The voice of the Tang monk quickly spread, "It was the Sky Spider Demon who ambushed Huo Shu with a handful, smashing a large bunch of Yin Thunder Pearls as soon as he entered."
Upon hearing this, everyone's fondness for the Sky Spider Demon suddenly increased, and they secretly took pleasure in Huo Shu's misfortune, saying that the Sky Spider Demon was not so easily provoked.
At this moment, the Sky Spider Demon and his beast pet walked out from the explosion of the energy storm, looking far from relaxed: "Although I ambushed that old fellow, I saw that he was not much injured. His current strength, I cannot estimate, but it's definitely above us."
The hearts of the Tang monk and the others were shocked. Above them, could it be that he had achieved spiritual transformation? But when they were paying attention to the movements here, they didn't notice any signs of tribulation occurring.
"What's going on?"
The Sky Spider Demon turned and looked back: "He's here, you'll know when you see him."
When the energy storm calmed down, the scenery here appeared in their field of vision, everywhere was a dim grey, mixed with dark grey fog. The ground was covered with sand and stones as far as the eye could see, filled with a deathly aura. Apart from their presence, they couldn't feel a trace of vitality.
This world was also dead silent; needless to say, just staying here could drive one insane.
Just as they were thinking this, a madman appeared. If it wasn't for the face that still somewhat resembled Huo Shu, they would have almost failed to recognize him. They all gasped in shock; had Huo Shu turned himself into a monster?
Although he still had limbs, his limbs were extremely thick. Not to mention being exposed, they were also covered with a layer of scales. When he approached, people had to look up to see him; they could no longer look at him at eye level. This giant-like monster turned out to be Huo Shu, and what was even more frightening was the heart-thumping pressure that came with his arrival.The intense explosion just now only caused him to lose a few scales and suffer some external injuries, but now, those wounded parts were visibly healing at a speed that made onlookers' pupils contract, and their vigilance intensified.
Yin Hua subtly positioned his nephew behind himself. If he couldn't make it out alive, he had to ensure his nephew did; after all, he had lived long enough, but his nephew was still young.
"Spiritual transformation? Huo Shu, have you really broken through from Nascent Soul to Spiritual Transformation?" A Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't help but exclaim. It seemed that absolute power was indeed tempting, which explained why Huo Shu and those surnamed Wu could rally so many cultivators before.
The Silver Clan leader sneered, "With such a ghastly appearance, even if you have achieved Spiritual Transformation, so what? With that monstrous look, if you went to the Wan Luo Continent, you would be dealt with by the Spiritual Transformation cultivators there as a monster. Huo Shu, do you dare to go to Wan Luo Continent looking like this? Or do you just want to stay on the Qian Hao Continent and rule as king?"
What's the use of being the number one cultivator in such a small place? Haven't you seen over the years, only those surnamed Huo are making trouble. Whether it's him, the Sky Spider Demon, or fellow cultivators Meng and Tang, they clearly have the capability to contend for supremacy, yet they hardly ever make a move. It wasn't until this incident that they started to lead, to prevent the Qian Hao Continent from truly being destroyed.
A fierce light flashed in Huo Shu's eyes as he looked down at the group of Nascent Soul cultivators with his deformed eyes: "As long as I absorb your essence, I, Huo Shu, can completely revert back and will possess even greater power than now. When I, Huo Shu, go to Wan Luo Continent and become the strongest there, you will no longer have the chance to see."
"Be sensible and leave behind all the materials you've collected for constructing the channel. Out of old times' sake, I, Huo Shu, will grant you a swift death and let your souls stay here for company. Otherwise, you'll be completely annihilated without even a chance for reincarnation."Yin Zhi's eyes swept over the cultivators, lingering a bit longer on Gu Yao and Chi Changye. If it weren't for these two young men's interference, his plan could have gone more smoothly, rather than ending up infamous and driven to this point, unable to even save Ming'er's life.
But no matter, now he was the one in control. Huo Shu revealed a ferocious smile and reached out to grab at Gu Yao and Chi Changye. "My son's life must be repaid by someone, and it will start with you two!"
"Stop!" Yin Hua roared in anger, throwing out several talismans. Having sensed Huo Shu's hostility towards them, Gu Yao and Chi Changye were on guard and struck out together. Even if Huo Shu was powerful, they would not be captured without a fight. Until the very last moment, no one could determine the outcome.
Lei Long and the giant kelp twisted together to strike at the same time, and in that moment, the kitten transformed into a Jingxian ferocious beast, with a roar that sent a breath of destruction towards that hand.
At the same time, Tang the cultivator and others also made their move, including those Nascent Soul cultivators from the demonic path who, seeing the old Sky Spider demon act, did not hesitate to follow suit.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"
Many cultivators were blown away by the intense energy explosion. In such a situation, Huo Shu only took a dozen steps back before stopping. Many Nascent Soul cultivators were spitting blood, but Huo Shu only suffered some superficial skin injuries and would undoubtedly recover quickly.
"Cough..." Gu Yao climbed up from the ground, feeling as if all his organs had been crushed. Since he began cultivating, this was the first time he had been injured to such an extent and he became acutely aware of the gap between him and Huo Shu who had turned into a monster. "Brother Ye, are you alright?"
In the last moment, it was Chi Changye who had shielded him, taking the brunt of that direct hit and bearing most of the force.
Chi Changye shook his head but then spat out a mouthful of blood. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with an indifferent expression and showed a warm smile: "I'm fine. We'll be alright."
Gu Yao nodded, grasping Chi Changye's hand. No matter what happened, they would be together and alright.Seeing Huo Shu's condition, Gu Yao hurriedly asked Xu Chen in the space, "Senior, is Huo Shu truly at the level of a Deity Transformation?"
Xu Chen had been paying attention to the situation outside all along, not wishing for Gu Yao to be worn out by the monster outside. He had remained silent previously to avoid disturbing Gu Yao's focus, but now, hearing Gu Yao's question, he replied, "He's nothing but a fake Deity Transformation monster, not a true Deity Transformation."
Gu Yao felt a surge of joy at these words, but the blow quickly followed: "Even if it's a fake Deity Transformation, it's not something you can contend with."
Chi Changye also heard these words, his pupils shrinking slightly. They were still too weak to protect Gu Yao. However, he quickly discarded such thoughts of weakness. Until the final moment, who could say they couldn't handle it: "Senior, since you've said he's a fake Deity Transformation, there must be weaknesses, right?"
While communicating with Xu Chen through his divine sense, Chi Changye shouted out loud that Huo Shu was nothing but a fake Deity Transformation monster and that he would forever be cut off from the path to true Deity Transformation, never to receive the recognition of the heavenly dao without having experienced the heavenly tribulation.
Before, some Nascent Soul cultivators were eagerly stirring, but now, after hearing Chi Changye's words, a warning rang in their hearts. Had they been so easily beguiled? Huo Shu's rapid transformation into this state was clearly due to the use of some forbidden method to forcibly elevate his power.Although cultivators all wish to avoid the heavenly tribulation, they are also aware that without experiencing it, one cannot achieve a qualitative leap. This is the way of heaven; the heavenly dao is fair to all cultivators. How could anyone possibly deceive the eyes of the heavenly dao?Xu Chen inwardly remarked that this youngster was cunning, but he had no choice but to continue explaining to him and Gu Yao, "That's right, there naturally are weaknesses. Relying on external forces to forcibly enhance oneself, that power ultimately isn't truly owned. This guy, in order to forcibly elevate himself to this extent, who knows how many types of power he has absorbed. Even if he's using what's known as the essence of cultivators, which is the purest power, when these forces are combined, they will still be much more mixed and impure compared to power cultivated on one's own."
"So you're saying that the current balance is only temporary, right? If we find a point to break this balance, won't this body be unable to withstand it and collapse?" Gu Yao was wondering if it was because the power was too immense that this guy had made his body so large.
"You're thinking correctly, but how to find this point is up to you two." Xu Chen hinted enough and could not take on everything himself. While helping these two, he also hoped they could gain experience, considering this as a trial, a trial at the juncture of life and death.
The exchange was but a brief moment. Outside, because of Chi Changye's words, everyone's spirits, which had been sinking, were lifted again. Just then, Huo Shu took several rushing steps forward and reached out to grab at Chi Changye, such a change bolstered everyone's confidence in Chi Changye's words even more. Otherwise, why would Huo Shu be so eager to make a move on Chi Changye?
A Tang cultivator took the lead in attacking Huo Shu and loudly declared that there had never been a Deity Transformation calamity descending upon the mainland, so this was nothing but a forcibly elevated fake Deity Transformation. "Only by fighting Huo Shu to the end do we have a chance to live."
Almost simultaneously, Meng League Master, Silver Clan Leader, and Old Demon Tian Zhu made their moves. Chi Changye was even more cunning, knowing that his current strength was not suitable for a direct confrontation with Huo Shu. So, with a flash of sword light, he wrapped himself and Gu Yao up and dashed away. In the dim space, that sword light was particularly eye-catching. Huo Shu seemed to hate Chi Changye intensely; he swatted away the attacks from Tang cultivators and others while doggedly tracking Chi Changye's movements.While dodging, Chi Changye also took the opportunity to counterattack, and in his evasion, he discovered one of the weaknesses—that the body was too large, causing a pseudo Deity Transformation's speed to not reach the standard of a true Deity Transformation. Otherwise, Chi Changye knew that with his current strength, he couldn't possibly escape the pursuit of a true Deity Transformation cultivator.
Watching Huo Shu chase after Chi Changye like he was trying to swat a fly, wanting to squash him, Yin Hua would have laughed if it weren't for the fact that his own nephew was also with Chi Changye. Chi Changye was in such a sorry state; however, Yin Hua dared not truly ask Chi Changye to let his nephew go, as his nephew was also one of Huo Shu's primary targets.
Once again thrown off by Huo Shu were Tang cultivator and the other four major figures, including Yin Hua, whose eyes flickered slightly. Several of them received a telepathic message from Chi Changye at the same time. The message relayed the deductions Gu Yao had made from Xu Chen's hints. With a glance exchanged between them, they knew who else had received Chi Changye's telepathic message. They nodded slightly to each other; this was now the best strategy.
So, gritting their teeth, they continued to attack Huo Shu, constantly depleting his power. There would always be a chance to force Huo Shu to reveal a flaw, and when that time came, it would still depend on Chi Changye to seize this breach.
At this moment, they all thought of the Explosive Spirit Pill that Chi Changye had once produced, so they placed their hopes on Chi Changye's strongest strike.