Han Xiu saw a massive Azure Flood Dragon standing right behind him, its bloody maw wide open. Sticky saliva was still dripping down from its mouth.
“It’s… it’s really an Azure Flood Dragon!”
He was so frightened that he felt like his heart might stop. This Azure Flood Dragon was at least at the mid-stage of the Golden Core Realm—something far beyond what they could ever hope to defeat. It was unlike any other demonic beast they had fought before. Just the aura it emitted was enough to leave them frozen in place.
It was too terrifying! This was an existence that completely overpowered them!
One of Han Xiu’s companions beside him was trembling all over from fear. He fumbled around, trying to escape, but his legs were so weak from terror that he couldn’t even move. He was so scared he almost wet himself. He was still so young—he didn’t want to die yet!
His heart overflowed with regret and resentment. So Bai Ying had been telling the truth after all. If only they had listened to her. This was all Han Xiu’s fault for provoking the Azure Flood Dragon.
Seeing what was happening, Han Xiu panicked and bolted in fear. In his panic, he shoved one of the companions closest to him toward the Azure Flood Dragon.
That enormous creature, its dark green scales shimmering coldly under the sunlight, opened its gaping mouth and swallowed the person in a single bite without slowing down at all. Immediately after, the Azure Flood Dragon bit down on Han Xiu’s head.
“Ah!” A shrill scream pierced the air, echoing across the heavens—only to vanish the next moment without a trace.
Just a moment ago, Han Xiu had been arrogant and overbearing, yet now he was savagely torn apart and killed by the Azure Flood Dragon.
The rest of Han Xiu’s companions scattered in all directions, trying to flee, but the Azure Flood Dragon took flight and chased after them.
Lin Yizhi was also deeply shaken. He swallowed hard and said, “It looks like the Azure Flood Dragon is only chasing Han Xiu’s group.”
Bai Ying replied seriously, “That’s because they just released their pressure. The Azure Flood Dragon sees it as a provocation. It recognizes their scent and will chase them first.”
“I see.” Lin Yizhi felt a bit relieved but quickly realized that there were only a few people in the other group. Once the Azure Flood Dragon was done with them, it would come after his group next.
He tried to comfort Bai Ying, saying, “It’s okay. We have Substitute Talismans. When the Azure Flood Dragon comes for us, we don’t need to be afraid. Everyone will make it back safely.”
Even the cultivators watching through the Mirror of Heaven and Earth felt the same. Bai Ying’s senior brother, Su Yu, said with relief, “It’s a good thing Bai Ying met Lin Yizhi. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Everyone agreed that Bai Ying had performed impressively. She had even defeated the Mutated Centipede King during the Foundation Establishment Realm, and now her cultivation wasn’t high enough to take on the Azure Flood Dragon. That was completely understandable.
But just then, Bai Ying turned to Lin Yizhi and said, “In a bit, all of you stand in positions according to the Eight Trigrams, then help me hold it off for a while. I’ll be ready soon.”
As she spoke, Bai Ying continued tossing stones onto the ground.
Realizing that Bai Ying wanted them to distract the Azure Flood Dragon, Lin Yizhi was dumbfounded. “You want us to go up against the Azure Flood Dragon?”
“Yes!” Bai Ying nodded seriously.
Lin Yizhi and the others couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Staring at her in disbelief, Bai Ying calmly added, “You all have Substitute Talismans, right? Want to try taking down the Azure Flood Dragon?”
The moment they heard that, their breathing grew heavier. None of them had forgotten the thrill of slaying the Mutated Centipede King just moments ago. And now they were going to challenge the Azure Flood Dragon?
“Alright!” Xiahhou Ming was the first to speak, his fists clenched in excitement. The others quickly followed, all nodding in agreement. Lin Yizhi nodded repeatedly, too.
“Can we really do it?” someone asked.
Bai Ying said, “As long as you follow my instructions, just go stand where I told you.”
They immediately moved into their assigned positions. Seeing Bai Ying still tossing stones on the ground, they couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Boss, you were throwing stones just now, and now you’re doing it again. What are you doing?”
“I’m setting up a formation.”
“Oh, so it’s a formation!” This was the first time Lin Yizhi had seen someone using stones to lay a formation. “Actually, I have some really powerful formations I got from my father. Want to use one?”
The formations Lin Yizhi offered were quite powerful and could probably trap the Azure Flood Dragon for a while, saving Bai Ying the trouble of placing stones one by one. But Bai Ying shook her head.
“Your formation is good, but it’s fixed. It can’t adapt in real-time, so its power can’t be fully unleashed.”
Her words left everyone completely stunned.
They had wondered why she was using stones to build a formation—but she was doing it so she could adjust the formation during the battle. How well would someone have to understand formations to pull that off?
She could adjust her formation at any time.
Did she have hundreds of formations memorized in her head?
What they didn’t know was that in her past life, Bai Ying had explored countless secret realms. To survive, she had learned far more than just formations.
By this time, the Azure Flood Dragon had already finished off the others and was flying toward them. Lin Yizhi and the others quickly took their positions as instructed by Bai Ying.
However, the intense pressure radiating from the Azure Flood Dragon made everyone tense up. Xiahhou Ming kept telling himself not to panic. They had Substitute Talismans. At worst, this was just a chance to practice.
With that thought, he activated his Treasure Artifact.
“Perfect!” Bai Ying leaped into the air, sword drawn, directly confronting the Azure Flood Dragon in a fierce battle.
Lin Yizhi also summoned his Treasure Artifact. “We’ll go one at a time. Everyone try to draw its attention. When one of us can’t hold on anymore, the next person will take over. I’ll keep draining it from above.”
Following Bai Ying’s plan, each of them stepped in one after another, using their weapons to grab the Azure Flood Dragon’s attention. Bai Ying constantly shifted the formation to support each person’s cultivation technique and weapon, maximizing their output.
Even so, the Azure Flood Dragon wasn’t easy to defeat. They had to wear it down little by little.
Their spiritual energy consumption was enormous. After Xie Sangjie finished his turn, he shouted, “I can’t hold on anymore! Yizhi, it’s your turn!”
Panting heavily, Lin Yizhi stepped forward and summoned his Treasure Artifact.
But…
He had already used up too much spiritual energy earlier. Now, he couldn’t even muster a trace of it.
It was over. His spiritual energy was depleted.
He couldn’t keep going anymore. His face went pale with despair.
They had coordinated so well, and the Azure Flood Dragon was already on its last legs. If he didn’t drag them down, they really might win.
What should he do?
The Azure Flood Dragon seemed to sense a weakness and immediately charged toward him. The overwhelming pressure made Lin Yizhi unable to move. Despair flooded his mind as he closed his eyes, ready to die.
But then, Bai Ying suddenly shouted, “Move aside!”
Startled, Lin Yizhi snapped back to awareness. When he opened his eyes, he saw Bai Ying standing in front of him like a god descending to the mortal world.