Chapter 387: Chapter 142: Reversal of the Chase, a Painful Compromise... Demon Marrow Gold, Seven-leaf Star Orchid

"ROAR!"

The skeleton monster let out a silent roar. Wielding its broken sword, it transformed into a gray-white residual image, charging straight for Baili Bing amidst a thick, foul-smelling gust of Evil Qi!

With a swing of its broken sword, a jet-black Sword Qi, filled with the stillness of death, tore through the air and slashed down!

Baili Bing’s expression was incredibly grim.

She let out a sharp cry. The Ice Attribute Primordial Qi in her body erupted at full force, and the longsword in her hand bloomed with a brilliant blue light. Cold Qi spilled forth to meet the malevolent Sword Qi.

"BOOM!"

The ice-blue Sword Qi collided violently with the Evil Qi-infused black sword, creating a deafening crash.

A ferocious shockwave of energy radiated outward, shattering several nearby boulders into dust!

Baili Bing’s body shook violently as she slid back several yards. Her sword arm was slightly numb, and she was horrified. ’This monster’s strength is immense!’

Moreover, the Evil Qi from the sword was insidious, constantly eroding her Protective Primordial Qi and the Spiritual Light of her longsword.

The skeleton monster pressed its advantage, lunging forward again while swinging its broken sword.

Its moves were simple but immensely powerful. Each strike held the force to shatter mountains and split stone, forcing Baili Bing to defend with all her might.

For a time, the Chaotic Stone Forest was filled with constant rumbles. Sword Qi crisscrossed the area, sending ice shards and rock fragments flying.

Baili Bing unleashed the full extent of the Secret Skills she had mastered in her lifetime.

The light from her sword sometimes cascaded like a waterfall, sometimes bloomed like an ice lotus, its Cold Qi attempting to freeze the skeleton’s movements.

But the skeleton monster’s frame was incomparably sturdy, and its Evil Qi largely neutralized the corrosive Cold Qi. It fought Baili Bing on even footing, and even seemed to be gaining the upper hand!

Meanwhile, Chu Fan used his Ghostly Body Technique to weave along the edge of the battlefield, constantly dodging the aftershocks of energy and the occasional stray attack of Evil Qi.

His brow was furrowed as he stared intently at the battle.

’This skeleton monster’s power exceeds my estimations.’

Chu Fan’s eyes flickered as he continuously scanned the surrounding boulders and the shimmering membrane of light, trying to find a weak point or the core of the Array.

In the center of the field, the battle had reached a fever pitch.

"Thousand-Mile Ice Seal!"

Unable to win after the prolonged fight, Baili Bing grew anxious and finally used the ultimate trump card she’d been saving.

She pointed her longsword to the sky as the Primordial Qi around her gathered like a storm, and an Extreme Cold Qi began to spread.

The ground was instantly covered in a thick layer of ice. Even the Evil Qi permeating the air seemed to freeze for a moment!

A Giant Ice Spear, coalesced from the majority of her Primordial Qi, shot toward the skeleton monster with the power to pierce through anything!

The skeleton monster also seemed to sense the threat, and the Soul Fire in its eye sockets flared wildly.

It held nothing back. The Evil Qi around its body surged madly into the broken sword. The rust-eaten blade let out a mournful cry as a Dark Sword Gang, so condensed it seemed to swallow light, shot out to meet the ice spear!

"BOOOM—!!!"

An explosion ten times more violent than before erupted!

The space at the core of the blast seemed to warp for an instant. A terrifying wave of energy sent all the boulders within a radius of dozens of yards flying, shattering them to pieces!

Amidst the dust and turbulent energy, a clear cracking sound could be heard—it was the sound of the skeleton monster’s sternum being shattered by the residual force of the ice spear!

At the same time, a stifled groan from Baili Bing was also heard!

When the light faded, the skeleton monster was seen kneeling on one knee. A large section of its chest bones was shattered, the Soul Fire in its sockets had dimmed considerably, and its broken sword was now covered in cracks, looking as if it might disintegrate at any moment.

Baili Bing’s condition, however, was no better.

Her face was ashen, a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, and her breathing was in disarray.

The biggest problem was that during the moment her Protective Primordial Qi had momentarily faltered from her forceful attack, a terrifying strand of Evil Qi had slithered into her meridians like a venomous snake. It was now madly corroding her Primordial Qi, bringing waves of sharp, stabbing pain and bone-deep cold!

She was injured, and by the troublesome Evil Qi no less!

The skeleton monster struggled to get up, its ghostly green Soul Fire locked onto Baili Bing, filled with ferocity and unwillingness to yield.

Just then... SWOOSH!

A Black Kite Arrow, glowing with the light of a Lunar Eclipse, shot toward the skeleton monster with incredible speed!

The skeleton monster was truly formidable. Despite being heavily wounded, its speed was still astonishingly fast...

Its White Bone claw shot out, and with a CRACK, it snatched the Black Kite Arrow from the air!

"SCREEE!"

The moment it grabbed the Black Kite Arrow, the skeleton monster let out a wretched howl!

The "Breaking Gang" Powerful Qi on the arrow didn’t harm it, but the "Soul-splitting Force" directly attacked its soul!

The skeleton’s residual soul was being torn apart. Its body trembled violently, and its White Bones looked as if they were about to fall apart!

’A good chance!’

Though Baili Bing didn’t know the details, she could see there was something strange about the arrow, and it had caused the skeleton to suffer a great loss!

Her figure shot out like an arrow. The gleam of her longsword flared as she slashed straight at the skeleton!

BOOM!

A terrifying Sword Qi tore through the gloom and shattered the skeleton.

The skeleton’s body was sliced in two, its White Bones scattering across the ground!

The previously dim Chaotic Stone Forest suddenly brightened as if night had turned to day!

With the skeleton reduced to dust, the ancient, dilapidated Array could no longer be maintained and instantly collapsed!

The strange stones throughout the Chaotic Stone Forest rumbled and collapsed!

"Finally..."

Baili Bing gasped for breath, her body swaying slightly.

"BUZZ!"

Suddenly, a faint cry, rhythmic with ancient authority, seemed to echo from the void.

"Five Cauldrons Seal!"

BOOM!

An indescribably heavy pressure suddenly descended, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing!

Baili Bing snapped her head up to see the phantasmal image of an enormous bronze Giant Cauldron solidify from a faint outline and come crashing down from the sky.

Its body was inscribed with patterns of mountains, rivers, birds, beasts, the sun, moon, and stars. It wasn’t smashing down on a single point; rather, it was descending like a giant cover, enclosing the entire Chaotic Stone Forest!

’No... that’s not right!’

’It’s not just one!’

’There are five!’

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

Five thunderous, heavy thuds rang out in succession.

Five great cauldrons, ancient in design and radiating a desolate aura, fell with a crash, one fitting inside the other like a set of nesting boxes!

With the fall of each great cauldron, the space in this part of the world solidified a little more, and the light dimmed a little further!

By the time the last great cauldron landed, the Chaotic Stone Forest, which had just been as bright as day, was plunged into absolute darkness and dead silence, so black you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face!