The Insect Manipulation Cultivator quickly made a judgment and changed strategies. He retracted the Black Shield and pushed the Azure Shield outward. The Flying Sword flickered continuously, slicing through the Thunder Balls above him one by one. As a result, the Azure Shield easily blocked various attacks.
However, this also had a drawback: he lacked the strength to carve a path and escape from the Magma Swamp. Xunuo, seeing the Insect Path Foundation Stage Cultivator, adopted a defensive strategy. He did not have sharper means to decisively eliminate his opponent and could only slowly wear down the other's mana.
The reason this formation could kill a peak Foundation Establishment Stage expert was not solely due to its overwhelming attack power. Instead, it continuously drained the opponent's mana while restricting its recovery.
It was like a giant press, squeezing the trapped Cultivator's mana dry, leaving them with no ability to resist as they faced despair and ultimately perished.
The Insect Path Foundation Stage Cultivator understood the malicious nature of this formation; it was like boiling a frog in warm water. By the time one sensed danger, death was already imminent. Moreover, being deep within the Magma Swamp meant his mana was rapidly being siphoned away. The Insect Manipulation Cultivator had no choice but to devise an escape plan as soon as possible.
Xunuo took out Six Heavenly Shadow Darts and tossed them into the formation. He held a spirit stone in each hand to maintain his mana reserves. The Heavenly Shadow Spike was meant to be used as a final trump card; for now, he was merely hiding it in ambush.
In truth, Xunuo felt even more anxious than the Insect Manipulation Cultivator. He believed that Ni Bingmo's escape speed was not slower than that of the Cultivation Family Foundation Establishment Ancestor, which is why he had taken the risk to eliminate this Insect Manipulation Cultivator here.
If he had known that Ni Bingmo's Flying Artifact was damaged and that his life hung by a thread, Xunuo would have immediately fled after trapping this Insect Path Foundation Stage Cultivator.
But moments later, Xunuo learned the truth. Ni Bingmo flew over on his cracked Flying Artifact, swaying unsteadily. The moment he stopped, the black Flying Artifact finally shattered, scattering debris everywhere.
Ni Bingmo glanced at the formation and said to Xunuo, "If you can help me eliminate the great enemy behind us, I will not pursue this matter regarding the formation."
Seeing Ni Bingmo approach, Xunuo realized something had changed. He had already aimed his Six Heavenly Shadow Darts at him, planning to strike hard. However, upon hearing Ni Bingmo's words about another great enemy behind them, Xunuo immediately changed his mind.
Dealing with Ni Bingmo's six-pronged attack could yield immediate results. However, against a Foundation Stage Cultivator, even a sneak attack would require unleashing the hidden properties of Heavenly Shadow Spike to have any chance of success.
Xunuo immediately said to Ni Bingmo, "What you said is very true, my friend. I will conceal myself and launch a surprise attack." With that, he infused a talisman into his body.
Seeing this, Ni Bingmo was so furious he nearly cursed out loud: "How can you, a Foundation Stage Practitioner, hide from a Foundation Stage Cultivator?"
However, after Xunuo vanished in an instant, Ni Bingmo was left dumbfounded. He scanned the area where Xunuo had disappeared with his Divine Sense but found no trace of him.
Xunuo's Great Illusion Concealment Talisman was effective at this distance; if he were facing a Foundation Stage Cultivator, he wouldn't dare to guarantee that he wouldn't be exposed. But against a Foundation Stage Practitioner, Xunuo felt quite at ease.
Ni Bingmo searched several times but found no sign of Xunuo. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited about Xunuo's stealthy tactics.
However, as the bait in this situation, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Ni Bingmo slapped his storage bag, and a Copper Mirror Magical Tool flew out, instantly enlarging to the size of a Moon Gate and blocking in front of him.
Still feeling uneasy, Ni Bingmo pulled out several defensive talismans and infused them into his body. Immediately, outside of Ni Bingmo's Magic Shield, Yellow Light, Azure Radiance, Purple Light, and Crimson Radiance lit up one after another, enveloping him completely.
Then Ni Bingmo slapped his storage bag again, and two Golden Axes flew out, crossing in front of him for additional protection.
Ni Bingmo was determined to bolster his defenses. The first wave of surprise attacks would be left to Xunuo.
Moments later, a Foundation Establishment Ancestor from a Cultivation Family rushed over on a Golden Flying Sword at lightning speed. He glanced at Ni Bingmo before turning his gaze toward the Insect Manipulation Cultivator trapped within the formation. A cold sweat broke out on him as he silently thanked his luck that it wasn't himself who was trapped.
This Foundation Stage Cultivator neither approached the formation nor attacked Ni Bingmo. Instead, he unleashed his Divine Sense outward to probe the surroundings. Then this Cultivation Family's Foundation Establishment Ancestor chuckled and said to Ni Bingmo, "It seems your companion is more cunning than you; he ran away faster too."
Ni Bingmo's magical energy surged wildly as sweat dripped from his forehead while he nervously stared at the opponent.
The Foundation Establishment Ancestor's expression darkened. Coldly, he said, "Daring to kill my clan's descendant outside my door, you must be prepared to pay with your life. Come and take it."
With that, he stomped his foot, and the Golden Flying Sword blazed with light, growing nearly two yards long before flashing toward Ni Bingmo. Suddenly, countless golden small swords flew out from the bronze mirror in front of Ni Bingmo, colliding head-on with the Golden Giant Sword. After a series of clanging sounds, the Golden Giant Sword was unexpectedly halted in mid-air by the endless small swords.
The Foundation Establishment Ancestor frowned slightly and murmured, "This magical tool has some merit, but it is not enough to save your life."
Then he shouted, "Split!" The Golden Giant Sword trembled and divided into nine identical Golden Giant Swords, seemingly maintaining their power as they slashed toward Ni Bingmo.
Ni Bingmo's complexion changed drastically as he spat several mouthfuls of Essence Blood onto the Copper Mirror Magical Tool. The Copper Mirror Magical Tool buzzed and transformed into an even denser rain of swords. It split into nine streams to counter the nine Golden Giant Swords. However, only one of the Golden Giant Swords produced a sparse clanging sound upon impact. The other eight were shattered with a pop under the golden sword rain and vanished.
Realizing he had been tricked, Ni Bingmo understood that his defensive power had been divided by an illusion. He hurriedly urged the sword rain to intercept the Golden Giant Sword, but it was too late.
The Golden Giant Sword faced significantly less resistance and instantly sliced through the golden sword rain. With a crack, it struck the Copper Mirror Magical Tool, cleaving it in two and causing the golden sword rain to dissipate into thin air.
The Golden Giant Sword continued its momentum and struck against two Golden Giant Axes with a clang. One giant axe instantly shattered into two pieces, losing all its spirit as it fell to the ground. The other giant axe was left with a deep gash. However, the Golden Sword Artifact finally came to a halt after being intercepted by several Defensive Artifacts.
Ni Bingmo's face turned pale as he realized that Xunuo had yet to make a move, understanding that this little thief intended to deceive him. His heart sank into despair.
At that moment, the seemingly exhausted Golden Flying Sword suddenly stirred and shattered the remaining damaged giant axe into fragments. With a whoosh, it struck Ni Bingmo directly. The various defenses surrounding him were torn apart like paper.
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