Chapter 714: Jointly Defeating the Enemy

Wang Changsheng was surprised yet pleased by how quickly the Swallowing Gold Ants annihilated the Purple Cloud Ants. He had spent over a hundred years cultivating tens of thousands of Swallowing Gold Ants, and they certainly didn't disappoint.

Wang Changsheng formed a hand seal, and the Swallowing Gold Ants coalesced into a fierce, golden greatsword, over ten zhang in length, which slashed aggressively towards the young woman in red.

The Spirit-Driving Art, detailed in the 'Spirit Controlling Manual,' is a secret technique for controlling spirit insects. It's not exclusive; major sects are familiar with it. Essentially, it allows spirit insects to condense into weapon forms, operating on a principle similar to that of using sand-based magical artifacts.

Five blue flood dragons lunged forward, incredibly fast, their claws and fangs bared.

The red banner in the young woman's hand flared brightly. Countless crimson flames erupted around her, coalescing into a massive wall of fire.

The blue water dragons showed no fear of the crimson fire wall. They tore and bit through it, shattering the fiery barrier. The surging wall then collided with the five blue water dragons, obliterating them, and a vast cloud of white mist instantly enveloped the young woman.

A resounding dragon roar echoed, and a colossal crimson flood dragon burst forth from the white mist. The crimson flood dragon had a wide maw, bared fangs, and constantly shifting eyes, emanating immense spiritual pressure.

"Artifact Manifestation!" Wang Changsheng's expression grew grim. Magical artifacts capable of sealing fiend souls are typically very powerful, with their manifested forms amplifying their might. To Wang Changsheng's surprise, the young woman's artifact had sealed a mid-grade third-tier flood dragon soul. Wang Changsheng himself possessed a third-tier flood dragon soul, but his current artifact refining skills were insufficient to seal it into a magical artifact.

The crimson flood dragon thrashed its head and tail, transforming into a streak of red light as it lunged at the golden greatsword. With a whoosh, a burst of crimson flame shot from the crimson flood dragon's mouth, striking the golden greatsword. Wang Changsheng quickly formed a hand seal, prompting the golden greatsword to swiftly change direction. However, it was a moment too late. A vast burst of crimson flame struck the sword's hilt, reducing hundreds of Swallowing Gold Ants to ash.

Wang Changsheng took a deep breath. It seemed he would struggle to defeat his opponent without resorting to spirit techniques. He raised a hand, and a swift blue light shot out, speeding towards the young woman in red. The young woman conjured a crimson orb, which unleashed countless crimson flames to form a massive crimson fire wall, shielding her within. As the blue light drew within thirty zhang of the fire wall, it abruptly veered upwards into the sky.

With a muffled boom, the blue light burst open. Countless wisps of white mist materialized in the surrounding air, and the seawater below churned violently, forming a massive blue water curtain that enveloped everyone. Within the blue barrier, countless white mists billowed and swirled. This was the Illusory Water Banner, an artifact designed to trap foes.

With the Illusory Water Banner deployed, Wang Changsheng could now safely unleash the Spirit Slaying Palm. However, he knew he had to act swiftly; the Illusory Water Banner wasn't infallible and might not hold up against exceptionally powerful Nascent Soul cultivators.

Two Core Formation cultivators each conjured a massive blue pair of scissors and five blue flying daggers, striking at Wang Qingshan. Wang Changsheng rubbed his hands together, and countless blue electric arcs shimmered across his body. Soon, a house-sized blue lightning orb materialized above his head. The golden greatsword, formed by the Swallowing Gold Ants, spun once, intercepting the blue scissors and flying daggers. Wielding the Azure Glaze Sword, Wang Qingshan unleashed countless green sword energies, engaging the two Core Formation cultivators in a fierce battle.

A blue-robed elder, seemingly in his early fifties, touched the back of his head. A pale blue orb materialized in his hand. He tossed it forward, imbuing it with a hand seal, and the orb immediately erupted with dazzling blue light. An incredibly strange roar pierced the air, and a blue giant python, as thick as a water vat, burst forth. This blue python bore two wings on its back and several golden spiritual patterns on its head. Originating from major cultivation sects, their strength far surpassed that of ordinary Core Formation cultivators.

The blue giant python flapped its wings, swiftly pouncing on Wang Changsheng. The crimson flood dragon thrashed its head and tail, likewise lunging at Wang Changsheng. Following the principle of 'catching the ringleader to catch the brigands,' they targeted Wang Changsheng, whose cultivation was the highest. Eliminating him would render Wang Qingshan a negligible threat.

The blue lightning orb above Wang Changsheng's head spun rapidly, radiating terrifying energy as it shot forward. A blinding blue light flared in the sky, engulfing both the crimson flood dragon and the blue giant python.

Boom!

Over a dozen colossal blue water columns erupted from the seabed, coalescing into a gigantic blue net that enveloped Wang Changsheng. The blue net was crystal clear, with water currents ceaselessly swirling within it. Wang Changsheng unleashed several thick blue lightning bolts at the blue net, but it remained completely unharmed. This was the Fiend-Trapping Net, a spirit art designed to bind foes; even a third-tier fiend beast would find it impossible to escape.

A dazzling crimson fire streaked across the sky, emitting a thunderous roar, hurtling directly towards Wang Changsheng with terrifying momentum. A deafening roar erupted as the crimson fire struck the blue Fiend-Trapping Net. A blazing crimson sun, over ten zhang in diameter, engulfed Wang Changsheng. Intense heat waves rolled out, rapidly evaporating the surrounding seawater.

"Ninth Uncle!" Wang Qingshan, overwhelmed with grief, cried out. He hurled the Azure Glaze Sword forward, imbuing it with several hand seals. The Azure Glaze Sword blazed with light, transforming into a green giant python over ten zhang long. This flying sword manifestation, while not as potent as a true artifact spirit manifestation, significantly boosted its power.

Behind him, countless green sword energies coalesced into a green flood dragon, which lunged menacingly towards the young woman in red. The green giant python thrashed its head and tail, pouncing towards the young woman in red. The young woman commanded her crimson flood dragon to meet the assault.

The green giant python was clearly no match for the crimson flood dragon. After just a few exchanges, the green giant python reverted to its original flying sword form, and the green flood dragon was torn to shreds by the crimson flood dragon.

Just then, a thick golden beam of light suddenly shot out from the heart of the crimson blazing sun, instantly reaching the young woman in red. The young woman's reaction was swift. She formed a hand seal, and the crimson orb above her head emitted a protective red glow that enveloped her entire body.

Boom!

The golden beam struck the crimson light, but the protective glow remained unyielding. Simultaneously, a colossal blue palm, over ten zhang in size and crackling with abundant blue electric arcs, materialized abruptly above her. With a tremendous crash, the crimson light shattered. The young woman shrieked, her body plummeting rapidly towards the seabed. A loud whooshing sound echoed as a crimson ray shot out. The young woman attempted to conjure a defensive artifact, but a vast expanse of purple radiance descended from above, engulfing her body and immobilizing her. The crimson ray then pierced through her head, and raging flames rapidly engulfed her, sending her lifeless body plunging into the sea.

The crimson flood dragon let out a mournful cry, then transformed into a red command banner and plummeted downward. As the crimson blazing sun dissipated, Wang Changsheng was revealed, clad in a pale blue armor—the result of his Tortoise Scale Art. Had he not employed this technique, he would surely have perished.

With the young woman's demise, the expressions of the other two Core Formation cultivators changed dramatically. They exchanged a look, then turned and fled into the distance. Wang Changsheng let out a soft huff. He produced a longbow, and with a flick of his sleeve, a shimmering golden light erupted—revealing thousands of Swallowing Gold Ants. The thousands of Swallowing Gold Ants spun, transforming into four golden arrows, each about two feet long, which settled into Wang Changsheng's hand.

With loud whooshing sounds, the four golden arrows shot forth, heading directly for the two fleeing Core Formation cultivators. The golden arrows were incredibly swift, appearing before them in an instant. They each conjured defensive magical artifacts to block, while simultaneously casting defensive spells upon themselves.