"Whoosh!"
Before Qiao Ying could finish speaking, the space around a fire ghost a considerable distance ahead suddenly distorted. In the next second, he appeared before Ye Feng, having used spatial power.
In an instant, the fire ghost was engulfed in blazing flames, its massive fist smashing down at Ye Feng...
"Splash~ Gurgle!~"
Almost simultaneously, the ground where Ye Feng and the other three were standing fluctuated with earth-elemental arcane energy. The solid ground beneath their feet suddenly turned into a mire, and large amounts of clay rapidly entangled their feet.
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed as Ye Feng's palm made solid contact with the fire ghost's, a massive shockwave erupting outwards.
"Wh...What?"
The fire ghost's expression was one of disbelief. Ye Feng had blocked his punch, surging with fire-elemental arcane energy, using only physical strength. He was a genuine Diamond third-grade.
"Bang!"
Another dull thud sounded as Ye Feng's fist struck the fire ghost's chest.
"Pfft!~"
The fire ghost's chest rapidly caved in, and he was sent flying backward, spitting a cloud of blood mist in the air, his arcane energy flames completely dispersed.
"Whoosh!"
Before the fire ghost could hit the ground, Ye Feng instantly broke free from the clinging clay and flickered, appearing beside the fire ghost in a flash. He threw another punch at the opponent's chest.
"Bang~"
"Crack! Crack!~"
Amidst the dull impact, crisp sounds of bones breaking were heard. The intense pain contorted the fire ghost's face, rendering him unable to even scream...
"Huh!~"
Ye Feng was somewhat taken aback, as he noticed the fire ghost disappear the moment it hit the ground.
Immediately after, the shadow of a large black boulder next to Ye Feng distorted, splitting into numerous blades that hacked and stabbed at his shadow.
"Ugh..."
Ye Feng, who was still bewildered, let out a pained groan as his eyes, temples, and heart suddenly experienced intense pain.
"Damn it, what the hell?"
Ye Feng was puzzled. "The boulder's shadow suddenly attacked my shadow, and it actually hurt me?"
"Whoosh! Boom!"
At this moment, the place where Ye Feng had just been exploded in a ball of fire.
"Big brother, I've caught the person hiding underground!"
A small, clear voice followed closely behind.
Ye Feng looked over and saw a middle-aged man, who bore a strong resemblance to the fire ghost and had a bruised and swollen face, trapped by a small, cylindrical flame.
He didn't examine it closely, as the boulder's shadow had moved again, slowly forming a human shape.
"Gurgle!~"
The shadow figure had no eyes or nose, but several mouths on its face, emitting strange sounds at Ye Feng.
"What the, it's a Dark Shadow Puppet?!"
Seeing this, Ye Feng couldn't help but be surprised.
"Ye Feng, be careful, that's a Dark Shadow Puppet!"
At this moment, Yue Yan's voice, tinged with anxiety, rang out. "Attacks like guns and cannons will pass directly through its body, having no effect, and the Dark Shadow Puppet will devour all energy, including arcane energy and true qi!"
"Swoosh swoosh!~"
Before Yue Yan could finish speaking, the Dark Shadow Puppet had already charged at Ye Feng. The mouths on its face all extended scarlet tongues, licking, creating a rather disgusting scene.
"Xiao Xiao, why are you...?"
Yue Yan frowned, looking at Xiao Xiao with puzzlement. She had wanted to go help Ye Feng but had been stopped by Xiao Xiao.
"Don't worry, big brother has defeated this kind of monster before!"
Xiao Xiao quickly explained.
"Whoosh!~ Gurgle!~"
"Ugh~ Ah!~"
As Xiao Xiao's words fell, a flash of true qi emanated from Ye Feng's hand, instantly piercing a multitude of mouths on the Dark Shadow Puppet.
"Wh...What? Human screams?"
Ye Feng was very surprised.
When he had killed a Dark Shadow Puppet in the ancient ruins before, it had only let out furious roars and various strange, sharp, and ear-piercing cries. Now, there were human voices.
And... crimson blood was actually flowing from the Dark Shadow Puppet...
"Swoosh~~"
"Caw~ caw~"
"Caw~ croak~ gurgle!~"
After another series of strange cries from the Dark Shadow Puppet, it twisted oddly, seemingly struggling, and then a muscular man slowly appeared within Ye Feng's field of vision.
"Gurgle!~"
The Dark Shadow Puppet let out a strange cry and completely detached from the middle-aged man, flying rapidly into the distance. But Ye Feng flickered, and his true qi long saber instantly sliced it in half.
The Dark Shadow Puppet twisted bizarrely, gradually dissipating...
Ye Feng frowned slightly, then turned and kicked the muscular man lying on the ground over. The muscular man also bore a striking resemblance to the fire ghost.
"Riiip!"
"Ah!~"
At this moment, a scream echoed from afar. It was the fire ghost, who had been trying to escape, being captured by Qiao Ying.
"Three guys who look very similar..."
Looking at the three middle-aged men lying on the ground, Ye Feng muttered.
"Who... who are you people..."
"Be smart and let me go!"
"Ah!~"
"Ah~ Crack! Ah..."
"Ah..."
...
After a pig-slaughtering scream echoed through the open area, Ye Feng finally understood the situation of the three middle-aged men who looked quite similar.
It turned out that the three middle-aged men were famous fire ghosts from the Dark Holy Cult, but they were actually three brothers, and the three brothers shared a telepathic connection, needing no verbal communication.
The third brother, possessing fire-elemental arcane energy, was the fire ghost who usually appeared in public, while the other two hid in the shadows.
The second brother, possessing earth-elemental arcane energy, usually lurked underground. It was he who had discovered Ye Feng and the other three, and had then notified his two other brothers.
What surprised Ye Feng the most was the eldest brother among the fire ghost trio. He had actually merged with a Dark Shadow Puppet, following the third fire ghost in the form of a shadow, sometimes even being his shadow...
Just now, as the third fire ghost was about to crash into the ground, it was the eldest fire ghost who had instantly swapped places with him...
Yue Yan's earlier speculation was correct. These three fire ghost brothers had followed the eighth-order zombie, and their target was Starfall City...
"Ye Feng, your true qi is truly special... I've never seen a Dark Shadow Puppet killed by true qi before..."
"In the early days of the Great Cataclysm, the Dark Tide formed by Dark Shadow Puppets nearly wiped out Arcanists and Cultivators..."
Yue Yan looked at Ye Feng with surprise. "I thought you were going to use the Tribulation Fire just now~"
"Uh~!"
Ye Feng scratched his head. "Actually, I'm not too sure about my true qi..."
"Never mind, let's get out of here quickly! Otherwise, who knows what other strange fellows will show up later~"
Ye Feng glanced at the three fire ghost brothers, who had already become corpses in the distance, and strode forward.
"Okay!~"
...
"Hum!~"
Ye Feng and the other three had taken only a few steps when, suddenly, the space behind them distorted, and a great pressure suddenly appeared...