The lightning-fast phantom claw swept past my shoulder in an instant! "Bang..." Then an astonishing surge of power struck, accompanied by a tearing, bone-deep agony and numbness!
Ah! What incredible force and speed; had my own speed not been sufficient, that single claw strike would have been enough to shatter me into dust!
Yet even so, I was hurled a great distance by the edge of that formidable claw! But the danger was far from over!
As I tumbled away, the Phantom Demon Eye vaguely caught sight of faint afterimages! They were closing in rapidly!
The sharp, unparalleled killing intent stabbed through me, chilling me to the core! Ah!
So fast; there wasn't even a crack to react! My body hadn't even hit the ground yet!
Those ghostly, razor-sharp claws were already reaching for my back! For a moment, I was utterly terrified—if that claw had landed squarely, I would have certainly been ripped to shreds!
At this point, I could no longer afford to hold anything back! Nine Dragons Body Protection activated instantly!
That strange vital energy within my body flooded my entire frame! Can't block it, can't dodge it!
All that's left is to take the hit head-on! Almost the instant the Battle Qi circulated!
"Bang! Crash!" A dull roar exploded suddenly!
It was like two steel plates slamming violently together! I felt a massive impact surge through my back, sending my body flying uncontrollably once more.
However, the defense of the Nine Dragons Body Protection was astonishingly effective. This head-on collision with the Dark Woma Leader's claw, besides sending me flying helplessly, resulted in almost no actual damage!
But the Dark Woma Leader's speed was simply too ridiculously fast! It treated me like a volleyball, unwilling to let me return to the ground.
If I hadn't experienced it firsthand, I would never have believed such terrifying speed could exist in any living creature! I’ve always considered my speed my proudest specialty since I began my journey, but facing the Dark Woma Leader before me, my so-called Blue Lightning was nothing more than a massive irony and humiliation!
The monster before me was the true, undisputed lightning! Not only its speed, but its power was equally terrifying; if I hadn't instantly spurred the Nine Dragons Body Protection, I would have surely been shredded into pieces long ago!
Worse still was its relentless attack pattern, like a raging storm that gave me absolutely no chance to counterattack! At that moment, I was helplessly flying a great distance at an astonishing speed!
Being mid-air, I had nowhere to brace myself! Furthermore, without the Heavenly Demon Armor and the loss of the Heavenly Demon Wings, I couldn't even dodge or adjust my posture.
In the past, knocking an opponent away, disrupting their balance, and then unleashing a fatal killing blow was always my most practiced trick. I never imagined that the Dark Woma Leader would use all those very tactics against me with its unending lightning strikes!
Only now did I truly grasp the perilous, desperate situation that Sheng Yan Zhenyu and Mo Luo Yinfeng experienced when being hunted by me with those ceaseless lightning strikes. There wasn't even a sliver of a chance to fight back!
The only option was to rely on the powerful Nine Dragons Body Protection within me and desperately endure it! "Bang..." Indeed, before I could even land, the approaching lightning claw struck my vital chest area again; I didn't even see how it happened!
The force of this claw was several times stronger than the previous one. Even with the formidable defense of the Nine Dragons Body Protection, I was now rattled to the core by the terrifying impact, my blood surging uncontrollably!
And my body was sent hurtling uncontrollably toward the solid wall! The Dark Woma Leader’s phantom-like body pursued me without any discernible pause!
Ah! If I hit the wall and then took another direct blow from the Dark Woma Leader, even the Nine Dragons Body Protection might not hold!
No, I absolutely cannot sit here and wait to die. My mind raced, and just as I was about to smash into the wall, I forcefully gathered my energy, executed a sudden backflip, and planted both feet lightning-fast against the wall!
The Nine Dragons Body Protection was instantly pushed to its absolute limit! At this stage, I couldn't care less if my Blade of Judgment could withstand it!
I must counterattack, no matter what! I believed that once the strange fighting energy within me erupted, its power would be terrifyingly potent—even the Dark Woma Leader, meeting it head-on, would not escape death!
However, I was equally aware that facing the Dark Woma Leader's impossibly extreme speed, I had only one chance left. If the attack missed and the Blade of Judgment was shattered, I would be doomed!
Thud! My two feet finally made contact with the wall!
The leg that had been gathering all my strength suddenly pushed off, launching my body like a spring compressed to its limit. I instantly recoiled, flying toward the charging Dark Woma Leader!
Go die! The Blade of Judgment remained the same, but at this moment, it transformed into a mass of fiercely burning flame, resembling a colossal fire dragon wreathed in blazing heat!
The dim great hall was instantly illuminated with blinding light! In the hazy glow, the Dark Woma Leader's rapidly approaching claws were magnified before my eyes!
Roar! The strange Battle Qi, condensed to its limit, finally erupted at this precise instant!
That marvelous sensation returned; for a moment, I ceased to feel my own existence, as if only a ball of searing flame and that blurred, indistinct afterimage remained between heaven and earth. Everything in the surrounding space seemed to pause its flow in an unbelievable fashion!
Everything became incredibly clear, yet agonizingly slow! Like a slow-motion sequence in a film!
And in that instant, I finally captured the Dark Woma Leader's bizarre and elusive form completely! Its blood-red eyes were wide open in fury, looking monstrous and terrifying, but the two claws aimed at my face and chest moved so slowly, revealing slight gaps!
Was this its weakness! Although I was psychologically prepared, I was still somewhat shocked at this very moment!
I couldn't articulate what this inexplicable state was, but I knew with absolute certainty that this was my only chance. The wondrous scene unfolded again!
I could even clearly see my Blade of Judgment beginning to explode due to the terrifying energy discharge. Countless fragments were slowly scattering outwards.
Now! Before the explosive force fully released its hold on the Blade of Judgment staff, slamming it into the Dark Woma Leader would be my only opportunity.
Finally, I managed to channel that explosive power with a difficult slash, sending it toward the Dark Woma Leader! But my movement seemed just as slow as its own; though I had tried my utmost, this appeared to be the limit of speed, an insurmountable barrier.
Yet, fortunately, the blow swept out managed to pass through the gap between those two claws, and then slowly converged upon the head of the Dark Woma Leader without any further openings. "Boom..." A dull roar, a wave of searing heat, and a world-shaking scream of agony erupted simultaneously!
Everything before my eyes instantly snapped back to that state of extreme velocity! I didn't even have time to process what had happened!
The massive form of the Dark Woma Leader exploded like a burst balloon, scattering countless blurred fragments everywhere! At the same moment, I felt a terrifying impact surge through my chest, and I was flung uncontrollably away!
Thump! Almost simultaneously, a terrifying force struck my back.
It was the impact from the Dark Woma Leader's two devastating claws slamming me into the wall! The force was so immense it nearly cost me my life!
Gush! It felt like being hit by two large trucks simultaneously from front and back!
The Nine Dragons Body Protection, strained to its limit, finally shattered! Blood erupted uncontrollably!
Then, my body, slammed against the wall, was violently repelled before crashing heavily onto the ground! So close!
Looking at the dismembered limbs scattered around, I finally let out a long sigh of relief! Damn it!
It almost finished me off! I, who have always boasted about my speed, was beaten by this monster’s terrifying pace with no chance to retaliate.
If I hadn't risked activating the strange energy within my body at the last moment and entering that miraculous, profound state, I would never have been able to see the Dark Woma Leader's movements, let alone counterattack. Even now, thinking back, cold sweat still trickles down my spine.
What a terrifying creature! Its speed is simply unparalleled.
If the first trial is this terrifying, what kind of freak will I encounter in the second? A sense of unease began to settle in my heart!
Though I don't know why, I have an instinct that the next opponent will be even trickier than the Dark Woma Leader! The thought that the Dark Woma Leader, who should have appeared in the Woma Cave, showed up in the first level of the King's Forbidden Land made my head ache immensely.
What about the second level? Could it be guardians from other Dark Temples!
King's Forbidden Land! Could this truly be the real face of the King's Forbidden Land!
A supreme trial ground assembled from the strongest kings of all Dark Temples—is this the true reason it's called the King's Forbidden Land? If so, I can't even imagine if I can clear the final stage.
I subconsciously looked at the hilt of the Blade of Judgment left in my hand and could only heave a helpless sigh. Man proposes, but fate disposes.
I should have brought several backup weapons! Now, the only thing left in my inventory is that slender rapier.
Do I really have to fight the subsequent monsters with this sword! My head throbbed with worry!
But I couldn't think of any other viable solution. Forget it!
I’ll rest first and heal my wounds! Having made up my mind, I leaned against the corner of the wall and pulled a healing potion from my spatial pouch, gulping it down!
A warm, gentle current flowed into my body, like long-awaited sweet dew falling upon parched earth. The near-shattered state of my body and the tearing pain throughout my limbs were rapidly alleviated.
My spirit began to recover gradually. I instinctively took a few more sips, intending to sit down and meditate.
But just then, several strange lights flashed before my eyes. I instinctively looked towards the source of the light!
What was that! In the corner of the ground, obscured by weapon fragments, lay a few glowing objects!
They looked like small light bulbs. I subconsciously picked up these strange crystals!
Ah! I think I've seen these things before!
That's right, I remember now; when I killed the Woma Leader in the Illusionary Realm before, several of these shiny things dropped from its corpse! But at the time, I didn't pay any attention to what they were; I just tossed them into my spatial pouch and never took them out again.
I didn't expect the Dark Woma Leader to have such things on it! It’s truly strange!
Could this really be some kind of treasure! I fiddled with the crystals in my hand, trying to analyze them, but still couldn't figure out what they were!
Never mind, I’ll put them away for now. When I get a chance to return to Biji Continent, I’ll ask Lu Tong about it!
Making up my mind, I placed the strange, luminous crystals into my spatial pouch. Then, I sat cross-legged on the ground to regulate my breathing, striving to restore my body to its peak condition.
At the same time, I pondered what to do next! The Blade of Judgment was destroyed!
How was I supposed to face the following stages with only the rapier left!