"Ding..."
A clear yet piercing ring sounded, and a surge of violent Demonic Qi appeared.
The Demonic Qi rushed into Zong Lu's body, instantly scattering the sword qi ravaging him. The bell then flew from his hand, swelling in the wind until it became a huge, translucent Black Bell that covered him.
Clang!
Sword Light struck. Fine cracks spread across the Black Bell, but the blow only sent Zong Lu flying. It did not shatter the bell.
The moment he landed, the Black Bell returned to its original size and flew back into his hand.
Zong Lu scrambled to his feet, took out a healing pill, crushed it, and pressed it against his wound. He had no time to argue with Zhao Mingyuan. Still shaken, he looked toward the Dragon Soul.
He was not alone. Everyone there had their attention fixed on the same point. They could all sense an aura utterly unlike the Dragon Soul's gathering in the air.
The aura alone, though invisible, stirred the winds and clouds overhead and filled every cultivator present with unease.
A few short breaths passed, but to them, it felt like another day had come.
The flood dragon opened its mouth for the third time. This time, no Sword Light emerged. Instead, a graceful, proud figure appeared, a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, like a Fairy from an ice palace.
Shen Miaoyin hovered in the air, her gaze cold. Her formidable cultivation enveloped the entire Ten Mile Art Gallery in an instant.
She had reached Peak Golden Core and absorbed the power of an Inheritance Stone Statue. From her aura alone, everyone present could tell that she had surpassed Ning Yuanqi and Feng Heyu, the two strongest demonic cultivators.
"Brother Qi, I thought we'd already reached the ceiling of the Golden Core