In other words, the silver-black mist enveloping their bodies couldn’t be pierced by Half-Spiritual Soldiers. Even when enhanced with Divine Wondrous power, the mist was incredibly difficult to dispel.

Blade Qi and Sword Qi were swiftly neutralized on contact.

Only by completely overwhelming them with sheer force could any damage be inflicted.

As a result, a newly promoted squad leader who had just reached the Alien Body realm was no match for a single one of them. It took two or even three guards to hold one at bay.

Only those at the Alien Body: Shadow level or higher could fight one-on-one.

Cheng Zong was the strongest. He could kill one with a single slash, but he was injured and had already expended much of his Divine Wondrous power. Moreover, he had to stay on guard for any experts among the enemy, leaving him unable to fight freely.

The Demon Suppression Guard were also severely outnumbered. Over a hundred of the frenzied mob had already appeared, and more were continuously pouring out from the forest behind them.

"ROAR—"

"KILL!"

Roars, battle cries, and the occasional scream echoed throughout the ravine.

Members of the frenzied mob fell one after another. But Demon Suppression Guards were falling, too.

WHOOSH—BOOM!

The air suddenly cracked with an explosive sound.

A burly figure, wreathed in a gale of force, descended from the sky, plummeting toward Cheng Zong.

SWISH!

Sensing the attack, Cheng Zong unleashed his Divine Wondrous power, slashing out into the air.

VMMMM—

The burly figure threw a downward punch. A blast of energy erupted from his fist, meeting the Blade Qi head-on and shattering it instantly.

Without pause, he rained down punch after punch.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A series of dull thuds, accompanied by the shearing Fist Force of the punches, locked down the space all around Cheng Zong.

SWISH! SWISH!

His face pale, Cheng Zong swung his blade to meet the assault head-on. The resulting shockwaves forced everyone nearby to back away.

The massive recoil sent him stumbling backward.

Finally, with a cry, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body went out of control as he was sent flying back more than ten meters, crashing into the cliffside. The impact shattered the rock, sending fragments clattering to the ground.

"Lord Cheng, still resisting?"

The burly figure sneered, his deep, resonant voice echoing across the battlefield.

"You’re all talented individuals. Surrender to my master, and every one of you can become a Divine Attendant. Especially you, Lord Cheng—you could even become a Divine Envoy!"

"...Ptui!"

Cheng Zong leaned against the cliff face and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "Luo Xihu! You were once the master of your own faction. How does it feel to be a slave to an Evil God, with no control over your own life?"

"How does it feel?"

Luo Xihu chuckled. "It feels exhilarating. I feel like I wasted the last several decades of my life. This is the life I’ve always wanted! Lord Cheng, I’m only telling you this much because I recognize you as a rare talent, a true elite. If you insist on being stubborn and resisting to the end, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance!"

"Not just anyone can become a Divine Envoy."

Luo Xihu’s expression turned savage as he bellowed, "Now, I’ll ask you one last time. Will you surrender, or—"

FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

The shrill sound of something slicing through the air suddenly rang out.

Flashes of cold light appeared without warning, weaving through the frenzied mob.

Dozens of these cold flashes materialized above and around Luo Xihu, closing in for a kill.

TCH-TCH-TCH!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A silver-black barrier of light materialized around Luo Xihu, blocking the blades. However, it lasted for only a single breath before shattering with a CRACK.

Still, that brief moment was all Luo Xihu needed to react. He shot into the air, evading the follow-up attacks.

The other frenzied people on the field, however, lacked his power.

SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

A continuous sound of tearing flesh filled the air.

The beast-like mob, still roaring, fell in droves. Every one of them had their heads pierced through, splattering red and white matter all over the ground.

As their heads were destroyed, the silver-black mist flowed back into the headless corpses and rapidly dissipated.

"Who’s there?!"

Hovering in midair, Luo Xihu’s aura surged. He held a scimitar in each hand, his fierce eyes scanning the area for his ambusher.

FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

He couldn’t find his target, but another swarm of bladed lights swept toward him.

"Get lost!"

Luo Xihu roared. The silver-black mist around him billowed as he drew upon the Power of Heaven and Earth from miles around, channeling it into his twin scimitars.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

His blades flashed, leaving clear trails as they sliced through the air.

A Sword Gang, silver-black and tinged with scarlet, shot out to meet the attacking blades.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The dull impacts echoed through the ravine, reverberating off the surrounding mountains.

Not a single one of the dancing flashes of light dissipated. After destroying Luo Xihu’s Sword Gang, they continued to press in on him.

SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

With a few sickening sounds, a spray of blood erupted.

Several bloody holes appeared on Luo Xihu’s body, and his aura weakened rapidly.

"Damn it!"

Luo Xihu’s expression changed drastically. He decisively shot into the sky and fled.

As he fled, he released a number of black pellets.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The black pellets exploded on their own, releasing dense clouds of fog that obscured both the sky and the ground.

In less than two breaths, the fog had enveloped five or six of the nearby mountains.

Luo Xihu’s figure vanished into the fog.

Unfortunately...

FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

The cold lights danced, piercing through the air and appearing precisely above and around Luo Xihu, continuing their assault.

SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

The bladed lights danced, and the sickening sounds continued unabated.

The blades pierced through Luo Xihu’s body from all directions, weaving in and out.

"How... is this possible..."

In the span of a breath, Luo Xihu was torn to pieces. His eyes were wide with disbelief as the chunks of his body fell to the ground.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +65]

’Hm?’

Gu Zheng, who had now materialized in midair, was taken by surprise.

After using the second form of his Chaotic Heaven Shield—the blades—to kill Luo Xihu and dice him into pieces, he noticed a Blood Pearl shimmering with a silver light.

The Blood Pearl seemed similar to the result of Bloodshed. Out of curiosity, Gu Zheng performed Spirit Capturing.