As soon as the spell formation appeared, it covered all of Planet South Heaven. At the same time, Meng Hao, Fang Shoudao, and Fang Yanxu... and all other cultivators, felt an intense, explosive burst of killing intent.

It was like a terrifying divine sense that swept across the lands, covering Planet South Heaven. Meng Hao's face fell as he sensed the horrifying power, and realized that it was something he couldn't possibly fight back against. If that power wanted to exterminate something, it could be exterminated in the blink of an eye!

Fang Shoudao's face went pale, and Fang Yanxu started trembling. Meng Li's face fell, as did Fang Yu's.

"That's the Death Formation of Planet South Heaven!!"

"Dammit, obviously the spell formation doesn't approve of Xiufeng stepping into the Dao, otherwise it wouldn't have activated!!"

"It's going to wipe Xiufeng out!!"

RUMBLE!

Heaven and Earth shook as an incredibly powerful force sprang into being, pushing everyone away from Fang Xiufeng. Nobody could resist it, not even Meng Hao, who was inexorably pushed away until Fang Xiufeng stood completely alone.

It happened too quickly. Moments ago, everyone had been congratulating Fang Xiufeng on successfully stepping into the Dao. But now, everyone was gaping in shock at the massive transformations occurring in Heaven and Earth.

Fang Xiufeng's eyes flickered. As soon as the killing intent appeared, he pushed his cultivation base down from the Dao Realm to the great circle of the Ancient Realm.

However, the killing intent only continued to get stronger and stronger. Peals of thunder echoed out from the illusory net as it shot down toward Fang Xiufeng, filled with a shocking murderous intent which morphed into a power of extermination. In just a brief moment, the destructive power was nearing Fang Xiufeng.

If Fang Xiufeng had failed to step into the Dao and become a Quasi-Dao cultivator, then Planet South Heaven's spell formation would not have appeared, regardless of whether it approved of him or not. After all, the spell formation only targeted the Dao Realm. Unless Emperor Tang took control of it, it wouldn't harm Quasi-Dao cultivators.

Meng Hao's eyes were bright red as he exploded into action. The Lightning Cauldron appeared in his right hand, and electricity danced as he attempted to switch positions with his father. However, despite the dancing electricity, the Lightning Cauldron didn't work!

Because of South Heaven's spell formation, it was useless!

Meng Hao wasn't willing to give up. Eyes flashing with madness, he shot forward like an arrow, intent on piercing the net to help his father.

However, as soon as Meng Hao touched the net, he felt a massive force pushing back against him, like a power of expulsion. He heard countless screaming voices shoving him away, preventing him from entering the area within the net.

However, the net didn't hurt him. It only prevented him from interfering with the will of the South Heaven spell formation!

Meng Hao's face was pale, and he began to laugh bitterly. He... could do nothing. Now, as before, he could only watch, and provide no assistance whatsoever. This was his father, his blood relative, and therefore, the feeling of helplessness which filled his heart made him want to scream in rage.

Meng Hao's mother and sister were shrieking as they watched Fang Xiufeng face this danger.

It was at this point, however, that a growling roar echoed out from the Great Tang's Imperial palace.

"With mine own Li Clan blood, I call upon the spirit of the ancestor within the spell formation. This man... is the guardian of South Heaven. He is... from the Allheaven Fang Clan. He must not be harmed or killed....." In accompaniment with the words, massive rumbling struck Heaven and Earth. The net seemed to pause, and at the same time, a figure materialized out of thin air next to Fang Xiufeng.

He wore an Imperial robe and an Emperor's crown. It was none other than Emperor Tang, who grabbed Fang Xiufeng and then sped with him down toward the ground. Just when they seemed to be on the verge of touching down, boundlessly bright lightning suddenly shot down toward Fang Xiufeng, filled with intense killing intent.

After landing on the ground, Emperor Tang's voice once again rang out with urgency, "Brother Xiufeng, the spell formation has neither been defeated, nor has it achieved victory. Had it succeeded, I would never have been able to rescue you just now. Quickly, sit down and begin to meditate. I will give you a drop of Li Clan blood. After you fully absorb it, I will cast one of my ancestor's Daoists magics so that the spell formation will approve of you. However, you need to hold out for the time it takes an incense stick to burn!

"That short time will be a grave test for you....

"If you pass it, then you will be the only Dao Realm expert on Planet South Heaven!

"If you fail... then henceforth, you and I shall not meet again in the world of men...." Emperor Tang's words were spoken quickly. Even as the words left his mouth, he waved a finger, first at Fang Shoudao, and then at Fang Yanxu. Both of them vanished, then reappeared next to Fang Xiufeng.

"If you two want him to survive for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then you need to do everything you can to help him. However... remember that you must not under any circumstances use the power of the Dao Realm. If you do, not only will Fang Xiufeng be defeated, you will also die!" Having said that, Emperor Tang sat down cross-legged and waved his hand, causing a drop of blood to fly out and fuse into Fang Xiufeng's forehead, who began meditating.

Emperor Tang's eyes gleamed with concentration. He was just about to close them when a hoarse voice was transmitted into his ears.

"Emperor Tang, let me in too!" Meng Hao said, eyes bloodshot. Emperor Tang's gaze flashed, and he hesitated for a moment, but then he waved his finger.

Immediately, Meng Hao vanished and then reappeared next to Fang Xiufeng.

Having done these things, Emperor Tang closed his eyes and performed a double-handed incantation gesture, utilizing a secret magic of the Li Clan to help Fang Xiufeng gain the approval of the spell formation.

The enormous illusory web continued to rumble toward them. Although it didn't harm Planet South Heaven in the least, the killing intent within it continued to grow stronger. Strange colors flashed, and the wind blew.

Fang Shoudao's eyes shone with a bright gleam as he suddenly flew up into the air, followed by Fang Yanxu. They immediately set to work fighting the net, not using the power of the Dao Realm, but rather, cultivation bases that had been restricted to the great circle of the Ancient Realm.

Meng Hao also flew into the air, joining the other two. Almost immediately, blood sprayed out of the mouths of all three of them. The target of the net was Fang Xiufeng, but it could still hurt them, although only to a certain extent.

That was especially true of Meng Hao, whose face was pale, and who immediately sustained terrible internal injuries. He began to tremble, but clenched his teeth and fought on, battling against the net to gain time.

Fang Shoudao roared, and Fang Yanxu's energy surged. However, no matter what they did, the result was only that the net's arrival slowed down. They could do nothing to actually stop it.

After ten breaths of time passed, rumbling filled Meng Hao, and boundless azure light shone out from his blood. The power of an Allheaven Dao Immortal exploded out as he slammed against the net, causing a huge boom to echo out. Fang Shoudao and Fang Yanxu did the same.

The sky shook and the lands quaked. The net was again slowed by the attacks. However, it continued to close in, forcing the three of them back and narrowing the perimeter.

The time it takes an incense stick to burn isn't very long, but under these circumstances, Meng Hao felt as if time had slowed to a crawl. He wasn't sure exactly how much time had already passed, but he was constantly being pushed back. His clothes were already soaked in blood, and yet the net had already shrunk to the point where it only left them with a few dozen meters of room.

It was at this point that Fang Yanxu's face fell, and he stopped fighting. Apparently, he was having trouble keeping his Dao Realm cultivation base concealed. If it were to be revealed, he would be in critical danger.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, fought back with one last powerful volley, and then shot through the net to the other side, where he hovered in the air, his face grim but his eyes apologetic.

Without Fang Yanxu, the shrinking rate of the net increased. Meng Hao and Fang Shoudao were now under more pressure, especially Meng Hao, who had been injured to begin with, and whose cultivation base was nowhere near Fang Shoudao's. He might have his Eternal stratum, but he was shaking nonetheless, trembling as his body withered.

Fang Shoudao roared; he was now on the point of being unable to hold back his Dao Realm cultivation base. Gritting his teeth, he slapped his chest viciously, injuring himself as a way to force his cultivation base to remain suppressed.

However, that was not a long-term solution. By now, more than seventy percent of the incense stick's worth of time had passed, and Fang Shoudao's face was ashen, his body trembling. Despite his tactic of self-injury, he had reached his limit, and was on the verge of losing control of his Dao Realm cultivation base. He sighed.

"Hao'er, I've done all I can. Please... don't hold it against me." He looked older than ever, and his face was bitter as he flickered away. No longer able to fight the net, he was now on the outside, struggling to keep his cultivation base under control. However, the sighs he uttered were deep and profound.

Of the three that had been holding off the net, Meng Hao was now the only one left. His cultivation base was the weakest, and yet, he was able to hold out for the longest. That was because he had no Dao Realm cultivation base to reveal, and didn't need to worry about holding back. His eyes were crimson, and he was coughing up blood continuously. However, he didn't back down. By now, the net had shrunk down to the point where it was only fifteen meters wide!

Behind Meng Hao, his father sat cross-legged. He was not willing to give in, and even as the net shrank down, a wild look appeared in Meng Hao's eyes. He extended his right hand and waved it, causing the meat jelly to appear.

"Protect my father!" Meng Hao said. The meat jelly immediately came to rest on Fang Xiufeng, transforming into a set of armor that completely covered him. Meng Hao's blood was boiling as he then lifted his hand... to reveal his fourth Nirvana Fruit!

Without the slightest hesitation, he placed it onto his forehead. The Nirvana Fruit rapidly dissolved, and sounds like thunder immediately began to reverberate from within him.

He let out a piercing cry, and his body trembled as dazzling azure light shot out. An indescribable level of cultivation base power suddenly surged out, and it almost looked like a door had appeared within him.

That was... the great Door of the Ancient Realm!

It was as if it were being summoned, causing massive clouds to gather in the sky, within which was the Great Door of the Ancient Realm!

Borrowing power from the fourth Nirvana Fruit, he raised both hands up and then slammed them down toward the ground. Rumbling sounds echoed out from within him as the blast shot down into the ground, then surged back up in a backlash toward the huge net.