Ryūmon Hōzukimaru came down.
The blade struck the dog's head. Spatial Blades sliced in from all directions, splitting apart the red mist before it closed back in around both sides of the blade. Bai Zhu pushed forward against the force pressing down from ahead, wounds splitting open across his shoulders, waist, and legs.
"WAHHHA--!"
He shouted as a Spatial Blade grazed his left arm, carving open half his shoulder and rolling flesh outward.
Mycelium burrowed from the wounds, pulling together the torn muscles and sealing the gashes. The sound of bones shifting reached his ears.
But Bai Zhu could not feel any pain at all.
Even the torn wounds seemed to be healing frantically.
Big Dog raised its muzzle, and the row of eyes along its abdomen opened at once. Red mist poured from their sockets as more than a dozen Spatial Blades crisscrossed toward him.
Under Gao Mao's influence, Bai Zhu simply did not know what retreat meant.
Ryūmon Hōzukimaru swung sideways. Its edge grazed the first Spatial Blade, then pressed down the second. The third cut across his leg, taking a chunk of flesh with it.
He took a step forward.
The Skeleton Army Formation crawled out of the Dead Realm. Tattered armor dragged across the scorched earth as broken swords and shattered spears stabbed one after another at Big Dog's limbs. The weapons passed through the phantom and struck the red mist, sparks blazing up along the dog's legs.
Big Dog's body was forced to rear back.
The red mist collided with the Dead Realm. Its edges kept shrinking, only to be dragged forward again by Bai Zhu.
"Why are you chopping at its head?!"
Gao Mao crouched behind the ring of mushrooms, both hands pressed to the ground. Mushrooms kept sprouting, and tiny green-skinned figures surged