"Trying to leave? Not so easy..." Ye Jingyu already knew this massive creature was a Jiao, a serpent demon that had cultivated for a thousand years. While it was nowhere near the level of true Heavenly Dragons, nor had it even fully transformed into a Flood Dragon, it was undoubtedly far more powerful than an ordinary Level Seven Savage Beast. This was a Jiao that had genuinely cultivated its strength through its own might, rendering it vastly superior to the Sacred Beasts possessed by the Gongsun family.
Logically, any Sacred Beast cultivated solely through self-discipline held treasures across its entire body. If Ye Jingyu hadn't encountered it, so be it, but having crossed paths, there was no reason to let it escape.
In the moment of speaking, Ye Jingyu suddenly flicked a single finger…
One finger, a simple finger, a powerful finger, a terrifying finger—the Sky-Shattering Finger…
Instantly, a ray of golden light shot out, striking directly upon the giant Jiao's impenetrable scales. At once, the entire scale shattered, tearing open a gaping, bloody wound from which large amounts of golden ichor poured forth.
The Jiao shrieked in pain, its massive tail suddenly sweeping across the area. The sheer force churned the entire bottom of the pool, sending wave after wave surging outward—waves potent enough to tear the corpse of a Grandmaster to shreds. Yet, Ye Jingyu remained utterly unfazed…
He merely watched the colossal tail arc towards him, a cold sneer curling his lips. He drew the Heavenly Venerable Blade from his back, channeling the Overlord Essence Force within his body directly into the weapon. Immediately, the blade seemed to explode with energy, shooting out arcs of purple light that manifested in the water as a colossal, shimmering purple greatsword…
With a sharp hiss, the tail, easily the size of a train carriage, was cleanly severed by the massive blade's radiance. Golden blood flowed torrentially, staining the entire pool a pale gold.
"Aooo! Aooo! Aooo…" The Jiao let out another agonizing scream. Facing such a ferocious Ye Jingyu, its speed to escape increased tenfold…
"Dragon-Taming Hand…" Ye Jingyu saw the Jiao attempting to flee again and suddenly clenched his right hand in the void. A gigantic golden hand formed, managing to grasp the Jiao precisely at its vulnerable seven-inch point. If Huangfu Buyue were present, she would have noticed how strikingly similar this move was to the true Dragon-Taming Hand; even if Ye Jingyu was merely imitating it, the hand gestures, the sheer power, and the imposing aura were identical.
This was the terror of the Chaos Body: any martial art Ye Jingyu witnessed once, he could imitate with near-perfect accuracy, and given sufficient time, he could grasp the essential core of the technique completely.
"Ao…" Seized by Ye Jingyu, the Jiao let out a sky-rending roar, its massive body writhing incessantly, desperately trying to break free from Ye Jingyu's grip.
Seemingly sensing the Jiao’s immense strength, Ye Jingyu’s body shot upward abruptly, soaring clear of the water surface, pulling the gigantic serpent along with him…
It was a millennium-old giant Jiao, easily a hundred zhang long, resembling a massive train stretching hundreds of feet. The scales from its head downwards had been pulverized, and its head hung limply, evidence that the bone structure had been shattered by Ye Jingyu’s Palm of Ten Thousand Immortals' Destruction.
The tail was gone, and copious golden blood continued to stream out. A bloody hole had also been ripped into its flank—the wound inflicted by the Sky-Shattering Finger.
Ye Jingyu had used only three moves, and each had left a devastating injury on the great Jiao.
Witnessing all this, Ni Bo was utterly dumbfounded. Though he had sensed Ye Jingyu's overwhelming aura earlier, he had never imagined Ye Jingyu possessed such terrifying might…
Only now did it truly get a clear look at Ye Jingyu’s face: long, white hair, and a handsome face possessing a hint of exquisite beauty. Wait—this person looked so familiar?
For a moment, it seemed to recall that handsome man, but the aura radiating from him was entirely different!
As Ni Bo wrestled with his confusion, the giant Jiao struggled desperately, its body hundreds of zhang long thrashing wildly, trying its utmost to escape the confines of Ye Jingyu’s grasp.
Seeing cracks appearing on the enormous golden hand, threatening to let the Jiao break free, Ye Jingyu roared in fury. He suddenly seized the Jiao and hurled it violently towards the ground near the pool’s edge.
With a deafening boom, the Jiao’s massive head slammed against the rocks bordering the pool, instantly shattering the solid stone. Countless fragments scattered, carving out a massive crater in the earth. Stunned by the immense impact, the Jiao's mind went hazy.
Ye Jingyu gave it no chance to recover. He snatched it up again and repeatedly smashed it against the hardest stone formations. Wherever he struck, dust and stone flew, and large swaths of forest were leveled by Ye Jingyu’s brutal assault.
The golden blood splattered not only the water but also the surrounding ground. The Jiao was utterly smashed into unconsciousness by Ye Jingyu, while the giant hand Ye Jingyu had formed finally disintegrated. He dropped heavily onto the bank, taking a deep breath…
The scene had profoundly shaken Ni Bo, who had cautiously poked his head out of the waterfall. It stared blankly at Ye Jingyu standing on the shore, and then at the hulking beast that had always been its adversary now lying twitching on the ground, its immense body convulsing, devoid of any former arrogance.
Moreover, savage beasts across several miles seemed to have sensed the events transpiring here, fleeing frantically into the surrounding areas, perhaps fearing they would be caught in the crossfire. Now, apart from the sound of the waterfall plunging into the water, absolute silence reigned by the pool—not even a bird chirped.
Ye Jingyu looked down at the Jiao he had beaten senseless, yet his expression held little triumph. He felt a deep ache radiating through his own body—the lingering consequence of using the Overlord Essence Force. Having unleashed four consecutive powerful moves, all involving the Essence Force, although it didn't result in the complete disintegration of flesh and severe injury as in the past, it left him utterly exhausted.
It seemed that even with the Perfection of the Body Nourishing Chapter, one could not use the Overlord Essence Force limitlessly, unless one had truly attained the Great Completion stage of the Chaos Body, and his internal supply of Essence Force was far from inexhaustible; constant cultivation was necessary.
Given his current physical state, he surmised he could sustain a maximum of seven such moves…
Though limited to seven moves, Ye Jingyu felt no discouragement. He had defeated the Martial Saint Ghost-See-No-Evil with a single move; this formidable Jiao had been dispatched in four. Seven moves would be sufficient…
"Xiao Hei, have you seen enough?" Having processed everything, Ye Jingyu turned towards Ni Bo, still lingering in the waterfall, a brilliant smile gracing his face…
Ni Bo, who had been wondering if the man before him was truly him, was instantly certain upon hearing the familiar address. Overjoyed, it prepared to leap out of the waterfall but suddenly noticed that the giant Jiao behind Ye Jingyu had abruptly opened its eyes…