"Fuck the squid, fuck the squid…" A muscular foreign believer waved a sharp dagger, attacking those around him like a madman. In just seven or eight seconds, cries filled the air, and blood stained the ground. The foreign believer, who caused all this chaos, suddenly saw something terrifying and turned to flee in panic, only to step into a gap and fall into the Japanese army base below, dying from the fall.
Ying Caihong retreated to the left, protected by believers who hadn't fallen into the illusion. Hu Bayi and his group moved to the right. In the midst of this, Big Gold Tooth, who had fallen into the illusion, was swiftly knocked unconscious by Wang Kaixuan due to his low combat ability.
Suddenly, a stronger red light shot out from the gap, slashing through the top of the grave world and illuminating the beautiful red crystals, instantly turning the area into a blood-red battlefield. Cao Yi, standing still and shaking the Sanqing Bell, seemed to be stuck in mud. The crisp bell sound was intermittent. A sense of foreboding rose in Cao Yi's heart.
In mere seconds, the scene before him shifted. A stinking yellow pool appeared a few meters away, bubbling grotesquely. Suddenly, the water parted, revealing a dozen soldiers clad in tattered leather armor and wielding black curved knives, emerging with twisted faces and vengeful eyes.
Cao Yi couldn't determine whether these figures were real or illusions, so he and Hu Bayi's group readied their swords in defense. With heavy footsteps and an overpowering stench, the grotesque soldiers approached, swinging their curved blades without hesitation.
Cao Yi countered with a peach wood sword, which was exceptionally sturdy due to being crafted from a thousand-year-old peach tree and refined by a master. Each strike from Cao Yi shattered the soldiers' weapons. However, being in an illusion, the soldiers showed no fear of death and charged forward recklessly.
With limited space to maneuver, Cao Yi had no choice but to strike harder, knocking the ancient soldiers down one after another. At one point, he felt a soft sensation when hitting a soldier's chest, leaving him unsure of who he had actually hit in reality.
Clang, clang, clang... The relentless sound of metal clashing came from all directions, as if hundreds of people were fighting. "No way, there are more and more!" Cao Yi's expression turned grim. As the sounds grew closer, not a single soldier appeared.
Confused, he saw a dark hand emerge from the gap at his feet. Not wanting to accidentally injure anyone again but also unable to hold back, he jumped into the center of the platform. The first soldier emerged, but before he could raise his blade, Cao Yi struck him down with his sword.
Then came the second, and the third... After what felt like an eternity, Cao Yi estimated he had knocked down at least five hundred ancient soldiers. Suddenly, his peach wood sword was seized by a jade-white hand, and despite using seventy percent of his strength, he couldn't pull it back. Instead, he was flung back onto the suspension bridge.
Clang! A massive axe emerged from the gap, followed by a tall figure clad in black armor crawling out. Cao Yi looked up to meet a pale, icy female face—different from before. Was it the millennium zombie he had imagined?
Bang! The millennium zombie, known as Princess Ogu in later times, dropped her enormous axe, causing several cracks to appear in the hard platform beneath her. Cao Yi raised his sword defensively.
The black-armored figure of Yelü Zhigu advanced slowly, her presence imposing and filled with an overwhelming killing intent. At two meters away, they both struck simultaneously. Yelü Zhigu's heavy weapon made the air howl as it swung, almost knocking Cao Yi off the bridge.
"Wait, you're not an illusion created by the other shore flower; you're a real millennium zombie!" Realizing this, Cao Yi felt his hands go numb from the impact.
Just then, a melodious bell chimed, and the illusory world vanished. Cao Yi saw Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan shaking the Sanqing Bell he had dropped. He noticed Shirley Yang rubbing her chest and Ying Caihong, dazed and sitting among a pile of corpses. Yoko, bloodied, stood beside Ying Caihong, and all around were dead bodies.
A few meters away, the millennium zombie, Yelü Zhigu, loomed, her axe raised and fixed on Cao Yi. "Daoist Priest, we can't hold on much longer!" Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan slumped, their heads tilting as they fainted, causing the Sanqing Bell to roll away.
The illusion reappeared. Lava flowed everywhere, and the heat was unbearable amidst the countless corpses surrounding them, giving the sensation of being in a hellish fire pit. Only two figures remained standing in this world: the millennium zombie Yelü Zhigu and Cao Yi.
Yelü Zhigu swung her heavy axe, the air crackling ominously. Cao Yi pulled out a yellow talisman he had been drawing over the past few days—a corpse-subduing talisman. He dodged the axe and pressed the talisman against her forehead.
Unfortunately, Yelü Zhigu was too quick, and the talisman stuck to her helmet instead. She continued her assault, and Cao Yi searched for another chance to apply the talisman while attempting to stab her with his peach wood sword. Yet, Yelü Zhigu's body was tougher than metal, and the sword couldn't penetrate.
"The other shore flower is mine!" Suddenly, a loud roar rang out. The illusion shattered once more, and Cao Yi saw Ying Caihong, holding the Sanqing Bell, rushing toward him like a madwoman.
"Ying!" Cao Yi instinctively shouted. Ying Caihong, seemingly out of her mind, ignored him and lunged at Yelü Zhigu from behind, preparing to attack.
Sensing the approach of a living being, Yelü Zhigu spun around, swinging her axe with deadly precision. "Master!" Ying Caihong was pulled away by Yoko, but the axe swept across, sending Yoko flying with a scream.
"Yoko!" Ying Caihong's mind cleared in an instant, and she cried out in despair. The child she had watched grow up had sacrificed his young life to protect her.
As the axe swung again, Ying Caihong screamed and fell, the once-mighty cult leader meeting her demise. Yelü Zhigu turned back, and at that moment, Cao Yi seized the chance to stick the corpse-subduing talisman to her forehead.
The axe crashed onto the suspension bridge with a dull thud.