Once they passed the narrow passageways and dispatched numerous ambushes by the Decrint Tribe and Gremblins, the newly-filled Boss Area of Area 1 appeared before them.

Standing there was another Amalgamation which looked like a cross between a Decrint Tribe Chieftain and another creature native to the Highland Realm.

Before any of the Spirit Severing Ancestors could volunteer to take it on alone, Sect Master Hong Ying became a red streak as she flashed out of the circle.

She wasn’t wielding any weapon, but the way the crimson aura flared around her made it look like a blood devil possessed her.

The Crimson Vale Ancestor let out a sigh as if he had already expected his fiery successor to take initiative like this.

"Sect Master Hong! You are outside the designated area!" Liu Xiaoyu yelled, her hand reaching out as if she could physically pull the Sect Master back into the five-meter radius of the [Harmonic Resonance Instrument].

But Hong Ying only glanced behind her and gave a thumbs-up to Xiaoyu. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Assistant Shopkeeper, you need not worry. This is a small fry. Let me have a taste of what kind of atrocious monster these foreign entities could create."

With that, her figure once again blurred. The air seemed to be blasted outward as she activated the Crimson Vale’s signature explosive movement art.

She looked as if she were trying to outrun the influence of the encroaching Highland Domain on her.

Luckily for her, there wasn’t any Dreilling present, making the mental strain that seemed to claw at her thoughts not as threatening as when they first appeared in the Core Area.

Still, when faced with the pressure of the Amalgamation that seemed to radiate the strength equivalent to the early Nascent Soul Stage, Hong Ying faltered for a fraction of a second.

The crimson aura surrounding her flickered, the vibrant red shifting towards a bruising purple as the foreign energy attempted to find purchase in her spiritual sea.

"Sect Master!" The only Crimson Vale Nascent Soul Stage Elder cried out, instinctively stepping forward, only to be yanked back by the stern grip of his Ancestor.

"Hold your ground," The Crimson Vale Ancestor commanded, his voice tight. "She chose this. Let us see if she has the steel to forge her path."

The Amalgamation, sensing that momentary weakness, roared and met her charge.

It was a grotesque fusion. The muscular upper torso of a Decrint Chieftain was grafted onto the lower body of something resembling a massive, armored centipede.

It moved with undulating speed, with its numerous legs clattering against the stone floor.

It raised two massive bone-cleavers, aiming to bisect the momentarily stunned Sect Master.

Hong Ying’s eyes that faltered then suddenly stilled before burning with an unyielding, ferocious light.

As her fists met the cleaver, she bit her tongue, spitting a mist of her own blood into the air.

The crimson aura around her exploded, incinerating the encroaching Highland Energy. The heat of her martial intent was so intense it seemed to warp the space around her.

She then twisted her body and lunged forward with a kick, snapping one of the Amalgamation’s arms.

However, as though not feeling any pain, the wretched Decrint Tribe Chieftain swung its remaining bone-cleaver down.

Hong Ying raised her bare hands, coated in a thick, almost solid layer of crimson qi.

CLANG!

Her hands caught the descending blades. The impact sent a shockwave that cracked the cavern floor, but she held firm.

The muscles in her arms strained, her uniform tearing under the immense physical pressure.

"Is that all?" She roared with her voice laced with a savage joy.

With a terrifying display of raw power, she twisted her wrists, snapping the bone-cleaver as if it were a brittle twig.

The Amalgamation shrieked in confusion, stumbling back on its many legs.

Hong Ying didn’t give it a chance to recover. She slapped a [Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seal] on her arm, prompting a spiritual projection of what appeared to be a river of blood that soaked her whole body.

Her figure then blurred into motion once again, appearing instantly right in front of the staggered Amalgamation.

She drove her glowing fist like a miniature sun of blood-red energy, directly into the creature’s chest plate.

The impact was deafening. The Decrint Tribe Chieftain’s chest caved in, its bones shattering. The force of the blow ripped through the creature’s torso, emerging from its back in an explosion of black blood.

While its top half seemed to become lifeless, its lower body wriggled into a spiral before thick Highland Energy gathered at its tip.

As Hong Ying jumped back, she became face-to-face with the last-ditch attempt of the centipede half of the Amalgamation.

The Sect Master sneered and caught the writhing insect part in her hand and crushed it mercilessly.

As soon as the top half and bottom half of the Amalgamation turned to motes of light, the prompt of the Anchor System confirmed the kill.

The prompt from the system confirmed the kill.

[Area Boss Cleared.]

The automatic absorption of Highland Energy from those motes of light bathed Hong Ying’s body as her cultivation progress climbed up for a bit.

Hong Ying stood amidst the fading light as her aura slowly receded into her body. She was panting heavily, sweat mixing with the faint traces of blood on her face, but her eyes were clear.

The oppressive weight of the Highland Domain was still pressing against her, but she stood tall and defiant.

She turned back to the stunned group within the five-meter circle.

"I apologize for breaking formation, Assistant Shopkeeper," Hong Ying said as she crossed the invisible threshold of the tuning fork’s protection.

The moment she was back inside, she let out a shuddering breath as the tension left her frame.

"That... was incredibly reckless, Sect Master Hong," Liu Zhongzu said, though his words were more of a reminder than a reprimand.

"Reckless, perhaps," The Crimson Vale Ancestor said, stepping forward and offering her an [Energy Replenishing Candy]. "But necessary. You found your answer, didn’t you?"

Hong Ying took it and popped it into her mouth. The sweet flavor filled her mouth as it immediately took effect. "I did, Ancestor. I understand now."

She looked up, a triumphant smile on her weary face. "When we return to the store, I will enter seclusion. I am ready for the Spirit Severing Stage."

"Well, that’s great and all, Sect Master Auntie," Liu Xiaoyu said, her hands planted firmly on her hips, her golden armor clanking as she tapped her foot impatiently. "But if you do that again, I really will hit you with this mace! Boss said that we need to move quickly. What if by delaying here, a Mind-Weaver suddenly appeared? We would have had to fight you!"

"I accept the reprimand, Assistant Shopkeeper. It will not happen again." Hong Ying conceded, bowing her head slightly. She had gotten what she needed; there was no need to push her luck further. "And don’t call me Auntie. I’m still young. I can still go after your Boss. Do you want me to do that?"

Liu Xiaoyu’s expression froze as her lips twitched. "Good. Good. Let me see you try, dear customer. You have a lot of competition."

She didn’t wait for her reply and quickly turned her attention to the loot left behind by the Amalgamation.

With everyone sticking close to her, she trotted over, scooping up the [Volatile Highland Energy Core] and a shimmering, green-tinged chest that had materialized.

Even if it’s already cleared a few times, reward chests still appear.

Like the other loot they gathered, she safely put it in her spatial ring before continuing to the next area.

Although the intensity of the defense and ambush rose, the strike team trudged through the quickest path to the Area Boss Room unhindered.

There, they fought more Amalgamations. There were also a few puppet cultivators and barbarians.

They managed to knock them out while the Spirit Severing Ancestors severed the connection from their controller.

Although not the same as Lin Mo, who could sense the threads with his own ability, the Spirit Severing Stage experts could see those threads because they’re linked directly to the puppets’ souls.

They quickly sent them away with the [Emergency Escape Talisman]. However, not everyone was lucky, as they found a few cultivators and barbarians already grafted to a native Highland Realm creature.

They could only give them a quick death and take whatever keepsake they would leave behind.

Following, they continued to the final area before the Core.

Ever since the appearance of the Dreilling, no one had stepped into the area again.

Right at the entrance, they were immediately met with the ambush of Decrint Tribes, Gremlins, puppets, and hybrids like the Hunter-Killers. All of them radiate a strength equivalent to the Core Formation Stage up to the Nascent Soul Stage.

"This is the last stretch, dear customers." Liu Xiaoyu started, her voice switching into a more serious tone. "Grandpa is still waiting outside. We have to clear the path to the Core Area and terminate all the banned customers. It’s time to use the artifact we handed out to you. Pew-pew-pew!"

As she ended that with a comical sound, she was the first to pull out a [Stardust Repeater], aiming directly at the evasive Hunter-Killer before it could blend into the crowd.

Pew-pew!