The Cicada Cry Sword leapt through the void, scattering another phantom mass. Then, with a flash of sword light, it fled upward and circled there, waiting for another chance to strike.
Having repeatedly slain Cheng Chao's manifested bodies in this battle, Zhang Yu had now found a few tricks to it. Even without the Jade Pecking Crane, he was confident that he could rely on that subtle shift from void to substance to locate the assembled body in advance.
Yet as time passed, he sensed those Heavenly Gang Divine Generals drawing ever closer. Once they came nearer still, he intended to send the Mystic Chaos Cicada to deal with them.
As he was considering this, he sensed something unusual in the battlefield. This time, after the Jade Crane pecked away a wisp of divine power, it did not give chase again. Instead, it wheeled once through the void and returned directly to his side, transforming into a small jade crane as it descended.
He reached out and caught it, his heart stirring faintly. If divine power still remained, the Jade Crane would never have stopped. For this to happen could only mean... Cheng Chao had been slain into utter annihilation!
He looked into the void and focused his senses for a moment. Sure enough, he could no longer detect any divine power. This so-called Upper Firmament Heaven's Dao-protecting Divine General had likely been removed.
This was the best outcome they had envisioned: Cheng Chao had been dealt with before the Heavenly Gang Divine Generals could encircle him. There was no need to face this man's combined assault alongside those Heavenly Gang Divine Generals.
Next, while those Heavenly Gang Divine Generals had yet to gather in one place, he should break them one by one.
With that thought, he made a