The ninth formation from Mount Daoseed had been specially put together by the sect leader just for Bai Xiaochun. Because he was a Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was the only one who could unleash the true battle prowess of the formation. That was also why, moments ago, the formation had seemed so weak.
When fully powered up, it could unleash might similar to the Gold Core stage!
Before Bai Xiaochun had appeared on the scene, the ninth formation had only been able to approach somewhat close to the Gold Core stage. But now, the enormous giant’s energy was soaring, and it was completely different from before.
In the very instant that the black puppet uttered Bai Xiaochun’s name, the spell formation giant took a step forward, causing everything to shake as a domineering aura shot out in all directions.
Unexpectedly, the giant incarnation was using the Mountain Shaking Bash!
A string of sonic booms echoed out as the giant blurred into motion. An instant later, it was right in front of the black puppet. No matter how much the puppet had been prepared for an incoming attack, it simply couldn’t dodge.
A massive boom echoed out in all directions.
The bashing power Bai Xiaochun unleashed on the black puppet was enough to shatter the heavens. Trembling, the puppet flew backward through the air amidst loud cracking sounds. Although the expression on the face of the puppet never changed, the faces of the Profound Stream Sect cultivators inside of it completely fell as their cultivation bases were thrown into chaos. Their qi and blood instantly destabilized, and blood sprayed out of their mouths.
“Can't stand up to a single blow!” Bai Xiaochun said, his voice as cold as ice. He took another step forward, yet again utilizing incredible speed to appear right above the black puppet, where he stamped his foot down viciously.
The resulting boom seemed capable of shattering the air. The black puppet couldn’t fight back in the least, and was sent plummeting down toward the ground.
Before it could land, Bai Xiaochun flickered into motion and appeared next to it, grabbing it by the arm and swinging it around violently.
The puppet was thrown back upward, only to meet Bai Xiaochun again, who unleashed one punch into it after another, after another!
The black puppet attempted to dodge and evade, but was completely incapable. Battered by one terrifying fist strike after another, its external shields were distorted to the point of shattering.
“Despicable!” howled the black puppet. “How dare you attack in such a devious fashion!!” The Profound Stream Sect cultivators inside the puppet could never have imagined that the giant would be so powerful after being re-formed by Bai Xiaochun. After failing to seize the initiative, they were completely suppressed, left totally incapable of defending themselves.
As the shield twisted on the verge of breaking, the black puppet howled again. Black light surged from its surface, a destructive power that sped toward Bai Xiaochun even as the shield shattered.
When the black light appeared, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes flickered, and he backed up. However, simultaneously, he spun his left foot around in an arc to smash into the black puppet’s waist. Cracking sounds rang out, and rifts snaked out across the surface of the puppet as it hurtled down toward the ground.
The destructive black light sailed right past Bai Xiaochun, who now hovered there looking down coldly at the black puppet. Snorting, he said, “That's all you've got? You don’t even qualify to experience the full power of Mount Daoseed’s ninth spell formation.”
The defiant roars of the Profound Stream Sect echoed out from inside the black puppet. In the moment before it was about to slam into the ground, it twisted, slamming its right hand down to change its momentum. After barely forcing itself under control, the puppet immediately performed an incantation gesture with its left hand, converging all of the power of everyone in the puppet to summon a shadowy clone with a long sword. Without even the slightest hesitation, the clone slashed its sword at Bai Xiaochun.
Bai Xiaochun threw his head back and roared, causing golden light to spread out from his body. In turn, that light caused the giant incarnation to also begin to shine like gold!
Shockingly, it was the power of the Undying Gold Skin. The image of a heavenly demon appeared in the same position as the giant incarnation, almost as if the two were one.
Everyone in the area suddenly felt as if they weren’t looking at the spell formation giant, but instead, a heavenly demon howling up into the heavens!
Bai Xiaochun’s heavenly demon incarnation clenched its fist and punched out toward the incoming shadowy clone.
Cyclonic ripples spread out as the fist slammed into its target. The clone instantly exploded like a shattered mirror.
“The Profound Stream Sect’s magical puppets are famous everywhere under heaven,” Bai Xiaochun said calmly. “Especially the gold-tinged black versions. How disappointing to see it in action today.” His words were almost exactly the same as the words uttered earlier by the cultivator in the black puppet.
The arrogant cultivator who had spoken those words let out an angry roar and sent the puppet flying toward Bai Xiaochun, its hands flashing in an incantation gesture as it unleashed a magical technique.
However, before the magical technique could even fully form, an enormous 3,000-meter-tall violet cauldron appeared over the head of the black puppet and smashed down onto it, interrupting it.
“Game over!” Bai Xiaochun said, his eyes flickering. At the same time, the heavenly demon strode forward and reached out toward the puppet.
The puppet’s eyes flashed, and it opened its mouth, spitting out a stream of seven-colored toxic gas. Simultaneously, the puppet’s body decayed significantly. As for the toxic gas, even the air was destroyed as it shot toward Bai Xiaochun.
“Time to die!!” the puppet said, laughing with anticipation. The group of Profound Stream Sect cultivators inside of the puppet had been waiting for just this opportunity to spit out the toxic gas. At the same time, the puppet’s hands flashed in an incantation gesture, causing countless greatswords to materialize up above. More than 50 of them could be seen, and buzzing sounds emanated out as they gathered into a sword formation. Then, dazzling, lightning-like beams of light shot from it toward Bai Xiaochun.
The sword formation and the toxic gas together were a deadly combination!
“Child's play!” Bai Xiaochun said coolly. His Heavenspan Dharma Eye snapped open, causing exactly the same thing to happen with the Heavenly Demon Body! A third eye appeared on the forehead of the 300-meter-tall heavenly demon!
Instantly, the heavens began to tremble as the eye focused, not on the toxic gas, but on the enormous sword formation.
The more than fifty greatswords suddenly ground to a halt in midair!
Although the pause only lasted for a moment, that was all the time Bai Xiaochun needed. Without the slightest hesitation, he pierced through the toxic gas to appear right in front of the black puppet.
“Impossible!!” Numerous cries of shock and disbelief echoed out from within the puppet. The toxic gas was one of the puppet’s trump cards, something that could shake even a powerful Gold Core cultivator. The Profound Stream Sect cultivators had been completely and utterly confident that it would destroy the giant incarnation!
However, what they were truly dealing with was not so much a spell formation giant, but rather, Bai Xiaochun’s heavenly demon! To it, a toxic gas like this counted for almost nothing!
In the time it takes a spark to fly off of a piece of flint, Bai Xiaochun grabbed the black puppet’s shoulder and ripped its arm completely off of its body. Four shocked Profound Stream Sect cultivators flew out from the shattered stump, and before they could even begin to flee, they were set upon by the nearby cultivators of the Blood and Spirit Stream Sects.
Even as their agonized shrieks rang out, Bai Xiaochun’s right thumb and forefinger snapped together as he unleashed the Throat Crushing Grasp onto the black puppet's throat.
A vicious cracking sound could be heard as the puppet’s entire neck shattered, and its head flew up into the air. More Profound Stream Sect cultivators were ejected out. Despite losing an arm and a head, the black puppet wasn’t completely destroyed, and the cultivators inside of it instantly sent it backward in retreat, their hearts pounding in fear because of Bai Xiaochun.
But how could Bai Xiaochun let the puppet escape? He took a deep breath, causing a vortex to spring up around him. A gale-force wind appeared, and his eyes flickered as his Heavenly Demon Body once again unleashed the Mountain Shaking Bash!
BOOM!
It moved so quickly it was hard to track with the naked eye. Only a blur of afterimages could be seen as it blasted completely through the black puppet....
The puppet literally exploded into pieces, critically injuring the dozens of Profound Stream Sect cultivators inside of it, and sending some to their deaths instantly. Those who survived were still coughing up blood as the cultivators of the Blood Stream Sect and the Spirit Stream Sect closed in on them for the kill.
Bai Xiaochun hovered in midair, breathing heavily. Although he had put on a powerful show, he was actually trembling. And yet, despite how he didn’t truly wish to fight in such a way, in critical moments like this, he had no other choice.
Sighing, he was just about to proceed to another location when suddenly, a tremor ran through him as his gaze fell upon a location a few thousand meters away.
Standing right there was Xuemei, complete with her mask!
She seemed to be in bad condition, weak, with blood dripping out from underneath her mask as she fell back over and over again across the battlefield....
Surrounding her were four late Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Profound Stream Sect, all of whom surged with killing intent!