Black plumes of ashes from the underwater volcano's eruption surged into the sky. Countless crimson flying stones streaked fiery trails across the heavens, scattering in all directions.
The Tian Yang puppet turned its head slightly after stabilizing its footing in the sea, its eyes glowing with an eerie red light.
It then took large strides toward Myriad Immortals Island.
Boom!
Each step sent hundred-meter-high waves crashing outward.
Amidst the shaking earth and churning sea, the Tian Yang puppet marched forward at a deceptively slow pace.
In no time at all, it drew close to Myriad Immortals Island.
The great waves stirred by its powerful strides obliterated countless islands in its path.
Suddenly, the sky abruptly darkened.
The colossal form of the Tian Yang puppet jerked to a halt, then lifted its head to look.
Out of nowhere, an inverted mountain, dozens of times larger than itself, had appeared directly above it.
The mountain nearly occupied its entire field of vision; beasts and trees were faintly visible on its surface.
Simultaneously, a cold voice laced with a thread of killing intent echoed across the sky. "Fellow Daoist, please halt!"
The mountain's peak, sharp as a drill, descended straight toward the puppet!
With a look of defiance on its face, the Tian Yang puppet roared, thrusting both arms upward.
It met the descending inverted mountain in a violent collision.
A shockwave exploded outward from the point of impact.
Li Fan and Zhang Haobo, observing from a distance, were suddenly caught by this shockwave. They nearly lost their footing like duckweed in the wind, struggling to maintain their stance.
Involuntary looks of shock flashed across their faces.
Only a few moments later did the chain of explosions finally reach their ears.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
When they focused their gazes again, they saw the inverted mountain continuing its relentless descent. The Tian Yang puppet was forced to bend at the knees as its feet sank deep into the seabed.
"TIAN..."
Dark red light swirled across its body, growing increasingly bright and piercing, outshining even the sun in the sky.
"YANG..."
The Tian Yang puppet glared up at the inverted mountain it held aloft, a torrent of madness and defiance raging in its eyes.
Amidst constant groaning and creaking, its hunched form slowly straightened.
Bit by bit, the massive mountain began to inch back toward the sky.
"Hmph!"
Seeing the Tian Yang puppet's unyielding resistance, a cold snort resonated between heaven and earth.
On the surface of the inverted mountain, the faint silhouettes of several additional peaks of varying shapes materialized.
Together, they formed a profound array, and an immense, majestic aura instantly manifested.
The weight of the inverted mountain suddenly seemed to multiply several times over.
Everything below the Tian Yang puppet's head was abruptly slammed beneath the sea.
The surrounding water was violently forced outward, forming a massive ring of waves that radiated in all directions.
It revealed the cracked seabed below, now exposed and strewn with molten rock.
Under the immense pressure of the collision, the very earth was continuously scraped away.
The puppet's lower limbs were slowly being pulverized under this colossal force.
Soon, only the Tian Yang puppet's upper torso remained, straining desperately against the weight.
Total defeat seemed imminent.
“NOT WEAKER THAN OTHERS...”
Yet it still repeated that phrase, over and over.
After several repetitions, only its head remained.
Pressed against the base of the inverted mountain, its eyes blazed with fury.
"NOT WEAKER THAN OTHERS!!!"
Its head exploded violently, transforming into crimson molten rock.
Deep within the Congyun Sea, the earthfire veins erupted once more with a thunderous roar.
The molten rock that once formed the Tian Yang puppet coalesced into a single entity—a figure wreathed in fire.
This newly reformed Tian Yang puppet seethed with boiling, rolling flames. Like a fiery dragon, it charged headlong toward the inverted mountain.
Boom!
It drilled into the mountain from the inverted peak, piercing straight through the massive rock.
Amidst a non-stop series of explosive roars, countless fissures spiderwebbed across the surface of the inverted mountain.
Finally, the fire dragon burst out from the base of the mountain, shattering it from within.
It soared into the sky, roaring in defiance.
A moment later, it shifted form again, reshaping itself into a humanoid figure.
It stared coldly down at the inverted mountain beneath it.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The enormous inverted mountain exploded violently into fragments.
Countless pieces fell like meteors, crashing down onto the black seabed of cooled magma.
With the destruction of the inverted mountain, that mysterious voice sounded once more.
"Interesting. Truly worthy of being the inheritor of the Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect from ancient times."
It held none of the expected fury, instead brimming with keen interest.
"To have attained such power after several thousand years despite having only Golden Core potential..."
Above the Tian Yang puppet's head, the illusory mountain peaks grew increasingly solid and real.
Seemingly provoked by the words "only Golden Core potential," the Tian Yang puppet issued another roar of defiance, a direct challenge to the spectral mountains.
"If you are going to fight, let's change the venue." Just then, a languid female voice cut through the air.
Heaven and earth abruptly dimmed.
Li Fan and Zhang Haobo looked up. The sun had vanished from the sky, replaced by what seemed like a massive hole torn in the celestial canopy.
Inside, starlight glittered, resembling a night sky.
Gossamer strands of starlight drifted down, falling upon the Tian Yang puppet.
“ROAR!"
It managed only a single furious bellow before its massive form vanished.
"Excellent! We can now have a proper fight!"
The mountain projections also disappeared.
The torn sky slowly knitted itself back together, the stars winking out one by one.
The sun shone brightly once more. The world was quiet, serene, as if nothing had happened.
Only the nearly shattered Congyun Sea surrounding them bore silent witness to the cataclysmic battle that had just transpired.
Those two who just appeared must have been Spirit Transformation cultivators from Myriad Immortals Island.
Such magnificent power is truly awe-inspiring.
This was the first time Li Fan had seen Spirit Transformation powerhouses take action personally. He felt his pulse hammering with excitement.
Coming back to his senses, he turned to look beside him.
Zhang Haobo was still staring blankly at the sky, the shock on his face slow to fade.
It seems the illusions conjured by the Cloudwater Dream Illusion Art still can't compare to the real experience. Otherwise, having truly witnessed Crimson Flame scorching the sea, I definitely wouldn't be so overwhelmed by a mere clash of Spirit Transformation cultivators. Li Fan mused to himself.
Releasing his Insect Binding divine ability, Li Fan asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, how do you feel?"
Zhang Haobo started, jolted from his reverie.
The spiritual qi within him flared instantly, and twenty-four blue Sea-Calming Swords materialized around him in the blink of an eye.
"Hmm?" Li Fan tilted his head, looking at him.
Remembering something, Zhang Haobo's aura hitched. He recalled the blue water swords.
He scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, then bowed deeply toward Li Fan, speaking with grave sincerity, "Thank you for saving my life, Fellow Daoist."
Li Fan laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively. "A trivial matter. Fellow Daoist Zhang, you are a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, yet you fought seventeen puppets alone.
"The sight of those countless water swords filling the sky, completely suppressing every last puppet, was truly impressive!"
Zhang Haobo quickly shook his head. "It pales in comparison to your abilities, Fellow Daoist."
Then, he lifted his gaze to the sky, his expression turning wistful. "Originally, I felt rather pleased with myself for advancing from a mortal to the mid-stage Qi Refinement realm in just over a year... But today, witnessing true super powerhouses, I finally understand.
"In their eyes, a Qi Refinement cultivator is truly no different from an ant."
Li Fan spoke to comfort him. "There's no need for dismay, Fellow Daoist Zhang. With your talent, given time, it is not impossible for you to become such a super powerhouse yourself.”