West Queen Mother's mind raced, her eyes gradually burning with intensity.
This was a golden opportunity, rare and fleeting.
Such chances did not come often.
However, West Queen Mother was no fool; she knew that Zhang Tian and his companions were extremely formidable opponents.
To defeat them and obtain what she desired was akin to defying heaven itself.
Anyone who possessed immense fortune was a child of destiny.
The title "child of destiny" was not bestowed lightly; it signified being chosen by heaven.
To oppose such individuals meant inherent disadvantage, and one's actions might even backfire.
Yet, the rewards for defeating them were substantial.
This was the reason for the existence of organizations that hunted children of destiny.
They hunted these individuals to absorb their fortune for their own use.
West Queen Mother had stumbled upon this knowledge by chance and had acquired such means herself.
She had thought she would never need them again, but to her surprise, they proved useful after her death.
"To defeat these people, the best and safest method is to use that ultimate move," West Queen Mother murmured, a hint of humiliation in her voice.
During her lifetime, her power was unrivaled. She had never been forced into such a desperate situation.
She had been compelled to use her strongest technique.
If not for her greatly diminished strength and lack of sufficient energy replenishment, West Queen Mother's current power was less than half of her peak.
However, by employing that ultimate move, she could temporarily regain her former peak strength.
But there were side effects.
After all, there was no free lunch in this world, and no action came without consequences.
After a brief moment of deliberation, West Queen Mother decided that this battle was unavoidable.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tian's aura began to stabilize.
West Queen Mother granted herself a few seconds, also allowing Zhang Tian and his group time to recover.
Upon realizing that their attacks could not break through West Queen Mother's defenses, Zhang Tian decisively chose to prioritize recovery.
As his aura settled, Zhang Tian subtly began to prepare his contingency plan.
He made an incision on his hand, letting blood flow onto a peach wood sword.
The sword, originally golden, gradually turned red.
Zhang Tian's ritual of summoning deities required a specific process, and the use of his own blood as a medium was crucial.
The process took time, so Zhang Tian planned ahead to make the execution smoother later.
Zhang Tian felt reasonably confident in his ability to summon deities at this moment.
His strength was undeniable.
Previously, he could only unleash a single lightning arc, but now, Zhang Tian could condense lightning arcs into bolts of electricity.
The power was significantly amplified.
It was this enhancement in his cultivation that truly gave Zhang Tian the capability to summon deities.
"Spear, come!"
Seeing that her spear was still not arriving, West Queen Mother lost patience. Her aura surged madly, and a dull thudding sound echoed within the cave.
Zhang Tian frowned slightly.
Why did it feel like West Queen Mother was growing stronger with each passing moment of their battle?
With this surge of energy, even at his current strength, Zhang Tian wasn't confident he could withstand it.
"She's using a forbidden technique to temporarily boost her cultivation."
"Be careful."
Queen Jingjue recognized what was happening.
A trace of concern laced her voice.
"Forbidden technique..."
Zhang Tian's brow furrowed.
Many possessed forbidden techniques; Zhang Tian's own deity summoning was one such method.
However, the backlash from employing such techniques was significant.
Take deity summoning, for instance. If successful, Zhang Tian would gain a power far exceeding his own.
But there was a high probability that his physical body might not withstand the strain, leading to damage to his internal organs.
More terrifyingly, his physical form could shatter under the immense power.
These were all potential outcomes.
West Queen Mother's forbidden technique was clearly no ordinary one.
Anything that could amplify one's strength was generally quite dangerous.
"We only wanted to pass through, only to restore Zhang Qilin to his ordinary identity. It shouldn't have come to this, should it?"
Zhang Tian was puzzled.
His sole objective for coming here was to help Zhang Qilin regain his normal life, and to travel from Kunlun Mountain.
Returning to modern society.
He had no deep-seated animosity towards West Queen Mother, and their issues could have been negotiated. If all else failed, Zhang Tian would have agreed to let Wu Tianzhen guard a tomb for a few years.
But West Queen Mother's sudden use of a forbidden technique had escalated the situation into an irreconcilable conflict.
Zhang Tian couldn't comprehend why she would resort to this, as it would undoubtedly benefit neither party.
After much thought, Zhang Tian reached a conclusion.
Only immense benefits would drive someone to take such risks to achieve a goal.
West Queen Mother's current state was indicative of such a situation.
What exactly she desired was unknown to Zhang Tian.
However, Zhang Tian was certain that it was something they possessed.
Inside the cave, as West Queen Mother's summoning intensified, the already trembling spear began to shake even more violently.
Simultaneously, a powerful aura was injected into the spear, causing it to emit a humming sound.
Following this sound, the three individuals who had been controlling the spear began to falter.
They struggled to maintain their grip, and when the spear let out a vibrating tremor, they were all pushed back several steps.
Shirley Yang's hands moved, and a torrent of energy began to flow.
This was a technique imprinted in her bloodline, one that Shirley Yang had not used since gaining comprehension. She had to try it now.
Every bloodline contained hidden abilities.
Zhang Tian also possessed them, though he had yet to discover them.
It was akin to animals, which often possessed unique traits from birth, and some monstrous beasts were no different.
As the energy flowed, the spear seemed to sense danger. Its aura abruptly became sharp and menacing.
A powerful spear intent emanated from it, directly aimed at Shirley Yang's head.
This was the spear strengthened by West Queen Mother, no longer the same artifact that had emerged from the Yin Spring.
Its aura was now formidable.
As the potent spear intent struck, Fatty was repelled.
Shirley Yang was still in the process of brewing her attack, as it was a difficult technique to execute.
Fatty was pushed back, but Hu Bayi could not retreat.
He braced himself against the pressure, swinging his peach wood sword.
"Crack!"
As the peach wood sword struck the spear, it suddenly developed a crack!
This sword had accompanied Zhang Tian on countless battlefields and had endured for years without breaking, yet now, with a single blow, it had fractured.
A moment later, a powerful force surged through.
The peach wood sword was completely shattered.
Seeing this, Hu Bayi's heart sank. Shirley Yang's technique was only one step away from completion.
Hu Bayi knew that if he retreated, Shirley Yang would surely perish.
But if he remained, Shirley Yang could survive.
Hu Bayi decisively chose the latter.
He raised his hand, channeling energy into it.
He intended to block the attack with his bare hand.
"Crack."
The next moment, the spear cleaved into Hu Bayi's hand. A powerful aura descended, forming a spear light.
Subsequently, a severed arm appeared in the cave.