Fierce Battle
Above the lake’s surface, Yun Chujì, clad in snow-white robes, lightly touched the water’s surface with her toes, her entire body launching forward like a released arrow.
Seeing Yun Chujì approach, Su Yuyao’s pupils constricted slightly. Her slender fingers formed a seal before her chest as she cried out, “Mystic Armor, rise!”
Her Soul-Seizing Bell rang out clear and long. The chains on a black coffin instantly shattered, and a pitch-black corpse puppet burst forth.
The corpse puppet was wrapped in blood-red veins, and ghostly green flames flickered in its empty eye sockets. It was precisely the baleful corpse Su Yuyao had refined.
It lunged outward, stirring up the lake-bottom mud. Earth Spiritual Energy condensed around it into heavy armor.
It let out a piercing shriek, carrying a heavy corpse aura as it charged towards Yun Chujì.
Among the onlookers, several Tianyan Sect Elders stood. One old man’s pupils instantly constricted.
“It’s a Void Refinement Realm Earth-bound Baleful Corpse! This woman truly possesses the True Inheritance of Cuiyin.”
Another Tianyan Sect Elder stroked his beard and chuckled, “The Holy Maiden has reached the Void Refinement Realm. A mere early-stage Void Refinement baleful corpse cannot defeat her.”
In the heart of the lake, Yun Chujì sneered, “A mere early-stage Void Refinement baleful corpse dares to stop me?”
She lightly raised her jade hand, and a brilliant starlight burst from her fingertip, like a galaxy pouring down.
“Inverted Galaxy.”
The starlight transformed into a streak of light, instantly repelling the baleful corpse several meters. A deep trench was carved into the lake’s surface, and waves rolled to either side.
The baleful corpse let out a piercing roar. Its chest was scorched black by the starlight, yet it seemed to feel no pain and lunged again, roaring.
Su Yuyao stood atop the central stone coffin, her black dress billowing in the wind. Her hands formed seals, and complex blood-red runes appeared on the surface of the stone coffin beneath her feet.
“One isn’t enough? Then let’s have another. I have plenty. Qingshen, attack!”
The second coffin on her right side trembled, the chains snapping as it burst open. Another black shadow emerged from the coffin.
This baleful corpse was larger, covered in blue-black scales, its fingernails a foot long, gleaming with a chilling cold light.
The two baleful corpses, one attacking and one defending. The Mystic Armor held up an Earth Spiritual Barrier while Qingshen transformed into an azure gale, directly attacking Yun Chujì.
At the same time, Su Yuyao gently shook her hand, her Soul-Seizing Bell and Corpse Control Bell tinkling, releasing soul attacks.
The lake bottom churned, and dozens of mud arms suddenly emerged from the lake’s surface, reaching for Yun Chujì in the air.
“Hundred Ghosts Capture Dragon.”
Yun Chujì froze for a moment, lightly tapping her toes on the lake’s surface. A circle of ice-blue ripples spread, instantly freezing the water wherever they passed.
“Ice Soul Cold Light.”
A bone-chilling cold air erupted from her as a center, the starlight around her condensing into countless tiny ice crystals that shot outwards.
The mud arms were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, then shattered by the ice crystals.
The two baleful corpses were struck by the ice crystals, their movements slowing, a thin layer of ice forming on their bodies.
A thick earth wall rose suddenly in front of Su Yuyao. The ice crystals left deep furrows in the wall but failed to penetrate it.
Yun Chujì seized the opportunity, rising into the air. A Star Goddess Avatar, enveloped in starlight, rose from the ground.
This avatar was over forty meters tall, its body like carved crystal, containing stars within, its slender jade hands holding the shadows of the sun and moon.
Su Yuyao was not to be outdone. Suddenly, her hands clasped together, a thirty-meter-tall Azure-Faced Female Corpse Avatar appearing behind her and embracing her.
The avatar’s four arms swung, each hand grasping a Soul Banner condensed from corpse energy, smashing towards the Goddess Avatar.
The two avatars collided violently, the shockwave from their clash overturning the bamboo forest by the lakeside, causing the onlookers to retreat.
Some of the commoners were knocked unconscious. Foundation Establishment Cultivators, unable to dodge in time, were thrown to the ground, their faces filled with terror.
“This is the power of the Void Refinement Realm?”
Even from a distance, Lin Luochen felt the terrifying wave of energy and furrowed his brows.
Although Su Yuyao’s realm was inferior to Yun Chujì’s, she had two baleful corpses assisting her, and the two together were completely evenly matched.
Yun Chujì’s avatar was simply not good at close-range combat. As time went on, she was forced back step by step.
At that moment, countless stars suddenly appeared in the sky. Despite it being daytime, the sight of an inverted galaxy materialized.
Su Yuyao and the two baleful corpses were as if trapped in a bog, their bodies constantly emitting black smoke under the starlight.
Yun Chujì said indifferently, “I didn’t want to bully you like this, but you’re stronger than I imagined, worthy of me using my domain against you!”
An excited Tianyan Sect disciple shouted, “It’s the legendary Star Domain!”
Elder Zhao of the Tianyan Sect clapped his hands and laughed, “Although the Holy Maiden has just refined the Star Domain, it is still a domain’s suppression.”
“Even if Su Yuyao is at the Composite Body Realm, lacking a domain, victory over the Holy Maiden is as difficult as ascending to heaven!”
This was the unique domain of Void Refinement Cultivators, capable of controlling a piece of Heaven and Earth, greatly weakening the enemy’s power.
Lin Luochen’s eyes narrowed. He saw the lake surface beneath Yun Chujì freeze into an icy mirror, reflecting the starry sky.
With each step she took, new starlight burst forth from the mirror. In the blink of an eye, the entire lake became her domain.
“Starry Sky Net.”
Countless brilliant rays of starlight appeared around Yun Chujì. The starlight suddenly fell like sharp swords, a raging storm.
In an instant, stars fell like rain, bombarding Su Yuyao’s Corpse King Avatar, scorching it black.
The two baleful corpses were unable to approach Yun Chujì, their bodies also scorched black, leaving countless scorch marks.
Yun Chujì lightly raised her hand, and the frozen ice layer on the lake surface suddenly shattered, countless ice spikes shooting up from the water towards Su Yuyao.
Lin Luochen watched clearly from the shore, almost crushing his folding fan in his hand.
But Su Yuyao remained calm, twisting her slender waist and rising into the air, using the flying ice spikes to retreat.
At the same time, the two baleful corpses sank into the water, stirring up turbid corpse energy to corrode the ice spikes.
Although she tried her best to cooperate with the two baleful corpses, she was still firmly suppressed within Yun Chujì’s domain.
A gasp erupted from the onlookers by the lake.
“Yun, the Holy Maiden, is truly powerful, holding her own against two opponents.”
“The Shiyin Sect Holy Maiden’s appearance was impressive, but her strength is ultimately lacking.”
“I heard she is a mutated Netherworld Body, but still inferior to the Star Saint Physique!”
Lin Luochen stood among the crowd, his gaze fixed on the battlefield, his fingers unconsciously clenching.
“Su Yuyao, is that all you’ve got?”
Yun Chujì retracted her avatar, standing proudly on the ice, starlight weaving into brilliant shadows behind her, like a goddess.
“If that’s all you can do, you will undoubtedly be defeated today. Surrender obediently, and I will let you lose less disgracefully.”
Su Yuyao also retracted her avatar, avoiding having the large avatar used as a target. Now she sneered.
“Ridiculous! Think I’ll surrender? I still have many more corpse puppets to use! Why would I surrender?”
“My Master said, there’s nothing a corpse puppet can’t solve. If there is, then add another!”
A resolute look flashed in her eyes. She bit her fingertip, drawing runes in the air, and shouted, “Come out, Red Eyes!”
The coffin on the left side exploded, a terrifying shriek erupting from within.
A female corpse with disheveled hair burst from the coffin, soaring into the air, her ten fingers like hooks, grabbing towards Yun Chujì’s face.
The change came too quickly. Yun Chujì hurriedly changed her tactics, a Star Light Shield flying out from her sleeve.
“Screech——”
With a sound that grated on the teeth, three cracks appeared on the starlight shield from the corpse claws.
Yun Chujì groaned and retreated, the corpse energy scorching her snow-white sleeves black.
But this distraction allowed the crimson baleful corpse to break through the starlight barrier, its claw slashing across her shoulder, blood immediately staining her starlight dress.
Su Yuyao’s face was pale as paper, but she still formed seals with her hands, shouting, “Three Talents Corpse Ghost Formation.”
She bit her fingertip, splitting a drop of essence blood into three strands that entered the baleful corpses’ foreheads, linking their auras.
The three baleful corpses immediately positioned themselves in the Heaven, Earth, and Human positions of the Three Talents, their corpse energy forming a Netherworld ghost domain that resisted the Star Domain.
Under Su Yuyao’s control, the three baleful corpses attacked Yun Chujì from three directions.
Yun Chujì was forced to switch from offense to defense, her starlight shield constantly trembling under the baleful corpses’ assault.
Starlight and corpse energy clashed violently on the lake’s surface, creating a deafening roar.
The onlookers were in an uproar. A rogue cultivator exclaimed, “She can actually control three Void Refinement corpse puppets?”
The Tianyan Sect disciples were even more panicked, “The Holy Maiden is injured.”
Elder Qian, who had come with Su Yuyao, frowned, “This enchantress can actually control three Void Refinement baleful corpses simultaneously?”
“No.”
Elder Zhao narrowed his eyes, “Look at the blood-veined corpse puppet’s sluggish movements; it’s clearly being forcibly driven. She’ll run out of spiritual power in at most half a quarter of an hour.”
Elder Qian naturally saw that Su Yuyao was at the end of her strength, but the formation of the three baleful corpses was indeed incredibly powerful.
“I hope the Holy Maiden can hold on. Not good, there seems to be poison on that baleful corpse’s claw.”
Everyone noticed that Yun Chujì’s injured shoulder began to turn a strange purplish-blue, her face gradually turning pale.
Yun Chujì wiped away the blood from the corner of her lips. Fighting intent burned in her star-like eyes, “Good, this is getting interesting.”
“Starfall.”
With a sharp cry, the sky suddenly darkened, countless rays of starlight converging into a huge meteorite that crashed towards the three baleful corpses.
The lake surface was dented by the terrifying intimidation, forming a huge vortex.
“Boom——”
The meteorite fell, causing a huge wave.
Two of the baleful corpses were directly smashed into the lake bottom, only the crimson baleful corpse barely standing, but heavily wounded.
Yun Chujì gasped for breath, her starlight dress somewhat disheveled.
She looked at Su Yuyao and sneered, “Now, what other tricks do you have?”
Su Yuyao breathed rapidly, her spiritual power nearly depleted.
She glanced at the fourth black coffin, her heart in conflict—opening another coffin would certainly lead to backlash, but surrendering…
“Falling Star Slash!”
Yun Chujì extended two fingers, forming a sword, pointing to the sky, the daytime sky revealing the stars of night.
A beam of starlight as thick as a bucket pierced through heaven and earth, crashing down with her sword’s direction.
At the moment of life and death, Su Yuyao’s eyes flashed with determination, suddenly raising her hand and pointing at the fourth black coffin.
The chains on the coffin trembled violently, thick, ink-like corpse blood seeping from the cracks, instantly creating a layer of strange black ice on the lake surface.
A baleful aura far more terrifying than before leaked from the coffin, as if something terrifying was about to break free.
Yun Chujì’s pupils constricted. She could feel that a far more powerful baleful corpse was indeed sealed within that coffin!