Within the basin, the battle was nearing its end.
The Iron-Eating Beast was truly ferocious, battering the elders from Flying Phoenix Ridge and Tongtian Pavilion to the ground. Even several of their dream-grade equipment were gnawed to pieces, leaving them battered and miserable.
The remaining cultivators could not withstand the onslaught of the Heavenly Poison Demonic Ants, suffering heavy casualties and forced to make a desperate stand.
*Bang!*
The Emperor Axe in the elder of Flying Phoenix Ridge's hand finally gave out, bitten into several pieces by the Iron-Eating Beast.
The Iron-Eating Beast surged forward, clamping onto his thigh and pulling with all its might. A piercing scream erupted.
The elder's leg instantly shattered into pieces, then sent flying by a swipe of the Iron-Eating Beast's paw. Four ghastly wounds appeared on his abdomen, his intestines spilling out.
He collapsed in a pool of blood, struggled for a moment, then fell silent.
The elder of Tongtian Pavilion's eyes nearly bulged out in terror. His form transformed into a streak of light as he ascended into the sky, attempting to flee.
However, black and white light flashed, and the Iron-Eating Beast instantly pursued, once again latching onto his thigh.
Immediately, his leg exploded, turning into a mist of blood.
The Tongtian Pavilion elder spat out a mouthful of blood, plummeting towards the ground.
He happened to fall into the crowd below.
The Iron-Eating Beast curled into a ball, descending like a meteor, and smashed heavily onto his body.
*Boom!*
The solid ground was blasted into a large pit. The Tongtian Pavilion elder's remains were obliterated, not even a bone left.
Terrifying gusts of wind raged, sweeping in all directions.
The cultivators of Flying Phoenix Ridge and Tongtian Pavilion, who were barely holding on, met their doom. Flesh and blood flew everywhere, with a large number falling dead or wounded.
The Heavenly Poison Demonic Ants seized the opportunity, breaking through the defenses and charging towards the remaining cultivators to annihilate them.
After dealing with the two elders, the Iron-Eating Beast shook off the dust and bloodstains from its body. It waddled forward on its short legs, trotting towards Ji Mo.
It was eager to eat spicy rabbit heads.
Yu Xiaohuan panicked, her small face turning ashen. Would Ji Mo really keep his word and roast her for the Iron-Eating Beast as a snack?
The thought of being prepared in a spicy flavor, with her head gnawed off, made her eyes roll back in terror, nearly causing her to collapse onto the ground.
The Iron-Eating Beast, which had been heading towards Ji Mo for a reward, inexplicably turned its head and lunged at Yu Xiaohuan nearby.
Yu Xiaohuan's smooth, jade-like long legs were tightly gripped by the Iron-Eating Beast. She was terrified, goosebumps erupting all over her body, her rabbit teeth chattering.
She had just witnessed firsthand the "leg-hugging kill" that befell the two elders of the Mortal Immortal Realm's fifth level, their deaths utterly gruesome.
She was filled with dread, fearing her own thigh would be reduced to a pulp in the next moment.
However, the Iron-Eating Beast merely held Yu Xiaohuan's calf tightly, not delivering a fatal blow.
It stared at the space above Ji Mo's head, its eyes filled with apprehension.
"Little Tuan Tuan, I'm not going to eat you, why are you scared?"
Ji Mo was somewhat puzzled, then raised his eyelids to look upwards.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
Above his head, a thick layer of gray mist descended, exuding an eerie and ominous aura, and was advancing towards him.
Ji Mo's eyelids twitched violently. He shouted, "Holy crap, who's trying to ambush me from behind!"
He recognized it as a potent and malicious阴邪之力 (yin xie zhi li - sinister and evil power), clearly someone employing vicious means against him.
"Yin Yang Wuji, Qiankun Ni Zhuan, Reflect!"
Ji Mo was decisive. Using the Tiger Tally as his brush, he drew special runes on the ground, forming circles.
Dao rhyme permeated, laws intertwined, and the power of curses surged. These peculiar circles flickered and then vanished.
Simultaneously, the large expanse of gloom above Ji Mo's head dissipated.
The Night Priest, his face contorted in a sinister grin, brandished a rusty long needle and stabbed it into a small wooden effigy in his hand.
However, he felt no sign of the spell's success, indicating that this stab seemed to have had no effect.
"This makes no sense."
He bit his fingertip again, squeezing out more blue vital blood, and smeared it densely over the wooden effigy.
After reconfirming there were no mistakes, he was confident that even a ninth-level Mortal Immortal Realm expert would be in unbearable pain from his technique.
"Ji, I'll let you truly experience my heaven-defying methods."
The Night Priest sneered, aiming for the effigy's crotch with an extremely wicked expression.
With this stab, he was determined to make Ji Mo understand the pain of utter devastation. Even if it couldn't kill Ji Mo, it would make him wish for death but be unable to find it.
Filled with resentment, he mercilessly plunged the needle into the crotch of the wooden effigy, the long needle sinking in almost entirely.
The wooden effigy vibrated, emitting an eerie gray glow, clearly indicating the evil spell had taken effect.
The Night Priest was incredibly excited, already imagining Ji Mo's miserable state in his mind.
But suddenly.
A chilling sensation swept over him, and he shivered. He felt an icy aura surge into his body.
"This is backlash, no..."
He cried out in terror.
But his voice was cut short. He felt an indescribable, excruciating pain erupting from his groin, almost breaking him.
The Night Priest clutched his abdomen with both hands, his body contorting like a shrimp, and he fell heavily to the ground.
One could faintly see his mouth opening and closing, but no sound escaped. He could only gasp for air, his entire face contorted.
The pain was truly beyond words, piercing to the soul, making his very spirit tremble.
His body convulsed, and he felt as though he would have to squat to urinate from now on. Tears streamed slowly from the corners of his eyes.
After a long while, the pain gradually subsided. He was drenched in cold sweat, as if he had been pulled from water.
"Die, I must make you die! This hatred is irreconcilable."
The Night Priest roared, his eyes bloodshot. All he could think of was tearing Ji Mo to shreds.
He immediately issued various commands, mobilizing all his subordinates and resources, determined to kill Ji Mo, that bastard, in the shortest possible time.
The various demonic pawns, demonic beasts, and other forces within the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield ruins received the orders and began to move, heading towards Ji Mo's location.
These forces were originally intended to annihilate the Ning Clan and reopen the gate to the Demon Realm. But for revenge, the Night Priest no longer cared about the bigger picture, his sole focus being Ji Mo's wretched life.
"The Priest's Yan Sheng technique actually failed. Mr. Ji is indeed unfathomable and difficult to defeat."
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad had worked with the Night Priest for many years and understood the terrifying nature of his methods. It was unexpected that even his most mysterious evil arts could not harm Ji Mo in the slightest.
It began to suspect that Ji Mo truly possessed a divine body impervious to all magic, and might indeed be a demon god.
The proprietress said indignantly, "That old scoundrel, the Night Priest, dared to disrespect Mr. Ji by acting presumptuously. When we return to the Demon Realm, I will definitely find an opportunity to deal with him."
Clearly, in the proprietress's eyes, Ji Mo was already a sacred and inviolable deity, and she could not tolerate anyone disrespecting him.