"Damn it, what on earth is this thing? Why isn’t it dead after all this?" Jing Rou was taken aback by the scene, then raised her hand, about to throw another Thunder Bomb.
Just then, the snow beads at the bottom of the pit suddenly leaped out at an incredible speed and then parasitized onto the nearest Snow Demon.
Soon after, the Snow Demon began to transform rapidly, and its previously vague outline instantly became clear.
In the blink of an eye, the "Shopkeeper Li" reappeared in front of everyone.
He looked at Jing Rou and the others with a gloomy face and said sinisterly, "Well, since you all refuse to seize the opportunity to join me, then you shall die."
Just as he finished speaking, two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously.
Then, Liang Xin’an and Jing Rou both lowered their firearms, their expressions heavy with concern.
Because as they pulled the trigger, Shopkeeper Li suddenly merged into the snow on the ground and disappeared without a trace.
This bizarre and nearly undying characteristic weighed heavily on everyone’s minds.
At this time, the Snow Demons originally attacking the Mechanical Sect and the Sea-dwelling Clan suddenly redirected their attention and attacked the camp’s lighting cars.
There were dedicated personnel protecting these lighting cars, all equipped with the latest weapons developed by the Mechanical Sect.
Yet, even these measures fell short in the face of the Snow Demons’ assault.
"This is bad, these Snow Demons intend to extinguish the lighting cars; if they attract the Ghost Monkeys, we’re done for!" Kong Xiangdong shouted out, seemingly realizing something.
"Let’s split into two teams. Xin’an, you and Xiangdong handle the attacking Snow Demons. I’ll protect the lighting cars with Huang Liang!" Jing Rou immediately directed.
No one objected, and they began to split up and take action.
Despite their quick actions, the Snow Demons moved even faster.
Almost as soon as Jing Rou and Huang Liang got up, three lighting cars had already been destroyed.
By the time they rushed over, two more had been damaged.
Considering there were only eight lighting cars in the entire camp, losing five immediately left only three to cover a small area, plunging the rest of the surroundings into darkness.
Then, Liang Xin’an heard the sound of wings flapping overhead.
His heart tightened, knowing something was wrong.
As expected.
Moments later, a dozen people vanished without a trace.
There was no need to ask; it must have been the Ghost Monkeys’ doing.
Even Liang Xin’an felt a twinge of despair at this moment.
Because with the nearly indestructible Snow Demons attacking openly and the Ghost Monkeys ambushing from the shadows, this battle seemed unwinnable.
As if to confirm his thoughts, a commotion arose further away, and two more lighting cars fell into darkness.
In an instant, only one lighting car was left straining to support the entire large camp.
Amid this, Liang Xin’an and the others were enveloped in darkness.
Liang Xin’an suddenly felt the whole world fall silent; the people around him vanished, replaced by ink-black darkness.
Moreover, he lost control over his body, and even moving a finger seemed impossible.
Recalling the scenario described by Fan Daniu earlier, Liang Xin’an realized he must be caught in the Ghost Monkeys’ control.
Yet, he felt no panic.
According to Fan Daniu’s account, the Ghost Monkey was strong in its eerie control and cloaking abilities, but its actual strength was weak.
Even a Martial Artist like Fan Daniu could harm it, let alone himself.
Especially since he held a powerful weapon in his hand.
With this thought, Liang Xin’an mustered all his strength, attempting to regain control of his body.
Then... he failed!
The force pressing down on him was as if a thousand pounds, impervious to his efforts to break through.
Liang Xin’an began to feel a bit anxious.
Something wasn’t right!
According to Fan Daniu’s description, the Ghost Monkey’s control shouldn’t be this strong.
Suddenly, Liang Xin’an felt as if silk threads in the darkness were wrapping around him, lifting him into the air.
His hands and feet were completely bound, making even slight movement impossible.
Not only that, but Liang Xin’an also felt many threads drilling into his nose and mouth.
If he were completely blocked, he would inevitably be cocooned and suffocated to death.
As Liang Xin’an plunged into despair.
A bright knife light suddenly flashed before his eyes.
The knife light was like a bolt of lightning, instantly severing the threads binding him.
Liang Xin’an felt his body loosen, regaining control.
His first action was to raise his hand and pull the trigger at the massive shadow in mid-air.
Boom!
With a loud noise, the shadow let out a sharp scream, then staggered and flew off, falling not far away.
At the same time, Liang Xin’an saw Zhao Ya standing ahead and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Actually, when he saw that knife light earlier, Liang Xin’an guessed it must be Zhao Ya.
For no other reason.
Besides Zhao Ya, no one could wield such a quick, powerful blade technique.
"Can you still move?" Zhao Ya asked.
Liang Xin’an nodded firmly, "Don’t worry!"
"Good!"
After their brief conversation, Zhao Ya turned and charged elsewhere.
At the same time, Yin Jiaxiong slashed through a blocking Snow Demon with a sword, then rushed into the camp.
Behind him followed the coalition of major sects from Beyond the World.
Such a monumental presence instantly revitalized the struggling defenders in the camp.
Yet, many were still oblivious.
Because caught within the Ghost Monkeys’ control, they knew nothing of the outside world.
But these Ghost Monkeys, despite their creepiness, were as fragile as paper before Zhao Ya.
Even their proudest cloaking ability was useless against Zhao Ya’s Divine Sense.
To outsiders, it seemed Zhao Ya was striking at thin air.
Yet, after each strike, a Ghost Monkey’s scream would echo, and a figure would fall.
In a flurry of actions, Zhao Ya swiftly cut down all the Ghost Monkeys present.
At that moment, He Nandou and Yin Jiaxiong also arrived.
Though the Snow Demons were nearly immortal, the overwhelming numbers forced them to retreat.
However, upon finding themselves at a disadvantage, the Snow Demons quickly tried to flee.
But Zhao Ya and the incoming reinforcements had no intention of letting them go.
Especially Yin Jiaxiong.
Since losing to Zhao Ya, he’s been eager to prove himself again.
Finally finding the opportunity, he wasn’t about to let it slip by.
His sword rained down, shredding every Snow Demon within reach.
Zhao Ya ignored these Snow Demons, focusing on the fleeing "Shopkeeper Li."
Though fast, Shopkeeper Li was no match for Zhao Ya’s speed.
In mere breaths, Zhao Ya closed in from behind, raising his knife.
Without turning, Shopkeeper Li sensed the threatening knife wind and cried out, collapsing and merging into the snow.
But Zhao Ya wouldn’t let him go that easily, shifting his knife from a forward thrust to a downward slash just as it merged.
Boom!
Snow flew as a painful howl erupted from below.
Unfazed, Zhao Ya continued pressing his blade, and the howling gradually subdued, finally reaching silence.
Only then did Zhao Ya stand up, gently kicking away the top layer of snow to reveal something shining in the pit below.
Zhao Ya bent down to pick it up, surprised to find.
It was a heart, sculpted from a crystal-like material.