Yan Yi looked into Xiao Chen's ever-vigilant eyes, and felt the sharp pain in his shoulder.
He gritted his teeth, then angrily put away the whip: "I've lost today! Xiao Chen, I'll remember you!"
After saying that, he turned and staggered back into the chaotic crowd, clearly not wanting to get entangled with Xiao Chen any longer.
Xiao Chen didn't chase after them, but instead gripped his spear tighter and turned his gaze back to the black-robed men.
He knew that an opponent of Yan Yi's caliber was merely a minor episode in this chaotic battle. The real threat lurked in the shadows.
Not far away, Shi Tou had completely defeated the Western Region monk and was running over excitedly, carrying his black iron armor: "Senior brother! I won! That big monk was no match for me!"
Jiang Li looked at him covered in blood and helplessly handed him a handkerchief: "Wipe yourself off first, you look like a blood-soaked person."
The fighting in the giant forest continued, and it became even more chaotic due to the intervention of Xiao Chen and Shi Tou.
The gazes of various forces occasionally swept towards the three of them, filled with renewed apprehension—these seemingly unremarkable young men actually possessed such terrifying strength.
Xiao Chen met those gazes with a calm expression.
There's no point in hiding it anymore.
The battle raged fiercely in the giant forest, with flashes of swords and black mist intertwining, and Buddhist chants mixed with angry roars echoing through the air.
Standing behind the giant tree, Jiang Li looked at the chaotic battle before her, then glanced at the increasingly intense golden light in the depths, a resolute glint in her eyes.
Everyone was busy fighting, and no one noticed her, this "unremarkable" woman in red—this was her opportunity.
"Senior brother, Stone, cover me!"
Jiang Li shouted urgently with her spiritual power. Before she finished speaking, her figure shot out like a red lightning bolt, heading straight for the direction where the golden light was strongest!
Her speed was astonishing; her rusty iron sword left afterimages as it swept past her. Several rogue cultivators blocking her path were caught off guard and staggered backward as they were struck by the sword energy.
"What is that woman trying to do?!"
"She went deeper in!"
"Oh no! She's trying to steal the treasure!"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the chaotic crowd erupted in chaos. Everyone realized—the woman in red was trying to take advantage of the confusion to pick up the pieces!
"Stop her!" The white-robed elder of the Three Saints Sect roared, temporarily halting his attack, and a golden light shot towards Jiang Li's back.
Gui Xuan's eyes narrowed, and he unleashed several ghostly claws from his black mist, blocking Jiang Li's path: "Where did this little brat come from, daring to snatch food from a tiger's mouth!"
Even the few black-robed men who had been watching coldly made a move! A hidden black aura, like a venomous snake, silently coiled around Jiang Li's ankle.
In an instant, several attacks came from different directions: Buddhist light, ghostly energy, magical artifacts, and even fireballs refined from the inner core of demonic beasts. The sheer number of attacks made one's heart trembled!
Jiang Li, however, seemed to have eyes in the back of her head; her footwork shifted swiftly, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, narrowly avoiding the golden light.
With a backhand swing of the rusty iron sword, he shattered the ghost claws and then used the spine of the sword to deflect the fireballs. His movements were fluid and graceful, and he actually managed to break through the dense net of attacks!
"You've got some skill!" Qian Duoduo exclaimed in astonishment. He instinctively wanted to help, but was entangled by the rogue cultivators around him, and could only stomp his feet in frustration.
"Don't even think about it!" Jiang Liqing shouted, her swordplay suddenly becoming fierce, a chilling sword aura sweeping out.
After forcing back the several Tribulation Transcending cultivators who were closely pursuing him, he increased his speed by another three points and rushed to the place where the golden light was the brightest in the blink of an eye.
There stood an ancient tree unlike any of the surrounding giants—its trunk shimmered with a faint iridescent glow.
The bark was covered with patterns resembling star trails, and on the very top branch of the canopy, a crystal the size of a pigeon's egg floated.
It flows with a gentle yet domineering power of creation, which is the heart of the world they have been searching for!
"Found it!" Jiang Li's eyes flashed with joy. She lightly touched the tree trunk with her toes, and leaped up like a swallow, reaching out to grab the Heart of the World!
"stop!"
"That's mine!"
The roars behind them were deafening; all the cultivators' eyes turned red with rage, forgetting all grudges and alliances.
They were all worthless in front of the Heart of the World! They charged towards the ancient tree like madmen, their attacks raining down on Jiang Li in mid-air!
"clang!"
Jiang Li's fingertips finally touched the Heart of the World. The crystal felt warm and smooth to the touch, and a powerful force of creation instantly surged into her body, invigorating her spiritual energy!
She instinctively stored the Heart of the World in her storage bag, and at the same time turned around and swung her sword, the rusty iron sword bursting with a dazzling red light.
He managed to block the first few attacks, but the shock caused his blood to surge and a trickle of blood to spill from the corner of his mouth.
"She got it!"
"Kill her! Take her!"
The crowd went completely wild.
The giant axe from the Southern Region, the talismans from the Central Region, the Buddhist light from the Western Region, the black aura of the Ghost Clan… countless attacks surged towards Jiang Li like a tidal wave.
Even cultivators at the Dao Inquiry Realm are personally taking action, clearly indicating that they are willing to reclaim the Heart of the World at all costs!
"Junior Sister!"
"Senior Sister!"
Xiao Chen and Shi Tou's expressions changed drastically. They could no longer hide and simultaneously unleashed their full power to rush forward!
Xiao Chen's spear moved like a dragon, its light transforming into a long rainbow, tearing a gap in the crowd and sending several Tribulation Transcending cultivators flying. He then moved closer to Jiang Li, saying, "Come this way!"
The stone, like a mobile fortress, swung its black iron fist in a wide arc, blocking behind Jiang Li.
He withstood several attacks, sparks flying from his armor, yet he still held firm: "Who dares to touch my senior sister!"
The two people stood on either side of Jiang Li, trying to create a safe area for her.
But there were too many cultivators rushing up, densely packed like an ant colony, including prodigies at the Tribulation Transcending Realm.
There were veteran Mahayana cultivators, and even a few old monsters at the Dao Inquiry Realm. Their attacks were relentless and impossible to stop!
"Pfft!" Xiao Chen groaned as he shielded Jiang Li from a finger strike from a Dao Inquiry Realm expert, his shoulder bleeding profusely.
"Ah!" A corrosive black aura swept across the stone's back, corroding a small hole in his black iron armor. He roared in pain, but still didn't retreat a single step.
Jiang Li looked at the two people blocking her way, then at the surging crowd, and gritted her teeth.
She knew this was not the time to be reckless. The Heart of the World was in her hands, and she was everyone's target. If she dragged this out any longer, all three of them would perish here!
"Go!" Jiang Li made a decisive move, pulling the injured Xiao Chen along and grabbing a handful of stones. "Retreat to the east!"
The three fought and retreated, Xiao Chen's gun, Jiang Li's sword, and Shi Tou's fists intertwining to form a tough defensive line, forcefully breaking through the crowd.
However, the pursuers behind them were like maggots clinging to their bones, and their attacks became more and more intense. Several cultivators at the Dao Inquiry Realm had even broken through the outer perimeter and were closing in on them!
In the giant forest, a chase over the "heart of the world" has reached a fever pitch.
Red robes fluttered in the wind, green shirts were stained with blood, and black armor clanged.
Xiao Chen and his two companions struggled through the dense attacks, each step accompanied by blood and collisions, while behind them lurked countless greedy and murderous intents.
The Heart of the World was obtained, but it also became a death warrant.
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