The three to four zhang tall green giant reappeared, its fists striking out, sending the unprepared Yan Hong flying like a cannonball into the ground.
*Pfft*
Yan Hong coughed up blood, struggling to support himself in shock.
If he hadn't consumed two Golden Fruits and reached the peak of the Xuan Gang realm, he would have been beaten to death by that green giant just now.
A quasi-Heavenly Origin level existence!
"Alas..."
Yan Hong angrily hammered the ground, then dejectedly retreated.
In his current severely injured state, the struggle for the Blood Spirit Fruit was destined to have nothing to do with him.
"Everyone, there are a total of five such soil giants at the quasi-Heavenly Origin level. To obtain the Blood Spirit Fruit, you must defeat these five formation-created puppets."
"Let's attack together. As for who gets the Blood Spirit Fruit, that will depend on individual ability," said Elder Han from the Governor's Mansion indifferently.
The crowd pondered for a moment and felt that this was the only way.
Otherwise, relying on individual combat, no one would be able to obtain the Blood Spirit Fruit.
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
More than ten peak Xuan Gang realm cultivators attacked together, along with more than ten other Xuan Gang realm cultivators. The momentum was truly spectacular. For a time, powerful martial qi, like dragons and snakes, streaked across the sky, and earth-shattering roars echoed within the dilapidated grand palace.
On the five-colored altar, the five soil giants indeed appeared.
The green giant that had appeared twice before, the crimson giant representing the southern fire, the white soil giant representing the western metal, the black giant representing the northern water, and a powerful yellow giant in the center.
The attacks that landed on the five soil giants, even with their quasi-Heavenly Origin level strength, caused them to shake continuously, with bursts of five-colored soil exploding from their bodies.
However, from the altar beneath their feet, the five-colored soil continuously churned, healing their injuries.
In a sense, the five soil giants of the five-colored altar were very similar to the puppet sand beasts encountered earlier; they were also beings that were nearly immortal.
As long as the formation was not broken, they would not die.
"Everyone, continuing like this will only be a waste of strength. Attack with all your might! Defeat these monsters, and seize the Blood Spirit Fruit while they haven't recovered!"
Elder Han spoke again. The elder-level powerhouses from Misty Cloud Mountain and Seven Stars Cave nodded in agreement.
The other powerhouses also strongly agreed with the proposal.
*Boom!*
The group of powerhouses and heavenly prodigies joined forces again, this time with unrestrained full power. The terrifying force engulfed the area ahead. The wood giant, bearing the brunt of the attack, was the first to explode, shattering into countless green soil fragments that fell back onto the green altar.
Soon, the crimson giant was also blown apart.
Then the third, fourth... and fifth!
After all, these were just inanimate objects. They possessed quasi-Heavenly Origin level strength but lacked flexible application.
Facing the combined efforts of the martial artists, they had no power to resist.
"Master, should we intervene?" Liang Hutú asked for instructions.
There was a hint of anxiety in his eyes.
However, Ling Fan still shook his head indifferently.
Liang Hutú could only suppress his urge and continue to wait.
"Attack!"
All the powerhouses' eyes sharpened, and they roared. Everyone then shot towards the Blood Spirit Fruit in the center of the altar.
Just as all the powerhouses were about to reach the altar.
Suddenly, a strange voice echoed from the altar.
"Heh heh, I didn't expect to attract so many powerhouses this time. It's time to cast the net..."
Who is speaking!
A sense of alarm surged through the hearts of all the powerhouses and heavenly prodigies, and they looked around in shock.
Suddenly, someone's expression changed drastically, and they pointed at the central altar.
The humanoid statue that had been sitting cross-legged on the ground began to shed countless layers of stone skin, revealing a figure within.
The stone skin fragments continued to peel off.
When the face of this person became clear, the powerhouses from Star Sand City let out a cry of surprise.
Liu Ke!
"It's Liu Ke!"
"How is that possible?"
"Didn't he disappear in the ruins three years ago? How is he inside this statue!"
Liu Yubei and Liu Xiwei's expressions were initially ecstatic, but they were then startled by the strange aura emanating from Liu Ke, leaving them somewhat flustered.
No one had expected that Liu Ke, who had disappeared for three years, would appear in such a strange location in this manner.
At the outermost perimeter, Liu Xiran excitedly shouted, "Big brother! Big brother! It's Ranran!"
Ling Fan's eyes flickered, and he stared thoughtfully at Liu Ke, who had emerged from a statue.
Liu Ke stretched his limbs, emitting creaking sounds as if his body were rusty.
His gaze swept over the powerhouses, lingering slightly on Ling Fan, but he didn't pay much attention.
"Not bad, not bad, excellent!"
"With so many powerhouses, after sacrificing all of you, it should be enough for me to return to the Heavenly Origin realm."
Liu Ke appeared to be only twenty-five or twenty-six years old.
However, whether it was his voice, his tone, or his demeanor, he resembled an ancient monster over a hundred years old.
Elder Han said with a solemn expression, "Your Excellency, are you perhaps the sect master of the Star Sand Sect!"
"Oh? You have some discerning eyes. As expected of a quasi-Heavenly Origin realm martial artist, your vision is much better than others."
Liu Ke nodded appreciatively. He wasn't angered by being exposed.
The crowd, however, was shocked!
Wasn't the sect master of the Star Sand Sect said to have died a hundred years ago? That person was once a super powerhouse at the peak of the Heavenly Origin realm.
This news was too astonishing.
It was so astonishing that even Liu Ke calling Elder Han a quasi-Heavenly Origin realm powerhouse couldn't shock the crowd anymore.
"How is that possible! If you are the sect master of the Star Sand Sect, wouldn't you be three to four hundred years old now? Even a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Origin realm wouldn't live that long!" said the elder from Misty Cloud Mountain with a grave expression.
"A Grandmaster's lifespan is no more than two hundred years. Even a king of the Giant Spirit realm can only live up to three hundred years. Logically, I should have died long ago, but... my methods are not something you can comprehend. Don't think of prying information out of me!"
Liu Ke chuckled, his eyes revealing depth and vicissitudes, appearing cunning and wily.
"Why did you occupy my son's body? Give me back my son!" Liu Yubei cried out in despair.
"Oh? So this little fellow is your son. Hmm, I should thank you properly. Your son's body is very good, and it suits me well."
"Alright, we've talked enough nonsense. It's time for business. Please sacrifice yourselves obediently and complete me!"
Liu Ke spread his hands, and instantly, countless runes flashed across the dilapidated palace, forming an unbreakable cage that trapped everyone within.
Xiong Kuang was anxious and struck the cage with his palm, but it didn't budge.
Everyone's expression changed.
Who could have predicted such an unpredictable turn of events!
"Everyone, there is no retreat now. We can only fight to the death." Elder Han from the Governor's Mansion said with extreme solemnity.
The powerhouses nodded in unison. They knew that this matter could not be resolved peacefully. Either they would defeat this old monster, or this old monster would kill them all and offer them as sacrifices!