Nine towering pillars of fire formed a special domain, the entire space resembling a lake's surface. As Li Sheng transformed into lightning, he stirred up ripples that visibly weakened at an alarming speed.

Descending to a lower altitude, Li Sheng followed the thunderbolt's pulse, drawing in more silver serpents, illuminating the dark clouds above in a moment of brilliance.

The lightning within a ten-mile radius cascaded down like a waterfall, accompanied by a series of violent booming sounds from hundreds of intense collisions.

The crimson and silver light surged dramatically, with strong energy fluctuations causing those below to hurriedly retreat.

In the sky, the nine enormous fire pillars collapsed and vanished, revealing a layer missing from the scarlet fire lotus. As the energy transformed into flowing light and dissipated, the sky gradually returned to calm.

Li Sheng's figure emerged high in the air, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth; his internal organs felt displaced. This was his first injury since reaching the Celestial level of combat power.

In contrast, Yan Shengjing remained calm, his aura steady.

"The Grandmaster is truly formidable..." Li Sheng thought with a sigh. Even with the enhancement from the natural forces of heaven and earth, he still was no match for Yan Shengjing.

It wasn't that the natural powers were weaker than the Grandmaster, but his affinity with lightning was too low, allowing him to harness less than one percent of its power.

Although Yan Shengjing appeared composed, he was internally astonished. Despite dominating the earlier battle, Li Sheng's offensive had still caused him some injury. While minor and healing quickly, it posed a genuine threat.

This realization stirred a strong sense of appreciation within him. Having built a vast dynasty from scratch, his ruthlessness was essential, but talent was paramount.

He had ascended to Grandmaster status by refining three Earth-level divine abilities. After centuries of hard training, he had perfected these abilities, merging them into the Three Talents Array.

Ranking among the top thirty on the Divine Martial Rankings, the top eleven were all renowned Grandmasters of the time. Those Grandmasters who could surpass him were few and far between, making him highly esteemed.

Yan Shengjing's eyes bore into Li Sheng. "Li, I'll give you one last chance agree or perish..."

Li Sheng gritted his teeth against the pain within, his expression calm. "Still the same: our paths are different..."

Before he finished speaking, an overwhelming killing intent surged from deep within the hills, a crimson wave illuminating the sky.

The corpses of toxic crocodiles scattered across the hills turned to dust, and the central blood-red orb gradually collapsed, revealing a graceful figure.

At this moment, Liu Hongfeng's eyes were tightly shut, her long hair transformed to a blood-red hue.

Crimson patterns crisscrossed her snow-white skin, as if hinting at some underlying principle.

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As Liu Hongfeng opened her eyes slightly, a distant, noble aura radiated from her, reminiscent of an ancient demon awakening.

"I am called Hongfeng, also known as Crimson!"

Upon her words, a tempest arose in the heavens, thunder roaring and lightning flashing, as if the heavens were enraged.

Liu Hongfeng frowned slightly, looking toward the hill's outskirts, where mysterious runes appeared in her blood-colored amber eyes.

"This aura... a lowly insect dares to desecrate this royal body. Oblivion is your only fate!"

As she spoke, runes glowed within her eyes, manifesting into a heart the size of a head, beating slowly.

While casting her spell, a twinge of pain crossed Liu Hongfeng's brow. She coldly murmured, "Damn it!"

"Not good!"

A gentle voice emerged, though soft, it was filled with unshakeable will.

In the next moment, Liu Hongfeng's stunning features transformed from indifference to grace.

"Junior... I've dragged you into this..."

With a soft sigh, Liu Hongfeng wished to aid her junior brother but found herself unable to do so.

Currently, she was one with the self-proclaimed "Crimson" demon thought, but her consciousness was at a disadvantage. She had used all her strength to break free, unsure how much longer she could hold out. She needed to leave before the entity regained control of her body.

Otherwise, this demon thought would not only fail to help her junior but might even harm him. Given her junior's trust in her, this could lead to disaster a scenario she desperately wished to avoid.

With three crimson runes under her control, she transformed them into a ten-zhang tall, fierce demon beast, which carried her eastward toward the horizon.

She aimed to distance herself from her junior brother before the demon thought regained control.

...

On the outskirts of the hills, Li Sheng remained composed on the surface but let out a sigh of relief within.

"Finally awake... If this drags on any longer..."

Before he could finish his thought, his heart tightened, and a strong sense of crisis surged within him.

Li Sheng's expression shifted as he looked toward Yan Shengjing and Zhou Tianyi, noticing they were not moving but gazing into the depths of the hills.

Just as he began to ponder this intense sense of crisis, it suddenly dissipated, as if it had never occurred.

At that moment, a bright crimson light surged from the left side of the horizon, revealing a fierce demon beast carrying a figure flying eastward.

Li Sheng raised his gaze, realizing it was his senior sister, Liu Hongfeng, who also turned to look back at him.

On her breathtaking face, traces of her previous self lingered, her beautiful eyes showing a mix of emotions: nostalgia, hope, farewell, and blessing.

"Senior sister..." Li Sheng sighed softly. "It's good that you're leaving. As long as you're safe, we'll meet again one day. I must shake off these two first..."

Many prodigies below also noticed this scene, buzzing with discussion.

"Is that girl a demon cultivator? Is this a joke?!"

"Stunning, noble, extraordinary presence!"

"From her expression, she doesn't seem possessed..."

"A peerless beauty! I, Yan, shall declare her the most beautiful in the world!"

"You old lecher! I remember you said that Dan Taiqingqing is your dream goddess; how could you forget her so easily?" Wang Ye teased from the side.

"Uh... they are both equal! Both are first in beauty, each excelling in their own way!" Yan Yunfei quickly corrected himself, caught off guard.

"This girl bears deep demonic thoughts; she might become the next Demon Lord!" Wang Ye remarked, a knowing smile on his face.

At that moment, Zhou Tianyi moved as if to pursue, but Li Sheng was ready, summoning a storm of lightning to strike.

Countless silver serpents wove into an impenetrable net, pressing down with force.

"This demon is mine; until we determine a victor, no one may interfere!"

Li Sheng's gaze was sharp as a blade, this warning directed not only at Yan and Zhou but also at the many prodigies below.

Zhou Tianyi's smile slowly faded as immense golden wings enveloped him.

He withstood the lightning strike, then suddenly burst forth, a golden wind sweeping away the remnants of the lightning.

"Bold!" Zhou Tianyi's voice was cold. "Since you seek death so eagerly, I shall send you on your way. Yan, let's strike together!"

Zhou Tianyi soared into the air, transforming into a massive bird about a hundred feet long, resembling a peacock, its multicolored feathers shimmering with a supernatural light.