"You hidden, tail-showing bastard, die! Art of Hidden Weapons — Unrivaled Annihilation!"
Rou Moyu's clear, bell-like yet bone-chilling cry rang out.
She lightly raised her jade hand, and a cold glint suddenly appeared from her sleeve. A hidden weapon streaked across the sky like an envoy of death, heading straight for the person who had attempted to ambush Mao Wudi earlier.
This strike was her most potent attack after becoming a Super Individual. Though devoid of any fancy embellishments or dazzling special effects, it was the most lethal killing move, using a single point to break through a surface, swift as a startled swan, silently piercing the air.
The hidden weapon seemed to possess sentience, locking onto its target, enlarging in the target's terrified eyes, and with the force of tearing space, it fiercely embedded itself in his glabella.
An ordinary Half-Corpse would surely perish from such a blow, but the ambusher was a Seven Half-Segment Slash Zombie, his strength comparable to a peak nine bars expert. Even with the hidden weapon piercing his glabella, his body merely swayed slightly, though he was similarly pinned in place by the strike.
The hidden weapon in his glabella continuously vibrated, emitting a sharp hum, as if to shatter his entire skull from the center of his glabella. The ambusher's left eye erupted with crimson fury, and the patterns on half of his body surged wildly, resisting the continuous invasive shockwaves from the hidden weapon.
He suddenly roared, his body's Corpse patterns swelling, intending to shake the hidden weapon out of his skull.
Just then, the duel between Wan Youyu and Mao Wudi also reached a conclusion.
The heart-stopping sound of annihilation suddenly intensified, transforming into an ear-splitting explosion!
Where the golden giant spear and the bloody light pillar converged, it was as if a miniature star had been detonated, and blinding golden-red light devoured everything!
Wan Youyu's arms, crossed above his head, with their metallic-lustered keratin armor, emitted dense "crackling" sounds, like breaking ice, under the terrifying tearing force at the core of "Spear of Annihilation," unable to bear the strain!
Spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread, followed by large pieces of bone armor suddenly shattering and peeling off as if struck by an invisible giant hammer!
Shattered bone fragments mixed with viscous blood scattered in the violent energy storm!
"Pfft—!" Half of Wan Youyu's twisted and swollen body trembled violently, and he suddenly spat out a large mouthful of viscous, bloody arrows reeking of strong Corpse stench!
His lava-bright bloody patterns instantly dimmed, like extinguished charcoal. His muscles twitched and atrophied wildly under the impact of the annihilation energy. The two-meter-long terrifying claws on his left arm even showed visible bending!
And it wasn't over yet; the remaining golden energy continuously eroded his torso, preventing the Slash Zombie's unique regenerative tentacles from regenerating in time.
Although Mao Wudi's strike did not kill Wan Youyu, it had severely wounded him, rendering him incapable of fighting again for a short period.
Mao Wudi was also not doing well.
The golden giant spear's light rapidly dimmed after its explosive burst, as if stained by viscous Corpse blood and decaying energy.
A huge recoil force violently slammed into his arms along the spear shaft. He grunted, his tiger's mouth instantly tearing open and bleeding profusely. His entire body was flung backward uncontrollably, as if struck by an invisible giant wave!
After landing with a "bang," Mao Wudi forcibly stabilized his body, his feet plowing two deep furrows in the ground.
This head-on clash also cost him dearly. Clear sounds of bone fractures came from his arms, and his chest was churning with qi and blood. A mouthful of sweet-smelling blood surged to his throat, but he swallowed it down forcefully. His hand, gripping the spear shaft, trembled violently. With severely injured arms and depleted abilities, he too had lost the capacity to continue fighting.
The confrontation ended in a mutual defeat. Regarding this outcome, excitement and agitation flickered in Mao Wudi's eyes, while Wan Youyu's face was filled with unwillingness and rage.
It should be known that Mao Wudi was barely on par with an early nine bars, while Wan Youyu was at the peak of nine bars, even subtly approaching Ten Horizontal Bars!
Despite this, he still lost to Mao Wudi's "Spear of Annihilation." This humiliation drove him almost to madness. Although it was a mutual defeat, Wan Youyu knew that in a one-on-one, he had lost, and lost completely.
"Haha, a bastard is a bastard after all, Wan Youyu! Is this the Half-Corpse power you're so proud of? Didn't I just knock you down with one spear!"
Mao Wudi suppressed the severe pain in his arms and the surging qi and blood in his chest. His wild laughter was hoarse and tearing, every word like a poisoned steel needle, fiercely stabbing into Wan Youyu's remaining consciousness, which was scorched by rampant will and humiliation.
Rou Moyu stood in place, quickly adding to the attack:
"Wan Youyu, look at your bastard confidant. This is the failure of a bastard nine bars peak. In a real fight, he couldn't withstand a single blow from me! You've been deceived, Wan Youyu! Your so-called power is nothing but an illusory dream!"
Rou Moyu's voice was as cold as a blade, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. She slowly raised her hand, pointing at Wan Youyu's still twitching body, and said word by word:
"Tell me, who exactly deceived you, and what force is the organization behind you!"
Wan Youyu let out a beast-like growl from his throat, his eyes crimson like blood, as if he wanted to tear the two people in front of him to shreds.
"Die... die...! All of you, come out... you all must die!"
Wan Youyu's broken throat squeezed out inhuman syllables. His remaining will was solely the obsession to utterly crush Mao Wudi into a pulp.
As Wan Youyu's frantic roar echoed across the battlefield, dozens more dark figures slowly emerged from the dilapidated buildings, each step carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.
These figures were the enemies Rou Moyu had previously noticed lurking in the shadows. They were tall, shrouded entirely in black cloaks, their faces hidden beneath the hoods' shadows, with only one eye glinting crimson, slowly approaching like bloodthirsty beasts.
As they drew closer, the air above the battlefield seemed to solidify, becoming heavy and suffocating.
Even the Half-Corpse army halted their assault, making way for these eerie presences.
Mao Wudi and Rou Moyu exchanged glances, both seeing a look of solemnity in the other's eyes.
As the dark figures gradually approached, everyone finally saw their true appearance: they were also Half-Corpses, but at the glabella of these Half-Corpses, what appeared was — eight half-segment slash marks!
Eight Half-Segment Slash Marks!
This meant that these Half-Corpses had already reached the Ten Horizontal Bars level!
Even more powerful than Wan Youyu!
Mao Wudi and the other two never expected these Half-Corpses to surpass Wan Youyu. Wan Youyu actually held such a terrifying trump card!
Were these Eight Half-Segment Slash Half-Corpses cultivated by Wan Youyu, or were they proof of the organization behind him, or the 'Corpse Clan' he spoke of?
A chill ran down their spines, and a cold dread involuntarily welled up within them.
It wasn't fear of the current battle situation, but fear of the true meaning these Eight Half-Segment Slash Half-Corpses represented.
The 'Corpse Clan' Wan Youyu spoke of, could it truly exist?
"Heh heh, heh heh—"
Wan Youyu suddenly let out a burst of maniacal laughter, his voice tinged with madness and triumph:
"Foolish ants, you know nothing of my clan's power."
At this point, Wan Youyu's tone suddenly shifted, carrying deep mockery and coldness,
"Given that we were once human, I'll give you a chance. Kneel and surrender now, and perhaps I can still grant you the glory of becoming citizens of my clan! Otherwise, death!"
Mao Wudi snorted coldly, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Wan Youyu, you have been thoroughly corrupted, even abandoning your bottom line."
Rou Moyu tucked a strand of hair, a mocking expression on her face: "The glory you speak of is merely a fig leaf for your degeneracy. Wan Youyu, do you think only you have hidden trump cards?"