Wang Hong wielded the Golden Seal, smashing it down towards the Brawny Man. The burly figure raised a black giant club, and with a resounding "bang," he struck the side of the Golden Seal, sending it flying several yards away.
Wang Hong, with a single hand holding the Golden Light Bowl, lunged at the Brawny Man. "Bang, bang, bang!" The two engaged in a rapid exchange of blows for dozens of rounds, neither gaining the upper hand.
As time passed, the situation might turn unfavorable for Wang Hong. Firstly, he already had injuries, and with prolonged combat, his stamina would deplete rapidly. Secondly, his weapon wasn't suitable. All his previous opponents were not body cultivators, easily overpowered by his absolute strength. Now facing a worthy adversary with a convenient weapon, Wang Hong found himself on equal footing.
His Golden Light Bowl, shaped like a large bowl, clashed awkwardly against the Brawny Man's massive club.
Wang Hong swung the Golden Light Bowl towards the Brawny Man, who blocked it with his club, giving Wang Hong the opportunity to retreat several yards.
He then summoned his high-grade Spiritual Weapon, the Binding Spirit Rope. Seeing Wang Hong retreat, the Brawny Man naturally pursued. The Binding Spirit Rope, like a snake, swiftly coiled around him.
Attempting to fend off the approaching rope, the Brawny Man swung his club, but the Binding Spirit Rope climbed along the weapon, quickly reaching his arm.
After reaching his arm, the long rope resisted the Brawny Man's attempts to shake it off. Despite his vigorous efforts, the Binding Spirit Rope tightened its hold, forming a secure bond around him.
The more it tightened, the more helpless the Brawny Man became. The rope, a high-grade Spiritual Weapon, bore numerous poisonous thorns that pierced through his skin. Despite his robust body from body refining, the poison-laden thorns were effective.
The three zhang long Binding Spirit Rope completely entangled the Brawny Man, rendering him powerless. As he struggled, thorns penetrated his skin, absorbing his essence blood and Spiritual Power.
Wang Hong, wielding the Golden Light Bowl, swept down, knocking the Brawny Man to the ground. He then stepped forward, firmly planting his foot on him.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qing's defensive Magical Weapon had been breached, and a swarm of Poisonous Bees attacked the shield. It seemed he wouldn't hold out much longer.
On the other side, Yun Qingya's White Silk, despite the onslaught of Poisonous Bees, remained unscathed. However, Yun Qingya's complexion didn't look good, possibly due to the substantial consumption of Spiritual Power.
Just as a Foundation Building cultivator, if utilizing a medium-grade Spiritual Weapon for an extended period, their Spiritual Power might struggle to keep up.
If not for Wang Hong's exceptionally pure and profound Spiritual Power compared to cultivators of the same tier, wielding a high-grade Spiritual Weapon might have strained him. However, now that the Binding Spirit Rope was absorbing the enemy's essence blood and Spiritual Power, it significantly reduced Wang Hong's expenditure of Spiritual Power.
"Speak, to which faction do you belong? What are your intentions?" Wang Hong asked, looking down from his elevated position, his foot pressing on the Brawny Man's chest.
The Brawny Man remained silent, and the Binding Spirit Rope continued absorbing his vital essence and Spiritual Power.
"You don't have much time left. Why carry your secrets to the grave? Do you still care about it after death? How about sharing, maybe I'll spare your life," Wang Hong urged.
"Kid, you better release me now and apologize. My master is not someone you can afford to offend. If you kill me, my master will surely seek revenge!" threatened the Brawny Man.
"Your master speaks so smoothly. Is being a slave that enjoyable? Does your master have Nascent Soul cultivation level?" Wang Hong retorted, delivering two kicks to the Brawny Man.
"Whether my master has Nascent Soul cultivation level or not, squashing you is as simple as squashing an ant," replied the Brawny Man weakly, drained of essence blood and Spiritual Power.
Judging by the tone, Wang Hong speculated that the Brawny Man's master was likely at the Golden Core cultivation level.
Seeing no chance of obtaining information from him in the short term, Wang Hong smashed the Brawny Man's head with the Golden Light Bowl.
After all, he was in a perilous situation, with two others dealing with Poisonous Bees, and he wasn't sure if there were any hidden threats.
As the Brawny Man's head shattered, Jiang Qing, entangled with Poisonous Bees, let out a miserable scream. He rolled on the ground, hands clutching his head, emitting painful cries.
Those bound by a Blood Contract to recognize a master would face severe punishment or even death upon their master's demise.
Seizing the opportunity, the swarm of Poisonous Bees closed in on Jiang Qing. Shortly after, his cries ceased, and silence engulfed the area.
With two foes disposed of, Wang Hong turned his attention to Yun Qingya.
Yun Qingya was strenuously fending off the Poisonous Bees, her complexion pale, and her robes soaked in sweat. She no longer radiated the previous elegance and grace.
Witnessing the demise of the other two, Yun Qingya realized that the Alchemist she thought would be the easiest to deal with had defeated three of them single-handedly, including a mid-level Foundation Building cultivator.
Now, being the sole survivor, she was at an even greater disadvantage. With a thought, she enveloped herself in the White Silk.
The White Silk transformed into a white streak, shooting out over a dozen yards in an instant, soon dwindling to a mere dot.
After Yun Qingya fled, only Wang Hong remained. He looted the belongings of the two corpses thoroughly before setting them ablaze.
However, although the enemies had escaped, they left behind the formation. Wang Hong searched the Brawny Man's Storage Bag but found nothing to control the formation.
Being unfamiliar with formations, he didn't know how to exit. He resorted to his previous brute-force method, taking out a bottle of Spirit Wine brewed from second-tier white crystal fruits.
He had planted numerous white crystal fruit trees in his Space, and with the strict control of second-tier Spiritual Objects in the shop, Wang Hong couldn't easily handle the surplus. So, he turned them into Spirit Wine.
Spirit Wine brewed from white crystal fruits not only restored Spiritual Power but also refined it with prolonged consumption.
Wang Hong took a sip of Spirit Wine to replenish his expended Spiritual Power. Once again, he wielded the Golden Seal, breaking the formation with brute force. The Stone Forest echoed with constant explosions.
All formations required Spiritual Energy to function. Wang Hong's strategy was to attack randomly, depleting the Spiritual Energy maintaining the formation and eventually breaking it.
After three hours and finishing a pound of second-tier Spirit Wine, the mist in the Stone Forest dispersed, signaling the collapse of the formation.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]