Surging Beast Tide

Stepping into the Wall of Sighs defense line felt like entering another world.

The air was thick with an unshakeable scent of blood, Evil Qi, and the rampant energy left behind by various spells.

The earth-shattering sounds of shouting, beast roars, and explosions were incessant, making one's heart tremble.

Beyond the massive barrier of light, lay an endless expanse of ferocious beasts of all shapes and sizes, charging the barrier in waves like the tide.

The defenders inflicted heavy casualties with treasures, Spiritual Power, and crossbow bolts, but countless beasts still broke through the hail of fire, leaping onto the barrier. They clawed, bit, and slammed their bodies against the light screen, causing ripples to constantly spread across it.

Inside the barrier, the scene was one of busy intensity. Some cultivators sat cross-legged, rapidly recovering their magic power;

others patrolled back and forth, repairing the slightly unstable array foundations shaken by the beast tide;

even more formed battle formations, ready to charge out of the barrier at any moment to clear out the beasts attacking it, or to deal with powerful individuals that might appear suddenly.

Li Su and Zhiwei moved along the inner side of the defense line, searching for a relatively safe vantage point while also sensing the direction indicated by the Bedrock Rune.

The sensation pointed towards an area to the left of the main battlefield. The fighting there seemed particularly fierce, with the barrier visibly fluctuating. Several small breaches had even been torn open by beasts, and the defenders were locked in close combat with the intruders, the slaughter brutal.

"Fellow Daoist, that place is too dangerous!" Zhiwei said, her face pale as she looked at the battlefield where flesh and blood flew.

"I know. But I need something from there."

Li Su focused his divine sense on the area and said in a deep voice, "Wait for me here. Don't wander off. I'll be back soon."

Without waiting for Zhiwei's reply, Li Su's bamboo body moved, instantly transforming into a stream of dark light, charging towards the fiercely contested area!

The closer he got, the more he could feel the brutal atmosphere. Mutilated limbs were everywhere, the light of spells mingled with beast blood, and roars and screams were mixed together.

Li Su saw a human cultivator struck by the tail of a giant lizard-like beast. His protective treasure shattered instantly, and he was sent flying backward, spitting blood. He also saw a burly Yao tribesman revert to his true form, tearing apart a wolf-like beast that had charged in, only to be covered in blood himself.

Without hesitation, he charged directly into a small breach that had just been torn open and had not yet been fully repaired!

Outside the breach, dozens of beasts were frantically surging forward!

Inside the breach, seven or eight defenders had formed a small circular formation, struggling to hold on, on the verge of being swallowed by the beast tide!

"Another one coming to die!" a blood-soaked cultivator within the formation shouted hoarsely at the approaching Li Su, his voice filled with despair.

Li Su remained silent. His bamboo body suddenly stopped in the center of the breach, its nine sections radiating brilliant light!

"Star Swirl Body Protection!"

The intermediate Star Swirl Body Protection activated instantly, a thick halo shimmering with countless star vortexes, firmly blocking the entire breach!

The leading beasts slammed into the halo, their bodies thrown off balance by the rotating stellar energy, their attacks deviating. Some were even injured by the recoil!

"An array? No! It's a defensive Spiritual Power!" the cultivators in the formation exclaimed, a mixture of shock and joy.

"Fellow Daoists, focus all your efforts on killing the beasts that break through! I will hold the breach for now!"

Li Su transmitted his voice with his divine sense, while simultaneously waving his bamboo branches. Streams of Soul-Devouring Dark Light, infused with the intent of stellar annihilation, shot out silently, precisely targeting the beasts whose movements were disturbed by the Star Swirl Body Protection!

His Soul-Devouring Dark Light was extremely effective against these beasts with low intelligence and relatively weak souls. Often, with a flash of dark light, the beast would stiffen, allowing the defenders to easily slay them.

With Li Su's powerful reinforcement, the pressure at the breach significantly decreased. The defenders' spirits were greatly lifted, and they roared with renewed vigor, quickly eliminating the scattered beasts that managed to enter.

However, the good times did not last.

A furious roar echoed from the rear of the beast tide, and a powerful aura rapidly approached!

A demonic ape-like beast, over five zhang tall, covered in black scales, with a single horn on its head and wielding a massive bone club, smashed through the low-level beasts in its path and charged forward! Its aura had reached the mid-stage Celestial Immortal realm!

"It's a Black Scale Demon Ape! Be careful!" the defenders cried out, their newly raised hopes instantly dashed.

The Black Scale Demon Ape's blood-red eyes locked onto Li Su, who was blocking the breach, clearly viewing him as the greatest obstacle. It roared, and its colossal bone club, carrying a gale that tore through the air, smashed down fiercely at Li Su!

The blow was immensely powerful, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks!

Li Su's bamboo body remained still, its Star Swirl Body Protection activated to its maximum, directly taking the blow!

BOOM!!

The deafening roar shook the heavens! The Star Swirl Body Protection halo violently vibrated, countless star vortexes flickering unstably, and a slight crack even appeared!

Li Su's bamboo body also sank slightly, the ground at its rooted spot cracking!

What immense strength! A mid-stage Celestial Immortal is indeed not to be trifled with!

But, it held!

The Black Scale Demon Ape froze, seemingly surprised that this inconspicuous bamboo could withstand its full-powered strike.

In its rage, it raised its bone club again.

However, would Li Su give it another chance?

Just as it took the blow, when the ape's old strength was exhausted and its new strength had not yet arisen, Li Su unleashed the killing move he had prepared for a long time!

He wasn't just passively defending with Star Swirl Body Protection! While his bamboo body endured the attack, his bamboo roots had already quietly spread along the ground, setting up a trapping and killing formation that combined Minor Chiliad Array Analysis with his own characteristics—the Nine-Section Sky Locking Array!

"Array, rise!"

Hum!

Nine bamboo root phantoms, shimmering with stellar evil light, shot up from the ground around the demon ape, instantly weaving into a temporary cage, trapping it within!

The power of the array not only restrained its movements but also continuously eroded its Demon Energy and Blood Essence!

At the same time, over a third of the bamboo leaves on Li Su's body detached, transforming into hundreds of sharp blades that flowed with starlight and dark light, shooting towards the trapped demon ape like a torrential storm!

These bamboo leaf blades didn't attack randomly but specifically targeted its eyes, throat, armpits, and joints – areas where its defense was relatively weak!

This wasn't the end! A Soul-Devouring Dark Light, condensed with Li Su's strongest soul power, struck after the bamboo leaves, bypassing physical defense and heading straight for the demon ape's forehead!

Bound by the array and facing such dense and precise attacks, the Black Scale Demon Ape was thrown into disarray. It wildly swung its bone club, blocking most of the bamboo leaf blades.

However, it still suffered countless wounds, its scales shattered, and blood poured out! And it couldn't completely evade the most fatal Soul-Devouring Dark Light!

Ching!

The dark light pierced its forehead! The demon ape's massive body stiffened abruptly, letting out an ear-splitting howl. The light in its eyes instantly dimmed, and its movements became incredibly sluggish!

Now!

Li Su's bamboo body moved like lightning, charging forward. The tip of its bamboo body flashed with unprecedented sharp starlight, like an indestructible divine spear. Taking advantage of the demon ape's severely wounded soul and stiffened movements, it precisely pierced its vital throat!

Squelch!

The starlight erupted! The demon ape's scream abruptly stopped, and its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust!

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment.

The defenders at the breach, along with the cultivators who noticed this scene nearby, stared dumbfounded at the dark black bamboo and the mid-Celestial Immortal stage demon ape corpse lying at its feet.

Late Earth Immortal stage, defeating a mid-Celestial Immortal stage demon ape with an array?! What kind of combat power was this?!

After a brief silence, thunderous cheers erupted! The morale of the defenders at the breach soared, and they frantically attacked the remaining ferocious beasts.

Li Su's bamboo body swayed slightly as it retracted its branches, quickly absorbing the demon ape's dissipating soul power (which was converted into Evolution Points) and some of its Blood Essence.

In the previous battle, he had used almost all his abilities, cooperating with the array and his Spiritual Power, to barely achieve a swift kill of this demon ape. The consumption was indeed significant.

But he couldn't afford to rest, because the "Bedrock Rune" was sensing something from the direction the demon ape had come from!

His divine sense swept towards that direction, penetrating the chaotic beast tide, and finally locked onto something – it was an inconspicuous dark yellow stone, half-buried in the scorched black soil. It was about the size of a fist, but it emanated a Dao rhythm that was the same origin as the "Bedrock Rune," yet more ancient and profound!

This is it!

Li Su's root moved, about to step forward to claim the treasure.

Suddenly, a sharp sword light shot out from the side, snatching the dark yellow stone first! At the same time, an arrogant voice rang out:

"Hmph! I didn't expect an unexpected gain! This item should belong to me!"