Wither and Flourish Sacred Body

Wherever its path swept, emerald vines sprang wildly from thin air, weaving into a sturdy net in the blink of an eye to meet the heavy hammer!

Boom!

The hammer slammed into the vine net. The vines snapped one after another, but layer upon layer of force dispersed its momentum, wearing away most of the blow. By the time the hammerhead reached the spot where Mu Yi had been standing, only three tenths of its force remained. It struck the ground, leaving behind only a shallow crater.

And the instant the hammer missed, the slender, spike-covered puppet moved.

It made no sound as it stepped, seeming like a shadow flowing along the ground. In a flash, it circled behind Mu Yi's flank. Ten metal spikes darted out like venomous snakes, stabbing toward ten vital points across his body! Each thrust was as fast as lightning, its angle treacherous, sealing off every avenue of escape!

More deadly still, a faint blue gleam shimmered on the tips of the spikes. They were Armor Piercing Thorns, forged from millennia-old cold iron and coated in deadly poison. They were made to pierce protective astral energy; even the protective spiritual light of someone in the True Saint Realm might not fully withstand them!

Mu Yi's expression did not change. He drew a circle around himself with the withered branch.

"Wither and Flourish Cycle: Spring Wind Transforms Rain."

The moment the circle closed, the air within a three-zhang radius of him abruptly grew damp, and fine green rain appeared from nowhere, pattering down. The raindrops looked delicate, but when they struck the spiked puppet, they rang out in a dense series of metallic chinks. Each drop weighed as much as a thousand jun, knocking the ten spikes slightly off course!

Seizing the opening, Mu Yi turned