The four moved as one, their synchronized steps suddenly broken.
"Keep up!"
Wu Di let out a low command, then erupted with the aura of a peak fifth-level cultivator.
The other three struggled to match his pace, lagging behind.
Qiu Wenying, who was in front, suddenly turned back to position himself behind them.
"Don't hold back."
The trio's expressions shifted as they unleashed their speed secret techniques.
Fan Li, leading the group, had a green light appear beneath his feet. It wasn't just him; the other three experienced a similar phenomenon. In the next second, they transformed into streaks of green wind, dashing forward.
Li Zhonglou and the other two followed suit, each using their unique skills, with Qiu Wenying bringing up the rear.
Fan Li's decision proved correct. The giant arm's owner hadn't fully emerged from the earth before the seven had already moved past it. By the time it fully revealed itself, they had gained nearly ten meters.
Li Zhonglou glanced back, his pupils constricting sharply.
He had seen rock-like异兽 (yì shòu), or rather, 异生命 (yì shēng mìng), before, but never one whose aura was so potent that it seemed on the verge of condensing into a physical form.
About ten meters behind them stood a colossal stone figure, five to six meters tall, its physique comparable to an ancient Tyrannosaurus Rex. A faint yellow light emanated from its body, radiating a dense aura of the higher realms.
Its cultivation power acted like an armor, encasing it.
Its true form, with a pair of blood-red eyes, stared intently at them.
Roar!
The stone figure suddenly let out a sky-shattering roar.
Li Zhonglou, witnessing this scene, his face changed. He instinctively shielded his mind with his divine sense.
In the next moment, all seven were forced to halt.
*Puff!* Except for Li Zhonglou, the other six simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood.
It was a mental attack!
Moreover, in front of them, a dense multitude of arms were erupting from the soil!
"We're surrounded!"
Fan Li, without time for surprise, stated grimly.
"Charge with me."
In this situation, the best course of action was to break through the encirclement before the giant stone figure could fully exert its restraint. Otherwise, if they were pinned down, and the smaller stone figures in front and behind them closed in, even an immortal would struggle to escape!
This colossal stone figure clearly possessed the aura of a seventh-level cultivator!
Fan Li unleashed his peak sixth-level aura and charged forward, leading the charge. The others, with no other choice, followed closely.
However, the smaller stone figures had already broken through the earth, their forms identical to the larger one behind them, like miniature replicas.
The number of figures in front was still considerable, making a direct pass impossible. Fan Li did not slow down, his gaze fixed on the nearest stone figure.
Its body was pieced together from gray rocks, and a round stone bore a human-like face. What was most striking were its round, unsettlingly red eyes.
The stone figure lacked nostrils or ears, but when it opened its mouth, a wisp of faint yellow flame emerged from the black void within.
It appeared capable of elemental attacks.
Gathering internal energy into his fist, Fan Li roared and slammed his fist towards the nearest small stone figure's head.
*Bang!*
With a resounding crash, Fan Li was forced back several steps, while the small stone figure, only about 1.6 meters tall, remained completely unmoved.
"How is this possible? My punch had no effect on it!"
Fan Li exclaimed in shock. With that punch, he clearly felt as if he had struck not a monster, but a solid, unyielding mountain!
"Watch their feet!"
Wu Di suddenly shouted. The others instinctively looked down, noticing a faint, almost imperceptible yellow light beneath the feet of all the stone figures.
"This is..."
Wang Liqiang’s mind raced, a hint of alarm flashing across his face as he quickly said, "They're elemental bodies! They should be able to borrow the power of the earth!"
Borrowing the power of the earth?
Li Zhonglou and the other two were somewhat bewildered, encountering such a situation for the first time.
Even Wu Di, who had visited the underground world several times, looked perplexed at the mention of these words.
However, Fan Li and the others reacted swiftly, drawing their long swords from their waists.
Li Zhonglou and the other two were also given swords. Though they were identical long swords, Fan Li and his three companions also possessed their own secondary weapons.
At this moment, the giant stone figure behind them had begun to advance. Despite its size, its speed was not diminished. Each stride it took was equivalent to their five steps!
In just a few seconds of delay, the stone figure had closed half the distance.
Its colossal fist, larger than an elephant's, was raised high.
*Ching!* With a metallic clang, Fan Li's long sword cleaved through the air, leaving a visible sword energy.
The sword energy instantly reached the stone figure, but instead of encountering any resistance, it sliced through its body as easily as cutting tofu.
Several stone figures behind it were also cleanly bisected.
"So effective?"
Li Zhonglou’s expression flickered in surprise, but before he could rejoice, the fallen stone figures reattached their bodies and quickly stood up.
Wang Liqiang spoke again, "Hack at their heads."
This time, the four unleashed their swords simultaneously. Four streams of sword energy sliced through the heads of dozens of stone figures. The fallen figures immediately went still.
"So that's how it is."
Li Zhonglou and the other two understood the pattern. These stone figures seemed immune to physical attacks, and their core weakness lay within the yellow flame in their mouths.
Thus, the trio also drew their long swords.
Before coming, Wang Liqiang had taught them the basic usage. Although their power was clearly not as potent as the other four, they could still generate sword energy, capable of piercing the stone figures' defenses.
Suddenly, the blocking stone figures were no longer a threat. The seven advanced rapidly, like tigers entering a flock of sheep.
However, Fan Li soon noticed a problem.
At the edge of their vision ahead, more stone figures were emerging from the earth. While they could easily dispatch them, using sword energy consumed considerably more internal energy than their fists and feet.
At this rate, they might break through the encirclement, but they certainly wouldn't escape the pursuit of the giant stone figure behind them!
"Let's take down that big guy first!"
Fan Li suddenly stopped, turning to face the giant stone figure that was now less than ten meters away.
The sword energy was highly effective against the smaller stone figures, and with Li Zhonglou and the other two able to strike them down, they posed no immediate threat.
Qiu Wenying spoke first, "I'll go test it."
With that, he turned back. Fan Li signaled for the others to spread out.
In the next second, the pursuing giant stone figure brought down its massive fist.
*Boom!*
The ground shook violently, and several cracks even extended to Li Zhonglou's feet.
Cutting open the head of an oncoming small stone figure with his sword, Li Zhonglou focused intently on Qiu Wenying.
After evading the residual impact of the punch, Qiu Wenying leaped into the air, sword in hand, and swung it towards the stone figure's head.
White sword energy instantly reached the giant stone figure's head, but unlike the smaller figures, the sword energy was blocked by the faint yellow light before it could even make contact.