Chapter 487: That Sword Energy That Causes Despair and Collapse

"I can't hold on at all!"

The battle was intensely fierce.

Zhang Zhongmou gritted his teeth in pain, his entire body starting to seep blood.

The power of Bai Yan was too terrifying.

He wasn't even at the innate physical body stage, so how could he possibly withstand it?

And if he used Ling Yuan, even if it could block some of the damage, the agony from the scorching fire refining his Ling Yuan was no less than the pain he was trying to shield himself from.

"Boom—"

Violent explosions erupted from the battlefield, sweeping in all directions.

"Completely can't hold on!"

Zhang Zhongmou clenched his teeth, swinging the Jue Ming Whip in his hand.

Every time the Jue Ming Whip collided with the Bai Gu Giant, he felt as if he was being torn apart, his internal organs convulsing from the impact.

Each punch and kick from that thing looked effortlessly light.

But on an ordinary Ling Shi Master, every strike was equivalent to a standard Wang Zuo Ling Ji!

"So terrifying."

"This Wang Zuo body, combined with flames that can refine Ling Yuan and even the Heavenly Dao, is basically designed to wear down and kill all Ling Shi Masters alive!"

"I can't keep this up..."

Zhang Zhongmou thought to himself.

As the fight dragged on, he felt his condition deteriorating further.

At the beginning, he could still seize the moment when the opponent's mind was shattered to catch the flung Jue Ming Whip.

But now, after just a short while, even grabbing the whip was a struggle.

There were times when his hands and feet faltered, nearly costing him his life on the spot.

Fortunately, he pushed Tian You Dan Ying to its limit just in time, barely dodging the Bai Gu Giant's Tian Shen Jian Ta.

"Run!"

Zhang Zhongmou had fully realized he was no match for this hulking brute and had lost all the earlier contempt.

If not for the scorching power inside him, he was confident he could hold his own for a bit.

But now, running was his only option.

Whoosh!

Facing the Bai Gu Giant overhead, which eyed him with playful mockery and struck casually, Zhang Zhongmou spat out blood again, urging Tian You Dan Ying to its utmost, then stopped fighting and shot toward the sky like a meteor returning home.

"Xiao Yu, hurry up, he's getting away!"

The watching Xu Xiaoshou grew anxious.

Don't be fooled by how the old Zhang family man was covered in blood against the Bai Gu Giant.

Often, a Wang Zuo strongman driven to desperation was the most dangerous.

So, even though the two combatants were fully engaged and completely unaware of his presence, he had to wait until Yu Zhiwen's Tian Ji Array was set up before daring to act.

As for what array Yu Zhiwen was setting, he didn't need to know or want to know.

Textile mastery was meant for stirring up trouble.

As long as the Ling Array was advanced enough and powerful enough, even a simple illusion array could be altered by Xu Xiaoshou to trigger an explosion.

Although he didn't have the thousands of fire seeds from that night when they ambushed Zhang Taiying, Yu Zhiwen's Tian Ji Array was certainly several levels above Fu Zhi's Flower Sea Ling Array.

So, with this setup, as long as he could detonate the Tian Ji Array and add his other tricks, they could absolutely ensure the old Zhang family man had no way out.

"Hold on, almost there."

Yu Zhiwen's face showed strain, sweat drenching her as she worked.

Setting up an array right under the noses of two Wang Zuo figures, and one they couldn't detect, was incredibly challenging.

If Xu Xiaoshou urged her like this, anyone else might have gotten so nervous their hands shook, exposing the array.

But with the presence of Zhu Ji Xing Tong, not even the slightest error was possible.

Thus, even exhausted and struggling, Yu Zhiwen's hands setting up the array didn't tremble at all.

"Hurry up..."

Xu Xiaoshou realized his anxiety might distract her, so he switched to urging silently in his mind.

Even though the scene of mutual destruction hadn't appeared yet, the anticipation in his eyes remained fiery.

The old Zhang family man absolutely couldn't escape!

If possible, he even wanted to chase down that other Zhang beauty.

As long as they could take them both out, he would truly sever the karmic ties of Tiansang County.

"Almost, it's coming together."

Yu Zhiwen said hoarsely.

Her Tian Ji Array was about to form.

But this wasn't good news.

Because from Xu Xiaoshou's "perception," Zhang Zhongmou's supersonic form was already nearing the edge of the Tian Ji Array's pattern.

"It's over..."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart sank.

Once a Wang Zuo set their mind on escape, who could stop them?

Even with his three uses of "One Step to Heaven" to instantly appear in front of the opponent, did he dare to strike?

In a single exchange, he might be obliterated by the old man's unknown techniques.

"That whip..."

Before Yu Zhiwen's good news arrived, a booming sound interrupted Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts.

He saw the Bai Gu Giant, stunned as its prey flew away, suddenly erupt in fury.

It pounded the ground explosively and soared into the air again.

With a massive inhalation, its skull expanded, as if the next second it would spew another torrent of flames.

"But what good is that?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt bitter.

The old Zhang family man would surely choose to take the hit again to buy more escape time.

With his first experience, he definitely wouldn't stupidly stop to refine the Chen Zhao Zhi Qi inside him.

Instead, after spitting blood, the old man would flee at an even faster speed, racing against time to heal and recover.

"It's finished."

Xu Xiaoshou raised his hand, wanting to tell Yu Zhiwen to stop.

Since Plan A couldn't work, they had to try another route.

With both of them flying outward, they should abandon the Tian Ji Array and escape in the opposite direction.

That way, the two of them could slip away from the Bai Gu Giant's pursuit without any effort.

Though that was a decent choice, Xu Xiaoshou felt that in this situation, it was still the most regrettable last resort.

"This is..."

Just as his hand was about to touch Yu Zhiwen, Xu Xiaoshou's pupils shrank, his gaze locking on.

What did he see?

The Bai Gu Giant, after absorbing the Chen Zhao power, didn't spew it from its mouth.

Instead, it swallowed it whole, ingesting that terrifying energy in one go!

"Roar!"

After a thunderous roar, the Bai Gu Giant's body cracked all over.

Streams of flames overflowed from its frame.

But even enduring extra pain, this thing's determination to pursue was beyond everyone's expectations.

Bang bang!

The terrifying fire energy didn't erupt from its mouth but shot directly from its cracked feet.

The Bai Gu Giant was unexpectedly blasted dozens of yards high.

Yet after that, it grew even more excited.

Seeming to have found a new way to propel itself, it steadied its form and leaped forward, closing the distance to its prey.

Then, in the moment between old force fading and new force rising, it suddenly formed massive fireballs under each foot.

Using that recoil, its body accelerated even faster, closing in on Zhang Zhongmou!

"This damn thing, copying moves?"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked.

Wasn't this exactly his own "Small Fireball Hand" and "Small Fireball Foot"?

When he was being chased by this brute earlier, he used this method not only to widen the gap but also to interfere with the opponent.

And now, as the prey was about to vanish, the Bai Gu Giant was using his move?

An enhanced version at that!

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly astonished.

This big guy was too clever.

In such a short time, it not only learned his technique but also applied it.

Absurd!

"But at this speed, there's a chance."

Even while complaining internally, seeing the Bai Gu Giant's speed increase, joy appeared on Xu Xiaoshou's face.

From his "perception," as the two shot forward, the distance that should have been widening was rapidly shortening due to the Bai Gu Giant's frenzied, endless bursts of explosive fireballs!

"Damn it!"

Zhang Zhongmou saw that even with his blood escape technique, he couldn't shake off this pursuer, and his heart plummeted.

"Zhang Duoyu, save me!"

He finally swallowed his pride, admitting he couldn't fight or flee from this otherworldly creature, and had to call for help.

His thousand-mile sound transmission was sent.

But after fighting one-on-one for so long, Zhang Duoyu might have already fled far away.

Even if help came, it would take time!

Whoosh!

As Zhang Zhongmou burst out of the Tian Ji Array's boundary, he vaguely sensed something off about the Heavenly Dao inside and out.

But before he could think more, the roaring sounds closed in from behind.

Then, that sky-blocking figure directly used foot-sprayed Bai Yan to rush ahead of him.

Time seemed to slow down.

Zhang Zhongmou could clearly see the unmistakable mockery in the Bai Gu Giant's eyes as it flew past him.

His gaze shifted to its feet.

Foot-spitting fireballs were no longer enough for this brute's amusement.

Without any Ling Yuan consumption, it chose continuous ejection, turning into foot-sprayed fire jets, pushing its speed to a point even it couldn't control.

"It's over!"

Zhang Zhongmou felt a chill run through him.

He watched as the Bai Gu Giant, which had shot past him, suddenly executed a mid-air split kick.

The foot that came lost its Bai Yan, while the crossing foot intensified it.

After withstanding the strong recoil with its Wang Zuo body, the entire skeleton froze for a split second.

In that instant, darkness enveloped Zhang Zhongmou's vision.

Boom!

The void was directly shattered by the Bai Gu Giant's double fists.

The terrifying shockwave nearly shook loose the array patterns Yu Zhiwen had set up.

Luckily, this girl was sharp; the moment she sensed trouble, she stopped and fully integrated the Tian Ji Array patterns into the Heavenly Dao, turning them into nothingness.

Once the explosion subsided, she calmly continued her setup, unfazed.

"Good one."

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up.

This move was just like Gu Qing San's seamless transformation path—divine indeed.

Without this, the Tian Ji Array would have surely been triggered.

"Where's the old Zhang family man?"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare dwell on it and focused ahead.

After the explosion, Zhang Zhongmou surprisingly switched directions mid-air, shooting straight into the sky as if nothing had happened.

"Again, that technique."

Xu Xiaoshou instantly understood; the old man had used his strange Ling Ji to evade the extreme physical attack.

He felt a bit helpless.

But one trick could conquer all; against the Bai Gu Giant, this might be the only defense that worked.

However, this time, the Bai Gu Giant, having missed its prey, showed no disappointment in its eyes.

Instead, it was extremely excited!

Whoosh!

The void whistled.

After the futile punch, the Bai Gu Giant didn't stop.

As if anticipating Zhang Zhongmou would use the same old method to dodge, it followed up without even aiming, spewing Bai Yan in all directions with no blind spots.

Swish swish swish!

A massive figure nearly a hundred meters tall twisted, flung, and lowered its head in mid-air.

The Bai Yan from its mouth was like an out-of-control water hose, spraying wildly.

The sight was hilariously absurd.

Yet this ridiculous attack method was genuinely effective!

Zhang Zhongmou was no longer in his prime state of constantly urging Tian You Dan Ying.

At that moment, even mobilizing Ling Yuan caused tearing pain in his Qi Sea.

So, after dodging the Bai Gu Giant, he never expected it to abandon its foolish physical attacks and switch to this nonsensical move.

Caught off guard, when he tried to urge Tian You Dan Ying again, the harm from the internal scorching power finally showed.

Under the stacked negative effects, he was half a breath too slow in mobilizing his Ling Yuan.

Half a breath—fatal!

Accompanied by his final defiant whip swing, as the Bai Yan overwhelmed him, Zhang Zhongmou was finally engulfed in endless terror.

"Ah—"

A scream of utter despair echoed, heart-wrenching to hear.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart was flooded with wild joy.

"Got him!"

From his "perception," once the old man couldn't activate that strange Ling Ji, he could only instinctively cover his body with Ling Yuan.

But wasn't that just fueling the fire?

The terrifying Bai Yan instantly melted half of his body.

And it didn't end there.

Overwhelmed by fear, Zhang Zhongmou realized the Bai Gu Giant had somehow appeared behind him.

Boom!

After the double fists struck, the Bai Gu Giant's face showed immense satisfaction, like a compulsion finally satisfied.

Even though the struggles from its hands were weak, it stopped attacking and plummeted to the ground, breaking into a frenzied dance.

"Ho ho"

"Ho ho"

Whoosh—

A meteor was destined not to return.

Zhang Zhongmou, who had escaped the Tian Ji Array, was hammered back into its center after this blow.

He was completely powerless to resist.

Even seeing the Bai Gu Giant attack, with Bai Yan having scorched his body and Ling Yuan to ruin, such severe injuries meant even sitting to heal would be a problem.

How could he counterattack?

"Opportunity!"

Xu Xiaoshou saw the old man flying straight toward his side, as if delivered by fate.

A gravely wounded, defenseless Wang Zuo—how could he withstand his famed sword?

"Do you need help?"

Yu Zhiwen asked briefly, taking a moment from her work.

Even she realized her setup was no longer crucial.

Xu Xiaoshou had a grudge and wanted the old man dead; Yu Zhiwen had figured that out.

Now, with this guy in the heart of her Tian Ji Array, killing a Wang Zuo was just two steps:

One, isolate the Heavenly Dao.

Two, displace space.

Even a Wang Zuo's incredible regeneration, which could survive decapitation, couldn't function after isolating the Heavenly Dao.

So, whether Zhang Zhongmou lived or died was just a nod from Xu Xiaoshou.

"No need, you keep setting up the array."

Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaoshou refused.

He slowly drew his famed sword.

The old Zhang family man could die, but since his appearance hadn't harmed the Bai Gu Giant much due to carelessness, and mutual destruction hadn't occurred, Yu Zhiwen's Tian Ji Array still had its purpose.

Killing him was just a sword stroke—why involve others?

Clink!

The famed sword returned to its sheath.

That crisp sound was negligible amid the sonic boom of Zhang Zhongmou's flight.

Xu Xiaoshou seemed not to have even struck, just slightly releasing Yu Zhiwen's leg, gripping and resheathing the sword.

In the void, the oncoming Zhang Zhongmou split into two, shooting away.

Head and body separated!

"Ho?"

The dancing Bai Gu Giant froze.

It hadn't even started tormenting, so how did the prey split itself?

Suddenly, rage flared in its eyes.

That fleeting faint sword intent was exactly the flavor of the aura that had harassed it before!

In other words, that ant was still here.

And it had stolen his toy!

"Roar!"

A earth-shaking roar ravaged the surroundings.

The Bai Gu Giant sprayed Bai Yan from its feet and shot forward explosively.

This time, Xu Xiaoshou panicked.

"Exposed?"

He subconsciously clutched his Yuan Fu.

"Not yet..."

Yu Zhiwen's confident face faded as the big guy charged. "Probably..."

Xu Xiaoshou's legs went weak.

After witnessing the furious Bai Gu Giant's true power, he had no desire to duel at all.

And now...

"Wait, no!"

Xu Xiaoshou halted his thoughts.

From his "perception," the Bai Gu Giant's path wasn't heading for him but straight for the two halves of Zhang Zhongmou flying nearby!

Whoosh!

Indeed, the massive skull soared past their feet.

The Bai Gu Giant truly hadn't noticed Xu Xiaoshou's location.

Its target was solely to seize the not-yet-dead Zhang Zhongmou and vent its fury completely.

Bang!

The still-conscious Zhang Zhongmou despaired as his lower body fell into the Bai Gu Giant's right hand.

His head throbbed intensely.

He realized his head was gripped by its left palm.

"S-spare me..."

The Bai Gu Giant had intelligence.

This was evident from its battle instincts.

It also had a sense of humanity, glimpsed from its earlier joyful dance.

But clearly, this otherworldly creature's intelligence wasn't for communicating with humans.

Boom!

Grasping Zhang Zhongmou's lower body, the Bai Gu Giant slammed it to the ground in rage.

The body, melted by Bai Yan into a mere half-shell, couldn't withstand the force and shattered instantly.

Yet the Bai Gu Giant wasn't satisfied.

It reached down and crushed the rebounding body fragments viciously.

Crack crack crack...

Zhang Zhongmou felt the world darken.

He never imagined his path as a Ling Shi would end so ridiculously in this white pit.

He had thought to use the misdirection of his extreme injuries to seize the chance, flying to the farthest point from the Bai Gu Giant for one last desperate technique.

Then, burrow into the ground!

That was his final plan.

But who could have foreseen a sword qi suddenly appearing in the void, ruining everything?

"Is this the end of my life..."

Zhang Zhongmou even lost the emotions of anger and despair.

He couldn't fathom how, in this ravaged land of the Bai Gu Giant, there could be someone else hidden, undetected by him, and why they would strike him!

"Sword qi..."

Memories flashed and scattered.

At the brink of death, that searing sword qi etched itself in his mind.

Zhang Zhongmou shockingly discovered he could sense a faintly familiar aura from it.

"This..."

"Isn't this the sword intent released by the protector behind Xu Xiaoshou during that night raid on the Zhang family?"

"No, not sword intent!"

"This is just sword qi, not sword intent."

"But... from the same source!"

Zhang Zhongmou's gripped head trembled violently, his eyes bulging wide.

"That means the protector didn't show up."

"The one hiding in the shadows is... Xu Xiaoshou, from the same lineage!"

"Xu Xiaoshou is right here?!"

Realizing this, waves of humiliation and fury overwhelmed him.

Pop—a terrifying Ling Yuan exploded outward, and Zhang Zhongmou's remaining head made an unexpected move.

He burst from the Bai Gu Giant's massive palm, shooting toward Xu Xiaoshou's hiding spot.

That charred, skeletal head, even with vacant eyes, clearly showed Zhang Zhongmou had located Xu Xiaoshou!

"He's still not dead!"

Xu Xiaoshou was horrified.

The scene was too gruesome.

Was this the vitality of a Wang Zuo?

The old Zhang family man had found him?!

"Under observation, passive points, 1."

Clink.

Just as Yu Zhiwen decided to act, the Bai Gu Giant's two fingers pinched, and the slowed Zhang Zhongmou couldn't evade those pillar-like digits.

"I won't accept this!!!"

"Ah—"

From the remaining skull, a thunderous roar of hatred erupted.

The shrill cry pierced like needles, stinging Xu Xiaoshou's soul.

But the next second.

Crack.

The Bai Gu Giant's fingers squeezed.

Zhang Zhongmou fell!

"Ho ho ho, ho ho ho..."

Xu Xiaoshou stared in shock as the Bai Gu Giant, after crushing Zhang Zhongmou's skull, paused for a second before resuming its demonic wild dance.

Even Yu Zhiwen's hand trembled slightly at that moment.

"He's dead?"

"Yes."

Yu Zhiwen nodded calmly.

Wang Zuo were hard to kill.

So, even with such a brutal scene, she remained unmoved.

Because in the Sheng Shen Hall, in headquarters, there were far more varied and gruesome deaths being tested on irredeemable Wang Zuo criminals.

In comparison, Zhang Zhongmou's quick end was quite merciful.

"Ho!"

The dancing Bai Gu Giant suddenly stopped.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened.

Before he could overthink, his "perception" caught a figure shooting from the distance.

"Who?"