Chapter 1660: Wang Changsheng vs. Li Huo Zhenren

The tree demon had transformed into an ordinary large tree, making it impossible for Wang Changsheng to distinguish it. Without finding the four-tiered tree demon, he couldn't break through the formation.

Fortunately, the Twin-Pupil Rat, with its keen sense of smell, located the true form of the four-tiered tree demon. Wang Changsheng naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip.

Just then, hundreds of towering trees began to move, blocking the golden spear.

A thunderous roar erupted as dozens of towering trees were pierced by the golden spear, falling broken in half. However, the golden spear's speed also decelerated.

Wang Changsheng let out a soft grunt. The tip of his Grand Vast Spirit-Slaying Blade turned golden as he swung it through the air towards the Twin-Pupil Rat's position. The void emitted a piercing whistle, twisting and distorting as if it were about to be split in two.

A flash of golden light, and a golden blade aura, over a hundred zhang long, shot forth, cleaving towards the dense cluster of towering trees.

With a resounding crash, the golden blade aura sliced through the trees, causing them to break in half. Their thick trunks crashed to the ground, kicking up large clouds of dust.

The golden blade struck a towering tree, producing a dull clang and sending sparks flying.

An ancient, wizened face appeared on the main trunk of the towering tree. Judging by its aura, this was a four-tiered, mid-grade tree demon, equivalent to a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator.

Panic flashed in the treeman's eyes. Numerous towering trees moved to shield it, and it followed their movements swiftly, making it dazzlingly difficult to distinguish from the others.

The Twin-Pupil Rat burst from the ground and flew onto one of the treeman's branches, biting down on it.

"Clang!" A dull thud echoed, and sparks flew as a shallow bite mark appeared on the branch's surface.

Numerous sharp thorns sprouted from the branch, pricking at the Twin-Pupil Rat. Other branches also grew sharp thorns, forming a green spear that struck at the Twin-Pupil Rat.

A blinding yellow light flared on the Twin-Pupil Rat's body, and a thick layer of earthen armor materialized, enveloping its entire form and spreading towards the tree trunk.

A deafening roar ensued as hundreds of towering trees exploded, scattering into countless fragments and raising a cloud of dust. Wang Changsheng suddenly appeared before the treeman, wearing a pair of shimmering blue gauntlets. These gauntlets, adorned with blue scales and fluctuating runes, were enveloped in a watery mist – they were the Spirit Treasure Sea-Splitting Gauntlets.

The treeman was utterly alarmed, opening its mouth to spray a ball of green light at Wang Changsheng.

Wang Changsheng's figure blurred, splitting into ten. The ten copies of Wang Changsheng surrounded the treeman, simultaneously unleashing their fists upon it.

A horrific shriek echoed as the treeman's body was torn apart, leaving only a fist-sized golden core.

Unlike ordinary demonic beasts, wood demons, once killed, only leave behind a core (equivalent to a demon core) and no spirit.

A mass of green thorns erupted from the ground, engulfing the golden core. The core then visibly diminished and was absorbed by the wood demon.

Having absorbed the four-tiered, mid-grade treeman's core, the wood demon now had a strong chance of advancing to the fourth tier. As expected, after absorbing the treeman's core, the wood demon became sluggish. At this level of combat, a third-tiered wood demon couldn't be of much use, so Wang Changsheng recalled it into his spirit beast pouch.

At that moment, a shrill scream ripped through the air as the yellow-robed old man was enveloped in pale green flames, instantly turning to ash, his Nascent Soul unable to escape. True Master Lihuo, having lost his patience, had killed the fellow disciples who were attacking them.

Seeing Wang Changsheng defeat the treeman so quickly, True Master Lihuo was both shocked and furious.

"Wife, you handle her. I'll take care of this person. Be careful; anyone who dares to invade the Heavenly Ripple Realm is certainly no ordinary foe," True Master Lihuo warned solemnly, his face grim with murderous intent.

As a Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator and True Monarch Tianhuo's descendant, he had always been exceptionally pampered. When he was born, the Heavenly Ripple Sect had already unified the Heavenly Ripple Realm, and due to True Monarch Tianhuo's influence, most fellow disciples yielded to him, and no one dared to oppose him.

After the Heavenly Ripple Sect's unification, disciples seeking experience would either enter secret realms or challenge the Heavenly Ripple Pagoda. The Heavenly Ripple Pagoda, a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure and the sect's most treasured possession, had incorporated the spirits of three five-tiered demonic beasts, allowing it to conjure demonic beasts to attack challengers.

True Master Lihuo had ventured into many secret realms, even engaging with a five-tiered demon conjured by the Heavenly Ripple Pagoda, though he was defeated in just two moves. His greatest weakness was that he had never killed a human. Harming fellow disciples was a strict taboo, and having grown up in the Heavenly Ripple Sect, True Master Lihuo naturally wouldn't brutally attack his peers. While he had slain numerous demonic beasts, his magical treasures and cultivation techniques were exceptional; it would have been inexplicable if he couldn't even defeat unawakened beasts.

It was precisely for this reason that True Monarch Tianhuo never allowed him to fight on the front lines.

True Master Lihuo had sparred with many fellow disciples and believed his strength to be considerable.

Unlike True Master Lihuo, Wang Changsheng had frequently engaged in life-and-death battles. Along his journey, at least eighty, if not a hundred, cultivators had perished directly by his hand, including several Nascent Soul cultivators. He had even crossed paths with long-renowned masters like the Sun and Moon Dual Sages.

Now with a spirit treasure in hand, he had no fear of a Grand Completion Nascent Soul cultivator.

A loud whoosh split the air as a dazzling golden spear charged directly at True Master Lihuo.

True Master Lihuo gave a soft snort and patted his spirit beast pouch. After a buzzing sound, tens of thousands of red ants swarmed out. The queen ant, plump and entirely red, was clearly a four-tiered, low-grade spirit insect, though its aura seemed somewhat weak, as if it had been injured.

These Fiery Blaze Ants were impervious to blades and spears, immune to both water and fire, and could spew demonic flames to attack enemies.

He quickly formed a hand seal, and the tens of thousands of Fiery Blaze Ants spun in mid-air, coalescing into a colossal red blade over a hundred zhang long, which surged to meet the golden spear.

The golden spear clashed with the colossal red blade, producing a dull metallic clang and sending sparks flying.

Wang Changsheng had already put away his Sea-Splitting Gauntlets, not because he underestimated his opponent, but because he intended to use the eighteen Sea-Stabilizing Pearls to defeat True Master Lihuo.

While the Sea-Splitting Gauntlets possessed immense power, they were also quite mana-consuming. Unless he could instantly close the distance, True Master Lihuo would simply evade the attacks before they even landed.

Wang Changsheng opened his mouth, and eighteen Sea-Stabilizing Pearls flew out, circling around him, enveloped in a watery mist. Points of blue light emerged in the void, and soon, a river over a hundred zhang long materialized.

True Master Lihuo reacted swiftly. As a dual cultivator of both dharma and body, he dared not be careless, especially since he had never fought a life-and-death battle against a Nascent Soul cultivator. He opened his mouth, and nine shimmering red banners flew out, circling around him. Astonishing heat waves radiated from them, and points of fire light erupted in the void, transforming into a crimson sea of flames that enveloped and protected him.

Wang Changsheng cultivated water-attribute techniques, while True Master Lihuo cultivated fire-attribute techniques. Both were dual cultivators of dharma and body, but prior to this encounter, True Master Lihuo had never engaged in a life-and-death battle with another cultivator.

Meanwhile, Wang Ruyan summoned her Five-Element Talisman Soldiers and a four-tiered puppet beast, engaging Zhao Junyue in combat. Zhao Junyue, in turn, unleashed two four-tiered demonic beasts: a colossal tiger wreathed in crimson flames with a pair of green fleshy wings on its back, and an entirely green peacock with golden eyes.