The three men were dumbfounded. This was the difference in strength. They had attacked the red-haired corpse monster with all their might, yet it had remained unfazed. But now, with just a light strike from Zi Ying, it let out a miserable scream.
“Rarrr…”
In the sky, the moon peeked through the dark clouds, casting a faint crimson glow.
The red-haired corpse monster let out a furious roar, its sunken eye sockets glowing with a blood-red light. It resembled a vengeful ghost awakened from the depths of hell as it shrieked sharply and lunged at Zi Ying.
“Dammit! How dare you roar at my sister? Are you tired of living?”
Shangguan Jingyi bellowed. His long hair was disheveled, black strands whipping in the air. He unleashed a powerful sword strike, aiming to pierce a few more gaping holes in the red-haired monster.
Boom!
The red-haired corpse monster’s entire body shook. Shangguan Jingyi nodded to himself in satisfaction—not because of anything else, but because he had indeed managed to add another large hole to its body.
Tian Fan pursed his lips. ‘What kind of people are these…?’
As expected, the outcome was just as they had anticipated. Such a powerful sword strike could easily cut a mid-stage Cloud Heaven expert in half, yet it still couldn’t destroy a mutated corpse. The massive wound in its body was slowly closing as countless corpse worms wriggled and crawled, restoring the monster to its original form.
“D*mmit, what’s going on?!” Shangguan Jingyi growled, irritated.
“Rarrr…”
The red-haired monster let out another ear-piercing howl, a terrifying aura surging from its body. The corpse worms wriggled furiously, and a black mist emanated from it, corroding the very ground beneath its feet.
It extended its right hand, conjuring a dark sphere in its palm. The sphere exuded an intense corrosive force and lethal poison. Even the air that passed through it sizzled and hissed.
“Be careful! Get back!”
Zi Ying’s clear voice rang out as she sensed the imminent danger. She unleashed a golden rain of sword energy, shooting it toward the red-haired monster. However, the black sphere trembled and instantly absorbed the countless sword beams.
Boom!
The pitch-black sphere flew from the red-haired corpse monster’s hand, forming a swirling vortex in the sky. It was an abyssal black hole, its depths unknown. At this moment, it was like a demonic spirit, madly devouring everything around it.
“This is trouble. The corpse’s instincts have actually allowed it to use the secret techniques from when it was alive. Everyone, be careful!”
Shangguan Yunfeng warned. This monster had undoubtedly been an unparalleled powerhouse in life. Even now, as nothing more than a corpse, it remained intact after tens of thousands of years. And with just its battle instincts, it had unleashed such a terrifying technique. A suffocating aura spread throughout the surroundings.
Boom!
Nearby, countless trees trembled before shattering. Even a small hill, nearly ten meters high, was slowly collapsing, its fragments sucked into the black vortex like specks of dust.
Crack…
The hill continued to crumble, large chunks of rock breaking off and, along with countless shattered tree fragments, getting pulled into the terrifying black hole.
It was a chilling sight. The sheer power of that black hole was beyond imagination—it seemed capable of devouring everything. Yet such an ancient technique was unleashed by nothing more than a corpse. One could only imagine how extraordinary this person had been in life.
The four of them were being relentlessly pulled toward the swirling abyss, its frigid aura washing over them. It felt as though the black hole led to some demonic domain.
“The Thirteenth Sword…”
Zi Ying murmured softly, forming seals with both hands. Above her head, a divine sword formation materialized, radiating with dazzling light. Countless ancient swords were embedded within the formation, all of them trembling violently. A sacred and awe-inspiring aura emanated from the sword array.
At this moment, Zi Ying appeared like a celestial goddess descending to the mortal realm—noble, divine, and majestic. The myriad ancient swords above her quivered, letting out a chilling sword cry. A distant mountain, overwhelmed by the sheer force, cracked apart on the spot, sending a cascade of stones tumbling down.
“So strong!”
Tian Fan gasped in astonishment. He had known Zi Ying was formidable, but witnessing her power firsthand still left him in shock. He stared blankly at her breathtaking presence, even Shangguan Yunfeng was somewhat taken aback. He hadn’t expected his adorable younger sister to have cultivated the Sword Twenty-Three to such a level. She was truly a peerless genius.
Boom!
The sword formation above Zi Ying’s head stirred gently, as if traversing time itself. An overwhelming sword aura continuously surged from it. Nearby trees instantly shattered under the pressure—this was even after Zi Ying had deliberately suppressed her power.
The three men were all shielded behind her, protected within golden strands of light cascading from the sword array above her head.
Boom!
Countless golden sword beams shot forth from the array, merging into a torrential sword river. Within the raging current of light, countless swords shimmered with a destructive aura.
The black sphere above the red-haired corpse monster’s head clashed with the torrent of golden sword Qi, unleashing a violent energy storm that spread wildly in all directions. The surrounding trees were completely obliterated, and the forest resounded with endless echoes of destruction.
“Rarrr…”
The red-haired corpse monster let out a deafening howl. The black sphere above its head shattered under the countless sword Qi strikes, and its body was riddled with tiny holes. Countless corpse worms fell from it, yellowish bodily fluids splattering in all directions. Within the eye sockets of the red-haired old ghost, two beams of crimson light emerged, their lengths unknown.
Zi Ying floated forward effortlessly, her feet never touching the ground. Around her, layers of golden light descended from the golden sword formation above, firmly protecting her.
Tian Fan was utterly stunned. At this moment, Zi Ying appeared so ethereal and otherworldly, as if she did not belong to this realm at all. She truly resembled a celestial maiden walking through the mortal world.
Slap…
Just as Tian Fan was lost in thought, Shangguan Jingyi’s large hand smacked him on the back.
“Kid, what are you staring at? I’m warning you, don’t get any funny ideas!”
Shangguan Yunfeng stood beside them, watching the scene unfold. The corpse worms covering the red-haired monster had mostly fallen to the ground, and it was now utterly berserk. At this point, its mind contained only thoughts of devouring and slaughtering—nothing else. It could be said that it was an entirely different kind of lifeform, an existence of pure evil.
As Zi Ying battled the red-haired corpse monster, the ground around them was repeatedly shattered. It was impossible to find an intact patch of land—only rubble and deep cracks remained.
Boom!
Zi Ying’s movements were graceful, her long black hair dancing in the wind. With each casual wave of her jade-like hands, golden light rained down, shaking the void and illuminating the heavens. However, the red-haired monster showed no fear. Zi Ying’s divine power seemed unable to kill it completely. Though each attack made it wail in agony, it was difficult to truly exterminate it.
The red-haired old ghost extended its corpse-worm-covered claw, reaching for Zi Ying’s delicate face, but a golden sword Qi erupted, forcing a shriek from the creature.
“Ah!”
A corpse worm landed on Zi Ying’s cheek, making her cry out in alarm. Her fair face flushed with anger, and she immediately struck back without holding back. A dazzling sword beam, radiant enough to pierce the heavens, slashed down.
Slash…
This attack was overwhelmingly powerful. The red-haired monster’s right arm was severed on the spot, dropping to the ground. Rotted flesh peeled away, revealing squirming corpse worms. Many of them flipped onto their backs, their pale bellies exposed, creating a nauseating sight.
“So fierce!”
Tian Fan could only think of these words—he couldn’t find a better way to describe Zi Ying’s sheer dominance.
“D*mn it!”
Zi Ying was fuming. She had just cleansed herself, yet a disgusting corpse worm had landed on her beautiful face. She found this absolutely intolerable.
Golden sword Qi rained down onto the red-haired corpse monster without restraint. The earth trembled violently, rumbling under the relentless assault. Billowing dust and debris filled the air, forcing the group to channel their divine power into their eyes to see through the swirling sandstorm. Amid the golden sword Qi, the red-haired monster was on the verge of collapsing, its body riddled with gaping holes.
Boom!
The final dazzling sword strike crashed down, causing the ground to shake violently. Only then did Zi Ying huff in irritation and withdraw her attack, slowly descending from the sky. With a light flick of her head, her flowing black hair swayed behind her.
As the dust settled, they finally saw the scene before them. A massive crater had formed in the earth. At its lowest point, the red-haired monster’s body was barely recognizable—its limbs were nearly destroyed. The remains of its body twitched with lingering corpse worms, though most had been reduced to ashes.
“Hiss…”
Tian Fan and the others sucked in a breath of cold air. My god, this was terrifying. As Zi Ying turned around to face them, they all instinctively shuddered.
“What’s wrong with you guys?”
Zi Ying blinked her beautiful eyes in confusion.
“Nothing!” the three answered in unison.
Zi Ying walked toward them, but just then, a loud “boom” erupted behind her.
From within the crater, the red-haired corpse monster stood up once more. The crimson glow in its eye sockets burned even brighter, its mind devoid of emotions—no joy, no sorrow, no fear—only bloodlust and slaughter.
Their expressions changed dramatically. This red-haired old ghost was too bizarre. No matter how many times they struck it down, it refused to die. What was even more terrifying was that its aura had intensified, radiating a grotesque stench of blood and decay that made them gag.
“D*mn it, why is this thing so hard to kill?!”
The group was on the verge of losing their minds. Even a cultivator in the Primordial Unity Realm couldn’t put this monster down. Just what kind of existence was this thing? This was insane! If a mere corpse could mutate into such a terrifying entity, what kind of power would it have had when it was alive? It would have been strong enough to sweep across the entire Divine Martial Continent!
Bang!
Zi Ying waved her right hand, sending the creature flying several times, but each time, the old ghost climbed back up. Its aura only grew stronger, the stench of blood and decay thickening. The black mist surrounding it, which had been sparse before, now swirled in dense, ominous waves.
“What’s going on…”
Even Zi Ying furrowed her delicate brows slightly. They had tried to leave several times, but each time, the red-haired corpse monster blocked their path, preventing their escape.
Boom!
This time, Zi Ying was forced to retreat a step. The sight made the three of them shudder—how could a powerful cultivator in the Primordial Unity Realm be pushed back? Even more horrifying was the fact that the red-haired old ghost’s aura was still steadily increasing…
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