Daoist Gao scattered the Red Copper Flying Sand in his hand, which instantly transformed into countless fine particles, scattering across the sky.
The Red Copper Flying Sand dispersed shortly after, floating with the wind in all directions—above, below, left, and right—spreading to a range of over a hundred feet in mere moments.
Yet, before it reached Zhang Yan, he raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping backward, as if he had already sensed its approach.
Though the sand was fine, it was clear to his sharp eyes, leaving no detail unnoticed.
Realizing this was an ill-intentioned attack, Zhang Yan glanced up at the massive black cloud resembling flames descending from above, but he had no intention of fighting head-on.
Though he had cultivated a near-impenetrable physique, he disdained the idea of acting recklessly. Just before the fiery sand and black cloud approached, he executed the True Action Technique, leaving a Fake Body at his original position while concealing his True Body and retreating to another location.
The Fake Body, formed by refining a drop of his Essence Blood, retained his original appearance. Fortunately, the dense yellow fog created by the dissipation of the Xuanhuang Great Hand shrouded the area, obscuring the view of Bao Dingheng and the other two, who couldn’t discern it clearly.
Moreover, apart from Zhang Yan, no one else was present in the vicinity, making it easy to deceive the three of them.
After Zhang Yan slipped away, in just a few breaths, the black cloud and flying sand collided violently, resembling a clash of Yin and Yang thunderclouds, erupting in a deafening cacophony of thunder and lightning. The sound and momentum were utterly terrifying.
Even Zhang Yan, who had distanced himself far away, was filled with surprise. Despite his extensive knowledge, he couldn’t discern what the fiery cloud and flying sand were made of.
Under the pincer assault of the sand and cloud, the Fake Body at the center could not withstand the onslaught. In an instant, it was engulfed by the ink-black fire cloud, burned to bone and ashes. Then, it was ground by the red copper-hued flying sand, shredded to fragments in mere moments, and completely obliterated shortly after.
Yet, the ease of this apparent kill left Bao Dingheng and Daoist Gao in disbelief, their brows furrowing tightly.
Having witnessed Zhang Yan’s ferocity and dominance earlier, how could he not resist or struggle at this critical moment? Clearly, something was amiss!
Even Fang He found this hard to believe. He widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Could we really have killed that brat already?"
Zhang Yan, paying no mind to what they might think, had already concealed his presence and silently flown beyond the battle zone. Observing the trio’s positions, which remained unchanged from before, he felt a spark of inspiration ignite in his mind. With a cold smile, he first formed a spell and, after completing his setup, flicked his robe sleeve and stealthily approached Daoist Gao’s position.
There was a clear rationale for targeting this man first. Daoist Gao wielded the Thunder Splitting Seal, an exceedingly powerful treasure capable of keeping Zhang Yan firmly in check. Among the three adversaries, he posed the greatest threat. Additionally, Daoist Gao was isolated, with no companions providing aid or backup—making him the easiest target to eliminate first. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet
Although Daoist Gao remained vigilant and cautious, a significant portion of his focus was directed toward the dense clouds ahead. Unbeknownst to him, Zhang Yan had already maneuvered behind him, leaving him utterly unguarded.
With a slight curl of his lip, Zhang Yan extended two fingers and made a swift motion. Two golden hammers shot out with a piercing whistle, one fast and one slow, attacking from the left and right.
Daoist Gao abruptly sensed a fierce wind rushing from behind. Realizing something was amiss, he dodged to the side just in time, barely escaping the path of one golden hammer.
But avoiding the first hammer left him defenseless against the second. With a resounding "boom," it struck his back squarely, shattering bone, rupturing flesh, and shredding his organs. Blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth and nose as his tunneling light dissipated, sending him plummeting from the clouds.
Fearing that the man might survive, Zhang Yan leaped forward with a single bound, seized one of the golden hammers into his hand, and brought it down with force. With a sickening "crack," he smashed Daoist Gao’s skull to pieces.
Bao Dingheng and Fang He witnessed this scene with their own eyes, utterly appalled. A wave of deep fear surged through their hearts.
Who would have thought that not only had Li Yuanba survived, but he had also used some unknown method to kill Daoist Gao on the spot?
Bao Dingheng, realizing that even with all their Dharma Treasures deployed and techniques exhausted, they still couldn’t defeat Zhang Yan, decided that retreat was inevitable. Despite losing Master Shi and the Transformed Medicine Mushroom, he could no longer afford to stay. Trembling, he said, "Junior Brother, we’re no match for this man. Let’s withdraw today and exact our revenge another day."
Fang He, having already overexerted himself shielding Bao Dingheng from the ferocious strikes of the Xuanhuang Great Hand earlier, was utterly drained. Retreating was exactly what he desired. He nodded and replied, "Senior Brother is absolutely right. This Li Yuanba is truly formidable—his techniques are eerie and unfathomable. We should regroup with fellow practitioners and return to eliminate this fiend together!"