The Old Man of the Ghost of Shadows also let out a chilling snort, knowing he was gambling with his life. He realized it was a critical moment. Given the current situation, they were at a disadvantage. If they couldn't turn the tide, they might be left for dead here.

The ghostly beings blocked Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian, buying Tangyu some time. At this moment, Tangyu was breaking through, his Golden Core evolving, quickly growing in size and power.

Crack—

The Golden Core finally completed a transformation, breaking through to the Golden Core Second Layer. The power of Yin Yang from heaven and earth surged into Tangyu's body, rapidly enhancing his strength. The overwhelming sensation filled Tangyu's body, and it was a marvelous feeling that he thoroughly enjoyed in that instant.

"The Golden Core Second Layer—so this is the power of the Golden Core Second Layer. It's indeed much stronger than the First Layer. Moreover, my Golden Core has grown more than twice its previous size. Such a rate of improvement is truly delightful. My Golden Core is unusual, and perhaps my current Golden Core Power is comparable to the Third Layer, or even higher. After all, I cultivate the Power of Yin Yang, leading to a Yin Yang Golden Pill. In essence, it is superior to other Golden Cores." Tangyu was overjoyed internally.

Golden Cores can be distinguished in many ways, with size as a measure of realm, while essence depends on the path cultivated by a person.

If one only cultivates one or two paths of the Five Elements, even achieving a Golden Core results in weak power. Such individuals may even struggle against formidable Mystic Law Realm practitioners. This differentiation is akin to those among Mystic Law Realm. Additionally, the weaker the path cultivated, the slower the progression. In later stages, advancement becomes extremely challenging. Achieving a Golden Core itself is incredibly difficult.

Moreover, without cultivating a Great Dao, it's impossible to achieve Zifu – the Golden Core is the limit.

There are numerous Great Daos, the most common being the Yin Yang Great Path, Light Path, Dark Path, Destructive Great Path, etc. For deeper understanding, there are the Sword Great Path, Spatial Path, Time Path, which are even more profound and difficult to grasp. Most powerhouses walk the Yin Yang Great Path.

Having achieved a breakthrough in his realm, Tangyu opened his eyes, looking over to see the Old Man of the Ghost of Shadows in dire straits, completely suppressed by Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian, and at the brink of defeat.

Seeing Tangyu had completed his breakthrough, Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian's expressions slightly changed, and Lei Dong gritted his teeth in frustration: "Hmph, even if you've broken through, you'll still be hard-pressed to escape death today. I don't care how much your strength has increased with your breakthrough."

Tangyu's lips curved into a sinister smirk as he grasped the Pangu Axe, causing a surge of overwhelming power: "Is that so? Then let me show you the extent of my current power."

Not only did he achieve a breakthrough in his realm, but Tangyu also gained new insights into the second move of the Pangu Nine Axes.

"Slash!"

Tangyu charged at Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian once more, using Ground Shrinking Spells, allowing him to instantly appear before them. Though both had been on guard, Tangyu's speed was excessively fast, forcing them into a hasty counterattack.

This time, as Tangyu swung the Pangu Axe, their expressions changed dramatically, both exclaiming in shock.

"What! What terrifying power! How is this possible? Even breaking through to the Golden Core Second Layer shouldn't result in such power. No, no, this is—the second move of the Pangu Nine Axes?!"

"How could this be? How could he have mastered the second move of the Pangu Nine Axes?"

Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian were bewildered. Tangyu had not only mastered the second move of the Pangu Nine Axes, but had done so to near perfection, as though it wasn't a recent breakthrough, but something he had long commanded. A thought popped into their minds – had this guy been hiding his strength all along?

Damn it, damn it, Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian broke into a cold sweat. Tangyu's attack posed a significant threat. Naturally, if they were only facing Tangyu, they wouldn't be afraid, but there was also the Old Man of the Ghost of Shadows gone berserk. If they diverted attention to handle Tangyu, the Old Man of the Ghost of Shadows might very well take their lives. Under such a threat, their expressions underwent drastic changes.

When Yin Gui saw Tangyu's aggressive attack, he was once again shocked by the speed at which Tangyu's strength had increased. It was terrifying. His power had grown tenfold compared to earlier. With the Ground Shrinking spell, the destructive force became extremely fearsome. Fortunately, Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian were strong enough; otherwise Tangyu might have killed them directly with one axe.

"Kill!" The old Yin Gui gave his all in the attack, coordinating with his partner, making Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian sense danger and the approach of death. This feeling was overwhelmingly unbearable and something they had never experienced before. Despite their current strength, which feared no ordinary Zifu, they came prepared, ready to kill Tangyu.

However, they hadn't foreseen such an outcome, such a great change. This was certainly unacceptable to them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The supreme power of the second axe of Pangu Nine Axes also struck down, shattering Lei Dong's Purple Lightning Hammer and Zhu Xiaotian's Slaying Immortal Sword Formation, together with the old Yin Gui's full-strength assault. Their combined force instantly crushed Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian's attack, sending them flying backward, making their faces even more ghastly.

"Not good, damned, quickly go!" Lei Dong's face turned extremely grim, utterly losing the will to fight. After a curse, he turned and fled, escaping directly.

Naturally, Zhu Xiaotian also dared not linger in battle and fled directly, both appearing somewhat embarrassed. If word got out, their reputation might be greatly damaged. They were renowned in the surrounding top Immortal Sect regions, with a formidable reputation as young kings. In the future, they were likely to become Seeking Immortals, reaching the highest levels of the Cultivation Practice World.

For figures like them, even a slight defeat would cause a global stir, inevitably setting off a major uproar.

With Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian fleeing, Tangyu did not pursue them. He knew that even if he wanted to chase, he might not catch them. And even if he did catch up, he could not kill them. At most, it would be this way. Continuing would most likely result in mutual destruction.

This great battle finally calmed down. Tangyu let out a quiet sigh of relief; it had been extremely dangerous just now. If he hadn't managed a breakthrough at the last critical moment, today's situation might have been very different. Tangyu could have ended in total defeat here.

But thinking it over, Tangyu felt a sense of joy. Under such pressure, he was able to push his potential to its ultimate limit. The benefits of this were immense. In hindsight, Tangyu should thank Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian; without their attack today, it would have been much harder for him to break through. Especially the second axe of Pangu Nine Axes, which finally got activated under such dire circumstances.

This danger brought Tangyu huge rewards: breakthrough in realm, advancement in Pangu Nine Axes, and a tenfold increase in strength. Tangyu now felt fully confident in handling a Golden Core Ninth Layer, maybe even killing one. Of course, Zifu, that kind of realm, he dared not contemplate at this moment.

Stowing away the Pangu Axe, Tangyu pursed his lips, thinking to himself: "If I fight Lei Dong one-on-one now, I wonder what the outcome would be? But it seems my strength still doesn't rival Lei Dong's. If it were the former Lei Dong, perhaps I would have stood a chance. But the current Lei Dong is too strong; if not for teaming up with Yin Gui today, along with the many treasures Yin Gui possesses, we might not have made them retreat. It was quite a stroke of luck."

"Humph, but next time, I don't want to rely on luck. Next time we meet, I must kill those two to avenge these two disgraceful encounters. They likely won't dare provoke me easily now, so I have time to strengthen myself, enhance my power to soon match Lei Dong and his ilk."

"This time only Lei Dong and Zhu Xiaotian came to kill me, not Dugu Mu and Jiang Guangyu. As long as they refrain from bothering me, it's fine; if they dare, I certainly won't be polite. Hopefully, they'll make the right choice."

Settling his mind, Tangyu looked over at Yin Gui, asking solicitously: "How are you?"

Wiping the blood at the corner of his mouth, Yin Gui replied: "No problem, master, just some minor injuries, nothing serious. With some nurturing, it'll be fine."

Tangyu nodded: "Good, then. This time, I owe it to you; if not for you, I might have died by their hands. This credit, I will certainly remember. But such a situation won't happen again. Next time we encounter them, I will definitely kill them."

Yin Gui nodded; if it were before, he might have doubted Tangyu's words, but now, he had no doubt. Considering the master's potential, with time, his growth rate would be incredibly astonishing. Yin Gui had lived for many years and seen many geniuses, but none matched the master's peerless evil talent. Even comparing Lei Dong and those guys to the master, they were much weaker.

Thus, he was very certain that given time, the master's strength would soon grow to a point where even he couldn't contend with it. For now, it was extremely strong; next breakthrough will reach Lei Dong's tier. In the future, the master is destined to be a young king in the competition for dominance, a representative of Jiuzhou Immortal Sect, embodying a generation of its disciples.

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