"What is that thing?"
Zhang Xing'an felt a strong sense of unease as he saw the three spectral figures, each over ten feet tall, charging towards them.
Lin Haotian took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stood before the group, ready to face them alone.
Of their five members, only he had reached the late stage of the Sacred Domain. At full power, he could contend with a peak Sacred Domain expert for dozens of rounds. Yi Feicheng and Zhang Xing'an had only recently entered the Sacred Domain, and their combat power could at best match a mid-stage Sacred Domain expert.
Su Yun and Guang Tou Qiang were even weaker.
He could clearly sense that the strength of the three spectral figures had surpassed the Sacred Domain, likely reaching the Divine Realm. Only he might be able to resist them to some extent.
Although Lin Haotian had witnessed the battles of many Divine Realm experts, he had never personally experienced it, and he had underestimated the power of the Divine Realm.
One of the ghost generals, standing thirteen feet tall and wielding a long spear, merely swept his weapon. Lin Haotian, who stood before the group, had no time to even block before being swept away by the spear, his chest caving in with a spear mark.
If Bai Tu had not ordered them to be captured alive, a full-powered strike would have taken his life.
In the sky, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, locked in combat with the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint, also noticed the situation below. It finally grew anxious.
It wanted to break free from the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint but was held fast. Instead, its panic caused it to reveal an opening, and the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint seized its tail.
"Lift!"
At this moment, the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint was clearly enjoying the fight. He tightly embraced the Blood Demon Flood Dragon's tail and swung it with all his might...
Boom!
A thunderous roar echoed from the island in the lake. The Blood Demon Flood Dragon was slammed hard onto the sandy beach, creating a pit tens of meters long and kicking up a sky of dust!
The buildings on the island, buffeted by the powerful air currents, were left in disarray, resembling the aftermath of a typhoon. The scene was rather desolate!
...
Although the island in the lake was located in the center of Bibo Lake, some distance from the shore, the immense commotion still alerted the citizens of Donghai City.
In the Misty Rain Pavilion.
The Pavilion Master of Misty Rain Pavilion stood atop the pavilion. Peering through the faint mist, he witnessed everything happening on the island in the lake. He was filled with shock but also a sense of urgency.
He had always believed that the Divine Realm represented the strongest power in existence. However, everything unfolding on the island shattered his understanding.
He had previously thought that with his own strength, he could help if Master Zhang encountered any trouble.
But now, after witnessing the battle on the island, he realized the insignificance of his own power. Even though his strength was now very close to the peak of the Sacred Domain, in the eyes of the powerful beings on the island, he was likely as weak as an ant.
In the past, the island in the lake was protected by a formation, and no one could see what was happening there.
However, the formation had now been broken by Taoist Niu, and everything on the island was exposed to the public. Even though they were far away and could only see vaguely with the naked eye, with modern technology, their photographic equipment could still clearly record everything that happened on the island.
The internet was like an earthquake. Videos of a dragon tens of meters long battling a giant over three meters tall were released online, and the immense traffic nearly brought the network to a standstill.
...
The Blood Demon Flood Dragon, swung and slammed against the ground by the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint, suffered severe injuries. Its massive body was covered in blood, and its blood-red eyes were significantly listless.
"Alright, Martial Saint. This flood dragon will be my mount from now on. A little lesson is enough; don't kill it!"
The Changbai Mountain Martial Saint was in full swing and was about to lift the Blood Demon Flood Dragon again for another spin when he was interrupted by Taoist Niu.
Though he was unwilling, he could only comply due to Taoist Niu's strength.
At this moment, the three ghost generals had captured Lin Haotian and his group. Ghostly chains wrapped around their hands, and controlled by the chains, their bodies were involuntarily drawn towards Bai Tu.
Seeing this, Bai Tu and Daoist Chang Sheng exchanged a knowing smile.
Taoist Niu, however, paid no attention to Lin Haotian and the others. He stared at the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, lying on the beach and on the verge of death. A satisfied smile spread across his withered old face as he walked towards it.
He believed that after the recent battle, this arrogant Blood Demon Flood Dragon would finally understand whose fist was the strongest.
Taoist Niu had taken only a few steps when he suddenly stopped. He looked up...
A black figure streaked through the air from afar, its speed surpassing that of most Core Formation realm experts. In mere moments, the black shadow arrived above the island in the lake and descended from the sky, landing steadily before Lin Haotian and the others!
The three ghost generals, who had been standing in front of Lin Haotian's group, were initially startled. Just as they were about to attack Zhang Fan, before they could react, a fire mixed with purple lightning engulfed them. In less than a second, the three ghost generals were refined into nothingness by the fiery lightning!
"Master!"
"Zhang Fan!"
Lin Haotian and Yi Feicheng, seeing the figure standing before them, cried out in surprise and relief, feeling as though they had narrowly escaped death.
"You brat, if you hadn't come back sooner, I would have only been collecting your corpse," Zhang Xing'an said, a smile appearing on his face as he scolded Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan waved his hand, removing all the ghostly chains that bound the group. He then walked to his parents and, seeing their somewhat disheveled state, felt a pang of guilt.
"Mom, I'm sorry for making you suffer," Zhang Fan said softly and gently.
"It's good that you're back. Can you handle this?" Su Yun asked.
Zhang Fan nodded and looked at the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, which was covered in wounds. His dark eyes were filled with coldness.
"Could this be Master Zhang?"
Taoist Niu stared at Zhang Fan, his smile slowly fading as he felt a pressure emanating from this young man who appeared to be in his early twenties.
Zhang Fan remained silent. He walked slowly to the Blood Demon Flood Dragon's side and gently stroked its blood-soaked scales.
"You performed admirably. Your mission is complete. Leave the rest to me!"
The Blood Demon Flood Dragon's body slowly shrank until it was only as thick as an arm. It rubbed its head against Zhang Fan's palm, appearing rather aggrieved.
"Don't worry. Today, none of them will leave alive. They will all die!"
Zhang Fan comforted it. Although he spoke calmly, anyone could sense the suppressed, icy killing intent in his heart.
Upon hearing this, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon nodded slowly and swam back to Lin Haotian and the others, staying with them.
After comforting them, Zhang Fan turned his gaze to Taoist Niu and the others.
"You broke my formation, destroyed my villa, and injured my family!"
"Do you... have any last words?"
...