"Roar—" As if sensing the arrival of the cultivators, the eight-headed serpent beneath the sinkhole let out an angry roar.
Immediately, the sound waves from the eight-headed serpent once again emanated from the sinkhole. It was preparing to repeat its previous trick, but since all the newcomers were cultivators, they naturally wouldn't allow it to unleash its sonic attack.
"Die quickly!" the elder who arrived first bellowed. In his hand, a jade ruyi appeared. It spun in the air, growing immensely large. A green light shot from the ruyi, intertwining with the sound waves produced by the eight-headed serpent. The sound waves then dissipated, and the green light slowly descended.
"Roar—" The eight-headed serpent's tail surged into the sky once more. The green light was instantly disrupted by this tail. Following that, countless small snakes flew out from all directions, heading towards the cultivators in the sky.
"Everyone, the eight-headed serpent of Sakura Island is no longer what it used to be. Let us join forces and kill this beast!"
The elder's voice echoed among the arriving cultivators. Everyone nodded, and each of them summoned their respective weapons, ceaselessly slaughtering the small snakes.
In an instant, the entire area around the sinkhole was filled with a thick, bloody stench.
Within the forest, several dark figures suddenly emerged. Each of them held a specially made repeating crossbow. These crossbows were modified magical artifacts; by channeling true energy, their arrows could amplify their power by a hundredfold compared to ordinary repeating crossbows.
"Swish, swish, swish—"
The repeating crossbows fired, and the sound of projectiles tearing through the air echoed, catching the cultivators present completely off guard.
From the sinkhole leaped a colossal serpent several dozen feet high. Its body extended with eight long necks; seven of them were already headless, leaving only one with a snake's head, emitting a faint green glow.
"I am finally free!" a sinister voice declared. "Cultivators of the Nine Provinces, you shall all suffer a terrible end."
The aura emanating from the eight-headed serpent surged from the early stage of Foundation Establishment to the middle stage, and then to the late stage.
"The ancestor has appeared." Upon seeing the eight-headed serpent's emergence, several voices materialized from nowhere among the people of Sakura Island.
"We are willing to sacrifice our lives to help the ancestor regain his peak!" those people from Sakura Island roared. The eight-headed serpent opened its cavernous maw, and those individuals instantly vanished into it.
Within the serpent's mouth, a red light flashed, and they were absorbed into its belly.
"Kill it quickly! Do not let the people of Sakura Island get close!" Panic flickered across the faces of some cultivators. The eight-headed serpent's strength continued to climb. Two cultivators in the late stage of Foundation Establishment unleashed their spells, striking fiercely at the serpent. "Swish—"
However, the eight-headed serpent was an extraordinary beast. Its tough hide was impervious to ordinary magical artifacts, leaving it unharmed.
"Boom—"
"Boom—"
Two consecutive impacts. The attacks from the two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators only inflicted superficial damage on the eight-headed serpent.
Concurrently, a sword from beyond the heavens, accompanied by a crimson sword light, descended from the sky. The sword light flashed, carving a bloody gash across the necks of these black-clad figures. A swordsman-like figure then hovered in mid-air.
"Immortal Sword Master Ming Qin of the Crimson Sword Sect!" Upon seeing the newcomer, everyone present erupted in excitement.
"Legend has it that Immortal Sword Master Ming Qin is currently breaking through to the Golden Core stage. I wonder if he has succeeded." someone mused, observing the figure.
"It appears not, but he must be close, just one step away. He's likely at the Half-Step Golden Core stage now."
"Hmph!" A muffled groan echoed. The eight-headed serpent unleashed another sonic attack, directed at Immortal Sword Master Ming Qin.
Immortal Sword Master Ming Qin was the Grand Elder of the cultivation sect to which Wang Yao, whom Ye Bufan had previously assisted, belonged. He was also the Grand Elder taught by Lin Xiaoyao in the past—Song Mingqin.
The other party turned his gaze towards the eight-headed serpent. Its strength was ascending from the late stage of Foundation Establishment towards the Golden Core stage.
"Beast, you think you can increase your power through blood sacrifice? Not a chance." Song Mingqin leaped forward. A crimson sword appeared behind him, and a surge of sword energy followed. With a move of his hands, the crimson sword descended towards the eight-headed serpent.
Upon seeing this strike, the eight-headed serpent's eyes glowed intensely green. Its entire body coiled like a spring, colliding with Song Mingqin's crimson sword. With a powerful impact, it was driven back into the sinkhole.
Song Mingqin turned to face the black-clad figures from Sakura Island behind him and commanded, "Either retreat yourselves, or I'll send you home."
The black-clad figures exchanged glances. Song Mingqin wasted no time. With a wave of his crimson sword, the sword moved with his will. Only a flash of light was seen, not the sword's movement, and the black-clad figures immediately collapsed to the ground.
"Such a swift sword! Did you see Immortal Sword Master Ming Qin make his move?" the surrounding cultivators marveled at his skill.
"Even at Half-Step Golden Core, he's this formidable. Imagine his strength at the Golden Core stage!" a young man exclaimed from the crowd.
"I heard that Immortal Sword Master Ming Qin could fight cultivators at the early stage of Golden Core even when he was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Now that he's Half-Step Golden Core, I wonder if he can contend with someone at the middle stage of Golden Core?"
"Indeed. There are very few at the Golden Core stage currently. The Golden Core powerhouses of each sect are either at the end of their lifespans or withdrew midway during past battles. In a fight with Song Mingqin, he might not win, but he can at least protect himself."
Song Mingqin cupped his fists in a bow to the surrounding crowd and said, "Everyone, the eight-headed serpent has returned to the sinkhole. Its strength is continuously growing, and it's advancing towards the Golden Core stage. I wonder if anyone will join me in entering the sinkhole to eliminate this threat permanently."
Silence ensued for a moment. Still, some cultivators prepared to descend into the sinkhole with Song Mingqin.
Ji Feiyang watched the cultivators hovering in the sky, his eyes filled with awe. With Ye Bufan's help, he too was progressing towards becoming a Martial Saint, but to reach the level of these cultivators, Ji Feiyang felt immense envy and a sense of his own insignificance.
Especially after Ye Bufan had mentioned the concept of "bottlenecked consciousness," Ji Feiyang felt a sense of urgency.
"Brother Ji, what is it? Are you starting to envy those cultivators in the sky?" Ye Bufan's voice sounded. Ji Feiyang spun around abruptly, only to find Ye Bufan appearing behind him, accompanied by two girls and an elder, as silently as a ghost.
"Brother Ye! When did you arrive?" Ji Feiyang exclaimed with joy. "I thought you would join the group in the sky as soon as you got here."
"When I arrived, I happened to witness Immortal Sword Master Ming Qin's strike that pushed the eight-headed serpent back into the sky. It seems my presence isn't immediately required, so I came to greet you, Brother Ji."