As a spiritual beast that feeds on mental energy and negative energy, it can grow rapidly by directly devouring and absorbing ghostly entities and drawing spiritual power from living beings.
This is already the simplest and most efficient shortcut that the Nightmare Beast considers the easiest.
Looking across the entire world, there is probably no creature that can improve at a faster rate.
But Li Yu did it!
And in a way that it could not understand at all!
The Nightmare Beast narrowed its deep eyes. Perhaps... even if it kept devouring ghosts, it might not be able to match Li Yu.
This was somewhat absurd and beyond the realm of common sense, even for the Nightmare Beast, which had seen countless geniuses and monsters.
After briefly familiarizing himself with and mastering the newfound power, Li Yu's mind stirred slightly.
The towering, cloud-piercing, heaven-and-earth-connecting golden-white wall of fire, radiating divine might, began to rapidly shrink and fall.
The Phoenix Flame Domain, which had enveloped the entire Black Rain Valley, also surged back like a tide.
The domain energy receded into Li Yu's body, as if it had never existed.
The suffocating pressure and intense heat in the valley suddenly disappeared.
Only the marks left by the scorching fire wall and the lingering scorching heat in the air testified to the terrifying barrier that had just been there.
At this moment, all the refugees collapsed to the ground as if exhausted, panting heavily. Their gazes toward Li Yu were filled with the bewilderment of surviving a catastrophe and a deeper awe, as if they were looking at a god.
Li Yu slowly raised her head and looked into the distance, her mind already locked onto a new target.
While absorbing Han Qing's energy, Li Yu had already come into contact with his corpse. Using it as a medium, he used his Golden Eye ability to capture all the threads connecting the remaining members of the Ao family and forcibly establish a connection with him.
At this moment, the golden pupil in his left eye quietly opened.
In his field of vision, threads, some bright and some dark, representing different remnants of the Ao family, appeared before him, spreading out in all directions like a spider web, covering all parts of Zhongzhou.
However, one direction of the silk threads is unusually dense and thick, converging towards a single point like rivers flowing into the sea.
It is obvious that a large number of the remaining members of the Ao family are gathering and lying in wait there!
Li Yu's icy gaze seemed to pierce through mountains and rivers, locking onto the direction where the threads were most concentrated, revealing an undisguised killing intent:
"Young Master Ao... I really want to show you with your own eyes how the Ao family completely disappeared."
The hunt has only just begun.
The roles of hunter and prey were predetermined from the very beginning.
Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yu turned around and walked directly towards the phoenix beside her.
Without any verbal communication, the phoenix, connected by their minds, immediately lowered its body, its enormous wings slightly drooping.
With a light leap, Li Yu gracefully landed on the broad and warm back of the phoenix.
Then he looked at Xiao Zhan not far away:
"You guys go ahead along the planned route. I have some things to take care of, but I'll be back as soon as possible."
Looking at the imposing figure on the phoenix's back, Xiao Zhan instantly understood what Li Yu was going to do, and with a knowing glint in his eyes, he immediately replied:
"Go ahead and don't worry, leave this to me."
Xiao Zhan knew that Li Yu had just advanced in his cultivation level, and his strength had probably increased many times over. It would be a good opportunity to test his skills against those damned remnants of the Ao family.
"I'm leaving." Li Yu nodded slightly to Xiao Zhan and said no more.
The next moment, the phoenix flapped its wings, and flames spread out.
Platinum flames instantly swirled and rose, and violent air currents mixed with scorching flames spread outwards.
The enormous figure transformed into a streak of platinum light that tore through the sky, carrying Li Yu as he soared away!
Almost in the blink of an eye, the phoenix disappeared into the vast sky.
Only a trail of flames gradually dissipated in everyone's sight.
Xiao Zhan gazed in the direction where Li Yu had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time. He could only sense the cold and resolute determination contained within the terrifying aura that had faded into the distance.
He realized that he might not be able to avenge the Northern Iron Cavalry, and only someone with Li Yu's strength could possibly confront Zhou Zhenbei head-on.
Only by cooperating with Li Yu can we possibly kill Zhou Zhenbei!
The time for reckoning has not yet come.
Xiao Zhan took a deep breath, suppressing the flames of revenge in his heart, and turned to face the still shocked group of refugees. His voice regained its composure:
"Reorganize the team, take a headcount, and then continue!"
"Yes." Shi Jian acted swiftly, organizing the team with an efficiency far exceeding that of ordinary refugees.
Despite the series of frights they experienced, the miraculous power displayed by Li Yu and the awe-inspiring scene of the phoenix descending instead instilled a near-fanatical sense of unity in the hearts of these refugees.
They silently and methodically packed their meager belongings and set off again with Shi Jian.
White Crow drove at the very back to prevent anyone from falling behind.
At the same time, the space around him rippled like tiny waves.
He sensed the distance to the star array's preset nodes, continuously accumulating energy and optimizing the teleportation path.
The goal is to activate the star array as quickly and efficiently as possible, and arrive in Kangcheng as soon as Li Yu returns.
......
After Li Yu left, the group of refugees completely disappeared into the depths of the rain.
Black Rain Valley fell silent once again.
After the torrential rain had been pouring down for a long time, unnatural ripples suddenly appeared on the surface of a pool of water at the edge of the valley.
Several figures dressed in the standard combat uniforms of the Central Plains Military Headquarters and draped in waterproof cloaks emerged silently from the water like ghosts, without causing a single splash.
They moved swiftly and professionally, quickly dispersing upon arrival to occupy advantageous high ground and vigilantly surveying the entire valley.
"Is anyone else around? Vital signs report."
The captain, who was in the lead, lowered his voice, his gaze sharp as an eagle's beneath his mask.
The insignia on his shoulder straps indicated that he belonged to a special department, rather than the ordinary Central State Military Command.
Within the group, the water-elemental space awakener who had just used water elementals to teleport them here immediately responded, his tone certain:
"No, Captain."
"Thermal energy, life energy, mental fluctuations—all the detectors have confirmed it twice. Everyone who came before has left, including... the target, Li Yu."
The captain nodded slightly before turning his gaze to the shocking metal graveyard in the center of the valley.
He strode closer, crouched down, and, ignoring the still-hot ground, carefully examined the twisted and molten steel remains.
His gloved hand gently brushed over a piece of superalloy molten metal that had re-solidified and had a liquid-like texture, his eyes extremely solemn.
"It's not as simple as just melting superalloy..." The captain's voice sounded muffled through his mask:
"The internal structure was completely destroyed, and the energy core was instantly overloaded and completely incinerated. This kind of destruction... is beyond the temperature that ordinary flames or energy attacks can reach."
The team members behind him, looking at the scene that resembled a baptism by space-based weapons, couldn't help but click their tongues and shake their heads:
"Captain, it's in such a state, like a pile of lumps of iron. Is it still worth recycling? I think we should just bury it on the spot."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
