The hurricane cleared the fog, and the view instantly sharpened. Only then did the crowd catch sight of the creature—two meters tall, emaciated, resembling a freshly risen corpse. Its two eyes were notably larger than ordinary, veined with blood, bulging slightly from their sockets, terrifying in appearance. A one-who had failed in his surprise attack, flapped his thin wings and prepared to retreat. But suddenly, the creature raised its hand and grasped the bone sword at its head. "Crack!" The sturdy bone sword was snapped in two. A low groan escaped A's lips as he swiftly ascended, trying to increase the distance between himself and the creature. He knew well how formidable the close-range capabilities of the enchanting spirit could be—no profession could match it in physical combat during the transcendent stage. At the sage level, only swordsmen with sharp, decisive techniques and fire mages possessing the "Fury" skill could hold their own against the fog master; all others were outmatched. The corpse's two eyes slowly lifted, fixed on A as he soared higher, and the hand holding the broken bone fragment gently trembled. A sharp, piercing sound of rushing air echoed through the air. The very next moment, the bone spear pierced through Ai Yi's abdomen, emerging from his back, slicing through his elytra and thin wings, and spilling a large surge of dark green sap. Immediately thereafter, the dry corpse bent its knees and rocketed skyward, intent on engaging the transcendent-level witch-guisher. At this moment, Ai Yi, with his wings damaged, wavered and plummeted downward, now helpless in midair, unable to evade. At the critical juncture, Tangui Lingxiao, also a witch-guisher, produced a soiled, foul-smelling robe, donned it, and with a solid thud, knelt on both knees, bowing his head in reverence to the soaring dry corpse. Xiao Fu! Zhang Yuanqing, standing some distance away, raised an eyebrow at this scene. He recognized the item—its previous owner had been Li Xianzong. When Li Xianzong died in Yin-Yang Town, he had retrieved all the items and stored them in his inventory, and upon his passing, the items had returned to the spiritual realm. It was unexpected that someone else had already obtained it so quickly. The equipment from the Transcendent Realm has an unusually high turnover rate—this indirectly suggests that each profession's gear is actually limited in quantity, which explains such a swift turnover. "Whoa!" A flaming lance shot forth, striking the dry corpse dead-on, and the massive explosion sent the 4th-level Saint flying. The fire master who launched the lance was left stunned. "Bang, bang, bang…" At a distance, the infantryman with a large-caliber handgun aimed steadily at the dry corpse suspended in the air, firing one after another—each bullet spinning precisely, covering the corpse's head, chest, and eyes. With the benefit of his keen perception specialty, his aim was flawless. The dry corpse slowly descended, swiftly and with the grace of a shadow, drawing twelve bullets from the air with a single, fluid motion. Then, it turned its gaze toward the infantryman who had fired. Raising his hand, he hurled the bullet still clenched in his palm directly at the scout. The projectile arrived faster than when it came, slicing through the air with sharp, piercing cries, pouring down in a relentless rain upon the soldier crossing the river. The soldier remained calm, steadily swapping magazines while taking three deliberate steps diagonally backward and tilting his head slightly. Pfft, pfft, pfft... the dense stream of bullets struck his front, his back, his sides—indeed, one grazed his neck, leaving a series of dense craters on the ground, yet none reached him. With his deep mastery of observation and precision, every trajectory of the projectiles became fully visible and accounted for in his eyes. "Watch out!" Suddenly, he heard the distant alert from Tianxia Guihuo. For a moment, his vision blurred, and his gaze caught the towering, sunken form of the dry corpse, its two protruding eyes filled with twisted, strange characters. His mind buzzed, consciousness swirling in confusion, as a solemn voice murmured deep within: "They are all enemies. Eliminate the enemies. They are all enemies. Eliminate the enemies." The Over-the-River Soldier's expression grew steadily fierce, without hesitation, turned his gun toward a fellow companion nearby, and fired—acting as though facing a father he had lost. The others were stunned, some rolling, others crouching, scattering in panic; yet one of the persuasive spirits不幸 was struck in the abdomen, falling wounded to the ground. At that moment, the dry corpse had reached the fire master who threw spears, employing the same method to influence him, turning him into an ally. In an instant, two spiritual realm travelers switched sides and launched fierce attacks on their own comrades. Witnessing this, the travelers from both factions felt their spirits sink. They had still underestimated the terrifying power of the Saint Realm enemies. The fog master's influence surpassed even that of the extraordinary realm spirits, easily causing allies to turn against them. At this pace, more and more people would defect, fighting each other to the point of mutual destruction, and the dry skeletons would merely have to clean up the aftermath. Tianxia Guihu immediately saw through the core issue and declared, "Is there any way to weaken its intelligence?" As he spoke, he plucked a ball of fire from his hand, ready to unleash the Fire element as soon as he was targeted by a skeleton. In the span of a few moments, another person was taken over by the boss, launching a relentless assault on allies and successfully killing a fellow companion, causing the scene to spiral into chaos. "Cover us!" The stocky man stepped forward, his eyes deepening into a vortex so profound it seemed to pull the very soul of the audience into it. Within his vision, various colors bloomed across the skeletons' bodies, each color representing a different emotion, with red—symbolizing anger and violence—standing out most prominently. He immediately extinguished all colors except deep red, and the other illusionists, such as Hongwei, quickly followed suit, helping to calm the skeletons' emotional states. Emotions are the extension of spiritual strength; extinguishing emotions effectively kills the soul. A skilled illusionist can silently transform a normal person into a lifeless corpse devoid of soul. During this process, the earth monsters press their palms into the ground, causing the earth to rise, and mud and bricks coalesce into massive hands that cradle the mummified bodies in their palms. At the same time, tender green vines sprout from the giant hands formed by the earth monsters, grow rapidly, and tightly encircle the corpses. While the group works in unison to attack the mummified figures, Zhang Yuanqing performs a night-wanderer's technique, striking three of his "defection" teammates, using the Vam-pole to purify the hypnotic forces and restore their senses. As the illusionists collectively extinguish the dry corpse's emotions, leaving only deep red anger, which they are poised to fully suppress, suddenly, crimson, blood-like symbols emerge simultaneously within the swirling eyes of each of them. "Ah…" A chorus of cries rang out as the strongest, the plump young man and Hong Wei suffered excruciating headaches. Several of the illusionary mages wept blood from their eyes, some collapsing instantly, others clutching their heads in agony. They had been reverse-contaminated—used as spiritual conduits by the dry corpse, which now polluted their minds. Though the enchanting creatures primarily excelled in close combat, their prowess in the mental domain was far from lacking. Indeed, their "Enchanted Gaze," a powerful mental manipulation technique, was particularly terrifying. Lian Cheng, who had chosen to sacrifice his lord, pressed a hand to his forehead, bracing against the pain, and said, "It's successful—but be cautious. From now on, it will grow increasingly furious. Whoever attacks it, it will relentlessly pursue and eliminate." "Boom!" The hands formed from compacted sand, stone, and brick shattered into fragments. Vines cracked and snapped under the force. A dark silhouette surged forward with a piercing, rushing sound, like a high-speed fighter jet, charging directly at the incapacitated illusionary mages. Fury burned in the dry corpse's bulging eyes—its gaze now fixed solely on the insects that Though the sorcerers failed to extinguish its soul, they successfully dimmed its intelligence, leaving it restless and driven solely by fury. "Bang!" With a sharp report, the swiftly advancing corpse staggered, its head snapping sideways, its momentum faltering and its advance broken. Guan Ya stepped in. The sorcerers could not yet be defeated. Seizing the moment, Zhang Yuanqing, who had been practicing the art of nocturnal movement, approached the corpse silently from behind and launched a sudden assault, driving his magical staff with decisive force into the enemy's back. As the staff seemed poised to strike home, Zhang Yuanqing's legs suddenly lost control, causing him to rotate. In the shifting of his gaze, he observed the corpse delivering a powerful back kick into the air. "Crack!" The air burst with a sound like an explosion. Had it not been for the red slippers actively stepping in to guide his evasive maneuver, this kick would have pierced a hole straight through his abdomen. Was this the intuitive combat instinct of the spirit that bewitched the enemy? Zhang Yuanqing found himself recalling his earlier encounter when he had ambushed Ouyang Xiangrong in the underground parking garage beneath Songhai. At that moment, the seductive demon had also sensed the danger in advance, foiling his surprise attack. It seemed the demon possessed an exceptional intuition for threats. In the distance, Bai Wu Jianchi drew a large red bow, aiming steadily at the mummified figure and drawing the string with unwavering resolve. A stream of blood mist flowed from his fingertips, coalescing into a blood-red arrow. Bing! The blood light roared forth, striking the mummified figure's chest with an inevitable, precise force. This bow possesses the ability to mark targets—anyone so marked cannot evade the arrow attack. The arrows are forged from the user's refined essence, exhibiting powerful penetration and corrosive effects. While earth monsters of equal strength can barely withstand them, any character class struck by an arrow will inevitably suffer injury. The cost of wielding this bow is paid the moment the string is drawn. —The arrows are formed from the user's own vital essence. A weapon that costs the user a thousand enemies and leaves eight hundred wounded. Bing, bing, bing… Bai Wu Jianchi launched seven consecutive arrows, each striking the mummified figure's chest, forcing it to retreat step by step. After the seventh arrow, Bai Wujian's face turned pale as paper, his demeanor weary and drained. Yet the mummified creature did not suffer as he had anticipated—though it bore fresh blood on its chest, the blood seemed highly corrosive, causing the creature's otherwise impervious body to emit hissing plumes of pale steam. That was all. Bai Wujian, having exhausted his full quiver of arrows, paused, then his expression shifted dramatically as he shouted, "This creature is as tough as iron and stone—definitely a Level 5 Saint in life. We're having a hard time breaking through its defenses." Through the feedback from the arrows' impact, he deduced that the xiaoxiu had at least been a Level 5 Saint, since the skill known as "Divine Warrior's Body (Basic)" mastered by Level 5 Fog Masters conferred the ability of being invulnerable to blades and weapons. Although the creature no longer retained its former rank and had seen a decline in all its attributes, its fundamental physical strength remained intact. The defensive power of the "Divine Warrior's Body" was beyond what the transcendental realm cultivators could achieve—thus, the mummified being was inherently un "Then we'll have to destroy its spirit. It was formed from the lingering resentment after a demonic cultivator's death, so its vulnerability should lie in its soul." Hóng Wēi took out a yellow bronze mirror intricately carved with dragons and phoenixes and said, "Hold it steady and give me one minute. Also, try to drain as much of its energy as possible." As she spoke, she placed the mirror before her and began arranging various materials in sequence, setting up the preparations needed to activate the copper mirror's skill—the Soul-Sealing Array. She had two signature tools that had earned her acclaim: the "Seven Emotions and Six Desires Sheng" and this very mirror. The mirror served two primary functions: first, to stabilize the soul, and second, to capture the soul. The former worked on spiritual beings—once the spirit was seen, it would be immobilized. The latter targeted the physical body, but required a ritual to be effective and could not be used directly against an opponent. "Everyone, our focus should be on sealing and weakening it," Zhang Yuan reminded loudly. As he spoke, he retrieved the silent mask returned by the Heavenly Fire, and handed it to the ghost bride. The latter, riding upon the Before the same enemy and the same assault, new enthralling incantations once again surfaced deep within the dry corpse's eyes. Thwip! At a distance, Guan Ya provided fire support, her slender bullet striking precisely the rigid body of the dry corpse, hitting squarely on the forehead. The dry corpse's head slightly retracted, leaving a white mark on the brow. Though the transcendent-level rifle, which effortlessly overcomes any obstacle, failed to wound it, it successfully interrupted the dry corpse's spellcasting. The ghost bride seized the opportunity to manipulate the dry corpse, using her withered hands to pick up the "Silent One" mask and place it upon her face. The tall figure of the dry corpse suddenly stiffened. On the other side, members from the two allied factions, guided by the instructions of the Primordial Sovereign, stepped forward in unison. Thud! The witch-guisher stepped on Liang Xiao's knees, then bowed deeply in reverence toward the dry corpse, his soiled, foul-smelling robe flashing with a deep black glow. He weakened the dry corpse's "blessing," ensuring that the allies' subsequent attacks would be effective. The Peony Immortal and the The Little Fairy of Niú Lán Shān carried a heavy wooden collar, swiftly sprinting toward the behind the mummified figure. *Crack!* The two wooden collars snapped together and settled snugly around the neck. Though the wooden collars lacked sealing power, they weakened the target, leaving it in a state of vulnerability. Guan Zhong Kuii crouched low, pressing her palms firmly into the ground, causing the earth beneath the mummified figure to split open and swallow it whole, leaving only its head exposed. Seizing the moment, Zhang Yuanqing activated his Night-Wanderer technique, slipping silently to the mummified figure’s back, gripping the Fúmó Chopper in both hands and forcefully striking at the celestial sensitivity of this Fog Sovereign. *Ping!* It felt as though he were chiseling into an iron plate—splinters of sparks flew, and the rebounding force nearly caused him to lose his hold on the chopper. Quite awkward—indeed, the Fúmó Chopper lacked the ability to penetrate armor. The magic of breaking through magical defenses remained unfulfilled. Worse still, this attack inadvertently "awakened" the mummified figure. New entrancing script re Finally, it tore off its mask and, in a fit of rage, ripped it into fragments. The gap in rank was simply too vast—supreme-quality artifacts could only hold it at bay for a short while. Meanwhile, the Taoist sorcerer who had been observing from the sidelines finally seized the opportunity. At the precise moment when the corpse surged upward from the earth, breaking free of its chains and vines and tearing its mask apart, the sorcerer, having slipped silently through the shadows to its back, drew forth a mourning staff wrapped in tattered cloth, exuding a dense aura of阴 qi. At that very instant, when the blessing of fortune was still waning, the corpse remained unaware of the nocturnal deity's stealthy assault behind it. Crack! Amidst a series of ghostly wails, the mourning staff struck the corpse's back, causing its body to stiffen and its sunken eyes to lose their inner light. The staff did not strike flesh—it struck the soul. At the same time, Sun Miao-miao expelled a cascade of spirits of resentment, which intertwined and coiled into a shimmering, ethereal whip. Crack! The whip immediately struck the rigid corpse, inflicting further damage upon its The minute had passed. At a distance, Hóngwēi concluded her ritual, lifting a bronze mirror intricately carved with dragons and phoenixes, and turning it toward the lifeless corpse that stood rigid and motionless. The mirror's surface shimmered with ethereal light, then revealed the image of the corpse—its face grim, yet its gaze vacant. Hóngwēi extended her right hand, her long, delicate fingers seemingly piercing the mirror surface and directly stabbing into the eyes of the image. The eyes of the mirrored figure burst open, followed by the body shattering and dissolving into ash. Instantly, the luminous glow within the corpse's eyes faded, and its two-meter-tall form collapsed straight down, sending a gust of dust swirling in a thunderous crash. Success? The practitioners from both factions felt a surge of relief. This creature was indeed fierce; had it not been for their united efforts to clear the mist and shatter its mind, ultimately erasing its soul, it would have been a formidable challenge to defeat. Just as everyone's minds relaxed, Hóng Wēi's face suddenly paled and she cried out, "No task notification sound—yet it's still alive..." Before she finished speaking, the mummified figure straightened up, and a renewed spark of spirit ignited in its dimmed eyes. In the next instant, it surged forward like a hypersonic fighter jet, leaving a trail of shimmering afterimages. Bǎn Wú Jìn roared, "Spread out! Spread out! It's going to drink blood!" But before he finished, the mummified figure had already charged toward the crowd, seizing a wooden spirit by the throat, snapping it with a crisp crack, then lowering its head to bite into the neck artery, gulping down the blood in large quantities. Within just a few breaths, the wooden spirit had turned into a shriveled corpse. The crowd scattered in panic, like birds fleeing from a storm. The mummified figure casually tossed aside the wooden spirit's body and, in an instant, darted to the back of a lone Wú Gǔ master, repeating the same maneuver—crushing the neck and sipping the essence of its blood. The spirit of the enchanting creature was indeed bloodth "Done, done. This boss is even stronger than an ordinary level 4." "Damn it, we're dead...!" The regular members were the first to lose their composure, overwhelmed by a sense of despair that spread like a wave, driving them to lose hope and scatter in all directions. Among the standout fighters—Zhang Yuanqing, Zhao Chenghuang, Ai Yi, and the stocky one—the leaders quickly assessed strategies to break through the crisis, though their hearts were heavy. They still had several reserve moves, which had been their reason for standing firm and facing the boss directly. Those without reserves had already fled, but these tactics weren’t sufficient to overcome this formidable corpse. Once their reserves were exhausted, their fate would be dire. It was clear this wouldn’t be simple. With the combined strength of the two factions, an ordinary level 4 Saint simply wasn’t enough—this corpse was a common enemy to both, naturally far surpassing the strength of a level 4 Lawful Saint. Most of the sealing and weakening items had been lost, making it difficult to replicate the previous situation. The Immortal Staff couldn’t pierce the armor—would they have to pay the price of lives to achieve breakthrough? Zhang Yuanqing pondered the method of engaging the enemy. "Bang!" Guan Ya fired a shot, the bullet striking squarely at the corpse's chest—without surprise, it failed to inflict any substantial damage. The corpse bent down, picked up the bullet casing, and looked toward the distant skyscraper. The shot had been oddly misplaced: neither had it provided effective cover nor inflicted any harm upon the enemy. While Zhang Yuanqing was muttering about Guan Ya's wasted effort, his gaze instinctively drifted to the corpse's chest. There, the wound from the decay caused by the arrows still remained, visibly corrupted. His eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly he grasped Guan Ya's intent. Zhang Yuanqing called out, "This is merely a corpse that has been dead for many years—it lacks regenerative capabilities, and its wounds will not heal. Unlike a true Level 5 Fog Master, who can recover, continue to attack its chest." A-1, Jiu Lou Yu, Wei Wo Du Zun, Zhao Chenguang, and the others exchanged a moment of surprise, their eyes fixed on the corpse's chest, before their expressions suddenly brightened. Jiang Jingwei charged ahead. Her body burst into a roaring flame, her red hair spreading out, wreathed in dark red elemental flames. Activating her innate skill, "The Wrathful," her aura surged dramatically, nearing the level of a Saint. Like a projectile launched from a cannon, she trailed a sweeping blaze of fire, covering dozens of meters in a matter of moments, and surged forward to strike the dry corpse squarely on the chest with a firm punch. The Ghost Bride reappeared once more behind the dry corpse, merging with it to disrupt its movements and ensure Jiang Jingwei's attack landed. At that moment, she saw the protruding eyes, the characteristic twisted runes glowing, but this time, the incantation of the Enchanting Eyes had grown remarkably dim. The ghost bride inevitably fell into confusion, while Jiang Jingwei's thoughts stalled, her mind disoriented, her body, driven by inertia, straightening and colliding with the mummy. The mummy stepped forward, extending his right arm like a lance, driving it toward Jiang Jingwei's face—enough force to shatter the young girl's skull. Suddenly, the flames burning on Jiang Jingwei's body automatically gathered at her head, coalescing into a helmet made of fire. At the same time, a second, heavier yellow glow flared up, enveloping her. "Boom!" Both the helmet and the yellow light shattered simultaneously. Though both protective measures were destroyed by the single punch, they had fulfilled their purpose, successfully deflecting the thrust. The mummy retracted his arm and immediately followed up with a series of subsequent attacks. He took another step, and the dry, flaccid muscles in his right leg suddenly swelled, pushing his knee forward to strike Jiang Jingwei in the abdomen. Jiang Jingwei clutched her abdomen and collapsed to the ground, spewing out large amounts of undigested roasted meat and sour water, her face twisted in pain. She sensed a strong gust of wind rushing overhead, knowing that the third assault had arrived, yet the pain rendered her body immobile, unable to mount an effective response. Zhang Yuanqing appeared silently behind Jiang Jingwei, grabbing her by the back of the neck and pulling her back. "Thud!" The dry corpse's footsteps landed with force, creating a deep, exaggerated depression in the ground. The attack missed, and the creature halted its pursuit, suddenly turning around to deliver a powerful punch. A figure tumbled out of the air—Zhao Chenghuang, now ghostly—his arms, veined with blue, now limp and dangling, staggering backward. He had intended to strike the dry corpse from behind, but was detected in advance, forcing him to hastily raise his arms to block, resulting in a shattered, fracturing of both arms. As he retreated, he skillfully directed four-level yin corpses to advance from the incline, delivering a high-knee kick that interrupted the dry corpse's momentum, then taking two more steps to close the distance, twisting his waist The dry corpse launched punches faster, from below upward, striking the dry corpse's armpits, while its elbow blows inevitably tilted upward. Yet it was a Level 4 dry corpse—far surpassing a Level 3 wanderer in speed and strength—and quickly became entangled with the dry corpse, their movements swift and blur-like, both unleashing violent blows upon each other. Thud! The dry corpse soon gained the upper hand, being knocked off balance by a single punch from the dry corpse and rolling out like a sphere. Nevertheless, it successfully expanded the indentation it had previously inflicted on Jiang Jingwei's chest. The dry corpse's ribs were broken, yet its skin remained as hard as iron plates and as tough as cowhide, unripped. Witnessing Zhao Chenguang and the Level 4 dry corpse fall, Tian Xia Gui Huo immediately retrieved a bright yellow gourd from his inventory, took a long sip of the unknown liquid, held it in his mouth, then lit a cluster of dry grass beneath his feet, and launched a fireball that exploded before the dry corpse. His body rose in a surge of crimson flame, activating the Fire element, and he materialized before the dry corpse. "Hoo! He sprayed the liquid from his mouth onto the mummified figure and ignited it, creating the effect of a military flamethrower. The burning liquid landed on the mummified body like phosphorus shells, continuing to burn steadily and surging with fierce flames. The mummy's hair was instantly consumed, its tattered garments reduced to ash, and its sunken form glowed with a bright, iron-like red hue. When Tianxia Guihuo successfully launched his surprise attack, he immediately withdrew, repositioning himself with a crimson flame enveloping his body, activating the Fire element and returning to the edge of the blazing dry grass. He was cunning—he always retreated after securing victory, never lingering in battle. "Pff..." As Tianxia Guihuo's body returned to the scene, the flame still flickering, a burst of blood erupted from his abdomen. A bullet had pierced through his midsection. It was the very one shot by Guan Ya, which the mummified figure had picked up earlier. He clutched his abdomen, wobbled back, and cursed, "Crap..." "Shhhhh..." The rushing river suddenly rose from nowhere, waves crashing white and surging in waves, engulfing the dry, scorched corpses, hissing continuously, releasing a steady plume of white steam. Wu Yi Zun instantly grasped the meaning of "the world returns to fire," and gave a seamless, synchronized response. The blackish skin of the corpses shimmered with a metallic luster, tightened under the stress of thermal expansion and contraction, as though losing its suppleness. "Boom!" Guan Ya's bullet struck the boss's chest, creating a shallow dent. She always managed to land the most effective damage at the perfect moment. At this moment, Zhao Chenguang, whose bones were being restored, retrieved a gray circular stone from his inventory and slammed it forcefully into the corpse. Rapidly, stones from around gathered toward the circular stone, as if iron were drawn to a magnet, clattering in unison, forming a towering stone giant three meters high, centered on the circular stone. This is the reward obtained from the Stone Giant pass in Zhao's Spirit of the City's stage. Thud... thud... thud... The Stone Giant strides forward with heavy steps, its swift charge creating a ground-shaking effect as it charges toward the mummified figure, delivering punches the size of large bowls. The mummy, having just undergone thermal expansion and contraction, has its skin tightly adhered to its bones, joints stiff, and movement restricted—making effective dodging difficult. It can only tighten its right arm and deliver straight punches in response to the Stone Giant's blows. Boom! The collision between the two monsters is like a devastating explosion, sweeping away the surrounding dust and revealing a solid, compacted ground. The Stone Giant's body shatters into fragments, stones flying and debris scattering. Meanwhile, the mummy stumbles backward, retreating. Amidst the flying debris, a figure leaps high into the air, wielding two swords and spinning rapidly in mid-air, like a blade-armed top. This is the Nine-Deficient Fish, officially praised for his extraordinary sword skills. "Ding, pff..." The rotating blade struck the dry corpse's chest, producing a sharp first sound, followed by a second, more resonant crack as it sliced through flesh and muscle. Upon close inspection, the onlookers gasped with delight. They saw a shallow incision appear on the dry corpse's chest—finally breaching its armor. At this moment, Nine-Deficit Fish's strength was drained, and he fell before the corpse. As a scout, his vision clearly revealed the corpse's skeletal structure and the fine details of muscle contractions. He leapt backward, avoiding the corpse's whip leg, then landed swiftly and sidestepped the incoming cannon punch. Immediately, he "saw" the dry, sunken muscles on the boss's right leg swell, anticipating the next knee strike. Yet the opponent's attacks came too swiftly and with such tight succession—though his eyes could anticipate the moves, his body could not keep up. In a hurried motion, he raised both blades defensively across his chest. Thud! The two blades deflected the knee strike, yet the resilient edge could not withstand the forceful impact, bending and striking the chest of Ji Lou Yu, who was thrown backward, fracturing his ribs and bleeding internally, curling helplessly and unable to rise. "His eyes of enchantment have reduced their release frequency," Red Wei noted aloud. Previously, the spirit-phantom had used its enchantment with high frequency, proving both troublesome and persistent. However, after its "rebirth," it had only employed the enchantment once—on Jiang Jingwei—and then ceased. The strength of the enchantment itself had also significantly diminished. Her attacks were effective, weakening the boss's spiritual resilience. The dry corpse then kicked vigorously, charging swiftly toward Ji Lou Yu, aiming to drink his blood and replenish its vitality. Though its strength was not infinite and did experience physical exhaustion, its passive ability of blood-thirsty fury could compensate for such depletion, helping to restore the weakening of its spirit. "Whoosh—!" A powerful wave surged forth, sweeping Ji Lou Yu away and carrying him toward the distance. On a sloping ground, a dark figure moved with a humming sound, like a fighter jet flying low overhead. Its sharp claws gripped the mummified body at the shoulders, lifting it and hurling it toward the distance. *Thud!* The mummified body slammed into the cracked outer wall of a ruined residential building, causing the already fragile structure to tremble and sway precariously. The creature then sank its knees, propelling itself skyward like a projectile, charging straight toward the figure in the air, A Yi. However, the ground beneath it began to rise, and green root stems rapidly grew, flexibly wrapping around the mummified body’s ankles. Though slender, these stems proved remarkably resilient, instantly tightening. With no place to anchor, the mummified body was forced to descend. At a distance, Sun Miao Miao pressed her palms firmly against the ground. Her arms, exposed outside, were covered in bark-like scales, and it seemed as though root stems extended from her palms into the earth. This was a reward item she received when she passed through the forest of tree spirits. It allowed her to control the abilities of tree spirits for five minutes, extending vines and roots to attack enemies. "Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..." More root stems burst through the soil, wrapping around the dry corpse suspended in the air and firmly securing it. As the man in the sky, A, spotted the perfect moment, he suddenly dove downward, his arms transforming into sharp bone spines, their tips staining black and purple. The corpse's enchanting ability weakened, allowing A to seize opportunities to summon the ghost child and the ghost bride to attach to it, then attempt to strike its chest with the magic staff—perhaps he could finally defeat it. Zhang Yuanqing quietly activated his Night-Wanderer technique, advancing steadily toward the corpse. At this moment, the neutral and evil-aligned travelers who had initially fled, seeing the battle here intensify with continuous action and observing that their own elite warriors had not faltered, began to return and watch from a distance. Just in time to witness the top-tier warriors working in perfect coordination, their attacks flowing seamlessly, though several were wounded at various points, still pushing the dry corpse back steadily, managing to hold its ground. "Defeated! Really defeated..." The evil-aligned warriors watched as A-I soared down from the sky, their spirits lifting and energized. "Good—once A-I breaches its defenses, with her toxin and attack power, she'll be able to kill it." Their fading confidence instantly reignited. The Mountain God faction also felt uplifted, yet they harbored concerns—fearful that once A-I defeated the boss, they would lose the Forest Heart reward. A-I plunged swiftly and thundered toward the corpse, her black and purple spines extending and striking directly into the corpse's chest. At that moment, the corpse's sunken eyes once again revealed faint, fading incantations—its long-stored strength finally ready to be summoned. A-I's amber pupils instantly blurred, her brain momentarily shutting down; her thin wings ceased flapping, like a malfunctioning aircraft that lost altitude, continuing to glide in inertia and grazing the corpse before slanting into the outer wall of the residential buildings. *Thud!* The mummified creature immediately expanded its muscles, powerfully snapping through the vines and root stems, then drifting gently to the ground, sweeping toward the distant spiritual realm practitioners. It sought to absorb the vital essences of these frail beings to restore its strength. Along the way, countless root stems emerged, attempting to impede its progress, yet all were skillfully evaded by the mummified form—this was precisely why it had chosen not to consume the vital essences of the nearby Wu-Gu practitioners. Any such action would inevitably draw interference and encirclement from the enemy forces behind. By hunting the distant, fragile creatures, it could leave them out of reach, unable to assist, and these weaker beings were far easier to dispatch. Gazing at the corpse hurtling toward them at high speed, everyone grew cold all over, their faces pale with fear, scattering like birds and beasts. "Ah, Ah-1! Save us! We're becoming nourishment—then you'll all perish too!" "Zhao Chenghuang, stop it!" "Where is Yuanshǐ Tianzun? Where is Yuanshǐ Tianzun?" The mummified body shuddered violently, its back arching, then slowly straightening again. A silent struggle ensued between the two. At this moment, the ghostly figure dressed in a bridal gown reappeared once more behind the mummy, completing its fusion and transforming the contest into a three-way struggle. The tall, gaunt figure, standing two meters tall, became utterly disoriented, rigid and motionless. Soon, Zhang Yuanqing's form emerged before the mummy, and with a heavy bronze mallet, he drove it firmly into the wounded chest of the mummified body. *Plunged!* The magical mallet sank completely into the mummy's chest. A brilliant golden light erupted, radiating powerful magical energy that swiftly consumed the mummy's body—burning through flesh and blood, melting muscle, and drying out the bones. When the golden light faded, only a scattered skeleton remained, and the original celestial sovereign, holding the bronze mallet, stood in its place.