so we must be careful not to lose our way. Lei, you and the other seven stay above with this item; just ensure the fissure doesn't heal,"Yu Jinsheng instructed, producing a square green jade artifact and handing it to Lei Xing.

"Rest assured, as long as we're alive, this fissure won't heal!"Lei Xing replied seriously as he accepted the artifact.

"Good."Yu Jinsheng nodded and led the way downward, with Man Tianqing and Yi Feixue following closely.

In the demon nest, the Demon Sister curled her lips into a smile, her long, slender legs slightly raised as if to step out.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?"Li Sheng asked, puzzled.

"Of course, I'm going to seize the Void Liquid; it's of great use to me,"she said, beckoning the giant demon to follow.

Li Sheng gritted his teeth, stepping in front to block her path. "If the queen wants to seize the treasure, it can wait until we're outside. You wouldn't want those demon generals and kings to cross over, would you?"

"Are you trying to stop me?!"

The Demon Sister's phoenix-like eyes glimmered with murderous intent, her tone icy.

The giant demon's crimson eyes flared up, its violent aura spilling out, forcing Li Sheng to step aside.

"I wouldn't dare to obstruct Your Majesty, but I hope you can consider the bigger picture. After all, if this realm is destroyed, you too..."

"Ha~"

The Demon Sister sneered, cutting off Li Sheng's words. "Do you really think a few of them can destroy this place? If they don't trigger the backup plan, it won't matter, but if they do..."

Before she could finish, a look of disdain on her face vanished, replaced by shock as she turned to the sky.

Suddenly, several rifts appeared in the heavens. The grayish space shattered like a mirror, unleashing an aura of desolation and death.

Simultaneously, the ground trembled violently, as if the sky was collapsing and the world was ending.

"This is spatial collapse? No... that demonic aura... the backup plan has been activated!"

The Demon Sister's expression changed drastically as she shot downward toward the demon nest.

Follow me!"

Li Sheng hurried after her, glancing back to see a massive black demonic python, several miles thick, appearing in the sky, causing the space around it to collapse.

Demonic flames rained down from above, being absorbed by the surrounding demon nests.

On the ground, Yan Shengjing and the others were faced with this sudden change. Watching the spatial collapse unfold before them like an apocalyptic scene, they dared not linger and quickly jumped down through the fissure.

"Could this incident be triggered by that demonic python?"Li Sheng wondered in alarm.

After a moment, he stopped in front of a grayish barrier.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Li Sheng was puzzled. They weren't supposed to be breaking through?

"No need!"

The Demon Sister replied lightly, and then the giant demon surrounded them with a vibrant red glow.

After about a dozen breaths, a thunderous roar reverberated like the sky collapsing. The red barrier shook violently before stabilizing again.

Li Sheng felt a wave of pain, his head spinning, nausea rising, and blood oozing from his ears.

After a moment, as the dizziness faded, he finally surveyed the surroundings.

He found himself lying beside a small stream, with the Demon Sister and the giant demon gone.

A massive demon nest stood a few hundred feet away, much larger than any he had seen before.

Li Sheng rose into the air, scanning his surroundings to see another demon nest in sight.

"We've left that space, but why have these demon nests followed us?"

His expression turned grave. According to the Demon Sister, returning required attacking the weak spots in the space, but she had just said it was unnecessary, clearly anticipating this scenario.

Just then, a flash of crimson light appeared, and the Demon Sister and the giant demon re-emerged.

"Your Majesty, what's going on?"Li Sheng quickly asked.

"There are twenty-one demon nests within a thousand miles. If I'm not mistaken, only a few will appear in Xuantian, while the rest must have hidden away..."she frowned, contemplating.

Upon hearing this, Li Sheng recounted what he had observed.

"That demonic python, several miles thick... it must be a growing rift python. If that's the case, it makes sense,"she said, then flew to a nearby demon nest, where crimson runes flashed, revealing a fissure.

Inside the demon nest, the two stood before a massive cocoon, powerful waves radiating from within.