Qi Bai's eyes were wide with fury, shaking the soul-stirring drum frantically while summoning the treasure seal.
Divine Summoning Technique—Bull Head Ghost Soldier!
The ghostly figure of the Bull Head Ghost Soldier appeared, landing with a thunderous crash, joining the battlefield.
With the head of a bull and the body of a man, it stood over ten feet tall, lowering its head like a segment of a city wall, charging at the Martial Fighting Ape.
Ning Zhuo hurriedly controlled the Mechanical Monkey, barely dodging.
Just as they passed by the Bull Head Ghost Soldier, it suddenly reached back and grabbed the tail of the Martial Fighting Ape.
Its agility was starkly incongruent with its massive frame.
Ning Zhuo couldn't retract the monkey's tail in time.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, the Mechanical Monkey was flung away by the Bull Head Ghost Soldier with immense force.
The powerful throw stirred up a gale, instantly clearing the dust from the collapsed houses from earlier.
Qi Bai slowly stood up, hiding behind the Bull Head Ghost Soldier. He stared at Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong, with most of his gaze focused on the Iron Han Armor.
"Mechanical Puppet? Cowardly vermin!" Qi Bai's eyes were filled with deep hatred.
With each breath, his injuries healed a bit more.
By the time he finished speaking, he had largely recovered from his severe injuries, now only lightly wounded.
He had recovered!
The most critical breath, he had finally managed to take it.
"I was so close, so close to defeat!" The intense fear of narrowly escaping death surged through him, making his heart pound faster than ever before.
Mixed feelings of anger, hatred, relief, and more culminated in a grim sneer on Qi Bai's face: "Haha, well done, well done. Two Foundation Establishment Stage mice almost took my life."
"You performed admirably, truly remarkable, yet what a pity."
"Now, after earning my praise, die for me."
In the next moment, Qi Bai and the Bull Head Ghost Soldier split up, attacking from two directions.
"No chance left, Little Zhuo. You go; I'll hold them off!" Sun Lingtong urgently communicated.
"Just one misstep, damn it!" Ning Zhuo clenched his fists, teeth gritted, heart churning with turbulent emotions.
Qi Bai was overwhelmingly powerful, obviously in a different league.
Ning Zhuo had the advantage of fighting in the Immortal City, his home turf, with the Immortal City Great Array significantly weakening external Golden Core Cultivators.
At the battle's onset, Ning Zhuo deliberately turned it into a chase, using numerous underground bases to buy time and wear down Qi Bai's strength.
Though the traps exploded successfully, their effectiveness in actual combat was poor.
If it were a Foundation Establishment Stage, they'd have perished long ago. Even an ordinary Golden Core would be battered and humiliated.
But Qi Bai's strength remained mostly intact, not even breaking his Golden Light Barrier.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo realized that even exhausting the remaining underground bases wouldn't much affect.
He decisively switched to ground combat.
He faced Qi Bai head-on, giving it his all, nearly depleting over a decade's worth of Mechanism Artifacts, managing only to hold the line and maintain a stalemate.
This was also because Qi Bai, captivated by the fate of the place, wanted to capture Sun and Ning alive, torturing them for his amusement.
Qi Bai hadn't even fully exerted his combat strength.
Seeing the dire situation, Ning Zhuo had no choice but to blow up the Immortal Array, triggering its passive defenses.
Most Golden Core Cultivators would have already been suppressed by now.
But Qi Bai, showcasing immense strength, single-handedly contended with the Immortal City Great Array, wearing down the array patterns!
This, however, prompted Meng Kui to intervene.
The appearance of the Forefather Peach Essence aligned with Ning Zhuo's expectations.
That strike truly turned the tide of the battle for the first time.
Qi Bai was severely injured, losing his senses.
Ning Zhuo's Threshing Death Whip struck him, yet failed to break through the Golden Light Barrier.
Only when he pushed the Iron Han Armor to its limits did the protective golden light start to fade.
However, once Qi Bai regained consciousness, Ning Zhuo had very little time left.
No matter how hard he tried, Qi Bai's endless Magic Artifacts and Treasures continually delayed him, allowing Qi Bai to recover.
When Qi Bai summoned the ghostly Bull Head Ghost Soldier, he reestablished his foothold.
Within just a few breaths, his severe injuries turned to light ones.
Qi Bai's healing capabilities were astounding.
Truly worthy of being a true disciple of the Soul Devouring Sect, capable of handling everything alone with his immense combat strength!
A sense of despair slowly crept into the hearts of Sun Ning.
Sun Lingtong, with unprecedented severity, communicated: "I have Qi Bai's mark on me; I can't escape."
"I'll stay and hold them off."
"Little Zhuo, give me all your Mechanism Artifacts."
"Go!"
"No!" Ning Zhuo firmly refused, controlling the Martial Fighting Ape to fend off the Bull Head Ghost Soldier.
He raised his left hand, a thunder talisman appearing in his palm.
Boom!
Palm Thunder shot out, striking Qi Bai who had approached nearby.
Qi Bai let the Palm Thunder hit him, a sinister smile on his face.
In the next moment, he transformed into a cloud of ghostly mist, enveloping Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong.
Both groaned painfully, feeling it deep in their bones.
The ghostly mist felt like a deadly poison, penetrating the mechanisms and their bodies, fiercely corroding their souls.
Ning Zhuo was heavily affected, unable to control the Martial Fighting Ape. The ape's movements became sluggish, immediately swept away by the Bull Head Ghost Soldier.
The Bull Head Ghost Soldier howled, charging into the ghostly mist.
Its millstone-sized fist struck heavily on the Iron Han Armor.