Closer, and closer still, with an air of intense anticipation gripping everyone, over two thousand mages poured their magic to the very limit, their eyes fixed intently on the dark green figure entangled with the Mystic Ice Dragon three hundred meters away. The peerless fiend, Woma Patriarch, whose name echoed through the ages, finally stood revealed before them.

"Focus fire." The colossal form of the Woma Patriarch finally crossed the warning line. The mages, who had been waiting in perfect formation, immediately unleashed their assault.

"Ice Roar!"

"Lightning Bolt!"

"Great Fireball!"

Countless spells rained down like a deluge, savagely battering the advancing, yet somewhat hesitant, body held firmly in check by the Vanguard Hall.

Three massive beams of light instantly materialized in the sky: the white one was a colossal Mystic Ice Dragon forged from the convergence of countless Ice Roars; the blue was a giant electric arc composed of overlapping Lightning Bolts; and the fiery red was a super Great Fireball formed by the union of innumerable Great Fireballs.

Swish, swish, whoosh!

The three colossal beams, like three gigantic dragons, hurtled toward the Woma Patriarch with astonishing speed, bearing an appalling aura of absolute destruction.

Roar! Perhaps sensing the terrifying might of these three spells, the Woma Patriarch bellowed again, and its dark green silhouette abruptly exploded in a flash of dazzling azure light.

Boom! At the very instant the three dragons were about to collide, the blue light intensified to its absolute peak, bathing the entire underground palace as if illuminated by a green sun, rendering everything within the light utterly indistinguishable.

Yet, under the condition of the Eye of Deathly Desire, I saw with perfect clarity that the three beams struck only an afterimage of the Woma Patriarch. In that fleeting span of 0.1 seconds, the Woma Patriarch's speed had suddenly surged to an unbelievable magnitude.

Just a hair's breadth, but that minuscule margin resulted in a universe of difference.

Even more terrifying was that in that instant, not only did the Woma Patriarch’s advance not slow, but it actually charged toward the array of mages beyond the passage at an astonishing velocity.

"Ah." Jian Li and several other top experts immediately sensed that something was terribly wrong.

"Damn it," Hong Tian exclaimed.

"We've been fooled," Luo Xiao gasped in horror.

It was now evident that the Woma Patriarch had never exerted its full strength before, reserving it for a sudden burst at the critical distance to break free from the passage. Otherwise, there was simply no explaining how its speed could have escalated to such monstrous levels at that precise moment.

"Intercept!" Nalan Qiushui roared, and the Black Tortoise Grand Array exploded with brilliant light once more, launching a massive crescent moon of lightning.

"Hah! Azure Dragon Emerges from the Sea!" Hong Tian and the others poured their life force into unleashing their ultimate techniques, sending an azure light dragon slicing through the air.

"White Tiger Roars at Heaven." The elders of the White Tiger Alliance also dared not hesitate; from their white light formation, that massive light-sword reappeared.

Jian Li, myself, and others committed fully as well. I pushed my Thunder Battle Qi instantly to the sixth level, unleashing an enhanced version of Soul Pursuit Across Ten Thousand Miles, which sped toward the Woma Patriarch under the lock of the Eye of Deathly Desire.

All this unfolded in barely a single second, but every member of the Vanguard Hall employed their ultimate skills precisely to drag the Woma Patriarch deep within the passage. If it were allowed to break out, the consequences would be absolutely unthinkable.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Countless beams of light surged toward the Woma Patriarch with incredible speed.

Roar! Mid-air, the Woma Patriarch roared again, its massive wings flapping repeatedly, its ghostly form dissolving into countless afterimages in a flash of light and shadow. All the incoming sword energies and magic struck only the remnants the Woma Patriarch had left in the void. The only strike to land was the Dragon Shadow shot by Master Jian Li, but it utterly failed to impede the creature's momentum.

Whoosh! Like a fighter jet screaming past, the intense gust of wind forced everyone back several paces involuntarily. In the blink of an eye, the Woma Patriarch's green silhouette shot over our heads and into the main tunnel.

"Ah!"

"No!"

"We're done for!"

Everyone was struck by terror. At its current speed, even we could not lock onto it; how could the mages outside possibly strike it? If it broke free, the people outside would surely perish.

Was everything ending here?

"Roar!" Just as despair began to settle over everyone, a heaven-shaking tiger's roar echoed through the underground palace. From the crowd, a blood-red figure shot into the high air like a projectile fired from a cannon!

I couldn't describe the speed of that ascent. If the Woma Patriarch was a shooting star, then this blood-red figure was the missile intercepting it. Even under the power of the Eye of Deathly Desire, that velocity was impossible to capture clearly; all I could vaguely perceive was a blurred, distorted trail of blood-red afterimage.

Clang! The red and green figures collided mid-air like two fighter jets crashing together.

Accompanied by a blinding explosion of red and green light came a deafening, earth-shattering boom. The entire dungeon seemed on the verge of collapse, vibrating violently. Shockwaves of intense battle energy and magical impact raged outwards. Those of us standing relatively close were thrown backwards involuntarily.

Within the light burst, the two figures—one large and green, the other smaller and red—snapped apart like lightning upon collision.

The massive body of the Woma Patriarch was forced back more than ten meters, while the blood-red afterimage flew back over forty meters, smashing straight into the ground. Only then did I see clearly: it was a man—a man with red hair, crimson eyes, and a body drenched in blood-red energy. His scarlet eyes looked like a vengeful Asura dragged from hell into the mortal realm, and even from a distance, I could feel the terrifying killing intent radiating from him.

If the Woma Patriarch's killing intent felt irresistible, like an overwhelming tsunami, this man’s felt like a chilling, piercing sharpness—a ferocious intent like countless razor-sharp blades capable of slicing through any defense.

Who was he! To absorb a direct collision from the Woma Patriarch and retreat essentially unharmed—if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed such a terrifying monster as Blood Tiger Luo Jiang existed in this world! Instantly, I recalled this name from a past mention by Yun Xi.

On the other side, almost the moment the Woma Patriarch was jolted backward, three more massive beams of light flew towards it. The mages had immediately launched their second barrage; none present were inexperienced fighters, and such an opportunity would not be missed.

Roar! Having lost its balance, the Woma Patriarch flapped its wings again, generating countless afterimages in the air at incredible speed, once more evading the three beams of light.

Almost simultaneously, those of us behind it immediately launched our own attacks.

"Xingchen, use Dragon Shadow on its left wing," Jian Li roared.

"Yes." My strongest ranged attack remained the enhanced Soul Pursuit Across Ten Thousand Miles, but compared to it, the Dragon Shadow, while less potent, was significantly faster. More importantly, the Dragon Shadow was subject to my guidance and control, allowing it to adjust its trajectory based on the target's intent mid-flight.

This was why, despite its incredible speed, the Woma Patriarch could never escape Master Jian Li's Dragon Shadow, even though the master’s attack couldn't harm the Patriarch. However, striking its wing could disrupt its flight and thereby slow its speed.

Roar! With a shift in thought, two Dragon Shadows shot out like lightning, aimed directly at the Woma Patriarch’s wings in the air. Although Master Jian Li had taught me nine Dragon Shadows, I couldn't control all nine flexibly yet, so I stuck to my specialty: the twin dragons.

At the exact same moment, the Dragon Shadows launched by myself and my master struck the Woma Patriarch’s left wing in mid-air.

Boom! With a muffled roar, the Woma Patriarch, which had been about to accelerate with a wing flap, staggered involuntarily, losing its balance. Though only for a split second, this created a crucial opportunity for others.

Azure Dragon Emerges from the Sea!

White Tiger Roars at Heaven!

Wall of the Black Tortoise!

Three massive beams of light shot out, aimed straight at the Woma Patriarch in the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Three violent impacts, almost simultaneous, once again interrupted the Woma Patriarch’s attempt to accelerate in the air with its primary techniques.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! From outside the passage, three more light dragons streaked in. Clearly, the mages outside had also seized this rare combat opportunity.

Roar! Having been intercepted repeatedly, the Woma Patriarch let out a furious roar, violently beating its massive wings and executing a rapid dive, slamming its enormous body toward the ground at astonishing speed.

Whoosh! The three light dragons rushed by, passing through the afterimages the Woma Patriarch had left in the void, flying toward the far side of the passage.

"Ah!"

"Missed!"

Thud! With a resounding crash, the Woma Patriarch slammed onto the ground, using its hands and feet like an incredibly swift leopard to scramble rapidly toward the exit of the passage.

"Ah!"

The mages outside dared not attack again, because we were positioned directly behind the Woma Patriarch, forming a straight line with it. If they attacked now, even if they struck the Patriarch, the terrifying magical bombardment would inevitably wash over us. In that scenario, we would die at the hands of the mages before the Woma Patriarch even needed to act.

"Damn it!"

"Attack! Never mind us!" Jian Li roared, then sprang up and charged toward the direction of the Woma Altar.

"Keep up!" Nalan Qiushui understood Jian Li's intention immediately. Clearly, we had become the Woma Patriarch’s human shield, so they needed to put distance between themselves and the Patriarch to stop the outside mages from hesitating.

The more than one hundred members of the Vanguard Hall swiftly rushed toward the other end of the passage. However, I remained behind. Perhaps, in this situation, I could still make a difference. After all, as a Demon-Devouring Body, I was immune to magical bombardment. As long as I maintained the Thunder Shield, even the freezing blades of the Ice Roar couldn't harm me much.

Although the Mystic Ice Blades of the Ice Roar carried a degree of physical damage, their primary function was to use extreme cold to freeze objects, making them brittle, which were then shattered by the impact of the ice. Pure physical damage was negligible. However, the combined physical damage from so many Ice Roars concentrated together was still staggering, so I deployed the Thunder Shield as a precaution.

All this took place in the blink of an eye, but the Woma Patriarch exploited this rare window to hug the ground, surging toward the outside at terrifying speed once more.

Ah! The Woma Patriarch’s speed increased again, making it impossible for the mages outside to lock onto its silhouette.

Just as the Woma Patriarch was about to burst out of the passage again—

"Roar!" That thunderous explosion sounded again, and the blood-red figure flashed into existence once more, rocketing toward the Woma Patriarch.

"Growl-ooh!" As if anticipating this move, the Woma Patriarch’s rapidly advancing figure suddenly erupted in a dazzling azure light, its entire body seemingly wrapped in countless green arcs of electricity! Its hands were especially encircled by electrical energy! With a mere wave, two thick arcs shot toward the red figure charging in like lightning.

"Ah!"

"Ah Jiang!"

"Danger!"

Roar! Seeing the green arcs about to strike the red figure, a tiger's roar erupted, and the deep red silhouette suddenly shifted sideways, executing a Z-shaped sidestep with astonishing speed to evade the electric arcs shot by the Woma Patriarch. Immediately following, a stream of blood-red battle energy flashed out like lightning, slashing toward the Woma Patriarch.

Clang! With a crash, the Woma Patriarch took the blow squarely, but remained unharmed, only being forced back several steps. However, the red figure failed to dodge the Patriarch’s second arc, taking the blast directly and being flung far away.

"A good chance!" I, who had been lying in wait, would not let this opportunity slip. I charged at full speed toward the retreating Woma Patriarch.

Seemingly expecting an attack from behind, the Woma Patriarch casually shot an electric arc toward me. The thick arc shone with a terrifying brilliance, whistling toward me. Even knowing I was a Demon-Devouring Body, a primal impulse made my scalp tingle, but recalling how even the magical onslaught of the Zuma Patriarch couldn't harm me, I forced myself forward.

Thump! The electric light struck me accurately, but I felt only a negligible numbness. My speed remained incredibly fast as I charged toward the Woma Patriarch. Apparently surprised that the arc had no effect, the Woma Patriarch instinctively looked back at me and raised its hand to shoot another electric arc.

Full speed engaged! In that instant, I not only pushed my Thunder Battle Qi to the absolute limit of the sixth level but also activated the Gale Ring on my hand.

Elsewhere, outside the passage!

Everyone was stunned by the heart-stopping scene inside the tunnel!

"It's the Blue Lightning!" Elder Mo Yin of the Brotherhood muttered in shock.

Indeed, at that moment, the blue figure transformed into a streak of lightning—a blue flash. No one could describe that speed; it seemed to pierce through the Woma Patriarch’s two lightning barriers out of thin air. Only the top masters of the Grandmaster realm could clearly perceive it, and even for them, it was just a fleeting image of cerulean lightning! It shot toward the Woma Patriarch's face!

Roar!

Clang!

Then came the Woma Patriarch’s earth-shattering scream of agony.

A great opportunity!

"Attack!"

The Three-Color Dragons! They appeared, soaring through the air, aimed directly at the dark green silhouette inside the passage.

Bump! Simultaneously as the second arc struck me, my Dragon Shadow Sword, using its Three-Line Sever technique, also struck the face of the Woma Patriarch, which was looking back.

Clang! Slash!

Roar! Following the Woma Patriarch’s scream of pain, I felt as if I had been hit head-on by a speeding train. I was thrown backward uncontrollably, the Dragon Shadow Sword leaving a streak of scarlet in its wake.

Hooowwwww!

The Woma Patriarch cried out in agony, clutching at its face with both hands. My luck had been extreme; my sword had struck the Woma Patriarch’s left eye. As I flew backward, I saw the three massive beams of light, like three giant dragons, hurtling toward the Woma Patriarch’s back with an aura of world-destroying might.

We had won! At this moment, I felt the Goddess of Victory smile upon us for the first time.

Crash! My retreating body slammed heavily onto the ground, sending a jolt of pain through me that nearly shook my bones apart! Almost simultaneously, bang! bang! bang! three impacts merged into one deafening sound after a brief interval. The Woma Patriarch was struck squarely by the mages outside for the first time.

A brilliant flash of light instantly erupted, and terrifying magical shockwaves raged outward, like a small nuclear bomb detonating—countless fragments of stone blasted everywhere in a storm, flying outward.

All I could do was cling tightly to the ground, observing the scene with sheer terror. I was only twenty meters from the Woma Patriarch. While not at the epicenter of the blast, this was my first time experiencing the horrifying power of a magical explosion.

Perhaps spurred on by their first successful hit, the mages outside erupted in thunderous cheers! But the magical bombardment did not relent; instead, it became fiercer and faster.

The three-colored beams struck one after another, like precise, guided missiles, slamming unerringly into the Woma Patriarch’s body. Countless multicolored magical ripples suffused the area, resembling the planetary explosion seen in science fiction films. Countless shards of light shot outward; they looked ethereal and dreamlike, but when they struck me, they vanished instantly as if encountering a black hole. The fragments that flew past me shattered the surrounding walls into dust before ricocheting outwards.

The sensation was indescribably bizarre and strange!

At the core of the light burst, the Woma Patriarch’s enormous body was enveloped in a dazzling azure glow. Its fierce face registered a flicker of agony. The ball of blue light acted like a protective shield, absorbing the impact of countless Lightning Bolts, Ice Roars, and Great Fireballs. It was clear the Woma Patriarch was suffering immense pain and desperately wanted to break free from the bombardment, but having been squarely hit by numerous Ice Roars, it seemed frozen in place, utterly unable to move. All it could do was desperately sustain the gradually weakening and dimming blue light.

The mad magical assault continued. Finally, the blue light completely faded, and the countless spells smashed into the Woma Patriarch’s body.

Roar! Amidst a shower of gore and flesh, the Woma Patriarch let out a final scream and collapsed onto the ground, yet the dense magical bombardment showed no sign of stopping.

.........................................................................

It took a full ten minutes before the intensive magical bombardment ceased. The passage was choked with billowing smoke and dust. Even wearing the Black Iron Helmet, I could smell the acrid scent of burning.

The Woma Patriarch had long since been blasted into fragments by the terrifying magic, leaving no corpse behind. However, with my sharp eyes, I noticed several glowing, stone-like objects on the ground, and prominently, the pair of sharp horns from the Woma Patriarch’s head, which remained completely intact despite the fierce assault, embedded in the earth.

Ah! Could that be the Woma Horn? My heart leaped with surprise; that was a legendary treasure on the continent! A sudden urge washed over me to slip those horns into my bag, but I quickly realized that hoarding the Woma Horn now would expose me as soon as we emerged.

Resigned, I turned my attention to the other glowing stones. Though I didn't know what they were, anything that came off the Woma Patriarch was surely valuable. Taking advantage of the thick dust cloud that obscured the view of the outsiders, I swiftly gathered the glowing stones and stored them in my spatial pouch.

..................................................

When the dust finally cleared, everyone could see the situation in the passage! But at that moment, everyone wore expressions of utter disbelief, staring at the blue figure gradually fading out of the mist.

"My God!" Elder Mo Yin of the Brotherhood muttered to himself, "He! He truly isn't afraid of magical bombardment."

"Is that guy even human?" Someone immediately cried out, "The Woma Patriarch's two lightning bolts didn't kill him."

"A monster."

"The Woma Patriarch was blown to pieces, yet he’s unharmed."

Every mage felt a chill creep down their spine!

But more people couldn't restrain themselves and burst into earth-shattering cheers!

"We won."