Chapter 1887 - Surrounded
Deaths had shadowed every previous trial, but the casualties had never reached a truly alarming level. This time, the death toll was horrifying. More than a thousand cultivators had already perished within the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm.
Of the seven to eight thousand cultivators who entered, some had died in battles against one another, while Liu Wuxie had personally slaughtered more than a thousand.
The killing continued without pause. Except for the high-level Profound Immortals, nearly every True Immortal and Spirit Immortal had already died because their reactions could not match those of Profound Immortals.
For the first time, Shen Can and Zhu Li fought side by side. Both unleashed their strongest attacks, holding back the water giant long enough to shatter the Kidney Palace gate.
The instant the gate collapsed, everyone rode the surging currents and rushed toward the Kidney Palace.
"Big Brother, help me," a man whose legs were shattered by the water fists desperately cried out to his eldest brother, unable to move.
"Forgive me, Little Brother. I can't take you with me like this. Let us become brothers again in our next life," the elder brother said before raising his sword and ending his younger brother's life.
Similar tragedies unfolded throughout the surroundings between martial siblings, fathers and sons, relatives, and close friends. Carrying the wounded would slow the survivors and could condemn both to death. Only a small number of cultivators chose to bring their injured companions toward the Kidney Palace gate.
After refining the Yin Water Essence, Liu Wuxie's aura gradually settled at the third-level Spirit Immortal Realm.
A thunderous explosion finally tore the Kidney Palace gate apart. Countless cracks already covered its surface, allowing Shen Can and the others to break through without expending much strength.
The cultivators flooded through the opening like a raging tide.
"Liu Wuxie is breaking through. Kill him before he completes the breakthrough," Wei Wenbin roared as he surged to the front. He shot forward like a thunderbolt and crossed a thousand meters in the blink of an eye, his sword radiating a terrifying chill. Powerful waves rolled from his attacks and rapidly obscured everyone's vision.
Jiang Hongran and Shen Chao didn't move. Shen Chao maintained his caution, while Jiang Hongran's courage had already shattered completely. He could no longer summon the will to oppose Liu Wuxie.
Liu Wuxie remained utterly composed while Wei Wenbin closed in at terrifying speed. The Yin Water Essence was moments away from fully merging with the Desolate World, leaving no room for even the slightest mistake.
Just before Wei Wenbin's longsword reached Liu Wuxie, a black silhouette shot from the side and brought a black staff crashing toward him.
"Damn it!" Wei Wenbin roared. He had concentrated entirely on Liu Wuxie and neglected everything around him.
Who could have imagined a companion remained hidden near Liu Wuxie? Everyone had assumed he fought alone, only to realize that he had never truly been by himself.
A black robe wrapped around Blackie concealed his appearance. Its build vaguely resembled a person's, though its body towered considerably higher than that of an ordinary man.
The black silhouette's sudden arrival caught everyone off guard, including Shen Can and Zhu Li.
At such close range, Blackie was practically invincible. Before Wei Wenbin could react, the black staff was already descending upon his head.
Wei Wenbin had no choice but to recall his sword. If he continued attacking Liu Wuxie, the black staff would smash his skull apart. At that critical instant, survival became his only concern.
Then an even more astonishing scene unfolded. Blackie's strike hurled Wei Wenbin several hundred meters backward.
Cultivators inhaled sharply as shock swept through the crowd. Some had suspected that Liu Wuxie had a companion, but none had imagined that companion wielded such terrifying strength.
After all, Origin Immortals could not enter the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm. Following that logic, Blackie's combat strength should never have surpassed the pinnacle of the Profound Immortal Realm, regardless of how formidable it appeared.
The earlier exchange, however, clearly demonstrated strength beyond that level.
Blackie immediately grew displeased after failing to kill Wei Wenbin in one blow. Wei Wenbin had reacted with cunning, withdrawing his power and retreating at the crucial moment, which allowed him to disperse roughly thirty percent of the staff's force. Otherwise, he would already have died.
Discussions broke out all around. "What the hell is that thing? Is it human or demon?"
The black robe concealed most of Blackie's appearance, preventing anyone from identifying what it truly was.
"That doesn't look human. Look at its feet. They resemble an immortal beast's," Shen Chao said, staring intently at Blackie.
The black robe covered Blackie's entire body, but its webbed feet remained exposed because no suitable shoes existed for it.
"How can this be possible? Liu Wuxie was only a True Immortal when he entered this place. Even if he formed a contract with a companion immortal beast, its cultivation shouldn't have surpassed the True Immortal Realm."
The crowd quickly rejected that explanation. No matter how they examined the situation, they could not understand why such a powerful immortal beast would willingly assist Liu Wuxie.
"Young Master, this monster must have killed Elder Shen San," Shen Mo said, hatred twisting his face while fury blazed in his eyes. He attempted to charge forward, but Shen Shui restrained him.
Elder Shen San had treated Shen Mo kindly and cared for him since childhood.
"Don't do anything reckless. This monster is far from simple," Shen Shui warned. He also wanted Liu Wuxie dead, but the creature had repelled even Wei Wenbin.
Shen Chao hurried over to help Wei Wenbin stand and asked, "Brother Wei, could you identify what kind of immortal beast that is?"
"I have no idea. It gives off no demonic aura, and its attacks rely purely on physical strength," Wei Wenbin replied, shaking his numb arm. The rebound from their collision had felt strangely unfamiliar and carried none of the traits normally associated with an immortal beast's power.
"That's extremely strange. I know of no immortal beast capable of repelling a peak Profound Immortal through physical strength alone," Shen Chao said with a deep frown.
The mask covering Blackie's face was particularly unusual. Liu Wuxie had personally crafted it and infused it with his mental energy, preventing ordinary divine senses from seeing through it.
"What are all of you waiting for? Do you plan to let Liu Wuxie finish his breakthrough before you attack him?" shouted a cultivator. He had personally slain his younger brother because of Liu Wuxie, and he naturally blamed the latter for his brother's death.
Everyone immediately voiced their agreement. Though Blackie possessed terrifying combat strength, two fists could not contend against so many enemies. With these many cultivators gathered, they saw no reason to fear it.
Shen Can and Zhu Li exchanged a glance, each finding fierce murderous intent reflected in the other's eyes.
"Brother Shen, the two of us should attack together," Zhu Li said to Shen Can, the strongest person present.
Shen Can nodded and raised his sword, unleashing a terrifying sword ray without restraint. The sword ray instantly multiplied into a rain of blades that poured from the sky.
"Every Profound Immortal attacks now. Once Liu Wuxie dies, we'll divide his treasures among ourselves," Zhu Li roared. His command carried particular weight because the largest group present stood under his leadership.
Hundreds of cultivators charged toward Blackie at the same time.
No one knew whether Blackie could endure such an overwhelming assault. Cultivators surrounded it from all directions and unleashed an array of strange techniques, producing sharp metallic ringing whenever their attacks struck its body. Despite the relentless bombardment, not one technique tore through Blackie's skin.
"I remember now. I encountered this monster inside the Spleen Palace," one attacker suddenly screamed.
The mask had prevented him from recognizing Blackie earlier. After moving closer and seeing the black staff in its hands, he finally realized that this was the same monster they had encountered in the Spleen Palace.
"How is that possible? How can a living creature still exist within the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm?" Everyone stared in bewilderment, and even Shen Can revealed a trace of shock.
If the claim was true, their curiosity over how Liu Wuxie had gained control of Blackie only intensified. If they wrested control of the creature away from Liu Wuxie, they would gain an extraordinarily powerful combat force of their own.
"Enough pointless talk! Attack! Once we capture Liu Wuxie, all our questions will be answered," Wei Wenbin scolded, bringing the discussion to an abrupt end.
Blackie stood firmly beside Liu Wuxie and refused to permit anyone to approach.
"Brother Zhu, lead your people to attack Liu Wuxie. I'll handle this monster," Shen Can said, ordering Zhu Li to interrupt Liu Wuxie's breakthrough.
"Very well!" Zhu Li replied. He pointed his sword at Liu Wuxie and led more than a dozen experts around Blackie, charging directly toward Liu Wuxie's back.
Blackie flew into a rage and released a bizarre howl. Its body expanded abruptly, ripping the black robe apart and exposing the pitch-black fur underneath. It now appeared even more terrifying. One horizontal sweep of its black staff forced Zhu Li and his companions backward.
Shen Can seized the opening and slashed his sword across Blackie's shoulder.
Pain made Blackie recoil as a thin line of blood appeared on its shoulder. Shen Can had not broken through its defenses completely, but the mere fact that he had cut its skin demonstrated his formidable strength.
Blackie bared its teeth and tore off the mask, revealing its ferocious face.
The sight of Blackie's true appearance frightened many cultivators into instinctively retreating one step.
"A monster!"
Shen Can, however, became calmer after seeing its face. He thought that Blackie was merely an unusual exotic beast that had forced Wei Wenbin back through the strength of its extraordinarily powerful physique.
Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie's aura gradually stabilized as the Yin Water Essence completed its fusion with the Desolate World. He sensed everything happening around him, but at this critical moment, he could do nothing.
When Liu Wuxie sensed Shen Can injuring Blackie while it protected him, he engraved the debt deep within his heart. Once he successfully forged the Divine Penta Elemental Bolt, he would kill every last one of them.
Blackie was gradually reaching its limit. It had to withstand the combined assault of Shen Can and the others while preserving enough strength to keep Liu Wuxie safe.
Zhu Li fought with exceptional cunning, repeatedly feigning attacks to draw Blackie's attention and create openings for Shen Can and the others.
Within the blink of an eye, wounds began appearing across Blackie's body. It knew no immortal arts and had always relied upon its overwhelming physique to crush its opponents.
Shen Can's sword techniques moved with treacherous unpredictability. Before long, his relentless attacks carved several wounds across Blackie's cheek as he continuously searched for a weakness in its defenses.
After probing repeatedly, Shen Can finally discovered that the area beneath Blackie's arm was comparatively vulnerable. Without hesitation, he thrust his sword precisely three inches below Blackie's underarm.
Soft flesh covered that area, and a direct strike would undoubtedly inflict a severe wound.
Blackie refused to retreat from Shen Can's lethal thrust. Instead, it stepped forward as the black staff in its hands abruptly extended.
Shen Can had already found Blackie's ability to enlarge its body astonishing. He had never imagined the black staff could expand as well.
While Blackie's attention remained fixed upon Shen Can, Zhu Li suddenly attacked. His sword carried unstoppable momentum as it swept toward Liu Wuxie's neck.
Shen Can and Zhu Li coordinated flawlessly, with Shen Can deliberately drawing Blackie away.
Danger engulfed Liu Wuxie in an instant. Unless he evaded in time, Zhu Li's sword would stab him.
At the critical moment, a figure charged into the battlefield and raised a sword to intercept Zhu Li's blade. Sparks scattered from the collision, and the intervention allowed Liu Wuxie to escape disaster by the narrowest margin.
Liu Wuxie had already prepared to abandon his breakthrough and forcibly block Zhu Li's attack. However, the sudden arrival of another person caught him completely by surprise.