Seeing Elian simultaneously targeted by three Purple Mansion demon beasts, Lin Qianshu's eyes narrowed. She activated her Ice Soul Cold Light Sword and charged forward.
As a fifth-level Purple Mansion cultivator backed by Jiang Linglong's support and wielding two third-rank high-grade treasures, Lin Qianshu's combat strength ranked among the top of mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivators. She soared into action, aiming to intercept one of the Purple Mansion beasts.
But at that moment, a dark, mysterious black light shot out from the depths, heading straight for Su Mingwei.
Su Mingwei, amidst a fierce melee with a swarm of demons and preparing to assist Elian, was caught off guard by the sudden sneak attack. She quickly activated her life-bound treasure, the Azurewood Divine Flame Shield, summoning a barrier of divine flame. She followed up with a third-rank mid-grade defensive treasure.
However, in an instant, the Azurewood Divine Flame was extinguished, and even her defensive treasure was penetrated. The deadly black light pierced her protective barrier and seeped into her meridians.
"Not good!"
The sudden attack left Su Mingwei gravely injured. The Patriarch quickly unfolded the Crimson-Gold Three-Treasure Flags to shield her, offering protection.
The battle had just begun, yet two Purple Mansion cultivators were already injured. A shadow of concern fell over the group.
It was then that they noticed a dark serpent emerging from the lake's depths. Its cultivation reached the seventh level of the Purple Mansion realm, and atop its head was a faint black horn. Its eyes radiated an aura of murderous intent.
"This is bad. That serpent's bloodline has reverted—it's on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon!" exclaimed Xu Daoyuan.
A serpent nearing its transformation into a flood dragon was far more powerful than an ordinary seventh-level Purple Mansion beast, with strength enhanced by nearly thirty percent.
At last, they understood why the Purple-Blood Python had been dispatched to the frontlines during the Beast Tide. The Sky Python Demon King had been secretly nurturing this seventh-level serpent to guard Sky Python Lake.
Against such a formidable foe, Su Mingwei, who had only reached the second level of the Purple Mansion realm thirty years ago and specialized in alchemy rather than combat, was gravely injured in a single attack.
Elian scanned the battlefield, noting that Yang Yuanhe was also severely injured, while Su Mingwei had lost half her combat effectiveness. Among the remaining combatants, only Lin Qianshu, Xu Daoyuan, and Yang Zhengyuan, who couldn't risk fully exerting himself, could contend with the Black-Horned Serpent.
Realizing the stakes, Elian shouted, "This beast's ancestral bloodline makes it even more troublesome than the Purple-Blood Python. You three handle the Black-Horned Serpent—I'll take care of these three beasts!"
Lin Qianshu, Xu Daoyuan, and Yang Zhengyuan exchanged glances and recognized the urgency. They moved as a trio to confront the Black-Horned Serpent, preventing it from wreaking further havoc.
Elian, meanwhile, engaged three Purple Mansion beasts: two early-stage and one mid-stage.
Elsewhere, the sixty Foundation Establishment cultivators aboard the two treasure ships managed to hold their ground, blocking the tide of lesser demons.
The Patriarch stood guard over the injured, engaging the final Purple Mansion beast in combat. Both Yang Yuanhe and Su Mingwei focused on recovering, especially Su Mingwei, whose meridians were invaded by the Black-Horned Serpent's sinister "Black Fiend Divine Light."
Without suppressing the chaotic energy within her, attempting to fight could cost her life.
The last time a Purple Mansion Thunder Roc fell to the Chen family, it had been similarly afflicted by the Western Extreme Metal Flame of the Golden Lion Mastiff. It had forced its injuries to engage in battle, leading to its demise.
Amidst the chaos, Elian fought fiercely against the three Purple Mansion beasts. The battle reached a stalemate.
"Strike!"
Elian called upon the Vajra Seal, unleashing the Fiery Void Sword and various divine abilities against his foes. Yet, the fight was proving arduous.
The two early-stage beasts, the Crimson Flame Python and the Frost Python, were not overly concerning. The primary threat was the mid-stage Azureblood Python, a fifth-level Purple Mansion beast adept in water and wood attributes.
The Azureblood Python wielded three third-rank treasures, including the Sky Lake Pearl, a mid-grade defensive treasure that projected a water-energy barrier with remarkable durability.
In its element, the Azureblood Python fought with twelve-fold strength, leaving Elian hard-pressed to find an opening. The two early-stage beasts flanked it, adding to his challenge.
"This can't drag on," Elian thought, realizing the longer the battle lasted, the greater the risk of reinforcements from other demons.
Only by quickly defeating the Purple Mansion beasts could they demoralize the horde and secure victory.
Determined, Elian resolved to go all out. Infusing his life-bound sword with his full power, he directed the Fiery Void Sword at the Azureblood Python.
With Elian's current strength, this strike carried the force of a full-powered attack from a late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator. Even the Sky Lake Pearl would struggle to withstand repeated hits.
The three demon beasts sensed the impending danger as the sword hummed ominously, their pupils contracting in fear.
The Azureblood Python responded swiftly, launching its Green Light Blade, a third-rank treasure, to intercept. However, the Fiery Void Sword, nearing the might of a high-grade third-rank treasure, effortlessly deflected the attack and continued its trajectory.
The python's eyes widened in alarm. It hastily deployed a second treasure, the Sky Blue Law Sword.
Unlike life-bound swords, law swords prioritized inscriptions and arrays, enabling them to unleash powerful abilities. The Sky Blue Law Sword released a divine ability called "Sky Blue Sword Flood," conjuring a spectral azure flood dragon to intercept Elian's blade.
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