The sky was perpetually choked with dense, layered swarms of monsters, crashing down with a steady, predictable rhythm. Just as everyone had grown accustomed to this level of assault, a streak of golden light suddenly pierced the horizon. Interspersed within the multi-colored throng of beasts, these golden entities hurtled toward them with unparalleled velocity.

More astonishingly, their targeting array focused precisely on the greatest vulnerability in the entire defensive perimeter, aiming directly for Wei Jinshun.

The faces of He Yiming and the others subtly shifted. The number of these golden monsters far exceeded their expectations; it was a cohesive group numbering over a hundred.

Facing the golden fiends, He Yiming and the newly ascended Divine Path practitioners—not one of whom had ever encountered more than thirty simultaneously, let alone a hundred—felt their hearts leap into their throats, their complexions turning grim.

Yet, just as these golden monsters bulldozed through their comrades with overwhelming momentum, a dense, sacred brilliance suddenly flared before them.

More than twenty Mutated Thunderbolt Spears ripped through the void in that instant, stabbing into the monsters like lightning. Their speed was formidable, clearly unleashed by the mental manipulation techniques of the four individuals, including Mou Zilong. Every single Mutated Thunderbolt Spear found its mark with absolute accuracy.

Although the golden monsters possessed an intrinsic, magical protective power within their bodies, against the divine weapons forged from their own mandibles, these defenses proved utterly useless.

In mere moments, the monsters were pierced by the Mutated Thunderbolt Spears, and after a momentary pause, they exploded violently.

This abrupt turn of events clearly caught the monsters completely by surprise.

The two sides had been locked in battle for a full five hundred years; the monsters had a comprehensive grasp of the trump cards held by these Divine Path powerhouses. They knew the Divine Path practitioners possessed divine artifacts like the Thunderbolt Spears, capable of easily dispatching their golden-tier kin, but it was always a one-for-one trade. Once the supply of those spears ran dry, there would be nothing left to fear.

But the Thunderbolt Spears this time were drastically different from previous engagements; they carried an added explosive force, and the immense power contained within the scattered gore was unparalleled. In an instant, the hundreds of golden monsters shrieked piercingly, blown to tatters, the vast majority perishing immediately, while the survivors remained severely wounded and tottering.

Several colossal bursts of Heaven and Earth might erupted at that spot, delivering the final blow to those gravely injured creatures.

Through perfect coordination, this contingent of monsters, which held the potential to completely overturn the tide of battle, was eliminated with such shocking ease.

Di Shitian and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Before the veteran Divine Path experts, these monsters appeared devastatingly fragile, almost laughably brittle—a reality they could never have predicted beforehand.

Mou Zilong’s movements were swift and unceasing. He reached out repeatedly in the void, and with every grasp, a golden mote of essence flew out from the defeated monster swarm, delivered directly to He Yiming.

He laughed heartily, "Brother He, no need for you to fight. Simply focus on refining the Mutated Thunderbolt Spears."

Bao Yanzhu chimed in with a booming laugh, "Indeed, your spears are remarkably effective. If we had an ample supply, even if the Dragon Lord didn't appear, perhaps we could have held the line ourselves."

The gazes of the Four Divine Beasts converged upon the scene, yet when their eyes settled on the Mutated Thunderbolt Spears, they still held a faint air of apprehension.

Even though they knew of the spear's power before this, witnessing it in actual combat revealed a destructive might that exceeded even their wildest imaginations.

If they had possessed such divine implements in earlier confrontations, things would have been significantly less taxing.

He Yiming shook his head, managing a wry smile. He understood that in this current situation, his personal contribution made little difference one way or the other. Since that was the case, he might as well dedicate his energy to forging more Mutated Thunderbolt Spears.

He glanced toward the entrance of the passage, secretly calculating the time. He needed to gather as many golden mandibles as possible. Once they left this location, this material would vanish entirely, and with such potent divine weapons at stake, the more they had, the better.

Although the fighting appeared fierce, the demeanor of Ao Minxing and the others remained unruffled. They had endured far too many such scenarios. Now, even without the backing of the Dragon Lord behind them, they possessed a super-divine weapon—the Mutated Thunderbolt Spear—firmly within their control, which paradoxically made them more relaxed and confident.

In past skirmishes, no matter how many Thunderbolt Spears they accumulated, they had to be used sparingly and with great caution, often reserving a significant portion specifically for the final, crushing wave of golden monsters.

But now, they spared nothing. The moment they spotted five or more golden monsters clustered together, two Mutated Thunderbolt Spears would instantly fly out. After eliminating the beasts, they would use their mental control to retrieve the remains from a distance.

While mistakes were inevitable in the chaos of battle, ensuring the recovery of every single golden mandible was impossible. However, each Mutated Thunderbolt Spear eliminated far more than just one golden monster. Gradually, the pile of golden mandibles before He Yiming grew taller, and he continuously replenished his comrades with newly forged Mutated Thunderbolt Spears. The ultimate result was that the number of spears did not decrease; instead, it slowly began to increase.

Seeing this development, everyone felt an even greater sense of security.

For them, truly threatening entities were limited to just two types of monsters: the golden-hued ones, and the monstrous, bizarrely shaped aberrations.

In the past, encountering either type was a source of immense headache, requiring them to slowly exhaust their stockpiled Thunderbolt Spears accumulated over centuries before finally repelling the onslaught. Now, the situation was far more relaxed, especially against the mutated monsters. The Mutated Thunderbolt Spears darted out like phantoms, dispatching them before they could even manifest their unique powers, turning them into ghosts under the spear’s shadow.

Suddenly, a deafening dragon roar descended from the heavens. The moment the sound manifested, it seemed saturated with endless majesty.

A rain of flesh instantly poured down from the sky. Countless assorted monsters, unable to withstand the sonic attack, plummeted from the air, crushing the lowest-tier monsters on the ground beneath them.

"The Dragon Lord has arrived…" Mou Zilong exclaimed, a mix of surprise and elation in his voice.

Including Ao Minxing, everyone secretly sighed in relief.

The Dragon had always been the most formidable presence among them. Past experiences had taught them all that the Dragon was their steadfast anchor; without such an overwhelmingly powerful being, they might not have managed to endure for five hundred years.

Although the veteran Divine Path experts had appeared unconcerned moments earlier, they had harbored deep worries. But now, hearing the Dragon’s voice, expressions of profound relief washed over their faces.

However, before their smiles could fully settle, their eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

The Dragon descended from above. Its body had shrunk significantly, now measuring only about ten zhang in length, but it was blood-soaked, and it appeared as though several scales were missing.

He Yiming and the others had never seen the Dragon in such a wretched state, and they were momentarily shocked.

Then, realization dawned, bringing inner calm. Thinking only of what the Dragon must have faced, they could easily imagine the sheer intensity of the combat. To return alive, bearing only superficial wounds, was already a monumental achievement. Anyone else would not have dared dream of returning at all.

The domain powers sealing the sky, held by the group, retracted simultaneously. As the Dragon passed through this area and entered the defensive perimeter, the sealing was swiftly re-established.

The Dragon landed and settled before the entrance of the passage. Although it exuded no immediate kingly aura, He Yiming and the others sensed it instantly. The moment the Dragon entered the defense line, a sudden stillness descended upon everyone's hearts. They felt brimming with confidence, as if no matter how numerous the monsters outside, they could no longer pose any genuine threat.

The Dragon surveyed the area and let out a single cry.

The Four Divine Beasts, which had not yet engaged, simultaneously opened their massive maws, unleashing four colossal breaths that shot toward the heavens, impacting the densest parts of the monster swarm. After these four exhalations, a vast, empty expanse was carved into that region of the sky.

The Four Divine Beasts reared their heads and roared in unison, their sound booming across the firmament, shaking the Nine Heavens.

"He Yiming, have you secured the items?" The Dragon's voice suddenly cut through the air, faint and inaudible to others.

He Yiming nodded silently. "Dragon Lord, where exactly are you and that entity? I still haven't been able to locate it."

The Dragon fixed him with a strange look. "You are not yet capable of reaching that place. But I trust that one day, you will be worthy of entering it."

He Yiming immediately fell silent, understanding that the Dragon was unwilling to disclose the truth directly.

"When will Hundred and Eight be dealt with?" the Dragon inquired again.

He Yiming hesitated briefly. "Within one or two months at most, I will certainly seal the passage shut."

He Yiming maintained a significant degree of confidence regarding Hundred and Eight.

"One or two months…" the Dragon murmured. "We have waited five hundred years; we certainly won't quibble over a little more time."

He Yiming's gaze returned to the passage entrance. He silently prayed, Hundred and Eight, this time, please do not disappoint me!