The first to dart out was that Jiaolong with a single horn on its head; it hadn't seemed that large while still in the undergrowth, but now that it lunged forth, Ye Jingyu finally grasped its true scale. Its body was as thick as a man's waist and stretched over ten zhang long, entirely covered in dark green scales. As soon as it burst into view, it opened its monstrous maw and spewed a beam of dark green light directly toward Dugu Ba Chen...
No sooner had that happened than the gigantic centipede also sprang from the brush, its jaws gaping wide as it unleashed tens of thousands of white silken threads, attempting to wrap around Dugu Ba Chen as if to bind him completely...
A colossal scorpion, easily fifteen zhang long—resembling an armored war vehicle—came charging as well, its tail whipping viciously toward Dugu Ba Chen...
Immediately following were a blood-red leopard with three horns, a massive lizard entirely covered in scales, a giant alligator easily a thousand years old, and yet another...
A total of more than ten Saint Beast realm exotic beasts all charged out. Some relied on brute force, others employed various battle techniques, all attacking Dugu Ba Chen. It seemed in that instant they had reached a consensus: eliminate the greatest threat first.
The Blue Demon's Tear, a peerless spirit herb that only fruited once every three years, was of immense value to these Saint Beasts. They had waited so long; how could they possibly let someone else seize it?
Seeing so many Saint Beasts simultaneously attacking Dugu Ba Chen, even Ye Jingyu, who held immense confidence in him, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He regretted not waiting for these beasts to tear each other apart first so he could reap the rewards later.
He was sure that the Soul Immortal named Shu Yun had intended to do just that. If he had come alone, he too would have concealed his aura and waited for the beasts to fight first, but Dugu Ba Chen paid them no heed at all...
Observing the charging Saint Beasts and feeling the dense, powerful energy lurking in the air, a scornful smile nevertheless curved the corner of his mouth...
“A bunch of underdeveloped beasts, daring to covet the Blue Demon's Tear. You’re courting death,” Dugu Ba Chen uttered coldly. The moment his voice fell, centered on him, several intense blade auras diffused from the void, enveloping every single Saint Beast present.
Whether it was the agile Jiaolong, the heavily armored Scorpion, the Blood Leopard, or the Centipede—all were submerged within the blade aura...
Ye Jingyu gazed out, seeing blade auras everywhere, blade gleams everywhere, blade shadows everywhere...
And though the blade aura appeared light, it carried infinite destructive power. The scorpion’s outer shell seemed impossibly hard—Ye Jingyu certainly didn't believe he could smash it with a single punch—yet before this blade aura, it split open as if it were mere tofu. Golden blood sprayed out as its entire body thrashed and contorted...
That Jiaolong was cleanly sliced into several segments by the blade aura, its dark green blood splattering everywhere. As for the giant alligator, the Blood Leopard, and the others, none escaped the fate of being cleaved apart...
In the blink of an eye, the twelve Saint Beasts present were effortlessly slain by Dugu Ba Chen. Golden blood, dark green blood, black blood, red blood—various hues of gore were strewn everywhere. Twelve inner cores floated in the air above, a faint shadow raging and struggling within them, as if screaming: Why is Dugu Ba Chen so powerful?
Twelve Saint Beasts! Twelve Saint Beasts that cultivated their strength over ages—slain in the blink of an eye. This... this was too terrifying!
Even Ye Jingyu, with his firm resolve, was utterly aghast. Even with his vastly improved strength, facing twelve Saint Beasts simultaneously, he knew he would surely die. Yet Dugu Ba Chen had slain them without even moving from his spot. What level of attainment had his strength reached?
Could it be that legendary Martial Venerable realm?
Looking at the twelve inner cores suspended in mid-air, Ye Jingyu's heart pounded fiercely. Any single inner core could be refined into a peerless spirit medicine capable of elevating a peak Grandmaster to the Martial Saint realm! And now there were twelve...
Dugu Ba Chen made a grasping motion with one hand, seizing the twelve golden cores. The twelve souls within were instantly shredded by the outgoing blade auras, completely transforming into twelve spirit medicines capable of increasing human power...
“Take these,” Dugu Ba Chen said, not sparing a glance for the inner cores that would cause martial artists to fight tooth and nail for them, and tossed them directly to Ye Jingyu...
Ye Jingyu accepted them without ceremony, tucking them into his Qiankun Bracelet. Used properly, these inner cores were enough to help those around him achieve the Martial Saint realm.
He couldn't guarantee for others, but if Nangong Shang took one of these inner cores, he would certainly ascend to the Martial Saint realm. As for Bie Li, Ye Longyi, Ying Xiaoxiao, and the others, taking them would at least elevate them to the peak of the Grandmaster realm...
Furthermore, Ye Jingyu understood that for his Chaos Physique to reach completion, he required a vast absorption of energy. These inner cores were naturally the best tonic for him...
Seeing that Ye Jingyu didn't immediately consume the golden cores, Dugu Ba Chen said nothing more, continuing his steady advance...
By now, there were no other living creatures around; even the eagle in the sky seemed to have recognized Dugu Ba Chen's might and vanished without a trace...
A smile even touched Ye Jingyu's face. This peerless treasure that so many Saint Beasts fought over—if given to Luo Ling'er, wouldn't her strength surge significantly? According to his Master’s intent, reaching the Soul Immortal or Martial Saint realm would be as easy as playing a game...
But just as Ye Jingyu thought the Blue Demon's Tear was within reach, a blue silhouette suddenly shot out from the blue mist, like a meteor, heading straight for the Blue Demon's Tear suspended in the air...
Ye Jingyu's naked eye couldn't discern the figure at all, but his Reincarnation Eye clearly revealed its full form: it was a Jiaolong stretching over ten zhang long, transformed from the earlier Jiaomiao...
Not only was the horn on its head much larger than that of an ordinary Jiaomiao, but four blue claws had also sprouted from its belly and tail...
Even with just one claw, it had definitely evolved into a Jiaolong, an existence that surpassed the Jiaomiao, equivalent to at least an Eighth-Grade Savage Beast...
Even this millennia-old Jiaolong was pouring out all its strength in a desperate bid to seize the Blue Demon's Tear. This was the critical moment for this Jiaolong to truly transform into a Dragon.