In the midst of the howls, Elder Chu, who was inside the mountain, saw the flaming head of the Ghost Beast that had reached out from the end of the tunnel atop the massive rock blocking the way. It contorted violently, unable to maintain its form, and retracted back, leaving only a scorched mark on the rock. There was nothing else.
Immediately after, a tremendous quake ensued outside. Although the epicenter was no longer here, Elder Chu still felt the ground shaking and the mountains swaying. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, the Jue Valley Docking Formation would inevitably be severely damaged and would be difficult to recover in a short period of time.
Such a thought flashed across his mind and he no longer worried about it. What Elder Chu was more concerned about now was Yu Ci. Regardless of his feelings towards Yu Ci, the latter had now drawn the attention of the Ghost Beast, giving those inside the mountain a chance to breathe, but had put himself in danger.
If the creatures outside were the Ghost Beast he guessed, Yu Ci's move was too risky!
Elder Chu, who originated from the Great Passage, was one of the largest merchants in this realm, with his influence spread across the Cultivation World. He himself held an extraordinary status, and what ordinary cultivators considered secrets, he viewed as common knowledge. He was well aware of the relationship between the Ghost Beast and the Rakshasa Ghost King.
Yu Ci was provoking a beast whose combat power was equivalent to that of a Vacuum Walking Cultivator.
The youth of today!
Elder Chu scoffed, forcibly steadying his emotions and focusing on the present. He rubbed his fingers slightly, exerting a little force to scrape some powder off the Heart-Tugging Horn. Although this treasure possessed spiritual effects, it wasn't really hard. Of course, he didn't need too much of it, so it wouldn't affect the use of this treasure.
Hopefully, the kid won't be annoyed when he comes back.
The old man thought to himself, and as he looked down at the Heart-Tugging Horn in his hand, he suddenly paused.
Right, the three Heart-Tugging Horns on the head of the Ghost Beast, all fell off?
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Outside the mountain, the sky was still overcast, and it was as dark as it could be. However, within the Jue Valley, the flame light from the Ghost Beast illuminated the area. Yu Ci also had a source of light in his hand, emitting a red glow, and that light was being drawn out from between the two hind legs of the Ghost Beast!
At this moment, the howling of the Ghost Beast swept through the mountain and penetrated the rock layers, echoing throughout the Jue Valley.
Yu Ci used the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method" to pierce through the thick rock layers. His speed was extremely fast and silent. The Ghost Beast were so focused on burrowing into the mountain that they couldn't react in time. Yu Ci knew the situation was urgent, and he didn't hesitate to use his Pure Yang Talisman Sword with full power, forming a four-foot-long Flame Sword Blade, and without hesitation, he plunged it into the vital part of the Ghost Beast's rear body.
Hmm, only half of the tail left? As the thought flashed across his mind, he had already succeeded.
Penetrating through the flame light around the Ghost Beast, the Flame Sword Blade suffered some losses. It also had to break through its steel-hard fur, so not much might have actually pierced in. However, the Mirage Mountain Sword Qi infused into it was not to be trifled with, and the pain was absolutely genuine!
Before making his move, Yu Ci knew he was poking a hornet's nest. Yet, once his sword struck true, amidst the howls of the Ghost Beast, he did not hesitate. He leaped back with all his might, employing the newly learned "Light Extinguishing Escape Method," narrowly avoiding the swiping hind leg of the Ghost Beast. The wind pressure was as sharp as a blade against his face, but it only served to lend him more momentum.
By the time the Ghost Beast had withdrawn its head from the cliff wall and turned around in a fit of rage, Yu Ci had already covered half a mile under the effect of the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method." His back pressed against the opposite cliff wall and, bolstered by the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method," his Earth Escape Technique took effect, and his body once again vanished into the rock.
However, he had still underestimated the explosive power of the Ghost Beast. At this point, Yu Ci's body had completely vanished into the rock layer. Only at the last moment did he glance outwards, catching sight of the Ghost Beast' massive head, distorted by rage and frenzy, rapidly enlarging in his field of vision.
Everything went dark as Yu Ci plunged deeper into the rock layer, retreating swiftly. The Fish-Dragon circling low in the sky relayed the situation in the valley: the vast body of the Ghost Beast had covered half a mile in an instant, crashing heavily into the outer layer of the cliff wall that Yu Ci had previously penetrated!
At this moment, under the pull of the Escape Technique, Yu Ci had delved nearly two dozen feet into the rock layer. Suddenly, a tremor resonated from outside - the Ghost Beast had collided with the cliff wall, and the resulting massive force was transmitted through the rock layer.
The power was extraordinarily formidable. The Ghost Beast' impact seemed to employ a "strike the cow through the mountain" type of force. The cliff wall didn't appear to sustain much damage, but the shockwave rolled over Yu Ci's body.
Yu Ci grunted, not yet sure if he was injured, but he felt a suffocating sensation in his mouth and nose. Instinctively, he took a breath, only to feel a dizzy spell as his internal energy became disrupted. The barrier protecting him from the earth and rocks dissipated, and pressure increased from all sides.
The Ghost Beast' collision had broken the Earth Escape Technique, bolstered by the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method"!
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In an instant, Yu Ci went from being in his element to being trapped by the dense soil and rock layers. Fortunately, his cultivation level had improved in this period, naturally radiating outwards and pushing the surrounding earth and stones a minuscule distance away. Otherwise, when his Earth Escape was broken, he might have been crushed to a pulp!
"Does it have this move too?"
Yu Ci, unwilling to accept defeat, tried to escape using the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method" again. However, the reality was that he had only practiced this technique this afternoon, far from mastery. Under the interference of the Ghost Beast and the intense pressure from the surrounding earth and rocks, he tried twice, but both attempts failed.
The impact of the Ghost Beast continued unabated. With its powerful collision force, Yu Ci could feel the layer of earth and rocks between him and the Ghost Beast becoming loose. A few more hits, and it might just collapse.
At this moment, the impact ceased.
Yu Ci was slightly taken aback, but he would never miss this opportunity. He activated the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method" once again. The pressure from the surrounding soil and stone was still present, affecting the operation of the Escape Technique. Yu Ci could not guarantee the flawless circulation of his Qi, but this time he took a different approach. Out of the nine basic stances of the Escape Technique, he started with the only static stance.
Yu Ci had experimented before, the static stance was far less explosive than the previous eight moving stances, but it was far superior in terms of accumulating strength and stabilising conditions.
As Yu Ci operated it, the internal pressure accumulated gradually, affecting the circulation of Primordial Qi, slowly forming a unique ripple outside his body. In just a few moments, he suddenly felt lighter, the effectiveness of the Earth Escape Technique had been restored. Yu Ci's body naturally communicated with the rich Earthly Primordial Qi in the rock layer, and the pressure from the soil and stone was no more.
What was more miraculous was that as the internal pressure increased, the external force he had sensed earlier became more pronounced. In this quiet place, Yu Ci could feel it more clearly. The external force seemed to have a direction to follow. Could it be...
The eight moving stances?
Yu Ci suddenly understood, this was the correct way to use the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method". That is, to accumulate strength with the "static stance", connect the Qi channels, and link it with the "eight moving stances". The "static stance" is like a dam storing water, and the "eight moving stances" are like well-planned river channels. The more the former stores, the stronger the impact in the river channel, and the better the effect.
His thoughts flowed, and in a blink of an eye, he thought about the eight moving stances, which was equivalent to considering multiple escape plans. During this process, although he did not actually move, the circulation of his internal Qi became harmonious, and he seemed to be gradually smoothing out the edges when transitioning between movement and stillness.
Just as Yu Ci was quickly adapting to this sensation, a light suddenly shone in front of him.
The sealing of the soil and stone was still intact, even the place that had been hit before could not let light through. Yu Ci was startled, his internal Qi almost went awry again. He squinted his eyes but couldn't see clearly. He then switched to the Fish-Dragon's perspective and was shocked to see that half of the Ghost Beast's body had penetrated the cliff wall. It had transformed into a flame form and broke through the wall.
From what the Fish-Dragon saw, this transformation was much faster than the last one!
What kind of Escape Technique was this?
Yu Ci had encountered the Ghost Beast a few times, but he had never seen them use this move.
Not daring to delay any longer, Yu Ci had a thought and was about to transition from stillness to movement, retreating backwards. But at this moment, a faint voice sounded in his ear:
"Kid, pay attention!"
It was Elder Chu's voice. It was unknown what method the old man in the mountain belly used to transmit his voice here, but it was clearly a one-way transmission mode. Elder Chu had no intention of communicating with him, he just spoke in a hurried tone:
"Be careful, the Ghost Beast's three Heart-Tugging Horns are all broken, it might not be able to resist the Illusion Power of Rakshasa."
Yu Ci didn't hear what was said next, because the fire had already spread in front of him, returning to a concrete shape. It might be the huge mouth of the Ghost Beast, it was urgent!
At this moment, the power he had accumulated through "static potential" broke through the dam, and with an Escape Technique, he launched a counterflow with a self-generated outward shimmering trend. Even though Yu Ci's control techniques were not well-practiced, and a part of it was wasted, there was still a significant amount of power transformed into the backward leap, one of the nine basic stances of the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method", which erupted with a hissing sound.
Suddenly, Yu Ci's form became ethereal, and the surrounding soil and rock layers were no longer obstacles but the objects of Primordial Qi exchange. Yu Ci's speed within them grew faster and faster, as if a force was pushing him forward. In just the time it took to take a breath, Yu Ci retreated nearly a hundred feet, plunging deep into the mountain.
However, in the ravine, there was no trace of the Ghost Beast. The massive body of the Ghost Beast had completely transformed into a form of flame that was between tangible and intangible, rushing towards this side at an increasingly fast pace.
Yu Ci also retreated rapidly. Without using his eyes, he could feel the scorching heat in front of him, which could swallow him at any moment!
Suddenly, there was a void behind him, and Yu Ci pierced through the entire mountain with a backward leap. But before he could figure out the situation around him, there was a tight wind from the side. In the darkness, a beast resembling a giant bear, twice the height of a human, was rushing over, and they were heading straight for each other!
Neither the giant bear nor Yu Ci had expected this situation. It was at this moment that Yu Ci's exceptional reaction was revealed. Driven by instinct, he swung his Pure Yang Talisman Sword in a sweeping motion.
With the chilling Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent and the bonus damage of the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method" on Sha energy, Yu Ci swung his sword. Amidst the red flame light, a more dull blood light was brought up, which then evaporated almost completely. It was the bodily fluid splashing out from the shattered eyes of the giant bear.
However, the bear's charge was too close for Yu Ci to avoid. He had an idea and used the momentum of his sword to generate a force, taking a hit but directing the force upwards, and his body soared like a bird. Just as he flew up a few feet, there was heat below him.
The giant bear, having unexpectedly lost its eyes, was in a frenzy. Behind the cliff wall, a creature ten times more frenzied and a hundred times more ferocious than it was had broken through the wall with flames soaring into the sky. The angle was just right, and the gushing flames rolled over the bear's body. A smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and the giant bear was turned into charcoal, dying miserably.
After killing the unfortunate creature, the Ghost Beast' body transitioned from ethereal to solid, and the flames outside its body seemed to converge, revealing its grey fur. As its form changed, its body grew rapidly, and a protruding piece of rock above it was immediately squeezed and shattered. As it returned to its normal form, it let out a roar that echoed through the wilderness. It turned its head to look for the perpetrator who had wounded its vital parts, but suddenly paused.
A faint but clear voice sounded above its head: "Kid, calm your Divine Soul, don't resist, I'm sending a message, this is very important."
Above, Yu Ci smiled bitterly, "I know it's important, but Elder Chu, could you pick a better time?"
With that, he gripped the suddenly hard-as-steel fur in his hand, despite it feeling like it was burning, he did not let go.
The next moment, the Ghost Beast let out a furious roar like thunder, shaking the mountains, and the echoes layered.
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