Chapter 2050: Situation Reversal

Approximately a quarter of an hour later, Yun Jianyue returned to Zu An. "How much of it have you grasped?" she asked.

Before Zu An could answer, she went on, "The Star-Shattering Mystic Seal is extremely profound. It's difficult for beginners to grasp its essence quickly. According to the experience of past practitioners, talented individuals can usually master about three times its power, exceptionally gifted people can wield around five times, while a select few geniuses can quickly achieve about seven times its power."

"With your talent, you should be able to achieve five times its power. Hmm, that should barely be enough to deal with the Death Worm. After all, time is short. In the future, with more practice and reflection, you can gradually learn to unleash ten times its power."

She had been talking for a while, and seeing Zu An hadn't responded, she couldn't help but frown and say, "Not even five times? Well, the time was indeed too short, you don't need to be discouraged... Surely you can manage at least three times the power, can't you?"

Zu An remained silent. Instead, he took a deep breath. His *qi* circulated through a unique pathway throughout his body, and then he threw a punch. In that instant, his fist glowed with dazzling white light from the friction with the air.

A bottomless pit appeared on the ground before them, extending to who knew where.

The entire Blood Moon Domain trembled violently, and Yun Jianyue retreated dozens of feet in quick succession to avoid its force.

After a long while, she flew back with a strange expression. "You didn't even say anything before attacking! You almost shattered my domain with that punch."

One must understand that a Grandmaster in their own domain is like a god of creation; they can define rules as they please. Even the strongest individuals trapped within cannot significantly affect the domain, unless the opponent also possesses a domain of the same or higher level, where the two sets of laws cancel each other out.

Yet, Zu An, just by sheer brute force, almost shattered her domain?

She showed no anger at all. Instead, she said with some delight, "You can achieve ten times the power?"

Zu An said calmly, "I held back a bit just now, fearing I might hurt you, but yes, I should be able to achieve ten times the power."

Yun Jianyue was speechless. She, the esteemed leader of the Demonic Cult, never expected to be shown mercy by a junior. Of course, she also understood that she was severely wounded and her power greatly diminished; the other party was also concerned for her.

"In such a short time, you've mastered the Star-Shattering Mystic Seal to such an extent, capable of directly unleashing ten times its power?" She was still somewhat incredulous.

"Is that difficult?" Zu An asked, a little puzzled. "How much power did you grasp when you first learned it, Cult Leader Sister?"

"Of course... also ten times. It's really not that difficult," Yun Jianyue said, her cheeks flushing. "Although few in number, there have been a few practitioners throughout history who could reach this level upon their first attempt." In truth, when she first learned it, she could only unleash seven times the power. Even that had made her the most outstanding talent in the Sacred Cult for centuries. Who would have thought this monstrous individual would be even more extraordinary?

However, being someone who valued her reputation so highly, how could she show weakness in front of a junior?

"Huh, I recall you just mentioned that only a select few geniuses could achieve seven times the power?" Zu An asked, looking puzzled.

"Ahem..." Yun Jianyue turned her head away, her expression unnatural. "That was... I didn't tell you deliberately because I was worried you might aim too high and rush for success. Had I known you possessed such talent, I wouldn't have kept it from you."

"Oh," Zu An said, without suspicion.

Feeling guilty and worried he would ask more questions, Yun Jianyue hastily dissolved her domain.

Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo, having sensed the commotion, rushed over. "How well did he learn?"

Yun Jianyue felt a surge of emotion, a stifling sensation. After a long moment, she finally uttered two words: "Very well!"

A hint of softness also entered Yan Xuehen's usually cold eyes. "His talent is indeed excellent."

Just then, the ground trembled violently again. And from afar, the chilling cries resumed.

"It seems it's angry because it hasn't found us," Yu Yanluo said worriedly. "We need to hurry, or it will collapse this mine, and that would be trouble."

As the head of the Yu clan, this mine was the lifeblood of her family, so she naturally worried about any mishaps.

The others also worried that if they delayed, new creatures might emerge from the spatial rift. They quickly began discussing the specific details. They finally decided that Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue would directly attract the attention of the Mimetic Scale Death Worm, covering Zu An as he stealthily approached to deliver a fatal blow. As Grandmasters, their souls were powerful, allowing them to perceive their surroundings in complete darkness without affecting their movements. Yu Yanluo, meanwhile, would guard the outer layer, helping to fend off ambushes from other smaller Death Worms and ensuring a safe retreat path.

After the discussion concluded, the group headed deeper into the mine. As their group was small, it was difficult for the Death Worm to find them. However, the Death Worm's occasional roars, coupled with the increasingly dense black mist closer to it, made it quite easy to locate.

Before long, everyone was in position. The Mimetic Scale Death Worm was not coiling on the ground like a snake; instead, its entire body was hidden underground, with only a small section visible on the surface. From a distance, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen each unleashed their skills, striking towards it. Throughout the process, they were careful not to emit even a sliver of light. The Mimetic Scale Death Worm itself had no eyes, and its dwelling place was naturally in complete darkness.

*Churr, churr, churr...*

The hair-raising grinding sound resumed, and the Mimetic Scale Death Worm instantly extended half of its body. It was clearly enraged. These hateful humans! It had given up bothering them, yet they dared to come seeking trouble? It opened its mouth, and a beam of black mist, almost corporeal, shot towards the two women. The two women naturally knew its power; not daring to meet it head-on, they scattered to either side. The black mist struck the wall, instantly corroding large pits. It was clear that if it hit them, even at their peak strength, they would likely be unable to withstand it.

They did not flee, but merely moved around, making it easier for Zu An to approach their target. Just then, two sword-like projectiles suddenly shot from the Mimetic Scale Death Worm's mouth, swiftly pursuing the two women. These were refined from the large fangs of its mouthparts that it had shed over the years, and their power far exceeded the flying swords of human cultivators.

Normally, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen would have countless ways to counter. But now, still severely injured and not fully recovered, they could only flee in disarray, narrowly escaping danger several times. Due to differences in the potency of the elixirs they had consumed, Yun Jianyue's recovery was clearly not as complete as Yan Xuehen's.

After several dodges, she could no longer evade. She was about to brace herself to take the hit on a non-vital part of her body, but she worried if she could withstand the potent venom on the opponent's fangs. Just then, Yan Xuehen appeared beside her, pulling her away and barely dodging the attack. Yun Jianyue was somewhat surprised. They had been adversaries for so many years, each wanting to kill the other. She never imagined Yan Xuehen would save her. Although a hint of gratitude flickered in her heart, she still retorted, "Who asked you to save me? It's not like I couldn't dodge it myself!" As she spoke, she summoned her Star-Moon Wheel, blocking another long venomous fang that was attacking Yan Xuehen from behind.

"Don't flatter yourself. Who wants to save you? I just want to kill you myself, and I don't want you to die by the mouth of a beast before I get the chance." There was no warmth in Yan Xuehen's tone either.

Hearing the two women bickering back and forth, Yu Yanluo, from a distance, could only sigh internally. She thought that if an outsider saw this scene, their eyes would probably pop out—two Grandmasters, renowned throughout the world, acting like squabbling sisters all day long.

She wasn't idle either, constantly sketching in the air with her brush, adding various blessing auras to the two women. Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen immediately felt light as swallows; their speed, recovery, and other attributes greatly enhanced. With their vast experience, they instantly realized these were Painter Dao blessings from the academy. Normally, these blessing auras would offer almost no help to them, and might even have adverse effects. After all, Grandmasters require complete control over their bodies, and any sudden additional elements could easily impair the accuracy of their judgment. But now, with their powers significantly diminished, these enhancements proved very useful. At the very least, dealing with the Death Worm's flying fang attacks was no longer as frantic as before.

"To think we ended up owing this woman a favor..." Both Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen felt a strange sensation. They found it more acceptable to owe favors to each other, as their years of mutual conflict had made them intimately familiar. But owing a favor to Yu Yanluo... The woman's captivating beauty gave both women a considerable sense of unease. Coupled with her intimate relationship with Zu An, or perhaps her identity as a Medusa... For reasons unknown, both women subconsciously did not want to be indebted to her.

However, they didn't have time to dwell on this now. They sensed the mother worm's body disappearing and reappearing from underground, clearly roving around, searching for the opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow to them. It waited, poised for a killing strike! Cold sweat beaded on the two women's brows. With their sharp perception, they knew they wouldn't be able to dodge after at most three breaths' time.

Just then, a jet-black light burst forth beside the Mimetic Scale Death Worm. Zu An's figure appeared, and he thrust his sword down with lightning speed. The Mimetic Scale Death Worm was greatly alarmed. Its senses of smell, touch, and spiritual perception were extremely keen. In the darkness, not a blade of grass or a twig could escape its awareness. But where did this person come from? It only reacted when he stabbed it! It was too late to dodge or counterattack now.

The beast's instinct made it sense the dagger's threat. Black light surged throughout its body, as it desperately channeled all its energy to form a defense around itself, preparing to withstand the attack head-on. Unfortunately, in its haste, it couldn't achieve a perfect defense. The dagger, carrying potent venom, struck fiercely, successfully cutting through the not-yet-stable protective energy shield. It finally struck its scales, emitting a harsh metallic screech and simultaneously sparking a shower of light. The Mimetic Scale Death Worm's scale armor defense was terrifyingly strong!

Yun Jianyue's heart sank. As someone intimately familiar with the Star-Shattering Mystic Seal, how could she not realize? In that very instant, the 50% chance of success had failed to activate!