[Second Form]

"Monster..."

Zhao Wei's face turned horrified, and the word slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself.

"ROAR!!!"

The mountains shook, and birds and beasts fled in every direction.

A deafening roar rolled outward, scattering the blood mist on all sides as countless leaves rustled around them.

A ferocious, monstrous presence swept over them like a sea, wave upon wave. Even Zhao Wei, a hundred meters away, felt his chest tighten until he nearly spat blood!

This aura!

It had definitely surpassed Unified Force, drawing infinitely close to a Dark Force expert who had undergone Second Rebirth!

Zhao Wei's expression changed.

He had a vague idea why Wu Dao had retreated.

Because none of them, even working together, could possibly defeat a demon comparable to a Dark Force expert!

Five hundred years!

So it really was more than just a rock!

Once anything became a spirit, even a pig could surpass mortal imagination!

Hoo...

Zhao Wei drew a deep breath, gazing at the monster in the clearing as his desire to retreat grew stronger!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

The roars continued without end, making their blood boil and their minds grow restless.

The blood mist dispersed.

The ugly, muscular mountain of flesh that had been the flesh tai sui was gone. In its place stood a blood-red, demonic, musclebound "old man" more than three meters tall!

At first glance, the old man looked a little like Meng Qingshan and Yingsha fused together.

Deformed, swollen muscles covered him like layer upon layer of crimson armor and stone. Every slab of muscle rose and fell with its own breath, brimming with explosive power.

His round head resembled a ball, with eyes all around it. As they opened and closed, they flashed with a cruel, wicked glint.

The most terrifying part was the old man's claws!

They were an enhanced version of Yingsha's!

Each of his ten claws was half a meter long, shining with a ghastly blood-jade gleam. A casual sweep of his hand cut through a tree that would have taken a man to wrap his arms around, as easily as slicing tofu.

There was no doubt about it.

Even an Iron Mannequin standing right in front of him would be torn to shreds on the spot!

"Mimicry Ability?"

In the clearing, Meng Qingshan's massive, pillar-like body had already retreated at the first sign of change. Now he stared at the fearsome old man, his expression dark.

He hadn't expected the flesh tai sui to possess such a strange Demonic Art.

He and Uncle Ya had unleashed a barrage of attacks, but not only had they failed to hurt it, they had become the very material it used for its mimicry!

And it had copied them incredibly fast!

In no time at all, it had learned nearly all of his and Uncle Ya's physical advantages, transforming into the terrifying monster before them!

Infinitely close to Second Rebirth!

This was trouble...

Meng Qingshan's ugly, twisted face darkened and brightened by turns. In the blink of an eye, he made up his mind and shouted to the equally shocked Mao Ba and the others:

"Either we work together, or none of us gets to eat! If you disagree, we're leaving right now!"

That was right!

Facing the flesh tai sui after it had mimicked them, even the confident Meng Qingshan had no certainty of victory.

If Mao Ba and the other two still planned to sit back and watch the tigers fight, he would turn around and leave at once.

He had a Qi Sea Dantian.

He would have plenty of chances to break through the cocoon in the future.

There was no need to risk his life fighting the flesh tai sui to the bitter end, only to face Mao Ba and his companions while injured.

"Agreed!"

Mao Ba and Yun Tianliu understood that they now had only two choices: join forces or retreat. They accepted Meng Qingshan's proposal almost without hesitation.

"ROAR!!"

While the three of them spoke, the flesh tai sui in its Second Form hadn't been put on pause.

Uncle Ya was keeping it occupied for the moment. Like a war machine, it swung its claws wildly, wreaking havoc on everything around it.

Trees snapped with every swipe.

Boulders exploded at the slightest touch. It was like a rampaging Titan Tyrant!

Even someone as strong as Uncle Ya—

could only dodge and circle around it. One hit was enough to make bones crack with a series of sharp snaps.

It was unstoppable!

"Brother Zhao, are you still not coming out?!"

Seeing Uncle Ya wounded, Meng Qingshan's expression darkened further. Zhao Wei and Wu Dao were still watching from the sidelines!

"Brother Wu has already withdrawn. There's no point waiting."

Zhao Wei stepped out of the darkness, his expression troubled as he spoke.

Wu Dao had vanished after hurriedly leaving and never returned. It seemed he had truly given up competing for the flesh tai sui.

It was hard to say whether he feared the strength Meng Qingshan and the others had revealed, or the flesh tai sui's fearsome might.

As for Zhao Wei himself—

To be honest—

He truly didn't want to wade into this mess.

Without Wu Dao, he could be said to be the weakest force here.

If things turned against him afterward, he might gain nothing at all and could even lose his life.

But...

The temptation of the flesh tai sui was simply too great!

Unlike Meng Qingshan, Zhao Wei didn't possess a Qi Sea Dantian.

Once his blood and qi declined in his old age and illness took hold, he wouldn't even be able to die in peace!

If he could obtain a treasure like the flesh tai sui to prolong his life and preserve his blood and qi, advancing further would be impossible, but living out his remaining years in peace—and gaining several more decades—would be no problem!

Therefore—

He couldn't pass up even the slightest chance to extend his life, no matter how great the risk!

That was why those three Internal Strengthening freelance fighters had followed the others into Canyun Mountain, despite knowing they couldn't compete with Divine Strength experts.

There was no other reason.

When the reward was great enough, even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of gaining something could wipe away a ten-thousandfold fear of the risks!

"Flashy on the outside, useless inside! Coward!!"

Hearing that Wu Dao had already left, Meng Qingshan felt a flicker of suspicion, but he still cursed Wu Dao for his cowardice!

But now, in the midst of a life-or-death battle—

He had no time to think about it.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Hundreds and thousands of stone fragments exploded before Meng Qingshan's eyes and shot in every direction. The flesh tai sui had sent Uncle Ya flying, smashing a huge boulder in front of them.

Thud!

A pair of legs as massive as pillars descended from above.

A killing intent as fierce as the sea and deep as an abyss bore down on them, leaving everyone struggling to breathe.

At that moment—

They no longer had time to worry about anything else.

Like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one showed off his own divine abilities.

They all revealed their trump cards and brought out every ounce of their strength!

Crack! Crack!

Meng Qingshan drew a deep breath and circulated his blood and qi. His eyes bulged as they flooded with blood, and his already enormous body swelled even larger, his aura surging to a new height.

But he was clearly pushing himself beyond his limits. His muscles and bones groaned with sharp, tearing sounds, as if they could no longer bear the strain.

"Die!!"

His shout rang out like a thunderclap, shattering stone.

His enormous black demonic body appeared before the flesh tai sui as if by teleportation. His black, millstone-sized fist slammed into its face, caving it in on the spot.

Hoo...

Zhao Wei attacked as well. He exhaled a mouthful of stale air, his hair and beard bristling, while little bulges seemed to scurry beneath his clothes like mice.

In an instant, the veins all over his body stood out. His face twisted, his muscles swelled, and his arms and legs grew thick as pillars, powerful and sturdy—truly like the waist of a savage whale, with strength enough to move mountains!

Giant Whale Art!

It was the secret Hard Qigong passed down by the White Whale Martial Arts Hall!

Back then, the two founders of the Giant Whale Sect had each created an art: one had created the Tyrant Whale Fist, which spread throughout the land, while the other had created the Hard Qigong secret, the Giant Whale Art.

The art had nine levels.

It was said that each level granted the strength of one Desolate Giant Whale, and that at its peak, one could strike against the Innate!

A Divine Strength expert could withstand only the second level!

But even the second level, with the strength of two Desolate Giant Whales, was enough to unleash the Giant Whale Tyrant Body and dominate all who hadn't undergone Cocoon Breaking. One could even go toe-to-toe with someone in the early stages of Cocoon Breaking!

Zhao Wei had excellent talent.

In fifty years on the martial world's roads, he had not only brought his Tyrant Whale Fist to the Grandmaster level, but also mastered the second level of the Giant Whale Art. He had even cultivated the Giant Whale Tyrant Body long ago!

In terms of strength alone—

He was no weaker than Meng Qingshan!

Unfortunately, he didn't possess a Qi Sea Dantian. Otherwise, he could have gone much further in the future.

"Come and die!"

Since Zhao Wei had decided to join the fight, he had no intention of holding back. He shouted, leapt forward, and joined the melee.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Flesh smashed against flesh, and the crashing roar was horrifying!

With the Grandmaster-level Tyrant Whale Fist unleashed alongside the power of the Giant Whale Art, his attacks crashed down like a stormy sea!

For a time—

The offensive power Zhao Wei displayed was no weaker than Meng Qingshan's, even after Meng Qingshan's second Limit Liberation.

Clang!

Whoosh!

A sword and a ruler followed close behind!

Mao Ba and Yun Tianliu had also joined the encirclement!

Neither of them was ordinary.

Yun Tianliu practiced the Soldier Dao, said to be the foremost among all paths in a fight to the death!

From childhood, he had also practiced the Fangcun Sword Technique, created by the legendary swordsman Yang Wufeng. Now he had reached the Grandmaster realm, and his killing power was no small matter.

The sword technique was famous throughout Guangqing Prefecture.

Within a square inch, none could stand against me!

Unstoppable by anything, bane of Hard Qigong!

According to legend, before reaching the Innate realm, Yang Wufeng had used this sword technique to face three peak Cocoon Breaking Hard Qigong experts. Without sweeping attacks or grand flourishes, he had killed them with his sword within a mere square inch!

As the leading figure of the younger generation at Fangcun Sword Hall, Yun Tianliu was no match for Yang Wufeng in his youth.

But his killing power was still not to be underestimated.

Slash, thrust, tap, slice, parry...

Like a gazelle's horns catching on branches, like a sudden storm.

Within a square inch, his sword was as vicious as a dragon, cunning and ruthless. The moment he entered the fray, it burst into blooms of blood across the flesh tai sui's Second Form.

The flesh armor that looked utterly indestructible seemed like tofu beneath his sword. For a time, his attacks drew a great deal of the monster's hatred.