“Now is the time!” Ning Zhuo roared, frantically urging the Azure Iron Battle Armor, charging fearlessly towards Qi Bai.

Qi Bai’s head was bleeding, his vision blurring, on the verge of collapse.

In the next instant, the Azure Iron Battle Armor pierced through the air.

Hanging Mourning Whips!

Over a dozen long whips danced like a frenzy of pythons, striking out wildly.

Qi Bai was tossed about in the air by the whips, unable to find his footing.

Each strike upon his body elicited ripples of golden light, somehow failing to breach his protective arts.

“Is it a spell, a mystic art, or a protective treasure?”

Ning Zhuo’s eyes burned crimson, anxiety gnawing at his heart.

This was a counterattack he had painstakingly conceived.

Once Qi Bai regained his composure, the suspense of this battle would vanish completely.

Yet, the Hanging Mourning Whips, usually effective against Foundation Establishment cultivators, were unable to penetrate Qi Bai’s defenses.

Sun Lingtong urgently transmitted her voice, “Little Zhuo, this Qi Bai is not a body cultivator. He excels at controlling Yin spirits and specters. His innate talent is the Netherworld Gaze, and his defensive means are magical arts. The chance of it being a mystic art is slim.”

“I can see that the weakest point in the golden light is on the wound on his head, which is rapidly healing.”

“The strongest point of the golden light is three inches below his navel, the location of his Essence Sea and Lower Dantian.”

“Use your strongest means.”

A fierce light flashed in Ning Zhuo’s eyes, and he uttered a single word: “Understood.”

He pushed the Azure Iron Battle Armor to its maximum power.

Spirit stones were consumed at an alarming rate, transforming into vast spiritual energy that flowed into two palm-sized, intricately patterned Wind-Thunder Talismans.

The talismans each unleashed forces of wind and thunder, which intertwined and merged with each other through the internal arrays of the Azure Iron Battle Armor, forming a new power.

Wind and Thunder Stir!

A verdant electric glow enveloped the Azure Iron Battle Armor.

In an instant, the Azure Iron Battle Armor’s speed soared to its peak, and it hurtled towards Qi Bai.

Ironclad chill, Azure Dragon Ascends!

The armor plates on the Azure Iron Battle Armor’s back, shoulder blades, elbows, and wrists flipped open, revealing hidden explosive talismans.

The talismans ignited completely, emitting a brilliant white light, fully assisting Ning Zhuo’s strike, instantly pushing his attack to its limit.

The black robe disguising him as a Mourning Guest was torn to shreds. The true form of the Azure Iron Battle Armor, like a silver dragon, burst forth, the blinding white light piercing through all darkness.

Fists like arrow rain, legs like tempestuous winds!

Fists and feet intertwined, weaving a terrifying assault that completely engulfed Qi Bai.

The strikes slammed heavily into the golden light, causing the golden light shield to splatter with shards of light.

Cracks began to form in the golden light shield, rapidly weakening and dimming.

The defensive power of the golden light rapidly diminished, unable to negate the force of the fists and feet, causing Qi Bai within to suffer the brunt of the attack.

One punch knocked his head askew, twisting his neck to its extreme limit.

A knee strike slammed into Qi Bai’s waist, contorting him into the shape of a shrimp, his eyes bulging from their sockets as he spewed a mouthful of blood.

Another blow struck Qi Bai’s chin, causing his teeth to clamp down hard, nearly severing his tongue.

Qi Bai jerked his head back, blasted even higher into the sky.

But in the next moment, a flash of azure lightning, a lithe, silvery-white figure suddenly appeared above Qi Bai.

Ning Zhuo clenched his hands together, forming a fist held high above his shoulder. Then, piloting the Azure Iron Battle Armor, he propelled his entire being, like a shooting star, diving down towards Qi Bai.

The golden light guarding Qi Bai’s body had been weakened to the point of near transparency.

And blood still flowed from his head, where he had been struck by the Peach of Other Realms Core; it was also the weakest point of the golden light shield.

Ning Zhuo’s gaze was like a blade, locking onto the enemy’s weakest point.

A full-powered strike.

Ning Zhuo’s fist slammed down fiercely, like a meteor chasing the moon, its power so immense that the silvery-white fist glowed with fiery red in its friction with the air.

At this life-or-death moment, Qi Bai finally awakened from his near stupor, driven by the powerful instinct for survival.

Meng Kui.

Peach of Other Realms Core!

Qi Bai’s heart trembled, icy cold.

“Since he used the Peach of Other Realms Core, he must have used the Sit and Observe mystic art earlier.”

“Why?”

As a True Disciple of the Soul Devouring Sect dispatched to Fire Persimmon Mountain, Qi Bai was naturally prepared.

He was certainly aware of Meng Kui’s signature mystic art, Sit and Observe, and the Peach of Other Realms Core.

Qi Bai simply didn’t understand why Meng Kui had suddenly used this mystic art, and within Fire Persimmon Immortal City, no less!

“He’s the Immortal City Lord! Isn’t he afraid of causing riots and infighting among the citizens?”

“There must be circumstances I’m unaware of that drove Meng Kui to take such a drastic measure!”

At that moment, Qi Bai felt greatly wronged!

This was his first time in the city. He had only wanted to subdue his three fellow disciples in order to establish a foothold before exploring the Soul Repository. He would then proceed slowly and methodically.

Who knew he would be so unlucky, falling prey to the Sit and Observe mystic art right away?

“Luck has blinded me, causing me to make mistake after mistake.”

“Why didn’t I kill that Sun Lingtong? There’s more than one way to subdue Han Ming!”

“I shouldn’t have chased them relentlessly. These two Foundation Establishment cultivators are indeed annoying, but I didn’t need to make such a commotion!”

According to Qi Bai’s original plan, he was to lie low and act when the opportunity presented itself.

“Why did I keep casting spells? In the Immortal City, spells are weakened the most! It was a completely thankless task!”

“I should have killed these two quickly, using my innate talent if necessary. Instead, I released Yin spirits and ghost generals to torture and torment them, wasting too much time.”

“I should have used my strongest means to swiftly kill the two, settling everything in one blow, avoiding complications. I wasted too many opportunities in the battle.”

“These two have been running the Immortal City for too long. Their underground bases are endless. Even if I couldn’t kill them immediately, I should have stopped in time.”

“I’ve already implanted a technique in Sun Lingtong that’s difficult to undo for anyone below the Golden Core stage. Wouldn’t it be better to let them go and hunt them down when the time is right?”

“This Mourning Guest is the most to blame.”

“Layer upon layer of traps forced me to exhaust my energy against the Immortal City’s grand formation, compelling me to use my full power.”

“If not for that, Meng Kui might not have used the Peach Core to strike me!”

This strike had completely woken Qi Bai up.

All sorts of thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind in the time it took for lightning to strike.

He looked up and saw Ning Zhuo’s full-powered attack.

“I’m going to die!”

Qi Bai’s hair stood on end, a feeling of utter dread washing over him.
“Absolutely cannot let him focus on the wound on my crown!”

However, he had no time to unleash more powerful defensive measures.

He couldn’t even activate his protective magical treasures in time.

A magical artifact—the Ghost Mist Veil.

In desperation, he stirred his divine sense and drew a veil from his storage belt.

This was a magical artifact he often used during his Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. It allowed him to venture into some eerie and terrifying places, cloaking him in ghostly mist, disguising him as a wandering soul.

The Ghost Mist Veil had helped him greatly, allowing him to successfully approach and capture some spectral and evil souls.

The Ghost Mist Veil accompanied his difficult beginnings, gradually accumulating little by little, climbing step by step, until he finally became a true disciple of the Soul Devouring Sect.

Once he advanced to the Golden Core stage, the frequency of use of this useful magical artifact rapidly declined, and he used it less and less.

Qi Bai kept it in his storage belt, mostly as a memento.

Unexpectedly, at this moment of life and death, the only magical artifact he could quickly activate was this one.

Ning Zhuo’s full-force strike pierced the ghost mist and slammed heavily into Qi Bai’s chest.

In that instant, Qi Bai’s golden light shield could no longer hold on, shattering into countless fragments, flickering in the high sky, and then vanishing into nothingness.

Four or five of Qi Bai’s ribs were broken, his chest caved in, and his lungs and other internal organs were severely hit, almost shattered into pieces.

He fell like a shooting star, crashed through a house, and smashed into the ground, causing the earth to shake.

Immediately, the house collapsed, and smoke and dust billowed, burying Qi Bai.

“He’s not dead!”

Sun Lingtong had been observing the battlefield, regardless of the blood and tears already streaming from her eyes.

Ning Zhuo’s heart sank. He gritted his teeth and mustered his energy again, diving into the smoke and dust.

The Ghost Mist Veil was shattered.

But it was because of its cover that Ning Zhuo’s attack landed on Qi Bai’s chest, rather than his head, indirectly saving Qi Bai’s life.

Ning Zhuo was coming to kill him, but Qi Bai had more time than before.

He took out a magical treasure—the Soul-Shaking Rattle Drum!

The drum surface was deathly pale, made of human skin, faintly transparent, and could emit a faint fluorescent light in the dark.

The drum edges were carved from jet-black ink jade, exuding a chilling aura.

The drum handle was made of grayish-yellow adult finger bones, pieced together one section at a time.

Qi Bai shook the Soul-Shaking Rattle Drum.

Dong, dong, dong!

The sound of the drum was crisp, each beat resounding in the hearts of Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong, violently shaking their souls.

Sun Lingtong was already seriously injured. After hearing the drum sounds, blood immediately flowed from all seven orifices, her eyes lost their light, and she was unable to activate her Spirit Eyes, and had to stop.

Ning Zhuo only felt the world swaying in his vision. He staggered, almost falling to the ground.

As a result, his re-gathering attack was also interrupted.

“Xiao Zhuo!” Sun Lingtong’s cry of alarm reached Ning Zhuo’s ears.

Years of tacit understanding instantly made Ning Zhuo know what Sun Lingtong wanted to convey—this was their last chance, they must take the opportunity to eliminate Qi Bai. If they missed the opportunity, and Qi Bai recovered, they would be defeated.

Ning Zhuo was almost exhausted!

The mechanical creations accumulated over more than a decade had been consumed seven or eight times over. Only the remaining ones could not be on this stage.

Only one remained—the Tree Martial Battle Ape.

Ning Zhuo knelt on the ground, releasing the Tree Martial Battle Ape.

To cope with this battle, Ning Zhuo retained the core mechanical components, replacing everything else, causing the Tree Martial Battle Ape to undergo a huge change.

Compared to the old appearance, there was almost no resemblance.

The Battle Ape bore a heart seal, and a staff head was inserted into its body.

Ning Zhuo flicked his arm, and ten fingers shot out mana threads, linked to the key positions of the Tree Martial Battle Ape.

Under triple command, the Tree Martial Battle Ape killed its way to Qi Bai.

The defensive formation in the Cang Steel Heavy Armor was raised to its full extent, operating with a buzzing sound.

Within the formation, the power of metal and water elements were cleverly combined, perfectly coordinated, exuding a biting coldness, and carrying metal properties, covering the entire Cang Steel Heavy Armor, making it an all-in-one offense and defense, with defense soaring to the extreme.

End of chapter.