Raging flames roared without end, tearing the bandits ahead to shreds.
Standing behind Yu Tiezhu, Wu Yu kept throwing pebbles engraved with [Bi Fang Sigil], unleashing a relentless bombardment as though he meant to bring down the entire Lostway Cave.
The pebbles in his Inventory rapidly dwindled, while the Tiger Wraith horde was blasted apart. Even the stronger transcendent Tiger Wraiths were bombed to death.
Yu Tiezhu stood at the front, blocking most of the arrows with his towering body.
But the fierce battle he had expected never came. After only a short while, the arrows stopped.
Countless bandits were torn to pieces, and searing waves of heat washed over him, leaving him trembling.
"What kind of Psionic Bombs are these?"
Yu Tiezhu glanced back, his lips quivering.
He was no fool. He dared not press for answers.
After a while, the explosions stopped.
Deep in the darkness, only the Mountain Lord and a few bandit chiefs beside him remained. Wisps of black wind hid in the night, thick as ink.
Wu Yu took several deep breaths, restoring himself to peak condition.
He dared not deactivate [Heaven-Earth State], and the vitality within his body continued to drain. Fortunately, a cool sensation flowed into his body from the depths of his soul, replenishing his vitality and restoring his mind.
Lostway Cave had nearly collapsed under the bombardment. The passage had widened, and craters littered the ground.
But the Mountain Lord did not move. The bandit chiefs around him did not move. Neither did Wu Yu!
The atmosphere gradually grew eerie.
Yu Tiezhu shuddered, seemingly sensing something.
After a moment's thought, he gritted his teeth and planted his feet. His muscles bulged as he stood at the front like a city wall.
Then, without warning, the Mountain Lord roared, and the bandit chiefs lunged out eagerly!
Blood-red energy covered their bodies. One drew his bow and aimed as he ran, another charged with a saber, and a third leaped over broken rocks and pits like an ape, rapidly closing in.
Wu Yu did not panic at the sight. Instead, he swung his arm again!
Heaven-and-Earth Toss!
Pebbles shot out one after another, changing direction in midair just as before and hurtling toward the charging bandit chiefs.
The archer chief paid them no heed. He abruptly loosed an arrow straight at Wu Yu's head!
Whoosh-!
The arrow and pebbles skimmed past one another. With a boom, the archer chief was blasted away.
Yu Tiezhu had already tensed his body. The instant he saw the arrow coming, he lunged out without hesitation!
Bang-!
The arrow struck Yu Tiezhu. Its tip shattered, releasing a cloud of green mist.
Yu Tiezhu screamed. His clothes dissolved wherever the mist touched them, and a large patch of his skin was corroded away.
At the same time, the remaining pebbles hurtled toward the other chiefs.
The saber-wielding chief charged straight ahead, trying to break through the flames with his speed and vitality and close in for the kill!
But what greeted him was not one pebble, but more than a dozen!
Boom, boom, boom!
The flames merged into a solid sheet. All that remained of the Iron-Headed Kid was half a charred arm, blasted away to land on the ground.
The last bandit chief was extremely fast and agile.
With his astonishing speed, he seemed to fly just above the ground. In the blink of an eye, he leaped more than ten meters, avoiding the area where the pebbles would land.
But... the pebbles could turn!
The pebbles that had flown past suddenly accelerated, scattering across different spots to create a zone of fiery bombardment.
The agile chief's expression changed. Clutching his short blade, he leaped high, trying to escape.
But while he was still in midair, terrifying flames erupted!
Bang!
With a deafening blast, the agile chief fell as nothing more than a charred, mutilated corpse.
Seeing this astonishing outcome, even the wounded Yu Tiezhu grew excited, his courage swelling!
"Wu Yu, don't worry! I'll help hold him off!"
Yu Tiezhu spoke in a trembling voice. The skin on his body was actually recovering at a visible rate.
Wu Yu did not answer him. He only stared fixedly at the Mountain Lord.
Standing in the darkness, the Mountain Lord suddenly padded over and sank his teeth into the wounded archer chief!
"Guwa-!"
The chief had no strength to resist. With a scream, he was bitten in two.
The Mountain Lord chewed while watching Wu Yu and Yu Tiezhu.
The black wind around him grew denser, resembling a suit of black armor.
Suddenly, a gale rose!
The bandits dissolved into light, and illusory shadows flew into the Mountain Lord's black wind.
Yu Tiezhu could not see any of this, but Wu Yu saw it clearly through his Spirit Eye!
Are those souls?
He commands Tiger Wraiths! While they're alive, they can surround his enemies. Once they're dead, he can absorb their souls!
Is he strengthening himself? Or is this some demonic spell?
How underhanded!
Startled, he had no time to consider anything else. He decisively swept his hand!
Whoosh-!
A mass of pebbles flew out, hurtling toward the Mountain Lord!
The Mountain Lord roared, trying to withstand them head-on.
But blossoms of flame exploded, forcing the Mountain Lord back some distance and instantly shattering his black wind armor.
"Roar!"
The Mountain Lord was furious, yet could only watch helplessly as the souls dispersed.
At the sight, Wu Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
He was no ordinary person who knew nothing. After studying Cultivator knowledge for so long at River City Advanced Academy, his understanding of souls far exceeded that of most people.
The souls of ordinary people, and even ordinary transcendents, could rarely endure for long.
Their souls were incredibly fragile. Even a light breeze might scatter them, let alone the flames of [Bi Fang Sigil].
Having thwarted his enemy's scheme, Wu Yu naturally pressed his advantage, striding forward.
Already enraged, the Mountain Lord saw that Wu Yu, the culprit behind it all, actually dared step out. He immediately roared and pounced!
A vicious gust swept toward them. Yu Tiezhu trembled uncontrollably, his whole body stiff.
Yet Wu Yu stopped without a change in expression and swept his arm again!
Heaven-and-Earth Toss!
Another heap of pebbles flew out. Prepared this time, the Mountain Lord abruptly leaped aside with his enormous body.
But the explosions joined into a continuous expanse of flame, and the Mountain Lord's body was too large. He was still caught in it and retreated in a sorry state.
Yet... his body was like a high-grade alloy. No matter how many times he was bombarded, no new wounds appeared. Only the gathered black wind was blasted apart.
Wu Yu calmly pursued him, suppressing him with firepower several times. He even chased him to the cave entrance and used the traps to land a vicious hit!
But even after suffering such a heavy blow, the Mountain Lord did not fall with grievous injuries.
Instead, he grew even more cunning, watching the two of them intently in the night and refusing to leave!
Outside, the night seemed deathly still.
The Mountain Lord stood in the distance, patiently searching for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.
This was a cunning, intelligent beast. He would gradually wear down his enemies' energy and fighting strength, then seize an opening to kill them.
After coordinating with Wu Yu several times, Yu Tiezhu also calmed down and carefully scanned their surroundings,
while recalling what had happened before, trying to offer useful information.
"Captain Liu tried a pistol, bombs, and a ray weapon. None of them could penetrate the Mountain Lord's body."
"His flesh, skin, and bones are harder than metal!"
"The only time he bled during the last attack was when he bit through Captain Lu's weapon and injured his mouth..."
At those words,
Wu Yu, who had been planning how to reach the Evacuation Point, brightened and looked the Mountain Lord over.
Then he turned to Yu Tiezhu.
And smiled faintly.
Before you continue