"Whoa~" Guan Ya felt a weight lift from her shoulders upon seeing the military figure storage box appear—exactly as she had anticipated. During the tournament, Zhao Chenguang had relied on this item to nearly defeat Yuan Shi and claim the championship. Such a powerful artifact could hardly be left behind in the killing quest. Although Yuan Shi had destroyed most of the bronze figures, as the grandson of Zhao's senior elder, he had sufficient funds to restore one of the extraordinary-level artifacts. "Ha ha! I knew you were hiding this treasure!" Jiang Jingwei, shedding his inertia and extinguishing the flames on his body, smiled widely from afar. Shallowawa Ryō was unfamiliar with the power of the military figure storage box, but upon observing Guan Ya and Jiang Jingwei's expressions brighten, he inferred that it must be a strong artifact. "Hmph!" The enchantress, whose domain was persuasion, brandished her dagger and rushed forward, positioning herself beside a bronze figure. With her sharp blade, she severed through gold and jade, delivering a powerful strike to the figure's neck. A flash of sparks! A pale streak appeared on the figure's neck, where the rust had previously been. These figures were impossibly solid; even the most adept at breaching armor among the mesmerizing spirits found it difficult to damage them easily. "Crack!" Under attack, the figures twisted their stiff necks, their expressionless, grotesque faces gazing solemnly at the world now turned white. The very next moment, they raised their battle-blades, rusted and worn, and delivered plain, unadorned slashes. Tianxia Jiebai raised his dagger to parry, and a sharp clink rang out as bright sparks flew—his palms instantly split, blood seeping down the blade, evoking the very sensation he had once felt from Zhang Yuanqing. "Crack... crack..." One after another, the sounds of necks twisting echoed, as three bronze figures raised their battle-blades and advanced in a strange, stately gait, aiming to encircle Tianxia Jiebai. Tianxia Jiebai's expression changed; he launched a powerful kick, sending the heavy bronze figure before him flying, and promptly retreated. The kicked figure "clanged" and rolled over, its solid chest indented deeply by the imprint of the boot. "Be careful—these figures are incredibly strong, impervious to blades and projectiles. Their only vulnerability is their lack of agility." Having assessed the figures' capabilities, he grew serious and issued a warning to his companions. The members of the Shanggui faction now regarded the thirty bronze figures with a growing sense of alertness and astonishment. Even the skilled armor-busting spirit, Guo Huo, could not penetrate them—how much less could they? While the bronze figures' speed might not pose a direct threat, thirty of them together could easily encircle and hold them in place. And with Guan Ya, Jiang Jingwei, and two yin corpses watching from the periphery, the situation had become decidedly unfavorable. A vortex of concern stirred in Red Wei's eyes as she studied the bronze figures for a moment, then turned to Zhao Chenghuang. In her view, she clearly saw a translucent figure draped in tattered robes drifting behind Zhao Chenghuang. This ethereal figure resembled the Death God from myth, floating in the air with arms outstretched. Its ten fingers extended slender, translucent black threads, each ending at the back of a bronze automaton's head. Red Wei's mind stirred, and she called out, "Don't engage them directly—the actual controllers of these bronze automata are the spiritual attendants behind Zhao Chenghuang. Target them." As she spoke, she grabbed a yellow copper mirror engraved with dragons and phoenixes from her inventory and held it up toward Zhao Chenghuang's back. At the same time, the witch-guasha, clad in a tattered robe and known as "Treading Upon the Celestial Heavens," knelt before Zhao Chenghuang's knees, chanting softly. "Xiao Fu!" Weakening Zhao Chenghuang's fortune to ensure the allies' attacks land precisely on the spiritual attendants behind him. The spectral attendant, resembling a death god in appearance, gently moved its fingers, and one of the bronze automata leapt into the air, intercepting the golden glow of the mirror. The cleansing effect of the blade that shattered the celestial realm proved ineffective. As early as when Zhang Yuanqing used the ghost mirror of Lady Yinyao to create a grand illusion and vanish from the sight of the mountain spirits' forces, he had already employed the Vumag杵 to purify each of his teammates—specifically to preempt the strong control effects of illusionists and seductive spirits. At this moment, aside from Zhang Yuanqing engaged in fierce combat with the mountain spirits far away, Jiang Jingwei, Guan Ya, Shallow野 Ryō, and the Blood Rose, along with the four-tiered shade corpse, all gathered around Zhao Chenghuang, forming a protective circle around him. The elite warriors from both factions stood face to face, separated only by thirty bronze figures. Suddenly, a vibrant green light surged from the distant sky, dyeing the heavens a jade green. Everyone looked upward—toward the direction of the abandoned station. The second array had been activated. The next to activate was the abandoned shopping mall. The activation spell indeed had limitations—the timing between the activation of the bank building and the abandoned station was roughly nine minutes apart. If the mall's spell activated nine minutes later, then the limitation wasn't sequential, but rather temporal. The young man shifted his gaze, murmuring, "We need to create opportunities for me and the phrase 'My destiny lies not in heaven, but in myself.' Without overcoming Zhao Chenguang's artifact, we won't be able to break through to the blood pool. Ah, we've underestimated Zhao Chenguang all along. Though we've never looked down on this heir of the Taimei Sect, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun's performance in the first two stages has been exceptionally outstanding. During the two-hour safety window, our discussions centered on how to avoid being trapped by his water and fire spell techniques and how to counteract the function of his boots. The energy devoted to Zhao Chenguang and the others inevitably diminished. Yet, this young man had such a powerful reserve—his strongest card, which he hadn't even drawn upon even when facing the mummified figures. "No need to go to all that trouble!" Ai, with a face devoid of expression, spoke calmly. Suddenly, his abdomen swelled out, expanding like a balloon, as if carrying ten fetuses. Then, a pressure built in his throat, and a spherical mass surged upward from his abdomen, pressing against and widening the larynx. "Ah—!" Ai expelled a large, porcelain-dish-sized mass of flesh. The flesh pulsed like a heart, glistening with a wet, liquid coating. A small, delicate paw emerged prominently on the surface, gradually pushing against the flesh, as if a young creature were breaking through its shell. Eventually, the paw pierced through the flesh and emerged from within. Before everyone, a grotesque creature appeared—strikingly similar to the transformed Ai, with a long tail, sturdy hind limbs, sharp claws, and cold, feline-like eyes. The only difference was that its entire body was a soft, fresh red, its armor still soft and unhardened, and it lacked a pair of wing plates, thus unable to fly. "Phew, phew, phew~" A Yi接连吐出十五个肉球，每颗肉球中钻出一只嫩红的小怪物，口中发出细而尖锐的叫声. After expelling these meat balls, A Yi's breath rapidly declined, and he quickly fell into a state of weakness. He silently knelt down, gathering the broken meat masses scattered on the ground and began to chew them. These nourished him swiftly, restoring his strength. "To carry a pregnancy of parasites—truly, he is born a natural parasitic beast," murmured Tasi Liuxiao, another practicing witch of the gu-gu tradition. Typically, a regular witch of the gu-gu tradition nurtures parasites within her body, feeding them with her vital blood, until she achieves a fusion with the parasites, gaining supernatural strength, speed, and toxin capabilities. Yet, humans remain human, and parasites remain parasites; though they may temporarily merge, they are fundamentally two distinct species. A Yi, however, is different—he not only can shift seamlessly between three forms of parasitic beasts, but this very act now demonstrates a reproductive capability akin to true reproduction. It's hard to tell whether he is still human, or has become a true parasite "Whoa, are you playing as Sudra?" far off, the black-haired giant ape exclaimed, spitting out his surprise. He was immediately knocked down by a single punch from the mountain spirit. Two colossal beings of Saint-level power continued their fierce battle. At this moment, the first creature to hatch had already transitioned from a pale red hue to a deep black, its keratinous surface gleaming with a metallic luster. Its eyes, sharp and cold like a crocodile's, burned with fierce intensity. "Yah-yah~!" It screamed, charging toward the bronze figure, its heavily armored head crashing forcefully against the figure's body. "Thud!" The clumsy bronze figure staggered backward, while the small creature swiftly transformed into a shadow, leaping onto the figure's shoulders, its compact arms wrapping tightly around its head, and its feet pushing off the shoulders. "Crunch~!" With a sound that grated on the teeth, the bronze figure's head was forcibly severed. "Yah-yah-yah~!" The small creature held the head aloft, cheering excitedly. The very next moment, several rusted battle-blades plummeted from the sky, cleaving it into pulp. The small monsters, seeing their companions fall, showed no fear. With a series of sharp, high-pitched cries, they surged into the ranks of the bronze figures, engaging in fierce combat. Though short in stature, they moved with remarkable speed, constantly escaping the encirclement and pursuit of the bronze figures, and working in coordination—sometimes removing heads, sometimes severing arms. One by one, they disabled the bronze figures. Meanwhile, the bronze figures could only manage to strike down the small monsters during the brief intervals when the monsters were busy destroying each other. The troops of the Shanggui faction were overjoyed. Whether or not A Yi's spirit beasts or Zhao Chenghuang's bronze figures emerged victorious was less important at this crucial moment—what mattered most was gaining time. As the bronze figures were increasingly overwhelmed by the small monsters, everyone except A Yi began to move around the battlefield, heading deeper into the park. "Stop running!" cried the irate incarnation of Jiang Jingwei, her flowing flame chasing after them. Guan Ya quickly produced her rifle and asked the nearby Shinobi Ryō, "Do you know how to shoot?" Shinobi Ryō nodded nervously, "Yes, my family has assigned a firearms instructor to me. I'm proficient with most ranged weapons—I've even flown and shot at helicopters..." Guan Ya nodded appreciatively, "Good girl. You're not only skilled with guns, but also with aircraft. That's far better than me. This rifle is powerful, but it comes at a cost—it reduces the user's luck stat. In battle, being plagued by misfortune can be fatal." Old Sugi smiled lightly, then grew serious: "But we have no choice. We're in the quest world—when it's time to die, we die. There's nothing to fear." She then handed the rifle to Shinobi Ryō and, with long, graceful strides, pursued the mountain spirits' forces. Shinobi Ryō, holding the rifle, suddenly felt a deep admiration for this foreign sister. He seemed like a swordsman from Japan’s historical lore—graceful, poised, indifferent to life and death. On the other side, Tian Xia Jie Bai, who had been holding back, suddenly felt a surge of hot wind rushing against his back. He instantly braked, twisted his body, turned around, clenched his fists, and launched a powerful blow straight back. At the same time, a distorted incantation flickered in the depths of his pupils. Rei Yanagi, standing at a distance against the tree trunk, aimed at the soaring Tianxia Jiebai and fired. While she might struggle to hit a rapidly moving target, Tianxia Jiebai was now in a stable state of flight—his speed steady and predictable. To her, this was no challenge, merely like shooting at a moving target. A flash of yellow light rippled across Tianxia Jiebai's body, then shattered—his neck snapped with a burst of blood mist. The bullet had shattered his neck and destroyed his cervical vertebrae, leaving only a thin layer of flesh connecting his head to his body. Though Rei Yanagi had aimed at his head, the result was the same. Killed?! A surge of astonishment surged through her. Her sister, Guan Ya, had been right—the power of this gun was indeed formidable. Rei Yanagi's score instantly surged into the top fifteen. Before she could recover from her excitement, a fierce wind roared overhead, and then, the voice of Yuan Shi Tian Zun exploded in her ears: "Get out of the way!" Rei Aoki looked up, and a shadow blocked her view—a massive tree, its trunk as wide as two people embracing, was hurled straight at her, roots and all. The mountain spirit, Shōgi, had no hesitation, driven by the intense shock of the scene, where the world had turned white. All his accumulated rage was now focused solely on the young girl who had fired the shot. Rei Aoki’s eyes narrowed slightly. As she tried to dodge, it was already too late. The sturdy tree crashed into her with the force of a thunderclap, splashing a surge of clear water in all directions. The impact created deep, dramatic depressions in the ground, uprooting and crushing nearby trees as it rolled forward, while Rei Aoki’s body quickly reformed, regaining its human shape. Still shaken, she was just about to retreat when a heavy, resonant footfall approached—within earshot. A mountain spirit towering three meters high roared and swung his fist toward her. "Thud!" At the crucial moment, the black-furred giant leaped from the side, colliding with Shōgi and causing him to wobble, his fist veering off course and striking A powerful gust of wind surged, causing the ground to collapse, hurling Shina Ryō along with vast amounts of soil and rubble, where she landed far away. Her legs were torn and mangled, with multiple fractures throughout her body; the pale skin on her arms and abdomen was embedded with dense fragments of stone and sand, with subtle streaks of blood seeping through. "Ah... ah..." she gasped, emitting sounds that were half-sob, half-scream, struggling to rise but ultimately unable to do so. She had only fired a single shot before facing a life-threatening situation. The enraged giant ape clutched the mountain spirit by the neck, pushing it away, then raised its fists and rained down blows like a storm. At this moment, both monsters' vitality began to wane, their energy reserves—originally drawn from the rewards of their divine status—now dropping from the Saint Realm down to the level of weak 4th grade. In the distance, where the figures of Tang Xiao and Hong Wei had been crushed, a stone statue of six meters tall stood upright on a barren stretch of grass, identical in form to the one in the mountain temple. It stood slightly bowed, hands gently clasped Behind the stone statue, roughly fifty meters away, lay a still blood lake, its thick, pervasive scent of blood rushing toward them. Yet the dramatic commotion behind still drew their attention, prompting them all to turn and witness the scene of Tian Xia Jie's tragic demise. At that moment, Guan Ya and the two shadow corpses were still some distance away. Jiu Lou Yu gritted her teeth, saying, "Don't pay attention to him—move quickly! Throw the blood jade into the blood pool." "Whoosh!" Ling Xiao shattered the stone, rose into the air, and swiftly swept past the statue. With a flash of red light in her palm, she grasped the blood jade and hurled it forcefully toward the distant blood pool. While watching from the sidelines, the ghost bride swiftly launched herself, drifting toward the blood jade. Red Wei, seeing this, immediately drew out her yellow bronze mirror, directing its surface light toward the ghost bride. A bright, golden beam struck the spirit servant, freezing her mid-air. The blood jade pierced through the ghost bride's body and soared upward. With a soft "plink," it settled into the blood pool.