No matter the power or the realm, Youxiang was leagues apart from the Ghost Yaksha; theoretically, it was absolutely impossible for her to break free from the Yaksha's oppressive aura, yet she did! Something even geniuses couldn't achieve, she, a mere flower spirit always looked down upon by the masses, had done it.

In this moment, she had truly surpassed the ancient powerhouses, striding ahead of all prodigies. But that wasn't all.

The instant the binding completely shattered, Youxiang didn't hesitate. She pushed off the ground with both feet, launching herself rapidly toward the Ghost Yaksha, her tiny fist unleashing explosive power.

The Ghost Yaksha's expression turned grave. Although Youxiang's strength was negligible to him, and her speed too slow—even now, he could easily dodge her—however...

as the center, or perhaps the 'array eye,' of the altar, he was completely immobile, unable even to attack or defend. So, facing Youxiang’s assault, he could only watch helplessly.

Then, with a resounding bang, the fist slammed heavily onto his face. "How can this be?!" The exclamation came not from the Ghost Yaksha, but from Youxiang herself, for she discovered that although her fist had struck the enemy, the resulting damage was practically nonexistent; even under her full-force blow, the Ghost Yaksha hadn't budged an inch.

As expected, my current strength isn't enough to take this fellow down... Huh?!

Youxiang mused internally, and just then, she suddenly felt a torrent of murderous intent rush toward her face. Startled, before her mind could process anything, her body reflexively leaped backward.

Once she retreated to a safe distance, she looked up again, only to find the Ghost Yaksha’s entire face almost contorted, with boundless rage spewing from his eyes. "Damn brat, my face is not something a low-grade claw like yours can touch!" As the saying goes, never strike a man in the face.

Aside from the legendary 'Face-Smashing Punch of Friendship,' any facial blow is an insulting provocation. The Ghost Yaksha, being an ancient powerhouse, a notable figure even in his own era, had never suffered such public humiliation.

Yet now, like a tiger fallen in the plains preyed upon by dogs, he was being slapped in the face by a junior countless generations below him and far weaker. His immeasurable fury burned fiercely like raging fire.

The Ghost Yaksha’s face, twisted by rage, made him look even more hideous. His deep voice sounded as if dredged from the depths of hell, yet Youxiang remained utterly fearless.

She sneered, "Since you boast of being a superior being, then I will show you how your superior body is torn apart by my inferior hands!" Just as Xiaozǐ believed in her strength, Youxiang trusted Xiaozǐ's wisdom. Xiaozǐ had said that the Ghost Yaksha, acting as the array eye, could not move until the altar was restored—and she wouldn't be wrong.

In other words, the Ghost Yaksha could only exist as a target; no matter how menacing he appeared, he couldn't escape the essence of being a mere target. If that was the case, what was there to fear?

The only question now was how to defeat him! If strength isn't enough, then increase the output of power!

Youxiang murmured to herself, then once again gathered the full force of her body. However, just as she finished charging up, preparing to unleash her strongest blow, a snap sounded near her ear, and a streak of blood shot out from the Ghost Yaksha's left eye.

"What is this?" Youxiang instantly froze, unable to comprehend what had happened. Only the Ghost Yaksha showed a cruel smile in his right eye.

"Did you think I couldn't attack you? True, I cannot act myself, but you two little ghosts forgot one thing—this entire valley is my altar.

Besides the two of you attempting to destroy it, every creature within this altar is under my control. Have you forgotten how many demons reside in this valley?" "Could it be?!" Youxiang's face changed drastically; she suddenly grasped a terrifying possibility.

Seeing her expression shift, the Ghost Yaksha couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, you two will soon realize how foolish it was to oppose me!" As soon as his words fell, the space above the three of them shuddered once more.

Simultaneously, Xiaozǐ, who had finally shaken off the binding pressure due to this anomaly, cried out loudly, "Youxiang, watch out!" In fact, Youxiang didn't need Xiaozǐ's warning; from the Yaksha's words, she could guess the situation was turning against them. She had been closely watching the sky, but as Xiaozǐ's voice reached her, she felt an extreme danger signal manifesting behind her, compelling her to instinctively leap up and dart to the side.

Shhhhk! Though Youxiang was fast, she still couldn't completely evade the danger coming from behind.

As that sound rang out, Youxiang felt a searing, burning pain erupt on her shoulder. Instinctively looking back, Youxiang saw a massive black silhouette directly behind her, descending from mid-air and landing heavily on the ground.

Bear Demon? Wasn't it coming from the sky?

Damn it! Seeing the true form of the shadow clearly, Youxiang finally understood what was happening.

The Ghost Yaksha's words had made it clear that he controlled all the demons lured into this valley by greed. The appearance of the Bear Demon confirmed this as an undeniable fact.

Because of the disturbance in the sky, she had assumed the demons would descend from above, but she hadn't expected the Ghost Yaksha to be not only powerful but also cunning; the shaking in the sky was merely a deliberate distraction, designed to draw her attention so she wouldn't notice the Bear Demon attacking from behind. Thankfully, if it hadn't been for Xiaozǐ's reminder, she would likely be far worse off than just a scratch on the shoulder right now...

Thinking of this, Youxiang felt a cold sweat despite her relief. She knew that if Xiaozǐ hadn't warned her in time, coupled with her own swift reaction, the result wouldn't have been a mere wound; it would have been a direct hit.

And given the Bear Demon's strength, if it had struck true, even if she miraculously survived, she wouldn't have fared well. Her feet touching the ground, the throbbing pain on her shoulder made Youxiang frown deeply, but she didn't seek immediate revenge on the Bear Demon for the injury.

Instead, her first action was to return to Xiaozǐ's side, standing back-to-back with her. The Bear Demon made no move to pursue, merely staring at them with vacant, unfocused eyes.

That Bear Demon's eyes are a bit strange... Xiaozǐ and Youxiang immediately noticed the incongruity about the creature, but at this moment, they had no extra time to investigate the reason, for surrounding them, besides that single Bear Demon, stood over a hundred other demons.

Each one radiated hostility toward them, completely encircling the pair. They were utterly surrounded!