Staring at the five figures appearing before the ancient Bodhi tree, everyone felt a strange sense of unease. They couldn't have imagined that within this ancient Bodhi tree, there were five cultivators at the half-Saint level! As long as one reaches the Half-Saint rank, they become beings approaching the pinnacle in this realm—strong enough even among ancient lineages such as the Soul and the Elder clans. Yet now, such accomplished individuals have been reduced to puppets under the control of the Bodhi Ancient Tree. This development leaves every single person present feeling a deep chill. The Soul Jade and others are no exception, their expressions notably displeased. Especially when his gaze sweeps across the gathering and finally settles on a slender figure clad in black robes—a Half-Saint of exceptional strength—his astonishment reaches its peak: "Isn't this precisely the Half-Saint ancestor recorded in our clan's ancient scrolls, who vanished alongside the Bodhi Ancient Tree?" "Heard the startled cry from Hounyu, the others couldn't help but tremble, their gaze fixed upon the black-robed half-Immortal. Now, the latter appeared utterly hollow, his eyes devoid of any flicker, his skin subtly showing signs of dryness and cracking. Yet he remained completely still—unmoved by Hounyu's voice at all..." "What now?" Gu Qingyang's expression was grave. With five half-Immortals in this lineup, the strength was truly formidable—few could match them, even if they outnumbered their opponents. Xiao Yan also furrowed his brows, glancing at the luminous core within the Bodhi Tree. The Bodhi Heart was so close—would he truly abandon it so easily? "Together, we should be able to hold our own against one half-Immortal." Xiao Yan glanced at his current lineup. Xun'er and Gu Qingyang were both at the peak of the Du Zun rank—Xun'er at the eighth turn, and Gu Qingyang at the sixth. Adding to that were himself, with combat power comparable to a sixth or even seventh turn, along with Cai Lin, Xiao Yi, Yun Yun, Qing Cheng, and Gu Hua and Gu Xing—enough to stand a strong chance against a half-Saint-level powerhouse. Yet, there were no fewer than five such half-Saint-level warriors here! "Since no one is retreating, we must press on. Here, we still have seven teams. Our group will hold off one half-Saint powerhouse; the remaining four shall be assigned to you, how would you like that?" The teams now arriving include not only Xiao Yan's group but also the Hún Clan and the Tian Yāo Huáng Clan. The other four teams, which Xiao Yan has never seen before, are likely from other powers in the Central Region. Though not as strong as Xiao Yan and his companions, these teams are far from negligible—each boasts at least two warriors at the peak of the Battle Sovereign rank. "We can hold off one," Hún Yù glanced at Xiao Yan, not adding any disruption at this moment. He understood that if anyone chose to retreat now, the remaining forces would be utterly unable to withstand five half-Saint powerhouses. "One of them shall be assigned to us." "Nine Phoenix hesitated slightly and added, 'Though these strong ones are formidable, they are still mere puppets, not on par with true half-Saints. With their combined strength, we should be able to stand against them.' 'The remaining two half-Saints—hand them over to your four teams,' said Xiao Yan, turning his gaze toward the remaining four teams. While each team individually may not match theirs, if two teams work together to face one half-Saint puppet each, they should still be able to succeed.' 'Agreed,' replied the four teams, exchanging glances before looking toward Bodhi Heart's position. Under her influence, they finally nodded firmly, fully committing themselves. 'Since everything has been settled—then, let's begin!' Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, his face growing increasingly serious. Facing a half-Saint powerhouse—this was the first time in his life. Though this puppet's combat strength undoubtedly fell short of that of a true half-Saint, regardless of how one looked at it, he could still be considered a Saint-tier powerhouse. Any entity associated with the word "Saint" carried the weight of strength. As Xiao Yan finished speaking, he slowly took three steps forward, his inner Qi surging forth in a roaring wave. Faced with the fierce assault of this nearly semi-divine automaton, Xiao Yan stomped his foot on the ground, and a massive column of molten rock erupted violently, crashing directly into the automaton's body. Yet, this molten column—capable of sending a typical nine-star Domain Sovereign to gasp and retreat with blood on his lips—only caused the automaton's body to tremble slightly. The fierce palm wind remained unyielding, pressing down directly upon Xiao Yan. As Xiao Yan and his group began engaging a half-Saint automaton, the others from the Hún Clan couldn't afford to be slow. With a cold command, one after another surged forward, swiftly encircling the Hún Clan's half-Saint automaton warrior. "Ancestral one, your suffering shall be relieved by us," Hún Yu said calmly, stepping forward as he approached the automaton whose face was hollow. Behind him, nearly a dozen powerful Hún Palace warriors swiftly followed, their surging qi tightly wrapping and restraining the half-Saint automaton. Following Xiao Yan and Hún Yu, the Nine Phoenix and the other teams also moved into action, each drawing upon their utmost internal qi and charging forward, swiftly enclosing the final three half-Saint automata within their own battle circles. At once, across this vast plain, an overwhelming surge of qi spread out, cutting through the air like sharp blades, creating a fierce and relentless wind. Although they had the advantage of numbers, none of the participants was truly a Supreme Saint-level warrior. Thus, this battle would undoubtedly be extremely fierce! …… "Boom!" At the same time, Gu Hu and Gu Xing surged forth into the air, their palms radiating a powerful surge of combat energy that crashed directly onto the back of the Half-Saint Automaton. Yet, despite the seemingly overwhelming force of the attack, it merely sank into the automaton as if into still water. The automaton's body shuddered violently, and a powerful force surged rapidly through both of their arms. "Pfft!" Such a terrifying force feedback instantly shattered the defensive barriers within Gu Hu and Gu Xing's bodies, causing them to spew out great bursts of blood and recoil backward, ultimately being caught by several senior elders from the Hua Sect. Since the beginning of their clash, the two sides had been exchanging powerful blows for nearly twenty minutes. As for Xiao Yan and the Hua Sect elders, as long as they were even slightly brushed by the puppet's gusts of wind, they would lose their combat effectiveness within a short time. Fortunately, Xiao Yan, Gu Qingyang, and Xun'er—whose main forces were exceptionally strong—had managed to keep the Battle Saint puppets firmly contained. "Hit its head!" Xiao Yan roared. The puppets had already lost all life; unless their heads were obliterated, they could not be stopped. "Jinggang Lirui Body!" "Ba Ji Bing!" As the sound of impact resonated, a surge of golden light erupted within Xiao Yan's body, causing his form to instantly expand—like a solid gold fist—swift as lightning, striking the head of the Battle Saint puppet while it was distracted by Gu Qingyang ahead. "Bang!" The powerful fist, brimming with immense force, slammed into the puppet's head, generating strong shockwaves that cracked several fissures across its skull. Yet no blood spilled, clearly indicating that the puppet, having endured countless years of wind and rain, had long since dried out and turned into a mummified form. Upon being struck, the Battle Saint puppet instantly turned around, its stiff arms crashing down like thunder onto Xiao Yan's shoulders. "Clang!" Struck by the Divine Saint Puppet, Xiao Yan's massive body instantly retreated several steps, with a noticeable indentation forming on his shoulders. Fortunately, the resilience of his金刚琉璃 body, combined with the presence of the Insect Emperor's Robe and the Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor, prevented him from being knocked back with a gasp or spitting blood. "Attack its head! Eliminate it!" Xiao Yan roared again, his voice steady as the cracks on the puppet's head multiplied. No matter how durable this being proved to be, it could never match the true power of a half-Saint. "Great Extinction Finger!" Xun'er and Gu Qingyang simultaneously launched their attacks, their faces serious as they swiftly changed hand seals. Two immense fingers of energy, radiating an aura of stillness and extinction, surged through the air and then struck the Divine Saint Puppet's head with a lightning-fast, decisive press. "Great Extinction Finger!" "Following Xuanyin and Gu Qingyang, Gu Hua and Gu Xing also displayed this powerful Heaven-level combat technique, their two energy fingers—slightly dimmed—emerging in succession. 'Boom!' At that moment, the colorful lightning in the sky converged into a single surge, crashing forcefully against the half-saint automaton, the attack launched by Cai Lin."