The mutation occurred right before his eyes, without any forewarning or the chance for any reaction, save for that inexplicable premonition. The eight-foot-tall man had no time to ponder why such a situation had arisen. For any race, the back of the head is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body, and it's also where vital points are most accessible. Even if the eight-foot-tall man had perfected his True Form and Physical Body to the utmost, impervious to blades and immune to the elements, he couldn't relocate his Brain Palace to his chest. At that moment, he felt every hair on his body stand on end, and the memories in his bloodline seared his heart like a red-hot branding iron.

"Hao Dian's God Slaying Sting!"

True to its fierce reputation, the God Slaying Sting unleashed its unparalleled ability to penetrate defenses. Even a perfected True Form and Physical Body could not withstand its piercing force; the icy breath of death penetrated straight into the brain. The eight-foot-tall man cried out, without a moment to spare, his demonic energy nearly igniting to repel the chilling invasion.

So focused was he on this threat that he neglected everything else.

Yet, that icy harbinger of death, under the burning demonic energy, was like a sharp needle made of ice, melting instantaneously, leaving no trace.

Gone? The eight-foot-tall man had not anticipated such an outcome: the God Slaying Sting, renowned and formidable, taught by Hao Dian herself, how could it be neutralized so effortlessly?

Wait, he remembered how easily he had resisted it just before... That's right, even if that little bug was a disciple of Hao Dian, in the end, he was merely at the Beginning Stage of Golden Elixir Cultivation. How much of the God Slaying Sting's wondrous power could he possibly harness?

It was only then that his thoughts caught up with him. In the end, he had been startled by the inherited memories in his blood and the sudden attack on his vital point, leading to a lapse in judgment, completely mistaking the direction of the threat.

At this moment, the elusive white silk blade had already thrust towards the chest, the residual force of the demonic energy still burning and unspent. Yet before it, it seemed as fragile as a sheet of paper. Such a blade was only slightly inferior to the God Slaying Sting's manipulation of the Primordial Formless Sword.

Moreover, the eight-foot-tall man sensed something peculiar, a sense of familiarity with this technique... It was a threat!

But before he could dwell on this, he had to contend with two unique sound waves.

The two sound waves exploded simultaneously, each with a distinct mode of attack. One carried an intrinsic force of supreme yang energy, suggesting a noble origin, and it seemed to exert a subtle suppression on his bloodline, leaving him feeling constrained. This was manageable; the sensation was not so refined, and given his absolute strength, it was merely an inconvenience.

The other sound wave took advantage of the first's exertion, attacking the flesh and extending to the Divine Soul. Its lethality was one thing, but its sinister ability to shake the Spiritual Intelligence, spawning countless illusions, was another. His will was steadfast and should not have been so easily affected, but after the false alarm with the God Slaying Sting and the subsequent multi-front assault, his concentration was inevitably divided. The embedded Illusion technique found its opportunity, and even if it did not cause an Illusionary Appearance, it could still disrupt his judgment.

"What in the devil's name is this?!"

Annoyed by the interference, the eight-foot-tall man was extremely irritated. He couldn't understand how that little insect could have so many bizarre tricks up its sleeve. In the end, he decided to unleash a thunderous bellow, like the bursting of spring thunder, in an attempt to forcefully realign his affected mental perception. At the same time, he reached out his hand, ready to catch the incoming thrust of the white silk blade. Just then, his vision blurred, and the Lu Qing before him suddenly split into two.

"Not this trick again!" the eight-foot-tall man roared in fury. He did not know the name of this technique, but to be repeatedly toyed with by similar moves was infuriating. Was this supposed to be amusing?

But quickly, he realized something was amiss.

If one of them was an illusion, there should have been two white silk blades. Yet, there was only one thrusting towards his chest, its aura enigmatic and elusive; as for the other, it was imbued with a pure and solid punch, clearly the "normal" Lu Qing for most of the time.

One? Two?

In the eyes of the eight-foot-tall man, the eerie white silk and the simple, honest fist intent, with their utterly different auras, interwove before him. Suddenly, in that moment, the two "Lu Qings" overlapped again, as if water had been poured into a boiling cauldron of oil, and the dense auras exploded in tumult!

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This was an unparalleled burst of energy, Lu Qing's aura blossoming like fireworks, climbing higher and higher, and in an instant, it seemed as if there were no limits, breaking through to a level that even he found astonishing!

"Vacuum Walking Realm... I see, this is the Heavenly Demon Soul Split Incarnation!"

A formidable enemy!

The eight-foot-tall man's fur bristled once more, his demonic energy igniting wildly. The surprises of today had been excessively many, the endless variables exhausting him to the core. He was determined to end this battle swiftly!

Under the propulsion of the Vacuum Walking Cultivation, the white silk blade had completely lost its form. The edge had not yet arrived, but its sinister aura was already entwined with his own demonic energy, greatly eroding his resistance. The eight-foot-tall man focused intently, reaching out his hand.

At that very moment, he sensed something amiss at his feet. Something had wound around his ankle, silent and stealthy as a venomous snake, biting down hard!

Only then did his spirit sense identify the object—a peculiarly shaped double-hooked chain, the hooks curved like crescent moons, with one sharp tip now piercing into his ankle. To say "piercing" wasn't quite accurate; his fully matured True Form and Physical Body were not so easily breached. The hook had merely caught the outer layer of skin and then began to vibrate sharply.

That vibration produced the second high-pitched tone that had just rung by his ears.

His sturdy legs twitched inexplicably, and then his whole body followed suit. Somehow, this strange vibrational sound wave had spread to every corner of his body, aligning with the Energy Meridians that enveloped him. Indeed, this was the first infiltration...

Before the thought could vanish, a white silk blade had already struck, and distracted by this, the perfect moment to intercept was missed. Without time for further thought, a sudden burst of strength was exerted.

Then, intense pain engulfed the whole body!

At the moment of exertion, the shock that had seeped into the body twisted and distorted, and for the eight-foot-tall man, it felt as if hooks had latched onto every meridian, yanking violently. The agony of misaligned meridians and veins was so unexpected that even an ancient great demon couldn't bear it. With a miserable shriek, the entire body convulsed uncontrollably.

The sensation came swiftly and departed just as quickly. Beneath its overwhelming level of cultivation, the "hooks" tearing at the meridian channels were not sturdy and collapsed in an instant. The double-hook rope around the ankle also fell away on its own. But by then, it had lost the final chance to react.

The white silk pierced through the chest, and the true form and physical body offered only slight resistance before the cold, corrosive power within broke through. The blade penetrated, and boiling qi and blood spurted out, splashing onto the white silk, staining it a bloody hue. Touched by blood, the white silk seemed to come alive, twisting and writhing, and a terrifying suction force began to draw the dark red blood back along its length.

This thing was not only siphoning its essence blood but also injecting a fatally toxic substance into the organs. Undoubtedly, this was an evil path demon weapon, and of the most venomous kind!

The eight-foot-tall man spat out a mouthful of blood, knowing that nothing more could be done. With a piercing howl, the flesh on his back ribs surged, and two long wings unfurled with a buzz. Though deep underground, the surrounding primordial qi began to whirl rapidly, stirring up a tumultuous flow capable of grinding the earth's layers to dust.

The surrounding strata trembled incessantly. With wings sprouting from his ribs, the eight-foot-tall man forcefully pulled himself off the white silk that had pierced his chest. Scalding blood sprayed out, but nothing could restrain him now. Lu Qing, with her beautiful cheeks flushed red, bore a sudden resemblance to the condition of Yu Ci.

Another thunderous roar, and the eight-foot-tall man burst through nearly a mile of earth in an instant, soaring upwards at breakneck speed.

He was attempting to flee!

By this time, Tie Lan had arrived on the scene, silent and intent, with the Demon-Slaying Sword method poised to strike. His sword's trajectory was meticulously accurate, aimed at the junction of the giant's head and neck. With the momentum of the giant's ascent, even a single stroke could decapitate the foe. However, just then, a Gu Sculpture caught up from behind, unleashing a torrent of black tides without a word, covering for its companion. Tie Lan, with no other choice, had to shift his position.

With the restraint lifted, the eight-foot-tall man's innate abilities were fully unleashed. With another flap of his broad wings, he outpaced all pursuers, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

In such a situation, the Gu Sculpture dared not linger any longer. With a piercing shriek, it too took to the skies, releasing a parting taunt: "When we meet again, I will crush your bones to dust, take them back to the mountain, and let the Myriad Spirits feast upon them... Ah!"

A dark crimson shadow flickered and vanished in an instant.

The long silk ribbon, now saturated with the blood of the Great Demon and no longer its original color, was even more insidiously poisonous. It moved through the earth silently and swiftly, creeping up behind the Gu Sculpture like a venomous snake striking its prey, piercing through with a single thrust. The Gu Sculpture's voice abruptly turned hoarse, and it flapped its wings furiously to escape. The dark crimson ribbon, now seemingly without length, clung to the Gu Sculpture like a shadow.

After a period of silence, Shadow Ghost marveled, "What a fierce move!"

Before he could finish, the Gu Sculpture let out another sharp cry. Its Eagle Feathers stood on end and then shot out with a buzz, fast and dense like rain. The ribbon, under the barrage of feathers, trembled from the assault and ultimately retracted. The Gu Sculpture seized the opportunity to flee into the distance.

"The Demonic Sect's Supreme Blood-Transforming Blade, once it tastes blood, its Divine Power surges violently. That creature might not survive..."

Shadow Ghost was still in awe when he suddenly sensed danger and urgently cried out, "Dodge quickly, this is a Lifebound Divine Ability!"

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e