The sword array arranged by Su Xi and Gao Feng's colossal sword collided instantly, emitting a thunderous roar. Simultaneously, a powerful wave of energy spread outwards.
Before the Great Elder could speak or even defend himself, he was sent flying by the intense blast.
"Help!"
The Great Elder only managed to utter a single word before his figure vanished. In the air, a thin line of blood marked his trajectory.
Though merely the aftermath of the battle, the residual energy was still potent. The Great Elder's cultivation was weak, making him unable to withstand such a powerful impact. He was fortunate not to have lost his life directly, as he was only observing. Otherwise, not even his corpse would have remained.
With the Great Elder swept away, Su Xi, facing Gao Feng head-on, felt pressure tens of thousands of times greater, like a colossal mountain crushing her, leaving her gasping for breath. Under this immense force, her bones trembled as if on the verge of shattering, unable to endure any longer.
Despite the severe physical discomfort, Su Xi knew she could not retreat. Doing so would leave her with no chance of survival. Under such pressure, she would be reduced to a pulp, with no possibility for even her Nascent Soul to escape.
Gao Feng would not give her a moment's respite.
Seeing Su Xi gritting her teeth and persisting, Gao Feng sneered coldly in his heart. To him, Su Xi was merely putting up a futile resistance. Under his full power strike, she absolutely could not hold on for long. This was just a temporary defiance. It was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, a foolish display of overestimation.
Under Gao Feng's assault, Su Xi's pores began to ooze blood due to the immense pressure. Drop by drop, the blood fell, quickly dyeing the ground red.
"Damn it. I didn't expect someone at the Soul Transformation stage to be this powerful. It seems my cultivation needs to improve," Su Xi lamented inwardly, strengthening her resolve to grow stronger. If she had known this beforehand, she wouldn't have chosen to face it head-on. Now, even if she won, the cost would be too great. Calculating the gains and losses, it didn't seem worthwhile.
The Black Mountain Demon stood before Su Xi, observing the struggle between them. He was somewhat surprised that Su Xi could hold on for so long against a cultivator in the Soul Transformation stage. For Su Xi, who was still in the Nascent Soul stage, to withstand a full-power strike from a Soul Transformation cultivator was indeed astonishing. It seemed Su Xi's strength truly exceeded his expectations. This gave him even more confidence in their final plan.
Su Xi's body swayed continuously, but she managed to withstand Gao Feng's attack. As his colossal sword vanished, she let out a long sigh of relief, knowing she had narrowly escaped.
Seeing that Su Xi had indeed blocked his attack, Gao Feng smiled, "You truly exceed my expectations. However, I'd like to see how many more attacks you can block." One strike had already rendered Su Xi unable to resist. Another would surely finish her. He began to gather his full strength again, intending to lock onto Su Xi for a final blow, to end this farce quickly.
Just as he was preparing to finish Su Xi, he suddenly sensed a gust of wind beside him. His subconscious warned him of being targeted. Immediately after, something seemed to brush past him. Instinctively, he quickly retreated, evading the wind.
Upon retreating, a dark glint flashed across his face, leaving a long scratch. Blood began to drip from the wound. Feeling the pain, he glared at Ouyang Chu Ge in front of him with ill intent. It was a close call, nearly costing him his life. His attention had been fully on Su Xi, and he had been ambushed.
Ouyang Chu Ge's face showed a hint of frustration as his sneak attack failed once again. His attacks had never missed before. He never expected to fail twice in a row after arriving in the Human Realm. If this were to spread, he would be utterly disgraced.
"Very well. Since you wish to die quickly, I shall grant you your wish," Gao Feng said, a murderous glint in his eyes as he looked at Ouyang Chu Ge. Anyone who dared to harm him must pay the price. He no longer cared about killing Su Xi; his priority was to deal with Ouyang Chu Ge first.
Gao Feng instantly locked his aura onto Ouyang Chu Ge and unleashed a gust of wind towards him. The wind transformed into sharp arrows in mid-air, encircling all of Ouyang Chu Ge's escape routes. Whether he advanced or retreated, it meant death.
Facing this seemingly inescapable situation, Ouyang Chu Ge showed no tension. Instead, a hint of calmness graced his face, as if he were gazing upon a beautiful painting rather than death.
A buzzing sound echoed. The wind from the arrows disturbed the surrounding air, and countless gusts surged forward.
With a piercing sound, the arrows, moving at extreme speed, turned Ouyang Chu Ge into a sieve. He was firmly pinned to the ground, resembling a porcupine, unable to move. Ouyang Chu Ge lifted his head, seemingly wanting to speak, but due to the severity of his injuries, he could not utter a word. He tilted his head and fell silent.
Witnessing this, Su Xi's eyes widened with panic. "I'll avenge him! I'll kill you!" she shouted, raising her Meteor God Sword and charging towards Gao Feng, seemingly determined to fight to the death. As she ran, Su Xi's aura began to escalate.
Gao Feng watched Su Xi's desperate charge with a smile, unperturbed. "With such moves, do you think you can defeat me?" he scoffed. Anger could indeed enhance power, but it also led to clouded judgment and greater openings. Courage was not always necessary; strength was the most crucial factor.
Gao Feng showed no intention of holding back. With a wave of his hand, countless sharp swords appeared and flew towards Su Xi. These swords were more numerous and faster than those that had struck Ouyang Chu Ge, enveloping all of Su Xi's potential escape routes. Densely packed, they pierced Su Xi through and through.
Su Xi fell to the ground, her face contorted in agony as she looked at Gao Feng, stammering, "I'm telling you, you'll regret killing me."
"Regret?" Gao Feng sneered dismissively. "I'd like to see how I regret it." To emphasize his resolve, Gao Feng moved his hand abruptly, driving more swords into Su Xi's chest, silencing her final words. Severely wounded, Su Xi lay still on the ground.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Gao Feng's gaze drifted into the distance. The Great Elder had been swept away by the residual energy from his battle, and now he had to chase him down. Those attacks could inflict severe injuries, but they were not meant to kill. The events here today must not be known to others.
However, just as he was about to ascend and search for the Great Elder, he felt something entangle his feet, pulling him back.
"What the hell is this?" Gao Feng's face was filled with confusion as he looked at the object around his ankle. When had it wrapped around him? Despite his bewilderment, he knew that being ensnared by it would be no good. Understanding this, Gao Feng attempted to break the rope around his ankle. The rope, which appeared thinner than a strand of hair, should have been easy to snap, but his effort yielded no result. The rope on the ground was like steel, utterly unyielding.
Disbelieving, Gao Feng moved his ankle again. This time, he exerted even greater force. Such power could have destroyed a small mountain. Yet, the rope on his ankle remained motionless, showing no reaction whatsoever.
"???" Seeing the rope around his ankle, Gao Feng's expression finally turned serious. "What is this thing?" Gao Feng had never encountered such a strange phenomenon and was at a loss as to how to free himself from this bizarre rope.
"Hmph, let's see what sort of demonic thing you are," Gao Feng snorted, drawing a sharp sword and attempting to cut the rope. But even with all his strength, he grew tired without the rope showing any sign of damage. Discovering this, Gao Feng felt a sense of despair. "What the hell is this?" These peculiar occurrences were truly pushing him to his limit.
"Who dares to ambush me? Come out!" Gao Feng shouted into the surrounding darkness. But the surroundings were pitch-black, and there was no sound. Gao Feng's voice echoed in the darkness, receiving no response.
Seeing no movement, Gao Feng initially thought he had accidentally stumbled into someone's trap and that there was no danger. Suddenly, the rope that had been around only one ankle was joined by a red thread that entangled his other foot.
"???" What the hell? Gao Feng was facing such a bizarre situation for the first time and was momentarily stunned. However, a powerful force suddenly emanated from his body, pulling his limbs apart. Sensing the force, Gao Feng realized the danger. He knew clearly that if this continued, he would be torn in half. The prospect of being dismembered filled him with terror.
"Who are you?" Gao Feng's voice trembled slightly. An unseen enemy was the most terrifying. Despite reaching the Soul Transformation stage, Gao Feng still felt fear towards the unknown.
A series of buzzing sounds suddenly filled the air, causing ripples to appear in the surrounding space. The ripples were initially faint, then rapidly expanded outwards. As the ripples intensified, Gao Feng felt the air around him solidify. He was overcome by a suffocating sensation, making him dizzy.
"I will kill you!" Gao Feng felt the changes in his body and knew the situation was critical. Panic seizing him, he unleashed his most powerful attack. "Brute force conquers all." He intended to use his attack to break the formation. He now understood he was trapped in a formation, and his only recourse was to use his own power to shatter the surrounding array.
However, despite Gao Feng's powerful attack, it had no effect. The surroundings grew darker, and Gao Feng felt the pulling force on his feet intensify.
"Ah!" The pain emanating from his body made Gao Feng cry out in agony.