A Bluff

Meng Wanshu collapsed in the void, watching helplessly as the man's body was annihilated into nothingness by the spear! The black-robed man, body and soul alike, was obliterated in a single thrust—a terrifying power beyond anything she could comprehend! What was more, this mysterious black-robed man's strength far surpassed her own; he was a genuine Body Integration Realm powerhouse. Just moments ago, even her strongest defensive dharma artifact had been shattered by him. Despair had inevitably surged in her heart, and she had even resolved to use her final strength to teleport Pengluo and Jiuxiao away. Slumped in the void, Meng Wanshu panted heavily. The scene just now had made her heart leap into her throat; the suffocating dread of facing a supreme powerhouse was truly terrifying. Had Long Hou not left this attack within her when he had enlightened her back then, she would surely have perished by now!! Forcing its battered body forward, Jiuxiao came to Meng Wanshu's side and nuzzled her with its massive dragon head. Meng Wanshu suppressed the fear in her heart, took a deep breath, and spoke softly. "Jiuxiao, I'm all right." "How are you?" Jiuxiao lifted its head, an enigmatic glint in its draconic eyes, yet Meng Wanshu seemed to understand. "You mean... your injuries will take some time to recover?" Jiuxiao nodded silently, then turned to look toward the unconscious big white radish in the distance, a flicker of worry in its gaze. Meng Wanshu smiled faintly, gently stroking its head as she whispered, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of it." With that, the great dragon transformed into a streak of thunderous light, coiling around the woman's wrist. A glint of sharpness flickered in Meng Wanshu's eyes as she raised a hand to collect the carcass of the Scarlet Thunder Suanni; after all, it was the corpse of a rank-seven great beast. Picking up the red mask that had fallen nearby, she examined it closely but found nothing unusual, only discerning that it could conceal all auras! Shifting over, she placed Pengluo onto her shoulder, then looked back behind her. The Heaven-Slaughtering Sea had changed beyond recognition: fractured peaks stood everywhere, and the ground was riddled with craters and scorched earth. Innumerable scattered blocks of ice showed no sign of melting, and many even sealed scorching thunderous power within them. Meng Wanshu cast a chilling gaze into the distance, where a steady stream of experts was rushing toward this place. After all, the commotion from the contingency Long Hou had left behind was simply too immense. That earth-shattering spear strike had seemed poised to pierce through two realms, slaying a Body Integration Realm cultivator in a single blow... Such methods were practically unheard of! The earlier disturbance in the Heaven-Slaughtering Sea had already alerted numerous cultivators; everyone knew a demon overlord inhabited the sea, yet none had dared set foot here. Because of this, the Heaven-Slaughtering Sea harbored countless precious immortal herbs and spiritual plants. Yet the presence of the Scarlet Thunder Suanni had reduced the entire Heaven-Slaughtering Sea to a forbidden zone! Ripples of ice-blue halos spread across the void, forming a massive teleportation array in the blink of an eye. As array patterns permeated the area, many auras watching from the shadows began to stir restlessly. Her severe injuries notwithstanding, Meng Wanshu raised her eyes slightly, and a terrifying pressure instantly flooded the void, forcefully dispelling the greed of many petty opportunists! Sharp sword qi crisscrossed the void. Watching the array light that had yet to fully form, Meng Wanshu slowly turned around. "Whoever wants to make a move, come at me together." With that, she produced a pill and swallowed it. Instantly, the void within a hundred li trembled violently!! Rampant power swept across heaven and earth, sending the ambient spiritual energy wandering through the world into a sudden frenzy. Billowing ice blossoms drifted downward, wrapped in chilling killing intent. For a time, heaven and earth fell silent; not a single soul dared to act rashly! Pengluo, lying on the woman's shoulder, groggily woke up and instantly understood what was happening upon seeing her!! With a calm expression, Pengluo sent a voice transmission: "Mistress! You're injured too severely right now—whatever you do, don't let it show!" Meng Wanshu did not answer. She naturally knew how perilous the current situation was! There were at least seven or eight Void Refining Realm cultivators hidden nearby in the shadows! Her nerves were strained to the absolute limit. The primal energy of the origin spirit within her was completely depleted, and the pill's medicinal power was only just beginning to replenish it. Thus, she could only put on a bluff! The moment she revealed the slightest flaw, these people would definitely strike in unison!! Everyone had witnessed that terrifying strike earlier, and no one could be certain that Meng Wanshu had no other contingencies up her sleeve. Several old monsters concealed in the shadows exchanged glances, yet not one of them dared make a move even as the array's radiance finished taking shape! Meng Wanshu stepped slowly into the teleportation array and sneered, "Useless cowards." She had to act arrogant right now; if she showed even a shred of hesitation or timidity, these scoundrels would strike without hesitation! As her words fell, one of the hidden auras began to stir. A bald old man stared at Meng Wanshu's back, a greedy sneer playing across his lips as he chuckled. "Gentlemen, do the corpse and monster core of a rank-seven great beast not tempt you?" His words were met only by dead silence in the surrounding void; clearly, no one wished to be the bird that stuck its neck out. "This little girl is clearly at the end of her tether. Since none of you will move... then allow this old man to test the waters!!" The old man concealed in the void had barely let a sliver of killing intent surface— When Meng Wanshu, with one foot already inside the teleportation array, whipped her head toward the void beside her!! *Clang!!!* With a flick of her wrist, she drew her longsword. The ice-blue sword unleashed an incomparably tremendous power as she raised her hand and slashed out an earth-shaking sword ray!! *Boom!!!* "Grand Cosmos Frost Slash!!!" Wherever the ice-blue brilliance passed, space was frozen solid and shattered!! Tearing through the void, it arrived in the span of a breath! The old man in the dark-teal robe paled in shock, whipping out his sword to slash fiercely in return. *Boom!!* In his haste, the old man parried with everything he had, and several bronze bell defensive dharma artifacts around his body detonated one after another!! Yet the sword ray remained ferocious, hurtling unabated straight for the old man's neck. In the brief instant their sword lights clashed, sheer terror filled the old man's eyes. Bracing his sword with both hands to block, he watched helplessly as his blade bent into a bizarre curve. *Bang!!!* *Squelch!!!!* The sword ray flashed past, shearing half of the old man's shoulder clean off. Terrifying frost spread frantically from his wound, threatening to freeze his flesh, primal energy, and soul solid!! Horror in his eyes, the old man threw himself backward in retreat, crushing scrolls and slapping talismans onto himself as he fled in wild panic. His wails echoed through the void, yet the frost power clung to him like maggots on a bone, impossible to purge. No matter how hard he tried, it was all in vain... The middle Void Refining Realm elder could only watch helplessly as everything he had was consumed by that ultimate frost power... Meng Wanshu sneered coldly. She stood in place for several breaths, yet no one dared strike. Turning, she stepped into the teleportation array. As array light flared, the void tore open, and she vanished amidst the brilliance. The moment space warped and she departed the Heaven-Slaughtering Sea, Meng Wanshu's back was completely drenched in cold sweat. Her taut nerves snapped as if severed, and she passed out completely. Pinned beneath her, Pengluo squirmed and wriggled for a long time before finally crawling out. Looking at the woman whose face was deathly pale and whose lips continually leaked fresh blood, Pengluo looked down at his own shriveled body, grimaced tearfully, and snapped off a section of his arm. Crushing it forcefully, he stuffed it into the woman's mouth. His cheeks sunken, Pengluo looked just like a shriveled dried radish at this moment, his voice rasping: "No more... not a single drop... is... is left..." *Thud.* Pengluo collapsed beside the woman and passed out completely.