Gazing at the five figures that appeared before the ancient Bodhi tree, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. They never would have imagined that five half-saint level powerhouses were hidden within the Bodhi tree!
“Although these five half-saint powerhouses have no signs of life,” Xiao Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, as his gaze swept over the five figures. His eyelids suddenly twitched and he said, “There are no souls present. They are merely puppets.”
“The ones who could turn these half-saint powerhouses into puppets are, undoubtedly, the doing of the Bodhi tree itself,” Xuner said softly, her face filled with seriousness. The ability to turn half-saints into puppets was frightening. Who on the continent had such terrifying capability?
Reaching half-saint level meant standing near the peak of power in this world. Even amongst the ancient races like the Gu clan and the Soul clan, they represented formidable strength. Yet, now, these high-level powerhouses were controlled by the Bodhi tree as puppets—a sight that chilled everyone to the bone.
Soult Jade and others wore similarly grim expressions upon seeing this scene. Especially when Soult Jade’s eyes, after scanning the area, finally landed on a thin, black-robed figure, whose shock was evident in his eyes, reaching its peak: “Isn’t this the half-saint ancestor recorded in our clan’s ancient books who disappeared along with the Bodhi tree?”
Hearing Soult Jade’s surprised voice, others couldn’t help but shudder, turning their gazes to the black-robed half-saint. The latter’s face was hollow, his eyes devoid of any emotion, and his skin seemed to be cracking. He didn’t react to Soult Jade’s voice at all.
“Now, what do we do?” Gu Qingyang asked, his face serious. Five half-saint powerhouses was a terrifying lineup. Everyone here combined might not be able to stand against them, even with their numbers.
Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, looking at the shining light emanating from the Bodhi tree. The Bodhi Heart was right there, and giving up so easily was not something he could do.
“If we all join forces, we should be able to entangle one of the half-saint powerhouses.” Xiao Yan glanced at his companions. Xuner and Gu Qingyang were both at the peak of Dou Zun level, with the former at the eighth phase and the latter at the sixth phase. Adding himself, Cai Lin, Little Healer Immortal, Yun Yun, and others, they could fight one half-saint. However, there were five of them here!
“Everyone, is there anyone who plans to retreat? It seems that if we don’t advance, the half-saint puppets won’t attack. If we retreat now, we still have a chance,” Xiao Yan murmured, turning to the crowd with a calm expression.
Hearing Xiao Yan, the others frowned slightly but shook their heads in the end.
“Since no one is retreating, we must fight. We have seven teams left. My team will stop one of the half-saints, and you can distribute the remaining four among yourselves. How about that?”
Teams here included Xiao Yan’s group, the Soul clan, and the Heavenly Phoenix Bird Clan. The other four teams, which Xiao Yan hadn’t seen before, were likely from other forces in the Central Plains. Their strength, while not matching Xiao Yan or Soult Jade, was still substantial, with at least two Dou Zun Peak powerhouses each.
“We can stop one,” Soult Jade said, glancing at Xiao Yan. He understood that if someone chose to retreat, the rest would surely lose to the five half-saints.
“One to us,” Jiufeng added hesitantly. While the puppets were terrifying, they were not as strong as true half-saints. With so many people, they should manage to fight them.
“The remaining two half-saints, you four teams can handle, yes?” Xiao Yan turned to the remaining teams. Though not as strong, two teams per puppet should suffice.
“Okay,” the four teams looked at each other, then at the Bodhi Heart, and nodded fiercely. Tempted by it, they were willing to take the risk.
“Since there are no objections, let’s begin!” Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, his face grave. This was his first time fighting a half-saint. Despite being puppets, they were still formidable.
With Xiao Yan’s final word, he took three steps forward, his Dou Qi surging out.
“Boom!”
As Xiao Yan stepped, the five stationary puppet figures’ hollow eyes turned toward him. One of them, with stiff yet eerie steps, flashed in front of Xiao Yan, attacking without a word. A terrible palm shattered the space, heading for Xiao Yan.
Facing the fierce attack, Xiao Yan stomped the ground, causing a massive magma pillar to erupt, slamming into the puppet. However, the puppet only trembled, and the ferocious palm continued, heading for Xiao Yan.
“Boom, boom, boom!”
When the half-saint puppet attacked, powerful bursts of Dou Qi from Xiao Yan’s teammates crashed into the puppet, but to no avail. The puppet, however, saw its own attack shattered by the combined assault.
“Attack!”
As Xiao Yan’s team faced the puppet, Soult Jade and others leapt into action, surrounding the puppet. “Ancestor, we will relieve your suffering,” Soult Jade said softly, leading the charge, followed by his men.
Jiufeng and the other teams also moved, each using their Dou Qi to engage the remaining three half-saint puppets. The plain was filled with terrifying Dou Qi, winds like blades cutting through the air.
Though they had the numbers, they were not true Sage combatants, making this a gruesome battle.
“Boom!”
Gu Qingyang and Gu Xing simultaneously launched their attacks, their Dou Qi surging towards the puppet. The puppet’s body trembled, and a terrifying force surged back, causing them to fly back, blood spurting from their mouths. The Flower Sect elders caught them, but the battle raged on.
“Hit its head!” Xiao Yan shouted. “Vajra Glass Body! Eight Extreme Collapse!”
Golden light surged from Xiao Yan as he expanded, his golden fist striking the puppet’s head when Gu Qingyang distracted it.
“Bang!”
Xiao Yan’s fist hit the puppet’s head, cracking it, but no blood flowed. The puppet, undeterred, swung its arm, striking Xiao Yan’s shoulder, causing him to stagger back. His body, strengthened by the Vajra Glass Body, resisted, along with the assistance of his insect emperor robe and dragon phoenix armor.
“Keep hitting its head! Finish it off!” Xiao Yan shouted again, noticing the cracks on the puppet’s head. No matter how tough, it could not compare to a true half-saint.
“Great Annihilation Finger!”
Xunan and Gu Qingyang launched giant energy fingers, suffused with an aura of destruction, striking the puppet’s head.
“Great Annihilation Finger!”
Following them, Gu Xing and Gu Hua, despite their pale faces, launched their own finger attacks. Colorful lightning from Cailin struck the puppet.
Everyone attacked in unison, their terrifying strikes hitting the puppet’s head. The puppet’s body quaked, and its already cracked head exploded like a fallen watermelon.
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