Su Xi, sensing the situation, understood that things had reached a critical point and she absolutely could not continue like this.
If she only defended, then an abyss of despair awaited her. One wrong move, and she could truly be killed here. If she didn't act soon, she might never have the chance to act again. Some hidden trump cards would simply become useless. Therefore, for her own safety, some trump cards had to be deployed.
As Su Xi pondered, a barrage of attacks suddenly erupted, locking onto her. Facing the relentless onslaught, Su Xi felt as trapped as a stranded fish, her very breath seemingly obstructed. As the wave of attacks threatened to engulf her, Su Xi let out a long sigh and unleashed a burst of energy, clearly preparing to go all out. Li Qiuzhe was undoubtedly a formidable opponent, so she could not afford to be careless; caution and prudence were paramount.
The two forces collided, creating a stalemate. However, Li Qiuzhe showed no signs of urgency, even appearing somewhat relaxed. His power far surpassed Su Xi's, so there was no need to rush. In the brief interval, Su Xi's breathing grew rapid, and her muscles began to tremble uncontrollably. Such a high expenditure of energy placed her at a significant disadvantage. If she couldn't resolve the situation now, she would never have another chance, destined to become mere dust in the wind. For her own safety, Su Xi knew she had to change tactics.
Su Xi's power intensified, and in a single breath, it transformed into a series of attacks, a beam of red light appearing. In that instant, all the energies clashed. Amidst the fierce collision, a cacophony of piercing sounds erupted.
*Buzz buzz buzz?*
After the violent impact, the immense power shattered Li Qiuzhe's attack, leaving him completely defenseless. Li Qiuzhe stared at the disintegrating formation before him, disbelief etched on his face. He couldn't comprehend how Su Xi had broken through the formation. He had held the advantage just moments ago, and now, everything had changed so drastically. The sudden shift in offense and defense felt utterly wrong.
Yet, despite not fully understanding what had happened, he knew he couldn't let Su Xi live. Such a capable person, if allowed to survive, posed a grave threat to his imperial position, rendering all his future plans and arrangements futile. Therefore, he knew he couldn't relent, no matter the cost.
"Tear!"
As a series of sounds echoed, Su Xi witnessed the very ground beneath her crack open into fissures that continued to widen. The emergence of these rifts brought forth violent tremors, akin to a powerful earthquake. Su Xi felt her footing become unstable, on the verge of collapsing.
At that very moment, numerous bubbles began to appear around Ghost Elder, gradually engulfing him. While these bubbles appeared beautiful, the instant they touched Ghost Elder, they exploded. The sound of these explosions was accompanied by intense energy surges, and the droplets of water within the bubbles possessed potent corrosive properties. Even hardened steel would succumb to their decay. Thus, with every contact, Ghost Elder would cry out in agony. If not for his immortality, he would have long since turned into a puddle of muck.
"Find a way, quickly," Ghost Elder urged Su Xi, his soul having just reformed. While immortal, it didn't mean he could endure indefinitely. Prolonged consumption of energy would surely not last. Should he run out of energy and fall into dormancy, he would be left to lament. Having just regained his freedom, he desperately wished to avoid slumber once more.
Witnessing the scene, Su Xi replied, "Keep holding on, I'm almost there." Su Xi knew the situation was urgent, but she also understood that the most crucial task was to escape their predicament first; otherwise, there would be no opportunity to display her true capabilities. Although displeased with Su Xi's evasive response, Ghost Elder could only persevere for now. There was no alternative; he had to endure, with or without Su Xi.
Li Qiuzhe overheard their conversation and let out a cold laugh. To think they could escape his attack with such tactics! It was utter wishful thinking. Su Xi knew Li Qiuzhe's move was potent and understood she couldn't fall into this vortex. She unleashed all her energy, attempting to break free from the powerful gravitational pull. In a mere instant, her once energy-filled mecha depleted half of its power.
???
Noticing the anomaly with her mecha, Su Xi was utterly perplexed. What was happening? Even with energy expenditure, how could it be consumed so rapidly? This couldn't be described as a mere drain; it was terrifying. Li Qiuzhe, observing Su Xi's shock, wore a relaxed smile. "What a rare sight, indeed, a country bumpkin," he scoffed. His move not only devoured enemies but also systematically drained their strength. Therefore, he wasn't worried about Su Xi breaking free. No matter what, Su Xi would eventually endure such inhuman torment.
Within this brief period, she felt her energy rapidly depleting, and as the moves intensified, so did the energy drain. Seeing her energy increasing geometrically, she felt as though she was being gradually consumed. However, despite the constant drain, Su Xi knew this was not the time to be stingy with her energy; decisiveness was key. The more she hesitated, the longer the delay, and the longer it would take to recover. In that short span, she felt her entire being accelerating.
As the energy consumption surged, Su Xi immediately amplified her cultivation and then charged towards the weakest point of the formation. To increase her chances of breaking through, Su Xi concentrated all her energy, compressing it for a decisive blow. Although only a small amount of energy remained on her fingertips, it was more potent than any released externally. In that brief moment, she felt her entire body swaying precariously.
"Bang."
A sound akin to a balloon bursting reverberated, and immediately, Su Xi's figure burst free from the confinement. Relieved of the pressure, Su Xi felt a sense of ease.
Ghost Elder, seeing Su Xi had broken free, became visibly excited and shouted, "Save me quickly, I'm still here!" Ghost Elder could no longer hold on. Seeing Su Xi's escape, he knew he had a chance to flee and was unwilling to let it slip away.
Without hesitation, Su Xi responded to Ghost Elder's plea by launching the Sun True Fire from her hand. Water and fire were inherently immiscible, opposing forces. Therefore, the Sun True Fire, having been refined, displayed an exponential increase in its power. Li Qiuzhe's formation was formidable, but breaking it from the outside was not overly difficult, especially with Su Xi's current potent attack.
As this energy erupted and shattered her formation, Li Qiuzhe felt as though she had been struck with immense force to the chest.
*Pfft?*
With the rupture of the formation, Li Qiuzhe involuntarily spat out a mouthful of blood, her entire body trembling. She couldn't comprehend what had happened, or how Su Xi had inflicted such damage. In that instant, how had Su Xi's power become so immense?
Although Su Xi had overcome Li Qiuzhe's challenge, she hadn't given herself enough opportunity to act. After all, although she had broken through Li Qiuzhe's defenses this time, she had exhausted all her energy. Temporarily, she was incapable of fighting. After all, powering a mecha wasn't solely dependent on magical power.
Li Qiuzhe also realized Su Xi was out of energy; the previous attack had severely depleted her. Thus, looking at Su Xi, a smile spread across her face. "Now, I believe you'll surrender obediently. You're destined for a grim outcome."
Su Xi looked at the arrogant Li Qiuzhe before her and chuckled. "Although I've exhausted my strength, don't forget one thing: I'm not alone. I have a teammate."
Huh?
Li Qiuzhe glanced at Ghost Elder beside Su Xi and then burst into laughter. "Such a weakling as a teammate? Isn't that a bit too childish?"
Ghost Elder felt a sense of pressure from Su Xi's reliance on him, but seeing Li Qiuzhe's mockery, he couldn't help but become enraged. He was, after all, a person of standing and dignity. How could he be so easily dismissed? Being overlooked felt like an extreme insult.
"You rest here properly, and let me kill him," Ghost Elder said, rolling up his sleeves and charging towards Li Qiuzhe. Now, he intended to prove himself with his strength. Having been beaten so many times, his temper had long since flared. If he didn't seize this opportunity for revenge, he feared being laughed at for years to come.