"Could it be that Daoist Mingguang possesses an immortal body? Is he not human, but a phoenix or a vermilion bird?"

The assembled heroes were incredulous; his aura was clearly so weak it was almost gone!

"Buzz..." Flames swirled around Cao Ya, and the divine bird circled him before disappearing into his body.

Cao Ya's injuries were immediately healed, leaving him completely unharmed, except that his complexion was slightly pale, as a large portion of the energy accumulated within his Niwan Palace world had been depleted.

"If it weren't for the True Phoenix Treasure Technique, would I dare to take such a risk?" Cao Ya thought to himself.

The True Phoenix Treasure Technique originates from the Perfect World universe. It is a treasure technique inherited by the Phoenix Clan, one of the Ten Ancient Fiends. It is of the highest rank and can be used even by a seven-star Immortal Emperor!

In the context of the [Desolate Era] universe, this means that both ordinary supreme beings and ultimate supreme beings can learn it!

Even the most ordinary Supreme Being is thousands of times stronger than a Super Ruler!

The True Phoenix Treasure Technique is extremely terrifying; even if only a single thought remains, it can bring the person back to life!

As for the energy required, Cao Ya does not need to deplete his own Dao foundation. The Niwan Palace world is vast, containing a lot of chaotic spiritual liquid!

"Boom!!!" Then, Cao Ya attacked, unleashing a torrent of laws, a celestial river, Buddhist teachings, sword light, and precious techniques that filled the sky and shook the Yi Bo Realm. The Ninth Realm was almost destroyed!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The heroes' divine weapons and magical artifacts, various array plates, array flags, and talismans were all shattered and exploded in the void under Cao Ya's fierce attack.

Even though Cao Ya was severely injured and his divine body collapsed, the divine bird cried out and the flames scorched the sky. An immortal aura burst forth, which allowed Cao Ya to recover several times and display his peak power, sweeping across all directions!

"What kind of Dao is this... Could it be the Dao of Life and Death? But there are Dao Lords of Life and Death within the realm, but none are as terrifying as Dao Lord Mingguang!"

The assembled heroes were shocked and couldn't understand the origin of the "True Phoenix Treasure Technique" at all!

But there's no need to think about it anymore; their situation is nothing like Cao Ya's.

Who can achieve such an immediate and complete recovery?

"Boom..." Soon, under Cao Ya's charge, many Dao Lords were killed. The rest, looking terrified, fled in defeat, no longer daring to surround and kill Cao Ya, their fear as fierce as snakes and scorpions.

Even after fleeing trillions of miles away, their divine senses remained focused on them, and they were still filled with fear!

Almost half of the Dao Lords were unable to escape and were killed by Cao Ya, their souls scattered.

"Phew." Cao Ya raised his hand and collected the spoils of war. Within the Niwan Palace world, a special area was set aside to house magical treasures and spiritual objects.

At this moment, the powerful figures who were still on their way stopped in unison and watched from a distance.

The combined forces of the Sparrow King and hundreds of powerful Dao Lords were shattered by Dao Lord Mingguang's encirclement...

Even if they unite, can they really overcome the previous defenses?!

The scene of Daoist Mingguang slaughtering all sides and being invincible left all the powerful figures in awe!

Even the Palace Master Li Xing, Daoist Xiao Meng, and the King of Light did not approach again.

Almost everyone tacitly agreed that the first Dongming Jade Talisman should rightfully belong to Daoist Mingguang!

"Such power is truly terrifying. Throughout the countless chaotic eras of the Flame Dragon Domain, only a handful of Dao Lords of Life and Death can rival it." The powerful figures exclaimed in amazement, filled with both fear and admiration.

As fellow Dao Lords of Life and Death, they understood all the more how difficult and dangerous cultivation at this level was.

“There’s one more person!” Ji Ning’s eyes narrowed slightly. In his mind’s eye, a group of Dao Lords stopped in their tracks, no longer daring to compete with Dao Lord Mingguang. Only the Wine Saint continued to rush forward, staring at the Dongming Jade Talisman!

"Ah, that's right. The Wine Saint is the top Dao Lord, and he possesses a treasure of the universe. We may tacitly agree, but he won't admit it!" The Nine Dust Sect Master nodded, also sighing. Would he ever catch up with the Wine Saint and the Bright Light Dao Lord in his lifetime?!

"A duel between the first and second place!" Dao Lord Laiya, Dao Lord Tianyi, and Dao Lord Damo were all excited. These two had never fought before!

The achievements of Daoist Mingguang shocked everyone, and they all believed him to be invincible!

They even felt that if it weren't for the treasure of the universe, the Dao Alliance Immortal Palace would definitely rank Daoist Mingguang first, and make the Wine Saint second.

However, within the Yi Bo Realm, Daoist Mingguang's repeated fierce killings have earned him the awe of all heroes!

They wondered to themselves, "Even if the Wine Saint possesses a treasure of the universe, could he really have won against Daoist Mingguang?"

"A clash of titans! A once-in-a-lifetime event!"

Ji Ning's eyes lit up. He couldn't wait to improve his cultivation. At that time, he could surpass Palace Master Li Xing, Daoist Xiao Meng, and King Guangming, and compete with Wine Saint and Daoist Ming Guang for supremacy in the realm!

"The first and second Dao Lords on the current rankings are about to make their move!"

The experts from all sides were in an uproar, their eyes fixed on the battlefield!

Cao Ya collected all the spoils of war and also noticed the movements of the heroes. Similarly, the Wine Saint's leaping flight came into view.

"Very well, let's have a great battle to determine the temporary number one Dao Lord!" Cao Ya smiled slightly.

"As you said," the Wine Saint replied telepathically, increasing his escape speed to dozens of times the speed of light!

Cao Ya closed his eyes slightly, summoning the Chaos Spirit Liquid within the Niwan Palace world to repair the plane and adjust his state. Although he had won, the previous fierce battle could not be said to have had no impact on him.

The Wine Saint has dominated the Flame Dragon Domain for tens of thousands of chaotic eras, possessing boundless power. Recently, he also obtained a cosmic treasure. No amount of attention is too much for him!

After all, Cao Ya is not Ji Ning, nor is he the ultimate Dao Lord—even Ji Ning needs to continue improving in order to defeat the Wine Saint!

Of course, it was also because of Ji Ning's existence that Cao Ya decided to be "temporarily at the top of the Dao Lord Ranking"!

The Wine Saint and others may not have noticed, but Cao Ya himself knew that once Ji Ning grew to the fourth step, or even to the edge of the Dao Integration stage, no one would be able to compare, and even the lords of holy cities at all levels would not be able to match him!

However, Cao Ya thought to himself that by then, he should have already achieved Dao by relying on the Dongming Jade Talisman.

"The source of the Wine Saint's power lies in the Path of Darkness, the Mind Power Flow Divine Ability, and the Treasures of the Universe!"

Cao Ya pondered that the Wine Saint had only cultivated the Mind Power Flow as a secondary skill, and his attainments in this area were still inferior to those of the Master of the Dream of the Years, who specialized in it. His Dao Heart and Niwan Palace World were enough to contend with, or even surpass, those of the Wine Saint!

"As for the power of darkness... I have so many magical powers, including earth, fire, water, wind, lightning, light, darkness, swordsmanship, knife skills, Buddhist teachings, reincarnation, etc., and I am not afraid of them at all."

"The only thing to worry about is that cosmic treasure!"

Cao Ya solemnly replied, "The weapons of the universe in the Desolate Era, the divine weapons of the Dao, correspond to the Dao Lords of Life and Death, while the eternal divine weapons correspond to the Emperors. However, powerful Dao Lords often use the eternal divine weapons, since they can kill ordinary Emperors and top Emperors."

The lords of the holy cities wield top-grade eternal divine weapons, which are incredibly powerful and suppress the order of the realm.

Despite being a Dominator-level being, it possesses a plethora of top-tier Eternal Magic Treasures. However, these are rarely used in duels between opponents of the same level, as they are too fragile and shatter at the slightest touch, rendering them practically useless.

What the rulers crave is either an alternate universe, a cosmic treasure, or Sith weapons of war!

Extraterrestrials are extremely rare, and the competition for them is fierce. Weapons of war, originating from the Sith, are also very difficult to obtain. In comparison, cosmic treasures are indeed more common, but this does not mean that cosmic treasures are easy for the ruler to acquire.

It should be known that the vast majority of treasures in the universe are crafted by supreme beings! Only a very few are nurtured by certain rulers through fortuitous circumstances and are regarded as precious treasures.

Even the rulers covet this treasure, so you can imagine how terrifying this cosmic treasure is!

Normally, even the most precious treasures of the universe will not recognize a Dao Lord as their master, not even a super genius!

There's no way around it. The Dao Lord's eternal existence is extremely difficult, at most 108,000 Chaos Eras. For the cosmic treasures that contain the origin and have existed for eternity, it's just the time it takes to take a nap.

Even the Lord of the Holy City finds it difficult to make a cosmic treasure recognize him as its master. Such a supreme treasure is something that even a ruler cannot forcibly refine!

Therefore, the fact that the Wine Saint possessed a cosmic treasure demonstrates his own abilities.

"Interesting." The crowd was focused on the upcoming showdown, eagerly anticipating this clash of titans.

"The Wine Saint and Mingguang are both ahead of me. I want to see who is stronger between them!" Palace Master Li Xing, carrying a cleaver, was also watching closely.

His ranking is third, only below the Wine Saint and Cao Ya. Naturally, he has an insatiable fighting spirit towards these two!

But Palace Master Li Xing also understood that she was currently no match for those two.

The Wine Saint had already defeated him, and now he possesses the treasure of the universe. How can he possibly match him?

As for the killing and ruthlessness of Daoist Mingguang, Palace Master Lixing knew that she herself could not do it.

Like Palace Master Li Xing, Daoist Xiao Meng also carried a sinister red blade, exuding a fierce fighting spirit.

"No one can stop my blade!" Daojun Xiaomeng was very confident. This can be seen from the fact that after he was born, he defeated the King of Light without any competition.

This blood-red blade is incredibly powerful, and Xiaomeng Daojun's destructive power is terrifying!

He didn't even think that Palace Master Li Xing could withstand his blood blade!

Only the Wine Saint and the Daoist Master Mingguang are formidable rivals!

Although it was arrogance, it also showed Xiaomeng Daojun's confidence. In fact, none of those who can reach the pinnacle have a weak Dao heart!

All the experts, including Ji Ning and the King of Light, were focused and waiting for the duel to begin!

Soon, the Sage of Wine traveled a vast distance and arrived before Cao Ya, hundreds of millions of miles away.

"Hmm?" Cao Ya sensed something, opened his eyes, and looked into the distance.

On the distant land, a figure appeared—a man in a black robe, his clothes embroidered with ancient patterns, the purpose of which was unknown.

The Wine Saint was unkempt, and his eyes were initially drowsy, as if he were drunk. But as the Great Dao activated, he immediately became sober, and his gaze became extremely sharp!

"Buzz..." The Wine Saint stood there, as if he were the ruler of heaven and earth, with all things submitting to him.

Behind him, there was a phantom of a world of mental power, covering the sky and confronting the world of Niwan Palace!

"Mingguang, you can't escape this battle. Everyone is waiting!" the Wine Saint said with a smile.

“They don’t need to wait any longer!” Cao Ya grinned and said, “Where’s your cosmic treasure? Take it out. Without it, you’re no match for me!”

It's not that Cao Ya is boasting, but it's the truth. Even though the Wine Saint is strong, without the help of the cosmic treasure, he really can't beat Cao Ya!

“I understand.” The Wine Saint nodded, also quite amazed, and said, “Actually, I never expected that there would be someone at the Dao Lord realm who could force me to use a treasure of the universe!”

“That’s because you underestimate the heroes of the world. The realm is vast and full of talented people. If you look at the entire chaotic universe…” Cao Ya said, shaking his head and sighing softly.

"What are you and I anyway?"

Despite being enemies and on the verge of a fight, the two of them began to talk.

The Wine Saint agreed with these words, laughing, "That's why I need the Cave-Dwelling Jade Talisman to help me achieve Dao!"

"Even if one reaches the peak of the Dao Lord of Life and Death, one is at most at the level of an ordinary Holy City Lord. With the help of rare treasures, one might be able to fight against a top Holy City Lord, but one would still be no match for a peak Holy City Lord."

"If you want to roam freely in the chaotic universe and venture into the boundless darkness, the best option is to become the ruler!"

"If we were to attain the Dao, we would at the very least... become a Super Ruler!"

"At that time, in the chaotic universe, where can't we go? We also have a great chance to seize an alien universe, and our Dark Kingdom will truly have a new homeland!"

As the Wine Saint spoke, his expression grew increasingly solemn. He was determined to obtain the Dongming Jade Talisman and had every reason to seize it!

"The Dongming Jade Talisman is related to the Dao and to life and death. You want it, and I want it too. In the end, it still comes down to strength!" Cao Ya said in a deep voice.

"You are no match for me!" the Wine Saint said calmly. "My mental power cultivation is indeed only a secondary skill, but it is enough to be the key to victory."

"A direct confrontation, once the treasure of the universe is unleashed, you can't stop it!"

"If I only had one of these two aspects, I would be inferior to you. But since they both appear, it is now your turn to be defeated."

"However, I won't kill you. Opponents are hard to find, and we have no deep-seated grudges."

The Wine Saint's voice was calm, yet it was filled with pride—the arrogance of an invincible being!

Tens of thousands of chaotic eras before the emergence of Cao Ya and Ji Ning, without the use of cosmic treasures, the Wine Saint was already invincible among the Dao Lords!

Cao Ya has emerged as a dark horse, and although he poses a threat, he still has a great chance of winning because he possesses a treasure!

Unlike Palace Master Li Xing, Daoist Xiao Meng, and King Guangming, the Wine Saint truly reached the level of an ordinary Holy City Lord, and his associates were all ancient emperors.

Within the Dark Kingdom, his status was among the top.

"The Flow of Mental Power, though strange and a treasure of the universe, is indeed terrifying. But even with assistance, you are still just a Dao Lord. Who is stronger and who is weaker will only be known after a fight!" Cao Ya said coldly. The ultimate Dao Lords on the verge of Dao Integration do not appear in the world. In the Dao Lord realm, Cao Ya fears no one!

"Words are useless, so let's do it. I'll try my best not to kill you."

The Wine Saint smiled proudly, and a black glove suddenly appeared on his right hand, unleashing an incomparably terrifying power that suppressed the heavens and the earth!

"A treasure of the universe!" Everyone's eyes were drawn to the black gloves, some with fascination, others with apprehension.

Cao Ya squinted his eyes, and with a loud bang, the Niwan Palace world collapsed, bursting forth with bright light and black lines like a net.

"Mingguang, have you forgotten that I have one too?" the Wine Saint said calmly, revealing a projection of his mental power world, which was now in opposition to the Niwan Palace world.

"Huh?!" Suddenly, the Wine Saint exclaimed in surprise.

*Smack!!!*

To the Wine Saint's surprise, his projection of his mental world was destroyed and pulverized into powder by the Niwan Palace world in the very first collision, proving to be completely outmatched!