Chapter 837: Still Have a Trump Card?

How could cultivators from the five great families possibly achieve such a feat?

The Golden Corpse King was clearly astonished by Ju Jia's transformation, his brows furrowing. At this moment, Ju Jia exuded a powerful sense of oppression that surprised even him. He found this truly unbelievable.

In a few strides, Ju Jia was before the Golden Corpse King, his fist, as large as a cooking pot, striking out fiercely at the Golden Corpse King. The Golden Corpse King likewise raised his fist to meet the blow. The instant their fists connected, Ju Jia suddenly shifted his hand from a fist to an open palm.

Boom...

As fist met palm, the colliding forces erupted, sending a visible shockwave rippling in all directions. The Golden Corpse King's golden eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of disbelief crossing his gaze. The burly man, who he had consistently sent flying with his attacks, this time wasn't blasted away. He simply leaned back slightly, utterly unharmed.

Ju Jia's feet appeared rooted to the ground, unyielding. The Golden Corpse King's ferocious power surged through his arms and coursed through his entire body, causing his bones to creak audibly. The fine cracks already covering his skin abruptly became more numerous and pronounced, with large quantities of blood spurting from them. He looked as if he might shatter at any moment.

Yet, Ju Jia's eyes were clearer than ever, gleaming with an unprecedented ferocity and resolve from their depths. He bared his stark white fangs, grinning at the Golden Corpse King who stood mere inches away.

"Got you!"

Snap...

His hand, large as a palm-leaf fan, instantly clenched, clamping down tightly on the Golden Corpse King's fist that had struck his palm.

"Oh no!"

Since the fight began, this was the first time the Golden Corpse King's expression betrayed alarm. He had never expected the burly man, whom he had completely dismissed as a mere punching bag, would undergo such a bizarre transformation at such a critical moment. By the time he reacted and tried to pull his hand away, it was too late.

In a pure contest of strength, none of the three present were his match. Not even Lu Ye, who had pushed the Blood-Stained Spirit Mark's effects to their limit, and certainly not Ju Jia. If this had happened before, the Golden Corpse King could have easily broken free from Ju Jia's grip. But with his strange transformation and the profound secret technique he had grasped, Ju Jia's hold became impossibly secure. The Golden Corpse King struggled furiously, but found he couldn't break free from Ju Jia's clamp.

Infuriated, he swiftly clenched his other hand into a fist and began raining down a furious barrage of blows onto Ju Jia's chest. Though Ju Jia tried his best to defend himself, their speeds were fundamentally on different levels, rendering him utterly helpless against such attacks. Furthermore, because he had to maintain his hold on the Golden Corpse King, he had no room to dodge. He had grasped a profound secret technique in his rage, and while he could no longer be wantonly sent flying by his opponent, the blows he endured now seemed even more brutal.

Fortunately, Lan Ziyi charged in from the flank, her long blade relentlessly striking, helping to alleviate some of the pressure on Ju Jia.

On the other side, Lu Ye's voice rang out, "Well done!" He had previously intended to follow Lan Ziyi's advice and temporarily retreat, primarily because he couldn't pinpoint the source of the Golden Corpse King's increased power. He was reluctant to use his ultimate trump card without knowing if it would be effective, as the Golden Corpse King wasn't a stationary target. In fact, the Golden Corpse King's reaction speed was incredibly swift. Based on their previous encounters, even if he used his last resort, he might not have been able to harm the Golden Corpse King significantly, and could even have put the three of them in grave danger.

But at this very moment, the Golden Corpse King had indeed become a stationary target! Why would Lu Ye hesitate now? At this point, the source of the Golden Corpse King's augmented power was irrelevant. As long as he could defeat the Golden Corpse King before Ju Jia collapsed, this battle would be won.

"Roar!"

As his thoughts stirred, Amber, who had been crouching on his shoulder, sensed his intent. It opened its mouth and let out a tiger's roar, immediately followed by a brilliant burst of blood-red light.

Lan Ziyi, who was actively diverting the Golden Corpse King's attention, was startled. Unsure what was happening with Lu Ye, she quickly turned her head to look, despite being in the thick of combat. She saw the area where Lu Ye stood enveloped in a mass of blood-red light, thick and substantial, like a flowing pool of blood. Within it, Lu Ye's blurred figure was faintly discernible. Yet, at this precise moment, his form appeared slightly distorted, a little strange...

A terrifying and peerless aura suddenly erupted from the heart of that blood-red glow!

Lan Ziyi's pupils quivered. She had already felt the Golden Corpse King's formidable aura was beyond the Cloud River Realm's usual scope, but what now emanated from Lu Ye was in no way inferior. This guy... still had more up his sleeve!

Just as that thought flickered through her mind, a figure emerged from the blood-red light. Even with her keen vision, she could only grasp a general outline. She felt a slight jolt, for Lu Ye's current state was utterly bizarre. Amber, who had been perched on his shoulder, was nowhere to be seen. Lu Ye's entire body was enveloped in a visible layer of solid blood-red light, a fusion of blood qi and spiritual power. He even sported what looked like tiger ears and a remarkably lifelike blood-red tiger tail behind him.

In that instant, Lan Ziyi sensed that he was no longer a man, but an ancient, ferocious beast that had burst forth from an eternal abyss, radiating boundless ferocity.

"Master, Master, I'm here!" Amber's innocent, childish voice, full of cheer, echoed in Lu Ye's mind, nearly disrupting his murderous intent. Only then did he recall that after his conversation with Yun Liu, Amber had gained the ability to communicate with him telepathically. The last time Amber had done this, it had startled him. However, the Beast Transformation Secret Art had only been activated twice before, the last time within the hunting grounds. He had temporarily forgotten about this aspect.

"Quickly save Ju Jia, the big guy is getting beaten so badly!" Amber urged. Usually, besides Lu Ye and Yi Yi, Ju Jia was the one it was closest to. Seeing Ju Jia's miserable state, Amber was furious. With a burst of strength, it launched itself from Lu Ye's side, its form a blur.

In the Beast Transformation state, everything around him seemed to slow. Lu Ye had experienced this sensation before, knowing it wasn't the external world decelerating, but his own thoughts and perceptions accelerating. Lu Ye's inherent combat style was already exceptionally ferocious, exuding immense pressure, but now this feeling intensified dramatically. The intensity was such that even though it wasn't directed at her, Lan Ziyi couldn't help but gasp.

Beast Transformation!

Lan Ziyi reacted instantly. She had also experienced the Myriad Beast Domain secret realm, where she had cooperated with Lu Ye in battle, and the immense power of Ox Fierce of the Xuanwu Sect was still fresh in her memory. How could she be unfamiliar with the Myriad Beast Domain's unique and most powerful secret art belonging to the Beast Taming lineage? So, with a single glance, she understood Lu Ye's current state; he had clearly activated the Beast Transformation Secret Art!

However, unlike Ox Fierce's transformation, Lu Ye himself didn't manifest any demonic characteristics; instead, a few such traits appeared externally as a fusion of blood qi and spiritual power. This guy... he hid it so well!

His perception had quickened; this was a direct result of his sudden surge in strength. Spiritual power and blood qi surged fiercely around him, imbued with an unstoppable momentum. This blade thrust directly towards the Golden Corpse King's eye socket.

Since the fight began, the Golden Corpse King had only shown mild alarm, even when restrained by Ju Jia, feeling no real sense of danger. But now, an immense sense of crisis finally welled up within him. The attacks from the three humans before him had never posed a significant threat; they couldn't kill him, so he naturally felt no great sense of danger from them. Until now. He clearly felt that this one strike was capable of threatening him.

Unable to move his body, the Golden Corpse King hastily turned his head, attempting to evade the direct thrust. However, Lu Ye's reaction speed at this moment vastly surpassed his normal state. The instant the Golden Corpse King turned his head, the long blade's trajectory altered accordingly. Spiritual light gleamed on the dark blade, and with the enhancement of the Twin Peaks Sharp Spirit Mark, it exuded a piercing, murderous aura.

The Golden Corpse King was horrified! Previously, while Lu Ye's performance had been impressive, he couldn't match the Golden Corpse King's reaction speed, which was precisely why the King had consistently maintained the upper hand. But now, that advantage was completely gone. It was too late to dodge again; the Golden Corpse King could only instantly close the targeted eye.

The next instant, the long blade struck his eyelid. It was like metal scraping against metal, emitting a harsh, grating sound. The Golden Corpse King instinctively snapped his head back, deflecting the force of the thrust.

Fetid blood splattered as the Golden Corpse King roared in fury. Though the blade hadn't directly pierced his skull, it had nearly blinded him. Had he not reacted instantly, the outcome would have been dire. Even now, his left eye felt as though it had been savagely hammered, the eyeball throbbing with intense pain. Although there was no significant damage, he was temporarily blinded in that eye. Moreover, the corpse blood streaming from his pierced eyelid obscured his vision.

"He's not dead from that?" Lan Ziyi exclaimed, astonished. Initially, seeing Lu Ye's terrifying surge in power and the Golden Corpse King pinned in place by Ju Jia, she had assumed victory was assured. Now, however, it appeared a grueling battle still lay ahead.

Without hesitation, she charged forward with her blade. While her capabilities were limited, in this situation, simply diverting a fraction of the Golden Corpse King's attention meant she was playing a crucial role.

"Chop it! Quickly chop it, Master! Use your Overlord Blade!" Amber's voice incessantly echoed in his mind. It rarely had the chance to communicate with Lu Ye in this manner, which was why both times Lu Ye activated the Beast Transformation Secret Art, it chattered on and on, like a ceaseless talker. What made it even stranger was that its voice was still that of a cheerful, childish one, making its murderous exhortations sound peculiarly unsettling.

Under Amber's "supervision" and guidance, Lu Ye's figure darted around the Golden Corpse King like a flash of light. Streaks of sharp blade-light, launched from various angles, either slashed or thrust directly. With Lan Ziyi also providing support and diversion, Ju Jia was completely freed from his original role. Originally, he had been fixed in place, unmoving as a mountain, forced to endure endless blows. But now, the Golden Corpse King had no time to spare for him. Almost all of the King's energy was now directed towards fending off Lu Ye's relentless attacks.