The bow and arrow felt like an extension of his body. His senses instantly locked onto the Qi Seal he had left on the old man.

And at that very moment, a figure had already risen from the spot where the old man had fallen.

He Tou twisted its neck and raised its head. Its skull, which had been completely shattered, was now fully restored.

The white mist no longer emanated from its head, and its previously weakened state had vanished.

Beneath Elder Life Crane, a mass of veins and blood vessels extended from the base of He Tou's neck, frantically devouring the flesh and blood of the corpses.

Elder Life Crane's expression was impassive, but his gaze was also fixed on Yang An.

"Hahahaha! Old man! We almost died! That was so scary!"

He Tou launched into its familiar taunts, its vigor completely restored. Its gaze toward Yang An was filled with contempt.

"Indeed. We almost went to join Wild Forbidden, hehe."

Elder Life Crane let out a cold chuckle, his gaze never leaving Yang An.

"You really know how to pick your moments, my good disciple!

If that rebellious disciple who sent you the dream had possessed this kind of decisiveness, things would have been better. But he was always too reckless, which is something I truly disliked.

You, on the other hand, are quite impressive!

In fact, I quite enjoy witnessing your growth. A situation like this is perfect."

"However, you'll have to try harder next time! As you are now, you are still not worthy!"

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH!

The countless veins and blood vessels retracted into Elder Life Crane's body. It seemed he had used the flesh and blood of the corpses to nearly complete his recovery.

"Come, let your master test this arrow of yours. Let me see what you're truly capable of! And while we're at it… I'll show you the true gap between us!"

A smile slowly spread across Elder Life Crane's face, as if victory were already in his grasp.

Locked onto Elder Life Crane's aura, Yang An wore a grim expression, hesitating to release the arrow. The moment he'd wanted to shoot had passed; it was already too late.

Although Bow Lady had helped him break free from the old man's restraining Power of Rules, by the time the arrow had fully formed, the old man's aura had already completely recovered.

'That son of a bitch! He actually had a trick like this up his sleeve, using the corpses!'

'This arrow probably won't be enough to kill him now.'

But upon hearing the old man's words, Yang An suddenly let out a cold smile.

'This means he won't kill me. He's putting me on the same level as the old Wild Forbidden, maybe even higher.'

'But what the hell is Wild Forbidden to me?!'

"In that case, Master, you'd better watch closely!"

Yang An's gaze hardened. The taut bowstring in his hands vibrated, and in that same instant, the arrow of light vanished.

At the same time, Elder Life Crane raised a hand, a contemptuous smile appearing on He Tou's face.

'An arrow?!' 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

'A single Technique is all I need to block this arrow!'

He Tou suddenly opened its mouth wide, spewing out a huge mass of flesh and blood. In the very instant Yang An had loosed his arrow, it formed a thick, fleshy wall in front of Elder Life Crane.

Numerous runes flared to life on the wall of flesh, which instantly twisted into a fleshy black hole, like the maw of an abyss.

This Daoist Technique was one of Elder Life Crane's proudest creations. It could devour almost any attack and convert it into temporary power for him.

"Hahahaha! Old man! You really are the most devious one!"

He Tou couldn't help but roar with laughter.

A streak of light trailing a long, fiery tail appeared before Elder Life Crane in an instant, as if by Instant Teleportation.

Yet between it and Elder Life Crane hovered the fleshy black hole, a greedy, abyssal maw waiting to swallow the light in a single gulp.

"This light will be yours in a moment! Hurry up and use Light Magic on him, old man!"

He Tou cackled strangely.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The arrow of light was about to be consumed by the fleshy black hole, which had already swallowed half its tip.

But at that very moment, an irregularly shaped fragment suddenly appeared in the hand of the distant Yang An.

'A Forbidden Artifact Fragment? I have one too!'

'Although using it without fusion only unleashes a tenth of its power...'

'...and although it will come at a cost, draining my lifespan...'

'...but this is what the old man asked for!'

'Oh, Master, dear Master! To satisfy you, your disciple is really putting it all on the line!'

A smile bloomed on Yang An's face, and he suddenly clenched the fragment in his hand.

Activate!

An invisible Power of Rules suddenly radiated outward.

At the same time, He Tou's laughter died, its expression changing drastically.

The expression on Elder Life Crane's face also froze.

The fleshy black hole, like an abyssal maw, had already swallowed the tip of the light arrow. It seemed that power was about to become his.

But to everyone's surprise, a fist-sized gap suddenly appeared within the fleshy black hole. In that same instant, the arrow shot through it and pierced Elder Life Crane's chest.

Neither Elder Life Crane nor He Tou had expected this.

Amid their astonishment, in the very next instant, a light even more terrifying than before instantly engulfed the entire Jade Flesh Sect.

It was like the magnificent might of heaven, a great sun descending to illuminate the entire world!