The moment the Rose Dragon King obtained the item, a chaotic battle ensued. For merely the second tribulation, the Jade Emperor, the New Six-Eared Macaque, and Qing Feng all deployed such grand formations, clearly aiming to establish dominance and sow fear, so that future tribulations across the Three Realms would fall under their control!
Their might was so fierce that even a Grand Unity Immortal struggled to resist. Their malice was evident, shocking Wu Zhiqi, He Xiangu, and the demon race's household attendant on the spot!
The difference was that the three faced varying degrees of difficulty in their sneak attacks and their specific reactions. The demon race's household attendant, possessing a Golden Immortal low-grade cultivation, was not overly weak. However, facing such a sneak attack, he intentionally lay down and did not retaliate. Instead, he allowed a great army of aquatic creatures from the Rose River to kill his physical body, thereby obtaining a portion of the Journey to the West merits.
Subsequently, his primordial spirit emerged, revealing an evil visage befitting a demon race member. With one hand, he activated the Netherworld Scripture, bypassing all spiritual treasure defenses and wielding corrosive magical power. With the other, he pointed towards Wu Zhiqi and He Xiangu's location, guiding the Rose Dragon King and his second daughter, the Golden Carp Spirit. Afterward, this individual vanished into the void, preparing to ambush at any moment!
"He Xiangu, if you don't act now, when will you? Do you truly wish to be killed by these four?"
"No matter how powerful I am, I can only fend off one of them."
Seeing the enemies approach, yet unable to divert his attention to too many, at most he could block the sneak attack from the Golden Carp Spirit, while an internal traitor had already appeared. It was precisely the demon race's household attendant. Wu Zhiqi had to curse obscenely. Turning back, he engaged in a fierce struggle, locked in dozens of rounds with the Rose Dragon King's second daughter, the Golden Carp Spirit, whose cultivation had drastically increased. He found himself unable to even deploy his Iron Abacus or Fortune-Telling Banner. It wasn't that his absolute cultivation was inferior to this Golden Carp Spirit.
It was because this Golden Carp Spirit seemingly cultivated a certain demon race divine ability; kill one, and two more appeared; kill two, and four more appeared. It was essentially an early version of Patriarch Styx's Blood God Scripture. Although far less powerful than Patriarch Styx's ability to transform into four hundred and eighty million Blood God Sons, it was still terrifying and domineering. Each clone possessed the cultivation of the main body, and though her main body was only at the peak of Heavenly Immortal, with such numbers, she was still formidable.
Her clones were countless, her forms myriad! Even Wu Zhiqi, a master at the peak of Grand Unity Immortal, found himself momentarily unable to distinguish which was her true body amidst so many clones. Helpless, Wu Zhiqi became desperate. He unleashed his Fortune-Telling Banner, channeling infinite magical power, repelling most of the Golden Carp Spirit's clones. He then rapidly retreated to an open space and decisively employed his innate divine ability: the Yin-Yang Understanding Technique!
"Fix!" he roared. Wu Zhiqi had expected this to reveal the Golden Carp Spirit and locate her true body, allowing him to capture her with his Iron Abacus and then protect Chen Guangrui, Yin Wenjiao, and the Golden Cicada. To his surprise, even after using his innate divine ability, he couldn't decipher Patriarch Styx's prized technique, the Blood God Scripture. Instead, this hesitation allowed the Golden Carp Spirit to land a sneak attack. Wu Zhiqi, being at the peak of Grand Unity Immortal, was naturally not instantly killed. However, his physical body, struck by the combined assault of hundreds of the Golden Carp Spirit's clones, suffered considerable damage, with wounds bleeding profusely.
Even more terrifying was that, with the Rose Dragon King on the other side swallowing the reincarnated Chen Guangrui, the Journey to the West merits that should have been awarded to Wu Zhiqi and his companions began to shift, preparing to grant more to the Rose Dragon King and his entourage. The Heavenly Dao, which had been observing the Journey to the West tribulation and hovering above every participant, seemed to be acting unfairly at this moment. It was preposterous!
Sensing this, Wu Zhiqi became enraged. At this moment, he finally understood why Sun Wukong had acted so recklessly five hundred years ago. The reason was simple: without strength, there was no dignity. This was precisely his current predicament. One moment of soft-heartedness led to subsequent errors. If this continued, let alone Chen Guangrui, who was swallowed by the Rose Dragon King, even Huang'er, Yin Wenjiao, the Golden Cicada, and Wu Zhiqi and He Xiangu would likely perish!
"Hey, you old turtle bastards of the Rose River, don't be arrogant for too long. If you were obtaining Journey to the West merits normally, it would be one thing. But to go this far is a path to death!"
"Third brother, why aren't you helping your second brother? Your second brother can't hold on much longer."
"Aaaah!"
In his fury, Wu Zhiqi revealed his true form as a Scarlet-Haired Horse Monkey, towering thirty-six feet high, unleashing his physical strength to its limit. Barely holding off the Golden Carp Spirit's clone attacks and the nascent Blood God Scripture, he wielded his two great spiritual treasures, the Iron Abacus and the Fortune-Telling Banner. The beads of the former shot out like a torrential rain towards her, while the latter's banner surface churned with countless gale winds, sweeping towards her. He was prepared to fight to the death!
Tens of millions of miles away from Luoyang City, at the Flowing Sands River, upon hearing Wu Zhiqi's roar, Zhou Wuxian dared not delay. Gripping his Sun-Moon Staff, he rapidly flew towards the scene. However, halfway there, he was intercepted by the demon race's household attendant, who, with his Golden Immortal low-grade magical power and the Netherworld Scripture, engaged Zhou Wuxian in a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand!
Seeing this, He Xiangu, who was most prone to bullying the weak and fearing the strong, was instead forced to reveal some of her mettle. Without a word, she raised her Three Marvel Lotuses, intending to support Wu Zhiqi. Yet, midway, she was blocked by the Rose Dragon King, who had swallowed Chen Guangrui and others from the inn!
"Delicious! Truly delicious! This is so satisfying! Chen Guangrui, you finally couldn't escape my maw! Today, this Dragon King shall exact revenge!"
"Everyone inside and outside the Ten Thousand Flowers Inn, leave none alive! Kill them!"
"Eat with all your might!"
Accompanied by a roaring true dragon, the Rose Dragon King had not only entered prematurely and swallowed Chen Guangrui, but also appeared ferocious and filled with murderous intent. He firmly suppressed even He Xiangu. Clearly, demonic energy had entered his body, boosting his courage, and he intended to completely turn hostile and overturn the table!
The previous second, he was still chewing on Chen Guangrui's body, devouring him entirely, and also swallowing the primordial spirit of Feng'er hidden within. He showed no regard even for Empress Nuwa's authority! The next second, the Rose Dragon King, wielding the Rose Spear, enhanced by demonic energy, pierced He Xiangu's Three Marvel Lotuses, forcing her into continuous retreat, almost to the point of being swallowed himself.
At this moment, Guangchengzi could no longer stand by. He unleashed his Heaven-Overturning Seal and Soul-Felling Bell, forcing back the Rose Dragon King, the strongest enemy present. To his surprise, it was also at this moment that Liu Hong, standing behind the Rose Dragon King, made his move!
"Is the senior disciple of the Chan Sect so idle?"
"With the Heaven-Overturning Seal and the Soul-Felling Bell, you think you're invincible?"
"Let's see my Five Zhuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Embryonic Membrane!"
This Liu Hong had actually stolen Zhen Yuanzi's Earth Scroll! Instantly, the entire chaotic battle became even more brutal!