With a flicker of movement, the old man traversed several dozen zhang in an instant, appearing right before Xue Po.
Xue Po was startled and hastily retreated backward.
The two combined puppets beside her immediately sprang into action. One drew its bow, and with a sharp “hiss,” countless golden streaks shot forth.
The other puppet brandished its spear, and with a flash of cold light, the spearhead transformed into a massive blue flower, several zhang in diameter, descending upon the old man.
Though the flower appeared crystalline, as it pressed down, an intense chill surged forth, freezing the air around the old man as if intending to solidify it entirely.
Simultaneously, the golden streaks shot toward him from all directions.
The coordination between the two puppets was nearly flawless.
The towering old man snorted coldly. A layer of crimson lightning flickered around his body, tearing through the freezing air. The seemingly formidable golden streaks were effortlessly deflected by the arcs of lightning.
At the same time, the old man raised a hand and made a grasping motion toward the giant flower.
With a “bang,” the blue flower vanished abruptly, and the blue spearhead was caught effortlessly in the old man’s claw-like grip.
The spear-wielding puppet trembled violently, attempting to yank its weapon free, but the spear remained immobile, as if rooted in place.
Meanwhile, the bow-wielding puppet’s eyes gleamed with crystalline light as an astonishing aura erupted from its body. Its massive bow flared with radiance before releasing a golden rainbow that shrieked through the air, hurtling toward the old man.
The towering old man laughed heartily and simply exhaled toward the incoming golden rainbow. A ball of crimson thunderfire expanded in the wind, swelling to the size of a water vat.
With a deafening “boom,” the two collided and exploded.
The crimson lightning surged, devouring the golden streaks before rolling back with pinpoint accuracy, striking the bow-wielding puppet and reducing it to ashes.
As for the spear-wielding puppet, a crimson hand materialized in the sky and slammed down, smashing it into scrap.
The towering old man flickered again, appearing right before Xue Po, his massive hand stretching out menacingly. “Little girl, hand over the key and treasures now, and I’ll grant you a quick death. Otherwise… heh heh…”
As he spoke, his face twisted into a vicious grin.
“Senior, since you’ve entered this place, you must possess a key to the Heavenly Tripod Palace. Why covet what this junior holds?” Xue Po replied, her face deathly pale as she retreated slowly.
“Hmph! Do you think I don’t know? Certain areas of the Heavenly Tripod Palace require specific keys to access. This venerable one only has a replica key, so naturally, I need to collect more as backups. Since you refuse to hand it over willingly, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Seeing Xue Po’s continued defiance, the old man snorted coldly. His outstretched hand suddenly twisted, fingers splayed as he lunged for her.
Though the motion seemed ordinary, Xue Po felt as if she were trapped within the grasp of his five fingers, with no room to evade. A wave of terror surged through her.
Just as the old man’s fingers were about to clamp onto her shoulder, a ripple appeared above her, and a crystalline light materialized out of nowhere, slashing toward the old man like lightning.
The attack came without warning. Even as a seasoned Great Ascension cultivator, the towering old man was caught off guard.
With a muffled “thud,” the old man’s outstretched arm was severed into seven or eight pieces, exploding midair.
However, the old man himself blurred and reappeared dozens of zhang away, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at the space above Xue Po. “Which fellow Daoist lurks here, daring to ambush this old man with such underhanded tactics?”
As he spoke, blood mist sprayed from his severed arm, countless blood threads weaving together as a fresh, pale limb regenerated.
For cultivators of the Blood Sky Continent, who specialized in blood-based techniques, limb regeneration was child’s play.
Yet despite his challenge, the surroundings remained eerily silent. No one emerged, though Xue Po’s expression regained some composure as she continued to retreat cautiously.
The towering old man’s face darkened. With a venomous glare at Xue Po, he raised his intact arm and flicked a finger toward her.
A muffled sound echoed as a crimson speck shot from his fingertip, vanishing into the void.
The next instant, a thunderous boom erupted a zhang in front of Xue Po. The crimson speck reappeared, transforming into a foot-long crimson dart that shot straight for her heart.
The speed was so fast it seemed instantaneous.
Given Xue Po’s cultivation, even if she tried to summon a defensive treasure or dodge, it would be too late.
Despite her usual calm, her face paled in terror.
At that moment, a golden flash appeared before her, and a foot-tall golden figure materialized. With a slight wave of its arm, it deflected the crimson dart effortlessly.
It was none other than the Golden Child, the King of Devouring Gold Insects.
The towering old man’s pupils constricted sharply, and a trace of suspicion flickered across his face.
“Who are you, and what is your relationship with this girl?” the old man demanded after a brief pause.
The golden figure stared coldly at the old man, its expression wooden, offering no reply. Instead, it raised a tiny hand and made a grasping motion.
A sharp “hissing” filled the air as countless faint golden threads materialized, weaving into a massive net that enveloped the surrounding space.
The towering old man’s fury flared.
“Since you insist on fighting, this old man shall test your abilities!”
With that, he formed a hand seal, and crimson arcs erupted from his body. Opening his mouth, he expelled a silver radiance that condensed into an ancient mirror.
As soon as the mirror appeared, its surface shimmered, and countless silver runes surged forth, transforming into clusters of silver lightning.
“Go!”
The old man flicked his sleeve, and the crimson and silver lightning intertwined, forming a massive thundercloud a li in diameter, bearing down menacingly.
The golden figure remained expressionless, raising a tiny hand and pointing forward.
A storm of golden threads shot forth like rain, piercing through the thundercloud.
Amidst the crackling thunder, countless crystalline lights flickered within the cloud, riddling it with holes. The thundercloud rapidly shrank as its spiritual energy dissipated.
The towering old man could hardly believe his eyes. Though not his ultimate technique, that attack was one of his most formidable abilities.
The silver mirror was a damaged Profound Heaven Treasure, and combined with his crimson lightning, it had terrified countless opponents. Yet now, it had been effortlessly dismantled.
What were these crystalline threads, and how could they be so sharp while completely unfazed by his lightning?
Before he could ponder further, the golden figure raised all ten fingers, and a sharp “hissing” filled the air.
The towering old man felt the void around him turn icy as countless invisible sword Qi materialized, hurtling toward him.
His face twisted in alarm. Without hesitation, he flicked his sleeve, releasing a green wooden bowl that hovered above his head, spinning rapidly before forming a green barrier around him.
At the same time, he formed another hand seal, and a crimson flood dragon phantom emerged behind him.
The phantom roared, spewing crimson lightning arcs that formed a rolling thunder curtain, lashing out in all directions.
“Thud! Thud!”
The lightning arcs shattered like rotten wood upon contact with the invisible sword Qi.
The green barrier, however, shimmered mysteriously, somehow blocking the incoming sword Qi.
Still, the towering old man was shaken. His face paled as he summoned a bizarre, twisted crimson sword from his storage bracelet.
Grasping the sword, he spat several mouthfuls of essence blood onto it.
The blood was instantly absorbed, and the sword blurred, twisting as if alive, transforming into a blood-mist serpent.
With a sinister chuckle, the old man hurled the serpent forward.
With a “whoosh,” the serpent vanished into the void.
The next moment, a blood mist materialized near the golden figure.
The figure’s eyes flashed coldly as two crystalline beams shot forth, piercing through the mist—yet it appeared empty.
Just as the golden figure hesitated, the blood mist suddenly condensed, forming the crimson serpent.
In a blur, the serpent’s fangs sank into the figure’s shoulder.
The old man burst into maniacal laughter.
“You’re finished! That serpent is the Bloodfang Serpent, one of the Blood Sky’s Ten Great Venomous Insects. Even if you possess an indestructible body, you’ll dissolve into a puddle of filth within moments!”
“Ten Great Venomous Insects? Are they tasty?” The golden figure glanced at the serpent on its shoulder and spoke for the first time, its voice eerily shrill, sending chills down the spine.
The towering old man froze, but his shock turned to horror as the golden figure suddenly moved.
It grabbed the serpent by its neck, yanking it off its shoulder, and then—with a single bite—severed the serpent’s head.
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