Translator: AnubisTL
The spirit patterns on the Heavenly Net Banner glowed brilliantly, instantly immobilizing a small area around Yan Xi.
At that moment, Yan Xi felt as if he were sinking into quicksand. No matter how desperately he struggled, his strength was being drained away completely.
The air around him became oppressively heavy, and despite his efforts, he couldn't move his limbs even an inch.
"What a strange banner... to be able to immobilize someone like this," Yan Xi murmured, his eyes flashing with sharp intelligence, yet showing little panic.
Clearly, this man whom Ling Ying referred to as "Senior" possessed numerous hidden techniques and wasn't particularly afraid of the Heavenly Net Banner's immobilization effect.
However, Li Qing had no intention of standing by and watching his opponent break free. He swiftly charged forward, preparing to exploit his greatest advantage—his mastery of body arts—to engage in close combat.
"Kill!" Li Qing's eyes gleamed with icy resolve as he closed the distance. His gilded battle armor instantly expanded, encasing him completely in impenetrable protection.
Boom!
A thunderous punch erupted, the terrifying force shattering the air around them with a sonic boom.
Li Qing's fleshly body was now comparable to that of a late second-tier Demon beast. This punch could easily shatter a small mountain.
"Heh, a body cultivator, are you?"
Yan Xi's eyes gleamed with icy indifference as he watched the fist hurtle toward his head. He made no attempt to dodge or defend.
Something's wrong!
Li Qing's brow furrowed, sensing something amiss.
But it was too late to retract his punch. He had no choice but to follow through.
Bang!
The thunderous fist struck Yan Xi's head, shattering it instantly. A cloud of blood mist erupted into the air.
Any foundation establishment cultivator struck by such a blow would have been killed instantly.
Yet Li Qing frowned deeply, his eyes fixed on Yan Xi's headless corpse with suspicion.
"Dead? It shouldn't have been this easy..."
As he spoke, Yan Xi's headless body began to wither, transforming into a straw puppet.
"A Substitute Death Puppet?!"
Seeing this, Li Qing's expression instantly darkened. He thought to himself, "These body-seizing Old Monsters truly possess bizarre methods."
"A Substitute Death Puppet," Yan Xi's voice echoed from the sky. "I never imagined you could kill one of my lives, boy. Such a robust fleshly body is a rare sight in the cultivation world these days."
Yan Xi's figure reappeared in the sky ahead, his face grim as his gaze locked firmly onto Li Qing.
He knew that if Li Qing continued to use the Heavenly Net Banner to immobilize him, he would have to resort to drastic measures to interrupt him. He wouldn't allow Li Qing to casually wave that strange banner again.
"Let's see how many Substitute Death Puppets you have!" Li Qing roared, charging forward once more.
As the two clashed again, the battlefield split into three distinct fronts.
Shen Ningbing and Ling Ying engaged in another fierce battle, this time fighting with deadly seriousness. Spiritual energy surged wildly between them, showcasing the combat advantages of their variant spirit roots.
Meanwhile, Liu Hongyuan and the other elders of the Shangqing Sect clashed with the Heavenly River Sect cultivators. The latter were already heavily depleted, resulting in a stalemate.
On the other side, Wu Chong, accompanied by Lu Fan, was locked in fierce combat with the Clan Heads of several cultivation clans aboard the Golden War Boat.
As a direct disciple personally groomed by Ancestor Devourer of Heaven to inherit his mantle, Wu Chong's strength was not to be underestimated. His mastery of the Gluttonous Divine Art shone brilliantly, allowing him to single-handedly suppress an entire war boat of foundation establishment cultivators. Lu Fan could only provide occasional support from the sidelines.
"Damn it! The Golden War Boat is too damaged to unleash its full power. How else could this fat bastard be overwhelming us?!" Zhong Ya's face darkened, his heart bleeding with frustration. He had never imagined that this mission with the Shangqing Sect would result in such catastrophic losses, including severe damage to the Golden War Boat itself.
"Devour Heaven and Earth!" Fatty Wu roared, his expression utterly focused. He channeled his cultivation manual to its peak, unleashing a secret technique unique to the Gluttonous Divine Art.
Before him, a phantom of a gluttonous beast materialized, surging forward with unparalleled ferocity. It devoured everything in its path, leaving nothing but emptiness in its wake.
Whether it was the Golden War Boat's attacks or the residual spiritual energy fluctuations, they were instantly swallowed by the gluttonous beast's phantom, vanishing without a trace.
The gluttonous beast's phantom soared into the sky, its crimson maw gaping wide as it lunged toward the Golden War Boat.
"Damn it! Retreat immediately!" Lu Feiyu's face paled, utterly shocked by Fatty Wu's methods.
This was the first time he had encountered an attack that could devour all spiritual energy.
Soon, everyone on the Golden War Boat remembered a legendary core formation ancestor from the Lingyun Sect:
Heaven-Devouring True Lord!
The techniques were identical, and the cultivation manuals shared the same origin.
"Let's go! I heard decades ago that Heaven-Devouring True Lord took a direct disciple. This fat guy must be him."
"We can't fight him head-on. Let's retreat!"
Faced with Fatty Wu's overwhelming suppression, panic seized the crew. They feared being devoured by the gluttonous beast's phantom, a creature of unparalleled ferocity.
"Where do you think you're going?! You were so arrogant insulting Li Qing earlier. Why are you running now?" Fatty Wu roared, preparing to pursue them.
But before he could move, Lu Fan wiped the sweat from his brow and urgently grabbed Wu Chong's arm.
"Senior Brother Wu, stop chasing! Let's go help the others. They're in a fierce battle!"
Having honed his skills among rogue cultivators, Lu Fan naturally understood the urgency of the situation.
Now that they had finally broken through the enemy lines, they needed to capitalize on their advantage.
Without hesitation, the two charged into the Heavenly River Sect's ranks, unleashing brutal attacks.
Faced with this sudden onslaught, Liu Hongyuan's face turned ashen. He cursed under his breath, "Useless trash! Retreat!"
"Liu Hongyuan, leave your dog's life behind!" Liu Hanyue's eyes glowed crimson as the hatred for the destruction of both her family and sect surged through her. She struck with merciless force.
Sword light erupted, as if determined to sever all in its path.
Swish!
Already missing an arm, Liu Hongyuan was nearly cleaved in half.
"No..." Liu Hongyuan's aura rapidly weakened, his murky eyes filled with bitter resentment.
Her killing intent unwavering, Liu Hanyue gripped her azure longsword tightly and struck again without hesitation.
A single sword strike to the throat!
The traitor of the Liu Clan had met his end, his lifeless body plummeting from the sky.
Having accomplished this, Liu Hanyue's face turned deathly pale.
After fleeing all the way from the Heavenly River Sect to Liang Country, then desperately escaping to the Mu Kingdom, and finally enduring this brutal battle, she had reached her limit.
At this point, the battlefield situation had become crystal clear.
"Heh, it seems we won't be able to settle things between us this time either," Ling Ying sighed, glancing at the Shangqing Sect elders on the verge of complete defeat, his expression tinged with helplessness.
"If you have the guts, don't run! Face me in a fair fight!" Shen Ningbing's beautiful face was icy, her attacks merciless.
Ling Ying shook his head, his voice dark. "Too bad. The mission comes first. A fair fight? Maybe another time."
With those words, Ling Ying pulled a jade token from his robes and crushed it.
As the crystalline jade dust scattered through the air, a powerful aura instantly surged from the distant north.
(End of the Chapter)
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