Ye Feng did not choose to pierce Wang Batian's heart, but rather pierced one of the Black Mist Five Rings embedded in his chest.
To be precise, it was one of the Black Mist Five Rings that was still glowing red!
"Crack~ Snap~"
The Black Mist Five Ring that Ye Feng had pierced with his Tang dao shattered directly, and a bug glowing red and incomparably sinister scurried out from within.
The moment the sinister red bug appeared, Ye Feng felt a pungent stench overwhelm him, almost causing him to vomit.
"Hoo!~"
Unconsciously, Ye Feng's gaze sharpened, and he instantly unleashed a torrent of flames towards the sinister red bug.
"Hiss!~ Hiss!~"
The sinister red bug hissed as it came into contact with the flames Ye Feng unleashed, emitting a burning sound. In a short while, it turned to ashes.
"Pfft!~"
At this moment, Wang Batian, who had taken the opportunity to flee backward, suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"How...how could it be... a ghoul mother bug with a vajra body and impervious to water and fire, how could it be... pfft!~"
Wang Batian, his face pale, looked incredulous. As he spoke, he spat out another mouthful of blood, his aura significantly weakened.
"Whoosh!~"
At this moment, Ye Feng's figure flickered again, instantly appearing before Wang Batian and slashing out swiftly with his Tang dao.
This time, the target was also a Black Mist Five Ring on Wang Batian's chest, but it was one that was not glowing red.
"Clang~ Crack~!"
After a crisp sound, the Black Mist Five Ring that Ye Feng had struck with his Tang dao cracked open. However, instead of a sinister blood-red bug scurrying out as before, it was a pool of black water.
The moment this black water appeared, a stench even more potent than what Ye Feng had smelled before spread out instantly...
"Gag!~ Gag!~"
Even though Shen Yun Yao and Xiao Xiao were some distance away, they couldn't help but retch.
"It seems my guess was correct. The reason you could self-detonate and survive... and also survive being pierced through the head by Shen Botian... is because of the Black Mist Five Rings on your chest!"
Ye Feng, enduring the foul odor, spoke to Wang Batian, "The time you self-detonated... the time Shen Botian pierced your head... and the attack I just delivered... you only have two lives left!"
"You!"
Hearing Ye Feng's words, Wang Batian's expression changed drastically.
Because Ye Feng had actually guessed correctly... this was the power of the Black Mist Five Rings, his greatest trump card. Even within the ghoul race, very few people knew the secrets of the Black Mist Five Rings...
"Whoosh!~ Hiss!~"
At this moment, a piercing sound of air being split rang out. Joseph, transformed into a black shadow, attacked Ye Feng from behind.
"Clang~ Bang!~"
"Clang!~ Clang!~..."
Amidst the flashes of golden light and black shadows, a series of loud metallic impacts continuously echoed. The aftermath of Ye Feng and Joseph's battle carved deep gashes into the surrounding ground.
"Xiao Xiao, try to condense the Angelic Blade that Ling Xi was holding earlier!"
As his voice fell, Ye Feng and Joseph exchanged a fierce blow, then Ye Feng deliberately jumped to the side to avoid their battle affecting Xiao Xiao and Shen Yun Yao.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao immediately understood. She concentrated her attention, recalling the Angelic Blade that Ling Xi had been holding. Finally, the angelic power flowing on the Angelic Armor slowly gathered and condensed into a silver-white weapon, resembling a sword – the Angelic Blade.
"Die!"
At this moment, seeing Xiao Xiao's attention diverted, Wang Batian flashed and leaped behind Xiao Xiao, spreading his arms to embrace her. Simultaneously, his body began to emit a red glow from within, clearly intending to self-detonate as he had done to Shen Botian.
"Ah!~"
Xiao Xiao cried out in surprise. The Angelic Blade she had condensed instinctively stabbed towards the Black Mist Five Ring on his chest, because she had just seen Ye Feng do the same thing.
"Clang!~"
Although Xiao Xiao's Angelic Blade, condensed with angelic power, did not pierce the Black Mist Five Ring like Ye Feng's Tang dao and even deviated, it still pierced Wang Batian's chest.
"Ugh, ah~!"
Wang Batian let out a miserable cry, and the red glow emanating from his body weakened.
"Bang!~"
At this moment, Xiao Xiao's angelic power surged, and she punched Wang Batian, sending him flying instantly.
"Boom~ Bang!~ Boom! Boom!"
Wang Batian, sent flying, smashed through several stones and pillars before crashing deeply into the ruins...
"Yao Yao, come here for a moment!"
At this moment, Shen Botian's somewhat urgent voice sounded.
"Okay!~"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yun Yao nodded to Xiao Xiao and then quickly ran towards Shen Botian.
"Cough~ Cough!~"
"Yao Yao, pull out the Blood Sealing Marks on me!"
Shen Botian glanced in Wang Batian's direction, coughed a few times, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. He spoke somewhat anxiously to Shen Yun Yao.
"Oh, okay!~"
Shen Yun Yao replied and was about to act, but Shen Botian stopped her.
"Yao Yao, these Blood Sealing Marks are extremely sinister. They devour any flesh and blood and arcane energy they come into contact with. You cannot touch them directly with your body. Use arcane talismans..."
Shen Botian quickly explained to Shen Yun Yao.
After Shen Botian finished speaking, Shen Yun Yao already had a large number of arcane talismans in her hand. She wrapped her hand with the arcane talismans and, following Shen Botian's instructions, began to pull out the Blood Sealing Marks from Shen Botian.
Meanwhile, Xiao Xiao, not far away, vigilantly stared at the ruins where Wang Batian had crashed.
"Damn it, why does it have to be angelic power that restrains me!"
"Damn old ghost, if I don't deal with this little lass first... it'll be hard to even self-detonate... thus..."
In the ruins, Wang Batian did not rush out. Instead, he looked through the hole he had crashed through and stared resentfully at Xiao Xiao, gritting his teeth.
"Ding~ Clang!~"
With a crisp metallic sound, the last Blood Sealing Mark in Shen Botian's body was removed by Shen Yun Yao.
At this moment, Shen Yun Yao's face was somewhat pale, her expression pained, and her hands were already covered in blood. Even with the arcane talismans, the Blood Sealing Marks had still caused her considerable harm...
"Ugh!~"
After all the Blood Sealing Marks that Joseph had implanted in Shen Botian's body were removed, Shen Botian sat up from the ground, formed a hand seal, and green wood-elemental arcane energy surged from his body, his wounds beginning to heal.
Concurrently, Shen Botian also enveloped Shen Yun Yao's bloodied hands with his wood-elemental arcane energy, beginning to treat them...
After a long while, the wood-elemental arcane energy on Shen Botian's body and Shen Yun Yao's hands finally disappeared.
"Grandpa, how are you? Are you alright?"
Shen Yun Yao looked at Shen Botian with concern.
Although her hands and Grandpa's wounds had mostly healed, Shen Botian's face was extremely pale, much of his hair had turned white, and his breathing was uneven...
"I'm fine!~"
Shen Botian took a deep breath, waved his hand at Shen Yun Yao, and finally stood up, quickly walking to Xiao Xiao's side. Together, they cautiously watched the ruins where Wang Batian had previously crashed.
"Hoo hoo~ Hoo~!"
Shen Botian breathed heavily for a while, then looked at the sky where golden light and black shadows were continuously flashing, and slowly said, "Yao Yao, carefully sense the energy fluctuations emanating from Ye Feng. Remember this energy fluctuation; the ultimate form of the arcane energy you cultivate is this!"
...