The invisible astral wind transformed into countless blades, slashing toward the overwhelming sea of blood but the effect was minimal. As soon as the wind cut through the blood curtain, more dark blood surged forward, quickly filling the gaps.
Song Changsheng's expression grew grim. He picked up his treasured gourd and took several large gulps, instantly unleashing a surge of powerful spiritual energy. A massive phantom of a bronze bell materialized above him, ringing out with deep, resonant chimes.
The sea of blood trembled violently, even showing signs of retreating.
High above, the Black Steward watched coldly. With a calm expression, he slowly raised his right arm. From within the folds of his wide sleeve, a torrential river of blood burst forth filled with wailing spirits and mournful cries.
No one knew how many lives this blood river had devoured. Countless souls howled within it, their shrieks are piercing and disturbing, causing those present to feel their minds waver ever so slightly.
"Splash"
With the weight of a mountain, the blood sea crashed against the phantom bronze bell. In a mere instant, the bell shattered into fragments of light and faded away.
"Pfft"
Song Changsheng shook as if struck by lightning. A sweetness rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood mist.
"Changsheng?!" Zhu Yiqun and the others tensed, their eyes filled with concern as they looked at the wounded Song Changsheng.
His sword-like brows furrowed tightly, and the blood at the corner of his mouth made him look fierce and wild. Without hesitation, he grabbed a handful of Returning Essence Pills and chewed them down savagely, then forced the nearly collapsing formation back into stability.
The Black Steward raised an eyebrow slightly and said with leisurely confidence, "If this were the original Xuan Yang Heavenly Steel Array, I might indeed have had some difficulty. But now… this is nothing."
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the blood river that had shattered the bronze bell morphed into a lifelike blood-colored flood dragon. Its giant bell-sized eyes glared fiercely as it hurled itself into the sunlit barrier of pure yang energy.
The entire grand formation trembled violently. A small black dot appeared on the light barrier, and from that point, cracks began to spread outward like a spiderweb.
Gritting his teeth, Song Changsheng poured all of his spiritual energy into the array.
But it was all in vain.
The yang energy gathered by the formation was insufficient, and Song Changsheng's cultivation wasn't enough to fully unleash its power. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as the light barrier shattered like a broken mirror.
"ROAR"
Having broken through the barrier, the blood-colored flood dragon let out a piercing roar toward the heavens, as if declaring its presence to all.
Song Changsheng turned pale as the collapse of the array caused a severe backlash.
"Hmph, devour them!" the Black Steward commanded.
The hundred-zhang-long blood dragon immediately opened its gaping maw, ready to swallow everyone whole.
Although Song Changsheng was weak and disoriented, his mind remained clear. Facing the overwhelming pressure of the dragon, a talisman had already appeared in his hand his final trump card!
But before he could activate it, Zhuang Yuechan crushed the jade pendant in her hand. A deep blue spiritual shield immediately enveloped them.
The blood dragon crashed into it, only managing to make the shield tremble slightly.
Song Changsheng and the others stared wide-eyed. Their curiosity about Zhuang Yuechan's identity reached its peak at that moment.
Sensing their gazes, Zhuang Yuechan gave a bitter smile and said, "This is a protective talisman given to me by my master. At best, it can last for one incense stick's time. If reinforcements don't arrive by then, we really will die here today."
One incense stick's time.
Everyone felt the heavy weight of that phrase. Though they had all sent word for help, this place was too far from the market town. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would need time to arrive it wasn't looking good...
"These nobodies have a talisman treasure?!" The Black Steward was close to losing it. He still hadn't taken down a few mere Qi Refining cultivators. If word got out, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?
Just as he was about to attack again, a deep and icy voice echoed from the distance:
"A remnant of the Demonic Sect dares to set up such a vile array? Courting death!"
"Who's there?!" The Black Steward's heart skipped a beat. He turned around and saw a golden streak tearing through the sky, bringing with it an overwhelming killing intent.
"It's your Grandpa Niu, you bastard!"
With a thunderous shout, a burly figure emerged. He stood over nine feet tall, built like a bull, with a face full of muscle and menace. As soon as he appeared, he charged straight at the Black Steward atop the hill.
"White Bones Fill the Wilds!"
The Black Steward raised both hands, summoning eerie cries and wails. The hillside beneath him turned into a field of white bones, death energy billowing outward. All the surrounding plants withered and decayed in an instant, turning the land barren.
"White bones your ass!" the brawny man barked crudely and closed the distance in a flash. He swung a fist the size of a sandbag straight at the Black Steward's face.
The Black Steward's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly raised his arms to block and cried out in shock,
"You're not affected by death energy?!"
His only answer was a rain of punches each heavier than the last. The Black Steward staggered under the blows, gradually being overwhelmed.
Inside the shield, Zhu Yiqun stared in disbelief.
"He's completely unfazed by the blood demon's death aura... Could this senior's body be as tough as a spiritual artifact?"
"At this rate, that blood demon won't last even half an hour. This is practically a one-sided beatdown."
It was the first time Song Changsheng had witnessed a body cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. He hadn't expected such terrifying power it was like watching a humanoid spiritual weapon. Ordinary attacks were completely useless.
"Hahaha! Is that all you've got, you damn demon? Your Grandpa Niu is just getting warmed up!" The brawny man laughed like thunder, full of disdain.
The Black Steward snarled, his face darkening,
"Arrogant fool! Don't get cocky"
"Damn right, I'm arrogant! Try and kill me if you can!" The brute had no intention of letting him finish. With a mighty punch to the chest, he shattered several of the Black Steward's ribs, sending him flying.
Not giving him a moment to recover, the man charged forward and unleashed a merciless flurry of blows, treating the late-stage Foundation Establishment blood demon like a human punching bag.
Watching the brutal scene, Zhu Yiqun scratched his head awkwardly.
"This senior sure wears his heart on his sleeve..."
Even Zhuang Yuechan, beneath her veil, twitched slightly at the sight it wasn't exactly the most dignified display for their sect...
"You've gone too far!!" the Black Steward roared, his eyes glowing crimson. His body suddenly swelled, transforming into a towering blood-colored giant several zhang tall.
"Still not giving up, huh?!" The brawny man's eyes bulged. He raised his fist again, now glowing faintly with a golden light that made it shimmer like solid gold.
He struck.
The punch howled like thunder.
All Song Changsheng saw was a flash of gold and the next moment, the brute's fist had pierced through the Black Steward's heart.
The blood demon stared at the gaping hole in his chest in utter disbelief. With a final venomous glare at his opponent, the massive body began to crack, then collapsed into a pool of foul blood.
A streak of blood-red light shot skyward, fleeing toward the horizon.
"Trying to run from your Grandpa Niu?!" The brute stomped forward and, in a flash, caught up to the escaping soul. With one massive hand, he crushed it completely both form and spirit obliterated.
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