The instant that finger was pointed out, the void rippled as if stirred by waves, yet unlike water—more like the drifting clouds above, successive layers, light, swift, ethereal, as the entire space seemed to vibrate and sway in response to that single gesture.

Flowing Cloud like Water, the Flowing Cloud Finger!

In almost an instant, the finger struck Ye Jingyu’s chest, and his body seemed to shatter into pieces. Yet, Xu’s face held no joy; instead, a look of horror dawned, for he realized with shock that the Ye Jingyu before him was merely an illusion.

The moment Xu moved, a streak of black light sliced through the sky, shooting directly toward Gongsun Sheng, who sat in his wheelchair. Gongsun Sheng suddenly leaped up, and the black stream of light struck the wheelchair precisely where he had been.

With a deafening BOOM, a massive blaze erupted, and immense energy swept outwards. Even though Gongsun Sheng had already propelled himself hundreds of yards away, the clothing on his body was instantly shredded by the ferocious power.

Even the fine hairs on his body were scorched. Had he not bolted the moment he did, perhaps even he could not have withstood that terrifying explosion.

Though Gongsun Sheng evaded the potent arrow, Xu, standing ten paces away, was not so fortunate. Having committed his strike to Ye Jingyu’s phantom, he had no time to dodge. The Sunset Arrow struck, blasting him backward with overwhelming force. The cloth on his back disintegrated immediately, and his flesh was utterly mangled.

As his body flew backward, a mouthful of blood erupted from his lips.

Such colossal power deeply shook both Gongsun Sheng and Xu; they had never anticipated such terrifying Qi energy.

At that moment, within Medicine King Valley, Ye Jingyu’s real body slowly materialized. Gazing at the plume of fire rising from the hillside, he gasped inwardly. Fox Yanqi’s Sunset Arrow was truly monstrous; even a Martial Saint would likely be torn to shreds under such force?

It was fortunate he had mastered the technique of Near Horizon, Distant Sky and stepped back in that instant; otherwise, he might have been caught in the fallout himself. He resolved that Fox Yanqi should not deploy this weapon lightly in the future.

Meanwhile, back in Medicine King Valley, Liang Xiaoke was unleashing divine might, relentlessly forcing the Violent Ape King into retreat using sheer brute force. Though the Ape King was a Sacred Beast and unnaturally formidable, it still could not match Liang Xiaoke, who had advanced to the Second Level of the Corpse Emperor Realm.

Enraged, the Violent Ape King raised its razor-sharp claws to slash at Liang Xiaoke’s neck. Liang Xiaoke roared back, catching the Ape King’s arm with one claw, leaving deep bloody gashes across its limb, while his other claw struck mercilessly toward the Ape King’s head.

The Violent Ape King was fast, but not as swift as Liang Xiaoke. As its body was still lunging toward Liang Xiaoke, it could not possibly defend against such a rapid counterattack.

Thus, Liang Xiaoke’s palm slammed brutally onto the Ape King’s head. Immediately, the Ape King’s massive skull—seven or eight zhang high—flew off, smashing into a great tree behind it that required three or four people to encircle, instantly shattering the trunk.

The Violent Ape King roared in fury, its colossal body leaping upward. Its huge hind feet slammed down onto the ground, leaving two massive footprints in the earth.

It snatched a nearby tree, ripping it out by the roots, and swung the entire trunk violently toward the lunging Liang Xiaoke.

“I thought you might possess some other skills, but it seems besides brute strength, you are nothing. Far inferior even to a Martial Saint!” Seeing the careening trunk rush toward him, Liang Xiaoke sneered. He stamped his powerful hind legs, transforming his body into an afterimage, deftly avoiding the swipe of the tree trunk, and slammed directly into the Violent Ape King, sending it flying backward once more.

It took the impact of seven or eight consecutive trees before it finally stopped, gouging a huge crater into the earth. Before the Ape King could manage to rise again, Liang Xiaoke’s weight crashed down upon it.

He braced his legs on the giant ape’s legs and seized its arms with his sharp claws, pinning the Ape King down like two wrestlers, preventing it from rolling over.

The Giant Ape thrashed violently in its rage, its bulk even greater than Liang Xiaoke’s, yet it lacked the strength of the current Liang Xiaoke. No matter how it struggled, it could not escape Liang Xiaoke’s binding grip.

Instead, the surrounding flora was utterly devastated. Both combatants were experts above the Saint level; such close-quarters grappling sent shockwaves potent enough to annihilate everything nearby.

Seemingly sensing Liang Xiaoke’s overwhelming strength, the Violent Ape King abruptly ceased struggling. It glared furiously, and two beams of bloody light shot forth from its golden-red eyes, aimed directly at Liang Xiaoke’s eyes.

“Damn it!” Liang Xiaoke cursed, shocked that the beast would employ a divine ability at this moment. He simultaneously strained his grip on the Ape King’s limbs, rocketing himself away like a cannonball, barely avoiding the twin beams of light.

“Roar…” The Violent Ape King flipped over, but instead of pouncing on Liang Xiaoke, it suddenly grabbed at the empty air.

Liang Xiaoke hadn't regained his balance before the space before him began to tremble. Then, a golden-yellow sharp claw materialized from the void, snatching toward his heart.

“You beast, you finally resort to combat skills now, but don't you think it’s too late?” Liang Xiaoke roared, unleashing a punch that pulverized the golden claw into dust. His own body vanished from its spot, reappearing instantly in mid-air.

“Today, I’ll show you my true power!” Liang Xiaoke shouted, black light flashing erratically across his entire body. The demonic markings on his face writhed incessantly, like earthworms crawling across his skin.

“Blood Pupil Seal!” Liang Xiaoke cried out. Suddenly, a vertical, blood-red eye opened upon his forehead.

A beam of crimson light shot toward the heavens, forming a massive blood-red sigil in the sky in the blink of an eye. Spectral figures flickered around the seal, emitting horrifying shrieks; thousands of ghosts wailed, and countless demons howled.

The immense blood-red seal descended directly. Sensing the profound power contained within the seal, the Violent Ape King’s eyes filled with terror. Its massive body radiated streaks of crimson light, and powerful currents of Qi formed around it, the violent gusts tearing apart everything nearby.